Salute! Cheer! Become Immortal?

Happy Veteran's Day, Diwali, Remembrance Day, etc!

A year ago, we visited my grandfather (98) and interviewed him about his WWII experiences as a pilot. He told us about a tropical storm in the Philippines where all he and his fellow soldiers could do was lay on the ground with ponchos over their heads for 3 days, army-crawling across the ground.

He lived off salted pork for months. (To this day, he despises pork.) That's the only ration he had consistently and they lived off just pork for more than 3 weeks at a time. Potatoes or carrots were a miracle.

He talked about flying blindly when his instruments went out and praying he would make it safely to the next stop, or the one time their gas tank was so dry that the only thing keeping them in the air was God.

One of my most memorable stories, one he's told time and time again through the years was how he sat on a hill in that very foreign country, wondering if he would ever have the opportunity to marry, to have a family. After relating that experience, he'd look around and say with a humble wag of the head, "And look at this amazing family!"

When offered free tickets to attend an honor ceremony in DC, he refused. "Everyone had to go to war. I can't be honored for doing something we were required to do." 

It's men and women like him whom I honor today.

 

Last week S.K. Anthony shared with us a STATIC, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win an eBook.

S.K.'s Game:

1. My nickname is Macaroni. And to live up to my name, I’ve spent a lot of time in the kitchen trying out different Mac and Cheese recipes. I must make only the very best ones . . . oh, the sacrifice I put my cheese-loving family through! 

2. I got arrested in Italy. My passport was once stolen while visiting and I had to travel around by myself without the tour group I’d gone with. I communicated the whole way in Spanish, between that and their Italian I got from Venice to Florence in trains then back to Rome, but then one thing led to another, miscommunication happened, and I ended up arrested. 

3. A few years back I wanted to invest in a MacBook Pro, but hubby said the price was too outrageous. We were on vacation at the time, and were on our way to the casino. I said, okay, if I win the money I’m getting it. I won $800 in one slot machine and $980 in another. Both were penny machines, and I didn’t play over $10 . . . so I got my beloved MacBook for free.

The lie: #2. She did go. Her passport did get stolen. She traveled around without a tour group and communicated in Spanish . . . didn’t get arrested. She has pics with two cops when she was filing the police report. On top of that, they wouldn’t let her come back to NY. In fact, they thought she was faking not being Italian, which did almost get her arrested for real.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Jules Smith!!!

Congrats, Jules! 

And now for this week's feature... 

Claire is sassy, human, and an outcast of society―who only wants to know where she belongs. 

Alex is arrogant, selfish, and an immortal warrior―who thinks he’s prepared for everything. 

Claire knows the world of immortals is where she belongs. As her guide and guardian, Alex finds it hard to resist Claire’s subtle charm. Can the two overcome their differences and embrace their passion for each other, or will the possibility of true love be lost to both forever?

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Murees Dupé was born and still lives in South Africa. When she is not thinking up new stories, she is spending time with her family, playing with her three dogs and cat, watching TV, or overindulging on desserts.

Her favorite cheese is brie. The first time she tried brie she was a little apprehensive, because of the white exterior. It blew her mind. It was soft and silky, with a slight hint of mushroom. Delicious. 

Murees gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of THE AMARANTHINE.

You have until Tuesday, November 17 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on November 18.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I studied to be a vet.

2. I had to stick my hand up the rear end of a ewe as she was giving birth, to help turn the lamb that was in distress. 

3. In my student days I used to work with cattle that weighed over 800 kg each.

So sleuths, which is the lie? Are you celebrating a holiday/hero today? Do you believe in true love?

Vanished Awesomeness...

What are your feelings on the elderly? 

Image courtesy of Ishai Parasol

I met a gentleman this last week at the grocery store who had to be in his seventies. He was alone and purchasing a quick meal. I got the sense he didn't have anyone to go home to. His sunken cheeks were a testament to his ill heath and his clothing bagged over him, but when he spoke there was a dignity in his words. 

I was reminded of my World War II veteran grandfather. Here was a man who had lived and worked his days to help build society. He was probably a husband and father at some point, but for whatever reason in this last season of his life, he was alone. My heart broke a little for him.

I've heard an attitude expressed by some, a fear of this older generation. That kills me. I grew up at the feet of my grandparents, listening to their stories and benefiting from their love and wisdom. Those who've experienced a full life have so much to give. Why would anyone deprive themselves of that? Do we just get so busy we forget? And what can we do to slow down and benefit from these wonderful individuals?

Well, enough with deeper thoughts. It's time for a game.

Writerly Wednesdays here are for readers and writers. Get to know authors, test your human lie detector skills, and WIN books. 

