Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Writerly Wednesday (AKA win a book) and True Heroes: T

True heroes are all around us, in our every day lives, but some people stand out. During this A-Z Challenge I hope to share several of my real life heroes, and invite you to share yours in the comments.

yndale, William. Many of my heroes throughout history stood against the powers that be, and several gave their life for a cause. Tyndale is one of those.

After Wycliffe's Bible got out, the "church" (AKA world wide government) basically put a death sentence on any "unauthorized" translations of the bible to English. In other words, they wanted to keep the people ignorant. Inspired by Martin Luther, Tyndale studied both Greek and Hebrew, and against church mandate, translated the Bible into English. One book he wrote, The Obedience of a Christian Man, ended up in King Henry VIII's hands, and became another stick on the bonfire that ended in King Henry declaring independence from the Roman Catholic church.

Because of his actions, Tyndale became a hunted man. After hiding for a time, he was betrayed, captured, and imprisoned. He spent a year in prison, then was sentence to be strangled to death and burned at the stake. His last words were: "Lord! Open the King of England's eyes."

Four different English versions of the Bible were translated in following years, at King Henry's mandate.

I can only imagine William Tyndale's constant fear of being caught, but I'm inspired by his courage. If he could give his life for such a worthy cause, surely I can live mine to support those same principals of freedom and truth.


Are you ready to meet a new author and enter to win an awesome book? 

Last week, Jay Noel shared Dragonfly Warrior with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win one of these two AWESOME Steampunk bookmarks:



Jay's game:

1. In 2002, Jay had a near death experience. His heart stopped while in the hospital, and that's why he never takes anything for granted.
2. Jay's a big time extrovert, and spent a lot of time on stage. He participated in musicals, plays, speech and debate. He even got to the National Championships in humorous interpretation.
3. Jay had a strange encounter with a ghost when he was 13 years old and it radically changed him forever. He's been infatuated with the paranormal ever since.

And the lie is: 

#2. Jay really is a huge extrovert, but he never did do drama or speech and debate. He was too busy playing sports and chasing girls. BUT, when he was a high school English teacher, he did coach speech & debate.

Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Michael Di Gesu!

Congrats Michael!

And now to today's feature, a book that fits right in with Tindale's time period:

Notorious pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed his father. So kidnapping his enemy's fiancĂ© seems a perfect plan…until he actually does it.

Larkin Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancé to a powerful man. Her fierce personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard.

But when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task—to find the Bloodstone, a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren’s own mother and Larkin’s, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed, Barren’s quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient.

Pick up your copy HERE.

Let me introduce you to the amazing author: 

Ashley Nixon was born and raised in Oklahoma, where the wind really does sweep down the plains, and horses and carriages aren't used as much as she'd like. When she's not writing, she's hard at work on her Master's degree in Library Science and Information Technology, working out, or pretending she's Sherlock Holmes. Her obsession with writing began after reading the Lord of the Rings in the eighth grade. Since then, she's loved everything Fantasy--resulting in an unhealthy obsession with the 'geek' tab on Pinterest, where all things awesome go.


Ashley can be found eating mozzarella balls while sitting at her desk, working on her books.

Ashley gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for a chance to win your choice of an eBook of CutlassYou have until Tuesday, April 29, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on April 30.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Ashley memorized all the lines to The Two Towers after watching the movie for about 30 days straight.
2. She has a really weird scar on her neck that looks like she was stabbed by a fork...or bitten by a vampire.
3. When she was little, she had an imaginary friend monster named Petie.

And you have a second chance to win today:


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Seven more days to get MOONLESS at $1.99: Jane Eyre meets Supernatural


Is Ashley vampire bate--or which is the lie? How do you feel about freedom of speech? Is there a cause you feel strong enough about you'd be willing to give your life? Do you have any heroes from this religiously revolutionary era?

