C. E. Edmonson

Read for a Good Cause: Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
Posted by C. E. on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 3:28pm

Sometimes hope needs a hand. When you purchase the new book Finding Faith, you are giving hope to hurting and at-risk children and their families. Find out more about the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch and how you can help at www.dakotaranch.org.
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Official Book Launch for Finding Faith!
Posted by C. E. on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 8:21am

Welcome to the official book launch for the new young adult novel, Finding Faith, the story of a young girl ripped from her home during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Forced to leave New York City when her life is turned upside down when her family loses its home, thirteen-year-old Faith Covington must learn to rough it in the Pennsylvanian wilderness, working on her aunt’s farm--a lifestyle for which her education at a private girls’ school hadn’t quite prepared her. To add to the culture shock, Faith soon finds out that her family is part Native American and that her aunt is intent on following “the way of the People.” Adjusting to her new environment isn’t easy, and neither is making sense of her Lenape neighbor, Paul Crow, a twelve-year-old who seems wiser than his years. When their families’ properties are thought to be worth fortunes, Faith and Paul uncover a dangerous plot, led by local townspeople, law officials and a rich industrialist, that could force the Lenape people from the land, threaten their way of life and put the two children’s lives at risk as well. Just as Faith has found a new home--and a new part of herself--will she wind up losing everything? Find out more at www.Finding-Faith.com.
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Appreciate the Simple Things
Posted by C. E. on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 10:31am
A moss-covered stone bench in the middle of a bombed-out church in London; the inscription on its back is simple: “Peace.” A small Shinto shrine hidden on an unnamed winding street in Shinjuku, Tokyo’s busiest district; it offers solitude and a place for introspection among department stores, neon signs, noodle stands, and crowds too thick to pass through. A hilltop in Seattle overlooking the unending gray rooftops of the enormous city stretching out below; yet no one is in sight except a single calico cat. The delicate perfection of a blooming dandelion in the morning sun. These are some of the things you discover when you slow down, turn off your GPS, or intentionally go off the grid. The French have a tradition of flâneurs in their literature—people who aimlessly walked the streets just to see what stories would unfold or what they might stumble across. Today it seems that most of us are obsessed with the end point, arriving at our destination in record time without distraction or delay. But if you don’t get lost once in awhile, how will you ever be aware of what you can find or what you are missing? So take time to notice—and appreciate—the splendor of the simple things in life.
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Tangled in Narnia with Yogi Bear and Harry Potter
Posted by C. E. on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 2:31pm
There’s something magical about watching a movie in a theatre—especially in 3-D. Over the holidays I saw more movies than I had in the past two years—including Tangled, Yogi Bear, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. When you are seated in the crimson velvet chair and the house lights dim, it is like closing your eyes and starting to dream. Images appear—some iconic, some humorous, others pure invention. The storyline engulfs you like the surrounding darkness, as if nothing exists beyond what’s on screen. For a brief time, this projected realm has replaced reality and has transported you along—all for the price of a ticket. Film is a visualization of imagination. It allows viewers not just to see—passively—but to partake in—interactively, emotionally—other possible worlds. Movies, to a large extent, have replaced myth in our society. Most of us may no longer remember that Athena is Zeus’ daughter who sprang from his head, but we certainly know that Darth is Luke’s father. Watching films, therefore, is not a solitary exercise; it is a cultural experience that creates common reference points and allows us, as viewers, to share the same dream. Or at least share a good chuckle.
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Christmas Blessings
Posted by C. E. on Monday, December 20, 2010 at 12:31am

Take a step back from all the madness at the mall and you’ll see the essentials that make this holiday special: children’s faces outshining the lights on the Christmas tree; midnight masses filled with the faithful; warm hugs from friends and families coming together; hot chocolate with marshmallows that melt away like snowmen on sunny winter days. These are the true gifts of the season…batteries not necessary! Even without the sales, the snow or the spectacle that Christmas has become, we would still have what matters most as long as we keep in mind what the holiday is truly about. It’s about giving, not getting. It’s keeping our family members and friends near to us…if not in miles, then in thoughts and memories. It’s about remembering those who have touched our lives, those who are gone from this earth—but not from our hearts. And don’t forget those who might not be able to be with family, and include them in yours. Because when it all comes down to it, love is the only gift we really need. Merry Christmas from my heart to yours…
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