I did not need much coaxing. When I learned that a companion series to 1883 and Yellowstone was streaming, I put the offering on my watch list. When I discovered that the eight-episode production featured Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, I promptly subscribed to Paramount Plus.
I am glad that I did. I found 1923 as riveting as the other series and far more visually pleasing. Set primarily in western Montana, where I lived for fourteen years, it exceeded even my lofty expectations.
Though Ford and Mirren star as Jacob and Cara Dutton, the patriarch and matriarch of a dynastic ranching family, others also shine in stories that are tied in some way to the larger narrative. They include Spencer Dutton, the dashing WWI vet who escapes to Africa, and Jack Dutton Jr., the young buck who helps Jacob and Cara run the ranch. The nephews find love in the form of Alexandra, a British royal searching for adventure, and Liz Strafford, a feisty local looking to belong.
There are, of course, villains galore, starting with Banner Creighton, a Scottish sheepherder, and Donald Whitfield, a sadistic business tycoon played by Timothy Dalton of James Bond fame. Both men conspire to wrest the Yellowstone Ranch from the Duttons. Each employs violent and underhanded means to gain control of a lucrative valley.
Then there is Teonna Rainwater, the rebellious Native American girl who escapes a residential school run by cruel priests and nuns. As she fights for her freedom and dignity, she provides an unsettling but welcome perspective on the rough-and-tumble Montana of Prohibition.
Though the violence and sexual content in 1923 are sometimes over the top, the series never strays far from its main storyline or 1883, its celebrated television prequel. It offers first-rate acting, a compelling narrative, a glimpse of an interesting time period, and cinematography of Montana and East Africa that is worthy of an IMAX theater.
Season 1 of 1923 aired in 2022-23. Season two begins February 23 on Paramount Plus. I, for one, will be watching. Rating 5/5.
Monday, February 3, 2025
Sunday, January 5, 2025
The Battle of Monmouth
As battles go, it wasn't very decisive. Two armies met, two fought, and two left the field. As in baseball, the tie went to the runner.
Even so, the Battle of Monmouth, the only major engagement of the American Revolution in 1778, was important. It was a riveting moment in history that still spawns books, visual works, and arguments today.
George Washington rose at Monmouth. He solidified his position as commander of the Continental Army. He did so by chasing the British from a lush meadow in central New Jersey on June 28, 1778. He successfully deployed a force he had rebuilt at Valley Forge.
Charles Lee fell. The pompous general, Washington's second, lost not only his reputation at Monmouth but also his commission. He was court-martialed after ordering a retreat in the battle's first hours, creating a mess his boss had to clean up. He left the army in disgrace.
Women also contributed by playing roles rarely seen on a battlefield. They brought water to soldiers, treated them, and sometimes took their places. Led by Mary Ludwig Hays, who allegedly fired a cannon after her husband fell, they gave rise to the legend of Molly Pitcher.
These developments and more are covered in Mark Lender's Fatal Sunday, the definitive work on the battle, and in miniseries like The Revolution and Outlander. The latter series, now streaming on Starz, featured the confrontation in "Written in My Own Heart's Blood," an episode based on Diana Gabaldon's novel of the same name.
The battle did not change the balance of power in 1778. British soldiers, recent occupiers of Philadelphia, completed a successful retreat to New York City, where they licked their wounds and lived to fight another day. The war, which began in 1775, did not end, as a practical matter, until Washington finally cornered the redcoats at Yorktown in 1781.
Nonetheless, Monmouth was still important, which is why I included it in my current work. It is the pivotal centerpiece of The Winding Road, the sequel to The Patriots and the second book in the Stone Shed trilogy.
I am about halfway through the first draft. I hope to finish the draft by early March and publish the book itself by the end of May.
Image Credit: The featured illustration, "Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth," is an 1854 oil painting by Emanuel Leutze. The public-domain image is offered through Wikimedia Commons.
Even so, the Battle of Monmouth, the only major engagement of the American Revolution in 1778, was important. It was a riveting moment in history that still spawns books, visual works, and arguments today.
George Washington rose at Monmouth. He solidified his position as commander of the Continental Army. He did so by chasing the British from a lush meadow in central New Jersey on June 28, 1778. He successfully deployed a force he had rebuilt at Valley Forge.
Women also contributed by playing roles rarely seen on a battlefield. They brought water to soldiers, treated them, and sometimes took their places. Led by Mary Ludwig Hays, who allegedly fired a cannon after her husband fell, they gave rise to the legend of Molly Pitcher.
These developments and more are covered in Mark Lender's Fatal Sunday, the definitive work on the battle, and in miniseries like The Revolution and Outlander. The latter series, now streaming on Starz, featured the confrontation in "Written in My Own Heart's Blood," an episode based on Diana Gabaldon's novel of the same name.
The battle did not change the balance of power in 1778. British soldiers, recent occupiers of Philadelphia, completed a successful retreat to New York City, where they licked their wounds and lived to fight another day. The war, which began in 1775, did not end, as a practical matter, until Washington finally cornered the redcoats at Yorktown in 1781.
Nonetheless, Monmouth was still important, which is why I included it in my current work. It is the pivotal centerpiece of The Winding Road, the sequel to The Patriots and the second book in the Stone Shed trilogy.
