A WOOPs, A Blue Moon, & A Secret City

These three things may seem to have nothing in common. Yet they do in my latest release, a novella called Beneath the Rare Blue Moon.

The story takes place in eastern Tennessee and begins on October 31, 1944, the night of a blue moon.

WOOPs

The heroine, Kathleen Forrest, is with the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Women Officer of Public Safety unit. These women were not part of the military, like WACs or WAVEs, and their stories aren’t nearly as well-known.

Yet, their responsibilities were considered so important they were taught judo, trained to handle guns, issued .38 caliber pistols, and often worked with trained military dogs.

Since the men were heading off to fight in WWII, the TVA hired these women to guard and protect potential targets, such as hydroelectric dams, aluminum factories, and other important industries, from sabotage (TVA).

“Blue Moon”

You’ve probably heard of the phrase “once in a blue moon” which, literally, has three definitions:

The second full moon in a month. That means the date falls at the end of the month. 

The third full moon when four moons appear in a season. Usually, only three moons appear in winter, spring, summer, or fall.

The moon’s appearance when, under certain atmospheric conditions, it takes on a bluish hue. This can happen when “volcanic eruptions or large-scale fires release particles into the atmosphere” (Blue Moon).

The next blue moon is May 31, 2026.

Our next seasonal blue moon is May 20, 2027.

The Story ~ Kathleen Forrest, a WOOPs heroine of Beneath the Rare Blue Moon, has an unusual experience on a blue moon night when she disarms a potential “saboteur.”

“Secret City”

To find the “Secret City” on a map, you’ll need to locate Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

It’s also known as the “Atomic City” and, by those who lived and worked there, “The Reservation.”

The town was built by the military as a base for the Manhattan Project, the top-secret atomic bomb research program. 

Here’s the scientific info: 

“The Y-12, K-25, and S-50 plants were each built in Oak Ridge to separate the fissile isotope uranium-235 from natural uranium, which consists almost entirely of the isotope uranium-238. The X-10 site, now the site of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was established as a pilot plant for production of plutonium using the Graphite Reactor, used to develop full-scale plutonium production…” (Oak Ridge).

The Story ~ Kathleen and Army intelligence officer Roger Craig are recruited on a secret mission to find a possible saboteur in the "Secret City." 

I visited Oak Ridge a few years ago. The community center built by the Army as a gathering place for the residents is now a small history museum with amazing exhibits that preserve and honor the town’s legacy.

Beneath a Rare Blue Moon released this week and is available on Amazon.

Johnnie Alexander writes award-winning stories of enduring love and quiet courage. Her historical and contemporary novels weave together unforgettable romance, compelling characters, and a touch of mystery. A sometime hermit and occasional vagabond who most often kicks off her shoes in Florida, Johnnie cherishes cozy family times and enjoys long road trips. Readers are invited to discover glimpses of grace and timeless truth in her stories. Connect with her at johnnie-alexander.com.

Photos

Norris Dam ~ By Johnnie Alexander

City Seal. By http://www.cortn.org/PW-html/CDBGConsolidatedPlanHomePage2008.htm, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64434822

Aerial View. By Department of Energy Oak Ridge - http://www.oakridge.doe.gov/em/ssab/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1931232 

Shift Change. By Ed Westcott / US Army / Manhattan Engineer District - Ed Westcott / American Museum of Science and Energy, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7006834

Billboard outside Oak Ridge. By James E. Westcott - https://www.flickr.com/photos/amse/2965051856/sizes/z/in/photostream/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12075242

The Chapel on the Hill ~ By Johnnie Alexander

Sources ~ Each source accessed on December 5, 2025.

Blue Moon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon.

Oak Ridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Ridge,_Tennessee. Accessed December 5, 2025.

TVA. https://www.tva.com/the-powerhouse/stories/home-front-defenders. Accessed December 5, 2025.