Into the Fire

This is a brief snippet from my WIP, Chapter 20 – mostly told from first person male POV. The tale of a love story . . . 

If I ever fantasized about being a teenager again or in my 20s and feeling those sensational attractions and lusty results – which I honestly did not fantasize about ever – these feelings concerning Sara reminded me of them with one difference. Without Savanna Dade in the mix, I relished every lustful contact I made. And, ugly as it is and was, I didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings but my own. I wanted the satisfaction of those sexual romps, experimenting with each female I had the pleasure of seducing. The stark difference I was discovering in my current state of mind? I wanted to treat Sara with a respect she could recognize, which meant something to her, that she could know was definitely not the same as I’d always been or done. I guess I wasn’t really very good at it. Yet.

Father, apart from you, I can do nothing. Thank you for words and characters, stories of love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Many of us teenage girls gave their parents enough anxiety to last them a lifetime – without ever intending to be that girl who did. I loved my parents. In my eyes they were the best parents in the entire world. I still hold them that dear to my heart. They were the best for me. They made mistakes like every parent does but those they made were never without regret, and most of the time I didn't figure out they'd made any for a long, long time. 

Just yesterday evening I had to laugh at a memory of my dad and me when he was doing his best to help direct me to wherever it was I needed to go in life. He and mom sent me to the University of Washington where I concluded I'd had enough of school and didn't want any more of it. What I wanted was an adventure, bold and naive, so I talked a friend of mine into going to Europe. We went to work for a year and then left on a nearly 3-month trip to Great Britain and Europe. Indeed the adventure of a lifetime. 

So returning home, taking one more class at the UW, then floundering, not wanting to go back to work at retail, the time came where my dad sat me down on the hearth in the kitchen in front of the big brick fireplace and said, "Nicole," (and he only called me "Nicole" when he was dead serious), "What would you be if you could do anything in the world?" 

I gave his question about a 3-second evaluation and proudly proclaimed, "I'd be an actress." 

My dad, bless his kind heart, did not roll his eyes. Instead, after shedding the astonishment (I'm sure), replied calmly, "What else?" 

That right there – that serious but composed father of mine doing his best to maintain, made me laugh out loud at the memory of myself making impossible assertions to a dad who'd endured the depression, lost the tip of one finger in the copper mines, whose Mom left his family after his youngest brother was born, and who somehow through the God-given business-sense and virtually less than a junior high school education, was now an Executive Vice President of a retail chain. Made me laugh at my own incredulity and smug assertion.

But to answer his second question, I said, "I'd work at Longacres." 

And that, my friends, is how those over 30 years in horse racing all began. It's a fun memory. 

Father, you gave me wonderful parents who I loved deeply. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

This is the order in which they were published. However, Breath of Life was written after Sweet Release and Destination. It is not available for e-readers. Sweet Release, Destination, and . . . in a love song are not available in print. 

Father, thank you for them all. Thank you for all that you do in inspiring these stories and giving me the words to write them. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

The Yardbirds was one of my favorite groups, and I saw them live at the Eagles Auditorium in Seattle. Their lead singer (Keith Relf) had a tragic death at the age of 33. Although the rock band was my favorite, Keith loved the blues. Sadly, there were a lot of tragic deaths in the era of the best rock 'n' roll music ever.

Father, you know every soul and their condition when they leave this world. We ask that you keep seeking out those hearts who are lost and desperately in need of your Son. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Knowing the ins and outs of correct grammar is essential to authors. To be able to speak and write words appropriately is a dying art, obviously no longer stressed in schools. It's been reduced to text-size communications with abbreviations we've all come to recognize – well, at least some of them. LOL. 

"Back in the day" grammar was emphasized and insisted upon. That didn't mean everyone could or would speak it appropriately, but it was correctly taught. 

Much of yesterday's grammar was formal – too formal for contemporary fiction in most cases. For authors writing historical novels, some of that formality can be retained. 

I have an ongoing argument with some of the rules of the trade pursuant to correct grammar. For example, it seems ridiculous to me to use quotation marks around a particular featured word or name and to include the following punctuation, that being either a comma or a period, inside the final quotation mark. In my opinion, it should be outside the final quotation mark. (I'm not talking about dialogue.) 

That's my pet rant for this Monday. If you've got any complaints you'd like to share about grammar, feel free!

Father, apart from you, I can do nothing, write nothing. Thank you for all the stories and words. Help me to honor you with them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

     And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 

     I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 

Revelation 20:1-6 (NIV)

This little girl is quite serious. I basically stayed that way with a bit of the attitude you see here. Sometimes, this is exactly how I feel and probably with so many years added on can still accomplish that particular stare if things strike me just right. Kind of fun to see the "you" of those young years. 

Father, you've watched over me my entire life, and I can never thank you enough for rescuing me from myself. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

This was one fabulous group with some great songs. Loved them. 

Father, thank you for your wonderful musicians/singers/all of it. You didn't have to leave us with music or beauty, but you did. Your creation still performs with your God-given talents and gifts. May each one know from whom theirs come. Thank you is never enough! In the Name of Jesus, Amen.