Sisterhood of the Sword, the next Jamie Poole Diary
Happy Friday the Thirteenth.
Today I am happy to announce the pre-sales release of Jamie Poole’s seventh book in series: Sisterhood of the Sword. This book will be available internationally on Kindle November 11, 2019.
Special note: We will continue selling The Isle of Osiris in paperback and more book signings are planned. Eventually all books will be available in paperback. More on that later.
When I moved from Montana to Halifax, I traveled light, or heavy, depending on how you view it. I came with a half-dozen partly-written manuscripts, a few dozen history and science books, and a lot of ideas. It’s a wonder the car tires weren’t flat. This is not one of those manuscripts.
This came into being as I became acquainted with my new home. Jamie has a habit of stalking me, so it came as no surprise when she asked that I write a book about Halifax. “We’ll get back to the partly-written manuscripts,” she bargained. “Write this first.”
So I did. My characters are allowed liberal decision-making. They have better ideas than I. So does my editor, the cat. Either of them as I’ve had two editors so far on this journey. (grin) If you’ve a cat, you understand. Most authors do. There must be something to it.
When I began learning about Halifax, it was amazing to realize how close history superimposed itself over everyday life. From where I sit during my day job, I overlook where they kept World War I German prisoners, and I can see where the naval activity unfolded both on land and in the Bedford Basin (part of the Halifax Harbour) during World Wars I and II. Not far away is the epicenter of the massive 1917 Halifax Explosion. (Unfamiliar with that? Don’t worry, I have you covered.) Again from my desk, I watched archaeologists unearth a guardhouse from the 1700s, shortly after the city was founded. It helps that I sit in a tall building.
The point is history is right here! I can’t step out the office door without being surrounded by buildings that are a few centuries old, perfectly preserved. Perhaps, if my employer read this, they’d wonder if I was doing anything more than documenting my surroundings. From where I sit, a book begged to be written with all the history hanging ‘round like so many ghosts. And that’s a real possibility if the legends are correct. Most of these buildings have at least one ghost story attached to them.
While this story is fictional where my characters are concerned, many details are not. Halifax was the home of German spies during World War II. Remains of submarine nets are readily found on a casual walk if you know where to look, and you don’t have to look hard. Forts, some erected in the 1700s, continued to be updated and used until World War II. Hundreds of Halagonians pass them every day. Cannons, cannon balls, ship anchors, and such have integrated with the city’s infrastructure. From the Citadel a cannon is fired ceremonially every day at noon, except on Christmas. Some take history for granted. Perhaps we shouldn’t. Halifax is not unique in its history, and yet it is. So much so close at hand. It has evolved into a modern city, but hiding very closely under a veil of modern façades, is a history that cannot be erased. Jamie asked that it not be erased but rather amplified. And in it, she asked I tell a story. This is that story.
Check out Jamie Poole's home for an updated website, including some pictures in the gallery about World War II.
If you would like to pre-order your copy of Sisterhood of the Sword, visit your local Amazon store. Here are some really helpful links:
