I am still new enough to this whole writing/publishing thing, to be thrilled and amazed by the every day aspects of it.
There are three copies of Grace Awakening Dreams & Power presently in circulation in our library system. I check periodically to see whether they’re signed out. It makes me ridiculously happy that so far, whenever I’ve checked, all three copies have been signed out, and there is a waiting list. 🙂
According to the Okanagan Regional Library website: “Established in 1936, the ORL serves over 360,000 people across an area covering 59,600 square kilometres through 29 branches. We also offer various services online through our website. Membership is FREE to people within our library regions, giving you access to the 16th largest library in Canada.”
One copy is at the Mission branch. I attended Okanagan Mission Secondary. It makes me happy to know that kids who attend my high school are reading my book! Another copy is at the Armstrong branch. At the moment, I teach at Pleasant Valley Secondary in Armstrong. It’s a really lovely place. The third copy is in Westbank aka West Kelowna. I have never been in a high school in West Kelowna, but if anyone wants to invite me, I’d be happy to come! 🙂
If you would like to read Grace Awakening Dreams and Power but don’t have the 99c for the ebook or $20 for the paperback, why not request it from your local library? If they don’t have it, they might put out an inter-library loan request for it, or they might buy it for their collection. Share the love!
Just for fun, here’s a presentation made by the OKM Media class for your entertainment: OKM Gangnam Style
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(It being a small world, while I don’t personally know the camera man/editor, Harrison Mendel, my parents were best friends with his grandparents back in the day, and I knew his dad, uncle and aunt. This tenuous link between the past and present also makes me happy. 😉 )
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NaNoWriMo Day 25: 1819 (November total 35,351)
(par is 41,650 so I’m 6299 behind. I have 5 days to get 14,650 words. Wish me luck!)
Shawn L. Bird 
an Indian wedding February 10, 2012
Tags: Arulai, Chellaya Pillay, gordon taylor, Grace Awakening Power, india, madras, salvation army, Seenavasagam
I have a rather fond spot for India. There is family history here. My mother has a Sanskrit name. She was named after her aunt, who in turn was named after a maharani who was a family friend of my great-grandmother. There is a collection of Hindu god figures which they brought from Madras, (called Chennai since 1996) still in the family.
My great-grandparents lived in the India of the British Raj. They were with the Salvation Army. William Eva, following SA protocol, took the local name “Seenavasagam.” He arrived in India August 29, 1887. Jane Saxby (who took the name “Arulai”) arrived December 26, 1890. They were married on Wednesday, March 25, 1891. The Salvation Army newsletter, “The Indian War Cry” of April 13,1891 relates the following:
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“On Wednesday evening a very important event in the lives of two officers of the Tamil Division was reached–a wedding; when Capt. Seenavagam, Financial Special, took Lieut. Arulai for his “perpetual companion in the war.”
“The actual ceremony was preceded by an officers’ council, the wedding feast, and the march.
It is hardly necessary to say that the marriage-feast was interesting. Of course it was. Tbe major was present and after the feast called uopon both maried and single officers to speak. Lieut. Chellaya Pillay said: “I was speaking to a high churchman about this wedding and he thought it was very inappropriate for such a joyous celebration as a wedding to take place in Holy Week. I assured him that we Salvationists look upon a wedding ceremony as a very holy thing, and that Holy Week was therefore a very seasonable time to perform it.” This was the feeling that ran through the day’s doing–we believe everything was done “for God.””
The full page article carries on for a bit, describing a procession through the city, provides lyrics to songs sung, how much money was collected, and explains how great-grandpa Seenavasagam accompanied the music on his concertina. (A small accordion like instrument). I am ever thankful to the Salvation Army archivist Gordon Taylor who managed to find this prize for me. How many of us get such a clear description of their great-grandparents’ wedding day? If you noticed the wedding was scarcely three months after Jane’s arrival and were thinking William was a fast worker, as I did initially, you may be relieved to know that I discovered that William had been posted in Stockport prior to his departure for India. Jane was from Stockport. That seemed unlikely to be a coincidence.
I think I looked a little like Great-Grandma Jane in her youth, and I was also married on a Wednesday.
Stay tuned to Grace Awakening Power for some developments which reflect this family history…
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