Killarney Sheffield - Why Authors Have An Office

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          After five years of being a published author with a full house of five kids I finally broke down and insisted I needed an office. My family looked at me as if I had grown another head! Firm in my resolve I pointed to the insanely hot in the summer, and ridiculously cold in the winter, sunroom and claimed it as my own. It made perfect sense to me. Here was a room crammed with Christmas decorations, forgotten Easter baskets, the treadmill I fully intended to use… someday, and miscellaneous odds and ends that needed a place to call home. Both the unused desks in the corner, my maps, reference books, writing awards, plot binder, pens, pencils, promotional items and signed copies of my books would fit in there, if I crammed them carefully, I insisted. No one was quite convinced, so I got tough and because I’m an author I wrote out the reasons why I should get the sunroom as an office:

1)      My writing disaster of reference materials would be easily accessed and easily hid.

2)      No one could complain my collection of plot notes written on various colored sticky notes stuck to every available surface such as walls, desks, windows and chairs.

3)      With the doors shut the kids would not be subjected to my Regency, Victorian and Georgian dictionary of rude and vulgar slang and cuss words my characters on occasion use, that tends to exit from my mouth to the page.

4)      No one would be faced with just how crazy I am when I have hour long, out loud conversations with my characters complete with arguments and the above mentioned cuss words.

5)      The kids would not be tempted to call 9ll when they realize I have been staring at the wall in a catatonic like state for two hours mumbling, “not writer’s block again…”

6)      And last, but not least, no one would be subjected to gleeful cackling when the villain in my stories meet their just reward at the hands, or should I say teeth of an overprotective pony, or a rampaging tiger. We all know payback is very sweet!

So in the end I fought a hard battle and won my very first ever office all my own, where I sweat all

summer and wear layers of clothing like a bag lady all winter. Some days I curse my decision when I feel like I missed something interesting in the real world beyond the doors that is my chaotic home, or when I run out of tissue to stem the flow of snot-cycles attempting to form on the end of my nose, or when even my eyeballs seem to be sweating from the heat. Other days I am extremely pleased I can shut the door and block life out and sink into the 1800’s when things were simpler, or perhaps a little more wild than life on a Canadian prairie cattle ranch. 

Books We Love New Releases

Books We Love has some fantastic new releases for December.  Don't forget, all Books We Love authors are experienced pros with years of experience and when you buy one of their books you know you're getting a quality book -- great for personal reading and gift giving.  The prices couldn't be better at $2.99 for individual books and you'll find these books at your favorite online retailers: Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Nook, All Romance Ebooks, wherever you like to shop, and many of these books are in print - ask for them at your favorite bookstore. 

Books We Love Spotlight - Author Jamie Hill

One of Books We Love's 2014 best selling authors, Jamie Hill is also one of our most prolific and talented authors.

If you haven't read any of Jamie's books, you're in for a rare treat.  They're available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords, and any of your online retailers.  Several of her books, including her new Witness Security series is also available in print from your local bookstores.

Coming Soon

                                       

Secret Service, Spies and Underhanded Dealings by Katherine Pym

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17^th century England was volatile. The Stuarts ruled most of this century. There was civil unrest. One king was beheaded outside the Banquet House in London. Cromwell died on a cold and dreary night. His body was embalmed and dressed as an emperor’s; then whisked away to be buried (due to a noisome stink). His son was considered weak, so King Charles II was returned from exile. After he died (a pretty horrible way to go, by the way, which I should probably tell you about one day) his brother took the crown but as a Roman Catholic, he lost it almost immediately and was pretty much kicked out of England. After almost two centuries of kings and queens in religious battles, by the end of the 17^th century, true-blue Protestantism held sway. The rest is history (as I swipe at my sweaty brow). 

During all these different reigns, there was a lot of Espionage.

King Charles II

King Charles II professed to be Protestant and returned to England with great pomp and ceremony. His new populace greeted him with exuberance along the roads and into London. Everyone who hated him last week, loved him today. 

Our new king was not a stupid man.  He understood people are fickle. He fully expected to be assassinated or beheaded as his father was. While in exile, his life was often imperiled. Men had conspired against him. One example: During the Cromwell years, his spymaster orchestrated a plot where Charles and his brother, James, were to be lured out of exile and back to England. The plot was to kill both brothers the minute they disembarked onto home soil. Thankfully this plot failed but espionage in England had turned really devious. 

