Coming Soon! *Hopefully*

Hello to all my readers! I promise, the Weekly Chrononaut is not dead. It's just been in hibernation as I've been so busy wrapping up my FINAL semester at university (now less than 11 days until graduation!!).
I just wanted to let you know of a few things I'm working on and hoping to have released very soon (sometime in mid-May):

- The (temporary) Conclusion of "Silent Night." I've nearly finished Part 6, and that will be the final update for the immediate future. It will wrap up WWI and set the stage for the post war world. I will most likely revisit that world sometime in the future, but I want to get that story to a stopping point and work on some of my other projects I have going.

- Arcadia Springs/Chamber Chronicles: I first mentioned this early in November as a potential project. My goal is to have a first story out sometime in May. I've been hammering out the back story, and hope to have something for you to read soon.

- Titanic Colony: This is a story I started some time ago, and my siblings have been pestering me to do more with it. I think I'll start sharing that story shortly. This is a bit of sci-fi mixed in with alternate history. It's essentially a world building project. I won't give much more away for now.

Also, I've set up a Facebook page to allow people to connect and interact with the blog through that site. In addition to posting links to new posts, I hope to conduct polls there and do other alternate history-related posts and discussions.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy what's coming in the future.

The State of Sequoyah

So, back in February, I entered the following "story" in a contest on a favorite blog of mine, The Alternate History Weekly Update. I meant to share this on here then, but I was so busy with school that I was unable to. If you haven't already read it, I hope you enjoy it. 

Excerpt from Modern History of Oklahoma and Sequoyah, 1890-Present

Chapter 1: Statehood

The Twin Territories and the Election of 1904

At the turn of the 20^th century, north of the State of Texas, lay the so-called “Twin Territories,” referring to the Oklahoma and Indian Territories. In these two lands, the Federal Government relocated thousands upon thousands of Native American tribes from their original lands to this relatively small location. The most famous, of course, were the “Five Civilized Tribes”. They were called “civilized” because they had adopted a lot of customs and traditions thought of as belonging to the “white man’s culture.” They built houses, had governments, and some even had their own alphabet. Although moved there against their will, these tribes would soon leave their own marks on the map of North America.

            Prior to 1890, this whole area had been Indian Territory, but pressure for white settlement in the region resulted in the famous land-runs of 1889, giving away land not used by the tribes. The subsequent creation of Oklahoma Territory in 1890 was out of the western half of Indian Territory. In the following years, more and more Indian land in Oklahoma territory was given away to white settlement at the expense of the Native American inhabitants. The leaders of the “Five Tribes” recognized this pattern and feared it would be repeated in their own territory. They began to discuss different options to preserve their lands and autonomy, coming to the conclusion that they must organize and petition the Federal Government for the creation of their own state.  Meetings between the different tribal governments set up the plan for a statehood convention to be held in the town of Muskogee in July 1905.

            Out of the hands of these tribal leaders, the Election of 1904 would be critical for their plan to succeed. The Republican Party, which nominated Senator Mark Hannah to succeed the two-term presidency of Republican William McKinley, feared the creation of more Democratic-controlled states, and upsetting the balance of power between Eastern and Western states. When asked about the Oklahoma and Indian territories, most Republicans in Congress supported combining the two territories into a single state. On the other hand, the Democratic Party, which once again nominated William Jennings Bryan as their candidate, supported a two state plan, both liking the idea of giving their party the chance for two new pro-Democratic states and also wanting to protect the rights of Indians and their treaties.

            The leaders of Indian Territory got lucky. The later half of William McKinley’s presidency had been rough. Economic problems and several sever labor disputes had made the country wary of many Republicans. And to make matters worse, McKinley’s Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt, was outraged that Senator Hannah had prevented him from getting the Republican Party’s nomination. He campaigned as an independent under a loose party he created called the National Party. McKinley’s unpopularity combined with the severe divisions within the Republican Party led to a major sweep for the Democrats. With Bryan’s inauguration in March of 1905, the stage was set for the leaders of Indian Territory to create their own state. 

The 1905 Convention

The date for the start of the Indian Territory Statehood Convention was set for Monday, July 31, 1905. The delegates elected William C. Rogers, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, as the President of the Convention, and Green McCurtain, Chief of the Choctaw Nation, as Vice President. The delegates had several issues to overcome. First among them was the status of the tribal governments that were represented. Federal policy was to “Americanize” the Native Indians and according to the Curtis Act of 1896, Washington would no longer recognize tribal governments after 1906. There were many in attendance that wanted to find some way to circumvent this looming deadline.

            Chief Rogers introduced a revolutionary plan he hoped would help preserve some of the tribal governments at the state level even when the Federal recognition went away. Rogers proposed that the governments of the Five Tribes be integrated in to the state government. The territory would be divided into counties, which would be grouped under whatever Tribal Nation they happened to be in. Most power would still rest with the state governments, but there would be judicial and representational districts drawn along the old tribal lines. In addition, tribes would have councils to handle issues at a lower level before they had to be addressed at the state level. He also suggested that “tribal” citizenship would be based upon who lives in the boundaries of that tribe, not on who was actually Indian blood. This was quite bold, and definitely a departure from just about every other state government in existence in the whole of the Union at the time.

Despite worry from some, including delegate Charles N. Haskell of the Creek Nation, the delegates decided to base their constitution on this plan. Haskell believed strongly in separate statehood, and so he fought hard to get the language of the proposals changed so as to avoid the potential rejection of the Federal government. In the final document, there is no mention of “tribes” or of the five nations. Instead, these political divisions were called “districts” and were named after cities: Tahlequah for the Cherokee; Okmulgee for the Creek; Wewoka for the Seminole; Tuskahoma for the Choctaw; and Tishomingo for the Chickasaws. These were to serve as an intermediary between the State and county governments, and would primarily serve as judicial districts. Some delegates criticized Haskell, saying that he was weakening the tribes too much. He countered that the Federal government would never approve a constitution with strong Indian governments. He believed that after statehood was achieved, the tribal governments could be reconstituted on some level without interference from Washington. His arguments won over most, and on September 8, the convention adopted the Constitution of the proposed State of Sequoyah. After approval by territorial voters in November, Haskell, Rogers, and several others took their proposal to the national capital to seek Federal approval. 

Statehood for Indian Territory

The reaction to the proposed “State of Sequoyah” in Washington was mixed. The Republican minority in the House was mostly against the idea, as expected, and there was some confusion about the “district” structure that was included in the constitution. Some congressmen correctly made the connection to the tribal boundaries and spoke out about this as a way to slip around the Curtis Act. President Bryan met with Haskell about the proposal on January 3, 1906, and seemed amiable to the proposal, promising he would do his best to see it passed. Congress would vote later that month, ultimately approving, by some of the narrowest of margins, the Sequoyah Enabling Act.

The bill recognized the constitution adopted by the Convention held the previous summer, stated that all tribal governments within the new state would be dissolved upon statehood, and recommended that Sequoyah be recognized as a state on March 1, 1906. President Bryan signed the bill on Tuesday, January 30, 1906, after which things began to move very fast. Elections for the governorship and legislature were scheduled for February 20^th, and the politicians went to work trying to secure votes. Haskell announced his candidacy as soon as he got back, as did Chief Rogers. Voter turnout was high, and Haskell was elected as first governor. As predicted, the Democratic Party controlled the new state legislature. Everything was now set for statehood.

            On March 1, 1906, thousands of Sequoyahns gathered at the local courthouse in the new state capital of Muskogee, where at the stroke of noon Charles N. Haskell would be sworn in as the first governor of the new state of Sequoyah. The people were ecstatic, many waving around the new state flag (consisting of three equal stripes, blue, white, and red, with a yellow 5-pointed star in the center that was upside down just like in the new state seal), ready for their state to join the Union.

-------------

From Chapter 8: Final Devolution in the tumult of the 1950s

Native Rights Movement and Devolution

The 1950s were a tumultuous time throughout the United States. In the South, African Americas were clamoring for real equality. In the West, the Asian communities wanted equality before the law and also compensation for their poor treatment during the Second World War. Throughout the West and Midwest, Native Americans wanted true equality and restoration of their old tribal organizations. In this, the States of Sequoyah and Oklahoma led the fight.

