Romeo and Juliet

Balcony in Verona, Italy

The play, Romeo and Juliet, first opened on January 30, 1595, at the Curtain Theater in London. William Shakespeare wrote it early in his career, and it quickly became one of his most popular. Along with Hamlet, it is still his most frequently performed play. Set in Verona Italy, the tragedy tells of two young lovers torn apart by their feuding families.

Shakespeare's house

No one knows exactly when Shakespeare wrote the play. Best guesses say he began it around 1591. His idea may have come from ancient literature, where star-crossed lovers were a common theme.
Despite how well the play was received, critics were bound to come. The earliest known critic of the play came in 1662 when Samuel Pepys wrote, "It is a play of itself the worst that I ever heard in my life."

I certainly don't agree with Pepys. I like the play until we get to the ending. I'm not a fan of such tragedies, however. I think real life is rough enough, and I like to have happy-ever-afters in my entertainment. That's why I'll never write a novel that leaves the reader hanging, unsatisfied, or with a tissue in their hands. But I like Shakespeare's plays and think that Romeo and Juliet deserves applause.

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Golden Silence

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10a)

We live in a noisy world, and we've become accustomed to it. Many people today aren't comfortable without it. If they're home alone, they turn on their televisions for company. Driving in their vehicles, they turn up the radio. A set of earplugs or a bluetooth is common. Perhaps this is why we rarely hear God's voice, if at all.

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire" and after the fire a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12).

He has told us, "Be still and know that I am God." Be still; be silent. Our strength and safety can be found more in silence than in noise, because that's where we find God. Remember when Elijah hid in the cave after running from Jezebel? He stood at the entrance of the cave and watched a mighty wind that even broke the rocks, but God didn't speak to him from the wind. Then came a great earthquake and a raging fire, but God didn't come to him in either of those. God spoke to him in a still, small voice from the calm and silence that followed. The movie, War Room, also shows us the importance of getting alone with God with no distractions.

We should turn to God and be aware of His presence all through the day, but when we hold our special, daily prayer time, we shouldn't do all the talking. We need to take time to meditate upon the Lord, to kneel in silence, and wait patiently with great joy for Him to speak to our hearts. The more you practice this, the clearer His voice will become and the more you will feel His love, grace, and mercy poured out upon you. The Bible will never become as alive and vibrant to you until you hear God speak to you. Yes, silence is golden.

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Promise

I'm almost ready to release Promise, the first book in my new contemporary trilogy, The Farmers. This is actually the first book I wrote, and I've gone back to edit and revise it numerous times. Although, my first love is historical fiction, this series holds a special place in my heart, and it's quite different than the other six books I've published. Edna and Floyd Farmer also live much like people did in a much earlier time, so it has a touch of history.

The novel is about Isaac, a teen in the inner city who gets into trouble for stealing a car and is sent to live with an older, farm couple for six months. Although he tries to stay out of trouble, so he can get back to take care of his younger brother and sister, trouble seems to find him. He thinks when he accepts Christ into his life, things will get easier, but it doesn't. As he struggles to stay true to his new-found faith, prejudice and city friends threaten to pull him astray. How can someone used to taking care of himself and his siblings learn to give God control?

This is the first book I wrote after I retired from teaching, and I pulled heavily from my years of experience in the classroom. It, as do all of my books, has a definite ending, but Promise sets the stage for the two others that follow. I'm planning on announcing its release around February 2, but it's listed on online sites, by distributors, and in bookstores now for those interested.

(As with all books, all my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children.)

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Pie Day

What's your favorite pie? January 23rd is National Pie Day. The first pies came very early in history but were more like small cakes with honey inside. These type of pies have been found in the pyramids, like that of King Ramses II who ruled in Egypt from 1304 to 1237 B.C. The ancient Greeks may have developed a pie we would recognize today, and Romans had their own version. Pies were often served in medieval times, especially meat pies. Foods served at the coronation of King Henry VI (1422-1461) included peacock pies.

