The Twelfth Window

Chapters 57 Through Epilogue

2009-05-10T20:37:00Z

Good afternoon and Happy Mothers Day! I usually do these on Sunday because my favorite televangelists are on. And it's how I wrote The Twelfth Window. So let's get started. We've reached the final blog for The Twelfth Window. I will cover Chapters 57 through the Epilogue. Next time I will go through the entire blog and make links of all Scripture so that you can see for yourself instead of having to go grab a Bible (ah, the power of teh Internets). If you are doing a book club on The Twelfth Window, I think this will make life a little easier. I'm thinking that the Lord will help me to get started actively writing the next book in the series once I complete this blog. Let's go!...

Chapter 57 begins with Lisa awakening from her three dreams and into the cold reality of her loss. Jonah 2:7-8 figure on pages 211, 214 and 215 of the book. Now, for a good part of the story, Lisa's relationship with her dad had been strained because of Michael, and now that he's out of the picture, Mr. Chess calls Lisa by her childhood nickname to re-endear himself to her. I wanted to bring the reader the empty and grey feeling that the Apostles must have felt on what we now call Holy Saturday. How do you think the religious authorities handled it? "He's gone," is most likely how they handled it.

Chapter 58 should be italicized but it isn't because now Lisa is also a citizen of heaven, one of the benefits of us accepting Jesus as Our Lord. I emphasize in a couple of chapters that it's understood that death is the final answer, even for good people. I think the Psalm or Isaiah says "their going forth seemed utter destruction." Lisa takes the blame for the accident but an angel comes and prays for both of them. Subtext? The Jewish people are not to blame for the death of Jesus. I pointed this out in a previous chapter where Atael planted the tree that the car would eventually crash against.

Chapter 59 was easy to write; I only had to get my yearbook and remember what graduation afternoon was like, and it was just like it's described in this book. Except I wasn't sitting near any of my friends, I had to go look for them after we tossed our caps. Anyway, Scripture used in Chapter 59 are Lamentations 1:1, Isaiah 54:4, Luke 23:53. Pay attention to how Dormey handles everything from this chapter on out because it will figure prominently in the next book. I've decided to make Dormey, Kim and Rae the main characters in the next installment. Here's another hint: Dormey represents St. Peter while Kim represents St. Paul. Like any decent best friend, Kim holds her tongue when Lisa reveals to the rest of her friends about her marriage. Like many teenagers, Lisa has yet to tell her parents, so the gang's meeting shortly after graduation lets you know that I know!

Chapter 60 has no Scripture in it, but is a key part of the story because of Dormey's emerging key role.

Chapter 61 has Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:14 and Wisdom 3:1-6. I used this chapter to show that even if Lisa's dad was rather unsympathetic, her mother was the opposite and even had the potential to understand the deeper meanings of everything that had been going on. This chapter is an important doorway to the final chapter. I know that everyone deals with a loss differently; Lisa's way was to get to the business of concentrating on her life... at least on the outside.

Chapter 62 gives us Scripture from Luke 12:52-53 and Matthew 10:34, Matthew 11:1. Lisa's father shows his true colors in this chapter. I wanted the reader to not be surprised at his attitude but disgusted at his words. This is also a setup for the next book (and chapter) as much as it is my judgment on people who love money and power more than love and life.

Chapter 63 is the last chapter. Someone told me that there are 61 prophecies about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament and I did try to make the story 61 chapters... This chapter was among my favorite to write. It was also the first chapter that I wrote of The Twelfth Window. Scripture in this chapter are Luke 2:25-29, Luke 24:5-6, John 21:1, John 20:1-2, Matthew 16:16-19, Luke 24:27, 40-50, John 21:1, 1 Corinthians 15:55, John 20:19-20, Revelatioun 19:7-9, John 3:29, John 3:29, Matthew 28:16-20, Matthew 10:34-39 and Psalm 45:11-18. When you read this chapter you will understand why it has the most Bible references of all. Without giving away the ending, I will tell you what the meaning is of the setting. The ocean can symbolize the waters of baptism and the chasm between heaven and earth. The beach house symbolizes The Church or all the churches ever built. The items Lisa leaves behind represent the heritage that the Judaism has left to Christianity. Each member of the gang expressing themselves individually represents the Pentecost. Their meal together represents the Eucharist and how it is a prefigurement of the heavenly banquet. The way I described each member of the Gang's good qualities are meant to represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Depending on your Christian denomination, the final sentence can represent either the Assumption or the Rapture. And for my Jewish readers, it is from the end of the Song of Songs.

