Guest Blog: Kristina McMorris

This week, we're welcoming historical fiction author Kristina McMorris. Her novel  BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES is set in during World War II, as the attack on Pearl Harbor changes America's destiny and the future of her characters.  Kristina is here to talk about the novel and give away a copy. Add your comment for a chance to win. Here's the blurb:

In spite of her Julliard ambitions and family's wishes, violinist Maddie Kern secretly elopes with her Japanese American boyfriend—the night before Pearl Harbor is bombed. When her beloved Lane is evacuated to an internment camp, she dares to remain at his side. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.  

Skillfully capturing one of the most controversial episodes in recent American history, Kristina McMorris delivers an authentic, moving testament to love, forgiveness, and the enduring music of the human spirit.

From Kensington Books and Avon/HarperCollins UK

March 2012 (Trade paperback)

**Q&A with Kristina McMorris**

The premise of  Bridge of Scarlet Leaves began with a true account of two brothers during WWII, one who had fought for Japan and the other for America. While researching the subject, Kristina happened across a brief mention of roughly two hundred non-Japanese spouses who voluntarily lived in an internment camp. She was stunned and fascinated by the discovery, and immediately knew it was a story she needed to tell.

As the daughter of a Japanese immigrant father and Caucasian American mother, Kristina grew up living between these two cultures. Through Bridge of Scarlet Leaves she hopes to share with readers a unique perspective of an intriguing, and often tragic, portion of our country's history, while also honoring a diverse range of quiet heroes.

What inspired you to write your latest novel, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves?

Years ago, an old family friend shared with me that he had fought for America while his brother served for Japan. I was captivated by the idea. But it wasn't until a decade later, when I'd found my calling as a writer, that I recalled his story and realized what an amazing premise it would make for a novel. Combined with my undying love for the U.S. miniseries "North and the South" (perhaps more for Patrick Swayze in uniform than anything else), I set out to write my book. But in the midst of research, I happened across an obscure mention of roughly two hundred non-Japanese spouses who had chosen to live in the U.S. internment camps voluntarily. I called my agent that very day and said, "This is it. I have my story!"

Could you describe some of the extensive research you did for this book?

When it comes to research, although I love having actually learned the information, highlighting details in textbooks sounds as appealing to me as a root canal. (In other words, not a fun time.) What I do enjoy is hands-on experience.

For this reason, I was delighted when the Park Ranger at the Manzanar Relocation Center, who suffered through my endless list of internment questions, invited me to attend their annual pilgrimage. (Come to think if it, maybe that was his way of finally shutting me up!) Similarly, when I contacted the Go For Broke Foundation, an organization devoted to educating people about Japanese American military service, they offered to arrange in-person interviews with seven WWII veterans who have since all received the Congressional Gold Medal. I've definitely been spoiled.

As for my Air Corps research, it's hard to beat the thrill of flying on a restored B-17 bomber. For that one, I have my husband to thank. It was by far the best Mother's Day gift I could imagine!

How did you go about crafting dialogue authentic to the time period?

I often joke, given my strong draw to the era, that I must have lived through the '40s in another life. I love the music, the fashion, and, of course, the slang. To get a good sense of dialogue, I watched several documentaries and WWII films that were touted for accuracy. Movies made in the 1940s, as it turned out, weren't a great resource, since they often used dramatic Hollywood speak. Real letters from the war, on the other hand, including those written by my grandfather, were extremely helpful, as well as a sheer pleasure to read. 

When it comes to writing your novels, are you a plotter or what many refer to as a "pantser"?

Pantsters, in my mind, are advanced mythical creatures with an ability I can't fathom. Needless to say, I'm a plotter. I find comfort in knowing the basics of what's coming next. (I suppose it makes sense that I loved being an event coordinator.) When plotting a new book, I like to create an outline, roughly one sentence per chapter, before beginning. For me, this is essential for narrowing down my research load. Otherwise, with the enormity of the topic of WWII, I could end up spending six months cramming my brain with intriguing details that prove to be completely irrelevant to my story.

Who are some of your favorite books or authors? Is there anyone in particular who has influenced your writing the most?

Some of my favorite authors are Markus Zusak (The Book Thief), Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray), Alma Katsu (The Taker), and Sara Gruen (Water for Elephants). The person who has probably most influenced my writing, and especially my in-depth research process, would have to be Jodi Picoult.

What project are you working on now?

I'm happy to report that I just turned in a novella, titled The Christmas Collector, which will be published this coming October by Kensington Books in a holiday anthology headlined by #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels. (Very exciting!) After that, I'll be working on my next two women's fiction novels under contract with my publisher and, hopefully, finding time to sleep on occasion. Oh, and feed my children. That’s always a good thing.

Kristina McMorris is a graduate of Pepperdine University and the recipient of nearly twenty national literary awards. A host of weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, she penned her debut novel, Letters from Home (Kensington Books, Avon/HarperCollins UK), based on inspiration from her grandparents' wartime courtship. The critically praised book was declared a must-read by Woman's Day magazine and achieved additional acclaim as a Reader's Digest Select Editions feature, a Doubleday/Literary Guild selection, and a 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Historical Fiction. Her second novel, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves (March 2012), has already received glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, among many others. Named one of Portland's "40 Under 40" by The Business Journal, Kristina lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she refuses to own an umbrella. 

For more, visit www.KristinaMcMorris.com. Kristina is also on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. 

Excerpt Thursday: Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming historical fiction author Kristina McMorris. Her novel  BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES is set in during World War II, as the attack on Pearl Harbor changes America's destiny and the future of her characters.  Join us Sunday, when Kristina will be here to talk about the novel and give away a copy. Here's the blurb:

In spite of her Julliard ambitions and family's wishes, violinist Maddie Kern secretly elopes with her Japanese American boyfriend—the night before Pearl Harbor is bombed. When her beloved Lane is evacuated to an internment camp, she dares to remain at his side. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.  

