Phoebe Hinkle's Blog: Chronicler's Corner, page 2

Thoughts on War Stories

There’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I’ve noticed that it’s very hard to find good war stories, especially any set in modern conflicts. Oh, I know there are PLENTY of WWII books out there – but most of them are romance, and those that aren’t are probably full of gore, language, and *ahem* other stuff that I don’t want to be filling my head with. This makes it really hard for Christian history nerds like me, who just want a good soldier story without the ugliness. (Yes, I ...

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July, friends! After Christmas, this is probably my favorite holiday. I love our great country and I’m so thankful to God for preserving her all these years. Don’t be afraid to speak up and express your patriotism – America needs it! We must keep her free for the sake of the next generations, and make sure they know of the sacrifices that generations past made to protect her.

(And to all my non-American readers – I definitely appreciate you, so know that I am an outspoken pa...

“What Makes Heroes, Lieutenant?”

At the end of the Combat! episode "The Medal", Saunders asks a very important question: "What makes heroes, Lieutenant?" (the title of this post). Lieutenant Hanley's answer, I'm sure, is meant to get the audience thinking: "You tell me, Sergeant."

Now I'm sure Hanley realizes he's talking to a living embodiment of heroism at the moment - because Saunders is a great example of a hero - but let's back up for a minute. What, exactly, does make heroes? It's something I've considered many tim...

Movie Review: Divisione Folgore (1954)

Genre: War movie
Run Time: 1:24
Rating: T (Tutti, Italian for ‘everyone’)

My rating:

I don’t even remember what prompted us to watch this movie. I know my dad came across it while doing an internet search, but I don’t remember why he was looking up Folgore paratroopers . . . pretty sure, though, that it had something to do with the research we were doing on the Italian army for one of our game projects. Also, my brother is super interested in paratroopers, especially the Italian and German ones.

Oh, and did I mention? This movie is entirely in Italian, all except for the 3 or so lines spoken by the British (I think they’re likely New Zealanders, actually). Yes, I watched it without subtitles. I probably would’ve understood a few things better if I’d had subtitles, but I was able to pick things up well enough, despite the rapid-fire dialogue, thanks to the smattering of French I’ve retained.

Plot

Anyway! The movie follows the paratroopers of the Folgore Division in WWII. It starts out in the desert of North Africa, then goes back to their training and preparation for the intended paradrop on British-occupied Malta. Things don’t go as planned, though, and the paracudisti find themselves instead taken to North Africa, unable to use all the cool drop training they got. The climax of the film is the lengthy tank-busting section at El Alamein, where the soldiers are doing Hollywood-worthy but 100% accurate cool stuff, like ducking under driving tanks to stick mines on them (ala the movie poster), jumping on them to blow the turret with dynamite, epic stuff like that. No spoilers here if you know the history, but despite their heroics things don’t go well for the paratroopers, and the last scene is of rows of white crosses out in the desert. (The Italians got destroyed at Alamein – though they inflicted terrible losses on the British – and had to retreat, many of them on foot, across the desert.)

(I love that picture of the paratroopers marching out to their planes before the trip to Africa! It’s one of my favorite desktop backgrounds. #nerd )

Characters

The writers didn’t spend a whole lot of time developing the characters, which is understandable – it’s a history film, not a character-focused one. But there are a few that I liked:

Delavigne, with his unruly hair and his dog Micci This young man is afraid of heights – likely he didn’t realize it when he signed up, but being up on a 70-foot jump tower is enough to make anyone have second thoughts! He almost didn’t make it as a paratrooper, but the Colonello (more on him in a minute) gave him another chance.

Oh, and he does get to keep Micci, even though technically dogs were forbidden . . . she comes with him on jumps and carries a first-aid pack.

Gabriele, a former monk or friar – I’m not sure which. Religion was highly important in the Italian army, and each unit had their own chaplain. Gabriele doesn’t care much for heights either. He frequently helps the medics.

I love his face – he looks so warm and friendly, like the kind of guy I could trust right away.

Colonello Cecchi, the one who gives Delavigne a second chance. And no, this is not just because I like blond guys, though I think that perfect, no-hair-out-of-place style is probably natural. I like him because he looks like a very professional soldier, yet also very understanding. He obviously cares about his men, given all the encouragement he offers Delavigne.

