"Christmas Cousins" by Joy DeKok, author of Rain Dance
I got a small doll with a high chair and other extras. My brother got a car race track. As much as we enjoyed the presents, it was the cousins that mattered most.
We were gathered at Dorothy and Lee’s house where they lived with their three boys. My cousin Sheila was there and so was our Grandma. My uncle and dad enjoyed the race track and played with it more than the boys. My brother was a cowboy that year and our cousin Scott an army guy. Sheila and I were pretend mommies and best friends. We were allowed to stay up late and while that sounded good, I tend to get a little on the goofy side when over tired. I was nearing exhaustion, but nowhere near ready to give up unless required to do so.
As adults do when watching the kids they love, the noticed how we’d grown – we were like stair steps– Randy the oldest to Scott the youngest. Tallest to shortest. Lining us up for a picture was a bit of a challenge. We were all agreeable and obedient, but one of us had a problem. Me. I could not stop laughing and nothing funny had happened. I was alive and happy and tired and out of control.
For a moment driven by the need to take a deep breath (and after a stern parental look) I’d been able to stop giggling. Then, it happened. I heard Randy laugh. Then Steve. Then Sheila. Well, then it was my turn again and I was worse off than before – I now had back up!
We enjoyed our family, our gifts, and the yummy food, but the best part was the line-up of laughing cousins.
Joy DeKok and her husband, Jon, live in Minnesota on thirty-five acres of woods and fields. Joy has been writing most of her life and as a popular speaker shares her heart and passion for God with women. In addition to writing novels, she has also published a devotional and several children’s books.
"The Importance of Family Traditions" by J.M. Hochstetler, author of One Holy Night
When my daughters were tiny, with the holidays fast approaching, I impulsively decided that on the night of Christmas Eve, when they were fast asleep, I would hang candy canes all over our tree as a sign that Santa had come. Well, that idea turned out to be a huge success. When my little girls ran downstairs that Christmas morning, they were so excited to find the treats on the tree that I knew I’d come up with a very special tradition.
Over the years, as holidays came and went, I continued my secret Christmas Eve ritual. As they grew older, however, the children appeared to take less and less notice of the candy canes. They would eat only a few, and then after we took the tree down I ended up throwing most of them away. It seemed a waste. So one Christmas I thoughtlessly came very close to letting that tradition die.
That year I was so busy with holiday preparations and the day-to-day routine that I kept forgetting to pick up a package of candy canes at the store. It seemed like such a simple, unimportant thing. The girls were too old to care about my little tradition anymore, I told myself and I shrugged off the quiet voice that nagged at me to get those candy canes!
One evening just a couple of days before Christmas, I was rushing around the house, as usual, burdened with too many holiday preparations. In spite of my preoccupation, I happened to notice my oldest daughter, Jennifer, who sat on the stairs with my youngest, Katie. Both were snuggled in their nightgowns, slippers, and robes, happily taking in our cozy living room before heading off to bed.
Below them, fire blazed on the hearth and colored lights twinkled on the tree. Holiday decorations were arranged everywhere, and pine garlands and tiny white lights draped the mantel as well as the banister on either side where they sat. The scene was so perfect that I stopped for just a moment to breathe in the heady scents of pine and spices and to bask in the room’s glow. And as I lingered, I overheard what the girls were whispering about.
“Now, you know,” Jennifer told her little sister, “on Christmas morning when Santa comes, he always hangs candy canes all over the tree.”
Katie’s eyes grew round. “Always?” she breathed, in sweet expectancy.
“Oh, yes, always,” Jennifer assured her with the easy confidence of a big sister. “There will be candy canes all over the tree on Christmas morning. You’ll see.”
My heart almost stopped. One look at my daughters’ faces told me that I’d better plan on a special trip to the store the very next day. And suddenly gratitude flooded over me at the realization that the Lord had pulled me up short from my preoccupation with all the things that seemed so urgent to remind me of something I had come way too close to missing—a tradition that was genuinely meaningful to my children.