            Thanks to the planning of Sequoyah’s first governor Charles N. Haskell, the governments of the Five Civilized Tribes were gradually reconstituted over the intervening four decades. By 1950, the so-called “judicial districts” had been renamed as the original Indian nation that they represented (1919).  Those nations had elected legislatures called Councils (1930), and the state legislature had gradually granted more and more authority to those councils. In 1939, the nations elected “Executive Chiefs” who would sit on the Governor’s cabinet to represent the interests of the 5 Tribes. When the Great Equal Rights campaign erupted, the State of Sequoyah, led by its governor, Samuel Rogers, soon found itself at the forefront.

            In the State of Oklahoma, things had taken a little longer to get off the ground after statehood in 1908. Many Native American’s who had means to do so moved to Sequoyah. Those who stayed did not have much in the way of representation until the 1930s, when a significant number of native representatives were elected to the state legislature in Guthrie for the first time. They began to advocate for the same kind of recognition for their tribes as what existed in Sequoyah. The first tribe to receive this was the Comanche Nation, followed by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation in 1948. These administrative districts were much weaker versions of what existed in Sequoyah, but were considered a “good start” by the locals.

            Sequoyah’s example to other tribes across the nation caused quite a stir, with native people’s demanding legal recognition from the Dakotas to New Mexico and even back east in New England. This would become even louder in 1952. That year, as the country decided whether pro-segregationist Democrat Michael Thompson would remain in the White House or if pro-equality Nationalist-Republican Richard Morris would take office, the citizens of Sequoyah were presented with nearly a dozen changes to their constitution. They called for a level of devolution to the Five Nations that had been unprecedented at statehood forty-six years prior. State taxes would be determined by each nation, police would be handled primarily at the tribal level, as would the courts, with the Supreme Court of Sequoyah becoming the only non-tribal court. The only things remaining under the State’s control would be the National Guard, education, intra-state trade, and the state highway network. On every other issue, power would be vested in the administrative zones of the Five Nations. In addition, the constitutional changes referred to the tribal organizations not as tribes, but as “First Nations,” a term that gained wide popularity in the Equal Rights Movement. An equal rights amendment was also on the ballot, ending racial segregation. When citizens of the state went to the polls on November 4^th, 1952, the amendments were overwhelmingly approved, making Sequoyah the most devolved state in the Union. Over the next decade, other tribes would pressure their states to give similar concessions, with varying degrees of success. It is widely accepted that the actions of Sequoyahns helped frame the section of the All are Created Equal Act of 1963 dealing with native peoples, which officially adopted the term “First Nations,” and saw the creation of dozens of tribal administrative districts throughout the country by the end of the 1970s. 

Status Update

Hello to all my readers! I just wanted to make a quick post to let you know that I hadn't fallen off the face of the Earth (or into an alternate universe). I've been very busy with student teaching, so I've had nowhere near the amount of free time that I had last fall when I started this blog. I've FINALLY started working on Part 6 of Silent Night, and I hope to have that out by....well, to be safe I won't set a date yet. If I get the time and the inspiration, I could have it done in the next month. Or it could take longer.
In addition, I've also been mulling over some other ideas for stories that hopefully will see the light of day on this blog sooner or later. And for those who might be wondering, I haven't given up on the idea for "Arcadia Springs" either, it just got moved to the creative back burner by other projects, including Silent Night.

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully you'll see more original work on this blog very shortly. I miss being on here!

Silent Night, Part 5

My apologies for taking so long to get this update out. I hope you enjoy it. 

PART 5: Writing the Peace, Act II

(click here for Part 4)

German soldiers march through Berlin, April 1915. 

TREATY DRAFT RECEIVES PRAISE AND CRITICISM 

LONDON, APRIL 20 - The “Treaty of Strasbourg” has been in the hands of government ministers across Europe for nearly a month now, and it is expected that there will be votes in several countries soon on whether or not to approve the treaty. The strongest support comes from the socialist government of France, which has stated to the press that they will vote on the treaty once a clean up from the civil war is completed. The anti-socialist forces of George Clemenceau surrendered on April 16th, after loosing the Second Battle of Auxerre on April 14th. The head of the government in Paris, Jean Juares, says that as soon as representatives of all regions of France have been able to assemble in the capital they will vote on the treaty, though he expects it to be approved by this new “National People’s Assembly.” 

In Germany, it appears that most commoners approve of the new treaty, or most of it, and are vehemently against the return of hostilities. Despite this, there seems to be a lingering animosity to the peace process among the German nobles, especially those from Prussia, and these men are doing all they can to influence Kaiser Wilhelm II to not approve the current draft of the treaty. They want to punish the mutineers, and most do not support giving up Alsace-Lorraine, even if it wouldn’t be given to France. In addition to this, there are serious reservations held by the government in Berlin about recognizing the legitimacy of the new socialist government in Paris. 

