Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Elmer Fuller

 Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Elmer Fuller!

I’m pleased to welcome Elmer Fuller to my blog for the first time.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

As I approached retirement, I decided to write a novel based on the stories my father told about growing up in the Ozarks during the Great Depression. As a child, I listened to him tell about the crazy things he did with his friends and brothers, like catching a buzzard. When I retired, an author friend pointed me to the American Christian Fiction Writers, and I began my journey of writing faith-friendly historical fiction.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Writing a novel has a similar pleasure to reading one. Both allow you to enter an imaginary world and experience it along with the characters. Add to that the satisfaction you receive in solving a puzzle. Crafting a story requires solving problems. What motivates my main character? What problems do they face? How has the past shaped them?

What does your writing space look like?

A small desk holding a laptop sits at a window overlooking my front yard. One side is cluttered with books and papers, but I also always make room for a coaster and a cup of coffee! The books include a Bible and whatever I need for my current work-in-progress. Currently, a Bible atlas and two books on manners and customs of the Bible complete the stack.

How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?

I have one book published, though I’ve written three novels and a novella. As for my favorite, it seems to be whichever I’m writing at the time.

What questions do you ask yourself when preparing to write a new book?

I’ve learned from discussions with agents that I need to ask two questions. First, is my idea a story? Is

the character I’ve imagined interesting? Are the situation and setting intriguing? What is the theme? For example, in Kate’s Crucible, Kate struggles to understand God’s will. I knew that would be a theme before I began.

I’ve learned the second question to ask is whether a market exists for the story. I may find a story idea fascinating, but readers may not.

What was your inspiration for the story?

I was researching a different story when I got the idea for Kate’s Crucible. The story was set in 1855 during the early settlement of the Kansas Territory. If you know your history, settlers were racing to Kansas, not simply to claim land, but to determine whether slavery would exist in the new state. People favoring slavery were moving from Missouri and Kentucky, while those wanting the state to be free flocked from New England.

An organization in Boston called the New England Emigrant Aid Company recruited and led settlers to Kansas, traveling by rail to the Mississippi River, then by steamboat to Kansas City, where they loaded wagons and entered the territory. I came across this company’s lists of settlers during my research.

The list included names, occupations, and departure cities. Most of the names were men traveling alone, though some took their families. A few women were listed who were traveling west to join their husbands who had staked a claim earlier. The name of a single woman stood out to me. I began asking questions about why she would travel to Kansas, and the questions grew into the novel.

How do you develop your characters? (e.g. decide on their vocation, names, etc.)?

Once I have my main character, I look for historical characters in the setting I’ve chosen. I also begin to brainstorm other fictional characters I need. I try to fill story roles like antagonist, sidekick, mentor, or love interest.

Once I have the major characters, I complete a worksheet that includes physical description, personality type, quirks, and habits. For major characters, I list their goals and backstories, including any traumatic events that have shaped them.

Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?

I read the reviews of my book and consider it an important way to listen to my readers. I know my readers appreciate historical details and accuracy as well as a good story. I’ve also received a few emails and a couple of letters. One woman wrote about the characters she liked and wanted to see in sequels.

What is your next project?

Birth of a Warrior will release in early September. Haunted by his father's rejection and branded a coward, seventeen-year-old Benaiah must prove his courage on the battlefield as a member of King Saul’s army and overcome the shame that threatens to destroy him. I know men drawn to the warrior ethos and women drawn to a redemptive arc will love it.

Social Media Links

Website with blog: https://www.elmerfuller.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElmerFuller
X (Twitter): https://x.com/E_Fuller_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/32095288.Elmer_Fuller
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elmer-fuller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fullerelmer/

About Kate’s Crucible 

Would you leave your loved ones to fight slavery?

In 1855, pro-slavery and free-state people flock to the Kansas Territory bent on winning the slavery issue for the new state—the conflict dubbed "Bleeding Kansas." Nineteen-year-old Kate Collins leaves family, safety, and a suitor in Boston, convinced God has called her to fight slavery by teaching in the wild territory.

Constant problems challenge her, and the schoolroom she crossed the country to lead always seems out of reach. If God truly called her to teach in Kansas, why does he keep closing every door she tries to walk through?

Will Kate sacrifice love for her calling, or discover that God can redeem both?

Set against the turbulent backdrop of pre–Civil War America, Kate's Crucible is Christian historical fiction for readers who love:

• Strong yet vulnerable heroines who wrestle honestly with faith
• Frontier settings where courage is tested, and convictions cost something
• Clean, hopeful romance woven into real historical events
• Stories that explore justice, calling, and the power of perseverance

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/41dsX0p

Photo Credits:

Author photo and book image: Courtesy Elmer Fuller

Computer: Pixabay/Markus Spiske

Chalk faces: Pixabay/Adrian

Wartime Wednesday: Operation Paperclip

 

Wartime Wednesday: Operation Paperclip

My father-in-law worked for IBM, and from the late 1960s through 1975 worked at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama on the Apollo program. One of his projects was the communication ring on the Saturn V rocket, a rocket that NASA had thanks to German-born aerospace engineer and rocket designer Wernher von Braun who’d been relocated to the U.S. as part of Operation Paperclip. I often wondered how my father-in-law felt about working with a man who’d once been a member of the Nazi party, although it was later determined he joined to advance his career and avoid jail.

When the Allies advanced into Germany, they discovered a plethora of advanced research and scientific talent. (Unsurprising, since German rockets and bombs had been pummeling Europe for most of the war). But the U.S. realized they could use the German expertise in the fight against the Japanese as well as provide a boost to military research. In July 1945, the Joint Chiefs of Staff created Operation Overcast, later merged with and called Operation Paperclip. Army and Navy teams were sent to “locate and acquire information, hardware, and people.” A mission assigned to Colonel Holger N. Toftoy, chief of U.S. Army Ordnance Technical Intelligence in Europe, was to find and ship components for 100 V-2 missiles.

