Provoking Thoughts

Normally I do not discuss religion, as it is a very hot topic for a lot of people. However, I came across a very thought-provoking article on ReligiousTolerance.org this morning and wanted to share it. There is one sentence that truly sums up “true” religion: Unless God were to take the initiative, it appears that there is no way for humans to determine which religion is "true."

The article can be found here: http://www.religioustolerance.org/reltrue.htm

I happen to agree with that sentence whole-heartedly. The “true” religion to me may not necessarily be the “true” religion of the Hindu next door. I understand that and respect it. It bothers me that there is still so much intolerance towards religion in my country, which is guaranteed by the US Constitution. Freedom of Religion means ANY religion.

Being Wiccan myself, I know there are people who would judge me as a “heathen” or “devil-worshipper” (of which I am neither). Nevertheless, I also know that there are just as many non-judgmental people. They may not agree with my religious choice, but they respect the fact that it is my choice and don’t preach that I am wrong simply because I believe different.

I truly believe that there should be more open-mindedness then there is in my country. This goes far beyond religion. In my opinion, everyone should be allowed to be happy regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual affiliation. It should not be up to me or anyone else to dictate what is “right” when it comes to other people’s happiness.

Hopefully, for those that read the above article, it will give you a lot to think about. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please feel free to leave a comment.

Future Man

I decided to share one of my short stories with you all today. Enjoy:

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I dragged myself out of bed to answer the pounding door. Who the hell would be at my door? The sun isn’t even up yet, I thought. The pounding became more urgent.

“Alright,” I yelled, “don’t get your panties in a twist.” I glanced out the peephole, not recognizing the man standing on the other side. He was an older gentleman, somewhere in his 60’s by his appearance. He carried a fairly worn briefcase.

“Grace, I know you’re there. Please open the door; it’s a matter of life or death.”

“How the hell do you know my name? I’ve never seen you before in my life,” I called through the door.

“Let me in and I can explain everything, but we must hurry.” I hesitated, but I must admit I was intrigued by the man for some odd reason. Against my better judgment, I opened the door. He burst into my living room.

“Quick, close it. No one must know I am here.” I quietly closed the apartment door and slid the lock into place.

“Alright, who are you and what are you doing here?”

“My name is William and I am from the future. I am here because I must warn you about a very deadly mistake you made today.”

“Ok…could you explain a bit more? What mistake do I make that is so deadly?”

“Well, first let me explain how it affects the future so you have a full understanding of why I came here to warn you.”

“Right, I’m calling the police now.”

“No! Aunt Grace, you must listen to me. You cannot die today, for if you do the implications are most dire for the entire world. It is because of you that our country does not start a nuclear war. You are destined to be the designer of a better world.”

“Uh-huh. Why would I believe you?” He set the briefcase on my coffee table and shuffled through it.

“Here, look for yourself.” He handed me a family photograph and pointed to a wizened old woman. “That is you, Aunt Grace, as you are meant to be. You were the first female president and the one who finally brought peace and prosperity to the world. The only reason these photos exist is because I came here to keep you alive today.”

I looked closer at the old woman in the photo. She had the same gray eyes that I saw in my mirror every day. I shook my head in disbelief.

“You get into a cab later today, but you will not leave that cab alive. The cab driver is a suicide bomber and in my history book, he not only killed you, but hundreds of others. Promise me that you will not get into a cab today.”

“That’s crazy. You’re saying I should just take a bus then?”

“No, downtown is not a place you want to be today Aunt Grace. You should call out of work today. Stay home and protect yourself.”

“I could always just work from home today.”

“Trust me, it won’t matter anyways. It is your office building that was destroyed when the cab driver crashed into the first floor and detonated his bomb.”

I reached out carefully with my mind to probe his. I didn’t like to read others’ minds, but sometimes I had to. I needed to know if this man spoke the truth. You’re not the only one with that power, Aunt Grace. I jumped at the sound of his voice inside my mind.

“So my brother passes on our genes then?”

“Yes and he is a wonderful dad. In the past, or I should say now, when you were killed, dad couldn’t live with the grief. Your death just destroyed him inside. If you live, he will not hang himself and in about a year from now, you will meet me for the very first time.”

“Alright, since it won’t do me any real harm to stay home today, I will. Let me call my boss and I’ll just tell her it’s a family emergency.”

“Thank you, Aunt Grace. Now, I must go before I change the future even further.”

“William, can I ask just one question?”

“Sure.”

“Who chose your name?”

“You did. My mother died giving birth to me and it was you that talked dad into naming me after her. Her name was Willa. Now, I really must go.” He faded from sight and I made the fateful call to work.

So Many Victorian Questions

Well, after writing more to my story set in Victorian England, I have so many questions. I went and ordered 3 books to hopefully help me answer all the things I don’t know. I am also actively looking for 19^th century maps of various towns/villages around Stonehenge (Amesbury and Salisbury for starters).

I also did find a rather entertaining TV series called Victorian Farm. Since the program never came to the states, I watched it on YouTube. Why do the British seem to have TV shows that are so much more interesting then the reality crap we have here?

If any of you are interested, the books I ordered are: Victorian Family Save-All, Victorian Pharmacy and Book of the Farm. I would like to point out that Book of the Farm is not actually the version featured in Victorian Farm. It was reprinted in 3 separate volumes. If you might be interested in purchasing it, please keep that in mind.

A New Beginning

I started a new story yesterday morning, below is an excerpt of what I have so far (please remember this is only a first draft). This brought up 2 questions for me that I had to look up. Since I'm not all that familiar with British history of the Stonehenge area, I'm not entirely positive my deduction for question #2 is correct.

1. What towns are near Stonehenge? I found that Amesbury was the closest at only 2 miles away. I credit the Visit Wiltshire website with this answer.

2. Would there have been any paved roads? Given the era (and the fact that there were no cars in the 1870's) I figured that cobblestone streets would not have been laid outside of the small towns (if they even had cobblestone roads in the town).

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think so far! I would also greatly appreciate any websites/books that have information on Victorian-era Wiltshire County.

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I closed my eyes and felt the power of the earth and stones. We had finally scrounged and saved enough over the last year to make this trip. Now we stood at Stonehenge and I could sense the depth of thousands of generations in the soil under my feet. Sean took my hand and brought it to his lips. I smiled, but didn’t drop my focus on the vibrations of nature.

After several minutes more, I did open my eyes again, only to witness the glorious sunset. The red and pink sky was absolutely stunning. I understand why the ancients worshipped the sun as a god. It was their lifeblood. Sean let my hand drop and I walked closer to the stones.

The energy rolling off them was incredible. It made me wonder just how many people feel nothing. To most people, they probably just see stones and want to know how they got there without modern machinery.

Sean did not follow me toward the stones. He knew well enough that my complete focus was on the stone circle in front of me. I strolled slowly into the circle of stones and brushed my hand gently on one of the still-standing center stones. I walked slowly around the circle three times.

I felt the energy of the earth shift. Something wasn’t right; I started to back out of the stone circle. Suddenly, I was hit by a wave of energy so powerful; it brought me to my knees. I waited for the reeling sensation to stop before I stood.

“Sean?” There was no response. I charged out of the stones to where he had been standing. He wasn’t there. I looked toward the parking lot, but there were no cars. There was no paved road in front of me either.

With the sun setting, I started to panic. It would be twilight in a matter of minutes. Until I could figure out what the hell had happened, I needed to find someplace relatively safe. I knew Amesbury was only about a 2 mile walk, so I started hiking in that direction.

Victorian England

I've finally made a choice as to the era my story will be set in. Now comes the fun part: research! I plan on finding out about various things during that time period, such as: music, hygiene, medicine, popular parlor games (no TV!), day-to-day meals and also what homes would have looked like (floor plan, cleanliness and all the nitty-gritty details).

Now it’s time to find books, music and possibly a few historians that I can interview. Another thing I like to have when I’m writing is pictures (of houses, fashion and other general things from that time). It keeps me focused (and can also give commonplace elements).

Now is where I ask you all, if you know of any good resources (books, websites, composers, etc.) that are distinctly Victorian, please comment! Also, in your comment, leave your favorite first name (male or female; Victorian or not) and I will work it into the final story and post it here.

Torn Between Eras

I’ve been really gunning to start a new writing project based in a historical era, but I’m having trouble committing to the era. I’m torn between 1700’s America, Edwardian England, or Renaissance England/France.

I know I would have to do tons of research for all 3 because I want to make sure all the historical little details are right (even if I’m not completely historically accurate). This is where all of you come in! I need help to decide which era/country I’m going to write about.

Now, don’t stop there because I’m also looking for good music to add to my writing playlist. I do prefer the music not have lyrics, however, as lyrics can be really distracting. So far my playlist includes the following (artist followed by album):

David Arkenstone

The Celtic Book Of Days (See all New Age Music CDs)

Music Inspired by Middle Earth featuring David Arkenstone (See all Pop Music CDs)

Spirit of Ireland (See all New Age Meditation Music CDs)

Enaid

Avalon - A Celtic Legend

Secret Garden

Dawn of a New Century (See all Classical Music CDs)

Earthsongs (See all Pop Music CDs)

Once in a Red Moon (See all New Age Music CDs)

Songs From a Secret Garden (See all Classical Music CDs)

White Stones (See all Irish Folk Music CDs)

If you have an artist/band you think would be great on this list then leave a comment below with your vote for the era/location and choice of music!

Writer's Conference?

More and more recently, I've been seriously considering attending a writer's conference. I know going to one this year is not an option as I'll be using all my vacation time for my wedding, but that gives me more time to save money.

I plan on doing some research to find one somewhere in the northeast. That means Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Conneticut and possibly New York. I'm hoping I can find a great conference in NH, southern ME or northern MA so I don't have to travel/rent a hotel room. Although, I wouldn't mind traveling to the UK.

That said, I am open to any and all recommendations (even if they are outside the northeast). So please leave a comment! Also, many thanks in advance.

One last thing before I let you all go; I am looking for my next book of the month (July) so if you have a favorite book you'd like to see featured on here please leave a comment with the book title and author!