“The Gambler Wagers Her Baron (Craven House Book 4)”: by Christina McKnight

*NOTE: “The Gambler Wagers Her Baron (Craven House Book 4)” was released on 26 June 2018! Get your copy at the following locations:

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2Kp6Zya

iBooks – https://apple.co/2rJokuH

B&N – https://bit.ly/2jYC14B

Kobo – https://bit.ly/2GlW0mz

When happily ever after is the name of the game, gamblers must risk it all in this emotional conclusion to Christina McKnight’s bestselling Craven House series

This Review is of the 4th and Last Book in the ”Craven House Series” by Christina McKnight

 

“The Gambler Wagers Her Baron” by Christina McKnight

Dealing With The Loss of A Loved One

While this is Payton’s, the youngest daughter, story, one of the things that I love about this particular book is that Christina McKnight is able to show many of the sides of grief over the loss of a family member and how different people in the same family and other families process that grief and how we can all help each other through the difficult time that follows trying to process the loss and how try to move on afterwards.

 

“The Gambler Wagers Her Baron” is very well written, and I literally only put it down to eat, though my intent after I ate was to finish the chapter I was reading at the time and go to sleep because I had been awake 21 hours at that point. Next thing I knew it was 3 1/2 hours later and I’d finished the book. It really is that good.

“The Gambler Wagers Her Baron” works well as a stand alone book as well as being the end of the series, and if you read the series out of order, it really shouldn’t be an issue, unless you are like me and just MUST read things in order.

 

My Rating:  (using the new Purple Butterfly System)

I give “The Gambler Wagers Her Baron” 5 Purple Butterflies.

 In Reviewing My Reviews, I Missed Some:

“The Thief Steals Her Earl (Craven House Book One)“

For more information about Judith’s Story, and the Kindle Edition is $0.99 click Here, but hurry as this price won’t last long.

“The Mistress Enchants Her Marquis (Craven House Book 2)”

For more information about Samantha’s Story click Here

“The Madame Catches Her Duke (Craven House Book 3)

I have not read this one yet so I cannot honestly rate it yet, however you can find more information about this book Here.

A Review of Current Events: The Star-Spangled Banner Issue

The Star-Spangled Banner: The first sheet-music issue of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was printed by Thomas Carr’s Music store in Baltimore in 1814. Courtesy Maryland Historical Society.

 

Note: This is a compilation of posts I wrote on my personal Facebook Timeline and only slightly edited for this blog:

Our Early Experience & Exposure To Our National Anthem in the United States:

Most of us on Facebook were born after 1931. Many of us learned the “Star-Spangled Banner” in grade school and we just sang it because we were told to. We never questioned it, we just did what we were told. The history of this song was never really explained or we just didn’t care to listen to it at such a young age. If it was explained later most of us just rolled our eyes and said to ourselves “Can we just get this over with?”, not really listening. The running joke for years is/was (don’t know if this has actually been fixed or not) has been most people don’t even know the correct words to the song. At all of the schools (10 and one of them twice) I attended throughout this awesome country (California, Louisiana, Illinois), the rules were always the same: During the National Anthem one stands at attention with their hand over their heart, as done with the Pledge of Allegiance to Flag of the United States of America. I later learned, because my father was in the United States Navy for 20 Years and my Step-father was in the United States Army and their involvement with The American Legion, I learned that soldiers and veterans are required to salute during the National Anthem. Some of us have been blessed enough to learn the importance of the song to many American Citizens. However, with the debate about what has been going on in the NFL, Nascar and other sports, I decided to look up some things that I did not know for sure, and wanted to make sure that I am posting accurate information. So let’s start with how this song came to be.

How Our National Anthem Came To Be:

The History of Our National Anthem in the United States of America:

‘”Defence of Fort McHenry”, a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large American flag, the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the American victory. (copied and pasted from Wikipedia). This poem had nothing to do with todays Veterans, or anything beyond that one battle in this country’s second battle for freedom and one flag that was still flying after a horrible battle.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” was recognized for official use by the United States Navy in 1889, and by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1508, codified at 36 U.S.C. § 301), which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.”

“Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of American officialdom. “Hail, Columbia” served this purpose at official functions for most of the 19th century. “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, whose melody is identical to “God Save the Queen”, the British national anthem, also served as a de facto anthem. Following the War of 1812 and subsequent American wars, other songs emerged to compete for popularity at public events, among them “The Star-Spangled Banner”, as well as “America the Beautiful”.”¹

Personally I think it should have gone to “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin,

“who wrote the song in 1918 while serving the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York, and revised it in 1938, (with the rise of Adolf Hitler, Irving Berlin, who was Jewish and had arrived in America from Russia at the age of five, felt it was time to revive it as a “peace song,” and it was introduced on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938, sung by Kate Smith on her radio show.) Berlin had made some minor changes; by this time, “to the right” might have been considered a call to the political right, so he substituted “through the night” instead. He also provided an introduction that is now rarely heard but which Smith always used: “While the storm clouds gather far across the sea / Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free / Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, / As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.” (In her first broadcast of the song, Kate Smith sang “that we’re far from there” rather than “for a land so fair”.) This was changed when Berlin published the sheet music in March 1939.”²

When and why did The United States National Anthem become part of our Country’s Sporting Events:

“The answer, it turns out, has to do with World War I.”

“Baseball fans in the late 19th century might’ve heard live military bands play the Star-Spangled Banner at a game every so often, but the song—which hadn’t yet been designated as the national anthem—wasn’t really a common occurrence at sporting events. That began to change on September 5, 1918, during Game 1 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. It was an era when the Red Sox still had Babe Ruth, and the phrase “the last time the Cubs won the World Series” wasn’t yet a joke. In fact, the two teams had won six of the last 15 world championship titles.”

“Yet even though the event featured two teams at the top of their games, the crowd was somber that day, writes ESPN The Magazine. Since entering the Great War a year and a half ago, more than 100,000 U.S. soldiers had died. And just a day before the game, a bomb had exploded in Chicago, (the city in which the game was held), killing four people and injuring dozens more. In addition, the U.S. government had recently announced that it would begin drafting major league baseball players.”³

So in essence, this was started in Chicago, Illinois, sparked by a bombing in their city which compounded the loss of more than 100,000 US soldiers lives. The song was part of a few games here and there until later. The whole thing wasn’t formally adopted and put into contracts until The Star-Spangled Banner officially became the U.S. national anthem in 1931, and by the end of World War II, in 1945 (a total of 27 years later), NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden (1903-1973) ordered that it be played at every football game. The tradition quickly spread to other sports, aided by the introduction of large sound systems and post-war patriotism.

This is why the National Anthem of the United States is sung at American Sporting Events.

Getting back to the original “Defiance of Ft. McHenry”
by Francis Scott Key, 1918:

What the poem actually says:

“O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

Additional Civil War period lyrics:
In indignation over the start of the American Civil War, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., (first a man against Abolitionists, later a proud Unionist), added a fifth stanza to the song in 1861, which appeared in songbooks of the era.

When our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,
If a foe from within strike a blow at her glory,
Down, down with the traitor that dares to defile
The flag of her stars and the page of her story!
By the millions unchained who our birthright have gained,
We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained!
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
While the land of the free is the home of the brave.

Alternative lyrics
In a version hand-written by Francis Scott Key in 1840, the third line reads “Whose bright stars and broad stripes, through the clouds of the fight”.

So now we have a poem about a flag flying over Ft. McHenry in 1812 and a verse (stanza) about the Civil War in 1861. All before World War 1 and 2, before the Korean War, The Viet Nam War, The Iranian Crisis, The multiple wars going on in the Middle East…

What Prompted This Series of Long Posts?:

(Taken directly from Post #5 from my Facebook Timeline)

Current Issue Dividing Americans Nationwide:

In part it has to do with the argument American citizens are having with each other about the NFL Players choice of exercising their right to freedom of speech. But mostly it’s in response to a statement made by a very dear to my heart friend. We do not agree on politics at all, we do not agree on this issue at all. This doesn’t make either one of us, or anyone stupid (as another dear to my heart friend called the other friend, and the comment was deleted by me, as I do not tolerate name calling, as that’s just not an adult form of communication, and I’m not posting to children, though I am keeping my posts child friendly). And yes, I am INTENTIONALLY NOT NAMING ANYONE! My purpose here is to point out that we all have different points of view on this particular issue.

