I don’t know about you guys, but I am becoming more discerning about what I read. As a fire hose volume of books vie for top spots in algorithms, my reading preferences often go astray in the clutter and I find myself searching through the haystack for my shiny...
Several months back, I received an email from Kristine Carlson at Book Doulas that caught my attention, beginning with an interesting phrase, “Consider this.†The lovely email proceeded to describe a weekend writing retreat at Mount Shasta, California. Something...
Let’s talk ‘Scapes.’ Landscapes ~ Seascapes ~ All kinds of scapes Paradigmscapes The definition of ‘scape’ is basically a scenery view… a vista. ‘Scape’ comes from Greek, the root of ‘Skapos,’ meaning a...
Here are links to: “Häling and the Scottish Templars” & “Voyage of the Templar Guardians” For those who have interest in reading more, here we go! Book Two Cast of Characters Character designated (H) as historical figures were contemporary...
“Where the Rubber Meets the Road†is an adage that describes the test of putting a concept, plan or theory into action. I am sure that I am not alone in dealing with doubts, when it comes to implementing abstract notions about making the world a better place. And...
Every Teacher Has a TeachingBy Lex Gillan, Yogi & Peter Gillan, PhD I don’t usually find myself doing book reviews very often. But every once in a while, a book comes along that resonates in a different light; one that is worth savoring, pondering, and sharing....
Communion With the Ancients ~ Stonehenge Somehow, time passes, leaving only fleeting particles of what we call memories to settle into our bones throughout the year. Yet, the days of the Solstice feel different. The three days (in the northern hemisphere) from Dec....
What do you think of when February rolls around? Traditional chocolates, hearts, friendships, lovers and romance usually leads the way. Gifts fly off store shelves and into welcoming arms of these expressions of sweet affection. Then the American Heart Association...
With so much going on in every corner of our world ~where the opposite feeling of Groundhog Day presses massive doses of rapid change into highly pressurized compartments of single earth rotations ~ how does one navigate muddy waters of life’s rapids? When a...
People have often asked me about my writing process and how do I go about writing my stories. My creativity arises from feelings. At first, I play with thoughts and ideas with no worries for practical… for the pure joy and exploration of it. And I do this because it...
Oh what fun it is to celebrate the birthing of a project into the wider world! And like the birth of a child, the release of a new book brings a constellation of double sided coins. The novice writer dreams of publishing a great work, filled with hope of changing the...
Please join me on January 22, 2020 at Houston’s beloved Brazos Bookstore 6:30 pm for an exploration of Voyage of the Templar Guardians. I hope to do some selected readings, and share some of my tips and tricks about writing visionary fiction in a world filled...
Amidst Northern Arizona’s expanses of high deserts and unique geological formations dwells the presence beyond time and appearance. Of course I adore Sedona and her awe inspiring red rocks; and I pay my respects to the National forests and parks. However, it is...
Juneau, the capitol of Alaska, is accessible by sea plane or boat, located at the head of Glacier Bay… With this being the last ship to sail into Juneau for the season, shops were taking inventory to close up for winter storms coming soon. So it was  relatively...
The RSSC Mariner ship sailed through the night, heading south from Seward on its final Alaskan 2019 voyage of the summer. The morning brought rain which did not bode well for out scheduled visit to the Hubbard Glacier. The wind pierced through my coat as I walked...
When does a sunset take it’s place in the larger scheme of life? After all, it is but a series of fleeting moments cast upon the giant screen of none other than the horizon’s final hurrah of the day. The sun sets at the time of day when most of us are dog...
It’s FINALLY HERE!!! Voyage of the Templar Guardians: Book Two of the Templar Chronicles is now available on Amazon. Voyage of the Templar Guardians takes The Temple Chronicles  beyond Scottish shores into unfamiliar places lost to time in a continuation of...
What would you do if you were faced with immediate evacuation of your loved ones to safety in the face of approaching harm? Be it wildfire, flood, aggression, or natural disaster? Those who live life, unaware or in fear, are either bound to the fates or rob themselves...
Coming of age means different things to different folks. The word ‘maturation’ carries myriads of meanings also. All living creatures progress through various stages of growth; and some even literally metamorphose physically from one creature into another,...
If you have ever had windows replaced in your abode, you know how may ways it can go wrong –awry — sideways, (everything from mis-calculations and broken seals to gaps and warps). Not only must the measurements for the window precisely match the dimensions...