Dislikes

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

*takes a deep breath*

Okay, I REALLY dislike how they killed off Delavigne in practically the first action in North Africa. Not only is it sad, it’s also not great from a storytelling perspective (and it made me sad for the rest of the movie). He’s pretty much the only character they spent much time developing, only to get rid of him halfway through the movie. You don’t just do that to your kid characters! If he had to die, it should have been something epic at the end, not a stupid machine gun on a stupid night patrol.

It is impactful in a way, though, in that it gets across the complete impartiality and tragedy of war. I wouldn’t have killed him off, but war is not an author; young lives like his can get snuffed out at once, and the world goes on except for a few broken hearts at home. Delavigne represents all those seemingly useless sacrifices made by soldiers whose deaths don’t lead to anything of military value.

(Enough of me being depressing. As usual when I’m mad about stuff like that, I have it as headcanon that he wasn’t killed, just badly wounded and captured by the British, and he survived in the end. )

(Honestly, though – how can you kill off a face like that?!)

Family Friendly?

Depends on your family. It’s black and white, so that always makes things better. And it’s from the 50s, when movies were still kept pretty clean. As far as I know, there’s no language; but then, I don’t speak Italian (yet). There’s nothing gory, and while it’s implied that some nasty fates befall some of the guys in the tank-busting scenes, it’s never shown. Several guys are bandaged, and you can tell when there’s blood, but it’s nothing too bad. So, it’s up to you, but given the intensity of war, I wouldn’t watch it with young kids or sensitive folks (like my mom).

This is the version we watched. Only the first hour-thirty or so is the film; the rest is all scenes from the film that got repeated, for whatever reason? This version doesn’t have subtitles, so if you want to follow what they’re saying, you may want to find another version. I don’t suggest the color one; it was automatically colored and the filter has a lot of issues. Delavigne got a blue ear at one point.

Final Thoughts

Overall, despite my sadness over Delavigne, I really enjoyed this! I found it all fascinating, since I didn’t know anything about the Folgore before. This movie is going to live on in our crazy alternate universe for a while, as we have a few Legos named after the characters, and I wrote a few ridiculous fanfics about them on my typewriter. (It also gave me some *ideas* . . . *cough cough* )

Recommended!

An Interview With Katja H. Labonté (Author of A Noble Comfort)

Hello everyone! Today I’m bringing you an interview with a special guest – the lovely Katja Labonté from Canada. This should have been posted a long time ago, but I wanted to update my website and read her book A Noble Comfort first. (You can read my review here.)

So . . . without further ado, let’s get started. My questions will be in bold and her answers in purple.

Hi, Katja, and welcome to the blog! First of all, can you tell us what made you decide to sign up for the Cornerstone Series?

Hello, Phoebe! Thank you so much for having me; I really appreciate it. You know what’s funny is, I didn’t intend to sign up at all at first. I thought of it but decided against it at once, and it wasn’t until a few days or even weeks in that I changed my mind. I was really struggling with a lot of perfection paralysis and self-doubt, and I was afraid that if I did wrote a novella for the series, people would hate it and tear it to shreds. It was during a conversation with Madisyn Carlin, my friend who was co-organizer for the series, that she heard I’d always wanted to write a fairytale retelling and insisted that I should write one for the series—that I shouldn’t let fear hold me back, and so forth. Being someone who’s easily convinced (and, let’s be honest, has FOMO), I gave in and signed up… and here we are!

I saw on another interview that you took inspiration from a lot of historical eras. Would you say that one era inspired you more than the others?

Well, let’s see. I was heavily inspired by 16th and 17th century France—Cardinal Richelieu, Louis XIII, religious persecutions, war-torn lands, brilliant courts, political struggles… I think that probably played the heaviest role in creating Tokulniòs and the world in A Noble Comfort.

What do you think was your biggest challenge in writing ANC?

Self-doubt/fear, 100%. I was so worried that it was a pointless, silly story; that nobody would like it; that it wouldn’t do any good, or be taken seriously, or even be considered good. I was terrified that people would despise or reject me over it. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. I was so sure I’d be shown up as a fake, a phony writer, a hypocrite who critiqued books but couldn’t write them. That fear made me wait till the last minute to write and prepare it, which put a whole bunch of unnecessary stress and expense on me, and had me take publishing choices that I wish I hadn’t.

(Ngl, I have a LOT of trouble with imposter syndrome. On bad days I sometimes ask myself why in the world I ever thought I could write. )

Did you have any initial plans that ended up taking a wildly different direction?

