Books We Love's Tantalizing Talent ~ Author Shirley Martin

If you go to Amazon and click on Books, you’ll find mine

listed under Shirley Martin and find also the genres I write in: historical romance, paranormal romance, and fantasy romance.  “Destined to Love” is my first published novel, a historical romance that takes place in western Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War.  Another historical romance is “Forbidden Love,” that’s centered around a Pittsburgh steel strike in 1892.  “Forbidden Love” has garnered great reviews.  “Nothing short of a masterpiece” says Fallen Angels Reviews in their 5-star review.  My affection for western Pennsylvania, its history and ambiance, surely comes through in my writing.

Now, just a bit about me.  I was born and raised near Pittsburgh but moved to Miami when I obtained a position as a flight attendant with Eastern Air Lines.  Based in Miami, I met my husband there, and we had three sons.  Now a widow, I live in Birmingham, Alabama near my middle son. 

Here is my website link with Books We Love, my publisher.  http://bookswelove.net/authors/martin-shirley

Please check out my own website.  www.shirleymartinauthor.com

I began my writing career with historical romances.  Then I discovered the charms of paranormal romance.  But fantasy romance is my favorite, both for reading and writing.  Here is a list of my books and their genres:

Historical romance:

            “Destined to Love”

            “Forbidden Love”

Paranormal Romance:

“Dream Weaver” a time travel romance and a CAPA  (Cupid and Psyche Award) nominee.

            “One More Tomorrow” a vampire romance

            “Temptation” also a vampire romance

Fantasy romance:

            Avador series:

            “Night Secrets”

            “Night Shadows”

            “Enchanted Cottage”

            “Allegra’s Dream”

            “Wolf Magic”            

There is also a boxed set of the Avador series.

Other fantasy romances:

            “The Sacrifice”

            “Midnight For Morgana”

            “The Princess and the Curse”

            “Magic Mountain” 

Boxed set of Fairy Tales includes:

            “The Sacrifice”

            “One More Tomorrow”

            “Midnight for Morgana”

            “The Princess and the Curse”

My Special Edition includes:

            “Dream Weaver”

            “Forbidden Love”

            “Destined to Love”    

Here are a couple blurbs that I hope might entice you to read my romance novels.  First, my recent fantasy romance, “Magic Mountain” :

Amazon

Gold! Legend tells of a fortune in gold, hidden in a cave at Misty Mountain, in a land far away. Princess Olwen must find the treasure.  The neighboring country of Volanar has held her brother hostage for years and demands a fortune to free him. Olwen’s country of Airenn Tir is too poor to pay the ransom.  Her father doesn’t believe the legend of hidden gold and refuses to send anyone to search for the treasure.  So she’ll find the gold herself, Olwen determines. Disguised as a man and traveling alone, she leaves in the dead of night and travels to a distant land to find the treasure.  Painful surprises await her, for she has no idea she’ll encounter a land of magic . . . and danger. 

Now, a blurb from my vampire romance, “Temptation”:

Amazon

Escaping an abusive boyfriend, Jennifer moves to Miami.  She vows that from now on, she’ll guard her heart and not fall for any sweet talker that comes her way. But when she meets Varik, a man like no other, she finds it easy to forget her vow.

On a dare to woo a mortal woman, Varik courts Jennifer. He finds himself falling in love with her and wonders if she’s the soul mate he’s waited for throughout the centuries.  But no.  How can there be any lasting happiness between a vampire and a mortal woman?

From the glittering nightclubs of Miami Beach to the dreaded dungeons of medieval France, get ready for a wild ride.

I’d be happy if you’d check out my books at Amazon and also my own website.  And thank you for taking the time to read about my books and me.

"Doctor, I'm Sick," or Medical Practice in Eighteenth Century America By Shirley Martin

 

     Believe me, you wouldn't want to be sick in eighteenth century America.

