Dot Ryan, author of the historical novel, Corrigans’ Pool, lives in Corpus Christi, Texas with her husband, Sam. She is busy writing her second and third works of historical fiction, one of which is the upcoming sequel to Corrigans’ Pool. To learn more about Dot and where to buy Corrigans’ Pool, and also to read Part One of the upcoming sequel, please visit her website at http:www.dotryanbooks.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Dot.  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

Thank you very much for inviting me. Corrigans’ Pool is the first book I have written so far. Presently, I am working on the sequel to Corrigans’ Pool and have outlined two additional historical novels.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

When I was a child, I had a box of short stories that I had written about animals, schoolmates, etc., but Corrigans’ Pool is my first full length novel.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

Upon finishing Corrigans’ Pool, I queried about twenty agents and, when one out of that twenty requested the manuscript, I was deeply flattered and encouraged. I was perplexed a few months later when she suggested I rewrite Corrigans’ Pool in a way that would spice up the romance. Ultimately, I decided against turning my story into something I had not intended. There is romance in the book that has a lasting impact on the characters, but it is told with subtlety and, as I intended, is not the single aspect of Corrigans’ Pool that makes the story appealing throughout.

I was fully aware of the stigma against self-published books but, with faith that I had written a very good novel, I quickly decided to go that route.  There was another important reason I chose to self-publish: I had not pursued my dream to write until I had furthered my education and then retired from the workplace, therefore I wanted to spend the rest of my years writing, not pursuing agents and publishers who, perhaps because of the economy, are publishing fewer and fewer new writers, especially untested writers past middle age!  One cannot blame them for making business decisions.

Corrigans' Pool by Dot Ryan (click on cover to purchase)

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I had read many articles about the dreaded “Rejection Slip” before I sent out a single query letter, so I thought I was prepared for rejection … until I got that first slip. The agent had scribbled across the top “Think I’ll pass.” None of the agents I queried requested any part of the manuscript except the one I spoke about earlier, so I suppose I should be comforted that their decisions were based solely on my inadequate query letter and not my story.  Most of the other slips said “Not for Us” or something to that effect. In retrospect, I realized that I had actually queried several agents who did not handle my type of novel. That’s a mistake many new writers make—not doing their homework on agents’ requirements.

I was saddened for a short while, then I rewrote the first three chapters, which, who knows, might have tempted one or two of those nineteen uninterested agents to request the manuscript if I had just been able to write a decent query letter!  A bit of advice: Never send form letter queries; only agents are allowed to be so insensitive to the impressions they leave!

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

iUniverse published Corrigans’ Pool. An editor friend suggested them when I told her I was thinking of self-publishing.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

When I received my first copy of Corrigans’ Pool in the mail, I probably stared at it the same way I stared at the Grand Canyon the first time I laid eyes on it.  Writing a book, any book, is a great accomplishment, and as I held it in my hands, I thought back over all that had happened in my life over the years as I wrote Corrigans’ Pool; it was a bittersweet moment that ended with tears of joy. That night, my husband and I went out to dinner, came home and danced to slow, romantic tunes on our patio.

What was the first thing you did as far as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I notified everyone I knew, newspapers, etc., and donated books to a library in which a friend was affiliated.  My publisher offered various promotion packages, including my own website. I bought several of their promotion deals.  As far as promoting Corrigans’ Pool is concerned, I am still in the learning process. One must be very careful about how one picks and chooses her promotions. Talk to other writers first, if you can, especially if you are as green as I was.  Please know that it takes time and perseverance to get one’s book out there. Be patient as well as savvy.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

I am told that there are a few publishers left who will read manuscripts presented by authors without agents: If I could go back, I think I would have sent query letters to those Publishers rather than agents. Then, if all I received in return were rejection slips, I would certainly self-publish.  If you have faith in your book and have made certain that it is completely without error and is of a standard as good as anything on the bookshelves today, then go ahead and be brave enough to self-publish.  It may take longer to get noticed, but eventually the quality of your book will speak for itself.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

I do not have a second work ready to publish, but will complete the sequel to Corrigans’ Pool by mid 2010, if my scheduling goes as planned.

There are several ways to grow as an author: Write constantly, read voraciously, and listen more than you speak. I try hard to do those things. But the very best way to grow as an author is to dispel all bias and prejudices, respect others as much as you respect yourself, and see all creatures of the world through their own eyes.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up?  What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

If I had considered no other option other than first getting an agent, I would have taking a course on how to write the perfect query letter! But I don’t think I could have done anything to speed up the process of getting published. More often than not, these things aren’t up to the writer; they are up to the powers that be, which are the publishers.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Learning to be patient.  I’ve also learned to write a better query letter, just in case I want to test those waters with my next novels.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I never seriously wanted to be anything other than a writer.  I wore many hats in the work world before I retired and finally had the time to dedicate myself to writing, but writing was always my goal.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

My husband and I owned a business for about ten years before we finally retired.  I combined the best of both worlds for a while. But no, I would never give up being an author for anything, not even for a business that guaranteed a nice income.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Still joyously happy writing novels, after having earned the reputation as the most prolific granny in the business.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Yes, I do, and thank you for asking. First off, do not let anyone or anything spoil your dream, not rejection slips or any other of life’s surprises and disappointments.  Most importantly, forget about the time limit you may have set on your dream of being published. Time limits do not apply to dreams, unless it is the worthwhile hours, days, and years spent actually writing; such time spent is never wasted and is a sure way to make your dream come true. And remember, you don’t have to be young and able to run in a marathon to write. You just have to keep moving toward the finish line, even if you have to crawl.