On that Christmas morning and every Christmas morning since then to this very day, candy canes have adorned my Christmas tree. My grown children expect to see them there when they arrive Christmas morning every bit as much as my grandchildren now do. It’s a tradition I wouldn’t think of ending. Because of that simple, long-ago impulse and the Lord’s reminder to be faithful in its observance, my family is making memories that in one form or another will be passed down to coming generations. It’s a simple thing as many of our traditions are, but oh, how meaningful!
J. M. Hochstetler writes stories that always involve some element of the past and of finding home. Born in central Indiana, the daughter of Mennonite farmers, she graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Germanic languages. She was an editor with Abingdon Press for twelve years and has published four novels. Daughter of Liberty (2004), Native Son (2005), and Wind of the Spirit (March 2009), the first three books of the critically acclaimed American Patriot Series, are set during the American Revolution. One Holy Night, a retelling of the Christmas story set in modern times, is the 2009 Christian Small Publishers Fiction Book of the Year and a finalist for the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Long Contemporary Book of the Year.
Hochstetler is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, Nashville Christian Writers Association, and Historical Novels Society. She and her husband live near Nashville, Tennessee.
Parents and grandparents always wonder what will most delight their kids and grandkids. What should they get them for Birthdays? For the Holidays? Should we buy what delighted us as children? Should we really cater to their Santa or Chanukah lists? Should we go with what is ‘in’ this year?
These are important questions and all I can say, is listen to the kid even if it seems strange! We did when our grandson was three. We knew he loved to help his mother vacuum. We had noticed that many times when we visited. But it still surprised us when he asked for a vacuum. A vacuum? Who ever would want one? I would love to give mine up if someone else would just magically appear and vacuum. Why would a tiny kid want one? Wouldn’t he rather have some trucks or a train set? “No.”
All he kept asking for was a vacuum. Did toy stores even have vacuum’s for kids?
We decided we had no choice. Off we went to look. And indeed we found a vacuum that looked just like his mom’s except it was half the size. We were amazed. It was a little pricey, but hey, he is our grandson!
So we bought it and wrapped the box and appeared on Chanukah. He didn’t have a clue what we were bringing.
After lighting the candles and singing, we brought out the presents. There were a few other presents first and of course some for his baby sister who was happy to just rip off the paper. Finally the big box was brought out by his parents and handed to him. I will never forget his face when he ripped off the paper and saw a picture of a stand-up vacuum on the box. There was such joy in his eyes and his grin was as wide as could be. He looked at us with love and recognition that said that even as a three-year-old, he realized that sometimes only grandparents, not parents can really get it right. Then the magical second passed and he ripped open the box.
Soon the vacuum was plugged in and he was busy. Off in a dream world of cleaning and pushing and doing what only a kid could experience. We were so happy that we had hit it right. We kept looking at him and loving every second of his eager pretend cleaning, even though he no longer had eyes for us. He was sweet though and did turn and look at us and smile every once in awhile. Even the noise didn’t bother us-because of course, no good mechanical toy, is without its sound effects!
That was a great Chanakah!
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein is the originator of The Enchanted Self(R). She has been a positive psychologist in private practice and licensed in the states of New Jersey and Massachusetts since 1981. She is currently in private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein.
She is the author of The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy, Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU! and There Comes A Time In Every Woman’s Life for DELIGHT.
Her newest book, The Truth, I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything! is another first in positive psychology. Written by a ten year old girl as a diary, Dr. Barbara has been able to imbed lots of positive truths that we all need to remember and live by, regardless of our age.
The girl’s edition, titled: The Truth, (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) debuted February 2008 in bookstores nationwide. You can get your copy now at www.enchantedself.com.
