Chesapeake Legacy in Print

The print version of Chesapeake Legacy, the second book in the Chesapeake Heritage series arrived yesterday. I was so excited when I opened the book and saw how different the book looks in print.

Working on a computer screen day after day seems to do something to my eyesight. I am having a time getting the bugs out of my work, and finally called in some friends to read the manuscripts and help me produce clean copy for the final editions. The first book in the series is out there with way too many errors and I want to apologize for that.

People have the idea that an editor cleans up a manuscript for her writer, but nothing could be further from the truth. The author is responsible for the state of one's work and I am here to tell you it is a long and dangerous journey. In taking that journey, I have learned the value of more eyes on the manuscript - and that different readers find different sorts of errors.

I am grateful to all of my first readers and hope to be able to present my readers with better books in the future -- with a little help from my friends!

So, humble pie is on the menu today, along with joy that the second volume of my series is in print.

Oh yes! Don't forget to look at the great cover! Dawn Tarr is such a good artist. I am so glad she is doing the covers for this set.

I sure hope you have a great day. If you see the groundhog, remind him that he is good eating and stay on the sunny side. Terry

Terry L White -Author of the Chesapeake Heritage Series
"Travel Through Time With Terry"
http://www.terrylwhitesblog.blogspot.com/

Blank pages

Happy Saturday Bloggers,

I guess you know by now that I have been obsessed with stories and writing ever since I was a kid. Blank sheets of paper have drawn me in and I have responded, writing down every stray thought, and occasionally drawing paper dolls (and their wardrobes) for my little friends when we all attended that little three room schools back in Pennsylvania.

Writing is hard, lonely work at times, but the good part is that it is also consuming, edging every other concern out of my mind when I faced hard situations in relationships or my personal economy. Working on a story can remove me from any problem and leave me relaxed and happy when the day is done.

I won't say that writing has fixed my problems, although it has provided an income over the years. I wrote for a daily newspaper for quite some time - providing up to five stories a day for the front page. A daily takes a big lot of stories, an sometimes the greatest challenge was to simply come up with enough ideas to fill the page. In a very real sense there are times in the life of a reporter that it is all the news that fits and the blank page can be a very real problem.

I like paper in all its various manifestations and have paper in neon hues and shades of pastel. I have textured papers and papers that are smooth and shiny - like that expensive magazines are printed on. Paper is great!

Don't get me wrong, I adore paper with words on it too. I read all the books in the three-room school library and tried to read all the books in the high school library. My house is too full of books and even though I purge them frequently, they keep coming back.

But I digress. This is an essay about blank pages, and I will say that it is sometimes a bit of a struggle to think of things to write about every single day. Sometimes the words just won't come, but you know something? There are always work that needs to be edited because the gremlins get in my work and take away punctuation marks and change the write word for the wrong one. Man! I have work to do! Keep on the sunny side, Terry

Terry L White -Author of the Chesapeake Heritage Series

"Travel Through Time With Terry"

http://www.terrylwhitesblog.blogspot.com/

Predictions for a New World

Good Morning Friends,

I sure hope you are keeping warm these days. I know I am finding it increasingly difficult to get out of my fuzzy robe when it is below zero outdoors. You watch, I predict one of these days the medical profession will perfect a hibernation pill and people will be able to nap away the winter with no ill effects.

Is that wishful thinking? Maybe, but I am a writer and I can't help but notice that writers are always thinking up nifty - but impossible - stuff that comes true in 20 or 40 or a hundred years. They call it Science Fiction, but I have the idea something else is at work. I think some writers develop a future sense that allows them to tell others what to expect a few years down the line.

Following that theory, I would like to throw out a few predictions:

In 10 years, people will be vaccinated for the disease of depression, saving thousands of lives and dollars every year.
In 20 years, science will 'discover' that people make themselves sick and that drugs do not fix disease.
In 30 years, people with middle and upper level incomes throughout their lives will have to prove real need in order to collect Social Security benefits.
In 40 years, wars will be waged on computers, with losers required to do community service.
In 50 years, all transportation will use alternate fuels and the use of petroleum products will be outlawed.

If you are still around after that, let me know how I did. Oh yes, and keep on the sunny side! Terry

Chesapeake Legacy

Chesapeake Legacy Arrives!

Friday morning I had a knock on the door and the very first ever copy of Chesapeake Legacy was delivered into my hands. I think the only other experience in my life that came anywhere near the excitement I felt was the day I delivered my son. A book is a big piece of work, one that takes months to mature. You can't imagine the emotion I experience when the first of any volume comes to hand.

I had a busy day planned Friday, but you can be sure I sat down and ran my hands over the cover, admiring Dawn M. Tarr's cover art. Then, I couldn't help but take time to read a few pages. I don't know if a non-writer can understand, but the day the first copy of one's book arrives is a very special time.

The work is pretty much finished, although my publisher admonished me to take time to read the copy very carefully for errors. You cannot imagine how much different one's words appear; first on the computer screen, in the print-out, and finally in a bound copy. I have an idea there are error gremlins that wait until the final copy. It brings home the notion that nothing is ever perfect, but I truly understand why Native Americans always left a hole in a weaving or a mistake in their art - a place to let the bad spirits out. I won't justify my grammatical errors by saying I left them in on purpose, but I do believe I cannot create perfection - only the Creator can do that.

Still, the moment I hold the first copy of any of my books in my hands, I will tell you honestly that I feel my baby is perfect. It is always a sunny day. Terry

Winter Memories in a Cold Season

Good Morning Bloggers,

I am so glad today is Wednesday. It is still raining and hump day offers hope that the rest of the week will clear up and the sun will shine.

It has always puzzled me that the sun is actually closer to Mother Earth in winter than in summer because winter is always a bit inhospitable. Well, I guess there are people who enjoy winter sports, but I never did like the season of cold. I was never quite warm when I was a kid - we lived in a farmhouse heated by a wood stove in the kitchen for cooking and an oil burner that did its best to warm the rest of the house.

There was a great competition at home for spots near the fire and I have clear memories of sitting in the woodbox behind the range in order to do my homework in comfort. Dad had his feet in the oven and the rest of the family was gathered around to make the most of cold winter days. Pop did his best to maintain a party atmosphere, popping corn and making jackwax by pouring hot sugar syrup over fresh snow. We laughed a lot, and we got along. If one was mad, one could get sent to bed and it was cold upstairs, I have clear memories of the snow blowing in under the bedroom window.

Today, I live in my dream house a couple of states south of the wintery days of my youth. The house is cold in deference to fuel shortages throughout the country and my small budget, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I should, however, wish for the sun to shine - so keep on the sunny side wherever that may be, folks. Terry

What's With the Frogs?

Good Sunday Morning,

When I was a kid, Sunday was the best day of the week. We went to church to learn about God and Jesus, and once that was over the whole days stretched forward, with all the rewards of childhood. Sometimes we had a big Sunday dinner and then just lolled around the house (on winter days) staying close to the heaters. When it was nice we would go outdoors and take advantage of all the gifts nature provided.

One of my favorite things to do was to go down to the creek to look for pollywogs. You all know about pollywogs? They are these little fish critters that hang around in the water for a while, then grow legs and turn into frogs. I don't think they worry about either condition.

Which brings me to the point of this morning's blog. Tadpoles and pollywogs don't worry about anything, they just hang around secure in the knowledge God will take care of them - and then they turn into frogs without doing one darned thing. They Fully Rely On God and end up able to hop up out of the water and sit on the bank until some likely bug comes along.

The point is, I have the idea if we just do whatever it is we are supposed to do, we will all end up as frogs one day . . . as long as we Fully Rely On God. Are we seeing a trend here?

I have an idea that Cinderella and the princess who kissed a frog all came from the same line of thinking. People who do what comes naturally no matter what others may have to say, those who trust their own unique process, tend to be transformed in the end.

Let's hear it for frogs. And let's hear it for transformation. I hear it is pretty sunny over there! Terry

Editing Woes

Greetings Bloggers,

I want to make a confession. I sent a book to a friend of mine who took the time to find many corrections in what I believed to be the final draft of my latest print release. The book was dedicated to her, and I am grateful for her critique. She found dozens of errors.

For those of you who are writers, I want to say: Get some new eyes to edit your opus. No matter how you try, you aren't going to see what may seem like glaring errors to others.

