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Friday, November 1, 2013

A Taste of Friday, with Kimberley Payne: Fit For Faith

Welcome Kimberley Payne!


 
 
 
Fit for Faith is a unique workbook program. In addition to learning about the three components of fitness – cardiovascular exercise, strength training and stretching – your relationship with God will be strengthened through daily prayer, Scripture reading and daily journal writing.
God created you as a whole person, therefore take care of your whole self, not just the individual parts. A direct relationship exists between physical, emotional and spiritual health. A healthy body gives you the energy and enthusiasm to carry out the purposes that God has for your life. Practicing healthy living glorifies God.
This workbook is an invitation for you to discover for yourself the joys of treating your body with respect, learning to love yourself and connecting with God on a deeper level. You are invited to take a fresh physical and spiritual attitude on a daily basis.
You will learn that God truly cares. He is personal and He is intimate. God does listen to your prayers and is there for you. When you rely on God totally, for everything – including such things as losing a few pounds – He will bless you. God loves you and He wants you to love yourself. He did not create you to look at your body in disgust, but rather God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)
Each day, follow the outline provided and start with a simple prayer. Read the question in the reflection section and write your own response. At the end of the day, answer the three questions about your activity and healthy eating habits. Test your knowledge with the myth. Finally, close each day by meditating on the scripture verse.
The Fit for Faith Review is a personal record of your week. It is a self-evaluation tool that reflects your strengths and defines areas that need improvement.
You need to be faithful about doing something each day in order to realize the full potential of God’s plan for you. You are invited to develop physical well-being and grow spiritually to deepen your relationship with God. Prayer, Bible study and journal writing are to your spirit what exercise, healthy eating and stretching are to your body. 

Blessings on your journey to health!

#


Part I: Exercise your body + Exercise your spirit

Cardiovascular exercise & Strength training + Prayer

Think of exercise as either cardiovascular activity or strength training. Cardiovascular activity helps you to increase energy and keep moving. It is good for your heart, lungs and circulatory system. Strength training (also known as weightlifting) helps you keep your bones and muscles strong, reduces bone loss and improves balance and posture.
Prayer helps you to enter into a spiritual communion with God.
What cardiovascular exercise and strength training do for building a strong body, prayer does to build spiritual strength. Your body requires exercise and food, and it needs these things regularly. You cannot just take care of it at the beginning of the week and forget about it. Your spiritual life is similar to your physical body in that way. You cannot pray just once and have a healthy, growing spiritual life.
In strength training, you start by lifting small weights, and as you grow stronger, you can lift heavier weights. It is the same with prayer. You start by praying a short amount of time, and then as your desire grows you can spend time in prayer every day.
Just as exercise strengthens your body, prayer strengthens your spirit. Similarities between exercise and prayer include:

To be physically and spiritually healthy requires discipline. You need to practice both daily and use this strength or you will lose it.
The effects can be both immediate and/or long term. You may see the results right away or the effects can be cumulative.
Both exercise and prayer improve balance in your life, improve your quality of life and boost your mood.
With a pure motive, both delight God.

#

Exercise your body

What it is

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Exercise rejuvenates your body. Cardiovascular exercise equips you to sustain an activity for a long period of time. It causes you to breathe more deeply and work your heart harder. When you are strength training you use resistance to strengthen your muscles. 

What it’s not

Cardiovascular exercise is not only going to the gym and participating in an aerobics class. It does not make any difference whether you go to a gym or what equipment you use. Try to figure out where activity fits into your life. Any physical activity is better than no exercise. You need to do only about 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily and that half-hour can accumulate in shorter pieces.
Strength training is not only for men or for younger people. Women of any age can also benefit, particularly those most likely to suffer from osteoporosis.
 