Different Points of View:

Some people’s point of view is based in facts, (because some of us are just nerds), some are based in what we have been taught by those proceeding us (because we respect our elders and their teachings, whether they are right or wrong), some are based on a heart and soul feeling, (and it’s good that we have that). But for some of us, it’s based on all of those things. It doesn’t necessarily make anyone wrong…it definitely does not make anyone stupid.

What was said:

“…anyone who thinks or believes that what the selective NFL players and teams are doing is their right is in my book not part of the solution, they are part of the problem…”

My response to this:

We are ALL PART OF THE PROBLEM (regardless of our point of view) and we ALL NEED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. (Capitalization for effect not loudness…)

If one says ALL LIVES MATTER, you are saying that you agree with the point that the NFL players (and others) are trying to PEACEFULLY get across to the rest of us…because the law does not recognize that ALL LIVES MATTER. You recognize there is a problem and that a solution needs to be found. Black lives matter just as much as our privileged white lives matter. These people have ALWAYS been an important part of our history, whether by choice or not.

They deserve to be treated better than they are. They deserve to be treated just as fairly as the rest of us (and the elite need to be treated the same way). The elite get off scot free because they do. Proportionate to the rest of us non elite white folks Black People are treated far worse, denied Constitutional Rights before they are even approached. Our local Police, Sheriff, State Police and other law enforcement personnel, the majority of which are awesome people have a few bad apples making the rest look bad and putting them at risk.

All that is happening, instead of fixing the problem is half the nation is complaining about some professional athletes taking a knee, the other half is defending the professional athletes Constitutional Right to Freedom of Speech, being exercised in a peaceful manner. 

As I said in my (Facebook) post of 24 Sep 2017 at 6:15pm (edt): “for the President of the United States to tell NFL owners to fire those who take a knee is telling these owners to violate these players Constitutional Right to the Freedom of Speech.” and “If people would stop focusing on the “disrespect of taking a knee” and focus on the point they are trying in a nonviolent, constructive way to get you all to pay attention to what they have been trying to tell you for YEARS, they would stop doing it. The problem is…no one wants to hear them!”

Additionally, referring to a player as an SOB is just not appropriate behavior by anyone, but ESPECIALLY the President of the United States of America. This doesn’t insult the player, it insults his mother and disrespects her. But I guess, because she’s black that doesn’t really matter to you, does it. (No that is NOT A QUESTION)

Which only further illustrates my point, you cannot say that ALL LIVES MATTER and not look at the WHOLE PICTURE, not just the part you don’t like. Non White people have been having to live with what they don’t like for the entirety of this nation’s existence. If a group of people hadn’t stood up against the tyranny of a government and demanded and taken what was rightfully (given to them by God) theirs you would NOT be an American today…you would be under British Rule. Get your perspective in order before you start calling people unpatriotic or stupid, foolish, or whatever other non problem solving solution you come up with. I’m starting to get mad so it’s time for me to get off this soap box.

Original Facebook Post referred to in the above text:

¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner

²https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Bless_America

³http://www.history.com/news/why-the-star-spangled-banner-is-played-at-sporting-events

What Is It That Republican Congresspeople, Senators and the President of the United States Do Not Understand?

 

I really don’t understand why these Republican Congresspersons/Senators and the President do not understanding the true facts instead of the alternate facts on these female issues.

Poor Women:

If all of the poor women die…who’s going to do all of the labor so that the rich women don’t have to? I guarantee you, rich women will not be out in the fields picking strawberries in the scorching sun from sun up to sundown…same with other fruits and vegetables, and the other manual labor jobs that this nation relies on.

Poor Men:

And then besides the women’s health issues…there’s the poor men to think about…who’s going to work in the factories? It won’t be the rich men doing all that manual labor..so who’s going to build their fancy American Cars? Their fancy elaborate houses? Their nice expensive furniture? Who’s going to be their housekeepers and gardeners, pool people? The list goes on…and this may not be what they really want in the long run, but it honestly looks that way.

