C. David Belt's Blog

“Ever wonder what would happen if a medieval Welsh archer woke up in the 21st century? ‘Taliesin’s Arrow’ throws you headfirst into that exact scenario. We meet Taliesin, a bard and longbowman from 12th-century Wales, who gets a seriously rude awakening in modern-day Kidwelly.
“The book is full of big themes, like duty versus doing what’s right. Taliesin has to decide if he can trust the king he serves, and whether that king is even worthy of his loyalty. There’s also a lot about redemption, with characters trying to make up for past mistakes in a world that’s totally different from what they know.
“‘Taliesin’s Arrow’ is a fun, fast-paced read that blends historical fantasy with modern suspense. If you’re into Arthurian legends, supernatural thrillers, or just a good old-fashioned adventure story, you’ll probably enjoy this book. Just be prepared to do a little research on Welsh mythology along the way!”
– Dr. Kyle Reeder

“C. David Belt has a way of punching you in the gut with a knife, turning it, and twisting that thing as you read. His writing is darker than most, but there’s always that redeeming set of characters that make you keep rooting for a win. This book was no different. We have our villain, we have our MMC and FMC that have us rooting for a righteous cause, and we have a slew of obstacles that keep them from fulfilling their mission multiple times. Again, the knife twisting. An excellent roller coaster of emotions.”
— Jenny Rabe, sweet romance author

Today, as I listened to the talks in sacrament meeting, I had an image in my mind of the Savior appearing to the Nephites at the temple in the land Bountiful. He invited the multitude of about 2,500 people, including men, women, and children, to come forth and thrust their hands into His side and feel the prints of the nails in His hands and His feet. I thought how, if I had had such a chance, I would have been reluctant to let go of His hands and His feet. They touched the Lord God of Israel, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Savior of the world, the vey Son of God. Then later, after He healed their sick, they came forward and kissed His feet. They bathed His feet with their tears. What a powerful testimony. They touched the Living God!

Then there was the “sinful woman” in Luke who bathed His feet with her tears and dried His feet with her hair. The Lord forgave her of her sins!

I don’t know how I would have found the strength to let go. I suppose, however, that after touching the Divine, we do have to let others do the same. And then, after that marvelous experience has ended, we still have to live by faith. Because storms will come. So will trials and griefs and challenges to our faith.

I think how others touched Him as well: Judas, who kissed His cheek. The men of the Sanhedrin who smote Him on the face when He was questioned before the high priest. The soldiers who mocked Him, who whipped Him, who put a crown of thorns on Head. The soldiers who crucified Him. They touched the Son of God. How many of them were converted by touching the Divine? I don’t know. Tradition tells of us one: Longinus, the soldier who pierced His side. But how many of the others?

Even after touching the Divine, in the end, it is our faith in Him that must sustain us through the dark moments until we can return to Him and once again touch the hand of God and bathe His feet with our tears.

And He will welcome us home.

Fans of C. David Belt will love his latest work, and new readers will also enjoy reading this captivating and compelling tale. In Taliesin’s Arrow, we find the themes common with Belt: courage, integrity, selflessness, and honor. The characters demonstrate these traits but are also imperfect, which makes them warm and relatable. Another character in the story is the setting:  haunting, wild, and stormy. It’s the perfect backdrop for the ongoing battle with evil. Terrifying, gripping, and ultimately inspiring – I highly recommend! 

– Leslie Whatcott

My wife, Cindy, and I met on a bus going to Disneyland.

I was a freshman at Brigham Young University, and she was a senior at BYU. I was in AFROTC, and she was in a club for girls called the Sponsors who supported the Army ROTC cadets (but were not cadets themselves). I was on an Army-Air Force saber (sword) team. She was on the Sponsors drill team. We were on our way to a drill (marching) competition at Disneyland.

I brought my guitar along on the trip, and my saber team commander suggested that we take the guitar forward on the bus and sing with the girls. I agreed, but said, “I get to pick the prettiest girl on the bus to sit across from.” And I did. She was the prettiest girl on the bus, and I knew she was WAY out of my league.

I played the guitar. We sang. I found out her name. She found out I was a freshman.

When we stopped in Fillmore, Utah for a break, we all got off the bus. She told me that she had sprained her ankle and asked if I would help her walk. I thrust my guitar into my commander’s hands. “Hold my guitar!” I put my arm around her and helped her walk.

It was really nice.

The next morning, we arrived in Southern California, got to our hotel rooms, and unpacked. Then we went out to the designated practice area and practiced in our individual teams.

Part of the competition involved a uniform inspection, and part of that inspection involved standing at attention without moving, no matter the distraction. While we were practicing for our inspection, the girls would do the inspecting, ask us questions, test our knowledge. She decided to inspect me. To test my ability to stand at attention without being distracted, she leaned in and kissed me on the lips. It was meant to be a test. I failed.

That evening, we were all going to Disneyland. I called her hotel room and very shyly and awkwardly asked her if she would consider going to Disneyland “with me.”

She said, “Yes.”

Completely astonished, I squeaked back, “You will?”

We had a great time that night. When we rode the Matterhorn Bobsleds, I sat in back and she sat between my legs (the normal arrangement). She said, “Now hold onto my waist. Tighter. Tighter.”

I was thrilled to comply.

After the competition that weekend, we rode back to Provo, Utah together. We kissed. A lot.

It was glorious.

But when we got back, it was over.

I was head-over-heels in love. Utterly twitterpated.

She? Not so much. It had been fun. A lot of fun, but I was a freshman, and in a few months, I was leaving for a two-year mission for my church. She was a senior (and did I mention, WAY out of my league?) and was NOT going to wait two years for a missionary.

But I didn’t take the hint. I followed her everywhere I could. I asked her out a lot. Sometimes, she would go out with me, but she was a very popular girl. (I remember one night, she had FOUR dates with FOUR different guys—I was number four.)

We dated on and off over the summer. I was leaving for my mission in August. And though she dated a lot of other guys, I believed she was falling in love with me. I certainly tried hard to win her.

I couple of weeks before I was to enter the Missionary Training Center (and start my mission to South Korea), I purchased a small stuffed animal—a German shepherd dog. I put a ring on its collar. I wrapped it up, and gave it to her.

And then I promptly left the room.

From the other room, I heard, “Oh, how cute!” A pause. “Wait! What’s this? Is this an engagement ring?”

That was my cue to return. I said, “It could be. If you want it to be.”

“You’re going on a mission! I’m NOT going to wait for two years.”

I said, “You don’t have to wait. You could go on a mission too.”

“I don’t WANT to go on a mission! Only girls who can’t get married go on missions.” (This is not true, but that was her attitude.)

“Why don’t you pray about it?” I suggested.

“I don’t WANT to pray about it. I’d probably have to go!”

So, she didn’t exactly accept my proposal, but she DID wear the ring (on her right hand).

We dated during my remaining two weeks, spending almost every free minute together. Then I entered the MTC.

She worked at the MTC, in the cafeteria. I saw her each day at lunch in the lunch line. We talked, but no more than was proper for a missionary. She left messages for me in my mailbox every day. One day, I left a huge teddy bear for her at the reception desk.

I was in the MTC for two months as I learned Korean. One day, about four weeks in, she left a note in my mailbox. It said, “Right or left?”

When I got to the lunch line, there she was, smiling like all Heaven was gathered in her countenance. I said (eagerly), “LEFT! Definitely left!”

With a grin, she dramatically pulled the ring off the ring finger on her right hand and transferred it to the ring finger on her left hand. Then she smiled some more. And, man-oh-man was she gorgeous!

So, we OFFICIALLY became engaged when I was in the MTC, while I was going through the lunch line. I became known as the missionary who proposed to a girl in the lunch line. (I took a LOT of ribbing over that, but… totally worth it!)

She did go on a mission. She went to Spain. But she had her mission call before I left for Korea. I got special permission to be in the temple with her when she received her endowment.

Then I went to Korea.

She graduated in December and left almost four months later.

We wrote to each other every week. Our love grew.

About halfway through my mission, I was transferred to Los Angeles to teach Koreans in California. Her mother lived in Anaheim, CA. I got to have dinner (along with my companion) at her mother’s house on Christmas Day.

She returned home from her mission about two weeks before I was set to be released. So, during those last two weeks, I was VERY cautious whenever I was in her area to NOT see her. We had our wedding announcements printed up. (We had to have our pictures taken separately.)

After two more weeks, I completed my mission. By special arrangement, I got to stay in southern California, rather than returning immediately to Provo. My mission president gave me my exit interview AND my temple recommend interview for marriage. Then he shook my hand and released me.