Before I begin, nothing that I will present contradicts the possibility of Joseph Smith’s prophetic mission. It is my goal to further investigate the claims of the only professor in the history department at BYU-Idaho that insists on teleological interpretations of history.

Background: Doctrine and Covenants chapter 87 is the section of LDS scripture that discusses war.  It explicitly gives in detail the future event of the American civil war, which occurred in April of 1961.  The revelation was given to Joseph Smith on December 25, 1832.  The latter half warns of the coming of great destruction and the inevitability of war.

Claim: Though this revelation came during the nullification crisis of Jackson’s administration, it would have been impossible for Joseph Smith to have concluded, so intricately, the impending Civil War based on the information surrounding him.

What’s wrong: Although it was possible for Joseph Smith to have gotten his insight from deity, the blatant claim of the professor is inaccurate.  During the nullification crisis, the possibility of war was hinted at multiple times.

As mentioned above, Andrew Jackson was president during the time of this revelation.  A brief survey of the Jackson administration shows that the relationships between the branches of government, as well as between federal and state, had been strained significantly; which is seen with both the nullification crisis and Jackson’s disregard for the Supreme Court ruling on relocation of Native Americans.

In terms of nullification, Andrew Jackson released his Proclamation on December 10, 1832 — 15 days before Joseph Smith’s revelation.  Jackson makes it entirely clear that there will be heavy consequences for secession and the south’s violation of the “compact.”

because it would be a solecism to contend that any part of a nation might dissolve its connection with the other parts, to their injury or ruin, without committing any offense. Secession, like any other revolutionary act, may be morally justified by the extremity of oppression; but to call it a constitutional right, is confounding the meaning of terms, and can only be done through gross error, or to deceive those who are willing to assert a right, but would pause before they made a revolution, or incur the penalties consequent upon a failure.

Because the Union was formed by compact, it is said the parties to that compact may, when they feel themselves aggrieved, depart from it; but it is precisely because it is a compact that they cannot. A compact is an agreement or binding obligation. It may by its terms have a sanction or penalty for its breach, or it may not. If it contains no sanction, it may be broken with no other consequence than moral guilt; if it have a sanction, then the breach incurs the designated or implied penalty. A league between independent nations, generally, has no sanction other than a moral one; or if it should contain a penalty, as there is no common superior, it cannot be enforced. A government, on the contrary, always has a sanction, express or implied; and, in our case, it is both necessarily implied and expressly given. An attempt by force of arms to destroy a government is an offense, by whatever means the constitutional compact may have been formed; and such government has the right, by the law of self-defense, to pass acts for punishing the offender, unless that right is modified, restrained, or resumed by the constitutional act. In our system, although it is modified in the case of treason, yet authority is expressly given to pass all laws necessary to carry its powers into effect, and under this grant provision has been made for punishing acts which obstruct the due administration of the laws.1

What was the consequence?  It is pretty obvious that if the south attempted secession “by force of arms to destroy” the “government” Jackson intended to answer back with force.  As one commentary put it, which was published in the Hartford Courant on the same day as Smith’s revelation,

Mr. Chairman I hope I may stand acquitted before my country of any negligence, in failing to give the true character of this doctrine of nullification, when it was first advanced, in an imposing form, in the halls of Congress.  What it then appeared to me to be, in its very nature… It is Civil war.2

Making it apparent that once President Jackson made such a drastic statement in the direction of the defiant states, the nation was launched into the possibility of Civil War.  A nation, which was hosting the early Latter-Day Saints church and its ambitious prophet.

Joseph Smith:

It is often the case in the history of Joseph Smith that he would be faced with events in society and would take his concerns to the lord, which would later lead to revelation.  The most common example of this is the story of the Word of Wisdom when he prayed about the concerns of his wife Emma and was given the revelation that has become a beacon of LDS doctrine.

It is more possible than not that Joseph Smith was aware of the rising tensions in government and inquired of the lord.  After his inquiry, which was the pattern of his revelations, he would have been given the confirmation from deity that civil war would occur in the near future.

Sources:
1. “President Jackson’s Proclamation Regarding Nullification, December 10, 1823,” by Edward Livingston. As found at Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/jack01.asp#1 (Accessed December 3, 2009).
2. “Article 2 — No Title,” Connecticut Courant, December 25, 1832.

Material for the Stout-Hearted Reader to Ruminate

♦ Essays, Lectures & Speeches ♦

—   —   —

James M. McPherson (1936 – ) is professor emeritus of United States history at Princeton University and past president of the American Historical Association.  His specialty is the American Civil War.  He has authored several books on the topic, including Marching toward Freedom: The Negro in the Civil War, 1861-1865. (1968), Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (2003), and Abraham Lincoln (2009).

This week’s text is McPherson’s NEH Jefferson lecture, “’For a Vast Future also’: Lincoln and the Millennium”, given at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall, Washington D.C. on March 27, 2000.   His lecture was about Lincoln’s understanding of the historical significance of the times   “…[Lincoln] was intensely aware, as he told Congress in December 1861 when America was engulfed in a tragic Civil War, that this struggle to preserve the Union “is not altogether for today—it is for a vast future also.”

The distinction between “negative liberty” and “positive liberty” is an important point in McPherson’s lecture about Lincoln—

 “The concept of negative liberty is perhaps more familiar. It can be defined as the absence of restraint, a freedom from interference by outside authority with individual thought or behavior. Laws requiring automobile passengers to wear seatbelts or motorcyclists to wear helmets are a violation of their liberty to go without seatbelts or helmets. Negative liberty, therefore, is best described as freedom from. Positive liberty can be defined as freedom to–freedom to live longer and better because wearing a seatbelt or helmet has saved one from death or inquiry.”

Join others from around the world in this weekly reading event! You can find McPherson’s text at this website:

http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/mcpherson/speech.html

This is it, essentially the last week of the college football regular season. With it, there are conference championship games and “de facto” championship games, all coming to a television screen near you. This week is for all the marbles as college football fans will see the national title picture and the rest of the BCS mess cleared up.

Nothing is on regional coverage this week, so to hell with the coverage maps! All rankings are the current BCS standings. Grab some cold ones and crash your couch like you’re a Salahi at the White House with Eyes Of TX’s week 14 viewing guide as your ticket to this week’s college football match-ups. No Secret Service approval necessary.

Thursday
9:00 PM ET
#16 Oregon State at #7 Oregon, ESPN
The winner of the Civil War will take the Pac-10 title and with it, a trip to meet Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. You’ve got to love an in-state rivalry game with so much riding on it. Neither team has been to the Rose Bowl in at least 15 years (or, 45 years for the Beavers). USC head coach Pete Carroll is rolling over in his L.A. grave, er, mansion. OSU bonus: Sara Jean Underwood!

Friday
8:00 PM ET
Central Michigan v. Ohio, ESPN2
The MAC Championship. Central Michigan carries an unbeaten conference record that includes victories over Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Michigan State. Who knew Michigan was so big? They also dominated Northern Illinois (hey, they’ve got to start somewhere), so they are the favorite in any game featuring a region, thus giving Ohio a fighting chance, right? Oh, we lost you at MAC?

Saturday
12:00 PM ET
#5 Cincinnati at #15 Pittsburgh, ABC
Another conference championship is on the line, this time featuring an undefeated team without a prayer of playing for the national title. Football fans would sooner see a rematch of the SEC title game than the Bearcats sneaking into the BCS’ top two. Given the shine of the Irish gold, could this be Brian Kelly’s last game for Cincinnati? Bonus: Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt’s uneven mustache!

3:30 PM ET
Arizona at #18 USC, ABC
To fill in the gap before the SEC Championship check in on this one. Plenty is riding on this game for USC with regard to bowl placement. The Trojans could finish second in the conference with a win (if Oregon State loses), or as low as sixth if Arizona pulls off the victory. Is Arizona football suddenly better than Arizona basketball? In December, it sure seems to be the case – go Desert Swarm!

On a Big 12 note, the #2-ranked ‘Horns take on USC on the hard court in the Erwin Center in Austin on Thursday night (9:00p ET on ESPN2).

4:00 PM ET
#1 Florida v. #2 Alabama, CBS
Blah, blah, blah, Tebow, blah, blah, Saban, blah, blah, blah, scripture, blah, eye poking, blah, blah, Ingram, blah, defense, blah, blah, DUI, blah, blah, blah, rematch, blah, Heisman, blah, blah, blah. This game will be great, too bad it’s sullied by all of the hyperbole and exhausted storylines. Plus, if you choose to watch this game and not the Big 12 Championship, you probably shouldn’t be reading this blog.

#22 Nebraska v. #3 Texas, ABC
The Big 12 title game is finally here. One final test for the Longhorns and after a neck-and-neck game last week at A&M, there’s plenty of speculation that this will be a greater test than anyone anticipated midway through the season. As expected, a victory on Saturday all but guarantees Texas a slot in the BCS title game in Pasadena. Expect loads of negative energy to be focused on the ‘Horns as most of the country would love nothing more than for the Cornhuskers to pull off the upset and throw the BCS world into a tizzy with TCU waiting in the wings to move into one of the top two national rankings. Bonus: Truth! Hook ‘Em!

Now, a viewing guide bonus!

