tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post3604604462744707741..comments2024-03-29T02:43:11.575-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: The Scoop on Mr. Churchill from Susan Elia MacNealJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61659482580285391382012-06-14T15:37:06.988-04:002012-06-14T15:37:06.988-04:00Not a witty comment, for sure. I look forward to ...Not a witty comment, for sure. I look forward to reading the book. WIthout Winston Churchill's courage and leadership, we'd not be free today. Thank you, Mr. Churchill.Margiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08917190280231208794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-46857311274447668702012-06-13T17:12:26.620-04:002012-06-13T17:12:26.620-04:00What Reine said. Very generous of you!What Reine said. Very generous of you!Ramonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00627775403015684868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78563732545722593722012-06-13T11:09:02.260-04:002012-06-13T11:09:02.260-04:00Thank you, Susan. Very generous of you to do that ...Thank you, Susan. Very generous of you to do that - award two each category! xxxMaureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-16522255019939755912012-06-13T10:07:59.439-04:002012-06-13T10:07:59.439-04:00I am so anxious to read your first book; visited t...I am so anxious to read your first book; visited the Churchill War Rooms many years ago - a very meaningful experience, as first definitive memories are WWII. <br />Watching the Churchill ceremonies following his death, I was in tears, even tho' "deep in the heart of Texas".Liz T.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55781895813806556122012-06-13T08:03:38.573-04:002012-06-13T08:03:38.573-04:00I read and loved Mr. Churchill's Secretary. I...I read and loved Mr. Churchill's Secretary. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.Gramnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69001679313083569242012-06-13T07:49:19.206-04:002012-06-13T07:49:19.206-04:00Ok, picking people is hard!So I'm going to giv...Ok, picking people is hard!So I'm going to give away two of each!<br /><br />I'd like to give the copy of Mr. Churchill's Secretary to Ramona and Reine.<br /><br />And the ARC of Princess Elizabeth's Spy to Joan and Rebecca Lane.<br /><br />Please email me at susanelia@yahoo.com and I'll get your addresses, etc.!<br /><br />Thanks again for joining in. I'd love to keep talking with you — you can friend me on Facebook (Susan Elia MacNeal) or follow me on Twitter @SusanMacNeal. Please keep in touch!Susan Elia MacNealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36464850014083285532012-06-13T07:41:54.439-04:002012-06-13T07:41:54.439-04:00Hi Deb sorry to have missed you!
Bibiana, excelle...Hi Deb sorry to have missed you!<br /><br />Bibiana, excellent question, thank you. I think the "evil" Rhys was referring to is the specific evil of the IRA agent and the undercover Nazi agent who combine forces in my novel. And even then I hope to show some shades of grey.<br /><br />At the moment, I'm finishing up His Majesty's Hope, the third book in the series, which takes place in Berlin. I have characters associated with the Kreisau Circle, as well as character Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Father Bernhard Lichtenberg — Germans who spoke up against Nazi atrocities. Yes, it's not always clear, indeed.<br /><br />Again, thank you for your comment!Susan Elia MacNealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90086821692144125692012-06-13T05:22:53.427-04:002012-06-13T05:22:53.427-04:00From what is said here it seems to be a really int...From what is said here it seems to be a really interesting book. What I wanted to ask, though: is it really a book about Good vs. Evil? For I personally doubt this was the sole feeling towards Germany back then. Most atrocities the Nazis did were not really known, but if they were in higher political circles, surely there must have been the knowledge, too, that the Germans were the first to suffer from the terror regime of the Nazis? I have read the autobiography of Hitler's last secretary who spent the last days of the regime in the Führerbunker in Berlin and they were fully aware what the war did to the people involved, not only to the Germans who suffered from bombardement. But of course that secretary was a young, malleable girl who adored the "Führer" and would have done all for him... But still she had some nagging doubts and I wonder if Maggie at some point has them, too? <br />Greetings from Germany, BibianaBibiana Behrendtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55425733679240672512012-06-13T00:22:28.077-04:002012-06-13T00:22:28.077-04:00So sorry I was late to this post--long working day...So sorry I was late to this post--long working day. Thank you, Rhys, for introducing us to Susan, and Susan, for being here. And Anglophile to the core that I am, I absolutely cannot wait to read your book!! Fascinating time, fascinating premise!Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73795968485292802992012-06-12T22:06:16.272-04:002012-06-12T22:06:16.272-04:00Hey everybody, thanks for coming by — this was so ...Hey everybody, thanks for coming by — this was so fun! And thank you Rhys and Jungle Reds for the opportunity. This tired mom of a seven-year-old is going to bed now, but I'll be back tomorrow morning with my picks. Good night!Susan Elia MacNealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74491675419044846982012-06-12T21:38:59.070-04:002012-06-12T21:38:59.070-04:00Truly enjoyed this interview! And Susan wears red ...Truly enjoyed this interview! And Susan wears red in white and writes blue on white-an awesome USA Brooklynite.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32891493440210645232012-06-12T18:41:57.148-04:002012-06-12T18:41:57.148-04:00Lark, thank you... my little boy would have loved ...Lark, thank you... my little boy would have loved the marmalade cat!Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83317955094877428342012-06-12T18:39:13.104-04:002012-06-12T18:39:13.104-04:00Hank, yes, I believe he was self-aware af his brus...Hank, yes, I believe he was self-aware af his brusqueness. Also at some point during the terrible summer of 1940, his wife, Clementine, wrote him a letter basically saying don't take out your anger on the poor staff.... So I think she also had a hand in his keeping perspective. <br /><br />Raine, so glad he brought the book in! HA!Susan Elia MacNealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59844763631886092712012-06-12T18:09:45.739-04:002012-06-12T18:09:45.739-04:00Susan he did bring the book back. We were so proud...Susan he did bring the book back. We were so proud of him marching off, book in bag, to defend himself!<br /><br />Hank... bablepro! xoMaureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71069751617591547482012-06-12T17:47:18.086-04:002012-06-12T17:47:18.086-04:00My captcha word was "bablepro." Now...I ...My captcha word was "bablepro." Now...I ask you...Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-87944045727617806432012-06-12T17:46:55.031-04:002012-06-12T17:46:55.031-04:00Ohn,this i SO fascinating!An I am touched to hear ...Ohn,this i SO fascinating!An I am touched to hear that he was aware he was brusque. This is a fantastic interview, and I am enchanted with your book, and the cover.<br /><br />Well, that's gushy. But it's well-deserved. And yes, Cathleen, "Jungle Red" is the nail polish color in The Women! I am off to find the Nars...I always wear red lipstick.<br /><br />So lovely to see you all here today!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51234638556649541492012-06-12T17:43:35.315-04:002012-06-12T17:43:35.315-04:00Reine, both stories are fantastic. And I feel so s...Reine, both stories are fantastic. And I feel so sorry for your little son! Winston Churchill would have been delighted to have been thought of as a "great watercolorist." I hope he did bring the book in!<br /><br />Lark, I too loved The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe — looking forward to introducing my son to it this summer. And Foyle's War is terrific, also. Oh, and the marmalade cat at Chartwell is named Jock, named after Churchill's private secretary Jock Colville. There have been five generations of Jocks at Chartwell and the current one has a Facebook page, if you can believe!Susan Elia MacNealhttp://www.susaneliamacneal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90652988295813557332012-06-12T17:15:30.189-04:002012-06-12T17:15:30.189-04:00Susan, I'm so glad to have read this interview...Susan, I'm so glad to have read this interview because now I can look forward to reading all three of your books!<br /><br />Like you, I'm drawn to wartime Britain; perhaps it traces back to <br />"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" when the Pevensey children being sent to the country during the Blitz? I've recently been watching "Foyle's War", which is marvelous for catching the essence of the period. Grief and courage, nobility and meanness of spirit, tenacity, compassion, hope and despair, all woven together in a landscape that is quintessentially British. Terrific show.<br /><br />@Reine: love the story of the little boy who knew Churchill only as a painter. In 2002, we were able to visit Chartwell, Churchill's home. It has been carefully preserved, almost as if he still lived there, and some of his paintings were displayed as well. Of course, our 7-year-old daughter, who knew nothing of Churchill, was more excited about the marmelade cat wandering the gardens!Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08639732368395025578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3341105759061410892012-06-12T14:53:03.567-04:002012-06-12T14:53:03.567-04:00Susan, I love the story of your bunker trip. A few...Susan, I love the story of your bunker trip. A few years ago I visited one with a member of the Danish Home Guard. This one was used by soldiers of Nazi Germany. I still have chills when I think of it.<br /><br />Searching for a witty comment here, I desperately go with... the Danish Home Guard officer who took us to the bunker was my step-granddaughter's former stepfather. It seems witty here in my space, but when I see it up there on the computer screen it gets a little blah.<br /><br />Let me try another, then. i have here on my desk, a little book by The Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill, K.G., O.M., C.H., M.P., PAINTING AS A PASTIME. One of my little boys dug it out from the eaves of my mother's house. A few months later he came home from school crying. His second-grade teacher had asked if anyone had ever heard of Winston Churchill. She called on my son and he said that Winston Churchill was a painter, a great watercolorist. "She didn't believe me, Mummy. Now I have to bring the book to show-and-tell next week."Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-11454385239861845052012-06-12T14:35:40.788-04:002012-06-12T14:35:40.788-04:00Thank you, Joan!Thank you, Joan!Susan Elia MacNealhttp://www.susaneliamacneal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-81809724135205306152012-06-12T14:32:24.654-04:002012-06-12T14:32:24.654-04:00I've just finished Mr. Churchill's Secreta...I've just finished Mr. Churchill's Secretary--Well Done! It's jolly good!<br /><br />I've visited the War Rms on my two trips to London. I'm delighted they have preserved them so carefully. <br /><br />I think it was Pres. Truman who praised the Prime Minister as being crucial to the Allied victory--too bad folks didn't listen to him before 1939. <br /><br />Keep up the good work, Susan. I'm really looking forward to Princess <br />Elizabeth's Spy.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10439842128111636616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12177274387177817672012-06-12T13:28:53.788-04:002012-06-12T13:28:53.788-04:00Darlene, thank you — please give me regards to you...Darlene, thank you — please give me regards to your mother for me.<br /><br />Deb, NO PRESSURE! I'm just so happy people showed up. My nightmare was the internet's version of . I'm glad to hear your dad was a Churchill buff and that you still have the books. Maybe some fresh air and sunlight could help restore them?<br /><br />And Anonymous, thank you for commenting! I hope if I make it to your age, I'll still be wearing my red lipstick, too! Yes, some readers seemed surprised that my characters would still go to parties, lectures, and performances, but, really — talk to any Londoner who lived through the Blitz and they will say that life DID go on, and there were still parties and dances and fun. Carpe diem....Susan Elia MacNealhttp://www.susaneliamacneal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23263412993803547042012-06-12T13:06:09.826-04:002012-06-12T13:06:09.826-04:00As a transplanted old broad of 86 years young , I ...As a transplanted old broad of 86 years young , I go nowhere without my bright red lipstick! It would be like going without one's knickers, I recall nights during the war dwhen the siren would sound, and my familly's scramble f or the shelter. My sister crying " where's my lipstick" ? I am always reminded of those crazy moments, and can testify to the importance of ordinary people doing ordinary things, in the midst of fear that we might not have a home to return to. Churchill gave us hope...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9403055033254884272012-06-12T12:59:02.369-04:002012-06-12T12:59:02.369-04:00The pressure to be witty is too much for me, so I ...The pressure to be witty is too much for me, so I won't even try! I do promise to look for your book,though. Novels about the two world wars fascinate me. Even before you showed up today, I made the decision to read your book.<br /><br />My dad was a history buff and had all of Churchill's books. I have them now, but have so little room for all of my books that te overflow is in my basement. I started reading Churchill's books decades ago but insignificant matters such as college finals interrupted my reading. I must get back to them! Sadly, I fear that mold and mildew may have set up residence with them.Deb Romanonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35889301623622005712012-06-12T12:51:24.922-04:002012-06-12T12:51:24.922-04:00Susan, my proper British mother would love your bo...Susan, my proper British mother would love your books. She holds Churchill in very high esteem. Even with her memory loss she can still quote from his speeches.Sofie Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16830230500527705589noreply@blogger.com