Celebrating Heroes -- International Men's Day

November 19 is International Men's Day. This celebration of men is in its tenth year and exists for multiple reasons.

Visit here to learn more:
From the 2009 website:

Objectives of International Men's Day include a focus on men's and boys' health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to highlight discrimination against them and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care....

The ability to sacrifice your needs on behalf of others is fundamental to manhood, as is honour. Manhood rites of passage the world over recognise the importance of sacrifice in the development of manhood. Men make sacrifices everyday in their place of work, in their role as husbands and fathers, for their families, for their friends, for their communities and for their nation. International Men’s Day is an opportunity for people of goodwill everywhere to appreciate and celebrate the men in their lives and the contribution they make to society for the greater good of all.


People who know me, especially other writers and crit partners, know that I write to honor men. Heroes are the stars of my stories, their experience drives the plot. People also know, probably, that while I support women's rights, I am not a feminist, and think that much of the modern feminist agenda and influence is destructive for our culture, including women. My novels reflect that belief, also.

I love and honor men because the men I knew when I was growing up a preacher's kid in the Deep South were good, decent, intelligent and honorable men who loved and supported their families and were forces of good in their communities. Yes, I know not all men are like that, but the vast majority of men are not the oppressors feminism would have us believe.

Therefore, to celebrate International Men's Day, I honor here the two wonderful men who have been most important in my life....