Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Time Master Chronicles


To the Readers and Students of these Chronicles,
Salutations,

Time Masters Book One; The Call was written quite some time ago during the latter half of your race’s twentieth century and shortly after the events themselves took place. At least from the perspective of those involved within said events. To the Muirarans (Pronounced Muir –are-ans.) events leading up to those recorded go back further still, occurring within the previous centuries and then tied to the current year of 3698.
The Time Master Chronicles on the other hand, have taken the recorded events and added the missing pieces so to speak. The Muirarans feel this to be only fair, as Time Masters Book One; The Call was recorded mainly by the Humans involved, one Human in particular, who lumped the events into one huge book and whose accuracy in recording what happened was somewhat skewed. At least according to the Muirarans who feel the Human scribe wished to tone down some of the events to make the documents more appealing to a general audience, namely Human children who, over recent years, have been taught about the Muirarans through the use of these records. Let it be noted that what was recorded did add significantly to the histories of both the Human and Muiraran races, but the latter feel they need further clarification. Further study of these chronicled events have educated many, and managed to relieve some of the tensions growing between the two races of late. Especially those of the lower working classes of your species, who question the very existence of the Muirarans. Before going further it would behoove you, the Human reader studying these events, to be told some history dated prior to the chronicled events themselves. Or in essence, your future.

For those making a study of these chronicled events and who are from time periods prior to what has been called, ‘The World’s End’ which took place in 2313, the Muirarans apologize. Their intent by making these chronicles available to you via utilizing what technologies you have within the centuries prior to 2313 is to educate, not cripple the reader by fear of your world’s impending doom. It is what it is and it serves what it serves. All you can do in the mean time is live your lives as best you can and pray your descendants do not make the same mistakes to the degree you yourselves will. Lucky for you, the Muirarans and their Time Masters have been most generous in helping your race out in that area. But you will learn more of that later. What you need to know now before delving into the recorded events is the following:

After World’s End, Man barely scraped by for centuries until finally, two hundred years before the rebellion of 3349, (which resulted in heavy casualties for the human race, civil war always was a nasty business) he finally started to show promise. Man began to rebuild his civilization and technology that was lost to him when the old world died. Let it be interjected here that you will not find out how your world nearly, as your kind from your twentieth and twenty first centuries phrase it … “bit the big one.” That information is held within the latter chronicles. It is best to start at the beginning in order to understand fully the impact of actions taken by not only your race as pertains to war, but the Muirarans as well.
After the rebellion and subsequent civil war of 3349 Man had to start over yet again, and the Earth once more began the slow process of healing. This time however, new, never before seen things began to grow and species of animal discovered. Some in the form of edible plants and fauna, others in the form of strange mammals, and lastly beings on a much higher intellectual plane began to make their presence known. None of your kind has ever been able to determine where the Muirarans livestock, agriculture, and they themselves came from. For that matter, those at your famous Anontist Center, that ‘Den of Death’ as the Muirarans call it, tried everything to find the answers to a sudden rash of questions. Where did the Elvin like race originate? How did they come to possess such great knowledge and power? Are their origins extraterrestrial? Could they be the Fairie of old? Whatever the Muirarans place of origin, most of you didn’t care. It didn’t matter. (Except to those at the Anontist Center whose sole purpose was to do whatever it took to find out whom and what the highly reclusive Muirarans were. They’ve never done a very good job.) What did matter at the time was they were able to help your kind rebuild some of what was lost.
Though not as technological as man used to be before nearly annihilating himself, the Muirarans were still able to advance man at a much faster pace than if left to his own devices. The Muirarans lived simply and used their own methods to heal their sick or fight any battles that needed to be fought in order to defend themselves from harm. Man, seeing this simplicity, longed for a chance to make it right again for themselves. Let it be known to you, the reader, that your kind decided to forgo rebuilding the world on a technological basis and instead adopted new laws and new ways of doing things. Certain advancements that could be recovered and revitalized were. Mostly in the areas of medicine and some forms of communication. Ideas and philosophies deemed useful were also revived. This put the two races on a more even playing field, as far as your race was concerned. But over time Man noticed the reclusive Muirarans possessed a few things Man did not. Abilities Man could only dream of. Abilities and attributes bred into certain strains of the Muiraran race. Certain Muiraran family’s bloodlines contained more powerful abilities, much more rare abilities, that others did not and these you will soon learn about as you read these chronicles. Man, however, had no such power.
A little more than sixty years ago (3635 to be exact) Man sought to create his own “special abilities” without the use of technology, returning to and resurrecting practices found thousands of years in man’s prior history. Witchcraft, vampirism, reanimation and sorcery to name a few. This went on for at least a decade but he to no avail as the dark arts practiced by man often tended to go sour on him. For a time the Anontist Center was thought to have become the hub of such practices despite all the failed attempts man made. This caused a bit of a rift with Man’s relationship with the Muirarans who told Man in no uncertain terms he’d best “get his act together” as you say. What Man was doing just wasn’t in the Divine order of things as far as they were concerned. And of course, when people began disappearing and Man had to enlist the Muirarans help to find them, (unfortunately all were dead, obvious victims of these detestable practices) this caused even more tension. Needless to say after that, anyone caught dabbling in said practices were severely punished. So even though many tried and failed at these dark arts, they soon gave up on the notion completely once the new laws were enforced.
All but a few.
It is believed that this “few” are behind Man’s current dilemma but no one is really sure. All anyone is sure of is civil war is once again brewing, near boiling in fact. People are once again disappearing, and man is scrambling to try to find a solution to the problem. Some blame the Muirarans, those that actually believe they really do exist. While others lay blame on the Anontist Center, which ironically was created for the sole purpose of proving the Muirarans do exist. While even more blame what ever village or province is right next door to them, this group simply out looking for a good fight, not caring who started what, they just want something to pulverize first and ask questions later. Boredom and bad living conditions will do that to a human.
And for those actually in charge of coming up with a plan of action and putting a stop to the death toll, they weren’t above asking the Muirarans for help. Again. After all, wouldn’t it be easier to use a Time Master to fix the problem before it even really got started? But unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. No one really had much of a clue of what was going on. This could take time, and time wasn’t something they had if they wanted to put a stop to it all fast. The rebellion of 3349 escalated so rapidly that before anyone knew it Man had practically once again obliterated the planet. No one wanted to go through that again. But any trails and clues as to who was behind things fifty to sixty years ago had gone cold. No one had an answer, a clue, even a starting point. Man faced an unseen enemy that was meticulously picking him off sector by sector, village by village. Man was killing man and no one knew why. And the Muirarans were none too happy about it. A nasty business no matter how one looked at it. And this, dear reader, is where you will begin …

Wednesday, November 3, 2010


EGADS! There's a bear in the woods. No really, there IS! He's a bit late this year. He usually passes through during the month of August, at times lingering for a bit some years all the way until the end of September. But this year he's LATE! Not sure why, as I'm not prone to keep an eye on a bear's yearly planner, but the least he could do was phone first! The nerve of some wildlife ...

The local raccoons also seem to be a bit off schedule and have decided to embark on their nightly excursions onto my back porch several months early. They usually show up in the dead of winter looking for something, ANYTHING edible. They hit the jackpot last night and supped on my cat's dinner. The audacity! My cat thought it was rather rude of them as well. I chased them off the back porch with a fire place poker. Not the best tool to use. A water laden mop usually works best ...

Ahhh the country life. I'm home today from my day job. Got my schedule changed so now I have more time to write. It's NaNoWriMo month! And though I'm not officially contributing to the word count, I am taking the month of November to write a book. No, not a Time Master book ... That takes a bit more than a single month. No, I'm crossing over to the other side for a bit while looking for a new home for TM, and in the interum, I'm writing something for Harlequin.

Now stop that gasping! It's not all THAT bad! So it's not exactly science fiction or fantasy. It's still fun and it's still exciting! No I'm not going to be writing for a suspense line as some of you have already asked. I'm writing a book for Harlequin Romance. A line that meets my needs as a writer. Those of you who have read Time Masters know how I love emotional roller coasters! And of course, Happily Ever Afters. And I like a challenge. And fitting a bit of suspense (I can't help it you know) lots of emotional tension and a satisfying ending all into a tight little fifty thousand word package is a challenge! Let's face it, Time Masters was 219K words! I'm long winded! So I thought a wee challenge would be just the ticket. Besides, those girls are having fun!!!!! And so I decided to join the party.

Well I must be off to go do another chapter. See you all at the end of the month!

Sunday, March 14, 2010


OK so who'd a thought my posting what I was making for my dinner tonight on face book would cause such a stir! But here it is! Cranberry Pot Roast!

3lb. beef chuck roast
2 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbls. flour
2 cups fresh cranberries, but sometimes I just use a can if I can't find any fresh.
1 cup water
salt and pepper
1 orange

Coat the roast with flour, salt and pepper and sear in the olive oil until brown on all sides. Cook the berries if you have fresh in the one cup of boiling water just until skins pop. Add the berries and cooking water to the meat along with the orange (cut it into about eight pieces). Simmer on low in a covered dutch oven, about three hours adding water as needed.

