Dare I write about a troubling incident in recent memory, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase Ghost Point: Ghost Point

To purchase my novels and other BWL books: BWL

When I worked at the Dahlgren Naval Base, Virginia, in the 90s, a woman told me tales from the little beach town where she lived about a half hour away. Colonial Beach, Virginia, had been a huge tourist destination in the early twentieth century, when boatloads of steamships came down from Washington, D.C. to visit the beach every summer. 

Amusement Pier Colonial Beach 1912

But in the late nineteenth century it was the scene of murder of boat crews; I blogged about this previously.

Fishing Pier Colonial Beach

My friend told me the true story of the Potomac Oyster Wars, which took place in the 1950s. Her boyfriend lost a brother in that fraught time, and he hesitated to speak of it. But I was able to talk to him and he showed me photos of the friends he had who were involved. Many who lost loved ones were still skitterish about this history.

But my friend insisted I had to write the story. 

Since colonial times, Maryland owned the Potomac and policed the waters where Virginia fisherman plied their trade. Since the end of WWII, times were lean, and the Oystermen snuck out at night to rake "dredge" up oysters. This process destroyed the beds but brought in a larger catch. Tonging for oysters was the approved manner.

Well known people in the town got involved, and a prominent man was killed by the dreaded Maryland Oyster Police. His relatives still reside in the community. Would I step on their toes?

Me with my friend in Colonial Beach

I published my novel, Ghost Point, on this era and tentatively put the info on a FB page called "Memories of Colonial Beach." I thought people would be upset about me, a non native, writing about their history. Instead, they were thrilled, and one woman said she knew the niece of the man who was murdered. They were happy to purchase my novel and speak of those events.

A very generous community. My main characters are fictional, but I used several actual residents of the town.

I plan to do a book signing next year at the Colonial Beach Museum. It seems the younger generation is anxious to learn about this era.

Colonial Beach Museum,
drawn by Christine Valenti

Sunset on Monroe Bay, Colonial Beach

To find out more about me and my books, please visit my website: DianeScottLewis

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.

Thanksgiving Day in the USA and Nine Other Countries #BWLPublishing #Thanksgiving

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir by J. Q. Rose

Click here to find more books by J.Q.

at BWL Publishing

🦃Hello and welcome to the BWL Authors Insider Blog!🦃

Thanksgiving Day in the USA and Nine Other Countries

Happy Turkey Day!

Looking forward to that turkey meal on November 25, 2021? Or in the case of my vegan friend, a tofu meal. Turkey is the traditional dish to serve in most American households to remind us of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving. Although, they probably ate other birds and lots of fish at their celebration.

According to  Yahoo Finance, other countries observe days of thanksgiving. Canada, Liberia, and a small island east of Australia, Norfolk Island, have customs similar to the USA with traditions that include celebrating the autumn harvest and giving thanks. 

Germany's celebration is known as Erntedankfest to celebrate the harvest. Not exactly the same as Thanksgiving Day in the US, Germans know how to party with parades, dancing, music and fireworks.

In Grenada, formal celebrations for giving thanks are held in mostly urban areas. 

China's Thanksgiving day began about 2500 years ago. No pumpkin pie for dessert, but rather baked Moon Pie made of sesame seeds, ground lotus seeds, and duck eggs.

Japan centers its day, known as Labor Thanksgiving Day, around giving thanks for workers' rights.

South Koreans spend their day similarly feasting as we do in the US while honoring their ancestors. 

Vietnamese celebrations, much like China, include giving thanks and celebrating the harvest. According to Vietnamese folklore, the day was spent making amends to their children for being neglected during the busy harvest time.

No matter where we are in the world, giving thanks is uplifting for folks who take time to express gratitude. The thanks need not be for anything huge. Appreciating the warm sun on your face, someone who opens the door for you or helps you carry your grocery bags to the car, and even a spouse or partner getting the coffee ready at night for an early morning cup--all are worthy of a thank you.

What three things are you grateful for today?

Wishing you a fabulous day of Thanksgiving 

for the big things as well as the small!

🦃🦃🦃🦃

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

Author of mysteries and memoir, J. Q. Rose

Fall Into Autumn by Helen Henderson

Windmaster by Helen Henderson

Click the cover for purchase information

Normally at this time of year, posts tend to reflect the holidays. However, I already revealed holiday traditions, both mine and those of the world of Windmaster, in other posts. There are still a couple of months in the year so it is too early to do a year in review.  I went another route. A line in last month's post inspired this one. There I mentioned that sometimes an author sets a story in a land where they want to go. This time, I'm writing about places I actually have been. This waterfall is a favorite place for pictures. And the next mountain over was a favorite place to spend many holidays and summer weekends.

Waterfall, Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

While I have been across the Pacific Ocean, I'm not a world traveler. Vacations were camping  a day or two or three day's drive from home. The settings were woods alongside scenic rivers, at the ocean, or with views of beautiful mountains. All seasons were experienced. My favorite is autumn with its glorious colors, warm days, and cool nights for sleeping.  Cool is not always a given temperature. One night in the White Mountains of New Hampshire was so cold, the sleeping bags weren't enough and we pulled every blanket and cover out of the car to supplement it. We found out why the next morning when woke up to a layer of ice on the windshield. 

