The Hanging of John André by Diane Scott Lewis

Spying for the British. In my novel set during the American Revolution, Her Vanquished Land, (Sept. release), I came across the many men and women who spied for the British and lost their lives. The main person, a man even showcased in the TV series, Turn, was Major John André. Since my heroine Rowena Marsh wishes to join the spy ring of her cousin, Major André is mentioned a few times. Especially his ignoble end.

John André

André was the man who corresponded with Benedict Arnold, aiding in his betrayal of the Americans.
When André was captured carrying letters that pointed to his involvement in this betrayal, General Washington offered him up for trade for Arnold. The British refused. André was doomed.

André was born in 1750 London to wealthy Huguenots. Well educated, he joined the British army at age twenty. By 1778 he was a major, had already been captured by the American rebels, and released through a prisoner exchange. In his off hours, he was a great society favorite with a lively personality and a talent for drawing.

In 1779 he took charge of the British Secret Service in America. He began negotiations with Benedict Arnold, a dissatisfied general in the Continental Army. Arnold said he was owed back pay and wasn't recognized as the patriot and hero that he should be. He wanted to defect to the British.

After his meeting with Arnold, André was given a safety pass by him to travel through the American lines, yet he also carried details about the fort at West Point (the one Arnold planned to turn over to the British). He was stopped by the Americans, searched, and captured. General George Washington wanted to do a prisoner exchange with André for the turncoat Arnold, but the British refused. The major was tried and convicted of spying, especially since he was wearing civilian clothes.

Sentenced to death, André was hanged at Tappan, New York, October 2, 1780. Both sides lamented the death of the amiable young officer who made friends wherever he was.

Self-portrait of André on the night before his execution.

I researched many aspects of spying during the American Revolution; brutality happened on both sides, and my heroine Rowena Marsh must find her place and make her mark. She strived to be as brave as the men.

To purchase my novels at Amazon or All Markets: Click HERE

 

 

For further information on me and my books, please visit my website: www.dianescottlewis.org

 Diane Scott Lewis grew up in California, traveled the world with the navy, edited for magazines and an on-line publisher. She lives with her husband in Pennsylvania.

Hidden Messages in Novels by J.Q. Rose

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
Romantic suspense

A handsome detective, a shadow man, and a murder victim kill Lauren’s plan for a simple life.

Click here to find more mysteries by J.Q. Rose from BWL Publishing.

Hello and welcome to the BWL Publishing Insiders Blog. I'm mystery author J.Q. Rose.

Hidden Messages in Novels by J.Q. Rose

Hidden Messages in Novels by J.Q. Rose

Readers learn from books. 

Readers are entertained by books. 

Readers are touched by characters in books.

But did you know that within the pages of a book, there are messages from the author? When an author is passionate about a subject, that passion will be incorporated into the story.

Within J K Rowling's Harry Potter books, a werewolf character, Remus Lupin, is stricken with a blood-borne illness which is a metaphor for HIV and the stigma surrounding HIV.

In Laurie Halse Andersen's The Impossible Knife of Memory, a teenage girl must cope with her soldier father's PTSD. The YA novel shows how mental illness can affect everyone in a family. Click here to read the entire article at Bustle.com.

I write mysteries because I love to read them and I love to entertain readers with my stories. But like most authors, I have a message I want to share with the world in all of my mysteries. I wrote Deadly Undertaking with a character stricken with Alzheimer's disease because I am passionate about bringing awareness to the epidemic of AD sweeping our world. 

I have many friends who are or have been caretakers of a family member suffering from this horrible illness. Not only is the patient going through hell because of the effects of the disease, but as the years pass, the loved ones watch as the patient slowly disappears from them overcome from an incurable disease that ravages their mind and body. 

I shared a blog post on this blog with the question, "Can you imagine a world without Alzheimer's Disease?" Medical staff and researchers can. They are working every day to eliminate AD. According to alz.org, the number of Americans with AD is growing fast. Every 65 seconds, someone in the US develops Alzheimer's Disease. It is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. 