The Pilgrims and early colonists coming to the New World brought their pie recipes with them. In America, they adapted them to the ingredients available in the new land. Therefore, the first pies were made from the fruits and berries of the area. This meant that the type of pies varied as to region. In 1909, Ben Turpin put a whole other spin on pies by developing a pie throwing routine for his slapstick comedy act.

What's my favorite pie? That's a hard question, since there's so many I like. I think the best pie I've ever eaten came from the old Cardinal Restaurant in Boone, NC. Their Hawaiian cream pie had coconut, pineapple, and bananas in it and always tasted so fresh. I also like German chocolate pie, lemon pie, and pecan pie. In fact, I don't remember ever eating a piece of pie I didn't like, unless it had too many spices. So, for National Pie Day, how about splurging on a piece of pie for lunch or dinner, but then any day is a good day for a piece of pie.

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Who Is God?

Just who is God? He is broader than the heavens and deeper than we can conceive. Knowing God and who He is should be the goal of everyone, especially Christians. For a brief look at the topic, I'd like to share an except written by the noted theologian, A.W. Tozer.

"God wants His children to be ever aware of His presence in their lives with a burning passion for Him.... He waits to show Himself in ravishing fullness to the humble of soul and the pure of heart. The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God, and the church is famishing for the want of His presence."

"God is eternal, which means that He predates time and is wholly independent of it. Time began in Him and will end in Him. To it, He pays no tribute, and from it, He suffers no change. He is immutable, which means that He has never changed, and can never change in any smallest measure. To change, He would need to go from better to worse or from worse to better. He cannot do either, for being perfect He cannot become more perfect, and if He were to become less perfect He would be less than God. He is omniscient, which means that He knows in one free and effortless act all matter, all spirit, all relationships, and all events. He has no past and He has no future. He is, and none of the limiting and qualifying terms used of creatures can apply to Him. Love and mercy and righteousness are His, and holiness so ineffable that no comparisons or figures will avail to express it."

"God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature...."* It is my hope that you will use Tozer's words as a springboard to a deeper relationship with God. It's what He wants for you, and nothing will ever be more crucial.

*A.W. Tozer,The Pursuit of God, kindle location 377 - 444.

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Tension in Novels

Good writers know that tension keeps readers turning pages to find out what happens next. It's one of the components of an interesting story. There's many books and online articles on the skill of adding tension to your writing, so I won't go into detail here. However, as a reader, I've found there's a precarious balance to having the right amount of tension.

I've actually read books that had too much tension, and they're exhausting to read. I find myself having to take breaks to get away from the book for a while, so these books actually do the opposite of what a writer wants. They cause the reader to put down the book for a while. One such book I remember was interesting, but I felt like I'd engaged in a triathlon and needed a hospital when I'd finished. When writers use this much tension, they need to balance the high, dramatically tense scenes with calmer ones, and then it becomes a book the reader can't put down.

However, I've read many more novels with too little tension. These are the books that readers say are boring or that little happens. Some of them are not bad, but readers just feel that something is lacking. There can be many causes of this; here are a few:

• The story line is too simple, and nothing gets complicated for the protagonist.
• There's not enough conflict. It's good to have external conflict from outside sources and internal conflict within the protagonist.
• The book becomes too predictable. Include a few unexpected twists but make them believable.
• The book doesn't pull the reader into the story. Make the reader invested in the outcome and care what happens to the main characters.
• Over-describing and giving too many details bogs a story down.
• The book gives too much backstory in large chunks.
• It has too much happen that doesn't move the story forward and has little purpose.

Some readers love high-tension books where there's no breathers. Others don't mind low-tension books that might be sweet but little else. However, most readers fall somewhere between these two extremes. An author with a number of reviews knows that a book will please some and not others. However, we all want to appeal to as many readers as possible and keep them coming back. And readers want and deserve what they deem to be an enthralling book.

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Reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.




Today is a good day to reflect on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Although many people appreciate his achievements, a fact that is attested by the day in his honor and the Nobel Peace Prize he received, I wonder how many stop to reflect on what great strides he made without violence. In fact, he strongly advocated non-violence, and taught others in the Civil Rights Movement to do the same.

