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Memorial Day is just about here and I thought I would share a poem written by my brother, Don Dieleman, a Navy veteran. On this special day of remembrance, if you can't attend a service or parade, at least give thanks to those who have gone before us as well as the young men and women serving now to protect our freedom. In this day of isolation and the battle with COVID-19, the poem also seems relevant and applicable to those fighting this virus on the front lines.

FREEDOM ISN'T FREEÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý(copyright, Don Dieleman, 2004)

Freedom isn't free
Look around and you will see
Some are crippled some are lame
With their stories to proclaim.Ìý

Some have scars you do not see
Cutting deep in memory
They gave their all for you and me
So that freedom we can see.

It's hard for young to comprehend
When family goes to war
But one day they will understand
What they went fighting for.Ìý

We enjoy so much of everything
In a land of liberty we sing
Help us Lord to always see
That lives were lost for you and me.Ìý

We seem very out of touch
With many places that have not much
Especially freedom that they seek
May we always freedom keep.

So pray that where our troops may go
To distant lands away from home
That they will always lead the way
To help spread freedom everyday.Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý(Copyright, Don Dieleman, 2004)

When you see a man or woman in uniform or just wearing a military hat, thank them for their service and say a little prayer that the negative memories embedded during their service will diminish, give them peace and a sense of pride.

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I never served in the military but I had the privilege of writing two memoirs of Army Reserve nurses who served in the Persian Gulf War; then 2nd Lt. Dianah Kwiatkowski, When Duty Called: Even Grandma Had To Go, and Sgt. Sara Raye (pen name), Hidden Casualties: Battles On The Home Front, as well as the WWII story of home front America and what a group of children from one school accomplished, We Bought A WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of A Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway.Ìý

Please SHARE and leave a comment before May 30th and I'll put your name in to WIN the book of your choice from above.Ìý

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Sandra Warren has published works in multiple genres. For SKYPE/ZOOM visits and/or CONTACT information see her website: or Ìý

"Keep me at it," is a mantra that applies to just about everything I start during this pandemic isolation. After over almost two months in quarantine, as I sit among boxes pulled out of my closet, I worry about my inability to stick with or to any one task. Like a humming bird flitting from flower to flower, I'm flitting from job to job. It seems to be my new normal as I struggle to adjust to these strange times.

Clear out and clean out is a worthy goal, but I'm finding it difficult to complete one task before starting another, consequently, there are boxes opened, some emptied, contents piled on tables in every room in the house. My office, a large second family room in our lower level, is almost impassable as I try to unload years of files filled with proof that being a wife and mother was just one of many hats I used to wear. Things on my computer aren't much better. Another distraction. Am I alone?Ìý

In one of the files I was emptying, I found a letter from Anne Cox, a long ago. acquaintance, that contained words of inspiration; words I needed to hear at that precise moment; words by Marjorie Holmes that inspired me and I hope may inspire you.Ìý

KEEP ME AT ITÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìýby Marjorie Holmes

God, give me due respect for the abilities you have given me.
Don't let me sell them short.
Don't let me cheapen them.
Don't let me bury my talents through indecision, cowardice or laziness.
Plant in me the necessary determination.
Keep me at it!
Rouse in me the fires of dedication.
Keep me at it!
Give me the energy, strength, and will power to bring your gifts to their proper fruition.
Keep me at it!
When I falter or fall, lift me up and set me back on my destined path.
Keep me at it!

KEEP ME AT IT, seems especially pertinent to those of us who write or illustrate; a profession with so much rejection. If we give up, so many stories and wonderful pieces of art will never be told or shared. So KEEP AT IT!

Look around you. Whatever you've started or haven't started but know you should, whether it's cleaning or sorting or writing or painting or exercising or cooking or resting, remember Marjorie Holmes's words of wisdom to KEEP ME AT IT! If you do that today, then I will too. Now, I'd better get hopping or I'll never be able to clear a path out of my office.

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Sandra Warren has published works in a variety of genres. She lives and writes in the NC mountains.

Contact Information:
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One of the things we're told to do when developing stories is to consider the "what ifs?" We look at an incident, behavior or personality of a character and think about changes that can move a story forward, add interest and an opportunity for character growth. Many times we don't want our characters to change, especially if that changed is forced upon us by an editor or critique from a writer we respect, and evenÌý when we know the change will improve our story, sometimes it's justÌý hard to cast aside our original concept and respond to the "what ifs?"

