I've been thinking about the kinds of posts I want to write, as opposed...maybe...to what kinds readers might want to read. Like many bloggers, I get bogged down and wonder what in the world I can write about that everyone hasn't already heard or read about. Today I'm going to tell you a little about The Freedom Thief, and how that story came to be written.
As a kid studying about the Civil War in around the 5th or 6th grade, I was fascinated by the fact that this war came about because of a difference of opinion or philosophy. And that that difference was so great, and so important to so many people, that it set family members against one another, as well as friends against friends. Of course, as I grew to adulthood, I came to realize that wars most often start because of that difference of opinion and philosophy, but never since the Civil War have we seen a division in philosophy of such magnitutde that it set brother against brother.
As a result of this interest, I became an avid reader of the Civil War, and of the organization known as the Underground Railroad, those men and women of Abolitionist and Quaker beliefs who organzied to help slaves escape their bonds and find freedom.
At the end of my first course of study at the Institute of Children's Literature, my last assignment was to write at least the beginings of a novel. Nothing pleased me more than to be able to turn my fascination with the Civil War and the Underground Railroad into a novel of adventure for kids.
When I first began this story, I titled it "Escape on The Train Without Tracks." My critique group thought the main character should be a boy, but about 15 or 16 years old. However, that age would bring it into the YA category, and I wanted this to be a middle grade novel. So I settled on a boy, 13 years old, but close to his 14th birthday. In the 1800s, especially on farms and plantations, both boys and girls of 13 took on a lot of responsibility in their families, working in the fields, helping train, groom, and drive the field horses, doing housework, cooking, learning to sew clothes, and so on. By the time boys turned 14, they were considered grown. I knew that this boy was going to organize an escape for his slave friends, and the younger he was, although still old enough to be plausible, the more impact it would have on young readers.
Ben McKenna became my 13 year old Main Character. I think probably I ascribed to him some of the characteristics of my older brother, who as a young boy, very often had a "difference of opinion" from my parents. And who often paid the price! Ben has two older brothers, Andrew and James, who are both very opinionated but seldom apart from their parents. All of the boys, as well as their parents, were born and raised in Kentucky, although the boys were raised in the city rather than on a plantation. Ben's mother grew up on her father's hemp plantation, where the final edition of this story begins. His father was not, yet both parents held very solid beliefs in the institution of slavery, and passed those beliefs along to Andrew and James. At the age of 5, Ben's father accepted a job in New York, and for the next 5 years, Ben grew up in the schools of the North, which taught him that slavery is a sin. He accepted those beliefs, but never discussed them or asked questions about slavery of his parents, as he already knew where they stood on the subject.
I did some heavy research into the background of the Underground Railroad, and was overwhelmed by the degree to which the Abolitionists and Quakers would go to help the runaway slaves. Thus, the first version of this story was heavily into that part of the Civil War. My instructor loved it, but even as I wrote, something was dinging me at the back of my mind. For a while, it never occurred to me that even a responsible, almust-adult 13 year old boy would probably not be privy to some of the information I was including in the story. I finished the first version of this story with glowing comments from my instructor, and a Certificate of Completion of Writing For Children and Teenagers from the Institute of Children's Literature (ICL).
The more I read and re-read my manuscript, the more I realized that something was off. I decided a needed more concentrated help, and enrolled in the Advanced Novel Writing Course at ICL. But there, my hopes faded away, as my instructor informed me that there were too many novels on the market about the Underground Railroad, and he didn't want me to pursue this venue. He wanted me to write a contemporary novel, instead. From his course, "The Year of The Scream, or Why I Hate Cheerleading, Chocolate, and Celine Carroll" was born. This novel's title has since been changed to "Cheers, Chocolate, and Other Disasters," which will be published by MuseItUp Publishing in spring, 2014.
I was thrilled with this instructor, and had a ball writing Cheers, but at the same time, I never lost hope for my Civil War novel. In my next post, I'll continue my personal adventure that led to the finished and published product of THE FREEDOM THIEF. I hope you'll stay tuned!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
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Monday, December 23, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Friday's Focus: Things You May Not Know About The Big Six Publishers
With one book published, and one due to come out in the spring of 2014, "publishing" seems to hang heavy over my head, and in my mind. I've also been thinking about why I chose to go the way of smaller, independent publishers, like MuseItUp. Most aspiring authors want one of the "Big Six", publishers whose names are like the brands of our favorite foods that everyone else also knows about. For many reasons, this didn't appeal to me. However, I did do some research about the big guys, and found a few interesting facts in some articles I read. I thought I'd pass them along to you.
The names of the Big Six are: HarperCollins, Random House, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan, The Penguin Group, and Hachette. But did you know that only two of these are US companies, and the rest are foreign holdings? The two US are HarperCollins and Simon and Schuster. Of the other four, two are German, one is British, and one is French.