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. Click here to go to the Alzheimer's Association website to find out more about AD and to see how you can help with funding research and bringing awareness. 

I hope my mystery novel and this blog post can play a part in wiping out Alzheimer's Disease from our planet.
Click here to read another post on this blog by J.Q. Rose--A World Without Alzheimer's Disease.

J.Q. Rose, mystery author

Click here to connect with J.Q. Rose online.

Afterthoughts and Aftermess in the Amazon by Stuart R. West

Click for the third Zach and Zora comic mystery

Well, all good things must come to an end, I suppose. Even if there were times I didn't think I'd survive the Amazon jungle. Not due to life-threatening situations, mind you, but rather the strenuous activities of hiking through a sauna-like environment in long pants, shirts, and those torturous boots.

Goodbye Peru...

But I made it. Even though the plane trips back were trying--eight days in the jungle and no ailments, but everyone on the plane was hacking and wheezing, sure to be my downfall; also, we had an encounter with an ugly American teenage girl who tried to cut in line (but my wife put a stop to that!)--we began the long, dull process of settling back into routine.

Fun in a germ-ridden flying tin can!

Upon return, Kansas seemed rather...lifeless. Sure, it felt safer and was definitely cleaner, but it lacked the energy, the vibrancy of Iquitos and the unfettered nature of the jungle. Everything about the Midwest appeared so ho-hum.

BO-RING!

Except, of course, for my week-long bout with diarrhea. Yay, TMI! (At least I didn't suffer while in the jungle; I can't even begin to imagine...wait, yes I can).

Wake me when we leave Kansas...

I learned a lot on my adventures. While I'm not quite ready to bunker down in a tent (too many serial killers lurking in the woods), or go backpacking in the Himalayas (too many yetis), or cannonball into a hot tub with Buddha (not enough room for both of us), I've decided to embrace nature as my friend. Finally. Call me ridiculous, but the other day there was a grotesque, hard-carapaced bug skittering down the hallway. I managed to scoop him up and put him outside. In the past, he would've been instant floor-kill.

The incredible power of the Amazon--nature at its wildest, most untainted state--proved awe-inspiring, not only in its beauty and yin and yang of terror, but also in the potential it has as a natural state of energy. If people would learn to coexist peacefully with the river, harness it without doing damage, it has the potential to power a good chunk of the world. It is to be respected.

So are people. After my trip, I've vowed to try and be nicer. A tough chore, but I'm committed. Our visit to Iquitos made me realize just how "rich" we are, comparatively speaking. We saw squalor, miserable living conditions, and even worse health care issues. But the locals' living conditions didn't get them down. On the contrary, they carried on with life, making our trials and tribulations appear petty. We could all learn something from the people of Peru.

I also came out the other side with the pleasure of bonding with new friends and reacquainting with old ones. You can't go through a boot camp of that type, storming the gates of hell, without growing close to those experiencing the trip next to you. And seeing as I write full-time from home, it was the most socializing I'd done in years. Big ol' honkin' baby steps!

New friends/family!

Best of all, I love the fact that "jungle pants" has become a nonchalantly dropped word in our everyday lexicon.

And the stories I heard, the things I saw and experienced, will shape and fill at least one future novel percolating on the back-burner, a paranormal mystery.

Onward and upward, the world's a great big, ol' beautiful and wondrous and scary place, much more than my previously staked-out back yard of Kansas City. I can't wait to explore more. (But, um, just with air conditioning this time).

Peace.

Storm's Refuge and our foray into audio books by Nancy M Bell

To find out more about Nancy's books click on the cover.

