The Secret Garden

One of my favorite children's stories is The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 

The story tells of Mary Lennox who discovers a secret garden and a secret cousin named Colin. They are both 10 years old and never knew about the other. Their mothers were twin sisters, and both had died.

Mary was a sour child, rebellious and alone. Colin was a sickly boy whose wanted his father's attention. Both needed "new life."

The 1993 film version is captivating. The cinematography is breathtaking and captures the magic of this delightful story.

Novel Suspense

I'm writing my first novel. I would describe the process as Fun, Frenzied and Fearful, not necessarily in that order. 

For the last couple of years I've been writing bits and pieces of a suspense thriller located in a fictional Wyoming town, set in the present day. 

As with most stories I write, there are supernatural elements. In this case, the heroine discovers that her family had been cursed by an evil Medicine woman from Oklahoma many years ago.

This is my first novel and I need all the help I can get, so I'm reading K. M. Weiland's "Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success." 

It has been helpful in organizing this gargantuan project.

I'm excited doing research on Native American cultures, Wyoming history, and spiritual warfare. Unlike my flash fiction and comedy sketches, this project is not a sprint, it's a marathon. I have to pace myself and get all my horses in a row. It's all about telling a good story, and that's what I hope to do.

Haunting Hour

I recently began watching a series on Netflix called "R.L. Stine's Haunting Hour." 

This TV series features creepy stories that remind me of Night Gallery or the old Twilight Zone series. 

In Haunting Hour, every episode features a different cast in a scary situation that would involve ghosts, aliens, witches, zombies and monsters. The story lines are dark and some serve as morality tales. 

My 12-year-old granddaughter is the one who led me to the stories. She was impressed by an episode called "Really You" about  a life-sized doll who wants to possess the little girl who owns it. Yes, total creep-fest!

These are the kinds of stories you might tell at night around a camp fire. 

As for structure, the stories are beautifully paced and suspense is high. I like that you can't predict the outcome. Not every story has a happy ending. 

Charlotte Bronte

Then, too, Imagination is a strong, restless faculty which claims to be heard and exercised, are we to be quite deaf to her cry and insensate to her struggles? When she shews us bright pictures are we never to look at them and try to reproduce them? And when she is eloquent and speaks rapidly and urgently in our ear are we not to write to her dictation? - Charlotte Bronte, 1847

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow. 

Jane Eyre

On a Jane Eyre kick right now. Watched Jane Eyre (2011) with Mia Wasikowska. Stunning cinematography and captures the tone of this poignant love story. Oh, the misty moors and forbidding castles!

Interested to see Jamie Bell as Saint John Rivers. The last time I saw him was in Billy Elliot as the thwarted teen dancer of Manchester. 

My plan now is to read the novel by Charlotte Bronte. Of course, one should always read the novel BEFORE watching the film...it just makes sense. 

Favorite quotes:

ROCHESTER: What is your tale of woe? All governesses have a tale of woe. What is yours?
JANE: I have no tale of woe, sir.

...

JOHN RIVERS: What will you do with all your fine accomplishments? 
JANE: I will save them until they're wanted. They will keep.

...

ROCHESTER: I can see in you the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close-set bars of a cage, a vivid, restless, captive. Were it but free, it would soar, cloud high.

...

Jane: Am I a machine with out feelings? Do you think that because I am poor, plain, obscure, and little that I am soulless and heartless? I have as much soul as you and full as much heart. And if God had possessed me with beauty and wealth, I could make it as hard for you to leave me as I to leave you... I'm not speaking to you through mortal flesh. It is my spirit that addresses your spirit, as it passes through the grave and stood at God's feet equal. As we are.

Z is for puZZle

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Puzzle is a donkey tricked into becoming the false Aslan by Shift the ape. He eventually joins Jill, Eustace and King Tirian, and redeems himself to Aslan.

