Once in a Blue Moon...

The Templars
Saturday, October 13, 2007

So, do you know what happened 700 years ago today?

The Templars were arrested, an event which led to the destruction (completely, despite what fiction authors might tell you) of the order.

I was “All Templars, all the time” these past couple of weeks or more, but it was worth it. There were beautiful Friesian Horses, dashing swordsmen (John Lennox and Chris Franklin were utterly awesome. The way they moved together, the way they fought, the interesting and very knowledgeable way they spoke on several different subjects…it was too cool. I learned so much, and I didn’t get to go to all the sessions or pay as close attention as I wanted to. If you ever need people with sword fighting knowledge for any reason – plays, movies, teaching, anything – you should trundle over to www.artofcombat.org ) John Lennox spoke about an opera singer who, during an intermission, went and had a duel with three different men, then went back to singing. I so need to write about her. They also spoke about having boarding melees – basically, maritime combat reenactments. I thought that sounded rather fun.

We also had brilliant speakers – Malcolm Barber, Constance Bouchard (Who is also a fantasy writer!) and Jochen Burgtorf.

The dinner was fabulous…GA Christi and GA Sara dressed on costume and looked like jewels. I would show you a picture…I’m a proud aunt, really, when it comes to them (OK, I’m like, 5, 6 years older, but…) but I wouldn’t want to without their ok. Trust me, they were beautiful.

In fact, those two ladies, and all my student workers and a couple of volunteers were so much help, I was floored. I knew they would all be awesome, but really…they were beyond words.

During the dinner, Paul said the nicest thing…Paul is the faculty member who put together the event, and he did a little intro at the beginning of dinner. He said something like, “there are several names on the back of the program of people who deserve thanks, but most of all…” and he said my name. And I got teary, while everyone clapped. Kelton, one of the other faculty, actually stood. I even got to sit next to John Lennox, and a lovely lady who teaches at Shippensburg and who loves Sandman, and who I am determined to keep in touch with, it was totally one of those “I think you and I are definitely meant to be friends” sort of things. How could life have been better? All the people who matter are happy, the event went off well, and I got to talk to someone who likes sharp and pointies even more than I.

So, all in all a very good day.

Here is a picture of my desk…old time map of London over the window, and a pretty flower:

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And here are the horses. Are they not love?

Labels: Templars, work

Permalink Cindy scribed this at 9:47 PM 0 comments

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Avast! Argh! Me hearties!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

I be wishin' ye a happy Talk Like a Pirate Day. For meself, me only regret is that I be forgettin' me frockcoat this mornin when I rose from me berth, but to be truthful to ye, a rare thing in me feild, I overslept a we bit and was thinkin I better haul meself to work.

And I be stoppin this now, just want to warn ye not to be a lubber and talk like a pirate!

Of course, I am not exactly able to talk like a pirate much...I don't think I can answer the phone, "Avast! Ye be callin' the Department of History and Political Science, tell me what you want, or walk the plank!"

No. That won't fly.

Two things have preoccupied my time of late, The Templars event here on campus (Did I tell you there will be men doing sword fighting? And Friesian Horses? And if I can arrange it with campus catering, Medieval style food? Oh, and talks on Chivalry, religious military orders, The Templars, and their Myths. My guy is a bit Anti-Dan Brown, so part of it will be de-bunking the idea that there are secret sects of the Templars hiding out doing Things of Questionable Virtue. He has said that many, many really good scholars have gone looking for even the slightest shred of evidence that the Templars survived what happened to them, and have found none. Of course, I could say, “Of course not, silly, *secret* sect, hello!” But the fact is, I tend to believe he’s right.

The second? Preparing for Blue Moon to come out Next Month. I’m trying to line up interviews and book reviews, but it’s not easy. I prepared lovely post cards, but Vista Print (even though I uploaded them once and VP said they were fine and met all the specs) refuses to load them for me now. I’ll have to try again tonight. I need the post cards to send off with my press packet to libraries and book stores.

Le and sigh. I wanted to do this sooner…by now I’m tempted to wait for the book to actually be out.

At least I can do some combining of work, I can push Blue Moon and the short stories together.

Ooh…shiny… The Real Master and Commander This book is going directly to the Half.com list…

I can highly recommend a book he worked on, if not completely wrote: A General History of The Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates….that’s a really cool book. But oh! Look at these…there look really awesome: Heroines and Harlots Which is about women dressing up as men to go to sea, and Seafaring Women: Adventures of Pirate Queens, Female Stowaways, and Sailors' Wives

Labels: Books I must Own, Talk Like a Pirate Day, Templars

Permalink Cindy scribed this at 8:52 AM 0 comments