Courage,  30,000 BC:  The Boqueirão Refuge at Pedra Furada

The second book in the Pre-Clovis Archaeological Sites in the Americas Series, Toca do Boqueirão da Pedra Furada, Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara in Brazil, is associated with phenomenal cave art.  It depicts a vital community living in the middle of nowhere.   I was entranced when I saw the first images of the cave art.  I wondered why the people were there, what possessed them to create the cave art, why they painted what they did, why they chose the variety of media, what the tree ritual might be about, and  so on.    This is the place where the writer of fiction has a license that scientists are not supposed to have, the opportunity to answer the questions in a logical but creative fashion.  Frankly, the cave art is the inspiration for the story.  The images speak to me.  I love their connectivity among the people and with the wildlife.  There is a touch of joy to me exhibited in the cave art.

I intend to share with you images that I took from my research and from the cave art to weave this story.  The reason for sharing is that when these images are printed they’ll be in black and white.  You can see the full color images here.  The other element  in story development is in the Exordium in each of the novellas.  It adds another level of transparency into the author process.

First, here are images of the elements intended for the cover.  These will be transmitted to the publisher’s design team, and they’ll pull the images together into a whole.  First, is the young girl, Maru.  The image is from Pedro França/MinC (CCA 2.0).  The second image is the crocodile.  The image is from Tomás Castelazo, (CCA-SA 2.5).  The background is the mimosa tree image, available in the public domain.

 

  

 

This is the geographic location of the Serra da Capivara National Park in Brazil.

 My illustration.

The amazing picture here is Pedra Furada.

 Pedra Furada, Serra da Capivara National Park (Artur Warchavchik CCA-SA 3.0)

This gives an impression of the land forms, sandstone from the bottom of a warm sea long, long ago.

 The image is courtesy of Diego Rego Monteiro (CCA-SA 3.0)

This image is a distant shot of the cave art at Toca da Boqueirão.

Courtesy Diego Rego Monteiro, (CCA-SA 4.0)

Here is a close up of the same image.  I had to magnify this shot 400 times normal to learn the secrets of the paint application and in some cases what the artist did.  Today’s technology is phenomenal!

 This image is courtesy Artur Warchavchik (CCA-SA 3.0)

This image is fun!  Must have been quite a dash!

 Serra da Capivara National Park Cave Art (B4unorocha CCA-SA 3.0)

Here are some random images.  I wanted to show a rhea, the large bird that is a bit like an ostrich.

 Courtesy Artur Warchavchik (CCS-SA 3.0)

This image shows what people today call the tree ritual.

It is shown courtesy Vitor 1234 (CCA-SA 3.0)

Here’s another active scene.  The great white gash is where some of the cave wall fell off.

Courtesy Augusto Pessos (CCA-SA 3.0)

This image totally fascinates me.  There is a giant cat overshadowing the whole image.  It’s comparatively huge.  I did not address this but find the artwork arresting.

Courtesy Diego Rego Monteiro (CCA-SA 3.0)

Finally, a little romance, though there is no romance in the novella.

 Courtesy Willame carvalho e silva (CCA-SA 3.0)

Now, if you read the book you’ll know the bases for what threads were woven into the story from what the ancients left behind.

What’s Important in Writing?

I hear authors talk a lot.  Most want to communicate something to some group of readers.  Some want fame, fortune, esteem, or any of a number of accoutrements that accrue to the few.  There are awards, reviews, book signings, great sales, speaking events, and teaching options.  What is it that writers would answer to the question, “What would you prefer to see above all return for your writing?”

I’ve thought about that.  I’ve been among the fortunate.  I’ve had numbers of awards, a few reviews to die for, plenty of book signings, and speaking events.  Sales don’t hit the great category, but my genre isn’t something that the general population craves like they do mystery, thriller, and romance novels.