HarperCollins was founded in 1817 in New York by two brothers, James and John Harper, and at that time was known as Harper & Brothers. In 1962, 145 years later, the company merged with Row, Peterson & Company, and became Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. Eventually, the Harper company by itself was bought out by a gigantic conglomerate, News Corporation Limited. In time, the company acquired a very old and distinguished publishing house, William Collins & Sons, founded in Britain in 1819. The distinguished name Collins was joined to the distinguished name Harper and became HarperColins. It is still a subsidiary of News Corp, the largest media company in the world.
In 1924, Simon and Schuster was established in New York by Richard Siman and Max Schuster. It was a unique publishing house, owned only by these two men, who approached the publishing business much differently than most along Publishers' Row: they were the first to offer booksellers the privilege of returning unsold books for credit; in 1939, they were the first to offer paperback books with the founding of Pocket Books; and in 1945, published the first "instant" book. In the year 2000, they became the first publisher to publish an electronic book, with the publishing of Steven King's eBook, Riding the Bullet, a worldwide publishing phenomenon.
More changes came about as the years passed: in 1944, Simon and Schuster and Pocket Books were sold to Marshall Field, the department store magnate. When he died in 1957, Simon and Schuester re-aquired the company in conjunction with Leon Shinkin and James M.Jacobson. These four men held the company in various combinations of ownership until Shinkin sold it to the international conglomerate Gulf + Western.
Eventually, through many twists, turns, and sales acquisitions, Simon and Schuster became part of the Viacom Entertainment Group in 1994. In 2006, when Viacom separated from CBS Corporation, Simon and Schuster became part of the CBS Corporation.
Currently, HarperCollins has fourteen imprints, and Simon and Schuster have thirty-five imprints. None of these imprints are what most people believe are small and independent publishing companies. They may have been just that, sometime in the long distant past, but now all are a part of these two mega-publishing companies.
Next week, the focus will be on the foreign companies.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
The names of the Big Six are: HarperCollins, Random House, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan, The Penguin Group, and Hachette. But did you know that only two of these are US companies, and the rest are foreign holdings? The two US are HarperCollins and Simon and Schuster. Of the other four, two are German, one is British, and one is French.
HarperCollins was founded in 1817 in New York by two brothers, James and John Harper, and at that time was known as Harper & Brothers. In 1962, 145 years later, the company merged with Row, Peterson & Company, and became Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. Eventually, the Harper company by itself was bought out by a gigantic conglomerate, News Corporation Limited. In time, the company acquired a very old and distinguished publishing house, William Collins & Sons, founded in Britain in 1819. The distinguished name Collins was joined to the distinguished name Harper and became HarperColins. It is still a subsidiary of News Corp, the largest media company in the world.
In 1924, Simon and Schuster was established in New York by Richard Siman and Max Schuster. It was a unique publishing house, owned only by these two men, who approached the publishing business much differently than most along Publishers' Row: they were the first to offer booksellers the privilege of returning unsold books for credit; in 1939, they were the first to offer paperback books with the founding of Pocket Books; and in 1945, published the first "instant" book. In the year 2000, they became the first publisher to publish an electronic book, with the publishing of Steven King's eBook, Riding the Bullet, a worldwide publishing phenomenon.
More changes came about as the years passed: in 1944, Simon and Schuster and Pocket Books were sold to Marshall Field, the department store magnate. When he died in 1957, Simon and Schuester re-aquired the company in conjunction with Leon Shinkin and James M.Jacobson. These four men held the company in various combinations of ownership until Shinkin sold it to the international conglomerate Gulf + Western.
Eventually, through many twists, turns, and sales acquisitions, Simon and Schuster became part of the Viacom Entertainment Group in 1994. In 2006, when Viacom separated from CBS Corporation, Simon and Schuster became part of the CBS Corporation.
Currently, HarperCollins has fourteen imprints, and Simon and Schuster have thirty-five imprints. None of these imprints are what most people believe are small and independent publishing companies. They may have been just that, sometime in the long distant past, but now all are a part of these two mega-publishing companies.
Next week, the focus will be on the foreign companies.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Friday's Focus: Focus Today on Fellow Author, Penny Estelle
Today is a red-letter day...for several reasons. The first is because my book, The Freedom Thief, was featured on Kelly Hashway's blog. Today turned out to be a surprise blitz day for her, also, so the two events garnered, at last count, over a 100 comments. Woo Hoo, Kelly!
The second reason for the red-letter is not so good. I told my fellow MuseItUp author, Penny Estelle, that I would showcase her Christmas story, The Unwanted Christmas Guest, bright and early this morning, in keeping with today's new release. But things never go as planned in my life, it seems! My computer froze up, the Internet went off for several hours, finally came back up but all I could do was get on FaceBook of all things, and then I couldn't pull up my email. So I am several hours late in posting this.
And the third reason is...my computer still is not reacting correctly, and I can't post either Penny's picture nor the lovely cover. But I'm still trying on that one.
Neverthe less, here is an excerpt from her Christmas story: please take a look, and comments are welcome!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Feel free to stop by and check out my other stories and/or
leave me a message. I love visitors!
www.pennystales.com
The second reason for the red-letter is not so good. I told my fellow MuseItUp author, Penny Estelle, that I would showcase her Christmas story, The Unwanted Christmas Guest, bright and early this morning, in keeping with today's new release. But things never go as planned in my life, it seems! My computer froze up, the Internet went off for several hours, finally came back up but all I could do was get on FaceBook of all things, and then I couldn't pull up my email. So I am several hours late in posting this.
And the third reason is...my computer still is not reacting correctly, and I can't post either Penny's picture nor the lovely cover. But I'm still trying on that one.
Neverthe less, here is an excerpt from her Christmas story: please take a look, and comments are welcome!
I can’t tell you how excited
I am that my very first ever Christmas story is being released today. The
Unwanted Christmas Guest is a story about Elizabeth McMurphy, an up and
coming high powered attorney, who is after vengeance. Her sights are set on one of the richest and
most powerful families in Colorado
When one of the worst
blizzards in history, hits Colorado and leaves
a hurt Steve York, stranded with Elizabeth
Excerpt
“What’s
going on here? Where the hell are my pants?”
“I found you after your car went nose to nose with a tree.” She
crossed her arms. “The question is, what were you doing up here in a snowstorm?
Were you coming up here to spy on me?”
“Jesus, my head hurts.” Steve groaned and
sat at the kitchen table. “And don’t flatter yourself.” He brought up his hands
to rub his eyes and push on his temples. He started to say something when a
giggle and a round of undistinguishable sounds caught his attention. Steve
stared at the little girl, a whisper of a smile on his pale face. “You have a
daughter?”
She chose to ignore the question. “Again,
Mr. York, you were headed…where?”
“I was going to see some friends in Granby
“You figured on taking a short cut on Badger Springs Road
“Basically,” he muttered. “I had a phone
in my pants pocket…” Steve looked down at the pink sweats. “Yours, I presume?”
At her nod, he asked with a smirk, “And you’re the one that took my clothes
off?”
“Junior, my neighbor.”
“If you’ll allow me to use your phone,
I’ll call Triple A and get myself and my car out of your life.” He reached over
to Katy and she latched onto his finger, the brightest smile ever illuminating
her sweet face.
“Internet?”
“Nope.”
“How the hell do you live here?” he asked
irritably.
* * *
Please find The Unwanted Christmas Guest and my other stories with
MuseItUp publishing @
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82
Thanks, Penny, for allowing me to share Friday's Focus on you and your Christmas story.
Don't forget, Christmas is for giving! You can get my book, The Freedom Thief, for giving as a Christmas gift at these places: Muse It Up Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo Books. Thanks!
Don't forget, Christmas is for giving! You can get my book, The Freedom Thief, for giving as a Christmas gift at these places: Muse It Up Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo Books. Thanks!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thursday's Thoughts: Thanksgiving Turned Upside Down
A week from today is Thanksgiving. Two weeks ago today, a good friend of mine died. She fought a brave fight against a cancer that would not be conquered, and finally lost that fight. Yesterday, at ten o'clock in the morning, one of my two very best friends died, suddenly and unexpectedly.
Just a few days before that, she had come over to give me a special gift, for no real reason...just to be giving. A beautiful little angel, dressed in white with red mittens on uplifted hands, and a cute red stocking cap on her head. When you turned her upside down, her hands and the end of the stocking cap made feet upon which sat her body...she was a cup.
Today, I can't look at that angel-cup without crying. And I can't help thinking, How can I be thankful this Thanksgiving, when a good friend and another one whom I loved greatly are both gone?
Several days ago, my other best friend who lives far from me in Montana, wrote a post about the "Tiny Pluses in a Minus World," and as I read that post, I realized that it is up to me to find those pluses in my world, no matter how tiny they might be.
It hasn't been easy. Especially today, when I am still reeling from Jackie's death. Jackie was Italian, from a typically large family, and she always had many stories to tell about "growing up Italian." They always put me in tears, either because they were so poignant I cried, or because they were so hilarious I laughed until I cried. But those stories, and their storyteller, are some of the pluses in my world. I may forget her stories, but never will I forget her.
Publishing has been a long journey, and a difficult one, at best. With so much bad news around me, it has been almost impossible to enjoy the fact that, yes, I am a published book author. Yet, I know that it is a plus, and far from a tiny one. I just need to take the time to recognize that fact and take pleasure in it. After all, Jackie was one of my biggest supporters, and she was super-excited when the publishing day came around.
My beloved husband is on the mend again, and oh what a HUGE plus that is! To have him at home, to know that he is getting better and stronger each day, means more to me than anything else in the world.
My children, my son, even though he no longer recognizes me as his mother, and my daughter who lives 300 miles away, are two of the biggest pluses in my life, as are my daughter-in-law and my grandchildren. Yet, they are the "obvious" pluses, and sometimes, we fail to realize that those closest to us are the most important "pluses" we could ever have. Sometimes we think we must search out that which seems almost ephemeral for it to be a real "plus" in our lives.