I am about halfway through the first draft. I hope to finish the draft by early March and publish the book itself by the end of May.
Image Credit: The featured illustration, "Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth," is an 1854 oil painting by Emanuel Leutze. The public-domain image is offered through Wikimedia Commons.
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Going through a cycle of life
There is nothing quite like it. Holding a grandchild for the first time is like holding a child for the first time. It is a joyful, meaningful, humbling experience, one that reminds a person of the cycles of life.
Grandbabies are special. They are life's portable generators, little souls who lift our spirits and give us a boost when we need it. They remind us that the world, despite its many problems, is still a beautiful place.
My wife, Cheryl, and I got a reminder this week when we met Sarah Elizabeth Heldt, the first child of our son, Matthew, and his wife, Mikayla. We enjoyed a life experience that many people, particularly those in large families, take for granted. Born on November 25 in Oceanside, California, Sarah came into the world days before and days after two great-grandfathers passed away. She is the newest leaf on a family tree that already has many branches and deep roots that stretch from coast to coast.
Cheryl, the proud grandma, was particularly excited to see Sarah. She gave her a gift, an ornate Christmas stocking the new arrival will no doubt treasure for years to come. Our daughter Amy made the stocking in Puerto Rico and sent it to Cheryl to complete and bring on our trip to Southern California. Cheryl added Sarah's name to the stocking after her name, a closely guarded secret, was announced at her birth.
Matthew and Mikayla wasted no time hanging the stocking next to their own above their fireplace. They added another leaf to the tree.
As they did, they brought everything into focus. They reminded two grandparents that another generation had formed and was now going through its own motions. They brought everything full circle.
Sarah is our second grandchild. The first, Stella Irene Knipe, is now a six-year-old who snow skis, plays hockey, and develops her artistic side in North Idaho. She is growing much too fast for her grandparents.
We hope to have more grandchildren in the future. For now, though, we will cherish what we have. We will celebrate two granddaughters at a joyous time of the year and savor another cycle of life.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Grandbabies are special. They are life's portable generators, little souls who lift our spirits and give us a boost when we need it. They remind us that the world, despite its many problems, is still a beautiful place.
Cheryl, the proud grandma, was particularly excited to see Sarah. She gave her a gift, an ornate Christmas stocking the new arrival will no doubt treasure for years to come. Our daughter Amy made the stocking in Puerto Rico and sent it to Cheryl to complete and bring on our trip to Southern California. Cheryl added Sarah's name to the stocking after her name, a closely guarded secret, was announced at her birth.
Matthew and Mikayla wasted no time hanging the stocking next to their own above their fireplace. They added another leaf to the tree.
As they did, they brought everything into focus. They reminded two grandparents that another generation had formed and was now going through its own motions. They brought everything full circle.
Sarah is our second grandchild. The first, Stella Irene Knipe, is now a six-year-old who snow skis, plays hockey, and develops her artistic side in North Idaho. She is growing much too fast for her grandparents.
We hope to have more grandchildren in the future. For now, though, we will cherish what we have. We will celebrate two granddaughters at a joyous time of the year and savor another cycle of life.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Reading again by listening
I never read my books after they are published. I occasionally update errors I discover or that readers point out, but I never read a book again from cover to cover. I have too many other things I would rather do with my limited time, like writing and editing my next work.
That said, I will listen to books again. When converting books to audio, I will review the narrator's "first drafts" and listen for any flaws. In the process, I will re-experience novels I wrote sometimes years earlier.
Last month, I did just that. For several hours — 11.5 to be exact — I listened to Crown City, the fifth and final book in the Time Box series. I listened to Roberto Scarlato, a skilled voice artist, bring a familiar work to life.
As I did, I revisited storylines, characters, and passages I had put on the shelf on November 26, 2021, when I published the Kindle edition of Crown City. I revisited many things I liked and a few I did not.
When you read or listen to a book months, or even years, after producing it, you view it differently. You tell yourself, "I'm glad I did this," or "I wish I had done that." You view your own work as a person with different knowledge, experience, priorities, and biases.
In the tenth of his Top 20 rules for writers, Stephen King advises scribes to finish their first draft within three months. He does so for a reason that makes perfect sense to those of us who have produced a novel.
When you write something over the course of months, you change. Your characters change. Your plotlines and story arcs change. A tale that made sense in April may not make sense in September.
Listening to a book years after it was published gives me the opportunity to spot things I might have done differently. It gives me the chance to see what I did right or wrong and apply that knowledge to future works.
It also gives me the opportunity to appreciate the work of my narrators, who wrestle with difficult personal names, place names, unusual words, and even phrases in foreign languages. As one who grew up in Washington state, which has tripwire place names like Puyallup and Sequim, and attended college at the University of Oregon, where students wore shirts shouting "Orygun" and "Willamette, damn it!" to educate some out-of-staters, I understand the challenges.
Fortunately for me — and listeners — the narrators have risen to the challenge. Mr. Scarlato, who has narrated my last five audiobooks, has done a particularly good job. He successfully navigated the minefield of Hawaiian and Japanese names in The Refuge and nailed the many distinct accents in Camp Lake, The Fair, Sea Spray, and Crown City. He did justice to novels I rediscovered for the second time.
With the arrival of Crown City, which goes live on Amazon, Audible, and Apple Books this week, I now have twenty books in audio. I intend to convert the remaining four and others in the coming years.
That said, I will listen to books again. When converting books to audio, I will review the narrator's "first drafts" and listen for any flaws. In the process, I will re-experience novels I wrote sometimes years earlier.
As I did, I revisited storylines, characters, and passages I had put on the shelf on November 26, 2021, when I published the Kindle edition of Crown City. I revisited many things I liked and a few I did not.
When you read or listen to a book months, or even years, after producing it, you view it differently. You tell yourself, "I'm glad I did this," or "I wish I had done that." You view your own work as a person with different knowledge, experience, priorities, and biases.
In the tenth of his Top 20 rules for writers, Stephen King advises scribes to finish their first draft within three months. He does so for a reason that makes perfect sense to those of us who have produced a novel.
When you write something over the course of months, you change. Your characters change. Your plotlines and story arcs change. A tale that made sense in April may not make sense in September.
Listening to a book years after it was published gives me the opportunity to spot things I might have done differently. It gives me the chance to see what I did right or wrong and apply that knowledge to future works.
It also gives me the opportunity to appreciate the work of my narrators, who wrestle with difficult personal names, place names, unusual words, and even phrases in foreign languages. As one who grew up in Washington state, which has tripwire place names like Puyallup and Sequim, and attended college at the University of Oregon, where students wore shirts shouting "Orygun" and "Willamette, damn it!" to educate some out-of-staters, I understand the challenges.
Fortunately for me — and listeners — the narrators have risen to the challenge. Mr. Scarlato, who has narrated my last five audiobooks, has done a particularly good job. He successfully navigated the minefield of Hawaiian and Japanese names in The Refuge and nailed the many distinct accents in Camp Lake, The Fair, Sea Spray, and Crown City. He did justice to novels I rediscovered for the second time.
With the arrival of Crown City, which goes live on Amazon, Audible, and Apple Books this week, I now have twenty books in audio. I intend to convert the remaining four and others in the coming years.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Getting an early start on No. 25
Playwright George Bernard Shaw advised that you should not "wait for perfect conditions" to begin an undertaking. You should instead "start where you are with what you have." So today, I did just that.
I started my twenty-fifth novel with the limited resources I have compiled over the past few weeks. I jumped headfirst into my next project.
The Winding Road, the second installment in the Stone Shed trilogy, will continue the story of Noah and Jake Maclean, orphaned brothers from 2024 who experience the American Revolution through the magic of time travel. It will pick up where The Patriots left off.
In the first book, the brothers, ages 23 and 16, committed to the lovely daughters of a furniture maker, a patriot family, and life in the 1770s. In the second book, they will build on these commitments. They will use their wits, knowledge, and resources to better several lives and improve America's fortunes in the midst of its war for independence.
Set in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut from 1777 to 1779, The Winding Road will focus on Noah's experiences as a soldier in the Continental Army and his developing relationship with fiancée Abigail Ward. Jake and Rachel Ward, Abby's younger sister, will assume important secondary roles and again test the limits of a stone shed that can send people through time. Douglas and Donna Maclean will continue to follow Noah's and Jake's travels and confront new challenges as they attempt to explain their grandnephews' disappearance to police, reporters, and family members in 2024.
Other characters will also get some play, including a dashing American officer who befriends Noah, a villainous British tracker, and George Washington. The beleaguered patriot general, surrounded by rivals, will quickly warm to a mysterious new soldier who can predict coming events and provide his struggling army with needed supplies.
Readers who wanted more history in the first book will get it in the second. They will have the opportunity to follow Noah from the bitter winter at Valley Forge to the critical Battle of Monmouth to the developing spy wars in and around New York City. They will see the American Revolution in its deceptively quiet middle years.
At a projected one hundred chapters, The Winding Road will be slightly smaller than The Patriots. I expect to complete the first draft sometime early next year and publish the novel itself in the spring.
Image credit: "Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge," a 1907 oil painting by John Ward Dunsmore, is a public-domain image offered through Wikimedia Commons.
I started my twenty-fifth novel with the limited resources I have compiled over the past few weeks. I jumped headfirst into my next project.
In the first book, the brothers, ages 23 and 16, committed to the lovely daughters of a furniture maker, a patriot family, and life in the 1770s. In the second book, they will build on these commitments. They will use their wits, knowledge, and resources to better several lives and improve America's fortunes in the midst of its war for independence.
Set in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut from 1777 to 1779, The Winding Road will focus on Noah's experiences as a soldier in the Continental Army and his developing relationship with fiancée Abigail Ward. Jake and Rachel Ward, Abby's younger sister, will assume important secondary roles and again test the limits of a stone shed that can send people through time. Douglas and Donna Maclean will continue to follow Noah's and Jake's travels and confront new challenges as they attempt to explain their grandnephews' disappearance to police, reporters, and family members in 2024.
Other characters will also get some play, including a dashing American officer who befriends Noah, a villainous British tracker, and George Washington. The beleaguered patriot general, surrounded by rivals, will quickly warm to a mysterious new soldier who can predict coming events and provide his struggling army with needed supplies.
Readers who wanted more history in the first book will get it in the second. They will have the opportunity to follow Noah from the bitter winter at Valley Forge to the critical Battle of Monmouth to the developing spy wars in and around New York City. They will see the American Revolution in its deceptively quiet middle years.
At a projected one hundred chapters, The Winding Road will be slightly smaller than The Patriots. I expect to complete the first draft sometime early next year and publish the novel itself in the spring.
Image credit: "Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge," a 1907 oil painting by John Ward Dunsmore, is a public-domain image offered through Wikimedia Commons.
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Review: Young Woman and Sea
As I posted in May, I am always in a history mood. As a reader and a TV viewer, I go out of my way to find a good story set in the past.
So it was a real treat to find Young Woman and the Sea, a biographical sports film currently streaming on Disney Plus. Set mostly in New York and France in the 1920s, the movie chronicles the early life of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
in the film, Ederle, the daugher of a German American butcher, overcomes sickness, poverty, and soul-crushing misogyny and sexism to win Olympic medals, set world records, and finally cross the Channel, which she did on August 6, 1926. She also sets an example that inspired young women and swimmers generally for decades.
I found the movie even more compelling than The Boys in the Boat, a similar work featuring young American athletes overcoming the odds in the interwar years. Despite the cruelty she faces, Ederle never gives up and never loses her humanity. She serves as a role model for all.
Though Young Woman, based on the 2009 book by Glenn Stout, takes a few liberties with timelines, it offers a mostly accurate depiction of events. Daisy Ridley stars as Ederle, while Jeanette Hain and Tilda Cobham-Hervey shine as the swimmer's mother and sister.
I would recommend the film to anyone, particularly young women and athletes who like an inspiring true story. Rating 4.5/5.
So it was a real treat to find Young Woman and the Sea, a biographical sports film currently streaming on Disney Plus. Set mostly in New York and France in the 1920s, the movie chronicles the early life of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
in the film, Ederle, the daugher of a German American butcher, overcomes sickness, poverty, and soul-crushing misogyny and sexism to win Olympic medals, set world records, and finally cross the Channel, which she did on August 6, 1926. She also sets an example that inspired young women and swimmers generally for decades.
I found the movie even more compelling than The Boys in the Boat, a similar work featuring young American athletes overcoming the odds in the interwar years. Despite the cruelty she faces, Ederle never gives up and never loses her humanity. She serves as a role model for all.
Though Young Woman, based on the 2009 book by Glenn Stout, takes a few liberties with timelines, it offers a mostly accurate depiction of events. Daisy Ridley stars as Ederle, while Jeanette Hain and Tilda Cobham-Hervey shine as the swimmer's mother and sister.
I would recommend the film to anyone, particularly young women and athletes who like an inspiring true story. Rating 4.5/5.
Monday, August 26, 2024
You say you want a Revolution
I have long had a fascination with the American Revolution. When I was eight, I latched onto The Young Rebels, a one-hit-wonder television series that blended The Mod Squad with the War of Independence.
Later, in high school, I dove into the Kent Family Chronicles, an eight-book series by John Jakes that covers the nation's founding and formative years. I got another whiff of history as entertainment.
As an adult, I considered more serious works, like 1776 and John Adams by David McCullough, The Glorious Cause by Jeff Shaara, and Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. More recently, I have binge-watched series like Turn: Washington's Spies, Franklin, The Revolution, and Outlander, set in part in the 1770s and 1780s.
So I did not need much prodding to dive into the era. The Patriots, the first book in the Stone Shed trilogy, is my first foray into the American Revolution. Set in Philadelphia in both the present and the past, the novel examines America's first year from the viewpoint of two time travelers.
When their grandfather dies in 2024, Noah (22) and Jake (15) Maclean inherit a house, a mysterious stone shed, and a family secret that dates to the 1740s. The brothers learn they are the keepers of a portal that can send human beings through time. From that point on, life for the orphans is more than a series of questions. It is an opportunity.
With a nervous uncle's blessing, Noah and Jake take a three-month "vacation" to 1776 and the world of Ben Franklin, John Adams, Peggy Shippen, the Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence. They see the United States as a fledgling infant.
Then the trip takes a turn. The brothers meet Abigail (20) and Rachel (14) Ward, the lovely, spirited daughters of a Philadelphia furniture maker, and a thrilling adventure becomes a transformative journey.
The Patriots evokes earlier novels. As in The Fire, a stone shed serves as a time portal. As in Class of '59, brothers from one era mingle with sisters from another. As in Hannah's Moon, an aunt and uncle in the present track relatives in the past. War, a theme in ten other works, serves as a backdrop that influences almost every decision.
Even so, this book blazes its own trail. It delves more into the human aspects of time travel than the scientific aspects. It explores the what ifs, the whys, and the how comes. It tests the heart, mind, and soul.
At 155,000 words, The Patriots, my twenty-fourth novel, is my largest and most ambitious work to date. Available in Kindle format, it goes on sale today at Amazon.com and its international marketplaces.
Later, in high school, I dove into the Kent Family Chronicles, an eight-book series by John Jakes that covers the nation's founding and formative years. I got another whiff of history as entertainment.
So I did not need much prodding to dive into the era. The Patriots, the first book in the Stone Shed trilogy, is my first foray into the American Revolution. Set in Philadelphia in both the present and the past, the novel examines America's first year from the viewpoint of two time travelers.
When their grandfather dies in 2024, Noah (22) and Jake (15) Maclean inherit a house, a mysterious stone shed, and a family secret that dates to the 1740s. The brothers learn they are the keepers of a portal that can send human beings through time. From that point on, life for the orphans is more than a series of questions. It is an opportunity.
With a nervous uncle's blessing, Noah and Jake take a three-month "vacation" to 1776 and the world of Ben Franklin, John Adams, Peggy Shippen, the Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence. They see the United States as a fledgling infant.
Then the trip takes a turn. The brothers meet Abigail (20) and Rachel (14) Ward, the lovely, spirited daughters of a Philadelphia furniture maker, and a thrilling adventure becomes a transformative journey.
The Patriots evokes earlier novels. As in The Fire, a stone shed serves as a time portal. As in Class of '59, brothers from one era mingle with sisters from another. As in Hannah's Moon, an aunt and uncle in the present track relatives in the past. War, a theme in ten other works, serves as a backdrop that influences almost every decision.
Even so, this book blazes its own trail. It delves more into the human aspects of time travel than the scientific aspects. It explores the what ifs, the whys, and the how comes. It tests the heart, mind, and soul.
At 155,000 words, The Patriots, my twenty-fourth novel, is my largest and most ambitious work to date. Available in Kindle format, it goes on sale today at Amazon.com and its international marketplaces.
Monday, August 5, 2024
Remembering a family friend
It's never easy. As many people have observed over the years, losing a beloved pet is like losing a family member. You lose not only a companion but also part of yourself. We lost our cat, Charlotte, this week to an aggressive form of bone cancer. She went quickly on Sunday night after battling the illness for at least a few months.
Charlotte, for those who don't know, was an incredibly mellow and docile cat, one that would let even strangers pick her up every which way or give her long belly rubs. She was comfortable with people, dogs, and even change. Only vacuum cleaners got her attention.
She was a part of our family for fourteen years. During that time, she lived in five homes in three states and gave us enough memories to last a lifetime. In Alabama, where we let her run free, she once confronted an armadillo in our backyard and stood her ground. In 2015, in the same location, Charlotte climbed into the engine bay of my Nissan Frontier pickup and went for a seven-mile highway ride to the market. (She emerged shaken but unharmed from the harrowing experience.) In Nevada, she was a house cat and a never-ending source of amusement.
We noticed Charlotte's decline late this spring and took steps to accommodate it, but we merely prolonged the inevitable. As many pet owners know, old age is one thing, terminal illness is another.
In her last week, she ate little, drank little, and barely moved. And yet, she did her best to remind us that she was still around, still visible, and still a part of the family. On Saturday night, hours before she died, she did what she had done for years. Moving with a limp, she climbed two flights of stairs, entered my room as I worked, and plopped onto her side. She signaled her interest in getting one last belly rub.
I gave her the rub and, with my wife, Cheryl, gave her comfort the next evening when she finally passed away. Like so many others, I said goodbye to a pet that is now just a memory.
She was a part of our family for fourteen years. During that time, she lived in five homes in three states and gave us enough memories to last a lifetime. In Alabama, where we let her run free, she once confronted an armadillo in our backyard and stood her ground. In 2015, in the same location, Charlotte climbed into the engine bay of my Nissan Frontier pickup and went for a seven-mile highway ride to the market. (She emerged shaken but unharmed from the harrowing experience.) In Nevada, she was a house cat and a never-ending source of amusement.
We noticed Charlotte's decline late this spring and took steps to accommodate it, but we merely prolonged the inevitable. As many pet owners know, old age is one thing, terminal illness is another.
In her last week, she ate little, drank little, and barely moved. And yet, she did her best to remind us that she was still around, still visible, and still a part of the family. On Saturday night, hours before she died, she did what she had done for years. Moving with a limp, she climbed two flights of stairs, entered my room as I worked, and plopped onto her side. She signaled her interest in getting one last belly rub.
I gave her the rub and, with my wife, Cheryl, gave her comfort the next evening when she finally passed away. Like so many others, I said goodbye to a pet that is now just a memory.
Thursday, July 4, 2024
Born on the Fourth of July
On Independence Day, many Americans attend patriotic parades, have picnics, and watch colorful fireworks shows well into the night. (And sometimes, depending on the neighorhood, into the next day.)
I finish books. For at least the second time, I finished the first draft of a novel on July 4. I stopped typing before lighting the sparklers.
In this case, it was especially fitting. The Patriots, the first novel in the Stone Shed series, is all about the Spirit of '76. Two chapters, in fact, are set on a July 4, including the first Independence Day observance in Philadelphia in 1777. Both chapters set the tone for a book that documents and celebrates the founding of the United States.
In The Patriots, two brothers from 2024 travel through time to 1776 Philadelphia, where they meet several notables — including Peggy Shippen, Ben Franklin, and John Adams — and fall for the lovely daughters of a furniture maker. They begin an odyssey that will continue through books two and three and the rest of the American Revolution.