On this summer solstice, I am bathing in the stillness of in-between. After months of edits and polishing, my soon-to-be-released book, Voyage of the Templar Guardians, has been passed to the design team at Lulu Publishing, for an interval of rest on my part. I am...
Temple Chronicles Glossary: A Guide to Curious Terms Getting the lay of the land in a foreign country can be confusing. Vernacular is as fluid as the Atlantic ocean dividing North America and Scotland. So this blog post offers a few explanation of words sprinkled...
The region where the southern reaches of medieval Scotland bordered England’s Northumbria was generally defined by the River Tweed. Not only was it a primary water source, but its flow carried commerce of all sorts and fed the population with some of the...
In the spring of 1296, King Edward of England invaded Scotland. One by one, castles and abbeys fell into English hands, threatening Scottish sovereignty. On a brooding sea-cliff battlefield above Dunbar, Scots of all kith and kin fought valiantly but could not...
Signs and symbols abound in The Häling and the Scottish Templars and most of them are introduced early in the story. The prologue begins the saga with unconventional spiritual language. These recurrent mystic motifs impart their greetings in the first scene and...
Of all the challenges of beginning a series, getting to know the cast of characters can be the most daunting. The Häling and the Scottish Templars story is complicated by the diversity of new characters and their unfamiliar historical occupations. Add  to the...
L.S.Berthelsen’s Scotland; THEN & NOW For many, Scotland is not just a place to visit, filled with magical tourist spots. It is a feeling, a mindset, and indeed, a state of mind. And while I am no expert on Scotland or a anything Scottish, I am certain of my...
It is with great pleasure that I recommend a website that just came into my awareness. The Visionary Fiction Alliance! For many years, I devoured books and movies that dealt with transformation of consciousness, sifting through a lot of chaff to reach the kernel that...
I have been pondering the paradoxes of Sedona’s allure and ‘sitting with’ the notion of writing about some of my experiences among the Red Rocks. But, for some reason, I have not been able to adequately articulate the dual nature of Northern Arizona....
Making Sense of the Middle Ages 500 – 1500 A.D. What comes to mind when you think of Middle Ages? Castles? Crusades? Knights & tournaments? Well, here is attempt at making sense of the complexities and constellations of dynamics at play from the fall of...
Excerpt from The Häling and the Scottish Templars where young Templar Squire Adam de Dalrymple finds relief from the long ride from Dunbar. On this Beltane Eve, bonfires lit hilltops to purify and cleanse all lingering weakness from winter’s hardships....
‘My Templar Way’ By Linda Berthelsen, RTO, KTFA, GPTFA First published in Templar History Magazine, 2008 ~ Adapted 2018“ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.†Matthew 6:21 Long before Dan Brown opened Pandora’s box of Rosslyn Chapel...
How fortunate we are to celebrate the solstice season in myriad ways; especially when it comes to food. And although there are many great quick treats to choose from, Christmas cookie baking in our house is a marathon. To tell the truth, I started it fifty years ago....
Awareness is like a balloon. Who doesn’t marvel at a helium balloon rising into the sky? breaking free of gravity and restraints of life’s weightiness. The metaphor of a balloon is interesting to ponder. It can bring out our lighter side, or reveal...
I find it interesting that, even before I knew much about European history, I was drawn to the idea of Medieval Paris. And yet, in order to find Templar history in Paris, we need to look beneath the fancy trappings. You see, my first physical visit (in 2000) held...
Ramatuelle -Medieval Fortress Town in Southern France A Series on Exploring Templar Sites In these ever-changing times, most of us have little bandwidth for reading about medieval history, let alone understanding its relevance to our modern lives. Yet, who...
How do you feel about your summer time? For many folks, summertime evokes visions of vacations, water sports and relaxation. For me, summer is a great time for writing. The warmer months seem to accelerate inward goals that often get lost in the distractions of public...
Communion With the Ancients ~ Stonehenge Place Names The Häling and the Scottish Templars and Voyage of the Templar Guardians, introduce us to many interesting places in history. Many exist as echoes of distant past with historic markers reminding us of what once...
During my research on Alexandria, Egypt and Austria not long ago for my upcoming third book of the Temple Chronicle series, I ran across notes from an amazing experience of serendipity back in 2005. As I combed through my journal notes that I had originally jotted...
