A Writer's Love

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Hi All!! I don’t know about you all, but this Christmas season wore me out!! But I’m back in the saddle again. I’m starting up the writer’s group again and so I’m posting our latest session from the book The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction by Jeff Gerke. So enjoy, ya’ll!!!

Your hero’s inner journey:
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A few weeks ago, my friend Darren Zielinski, the man who wrote the essays on sword fighting on this blog, had a seminar for my writers. It wasn’t what I was expecting. It was better. Darren had spent months crafting practice weapons made out of plastic pipes and electrical tape. LARPers would be panting.
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I’ve added a new page to my website, In Search of Sir Robert Lawrence of Ashton Hall, Circa 1190 AD. Robert is my 1190 AD Grandfather and fought with King Richard the Lionhearted in the Third Crusade. Robert did a brave deed and was knighted by Richard and given a coat of arms.


I created this page because there are just too many dog-gone rumors running around about my grandfather and my family, claiming either Robert didn’t exist or that the genealogy is wrong.  Many in the Lawrence clan were upset, angry and confused, as was I.


So I spent a year looking for Robert and finally, finally found him and information regarding him. I also discovered all the rumors were wrong and seemed more like conspiracy theories. I’m surprised I didn’t see Sir Robert had something to do with Area 51. Gesh!! So anyway, check it out if your interested. You’ll see it on the home page or you can just click here. Enjoy, my lovelies!!

Last month, Columbus’ ships, the Nina and the Pinta, visited my city. I could see the masts from the building where I work and the fantasy writer in me begged to go see them.
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I do apologize for being away for so long. Life has me by the throat. But I’ll keep up, I promise. This time around, I want to discuss those wonderful Book Tours. I recently signed up for the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy tour and hopefully, I’ll get books soon and be able to review them. It could be interesting, not to mention I get free books. But I went on a discovery to find out what I could find regarding the blog book tours.
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My friend told me about this today and I’m so going to be there. It’s a Christian Medieval/Reformation faire with all the fixins’ except the knights fighting. Boo Hoo!! I’ll miss those hot knights. Anyway, here’s the link: Providence Peoria Faire

Our stated purpose for sponsoring the annual Reformation Day Faire is “to encourage the Church to remember her past, particularly the rich heritage of the 16th-century Reformation. We strive to help families understand and appreciate the history and theology of this dynamic period. Beyond just having a great time and making new friends, our prayer is that all who attend the Reformation Day Faire will leave inspired and challenged to think and live more biblically, as they consider the lives, ministry, and teaching of the Reformers of old.”

It looks like fun and folks are encouraged to wear their medieval clothes. They also have some ‘wars’ going on, so that could be really cool. A Christian LARP. So if you’re around Morton, Illinois, (Just outside Peoria Illinois) then be sure to register and come on down!!! I know I’ll be there!!!

Lawrence Coat of Arms 

If you’ve been on my blog for a while, you know I’m always wanting to promote those who help me. So here we go again. The College of Arms in London England is a really awesome place. They take care of dead people, most importantly, my dead grandparents. Now the college isn’t some mad scientist lab, but a place that stores records of families granted Coat of Arms from England and around the world. My Uncle spent 20 some years researching my family tree, only to have someone question his research. Well, some of you know me and some don’t. To those who do know me, you know, I can’t let things go.


Now the most important thing about the College is they grant Coat of arms to individuals and those Coats become that family’s property.  When I saw that my 1500 AD Great Grandfather (Thomas Lawrence 1589 – 1593, yeah, I know, the dates are weird.) was granted the same Coat as my 1100 AD grandfather (Sir Robert Lawrence of Ashton Hall, England 1150 AD – 1191 AD) but slightly altered, I knew as they say, that’s a winner!!! 


I contacted the College and met a really nice English gentleman who has an English accent even in his writing who confirmed that yes, the Coat stays in the family and the grantee must prove to the College that he is indeed a member of that family.  They take his records, match to theirs, eat cookies and tea and there ya go!!  Follow point A to point B and a pretty picture begins to emerge.   If Thomas belonged to Robert, and my uncle has Thomas’ son’s Birth records, and the birth records of everyone up to yours truly, then by logic, that means . . . um . . . add the one . . . I belong to Robert!! Yeap, that’s right.  I belong to a real live honest to God knight (and I write fantasy, medieval based books.  Ok, no spooky music.)  So he fought in the Crusades and no I don’t agree with them, but King Richard never asked my opinion.  Shame on him!! But history is always 20/20. 