The Epilogue was meant to be the close of this particular part of the bigger story that happens to include The Twelfth Window, but it still fits into the next book. Scripture here are Mark 16:9-10, 19-20, John 21:25, and 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. It also includes the meaning of the title of the book.

I hope that you enjoyed this blog! I'll be taking time off from writing a new one but I will go through and make links of all the Bible verses that I used. I'm also on Twitter, @JenBoogie so you can contact me for speaking engagements and interviews. Once again, The Twelfth Window is available on www.amazon.com, www.twelvewindows.com, www.12thwindow.com, www.authorhouse.com, and elsewhere. Happy reading and God bless!

--J.M. Norwood

Chapters 52 Through 56 -- The Twelfth Window

2009-04-20T00:42:00Z

I’m moving fast today! We have just eleven chapters left to cover after this… roughly three more blog posts to go and then I hope that the Lord will let me get into writing my next book, which will be a follow-up to The Twelfth Window. Let’s get started…

Chapter 52 was painful to write because I had to summon all sorts of painful thoughts to put it together. Those who have read the story have all told me that this chapter took them completely by surprise. Well, it takes the characters in the story by surprise as well. Chapter 52 contains references to Luke 12:50, Luke 22:41-44, John 12:27, Luke 23:35-37 and 39. I meant to show what the twelve apostles of Jesus were expecting… they were in the holiest place on the holiest day of the year after having watched Jesus triumphal entry into the city… everything was going their way. As normal, I discovered why I was lead to make certain plot points and symbols. In this chapter, if you look hard enough, are the complete key elements both spiritual and temporal, of the Easter Triduum. I’ll give you some hints: the sports car is silver, and its description comes after Michael drinks a cup of tea after praying. The italicized paragraphs show what I believe the angelic POV must have been. To me, the most beautiful part of Chapter 52 is the unwitting use of the Jewish Daiyenu prayer as regards what Jesus Christ did for us.

Chapter 53… no explanation necessary.

Now, Chapters 54 through 56 are purely spiritual. #54 comes from an experience that I had when I was about eleven. Since there are precious few verses describing Heaven, I had to go with personal experiences and speculations. My editor said #54 creeped her out. Can’t say it didn’t creep me out either! #55 means to show how bits of life creep into dreams, which is why the diner looks different and yet the same, to show how time ceases to exist in the eternal, and honors how Jesus said that He would build us a dwelling in Heaven to be with Him.

I love Chapter 56, personally. I love the whole story of The Twelfth Window but #56 touches me still, two years on. Chapter 56 contains Revelation 7:14-16, Revelation 19:7-9. I really love this chapter. One meaning I will reveal is that those corny, oily-looking, badly-dressed men and women who may have been your FAITHFUL Sunday school teachers, CCD instructors, or hosts of badly-filmed religious educational material will definitely in Heaven be seen as the surpassingly beautiful people they are for having taken the time to increase the Kingdom. Notice how Michael’s expression changes from merry–acknowledging Lisa’s surprise, to solemn–acknowledging a good and faithful servant who has entered the joy of paradise.

Well! I’ve made it to Chapter 57 already. There are no more spiritual/italic chapters in the rest of the story… but there is a reason for this, as you will see if you pick up a copy of The Twelfth Window, available online on many, many sites. Like www.authorhouse.com " class="wp-smiley">

–J.M. Norwood

Chapters 48 through 51 -- The Twelfth Window

2009-04-19T23:59:00Z

Good evening and happy Divine Mercy Sunday! Hope you’ve been well. Had some personal stuff happen but I’ve recovered and I’m back to comment on the next several chapters of The Twelfth Window.

Diving in… Lisa is savoring her new level of relationship with Michael. I can say that this bit is part autobiographical and part to represent that each relationship that one has with Christ is unique to him or her. The beach is back, I used it as a setting for Lisa to explain herself to Kim… again the bridge between the earthly and the eternal. It’s not an accident that I am advocating abstinence in Chapter 48, by the way. But what was an accident was the writing of this chapter and my later discovery of ancient Jewish wedding/marriage customs. The last paragraph in Chapter 48 is also semi-autobiographical–I still have the bag of shells in my house today.

Chapter 49 contains inspiration from John 16:17-18 where Jesus’ disciples are troubled when He tells them that he must go away for a while. This short chapter ends with the word “immortality” on purpose, to hint that Michael’s going away and immortality might somehow be interconnected.

Chapter 50 was easy to write. All I had to do was remember the last day of school for seniors at my school. We really did have a tradition of emptying our lockers onto the floor and walking out from under the authority of the school forever. I wanted to parallel it with the people of ancient Israel wanting to get out, forever, from under the authority of Rome. Chapter 50 contains references to John 13:33-34 (when Michael tells Lisa that she can’t go with him where he’s going but she will have plenty of company around) and Job 33:14. All these Scripture references to St. John, it’s no wonder I thanked him in the credits! Anwyay, also to be found in Chapter 50 are John 13:36-37, Luke 18:31-34, John 14: 2-5, John 7:32-36, John 16:16-18 and John 22. Look ‘em up and you’ll see what I mean.

