On April 20, 2016 Travelers was released for the world to read. It was a happy yet tentative moment for me. As most authors will tell you, they don't expect everyone to LOVE their books, and the fact that we don't always get reviews or feedback on our work, makes us unsure of what the world thinks. Only the BIG names in writing get to hear a bunch of opinions, and sometimes even those aren't positive. I started with a simple cover to capture the time travel essence of the book, but re-launched it last year in June with a new cover to give it some zip. I wanted people to see what the book was about at first glance and we all know many judge a book by its cover. This wasn't my first attempt at writing about mermaids, but let's just say, my story has come a long way from the version I wrote when I was eight-years-old. The sea and the beautiful creatures of myth that live in them have always fascinated me. I wasn't ready to write a story for the world to read until I was much older, but when I figured out a way to combine a few things that interested me into a story, it had to be written. With a mixture of pop-culture, mermaids, time travel, and history, I was able to throw in all the things I really love. My first mermaid (marid maid) book.
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Do people who love to read really need to know how books benefit them? Maybe not but perhaps they need to have one more article to show their non-reading friends why books are so important. Never tell a bookworm they read too much or have too many books, and if you do, be prepared for a dirty look and possibly a long rebuttal.
I didn’t read because a teacher told me to. I loved books before I could decipher the words. I made up stories to illustrated books before I was taught all my letters. Imagination was seeping out of my pores and it needed an outlet, so yes, books were always my imagination’s receptacle. I read and I gain more magical thoughts. I write to pour out those ideas before my brain overflows – or worse, explodes! So perhaps your non-reading acquaintances don’t have an overload of creative thinking which needs a place to vent, but I plan on pointing out a few things all people need and books definitely deliver the goods.
If your non-reading friends still aren’t convinced how super books are for the mind and soul, then I feel sorry for them. Now it’s time to go find a magical castle where you can read every book on your to-be-read list without real time passing by. I plan on either finding one of these castles stocked with books and snacks or just writing about one someday. You know what would be the perfect gift to give me this year; the gift of understanding without judgment. Understanding works best when it is a two-way street, but unfortunately, prejudices, insecurities, and a plethora of other reasons cause it to not always work that way. Instead of receiving the before mentioned gift, I normally get something that will collect dust on a shelf or doesn’t fit my size or style.
I’m not a Grinch; I love Christmas, but not the whole present exchange thing. As a child, I looked forward to it with fervor. I was taught how to give and there was some fun in that, but I think I was mostly caught up on the receiving part. My perspective has changed since then, but I have difficulty getting people to understand my perspective. There are several types of givers and the type I was exposed to the most as a child shopped for presents despite the stress it created. I got to hear the complaints of , "I have no idea what to get her," or, "He never likes what I get anyway," or "We can't afford that". Maybe that is what caused me to re-evaluate the whole tradition. Do I really want to be the one who adds stress to someone mentally or financially at Christmas time? NO, of course not. Sure there are those who hunt for the perfect gift and know exactly what that is for that special someone. They probably get the purest joy out of the experience. But there are those who have no clue what to buy, but think they have to because isn't that how you show someone you love them? My answer to that is, NO! Okay, so here's the deal. I get the sacrificial type of giving like the characters in O'Henry's story, The Gift of the Magi. They had such an overwhelming love they wanted to buy that perfect gift for each other, so they sacrificed their most prized possession to do it. The sacrifice meant more than the gift, and that was the whole point of the story. If you buy something just because it was on sale are you really understanding the point of giving gifts? Does the recipient need or want what you bought? In O'Henry's story, the gifts weren't just sacrificial, but they were perfect for the receiver. If my loved ones happen to read this blog, I want them to realize that I don't base my love on what you buy or don't buy me. If you run into something someday that has my name written all over it and you really want to buy it for me, then it will make me smile. A gift like that is obvious that you were thinking about me outside the usual times of Christmas or my birthday and that you didn't have an obligation to buy it. It warms my heart when people I love think about me beyond the expected times society or tradition has dictated. If you are shopping to buy because you love to shop and spend money, then think about how your gift will be received. Does the person need or want this? Will the person truly get as much enjoyment out of the gift as you do buying it? Are you expecting some kind of affirmation or returned affection because of the gift? I get the desire to do something you enjoy. I write because I love to write. I also want to share my books with people. That being said, I don't expect people who don't like my books to read or buy them. Giving my books to family and friends who don't normally read the fantasy genre is like me receiving a gift I don't need and really don't like. I won't force my books on people, and I expect the same courtesy from the shopaholic who just has to buy to buy. If that person who likes to shop can't resist spending money, then look for a charity to donate it to. If the purpose of your gift is to put a smile on my face, then donate in my name and tell me what you did. If you give to receive affirmation, then donate to the charity of your choice in your own name. I would much rather see a homeless animal or child have a great Christmas than receive another thing I will have to sell, donate, or throw away someday. When all is said and done, what is the true meaning of Christmas? For some it is much more than just a time to sing carols, bake cookies, decorate, and shop. I feel its true depth when I see someone giving sacrificially or showing love to those who haven't been as fortunate as I have been. So the next time you want to buy me a gift, think about this: There is a bigger picture we should be looking at and when you're too focused on the little stuff, you miss it. Have you taken time to breathe? Take in oxygen, relax, and try to get through your current responsibilities. When you say, “It’s that time of year again,” does it fill you with joy or dread? BREATHE. I know the traditions some of you try to follow this time of year can either be tiring or pure bliss. If you aren’t getting joy out of baking those cookies, or putting up all the outdoor lights on your house, then perhaps you need to re-evaluate the yearly holiday routine. BREATHE. I’m a firm believer in not sticking to any tradition that makes you feel resentful, grumpy, or exhausted in the end. Maybe you can do whatever it is next year or perhaps it is time for a permanent change in your yearly ritual.