    In my time travel romance, "Dream Weaver," the hero--Christian--is a doctor in 1762. In preparation for writing this romance, I read as much as possible about medicine in the eighteenth century.

    Let's start with a few basics. The average life span was thirty-five years, the death rate appalling. Very few people lived to the advanced age where cancer or heart disease manifested themselves. Only a very high birth rate allowed America to grow. The average married woman had seven children.

    Infection was the most common cause of death. Most doctors at this time recognized the value of cleanliness. Although those little, squiggly "animals" under a microscope were fascinating to watch, no one connected the bacteria with infection. The germ theory lay far in the future.

    In the eighteenth century, a pregnant woman was considered sick and indisposed for nine months. She was to avoid dancing and exercise, not to mention sex, for the duration.(One wonders how often this last proscription was observed.) Post childbirth infection was a feared complication of giving birth. Here again, cleanliness, or lack of it,was an important factor. Very few people in rural areas could afford doctors' fees, and someone other than a doctor performed delivery, often not bothering to wash their hands first.

    Since so many people couldn't afford doctors' fees, quacks abounded "like the locusts of Egypt." In colonial America, anyone who wanted to practice medicine could do so. Most doctors were trained as apprentices. However, American medical students considered the medical school in Edinburgh, Scotland, to be the premier source of a medical education. The courses there included anatomy, surgery, chemistry, pharmacy, and theory. American students in Edinburgh were conscientious scholars and spent long hours every day in the study and discussion of medicine. In 1765, the College of Philadelphia became the first medical school in America. Students had to give their thesis for a medical degree in Latin. Thereafter, America required a more stringent background for the practice of medicine.

    Amputations had a high mortality rate, and fractures of the vertebrae were considered fatal. We've all heard the term "bite the bullet."  It means to endure what you have to endure. More crudely, it means put up and shut up. If you've ever visited a historical fort and seen the bullets with the teeth marks, you might be able to imagine the agony of a patient having his leg sawed off without benefit of an anesthetic.

    Apothecaries in Europe and America sought Indian herbal medicine for many diseases. Sassafras tea was prescribed for infection and rheumatism, besides moths and bedbugs.

    Back then, many people who lived near poorly-drained areas suffered from the ague, what we now know as malaria. They believed that a miasma from the swamps caused this disease. It would be a long time before people realized that mosquitoes caused this malady. Yet strangely, the remedy then is the same as what is used today--Peruvian bark, today's source of quinine.

    Warfare has always advanced surgery. Gunpowder forever changed the strategy and tactics of warfare and also the problem of wound treatment. With gunpowder, casualties greatly increased. Most likely, because of the high casualty rate, doctors were forced to ignore advice on cleanliness. Sickness, not battlefield wounds, caused over 90% of the deaths in America during the Revolution. The conditions in the medical hospitals and field hospitals were appalling--dirty straw to lie on, lice, filth, wounds left untended for days. No wonder so many men died.

    The one great contribution of eighteenth century medicine was the development and practice of smallpox inoculation. In the early stages of this practice, many doctors and clergymen strongly opposed this practice, considering it against the will of God. Over time, the practice became accepted, and by the end of the Revolution, the entire American army had been inoculated. Thanks must go to George Washington for this for he recognized the value of smallpox inoculation.

    Inoculation was the first step in a process that virtually eliminated smallpox worldwide. Later, Edward Jenner developed smallpox vaccine, using the crusts from cowpox to prevent smallpox.

    In the latter part of the eighteenth century, a Virginia gentleman spent hours riding over his plantation, inspecting his property, marking trees and making notes. It was a cold, rainy and blustery December day. Later, he ate his evening meal without changing out of his wet clothes. Within a day, he developed a fever and a sore throat. A firm believer in bloodletting (a common remedy at the time), he asked his overseer to draw some blood. His condition worsened, and eventually three doctors attended him. They drew even more blood, until half of his blood was drawn. Besides that, the doctors purged him and gave him an emetic to induce vomiting. Finally, he asked them to just leave him alone. And shortly after, George Washington died quietly and at peace. 