"Look!" said Jill suddenly. Someone was coming, rather timidly, to meet them; a graceful creature on four feet, all silvery-grey. And they stared at him for a whole ten seconds before five or six voices said all at once, "Why, it's old Puzzle!" They had never seen him by day light, with the lionskin off, and it made an extraordinary difference. He was himself now: a beautiful donkey with such a soft, grey coat and such a gentle, honest face that if you had seen him you would have done just what Jill and Lucy did - rushed forward and put your arms around his neck and kissed his nose and stroked his ears.
- The Last Battle

Y is for Years

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

When you go to Narnia you may spend many years there, but as soon as you return to our world, it is like you'd never left. You are exactly where you were and no time has passed at all. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy went to Narnia as children, grew up into adults as Kings and Queens of Narnia. One day they were out riding horses looking for the White Stag. In the forest, they got off their horses and walked through the woods. The next thing they knew, the trees had turned into coats and they were children again, tumbling out of the wardrobe back in the Professor's house at exactly the moment they had left.

"But how could it be true, sir?" said Peter.
"Why do you say that?" asked the Professor.
"Well, for one thing," said Peter, "if it was real why doesn't everyone find this country every time they go to the wardrobe? I mean, there was nothing there when we looked; even Lucy didn't pretend there was."
"What has that to do with it?" said the Professor.
"Well, sir, if things are real, they're there all the time."
"Are they?" said the Professor; and Peter did not know quite what to say.
"But there was no time," said Susan. "Lucy had had no time to have gone anywhere, even if there was such a place. She came running after us the very moment we were out of the room. It was less than a minute, and she pretended to be away for hours."
"The is the very thing that makes her story so likely to be true," said the Professor. "If there really is a door in this house that leads to some other world (and I should warn you that this is a very strange house, and even I know very little about it) - if, I say, she had got into another world, I should not be at all surprised to find that the other world had a separate time of its own; so that however long you stayed there it would never take up any of our time."
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

X is for Caspian X

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Caspian X was born Prince Caspian, crowned King of Narnia with the help of Aslan and the Pevensie children. Afterwards, he voyages to the edge of the world in his ship, the Dawn Treader. 

"Have you your sword?" asked the Doctor.
"Yes," said Caspian.
"Then put this mantle over all to hide the sword and the wallet. That's right. And now we must go to the Great Tower and talk."
When they had reached the top of the Tower (it was a cloudy night, not at all like the night when they had seen the conjunction of Tarva and Alambil) Doctor Cornelius said,
"Dear Prince you must leave this castle at once and go and seek your fortune in the wide world. Your life is in danger here."
"Why?" asked Caspian.
"Because you are the true King of Narnia: Caspian the Tenth, the true son and heir of Caspian the Ninth. Long life to your Majesty" - and suddenly, to Caspian's great surprise, the little man dropped down on one knee and kissed his hand.
- Prince Caspian

W is for White Stag

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

When King Peter, King Edmund, Queen Susan and Queen Lucy had been ruling in Narnia for many years, they heard that the White Stag had been seen. The White Stag can give you wishes. 

So they lived in great joy and if ever they remembered their life in this world it was only as one remembers a dream. And one year if fell out that Tumnus (who was a middle-aged Faun by now and beginning to be stout) came down river and brought them news that the White Stag had once more appeared in his parts  - the White Stag who would give you wishes if you caught him.
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

V is for Voyage

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

The third book in the Chronicles of Narnia is "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." The story begins when Lucy, Edmund and their cousin Eustace are magically transported to Narnia through a painting of a ship. 

"The question is," said Edmund, "whether it doesn't make things worse, looking at a Narnian ship when you can't get there."
"Even looking is better than nothing," said Lucy. "And she is such a very Narnian ship." 
"Still playing your old game," said Eustace Clarence, who had been listening outside the door and now came grinning into the room. Last year when he had been staying with the Pevensies, he had managed to hear them all talking of Narnia and he loved teasing them about it. He thought, of course, that they were making it all up; and as he was quite incapable of making anything up himself, he did not approve of that...
"Do you like that picture?" he asked?
"For heaven's sake, don't get him started about Art and all that," said Edmund hurriedly, but Lucy, who was very truthful, had already said, "Yes, I do. I like it very much."
"It's a rotten picture," said Eustace.
"You won't see it if you step outside," said Edmund.
"Why do you like it?" said Eustace to Lucy.
"Well, for one thing," said Lucy, "I like it because the ship looks as if it was really moving. And the water looks as if it was really wet. And the waves look as if they were really going up and down."
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

U is for Uncle Andrew

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Uncle Andrew is Digory's eccentric Uncle who had created magic rings to travel to Another world. By trickery, he sent Digory and Polly to this Other World.

"Can't you understand that the thing is a great experiment? The whole point of sending anyone to the Other Place is that I want to find out what it's like."
"Well, why didn't you go yourself then?" 
Digory had hardly ever seen anyone look so surprised and offended as his Uncle did at this simple question. "Me? Me?" he exclaimed. "The boy must be mad! A man at my time of life and in my state of health, to risk the shock and the dangers of being flung suddenly into a different universe? I never heard anything so preposterous in my life! Do you realise what you're saying? Think what Another World means - you might meet anything - anything."
"And I suppose you've sent Polly into it then," said Digory. His cheeks were flaming with anger now. "And all I can say," he added, "even if you are my Uncle - is that you've behaved like a coward, sending a girl to a place you're afraid to go to yourself." 
- The Magician's Nephew

T is for Tirian

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Tirian, was the last King of Narnia. In those last days, Shift the Ape created a false "Aslan" to deceive the Narnians. Tirian was captured by the Calormenes, who conspired with the Ape against Narnia.

And he called out, "Aslan! Aslan! Aslan! Come and help us Now!...Let me be killed. I ask nothing for myself. But come and save all Narnia....Oh, Aslan, Aslan, if you will not come yourself, at least send me the helpers from beyond the world. Or let me call them. Let my voice carry beyond the world." Then hardly knowing that he was doing it, he suddenly cried out in a great voice:
"Children! Children! Friends of Narnia! Quick. Come to me. Across the worlds I call you; I, Tirian, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands!"
And immediately he was plunged into a dream (if it was a dream) more vivid than any he had had in his life.
- The Last Battle

S is for Shift

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Shift is an evil Ape who influenced the donkey Puzzle to impersonate Aslan by wearing a lionskin, so Shift could gain control over Narnia. 

"Don't you start getting ideas into your head, Puzzle," said Shift. "Because, you know, thinking isn't your strong point. We'll make this skin into a fine winter coat for you."
"Oh, I don't think I'd like that," said the Donkey. "It would look - I mean, the other beasts might think - that is to say, I shouldn't feel -"
"What are you talking about?" said Shift, scratching himself the wrong way, as Apes do.  
"I don't think it would be respectful to the Great Lion, to Aslan himself, if an ass like me went about dressed up in a lionskin," said Puzzle.
"Now don't stand arguing, please," said Shift. "What does an ass like you know about things of that sort? You know you're no good at thinking, Puzzle, so why don't you let me do your thinking for you?"
- The Last Battle

R is for Reepicheep

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Reepicheep is the Chief Mouse of Narnia, member of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, famed for his courage and skill with a rapier. He fights for Prince Caspian and later travels with him to the end of the world, where he continued onward towards Aslan's Country.

"But do you think," said Lucy, "Aslan's country would be that sort of country - I mean, the sort you could ever sail to?"
"I do not know, Madam," said Reepicheep. "But there is this. When I was in my cradle a wood woman, a Dryad, spoke this verse over me: 
'Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep, 
To find all you seek,
There is the utter East.'
"I do not know what it means, but the spell of it has been on me all my life."
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Q is for Queen Helen

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Queen Helen was the first Queen of Narnia and reigned with her husband King Frank, who had been a London cabby. Aslan brought her to Narnia by magic to be united with her husband.

