RELEASE 08/01/2022.  GLORY LOST is an historical fiction novel about Sadie, a sixteen-year-old girl,  who witnesses her parents’ murders at the hands of Confederate Raiders. Driven by revenge, she dresses like a man and joins the Union Army as a Sharpshooter attached to Sherman’s Army. She finds love and runs from a man possessed with misguided passion and hatred, who has vowed to bed her or to kill her.

Readers can travel with Sadie as she follows General Sherman down the railroad north of Savannah, through the turmoil the war brings to every citizen in its path, including Atlantic City, south through Savannah and up through the Carolinas till the end of the Civil War. She witnesses and participates in battles, attaches to a hospital in Atlantic City, and sees the horror of devastation and loss in the South.

Paperback and kindle are available at:  https://blackopalbooks.com/glory-lost/

Kindle available at: https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Lost-Joyce-Shaughnessy-ebook/dp/B0B2LJPT61/ref=sr_1_1?crid=328A55CXFW72U&keywords=glory+lost+by+joyce+shaughnessy&qid=1660227560&sprefix=glory+lost%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1 

RED SKY OVER HAWAII

 

I absolutely loved this book! Lana is a young woman estranged from her father and living on a different Hawaiian island from her. She rushes to her father when he tells her he is very sick. She longs to reach him in time to tell him she forgives him, but he dies before she arrives. The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 happens the next day. Her father has a home in the hills of Hawaii which he has built for survival purposes when talk of possible war breaking out.  She takes two daughters of German parents and two of Japanese descent with her. She writes with compassion, descriptive, and love of the mystery and magic of the islands. It is a beautiful story even though the internment of German and Japanese citizens is depicted.  She writes about surviving terrible times. She and an Army major fall in love. Even though there is a mixure of characters who are very different, she writes about their many differences with respect and love and who constitute a family.  I will keep this book and read it many times. I highly recommend it to lovers of historical fiction, romance, and family.

I am an author and avid reader of historical fiction, and I loved this entire series. I suggest readers read them in order. At the end of Books 1 and 2, I couldn't wait to read Book 3. This book is Book 1. One protagonist lives in the United States in the 1930's and begins writing to a boy in the Netherlands as a class pen pal project. The boy in the Netherlands dies, and his sister continues writing to the Chicago boy.  The continues through the occupation of the neutral Netherlands by the Nazis. It includes an important United States effort to relieve the starving of the countries, called "Operation Chowhound." There is very little written about the Netherlands during the war, so I was intrigued to learn about it. All three of the books are worth your time and will take you on a ride you won't forget!

 

I am giving four stars to An American in Paris by Siobhan Curham. I write historical fiction and have become obsessed over books about WWII. The only reason I am giving the book 4 instead of 5 starts is because of the over-the-top portrayal of the people in Arkansas. The story is about a young American dancer from Arkansas who moves to pre-war Paris, Florence, and her encounter with Otto, an Austrian Jewish artist. They fall in love and eventually marry. Sage is a British woman in 2019 who doesn’t realize that she has a family in Arkansas. She earns money through social media. My favorite part of the book were Florence and Otto’s story and the heartbreaking portrayal of WWII Paris. The author rounds out her characters and portrays them in a way that made me quickly turn the pages to find out what happened next. I will definitely read this author again!

 

I am giving 5 stars for The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. Although the book began slowly, somewhere in the middle, I became wrapped up in the characters just like I do every book by Kristen Hannah. I admit to having had zero interest in the Russian front or the siege of Leningrad, but soon found myself wrapped up in the heartbreak of a young girl, Anya. The book travels back and forth in time and relates the story of Anya as a young mother who has since moved to the United States. She first appears unloving and cold toward her two daughters. Her husband and father of the girls dies in the beginning of the book. Meredith, 40, is obsessed with work and taking care of everyone but herself. The other daughter, Nina, is a photographer who travels the world and rarely comes home. They both are running from their feelings because of the cold attitude of Anya. What gripped me about a third of the way through the book was the beautiful, poetic writing of the author. She depicts her character so well, that I started to really care about them and had no choice to keep reading. I urge anyone who reads this book to give it a chance and once the story of the siege of Leningrad unfolds, read slowly so that can appreciate the author’s stunning depiction of Leningrad and the lives of Anya’s family and the heartbreaking times through which she lived. I became so immersed in the book that I cried through parts of it, just as I did in The Nightingale. Kristin Hannah is still my favorite author!