And then I get blindsided.  When The SealEaters, 20,000 BC award comments from Grace Cavalieri were read, I heard the line, “America’s preeminent writer of prehistoric history,” and I didn’t hear anything but a great thought in my mind, “What?  Surely, I didn’t hear what I thought I heard.”  When the review from Midwest Book Review gave my novel series such an awesome, glowing review, I was speechless.  Those things carried great meaning to me.

Little did I know that there would be something to top those comments.  Something that came out of the blue following a post I wrote letting people know that I’d reached the proofing stage of the novella, Freedom, 250,000 BC:  Out From the Shadow of Popocatépetl.  Just a routine post.  Then a response came that tore my heart out, laid it on the table before me so I could see it falter at the words.  I fought to hold back tears.  They came anyway.  Here’s the comment:

Bonnye Matthewes . what you write is amazing and beautiful, it is the ability of men with a life on our continent unsuspected by millions of people thank you for enriching our human history . I look forward to buy your book when on sale . i can writte a litte english!

—Jonathan Melendez, Valued Reader from Monterrey Nuevo Leon Mexico

That is the whole purpose of writing to me.  A writer communicates something to a reader through the written word.  It’s such a simple thing.  Yet, when confronted with such beautiful communication, I was humbled utterly. “Writte a litte English!”  Jonathan Melendez communicated volumes to me in English.  I understood in crystal clarity.

Writers are so very responsible for our communication.  We do communicate to others.  We can affect others in positives or negatives.  I had thought that I communicated a story as I write.  I also wanted people to realize the wonderful prehistory we have under our feet, but I felt that beyond me.  To have it come back so eloquently and concisely touched me at the very pit of my soul.  It affected my spirit.  It deepened my commitment to realizing with each story I write, I want my words to reach people for the positives.  It’s always a stretch.  But that will no longer be a hope but will attain goal status before I approve the final for my books.  I’ll send the proofed copy of Freedom, 250,000 BC back to the publisher either tonight or tomorrow.  I feel it meets the goal I’ve set.

To answer my own question as to what I’d want to see most from my writing, I’d have to say that Jonathan Melendez’s words are the answer.  An honest comment from a reader that shows that not only did my writing communicate at the superficial level but also at a deeper lever coupled with the positives.  That’s what I most want.  It’s not very entrepreneurial, but it’s true.  Jonathan Melendez’s words will appear on the back of Freedom, 250,000 BC:  Out From the Shadow of Popocatépetl along with the words from Cavalieri and Midwest Book Review.  His words complete the awards comments, book review, and reader comment on my writing that I hoped to place on the back cover to help the reader decide whether to consider the book to read.

His words and permission to use the quote arrived less than 24 hours before the final proof goes to the publisher.  What timing!

Email Causes a Welcome Shifting of Gears for the Day

What a delight! My morning began with an email: the proof for Freedom, 250,000 BC: Out From the Shadow of Popocatepetl. I'll be doing the final polishing of the product today. Some people don't enjoy proofing, but to me it's the final polish. I love it that this shorter book length can have larger type. It's so much easier for people of my generation.

I'm thrilled with the novella cover!

I received my first glimpse of the cover for Freedom, 250,000 BC:  Out From the Shadow of Popopcatépetl.  It blew my socks off!  I’m one of those fortunate ones whose publisher lets me have input on the cover design.  I found two images:  (1) the Homo erectus youth and (2) the image of the volcano, Popocatépetl.  I asked the publisher to ask the cover designer to put a skirt on the young boy, since he can’t run around like that here, and to superimpose the boy over the background.  Here are the two images:

The young Homo erectus:

The volcano, Popocatepétl:

 

Tlazotlaliztli  CC By-SA 4.0

 

In the story, Wing, the main character is shorter and thinner than his peers.  In the image above, there is glass glare on the young man and he needed clothing.  There was a lot of background.  In the story the young man has been cowed and leaves his home.  The image on the cover shows shoulders pulled forward, as described in the story.  Somehow when the two images were put together, it paired perfectly with the story.  Even better than I could have imagined.  They do phenomenal work.

The book won’t be out until September, but this is an extremely promising step in the process.