The world of audio books is relatively new to me and I was thrilled when my publisher decided to put Storm's Refuge into production. It's kind of weird to hear my words spoken by someone I don't even know and to hear my characters come to life, so to speak. The whole process was pretty painless. First I chose a short excerpt as a sample, then it was posted on the ACX site as a proposal for narrators to consider. There are also many narrators to choose from with samples of their various 'voices' and accents to choose from. You can narrow it down to female or male, certain age and regional accents etc. It was pretty cool listening to how one person could change their delivery just by altering cadence and pronunciation of vowels etc.
Fortunately, someone liked Storm and agreed to narrate for us. All this was done through the publisher's ACX account. Georgia Bragg is my narrator, and I was thrilled to find out she is an Albertan and as my book is set in Alberta, the accent and manner of speaking rings true to the characters. I had the pleasure of meeting Georgia in the beautiful hamlet of Bragg Creek, AB. If any of you are familiar with the TV show North of 60, you'll be pleased to know that Bragg Creek and surrounding area was the stand in for Lynx River. If you're ever in the area be sure to visit Bragg Creek and nearby Elbow Falls.

This is just a taste of the beauty that awaits you. Photo credit High Country News

It took a few months to produce 6+ hours of narration. Georgia did a wonderful job of keeping true to my characters and infusing them with humour and tension in all the right places. After months of reviewing and listening I'm happy to say Storm's Refuge is live on Audible. If you're interested in listening click here.

Until next month, stay well, stay happy.

www.nancymbell.ca

Hearing Your Book

Hearing Your Story

 

Recently my book Murder and Mint Tea came out in an audio version. Now I’m the kind or writer who sits and reads out loud the final draft of the mss to make sure there are no awkward places. The problem is that while I’ve been reading aloud, I haven’t been listening to more than pacing and flow. I also have trained to read my words loudly and without expression.

Hearing the book read by a professional reader was a surprising treat. There were times when I wondered if I’d really written those words. Several times I had to look in the print copy and those words were there but somehow they took on a different meaning. Sometimes the meaning was more sinister than I thought and sometimes showing an undertone I hadn’t realized was there.

Many thanks to Virginia Ferguson for her reading skills. Now I’m hoping for more reviews like the one that’s already there from one of the prior editions of the book.

A night to remember, by J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends 

Short-listed for Best Young Adult Book 2018, 

The Word Guild

I was recently honoured to have a book review of The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends included in the 25th anniversary booklet for the South Simcoe Arts Council - a southern Ontario organization dedicated to promoting local writers, artists and artisans. Here is the review: 

J.C. Kavanagh, award-winning author of The Twisted Climb books


“Word-movie.” That’s what a good book should create in the mind of the reader says local author J.C. Kavanagh. “A truly good book,” she says, “will draw the reader into the playground-mind of the writer so that they both ‘see’ the same word-movie.” 


It is this concept that Kavanagh continues in Darkness Descends, the second book in her Twisted Climb series (both published by Canadian company BWL Publishing). The books follow the journey of Jayden, Connor and Max as they side-step in and out of an ominous dream world where the diabolical Richard Hatemore dwells. It’s the dreaded place where the only way to ‘fall’ asleep is to ‘climb.’ Their fantastical adventures unite them as a team and ultimately bring them together to confront their greatest fears. The stark and often terrifying descriptions of the dream world, combined with the unique personalities of the main characters, bring vividness to the book that will delight readers both young and old. As one reviewer wrote: “J.C. Kavanagh does a superb job of creating a vast and puzzling dream world... unfolding the characters and bringing this story to life. I would love to see Darkness Descends grace the silver screen, or possible cable series.” Another reviewer wrote: “The clever plot twists make Darkness Descends an absolute page-turner.”


Both books have earned Kavanagh the Best Young Adult book award; in 2016 for The Twisted Climb, and again in 2018 for Darkness Descends. They are available at the South Simcoe Arts Council store on Victoria Street, at Chapters stores across Canada, and online wherever digital books are sold.

www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh

http://www.bookswelove.net/authors/kavanagh-j-c-ya-urban-fantasy/

A night to remember

Last month, The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends, was short-listed by Canada's The Word Guild, in the Young Adult - General market category. The Word Guild is an organization of Canadian writers, speakers, publishers, booksellers, librarians and other write-minded individuals who are Christian. Darkness Descends does not point to a specific religion, thus, the 'General market' category. The book, however, explores the empowerment of love and unity in a broad format. The characters ultimately recognize that 'good' overpowers all.  