I know I went through Chesapeake Harvest a dozen times - and a friend also vetted the manuscript and found several errors. It seemed to me that the work was done, and now I understand that it is full of clinkers and not worth the paper it is published upon.

I feel terrible, and I hope this friend is up for some work as my editor. I surely need her help. In the meantime I am going to lick my wounds and try to figure out how I am going to get this book in better shape. Oh yes, and try to keep on the sunny side. Terry

False Spring and January Thaws

Good Morning Bloggers,

Seed catalogs arrived in mid-February when I was young, and I always considered them to be the harbinger of spring. Last week, on the tail end of 2008, I received two of them and I felt a little bit let down. Seed catalogs arriving in February bring hope and the reminder that spring never fails to arrive. Seed catalogs in late December make me wonder where to put them in the holiday chaos. Talk about premature!

I know everyone is focused on finances these days, but winter has only just barely arrived and I have not even begun to think about planting anything at all. Anything I plant would die of the cold, even here on the fairly temperate Delmarva Peninsula.

When I lived in the Adirondacks, you couldn't plant anything at all until Memorial Day. Here on the peninsula, which is warmed by the winds off the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, you can't plant until maybe late March or early April. Things grow well here, and it is not unusual for farmer to harvest two crops in the summer, but even these canny husbandmen wouldn't think of planting in January.

The fact is, we have been locked in a cold snap that started back in November and I can't wait for our January Thaw. We used to have those, even back in the Adirondacks - warm days with sunny skies and warm winds would break up Jack Frost's grip and allow us to wander out to sit in the sun for a day or two.

It seems to me that the seed people need to re-think their advertising campaigns. I love looking at seed catalogs, but I really need to do so in the middle of February when I can't stand winter any more and do dumb things like cutting my hair or painting the batheroom chartruse. There are times when you need hope, and times when you wonder where to put the catalogs until it is time to drool over beefsteak tomatoes and purple roses.

That said, I am going to put this out to the universe. Hold the seed catalogs until spring seem tardy - and keep on the sunny side! Terry

Happy New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve Bloggers!

I learned yesterday that the second book in my Chesapeake Heritage series has gone to print! Chesapeake Legacy is the story of a woman caught between two worlds when she is banished for having Indian blood. Hannah, the great-granddaughter of Mary Charles whose history is related in Chesapeake Harvest, becomes Heron and tries to travel North to join the Iroquois, but her band is massacred by a hostile tribe along the Susquehanna River. Heron returns to the Choptank River and finds love and a future with her people the Nanticoke.

The print of for Chesapeake Legacy will be available at Amazon.com and at many ebook sites such as Kindle, Fictionwise, Mobipocket, All Romance Ebooks and from my publisher Write Words Inc. at www.writewordsinc.com.

If you enjoy history and the struggles our ancestors survived to build lives under harsh conditions, the Chesapeake Heritage series offers easy-to-understand history in novel form and a great start for your happy reading in the New Year! Cover art for the series is by Snow Hill artist Dawn M. Tarr. Find her art at www.dawntarr.com

Happy New Year and Happy Reading! Terry

Chesapeake Heritage

I made a resolution to do my best to promote my Chesapeake Heritage series in the coming year. My series of novels follows one family of women who live and love on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, facing hardship and privation as they helpe build th colony that became a state.

Chesapeake Harvest, book one in the series, follows the adventures of Mary Charles who came to what is now known as the Delmarva Peninsula as an indentured servant. Her great-granddaughter Hannah is ostracized for her Nanticoke Indian blood. Hannah's granddaughter Jane faces the terror of an abusive husband, and her granddaughter Jewel learns a new way of life following the end of the Civil War. Each of these women has a compelling story to tell.

Chespeake Harvest, published by Write Words Inc. is available in print or as an ebook from Amazon.com, Kindle, Fictionwise, Mobipocket, All Romance E-books andmore. Chesapeake Legacy is available as an ebook with print copies available after the first of the year. Chesapeake Destiny is due to be released as an ebook in the spring of 2009. The final book in the series should be available in late 2009. The distinctive cover art for the series is by Snow Hill Marland artist Dawn M. Tarr.