 

Find Shirley Martin here: 

http://shirleymartinauthor.com/

http://bookswelove.net/authors/shirley-martin/

and find Dream Weaver at Amazon, B&N, and most ebook and print retailers

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006HA3APY/

"How Much Did You Pay for That Rock?" by Shirley Martin

                                     

 

    Gems!  The word itself evokes images of beauty and mystery, and maybe even a bit of magic.

    Let's first differentiate between a gem and a gemstone. According to Webster's dictionary, a gem is anything prized for its beauty and value, especially if it's small and perfect for its kind.

    A gemstone is any mineral or petrified substance that can be cut and polished for setting into a piece of jewelry.

    Among other classifications, gemologists rank minerals according to their hardness, using the Mohs scale. (Named for an Austrian mineralogist.) The diamond is the hardest mineral at 10, and talc the softest at 1. A gemstone ranked much below 4 in hardness wouldn't be suitable for a ring because it could chip so easily.

    Let's begin with diamonds. A diamond may be a girl's best friend, but every friendship begins with getting acquainted. So here are four ways to determine the value of a diamond.

 

        1. Body color

        2. Degree of flawlessness

        3. Cut and proportion

        4. Carat weight

 

    Body color refers to how much yellow or brown tint is observable in the stone. It doesn't refer to the various colors of diamonds, such as pink, yellow or blue.

    Degree of flawlessness means just that: the flaws you may find in the diamond, whether observable to the naked eye or under magnification.

    The cut and proportion of the diamond are both very important and can determine whether a diamond will have fire and brilliance or will appear as a dull stone. And the number of facets, of course, will affect the cut. The most popular cut is the brilliant, although there are others, such as marquise, oval, and emerald cut.

    Carat refers to weight, not size. A carat is 1/5 of a gram. Carat shouldn't be confused with karat, which refers to gold quality. All other things being equal, the higher the carat weight, the more expensive the diamond. All gems are weighed in carats, except the pearl and the coral.

    Besides the diamond, other gemstones considered precious are the emerald, ruby, and sapphire. But really, all gemstones are considered precious by their owners.

    The finest emerald is a lovely grass green color. The May birthstone, it belongs to the beryl family, as does the aquamarine. The finest emeralds come from Columbia, although you'll find lovely emeralds from Brazil.

    The ruby and sapphire both belong to the corundum family. If it's blue, it's a sapphire. If it's red, it's a ruby. Complicating the issue, however, are the pretty pink sapphires you'll find on the market.

    The loveliest rubies come from Myanmar, formerly Burma and aptly called Burmese rubies. Because of the political situation in Myanmar, the U.S. government established an embargo against the Burmese ruby years ago. Today, no reputable jeweler will deal in the Burmese ruby, unless it's part of an estate sale. While the embargo is understandable, it's unfortunate because this ruby is a vivid, almost perfect spectral red, beautiful in its luster. It's the birthstone for July.

    It would be impossible to name all the semi-precious gemstones; the list is virtually endless. Still, it's worthwhile to name a few, all beautiful stones any woman would be proud to own. I'll list them alphabetically.

    Amethyst is the transparent purple variety of quartz, the most versatile of any of the gem families. The birthstone for February, it's relatively inexpensive.

    The garnet is one of the most exciting of the gem families. Often quite brilliant, it's available in many colors--green, red, yellow, orange--in every color except blue.

    Moonstone is another lovely gemstone, a member of the feldspar family. It's a transparent, milky white stone, and you can see an opalescent white or blue light within the stone's body. It's a popular stone for rings.

    And speaking of opals, no other gemstone arouses images of mystery and magic as does this beautiful stone. No other stone matches the opal in its array of very brilliant rainbow effects, all mixed up together. It's usually cut flat or as a cabochon (no facets) since it's already brilliant as is. Color is everything in the opal. This stone tends to dry and crack easily, so take good care of it. Australia produces especially prized opals, and it's the birthstone for October.