"Christmas Before Thanksgiving" by Dixie Phillips, author of One Noble Journey
For as long as I can remember, the heart of my paternal grandmother and my heart were cemented together. I think our bonding began when I was a baby and my mother had to be hospitalized for extended periods of time. Grandma watched over me and even decorated her spare bedroom in soft pinks and light lavenders. She was the mother of four strapping sons and had always wanted a little girl. Ten years before I was born her only daughter was stillborn.
I never realized just how attached I was to my grandmother until she was diagnosed with a deadly disease. After her diagnosis, Grandma was forced to move from her dream home to a small, one-bedroom apartment. In her new apartment complex, other women were experiencing the similar problems; terminal illness, limited income, loss of spouse to death or a nursing home. A remnant of these women formed a weekly Bible study and Grandma became a faithful member. This band of prayer warriors became "kindred spirits" as they interceded for one another’s needs.
It was apparent by early November Grandma would not be with us much longer. Her spirit was strong, but her body was growing weaker. A few days before Thanksgiving, she had to be hospitalized. The cancer had metastasized to her lungs.
Word spread quickly among her little Bible study group that Grandma Eleanor was dying. Loving cards and concerned phone calls began pouring in.
I hurried to the hospital and hovered over my grandmother's weak frame. There was a tap on her Hospice room door and an elderly woman appeared. In her arms was a brown paper grocery sack. She tiptoed to Grandma's bedside, and stooped over the metal bedrail and planted a kiss on Grandma's cheek. Grandma's dark chocolate eyes twinkled when she recognized her friend.
"Mable, how did you get here?" Grandma asked.
"Took a cab, Eleanor. I just had to." Mable chuckled, "It's cold outside, but it was warm in the cab!"
"Oh Mable, you shouldn't have come out in this bitter cold."
"I had to, Eleanor! Christmas is coming. I wanted you to have your Christmas card and the gift I made for you! It's all right here in my bag."
Mable rummaged through her brown bag. She pulled out a bright red envelope.
"This one is from me to you, Eleanor!" She showed Grandma the card. Sunbeams splashed on the colorful card causing Mable's eyes to squint.
"Let me read it to you." Mable said,
What can I give Him poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I'd give Him a lamb. If I were a wise man, I'd do my part, I know what I'll give Him, All of my heart!
Tears glistened in Grandma's eyes as she whimpered, "Thank you, Mable."
"That's not all, Eleanor, there's more! Christmas is coming! I just wanted you to have your Christmas present a little early this year." Mable gushed as she pulled out a small package wrapped in previously used Christmas paper topped with a recycled, red bow.
Grandma was too weak to open her special gift. Mable handed it to me. I carefully tore the paper off the small box and opened the lid. Peering back at me was a brown teddy bear holding a lacey parasol.
"Yep, it's true, Eleanor! Christmas is coming, and I just had to give you your present a little early this year." Mable reached for Grandma's hand.
"Mable, thank you and all the other ladies for being my friend this past year. You tell our little group goodbye for me. Tell them I'll be spending Christmas with Jesus this year."
Scalding tears fell on Mable's wrinkled cheeks. "I love you, Eleanor!"
"And I love you!" Grandma closed her heavy eyelids and drifted off to sleep.
Mable reached for me. We embraced. We wept. I thanked her for her kindness to my grandmother, walked her to the door, and said goodbye.
When I returned to my grandmother’s side, I wept quietly. I realized Grandma's "home-going" would be soon. I looked at the brown teddy bear holding the lacey parasol. I reread Mable's Christmas card,
What can I give Him poor as I am?
I had just witnessed these verses lived out before my eyes. A loving friend with meager means had given her very best to her dying friend. She even celebrated Christmas before Thanksgiving knowing Grandma wouldn't live until Christmas.
I closed my eyes and silently thanked God for giving me such a wonderful grandmother, and for giving my grandmother a dear friend.
Grandma went home to be with Jesus two days after Mable's visit. My grandmother was right. She celebrated Christmas with Jesus.