Benefits of exercise

  • Elevates mood
  • Improves balance and mobility
  • Maintains a healthy weight
  • Increases energy level
  • Builds strength and tones muscles
  • A pure motive delights God

Discover the many benefits to exercise, including feelings of accomplishment and well-being, increased energy, reduced stress and improved sleep patterns.
Research indicates that activity reduces the risk of heart disease, falls and injuries, obesity, high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, depression, colon cancer and premature death. The U.S. Surgeon General has determined that lack of physical activity is as detrimental to your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
Regular cardiovascular exercise (aerobic exercise) helps you burn calories faster, even when you are sitting still. It does this by raising your metabolism (the rate you burn calories) up to 15 hours after exercising.
Strength training (weight lifting) helps you to better deal with everyday tasks, improves posture, increases firmness of muscles, and helps prevent osteoporosis. It also helps you build muscle so that even if you do not lose pounds, you may lose inches.
You need to include both cardiovascular exercise as well as strength training into your exercise program.
________________________
About Kimberley: Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and author. Her writings relate raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. www.kimberleypayne.com

Monday, October 28, 2013

All the Ways to Share in a Book Launch - Book Launch List by Janalyn Voigt




In 2013, one of our members, Janalyn Voigt, launched her fantasy book DawnSinger and compiled the following list of ways to share as part of her book launch. If you are an author or writer hoping to launch a book, you will find this compilation helpful. Janalyn gave me permission to share her list. Be sure to check out DawnSinger on Amazon. 

If you are not really online you can... 

Print some of the attached documents and share them with family and friends.
Print the poster to use as flyers and share them with a book club.
Print a poster and hang it up at work, or share flyers with co-workers.

If you want to share by E-mail you can...
Forward THIS e-mail to anyone you think might want to help promote this wonderful book. (Family and friends that know Janalyn would be great).
Forward one of the photos in the promo kit to people in your contact list who may be interested in this book. Tell them what you know of the book/author.
Forward a link to the book teaser: http://youtu.be/RVg0NYqOhkE
Forward a link to her NEW book trailer: http://youtu.be/ZsVFrhb5vCo
Foward a link to the book on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/DawnSinger
Forward a link to her website http://JanalynVoigt.com 
There will be giveaways on her site for the book launch. A chance to win a $20 starbucks card, a print copy of Dawnsinger, e-book copies and chances to win other fun things! (And sign up for them yourself too if you would like).

If you are on Facebook you can...
Like her author page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanalyn
Post one (or more) of the flyers attached in this email to facebook.
Share a link to the book teaser: http://youtu.be/RVg0NYqOhkE
Post a link to her **NEW** book trailer: http://youtu.be/ZsVFrhb5vCo
Post a link to her website http://JanalynVoigt.com And let everyone know there will be giveaways on her site for the book launch. (Chance to win a $20 starbucks card, a print copy of Dawnsinger, e-book copies and chances to win other fun things).
Go to goodreads.com, log in with your facebook account and add her books to 'books you want to read'

While at goodreads.com you can….
Become a fan of Janalyn on her Goodreads Author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3439922.Janalyn_Voigt
Like DawnSinger's book video on Janalyn's Author Page.
Like DawnSinger's Listopia listing.
Recommend DawnSinger to your friends: 
  1. Click on the 'Recommend it' link in the upper right hand side column of the books description page.
  2. Select friends you would like to share the book with.

If you are on Pinterest...
Follow Janalyn Voigt: http://pinterest.com/janalynvoigt/
Pin her books: http://pinterest.com/janalynvoigt/books-by-janalyn-voigt/
Pin her youtube book teaser: http://youtu.be/RVg0NYqOhkE
Pin her new book trailer: http://youtu.be/ZsVFrhb5vCo
Comment on her book, teaser, and trailer pins (this creates more of a 'buzz' and makes easier to find in pinterest)

If you are on Amazon.com… 
(you will have to log in to do the following)
Go to Dawnsinger's description page: http://www.amazon.com/DawnSinger and on that page:
 - 'Like' the book 
 - Go down to the heading: Tags Customers Associate with This Product and then click the little boxes next to each tag and click 'agree with these tags'. (this is important for the book to be found correctly in Amazon's search).
 -Also from the books description page you can go to her author page on amazon.com. Make sure you're logged in, and then on the Author page at the top of the the right hand sidebar click the like button there. Also if you are inclined, you can start a discussion or ask the author a question on that page.
You can share her author page on Amazon by email-facebook-or twitter also.
If you intend to purchase DawnSinger from Amazon, please wait to do so until July 3rd. Purchasing on this day will help to gain visibility in Amazon's search rankings.

Comment on fantasy forum posts you find on DawnSinger's Amazon page. If appropriate and natural, feel free to mention DawnSinger. But do not openly promote.

