Historical Info for Historical Fiction Readers discussion

Welcome Readers, Authors and Publishers!

I hope this group will grow to become a great resource for readers to be able to get their feet and minds into the times and locations written about in the historical books they read. Please feel free to start a section about a time and place that you can help with and/or add information to other posts in comments.

Please try to keep some order in the historical data section to make it easier for people to locate the information they need.

Please note that though only a small number of Historical Data topics show, there are many more. There is a link to see them all at the right of the topic heading, Historical Data. The same goes for other topics.

Most of all, have fun and enjoy sharing and learning.

Please introduce yourself in the appropriate section.

I am an historical fiction writer (3 books). The last two have been about the Depression and WWII in the Philippines. I don't think many people know a lot about either subject unless they've read Steinbeck or they've read or seen movies about WWII in the Pacific. It was a horrible time when America couldn't send supplies to the Pacific because they were supplying Europe. I have several reviews of both books on this site. Joyce Shaughnessy
Blessed Are the Merciful
A Healing Place.
Please take a look. It might be something you are interested in. They are romantic and inspiring.
Thanks. Joyce blessedarethemerciful.net

Joyce, there is scarcely a period in history about which I don't enjoy reading, but you have found a niche I know next to nothing-okay, nothing-about. Will definitely have to look up your books!

Talk about convincing a reader! I just purchased both Blessed are the Merciful, and A Healing Place-they look Wow! So will be posting reviews, hopefully this weekend, else first of next week, on both-here on GR and on Amazon. I'm amazed, because as I stated above, I know next to nothing about this era, having avoided it in favour of European Theatre WWII (parent, etc. in European Front). So now I'm going to learn something new.:) Blessings, Joyce!

Hi Joyce and Mallory Anne-Marie,

Great that you could connect here. And Joyce, it would be great if you could post about the region during that era.

Everyone, please put introductions on the appropriate thread. Thanks!

Welcome.

I amdit that I don't know how to get to the appropriate thread. I love writing about WWII because it's so dramatic and life-changing. My book I'm writing now is much more personal and more romantic. I never have been able to get into the sci-fi stuff, although I realize that's what's popular now. Do you think it's ill-advised to write about an era you don't think sells as well, Debra? I have wonderful reviews from my other books, so I must be doing something right.
Joyce Shaughnessy
Blessed are the Merciful, A Healing Place, and Texas Gold mercifularethmerciful.net

I think you have to have a great marketing plan, or be content with what sales you can get on a less popular genre. Mine is pretty low on the scales, a clean historical romance/mystery. I'm hoping for long term rather than a fad genre that might burn out, but realize it might not go over as well right now.

If you go to the home page of this group, there are several sections and various posts in each section. The top section has an introductions thread. No biggy.

Thank you, Debra. My husband says, "just remember why you wrote the book, to say something you thought needed to be said, not to make money." You are both right. Thanks! Joyce

Debra, thank you again. Look at my book and the video on the dashboard, and if you would like it, send me your address to: joyceshaughnessy@yahoo.com and I will mail you a copy. I've already done about 4 or 5 giveaways, but I'd like to send one to you. I need to get my head on straight. Thanks again! Joyce

Hi Joyce and Mallory! Joyce's book on WW II in Bataan caught my eye as my book, In Her Mother's Image, deals with the second world war in the Philippines. Thank you so much for writing this book. Not too many people know of the Bataan death march and that more people died during this march than Pearl Harbor. I am trying to create awareness of this event as the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan will take place on April 9, 1942. My father survived the Bataan death march and the subsequent incarceration at Camp O'Donnell. And yet, there are hardly any depictions from the point of view of the Filipinos whose lives were irrevocably changed after December 8, 1941. Sadly, the Filipino and American survivors of the death March are dwindling fast.

In the book, the war is seen through the eyes of a rambunctious eight-year-old child named Chiquita whose innocent and carefree world is shattered by the invasion of the Imperial Japanese Army on December 8, 1941. Four months later on April 9, 1942, her fears become even more palpable during the fall of Bataan when her beloved brother goes missing. The sacrifices and emotional toll that befall her and her entire family are relived thirty years later when she goes back to the land of her birth. Neither time nor space could erase the emotional ravages of war.

The fall of Bataan marks the lowest point of World War II in the Philippines when General Edward King under the command of General Jonathan Wainwright was forced to surrender approximately 10,000 Americans and 67,000 Filipino troops to Major General Kameichiro Nagano and Col. Motoo Nakayama on April 9, 1942, after three months of intense and brutal fighting. These soldiers valiantly held onto their positions despite months of starvation and illness. But surrender was only the beginning of their nightmare. These weary, sick and emaciated men were forced to endure days of marching under the scorching heat of the sun with barely any provisions for food, water or medicine in order to reach their destination some 60 miles away. Approximately between 5,000 to 10,000 Filipino and 650 American soldiers died along the way in what became the infamous Bataan Death March.

