When I was younger, I couldn't understand the appeal of the song 'Two Little Boys' by Rolf Harris. It was often ridiculed in comedy sketches and became something you couldn't like and be 'cool'.

Since I've been reading about the Great War my perceptions have changed completely - now I can hardly listen to it without getting choked up. I heard Rolf on the radio recently, saying that his aunt couldn't listen to it at all, as it reminded her of her two brothers, one of whom was killed in the last week of WWI while the other (Rolf's Dad) was injured.



No wonder my Dad loved this song...

HIGH WOOD
by Philip Johnston (1918)

Ladies and gentlemen, this is High Wood,
Called by the French, Bois des Furneaux,
The famous spot which in Nineteen-Sixteen,
July, August and September was the scene
Of long and bitterly contested strife,
By reason of its High commanding site.
Observe the effect of shell-fire in the trees
Standing and fallen; here is wire; this trench
For months inhabited, twelve times changed hands;
(They soon fall in), used later as a grave.
It has been said on good authority
That in the fighting for this patch of wood
Were killed somewhere above eight thousand men,
Of whom the greater part were buried here,
This mound on which you stand being.... Madame, please,
You are requested kindly not to touch
Or take away the Company's property
As souvenirs; you'll find we have on sale
A large variety, all guaranteed.
As I was saying, all is as it was,
This is an unknown British officer,
The tunic having lately rotted off.
Please follow me - this way ..... the path, sir, please,
The ground which was secured at great expense
The Company keeps absolutely untouched,
And in that dug-out (genuine) we provide
Refreshments at a reasonable rate.
You are requested not to leave about
Paper, or ginger-beer bottles, or orange peel,
There are waste-paper baskets at the gate.

Cheyenne Publishing and Bristlecone Pine Press are doing a special promotion today to promote Hidden Conflict: Tales from Lost Voices in Battle and Speak Its Name: A Trilogy. To read excerpts from the two anthologies, watch the book trailer, or to get details on how to enter the drawings to win some really cool prizes, visit The Kindle Boards or Speak Its Name Yahoo Group.

Bristlecone Pine Press will give away a free eBook of each title, and Cheyenne Publishing has a brand new paperback of Hidden Conflict with a bookplate signed by all four authors, and a paperback copy of Speak Its Name with a bookplate signed by all three authors. Everyone who enters the drawings will be eligible to win Hidden Conflict bookmarks. Come on by for full details on how to enter.

Come on over - these are lovely books, well worth winning.

Well, we have only a month to go to the deadline for submissions on I Do Two. We have received some stunning m/m stories already – and wouldn’t object to receiving more. (The more quality submissions we get, the higher the quality of the anthology at the end). However, we are a little concerned that we’ve not had the breadth of f/f, bi or transgender stories to choose from, yet. So if there’s anyone out there who can help us with that, please send us your stories! There’s still a month to go, and here are the submission guidelines:

Submissions guidelines:

The anthology, titled “I DO, TWO”, is a sequel to the January 2009 charity anthology “I DO!” All authors donate their stories to benefit the Lambda Legal Fund. The collection covers a range of times, places and people, and illustrates the universality of love and commitment

To date, I DO has raised over $1500 for the cause of equal rights in marriage.

I DO TWO will be a similar, companion volume, published by MLR Press. (Contracts will be in line with their standard contract.)

We’re looking for stories between 1,000 words and 10,000 words long. M/M, F/F, Bi and transgender stories are welcome. There is no strict theme, but we have certain things we do *not* want to see, for example stories which undermine the purpose of the anthology – that is, no stories which are about how gay people do not want to get married or do not deserve to get married. We do not want anything that reinforces negative stereotypes – no snuff fiction, scat, golden showers, necrophilia or underage sex.

Because of the potential copyright issues, we cannot accept fanfiction, either.

If you possess the copyright for your story and it isn’t currently under exclusive contract to anyone else, we are happy to consider stories which have been published before. Please make a note in the covering e-mail.

As long as your story follows these guidelines and comes within the word-count, please send it to lee(dot)rowan(at)yahoo.com

Your story does not need to have an explicit marriage-related plot or even a happy ending! Any story that celebrates the theme of love as valid, no matter the genders of the players, is welcome.

This is for a charity anthology, so you will not get paid. All profits will go straight to the Lamdba Legal fund. Through education, litigation and public policy work, Lambda Legal works to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people, and persons with HIV. Since their founding in 1973, Lambda Legal has become an active and vital part of the GLBT civil rights movement instrumental in the fight for same-sex marriage rights both nationally and, most notably, in the fight to strike down California’s Proposition 8.

