D-Day Remembered-poem and story

    D-Day Remembered                                    

70 Years Ago- 

June 6, 1944

(this pic my uncle and some other soldiers not sure date.)

D-Day Remembered

Juno beach proud men

Brave strong fearless

Bonded for life

No grumbling,

Though it wasn’t painless

Memories haunting them still

Juno Beach, a watery grave

Boats destroyed, ninety landing craft in all

Men loaded down with equipment

Their bodies some sank

Memories haunting them still

Bodies floating on water

As surviving troops advanced

Stretched across the fifty mile shore

Bodies strewn across the beach

Looking on in horror

Memories haunting them still

As they thought

Poor men, poor devils

And guiltily thought

Thank God, it’s not me

Memories haunting them still

Parachutists falling and failing

As the surf broke the coast

Many missing targets

And drowning in fields

Memories haunting them still

Gliders aborting others

Shot on the way down

Crawling out of wreckage

To soldier on, doing duty

Memories haunting them still

Taken captive by enemy

Prisoners in this stage

In this passage of time

No balm to the recollections

Memories haunting them still

Those that survived

Remember those comrades

 They lost that day

As time lingers on

Memories haunting them still

Those who gave their all

For King and country

We remember but also

Those that suffered

Memories haunting them still

We thank them for

Making our country

Whole and safe

From tyranny and strife

Even as memories haunting them still

We thank them for

Fighting the good fight

For making Canada, remarkable

As citizens who care

We thank them still

©Sheilagh Lee  June 5, 2014

On Juno Beach

        The old man stood on the beach tears in his eyes, as he thought of the past it rolled back in his mind like he was there again.

“I don’t want to do this,” he cried as a young soldier.

 “Look around you what do you see? Bodies of good men who gave their lives; so we could continue the fight. We need to take this beach, the whole world counts on it. Besides they’d never think we’d come across in this weather.”

“Those paratroopers missed their targets, as did our R-boats. This is a disaster.”

“It’s not for you to say. We’re the 9th Canadian infantry brigade, we can take them. Join me, jump into the water and start swimming to the shore. Let’s do this,” Sarge answered.

     The boy soldier jumped into the choppy cold sea, swimming past dead soldiers, cannon fire and explosions exploding around him in the water.  He marched on past more bodies, past exploding shells, until late in the afternoon when they advanced on Carpiquet Airport. Low on ammunition they dug in for a night, that lasted a month, while bodies still fell around him.   

    The old man pulled himself back from the memories wiping his eyes, he looked towards the memorial. Seventy years ago passed since that fifteen year old boy fought and Sarge had died. Those dying boys, men and survivors were owed a duty. He would be there for the memorial every year to honour them, until he couldn’t  do anymore.

©Sheilagh Lee  June 5, 2014

My Writing Process: A Blog Tour

My Writing Process: A Blog Tour

      I was asked to participate in the "Writer's Process Blog Tour" by a wonderful friend, my birthday twin (and #1 bestselling author!) Robert “Sharky” Pruneda, 

http://sharkbaitwrites.com/2014/05/19/my-writing-process-a-blog-tour/

visit his Amazon page

http://www.amazon.com/robertpruneda/e/B004WDX2PG/?tag=sharkwrite-20

www.SharkbaitWrites.com

Robert Pruneda is best selling author of the Amazon Kindle bestselling horror novel Devil's Nightmare and contemporary family motor sports drama Pursuit of a Dream (Victory Lane: The Chronicles). He lives in south Texas and has called the Lone Star State his home all of his life. Robert Pruneda is also very active in social media and an avid gamer who can often be found fighting side-by-side with his friends on his favorite first-person shooter . . . but he prefers survival horror.

So, what exactly is The Writing Process Blog Tour? It’s pretty straightforward and simple actually. Each author who is invited to participate in the blog tour answers four questions about the writing process. The author then introduces three other authors. The idea is to help readers discover other authors that they may not have known about otherwise.

1.) What Am I Working On?

I recently completed a novel Dreams can Kill and it is now available http://amzn.to/19jRv8k Amazon #Kindle and Smashwords #Kobo http://bit.ly/16WsEIM

   Searching to retrieve memories Sharron Alexander, (recovering from a bullet wound to the head) does not know who to trust. As she struggles to recover her assailant’s identity, the assailant plays cat and mouse with her searching to retrieve something else she doesn’t recall. Sharron must fight and remember or she will find out Dreams can Kill.

