"Invisible Curtain" by Alex Morgan re-released on Amazon!

My third Corey Shaw novel, Invisible Curtain, has been re-released and is available on Amazon!

Here is the link to Amazon.

Blurb:
Paranormal sleuth Corey Shaw is enjoying vacation with his family in the Baltic Sea when terrorists bomb restaurants hosting World Cup parties in London and Copenhagen. On each occasion the explosion coincides with the cruise ship leaving port. Although the United States isn’t attacked directly, Corey and his colleagues are unavoidably drawn into the investigation with or without the blessing of international intelligence agencies. When a third bomb goes off in St. Petersburg, Russia, Corey is convinced the answer lies aboard his ship. 

He must use all his psionic abilities to protect his family, and his friends, and keep the world safe from this worrying upsurge in international terrorism

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko!

Andrey Borisenko, born April 17, 1964 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, has spent almost a year in space total aboard the International Space Station.

His first mission into space was as Flight Engineer on Soyuz TMA-21 (Gagarin) launched in April 2011 as part of Expeditions 27 and 28.  It was devoted to the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic first manned space mission.  He returned to Earth with his fellow astronauts September 16, 2011.  During re-entry, communications with the crew were lost and caused concern on the ground, but the crew landed safely.  A cause for the communications lost has not been determined.

His second and most recent mission was on Soyuz MS-02 as Flight Engineer, launched October 19, 2016 as part of Expeditions 49 and 50.  He returned to Earth April 10, 2017.  During re-entry, the capsule experience partial depressurization when a buckle that was part of the deployment system struck a welding seam.  Fortunately, this happened about 8 km (4.8 miles) above ground, so they were at a relatively safe altitude.

Review of The Ordeal of the Hermitage: The Siege of Leningrad 1941-1944

It took a long time to find a copy of The Ordeal of the Hermitage: The Siege of Leningrad 1941-1944 (text by Sergie Varshavsky and Boris Rest) at a reasonable price, but the search was well worth it, even if I had to give it away as a Christmas gift.  I have visited the Hermitage before, so the history of his magnificent museum holds great interest for me, especially the era of Catherine the Great, who procured many pieces of art still on display there (so I borrowed this book back from the giftee as soon as possible).   It focuses on the period during World War II when the Nazi army surrounded St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) and laid siege to the city.

The museum curators and staff had just days to pack up and ship millions of items to safety at a secure location deep inside the USSR.  Citizens turned out to help in droves to help preserve their precious legacy.  In one case, the workers from a pottery factor lent their expertise in handling fragile items by packing priceless artifacts such as China dishes, porcelain plates and glass figurines.

The book follows the staff as they remained holed up in the mostly empty museum, with a couple thousand refuges from the city.  The curator gave his staff the opportunity to leave as the Nazi army approached but most opted to stay.  With the stranglehold by the German forces, food rations were cut several times as Leningrad citizens starved but held out for three winters.  The head of the museum continued his daily rounds, checking constantly to see if enemy shells had caused any damage. 

The advancing army did extensive damage but nature did a number on the museum herself.  One unseasonably wet spring endangered artifacts such as cushions and furniture with mold.  Shelling had opened several holes in the roofs and walls that although didn’t do much harm to the building, but allowed rain, snow and pervading humidity to invade.

The book contains a wealth of pictures mainly of the exhibits but the most poignant are those taken of the Hermitage during the siege.  Black and white photos show the stark realization of the toll the Nazis took, not only on the Hermitage but of the city itself.  One horrid photo shows the beautiful manor house at Peterhof, with golden spires, reduced to a blackened, burnt out shell, courtesy of Hitler.

Translated into English from the original Russian, the translators may have taken some creative liberties with the vivid descriptors, but they convey without language barriers the excitement and joy of the Hermitage staff and the citizens of Leningrad when their beloved treasures come home after several years in exile.

I wish I had read this book before visiting the Hermitage but even after the fact, it’s still a great read. 

For WWII history buffs, it’s a must read.

Day 11 (cont.) Leaving St. Petersburg

The St. Petersburg skyline receding in the distance.

Islands in the Gulf of Finland still have remnants of the Soviet rule and Cold War.

I don't know if he's saluting or thinking to himself "Damn! That's a big-ass ship!"

A hydrofoil shuttle.

The cathedral on the island is the most prominent landmark.

Another cruise ship comes in as we leave.

A Russian submarine passed us in the Gulf of Finland.

Sexy in St. Petersburg

On the Neva.

In front of Peter the Great's statue.

At Peterhof.

At the port of St. Petersburg.

At Peterhof.

Day 11 (cont.) - End of St. Petersburg Tour

We had a disappointing start to our tour of Russia.  When we connected with our tour guide Ina (pronounced ee-na), she told us that DenRus said we weren't interested in either Catherine's Palace or the Hermitage, two of the must-see's on our list.  Mom and Micki had their hearts set on seeing Catherine's Palace.  Ina managed to get us into the Hermitage but said it would be next to impossible to see Catherine's Palace, which was extremely busy since the Amber Room had been reconstructed.  Without advanced reservations, we could stand in line all day long and still never get inside.

However, Ina gave us a wonderful tour of St. Petersburg.  Our driver Boris did a fantastic job driving in a city where, without specific rules or laws, parking is an act of self-expression. 

At the end of the second day, we treated Ina to a beer and Boris a Coke.  He remained professional even in the bar.

Our driver extraordinaire, Boris!