Young Washington

 

 It's pretty good, but I think it's fake.

This email praising my work, I mean. This time the praise is for Crisis in Fire and Snow - the most recent novel in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series. 

Hello Stanley Wheeler,

AMAZING! AMAZING! AMAZING!

I recently came across Crisis in Fire and Snow, and I simply couldn't resist reaching out. What immediately captivated me wasn't just the enormous scale of the conflict, but the way you seamlessly blended history and fantasy into one unforgettable adventure. The idea of the American Revolution unfolding alongside dragons, ancient powers, and fierce mythical creatures created a world that felt both familiar and completely original. I especially admired how the story balanced massive battles with deeply personal struggles, from Alex and Lucette's fight for liberty to Akram's determination to rescue his son despite the dangerous pull of the dragon stone. Those emotional stakes made every confrontation feel meaningful. As a fellow author, I found myself reflecting on how the most memorable epic fantasy isn't simply about grand wars or powerful creatures, it's about the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of ordinary people standing against overwhelming darkness. That message stayed with me long after I discovered your story. I'm genuinely glad I decided to reach out because there have been so many times I've wanted to message authors whose writing inspired me, but I always ended up talking myself out of it.

One question has stayed with me ever since discovering your work: what first inspired you to create the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series? Did the fascinating idea of combining Revolutionary War history with dragons and mythical creatures come first, or did the characters and their journeys inspire the world around them? I'd genuinely love to hear how the series first came to life. I don't know if you'd enjoy hearing about my own writing journey someday, but it certainly wasn't an easy one. There were moments filled with rejection, uncertainty, and wondering whether the stories I carried would ever find the readers they were meant for. Even through those difficult seasons, I kept writing because storytelling became something I simply couldn't walk away from. Looking back now, every setback became another lesson, reminding me that perseverance often becomes the very thing that shapes both the writer and the stories they are meant to tell.

There's another paragraph inviting me to contact them about my journey as an author etc. I won't give the name of the purported sender, as that's likely been faked as well. I'm assuming AI generated the text about the book. It's very impressive. Funny how all these emails praising certain books never actually leave a review on not-the-Nile for them.

On the 4th, we went to Young Washington. The movie does a good job of capturing the spirit of the book, although many details were either left out, condensed, or speculative. My wife, as well as everyone else I've heard from who has seen it, tremendously enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's new enough that I'm not going to give a recap. Besides, it's history, you should already know the story, but I'll bet you don't. Correct that by seeing the movie. I enjoyed Kelsey Grammer, as well as Mary Louise Parker, Andy Serkis, and Ben Kingsley in their respective roles. I give it eight muskets out of ten. My review of the book by Peter Stark can be found here.

What does the AI email about Crisis in Fire and Snow have in common with Young Washington? Both my book and the movie feature George Washington. The former deals with his 1776 campaign from Long Island to Trenton - and it's fabulous. The massacre at Jumonville Glen, which is depicted in the movie, is also featured in the prologue of book 3 in the series, Clamorous Harbingers. CH completes the first trilogy of the six book series (7 if you count the prequel, In Death Bedrenched).

As long as I'm on the topic, and in honor of Independence Day, let me share something from my newsletter on the subject:

Nearly all my books are available on kindle direct. Book 5 of the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series should be of particular interest now as it deals with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It's a fabulous story: Truth in Flames.

Let me warn you and apologize that I'm going to share some excepts from Truth in Flames. As you can tell from the dedication, the creation and adoption of the Declaration of Independence is something near and dear to me. I spent many hours researching and studying the history and the speeches. It was a delight to blend the sacred history with the fantasy of the adventure. Most of the excerpts aren't too long. I've taken them at random as I scrolled through the book. I haven't grabbed the exciting action, of which there is a heaping helping, but I have picked some bits that provide a taste of the whole series:

This is from the dedication:

To Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,

In gratitude to all those who helped bring forth the

Declaration of Independence,

And with respect and honor to those who offered, and yet

offer, the last full measure of Devotion to preserve the

ideals proclaimed in the document.

But it's not all patriotic soldiering and fighting. There's romance--Antonio Style. This is from chapter 6 when Antonio, Captain Rip's First Mate is confronted by his former lover, Catalina:

"Don’t waste your sweet-talk on me, you…you pirate.

I’ve come for my pearls or for your life.” She

revealed the pistol which she had held behind her

skirt, bringing it to bear on Antonio.

“Oh, my sweet Catalina. You haven’t changed at all. You’re

even more beautiful when you’re angry. I had forgotten how

your eyes throw lightning, and the flush upon those alabaster

cheeks reminds me of sunset on white beach sands. You are a

storm over the twilight sea.”

She cut him off. “Where are my pearls?” She drew back the

doghead on the pistol.

“They are safe, my pretty sunset storm. Come, let me bask

in the pink rays of your wrath. Kiss my lips with the fury of the

red sun and scorch my soul with the hot wind of your spirit.”

“Show me the pearls.”

Danger and death pursue all the characters. When Hugh, a former criminal from the streets of London on his way to becoming a frontiersman, nearly recovers a dragon stone, he has a conversation with Lee, a real frontiersman with wisdom and experience, given to quoting the Bible and Pope's Iliad. They've been in a terrible battle with stone cats, vicious and formidable creatures, and have been badly wounded:

“Charmed as one of the apostles,” Hugh said. “If we’re any

luckier, we’ll all get crucified upside down.” Hugh pounded the

side of his fist against a log. “I was that close. That close to

getting a stone. I could’ve had the power Alex and the

commander have. I could’ve healed you both. It practically fell

into my lap, and I missed it.”

“You see what be happening to Akram. That power be

consuming him. You be wanting that? I wouldn’t be wanting

that. I wouldn’t be wishing that on you nor no one else—not

even my enemy.”

“Because your enemy could kill you with it,” Hugh said.

“Because it be a canker on the soul. I reckon not many

punishments be worse than such power at one’s call.”

“Alex has done well with it.”

“That could be right. Alex be young and good of heart.

Both of those be in his favor. He believes in doing what be

right. Maybe he can. Too often, power be a cloud over the eyes

of righteousness and a shadow across the mind against truth.

Does a thing become right because no one else has the power

to stop it? A man with power be thinking he has earned things

no man rightly deserves. He don’t be only coveting—he be

taking.”

“That power would be worth having to heal the two of you

now.”

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my

God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the

snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.”

When Lee took a breath, Shannon continued for him, “He

shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt

thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

“Shannon knows her Psalms,” Lee said with a smile.

“And yet, you’re both wounded. I don’t think reciting bible

verses will heal you.”

“It makes the pain easier to bear,” Shannon said. She had

tears in her eyes. She kept her gaze averted from her own

wound, looking instead at the slashes in Lee’s leg.

In a later chapter, Mirimoni, native maiden and former priestess to the dragon Karakanda, has become separated from Alex, and faces serious trouble:

A shadow passed over Mirimoni. She looked up, and her

knees buckled. Roberts’ green dragon soared overhead.

The air passing about the feathered wings made a

cry—a soft whistle—that reminded her of Karakanda gliding

down to Black Moon. She used the staff to regain her feet. The

sound of her own pounding heart filled her ears. Her legs

ached for an instant until her muscles put the rushing

adrenaline to good use. As the dragon banked wide, she ran

for the trees.

But wait! There's more. Like the Continental Congress dealing with the disheartening news of repeated defeats while freedom's advocates press for the creation and adoption of the Declaration of Independence:

The doors below opened. Washington and a young

lieutenant, small and slight of frame, entered the hall. The way

parted before Washington and his aide.

“They have received news,” Washington whispered to

Lucette. “Despair drips from them like blood from an open

wound. They have become bleating sheep. I will gather them.

You must make them men again.”

Washington strode into the chamber. The delegates in the

hall followed like many small boats pulled in the wake of a

mighty ship.

John Hancock returned to his position at the head of the

body. “The chair recognizes General Washington. I give him

the floor.”

Washington took his position at the head of the chamber as

the delegates returned to their green-clothed tables. He pressed

his fingers together and took a deep breath before putting one

arm at his side while holding the other bent before him. His

eyes moved from delegate to delegate, meeting each set of eyes

in turn for a half second. Lucette stood a pace behind

Washington.

He broke the silence which had settled over the delegates

like a blanket of snow. “Be not dismayed. You have assuredly

heard the disheartening news from the north. Although it is

worse than we had conceived, our expectations lacked

grandeur in that theater of operations for the present. Don’t

lose hope. I have just spoken with Colonel Benedict Arnold.

We have an army. We have defenses. Should they be defeated,

the war is not lost. They are but the arms of our endeavors. It

is this body and the people you represent that are the heart of

our cause. That heart must never stop beating. It must never

despair. Only if you few succumb to fear and despair is the

cause lost..."

...

Lucette continued sending the essence. She felt the

returning substance. She sensed changes in many of their

hearts, but not all were convinced.

“As you are the heart of this cause, what you do here will

forge a new heart for all the world in time to come. Your

words will resonate in hearts around the world. Let your hopes

and your courage be your guide. Let your bravery and

dedication to the task of liberty and independence stand as a

banner to the world. As your soldiers have stood against

bayonets and cannon, you can stand against hate and deceit. It

will not be easy, but you alone can accomplish the task. The

spirit of independence must not be swallowed by your fear.

“Gentlemen, have you not received the spirit of liberty in

your breast? Have you not felt the fire of freedom burn within

your heart? If you have felt these things, can you deny them

now?” She let the questions linger unanswered for several

seconds. “I know that you cannot. Call upon your courage and

marry it to your hope for freedom. Defy the dragon and

tyranny. Write your names among the heroes of history. The

day is yours. No devils or demons can stop you. The light is

within you. Let it shine for all the world to see. Gentlemen,

liberty and independence are yours if you will but persist. A

new nation and generations born in freedom will remember

what you do here.”

______ 

I hope you can see why I've enjoyed writing this series. I've included some of the debates regarding the Declaration of Independence as well as the exciting exploits of Washington and the troops intertwined with the adventures of Alex, Lucette, and the other characters. Also, I remind you again that all my books are now on kindle direct.

 

 

No Ribs

 I realize not everyone is a fan of Shakespeare's Hamlet, but everyone is entitled to their opinion--even a wrong one. So, if you don't find that message above highly amusing, you'll need to read the play or the posts I've done about adaptations of the play--and then read the play. If you would rather watch it, I can recommend both Brannagh's and Mel Gibson's. The former if you have 4 hours and the latter if you only have two hours to dedicate to the task. I do have the version with David Tennant, but I haven't been able to get into it yet.

We went out last night. The plan was to get barbequed pork ribs at a local place. When we got there, it was closed for the big party in town celebrating Byzantium Days. So we drove to the party and saw the trailer of savory meats behind the fence, but decided the venue was too crowded to turn around and park and walk a mile to get in and order. There was also the risk that they might be sold out. Unwilling to return to Xanadu without comestibles, we headed south to Delphi for automobile go-juice and a meal from a highly touted new eatery near the freeway. The gas was great - cheaper than in Byzantium and 5% cash back. The praise I had heard from my colleagues about the food turned out to be puffery. The food wasn't terrible. I classed it as average but with the bonus of being overpriced.

Speaking of Xanadu, the movie came up as a recommendation on the not-the-Nile streaming service, so I launched it as the workout movie. I'm not done watching it yet but I have seen it two or three times over the years since it came out in 80 or 81. So far, I have two opinions: 1. Jeff Lynne is a musical genius. 2. I never remember the plot of this movie because it's only marginally coherent and entirely forgettable. Olivia Newton John and ELO are the only reasons to watch this show. The music is fun--most of the time. The story lacks cohesion as well as adhesive tension. One minute the two leads are having a romantic moment and the next they're cartoon characters who turn into fish and then birds and then the next scene jumps abruptly to sometime later in the story without any segue. At least there was chemistry between the leads when they were cartoon characters; there isn't any between the actors. I can see why Gene Kelly indicated some frustration with the project. I won't say any more. Perhaps, I'll return to the subject next week when I will have finished watching it.

