Tuesday Tidbits: I FANCY MYSELF A GARDENER

This beauty greeted me bright & early May 1st.

My grandma could water a pot of dirt and get something beautiful to grow. I thought she was magical when I was young. As an adult, I realize the pot likely had some sort of bulb that could remain dormant over the winter and appear to come back to life. Nonetheless, I was impressed. Not only did she have a green thumb, but her body was green.

I figured, being her descendant, I too must have green flowing through my veins. Nope. I have a mostly black thumb with a hint of green here and there.

I have tried multiple times to grow a garden and keep house plants alive. The results don’t generally bode well for the plants.

But does this stop me from trying again and again and again?

Nope.

And again.

In the past, I have had petunias, Dianthuses, and spider plants that has survived my reign as Plant Mom. These are very hardy plants that are hard to kill. This is why they survived in spite of me.

Here I am in a new house in a new part of the country, and I have once again planted a garden. I am not a quitter. I grew veggie and herb seedlings, which I have transplanted outside over the weekend. I’m not sure if they will survive. When I transplanted what little was left of the herbs and lettuce, I sprinkled in a few more seeds for good measure. Then it hailed on them.

The next day, I planted the bean and pea seedlings and created little string “trellises” for them to climb. Since I have deer who wander through my yard and bunnies who hop in daily, I put a fine black garden netting around the two small raised beds on the side of the house and over the ones I planted in the front. Do I get “Good Plant Mom” points for that?

Planted Flowers. The solar one is doing exceptionally well.

I bought and planted a few flowers (petunias and Dianthus among them, also violas-they are pretty hardy too). In addition to those, I got a some snapdragons. When I was very young, an older neighborhood couple, Johnny and Janet, had a whole slew of them. They would pick one off for me and make it talk. I love them. Unfortunately, I haven’t had good success with them in the past, not bad but not good.

Dianthus

Because I don’t have much faith in my seedlings (to no fault of their own), I bought a handful of plants that look strong and healthy (tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, and yellow squash, as well as a lavender plant because it’s purple). They are sitting in my sink, waiting for my next wave of planting. In the next couple of days, I will be brave and transplant them outside. But for now, they live!

Lastly, I bought three flowering bushes and planted them in my weed infested front yard. Did I wait until I finished weeding the front yard to plant them? Nope. I wanted them now. I did weed the area I planted them in. They will give me encouragement to keep weeding.

(top to bottom) Spirea, Lilac, & Mandevilla

Weeds. Weeds. WEEDS! Everywhere, weeds. By the way, not one of those weeds was authorized. They took it upon themselves to grow and propagate. If only I could get my intentional plants to grow half as well.

Where there are rocks, we have weeded.

The other side of the driveway.

You may say a prayer for my poor plants. I would appreciate it. And they would appreciate it.

Happy Gardening!

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5)
2023 SELAH Award Finalist

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart?

Available for order on Amazon.

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)
2023 SELAH Award Finalist

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident. Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET

(Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.
Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:


Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: A CHUBBY FLYING TODDLER

That’s what a Northrop Delta looks like to me, and I wanted to share this little guy with you.

I love a good underdog, root for the little guy, and hope for the unexpected long shot to win. The Delta was all of these to some degree.

Built in the 1930s by Lockheed Martin as a passenger plane with all the comforts we expect today. Nineteen-inch wide upholstered seats sat two abreast with an aisle in between, ample leg room, all seat were window seats as well as aisle seats, reading light, ashtray (Well, we don’t have those anymore.), and individual ventilation controls. The ride was quiet due to the sound-deadening insulation throughout. I never realized passenger planes had all these creature comforts so far back.

There was more than met the eye with tiny hauler. It was quite a versatile little craft. It had wheels to take off and land on dry ground. The wheels could be swapped out with floats for water takeoffs and landings.

But it could also have skis slapped onto it for snowy terrains. There wasn’t anywhere it couldn’t go. Most aircraft were relegated to dry land alone. So why were only thirty-two of these cuties built?