109 comments:

  1. Hi Crystal,
    I feel very strongly about freedom of speech and freedom to write (and publish) what you wish. What a wonderful write-up about Tyndale. I didn't know that about him! Thanks for sharing :) Congrats to Michael and the steampunk bookmark. Hmm, the lie? I'm going to go with the imaginary monster. The other two are much more fun to believe!

    Cheers!
    Jen

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    1. Awesome. I'm right there with you, Jennifer. It's when we repress that freedom we end up in trouble.

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    2. haha! I like your rationale, Jennifer!

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  2. Hi Crystal, just dropping by to say hi. Congrats to Michael.

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  3. I would have guessed #2!! heck I'm just gonna guess #2 again ;) I love the history around King Henry VIII and how he created a new church

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  4. Finally I got a "truth or lie" right! I think this is the first time LOL.

    I don't think I've heard of Tyndale before so this was very interesting to read. I'm amazed at the courage some people have.

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    1. Wahoo! You're improving. =) (I would totally fail at the guessing too.)

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  5. Thank you for hosting me, Crystal!
    I feel strongly about freedom of speech, and intellectual freedom. It's interesting as a Librarian when you get into the whole censorship debate. Libraries are like Switzerland, but people don't realize that.

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    1. I love it. I'd never thought of the library that way, but I suppose that makes sense.

      And I'm honored to be hosting you, Ashley.

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  6. I think throughout history, there are trailblazers who were strong enough to stand up for what they believed. Yesterday, I saw a Christian get flack for holding a meeting at a Starbucks because supposedly they support gay marriage? It's a fine line--Starbucks has freedom of speech and those who are against gay marriage have freedom to express their beliefs...but what about when those beliefs go against the rights of others? Who is right? Who is wrong? That's the dilemma...old as time.

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    1. And that is why I stay out of politics, unless they're hundreds of years old. ;)

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  7. I just watched a documentary about the struggle to get the bible translated to English. It was fascinating to learn about.

    ~Patricia Lynne~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, YA Author

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    1. I know! There were so many different people and sacrifices that went into it.

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  8. Wow look at the difference one man can make. He was indeed very courageous.

    Congrats to Michael...and oooh Cutlass! I'm going with #1 as the lie ;)

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  9. #1 is the lie:) The whole history of this time period includes a lot of brave men and women who stood up for their Christian beliefs. It's funny, because there is a Christian band named "Kutless." :) And my favorite song from them is "What faith can do."

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    1. Hah! I totally think you should win, just for that comment...but fate, your lie detecting skills and a little randomness will determine the outcome.

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  10. Tyndale was certainly braver than most of us risking everything for what he believed in. That type of bravery is very inspiring.

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    1. Makes you wonder if you should be doing more, eh?

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  11. One can never trust the Kings of England.

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  12. I hadn't stopped by until today. Thanks for stopping by my A to Z blog, by the way.

    I love this True Heroes topic of yours and sharing their spotlight with your novels is inspired. :) I'll be reading the rest over the next few days. Best luck, Crystal!

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  13. Tyndale had guts. That's for sure. :)

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  14. William Tyndale was a courageous man. Congrats to Michael for winning the book.

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    1. Courageous and congrats use so many of the same letters... Ah the thing you notice when you're tired...

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  15. He certainly had a lot of courage! I'm going to guess #2 is a lie. It seems the most reasonable thing, so it has to be a lie!

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    1. Hah! If all else fails go with what's normal, eh?

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  16. Lie #1?

    Anywho, I love all things Henry VIII. Only time I ever paid attention in history class. ^_^ I think all those guys involved in rallying the people against ignorance are very brave.

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    1. LOL. Well, good to know something in history class caught your attention.

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  17. It is great that he risked everything to spread knowledge he thought others had the right to know.

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  18. Courage is a great quality to have!

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  19. I think the lie is 1. Ashley memorized all the lines to The Two Towers after watching the movie for about 30 days straight.

    Wish me luck ;)

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  20. They wanted to strangle AND burn Tyndale at the stake? That's surely overkill - literally.

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    1. Yeah... Someone was having a tissy of a day when that judgement came down.

