Pointed Teeth and the Undead—

On By Betty OwensIn vampires, wolves, zombies
This fascination with vampires is unnerving! Okay, I suppose that’s a little dramatic. I really don’t like it, I’m not fond of vampires, never have been. Even good-looking ones, wolves in sheep’s clothing, if you ask me. I read a little bit of the popular first book and it was very well written, but I don’t like vampires. They creep me out.
I don’t like zombies either and was really repulsed by the classic novels (Miss Elizabeth Bennett!) turned into zombie fests! What a time to be living in. It can be so exciting and then suddenly turn into something horrific. I am probably overreacting and this is just the next step up from the witches and wizards that were so popular in the last decade. What’s next? Kind of scared to ask that question…
I remember an old black and white movie I saw on TV as a kid about a woman (a shape-shifter) who turned into a black panther and terrorized a village. It killed a woman and all you saw was a pool of blood under the door. I was traumatized for days! I had nightmares, and that is so tame by today’s standards. 
I, like many of you, grew up watching television and I can appreciate a good movie and a good story. I depend on people liking good stories and there are so many out there now and so many wonderful writers, God is in the midst. I am interested to see what He is doing.
By the way, the last vampire movie I saw had George Hamilton in it, so it’s been a while. I didn’t like it much either, though it was a comedy (a very silly one). Be careful out there, little ones. It’s too easy to get “sucked in” to a world full of darkness dressed up to look like lightness.


Teetering on the Edge of Reality

On By Betty OwensIn A Gathering of Eagles, Bermuda Triangle, fantasy, Juliet, Lady Guinevere, Maid Marion, Sierra1 Comment

I grew up thinking Science Fiction was about spaceships and aliens. Fantasy was dragons, elves and Prince Charming riding a white horse. How do you define fantasy?

In literary circles Fantasy is often paired with Sci-Fi, though it may seem quite different. Fantasy could actually happen. Dragons did exist at one time (dinosaurs?) and I live in the home of the Derby, so I see elves all the time. Okay, they’re jockeys, but they look like elves to someone as tall as me. Princes exist, of course and they do sometimes ride white horses, and fly helicopters, apparently.

If you have studied history, you’re aware that some pretty fantastic things happened from time to time. Things that were outside of normal day-to-day existence. Wars were won that should not have been won and ordinary men like Alvin York, accomplished seemingly impossible feats.

Much of what was Science Fiction when I was a child, has now become reality. Men have walked on the moon. We have sent probes to Mars. The space shuttle makes regular trips to a space station. And I am typing this post on a computer no bigger than a book that sits on my lap.

 As a child, I lived in a fantasy-filled world. We moved often and I was shy. Many times I was my only BFF. I roamed the countryside in an idyllic time when that was a safe thing to do and I dreamed of days gone by. I was an Indian princess, I was Juliet, I was Maid Marion or Lady Guinevere. Characters met in the pages of books.

The Lady of the Haven is Fantasy, but could almost be historical romance. It is teetering on the edge of reality. The Haven’s anomalies could be explained scientifically, like the Bermuda Triangle (there is also a sort of “triangle” in the Sierra Mountains). In A Gathering of Eagles Jael, though no longer in the Haven, discovers some of the same phenomena have followed her.

The appeal of fantasy is undeniable. We can live out our dreams and desires through the pages of a book or the scenes of a finely crafted movie. Sometimes we find that our dreams and desires are achievable and then the fantasy becomes reality.

My desire is that my readers will come to this realization. Sometimes the only limits are the ones we place on ourselves. Release the limits and give yourself up to your dreams. And while you’re at it, if you’re going to dream, dream big!

Sisters Forever

On By Betty OwensIn children, eternity, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, Voices1 Comment

Sisters are sisters forever. I’ve heard that said, though I never experienced it, since I had none. I observed the closeness between my aunts, Dad’s two sisters. Though sometimes one complained about the other, their love for one another was undeniable. 

The family was closer than most because of a tragedy that occurred early in their lives. Dad was the youngest and he was only two when his father was killed. Their mother struggled to keep the family together, to raise four children on her own in the early thirties. It was difficult and several times, folks offered to take Frances, but she would not give her up. 
Through this hardship, the children learned to depend upon one another. The siblings were codependent in a way. The bond between them and their mother was very strong and would remain so all their lives.
So it was not really surprising that these two sisters would pass into eternity so close together. Aunt Jen (top right) died on Friday, Aunt Fran (lower left with me) died early Monday morning. The family, though devastated, had to admit it was fitting. All the siblings and their mother are together now. I miss them all.
I miss their voices, so often filled with laughter. They learned to laugh through their difficulties and they had plenty, some self-made, over the years. 


They passed along to their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, a spirit of love and happiness. They passed a deep trust in God and a love for one another. I feel very blessed to have known them. 
I think Aunt Jen stopped off and picked up Aunt Fran on the way out. That would be just like her. When I visited her in the hospital for the last time, the first thing she said to me was, “Have you been to see Fran?” That was Aunt Jen. She was always thinking of others. 

Due Diligence for Morning Glories

On By Betty OwensIn Fall, morning glories, neighbor, Seeds, Spring, sweet peas1 Comment
One spring, my neighbor planted morning glories in her garden. She dug a hole, dropped in some seeds, and covered them up with soil. 
We had a rather dry spring and though she checked on the seeds from time to time, nothing happened to them. No sprout, no vine, no glorious blooms. She was gravely disappointed. “They must have been bad seeds,” she said.
Fall came and with it, more rain than usual, followed by a winter of heavy snows that lay on the ground for weeks. Spring was blessed with rain as well and when my neighbor went out to clean away the winter debris, she found to her surprise and delight, morning glories sprouting. 
There are several hard-shelled seeds like morning glories and sweet peas, whose packages carry these special instructions, “For best results, soak seeds overnight before planting.” As well, you should keep soil uniformly moist until the plants are established. Though fairly drought tolerant, the morning glory likes a drink of water now and then. 
My friend failed to read the instructions on the packet and then she blamed the seed. Nature stepped in and provided what she had not. The seeds germinated and happily, bloomed profusely all summer long. 
Due diligence in most cases, brings us a quicker reward. What is due diligence? Fulfilling one’s obligations. In this case, it is following the directions on the packet. Soak the seeds overnight, keep the soil uniformly moist until the plants are strong enough to make it on their own. Enjoy their beauty.
You could apply those rules to many things in life: your giving, service to others, your profession, your family. Soak your little ones with love and keep them uniformly loved (watered, fed, protected) until they are old enough to make it on their own. Enjoy their beauty. 

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:10-12 NKJV

Tele-Portation

On By Betty OwensIn A Gathering of Eagles, The Lady of the Haven1 Comment

I’ve been working on the second book in The Lady of the Haven series (again) and I began to wonder what it would be like to disappear in one place and suddenly appear in another. Sort of like what happened to Philip in Acts 8. You remember the story, after he had followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit to go into the desert, he met an Ethiopian eunuch, preached to him and baptized him.

Then Philip disappeared. He was found at Azotus, which was a good ways off. He must have hit the ground running! He began immediately to preach and teach in his new location.

What does this have to do with my second book? The same thing happens to my main character in A Gathering of Eagles, the second book in The Lady of the Haven series. Jael leaves one place and ends up in another.

So I was wondering how it would feel and what kind of circumstance would cause such an event?

First, how would it feel? Disorienting? Would you freak out?

Then, what kind of circumstance would cause such an event? Deep need? This would seem the most logical. Philip was badly needed elsewhere.

If you have other ideas and/or answers regarding these two questions, please feel free to leave me a comment.