Tempus Fugit by Victoria Chatham

My favorite clock is a pretty thing I’ve had for forty-six years. However, its stained casing and tendency to quickly run down indicates its age more than the time. I find it somewhat depressing that we have already arrived at November 22, 2018. Depressing because, where has all that time, and especially this year gone? Am I the only one who struggles with this phenomenon, or does anyone else find the passage of time a puzzlement?

The seasons blur one into the other with none of the clear delineations I remember as a child and I don’t know if this is a factor. Or is it, now that I am older, I move more slowly and can’t (or more honestly) don’t want to rush and enjoy what I do because I have few distractions? 

Or is it that the retail sector bombards us with seasonal celebrations before we have even got to them. Once January 1^st rolls around Valentine products very soon hit the stores. No sooner is that done then everything moves on to Easter, and then Mother’s and Father’s Day with a dozen or more celebrations along the way of Best Friends Day, Secretary’s Day – you name it, somebody and their dog have a day. And then it’s Halloween and Thanksgiving and very soon it will be Christmas and New Year’s and the whole ball of wax starts rolling all over again.

And what do we have in between? Not always blue skies, barbeques, and baseball. But I like to think that along the way we can at least take a little time, at some point, to put down the pen, close the computer, and take a breath of fresh air while sipping on a good cup of coffee or glass of wine while we are doing it. I’ve never been a poet but do appreciate poetry and one of my favorite poems is Leisure by William Henry Davies. It begins ‘What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.’ For the full verse check out www.davidpbrown.co.uk/poetry/william-henry-davies.html.

So now that I have taken the time to complain about time, it's time to start writing again or I'll run out of time before the next chapter is finished!

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Up, up and Away

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Up, up and Away

 

Just the other day Stan Lee passed away. For those of you who don’t know he, along with artist Jack Kirby, created Marvel Comics. Many great characters were born from this; Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Ironman, The Avengers, X-men, The Mighty Thor, Incredible Hulk and Captain America to name but a miniscule number of them. Obviously a very creative and talented person. I cannot begin to perceive what it takes to crank out a story a month for each one of these characters, along with what was needed to put together an entire illustrated comic book.

But even more than that he created characters that seemed real. Although they could save the world every other day, they had issues. For instances Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, couldn’t work up the courage to ask the girl he loved on a date. As a teenager growing up I could relate. There were a couple of girls I was very attracted to, but just couldn’t find the courage.

          In the days before computers and video games I’m sure there were a lot of youngsters who, like me, lived in their heads while reading comic books. I used to deliver the local newspaper through sun, rain and snow (and growing up in Edmonton there was an awful lot of the latter) and saved all of my earnings in order to rush to the local drugstore to buy the newest offering of any of the above-mentioned titles.

          I grew up collecting them and eventually became an entrepreneur. My great friend Ron Smith and I would attend comic book conventions and local flea markets buying and selling. At one time I was the proud owner of nearly 5,000 comic books. Yes, obsessed and crazy, but the one thing I have realized since is that they inspired the way I write, creating a particular mindset. When I write a scene for a novel or a short story, I see an entire picture, like a frame-to-frame page in a comic book, and put it down on paper. 

The first thing I ever had published was a letter in the fan pages of one of my comic books (1990, letter to editor, Legion of Super-Heroes #6, DC comics). Yes, I still have a copy of that today. It was the first thing that made me realise I can do it, and I am a writer, and made me continue to believe in myself. It was nearly twelve years later that I won a first-page-to-a-novel contest and that first page eventually became the first in my Stillwaters Run Deep Series, Raven’s Lament. From a very miniscule acorn a mighty oak (or maybe giant beanstalk is more apt here!) has grown.

Stan Lee was a well-respected and well-loved man. They say leave the world a better place than when you came into it. I think in his case he did just that. I’ve added a link to a video compilation of his cameos in movies made of his characters. Hope you enjoy. (Check out also my recent podcast and a teaser video; link also below.)

PS. Yes, for all of you true comic book aficionados the title is NOT from a Stan Lee inspired character, but from Superman in DC comics. But I thought it just fit as a title for a man on his way to the heavens.

 See you next month!

Stan Lee Cameo's video

My recent podcast on the Dr. Lesley Phillips show

https://drlesleyphillips.com/intuition/first-nation-legends/?fbclid=IwAR3scD3BwyEPLToYhxUYQqXp0botD4JQttZ3x1qgrQU1W5jJVpl4LLIi4yE



My Teaser video for Raven's Lament

Sincerely

Frank Talaber

twosoulmates@shaw.ca

My webpage

http://twosoulmates.wixsite.com/frankt-author-blog

Frank Talaber’s Writing Style? He usually responds with: Mix Dan Millman (Way of The Peaceful Warrior) with Charles De Lint (Moonheart) and throw in a mad scattering of Tom Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues).
PS: He’s better looking than Stephen King (Carrie, The Stand, It, The Shining) and his romantic stuff will have you gasping quicker than Robert James Waller (Bridges Of Madison County).

Or as is often said: You don’t have to be mad to be a writer, but it sure helps.

My novels on Amazon are at:  https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Talaber/e/B00UC407R0

https://www.facebook.com/FrankTalaber/

https://www.facebook.com/franktalaberpublishedauthor/ (My facebook short story page)

http://bwlpublishing.ca/authors/talaber-frank-suspense-urban-fantasy-canada/

Thanksgiving: How The Day Became a National Holiday in the USA

Dangerous Sanctuary by J. Q. Rose
Cozy Mystery
Find more mysteries by J.Q. Rose at BWL Publishing

Hello and welcome to the Books We Love Insiders Blog! 
I'm J.Q. Rose.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 22 in the USA

The USA celebrates Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 22. Our nation has celebrated this traditional event since 1863 after Abraham Lincoln signed the declaration establishing the day as a national holiday. Before this, only Washington's Birthday and Independence Day were national holidays.

I have a question for your Thanksgiving Day guests and family. Who influenced the President to consider declaring a national Thanksgiving Day? The New England states celebrated Thanksgiving, but it was not a holiday in the rest of the country. 

Writer Sarah J. Hale is credited for influencing President Lincoln's decision. She was a persistent woman, writing to five presidents asking for the holiday.  She began her campaign in 1846, but it wasn't until 1863 when she finally convinced Honest Abe to support legislation to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. The new national holiday was considered a day that could unify the nation after the horrendous Civil War had split the country.

Not only achieving recognition for Thanksgiving Day, but also Sarah's legacy is seen in her support of establishing historic sites and in her belief for higher education for women, establishing a college for women, Vassar College. The idea of educating women was not a popular idea in the mid-1850's. She also the editor of an influential magazine, Godey's Lady's Book. 

And one more item for your trivia game on Thanksgiving Day. Sarah J. Hale wrote the nursery rhyme, "Mary's Lamb," which is now known as "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

For more information about Sarah Hale's legacy, click on the titles of the following articles:

The National Women's History Museum article on Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879)

Wikipedia article on Sarah Josepha Hale

***

Can you think of more questions about Thanksgiving to ask in your Trivia game? 

Please share in a comment below. Thanks. Oh, and don't forget to include the answer!!

Wishing you a 

Happy Thanksgiving

from

J.Q. Rose

Click here to connect online with J. Q. Rose