Posts by firstep3:
Sarah Woodbury – Writing Historical Fantasy
February 13th, 2019
Writing historical fantasy set in dark age Wales combines the need for research that goes beyond the world building of epic fantasy, but carries with it similar characteristics since what we know about that era in Wales is very slight. As an author, there’s just some things you have to invent.
In Cold my Heart, I start with the knowledge that the Saxons (in actual fact, a combination of several Germanic groups) did invade Britain after the Romans abandoned the island in 410 AD. King Arthur, if he existed, would have been born around 480 AD, but whether the real Arthur—the living, breathing war leader who defeated the Saxons for a generation—ever existed has never been proven.
The reason for this is the paucity of historical documents from that time period. What we have are three sources:
1) Y Goddodin—a Welsh poem by the 7th century poet, Aneirin, with it’s passing mention of Arthur. The author refers to the battle of Catraeth, fought around AD 600 and describes a warrior who “fed black ravens on the ramparts of a fortress, though he was no Arthur”.
Y Goddodin
2) Gildas, a 6th century British cleric who wrote De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain) . He never mentions Arthur, although he states that his own birth was in the year of the siege of Mount Badon. The fact that he does not mention Arthur, and yet is our only historian of the 6th century, is an example of why many historians suspect that King Arthur never existed.
Gildas
3) Taliesin, a 6th century Welsh poet, who wrote several poems about Arthur. Including the lines: “ . . . before the door of the gate of hell the lamp was burning. And when we went with Arthur, a splendid labour, Except seven, none returned from Caer Vedwyd.”
The Raid on the Otherworld
From these seeds, the myth of Arthur was created, some believe out of whole cloth, and co-opted by the Normans and the French as a ‘British’ hero. Some say it was to justify the Norman conquest of Britain, some because it was a good story, though not quite medieval enough in its original form. From the Norman/French tales come the addition of the Lancelot-Guinevere-Arthur love triangle, the sword in the stone, Merlin, Arthur’s incestuous relationship with his sister Morgan, and Modred, his son and ultimate downfall.
By 1191, the monks of Glastonbury were claiming knowledge of his grave, and soon after, the link between Arthur and the Holy Grail, which Joseph of Arimathea supposedly brought there. By 1225, monks in France had written The Vulgate Cycle, telling of the holy grail from the death of Jesus Christ to the death of Arthur. This story became the standard version used throughout Europe.
Whether or not King Arthur was a real person is an either/or query. He either was or he wasn’t. Many scholars, researchers, and Arthurophile’s have strong opinions on this topic, both for and against. Because of the paucity of written records (most notably, Gildas fails to mention him), much of the academic work has come down on the side of ‘wasn’t’—or at least if Arthur was a real person, his name was not ‘Arthur’ and he possibly wasn’t even a king.
For the purposes of my book Cold My Heart, I choose to believe that Arthur was real, that he was backed into a corner by his duplicitous nephew, Modred, and did not die at Camlann as the Norman/French/Anglo version says, but lived to see his country securely in the hands of a worthy heir. At the same time, the world of Cold My Heart rests in the balance between the historical Wales of 537 AD, and the quasi-medieval Arthurian world that readers have grown to love throughout the ages.
Cold my Heart: A Novel of King Arthur is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Set in sixth century Wales, Cold My Heart tells the story of Myrddin and Nell, a journeyman knight and a former nun, who share a vision of a terrible future—one which encompasses the death of their King and the loss of their country.
Author Web Site Revamped
February 13th, 2019
I have been very busy lately working on a few different projects. I anticipate publishing at least two new books this year, and hopefully as many as four. I have completely outlined two additional books that will be sequels to my fantasy novel “Three for Avadar”, and I plan to do a relaunch of that book this year just before I release the second book, “Two From Avadar”. I have also completed the outlines for two books that will be sequels for my other fantasy novel, “Rise of the Raven”. On top of that, I have completed the research for more than three dozen stories that will be used in my Medal of Honor Dramatization series. As if that wasn’t enough, I have completed the outlines for three science fiction novels, but those are going to have to wait. I already have enough to work on!
The first two books I plan to release this year are the second book in my Avadar series and the second book in my MOH Dramatizations. I am hoping to also release the third book in each of those series this year, but I don’t want to get too overly ambitious. In preparation for these upcoming releases, I decided to do a revamp of my blog and my author site as well. I am refreshing and updating content on both sites to make sure they are current and relevant, and I hope to be able to use them more effectively in the future. Thanks for taking the time to visit and read this, assuming you made it this far. If you have the time, please check out my author web site and let me know what you think.
Medal of Honor Dramatizations
February 13th, 2019
A few years ago I made a decision to start writing a series of books that contain stories about different Medal of Honor recipients. I happened to stumble upon a web site that listed the citations of every recipient throughout its long and storied history, and many of those stirred my imagination. It occurred to me that these brief citations did very little to really tell the full story of what really happened. As a result, I came up with the idea of telling these stories in more detail as a collection of dramatizations. I went through each list by war and gave each citation a rating based on how much information I could find to create a more complete story. Those that rated highly were selected to include in my collections. I spent a considerable amount of time researching the ones I selected, and even though some had to be dropped because I couldn’t find enough supporting information, there were still enough to create well over two hundred stories. My plan was to tell the stories of ten recipients in each book, and the first of those books was “Heroes Over There”, which features ten recipients from World War I.
I am currently working on completing the second collection of stories from World War I, which is titled “Heroes One And All”. There will be a third book which also features recipients from World War I, and then I will combine the three so that they can be purchased in a bundle or individually. From there, I have the research completed for four books that will represent the Korean Conflict, and at least a dozen books for World War II. I spent much more time researching than I had anticipated, but I believe it was well worth it. I am glad to finally be back to writing, and I look forward to creating these wonderful and amazing stories about some truly heroic men.
“The Old Mermaid’s Tale” by Kathleen Valentine
February 13th, 2019
A short while ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathleen Valentine on my site. Now she is back to share her latest book with us: “The Old Mermaid’s Tale“, a story about redemption and the importance of stories in our lives.
Kathleen is the author of a collection of short stories, “My Last Romance and other passions”, and two novels, “The Old Mermaid’s Tale” and “Each Angel Burns”. She has also written “Fry Bacon, Add Onions: The Valentine Family & Friends Cookbook – five generations of good eating”, a memoir/cookbook of memories and 400 recipes from a Pennsylvania Dutch childhood, and “The Mermaid Shawl & other Beauties: Shawls, Cocoons and Wraps”, a collection of her own lace knitting designs. Some of her short stories are available in e-format from HeartThrobBooks.com and additional knitting patterns from KnitYourTailOff.com. She currently lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s oldest seaport, and is writing another novel, “Depraved Heart” and another knitting book, “Siren Shawls, Seaman’s Scarves and Stories”.
Here is a sample from her book:
(The story is set in the 1960s. Clair has left her rural home to go to college but comes back to be her best friend’s maid of honor at her wedding.)
The day of Mary Beth’s wedding dawned hot and steamy. By noon the thermometer on the back porch read ninety-two degrees and the humidity wasn’t far behind. I sat on the end of my bed wrapped in towels fresh from a shower and contemplated the god-awful netted contraption I was going to have to squeeze into and spend the entire day in. Being the maid of honor at least I was spared the cotton candy pink that Mary Beth’s five bridesmaids had to endure. But the ceremony seemed endless and the reception at the Grange Hall was hot, loud, and crowded. By the time Mary Beth had tossed her bouquet, which I avoided catching, I had a pounding headache and slipped outside for some fresh air.
“You sure look pretty in that getup, Clair.”
I turned to find Howie Goetz looking awkward and miserable in his groomsman’s white tuxedo behind me. He had removed the tie and jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Against the snowy white of the shirt his bulky arms and throat were dark and gleaming.
I nodded. “Thanks. You look nice too, Howie.”
He shuffled struggling for something to say. Small talk had always stumped Howie. “So, you doin’ okay up there at that college?”
“Yes. I like it very much.” It was impossible not to like Howie. We had dated on and off through most of our junior and senior year. Not going steady like Mary Beth and Ray or most of the other high school sweetheart couples but Howie was easy-going and he made me laugh.
“I think about you a lot.” He was looking down. I wasn’t sure whether it was shyness or a sneaky way of keeping an eye on my breasts.
Long shadows from the poplar trees along the drive cast the side of the old Grange building into shadow and the band inside was playing a slow, sultry rendition of Return to Me. Just what I needed, I thought.
“Mary Beth says you’re doing well working in your Dad’s business.” I didn’t know what to say.
He moved closer and stretched out a finger to touch the sweetheart roses in the corsage pinned at the waist of my gown. “It’s okay. You look so sexy. Like you did the night of the senior prom, remember that?”
“Yes. Only I wore blue.”
“I remember. I got you the flowers you said you liked, the ones that smelled so nice.”
“Gardenias, it was perfect.”
“Yeah.” He was moving closer and he slipped his hands around my waist. I had to admit—he smelled good.
“There ain’t any other girls around here that can hold a candle to you, Clair.” He pulled me close and his mouth was inches from mine. I felt myself shivering despite the heat. He felt it too. “You like me, don’t you, Clair?” His lips touched mine before I could answer.
Howie was a good kisser. I hadn’t kissed that many boys but one thing I remembered was that of the boys I had kissed I had liked kissing Howie the best. I hadn’t been kissed by him or anyone else in a long time. And there was that wonderful familiarity of him. I found it easy to slip into his arms and let him take control. For the first time all summer my mind was quiet and my body relaxed. The air grew cooler and the fragrance of cut grass and long ago gardenias wafted around us. As I melted into Howie’s body and sweet kisses I let go of all the puzzles and contradictions that seemed to have haunted my summer. His tongue slipped between my lips and I answered with a flicker of my own. His big, work-roughened hands moved over the bare skin of my back and shoulders. He moved one hand slowly up my spine and neck and began pulling pins from my French twist. My hair spilled down around my shoulders and I slipped my arms around his neck and surrendered to the loveliness of it all.
“Oh, baby,” he murmured. “I sure missed you.”
I don’t know how long we stayed there, our mouths locked together, but it was delicious and I was loving it. Suddenly I heard a chorus of giggles and Mary Beth said, “I knew it. I knew it. I knew you two would get back together at my wedding!”
Surrounded by a bevy of cotton candy pink bridesmaids she stood in the doorway in a cream-colored linen Jackie Kennedy sheath and matching pillbox hat. Howie and I pulled apart and both stood annoyed, embarrassed, and frustrated.
“Mary Beth, we’re not…”
Howie looked at me. “We’re not what?”
I was trapped. “We’re not getting back together exactly. We just…”
She giggled again. “Oh, I know what you are ‘just’ doing. Now come inside so you can send me away on my honeymoon and then you two go right back to what you were ‘just’ doing.”
I looked at Howie. He was watching me with anxious, besotted eyes and I knew I had made a mistake. A big mistake.
Rosie was right. Do any of us know better when it comes to love?
That night was wretched, I couldn’t sleep. In my head I knew that loving Howie would mean living a life that I was desperate to get away from. But his mouth and hands and arms had felt so good. Alone in my bed the longing for his touch was painful. I thought briefly about asking him to come to the city with me—or to go anywhere away from farms and near cool waters. But I knew Howie could never do that. It seemed unfair that Howie could be so desirable when everything he wanted in life was not. I had to get back to Chesterton, and fast, before I ruined my life over a few delicious kisses.
“What Would Erma Do” by Gayle Carline
February 13th, 2019
My most recent guest is Gayle Carline, and her book is “What Would Erma Do? Confessions of a First Time Humor Columnist“. When I asked her what the theme or concept of the book was, she told me it was about how “we all have similar experiences and it’s nice to share them and laugh. Otherwise we’d all be hitting ourselves in the head with rocks.”
Gayle spent over 25 years as a software engineer until she chewed her way out of the cubicle to become a writer. She began her career in 2001 writing for Riding Magazine, and in 2005, got a weekly humor column for her local newspaper, the Placentia News-Times. Not one to sit on her laurels, she wrote a mystery, Freezer Burn, which was released by Echelon Press in 2009. Her latest book is a humorous memoir of how she got the job at the newspaper, woven around some of her readers’ favorite columns.
Now for a sample:
COLUMN:
Service Company Hell
Do service companies and delivery men try to make everyone miserable, or is it just me? I have never been the first person on their route. I know that if I am given a window of eight to twelve in the morning, they will arrive at 12:15. Or they will call me at noon to tell me they’ll be at my house at 2 p.m… tomorrow… if they come at all.
Even if I call the companies who specify a “Placentia” phone number, my house seems to be off their beaten path. They act like they need a passport to get to Kraemer Boulevard and Alta Vista Street.
Last week was no exception.
On Saturday afternoon, Dale told me the pilot light on the water heater would not stay lit. I called the service company, who said they would send someone between two and four p.m. the next day.
I rearranged my entire schedule, to be home by two and wait for the service man. At 2:30, our friends called to invite us to bowl at Concourse and then have dinner at Buca di Beppo. I sent my family along, planning to join them when the service man had left.
At four o’clock, I called the company. They said the technician had been held up and wouldn’t be at my house until five.
A black cloud began to form over my unwashed head.
At 5:30, Dale called to say they were at the restaurant and how was the heater coming?
The cloud grew darker.
I called the company again. This time I was told the technician had called in sick, they were juggling his appointments and didn’t have anyone to send to my house. I wasn’t on anyone’s “normal route,” as if Placentia was on Gilligan’s Island.
The cloud now took the shape of a mushroom.
Over the phone, the man cooed excuses to me, asking if I could wait until tomorrow.
“What other option are you offering?” I asked.
There was a guttural noise on the line, the sound of brain cells trying to activate. I considered canceling this company and calling another, but if another company treated me this way, I could be four days without a hot shower.
After two days, I was already feeling like I lived in my van with a year’s supply of newspapers and a small poodle.
Sighing, I caved.
“Okay, I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” I told him.
In a cheerful voice, he asked, “Do you want to just keep the same appointment time?”
What a dolt.
“Ex-Cuse me?” I wanted to reach through the phone and slap him. “When do I get to be your priority?”
“You are my priority,” he said.
“I don’t think so. You’ve wasted my afternoon, kept me from going out with my family, and didn’t even call me to say you aren’t coming. I think that tomorrow, you’re going to make someone else wait while you fix my water heater first thing in the morning.”
“But your house isn’t on the morning route,” he told me, as if that was logical to a woman who needs a shower.
I snapped. “Know what? Not very sympathetic to the whole ‘route’ thing.”
Finally, he surrendered. “All right, ma’am,” he said, grumbling as if I was somehow to blame for this mess. “We’ll send someone between eight and ten.”
“Thank you,” I told him, and hung up. Cleaning myself up as much as possible, I raced to the restaurant to meet everyone and share my troubles over a big glass of wine.
The following morning, a very nice technician showed up and fixed the heater for $200. In a couple of hours, hot water and my sanity were restored.
I’d like to say I learned something valuable from this experience, and I’ll never let another service company jerk me around, but I know the next time something breaks, someone is out there waiting to play with me like a cat torments a mouse.
All I really discovered is that meeting friends and family at a restaurant to eat, drink and kvetch can make life bearable.
Published April 7, 2005 as “Finding time to make life bearable.”
Interview with Geraldine Evans
February 13th, 2019
My latest interview is with Geraldine Evans, the author of 18 books, with the most recent one titled “Death Line“. Geraldine has been writing for quite some time, and it was a pleasure being able to interview her. Let’s see what she had to say!
Where do you generally prefer to go when you write?
I generally prefer to write in the living room. I do have an office, but I prefer to be downstairs. It’s nearer the kettle. Luckily, there’s not a horde of others living here. It’s only my husband and me. Lucky also that I can write with noise of radio or TV. I used to work in company canteens during my lunch break when I had a day job.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for around thirty years, but have had two separate six-year-long periods without a publisher.
What is the last book you read?
The last book I read was The White Queen by Philippa Gregory.
How many books, and in which genre, have you written?
I’ve had eighteen books published: sixteen mystery, one historical and one romance, as well as articles on various subjects.
What do you most enjoy about writing?
The thing I most enjoy about writing is that it’s not the boring day job! I enjoy writing. It’s a lot more fun than being an office drone.
Do you use a critique group or just trust your instincts?
I don’t use a critique group, though when I was starting out, I used a paid criticism service. But I’ve just relied on my instincts for a long time now.
When it comes time for formatting, do you do it yourself or hire it out?
I’m not a techie so I’m glad to pay for a professional to format my ebooks. I used Kimberly Hitchens (hitch@Q.com), who has formatted all three of my ebooks. I find her very efficient and her prices are very reasonable.
What advice would you give a new writer?
The advice I’d give a new writer is to not be easily satisfied with their work. Not to think that the first draft was also the last draft. It ain’t!
How many drafts do you usually have before deciding it’s done?
Drafts? Hmm. It varies. The first few books had seemingly endless drafts. It’s difficult for me to judge as I also do partial drafts, but I suppose it’s around three or four.
Interview with Talia Jager
February 13th, 2019
This interview is with a young lady named Talia Jager, the author of Damaged: Natalie’s Story and Teagan’s Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy. Talia is a young adult writer. She started writing in the mid-1980’s and has loved it ever since. Her third book is due summer 2011. She lives in Texas with her husband and their five daughters. Now then, let’s get to the questions!
Where do you generally prefer to go when you write?
I have a few places, so where I write depends on my mood. The main places I write are the breakfast bar, couch, or my bed.
How long have you been writing?
For as long as I can remember. Seriously, there isn’t a time I don’t remember coming up with a story. High school is where it got more serious, but it wasn’t until last year that I decided to publish.
How many books, and in which genre, have you written?
I have two published books, both young adult dramas. I just finished another YA drama, and I’m working on a YA paranormal. I have many unfinished stories that I hope to go back and finish.
Tell us three random things about yourself.
I have five daughters.
I love chocolate.
I had purple hair in high school.
Do you prefer to write on a laptop or a desktop computer?
Since buying my first laptop 4 years ago, I haven’t looked back. I love my laptop!
What do you most enjoy about writing?
Creating characters readers will care about. Bringing a story to life and telling that story in a way that the reader won’t forget.
What steps do you take in starting a new book?
I open two Word documents, one for the story, one for all the information I need to remember. Sometimes I just start writing the story and do research when I need to. Other times I do the research first. I guess the very first thing I do is find a name I love for my main character.
What are you currently working on writing?
I’m giving a YA paranormal a try.
When do you find it best to write?
Very late at night, when everybody is asleep, that way I can have it quiet or play the music I want to hear.
What advice would you give a new writer?
There are three things I tell people: Write as much as you can as often as you can. Write for yourself, not anybody else. Believe in yourself and never give up.
What is the most important thing you have learned about writing?
Story lines don’t always go the way you want them to and characters can surprise you.
How many drafts do you usually have before deciding it’s done?
Once my first draft is finished, I print it out and edit it with a red pen. Then I send it out to people for a critique. Once I have about 5 reviews back (and I’ve waited a couple of weeks), I go back to the story and do another draft. Then I do an edit on the computer one or two times. Then I print that out and edit it again with pen. Once I’m sure it’s near perfect, I’ll send it out again for a review. If those come back good, I publish. If they come back not so good, I’ll do another edit.
Interview with Cristian YoungMiller
February 13th, 2019
My latest guest author who has agreed to an interview is Cristian YoungMiller. Cristian is the author of a number of books, including “The First Day After Life“.
How long have you been writing?
My first attempt at writing something for fun was when I was 16. It was a movie for Oprah where I was going to have her character wear only a bra on top because Oprah had admired the courage that Susan Sarandon had to wear one in a movie that she was promoting. This was when Oprah was on the liquid diet and had lost all of that weight. I thought it was a brilliant idea. Ha!
What is the last book you read?
The last book that I read was “The Giver”. It was given to me by a friend and I was told that I had to read it since I grew up in the Bahamas and had missed out on it as required reading.
How many books, and in which genre, have you written?
I have written 5 books. The first book that I wrote, which also happens to be the last book that I published, is in the spiritual genre. All of my other books are adult humor. But the book that I’m working on right now is a romantic comedy.
What inspired you to become a writer?
Nothing really inspired me to become a writer. I feel that I have always been a storyteller. And the way that storytellers tell stories is that they write it down.
What do you most enjoy about writing?
Having written.
What steps do you take in starting a new book?