Thousands of German scientists and engineers in the fields of rocketry, aviation, chemical and

biological warfare, medicine, petroleum were interviewed immediately after the war with the intent to offer them six-month and one-year contracts for employment in the United States. Japan surrendered a mere three months later, but knowing the advantages of a long-term relationship with the scientists the program continued, only now as a one of permanent immigration: the adversary now the Russians and the resulting Cold War.

Needless to say, the program was highly classified as the military did not want the general public to know they had brought ex-Nazis to America. The initial group was composed of 125 individuals, including von Braun, and they were set up at Fort Bliss (Texas) to develop a cruise missile. Four years later, the group moved to Redstone Arsenal where the Army’s nuclear-armed ballistic missile program was located. After the Russians launched Sputnik in 1957, von Braun and his team were tasked with getting the U.S. into space.

Ultimately over 1,500 specialists and their families were brought to the United States. As the years passed, most became naturalized American citizens and were absorbed into the military as well as industrial and academic positions. Did the project advance American science, technology and national security? Yes, but did the ends justify the means? Some of the individuals recruited had perpetrated war crimes and should have been put on trial. Instead, their records were covered up with the excuse of being desperately needed to fight communism.

With the declassification of the files in the 1980s, the program came under scrutiny by the general public with mixed response.

__________________

Norwegian Nights (The Resistance Chronicles, Book 2)

Can their marriage endure a debilitating injury, a devastating loss, and a world war?

The second anniversary of Germany’s occupation of Norway has passed with no end in sight, so Gustav Westgard and his wife are still exiled on Shetland. He’s convinced Oda’s miscarriage would have been prevented back in Norway and decides he must return to his homeland to do whatever possible to rid the country of its invaders. Will he live to see liberation?

Grieving the loss of her baby, Oda turns toward her heavenly Father as Gustav retreats inside himself. Rather than try to stop him after she discovers he plans to join the Norwegian resistance, she stows away onboard the ship taking him home. Can she convince him that they are better united in a cause than apart?

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/bwl5qv

Sources:
https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/project-paperclip-and-american-rocketry-after-world-war-ii
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/operation-paperclip
https://mjhnyc.org/events/from-wwii-to-the-space-race-the-story-of-project-paperclip/
https://www.nasa.gov/people/wernher-von-braun/
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-werner-von-braun-sent-america-to-the-moon
https://wsmrmuseum.com/2022/03/28/operation-paperclip-at-fort-bliss-1945-1950/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip

Photo Credits:
Dr. Wernher von Braun: Courtesy http://www.nasa.gov
V-2 Rocket: https://wsmrmuseum.com/
German Scientists: By U.S. Army - Officials of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency

On Tour! The Last Disciple

 

On Tour! The Last Disciple

About the Book

Book: The Last Disciple: Sharing the Gospel (The Last Disciple Book 5)

Author: Kurt Brouwer

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release Date: December 19, 2025

Discover the Untold Story of Sharing the Gospel Message

John, the last disciple of Christ, holds the completed Gospel of John in his hand. But when an earthquake strikes, he and his two scribes, Emmaus and Avram, must fight fire and destruction to preserve the precious scroll.

The epic saga of the Last Disciple continues in this captivating new Christian historical novel from Kurt Brouwer.

Stand With John the Last Disciple of Christ

John had followed Jesus for three years. He saw the Son of God sacrifice his life on the Cross; he entered the empty tomb after Jesus rose from the grave; and he watched his Lord and Savior ascend to heaven from the Mount of Olives.

Now his mission is to share his eyewitness account of Jesus with believers throughout the Roman Empire. In the face of grave difficulties, God provides help from two surprising sources. Tiberius Celsus, a Roman officer and unlikely ally, brings a copy of the Gospel of John all the way from Ephesus to the believers in Antioch. And the Apostle Timothy helps John fulfill his divine mission of sharing the story of Christ with believers in Ephesus.

Temptation And Betrayal Plague Believers

John also faces human fear and frailty among believers. Archelaus, a wine merchant, resists temptation and returns to the faith. Diotrephes, a former church leader, betrays both his faith and his fellow believers.

If you’re struggling with doubt, searching for meaning, or are hungry to deepen your faith, The Last Disciple: Sharing the Gospel is the Christian novel you’ve been waiting for—biblically accurate fiction that strengthens and informs your faith.

Have you ever wondered what it truly cost to preserve, protect, and share Scripture? Do you long to experience the unwavering devotion of the early Christians? The Last Disciple: Sharing the Gospel will help you transform and renew your spiritual journey.

Don’t miss this fascinating tale of believers uniting to share the gospel message of salvation and the hope and promise of eternal life.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Kurt just released The Last Disciple: Sharing the Gospel on Amazon in both ebook and paperback versions. Amazon tagged it as the #1 New Release in Christian Classics & Allegories. This is the fifth book in the epic saga of the Apostle John, the last disciple of Christ.

By way of background, Kurt retired a few years back as the chairman and co-founder of an investment management / financial advisory firm in California. He spent 36 years in that industry, the last 27 in the firm he founded. Over that time, he also wrote two investment books and articles in publications ranging from Forbes to the San Francisco Chronicle to Pension World. But now that’s ancient history. Kurt lives a quiet life with his wife so he should be hanging out at the beach, playing golf, and taking it easy, right?

Well, he does all that from time to time, but what gets him fired up these days is writing The Last Disciple Series of Christian historical novels as well as penning periodic blog posts on his web site.