Dixie Phillips began writing seasonal plays for children in 1987. These delightful programs have been published by Abingdon Press, Standard Publishing, Eldridge Publishing, Evangelizing Today's Child and Gospel Publishing House. One of Dixie's children's books, Stubby's Destiny, was awarded the 2008 Best Children's Animal Story by Books and Authors. Guardian Angel Publishing has released Angel Eyes, One Noble Journey and Baby Jesus is Missing. Cinderfella and the Furry Godmother and Stilts the Stork will be released in 2010.
Dixie also has a passion for writing God's truths for adults. She has contributed to an award-winning devotional book and has ghostwritten books on marriage, health, poetry and personal testimonies. She is currently a topical curriculum writer for Randall House. Dixie is a pastor's wife of more than 30 years. She and her husband, Paul, have four grown children and have served the Gospel Lighthouse Church in Floyd, Iowa, for 28 years.
You can learn more about Dixie’s books and the Phillips’ ministry by visiting www.floydslighthouse.com.
Enter to win one of two copies of One Noble Journey by Dixie Phillips at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. Contest ends at 11:59 PM Eastern on December 31st.
"A Texas Christmas" by Beverly Stowe McClure, author of Just Breeze
On December 22, 2005, my husband had a heart attack and complications. We celebrated that Christmas in the hospital. He didn’t hear the carolers as they strolled down the hallway singing Christmas songs. He didn’t see the visitors who came to call. He wasn’t even aware it was Christmas.
The next year, we made Christmas special. Except for one daughter-in-law who was ill and was missed very much, our whole family came to share in a Texas Christmas. We had a houseful, including our eldest son, Rex, from South Carolina. (His wife, Kristina, had to stay home.) Our middle son, Scott, and Ann, his stepdaughters Briana and Kylie, live next door which is wonderful. And our youngest son, Kelly, wife Amy, and children Shawn, Scottie, and Katie drove from California. Rex’s daughters, Amanda, Courtney, and Felicity, along with their mother, Anna, were here. Amanda is married, so she brought her hubby, Paul, and children, Riley, Paige, and Henry. And of course, there was Jack and me. As you can see we had a houseful. Best of all, Jack was alive and well.
The younger grandkids decorated the Christmas tree. It was unique, the bottom half overloaded with ceramic mice, icicles, candy canes, keepsake decorations my students gave to me throughout the years I taught, and my own sons’ creations. The top half was sort of bare, except for what the older girls and I added since we were the only ones who could reach that high. The angel on the top added the finishing touch. All of us being together made it perfect, and I have a video for the memories.
Since everyone was together for the first and possibly only time since everyone lived so far apart, we decided to have a family photo taken. Finding a photographer that was working during the holidays was almost impossible. I did finally locate a sweet lady who was intrigued about doing a photo shoot for such a large family, something she’d never done before. Her photographs on the Internet were gorgeous, so we made the appointment. Even with a wiggly baby, a boy who hates having his picture taken, and a sick boy, the photographer did a marvelous job. The photos now hang on my wall as a reminder of that lovely Christmas when we shared the joy of the birth of Christ Jesus and our good health.
To me, family and Jesus are what Christmas is all about.
Beverly S. McClure started her writing career early—though she approached it kicking and screaming—when her eighth-grade teacher sent her poem “Stars” to a high school anthology and it was published in Young America Sings. She graduated from Midwestern State University and became a teacher. As soon as she discovered Dr. Seuss and other great children’s stories, she willingly put pen to paper and had stories and articles published in Ladybug, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., U. S. Kids, Jack and Jill and other leading children’s magazines, including an article that was reprinted in a Scott Foresman Pre-K anthology and a breakout article that appeared in the June 2007 issue of Writer magazine.
A multi-published author, Beverly’s Listen to the Ghost, Secrets I Have Kept and Rebel in Blue Jeans are available in trade paperback. Her latest book is Just Breeze, and she has four more books under contract. A member of the National Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and their North Texas Chapter, Beverly is the mother of three grown boys and lives in the country with her husband, Jack, where an occasional deer, skunk, or armadillo come to visit.
