Today my post at Colonial Quills talks about a winter even MORE severe than the winter of 2014.
At least we don’t need to shovel out our upstairs windows to escape our homes. 😉
Click here to read.
Historical Fiction
Audio Version of “Fields of the Fatherless!”
I received wonderful news this week from my publisher: Fields of the Fatherless was going to become an audio book!
My publisher had contracted with an actress (Becca Ballenger) after she’d auditioned for the reading. I think her reading is perfect. 🙂
If you’d like to hear the first 15-minute preview, you can listen to it here:
When the whole book is available, I’ll be sure to announce it.
And thanks for listening.
A Tribute to Darin Tschopp, my Oxen Expert
I recently received an unexpected e-mail from my writer-friend, Marie. “Darin passed away.”
Darin? My oxen expert?
“But he was fairly young, wasn’t he?” I couldn’t wrap my mind around the reality. He was not that old but of course, death is not discerning of age when it comes to its victims.
“Darin hadn’t been feeling well and had some chest pain, which they think he mistook for indigestion because they found some acid reflux medicine,” Marie wrote.
Though I never knew Darin in person, he had become my go-to guy when I had a question about the lives and habits of the huge beasts of burden that were used in Colonial America. His cousin-in-law, Marie, had connected us on Facebook. She knew I wrote about Colonial America and she recommended his expertise for everything “oxen.”
And Darin never let me down. He never made any question that I had seem too trivial for him to take the time to answer. I so appreciated his help for writing a scene in “Fields of the Fatherless,” that I put his name in my acknowledgements. I did so proudly. Not everyone can claim an oxen-expert for their contacts. 🙂
Even in my brief Facebook exchanges with Darin, I sensed a warm and caring person—someone who loved the animals he cared for in his job at Colonial Williamsburg as well as a gentle spirit who cared about people.
That became even more evident when I saw the memorial tributes posted on his Facebook Page. Here are a few of the posts from friends and co-workers:
– He was such a gentleman
– Darin was one of “the good guys”
– A gentle giant with a warm, friendly smile
– Darin Tschopp will be missed tremendously. So saddened to hear the world has lost such a kind man.
– He loved God!! And he was a man of God!! He loved history and he loved sharing it with others. It was his life!! There is so much more I could say but the biggest thing would be to say that I will miss you, Darin Tschopp, But the most important thing would be to say is that I will see you in heaven because I know that you loved your Savior.
I still cannot fathom that Darin is gone. Whenever I have a question about oxen in my future books, I will remember him. And miss his kind manner. I am so grateful that I was able to send Darin a signed copy of my book before he passed into eternity. Had I put that off, I would have regretted it always.
We are never assured of tomorrow. But death is assured for all. Never put off doing good unto others for another day. Their tomorrow—or yours—might not exist on this earth. As another of Darin’s friends wrote, “Life is precious, dear friends. Don’t waste a moment.”
I never met you face-to-face on earth, brother Darin. But I look forward to meeting you one day in heaven. I’ll look for the kind keeper of the animals.
And I’ll end with one more message of love from a friend:
“Fair winds and following seas, brother. Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. You will be missed.”
Books of Impact
I was recently “Tagged” on Facebook to ask which books I considered to have “stayed with me.” They might have been memorable for any number of reasons but they must be books the reader could not forget.
How intriguing: Not just favorite books but books with impact. It really got this author thinking about the variety of books I’d read throughout my life, and which ones were implanted in my memory as having impact. After contemplating the challenge, here are ten books that have influenced my life. I’m sure there are more, but these rose to the top of my thoughts:
10 – A Pillar of Iron by Taylor Caldwell; for the first time as a teen reader I was aware of the extensive research that went into a book of historical fiction. I was in awe of the author’s time and hard work spent on gathering facts.
9 – Those Who Love by Irving Stone. Read when I was a teen, I was amazed that real life historical figures could be brought to life in fictional form. I was enthralled by the process and the engaging read.
8 – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I loved the brave heroine in the midst of suffering circumstances. She held her head high despite those who would treat her as an inferior. The book made me fall in love with window seats to read upon. 😉
7 – Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung. A short but powerful glimpse as to motivations behind being too busy. Thought-provoking.
6 – Simply Salsa by Janet Perez Eckles. Powerful true testimonial from a lovely Christian woman who went blind amidst numerous other trials in her life. Inspiring story of strength and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
5 – A Love Worth Giving by Max Lucado. Allowing Christ’s love to SO fill you that the overflow will spread to those around you.
4 – The Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley. This is five books (Redemption, Remember, Return, Rejoice, Reunion) that sparked my appreciation for the impact Christian fiction can have on a reader. It can actually draw you closer to the Lord. It was a revelation that helped inspire me when I started writing my own Christian fiction.
3 – A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier by Joseph Plumb Martin. First person account by an elderly veteran of that war that brought me into the mindset and language of soldiers during the American Revolution. Best research source for my Revolutionary War era novels.
2 – Roses in December: Comfort for the Grieving Heart by Marilyn Willett Heavilin. Given to me on the day of my daughter’s funeral, this book is the autobiography of a Christian Mom who lost three sons over the course of several years. Inspiring. Heartbreaking. Comforting.
1 – The Bible. Source for my faith, my hope, my salvation.
So what are ten books that have stayed with you? I’d love to read your list.
Filling the Empty Man – Part 2
Well, the Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter had his fill of cookie dough—and so did the baker!
Fortunately, most of the delicious frosted cookies went to a new home to bless others who also love homemade gingerbread as much as I do. Had these spicy cookies all stayed in my house, well, I’m certain I would have given in to eating FAR too many. It is definitely better to give than too horde for oneself. 😉
My blog of last week put out a call for what I consider to be the perfect Gingerbread Cookie recipe for me, a culinary-challenged writer who loves to bake from scratch. But with limited time on my hands, I wanted the recipe to be as simple as possible while still being delicious. With these as my goals, I have chosen not ONE, but THREE winners in my contest for the perfect gingerbread man dough to fill my empty cookie cutter man. The winners are:
– Janet Grunst
– Cynthia Howerter
– Linda Marie Finn
CONGRATULATIONS, ladies and THANK YOU for generously sharing your recipes!! There were aspects of each recipe that I liked, such as ease of preparation or additional spices. So I used my creativity (always dangerous for ME in the kitchen) and combined portions of each recipe that I liked. Well, it worked, and samplers of the finished product were filled with positive comments, like, “Delicious!”
Ladies, I will e-mail each of you so you can choose a copy of any of my books, signed to you. Thank you again!!
So now that Christmas has passed for another year and all the presents have been opened, do you feel an emptiness in your heart that no amount of department store gifts can fulfill? Do you ever feel like “An Empty Man?”
There is nothing that can fill the need in our souls like the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He is the reason that we celebrate this time of year and His light can pierce the darkness in our hearts unlike any string of Christmas bulbs. Let his atonement for our sins shed at Calvary so long ago fill up your Spirit with His forgiveness and grace, and a life of fulfillment with Him.
Jesus Christ waits for The Empty Man, to fill each of us with life more abundant and hope for eternity with Him. It is His free gift to us—this Christmas and every day.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17 NIV
Thanksgiving Tips from the Deer Run Saga
If you are blessed enough to be gathering with family and friends this Thanksgiving, you might be thinking that it’s a mixed blessing. We love our families, but they can sometimes say the wrong thing…or share an embarrassing story….or be grieving and need encouragement. So how can you handle these situations?
Perhaps Thanksgiving stories from the Deer Run Saga can give all of us a few pointers. When it came to family gatherings, the Lowe family could spark plenty of conversation!
Handle embarrassing moments with humor:
Children can say the most unexpected things, which can cause deep embarrassment, as well as hilarity. There was just such a moment in The Road to Deer Run when six-year-old Sarah blurts out a phrase she has heard her mother say—without understanding it might be inappropriate in front of a male guest.