An Interview with Kurt:

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Having a never-ending string of tasks I need to have done last week or yesterday at the latest. But seriously, I love researching and writing about the first century Christians. Not just important Biblical characters like the Apostle John, but also ordinary people who lived and loved and believed in Jesus.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Understanding the history of those days in the first century AD takes a great deal of time and effort. Studying those days can turn up confusing or even contradictory things. I often run into people who “know” a factoid about Sunday worship, Emperor Constantine, the life of Mary the mother of Jesus, or some other topic. As a famous president once said, “It’s not what you don’t know that hurts you; it’s what you know that ain’t so.” –President Ronald Reagan

As humans we are prone to erroneous thinking because we slap our own beliefs and thoughts and rules on people from earlier times.

Consider the lives and thoughts of two first century Christians–A Greek shepherd living near Laodicea in what is now Turkey versus a Messianic Jewish scholar living in Jerusalem. Their respective days of worship, types of prayer, chosen language, reading ability and much more would likely be quite different. Yet I have had people like to lump these folks into one batch. They all worshiped on the Sabbath (Saturday) or they were all pacifists like Jesus. Or, everyone knows Mary moved to Ephesus with John…

Can you share a real-life event that inspired your writing?

Early one morning when it was still dark outside, I was reading and researching books of the Bible. I read a short piece from BibleGateway.com that showed estimated dates when New Testament books were published. One thing struck me then and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The Gospel of John was probably published fifty years or more after the Crucifixion of Christ! I could not stop wondering what John did all those years? Where did he live? Why did it take so long to write the fourth gospel? 

My fascination with the life of the Apostle John led me to seek answers to these questions and I found the Bible to be pretty limited on the actual life of John. Early Christians covered him, but they contradicted each other. I was frustrated because I really wanted to ‘know’ more about him. But knowing involved researching and also making decisions about what was likely true and what was not. However, in order to make those decisions, I need to know more, to research more, to really understand the lives of the first Christians. As I went forward, I felt called to create this series of Christian historical novels about John, the last disciple.

What was the best money you spent as a writer?

Buying books about John and the lives of the early Christians. I have a research resources appendix in each of my books that spells out my sources.

How do you come up with story lines/book topic?

I have just taken John’s life and extrapolated where he might have gone, what he did. I have a theme that runs through them–the books John wrote.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 17

Simple Harvest Reads, April 18 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, April 19 (Author Interview)

Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, April 19

Guild Master, April 20 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 21

Fiction Book Lover, April 22 (Author Interview)

Books, Books, & More Books, April 23 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 24 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 25

Books Less Travelled, April 26 (Author Interview)

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, April 27 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 27

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, April 28 (Author Interview)

Lights in a Dark World, April 29

Stories By Gina, April 30 (Author Interview) 

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Kurt is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/ecRzf/the-last-disciple-sharing-the-gospel-celebration-tour-giveaway

Traveling Tuesday: Latin America During WW2

 

Traveling Tuesday: 

Latin America During World War II

Little is written about Latin America’s presence during World War II. Both a geographical and cultural region, Latin America is composed of countries that primarily speak Spanish and Portuguese: Mexico, most of Central and South America, and parts of the Caribbean. Initially neutral most of South America joined the Allies as the war progressed, with several declaring war on Japan shortly after the attack at Pearl Harbor. Eight of the twenty-six nations who signed the Declaration of the United Nations on January 1, 1942 which stated they would “employ all their resources in the war against the Axis powers” were Latin American.

The largest of the Latin American countries, Brazil sent troops to the European Theater (the only Latin American country to do so). Formed after the Casablanca Conference the Brazilian Expeditionary Force fought in the Italian Campaign as well as the Battle of the Atlantic. Known for its “tenacity and bravery” the BEF took nearly 21,000 prisoners. Brazil also provided air bases to the Allies for resupply operations.

Mexico sent their Escuadrón 201 (the Aztec Eagles), a fighter squadron of 300 volunteers to the Pacific

Theater. They also flew missions in the Philippines alongside the U.S. air force. Additionally, Mexico provided oil and war materiel to the U.S. under the “Good Neighbor Policy” as well as workers under the Bracero Program.

Because of the disruption of trade with Europe, Latin American found itself dependent upon trade with the United States, a mixed blessing. A high demand for products such as petroleum, platinum, copper, cotton, nitrate for American industries brought money into Latin America, but created shortages which ultimately resulted in inflation.

Under Lend-Lease, enacted in March 1941, America provided food, equipment, weapons, and other supplies free of charge but in exchange for military bases and assisting in defense of the Western Hemisphere. Fair or not, as the largest Latin American country, Brazil received about 75% of the Lend-Lease Aid. Interestingly, Argentina and Chile received very little and only toward the end of the war when they agreed to sever relations with the Axis powers.

____________

Norwegian Nights (The Resistance Chronicles, Book 2)

Can their marriage endure a debilitating injury, a devastating loss, and a world war?

The second anniversary of Germany’s occupation of Norway has passed with no end in sight, so Gustav Westgard and his wife are still exiled on Shetland. He’s convinced Oda’s miscarriage would have been prevented back in Norway and decides he must return to his homeland to do whatever possible to rid the country of its invaders. Will he live to see liberation?

Grieving the loss of her baby, Oda turns toward her heavenly Father as Gustav retreats inside himself. Rather than try to stop him after she discovers he plans to join the Norwegian resistance, she stows away onboard the ship taking him home. Can she convince him that they are better united in a cause than apart?

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/bwl5qv

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America_during_World_War_II
https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft567nb3f6&chunk.id=d0e271&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e271&brand=eschol
https://omniatlas.com/maps/south-america/19450420/
https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2018/08/good-neighbors-stories-from-latin-america-in-world-war-ii/
https://www.oas.org/fpdb/press/World-War-II-and-Its-Lasting-Impact-on-the-Americas-and-the-Inter-American-System-(2).pdf

Photo Credits:
Map: https://omniatlas.com

Aztec Eagles and US Air Force Members: National Museum of World War II

Discovering Long Lost Relatives: A Guest Post by Becky Van Vleet

Discovering Long Lost Relatives

By Becky Van Vleet

The expression of experiencing a dream of a lifetime became a reality for me when I least expected it. In June 2024, as my husband and I embarked on our 50th anniversary trip to Europe with another couple, little did I know it would turn into a journey beyond my wildest imagination, discovering long lost relatives in Bardejov, Slovakia. Was I looking for them? No. But what took place was a family reunion ordained by God. He placed a capstone on the loose ends of my family tree.