At 157,000 words, The Patriots is by far my largest novel. Despite its immense size, I still expect to finish and release it in September.
I finish books. For at least the second time, I finished the first draft of a novel on July 4. I stopped typing before lighting the sparklers.
In this case, it was especially fitting. The Patriots, the first novel in the Stone Shed series, is all about the Spirit of '76. Two chapters, in fact, are set on a July 4, including the first Independence Day observance in Philadelphia in 1777. Both chapters set the tone for a book that documents and celebrates the founding of the United States.
In The Patriots, two brothers from 2024 travel through time to 1776 Philadelphia, where they meet several notables — including Peggy Shippen, Ben Franklin, and John Adams — and fall for the lovely daughters of a furniture maker. They begin an odyssey that will continue through books two and three and the rest of the American Revolution.
At 157,000 words, The Patriots is by far my largest novel. Despite its immense size, I still expect to finish and release it in September.
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
A rosé by any other name
I don't know wine. To me, a good vintage is one that's in the clearance aisle at the supermarket. Beer is my beverage of choice.
On Monday, though, I played wine connoisseur. At two wineries in Napa, California, I gave several varieties a visual inspection, swirled them around to "unlock their bouquet," aired them out a bit, and finally threw them at my palate. I did what some people — a lot of people, actually — do every day.
I liked the experience. Though I didn't understand the science of winemaking or half of my sommeliers' gibberish about "notes of this" or "hints of that," I liked what I tasted. Then again, I expected to. When you taste the wine in one of world's greatest wine regions, you are bound to find something good.
I visited Northern California this week as my wife Cheryl's administrative assistant. She attended an education conference. I edited her blog and enjoyed the ride. A fair trade. As a part of our experience, we took an e-bike tour of the Napa Valley, home to five hundred wineries.
Our guide, Don, a transplant from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was a font of information on all things Napa Valley. He educated two couples on everything from the region's geography and climate to its history and rise as a wine-making capital following a 1976 wine competition in Paris, an event chronicled in the 2008 comedy-drama Bottle Shock.
As for the bike ride, it was nice as well. Starting and ending in Yountville, home of the French Laundry restaurant, it covered about eighteen miles on sidestreets, paved paths, and even highways. Along the way, we passed not only vineyards and wineries but also lush farmland, olive orchards, and eucalyptus groves. E-bikes, in case you have not tried them, are a kick. They are exercise for the rest of us.
I hope to take a few more of these trips in between writing and editing novels. Doing is living, as they say, and I plan to do a lot more.
I visited Northern California this week as my wife Cheryl's administrative assistant. She attended an education conference. I edited her blog and enjoyed the ride. A fair trade. As a part of our experience, we took an e-bike tour of the Napa Valley, home to five hundred wineries.
Our guide, Don, a transplant from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was a font of information on all things Napa Valley. He educated two couples on everything from the region's geography and climate to its history and rise as a wine-making capital following a 1976 wine competition in Paris, an event chronicled in the 2008 comedy-drama Bottle Shock.
As for the bike ride, it was nice as well. Starting and ending in Yountville, home of the French Laundry restaurant, it covered about eighteen miles on sidestreets, paved paths, and even highways. Along the way, we passed not only vineyards and wineries but also lush farmland, olive orchards, and eucalyptus groves. E-bikes, in case you have not tried them, are a kick. They are exercise for the rest of us.
I hope to take a few more of these trips in between writing and editing novels. Doing is living, as they say, and I plan to do a lot more.
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Review: John Adams
He was not the most glamorous founder. Or the most charismatic. Or even the most admirable. His most notable initiative as president, the Alien and Sedition Acts, prompted protests across the country.
Even so, he was interesting. John Adams, America's second president, was a study in contrasts who fascinates researchers, readers, and even television viewers. He was a man who still intrigues.
I reacquainted myself with Adams this month when I rented John Adams, the 2008 miniseries from HBO. Based on the Pulitzer-Prize-winning book by David McCullough, the seven-part series documents Adams' life as a lawyer, a congressional delegate, an ambassador, a vice president, a president, and a senior statesman.
Though Paul Giamatti shines as the moody, mercurial Adams, others turn in strong performances. Laura Linney, David Morse, and Stephen Dillane play convincing versions of Abigail Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. Ebon Moss-Bachrach does the same as John Quincy Adams, the founder's oldest son and a future president.
The loving but turbulent relationship between John and Abigail Adams is particularly compelling. The power couple endured numerous hardships during America's colonial and revolutionary periods, including hardships chronicled in more than one thousand personal letters.
No less riveting is Adams' friendship with Jefferson. The allies, rivals, and friends maintained a grudging respect from the time they signed the Declaration of Independence to July 4, 1826, the day the United States turned fifty and Adams and Jefferson died hours apart.
I rented the series to better familiarize myself with Adams, who plays a small but significant part in The Patriots, a historical fiction novel I will release in September. Adams, a delegate to the Continental Congress, mingles with protagonist Noah Maclean in early 1777.
I would recommend both the miniseries and McCullough's book to people who love history and compelling drama. Rating: 5/5.
