Although Yankee born and bred, John Archer's fascination with the Civil War stems from a childhood discovery of Confederate ancestors in his family tree. He now lives in Gettysburg, where in addition to writing, he is employed at Gettysburg College and as a Licensed Guide for Gettysburg National Military Park. His interpretive tours have been featured in PCN TV's Gettysburg Battlewalks Series. His written work includes two histories of the battle, "The Hour Was One of Horror: East Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg" and "Culp's Hill at Gettysburg," as well as articles in "Blue and Gray," "Gettysburg Magazine," and other periodicals. His first work of historical fiction, "After the Rain: A Novel of War and Coming Home," was released in 2011, and was a finalist to receive the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction.