Excerpt Extravaganza! This week's author is J.D. Karns

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this series on August 1, 2016.

Today's excerpt is from author J. D. Karns. His historical fiction novel, "28 Months of Heaven and Hell" has peeked the interest of veterans nationwide.

During the fifteen days Chester was home Sue spent most of her time at our house. I couldn’t always tell whether she was there or not when I got home from school, because her sweet perfume lingered pleasantly in the air regardless. 

Chester treated Mike and me to a very special evening on Saturday. He took Sue and us to see a picture show, “Two Girls and a Sailor.” There was something about that big screen that made Ava Gardner, June Allyson, Van Johnson, and Jimmy Durante look amazing. And to top it off, we had a detailed presentation of the newsreel before the main feature; Chester told us bits and pieces about the war as the pictures appeared. I remember that trip to the box office being a real eye-opener. I wondered how many other guys were home on leave and telling their families about the war as the images jittered on the silver screen. 

Fifteen days seemed like fifteen minutes. But those few days created memories that would last forever. When Chester finally had to go back, it didn’t seem as hard for me to say goodbye. But Sue clung to him like a bee on honey. I can’t say as though I blamed her, and Chester certainly wasn’t telling her to let go! 

He dished out the remaining hugs and made certain to muss up my hair. I laughed at that. He walked out the door and waved. We watched him until he once again disappeared out of sight as he went to the corner where the bus would pick him up. Mom shut the door, and we all looked at each other. I saw Mom holding back tears. I noticed Mike was maintaining his composure with a bit more strength this time.
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To discover more about J.D. Karns or to purchase his historical fiction novel visit his author page on JLB Creatives. 

Happy 91st Birthday to WWII Navy Veteran Carl L. Young!

WWII Navy Veteran Carl L. Young
Sailed the Melvin R. Nawman DE-416

Welcome blog fans! We're so glad you stopped by this post. It is a very special post as today is Carl L. Young's 91st birthday, and he is still with us to celebrate such a milestone!

Who is Carl L. Young you ask? He is a WWII navy veteran and is the true-life author of the journal from which our author, J. D. Karns, crafted his first novel, 28 Months of Heaven and Hell. 

28 Months of Heaven and Hell is a hot title that is receiving attention in the veteran world and rave reviews from all walks of life. 

Karns pulled actual facts from Carl's WWII navy journal (that he kept while sailing on the Melvin R. Nawman DE-416), and stunningly wove them into a historical fiction novel that takes the readers not only into the Pacific, but also the challenges and emotions that arose in the home-front back in his home state of Ohio.

When Carl returned home from the war his youngest brother, Charles, asked him to tell him all about it. He told Charles, "Some day, little brother, some day." 68 years later Charles began receiving emails from Carl...but they weren't just any emails. The emails were journal entries. It was 168 emails later that 28 Months of Heaven and Hell was written. JLB Creatives Publishing was honored to work with this family and their project plus publish J. D. Karns for the first time in his life...he was 82 years old, and still lives today.  

Carl's actual journal lying atop a copy of
28 Months of Heaven and Hell
(All rights reserved)

This novel has achieved more than rave reviews. When you understand the back story you'll find it is a heartwarming story far beyond the pages. 28 Months of Heaven and Hell not only holds the haunting tales of war-life, but it also has brought a family back together. Charles and Carl had lost contact with each other for over 60 years. Thanks to social media and email they found each other once again. 

When the novel was released, Charles was re-introduced to numerous family members he hadn't seen for many years and introduced to several he didn't even knew he had. Charles now stays in contact and communicates with many of them. His oldest nephew made a special trip to Florida to let Charles hold Carl's actual journal in his hands. Needless to say the moment brought tears of overwhelming emotion to everyone's eyes. 

Both Carl and Charles were thrilled beyond belief when they had the chance to Skype with each other for the first time this past July.    

Here's a couple of excerpts from 28 Months of Heaven and Hell. Both excerpts are based on information straight out of Carl's journal.

Carl L. Young 1945
Honolulu

Excerpt 1:

BAM! The big wave hit. Chester felt the ship list, and he checked his gauges. He quickly made peace with his maker when he saw that the Nawman was listing at sixty-plus degrees! Strapped in his chair, on his way to being upside down, he detested the thought that his gut feeling had been right many weeks before. He thought of the box of letters he had left with Jeb. The radio went dead, and he was certain this was the end. The Nawman’s creaking, snapping, and low rumbling brought him to tears. He closed his eyes and whispered, “I love you Mom, Dad, Mike, Jeb, and especially you, Sue. I’ll see you in Heaven.” He braced himself for the worst. 

