James R Benn
@jimmywriter
Writer. Voter. Librarian. Author of the Billy Boyle WW2 mystery series, published by Soho Press.
Check out my book trailer for The Ninth Circle, Billy Boyle no. 21 - release date 9/1/26. Available now for preorder in hardcover, ebook, and audio! sohopress.com/books/the-ni...
Two German soldiers kept missing, and Dennis decided to have some fun. He asked if he could try. He hit dead center and walked away with this black and white photo, leaving the two Germans impressed with his marksmanship.
Every now and then a tale from WWII shows the essence of British insouciance. Lt. Dennis Rendell's story is one of them. Wounded and captured in North Africa, he was taken to a POW camp in Italy. He escaped and made his way to the Rome area, where he assisted in running an escape line.
Many Billy Boyle fans also support Little Free Libraries, so let’s combine forces! If you own any Billy Boyle titles, consider donating one to your local Little Free Library & help introduce the books to new readers. Join this guerrilla marketing campaign to bring new recruits to the Boyle Brigade.
The Ninth Circle (9/1/26) scores a great review in ALA's Booklist! "...explosive action, gripping strategy sessions, and glamorous villains create a standout entry in this celebrated wartime series.”
The annual unboxing of the new Billy Boyle! With Elvis in attendance. On sale 9/1/26. The book, not the cat.
I recall being taught in HS English class that the anti-climax followed the climax in a novel. I've thought of the anti-climax as the resolution following rising action. Now I learn the resolution is called the denouement and anti-climax is something else entirely. Crazy.
The paperback edition of A BITTER WIND, Billy Boyle WWII mystery no. 20, is out today! Available online and in bookstores. Message me for info on ordering a signed copy. Cheers!
44 years ago today, Debbie Mandel and I were married - still going strong! I'm a lucky guy.
This just in. I've deleted 126 of 169 occurrences of the word "just" from my current (almost complete) manuscript, with the help of Debbie Mandel's eagle editing eye. Just sayin'.
Pre-order sale! Barnes & Noble Members get 25% off all upcoming hardcovers, paperbacks, e-books and audiobooks with code PREORDER25. Offer good now through Friday!
Twenty years of Billy Boyle mysteries. No. 21 coming this September. Check out the original first novel, now in a new deluxe edition.
After WWI, the Allies demanded reparations of around 50 billion gold marks, or roughly $160 billion today, in enforceable demands. Trump's deal has the US paying $300 billion in reparations. Moral of the story? No nation that has ever won a war paid $300 billon to the country it defeated.
France prends garde de ne perdre pas ton âme. "France, beware of losing your soul" November 1941 was a dangerous time to publish an underground newspaper in France. Father Pierre Chaillet urged people to resist by helping Jewish refugees and others persecuted by the Nazis.
On this date in 1940, Mussolini had Italy declare war on Britain and France. He hoped for a quick, opportunistic victory to secure territory and establish an Italian empire in the Mediterranean at little cost. Instead he led his nation into ruin.
A BITTER WIND, Book 20 in the Billy Boyle mystery series. The paperback edition release date is July 7th. Pre-orders are open! Or contact me to order a signed copy. Cheers!
According to Trump, the most possible thing ever is impossible because he doesn't like it.
Eisenhower's D-Day note in case of failure. A perfect example of a leader taking responsibility in clear language. The stress he was under shows in the date - July, not June.
June 7 1944: Twenty-fours hours after the invasion, the beachheads are held, but still relatively small. Not yet a sure thing.
Went to the movies on June 6, of course, to see Pressure. Even for those who know the story of the weather-induced delay and the decision to 'go' on the sixth of June instead of the fifth, this film is still suspenseful and gripping.
D-Day, June 6, 1944. The great invasion is underway. General Eisenhower's message to the troops: "The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."
On this day in 1944, 160,000 Allied soldiers spent another wet and miserable night aboard the D-Day invasion armada waiting out the delay brought on by bad weather.