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Written by Michael Owen

My Mum, Marjorie, was born on September 11^th 1911 in England and endured the bombardment of World War II. As far as I know, she was born out-of-wedlock with an Irish Lord for a father and a Russian princess as her mother. I have no idea who took her after she was born but it was not her true parents.

Although her life before my birth and working is somewhat sketchy, her career, as a major London department store clothing buyer, was long and interesting. Members of the Royal family were among some of her more famous clients. Marjorie found time to write many short stories and four novels ranging from romance to mystery. She did not attempt to publish any of her writings. We can only surmise that she wrote for the joy and did not wish to seek any recognition or fame.

I do know that, just after my birth and unbeknown to my father, she did have romantic meetings with one or two members of The Royal Air Force. One, of note, was Guy Gibson of the famous “Dam Busters Raid” in 1940 something.

She changed her birth certificate from 1911 to 1917 so that she could work for an additional six years before mandatory retirement. She lived above a post office with no hot water and had to strip wash in the kitchen downstairs before the staff arrived for work. She also had to carry buckets of coal up for a fire to heat the flat.

As her only child, she spoiled me when times were tough and food rationing was in effect due to the war. She paid for private schooling and college to ensure I had a good education. When I moved from England to Los Angeles, in 1983, she would come and visit my wife and I every two years. She adored the Hollywood Bowl and the canyons above Santa Monica and Malibu.

Marjorie passed away on March 28^th 2004, after a very full life, at the age of ninety-three.

My wife spent three years transcribing her hand written works to computer and the first book of Mum’s, a murder mystery set in England, is to be published on March 15^th 2008.

Description

After centuries of religiously motivated war, the world has been split in two. Now the Blessed Lands are ruled by pure faith, while in the Republic, reason is the guiding light—two different realms, kept apart and at peace by a treaty and an ocean. Children of the Republic, Helena and Jason were inseparable in their youth, until fate sent them down different paths. Grief and duty sidetracked Helena’s plans, and Jason came to detest the hollowness of his ambitions. These two damaged souls are reunited when a tiny boat from the Blessed Lands crashes onto the rocks near Helena’s home after an impossible journey across the forbidden ocean. On board is a single passenger, a nine-year-old girl named Kailani, who calls herself “the Daughter of the Sea and the Sky.” A new and perilous purpose binds Jason and Helena together again, as they vow to protect the lost innocent from the wrath of the authorities, no matter the risk to their future and freedom. But is the mysterious child simply a troubled little girl longing to return home? Or is she a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric of a godless Republic, as the outlaw leader of an illegal religious sect would have them believe? Whatever the answer, it will change them all forever… and perhaps their world as well.

Story Behind The Book

Marjorie Grace Patricia Bridget Owen. Was born on September 11th 1911 in England and endured the bombardment of World War II. As far as we know, she was born out-of-wedlock with an Irish Lord for a father and a Russian princess as her mother. Although her life before working is somewhat sketchy, her career, as a major London department store clothing buyer, was long and interesting. Members of the Royal family were amongst some of her more famous clients. Marjorie found time to write many short stories and four novels ranging from romance to mystery. She did not attempt to publish any of her writings. We can only surmise that she wrote for the joy and did not wish to seek any recognition or fame. Marjorie passed away on March 28th 2004, after a very full life, at the age of ninety-three. Mum had told Mike that she had written a couple of stories and let him read them some years ago. She expressed no interest in having them published at that time. He was never aware of the amount that she had written until she passed away. Mike, being an only child and having no Aunts or Uncles, is the sole heir to Marjorie’s estate. He discovered the box full of Mum’s writings on clearing her flat in England and took them back to the USA. As an avid reader Dee (daughter-in-law) became fascinated with Mum’s stories and books. All her writings were hand written on legal size paper or note books and on both sides of the paper. Dee began reading some of the short stories (there are fifty plus). After reading a few, she was hooked and decided to attempt, the monumental task of transcribing them to computer. Mum’s writing was not the easiest to read, however, Dee had set herself the challenge and was going to follow through. At first, her husband, Mike assisted her with the ‘translation’ of Mum’s hand writing. At times they became frustrated with each other and Mum. After a couple of stories, Dee became an expert, reading Mum’s writing and even improving her own typing skills and speed. As yet, Dee has not completed the task, with a few more stories to go and two novels, after three years of work. Dee decided to see if her opinion about Mum’s writing skills were correct and began submitting several of the short stories for publishing. Several of Mum’s stories were accepted for publishing by online magazines and were published without pay. But exposure is important. A small success spurred Dee to try for bigger things. The first book of Mum’s is to be published in March 2008. “Ladies of Class” by Vintage Romance Publishing. Both Dee and Mike are really happy and hope that the book will be a success and lead to further books and stories being published. Their blog for Mum’s writings is http://marjo-mumswriting.blogspot.com and website is http://pangirl.tripod.com