It is supposed to be a happy time of year according to holiday television and songs, but that isn’t always the case. Life happens and with it comes stress, responsibilities, and pain. BREATHE. You may actually be happier not trying so hard to force everything to be perfect. BREATHE. That’s why I say again; this year may be the time to throw out your old holiday traditions and opt for some new ones. Book worms, or I prefer to be called a book warrior, place great pressure on themselves to finish a certain amount of books before the end of the year. I set my GoodReads reading challenge for 2018 at 100 books, and guess what? I’m not going to reach it. I’m probably going to read 78. I didn’t set it high to make myself feel horrible on December 31, or to stress myself out to hurry and read all those books. I did it because I had no clue what I could do when I actually kept track. Maybe 2019 I’ll set a lower goal. Writers do the same thing as readers do. We set lofty goals for our writing and of course we need goals, but again, BREATHE. Sometimes we don't reach all our goals. I finished writing several books this year, but they all need editing. Even though the books won’t be ready to publish until next year, I tell myself that’s okay because some years I only finish writing one book. Life happens, so while we're waiting to move past the rocky parts, just BREATHE. This blog was in my drafts from last year. In December of 2017, I did a series of blogs about my ornaments and books related to the place where the ornaments came from. I forgot to send this one out. Paris, France and Sarah's Keys by Tatiana de Rosnay Ornament I bought the ornament in the Eiffel Tower. Paris is too amazing. It is full of buildings older than the United States and architecture I know nothing about but admire. When you watch a movie that idealizes Paris, it really isn’t exaggerating the beauty of the city. Watch the opening scenes to the movie Midnight in Paris on a big screen TV, and you’ll get a taste of this amazing city. Book Sarah’s Key is a heart wrenching book. Though it is fiction, it’s based on a sad time in history when the Jews in Paris were rounded up by Nazis and French police under the German’s control. The book was written well, but hard to read because of the topic. I believe it is important to remember history both good and bad. We don’t want to repeat the atrocities made in the past. I wrote another blog about Paris: https://carlasbooks.weebly.com/carlas-candor/the-lesson-paris-taught-travel-blog-6 Hawaii is one of the places I can't get enough of though I've been there several times. I want to travel to so many places, but I know I can't see them all in one life time. Yet, Hawaii keeps calling me back to its relaxed beautiful vibe. Words don't seem to adequately describe the feeling that place gives me. The reason I put my main character in Hawaii twice while she time traveled was because I wanted to revisit it in my imagination. There are two awesome adventures I will probably never experience if I go back to Hawaii - becoming a mermaid and surfing. You may have heard about the awesome surfing on the North Shore of Oahu, but did you know there's a place where you can become a mermaid? Become a Mermaid I'm not getting paid to endorse any company, but in case you didn't know it, mermaids are kinda my thing. Hawaii Mermaid Adventures gives people a chance to become mermaids or mermen! They wear tails, teach them to swim in the ocean, and how to become mythical creatures. People of all ages get to experience this grand adventure. How awesome is that! Check out their website - hawaiimermaidadventures.com/ I follow them on social media and they post some great pictures of mermaids living out their dreams. It's just another reason to visit Hawaii. Surfing Surfing is another one of those things I mention in my book, but secretly wished I knew how to do. It can be dangerous, but I imagine the rush of riding a wave and it excites me. Fun facts about surfing:
Check it out here: www.factretriever.com/surfing-facts These books with their beautiful new covers will be available to buy this summer!
I'm giving away signed copies, along with a mermaid themed goodie box, to one of my newsletter subscribers. Three other subscribers will receive advanced digital copies. If you want to be a part of this drawing, sign up for my newsletter before it is too late! Click on link below. https://mailchi.mp/4e40b02b21b0/freebookpreview I mostly write about places I’ve visited, but Greece is still on my TO VISIT list. My books were inspired by my girlhood fascination of mermaids, but my plot was set in motion when I read an article about Ikaria, Greece in a travel magazine. Of course it became the hub for my merpeople to live when they weren’t swimming around in the ocean. It’s the perfect place to cover their slow aging so they can remain inconspicuous, and the location helps set up other details in my book.