The young woman had apparently been in the middle of a washing day, for she wore an apron, her sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, and there were soapsuds on her hands. If she had had time to put on her good clothes (her best hat had imitation cherries on it) she would have looked dreadful; as it was she looked rather nice.
- The Magician's Nephew

P is for Professor Kirke

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

When Professor Digory Kirke was a boy, he went to Narnia. Aslan had given Digory a magic Apple that would heal his mother back in our world. Digory planted the core of the apple and it grew into a tree. Years later, Digory used the wood from the tree to build a Wardrobe, which became a portal from our world to Narnia. 

"No," he said, "I don't think it will be any good trying to go back through the wardrobe door to get the coats...of course you'll get back to Narnia again some day. Once a King in Narnia, always a King in Narnia. But don't go trying to use the same route twice. Indeed, don't try to get there at all. It'll happen when you're not looking for it. And don't talk too much about it, even among yourselves. And don't mention it to anyone else unless you find that they've had adventures of the same sort themselves." 
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

O is for Owls

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Eustace and Jill joined a parliament of owls in the middle of the night at the top of an ivy-clad stone tower with arched windows.  After the meeting, the owls flew the children to the land of the Marsh-wiggles to meet up with Puddlglum and continue their quest to save Prince Rilian.

"You see," explained Glimfeather, "most of the creatures in Narnia have such unnatural habits. They do things by day, in broad blazing sunlight (ugh!) when everyone ought to be asleep. And, as a result, at night they're so blind and stupid that you can't get a word out of them. So we owls have got into a habit of meeting at sensible hours, on our own, when we want to talk about things."
- The Silver Chair

N is for Nikabrik

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me.

Nikabrik the Dwarf was a traitor to Prince Caspian and was killed when he tried to bring the White Witch back to life with the aid of a hag and a werewolf. 

"We want power; and we want a power that will be on our side. As for power, do not the stories say that the Witch defeated Aslan, and bound him, and killed him on that very stone table which is over there, just beyond the light?"
"But they also say that he came to life again," said the Badger sharply.
"Yes, they say," answered Nikabrik, "but you'll notice that we hear precious little about anything he did afterwards. He just fades out of the story. How do you explain that, if he really came to life? Isn't it much more likely that he didn't, and that the stories say nothing more about him because there was nothing more to say?"
- Prince Caspian

M is for Marsh-wiggle

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Puddleglum is a Marshwiggle, who helps Eustace and Jill on their quest to save Prince Rilian. A Marsh-wiggle lives among the marsh and has a very serious view of life.

...Secondly, the Witch, in a very loud and terrible voice, utterly different from all the sweet tones she had been using up till now, called out, "What are you doing? Dare to touch my fire again, mud-filth, and I'll turn the blood to fire inside your veins!" 
Thirdly, the pain itself made Puddleglum's head for a moment perfectly clear and he knew exactly what he really thought. There is nothing like a good shock of pain for dissolving certain kinds of magic.
- The Silver Chair

L is for Lucy

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Lucy is the youngest of the four children and the one who first came to Narnia through the magic Wardrobe. 


But here part of the magic of the Book came into play. You couldn't turn back. The right hand pages, the ones ahead, could be turned; the left hand pages could not. 
"Oh, what a shame!" said Lucy. "I did so want to read it again. Well, at least I must remember it. Let's see...it was about...about...oh, dear, it's all fading away again. And even this last page is going blank. This is a very queer book. How can I have forgotten? It was about a cup and a sword and a tree and a green hill, I know that much. But I can't remember and what shall I do?"
And she never could remember; and ever since that day what Lucy means by a good story is a story which reminds her of the forgotten story in the Magician's Book.
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

K is for King Frank

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me.

King Frank was the first King of Narnia, formerly a London cabby. His wife Helen was the first Queen. 

