Heart-warming Tale (incredibly, from 9/11)

 

One of the best pics I've seen of the Vehicle Assembly Building. (I hear an even bigger one is under construction.) 

 

"Florida Storm" - Photo by Ed Saternus

 

 

 From the Reale Family's cruise to Cozumel . . .

 

Plus Riley's & Cassidy's boyfriends

 

On board - Cassidy's 20th birthday

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I have been saving two stories posted not too long ago to Facebook, one a heart-warming tale from that awful day we recall as "9/11" (just as those my age recall the fatal date, "December 7th.") The second story is definitely political, so, this week, in keeping with our country's 250th anniversary, I am posting the heart-warming one. I have to admit I'm not sure I ever heard this story, but I am very pleased to share it here with my international audience. The Facebook poster was Frantz Jorgen Nielson.

Grace note: Despite looking perfectly normal in my copy, "Preview" shows a lot of sentences broken in the middle. Sorry about that. The words, however, remain the same. 

Marines - 9/11

I  BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS: AFTER FLIGHT 77 HIT THE PENTAGON ON 9/11, THE FOLLOWING HAPPENED.

A daycare facility inside the Pentagon had many children, including infants
who were in heavy cribs. The daycare supervisor, looking at all the
children they needed to evacuate, was in a panic over what they could do.
There were many children, mostly toddlers, as well as the infants who
would need to be taken out with the cribs. There was no time to try to
bundle them into carriers and strollers.

Just then a young Marine came running into the center and asked what they
needed. After hearing what the center director was trying to do, he ran
back out into the hallway and disappeared. The director thought, "Well,
here we are, on our own."
About 2 minutes later, that Marine returned with 40 other Marines in tow.
Each of them grabbed a crib with a child, and the rest started gathering up
toddlers.

The director and her staff then helped them take all the children out of
the center and down toward the park near the Potomac .
Once they got about 3/4 of a mile outside the building, the Marines stopped
in the park, and then did a fabulous thing - they formed a circle with the
cribs, which were quite sturdy and heavy, like the covered wagons in the
Old West.

Inside this circle of cribs, they put the toddlers, to keep them from
wandering off. Outside this circle were the 40 Marines, forming a perimeter
around the children and waiting for instructions. There they remained until
the parents could be notified and come get their children.

The chaplain then said, "I don't think any of us saw nor heard of this on
any of the news stories of the day. It was an incredible story of our men
there.” There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

The thought of those Marines and what they did and how fast they reacted;
could we expect any less from them? It was one of the most touching stories
from the Pentagon.

It's the military, not the politicians that ensures our right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's the military who salutes the
flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.
If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for
the military, please pass this on and pray for our men and women, who have
served and are currently serving our country, and honor the memory of those 
who have given the ultimate sacrifice!                                                                                                                                                               
  God Bless The USA!
Never forget!!!

~ * ~

 An odd fact has finally filtered through my aging brain. Every month, year after year, one particular Regency Romance always crops up, usually among the very first listed on Amazon's "sold" list. Needless to say, I've frequently asked myself "Why?" The book:  Lady Silence. The only answer I've come with: it may be the irony of the title. Readers find the idea of a silent female intriguing. (Grin.) In any event, Lady Silence is Book of the Week.

 

A snowy night; a waif on the doorstep, who doesn't talk. After agreeing to grant her shelter, Damon Farr goes off to six years of war, returning determined to be a recluse, only to discover the girl is still there. And still not talking. Is "the girl the cat dragged in" destined to be Damon Farr's Sinful Temptation or his Salvation? The odd pair walk a rocky road before the answer becomes clear.

Reviews:

"Blair Bancroft can always be counted on to deliver exceptional characters and/or settings, historical accuracy, unusual plots, and flawless writing. LADY SILENCE is one more sterling example." Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today

"LADY SILENCE by Blair Bancroft is a splendid Regency romance! The creative intrigue and alluring characters make this novel a must have." Nadine St. Denis, Romance Junkies
 

 

 

Gallery - from Amazing to Just Plain Weird

 

This week's blog is devoted to amusement, both yours and mine. The first gallery pic is recent; the others, from my Pictures Archive, dating back, lo, these many years. To find these photos, I had a ball scrolling through umpteen years of family history, travels as far-ranging as Singapore and the Arctic Circle, book covers, masks from the Covid era, the handicrafts I've made, etc., etc., looking for the most amusing or outrageous examples of bad grammar, weird English, etc., etc. 

