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July 11, 2020

"Enjoyable read from beginning to the end. Would recommend for sure." - Roy

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On the Homefront
Daisy and Tilly waiting to play!

This week didn’t see me getting up to much other than couch surfing. Carol did manage to order us a new umbrella for our outside patio set, (the other was destroyed in a wind storm several years ago). Of course, rather than being able to sit outside in the shade, the weather turned, giving us rain. More than that actually, as it was labelled a Severe Thunderstorm by Environment Canada. Unwilling for it to suffer the same fate as its predecessor, we wisely brought it inside where it now sits, waiting in our basement for the weather to change.

While spending a lot of time streaming, I did manage to find an interesting documentary series on Amazon Prime. First Flights tells the stories of the pioneers of flight and is hosted by none other than Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. It starts with the early attempts at flying, and then progresses chronologically, throughout much of the twentieth century (the series was made in 1991). A particular part of the program that I liked was the inclusion of modern footage of the aircraft he talks about, some being reproductions while others are actual restorations.  Definitely worth checking out if you’re an aircraft enthusiast.

Thanks to nurse Daisy and nurse Tilly, who bravely sat/slept at my side, while I snoozed on the couch!

Congrats to Christina for winning last week's eBook Giveaway! It was a tie about which sentence you found more compelling!

Remember, all you need to do to choose which choice you prefer, and you will automatically be entered into the Giveaway to win your choice of any of my ebooks, even the upcoming Temple Knight!

Paul's Review of Greyhound

Greyhound debuted on AppleTV+ on the 10th of July and is based upon the novel, ‘The Good Shephard’ by CS Forester (of Hornblower fame). It tells the fictional story of an American WW2 destroyer captain as he attempts to protect a convoy of ships sailing across the North Atlantic.

If you’re expecting a deep dive into the character, this is not the movie for you. After a short preamble, the rest of the action is at sea, where the bulk of the story takes place. His ship, the USS Greyhound, is one of two destroyers (the other is British) and two corvettes (both Canadian) who are tasked with safely escorting a large group of supply ships to Britain in 1942.

Radar and Sonar are both in their infancy, leading to tense moments as they struggle to locate a pack of U-Boats that are harassing the convoy. At this point in history, there was an area of the Atlantic known as the ‘Black Pit’, a region where air cover could not be provided. This allowed the German U-boats the perfect place to launch their attacks.

The story, told through the eyes of Hank’s character, gives a real feel for this type of warfare. We also see the Brits and Canadians doing their part, though only from the Greyhound's point of view. This movie does not showcase the heroics of someone who grandstands but rather the quiet courage and bravery of ordinary people, doing their part for the war effort.

In my opinion, this ranks right up there with Saving Private Ryan for its accurate portrayal of warfare, however, this time it's at sea. Definitely worth a look if you like war movies.

Cover Reveal: Temple Knight (In case you missed it last week!)

To lead, first she must experience failure!


Thank you to everyone who voted last week for the main tag line for my newest book. I was surprised to see that both received almost the exact same number of votes, so it was a tough decision, but the above one fits best.

The good news is that 'Bravery alone does not a leader make',  will be used for second book in the series, Warrior Knight!, which is due out early 2021!

Canadian Corvettes

During World War 2, a need was identified for more warships capable of escorting convoys. While destroyers were well suited to this role, the British Admiralty needed something that could be built rapidly, and in larger numbers than those offered by destroyers. The result was the ‘corvette’, a name that had been revived from earlier times. Corvettes were typically a single shafted design (one propeller) that could be produced in smaller shipyards and required less expertise in their construction. The first modern corvet was the Flower-class. In the UK, the ships were named after flowers, but in Canada, such vessels were named after smaller Canadian cities and towns.

These compact corvettes were very limited in their capabilities, being, in some cases, even slower than the ships they escorted. Nevertheless, they fulfilled an important role in protecting convoys at a time when more powerful ships were needed elsewhere. By the end of the war, Canada had the third-largest navy in the world. During that time, more than a hundred Flower-class corvettes had flown their flags in the service of the RCN.

HMCS Sackville, a Flower-class corvette, now serves as a museum ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a proud survivor of that difficult time.

My next Facebook Live Video will be on Monday, July 20, at my usual time of 5:30 pm EST.

Work in Progress Update

Unfortunately, I was a little under the weather this week, so I didn’t get much writing accomplished. In my downtime, I managed to watch Lord of the Rings, though watching might be a strong word as I slept through much of it. It did inspire me, however, to give more thought to the battle at the end of Flames. By Friday, I was almost fully recovered, at least enough to outline the ‘new’ battle and the parts that all the major characters will play. On Monday, I look forward to getting back to work and actually putting words on the screen.

On a side note, I spent some time deciding on the enemy’s disposition of troops. I tried to put my head into what the enemy commander might do, given his limited view of the opposition. There were actually several deployments that I considered before deciding on their final plan. The problem then became how the battle would progress. Thankfully, I have some aids that I use just for this problem. I played through the battle, turn by turn, taking screenshots as I went. The result, I hope, will be an intense battle with moments where the major characters can shine.

Until next time, enjoy the beginning of Temple Knight!

Temple Knight - Power Ascending: Book One

Charlaine deShandria stood motionless on the street, her sword resting loosely within its scabbard, ready at a moment's notice. Her fellow initiates were there with her, each dressed in the white cassock of a knight in training, bearing the scarlet waves of Saint Agnes, the colours reversed from that of a full Temple Knight.

Of those gathered, she was the oldest by far. Most joined the order between the ages of sixteen and nineteen, but at twenty-four, she had started much later in life. The Archprioress had assured her that such a thing was not unheard of, but her experience thus far said otherwise.

Charlaine looked to her fellow initiates who were standing nearby, nervously watching the run-down boarding house before them. Their orders had come early that morning. Stand guard and keep any spectators at bay while the knights of the order searched for a criminal.

A Temple Captain of Saint Agnes, resplendent in her plate armour and scarlet tabard, looked their way. “You are only here to keep people back. Do not enter the building, is that clear?”

“Yes, Captain,” they echoed back in unison.

The knight, satisfied her instructions were understood, joined the other members of the order as they moved forward, shields to the front with weapons drawn. The captain advanced, kicking open the door as she led her contingent of six into the building.

The sounds of fighting quickly drifted towards them, the ring of metal on metal, the grunting and yells that accompanied such things. One of the other initiates yawned, but Charlaine remained focused on the front door.

Suddenly, a Sister Knight staggered out of the building and fell to the ground, blood pouring from an arm wound. Then, a large man, easily topping the knight by a head or more, followed her out, his bloodied axe raised for a death blow.

Charlaine acted instinctively, drawing her weapon and rushing forward while the others simply looked on in horror, frozen by the spectacle that was unfolding before them.

Author Spotlight!

Check out these featured books that are free, discounted, or new releases.
These authors are returning the favour by sharing my books with their readers.

The Fae Prophecy: Amongst the chaos of their kingdom being attacked by strange dark magic, the fae princess discovers she has mysterious powers. In an effort to save her, her father sends her away.

She must now unravel the mysteries of her powers while fending for herself in a land she thought she knew, and at the same time find a way to save her father and the kingdom.
Moonstones, a witch, dark elves, and a wolf shifter all stand in her way as she tries to absolve her father of the atrocities the fae folk accuse him of.    Learn more...

The Madness Project: Cavnal has been at peace for nearly a century. Magic, once revered, is now the object of contempt. And anyone unfortunate enough to be born with its powers has been banned from the nobility and pushed to the fringes of society.

All his life, Prince Tarik has known that if the world discovered his secret—that he was born a mage—he would lose everything. But when a wave of violence in the city points back to an underground society of mages, everything changes. Only Tarik has the power to infiltrate their ranks. Only he can learn the truth about a plot that could destroy... MORE

Wrath of the Forgotten: A war is brewing between the kingdoms of humanity… Bound and broken, Lukys stumbles through the darkness. From all around come the voices of the Tangata, inhuman enemies of mankind, who have a secret, one that might finally end ten long years of war. If only he could escape and bring word to his people! 

Meanwhile, the Queen’s Archivist flees the wrath of her former master. A foreign king offers asylum, but the man is an enemy of her people. And his aid will cost far more than just her loyalty—he seeks the magic of the Gods. With the hounds drawing close, Erika must commit the ultimate betrayal to keep her freedom. Is she willing to pay the price?

Featured Book Deals & Giveaways

While you wait for the release of my next book, here are some great stories for your TBR pile!

More Giveaways & Deals!
Bingeworthy Boxsets & Bundles
Epic Fantasy Giveaway
New Fantasy Worlds Giveaway
Where Women Rule Giveaway

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Paul J Bennett

Paul@pauljbennettauthor.com

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