For more about the Chesapeake Heritage series go to www.chesapeakeheritage.blogspot.com

Terry L. White

Thoughts on Christmas Eve

Cheerful Greetings,

Well, Christmas Eve us upon us. Today I plan to make some oatmeal cookies and try to stay out of the living room. Up until yesterday, I had boxes and boxes of gifts to be delivered to my pet charity. It looks pretty empty today, but I know there are a lot of senior citizens in towns who had a nice gift they didn't expect.

I remember Christmas Eves as a kid. We went to church and they had a Christmas play when each little class recited parts of the Christmas story. Then we went home with our little box of candy and had one gift to hold us until morning. We sure had trouble falling asleep, and when we got up we could only open the stocking because the grown-ups were sleeping. I don't think we realized it at the time, but those very parents wanted to watch us enjoy our gifts - and they surely deserved the rest.

I wish I had such an eventful holiday to anticipate, but I have had a really great holiday so far. Linda and I had a great time handing out presents yesterday and then we went for lunch. That was fun. Then Jeanne came by and we exchanged gifts. That was wonderful too. Tomorrow I will go to Arline's house and have a big dinner and exhange gifts there. That seems like a lot, when I stop to think about it.

What about the church part? I pray all the time now, and I didn't do near so much when I was young. Talking to God is a big part of my day, and I know it will be a good sized part of my holiday activities. I pray that the people I love have great holidays, that they get the gifts they want and have the wherewithal to purchase those that someone else doesn't think of.

As for my readers, I sure would like to wish them the most merry Christmas they can conceive. Keep it real sunny folks! Terr

Runaway Hearts to be on Radio for the Blind!

Hello Bloggers!

I am so excited. I talked to friends in New Orleans the other day and they have facilitated the reading of my book Runaway Hearts on National Radio for the Blind. I don't have a broadcast date as yet, but I will be sure to let you know when you can listen.

Now, you may ask why I am so excited about this particular great incident in my writing career. Well, Runaway Hearts is about Dorchester County, Maryland. If you look on a map of the state, Dorchester County is the heart-shaped area across the Chesapeake Bay from Washington, D.C.

Dorchester County is a unique place with a fascinating history connected to the Civil War. Anna Ellen Carroll, a woman who held great influence on Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman all came from this area, so when I moved here, I could hear the ghosts of those troubled times calling from the forests and marshes. The result was Runaway Hearts, a volume of poetry that tells the stories of the colonists and the struggle for freedom that originated here.

Yes, the stories are in poetic form, and you may say you don't like poetry, but I have read these stories for people of all ages, and they get it ... the search for love, the struggle for freedom, and the way war affected the lonely souls who scratched out a life on this magical place.

Don and Jewel Banning got the book to the station and lobbied to have it read. I can't thank them enough for believing in me and my work.

So. In the spirit of shameless self-promotion, I give you Runway Hearts and will let you know when you can hear the book on your own computer. That will be my gift to you this holiday season. Keep on the sunny side! Terry

Chesapeake Legacy

Happy Holidays Bloggers,

Just a note to tell you I had good news the other day. My new book Chesapeake Legacy is about to go to press and will be available in the new year. It is already available as an ebook at www.writewordsinc.com, Fictionwise, Mobipocket, Kindle and more.

Chesapeake Legacy incorporates the very real history of the Eastern Shore of Maryland with the story of a woman who faces a monumental struggle to survive during dangerous times.

Hannah is banished from her childhood home when her Uncle Percy decides he will not harbor a half-breed child in his home. Hannah's journey takes her to live with the Nanticoke Indians of the area where she finds a good life, albiet not without a great struggle to find safety in a land grown ever more crowded with white settlers.

Chesapeake Harvest is the second in my Chesapeake Series and will be available in print at Amazon.com and local bookstores soon. The cover art is by Eastern Shore artist Dawn M. Tarr of Snow Hill who ran with the idea of a woman living between two cultures and made it a reality.

If you like historical novels and family sagas, I know you will enjoy the Chesapeake series. Have a happy holiday, Terry

Happy Holidays or Else!

Happy Holidays Bloggers,

Sometimes I wonder how Christmas got to be such an obligation. The image of Santa trying to carry a too-large bag of stuff seems to carry a message. We do too much to celebrate the holiday - but are we having a good time?

I retired a couple of years ago due to some health problems and find that Christmas doesn't mean so much now that the economy has hit us with a big double whammy. After all, some of us remember holidays when Santa had a hard time finding our place because he was on such a strict budget.

