something to worry about?

 

Something good-- the summer solstice, where the longest day of the year yields way to the change of seasons with eventually shorter days. Down here in the Southwest, it means hot times ahead, and we hope monsoon storms, which the desert needs.

It's hard right now to concentrate on what I might prefer. I read those from the left explaining how the deportations of illegals has run amok. It ran amok during the Biden years when nobody watched who came in, now it will hurt honest workers, who get rounded up when they aren't the targets or the ones supposed to be sent out of the country. I get it that it's not good. But how do we fix what happened during those unbounded years?

It's the big thing in the US with legal gatherings to express anger at the current policies, of the elected government. Although I want to see it fixed fairly, it's not my biggest concern. For me, it's what's going on with Iran and Israel and is the US about to get into it with dropping bombs? If so, what will that trigger?

I want to see our borders controlled, but I have to look at some of the ICE targets, and some that I see, sadly reminds me of what we saw with WWII when even native born Japanese had their land taken and were thrown into what amounted to concentration camps because someone wanted that land. Happened earlier with unfair treatment of the Chinese and Native Americans with the same goal-- someone turned in so someone else could get what they had.

So, that's not good (to say the very least) and needs to be addressed, but something else is out there.

What will happen if the US gets into war with Iran? What other countries will get involved to increase the war? What happens if the leaders in Iran do finally get a nuclear bomb capability, given their previous support of terrorism? What about possible sleeper cells already in the US maybe with suitcase nukes. You know, it's not just honest workers who entered the loose border. Or maybe you don't know, but should think about it, as well as what drones will mean for future wars.

Likely, most who read here do not read Glenn Beck because they see him as a right wing religious nut. Well, they might give this YouTube a listen for the Iranian expert, who was being interviewed, Asra Nomani.  

It's another viewpoint on the whole situation. By the way, Glenn separates Iranians into some being Persians. If you read Reading Lolita in Tehran, it might give you a different perspective on how many there favor the Twelvers and how many are part of a proud heritage that isn't just about religious fundamentalism, but people who want a real chance to manage their lives.  

While, I think it's fine for some to march for their beliefs here in my country, I just hope they are also paying attention to the rest of what is going on, which might be catastrophic, although we hope not. Having grandchildren, who might be called up with a war, I have a selfish reason to not want to see again what I was born into and grew up through. 

Ranch Boss gets excerpts from The Atlantic, very interesting insights, if you subscribe, by Eliot  A. Cohen --The Three Dramatic Consequences of Israel’s Attack on Iran . Many are thinking about this. The world needs more doing that. It could impact lives everywhere.

In the end, of all we read, what should we trust? I have no idea, and that is frustrating,. We have been lied into wars before. I wish we could not  let it happen again.

The image at the top is from Stencil, no telling from where or if it is AI. 

Chaos is an answer to what?

 

 Although I had no intention on writing more about cultural issues, events occurred that changed my mind. Over time, I've heard plenty of people on Facebook talk civil war, if their party didn't win. When the leader they favored used as much power as he had (Executive Orders), it was fine, no concern he was being a king, but woe unto the other side winning and doing what they ran on. So threats ran wild, often no more than words. It worried me anyway, as I do not accept violence unless it is in self-defense.

It's kind of an irony right now that some on the left talk as though maybe this last election involved cheating in key states. Four years ago, they called such talk treason and impossible.

Well, sadly, it's not just talk where some want violent overthrow of existing laws to suit ones that they favor. I wonder how many think about what that kind of violence in our cities and towns will mean and has meant in the past-- both here and other places? Who could ever welcome such again?

 

Yet to some of our politicians and citizens, to send in the military to stop it is wrong. In fact one governor is claiming that to bring in military makes it all worse. In other words let the riots, destruction, and blocking of certain roads or neighborhoods continue. It is just fine as he sees it as peaceful protest even when it involves throwing rocks, setting fires, and looting stores. 

That way of thinking blows my mind; and since I've seen the photos of what was going on, when that governor ignored it, I know it was not the fault of the federal government, who declared that all citizens in the United States were entitled to protection and that includes police and military.

I picked up some photos from Stencil, which you see above, of what war in the streets has looked like in the past and still does when nobody can stop it. 

The left was horrified by January 6th, even though the only deaths were of the rioters and later suicides of officers, which sadly happens due to the difficulty of what they do.

Who though can stop this kind of violence, like Antifa years back in Portland with a lot of the same actions? Politicians with fancy words? Giving the rioters everything they want, which in this case means do not send those here without legal papers and who have committed crimes like rape, murder, assault, burglary, etc., back to from where they came-- at least if they'll take them.

If votes do not determine the direction a country is going to go, is it violence? How would you like it, if you were on your way to work, as one upset woman was in, I think, New York, and the ones blocking her car were laughing (photo out there). Do the ones creating this kind of chaos have a purpose and if so, what it it? To me though, the big question still is who can stop it if not police or military?

One more thing-- Saturday the US will have a military parade (weather permitting), which I won't watch as I watch no TV, at least for now, but likely wouldn't anyway as I am not a big parade person and never was. It though celebrates 250 years history of the American military, a kind of birthday. It's a military that has intervened in wars, sometimes with success, sometimes not-- although a lot depends on how heavily it went in. Our soldiers though, our warriors, do deserve to be appreciated and that's what the parade is about.

Paths of Empires

 

 As a writer, and especially of historical novels, I find research a key to the stories, but my love for history began as a child with the books I loved to read, especially when I got old enough to check out books from the adult side of the library. Most writers of such books also do a lot of research, which makes their books more exciting when blended with fictional characters.

One book I bought years later, when at the farm, was Generations, by Neil Howe. It dealt with how one generation influences another, and he took it from our beginning as a nation to 2069. The idea is what our parents experienced will impact how we see life-- and we will also impact our offspring in ways we don't really understand. For me, with my historicals, I saw this as advantageous to understand the personalities of the characters. 

So, where I am today with what I see with my country, the United States, is how history and the impact of generations, might impact what we want... although there are many my age with a totally different idea of what is right for ethics and life. We as humans are complex is all I can say.

Because of all I have heard from right and left wingers, I found this article very interesting and drew from it some key points. This is its link for those who want more than those points: The Seven Stages of all Great Nations.

Here those stages based on his research of nations going way back in history. It definitely fits the United States quite well-- at least for the past:

1. pioneer

2. conquest

3. commerce

4. affluence

5. elites and intellect

6. decadence and lack of courage

7. decline-- distrust, scapegoating, factionalization, currency collapse 

Basically, the 7th stage is the end; or if not, a total recreating in a new form, what that would be decided by the ones in power.

I could write more about each stage, but better those interested go to the link for the interpretations there. 

So, where are we in the United States today? 

We can see, if we know history, that we've been through a lot of the stages, although defining things like conquest might vary with different empires.  The US went through a lot of conquests with other nations but especially with the people who were first occupying this land-- i.e. Native Americans. 

The 7th stage though is where it seems we are now with blaming others, trusting nothing, divided into 'tribes' with only currency collapse yet to show up.

With the factionalization, what gets to me is when I hear people complain about the 'other' side. While I don't disagree that both sides have their part in leading to distrust, to taking away other people's freedom of speech (as they see it), but rarely can either side see something wrong with their own. 

The other big thing for me is how we have so many programs intended to help people, often keeping them dependent (while calling it empathy) but how are the programs being paid for? We know our  US debt is approaching $40 trillion dollars, and increasing with every new budget. How do we pay for these 'nice' programs? I know there are those who cannot take care of themselves, but is this because they never could or were taught that someone else could fix whatever was wrong, and they didn't have to do it?

Some say to think that way is a lack of caring but does that really help weak people or were they actually ever weak? We know some have mental illness, but do we have programs for that or is the answer just throwing money at the problem? A lot of times, the money goes to those running the programs... sometimes a LOT of it. Is there ever true accountability for how well something is working? Where it comes to education, sadly many of the best teachers are hindered from what they'd really like to do by partisan rules sent down from above, which can be from either side.

When I talk to some about these ideas, they blame me for how I think. They do not offer real solutions, if there are any. 

If we are truly in that 7th stage, maybe some are hoping for a totally reworked culture, along lines they believe better--like with sports and how a biological male can compete with biological females simply if he says he sees himself as a female. Well, we can't just see ourselves as another race because does that make us one? It's very unfair to the girls who have trained so hard but cannot beat a biological male. Talk about misogyny. But is there any turning around from the fractionalization that is clearly in our country right now?

Sometimes I say what I think, but a lot of the times I do not, mainly because I am not sure how to fix anything. I only know one thing-- we cannot keep borrowing money because at some point no one else will want to loan to us. What then? A sugar daddy? Santa Claus? A mystical spirit? Or is it really up to us if we don't want total destruction with not a sugar daddy running things but the meanest, toughest ones possible...

The photos above are ones I've kept for historical reference, not my family-- although I have those also for maybe some other time. They, and many others I have saved, are a reference to what it was like and not that many years ago in terms of time. Is it any wonder that we are having a hard time adjusting to all the changes. Yes, young people have not seen that many changes, but they have also seen so many.

 

 

 

Is it luck or fate?

 First, new news:  PI Webworks has said they will add the page I want on my website, raintrueaxbooks.com (link alongside here), when they finish their model shoots, those, which give writers more character options for their book covers or videos. 

This page will mostly complete my current library of books. It is all contemporaries in a series I call Romance with an Edge. It gets the edge because most of the books have suspense or danger, frequently with villains -- the challenge has to be worthy of hero/heroines to overcome. 

Although I still want to write about my books and how I see being a writer plays out, I have something in mind for next blog that relates more to culture. I am frustrated with seeing so many expressing views, with which I can't agree. Likely, this is due to my age and how many different aspects of life that I have observed. So, the first one in June will have a view on culture and what goes wrong-- clearly, mine is the opposite of how many see it. Alas, can't please everyone. 

This pictograph is a hike from Chaco Canyon, another way people have always desired to express themselves.

Most of today's blog will be about choosing titles for our books, particularly, of course, how I try to do it. I am not sure if I've written before about the importance of the right title. Generally, for my books, I look to the theme of the book to find the right words and cover images to convey that to potential readers. I want the characters on the covers to look as much like I have described these protagonists. Not always easy. This is where Period Images comes in with their diverse cast of models. I will not use AI for covers as I don't think those images feel real. I do not use it in writing my stories either. I want my own creativity to provide that, with some checking of spelling with research.

Do titles and covers sell books, I have no idea. I look for the right words to satisfy my own creative needs. More than once, the original idea I had didn't work out and the title got changed. That is not a good thing to do, by the way.

Looking at the book I wrote about when discussing the new website, its title, Luck of the Draw, checked all the boxes for me. As I said, my first idea for a title isn't always the best or the one I will use. That was true for this romance of the rodeo. I was going to use Eight Seconds to Ride, which suits rodeo with its need; then a movie came out after the death of a famous cowboy, Lane Frost, with that title. Lane, for those who don't follow rodeo, was young and killed by a bull he had been riding. Big tragedy and led to a movie.

I still could have used it as titles get reused all the time, but my respect for what Lane Frost stood for made me want a different title. If you are not familiar with that young cowboy, the info is easy to find with a quick search.

What it ended up doing for me was to find a better title, one that applies to more than rodeo. Luck of the Draw speaks to the rodeo world but goes beyond it to life.

For the rodeo world, the luck of the draw was how rides were determined-- a draw, like a lottery where the cowboy found the number for his animal on a board. Cowboys want an animal that will buck enough to give them a high score for an exciting ride. Getting an animal though that is known as dangerous, for when the rider eventually hits the ground, hopefully at the end of the ride, that can send chills down their spines before the ride begins, as some are known as more dangerous or the rider has been bucked off before. 

But that title, luck of the draw works for more than the rodeo. Luck is not everything, but some luck,fate, coincidence, or karma can make a difference in our opportunities. There are some things that happen and not of our making. One choice leads to another, which can be down the right or wrong path. Luck can impact how we can move forward toward our dreams. Of course, is about more than luck, but some of it sure doesn't hurt. The right time can be as key as the wrong time.

The hero of this book came across the perfect woman for him, due to one choice, which he had no idea would be important. Luck dropped in his lap even though it was the wrong time for his life plan. 

