MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 520

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History Trivia

On July 30

579 Pope Benedict I died. He was a Roman and the son of Boniface, and was called Bonosus by the Greeks. Unfortunately, there is little information about the first pope to take the name Benedict.

657 St Vitalian began his reign as Catholic Pope succeeding Eugene I.  He was successful in improving relations with England, where the Anglo-Saxon and British clergies were divided regarding various ecclesiastical customs.  At the Synod of Whitby, King Oswy of Northumberland accepted Roman practices regarding the keeping of Easter and the shape of the tonsure.  Together with King Ecgberht of Kent, he sent the priest Wighard to Rome, to be consecrated in the Papal City after the death of Archbishop Deusdedit of Canterbury in 664, but Wighard died in Rome of the plague. 

1178 Frederick I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor, was crowned King of Burgundy.

1629 An earthquake in Naples, Italy, killed about 10,000 people.

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An Interview with author Jax Hix

Welcome to Meet The Author. Today we are fortunate to have with us Jax Hix, who has graciously agreed to give us a little insight into her life and her books.  So let’s get started.

In her former career, Jax was a scientist and a science fiction fanatic who published short stories and poetry. Today she is obsessed with coffee and detests shoes. Jax is still a science fiction fanatic and can be spotted at science fiction conventions. She is prone to random rambling and suffers from an unnatural obsession with bubble wrap and linoleum. She also loves to run with scissors and other sharp objects, but never in front of the kids. Jax can frequently be found in front of the computer or with her nose in a book--sometimes simultaneously.

Jax has been writing, drawing, and performing music since early childhood. She was in the State Choir and has performed in several states at county fairs and coffee houses. Her art has been exhibited all over the United States and Europe (on hats and shirts). Jax can type 93 words per minute.

Jax is at heart a geek and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her spouse, human and furry children and many, many plants. When she is not herding Scottie dogs and tending to her virtual forest of plants, she indulges in creativity and finds new and unique ways to crash software. The family loves to camp and play their century-old player piano. Jax hopes to someday grow up to be the weird cat lady on the block.

When did you start writing?
I started writing at a very young age, beginning with poetry and short stories.  When I was 11, my grandmother entered me into a poetry contest, which I won. The poem was published in an anthology of short stories and poetry. I also write songs.

What projects have been published?
Various poems and short stories throughout the years, including a large portion of a school project in Junior High that was a “Choose Your Own Adventure.” 

I also published scientific research in college as an undergraduate Geology major:

“Experimental melting and analysis of the Rangeley Formation Zone II pelitic schists in the Appalachians of south-central Massachusetts” in the 12th Keck Consortium Symposium in Geology Proceedings, and National GSA Abstracts with Programs. 

“Garnet-bearing orthopyroxene±cordierite hornfels from the base of the Stillwater Complex, Mountain View Area, Montana” National GSA Abstracts with Programs, National McNairs Scholars Research Symposium Abstracts with Programs.

“Preliminary Findings of Species Validation of Hexagonella Ramosa and Hexagonella Tortuosa of the Pakistan Region, “American Chemical Society, McNairs Scholars National Research Symposium Abstracts with Programs, National Journal of Paleontology (her specimens and research are filed with the Smithsonian).

And of late, a children’s book entitled “Golden Deer Sun and White Bear Moon” and a comedy fiction entitled “Chronicles of My Life with a Blonde.”  Both works of fiction have been accepted into the Library of Congress.

Tell us about you novels.
“Chronicles of My Life with a Blonde” is an epic and hilarious tale of the antics of a male blonde spouse and the descent of his brunette wife into the depths of insanity.  These stories are true, the participants are not actors.  They are actual humans with a life pending in Washington State; only their identities have been changed to protect the innocent…and themselves from pending lawsuits.

“Golden Deer Sun and White Bear Moon” is a Native American style tale of the creation of the stars, moon, sun, wind and seasons.

How do you select the titles of your novels?
Chronicles began as a record of events, so the name naturally fell into place.  Golden Deer Sun and White Bear Moon came from a dream, so the title was already chosen.

What was your inspiration?


The story behind: “Golden Deer Sun and White Bear Moon”
I was born as an unregistered Cherokee and was adopted by a non-Native family, and was often disappointed that the media did not portray Native Americans in a positive light. I struggled as a child to find positive Native American role models, stories and avenues to express this aspect of myself. This book was given to me in a dream to share with the world just as it was given to me to tell. While the story does not encompass any particular Nation’s belief, it is Universal and seeks to show Native American stories and culture in a positive light. I encourage all young people to seek out tales of the Native American nations in their local libraries, and help to support a beautiful and wonderful culture in the United States that is often overlooked and underappreciated. Also, I will be donating my portion of the proceeds of this book to Native American venues that support storytelling, artwork, writing and culture of the Native American People.  My friend Matt and I went to high school together in Washington State, and we often talked about how determined to live our dreams we were back then; so we reconnected twenty years after graduation to complete this book.


The story behind: “Chronicles of My Life with a Blonde”
It began as a blog outlet to vent frustration without killing my newlywed blonde husband. After a few years, it evolved into a record for potential divorce court…until I realized that leaving my muse would be akin to leaving the movie theater during the part in the horror movie where the blonde coed is the last one left in the house in the woods in the middle of the night in the dark in the storm after all of her friends went to the cellar to check on the fuse box but did not return so she doesn’t know they’ve all been slaughtered by the homicidal maniac waiting in the cellar after having cut the power so she goes to investigate…*breath*…so you know how it’s going to end but you just can’t tear your eyes away all the while screaming at the blonde coed on the screen to runaway as fast as she can but knowing she can’t hear you and will continue anyway to meet her violent end and you are frozen to the spot waiting with bated breath. Life with him was just too fun not to stick around for the ending! And I have learned his greatest gift to teach was that we should all embrace the blonde within us, and the reminder that life is too precious to be so serious with ourselves…instead our mistakes should be an opportunity to laugh while we learn, so our journey is enriched with adventures in the making of the palettes of our souls complete.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a second children’s book to coincide with “Golden Deer Sun and White Bear Moon,” an art and photography book (“Visions of a Dreamer”), a non-fiction work entitled “Suburban Farming,” a science fiction series entitled “Through the Mirror Maze,” and another children’s series entitled “The MisAdventures of Martha Mores.”  College kind of ruined me in terms of reading just one book at a time…or writing one at a time!




What are you reading at the moment?
“Legends of the Middle Ages” by Helene Adeline Guerber, “Weeds of the West” (a reference book),  and several books by author David G. Cox.

What do you like to do in your free time when you're not reading or writing?
Free time?  HAHAHAHA!  When do I have ‘free’ time? I love to camp in the Westfalia, look for beautiful rock samples, work on my technology computer project (top secret), solve math problems, play with my kids and Scottie dogs,  garden (not necessarily in that order), and sending and receiving postcards from all over the world.

Do you have any advice for other authors?
Write for your enjoyment.  There is an audience for every book.

And finally, can you tell us some fun facts about yourself, such as crossed skydiving off my bucket list.
As a teenager, I travelled Europe on my own and was caught in a riot in Rome, but I escaped unharmed.  I graduated high school just after my 16th birthday and was selected as one of the 10 top undergraduates in the nation for Keck research in college.   I gave up a highly promising career as a scientist after my divorce to be a single mother.  I eventually remarried and added a daughter to my family and my two children are 11 years and 11 days apart in age.  I now work as a professional writer and travel coordinator for some of the most powerful, intelligent, famous and influential people in the world in my day job and as a free-lance writer, artist and photographer in my night job. 

To find out more about Jax, please visit the following:
www.jaxhix.com
www.dreamingdragonpublishing.com

To purchase Jax’s books:
http://www.amazon.com/Jax-Hix/e/B0051QYOAA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Jax-Hix?keyword=Jax+Hix&store=allproducts
http://www.litunderground.com/JaxHix.html
http://www.tower.com/tower_search/search_1.cfm?keywords=jax%20hix

History Trivia

On July 29

238 The Praetorian Guard stormed the palace and captured Pupienus and Balbinus. They were dragged through the streets of Rome and executed. On the same day Gordian III, age 13, was proclaimed emperor.

904 Sack of Thessalonica: Saracen raiders under Leo of Tripoli sacked Thessalonica, the Byzantine Empire's second-largest city, after a short siege, and plundered it for a week.

1030 Ladejarl-Fairhair succession wars: Battle of Stiklestad – King Olaf II, the patron saint of Norway, fought and died trying to regain his Norwegian throne from the Danes.

1565 The widowed Mary, Queen of Scots, married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Duke of Albany, at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1567 James VI was crowned King of Scotland at Stirling.

1588 Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines – English naval forces under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake defeated the Spanish Armada off the coast of Gravelines, France.

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History Trivia

On July 28
388 Battle at Aquileja (northern Italy): Emperor Theodosius defeated Emperor Magnus Maximis.
754 Pope Stephen II made Pippin the Short King of France. He was the first King of the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty.
1148 Crusaders attacked Damascus.
1540 Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII's chief minister, was executed for treason.
1540 Henry VIII of England married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.
1586 Sir Thomas Harriot introduced potatoes to Europe.
1588 Spanish Armada set sail to overthrow England's Queen Elizabeth I.

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The Briton and the Dane: Legacy - giveaway

Kindly leave a comment to enter the contest for a signed copy of The Briton and the Dane:  Legacy.  Contest ends July 29, 2012.

http://indieauthorbookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/indie-author-spotlight-mary-ann-bernal/