Support for the treaty is fairly strong in Russia. Despite not being involved in the initial Christmas Truce, the Russians fear facing Germany alone, and so have backed the treaty at the conference and it is expected that the Russian Tsar will give his consent soon. There are those in the Russian government and the Court of Tsar Nicholas II that fear revolt if the war were to drag on. Outside observers have repeatedly stated that the political and economic situation in the Russian Empire is on the verge of becoming quite dangerous, and it would not take much for that country to spiral into revolution. According to those stationed at the British Embassy in St. Petersburg, the Imperial government has gone through great lengths to keep a lid on the revolution in France, fearing that such news would bolster revolutionaries in their own country. 

Here in Britain, support for the peace is mixed. The common man calls for peace, while the upper classes are outraged at the mutiny that occurred and believe that not doing anything about it could lead to worse problems in the future. Debate in the House of Commons is set to begin within the next week, and it is unclear just where the support of Prime Minister Grey’s government lies. What it will ultimately come down to is whether or not the government can ignore popular opinion that supports the treaty. Many clergymen have spoken out against the recent war, and have begun to turn this into a moral and religious issue, which will make rejection of the peace harder to swallow. 

-”Treaty Draft Receives Praise and Criticism,” The Times (London), April 20, 1915. 

COUP IN BERLIN: ANTI-TREATY GENERALS TAKE POWER

BERLIN, APRIL 28 - The Chief of the German General Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, along with General Paul von Hindenburg, announced today that Kaiser Wilhelm II had taken ill and was no longer able to lead the nation, and that his son, Prince Wilhelm, will serve as regent for the time being. Although trying to give the semblance of legitimacy, it is very clear that this is anything but legitimate. The Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, has been dismissed by the Emperor, and rumor has it that the Reichstag may be dismissed as well. In addition, the German delegation in Strasbourg have received orders to return to Berlin. Among those in the delegation at the moment is Prince Oskar, the 25 year old son of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and he was one of the first to refer to what occurred as a coup. He and others in the delegation, including the Foreign Minister, have stated that they are refusing to return to Germany. 

Just what this means for the peace process in Strasbourg, or the state of the German Empire, is anyone’s guess at this point in time. Comrade Juares and Defense Minister Thomas has ordered a heightened alert for all troops stationed near the German boarder, and it is possible that additional troops may be sent to frontier fortifications. Officials at the People’s Palace in Paris have stated that, while the government believes that they can deal with this crisis without armed conflict, they want to be ready in case things deteriorate. 

-”Coup in Berlin: Anti-Treaty Generals Take Power,” Le Monde, April 29, 1915.

PRINZ OSKAR, VON JAGOW RALLY AGAINST COUP

STRASBOURG, APRIL 29- Prinz Oskar of Prussia, one of the sons of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow are decrying what is obviously a coup against the Kaiser and those in the German government who have supported the truce. The ministers and military officials that made up the German delegation in Strasbourg have been meeting non-stop since word of the actions of Generals von Falkenhayn and Hindenburg, and there are many here in the so-called “City of Peace” that think the delegates will back von Jagow as emergency Chancellor and Prinz Oskar as regent until the Kaiser can be liberated from the custody of the new regime in Berlin. The German members of the Christmas Army are in an uproar, and many are calling on the Army Consulate to order an invasion of Germany and put an end to the coup. 

Meanwhile, in Germany, Prince Wilhelm, as acting regent, has ordered all newspapers to stop publishing any news coming out of Strasbourg. In addition, General von Falkenhayn has ordered the armed forces to prepare for action, especially in Berlin and on the boarders with France. There is speculation that the coup leaders may order their troops to march on Strasbourg and close the peace congress. 

-”Prinz Oskar, von Jagow Rally Against Coup,” The Times (London), April 30, 1915. 

On May 1, 1915, the members of the German delegation to the Strasbourg Peace Congress announced that they were recognizing Prinz Oskar of Prussia as acting Regent, and Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow as emergency Chancellor, and called on Generals von Hindenburg and von Falkenhayn to release Kaiser Wilhelm II and restore the legitimate government. Within hours, many of the leaders of the provinces in western Germany announced allegiance to Prinz Oskar, denouncing the leaders of the coup. Very quickly, the leaders of Europe feared that Germany would find itself plunged into civil war. To avert this, Prinz Oskar and von Jagow and the leaders of the Christmas Army acted fast. 