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  21. Fascinating stuff about different bibles. One of my college grad professors let me handle an original Geneva bible (like the one Shakespeare had), and it was pretty thrilling for a book nerd like me:)

    Also, amazing stuff on Jay. I had no idea. I've already read his book too:)

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    1. Wow. That would be so cool--handling a piece of history like that.

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  22. Would we have done the same in his shoes? We can only be grateful he had the courage to translate the Bible for everyone.

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    1. He and the select others how likewise gave all for the cause.

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  23. I haven't read many pirate adventures- but this does sound intriguing. I am guessing #1 is the lie- though it could be possible. :) Thanks for the giveaway! Best of luck to Ashley!
    ~Jess

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    1. I'm excited to start reading too--and isn't that cover dazzling? It has SPARKLES.

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  24. Very inspiring...it's a hard truth that many a times people who come out with the truth are labeled as criminals by those who seek power and authority and enforce people to what they want to believe as opposed to what really the belief is.

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  25. I don't know that I am that brave. Thank God some people are. We owe them much!

    Hmm, going to go with the scar being the lie.

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  26. My guess, the lie is #1. I'm excited for Cutlass. I got to be part of the cover reveal for that one. :D

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    1. Yay! I wanted to be part, but couldn't quite make it. We decided a Writerly Wednesday feature would work instead.

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  27. A hero to me is always someone who stood up for what they believed in, a good cause, and never backed down no matter what society felt or people did to threaten them.

    I'm going to guess the lie is #3.

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    1. Agreed. I think all of the ones I've highlighted this year fit that mold.

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  28. My favorite writer, the late Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, was prepared to lay down his life for his writing, since he believed so strongly in his ideas and the power of the written word. Thankfully, he lived to 89 and was able to return to Russia after 20 years of exile. I always thought he'd live to at least 100, and so missed my chance to write him a letter while he was still earthside.

    My guess is the lie is #1.

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    1. Oh man! That's awesome that he stood firm, but I'm sad for you too that you missed the chance.

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  29. Tyndale was an amazing hero and with such strong conditions. Very few people today would die for their beliefs...

    Ashley's novel sounds like a real swashbuckling tale. Very exciting and full of action!

    Hi, Crystal....

    YAY... I'm so excited to win!

    Thanks, Jay!

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  30. Oh, I forgot to answer the question.

    Even though someone LOVES a movie... I can't believe the'd watch it 30 times in a row... my guess is #1

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  31. I greatly admire conviction and passion that leads to courage in the face of danger. We cannot learn from each other if we don't share. No one should be held in ignorance.

    The Immarcescible Word

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  32. Great post. Interesting about William Tyndale.

    Ashley's book sounds wonderful!

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  33. I always have huge respect for anyone who tried to spread knowledge, no matter what the powers that be wanted - Tyndale very much included!

    Congratulations, Ashley! I think the lie is #3.

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  34. I probably would not be that brave. Loved hearing his story.

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    1. Yeah, I don't know if I would have been either, but I'd have wanted to be.

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  35. What an incredibly brave man! Great post. I'm catching up on these heroes. :)

    As for the lie, hmm, #1. That's a lot of lines to memorize! Congrats to Ashley!

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  36. Sometimes it's hard to imagine what people in history had to go through to ensure rights that we take for granted today. I didn't think twice about reading the Bible or not reading it.. about the fact that a man had to be tortured and strangled for me to be able to pick up a Bible and read it any time I like. It's a wonderful gift he gave us.

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    1. It makes you kind of treasure that book a little more, eh? Knowing the cost?

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  37. Yikes--what a horrible way to go! I didn't know about him--thanks for sharing!

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  38. Love that cover! I'm going to guess that #2 is the lie.

    -Vicki

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  39. I didn't know his story, Crystal. Thanks for the history. It must have taken great courage. I wonder why he didn't seek refuge in England?

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    1. I think because at that time England was also beholden to the powers that be. It was shortly thereafter that King Henry VIII broke away from the church.

