2026 E : Emotive

 

I don't write heavy emotional tales. I want people to be able to escape their everyday lives not add to the despair and sadness. therefore topics don't include addiction, recovery, tragic loss, or a number of other things that for a time were called “literary.” However, There are exceptions. Stories not intended to make you cry, but do. One was in From the Back Street to Main Street ... And Beyond which recounted the leaving of a longtime pastor. 

The other, which for years required a warning label was also for a local history. People were warned besides that the final chapter covered the impact of the events of September 11th, 2001 on the town. There was the personal aspect of having once worked in one of the twin towers and standing on the boardwalk a few blocks from my home and watching the smoke plume rise from the buildings across the bay.

Emotive came into my vocabulary when a reader used it to describe the novella, "Forever Bound" in the anthology, First Change: Legends From the Eyrie.

~till next time Helen 

If you want to see my previous postings for the challenge, go here. If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the participants.

From the Back Street to Main Street ... And Beyond available at Amazon

Matawan and Aberdeen: Of Town and Field available at Amazon

Finding new sources

One of the issues when researching setting, events, or even the attributes for a character is finding a source. Which often can mean finding someone to talk. Historical societies can be a font of information. And not just dates and events, but town personalities as well.
A favorite cartoon that I used to to take to book signings and lectures related to the topic of people's memories. In the first panel, the author is interviewing several old timers, requesting information on town events. To a man they said things like, "nothing happened here," or "nothing to talk about." The next panel is at the book signing. These same old timers who provide any information on the town history when asked, are looming over the poor author. "Why didn't you include XXX?" and "Why didn't you mention YYY, he was important to the town."

Special events and anniversaries provide a unique view into the past of an area. And the way an event is commemorated (or not) provides insight as well. An advantage is that at anniversary events is that memories are at the forefront.

And at happy occasions, people are often more willing to talk. 

Happy researching. Click on the pull-down meni for more information on the dark side (aka non-fiction) books that required a lot of research.
~Till next time. Helen

2021 H : Historian

 

Those of you who have come along on the journey to worlds of imagination have seen references to (or at least hints about) a background in history. Much of my work involved various aspects of a  local history museum and the 17th century building that housed the collections. Even though the museum was the site of a Revolutionary War skirmish, the collections covered the entire span of the town's history. As a result of my association, I also had the opportunity to attend conventions, learn about different eras, and have back room tours of museums. Although I admit it was hard to keep my hands in my pockets so I didn't appropriate an item that I loved or thought would look good in one of the mansion exhibits. 

Unlike Indiana Jones, the archaeological digs I've participated in were not at ancient lost temples but at sites focusing on the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Metal detectors were used to help document the flow of battle; while at other times a trowel and sifter were our tools as we cleared and investigated survey squares. In some ways even though the area was smaller, the survey digs presented more of a challenge. One time  could see the handle and part of one side of an artifact and had to resist the urge to remove. The bulk of the item was outside the marked square and the rule was to leave undisturbed ground and what it contained for future researchers.

How does this experience translate to the writing life?

I think it helps bring the historical aspects a realism I couldn't achieve without the knowledge of life in the past. Research is a fun part of history and the information gathered can be used in more than just non-fiction.

Speaking of non-fiction, I have to admit authoring works that are so far away from fiction that I call it the dark side. Around Matawan and Aberdeen, Of Town And Field: Matawan and Aberdeen, and From the Back Street to Main Street ... And Beyond are the titles of my published local histories.

Around Matawan and Aberdeen - Amazon  /  Info & Buy Links

Of Town and Field <- Amazon  /  Info & Buy Links

From the Back Street to Main Street - Amazon  /  Info & Buy Links

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

To make following the hop easier, here is the link to all my posts. Just remember, the next day's post isn't live until midnight.

~ till next time, Helen

The Sentry, #MFRWHook

Although my excerpts for the MFRW Book Hooks blog are usually romance. This week's book hook is another clip from Hearth and Sand. Instead of a ghost story like last week's clip from "Echoes From The Valley," presented for your consideration another aspect of sentry duty. Another difference is that instead of an excerpt from a short story, this week's book hook features selected verses from the poem aptly titled, "The Sentry." Like the other stories in the collection that comprises Heart and Sand, "The Sentry" reflects a continuity of service from the past to the present.

Although the poem pertains to a tomb of an unknown soldier, the inspiration for this piece did not come from the memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Instead it was from a day when solemn commemorations held in a small town to mark the one-year anniversary of 9-11-2001 replaced the laying of a wreath in Arlington or the toss of one into the sea. The image of a sentry was a solitary bagpiper atop a hill. The flag was not draping a casket but hoisted from the extended ladder of a firetruck. A line of helmets atop empty boots symbolized the cost of duty.

Excerpt:

Eerie notes float across the field
A signal that day is done.
But not for me... not for me
I am the chosen one.

My task is simple
The command understood
To stand my post
Here at the edge of the woods.

From each generation one soul is drawn
From among the honored dead.
No name is known, no one can mourn
He is a chosen one, a sentry for the dead.

And now I join them
An American soldier known but to God.
We came from desert, jungle, and field.
I am the latest of the lost.

**  END OF EXCERPT ***

For the rest of the poem, I hope you'll consider buying Hearth and Sand. Amazon    More Ebook Sellers 

The tales in Hearth and Sand cross genre from contemporary to historical, and science fiction to poetry and are a collection of twelve tales of those who served on the front lines and the stories of loved ones left behind who preserved the home front. Set universes apart and separated by decades in time, the stories in Hearth and Sand reflect a continuity of service from the past to the present and into the world of tomorrow. Although the events are fictional, the voices captured within these pages came from historical notes, veterans’ own words, letters left by their ancestors, or contemporary events. Pen was put to paper while watching fighter planes land in the Philippine Islands and in the shaded woods of a stateside farm.


