About Me

Story telling takes many forms in the modern world from television and movies through writing, and plays, and yes, the news is often little more than story telling (sigh). It was with great delight that I learned that the oldest form of story telling has survived, though it is not often found. My children and I frequent Renaissance Faires and enactments of various time periods and there I have had the delight of meeting some of those gentle souls who continue to tell their stories by shouting it from a stump or a stage or whatever place is available.

And just where, one might ask, does story telling come from? It starts with history. For most people, their interest begins and ends with their own personal history and we humans seem to never lose that interest. For me, I also wanted to know how people made their meals and raised their children and made their clothing, and a million mundane things that we all must do to get through each day. That insatiable curiosty of mine, lead to my second love, which is history.

No, not history classes, but history. The kind you find in lots of places. You can find it by walking down the street and looking at the buildings around you or by going through the library archives of your town or by reading both historical fiction as well as books devoted to a specific period or event. You can also enjoy learning history by attending (or better yet participating in) reenactments through the simple act of talking with the people who put on the shows for you. And let us not forget the plethora of information that is now so readily available with the spread of the internet.

With my scattered approach to history, however, I find that I know lots of "little bits" without being able to put all the pieces together. You will find that in my stories I will typically pull in pieces across various time periods and from various imaginings and weave them all together to tell a story. More discipline will be required to reach the pinnacle of what I mean to do which is write historical fiction.

I have been pleased to see the increase in effort to incorporate views in historical fiction that are more accurate than what I could find when I was younger. I applaud those who include with their fantasy stories the historical background and how it both fits and doesn't fit with the story that was written. One day, perhaps, I will study one period of time well enough to be able to write such a book or two myself. Perhaps.....

In the meantime, I offer what I have written in hopes that, for a time you can forget the cares of the world around you and live in a slightly more fantastic place where your imagination can set you free.