I am also working on several other things...

i) I am working on the sequel to A Penny Saved a Murder Earned called A Diller a Dollar a Really Dead Scholar

     Lily Kelly, her adopted daughter Rose Brooksfield, her Great-Grandma Katha, and Amelia try to get over their trauma at the hands of a serial killer. Rose tries to overcome the whispers and innuendoes at school by joining in on school events such as basketball and choir. Rose and her friend Carol arrive early to school to participate in choir only to find the choir teacher; Mr. Scholar has been brutally murdered. Rose collapses and is brought to hospital and Lily learns more than she wants to know about Alexander Scholar as she’s drawn into the investigation. Now Lily must help Emmett, and his new partner Kendall Owens, find the killer before he or she, threaten Kelly clan yet again. This book expected out late 2014.

ii.) I am also working on a murder, mystery, paranormal book tentatively called

Third Eye

    Mary Katherine Kendall survived a horrific sinking of the ferry the Victoria on May twenty fourth, 1881 in London, Ontario only to fight back for her health and to find she now sees ghosts. Katherine must now accept the changes in her life. Katherine meets a handsome policeman as ghosts seek her help to solve their problems and murders, and she seeks to hide her abilities from all lest she be judged insane. This book expected out 2018. 

iii) I am working hard on an idea for a follow up to a diller a dollar which I am outlining before beginning expected out 2015.

2.) How does my work differ from others in the same genre?

I tend to write focus on feelings and have a lot of dialogue. I try to make my readers feel exactly as the characters feel. I know when I read a book the books I have enjoyed the most I have felt like I was right there with the character. If the reader then is anxious to turn that page and find out what will happen next then I have done my job.

3.) Why do I write what I do?

   I feel the need to write stories. I grew up with a grandmother who told stories, a father who told me folklore and war stories, and a mother and siblings who loved to tell a good story. It feels like breathing to create stories. They come to me when I’m at rest, when I’m watching others, when I go to bed at night they whisper to me until I tell the story, or at least outline them. 

4.) How does my writing process work?

   An idea or germ of a story will come to me.  I’ll write small details down about it then I may do some research details to get it started. I’ll write a chapter or two and sometimes set it aside to get some more research /and/ or ideas. I’ll outline the story and then let the story muse take it from there as sometimes that plan may take a fork in the story that just comes to me. I then rework that idea into the story so it all connects. I also write a short story, or two a week to keep the ideas coming. 

The things I always plan are:

i.) How the story will end and how it connects to the rest of the story. You can’t just let something happen out of the blue. If you’ve changed something you have to go back read through and make sure the entire story connects.

ii.) Some kind of conflict for the protagonist that makes you care about, that the reader will care about.

iii.) Someone who can support the protagonist.

iiii.) Happy endings, (yes, I tend to write that way) but don’t always count on a happy ending staying that way.

iiiii.) When I’m writing my series I want my characters to grow and become even more likeable or not likeable.

iiiiii) I'm sure you've heard the old saying 'The devil is in the details'  if a writer writes something minor like eye color, hair color and key names incorrectly the reader will catch it. so I try very hard to keep that from happening by keeping a bible of details especially for my series books.

The hardest part about writing? Taking apart what you've written and editing and then editing some more. It doesn't end when you publish either, you then must market the book and find people to review the book. The real pleasure for me? Knowing someone has read that book and enjoyed it. 

Thank you for taking the time to read about my writing process. So enough about me, here are two other writers you should read about.

1.) Jack D. Albrecht Jr. @jackdalbrechtjr  on twitter 

- Two time #Kindle #1 Best-Selling author of Osric's Wand series 
Amazon page   http://amzn.to/1i0cb6r
Blog- http://anauthorsramblings.blogspot.ca/







2.) Nicole Pyles   @BeingTheWriter on twitter      
visit her blog  http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.ca/    

Author of Underneath My Clothes, I am Naked Too - an incredible book of poetry.



Available for Purchase on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Underneath-Clothes-Naked-Too-ebook/dp/B0092B8WOO

view her writing habits http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.ca/2014/05/quirky-writing-habits-what-are-yours.html

Birthday Writer "Twin' Big E-Books & Book #Giveaway #WINNERS

Thank you all for entering our contest and making our birthdays special. Congratulations to all our winners!!! Drum roll and the

winners are...

