The Book or the Cover

Most of you have probably heard the cliches "Which came first, the chicken or the egg" and "Don't put the cart before the horse." Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn't put the cover before the book, although every traditional publisher I know designs the cover after the book's final draft, except for perhaps a few editorial changes. 

My first four books were published by a traditional publisher. The graphic designer who did the covers was wonderful to work with and did a great job. However, she often had trouble finding images that matched the descriptions in the book. I actually came up with cover photo for Uprooted by War and the top, small rural scene, on Transplanted to Red Clay, the last two books in the series because Hannah wasn't finding anything close.

When I went with the small, independent, print-on-demand publisher, I hired a graphic designer and ended up doing most of the cover for her. I have a background in the arts, so I decided to just design my own covers. It didn't take me long to start creating the covers around the time I started writing the first draft. That way, I can easily fit my descriptions in the book to the images on the front cover. As a reader, I always hate it when they don't go together, and I wonder why more indie authors or publishers don't do this.

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Candlewicking, an Old Craft

Border design on a bedspread

Candlewicking is a little-known form of embroidery. It began early in Europe and became especially popular among Englishwomen in the 1600's, where they made beautiful bedspreads on twilled linen using a series of French knots. Common designs included vines, flowers, grape clusters, and fruits. The skill traveled to America around that same time, but it didn't become popular in the colonies until the 1700's. It continued in many areas until machine-produced bedspreads became common.

1825 coverlet from collection of Bill Volckening

It got its name when women began to substitute the cord bought for candlewicks, which didn't require them to wind multiple threads together to achieve a noticeable knot. Still, over the years, women would put multiple threads together for candlewicking in order to use what they had on hand, especially after lanterns and lamps replaced candles. There're also examples of candlewicked pillowcases, sofa pillows, small cotton towels, etc., as well as the more common bedspreads. Traditionally, most candlewicked spreads where white on white or often with both thread and cloth being a natural color. However, a few were stitched with colored threads. I remember my mother making one with purple grapes and green leaves and vines. It wore out long ago, however.


Most candlewickers I know used an old candlewicked piece to lay a new cloth over and mark the design by rubbing over the design

with something that would show them where to stitch but later wash out. Tailor's chalk worked well if they had it. If not, they improvised. Sometimes, Mom would use a pencil to freehand dots on the cloth. She candlewicked bedspreads, quilts squares, throw pillows, small gift towels and other items. A dark drawing or coloring book page could be placed under the white cotton cloth to draw the design by. 

Candlewicked quilt squares

Years ago, my great aunt in the Stony Fork section of Watauga County, NC, had some of her work hanging on a clothesline to dry or sun. A visitor in the area noticed them and asked her to make some to send to his museum shop in New York. Later other relatives joined her, and this became an important source of income for them.

Candlewicking is an easy craft to learn with beautiful results. Some of you might want to give this historical craft a new try.

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A Thankful Heart

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15).

Giving thanks shouldn't be something we do on a special Thursday in November or occasionally when we think of it. Even thanking God for our food before meals or when we recognize a special blessing is not enough. We need to live with an attitude of thankfulness. We can cultivate a thankful heart; it's a choice we make. Paul gave thanks in all his situations (and he went through beatings, imprisonment, and death) because he knew God would use him for good, even in bad circumstances. Do you trust God that much?

As ye therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye with him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7).

In Jesus Calling, Sarah Young writes, "A thankful heart opens the windows of heaven.... Thankfulness opens you up to these experiences [glimpses of heaven's glory], which provide further reasons to be grateful" (p.341). Isn't this a marvelous cycle of blessings, understanding how great God is and recognizing how good He is to us? Cultivate a thankful heart and attitude and see how much better your life seems.

"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever" (1 Chronicles 16:34).

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Repackaging Books

I don't like the way some authors are repackaging their ebooks. I'm not talking about when several authors get together with each one offering one of their books in a themed package. I also like it when an author packages a series together at a better price than each book individually.

What I don't like, however, is when an author takes several of their books and makes different combinations of them in new books. This means you might think you're buying a new release, but actually, you might have read them in other combinations. One author I know even put one complete and two incomplete novels in several new listings. These are not beginning or sample chapters, but half a novel.

I must say, I don't understand this. I would think it's a good way to lose readers. I certainly don't have the same respect for those authors as I did before they started this practice. I think the best way to keep and expand readership is to give the readers an entertaining story they feel satisfied with when they get to the end. That's more rewarding to me, too.

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80-Ton Whale Attacks

The Ess

On November 20, 1830, an 80-ton sperm whale attacked the Essex, a whaling ship out of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The ship was 2,000 miles off the western coast of South America at the time, but the accounts are tragic and gruesome, much like those of the Donner Party.

Owen Chase, First Mate

The Essex had launched in 1799 and was under the command of Captain George Pollard, Jr. at the time of the whale attack. The whale sank the ship and stranded the 20-man crew in the Pacific Ocean. They survived by eating the 5 dead crewmen. During their 95 days stranded at sea, however, the situation became dire again, and they drew lots to determine who would be sacrificed so that some would survive. Eight men were finally rescued. Two of them (the cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson, and the first mate, Owen Chase) later wrote accounts of their ordeal.

Herman Melville's novel, Moby Dick, which released in 1851, was partly inspired by this incident. He used the sailors' accounts as he wrote the attack scene in his book. 

Scene from Moby Dick




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The Road to Real Success

There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand (Proverbs 19:21).

There are no "self-made" men. That's a lie Satan has an easy time perpetuating. We, humans, like to think we're in control and that we orchestrate our own successes, but that's a fallacy. In this world, there are only two masters - God or Satan. We either serve God or Satan has us. No one is the master of his or her own destiny. Oh, the choices we make can certainly affect our futures, but we're ultimately not in charge.

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad ( Matthew 12:30).

Even Christians get trapped among the crowd and pulled along on the road to success. They get their focus off God and on fulfilling their dreams. We were put on this earth to glorify God and do His work. Christ tells us that if we don't do this, then we are working against Him. I don't know about you, but I don't want to work against God or scatter rather than gather.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

But the good news is that, with God, it's never too late. All we need to do is get our focus back on Him, put Him first in our lives, and follow Him in obedience. The blessings we feel will far outweigh any earthly rewards, and we'll be storing up treasures and successes in Heaven. How marvelous, how wonderful!

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Head-Hopping

Head-hopping is a writing term that means switching from one point of view to others without warning or any indication. The book I just finished reading did this without even changing to a new paragraph. It is a nuisance at best and can be very confusing in some cases. Head-hopping is never appropriate.

In fact, nothing denotes an amateur quicker than this unwanted technique. Publishers usually reject a manuscript on this alone, and if not, editors will attack it. Therefore, head- hopping often indicates an indie published book. That's not to say that indies are substandard, because there're many great self-published books. However, it's doubtful that a novel filled with head-hopping will make it through a traditional publishing process without someone catching it.

There are several ways to indicate a switch in point of view. The one I like is to put a line or symbols between the paragraphs to show the reader that you are leaving one character's point of view and going to another's. In fact, my publisher and I work together to insert a clipart that goes with the story. This is not necessary, of course, if the change comes with a new chapter. Here is going to be the one in my soon-to-be-released novel, It All Started at the Masquerade. The actual graphic will be smaller in the novel, and the white square will be on a white page.

William tried not to look at Jenkins too closely, but a brief glance showed a man whose lips smiled amicably but whose eyes remained as hard as ever,

Melanie remained as quiet as possible during dinner. She wished she knew what had gone on between William and Lott, but she could tell Lott seethed underneath a polished veneer.

I chose this method because it's the one I like best as a reader. But however a writer chooses to indicate the change, it should be noted in some way.

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World Kindness Day

November 13 is World Kindness Day, a day celebrated in many countries. It is a day to put away differences and reach out to others with care and concern. It highlights good deeds and recognizes the common threads that bind us all.

The movement began 1998 and has spread, with more and more countries becoming interested. Events include The Big Hug, handing out kindness cards, concerts, giving away yellow roses, doing community projects to help others, and just individuals and groups reaching out in love to help someone. The possibilities are endless. According to one news source, the day encourages individuals to overlook differences and see similarities and needs.

So, let's all look for ways to show kindness and observe World Kindness Day. There will be endless opportunities all around us. But we shouldn't do this for just one day. Let's commit to doing them each and every day of the year and see how much better we can make our world.

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Empty Yourself

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God... (1Corinthians 6:19).

If you had two identical containers, but one was filled with gravel and sand and the other was empty, which would hold the most water? The empty one, of course. The same is true for us in our journey of faith. We need to empty ourselves so we can be filled with God's Spirit. If we hold onto our old selves, the Holy Spirit won't have as much room to work.

And he said unto them. Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth (Luke 12:15).

Too many Christians want to hold onto bits and pieces of their old values - selfishness, worldliness, greediness, obsessions, materialism, success and recognition, etc. Instead, we need to turn our focus on God, work to glorify Him, and make Christ known to the world in love. When we do, we will be storing up treasures in heaven where they will last forever.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost (Romans 15:13).