Skillfully capturing one of the most controversial episodes in recent American history, Kristina McMorris delivers an authentic, moving testament to love, forgiveness, and the enduring music of the human spirit.

From Kensington Books and Avon/HarperCollins UK

March 2012 (Trade paperback)

**An Excerpt from Bridge of Scarlet Leaves**

May 1942 – Los Angeles, Calif.

Japanese American evacuation

Engines awoke in the distance, a stagger of roars that cinched Maddie's throat with panic. Her pace doubled in speed. Her leather heels clicked a staccato rhythm on the city sidewalk. She forced air in and out, in and out, against the burn crawling up the walls of her lungs.

Nine o'clock, that's what Lane's roommate had said when the operator connected his call that morning. Told her that his conscience wouldn't let him ship off without at least telling her Lane was in town, but if she wanted to see him, she had until nine o'clock.

She'd raced out the door. No time to think.

At last, she was almost there...

A young soldier stood up ahead. He hugged his bayonet-fixed rifle across his chest, his stance undoubtedly fresh from Army basic. He stared hard into the sky, as if reading his mission etched in the ribbon of clouds. The enemy, have to protect our country from the enemy.

The thought curled Maddie's fingers.

In a glance briefer than a blink, the GI sized her up, her ivory skin an armor of presumed innocence. She swerved around him, not missing a beat. To her left, personal effects awaited transit in a snaking queue. Cribs and ironing boards, labeled trunks and boxes. Their tags dangled in the spring sun.

Around the corner, evacuees were amassed before the steepled church. Red Cross volunteers handed out coffee.

"Lane! Where are you?" Her words died in the bedlam, smothered by a baby's cry, a rumbling jeep, a little girl's hysterics.

"But I don't want to go," the girl shrieked, face stained red. "Mommy, I want to stay with you!" Tears streamed from the slanted eyes that cursed the child, dripping trails down the puffy sleeves of her lilac dress. Two nuns pried her fingers from the Caucasian woman's arms and guided the youngster toward the bus.

"Everything will be fine, pumpkin," the mother choked out against a sob. "Mommy and Daddy will come see you soon." A suited man beside her added, "You be a good girl, now." His Anglo features contorted in despair as he limply waved.

A reporter snapped a photo.

Who knew a piece of paper could carry so much power? One presidential order and an orphan could lose another family; one signed petition and marriage vows could be unsaid. Thank God she hadn't mailed the papers yet. Stamped and sealed, but not mailed.

Maddie scanned the faces around her, their features similar to Lane's, but none as flawless. None bearing the deep beauty of his eyes, his smile.

"Lane!" she shouted louder. The trio of chartered buses was filling. Within minutes, he would be gone.

"Excuse me, miss. May I help you?" A priest touched her arm. His wrinkled face exuded warmth that penetrated the morning chill.

"Moritomos—I have to find them." Exhaust fumes invaded the air, causing her to cough.

He patted her back. "Now, now, dear. Let's see what we can do." They wove through the crowd, her gaze zipping from one figure to the next. Beige identity tags hung from lapels, around buttons.

Branded in their Sunday best like a herd of cattle.

"Sergeant," the priest called out. He stepped up to a bulky Army man in the midst of lecturing two privates. "Sergeant," he tried again, "I hate to interrupt, but..."

"Hold your water," the guy barked, before turning and noting the source. His shoulders lowered. "Sorry, Father. What is it you need?"

"This young lady, here, she's trying to locate a particular family."

"The Moritomos," Maddie cut in.

The sergeant sighed heavily as he lifted his clipboard. He flipped forward several pages and began his search through the list. With the top of his pen, he scratched his head beneath his helmet. He blew out another sigh.

This was taking too long.

Maddie leaned in, trying to see the smudged names herself. Maeda... Matsuda... Minami... Miyamoto...

The Children of FDR

By Carrie Lofty

Franklin Delano Roosevelt had six children with his wife, Eleanor, although the first FDR Jr., born in 1909, also died that year. A second FDR Jr. would eventually be christened in 1914. Thus five of his children survived into adulthood, all of whom lived to advanced ages during a tumultuous century.

His firstborn, a daughter named Anna, emerged into the world only 14 months after her parents' marriage. During two marriages, first to a stockbroker and then to a newspaper editor, she was active in both writing and editing. As Eleanor Roosevelt began to take a more active interest in social causes, FDR invited Anna to move into the White House and serve as the official hostess. Thus Anna was preset at the Yalta Conference and for many of the major political functions during WWII. Eventually she and her third husband became active in labor relations, the Kennedy Administration, and various other political and public relations enterprises. She died in 1975 of throat cancer at the age of 69.

FDR welcomed his first son into the world a year after Anna. After attending Harvard and the Boston School of Law, James Roosevelt campaigned for his father's 1932 election. His business in insurance became so successful that he dropped out of law school and began working full-time for his father's administration in 1937, first as Presidential Secretary. He became a commissioned Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps, serving first as an attache to British forces before requesting an active duty post. He served with the controversially forward-thinking Marine Raiders and earned the Silver Star, eventually retiring as a Brigadier General in 1959. He also went to Hollywood, then served as a US Representative from California between 1955-65, during which time he actively spoke against Joseph McCarthy. He eventually published several memoirs, married four times, and fathered seven children. He died at age 83 in 1991 of Parkinson's, the last of FDR's children.