For the autographed paperback  Devil's Nightmare(Canada and US only) and 10 winners of this ebook 

 

Go to Sharky's blog  http://sharkbaitwrites.com/2014/06/02/birthday-twins-book-giveaway-winners/ to find the answer (check because some lucky people won both of our e-books) and congratulations  

The 5 people that won  1 free e-book version of each of Love’s Labours Won & sequels are listed here...

1.)Alice Quinn               
2.)Jai Gagne                       
 3.)Janet Pluchinsky (please contact me as your email doesn't work at lilybrooksfield@gmail.com)

4.)Kristen Perry (please contact me as your email doesn't work at lilybrooksfield@gmail.com)

5.)Leigh Francis

        Please check your email for details   if for some reason you are unable to obtain the ebook in kindle please let me know at 

lilybrooksfield@ gmail .com and I would be happy to send a copy to you.                                                   

6 additional people won 1 free e-book version each of A Penny Saved a Murder Earned  & (companion or stand alone novella) A Stitch in Time

They are 
1.)Jai Gagne
2,) Deb LeFaivre
3.)Janet Pluchinsky
 4.)Julia Wicker
5.)Maureen Coughlin  
                    6.)  Olivia Byrd 

   please check your email for details       
   

5 others won 1 free e-book version of Dreams can Kill

1.)Chris Burke                

2.)Colin Quirke

                   

3.)Elliot Waugh 

               

4.)Julia Wicker 

               

5.)Lavender Smith          

  Please check your email for details  Thank you all again for participating. please collect your prizes by June 30th, 2014 or prizes become null and void  

Birthday Writer "Twin' Big E-Books & Book #Giveaway #WIN

    
WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


It’s our birthday week (May 23 at 12 pm to June 2 at 12 noon, (we know that's not a week but we want to give you lots of chances to win)  (not the same year, but the same day May 28th) so... 

                                                                                                          

 Rob 'Sharky'                                                 &        Sheilagh Lee   
http://sharkbaitwrites.com/ http://sharkbaitwrites.com/                                                                                                         
                                                                                                       

Want to let you possibly win presents. That's 

right we want you to win........................................

FREE STUFF like a FREE E-Books and Book!!!!

The gifts you may win? 

1.) 10 people could win 1 free e-book version of Devil’s Nightmare (gifted via Amazon.com) 

http://sharkbaitwrites.com/sharks-books-stories/devils-nightmare/

2.) and 1 lucky person an autographed paperback 

of Devil’s Nightmare(shipped to (U.S. / Canada only)

3.) 5 people could win 1 free e-book version of each of Love’s Labours Won 

http://bit.ly/qZ7Gjk                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

& sequel A Tiger’s Heart Wrapped in a Player’s Hide http://bit.ly/1gQfYbK

plus the companion or read alone short novella Reborn http://bit.ly/1hrZIKb

(That’s 3 free e- books for those five people)

4.) 5 additional people could win 1 free e-book version each of A Penny Saved a Murder Earned  & (companion or stand alone novella) A Stitch in Time

(That’s 2 e-books for those 5 people)

                                                                                                             http://bit.ly/1jVu9qq                                                                                                                               http://bit.ly/1cikOv0

5.) 5 others could win 1 free e-book version of Dreams can Kill

http://bit.ly/1lRoEvD

  

So what are you waiting for? Get your entries in today and good luck!!

To enter to win sign into Rafflecopter: 

1) Sign up to Sharky’s blog-3 entries

2.) Sign up to Sheilagh’s blog -3 entries

3.) Sign up to Twitter accounts- 3 entries each     

4.) Sign up to Facebook accounts- 3 entries each account total (6)

5.) Tweeting about this contest -3 entries

6.) Commenting on this contest in a blog post- 1 entry

7.) Must enter your email address how else can we contact you when and if you win? 1 entry 
8.) All prizes must be collected by June 30th, 2014 or prizes become null and void  

a Rafflecopter giveaway   In the event of a small amount of entries we reserve the right to arbitrarily decide winners
How many people can win? It depends on how many of you sign use the rafflecopter 

International ME/CFS & FM Awareness Day #Spoonies #Fibro #ME

May 12th is International ME/CFS & FM Awareness Day in honour of that day and the fact that this week is International  ME/CFS & FM Awareness Week 

Like a lot of fibromyalgia and multi-chemical sensitivity patients I hate talking about it. We suffer in silence (after all who wants to hear someone complain day after day, that they are in  pain/and or are tired, or breathed-in/ ate / were exposed to something that made them feel sick.  Or all three? The days we complain are usually the worst days when we feel if we don't say anything will explode from the extreme level of pain/or tiredness that feels like it's taking over our every waking moment. stealing our life away. The word we hate to say most CANT. Sooner or later that word is uttered and we hate to say it.

