iUniverse talks to George C. Richardson, author of the Young Adult novel, "Drummer" The Civil War was a defining moment in American history. It ripped apart families and destroyed whole cities. Wherever Union forces penetrated new areas in the south, thousands of fugitive slaves flooded the Union lines. Inspired by the historical Civil War landmarks that surrounded him growing up in Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, George C. Richardson brings us the touching story of a young slave, determined against the odds, to become the drummer in a Union Army colored infantry unit. iUniverse: Drummer is the story of a young runaway slave who joins a colored infantry unit in the Union Army. What motivated you to write this book? Richardson: For many years I lived near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I visited the park about every year and I wanted to write about the Civil War for children and young adults but I didn't want to duplicate literature that had been written before. During my research, I found an article on runaway slaves who fought for the Union Army. One moving article was about a young runaway slave who became the drummer for Company A. iUniverse: It's obvious that you conducted a lot of research when writing Drummer . What were some of the challenges you faced while writing this novel? Richardson: It was hardest to obtain first-hand information about the slaves who fought for the Union. Slaves were not allowed to learn to read or write. Unlike the many Civil War journals written by white soldiers, there are few, if any, journals written by a slave. iUniverse: Why did you choose iUniverse as your publisher? Did choosing our Writer's Showcase Publishing Program help with your success? Richardson: I regard iUniverse as the best of the Print-on-Demand publishers. With Writer's Showcase, someone read my work and provided valuable input. I'm sure that the input helped with the success Drummer has achieved. iUniverse: You've been successful in marketing Drummer . You've got a great Web site that features several strong reviews. What else have you done to get the word out? Richardson: I held book signings at elementary schools and churches. One school signing was during a large book fair. It was quite successful. The church events also generated many sales. I have also taken the time to speak to several 5th grade classes about writing. iUniverse: What advice would you give other authors who are considering self-publishing? Would you recommend Writer's Showcase to others? Richardson: Marketing is the hardest part of the self-publishing process. If you are not prepared to work hard at marketing you will not be a success. Yes, I would recommend Writer's Showcase. The input it provides is invaluable. iUniverse: What did writing Drummer teach you about the history of African-Americans during Civil War? Richardson: African-Americans were not permitted to serve in white unitsonly in all black units. The Officers of these units were always white. Many of the officers, however, praised the African-Americans as they readily adapted to military life. Many African-American units fought with distinction.