Still, I can't help but feel that Thanksgiving this year has been turned upside down. We have much to feel thankful for, but also much that has happened at this time of year that we still question, and wonder, "How do I give thanks for this?" This has been a "minus" year of great note for my family, and I think we all are wondering, "What will I give thanks for at the dinner table, when it comes my turn?" Yet, the pluses are there. We just need to look for them.
How about you? Has this year been one of more minuses than pluses? And how do you go about finding the pluses in your life, even if has been a good year?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Just a few days before that, she had come over to give me a special gift, for no real reason...just to be giving. A beautiful little angel, dressed in white with red mittens on uplifted hands, and a cute red stocking cap on her head. When you turned her upside down, her hands and the end of the stocking cap made feet upon which sat her body...she was a cup.
Today, I can't look at that angel-cup without crying. And I can't help thinking, How can I be thankful this Thanksgiving, when a good friend and another one whom I loved greatly are both gone?
Several days ago, my other best friend who lives far from me in Montana, wrote a post about the "Tiny Pluses in a Minus World," and as I read that post, I realized that it is up to me to find those pluses in my world, no matter how tiny they might be.
It hasn't been easy. Especially today, when I am still reeling from Jackie's death. Jackie was Italian, from a typically large family, and she always had many stories to tell about "growing up Italian." They always put me in tears, either because they were so poignant I cried, or because they were so hilarious I laughed until I cried. But those stories, and their storyteller, are some of the pluses in my world. I may forget her stories, but never will I forget her.
Publishing has been a long journey, and a difficult one, at best. With so much bad news around me, it has been almost impossible to enjoy the fact that, yes, I am a published book author. Yet, I know that it is a plus, and far from a tiny one. I just need to take the time to recognize that fact and take pleasure in it. After all, Jackie was one of my biggest supporters, and she was super-excited when the publishing day came around.
My beloved husband is on the mend again, and oh what a HUGE plus that is! To have him at home, to know that he is getting better and stronger each day, means more to me than anything else in the world.
My children, my son, even though he no longer recognizes me as his mother, and my daughter who lives 300 miles away, are two of the biggest pluses in my life, as are my daughter-in-law and my grandchildren. Yet, they are the "obvious" pluses, and sometimes, we fail to realize that those closest to us are the most important "pluses" we could ever have. Sometimes we think we must search out that which seems almost ephemeral for it to be a real "plus" in our lives.
Still, I can't help but feel that Thanksgiving this year has been turned upside down. We have much to feel thankful for, but also much that has happened at this time of year that we still question, and wonder, "How do I give thanks for this?" This has been a "minus" year of great note for my family, and I think we all are wondering, "What will I give thanks for at the dinner table, when it comes my turn?" Yet, the pluses are there. We just need to look for them.
How about you? Has this year been one of more minuses than pluses? And how do you go about finding the pluses in your life, even if has been a good year?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Friday's Focus: Today My Life Takes Another Turn
I suppose I should be writing this all in red, as today is certainly a red-letter day in my life. Today my very first full-length novel, THE FREEDOM THIEF, was released as an ebook publication from MuseItUp Publishers.
And I should be so excited I would be shaking, clapping my hands in glee, jumping for joy, and all of those "other things" excitement brings about.
I am happy! But, you know, it's more a kind of "sigh of relief" type happiness, instead of the "jumping for joy" kind. I suppose it's because I'm older than most first time authors...I don't think my bones would allow me to jump for joy even if I wanted to LOL
This day has been a long time coming...seven years, to be exact. So, yes, it is with a sigh of relief that I can now say, my historical adventure novel is finally on the market. And today, this journey I call my life takes just one more twist and turn, as I make the final arrangements for the launch party tomorrow, and then next week, begin to arrange for school visits. It's been a long journey, sometimes an exhausting one, with several tragedies in my family along the way that have made writing very difficult. Yet, through all of this, it has been my husband and my family that have seen me through, have been with me every step of the way, and have told me, "No matter what happens, don't stop, never stop writing."
And so, with pride and oh so much love in my heart for my awesome husband, I can say, THE FREEDOM THIEF is now a published book!
**********************************************************************
Thirteen year old Ben McKenna is leading his best friend, the crippled slave Josiah, and Josiah's parents Bess and Jesse, on a dangerous journey to find freedom across the Ohio River. Ben's father was going to sell Josiah, and Ben knew the only way to save him was to arrange an escape from the plantation. They have barely escaped with their lives from a collapsing underground tunnel, gone through a deep forest, and are now in a swamp. They are lost, and have no idea of what lies ahead.
sound of a rifle being cocked.
The link to buy the book is here:
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
And I should be so excited I would be shaking, clapping my hands in glee, jumping for joy, and all of those "other things" excitement brings about.