The Word Guild hosts an annual writers' conference and black-tie Awards Gala in Hamilton, Ontario. There were 31 award categories, ranging from inspirational column, poetry and song, to academic, book cover and best manuscript. More than 100 finalists made the short-list, as determined by a panel of six judges. The Awards Gala took place on June 14 and I was privileged to be there with my partner, Ian. We dressed up! For those who regularly read my blog, you'll know that when it comes to attire, I'm closer to nature than high heels. But we cleaned up pretty good, I'd say. I didn't win the award but I was inspired and honoured to rub shoulders with this elite group of writers.

Me and my 

handsome partner, Ian

Spring season is underway here in Canada. Well, maybe. The water in Georgian Bay is 4 degrees Celsius. That's 39.2 Fahrenheit. That is daaaarn cold. Nonetheless, I was swimming in Beausoleil Bay on June 9 and in the water for a full five seconds. Five seconds longer than necessary. Yes, there may have been some wine involved. The water is normally about 10 degrees Celsius at this time of year but this does not appear to be a 'normal' spring. Still beautiful, though!

Take a few moments today to enjoy nature.

J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2)

voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll

AND short-listed for Best Young Adult Book 2018, The Word Guild, General Market Category

AND

The Twisted Climb,

voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll

Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart

Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh

www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh

Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh)

It's dog's life...by Sheila Claydon

To buy this book

My BooksWeLove author page

Apart from the horse in the background, the cover of Mending Jodie's Heart doesn't immediately make you think of animals! It's very misleading because two of the book's main characters are in fact  Buckmaster, an incredibly well trained horse, and Blue, an old Labrador dog. A lot of birds feature too. I found them all incredibly interesting to write about and learned a lot while I was doing so.

Why am I telling you this? Well writing about them came to mind when I began training my dog...or maybe I should say started re-training my dog!  She is 4 years old and, like the fictional Buckmaster and Blue, generally very good. She likes other dogs and people, and can be walked off leash (away from traffic) without any worries at all. She is also fine indoors except for her latest habit, which is to ask to go into the garden then, when the door is opened, to rush out at warp speed barking as she goes. This mindless barking then continues intermittently until I go out and point towards the house, whereupon she immediately stops and dutifully trots indoors.  I have no idea where this very irritating habit came from but I do know it needs to be stopped. Unfortunately, until now, instead of working towards a cure I think I've been making it worse.

As you can see from the photos, butter wouldn't melt she is so cool and well-behaved...except when that door is opened when she turns into a whirling dervish, and now I understand why.  My irritation and consequent need to try to stop her barking means I am giving her attention every time she runs outside. She loves this and, in her own doggy way, has decided that because I immediately call her or fetch her I must like what she's doing. So she just does it some more!

Well now I've learned the answer and although it will take a couple of weeks of concentration from both of us, I've been assured it will work.  What do we have to do? Well for a start from now on she doesn't go out into the garden unless she is on a long leash.  Next I have to open the door a fraction and, as soon as she tries to run out, close it again, and I have to do this repeatedly until she calms down and sits quietly beside me. Then I open the door, step outside, and block her if she tries to follow me, waiting until she sits down again. Only then do I invite her outside and let her roam about on an extender lead.

Going indoors is the same thing in reverse. She has to sit outside while I enter the house and wait until I invite her inside. She is praised once her leash is removed but no treats are involved because learning that she receives treats on leaving and re-entering the house would just give us another problem.

And guess what, it works!  We started with her bouncing up and down like a mad thing today as soon as I touched the door handle, but within less than a minute she was sitting quietly beside me waiting for a command. The trot around the garden was painless (except for the rain - one of the hazards of dog ownership) and she sat and waited to be invited back in without being told.

She is highly intelligent and always eager to please, so I am now very hopeful. By the time the sun comes out again, something that is not forecast any time soon, she might be off leash again and trotting around the garden in almost silence. We don't mind an odd bark at a squirrel or pigeon or even a sudden noise from next door, but continual mindless barking? No way!

She might have been ultra cute as a puppy but that is no excuse for bad manners, something she learned once and is now having to learn all over again.  Oh, if only we could use the same technique on people!