She was young to meet the 'one.' Working in her parents' dry-goods store and thinking about a future in art. She had no idea how this guy would disrupt it all-- or was that make it work out. Two different worlds. Perfect for fantasy but how about for real life?

That is the fun of creating titles. Do we need villains? Well, there kind of is one but he's more the average villain, the kind most of us come across to screw up our plans-- if we let them. All I can say at this point is Luck of the Draw was the perfect title and has not had to change from the beginning. Not so for all of mine.

Acquiring a Webpage.

 One thing that has worked out amazingly well, was the offer we saw from a company that creates websites; something I have never had out of not knowing how to do it. Well, PI Webworks knows how and did a fantastic job. Some of what they did, I did not realize would be so important. Well, I believe it now. 

The link for this website is alongside here, but I wanted to say more about what has pleased  me so much with their work. At this point, it's not finished but that's not due to them. It's because I wanted new covers for my contemporary romances, which are based in the West of today. When I first brought these books out, they'd been written from the 1970s, up into the 2000s. To make the earliest ones fit modern times , took a year, 2011 to bring them up to date. You only realize how much things had changed during those years, when you edit the way we communicated.

 

I thought it'd be fun to put one of those books, written in the 1970s, here as a demonstration of how books evolve. When I first wrote this story of a rodeo romance set in Pendleton, Oregon, I typed it out with the usual corrections made with white-out. I stuffed it into a box from which paper had come, and never submitted it anywhere.

It was set in 1974, about when I wrote it, because I knew a lot about rodeo then, but practically nothing about it today. Resetting books works with many as it doesn't matter about the main stories. Where it comes to rodeo, rules change, and it changes the stories. It's the only one, aside from historicals where resetting the time would have mattered.

When I got interested in the option of being an independent writer, I dug it out from under the bed. It was all there except the last three or four pages, the climax lol. How could I have lost them? Well, I had to think long and hard what I had originally written. That was just the beginning of writing it all again, this time on a computer, and editing it multiple times in the future. 

As I said, communications have changed so much and maybe will even more. With more edits, the essence of this book stayed the same regarding young love and its pitfalls especially with the drama of rodeo, and two people coming from very different backgrounds. The last time I edited, it, I added an epilogue for how it worked out for those two and where they ended up. Were their dreams fulfilled or lost? That's the fun of writing. 

How to buy it will be in the website if I can get the contemporaries added. For now, it's on Amazon: Luck of the Draw.

Because the contemporaries came out, most of them in 2012, I had no clue how to help readers find them. They have since fallen into Amazon's black hole, to disappear to an average search. I believe in them for their characters and the reason each was written. As I have said, I don't follow popular themes for romances, which might be a mistake in terms of marketing, but I believe in it where it comes to increasing my own creativity.

So, hopefully we can get Romances with an Edge added to the webpage, leaving only the three Diablo Canyon novellas not there. And, of course, the books I have yet to write, the ones churning around in my head.

 Here is the URL for the webpage: Rain Trueax Books to see the creative collaboration that led to a place for potential readers to find the books and maybe increase their own creativity.

 And for those needing a website for many kinds of businesses, check out what  PI Webworks offers. I totally trusted them as Period Images is where I've gotten many of the images for heroes and heroines.  To me, they have always seemed honorable and trying to do a good job for writers.

when it does not work out...

 Because of showing some of my impressionistic landscapes, I also saw two paintings (of many), from when I wanted to try painting abstracts, but ended up feeling I did not have the talent for them as they always either ended up as 'something' or were like-- 'so what.'

I decided they would though be good for this topic of creativity because you try something and then find out if it's your thing. Failures aren't always bad, whether in writing or the fine arts. You won't know until you try.

More on writing next blog as I have something new for there.

In looking for images of my paintings, I came across this photo. It is Ranch Boss with his best friend from before he met me even. The friendship is not over though his friend died of the cruelest disease I can imagine, ALS. Fisherman, his nickname, is still missed, will always be missed. The photo was from one of the many times the four of us stayed at a beach house.