I walked from the mission headquarters to the Los Angeles Temple (located on the same property). About forty-five minutes later, she drove up. We met for the first time in nearly two years. We kissed. We embraced. We held hands. We talked.

Then we walked hand-in-hand into the mission headquarters and posted our wedding invitation on the bulletin board.

I stayed at her sister’s house during the sixteen days before the wedding. (She stayed at her mother’s house.) We were together every second we could be. After an INTERMINABLE sixteen days, we were married, sealed together for time and all eternity, in the Los Angeles Temple. My last missionary companion was able to attend. So was a Korean couple that I had worked with and helped get to the temple to be sealed together.

After an endless day with a wedding breakfast at her mom’s house and a reception at her sister’s, we were off to Disneyland for our honeymoon.

It was glorious. We were, of course, both virgins when we married, so that made our wedding night extra special.

After a weekend honeymoon, we gave our missionary homecoming talks in her home ward (congregation). The next day we flew to Provo and moved into a tiny basement apartment. We had $70 and no jobs. We had to find jobs quickly.

I still had three years of school to go. We had the first of our six children while I was at school. It was just the beginning of forty-four (so far) wonderful years together.

I still court her. She is my princess and my queen.

I look forward to eternity with her.

I love her like Heaven.

Disneyland is still a very special place to us, but now we love to go on Disney Cruises together.

Oh, and she STILL has the teddy bear and the stuffed animal dog.

So, what is Latter-day Saint horror?

(I was going say, “What the flippin’ heck is Latter-day Saint horror?” But then I thought better of it. Hold on a second. Did I write that part “out-loud?” Your Honor, may rephrase the question?)

Ahem.

So, what is Latter-day Saint horror?

Well, the horror part means that there are scary bits in my stories. However, the scary bits aren’t the point. There is violence too, but violence isn’t the point. Even the action isn’t the point.

So, what is the point?

Well, to me, at least, Latter-day Saint horror is about taking a covenant-keeping Latter-day Saint man or woman and slamming them with something that is so far beyond their experience that it may rock their faith to the core. It’s about those times in our lives—and we all have them—when we may feel abandoned by Heaven. While Heavenly Father and the Savior will never abandon us, we all have times when we feel abandoned, when everything feels dark and hopeless. Latter-day Saint horror is about those times when we are clinging to our faith and our covenants seemingly by our fingernails. It’s about passing through the darkness and clawing our way back to the light. In short, it’s about moral agency, repentance, redemption, and the atonement of Jesus Christ. It’s about having the moral courage to do what we know to be right, even in the face of horrific evil.

Evil is depicted in my books. While (and this may come as a shock to some people) vampires, for example, and not real, true evil does exist in the real world. While I try to not be overly graphic in my descriptions and depictions of evil, at the same time, I believe that evil must be represented for us to understand the nature of what good truly is. We must know the bitter to appreciate the sweet.

My work has been described by reviewers as “strangely uplifting.” One even said that my vampire trilogy strengthened her faith in the Savior. And that, of course, is the whole point—along with telling what is (I hope) a good story.

The doctrines of my faith figure prominently in my books. I make no apology for writing from the premise that what I believe to be true is, in fact, true. If you are not of my faith, I hope that you can enjoy my work with the understanding that it is set in a world where the doctrines of my faith are the truth. I believe them to be true. You are free to believe that such a world is fantasy. You can still enjoy the story.

My books should be suitable for readers from the age of thirteen and up. My standard is that my eighty-five-year-old mother (at least, she’s eighty-five as of this writing) must be able to read my work. (And by the way, my mother is NOT a fan of horror.) If it’s not suitable for her, it doesn’t go into the book. Period.

While the journey may be dark, there is always light at the end. And I hope, that while you may not get the fairytale ending, you will get a satisfying ending. Dare I say, a “strangely uplifting” and “faith-promoting” ending?

Art by Ben Savage!

Art by Ben Savage!

In this heart-stopping twist on the legends of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the treacherous Prince Mordred, C. David Belt takes the reader on a journey through centuries as a modern knight and a cruelly wronged ancient queen fight against unrelenting evil to save the world. And each other.

Loralee Evans – author of “The Shores of Bountiful” and many others

This book had so many twists and turns from the start. Belt does extensive research on his books, from the names he uses to the places his characters go. This one was an exceptional story of two sisters with revenge scarring their hearts, a knight whose honorable mission is to serve and protect, and a lot of evil villains who get in their way.
–Jenny Rabe, Ogden, Utah