My paternal grandmother, Alzbeta Holeva, had immigrated to America from Czechoslovakia (today known as Slovakia) over one hundred years ago. She left behind her brother, Wincent, who married and had two sons. She longed to meet his family. But as time passed, and my grandmother settled into her new life in America, communication with her family back in Czechoslovakia dwindled. Much to her surprise, Wincent came to visit her in the United States later on and brought photographs of his wife and sons. He lived with my grandmother and her family for a period of time but then disappeared without a trace. The mystery of what happened to him haunted my grandmother. She grieved. As a young boy, my father would study the faces of these boys close to his age. Cousins. He yearned to meet them. Why couldn’t they climb trees together?

The years passed with unanswered questions about Wincent and his family. Alzbeta, my dear

grandmother, crossed over to heaven in 1972, never seeing her brother again. A loss she’d grappled with. In 1990, my father and I discussed the elusive branch of our family tree at my kitchen table and studied the photographs of his cousins. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could track them down? Were they still alive? Whatever happened to Uncle Wincent? However, with too many gaps in information and no internet or ancestry sites at the time, it seemed like an impossible task. A disappointing end of that line on the family tree. A mystery it would remain. Unless God chose to reveal it.

Through a series of emails before our anniversary trip, I connected with Radovan Dvorsky from the Ministry Office in Bardejov, equivalent to a Chamber of Commerce. My initial intention was to gather information for the novel I was writing about my grandmother's immigration story, Her Strength Within. Maybe a resident from Bardejov could help me?

When I met with Radovan, God stepped in. Mystery solved! Here is an anniversary gift for you, my daughter. Tears of joy and adulation cannot be described when Radovan connected me with my father’s second and third cousins, Villiam Holeva Sr. and Villiam Holeva Jr. I asked, “Are we cousins? Really?” Talk about shock! The questions flew amidst laughter and hugs from all three men. Although my father’s first cousins had passed away, it was truly a gift from God to finally meet the distant cousins and fill in the gaps of our family history.

In that incredible moment, I saw God' s hand at work. Long-lost family reunited through what could only be divine intervention. My husband and I maintain our connection with our Slovak relatives and with Radovan, the interpreter who bridged our worlds. We'll return. This reunion was God's gift—every piece arranged with perfect precision, a testament to His love and the beautiful surprises He still had in store for us.

Featured book: Her Strength Within

The lush, green hills of Poland and Czechoslovakia are all that Alzbeta Holeva has ever known. Yet, as a nineteen-year-old peasant girl in 1921, her life is on the brink of a drastic upheaval. Papa plans to send her to America for a better life. The very thought of severing ties with her family, abandoning her homeland, and facing the frightening unfamiliarity of a new country fills her with an overwhelming dread.

Although her aunt and uncle are willing to sponsor her and have already braved the journey successfully, the thought of venturing alone to a distant land makes her stomach roil. Still, with the haunting memories of German military planes menacing the skies of her childhood and her brothers later embroiled in the horrors of the Great War, she must summon every shred of courage to embrace Papa’s plan. She would pave the way for the rest of her family to follow. At last, Alzbeta steps onto the SS La Touraine, the mighty vessel that will carry her across the perilous Atlantic waves to an uncertain future. The grueling trials awaiting her in steerage passage will forever change the course of her life and shape her path toward America. Inspired by a true story.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/3Oj1B5T

Social Media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckyvanvleet/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-van-vleet-0388982a6/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becky_van_vleet_author/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beckyvanvleet/
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3INHIPB
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/125841473-becky-van-vleet
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/becky-van-vleet

Photo credits:

Author photo and book image: courtesy Becky Van Vleet

Map of Slovakia: Google Maps

Bardejov: Pixabay/Maciek

Movie Monday: The Blue Dahlia

Movie Monday: The Blue Dahlia

Released April 19, 1946, The Blue Dahlia is a classic film noir and mystery, and  author Raymond Chandler’s first original screenplay. The movie was directed by George Marshall who got his start in Hollywood as an extra in silent films. Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and William Bendix head the cast. For those unfamiliar with the genre, film noir uses high-contrast black-and-white lighting, heavy shadows, rain-soaked streets, a cynical, hard-boiled hero, flashbacks, complex investigative plots, voice over narration, and themes of corruption, greed, and paranoia.

The plot - an ex-bomber pilot who is suspecting of murdering his unfaithful wife - features three recently demobilized U.S. Navy aviators, Johnny, Buzz, and George, who arrive in Hollywood. George and Buzz get an apartment while Johnny heads home, a hotel bungalow, to see his wife, Helen, where she is in the midst of a wild party. During their reunion, it comes out that she’s having an affair with Eddie, the owner of The Blue Dahlia nightclub on Sunset Strip. Johnny punches Eddie which brings an end to the party, and everyone leaves. In his anger, Johnny pulls a gun on Helen but eventually drops it on a chair and departs. In the bus station the following morning, he hears the radio announcement that his wife has been murdered. A variety of characters are introduced each with a motive to kill Helen. During the denouement, most end up in the Blue Dahlia which results in a shootout. The murderer is killed, and Johnny “heads into the sunset.”

Alan Ladd, primarily known for film noir and westerns, plays Johnny. “Discovered” by Paramount in

1933, he didn’t gain traction in career until nearly eight year later when he was cast in Graham Greene’s This Gun for Hire. During World War II, Ladd served in the U.S. Army Air Forces First Motion Picture Unit and appeared in a trailer promoted a war loan drive. As with many actors who left Hollywood during the war, films that he was supposed to appear in were either postponed or cast with other actors. After his discharge he joined the Hollywood Victory Committee and volunteered to tour in USO shows.