PUBLISHING DURING COVID

All of us have been affected by the coronavirus. The publishing industry, like many others, has been one of its victims. When Black Opal Press accepted my manuscript, GLORY LOST, I was excited. Six months later, BOB had problems with staffing. Their headquarters is in Washington state, which was hit earlier than many states primarily because of the influx of ships. They also have been trying to organize since their corporation came under new owners. But two especially dedicated women there have been wonderful. Their dedication to their jobs under very fluid conditions is commendable. Susan and Gibby have worked hard to help keep everything afloat. I owe these two women a lot. I hope to be able to announce the release of GLORY LOST by next month, possibly a March release. If you are an author, please let us know where we can all purchase your books. To readers, thanks for your loyalty!

I am certain that we all have either had personal and/or professional hurdles to overcome after 2020. I pray that more of us will soon be vaccinated and that our world will be headed for a better 2021! Take care of yourselves, stay safe, and please get vaccinated! 

The Brother Voice by William Delamar

The setting for this book is in Frederick, Maryland, during the Civil War. The main characters are twin brothers, Sel and Hol. Sel joins the Union because he hates slavery, and Hol joined the South because he said it felt like home. Cora Dee Soyer is the woman who loved both men. She says she couldn’t support either cause because it would feel as she were killing the other. Sel and Hol eventually are unable to speak telepathically as the battles became more brutal. It culminates in the Battle of Monocacy, which is close to Frederick. The author’s use of imagery is beautiful, without resorting to clichés. In the prologue, he talks about the voices of the dead, “cries that formed a curtain of voices. They called out to wives and sweethearts and mothers, a roll call of those left behind.” Cora’s father is a kindly minister who says to her, in Chapter Seven, “Being angry is worse than being sad. Being sad has a beauty to it. People are sad for something with meaning. But anger means thinking as stopped and meaning doesn’t matter. No light shines in the hidden pathways.” This book was not only factually correct, but it was also a story very well-written. I loved it.

TELEPHONE ROAD by Ann Swann

Telephone Road is the latest book written by Ann Swann. I was hooked immediately from the first page, enveloped by the genuine qualities of the characters and their lives in Texas. I was born and lived many years there and felt immediately at home. The book is imbued with the flavor of the area and the unaffected personalities of the characters. Her portrayal of the importance of family shone through.

The main character, Marlena, is a college student from West Texas who is enrolled in school in Austin. Although she considers herself a small-town girl at heart and has little experience in or desires to party like many of the other students, Preston quickly attempts to draw her into his world, which involves drinking and drugs. She resists, and it angers and challenges him, since he comes from a wealthy family and is accustomed to getting his own way. When he begins to stalk her, it scares her and makes her even more determined to break off all contact with him. She goes home over Thanksgiving to her small West Texas hometown, Window, and is reunited with a boy she knew in high school. They both realize how much they like each other, and she tells her girlfriend that Jimmy is “the one.” Marlena is even more determined to break off any relationship that Preston has imagined they have.

When Marlena agrees to meet Preston in order to tell him she doesn’t want to see him and that she has found someone new, he invents a scheme to get her alone and vulnerable on an almost deserted road outside of Austin, Telephone Road. He brutally attacks her, with the intention of killing her. He rapes her after stabbing and unmercifully beating her, leaving her unconscious and bleeding. He thinks he will never see her again, but she is stronger than he thinks and manages to get to a police station where she accuses him of attempted murder and rape. His parents pay a witness to vote against the conviction when it goes to trial, and there is a hung jury. He immediately begins his harassment of her, and she is convinced that his sister has also been abused by him.

Marlena grows stronger as a result of therapy and the support of her friends and family. She knows that she will never be free of him and will never have a normal life as long as he’s alive, so she hatches a plan to bait him into the open. She demonstrates her strength and resilience as the book unfolds.

The author uses her characters to reveal a discussion about the subjects of rape, assault, the importance of family and friends, and to show what constitutes a loving and healthy relationship. I highly recommend this book, because it approaches many issues in a way that is captivating and interesting. I intend to read it again, which is what I do when I discover a book I consider truly engaging. I give it five stars out of five!

2019 PERMIAN BASIN WRITERS WORKSHOP

The 2019 Permian Basin Writers Workshop will happen on October 13 -14, 2019 in Midland, Texas. We are excited to have many generous, talented, and exceptional speakers and agents. Although I live in Humble, Texas, I still belong to the Bookies and will schedule all of the agents with writers. Please check out our workshop at: http://permianbasinwritersworkshop.org.

AGENTS:

Sharon Belcastro is co-founder of Belcastro Agency. A full-service boutique literary agency, Belcastro Agency specializes in adult genre fiction (mystery, suspense, thriller, etc.) and is actively building their young adult list across all genres. Regardless of genre, Sharon is looking for novels that are unusual, dramatic and meaningful featuring realistic characters that are larger than life and settings that whisk her away.  Some of Sharon’s favorite YA authors include Lani Taylor, Nova Ren Suma, April Genevieve Tucholke, Mindy McGinnis, A.S. King, Robin Benway, Rainbow Rowell, Tomi Adeyemi and Jeff Zentner, to name a few.