To keep things rolling in a festive way, The Book Connection is going to be featuring some authors sharing their holidays memories until Christmas Eve.
Some of my favorite Christmas memories are the ones where my family is all together. One year, I made a sweet potato pie and my son, who I call Mickey, ate two big pieces.
That was a good year. My daughter was happy to have a new cell phone and I delighted in watching my children open their toys. I felt blessed that I had enough money to make their Christmas wishes come true.
It is our tradition to celebrate Christmas early in the morning by reading about the birth of Jesus and listening to Christmas songs. I have a feeling that the kids were too excited to sleep the night before because my daughter went back to bed after the festivities were over and my son fell asleep listening to music. We were all together and that helped make this mother very happy.
Bernadine Feagins is a new author who is looking forward to many years of writing children's books. She has always had a love of children and worked many years in early childhood education. During these times she witnessed the joy children felt as she would demonstratively read books. In addition she is a very active mom who loves to nurture not only her children, but those of family and community. She often had story time with those she loved and cared for. She developed her story telling skills through the numerous books she read to children, this gave her an inspiration to tell her own story. Hakim and Terrance Shadow Mystery is the result. When Bernadine isn’t reading to children or involved in some other child nurturing activity, she can be found as a business woman that works for the IRS. Bernadine is available for interviews, book signings or public reading in schools and libraries.
We welcome James Diehl back with another excellent guest post. James is the author of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware, which is available for purchase from his website.
I hope James doesn't mind if I pop in with a quick story of my own first. Growing up, we had an elderly couple living in the apartment next door. The husband, Phil, had served during World War II. In the late 80's and early 90's, I worked at a credit union, where Phil's brother and sister-in-law did business. I noticed that his brother's last name was spelled differently and asked him about it one day.
It seems that right after Pearl Harbor, Phil and his two brothers, Stanley and Fritz ran, like many other young men, to sign up for military service. Stanley's last name was incorrectly spelled with an "i" instead of an "a" by whoever registered him for service. Sometime later, Stanley would be interrogated as a possible spy because his last name was slightly different than Phil's and Fritz's.
A bit of useless WWII knowledge that I remember to help me keep those memories of Phil and his brothers alive since they've all passed away.
Now I hope you'll read the touching post that James put together for the anniversary of Pearl Harbor!
"Pearl Harbor Reflections" by James Diehl
Ask someone who was born in the 1970s or beyond what the words “Pearl Harbor” mean and you’ll likely get an answer straight out of the 2001 movie that became a blockbuster at the theaters for Touchstone Pictures.
Ask that same question to someone who was raised in the 1940s and you’ll get an entirely different answer, one filled with realism and sorrow for what happened on Dec. 7, 1941. Now take the next step – ask a veteran of World War II what those two simple words mean to him. It is likely a day he will never forget; most veterans from that era know someone who made the ultimate sacrifice as a direct result of what happened on that early December day nearly 70 years ago.
Listen to John Ross, who was on the deck of the U.S.S. Selfridge in berth X-9 that fateful day, just off the famed Battleship Row. It’s a day that has defined his entire life, and a day he will never, ever forget.
“We were lucky because they weren’t after destroyers [like the Selfridge]; they wanted the big ships. But it just seemed like all hell had broken loose – bombs were raining down on all the battleships,” Ross recounts in my book, World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware. “I saw the [U.S.S.] Arizona take a bomb through the deck and just settle down in the bottom of the harbor with a lot of people still trapped below deck. I was just dumfounded.”
Or the memories of U.S. Army soldier Clayton Cugler, who was stationed at Schofield Barracks, just a few miles from the harbor.
“When we went around the city, we looked out and the oil was all over the water and it was on fire. And those poor boys from the Navy, the ones who were on the ships that had been blown up, they were out there in the water fighting the fires and trying to get to shore. A lot of them died trying. Those Japanese really caught us by surprise. They had us really puzzled and mixed up for awhile.”