The "what ifs," I'd like you to consider has nothing to do with the development of story but more about life itself. If we've learned anything from the pandemic we're all living through, it's that life is precious. With everything shut down, we've been given the gift of time to reflect and share with our spouses, children, family and friends in ways we've never done before. And all though we don't want to think about it, what happens if our family is hit with the virus and loses a loved one? And, what if that loved one is you?Ìý
What if it is you? Have you left clear instructions as to how to access your computer files, your works-in-progress, contact information for the important people in your career; agents, editors, publicist, lawyer, publishers? If published, does your spouse or loved one know which publishers to contact regarding royalties and for which books? Royalties don't stop when you're gone.ÌýÌý
I could go on and on with more "what if" questions but I think the idea is clear. We all need to have a plan. We all need to prepare for the "what ifs!"

Have you ever considered this? Do you have a plan? I'd like to know.


Sandra Warren is the author of books in multiple genres. Contact via her website listed below.

Obsessed By A Promise: A Childhood Promise! A Lost Brother! The Orphan Train! A life On Hold!
She Started It AllÌý - middle grade historical fiction of bomber story Ìý We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & TheÌýÌý Ìý ÌýBlue Ridge Parkway!ÌýÌý Book Trailer:ÌýÌý Ìý​​Spivey's Web!Ìý Book Trailer:ÌýÌýÌý Ìý

Who among us could have ever imagined a time when everything, and I mean everything would shut down; churches, schools, movie theaters, Broadway shows, sports events and restaurants, and live television shows where the announcers and commentators are broadcasting from home? Where folks over 60 are told to stay home to stay safe? Where those that have to be out and about are told to stay six feet apart, bump elbows instead of shaking hands and absolutely no hugs? It sounds like a movie script about the future; fictitious words no one would believe. And yet, here we are in the middle of a World Wide Pandemic!

Writing, for those of us who love to create stories, will be the escape we so desperately need in these challenging times. Intellectually, we all know that what makes a story great are the trials and tribulations our characters face and overcome. That's where our characters change and grow, hopefully for the better.

Life has given us all the opportunity to model those positive changes in our own lives. We need to record and remember that the emotions we're feeling, the highs and the lows, the fears and bright spots along the way, words of encouragement and words that depress, can all be applied to the characters in our current works in progress, or in characters in stories to come.

Positive, extraordinary things can emerge from the most horrendous experiences.

Write on, writer friends. Write on!

I hated taking History in school. I don't know why--well, maybe I do. Events, dates, causes and consequences didn't interest me. For the most part, I couldn't relate. Too many things were going on in my teenage life. I didn't care about what happened years ago even if, as my teachers tried to explain, the past allowed me to have the freedoms I take for granted.

Today, we live in an era of technology where the Internet has given us access to information through videos, documentaries, nonfiction as well as narrative non-fiction, podcasts and blogs, Internet radio and even "Alexa" where you only have to ask "Alexa" to get the answers to most anything. The way History is taught no longer needs to be boring.

Whether or not a student clicks in will depend, I believe, on their sense of curiosity and timing; curiosity to begin to explore a topic in new and different ways or appreciate those that do and did, and timing that connects them to some part of the story. If I had heard about the Orphan Trains as a teen, I'm not sure I would have been as horrified with the process as I was years later as a Mother of three. The story certainly wouldn't have resonated with me in the same way.

In the early 1990's, while working for an educational publisher, I came across a little book called The Orphan Trains. Intrigued, I sat down and read it cover to cover. For days, weeks, no months, I couldn't get the information I had read out of my mind. I kept thinking of the "what ifs?" My father had passed away when I was six and we were quite poor. What if my mother hadn't been able to care for me and my brother? Would she have been forced to give us away? Could that have been us? What if my brother and I had been separated? What would my life or his have become? Slowly but surely, through all the thinking and imagining and researching, a story emerged; a story that would evolve over the next twenty-plus years before culminating in a book.

First titled, My Brother's Keeper, and then,ÌýThey Called Me Blue, Obsessed By A PromiseÌýÌýfollows the lives of two brothers separated in the Spring of 1929. The youngest is taken and eventually sent out west on the Orphan Train to a new family while the oldest is frantically searching for him. Devastated by the loss of his little brother, the elder dedicates the next fifty years of his life to the search.