Here’s what I learned about Ikaria: Ikaria has been labeled the island where people forget to die or the island of long life. There are good reasons for these descriptions of Ikaria. The people there live on average 10 years longer than those in the rest of Europe and America – around one in three Ikarians live into their 90s. There are very few Ikarians with dementia, cancer, heart disease or suffer from depression. The people live simply with low stress, hard work, and they put family first. They have a combination of healthy diets, clean air, and optimism that also helps with their longevity. Despite their history of starvation due to invasions of enemies and war, they managed to come out stronger. If you read my books, I give the merpeople credit for the Ikarians long lives. It’s a magical island with folklore surrounding it - in the Travelers duology and with the Ikarian’s legends. The island is actually named after Icarus, the young man in Greek mythology who flew too close to the sun and plunged into the sea. No matter what you believe or imagine about the Ikaria, it sounds like a truly beautiful place to visit. Maybe someday I’ll get there, but until then I'll dream about it with the pages of my stories. Of course you judge a book by its cover. Don’t we all? We get attracted to the beautiful colors, art work, and photos of something or someone too perfect to be real. I follow many book lovers on Instagram, and they obsess over book covers. Instagram is a place to share the impeccable photos of your book collection arranged with other book themed items and flourishes. There are book themed scented candles, coffee, bookmarks, mugs, socks, funko pops, and other paraphernalia that reference favorite books. The posts are so delicious, you could eat them! In fact some of them have desserts. Great for a person trying to cut back on her sugar intake. I get fat just looking at them. LOL! I can’t keep up with the bookstagram fan photos. My posts rarely have pictures of expertly arranged books. I’m an Instagram failure with true photographers, but I do what I can. Most of my “reading” these days is audio books. I don’t have hard copies of special editions to photograph of my current or future reads. I have a small library of my favorites and that’s it. Please don’t GASP in horror bookstagrammers! I asked for a magical castle or lighthouse to transform into a library that is wall to wall books, but I guess the wish granters put that on back order. It's okay to admire the outside of something we know nothing about, because that is our first impression. If it pleases our senses we gravitate to it, but what about the exterior that isn’t super pretty? Do all gorgeous book jackets have wonderful content? Did you ever get disappointed by a book that had an awesome outside, but the story wasn't that great? Of course you have. You also probably read a book that you heard was great, but you wouldn’t have given it a try based on its outward appearance except that someone else recommended it. You ended up loving the story, but you may not share the cover on Instagram. Am I right?
Take your experience with books and use it towards people. Everyone has a story that may not be revealed with their covers. What you see on the outside is not always as it actually is. We all have our own journey. You can walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, and still have no clue what they are going through. People deal with identical traumas and joys differently. You can’t judge what a person is going through just because it appears one way to you. It’s time to look on the inside of the “book” and not just the outside. Don’t go with your first impression to form an opinion. You might be surprised what you will find. Norway & Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman Ornament The ornament came from the Disney Cruise that took me to Norway from Dover, England. I have already written blogs about Norway and London so I won’t do that again. Norway blog: carlasbooks.weebly.com/carlas-candor/unplugged-ii-travel-blog-142587827 London blog: carlasbooks.weebly.com/carlas-candor/im-similar-to-london-travel-blog-15 Book This book has a mixture of short stories from Norse mythology. I listened to it on Audible with Neil Gaiman as the narrator. Since the book I’m currently writing is set in Norway, this book was research for me. It made complicated mythologies easier to grasp than other research I have done. Some have complained it was like a children’s book, and though Mr. Gaiman made the stories sound that way, I wouldn’t want to read the mythologies to a child. Rothenburg, Germany & the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld Ornament The fragile hand-painted glass sphere came from an idyllic town in Rothenburg, Germany. The Christmas store I got it from was like its own holiday village. I wrote a blog about this town that is found on the Romantic Road. It still is one of my favorites from my trips to Europe. Books Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath I listened to on Audible in December. The narrator is awesome with accents, which helps me get lost in the story. It takes place in Germany and other countries around the time of World War I. Although parts of the books are historical, my imagination had to kick into high gear to picture the machines that were created from other species and metal. Whenever I imagine the metal machinery I automatically go to the walkers in Star Wars. This is my first real exposure to the steam punk genre and I really like it. I recommend these books to people who like history mixed with their fantasy, but be prepared to use your imagination. Blog about Rothenburg: carlasbooks.weebly.com/carlas-candor/december-20th-2015 Maine & Delirium by Lauren Oliver Ornament: Came from Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I love sail boats, so it was a great ornament for me to buy. Main is gorgeous in the fall and my husband took me there for my birthday. That was the same trip he took me to New York City for the first time. In Maine I got to stay in a light saving station that was turned into a bed and breakfast inn. It was similar to an actual lighthouse, which is my dream house. I found another book on that trip that listed many lighthouses that you can stay in that have been transformed into hotels or B&Bs. Book: Delirium is set in Maine. I read this book a while ago so I'm a little foggy on it. I gave it four stars because I liked the genre and characters, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. There are a lot of books with a dystopian theme. In this one you have to imagine the United States in a future where the government treats people for the disease they call love. They are not allowed to fall in love or have relationships. In most of these genres a disaster or disease of some kind kills a massive amount of people so the government takes over and uses extreme measures to “fix” the problem. In our current world all the solutions seem to be unrealistic in these stories, but every day I see things that make me believe that some of these dystopian fantasy books could become non-fiction. After all Hunger Games was based off the Roman gladiator games. Since I read mostly for entertainment, I don’t like the depressing predictions of our future world. The books keep my attention, because I enjoy the characters and their relationships. I get caught up in how they overcome the government’s solutions. As long as the person I’m rooting for wins in the end, I can enjoy many books. Delirium is part of a series and the characters kept me wanting to read all the books. Hawaii & The Girl From Everywhere series by Heidi Heilig Each blog in this series I will share an ornament I bought as a souvenir from one of the many places I’ve been blessed to visit. I will also talk about the books where the characters were in the same setting. You may not be able to visit the wonderful places I’ve been to, but there is always a book to take you there in your mind.
Ornament: The sparkly sea shell angel came from Kona, Hawaii, which is on the Big Island. It has many black volcanic hills and in some ways it’s not the stereotypical image that gets portrayed on postcards and calendars. I love the Big Island, but I’ve been able to visit Oahu and Maui too and Maui is my favorite. Each island has a peaceful calm. You can do the stereotypical tourist things or just soak up the scenery and do nothing, but you never feel like you have to hurry and cram in a full day’s worth of activities to truly enjoy the islands. I wrote a blog about this before so I won't spend too much time on it. Check out my archived blogs: carlasbooks.weebly.com/carlas-candor/hawaii-a-place-to-chillax-travel-blog-9 carlasbooks.weebly.com/hobbes-happenings/cat-log-travel-place-hawaii Books: Ocean, time travel, and paradise! How can you go wrong with that formula? I say you can’t. If you read The Girl From Everywhere and its sequel, The Ship Beyond Time, you’ll get to visit Hawaii and time travel. Nix, the main character gets to sail the ocean with her father while dealing with the loss of her mother. It isn’t an ordinary ship because with the correct map, they can reach a destination real or imagined in any time period. Nix’s father is in constant pursuit of the perfect map to reach the time before her mother died and save her, but in doing that he could risk Nix’s life. There is great adventure while they look for the special map, and in the end I felt it had imagination and creativity. I listen to all my books on Audible these days and the narrator portrayed the accents or gender of each characters superbly. I gave the book four stars, because it was good, but I reserve five stars for books that stick in my heart or mind in ways I never knew a book could. This book was entertaining, but it wasn’t one of my all time favorites. Settlers, I’m familiar with because I wrote it (hee, hee). Before I even knew The Girl From Everywhere existed, my mermaid and time traveler, Triana was being formed on paper. She had a different mission than Nix had, but she ends up in Hawaii on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941 in Travelers. In Settlers, she begins in 2012 Oahu surfing. Did I mention she has to share bodies with humans in every place that she travels? That's why she ends up in a surfer girl’s body at the beginning of Settlers. I threw in historical characters and fictional characters for Triana to meet throughout her journey, but I keep you guessing until the end so you will want to continue reading. How do you handle all the negative media controversies and world events? I’ve chosen reading and writing to give me a short respite from the world’s disasters. It doesn’t mean I don’t care, but you can discover among the pages of books like A Wrinkle in Time, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and yes, even IT by Stephen King that there are answers to coping. I just read A Wrinkle in Time for the first time. I don’t know if the author, Madeleine L'Engle, was inspired by her own current events when she wrote it or if she knew the world would always have a dark side, but it seems a foreshadowing to our current events. The book is about Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and a friend, Calvin, who go on a time traveling mission to save their dad from the Black Thing (It). The lesson learned from the whole scary adventure is that even though evil exists in the world, there are weapons against it: love, hope, and courage. This message gets repeated in other books such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and IT. The Dark Side (Darth Vadar), Voldemort, and Pennywise are the epitome of evil that is mostly made stronger by fears. Thankfully, they were conquered by Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, and William Denbrough with the help of their friends. The key weapons used in these fights were courage, love, and loyalty. If you read to escape, that’s great, and within the pages of each book, sometimes you gain insight on how to deal with a world gone haywire. When evil is conquered on the pages, we get insight on how real darkness we face can be overcome.
Why do I want a happy ending? Doesn’t everybody? Endings aren’t happy in the real world, and I’m not talking about the completion of a project. I mean the goodbyes we inevitably have to say; those times when someone you love leaves you temporarily or permanently. It is the price of love to feel the agony of their departure, but that doesn’t make it less hurtful just because it was better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. Death is probably the harshest goodbye of all, but even a temporary separation still leaves a void until you see your loved one again.
After returning from Alaska, life hasn't slowed down. That is why I won't spend much time on this blog. In June, I fulfilled a life-long dream to do an Alaskan cruise, and I would recommend it to anyone. We were on the Disney Wonder for our cruise, which I would also recommend. Disney knows how to make your vacation memorable.
Since I'm trying to get my next book, Settlers ready to publish, I don't think I can do Alaska justice with my words. I'm also going through the struggle of watching my 13 year old cat rapidly decline. I wrote a blog specifically about that to help me deal with the pain, but in the end, nothing can help. Seeing my beloved Tigger sick makes it difficult to concentrate on my regular tasks, and this blog isn't even a normal part of my routine. I'm just going to share my photos of Alaska, and I hope that someday you decide to go there. I'm not a photographer, but you will get the main idea. Don’t wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. If you follow me on any social media, you probably read this comment from me more than once. We all think we have plenty of time to say what needs to be said to someone we love, or to visit that place we’ve always wanted to see, or to reach for a dream that we’ve had since childhood. Most of us get to enjoy an abundance of tomorrows, we think that someday will come. Many people don’t worry about the next day, because they haven’t had to face that moment when someone or something is no longer there. If you have had to experience unexpected loss or have regret for not taking the chance when you had it, then you may be on board the “Don’t wait until tomorrow” train with me. I was a big fan of Gone with the Wind when I was a teen, so I read the book and watched the movie several times. Scarlett O’Hara was famous for saying things like, “I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow” and “After all tomorrow is another day”. It was Scarlett’s way to cope, and I suppose many of us do that. I used her personality and name in my book, Travelers, but when my main character met Scarlet, she realized, “...tomorrow never came when the memory had been that painful.” I use the theme “Don’t wait until tomorrow” throughout my books. In time travel, the individual doing it has the benefit of hindsight that we don’t get in real life. If you knew the future, you may do things a little differently. What are you waiting for to pursue your dream, take that vacation, or say those words? What excuses are you using for putting those things off? Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so maybe you should go for it today. I’m not saying throw caution to the wind like it is the movie, Ground Hog Day, and there won’t be any consequences to bad choices, because the day reboots itself. What I'm saying is if you've been waiting to take that special vacation after you’ve retired, you may never go. In my book, Settlers, one of my characters ends up on the Titanic. We know how that went for the passengers aboard. They expected tomorrow would come, and it didn't for many. Erma Bombeck, a humorist author, wrote a poignant comment about that day, “Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, ‘No, thank' you to dessert that night. And for what?!” Don’t turn down the dessert in life. It may not be there tomorrow. At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets. ~ Steve Maraboli Pretend time travel is possible. Would you travel backwards or forwards? Would you try to change anything? Do you think changing the past could somehow mess up the future? In my books, Travelers and Settlers, the characters do time travel and they ask similar questions.
Why do people like the concept of time travel? I have many reasons why I like the idea. One of those is my desire to see history in person. Reading about the past isn’t the same as experiencing it. The only problem is I would be tempted to change the wrongs that have occurred. There’s a TV show called Timeless I enjoy. The “heroes” are chasing a man who wants to destroy those responsible for the death of his family. In the process he changes history. The protagonists occasionally return to the present to discover something is different like one of their sisters no longer exists. Moving forward or backwards isn’t a new concept. There are ancient myths and older books written about it: Memoirs of the Twentieth Century (1733), Rip Van Winkle (1819), Christmas Carol (1843), Looking Backward (1888), When the Sleeper Awakes (1899), Time Machine (1895). This isn’t even the complete list written on the topic, because so many people are fascinated by the notion of seeing the past or the future. Newer stories have been written on this. Ever heard of Back to the Future or The Time Traveler's Wife? Even the creators of Star Trek based the newest movies on the plot twist that their ship ended up in an alternate destiny. Now Kirk and Spock are trekking a new path with unwritten stories left to be told. There are complicated theories and philosophies out there about time travel and its possibilities. If you have the ability or desire to understand concepts like Quantum physics, then I suggest this blog will be beneath your intelligence. About 95% of my writing is to entertain and 5% is to inform. I also throw in some ethics and encouragement, but entertainment is the main ingredient in my books. When I was a teacher, I tried to make learning fun. I can’t totally leave out any lessons, but I mask them in fantasy and sci-fi to make them seem more like a movie than school. Here are a few things to mull over: If you could travel anywhere where would you go and what era would you visit? Would you be tempted to see your own future or change something you messed up in the past? Do you think the past can be fixed with a time travel device? I think the paths we have already traversed with their rough spots, heartaches, joys and the in-betweens were meant to make us who we are now. Even though it may be tempting to repair the past, I don’t believe time travel would make our lives better. Good or bad many of the outcomes are about your perspective more than the actual event. Is your life about the destination or the journey? I’m at the end of this blog series. I’ve compared Triana, my time traveling mermaid, to Princess Leia. I’ve also traveled through history as I introduced the historical women Triana met in my books, Travelers and Settlers (Release date TBA). You can go back through my previous blogs to read about Cornelia Fort, a World War II pilot; Sacagawea, the American