The Truth About Michael Duncan...

The Truth About Michael Duncan...

This week, I'm visiting with Michael Duncan, author of: 

SHADOWS: Book of Aleth Part One 

(see Lilly's Book Club page for my review) 

He is also a man who is very dedicated to the truth. No doubt why finding the truth is the main focus of his fantastic adventure. I happen to think it's a topic we all find most important at some time, or other in our lives. So, Michael… 

How did this theme come to be so important to you, and why did you write this particular book?

Well, during a time of great suffering I was forced to the very edge of despair. To keep from going over the edge, I turned to my childhood desire to create stories and found a great catharsis in the process.  

I wrote, Shadows: Book of Aleth, Part One to express through allegory the need to passionately pursue the truth. I like to write about the need for and restoration of truth.  I find that our world is filled with lies and in each strata of life, truth must be made known.

How interesting that so much of who we are in our adult years can be traced back to childhood. Can you think of any specific experience in your youth that you feel most contributed to who you are today?

On a log, bleached white by the sun, I once sat and watched a storm slowly progress through the islands until it began to approach my location.  I was amazed at the simple grandeur and awesome power of the storm as a wall of rain approached.  I knew then, there was a God.

You were on an island when that happened?

I grew up on an island. Probably why I love to visit the islands of Puget Sound in Washington State. It brings me a sense of being “home.”

So, it sounds like you've been a writer "with a calling" for a very long time then. What do you like most about that?

I love the ability to express God’s gifts of creativity and imagination.  God is not a static, sterile Creator.  To look at the wonders of the world and the universe, and the micro-universe of cellular biology and the intricacies of life itself, you must conclude that God is the God of creativity and imagination.

I agree, and it is so true. That being said, exactly what kind of readers do you write for?

I write for the hungry heart.  My readers are young and old, men and women, professional as well as the “blue-collar.”  If a person is looking for nothing more than an escapist story, they will find what they need.  But for those who seek to go deeper and find meaning in what I write, they will discover that there is a message in the midst of the story.

There definitely is, and I liked that part best. Now, just for my own curiosity, have you ever had what you would consider a divine appointment?

I’ve had many “divine appointments.”  Meeting the woman who would become my wife, connecting with the church I currently pastor, and finding my writing accepted by Harbourlight Books I would consider all divine appointments.  The most current, I believe, is connecting with Tony Marino of Alive in Christ radio network (www.aliveinchristradio.com).  We met through a social network (LinkedIn) and through an author interview he did with me, we’ve become friends and co-laborers in Christ, leading to the probability of hosting my own weekly radio program.

That is so exciting, Michael. A Definite imprint of God's "footsteps" if you ask me. And as long as we're talking about future plans, can you tell us a little about the  manuscript you're working on right now?

I’m working on three manuscripts right now—two fiction novels and one non-fiction biblical look at the church.  One of the novels is the third in my “Aleth” series.  The first book is already out and the second comes out in the summer of 2012.  The other novel is a closely guarded secret.  The third, the biblical look at the church, explores a question that I have often heard: “How do I know a good church?”

Those all sound very interesting, I'll look forward to them. I have to admit I'm especially drawn to the "closely guarded secret."  Then, again, I guess that's just human nature. Which is probably why I'm curious about something else, too. If it were possible to take a "time-travel" trip, where would you most like to go?

Evan Roberts in 1905

I would take a trip back to 1905, to the country of Wales, to listen to the preaching of Evan Roberts during the Welsh revival.

Ahh… signs of your calling, again. Considering that, I wonder what the best adventure you ever had was.

Well, after leaving the Air Force, I took two months and traveled through the western states preaching and teaching God’s word, spending time in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and a host of small towns and villages until I arrived back home in Washington. 

Truly the adventure of a lifetime. And I'm sure one that gave you a first-hand look at an amazing variety of people. So,having seen things on such a wide spectrum, what one thing would you change in the world, if you had the power to do so?

I think I would change the hatred that people have for others.

What a wonderful world that would be, too. I have to say I have really enjoyed this little opportunity to get to know you better, Michael, and I especially want to thank you for talking about so many of the things that are really important to you. What would you say to sharing a bit of a story that's close to your heart, tomorrow?

I'd love to do that, Lilly.

Wonderful. I'll look forward to it, then.

The Illusive Eddie Jones (part two)...

We're back, again, with Sonny Cay, talking about the illusive Eddie Jones...

author of

 BAHAMA BREEZE 

ready to pick up where we left off, yesterday, when we ran out of time. Let's see, I believe we were discussing a certain heart to heart talk you two were having about Eddie putting you through all those trials...

Yeah, I asked him if he could back off a bit, on account of I really didn't think I was up to all that. But he just said, "Every story is like a track heat." 

In what way?

It's like this. You start out of the blocks, strong. Then, in turn one, you confront your first hurdle. It’s usually small and easily overcome. Shortly after that, there's another, and then another. Until finally, on the backstretch, the journey is nothing but disaster after disaster. Each obstacle is more difficult than the one before. Pretty soon, I could hardly land before I was forced to jump over the next barrier. I think Eddie’s idea was to build hope in my heart, but at the same time, create such intense opposition that I became convinced I’d fail. 

Did that work?

It worked. But if you asked me before all this started if I thought I could do any of that stuff, I'd have said, what -- are you kidding? Not even half. I mean, what ordinary person ever tries to sail a rented sailboat in the middle of a tropical storm while dealing with a stage four cancer? Or gets locked up for destroying a golf cart, chased by a deranged Cuban terrorist, accosted by a presidential candidate polling in the single digits, tossed into shark-infested waters, or stranded on a deserted island? Then, as if that isn't enough, I'm forced to surf hurricane swells before I get dropped from the eye of the storm, right onto some Russian submarine. All this in the same week! It's a miracle I'm even sitting here, Lilly.

I'd have to agree with you. Speaking of which, does Bahama Breeze have any significant underlying message for its readers?

Oh sure. It’s about pursuing your dreams. About taking life by the tail and trying not to get bit too hard and often. My message is, even when you think you've failed, you have not. For instance, a long time before the book was even finished, the manuscript won first place at a writers conference. The award put a THOUSAND DOLLARS in Eddie’s pocket. 

I didn’t receive a penny, of course, but… as a character in the book, my job was to bring glory to the author, not shine the light on myself. As it turns out, it’s a good thing the book took first prize. Because when our Mr. Eddie Jones got back to his campsite later that evening, his tent had collapsed and lay in a puddle of rain. So you see, no matter how hard it rains, there’s always a rainbow on the horizon: assuming you live long enough to see it. That's all I have to say about that. I think that's all the talking about Eddie Jones I better do, too.

Why, are you starting to feel guilty?

 No, I'd just like to work for him, again.

Oh, I see. Well thank you for visiting with us, Sonny, and here's wishing you and Eddie all the best with Bahama Breeze. I certainly enjoyed reading it.

Glad to be here, Lilly. You want to take a peek at the real Eddie Jones, before I leave?

You mean know where to find him? 

Sure. He sort of leaves a trail everywhere he goes. You'll understand him a whole lot more after you watch this video...

Well, that definitely explains a lot of things for us. And I can see why you two seem to have something in common.

You mean boats?

Boats, too. 

Yeah, there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. I haven't even touched on his association with pirates. But you can find out more about that over at www.EddieJones.org. You can get in touch with him on his blog, too. Of course, he pretty much tells all in that other book of his called Hard Aground... Again. Wherever he is, he's always up to something. 

Most interesting people are. Especially the illusive ones! Well, fair winds and calm seas, Sonny. Come back, anytime.

Same to you, Lilly. And I will.

The Illusive Eddie Jones...

He is not an easy man to catch up with. In fact, I never did. However, Sonny Cay, that easy-going, one-of-a-kind, hero of

BAHAMA BREEZE 

(see Lilly's Book Club page for my review) 

agreed to share a few secrets with us that he personally knows about Eddie. Welcome, Sonny! I really appreciate you doing this. It isn't going to cause any problems for you, is it?

Well, the love of my life, Anna Fortune, once said, "Guilt is God's way of nudging us into life's guard rails so we can find our way back onto the right road." But I'm not feeling any guilt right now, so, let's go with it.

That sounds like a great way to stay out of trouble, anyway. How did you meet Eddie Jones in the first place?

Me? I always wanted to write a novel. But my English teacher suggested I peruse an alternative line of work: one that didn't involve pronouns, prepositions, or dangling participles ⎯ which at the time, I thought was a small organ attached to a frog’s intestines. Happens, I heard Eddie wrote a few books about how to write and even teaches at some well-known writers conferences. So, I made an appointment with him. And I'd have to say he's a pretty upfront guy.

I've heard that. You feel he helped you out with your novel, then?

He said, to be honest, he had to agree with my English teacher. But he was willing to work with me, which is how I got the other job.