I am happy! But, you know, it's more a kind of "sigh of relief" type happiness, instead of the "jumping for joy" kind. I suppose it's because I'm older than most first time authors...I don't think my bones would allow me to jump for joy even if I wanted to LOL
This day has been a long time coming...seven years, to be exact. So, yes, it is with a sigh of relief that I can now say, my historical adventure novel is finally on the market. And today, this journey I call my life takes just one more twist and turn, as I make the final arrangements for the launch party tomorrow, and then next week, begin to arrange for school visits. It's been a long journey, sometimes an exhausting one, with several tragedies in my family along the way that have made writing very difficult. Yet, through all of this, it has been my husband and my family that have seen me through, have been with me every step of the way, and have told me, "No matter what happens, don't stop, never stop writing."
And so, with pride and oh so much love in my heart for my awesome husband, I can say, THE FREEDOM THIEF is now a published book!
**********************************************************************
Thirteen year old Ben McKenna is leading his best friend, the crippled slave Josiah, and Josiah's parents Bess and Jesse, on a dangerous journey to find freedom across the Ohio River. Ben's father was going to sell Josiah, and Ben knew the only way to save him was to arrange an escape from the plantation. They have barely escaped with their lives from a collapsing underground tunnel, gone through a deep forest, and are now in a swamp. They are lost, and have no idea of what lies ahead.
They were deep into the swamp now, and it seemed as though the stinking
waters were all that existed in this part of the world. There were many times when a sudden burst of air bubbles, signaling the settling of a submerged tree limb, popped up and startled them. At one point, Josiah stopped abruptly. In front of him and Ben was a piece of rusted iron, twisted roughly into the shape of a cross. It was leaning precariously against a tree, but the human skull sitting on top was the most frightening aspect.
Bess and Jesse caught up to them, and Bess said, “Ben, you think that be
somebody what died in this here swamp?”
“Could have been. But that’s not happening to us, so come on, let’s keep
going.”
They kept on sloshing their way through, and with no sense of time, Ben
wondered if they were going to be in this swamp forever. Daylight left the sky, and
the shadows grew longer and more ominous. An eerie glow emanated from the
waters, which Ben sincerely hoped was created from nothing more than the last
remnants of sunlight seeping through the trees. From time to time, the sound of
dogs came to them over the water, but they couldn’t tell if they were getting closer
or going farther away. They were too exhausted to speak, and after what seemed an
eternity, the steamy waters trickled out onto solid ground. The swamp had ended in
another deep forest, but the little group was too weary to even notice until Ben
stopped. “Listen, do you hear that? It sounds like running water. We’re in a forest
now, so this could be a fresh water stream.”
Jesse dropped his pole. “That be the river?”
“I don’t think so. I think it might just be a fast running stream. Come on, we all
need a drink of water.”
Jesse scowled. “I think we not ever gets to the river.”
Ben decided it would be best not to argue with the big man and headed in the
direction of the water sounds. He heard Jesse muttering behind him and Bess
whispering back.
“Hey, Ben, we be okay now? We outta the swamp so I can puts my pole
down?”
“Yeah, Josiah, I think so. See, this is pretty solid ground now. Look, I can jump
up and down and not fall in!” Ben demonstrated with a couple of jumps and had
Josiah laughing at his antics.
They reached the stream where the water was cold and sweet. Ben knelt with
the rest of his party, cupped his hands, and drank as much as he could. Bess opened
Ben’s shirt again and pulled out the apples, a few biscuits, and what was left of the
ham. Ben ate his share of the food before he tore the shirt into strips.
“What for you doing that, Ben?” Josiah’s eyes were bright with curiosity.
“I’m going to bury a couple of strips here, and then I’m going to walk around
in a circle and bury the rest of them. If the dogs get here, they’ll be confused and
won’t know which way we went.” He didn’t really think it would confuse the dogs
too much, but it was the best he could do.
They took another drink and followed the stream for a short distance. Now that
Josiah didn’t have his pole to lean on, his leg began to hurt. When he started
making little sounds of pain and trying to stifle them, Ben knew it was time to find
a place to rest. He led them into the underbrush in a particularly dense area and
soon the exhausted group fell asleep.
When Ben woke up, moonlight was shimmering through the trees. He heard
dogs barking, so the hunters were coming through the swamp. He shook Jesse
awake but put a finger to his lips and whispered, “We gotta be quiet, the hunters
are close by. Let’s get to the stream and follow it. Even if the dogs get this far,
they’ll lose our scent through water. Let’s go.”
When they reached the stream, Ben stepped into the cold water with the others
behind him. The sound of the dogs faded once again, and Ben drew in a deep
breath, catching a whiff of smoke. He looked around at Bess and Jesse, but they
were focused on helping Josiah navigate the swiftly-running water. He decided not to say anything about the smoke.
The moon rose, and now there was enough light in the forest for the trees to
cast their shadow. Bess caught up to him and said, “That moon be bright, Ben.
Maybe we should stop and hide so the hunters won’t see us?”
“I reckon we should keep on walking. If the hunters were close, the dogs would
be louder, and besides, it’s easier to get into the shadows now than it would be in
daylight.”