Elliott Roosevelt was born in 1910, eventually following in his older brother's footsteps by becoming an active member of the Armed Forces during WWII. He enlisted in the US Army Air Corps, the forerunner to the Air Force, and served as a pilot and commander. After flying over 300 combat missions, he retired a brigadier general upon the war's conclusion. He never achieved the same level of success in civilian life. He raised horses in Portugal, worked on a ranch in Texas, and lived on the property Eleanor bought on his behalf. He died in 1990 at age 80, after having been married five times. He fathered five children and adopted four.

FDR's third surviving son, name FDR Jr., contracted a serious strep infection in 1936 that was successfully treated with new sulfonamide antibiotics. Because of his father's fame, FDR Jr.'s recovery and the press that followed ushered in a new era of antibiotic acceptance among the US public, which greatly aided in wartime medicine. He eventually married five times and fathered five children, with his primary life's work revolving around politics and the law. He also imported cattle and Fiats, until his death in 1988 of throat cancer on his 74th birthday.

The last child born to FDR and Eleanor was John Aspinwall Roosevelt. He served in the US Navy as a lieutenant and received the Bronze Star. After marrying a woman whose father was staunchly Republican, John "defected" to the Republican Party, which caused considerable friction in his solidly Democratic family. That tension only increased as he actively campaigned for the likes of Eisenhower and Nixon. Despite his active interest in politics, he was the only of his brothers who never campaigned for public office. He retired as vice president of an investment firm in 1980, before heading up various charity organizations. He married only twice and fathered four children before his death in 1981 at age 65.

What I find most fascinating about the Roosevelt children is the participation in armed service. Can you imagine the children of any modern-era president serving on the front lines of a major conflict, or even being allowed to do so? Amazing, really!

SONG OF SEDUCTION's sequel from Carina Press, PORTRAIT OF SEDUCTION, is now available! Later this year watch for Carrie's new Victorian series from Pocket, as well as her "Dark Age Dawning" romance trilogy from Berkley, co-written with Ann Aguirre under the name Ellen Connor. "Historical romance needs more risk-takers like Lofty." ~ Wendy the Super Librarian

Cowards: The Execution of Private Slovik

COMMENTS ON THIS POST ARE PERMANENTLY CLOSED

By Karen Mercury

Poor Eddie Slovik never stood a chance. Before enlisting in the Army he’d done a few stints in the big house in Michigan for stealing. He finally obtained a paying job plumbing and even managed to find a wife but they still lived with her parents. Maybe that was why he seemed so eager to join the army in ’44 after initially being rejected for his prison record. The Army decided that some criminals were actually pretty adept at killing people, so they finally let him in. In France, Slovik and his friend Tankey hid during an artillery attack and became separated from their detachment. This was when Slovik realized he “wasn’t cut out for combat.”

I always imagine that the men who voluntarily enlisted knew what to expect, but apparently the reality was too much for poor ol’ Eddie. So they found a Canadian military police unit and hid with them for six weeks. Tankey wrote to their regiment to explain the situation, and since many replacement soldiers had been separated from their units, no charges were filed. But hiding from combat was a much more serene lifestyle for Eddie, so on October 8 he just up and told his commander he was too scared to serve in a rifle company, asking to be assigned to a rear area unit. He told the commander he’d run away if assigned to a rifle unit and asked if that would constitute desertion. The commander confirmed that it would, and went ahead and sent him to a rifle unit.

The next day, Slovik deserted. Tankey tried to get him to stay but Slovik’s mind was made up. He walked to the rear until he found a cook at another detachment, showing the cook a note he’d written that stated his intention to run away if sent into combat. Isn’t that a little like writing someone a note informing them you’re having sex with their spouse? See, Eddie thought the worst thing that could happen would be the stockade, and he was already quite familiar and comfortable with that idea. He wanted to be court martialed and kicked out of the army. He didn’t reckon that, this being a fairly hairy war with tons of casualties as well as desertions, they needed every last available body to fight, or possibly even make an example out of him to deter other would-be deserters.

So the cook got the company commander and an MP who read Slovik’s not terribly bright note, and everyone urged him to destroy it. Slovik refused to destroy the note, so he was brought before LtC Henbest, who again offered him the chance to toss the note, return to his unit, and face no charges. Once more Slovik refused, so Henbest ordered him to write another note on the back stating he fully understood the legal consequences of incriminating himself by writing a note stating he intended on deserting—which Eddie gladly did. He was given a chance to join a regiment who had no clue of his cowardly past, but Eddie preferred to take what he thought would be a simple court martial.

He was instantly court martialed and sentenced to death, which isn’t terribly surprising in light of how he waved his intentions in everyone’s face and rejected several opportunities to change his mind. Back in those days, it took less time to carry out a death sentence than to get a parking ticket eradicated.
Shocked, he even wrote Eisenhower pleading for clemency, but the Supreme Commander responded with apathy. There was little sympathy for ol’ Eddie. One of his firing squad executioners said “I got no sympathy for that sonofabitch! He deserted us, didn’t he? He didn’t give a damn how many of us got the hell shot out of us, why should we care for him?”

The execution was carried out in France on January 31, 1945. Slovik said, "They're not shooting me for deserting the United States Army, thousands of guys have done that. They just need to make an example out of somebody and I'm it because I'm an ex-con. I used to steal things when I was a kid, and that's what they are shooting me for. They're shooting me for the bread and chewing gum I stole when I was 12 years old." Soldiers strapped him to a post with belts and the chaplain said to him, “Eddie, when you get up there, say a little prayer for me. Slovik said, “Okay, Father. I’ll pray that you don’t follow me too soon.” And Slovik was slammed with eleven bullets.

