Book Review: Loge Liberté cherié: A Light In The Darkness by Alexander P. Herbert

by Midnight Freemason Emeritus Contributor

WB Adam Thayer

Click the image above to check out the book. 

One of the great joys in my Masonic journey is getting to read new research materials for review. I’m often contacted by authors who are releasing new books with the opportunity to read their work in exchange for an honest review. As someone who reads an obscene amount, I always jump at the chance.

I received a copy of B. Herbert’s history of a Masonic Lodge formed inside a concentration camp with a lot of excitement, as this era of Freemasonry has always been an interest of mine. Unfortunately, I stupidly took my copy to my office, intending to read it on my lunch breaks, and shortly after, our office shut down due to the current pandemic. All of this is a very long-winded explanation to apologize to B. Herbert for taking so long to review this great book!

A Light In The Darkness covers the events surrounding the formation of Loge Liberté chérie, a Masonic Lodge that formed and met inside of a concentration camp. Due to the highly illegal nature of the Lodge, records are quite scarce, making this book the most complete history we will likely have available.

The book begins with a brief explanation of the cultural views of Freemasonry during World War II, a topic that is generally glossed over in most history books. Specifically, the book gets into a pretty thorough discussion of the laws and edicts that were passed forbidding different aspects of the Craft, which culminated in Freemasons being arrested and put in concentration camps as political prisoners.

It continues by examining the three Catholic priests who served as unofficial Tilers for the Lodge, by keeping an eye out for Nazi guards patrolling the camp during Lodge meetings. This section definitely provides an interesting counterpoint to the typical “Catholics hate the Freemasons” narrative that we usually see in history, and shows that good people continue to do good deeds, even in the darkest times.

The book then hits the “meat” of the topic: the formation of Loge Liberté chérie the business the Lodge was able to perform within the camp, and the artisans they worked with to procure supplies, such as a tracing board. Unfortunately, as previously stated, while this is the most exciting part of the book, it is also the most sparse; even in the best of times, Lodge records can be difficult to locate, and since this specific Lodge was formed in extreme secrecy, the records are nearly non-existent. Most of the history we have available is from the three brothers who survived to the end of World War II, and from others who were in the camp with them.

We finish with a brief examination of the troubles faced by the Brothers of the Lodge post World War II to gain official recognition, as the Lodge was formed clandestinely under extreme circumstances. It is interesting to note that while the Lodge first formed in 1943, and the war ended in 1945, the Lodge was not granted official recognition and a charter until 1987.

This book itself is pretty short and can be finished in an afternoon, however, considering the events it is examining took place over a short time that is not a detriment. It would have been easy for the author to be tempted to pad out the book by adding superfluous materials, and a credit to him that he did not.

The book is also filled with photos that provide greater knowledge of the individuals involved, the layout of the camp and the Lodge within it, and the supplies they had available. These are a welcome addition, as it enriches the experience by helping provide a connection to the text. Many history books leave this material out, and they end up being dry text, so it was good to see how many photos the author was able to include.

I would also like to thank the author for the tremendous amount of research that went into this book; as almost none of the source materials were in English, he had to not only compile the information presented but also translate it, and then fit it into the overall narrative. I can only imagine the hundreds of hours of research that went into putting this together, and it is evident that the author knew the material very well by the time he was finished.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with interest in Masonic history, as it provides a precious window into a Lodge that would easily have been forgotten otherwise. You can pick up a physical copy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble for $10 US; unfortunately, due to rights issues for the images, a digital copy is not currently available.

Get it here.

~AT

The Value of Old Books

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RW Robert H. Johnson

With the NMJ (Northern Masonic Jurisdiction) Scottish Rite releasing their new 700+ page edition of the Francken Manuscript, it's time to talk about the value of these kinds of books. First of all, if you would like to read about this full color facsimile rendition, with essays etc., please visit HERE. It's a bit pricey, but I am sure it's worth the money. My only gripe is that not everyone involved in its production is a Mason. I don't think it detracts from the quality, just my opinion.

The main point I would like to cover in this short piece is the value of reprints, facsimile or otherwise. I personally own several facsimile reprints. Of course some do not like them because the quality can sometimes be not as great, but when it comes to being able to access rare prints etc. these are perfect. A great company is Kessinger's  Books. They offer a multitude of amazing books which are insanely hard to find for a reasonable cost.

Case in point, a copy of "The Masters Word - A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light and the Self" can run the gamut in price like this one which is over $1000.00 for an original in "good" condition. This is a lot to spend on a book that is about 116 pages. Forgotten Books Series from Kessinger's on Amazon gives you a wonderful reprint of this text for $11.00. Also, in the back of many of these facsimile reprints, the company will put a page at the end of the book, listing other books like the one you're reading which you can purchase through them at similar cost.

Hope this aids you all in your search for more light! Keep reading.

~RHJ

RWB, Robert Johnson is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 where he is a Past Master. He also serves as the District Deputy for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry and is also an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon.

Observing The Craft - WB Andrew Hammer

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

W.B. Gregory J. Knott

Observing the Craft was written by WB Andrew Hammer, Past Master of Alexandria-Washington

Lodge No. 22 in Virginia.

This book is a riveting review of Freemasonry in the United States today. Hammer takes on the issues that the craft faces in a direct manner including; ritual, distractions - other Masonic bodies, dress, the festive board, the pursuit of excellence etc.

In all of the issues that he addresses, he advocates that Masons should work with a higher determination to make the Craft all that it is capable of being. Hammer doesn’t pretend that his pathway is the only way for Freemasonry, but rather one of the many that Freemasonry can be practiced with.

I seem to think he is challenging us to consider the origins and true purpose of the craft, to set our aspirations and goals at a much higher standard than many lodges practice today.

According to WB Hammer:

“There are some things in life that cannot be made of a lesser quality nor sold at a lesser price, even if the seller should become less prosperous as a result. A teaching in the Jewish tradition declares that even if there is not one person to worship the Almighty, the value and glory of the Almighty nonetheless remains intact and the Almighty continues to exist. Dear brethren, the value and glory of Freemasonry exists of whether or not we are ten or ten million. Let us not call out the Mystic Angel Freemasonry from the Holy of Holies so that it my abused by the unworthy.”

This book serves as a guide for a Masonic revitalization of your lodge. Be prepared to have your notions of what Freemasonry can be challenged and thus in turn, to challenge yourself to a commitment of self-improvement of the individual and Freemasonry as a whole.

I had the privilege to hear WB Hammer speak at the 2013 banquet of The Masonic Society during Masonic Week. Just as in his writings, as a speaker he does not disappoint.

More information on Observing the Craft may be obtained at WB Hammer’s website observingthecraft.com and his book can be ordered through Amazon.


~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He's a member of both the Scottish Rite, and the York Rite, and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club in Champaign-Urbana. He's also a member of the Ansar Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. He holds membership also in The Masonic Society, The Scottish Rite Research Society and the Philalethes Society. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts--an Eagle Scout himself, he serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois A. F. & A. M. as their representative to the National Association of Masonic Scouters.

Author Todd E. Creason Announces Hiatus

It's true. I'm in the process of wrapping things up now.

Over the next couple weeks, I'll be finishing up a few projects (one with my good friend and Brother Master Mason Michael Shirley), and then I'll be shutting down for what could be an extended leave from writing.  I do plan on continuing to post on The Midnight Freemason as long as the interest remains, but I'll probably cut down on it a little bit (and I've asked a few friends to guest post on occasion as well).  But there won't be another book for quite some time.

I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'd be foolish to pass it up.  I never finished my bachelor's degree.  I've worked on it on-and-off for years, but recently I was given a tremendous incentive (and the opportunity) to finish it.  It will take me approximately two years--and depending on how this goes, I may not stop with that. We'll see what happens.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to be both a full-time employee, a full-time student, and a part-time writer (and lets not forget husband and dad in there, too).  It's been a very difficult decision to make.  I really enjoy writing, and hopefully, the idea of getting back to it will push me to finish up as quickly as possible.

I realize the timing is a little odd with the recent release of my fifth book A Shot After Midnight.  But with the new book, many have asked me what I'm going to be working on next . . . so now you know.  I'll be working on me (and many would argue I could use extensive work).  And, of course, in this most recent novel, I left a hell of a cliff-hanger!  Be patient.  Believe me, the next one is the best story I've come up with, in fact, it's the story I've been working up to with the previous two novels.  The next story in the Twin Rivers Series has been the goal of these novels from the very beginning.  I knew where I was going from the first book--it's an idea I've been toying with for nearly 20 years.  If you read the first two novels carefully, it's all there. There will be a lot of surprises in the next one. I promise you, it will be worth the wait.

I'll still be around, just in a reduced capacity.  And I'll still be here, so be sure to continue to stop in.  I'm very pleased to tell you that March 2012 was my best "hit" month since I started.  I enjoy this, and I'm certainly not giving this up.  Who knows, fewer posts may be a positive thing--as my wife is so fond of pointing out, a little of me sometimes goes a long, long way.

And thank you all, for your support, your comments, and your emails.  I'm not done yet--I'm just getting started.  I'm just going to take a little time to smooth some of the edges on that ashlar.

~Todd E. Creason

Book Update: A Shot After Midnight Now Available In Paperback

Although the Nook and Kindle editions have been available for nearly a week, the paperback copies of A Shot After Midnight are now available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.  Buy it at Barnes & Noble, and you can save 2 cents off retail!  You better move fast--a deal that good is not likely to last.