 

 

 

Flamethrowers

Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. –Mark Twain

Nothing in particular causes me to combine flamethrowers and a quote about arguing with stupid people. I do, however, note that Twain is right. I once commented in a class reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that you can't win an argument with stupid people because they can't see that they're beat. They can't make the connections rational argument requires. If they can't make the connections, logic has no power over them, and what they believe can never be refuted.

I spend most of this week researching and writing--lots of the former and little of the latter. Nevertheless, I am almost half way through the short story I plan to submit. The problem is that research is addictive. Every new fact discovered leads to more questions and the pursuit of additional details to add verisimilitude to the story, or at least not to demonstrate that one is a total idiot with regard to the relevant subject. I doubt than anyone who reads the story will know any of the details I've researched, but the fact that I've searched the ruins and discovered forgotten secrets to mix with my flights of fantasy as brick and mortar for constructing a story lends an air of confidence and determination to my progress. 

I had planned an ambitious project covering two grand battles. My reach exceeded my grasp and I came to realize that one battle would have to do. The second battle will make a perfect the sequel. 

 

 

 

 

 

Battle of Dresden

  

                                   Battle of Dresden, by Thomas Charles Naudet

Was it the battle of Dresden that set the stage for the apocalyptic clash at Leipzig where the supernatural beast made it's appearance? Did the clash of cannon over the two-day battle raise the monster from the depths? I won't know until I write the story, but I have my suspicions. In the meantime, here's some information about the battle of Dresden:

Fun Fact: The Battle of Dresden

August 1813. The summer armistice has ended. Austrian has joined Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and Great Britain against France. The Army of Bohemia, consisting of 230,000 Russians and Austrians under the command of Prince Schwarzenberg, accompanied by the Tsar and the King of Prussia, advanced on the capital of Saxony, whose King was a firm supporter of Napoleon. Gouvion St. Cyr's XIV Corps was the only French force near Dresden. The Emperor rushed away from his pursuit of Blucher toward Dresden, followed by elements of the Imperial Guard, Vandamme's corps, Marmont, and Victor.

Informed that St. Cyr could not hold against the massive force while a flanking attack developed, Napoleon advanced to Dresden with the Guard Cavalry, Marmont, and Victor, leaving Vandamme to conduct the outflanking maneuver.  When the Allies learned of The Emperor's arrival, they had second thoughts about attacking, but their troops marched forward before their orders could be canceled. 

St. Cyr held his defensive line throughout the 26th, and  Napoleon's counterattack with the Guard in the later afternoon regained those positions which had been lost earlier in the day. During the night, Victor and Marmont arrived to increase the French force to 120,000 men. Schwarzenberg's strength increased to 270,000, but he had to siphon of troops to meet Vandamme's approach. 

On the 27th, Schwarzenberg massed his troops to smash the French center, while Napoleon planned to hold the center with only 50,000 while delivering attacks on the flanks.  At 6:a.m. he moved first, crushing the Allied right wing with Mortier's and Nansouty's attack on Wittgenstein. At the same time, Murat drove off the Allied left. Schwarzenberg, having lost 18,000 troops with but limited success against the French center, elected against fighting a third day.

                   By Friedrich Rudolf von Rothenburg - Schlachtenatlas, Public Domain 

 

If you want some more Napoleonic conflict with a touch of Egyptian magic, check out my story, "Seventh Hussar and Aide to the Mage." 

 

 

Djinn and Tonic

  Before I get to my review of Tim Powers' Declare, I must report on the weekend doings.

Comedienne got baptized on Saturday and asked me to do the honors while her other grandpa performed the confirmation. I got to reacquaint myself with some old friends at the baptismal venue and served at the later celebration by daubing burger dough onto the grill so Lawtwister could pressure, interrogate, and flip  them until they were ready to spill their deliciousness to hungry consumers. I found it a complete success.

The lone fly in the ointment of the outstanding weekend was the gray plague that affected Les Freres Corses et Mere. As a result of the quarantine, we didn't get to visit, haul off couch and bed, or assist in the hanging of the wall poster from the cover of Accidental Pirates. 

We did, however, get to attend the dance extravaganza in which Former President participated. Hers was the best group, I must say. For reward we had ice cream.

