The Outsider was my first book set in my fictional Shaker village of Harmony Hill. The setting is clearly modeled on the Pleasant Hill Shaker Village in nearby Mercer County here in Kentucky. This first book came out in 2008 and was a finalist for the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) fiction book of the year. That was exciting for a book that took a while getting out there for readers. I really like the girl they picked for the cover. She looks just the way I imagined Gabrielle looking.
The Shakers were a very practical people who believed in “putting their hands to work and giving their hearts to God.” Here are some other Shaker sayings I’ve included in my various Shaker stories.
• Do your work as if you had a thousand years to live, and as if you were to die tomorrow. (This one has made it into most of my Shaker books.)
• He did not think when sowing those wild oats in his youth how uncomfortable the gritty oatmeal would prove to be for his aged teeth.
• Never wish a thing done; do it!
• It is just as much a duty to commend a person for doing well as it is to reprove him for doing ill. (I’m sure this one showed up somewhere.)
• A place for everything and everything in its place. (The Shakers did not abide with any kind of messes.)
• Our thoughts are character molds. They shape language and actions.
• None preaches better than the ant, and it says nothing. (I first used this one in The Outsider.)
• Engaged in thy duty, fear no danger. (Another favorite of my characters.)
• Happiness does not so much depend on circumstances as we think. Within our souls the foundations must abide.
Chance to Win a Book
I’m giving away some Shaker books to celebrate The Blessed being on special e-book sale for 99 cents or less, according to which e-book site you choose. Deadline for entries is midnight EST October 27, 2018 and I’ll pick three winners by random drawing. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Each time you comment on a new blog post, you get another entry. That can up your odds of winning a bit. Besides, I love to read your comments. Any comment will do for an entry, but it would be fun to hear your answer this question.
Which Shaker saying do you like best or do you remember from one of my stories?