Add DawnSinger to Listmania lists. Listmania is important because it adds DawnSinger to your amazon profile and to other lists on Amazon's site. If you are not familiar with listmania but would like to try this: click on 'your account' under your name in the upper right hand corner. A drop down menu will appear, click 'you account' again from that menu. Then scroll down to the 'Personalization' box at the bottom. Click 'Your Public Profile'. Once at your profile click 'more actions' next to 'edit your profile' in the upper right. From the drop down menu click add/remove favorite items. Then create a list mania list from there, including DawnSinger as the product.
Log into Shelfari.com with your amazon account and comment on Janalyn's profile page and add Dawnsinger to your to-read shelf.

If you are on Google+...
Post one of the flyers attached in this email.
Share a link to the book teaser: http://youtu.be/RVg0NYqOhkE
Post a link to her **NEW** book trailer: http://youtu.be/ZsVFrhb5vCo
Post a link to her website http://JanalynVoigt.com and let everyone know that there are giveaways there too: a chance to win a $20 starbucks card, a copy of Dawnsinger, e-book copies and other fun things are going to be given away. (And sign up for them yourself if you would like).  

If you are on Twitter...
Follow @janalynvoigt
Tweet about DawnSinger with hastag #dawnsinger
Share a link to the book teaser: http://youtu.be/RVg0NYqOhkE
Post a link to her **NEW** book trailer: http://youtu.be/ZsVFrhb5vCo
Join a twitter party for DawnSinger's launch on July 3@3pm central time (2pm Eastern, 4pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific) @HolidayHaven@JanalynVoigt@MelissaKNorris@KathrynCLang @KimVandel are joining the party. #DawnSinger is the hashtag.
Attached to this email is a list of suggested tweets for July 3rd only, to promote the twitter party.

If you have a blog or website...
Post a photo of the book, the you-tube trailers, and/or a link to http://JanalynVoigt.com on the sidebar of your blog.
Create a post or add to sidebar about the twitter party. Here is the code for a twitter party button: 

<br /><a border="0" href="http://www.janalynvoigt.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dapDNVvWu6o0Fz3UIpU9RDhbC8DFlMlPmEkVikyicIG40WZC7_GS6cZo2q5DkKKZ1XCMynQ_yVqQmYuwJzWSjVvvfa_s3DdV2j6oQiyuxML1_K4e4o_Ev43VVKFpxQs17CZuvQbjg2zO/s1600/twitter+button+2.jpg" /></a><br />

Create a post about the book, interview Janalyn, post one of the interviews attached to this email. 

Share the Launch Celebration page with giveaways on your social sites on July 3rd. A html post for the Launch celebration titled 'For July 3rd, Dawnsinger Promotional Blog Post' has been attached to this e-mail and can be copied an pasted to create an easy post.

Blog about the giveaways and the novel on your own sites and provide a link to http://janalynvoigt.com

If you are on YouTube...
Watch and like her book teaser: http://youtu.be/RVg0NYqOhkE 
Watch and like her (New) book trailer:  http://youtu.be/ZsVFrhb5vCo
Comment on the teaser and trailer. Like similar comments. 
If you create youtube videos; share about her book in one of your videos.

If you go to http://janalynvoigt.com you can…
Sign up for giveaway drawings on landing page.
Follow on Networked Blogs, if you would like to follow her blog.

Once you read the book...

Go to goodreads.com, sign in with your facebook account and rate the book. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7913779-dawnsinger

Go to Amazon.com and leave reviews. And like similar reviews. http://www.amazon.com/DawnSinger-Janalyn-Voigt/dp/1611162009/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

Go to Shelfari.com, log in with your amazon account and rate Dawnsingerhttp://www.shelfari.com/books/29544802/DawnSinger
Go to Pelican books and vote for her book and post a review (you will need to make an account for this one). http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/dawnsinger

(You can copy and paste your review on each of these sites, no need to rewrite for each.)

Thanks again! Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Janalyn Voigt


*~*~*~*

 
In Janalyn's Own Words

It happened over time. My father instilled a love of literature in me at an early age when he read chapters from "The Wizard of Oz," "Robinson Crusoe" and other classics. When I grew older, and he stopped reading bedtime stories, I put myself to sleep with tales I "wrote" in my head. As a precocious reader, I soon graduated to the novels in my parent's bookcase. I'm sure those books contributed to my growth as a writer. My sixth-grade teacher noticed my storytelling ability. As a result of his encouragement, I identified my desire to write novels.