It was a statement by her midwife/mother that started the verbal exchange:
“Well, I am so relieved that Missus Stearns did not begin her travail before I could partake of this Thanksgiving bounty.” The midwife sat back from the table, obviously satiated. “She should be sending for me any day now.”
“The husbands come home from war,” Sarah interjected, “and nine months later they are calling for the midwife. That is what mother always says.” Sarah innocently resumed eating her cake, wiping crumbs off her blue woolen bodice.
Mary’s eyes widened with embarrassment.
Widow Thomsen glared at her young daughter and said tersely, “That is what we say in the company of females only, Miss Sarah.”
“I am sorry, Mr. Lowe.” The girl’s face reddened. “I did not realize that men did not know this was the way of it.”
Everyone stifled a laugh and Daniel nearly choked on his piece of cake, so amused was he by this exchange.
“That is quite all right, little miss. I am grateful to be informed of the ‘way of it.’ “ He stole a glance toward Mary, who was turning a bright shade of scarlet. “Your cake is delightful.”
It was a brilliant strategy on Daniel’s part by not allowing Sarah to be humiliated and by changing the topic to diminish Mary’s embarrassment.
Allow those who are grieving to share their sadness:
In The Promise of Deer Run, veteran James Thomsen, home from the Revolutionary War for several years now, is still plagued by the years away from Deer Run. He missed so many moments with his family while defending his country—moments in time lost forever. It was the sharing of a hilarious family memory that occurred while he was away at war that abruptly brought a stab of regret to James’ heart.
Sarah’s older brother suddenly stopped laughing and stared with fondness at his little sister. “I did miss a great deal of your childhood, did I not? So many years at war…” James looked sadly into the distance.
Hannah took his hand. “We all missed you so, James. We knew why you needed to be gone. And we are so proud of you.” She leaned over and kissed her husband gently.
He smiled but the joy did not reach his sad eyes. “Thank you, Hannah, but those years with all of you are gone forever. That is what I regret the most.” He took a sip of wine from his tankard and sighed.
Everyone was quiet for several moments as they recalled those somber years. It was Widow Eaton who broke the silence.
“Let us not dwell on the sad past but on our joyous and bountiful future.” She held up her tankard of wine. The others raised theirs as well.
“Hear, Hear!”
A hearty, “hear, hear” to Hannah for acknowledging her husband’s pain, for the group for not trying to diminish his loss, and for the widow who encouraged the group to have hope for a peaceful future and not dwell in the past.
Don’t spoil family conversation by speaking about politics:
In The Legacy of Deer Run, Thanksgiving dinner is filled with fine food and delightful conversation—until Susannah’s brother, Stephen, brings up politics.
“So what do you think of the election next month, Father?”
Mr. Dobbins scowled. “I think our country is in for another precarious attack upon our freedoms. With that extremist Jefferson in the running, no telling where our country is headed.”
Stephen nodded. “The newspapers are filled with attacks on President Adams—accusing him of being a monarchist, senile, vain and having an ‘ungovernable temper.’ ‘Tis getting fractious and ugly. And that beastly Burr running with Jefferson.” Stephen shook his head and took another sip of wine.
“Well, when the Electoral College meets December3, let us pray they remember Jefferson’s zealous support of the French, despite their attacking our naval vessels. I think Jefferson was in France far too long. His arrogance smacks of sedition.”
The room became very quiet.
Danny noticed Susannah had grown very pale and she rested both hands on the table. She gripped the tablecloth. Eyes narrowing, her voice trembled when she spoke.
“Do you think we will have another war, Father?”
What started out as the perfect Thanksgiving meal quickly morphed into a setting ripe for indigestion—and fear. The political conversation was halted by the men at the table, but it was too late to assuage Susannah’s anxiety. Words once spoken cannot be retrieved.
So when you gather with your family and friends this holiday, try to be sensitive to others who may be grieving, be careful to avoid distressing political talk, and by all means, keep a sense of humor if and when embarrassing moments occur. And if your family is anything like the Lowe’s, something unexpected can always happen!
Happy Thanksgiving!