Michelle Athy's Blog, page 11

On Social Media

This post is inspired by Krystal Jane Ruin's blog post: Should Anti-Social People Use Facebook? I ended up writing a book in her comments and concluded that I should write my own post. My first social medium was Facebook, which was brand-new and everyone at my college was joining it back in 2004. I've been on it ever since, with a personal page and with an author page. And I think about

Problematic Past Characters

Around about two years to a year and a half ago, I was struggling to write a Regency historical romance between a fairly major character in Pearl and a character I'd written in an earlier incarnation of Pearl and then cut when I rewrote the story. At the time, I thought the story wasn't working because there was no chemistry between these two characters. I thought I'd burnt myself out on Regency

Crown Jewels

Ever since I learned a bit more about the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Duleep Singh, and his daughter Sophia, I've been like low-key (and by low-key, I mean I think about it from time to time but not a lot) interested in the idea of a British Crown Jewel tied into other royal families and what the symbolism of Crown Jewels are--and what it means to those whose jewels were destroyed or stolen by colonizers

So far in library school...

Well, I finished one midterm (two essays, two pages each, one day to write both!) and I've survived another midterm and I have a group project in the other class going. And I have two longer-term assignments for two of my classes and reading to do and oh, another group project to do and... I never want to hear that local city colleges are not rigorous ever again. Y'all, I'm taking fewer classes

The Romanovs Part 6: After Life

There is a truck driving around the woods outside of Yekaterinburg, carrying the sheet-wrapped bodies of eleven brutally murdered victims. The truck is heading toward the Koptyaki woods, where Yurovsky had earlier identified disused mineshafts that might work as a gravesite. But the truck breaks down. Another gang of men wait in the woods for them. Turns out there's only one shovel amongst them

Introducing Fuckbois of Literature: A New Podcast

Hello gang! Today I am bringing you a repeat guest and Friend to The Blog, Emily Edwards, who you all may remember from previous guest posts here as the author of Collecting the Constellations and Pursue The Unknown End. Emily is now launching a new creative endeavor--a podcast called Fuckbois of Literature--so I had to ask her about it. Have a listen to the introduction here: 1. Fuckbois

IWSG: March

It is the first Wednesday in March, so it is time for the IWSG post! Check out the group here. The awesome co-hosts for the March 6 posting of the IWSG are Fundy Blue, Beverly Stowe McClure, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard! As I don't really have any writing news to share, secure or insecure, let's go to the monthly question! Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the

Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker

Today's a really cool day, everyone! My writing friend Tonja Drecker is releasing a book! Music Boxes By Tonja Drecker Middle Grade Fantasy / Performing Arts 158 pages Dancing Lemur Press Release date: March 5th, 2019 Ages 9 to 12 <!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->ISBN-10: 1939844568 <!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->ISBN-13: 978-1939844569

Romanovs Part 5: Yekaterinburg

Warning: bad stuff happens in this installment. Nicholas II, Alexandra, Maria, and their servants are on their way to Tyumen to get on the railway. The fastest way to get to Moscow from Tyumen was to ride the train west, but that would take them through Yekaterinburg, a large city in the Urals, full of communists. The Ural Soviets were based in Yekaterinburg and they were baying for the Romanovs

Romanovs Part 4: The Winter of 1917 to 1918

The Romanovs are in Tobolsk, in a remote part of Siberia. They aren't allowed to walk about the town on their own and are usually confined to a fenced-off portion next to the house. They are allowed to venture under guard to church, though. Nicholas II with his five children on the roof of the Tobolsk house Because Tobolsk was so remote, it took a few weeks for the news of the Bolshevik coup