Veronica Lake, born Constance Frances Marie Ockelman, frequently played femme fatales in film noir and was often paired with Alan Ladd. She got her start in 1941 when produce Arthur Hornblow, Jr. was looking for a “new girl” to play a nightclub singer in his drama I Wanted Wings. Hornblow is the one who convinced Veronica to change her last name, saying, “her eyes were calm and clear like a blue lake.” Tragically, Veronica struggled with alcohol and career sputtered as a result.

According to several sources, Chandler originally intended for Buzz to be the murderer, but the U.S. Navy objected to a wounded veteran being portrayed as a killer, so the ending was changed. Chandler was not happy with the change noting in his diary “What the Navy Department did to the story was a little thing like making me change the murderer and hence making a routine whodunit out of a fairly original idea.”

The film was met with mixed reviews from critics, but Ladd’s performance was praised by all with Variety magazine saying, “Alan Ladd does a bang-up job. Performance has a warm appeal, while in his relentless track down of the real criminal, Ladd has a cold, steel-like quality that is potent.” Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, The Blue Dahlia lost to British melodrama The Seventh Veil.

Have you seen this classic?

____________________

Norwegian Nights:

Can their marriage endure a debilitating injury, a devastating loss, and a world war?

The second anniversary of Germany’s occupation of Norway has passed with no end in sight, so Gustav Westgard and his wife are still exiled on Shetland. He’s convinced Oda’s miscarriage would have been prevented back in Norway and decides he must return to his homeland to do whatever possible to rid the country of its invaders. Will he live to see liberation?

Grieving the loss of her baby, Oda turns toward her heavenly Father as Gustav retreats inside himself. Rather than try to stop him after she discovers he plans to join the Norwegian resistance, she stows away onboard the ship taking him home. Can she convince him that they are better united in a cause than apart?

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/bwl5qv
__________________

Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Dahlia
https://users.pfw.edu/stapletm/BlueDahlia.html
https://robotswithcoffee.com/2024/10/10/movie-review-the-blue-dahlia-1946/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Blue-Dahlia
https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-blue-dahlia
https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/24704
https://moviemaniamadness.wordpress.com/2015/04/11/the-blue-dahlia-starring-alan-ladd-veronica-lake/

Photo Credits:

Movie Poster: By http://www.movieposterdb.com/, Fair use.

Still with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake: Paramount Pictures

Still with Alan Ladd and William Bendix: Paramount Pictures

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Dave Pratt

 

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Dave Pratt

I’m pleased to welcome Dave Pratt to my blog for the first time. He has a fascinating history, and his books sounds fantastic. Read on and find your next favorite author.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

My mother was an accomplished artist. Her work made people smile and think about the world around them. As for me, I can’t draw a straight line. Writing was and continues to be, my opportunity to create much like she did, but with words.

How did you learn how to write?

I learned to write out of desperation.

I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the army right out of college. Several weeks after arriving at my first assignment, I was braced by a captain, and stood at attention as a senior officer said, in a soft, deep voice, “Pratt, you can’t speak. You can’t write. Fix it or you’ll fail.” Shocked, I signed up for the only correspondence course I could find at the time: a short story writing course. A single page in that correspondence course’s guidebook explained more about grammar and the basics of writing than I’d received in high school and four years of college. It empowered me. I published my first professional article several months later and have been going at it ever since.

Can you share a real-life event that inspired your writing?

I came to Christ late in life, after twenty years as an army Medical Service Corps officer. Having accepted Him as my savior, I felt the need to reconcile my faith with the demands of my past occupation, specifically the Sixth Commandment, which says, "Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13, KJV)

As medical officers, we were trained to protect our patients, our soldiers, ourselves, and the innocent around us. As part of my journey, I landed at Matthew 19:18, where Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder.” Those words helped me reconcile the potential need to take a life to protect others or in self-defense. And that’s not murder. It was a profound moment, which became the premise of The Home Team, the first book in my Chirstian suspense Home Team series, of which the latest book, Homesick, is the latest installment.

How did publishing your first book change your writing?

When my publisher accepted The Home Team for publication, advising me that he could “see” the action and characters, it gave me the confidence to tackle the five books of the Home Team series. His words provided a lot of grace.

What was your inspiration for the story?

Homesick follows Leah, an Air Force special operations officer detailed to the Home Team, part of a

State Department covert operations group. In that story, Leah comes face-to-face with active shooters, terrorists, a nation-wide conspiracy, and two of a soldier’s most common banes: mission fatigue and Post Traumatic Stress. With her faith, a good psychologist and the support of her family and teammates, Leah overcomes her challenges to tackle both the imminent threat and deal with her personal challenges.

I’ve witnessed and experienced Post Traumatic Stress and mission fatigue and seen it in my friends and family who have served in the military. That experience and those observations provided the inspiration to create a fast-paced, fun, and interesting suspense novel that addresses those sorts of challenges and provides hope for those encountering them today.

Tell us about your road to publication.

After completing the short story writing correspondence course, I started publishing magazine and journal articles, as well as short fiction while serving full time in the military. Success did not come easy. I collected two small boxes full of rejection notices before my work began to sell. But I kept writing until it felt like I simply wore those editors down and it became easier for them to print my work and pay me for it than send out yet another rejection notice.

When I decided to try my hand at novels, I signed up for several novel writing correspondence courses. During that process, I met a romance writer who took me under her wing while I crafted novels for the two courses, which I later self-published. Once retired from the military and I’d accepted Christ as my Savior, I felt compelled to create a Christian suspense novel. I believe it was the link between my faith and my desire to create meaningful, entertaining stories that led me to my current publisher, and create the Home Team series.