It's been interesting watching over the last few years as e-books have become so prevalent.  Actually, about 80% of you are reading my books on your Nook or Kindle--that's exactly opposite of what was true three years ago.

So I have a little more news for those of you hi-tech readers that are playing with your new iPads this week.  Both of the Famous American Freemasons books, and A Freemason Said That? (my collection of great quotes from famous Freemasons you so often see on here) are available at iBookstore.  Be sure and check that out.

Fun stuff, huh?

~TEC

Novel Update: A Shot After Midnight Now Available For Nook and Kindle

Even though the print copies are a couple weeks away, the NOOK and KINDLE versions of A SHOT AFTER MIDNIGHT are now available for download!  And remember, this is the second book in a series: the first novel ONE LAST SHOT is also available for NOOK and KINDLE, and of course in paperback!

Moon & Son Publishing (2012), Paperback
280 pages, ISBN: 978-0-9831156-1-8

A SHOT AFTER MIDNIGHT
Levi Garvey returns in a flawless addition to author Todd E. Creason's Twin Rivers series.

"Nothing ever happens in Twin Rivers." That's what the residents of the small Illinois town always say, but as Levi and Tori had learned in their deadly encounter with Police Chief Doug Malone two years earlier--the past has an ugly way of coming back.

When Ray Billings retires from the police force in Savannah, Georgia, and takes the job as the new Twin Rivers Chief of Police, he believes it's going to be a gravy job.  And the part he is looking forward to the most is renewing his long-time friendship with Levi Garvey. But Ray barely has a chance to settle in when the crack of a rifle shatters the peace and quiet of Twin Rivers and sets him and the Garveys on a life-and-death hunt for a killer who has returned after nearly forty years to silence the last witnesses in a decades old bank robbery.

ONE LAST SHOT
Moon & Son Publishing (2011)

And in case you missed the first novel . . . 

ONE LAST SHOT 
Levi Garvey thought he was just going home for a class reunion.  He had no idea he was about to stumble upon a dangerous secret that would change his life forever . . .  


The best-selling author of two novels, Levi Garvey, is at a crossroads. His third novel has been widely criticized as a flop. His celebrity lifestyle is falling apart, but he fears there isn’t another book in him. Because the creative well has gone dry, he realizes it’s time to figure out the next phase of his life.

Levi heads home to the small rural town of Twin Rivers, Illinois, for the first time in two decades to settle his grandmother’s estate and to attend his 25th high school reunion. It isn’t long before he’s reunited with the only woman he’s ever truly loved, Tori Buchanan. Then the unexpected happens. He gets the spark of an idea. As he works on it, he knows it could very well become his next novel.

But as Levi researches this new novel, he stumbles upon a decades-old secret—a secret that will inexplicably change his life and the peaceful little town of Twin Rivers forever. 

~TEC

Author News: Todd's New Novel To Be Released Spring 2012

My fifth book A SHOT AFTER MIDNIGHT is almost ready for publication--it should be out (hopefully) by the middle of April 2012.  I'll give you the official back cover treatment first, and then I'll tell you a little more about it.

Moon & Son Publishing (2012), Paperback
280 pages, ISBN: 978-0-9831156-1-8

A SHOT AFTER MIDNIGHT
Levi Garvey returns in a flawless addition to author Todd E. Creason's Twin Rivers series.

"Nothing ever happens in Twin Rivers." That's what the residents of the small Illinois town always say, but as Levi and Tori had learned in their deadly encounter with Police Chief Doug Malone two years earlier--the past has an ugly way of coming back.

When Ray Billings retires from the police force in Savannah, Georgia, and takes the job as the new Twin Rivers Chief of Police, he believes it's going to be a gravy job.  And the part he is looking forward to the most is renewing his long-time friendship with Levi Garvey. But Ray barely has a chance to settle in when the crack of a rifle shatters the peace and quiet of Twin Rivers and sets him and the Garveys on a life-and-death hunt for a killer who has returned after nearly forty years to silence the last witnesses in a decades old bank robbery.

ONE LAST SHOT
Moon & Son Publishing (2011)

So this is another installment of the Twin Rivers Series.  The first book One Last Shot was published in April 2011.  Whether I'm writing about Famous American Freemasons or writing fiction, I seem to think only in multiple volumes.  And I'm sure this novel isn't the last story from the small town of Twin Rivers.  

This one is paced a little differently from the first book. In the first book, I tried to trick the readers into thinking at first they were reading a pleasant little story about a man returning to his hometown after 25 years, getting back with his one true love--and living happily ever after in quiet rural contentment.  Of course, just about the time the reader was waiting for the love story to begin, I tossed in a hand grenade, and everything went to hell in a hand basket.  So this time around, there was little question what kind of stories I like to write, so I just went ripping into it.  