"My children," said Aslan, fixing his eyes on both of them, "you are to be the first King and Queen of Narnia."
The cabby opened his mouth in astonishment, and his wife turned very red. 
"You shall rule and name all these creatures, and do justice among them, and protect them from their enemies when enemies arise. And enemies will arise for there is an evil Witch in this world."
- The Magician's Nephew

J is for Jadis

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Queen Jadis of Charn (the White Witch) destroyed Charn by using the Deplorable Word and later enslaved Narnia in a 100-year winter. 

"It was my sister's fault," said the Queen. "She drove me to it....Even after the war had begun, there was a solemn promise that neither side would use Magic. But when she broke her promise, what could I do? Fool! As if she did not know that I had more Magic than she. She even knew that I had the secret of the Deplorable Word. Did she think - she was always a weakling - that I would not use it?"
- The Magician's Nephew

I is for Into the Forest

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite books and they continue to inspire me. 

The children entered the wardrobe in the spare room at the Professor's house. The wardrobe was filled with coats, but as they made their way toward the back of the wardrobe, they felt a forest floor beneath their feet and tree branches in their faces. Before they knew what was happening, they came out the back of the wardrobe into another world - Narnia.

And now there was no mistaking it, and all four children stood blinking in the daylight of a winter day. Behind them were coats hanging on pegs, in front of them were snow-covered trees. 
Peter turned at once to Lucy.
"I apologize for not believing you," he said, "I'm sorry. Will you shake hands?"
"Of course," said Lucy, and did.
"And now," said Susan, "what do we do next?"
"Do?" said Peter, "who go and explore the wood, of course."
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

H is for Hermit

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

The Hermit of the Southern Marsh is a magician who provided sanctuary for Shasta, Aravis and the Horses Bree and Hwin.

"I say!" said Aravis, "I have had luck."
"Daughter," said the Hermit, "I have now lived a hundred and nine winters in this world and have never yet met any such thing as Luck. There is something about all this that I do not understand: but if ever we need to know it, you may be sure that we shall."
- The Horse and His Boy

G is for Glenstorm

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Glenstorm the Centaur is a prophet and stargazer, as well as a brave warrior who gives wise counsel. 

"Long live the king," he cried."I and my sons are ready for war. When is the battle to be joined?"
"Do you mean a real war to drive Miraz out of Narnia?" asked Caspian.
"What else?" said the Centaur. "Why else does your majesty go clad in mail and girt with sword?"
"Is it possible, Glenstorm?" said the Badger.
"The time is ripe," said Glenstorm. "I watch the skies, Badger, for it is mine to watch, as it is yours to remember."
- "Prince Caspian."

F is for Fledge

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Fledge used to be a cab horse in London named Strawberry, but when he was magically transported to Narnia, he became the first flying horse 

"My dear," said Aslan to the Horse, "would you like to be a winged horse?"
You should have seen how the horse shook its mane and how its nostrils widened, and the little tap it gave the ground with one back hoof. Clearly it would very much like to be a winged horse. But it only said:
"If you wish, Aslan - if you really mean - I don't know why it should be me - I'm not a very clever horse.
"Be winged. Be the father of all flying horses," roared Aslan in a voice that shook the ground. "Your name is Fledge."
- "The Magician's Nephew."

E is for Edmund

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Edmund betrayed his family and followed the White Witch who had deceived him and made him her slave. Only Aslan can save him. 

"There's no point in looking for him," said Mr. Beaver.
"What do you mean?" said Susan. "He can't be far away yet. And we've got to find him. What do you mean when you say there's no use looking for him?"
"The reason there's no use looking," said Mr. Beaver, "is that we know already where he's gone." Everyone stared in amazement. "Don't you understand?" said Mr. Beaver. "He's gone to her. To the White Witch. He has betrayed us all." 
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

D is for Dragon

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Eustace coveted enchanted gold and turned into a dragon but Aslan changed him back to a boy again by scraping off the scales and washing him in clean water. A symbol of rebirth and baptism. 

The pleasure (quite new to him) of being liked, and still more, of liking other people, was what kept Eustace from despair. For it was very dreary being a dragon. He shuddered whenever he caught sight of his own reflection as he flew over a mountain lake. He hated the huge, bat-like wings, the saw-edge ridge on his back, and the cruel curved claws.
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

C is for Cair Paravel

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me. 

