Tractor Tales and Pickup Panic

As a boy growing up on a ranch, I learned to drive at the tender age of five. I remember helping my dad feed the cows. He would stack hay in the bed of the truck, put the pickup in granny gear, and I would stand on the seat and steer while he dumped hay over the tailgate. As I grew older, my skill set improved to the point that, by the age of ten, I was driving the old Farmall—a tractor with no power steering, sun shade, or shocks. But, I didn’t care. I latched on to the grain drill and followed my dad, who was turning fresh soil a few rows ahead of me. There were a few times I ran my tractor through the fence and got barbed wire wrapped around the axles. (I could do a whole series of stories about my tractor accidents.) Thankfully, my dad was a kind and patient father, who simply unwound and rewired the fences, and let that be the end of the matter. I learned to respect the fence and stay on my side.

Once, when I was about twelve, my grandmother put me in her old Pontiac and sent me to the store to pick up a few groceries. I drove a few blocks down and back without incident. I have no idea why she did that, but it was a huge event for me! I know,Sweetwater, Texas, is not a huge town, but still! 

As I got nearly old enough to take Driver’s Ed, I felt pretty confident with my driving skills. And then it happened … I’d been watching a Charlie Chaplain movie where he would drive his Model T to a gate and, without stopping, jump out of the car, run ahead of it, open the gate, and then close the gate for the driverless car. He would then run and catch up with the Model T and keep going. Lickity split. 

Several things went wrong when I tried it. First, I should have put the pickup in low gear. Second, I should have remembered the iron gate was chained and pad locked. Third, I should have jumped out sooner and given myself more room to work. Fourth, I shouldn’t have tried it at all. 

I lined the pickup on the road, and then jumped out and started running to the gate. The driverless pickup passed me before I got to said gate, which was still secure with a chain and a pad lock. I remember the sound the pickup made as it slammed into the gate, and the reverberating sound the gate made as it rang like a bell while the pickup continued down the road and was about to cross the highway. I managed to get back in and stop the truck before it hit the cattle guard across the highway. In retrospect, I should have let the pickup run over me rather than have to conduct the drive-of-shame to the house to tell my dad what I’d done. (I even tried to bend the gate back in place with the pickup before I concluded the entire situation was irredeemable.)Imagine trying to explain how this happened.

Gates and fences are important. They provide boundaries and protection. And they make for good neighbors! If you respect the fence and properly use the gate, it will help you keep your act together.

Writing is like this sometimes. Authors envision grand plans, but sometimes the characters refuse to cooperate and the plot laughs at you as the story takes a different turn than you anticipated. The gate that was designed to keep you safe within the boundary is busted open, and can’t be repaired without help. It happens. Fortunately, it’s only words on paper, and no one actually gets hurt. Well, not until the editor sees what you’ve done. But, that’s a different post! Writers know they have boundaries and they usually respect them. When a gate is locked, there’s a protocol to open it. Just pushing against the boundary or gate is not something we should do without good reason. Busting through the barrier is something you should only do in an extreme response to something else. Sometimes, once the gate is busted, it can’t simply be put back in place without help.

My promise to you: I won’t deliberately push the boundaries for the shock effect. That’s not who I am.

The Places of When Love Called

Cloudcroft. What of it?

Tressel just outside of town

I set When Love Called and the Glenfield Series in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico. The Sacramentos are the tail end of the Rocky Mountains as they wind their way south toward Mexico. The Village of Cloudcroft is a very popular vacation destination for just about everyone living in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. There are a few reasons why, and they include the Mescalero Indian Reservation and the casino action available, and the horse racing you can find in the neighboring town of Ruidoso. You can also find great outdoors activities such as skiing and camping throughout the area. Another reason Cloudcroft is a popular destination is because it is generally 20-30 degrees cooler than the surrounding desert, as the Village sits at the top of the mountain about 8,500 feet in elevation. The air is mighty thin at that height!

Many years ago I was re-surfacing from a failed business venture and was searching for what I was supposed to do with my life. Sarah and I had been married for several years, but were still without kids. One weekend, we went to Cloudcroft for a camping trip. While there, I ran into a real estate broker who offered me a job as a real estate agent. Sure, why not? How hard can it be?