    The peridot is the birthstone for August. It's not especially brilliant, but its depth of green color appeals to many.

    Rhodochrosite is a pretty stone and is inexpensive. The colors range from red to almost white.

    The tourmaline is one of the most versatile of gem families.You can find it in every color. There's even a watermelon tourmaline,green on one side and red on the other. The red variety--the rubellite--is a deep pink and quite stunning.

    Turquoise--the "Turkish stone"--is the birthstone for December. Its finest color is an intense blue. Since much of it is found in the American southwest, you often see it in Indian made jewelry. Much of this jewelry is rather expensive.

    Most gemstones are mineral in origin. Organic gems come from plants and animals. One of these gems is amber. Prehistoric man prized this petrified tree sap, and today you can find beautiful jewelry ranging in color from yellow to deep brown. Its price won't break the bank.

    A string of pearls enhances just about any outfit. A fine natural or Oriental pearl is extremely rare and prohibitively expensive. Today, the pearl business centers almost entirely around the cultured pearl market. Cultured pearls are still "real" pearls. There is nothing fake or artificial about cultured pearls. Freshwater pearls are attractive, too, and less expensive.

    The list of semi-precious gems could go on and on, literally hundreds to choose from.

    I'd like to end this discussion with a few caveats. Always buy your gems from a reputable jeweler. If the price of a gem seems too good to be true, most likely it is. Always get an appraisal when you buy your gemstone.

    We all know how expensive costume jewelry can be. My own personal opinion is to stay with gems, unless the item of costume jewelry especially appeals to me. What you pay for, say, a necklace of fake tortoiseshell might buy you a pretty moonstone ring.

    Always take good care of your jewelry. If you own a pearl necklace, wear it often. Don't store it away in a dark drawer. Don't expose any opal piece to extreme cold. Pearls and diamonds require periodic cleaning.

    Your gems can be passed on from generation to generation. If necessary, be specific in your will, so that there's no question as to who gets Grandma's pearl necklace.

    And just think of the pleasure you're giving to future generations.  

 

 

Now, I'd be very happy if you'd check over my books at Books We Love. You can find me here: 

http://bookswelove.net/authors/shirley-martin

    You can order my books from the Books We Love site or from Amazon, here: 

http://amzn.to/1zN7YAq

I write historical, paranormal and fantasy romance, so there are bound to be books that would appeal to you.

All of my books are available electronically, and two are also in print. "Night Secrets" is a fantasy romance, and "Dream Weaver" is a time travel romance. Ask for them at your local bookstore.

http://authorshirleymartin.blogspot.com

 

Happy reading, everyone! 

 

 

"Let's Go to the Movies!" "No, I'd Rather Stay Home." by Shirley Martin

 Recently I saw a wonderful musical from the early fifties, "Showboat."  Whenever I mention this movie to a friend, I invariably get the reply that they don't make movies like that anymore. Doubtless there are many who may not care for musicals, but I feel that there are many more who miss the films of yesterday.

    Oh, for those great dramas from the '40s, black and while films such as "Laura" or the very suspenseful "Woman in the Window." Those films of yesteryear, with their great plots and intriguing story lines, are sorely missed. Actors employed good diction then, an attribute sadly absent from today's movies, when we're forced to turn the volume up on the remote, just so we can understand what the actor is saying. 

    The early '40s covered World War II, so war movies proliferated during this period. Movies such as "A Walk in the Sun" or "Purple Heart" told a great story, well done. Unfortunately, many war movies were poorly made, with American actors posing as German soldiers and speaking English with a German accent.

    As a kid growing up in the forties, going to the movies was the high point of my week. My older brothers and I walked several miles to the nearest theater. For a dime, we saw the feature film, plus various extras, such as Movietone News, "The Phantom" (an adventure series), The Three Stooges and/or "The Passing Parade", a special interest extra. Often, the theater showed a sing-a-long, with words to the song on the screen, so that the entire audience could sing. (Yes, I know. Corny.)