A mere two days later, on May 3, the Regent, the Chancellor, and approximately one third of the German Contingent of the Christmas Army boarded express trains bound for Berlin, with the goal of ousting the coup leaders from power. As the trains crossed Germany, they met only light resistance, which they took as a sign that the coup was not as strong as it claimed to be. On the early morning of May 5, the so-called “Prinz Oskar’s Army” arrived in the imperial capital. They quickly secured the main train station. Outside, soldiers loyal to the coup opened fire, and the Battle of Berlin began. By noon, the anti-coup forces had pushed its way into the city center, and the pro-coup forces were fraying, as the populace of Berlin began to come out in support of Prinz Oskar. Just after noon, Prinz Oskar and von Jagow entered the City Palace, where their soldiers had captured General von Falkenhayn. They found out that General von Hindenburg and Prinz Wilhelm had fled to the palaces at Potsdam. In the upper level of the palace, soldiers found Kaiser Wilhelm, who’d been locked in a small room, and appeared to be suffering from some sort of pneumonia. 

By that evening, the troops loyal to the coup had either surrendered or fled the city to Potsdam. Three days later, reinforcements arrived and the anti-coup forces marched on Potsdam, overwhelming the coup and bringing about it’s end. Prinz Wilhelm and Hindenburg both died during the fighting. The legitimate government was restored on May 10. 

• Heim, Dr. Rudolph. The Birth of the New Germany. Berlin: Humboldt University Press, 1989. 

GERMANY BACKS TREATY

BERLIN, MAY 15- In the wake of the recent coup that occurred in Germany, the recently restored Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg announced today that Germany would fully support the Strasbourg Treaty, seeking only minor changes in the territorial concessions that Germany would make to the newly independent boarder states. The other main issue that had previously been mentioned, punishment of the mutineers, has vanished since the coup, due to fact that the German members of the Christmas Army are now being hailed as heros of the Empire and saviors of the Kaiser. If Britain and Austria-Hungary will back the treaty, then the Great European War could come to an end by June or July, one year after it started. 

-”Germany Backs Treaty,”  The Washington Post, May 16, 1915. 

KAISER WILHELM II DEAD

BERLIN, MAY 21- The Imperial Government of Germany announced this morning that Kaiser Wilhelm II died from complications to the pneumonia that he contracted before the start of the coup last month, and that was left untreated by the coup leaders. Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg has declared a state of mourning throughout Germany. Wilhelm II, son of Wilhelm I, the first Emperor of a a united Germany, was 56 when he passed from this world, reportedly surrounded by his wife, Prince Oskar, and other family, friends, and members of the Government. 

It is not entirely clear who will succeed Wilhelm II as Emperor. Since the coup, one high possibility is that Prince Oskar could ascend to the throne. This is not a guaranteed thing, since he is not the first in line for the throne. However, since Crown Prince Wilhelm died during the coup, exactly who is in line is unclear. Prince Eitel Friedrich, 31, is now the oldest surviving child of Wilhelm II, but he and his brother Prince August Wilhelm both gave tacit support to the coup in April. The government in Berlin may convene a regency council to determine who will ascend the throne as the next Kaiser. 

-”Kaiser Wilhelm II Dead,” The Times (London), May 22, 1915. 

AUSTRIA AGREES TO TREATY, FINAL PEACE IMMINENT 

VIENNA, MAY 24- After Britain’s recent announcement on the 23rd that they were giving consent to the Strasbourg Treaty, and in light of the loss of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has announced that they are giving their approval of the treaty as well. They were the last major power of the Great European War to agree to the peace proposal. Emperor Charles I & IV stated that, “the time for war is over. We must now make peace, we must stop the killing. Too many good and innocent people have perished since the war broke out in the summer of 1914. I say no more. No more killing, no more death.” 

President Wilson, on hearing that the Austro-Hungarian Empire had agreed to the treaty, told reporters at the White House that, “this is a great day for all humanity. Soon Europe can put this terrible conflict behind them, and our world will be a better place for it.” 