This high-speed, long-range, single-engine aircraft was built to transport passengers in the commercial market. The Delta was a low-winged monoplane with a wide fuselage that sat on top of the wings. It had streamlined spats that covered the landing gear. The pilot sat in an enclosed cockpit behind the engine. The rear compartment could seat up to eight passengers.

May 1933 saw the first Delta take to the skies. Our little toddler had taken his first “steps” and received its certificate of airworthiness in August of that same year. No stopping it now.

Until . . .

In October of 1934, the US government changed the commercial regulations for aircraft that could transport passengers. Single-engine airplanes no longer qualified for carrying passengers at night or over rough terrain. If a craft needed to make an emergency landing after dark or on bumpy ground, they were no longer eligible. This regulation basically stopped production of this single-engine passenger plane, pushing it to the backseat.

The company did make thirteen and sold a few. Canada bought one and produced nineteen more. With wheels, skis, or floats, the Delta performed well in Canada’s north.

Some Deltas were used for photo surveying. When WWII broke out, some of them were fitted with a rear gun turret, wing-mounted machine guns, and bomb-carrying capabilities. It was ready to fight for freedom. But there were other craft which could do these jobs better and faster. So the poor Delta took a backseat again. Once their frontline war usefulness was over, they were relegated to trainers and other second line duties. By the middle of the war, most all of them were no longer in use.

Such a short lifespan. 

The Delta might have been mostly unloved in the real world but was absolutely perfect for the rescue mission in my story. It was the right size and wouldn’t be missed when my WASPs “borrowed” it. It had everything I needed and plays a vital role.

 

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)
2023 SELAH Award Finalist

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident. Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET

(Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.
Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at: Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

 

These are the main sites I referenced for this article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Delta
https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.php?aircraft_id=1530
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/models/aircraft/Northrop-Delta.html

Tuesday Tidbits: THERE’S A STORM A BREWING

"Even in the middle of a hurricane, the bottom of the sea is calm. As the storm rages and the winds howl, the deep waters sway in gentle rhythm, a light movement of fish and plant life. Below there is no storm." - Wayne Muller

Hurricanes are violent and devastating to anything in their paths. Unless of course, you are tucked safely under the ocean.

Hurricanes haven’t always been given names. For a long time, they were given a number and a type, like hurricane or tropical storm if they weren’t as strong. Even lesser storms were marked as tropical depressions.

The hurricane season of 1944 was the last year—for the most part—that hurricanes weren’t “named”. The practice of identifying storms with a name does go back centuries (1526) but is spotty. Although, places where they occurred and things that were hit were used, as well as people (like saints).

But credit for giving personal names to these storms is bestowed upon Clement Wragge, a Queensland Government meteorologist, who used this practice from 1887-1907. He started labeling storms over Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica using the Greek alphabet, Greek and Roman mythology, and female names. Wragge petitioned for the Australian Government to develop a federal weather bureau and name him as director. When they failed to do either, he responded by identifying these storms with political figures in his current meteorological position. The practice fell out of use for several years after he retired. However, people remembered this way of distinguishing storms. Launceston Examiner newspaper published an editorial on October 5, 1935 calling for this designation system to return. Not until late in WWII would this method see a revival.

In 1944 fourteen tropical storms and hurricanes were recorded as well as seven tropical depressions that didn’t reach tropical storm strength. This was a time before they started naming storms or had the category scale to measure how big or strong they were, which came later in the 1970s.

Forecasters in the US Army Air Force began informally naming storms after their wives and girlfriends in 1944. In the United States Airforce and Navy, this became popular with the meteorologists because it reduced confusion while discussing the storms on the map. By 1945 the US Armed Services officially selected a list of names—all women—for storms in the Pacific.

However, the US Weather Bureau—seeing themself as a more serious organization—refused to adopt this method of identifying storms in the Atlantic. They deemed it inappropriate to do something frivolous like using women’s names in official communications and would make them look silly. Two years later in Miami, the Air Force Hurricane Office commenced using the military phonetic alphabet to designate significant storms in the North Atlantic. They were used for several years internally between weather centers and aircraft but weren’t utilized in public reports.

In 1950, when three tropical cyclones occurred at nearly the same time, this led to confusion in the media and public. So, the next storm got a name that was used in public statements and in the seasonal summary.