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  40. Lexa Cain's comment made me laugh because that's exactly what I thought while reading: strangle AND burn - that seems excessive. I guess they wanted to make sure he was truly dead lest he continue trying to educate the masses - always dangerous to those in power. I hadn't heard his story before - thanks for sharing.

    Hope you’re having fun with the A to Z challenge,
    Jocelyn

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    1. I know! The first time I read about it, I was like, "Sheesh. Someone was angry."

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  41. I wonder if somehow they strangled him while they were burning him. Strangling and then burning seems kind of pointless.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Agreed. Dead is dead, right? I think it was more the desecration of the body as cremation was only executed where infectious disease was concerned.

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  42. Definitely a hero worth recognizing. Most anyone who works to spread knowledge deserves all the credit they can get, especially against such a widespread and oppressive authority.

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  43. That's awesome that he had the guts to do that. It's amazing to think that people used to be (and still sometimes are) imprisoned for words. . .then again if I swear in school I'll get sent to detention, so it's sort of the same thing. ;)

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  44. It's a true hero who will stand up for his beliefs under threat of death.

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  45. True heroes hard to come by but if you find one, hold on to them.

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  46. I will guess that #1 is the lie.

    I always wondered what the wisdom was of not sharing the words of the Bible by translating it (other than, possibly, that translations might not always be accurate). Then again, we have laws today that normal people could not interpret without a lawyer. It isn't illegal to translate them into common tongue, it just seems that it rarely happens with all of them. Intriguing to think about it.

    Excellent post. Great hero choice.

    Freedom of speech is extremely important. I think people who have it sometimes forget the value. (They also sometimes abuse it.)

    Stopping by from the #atozchallenge !
    @JLenniDorner

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    1. Yeah, they do sometimes abuse that gift. We take for granted what we have, eh?

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  47. The geek tab on Pinterest is the coolest.

    I'm going to go with... #2.

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  48. Great historical shout-out there! The Protestant Reformation really is a fascinating period, but I didn't know much at all about it until a couple years ago. With all the ongoing politics we even have in 2014 about separating church and state, I can't even imagine how daunting it would've been to make a stand back then.

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    1. I know! It really would have felt like the world was against you.

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  49. Freedom of speech is so incredibly important and you usually find people trying to stop it are doing so because they know it will cause others to think, which will endanger their power. I was watching a documentary the other day (completely different - it was about a serial killer), but they mentioned how the state control of the press in Cold War Poland actually hindered solving the case because they would not admit what was going on. I'm really not sure how far I would be willing to go to protect the right; I suppose you really only find out if you are put in such a situation.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
    FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)

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    1. It's true. You really can't know how you'd react, but you can determine in advance how you will act, if you anticipate a situation.

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  50. I think #1 is a lie.

    I'm learning so much from reading your blog. I'm glad people like Tyndale. He was a courageous man.

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    1. He definitely was. Paved the way for so many changes, eh?

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  51. Great "T" post. I had no idea about Tyndale!

    Congratulations to Michael!

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    1. He's not one of those you hear about all the time, for sure.

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  52. I'm also inspired by his courage. It's those types of people who paved the way for our own freedoms of speech. And congrats, Michael! He's a great guy and deserves a win!

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    1. It's true. He made more of a difference than just his efforts with the bible.

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  53. I love this story. Thanks for sharing. I am inspired by Tyndal too. I just blogged about the same subject Tuesday. Neat that we are on the same wavelength. :)

    http://mary-anderingcreatively.blogspot.com/2014/04/atozchallenge-r-is-for-rightousness.html

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    1. You did? Okay, I'm totally headed over to check it out.

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  54. Man, did those Brits know how to kill a guy. First they strangled them and then they burned them. Lovely.

    I'll add my congratulations to Michael. Couldn't have happened to a nicer writer.

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    1. I know! Crazy people with their crazy killing. =)

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  55. WOW! I had no idea. Awesome story to share about Tyndale, indeed he was a HERO

    Sandy at Traveling Suitcase

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Hit me with your cheese!