The Melvin R. Nawman rolled back upright. 

Chester sat in awe. He screamed as he banged on the radio, but no sound returned. He felt he could do no good from his chair now, so he unbuckled his seat straps and jumped from his chair, his feet landing flat on the starboard bulkhead. From below deck aft he walked, stumbled, and crawled back and forth from the starboard bulkhead to the port bulkhead while the ship continued through the waves. Somehow he made it topside and into the pilot house. He grabbed Randall’s leg for balance and pulled himself up. 

“The mast! We’ve lost the main mast!” Randall shouted. Chester now knew why the radio had gone dead. He peered through the driving rain as best he could and saw the enormous mast dangling over the side of the ship with cables still attached, making for a dangerous situation. 

Excerpt 2:

As the ship drew closer to the island, Chester said to Randall, “It’s hard to imagine we were just watching whales on a calm sea, and now we’re watching this.” 

A call came over the radio from the observation plane, letting the big ships know that their salvos and explosives were making direct hits; they were doing great. Chester looked at Randall when the sounds of the bombing began to escalate. 

GQ sounded, “Red alert! Bettys have been reported in the area.” Chester and Randall knew the kamikazes had to be close to the Nawman because of all of the extra fire power that opened up immediately after the alert. 

Chester walked to the porthole to see for himself, and what he saw shocked him. Rapidly the sky was filling with flack from all of the ships firing their big guns. Black smoke began to cover the water’s surface, and not long after the fires ignited, the faint smell of gun powder seeped into the sonar room. 

Randall squeezed his face next to Chester’s to take a look. “Looks pretty bad out there, but we’re winning, I just know it!” He stepped back, leaving Chester the full view once again. 

“OH MY GOD!” Chester stood motionless, his face glued to the glass. “She’s coming right at us. We’re gonna die. We’re really going to die. Right here. Today.” He reached his hand out. Randall grabbed it and pushed his face back onto half of the glass. Chester could feel Randall shaking. They put their arms around each other and stood in awe. Chester barely squeaked out, “That Betty’s too low. Our boys can’t gun her down.  She’s too low. She’s too low. OH MY GOD! SHE’S TOO DAMN LOW!” He could not close his eyes. He and Randall braced for the impact.

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J. D. Karns

To learn more about our author, J.D. Karns, click here. To purchase a print copy or an ebook of 28 Months of Heaven and Hell from Amazon click here.

Excerpt Extravaganza! Today's Excerpt Is From "28 Months of Heaven and Hell"

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where an eclectic team of creative geniuses share their fantastical imaginations. 

On Mondays we are featuring an excerpt from one of our creative authors. And what makes this feature so fun is that we publish a wide range of genres. You'll never know what to expect for the excerpt.

To read all of our excerpts thus far, we invite you to visit our blog archives and look for our first Excerpt Extravaganza! that began on August 1, 2016.

Enjoy!

All previous excerpts are available in our archives. We began this Monday series on August 1, 2016. 

Today's excerpt is from 5 star, historical fiction author, J.D. Karns. He wrote this, his first novel, at age 82, and we were honored to publish it. 28 Months of Heaven and Hell is based on the journal of a WWII navy veteran who sailed on the DE-416 Melvin R. Nawman. 

The skipper soon realized that out-sailing this beast was not a possibility. He shouted order after order. Men went scrambling from bow to stern as Chester and the crew began making preparations for the approaching fierce storm. The other ships near the Nawman began to break their patterns and sail their own ways to avoid collisions with the other ships in the group. In minutes the sea had taken on a haunting appearance, and Chester believed it had become angry with the ships and was beginning to take out its personal vengeance on the helpless vessels and their crews. 

Chester finished his on-deck duties in the drenching rain and salty spray and slid down the ladder to the berth quarters. A wave caught the ship, and it listed more drastically than when he had been on deck. The sound of the wind let Chester know it had begun to barrel over the water with more force. He found it harder than usual to make his way through the small doorways but eventually reached his chair. 

The roar of the engine and the noise of the creaking ship drilled their way into the depths of Chester’s ears. 

Randall came rushing by and saw Chester in trouble. “Strap in! Strap in!” 

“I’m trying, but the ship’s rolling so bad I can’t seem to hang on long enough to get it fastened!” 

The ship listed to port. Randall rushed to the lower side of the chair and pushed up on Chester, giving the straps enough slack for him to fasten the buckles. 

“Thanks, buddy!” Chester pulled on the straps to tighten them to the point where it was difficult for him to take a deep breath. 