Strangely, history also played a major role in one of my other books. We Bought A WWII Bomber centered on a historical accomplishment of students during World War Two. Doing research for that book unearthed a seventy-year old mystery, made history in a small town that had forgotten the important event, and resulted in the placement of two historical markers in two different States.

Experiences writing these two books have taught me to pay attention to the world around me. What is current today may be significant history tomorrow. Had you told me back when I was in school that history would become an important part of my future as a writer, I wouldn't have believed you. I hated History classes in school so it's very strange to me that I enjoy writing about it today.

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To celebrate the NEW YEAR, I'm giving away an autographed copy of either We Bought A WWII Bomber, or Obsessed By A Promise. Leave a comment by January 5, 2020 and one winner will be able to choose their book of choice.

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The other day an author friend of mine said to me, "Once you publish a book, it's always with you. You never know when it will unexpectedly pop-up again." The comment was prompted by unexpected orders that arrived out-of-the-blue for the purchase of several of her books that hadn't sold a copy in months.

Her comment made me laugh because last November, I received a call regarding my children's mini-musical story book, CD and DVD package,ÌýArlie the Alligator, asking about purchasing multiple copies for an alligator preserve's gift shop. I was thrilled, of course, and somewhat amazed. Although Arlie the Alligator has received modest success over the years, I never expected a bulk order at this time.

The original Arlie the Alligator came out in the early 1990's as a hard back book and audio cassette package. Then, in 2000 a CD replaced the audio cassette. The book was brought out in paperback with updated illustrations in 2013, and in 2014, a DVD was produced. By traditional publishing standards, Arlie the Alligator would have been relegated to the cancellation pile, but because it was independently published, it has remained on the market sellingÌýone book, CD or DVD now and again. So, you can imagine my surprise and delight when I received the request for a bulk order. Amazingly, thirty-eight years after it first hit the market,ÌýArlie the AlligatorÌýhas been given a new chance to continue delighting children in story and song, in a Texas gift shop.

This happened with two other books of mine, also. In 2016, publisher Royal Fireworks Press, re-illustrated and republished, If I Were A Table and Reflections On Being Gifted, a title change forÌýa book originally called, Being Gifted: Because You're Special From The Rest. Both of these updates and returns to market were surprises to me since both books had original publishing dates on them of 1981 and 1986.

You never know when you put your heart and soul into a book or an idea if it will find an audience and have a lasting impact.

It's like my friend said, ". . . You never know when [a book you authored] will unexpectedly pop-up again."

Sometimes books are like volunteer flowers in the garden that surprise you in the Spring. They pop up to delight when you least expect them.

Has interest in any of your books popped up again after many years?

Leave a comment by October 10th and Sandra will gift one lucky winner with a copy of Arlie the Alligator.Ìý

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Sandra Warren is the author of books in several genres.

Contact her at:

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While planning a weekend presentation, it occurred to me that my audience might like to hear more than a synopsis or a reading of the book. I know I do when I attend an author event.ÌýDon't read me a page from your book. I can do that myself, later. Tell me something not in the book, something I learned from being at your presentation.Ìý

Things like:Ìý Where the idea came from and what inspired you to pursue it? How long it took to write? Did you have to do research? Are the characters based on someone you know? What was the hardest part of the story to write? How many times did you rewrite it? Where did the title come from? Sprinkle in your personal writing experience too; Is this your first book? Did you always want to write? Who is your favorite author? Who is your biggest supporter? Where do your other ideas come from?ÌýDo you have a critique group?ÌýAnd so on and so on.ÌýÌý

This weekend I will be speaking to group of adults and young adults at a local library about my newest work of historical fiction,ÌýShe Started It All. But rather than talk about the story as written, I am sharing my secrets about how I turned a nonfiction story into the historical fiction they came to hear about. As interesting as I think the story itself is, I believe it's more interesting to share how I determined what facts from the nonfiction needed to be in the historical fiction. What pitfalls I faced? If I use real character names? Why or why not? Stuff like that. In my humble opinion, this will be much more interesting than merely telling the story.Ìý

The flyer for my presentation reads like this: From A Bomber Story toÌýShe Started It All: Creating Historical Fiction From Nonfiction.Ìý

If you're out and about near Morganton, North Carolina around 2:00 pm on Saturday the 9th, stop by and critique my presentation. I'd love to see you!Ìý





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​Author of Arlie the Alligator and other books for children and adults!