The first step that I usually take is that I decide what is it that I want to say in the book. After I know what I would like to say, I figure out the best story that would communicate that message.
So for example I wrote a book called, ‘Happiness May Vary’. I started that off by deciding that I wanted to communicate the idea that there is more to being happy in relationships than sexual conquest and sexual techniques. So once I had the moral down, I came up with the story that revolves around a guy who has an alcoholic, verbally abusive penis. I figured that story would allow me to work in the things that I wanted to say, while at the same time being entertaining to read. After that I plotted out the story in my head. Then I started writing.
What are you currently working on writing?
Currently I’m working on something outside of my usual style. It is a book tentatively called, “Fixing Cupid”. Unlike everything else that I’ve written, the purpose of this book is simply to entertain. It’s fun and funny and would best be described as a light, relaxing read.
The way the story came about was that I have had 2 roommates in a row that were immature when they moved in with me, and while living with me they settled down, found the love of their life, and then moved out into a house with their fiancée.
When I told that to a friend she told me that I should turn that into a movie, so I did. But then I figured that it would really work as a fun book, so that is what I’m doing now.
How many drafts do you usually have before deciding it’s done?
I do about 3 drafts of my writing, but usually the last two are light edits. I do a lot of forethought before I write something. So short of cutting out what doesn’t work and typos, there’s not much to redraft.
What issues or challenges do you struggle with the most?
I think that I most struggle with the time it takes to write. In order to crank up my output, I work a low paying part time job and have given up on having a life. I look forward to the time when I can coast on my backlist and actually take a vacation.
Interview with Kathleen Valentine
February 13th, 2019My latest author to interview is Kathleen Valentine. Kathleen is the author of “The Old Mermaid’s Tale“, which we will be featuring here in the near future. Kathleen is such a good sport, because I send each author a list of about twenty or so questions and ask them to answer 7-10. Kathleen went above and beyond and chose to answer pretty much all of them! Thank you for sharing, Kathleen, and it’s such a pleasure to have you!
Where do you generally prefer to go when you write?
I write in my office which is in the back of my house overlooking an 18th century cemetery.
How long have you been writing?
Since high school really.
What is the last book you read?
Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
How many books, and in which genre, have you written?
Two novel of contemporary adult fiction, 2 collections of short stories, 2 books on knitting, and a cookbook/memoir
What inspired you to become a writer?
I grew up in a house full of books and always considered writers to be gods.
Who is your favorite author?
Ernest Hemingway
Tell us three random things about yourself.
I graduated from Penn State, I used to work at Enron, and I am an avid knitter.
Do you prefer to write on a laptop or a desktop computer?
Laptop
What do you most enjoy about writing?
I love moral dilemmas. I always find myself most intrigued by people who are basically good but who are trapped in impossible situations – that is the background for all of my novels.
What steps do you take in starting a new book?
I read a lot, I have to read about 100 books for every book I write. I also write extensive character sketches and pages and pages of just random ramblings about the story I have in mind.
What is the best writing advice you ever received?
Someone once told me that the most interesting characters are the ones with a secret. This has definitely proven to be true for me in my work.
What are you currently working on writing?
I am currently finishing the first draft of a novel titled Depraved Heart. The story is about a man who was once a superstar NFL linebacker who married a famous ballerina who was the granddaughter of a fabulously wealthy art collector. Three years into the marriage the football player is arrested and convicted of the depraved indifference murder of his wife’s twin brother and sentenced to 25 years in prison. When the story opens he has just been paroled after 15 years and is returning to the estate his wife’s grandfather left to their daughter. His wife died shortly after the girl’s birth and he is now the executor of this huge estate and is about to be united with the daughter he has only known through letters and rare visits. Everyone is horrified that the grandfather would appoint the man who killed his grandson the executor of this estate and they want to know why this has happened.
What advice would you give a new writer?
First tell your story. Then edit and polish and edit and polish and edit and polish until your manuscript is as tight and as clean as it can be.
How many drafts do you usually have before deciding it’s done?
A lot! Five or six minimum. I’m very particular about word usage and character development.
What issues or challenges do you struggle with the most?
Timing. In order for a story to be interesting you have to be very conscientious about how information is revealed. I want to give enough information to tantalize but withhold enough to keep the reader turning the pages.