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 was a resounding and complete victory for Emperor Hirohito. On the flip side, it was a devastating defeat for the Americans and thrust then into a war they had been hesitant to enter.
The day changed the course of history and eventually led to President Harry S. Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base lasted for nearly two hours. When it was complete, 2,403 Americans were dead, 1,178 more were wounded, eight battleships were damaged or sunk and 188 aircraft were lost. It was a complete sucker punch to the gut of the United States, possibly the biggest ever, leading to a declaration of war and an intense wave of patriotism all across the county.
For Ross and Cugler and thousands more just like them, it was an event they will never forget. Sadly, our country’s World War II veterans are passing away at record numbers now and with them go their stories, their first-hand accounts of a time unrivaled in the history of the world.
We owe it to all the brave men and women of the World War II era to never forget the sacrifices they made all those years ago so that we may live today in the greatest country in the world. They truly were members of the “greatest generation” as Tom Brokaw so eloquently stated a few years ago. Without them and their service, who knows what the world would be like today.
And it all started in a quiet little harbor in the territory of Hawaii, on a peaceful morning that suddenly became one of the most historic days ever.
We must never forget!
James Diehl is an award-winning journalist who has covered Sussex County, Delaware for various media outlets since 1998. Since 2007, he has owned and operated a freelance writing company based in Seaford, Delaware and is also a partner in a Lewes, Delaware-based public relations and marketing firm. He is the author of two works of non-fiction – Remembering Sussex County, from Zwaanendael to King Chicken, published in 2009 by The History Press, and World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware, published in 2009 by the DNB Group, Inc. James can be found online at www.twitter.com/sussexwriter, at www.facebook.com/sussexwriter, at www.worldwar2heroes.blogspot.com or via www.ww2-heroes.com.
Today's guest blogger is James Diehl, author of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware. James is an award-winning journalist who has covered Sussex County, Delaware for various media outlets since 1998. Since 2007, he has owned and operated a freelance writing company based in Seaford, Delaware and is also a partner in a Lewes, Delaware-based public relations and marketing firm. He is the author of one other work of non-fiction – Remembering Sussex County, from Zwaanendael to King Chicken, published in 2009 by The History Press.
I won a copy of James's book during his virtual book tour, so look for a review coming soon.
World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware is a book unlike any other ever written. In its pages are profiles of 50 ordinary Americans who did extraordinary things during a time unlike any other in American history.
These are men and women who today call southern Delaware home. In the 1940s, these brave Americans put their lives on hold to fight for freedom and democracy against the horrific threat imposed on the world by Emperor Hirohito of Japan and German Fuhrer Adolph Hitler.
When Imperial Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, the world changed forever. These men and women were a big part of that change; they fought to protect our freedom and our way of life.
Among the amazing stories you’ll read in “World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware” are:
* A United States Marine who was a part of the 1945 attack on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. He was one of 17 members of his company who survived, a company that numbered more than 300 at the beginning of the attack. * An Army soldier who was responsible for uncovering Adolph Hitler’s enormous, and illegally gained, fortune toward the end of World War II. * An Army navigator who led a group of 500 B-29s over Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, the day the Japanese surrendered to the United States. * A United States Navy machinist’s mate who narrowly survived a Japanese kamikaze attack. * A United States Marine who witnessed the horrific attack on Pearl Harbor from the deck of a nearby ship. * Men who survived German prisoner of war camps. * First–hand accounts from the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion. * Two black soldiers who served their country with pride during World War II. * Men who liberated German concentration camps. * A woman who served her country by becoming a part of the “Rosie the Riveter” movement. * And much, much more.
Readers of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware will also receive a bonus section on Fort Miles, the immense, heavily fortified military facility built to protect the mouth of the Delaware Bay and the city of Philadelphia from an attack by the German navy. Today, the fort is being renovated and will soon become one of the largest World War II museums in the country.