The whole cast of character is back in this one (except the ones that didn't make it through the first novel obviously)--and many new characters, too.  My Freemason friends were a little disappointed the first book didn't offer much about Freemasonry--they won't be disappointed this time as the cover might allude (we like that word allude).  But I will tell you up front, Freemasonry is only a backdrop in this book, and not a part of the story--I'm not Dan Brown, and I have no interest in ever doing that.  But this was a fun book to write, but by far the one that has challenged me the most.  It just about didn't happen, if it weren't at the constant prodding from my editor (mom) that it was a great story it would have never been finished.

I'd like to give special thanks to Brion Sausser.  He's a very talented artist, and he did the amazing cover for One Last Shot (and if you bought the first book, you know that the back cover was just as impressively designed as the front.  So obviously, I called him again, and he certainly didn't disappoint me on the cover for A Shot After Midnight.  In fact, he took a much larger role in the project this time.  He not only designed the cover, but he also did the interior design as well--and it looks great!  He's also designing the e-book versions for the iBook, Nook, and Kindle editions.  So be sure to check out his website at Book Creatives.  He's great to work with, and offers a full range of services, from book design, to marketing, to website creation.  


So that's that story.  Watch for it!

~TEC

Article Published: Working Tools Masonic Magazine



January 2012 Issue

 

I've mentioned the Working Tools Masonic Magazine before, and have given it glowing reviews--I like it because it's well produced, and offers a little something for everyone.  The magazine has been around since 2006, and has published 48 issues to date.  Cory Sigler, the editor of Working Tools Magazine contacted me a couple months ago, and asked if I'd be interested in providing a piece for the magazine.  I was, and I did--they published my piece Rocket Man in their first issue (January) of 2012.

Cory called me last week to tell me that the January edition of Working Tools Magazine had broken all previous records for hit count in the first week after it was released.  So check out the magazine--you'll enjoy it.  Working Tools Magazine also has a Facebook page here. 

~TEC

My Year In Review . . .

I've begun a very long and much needed vacation.  I don't know how often I'll be posting during this vacation, but there is a good chance it won't be with the same regularity I usually do.  So I thought I'd wrap up the year by looking back on what has been a very remarkable year for me . . . don't worry, I'll just hit the highlights.

Published My First Novel

I've wanted to write a novel for years--and I've tried a few times. It isn't as easy as you might think. Most of those earlier attempts are still gathering dust in my file cabinet.  But that was about to change.  I got an idea for a novel on a long drive home from a meeting in 2009.  It was an idea that was brand new for me, and by the time I arrived home, I knew I had something.  I worked on it all night, and by morning when my wife got up, I was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a rough outline of a novel called One Last Shot.  About a year-and-a-half later (Spring 2011) I published it.  It became so popular so quickly, that I immediately began a second novel--a follow-up to the first.  I'd actually gotten the idea for the second novel while I was editing the first.  The second novel, A Shot After Midnight, will be released in Spring of 2012.

I Got Fired, And Then Sentenced To Life The Same Day

I finished my term as Worshipful Master at my lodge. I had mixed feelings about it.  I enjoyed my time in the East a great deal. Many are relieved when their term as Master is over, but I would have gladly done another year.  We did a lot of interesting things the year I was in the East, perhaps my favorite of these events was sponsoring the play "December's Rose" at our lodge, and using the proceeds to help a local family.

But, the members of my lodge had a plan for me after all--they elected me Secretary.  So now I have a job for life (unless I really mess up.) 

The 33rd Degree

The cap ceremony at the Valley of Danville (IL)

It goes without saying that receiving the 33rd Degree is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's not likely I'll ever forget that trip to Chicago in August.  Receiving the 33rd Degree is without question one of the greatest honors I've ever received.  We had so much fun, we ate some great meals, and made many new friends.  It's also the first time Valerie and I had a few days alone since our four-year-old was born (she stayed with her grandparents that week).  There are all kinds of pictures of that weekend posted here. You just never know where life is going to take you, but I can honestly say, I certainly never thought I'd be considered for such a great honor.  I certainly never dreamed where my writing would lead when I started writing the Famous American Freemasons books back in 2006, but the idea it might one day lead to a white cap certainly never crossed my mind. 

The first weekend of November, I received the last part of that honor--the white cap from the Valley of Danville.  As is the tradition in my Valley, Valerie had the priveledge of putting the cap on me (as Katie watched).  That guy in the purple hat standing off to the right is the Illustrious James L. Tungate, 33, our valley Active member of the Supreme Council.  Jim has become a very good friend of mine, so I asked him to write the introduction of Famous American Freemasons: Volume II, which he did.  It was a terrific introduction, and Valerie claims it added a much needed "touch of class" to my books (I don't know what that was supposed to mean). 

I should also mention that Bro. Tungate received a big honor recently, too--he was elected Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (NJ). It's a big honor, and much deserved--congrats Bro. Tungate!

Two Day Booksigning At Illinois Grand Lodge

Brian "Rooster Cox & Todd E. Creason signing books

Our outgoing Grand Master, Richard L. Swaney, gave me and another Masonic writer Brian "Rooster" Cox a unique opportunity at our Grand Lodge's Annual Meeting in Springfield (IL).  Grand Master Swaney gave us a table, and for two days, Rooster and I talked to Masons all over the state about our books, about writing, and about publishing. We had a lot of fun doing it, and on the second day, our wives and our kids came and joined us. And we might have been having a bit too much fun--our corner was said to be the noisiest one there.  It wasn't all us--we had plenty of help turning that corner of the lobby into a circus. Brian and I went back and worth all weekend, and he even remarked that I shouldn't be surpirsed if he didn't make me a villian in his next book. But be careful, Brian, two can play that game. But it was certainly a fun weekend, and a nice family trip for us. 

Helped Charter a New Chapter of High Twelve

Now this one hasn't happened yet, but we're well on our way.  There was a group of local Freemasons that work at the University of Illinois that were getting together every so often for lunch.  Sometimes we had five or six, and other times there were just three of us.  But we got talking about doing something more with our little unofficial lunch club--maybe use it as a means of networking with other Freemasons in the area, or to use the club to introduce perspective Masons to other Freemasons in a more social setting.  So we started meeting more regularly, and inviting more people to join us for these lunches.  By our second meeting, we had enough we started thinking about chartering a High Twelve chapter.  Well, the state representatives for Illinois High Twelve joined us at our last meeting, and we're well on our way to chartering the Illini High Twelve.  And it was a great honor for me to be named the Illini High Twelve's first President!

A New Novel Is Coming!

I've been getting a lot of emails asking about when the sequel to One Last Shot will be released.  One thing I do plan on finishing during my vacation is my second novel A Shot After Midnight.  The first big round of editing is done.  I'm working my way through the second edit now, and then there will be one more round, just to catch anything we missed, and to finish fine tuning.  We are right on schedule for a Spring 2012 release.  It's looking like possibly April at this point.  And this story is a doozey--I think it's even better than the first novel.

What Next?

This is going to be tough year to beat without a doubt, but I plan to get to work on the last volume of the Famous American Freemasons series this year.  I'm also planning on working on a few articles and pieces this year--in fact, the first of these will be published soon in The Working Tools Masonic Magazine.  And there's another idea for a possible third novel too.  We'll just see where this next year takes us.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

~TEC  

Author Updates

I had a very busy weekend, and a busy week coming up, so The Midnight Freemason may be a little light on content this week.  I usually type those blog entries up over the weekend and schedule their release throughout the week.  Didn't happen last weekend.  But I thought I'd give you a few updates on my projects.

-A Shot After Midnight, my second novel, and a sequel to One Last Shot, is through the first editing round, and that process was a monster.  It should be easier going forward.  It's right on schedule for a Spring 2012 release.  I'm not planning on giving out many details about it, or what it's about until we're closer to release.  I will tell you I plan on enlisting the talent of Brion Sausser again for this book cover. 

-I finished a limited book tour, and I've got some books left over.  If you want autographed copies contact me at webmaster@toddcreason.org and I'll get them out to you.  There aren't a lot, so if you want them, it's on a first-come-first serve basis.  I won't be ordering additional copies.  I'm working on getting a an online store set up on here so you can order autographed copies through Paypal.  I hope to get that up and running over the weekend.

-The Midnight Freemason blog is finally taking off--I think I've finally found a formula that works.  I'm getting tons of emails from all over, and believe it or not, we've got more than 350 Twitter followers!  Thanks for your support.  As I've said many times before, if you run across something interesting you think would be good for The Midnight Freemason blog, send it my way.  As you are undoubtedly aware, I get my material from many sources--keep it coming!

I should be able to get back to regular posts tomorrow.  Sorry for the interuption in service.  In the meantime, I noticed the One Minute Mason has been busy--you can get your trivia fix there until I get caught up.  I also noticed there are a few new podcasts at Whence Came You  you can listen to. 

Thanks again,

~TEC

Booksigning Event: Danville (IL) Public Library October 15, 2011

Jane S. Creason

On Saturday, October 15th, 2011 between 2 PM - 4PM, I'll being doing a very unique booksigning event at the Danville (IL) Public Library.  I'll be there with my mother, who is also a published writer.  She's published two books now--When the War Came to Hannah and The Heron Stayed.  Actually, I come from a long line of writers, which is the theme of the book event at the library--the event is called A Family of Writers. 

Dr. Edwin "Mac" Swengel

My Grandma Betty was the first to publish in the family in 1982.  She was a poet, and published a collection called To Mount a Wind.  Unfortunately, that one is out of print now. It took twenty-five years, but I was next in line with Famous American Freemasons: Volume I (2007) & Famous American Freemasons: Volume II (2009).  Not to be outdone by his grandson, Grandpa Mac published a novel he'd written years earlier in 2010 called The Plainston Chronicles in two volumes. 

Elizabeth "Betsy" Swengel

Then mom published two books she'd been working on for years this spring (2011).  Of course these books are family projects--mom has edited all my books (along with my Aunt Marcia at times).  And my dad often chips in too--he finds these old books about famous Freemasons for my research.  Then I help mom on the technical side--designing fliers, picking book cover concepts, etc.  Of course my wife Valerie gets involved too--she actually designed the cover of A Freemason Said That?

Sadly both of my grandparents are gone now, but we'll have their books at the library.  Should be a fun day.  And Grandpa Mac still has another unpublished book, which should be out at some point in the near future.  Now that's a really neat trick--to continue to publish books posthumously.  We're kind of competitive in this family, and not to be outdone by my grandfather, I'm going to try and publish two books after I go.

If you're in the Danville (IL) area Saturday, drop in.

~TEC

Brian Cox: 7 Knights

My friend (and Brother Master Mason) Brian Cox published his long-awaited book earlier this week 7 Knights and it's available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble (amongst others).  I got my autographed copy last week when I went to see him speak at a local lodge.  I just got started into reading it last night, but I can tell you it's difficult to put down once you get started.  I'll no doubt have more to say about it once I get done.  In the meantime--congratulations to Brian on the publication of his first novel!

From the Publisher:

Recent West Point graduate Walt Tyler has nearly everything in life: respect as a successful quarterback, the affection of an attractive doctor, and a well laid-out military career. But Walt is plunged into the fight of his life when terrorists begin killing off the hidden network of Templar Knights, led by seven vital figures. Walt's grandfather, newly elected U.S. President Preston Tyler, one of the seven, holds the key to protecting the knights. He reveals to Walt the clandestine establishment intended to protect Christians during the last days. Having existed since the inception of the Knights Templar, the cryptic order of the Seven Knights has remained veiled for centuries. Brought up through history under the blanket of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Seven Knights maintain an exclusive membership of only seven men, powerful individuals including politicians, military leaders, corporate geniuses, and financiers from around the globe.

The sudden attack on the knights can only mean one thing: the antichrist is coming. In Brian Cox's gripping novel, Walt and Preston's desperate escape leads them along a modern underground railroad through the long-established safe havens of the Biltmore and the Hermitage as they attempt to discover by whom their death is being sought and how their centuries-old secret has leaked. Can Walt and Preston stop the terrorists before all Seven Knights are murdered?

Todd's New Website

My author website at toddcreason.org just got a huge facelift.  Every year or two, we got through the tedious task of revamping and reinventing my website so it doesn't get stale.  It seems like we just did that, but actually it was nearly two years ago. 

You'll never believe this, but it's true--I did it all by myself this time.  It looks a lot cleaner, and not as dark and foreboding as the last one was.  I like it, but it still needs a few tweaks here and there, and I don't have all the content on there .  It is way less complicated now, and I can update it myself.  The only reason I started the blog was that putting anything on my website was such a nightmare it wasn't worth it. 

The last phase I'll finish up this weekend.  I need to finish tweaking the blog--and I really need a different name.  I've got nothin'.

Any ideas?

~TEC   

Famous American Freemasons: Volume III

I think I finally got it!  I've had a breakthrough!  It looks like this project is a go. . . finally.

It always starts the same way.  I start with about a hundred and fifty names of worthy Famous American Freemasons written on business cards, and a bulletin board.  I've sometimes spent weeks narrowing that list down to just thirty names.  I'll change up the categories, I'll take a few names out of the mix, sometimes I have to go back and find some more names. When I finally get those names and categories finalized, I tack those names down, and hang the bulletin board on the wall in my cave--but the names and the categories often continue to change even as I'm researching and writing the book. 

It's not as easy as you might think, because there are a few things I like to do in each section of the book.  I like to include a couple names in each category everybody knows well, a couple most people are familiar with but don't know that much about, and maybe one name few people would know--but should.  And I also like to cover several different eras in American history in each category too.  So basically, I make it as difficult on myself as possible.

I've had a terrible time getting this volume to work out to my satisfaction, and had pretty much given up on the idea there was ever going to be a Volume III.  In fact, I've made it widely known there wouldn't be another one. That's part of the reason I took some time off the midnight shift.  I decided to take a little time to sit back and try and decide what I was going to do next.  Another novel?  Take up another Freemasonry topic to write about?  Or finally finish the the Famous American Freemason series I started back in 2006? 

The decision is made.  I'm going to finish the Famous American Freemason series next.   

