In the Forge

A bar of iron is thrust, unceremoniously, into a bed of glowing coals. Then, at the precise moment, it is pulled free and shaped with many blows from a hammer. The showers of sparks elicit no sympathy. With strong hands, the smith repeats the process until the blade is properly formed. Then the steel is abruptly quenched. When the edge is ground to a perfectly sharpened weapon, it is polished. Then, and only then, is it presented. There are no shortcuts in the creation of a perfect blade.

Likewise, there are no shortcuts in the creation of a hero.

Book 2 in the Kingdom of the Falcon series is now available!
Just in time for that favorite chair by the fireplace and being transported to a distant place.

Check it out here! Ascent of the Falcon

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Ascent of the Falcon

Their origins were humble. But their paths were anything but ordinary, for heroes are not born, they are forged in the flames of adversity, and whetted on the stone of endurance.

Ascent of the Falcon is set in the 14th century and tracks the lives and adventures of those who became the heroes of the kingdom. 

Tact, Genes, and a New Website

It seems that my kids have inherited all their tact from me. In my defense, my mother used to say I was as subtle as the back side of an ax. I guess that's pretty blunt. I wonder where I got it from.

For my recent birthday they, my kids, gifted me with a website to replace the masterpiece that I had made. Their assessment of my original site was that it looked like a seven-year-old made it. My defense was, it was simply a platform of communication. They maintained it was in need of professional help.

I gave in with the expectation that it would take some time and that I would be able to head off any overt flashiness or corny animations. The joke was on me, however, as they were already working on it. In fact … it was all but finished.

So with trepidation, I asked how to view it. I almost fell out when they replied: thervhodge.com!

Me: What!? Does that not sound a bit pretentious to anyone?

They: Nope, Dad, it's just cool. That's how many artists identify their officially-sanctioned websites.

Me: … But …

When I nervously typed in the domain name, thervhodge.com, I was greeted with a fantastic surprise. The site is classic, easy to use, and not so serious as to be stuffy. I'm still a bit self-conscious about the name, but you should see it for yourself.

I'm tickled silly about it.

PS. Any pictures that are amazing were taken by my daughter, srochellephotography.com

Talking to Strangers

My wife has never been shy about striking up a conversation with complete strangers. This is a habit that is mortifying to me. When I was a young child and my mother instructed me to be cautious about talking to strangers, she was preaching to the choir.

Life has been hectic as of late, so today we ventured out on a day trip to the Outer Banks. Naturally, we took the ferry. Just as naturally, my wife spoke to many people whom she did not know. Extroverts must have a secret signal that indicates they are available for a chat. Maybe it is a sixth sense, I don't know. But by some strange coincidence, to me anyway, each of those people seemed perfectly happy to engage in a dialogue with strangers. I must confess that I have never sustained any personal injury from any of these numerous experiences.
   

The irony of all this is that despite my predisposition to keep to myself among strangers, I generally find myself enjoying the exchange once I get over the initial shock. I suspect it is much the same as skydiving. Jumping out of the plane may take some serious willpower, but the rest of the trip is probably pretty exhilarating.
   

The outcome of today's adventure resulted in our meeting a neighbor of eleven years, who lives one quarter of a mile from us! That is embarrassing. We also met a photographer and a young couple on their one year anniversary. Among several others, we also had a delightful, and protracted, conversation with a German family that is here on vacation. The language barrier was only a minor issue.

So where am I going with this? Only this: I am convinced that people were created with the fundamental need for community. And sometimes we just need to put aside all other busyness to just go and directly interact with other people.

The second irony to this is that I am sharing this with you via a very impersonal form of communication. Go figure. Have we all lost our minds? I am determined to be more directly involved with the people in my life.      

An Introvert's Favorite Nightmare

As a firmly established member of the International Brotherhood of Introverts*, I have received something that sends simultaneous yet conflicting chills down my spine. I got a fan letter! The horrors and pleasures collide in my head! I truly love to write and tell stories, but the loss of anonymity is unsettling. It is exciting that people enjoy the story, but someone has peered behind the pen. Months ago I began a simple blog for the day when someone outside the family would read my books, and now I introduce it as if I was answering a judge. Well friends, I hope I can bring some joy into your life with all this.
So now I introduce to you ... my first (and only) fan letter!
The Fans Speak
RV
 

*International Brotherhood of Introverts is a non-organization that has numerous anonymous members who never meet.  

My 1st Fan Letter!

Dear Ryan,
Thank you so much for the “fan” letter. It was both touching and amusing at the same time.
I had never given thought to having an apprentice. In truth, I never considered I had anything worth offering. That said, I could probably teach you about boat building.
On the subject of being a father, raising children to be adults is unquestionably a team effort with their mother. For my part, I basically fumbled through life trying to figure that one out. With an excellent father of my own, a supportive church family, and nearly thirty years experience at fathering, I'm still not sure I actually did anything right. But evidently the Lord had pity on my (our) feeble attempts and blessed the outcome.
With regard to writing, your letter indicates to me that you have all the qualities necessary to be a writer. You also have made some amazing and unique contributions to your community. I have never heard of anyone else successfully protecting sailors from being accosted by sea-vampires, mermaids, or wear-whales! I wasn't even aware of the existence of some of those dreadful creatures! That's some good stuff there!
I highly recommend you start some sort of blog to archive those ingenious anecdotes and share them with the rest of the world. Please keep in touch and stop in any time you can.
Thank you again for the encouraging words and subsequent conversations. You have certainly enriched my life. Oh, and yes, my mother is amazing as you surmised.
Sincerely.
RV