Cover Reveal

Here it is...the cover for my new book, The Stone House Legacy. Watch for the release in January, 2015.

For nearly a century the old stone house has kept its secrets hidden deep in the limestone hills of Indiana. But when an idealistic young minister decides to develop the site as a religious retreat for ecumenical thought, the secrets of its past cast a dark shadow over his plans.

Set in the birthplace of the John Birch Society during the turbulent years of the early 1960's, The Stone House Legacy reveals mankind's stubborn determination to repeat the mistakes of past generations.

School Marms and Cowboys: Coming November 19, 2014Cover Release forTh...

School Marms and Cowboys:




Coming November 19, 2014
Cover Release for
Th...: Coming November 19, 2014 Cover Release  for The Stone House Legacy

Coming November 19, 2014

Cover Release for

The Stone House Legacy

The Legend of the Stone House

Since it's almost Halloween and the stone house in this legend is the inspiration for my new book, The Stone House Legacy, I thought I would republish a blog from November 4, 2013. Hope you enjoy it.

Wanda

The farmhouse where I grew up was built of native limestone quarried right on the property.  The walls were two foot thick and the glass in the windows was clouded and wavy.  High up in the eaves of the house were holes just big enough to sight a rifle barrel so the home's original owners could fend off Indian raids. Limestone was the building material of choice because the stone lay close to the surface and was easy to quarry.  It was also soft enough to shape into building blocks when it was first unearthed, but it dried as hard as cement after being exposed to the air.  The cornerstone on our house was crudely carved with the words "The summer of 1857 was dry."

Although the house had been added onto over the years, the footprint of the original stone house remained. There were two rooms downstairs and one large room upstairs that my sister and I shared. The shadow of a fireplace, long since cemented in, remained in the kitchen where the original settlers must have cooked and warmed the house.  We had running water and electricity, but never got around to installing a bathroom so we used the outhouse until it blew over in a storm.  After that, we simply squatted in the bushes.

Although I often lay awake at night listening to the sound of rats scurrying across the attic floor above me, I was never afraid of the house. It was an impenetrable fortress against the storms that had buffeted it for over a century.  No it wasn't the house that made me uneasy, it was the legend around it.

The house was once part of an early settlement called Neosho City, founded by a group of religious zealots from the East who bought the land on speculation and offered the lots to anyone willing to follow the charter rules they set out.  The settlement was to be a "city of no sin" and the inhabitants were to follow a strictly vegetarian diet.  They were to eat nothing they couldn't grow themselves and they were not to use any medications to cure or prevent illnesses.  Death was simply God's will and they were not to interfere.  The women were to tend the fields while the men attended religious meetings and prayed for God's blessings upon the community. This, they believed, would ensure their prosperity. But Mother Nature didn't get the message.  A few summers into the settlement a severe drought ruined the crops and left the settlement to suffer through one of the hardest winters on record with no food.  Starvation and sickness descended upon them and the aged and the children were the first to feel the effects. 

The settlement was built on an octagonal plat with the church and cemetery situated in the center and plots of one hundred and sixty acres spanning out from the center like the spokes on a wheel. The remnants of a livery stable still stood on the far edge of the property, but a small cemetery overgrown with brambles and weeds remained within sight of the stone house. The cemetery was filled with ornate limestone headstones carved in the shape of cradles and cribs bearing the names of children, most under the age of two.  The sayings carried the grief of the parents from the past into the afterworld with their children..."beloved son...infant child...precious gift..."

The settlement disappeared after that winter and nothing remained except the old livery stable, the stone house and the little cemetery.  And sometimes at night, when the wind howled through the chinks in the stone house, I thought I could hear children crying.

Captain Kirk Lives!

On September 8, 1966, Star Trek made its debut on NBC. Star Trek was not simply a far-out science fiction program- it was a science fiction program that reflected the America of the 1960's.  Throughout the series, characters, themes, motifs, and of course, individual episodes made strong comments on sexism and feminism, racism and improving race relations, as well as militarism and peace, all major social issues during the late 1960's, and to a different degree, social issues of today.

I admit, with no shame, that I was a “Trekkie” during  the first incarnation of the show. I had an immense crush on Captain Kirk (a.k.a. William Shatner). He became the yardstick by which I measured every man I knew.  The problem was that he set the bar for sensitivity, integrity and leadership so high that no man (or woman) could measure up to it. He was like Martin Sheen’s president in The West Wing - above reproach and much wiser than those around him.

Captain Kirk saw the world as it should be. He wasn’t threatened by women in leadership roles. He didn’t seem to notice that his crew included not only women, but also those of different races and ethnicities.  He wasn’t shocked by the grotesque appearance of space aliens. He simply accepted them all as individuals.

His “mission” was one of peace.  As an explorer, he had an intense curiosity about civilizations and beings that were different, but he did not judge them as inferior because of those differences. He looked first for common ground upon which relationships could be built.

The major plot line of The Stone House Legacy follows closely the social and political events unfolding in the early part of the 1960’s. I have tried to focus on how these events affected the lives and relationships of ordinary people and not just the ones who managed to procure their fifteen minutes of fame on the emerging monster that has become “live TV”. 

But in fiction, there is a fine line between creating a character and creating a caricature. As I began to work through rewrites of the chapters it suddenly dawned on me that I had reincarnated Captain Kirk as my protagonist! The difference is…my hero is plagued by a fatal flaw. I think this makes him more real and hopefully more human. I hope you think so too.

Stone House Pitch

After a ten day scouting trip through Kansas, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio, I have pinpointed the specific locations for The Stone House Legacy. In doing so, I have been able to tighten the plot and fully develop the characters.   I am excited to finish the story so I am targeting a release date in early 2015. But I need your help.  I am including a brief pitch for the novel below, and I would love to hear from you.

• Have I piqued your interest?  
• Does it make you want to pick up the book to find out what happens? 
• What kind of cover art would enhance the intrigue and add to the mystique? 
• Does anyone out there know a good book cover designer?

I'm also soliciting beta readers who would be willing to read the final draft and provide feedback before it goes to print.  I'll supply a Word file, but in exchange, I would like you to provide a brief (45 word) endorsement that I could print in the book. Let me know if you're interested.  I'd love to hear from you.

Wanda DeHaven Pyle

The Stone House Legacy

For nearly a century the old stone house has kept its secrets hidden deep in the limestone hills of southern Indiana. But when an idealistic young minister decides to develop the site as a religious retreat for ecumenical thought, the secrets of its past cast a dark shadow over his plans.

Set in the birthplace of the John Birch Society during the turbulent years of the early 1960’s, The Stone House Legacy, reveals mankind’s stubborn determination to repeat the mistakes of past generations.

When he returns from Vatican II in Rome as a protestant observer, the Reverend Simon Kingsley is filled with radical new ideas concerning long-held religious beliefs.  He envisions a new order of religious and political thought where people of all races and religions can come together to seek common understanding.  Unfortunately, there are forces working against him who see this as a threat to their way of life and a direct link to communist thought.

When the Simon joins the struggle for civil rights, he becomes a target for radical groups seeking to stop the movement in its tracks by discrediting and destroying its leaders.  Simon dreams of a sanctuary for rational thought and understanding, but his eloquence and the strength of his convictions are no match for the fear, distrust, and hatred that runs rampant through society.  His outspoken opinions soon place the reverend and his family in grave danger. Eventually, Simon must choose between his religious and political beliefs and the safety of his family.

The Stone House Legacy explores the issue of separation of church and state during a time of religious and political upheaval. It is a fast-moving tale of youthful idealism in conflict with mid-western isolationism against a backdrop of fear and greed. 

Life's Choices: Repaint or Remodel

At some point in our lives, we must all face the decision to repaint or remodel.  My bathroom was right out of the 1970's...long laminate counter with a single sink at one end and a built in dressing table at the other. Women haven't sat down at a dressing table since the 1950's! What to do? It was the old "lipstick on a pig" dilemma. No, the best thing I could do to put this dated room out of its misery was to gut it and start fresh. But did I really want the expense and the inconvenience of a remodel? It was, after all, only a bathroom.

How many times in life are we faced with the decision to make the best of a bad situation or cut our losses and start over? Many years ago, my husband and I had to make the difficult decision to pull up our roots and leave behind family and friends to start over.  We had worked long and hard to get to a certain point in our lives, but we had reached a dead end.  We were stuck and no longer moving forward. If we stayed, the future looked bleak and disappointing. We were up against a wall. But we were reluctant to give up everything we had worked for to start over.  It was a step backward in order to move forward. We knew what lay ahead if we stayed put, but starting over was full of unknowns. What if it didn't work out?  Would we ever regain what we stood to lose? What if the future was no better than the present?

We took the leap. It was difficult. I had to give up my dream home and move into a much older, smaller home. I had to pull my children away from familiar surroundings to start school among strangers. I wish I could say that making the decision was the hardest part, but it wasn't.  Starting over was full of disappointments and self doubt when things didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. No one rushed to offer us jobs or welcome us to our new surroundings.  We were alone and lost. Money was tight.  The little extras we had taken for granted were now luxuries. Everyone had to cut back. We began to look backward with regret.

But there was no turning back. Bridges had been burnt.  There was no other choice but to move forward. So we did. And at times it was like walking a tightrope without a safety net.  Several years have passed since we made that decision and life has evened out.  We have been able to move past our "stuck" position and squeeze more out of life than we ever thought possible. There were casualties along the way...things lost that can never be regained...friendships that cooled and waned.  But in the end, the pain and inconvenience of starting over was well worth it. 

I've watched others in my life face similar decisions and my heart goes out to them.  In the beginning, it's all so exciting and life is full of promise. But there is also pain.I want them to know that the pain will pass and that if they keep focused on the future, things will eventually turn out for the best. 

So what's my point?  Roll up your sleeves and remodel that outdated bathroom!