The Doctors:

The Doctors student loans are not going to disappear so they can’t afford to treat us for free and they shouldn’t have to. I know some Doctors are already volunteering some of their time (and a few all of their time) to free and low cost clinics, but this doesn’t pay the bills (not just student loan debt, but rent, utilities, food and transportation).

The Hospitals:

Hospitals cost money to run, though what they charge is ridiculous. There are utility bills that have to be paid, staff that has to be paid (and they don’t make a enough money to be considered rich either), equipment that has to be properly maintained and updated.

The Drug Companies:

The “medications” the drug companies make are killing us, just slower than if we just had the disease they are suppose to treat (think I’m kidding…really listen to some of the commercials for these drugs and then watch within 5 years there are lawsuits filed against the drug companies).

My Point-of-View From the Outside Looking In:

I’m not being a snowflake here…I’m on Medicare and still can’t afford to go to the doctor…I know I qualify under the really old guidelines (circa the 1990s) for Medicaid, but can’t get the online application to work and can’t get anyone at the office to help me, including a referral to someone who can; so in reality none of this applies to me anyway.

I am in a not normal position that allows me to be able to see both sides of this wicked fence from my vantage point (or disadvantage point, depending on how you want to look at it)…I’m not talking anarchy here, but if this is really what the Republican Government wants to do to the Americans that they are suppose to be representing (which is ALL Americans regardless of their partisanship), why not have all the rich people move to a few States and put the rest of us not rich people in the rest of the States, call the one part the United States of the Rich America, the other the United States of the Other America (since Dems and Libs/Ind prefer to be politically correct) and the rich can buy from the poor so they can still have their expensive trophies and fat bank accounts (because we really don’t begrudge them their savings), and they can take care of themselves with their lack of empathy for other human beings. We, not rich people, can take care of ourselves and each other.

(This is actually an evolvement of what I have been thinking for a while, while watching Republicans and Democrats go at each other outside of the Governmental offices…my original thought was put all the Republicans on one side of the country, all the Democrats on the other, and the Liberals and Independents in the middle, because that’s how badly we are divided.)

Why Have We Become A Society That Throws Away Whats Broken Instead Of Repairing It?

There was a time when we didn’t throw away broken things unless there was just no way to repair them. Yes the Affordable Heathcare Act is broken. But it is fixable, with a little patience and perseverance. The rich should not HAVE to carry the poor, I agree. That doesn’t mean that we can’t fix what is wrong and make what is right better. (I put emphasis on “HAVE” because of my spiritual training…see Matthew 25:35-40 for clarity. This Governmental Body is suppose to be Christian, or so they claim. See also Matthew 7:15-20)

We Should Not Be A Country of Us Versus Them:

There is no unity in this country except when there is a disaster, and even then since 9/11 there still hasn’t been a complete unity since then, though we have tried to come together. Relationships are about compromise. Give and take. Being fair with one another.

This current Government is NOT doing that, and unfortunately neither are SOME, (underline “some” a thousand times, because I know for a fact [not an alternative fact] this isn’t true for all), Republicans outside of the Government. What happened to us as a PEOPLE? Until this great chasm is repaired between ALL of us (including our Government Representatives), this Country will not ever be great again (it was once…but so much less so now).

Note:

The author of this blog is neither a Democrat, Republican, nor a Liberal. The author is an Independent. While the author agrees with Democrats on some issues, she also agrees with Republicans on some issues. The author does NOT agree with this Health Care Bill as it stands right now.

The Current Draft “Under Consideration”:

In case you would like to read it yourself (Thank You Senator Dean Heller, a Republican with concerns about this bill, for posting the link on your Facebook page):

H. R. 1628 aka Better Care Reconciliation Act

Videos & Articles:

See Two Democrat View Points Below and below the Videos the Article about Republicans Opposing the bill by the Washington Post (link provided). [At publication I was unable to find a video of a Republican speaking out against the bill without having to put up a whole web page including by a biased one way or another site]

 

The Washington Post Article

Updated June 23 at 3:00 p.m.:

The Senate’s health-care bill could be in trouble

By Amber Phillips, Reuben Fischer-Baum, Kevin Schaul, and Kevin Uhrmacher