There were many other deserters during WWII but Slovik was the only one ever executed. Were they making an example of Slovik, to deter other would-be deserters? Or were they just fed up with his blatant in-your-face refusal to join his comrades in battle? His wife and others have petitioned seven Presidents for a pardon, but no one has granted it yet. Sad old Eddie goes down in history as the first enlisted man to be executed since the Civil War for being stupid.

Karen Mercury's first three historicals, including STRANGELY WONDERFUL were set in precolonial Africa. Her latest, WORKING THE LODE, is an erotic romance set during the California gold rush. Available now!

Guest Author: Kristina McMorris

This week on Unusual Historicals, we're thrilled to welcome debut author Kristia McMorris as she celebrates the release of LETTERS FROM HOME, available February 22nd from Kensington. In the midst of WWII, a Midwestern infantryman falls deeply in love through a yearlong letter exchange, unaware that the girl he's writing to isn't the one replying.

Chicago, 1944.

Liz Stephens has little interest in attending a USO club dance with her friends Betty and Julia. She doesn't need a flirtation with a lonely serviceman when she's set to marry her childhood sweetheart. Yet something happens the moment Liz glimpses Morgan McClain. They share only a brief conversation--cut short by the soldier's evident interest in Betty--but Liz can't forget him. Thus, when Betty asks her to ghostwrite a letter to Morgan, stationed overseas, Liz reluctantly agrees.

Thousands of miles away, Morgan struggles to adjust to the brutality of war. His letters from "Betty" are a comfort, their soul-baring correspondence a revelation to them both. While Liz is torn by her feelings for a man who doesn't know her true identity, Betty and Julia each become immersed in their own romantic entanglements. And as the war draws to a close, all three will face heart-wrenching choices, painful losses, and the bittersweet joy of new beginnings.

***

"Ambitious and compelling...[a] sweeping debut." ~ Publishers Weekly

"A tough book to put down! ...Sprinkled with fabulous historical detail of the WWII era and true-to-life characters, LETTERS FROM HOME is a beautifully told story." ~ RT Book Reviews

"Interspersing unflinching images of combat with more intimate, emotional scenes personalizes this historical period and will touch your heart....I enjoyed this book from beginning to end." ~ Fresh Fiction

"An absolutely lovely debut novel." ~ Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of Winter Garden

"Gripping and memorable...a timeless lesson in love and loss and the moments that shape our lives." ~ Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of The Kommandant's Girl

"Skillfully written...sweeps the reader away. [The] research and attention to detail commendably honor veterans of WWII." ~ Lynn "Buck" Compton, famed "Band of Brothers" WWII veteran and author

***

World War Two is a relatively rare setting for women's fiction and romance novels. What prompted you to write about such a unique time period?

My entire literary career, as well as my focus on WWII, came about without planning. You see, several years ago, I was creating a Christmas present for the family, a self-published cookbook featuring recipes my grandmother had collected and created over decades. While interviewing her for the biographical section, she began to talk about her courtship with my late grandfather. That's when I discovered, much to my amazement, that they had dated only twice before tying the knot, as their relationship had developed almost entirely through an exchange of letters during WWII. Grandma Jean then retrieved from her closet a gorgeous stack of yellowed, wrinkled pages full of the love and hope that had forged their bond.

After leaving her house, I continued to think about those letters, and wondered how different their relationship might have been if their correspondence had been anything less than truthful. This thought soon became the core idea behind my debut novel, LETTERS FROM HOME.

Were there obstacles you faced on your journey toward publication specifically due to your time period?

I tell ya, if I had a nickel for every time I've heard "World War Two will never sell"….

Due to my blissful ignorance of the marketplace, I'd simply penned a story I was passionate about. When my first agent shopped the manuscript, the book's era caused a good deal of resistance. But a few years and many self-imposed revisions later, I signed with my current agent, who sold the manuscript very quickly. Around that time, it seems that WWII women's fiction was quietly gaining momentum with novels like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Those Who Save Us, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet, and The Postmistress. So far, the timing of this trend has worked in my favor, leaving me even more grateful my first version didn't sell.

What were some of the greatest challenges you faced while researching for your novel?

Though logic should have warned me, I had no inkling just how overwhelming the research could be for WWII. There's also a lot of conflicting information out there, as I imagine is true for any highly documented era. So sifting through and cross checking became very time consuming.

Aside from wanting to do justice to what the heroes of the Greatest Generation accomplished, I admit my motivation for nitpicking over details largely stemmed from my fear of critics blasting me for inaccuracies--especially those who actually lived through the time period. The sheer number of WWII enthusiasts was also intimidating.

Do you have any research tips for other historical novelists, no matter their era?

One suggestion I would give is to find an "expert" in every major field included in your story, and ask them to read your finished manuscript--or even specific chapters--for fact checking. Also, unless you're not a writer who plots, I think it's very helpful to create an outline. By knowing the probable time frames and locations of most of my chapters beforehand, I was able to narrow my research tremendously.

In the end, of course, all we can do is hope that our efforts will be reflected in the work and, if need be, remind ourselves that we indeed write fiction!

What book are you working on next? Is it another historical?

I actually just turned in my second novel to my publisher. BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES is about a Caucasian violinist who secretly elopes with her Japanese-American boyfriend--against families' wishes and societal molds--the night before Pearl Harbor is bombed.

I'm very eager to share this one with the readers, as it features some shocking aspects of history that most people have never heard about, as well as heroes that are too often passed over. Also, being half Japanese, I was able to infuse a unique perspective of living between worlds.

***

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Kristina! And readers, you can follow Kristina on Twitter and Facebook. If you'd like the chance to win a copy of LETTERS FROM HOME, here's Kristina's question for you:

What is your favorite historical period to read or write about? What specifically draws you to the era? If you're a writer, what has been the most challenging aspect of research you've faced?

