Anna Patrick's Blog, page 233

Thanks for all the sweet messages, you guys. You’re seriously the best. It’s been a hard...

Thanks for all the sweet messages, you guys. You’re seriously the best. It’s been a hard time but I’m taking in all of your positive energy and support, and I’m so grateful for it!

Meditations In Wonderland in Sedona! Photos by @updatemebrie!I...

Meditations In Wonderland in Sedona! Photos by @updatemebrie!

I also wanted to share with you all my recent author Q&A on Buttonholed Book Reviews, I had a lot of fun with this one! I got to talk about the craft of writing, my writing philosophy and influences, among other things. Here’s a look:

Buttonholed Book Reviews: Can you tell us a little about your writing philosophy? 

Anna Patrick: Follow your muse down the rabbit hole. Go where your internal narrator takes you, even if it’s down a rabbit hole you didn’t expect. That’s how you discover the best your subconscious, creative mind has to offer. You might be surprised what kind of characters you might meet!

BBR: Do you listen to music as you write? 

AP: I recreated the playlist I wrote Meditations In Wonderland to on Spotify, for anyone who’s curious! You can see it here. (https://play.spotify.com/user/annaepatrick/playlist/2dqWIAdeCPBCSN3lKhddPl). I write to music that matches a tone or mood I want to convey in a certain scene – lyrics aren’t necessary, for the most part. For writing Meditations in Wonderland I wrote most of the novel to the Anna Karenina motion picture soundtrack by Dario Marianelli, particularly the song “Unavoidable.” The rest was a mix of Nirvana, Filter, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, and Hans Zimmer songs.

BBR: Who are your influences? 

AP: Like most writers, my desire to write first evolved from a love of reading. When I was growing up I loved Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories. My childhood was idyllic, so I think I was attracted to the contrast of exploring a world that was darker than the one I knew. When I was in high school I discovered the Russian writers, which was a love affair that turned into a lasting romance. Dostoevsky, Bulgakov and Nabokov in particular left their marks on the pages of Meditations In Wonderland. A few other authors worth mentioning are Joseph Conrad, Cormac McCarthy, and Truman Capote. Last, I of course owe a great nod of appreciate to Lewis Carroll! 

You can see the rest here.

Meditations In Wonderland is available on Amazon and B&N!

Anna

Nature, book quotes and more.

Nature, book quotes and more.

the signs as real witches

Aries: Agnes Waterhouse// Had a deal with the Devil and wasn't afraid to say so. The Brave witch.

Taurus: Joan Wytte// Clairvoyant and healer who eventually became possessed by the Devil, getting involved in many fights.

Gemini: Marie Laveau// Voodoo Queen. Performed necromancy, mind control, telekinesis and pinning.

Cancer: Chedipe// Witch-vampire who rode on tigers in the moonlight, choosing houses to visit to cast spells on men.

Leo: Agnes Sampson// Tried to sink the ship of Queen Anne, wife of King James VI of England.

Virgo: Isobel Gowdie// Could control the weather and would often write poetry about witch practices. Allegedly marked by the Devil.

Libra: Circe// Transformed random sailors into wolves and lions and all kinds of animals.

Scorpio: Mother Shipton// Clairvoyant, sorceress. An outcast with a great talent.

Sagittarius: Maret Jonsdotter// Frequently tricked men. Attended witch sabbaths.

Capricorn: Alice Kyteler// Poisoned her rich husbands, disappeared the night before her execution.

Aquarius: Angele de la Barthe// Allegedly had sex with the Devil.

Pisces: Catherine La Voisin// Fortune Teller & Love Potions expert. Plotted to murder Louis XIV.

Nature, book quotes and more.

Nature, book quotes and more.

Had to have a good laugh at this snap my friend sent me!I also...

Had to have a good laugh at this snap my friend sent me!

I also wanted to share with you all the latest review on Meditations In Wonderland, from Buttonholed Book Reviews. I especially love the themes they identified:

This tale has shown we wear masks for societies sake as well as our own and after taking a look at ones-self there are diffidently dark sides as well as the light sides with, of course, splashes of grey.  It is a journey of self-acceptance. A very thought provoking tale. Loved how Anna Patrick described and brought Elizabeth’s inner self to life.

Ms. Patrick’s use of the original classic tale and twisting it into her thought on this tale - there are so many topics we could discuss in this story: drug addiction, madness, reality, relationships, self-worth, symbolism, comparisons to Lewis Carroll’s version, how the subconscious effect/affect our conscious, behavior - the list could continue. There is so much in this quick read. You just have to sit one weekend and indulge into the rabbit hole, I do insist folks. You will not be disappointed.

You can see the rest here.

If you want to get your hands on a copy, it’s available on Amazon and B&N !

Happy reading,

Anna

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together."

“Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.”

- Elizabeth Taylor (via introspectivepoet)

Nature, book quotes and more.

Nature, book quotes and more.

"Half gods are worshipped in wine and flowers. Real gods require blood."

“Half gods are worshipped in wine and flowers. Real gods require blood.”

- Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God 

Nature, book quotes and more.

Nature, book quotes and more.