Chapter 51 shows the spiritual side of anticipation of a completion of Michael and Lisa’s relationship. It used to freak me out that I was even writing The Twelfth Window but after the Lord showed me Jeremiah 31:32, Hosea 2:1-23 and Mark 12:25, I felt better. Anyway, Christians of some traditions will understand what Lucius says on page 194. In two simple words–Marian devotion. I am trying to say that it is approved of by God because Mary leads to Jesus… but that is just one aspect of the whole story.

The Twelfth Window is available on www.amazon.com, www.authorhouse.com and elsewhere. I dare you to Google it !

(Side note: please pick up a copy of Terraforming by Gould, Black & Brown on iTunes… Phil Gould of the group has written a lot of songs that helped inspire my writing, so it’s only fitting that I give him a blurb here.)

–J.M. Norwood

Chapters 45, 46 and 47 -- The Twelfth Window

2009-01-04T20:12:00Z

Happy New Year 2009! I hope that you had a great holiday break as I did. It’s been nearly three weeks since I went on vacation, the days are running into each other and I believe I’ve slept away the bags from under my eyes.

That being said, let’s delve into the next chapter. Chapter 44 is another of the many chapters dealing with the heavenly point-of-view, reminding myself that angels have longed to understand the sacrifice of Jesus for mankind (it’s in the New Testament, just not sure which book). Wisdon 15: 1,2, Exodus 34:6-7a are referred to in this two-paged chapter. The five seraphim are given a command but only one of them (Luceus) had once been human and would be the best suited to carry out the command. I’m reminded once again that I wrote and did the research later; Luceus looks like a Biblical ringer for Enoch. Commentary in the Torah says that Enoch is now the Metatron, one of the highest angelic beings who serves God directly. Funny how that worked out! Luceus is a carry-over into The Twelfth Window from an earlier story that I wrote.

Chapter 46 is my way of retelling the story of the Feeding of the Multitudes. Cited in this chapter are: Matthew 16:17, John 6:14 (I think; I can’t decipher my own notes!), Matthew 14:32, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, and Isaiah 30:20.

The warmth and anticipation of the future give color to the chapter 46; in a parallel to Chapter 45, I delineate what the gang are up to individually in the way that I did about the five seraphim. As usual, Kim is the one that I used to show forth the miraculous first because I know she would be the last to acknowledge the miracle for what it really is (like many atheists that I’ve observed). Kim points out this miracle to the gang and they push Michael’s best friend, Dormey, to ask him what’s going on. That meant to unapologetically show the primacy of Peter amongst the Apostles. Amanda, the closest to the miraculous (even more so than Lisa) realizes the implications of Kim’s observations first. Kind of like the Apostle John.

Chapter 47 gives the story a duller tone. Lisa is once again haunted by the nightmares she’s had since she was a child; David Lechner is haunted by his failing health; and the seraphim are troubled by those and the weight of the command they were given. Michael alone serves as the root of the problem and the only solution for these issues. I affirm this when Michael says that he is “going to confront Uriusa myself.” I bring Chapter 47 to a lighter close with the seraphim envisioning their glorious return Home and Lisa packing for a long weekend at the beach (by now you should have figured out that beach scenes are meant to connect the earthy with the heavenly). And in the last line, I affirm that things are going to turn out all right. Scripture verses making an appearance in Chapter 47 are: Hebrews 1:6, Deuteronomy 32:43, Ephesians 6:12.

The Twelfth Window continues to sell, all praise and honor to the LORD the God of Israel! Even if it never becomes a best-seller while I am alive, if this book brings just one new soul to Christ, then it’s been worth every bit of ink.

The Twelfth Window can be found for sale on www.12thwindow.com, www.authorhouse.com (the publisher’s site), www.amazon.com and a few others. Happy reading!

--J.M.Norwood

Chapter 44 -- The Twelfth Window

2008-11-17T02:36:00Z

Good evening all...

John 16:12, 15 says "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear." That's pretty much one of the themes of the rest of the story of The Twelfth Window. Such a verse stood out to me that there's a bigger and wider universe of knowledge and existence and love than can be recorded into the Bible. C.S. Lewis had it right in The Last Battle: the Bible is just the cover and title page to a beautiful and eternal story.

As I avoid hateration from the parents of my minor readers, the chapter opens when Lisa and her beloved are eighteen. The first setting is a familiar one to anybody who has graduated high school. The second takes place in their temple, a scene I carried directly into the story from my own experience of God at Central Synagogue in Manhattan. If you live in the NYC area, I suggest you visit it and you will see exactly what I mean. Try to go on a sunny day so you can experience the full effect.

They told us in Sunday School that if you are good, you will go to Heaven when you die. However, there are precious little details on Heaven but most of the descriptions of Heaven come directly from Our Lord. We have committed to Jesus by baptism and/or a confirmation ceremony, and we're told to look forward to His return. As has been taught for centuries, Christ is going to return for His Bride (the Church or Israel, depending who you are) and so I thought it important to weave the eschatological with the romantic in The Twelfth Window. When you get to the end of the book it will all make sense, just like the end of the book called Earth will make sense when we get to the end.

(John 16:16, John 16:6 and Hosea 2:19-20 also play a central role in the book to this acceptance of a deeper commitment. I drew Lisa's acceptance from Luke 1:46-55).

Next blog, I will cover Chapters 45, 46, and 47. This means we are getting real close to Chapter 50, which closes out the gang's high school years and brings the story into the final Act V.

The Twelfth Window is available for purchase on www.12thwindow.com, www.authorhouse.com, www.amazon.com, and other fine places that sell books online!

--J.M. Norwood

The Twelfth Window -- Chapters 41, 42 and 43

2008-11-09T23:06:00Z

The election is over and like other Americans, my mind and life and time are my own again. So, let's plow into the beginning of Act IV, which encompasses Chapters 41, 42 and 43.

Chapter 41 is inspired by Ezekiel 39:25-26 and John 6:15. Since the change of seasons were important to the writing of the story, I felt it a good idea to use the spring of my own senior year to convey the feeling of a "home-stretch." I'm sure that Jesus' disciples and supporters felt the same home-stretch feel upon His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Stronger than a New Year feel. I counterbalanced the grating and uncomfortable feeling in Act III with the giddiness of the final spring of high school and reconciled love. Which is why "reconciling with the one you love is its own spring."

Chapter 42 is, without a doubt, a shadow of the Transfiguration. Whereas the Transfiguration in the Bible was real, I used this chapter for the story's heroine to catch a glimpse of what the reader already knows. Many dreams are a hodge-podge of past events and conversations. Notice the scene that the declaration takes place in; it's a place of worship under construction and called a word yet unknown to that world. I was trying to show that Jesus was building His Church the whole time that He was on earth but the impact on the world was still to-be-seen. I'd be lying if I left out the reason for Lisa's reaction being unlike that of the disciples that witnessed the Transfiguration, and it has to do with conversations that I have had with some Jewish people on the subject of Jesus Christ. Even so, it is declared to her still that something will be done about her nightmares.

Finally, Chapter 43 brings the long-tenuous relationship between Michael and Mr. Chess to a head. It shows the choice that Lisa makes by the end of the chapter. She fights both physical illness and mental stress from the conflict and is healed in the end because of her decision. Our soul is also healed when we decide--even when put on the spot--to choose Jesus. Ephesians 6:1-4 and Sirach 3:1-6 both make an appearance on page 164 of The Twelfth Window.

The Twelfth Window would make a great gift this Christmas! You can purchase it from many places such as www.12thwindow.com, www.amazon.com, and more!

--J.M. Norwood

Chapters 38, 29 and 40

2008-10-12T21:22:00Z

I know, I know. As emcee-extraordinaire Rakim would say, "it's been a long time, I shouldn'ta left you..." .

Lots of personal (good, not bad!) things have been going on this summer, so I took a little sabbatical from posting. I have returned, and I'll use the same time to update here as I will be doing to write the sequel to The Twelfth Window. Before I begin, more shoutouts to Strategic Vision, LLC publicity company. They are making me put my spiritual money where my spiritual mouth is-most recently I was a guest with Coach & Joel on "The Morning Break Sports Show", on AM1240 and AM1470 in Chicago. The subject was "should prayer be legislated in public schools?" . A spirited conversation was had after being roundly booed about my vicariously supporting the New York Mets baseball team. Thank you, Coach & Joel, for having me on as a guest!

Chapter 38 begins the series of Lisa's private meetings with Michael about the events of the past weekend. I meant it to reflect Israel's repentance in the Book of Daniel, and of the experience of a faithful Catholic in the confessional booth. In Chapter 39, now that I look at it, I was being led to warn the reader against scrupulousness. (Scrupulousness is when you keep confessing sins back-to-back, like spiritual OCD.) The ending of Chapter 38 clearly shows that things are moving along the right path to reconciliation despite Lisa second-guessing herself and Michael, while Chapter 40 ends with divine assurance that I think every human being needs in order to move further into the only relationship that will ever matter this side of the grave.

It took three chapters for Lisa to move past her lowest point in the story. Maybe it has to do with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. #38's forgiveness comes after a chastisement likened unto the Book of Daniel, #39's comes in the form of a voice only, and #40's comes in human form, face-to-face, and divine. Further proof that I had some assistance in writing The Twelfth Window.

Next go-around is the beginning of Act IV of the story, where I will lay out chapters 41 through 43.

The Twelfth Window is available for sale on many fine websites including www.12windows.com, www.amazon.com, and www.authorhouse.com .

P.S.: I'm on Facebook. I dare you to friend me. XD
--J.M. Norwood

July 4 Weekend 2008

2008-07-06T22:45:00Z

Good evening/afternoon to all!

May I just say that if you are an author and you are looking to hire a publicist to generate publicity for your book, you should hire Strategic Vision LLC, based in Atlanta? Another great publicist is Heather Dyer, based in New England with very thick connections in the Washington, D.C. area among others. Message me and I'll get you their information, twelfthwindow@gmail.com .

I'd like to take another opportunity to thank (and shout-out) Paul Matthews of KFUO and Keith Tucker of KKNW, two gentlemen who have let me grace their airwaves in the past few weeks. Paul, I am not going to quit those Bible challenges, I'm ready with a cup of coffee and Scripture! Keith, you are holding down Hip-Hop for Seattle, big ups for the friend add!

Before I go back into explaining the meaning behind each chapter of The Twelfth Window, I will point out some things that you might not have noticed that I wove into the story. They are Jewish calendar timelines and numerical symbolism. Some numerical symbols first:

Lisa and her friends make up seven persons; at the end of the story I listed the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that each friend had all along in the story.
The Trinity is shown/allegorized/represented here as the Michael that Lisa and her friends know, the Michael that the angels know, and the mode of presence that Michael has to either the angels or to Lisa and her friends even when he is not directly there.
The twelve windows in the places of worship represent the twelve tribes of Israel; the unfinished twelfth window witnesses that Jesus Christ fulfills the Law.

some Scriptural Calendar items hidden:

Jesus Christ's three-year ministry,
the space of fifty days between Easter and Pentecost,
the use of seasons to mark off time,
the year of betrothal as regulated in Judaism 2000 years ago,
the main character is a "son" of a "David,"
the interior decoration color scheme of the diner is blue and white like the Israeli flag.

I challenge you to find some other hidden symbols; there are more. Next time around we will go back to explaining the chapters and their meaning(s).

As always, you may purchase a copy of The Twelfth Window at www.12thwindow.com, www.amazon.com, www.twelvewindows.com, www.authorhouse.com, and more.

Again, a Happy Fourth!

KKNW-Seattle

2008-06-25T13:58:00Z

Listen to an interview with me about The Twelfth Window by Keith Tucker of The Keith Tucker Show, on KKNW-Seattle! It all goes down at 1:30PM Pacific Daylight Time (4:30PM Eastern Daylight Time, 3:30 PM Central) on Wednesday June 25, 2008. Here is the link... http://www.newschannel1150.com/rwn.asp?displayOption=&contentGUID={BE43B879-58A4-4996-9E0F-E5036B3CB7DB}&groupName=KKNW%20Shows&siteGUID={70E6B143-5D97-4025-A35F-1B370BB4B7ED}

KFUO-AM... the aftermath

2008-06-25T13:56:00Z

I loved (and aced) my The Twelfth Window interview with Paul from KFUO last week! Now, they have a seriously challenging Bible quiz weekly... I'm still trying to get one of the answers right, ha! Support this station, here is their link http://www.kfuoam.org/

KFUO-AM

2008-06-19T01:16:00Z

Good evening! Please check out online www.kfuo.org , or tune in, where I will be interviewed by Diane Summers on Thursday June 19th about The Twelfth Window.

I looked at the website today; this is a strong, Scripture-based station, so I hope to be up to the task. There's no better way, really, to start the morning than with praise and with a Christian media outlet!

The Twelfth Window -- Book Review

2008-05-26T23:22:00Z

It's a sunny and warm Memorial Day where I am. I'm taking a bit of a respite from barbecues until the next three-day weekend.

I read a review of The Twelfth Window by Becky from yabookscentral.com today. It was posted nearly a month ago but it just showed up on google. I google my own book daily to check the progress of click-thrus.

I was relieved that Becky found no wrong in Michael's character. It is very difficult to portray someone completely without sin when one is a Daughter of Eve like myself. Becky kinda-sorta understood what I was trying to put across about the Trinitarian concept of God. She saw that the protagonist of the story was a believeable, typical teenaged American girl.