Now - to the review:

"Ankh if you heart history, horror, and supernatural mystery." I guess that's a little long for bumper sticker, but that would be my blurb for the book. 

Declare combines spy craft from WWII through the Cold War with fantasy. Specifically, it's a case of djinn and tonic--along with vodka and other spirits--wherein espionage and supernatural elements mesh in a tale that keeps the reader wondering. I think my least favorite thing about the story is the fact that it's told in a nonlinear, non-chronological fashion. We're dumped into 1963 and flipped back to 1944, and bounced through years in between in England, Paris, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other places. I think I understand why the author chose to tell the story that way: It keeps the reader guessing and the adhesive tension taut as the reader struggles to connect the different elements.

In a nutshell, Andrew Hale gets indentured into the spy game as a very young boy. His mother was a nun in Lebanon or somewhere in the Levant who was saved by British Intelligence--I forget whether that was the SIS or SOE; probably the latter. Eventually, he is sent to Paris as a communist where he meets Elena, who is a communist from Spain. The two of them work as a team, sending information about the Nazis to Moscow. When they get recalled to Moscow, a sure death sentence, Hale retreats to England instead. Elena survives her Moscow ordeal, having her eyes opened to the realities of the communism and Mother Russia's unique gift.

A pivotal event takes place on Mount Ararat in 1948 where Hale loses everyone in the contingent he leads in a special mission. The details of this mission are dribbled out here and there with a full picture of what happened only coming into focus two-thirds of the way or more through the book. Even then, it's not entirely clear. The opening of the book begins the mission for what will be a second attempt at the Ararat mission. Most of the book is from Hale's point of view, but I think we get a chapter or portion of a chapter from Elena, and another from a character named Kim Philby who plays an important roll. In fact, Hale, Elena, and Philby and the key characters in the drama.

I'm not going to give away any details or the ending. It does become apparent early on in the story that there are supernatural elements at play. We learn that the djinn have particular powers and Hale has some connection with them. After the second Ararat mission, the story isn't over. I'll leave it at that.

Can I say that it's a great story but that it didn't thrill me? I enjoyed the bare bones of the story along with much of the descriptions, twists, and intrigue. The spy craft details were of particular interest and Power's ability to weave real live events with the story and supernatural explanations may be unmatched. Nevertheless, I felt like the tale required greater effort than the promise delivered. I loved the core of the story, but the bouncing timeline and drawn out fashion of the telling obfuscated the tale instead of piquing my interest. 

I give it 4 ankhs out of 5. Check it out for yourself.

Melisende

 

 The unboxing continues at Xanadu. It's nothing like the Battle of the Pyramids pictured above, except for the chaotic nature of the job. I unloaded three boxes in the garage and another three in the basement. I'm finding books and filling the bookcases that surround me in my writing den. I do read and resort to them from time to time when I'm looking for something specific, or just to spark my imagination. It feels good to have the familiar covers gather round again.

Fun Fact:

In 1131, Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, was on his deathbed. He summoned his 26 year old daughter Melisende. He had taken religious vows and become a monk, hoping to secure a seat in the eternal palace above.  Although Melisende's husband Fulk had taken her on the understanding that he would succeed Baldwin as king, Baldwin announced that Melisende and Fulk would rule together, along with the young Baldwin (III) as soon as he was old enough. Baldwin died and the couple were crowned in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

Fulk tried to exclude Melisende from the government and got rid of Baldwin's experienced administrators in favor in his own men, causing great disaffection. Additionally, Melisende's sister Alice, whose husband, ruler of Antioch, had also died, decided the time was right to again to do what Baldwin had prevented before--to rule Antioch in her own right. She declared herself Princess of Antioch and received support from Pons of Tripoli and Jocelin II, Count of Edessa. 