How are your characters like you? Different?

Like most people, I have struggled with my own issues and achieved victories over long and not-so-long odds. I suppose I share that with my characters, as well as their exposure to foreign places and unusual occupations. Someone once told me to write what I know. I try to do that, as much as I can.

How do you come up with story lines?

I usually create a character, place them in a setting, and then develop the character further over two chapters of writing. During that time, I discover who they are and what they might wrestle with as part of their work, relationships, and so on. From there, I discover the story line, plot it out in a chapter-by-chapter outline, which my characters then do their best to sabotage along the way. So, the story line follows the characters in my instance but also morphs and grows as I work my way through the book’s outline. The fun parts are all the surprises along the way.

How did your job prepare you for becoming a novelist?

My military training, martial arts training, and friends in the intelligence and special operations fields, as well as my work-related travels provided much needed fodder for my work, so far. But there’s still more to learn, more places to visit, and more people to meet, so who knows what I’ll be writing next? And that is an exciting proposition.

What is your advice to fledgling writers?

Persevere, grow and embrace your Faith.

Persevere in your writing. And that means sitting down and putting pen to paper or fingertips on a keyboard. It’s an old adage: to be a writer, you must write. No matter the rejections, objections and frustrations, write. Write when you feel the muse; write when you don’t. Feel free to write badly… at least on the first draft. Romans 5:3-4 suggests, “…but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.”

Grow as a writer. Find a mentor. Attend writer’s conferences and classes. And read, read, read. Read books you love and those you don’t care for. There’s always something to learn in each. And listen to experienced writers around you. As in Proverbs 1:5: "Let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel".

And have Faith. It’s what makes us Christian writers. Talk to Him. Ask Him your questions as you create. Where better to turn for direction in our efforts than to Him? And he will never let us down, as in Deuteronomy 31:6: "...for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

About Homesick

Leah McCarthy, a member of the Home Team, a covert operations team reporting to the State

Department’s Extreme Operations Group, is on a much-needed vacation when she encounters and stops a double active shooter incident at a local grocery store where two little girls, along with many other store patrons are left wounded and dying. The event triggers severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, along a desperate the need to rediscover her spiritual and mental strength to battle when she and a local detective identify terrorist plans to use virtual reality tools to train and empower active shooters in a coordinated, nation-wide attack on soft targets across America.

Photo Credits:

Author photo and book image: Courtesy of Dave Pratt

Air Force emblem: Pixabay/Nightowl

Writing: Pixabay/StartUpStockPhotos

Release Day! Norwegian Nights

 Release Day! Norwegian Nights

Book 2 in The Resistance Chronicles is now live! This series of books feature four Norwegian American siblings and their Norwegian cousins who join resistance cells in Northern Europe to help end World War II. The extensively researched stories highlight the brave individuals who served in the Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, and Danish resistance organizations. They also find their happily ever after.

About Norwegian Nights

Can their marriage endure a debilitating injury, a devastating loss, 

and a world war?

The second anniversary of Germany’s occupation of Norway has passed with no end in sight, so Gustav Westgard and his wife are still exiled on Shetland. He’s convinced Oda’s miscarriage would have been prevented back in Norway and decides he must return to his homeland to do whatever possible to rid the country of its invaders. Will he live to see liberation?

Grieving the loss of her baby, Oda turns toward her heavenly Father as Gustav retreats inside himself. Rather than try to stop him after she discovers he plans to join the Norwegian resistance, she stows away onboard the ship taking him home. Can she convince him that they are better united in a cause than apart?

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/bwl5qv

Fiction Friday: New Releases in Christian Fiction

April 2026 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Amish Romance:

A Secret Amish Arrangement by Amy Grochowski -- After stumbling upon Reuben Bender’s hidden library in the woods, Nan Burkholder strikes a deal with the reclusive Amish farmer. She’ll keep his sanctuary secret if he’ll accompany her to an upcoming wedding to discourage an unwanted suitor. But when a natural disaster hits, their onetime arrangement turns into a partnership to save the community. Soon Nan discovers the courageous heart behind Reuben’s aloof demeanor, and feelings she never expected begin to bloom. But as Reuben withdraws to his isolated world, Nan will have to convince him to forgive his past for a chance at a life together after the storm. (Amish Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Contemporary Romance:

More Than Friends by Denise Hunter -- Jenna expected to enjoy visiting her mom, Tyson, and his whole family. She'd expected to feel closer to her deceased father on the island where the foal they'd named years ago now roams the wild salt marshes of Assateague like its ancestors have for hundreds of years. What she didn't expect was for her feelings for her best friend to change. But she's always sworn she'd never date a firefighter. Plus, Tyson is fresh off a betrayal. And also, there's that teensy commitment problem she seems to have. Would she even have the courage to finally give her heart away? And should they really risk their beautiful friendship in the hopes they could someday be something more? (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

The Art of Starting Over by Tara Baisden -- Nicole Sullivan came to Serenity Crossing, Tennessee, to find herself again. After walking away from a two-year engagement—and a fiancé who loved the version of her that fit his plans—she's determined to build a life on her own terms. Her new third-grade classroom is the fresh start she's been praying for. But when her brightest student turns out to be a motherless little girl with sad eyes and matchmaking schemes, Nicole finds herself drawn to the one man who could make her repeat every old mistake: a grieving widower who might only see her as a solution to his daughter's longing. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Hometown Second Chances by Megan Besing, Tabitha Bouldin, Andrea Christenson, and Rebecca Reed -- Sky-diving, sled dogs, Russian photographs, and buried journals add up to 4 novels filled with sweet romance, excitement, and mystery enough to red-line your romantic adventure meter for days. (Contemporary Romance from Two Dogs Publishing)