Have you ever had the flu? Think of your flu at it's worst and double or triple that, sometimes that is our good day. We try hard to appear normal and do normal things like everyone else so we don't often appear sick. Others are worse off and can not even get out of bed/ eat/ or live any type of normal life.

Millions of people around the world suffer in silence,we don't want sympathy we just want to be heard.This disease needs research, so they can find the roots of this disease and cure it, for more info on this disease.  http://www.disabled-world.com/health/fibromyalgia/

Fibromyalgia Quick Facts

• Affects 3 to 5 percent of the general population
• Occurs in people of all ages, even children
• Men develop fibromyalgia too, although more women are diagnosed with it
• Symptoms are chronic but may fluctuate throughout the day
• Roughly one-quarter of people with fibromyalgia are work-disabled
• FDA approved the first drug for fibromyalgia in 2007 and more treatments are being developed but most find no relief.

 Top Twelve Fibromyalgia Symptoms    

     

• Pain all over
• Fatigue
• Sleep difficulties
• Brain fog
• Morning stiffness
• Muscle knots, cramping, weakness
• Digestive disorders
• Headaches/migraines
• Balance problems
• Itchy/burning skin
• No relief from symptoms
• Chemical sensitivities

                                                                          

A tribute to my Mother

So this weekend is Mother’s Day and like a lot of daughter’s, I am motherless now. to all of you who are like me motherless remember all the good things and keep your mom alive in hearts and minds by sharing stories of them.

     My mother was an, is always in my mind. She taught me so many things about compassion, kindness and generosity. My mother had a hard life. We never had a lot of money and she had six children to clothe and feed, but we always had clothes on our backs, food on our table and loads of love. My mother loved nature and would entertain us not with expensive trips, but with long walks to see the wildflowers, spring and other nature wonders. In the summer we’d pick wild berries and flowers. We had fun and often our friends we’d join our parties as we’d bring picnics with us.  I remember my childhood as fun and love filled. I never had expensive toys or things but never wanted for anything.

      She taught us the value of hard work showing us that hard work could be rewarded with fun walks and trips that cost little.

    My mother as I said never had a lot of money but there was always in her mind enough to share with others that had even less. I remember one time she heard that someone with four children had lost all their possessions in a house fire. She gave clothes of her own and ours as well as asking us to look through our toys and find toys that we’re in good shape that we could share with them. We did so willingly and happily.

    Many of our friends found refuge at our house. They found a willing ear, a comforting voice and a place to stay if they needed. If anyone of her children needed her she was there, with advice or anything else we needed without judgement. I miss here every day, but when I hear my voice as  I give my daughter’s advice or offer them what I was taught I know that I was the luckiest of people to have a mother like mine. So even though my mother is gone I am wishing her Happy Mother's Day. I was blessed I hope you are too!

'

This was one of her favourite pictures when she was eighteen with her pet crow 'Doc'.

Doc could talk like parrot but that's another story.

 ©Sheilagh Lee May 9, 2014

How I Met Your Mother, or what it should have been called #HIMYM #FINALE

If you haven’t see How I Met Your Mother’s finale discontinue reading now, spoilers ahead. The views here are entirely my opinion.

     I was long-time fan of How I Met Your Mother. I watched every show and re-watched them in re-runs. I had thought the story of how Ted met the mother charming. Ted wanted to meet the perfect woman and be married and have children. He wanted to be like his friends Marshall and Lily and find true love. The way Ted went through women was long and arduous, but we knew it would all turn out alright because the writers throughout the series showed as glimpses of the mother in shadow, or in the character’s words. The yellow umbrella showed us true love would prevail. Barney grew and become a different person with Robin, faithful and truthful. Lily and Marshall were the consummate couple who fought for their love. They gave and took to make it all work.