Partway through writing Mrs. Witherspoon Goes To War, a stray thought skipped into this west coast gal’s head. Hmm? What about hurricane season? So, I researched the 1944 Atlantic hurricane season. Did I want to move my story’s timeline or location to avoid hurricane season? At first, I wanted to avoid hurricane season at all cost. I didn’t want to research hurricanes. But then…I found the perfect hurricane that fit beautifully into my story to make the difficult stuff my heroine was already going through even harder. Enter the Cuba/Florida Hurricane (October 9-24), one of two that received place names that year.

I also had to make sure that any other hurricanes during my timeline which might affect my story setting at least had a mention, enter the Great Atlantic Hurricane (September 9-15).
Hurricanes come and go as they please, paying no attention to what the world is doing, like a global war.

"The hurricane does not uproot grasses, which are pliant and bow low before it on every side. It is only the lofty trees that it attacks." - Panchatantra

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)
2023 SELAH Award Finalist

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident. Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET

(Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.
Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:


Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: TOO DANGEROUS FOR A WOMAN

Target Tug Tow Duty

Would you volunteer to put an apple on your head and allow someone to shoot at it? I wouldn’t, even if it were a watermelon.

Would you volunteer to be attached to a spinning board and let this guy throw knives at you?

What about being at the pointy end of this guy’s knives?

Perhaps if I were unconscious.

Would you hold a target at arm’s length for someone to shoot at?

I confess, I’m not a brave person.

You might be thinking that these things must be safe-ish because they have been well practiced and the marksman is well trained. I would agree, but I’m still not going to willingly allow someone to throw or shoot stuff in my direction if I don’t have to.

Now, for you brave souls who would jump at the chance to do any or all of the above, what if I told you the person shooting at you is learning how to fire a high-powered artillery gun and he needs to learn how to aim at a moving target, would you then?

Pass. Pass. And double pass.

But that’s just what the US WASPs did (Women Airforce Service Pilots). Yep, green soldiers learning to fire large artillery weapons with live rounds shot at some of these brave WASPs as they flew in the wild blue yonder.

In Russia, women were allowed to be combat pilots during the Second World War. In the US, they weren’t allowed in combat because it was deemed too dangerous. American female pilots were kept, primarily, on US soil…for their safety. However, not all the tasks performed by the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were risk free.

Besides ferrying airplanes from factories to bases where the male pilots were stationed for training and to be deployed, WASPs also tested airplanes, trained male pilots, were airplane mechanics, transported cargo, and towed targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice.

On July 19, 1943, Jackie Cochran, head of the WASP, announced live-target practice to twenty-five handpicked WASPs who had recently graduated from their rigorous WASP training. Any WASP who wanted to could opt out of this “top secret mission.” None did.

One of the most dangerous jobs—if not the most dangerous—was being a tug tow pilot. This is where soldiers on the ground fired live ammunition from anti-aircraft artillery at a cloth drogue (a tube of fabric) towed behind an aircraft. Sometimes the green soldier got confused and shot at the aircraft rather than the target. Other drogue target practice was aircraft-to-aircraft in a dogfight scenario. The ladies had the targets, but instead of the men shooting at them being stationary on the ground, they were flying in the air firing at a moving target.

Most of this target practice training took place at Camp Davis in North Carolina. During such exercises, several WASPs were shot in the foot. At least two WASPs died in flying accidents at Camp Davis, not necessarily from target practice.

Here’s a 1943 video of one of these drogue targets in action, being shot at. This is in Dublin and is from naval ships toward the aircraft with a drogue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tk1hkxS120

In Mrs. Witherspoon Goes To War, Peggy flies as a tug tow pilot. Though she doesn’t get shot in the foot, the other WASP does. Read all about Peggy’s adventures as a WASP in Mrs. Witherspoon Goes To War.

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)
2023 SELAH Award Finalist

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident. Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET

(Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.
Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:


Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

Writing Goals:

2022 Recap, 2023 Goals, & Update

I know this is three months late, but it’s never too late to set goals for the year. But first, how did I do on my 2022 goals? Overall, I’m pleased. Here is a quick recap.

