The Friday Record - Martin Luther and the 95 Theses

This is a day that changed history, because it brought about a fraction within the Roman Catholic Church, which resulted in the formation of several other religions over the years. Though this schism would undoubtedly happen sooner or later, October 31, 1517 is the day history changed forever. Up until this time, Christianity was the Roman Catholic Church and while I won’t get into a debate over religion, let’s just say that the saying ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ holds true here.

As the title suggests, Luther had 95 main gripes against the Roman Catholic Church. His biggest was the selling of indulgences, a relief from sin, if only you pay the church for that relief. While this did not forgive a person from sin, it allowed them relief from Purgatory – 100 days for each relic a person donated to the church. So, if you were rich enough, you could indulge in as much sin as you wished, then pay the church for relief from Purgatory. Luther’s stance was that Christian’s don’t have to pay for forgiveness, as it’s free in the form of God’s Grace through the death of Jesus Christ. All a Christian has to do is be repetitive and ask for forgiveness himself. He doesn’t need to go through the Church for that forgiveness, much less pay for it.

An interesting factor in all this has to be the Gutenberg Printing Press. Why, you say? Luther nailed his Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, which held one of Europe's largest collections of religious artifacts, or holy relics…the view of which, and donation for that view, bought indulgences. Castle Church was also well-known for being a bulletin board for the university, a place to announce events, etc. That’s where the 95 Theses may have stayed, but for the Gutenberg Press.

So, a little background. In 1424, Cambridge University’s library had a whopping 122 books, each worth a small fortune. But a rise in literacy among the middle-class brought about a demand for more, less expensive books. Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (yeah, say that 3 times fast), invented the moveable printing press in 1439. So, by the time Luther posted his theses on Castle Church’s door, the press had been around for half a century. Someone took the 95 Theses off the door (or copied it down), took it to a printing press and printed it out. It was then distributed throughout The Holy Roman Empire and the Reform Movement took hold.

Splits along certain doctrinal lines resulted in the emergence of rival Protestant churches. The most important denominations to emerge directly from the Reformation were the Lutherans and the Reformed/Calvinists/Presbyterians. In England, the Movement gave rise to the Anglican Church and it did accelerate the Catholic or Counter Reformation within the Roman Catholic Church.

So, October 31st just isn’t a day to honor the spirits, it is a day that may have very well resulted in the religion you call your own.

Works Cited

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Ninety-Five_Theses
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Johannes_Gutenberg
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Indulgence

~Anna Kathryn
http://www.aklanier.com/

Spooktaculary Funny One-liners - in Honor of Halloween

Q. Why did the ghost go to the doctor?

A. To get his boo-ster shot?
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Q. Why are there fences around cemeteries?

A. Because so many people are dying to get in!

------Q. Where does Dracula water ski?

A. On Lake Eerie!
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Q. Where does Count Dracula make his withdrawals?

A. At the blood bank.
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Q. When does a ghost need a license?

A. During "haunting" season.

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Q: How do you mend a broken Jack-o-lantern?
A: With a pumpkin patch!

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Q: What is a witch's favorite subject in school?

A: Spelling!

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Q: What do you call a ghost with a broken leg?

A: Hoblin Goblin.

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Q: When does a skeleton laugh?
A: When something tickles his funny bone.

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Q: What happens when a ghost gets lost in a fog?
A: He's mist

~Anna Kathryn

http://www.aklanier.com/

Red Stirs Primal Urges in Men

According to recently released research, women who wear red are found to be more attractive by men. This falls in line with the animal world--female baboons and chimpanzees become redder when they are ovulating, to send out sexual signs to the males, who find the females more attractive.

And as the researchers said, “Our findings confirm what many women have long suspected and claimed—that men act like animals in the sexual realm.”

In the study, done by the University of Rochester in New York, five psychological experiments were done to assess how color might affect a man’s view on a woman’s attractiveness.

The study showed that men found women in red to be more attractive (even the same woman in two different outfits, one red and one of another color—she was more attractive in the red outfit). Additionally, women in red were more likely to be asked out and to receive a more expensive date.

Red did not change how a woman rated the attractiveness of another woman. Nor did it change how a man rated a woman’s likeability, intelligence or kindness.

To read the entire article by Shari Roan a the Los Angles Times, go to http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/6082987.html

So, what are your thoughts on this? Should we all be blonde wearing red?

~Anna Kathryn

More contests to enter

Here's a few more contests to enter for great prizes....sponsored by my friend Skhye Moncrief:

Eh, I don't want to suck your blood! CONTEST What do you think is the draw we have to vampires? Is it today's packaging? Or something deeper? Post an answer by midnight CST, tonight, and be in the running to win a pdf of the novel ROMEO VS. JULIET, http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=460.