Well, I wrote out the plot of ANC fairly early on, after reading The Blue Bird. I basically just copied TBB’s plot and then added changes that came to me, inspired by The Three Musketeers or my own imagination. I don’t usually write plots, or plot at all, but for this retelling I decided to, and I think when I actually wrote the story I stayed pretty true to my original idea. The main bones did, anyhow. Small variations happened; but the biggest changes, I think, were that K & C ended up having way less interaction than planned (because #wordcountissues) and didn’t have the courtship I intended them to have; Constanza was to be crowned queen much earlier on because of a revolt and with no help from the Inseparables; and Kenneth + Constanza fought and almost didn’t make up. (Yes, I, who despise misunderstanding tropes, nearly wrote one. The horror!). Oh, and originally, Alexios and Thalassa were to end up as a couple, too.

Do you have a favorite memory associated with writing ANC?

Do I? *scans memory doubtfully* I remember when I actually sat down and wrote the first chapter, I was absolutely enchanted and adored it. It was my first inkling that maybe this would end up okay overall. I also remember having such fun researching the tiger scene (it’s a lot harder to find information on how to fight a tiger than you’d think). Mostly I enjoyed everything after writing, though. I can’t really remember much about the writing process—I was so fearfully busy and stressed.

(If I ever need to write a tiger fight I know who to call now. )

Do you have a favorite scene or snippet that you’d like to share?

I would love to! Oh, dear, it’s so hard to pick (I almost went with the fight between Lord Frédéric and Lord Stéfanos, because I love it SO MUCH), but here’s one scene I really enjoy.

Azaziah reached across for Kenneth ’ s reins. “ I ’ ll keep the horses; you investigate.”

“ Why?” demanded the other, eyeing the thick snow with disfavour.

“ You ’ re younger.”

“ Only by three years. And I ’ m also a king.”

“I could be one too; you don’t know.”

“I beg pardon for contradicting, your presumed majesty, but there are no other kingdoms lying about here with missing monarchs—”

“ Besides, we agreed not to stand upon any rank if you joined us, and you agreed to consider me your leader.”

“Exactly. Leaders should lead. It’s in the name itself, O king.”

“Hurry and go, before it gets dark, Bluebird,” retorted Azaziah, ending the matter as he snatched the reins from Kenneth’s unresisting hand.

The younger man grimaced but dismounted agilely and marched down the hill without a shred of caution. Azaziah’s fingers pricked. The boy was surely not trying to remain unseen, was he? Wariness was simply not his strong suit; perhaps Azaziah should have gone himself instead…

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Kenneth bellowed a resounding, “ Halloo-oo-oo!”

Azaziah groaned.

But no gruff, weapon-laden man-at-arms appeared. Perfect silence reigned. Azaziah shifted uneasily in the saddle. This boded ill for their chances of finding the princess. If she were here, she was incapacitated in some way. Or the adversary was lying in ambush while that fool of a Kenneth circled the old ruin, peering up at the windows that stretched above his head and occasionally letting loose a piercing whistle that would have summoned the deafest of pots.

Suddenly he stopped and craned his neck back, staring fixedly at a second-storey window. Then he caught up a handful of snow and hurtled it towards the pane. Azaziah jumped to the ground and threw the reins over a tree limb, hastily securing them before hurrying after his friend. “ What is it?” he called as he drew near.

“ Don ’ t know. It ’ s a woman, but she doesn ’ t seem dark.” Kenneth readied another snowball, but the window swung open and the lady-in-waiting ’ s golden head appeared.

“ What is it?” she asked unenthusiastically.

Her flat voice staggered both men. Kenneth found his words first and retorted bluntly, “ Well, I don ’ t know; perhaps I might interest you in a rescue operation?”

Was there any music or songs that really inspired you?

The short answer is no. xD But there was some music I played over and over as I wrote… [link] And there are two songs that I connect very much to the MCs. This one for Thalassa, and this one for Azaziah.

(I love all those choices! I’ll have to remember that ambient one next time I write. )

I know it’s unfair to make an author choose a favorite character, so I won’t ask you that. But did you have any characters that you especially related to or enjoyed writing?

Well, Thalassa was—is—essentially me, so I definitely related to her. There is very little we differ in, if anything. Penuel was not someone I related to but he was quite fun to write—except for when he wasn’t because I felt insecure writing him, haha. There were some minor characters I enjoyed writing too, like Korinna, and Lord Nicholas…

I know the Inseparables were based on the Three Musketeers, and Penuel was inspired by Brian Jacques’ Long Patrol hares (Redwall forever!). Did any of the other characters have special inspiration behind them?

Oh, yes, so many! Constanza is inspired by Queen Anne and Constance Bonacieux from The Three Musketeers. Fiorella is inspired by Milady de Winter from TTM. Cellach de Quottine is inspired partly by Cardinal Richelieu of France, partly by Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and partly by Citoyen Chauvelin from the Scarlet Pimpernel books. Lord Arnault is inspired by Lord Anthony from the Scarlet Pimpernel books too, while Lord Frédéric is inspired by d’Artagnan and Frederick the Great. Lord Stéfanos is inspired by Mr. Havisham from Little Lord Fauntleroy, and Lord Cornelius is inspired by Cornelius the elephant advisor in “Babar.” Old Tadhg is inspired by Malachi Bone from The Settlers in Canada. Duchess Evanthia is based partly on Miss Lavendar from Anne of Avonlea, Grandmaman from Heidi, and a dear family friend of mine… and believe it or not, I’ve left out some folks!

(Wow, that’s a lot! You took inspo from Babar?! I love that )

Do you plan on writing more stories about the characters from ANC?

Oh, don’t I! I have two sequels vaguely planned (tentatively called An Honourable Assistance, which will cover religious persecution, set in Eatié, and retell The Wild Swans + Dumas’ Marguerite of Valois, and A Gentle Solace, which will retell both Musketeers and Marguerite—because they’re big and I definitely have elements I didn’t touch on—as well as a French fairytale called La Biche au bois, and will be about Tokulniòs being invaded by the “Vikings”), and I’d love to write them ASAP. It’s a toss-up between them and my WWII novel, Something Bright in All. I suspect I’ll either write both at once, or whichever one my audience wants most (aka whichever one I can convince someone to brainstorm with me and read along as I write).

(Ooh, I can’t wait!)

*****

Well, folks, that’s all! Hope you enjoyed it (and I REALLY hope y’all go check out ANC, ’cause you should. You really should ). Thank you, Katja, for dropping in!

The Rescue Tag

Hi folks! I’ve found that I have an awful lot of fun with tags, so I decided to create my own. I posted something like this on Goodreads a while back, but I thought I’d turn it into a proper tag for others to enjoy as well.

The Rules
-Link back to this post
-Thank who tagged you
-List the rules
-Answer the questions (feel free to add pictures if you like!)
-Tag others
-List a clean copy of the questions

The Questions

I’m actually going to answer these questions twice – once for my fandoms and once for my own characters. These don’t have to be just from books if you don’t want to, movies/audios/games/etc are all options!

1.) Which fictional villain would be most likely to kidnap you and why?

*thinks about all the villains I’ve read/watched* Honestly, I have no clue. Because what reason would a fictional villain have to kidnap lil’ ol’ me? Any of the Redwall villains might – if I was an animal – but only because I’d be an otter, lol. Stede Bonnet from The Black Buccaneer might work too, or one of the Tom Swift Jr. villains. Any of Chuck Black’s villains might kidnap me because 1.) that’s what they do and 2.) I’m a follower of the King. So I think I’ll just leave things open for any villain to take me.

2.) Where would said villain take you?

Depends on who it is! Tom Swift villains might take me to a stronghold in a remote mountain range; Stede Bonnet would keep me on his ship; and Chuck Black’s villains would lock me up in their fortress dungeon.

3.) Okay, now you’re in a fix. Which 5 characters (1 per book/movie/fandom) do you want to come rescue you?

*rubs hands together* This is where things get fun! This list is gonna be a little different from the one I’d had on Goodreads, because I’ve given a little more thought to it. My rescue crew would include, in alphabetical order:

Aragorn from Lord of the Rings

(I’ve never watched the movies, but I still think Viggo Mortenson looks PERFECT in the role. )

Lady Carliss from Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue

Sgt. Chip Saunders from the Combat! tv series (1962-1967)

(Saunders is the one in front, with those beautiful blue eyes. I wouldn’t object if he brought Kirby (behind) with him, though!)

Shane from Shane

(I’m only familiar with movie Shane; I want to read the book but haven’t gotten around to it yet. But movie Shane would be on my list of top 10 heroes.)

Tom Swift Jr. from the Tom Swift Jr. series

4.) Explain why you chose these characters.

So I figured it would be a good idea to have a mix of characters from different genres, because they might need different skills depending on who kidnapped me. Aragorn‘s strengths are: he’s a leader; a Ranger who knows the ways of the land; and he’s got some experience with fighting the “dark lord” types. Carliss is also from a medieval land; she’s a natural with a bow; a great swordfighter; willing to venture into places most people wouldn’t to rescue her friends. Saunders is also a leader; has mad Tommy gun and grenade skills; and personally keeps an eye on everything going on around him. Shane is a pro gunfighter with dead aim who’s always on the alert. And Tom is an inventor with an analytical mind who can whip up gadgets in short order with few resources.

5.) Do you foresee any conflicts/problems within your rescue squad?

Hmm, not really. They’re all very sensible types and I think they’d probably get along fine.

And now, to answer the questions with my characters . . .

1.) Which fictional villain would be most likely to kidnap you and why?

I think the most likely would be Zahn from To Stand. He’s a sneaky, conniving guy with lots of plans up his sleeve – anyone who can wriggle his way out of dying (I’d planned to kill him off originally) probably wouldn’t hesitate to kidnap his own author. As for the reason, that’s pretty easy; he’s got designs on seeing further action, and probably wants to force me to write any future books his way.

2.) Where would said villain take you?

Who knows? Maybe to some hideout in his home country of Cathay, or wherever he’s been operating recently. Leiale, Valleyfair, one of Veridon’s colonies? Idk

3.) Okay, now you’re in a fix. Which 5 characters (1 per book/movie/fandom) do you want to come rescue you?

Ooh boy . . . this is where it gets hard I have several from WIPs that would be good choices, but imma stick with the published books so y’all can relate.

Jesse from We Gave Our Tomorrows

Rhett from End of the Earth

Smoke from To Stand

Sussex from The Treasure Beyond

(I knowwww the AI image has issues. Don’t blame me ok )

Troy from Thunder of Time

4.) Explain why you chose these characters.

Jesse is a tough soldier and a good shot with some medical knowledge. Rhett can swordfight, shoot a bow, and wrestle. Smoke is street-wise and highly skilled at infiltration tactics and spying. Sussex is a doctor (do I really want 18th-century shipboard medicine tho?!) and a big strong guy. Troy is also super strong (literally!) and got gladiator training.

5.) Do you foresee any conflicts/problems within your rescue squad?

Again, not really? I don’t think the others will get too annoyed with Smoke’s and Troy’s optimism. The only issue might be if Smoke follows his nose to where the food is, but I think he can sort out any trouble he brings on himself.

Now it’s your turn! Feel free to steal the tag if you like, just please remember to link back here. And I am going to tag two people, actually . . . Katja @Little Blossoms for Jesus and Miss Special @SheKindaWrites.

And here are the questions:

1.)Which fictional villain would be most likely to kidnap you and why?
2.) Where would said villain take you?
3.) Okay, now you’re in a fix. Which 5 characters (1 per book/movie/fandom) do you want to come rescue you?
4.) Explain why you chose these characters.
5.) Do you foresee any conflicts/problems within your rescue squad?

Enjoy!

The Bookworm Tag

Katja @Little Blossoms for Jesus left this tag open, and I told her I would steal it, so here it is!

The (very simple) Rules:
-Answer the questions
-Make up new ones
-Tag people

1.) What is your favourite classic? (Feel free to rave.)

Ooh . . . that depends on how we define ‘classic’. Because I consider LOTR a classic, but it was published in the 50s, making it too late by some standards. So if we stick with ‘older than 1920’, I loved A Tale of Two Cities, but I think my all-time favorite is Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott. It’s such a sweet, lovely story – much different from my usual high-stakes adventure and war stories, lol – but I love the focus on family (found and biological) and the deeper lessons revealed. Miss Celia is one of my fictional heroines (and I don’t say that lightly, because I don’t have a lot of favorite female characters).

2.) What is your least favourite classic? (Feel free to rant.)

I only read part of it in high school literature, but . . . Pride & Prejudice. *hides* Sorryyyy Austen fans I just couldn’t get into it, and the characters weren’t grabbing me at all. If I’d read more I might have enjoyed it, but I wasn’t in the mood for a romantic slog.

3.) What was your first favourite book that you can recall?

Oh, goodness . . take me back to the unremembered years of my childhood. Man, that’s a really hard one . . . but when I was little, I liked Richard Scarry’s Busytown books, and also Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. But I remember LOVING the book Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt.

4.) Which author do you want to read more of?

Chuck Black. I’m over halfway through his Knights of Arrethtrae series, and after that I want to read Kingdom and the Starlore Legacy. We’re both going to be at the same homeschool conference in a couple weeks, and I can’t wait to meet him again!

5.) Have you any bookish merch to show off?

Sort of . . . ? I mean, I don’t have any *official* merch (except the Songs from Redwall cd), but I’ve made some stuff myself – mostly for my own books. I’m a Lego nerd, so I have Lego people for several of my characters, and I got the Veridon dragon shirt custom printed.

Pardon the wrinkles and cat hair all over the shirt, lol.

6.) Do you have any specific memories or locations tied to a book?

My dad bought me a copy of Jesus Freaks at a used bookstore in Lexington KY. I sat in the humid hotel room reading the whole thing in just 2 days. But it always makes me think of Kentucky now whenever I read it!

7.) What’s the book on your shelf that you find the prettiest?

It’s a tie between The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem and The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh. Those were both mainstays of my childhood and my copies are lovely editions.

8.) Which do you prefer: buddy-reading/group-reading or reading alone?

Reading alone, I think, although I do love having someone to fangirl with after the fact. But I also love it when my dad reads aloud to us.

9.) If you could receive a gift card to buy all the books of one author in print, which author would it be?

Ahh, now how is that fair?! There’s so many great authors out there Again, probably Chuck Black. He’s really one of the only contemporary authors I read. Though I might go with G.A. Henty too, because he was PROLIFIC, and overall I enjoy his stories.

10.) How is your reading going for this year? Any books you want to be sure to read?

It’s . . . going? I’ve read 18 books so far, and according to Goodreads I’m 10 books behind my schedule if I want to make 70 by the end of the year. I usually make it up in summer though, due to the library’s summer reading challenge. Plus I’m out of school now, yay!
I want to read A Noble Comfort by Katja Labonté Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor by Chuck Black, The Guns of Shiloh by Joseph Altscheler, The Vale of Mysteries by Jared Michaud, Promise of Refuge by Jayna Baas, and Fighter Escort by Don Patterson.

Let’s see, now . . . I’m going to tag . . . Miss Special @SheKindaWrites. And here are my 10 questions!

1.) What’s the oldest book (by publication date, not counting the Bible) that you’ve read?
2.) If you could change one thing in your favorite book, what would it be?
3.) What book would you like to see made into a movie?
4.) Have you ever dreamed about a book?
5.) Is there a song that reminds you of a book or character every time you hear it?
6.) Which character do you think has influenced you the most?
7.) If you could marry a character, would you? Who would it be?
8.) Is there a character that you find to be a lot like you or someone you know?
9.) If you were holding a ball at your author castle, which characters would you invite? (Your characters or others’.)
10.) Is there an author that you haven’t read yet, but really want to?

In Memoriam

Here in America, this is the day we set aside to remember all those who gave their lives in the service of our country. It doesn’t matter their origin, time of service, or branch – each one proved his or her love for America with the ultimate sacrifice, and they are worthy of our honor.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, and it was meant as a time to remember the Union soldiers who fell in the Civil War/War Between the States. (Several Southern states also began to observe Confederate Memorial Day.) Over time it was expanded to include those fallen in other wars.

To most people, Memorial Day simply means a three-day weekend and a time to celebrate the start of summer. I have nothing against that, but we should remember that this holiday is a solemn occasion. Our heroes gave their utmost for us – let’s make sure that we don’t forget them. They are worthy of our honor.

The best tribute I can think of is this lovely song by the D-Day Darlings:

There is another One who gave His life as the sacrifice for your freedom – not just in this life, but for eternity. Do you know Him as the Captain of your salvation?

We Have a New Look!

Hello my friends! Black Otter Books finally has a new, much more professional look. The original website was built with Dreamweaver, and while it worked for a while, it was time for a change. Since I learned WordPress in college, and I run another WordPress site for We Gave Our Tomorrows, I figured it would be pretty easy to switch over. And it was . . . sort of. I’m still figuring out the differences between the free vs paid interfaces. (I’m already telling ya, the free one’s easier.)

Thanks for your patience as I figure things out!

Happy VE Day (and Logan's release!)

It's been 80 years since WWII ended, y'all, and of course We Gave Our Tomorrows is releasing today! You can check out the blog post I wrote for it on the WGOT website.
Go have fun with some 40s-themed activity while I head off to the East! 🚗👩‍🎓🎓