    The early fifties heralded musical extravaganzas like the aforementioned "Showboat," "Carousel," "Kiss Me, Kate" and many more, all in technicolor. This period also brought us biblical epics, such as "The Robe" and "The Ten Commandments." 

    An innovation of the fifties were drive-in theaters, soon dubbed "passion pits."  (I wonder why!)

    My mother was born in 1906, so she came of age when silent movies were still in vogue. One memory must have stood out in her mind. The film showed a train hurtling down the track. Everyone in the audience jumped from their seat and ran out. They thought the train was coming after them!

    We've come a long way since then. These days, more sophisticated audiences are treated to realistic battle scenes, with all of its attendant blood and gore. On the other hand, special effects can create a truly enjoyable movie, such as the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, with its terrifyingly realistic monsters and walking, talking trees. Great battle scenes here, without the gore. 

    As we ventured into the '70s, former restraints and restrictions fell away. Sex, violence, nudity and foul language became common movie fare. These changes prompted a codification of movies, from G for general audiences, to PG (parental guidance), and on to PG-13 and R rated. It remains a mystery--at least to me--why Hollywood produces so many R-rated films, since by their very content viewership is reduced.

    Another change came with the seventies, this one quite undesirable. For reasons I can't  understand, theatergoers--not all of them, but many--became unbearably rude. Lots of people, with apparently nothing else to do on a Saturday night, headed for the movie theater and loaded up at the concession stand with a large bag of popcorn, munching throughout the movie. But it didn't end there. These same people threw the box on the floor when they were finished, then headed to the concession stand again to get a soft drink, all this while most moviegoers just wanted to watch the film.

    Just in time, video cassettes came on the scene. Now you could watch a movie in the comfort of your living room, and not worry about noisy theatergoers. Now, too, DVDs have replaced video cassettes. You can find a wide range of movies at your local library or rent them through Netflix. And you can buy them from Amazon. With streaming, you can watch movies on the Internet. Actually, there are many movies you can access with just a click of the cursor.

    Watching movies is fun again.

    And if, besides watching movies, you like to read, do I have a great selection for you. Click on this link:

http://amzn.to/1zN7YAq  and you'll find my historical, paranormal, and fantasy romances. Two of them--"Night Secrets" and "Dream Weaver" are also in print. Check at your local bookstore. 

Shirley Martin

http://bookswelove.net/authors/shirley-martin/#

   

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT (or, Is Anyone Out there?) by Shirley Martin

     Of all the physical sciences, none seems to defy logic and understanding as does astronomy. Or so it seems to me. The numbers alone challenge understanding. For example, when astronomers state that the universe was created in one billionth of a second, the time element seems incomprehensible. Yet that's the time span given for the Big Bang--a cosmic explosion of an intensely hot fireball that resulted in the creation of the universe, about twenty-billion years ago. 

    To better understand the time span from the creation of the universe to man's appearance on Earth, think of a twenty-four hour clock. Man appears in the last few seconds before midnight.

    The universe is so vast that its size, too, defies understanding. More than one-billion stars comprise our galaxy, the Milky Way galaxy. And there are millions of galaxies in the universe. Does that give you an idea of its immense size? Furthermore, the universe is expanding at a tremendous rate. That means that stars, planets, and all heavenly bodies are moving away from each other. The more remote the body, the faster it's moving. This expansion of the universe is called "the red shift."

    If you can get away from city lights and look up at the night sky, you'll see a countless number of stars shining in the heavens. With all of these stars in the night sky--millions and millions--the night sky should be a blinding sheet of light. Yet it isn't. The night sky is dark. The darkness of the night sky presented a paradox to astronomers in the past. (Many may not know it, but Edgar Allan Poe was a skilled astronomer. The dark night sky puzzled him, too.)