I'll choose the winner at random next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

Excerpt Thursday: Kristina McMorris

This week on Excerpt Thursday I'm thrilled to welcome debut author Kristia McMorris as she celebrates the release of LETTERS FROM HOME, available February 22nd from Kensington. In the midst of WWII, a Midwestern infantryman falls deeply in love through a yearlong letter exchange, unaware that the girl he's writing to isn't the one replying. Please join us Sunday when Kristina will be here to answer questions, talk about writing WWII-era romance, and give away a copy!

Chicago, 1944.

Liz Stephens has little interest in attending a USO club dance with her friends Betty and Julia. She doesn't need a flirtation with a lonely serviceman when she's set to marry her childhood sweetheart. Yet something happens the moment Liz glimpses Morgan McClain. They share only a brief conversation--cut short by the soldier's evident interest in Betty--but Liz can't forget him. Thus, when Betty asks her to ghostwrite a letter to Morgan, stationed overseas, Liz reluctantly agrees.

Thousands of miles away, Morgan struggles to adjust to the brutality of war. His letters from "Betty" are a comfort, their soul-baring correspondence a revelation to them both. While Liz is torn by her feelings for a man who doesn't know her true identity, Betty and Julia each become immersed in their own romantic entanglements. And as the war draws to a close, all three will face heart-wrenching choices, painful losses, and the bittersweet joy of new beginnings.

***

A weekly TV host since age nine, Kristina McMorris is the author of the award-winning debut novel LETTERS FROM HOME, set to release on February 22nd. Called "ambitious and compelling...[a] sweeping debut" by Publishers Weekly, the book is garnering high acclaim by reviewers and national media, including a spotlight in the current issue of Woman's Day. Kristina lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two young sons who enjoy turning any cylindrical household object into a superhero weapon.

***

July 4, 1944
Chicago, Illinois

Silence in the idling Cadillac grew as suffocating as the city's humidity. Hands clenched on her lap, Liz Stephens averted her narrowed eyes toward the open passenger window. Chattering ladies and servicemen flocked by in the shadows; up and down they traveled over the concrete accordion of entrance steps. The sting of laughter and music drifted through the swinging glass doors, bounced off the colorless sky. Another holiday without gunpowder for celebration. No boom of metallic streamers, no sunbursts awakening the night. Only the fading memory of a simpler time.

A time when Liz knew whom she could trust.

"You know the Rotary doesn't invite just anyone to speak," Dalton Harris said finally. The same argument, same lack of apology in his voice. "What was I supposed to do? Tell my father I couldn't be there because of some dance?"

At his condescension, her gaze snapped to his slate gray eyes. "That," she said, "is exactly what you should've done."

"Honey. You're being unreasonable."

"So it's unreasonable, wanting us to spend time together?"

"That's not what I meant." A scratch to the back of his neck punctuated his frustration, a habit that had lost the amusing charm it held when they were kids. Long before the expensive suits, the perfect ties, the Vitalis-slickening of his dark brown hair.

"Listen." His square jaw slackened as he angled toward her, a debater shifting his approach. "When I was asked to run my dad's campaign, we talked about this. I warned you my schedule would be crazy until the election. And you were the one who said I should do it, that between classes and work, you'd be--"

"As busy as ever," she finished sharply. "Yes. I know what I said." With Dalton in law school and her a sophomore at Northwestern, leading independent but complementary lives was nothing new; in fact, that had always been among the strengths of their relationship. Which was why he should know their separate activities weren't the issue tonight.

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is, anything else pops up, campaign or otherwise, and you don't think twice about canceling on me."

"I am not canceling. I'm asking you to come with me."

Liz had attended enough political fund-raisers with him to know that whispers behind plastered smiles and greedy glad-handing would be highlights of the night. A night she could do without, even if not for her prior commitment.

"I already told you," she said, "I promised the girls weeks ago I'd be here." The main reason she'd agreed, given her condensed workload from summer school, was to repay Betty for accompanying her to that droning version of Henry V last week--just so Dalton's ticket hadn't gone to waste. "Why can't you make an exception? Just this once?"

He dropped back in his seat, drew out a sigh. "Lizzy, it's just a dance."

No, it's not. It's more than that. I have to know I can depend on you! Her throat fastened around her retort. Explosions of words, she knew all too well, could bring irreversible consequences.

She grabbed the door handle. "I have to go." Before he could exit and circle around to open her side, she let herself out.

"Wait," he called as she shut the door. "Sweetheart, hold on."

The sudden plea in his voice tugged at her like strings, halting her. Could it be that he had changed his mind? That he was still the same guy she could count on?

She slid her hand into the pocket of her ivory wraparound dress, a shred of hope cupped in her palm, before pivoting to face him.

Dalton leaned across the seat toward her. "We'll talk about this later, all right?"

Disappointment throbbed inside, a recurrent bruise. Bridling her reaction, she replied with a nod, fully aware her agreement would translate into a truce.

"Have a good time," he said, then gripped the steering wheel and drove away.

As she turned for the stairs, she pulled her hand from her pocket, and discovered she'd been holding but a stray thread. The first sign of a seam unraveling.

Movie Adaptations: Brideshead Revisited

By Anna C. Bowling

For me, below is not a photograph of Castle Howard. This is and forever more will be, Brideshead, physical home of the Flyte family and spiritual home of one Charles Ryder, pulled back always by a twitch upon the thread, no matter where he might be in the physical world.