DawnSinger is my debut novel and the first offering in Tales of Faeraven. WayFarer (Tales of Faeraven 2) is in production and I'm working on book three in the series. Read an excerpt at http://buff.ly/XxNyUx Learn more about my books and about me at my website: http://janalynvoigt.com

I also write western romance novels, and will publish in that genre under Janalyn Irene Voigt. I am represented by Wordserve Literary. I serve as a judge for several national literary contests and am an Amazon top book reviewer. My memberships include ACFW and NCWA.

I live in a beautiful corner of the Pacific Northwest. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, gardening, and finding adventures in the great outdoors. I dream of owning a horse, exploring all the national parks, and visiting European castles.

Friday, October 25, 2013

A Taste of Friday: William Burt and The King of Trees


 Welcome to William Burt and his book The King of Trees.
 
In addition to publishing seven fantasy titles, William Burt has served as a successful university grant writer and program coordinator and as an ASL interpreter with nearly forty years' experience.

 
THE KING OF THE TREES

BOOK I in the “King of the Trees” series
by William D. Burt 

© 1998, 2004 by William D. Burt
First edition, 1998; Second edition, 2004
Printed in the United States of America.
Packaged by WinePress Publishing, PO Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022.
Illustrated by Terri L. Lahr and Rebecca J. Burt. Cover by Terri L. Lahr.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holder except as provided by USA copyright law.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-62570 ISBN 1-57921-090-2

 
And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the Tree of Life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1–2, NASB)