I can’t go back in time and warn Richard not to go, but I can respect my grandpa.  And that’s what the College does, take care of my grandpas and grandmas, making sure they are happy.  So for me, the College is a very special place.  So check out the College, ask questions.  They are REALLY pricey and they certainly go over my $20 budget.  ($670 to confirm my Uncle’s findings.)  So if you have a Coat of Arms in your family, talk to the College.  They can track that puppy down, but for a price.  But in the end, when you realize you have greatness residing in the Coat stuck up in the attic, then that’s pretty cool.  So please, bless my grandparents and check out the college.  And be sure to say hi to my grandparents.  You’ll know them by the major competition sports in the hallway and the incredibly stubborn people walking down the halls of the college.


One day, I’ll take the College up on their offer and fork over the $670 to meet my grandparents in person. That will be a great day.

The man who made my map is having an art show. From his facebook: My next event where I will be selling artwork is the Germantown Hills Fall Craft and Vendor Show at Germantown Hills Middle School, 103 Warrior Way Germantown Hills, Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 5th, 2011 9am-2pm. If you’re in the area, stop off and ask him about maps and his art work. Kip’s Facebook.

  

Our first stop wasn’t the faire but the Institute of Art in Chicago, Illinois, USA.  We arrived at 4pm and the Institute closed at 5pm.  We got in at half price and made our way to the medieval collection.  There wasn’t much, just some coats of armor.  But still very impressive.  I was amazed at how big the knights’ biceps were.   These were some big guys!!  We also saw a suit that was kinda small.  We found out later it was for teens only.  Don’t get any ideas, teens!!!  
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I meet Ms. Jane last year at the Bristol faire located on the border of Illinois and Wisconsin in the US. (45 min from Chicago, Illinois) and she was kind enough to take a picture with my friend. Besides being very gracious, she also made my friend and I feel very welcomed. Jane, played by Ann Elizabeth Shapera, plays the Queen’s main silly jester and she is very kind and always has time to talk to anyone at the faire, no matter who they are. She’s silly, serious, whimsical, and likes to cheer up those who have down faces and is convinced Fairies really do exist. When I heard Jane had a blog, I had to hunt her down and get it from her. Thankfully, I ran smack into her, and asked her for her blog addy. After pulling A LOT of stuff from her very deep pocket, (Reminding me of Tom Baker, AKA The Doctor) she finally brought out her card. Here’s the Link. Please be sure to check out her site. Her link is also under my Favey Non-writing links.


I learned more stuff at the faire and I’ll be sure to post it all. Mammasita, did I learn more cool stuff!! I can’t stress the importance of all fantasy, historical, and all other writers to hitting the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Yeah, I know it’s far, and costs money and all the weird people running around thinking they are elves, faires and knights, but there’s a layer to Bristol, something hidden under the makeup, costumes and hot knights – God bless the hot knights!! – something that screams world building. It’s seen in kind Jane, the wonderful queen, the snotty Lords and Ladies, the gallant knights. Something that us fantasy writers need to unearth. When characters gossip about other characters, and yes, they gossip about the character, not the actor, when Jane insists I see the Queen as my favorite person, when a knight makes my toes shiver, then that’s world building. It’s personality, it’s getting to know characters. And believable characters are just as important to world building as magic, cultures and language. Bristol has that unique talent of bringing the 1600′s into the 2000′s.  There are only two things wrong with Bristol:  They open on Saturday morning and kick you out at 7pm on Sunday night (You need at least a good four days to see ALL the faire and they are closed on the week days) and the faire only runs from July 9th to Labor day.  Very sad indeed.  I shall miss the fair Ms. Jane until next August, when I’ll pile more eager writers into the car and head for the mystic lands of Bristol.


Anyway, that’s all for now, my lovely writers. I do have more, LOTS more to share. In fact, I’m already saving money for next years great adventure to my new world building place, Bristol Ren Faire.