I sometimes cut the meat up into large pieces and add a little wine. All depends. You can play with it. Nice recipe and not really very fattening at all. I added Brussel Sprouts to it the last hour. YUM! I do love good old fashioned cooking! Thus my penchant for collecting really old cookbooks I guess!

Enjoy all!

Geralyn

Monday, December 14, 2009


The Value of Etiquette vs. Sneering at Etiquette

By Mrs. Elsey Whittard

It is the practice with certain people to sneer at the word "etiquette," and to claim that it merely means a foolish pandering to frivolous customs which in themselves have no meaning or use. This is a misapprehension which a little thoughtful consideration will remove.
Certain rules for the government of social, business and political life have been current for generations, and have been handed down with almost unvarying exactitude, in all civilized lands. Such customs or laws, are grounded in good taste, a sense of the fitness of things, kindly feelings, and a natural desire to smooth away the asperities and roughness which would prevail among so many persons of varying tastes and ideas, without a certain set of rules to help to this end.

A Polite Person Admired.

Who is not attracted toward a polite, well-bred person? Who does not carry with them, perhaps through life, the remembrance of some real gentleman or lady with whom they came in contact, at perhaps, an early period of their life? The pleasant memory such a person has left, and the agreeable impression, may unconsciously have had some influence upon their own life, and served as a model for their own behavior when launched into the society which they wish to adorn.
To understand and cultivate the tenets laid down by good society, is not to assume airs, or does not prevent the recognition of the "rough diamond" that sometimes shines out from among those whose early advantages have not been many. Rather it adds a higher polish to that gem, and gives it a higher luster. Who are the gems in your life? Think about it ...

Certain Rules.

Rules of etiquette have their allotted place among the forces of life, and must be acknowledged as moral agents in refining and making more agreeable our daily intercourse with each other. They are agents for good. They teach us to be more lenient with the various elements which compose society. Life is a sort of a partnership in which each human being has an interest; and the laws of etiquette, well enforced, oblige us to make concessions to the many tastes, prejudices and habits of those we meet in the social circle , at public entertainments, in business relations, or when traveling. If the value of good breeding is in danger of being depreciated, it is only necessary to compare the impression which a gentle, pleasant demeanor leaves upon you, with the gruff abrupt or indifferent carriage of those who affect to despise good manners. If two applicants for a position are equally capable, it is safe to assert that in every case, the agreeable and courteous seeker will obtain it in preference to the other, who is his equal in all respects, save that he is deficient in that suave dignity that charms all.
We are all susceptible to the charm of good manners. Indeed, society could not be maintained save for the usages of etiquette. But true etiquette must spring from a sincere desire to make everyone around us feel at ease; a determination to exercise a thoughtful regard for the feelings of others. It is this patient forbearance with the eccentricities of all, which stamps the true lady or gentleman. It is a duty which each one owes to himself, to acquire certain rules for guidance, which shall make him a welcome guest in any circle.

What Etiquette Is.

Etiquette is not a servile yielding up of one's individuality, or cold formality. It is rather the beautiful frame which is placed around a valuable picture to prevent its being marred or defaced. Etiquette throws a protection around the well-bred, keeping the coarse and disagreeable at a distance, and punishing those who violate her dictates, with banishment from the social circle.

I will discuss manners in my next writing. Until then, study and learn my students, study and learn.

Mrs. Elsey Whittard, December 14, 1891

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Setting a Frugal Table, A Ladies Guide for Young and Inexperienced Housewives.


August 4, 1888

Dear Readers,

If we take the average income of the prosperous American household of the medium range of intelligence and culture, we shall find it to be from $1500.00 to $2000.00 a year. Young professional men and young merchants and financial men who have married and see families growing up about them do not usually exceed these amounts in the years when they are laying the foundations of future fortunes. When the ordinary expenses of living are considered, the table should not consume more than one third of the entire amount. Suppose this to be $1500.00. An average rent would be $25.00 per month; while in some cities it would be more, in many localities it would be considerably less, especially in young and spreading communities and their suburbs, and upon the line of Metropolitan railways; in perfectly respectable city neighborhoods a floor or a part of a small house can be rented for/from $25.00 to $30.00 a month. Fuel for a cooking-stove and two other fires, and lights, would cost about $8.00 per month, providing coke were used in cities, and the cinders of coal utilized, and if some of the lighting were done by kerosene. Upon this point it may be well to say here that actual tests have shown possible the entire lighting of a four-story city house with kerosene at an average cost of $3.00 per month. Then would come household wear and tear and medical attendance, that would probably be covered by $100.00 a year, the fact being remembered that the doctor's visits can be largely affected by the mother's own care of her family, and chiefly by keeping them properly nourished. Church dues, literature, and amusements would require at least $60.00 a year. And this estimate would leave $300.00 for clothing.