Becky was honest in her review. Even at the end of the review, she owned up to the notion that maybe she just didn't "get" The Twelfth Window. That is o.k. with me because I am breaking new ground with the type of storytelling. The only thing that I take to task is that Becky felt the writing was just all right. She is wrong; it is very good writing! I think that she was so busy picking through the theology of the story that there was little room for her to get carried away in the story as a whole. She missed very important messages meant for teen readers that were conveyed. If you have been reading my blog since its inception, you will see what I am talking about. The very cover of the book, where it says "written, composed and arranged by" instead of "written by" is a huge hint that The Twelfth Window is a new way to tell an allegory using The Song of Solomon. Another huge hint is he big wedding ring on the back cover, which tells you that it is an allegory about The Divine Lover of our souls, the LORD God of Israel.

She criticizes that I used too many underlined words in the story. She must be thinking of the italics. The moment that she did not grasp that the meaning of the italicized script denotes a supernatural portion of the story, she didn't have a chance. I think that Becky read my book the way an atheist reads the Bible.

The more I muse over her review, the more I realize that it technically isn't a bad review. I think she sped through it. Perhaps this isn't her type of book. Heck, I detest anything written in the 19th Century! She had a problem with the "almost" feel of the setting. Well, anything not reality is fantasy... unless you're Hillary Clinton, hahahaha. Becky also underhandedly accused me of borrowing from Frank Peretti; let the record show that I have never once even picked up a Frank Peretti novel. But back to The Twelfth Window; I may have Becky to thank for my increased sales on Amazon this month.

...This could be my ego talking. Every author is protective of his or her book, as I am of mine. This is why I sought out reviews, both impromptu and professional, to see if I was crazy or if The Twelfth Window really is a worthy story. It is.

And it is, as Becky acknowledged, a fantastic, 5-star story; you just might have to have more of an open mind to read such a book as this one, that's all.

This weekend I will be busy with the Book Expo and a big concert that I will have to work, so I shall post another set of chapter explications either this week or next.

As usual, you may purchase a copy of The Twelfth Window on www.authorhouse.com, www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.buy.com, www.12thwindow.com and many other places!

Chapter 36 and 37

2008-05-11T21:10:00Z

Happy Mothers Day! (US only),

As mentioned last week, we've reached the halfway point of The Twelfth Window. You can bypass the week-by-week breakdown and buy your own copy... www.twelvewindow.com, www.amazon.com, www.12thwindow.com ...

Let the record show that I hoped to reach teen readers in writing The Twelfth Window. I presented many of the same feelings and situations that a suburban-dwelling American teenager would face, as I did. It just so happened that a story about faith was woven into The Twelfth Window, to maybe reach a new audience or perhaps just "put the question out there" about faith, religion and spirituality. Since I wrote the original manuscript in high school, a teenaged reader can be sure that I was not talking down to him or her. I saved notes that me and my best friend used to pass back and forth in school. I looked at my high-school yearbook signatures to research the particular language of the 80s. Some items I had to update for parental sensibilities, but most have still been left in the book in order to be true to what I meant to get across in the story.

That being said, Chapter 36 is Lisa Chess' lowest point in the story. She has surrounded herself by the worst people and suffers for it. She wants to be free of it but doesn't know how... and then something happens like a miracle. But she is ashamed about what has happened and does not fully embrace it. While I wrote this chapter and Chapter 37, I had in mind the freeing of the people of Israel from their hardships in a foreign land while God punishes those who enslaved the Hebrews. I had a blast writing the whole book, but these chapters stand out to me as some of the more fun to write. My editor, Rachel Crick, deserves much of the credit for pushing me to really dig into the scene. She knew at the outset that it was a pivotal moment of the story. Call me old-school, but I think the pivotal moment in a narrative should be in the exact middle of a book, and so Chapters 36 and 37 are.

...Bible verses that were alluded to in these chapters were: Sirach 31:39-30, Psalm 38, Revelation 20:7-10 and Hebrews 10:31.

--JM Norwood

Chapters 28 through 35... halfway point reached!

2008-05-04T22:26:00Z

Before I begin, I figure I help line Hallmark's pockets by reminding my readers that next Sunday May 11th is Mothers Day (US).

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Twelfth Window, as I am sure you are wondering, it can be purchased many places online including www.authorhouse.com, www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com; www.12thwindow.com, which is how you got to this blog, lists all the major places online that it can be found.

Shout outs to: everyone at Black Christian Book Promotion, my new publicist Heather Dyer, Kim and Becky Laney from www.yabookscentral.com, and Phil Gould from the original lineup of Level 42.