The Top of the World by Elizabeth Camden -- They were perfect together—until powerful forces pulled them apart. Now fate has given them a second chance at the top of the world. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Not What We Pictured by Becca Kinzer -- McKenna Boston is feeling stuck. She’s spent years growing her photography skills only for her career to hit a wall. She’s ready to move on, and she will, just as soon as she helps her sister’s boyfriend stage the perfect proposal. But when her best laid plans go awry and a handsome stranger accidentally ends up with the heirloom ring, McKenna hops on a flight to retrieve it. Piece of cake, right? Nate Lambert was hoping to enjoy a relaxing summer before starting his new job as a literature professor, but he arrives in Tennessee to discover his mom’s bed and breakfast is struggling and there’s a long list of repairs to be tackled. The last thing he needs is a gorgeous, determined photographer searching for a ring he doesn’t have since the airline lost his luggage somewhere on his route from Nebraska. (Contemporary Romance from Tyndale House)

A Second Chance for a Dancer by Carolyn Miller -- Poppy James is on the brink of attaining national fame, just like her friend and fellow dancer Bailey Donovan, when a blast from the past leads to a devastating injury. Jake Guillemette is used to being overshadowed by his NHL-playing younger brother. When a job opportunity leads him to start afresh somewhere new, he never thought he’d run into the person who made him second-guess everything, but who ultimately led him to become a better man. Horrified, Poppy is desperate to keep their past a secret, and it takes some time to learn to trust this different version of the man she’s long loved to loathe. Can Jake win her trust and prove he’s changed? And will Poppy learn to trust God with all her future? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Contemporary Women’s Fiction:

Birds on a Wire by Katie Powner -- A troubled teen whose baby Providence is taken by CPS, a mother of three who takes baby Providence in, and a tenuous friendship that leaves the two very different women asking the same impossible question: Who is the best mother for Providence? (Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Kregel Publications)

Dual Timeline/Historical Mystery:

The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson -- In 2006, searching for a story to adapt for film, an aspiring screenwriter becomes captivated by a 1940 bestselling classic novel and the mysterious disappearance of the woman who wrote it. (Dual Timeline – Historical Mystery from Tyndale House)

General Contemporary:

Stronger than the Storm by Deena Adams -- In Stronger than the Storm, Kevin, a devoted pastor, and Beth, a parenting expert, are blindsided when their teenage daughter runs away and returns home pregnant. As they struggle to hold their family together, a long-buried secret from Beth’s past threatens to destroy all hope of reconciliation. (General Contemporary from Scrivenings Press)

General Historical:

Sani – The German Medic by Aubrey Reiss Taylor -- There are two sides to every story. Can he navigate between them? Frederick’s childhood was spent in America, helping care for his ailing grandparents. Now, he has come of age and craves the adventures he missed out on. It begins with a return to his family’s homeland, into the heart of a continent gearing up for war. His new friends say he can't possibly understand. Can a German army chaplain help bridge the gap? Or does the man’s own past disqualify him from becoming Frederick’s confidant? (General Historical, Independently Published)

Historical Romance:

Norwegian Nights by Linda Shenton Matchett -- The second anniversary of Germany’s occupation of Norway has passed with no end in sight, so Gustav Westgard and his wife are still exiled on Shetland. He’s convinced Oda’s miscarriage would have been prevented back in Norway and decides he must return to his homeland to do whatever possible to rid the country of its invaders. Will he live to see liberation? Grieving the loss of her baby, Oda turns toward her heavenly Father as Gustav retreats inside himself. Rather than try to stop him after she discovers he plans to join the Norwegian resistance, she stows away onboard the ship taking him home. Can she convince him that they are better united in a cause than apart? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

Psychological Suspense:

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R Patch -- She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life. (Psychological Suspense from Love Inspired Trade [Harlequin])

Romantic Suspense:

Witness Safeguard Mission by Carol J Post -- When Nicole Woodard and her young sister witness their father’s murder by an unknown assailant, Nicole knows they’re next on the killer’s hit list. Now they must rely on Officer Braydon Feldman and his K-9 partner, Caesar, for protection. The killer will stop at nothing to silence the sisters and keep the crime hidden. But what could their father have been involved in that got him killed? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Speculative/Fantasy:

Paradise Unfallen by Chuck Richardson -- What if Adam and Eve had resisted the serpent? Welcome to Erimea—Earth’s twin world, untouched by original sin. Solis and Livi, the first parents of Erimea, begin their lives in perfect fellowship with God. But their obedience does not end the war. Satan and his legions simply turn their fury upon the new world. As the population of Erimea rises, tensions crack the harmony of paradise. A powerful life-giving resource becomes scarce. Rumors spread. God is silent. And a restless humanity flirts with fear, force, and false gods. To save their descendants from repeating Earth’s tragedy, Solis and Livi must confront deception, division, and the relentless pressure of darkness. Their journey—from innocence to holiness—will determine the future of an unfallen world. (Speculative/Fantasy, Independently Published)

 
Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

Hearts Restored by Tara Baisden -- She was the one thing he could never blueprint. He was the one man she couldn't wall out. (Contemporary Romance)

Last to Fall by Lynn H Blackburn -- She's caught in a deadly game. He's the only one who can help her win. They’ll have to risk everything–including their hearts–to expose the truth before it’s too late. (Romantic Suspense)

Anna of Bethsaida by Susanne Blumer -- Anna believed choosing Andrew meant gaining a home. Instead, she finds herself on the dusty roads of Galilee, under the watchful eyes of hostile Pharisees, walking ever closer to miracles that both heal and unsettle. Some journeys test what you believe. Some reshape who you become. Anna's does both. (Biblical Fiction)

Find Me in the Story by Lisa Jordan -- He built walls. She brought sunshine. Something had to give. But trust doesn't come easy for two people who've been hurt. And one misunderstanding could destroy everything—including their chance at love. (Contemporary Romance)

Lifekeeper by Colleen K Snyder -- A girl and her dragon face life and death decisions not only for themselves but also for their enemies. (Speculative Fiction/Fantasy)

Jackal by Michael Jack Webb -- In a land where the dead speak and ancient gods walk in human skin, Kate Justice confronts a darkness older than civilization. (Supernatural Suspense)

Talkshow Thursday: A Guest Post by Ruth Wong

 God’s Son—One Claim, Two Cultures 

By Ruth Wong

Every one of my books touches upon the Christian faith. That thread continues in my latest book, Fire Between Two Skies (special $2.99 promo at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2YZZ8LG; watch the teaser video at https://youtu.be/UE9egV5VlUs). Set against the fiery upheaval of the Taiping movement, the story explores a question that has long gripped me: how can the same claim—“I am the Son of God”—ignite such different responses in different cultures?