Last week, Cathrina Constantine shared her BRAND NEW BOOK COVER along with two truths and one lie about herself. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing to win TALLAS in eBook! --It releases Feb 1, so mark your calendars!

Cathrina's game:

1. Cathrina danced on a Vegas stage.

2. A horse fell on top of her when she was 16.

3. When an icy snowball hit her mouth, she needed 3 stitches.

And the lie is: 

#3. This actually happened to her daughter. She did actually have a horse fall on her while performing a jump. Luckily she only broke her shoulder bone. OUCH! 

Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Loni Townsend!

Congrats, Loni!

Today I'm super excited. I've been bloggies with Misha Gericke for YEARS, and I adore her. SO, when I heard about her debut novel, I jumped for joy, and then I read it. And loved it. The blurb:

Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...

When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.

But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess. 

Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.

Pick up your copy HERE.

And now, let me introduce you to the wonderful author: 

M. Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has been creating stories since she was a young child and is now creating better ones to get published. 

She now lives on a farm in the Western Cape, South Africa, featuring a two-hundred year house, awesome scenery, horses, cows, sheep, dogs and her five muses (also known as cats). 

Misha gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win an eBook of The Vanished Knight. Eek! How cool is that? You have until Tuesday, January 28, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on January 29.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Misha and her mom own about 8000 paperback books.

2. She wanted to learn how to fence and speak French after reading The Three Musketeers. She learned both, although her French is rusty.

3. Her first ever published piece of writing was a poem she wrote in Eleventh Grade

Remember to join my SUPER FUN blogfest. Details HERE. Oh, and heads up! I'm hosting a Valentines giveaway with this blogfest. If you'd like to participate by offering up a book or swag, shoot me an email before by January 29th. crystal AT crystal-collier DOT com

Okay, what is the lie? And what are your feelings about the elderly? Did you grow up with grandparents in your life? 

The America that Was

My grandfather fought in World War II. As a pilot, he recalls sitting on a hill in the Philippines and looking out over foreign landscape, wondering if he would ever have a family. To him and the thousands of others who have served their country, I salute you. There is no greater love than a man or woman being willing to lay down their life for their friends.

Thankfully for Grandpa, there was a happily ever after. He married an amazing woman, served the Salt Lake City area as a respected physician for many many years, and has built a legacy of productive, god-fearing children, none of whom would enjoy the blessings of freedom without  his and other veterans' willingness to serve. Instead of laying down his life for a great cause, he lived his life for a great cause, bringing forth a generation of hard-working people who fight to keep America great.

I have often heard my grandmother say she wishes we could see the America she grew up in. It has changed so much. She was a professional secretary, and the technological leaps are baffling to her. The conveniences we enjoy are things she never takes for granted. BUT, in one vital way this America is nowhere near as wonderful as the one she remembers.

When I was a kid, I recall every great romantic movie or story ended with a proposal. There was no greater sign of love than a life-long commitment to the other person. The expectation was that you'd grow up, get married, have kids and do your very best to raise them in a moral and disciplined environment--like the one your parents and their parents before them created. And why? Because you were building the future and perpetuating a society that thinks more on the good of the future than individual satisfaction. (Like the world for which our veterans and military have sacrificed.) Fathers went to work to provide for their children. Mothers remained at home to build and maintain a loving environment that was clean and wholesome for raising a family. Children attended school and obtained an education under the tutelage of caring instructors.

True love is about sacrifice, and we could see it in our parent's every-day choices.

One thing I've learned in my short 32 years: people have short memories. 

The society we live in today has forgotten many of these lessons. Be that because of media influences, or the gradual turn toward a "me" mentality, the result is the same: increased divorces, a majority of children being born to unwed mothers, a loss of confidence and hope in children about the future, a populace who chooses to legalize addictive and damaging drugs, a presidential candidate who champions abortion (oh, I mean the murder of unborn babies--because let's call it what it is), and a society that no longer believes in the sanctity or importance of marriage. Who is going to stand and fight against this decay of morality?

This is no longer the America where I was born, but I am fighting, just like my grandfather, for the values that I hold dear. Every day I spend hours educating three children I hope will build a better future for our nation. I give hours each week to church and community associations that strengthen families and teach lost morals. I keep a daily journal to remind myself the reasons I do what I do, and recommit each morning to continue the fight. We've banned TV from our home to keep out immoral influences and monitor what our children read and view online.

Will you join in that fight with me? Will you commit to build a stronger America (or whichever country in which you reside), and a brighter future for the world to come?

America is a burning beacon of hope for the world. Let's keep it shining bright.