Excerpt Monday - The Fall of the Wall, Memories

Today is the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a poignant moment and history and one I lived first hand. I thought I'd share some of my memories and excerpt from my book, "Destination: Berlin" with you today.

Where was I on 9 NOV 09? I was gradutating from MPI (Military Police Investiations) school in Ft. McCellan, AL. As the wall came down and East Germans danced on the wall, I was backing my bags and preparing to get on the plane for my 2nd tour of duty in Germany. I was 21, single, and ready for another great adventure in Europe.

My first tour of duty in Germany was from DEC 86 - DEC 88. I was an MP stationed in the Germany city of Muenster. There was 200 American and 10,000 Brits in Muenster. It was an hour away from the Netherlands border. In JUL 88, I went to Berlin on the Berlin Orientation Tour for winning Solider of the Quarter for my Battalion. It was a trip I will NEVER forget. I walked through the gates of Checkpoint Charlie and I saw the Berlin Wall up front and close.

Regan was President in the mid 1980's and Gorbachev was President of the USSR. With the USSR'S economy in ruins, Gorbachev steered his country toward a dignified end of the Cold War. In 1987, Ronald Regan dared Mr. Gorbachev to "Take down this wall." It was a speech of Regan's that even today, I remember.

What else happened during my first tour. Spandau Prison's last Nazi Prisioner, died. Remember Rudolph Hess. He died in 1987 and the prision was taken down.

On 10 NOV 09, I got a plane and landed in Frankfurt. I in-processed into the European theatre at the Rhein Main AFB (which I believed closed in 2004? 2005) and I was assigned as an MP to the headquarters element in Fulda in support of the 11th ACR. Fulda was one hour away from the old east/west German border. It was on the Fulda gap, the place where they thought the Russians would invade since the land consisted of gentle rolling hills.

I remember seeing Ladas and Travants flood the western autobahns. The Catherdal's parking lot in Fulda was packed for weeks. East Germans would honk and wave when they saw my American plated car in German. There was a lot of excitement in the air, a lot of good will.

Eventually, time erroded the good will feelings. Some are still there. But East Germany stagnated. There's been a lot to moderize the country, but even still some western Germans still look down on East Germans as lazy.

The good things? Germany is a nation again. It's WHOLE. It's complete. The German people are ONE. And that's a good THING. The capital is once again BERLIN and Berlin is a wonderful international city. It's a city that I visited a lot between 1990-1996. I haven't seen it in over 10 years, but I know it's WHOLE - it's one, it's healed. And despite the mild rumblings of displeasure, there's nothing better than for a nation to be WHOLE again.

Today, Hillary Clinton will join the Festival of Freedom at the Brandenburg gate, and the historian in me is thrilled to see this. I remember going to the Brandenburg Gate, newly cleaned and sharing a shot of Irish Coffee under the gate with my husband. It was a special moment for me, a moment I'll treasure, knowing the historical symbolism of the gate - freedom and it's hope.

The actual wall was built in 1961. It stayed alive for 28 years. Now it's been 20 years since it's death. Also celebrating with Clinton is Gorbachev, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and French President Nicholas Sarczoy. I wish I could be there for this bit of history and rememberance.

The fall of the wall - let freedom ring in Europe!

EXCERPT FROM DESTINATION:BERLIN - Sharon finds Top Secrets in her possession that she didn't know she had.

He approached and motioned for them to kneel against the bushes, then he looked hard at her. Sharon could sense a change in his demeanor and it unnerved her.

“Corporal,” he said seriously, “I need for you to be totally and completely honest with me right now. Can you do that?”

“Of course,” Sharon answered. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you a courier? Do you have classified government documents with you? Documents the Stasi want?” asked Dimitri.

Sharon shook her head. “No,” she said slowly. “I told you in the dining car. I’m going to Berlin to attend the Orientation Tour.”

Dimitri stared hard at her for a moment. In the darkness, Sharon was sure she could detect him softening, but he asked again, “You have no secret documents on you?”

“No,” she repeated firmly. “What’s going on?”

“What’s in your briefcase?”

“My paperwork. Border crossing documentation.”

“Let me see it,” he said firmly.

“Why?” she said, her voice sounding calmer than she felt. “What are you expecting to find? Secret government documents?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not lying to you, Jr. Sgt.”

Dimitri put his hand on hers and looked gently into her eyes. “I believe you. Please let me look. Our lives depend on it.”

“Look.” She gave him the briefcase, confident he would find nothing out of the ordinary.

He opened the case and read her border crossing documents, squinting in the firelight. Satisfied, he removed the entire contents and jiggled the bottom of the case. It began to move and then separated altogether from the case.

“It’s got a false bottom,” Sharon remarked, keeping her voice even and firm. She hoped it hid the trepidation she felt.

Dimitri extracted a folder. He recognized the top sheet, blue and with the word “Top Secret” printed on it.

