French Morocco felt nothing like home. The native Arabs’ dusty white robes and head wraps were picturesque, but the men’s piercing glares seemed ominous. Soldiers who’d survived the 1942 invasion of North Africa didn’t know what to make of them. Horse-drawn vehicles filled the streets of Port Lyautey where my father’s medical company had landed.… Read more »

Underneath his heavy winter gear in this photo, my father was a scrawny relic of the man who shipped out from the U.S. three years earlier. This Veterans’ Day, I want to acknowledge the Ninth Infantry Division’s role in World War II and every man who served in it. My book, SECRET BATTLES, strives to… Read more »

This December 7 will mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that catapulted this country into World War II. More than 2,400 died in the surprise attack, including service members and civilians. Sixteen U.S. battleships, cruisers and other warships were sunk or disabled. Numerous aircraft were damaged or destroyed. The… Read more »

Ernie Pyle’s 1944 book “Brave Men” saved my novel. I never expected the research for “Secret Battles” to be so difficult. Hadn’t thousands of fiction and non-fiction books been written about World War II? Hadn’t the 9th Infantry Division – around which my book is centered – been instrumental in three major invasions during that… Read more »

And then there were two. Only two World War II veterans from the 9th Infantry Division attended their reunion this year. The rest of us at the 76th annual event were mostly the widows, sons and daughters of veterans. We gathered in Fayetteville, North Carolina, last week to dedicate a bronze plaque at Fort Bragg… Read more »

  The launch party and book signing for my novel SECRET BATTLES on Sunday couldn’t have delighted me more. So many friends and supporters came! I wish I had more time with each of them. Some guests were talented local writers who had seen my earliest attempts at the novel more than a decade ago.… Read more »

Ready, set, go! My copies are here and I’m ready for my book launch this Sunday. By now, I hope visitors to my website have been able to sample my previous blog posts and read the excerpt from SECRET BATTLES posted here. I’ll officially launch my historical fiction novel Sept. 12 at the Writer’s Block… Read more »

Although money was tight in the early 1940s, my mother still strived to be fashionable. Her outfit in this photo reflects the era’s most popular styles: padded, puffed shoulders; buttoned down jacket; knee-length A-line skirt; sturdy shoes. The war affected everything then, even fashion. Frugality was expected. The military’s needs came first. If it needed… Read more »

It’s official! My novel, Secret Battles, will be launched on Sunday, September 12, at the Writer’s Block Bookstore in Winter Park. Mark your calendars to join the celebration. My book will be on sale and I’ll be signing copies between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Refreshments will be served. This December will mark the 80th… Read more »

Handwritten letters felt like lifesavers during World War II, a slender thread of connection during an era of danger and loneliness. For the most part, they were written in cursive. Educated people used that writing technique, which was nothing like calligraphy of old. Cursive was more practical than artistic. Students learned it in elementary school.… Read more »