Author - Joyce Faulkner
Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Tour Dates 9-16-13 to 9-23-13
Buy Links:
Amazon US - Click here
Amazon UK - Click here
Blurb:
Shirley Maxwell is a troubled young woman facing a complicated personal life, a culture that restricts female options, and a world at war. Yet, together with friends — Emmie, Delores, and Mags — she joins Jackie Cochran's Women's Air Service Pi-lots program (WASP) and participates in the adventure, challenges, and tragedies of the 1940's with determination and courage. Shirley and her friends know what they are tackling will be hard, but they do
it anyway and relish the effort. In the process, they change what is possible in the minds of young girls everywhere. Lively and moving, Windshift inspires and educates. Appropriate for history buffs interested in the World War II era, students of social change, those who love tales of derring do and those who just love airplanes.
Reviews:
“Windshift takes the reader on a journey with four women who are caught up in change greater than themselves. We gain and lose along with our heroines and in the end we are rooting for all of them to achieve the ultimate triumph.”
~ Paul R. Bruno, The History Czar®
“Joyce Faulkner’s extensive research for Windshift springs to life through her
fresh voice and effortless style — a combination that captivates the reader.
e characters of this story, which illustrates blatant sexism during World War II and the shame of our government’s lack of pay, benefits, and support for the WASP, linger long beyond the final page.”
~ Bonnie Bartel Latino, former columnist for Stars and Stripes newspaper in Europe, and co-author of Your Gi ft to Me, a military romance novel.
“Triumph in the face of adversity, grace under pressure, and the “civilian” valor of our Women Air Service Pilots (WASP) come together in a compelling and inspiring read that is a tribute to the brave, pioneering spirit of our female pilots.”
~ Sandra Beck/ Military Mom Talk Radio
“Sweeping. Riveting. One of the best novels I've read in years. Come let Shirley, Emmie, Delores, and Mags wing their way to your heart. Joyce Faulkner is one of those rare storytellers who spins words into gold. Windshift is so well written that you’ll forget you’re reading a story.”
~ Kathleen M. Rodgers - author of the award-winning novel The Final Salute and soon to be released Johnnie Come Lately.
“Don't start this book if you don't have time to finish it! Windshift will grip you and charm you and hold on to your heart. “
~ Carmen Stenholm, award-winning author of Crack Between the Worlds.
Excerpt: *
Chapter 1
The Windshift Inn
“The country is at war — not just our young men —
but all of us.”
~ George Maxwell, CEO American View
Communications
September, 1943
I’m a pilot. It’s an unusual occupation for a woman, but I didn’t have a
choice. I had some trouble in college and wanted to quit. As you can
imagine, Father objected. Then he did a story on Amelia and realized I
might be useful. He bought a small plane and paid for my lessons. For five
years after that, I flew him from place to place. It was handy for the editor
of a magazine and he could keep an eye on me — the perfect daughter
gone wrong.
I’d still be his personal pilot if it weren’t for the war. He heard through his
connections that Jackie Cochran was recruiting women pilots for a special
assignment. He thought if I was part of the program, I could send him
newsy little nuggets from time to time. I think he also felt bad he didn’t
have a son to send off to fight Tojo or Hitler. He arranged for my interview
before I ever heard about the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots. What could
I do but supply the man his paternal bragging rights? After all, it got me
out from under his thumb. Almost.
I am a cautious, mediocre pilot but I was accepted into the program anyway.
Father must have put in the fix. Training began in May of 1943 at Avenger
Field in Sweetwater, Texas. There were twenty girls in my class. Every one
of them was much more qualified than me. We lived in long barracks that
we called bays and it was one long pajama party. I kept to myself. I didn’t
want to disappoint Father again so I worked hard to keep up. Fourteen of
us graduated in August. Our initial mission was to ferry aircraft around
the country for the Army. My first assignment was in Cold Creek, Ohio —
two hours south of Cleveland by train. We tested new planes as they came
off the Wiley Aircraft assembly line and then delivered them to Camp
Morgan in California.
Jackie Cochran arranged for us to stay in a boarding house just outside
Cold Creek with the unlikely name of The Windshift Inn. The owner was
a widow in her late forties by the name of Myrtle Jones. She worked as a
welder during the day and cooked for her guests in the evening. One thing
I can say about Myrtle, she kept a nice neat place. I always felt better when
I was at the inn.
I was assigned to the third floor, which was divided into two big rooms. The
south dormitory was the largest, filled with six workers from the aircraft
factory. The WASP took the north suite, which had room for four girls.
Each of us had a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a small writing table.
There wasn’t a wardrobe. You need to hang things up for them to look nice.
Other than that, the space was adequate. I was the first one to check in so
I got my pick of beds. I chose the one without a window.
I was unpacking when a plain young woman came in and threw her bags
on the bed nearest the door. “How ya doing, hoss?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’m Emmie Hopkins.” She shook my hand.
I thought she should do something about all those freckles — stay out of the
sun or bleach them or cover them and her bangs were too long for someone
her age. “My name’s Shirley Maxwell,” I told her and went back to hanging
my clothes on the freestanding rack Myrtle found for me.
Emmie pulled open the top drawer of her dresser and dumped the contents
of her suitcase into it. I pretended not to notice. “I think one of your dresses
is out of order there, Shirley,” she said and then laughed when I hurried to
check it in alarm. “Gotcha!”
I never liked being teased — it was seldom funny and it always hurt. “Who
else is staying here, do you know?” I tucked a lavender sachet into the
pocket of my robe before I hung it on the rack facing right, just before my
blouse section.
About the Author:
JOYCE FAULKNER has been writing and winning awards since she was 15 years old. Losing Patience, a collection of short fiction, was given an honorable mention from Writers’ Notes Magazine in 2005. Her first novel, In the Shadow of Suribachi received a Gold Medal for Historical Fiction from Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) in 2006 and Honorable ention from Branson Stars and Flags in 2010. Sunchon Tunnel Massacre Survivors written
with co-author Pat McGrath Avery took First Place in Biography from Branson Stars and Flags in 2010.
Role Call: Women’s Voices— also written with Pat McGrath Avery — was First Place in Branson Stars and Flags 2011 for a Non fiction Anthology. In July 2013, MWSA named Joyce and two other fine authors finalists for Author of the Year. In addition, the audio version of USERNAME was nominated for an MWSA award. The results will be announced the end of September, 2013.
In August of 2013, Windshift received the Silver Medal for Historical Literature Contemporary (1940 - NOW) in Dan Poynter’s Global eBooks Awards Program.
Joyce’s background includes a career in engineering and business. She’s written for a variety of publications — from the American Oil and Gas Journal and Ag Pilot International to Salute, the Branson Bugle, and MWSA Dispatches. Her articles, columns, and stories
have appeared in a number of online ezines including Women’s Independent Press, Scribe & Quill, and the Celebrity Cafe. Her book For Shrieking Out Loud is a compilation of her
column with Celebrity Café.com “ e Weekly Shriek.”
Joyce served as the President of Military Writers Society of America from 2009-2012. She’s also a book and magazine designer and ghostwriter.
Joyce Faulkner’s books move and intrigue — and are at-out fun to read. Writing in a variety of genres, her stories focus on the complexities of life — those things that make one think. They can scare the pants off of you — and then make you laugh. They make you cry and they make you wonder why things are the way they are. She tells the stories that others can’t tell for themselves.
Author links
Website - www.joycefaulkner.com
Twitter - @JoyceFaulkner, @Windshi ft
Facebook - www.facebook.com/JoyceFaulkner
Facebook Book - https://www.facebook.com/WindshiftbyJoyceFaulkner
Book Trailer