~~ I will Read & Edit 1st-Cousin-Once-Removed Mary Linn’s Novel.
    I got this read and edited, but I ran out of time to finish the proofread.
~~ I will Write 100,000-ish words.
    I wrote 125,018 words. WooHoo!
~~ I will Finish Writing Silver Bells, a Christmas Novella.
    I worked on this but haven’t finished it yet. 2023 is another year and my chance to finish it.
~~ I will Participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
    I participated and wrote over 25k words. I’m pleased with that. I also participated in CampNaNoWriMo in April and July.
~~ I will Complete a Proposal.
    I completed an Amish proposal that hasn’t been picked up yet.
~~ I will Complete HHH Posts by the 10th of Each Month.
    I did that.
~~ I will Post/Market 1 or More Books in FB Groups Each Week.
    I averaged this over the year.
~~Two of my non-writing goals were, I will Walk 20 Minutes 3 Times a Week or More.
    I met this goal.
~~I will Continue Intermittent Fasting
    I did this and lost a few more pounds.

Here are some of my 2023 Goals.
I won’t bore you with all of them. I set not only big goals but small ones as well.

~~ I will Proofread & Publish 1st-Cousin-Once-Removed Mary Linn’s Novel.
    I got this read and edited, but I ran out of time to finish the proofread. This is the novel I received a copy of and permission to edit and publish. It was written in the 1990s by my 1st cousin once removed Mary Linn. She has since passed away and her sister, Sarah, had a copy of it sitting in her garage. Sarah didn’t want it to be discarded some years down the road when no one would know what it was or who wrote it. So, she passed it on to me to do with it whatever I want.
~~ I will Write 100,000-ish words or more.
    I’m working on a treasure hunting series. And would like to get the first two stories finished so I can work on self-publishing them. I also want to finish that Christmas novella. After that there are so many unfinished novels and novellas that I have proposed over the years that I would like to revisit. It will be hard to choose.
~~ I will Finish Writing Silver Bells, a Christmas Novella.
    Hopefully, 2023 will be my year to finally complete this novella. I’ll keep trying until I get this one done.
~~ I will Participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
    This is the same as last year. NaNoWriMo stands for NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. Each year in November, thousands of writers all over the world make a mad dash to write 50,000 words in 30 days. My goal says “participate” not win. If I write 50,000 words or less than 50,000 words, I can still meet this goal by participating. I will also participate in CampNaNoWriMo in April and July. By setting your own goal, those are low pressure and a lot of fun. A good way to get started with NaNoWriMo. I have already gotten started on CampNaNo this month.
~~ I will Complete a Proposal.
    I have a bride series proposal I want to finish and get to my agent to shop around.
~~ I will Complete HHH Posts by the 10th of Each Month.
    I want to continue this one. I contribute to the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog (HHH) once a month. It’s a lot less stressful to have posts completed early.

Non-writing goals:
~~I will Read Through the Bible in 2023.
    I have always wanted to do this, but being dyslexic, it always seemed impossible for this slow reader. I tried several times to follow one of the “Read the Bible in a Year” outlines, where it tells you what chapters of what books to read. Jumping around from book to book, reading this and that fried my brain. And that’s coming from a random brain person who sees no need to write a story in order as long as it’s in order by the time I finish.
    So, I’m going to read the books in order, chapter by chapter. (I’m enjoying that so far.) I divided the number of pages in my Bible by 365, giving me the number of pages I need to read each day. So far, so good. I started January 1st, and I’m actually 16 pages ahead of schedule, as I error on the side of a little bit more than a little less, which is adding up.
~~I will Continue trying to get regular exercise by walking or running up and down the stairs as well as continuing Intermittent Fasting.

And finally, a goal (this is the update) I had and completed already is to move closer to my son and grandchildren. The first three months of this year we packed up and traveled over 1,200 miles. That’s why I didn’t get my goals written out and sent in a post yet. A related goal, is to go through all the boxes. I don’t know if I’ll get through them all, but I want to try to get through as many as possible.

