Guardian Covenant turns TRILOGY

Well, things have been going so well with my story, I've decided to expand into a trilogy. The book I am currently working on will be in the middle, with the prequel and sequel to be finished soon. I have 212 pages of the middle book completed, which means I have less than 40 pages to my original goal of 250. It's going to be a task to make sure the three books are seamless, without contradiction to each other, but that's why I'm going to do them all in the same word document. I'm having fun weaving true life principles into the story, especially after I read an awful book called Best Friends by Martha Moody. It was her first novel and more edgy travesties are to follow already. I will not be reading any subsequent novels from that author. Though the book was not entirely without merit, it did further political and amoral agendas that I want no part of. For one, it attempted to make pornography seem acceptable as a way of providing for a family, and I am dead-bent against pornography in all its forms. On top of that, the narrator's many extra-marital affairs and her husbands' extra-martial affairs make adultery look commonplace and borderline acceptable. I find that type of writing unacceptable and I wouldn't want my children to read it either.

Call me old fashioned, call me a Dr. Laura fan, but I don't like the idea of all our morals in society decaying past the point of no-return. Imagine a world where people did whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, oblivious to whom they hurt because they were trying to make THEIR life better and happier, at least for a moment or two. That's exactly what our society worldwide is coming to: selfishness, the ME era. I'd rather have our era be called the Golden era like a past era was called. Why must we be so self-destructive while being self-serving. I'm not on a soap-box, believe me. I've had my share of self-destructive and self-serving behavior and I still battle with the self. I just think we should be writing and discussing about admirable human qualities, qualities that CAN BE attained in this life: honor, as my friend Rosie taught me, and compassion for others, sensitivity to others and not only oneself, sacrifice. In my mind, sacrifice is one of the most important qualities we can add to our lives. It is found in bearing and raising children with kindness; it is found in staying married and building love even after several years of tribulation or financial distress; it is found in honesty and scruples in business despite low profits or failed marketing; it is found in every type of real love and every type of true virtue. Sacrifice and its surprising rewards and joy should be taught to our children. Sacrifice should be written of in every tale. Well, at least that's what I think. I hope my writing is at least good enough to be a vehicle for this message to others. Read for the characters, the personalities, the plot, but remember clearly the message: Love is sacrifice and joy can be found therein.

It sure feels good to get words down on the page and to get closer to my goals of publication, though perhaps not acclaim. My brand of principles and scruples isn't so welcome in the editor's office. We'll have to see how difficult it is to get a novel published when it's not EDGY to the point of apostasy. Of course, if a person doesn't know the truth, I can hardly blame them for floundering. It's impossible to apostasize from lies, and it is the truth with which I am mainly concerned. I just wish there were more people out there SEEKING truth. Why are people content to live out a zombied existence, with no true ambition for goodness? Benjamin Franklin is a man I most admire for his list of qualities that he believed would lead him to perfection. He tried--and failed--many times to overcome every human flaw. But he tried. How many of us can honestly say that we have tried to overcome our flaws and move toward perfection? I hope more of us will. I know it has been a goal of mine to follow in his ambitions, though perhaps not his exact footsteps.

Mirielle, my protagonist, is me in a lot of ways. But she is a better version of me, though she still has faults. I have not written her with my faults, which I deem to be too awful for a heroine to possess. I want her to be a role model, not a real model. My struggle, then, is to make her story believable in the midst of unbelieveable events. I hope I can succeed in this. It will be my life's work until I do.

Other life goals this year: run my first marathon on Oct. 7th and teach my son to read.

Peace and Blessings.