The Writing of my first novel

When I wrote “The Alternative” I felt as though I was being guided by the Divine. As I wrote each chapter it was more like I was reading a good novel. I did not know what my characters would do next and I only had a vague idea of the final outcome.

I did much research into the conditions of slavery and I wanted to paint a clear picture of what it would be like to be a slave during the first half of the 19^th century. One theme that reoccurred during research was the idea that many masters acted as their own stud when breeding slaves. I examined how this would affect the daughter of such a slave master. I had invented Mr. Lancer as a very evil man and I did not know how evil he was until near the end of the novel. His daughter had witnessed terrible behavior from her father, but it was later on that she, and I, discovered more heinous acts that he had performed before she was born. Surely this man was beyond redemption, but the plot took still more surprising turns. Could someone so evil ever have such a change of heart or was the goodness of a dying man simply an attempt to buy his way into Heaven? His family and his former slaves had to deal with such a dilemma. The readers are free to draw their own conclusions.

As I examined the conditions that led up to the USA civil war I was often reminded of the final note left by John Brown as he was being led to his execution. On  Dec 2, 1859, he wrote;

Why read the alternative?

Why read the alternative?

Early sales of “THE ALTERNATIVE” has brought back positive reviews. This fictional history reads like a good novel. It starts out by analysing actual history and then puts a twist on it. It takes a look at slavery as it probably was. Although there is no proof the actual incidents happened, a look at the laws of the day show that they could have happened. Terrible crimes happen yet today. There is no reason to not think that similar and worse things would happen if there was no law to even punish the wrongdoer.

Everyone seems to be in agreement that all human beings should have some rights. It is also taken for granted that property has no rights. If someone buys an expensive vase, that vase has no rights. If the owner wishes to smash it, the vase has no right of appeal. However, if someone else smashes it, the owner may be able to claim compensation from the one that broke it. If someone should steal that precious vase, the owner will, no doubt, track down the thief and press charges if he is found.

The southern USA held slaves as property in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Slaves, being property, had no rights. Abolitionist wanted the law changed as they felt it was wrong to deny rights to any human being. The south agreed about the rights, but did not see their slaves as human beings. They were property in the form of very valuable livestock. They were work animals purchased to do a job. Just as a neighbour would return a horse that had bolted from its owners barn, slave owners expected their chattels would be returned to them if they should run from their plantations. Someone who would let a horse out of a neighbours field on purpose would be regarded as a thief. Therefore, abolitionists were viewed by slave owners as the worst kind of thief. They were stealing their owners’ most valuable possessions. Murder was not considered a worse crime that that which the abolitionist engaged in.

Thus there was a division. One side saw slaves as an abused and oppressed people. The other side saw them as property. There was no reconciliation of these differences of opinion and it would take a war to change the minds of the south.

It was not enough for the south to maintain their property rights only in the south. They wanted to maintain their rights to own slaves and take them with them wherever they wished without interference. Also, if one should run away, the slave owners wanted them back. If they were lured away, they wanted the guilty party charged and punished. Since they believed their slaves were content, they only reason they would run is because some abolitionist filled their animal minds with feelings of discontent. Imagine, telling these creatures they were human. The ones that spread such nonsense needed to be punished.

With the growing tension between north and south, civil war was inevitable. “THE ALTERNATIVE” takes a look at another possibility. Must we always go to war to work out our differences? Bobby and Samson, with the help of their wives, Ruthie and Krissy, start a plan to educate the south in a way that will change attitudes before war could result. It was a big job and they spent half a century working at it. Yet they feared, greatly feared that what they were doing was too little and too late. They were racing against time to prevent a terrible disaster.

We only have to look at actual history to learn about the devastating war that our heroes were trying to prevent. The Civil war was the most devastating war the US ever fought in. It took 200 years of accumulated losses in other wars before they exceeded the losses in the four years of the civil war.

“THE ALTERNATIVE” is designed to make one think, “is there an alternative to war?” It is the authors hope that we can have a future where we find better ways to solve our differences. We must repress the urge to beat up anyone that does not allow us to have our own way. Let’s talk it out and solve our differences without killing each other.

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