   Last night was the finale I heard the rumours that the mother would die, but I chose not to believe them, after all hadn’t the actress who played the mother Christin Miloti denied that this would happen? I trust too much!

http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/03/10/how-i-met-your-mother-cristin-milioti/ 

    I watched the first half hour last night with very little of how Ted met the mother and started to wonder where is the finale I’ve waited for? The second half started with a glossing over of how Ted and the mother (Tracy) had two kids without marriage and Barney and Robin getting divorced. I thought, okay, the second hour will show us more of his meeting of the mother and the love story instead his meeting of the mother which according to the title should have been the climax of the show, became an anti-climax. The mother dying and telling the story six years after her death, a postscript to a background of Barney going on a legendary (crudely put) thirty-one day banging session (something we thought he had grown-up from) and impregnating an unknown woman. Barney then goes all ga-ga over his daughter and becomes a different person with young women (more of a protective father). Ted continues telling the story to his kids who tell him in the end to just date Aunt Robin. Ted then takes the blue horn to Robin that he stole for her years ago.

    Maybe if all of this had happened in the third year of the series it would have made more sense, but I think one of the biggest problems I had with the show ~ the misogynist writing of the entire series.  Barney always the consummate playboy and the women falling for it portrayed woman as sex objects but I dismissed that as Barney and his character flaws but all those qualms were brought up again by the final story. It appears three women were only in the series to give birth. One of them Lily! 

    Where was the mention of her brilliant career as a painter, sculptor etc.? No, the story went on about Lily having her third child and supporting Marshall as a Supreme Court Judge and then as a political wife. Barney divorces Robin because of her career and then goes back to his old ways, finally getting caught by impregnating a strange woman who was even important enough to show the viewers. She’s just mentioned so she can give Barney a daughter to change his life. Ted’s wife, Tracy gave birth to two beautiful kids and dies eleven years after they met just so Ted can get back with Robin. 

So kids, sorry your mother was just a stop gap, until I came to my senses and got back with the real love of my life Robin good thing your mother died! 

      This made me hate Ted. How could he have told his children that he loved Robin all along,  He might as well have said I never cared a wit about your mother. The women on the show at this point seemed to be  only good for one thing  having children. Robin couldn’t have kids, so she although she was apparently the love of Ted’s life, he married another woman he claimed to love Tracy, had two children with her, and gravitates back to Robin after an arbitrary acceptable time after Tracy dies. So he waited a number of years so what? The fact that he drifted back to Robin shows how messed up this story-line was. Robin was Barney’s ex-wife and therefore should have been off limits forever. He said when she married Barney he didn't love her anymore he moved on...lies all lies. Don’t get me started on how this story-line was always planned by the writers. Really? When you’re writing you have to gauge how that writing is  responded to by your readers, or in this case viewers.  Who do the viewer’s see as couples? Where do they see the story going? What you planned nine years ago may not work because of  what you’ve since written and because of  the viewer’s perception from watching those actors perform your lines. 

    I know they filmed the children nine years ago, but lines can be dubbed. The writers could have corrected the problems with this script and plots and have made it a story-line to remember. 

     The sweet presence of Tracy ( as played by Christin Miloti) made us root for her and Ted. We were getting the fairy-tale ending the title had let us to believe in. The cute destiny thing, the thread that held the show throughout the season, was broken when they killed the mother off, before we even got to see much of her. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have killed of the mother (though I hated that story-line, it happens in real life people die) but having a whole season where they get the viewers invested in a Robin and Barney marriage only to pullout the rug from under the viewers and have them divorce made the viewers feel totally depressed and was a let down of giant proportions . Then to have Barney revert to old behaviours and have the one thing Robin wanted ( a child) made the viewers hope that Robin would now get back with Barney. But no, they had a vision and they went with that. 

  The viewers felt that last night’s finale had them participating in leg- an -( wait for it) dary slap bet. We leave the television viewing field battered and bruised wishing this had all be an early April fool’s joke and wishing we hadn't invested nine years in a finale that should have been called How I Met Your Step-mother.
A wonderful fan made this video on YouTube  of how it should have went down and I agree
check it out there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0caCEG1nH3E&feature=share

©Sheilagh Lee April 1, 2014