One last thing is my word of the year. I don’t always do this, but I have a couple of times. So, my word for 2023 isn’t really a word but a prefix: “Re”. Rework. Republish. Re-edit. Rewrite. Reuse. Recycle. Repurpose. Reimagine. Revisit. Recharge. Relax. And other “Re” words. Do you have a word for 2023?

I hope you all are successful in meeting your goals in 2023. It’s never too late to set them. =0)

And I pray this year is happy and healthy, and may you find joy in the little things. =0)

 

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)

***2023 SELAH Award Finalist***

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident.

  Order HERE!

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5) 

***2023 SELAH Award Finalist***

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart? 

 Available for order on Amazon..

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Tuesday Tidbits: FABULOUS FRUITCAKE

It’s almost here! December 27 is National Fruitcake Day! And December is National Fruitcake Month!

Seriously? A special day and a WHOLE month for fruitcake?

Yep. Who knew the controversial dessert was so popular? Anything but a passing fad, it has a long history dating back to Ancient Rome all the way up to the annual Great Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Roman soldiers took a fruitcake-type food into battle, or at least to the battlefield, because the treat was easy to carry and lasted so long. In Shakespearean times, fruitcake also included meat. But because of all the sugar, fruitcake was thought to be too good and considered sinful, and therefore outlawed on much of the European continent in the 18th century.

In 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins took a fruitcake to the moon on the Apollo 11 space mission. However, they didn’t eat it. That fruitcake is on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Of all the things that could be taken into space, why fruitcake?

Someone born after 1913, who didn’t want to bake their own fruitcake, was fortunate to live in the modern age of mail-order. That’s when fruitcakes began zipping through the US mail.

Manitou Springs, Colorado, has hosted the Great Fruitcake Toss in early January since 1995. “We encourage the use of recycled fruitcakes,” says Leslie Lewis of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce. “The all-time Great Fruitcake Toss record is 1,420 feet, set in January 2007 by a group of eight Boeing engineers who built the ‘Omega 380,’ a mock artillery piece fueled by compressed air pumped by an exercise bike.” If you don't have a fruitcake, you can “rent” one to toss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUudRdFC7E

There are a whole host of countries who have had fruitcake in some form dating back centuries. The ingredients have changed down through the ages and from continent to continent. Fruitcake varies in color from very pale to almost black.

In the US, fruitcake is associated with Christmas, but around the world and throughout history it has been not only for Christmas, but as a traditional wedding cake, for Easter, Halloween, New Years, as well as a year ‘round treat. Did I just call fruitcake a treat?

Some countries call it fruitcake, others simply call it cake, plum cake, or a sweet bread. Many nations have their own special name for them; Pan de Pascua, Stollen, Brambrack, Panforte, Bolo Rei, and Cozonac to name a few.

The method of preserving fruit by soaking it in successively greater concentrations of heated sugar has been know to cultures such as Ancient China and Ancient Mesopotamia. By the early 19th century, the typical fruitcake recipe was heavy with candied fruit such as citrus peel, pineapples, plums, dates, pears, and cherries.

To lengthen the shelf life of a fruitcake, one need only to wrap the cake in an alcohol soaked linen before storing. A family in Tecumseh, Michigan has done just this. Their heirloom fruitcake was baked in 1878. Fruitcake was often made to be eaten the following year. That’s one way to get a jump-start on holiday baking. Some claim that “aged” fruitcake tastes better. Hmm. In 2003, Jay Leno sampled the 125-year-old Michigan fruitcake on The Tonight Show. I don’t think I would be that brave.

In 2017, the Antarctic Heritage Trust discovered a 106-year-old fruitcake, described as being in “excellent condition” and “almost” edible. I wonder what the qualifications are for condition and edibility. Did someone taste it to figure out it was safe to eat? Some would likely say that fresh-out-of-the-oven fruitcakes aren’t edible.

What kind of heirlooms have been passed down in your family? Any fruitcakes in your family’s treasures?

The QUILTING CIRCLE Series

Historical Romance

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily the man she loves?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *2020 Selah Awards Finalist & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *2021 Selah Awards Winner& WRMA Finalist*– Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) –Complications arise when a fancy French lady, Geneviève, steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

THE LADY’S MISSION (Book5) – Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love?

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR, THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-eight years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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