Woodcutter's Revival (20 page)

O
ne of my granddaughters asked if I was going to dedicate the Woodcutter's Revival. I told her, “Of course. I am going to dedicate it to my granddaughters. She giggled with approval. I wanted to leave something of myself for my children and granddaughters.

Sure, we have made things together in the shop and at the kitchen table, but I wanted them to have some insight into my thinking. I wanted to freeze a frame in time, both the time I lived and produced and the time frame in which the story took place.

My granddaughters, in order by age, are Hannah, Hailey and Meliah. Of course, the dedication extends to their parents, my children – my daughter, Shannon, and my son, Micah. Tim and Melinda might not be my “actual” children, but they are by choice. They are also special to Shannon and Micah, not to mention the girls.

Everybody has heard people talk about the ‘good old days.' I have also heard people say, Those who talk about the good old days just have a poor memory.”

It is human nature to wonder if people faced less stress, enjoyed life more, or found simpler entertainment in earlier times. People also wonder how these things will be different in the future. I have personally wondered if there truly are ‘good old days' or if people tend to gravitate toward romantic notions of the past because they want to believe that people had it better at some point in time.

The purpose of this book was to attempt to portray a short period in history as accurately as possible. The time chosen was toward the end of period that was the awakening of the Industrial Revolution. Imagine life one hundred years ago.

Let the reader compare and contrast the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, with the use of steam to the progress and the resulting life styles created by the Information Age, the Internet and the computer.

Was there less stress a hundred years ago? Would the character of Michael, betrayed by his power hungry and greedy brother, Edward, have felt less pain and bewilderment a hundred years ago? When Michael charged up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt, did he have a guarantee he would survive? Were the bullets any less real than today?

The Woodcutter's Revival was an attempt to cause people to think about being born in a certain era rather than another. It was to portray betrayal and forgiveness. The story was about human ambition and greed. It compared and contrasted political leanings and leadership styles. There was even a love story found in the pages. It was an attempt at a slice of life that, hopefully did more than entertain.

J
erry is a retired school teacher. He graduated from Ball State University with a Master of Arts degree in Education. Jerry has been very active in various political and educational groups. He has established, administered and taught in an alternative school in Knox, known as the ACE Program. ACE stood for Alternative and Continuing Education.

Jerry has taught in Marion, Kokomo, Wanath-LaCrosse, and Knox Indiana. He has also completed administrative training and principal certification. His major focus has been education, both in the formal school setting and the life lessons we learn from living every day.

Jerry has advocated for fair treatment and voluntary self-growth and improvement for teachers. He has also owned and operated small businesses and worked for others in supervisory positions in retail sales and government military production.

Jerry is a husband, father and grandfather. He loves to travel, write and work in the wood, metal and leather shops at home. He has built and uses a wood fired pizza oven.

S
cott “Doc” Wiley has been illustrating since the age of three. He has always loved to hike in the Shenandoah Mountains and take photos of the splendor of nature.

Retired from the Army, Scott served as a tank commander and combat correspondent in Viet Nam. Scott also earned a Doctorate in Art Education from Ball State University. Scott illustrated portraits of Washington and Lincoln that hang in Tippecanoe County Courthouse in Lafayette, Indiana.

More recently, Scott has served three deployments to Afghanistan. He illustrated a portrait of Patton that hangs in the Army Chief Chaplain's Office in the Pentagon. It survived the attack of 9/11. “Scott…has a passion for American History and produces detailed realistic ‘etched graphite' illustrations from historical photographs. Research precedes execution.”

His current projects include History of Defense Warning/ “As You Were – Life in the Field of the 11th ACRVVC.” He has recently completed illustrating
The Woodcutter's Revival
for long-time friend and author, Jerry Slauter. Scott spent over 360 hours of research, planning and drawing. He also spent several hours writing narratives for each illustration. The efforts are obvious as they are on display at
http://wileystudio.smugmug.com

I
f the Woodcutter's Revival touched you or if you believe it might be of benefit to others please share it.

You might already have ideas how to promote concepts on the Internet, such as FaceBook or Twitter. If you are enthusiastic about it, share your enthusiasm.

Give the book as a gift.

Write a book review for your local newspaper, magazines or web sites. Amazon reviews are particularly effective.

Talk about the book in small groups at church, work or other social, professional or service groups.

Give the book to church, educational, political or service organizational leaders.

Offer several copies to women's shelter, prisons, rehabilitations homes, libraries, or any place people might enjoy a message of hope and healing.

Post blogs in which you share part of the book that touched you the most, without giving away too much of the story. Leave a little of the intrigue so the reader can find their own experience with the woodcutter's Revival.

If you own a business, store or shop, place a display of the books on the counter or display table to resell to customers. Books can be purchased in discounted, wholesale volumes.

Send emails to your entire list with links to:

www.WoodCuttersRevival.com

http://wileystudio.smugmug.com

If you would like to contact the author to schedule a visit to your

church or organization, go to:

www.WoodcuttersRevival.com

or email:

[email protected]