Are you telling me even characters for novels are desperate for work these days?

You have no idea how competitive it is to get a gig during tough times. Writers aren't the easiest people to work for during good times, either. But have you looked at the unemployment numbers lately? Shameful what’s happened to the middle class. Only I’m not here to discuss our government’s economic policies, or how messed up our electoral process is: though I defiantly have some strong opinions on those issues. I thought we were here to talk about Edie Jones.

And we are. So. That's why you agreed to star in Bahama Breeze. Very interesting. Had you ever had any experience working with authors or screenwriters before?

No, but I figured it would be a great way to learn the business. Never pass up an opportunity to work with professionals, I always say. But honestly? Yeah, I needed the work. Not that I’ve made a dime off this project. But Eddie assures me the royalties will begin arriving any day. Of course, this is the same guy who earns his living by making up stuff, so I’m not holding my breath. Except when he’s hovering over my shoulder because, as it turns out, he has a really bad case of halitosis.

A little more information than we needed, there. But moving right along, when did you first discover he was going to cast you as a toilet paper salesman? Did you have any aversions to that, considering it was your debut performance?

Maybe he was looking for some common element everyone can relate to, I don't know. He doesn't tell me everything. But like I said to Anna (she's the pretty, smart one in the story, did I mention that, yet?) Hey, I got to hand it to Eddie for creating someone like her for a guy like me. She's way above my pay grade, if you know what I mean. Still, being a toilet paper salesman may not be as exciting as working for a government spy agency, like she does, but at least I’m good at what I do. Besides that, everybody needs my product. Right?

You do have a point there, Sonny, that's a different way of looking at things. 

Yeah, I'm good at that. It's the only way I could survive all the stuff Mr. Eddie Jones put me through.

Sort of ran you through a ringer, did he?

You can say that, again. Eddie Jones, like the Author of Life, put me in tough circumstances. Said it would create tension in the story and force me to mature. Well, about three quarters of the way into the book, I had a heart-to-heart with ol' Eddie, and asked if he could back off on the trials. But he just said...

Goodness, we've run out of time, already. Especially if we want to leave a bit to read the review. Will you come back tomorrow, Sonny? We haven't even talked about Eddie Jones' real secrets, yet.

That's just what I was leading up to. But I guess I could save it for tomorrow.

Wonderful. Tomorrow for part two of "The Illusive Eddie Jones," then. I should think we have enough time to chat a bit about boats, though.

Off the record?

But of course... 

The Unexpected Jayne Self (part two)...

We're back, again, with the mysteriously unexpected, Jayne Self...

(author of MURDER IN HUM HARBOR) 

ready to pick up where we left off, yesterday, when we ran out of time. Let's see, I believe we were discussing the nuances of creating characters. And I was wondering if you think up characters to fit into your plots, Jayne, or think up plots to fit your characters...

I suspect my initial ideas are plot related, although thoughts of character jump in almost immediately. I toy with both, trying to decide if they’re a good fit for each other. Sometimes they are, and the writing flows quickly. At other times I must rework and readjust. It then depends on which I’m more enamored with, the plot or the character, when I choose which stays and which moves on.

There seems to be so many more decisions involved in writing mysteries! But you must like that. What do you enjoy most about writing them?

What I enjoy most about writing mysteries is writing characters. And, it's true, I love exploring the nuances of each personality. I know this is not unique to writing mysteries, all stories are driven by character. But this genre allows me to explore people’s hurts and foibles in a way I don’t think that I would do, if I didn’t write mystery.

Hmm… more evidence that being involved with so many different people is an asset to your craft. That and having a lot of life experiences of your own. Which I'm sure you have, because I've heard you've lived in many different places, and done a lot of traveling. Looking back, which was your favorite?

Being a Canadian is an immense privilege. Canada is a wonderful country, vast, wild, beautiful. I’ve lived from Victoria, on the west coast, to our Nova Scotian cottage on the east, loving every place for its uniqueness. I feel most privileged to have lived in Labrador. That's the expansive, thinly populated region bordering north-eastern Quebec. I remain passionate about every aspect of our time there, from the isolation and natural splendor, to the cultural and life-style differences Labradorians take for granted. And outsiders would never imagine. 

Things like morning sky so pale it’s yellow. The green northern lights dancing across the night. Summer roads, and winter roads, and roads that end while the land goes on and on. Moose, wolves, and caribou… ravens, eagles, and little white ptarmigan with feathered feet. Grocery stores without milk, towns without fresh produce. Buckets of salt pork, and racks of sun dried fish. It was spectacular.