Our parents economized, but they did their best to give their kids a happy holiday. Sure, we got some much-needed clothing, but there was always a game or two -- and the best foods Mom could concoct for the holiday feast. I am not sure Santa was overloaded one little bit.

This year, I found Christmas items for sale long before Halloween. That was a bit confusing, but I survived, mostly because I can't afford to celebrate the way I once did. I pretty much shop all year long, finding just the right gift for each person on my list. I had everything wrapped a week or so ago, and it felt good to be ready for the holiday for a change.

The economy is surely giving people pause, so I can only hope everyone will stop and choose really appropriate gifts, and not buy because it is the season. We can weather this holiday just as we did those lean years when we were young.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope it is joyful for you and that you get the gifts you really want. Terry

Dislexia Anyone?

Good Thursday Morning,

My photo of the day is an image of a doll I made with a good friend. She sculpted the head, hands and feet, and I figured out what the rest of him looked like. Wierd little guy, eh?

For me, this odd little mannikin is the spitting image of what goes wrong in my brain when I say or write one thing and it comes out looking like something else entirely. This often happens when I am announcing a meeting date, which requires me to eat crow and send a lot more emails than is truly necessary.

So, here we are sneaking up on the Christmas holiday. In addition to mobilizing a gift drive for the clients at a local medical adult day care center, I also wrangle mature women for a monthly birthday celebration. Two or three times a year I manage to send out the wrong date and have to re-send the email a time or two more before I get it all straight and get everyone to the correct restaurant where we celebrate one or more of the members. Some of us live alone, so this is our big thing. Some months there is no birthday to celebrate, but we have a party anyway. It is one outing a month, and if one lives alone, it can mean a lot.

But that wierd little poppet is always sticking his sweet little nose in the mix. Right now, I have to get out of here. I managed to distribute the wrong date for the last time this year. If anyone wants the job, let me know. I am too busy keeping on the sunny side to check the date.

Happy Holidays, Terry

Maybe Smoke Signals?

Good Monday Morning,

Saturday I attempted to call friends in New Orleans and learned how much the world has changed in the last few years.

Five years ago, I bought a house using my savings as a down payment. At that time I had friends with cell phones with out-of-area numbers so I chose to add 'unlimited long distance' to my phone services.

Prior to this, I had a local phone account that charged for long distance calls, so adding 'unlimited' long distance made sense with friends around the corner whose phones originated in other cities. I didn't think much of it, since I could afford the service. But times have changed.

I am now on social security, and while I might not look as cute as my picture (it is my favorite!) I am not that dumb either. Like lots of other Americans, the economy has forced me to cut back some of my spending, so I called Verizon and asked them to take the 'unlimited' long distance off my account. I thought I would still be able to make my long distance calls as long as I paid for them.

Little did I know this request removed ALL long distance from my account. It was early Saturday morning when I tried to call friends out of my local calling area when that danged little mechanical voice insisted I had to have a long-distance calling code in order to complete the call. What long distance calling code!

Well, you know I called customer service - only to learn that I had NO long distance service at all on my account. It costs extra to pay for long distance calls. Excuse my lapse into the vernacular, but I ain't buying it!

I sure hope the new administration can fix what is wrong with our economy. This seems like a case of pure greed to me. My grandfather was a lineman and Granny was an operator back in the20's and you got all the long distance you wanted on your reglar line back then.

Today, you plain don't get any service unless you pay for them to charge you. I sure hope someone catches up with all of this stuff because it doesn't make sense.

In the meantime, if you want to talk with me and I'm not home, keep calling because I can't call you back! Keep on the sunny side if you can. Terry

An Early Gift

Good Grief Bloggers, it is cold out there!

Winter has arrived on the Eastern Shore, and lots of hardy souls are going to come out tonight to attend the Cambridge-Dorchester Christmas Parade. I'm staying in where it is nice and warm and shop for books at the new gift guide from Promo 101 Virtual Tours. You can check it out and download a copy at: www.nikkileigh.com/gift_guide_2008.htm.

