From Memory to Action Helen Henderson

 

Windmaster Legacy by Helen Henderson
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Organizing old photographs, cleaning out family papers, or sorting boxes of ephemera all can bring on reminiscing. To me the word "reminisce," means to think, talk, or write about remembered events or experiences. A favorite cartoon I used to carry with me to book signings of my local histories dealt with memories and reminiscing. An author researching a book interviews all the old-timers in town. All said nothing exciting happened in the area. Until the book is published and at the signing, the same old-timers change their story. Now each one had a legend or story that should have, and would have been included, if the old-timers had only told the author. Fiction writers can have this same problem of "Why didn't you?" But, it may result more from an ending or why a character acted a certain way than a missing piece of history.

Although at least one dictionary uses the word "pleasant" to describe a reminiscence, In the 1990s, psychologists Lisa Watt and Paul Wong classified reminiscing into six types. Sometime reminiscing can be pleasant, some negative, or used to transmit history, values, or culture from one generation to another. In fiction, when a character reminisces, it can be a way to introduce their backstory, evince an emotion or to show the true personality of the character. If a memory has become obsessive, the character will act using that memory or emotion as a filter. But, for the reader to understand he needs to know the background. 

The snippit below is an example of how a memory impacts a character's action. Which is fortunate as the unnamed youth of this battle in Windmaster, returns in Windmaster Golem. This time as an experienced, skilled fighter, and friend to the man who saved his life.

Dal closed the distance to Ruaridh’s fragile protection. He lunged forward and knocked the sword from the soldier’s hand. Beneath the askewed helmet, Dal saw frightened eyes within a pale face.

He could not be more than sixteen turns, Dal realized. “Unless you want to join him, I suggest you leave.” The hope that flickered across the youth’s face brought a memory of another boy who stood disarmed before a superior warrior. He heard Telarim the Red’s words again, as if for the first time. I might as well use Telarim’s technique. “Return to your home,” Dal ordered the youth. “If in two turns you still want to soldier, find Telarim the Red. Tell him Lieutenant Dal sent you. Telarim will teach you well if you’re willing to learn.”

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

Now that you have the result of a character's youthful memory, next month a few of my own triggered by the season. As a teaser, an image from that time.

 ~Until next month, stay safe and read.  

Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination.
Follow me online at Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter .

Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who have adopted her as one the pack. 

Field of Ghosts by Nancy M Bell

 

To find more of Nancy's work please click on the cover.

After many many years of caring for horses I find that I am in possession of a field of ghosts. Emily aka Pikkasso Premiere crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday August 9, 2022. She was 22 years old and was born here. Today, in a field that once housed 6 horses and four cows, there is only Shady aka Shades of Ice, a TB mare who came to live her as Emily's companion after Max crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 

    When I look across the empty acres I feel the ghosts of those who lived here and have passed. I see them in the shimmer of heat over the grass, hear their voices in the whisper of the wind, in the laughter of the poplar leaves. Shady is doing well on her own which is a relief. Perhaps, she too, feels their presence and knows she is not alone. 

    Usually when a loved animal passes they are absent for a time before returning, but Emily hasn't left me. I feel her at my side as I'm walking, just as she always did in life. We took her last walk together and as always weak and crappy feeling as she was, she walked at my shoulder and trusted me to the last to do what was best.

    She contacted Potomac Horse Fever and declined very quickly.  Her kidneys failed and while the values did improve overnight while she was on high amount of fluids running IV and with her legs encased in ice boots to hopefully stop the possibility of laminitis (founder), she was in a huge amount of pain. She couldn't have pain meds as they would affect her kidneys which were only marginally beginning to work. Emily was mare who was full of piss and vinegar always, when we first got her to the vet she was literally leaning on me to stay on her feet, swaying and leaning on the wall. She stayed on her feet through sheer will. 

    Tuesday morning she stood with her head down, nose on the ground or leaning on my chest, eyes glazed over. The only times she would stir was when the spasms in her gut spiked. I stayed with her for an hour finalizing a decision I knew I had to make, but needed to be sure. Emily's actions and her body language told me without a doubt that she was ready to let go. Sometimes when you love something or someone so much, you have to make the choice to let them go. 

    We could have continued to treat her, but kidney injury is a long long road to recovery and in most likely hood that would not be anywhere near 100% recovery which could lead to other complications, even in the event she pulled through which was in no way a given.

    How could I ask her to go through that long corridor of pain when I couldn't promise her it would get better. The reality is we could have carried on for another few days, weeks or months and after all that the end result had a high probability of being the same. How could I ask her to endure that when she was telling me in the only ways she could that it was time to let go?

    And so we took our last walk together in this realm and I let her go, staying with her until her spirit left her body. 