Indian who helped Lewis and Clark; Margaret Brown (A.K.A. Molly Brown), who survived the Titanic tragedy. Elizabeth Burgin Elizabeth Burgin is my final historical character in Settlers. Her story has some conjecture around it according this article: https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/09/elizabeth-burgin-helps-the-prisoners-somehow/. Supposedly where historians didn’t have specific details, they filled in the blanks and reported it as fact. It seems the information that we do know about Mrs. Burgin came from letters. Where the story isn’t clear is how she aided in the escape of over two hundred American prisoners. It is also unclear if they fled the New York prison ships or some other prisons in the same area. The correspondences about her bravery doesn’t specifically say how she assisted in the escapes. However, whatever she did, caused the British to put a two hundred pound reward out for her capture. That was equal to about twenty years of pay for a British soldier. The price on her head forced her to flee New York and leave her children behind with trusted friends. Since Elizabeth was a widow, the risk she took caused her to be homeless and penniless. When George Washington learned of what she had done, he gave her lodging and food for her and her children when they were finally reunited. Elizabeth didn’t want to be a burden to the United States Government. In a letter to George Washington, she thanked him for the food and shelter the government provided, but she also asked to be given a job to earn these provisions to take care of her family even after the war. Here’s the letter: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-01137 Washington was so impressed by her request that instead of giving her a job, he and Congress agreed to pay her an annual pension of fifty-five dollars during her lifetime. Because Elizabeth wanted to end the suffering of the men rotting in brutal prison conditions, she put her life in peril. The men she helped were the ones who fought for freedom from what Patriots viewed as a tyrannical British king. She didn’t let the fear of catching a disease from the prisoners or the fact that she was a female in a male dominated world stop her. How many of us take our freedoms for granted? Most people living in the United States don’t have to sacrifice anything to have the simple pleasures in life. We also don’t have to be afraid of being executed as a traitor for voicing our opinions that may be contrary or against our President. Freedom isn’t free. Not only men, but a variety of women sacrificed greatly to give you the right to say whatever you want on social media or in a protest. Don’t let the price they paid be in vain. “Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower I like the Disney Ariel just as much as I like Princess Leia, and my current blog series isn't about criticizing one over the other. It is more about how Triana, the mermaid in Travelers and Settlers, is her own unique mermaid princess. The blogs are also my way of introducing to you some of the fascinating historical characters Triana meets or cohabits with in the stories. These women are their own variation of a princess. My hope is that my book characters help to inspire greatness in all of us no matter how it manifests itself. Seek to be your own type of hero or heroine. Whether you need to be brave like Leia or reach for a special dream like Ariel; pave your own path. Margaret Brown Since I was raised on musicals, I must admit the reason I originally knew anything about Molly Brown was because of the movie Debbie Reynolds starred in, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Once I researched the real woman, I realized I underestimated how incredible she was. Molly Brown came from Colorado, my home state. I discovered Hollywood gave her that name, and that she was never called Molly. Her nickname was Maggie. The more I found out about her, I was thankful I chose Margaret to be in my next book, Settlers. She did many extraordinary things beyond surviving the sinking of the Titanic, and I will mention only a few in this article. Margaret Tobin was born on July 18, 1867 to parents who were Irish immigrants in Hannibal, Missouri. At the age of eighteen Maggie moved to Leadville, Colorado with her sister, which is where Maggie met her husband James Joseph (J.J.) Brown. The Browns were married in Leadville where they lived until they became wealthy. Maggie was part of the feminist movement in her town and the Women’s Suffrage Association which sought for women to have the right to vote. The Browns became rich from the mine J.J. had stock in and worked, but Maggie didn’t forget her poorer roots and sought to help those less fortunate throughout her whole life. She founded the Denver’s Women Club which advocated literacy, education, suffrage, and human rights in Colorado and throughout the United States. Margaret also raised money to build a Cathedral and St. Joseph’s hospital. She worked with Judge Ben Lindsey to help impoverished children and founded the first Juvenile Court in the country, which eventually became the basis for today's U.S. juvenile court system. Margaret was also the first woman to run for a political office in the United States. She ran for Senate eight years before women had the right to vote. She was a woman ahead of her time. Margaret's life endeavors remind me that sometimes we limit ourselves because we think we are too ordinary. When I look at Maggie, I don’t see someone with a prodigy’s talents. She was an average girl who didn’t let anything stop her from doing what her conscious led her to do. Sometimes we view celebrities with their money and attractive looks as having the edge on making a difference in this world. I think if we all strive to be the best versions of ourselves, and reach for our dreams, we may find what we can accomplish far outweighs the boundaries we set for ourselves. For more information on Margaret visit these links: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/molly-brown.html http://blogs.denverpost.com/titanic/2012/04/11/5-1912-brown-writes-story-titanic-disaster/ This is called the Molly Brown House where Margaret lived with J.J. in Denver, CO.