There were, of course, far too many for one blog, but I hope you enjoy this week's choices, as they will be up a couple of weeks as I plan to take next weekend off to celebrate my birthday. (At my age, I feel fortunate to be able to have yet another birthday!)  

GALLERY 

 

Interestingly, pic is from 2019

 

   

 

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 No Book of the Week. I refer you to my website blairbancroft.com to discover the variety of books I've written over the years—Regency Romance, Regency Gothic, SciFi Fantasy, Contemporary Mysteries, plus one lone Steampunk and one lone Medieval. 

~ * ~

 

 For a link to Blair's website & editing info, click here. 

For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

 For recent blogs, scroll down.

 

More on Pronoun Abuse

 

Three Reales & Cousin Lionel rooting for Argentina at The Capital Room Bar. Why Argentina? Both Mike and Lionel were born there, brought here as babies. (They are always quick to point out their families emigrated through proper application & approval.)

Susie, Hailey, Lionel, Riley

 

 

Storm over Sanibel Island.  Photo by Jorge Perez

Cape Coral, FL.  Photo by Ed Saternus

  

Last but not least - our Cassidy, exiling herself to the staircase due to a strep throat -  watching her mother open birthday presents. (That's the top of my head at the dining room table below.)

 ~ * ~

 

MORE THOUGHTS ON PRONOUN ABUSE

 Since my blog on "Pronoun Abuse" proved to be so popular, I thought I should dredge up a few more words on the subject. And "dredge" is the apt word, as I find examples really hard to create! 

When I say that Pronoun Abuse is a product of the 21st century, I can safely state that I know what I'm talking about, for I remember well over half of the Twentieth Century, and we did not talk like that. (At least not in New England, Nebraska, or the West Coast of Florida where I spent my 20th c.) Nor will I attempt to speculate on how Pronouns began to be mangled since the turn of the 21st c. All I'm attempting to do is make people aware that it's happened and that I hope more than we "oldsters" find it abhorrent. This is a deviance from American English that needs to be rooted out before it changes our language forever.

In this follow-up post I want to show examples of how correct use often deviates from a simple substitution of  "she" for "her" or "he" for "him." The way we said the same idea in the 20th c. might be quite different from the phrase in Pronoun-abuse English. For example . . .

It's them.

There they are. They're here.

 

Him and Me

He and I.  Bill and I 

 

Ben and her

Ben and Betty

 

Them's the right words! (Both "them" & singular verb incorrect)

You got it! You said it! 

 

It's me.*

It's me.

 

*The exception to every rule. This expression has been around so long it's definitely here to stay, although I do recall, "It is I" being used as an intentional "hi-falutin'" joke.

 

Below, examples of the CORRECT use of "him," "her," and "them." As OBJECTS of the verb.

 

I like him.

 

He ran past her.

 

The careless driver hit them with his car. 

 

SUMMARY.

Yes, as seen in the gallery pic above, language usage changes, but Pronoun Abuse is such a huge deterioration of American English that I'd really like to see it nipped in the bub. Crying in the wilderness? Very likely. But please, pretty please, think about it and, hopefully, catch yourself before you say, "Me and him" or "I can ski better than her." (Groan.) Please . . . . . . 

 

~ * ~

 Books of the Week

Many books in my Regency Warrior series and in my Regency Gothic series feature heroes devoted to their country. I managed to pare the choices down to two for this weekend's celebration of our 250th Anniversary. Both feature soldiers who truly sacrificed for their country—one, a leg; the other, the noble life he was born into.  

 Major Courtland Randolph, after losing a leg at Waterloo, abandons the world of his birth for a hops farm in Kent. He is not pleased when his former commanding officer maneuvers him into returning to society as protector of a lady who once termed him, "The Abominable Major." Yet in the course of dealing with a dashing Russian countess, political unrest, his ex-fiancée, an importunate prince, a mysterious young man from the London slums, a high-born runaway, and a dramatic change in his private life, Court finally accepts that he is still a man. Man enough to love and be loved.

Author's Note: Each book in the Regency Warrior series is a stand-alone story, but The Abominable Major has so many cross-over characters from The Lady Takes a Risk that you might want to read Lady  first. There is also a spin-off series—the three novellas about the adventures of Matthew Wolfe (mysterious young man from the London slums). 