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Throughout my journey as an author I've learned to accept the ups and downs of the profession. I know that everyone won't love my work or "get it," whatever the "it" is built into the particular story they've just read. I expected to get reviews and prayed they'd be good ones. I've come to realize that my readers, children especially, think it's pretty special to meet me. What I never expected were what I call, gifts of the heart, that I've been blessed to receive from my readers.

It all started years ago with my Arlie the Alligator: Story-Song Picture Book. Although designed for primary children, preschoolers caught on to the catchy tunes and insisted on playing the audio tape and then CD, over and over again. They loved to BELLOW with Arlie, much to their parents dismay. One three year old boy named Bryan, insisted that his mom buy Arlie's Mom, he called me that, an alligator necklace that he saw in a store. It was totally unexpected and I cherish it to this day.Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý

Ìý Other alligators followed. I've receivedÌý stuffed alligators, and wooden ones, puzzle alligators and ones made out of metal. Here are two more clever fellows that look just like Arlie. Inside their mouths sits a tiny bird. I named the bird, Odetta, and plan another Arlie adventure based on her. They were given to me by a friend who saw them in a jewelry display and had to buy them for me.Ìý I wear them when I do school visits.Ìý
Although my new book, Spivey's Web, is less than a year old,ÌýI've already received related gifts. One friend saw this cute mug and said she just had to get it for me. Another gifted me with this unique spider's web that I have hanging in my office window.
With my We Bought A WWII Bomber book, I've received several unique gifts. One, a ring made by a school boy in 1943 out of a part of the bomber from the story. After wearing it for a couple of years and fearing I would lose such a treasure, I donated it to the Patrick County Historical Society from the county where the bomber crashed. They will preserve and keep it safeÌýmuseum.Ìý

An exact replica of the B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber was also gifted to me complete with the correct tail numbers #229577 and the name given to the bomber by the students who raised the money to purchase it, The Spirit of South High, Grand Rapids, Michigan, painted on the fuselage.Ìý

A real surprise gift came in the mail a few days ago from the caterer of the reception that followed the Dedication of the Wayside Historical Marker placed on The Blue Ridge Parkway, October 1st. For the reception, the caterer's husband made a B-17 bomber cookie cutter so she could make gingerbread bomber cookies. Two days ago a box arrived with a bomber cookie cutter inside. I am thrilled! What a wonderful surprise!Ìý It arrived in time for me to make bomber cookies for the November 20th Book Launch ofÌý She Started It All, the middle grade historical fiction version of the bomber story.

And last but not least, I can't forget to mention the wonderful cape made for me by the daughter ofÌý one of the gentlemen from Meadows of Dan, Virginia, who came forward to show me the spot where the B-17 bomber, The Spirit of South High, crashed.ÌýHe was an 11-year old boy at the time, heard the crash and went running to the site. Unfortunately, he passed away a few months ago and wasn't able to witness the dedication of the marker. Linda Fain surprised me with this beautiful fleece cape.ÌýÌýÌý


All of these were SURPRISE GIFTS FROM THE HEARTS of my readers. Each and every one was totally unexpected.Ìý
Have you received GIFTS FROM THE HEART? I'd like to hear about them.Ìý
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When an author's book finally hits the market they hold their breath hoping that the reviews will be glowing and sales will be swift. They have expectations that their baby in print will delight and inspire and captivate readers. What no author can prepare for is the unexpected.

In 2015, I was privileged to write a nonfiction book about an incident that occurred in my high school during WWII. It involved a funding program that put a tangible face on money Americans spent on United States War Bonds and War Loan Stamps. The largest of these programs was called the "Buy A Bomber" or "Bonds for Bombers" campaign. Students in my school, South High School from Grand Rapids, Michigan initiated War Bond sales totaling $375,000, earning the right to name a a small Pursuit Fighter and a B-17 Flying Fortress. They named them both "The Spirit of South High School. War Bond sales paid for 57% of the cost of WWII, after taxes.Ìý