Randall headed toward the door. He shouted before he ducked out, “Now you hang on Chester, and I’ll see you on the other side of this storm. She’s a doozy!”

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To discover more about this 82 year old author, or to get your copy of "28 Months of Heaven and Hell" visit JLB Creatives Publishing's author J.D. Karns

From the Nose of Our Kayak: Chapter 7 Another New Kayak?

Hello and welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog, where you'll find an array of creative features from a hand-picked group of creative geniuses. 

Wednesdays on the JLB Creatives Blog are set aside for our blog book, "From the Nose of Our Kayak." JLB Creatives CEO, Janet Beasley, and her husband, Don, have been kayaking for nearly 10 years. Together they are excited to share with you their awesome experiences that they have encountered. In this Wednesday feature you'll find kayaking stories, scenic nature photography from their outings, and some helpful tips when it comes to maneuvering your "butt sleds" (aka kayaks) on your journeys.

So if this is a topic that interests you, you'll want to be sure and become a follower of the JLB Creatives Blog, and stop in on Wednesdays each week for the latest chapter in Don & Janet Beasley's adventure blog book, "From the Nose of Our Kayak." 

Previous chapters can be found in our blog archives. We began the series on June 1, 2016.

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From the Nose of Our Kayak

Don & Janet Beasley
Chapter 7: Another New Kayak?

The anxious parents

If you remember from our last chapter, we warned you about the sport of kayaking being addicting, and justifying all of the new kayaks you will add to your collection over time. As you will see, our new-old kayak told us what we wanted to know...YES!...we loved the harder plastic and rudder, so it was time to upgrade to a brand new Wilderness Systems T145!

After much research we marveled at how the pictures showed us that the seats alone were worth the price...fully adjustable, softer, and the back of my seat would not fold over backwards when I leaned back. We loved the bright orange color so other boats could easily spot us on the water. There was only one teensy tiny set back...

Our brand new Wilderness Systems T145

...we lived in Florida and had to have it shipped to Michigan to greet us the summer of 2010 when we arrived at our (used to be) summer home on Waishkey Bay in Brimley. Luckily my folks had gone to the cabin a few weeks ahead of us, so they were there to receive the shipment. We couldn't wait to pull up to the cabin and get busy unwrapping our new "toy." 

We arrived at the cabin, and low and behold, the real set back...the folks were apparently as excited about it as we were! When we ran to the garage we found our kayak had already been opened! Then we were treated to the "unveiling" via digital pics. 

Don took the first test drive on the lake by himself. One of the great features of the Wilderness T145 is that you can tandem or single paddle the kayak. He adjusted the seat, and boom!...he was single kayaking in minutes. 

We splurged and purchased....wait for it...wait for it...oh, just watch the video:

After the test drive we headed for a "glamping" trip with my sis and brother-in-law. We went to Germfask, Michigan. The little cabins there were adorable! We enjoyed eating camp food and sitting around the campfire. And best of all, we had the pleasure of introducing the relatives to kayaking...on the Manistique River that runs right through the Seney Wildlife Drive. Here's a video that recaps the fun we had on that trip...

Germfask has an interesting history regarding its founding and naming. The name, Germfask, was created using the surname initials of eight of the original settlers of 1881: John Grant, Matthew Edge, George Robinson, Thaddeus Mead, Dr. W. W. French, Ezekiel Ackley, Oscar (O.D.) Sheppard, and Hezekiah Knaggs. The community served as a station on the Manistique Railway. A post office was granted on February 26, 1890. Germfask also holds a military history dating back to WWII. To read more we invite you to check out an article by the Military History of the Upper Great Lakes click here.

In the distant vicinity of Germfask you'll find the small town of Curtis, Michigan. Chamberlin's Old Forest Inn and The Lakeside Dining Room Restaurant are a main attraction. If you ever get the chance to feast at this marvelous establishment, we highly recommend the experience. Chamberlin's holds a history all it's own. Straight from the Chamberlin's

Janet at the entrance to The Lakeside Dining Room

website: Though dating from the late 1800's, the sprawling, 7500 square foot structure has only been at its present site since 1924. Built by a railroad company near the Curtis station to serve as a passenger hotel, the building was moved to its present location after the lumber boom for the tiny community located between two inland lakes, bringing homesteaders to the area and increasing logging activity. For more information you can visit Chamberlin's on the web by clicking here

Our first outing in the new kayak set the tone for the many adventures that awaited us. We look forward to returning to Germfask some day to relive the serenity, fun, and enchantment.

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Kayak tip of the week: Don't pack your hotdog buns in the bottom of the kayak if you're going to be loading the kayak with heavy items. 

Featured Author J.D. Karns

Time and distance were no threat to tearing this family apart...in fact it brought them closer than they'd ever been. 

Life can have a way of separating families at times to the point of losing contact with one another. Charles Young and his oldest brother, Carl, had parted ways many years ago and had lost contact. Not because of feud or by choice, but simply because of life taking these brothers in different directions. 

In that time span of separation many things can occur. Marriages, divorces, deaths, jobs, births, grand kids, great grand kids...even great great grand kids can come on the scene unknowingly to the family members who are scattered abroad.

It is a treasured opportunity in life when a family has the chance to reconnect...and every family's story of reconnecting is different in some way. The Young family owes its story of reconnecting to the gumption of a WWII navy veteran. At age 88, this veteran connected and reconnected his entire family in a unique way he had never expected.

When it comes to historical events, WWII is one of the most recognized with its soldiers highly respected. If it weren't for authors like J. D. Karns who help keep history alive through their unique stories, many of us today would not have the rare opportunity to discover the realness of such an event. 

J. D. Karns (aka Charles Young) 83 year old author of "28 Months of Heaven and Hell," believes it's never too late to start something new in life. His first novel was published by JLB Creatives Publishing when he was 82 years old. We found his manuscript to be far more than a documentary of WWII. The passion, emotion, and real life happenings he portrayed in words left us no choice but to publish his story. As a surprise for the brothers, we decided to release the novel on September 14, 2014, Carl's 89th birthday.

When the oldest brother, WWII navy veteran Carl Lee Young, came home from the war his younger brother, navy veteran Charles, asked him to tell him all about it. Carl said, "Someday little brother, someday." Someday came 68 years later when Charles began receiving emails from his older brother. The emails were journal entries that Carl had kept while sailing on the DE-416 Melvin R. Nawman. 

Carl Young's actual journal from the war, and novel side by side

Charles had not seen any drawings until he held the actual journal

Since publication of "28 Months of Heaven and Hell," thanks to his nephew, Carl's oldest boy, Charles has had the rare opportunity to actually hold his older brother's actual journal in his hands. Carl's son made a special trip to Florida to visit his uncle Charles and allow him the humbling opportunity to hold and read the actual journal.

In the novel you'll find Carl is "Chester" and Charles is "Jeb." Charles was able to recall some of the happenings that took place back home while Carl was away which added even more realism to the story.

In May of 2105 Charles had the opportunity to display the novel during the Veteran's Appreciate Day at Long & Scott's Farm in Mount Dora, Florida. During the event Charles received a private ceremony of appreciation...there wasn't a dry eye in sight.   

You'll want to be sure and grab a copy of this amazing story told from not only the perspective from the war, but also how the family dealt with the situation back home. Visit JLBCreatives.com and look for author J.D. Karns or visit the JLBCreatives.com book shoppe. 

Literary Gift Idea #2 - WWII Fans

Do you have a historical fiction fan on your gift list? Then you may want to consider adding this cool gift to your package when you wrap up your autographed copy of 28 Months of Heaven and Hell. A National World War II Memorial Collector's Coin.

You can order your autographed copy of 

J.D. Karns WWII historical fiction novel by visiting:

28 Months of Heaven and Hell

Author J.D. Karns' Favorite Recipe

Carl L. Young
Honolulu, HI 1945
WWII Veteran 1943-1946

Hello fans and followers. For the month of November we are going to be featuring some of our authors' and team members' favorite recipes every Tuesday and Friday right here on the JLB Creatives Publishing Blog.

In honor of Veteran's Day, we proudly present to you our Historical Fiction author J.D. Karns, and want to thank WWII veteran Carl L. Young for serving this country to maintain its freedom and awesome way of life! 

Today we're featuring historical fiction author J.D. Karns' favorite recipe. To find out about his awesome WWII historical fiction based on the journal of WWII Navy veteran Carl L. Young visit 28 Months of Heaven and Hell

Tempting Tettrazini:

3 TBS butter

1 sweet onion – chopped

1 stalk of celery – diced

2 cups cooked chicken, pulled from bone and cut up OR 2 cups mixed vegetables: carrots, broccoli, yellow squash

6 oz dry spaghetti – broken up

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup fresh mushrooms

½ cup parmsean cheese

2 1/3 cups chicken broth OR 2 1/3 cups vegetable broth

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion and celery over low heat

Add remaining ingredients except for mozzarella cheese

Bring to boil, turn to low heat, and cook until spaghetti noodles are done

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and serve right from the skillet