You can still enter my contest through the 31st to win a paperback of HE OF THE FIERY SWORD in my THE UNDEAD contest http://blog.skhyemoncrief.com/2008/10/25/the-undead-does-the-end-justify-the-means.aspx.

And there are quite a few prizes up for grabs in our WEAR PINK RIBBONS breast cancer awareness contest that ends on the 31st. The information is here: http://www.skhyemoncrief.com/Page_4.html

~Skhye

Wednesday's Chow - Little Pumpkin Cups

Well, Halloween is just a couple of days away, so I thought I'd do a recipe in celebration of that holiday. I'll confess that I haven't made this recipe yet, but it sure sounds yummy and as it's from a cookbook for kids, it's very easy.

So, here's Little Pumpkin Cups from Betty Crockers' Cookbook for Boys and Girls, page 83.

Ingredients:

2 envelopes (about 1 1/2 ounce each) of whipped topping mix
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 can (16-ounce size) pumpkin (about 1 cup)
Candy Corn

Line 12 muffin cups with baking cups. Prepare the topping mix as directed on envelopes, using a total of 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla, and add the cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger and nutmeg before beating. Fold in the pumpkin with a rubber scraper.

Divide the mixture among the paper-lined cups. Decorate each serving with candy corn. Refrigerate as long as 2 hours or freeze as long as 8 hours and remove to refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

Don't forget to enter my website guestbook contest. All you need to do is log on and tell me one of my recipes for the month (including this on). The guestbook link is at the bottom of my home page: http://www.aklanier.com/. You could win a copy of Skhye Moncrief's "Naked on the Staircase" novella. And scoll down for more information on my other contests and for how you can help the Galveston Library recover from Ike.

~Anna Kathryn

Don't forget to enter in my October Contests

CONTESTS

MONTHLY PRIZES GIVEN ON MY WEBSITE

Leave a message in Anna Kathryn's guest book and you could win a prize. Each month, she'll draw a name from those who've left a comment.

October's prize: An e-book copy of Skhye Moncrief's "Naked on the Staircase," a short story by The Wild Rose Press. http://www.skhyemoncrief.com/

October's question: Please visit Anna Kathryn's blog and post the name of one of the recipes she put up for October (a new recipe will be added each Wednesday). find a receipe at:
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/. Then go to my website http://www.aklanier.com/ and scroll down to the bottom of the HOME page for the guest book link.

Post the answer on her guest book by midnight October 31st to be eligible for the drawing.

The drawing for a winner will take place on or about November 1st.



WEAR PINK RIBBONS!

It's Breast Cancer Awareness month again! Slap a pink ribbon on your jack-o-lantern and get ready to name that topic. Six romance authors are giving away romantic and inspiring gifts to multiple winners. All you need to do to be in the running to win one of these prizes is visit each of the websites below and find the hostess's WEAR PINK RIBBONS! blog entry. Each hostess will discuss a topic of her choice--all dealing with breast cancer. Just note the topic and author on a list that you must e-mail to happyendings2007@aol.com by midnight CST October 31st.

Skhye's Blog Entry
http://www.donnamichaelsauthor.com/ContestsEvents.htm
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/
http://www.skypurington.com/
http://www.iloveshapeshifters.com/
http://www.chicksofcharacterization.blogspot.com/

Find the link to the right for "Breast Cancer Inflammatory Disease" for some helpful information and an informative video.

I will give away a copy of No Law Against Love Romance Anthology, featuring the short story by M. J. Sager "A Second Chance at Forever." All proceeds from No Law Against Love go to breast cancer research and prevention.

A second winner will receive a Pink Ribbon Goodie Bag, full of 'pink ribbon' items, including a travel mug, pin and electronic copy of her short story "A Second Chance at Forever."

And, last but not least, don't forget to leave a comment on my blog. I'll draw one person's name for a 2009 Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams Calendar.

~Anna Kathryn

The Galveston, TX Library - aftermath of Ike

One of the places in Galveston that was badly flooded by Hurricane
Ike was Rosenberg Library. It's near downtown, where 10 to 12 feet of
sea water came in from Galveston Bay, and all that water completely
wiped out everything on the library's first floor. Which is where the
children's library was. They lost the entire children's collection.
Not just books, but shelving and chairs and DVDs and CDs and finger
puppets and everything.

The wave action picked up everything that wasn't fastened down--and
some things that were--and tossed them around, soaking everything in
salt water and mud. They do not even have shelves to put books on, so
they can't really accept donations of actual books. But if y'all have
a few dollars to spare--even just $5--that would go a long way to
getting Rosenberg Library to the point where they CAN get books (and
other materials) back in the hands of the kids.

Right now, the children's librarians are doing mobile storytimes.
It's a "You provide the place and kids, we'll bring the stories and
fun," kind of thing where people can call and request a librarian
with a story. Even with their facility in this kind of mess (and they
are beginning to get the mess cleaned out), they're providing
services.

