Writing the Westward Sagas

 I was honored to introduce State Senator Jeff Wentworth, the keynote speaker, at Let Freedom Ring in front of the Alamo on July 4th. Here are some photos of that wonderful, patriotic event.

I’ve described Spring House this way:

The Mitchells just wanted to be left alone to farm their land, practice their faith, and raise their family. But the way they responded to life on the new frontier, politics, and war made heroes of these ordinary citizens.

Other Patriots of the Revolutionary War also wanted to live their lives quietly … but, as this video says, they gave up their quiet lives to live loudly for liberty. Let’s remember their service and their sacrifices - and the service and sacrifices of all those who have followed in their footsteps - on this Independence Day.
 

Let Freedom Ring™ is an annual nationwide celebration honoring the Patriots who helped us gain our independence in the Revolutionary War. The observance begins in Philadelphia at 2:00 PM when the Liberty  Bell is rung by four young descendants of signers of the Declaration of Independence. Then bells around the country are sounded 13 times in honor of the 13 original colonies.

As President-Elect of the San Antonio Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, I will be standing proudly in front of the Alamo at 1:30 PM on July 4th for the local ceremony. I will introduce the keynote speaker, State Senator Jeff Wentworth. Highlights of the event include the posting of the colors by a color guard in period costume and the ringing of the bell.

The National Observance will take place in Philadelphia, and bells will ring across the nation to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. You can watch a video, download a brochure, and learn more at Let-Freedom-Ring.org.

My ancestor Adam Mitchell was one of the brave Patriots who helped to create a new, and free, nation. I am proud of him and all our Patriots and grateful for their sacrifices that made us free.

If you live in the United States, I hope you will join me on July 4th in commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence 232 years ago.

If you’ve visited here regularly, you’ve met my companion Lulubelle. I’ve written about several adventures we’ve shared: a day trip of fun and history, a spread in the local newspaper, and enjoying the grounds of my ancestors’ church on a research trip. I’ve even offered an autographed picture of Lulubelle.

I’ve been training her … then one day, I realized who had been training who.

• Promptly at 5:00 PM, Lulubelle comes to my desk in my home office and lets me know it’s time to quit work for the day. Not for my benefit, you understand, but because 5:00 PM is time for me to feed her.
• After dinner, as I’m watching TV, Lulubelle goes and gets her leash, puts it in my lap, and sits on the floor in front of me. She sits there looking at me until I get up and take her for a walk.
• When she wants to go outside, she bumps the doorknob once with her nose as a signal for me to open the door. When she’s ready to come back inside, she bumps the outside doorknob for me to let her in.
• If I fall asleep in the chair, Lulubelle wakes me up to let me know it’s time to go to bed.

Animals of all kinds communicate with humans who take the time to understand them. When I ranched, I could always tell when something was wrong with one of my cows. I’d take the animal to the vet. When asked what was wrong, I would reply, “I don’t know, but something’s not right.” Sure enough, the vet would examine the cow and find a problem that wasn’t readily apparent.

The communication is nonverbal. The look in the animal’s eyes and the way it hold its ears deliver a message. If people can’t communicate with animals, it’s not the fault of the animals - it’s because the humans haven’t taken the time to learn.

I get annoyed with folks who talk baby-talk to their pets. Dogs and cats don’t understand language - not adult language and not baby-talk. They do understand gestures, motions, and emotions.

Lulubelle and I don’t talk politics or the affairs of the world. She’s teaching me what’s important: quit work and relax when the day is done, eat regular meals, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest. And, most importantly, share your life with a loving friend.

I’m still working on Adam’s Daughters, then I’ll write Rebeckah, the last book in The Westward Sagas. My next project will be a book in Lulubelle’s voice in which she teaches a young pup how to train its master. Here’s a sneak preview:

When they bring you home from a trip, look for the most expensive-looking rug in the house to do your business. After that, they’ll remember to let you outside as soon as you get home.

(Note: This post is my entry in the What I Learned From Animals Group Writing Project at Middle Zone Musings and the High Callings Blogs.)

Technorati Tags: What I Learned from Animals, Lulubelle, pets

We always hear, “You can’t judge a book by the cover.” Yet readers do that every day. It seems that book buyers look at the cover first when they’re shopping for a book. If the cover doesn’t appeal to them, they aren’t likely to pick up the book.

I had a clear picture of what I wanted for the cover of Spring House, but at one point, it seemed that the cover would be all wrong. You can read all about what happened - and how Spring House ended up with the perfect cover - in an interview at Judge a Book by the Cover.

