ROYAL INTRIGUE-PART 1 - BY: KIMBERLY R. THORN

As he stood on the foyer looking down at her entering the great hall and proceeding up the steps his anger only grew more.  How could someone do this?  And in his territory?  It was unthinkable.  No, it was treason!  But the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.  What must she think?  Her first time in his territory…soon to be hers too, and this happens.  He continued to think as he watched her proceed to her bedroom.  She was poised to try to maintain her dignity and self-control.  He could see it.  To look at her with her current demeaner the only thing giving away what she had been through was her physical appearance.  She didn’t look upset.  Her head was still held high.  It’s all about proper breeding, his mother would say.  Sounding like she was born and lived hundreds of centuries ago!  He shook his head to clear his mind of his mother.  Back to her.  The once beautiful dress she had on was all torn in many places with green grass stains on it.  It also had small sticks and leaves stuck to it in various places.  Her once beautiful long blonde hair that was pinned up is now peeking out in many different places.  It also has twigs and leaves stuck in it.  He could see her bare milky white shoulder because of a huge gash in the dress.  His mind went to something else entirely!  

“Excuse me your Majesty” interrupted his Grand Admiral Johan.

Again he snapped himself back to reality as he growled “yes, what else have you found out?”

“Well sire, I have spoken to her Army’s Grand Admiral, that was with them when it happened, but they did not get a good look at the culprit.  He said that he tried speaking to the Princess but she was too badly shaken to respond right after the attack happened.  Apparently when the assailant dropped her it knocked the wind out of her.  But that of course, she saw him up close and could describe him.  Although, she’s still understandably shaken.”

“Understandable…but I want to know who the hell did this, and fast.   We have no time to waste.  I need to KNOW something before her father or her brothers’ contact me.  I don’t know which would be worse actually.   I shudder to think what they will think of us now!  I can’t have it!  This will not suffice.  I’m counting on you!  I want to know who or what we are up against.  And I mean fast…before heads roll, or ONE in particular.” He said as he turned to look right at Johan.  Johan took a deep, hard gulp in of air but he didn’t get a chance to respond before the King continued more to himself admitting more to his own defeat, ‘I mean her dad and brothers’ entrusted her to me and I gave them my word that she would be safe here with me.’  He sighed and then spoke to Johan again, ‘I want everyone on high alert.  Two guards posted outside her door with the women guards by her side at all times.  I mean she doesn’t go to the bathroom without them.  Do I make myself clear?’”

As Johan stood at attention, “yes sire, Raoul has her army with him out scouring the woods where the tree went over and where she was taken from the Rolls Royce.  They are looking for anything that might tell us who did this vile attack on our future Queen!  The doctor is with her now and will report directly to you shortly.  Guards are with her as well.  The castle is secured.  No one will get in or out without being properly identified.”

“Good! I want them looking for anything they can find to lead us to this coward! And I demand to be updated continually on her condition and on the search for this vile person.  You are dismissed, for now, Johan.”

 

** TO BE CONTINUED**. Let me know what you think, please.

SANTA'S JOURNEY THROUGH TIME by Teresa Inge

Any kid can tell you where Santa Claus is from—the North Pole. But his historical journey is even longer and more fantastic than his annual, one-night circumnavigation of the globe.

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure who embodies the spirit of Christmas. His story is a blend of history, folklore, and popular culture, making him one of the most beloved characters during the holiday season.

Origins and Evolution

The origins of Santa Claus can be traced back to Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Greek bishop known for his generosity and kindness. Saint Nicholas was famous for his secret gift-giving, which laid the foundation for the modern image of Santa Claus. Over the centuries, his legend evolved, incorporating elements from various cultures and traditions.

In the 19th century, the modern image of Santa Claus began to take shape. The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas," written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823, played a significant role in shaping the contemporary depiction of Santa. The poem described Santa as a jolly, plump figure with a white beard, dressed in a red suit trimmed with white fur, and driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Washington Irving's 1809 book Knickerbocker's History of New York first portrayed a pipe-smoking Nicholas soaring over the rooftops in a flying wagon, delivering presents to good girls and boys and switches to bad ones.

