BE AWESOME! BE A BOOK NUT!

    “Be Awesome! Be a book nut!”  
 Dr. Seuss wrote this quote decades ago but it still rings true today. 

Jewell Tweedt

Hi, I’m Jewell Tweedt and I’m excited to talk about the benefits of reading today on Seekerville. 

Here’s a little about me- I am a full-time middle school teacher with a masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I write historical fiction and contemporary mysteries and I am a Grace Awards finalist. My latest novel is Lessons Learned-Grace’s Secret set in 1870’s Nebraska. It is the fourth book in the Back to Omaha adventures series.

As a teacher I know how reading can benefit people of all ages. So if you ever feel guilty about taking time to plunk down with a good book and a cup of tea then wipe that guilt away because reading is good for you and everyone around you. So here we go with five benefits of reading and quotations by some pretty impressive people. And thanks to lifehack.org for some of these ideas.

1.    Mental stimulation. If we exercise our bodies then we should also exercise our minds. Studies show reading keeps your brain active and engaged. It’s even been suggested that reading may slow down or prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Hand me a book, quick!

Best-selling author Gary Paulsen writes “I owe everything I am and everything I will be to books.” His love of reading and a lot of hard work has earned him a very successful career and multiple opportunities to influence thousands of adolescents and adults. In my school reading is a top priority and time is built into each day’s schedule for students to read what they want to read. It works. Our test scores improve yearly.

 In Lessons Learned-Grace’s Secret, Grace Freeport is Omaha’s schoolmarm. Shocked to realize most of her children have no books at home she uses her own collection to set up the town’s first public library and the response is overwhelmingly positive. “Miz Freeport, this is a fine thing you’ve done for us.”

2.       Stress reduction and tranquility. In today’s internet driven world and too-busy schedules, a good book can transport you into another realm and reduce your stress.

"Reading is the sole means by which we slip involuntarily, often helplessly into another’s voice, another’s soul.” Joyce Carol Oates. 

Sure beats taking anxiety medication. Seriously, we all need to slow down and enjoy ourselves more and reading is a safe, fun way to do that. Lester Newman, a student in my novel, knows this.  “Eyes wide with anticipation he carefully selected Treasure Island opened it to the first page and began to read.”   

3.       Reading provides knowledge. The more knowledge you have the better equipped you are to succeed in life or at least understand why things happen the way they do. History is full of enthusiastic readers who made monumental changes that impact us even today. President Thomas Jefferson’s thirst for knowledge led to him having the largest personal library in the United States in the 1800s. After he read several volumes about the frontier he made the famous Louisiana Purchase doubling the size of the United States and then sent Lewis and Clark to explore it. Jefferson wrote “I cannot live without books.”  Neither can I.

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 In Lessons Learned Lester Newman is looking at his teacher’s collection. “Miss Freeport, I’ve never seen so many books. That’s how come you’re so smart.”   
  

4.       Vocabulary expansion and memory improvement. Being articulate and well-spoken helps in any profession and situation. When you are reading you are developing thoughts and memories that forge new brain synapses and strengthen existing ones. And you can take those books anywhere. Stephen King writes “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”

According to a study by the Pew Research Center adults still prefer paper over e-books. Sixty-five percent of readers surveyed had read a paper or hardbound book in the past year compared to twenty-eight percent who had read an e-book. E-book sales surged in 2007 but began leveling off about three years ago. Those who do mostly use a tablet or a cell phone like my students.  

5.       Better writing skills. Readers can learn to write better. By observing the cadence, fluidity and writing styles of authors readers can hone their own skills. As a teacher, I can often tell which of my writers are readers. One of the basic rules of being a writer is to read constantly. To quote Dr. Seuss again, “Be awesome! Be a book nut!”

  To celebrate the recent release of Lessons Learned-Grace’s Secret I will be giving away an autographed copy to one lucky person who leaves a comment here on Seekerville. To see other books in the series please visit my blog at tweedtjewell.blogspot.com. I can be reached at tweedtjewell@gmail.com. My books are also available on Amazon.com.

Thank you Seekerville ladies. And to all of you, your homework today is to keep on reading!

Using History Mysteries to Grab Your Reader’s Attention or Who’s Buried in Grant’s Tomb?

By Jewell Tweedt

Jewell Tweedt

Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb? You probably remember that old riddle from grade school because we are curious and mysteries are fun. Historical mysteries are even more enticing because they actually occurred.

 As an American History teacher instructing technology-reared middle school students, I use mysteries to engage them. As a historical fiction writer I use historical mysteries to engage my readers. September nineteenth Prism Book Group released the second book of my Nebraska Brides series titled A Lady for the Lawman.  I used an actual Civil War-era mystery in that book to hook readers. Here is a blurb:

On special assignment from the White House to the Nebraska prairie...

Crack undercover Pinkerton agent Jason Reynolds gets the toughest assignment of his career. Sent by President U.S. Grant to Omaha to capture a loco ex-soldier accused of stealing Jefferson Davis' treasury gold, Jason falls for feisty shopkeeper Arianna Quincy. Trouble is, she's not interested. When the lunatic grabs Arianna, Jason's skills are put to the test. Can Jason get his man and save his woman?

The Confederate treasury, (this is true, folks) consisted of $800,000 (in 1865 dollars) in gold coins, bars and Mexican silver. In April 1865 the war was all but over. Confederate President Jefferson Davis, knowing he was about to be captured by the Yankees, was determined Lincoln would not get his treasury’s wealth. It was placed in flour and sugar sacks, put into six wagons and sent into the deep south guarded only by teenaged soldiers. So what happened to that gold and silver? Did the boys escape the vicious Yanks? Has the money ever been found?



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Read A Lady for the Lawman and find out for yourself. Send me a comment and I’ll give you some hints.  A Seekerville lady will draw names and one lucky person will receive a copy of A Lady for the Lawman.

Got your attention, didn’t I? A little research and you can add elements of mystery to your work as well.

 By the way, the answer to who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb is nobody. You can’t bury someone in a tomb BUT Grant and his wife Julia are entombed there.  

Teachers as Writers-Why They’re a Good Fit

by Jewell Tweedt

Exactly 30 years ago I was a disillusioned young teacher looking to make a career change. Searching through help wanted ads I came across a job listing for a Merchandising Assistant. Now I didn’t know what that was but I did have some retail experience and a lot of chutzpah. I applied for the job, was interviewed by the president of the discount chain, and got the position. I spent fifteen years with the organization and received several promotions. Why was I successful? Because as a teacher I had skills that transferred: I was organized, I was creative and most importantly, I could follow through.

The skills that are useful as a teacher also help in business and writing is a business. It’s creative and fluid but also a business. Writers produce a product and market it, if they finish the darn book.

Organization- Teachers juggle curriculum, meetings, parents, discipline and instruction. Most of them are trying to get better at their profession. Writers juggle their stories, interviews, signings, self-discipline (sometimes I’d rather go outdoors), writing and re-writing. They are always trying to improve their product and themselves.

Creativity-Teachers are always looking for new methods to interest their students and themselves. They research new sources, and collaborate with others. Writers are always looking for new ways to tell a story, write it better and collaborate with writers through local groups and national organizations.

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Inspiration can come at any time and any place. This year as I was teaching a unit on American westward expansion I told my students about how women made money during the California Gold Rush by cooking and sewing for miners. Some women became quite wealthy.

 

As I looked out over my group of teenagers I asked, “What if a teenage girl got stranded in a rough camp. How would she survive?”  The ensuing discussion led to my latest book, Gold in My Pocket-A Gold Rush Diary. Laura Webb is a fifteen year old who is stranded in Black Gulch, California with no family, few friends and gold in her pocket. Over a three year period she defends her honor, supports herself and finds her own way (and some romance).   

This book was easy to write and to finish: I had the background knowledge, primary sources and about 75 female students to pull character traits from. Plus I’ve written a series called The Back to Omaha Adventures so I had some experience to draw from.

Follow-through- Not only do teachers plan, they instruct and assess. That takes preparation and time. Then assessments are given, work is evaluated and recorded. That takes follow-through. This past year I had 140 students under my tutelage. How did I manage that AND write a book? By having a plan and setting a time to write. Each afternoon after school and before I started chores and dinner I’d write. For 45 minutes I’d write as much as I could in the diary. After dinner I’d edit and rewrite. Then I put it away. Life balance is important otherwise it’s too easy to get overwhelmed.

Effective writers know that too. Everything takes longer than it should. Work needs to be edited and the darn book must get finished! Changes occur with titles, covers, even agents and publishers. But isn’t that true in most endeavors? It doesn’t matter if you’ve never earned an educator license, everyone teaches someone or something and can develop these qualifications.  Take a look at your organization, creativity, and follow-through and you’ll see why you as a teacher and a writer are a good fit.

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Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for Jewell's Christmas novel, When Christmas Bells are Ringing.

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When Christmas Bells are Ringing is the fourth and final book in the popular Back to Omaha Adventures Series.

Widow Connie Simonson is too busy with her restaurants and an active son to even consider a romance.

Dr. James Connor is so dedicated to healing the townspeople of Omaha that he forsakes his own needs.

But Christmas is coming and a mysterious stranger can't help but interfere-she answers to a higher calling.

 

Time is running out-can she deliver a second chance for love as Christmas bells are ringing?

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Gold in My Pocket

March 27, 1850 Dear Diary, Papa struck it rich this morning! He found his nugget. It weighs over seven pounds. He came racing into the store to show me before he went to the assayer’s office. It looks like a big ugly rock to me but he was cradling it against his bony chest like a baby. I wanted to go with him but he said it was too dangerous. He’ll be back to take me to dinner at a new café to celebrate. I can’t wait. I’m going to go wash my hair and press my best calico dress. Maybe now I’ll have my papa back. I’m going to try and convince him to take me east, on the next wagon train or ship. We’ll build that cottage and we’ll be a family again. Praise God!

March 28, 1850 Dear Diary, Papa never came back. I waited and waited by the back door.

When will I learn?

 March 31, 1850 Dear Diary, He’s dead.

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Jewell Tweedt is the author of the fictional series, The Back to Omaha Adventures, and the newly published diary, Gold in My Pocket. She is a field editor for Our Iowa Magazine, teaches American History and loves reading, old movies and anything Okoboji.      

Find Jewell online: http://tweedtjewell.blogspot.com/

 

Please welcome our guest Jewell Tweedt

Putting the History into Historical Fiction

Historical fiction can be defined as a story set in the past. The setting is real and drawn from history. It should contain details of that time period. Okay-that means that just about any one and any place that ever existed is fair game to build a story around. The possibilities are endless –that’s what makes writing so much fun. Seriously, how can a writer not have a billion ideas swirling in her head?

A few examples include Regencys, westerns, and WW II. Take note- people LOVE WWII, especially guys.  Here a few thoughts from a history teacher turned historical writer:

1)      Write about a time period that interests you. You’ll be spending a lot of time ‘living’ there.

By writing what you like you may actually finish the book. For every 1000 people who say they are writing a book, one person will finish it.

Having enthusiasm for the time period and how your characters lived then will show in your work. It’s kind of like how someone on the other end of the phone line knows you’re smiling. It comes through.

Try to have a quiet place to work because you’re traveling back in time. Ignore the kids, the washer, the lure of Facebook.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been jerked back to 2013 with the shrill buzz of my dryer.

2)      Use a variety of primary and secondary sources to add authenticity.

Primary sources are original materials that haven’t been filtered. Examples are diaries, letters, or newspaper articles of the time. Okay, I know it’s rough to find sources for some periods, but old stuff is cool!

Secondary sources are accounts written after the fact. These include books or articles that have been filtered or interpreted. Cool too, but be careful to read several accounts. There are many sides to a story.

Pick a person from that time period to learn about culture and perspectives during their lives. For example, if your character is an 1870’s school teacher find someone who really was a teacher and read up about how licenses were obtained, how teachers boarded with families and how they had to clean the school room and the privies! Yuck.

3)      Find adventures or mysteries that actually happened to add interest to your work. In my second book Still Faithful  I wrote about Confederate gold that was moved from Jefferson Davis’s  treasury and hidden by 12 year old Rebel  soldiers. It’s true and fascinating.

      In my third book Faith and Hope-Grace’s Story I wrote about a blizzard using a description of a huge one from 1878 known as the Easter Blizzard. The day started at 60 degrees and a few hours later it was 30 degrees below zero and snowing two to three inches an hour with the wind blowing 50 miles per hour.  Why make up something when it’s already there to borrow?

4)      Add details for depth of understanding.

      People who read historical fiction like history. They want to know more. Excedrin Migraine tablets didn’t exist 150 years ago. Migraines did. Instead people dipped rags into vinegar and tied them tightly around their foreheads until the pain eased.

5)      Be sure landmarks, inventions, settings are accurate.

      If your character arrives on a train then that train, those tracks should have really been there. If you write that the Union Pacific Railroad came through Omaha in the 1850’s you’d lose many of your readers. They know UP tracks weren’t laid until after 1865 in Nebraska. Check your facts and avoid turning off your readers. 

6)      Inject some emotion and connect with your readers. If they feel for the characters they’ll want to read more. Humor has existed since the beginning of time. Try it. One of the favorite scenes of my first book Faith of the Heart is when the big, burly sheriff comes to rescue the heroine and she’s already taken out the bad guy with a solid thud of a cast iron skillet to the outlaw’s noggin.

So in conclusion, like what you’re writing, use resources to add accuracy, borrow from real people and settings, provide details, and have fun doing it.

Jewell Tweedt was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, the setting for the back to Omaha Adventure series. She lives in western Iowa and divides her time between teaching middle school students and writing. In her spare time she reads, gardens and grades papers. Lots of papers.  Readers can learn more about Jewell and her books at www.tweedtjewell.blogspot.com

One reader will win a signed copy of Faith and Hope-Grace’s Story.

 In this final book of the Back to Omaha Adventure series teacher Grace Freeport has something to hide.Her romantic interest-lawyer Billy Prescott has something to prove.She's in Omaha, he's in Baltimore.What she wants and what he wants couldn't be more different. When she reveals her surprising past some townspeople are ready to send her packing. An unexpected blizzard and support from friends changes everything. Learn if Billy's discovery about her past and his ambitions in life will destroy their bonds or bind them together in a discovery of faith and hope-Grace's story.