Even so, he was interesting. John Adams, America's second president, was a study in contrasts who fascinates researchers, readers, and even television viewers. He was a man who still intrigues.
I reacquainted myself with Adams this month when I rented John Adams, the 2008 miniseries from HBO. Based on the Pulitzer-Prize-winning book by David McCullough, the seven-part series documents Adams' life as a lawyer, a congressional delegate, an ambassador, a vice president, a president, and a senior statesman.
Though Paul Giamatti shines as the moody, mercurial Adams, others turn in strong performances. Laura Linney, David Morse, and Stephen Dillane play convincing versions of Abigail Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. Ebon Moss-Bachrach does the same as John Quincy Adams, the founder's oldest son and a future president.
The loving but turbulent relationship between John and Abigail Adams is particularly compelling. The power couple endured numerous hardships during America's colonial and revolutionary periods, including hardships chronicled in more than one thousand personal letters.
No less riveting is Adams' friendship with Jefferson. The allies, rivals, and friends maintained a grudging respect from the time they signed the Declaration of Independence to July 4, 1826, the day the United States turned fifty and Adams and Jefferson died hours apart.
I rented the series to better familiarize myself with Adams, who plays a small but significant part in The Patriots, a historical fiction novel I will release in September. Adams, a delegate to the Continental Congress, mingles with protagonist Noah Maclean in early 1777.
I would recommend both the miniseries and McCullough's book to people who love history and compelling drama. Rating: 5/5.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Finding history on the tube
As a television viewer, I am always in a history mood. I don't care if a movie or series covers the French Revolution or the Vietnam War, I want it. I want to lose myself in another time. So it was with great interest I found four outstanding series on FX, Hulu, and Apple TV.
Shōgun, Masters of the Air, Franklin, and Manhunt are not just entertaining. They are history classes worthy of any college.
Shōgun follows John Blackthorne, a stranded British sailor, as he becomes embroiled in a feudal power struggle in Japan in 1600. Masters chronicles the "Bloody 100th," a U.S. B-17 bomber group that sustained horrific losses in World War II. Franklin covers Benjamin Franklin's diplomatic efforts in France during the American Revolution. Manhunt follows Secretary of War Edwin Stanton's search for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
Each miniseries debuted this year. Each is a splendid adaptation of a celebrated book. Each sticks close to the historical record.
None are dry history. Thanks to strong performances by Cosmo Jarvis (Blackthorne), Austin Butler (Major 'Buck' Cleven), Michael Douglas (Franklin), and Tobias Menzies (Stanton), the series are as entertaining as they are informative. Add strong supporting casts, stories, scripts, and cinematography and you have outstanding television.
Each series can be hard to follow. Shōgun, Masters of the Air, and Manhunt feature a large number of characters. Shōgun and Franklin require following subtitles closely. In Shōgun, a viewer can easily get lost in the nuances of 17th-century Japanese culture. Even so, the plusses of all four productions far outweigh their negatives.
I would recommend each series to lovers of history and great TV. Ratings: Shōgun 5/5, Masters 5/5, Franklin 4.8/5, Manhunt 4.5/5.
Shōgun, Masters of the Air, Franklin, and Manhunt are not just entertaining. They are history classes worthy of any college.
Shōgun follows John Blackthorne, a stranded British sailor, as he becomes embroiled in a feudal power struggle in Japan in 1600. Masters chronicles the "Bloody 100th," a U.S. B-17 bomber group that sustained horrific losses in World War II. Franklin covers Benjamin Franklin's diplomatic efforts in France during the American Revolution. Manhunt follows Secretary of War Edwin Stanton's search for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
Each miniseries debuted this year. Each is a splendid adaptation of a celebrated book. Each sticks close to the historical record.
None are dry history. Thanks to strong performances by Cosmo Jarvis (Blackthorne), Austin Butler (Major 'Buck' Cleven), Michael Douglas (Franklin), and Tobias Menzies (Stanton), the series are as entertaining as they are informative. Add strong supporting casts, stories, scripts, and cinematography and you have outstanding television.
Each series can be hard to follow. Shōgun, Masters of the Air, and Manhunt feature a large number of characters. Shōgun and Franklin require following subtitles closely. In Shōgun, a viewer can easily get lost in the nuances of 17th-century Japanese culture. Even so, the plusses of all four productions far outweigh their negatives.
I would recommend each series to lovers of history and great TV. Ratings: Shōgun 5/5, Masters 5/5, Franklin 4.8/5, Manhunt 4.5/5.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Birds of a feather
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Review: The Artful Dodger
I admit I haven't read Oliver Twist. I haven't even seen the 1968 movie, the one that won six Oscars, including Best Picture.
Even so, I am vaguely familiar with Charles Dickens' classic tale about a gang of juvenile pickpockets in 1830s London. So when I saw that Disney Plus and Hulu were streaming a highly rated sequel to Oliver Twist in the form of an eight-part series, I jumped on it.
I'm glad I did. The Artful Dodger is not just good television. It is top-notch entertainment, the kind that is increasingly hard to find.