My gift came yesterday when my friend and book publicist Nikki Leigh sent me my own copy of the gift guide. I was surprised and delighted to be included as her Roving Reporter and featured author! Looks like she got every one of my print and e-books included in the guide and I am feeling hopeful that holiday shoppers will find my books for gifts. Maybe Santa will put some copies under your tree?

I really love to write, and the characters in my books are my sisters - women who prevail through hard circumstances and never stop believing that life is good and love is possible. Maybe one of my heroines will remind you of someone you know? I hope so.

Keep on the sunny side! Terry

What's Up With Wreaths?

Good Friday Morning,

Last night I attended the gala for the 9th annual Festival of Wreaths at Pleasant Day Medical Adult Day Care Center. It was a glittering affair complete with four musical presentations, and more than 125 wreaths hung in the halls of the facility -all of them ready for sale by silent auction. The event was catered by just about every restaurant in the county. What a party.

I was there nine years ago when the boss, Jackie Vickers, told me she wanted a fund-raiser to help keep indigent clients in day care. Back then, it cost something under $70 for the services: transportation, two meals and a snack, medical supervision,activities, shopping, and social worker services. Last night proved the festival was pure gold. The sale of all those wreaths, a couple of raffles and a live auction of wonderful donated items generated thousands of dollars to keep our elders in the program.

I retired from Pleasant Day several years ago, but every Christmas I take time to make some wreaths - for myself, and for others. It is a lot of fun, and I always use up some of the tons of materials that seem to find their way into my craft shelves. Each year, I help decorate one of the 18 trees that decorate the center, and this year a couple of friends from the Wednesday Morning Artists helped. We made a wreath too - with dozens of little paintings by the members.

The gala was so much fun. I collected hugs and reconnected with friends I made during a career as fund-raiser for two non-profits and as a news reporter - one of the reasons I adore Cambridge. People are great here, and they aren't afraid to tell you they love you!

You can't beat a night like that. I hope you take time to do something for others less fortunate this holiday season. It sure keeps you on the sunny side. Love, Terry

Bat Love

Good Morning Bloggers,

I bet you are wondering why I am writing bats in the dead of winter. Well, I have been wondering about bats ever since I noticed one solitary bat roosting between the screen and glass in a bedroom window.

Never having seen a bat at close range before, I took the opportunity to check out the little guy. Less than three inches long, the small flying mammal had its tiny wings wrapped tightly around his/her miniature body. Looking closely, I could see two tiny ears and the little hands that clutched at the screen. Huh. What an amazing creature.

I understand bats can carry rabies, but my miniscule visitor was a pane of glass away and I was fascinated by its proximity. My little bat was present some summer days, but not others - when the hunting was good for flies, mosquitoes and other flying peskies. Some days he/she roosted on one side of the window, some days on the other side. Some days I didn't see the little guy at all.

Last week the most miraculous thing happened. My bat brought home a partner. Now the two of them are cozied up in tight formation in the right-hand corner of my window. Now,, if I found thse guys in my room, I might freak out, but there they are in blissful sleep (bats enter a state of torpor when it is cold and insects are in short supply) just behind the glass of my window. They say there is someone for everyone, and I guess my little friend proves the point.

Stay warm, peeps and keep on the sunny side! Terry

A Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I am writing to ask you for a very special gift. I would like to have peace on earth this year. The old folks used to say war is good for the economy, so why are so many people teetering on the verge of bankruptcy? It doesn't make sense to me, and I know it doesn't make sense to the families who have sons and daughters stationed at one of the hot spots in the world.

I would like to have peace on earth here in the homeland as well. It would be really nice if everyone would stop the frantic activity and step outside on a clear night to look up at the stars and take note that man did not create the sky, nor the stars, nor the moon and sun. Something greater than you or I made the heavens.

Dear Santa, it would also be nice if people could be kind to one another. I post another blog at Virtual Tours 101 where authors take the spotlight. Take a look at C.J. Scarlet, wo offers the Kindness Cure and asks her readers to perform an act of kindness each day. I can only imagine what life might be like if everyone read her book and tried to do that one act of kindness each day! What a wonderful world it would be ... to borrow a like from an old song.

I don't want a lot of gifts this year. There is no room in my house for anything new, so I think I will continue my quest to give the nice things away and throw out the not-so-nice things. Maybe that will make room for some joy!

Take care Santa and don't work too hard.

Terry