But that won't be the next book out.  I've got one done now.  I finished a novel over Memorial Day, A Shot After Midnight.  It's a sequel to One Last Shot.  We're just beginning the editing process on it.  It will be out in Spring of 2012.  So I'm shooting for a Fall 2012 release for the final volume of Famous American Freemasons. For some reason, I seem to finish fiction in the spring and non-fiction in the fall. 

So within the next month or so, my sunny blog will go dark again, the moon and stars motif will return, and the midnight shifts will resume.  I should be well rested, energized, and ready to tackle it by then. 

If you have a favorite Famous American Freemason I haven't written about yet, please feel free to email me at webmaster@toddcreason.org.  As I said, that line-up will go through some changes--it's just a starting point.  In fact, a suggestion a friend of mine made was the key to getting this line-up to finally work--it lead me to a whole new category I hadn't explored in the series yet. 

~TEC

Time To Find A New Direction

I had a rather odd conversation with my friend William J. Hussey the other night--of course all my conversations with Bill Hussey over the years have been somewhat odd.  That's why I talk to him.  There are few friends I've met during my travels in Freemasonry that entertain me more. 

Anyway, our conversation got me thinking about a few things.  Ever since I became a Master Mason back in 2005, I've been writing about Freemasons, and talking about the Craft.  I was so inspired in the very beginning, I had a lot to say about it--five books in six years is a pretty impressive amount of work.  I couldn't guess how many speeches and articles I've written on top of that.  And I also edit and write pieces for a joint newsletter for my lodge and another local lodge.  I've worked double shifts five or six nights a week for nearly seven years now.  And I've gotten a lot out of it.

But for some time, my enthusiasm has begun to ebb somewhat.  These late night shifts have taken a toll on me.  I finished my second novel over Labor Day, and since then I've been researching another book about Freemasonry, and I just can't seem to get it to work, and I'm really not that excited about it.  Don't get me wrong, it's a great idea, I'm just tired.  Looking back at my blog over the last several months (okay, it began to flag about a year ago), it's pretty obvious I haven't exactly been at the top of my form with it either and the hit counts demonstrate I'm beginning to lose the interest of my readers.  It's gotten harder and harder over time to find things I'm truly interested in writing about.  I've fallen into a deep rut, and it seems like I'm just doing the same things over and over again.  I need to find a new direction, and I've known that for awhile now.  I just wasn't sure what direction to take.

I figured it all out the other night after talking to Bill.  I've spent too much time over the years writing about Freemasonry from behind a desk, and not nearly enough time actually enjoying it like I did in the beginning.  That's what first inspired me, so why did I stop doing that? 

The answer is fairly simple--its time.  There's only so much of it.  It's that 24-inch gauge that's kicking my butt.  Researching and writing is enormously time consuming, and it doesn't leave much spare time to do the very thing I've so enjoyed writing about.  I made a choice. 

So I'm going to quit working on books, at least for a while, and spend a little more time with my brothers.  Let my batteries recharge for awhile while I get back to the basics.  Maybe during this little hiatus I'll run across something, like I did in the beginning, that grabs my attention and won't let go.  Something I find so fascinating to me that I'll have to write about it.  In the meantime, be assured that if I do run across anything interesting in my travels, I'll be sure and tell you about it on here.  I've got a few new adventures beginning--I'm sure I'll have a few thoughts here and there.

I'm nearly at the end of my last night shift for what could be some time.  It's going to be a hard habit to break, but I think it's time to turn out the light and go to bed for a change.  We'll see what tomorrow has to offer. 

It brings to mind one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite Freemasons:

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.  Comes into us at midnight very clean.  It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.  It hopes we've learned something from yesterday."

~ John Wayne

~TEC

Famous American Freemasons Now Available at iBookstore

As of last week, all three of my nonfiction titles, Famous American Freemasons, Famous American Freemasons: Volume II, and A Freemason Said That?  Great Quotes of Famous Freemasons have been made available through iBookstore.  You can now download them and read them on your iPad, your iPod, or your iPhone. 

And very shortly, my novel One Last Shot should also be available at iBookstore.

I Took a Little Break

I decided to take some time off, about a week.  I needed it, but I'm back now.  I should be back to a regular posting schedule later this week.  It's been awhile since I've posted any updates, so I'll tell you about a couple things I've been working on.

Behaviorally Challenged
I've got a new blog called Behaviorally Challenged I started without much fanfare a few weeks ago.  The readers of The Midnight Mason seem to be looking for stories about Freemasonry, American History, or news about my books (in small doses).  You just didn't seem to appreciate my humor, so I decided to dedicate an entire blog to those little things I find amusing.  And people are beginning to notice it.  Check it out. 

New Novel: A Shot After Midnight
I finished it over the Memorial Day holiday.  I'm going to let it sit for a while before I begin editing, in fact, I may just let it sit all summer.  It's a great story.  I really love the way it turned out.  The novel takes place in the same town, and with many of the same characters that were in the first book (and a few more).  So anyway, it's on track for a Spring 2012 release. 