I recently appeared as a guest on a local radio morning show, and the host made the comment that race relations in the United States was in a bad state. I partially agreed. We seem to make great strides at times, and then backslide. It amazes me that it's been this long since the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War, and still America is plagued with prejudice. Such discrimination is simply unacceptable.

King must have been a life-long student - something I can relate to. He not only proved to be a great admirer of the noted theologian, Martin Luther, but he also studied Gandhi in India and adopted many of his non-violent policies to bring about reform. I think America was blessed to have this gifted activist who understood that violence only brings about more hatred, and that peaceful activism shows the negative hecklers and their violence in the dark light they deserve. Perhaps America needs another leader like him.

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Red Doors

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: (Matthew 25:35).

Across the world, a red door symbolizes welcome and a place of refuge. This is especially true for the poor, tired, and traveling. In early America, a traveler knew that a house with a red door meant a place where they would be welcome to stay the night or get a meal.

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:12-13).

The offer of protection may stem from the time of Hebrew enslavement in Egypt. God told the Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, and death would pass them by when every other firstborn in the land was slain. In addition, Christian believers are symbolically covered and protected by the blood of Christ shed on the cross. Because of this, some early churches also painted their front doors red.

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times (Martin Luther).

It is even rumored that when Martin Luther nailed up his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, the door he pinned it to was red at the time. His push for reform in the Catholic Church would lead to the beginnings of Protestantism.

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35).

Today, there's quite a few Christian organizations that use the red door in their title or as a logo. The red-door concept says that all people are welcome to come to Christ, and that His disciples open their hearts and resources to the needy. One such organization tells that they want to extend hope, safety, and a new start to those who need them. Shouldn't all Christians be about much the same? Christ was.

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Researching Vocabulary

I mainly write historical fiction, and I'm keenly aware of how important it is not to use vocabulary that's too modern in a historical novel. Of course, the farther back in history a novel is set, the more restricted the vocabulary. When I wrote When Winter Is Past, set in 1739, I felt as if I were looking up almost every word. But it's important to me to put out the best book I can, and I enjoy making them accurate. 

Too many writers don't do this. I've caught mistakes time and time again as I read. A well-known author once had a ceiling fan in a bank in a book set in 1846 in the Old West. No explanation was given as to what powered the fan. The book I just finished reading was set in Oklahoma in 1900. It used the word "do" for "hairdo." "Hairdo" didn't come into the vocabulary until 1932, and "do" would have been much later. It also used "positive reinforcement," which was first used around 1938, and "poo poo cushion," which wasn't invented until the 1920's.

It's easy to research a term. I use two main sources: Merriam-Wesbster online dictionary, which gives the date a word was first used and English Through the Ages by William Brohaugh, which was written for this purpose with authors in mind. The problem comes when the sources disagree, which isn't often. However, Brohaugh gives the date for the word "orphanage" as 1875, while Merriam-Webster gives it as 1580. Now that's a huge discrepancy!

Another interesting story occurred at a writers' workshop I attended a couple of months ago. The presenter tried to tell me the word "gold" only dated back to the Renaissance period. "But 'gold' is used in the Bible," I added, "so it has to be older than that." 
"Oh, but that was in Hebrew or Greek," she countered. "We're using English."
Using that logic, I couldn't write a novel in English set in biblical times or anywhere else that the English language isn't spoken. I'm still scratching my head over that one.

The fact is, however, that if an author is going to write historical fiction, he or she needs to be as historically accurate as possible. That includes not using vocabulary that came after that time period, and it's easy to check this. It's one more facet to important research.

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Colonial Printers


Printers were important in colonial America, and you'd likely find one in most large towns and cities. They became crucial for getting out notices, bulletins, and the news. Printers became especially important leading up to, during, and after the Revolutionary War. Using a hand-pulled press of that time, Clementina Rind's press printed the first publication of Thomas Jefferson's ideas on freedom in the face of Britain's harsh policies.

One of the most famous colonial printers was Benjamin Franklin. He learned the trade from his older brother in Boston, but at seventeen years of age, he ran away to Philadelphia where he eventually started his own print shop. In addition, he wrote some of the things he printed, like Poor Richard's Almanack. In fact, I often  used short quotes from here to begin the chapters in my colonial novel set in Pennsylvania, When Winter Is Past.