Now that you have these figures dear ones, I shall show you in my next bit of advice how to break down our first bill of fare which is suitable for any season when fresh vegetables are available.

Cream of beets,
Fried cauliflower
Breast of lamb with stuffed potatoes
Stewed beets with brown sauce
Marianne puddings with cream sauce
Apples, nuts, black coffee

Respectfully Yours
Mrs. Elsey Whittard

Monday, December 29, 2008

Snowed in with A Passion Most Pure




If you’ve been following the latest news, most of you know of the horrific winter storm that hit the Northwest this last week. I myself was snowed out of my house for the entire week. (Don't worry, I was rescued and had a nice warm safe place to stay.) My family and I missed Christmas together. My daughter was unable to fly home for the holiday from college due to all the flight cancellations. It was not the merry Christmas many had hoped for. However, God has a way of turning things around and making good come out of chaos. And as the winter storm raged outside many a home, there were a lot of folks who rediscovered what it was like to have a good neighbor, how to appreciate loved ones more, and that family is the most important thing. Not what gifts are under the Christmas tree.

Myself, being a writer, I wondered what it would be like to be snowed in with various characters from some of the books I’ve read over the last few months. My own book’s characters included. And after much thought, I decided that if I had to be snowed in with the characters from any of the books I’ve read, including my own, I’d have to say that the characters from Julie Lessman’s book, A Passion Most Pure won. Not that being snowed in with Dallan MacDonald doesn’t have its appeal. But let’s face it, those of you who have read my books know that one can only take so much of Kitty Morgan, and I just couldn’t imagine being snowed in with the whole Time Master bunch, which would definitely include Kitty. So the O’Connor family from Julie’s book won out.

Set against the backdrop of world war one in 1916, A Passion Most Pure spills off the pages and into one’s heart and mind like butter. It had a way of gripping me like no book had in many years. And let me tell you, it takes a lot to hold me especially when I’m working on my own stuff. Emotionally compelling and just as satisfying, the story revolves around Faith O’Conner and her younger sister Charity who both have their cap set for the same man. One the girls parents would rather they both leave alone. Collin McGuire isn’t exactly the type of chap to write home about in their book, let alone bring through the front door. But that’s exactly what happens.

Faith’s ever growing affection for Collin is kept hidden in her heart for many years and to suddenly find her sister Charity wrapped in his arms one day shatters her world. To see Collin then court Charity nearly rips it apart. Why can she not just let it go? What is it about him that so draws her? And why does he have to be in love with her sister? But wait! Collin seems to be asking himself some of the same questions. But he’s asking them about Faith! Ohhhh now we have a pickle!

The thing I loved about this book is the strong family core of the O’Connors. They love and laugh together, cry together, fight together. They are the stuff of the heart. The grist and guts that holds a family together. They are steadfast in their love for each other and that, along with an understanding of God’s forgiveness pulls them through an extremely difficult time. I’ve never started a rating system when I review a book, but if I did, and scored on a scale of 1 (being don’t waste your time) and 5 (being keep it on the shelf and never lend it out!) I’d have to give Julie’s book a five! The copy I read was loaned to me and under penalty of death too I might add. I need to remember to get it back to its rightful owner. One of these days …..

Monday, July 14, 2008

And the nominees are ...

Well first off Time Masters Book One; The Call was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards. This is a big deal and certainly made my publisher happy. In fact my publisher had quite of few of their authors do well in various contests this year. You get that wonderful email that says you've won! But it's even more interesting when people start congratulating you on things that you have no idea you were involved in! I received several congratulatory emails from people telling me about my "nomination". Nomination? Nomination for what? Why am I always the last to know these things! I need to get out more! Lo and behold however, I was featured author for the month of June for the same site sponsering the Pluto Awards. Check it out at: http://www.yellow30scifi.com/index.html



The Pluto awards will announce their winner in September. Time Masters is one of the nominees. And here is a complete list:



FLASHPOINT by Frank Creed

THE LION VRIE by Christopher Hopper

BLUE by Melanie Budiarto

IN EXILE by Joanne Hall

SHEPHERD'S QUEST by Brian S. Pratt

WIND FOLLOWER by Carole McDonnell

TAU 4 by V. J. Waks

HUNTER OF THE HORDE by Brian S. Pratt

VIRTUAL EVIL by Jana G. Oliver

TIME MASTERS: THE CALL by Geralyn Beauchamp

QUEST'S END by Brian S. Pratt

MASON'S LINK by Bill Andrews



For more information go to: http://www.yellow30scifi.com/2008PlutoNominees.html