I have just enrolled the book with the KDP program so if you have a Kindle or a Prime member, you can read it for free.
http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Image-C...

Please visit my website at www.ceciliagaerlan.com
You can also watch it on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo7Ge4...In Her Mother's Image

Cecilia,
Thank you for writing. Did your father make it home? I hadn't even thought about the anniversary. I have all of the things you have written about in my book, Blessed Are the Merciful. I follow them from before the invasion until the U.S. finally shows up to bring them home. I hope your father was one of the ones who came home. Joyce Shaughnessy blessedarethemerciful.net

WWII in Pacific theatre

Debra, I just read your comment about posting about the era of WWII in the Pacific. It is something a lot of people are so unaware. The U.S. sent their supplies to Europe first because they had been promised before Pearl Harbor happened. So the Pacific had to wait for any arms, ammunition, men, ships, planes, food, anything. A lot of our men and women starved to death before they died under Japanese command. Most people don't realize how bad off our troops over there were and how cruel the Japanese were.


The Japanese killed (murdered on purpose or by neglect) 9 out of ten POWs. I think that is awful. They claimed that they didn't have to treat our prisoners well because they hadn't signed the Geneva Treaty.

One thing I learned after writing Blessed Are the Merciful is that the Hell Ships that I wrote about actually started taking our prisoners to Japan in 1942. That was when they had companies that were going bankrupt because they didn't have the men to work in the factories, and they didn't want to put the women in them. So, companies like Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Mitsui all now exist because they put our men to work in their factories. It was cold there, and our men still had no shoes and wore tropical clothing, but the Japanese wouldn't give them warm clothes or even blankets to sleep. The government did a survey about it after the war. Most of those men died of hypothermia. They were worked six days a week, 12 hours a day, and were given one rice ball a day. They wouldn't even provide shoes.

I hope people will pick up my book and Cecilia's. They are both available on e-book format. Our troops there deserved a much better chance than they got. They were treated horribly by the Japanese and the Americans.

Thank you! Joyce Shaughnessy blessedarethemerciful.net

I'm sure this will get much interest. If you look at the home page, we have a section for historical data. You could title a new topic according to your researched era and put the above info there, and/or other related info. That would make it searchable, if you can. Thanks.

Joyce,
My Dad, who is Filipino, was released on August 1942. they were made to sign an oath (in the cover of the book) not to go against the Japanese. However, the American soldiers were shipped to Japan and became slave laborers. More horrors came before liberation in 1945 when former soldiers were rounded up, many of whom were executed. I can put this data under the historical section as Debra suggested. Perhaps, it may garner some interest.

I hope you will look under my post (WWII in the Pacific) and make a comment. I just found out under some research I am doing for my next book that the Japanese Kempeitai held 72 large scale massacres and killed 131,028 in addition on the Philippines alone during WWII. It was for talking against the Japanese occupation.
Joyce Shaughnessy Blessed Are the Merciful

Hello Everyone! I.m Cel from the Philippines. I'm a medical technologist by profession and was working for the Saudi Armed Forces Hospital for three years where I met my husband who is a retired US Air Force Serviceman.

I read a lot but never have I written books of any kind much more if it is about WWII. The idea of sharing knowledge with this era is very generous. Like most people I too wanted to learn more. My husband talks about how it was as told to them by fellow airman of the upperclass. What made me more interested is when I came across Laura Hillenbrand's book UNBROKEN. Since then, I tried to find books which are written in lieu to real stories of WWII heroes.

To Joyce, thank you so much for the invitation.

I would apologize because I know I won't be able to contribute facts and details , but nevertheless I will be following this group to be able to learn more.

Thank you, Cel. That was what I tried to do with my book - add real facts with some fictional characters. I also added a lot of articles, poetry, ltrs, etc. There is so much to cover and people know so little about it, me included. I just learned about the Philippines about three years ago. Joyce Shaughnessy blessedarethemerciful.net

Not all topics show up. For example, under Historical Data, there are 43 topics, but only ten of them show. Right across from the section heading, Historical Data, there is a link to open the entire list.

Too bad they don't all show up, but oh well.

Debra, I just tried to transfer my synopsis again and couldn't here and I guess facebook limits characters. I may have a virus on my computer (in fact I think I probably do, but I'm so sick I can't deal with it now). I hope I haven't caused you too much trouble. You seem to be on the internet 24 hours a day. Thanks again. Sorry again. Joyce Shaughnessy, http://www.blessedarethemerciful.net

Debra, I did leave the synopsis on the WWII Pacific Theatre page about an hour ago. Just wanted you to know. If you could transfer it for me I would be forever grateful. If not, maybe I can figure it out later.
Joyce Shaughnessy http://www.blessedarethemerciful.net

Done. :)

