The lure of my guilty pleasure #amwriting #amreading I've been preparing to paint and rearrange my office. I bought a new desk—my current one is over 40 years old and, truth be told, is falling apart. I also bought an actual file cabinet, as opposed to another (ninth?) small bin to keep my records in. … Continue reading What Is It About Old Books?
Author: Gifford MacShane
NORA O’NEAL: American Folksong
I first heard this song on one of my grandmother’s John McCormack records and have thought of it as an Irish song ever since. In fact, it’s become one of my favorites. But it was written by William Shakespeare Hays, the same American who wrote Mollie Darling. Although there seem to be several tunes that … Continue reading NORA O’NEAL: American Folksong
D-Day classic: The most amazing lie in history
A long, amazing story & well worth the read.
The Allies’ top-secret weapon.
How a chicken farmer, a pair of princesses, and 27 imaginary spies helped the Allies win World War II
Only one man in history was both awarded the Iron Cross for his service to Nazi Germany AND also made a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by King George VI. That man was Juan Pujol Garcia, a draft-dodging chicken farmer and failed businessman from Barcelona who decided during World War II to become a double agent in order to help the Allies defeat Hitler. Here is his amazing story, as recounted by Lucas Reilly in Mental Floss:
In the weeks leading up to D-day, Allied commanders had their best game faces on. “This operation is not being planned with any alternatives,” barked General Dwight D. Eisenhower. “This operation is planned as a victory, and that’s the way it’s going to be!” Indeed, more than 6,000 ships were ready to cruise…
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TRIVIA: Native American Right to Vote
#trivia #NativeAmerican #boardingschool #votingrights The U. S. Department of the Interior just released a study of the almost 500 "Indian Boarding Schools" that operated from 1819 to 1969, including the Carlisle Indian Industry School here in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Over 7,000 children attended this school; its most famous student was Jim Thorpe, a member of the … Continue reading TRIVIA: Native American Right to Vote
EDITING CLUE: Catching Those Overused Words
Every writer will tell you there are words they use unconsciously. Words or phrases they repeat in their writing, regardless of whether they’ve previously identified their tendency to overuse them. Some offenders are little words like “and” or “then”. Some are descriptive words like “dark” or “quick”. In romance novels, you’ll often find “arm” or … Continue reading EDITING CLUE: Catching Those Overused Words
RAINBOW MAN Earns Its First Ratings
The first reviews for RAINBOW MAN are in! Here are some snippets from them on Amazon, where the average rating is: 4.4 STARS - I felt the characters were well described as well as the scenes. It was easy to picture both. The closeness of the Donovan Family was wonderful. They were always there for … Continue reading RAINBOW MAN Earns Its First Ratings
TWO OPPORTUNITIES for Free Historical Novels
These two giveaways are going on right now! SPRING INTO THE PAST giveaway includes a variety of Historical novels that are yours for the taking! Click here to see them all. Giveaway ends tomorrow, March 31, so enter while you can! ________________________________________________________ Not enough for you? Need even more books? Enter to win over 45 … Continue reading TWO OPPORTUNITIES for Free Historical Novels
Romance Books for Free!
Just because Valentine's Day is over doesn't mean romance is, too. Prolific Works is offering almost 50 wonderful Romance ebooks for free right here. Included are contemporary and historical novels with a whole host of your favorite tropes. Get one or all, but don't wait too long. Offer ends Friday, 2/18/22.
3 Easy Ways to Write a Book Review
So you’ve accepted a free copy of a book in return for a review. Or maybe you've finished a book you want to tell everyone about. But now that you’ve read it, that next step seems daunting. So here are some tips to help you decide how to write your review. Though I’ll concentrate on … Continue reading 3 Easy Ways to Write a Book Review
The Quakers and the Underground Railroad
You’ve heard about the Underground Railroad in the southern coastal states, and Harriet Tubman’s and Frederick Douglass’s heroism in aiding slaves escape to the northeastern states and Canada. The Railroad actually had several distinct routes to freedom, as shown on this map from National Geographic. The branch on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers was established … Continue reading The Quakers and the Underground Railroad
Gifford MacShane, Author 