Men in power used good spymasters. Cromwell’s was John Thurloe, a brilliant man. He created a network of spies (men & women) who infiltrated the most royal of houses. His net was vast. His spies could be located in every English county, overseas, i.e., in Charles II’s exiled court, in the Americas, and the far Indies. 

John Thurloe

Thurloe compiled lists, sent spies into enemy camps, had men tortured and killed. One such fellow, Samuel Morland, confessed to witnessing a man ‘trepanned to death’ at Thurloe’s word.  (Dictionary.com states the following definition to trepan:  “a tool for cutting shallow holes [in this case the skull] by removing a core.”)  Really really painful and a horrid way to go.   

Commonwealth spies infiltrated homes, churches, and businesses to destroy the royalist enemy, and under Charles II’s, his government did the same.  Their goal was to destroy nonconformists, or “fanaticks”. Plots were a part of political life. 

After the Restoration, Thurloe was dismissed, but not executed for crimes against the monarchy (Charles I and II). He was released in exchange of valuable Commonwealth government documents. 

King Charles II placed Sir Henry Bennet as the Secretary of State and overlord of England’s espionage, who in turn brought in Joseph Williamson, another man born to this work. He took the bull by the horns and enhanced the processes Thurloe had begun. 

Joseph Williamson

Williamson built a brilliant spy network.  He allowed informers who, for money, turned on associates.  He burrowed spies into households, businesses and churches.  He used grocers, doctors and surgeons, anyone who would send him notes against persons who were against the king. He had men overseas watch for any plots. Informants were literally everywhere. 

His tools were numerous.  Williamson loved ciphers and cipher keys.  Known as Mr. Lee in the underworld, he used the Grand Letter Office for ciphered messages to pass back and forth between the undersecretary’s office and spies. He expected his people to keep him informed by ciphered letters at the end of each day, and passed through the post office. 

Williamson obtained ambassador letters, had them opened and searched for underhanded deceit. He developed a system of local informers, letters and money crossing palms.  Under Thurloe, the secret service received £800 per year. Under Bennet, the money doubled. Most of the annual budget was spent on spies to keep them alive. 

As a result, most plots failed. Besides Williamson’s expertise and doggedness, most plotters employed too many people. Everyone around the countryside knew of one plot or another, a family member probably involved. Because of Williamson, these plots dissolved before they were brought to fruition. 

Spies seem to be a part of every decade, every century. Today is no different but electronics have replaced ciphered notes sent to spymasters through the post offices.

Following Your Passion by Diane Bator

When I was a kid, I'd write using my left hand. Each time I'd drop my crayon, my mom would put it back in my right hand. I'd switch to my left after a couple of swipes of color. Using my right hand just felt wrong and I "knew" what was right for me. Holding a pencil in my hand and telling stories became something that made me happy.

Fast forward several years. Writing with my right or left no longer mattered, just that I was writing. Being a writer seemed as natural as breathing. Stories flowed from my brain and through my pencils. Never once did I question whether they were good or bad, all that mattered was that I wrote. Writing made me feel free, happy, and like I had an amazing life full of friends and great adventures. Since I lived outside of a small town, the escape was a welcome distraction from everyday life.

Even when I moved to a larger city and went to college, I still wrote. In fact, I wrote right up until I got married. My husband had issues with me writing. He insisted it took time away from "us", even when he watched sporting events I wasn't interested in or when he'd be away from home. Writing had become an outlet, however, and I refused to give up my passion.

Over the years we had children and I wrote as they grew up, while they napped, while they were in school, and even while I cooked dinner. Eventually I ended up publishing my first book, then wrote many more after that. Then my husband gave me the ultimatum:  I needed to get a better job and quit writing. I was crushed.

Since that day, I've kept writing. In all, I've written six novels and one novella. I have three more to write in the next year to finish one series and start a new one. I'm actually seeing small royalties and have fans from all over, including acquaintances I've met over the years and family from all over the country. I've never given up on my dream of being a published author.

I'm fortunate to have held jobs where I talk to people and have been a part of a writing group for several years now. Wherever I go, I wholeheartedly encourage people to follow their passions and do the things that light them up and make them happy. In short, to live an authentic life rather than pursuing things that make them miserable.

I've had to take a brief break from writing lately to deal with some major life changes. I also have some physical challenges to cope with. Through it all, I remain positive and will keep on writing the way I love to do. In fact, I have decided to dedicate a little more time to my creative side and focus on making my writing even stronger and learn to market my work even better.