Thank you so very much, Debra. I have been so very sick (my husband and I have had pneumonia, and when you are 62, it's harder to mend. My husband is 70 and it is even harder. Now we are just tired mainly. I intend to join the discussions now and try to answer all of the emails (I have a personal email that isn't book related, and even it was full. I really appreciate your help. I had intended, before getting sick, to attend a computer class, although I have gone, and it was just word processing. I know that. I hope I can find a class more sophisticated. Thanks again! Joyce Shaughnessy

You are welcome. :)

Hi there - I'm a historical crime novelist, living in a Victorian house in London. I love writing reviews of books, I'd love others to read. In terms of historical knowledge, I know the Victorian period really well. Specifically,Darwin, evolutionary theory, Science, early forensics, Fenianism and the Irish Republican movement, C19th surgery, medicine and the Irish famine. If these are areas you are interested in, then I may be able to help. You can ask me direct questions or find out more by visiting my website at www.demeredith.com

Basically, I love talking about the C19th!!

Hi, sounds interesting. I know that Debra loves that era. Mine has been WWII in Pacific theatre. But, welcome, and hope that you like the group. I do. Joyce Shaughnessy, blessedarethemerciful.net

Welcome D.E.,

I'd love to see your house! It is a little far by foot, however.

Thanks for the invitation to ask about the era. I may end up asking for info at some point!

Debbie

Hi D.E.,

I too write fiction set in the 19th century, with a special interest in the Victorian era. I recently guest posted an article on The English Historical Fiction Authors Website. The subject is The Victorian Technologcal Revolution. Here's the link:

http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot...

Gary

My first historical novel, THE SIGN OF THE EAGLE, an action/suspense historical set in ancient Rome, was published two months ago by Sunbury Press (www.sunburypress.com). I enjoy most aspects of history and historical fiction, but the area of Classical History is my particular interest.
I look forward to being a part of this group and would be happy to answer any question in regard to ancient history, especially, the Roman World.
Although I hold a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, I minored in Ancient Mediterranean Studies, my first academic love and have traveled extensively thoughout the Mediterranean world.
I hope I do not sound too egotistical or self-centered--it's just my enthusiasm for history sometimes gets in the way. Thank you.The Sign of the Eagle

Hi Jess, great to see you here. Brag all you want- now we know who to ask when we have questions!

Don't hesitate to ask.

Welcome.

J.A. wrote: "Welcome."

J.A. wrote: "Welcome."

J.A. wrote: "Welcome."

Thank you, J.A.

Welcome.
ahealingplacebook.wordpress.comA Healing Place
Blessed Are the Merciful

hello!...

i am not an author...maybe someday....

but i am an avid reader of historical fiction...

that is my only real qualification for joining this group....i am not sure, given the scholarly tenor that seems to prevail here, that i will be able to add much of help or interest, but i do hope to learn from the offerings posted here and keep abreast of new works by authors in the genre....

and where i can, i will do my best to contribute without being redundant....this seems to be a very well-rounded group so i will try to be sure i am not crossing over previous entries....

A lot of the information here is of such a scholarly tenor that I also think it's intimidating. And I am an author! My only expertise, if you can call it that, seems to be in the Pacific WWII era and the American Great Depression. In other words, 1930's and 1940's. I only can say that I have a degree in English Literature. I hope you will stay with the group because we have a lot of people in it who are readers who have masters and even doctorates in History or Literature and others just like me.
Anyway, you'll find the group rewarding. I like finding out new information and I also love to read, although I have a newfound passion for James Patterson!
Joyce Shaughnessy

Welcome, Pip.

The group is meant for readers, too, as the title says. If you do have things you can add, please do, but feel free to chat with the authors and just read the great info they have posted and linked to.

Thanks for joining!

Welcome aboard, Pip. My expertise is in ancient Rome. If you have any questions re: that era, please feel free to ask. Also check out my page and my historical novel, THE SIGN OF THE EAGLE, and my webpage www.jessstevenhughes.com. Thank you.
Jess Hughes

Welcome.

Welcome. Don't worry about the scholarly thing. We're not arrogant and like company. My main era is early modern England, 17th century, mostly the 1660's. If you have any questions, just ask. K

Welcome, Pip! Without readers' feedback, we authors wouldn't survive...so keep on reading and commenting! AnneQueen By Right

Hi Anne,

I did not realize you are Anne Easter Smith till you posted that title. I won your book in a giveaway, and it is on my TBR. I'm looking forward to it greatly.

Nice to see you here.

Hi folks, Just reading Debra's The Companion of Lady Holmshire on Kindle

Thanks Diana!

Hi this is Apollonia, very excited to join this group :))

Welcome, Apollonia! Tell us about yourself.

Well hello Debra, very nice to meet you! :)) well, where should I begin? I love reading, it's my stress reliever. I love learning new things and getting to know others. I am social, friendly, and outgoing. I plan in traveling the world when I get older, beginning with Europe. And I am thrilled to have joined this group! :)

It is nice to meet you, too! Your plans sound wonderful.

I hope you enjoy some of the history posts people have left. :)

Thank you!

Welcome. Is 19th-century French history your specialty then, or just really happen to like Balzac?