This entry refers to the 1981 Granada miniseries adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel, starring Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews and Diana Quick. I didn't catch it the first time out, which was on PBS for those of us in the USA, but a few years back, I was in the library and there it was on the library shelf. As I've always had a soft spot for British between-the-wars stories, and was in desperate need of a meaty period drama, I checked it out and popped the first disk into my laptop the very first second I could.

So began several days of spending every spare minute rolling around in the sumptuous feast of characters, setting, zeitgeist, and words. I sought out the book shortly thereafter, and I count myself a conscientious objector to the 2008 movie version. Sorry, Emma Thompson. Why? Apart from a brunet Sebastian being out of the question thanks to Anthony Andrews' iconic performance, I had read several reviews of the new version and came to the conclusion that it would be leaving out too much.

The story opens in the midst of WWII, when stiff-upper-lipped Charles Ryder, a British military officer, takes his men to an undisclosed location where they will be housed for the foreseeable future. After a mustard gas drill on a train, Charles, weary in body and soul, arrives at the secret place, only to have its very familiarity strike him harder than any enemy's blow. Oh yes, he knows this place. Brideshead, a once great house, now fallen on hard times, is where he must continue to carry on. Through Charles, the viewer is yanked back through the years, to when Charles made his first tie to Brideshead, meeting the charming, beautiful, and ultimately doomed Sebastian Flyte, younger son of the house, when both were at university.

This is an epic in the truest sense of the word, and as with many of my favorite stories, is a love story on several different levels. Between Charles and Sebastian? Well, yes, and one may argue whether the love was platonic or romantic or sexual or some combination of all three, but that's not the whole story. Between Charles and Sebastian's sister, Julia? Well, yes, and star-crossed lovers indeed they seem, but that's not the whole story either. Between Charles and the Flytes, the aristocratic family who symbolize the ages old grandeur that seemed to be beating a hasty retreat after the Great War (and before and during WWII, as the story progresses); a world which Charles has seen only from the outside? Well, yes, and there the story has its heart and its substance, but it's more than that as well. The Flytes are Catholic, Charles an atheist, yet another difference between himself and this other world, and the spiritual is a strong but subtle thread throughout this tale.

Viewers will identify with Charles, a young man who takes this home-not-his-own and bonds with it. There he indulges his passions; whether for Sebastian, for Julia, for a class he was never born to, for a world rapidly vanishing, for his own artistic leanings. In this last, he leaves his literal mark, painting murals on the walls of the great house, a touchstone to prove he was there...and how much the world and the house have changed in his absence when he returns, mature and battle-scarred.

Through Charles, we see Brideshead as it was, in vivid contrast to the way it is, as his memories takes us from the indulgent days of youth to the hard-learned experiences of life, all bringing him back to where his journey started. Brideshead itself is a character, from Charles' murals to the grand fountain, and I will readily admit to actually crying when I saw what had happened to both in his absence. I will admit as well to being bolstered that Hawkins, Sebastian and Julia's old nanny, was still alive and still in residence, always a thread connecting present to past, always there to bolster and point a way through days to come.

I fell in love with Brideshead, the story and the house, the same time Charles did, rounding a bend in the road and there it rose before him, all the splendor his heart had yearned for his entire life. Part of me wants to jump in there and find a between the wars story of my own, and if one does come, I won't turn it away. That last gasp of grandeur, that balancing on the ledge between the world that was and the world that would be speak to me, Brideshead, both house and story standing as symbol.


Have any fictional houses become a home of sorts for you? What movie or miniseries has tempted you to try writing in a period you hadn't tried before?

Writing historical romances allows Anna C. Bowling to travel through time on a daily basis and make the voices in her head pay rent. Her current release, ORPHANS IN THE STORM, is available from Awe-Struck E-books.

Movie Adaptations: Band of Brothers

By Carrie Lofty

One of the major contributors to my fascination with WWII history was the 2001 HBO miniseries, "Band of Brothers." I'd already been influenced by films such as Schindler's List, Memphis Belle, and even It's a Wonderful Life, where the specter of WWII loomed so large in the life of George Bailey. But "Band of Brothers" cemented my interest, sparking a level of historical interest only rivaled by my interest in Old West gunfighters.

What resonated about "Band of Brothers" where other WWII films did not has to do with a number of factors. First, the cast was fairly anonymous. While several actors have gone on to become better known, including "Life"'s Damian Lewis and "ER"'s Scott Grimes, most of the actors began the ten-part miniseries as nameless faces. Only after the harrowing journey is complete do you come away with a sense that each man portrayed an individual in history, and that those individuals were only small parts of the larger conflict.

Compare this to other WWII movies such as The Longest Day or even, more recently, The Thin Red Line, where the selling point had to do with the size of the cast. In either of those adaptations, I found myself more intrigued by the depth of the cast than anything else.

Second, "Band of Brothers" comes relatively close to each man's real age during the conflict. For example, he heart of the 501st Easy Company, Richard Winters, was 26 when he jumped on Normandy. Damian Lewis was 29 when he portrayed Winters in "Band of Brothers" (above). Compare this to the almost ridiculous disparities in The Longest Day, in which Robert Ryan (age 52) depicted my favorite parachuting hottie, James Gavin (age 35), and John Wayne (age 52), played 27-year-old Ben Vandervoort.

Perhaps we are uncomfortable, as viewers, with seeing accurate representations of soldiers who were, on occasion, as young as sixteen. But to see them portrayed by seasoned actors in their 50s not only detracts from the youthful accomplishment and bravery of the men who served, but lulls us into thinking that the soldiers weren't nearly so baby-faced as they actually were. "Band of Brothers" is not perfect in this score, but it genuinely made the attempt to gather actors in their 20s to best represent their historic namesakes.

