Overview

On a sweltering September afternoon in 1997, in the quiet Dutch city of Bergen op Zoom, two centuries-old Chinese teapots resurface in an unassuming antique shop. Their presence-beautiful, improbable, and out of place-raises a question that refuses to be ignored: How did these objects travel halfway around the world, and whose hands carried them there? The search for that answer leads back more than four hundred years, to the remote mountain village of Yaoli near the porcelain city of Jingdezhen in 16th-century China, where a young girl named Scarlett Ava lives a life shaped by discipline, craftsmanship, and faith. Raised by Master Wang, the only father she has ever known, Scarlett learns early that true worth is formed not by comfort or status, but by character-by speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. When a simple act of compassion disrupts the quiet rhythms of village life, Scarlett's path begins to widen. What follows is a journey that carries her from mountain trails and pottery workshops to crowded ports, fortified cities, and open seas ruled by wind, cannon, and ambition. Along the way, her choices leave lasting impressions on those she meets, often in ways she does not fully understand at the time. Her story intersects with that of Cornelis van der Veen, a Dutch merchant traveling with his Portuguese companion Pablo, drawn by duty and unfinished promises into the dangerous web of early modern trade. Unbeknownst to him, his journey traces the shadow of a woman long lost-and a truth waiting to be revealed. As political tensions rise across Europe and war presses against the gates of Bergen op Zoom, Scarlett must learn to navigate a world where faith is tested by fear, and obedience by opportunity. Messages travel faster than ships, secrets weigh heavier than cargo, and doing what is right carries an ever-growing cost. Threaded throughout Scarlett's odyssey is a quiet devotion to Scripture, particularly the call of 1 Timothy 4:12-to live as an example regardless of youth or circumstance. Her faith does not shield her from hardship, but it steadies her steps, shaping a legacy that will outlast her own lifetime. Scarlett's Odyssey: Between Fate & Faith is a richly researched work of historical fiction spanning continents and cultures, blending the artistry of Chinese porcelain, the peril of 16th-century sea travel, and the enduring power of lived faith. Inspired by a true discovery in 1997, this novel invites readers to consider how faith, like fine porcelain, survives the long journey of history-carried carefully, broken easily, and treasured long after its origin is forgotten.

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Howard D. Chaney lives with his wife, Rita, in rural East Texas. He enjoys retirement, Biblical studies, and learning to read the Koine Greek language, preferring in-depth and intensive research. Previously, he was a Construction Manager for an Engineering firm specializing in Petrochemical and Oil Refining projects. Howard, born in Rogers, Arkansas in 1946, yet raised in a far West Texas small town, Plains. He completed high school in Rogers Arkansas, and also the International's Brotherhood of Electrical Workers/National Electrical Contractors Joint Apprenticeship School in Muskogee Oklahoma. He also attended the University of Texas at Arlington, several other Technical and Engineering schools, and advance Management coursework through the years. He completed graduate work in Construction Contract Law in Houston while working for subsidiary of Bechtel Engineering. His work in Construction Management has taken him worldwide on a variety of projects. His love of research and writing of Biblical subjects is the reason for his first published book, The Perfect Letter: Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. He's currently working on varied manuscripts trying to decide which to concentrate on first.

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