Earlier blog is below--

~~~~~

 This week I played a little with oils as I had no subject I wanted to paint. I thought perhaps doing abstracts would loosen up my landscapes. I have a lot of small canvases (Michael's had the packages of 10 on sale). Small seemed more promising than big. At least if they didn't work, I had less invested in them.

I started the first one by covering the surface with a bright orange. As my brush seemed to suggest water, the painting took off from being an abstract to a kind of fantasy sea. Well, at least the colors are abstracted. It is really hard for me to make a painting that doesn't end up being about something.

The second one, I decided to just lay in colors and then what the heck, lay in some more-- basically whatever pleased me. Between laying in the first colors, I thought maybe I'd find some ideas online for procedures by abstract painters.

The problem was I didn't like most of what I saw. A lot of abstracts just seemed to me like wall paper designs or something bright for behind the sofa. Not exactly what I had in mind but I got another idea for this one. What if I tried different techniques besides the painting. Scratching in some shapes, the feeling grew that this was a watery cave with supernatural light and symbols...

Maybe I just am not the type of person who can do non-objective paintings. Or maybe it'll take doing more.

Both paintings are oils on 8x10 stretched canvas.

 

 

Update: When Ranch Boss was helping me with some techie aspects alongside here, he accidentally deleted the list of those I like to read and advise others to check out. Uh oh. So, if you want to be on a rebuilt list, please comment here with your blog url, Frustrating how easy it is with the computer to screw up, as I've done it many times. 

Creative Energy can take many paths

This week, because I had been asked to answer questions, plus provide a few images for an interview, I went looking for some paintings I had done back when I was painting. When I came across the blog below in a site that is no longer public, I thought it fit well with this topic of creativity.

For many creative people, they go through various ways to express their ideas. The beauty of it is how each can seep into the other venues. The experiences I had while painting and waiting for Ranch Boss as he fly fished, an art form of its own, also gave me the chance to wade creeks looking for more round rocks, a hobby of mine. Did you know that all creeks do not produce round rocks? When they do, it takes looking carefully to see how round they are.

The main experiences of creativity for me, besides always writing, were impressionistic painting and clay sculpture. Those two plein air paintings are at the farm. I remember doing both of them as I describe below. As my tremors worsened, both became less feasible. I am glad though for the times I with those modes of expression. 

One thing I hadn't mentioned in the earlier blog is that when I painted at Slough Creek in Yellowstone, we also saw and photographed a grizzly. It had been sleeping on the other side from where I painted and Ranch Boss fished. 

We left that site to look for wolves and more buffalo pictures in the Lamar Valley, Returning, the grizzly had clearly waded the creek from the brush where he'd been napping and was heading out. Lucky for us, he crossed the gravel road, right in front of our vehicle. Then, he headed up the hill to a quieter area with tall trees and no fishermen. Ranch Boss said you can tell by the trail, that a bear knew it well. likely that bear.

While I was painting, a ranger asked if I had seen the grizzly. I described what we saw. He then asked if he had seemed aggressive. Absolutely not, he just wanted to get out of there. Too many people.

 

 

 

from 2010 Yellowstone -- grizzly -- second image on his trail-- Frankly, life for predators is never easy even though bears are omnivores.

 ~~~~

It seemed a good idea when making a trip to Montana and Yellowstone National Park that I would take several small canvases, my oil paints, and the new portable easel along. The truck had plenty of space although there was one difficulty in planning to sleep in the back while in the park. That meant packing light and I kind of thought I had... if I didn't consider the easel.

What I learned was that the easel was not needed and was in the way. It takes too long on a fast trip like that to get it out and set it up-- not to mention it was not necessary as I actually like sitting on the ground with a canvas propped against a rock and mixing my paints right on the canvas. So next trip, no easel unless I have a trailer along to carry the extra supplies and plan to spend more than one night in a location.

The other thing I learned was that wet oils are a problem to transport. The need for a small box that will hold the oils apart from each other and protect everything else from getting paint splatters is obvious.

I have to get used to the curiosity some feel when they see someone painting on location. I was asked by one man if I was a painter. How does one answer such a question? I said I want to be but thought that I need to decide if I am; or if I am not than what am I doing?

All in all I enjoyed the painting and felt good that I was able to do it in places I love very much while my traveling partner was fishing and enjoying his time also. First painting is at Rock Creek, east of Missoula, Montana. Second is Slough Creek in Yellowstone National Park.  Both are 8"x10" oils on stretched canvas.