My blog for 4/20/2013 Review of The Aviator's Wife

This book is historical fiction and is well done, told from the first person perspective of Charles
Lindbergh's wife, Anne.  The fiction is imperceivable from the history, the way it's written.  I knew so little about Charles Lindbergh until this book that it filled in all the gaps I've always heard about their family.

Anne Lindberg was a long-suffering sort, who gave in to her husband on almost every single request.  She lost her own identity as soon as she was married, and  became an appendage of her husband, who was a control freak.  He accomplished this by appealing with the logic of his requests and expectations, and of course, she was very pliable.  He had more belief in what she was capable of doing than she, so she let him "guide" her into all aspects of his life. He soaked up all the adulation for her.

She was so fascinated by his aura, his fame, his apparent 100 percent belief in her capabilities that she allowed herself to be guided into becoming a pilot herself, a navigator both in the air and on the sea. When he sent her off a cliff in a prototype glider, she panicked, but made her way to the ground whereas anybody else would have told him where to go.   She learned to navigate by the stars, which was the method navigators used in those days (@1929).  Then she was automatically expected to be his "co-pilot" both in the extensive mapping done from the air, and on the homefront.  She was not given credit for these accomplishments, however, and the further they got into their marriage, the more he was intransigent about her "place" and she was more frustrated that she allowed him to do this to her.  All this while she yearned to be home with her children.

He fell from her grace at the point where their son was kidnapped for ransom, as he insisted upon taking over the search for the child, against Anne's wishes.  I always thought their child had never been recovered, but found that not to be true.  His body was found, as apparently the kidnapper accidentally killed him, yet did receive the ransom (in marked bills due to Investigator Schwartzkopf's insistence).  Therefore, the kidnapper was found through the marked bills given to him and he was imprisoned and executed.  This Schwartzkopf, I believe, was the father of  the current General Schwartzkopf (four star general) who was responsible for the invasion of Iraq some ten years ago.

Charles was the supreme ruler over his home, his mapping business, his wife and children.  It didn't seem to be just an ego thing, but total confidence in his ability to overcome any obstacle and thinking nobody could do anything as well as he, just as the world had accepted him in that role. That  stood him in good stead when he left the United States to be the first man to fly over the ocean to Europe.  I can say he was the  person most responsible for the very beginning of today's global economy.  However, his later beliefs around 1939 that Hitler had the machine to show off his might during the Olympics held in Germany, led Lindbergh to admire the organization of the Hitler regime.  He was so impressed by the show Hitler flouted, he could relate from the perspective that the Jews were infliterating the United States and needed to be stopped,as they seemed to be controlling all the money.  This of was, of course, before the Holocaust. 

Because she would not tell him no, Anne in a more mousely role than I expected from the book's voice, agreed to write up Charles' beliefs in a book they published to sell in the U.S.  It turned into the downfall of the huge myth of epic proportions that Charles was the great American Hero everybody in the world had considered him to be.

I think one of the reasons Charles flirted with Communism, Socialism, Stalinism and even dictatorship was because his life in the U.S. had become so famous that his clothing was literally torn off his body by admiring fans (think Elvis Presley).  His family was captive to their home, with stationed guards posted everywhere, his child was stolen out from under him, and it took almost a year for the authorities to find the kidnapper and his dead child's body.  He was not happy with democracy, as he saw only the underbelly permissiveness. His image as everybody's hero could not be shaken or removed so he was truly cursed with the trappings of fame.  The U.S. had made life so difficult for their family that they often  moved to other countries.

I wanted Anne, throughout the book, to stand up (as she constantly thought about doing) to Charles and take a stand to make any decision of her own.  But did that only by default and never by her choice over his.  Theirs was a marriage of a hero and a mouse, a constant competition in which Anne always lost.  There was no doubt who would win.  The book she wrote caused her to go down with him, which she knew would happen before she wrote it.

My blog for 4/19/2013 Miss Amanda the African Gray Parrot.

Isn't she cute?  And only 19 years old.  They live to be 60.  Did you ever inherit a parrot because grandma died and left it to you in her will?
           Don't be deceived.  That isn't a beady eye you're seeing --she's a very curious little cookie.  Please note her red tail.   I think she's a great standin for Epifanio Alejandro.

My blog for 4/10/2013 The African Gray Parrot search

I have begun thinking about the cover for Chattahoochee Dead.  Since one of the lighter items in the story involves a talking African Gray Parrot, whose name is Epifanio Alejandro, I would like a bird like him to be on the cover some place.

Since I'm fresh out of African Gray Parrots, I went on line and looked up "exotic birds."  Of course all the ones I found were in different states.  So I went back on line and looked up Melody's dream idea of "African Gray Parrot Breeders," thinking I could go to Atlanta if I had to. 