We moved to Cloudcroft and give it our best effort. In one year I sold one house, and that was kind of a pity sell from another agent I worked with. Times were hard for us on the mountain. But, we were young enough to still think it was a grand adventure. Later, I joined the Army (for the money!) and thought we left Cloudcroft behind. When my military time was complete, we returned to Cloudcroft where I took another stab at real estate. I’m not a good salesman. I know that now.

Burro Street

When I wrote When Love Called, which is a book about fresh starts and new beginnings, I set it in Cloudcroft because that is what the Village represented in our lives. Some of our worst days and some of our happiest were on that mountain, and we have life-long friendships from our time there. I wanted a place for Caton to build his magnificent estate, and where is there a better place than the Rocky Mountains? Glenfield rose from an isolated, empty meadow with a tiny stream running through it. And from there, a new start for Lily, and new starts for so many others, Jayne included.

Mercantile; the tea shop is next door.

Based upon requests from many readers, I have decided to show you some of the places I’ve mentioned in the books. Many of them are actual locations, while the characters themselves are entirely fictional. The main street running through the shopping blocks in Cloudcroft is Burro Street, where the Pine Stump Café is located. This is where Caton is eating lunch with his work crew and discovers that Lily is just across the street eating pizza with Dr. McCranie. What doesn’t actually exist on Burro Street is the Log Cabin Pizza Palace, nor the hospital. There is no hospital in Cloudcroft, and there never will be. But, I needed to have one handy, so wrote it in.

The next item of discussion is April Poe’s teashop, where Jayne stages the scene where Lily and Caton have a sit down conversation to discuss their relationship. Jayne accidentally triggers a dating contest between Lily and her two incredible love interests: Jack and Caton. The teashop is fictional, but it is set on a location that actually exists. I placed it next to the Mercantile, which was the only grocery store in the Village, and was a landmark for so many years. It was the place to buy fresh pies and donuts.

Another place mentioned is the Crofting, where Susan stayed while Lily was in the hospital, and where Lily and Jayne joined her until the end of the book. I have stayed at the Crofting before, and I have fond memories of spending the Christmas holidays with my family there.

The Crofting

Finally, the location that is most renowned is The Lodge, and Rebecca’s Lounge. Many meals are eaten at The Lodge, and I eat there every chance I get. They have a great menu and offer excellent service. The Lodge is an historical location, and boasts to hosting many celebrities throughout the years. If you’re a fan of Clark Gable, you can see where his initials are carved on a post in the lookout tower. The Lodge also claims to be the residence of a ghost, Rebecca, for whom the restaurant is named. The Lodge is a key location for the story. Lily has her first date at lounge, and Susan meets Caton in the restaurant, and discovers that Caton was significantly injured while rescuing Lily from an impossible car wreck that should have left her dead.

The Lodge. Photo by Robert Flaherty

Of course, I’d love to post photos of Glenfield, itself. Sadly, there are none. If you find a worthy candidate, let me know!

There’s too much of the story to tell here, so feel free to check it out! When Love Called is a fantastic story, and is very popular. You can get more information at my website, www.traviswinman.com

We’ll see you there!

The Art of "When Love Called"

The Art of When Love Called, Book I of the Glenfield Series

First, let me say that I love the artwork for the cover. I discovered this artist, Burak Ulker, who is from Turkey. I can't imagine an image more appropriate for Lily and the storyline. Burak has graciously agreed to provide covers for the rest of the series! What a stroke of luck!

If you are interested, I am going to be selecting artwork for the short stories and novellas I will be publishing as free/supplemental material that will accompany the Glenfield Series. So, if you have artwork you think should be considered for those free downloads, shoot me an email and we will discuss it.


I’ve had many comments from various people indicating they are curious about the works of art I mention in my novel, When Love Called. Well, the best way for me to satiate your curiosity is to present my pitiful attempt at art appreciation. Art is a fascinating and wonderful expression of our culture. It’s also a gauge of how healthy our culture is. All of us vary on what we consider good art and bad art, so please don’t thrash me for the art I used in my book; it was simply a tool used to “paint a picture” in your mind.