I asked James to tell us about one of the fifty people profiled in his book and how he discovered this person's story. Here's what he had to say:
Wow! There are 50 brave men and women featured in the book and it’s so hard to pick out one above the rest, but if I must...
There’s one man in my book who was a United States Marine and was in one of the first units to invade the island of Iwo Jima in 1945. Of more than 300 members of his unit, he was one of only 17 who survived the attack. As a result, he had terrible survivor’s guilt for many, many years until he was finally able to come to peace with it.
He saw things during that time that are just incredible, surviving dozens of close calls. He was hit by body parts, spent days in foxholes, saw friends and colleagues killed in front of his eyes and was just missed by Japanese fire many times over. BUT, he also got to witness firsthand the raising of the Stars and Stripes atop Mount Suribachi, one of the most famous and emotional photos ever taken.
My book is filled with heroes just like Mr. Russell, men who put their lives on the line to protect our way of life here in the United States. They are all heroes, whether they’re comfortable with that title or not.
It’s hard to pick out just one, but that was one that came to mind. I should also note that not every person featured in my book saw as much action as did Mr. Russell, but each has his or her own special story to share about the war.
As to how I found them, I started out by going through lists provided to me by the local VFWs and American Legions. As the series picked up steam, however, more and more members of the public contacted me to recommend friends, neighbors or family members.
Here’s what people are saying about World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware:
“When the Seaford and Laurel Star newspapers decided to run a series of articles on World War II veterans, we were excited about the opportunity to preserve a part of history that would be lost forever, if we did not take action: the personal experiences of our local veterans. Through his interviews and research, James Diehl allowed us to share with our readers the amazing stories of the courage and sacrifices of our local heroes. Diehl put his heart into this assignment and his reports represent some of the best journalistic efforts I have read in my 37 years of newspaper involvement. We know readers of today and tomorrow will enjoy learning more about this tumultuous time in the history of the world from a local perspective.” -Bryant Richardson, Publisher, Morning Star Publications, Inc.
“Mr. Diehl does an exceptional job at getting to the heart of long ago war stories that live on in World War II’s reluctant heroes.” -Anonymous Judge, Maryland/Delaware/ D.C. Press Association
A young country struggling for independence is the setting for Wind of the Spirit by J.M. Hochstetler, the third book in The American Patriot Series.
As the overwhelming forces of British General William Howe threaten to wipe out General Washington's Continental Army, Elizabeth Howard risks her life to obtain and return with critical intelligence. Meanwhile, the man she wished to marry is far out on the western borders. General Jonathan Carleton, now known as the Shawnee war chief White Eagle, has helped his braves drive white settlers out of Ohio territory, while fighting a more personal battle of his own--finding a way to get Elizabeth out of his heart and steeling himself against the seductive charms of Pathfinder's widow, Blue Sky, as the conflict between him and the shaman Wolfslayer escalates.
With Washington putting in a last-ditch gamble to save the American cause at Trenton, Elizabeth rejoins Colonel Charles Andrews on a journey to find Carelton before the British close in on his whereabouts and try him for treason. Will she find him before the British do? Will he be the same man she still loves? And will her love be enough to convince him to come back with her?
In the continuation of this sweeping saga of the American Revolution, Hochstetler has one again proven herself to be a masterful storyteller. The rich descriptions, the complex characters, and the balanced mix of history and fiction, all combine to create an engaging page turner.
While I have not read the first two books in this series: Daughter of Liberty and Native Son, I fell easily into this storyline and was able to connect the dots through the backstory that is seamlessly woven into the present day events, though I did purchase books 1 and 2 to read later.
The level of research the author must have performed to create The American Patriot Series is evident in every page, but it is her characters that make this story as wonderful as it is. I am eager to read the next book when it comes out.
Having now read two very different books from Hochstetler--our review of One Holy Night, a contemporary miracle story appears here--I can easily add this author to my list of favorites.
