Manuela Blayne, Important and Expressive Work

"important and expressive work " 

"an excellent tale of friendship, self-discovery, and inner strength"

                                                Quotes from Readers' Favorite 

Manuela Blayne, A Life Apart

Review of Deadly Black Pearls by Jonni Rich

 Jonni Rich has the ability to use words in a clever, artistic manner, but she doesn’t allow her remarkable skill to detract from the intriguing plots of her entertaining mysteries. Her novel, Deadly Black Pearls, is a captivating tale of life in south Louisiana. At first it seems simple, but as the story progresses, Jonni reins in her readers. As I was reading, I thought I had it all figured out, but I continued to read because the concept of genteel but fun-loving women of the South fascinated me and because I wanted to discover how the romance going on in the background would turn out. About halfway through the book, the story grabbed me, and I couldn’t stop reading. Neither could I read fast enough to satisfy my appetite for the conclusion of the mystery.

Jonni Rich is truly a skilled writer. She baits her readers. The story did not end as I suspected it would, but the conclusion, which I did not guess, was in front of my face from near the beginning. How does she keep all the plot elements inside her head? Her use of language, the way she hides a subtle romance behind the plot (which is what her mystery is all about), the amusing way she portrays a book full of eccentric characters, the inclusion of social satire, and the utilization of literary techniques (for example—a doppelganger) place her in a category of authors a cut above most.

Trailer for Manuela Blayne, A Life Apart

Go here to view the trailer for Manuela Blayne, A Life Apart.

"Wear a Mask or Go to Jail" Banners

Seven Observations about Life 102 Years Ago

The setting of Letter from Belleau Wood is Mississippi, Kansas, and France in 1916-1918, These were unbelievably hard times. As usual in difficult times, women started wearing shorter skirts, although the winters of 1917 and 1918 were unusually harsh.

Letter from Belleau Wood is a soon-to-be
 released story of love,
war, and influenza. 

1. Spanish flu did not come from Spain. Some of the first recorded cases of the deadly influenza during and after World War I were at Camp Funston, a military training camp in Kansas. 
2. Conscientious Objectors (Co’s), who were usually Mennonites, served at Camp Funston during the war. They did not wear uniforms but worked at the training camp.
3. Columbus, Mississippi, had a streetcar during World War I.
4. Payne Field near West Point, Mississippi, a flight-training center during WW I, was the first airport in Mississippi, and was the first place in Mississippi to record cases of the deadly influenza of WWI.
5. Have you ever heard the term basket case? Usually it means someone who does stupid things or who cannot withstand pressure. The word is a World War I term describing a soldier who was injured so severely the he had to be carried off the battlefield in a basket. Some basket cases had lost all four limbs. (Paul Anthony Jones, "20 Slang Terms from World War I") It's an offensive term to be avoided. 
6. Mississippi University for Women as it is called now was the first state-supported college for women in the United States Chartered in 1884, it has been known for high academic standards. (www.muw.edu)
7. “Wear a Mask or Go to Jail” was a sign worn in 1918. Masks were worn.

Here's a fun-to-read article about wearing masks in 1918 and 1919.