Chapter 1: MARKET DAY

 
Snitch boy, snitch boy, hair-as-red-as-pitch boy! Bee in his bonnet, bee in his bonnet, bees in the hive and Rolins sat on it!Rolin jerked awake, tore off his quilts and rushed to the window. He saw no one outside except a few blue jays warming up for the days chatter. An early morning mist still swirled among the firs and pines in the foothills of the rugged Tartellan Mountains, where Rolins father, Gannon, had built their cozy cabin.
Rolin groaned and flopped back on the bed. He always had bad dreams just before market days, when he and his father went down to bustling Beechtown to sell their wares. Was it his fault he had red hair (though it was really chestnut) or that his father kept bees? And who could blame him for reporting the cobblers sons to the constable for stealing chickens? As if that were not enough, the Crazy Toadstool Womanhad been his grandmother. Had been.
Rolin screwed his eyes shut, squeezing out the tears. Several years earlier, first his grandmother, Adelka, then his mother, Janna, had died under mysterious circumstances, leaving Rolin and his father to mourn their losses in lonely bewilderment.
Ho, Rolin! Suns up and its market day,boomed a voice into the log-walled bedroom. Rolin yawned, stretched and hopped out of bed. Market day! Already he could see the crowds of traders and travelers, vendors hawking wooden trinkets, and the food stalls set up in the square, with their mounds of candied fruits, toasted beechnuts, smoked fish, and box upon box of luscious winter pears. And he could hear the childrens cruel taunts.
Up with you now, sleepyhead,Gannon called again from the next room, interrupting Rolins daydream. Its oatcakes if you come now and nothing if you dont! We must leave soon or well miss the best of the market.Rolin knew his fathers blackberry-blossom honey would command the highest prices in the morning, when buyers were wanting their breakfasts. That did it.
Coming, Father!he answered. After hurriedly dressing, Rolin opened his door. There in the kitchen stood his father, a tall, red-bearded man with a jaunty wool cap, stirring a crock full of oatcake batter with a wooden spoon. Beside him, a griddle smoked on the roaring wood stove. Rolins mouth watered at the delicious wood-smoke-and-hot griddle scent filling the room.
So, you finally decided to get up after all,Gannon observed. Your hair looks a fright, you know.
Rolin grinned at the good-natured gibe. His hair always seemed to stick out every which way, especially in the morning before he could tame it. So does your beard,he shot back.
Gannon self-consciously combed batter-caked fingers through his tangled, unruly beard. Dont just stand there,he said. The first batch is getting cold on the table.Gannon waved the spoon as he spoke, flinging bits of batter onto the floor and walls.
Rolin pulled up a chair and poured golden honey over a heaping plateful of oatcakes. Do you think well do well at market today?he asked his father between mouthfuls.
The best ever,Gannon replied. With the heavy honey flow weve had this spring and last years bumper potato crop, we should fare very nicely. After I have bought supplies, there might even be enough money left over for that gadget youve been wanting.
Rolins heart leapt. Oh, I hope so!he said. Market days always attracted clever peddlers and magicians with their intriguing tales, astonishing tricks and marvelous inventions. At the last fall market, a wizened little man had been selling the most extraordinary devices: long, wooden tubes with round pieces of glass set in their ends. Starglasses,he had called them. Rolin had peered through one of the tubes at a sparrow perched in a distant tree. To his delight, the bird appeared life sized. The old peddler had told him the moon and stars themselves would leap down from the sky, so large would they loom through the eyepiece.
Dont set your hopes too high,Rolins father advised him as he spooned more batter onto the griddle. You cant buy peddlerswares with promisesand one of those toys will cost you dearly.
I know,replied Rolin with a sly glance at his father. You cant hawk honey with batter in your beard, either!With that, he rushed out of the cabin, just as a well-aimed spoonful of batter splattered against the door behind him.
Outside, Gannons bees were flitting in and out of their conical clay hives, which were steaming in a warm spring sun. Rolin savored the rain-washed mountain air, spicy with the pungent scent of fir needles and cottonwood balm. Already, the sponge mushrooms would be sprouting among the poplars. He scooped up an armload of firewood and brought it into the house, where another tall stack of oatcakes awaited him at the rough oak table. His father soon joined him with an even taller stack. Before you could say oatcakes and honey, they had gobbled up everything in sight. Rolin twirled his last bite of oatcake in a pool of honey, popped it into his mouth and sighed.
Fetch me the money box and some punkwood, will you, my boy?Gannon asked him, licking the honey from his plate. (I fear table manners in the cabinindeed, all mannershad suffered since Gannon and his son had been left to themselves.) Opening the money box was an event reserved for special occasionschiefly the spring and fall markets.
Rolin hopped down from his chair and threw back a tattered rug lying beside the table. Pulling up on a small handle recessed into the floor, he opened a groaning trapdoor to a musty-smelling cellar. Clambering down a flight of creaking stairs, Rolin felt his way in the darkness to a tall cupboard. Its shelves sagged under the weight of potatoes, carrots, flour, honey and beans. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Rolin spotted a pile of the half-rotted, dried wood whose thick, sweet smoke had such a calming effect on angry bees.
