Books are gifts that keep on giving! The memory of stories we read, the knowledge we gain, and the pleasure of a few hours living through our imagination all are lasting benefits of reading. Experts say that reading helps us focus, relieves stress, and helps us gain perspective in a hectic world. There’s just nothing like opening the new pages of a book, or flipping past pages on a Kindle reader. It’s all about a new revelation about to unfold. Do we stop to consider the author’s journey to write the book? Not that we don’t appreciate their talent and time, but there is an author investment we can’t relate to unless we too are authors. Personally, writing books is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I have great gratitude for all the writers who have blessed me with their … [Read more...] about Why and How to Write a Book Review on Amazon
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My Favorite WW2 Movies
I’m a classic movie fanatic. Have been since I was very young. After the release of my latest novel, All My Goodbyes last week, which is set during WW2, I began to think about all the classic WW2 movies I’ve watched over the years. Like my story, some are based on true facts with fiction thrown in. All of them are memorable to me, but I have made a list of my top 20 favorites. Yes, 20 – this is my short list. I’ve watched the ones on this list multiple times – almost an embarrassing amount of time for some of them. These stories capture my attention because our country, our fathers and grandfathers, really lived through this time. So many personal stories are lost, but Hollywood won’t let us forget. There are many more movies made after 1965 that are truly good WW2 stories, … [Read more...] about My Favorite WW2 Movies
True life WW2 story by Gail Kittleson
We have a winner for Gail's book! Thanks for all the comments and congratulations to Caryl Kane! I've invited my friend, Gail Kittleson to tell us about her new WW2 release, Until Then. A great read and extra special because of the real life person it's based on. In Gail's words... My D-Day release Until Then (after the World War II song), features a real WWII nurse. Dorothy Woebbeking grew up in Waterloo down the street from the Sullivan brothers. Her older brothers played with the five Sullivan boys who enlisted in the Navy and perished together. Three of Dorothy’s brothers also enlisted in the Army or Marines, and so did she. I think she would appreciate something I read the other day. If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. Milton … [Read more...] about True life WW2 story by Gail Kittleson
A Grand Design
I just returned from a trip to South Dakota. We have always wanted to see the monument at Mount Rushmore, and also the Crazy Horse monument. So we visited both, and were not disappointed. It's really an amazing site and I was surprised at how close you could get those guys! The Crazy Horse monument is only partially finished after decades of work. It’s likely that not even our children will see the completion in their lifetime. It will be multiple times bigger than Mount Rushmore, which is….well, really, really big. I thought a lot about all the years of arduous work that scores of men endured to make these spectacles happen. The original visions for these massive projects are obsessions I cannot relate to. … [Read more...] about A Grand Design
5 Reasons Your Kids Need History
Kids need history! I loved history class in high school. That is, I loved the stories, the events, the social aspect of it all. I was fascinated by the people of the past that paved the way for the world I lived in. But I didn’t like memorizing all the dates and places as if they were mathematical equations instead of real-life happenings and events my own grandparents probably lived through. I didn’t understand then what I do now. I’m a grandparent and I wish like anything I had understood my own better. I wish I had benefited from their experiences then as I do now when I research a book or try to tell my kids about their family beginnings. History is not just the backbone of our country or the world. It’s the reason we are here, living the kind of life we live. There is a … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons Your Kids Need History