Ah, it sounds like you have the heart of an adventurer, too. A lot of those things would scare the socks off most people. And so would performing in public, which I understand you are also very good at. Especially music. What kind of music are you involved in?

 Whether I’m awake or asleep, there is always music running through my head. I listen to and enjoy almost all styles, but as I grow older, I admit loud, rambunctious music has less appeal. Music is an integral part of my worship. It is a gift I give back to the Lord. Because of that I have been involved in choirs, choral groups and solo vocals for –yikes!—fifty years.

Don't worry, we won't go there. How about telling what manuscript you're working on right now?

 I have just finished Death of Highland Heavyweight, my next Seaglass Mystery for Harbourlight Books. I’m not sure what comes next. I have a few unfinished projects on my computer right now. Any suggestions?

Personally, I favor the fisher-folk, as their children are absolutely amazing, and they are always being stretched to their limits. Whether by the economy, or the weather, or all the crazy regulations they have to abide by. But I'm sure whatever characters you come up with will be as intriguing as the others, simply because you are such a character, yourself. Which brings me to the subject of that video about yourself that I so enjoyed. 

Yes, I enjoy that every time I see it. It's where I first realized how pleasantly unexpected you are, Jayne, and immediately wanted to get to know you better. Which I'm sure others will, too. So, do you happen to have a newsletter? If so, how often do you send it out and what do you write about?

Do I have a newsletter? Oh, the guilt, the guilt! I know I should. And I’m working on it, really I am. But right now blogging over at www.JayneSelf.com is the best I’ve managed. People can definitely catch up with me there.

Well, I will be looking in on you over there, for sure, because it's been a real pleasure visiting with you, this week, Jayne, and I hope you'll come back often.

Thank you, Lilly,  and God Bless!

The Unexpected Jayne Self...

Mystery writers often lead mysterious lives. Which is one of the reasons I'm so pleased to have the author of 

MURDER IN HUM HARBOR 

(see Lilly's Book Club page for my review) 

Jayne E. Self  

as my guest today. Welcome, Jayne! You live in a very unusual place for a mystery novelist. Do you find being around so many people stimulates your creativity, or do you have to withdraw into your "creative world" to find those inspirations?  

I suppose living in a manse does seem like an odd place to contemplate murders. And yes, my experiences do color my writing, absolutely. Snippets of people, experiences, scenery, and funny situations pop up all through my work. Hum Harbour, the setting for my Seaglass Mysteries, is based on two communities near where we’ve summered for over twenty years. It's a whole different life out there. In fact, if you wanted to bump into my other life, you might catch a glimpse of me on Nova Scotia’s north shore.

I love Nova Scotia, too (it's so good for sailing), so I just might do that someday.  Where you do most of your writing? An amazing amount of atmosphere shows up in your book, and I was wondering if there are any specific things you have around which promote that.

 

I need to see outside when I write. My home office is in a corner of the house where I have windows facing two directions. One faces the street and the Legion with its WW II cannon pointed right at me. The other faces the church and my garden. When I write at the cottage, I’m in the screened porch. Although I know it makes absolutely no sense, I don’t think I could write without a view.

Oh, but it does. Perfectly. In a way, it's a picture of life, isn't it. A cannon pointed at you on one end, a church on the other, and in the middle, an occasional safe haven by the sea. My goodness! Almost a revelation, there. I could see some underlying currents like that in your book, too. Do you find yourself purposely writing about any particular theme, or does that sort of thing just come to you as the story unfolds?

I do not begin with the intention of inserting themes, but my writing does reflect my world view. I am a committed Christian. I believe in the value of each person, whether their faith or lifestyle is compatible with mine, or not. I believe God calls me to share His love through respect and empathy, not judgment and criticism. I hope my writing encourages those who think otherwise, to see the difference. Apart from that, I have noticed the recurring theme of belonging, crops up in my work. I’d lived at twenty-one different addresses by the time I turned forty so, perhaps it’s not surprising.

Well, Gailynn MacDonald definitely belonged in Hum Harbor. I couldn't picture her anywhere else, in fact. She seemed as natural as one of the local plants, and just as much at home there. By the way, do you think up characters to fit into your plots, or do you think up plots to fit your characters?

Oh, but we've run out of time, already, especially if we want to leave a bit to read the review. Will you come back tomorrow? We haven't even got to the most "unexpected" part, yet.

A "to be continued" sort of thing?

I suppose so, yes. 