To every writer, every where, and all the readers who give us something to strive for thank you and...

Merry Christmas!

Diane Bator

Please feel free to drop by my website Pens, Paints, and Paper  to find out more.

You can also find me on the Books We Love website.

Click on my book covers to find out more!

    

GRATITUDE - MARGARET TANNER

BEING GRATEFUL FOR SMALL THINGS - MARGARET TANNER

 

I am grateful for many things. Good health, happy family and fond childhood memories. The thing that really sicks in my mind when it comes to gratitude is the garden of my childhood home, and the produce grown there. To say it was life-saving would be an understatement.

My parents didn’t have much money when I was young. I didn’t really think that much about it at the time, but as I grew older I suddenly realized that my mother was a genius when it came to running the household on meagre amounts of money. She was also a great cook.

My father returned from the 2^nd World War carrying injuries, the physical ones we knew of but not the psychological ones. He had a heart attack in the early 1950’s when I was very young, and he could no longer work. Things were tough as we had to survive on a small military pension. He should have received a much larger pension but somehow never did.

No matter how bad things got, we were never hungry or dressed in ragged clothes, and we had a roof over our heads. Luckily my parents had paid off our house before Dad got sick.

Dad had a wonderful garden and we were very thankful for the produce he grew there. Tomatoes were his speciality. He loved them and grew heaps of them. I can still remember the tomatoes, we ate them raw, in salads, cooked, fried, steamed. Green tomato pickle, tomato sauce, chutney, tomato relish. You name it, mum cooked it. She used to preserve tomatoes so we could have them all year long. 

Looking back on things now I realize I should be grateful for the humble tomato, it certainly kept our bellies full.  I can’t even recall how many different dishes mum used to make with tomatoes as a base.

Apples were another thing Dad grew well. We had about six different varieties of apple trees growing in the garden. Once again Mum, baked them, stewed them and preserved them. We used to pick them green sometimes and store them in the roof cavity of the house and they would ripen up there. They lasted for months. Potatoes were another one of his specialties. I firmly believe to this day that it was the garden that kept Dad sane. He used to spend hours there.

So, I am grateful for my mother’s cooking expertise and other housekeeping skills and my father’s gardening skills, otherwise life would have been grim.

My early upbringing has stayed with me and I think that is why I mainly write about heroines who are poor and doing it hard. I can’t remember ever having written a rich heroine in any of my stories. As for my heroes, well they are always rich, arrogant and tough men who are redeemed by a gentle heroine who is strong because she has survived the tough times.

In my novel, Falsely Accused, the heroine is exiled to the penal colony of Australia for a crime she did not commit. She has to survive the degradation and desperation of the convict ship, and once she disembarks, her problems increase a hundredfold.

Available in print and e-book format.

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LEXEVES

 Also available in e-book format at Books We Love Store

 

 

 

 

COLD WINTER, HOT WAR (BATTLE OF THE BULGE) by SHIRLEY MARTIN

PURCHASE FROM THE BWL STORE

By December of 1944, Hitler’s Nazi Germany appeared defeated, its once great cities reduced to rubble.  The British, Canadians, and Americans had freed France; Paris was liberated.  The Russian army menaced from the east.  Why, the GIs might be home by Christmas.

But Hitler had a few tricks up his sleeve, a plan to turn the tide in Germany’s favor.  Code named Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine), the plan would defeat the Allies by capturing the port of Antwerp, Belgium.  Aware he’d need increased manpower, Hitler extended the draft for males sixteen to sixty.

Here we should state the opposing chains of command.  As head of SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces), Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was in command of all Allied forces in the West.  Under him, Gen. Omar Bradley commanded all of the American armies.  Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery commanded the British and Canadian armies.

In Germany, Hitler had absolute control of the German armies both in the East (Russia) and in the West.  Under him, he gave command of the German army in the West to Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, an aristocratic officer who held Hitler in utter contempt.

Bruised and battered from a recent battle against the Germans, several American divisions recuperated in the Ardennes, a forested area of gently rolling hills that borders France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.  This, during one of the coldest winters Europe had experienced.

Early on the morning of December 16, ‘44 (a Saturday) three German armies smashed through the American lines in the Ardennes.  The front of the attack hit four American divisions: the 4th, the 28th, the 106th, and the 9th Armored division.

That the attack caught the Americans by surprise was not due to faulty intelligence.  The British had broken the German code (ULTRA), and friendly Belgians had warned the Americans of increased troop and tank movements behind German lines.  As we would say today, the Americans didn’t connect the dots.

Numerous small villages, many of them inside Germany, dot the Ardennes.Villages such as Malmedy, Honsfeld, St. Vith and La Gleize will forever remain part of the historical record.

According to Hitler’s plan, once the Volksgrenadier (people’s army) achieved its breakthrough, Col. Jochen Peiper was to drive through the northern reaches of the Losheim Gap. Peiper was a handsome, well-bred SS officer who spoke fluent English. He was one of Hitler’s favorites. (After the war, Peiper was charged with war crimes, although he probably was not present when men of his command in Kampfgruppe (Battlegroup) Peiper massacred American soldiers who had surrendered with their hands up. He was tried and sentenced to die by hanging. Later, the sentence was rescinded, but he served several years in prison. In his later years, he died when left-wing terrorists burned his house down.)

Another of Hitler’s favorites was SS Officer  Otto Skorzeny.  Hitler gave him a specific task: sow confusion among the Americans.  Find as many soldiers as possible who spoke English, grab uniforms from dead American soldiers.  Confuse the Americans.  Soon, the confusion took a ridiculous turn, when even Eisenhower had to present his ID to Military Police.  Successful at first, changing signs and giving false directions, too soon German ignorance of American habits gave them away. For instance, a Jeep will hold four people. So didn’t it make sense to seat two in front and two in back?  But Americans didn’t operate that way.  One of Skorzeny’s men was flummoxed by opening a pack of American cigarettes. Those Germans who were captured faced the firing squad.

The American divisions fought bravely, but caught by surprise and outmaneuvered, they were forced back (west), eventually fifty miles.  Hence the title Battle of the Bulge; it actually made a bulge in the American line.  The 106th Division had to surrender, all 8,000 men.

The battle had its lighter moments. Gen. Fritz Bayerlein commanded one of the Panzer (armored) divisions. In the course of the battle, his division came into contact with an American field hospital.  There, he became so entranced with a “blonde, beautiful” American nurse that he dallied when he should have been moving.

At first, the Americans didn’t realize the magnitude of the German offensive.  Before long, it became obvious that this was a major battle.  Eisenhower called a meeting of his generals, those affected by the offensive.  Noting their glum faces, he told the men he wanted them to look on this battle as an opportunity.  He instructed Gen. Bradley to order Patton–fighting a separate battle farther south– to swing his army north to aid the Americans in the Ardennes.  When Patton protested to Bradley, and Bradley relayed the protest to Eisenhower, the latter said, “Tell him Ike is running this damn war.”  After that, Patton's Third Army fought bravely, making a huge difference in the fighting.

Within days, the Americans stopped the Germans at the Elsenborn Ridge, forcing them to take a less favorable route through the Ardennes.

Soon, the battle became a race for Bastogne, a major road center.  The 101st Airborne Division under Gen. Terry McAuliffe reached Bastogne first, but were soon surrounded by Germans. Under a white flag, the German commander sent a message to McAuliffe. Surely he could see he was surrounded; why not surrender to save further bloodshed?  To this, McAuliffe had a one word answer, “Nuts.”

By the latter part of December, the skies cleared, enabling the Army Air Force planes to find their targets. But the Germans didn’t give up easily.  It wasn’t until the end of January that the battle was over. Hitler’s gamble had failed.  Henceforth, it was referred to as Hitler’s last offensive.

Months of horrific fighting and many deaths loomed ahead. (One of the author's neighbors was killed while driving a truckload of ammunition that hit a mine.)

By May of ‘45, Hitler had committed suicide. (cyanide pill) The British, French and Americans held western Germany. The Russians held Berlin and the eastern portion of Germany, a division that would have tragic consequences in the coming years.  Germany faced utter defeat.  When one of Hitler’s generals asked von Rundstedt what they should do, the general  snapped, “Surrender, you fool!  What else?”

The Battle of the Bulge marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.  Although caught by surprise and outmaneuvered at first, initially driven back, the Americans soon recovered and fought bravely.  As Capt. Charles B. MacDonald relates in his excellent history of the battle, it was “A Time for Trumpets.”



I've written historical, paranormal and fantasy romances, so there should be novels and novellas to please just about everyone. My books are sold at Books We Love, Amazon, Snashwords, All Romance ebooks, Barnes and Noble, KOBO, the Apple IStore, and at other sites where ebooks are available online. Several of my novels are in print, and you can find them at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Please visit my website at www.shirleymartinauthor.com
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