Connections by Eileen Charbonneau

find my books at:  Eileen's page at BWL

Connections

Life is all about connections, isn’t it?  Family, friends, co-workers, fellow volunteers.  It’s said that writing is a lonely profession, but it can be one of deep and lasting connections.  With readers, of course.  There are creative readers just as there are creative writers.  They bring themselves to the experience and find untold (and unrealized by me!) beauty in my stories.  

I’ve belonged to many writers’ groups. I’m about to embark on another, born out of one of my writing classes. As with every path new and untrod, I’m a little trepidatious. Some of my past critique groups have worked out better than others.  But all have been helpful.

Some of my favorite writers--yes, sometimes we even dress up and dine together, 

like here at the fabulous Chez Josephine in New York City

Each participant of a writers’ group knows it will be her turn during the course of the session.  That usually does wonders for social skills-- like finding something nice or encouraging before getting to the bits that need work. 

People in writers’ groups have different tastes in reading. I love a critique partner who reads from several genres and is aware of the conventions of each.  I enjoy reading romance, so when I observe that a heroine is of the too-stupid-to-live variety that readers of the genre complain about, or a hero is cruel to women. children, or animals (a no-no within the conventions of the genre), I try to point these things out.  But I make sure I let a fellow writer know if I’m not familiar with the genre I’m remarking on, so she can take my ignorance into consideration!  But good writing is good writing, so I feel we all can help each other.

some of the members of our new writers group

Are you thinking of joining a writers' group?  Best of luck in making all your stories stronger!  My most important advice goes for all your social connections: don’t stay in any group that does not leave you feeling energized and eager to move your work (or life!) forward after each session together.

Holiday Reading

                                       Click this link for book and purchase information

When I travel, I like to read books set in the place I'm visiting. Before my trip to Malta this April, I took out an e-book from my local library, The Information Officer by Mark Mills. It helped me appreciate many of the sights I saw in this island nation in the Mediterranean Sea.

The novel takes place in the summer of 1942, when Malta was a British colony. Its strategic location 50 miles south of Italy made Malta a target for Hitler in WWII. During the novel, the Maltese are enduring daily bombings by Axis planes launched from Sicily.

In the capital city of Valletta, Malta, we visited the Lascaris War Rooms, underground headquarters for the Allies' defense of Malta. This strategy map shows little Malta below the bigger island of Sicily. Italy was under Mussolini's fascist rule in 1942 and part of the German Axis. 

The Information Officer is a detective novel. Our hero, Max, is, essentially, the British officer in charge of propaganda. His job is to boost the spirits of the Maltese civilians under continuous attack. Max investigates the murder of several women, whose deaths are being ignored by his superiors. Is there a cover-up? Are the murders an attempt to undermine Malta's resolve to sacrifice for the war? In addition to bombing the cities, Axis planes are sinking cargo ships bringing food and supplies and the residents of Malta are close to starvation.

Malta at War museum displays a Maltese citizen's daily rations for a fifteen day period during the siege. 

In the Malta at War Museum, my husband Will and I put on hardhats to explore an air raid shelter built during the siege. A character in The Information Officer commented that the Maltese had become creatures who lived half their lives underground. The tunnels included hospital and birth rooms for those who needed those services after the air raid whistle blew.

Birth room in the air raid shelter

The siege effectively ended in November 1942, after the Allies sent Malta 163 Spitfires for its defense. King George VI awarded the George Cross for bravery to the citizens of Malta. Each April, Malta commemorates the deaths of the 7,000 soldiers and civilians who died during the siege. Other countries, including Canada, still send flowers.

The novel also mentioned other aspects of Malta, which we encountered on our visit. The Dingli cliffs, the island's highest point, were used for signals during the war.

Hiking on the Dingli Cliffs

Maltese balconies, a characteristic style of  architecture, appear on houses across the island.

Many residents paint their Maltese balconies bright colours

And our hero, Max, took a short recreational break on Malta's smaller, more rural island of Gozo, as Will and I did with the mass of local tourists on Good Friday.

Sipping a cappuccino in the main square of Victoria (Ir-Rabat), the capital of Gozo 

                                   
If you're travelling this year, check out Books We Love's selection of novels set in lands around the world. BWL authors offer a variety of historical and contemporary stories set in the United States, Europe, Australia, every region of Canada and more.

All Hail the A.P. S. by Karla Stover

 

Visit Karla Stover's BWL Author Page for Purchase Information

     Wonderful Great Britain, whose residents are not afraid to create an Apostrophe Protection Society, (APS) whereas, we in the United States have the Kardashians. I ask you: Where's the fairness?

     John Richards, a man described as a "sub-editor" created the  APS in 2001 "with the specific aim of preserving the correct use of this currently much abused punctuation mark in all forms of text written in the English language." The society's website includes examples such as, "Dont't Drink And Drive," "Ladies's," and "A Good Pun is it's Own Reward."  When faced with abuse, "Richards says he has a standard, polite letter that explains the basic rules for apostrophe use. He sends it to supporters to forward on to offending businesses and other organisations." However, according to the website "Everything2.com," others "take a more militant approach. Apparently, one man carries around a roll of tape and an envelope filled with several different sizes of apostrophes; whenever he spots an offending sign—say, one offering "Mens Haircuts" or "Smiths Butchery," he simply sticks one on. And at least one  English teacher always has a red marker for whenever he encounters a superfluous apostrophe—whether it's on a student's paper or a flyer on a train—he takes a moment to" make a correction.
     According to "The English Project," the APS has had up to 2,000,000 members. Sadly, the website goes on to say that "Despite the Apostrophe Protection Society’s campaigning, a man named Robert Burchfieldt has been campaigning for this punctuation mark's banishment, and Civil authorities are beginning to do just that. The Guardian reports ‘Apostrophe Catastrophes’ all over Britain." Esteemed businesses such as Harrods, Currys, Selfridges, and Barclays Bank have been accused of Corporate Abuse and are being asked to return what Lynne Truss, author of Eat, Shoots & Leaves, calls Santa's Little Helpers. Indeed, Ms. Truss once stood outside a cinema with an apostrophe on a stick to show how easy it would have been to correct the movie title, Two Weeks Notice.

     In 1991, Marc Abrahams, editor and co-founder of the Annals of Improbable Research created the Ig Nobels, to recognize discoveries "that cannot, or should not, be reproduced. Examples range from a discovery that the presence of humans tends to sexually arouse ostriches, to the statement that black holes fulfill all the technical requirements for being the location of Hell, and to research on the 'five-second-rule', a tongue-in-cheek belief that food dropped on the floor will not become contaminated if it is picked up within five seconds. In 2002, John Richards joined the ranks of winners for his efforts "to protect, promote, and defend the differences between the plural and the possessive."

     Last week I read that the APS had been officially shut down but now I can't find the article so I emailed John Richards. I'm happy to report it's still active. I am also happy that the title of my book, Wynters Way didn't need an apostrophe because Wynters Way is the name of a house similar to Daphne Du Maurier's Manderley. Good company to be in.