Category: General

The Book Progress

Went on sale the 14th, but didn’t know about it until the 16th

Statistics from Amazon best selling e-book list

 

17th – #68,075

18th – #73,123

19th – #23,353 – also #42 in the Fantasy-Anthologies

20th – #17,211 – #32 in the Fantasy-Anthologies

21st – #24,000 – #52 in the Fantasy-Anthologies

22nd – #53,693

23rd – #85,417

24th – #100,887

25th – #

26th – #123,438

27th – #

28th – #

 

Marry Christmas Everyone

I wanted to write another Christmas story this year. I started several times, but could’t feel a real connection like I have for the past two years. I tried to write about the prophets that met Jesus when he was taken to Jerusalem to be circumcised. While there were some scriptures to base it on I found it hard to get into their heads. I thought about the wise men, but there is so little known about them and so much already written,

I finally settled on continuing the store I wrote last year about the Innkeeper. If you haven’t read that one I suggest you grab Issue 28 from the web site (douglasgclarke.com) and read it first. This years story is about the Innkeepers Son and how he fits into the Christmas story.

I hope this letter finds everyone well and he peace of Christ residing with you.

Douglas G Clarke

The Fog

The fog rolled slowly up the valley, staying out of the sun’s sight. It found a creek bed and followed its course as is twisted between the boulders and trees, the creek careful not to trap itself where it could not flow, while the fog gave little heed to such things and was just as happy to go over as about a boulder.

The fog filled the hollows and looked for shade even as the stray rays of sunlight burned its back. But still the fog pushed on with purpose in its movement, for it knew that others depended on it completing its journey. So even as the sun baked away its very essence, it pulled more moisture from the now distant sea.

The fog skipped onto a stone wall and was greeted by the smiling faces of a hundred flowers. It slipped over the wall and slid between the fence boards to embrace its love. It flowed around each flower, caressed each peddle, wrapped itself around each stem. The flowers danced with the fog’s touch and drank deeply with its kiss.

The flowers knew this dance well, having danced it each morning, but the fog was less sure of itself for this was the first and last time it would venture this way. It knew that in mere moments its life would end – evaporated by an unyielding sun, but it knew that this is what it was meant to do. That it must do like its ancestors had for generations unknown and that its ancestors would do after it was gone – to fight against the sun, against the trees and boulders, the walls and fences, so that it could embrace the flowers and give to them its life.

As the danced continued, and the flowers were left glowing, the fog gave up its last. No longer could it feel its connection to the sea, the sun having severed that connection.  No longer did it push forward in search of other flowers – it had found its love. Its thoughts faded as its body did. Now only faint thoughts – love, peace, embrace.

As every day before, it knew that fighting was pointless. Compared to the might of the sun what was it? And so it lay down to die, hugging the ground, hiding beneath the flowers leave’s, but not fighting the end, knowing that its sacrifice would mean that the flowers could fight against the sun and, if only for a season, win.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone from the Clarke family

It has been another busy year. I can hardly believe that Emma will graduate this year and that Rory will be a Star Scout – and going to high school next year. Some of the highlights from this last year include Cindy and Emma going to Northern Tier, Rory and I going to Mine-Con, Emma’s time at Venturing Rendezvous, Rory’s appearance in two plays, Cindy’s physical training, and my continued writing.

This last summer Cindy and Emma went to Northern Tier in Manitoba Canada. I’m not sure if the months of preparation or the actual trip was harder. Northern Tier is one of the Boy Scout’s high adventure camps. Cindy and Emma went on a week long canoeing trip with seven other scouts. The primitive setting and physical challenges of lifting their canoes over beaver dams and portaging through the mud took them to the breaking point, but they both came back stronger for the experience.

Rory and I traveled to Las Vegas in the early morning to participate in Mine-Con, which is a convention based around the game of Mine Craft. Cindy and Grandma Arlene made Rory a costume which as was a hit with the other attendees. Rory got to spend time with one of his new friends and meet many of the celebrities he has watched on Youtube the last year. Rory is already trying to figure out how to get to next years convention – possibly in Europe

Venturing has been a big part of Emma’s life this last year. Besides being elected as the president of her crew last the spring, she was also elected the president of the San Diego Imperial County Venturing Officer’s Association. For her the highlight was the Venturing Rendezvous. The theme this year was Island Adventures. Besides helping to plan the weekend activities at camp Fiesta Island, Emma found great enjoyment in the sense of community she has found.

Rory was in two plays this last year. In “Willy Wonka” he played the head umpa lumpa – both interacting with the main characters and joining all the other umpa lumpas in many songs. In the play “13”, Rory was cast as Eddy. He had both speaking lines as well as a number of songs he sang in – including a duet. His many long hours of practice paid off in great performances.

Cindy’s greatest challenge this year was physically preparing for the trip with Emma to the back country of Manitoba Canada, Because of her long time of inactivity the challenge was huge. She was blessed with a wonderful personal trainer that was both sensitive to her emotional issues as well as being very good at pushing her physically. In her months of training she became stronger and gained the stamina required for the trip. Emma joined in some of the training and then through the preparation and the week in the wilderness they have formed a much tighter bond.

I have continued with my writing. I finished the two line a day stories I had been working on and published my 28th newsletter. I wrote another Christmas story and continue to work on revising my novel. I spent a while this year working on an iPad application with a young woman I met a Comic-Con last year. Unfortunately we had to stop working on it as she started working a full time job.

Cindy and the kids spent two weeks in Sedro Woolley with her parents and her brother’s family. The trip to Sedro Woolley is always one of the favorite of the year.

We continue to reach out to others to share our gift of hospitality. We had a young man from Germany live with us for six months and he even joined us on our yearly trek to Mexico to build houses and joined us for Comic-Con the weekend that he left.

We spent Thanksgiving with my Mom/Bill and my Brother’s family this year. I have been working to improve my Dutch Oven cooking skills and this year for I cooked seven Thanksgiving dishes in my mother’s backyard for our feast together.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and hope that the New Year will find you have many happy times with family and friends.

Doug, Cindy, Emma, and Rory Clarke