Cultural Impact

Santa Claus has become a central figure in Christmas celebrations around the world. He is often depicted as a cheerful, benevolent character who brings joy and gifts to children on Christmas Eve. The tradition of Santa Claus visiting homes and leaving presents under the Christmas tree has become a cherished part of holiday festivities.

Santa's image has been popularized through various forms of media, including literature, films, and advertisements. The Coca-Cola Company's 1930s advertising campaign featuring Santa Claus in a red suit helped solidify his modern appearance and further embedded him in popular culture.

A modern Santa

Today, Santa can be tracked on Google Tracker alternating between traveling and handing out presents in cities on Christmas Eve. Numerous movies and books have been made about Santa. And television ads portray a modern Santa in the Capital One commercial with John Travolta strutting his stuff in a Santa suit to the Bee Gees ‘Staying’ Alive.’  While Target features a hunky Santa Claus depicting the jolly man as Kris K, a team member at the popular department store.

"ALWAYS WINTER, NEVER CHRISTMAS?" by Yvonne Saxon

 

"Always winter, never Christmas" is one of my favorite lines from C.S. Lewis's book The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The line speaks volumes in just four words. Winter is a season, and yes, a very necessary one in the physical world for rest and restoration.  I believe Christmas is also a very necessary season whether it's celebrated culturally or metaphorically. Is winter or Christmas a condition of your heart?

In Lewis's story the world is gray, and bleak and cold. Winter in our world can be bleak, harsh, cold and dreary. Bareness is everywhere: brown, stubby, empty fields, leafless trees, empty parks devoid of people. Shorter grayer days and longer darker nights send us inside to huddle and isolate. Christmas calls us out.

Writing Characters You Don't Like

 I wonder if you are like me when you begin writing a new story. Because I’m such a nice person (tongue in cheek here) I want my characters to be nice too. Most of my real-life friends are nice and I tend to think of them when I’m creating a character, so my fictional characters tend to be nice also. See the problem? A story must have conflict. Without conflict there is no story.

Some writers like to create a really mean, ugly character to serve as the story’s villain. Like Crabby Appleton, “rotten to the core.” This was a cartoon character on TV a long time ago. You didn’t need to know why he was so rotten. He just was. You can sometimes find these villains-for-no-apparent-reason in mysteries, but they are not satisfying. I think they give the story a cartoonish feel.

We need to write characters that feel real and we need conflict or there is no story. Therefore, you just have to pull up your socks and develop some characters you don’t like. You need to understand why they act the way they do. You must accept that their actions and opinions are part of who they are. Why are they like this? I try to invent a childhood for my ornery or hateful characters that points to possible reasons why they are like they are. But this seldom happens in real life. We rarely figure out why a person is that way. People are much too complex to be explained by simple cause-and-effect theories.

Think of the recent presidential election. Regardless of which side you were on, did you really understand why others felt so differently from you? Were you tempted to get up on your soapbox and point out how those other folks were just wrong? Could you describe the election from someone else’s point of view? Do you understand that their point of view is really true for them?

As a writer you don’t have the option of using a soapbox. You have to dig deep within yourself and find understanding. You need to be able to write out, on paper, your offensive character’s thoughts on the conflict at hand. You don’t necessarily have to know why he feels as he does, but you do have to know that these are his real feelings. Remember, he sees the world through a different lens. Can you imagine how the world looks to him?

Does your character have any idiosyncrasies that reveal his true nature? She uses lots of air quotes? He overuses use of words like actually?  You can use these to enrich the picture and bring the conflict into sharper focus.

A lot of people subscribe to the idea that children are blank slates, and the adult is merely the result of what the world has written on the child’s mind. I’m not sure it’s that simple. But you should think about what has made your ornery character like he is, and it helps to think a bit about his childhood. You don’t have to include it in your story, but you may want to try writing it out just for yourself.

And while I’m thinking about it, give your main character some flaws and foibles as well. Perfect people are boring.