Blog - M.B. HENRY

Route 66 Series: Love Can Build a Bridge

History

June 14, 2021

by MBHenry

Is it me, or are bridges kind of fantastic? I don’t mean the concrete behemoth interstate overpasses, which are marvels of engineering, but not always the prettiest to look at. I mean the charming, rusty, old-fashioned bridges on the much quieter highways. Bridges over bubbling streams, shaded by lush, whispering trees. Covered bridges with leaning...

A Non-Hallmark History of Valentine's Day

History

February 12, 2018

by MBHenry

Alright, I'll be honest. I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day. First of all, it’s too close to my birthday. It also doesn’t help that for many Valentine days, I was single. There are few things more annoying than watching everyone celebrate a day for lovers when you don’t have one yourself. I...

The Twinkly History of Christmas Lights

History

December 9, 2019

by MBHenry

Once upon a Holiday season in 1885, some generous folks put up a Christmas tree in a Chicago hospital. As everyone did back then, they illuminated it with lit candles, for the coming of the light or the Christ child, and to make the tree look oh-so-pretty. It must have been dazzling… until a candle...

A Delicious History of Candy Corn

History

October 16, 2018

by MBHenry

Well, it’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing, the nights are cooler, Halloween beckons, and every store is stocked with candy corn. It’s my favorite time of the year, and all that candy corn is a big reason why. Candy corn has been one of my favorites since childhood. Perhaps because I...

Poetry Break - "Let Me Tell You How I Died" - Iwo Jima

History, World War II

October 3, 2018

by MBHenry

Boy we're moving fast through the first part of three for my poem epic. Part I is split into seven segments and covers various angles of WWII. Here for you is Segment 5 about the Battle of Iwo Jima and the flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi, a moment that I always find moving when I...

As the Storm Clouds Gather: Today is the Day!

History

March 4, 2025

by MBHenry

My dear followers and friends!
I’m interrupting my regularly scheduled historical and life-musing posts to announce that TODAY IS THE DAY! My second novel, "As the Storm Clouds Gather," is now available for purchase at various websites and stores! You can learn more about purchasing a copy by clicking here

This book has such a special place...

M.B. Henry's Top 10 Reads for 2023!

Reading

December 4, 2023

by MBHenry

Well, another year has come and gone, and it’s time again to hammer out the top ten reads for the year. Can you believe it? Seems like I was just typing up this list for last year not all that long ago!
I have to admit, it was kind of hard to put this list together...

Poetry Break - "Let Me Tell You How I Died" - The Bomb

History, World War II

November 1, 2018

by MBHenry

When I first began research for my historical fiction novel about World War II, I wanted to include a scene that dealt with the bombs. I collected many materials - first-hand accounts, histories, etc. and got to work. It would be a very emotional experience for me, much more so than I expected. Stories from...

Route 66 Series: Getting to Know J. Robert Oppenheimer

History, Route 66

August 24, 2020

by MBHenry

Strap in, ladies and gents. We’re going nuclear, and it will be a lengthy post.

You wouldn’t think much to look at the place, at least not today. It’s simple and sparse. There’s a big pond, frequented by honking geese and ducks. Summer trees whisper in the dry breeze. Cafes and businesses have popped up...

Doubles! A Very Exciting Announcement - Pt 1

History

September 4, 2025

by MBHenry

It wasn’t long after As the Storm Clouds Gather came out (click here for more on that) when some emails started flying back and forth between my agent and my publisher. Severn House (my publisher) wanted to know what other manuscripts I had laying around. A pretty routine question at a pretty routine time, so...