I’m not sure how many people will actually read this. I don’t have that many followers anymore, but that’s mostly my own fault. I don’t really post much anymore, and I don’t write enough. Not that I ever had that many fans to begin with, but I haven’t done enough to keep them.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
My Life, As Written
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
A New Quest: Returning Photos to Family
Genealogy research has long been a passion of mine. Ever since my mother left me a pile of old family photos and I built my own family tree, I have been fascinated by the endeavor to identify family members and their pictures when available. While I have done extensive research on my own line, and have quite a number of photos from different lines, there are still a few relatives whose photos I am missing, and of course once you get back in the early 1800’s, you have people who were never photographed at all. Still, I am always looking for more.
Elizabeth "Bessie" Tucker |
William Newton Tucker |
Friday, September 3, 2021
Stupid Knees
My life as of late has been unnerving. With much in the way of family strife and physical hardships, 2021 has definitely been the most painful year of my life. I’d like to say I’m nearly out of the woods, but it just seems like as soon as I start to feel that way, something new comes up.
The latest problem I am facing is recurring knee injuries. A couple of months ago, I had a bout of patellar tendinitis in my left knee, and now I fear I’m dealing with a torn meniscus in my right. The past week has been painful, and I’m currently waiting to see if bed rest and anti-inflammatories will allow it to heal (doctor’s orders). I don’t know if I’ll be healed enough to work on Monday, and that is scary, as I’m close to broke, and I can’t afford to lose much more time. People are counting on me, but my body is causing me to let them down. I don’t know how I can deal with this.
I know a lot of people are understanding, but there’s only so much I can falter before they lose faith in me and consider me unreliable.
My physical body performs strenuous tasks that are beyond the norm for most people, and as I’m getting older it seems my super powers are waning. I’m still capable most of the time, but I have to be careful not to go too far. Yet, the annoying thing is, my physical problems don’t arise from anything particularly straining; they crop up unexpectedly when I’m not in Hercules mode. It’s frustrating! I’ll be walking on my day off and suddenly my knee will start hurting. What the hell?
So here I am, lying in bed, wishing I could be working on something, but just waiting to see if I can even walk tomorrow. Have I not suffered enough for one year? Can I please get a good break?
Sunday, August 15, 2021
The Kirtons of Hampshire
It’s been a long time since I wrote about my Kirton ancestry. I have discovered a few things over the years, and continue to pick away at it, seeking to push back the line ever more. Here is some information I’ve discovered since I wrote my Kirtons of Kentucky blog entry, 10 years ago.
The earliest ancestor I’ve identified thus far is William Kirton, born circa 1762. He and his wife Elizabeth (maiden name currently unknown) lived in Hampshire county, England. There they had a son, Richard Shaw Kirton, born 13 November 1794. Richard was a shoemaker, so it’s possible that his father was, as well.
Richard Shaw Kirton married Elizabeth Carpenter on 26 April 1818 in Maryleborne, Middlesex, England. They had 4 daughters and a son that I’ve been able to uncover.
Elizabeth Kirton (born 21 July 1820, died 5 December 1822)
Sarah Kirton (born 19 January 1822)
Ann Kirton (born 5 July 1824)
Richard Thomas Kirton (my 4x great grandfather, born 4 July 1830, died 22 February 1910)
Louisa Kirton (born 1835)
I am not sure when the Kirtons moved from England to the United States, but I suspect it was around 1850. Richard Thomas Kirton married Ellen Hyler in 1854, and he and his father appear separately on the 1860 census. Richard Shaw Kirton lived in Cincinnati, while his son settled in Covington, Kentucky, just across the state border.
By 1870, Richard Shaw Kirton was living with his daughter Louisa “Lucy” and her husband, Elttin Edgely, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was also living with them in 1880 according to the census.
Louisa and her husband had two known children, Elizabeth “Bessie” Edgely (born 1856) , and George Edgely (born 1858). Bessie married Charles Roberts and had children, but more research is needed on those lines.
Richard Thomas Kirton and his wife Ellen had two sons, Nelson W. Kirton and Sidney Alfred Kirton, and from there we run into my column from 10 years ago, The Kirtons of Kentucky .
A few added details are that both Nelson and Sidney Kirton also worked as shoemakers. I’m having a hard time figuring out when Nelson died, as he simply vanishes from records after the 1880’s. His wife, Sarah Drusilla Wallwork, got remarried on 24 November 1892 to Jerome Boyd, so I suspect Nelson may have died before then.
Nelson’s two sons, Newton Charles and Sidney Alfred, both started working as train porters around 1900. Newton (my great-great grandfather) worked his way up to Fireman by 1910, while Sidney ended up becoming a house servant before his death in 1932.
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Where I Am Now
I'm loath to write about myself these days, because to be perfectly honest, it's painful. The last few years have taken a toll on me, and the past six months have tested and tortured me. Some of it I brought on myself with poor decisions and allowing myself to be manipulated, though much of it has been beyond my control.
Each day is still a trial. I am anxious and sad, but I never have the chance to work on it because there's a constant series of events that keep getting in the way, and I'm too busy trying to address everyone else's problems.
I get triggered all the time by people and what they say and how they say it, but I have to suck it up or let it go. That's what a lot of people would say a man is supposed to do, and it's what those of us who don't live in ivy-league, rose-tinted luxury have no alternative but to do, but it can suck having to ignore my own emotional needs. The people who care about me don't realize the full extent of what I'm going through, but most people don't care at all.
Exactly when can I stop hurting? When do my mental needs become a priority.
I still have a family that keeps me going, but they all have issues that I'm dealing with. My youngest daughter has a mental disorder that requires that she have constant supervision, my son has had issues with substance abuse, and my middle daughter has bouts of depression and anxiety. My father is elderly and back to being a workaholic, but he is willing to help, though he gives a bit of attitude and gets pissy about it sometimes. That in itself isn't helpful when I feel bad enough asking for help. And on top of that, I have a serious, live-in girlfriend who has her own emotional problems from an abusive childhood.
I feel like I'm writing way too much, but I have to do something to get this garbage off my chest.
Physically, I'm not doing as well, either. I hide how sick I feel, and I'm not sure how much of it is just psychosomatic and what is actually illness. I've been feeling weaker than normal, exhausted, achy, and I've been forgetting things. My left knee has been a concern but the doctors said it was just patellar tendinitis. I've felt my heart rate and blood pressure going up which concerns me. I get headaches frequently, and sometimes "aura" headaches, where I see a glow which leaves me unable to see for a few minutes (though this is nothing new and I've had them on and off for my entire adult life).
So forgive me if I'm getting a little tired of playing with the puzzle pieces of my life and wondering when I'll get a break. I'm still here, and I'm doing my best, but I need people to help me and stop beating me down. In time, I might finally get back to a place where I can enjoy living, though right now I have to wait, and work to make sure others can find some enjoyment out of my continued existence.
Sunday, June 27, 2021
My Hyler Line
Lately, I’ve been poking around with genealogy again, as I have on and off over the past 11 years.
In researching my mother’s line, I have long been perturbed by the Hylers. It’s a small section that I know very little about, but I continue to look around and see what I can dig up.
It goes back to my 5x great grandfather, Anthony V. Hyler, who was born in New Jersey about 1794. He was a shoemaker by trade. His wife is unknown, and she died sometime before the 1850 census. They moved to Ohio and Kentucky, moving back and forth between the two states. In 1830, they lived in Mason County, Kentucky, and in 1840 they were in Lewis, Ohio. Anthony was living with his children in the 10th ward of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1850.
I’ve been able to identify 4 children through census records, though there may have been more that either died or moved out before 1850.
Ellen Hyler (my 4x great-grandmother, born August 1824, died 28 January 1901) married Richard Thomas Kirton in 1854.
Jeremiah Hyler (born 1828 in Kentucky, died 1891 in Cincinnati, Ohio), married Mary Ann Ralphy in 1850. I’ve yet to identify any children they had.
Albert Hyler, born in 1834 in Ohio. I have found little about him, though there is an Albert Hyler who joined the US Army on 9 December 1852, as an Albert Hyler born in Ohio is in a Register of enlistments. In that enlistment, his civilian profession is listed as “shoemaker,” so this lends more circumstantial evidence. After that, the trail is unclear.
Ann Maria Hyler, born in 1840 in Ohio. She married Napoleon Marshall and they had 7 known children.
It is not surprising that Richard Kirton was also a shoemaker. It was probably this trade that brought him into contact with the Hylers. Ellen and Richard had 2 sons, Nelson and Sidney, Nelson being my 3x great grandfather, and a shoemaker as well. He was the last shoemaker in the line as far as I can tell, as Nelson’s son, Newton, became a train engineer.
There still lies more possibilities along the Hyler line. One interesting potential connection could be Adam Hyler (originally Huyler, or Hiler), a New Jersey whale boat captain of German descent who preyed on the English as a pirate during the Revolutionary War. He could possibly have been Anthony’s grandfather. There’s also a James Hyler, born about 1795 who could possibly have been Anthony’s brother. Sadly, New Jersey records from the end of the 18th century are sparse.
So, the hunt continues…
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Getting Back Online
Hello, everyone!
I'm sorry that it has been so long since I posted. Actually, this is the first time I've been on the blog in over a year, and I see I've missed several important comments from family. It has been a crazy few years, but as I continue to rebuild my life, I will find time to get into contact with everyone.
In the coming weeks, I hope to share more information about my personal exploits, and new publishing projects! I have a new multi-author anthology in production, and I hope it will be a successful revival of my floundering publishing company. I also want to find time to write again, as it has been far too long since I did. All in good time.
I want to thank all of you who have been encouraging, even during these dark years. Truly, there have been times where a few kind words have been the only things that have kept me from giving up.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Soul Searching 2020
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Moving Along
Therefore, as there is no way for me to share links to this blog on one of the biggest networking sites, I'm afraid there is no option but to move. I will be setting up a new blog shortly, one that Facebook will hopefully not block as "spam." I will share a link as soon as I have one, though it may be a few days or weeks before I find the right location. In the meantime, all the old posts will remain here, for those of you who want to sample my wit and wisdom of the past.
Modern day censorship is a growing problem, and I am wary of Facebook's new algorithms, where innocuous content can be summarily blocked for undisclosed reasons. I assume that some troll(s) decided to flag my blog as spam in complaints at some point, and that somebody at Facebook chose to simply block all links to it rather than investigate. Though, nobody will actually respond to me, so I have no idea why they're blocking, other than I sometimes get a message saying my link is blocked because it is "spam." Half the time, they just say it "violates their community guidelines," with no explanation how, other than a link to their "no spam, no porn, no hate-speech" page, which doesn't address any specifics, but just lays out their basic rules, none of which my blog violates. That is, unless they want to say I can't tell people about Martinus Publishing books and where to buy them. If that makes my blog spam, than the entire internet is nothing but spam!
Yes, I am a little angry about this, but I'll just have to move along, and hope they don't throw another roadblock in front of me too soon.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Have I Given Up Writing?
I have a few spare minutes, so I felt compelled to write a blog post, the first in a long while. It used to be a daily thing, and topics would be so plentiful that I had to pick and choose which I would write first. Now I have fallen out of the habit so badly. It is rare that I have the time to tackle any serious writing, and it leaves me wondering if I truly have given up.
It has been years since I wrote prolifically. To be fair, I can no longer call this a slump, but full blown abstinence. Life took me for a ride, and drove me out of the art of storytelling. I am now left wondering if I will ever find my way back.
Time is something I don't have anymore. At least, not the quantity and quality that I require to produce worthy material. I'm not in the right state of mind to craft stories. Writing is something that should be enjoyable. Yet, for me, it has become a source of stress, a grim specter of my past. What was once a recreational exercise has devolved into a bitter reminder of failure and disappointment. I can't say my divorce 4 years ago was the ultimate impetus, but it was certainly an overbearing weight. I wouldn't call it the last nail in the coffin of my writing career, but possibly one of the first. The shock and heartbreak accelerated and amplified my apathy toward writing, and the lack of time that occurred as I suddenly had four children to raise without a wife assured that I couldn't continue at that time, even if I'd wanted to.
Today, I'm in a much better place than I was in 2015. I am happily remarried, my children are growing up little by little, and I am hopeful that I may actually have more free time again someday. It is still very difficult to write. I have so much work to do that isn't literary in nature, and I tend to wonder if I'll ever get caught up. My father started building our house before I was born, and now that he has grown old I am taking on the task of completing it. It is no exaggeration to say I have enough work ahead of me to keep five men busy for a year, but there is only one of me and I have no money to spend on additional laborers. The winters that I used to "have off" to write are now an endless line of home projects.
So, the question remains, have I given up writing? Answer: I'm not sure.
The stories that used to burn in my soul are still there. I think of all those tales that remain unfinished, the characters and universes that want to be explored. I think of Zachary McCain and John Rage, and the half-written sequel to The Rogue Investigations. I think of my West of the Warlock series, and the unpublished fourth book in the series, and its incomplete fifth volume conclusion. I think of the unreleased fourth volume in the Virtual Saga that explores Morgan Asher's life after the catastrophic events in The Guns of Mars, and where I could take him beyond that. I think of new characters and new series that I have not even penned yet! Yes, I still think of it all the time, but with everything else going on in my life, it seems less important.
Whenever I think of getting back into writing, I look at everything I have going on, and I end up having to set it to the back burner. Priorities are a bitch, but they're necessary. I can't waste time writing books that nobody wants to read when I have firewood to cut and split, or my daughter needs a bedroom designed, or my son needs bookshelves, or my wife and I need an expanded bedroom… not to mention when I have to make money once the weather finally warms up again.
So while I can't say that I have definitively given up my writing, life itself has imprisoned my writing muse, you might say. I lack the necessary elements to create great works of fiction. Just a couple of things could spur me back into the habit, but right now it's not happening. My dreams must sleep, while reality keeps me in a depressing grip of personal responsibility. I can't say it's a hard life; at least not as hard as it could be.
I just thought one or two of you might actually like to read about this… one or two…
Friday, December 14, 2018
Forbidden Delays and a New Alt History Anthology!
Let's see what happens in the new year!
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Getting Back to It
I am pleased to announce that editing and proofing has officially commenced. I don't have a publication date yet, but it will be coming shortly. I am hoping for a late summer release.
In my last blog post, I was feeling down, and seeking to reevaluate things in my life. It is still an ongoing process, but things are moving forward. This winter, I hope to set up a new anthology, at the very least. get ready for more information about that as the year goes on.
In the coming weeks, we will begin to run author interviews for the Forbidden anthology. Many contributors have agreed to the interviews, so you can all get a peek into the minds of these writers.
So very much to do, so little time...