In first-century Judea, monotheism was the heartbeat of Jewish identity. For a Jew to claim to be the Son of God was to tread on sacred ground with fire. Such a claim was against the social order and also against God Himself. The consequence was predictable: rejection, and ultimately, death. Now set that alongside nineteenth-century China. Traditional Chinese society, with its richly layered spiritual landscape, offered a different frame. When Hong Xiuquan announced he was God’s son and Jesus’ brother, his message found ready ears. The result was not isolation but the mobilization of multitudes to follow his vision.

That divergence fascinates me. Culture shapes plausibility. What sounds impossible in one context can appear inevitable in another. Yet even acknowledging that, I can’t stop thinking about Jesus’ claim and authority.

When I first read the Bible, I was stunned by how unapologetically Jesus spoke. As a Jew, He knew His

words that identified Himself with the very name of God would collide head-on with the traditions of His people. Was He crazy? Only someone unhinged would insist on such things—unless, of course, His claim was true.

I’m a PhD scientist and always keep an open mind. If someone can point me to ancient texts that foretold his coming, and if that person fulfilled those prophecies—particularly through a death in accordance with those texts—then I have to take the claim seriously.

This is where the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of archaeology’s greatest finds, enter my vision. Among the original seven scrolls discovered at Qumran is the Book of Isaiah, dated to around 125 BCE. Nearly complete, remarkably preserved, and consistent with later manuscripts, it stands as a witness to the integrity of the text across centuries. Within Isaiah are passages about Jesus from birth to death. For me, the existence of the Old Testament, centuries older than Jesus’ earthly life, adds weight to the belief that history is not random, that God speaks and then brings His word to fruition.

Fire Between Two Skies is not a theological treatise, but a story that stares at the juncture between faith and culture. Jesus’ claim was not aimed at regime change but at heart change. He refused the sword, embraced the cross, and fulfilled words spoken long before He walked the Galilean hills.

As a writer, I’m drawn to the tension between earth and heaven. As a scientist, I’m compelled by evidence that endures scrutiny. As a believer, I surrender to a story that is bigger than me, yet personal enough to answer my search.

If those themes resonate with you, I invite you to explore them with me in Fire Between Two Skies. And whether you come to the book as a skeptic, a seeker, or a fellow traveler in faith, I pray you’ll find, between the two skies of culture and conviction, a fire that illuminates more than it consumes.

About Ruth
Dr. Ruth Wuwong (PhD in biochemistry, MBA in finance) has published 120+ scientific books and papers (under her legal name) and a few Christian fiction books under R. F. Whong. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, a retired pastor. They served together at three churches from 1987 to 2020. Her grown son works in a nearby city.

She currently runs a small biotech company (www.vidasym.com) and has raised more than twenty million US dollars during the past few years for Vidasym.

In addition to her weekly newsletter and the platform (www.ruthforchrist.com), she’s active in several writers’ groups, including ACFW, Word Weavers, Facebook, and Goodreads. Through these connections, she plans newsletter/promotion swaps with others and has writers endorse her books, write forewords, and host her on guest blogs.

Ruth was chosen as a featured author by the Minnesota Anoka County Library in 2025 and by the Suffolk Virginia Authors Festival in 2026.

Her book, Echoes over Stormy Sea, has won a few awards, including being chosen by readers as a winner in the HOLT Medallion Contest.

Fire Between Two Skies

Two eras. One relentless quest for truth amid desires and temptation. Across the centuries, two men are bound by parallel destinies that echo through time. Book 3 of this dual-time odyssey delves deep into the passions and struggles that connect their worlds.

In 2022 Hong Kong, Jason Guan, after losing his job as an assistant supervisor for wetland conservation, joins his uncle’s real-estate business. A chance meeting with his high school classmate, Vivian Jiang, draws him into a web of secrecy, seduction, and moral compromise. Amid the chaos, he and his wife, Debra, read an unpublished manuscript by her father, a celebrated writer, about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864) and a man’s futile pursuit of justice and peace on earth.

In nineteenth-century China, Zhang Xin, an orphan saved from the streets by Missionary Issachar Jacox Roberts, is swept into the fiery rebellion of the Taiping movement. Torn between the dream of a just kingdom, his forbidden love for Miao Lan, and his loyalty to his ruthless brother, Xin reckons with doubt, conscience, and the cost of faith.

When greed and exploitation eclipse justice, both men must navigate their respective perils. Will they prevail or be consumed?

Action/Adventure; Dual-time Odyssey Book 3): new release in January 2026; special $2.99 promo at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2YZZ8LG. Series Page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4LKXS2W By R. F. Whong, named a 2025 Featured Author by the Minnesota Anoka County Library. 

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ruth.wuwong
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWuwong
Website: www.ruthforchrist.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-wu-wong
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthwuwong/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/love.respect.grace
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42632055.R_F_Whong
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/r-f-whong

Photo Credits:

Author Photo and book image: Courtesy of Ruth Wong

Bible: Pixabay/James Chan

Nebula: Pixabay/Lumina Obscura