Lovers of historical fiction, historical romance, and inspirational fiction will certainly want to own Wind of the Spirit!
Title: Wind of the Spirit
Author: J.M. Hochstetler
Publisher: Sheaf House Publishers
ISBN-10: 0979748534
ISBN-13: 978-0979748530
SRP: $13.99 (U.S.)
Pump Up Your Book Announces 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Tour ‘09
Join a talented and diverse group of 28 authors who are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion during “The 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Tour ‘09”!
Follow these authors as they travel the blogosphere for the first 12 weekdays of December (December 1st – December 16th) to discuss their books. You’ll find everything from tween fiction to memoirs, horror and suspense novels to historical romances, children’s books to self-help and so much more!
Michael Anthony, David Berner, Hope Edelman, and Ingrid King tour with their memoirs. Learn more about short story collections from Barbora Knobova and J.W. Nicklaus. Michael Estepa and Larry Sweitzer travel the blogosphere with their young adult fiction books, while Bernadine Feagins, Dixie Philips, and Victoria Simcox are children’s authors. Tween/teen fiction books are being promoted by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein and Beverly Stowe McClure, and historical novels from authors J.M. Hochstetler, Dot Ryan, and Cindy Vallar will also be touring. Nonfiction books on a variety of topics come to you from Malana Ashlie, James Burns, James Diehl, Jacqueline Klosek, Pat Snyder, John Tippets, and Sophia White.
Also touring in December are Joy DeKok with her contemporary novel, Gale Laure and Stephen Masse with their suspense novels, horror author Maryann Paige, and romance author Bill Walker.
Check out our special “The 12 Days of Christmas Virtual Book Tour ‘09” video trailer featuring each author:
Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours is a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service at an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com.
It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving has passed and November is almost over. The last day for NaNoWriMo is tomorrow and I will never make my goal, but I keep plugging away at Amelia's Mission whenever I can. If nothing else, I am becoming a more disciplined writer.
We're gearing up for new book tours to start on December 1st. Pump Up Your Book Promotion is running a reduced schedule in December.
I hope you'll visit http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December and follow the many authors in various genres who will be touring with us next month. Our founder, Dorothy, has put together a great video trailer for the 12 Days of Christmas Book Tour Special, which you can check out at YouTube.
Here is our list of authors:
Michael Anthony and Mass Casualaties
Malana Ashlie and Gringos in Paradise: Our Honduras Odyssey
David Berner and Accidental Lessons
James Burns and The 3 Secret Pillars of Wealth
Joy DeKok and Rain Dance
James Diehl and World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware
Hope Edelman and The Possibility of Everything
Michael Estepa and Purged by Darkness
Bernadine Feagins and Hakim and Terrance Shadow Mystery
J.M. Hochstetler and Wind of the Spirit
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein and The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm Smart and I Know Everything)
Ingrid King and Buckley's Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher
Jacqueline Klosek and War on Privacy
Barbora Knobova and Tales for Delicious Girls
Gale Laure and Evolution of a Sad Woman
Stephen Masse and A Jolly Good Fellow
Beverly Stowe McClure and Just Breeze
J.W. Nicklaus and The Light, The Dark and Ember Between
Maryann Paige and Cemetery Gates
Dixie Phillips and One Noble Journey
Dot Ryan and Corrigans' Pool (we'll review this in January)
Victoria Simcox and The Magic Warble
Pat Snyder and The Dog Ate My Planner
Larry Sweitzer and The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth's Piano
John Tippets and Hearts of Courage (we reviewed this over the summer)
Cindy Vallar and The Scottish Thistle
Bill Walker and A Note From an old Acquaintance
Sophia White and Jesus is for Everyone
With so many authors and such a diverse set of genres, you're sure to find something for everyone on your shopping list.
As we move from November into December, I hope you'll stick with us to see what fun things we have in store.
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