My purpose in writing the story was solelyÌýto tell the alumni from the school, what happened to their bomber. For 71-years they had no idea. One of my classmates, Joe Rogers, found it on a crash report that said it came down stateside in a small mountain Virginia town located on The Blue Ridge Parkway.Ìý

Monday, October 1, 2018, a Wayside Historical Marker was dedicated on The Blue Ridge Parkway at Mabry's Mill, near the sight where that bomber crashed.Ìý
Approximately 150 folks attended including 15+ alumni from that high school in Michigan. Media from three television stations attended as well as newspaper reporters.Ìý Those attending enjoyed a reception at the Meadows of Dan Community Center courtesy of the Patrick County Historical Society and the VFW Organization.Ìý

I was overwhelmed to say the least.Ìý

One of the reporters asked me what I hoped students and adults will get out of seeing and reading the marker. Here's what I said: "I hope folks will be reminded and impressed with the importance of Americans working together for our country. WWII was a time when patriotism was the norm and permeated our great country. If ever we needed that kind of patriotism, it's now. I also hope students see that they can achieve great things and make a difference. I pray readers will catch the "Spirit of South High School" exhibited there.Ìý

The marker is beautiful! If you're ever onÌýThe Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, Milepost 176.2, at Mabry's Mill, stop by and see it and know that wonderful and unexpected things can happen when your book comes out.ÌýÌý
Here is the link to one of the broadcasts:



Enjoy!
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​N´Ç²Ô´Ú¾±³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô:
We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway!ÌýÌý 2017 State History Award: Private Printing Category, Michigan Historical SocietyÌý2016 Next Generation Indie Book Award FinalistBook Trailer:ÌýÌý ÌýAvailable:Ìý
Middle Grade Historical Fiction version:Ìý

SHE STARTED IT ALL!
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It's here!

Finally, confirmation of a date for the Dedication of the placement of a Wayside Historical Marker on The Blue Ridge Parkway honoring the events surrounding the non-fiction book that was written in 2015 titled,ÌýÌýWe Bought A WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of A Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway and the newly published middle-grade historical fiction, SHE STARTED IT ALL.

It's an extraordinary thing that is about to happen and YOU are invited!

When: Monday - October 1, 2018 -(The 74th Anniversary of the crash!)
Where: Milepost 176.2 on The Blue Ridge Parkway - Meadows of Dan, VA
Time: 1:00 pm followed by a Reception at the Meadows of Dan Community Center, 2858 Jeb Stuart Parkway, Meadows of Dan, VA 24120

So how did I get from there to here you ask? Let me explain.

Following the completion of the research for the non-fiction book mentioned above, it seemed only natural that the next step should be the placement of a historical marker near the site. Research indicated that the Superintendent of the National Park System was the decision maker and you had to prove via articles and primary and secondary resources that a site qualified as historical.

Armed with that information, I rationalized, what would be better; a letter containing proof of historical significance from one little old lady or a letter containing proof of historical significance along with petitions signed by a multitude of folks indicating they would support a historical marker at the site? With a historical marker as a goal, I started collecting signatures on petitions where ever I shared the story of the students, the campaign, the bomber and the crash; from aviation museums to Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, historical societies, senior communities and libraries and to audiences of all ages. Armed with over three hundred and twenty-five signatures, I put a presentation package together. Within that package was a letter of introduction indicating why I felt the incident should be considered for a historical marker, the non-fiction book about the bomber that told the entire story and the stack of over three hundred twenty-five signatures on the petitions.

Two months after sending the letter, I received notification that my request had been approved. A Wayside Historical Marker would be place at Mabry's Mill on The Blue Ridge Parkway. Two months after that, a site for the marker was approved. That was in 2016. Now, two years later, after the designing and the fabricating and the shipping and the installing, the dedication is at hand.Ìý

Multiple alumni from the Michigan school involved, will make their way to milepost 176.2 on The Blue Ridge Parkway. Together with the good people of Willis and Meadows of Dan, Virginia, they will mingle and share this wonderful event.Ìý

I look forward to seeing YOU as well as my neighbors, friends and writer friends in Meadows of Dan on October 1st!

SHARE THE DATE!Ìý

For more information about the story, check out theÌý​Book Trailer:Ìý
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AND THE BOOKS:Ìý
NON-FICTIONÌý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýNEW Middle-Grade FICTION
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​Author of Arlie the Alligator and other books for children and adults!ÌýÌý Ìý