She fell back with Jesse again, but Ben knew she was concerned. When his
bare feet and legs numbed from the cold stream, Ben crossed to the other side and
led them into the thick underbrush of the forest. At times, Ben needed to cut heavy vines and twisting weeds out of the way. Jesse tried to step in the footprints that
Ben left, so walking was a little easier for Bess and Josiah. Occasionally, Ben
heard Josiah cry out, and he knew Josiah’s leg was hurting. Nevertheless, Josiah
refused to be carried.
As the moon faded, taking what little light it shed between the trees, Ben
started looking for a place to hide during the day. The wind was coming up, and
with their clothes still damp from sweat and the humidity in the swamp, and feet
and legs cold from the stream, all of them were shivering.
Ben stopped. “Look over there,” he whispered, as he pointed to something in
the distance. “Doesn’t that look like it’s a clearing of some kind? Maybe we should check it out.”
Jesse said, “Maybe we’s stay here, you go check it out.”
Ben sighed. Jesse still didn’t trust him completely. “Better sure than sorry, I
guess, Jesse. You stay here, and I’ll go see what it is.”
He waited until they had hidden before he moved forward until he reached the
edge of the clearing. There were no indications of people having been there, or a
path leading away. There was nothing but a small circle cleared out of the forest.
He turned to go, when a voice said, “Stop! Don’t move.” With the voice came the
sound of a rifle being cocked.
The link to buy the book is here:
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Friday's Focus: How a Story is Born
Ever since I studied about the Civil War in school, I've been fascinated by it. As a kid, I couldn't understand how family members, friends, and neighbors could disagree over a difference in philosophy to the point of being willing to go to war and possibly kill each other. That fascination continued into my adult life, although by then I knew that differences in philosphies are usually the cause of war.
Somehow, I knew that one day, I would write a novel about the Civil War, or about some element that was pertinent to that era. The Freedom Thief is the result.
Slavery was a long lost concept by the time I was born, but unfortunately, prejudice against African Americans was still alive and well. My mother was a first Generation American of French born-and-raised parents, but she was born in Texas at a time when the Southern thoughts and traditions were still prominent, and so was the belief that, in its day, slavery was acceptable. She tried to instill those same thoughts and traditions in me, but it didn't work. Looking down upon African Americans, at that time still called "Negroes," and believing them to be inferior was one of the concepts she believed in, and until the day she died, she could never understand my way of thinking, nor could she accept it.
In 1998, my husband and I took a barge trip down the Ohio and up the Mississippi Rivers. It was an awesome trip, with all the gorgeous autumn reds, golds, and browns in full bloom along the river. We went through some of the biggest locks I've ever seen, and at times, had to tarry along the river's edge, waiting for one or more working barges, loaded down with merchandice, to enter and finally exit the same lock we needed to go through. We were on River Time, like no other time in the world, and clocks and watches were of no use to anyone.
Our barge traveled slowly down the Ohio, before turning into the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi. It was exciting to see how the beautiful blue of the Ohio fought to maintain its color for almost a mile, before giving in to the powerful muddy brown waters of the Mississippi.
Along the way, we nosed our way slowly and carefully into tiny inlets full of water flowers, heavy vines trailing out into the river, and large tree roots hidden beneath the shallow water. These inlets allowed us to visit some of the oldest and most historic towns in the US, most of which were small and related in some way to the Civil War.
Murietta, Ohio, is a small town that played an important part in the Civil War as it was a major station in the Underground Railroad. Here many people, Abolitionists and Quakers, offered their homes with hidden attic or basement rooms as "safe houses" for escaping slaves. We visited a few of those homes, and in one, the basement was pretty much as it was in 1862...full of boxes and barrels that still contained the stench of rotting fruits and vegetables the owners had left there. They hid the slaves in the very back of the basement room, and the vicious smell of rotten food kept the slave hunters from going any deeper into the basement. The slaves who were hidden there over many years were never found by the slave hunters. When we were in Murietta, it was still a small town, but charming and friendly with unique shops with names like Mad Hen, Needful Things, Two Peas in a Pod, Turquoise Spirit, and Twisted Sister.
This basement, and the rotten food stored there, plays an important part in The Freedom Thief.
All of these small towns had museums with everything from spent shells from cannons and muskets, to the weapons themselves, to still-bloodied and torn uniforms of both Confederate and Union soldiers. There were dirty and wore diaries and journals, printed in faltering writing and English, all hand-written by slaves who were either still enslaved or who had been freed, either by escaping or by the end of the War. It was fascinating reading.
We visited the remnants of slave dwellings on the property of historical mansions, some still occupied, and often these occupants were descendents of the original plantation owners. We went through the narrow hallways and small rooms of forts, even climbing up to the parapets of one that had a magnificent view of the Ohio River. We saw all kinds of farm wagons with false bottoms that had been used to transport runaway slaves. I sat in one of the 'death coaches' that had carried many slaves hidden in coffins inside their glass interiors. We saw tiny hiding places in ramshackle barns, and walked up shaky staircases to hidden attic rooms. We gently fingered the terrible instruments, such as the iron collar and the Cat o'Nine Tails whip, used to punish disobedient slaves, or those who had escaped and been found by hunters and returned to their 'owners.' There were times when I was sure I could hear the screams of those being beaten.