That's about all I have.  Enjoy your summer.

TEC

When Are You Going to Write Famous American Freemasons: Volume III?

After I posted last week about the new novel I'm working on, I got a flurry of emails asking me about the long promised Famous American Freemasons: Volume III.  To date, there is no Volume III in the works, or planned in the near future.  And let me tell you a couple reasons why.

When I wrote the first two books, my plan was to write two books about Famous American Freemasons, and possibly a third that would include Freemasons from around the world.  People had a fit when I let that be known (Freemasons are a very patriot group).  So I changed directions pretty quickly, and I decided if I did write a third volume, it would be another all-American book.  However, I used the big names in the first two books, and what I was left with when I began planning the third in the series was a very weak line-up of famous Americans compared to the first two.  I've worked and reworked the list many times, and I'm not satisfied with it.

And there is another problem--time.  Researching and writing is time consuming. It takes about a week to research one chapter in my Famous American Freemasons books.  That's a lot of time in the library.  It wasn't so difficult a few years ago, but I've got a lot more going on now.  Full time job, a four-year-old at home, Master of my Masonic lodge, editor of a monthly newsletter, the blog, I'm taking classes again, and launching Moon & Son Publishing--not to mention the yard work, and errands involved in everyday life. 

So when I do get a few hours to write, I tend to write a little lighter--fiction.  And I've really enjoyed it.  One Last Shot has done much better than I anticipated, and so I've decided to follow it up with another novel set in the same town, and with many of the same characters.  If the second one does as well as the first one has, we'll see where that leads.

I do have plans to write more non-fiction eventually if I can better organize my time.  Freemasons have a nearly universal inability to say "no" and as a result, we tend to be very busy people.  But I sincerely doubt there will ever be and Famous American Freemasons: Volume III.  However, I wouldn't be surprised if at some point I don't go back to the original plan, and write a final volume that includes non-American Freemasons.


~TEC

Book Announcement: A Shot After Midnight

Best-selling author Levi Garvey and his new wife Tori, first introduced in Todd E. Creason’s debut novel One Last Shot, are back, along with a few other familiar faces. It’s been nearly two years since Levi and Tori’s deadly encounter with Twin Rivers Chief of Police, Doug Malone, and life in the small town of Twin Rivers has returned to its usual quiet pace. But it’s not to last.

On a clear and quiet spring night, a single shot echoes across the town of Twin Rivers. It’s not long before the body of Andy Miller is found dead in his living room. Shot through a window at long range with a high-powered rifle. Andy Miller had been released that day from prison after serving 38 years. He was imprisoned for his involvement in the 1973 armed robbery of the First National Bank of Calloway, where a police officer was brutally gunned down.

Fraught with twists and turns, A Shot After Midnight is a riveting sequel to One Last Shot that readers will find impossible to put down until the last page.

Todd E. Creason's A Shot After Midnight will be available from Moon & Son Publishing at major booksellers everywhere in 2012. 

Brian Cox: The Scottish Rite Valley of Danville's Newest Writer

Available May 2011

It's true!  The Valley of Danville now has two published writers. 

I had a chance over the weekend at the Valley of Danville Spring Reunion to catch up with my friend Brian Cox.  He's written a novel about the Knights Templar called 7 Knights which will be released in May 2011 at major bookstores everywhere, and will also be availabe as an e-book.  I'll make sure to post links after 7 Knights comes out.  I can't wait to read it myself.  And Brian mentioned to me, he might have an idea or two about the next project. 



Right now, Brian is going through my least favorite part of writing books--that final edit, when you go through the book and find anything that's wrong before it's printed and released.  What most people probably don't know about writing, is that by the time that book is released, the author hasn't just spent months researching and writing it, but he's probably written it more than once.  And who knows how many times the author reads over it time and time and time again to make sure it's as it should be.  By the time the writer gets to that final edit, he really could care less if he ever sees it again.  Writing is exhaustive and tedious at times--but it's also highly addictive.  I don't know how Brian gets through that tedious final edit, but I find that one 16 oz. beer per 50 edited pages works quite well.  



Richard L. Swaney
Grand Master of Illinois



The one thing that helped me get started was the support and assistance the Valley of Danville, and the Grand Lodge of Illinois (amongst many others) gave me in getting the word out about my first book Famous American Freemasons.  That book would have never gotten off the ground without that support and encouragement.  Our Grand Master of Illinois, Richard L. Swaney has offered that same kind of assistance again.  He's arranged for Brian Cox and I to have a table in the lobby at Illinois Grand Lodge Convocation in October where we'll be promoting our books, and signing copies.

It should be a lot of fun.  And congratulations, Brian, on this most impressive accomplishment (from somebody that knows all about the work involved).

~TEC