Sunday, December 12th
2:30 PM ET
Army v. Navy, CBS
This game is always a treat despite the fact that neither team has been really competitive on a national level for about a hundred years. In the wake of the President’s recent announcement that the U.S. will be committing 30,000 more troops to the war effort in Afghanistan, it is nice to pause and watch kids being kids because after all, this violent game is what these guys do for fun, and when they go to work, their jobs are far worse. It’s also a source of morale for our men and women already serving overseas, and as fans and patriots of a great country, we can’t send them enough. So good luck and thank you to both sides for all that you do to protect our freedoms.

Thanks to LilPete for what has been an awesome series of viewing guides this season, keeping college football fans around the world on track. Perhaps a bowl season viewing guide is next?

✩

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I finished this book a few days ago, but I couldn’t write the review without crying until now.

Team of Rivals deals primarily with Abraham Lincoln’s political savvy. He went from a hayseedlawyer on the fringes of the American consciousness to one of the greatest and most respected leaders in our nation’s history — in world history, even.

The book is about Lincoln’s shrewd leadership, but its heart is about his character. Lincoln was a political genius, yes, but it was his integrity and humility that strengthened him to stick to his political convictions. It was his knack for giving humorous illustrations to set his adjutants, friends, colleagues, and even his enemies at ease that earned the respect of the American people in the most difficult trial our nation has ever faced.

Goodwin carefully details the background of each member of Lincoln’s Cabinet. She doesn’t just set forth the facts of their biographies — she paints a picture of each man’s character and personality. She brings them to life the way only a truly gifted historian can.

She also gives the reader a feel for the zeitgeist of the era. We Americans have all studied the American Civil War in school. But textbooks and lectures can’t convey the emotional state of a nation in peril. She gives examples of Americans from many different walks of life — North and South, slave and free, rich and poor — to show a broad view of how the war affected every American. No one came through unscathed.

And of course Goodwin describes Lincoln’s own life and character in careful detail. What makes the book so powerful is Goodwin’s ability to take a subject of thousands of biographies and bring him to life afresh. The reader learns about Lincoln’s agony over the personal cost of the war to each American — Northern and Southern alike. We see his level-headedness in handling delicate situations involving indelicate men. We see the strength of his conviction as he graciously but firmly led his Cabinet while still humbly considering their counsel in every matter.

We see why the nation was so devastated by his assassination. To lose their leader at the end of its most difficult trial must have been a terrible blow to a nation already weakened by war. It’s a credit to Goodwin’s writing that we feel the grief of the nation as we read her account of Lincoln’s assassination and the aftermath. I wept as though I had lost a personal friend.

But, aside from Lincoln’s wife and sons, no one felt the loss quite as deeply as his Cabinet — the eponymous “team of rivals” that he assembled to give him a balanced council to advise him.

Secretary of State William Seward was nearly assassinated himself, and had to cope with his own recuperation as well as the loss of his friend, colleague, and President. Seward had bid for the Republican nomination in 1960, but lost out to Lincoln. After much hesitation and political maneuvering on Lincoln’s part, he finally reluctantly accepted the post of Secretary of War. He was the first member of Lincoln’s Cabinet to recognize the President’s genius. He was Lincoln’s most trusted friend.

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton couldn’t say the President’s name without weeping for weeks after his death. He had his fair share of conflicts with the President — when they first met, he was called in to handle a case that was originally given to Lincoln. No one ever told Lincoln he’d been replaced, so he showed up to court. Stanton ignored his presence and proceeded to present the case. Afterward, Lincoln admiringly said that he needed to go home to learn how to become a lawyer. Stanton rather brusquely dismissed his ability to do so.

But he quickly learned that underneath Lincoln’s simple manner and unassuming demeanor was a quick wit and an uncanny ability to assess a critical situation, along with the patience, wisdom and self-control that it took to wait before making important decisions (and nearly all of the decisions he had to make during his tenure as president would be crucial). It was Stanton who uttered, “Now he belongs to the ages,” at Lincoln’s deathbed.

Oh, man, so much for a tear-free review.

It’s no easy task to write an extraordinary book about an extraordinary man who led a nation in an extraordinary time with a team of extraordinary men. But Doris Kearns Goodwin has risen to the challenge, driven by her passion for Lincoln and his legacy. Her work is, in a word: extraordinary.

View all my reviews >>

Oregon= Ulysses Grant, Oregon State= Robert E. Lee.  In short, I’m predicting an Oregon victory tonight, although I do not expect Chip Kelly to appear on the $50 bill anytime soon.

Ed Dickson will turn in a marvelous Senior Day performance (multiple TDs), Jeremiah Masoli will be “sicker than e coli” (couple rushing and passing TDs), and LaMichael James will outduel his Texan counterpart, Quizz Rodgers.  I think the final score will be 40-28, with “Beaver Nation” leaving Autzen in tears and the Oregon crowd breaking the previous college football noise record (set by us, of course) of 127.2 decibels.