Buy Links: Amazon    More Ebook Sellers

Notches on the Bucket #mfrwauthor

WEEK 7 OF THE 2018 CHALLENGE is officially Five Top Things On My Bucket List.  This post is going to be short. Despite my age, I try to tell myself I'm too young for a bucket list (just ignore the silver hair.) However, that topic was covered in the 2017 challenge. Rather than rehashing last year's post where I filled the bucket, I decided to take another tact and cover notches on the bucket.

As a result of my work as a correspondent and feature story writer, a few items have already been taken out of the bucket. I've had backroom tours of the collections of several major museums and attended some of the top antique shows in the country. 

Another notch went on the bucket while I sat in the exclusive pilots area and vintage aircraft perform.

Although unplanned, perhaps the first notch went on the bucket when Around Matawan and Aberdeen, my first history was published.

The next notch went on when Windmaster was released to the world. 


 

Expanded Distribution Now Available- From the Back Street to Main Streeet

Print book distribution expanded. And ebook now available for pre-order for the Kindle.


History of a congregation chronicled from its first church building back amongst the horse barns through to the 21^st century church.

From the Back Street to Main Street chronicles the Society of Methodists of Middletown Point from its early beginnings with circuit rider preachers to the current congregation of the 21^st century as the Matawan United Methodist Church in Aberdeen. Author Helen Henderson blends the context of times past with over 100 images as she presents over 180 years of the church’s history and that of the Monmouth County, New Jersey towns of Matawan Borough and Aberdeen Township.
 

Author Helen Henderson blends the context of times past with over 100 images as she presents over 180 years of the church’s history and that of the Monmouth County, New Jersey towns of Matawan Borough and Aberdeen Township.

• Two-hundred forty pages long
• 100 plates of photographs and artwork,
• comprehensive index.

Paperback Available at: Amazon   Barnes and Noble

What's in a Cover, Return to the Darkside

The series, "What's In A Cover," began with non-fiction. Taking advantage of a short hiatus from flying with dragons, I thought I'd celebrate the upcoming release of From the Back Street to Main Street… And Beyond by sharing its cover design.

Unlike the colorful covers for the fantasy series, the Dragshi Chronicles, the design for From the Back Street to Main Street utilized a different principle--KISS. Or for polite company, Keep It Simple SXXX (you fill in the blank.)

Unlike the previous non-fiction books, which covered multiple topics over an extended period of time, this one is about a single group for the shorter time span of only 180 years. And the final critera? The entire design one had to be suitable for a church.

Selecting a title was the easiest of the cover triad of title, image, and back matter. Combining the title of a slide presentation from an earlier anniversary celebration with a suggestion from a church member resulted in From the Back Street to Main Street… And Beyond.

The simplicity of the overall design meant the image increased in importance. A scan of the possible images grouped them into three possible themes: people, building, and objects.

Each category had its own issues. If a person, or group of people) was selected was from among the ministers, congregation members, or events received the honor? Various objects including the stained glass windows were evaluated and discarded. Only one window survived the demolition of the Main Street sanctuary and it was not available. Pictures taken over the years were not of production quality. The communion set seemed more appropriate for an antique reference. Early documents blurred into unreadability when seen in thumbnail size. Which left buildings.

No known image existed of the earliest sanctuary which left the landmark red brick building that graced the center of town for 100 years or the modern church of today.

For a history, some claim the older the image the better. But production issues such as crispness still had to be acknowledged. Laying out a selection of images in different formats from several eras helped narrow down the front cover image to three possible ones, then to one. A black and white cover wasn't wanted so the background became a solid color. Encircling the image with white provided contrasts for the art.

My personal approach to have a cover reflect the story raised the question of how to incorporate "And Beyond."  Putting both the old and new buildings made the cover too busy, especially with the long title. A reminder that the history book would be published in paperback as well as in digital format solved the problem of incorporating present and future with the past. The modern sanctuary went on the back cover.

Introducing From the Back Street to Main Street… And Beyond.

AVAILABLE AT: Paperback: Amazon   Barnes and Noble   

 ~till next time, Helen

What's In a Cover Pt 2

The "After 'The End'" series began with a few considerations about cover design. Continuing the topic will include examples of the thoughts that went into a specific cover design--and the resulting cover.

The first two examples are non-fiction. Deciding on a design was easy. The publisher had a standard template so fonts, layout, and colors were preset. However, that does not mean creating the final product was easy. The central image needed to be selected.

Hundreds of images in the collection had to be narrowed down to the five presented to the publisher, who would have the final word. In the case of the first example, since the state of electronic scanning was still developing, the original photographs would eventually be driven to North Carolina.

Among the considerations that went into the selection were visual interest and how the image represented the topic of the book. The picture had to be unique. In other words, it could not be in common use, such as in a calendar or as important, used within the book itself.

Many pictures that met the previous criteria came up short on the final selection requirement--quality. Many  of the eye-catching images had too many losses. In far too often a case, chunks of the picture no longer existed, which meant extensive restoration. Two things that were beyond time and budget limitations.

Other pictures might have been intact, but had insufficient crispness. When offset printed, details would have  been lost and/or the image blurred.

Now for the examples: The 1890s image of the downtown was chosen because of the grocery wagons. Why wagons when there is obviously only one. There were two wagons in the original and the entire building was visible, not just the one storefront. The uncropped picture was reprised on the reverse of the flyleaf.

The reverse tact was taken in the second example where the picture was selected because of the more panoramic view. Click on the appropriate title for more information on Around Matawan and Aberdeen or Of Town and Field: Matawan and Aberdeen.

Next post -- What went into the fantasy covers for the first two books of the fantasy series, the Dragshi Chronicles.

Till next time ~ Helen