 

 When the uncle of a six-year-old marquess threatens to take him from his widowed mother, as well as urge her to marry his rakish son, Victoire, Marchioness of Brynthorpe, hires a war-weary band of ex-soldiers as bodyguards. The resulting clash reverberates from Wiltshire to London as Captain Fox, the Stone Soldier, turns out to be far more than his military rank implies.
Violent conflict, an unexpected and rocky romance, close-held secrets—all to the tune of comments and advice from five resident phantoms. Yet even when our hero and heroine see sunny skies at last, one more problem rears its ugly head. 

~ * ~

 

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For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

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Pronoun Abuse

 

Flag Day in Venice, FL, a little city that truly appreciates the meaning of June 14. 

 

Venice, FL - June 14, 2026

Also from Venice, a storm surge pole measuring how high the water came with two very nasty and memorable hurricanes, Helene and Milton. (Why pics from Venice? I spent my first 25 years in Florida in Venice, an absolutely delightful mini-city on the Gulf of Mexico.)

 

 Talk about Punctuation/Composition problems . . .

From Facebook, no attribution 

 

A Michael Boor photo, posted to FB by Mary Balogh

 ~ * ~

 

PRONOUN ABUSE 

Let me state up front:  this is likely a useless cause. But as someone who learned proper English from teachers who really knew their stuff, I feel I have to point out the constant pronoun errors I am finding in so many books, particularly books written in the last decade.

I'm talking about "he, she, they" becoming "him, her, them," which is only a slight step up from "dese, dose, dem."

Below are examples of what I mean, followed by the correct English.

. . . more time on her hands than me.

. . . more time on her hands than I have.

 

. . . the same hunch as me.

. . . the same hunch as I have. Or "the same hunch I have."

 

I'm smarter than him.

I'm smarter than he is.

 

I want to eat ice cream like them.

I want to eat ice cream like they are. 

I want to eat ice cream like they're doing. 

Below, an example copied from this week's local TV news. A good example of why the "wrong" pronouns are taking over. Often, they're faster, simpler. "Not surprisingly, it's he" just doesn't work well. Below, see a better way to express that sentence's intention. A sentence I consider much stronger, by the way.

Not surprisingly, it's him.

Not surprisingly, he's the one. 

Special Note:  I hasten to admit that if you're writing a novel set in the contemporary U.S., proper pronoun use could come across as "stilted." Horrible but true.

BUT . . .

If you are writing an historical novel—Medieval, Renaissance, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, the Twentieth century.—and you use modern "abused" pronouns, for shame! I know it would knock me right out of the story. It's just wrong, wrong, wrong! Educated people of those periods did not mangle their pronouns. Yes, there's a certain "slang" or "cant" for each period, and only diligent research will give you that. But modern-day misused pronouns, no way, no how. You just can't do that and hope for credibility with serious readers—the ones you hope will keep buying every book you write. (And, yes, I've seen examples of wrongly used "him, her, and them" in recently written historical novels.)

 

Book of the Week

Way back at the beginning of my writing career, I wrote two Contemporary romances. This one was for Kensington. (Published as He Said, She Said, a title I hated. For some reason the marketing department didn't think "risk" would play well in the hinterland.) I changed back to the original title when I got my rights back and published it to Kindle many years later.)  The setting is the Cape Cod I knew - living there for a year at age four and returning every summer for umpteen years after.      

 Following a tough trial, all defense attorney Vicki Kent wants is a few days of peace and quiet at her parents' cottage on Cape Cod. Instead, she finds a man challenging her with a 9mm in his hand. John Paollilo is an angry, burned-out homicide detective from New Haven, exiled by his boss to an enforced vacation on the Cape. Needless to say, conflicts abound—from a clash of professional viewpoints to the odoriferous retaliations of a family of skunks—as Vicki and John reluctantly share the cottage, exploring the Cape and each other, and in the end discovering that opposites really do attract.

~ * ~

 

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Comments on Two Outstanding "Action" Authors

 

A raccoon has joined Susan Coventry's menagerie.

 

 

This stunning photo was taken at 

Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, FL

(no attribution) 

 

Title:  Still Water

 

Posted to Facebook by Regency author, Mary Balogh

 

Last-minute pic addition. Riley and Donald went kayaking on the Indian River  near New Smyrna Friday afternoon, getting to meet a manatee up close and personal. It swam under their kayak, also pushed it a ways. Thank goodness manatees are gentle sea cows that wouldn't think of rearing up and swamping the boat. (Although Riley states she had a few doubts about that before the manatees proved their peaceful ways.) There were also dolphins in the area. All on an absolutely perfect Florida afternoon. Cloudless skies, temp in the mid 80s. 