After stuffing a few pieces of the wood in his pocket, he searched for the money box. It was nowhere to be seen. He groped about on the shelves, raising a cloud of dust that sent him into a sneezing fit. Still, no box. Standing tiptoe on a wooden crate, he peered over the top shelf, seeing only some broken tools and pottery, a few yellowed scraps of parchmentand a box.
What is it doing up here? he wondered. He seized the box and jumped down, nearly tipping over the cupboard. After blowing dust off the lid, Rolin realized he had the wrong box. This one was wooden, not metal, and its lid was adorned with intricate engravings of trees and mythical-looking winged creatures. Spidery lettering ran around the sides.
Rolin!Gannons voice echoed into the cellar. Theres no need to look for the money box; it was here in the kitchen all along.
Rolin scrambled back up the stairs with the punkwood and his new find, closing the trapdoor behind him. Gannon was standing at the table, holding a plain-looking box with rust around its edges.
Father, look at this!Rolin exclaimed. What is it?
Why, its your grandmothers old box,said Gannon. I had forgotten all about it.Gannons fingers caressed the carved lid. It must be very old. You dont see such fine workmanship these days.
Do you suppose theres anything inside?Rolin asked.
I doubt itat least nothing valuable, like gold or silver,Gannon replied. Your grandmother might have kept some spices in it, but theyve probably turned to dust by now. Heavy, though, isnt it. Lets see whats on the bottom.As Gannon turned the box over, a distinct rattle came from within, as of rocks knocking together.
I knew it!said Rolin. There is something inside!
Thats odd,Gannon remarked, feeling around the corners. I cant find any hinge or latch.Shaking his head, he put the box down. Wed better be going now. Ill try to open this after we return home.Gannon tucked the money box under his arm and strode out the door. Rolin lingered, brushing his fingers across the carvings on the wooden box.
As he touched the tree design in the center, Pop!the top flew open. Inside lay a coin-shaped, silvery pendant cushioned on a bed of dried, faded flowers.
Rolin gasped. As he picked up the gleaming medallion by its chain, a ray of sunlight struck fire to a blood-red, faceted gem in its middle. The pieces rim bore markings like those on the box, except at the bottom, where the metal was melted.
Boy, why are you still here? Didnt you hear me calling?Gannon demanded, beckoning from the doorway. His face softened when he saw the pendant dangling from Rolins fingers. Ah, yes, your grandmothers necklace,he said, a faraway look in his blue eyes. She used to wear it when she missed the old country.To my recollection, though, she never took it out of the house.
Rolin remembered the same faraway look in his grandmothers eyes whenever she mentioned the old country. Once, he had asked her to take him to visit the land of her childhood. We can never go back there,the old woman had said with a bitter laugh. Rolin had never again dared ask Adelka about her birthplace.
Gannon fingered the pendant. How did you open the box?
I just touched it,Rolin replied with a shrug.
Gannon nodded. You always did have a knack for puzzles.
Can you tell what the writing says?Rolin asked. At an early age, he had taught himself to read from some moldy books hed found in the cellar. The letters engraved on the box and pendant, however, were unlike any hed seen in all his thirteen years.
Gannon shook his head. Only your mother and grandmother could read those chicken scratches.
Since I found the box, may I keep it?
I suppose so,Gannon sighed. Now that I think of it, Adelka gave it to your mother years ago, and your mother wanted you to have it when you turned fifteen. You may as well keep the necklace, too. It cant be worth much with that damaged spot, though the stone might fetch a handsome price. Just dont lose it.
Rolin promised he wouldnt. He looped the chain around his neck, letting the pendant drop inside his shirt. After hiding the box under his bed for safekeeping, he clapped a cap on his head and took a seat on the wagon beside his father.
Giddyap, Nan!Gannon shouted to his flop-eared mule, and they clattered down the dirt lane leading to the river road below. As the wagon groaned under its load of potatoes and honeycomb, a warm spring breeze frisked among the alders leaning over the narrow track, drying the muddy ruts. Rolin chewed a piece of honeycomb while keeping an eye out for unwary sponge mushrooms poking through the weathered leaves beside the road.
How much farther?he asked, already knowing the answer. They still had a long, bumpy way to go.
Far enough that if you keep eating our honey, there wont be any left to sell!Gannon retorted.
Rolin laughed, knowing that all of Beechtown couldnt eat so much rich honeycomb at one sitting. He rode in silence for a mile or two, recalling the years he had made the same trip sitting on Jannas lap. Father, please tell me again how you and Mother met and fell in love,he said.
The skin around Gannons eyes tightened and his jaw muscles knotted. Rolin hated upsetting his father, but he never tired of hearing the tale of his parentsunusual courtship.