Joe Bags, Alex, and myself will be on the sidelines tonight, hopefully within shouting distance of the lovely Erin Andrews.  JG, meanwhile, will be holding down the Four Ducks fort in the student section.  It’s on, baby… 5.5 hours until kickoff!

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Michael Lark (pencils), Stefano Gaudiano (inks), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: The Cabal implodes and lines are drawn.

What’s Good: The issue’s strongest point is its characterization.  Dr. Doom is written well by Bendis.  He’s the same absurd bad guy who insists on referring to himself in the third person. but, as usual, Doom backs all that egotism up in a big way.  In this issue, his self-righteousness and arrogance actually make him feel somewhat jarring as a character, unrealistic even, yet Bendis’ display of Doom’s power validates it.  Doom feels like he doesn’t belong because he doesn’t; he functions on a different level from Osborn.  He’s the all powerful, cackling old school villain while Osborn is something more convoluted and modern and Bendis’ depiction of this collision is well-played.

Speaking of Osborn, Bendis does a fantastic job on him as well.  Compared to Doom, Osborn actually sounds realistic; a scary thing, when Bendis essentially cements this month that Osborn’s sanity is bound to implode any day now.  The fact that Osborn’s fear of the Asgardians is based largely on advice from the Green freaking Goblin is evidence of that, and it also makes for a fantastically written conversation.

Overall though, this issues functions just as it should, truly feeling like the beginning of a slow collapse, as Norman’s finally confronted by limitations to his power. Publically, he’s reminded that he isn’t the President of the United States.  Privately, he’s bitten off more than he can chew with Doom.  And he seems to be in denial on both these points.  In probably the most beautiful bit of dialogue in the issue, he accosts Doom for making a “huge, dumb, arrogant mistake.”  When I first read that line, I thought Osborn was speaking of himself and apologizing to Victor.

Art-wise, there’s absolutely nothing to complain here.  With his signature dark, scratchy feel, Lark ably captures the action and the tense conversations with ease.  It’s a good looking book, and I couldn’t expect much more.

What’s Not So Good: For the start of Marvel’s last major event for the foreseeable future, I expected the start to have a bit more of a bang to it.  A character death perhaps, or at least a major event that leaves some sort of irreparable damage.  That I didn’t get either was a bit disappointing.

And it’s not like Bendis didn’t have his opportunities, he just seemed hell-bent on holding himself back.  Take for example the attack on Avenger’s Tower, which basically sparks off the Siege event.  There’s a beautiful illustration by Michael Lark that makes it look as though the Tower itself is on the verge of collapse, as though it were being eaten away.  I loved the idea of the Tower being destroyed.  I mean, damn, that is a way to start an event!  Of course, a couple pages later, and Norman’s back in his office and the Tower is just fine.

Well, at least Bendis can fulfill the promises Marvel has laid out in its ads and solicitations for this issue by revealing his secret partner, right?  Of course not.  Instead, we just get some glowy, vaguely humanoid shape letting loose with a couple of energy blasts with no major hint as to his/her/its identity. Great…

Bendis puts all the characters where he wants them and does what he needs to do to get an event started, but he just doesn’t bother to shoot any higher.

Conclusion: It’s an entertaining issue with very solid character work, but it could’ve been more.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

We’re excited to offer the first glimpse of the University Press of Florida’s spring 2010 catalog to readers of this blog. Click here: UPF Spring 2010 Catalog (please be patient: it takes a little while to load – we’ll replace it with a faster file shortly) to browse forthcoming new books!  Stay tuned for more on these fascinating books and the stories behind them!

The Civil War, not that Civil War, but the one that takes place on an annual basis up in the Great Northwest between the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers.  This battle has taken place for many years, and this time it is for all the marbles.

The winner not only gets the bragging rights for the next year, especially important when these two teams are separated by only 40 miles, but also the winner wins the Pac-10 title of the season. However, the most important or at least the biggest reason the Ducks and the Beavers need a win is for the right to play in the Rose Bowl.  It would be the first for Oregon since 1995, but it would also allow the Beavers to compete in the Rose Bowl since 1965.

Both teams have the capability to win this game, and is almost a mere lock that this game will be highly entertaining tonight.  The top players on each respected side that I cannot wait to watch, and who will be the difference makers in this one will be running back, Jacquizz Rodgers for OSU, and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli for the Ducks.

Rodgers had a coming out party last season in the OSU upset win against USC did not participate in last seasons loss to their rivals at home.  So far this season Rodgers has 19 touchdowns on the ground and over 1300 yards as well.  He will need to have a huge game and control the ball in the Beavers favor if they want to keep up with the high-powered attack of the DUcks.

Masoli was absolutely flawless in their big win against the Trojans on Halloween this season leading to the route over USC where he threw for 222 yards and threw for a TD, and ran for another 164 yards and scoring once on the ground too.  He will have to put up some similar numbers as the pressure will be on all night for Masoli to make big plays one after another.

In the end, I see the Ducks at home getting it done, as the hostile home crowd will be in a frenzy from start to finish much like they were against the Trojans.  High scoring and close throughout, but too much fire power on the Ducks’ offense.  48-41.

Don’t forget tonight is the Civil War* between Oregon and Oregon State (6pm PST) to determine who represents the Pac 10 in the Rose Bowl and gets to annihilate Ohio State.  Cherish the end (for at least a year) of USC dominance.

* Oregon became a state on Valentine’s Day, 1859, just in time for the Civil War — good timing.

Also want to give you my Heisman Ballot:

Here is how it will go:

1. Colt McCoy
2. Tim Tebow
3. Toby Gerhart

Here is how it should go:

1. Toby Gerhart
2. Colt McCoy
3. Golden Tate

See you post Tiger-Fact-Finding in Orlando.

We now return to our originally scheduled Tiger Programming.

The time has finally come for Oregon State and Oregon to do battle on the field for a trip to the BCS and the Rose Bowl.

After 112 years of doing battle, this is, by far, the most important game of the series.

So my question is this….who are you pulling for???

I’ve thought it over. I have both my Ducks and Beavers hats in front of me and after careful consideration…I’m going with the home team: The Oregon Ducks 37-34.

Thoughts?

From Bleacher Report:

Over 150 years ago, the Union and Confederacy clashed for freedom in the American Civil War. The Civil War only lasted six years, but there is still a Civil War going on in the United States of America, and it’s at it’s peak at this very moment.

When Oregon State goes into Autzen Stadium to do battle with the Ducks of Oregon on Thursday night, it will be an epic showdown for the ages. It might not punch either team a ticket to the National Title game, but it will punch a ticket to the second biggest bowl there is—the Rose Bowl.

Author: Gail Pruszkowski
Source: ezinearticles.com

The Secret Keeper is an incredibly powerful, Find Email, debut novel by journalist Paul Harris, who has been the US Correspondent, Find Email, for the British weekly newspaper The Observer since 2003. Before that he reported from Africa for the Daily Telegraph, the Associated Press and Reuters. The Secret Keeper was inspired by the conflicts he covered in Sierra, Find Email, Leone in 2000.

Reading The Secret Keeper is an intense experience, every page contains a vivid description, an extraordinary observation or a baffling choice. Baffling to those of us who find it hard to understand what makes a journalist go to a war torn country and put his life in danger. Harris brings life to a period of time the rest of us only know from newspaper accounts or TV. It would make a marvelous movie.

Danny Kellerman, a British journalist, receives an unexpected letter from an old girlfriend and it turns his life upside down. Maria Tirado, a children’s relief worker, was his lover when he was on assignment in Sierra Leone. But that was four years ago and he hasn’t heard from her since. The note says that she is in trouble and needs his help; it’s too dangerous to call or email.

Danny does a Google search and is devastated to discover that Maria was murdered, Find Email, before her note reached him. Authorities in Africa, Find Email, are calling it a roadside robbery, Find Email, but Danny has his doubts. He also has a girlfriend and a new life in London but he’s determined, Find Email, to find out what really happened to Maria. He convinces his editor to send him back and he will get him a story. Danny returns to Africa where corruption is, Find Email, rampant; he, Find Email, can trust no one and the secrets that he uncovers will change everything.

The canvas is large, Harris effortlessly transports readers between 2000 and 2004, London and West Africa, Find Email, . His ability to keep things moving and portray the atmosphere in two different locations adds a lot of depth to the book. The descriptions are quite graphic, some horrifically so. I learned quite a bit about the civil war and post-war deception in Sierra Leone.

Harris demonstrates his creative talents with an intriguing storyline, realistic, Find Email, dialogue and a sympathetic protagonist. His characters are not stereotypes; they’re carefully drawn paradigms, Find Email, of their countries.

This is a book that succeeds on multiple levels,, Find Email, a complex tale of political intrigue, a story of moral dilemmas, bittersweet romance and the journey of a man who must come to terms with the truth. It’s a tough read emotionally but well worth the time, a story, Find Email, that will linger in your mind long after you turn the last page.

Publisher: Dutton (April 2, 2009)
ISBN: 978-0525951025
Pages: 336
Price: $29.95

Gail Pruszkowski reviews for “Romantic Times BOOKreviews” magazine and her work has been published in the “Cup of Comfort” Anthologies.

http://mysite.verizon.net/bookworm.gp
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FIVE STAR REVIEW by a Barnes and Noble Reader 

 During perilous times an unlikely pair rushes to form a more perfect union…

Juliet’s voice betrayed her alarm. “What’s wrong? What are you seeing?”

He slowly circled her. “Turn so your back is to the lamp. That’s it. Now I see what it is. Stand very still and lift your arms straight over your head. Right. Now look up at your fingertips.”

In a twinkling, Randolph grabbed the nightgown and whisked it over her head. Juliet stood naked in the middle of the room and Randolph swallowed at the vision. “Now, everything is just as it should be.”

Vivid descriptions, clarity of dialogue and plenty of action reveal the unusual response of a Southern family and their black servants to a handsome Yankee intruder. The tenuous position of a small Northern army occupying a town in the deep South forces secrecy and subterfuge.

With believable characters and intriguing situations the reader appreciates the values, the gentle banter, and the shenanigans as these good people face the harsh realities of war.

This talented writer is one to watch.  And, Civil War fans should not miss NO DECORUM.

Duck and Beaver fans came in color to buy roses and patiently waited for a moment of fame with the ESPN camera rolling. Duck fans sang for the camera a rousing chorus of the Duck Fight Song with quackers going, while the Beaver fans made sure the “Go Beavers” sign was quietly waving behind them in camera view! We appreciate our fans who came out for the action. The footage will be aired during the game with other local “highlights” of team spirit.

The Autzen Stadium voice of the Ducks, Don Essig and his lovely singing wife Janet were here for the action (remember….as Don says, “It never rains in Autzen Stadiuim”) and Don shared stories with Aaron Fredrickson, a great Beaver fan as we snapped their photo of the friendly rivalry. We are on to Game Day Tomorrow! So it’s time for serious game faces! Go DUCKS!

Civil War Smiles

Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

Pac-10 fans will rejoice as we detail this storied rivalry from The Beaver State. Oregonians are well-versed in what they call The Civil War between Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. If our analysis still leaves you skeptical, you can catch the 2009 matchup between these schools tomorrow night, as the Ducks and the Beavers duke it out for a Pac-10 title and a berth to the Rose Bowl!

Quick Facts
Oregon State: Public research university with nearly 17,000 undergraduates in Corvallis, Oregon. Mascot is the Beaver.
University of Oregon: Public research university with nearly 18,000 undergraduates in Eugene, Oregon. Mascot is the Duck.

1. Civil War Record

Oregon State: 46-56-10
University of Oregon: 56-46-10

Three credits to: University of Oregon, by the numbers.

2. Memorable Moments

Oregon State: In 1998, the Civil War game was nearing the end of its first-ever overtime with the Beavers winning. After a last minute pass-interference call was made against the Beavers, the Ducks scored forcing a second overtime. Oregon State pulled off the victory in the end of an epic nail-biter!
University of Oregon: Oregon comes back from a 13-0 score deficit and an injured offense to charge to victory in 1994, earning the Ducks a Rose Bowl berth against Penn State.

Three credits to: Oregon State, with a victory in arguably the best contest between these two teams

3. Fun Facts

Oregon State: One of only two universities in the nation to hold the titles of Land-, Sea-, Sun-, and Space-Grant research institution. Interested in taking over the universe? Oregon State is the place to be!
University of Oregon: If you consider yourself a child at heart, come to UO. Their mascot is actually Donald Duck, BFF of Mickey Mouse, with the blessing of Walt Disney himself.

Three credits to: University of Oregon, since you won’t be spotting any Disney-character mascots elsewhere!

4. Ass-Kicking Alumni

Oregon State: Chad OchoCinco, Linus Pauling, George Oppen (Pulitzer Prize-winning poet)
University of Oregon: Steve Prefontaine, Bill Bowerman (founder of Nike), Ann Curry

Three credits to: University of Oregon, which boasts two of the all-time greatest legends in running (and sports) history.

5. Acceptance Rate Agony

Oregon State: 84.1%
University of Oregon: 85.3%

Three credits to:  Oregon State squeaks by!

And the diploma goes to: University of Oregon! With Walt Disney, Nike, and a winning record on their side, the Ducks cruise to victory in this Civil War. Then again, tune in tomorrow night to watch the Beavers make their case!

One of the details from the broadsheet I featured in these recent posts  (A mad, mad, mad, mad designe Part 1 & Part 2) made me chuckle so much I though I would reproduce it again. It’s the monkey peeping up the priests cassock:

Aside from stealing a wallet from a catholick man of faith, whats he doing? I’m sure it’s symbolic of something, possibly just the association of the malign monkey with a priest is enough. There did seem to be a slight obsession with monkeys in the Early Modern period.

It also reminded me of a string of posts earlier in the year featuring monkeys that I thought I would take the opportunity of reminding people of:

You should start with Edward Vallance’s post:

Oliver Cromwell and the Monkey

(a superb sitcom title if ever I saw one)

Followed up by Mercurius Politicus’:

Monkey Magic

If you’re still in need of a monkey fix then I recommend visiting Got medieval:

Snails vs Monkeys: Gastropocalypse Now

and

A Surfeit of Monkeys

Right, that’s your lot, enough flogging the monkey.

*waving monkey*

The Liberty Republican: EU Times – Obama Orders 1 Million Troops in Prep for US Civil War

Now where do they come up with this stuff??? I do beleive this is a bit far fetched…..but maybe a stop at the Survival Store and Gun shop…..LOL!!

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“I am a Mississippian. Though the veterans I knew are all dead now, down to the final home guard drummer boy of my childhood, the remembrance of them is still with me. However, being nearly as far removed from them in time as most of them were removed from combat when they died. I hope I have recovered the respect they had for their opponents until Reconstruction lessened and finally killed it. Biased is the last thing I would be; I yield to no one in my admiration for heroism and ability, no matter which side of the line a man was born or fought on when the war broke out, fourscore and seventeen years ago. If pride in the resistance of my forebears made against the odds has leaned me to any degree in their direction, I hope it will be seen to amount to no more, in the end, than the average American’s normal sympathy for the underdog in a fight.”

It is very rare for a great historian to also be a great novelist.  Shelby Foote was a national treasure and the country was poorer when he passed from the scene in 2005.  To truly understand America I think it is very important to have a firm grasp of our Civil War.  Foote, with his magisterial three volume epic,  did all Americans a service by giving us a readable and comprehensive study of that vast conflict.  He spent 20 years of his life doing it, and the care with which he crafted each page shines through.

The Civil War, there’s a great compromise, as it’s called. It consists of Southerners admitting freely that it’s probably best that the Union wasn’t divided, and the North admits rather freely that the South fought bravely for a cause in which it believed. That is a great compromise and we live with that and that works for us. We are now able to look at the war with some coolness, which we couldn’t do before now, and, incidentally, I very much doubt whether a history such as mine could have been written much before 100 years had elapsed. It took all that time for things to cool down.

Thursday is the Civil War between Rose Bowl hopefuls University of Oregon and Oregon State University. We have been inundated with requests for roses and flowers for fans to show their support at the home and office. KEZI and KMTR came by on Monday to film the fun! Tomorrow, ESPN Game Day will be stopping by to put their spotlight on the Civil War craze! We encourage fans from both teams to stop by around 2:30 when they start filming to support their team and grab some roses! You may even score an interview with the crew!

We have been offering a dozen roses in yellow, orange, or a mix of both for only $39.99 arranged. This deal has been so popular that today we brought in hundreds of more roses to meet the demand. We live in a great city with huge team spirit!

Corrigans' Pool by Dot Ryan (click on cover to purchase)

I was inspired to write Corrigans’ Pool by my great love of American history, especially the Civil war era in which many of my ancestors fought on both sides. I grew up listening to my paternal and maternal grandmothers’ stories, passed down from generation to generation, about life in those days. I knew early on that someday I would write historical novels about all eras of American history. I wrote bits and pieces of the novel in the 60s’ and 70s’ in between raising three children, and later holding down a 40 hour a week job in the county courthouse— all the while studying to become an author. By the time I felt that I could truly call myself a writer, I had a son and daughter in high school and a third daughter just starting junior high.  I finished my novel in 1982 … and lost every page of it in a fire a few months later, along with most of my research notes. This was in the days when everything was done on typewriters.

Somewhere between 1982 and the year 2000, I had swallowed my grief and had re-written Corrigans’ Pool from scratch—a whopping 1012 pages! On the book’s Acknowledgment page, I thank the professional editors whom I enlisted to advise me during several rounds of editing, mainly the daunting task of cutting the manuscript down to a reasonable size. During the second round of research, I discovered a great history book by Derek Smith entitled Civil War Savannah and which inspired many of the historic scenes I later wrote my characters into. I acknowledged Derek Smith, as well, and with all gratitude for his excellent work.  Now to find a publisher!

I queried about a dozen New York agents and received a reply from a very nice lady wanting to read the manuscript. Three months later she e-mailed me, suggesting that I rev up the romance in the book, put the male love interest in every chapter “like Rhett Butler” and then get back to her. I thought long and hard about it, and decided against turning my story into something I had not intended. Although there is romance in the book, it is not the single aspect of Corrigans’ Pool that makes the story appealing throughout. With faith that I had written an exceptional novel—and fully aware of the stigma against self-published books—I decided then and there to self-publish. I wanted to spend the rest of my years writing, not pursuing agents and publishers who, perhaps because of the economy, are not as open to new talent as they once were, no matter how promising. Judging from reader’s reviews of Corrigans’ Pool, I made the right decision. Getting the book noticed may take a bit longer, but I believe it will be worth it in that I cam market it indefinitely, if I so choose.

Dot Ryan was raised in the small South Texas towns of Beeville and Skidmore, Texas by her cheerful, but no-nonsense mother and an army of maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts and uncles and, periodically during her formidable years between six and sixteen, Catholic school clergy.  In childhood, Dot was a pigtail haired tomboy with a passion for horses, swimming in the Aransas River, hanging by her heels from loft oak tree branches, and running barefooted through the burning, Texas sands. Dot attributes her lifelong interest in history to the diverse cultures and personalities of her Irish and German kin, most significantly, her two grandmothers. Because of these two incredibly strong women, Dot’s ardor for writing and researching began early in her childhood, although neither love was validated until she had raised a family of her owner and  completed her first novel, Corrigans’ Pool.

Dot and her husband, Sam, make their home in “The Sparkling City by the Sea,” Corpus Christi, Texas near their sons and daughters and grandchildren. She is busy writing her second and third works of historical fiction.  You can visit her website at www.dotryanbooks.com or pick up a copy of Corrigans’ Pool at Amazon.