I was tempted to blog about this yesterday, but I thought it best not to have a knee jerk reaction. I thought I should wait twenty-four hours after the shooting in Minneapolis before I put my thoughts in writing. I hoped someone in the Trump Administration would step forth and speak with restraint and a modicum of wisdom. I did not expect it, so I was not surprised when Wednesday’s lies, accusations, and name calling continued for a second day.

Once-a-week since November 25, 2025, I have blogged about a different story in my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories. Today’s post is about the seventh story in the book in which my great-great-great-great-grandfather, John Calvin McElwee, tells his granddaughter (my great-great-grandmother) about his experience the day that the Revolutionary War came to his family’s doorstep.

Five years ago today, Trump and his MAGA followers attempted a coup in Washington, DC. To call it anything else would not serve the truth or history. The White House website tells a much different story of that day. It is a narrative that Trump and his minions have espoused since that day. No matter what you do, as long as Donald Trump is in the White House, do not believe one word that is on WhiteHouse.gov.

Last week I wrote a blog post for today. As a result of what Trump did on Saturday, though, it no longer seemed appropriate to use it. I’ll save it for another day, because it is about one of the stories in my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories. I have mentioned or alluded to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro before.

When I think back over 2025, the Thomas Paine quote that immediately comes to mind is, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” It is said that every generation thinks they are living in the worst of times – the most challenging times – of any previous generation. If you’ve been reading my blog all year, you know I am not at all happy with the state of things in the United States.

Once-a-week, since November 25, I have blogged about a different story from my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories. The sixth story in the book is “Whom Can We Trust? A Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Short Story.” Tradition tells us that Archibald and Maggie Sellers McCurdy built their log cabin in what is now Cabarrus County, North Carolina, in 1773.

Since November 25, I’ve blogged once-a-week about one of the stories in my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories. The fifth story in the book is “From Scotland to America: A 1762 Immigration Story.” Somewhere on the Kintyre Peninsula of Scotland. Photo by Andrew Hall on Unsplash. (Andrew, we might be cousins!) I know baptismal dates and marriage dates for my ancestors in Campbeltown and Southend, Scotland, but I don’t know when the three brothers set sail to America.

There was a tragedy in Los Angeles last weekend. It was followed hours later by a tragic expression of hate on Truth Social. I struggled over whether to blog about this. I concluded that if I remained silent, I was complicit. I concluded that if I did not speak out, I was giving the President of the United States permission to continue to demonstrate his lack of humanity.

The fourth story in my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories, is “Making the Best of a Tragedy: Elizabeth Steele’s Story.” I learned of Elizabeth Steele (sometimes spelled Steel) a few years ago while doing research for the writing of my historical novels. What a fascinating woman! I must choose my words carefully, because I don’t want to ruin the short story for you.

Today is Bill of Rights Day in the United States. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. Those amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, when nine of the 13 states in the union at that time voted for their adoption. The U.S. Constitution is a living, breathing document. Even when it was written, many people knew it was inadequate for the new nation because it gave the national government too much power and gave individual citizens and states too little power.

Yesterday, I primarily blogged ( about the Western Hemisphere portion of the Trump Administration’s National Security Strategy which was released last Friday, although it bears a November 2025 date. It was quietly released and posted on the White House website: I encourage you to read the document and draw your own conclusions. Yours might not align with mine.

What we have here in the United States is obviously a Wizard of Oz situation. The White House quietly released the November 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) and posted it on the White House website. Since it is the announcement of the official U.S. foreign policy, there is usually a bit of fanfare with its release, but not this year.

The advisory committee on vaccinations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were hand-picked by notorious vaccine-denier Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He just happens to be Trump’s pick for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. He received the blessings of and confirmation by the U.S. Senate to serve in that capacity.

The fictional character I'm introducing to you today is George. He is a slave in South Carolina in the mid-1700s in the third story in Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories, "To Run of Not to Run." When you meet George, he is a young boy. He and his father, who was born in Senegal, have just been sold and are being taken from Camden to the Waxhaws.

The United States of America used to be a nation of laws, or am I naïve? I did not plan to blog today, but something came to my attention that I can’t let slide. Amnesty International has issued a 48-page report. I thought it was going to be a report on the organization’s findings throughout the world but, no, it is a report on detention facilities in the State of Florida.

Francisco Bravo Cabrera graciously featured me and my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories on his e-zine in Spain (LatinosUSA (English Edition/Masticadores) this morning at 8:00 a.m. Madrid Time! Francisco Bravo Cabrera is a bit of a Renaissance man. He is an artist, a poet, a writer, and a musician. He is based in Valencia, Spain, but has also lived in Miami, Florida.

Today I am introducing you to the main character in “You Couldn’t Help But Like Bob,” the second story in my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories. Genealogy has been a hobby of mine since I was a young adult. Robert Dooling is the most colorful of my ancestors that I have found so far.

When the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) bends a knee to Donald Trump, we should all sit up and take notice. Photo by appshunter.io on Unsplash It came to my attention this afternoon that BBC Radio 4 censored a sentence out of a Reith Lectures presentation by Rutger Bregman. The BBC invited Mr. Bregman to give a series of lectures in the highly-touted Reith Lectures.

Today I'm introducing you to what prompted me to write "The Tailor's Shears," the first story in my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories. Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash This was a story I wrote in 2001 soon after I completed a fiction writing course in the Continuing Education Department at Queens University of Charlotte.

When I blogged on November 7, I had no idea I would not blog again until November 22. My sister is recovering nicely from her surgery. The jury is still out on the condition of her sole caregiver. (LOL!) The main reason I haven't blogged in 15 days is that my desktop computer went rogue on November 11. I did not have time to call for help for it until late yesterday.

Sometimes the best-laid plans just don’t pan out. Such is life. This is Janet’s Writing Blog, so today I start my post with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my life this week as a self-published writer. If you read my blog on Tuesday, Traveling Through History is released today!, you know I was celebrating the release of the e-version of my new book, …

I am excited to tell you that my new book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories, will be released today as an e-book on Amazon! I thought the paperback would be released today, but there have been some bumps in the road over the last several days. I hope the paperback will be available in a few days.

For starters, relax, no mention of politics in America in today's post. Second, where did October go? Or September, for that matter? I only read two books in October, but they were both wonderful reads that gave me much to think about. It was great to get back in the groove and read some excellent historical fiction! The Weight of Snow and Regret…

I may as well live in the 7th Congressional District of Arizona. I’m not represented in the U.S. House of Representatives any more than the residents of the 7th District of Arizona. That’s the district in which Adelita Grijalva was elected on September 23, 2025, but Speaker of the House Mike Johnson refuses to install her because she is a Democrat and she will vote to have the Epstein files released.

The Constitution of the United States of America is a living, breathing document. It is at the same time sacred yet amendable. However, we ignore it at our own peril. The 2028 Presidential Election Donald Trump started handing out “Trump 2028” baseball caps a few months ago. His supporters think things like that are hilarious. On Tuesday, he said on Air Force One that he might run again.