Printers usually employed both a compositor and a pressman. The compositor arranged the letters for the print job by ordering them on a composing stick and then placing these in wooden boxes called galleys to form what would print onto a sheet of paper. Any illustrations where done as woodcuts and placed in with the sentences. The pressman worked the press to do the actual printing. The two jobs were very different and had little to do with each other.

The galleys were locked into an iron frame and secured to the stone bed of the printing press. A man known as a beater spread a mixture of varnish and lampblack evenly over the type. Damp sheets of paper were put in a frame and the pressman pulled a lever to apply about 200 pound of pressure and set the sheet aside to dry. The whole process was labor intensive, but citizens appreciated the finished product.

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Earthen Vessels

But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; we are the the work of thy hand (Isaiah 64:8).

Have you every watched a skilled potter work? I find it fascinating. I have worked with clay, but I've never felt successful at the potter's wheel, probably because I've not tried it enough. In Isaiah, God is portrayed as our potter. If we let Him mold us with the vision He sees for us, we become a beautiful work of art. However, if we resist His hand, we will never become much more than a messy lump.

When God molds us, He does it with love, and then fills our vessel with more love, intending that we share it with others. Remarkably, the more we give away, the more we have remaining. It's like the flour and oil of the poor widow in Zarepath who housed Elijah for a while; it never runs out. Or we could compare it to the five loaves and two fish that fed thousands and still had baskets filled with leftovers. Never underestimate what God can do.

But molding isn't the only process that makes a usable vessel. The pot must be placed in the fire to make it strong enough not to crumble. The clay pot represents how fragile we are until we're put through the fire, tested, and tempered. We get stronger when going through the trials of life, and it's there we learn to rely on God. It's when we recognize our weak state and turn to God's power that we become our strongest. May He make me, mold me, and use me for his glorious purpose.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessel, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7).

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Buying Books

Although I've written for many years and published in over forty magazines, I'm relatively new to publishing books. It has been 22 months since my first book came out in the print version, and I can honestly say this has definitely been a time of learning and several surprises. One thing that has astounded me is the fact that writers don't seem to buy books from other authors, unless it is something they need for their writing or research.

Because I now know how much this means to authors, I make it a point to go out of my way to purchase books, especially from those I like to read, local authors, and authors I know. I've bought books I may never read because they're not in a genre I enjoy, but I wanted to show my support. I go to book signings with the intention of buying, because I think if I want people to buy my books I need to be a buyer as well. However, I don't see much of this happening elsewhere, and it puzzles me. 

In addition, authors don't tend to leave book reviews, although we all know how much they mean. I leave an amazon review for every book I read. It's a way to log and keep up with them, and I know how important reviews are. As we start the new year, I leave these thoughts for readers and writers to ponder. I know our resources aren't unlimited, but I do think we could do a better job of supporting each other.

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Beaver

When the first settlers came to North America, the beaver covered the region. One observer wrote of North Carolina, "Beavers are very numerous in Carolina, there being an abundance of dams in all parts of the country..." (circa 1700). However, with the popularity of the beaver hat in Europe, the beaver population became greatly reduced until the turn of the century, around 1900.

The beaver is a rodent, the largest rodent in North America and the second largest in the world. Once, more than 90 million beaver inhabited North America. Now, it usually runs around 10 million. Not only was the beaver trapped for its fur, but its glands are used in medicines and perfumes.  A beaver continues to grow, even as an adult. It's not uncommon to find one weighing over 55 pounds, and they normally live up to 25 years in the wild. They're know for building dams and lodges from the trees and shrubs they cut with their strong front teeth, which continue to grow so they won't become worn down. 

Beavers are herbivores, eating certain wood, weeds, and water plants. Good swimmers, they can stay underwater for as long as 15 minutes, but they tend to be slow on land. They have poor eyesight but well-developed hearing, smell, and feel. When frightened, they send an alarm signal by slapping the water with their paddle-like tail. The sound travels a great distance and warns other beavers of possible danger. Although the beaver populations seemed endangered at one time, efforts have been made to stabilize their numbers.

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