Set in Australia in the 1850s, Dodger follows the adult double life of Jack Dawkins, the leader of the original band of thieves. Now a surgeon who learned his trade in the Royal Navy, Dawkins tries hard to bury his criminal past and start a new life in a wild and rugged penal colony.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster stars as Dawkins, while David Thewlis and Maia Mitchell shine as Norbert Fagin and Lady Belle Fox, the people who complicate the Dodger's life. Fagin, Dawkins' surrogate father, tries to lure the Dodger back into a life of crime the moment he arrives in Australia. Belle tries to pick his brain. The bright, beautiful governor's daughter strives to become a surgeon in a world run by men.
Other characters, including Belle's family, rival surgeons, local officials, and even Oliver Twist himself, add spice to a riveting series.
Though I enjoyed the production from start to finish, I was drawn most to Dawkins' relationships with Fagin and Belle, which develop wonderfully in the series. Even the somewhat predictable ending was first-rate.
I would recommend the The Artful Dodger to any viewer who likes humor, history, and a compelling, fast-moving story. Rating: 5/5.
Even so, I am vaguely familiar with Charles Dickens' classic tale about a gang of juvenile pickpockets in 1830s London. So when I saw that Disney Plus and Hulu were streaming a highly rated sequel to Oliver Twist in the form of an eight-part series, I jumped on it.
I'm glad I did. The Artful Dodger is not just good television. It is top-notch entertainment, the kind that is increasingly hard to find.
Set in Australia in the 1850s, Dodger follows the adult double life of Jack Dawkins, the leader of the original band of thieves. Now a surgeon who learned his trade in the Royal Navy, Dawkins tries hard to bury his criminal past and start a new life in a wild and rugged penal colony.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster stars as Dawkins, while David Thewlis and Maia Mitchell shine as Norbert Fagin and Lady Belle Fox, the people who complicate the Dodger's life. Fagin, Dawkins' surrogate father, tries to lure the Dodger back into a life of crime the moment he arrives in Australia. Belle tries to pick his brain. The bright, beautiful governor's daughter strives to become a surgeon in a world run by men.
Other characters, including Belle's family, rival surgeons, local officials, and even Oliver Twist himself, add spice to a riveting series.
Though I enjoyed the production from start to finish, I was drawn most to Dawkins' relationships with Fagin and Belle, which develop wonderfully in the series. Even the somewhat predictable ending was first-rate.
I would recommend the The Artful Dodger to any viewer who likes humor, history, and a compelling, fast-moving story. Rating: 5/5.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Unraveling a Revolution
The book will be a big one. With a projected length of 142,000 words, it will be bigger even than River Rising and The Memory Tree, the weighty twin tomes that anchor the Carson Chronicles series.
I admit that gives me pause. Authors are strongly advised to limit their books, even historical fiction works, to 100,000 words.
I won't with this one though. Like many writers, I believe that if you have a story to tell, you should tell it. You should develop every major character and narrative thread until you can develop no more.
In The Patriots, my twenty-fourth novel, I will do just that. I will dive deep into the lives of Noah and Jake Maclean, two orphaned brothers who travel from the Philadelphia of 2024 to the one of 1776.
Like most boys, Noah, 22, and Jake, 15, will not be able to resist a dangerous temptation that calls to them from their own property. They will enter a mysterious stone shed and venture to the American Revolution, where they will meet Ben Franklin, John Adams, Peggy Shippen, and the lovely daughters of a furniture maker.
Unlike September Sky, River Rising, The Lane Betrayal, and The Fountain, the first books of my last four series, The Patriots will focus more on people than events. It will focus on the brothers; sisters Abigail (20) and Rachel (14) Ward; and Douglas Maclean, the boys' great-uncle and the patriarch of a Scottish clan that goes back centuries.
It will also lay the foundation for a trilogy that spans the length of the revolution, a conflict I am covering for the first time. It will set the stage for more action-oriented stories in books two and three.
Because of the book's length, I don't expect to finish the first draft before July. I do expect to have the finished product out by October 1.
Credit: Spirit of '76, an 1875 oil painting by American illustrator Archibald MacNeal Willard, is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
I admit that gives me pause. Authors are strongly advised to limit their books, even historical fiction works, to 100,000 words.
In The Patriots, my twenty-fourth novel, I will do just that. I will dive deep into the lives of Noah and Jake Maclean, two orphaned brothers who travel from the Philadelphia of 2024 to the one of 1776.
Like most boys, Noah, 22, and Jake, 15, will not be able to resist a dangerous temptation that calls to them from their own property. They will enter a mysterious stone shed and venture to the American Revolution, where they will meet Ben Franklin, John Adams, Peggy Shippen, and the lovely daughters of a furniture maker.
Unlike September Sky, River Rising, The Lane Betrayal, and The Fountain, the first books of my last four series, The Patriots will focus more on people than events. It will focus on the brothers; sisters Abigail (20) and Rachel (14) Ward; and Douglas Maclean, the boys' great-uncle and the patriarch of a Scottish clan that goes back centuries.
It will also lay the foundation for a trilogy that spans the length of the revolution, a conflict I am covering for the first time. It will set the stage for more action-oriented stories in books two and three.
Because of the book's length, I don't expect to finish the first draft before July. I do expect to have the finished product out by October 1.
Credit: Spirit of '76, an 1875 oil painting by American illustrator Archibald MacNeal Willard, is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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