When we returned to our ranch, I told my husband that I knew what I was going to write. That barge trip had turned into the perfect gem of an idea for a story about the Civil War. But, as so often happens to us all, life got in the way of my writing, and it was not until 2006 that I began to write for publication. I began a story, titled Escape on the Train Without Tracks, for my last assignment of my first course at the Institute of Children's Literature. It was a great story, but it didn't come to fruition until 2012, and over the years, it changed greatly. Today, only the characters I created for that first novel are left, and The Freedom Thief is vastly different from Escape...
The single most important aspect of Thief is that almost every single thing and place we saw and visited on that barge trip so many years ago is incorporated into the novel. Drifting down the Ohio and up the Mississippi Rivers on a funny little barge is not only the greatest vacation my husband and I ever took, but it is also perhaps the most important trip I ever took.
The Freedom Thief will be launched on Friday, November 8, 2013. I hope you will read and enjoy the dangerous journey Ben McKenna took when he arranged the escape of three slaves: his best friend and the boys's parents. The link to buy the book on or after Nov. 8 is: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Somehow, I knew that one day, I would write a novel about the Civil War, or about some element that was pertinent to that era. The Freedom Thief is the result.
Slavery was a long lost concept by the time I was born, but unfortunately, prejudice against African Americans was still alive and well. My mother was a first Generation American of French born-and-raised parents, but she was born in Texas at a time when the Southern thoughts and traditions were still prominent, and so was the belief that, in its day, slavery was acceptable. She tried to instill those same thoughts and traditions in me, but it didn't work. Looking down upon African Americans, at that time still called "Negroes," and believing them to be inferior was one of the concepts she believed in, and until the day she died, she could never understand my way of thinking, nor could she accept it.
In 1998, my husband and I took a barge trip down the Ohio and up the Mississippi Rivers. It was an awesome trip, with all the gorgeous autumn reds, golds, and browns in full bloom along the river. We went through some of the biggest locks I've ever seen, and at times, had to tarry along the river's edge, waiting for one or more working barges, loaded down with merchandice, to enter and finally exit the same lock we needed to go through. We were on River Time, like no other time in the world, and clocks and watches were of no use to anyone.
Our barge traveled slowly down the Ohio, before turning into the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi. It was exciting to see how the beautiful blue of the Ohio fought to maintain its color for almost a mile, before giving in to the powerful muddy brown waters of the Mississippi.
Along the way, we nosed our way slowly and carefully into tiny inlets full of water flowers, heavy vines trailing out into the river, and large tree roots hidden beneath the shallow water. These inlets allowed us to visit some of the oldest and most historic towns in the US, most of which were small and related in some way to the Civil War.
Murietta, Ohio, is a small town that played an important part in the Civil War as it was a major station in the Underground Railroad. Here many people, Abolitionists and Quakers, offered their homes with hidden attic or basement rooms as "safe houses" for escaping slaves. We visited a few of those homes, and in one, the basement was pretty much as it was in 1862...full of boxes and barrels that still contained the stench of rotting fruits and vegetables the owners had left there. They hid the slaves in the very back of the basement room, and the vicious smell of rotten food kept the slave hunters from going any deeper into the basement. The slaves who were hidden there over many years were never found by the slave hunters. When we were in Murietta, it was still a small town, but charming and friendly with unique shops with names like Mad Hen, Needful Things, Two Peas in a Pod, Turquoise Spirit, and Twisted Sister.
This basement, and the rotten food stored there, plays an important part in The Freedom Thief.
All of these small towns had museums with everything from spent shells from cannons and muskets, to the weapons themselves, to still-bloodied and torn uniforms of both Confederate and Union soldiers. There were dirty and wore diaries and journals, printed in faltering writing and English, all hand-written by slaves who were either still enslaved or who had been freed, either by escaping or by the end of the War. It was fascinating reading.
We visited the remnants of slave dwellings on the property of historical mansions, some still occupied, and often these occupants were descendents of the original plantation owners. We went through the narrow hallways and small rooms of forts, even climbing up to the parapets of one that had a magnificent view of the Ohio River. We saw all kinds of farm wagons with false bottoms that had been used to transport runaway slaves. I sat in one of the 'death coaches' that had carried many slaves hidden in coffins inside their glass interiors. We saw tiny hiding places in ramshackle barns, and walked up shaky staircases to hidden attic rooms. We gently fingered the terrible instruments, such as the iron collar and the Cat o'Nine Tails whip, used to punish disobedient slaves, or those who had escaped and been found by hunters and returned to their 'owners.' There were times when I was sure I could hear the screams of those being beaten.
