Travis Slone's Blog: Life: The Great Mystery
March 18, 2012
New Series Begins with Together in Paradise
First, thank you all for the amazing support, feedback, and encouragement regarding my first book, The Great Mystery! I am glad that so many could find inspiration from the journey!
Though I have been busy in graduate school as a social worker, I did find time to complete my second book, Together in Paradise, which I hope you will as much as the first.
This book begins a new series, which will be based on concepts from The Great Mystery, and will promote virtue and compassion toward others.
Proceeds from this, and other books from One World Publishing, will be used to promote social justice in the world. Thank you all for your continued support. Enjoy the new book! God Bless!
Though I have been busy in graduate school as a social worker, I did find time to complete my second book, Together in Paradise, which I hope you will as much as the first.
This book begins a new series, which will be based on concepts from The Great Mystery, and will promote virtue and compassion toward others.
Proceeds from this, and other books from One World Publishing, will be used to promote social justice in the world. Thank you all for your continued support. Enjoy the new book! God Bless!
August 7, 2011
Science and Religion: A Match Made in Heaven
One of the many underlying themes in my Book, The Great Mystery, is the rational coexistence of science and religion. After struggling with the concept for years, and almost giving up on the latter, I realized one day that the two did not conflict after all. In fact, if viewed from the right perspective, each actually serves to strengthen one's understanding of the other. After watching science continue to explain one thing after another, it soon became clear that we would one day need a faith that wasn't built on unexplainable phenomenon. The answer was simple: rather than conclude that God might not exist, we must instead rethink what God is, how God actually works, and how humans fit in to that new picture. Though I prefer to leave the science up to trained scientists, and the religion to the theologians, I do believe that my book merges the two concepts in an enlightening way. If nothing else, it will beg you to contemplate the great mysteries of life, and appreciate the power of the present moment. This inspiring journey not only challenges us to see God differently, but begs the further question...Are our many seemingly conflicting faiths so different after all...or have we been misinterpreting the messages of the prophets for generations? Personally, I have my own ideas, but I would invite anyone who is interested in the topic to read The Great Mystery, and see for yourselves what you think. It is a work of literary fiction, based on my own life and mind, and a Bible verse that I interpreted quite differently than most. It also follows the path of humankind, and our inherent relationship to one another. As I point out early on in the book, perhaps God did not create the cosmos (as indicated by the brilliant Stephen Hawking on the show "Curiosity"), but instead... became them. With perfect natural laws, and a presence at every corner of existence, the Universe could very well BE God, redefined. A perfect design, needing zero intervention, within which we all exist. Clearly, if this is the case, we must learn to live as one. For in reality...we are. How much more could we ask for? What else will it take for us to believe we are a part of something far greater than ourselves? If this kind of thing interests you, then check out The Great Mystery today from One World Publishing at http://www.oneworldpublishing.com or http://www.travisslone.com. You will not be disappointed. Thank you, and have a wonderful week! ---Travis
July 25, 2011
Signed copies available now!
Go to http://www.travisslone.com now to order signed copies of the great mystery. Limited quantities available. Free shipping included.
July 24, 2011
The Great Mystery (Sample/ Preview)
AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION
As a young soldier, father, and husband I was presented with a great challenge in the spring of 2004. My life since having open-heart surgery has been very different from what I expected. While the physical recovery was relatively quick, the spiritual and psychological obstacles have been more difficult to overcome.
With my future less certain than ever before, I felt a pressing need to understand the great mystery of life: human destiny. During my search, I often found myself unable to relax, and wrote the following lines in my journal at 1:32 AM, on one of many sleepless nights:
“The mind chaotic every day,
So hard to put it all away
I numb it with my work and play,
But cannot mute it as I lay.”
In response to those restless times, I set out on a very personal journey, in hope of regaining my long lost sense of understanding. I hiked through the wilderness, climbed many mountains, and studied some of the world’s most inspiring books. I searched every day for the most elusive of all treasures: peace of mind.
As hard as I looked, I could not locate the answer in any one place. I nearly gave up, but decided to make one final attempt. I laid each of the puzzle pieces on the table, and observed them from a distance. It was only then, as I stepped back from what I thought I “knew”, that the fog began to lift.
Within this fascinating tale of adventure and discovery, my aim is to tell two stories. On the surface, I offer the symbolic account of my mind’s struggle to overcome adversity. Yet if you look deeper, perhaps you will find The Great Mystery to be more about life itself than anything else.
Should this ever-changing world leave me without a proper chance to say goodbye to the ones I love, my last message can be found within the following pages.
Even the greatest oak was once a tiny seed, rejected by every creature on Earth. Yet look at it now! Standing stronger than the others, it provides shade for those consumed by the heat of life.
PROLOGUE
Outside the doors of a state-of-the-art medical center, a team of paramedics rushed in from their ambulance with a young soldier in critical condition. The twenty-two year old patient could hardly breathe while lying on his back, tightly strapped to a gurney that was headed straight for the operating room.
The young man’s frightened wife was close behind, holding their one year-old daughter to her chest as she followed. She imagined what life would be like without her best friend, and prayed that their child would grow old with the father who loved them both so much.
As the paramedics carefully transferred the patient to the surgical team, the young man grabbed hold of his wife’s hand and stared into her sweet blue eyes. A tear ran down her cheek as he spoke what might be his final words.
“I’ll see you in a few hours sweetheart,” said the young man. “But if not, don’t worry. I’ve been in heaven since we first met.”
She smiled, but was unable to speak as the surgeon reminded them of the situation’s urgency.
“I’m sorry ma’am,” said the surgeon, “But we really need to get him into the OR.”
She nodded her head in understanding and covered her mouth to conceal the emotion.
She squeezed her dying husband's hand twice before the surgical team could take him away. He knew exactly what she meant, and he smiled in return.
The young family parted ways, unsure of how things would play out.
As the anesthesia gripped hold of the young man’s waning consciousness, the light overhead began to fade. The medications quickly took over, and his heart rate slowed in preparation for the coming operation. Soon, his heart came to a complete stop, and his entire future hung in the balance, clearly dependent upon the compassion, skill, and teamwork of others.
Just then, as he slipped into another dimension, something astonishing happened. An unforeseen tipping point had been reached within the cosmos, and the ever-expanding universe suddenly changed course. During the dramatic process, everything in existence was returned to its most basic form, and brought back to the clean slate from which it all began. Not even the light could escape the unprecedented gravitational pull.
When the miraculous event was finally over, the universe had been compressed into a tiny, unrecognizable spec. Such events had taken place many times throughout eternity, and the mysterious cycle of cosmic re-birth would surely never end.
Then, after a brief peace during which nothing could evolve, the most amazing and inconceivable explosion occurred…and like a beating heart, The Great Mystery went to work…yet again.
CHAPTER 1
…some time later…
On a warm and almost silent summer afternoon in the land between the two great rivers, a bare-footed young girl wandered curiously from the primitive village in which she lived. She skipped happily along a lightly worn grassy path, which slithered its way into the nearby jungle. The dense green canopy, into which she traveled, remained mostly unexplored, offering an unrivalled adventure to anyone with the courage, or innocence to enter. The girl’s name was Eva, and there was not a worry on her pure young mind.
For the brown hair, blue-eyed seven year-old, the world was not only pleasing to her senses, but also simple to understand. The fruits of her life’s experience had left her with a comforting sense of peace and fulfillment. She had everything she needed by day, and slept well at night. No specific thoughts or actions led to this feeling, it just was.
For Eva, conflict and suffering did not yet exist, for she had faced neither fear, nor adversity before. The light shined in through the trees by day, and reflected off of the great rivers by night. As the light of the world moved, so too did Eva. It was always there with her.
In Eva’s life, there was but one great passion: art. Her passion for artistic beauty and complicated, yet intelligent designs, had entertained her thoughts for nearly every second of her seven joyous years. Thus was the case as she wandered down the grassy path: all the while inspired by the natural wonders of her surroundings.
It was the only path she knew, and she had walked portions of it prior to that day. With each excursion, she had gone further from her riverside village, gradually opening her eyes to the lures of the larger world.
Tempted by the many discoveries she had made in the past, Eva wandered further that day than she had ever been before. She longed for the feeling of finding something new and exciting. However, as she lost track of time, she would soon discover something that would change her life forever. Life, as she knew it then, would never be the same again.
CHAPTER 2
Eva was about to return home, as she always did, when she heard a voice carried by the wind… much like a whisper.
“Eva,” whispered the wind.
The voice called out to her again from the jungle just beyond her view. However, she could not distinguish its origin.
Eva realized that the remaining daylight was running out fast. She needed to get back to the village before sunset, but curiosity got the best of her.
With nothing to fear, she took a short detour into the trees, just west of the known path. While carefully pushing aside hanging branches and stepping over thick brush, a rustle in the tall grasses up ahead momentarily startled her.
Eva picked up her pace, trying to see what, or who, was moving about. She contemplated whether an older sibling, or a village hunter like her father, might be playing games, as they often did. At least that would explain the voice, she thought.
On the other hand, the wind often played games of its own. Perhaps her imagination had gotten the best of her, and she had wondered in search of a small animal looking for food on the forest floor. Either way, she was curious.
In the excitement, she had not taken notice of the suns waning position in the evening sky. She paused to consider her options before deciding to make her way back to the path, and head home.
However, just as Eva began to turn around, the voice spoke yet again. This time there was no mistaking it.
“Eva,” whispered the mysterious voice. The sound crept through the jungle, echoing from every direction.
Suddenly, feeling uneasy for the first time, Eva moved anxiously in the direction of the voice. As she turned, a young boy approached through the bushes. They bumped right into each other, and then quickly backed off in surprise. They curiously inspected one another, but found few things in common. From what she could tell, the boy was about her age, and equally human. The similarities ended there.
His skin was much darker than Eva’s, and his eyes were like light brown marbles. The boy possessed neatly groomed black hair, a luxury of which she had never seen. He dressed very differently from what she was accustomed. On his feet, he wore sandals made of fine leather, and on his body an elaborate robe of many bright colors. The beauty and quality of the boy’s apparel were in stark contrast to the plain white linens of those living in Eva’s tiny village.
Having never met anyone from outside her village, Eva was certain she had never seen the boy before. Yet somehow, he had surely been calling her by name just moments ago. Interested in who the boy was, Eva inquired about three things.
“Who are you?” she asked. “What are you doing here in the woods as the sun sets, and how do you know my name?”
With growing intrigue, their eyes locked on to one another as an unfamiliar feeling descended upon the forest. Eva waited patiently for his reply.
“My name is Amir,” the boy quietly answered. “I have abandoned a familiar sandy path in search of a voice I heard upon the wind just minutes ago.”
Confused by the third question, Amir asked something in return.
“I do not know your name as you assume,” he said. “But why would you ask for mine, when you called to me just moments ago? Your voice was unmistakable.”
Certain she had not called to him like he suggested, Eva's pulse quickened, and a new sensation rushed through her veins. The tiny hairs on her body rose, as chills ran down her spine. Having lost her sense of direction during the brief chase, her well-known path was now hidden from sight.
The terrifying grumble of thunder echoed throughout the darkening sky. Eva stared with wide eyes at Amir, trembling with fear. It was the feeling of separation from what she knew; a sensation that was not about to end.
The life giving sun had set, flashing storm clouds had rolled in, bringing with them the familiar scent of rain, and darkness had fallen harshly upon the dense jungle...
As a young soldier, father, and husband I was presented with a great challenge in the spring of 2004. My life since having open-heart surgery has been very different from what I expected. While the physical recovery was relatively quick, the spiritual and psychological obstacles have been more difficult to overcome.
With my future less certain than ever before, I felt a pressing need to understand the great mystery of life: human destiny. During my search, I often found myself unable to relax, and wrote the following lines in my journal at 1:32 AM, on one of many sleepless nights:
“The mind chaotic every day,
So hard to put it all away
I numb it with my work and play,
But cannot mute it as I lay.”
In response to those restless times, I set out on a very personal journey, in hope of regaining my long lost sense of understanding. I hiked through the wilderness, climbed many mountains, and studied some of the world’s most inspiring books. I searched every day for the most elusive of all treasures: peace of mind.
As hard as I looked, I could not locate the answer in any one place. I nearly gave up, but decided to make one final attempt. I laid each of the puzzle pieces on the table, and observed them from a distance. It was only then, as I stepped back from what I thought I “knew”, that the fog began to lift.
Within this fascinating tale of adventure and discovery, my aim is to tell two stories. On the surface, I offer the symbolic account of my mind’s struggle to overcome adversity. Yet if you look deeper, perhaps you will find The Great Mystery to be more about life itself than anything else.
Should this ever-changing world leave me without a proper chance to say goodbye to the ones I love, my last message can be found within the following pages.
Even the greatest oak was once a tiny seed, rejected by every creature on Earth. Yet look at it now! Standing stronger than the others, it provides shade for those consumed by the heat of life.
PROLOGUE
Outside the doors of a state-of-the-art medical center, a team of paramedics rushed in from their ambulance with a young soldier in critical condition. The twenty-two year old patient could hardly breathe while lying on his back, tightly strapped to a gurney that was headed straight for the operating room.
The young man’s frightened wife was close behind, holding their one year-old daughter to her chest as she followed. She imagined what life would be like without her best friend, and prayed that their child would grow old with the father who loved them both so much.
As the paramedics carefully transferred the patient to the surgical team, the young man grabbed hold of his wife’s hand and stared into her sweet blue eyes. A tear ran down her cheek as he spoke what might be his final words.
“I’ll see you in a few hours sweetheart,” said the young man. “But if not, don’t worry. I’ve been in heaven since we first met.”
She smiled, but was unable to speak as the surgeon reminded them of the situation’s urgency.
“I’m sorry ma’am,” said the surgeon, “But we really need to get him into the OR.”
She nodded her head in understanding and covered her mouth to conceal the emotion.
She squeezed her dying husband's hand twice before the surgical team could take him away. He knew exactly what she meant, and he smiled in return.
The young family parted ways, unsure of how things would play out.
As the anesthesia gripped hold of the young man’s waning consciousness, the light overhead began to fade. The medications quickly took over, and his heart rate slowed in preparation for the coming operation. Soon, his heart came to a complete stop, and his entire future hung in the balance, clearly dependent upon the compassion, skill, and teamwork of others.
Just then, as he slipped into another dimension, something astonishing happened. An unforeseen tipping point had been reached within the cosmos, and the ever-expanding universe suddenly changed course. During the dramatic process, everything in existence was returned to its most basic form, and brought back to the clean slate from which it all began. Not even the light could escape the unprecedented gravitational pull.
When the miraculous event was finally over, the universe had been compressed into a tiny, unrecognizable spec. Such events had taken place many times throughout eternity, and the mysterious cycle of cosmic re-birth would surely never end.
Then, after a brief peace during which nothing could evolve, the most amazing and inconceivable explosion occurred…and like a beating heart, The Great Mystery went to work…yet again.
CHAPTER 1
…some time later…
On a warm and almost silent summer afternoon in the land between the two great rivers, a bare-footed young girl wandered curiously from the primitive village in which she lived. She skipped happily along a lightly worn grassy path, which slithered its way into the nearby jungle. The dense green canopy, into which she traveled, remained mostly unexplored, offering an unrivalled adventure to anyone with the courage, or innocence to enter. The girl’s name was Eva, and there was not a worry on her pure young mind.
For the brown hair, blue-eyed seven year-old, the world was not only pleasing to her senses, but also simple to understand. The fruits of her life’s experience had left her with a comforting sense of peace and fulfillment. She had everything she needed by day, and slept well at night. No specific thoughts or actions led to this feeling, it just was.
For Eva, conflict and suffering did not yet exist, for she had faced neither fear, nor adversity before. The light shined in through the trees by day, and reflected off of the great rivers by night. As the light of the world moved, so too did Eva. It was always there with her.
In Eva’s life, there was but one great passion: art. Her passion for artistic beauty and complicated, yet intelligent designs, had entertained her thoughts for nearly every second of her seven joyous years. Thus was the case as she wandered down the grassy path: all the while inspired by the natural wonders of her surroundings.
It was the only path she knew, and she had walked portions of it prior to that day. With each excursion, she had gone further from her riverside village, gradually opening her eyes to the lures of the larger world.
Tempted by the many discoveries she had made in the past, Eva wandered further that day than she had ever been before. She longed for the feeling of finding something new and exciting. However, as she lost track of time, she would soon discover something that would change her life forever. Life, as she knew it then, would never be the same again.
CHAPTER 2
Eva was about to return home, as she always did, when she heard a voice carried by the wind… much like a whisper.
“Eva,” whispered the wind.
The voice called out to her again from the jungle just beyond her view. However, she could not distinguish its origin.
Eva realized that the remaining daylight was running out fast. She needed to get back to the village before sunset, but curiosity got the best of her.