Marlene Stringer founded The Stringer Literary Agency LLC in 2008, following almost eight years with Barbara Bova Literary agency. As a full-service agency based in Naples, Florida, Stringerlit represents a wide range of commercial fiction, from YA through adult, including thrillers, suspense, women’s fiction, romance, fantasy, and grounded science fiction. For details, visit stringerlit dot com. Mother of four and grandmother of two, Marlene lives in Naples with her husband. In her spare time she enjoys beach-walking, birdwatching, and reading non-fiction.

Marlo Berliner is an award-winning young adult author, freelance editor, and bookseller. She joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in March 2018 as an editorial intern after having completed a previous internship with The Bent Agency. Now, she is actively building her list as an associate agent. She is a member of SCBWI, RWA, NJ-RWA, and YA-RWA. Prior to her career in the publishing world, Marlo was an accounting manager for a Fortune 500 company. She holds B.S. degrees in Economics and Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

NEW HOME & NEW WORK IN PROGRESS!

Happy to be connecting after so long! I've been moving!

Moved to Humble, TX (suburb of Houston) to be closer to family after my husband's passing. I am so  happy to be here, other than the heat and humidity. What a killer! And it actually rains here, unlike Midland.

I'm working on my new novel after my agent sold my manuscript, GLORY LOST, Black Opal Books. It's a historical fiction based on the experiences of a 16 year-old girl who loses her parents and joins the Union Army to fight as a Sharpshooter attached to Sherman's Army. It has romance, empathy, and how a girl grows up to be a fine adult. There were over four hundred documented females who fought in the Civil War. This book is dedicated to their courage.

Thanks, guys for being patient with me. I promise to connect much more often!

Joyce Shaughnessy, author: 2019 Bookies Manuscript Contest

Joyce Shaughnessy, author: 2019 Bookies Manuscript Contest: I'm proud to be chairman of the Manuscript Contest this year. Entries are accepted from March 1 until May 1, 2019.  First 30,000 words o...

2019 Bookies Manuscript Contest

I'm proud to be chairman of the Manuscript Contest this year. Entries are accepted from March 1 until May 1, 2019.  First 30,000 words of unpublished manuscript plus synopsis. Six fiction and nofiction  genres plus Youth Authors (under 18)!

To enter and find more information go to:

http://pbbookies.com/manuscript-contest

Black Opal Books takes on GLORY LOST by Joyce Shaughnessy!

Not much thought is given as to how devastating the Civil War was on the home front, especially to the females who had to do the men’s work when they went off to war. But what of the children who were orphaned?

Sixteen-year-old Sadie Penwell witnesses her parents’ murders at the hands of Confederate Bushwhackers in rural Missouri in 1863. Driven by revenge, she cuts her hair, puts on her Pa’s clothes, and joins the Union Army. Having blessedly been taught how to handle a gun, Sadie is immediately assigned to General Sherman as a sharpshooter. After being stalked by an obsessed neighbor, losing friend after friend, the psychological torture of kill or be killed, and experiencing the battle of Resaca, she realizes no one truly wins in war.

A story of courage, determination, patriotism… and glory lost.

Joyce Shaughnessy has published five books in the last seventeen years. The first three — A Healing Place, Blessed Are the Merciful, and The Unsurrendered — are romantic historical fiction based upon the Dust Bowl in the Great Depression and WWII in the Pacific. They reflect her love of history and historical fiction. A children’s book, Mr. Grumpy Lizard Meets the Giggling Girls, is based on her four granddaughters, which her husband illustrated. And most recently, she participated in a round-robin fantasy novel, Gryffon Master. She is represented by Jeanie Loiacono. 

"WHO'S ON THE SHELF" by Nonnie Jules 07/19/18

"Who's On the Shelf" Interview with Nonnie Jules

     An interview that asks the questions no one else dare ask. This is the introduction to her interview with me as part of my "Spotlight Author" for July. It is featured on the RRBC site.
     Thank you, Nonnie, for making me feel very comfortable. Although my answers may sometimes be generic, your questions are not.
     I hope that some RRBC members will stop by the site today
     Thank you again, RRBC, for making me "Spotlight Author" for July!

                                         Joyce Shaughnessy

JEANIE LOIACONO

I am happy to announce that I am now represented by Jeanie Loiacono, Loiacono Literary Agency.
She is going to represent me for my book, GLORY LOST.

WONDERFUL BLOG RADIO INTERVIEW - RRBC

                   
    Had a great interview today with host Wendy Scott! It is always wonderful to hear a fellow RRBC member. Everyone I've met has been friendly and curious about my writing habits, as I am of theirs. I mentioned that I like to write first thing in the morning, when I am fresh.