Triana becomes more like Princess Leia and less like Ariel in my second book, Settlers. Throughout the story Triana meets some interesting historical figures that prove courage comes in all different types of people. Just when you think you don’t have anything special to make a difference in the world, you can look back in history to see how average people accomplished amazing feats. Sacagawea is one of Triana's historical acquaintances in Settlers. Sacagawea Sacagawea was best known for helping out Lewis and Clark, but I learned a few things about her that I didn’t hear discussed in history class. For starters, I thought she was a grown woman, but she was only a teenager. Lesson: Don’t let your age prevent you from doing great things. Also she lived in a world where women didn’t have a lot of control over their lives, especially a Native American woman. Yet Sacagawea found a way to forge her own destiny among the greats in the history books. Lesson: We may not be able to governor our circumstances all the time, but we can control how we react to them. At the age of 12 Sacagawea was captured by Hidatsa Indians, an enemy of her people, the Shoshones. A French-Canadian trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau, bought her and made her one of his wives. Think about what you would do at that age if that was your fate? Could you become a useful hero or give up? Sacagawea didn't have any other options and accepted her path with dignity. Sacagawea was the only woman to accompany Lewis and Clark’s group of thirty-three men. Her familiarity of native plants, the terrain, and different languages helped the mission succeed. The communication among the people who traveled with Lewis and Clark and those they encountered wasn’t a simple task. Sacagawea’s husband knew three languages: Hidatsa, Minataree, and French. Sacagawea knew Shoshone and Hidatsa. When they met people from the Shoshone tribe, she would have to interpret the message in Hidatsa to her husband. Then Charbonneau interpreted to another person in French so that they could tell Lewis and Clark the message in English. I don’t think I would have had the patience for all those interpreters. Seriously how did they not miscommunicate? It must have worked in its own way, because they kept their encounters with other tribes peaceful. They even managed to gain more supplies from some of the tribes. Sacagawea was a true wonder. I’m directional challenged so it is hard to grasp how her knowledge of the land even from her childhood helped those on the expedition navigate. I’m also a wimp, so I can’t imagine having a baby as a teenager traveling with a group of older men. She wasn’t given maternity leave from the journey. She wasn’t even given a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her. Her courage went beyond even what was expected of her. Sacagawea saved Lewis and Clark’s journals, scientific instruments, and specimens when their boat almost overturned. Members of the party struggled to paddle the waterlogged boat while she reached out to retrieve most of the men’s valuable cargo. When they decided to build a fort for the winter, they allowed Sacagawea to vote where Fort Clatsop was going to be built. Was she the first American female to vote in the United States? Even if not, that showed me they respected her opinion enough to give her a say in their decision. She had proven her value without expecting accolades like people often do on social media when they post their “successes”. While at the fort, a local Indian told them about a beached whale. Clark assembled his men to go retrieve what they could from the whale and Sacagawea insisted she accompany them, because she had traveled a long way to see the great waters. They let her go, but I imagine women in those days didn’t usually insist on their own way. Princess Leia would have been proud of Sacagawea. Who cares what Luke and Han says you can and can’t do, you’re going to do things you’re own way. Sacagawea may have felt like an average girl, but she proved you don't need magical abilities to accomplish great things. I left out a bunch of interesting things about this incredible woman. You can read more on these links: http://www.biography.com/people/sacagawea-9468731#synopsis http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/saca.html http://montanakids.com/history_and_prehistory/lewis_and_clark/sacagawea.htm Why is my mermaid, Triana, more like Princess Leia from Star Wars than Ariel, The Little Mermaid? She uses her brain and abilities to save two worlds despite the risks. In fact, Triana endangers her life to help those she loves, and takes the chance of losing her happy ending, which includes a guy. Writing stories in the fantasy genre is my passion, but I’ve always enjoyed history. That’s when the idea to write about a time traveling mermaid hit me. Though I want readers to escape realism, I also hope that they learn a few things too. Maybe they will be inspired to be the next hero or heroine this world needs. While researching for the historical parts of my books I discovered: 1) I really don’t know enough about history and 2) There are many amazing women in history! Cornelia Fort Cornelia is the first historical person I wrote about in Travelers. The other characters lived in actual places and eras of history, but they are strictly fictional. (Although their names may seem slightly similar to characters from famous books and television.) Miss Fort came from a wealthy family that lived in Nashville, Tennessee. She wasn’t prissy like girls of her status were expected to be, but rather she was a tomboy. She looked for adventure outside the debutante and society scene. In 1940 she took her first flying lesson from a friend’s boyfriend. In 1941 Cornelia received her pilot’s and instructor’s license. She proved to those who thought women shouldn’t or couldn’t fly that they were full of bologna. Her new career led Cornelia to Colorado to teach flying, but she wanted to do more for her country, so she ended up at Andrews Flying Service in Honolulu, Hawaii. Many of those she taught were in the military stationed at Hawaii. The day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Cornelia was in the air with a student. She even wrote an article about it for a magazine, and she gave a few interviews about her experience. After the near miss with the Japanese fighter pilot, Cornelia was asked to join the Women’s Auxiliary Ferry Service (WAFS). Her main job was to deliver planes to the military so the men could fight in the war. Cornelia was the first WAFS to die on a mission. She didn’t die because of enemy fire, but rather because of her adventurous spirit. Cornelia was trying out some forbidden formation flying while delivering aircraft from Long Beach, California to Dallas Love Field. Her risky move caused her to collide with another plane on the same mission, and she died in the crash. She didn’t follow the rules and some could say that is what killed her, but Cornelia wasn’t meant to color inside the lines. She set out to prove she was capable to reach far beyond what others thought was possible for women. Cornelia, like my character Triana, wanted to make a difference. They didn’t let fear or the boundaries stand in their way. To read more on Cornelia, here are some sources I found interesting and insightful: http://www.lostaviatorsofpearlharbor.org/the-aviators/cornelia/ https://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/topics/women-in-aviation/fort.cfm http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/people/cornelia_fort http://offbeattenn.com/cornelia-fort-woman-time-etched-history/ http://www.wingsacrossamerica.org/assets/twilight-2.pdf I wish you a Christmas and New Year where you look forward to the future of possibilities and look backward to the past as lessons learned; a past where you recall fond memories you now have stored. I wish you the time to reflect, relax, and realize there are enough hours in a day; you may just be expecting too much from it and yourself. I wish you the realization of what is important; time is fleeting and the future is a mystery. Take no loved one for granted; people can leave and enter your life unexpectedly. I wish you the ability to grasp moderation not perfection in everything; value for each action isn’t measured by its grandness, but by its motive. The more you do, doesn’t make you or the act more valuable; it is alright to have limitations. I wish you love in its purest form that began in a manager and went to a cross. You can’t duplicate it, you can’t repay it, but you can accept it because it is a gift. I wrote this for my Christmas cards in 2013, but my sister-in-law reminded me of it so I thought I'd share it here.