One very important piece in the novel is a giclée on canvass by Tomasz Rut entitled, Campaspe. As you see here, Campaspe is a young lady with soft chestnut hair. She is tastefully arranging her hair, as if she’s preparing to retire for the night. I chose this work because when I see Campaspe, I see Mary, Caton’s first wife. Mary was graceful and elegant, and Caton saw the same qualities in that painting, so he purchased it. The problem was, after Mary died, he wasn’t able to take the painting down. God challenged him as to whether he was in love with the memory of Mary or the painting on the wall.

*Note: In giclée, the ink is sprayed on to your choice of media in millions of colors utilizing continuous tone technology, retaining all the fine detail of the original.

Perhaps the most controversial artwork in When Love Called is also by Tomasz Rut, Exsomnis. Exsomnis is a very passionate and sensual illustration of the desire shared by two lovers. I hesitated over using this piece for several reasons. First, many conservative, old-fashioned readers might view this work as inappropriate. My readers tend to be very old-fashioned, and that’s a trait I identify with very well. While no nudity is revealed in the work, it leaves little to the imagination. Second, this reveals a private moment and I am cautious about taking a private moment too far.

Please, allow me to explain further. I think Christian stories tend to be so filtered that they become sterile. It is my opinion that Christians should be the most passionate lovers when it comes to romance. Christians operate out of genuine and generally unselfish love, as the model union is a man and his wife, not a man and his mistress—or girlfriend. The passion between a married couple should be that of a lifetime of commitment and desire, not a fleeting moment of selfish indulgence. Caton and Lily share a deep desire for each other, and their desires are blessed by God. I believe the passion represented in Exsomnis is indicative of their love. Therefore, I share it with you not as a lusty love scene, but rather the passion of a man for his wife.

Another artist featured in the book is a man from Ajo, Arizona named Joseph Gulick. Mr. Gulick is a master at desert paintings, but with seascapes, his art leaps beyond the skill of a master, and takes on the qualities of genius. I met the Gulicks several years ago when I was spending the summer in Ajo, and when I saw a series of seascapes, I sacrificed what I had in order to secure those paintings.

The first is an oil on masonite entitled, Pacific Sunset. We had trouble getting the photos of the paintings to come out with the precise coloring intended by the artist, but you'll get the idea.

The second oil on masonite is a light house near San Francisco called, St. George Reef Lighthouse.

The last is an accompanying oil on masonite named, Full Sail.

You can see the depth of the waves, and if you stand in front of the original, you can feel the waves as they crash against the shore. Mr. Gulick has captured the sea, and he makes it look easy. Caton and Mary lived their lives in the beautiful Sacramento Mountains in New Mexico. How ironic that they would live in the crux of beauty and still find seascapes enchanting. One can never be satisfied when trying to embrace the grandeur of God’s creation.

Another painter I mentioned is an artist named Alexander Chen, who has a canny ability to seize serenity and beauty. His grasp of heavenly women almost creates a mystical work. His work has been described as sensual but not provocative. I chose his art because of the innocence and wonder alive in the mind of a child. While I never mentioned an exact piece, I will provide you a demo of his work.


Finally, as I take my leave, let me give you one more thought that connects When Love Called to modern art. Jayne is a familiar character, and perhaps the character who draws the most comments. She is dangerous and determined. She is controlling and beautiful. She is a user and a taker. She is selfish and narrow. Yet, she is broken inside and still has the heart of a little girl looking to have a father reach out to hold her. I have made both Lily and Jayne to be musically inclined, and I often thought that the following artwork would depict Jayne’s plight, especially as she comes through the tragedy brought on by her lascivious lifestyle. As is common with the trend I established earlier, it too is a work from Tomasz Rut, Communia, which is a depiction of a young woman expressing a deep spiritual moment.

More of Jayne’s life will be revealed in Book II of the Glenfield Series, Then Came Grace.

Communia

Interested in When Love Called? Find out more at http://www.traviswinman.com/