Now, the Bible verses referred to in this post will be Matthew 26:53, Psalm 13, Isaiah 63:17, and John 11:21-37. Please do not think that I am some sort of Biblical scholar. I think I am fairly familiar with Scripture, but not in the I-have-a-degree-in-theology sort of way. If you have made it this far into the blog, then it should be obvious that I had some Help in writing The Twelfth Window!

In The Twelfth Window, the increased tension in the story between Lisa and her friends, including Michael, kicks in at this point. I was trying to show that once you go down that slippery path in the Wrong Direction, defiance becomes increasingly easier. That goes for the individual as it seems to me that it did for the House of Israel. In chapter 29, Lisa's reaction to the news about the fight in the hallway shows her vanity. In hindsight, this is common; we want God to fight our battles for us. Michael's parting words to Monty Ray after the fight were my way of saying that God honors our free will. This hardens the hearts of many, methinks.

Chapter 30 is my way of reimagining Matthew 26:53, both in the context of Scripture and in the context of the storyline of The Twelfth Window. OK, and also in the context of the fall of Lucifer.

By Chapter 31, Lisa has spiritually hit rock-bottom. Even when we hit rock-bottom in defiance and sin, as I am trying to show, God does not decimate us. Just as He did not decimate the House of Israel. Lisa's friends serve as the surrounding nations of ancient Israel, doing a little armchair quarterbacking as I am sure that the peoples of other religions may have done.

Chapter 33 shows that despite all of the bad that had been going on in the world, despite Israel's sins, God stuck by His Plan of salvation. There's a little of Hebrews in there, now that I think of it. Hebrews 2:9 and Hebrews 2:16.

Chapter 34 gave me a chance to show that Dormey is starting to get an inkling of who is best buddy really is. Just as the old prophets had an inkling of Who the Christ would be. I wanted to show that death saddens God more than it does us, because He is the only One Who knows the real cause and origin of it. I also wanted to show that God is also supreme over science, and that no matter how advanced science gets, it will never be able to solve the mystery of death.

Chapter 35 is simply portraying that the algebra textbook represents Scripture, Dormey represents the prophets handing it repeatedly to Israel, and Monty Ray represents the enemy, who kicks it away. If you read the chapter, the meanings fall neatly into place. Truth be told, this was one of my favorite chapters to write.

My godmother asked me if Monty Ray represents the Devil, or what? Well, he represents (what is) evil in the world, while Uriusa (mentioned in a couple of places in the story) represents the Devil.

I give you permission to congratulate yourself because you are now more than halfway through The Twelfth Window !

--JM Norwood

Chapters 21 - 27

2008-04-27T21:37:00Z

In a couple more posts, we will be halfway through the book! Please note that I will be in attendance at the Book Expo in Los Angeles next month. I'll be at the Authorhouse booth signing copies of The Twelfth Window during the convention. The Book Expo is May 28-30, 2008.

More good news: the April edition of Authorhouse's newsletter, Voices In Print, has featured The Twelfth Window. This is nothing less than a God-send, but a shoutout also goes to Chris Skees for writing the article on my book!

So, in chapter 21, I began the insight on the full-blown rebellion and enmity between Lisa Chess and Michael, Lisa Chess and her friends, and the kind of enmity that may have happened with the bad angels and God. Dormey Tapson evolves in his role as Michael's best friend and now closest bud, taking Lisa's place in this. I meant Dormey here to represent the Old Testament prophets, who continually spoke to the people Israel on God's behalf. Lisa Chess, as it were, has chosen an earthly "king" in Monty Ray. When the human soul turns against God, she is left at enmity with Him in the long run, though He continues to woo her by example, messages and hints. If he seems further away, it is of the human soul's doing.

In Chapter 21 specifically, I used the metaphor of the cutting words to show the supernatural change that occurs when one rejects God. It also represents the sword that fell upon the house of Israel during the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.

Chapter 24 is another spiritual insight into the fall of the bad angels. I think that their struggle was to keep God's wishes first and foremost at heart, since at that time there may have been no commands.

By chapter 25, Lisa's friendships have fallen to the wayside along with her relationship with Michael; in the next chapter she has only one friend on speaking terms and she cannot bring herself to face Michael.

The feelings that Lisa has of abandonment and anger against Michael have been seeded by her. In her conversation with Michael she tries to put this on him. At the end of this interview, they reach an agreement--a new kind of relationship much less loving than the one before. Where has this been seen in Scripture before?... Look at Hebrews 4:7 and Psalm 95:7-8 for what I was trying to get at.