Reviews

Review by Anne Edwards Mystery Fiction www.mysteryfiction.net 1. Title: Ladies of Class Author: Marjorie Grace Patricia Bridget Owen Publisher: Vintage Romance ISBN: 0-9783327-53 Genre: Mystery This is a tale that will appeal to the English detective mystery fan. A well-liked local woman is murdered and no one can understand why. She didn't have any enemies, did she? Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hayward, recently assigned to the district find himself charged with solving the case and much is expected of him due to his "reputation", something he sometimes regrets. As his investigation goes forth, he discovers this murder case is complicated by events from the past and present. How far back must he go? Talented author Marjorie Grace Patricia Bridget Owen offers an original plot with an interesting cast of characters you will enjoy meeting. Their private agendas may get in the road of the investigation, but they certainly add a flavor to the story which is a comfortable blend of mystery and romance as lived by very likable ordinary people. Recommended as a pleasant read for any mystery buff who doesn't like car chases or shoot 'em ups. I think Agatha C. would like this one. I did. Anne K. Edwards Ms. Owens weaves a tale of suspense that keeps you hanging. Richard will pull out all the stops to find the truth and suspecting a trusted official will be the least of his problems. The connection between Mrs. Clayton and the murderer is one that is very surprising. I had no idea who committed the crime. This one will leave you guessing until the very end. Krista Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books This story has a solid attention getting beginning. Even better, it will keep your attention throughout. I couldn’t stop reading it and kept coming back to it again and again until I had read the whole thing. That’s my criteria for a good read. The first “random killing” turns into a series of murders. The plot twists and turns always keeping you on your toes waiting for the next unexpected event. You won't want to put it down. The story takes place in England and the setting, scenes, speech and behaviors of the characters leave no doubt that you are in England. It’s all very British, very proper. The first chapter with it’s description of the fog leaves no doubt about where you are. The characters, from the first murdered woman, Laura and on, are all quite believable. Following the clues and piecing it all together leads the detective to span several continents in search of clues. Richard Hayward lets you follow his musings as each murder cuts him off when he starts to close in. It’s plain to the reader he is having his own personal problems and tries his best to keep focused on the case. His mother, a dog, the murdered woman’s son are woven into the fabric of the story and provide several more stories that run side by side with the main theme. You are never at a lack of a thread to follow. I liked it tremendously. The author's own story also caught my sympathy. Imagine all these stories written by a woman with no one being really aware of her doing them until after she died. Thanks to her son and daughter-in-law, I look forward to reading more. Review by Verbena Posted by LASR Admin - Romance Reviewsat <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2008/04/review-bride-so-fair.html" title="permanent link">3:20 PM</a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=815321376342652646&postID=6911501403073470643&isPopup=true">0 comments</a> Labels: <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Author%20A%20-%20C">Author A - C</a>, <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Barbour%20Publishing">Barbour Publishing</a>, <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/full%20length">full length</a>, <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Historical">Historical</a>, <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Inspy">Inspy</a>, <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Suspense%2FMystery">Suspense/Mystery</a>, <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/sweet">sweet</a>, <a href="http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/three%20books">three books</a> <h2 style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;background:#f7f0e9 none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Sunday, April 6, 2008</h2>

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The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky

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