But a miracle happened and a name came up of a breeder who LIVES IN DAWSON COUNTY!

Jump back!

That would never happen again in a hundred years.    Naturally I emailed this person and she emailed me back and we've agreed that I can go to her aviary and see her African Gray as soon as possible.
Later when we have the cover under way I'll know more about the angle we will need for a picture, and then I can take the photographer over there to take pictures of her.

My blog for 4/8/2013 Chattahoochee Dead is put to bed.

Okay, the deed is done.  I have signed with Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC in North Carolina.
A very nice man runs this company.  I feel good about this.  However, as usual, it will take time before it is out in paperback and ebook--we all have to wait until November 2013.

In working on finding a place I could get a picture of an African Gray Parrot--there is one in the book--I found a breeder right here in Dawsonville!  That will never happen again in a hundred years.

Melody's blog for 4/7/2013 Publishing Chattahoochee Dead

I've got a publisher for Chattahoochee Dead in case I want to publish that way.  I don't have all the information yet, so am not positive.  Of course I've investigated all the other avenues for getting this done and have come down to using Amazon's publishing company (which I'd get to pay for) or another one like I-Universe (which I'd get to pay for).  Or go with this publisher who only does books regarding the Appalacian Mountain range (and I don't have to pay for).   I've sent Chattahoochee Dead to so many publishers that I'm disgusted with the whole industry.  Of course it's still out with about 13 others, so I suppose something could turn up I'd like better.  I've talked to a few other publishers who have indicated some interest in the series I'm working toward.  But no contracts yet.  I really like the offer I got.  But what's best for Chattahoochee Dead?  What's best for Melody?  I think any self-publishing costs would vary from about $600. to $2500.  And there is no knowing what the figure would actually be until the commitments are made, one at a time.

Actually Melody has a lot on her plate right now (seems it never goes away) and will not necessarily have time to deal with a self-publisher.  I think like an old person sometimes--if it isn't good enough for a publisher to take it, it's stigmatized, to my way of thinking.  And the new news is I'll get the rights back on Auraria Dead at the end of July and can think about using it as a guina pig to learn how to self-publish.  I mean, it's already an ebook, so how hard can it be to continue that?

Regardless of who publishes Chattahoochee Dead, there will be no advertising budget from them--that's a given.  So I'll be responsible for 99% of whatever sales I can make.  On the surface I'd like to just contract with this guy who's interested and get it out of my brain.  Of course, that's not how it works--there must be editing, scene decisions, cover design decisions, ISPN application, and lord knows how many more decisions.  So I guess there is no easy way to do this, which I knew all along.  I was just hoping it would go away after I was rich and famous.

Pray for me.

My blog for 4/1/13 Teaching Responsibility

When Danielle (Danny)  was twelve years old, she wasn’t particularly interested in just about anything,  including schoolwork, athletics, hobbies, computer-driven games, etc.  Her parents were frustrated.  So, they gave her some responsibilities that would engender self-confidence. They turned all of their household budgeting over to Danny.  She was responsible to pay all the credit card bills, the utility bills, take care of the cash budget and in general be the household’s money manager or the family bills really would go unpaid and all of them would have to live with the consequences.

The telephone bill went first.  Danny forgot to pay it on time, received a notice of disconnect, and immediately got it caught up.  Next came the gas bill, which went neglected until the heat was turned off.  Danny was responsible for “finding” the funds to pay that utility’s re-establishment fine.  The family was without heat in the middle of winter.  So Danny became responsible for hunting, cutting and bringing in firewood so she and the rest of the family had some heat.  Meanwhile, they all wore a lot of clothing.

 

It was a little touch-and-go at their house for two years before Danny got the discipline to follow through on obligations. 

As things progress in life, the siblings grew up and were gone from their home by that time, and the parents found work in another town on a temporary basis.  Danny was still in school, so she lived in the house of their small town by herself while her parents were gone making a living for the three of them.  She paid the bills, she made her own food, got herself to school and back, athletics and back, wrote birthday cards to family members, and bought clothes/shoes on her budget.  She slept and ate when she wished, she washed clothing and cleaned house by herself.  Her support was a cell phone she paid the bill for monthly to keep in touch with her parents.

Today Danny is the most responsible person, the most independent person, the most industrious person I know.  She found work to pay her way through college after messing up the first semester and having to start over again.  She worked as a path-clearer for the Bureau of Land Management during the summers to earn school money.  Last year she graduated from college.

 

If she had gone without the responsibility her parents foisted off on her, there would have been a fifty-fifty chance as to whether she'd ever have developed into a productive member of society.

 

If you don’t mind surprises as to whether you’ll have any utilities tomorrow, what this family did just might be a remedy for motivationally-challenged children.