It was in a treea tree house, you might say,Gannon began and clucked his tongue at Nan. The mule quickened her pace. Rumor has it that when Beechtown was still just a sleepy village, your grandmother, great with child, appeared late one night on the doorstep of a local farmhouse. Though Adelka couldnt speak a word of our tongue, the farmer and his wife took her in and looked after her until she gave birth.
To a daughter,Rolin murmured.
Then Adelka retreated with her child into the depths of the woods,Gannon went on. There she made her home in the hollow of a great beech tree. From the beginning, her queer ways aroused the suspicions of our superstitious townsfolk. The Toadstool Woman,they called her, because she used to poke about under the trees picking mushrooms to eat. After word of her healing powers got around, though, people started coming to her with their ailments. There wasnt any magic in her concoctions of herbs and ointments, but some still thought she was a witch.Gannon shot a sideways glance at his son. She wasnt, of course.
Though Rolin already knew as much, it was a relief to hear his father say so. Gannon cleared his throat. When I was about your age, I was a-hunting wild beesnests up in these hills and got myself as lost as can be. I was hungry and scaredand fevered, too. After a couple of days, the Toadstool Woman herself found me sleeping under a tree. She gave me a terrible fright, all dressed in green, with that deep look in her eyes. I heard you were lost,she said and took me to her tree house. You know the rest.
Rolin did. While Adelka nursed young Gannon back to health, the beekeeper fell hopelessly in love with her daughter, green-eyed, willowy Janna. Rolin smiled, remembering how his mother had taught him the secrets of the forest: where the tastiest mushrooms hid and how to tell the delicious, golden lisichki from the sickly green, deadly poganka; how to prepare a soothing poultice from sweet amentine leaves, using plenty of honeycomb; and when to cut willow and elderberry stems for making flutes and whistles. Rolin had also enjoyed gathering mushrooms and herbs with Adelka, transforming the contents of their brimming baskets into savory soups. On one such foray, Rolin had plucked up the courage to ask his grandmother where she had learned her woodlore.
From listening to the forest,she had wistfully replied. Ever after that, Rolin listened carefully whenever he was out in the woods but heard only the wind rustling in the tops of the trees and the scolding of squirrels. Without Adelka, the forest now felt lonely.
Presently, Rolin and his father joined the jostling mass of other market-goers on the broad road running beside the river Foamwater. Droves of goats, sheep and cows plodded beside wagons and carts piled high with bacon and fat hams, cabbages and cauliflowers, skeins of wool, sacks of candles, stacks of firewood and tools whose uses were a mystery to Rolin.
Could you help a poor old woman with her baggage?a shrill voice cut through the din of rumbling wheels and lowing cattle. Rolin glanced down at a swaying bundle of quilts bobbing alongside the wagon. The patchwork fabric parted, revealing a mop of hair as red as Gannons beard and a pair of shrewd blue eyes set in a plump, seamed face.
Hullo, Aunt Glenna,said Rolin with a polite nod. After tossing the hitchhikers quilts over Gannons potatoes, he helped her clamber up beside his father. Gannon pretended not to notice. What, is my nephew the only one here with a tongue in his head?Glenna barked. Have you gone deaf and blind, Brother?
As Gannon rolled his eyes, Rolin smirked. His father and outspoken aunt agreed on very little, particularly when it came to raising childrenand that included Rolins upbringing.
Good day to you, Sister,Gannon grunted, gritting his teeth and clenching the reins in a white-knuckled grip. May you live to see your great-grandchildren, and may your eyes never grow dim!
Rolin stifled a snicker. His spinster aunt was childless, and her eyesight was poor from years of needlework.
Hmph!Glenna snorted. You know very well I cant tell a horse from a haystack at fifty paces. As for great-grandchildren, if you want any of your own, youd better buy a place in town. The boy needs a mother, and hell soon need a wife, too. You wont find either one up in those desolate hills.
Rolin bit his lip. He didnt want another mother. He had been happy with the one hed had and still didnt understand why she had died. Three summers before, a fierce mountain storm had torn through the forest, toppling Adelkas ancient, hollow beech. Though the old woman no longer lived in the tree, she pined away before her familys horrified eyes. Within a week, she was dead.
A month later, Rolin and his mother were listening to the woodcutters chopping their way up the mountainside through the ravaged timber. Janna flinched at the crash of each falling tree, as if feeling its final splintering agony. Then she had rushed into the woods.
The next morning, Rolin and his father found her curled up beside a downed beech in Adelkas grove, as pale and cold as a frozen lily. She revived only long enough to tell Gannon, Mind the boxand the birch!With that, she had breathed her last.
The birch. Hot tears stung Rolins eyes at the memory of the seedling his mother had helped him plant in the bee yard on his fourth birthday. Ever since, Rolin had protected the skinny sapling from fire and drought. When a hungry beaver gnawed it down the spring after Jannas death, the bleeding stump mirrored Rolins heart, cut afresh with the loss of his mother.
Gannon broke the strained silence. We found Jannas box.
That dusty old thing?Glenna said. I cant imagine why she wanted Rolin to have it. Still, plain or pretty, a keepsakes a keepsake, I always say. Goodness knows, the boy has little enough to remember his kinfolk by. Look how thin hes become, moping about in your woods. City life would do you both a passel of good.