Amanda, who initiated the conversation, does not represent the prophets here; she covers for anyone who is a friend to someone going through a spiritual situation like Lisa Chess'.

As always, www.12thwindow.com is constantly updated with information on where to purchase a copy of The Twelfth Window.

--JM Norwood

JM Norwood at Book Fair in VA

2008-03-30T22:00:00Z

Please come out and support your local arts...

Saturday, April 5, 2008 at "Showcase of Authors & Arts -- Live!" at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, 7130 Leesburg Pike (entrance #5), Falls Church, Virginia 22043. The event begins at 2PM and ends at 5PM. Light refreshments will be available to buy, and it will feature readings by two prominent authors.

I will be in attendance as well, selling copies of my book, The Twelfth Window. I hope to see you there!

The Twelfth Window

2008-03-30T21:54:00Z

The Twelfth Window is now a part of the 21st century! You may purchase The Twelfth Window in eBook form exclusively at www.authorhouse.com.

Easter Season... Chapters 17 through 20

2008-03-30T21:06:00Z

Happy Easter season! I hope you had a nice holiday. I've been busy with work and preparing for a book fair that's taking place in Falls Church, Virginia on Saturday April 5th. If you're in town, you should come by. I'm giving away two first-class US postage stamps with every purchase of my book. I found a website that can make stamps out of whatever jpeg you submit to them, so the stamps are the cover-art of The Twelfth Window. Otherwise, the promotion makes no sense, LOL. You may find out more information about this event by visiting www.twelvewindow.com and looking at the calendar section.

I am always glad to remind you that The Twelfth Window is for sale on major bookstore online sites as well as www.amazon.com . I believe that the progress made (as far as publicity of the book) so far is from God.

So, on to chapters 17, 18, 19 and 20 of The Twelfth Window. As mentioned in a previous post, chapter 17 begins Act III of the story. Chapters 17, 18 and 20 were meant to address the start of backsliding (not to be confused with falling away!) of both an individual Christian and the House of Israel. It seems that even when things are going well in our walk with God, something in human pridefulness makes it all go awry. You start to notice that you are not the same you, the world is moving and you seem to be standing still, regardless of the fact that you have never been happier or more filled with joy in your entire life.

The main character's refusal to talk things over honestly with the right people leads to a widening of the gap. I meant the cold gust of wind to presage the winter of the soul. For a young reader, I wanted to impart the message--without sounding uncool--that being in the "in" crowd is not the be-all/end-all. Let the "in" crowd stand in as "the world."

Chapter 19 is another purely spiritual chapter where I endeavored to show how perhaps the backsliding of the human soul or the House Of Israel just might parallel the fall of the bad angels from Heaven. Since this is a fantasy story, I took a few liberties but the spirit of the story is still scriptural (references Luke 10:18 and Romans 11:34).

Happy reading, and more next time!

Chapters Thirteen Through Sixteen

2008-03-16T21:02:00Z

Chapter thirteen has no allegorical meaning behind it, but so that I don't give away the plot and spoil it for you, I'll move on to chapter fourteen, where in the final paragraph I am referring to Sirach 32:13. I am also showing the spiritual development of Lisa in contrast to that of her father. I don't recall if I wrote this chapter before or after reading "Judaism For Dummies," but it shows how the Divine prays to His own Divinity.

Chapter fifteen is where I was trying to show that God is a God of love; the first time those three words are uttered in the story, they are spoken by the Divine.

Chapter sixteen, includes an allusion to milk and honey and the cafe (decorated accidentally by me in blue and white, the colors of the flag of Israel!) represent the promise from God to an ageing man of faith. The second half of this chapter is the story of the garden of Eden in miniature, Genesis chapter 3. Lisa is tempted by Monty to forget about her new Love, to leave off going to regular worship. "It won't kill you to miss one lousy day of temple" = "you will surely not die." Lisa does not take the bait right away but buries the conversation in the back of her mind, the details of which she hid from Michael. That's a personal commentary from me; perhaps Eve did not eat the fruit right away but thought about it first and then ate. It also leaves me room to show the dire consequences of how she handles this encounter later on in the story.

And that brings us to the end of Act Two. Remember, the chapters are divided by stars and acts are divided by rose windows!

Foreword Magazine Book Of The Year Finalist

2008-03-16T20:45:00Z

I have great news to share! The Twelfth Window, my first book, has been announced as a Finalist in Foreword Magazine's Book Of The Year awards, Fiction/Religious category. A record number of books (1600 titles) were submitted before the January 15 2008 deadline. The Twelfth Window is one of twelve finalists in its genre! Foreword Magazine is a prominent literary trade publication dedicated to independent publishers, librarians and bookstore owners. I am honored that my work has been recognized!