 

 

Manatee, Donald & Riley

 

~ * ~ 

 I planned this blog somewhere around four weeks ago, before realizing my oldest grandchild was actually graduating from college, thus setting off four weeks of the "most read" blogs in the history of Grace's Mosaic Moments. (See below "Book of the Week" for statistics.) A big thank-you to all those around the world who took time out from all the bad news to read a few moments of "what's happening" to a family in Florida.

 

TWO OUTSTANDING "ACTION" AUTHORS 

As most of my readers know, I seldom name names, as I don't want to upset the applecart with my many Regency-author friends. But the two authors named today are so far from Regency norm—one the author of Fantasy SciFi; the other, writing Regency-set mysteries totally divergent from almost allother  novels in the field that I decided to ignore the "Regency" setting.

The idea for this blog first popped into my mind while I was re-reading Lindsay Buroker's series, The Emperor's Edge. I remembered only that I loved the characters; alas, not that it is page after page of dire events and extreme action—so much so, even though I like "action" and this was a second reading, I still squirmed and winced as I read through the lengthy series. Wow! Yet, action-oriented or not, every character is magnificently drawn, from the members of The Emperor's Edge to the villains, right down to the least significant characters in the story. A true tour de force of characterization.

But yes, the action is non-stop. Over the top. Definitely requiring "suspended disbelief." There are moments so claustrophobic I could barely get through them. A happy ending seemingly impossible. And yet Ms Buroker pulls it off. If you have a strong stomach, I cannot recommend this series too highly.

But, let's face it, most people prefer less intense plots and action. It is noticeable that after The Emperor's Edge, Ms Buroker's series toned down a bit. Plenty of action, but with not quite so much intensity; definitely more humor, a gentler touch. Among my favorite series, the ones featuring an irascible dragon and one where the hero is more robot than human. 

 

During the four weeks of "grad" blogs, I began to read two series by Andrea Penrose. (Still working my way through.) But what instantly popped into my mind was a remark by an agent I was querying way back when, who told me:  "Clearly, you write for the top two percent of the market."  Well, if that's true, Andrea Penrose writes for the top one percent, or maybe half a percent. Her mysteries are hard-bitten, filled with intellectual-style information, chilling action, and truly twisted mysteries. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea. You may learn more than you ever wanted to know about chocolate, but she does translate the many Latin phrases in her second series, and has given us two of the toughest, most independent, most intriguing heroines ever found in novels set in the Regency era. Her portrayal of two young urchins taken in by the heroine of the Wrexford series is a true tug to the heart. Nonetheless, her two Regency-set series are only for those who enjoy a challenge to the intellect.

Summary

If you want your action "off page," as in Cozy Mysteries . . .

If you want your books spiced with hot sex . . .

If you want a tranquil peek into a world of glamour and romance . . .

The above two authors are not for you. But . . .

If you want (or don't cringe at) LOTS of action, often violent . . .

If you want unusually well-drawn characterizations . . .

If you want narration and dialogue that challenge the mind . . .

Take a peek at the works of Lindsay Buroker and/or Andrea Penrose.  

 ~ * ~

 Featured Book of the Week

 Limbo Man is as close to an Action tale as I've ever written. Sadly, it's probably the least read of all my books—possibly because so many of my readers are Regency-lovers, and this one is not only contemporary, but the hero is Russian. Oops. The setting ranges from New York City to Florida to Siberia to Iran, with a few other settings in between, including the islands off the coast I could see from my 1830 house in Connecticut. 

 A lost Russian nuke plunges FBI Special Agent Veen Frost into a world-wide chase, from the East Coast to the Mid-West, from Florida to Siberia, on to Iran, and back again. Her only companion, an amnesiac Russian who may have the key to the location of the lost bomb locked in his head.

Author's Note: During the chaos of the break-up of the Soviet Union (c. 1990), ten nuclear bombs went missing. Limbo Man is a tale of "what might have been." 

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The four-week total for the two "Grad" blogs:  51,676 views over 28 days

The viewers of the two blogs came from countries around the world. Listed below in the order of the number of viewers.

US, Germany, Netherlands, Iraq, Brazil, Vietnam, Bangladesh, France, Argentina, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Tunisia, Mexico, Colombia, Ukraine, India, Pakistan, Russia, Other (3,000).  

~ * ~

 

 For a link to Blair's website & editing info, click here. 

For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

 For recent blogs, scroll down.