After the book came out, I visited the area of Tennessee where the second book in the Westward Sagas, Adam’s Daughters, is set. I had the opportunity to visit a home built by William Fain, the son of Nicholas Fain, who was an important character in history and in my books. There I saw a real spring house that matched my vision. You can see a photo of the real spring house and the cover art side by side in an earlier post - and I think you’ll see why I’m so happy about the way the cover turned out.

You can read more about Spring House at In Detail with Nikki Leigh. Nikki asks some interesting questions, including what motivated me to become an author. I hope you enjoy learning more about my story.

Spring House: Book 1 in the Westward Sagas is featured at It Is All in the Setting.

Hope you enjoy reading more about the setting of my story.

Technorati Tags: all in the setting, Spring House

Two hundred and twenty seven years ago today, my ancestors’ farm was turned into a battlefield.

According to the National Park Service Web site Guilford Courthouse: A Pivotal Battle in the War for Independence:

The morning of March 15, 1781, was clear and cold. A light frost had disappeared under the first rays of the sun, but the ground underfoot was soft and spongy from long winter rains and snows. In the damp woods of what had been an isolated farming community in the Piedmont on a major east-west road through North Carolina, some 4,400 American troops, in various uniforms and country clothes, waited for battle.

This backwoods county seat of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, was the site of a pivotal battle in the Revolutionary War’s decisive Southern Campaign. The engagement set the stage for the region’s liberation from enemy occupation and impelled British general Lord Charles Cornwall to take the ill-fated road that led him to final defeat at Yorktown, Virginia, seven months later.

My fourth great grandfather, Adam Mitchell, was one of the local militia in country clothes that day. As the battle spread, the nearby Mitchell Farm became part of the battlefield. Adam’s mother, wife, and children hid in the spring house, where Margaret Mitchell defied a British soldier to save the family pewter, which would have been made into bullets if captured.

Spring House: Book 1 in the Westward Sagas tells the whole story of the battle, Adam’s capture by the British, his mother’s negotiations for his release, young Robert being compelled to bury the dead, and the effects on the battle on the children.

Today, I just want to pay tribute to a famous battle on an infamous little farm in Guilford County - a little farm that is now part of the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.

Technorati Tags: Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Revolutionary War

March is National Women’s History Month, and the topic of the next Carnival of Genealogy is A Tribute to Women. Last year, I recognized my fifth great grandmother Margaret Mitchell for her heroic actions during the Revolutionary War. Now it is time to recognize Margaret’s granddaughter, Rebeckah.

When I first mentioned Rebeckah, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Mitchell, in Spring House, I spelled the name Rebecca, as several records indicated. However, as I described in What’s in a Name?, I later learned the correct spelling of the name from the family Bible. I’ve spelled it correctly in Adam’s Daughters, my current work-in-progress and the second book in the Westward Sagas. The third book will be titled Rebeckah and will tell my great great great grandmother’s story.

Rebeckah married Thomas W. Smith in Tennessee and in 1836 moved to Stephen F. Austin’s colony in the village of Bastrop, Texas. After Mirabeau Lamar chose Austin as the capital, Rebeckah and Thomas moved to the new city in July 1840. They bought two outlots in the town that had been laid out by Edmond Waller in 1839. Lots 17 and 18 were the furthest north lots in the city, just north of today’s Hancock Golf Course.

Shortly after the move to Austin, Thomas Smith was scalped and killed by Indians about three miles from home. Not long before that, his brother had been killed and his nephew Fayette Smith captured by Comanches.

Following the strong tradition of the women in the Mitchell Family, Rebeckah managed to keep the household together and assist her sister-in-law Angelina Smith in finding Fayette. It took the women almost three years, but they located Fayette, paid a ransom, and secured his return to Austin.

Living in the primitive conditions of the time required endurance and courage, and it took a special kind of woman to be able to support a family and rescue a loved one from captivity by Indians.

The more I research the lives of my ancestors in the early days of Austin, Texas, the more amazed I am by the strength of the women in my family.

Technorati Tags: Carnival of Genealogy, Austin, Rebeckah Mitchell Smith

DearMyrtle, who has been online since 1984 and giving practical, down-to-earth advice for family historians since 1995, recognizes outstanding genealogy resources on the Internet each week.

She lists best blog, instruction, database site, scanned image site, podcast, video, commentary, innovation, most interesting thread, and ethnic studies. All good resources to check out … and I especially liked #9 on this week’s list.

Technorati Tags: DearMyrtle, genealogy