Linda Brown Carlson
Many people have asked me, “How did you come up with the idea for this story?”
The concept of two souls bound together since the beginning of time launched my idea for The Journey of the Jade Ring. If individuals could be reincarnated, where might those souls go while waiting to be reborn into their next life? Speculation abounds. Accounts of near-death experiences appear to have similar threads. A bright light. A spirit guide. A place where a tree in the world’s center connects heaven and earth, converging all times and places. A meeting place for souls waiting for their next existence.
What if two souls were to meet, find they are each other’s half, and vow to meet again in subsequent lives?
When an expert in Asian jade explained the jade stone had a magical quality to span many generations, I wondered, could this be the portal to follow the two lovers through time? I love history and research.
What were some things soulmates might enjoy doing together? Flying a kite came to mind. Researching the origins of the kite led me to the inventor, Lu Bān, who lived in China in the fourth century BC. This query propelled me into the secluded and fascinating legacy of Chinese ingenuity.
The Journey of the Jade ring tells the story of Lu Bān, now remembered as the father of carpentry, who lived in ancient China during the end of the Spring and Autumn years and the beginning of the Warring States period when the Zhou Dynasty weakened. The story follows the historical timeline as the power of the nobles in each state grew, eventually rendering the dynasty ruler powerless. This political decline opened the door for the dukes in the states to vie for power, warring with each other, grabbing territory, consolidating their strength, paving the way for the ultimate destruction of the Zhou Dynasty and the consolidation of the states creating the Han dynasty, lasting over four hundred years.
It has been my earnest endeavor to use verifiable historical facts when these facts are known―considering the story’s time frame, 500 BC, China, and its vast secluded territory―the western world knew little of its advanced knowledge or innovations.
Accounts of Lu Bān’s life vary from source to source. Some identify him as the son of a carpenter or a minor lord; others have him a lowly peasant, perhaps an orphan. Written accounts of his life occurred many years after his death and varied from writer to writer, with legends and stories embellished through many centuries. Still, Chinese oral history credits Lu Bān with inventing many familiar implements, such as the frame saw, plane, chalk line, and shovel, among various other tools. Legend holds he invented a mechanical bird to carry him home to visit his wife when his work separated them. I have used these tales to give life to this talented inventor.
I hail from the beautiful state of Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby, where I began my fascination with horses and my love of dogs. I graduated from Eastern Kentucky University and earned a master’s degree from The University of Louisville, majoring in secondary education. After a sixteen-year career in teaching, I moved to South Carolina, where I enjoyed a position with a school district, wearing many hats: business and community liaison for the technology center, placement, and continuing education coordinator. Before retiring, my non-fiction writing skills produced stacks of reports, articles for two professional magazines, and many successful grant proposals for our district.
Now I am rooted in Southern California, enjoying the opportunity to devote my time to writing stories about real people from history with a fantasy twist.
My soulmate and I live there . . . this incarnation.
My other interests include: tracing my roots, researching long-lost relatives, looking for clues to their past. I have spent many hours, days in fact, on genealogy sites like Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, and familysearch.org. My biggest surprise came when I discovered most of my relatives came to America during its colonial days, settling in Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and Kentucky, when it was still part of Virginia. Several relatives fought in the Revolutionary War. Generations later, their relatives fought and died in the Civil War.
My husband and I began ballroom dancing several years ago, an interest that morphed into learning Argentine tango.
I am a member of the National League of American Pen Women, Palm Springs Branch, and the Palm Springs Writers Guild.