-”Austria Agrees to Treaty, Final Peace Imminent,” The Washington Post, May 25, 1915. 

(Click Here for Part 6)

Time Traveling through Photography

Hello to all my readers. Work is still on going on the next update of Silent Night. As to when said update will be up for you to enjoy, all I can say right now is "soon, hopefully." Student teaching is definitely keeping me busy, but I have found some time to write, and it is my hope that I can get you the next update, and maybe some other articles and stories, posted for your enjoyment in the near future. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you this amazing gem I discovered the other day thanks to social media.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to look at the past "in living color," as the phrase goes? I for one have often said that I would love to travel back in time, not to change the past, but just for the opportunity to see it for myself in the bright and real hues that we are used to seeing in the every day. At best, we get a glimpse of the past through the dull (though sometimes quite artistic) limitations of black and white. And that's only for the past hundred years, 150 at best. Before that all we have are paintings, artistic representations of the past that don't always do reality justice. Well, the other day, I discovered the following two websites that present more than a dozen images taken in Paris between 1910 and 1940, all with a type of color photography that was actually copyrighted in 1903. I was amazed to see vivid, high quality photographs of Parisian street scenes from before the First World War, or the the Eiffel tower decorated and illuminated during the inter-war years in beautiful yellow and blue lights. There were pictures of the victory celebrations outside the Paris city hall in 1918, the building bedecked with the red-white-blue of the French tricolor flag. When you first see some of these pictures, you think, "surely these are snapshots taken from some movie set," because they look so life-like that you think it's impossible for them to be 100 years old. But then you really start looking and realize....these are the real deal.

So, without further adieu, here are the links. The first website just has the pictures all listed together, without any caption or information. The second website, where the first website borrowed the images from, posted these pictures individually as separate posts with date and locations, so it takes a bit longer to go through the posts, but there is more information for you.

website 1

website 2
(on this website, you'll have to click on the pictures to find out the place and date it was taken)

Enjoy!

While you're waiting on me...check out these cool reads!

Never fear Chrononaut readers! I am working on the next update to Silent Night. It's taking me longer than I had originally hoped for, but it will get done. In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you some excellent short stories that have recently been posted on a blog that I follow and really enjoy, the Alternate History Weekly Update. If you like what you've read here, chances are you will really enjoy what blog editor Matt Mitrovich

The first story I liked because it was written in a style similar to how I've written both the Airship President & Legacy story, as well as Silent Night, that is, written like a news article from the actual alternate history. It's called "The Holy Land," by Kieran Colfer, and was a really interesting look at what might have happened in the Middle East. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The second story was a real treat. Most alternate histories that you come to mind when you first think about the genre usually have a point of departure from real history sometime within the last 200-300 years (essentially from the American Revolution on up, especially in English-language works). This one, however, goes back thousands of years, and the changes in it are guaranteed to result in a world that will become radically different from our own. So go check out "The Anointed One," by A.J. Nolte and enjoy the story.

Blog Update 1/8/2013

Hello and Happy New Years to all my readers! I hope you all have had a great and restful holiday season and are having a good start to the new year. The blog saw a lot of views at the first of the year, and for January 2013 there has already been 300 page views (bringing the total page views up to over 1500)! To all those who've been reading and enjoying these stories and random historical facts, thank you for stopping by and taking a look around. I hope that you like what you see.
This spring promises to be very busy for me, since this will be my final semester before I graduate from University. As some of you may know, I'm studying to be a history teacher, and this semester I will be doing my student teaching (for those of you unfamiliar with what that is, it's essentially an internship, where I will be working in a classroom with a regular teacher and their students for the semester, finally getting to take all the things I've learned at University and put them to work.). I'm really excited about what all this will entail, but it also means that I may not have as much time to write on my stories or other history posts on this blog. My goal is to have another update for Silent Night posted by the end of the weekend, and from there on trying to have one or two updates on that story a month, more if I get the time and inspiration. I promise, I won't abandon the story or leave you hanging for months on end, but I wont be able to get out an update or two a week like I've sometimes been able to pull off. I start back at my University tomorrow, and the actual student teaching starts on January 14th, and will last until the beginning of May, so just stick with me during this busy period and this summer I will have much more time to write.
Again, a heartfelt thank you to all my readers and fans and friends who've been such an encouragement. I look forward to writing more stories for you to enjoy.

--Zach