The joy of falling in love is fractured with the cannon firing on Fort Sumter, creating chaos for the military academy cadets, especially two men from opposing sides. As soldiers, they must fight, but as lovers, they must flee to the west to avoid fighting against each other. While the plan for their journey together seemed simple enough, the invisible walls of war trapped the cadet from Charleston, while leaving the man from Maine stranded in Saint Louis. His family abandoned him until they needed him to defend the plantation, and eventually their Southern way of life. War changed him, he became a fearless killer, and on many fields of battle, it nearly killed him, but nothing could stop his determination and search for the man he loved, and return to their trail to the west. The War Apart - Part I begins the series, followed by The War Ahead - Part II, and soon The War Beyond - Part III.