    The puzzle was eventually resolved in the deliverance of time. Stars don't shine forever. They shine for millions or billions of years, and then they burn out. The first stars began shining about fifteen-billion years ago. So why is the night sky dark? When we look far out in space, we are looking back in time. We see the light of the stars, but they are no longer there. They died out years ago, but their light is just now reaching us. The farther out in the sky we look, the farther we are looking back in time. It has taken millions of years for their light to reach us, even though they died out eons ago. The sky is an image of the past.

    The astronomers' term for this relationship between time and space is referred to as "lookback time." It was Albert Einstein who proved that space and time are interwoven.

    I used to wonder what the edge of the universe looked like. If the universe is finite--if it has an end--then what lies beyond it? Now astronomers state that there are many universes, going on and on.

    Now considering our own universe, with its billions and billions of stars, one might wonder if there is intelligent life beyond our planet. Can there be an Earthlike planet, with just the right ingredients for intelligent life? Scientists refer to this as the Goldilocks criteria, not too hot and not too cold. SETI--The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence--has been seeking intelligent life elsewhere for years. But even if there is intelligent life elsewhere, how could we reach them, or how could they reach us? Distance appears to be an insurmountable problem. According to the laws of physics, nothing travels faster than the speed of light. It could take men on earth thousands, even millions of years to reach a habitable planet, a self-defeating pursuit. Wormholes, if they exist, can be dangerous. So how could we travel to outer space?  All you Trekkies, do you have an answer?

    I can't conclude this discussion without saying something about the Christmas Star, or the Star of Bethlehem. Scientists now know that the Star of Bethlehem wasn't a star but a planet--most likely Venus, or a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter--shining brightly over the town of Bethlehem.  

    For those who want to read more about the universe, "The Red Limit" by Timothy Ferris is a good place to start.

    If fiction is more your cup of tea, may I suggest my own books with Books We Love. You can find them here at http://bookswelove.net/martin.php and at Amazon. I write historical, paranormal, and fantasy romance, so you have a varied selection to choose from. 

Spirit Travel and Keriam's Dilemma by Shirley Martin

   Imagine a kingdom where magic is forbidden, where guilt of practicing sorcery is punishable by death. In my fantasy romance, "Night Secrets" Princess Keriam has preternatural powers, one of which is spirit travel. This phenomenon also goes by the names of astral travel and out-of-body experience. No matter what it's called, it's an ability that many people possess. Keriam agonizes, what if someone sees her spirit while she's having one of her out-of-body experiences? If found guilty, she will suffer a horrible death, and not even her father--the king--could save her. 

   One night, she has an astral trip that begins thusly:  "A slight tug released Keriam from her body. She floated toward the ceiling, amazed as always that she could look down at herself in bed. With a certainty borne of past experience, she knew this was no dream. Ever since her mother's death two years ago, preternatural powers had evolved within her, and why, she didn't know. Was it her mother's way of watching over her from the Otherworld?  These nightly journeys were even more recent, and something she must learn to control, if only she knew how...

    She drifted outside and traveled over the countryside, her soul finally setting down in the dark forest. While there, she overheard three men plotting her father's assassination. What could she do now? How can she reveal the plot to her father without betraying her supernatural power?

    One of the plotters, Roric Gamal, is about to disclose the details of the plot when Keriam's body calls her spirit back, and she must return...

   "A tug pulled her spirit back. No, not now! She must discover more of the plotters' plan." 

   And is Roric Gamal really one of the plotters, or only pretending to be? Throughout "Night Secrets" Keriam fights her growing attraction for Roric, confused about his loyalty to the kingdom and to her father.

   "Night Secrets" is the first romantic fantasy of the Avador series. I invite you to read this fantasy and the others in the series. 

   "Night Shadows" is the second. 

    "Enchanted Cottage" is the third, followed by "Allegra's Dream" and "Wolf Magic." 

     For lovers of fantasy romance, these romances are bound to please. 

http://bookswelove.net/martin.php