8 March: Saint John of God

Today is the feast day of St John of God. 10 facts about this saint.

1. A saint’s feast day is generally the date he or she died, and St John of God did indeed die on 8 March 1550, but 8 March was also his birthday. He was born on this date in 1495.

2. His birth name was João Duarte Cidade.

3. He is the patron of Booksellers, hospitals, nurses, the mentally ill, heart patients, and the dying.

4. When he was eight years old, he disappeared. It’s not known whether he was kidnapped or ran away for a bit, but he was gone long enough that his mother died of grief and his father became a monk, so when he did reappear, he was a homeless orphan. He lived on the streets of Spain until he managed to get a job looking after Sheep.

5. His boss was fond of him and found him a diligent worker, and wanted to make John his heir. The catch was he’d have to marry the farmer’s daughter and he wasn’t interested in her, so he joined the army.

6. He almost died in the military, not from the fighting but because a pile of treasure was stolen on his watch and he was condemned to death. One of the officers managed to get him pardoned, at which point John went back to farming for four years. He still didn’t marry, and presumably missed the military life, for when another bunch of soldiers passed through his home town, he joined up again, this time remaining a soldier for 18 years.

7. Then he decided to go to Africa to help Christians enslaved there, willing to die as a martyr if need be. On the way, he met up with a Portuguese knight and his family with whom he became friends. When all their possessions were stolen and they were ill, John nursed them and helped financially. However, he became disillusioned with Africa and decided to go back to Spain.

8. When he was about 42, a religious conversion while listening to a sermon by John of Avila. He also had a mental breakdown and was sent to a hospital for the mentally ill where the treatment was frequent beatings. John of Avila visited him and told him he should think of helping others rather than feeling sorry for himself. He set up a house where he could care for the poor and sick but at first his history of mental health issues went against him, but eventually gained the sympathy of priests in the area. It’s also said that Angels visited his house and assisted as well.

9. He began to gain followers and in due course they organised to become the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, with a mission to care for the sick all over the world. Today the order has a presence in 53 countries, and operates more than 300 hospitals.

10. He died of pneumonia after plunging into a river to save a young man from drowning. He was 55 years old. His body was moved a few times but now rests in a basilica which was originally built as a church especially to house his relics.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

7 March: Sir Edwin Landseer

Born on this date in 1802 was Sir Edwin Landseer, artist known for his paintings of animals – particularly Horses, Dogs and stags. 10 facts about him.

1. He was born in London and was the son of an engraver, who encouraged Landseer’s talent by taking him on country walks and encouraging him to sketch the animals he saw, when he was just five years old.

2. So nature and nurture combined to produce a young art prodigy. At 11 Edwin won the Royal Society of Arts’s silver palette for his animal drawings. At 13 he exhibited two drawings at the Royal Academy in London.

3. When he was a teenager, an older artist called Benjamin Robert Haydon suggested that Edwin dissect the carcass of a Lion to help him understand its muscle structure.

4. It was said he could draw with both hands at once and therefore could work on a horse’s tail with one hand and its head with the other.

5. Queen Victoria commissioned many portraits from him; at first, her pets, later members of her staff and ultimately, herself and her children. Landseer often included a dog in the children’s portraits. He even gave Victoria and Albert art lessons.

6. There is a breed of dog named after him – a black and white Newfoundland breed known as the Landseer.

7. While on the subject of dogs, he is probably responsible for the myth that Saint Bernard dogs carry a small barrel of something alcoholic round their necks when they go out to rescue someone. A Saint Bernard thus equipped appeared in one of his paintings.

8. He was a sculptor, too. His best known sculptures are the lions in Trafalgar Square.

9. In 1828, he was commissioned to produce illustrations for the Waverley Edition of Sir Walter Scott's novels.

10. He died in 1873 aged 71 after suffering ill health for years. He’d been so popular that shops in London lowered their blinds and flags flew at half mast; and thousands lined the route at his funeral. He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral. He left behind several unfinished paintings, which, as per his dying wish, were finished by John Everett Millais.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

6 March: Cyrano de Bergerac Quotes

Born this date in 1619 was Cyrano de Bergerac, French dramatist and duellist best remembered for the many works of fiction about his life. 10 quotes:

1. I may climb perhaps to no great heights, but I will climb alone.

2. A large nose is the mark of a witty, courteous, affable, generous and liberal man.

3. A kiss is a rosy dot over the 'i' of loving.

4. This veridic nose arrives everywhere a quarter of an hour before its master. Ten shoemakers, good round fat ones too, go and sit down to work under it out of the rain.

5. We must believe then, that as from hence we see Saturn and Jupiter; if we were in either of the Two, we should discover a great many Worlds which we perceive not; and that the Universe extends so in infinitum.

6. A pessimist is a man who tells the truth prematurely.

7. Most men judge only by their senses and let themselves be persuaded by what they see.

8. The angel had told me in my dream that if I wanted to acquire the perfect knowledge I desired, I would have to go to the Moon.

9. You are now bearing the punishment for the shortcomings of your world. Here, as in your world, there are benighted people who cannot tolerate thinking about things they are not accustomed to.

10. The people of your world became so stupid and rude that my companions and I no longer enjoyed teaching them. You must surely have heard of us: we were called oracles, nymphs, spirits, fairies, household gods, lemures, larvas, lamias, sprites, water-nymphs, incubi, shades, spirits of the dead, specters and ghosts.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

5 March: Leila Name Day

In Finland, today is the name day for people called Leila.