You can visit Rosenberg Library at http://www.rosenberg-library.org,
where there is a donation button, or you can send a
donation to Rosenberg Library, 2310 Sealy Ave., Galveston, TX 77550.
(Any donation is tax-deductible.) Anything is appreciated.

Please do pass this request on to other chapters and organizations.
It's going to take a lot of work and money to get this town, and its
library, up and running again.

~Anna Kathryn

Seven Helpful Things I Wish I’d Known When I Was a Beginning Writer

I’m a writer of historical romance; my 15th book for Harlequin Historicals (Templar Knight, Forbidden Bride) was just released and now I’m beginning another medieval historical romance. Looking back on where I started as a raw beginner, I wish I’d known some things besides spelling and grammar:

1. The importance of reading–both in my own chosen historical romance genre and outside of it–especially nonfiction, literary fiction, and how-to books (for example, How To Write a Damn Good Novel (James Frey); How To Make a Good Novel Great (Linda Seger). How other writers handle sticky issues of point of view or pacing can be terrifically helpful; it also helps to keep up with what publishing houses are buying which genres. This changes through the years-- lines get dropped, new lines start!

2. Advantages of joining an advanced critique group, with published authors. I suffered, being a beginner, but I learned fast and saved a lot of learning-curve time. I also wish someone had warned me about “toxic” groups, the ones where you generally feel worse after the session instead of encouraged and fired up. This can be pretty subtle; women in particular tend to take harsh criticism as “something is lacking in Me.”

3. The value of workshops, conferences and writing classes, not only to learn the craft of writing and current trends in fiction, but to establish a network of writing friends and at least talking-relationships with some editors.

4. The importance of the basics of grammar and punctuation. Poor English will get a manuscript rejected faster than anything else. I keep Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition and Jan Venolia’s Write Right on my bookshelf.

5. Learning to read rejection letters between the lines. When a rejection letter is a “real” letter, as opposed to a form letter, there’s much that can be gleaned. A hand-scribbled “Sorry” note at the top is really a compliment. A “not our cup of tea, but send something else” is to die for.

6. The importance of writing every day, even in small blocks of time. Even 10-minute blocks of time every day are precious. If you wrote 1 single page every day for a year, you’d have a 365-page novel by the year’s end. Two pages per day = six months.

7. How to laugh and maintain perspective. Writing is easy (someone said); you just sit at your typewriter until the blood stands out on your forehead. And: writing is not magic. Magic is not magic, either.

Sorry....I missed the Friday Record

Sorry, I forgot to do the Friday Record. It was a crazy week, nothing bad, just really busy. And on Friday, I took my granddaughter to see some exotic animals (a liger- a cross between a lion and tiger) and have lunch with my mom, daughter and granddaughter. Then I had to get things together to attend the Northwest Houston RWA chapter's Lone Star Conference Friday night and Saturday. Since I live an hour's drive away, I decided to stay up in north Houston instead of making two round trips. I don't have a lap top, so couldn't post while gone.

The conference was great and I'll be posting about it in a couple of days with pictures....not that I'm in any of them, cause I was the one taking the pictures....lol.

BTW, stop by Monday, the 27th and visit with my guest blogger 27 October Lynna Banning who writs Historical Romance for Harlequin Historicals. She'll blog on "Seven Things I Wish I'd Known When I Was a Beginning Fiction Writer." Check out Lynna's website at:
http://www.lynnabanning.com/

~Anna Kathryn

Wednesday's Chow - Cookies in a Jar and Hot Chocolate Mix

With the holidays just around the corner....trust me, they ARE just around the corner....here's a couple of recipes that will make nice gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers or critique partners.



Oatmeal Plus Cookies


Jar Ingredients:


1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups oats
* raisins


Filling the Jar:

Layer the ingredients in a quart size canning jar in the order listed. I used a small funnel and it worked pretty good for most of the ingredients! Use enough raisins to fill the jar to the top. If you do not want to use raisins, you can use baking chips; our favorite is butterscotch! Pack down all ingredients, especially the brown sugar!

Include these instructions with the jar:


Oatmeal Plus Cookies
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened1 egg, slightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Empty jar of cookie mix into large mixing bowl; thoroughly blend. Add the butter or margarine, the egg, and the vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet.

Hot Chocolate Mix


2 cups powdered milk
Dash of salt
¼ cup cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar

Combine ingredients well and put in a pretty container with a tight-fitting lid.


Include these instructions with the jar:


Hot Chocolate Mix

To Use:
Put approximately 4 tablespoons into a cup, then fill with about 8 oz. of boiling water. Add more mix to get the taste you like. Stir and enjoy!



~Anna Kathryn