Finally, I very much enjoyed the worm's eye view of history that "Band of Brothers" depicts. Films from the 1960s, in particular, showed command decisions from the top down, with sage generals and even world leaders espousing their rationales. This created, for me, a sense of disconnect with the everyday solider. Where were the trenches? Relying on many of those older films would leave one with a sense that every man in the field slept indoors and was accompanied by a clerk, complete with typewriter. "Band of Brothers" followed privates, medics, and even an uncertain new lieutenant fresh from West Point. These "real" experiences served to create a mosaic of how regular men became heroes.

This isn't to say that "Band of Brothers" is flawless. For example, one private named Roy Cobb was recounted in Stephen Ambrose's book as being an alcoholic who was often disciplined for drinking and insubordination. Cobb's character in the miniseries is annoying and contrary, but he's not openly punished. To portray one man so accurately might have detracted from the overall heroism of Easy Company. But in general, if you can stand the gore and immerse yourself in the drama, "Band of Brothers" is the most moving representation of WWII yet committed to film.

Below is one of my favorite clips from the entire miniseries, in which an Winters replaces an ineffective new lieutenant when he fails to lead Easy into the tiny French town of Foy. The carnage and confusion are gruesomely real. And see if you can spot Jamie Bamber as Lt. Foley before his turn as Apollo on "Battlestar Galactica."


Carrie Lofty's latest historical romances, SCOUNDREL'S KISS and SONG OF SEDUCTION, are available now. In 2011 watch for Carrie's new Victorian series from Pocket, as well as her "Dark Age Dawning" apocalyptic romance trilogy from Berkley, co-written with Ann Aguirre as Ellen Connor. "Historical romance needs more risk-takers like Lofty." ~ Wendy the Super Librarian

Real Life Heroes: Anne Frank

By Jennifer Linforth

Our request to do a post about heroes came on the heels of me watching a video on YouTube regarding the epidemic of bullying in the United States. Finger to my upper lip, I thought about what makes a hero and one word leapt to mind.

Tolerance.

In the wake of so many teens committing suicide because they are bullied and demeaned by others, one teen stands above the others: Anne Frank... to me the epitome of tolerance.

She was born June 12, 1929 and the world knows her story. Force to go into hiding during the Holocaust, she and her family spent 25 months hiding in a maze of room above her father's office in Amsterdam. The hiding didn't last. Anne and her family were betrayed to the Nazis and forced, like thousands of others to be deported to concentration camps. Nine months later she died at age fifteen.

Her diary has become one of the most widely read books in the world. Her words foster a belief in tolerance and preach the consequences of living in a world filled with racial discrimination, intolerance and disrespect. Anne spoke freely on the power of hope. Can anyone deny that this teen was, like so many teens today, bullied--to the ultimate degree?

A hero need not save lives. Sometimes all it takes to be heroic is a little belief and faith that things can and will get better, and a little patience for others and their life choices. Ann wrote: "Sympathy, love, fortune... we all have these qualities but still tend not to use them."

If only we did. How heroic would that be?

Jennifer Linforth expands the classics by continuing The Phantom of the Opera. MADRIGAL and ABENDLIED are available now. Readers should look for future books based on the classics, in addition to her unique historical romances. "Ms. Linforth's prose is phenomenally beautiful and hauntingly breathtaking." ~ Coffee Time Romance

Real Life Heroes: 2nd Lt. Audie Murphy

By Lorelie Brown

When I went through Basic Training for the US Army ten years ago, we'd have whole days or afternoons when we watched old black-and-white movies. Some of my fellow recruits bitched that they were boring, but I'd been an old-movie-addict for a long time and had already seen most of them. Despite that, one of them was new to me--as was the information that the lead character really was the man who'd done all the amazing things in the movie.

The movie: To Hell and Back. The actor and hero: Audie Murphy.

So who was Audie Murphy? A good ole boy from Texas, he was one of twelve children, though only ten lived to adulthood. When his father abandoned the family in the mid-1930s, Audie went to work. He also put food on the table by hunting and learned to be an excellent shot simply because if he didn't make his kill, his family didn't eat.

Immediately after Pearl Harbor, Murphy tried to enlist. But whoops--he was only 16 at the time. A year later, his sister helped him fudge his birth certificate so that he could enlist even though he was still only seventeen. He still had to struggle to avoid assignment to a cook and bakers' school, but eventually he got his wish. He became a private in the Infantry. (Although, let's think that one through for a while. Not only did he bust his ass in order to join the military, he fought like hell to be a grunt. Cannon fodder. Got to wonder about a guy like that.)

Murphy kicked around Africa for a while without seeing action. But then...oh boy, then. He was part of the invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. After slamming their way through Italy, the 3rd Division (now with Sergeant Murphy in tow) moved on to Southern France. Not long after they got there, Murphy saw a German machine gun nest kill his best friend, Lattie Tipton. Apparently that set Murphy off, because he single-handedly took out the machine gun nest, then used it to take out several nearby German positions. Not only did the incident net him the Distinguished Service Cross, it would later become the crux of his autobiography, To Hell and Back, which would also later become a movie.

But Staff Sergeant Murphy (from private to staff sergeant in a matter of months of battle--and it didn't stop there) wasn't done picking up awards. After two Silver Stars, he was promoted to First Lieutenant, which also got him promoted from Platoon Sergeant to Platoon Leader. (The attrition rates tangentially related to such wicked fast promotions are very sad if you stop to think about them.) He spent ten weeks recuperating from a sniper's bullet and returned to his unit in France.

On 25 January, 1945, Second Lieutenant Audie Murphy was appointed commander of Company B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division. Big day, right? But apparently 2LT Murphy didn't think that was a big enough deal for January. The very next day, the Battle of Holtzwihr, France began. Murphy established a position, sending all his men to the rear, but he stayed on. He used the machine gun from a burning tank destroyer to take out huge swaths of the German infantry, including an entire squad that had tried to hide in a ditch. For his actions, Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, fully rounding out his medal collection. In less than two years, 2LT Murphy had collected every single medal of valor available to US service personnel.

The Army, obviously realizing the marketing gold mine they had in Murphy, immediately moved him to a liaison position, taking him off the front line. After his determination to get to the front line and his wanton disregard for his own safety, I'm sure Murphy was pissed. He eventually returned to the States, but life was tough for a while. Much later on, Murphy came clean about his struggles with what was then called "battle fatigue" and is now known as PTSD. His first wife claimed he once held her at gunpoint and his insomnia and nightmares were rampant. He did go on to create a good life eventually, staying with his second wife until his death and being an actor in more than 44 films.

Lorelie Brown's first book, JAZZ BABY, is currently available from Samhain Publishing and will be released 4 January in paperback. Her second romance, an 1880s-set western, will be published by Carina Press in Summer 2011.

Real Life Heroes: Gen. James M. Gavin

By Carrie Lofty

Born in New York to poor Irish parents, possibly illegitimately, in 1907, James Gavin was adopted by a coal mining family in 1909. Knowing his parents would want him to go into coal mining too, he ran away from home at age 17 and convinced an army recruiter to let him volunteer as an orphan. His first assignment was in Panama, where he showed great promise as a young enlistee with a thirst for knowledge. A sergeant and mentor suggested that he apply to the local Army school in Belize, where top graduates could merit the opportunity to study at West Point.

Despite only a 7th grade education and his many duties as a soldier, Gavin's dedication and daily hours of tutoring earned his acceptance to West Point. He graduated, barely 22 at the time, after having spent each morning in the bathroom to study. (The bathroom was the only place with enough light at 4:30am.) After his commissioning as a second lieutenant, he married Irma Baulsir in 1929.

Following postings in Arizona, Georgia, and Oklahoma, he wound up in the Philippines in 1936 and saw first-hand the Japanese build-up of troops, whereas the US military in the region consisted of 20,000 men still equipped with WWI-era technology. He was promoted to captain 18 months later and was put in charge of his own company in Vancouver. By this time his marriage was seriously damaged, no matter the birth of his daughter, Barbara.

All of this might seem like a rather determined up-by-your-bootstraps story, if somewhat ordinary.

But then came WWII.

Gavin once again returned to West Point, this time as a tactical instructor. He became fascinated with German blitzkrieg operations, Stonewall Jackson's movement tactics, and the German use of paratroop infantry. Eventually these threads would coalesce as he volunteered for a brand new US airborne unit in spring of 1941.

He did so well at the airborne school that he was made head tactician to institute a unified code of rules and procedures for the new unit, which went along with his promotion to major. He literally wrote the book on airborne strategy for the US Army, called FM 31-30: Tactics and Technique of Air-Borne Troops. The war accelerated his positions of leadership as general after general realized his potential. Upon the creation of the 82nd Airborne division--the "All Americans"--Gavin was given command of the 505th PIR (Parachute Infantry Regiment) and was promoted to colonel.

Gavin continued to be instrumental in utilizing airborne techniques in combat. He learned from the mistakes of Operation Husky, battled the fierce conditions in North Africa, and prepared the 82nd for D-Day in 1944, where he was brigadier general in charge of parachute troops. At the time he only expected three out of every ten men who jumped would survive, a frank estimate that was among his most difficult to bear. He jumped with his men on June 6, becoming the youngest general to participate in D-Day operations. He was 37.

After leading the 82nd into combat during the failed Operation Market Garden drop into the Netherlands, Gavin and his men survived the horrors of that dreadful 1944-45 winter. He became very close to Marlene Dietrich. She was a tremendous force in the USO, and some argued that she stayed with Gavin because many assumed his men would be the first to enter Berlin. Wanted by Hitler because of her decision to become an American, Dietrich was in search of her mother and sister, who had been held for years in a concentration camp. (Dietrich was reunited with her mother month's before the woman's death. Her sister, however, had not been held against her will, but had married a camp guard. Dietrich never spoke to her again.) This relationship between Gavin and Dietrich ended his turbulent marriage.

Despite his troublesome home life, Gavin's post-war career remained ground-breaking. He worked throughout his remaining thirteen years in the army to desegregate the military, and many claimed Gavin to be the most "color-blind" commander in the US. His continued fascination with swift, safe deployment and extraction of troops led to a heavy reliance on helicopters during Vietnam, as well as early strategies involving mechanized troops and automated planes.

Upon retiring as a lieutenant general with the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart, he transformed industrial consulting firm Arthur D. Little from a $10 million domestic enterprise to a $70 million international powerhouse. He served as president and CEO for 17 years before his retirement in 1977. He also served as Kennedy's ambassador to France because of close post-war ties to Charles De Gaulle, and authored or co-authored five books on history and military tactics.

He even managed to turn himself into a real-life hero on the personal front. After his difficult first marriage, Gavin married Jean Emert Duncan in 1948. They were husband and wife for 42 years until his death in 1990, survived by five daughters, ten grandkids, and three great-grandkids. Not bad for an Irish orphan from Brooklyn who began his military career as a barely-literate 17-year-old private.

Carrie Lofty's latest historical romances, SCOUNDREL'S KISS and SONG OF SEDUCTION, are available now. In 2011 watch for Carrie's new Victorian series from Pocket, as well as her "Dark Age Dawning" romance trilogy from Berkley, co-written with Ann Aguirre under the name Ellen Connor. "Historical romance needs more risk-takers like Lofty." ~ Wendy the Super Librarian