Leila is a feminine given name which can be spelled multiple ways, including Leila, Layla, Laylah, Laila, Leyla, and Leylah. In Finland, the name is derived from a Sami name meaning holy. It’s also common in Arabic speaking countries where it derives from the Arabic word for night. In the Middle East often given to girls born during the night, signifying "daughter of the night". 10 famous people with this name:

1. Laila Ali: boxer and daughter of Muhammad Ali.
2. Laila Hirvisaari: Finnish author.
3. Layla Moran: British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon since 2017.
4. Leyla Harding: character in the British soap opera Emmerdale.
5. Leyla Kazim: English writer and media personality. She gained prominence through her food and travel blog before joining The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4 as a presenter.
6. Layla Anna-Lee: English television presenter, specialising in sports.
7. Laila Rouass: British actress known for her portrayals of Amber Gates in Footballers' Wives and Sahira Shah in Holby City.
8. Laila Lewin: character in the book series The Wheel of Time.
9. Leila Khan: English actress known for her role as Sahar Zahid in the coming-of-age romantic comedy drama series Heartstopper.
10. Leila Hyams (pictured): American actress whose film career began in 1924 during the era of silent films and ended in 1936.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

4 March: Julia Cameron Quotes

Born on this date in 1948 was Julia Cameron, US writer, film maker, composer, and journalist most famous for her book The Artist's Way. 10 quotes:

1. In creativity, as in running, you have to start where you are.

2. We tend to think being hard on ourselves will make us strong. But it is cherishing ourselves that gives us strength.

3. As you move toward a dream, the dream moves toward you.

4. What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do.

5. Leap, and the net appears.

6. The next time you are restless, remind yourself it is the universe asking 'Shall we dance?

7. Procrastination is not Laziness. It is fear. Call it by its right name, and forgive yourself.

8. Possibility is far more frightening than impossibility.

9. Answered prayers are scary. They imply responsibility. You asked for it. Now that you've got it, what are you going to do?

10. Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

3 March: George Pullman

George Pullman, inventor and industrialist, inventor of the railway sleeping car was born on this date in 1831.

1. Pullman was born in Brocton, New York, the son of Emily Caroline and Lewis Pullman, who was a carpenter and inventor. He was one of nine children.

2. His father had invented a machine that could move buildings onto new foundations. George took over the family business at the age of 22 when his father died.

3. Three years later, he won a contract with the State of New York to use his father’s invention to move buildings to make way for a canal.

4. His wife’s name was Harriet Sanger. She was the daughter of a construction company owner. They had four children. There was also a man named Gustave Behring who claimed he was Pullman’s illegitimate son.

5. He spent some time in Colorado during the gold rush. He saw a business opportunity catering to the needs of miners there. He opened a ranch, providing food, accommodation and supplies for the miners and a place to exchange tired teams of animals for fresh ones before ascending the mountain passes, earning the ranch the name Pullman’s Switch.

6. Pullman is most famous for inventing the railway sleeping car, which he modelled on packet boats and marketed as a luxury way to travel. After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, his body was carried in one of Pullman’s carriages from Washington DC, to Springfield, which with thousands of people lining the route, helped raise awareness of the sleeping cars.

7. He hired freed slaves to provide services to his passengers. These men served as porters, valets, entertainers and waiters. Whether this was a good job or not isn’t clear as at least one of my sources contradicted itself, saying at one point that these men had to live on the tips they got, but later saying they were well paid and got to travel and were hence well respected in their communities. They became known as Pullman porters.

8. He founded a company town in Chicago for the workers in his factory, which sounds like a good thing to do, but he turned out to be as big an asshole as many of the super rich people today. In 1894, when the demand died down, Pullman cut jobs and wages but still charged the same rent and didn’t cut utility costs in his town, which led to violent strike action by the residents for which federal troops were called in.

9. On October 19, 1897, Pullman died of a heart attack in Chicago, Illinois. He was 66 years old.

10. He was buried in a mahogany coffin lined with lead, which was then encased in a block of concrete. This was because his family feared that his disgruntled employees might try to dig him up and desecrate the body.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

2 March: Helena Name Day

In Poland, today is the name day for people called Helena. 10 famous Helenas:

1. St Helena: mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.

2. Helena Bonham Carter: English actress known for her portrayals of eccentric women in films, particularly period dramas.

3. Helena Rubinstein: businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist. A cosmetics entrepreneur, she was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporated cosmetics company.

4. Helena Russell: character in the television series Space: 1999.

5. Helena Christensen: Danish fashion model.

6. Princess Helena: third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

7. Helena Kennedy: Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, Scottish barrister, broadcaster, and Labour member of the House of Lords.

8. Helena Blavatsky: mystic and writer who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875.

9. Helena Ravenclaw: also known as the Grey Lady, character in the Harry Potter series.

10. Lady Helena Gleichen: British painter of landscapes, flowers, and animals, with a particular passion for horses. During World War I, she served as an ambulance driver and radiographer in France and Italy, where she was given the rank of major in the army.

Helena is also the name of the female protagonist in my novel Killing Me Softly.

Killing Me Softly

Sebastian Garrett is an assassin. It wasn’t his first choice of vocation, but nonetheless, he’s good at it, and can be relied upon to get the job done. He’s on top of his game.

Until he is contracted to kill Princess Helena of Galorvia. She is not just any princess. Sebastian doesn’t bargain on his intended victim being a super-heroine who gives as good as she gets. Only his own genetic variant power saves him from becoming the victim, instead of Helena. 

Fate has another surprise in store. Sebastian was not expecting to fall in love with her.

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