   We talked about A Healing Place - what had inspired me to write it and the research involved in telling the story. I love to mention that the place which was the Miller's respite, or healing place from the Dustbowl of the Great American Depression, was named Texon, Texas. I lived there until I was nine. My parents ran the grocery store in the Oil Patch town. It was different than most small oil patch towns. It had been built by a Canadian and a Texan who had witnessed impressive and productive small company towns in South America and wished to emulate them. Texon was indeed safe, kind of like living in a "Leave it to Beaver" episode. Until World War II, when there was an exodus of people who left, it offered a movie house, a nine-hole golf course, a restaurant, drugstore, grocery store, churches, and schools up through grade eight. Women organized mornings when they would offer food for bums as the railroad made stops in Texon. It was a giving place to live, somewhere to meet friends and raise your children in a peaceful, safe environment.

  Wendy and I talked about the plight that many of the men and women who came home from WWII, faced. In the book, the Miller's son-in-law was placed in Japanese POW camps for three and one- half years. He found his healing place in the power of prayer. He fought depression and where he found solace was through prayer. Many of soldiers after WWII suffered from what was then called "battle fatigue" and is now known at PTSD. They were unable to find the help they needed through veteran's health services.Thankfully, the medical association now recognizes the problem and does try to help most veterans with their problems.

If you are interested in the interview, please go to this site to hear it:

https://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com/rave-waves-blog-talk-radio/bring-on-the-spotlight/

Of course, we were joined by other RRBC members so the interview was interesting and fun!

Thanks again to RRBC!!

Joyce Shaughnessy, author: RAVE REVIEWS "SPOTLIGHT" FOR JULY - Joyce Shaughn...

Joyce Shaughnessy, author: RAVE REVIEWS "SPOTLIGHT" FOR JULY - Joyce Shaughn...:                     It has been a rare privilege to be picked as RRBC's Spotlight Author for July. From 7/01/18 - 07/07/18, I appeared...

RAVE REVIEWS "SPOTLIGHT" FOR JULY - Joyce Shaughnessy

                  

It has been a rare privilege to be picked as RRBC's Spotlight Author for July. From 7/01/18 - 07/07/18, I appeared on a Blog Tour with these amazing RRBC Authors and Bloggers:

Eric Borgerson              http://polylyric.com/blog.html#!/posts/Rave-Reviews-Book-Club-Spotlight-Author-Blog-Tour--Author-Joyce-Shaughnessy/6

Maretha Botha              https://marethmbotha.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/rrbc-spotlight-author-for-july-joyce-shaughnessy/

Laura Libricz                  https://lauralibriczblog.wordpress.com/2018/07/03/welcome-histfic-author-joyce-shaughnessy-the-rrbcspotlightauthor-for-july/

Linda Mims                   https://lindamims.com/2018/07/04/rave-reviews-book-club-shines-its-spotlight-on-author-joyce-shaughnessy/

Amnanay                       https://ammanaywrites.blogspot.com/2018/07/rrbc-spotlight-author-joyce-shaughnessy.html?m=1

Gracie Bradford            https://free1592.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/joyce-shaughnessy-romantic-historical-fiction-writer/

Marlena Smith              https://mylife428.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/rrbc-spotlight-author-blog-tour-authorjoyces/

WRITERS EXPO ONLINE AUGUST 12 - 18

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB - RRBC - is sponsoring their 3rd annual writers expo online on August 12 - 18th. 

There will be over 22 classes which you can download. You will have the opportunity to sign for as many classes as you wish. The nicest part is that you will only be charged for those classes you choose. The only charge for your "attendance" will be the accumulation of the individual charges for the classes you have signed up for.

We hope you will consider joining us in this great opportunity to learn more about the writing and publishing craft!

In order to register, go to this link:

https://rrbcwritersconferencebookexpo18.wordpress.com/register-now/

See you there!

WITH ANGEL'S WINGS by STEPHANIE A. COLLINS

     REMARKABLE BOOK!

This book is extremely well written. It has every element that makes a great novel. It makes the reader keep turning the pages and the emotions are described in such vivid detail that they can best be described as raw. I had to put the book down at times because it was so real. I especially ached for Hannah, her baby girl.

Laura’s children were born with genetic illnesses. The author described what happened in graphic, heartbreaking detail. The reader is left crying, angry, and sad. What more could one want from a book, except I sometimes felt like it was at the expense of the author and her family.

I am an editor as well as writer, and I honestly have not read any book as well written and edited as this one. In telling what is actually her own story in fictional, third party, the author doesn’t seem to hold back anything. That is one thing that made the book so remarkable.

I didn’t necessarily agree with every decision that Laura made, but that was okay. She is painted as flawed, hurt, and depressed. I look forward to any book written by Ms. Collins. She is an enormously gifted writer.