The best way to get rid of the gravel and silt in our lives is to ask the Holy Spirit to help us clean house, but we need to be willing and to give Him free rein. We need to want to change and to surrender. Once we're free of the unneeded debris, there will be plenty of room for the living water Christ talks about. Oh, joyous day!

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Voices from the Past

 History can be fascinating. It connects us with ancestors who have lived, laughed, and loved before us. They also had struggles and heartaches, but they handed down a legacy to a future generation of people they couldn’t even imagine at the time they lived.

History sets the cobblestones to pave our destiny. Edmund Burke said, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” Sometimes it almost seems that we end up repeating too much of it even when we do know history. But Mahatma Gandhi had a different perspective on it. He said, "Remember, all through history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Always."

Have you ever thought of where your values come from.? If you're like most people, they were taught to you, either directly or indirectly. Usually, the core values are learned early from parents or caregivers, who got theirs from their parents. The chain continues back, linking us with the past and through our ancestors. Edmund Burke also said, "People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors."

Although many people research their genealogy, others develop a love of history from living it. I talk with people all the time who grew up farming by hand the way people did a hundred years ago or more. In fact, I grew up much this way myself. Perhaps this is why I majored in history for my first degree. I've heard calls from the past since I was a child. 

In studying our family histories, we can adopt the good we find and learn from the bad. It is a way to connect with our heritage and discover who we are. Do you hear voices from the past in your family? Have you heard family stories that you can pass down to your children or grandchildren? Are there traditions, celebrations, or special ways of doing things that are unique to your family? Keep them, share them, and let the voices continue.

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What Is Taking the Lord's Name in Vain?

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain (Exodus 20:7).

 It's one of the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses, but just what is taking God's name in vain? Some people think it means using God's name with a curse word. That would certainly be one end of the spectrum. However, you're taking God's name in vain anytime you use it as an expletive or in a way where you're not really talking about God with respect. 

So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel (Ezekiel 39:7)).

Actually, this has become all too common in today's society. I see "Oh," "Oh my," and "Good" used in front of God all the time. Facebook is filled with them, and I don't think it changes things much to use only the beginning letters instead of the words. I've heard Christians do this, too. I'm sure they aren't intentionally trying to dishonor God, but when anyone uses His name so casually, that's exactly what they're doing.

Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1).

Now there's another pitfall in all this. I think it's important that we don't become overly judgmental or legalistic. As Jesus taught, our Christian faith should be a matter of the heart. The Pharisees were judgmental, and they usually followed the letter of the law, but they didn't follow the spirit of the law in love, and Jesus condemned them for it. 

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:12).

Yet, at the same time, if we love the Lord our God with all our hearts and our focus is on Him, we will want to honor Him and glorify His name, not take it in vain or use it flippantly. May God give each one of us understanding of His Word and we act accordingly.

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It All Started at the Masquerade

My next book, It All Started at the Masquerade, just went from editorial to the publishing stage. The ebook versions should be out sometime this month and the print copies soon after that. This book was full of surprises for me. It took on a character of its own - one I didn't expect.

The book is set in the eastern part of North Carolina, a little south of the Virginia line in 1795. The research revealed plenty of helpful information in certain areas, but others were difficult to find. For example, I found records from that time period that listed families and their names. However, I had a hard time figuring out if the town of Colerain would have had a dock on the Chowan River, like Murfreesboro and Winton, or if they had to row out to board the ship. One problem came from the fact that most of the early official records were burned during the Civil War,

The book begins when Melanie Carter’s older brother decides she’s to marry Lott Jenkins, a wealthy man who has the reputation of being harsh and unbearable; and she knows her life has just started on a downward spiral. However, she’s determined to trust that God wouldn't want her with such a man and try to make the best of the awful situation. At a masquerade ball in Edenton, she meets a rather mysterious man dressed as a knight, and she can’t forget him.

Lucas Hall can’t forget Melanie either, but he might as well. Once she sees the hideously scarred side of his face, she’d be repulsed like everyone else. That’s why he wears a mask whenever he goes out, which isn’t often. He wouldn’t have gone to the masquerade ball if his housekeeper hadn’t tricked him into it. Now, he’s haunted by a scene he saw between Lott Jenkins and Melanie. No woman should ever be treated with such disregard, but what can he do? If he tried to help, they’d take one look at him, and he’d be no help at all.

When I started writing the novel, I hadn't envisioned that the book would be about the wealthier citizens. As it turned out, this book reads more like an American Regency. However, it was a lot of fun to write, and I hope it will be just as enjoyable for the readers to read.

All profits will go to a scholarship fund for missionary children.

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