She was stunned. What was going on, she wondered, her heart racing? Where had that file come from? She didn’t put it there. How did it get there and how did Dimitri know about it?

Week 1 - NaNoWriMo - I'm doing okay so far...

Well, here we are 6 days into NaNoWriMo and I'm pumped. Still. Amazing to believe, huh?

This is my first year doing NaNoWriMo. I've always been initimidated by it in the past, but this year I decided to bite the bullet. I had a novel I needed to write and I thought NaNoWriMo would be a great opportunity to write it. On 15 Oct I signed up and started preparing.

I gathered my tools. I made a graphic of the cover to inspire me. Actually, Kiyasama from Writing.com helped me come up with the graphic.

I wrote a blurb. I outlined my plot, cast my characters, and threw paper all over my living room table. I've got character bios and ink strewn throughout my computer room.

My goal is approx 2K words a day. I'm getting there. I usually handwrite my chapters at work and then when I get home I type them into the computer. It's not really time consuming. On my days off I go to the "It's A Grind" down by the Ralph's and meet up with a writing buddy and type away.

It's working so far. No writer's block, if anything, I don't have enough time in the day to write. It sucks. haha!

My novel is a paranormal romance and it takes place in Hungary in 1901. Here's the blurb:

Can a man haunted by an ancient curse fall in love? That’s what Count Anton Varga dares to explore when he meets beautiful and talented Lady Amelia Andrássy. Anton rediscovers Amelia in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, giving a concert and he hungers to pursue her, only he has a secret which he fears she will not accept. With the help and support of his friend and servant, Georg, Anton decides to win Amelia’s heart. Will the journey bring him the love he’s hungered for, or will it tear his heart apart?

If you want to check me out on the official site, here's my link:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/526402

If you want to sign me up as a writing buddy I'm StephB

Have a great week NaNoWriMo'ing!
Steph

Writing Tip Tuesday - Descriptions & Drama

I thought I'd post a few of my thoughts about descriptions today since today is my writing tip day.

Descriptions are needed to paint our worlds on paper, but for the new writer, they may be hard to master. Some authors use too many descriptions and some don't use enough. Where can you find the balance?

Here's some tips:

Descriptions either tap into the five senses or they are metaphors.

For new writers, mastering the five senses should come first. An example would be: Her hair smelled like strawberries, fresh and vibrant. The meat tasted wooden and hard. The air had a sharp, punguent odor, like sulfur. Her lips brushed against his, light as a feather.

All of the above examples describe using a good economy of words.

Metaphors take a little bit more to master. They involve using "as" and "like." For example:

Her heart took flight like a hummingbird's wings. He ran through the aisle like a prized stallion.

The examples above use a good economy of words.

TIP: You never want to start your story with a paragraph of description. That will snooze the reader out of your world. Start with action and lace in sentences of descriptions that compliment the action.

For example: She ran hard and fast, avoiding the potholes in the dirt road. She hated running. Only now she was running for her life. It didn't help that the sun was out, beating through the canopy of trees making her sweat. She had to keep going or they would catch her and kill her.

Hope that helps. Remember:

Describe whatever it is using the five senses. (This is the easy one)
Describe whatever it is using metaphors (a little harder to master)
Use a good economy of words
Never open up a story with description.

NaNoWriMo Write on!
Steph

Monday Excerpt - Across The Fickle Winds of History

The Set up:

Olga Romanov meets a mysterious stranger, Paul Kerensky.

********

Soldiers normally patrolled the roadway from an elite Cossack
regiment, of which my father had made me an honorary colonel.
Tatiana was also an honorary colonel of a Cavalry regiment. Marie
would receive an honorary title on her sixteenth birthday as well,
which was still two years away.

Tatiana suddenly stopped and caught my wrist.

“Do you hear that?”

I shrugged my shoulders and Tatiana frowned at me with her big,
hazel eyes, pulling me to a nearby rock to hide ourselves. There was
nothing that exasperated me more than when my sister looked at me
like I was a ten-year-old. Mind you, Tatiana and I shared all our
secrets, and were each other’s closest confidantes, but she was far
more outgoing and bold than I. She peered around the side of the
thick, gray boulder, and I looked over her shoulder.

I was totally unprepared for what I saw. Marie and Anastasia were
talking to three young people, two men, one girl, closer to my age.
They were laughing and giggling over some unknown joke, but the
sight of him nearly stopped my heart from beating. I stumbled against
Tatiana, accidentally pushing her to the ground, collapsing on top of
her. She screamed my name at the top of her lungs and he
immediately ran to our position. His strong hands helped me to my
feet while his companion helped Tatiana to hers. The electricity that
jolted my body sent waves of pleasure rippling down my arms, and I
had no idea a touch could inspire all that.

