The Heart of the Matter

Today I would like to announce that the third book in my Chesapeake Heritage series is now available at Amazon.com, Kindle and lots of ebook vendors such as www.ebooksonthe.net, Mobipocket, Barnes and Noble and others around the map. I don't have copies yet, but I see the book is available at these other venues so if you like the series, I hope you treat yourself to this third volume.

Dawn M. Tarr, that wonderful Eastern Shore artist, has created the cover for this volume -- as well as the other three for the four-book series. If you explore earlier posts on this blog you will see the other covers - which are vivid illustrations of the heart of each story. This week she launched a Facebook flurry to tell the world about the books and a little bit about our friendship.

The day Dawn and I met, there were angels dancing in the air and we both knew we would be doing some amazing work together. To date, Dawn has done five book covers for me and I cannot express my gratitude enough for her ability to work straight out of the ether.

All I had to do in each case was to tell her my vision for the cover and a few hours later I would get a post with the new cover pinned to it. The other day she said she was amazed at how well the cover fit the book. I think we both paint - but in different ways: she with pigment, me with words.

Together the product is unique and memorable.

That said, 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/

Tempest in a Teapot

Hello,

I have been watching the town meetings over health care reform with interest and I am amazed that so many people are talking so loudly they can't hear the very people who have come out to gather information and to provide answers about the proposed changes in the way health care is delivered in the United States.

I grew up in poverty, and when I was a child my folks would wait until Death came knocking, take me to the local doc's and he would thump my chest and give my mother a little envelope of pink or white pills for me to take. I got better and Dad paid the doctor $3.00 if he had it. If not, the doctor put the debt in his ledger and hoped for the best.

My parents did everything within their power to see I got through high school. After that, I was pretty much on my own. Dad said I could do anything, and I believed that was true. Eventually I worked my way through college and published a whole armload of books.

But that isn't why I decided to blog today. I can't see anywhere in the Constitution that says that the citizens of the United States are entitled to free medical care. Don't get me wrong. I am on Medicare, and I do appreciate the services and care I have access to since I can no longer work. I wish I could, but everyone comes to a point where they need to lean on others and I think our government is doing a good job trying to take care of everyone.

I want to believe that health care will be better after this tempest in a teapot. I want to believe that routine care won't cost more as time goes on, since routine care fends off catastrophic care. Choosing the former makes sense.

As for end of life care counseling, BRING IT ON! I do not want to be kept alive an extra day if I am so unwell I can't recognize the people taking care of me or ask that my needs be met. I have completed my Five Wishes and people know where it is in my house. I have someone to make the decision to pull the plug. I have someone to take care of my possessions. I wouldn't want it any other way, but I know a lot of people never give these things any thought.

We live in a society that somehow thinks death is not a natural part of life. It is, and when I am ready, I want to sleep away, free of pain, and without a lot of people arguing about what to do with my failing body.

I hope we can get through this touchy discussion with all hands intact -- if not, I'll see you on the other side. In the meantime, 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/

New Book Vendors

Hello All,

What a busy summer! It has been nice and cool so far, so I guess I have been out and abut more. I had a nice week at Fire Island with friend Claudia and several days in Delaware with my friend Sue.

Sadly, the bookstore in Cambridge closed recently, leaving no outlet for local writers. What a shame! I did however, find a gift shop that will carry my Chesapeake Books. Bay Country Shop on US50, on the way to Ocean City is open every day and carries a wonderful assortment of gifts for the discerning traveler. Do stop if you get the opportunity.

In other news, Barnes and Noble now carries my books! You can find them by searching my whole name (Terry L. White) in their search engine. (Thanks Arline for your work on all of your writers behalf.)

That's all for today, have a good one and 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/

Vacation Daze

Hey all,

Boy! Have I ever been busy. I went to visit a friend over the weekend and we spent some good times shopping, which is nice for me since I don't drive and shopping is always a treat.

So, Sue and I went downstate to a little town called Snow Hill where my friend Dawn Tarr had a gallery show at Adkin's Gallery just off the main drag. Everyone was so nice and Dawn was delighted to get a couple of the books she did covers for during the past year or so.

I was delighted because Jim Adkins agreed to handle my books and a couple of my character dolls - see the pic! I am going to have to make a few more dolls pretty soon. They are all hand sewn - not just with a machine, but with a needle and by hand. I paint the faces with water colors and sharpies and the like. Take a peek, maybe you will like them. If you do, let me know and 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/

An Eastern Shore poem

Mom Mom

She keeps her hands in her lap at rest,
Fingers bundles of broken twigs,
Brown and knotted, scarred,
Big-knuckled from long hours with the knife
Worrying the sweet meat
From horny red shells that cut to the quick.
If she didn’t have all those years
What would there be
Beyond the work?

Her dress is clean,
Faded at shoulder, thigh and breast
Patches over patches
Covered with the soft apron
Of dim rose print.

Her hair is pulled back each morning
Anchored against the wind,
The constant wind.
Fine lines fan out from
Eyes once as blue as bay and sky,
Now faded into ancient haze.

She was always there
In the house beside the water
Where the fiddler crabs
Clattered their shells
At break of day,
Annoyed at her steps
As she tended the goat,
The chickens, the pig.

She doesn’t need much.
The neighbors look in
And see her hands in her lap
The fingers knotted like salt-hardened lines.
She smiles, says she is fine.
And they leave, shaking their heads
At her presence at all.

Her voice is now an echo
Of the persisting wind
As she whispers her prayers
Over sourdough batter
Started years before and
Stirred with a tarnished spoon.

Her children stay on
In faded portraits ranked
By size and age on the mantle shelf
Where the flu is cold
In the summer damp.
They rarely call.

Her man was heavy of hand,
His shoulders as broad as a tree.
She loved him true when they were young,
But he laid him down to sleep
One night, and did not breathe
In morning’s light.

There was a time she waited
On the bridge near the water’s edge,
For the sight of a well known sail;
And now for the Maker’s call.
There’s nothing more,
Her world has passed
And soon will fade to memories
In a book that once fell into the water
So that the ink ran
And the tales were lost.

Keep on the sunny side folks, Terry

I'm Back!

Hello All,

Well, here I am, more or less recovered from my computer crash, and a wonderful week at Fire Island where I got to commune with the ocean, ride a ferry, meet some wonderful people and make some new beach glass creations.

Oddly enough, the ocean left me no presents as far as more materials go. I was surprised. I thought beach glass was a fairly common thing. Not so.

Coming home was bittersweet. I had a ton of work to catch up, and was delighted to sleep in my own bed once again. Life is indeed good.

For now, I will post from time to time and try to keep the hedge trimmed, the grass cut and my tomatoes watered - great news on the last: I planted the tomatoes from seed and they are already setting fruit. What a gift. Makes you want to 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/

Just So You Know

Hi Bloggers,

Sorry I've been missing of later. This sort of work seems to come under the heading of casting one's bread upon the water - but doesn't it all? Given the crash of my computer, I got way behind in my posts, and can only aspire to keep up the posts for the rest of the month when I am going on a week's vacation.

Last month, I got caught up in a couple of rummage sales for my art group - one at a fair for senior citizens. (Shhhhh! Don't say it!) While there, I happened to be talking with a disc jockey who asked me to stop by the station for an interview.

I hope I sounded intelligent. One of the things I was able to do was to talk about Book Three in my Chesapeake series.

Chesapeake Destiny should be in print this autumn and I am looking forward to that announcement. Again, the art was done by Dawn M. Tarr of Snow Hill. This has been a big project and the final book is finished, so I am looking forward to seeing the entire series on your bookshelf. In the meantime, 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/