Don’t Ignore Revelation
book
In Honor of Women’s History Month
Homeschool your kids and you may discover surprising things for and about yourself. The awesomeness of American History was my surprise, or one of them. Once I discovered antique history books, and how fascinating they are, I started collecting them and digging into history that, for the first time in my life, seemed to really matter. I’m not proud of the fact that I’d never much cared before, but modern history books really can be…boring.
Most of my collection was lost to mold years ago, but this one, Noble Deeds of American Women, which was published in 1851, is still in great condition and right here in my hands. So, in honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve decided to launch a new project. The plan, at this point, is to publish one new biography every week, starting at the beginning and working my way through the book. There is more than enough here to keep me going for a full year!
I will remain faithful to the original manuscript, not editing it in any way, and I will include all copyright information with every biography in case some should choose to reference it. If you are unaccustomed to reading such old documents, the wording and grammar may surprise you; that is part of what makes it so special.
To get things started, how about taking a look at the Editor’s Preface?
Editor’s Preface
This work was suggested by one of similar character, entitled “Noble Deeds of Woman,” an English work, which contains but three references to American Women, two of which are of but very little importance. Only one article is the same in both works, and that is the letter written by Mrs. Sigourney to the women of Greece, in 1828, in behalf of the ladies of Hartford.
This failure to do justice to American women, may have been an oversight; be that as it may, a work of the kind here presented, seemed to be needed, and we regret that its preparation had not been assigned to an abler pen. Multitudes of works have been consulted, and such anecdotes gleaned as it is thought will have a salutary influence on the mind and heart. Should the records of female courage and virtue herein presented to the daughters of the land, encourage, even in the slightest degree, a laudable spirit of emulation, our humble labors will not have been put forth in vain.
Facts are more sublime that fictions; and American women have actually performed all the good, and grand, and glorious deeds which the honest and judicious novelist dares ascribe to the female sex; hence we have found no occasion, in striving to make this work interesting, to deviate from the path of historical truth.
The sources whence our materials have been derived, are largely indicated in the body of the work. Possibly, however, we may have failed, in some instances, to indicate our indebtedness to historians and biographers where such reference was justly demanded; suffice it to say, therefore, once for all, that, although something like two hundred of these pages are in our own language, we deserve but little credit for originality, and would prefer to be regarded as an unpretending compiler, rather than as an aspirant to the title of author.
J.C.
NOTE TO THE REVISED EDITION.
The fact that eight thousand copies of this work have been published in less than a year after its appearance, indicates a degree of popularity which was not anticipated. In this edition we have thrown out a few pages of the old matter, and substituted, in most instances, fresher anecdotes; and this revision, with the illustrations which the liberal-minded publishers have added, will, it is hoped, render the work still more acceptable
J. C.
_____
Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women
(Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls)
Edited by J. Clement
——
With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney
Illustrated
BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers
Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851,
by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York
_____
And now I leave you, to start inputting the first biography. Blessings!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Audiobook in the Works!
I’ve had requests for an audiobook of Experiencing the Bible, and it is happening! It’s an exciting process, a path I’ve never walked before, so I thought I’d take a few minutes to share the journey with you.
The book and ebook are available on Amazon, so I didn’t even consider going anywhere else for the audiobook. That meant logging onto ACX.com and setting up a project. This requires giving all the basic information that someone who might want to audition would need to know, including a few pages from your script (ebook) and your projected timeline (Some producers wouldn’t be able to fit you in right away, which means they don’t need to waste their time or yours on auditions.). You also have to decide how you’ll pay your producer (The one who will record and create your audiobook).
You have three choices when it comes to payment. You can just pay a certain amount per finished hour of recording. You can split the royalties with the producer, which means paying nothing up front and you only receiving half of the royalties as long as the book is available. You can also split the royalties plus pay a fee per finished hour to cover the producer’s up front costs (Like hiring an audio engineer).
One thing you really have to think about when posting a project is what type of voice you want. For instance, I wanted someone who would at least sound something like me, so I chose a female with a general American accent. I could have selected a southern accent, but I’m a Texan with a definite Texas drawl; since they don’t offer that option I stuck with general.
Once you’ve posted your project, you sit back and wait for the auditions to come in. Then you listen, and listen, and listen. Some weren’t options at all, whether because the voice didn’t feel right for me or the accent was too far off (Someone with a great European accent auditioned, but I couldn’t….). A few seemed like definite possibilities, so I added them to my favorites list. Then I put the AirPods back in and kept listening.
I didn’t just want the producer who sounded right. I wanted the one who was right, so I prayed through the whole process. I didn’t only listen to their auditions. I read any messages written to me. I checked out the info pages on the ones I was seriously considering. I listened to other samples they had on those pages. And the ones who made it to the final list also got website visits if they had websites. In the end, I selected Nancy Higgins, who was actually one of the earlier auditions, and made my offer. And she is great. In one email to me she said that from reading my book she felt we could be sisters, and from what she’s told me about herself I don’t doubt it. From listening to the first fifteen minutes of the book, I can tell she truly gets what I’m saying, and I know we’re in this together.
So once you’ve selected your producer, you make them an offer. They can either accept your offer or reject it. Nancy accepted mine, so I don’t know what the process is if they reject. I assume you negotiate, but could be wrong. Before you even make the offer, you have a lot of reading to do. The ACX contract is quite detailed, and you sign it before hitting submit. Once the producer accepts and signs, the ball starts rolling.
The producer then has a certain amount of time before they have to deliver the first fifteen minutes of your book. (This deadline is one of the dates you give when you set up the project.) You then listen (and listen and listen) to that recording and give them feedback on every detail you want changed. I did that this morning, asking for one small pacing change and a couple of word changes. Detail is all-important, because their next fifteen-minute submission is either the final project or you have an issue.
Seriously, because the next thing you’ll get from your producer is the finished book. If they don’t understand what you want going in, that book won’t be the finished product you’re after and you’ll both have wasted valuable time. That’s why I listened to my fifteen minute clip so many times. Yeah, I’m not sure how many times I listened to it this morning.
And that’s where I am right now! When I get the next recording back, I’m sure I’ll give approval for her to get to work on the rest of the book, and I’ll sit here patiently waiting like a kid on Christmas morning. (You saw what I did there, right?) I’d say my next step is creating the audiobook cover, but since I already have an ebook all I had to do was tweak the layout and then have my Photoshop savvy daughter make a few adjustments to get it to fit the ACX technical specifications.
If you’ve ever considered being an audiobook producer/voice actor, you might want to check out ACX. From the author’s point of view, it is a great system, easily worked through and with lots of support. I’m sure it’s the same from the producer’s point of view.
While we’re waiting, if you’d like to grab the paperback or ebook, you can hit this link. The ebook is currently available on Kindle Unlimited! There is also a journal I designed to accompany the book, and you can find it here.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
What does your desk look like?
I just finished answering an author interview in preparation for my forthcoming ebook version of Experiencing the Bible. (It releases on Christmas Day! Be watching for a chance at a discounted pre-order!) One of the questions was, “What does your desk look like?”
My answer was, “Messy?” LOL!
I have been very grateful for this desk in the past few weeks. My son gave it to me to replace the tiny desk I’d been pretending to use and finally I have space to spread out everything I need for taking notes and studying details and looking up references. The blank spot you see in the photo is where my laptop was sitting until about an hour ago.
What does my desk look like? It looks like productivity happening!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Back in the Saddle?
I wish I didn’t have to put a question mark on this title, but life is an odd thing. It can throw you.
In many ways, things have been intense since Jack passed away and I entered widowhood. I spent weeks working on the apartment, adapting it to me-only living, and then I spent weeks going through decades worth of records and papers and…stuff. Losing my husband made me acutely aware of what my kids would be dealing with if something were to happen to me, so I set about ensuring that transition would be as easy as possible. Just today I put the finish to the last piece of the puzzle: The Book. It contains pretty much every legal and informational paper they might need at my passing. Except all my passwords. I do need to work on that.
All that to say this. As of now, with that last task complete, I feel like my brain is my own again. (Happy Birthday to me!) Starting today, Son #2 (Owner of pixeldripstudio.com) has begun planning a new website for me, one that will help me do so much more than simply blog, and it’s got me excited and fired up all over again. We’ve been talking style and options and possibilities, and I’m thinking in terms of articles and blog posts and freebies…
I’m also working on converting Experiencing the Bible to ebook format. It’s a challenge for two reasons.
1. While I read ebooks all the time I’ve never learned about their formatting. (I am now!)
2. Part of the print book’s power is the built-in journal. I have to do a bit of rewriting and adjusting to compensate. It won’t be a huge deal for the reader; they’ll just want to invest in a journal to write in. Maybe I’ll even create a matching one myself? Maybe.
So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I’m back in the saddle and back at work. And it feels GOOD.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Need a Hand?
Do you need a hand with your Christmas list?
Do you want to start 2023 off right, or help someone else do the same?
Getting into the Bible can feel intimidating, but it shouldn’t! The Bible is literally the most awesome book on the planet, and for the Christian’s growth it’s as much a necessity as food is to the body.
So if you want to give a truly amazing gift this Christmas, give a Bible and, if you want to lend the recipient a hand, I suggest pairing it with my book. It’s both a guide and journal, and in it I strive to take out the intimidation and turn on the fascination.
You can purchase Experiencing the Bible right HERE!
Merry Christmas!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
From “Houston we have a problem” to…
We have a cover!
The cover files are complete and in my hands.
The manuscript issues have been repaired and the final copy is in my hands.
I now begin that one, last (I certainly hope) fine-toothed-comb edit.
Almost there!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Never Pray for Patience
No, I’ve not been foolish enough to pray for patience; I know better! You’d think I have been, though, with all of the frustrating things that have happened with this book. I keep having to remind myself that this is a process and I will eventually make it through, no matter how many little bugs try to get into the system.
But it IS coming! My goal is for Exploring the Bible: A Guide and Journal to be released by the end of this month. My fingers are officially crossed!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
In His Mercy
What happens when God tells you to do something and you don’t? Well, it varies, but here’s one story.
He told me to write a book years ago, and I started…then dropped it. Years later, He told me to get back on it and I did…and later dropped it. A few months ago, He told me to get back on it again, and I started planning, but… yeah.
I’ve been faithfully back at it, seriously at it, for several weeks now and I’m excited about both how it’s changed from when God first told me to do it and the progress I’m making as I work. I’m also excited by how clearly my story illustrates His mercy. He could have given up on me, but He didn’t. He kept coming back and saying, “Tammy, I gave you a job to do. Now let’s get going.”
And there’s even more to His mercy in my story. When I started, years ago, I thought I knew what it would look like, and it was fairly simple. Then God added more to the plan. When I picked it up recently, I knew I’d be working on the “more,” but then He added even more. Why? He knows me!
When faced with what feels like a huge task, I can get overwhelmed. God knows this, so He broke the book down into manageable phases. What might have had me throwing my hands up in defeat if I’d seen the whole vision up front, ended up being an exciting journey because I wasn’t worrying about the next phase while working on the current one.
God knows everything we will need to become who He wants us to be, and He’s merciful and gracious enough to work with our weaknesses.
Thank God!
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
When We Worship Part 2
I did not expect to have a part two, but you can never predict God.
The women of our church have a dedicated worship hour every month. This is the service I referred to in my earlier post, “When We Worship.” God always meets me there. He talks to me. He gives me visions. He encourages me… Tonight was different. Tonight He called me.
I used to write, used to have my own publishing company that produced ebooks for homeschoolers, used to edit a large homeschool magazine. God gave me those gifts and I used them in that homeschooling season. Then I…laid them down. Other than the occasional blog post and the writing I do for work, I’ve done almost nothing with my gift of words for ten years.
Tonight that changes. Tonight, during worship, God told me that it’s time to pick that gift back up and return it to Him. Interestingly enough (though it’s not really a surprise), two things happened this weekend that led me directly into this conversation with Him. “Do you remember when you said…?” He asked. Yes. Yes I did.
So why am I sharing this? Two reasons.
1. The lesser reason: Accountability. The more people I tell, the more likely I am to follow through. Because when God calls you to go out on a limb it is easy to find excuses not to. I’ve done that very thing many times in the past. This time MUST be different.
2. The big reason: This is a reminder that you never know what will happen when you set aside time to wholeheartedly worship Him. He will meet with you. He may give you reassurance, peace, visions…or an assignment. When it’s the latter, remember one particularly vital point: Obedience is also worship.
Yep. I’m preaching to me.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
Eternally Planted 