The minute our eyes met I stumbled again on the hard ground, and
he wrapped his muscled arm around my waist to prevent me from
falling. His firm lips curved into a sweet, sincere smile, and his
almond brown eyes held me riveted to the spot. His thick black hair
gleamed in the beams of the sun. He wore a long overcoat to keep
warm, but underneath he wore a simple shirt, with the top button
undone to reveal manly wisps of dark hair curling against the opening.
I had no doubt he was used to the cold and that he enjoyed it. My
mystery man had an air of authority and confidence of one who
commanded respect. As his body pressed ever so gently into mine, I
could feel his granite-like muscles and I knew in that moment he was a
man fickle history would recall as a hero.

“Are you all right?”

His deep, masculine voice seemed to purr in my ear, and I thought
my cheeks might color under his heavy gaze.

“I’m fine, just a little…”

“Embarrassed?” Anastasia volunteered.

“I think Olga likes you, Paul. I’ve never seen her blush like so,”
added my sister Marie.

I took a step away from him, glaring at my young sisters, as I
brushed off the remnants of the ground’s hard dirt from my jacket’s
sleeves.

He stopped my hurried, flustered actions by taking my hand in his.
Another warm jolt of electricity seemed to shoot down my arm the
minute he touched me. Then, like an imperial gentleman, he bowed
before me, sweeping his lips lightly over my knuckles.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Grand Duchess Olga. I am Paul
Kerensky.”

A bite of New England - The Breakers

It's Sunday again and time for my New England tidbit. This one is a bit personal for me - The Breakers.

The Breakers is a manison in Newport, Rhode Island that was built at the turn of the century by the Vanderbilt's. I discovered The Breakers in 1985 when my American Studies class went there on a field trip. American Studies was an honor level class that combined American lit & English. The Breakers, of course, embody American history.

What do I remember from that field trip? Two things - I was finally gaining acceptance from my classmates. I was never much of a popular kid, and I pretty much stuck to myself, but I found myself making friends with the kids in my class - finally - and I was happy about that. I had someone to sit with on the bus and someone to eat lunch with. I was happy. Simple things, I know, but back then...

The day was overcast, I remember that. It didn't rain. It was April, I believe, but I could be wrong. The Breakers was HUGE. It was square and majestic, and it embodied everything I thought high society was all about. On that first trip, the Breakers left three impressions with me - The Great Hall was magificient - tall, deep, wide, it belonged in a movie. The view from the 2nd floor overlooking the ocean was amazing and it only deepened my love of the sea. The last thing - the Breakers was my favorite Newport mansion. It had an elevator - an elevator at the end of the 1800's. I was impressed. It's a testiment to it's time.

I've been to The Breakers since, but not recently. I took my husband in the early 1990's, because I wanted to show him a place that was beautiful to me. My friends, Idgy & Alyssa went along with my sister and cuzzin' Emmie. What I liked about this trip was the freedom we had to explore. One of my favorite pictures is that of me and Idgy imitating fish statues in the gardens. hehe.

Just a little history:

The Breakers was completed in 1895 by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, but he only lived to enjoy it for 4 years - dying in 1899 of a cerebral hemorrhage caused from a second stroke in 1899 at the age of 55. He left the manison to his wife, Alice.

The previous manison on the property owned by Pierre Lorillard IV burned down in 1892 and Vanderbuilt bought it from him, using the most modern fireproofing at the time.

Vanderbilt's youngest daughter, Countess Gladys Széchenyi (1886-1965), leased the high-maintenance property to the non-profit Preservation Society of Newport County for $1 a year in 1948. The Society bought the Breakers outright in 1972 for $365,000 from Countess Sylvia Szapary, the daughter of Gladys.

Today, an agreement with the Society allows the family to continue to live on the third floor, which is not open to the public.

Countess Sylvia died in 1998, but her children still summer there to this day.

Interesting facts: Although the mansion is owned by the Society, the original furnishings displayed throughout the house are still owned by the family.

It is now the most-visited attraction in Rhode Island with approximately 300,000 visitors annually and is open year-round for tours.

Controversially, in April 2009 the museum stopped offering personalized tours by tour guides due to a decision by management. Patrons now receive standard audio headsets.

The Designer:


The Breakers is also a definitive expression of Beaux-Arts architecture in American domestic design by one of the country's founding fathers of architecture, Richard Morris Hunt. The Breakers is one of the few surviving works of Hunt that has not been demolished in the last century and is therefore valuable for its rarity as well as its architectural excellence. The Breakers was Hunt’s final work, and is the singular house that has withstood the vagaries of time to be remembered as the monument that was the architect’s greatest achievement. The Breakers made Hunt the "dean of American architecture" as well as helping define the era in American life which Hunt helped to shape.

Info for this blog entry was taken from Wikipedia at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breakers

If you ever get a chance to visit The Breakers in Rhode Island, I highly recommend it.