SCRIBBLES

2019-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

New Website

You've been wondering about my commitment to keeping my blog up to date. Yup! I heard you tisk-ing through the internet. Bet you didn't know I could do that, huh?

Well, I haven't been idle. I've designed a new website. Take a look-see at nkwagnerwriter.com I think you'll like it.

Nancy

The Sergeant Major's Wife by Billie-Fae Gerard Gill

2018-10-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Review by N.K. Wagner

Sit down with Billie-Fae Gill over a cup of coffee and the stories flow. Told with intelligence and humor, The Sergeant Major’s Wife: A Reflection is an organized compilation of those stories stemming from the twenty years she joined her husband Bill in serving their country in the United States Army. At the end of that time, Bill held the rank of Command Sergeant Major; Billie-Fae was simply designated as dependent/spouse.
     But don’t let the lack of exalted recognition fool you. Mrs. Gill is a member of a select society which reaches back to the very foundation of our country—the military spouse. While the details are unique, any military wife will find herself nodding in recognition of the challenges and rewards this lifestyle presents. Military members will be allowed to see the other side of the coin—the life of those who “also serve” while their mates fulfill their duties. Civilians will learn what makes the lives of those who choose this lifestyle something to be honored. And everyone will learn a bit of history that is no longer taught in schools but is essential for understanding today’s world.
     Written in an easy, conversational style, The Sergeant Major’s Wife: A Reflection tells the tale of a Cold War American Army wife from a whirlwind courtship, two tours of duty in post war Germany (one with the Army of Occupation) through the Korean Conflict, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War. Along the way, she gives concise history lessons, notes the idiosyncrasies of the places she lived and the people she met, translates acronym-laden military jargon into “civilian,” and chronicles the melding of the brash Yankee girl and the smooth Southern sergeant into a lifelong romance in an active family of seven children.
     I feel lucky to have participated in the critique of an earlier draft of The Sergeant Major’s Wife. Since then, the stories have been expanded and all the details fact checked. I’m a retired army wife, and I believe my favorite part of the experience was watching the wonderful reactions of our civilian colleagues to the world service members and their families consider “normal.” Or, maybe, my favorite part (being an army wife from 1972 through 1993) was the confirmation that the experience of being a military wife hasn’t changed in a significant way from one generation to the next.
     What I am certain of is, whether you enjoy reading memoir, romance, adventure, or history, you will enjoy reading The Sergeant Major’s Wife: A Reflection by Billie-Fae Gerard Gill.

Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (September 8, 2017)

Language: English
ISBN-10: 1548500585
ISBN-13: 978-1548500580

We Survived!

2018-09-21T09:43:00.001-07:00

Happy First Day of Fall. Temperatures in the Carolinas are still in the 80s, which is a blessing for those affected by the hurricane.

Speaking of Hurricane Florence, she took a hard right turn at Columbia, SC and treated the Charlotte, NC area to manageable winds and relatively light rain. Yes, some trees came down resulting in power outages. The usual places flooded. But we were, on the whole, very lucky. Those who remember the visit of Hurricane Hugo to this very spot know just how bad an inland hurricane can be. Most of our emergency responders are now working in the harder hit areas farther East to do what they can while flooding continues.

This week's edition of Page & Spine features stories by Eric S. Fromley and Linda Spear, installment 8 of Four-Bits' Worth and an "adverbial" essay by Lee Allen Hill, poems by Deborah Guzzi and Sandra Stoner Mitchell, and giggles on our CRUMBS page supplied by Jenny Harp. We've covered the full range of emotion in this issue, so stop by and enjoy the work of these very talented writers.

Waiting for Florence

2018-09-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm waiting for Hurricane Florence to inundate the Charlotte, NC area, so if you'd like, we can visit while I still have electricity.

Page & Spine: Fiction Showcase , my free-to-the-public weekly literary e-zine, completed it's sixth year in May. It's growing in readership and submissions every week. Thank you to everyone who has joined our family. And thank you for telling your friends. This week's edition includes work by Lee Allen Hill, Sipora Coffelt, Ndaba Sibanda, Jenny Harp, Rebecca MacKenzie, Dan A. Cardoza, and yours truly.

Instead of blogging, I've been writing, organizing and assembling a manuscript of poems and original photographs. Seascapes: poems for people who hate poetry is a worldwide romp next to, on, and under some of the world's oceans and a sampling of some of the poems these scenes have inspired me to write. They're straight forward, easy to understand pieces meant to appeal to everyone. Published by NBN Publications, LLC , we're shooting for a release date in early spring. I'll keep you updated.

Speaking of NBN Publications, CEO Jeremy Frost (author, poet, artist, and music reviewer) has just put out a submissions call for stories, poetry, art and music for the fourth annual edition of the multimedia anthology CoffeeShop Blues. This edition will be available free online. It's a great opportunity to showcase your work to a wider audience. Submissions deadline is October 15, 2018.

Please support CoffeeShop Blues and NBN Publications. Jeremy has been supporting artists and their careers for many years.

I'll leave you with a request for heartfelt prayers for the safety of everyone who is affected by Hurricane Florence, and a huge thank you to everyone who is or will be volunteering to bring aid and comfort to the millions of people affected.

2018-09-16T07:26:00.004-07:00

Okay, I know. I have been awful about updating this blog. No excuses. Everyone has stuff--family stuff, work stuff, stuff stuff. I'll try to do better this time. About once a month, I hope.

Let me introduce myself. I'm N.K. Wagner, publisher of Page & Spine: Fiction Showcase, an online literary magazine which promotes the work of emerging authors. In addition to being Executive Editor and Publisher of P&S, I'm also a writer. I produce an occasional story, frequent essays, and a fair amount of poetry. I intend to share some of what I write here, and I welcome constructive criticism. Hopefully, I'll do a little better than my executive assistant over there at the typewriter, but no promises.