When we returned to our ranch, I told my husband that I knew what I was going to write. That barge trip had turned into the perfect gem of an idea for a story about the Civil War. But, as so often happens to us all, life got in the way of my writing, and it was not until 2006 that I began to write for publication. I began a story, titled Escape on the Train Without Tracks, for my last assignment of my first course at the Institute of Children's Literature. It was a great story, but it didn't come to fruition until 2012, and over the years, it changed greatly. Today, only the characters I created for that first novel are left, and The Freedom Thief is vastly different from Escape...
The single most important aspect of Thief is that almost every single thing and place we saw and visited on that barge trip so many years ago is incorporated into the novel. Drifting down the Ohio and up the Mississippi Rivers on a funny little barge is not only the greatest vacation my husband and I ever took, but it is also perhaps the most important trip I ever took.
The Freedom Thief will be launched on Friday, November 8, 2013. I hope you will read and enjoy the dangerous journey Ben McKenna took when he arranged the escape of three slaves: his best friend and the boys's parents. The link to buy the book on or after Nov. 8 is: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Thursday's Thoughts: The Freedom Thief Is About To Be Launched!
As writers, do you ever get the feeling that you are writing in a vacuum, that no one really understands what you are trying to accomplish or why it is taking you so long to accomplish...whatever?
I've had that feeling for a long time. My family has always supported my writing, but there have been times when the unspoken look has said, "When are you going to get this done? Or just give it up?"
And I can understand that. Even though there have been three completed novels, and one almost finished during this time, it has taken me six years to get to this point with The Freedom Thief. SIX YEARS! That is a long time for one novel: two years of research, and four of writing, rewriting because my thoughts have changed, or my research has taken me in a different direction; sending to my critique group, then editing according to their well-thought out comments; a little more rewriting, more editing; finally sending the polished manuscript to a professional editor, and then on to the publisher who accepted it.
I started this novel for my last assignment in my first course at the Institute of Children's Literature. The title then was "Escape on the Train Without Tracks." That was in late 2007. At the time, the "train without tracks" refered to the Underground Railroad, the system that was in place to help escaping slaves during the pre-Civil War era.
Six years later, The Freedom Thief is about to be "born," and is a completely different novel. But then, how many times does that happen to us, when we start with one premise which evolves into another and another until the final result is miles away from day one? I seriously doubt I'm the only writer that has happened to!
It's been a long journey. One that has not altogether been a happy one, with all the tragedy our family has gone through. But my awesome husband has been with me ever step of the way, telling me, "Yes, you can do this, and no, you're not giving up." Without him, this book would never have been written. Richard, you are my hero and the love of my life.
The Freedom Thief launches at MuseItUp Publishing on Friday, November 8th, 2013. Click on the link below to reach the buy page. The price is $5.50, but for the start-up, the sale price will be $4.40.
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Because it is released first as an ebook, this is what you do: if you have a Kindle:
use the prc file: download the file to your computer in a safe location, plug in your Kindle USB, and drag that file into your Kindle folder.
If you have a Nook, Kobo, Sony, or some other reader, you do the same thing EXCEPT you use the epub file.
Next time, I'll be posting more about The Freedom Thief, and I'll even give you a small taste of what's inside!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
I've had that feeling for a long time. My family has always supported my writing, but there have been times when the unspoken look has said, "When are you going to get this done? Or just give it up?"
And I can understand that. Even though there have been three completed novels, and one almost finished during this time, it has taken me six years to get to this point with The Freedom Thief. SIX YEARS! That is a long time for one novel: two years of research, and four of writing, rewriting because my thoughts have changed, or my research has taken me in a different direction; sending to my critique group, then editing according to their well-thought out comments; a little more rewriting, more editing; finally sending the polished manuscript to a professional editor, and then on to the publisher who accepted it.
I started this novel for my last assignment in my first course at the Institute of Children's Literature. The title then was "Escape on the Train Without Tracks." That was in late 2007. At the time, the "train without tracks" refered to the Underground Railroad, the system that was in place to help escaping slaves during the pre-Civil War era.
Six years later, The Freedom Thief is about to be "born," and is a completely different novel. But then, how many times does that happen to us, when we start with one premise which evolves into another and another until the final result is miles away from day one? I seriously doubt I'm the only writer that has happened to!
It's been a long journey. One that has not altogether been a happy one, with all the tragedy our family has gone through. But my awesome husband has been with me ever step of the way, telling me, "Yes, you can do this, and no, you're not giving up." Without him, this book would never have been written. Richard, you are my hero and the love of my life.
The Freedom Thief launches at MuseItUp Publishing on Friday, November 8th, 2013. Click on the link below to reach the buy page. The price is $5.50, but for the start-up, the sale price will be $4.40.
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/69-our-authors/authors-s/379-mikki-sadil
Because it is released first as an ebook, this is what you do: if you have a Kindle:
use the prc file: download the file to your computer in a safe location, plug in your Kindle USB, and drag that file into your Kindle folder.
If you have a Nook, Kobo, Sony, or some other reader, you do the same thing EXCEPT you use the epub file.
Next time, I'll be posting more about The Freedom Thief, and I'll even give you a small taste of what's inside!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
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