Erika, I really enjoyed reading that piece when you posted it. It's snappy, snarky, and thoughtful - the trifecta. Congratulations on getting it published!

Oh, great! What an excellent review...of course whenever my book comes out I want one that says I have a little Flannery O'Connor and a little Grace Slick, but one step at a time. I'm kidding. Mostly.

Brava, Erika!

Congrats, erika!

Key scene drabble to follow. I'm planning to do a few drabbles of turning points from the second novel, from sections I'm not even close to writing yet, because I stopped working on it when I went on bedrest, and this week's theme seemed the perfect way to get back into it.

She raised the first pistol and fired, point blank, but aimed too high for the heart—or her hands shook too much. In any case, the soldier fell at her feet, but lived, bloody and horrible, gasping for gurgling breaths.

So young he was, no more than twenty, and sweet-faced behind the pain and desperation. Anna saw him through nurse’s eyes, and thought, Perhaps I can dig the bullet out. I can make bandages from my shift.

And then Jack was at her side, limping and trailing blood. Two patients, she thought.

He dropped his rifle and took the remaining pistol from her unresisting hand. Calmly, he raised it and took aim.

“Merci,” the soldier whispered.

Jack fired. Anna fell to her knees and retched.

Oh, excellent, Susan. Brava!

Why, thank you! I'm still trying to get the hang of this-here action writing thing. Also, in this tiny out-of-context snippet, I'm afraid it reads like they're playing to gender stereotypes, when what's really going on is he's a 10-year combat veteran, and she's never held a gun before in her life.

I'm afraid it reads like they're playing to gender stereotypes, when what's really going on is he's a 10-year combat veteran, and she's never held a gun before in her life.

Maybe it is because I am somewhat familiar with the story, but I think this comes through. The fact that at point blank range she is not able to fire a shot that is immediately deadly certainly helps to illustrate your intent.

And what I immediately picked up was that the nurse in her - trained as a healer - was also likely getting in the way of her ability to kill coldly, quickly or efficiently.

And let's face it, to a certain degree, women who were crack shots with small firearms during the Napoleanic Wars weren't really everyday.

And let's face it, to a certain degree, women who were crack shots with small firearms during the Napoleanic Wars weren't really everyday.

Yep. And I get annoyed after awhile at historical fiction where all the women, or at least all the heroic women, are total action heroes whose unconventional fathers made sure they could ride and shoot as well as any men. Because it's one thing to avoid stereotypes, but another thing entirely to avoid historical reality.