Quills: Inspiring Codes

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This month: some of the codes, beliefs and philosophies that inspire our writing.

PATRICIA REDING

Author of Oathtaker

Patricia's Website

This is a loaded question—and not one fully answered in a few short paragraphs—but I can share some general thoughts . . .

At the outset, I would say that this topic makes me think of posing the following question to a judge: can you render a decision without letting your ideology play any part?

(Read More on Patricia's blog!)

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ROBIN LYTHGOE

Author of As the Crow Flies and two short stories

Robin's Website

In all honesty, I don’t think the limited space of this format is up to the task of dealing with the subject. The best we can do is skim the surface of the tender, personal area that is our beliefs, codes, or faith. Do I have faith?

(Read More on Robin's blog!)

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KRISTIE KIESSLING

Author of the short story Sanguis Dei 

and the poetry collection Light and Dark 

The Way of the Warrior

Japan, her people, and her language has fascinated me since grade school The beauty and mystery of such an ancient place takes me to a land I've never seen, but long to visit. From this far off isle comes a philosophy that strikes a chord in my soul and meshes with the beliefs that inspire and underscore every aspect of who I am as a writer. 

I believe we are all made in the image of God and the very notion of Bushido's essence, Life in Every Breath -- as spoken, I admit, by a character in a movie I adore -- expresses the fullness of heaven on earth in individuals. The "Way" is a term used to describe the path of the Warrior, but it is also how some early Christians talked about the path of following Christ. The dual reflection captures my soul. It gives rise to the imagination of lands where people value the stamp of the Creator's very image upon them. Such an understanding demands respect of one another in a way that merely being human does not. The breath of that Creative force animates us and connects us as nothing else can and to me, this notion of life in every breath then becomes the Breath of Life in every person.

We each have a destiny with which we will someday reckon -- that of death and of meeting God face to face. That meeting and how we are predestined to handle it is shaped in some small, mysterious part, I believe, by how we take that Breath within us and transform it. We can mutilate it, and breathe it out as poison upon our brothers and sisters, or we can submit to it and breathe it out from every pore as the perfume of the very Life it came from, that of the Creator.

I have a job given to me by divine mandate: to love those around me as God has loved me and given himself for me so that I may be one and whole with him. Not because the doing of this makes me good or righteous, but because he has given me righteousness by his sacrifice and thereby I reflect his goodness in my actions. In my expression of the gifts he has given me, my desire to write and weave worlds where love is the center of the tale is the ultimate desire to reflect that job of loving one another. There is no manner in which it is not reflected in me when I put words into a story.

May you know that Life in every Breath you take.

Quills: Snark Hunt!

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A Scavenger Hunt is fine for parties and kids in college. What we have here is a Scavenger Hunt involving books, and therefore, I deem it a Snark Hunt! Since I am often easily charmed with smiles and soap, let us search for these ten things on our bookish Snark Hunt: 

• the letter “J”
• a fantasy classic
• a dragon on the cover
• oldest book on your shelf
• a shield on the cover
• an animal in it
• a cover with only words
• a cover with gold lettering
• a book written by an author with a common last name
• a red colored book 

Patricia is up first. 

PATRICIA REDING

Author of Oathtaker

Patricia's Website

The old year is behind us (and I cannot say I am sorry about that) and 2015 begins. What better way to move forward than to join my fellow Quills in a treasure hunt.  Our search will take us through our book shelves.  So, here goes!

A book with the letter “J” - This one is fairly easy—Jekyll and Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Oh yes, I know, the full name is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but most refer to it by its shortened name. This is a great read, showing . . .

(Read Patricia's blog!)

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And now, Robin!

ROBIN LYTHGOE

Author of As the Crow Flies and two short stories

Robin's Website

Rummaging through my bookshelves (both physical and digital) makes me feel like a dragon admiring its treasure. I have silver and gold, precious jewels, priceless collections of beautiful words at my very fingertips! The hardest part of this task? Getting sidetracked. I want to read this! no, this one! And that one, too! Oh, it’s been a long time since I’ve read <fill in the blank, there are lots of options>! I got so sidetracked, in fact, that it took me three attempts to collect the actual goodies.

(Read Robin's blog!)

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KRISTIE KIESSLING

Author of the short story Sanguis Dei 

and the poetry collection Light and Dark 

My turn to meet the ten requirements for our Snark Hunt. Naturally, I endeavored to find ONE book with all ten. When that didn't work, I settled on six that did the trick!  First up... 

Tarzan Lord of the Jungle by Edgar Rice Burroughs has a "J", only words on it's red cover and many animals in it. Mostly great apes. Four in one! I chose this first because my mother adored the Tarzan books and it was her excitement over them and this one especially that intrigued me, beginning my journey along this fabulous road.

While Tarzan looks like it might be the oldest book in my collection, it was published in 1928. Whereas, a book that meets the "red cover", "gold lettering" and the "animal in it" requirement may also be THE oldest book on my shelf. Tied at four! The only date inside this book is 1862, but that is the Penning of the Preface date. According to most internet sources, the date of publication of this Thompson and Thomas edition of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo is 1895. Though, no one seems quite sure...


My copy of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain is a contender for the gold lettering and it is as close as I could come to a "shield" on the cover. I may be squeaking by with that one.

Uncertain if Twain's book counted as a fantasy classic with all the science going on in the Yankee's tale, I chose The Hobbit as my classic. Prompted again by Twain and Camelot, I chose The Once and Future King by T.H. White for my "book written by an author with a common name." We've cousins who are Whites and friends who are Whites. For "common" I'd say it fits.


As for "a dragon on the cover" (and I have many), this edition of Anne McCaffery's Moreta: Dragon Lady of Pern is my choice. Gorgeous art by Michael Whelan.

I hope this Snark Hunt through our shelves has left you beamish! For me, it has been utterly frabjous. See you in February!.