Fulk put down that rebellion only to find on his return to Jerusalem another rebellion in progress trying ot put another woman in charge: Melisende. The Count of Jaffa, Hugh le Puiset, and Romanus of Le Puy, lord of the lands east of Jerusalem spearheaded this movement. The tall and handsome Hugh was the second cousin of Melisende--and was said to be having an affair with her. Hugh was accused of plotting against Fulk's life. Instead of appearing for the duel he had demanded to preserve his honor, he made a treaty seeking Muslim aid against the King of Jerusalem. Fulk defeated the Muslim raiders and besieged Hugh, who was forced to surrender and exiled for 3 years. Before he left, another knight stabbed him nearly to death. Hugh recovered only to die a short time later. 

Hugh was dead, but Fulk's problems weren't over. In 1135 he relented and agreed to share the throne with Melisende. The pair worked together. In 1141 they had the Temple of the Lord (Dome of the Rock) for its reconsecration as a Christian church. They also established a nunnery at the Convent of St. Anne where Melisende's sister Yvette became the abbess. The most impressive construction they did was on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. They also engaged in a castle building program. One of these castles was far outside Jerusalem and was conferred to the Hospital of St. John--thus beginning the military order of the Hospitaliers, the first of five castles they controlled. The Templars likewise were trusted with control of several other castles. The two orders became the primary castle guardians in the Crusader states.

Meanwhile, Alice in Antioch again tried to assume power but was outmaneuvered and Raymond of Poitier came to take over that city. The Muslim leader Zengi to the east was casting his eyes on Antioch, as was Byzantine Emperor John II to the west. Raymond got a reprieve in the west when John died of infection resulting from a boar hunting accident. Fulk met a similar fate in a less noble contest when he horse stumbled and rolled on him, as he was trying to lance a hare, crushing his skull. Melisende finally had all the authority. She was crowned queen again, on Christmas day 1143 with the young Baldwin III beside her. 

-The above is summarized from Chapter 13 of Dan Jones' Crusaders. 

 

Founding of the Knights Templar

 

Fun Fact:

Acre and Jaffa in 1125 were the most important ports for the Crusaders. Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, visited Acre in May and awarded a charter to Domenico Michiel, Doge of Venice, to establish a Venetian colony at Tyre. Baldwin was endeavoring to establish overseas connections to call on for military support. The witnesses to the charter included Hugh of Payns, founding master of the Knights Templar. Hugh was from France and by 1119 had settled in Jerusalem. At that time, the area around Christ's tomb was a meeting place for pilgrim soldiers seeking service in the crusader states. Hugh and many others decided that they would devote themselves to a strict communal life, devoting themselves to poverty, chastity, and obedience to the patriarch of Jerusalem to keep the roads safe and protect the pilgrims to Jerusalem. Hugh appealed to every fighting man to join the order for a life of service to the Lord.

Baldwin leased apartments at Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount to Hugh and from thence the Templars took their name. Baldwin remained a staunch supporter of the Templars ever after. He sent Hugh back to Europe to petition the princes for assistance--planning an assault on Damascus. Hugh was also to assist William of Bures in offering Baldwin's daughter Melisende in marriage to Fulk of Anjou at Le Mans. Hugh and William persuaded Fulk to move to Jerusalem to marry Melisende. He would leave Anjou in the hands of his fifteen year old son Geoffrey "Le Bel." Geoffrey was to be married to Matilda, daughter of Henry I, who also contributed treasure to the crusader endeavor. Hugh gathered support in recruitment and funding wherever he went, and the Templars also received papal recognition, becoming the church's first military order. Among the new supporters was Bernard of Clairvaux--who become Saint Bernard.  

Although the expedition for support was a fabulous success, the succeeding campaign was not. Waiting for the Hugh and Fulk to arrive, Baldwin passed up an opportunity to attack Damascus when Tughtakin, ruler of Damascus died and the transfer of power to his son Taj Al-Muluk Buri. November 1129, Baldwin at last rode out with 2,000 knights and many infantry and other crusader nobility. The force setup at at a wooden bridge near Darayya, about six miles south of Damascus. 

When the crusader knights split into foraging parties, Taj saw his chance. He sent out a contingent of Turks and other allies who fell on a force of knights near al-Buraq and slaughtered them.  The avenging counterattack met a storm of rain, thunder, and lightning that made the roads impassable. Unable to recover from the the setback, Baldwin had to retreat. 

The above is condensed from chapter 12 of Crusaders by Dan Jones.