When visiting California I crossed border for a day visit with the neighbor to the south. We took advantage during a trip to Niagra Falls, New York to cross over into Canada. My longest (or farthest adventure) was driving the northern route from California to New Jersey and going up Mount Washington by car. The car was at the summit so we declined the opportunity to walk down.

Beautiful colors of Arizona

Overseas excursions were a few school class trips (with appropriate security) while living on the island of Luzon  in the Philippines, and a harrowing taxi ride during a lay-over in Tachikawa, Japan. A more pleasurable (at least less frightening) Japanese experience was the traditional hotel we stayed in. Sleeping on the tatami floor and walking in my barefeet was quite comfortable. Shoes were left at the door. Tatami is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. The mats are made from rush and cloth where the rush is woven in, and cloth is used to cover the woven ends.

A writing note. You might notice the title. That is because the rule in school that fall is not a season was repeated and repeated until we did not use "fall" for "autumn." Enjoy the season for winter is a'coming.

Red leaves of autumn
in the Pocono Mountains

A backyard donning
her autumn colors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

~Until next month, stay safe and read. Helen

Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination. Follow me online at Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who have adopted her as one the pack. 

First Times by Nancy M Bell

 

To learn more about Nancy's books click on the cover above.

First times and last times. If we knew we were going to do something for the last time, would we do anything differently? 

As I approach my 65th birthday- dear heavens how did I ever get that old?-  I start to remember all the firsts in my life. 

I remember the  first time I rode a horse a Bowmanville Zoo. I was very young, but I can still remember the feel of the horse moving under me, and see the sunlight through the trees on the brown earth between his ears. I remember the last time I rode. It was in 2006, a year to the day after my accident that effectively ended my riding career. It felt good and it felt right and I never thought it would be the last time I threw a leg over a horse. Actually, that day it was more like I crawled unto her back, but that's a moot point. Had I known it was the last time, would I have put up with the pain and ridden her longer, held onto that joy. Held unto that magical connection between horse and rider when it seems like I see through her eyes and we think together. 

I don't know. Perhaps some day I will have the joy of sitting on a horse again, I hold onto that thought, it helps balance me and keep my sane. 

I think every girl remembers her first kiss. That special step from childhood into young adulthood, although we don't realize it at the time. I remember the date of course. August 15th, 1970. It was the summer I'd just graduated from grade school and looking back it was the last summer of my childhood. We had a cottage on Davis Lake in Haliburton County in Ontario. My heart still goes there in memory to visit. There were four of us girls, my sister, Elaine my friend, and Abby who worked at the little store at the end of the lake. And of course there were four boys. Local brothers and their cousin who lived on the Buller Road. Doug was my first boyfriend, and the first boy I ever kissed. At the top of our cottage driveway, under the maples in the magic darkness that lies under the canopy of trees. I took the first step into womanhood, although that transition was still years away. I guess a corner of every girl's heart will always hold a special place for that boy who gave her that first kiss.

For me,  my first horse was a huge milestone in my life. Horses are, and always have been a huge part of who I am. Brandy was my first and even knowing how and when it would end, I wouldn't change a single thing. He was my rock and my safe place as I manouevered through the uncertain waters of being a teenager in the 1970's. 

So many firsts, and so many last times. The last time I spoke to my dad, the night before he died. The last time I saw his face. It's been 13 years and it still brings tears to my eyes. 

Life is a  journey, full of firsts and lasts, I guess the best we can do is ride the joy of the peaks and persevere through the valleys of uncertainty. November always seems to be a month of introspection for me. This year is no different. On November 11 I think of my grandfather who lived with us when I was young. Shaving and picking shrapnel out of his face and neck years after the war was ended. He taught me so much and most of all to honour all life. When I was really young he showed my how to catch a bee in a kleenex and set if free when it was trapped on the window pane frantically trying to get out. That memory has stuck with me my whole life.

Wishing you joy and peace as the days draw in and we wait to turn our faces to the light at Winter Solstice. The magic mid-winter night when the after the longest night that light pushes back the dark once more.

Until next month, be well, be happy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

There's a Dragon Watching me by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Dragons #Romance #Fantasy

 

I've been fascinated by stories of dragons since I was a child. In those days most of the stories made the dragons the creatures the heroes killed. I always thought that was less than wonderful though these dragons usually breathed fire and attacked villages, I always thought there might be some who were wonderful.

Much later I discovered the Pern novels by Anne Mc Caffrey and met dragons I could really like. One day when I was attending a Science Fiction conference, probably thirty or more years ago, I found some cloth dragons and I bought several. At that time I had three grandchildren so I bought three small ones and two large ones. They are now part of the collection on a shelf above my computer.

In the very back you can almost see the very small one my grandson made in nursery school. This was some kind of art one did. The old yellow dragon became the inspiration for the yellow dragon in Dragons of Fyre and also the amber dragon in the Amber Chronicles.

Here's better view of the yellow dragon plus the green one my granddaughter gave me for my last birthday.

There is a dragon lamp that doesn't work since I haven;t put the batteries in. The lightis very dim.\

In the very corner of this picture is the dragon clock along with some glass ones and a very small jade dragon.

 I have more but they're for another day since they are ornaments for my Christmas tree. I believe there are about fifteen. So this is just a bit of my study and yoy can't see the cluttered desk.

My Places

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 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

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