Wilmont Kreis

10-06-18
Book Fifteen, PHILOMENE’S DOLL

Philomene Forton is only six years old when she is standing outside her mother’s room listening to her scream during a difficult child birth. Finally her mother is silent when the midwife comes to inform the children their mother has died. The oldest, Philomene, is asked to help clean and prepare the body, a scene that will remain with her forever. Following this, her alcoholic father sends her away to live with relatives as he abandons the family. Stay tuned for more. Read More 

September 1, 2018
SO IT ENDS, SO IT BEGANS: In the final chapters of THE BEAVER WARS, Noel Langlois meets a young man “fresh off the boat” from France. His name is Francois Allard and he is the star of my very first historical fiction novel, THE ALLARDS BOOK ONE: THE NEW WORLD which was my foray into novel writing more than fifteen years ago. Interestingly, it remains my best seller! It was only after finishing the eight book in the Allard series, three action novels on health care fraud and one on the Deerfield Massacre of 1704, FEARFUL PASSAGE NORTH, that I decided to return to the real beginning of French Canada with 1634-RETURN TO THE NEW WORLD, followed by THE BEAVER WARS. My latest, PHILOMENE’S DOLL is now on the market and awaiting your perusal. I will begin blogging it next week. All books are available on Amazon in print and kindle, Happy trails!
Photo Philomene’s Doll. Read More 

August 25, 2018
THE BEAVER WARS, Daniel de Remy de Courcelles: Was sent as Governor General of New France in 1665. More interested in killing Indians than growing a nation, he led—or ordered a number of raids on the Iroquois nation. Although many of his raids were poorly planned with disastrous results, history gives him a pass as Canada did eventually prosper. I hear readers are anxious to hear about my new book Philomene’s Doll, and am pleased to report it is doing well. It is available on Amazon in print and Kindle and I will begin its blog in two weeks.
Photo: de Courcelles Read More 

January 20: Measles and the pox
Measles and small pox had existed for centuries in the eastern world including France. It was not until the European migration to the western world that the diseases appeared in the Native American population. The diseases at the time of this book, were untreatable and potentially fatal (Small pox somewhat more than measles). It was not until vaccines for these ailments became available that the scourges were lessened. At the time of our story, they were often confused with one another and serious in Europeans but disastrous in natives. This being said, Europeans who had not been previously infected (like Francoise page 188 of The Beaver Wars) were at significant risk of death. Read More 

Jesuits and Sulpicians: Sorry for the lapse in the blog. The computer is a wonderful yet terrible thing. But enough of that and back to The Beaver Wars. The Jesuit order of monks came very early to Canada to teach and possibly convert the natives. They were a hard working order who preferred working in the wilds of the back-country. The Sulpicians on the other hand came late, with the beginning of Montreal. They tended to be more of the aristocratic stripe and worked with the French Canadians in the towns (particularly Montreal). For various reasons including their espoused missions, the groups did not get on well and sided with one side of Canadian Society or another. At least this is my read on it, with apologies to the Vatican. Read More 

Early Ville-Marie -Montreal – The difference in names: (Continued from last week) In the Cathéderal of Notre Dame de Paris, this group of Frenchmen formed l’Association de Montreal and planned to send a group to Canada to settle on the island. Late in the next season, they departed France with 35 men, 10 women, a few nuns and one wealthy benefactor. Landing in October, they wintered near Québec. Sailing for the island in the spring, they founded the village of Ville -Marie. Their early years were difficult and occasionally deadly, but they eventually emerged as Canada’s great city. So the answer is: Montreal is an island (Mont Royal) and Ville-Marie is the City of Mary. Read More