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| Rev. Dr. Rowland Dilke Taylor |
I am constantly amazed at how much stranger
life is than fiction.
As writers we try to pay extra attention to the world around us, hoping to find that next wonderful idea that will be "the one". Marla and I also believe in "signs", even though those have let us down in the past. We're both optimists at heart. Otherwise, why would we be in this crazy business?
This week, Marla's ever-expanding search for ancestors, has brought us a "goosebump" moment, which we'd like to share!
Marla's story pertains to GREEN DARKNESS, Anya Seton's fabulous novel set in the turbulent era between Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. These were times when religion was determined by the monarch First came Edward VI, then Lady Jane Grey and "Bloody" Mary.
In that interim, Catholics and Protestants were put to death for belonging to the "wrong" religion of the day. So it was that many were burned at the stake during Bloody Mary's reign.
One of those victims turns out to be Marla's ancestor!
Here we are centuries later, writing about the very times her ancestors lived and died in. We even refer to the events--in one of the earlier versions of our adaptation.
We have to ask ourselves: what drew her to the story? Was it just an accident that she was so caught up by my description? Or, could it have been the ghostly hand of Rev. Dr. Rowland Dilke Taylor, Marla's 12th great-grandfather, guiding her, and me? We'll never know for sure, but it makes us wonder.
For those who are interested, here's a link to his remarkable story: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/23141487/person/12800603101/media/2?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum
As writers we try to pay extra attention to the world around us, hoping to find that next wonderful idea that will be "the one". Marla and I also believe in "signs", even though those have let us down in the past. We're both optimists at heart. Otherwise, why would we be in this crazy business?
This week, Marla's ever-expanding search for ancestors, has brought us a "goosebump" moment, which we'd like to share!
Marla's story pertains to GREEN DARKNESS, Anya Seton's fabulous novel set in the turbulent era between Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. These were times when religion was determined by the monarch First came Edward VI, then Lady Jane Grey and "Bloody" Mary.
In that interim, Catholics and Protestants were put to death for belonging to the "wrong" religion of the day. So it was that many were burned at the stake during Bloody Mary's reign.
One of those victims turns out to be Marla's ancestor!
Here we are centuries later, writing about the very times her ancestors lived and died in. We even refer to the events--in one of the earlier versions of our adaptation.
We have to ask ourselves: what drew her to the story? Was it just an accident that she was so caught up by my description? Or, could it have been the ghostly hand of Rev. Dr. Rowland Dilke Taylor, Marla's 12th great-grandfather, guiding her, and me? We'll never know for sure, but it makes us wonder.
For those who are interested, here's a link to his remarkable story: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/23141487/person/12800603101/media/2?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum
Till next time
Angela and Marla
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