    And now I look out over a field of ghosts. Tags (Tag n Passum), Laura (Laura's Miracle), Sue, the cow, Sunny (Pug's Escourt) (the mare) Emily's mom, Phil (Philosopher's Stone) her brother, Flash (MS Flashdance), Sam, Spook, Patches the pony, Sleeping Beauty the pony, Goat-the goat, Big Bird (Condor), Chance, Max, King, and now Emily.  

Until next month, be well, be  happy.

Emily, Phil and Big Bird photo by Michelle Kannenberg

Aging Days and Lost in Thought by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #Mfrw Author Thought #Lost Aging

 

I am usually upto date on when I post my blogs. Having a broken foot and moving slowly makes one feel lost. Thank heavens the huge boot is gone and I am able to move around. I'm busily working on my next book and it's moving slower than I'd hoped. That has been on my mind for weeks. Moving around using a walker isn't my idea of fun. Nor the huge shoe thing used instead of a shoe didn't help. But I'm finally back znd promise next month I'll be on time.

The cover shwon is of a book that's free almost everywhere except one place as far as I know. Temple of Fyre is a sensous fantasy that was fun to write, especially thinking of the fyrestones of many colors that had magical uses. The four books in the series were great to write. Dragons of Fyre is probably my favorite but than I have a great fixation with dragons having many kind from a small jade dragon to what is a light that's about fifteen inches wide and two feet long. This was once a decoration in a restaurant in town. Out of business now but my granddaughter bought the light as a birthday present. She didn't buy the four foot lego dragon, I'm glad.

Friends and Lovers, by J.C. Kavanagh

 

The Twisted Climb

Book 1 of the award-winning Twisted Climb series

Ah, friends and lovers. So many friends. So many good friends.

Wait now. I meant friends and lover. Just the one. He's all I need.

Back to friends. Life has been topsy-turvy lately dealing with family health issues. It's said 'you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends.' Whoever made that statement is absolutely correct.

My friends have been so supportive of me while I deal with family health issues. Some of these issues have, quite frankly, left me traumatized. That's where my good friends have come to the rescue. Wow, I didn't know I was loved so much and by so many. I am truly blessed. Their care and concern has propped me up in ways I can't quite describe. And I'm a writer!

But back to the title of this blog: Friends and lovers. Lover, actually, as I said before. He's my lover, my partner, my best friend of 18 years. He's been my rock, my adviser, my listener, my I'll-love-you-no-matter-what, kind of man. Again I say, I am blessed.

I've learned now, more than ever, to take each day as it comes. To love and keep on loving. To be truly grateful that I have another day and my family members have another day, and, God-willing, there will be another day after that. 

After the storm:
Hog Island, the North Channel

A Bright Darkness

That's the tentative title of Book 3 of The Twisted Climb series and it's the final chapter of the dream world/Un-World adventures. You're probably wondering - the Un-World? Where the heck is that? And - oh dear - why are Jayden, Connor and Max summoned there? More details to follow in upcoming blogs.

Until then, stay safe and keep on loving.

J.C. Kavanagh, author of 
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2)
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll
Voted Best Local Author, Simcoe County, Ontario, 2022
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh
www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh
Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh)
Instagram @authorjckavanagh

Introducing John Robichaud by Paul Doucette

 

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The latest John Robichaud release - July 2022

Hello again,

 I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a very good friend to all of you. His name is John Robichaud, Robie to his friends and colleagues. Born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, he grew up with limited possibilities for his future outside of fishing or mining. Then came WW I and he saw his chance for something else and maybe a bit of adventure, so he enlisted.

He was one of the lucky ones and survived the horrors of the trenches and bad leadership. Upon his discharge he and an American soldier he befriended returned home; he accepted his friend’s invitation to come with him to Boston. Shortly after arriving there, they decided to join the police force where he served and made a favourable impression with his superiors. It was not an easy time to be a cop since it was Prohibition and the city was rife with hoodlums, hustlers, hookers and every other form of criminal looking to ‘cash in’.

In time, he decided he was ready to return home to Nova Scotia but soon learned that he had seen too much, lived through too much to settle in his old life. He headed for the city – Halifax – in search of something to do. That’s when he saw an opportunity with the local constabulary and once again took to the badge. It wasn’t long before he came to the realization that this was his true calling and made the commitment to stay on to the ‘golden handshake’. The job proved to be easier and decidedly safer than his stint in Boston.

World War Two would change all that. For the six years he and his partner, Pete Duncan, would find themselves breaking up gin mills, illegal booze parlours, theft rings and running down the occasional German agent for Naval Intelligence, in some cases with tragic endings.

You can follow Robie and Pete’s exploits in the stories I have written and which are available through BWL.