Ask the Author: C. Elmon Meade
Answered Questions (9)
C. Elmon Meade
How in the world am I related to Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire?!?! (And, every single ruler of the Ottoman Empire to follow him!) I have my theories, but that's it... just theories. I will say the late author N. Brent Kennedy (distant cousin on Mom's side of the tree) had some very interesting theories connecting my Aniyunwiya/ Tsalagi (Cherokee/ Keetoowah) ancestors to Ancient Turkey and the Turkic peoples of Central Asian. My DNA test(s) have confirmed both mtDNA & yDNA traced back to Turkey, Armenia, Iran, India, and the "Stans" of Central Asia (Pakistan, Turkmenistan, etc.). For instance, Kennedy pointed out that my 10th
Great-Granduncle, Chief Attakullakulla's (A-tah-GUH-La-Guh) name in Tsalagi means "spiritual father of all chiefs" and "shares an identical pronunciation to the *Turkish atta-kula-kul, meaning "spiritual father of the red men." Also, my 8th Great-Granduncle, Chief Sequoyah (aka: George Gist), founder of the Cherokee syllabary is famously depicted wearing only what could be described as a type of turban. Sequouyah's regalia is prominently featured in Istanbul's Naval Museum next to a replica of a 16th century warrior-seaman of the Ottoman Empire. The two look exactly identical! One popular theory has Sir Francis Drake kidnapping Turkish sailors and "dumping" them or trading them for stockpiled food, water, & gunpowder along the Carolina & Virginia Coast. This is just one of many, many theories.
Great-Granduncle, Chief Attakullakulla's (A-tah-GUH-La-Guh) name in Tsalagi means "spiritual father of all chiefs" and "shares an identical pronunciation to the *Turkish atta-kula-kul, meaning "spiritual father of the red men." Also, my 8th Great-Granduncle, Chief Sequoyah (aka: George Gist), founder of the Cherokee syllabary is famously depicted wearing only what could be described as a type of turban. Sequouyah's regalia is prominently featured in Istanbul's Naval Museum next to a replica of a 16th century warrior-seaman of the Ottoman Empire. The two look exactly identical! One popular theory has Sir Francis Drake kidnapping Turkish sailors and "dumping" them or trading them for stockpiled food, water, & gunpowder along the Carolina & Virginia Coast. This is just one of many, many theories.
C. Elmon Meade
"Atlantis: The Antediluvian World" by Ignatius Donnelly, "The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle" by Malinda Maynor Lowery (my cousin), "Meade and Lee After Gettysburg" by Jeffrey Wm. Hunt, "For Their Own Cause: The 27th United States Colored Troops" by Kelly D. Mezurek, "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, "And Then We Vanish: Collected Stories" by D.H. Schleicher, "Reversing Hermon: Enoch, The Watchers & The Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ" by Dr. Michael S. Heiser, "Washington Irving's Life of Mohammed" Introduction by Raphael Patai & edited by Charles Getchell
C. Elmon Meade
"Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus" by Orson Scott Card. Sooooo many reasons I would choose this fictional book world, but first and foremost due to my Native American roots. I am a member of the Coharie Tribe of Sampson County, NC and my 12th GGF is Chief Manteo of the Hatteras Tribe. Manteo was (erroneously) named the "King of the Roanoke Indians" by Queen Elizabeth I. Manteo is famous for assisting the English Colonials who would go on to be infamously referred to as "The Lost Colony." I also have verified, via a Big yDNA 700 test that w/in my "line of Grandfathers" I am also related to Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire and Sir Francis "El Dragón" Drake giving tangential credit to the admixture of various east coast Melungeon communities, like the Coharie, Lumbee, PeeDee, Monacan, etc. Back to Pastwatch...
I would love to assist Columbus and his wife Diko in uniting the indigenous peoples of the "Americas" into a true United States of Tsenacommacah! Blending Native origin stories, prophecies, and ceremonies with Christianity, much like I attempted to do (albeit w/ lots of fiction & artistic license) in the storyline of my two indigenous war refugees. Having the ability to go back in time to legitimately do "God's work" and prevent the ethno-genocide of the Natives would be a dream come true!!
I would love to assist Columbus and his wife Diko in uniting the indigenous peoples of the "Americas" into a true United States of Tsenacommacah! Blending Native origin stories, prophecies, and ceremonies with Christianity, much like I attempted to do (albeit w/ lots of fiction & artistic license) in the storyline of my two indigenous war refugees. Having the ability to go back in time to legitimately do "God's work" and prevent the ethno-genocide of the Natives would be a dream come true!!
C. Elmon Meade
Ideas usually hit me as I am reading or watching something educational or informative. I take what I might be hearing for the first time and flip it on its head. Then I ask "What If?"... somewhat like Alternate History authors do in their books. You'd be surprised what kind of wild and outrageous things your imagination may generate!
C. Elmon Meade
It is good therapy. For me, putting my thoughts, feelings, traumas, hopes, problems, dreams, nightmares et al onto paper is powerful. Picture your imagination as a wild Mustang on the open prairie. Good. Question... at any time did you think about putting your imagination in a cage? No. Let it run FREE across the pages you write or type!
C. Elmon Meade
Don't delay. Start small, but start now! When is the best time to plant a shade tree? Fifteen years ago or today if you did not start 15 years ago.
C. Elmon Meade
A short story based solely on the characters from the city in which the Prologue takes place. All of my short stories/ novellas will in effect be prequels to The Demagogue Wars with each one walking the reading a little farther back in time. First up will be a story set in the fall/ winter of 2108.
C. Elmon Meade
There was no one single source for this idea. In time order:
1) 10+ years of genealogy research on my own family tree. My multi-ethnic background provides me with an unusual point-of-view and under-represented voice in our current social construct.
2) The problematic summer of 2020: the pandemic, the bifurcation of people into groups, pro- vs. anti-vaxx shouting match, cities on fire, the complete polarization of politics, distrust in institutions, etc., etc.
3) Turning off the TV and getting back to researching, reading, listening, then ultimately writing this fiction novel.
4) Going back to my roots: connecting w/ my Tribes in a very spiritual cleansing way and looking for the commonalities amongst various religions from around the world. This ultimately sparked a renewed appreciation and love for the life, teachings, sacrifice, crucifixtion (the ultimate example of "Love one another"), and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
5) Seeking opposing or alternate points of view outside of Mainstream Media: independent journalists, the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, several YouTube channels which greatly inspired me and allowed me to focus my energy on something other than the ugliness of 2020. I also began researching other "ugly" times in our nation's history for perspective (1830's - 1880's).
1) 10+ years of genealogy research on my own family tree. My multi-ethnic background provides me with an unusual point-of-view and under-represented voice in our current social construct.
2) The problematic summer of 2020: the pandemic, the bifurcation of people into groups, pro- vs. anti-vaxx shouting match, cities on fire, the complete polarization of politics, distrust in institutions, etc., etc.
3) Turning off the TV and getting back to researching, reading, listening, then ultimately writing this fiction novel.
4) Going back to my roots: connecting w/ my Tribes in a very spiritual cleansing way and looking for the commonalities amongst various religions from around the world. This ultimately sparked a renewed appreciation and love for the life, teachings, sacrifice, crucifixtion (the ultimate example of "Love one another"), and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
5) Seeking opposing or alternate points of view outside of Mainstream Media: independent journalists, the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, several YouTube channels which greatly inspired me and allowed me to focus my energy on something other than the ugliness of 2020. I also began researching other "ugly" times in our nation's history for perspective (1830's - 1880's).
C. Elmon Meade
Walk away. Literally. For me, I go outside into the Nature Preserve behind my house and feel the wind, watch the trees, and listen to the leaves and birds. Another trick is to watch comedy shows and/or old movie favorites which have nothing to do w/ my work.
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