Deadline for submissions is 1st December 2009.

elisa_rolle has organised The Rainbow Awards as a sort of antidote to the Lambdas (don't ask). You can find the categories here. Someone (I wonder who) has entered Nige's autobiography in the biogs section. Any votes in support of old chubby knees would be gratefully received. Charlie cochrane has some books listed under historicals and mysteries; she wouldn't object to you voting for her, either, the poor old girl.

For the paintings challenge.
TITLE: Les soleil se couche aussi
PROMPT: Impression Soleil Levant by Monet
FANDOM: Horatio Hornblower
RATING: PG

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Charlie's blogging today at The Sweet Flag, do come and share your thoughts on "Two nations, separated not only by a common language".

Over at Speak Its Name there'll be a shindig to kick off the re-launch party for erastes' Frost Fair and lee_rowan's Ransom and Winds of Change. The fun begins on Tuesday, August 11.

I quote:

"We'll also have interviews with our new publishers, Mark Probst of
Cheyenne Publishing (print) and Leslie Nichol of Bristle Cone Pine Press
(e-book), the re-release dates of Speak Its Name, Eye of the Storm, and
the new m/m historical anthology "Hidden Conflict" that features
novellas by Alex Beecroft, Mark Probst, Jordan Taylor and E.N. Holland.

If you've ever wanted to ask Will Marshall or David Archer a question, I
understand that they will be on hand... but bear in mind that Will is
really pretty shy when he's got his clothes on. Other authors'
characters have been invited and who knows... we might have some hints
of future stories.

Excerpts, prizes, free balloons for the kiddies... well, no balloons,
it's an adult site, but you're welcome to blow up a balloon at home if
that helps the festive spirit. Please drop by next week and help us get
the new Cheyenne-Bristle Cone books up and running!"

I'll be sending virtual seaside rock and small creatures liberated from rock pools as I'll be mailing in from Jersey (net connections willing).

From Don Maclean (not the American Pie one, the one who plays panto dame to John Barrowman, lucky thing).

You'll often see a back catch a high ball then set off up the field at pace but when the opposition close in on him, the cry will go up, "Give it to the big man!" if he's sensible, he'll offload to a prop or a second row who can go into the contact, take the hit, shield the ball, stand his ground.

God's there for us, like a tall, solid, second row forward. You can hold on to the problems of life if you want to, you can run full tilt into the front row of despair or you can ask for help.

Look round for the big man, he'll be there, at your shoulder, waiting for the offload.

Please read this.

Mark is one of the loveliest folk in my publishing life; it takes an awful lot to get him mad (look at how reasonable and sensible he was while Amazonfail broke all around him).

In honour of Torchwood and the first test, both happening in Cardiff this week!

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Hi. If you've come to find my stories, you'll need me to friend you. Just leave a comment or friend me and I'll do the necessary.

Yes, I know I'm obsessed with Matt Alber. But you see, these clips just combine so many things which matter to me.

Z is for zeal AU, crossover, makes-sense-in-my-head-universe

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T is for turnips, aka William and Horatio go to the market. (With apologies to Janet and John)

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A if for amputation

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Thanks to the lovely lokei I'm now proud possessor of a CD by this guy, Matt Alber:



What stunned me is that one of the tracks, Boetia, concerns the sacred band of Thebes, one of my current obsessions historical interests.

And my daughters introduced me to the work of the talented Mr Nutini:



I feel all fifteen and fangirlish again.

I love this. It's about films, but it could apply to any sort of work - or faith.

Walt Disney: Do what you do so well that they will want
to see it again and bring their friends.

In fact it's the transcript from the blessed Father Brian D'Arcy's Pause for Thought on Radio 2 this morning. This man is such a star...

The tragic earthquake in Italy focuses our minds on suffering and death. For many believers this is a very special week. As Julia said yesterday Jewish people re-live Passover with eating, stories and a celebration of freedom. For Christians it’s what we call Holy Week remembering the suffering, death and rising from the dead of Jesus Christ. It’s a week when congregations are often made to feel guilty when they’re told their sins caused the Passion. That’s not how God wants it to be.

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Had my beloved St Peter in mind, all too humanly denying he knew jesus even when his accent gave him away.

This, from Barbara Kingsolver: Every betrayal contains a perfect moment, a coin stamped heads or tails with salvation on the other side