I'd be happy to.

Wonderful. Tomorrow for part two of "The Unexpected Jayne  Self," then. I should think we have time for a cup of tea, though... one lump, or two?

A Big Little Christmas Miracle...

Continuing on with our journey into The World of Carol Ann Erhardt, here is a true story that is sure to bring you a smile...

WILLARD AND THE RED VEST

By Carol Ann Erhardt

A dear friend recently shared a story with me that brought a tear to my eye. She gave me permission to share this wonderful example of how God pulled off a miracle.

When she was younger she ran a small organization called the Christmas Bureau. When she took over, it was in terrible debt and she had no clear idea of what to do. However, she was young and full of energy and her mentor was an elderly Presbyterian minister who was on fire with the love of God and he made her believe that all things were possible. 

Armed with that belief, she and other volunteers went to the personal care homes and asked every inhabitant what they wanted for Christmas and vowed to get it for them. Though they had no idea how to do it, they still promised. The year was in the 1980’s and the inhabitants of those homes were mostly folks from state mental hospitals who had been released by Congress but money never followed to put them in decent places. Thus, the personal care homes sprang up and at the time there were no regulations governing them. The homes were grim places…the inhabitants mainly elderly, simple, and very dear.

 One particular old man, called Willard, looked like a watercolor picture of Santa, complete with white hair, beard, and fat belly. Willard was so indoctrinated into the life of the state hospital that he couldn’t put his own toothpaste on his toothbrush. He stood quietly and held it out while someone put the paste on because he didn’t know how. The caseworkers knew he had been incarcerated at a very early age, but all paperwork had been destroyed in a fire. At the time, he was believed to be around 80 years of age, although no one knew for sure.

When the inhabitants were asked what gifts they wanted, most asked for simple things: socks, talcum powder, cheap perfume, or fruit. But Willard asked for a red vest because he remembered wearing a red vest and flying a kite with his father.

My friend’s heart sank when he asked for the vest because she had no idea where that kind of money would come from. A vest would cost twenty or thirty dollars and the budget allowed for spending two or three dollars on each resident. She was sick with worry about it.

The Christmas Bureau worked hard to raise money by speaking at churches and clubs asking for donations. When she asked the treasurer how they were doing, the response was “Okay, but watch those pennies!”

Finally shopping day came and she realized she couldn’t do it. Even though they’d worked hard to raise money, the treasurer said they were limited to spending $15.00 max for Willard and receipts would be checked. My friend had thought to buy the vest herself, but she had very limited personal funds and was admonished not to do that.

She met her sister, who lived in a larger town, and asked for her assistance in picking up the Christmas gifts. Her sister took her to the local K-Mart. My friend had never been in the store before because there were none near where she lived. The first thing she looked at was the vests. Price $35.00. Her heart sank. There was no way.

Heavy hearted, she loaded her cart with all the other things on the list and as she approached the checkout…all of a sudden bells and whistles went off and she didn’t know what was happening. Then a voice came over the speaker saying that for the next ten minutes men’s vests were 60% off!

She ran to the men’s section, grabbed a red vest and brought it to the counter. $15.00!!

When Willard unwrapped his vest that Christmas Eve he said, “That’s my kite flying vest! That’s what I’ll wear when I fly a kite with my Dad again.”

I hope they buried Willard in the red vest. I can just picture him running around in heaven in that red vest and flying a kite with his dad.

God provided a miracle when least expected. I hope your heart was warmed by this story, just as mine was.

I’ll be sharing more about what happened to the Christmas Bureau on my personal blog next week. If you care to learn about another miracle God worked that Christmas, go to my website at www.CarolAnnErhardt on Tuesday, December 13 to read the rest of the story.

Carol Ann Erhardt also has a Christmas novella available this year,  called, LIGHTING THE TREE...

Brenda Davis is resigned to climbing into bed and shutting out thoughts of happy family gatherings. Twenty-four years ago she gave her baby up for adoption. Every year since, she’s placed a present under an unlit Christmas tree, waiting until the time they can be reunited. It’s Christmas Eve, and Brenda’s heart is heavy for she’s going to spend it alone—again.

But her friend, Dave Kingsdale, has other plans. He convinces Brenda to go to dinner with him. What he doesn’t tell her is that dinner will be at his parents’ home. For a long time, the widower has been longing to tell Brenda he wants more than friendship from her. What he doesn’t know is that she has the same feelings for him. And what neither of them know is a Christmas miracle is about to happen—delivered by an unlikely Santa.