As Ive told you before, what would I do in town?Gannon protested. Where would I keep my bees? The townsfolk would throw my hives in the river and me with them. Beekeepers make fine friends but poor neighbors,as the saying goes.
Then find other work. They need more raftsmen nowadays.
Gannons lips compressed. You know I cant swim.
Glenna shrugged. You can learn.Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. Besides, its not safe in the woods anymore, what with all the strange goings-on lately. Why, just yesterday, five of Farmer Stubblefields sheep up and disappeared. Disappeared, I tell you! Mark my words, first its sheep being carried off, and then it will be people. There are unholy noises in the night, too, such as human ear has never heard. Something evil is astir, and you would be wise to move to the safety of town as quick as you can.
Rolins ears perked up. Only the week before, a bloodcurdling night cry had set his hair on end. What kind of noises?he asked. His father shot him a warning glance.
Already knowing where the argument was going, Rolin said, I think I saw some sponge mushrooms under those cottonwoods. Ill catch up with you later.He kissed his aunt on the cheek.
Dont be too long,Gannon told him. You know how you lose track of time when youve found a mushroom patch!
And theres another thing,Glenna continued without skipping a beat. Youve got to put a stop to this toadstool-picking nonsense. Its just not healthy. The boys apt to poison himself and you, too. Then where will you be? He needs to learn a respectable trade and stop wasting his time on these foolish excursions . . .
Rolin hopped off the wagon, dodged a cart full of squawking chickens and dove into the woods, where he shuffled through the old, gray cottonwood leaves carpeting the riverbank. Aha!he cried, pouncing on a cluster of little tan humps peeping out from the leafy litter. After uncovering and picking the pitted, egg-shaped mushrooms, he knocked off the dirt and deposited them in his cap. He could already taste their delicate richness in a plate of steaming scrambled eggs.
Then he searched the forest floor around him, discovering more of the shy sponges. Minutes later, he emerged triumphantly from the woods with an overflowing cap.
Rolin caught up with his father and aunt on the Beechtown bridge. He hid his hat behind him and put on a long face.
Has the mighty hunter found any trophies?asked Gannon.
From the look on his face, I would say not,remarked Aunt Glenna. Then with a flourish, Rolin produced his hat.
Gannon laughed. I might have known,he said, looking over Rolins finds. You dont often return from your mushrooming expeditions with an empty hat.He doffed his own cap, holding it out like one of Beechtowns beggars. I trust my son will share this bounty with his poor, starving father?
I suppose,said Rolin with a grin, hoping to sell some of the mushrooms to buy his starglass. Then he darted into the crowd.
Beware of pickpockets!Glenna called after him. And watch out for those Greencloak fellows, too. You never know . . .
Rolin lost himself in the babble of voices: drivers shouting at their horses and mules; hawkers announcing goods for sale in singsong chants; children crying for their mothers; and troubadours playing wooden flutes. Full-bearded fur trappers hailed one another from under bundles of shaggy pelts; shepherds herded their bleating sheep with crooked staffs; and boisterous river boatmen dressed in bright red blouses sang out their ballads.
Towering above them all were the Greencloaks. Though Rolin couldnt bring himself to believe these quiet, courteous strangers were capable of kidnapping, as his aunt claimed, he still avoided anyone robed in a dark green cloak and tunic. On reaching the market, he searched out the starglass peddler among the colorful tents, booths and tables crowding the square.
Come right up! See the moon and stars as never before! Most amazing invention in the world!
Rolin heard the peddler pitching his wares before he spotted the stooped old scarecrow surrounded by curious spectators, some of whom were already squinting through the wooden tubes. Rolin squeezed through to the front of the crowd, where he found one of the devices lying on a flimsy table.
Thats right, boy, have a look-see. It wont hurt you!With his furrowed face, hooked nose and deep-set eyes, the old man resembled an owl. Rolin set his hat on the table and had just picked up the starglass, whenkerplunk!the eyepiece dropped out.
As Rolin bent down to snatch the piece of glass out of the dirt, he bumped into someone beside him. Oh, Im s-sorry,he stammered. I didnt mean to—”
Thats quite all right,replied the stranger, who was wearing a green tunic and cloak, brown leggings and an amused smile. Let me help you with that.
As he reached for the eyepiece, the man glanced at Rolins chest, and the smile faded from his face. Rolin looked down to see the pendant hanging outside his shirt, its stone glowing brilliantly in the sun. The thing must have slipped out while he was retrieving the eyepiece. He felt his face flush.
Where did you get that?the man demanded. He whistled shrilly and then grabbed at the pendant. Rolin tried to escape, but the crowd hemmed him in.
No! You cant have it; its mine!he cried. He lunged across the table, falling at the feet of the startled vendor. Picking himself up, he squeezed between two tents and raced across the square, Greencloaks following close behind. He had to reach the bridge!