There are various types of travel. My blog isn’t necessarily information on vacation destinations, although, I do write about places I have visited. Today it’s going to be about a different kind of travel. Yesterday I was enjoying my Thanksgiving Day and thinking of the different people who have been a part of my crazy life journey. Just the concept of being thankful made me think about my Grandma Grace. Grandma told me about a very low time in her life after she had lost three babies at different times, two of them were twins. Her health was poor, and money was tight. She decided to not let it defeat her, so she went around her house and thanked God for everything. From a chair to a photo, she said a prayer of thankfulness for it all. When she focused on what she had instead of what she didn’t have, it helped her crawl out of her depression. That story impacted me, because as a child you take things for granted like chairs. It gave me a new perspective on how much gratitude helps the soul. Remembering my grandma also made me think about how much I’m like her. She wrote poems, painted, danced, loved books, loved music, and she took risks. I followed in her footsteps with writing, the love of reading, and music. Travel was also very important to her, and she told me once that even if you have to borrow money, you need to go on vacation. I married a man who feels the same way, so I've been blessed to have seen so many amazing things in my life. (Black & white photo: July 1955, Christiana Rassmussen, my great, great grandmother, Grace Hook, my grandma, and Anne Hook, my mother. Color photo: December 1995 me and Grandma Grace.) Thank you Grandma, the Amazing Grace, for teaching me gratitude, and for passing on your love of the arts and travel. Thank you for passing on your courage so I learned how to spread my wings and fly. I wish you could have seen me fulfill my dream to become a published author. Life is one big trip. It is full of mountains, valleys, smooth paths, and precarious ones. Everyone has had people who have been in and out of their lives. Some people are like road blocks that make us re-evaluate the journey, and possibly take a detour to become stronger. Some people are like the smooth paths that give us respite and renew our resolve to move forward. My grandmother was the later, and I’m grateful that she was a part of my life’s travels. I'm similar to London. Though I’m not as ancient, I grew up in a world before mobile phones, the internet, and computers were just getting introduced to me in school. The computers had no Windows or special apps. There was just a black screen with amber colored words. We had to type in a command to do anything. My home phone had a cord, and my family had one black and white television until we splurged for a color one. As I get older, I must adapt with the times to be functional in this world, because change is the only constant thing. London has learned to grasp the inevitable. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know my husband and I went on a Disney Norwegian cruise. We stayed a few days in London before and after the cruise. Since the ship left from Dover, England, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore London. Because we had such little time and so much to see, we took advantage of the hop-on and hop-off buses. Some of the buses have audio commentary, and some have live guides who explain the sites. That is how I learned some of this information. London is the capital and most populated city of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. Yet the City of London is only 1.12 square miles. There are more than 300 languages spoken in London, so it is a diverse city. The tourists think London is large because it is made up of what is called Greater London which is divided into 32 London Boroughs or 33 if you include the City of London. When the bus went from one region to another, the tour guide pointed out a large dragon statue in the middle of the street indicating the new area we were entering. I think this area was the City of Westminster. Throughout London there are indications of how old it is and how modern it has become. Somehow the Brits have managed to make the contemporary buildings, with their unique nicknames (Gherkin, Shard, Cheesegrater), look like they have found their niche among the historical buildings and landmarks. London has had its share of tragedies with bombings in World War I and World War II. They have also had fires and epidemics. Yet many of the old structures still remain. I even saw an ancient Roman wall still intact from the days when Rome had been in control of London. To be a successful author there is more to it than writing a good story. Experts say I should spend 80% of my time on marketing my books, and 20% of my time writing them. The problem is I’m a writer, not a sales person! I had to find a way to cross my old fashioned hurdles of knowing little about social media and learn how use it to work for me. I get a little frazzled at times, because I feel like I’m spending way too much time on the internet marketing my books. So far I'm seeing little results and I'm not ready to make a big financial commitment to pursue avenues that aren't free. Sometimes I want to stop trying, and just be content that a few people have my book in their hands, but that isn’t enough for me. I want people to read my books and ask for more. I hope people will enjoy the escape my books provide for years to come. So I keep attempting to blend my old ways with the new, and in the end, may I be as successful as London has been at doing it. |
Ramblings on life, travels, & books
Carla Reighard Archives
December 2023
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