Fascinating Americana
I enjoy writing about heroic characters and deeds, so it makes sense that this first posting of fascinating facts in American history is about one of our most heroic citizens. Audie Murphy, the most decorated American hero of World War II, was wounded on this day in 1945. Born in Texas in 1924, Lt. Murphy was wounded three times during the war and was credited with killing 241 Germans across nine major campaigns in Europe. He won 37 medals and decorations over the course of the war. These included the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster) and the Medal of Honor.
My own family contains a war hero as well. Corporal Vance A. King, my maternal grandmother’s brother, was killed in France during World War I. He sacrificed his life, providing cover for other soldiers in his company as they advanced on several German machine gun nests at the German front. Corporal King was posthumously awarded the French Croix de Guerre (the Cross of War) for his heroism.
What about you? Is there a true hero in your family line? Share his or her story as well as your pride.
Naming Characters –
Being True to Their Natures
When choosing a name for a character in a book, it’s important to choose one that conveys some of the characteristics of the person. After all, what reader will believe in a macho private detective whose name is Sandy Smith? And a heroine name Lucretia Cranston might not come across as the sweet little miss the author intends the name to represent.
A hero with a strong sense of right and wrong deserves a strong name such as Justin Rickman, while a heroine who is a Deputy U.S. Marshal deserves a name that is also strong and yet feminine—Miriam Case would be an excellent choice.
Of course, unless the writer intends to be humorous or ironic, care must be taken not to go overboard. Naming the Old West sheriff of a grim western John Law might be a little obvious. A paranormal romance starring a heroine witch named Trixie Spellcaster might have readers rolling their eyes instead of getting into the serious story.
Recently I was faced with coming up with a name for a new character—but this character was actually a new member of our family. You see, last week someone in our neighborhood sent out an email alert that she had found a small black dog. The next day she sent another email reporting that the little guy had escaped. A day later another neighbor found the pup only to have him escape from her backyard the following afternoon. All this time, no one came forward to claim the little wanderer.
Driving home from work early Friday afternoon, I caught sight of the dog wandering the neighborhood. Recognizing him from photos the first neighbor had posted with her email, I pulled over and opened my car door. The little fellow jumped right into the car and proceeded to shower me with puppy kisses. To say I fell in love at first sight was an understatement.
But I did the right thing and sent out an email alert then also posted pictures of the shaggy rambler on nearby street corners. For a couple of days, I kept a close eye on him, only to have him slip under the backyard gate when my back was turned. My son managed to find him pretty quickly, but it was obvious what we needed to call this master of escape.
Houdini hasn’t been claimed by his original owner yet and I’m actually hoping he won’t be. He’s settled in quite happily with our family and is readily responding to his new name. We do, however, have to accompany him on his trips to the backyard to make sure he doesn’t try any of his tricks again until we have a chance to deal with the gate—or fatten him up a bit.
This naming exercise was a no brainer. While naming characters in a story might not be as easy, it should be as simple. Consider the characteristics of the hero, heroine, or secondary character and choose names that reflect their natures. And have fun with it.
Find Out Why You're So Dang Proud!
This morning, my DH and I went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science—a favorite place since we were kids. Did ya'll know it is the 4th most visited museum in the country? Anyway, today started an exhibit on Texas--fitting that it would start today, which is the 175th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo.
There were so many great artifacts, beginning with Apache baskets, Lakota women's clothing, and artifacts from La Belle, which was one of La Salle's ships that was salvaged in Matagorda Bay in the 1990's. La Salle, as most Texans should know, was the first Frenchman to land in Texas. He came ashore near what would become Indianola, Texas, near the site of my family’s longtime farm.
The exhibit included items from the Alamo, including Davy Crockett's violin and Jim Bowie's knife, plus there was an original broadside of William Travis' Victory or Death letter from the Alamo. A broadside, we learned, is a printing of a document--usually from a newspaper office—that is distributed to the public. Three hundred copies were run of Travis' letter within a couple of days of it being delivered to Sam Houston, and those copies were sent out all over Texas, calling for volunteers to help the Alamo defenders.
There were rifles and handguns (including an original Colt 45 Revolver), plus swords from various historic figures. Documents on display included numerous land deeds that were signed by Stephen F. Austin (the Father of Texas) and enlistment forms for many men who volunteered for the Texas army. We saw a walking cane and other items that belonged to Sam Houston (general of the Army of the Republic of Texas as well as a president of the Republic). There were also Spanish and Mexican coins and paper money issued by the Republic of Texas, plus loads of other things that detail Texas history from its early days through the oil boom at the beginning of the 20th century.
This great historical exhibit will be at the museum until sometime in September. Anyone who is a patriotic Texan will appreciate seeing these things and learning more about our great land. For more information, go to the museum’s website at http://www.hmns.org/.
Looking for a weekend read that will make your toes sizzle? Wildfire, drug runners, the President’s kidnapped daughter and a sexy Secret Service agent…for Game Warden Shannon Walker, the Texas border has never been hotter. 