Linda Acaster's Blog, page 10
March 8, 2018
Read an Ebook Week: 50% Off!
It's Read An Ebook Week and I have three titles subscribed via Smashwords.com which offers its titles in both mobi format for Kindle and ePub format for Kobo, Nook, iBooks, etc. Use the coupon code RAE50 at the checkout to get 50% off - which is $4.50 for the Torc of Moonlight Books1-3 boxed set.
Grab it while you can. Read An Ebook Week finishes on Saturday 10th March.
Direct links:
Grab it while you can. Read An Ebook Week finishes on Saturday 10th March.
Direct links:
March 2, 2018
#Writing Research: Using Weather Crises For Insight
If you've been living in the United Kingdom this past week you can't have missed the unseasonally severe weather conditions, dubbed The Beast From The East because the originating air currents are from Russian Siberia. During the last couple of days Storm Emma, originating offshore of Portugal, has streamed north to interact with it. It's been a "fun" time of blizzards, gale-force winds
February 23, 2018
Historical Research: Glazing Without Glass
Glazing with horn rectangles
During my recent trip to York for the Jorvik Viking Festival, I also made a visit to Barley Hall, a medieval townhouse down an alley off Stonegate – all this well within the walls that would have surrounded the Roman fortress.
The oldest parts of the building date from 1360 when it was built as the city’s townhouse for Nostel Priory, a monastery near Wakefield 35
During my recent trip to York for the Jorvik Viking Festival, I also made a visit to Barley Hall, a medieval townhouse down an alley off Stonegate – all this well within the walls that would have surrounded the Roman fortress.
The oldest parts of the building date from 1360 when it was built as the city’s townhouse for Nostel Priory, a monastery near Wakefield 35
February 17, 2018
Hand-Held Historical Research: #Viking Jorvik
Spring might not quite be with us here in the northern hemisphere, but in the Acaster household mid February starts the annual series of historical research field trips,
not so much in a field – I could have done if I’d wanted – but in York’s city centre streets. Welcome to the trading empire of Viking Jorvik.
A little background:
not so much in a field – I could have done if I’d wanted – but in York’s city centre streets. Welcome to the trading empire of Viking Jorvik.
A little background:
February 10, 2018
How Historical Should Be Your Historical?
I have been following an earnest debate in a Facebook group regarding how close to factual history Historical novels should stay.
On the one side there’s the fiction is never fact and shouldn’t be taken as such. On the other there’s the fiction should stick to the fact until the fact gets in the way of the fiction. And a lot of differing views threading in, around and between.
My stance is
On the one side there’s the fiction is never fact and shouldn’t be taken as such. On the other there’s the fiction should stick to the fact until the fact gets in the way of the fiction. And a lot of differing views threading in, around and between.
My stance is
February 3, 2018
Voice Recognition – Worth It?
Earlier this week planets aligned: a lengthy copy-typing task, and I attempted to add the end of one finger to a pile of carrots I was dicing – new knives tend to be sharp. As luck would have it I’d been reading a blogpost from Joanna Penn (‘The Creative Penn’) on using voice recognition software. And what did I have lurking in a cupboard but Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5 which I’d had for years
January 26, 2018
My Name is Linda and I am a HOARDER
This image does *not* do justice to my office
I am currently culling my office. With two four-drawer filing cabinets, three desk spaces and two decent sized shelving units, anyone would think I’d have enough
space in my room to spread. And so I have. And so I did. Until I could
hardly get in to hoover. Did I really start my writing career with a tinny portable typewriter and a cardboard box
I am currently culling my office. With two four-drawer filing cabinets, three desk spaces and two decent sized shelving units, anyone would think I’d have enough
space in my room to spread. And so I have. And so I did. Until I could
hardly get in to hoover. Did I really start my writing career with a tinny portable typewriter and a cardboard box
January 20, 2018
Beware Must-Read Lists
There’s one in today’s paper. Ten Books Every Child Should Own. It caught my eye immediately, as it was supposed to. But did it catch my eye for the intended reason?
I’m wary, if not downright cynical, about any such list, further fuelled by the fact that the headline had transformed by the inside page into Ten Books Every Child Should Read, which doesn’t mean the same at all.
My schooldays
I’m wary, if not downright cynical, about any such list, further fuelled by the fact that the headline had transformed by the inside page into Ten Books Every Child Should Read, which doesn’t mean the same at all.
My schooldays
January 12, 2018
Priming The Creative Well
This past week we’ve been in need of a sewing machine. I own two: my own 1960s Singer electric and my Granny’s Singer hand-cranked complete with beautiful Sphinx decals. Neither work. I went on the Net in search of a modern replacement, read various reviews, and stalled. I wanted something that would continue to work for years and not cost me half a mortgage.By accident I also came across a DIY
January 5, 2018
Writers need to be Readers
It’s been a quiet Christmastide at Acaster Alcoves: daily walks, some socialising, but lots and lots of reading.
As far back as I can recall, Christmas reading has meant research reading, but this year it has meant reading for pleasure. Except, for a writer, there is no such thing.
Can I recognise the author’s misdirections? Can I second-guess the character developments, the denouement?
As far back as I can recall, Christmas reading has meant research reading, but this year it has meant reading for pleasure. Except, for a writer, there is no such thing.
Can I recognise the author’s misdirections? Can I second-guess the character developments, the denouement?