With nothing to fear, she took a short detour into the trees, just west of the known path. While carefully pushing aside hanging branches and stepping over thick brush, a rustle in the tall grasses up ahead momentarily startled her.
Eva picked up her pace, trying to see what, or who, was moving about. She contemplated whether an older sibling, or a village hunter like her father, might be playing games, as they often did. At least that would explain the voice, she thought.
On the other hand, the wind often played games of its own. Perhaps her imagination had gotten the best of her, and she had wondered in search of a small animal looking for food on the forest floor. Either way, she was curious.
In the excitement, she had not taken notice of the suns waning position in the evening sky. She paused to consider her options before deciding to make her way back to the path, and head home.
However, just as Eva began to turn around, the voice spoke yet again. This time there was no mistaking it.
“Eva,” whispered the mysterious voice. The sound crept through the jungle, echoing from every direction.
Suddenly, feeling uneasy for the first time, Eva moved anxiously in the direction of the voice. As she turned, a young boy approached through the bushes. They bumped right into each other, and then quickly backed off in surprise. They curiously inspected one another, but found few things in common. From what she could tell, the boy was about her age, and equally human. The similarities ended there.
His skin was much darker than Eva’s, and his eyes were like light brown marbles. The boy possessed neatly groomed black hair, a luxury of which she had never seen. He dressed very differently from what she was accustomed. On his feet, he wore sandals made of fine leather, and on his body an elaborate robe of many bright colors. The beauty and quality of the boy’s apparel were in stark contrast to the plain white linens of those living in Eva’s tiny village.
Having never met anyone from outside her village, Eva was certain she had never seen the boy before. Yet somehow, he had surely been calling her by name just moments ago. Interested in who the boy was, Eva inquired about three things.
“Who are you?” she asked. “What are you doing here in the woods as the sun sets, and how do you know my name?”
With growing intrigue, their eyes locked on to one another as an unfamiliar feeling descended upon the forest. Eva waited patiently for his reply.
“My name is Amir,” the boy quietly answered. “I have abandoned a familiar sandy path in search of a voice I heard upon the wind just minutes ago.”
Confused by the third question, Amir asked something in return.
“I do not know your name as you assume,” he said. “But why would you ask for mine, when you called to me just moments ago? Your voice was unmistakable.”
Certain she had not called to him like he suggested, Eva's pulse quickened, and a new sensation rushed through her veins. The tiny hairs on her body rose, as chills ran down her spine. Having lost her sense of direction during the brief chase, her well-known path was now hidden from sight.
The terrifying grumble of thunder echoed throughout the darkening sky. Eva stared with wide eyes at Amir, trembling with fear. It was the feeling of separation from what she knew; a sensation that was not about to end.
The life giving sun had set, flashing storm clouds had rolled in, bringing with them the familiar scent of rain, and darkness had fallen harshly upon the dense jungle...
July 23, 2011
Book Giveaway!
I am running a book giveaway between JULY 20th and AUG 20th. Register now on Goodreads to win. 10 people will be chosen to receive a free signed copy of The Great Mystery. Winners will be chosen by Goodreads, not me :)
Travis
Travis
July 20, 2011
Charity Book Donations
For every $5 donation, I am donating a copy of The Great Mystery to a wounded warrior, deployed Service Member, or a civilian having open-heart surgery. This will give them something to read in the hospital, and some inspiration to climb their own mountain. Contact One World Publishing to donate. We gave 8 books today, and they were very thankful!
http://www.oneworldpublishing.com
http://www.oneworldpublishing.com
July 14, 2011
sequel?
I am currently writing a sequel to The Great Mystery. While most of the main characters will be different, the theme will be the same. One icon from my first book will certainly remain, and that is "the mysterious old woman"... I am currently about 20% into the writing (outline is complete), and plan to have the book ready for distribution by the holidays. I will have a preview available long before then.
Signed copies available
Visit my website to order signed copies of The Great Mystery (while supplies last). Just go to http://www.travisslone.com or http://www.oneworldpublishing.com to apply. Cost will be $12.99 + Shipping ($3.00). Free shipping will be provided for orders of 5 or more books. Thank you!
Life: The Great Mystery
A discussion about The Great Mystery, and how its principles can be applied to our lives. Travis will also discuss the real life events that inspired him to write the book, and what some of the scenes
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