Cair Paravel is the castle where Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy lived as Kings and Queens of Narnia. 

When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone
Sits at Cair Paravel in throne,
The evil time will be over and done 
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

B is for Bree

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me.

Bree is a proud warhorse that escaped captivity and learned to be humble.  

"Are you going to run away, too?" said Shasta, turning very pale.
"Yes, if you'll come with me," answered the Horse. "This is the chance for both of us. You see, if I run away without a rider, everyone who sees me will say 'Stray horse' and be after me as quick as he can. With a rider I've a chance to get through..."
- The Horse and His Boy

A is for Aslan

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is The Chronicles of Narnia. These are my favorite stories and they continue to inspire me.

Aslan is the Lion, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He created the land of Narnia. He is Good and Just. Not a tame Lion.

"Who is Aslan?" asked Susan.
"Aslan?" said Mr. Beaver. "Why don't you know? He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand. Never in my time or my father's time. But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this very moment. He'll settle the White Queen, all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr. Tumnus." 
- The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

A to Z Blogging Challenge Theme - Narnia

Tomorrow starts the A to Z Blogging Challenge. My theme is all things Narnia. I hope you enjoy reading about these magical stories by C.S. Lewis. 

Blessings!

Shadow-Lands

I'm once more reading the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Today I finished The Last Battle, but I want to read more and wish the story would go on forever. I hope this passage inspires you. It is the final passage of the final chapter of the final book in the series:

Then Aslan turned to them and said: "You do not look so happy as I mean you to be."

Lucy said, "We're so afraid of being sent away, Aslan. And you have sent us back into our own world so often."

"No fear of that," said Aslan, "have you not guessed"
Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them. 

"There was a railway accident," said Aslan softly. "Your father and mother and all of you are - as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands - dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning." 

And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has ever read: which goes on forever; in which every chapter is better than the one before.

 - (C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle)

Bonjour, Sophie!

Sophie is one of the primary players in my novel. She is a Chartreux Cat, a breed that dates back to 16th century France. Her fur is smoky gray with silver tips and her eyes are topaz.

The name Sophie means "Wisdom" and she is a very wise and Magical Cat.

Aslan

C.S. Lewis's tales of Narnia are the kinds of stories that truly inspire me. The stories are a Christian allegory. The character of Aslan the Lion represents the Lord Jesus Christ - the Creator and Savior of the World. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

In "The Magician's Nephew," C.S. Lewis describes a scene in the last chapter where Aslan sends the children, Digory and Polly, back to their own world:

Both the children were looking up into the Lion's face as he spoke these words. And all at once (they never knew exactly how it happened) the face seemed to be a sea of tossing gold in which they were floating, and such a sweetness and power rolled about them and over them and entered into them that they felt they had never really been happy or wise or good, or even alive and awake, before. And the memory of that moment stayed with them always, so that as long as they both lived, if ever they were sad or afraid or angry, the thought of all that golden goodness, and the feeling that it was still there, quite close, just round some corner or behind some door, would come back and make them sure, deep down inside, that all was well. 

It was the best of times...

After watching the TV series "Lost" a couple of years ago, I was inspired by Desmond. If you're a fan of the show, you know that Desmond was first seen guarding the underground bunker. We find out later that one of his goals in life was to read the complete works of Charles Dickens. He had read everything except "Our Mutual Friend." And yes, this is a metaphor, if you're familiar with the series.

This intrigued me. I decided to take the Desmond challenge. Why not? The fact that "A Christmas Carol" is one of my favorite stories of all time makes this venture even more exciting. I have already read several of Dickens's stories including "Oliver Twist" and "The Pickwick Papers." Yet, I have only placed my toe in the waters of Dickens's world. 

I am currently reading "A Tale of Two Cities," which, if I'm not careful, can drown me if I don't come up for air every so often.

The opening lines are sublime:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness...