Gail Daley's Blog, page 8

Interview with Mike & Athena

I had a fabulous time on their show yesterday, talking about my latest book, To Love and Honor and also the first books in my two new series, Spell of the Magi, and Warriors of St. Antoni. Click here to watch the interview

INTERVIEW WITH AN AUTHOR

I recently read that to publisize their books, Authors should interview themselves about their work. It sounded a little funny to me, but I did it anyway and here is the result.

When did realize that you wanted to be an author?

I think I was born with the urge to tell stories. I can remember my mother recounting a story about me scaring all my cousins (we were about four) with a tale of the noise the leaves landing on a tin roof really being monster feet. When they ran inside screaming, I did too. I guess you could say I scared myself!

How long does it take for you to write one of your books?

That depends on how much time I can cut out of my regular work to write (I am my husband’s office manager and I also do a lot of work for a couple of non-profit groups). Sadly, of late it has also depended on how long I can sit in a very comfortable office chair without my back beginning to hurt.

How do you balance your work schedule when you’re busy writing?

I tend to block out time. When I have a work deadline, sometimes I will write after everyone else has gone to bed.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I tend to write the way producers shoot movies. That is, if a scene is just insisting that I write it, I stop where I am and write that scene. This sometimes means I will write chapter 7 before I write chapter 2, or write a scene from a completely different book. In that way the computer is a godsend, because I can go back to that scene when I get ready to put it in a book.

How do you come up with ideas for your books?

This is probably going to sound insane, but I feel the characters themselves write the story. I always start out with an outline, but I usually find myself changing the outline as the story unfolds. Often, I will pick up on something from TV, a movie or even a book I’m reading. For instance I might think, what would happen if Lucinda (MC in To Love & Honor) was confronted with a situation like that?

When did you write your first book?

I was in my twenties. I was working at a government agency and we had an hour lunch. I couldn’t go anywhere because I didn’t drive, so I would take my own floppy discs in the back and use the word processor there. Unfortunately, I had no hard copies because I didn’t want to print my private stuff using paper that didn’t belong to me. I still have the set of 8″ floppies done on a Wang word processor. If I could ever find anyone who could download them into word on a thumb drive, I might be able to write it. It was a science fiction reminiscent of the style used by the late Edgar Rice Burroughs.

What are your hobbies when you’re not writing?

I paint, I read a lot, I watch TV, I work crossword & jigsaw puzzles on my mini I-Pad.

What do your family and close friends think of your writing?

I’m not sure to tell the truth. They support me, but their opinions are not reliable because they are my family and friends!

What was one of the most interesting things that you learned about yourself when you published your first book?

That you are never too old to begin a new career (I’m in my 60s)

How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?

In fiction there are currently 5 Handfasting books (I’m working on No 6), One book in the St. Antoni series and one book in the Magi Series. In non-fiction I have a series of pamphlets (The Modern Artist’s Handbook) detailing things from introducing the internet, taxes and licenses, how to put on an art show, How to frame your art without breaking your bank account, how to make money at arts & craft shows, etc.

My favorite book is always the one I’m currently working on.

What do you think makes a good story?

Interesting characters and a good plot. Also, if your character is supposed to be an expert on something, do your research! I once dropped a cozy mystery series about a veterinarian because the author claimed a horse could win the Kentucky Derby multiple times!

Where do you like to kick back and write your books?

If I’m writing a scene in my head, I can be anywhere, but the most common places are the shower and in the truck. I do find when I’m writing in my head the best place is my car because I can put on the right musc (for fight scenes I prefer a really fast paced song with heavy drums). If I’m putting the book on paper, then in the office on the computer. Preferably alone so I don’t get distracted by my family (this is why I sometimes write after my husband and son have gone to bed).

Tell us about your Series (book)

The Handfasting Seriestakes place in the far future when mankind has colonized the stars. Humans meet many different races and cultures once they get out into space. In each book, I’ve tried to disclose a little more about the Confederation and the races who inhabit it. I’ve had the series percolating around in my psyche for at least 20 years. In Lucinda’s book To Love and Honor, we learn more about the Trellyans and about their society and about the Thieves Guild and how it actually works.The first 3 books in this series were about the O’Teague sisters, Genevieve, Katherine and Drusilla. The next six will concern the children introduced in the first three books, Jayla, Lucinda, Juliette, Violet, Roderick and Rupert.

To Love & Honor is the 5th book in the handfasing series. Lucinda was introduced as one of the children adopted by Lady Katherine in A Year & A Day.

Lucinda was a “designer child”. Given genius level intelligence in an embryonic Thieves Guild lab, she learned survival in a harsh world. At twelve, she was rescued and adopted into a loving family. As an adult Lucinda chose to fight her former masters by joining the police force. She works hard to earn her place among Vensoog’s law enforcement community.

On her first assignment, compassion impels her to protect an alien mother and daughter fleeing off-planet bounty hunters. To ensure their safety, she must defeat a deadly Soturi warrior in hand-to-hand combat. Then she rescues a ‘designer child’ who is a younger double for herself from a sex trafficking ring. To solve this case and rescue the other children trapped by those same criminals, she must capture a vicious Thieves Guild assassin. But even with the help of the best private eye on Vensoog, these are tough cases for a rookie cop. It’s available everywhere in e-book format and in paperback on Amazon and on my website.

The Magi Seriesis almost pure sword and sorcery with just a touch of technology. It is my tribute to Andre Norton’s Witch World Series. The people arrive on the planet Rulari in the usual way through a Portal, but once there they discover that the laws of physics and science don’t apply there in the same way they applied on earth. Rulari is cris-crossed by Ley lines enabling its inhabitants to use powers similiar to magic.

Spell of the Magi, the first book in the series takes place after the human refugees have been on Rulari for approximately three hundred years. Rebecca was born to the Magi in a land where that meant slavery or death. All her life she has hidden from the Shan’s Proctors who control the enslaved Magi. To keep her family safe from them, she will risk anything, tell any lie, even trick an innocent man into a forbidden marriage. She never expected to fall in love with that man, but it happened. Now she and Andre must defy the Proctors with nothing but his skill with a blade and her untried magic.

The St. Antoni Serieshas almost no magic or esp. It originally began as a western back when women writers were discovering a whole new genre of romance and women readers found out that if properly presented, Gunman, Ranchers, farmers and other pioneer men were, strong, kind and made wonderful heroes. I used three sisters as the heroines but instead of presenting them in three separate books, I wrote three separate but connected stories. I also kept most of that original plot which transmuted quite well from a western to a steam-punk novel of a parallel world reached through a portal.

Warriors of St. Antoni, the first book in this series, tells the story of a rancher/mine owner who is is ambushed and crippled. He thinks he needs strong men to defend his ranch and mine from a predatory neighbor. His only assets are his three marriagable daughters so he arranges marriages for them. Sisters Bethany, Jeanne and Iris, make choices to survive on the harsh new world of St. Antoni. Bethany marries a mercenary warrior to shield her family from a predatory neighbor. To her surprise, the marriage of convenience turns into a love match, but Bethany and Alec must learn to trust as well as love each other. Iris chooses an arranged marriage with a beloved old friend, but did Carlos marry her for love, or to please her father? Jeanne and Samuel, the son of her family’s greatest enemy, run away to a distant city to build a new life, but discover you can’t run away from who you are.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on Uncharted Trails. This will be the 6th book in the handfasting series. The lead female is Juliette, Lady Katherine’s First Daughter. As a First Daughter, she is third in line to rule Veiled Isle. It’s written as a straight adventure story about a group of explorers searching for the ruins of an ancient city built by one of the elder races in the Confederation universe. It is also about Juliette’s journey to adulthood. The trek forces her to come to terms with her labratory designed genes and to develop the self-confidence she needs to become the leader she is destined to be.

The secondary female lead is a young Trellyan woman named Eloyoni who was taken in a raid while waiting for her bridegroom and forced to marry one of the outlaws who took her. Suddenly she is offfered a way out of her captivity, but by now she is carrying Ladru’s child. We first heard about Eloyoni in To Love & Honor when her mother Ispone and her sister Sesuna come to Vensoog in search of her.

Who do you write your books for?

I write my stories primarily for myself. I’ve always devoured books, and with that type of appetite, eventually you run out of books to read, so I’ve been forced to invent my own stories. It’s only since the changes to the publishing industry that I’ve been able to share these stories with others in the form of e-books or paperbacks.

Is there a central message in your book (series)

Yes. Family, either the one you choose or the one you are born with is important because you can count on them.

If you have to choose, what would you say is the single mos timportant idea you’re sharing in your book that is really going to add value to a reader’s?

If you have a dream, follow it. Don’t let age or other obstacles get in your way.

If you could compare your books with any books we might already be familiar with, which book would it be and why?

The Magi Seriesas I said earlier, I wrote as a tribute to one of my favorite fantasy authors, Andre Norton and her Witch World Series. I hope her readers will also read this one and enjoy it.

For the Handfasting Series, I did take some inspiration from Jayne Ann Krenz’s Sci Fi series on the world of Harmony but I also pulled inspiration from Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight series.

For the Warriors of St. AntoniI drew chiefly for inspiration from a couple of male western writers, Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour.

Tell us about the central characters in the book you’re working on.

For Uncharted Trails,the central character is Juliette the First Daughter of Lady Katherine and Lord Zack. She is young (she hasn’t yet been given her first Match List so she is considered underage). She was created in an embryonic lab at the request of a thieves guild lt. who wanted a girl who could infilterate forbidden places to steal items for him. As a result, she isn’t fully human, her genes being a blend of human, elf and trelyan. The male lead is Isiah Jordan whose twin brother is a member of the exploratory team searching for the ancient ruins.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since publishing your work?

Finding out someone who doesn’t usually read science fiction actually liked my work because it was more about family than about space opera.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

Don’t let the bastards get you down. (the family motto)

How would you describe your writing style?

I am the omnicent narrator. I often switch POVs, although I do try and make it obvious when I’m switching.

Who influenced your writing the most?

Many other writers, first and formost will probably be Edgar Rice Burroughs, Zane Grey and Georgette Heyer

Are your characters pure fiction, or did you draw from people you know?

Certain aspects of each charactor might be taken from friends or acquaintences. However as I write, the charactor him/herself tells me about that charactor. I suppose this is why I find it difficult to write about them unless I’ve seen their face (Usually done by creating a cover).

Are you more of a character artist or a plot driven writer?

You know I don’t actually know which I am. I don’t think a plot is much good without strong charactors to hold it up.

Who should buy this book

Readers who enjoy a good strong female main charactor balanced by an equally strong male lead, and who like a good adventure where good triumphs over evil.

Where can readers find your books?

Everywhere!     Click here for more about Gail’s books

Gypsy Troupe

GYPSY TROUPE  was designed to be a companion painting to “My Lady’s Solar“. Both paintings perfectly showcase story-telling art and historical sense and pay tribute to the old masters. Gypsy Troupe tells a story about traveling players sitting around the campfire watching one of their number practice jumping thorough a fiery hoop. Some brave members of the local village have come out to watch as well. In the background is the Manor house,

I had an idea for this painting when I took my then 16-year old son out to the local Renaissance fair. The people were wonderful and delighted to pose in their costumes for pictures. And yes, one of the entertainers really DID jump through a fire hoop!

 

 

“Painting In Little”

 

Both Clovis Art Guild’s Annual Miniature Works Fine Art Show (Clovis California) and Sierra Artists Gallery’s Miniatures in Mariposa (Mariposa California) give modern day artists who paint on small canvases a chance to display their work, and the opportunity for artists who usually paint on a larger format to stretch their abilities by painting in an unfamiliar size.True miniature art or “painting in little” is a genre that focuses on art (especially painting, engraving and sculpture). It has a long history that dates to the scribes of the medieval ages. Miniature art societies, such as the World Federation of Miniaturists (WFM), provide applicable definitions of the term.[1] An often-used definition is that a piece of miniature art can be held in the palm of the hand, or that it covers less than 25 square inches or 100 cm². Subjects are depicted in 1/6 actual size, and in all paintings the spirit of miniaturization should be maintained.

Miniature art has been made for over 1000 years and is prized by collectors. The U.S. White House, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Astolat Dollhouse Castle, and museums around the world have collections of miniature paintings, drawings, original prints and etchings, and sculpture

Miniature painting, also called (16th–17th century) limning, small, finely wrought portrait executed on vellum, prepared card, copper, or ivory. The name is derived from the minium, or red lead, used by the medieval illuminators. Arising from a fusion of the separate traditions of the manuscript andthe medal, miniature painting flourished from the beginning of the 16th century down to the mid-19th century

The art of miniature painting is many hundreds of years old. The earliest examples are shown in illuminated church manuscripts. Decorated often with pure gold leaf, these tiny images pictured scenes of medieval life, the bible or saints and angels.

In later years the skill of these illuminators was turned to the painting of exquisite miniature portraits for rich merchants and royalty. These jewel-like works of art were small enough to be held in the palm of the hand and were carried much as we carry those in our electronic media.

 

SAFE HARBOR

My favorite place to live as a child was by the ocean. I still love to go there.  I am living in one of the hottest, driest places in California (the Central Valley) and I remember fondly the cold breezes and fog coming off the water. Not that we don’t have fog here, but somehow it isn’t the same.  At least once per year, my husband’s pool association has a big event in Monterey at the Monterey Convention Center which is next to Fisherman’s Wharf, and we usually go. While we are there we sometimes take advantage of the free time to travel up the coast to Morro Bay. This photo was taken from the side of the Rock away from all the shops.  I understand that it is less expensive to moor your boat out here where you have to reach it by rowboat  than using the Marina docking  which has walkways.

I have always found boats and ships fascinating. When I was a child, we lived in the Pismo area and I spend many days with my father on the Pismo Pier or on the shore. I have always loved watching the boats move in and out. Monterey Bay has a long history of being a safe haven for ships. As early as 1602, ships carrying elegant goods from the Manilla islands used the harbor. In 1870, a commercial wharf was built for regular passenger and freight service. Around 1913, commercial fishing industries began using it. It is now the largest marine sanctuary in the world and provides access to a variety of recreational activities.

A private or public Marina however is very different from a commercial Port, although both are usually located in a harbor.Harborsare bodies of water where ships, boats and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or are stored for future use. Natural harbors are usually found in bays, estuaries, and river mouths. A good harbor occurs where land and water come together and protect ships from wind and waves as they enter and dock. Harbors can also be built from jetties and causeways as well. Harbors can be natural or artificial. An artificial harbor usually has intentionally fashioned breakwaters, sea walls, or jetties, or they can be made by dredging.

Harbors include entry channels and inner channels (to allow movement to areas and support features for refueling and repair. Harbors can be found on the coast or on inland lakes.A natural harbor occurs where a part of a body of water is protected and deep enough to anchor a ship. Natural harbors are of immense tactical and financial significance. Many of the world’s great cities began on natural harbors.

Harbors and Ports are often mixed up with each other. A port is a facility for loading and unloading boats and ships. While ports are often found in harborsnot every harbor has a port. A port is a manufactured coastal or lake or river area where boats and ships load and unload passengers and cargo. It may contain quays, wharfs, jetties, piers, and slipways with cranes or ramps. A port usually has buildings or warehouses for storing goods and a transportation system to move those goods inland or out to other countries. Ports are a place where rail, truck, barge, ship, and other transport methods meet.

A Marina isa dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina contrasts from a port because a marina usually doesn’t handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters although many small (the word is relative) boats do take passengers out for local tours or fishing trips. The word marina is also used for inland wharves on rivers and canals used exclusively by non-industrial pleasure craft. In a Marina, Boatsare generally moored on buoys, or fixed or floating walkways tied to an anchoring piling (floating docksand pontoons). Buoys are cheaper to rent but less convenient than docks allowing an owner to walk from land to boat. Harbor shuttles and water taxis may shuttle people between the shore and boats moored on buoys. Marinas may be owned and operated by a private club, such as a,but also as private enterprises or municipal facilities.

Prints & Decor items: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/safe-harbor-gail-daley.html

ORIGINAL Acrylic Seascape 18 x 24 (shipped unframed) $575 http://www.gaildaleysfineart.com/to-buy-this-art.php

COVER REVEAL “Uncharted Trails”

I was having difficulty writing this one until I realized I didn’t have Juliette’s face. I spent some time working on the cover and this is the one I came up with. It lacks some of the science fiction elements of the previous covers in this series, but since I am in the process of redesigning the first 3 covers in the series I think this one will fit in nicely. This is Juliette’s story. Juliette, as readers will remember, is the First Daughter of the heroine of the first book “A Year & A Day”.  

The young First Daughter of a warrior princess undertakes a journey in search of an ancient city. On her own for the first time, she grows in self-confidence and maturity as she encounters refugees from a wrecked  lifeboat, Outlaws and a holdout Karamine outpost.

 

 

 

Red Rock Crossing

Our gold-panning group, CVPA, often holds a group affair out at some of the more distant claims, sometimes utilizing sites owned by sister organizations. The Camp at Duesenberg was one of these. On the way there, we stopped so I could take some photographs of some striking red cliffs. I used a portion of these cliffs for the background of this painting of my imaginary traveler. I have to laugh at Western movies when they usually portray their heroes setting out on long trips with nothing but a and saddle horse. Using a horse for transportation, even a single traveler required enough gear to load up a pack mule to survive a trip of several days. Remember there were no handy rest stops, fast food places or motels within a days march of each other! A traveler needed food for himself and his animals, camping gear, cooking utensils and if you were traveling in the desert, water! So I chose to portray my traveler with all of these things.

Original (18 x 24 – shipped unframed) – $575.00 – www.gaildaleysfineart.com

Available in prints, cards, totes and decor items- Click Here for more information

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/red-rock-crossing-gail-daley.html

It’s Here!

I’m glad to report that the 5th book in the handfasting series To Love & Honor is in final editing. It is available now for pre-order.

Lucinda was a “designer child”. Given genius level intelligence in an embryonic Thieves Guild lab, she learned survival in a harsh world. At twelve, she was rescued and adopted into a loving family. As an adult Lucinda chose to fight her former masters by joining the police force. She works hard to earn her place among Vensoog’s police force.

On her first assignment, Compassion impels her to protect an alien mother and daughter fleeing off-planet bounty hunters. To ensure their safety, she must defeat a deadly Soturi warrior in hand-to-hand combat. Then she finds a ‘designer child’ who is a younger double for herself. To solve this case and rescue the other children trapped in the sex trafficking ring, she must capture a vicious Thieves Guild assassin. But even with the help of the best private eye on Vensoog, these are tough cases for a rookie cop.

PRE-ORDER UBL:  https://www.books2read.com/u/brGryz

Free Book! A Year And A Day

From January 5 (This Saturday) to January 10 (Wednesday) Book 1 (A Year And A Day) of the Handfasting series will be free https://books2read.com/b/3Lr2Q0

 

Welcome to the far future on the planet Vensoog. Let me introduce you to the courageous women and dangerous men who carve a home here

Meet Katherine O’Teague, the heir to Veiled Isle, computer hacker and all-around tough lady, and Lieutenant Zachery Jackson, a hardened ex-recon soldier and his five super-smart orphaned dependents. The colony of Vensoog is in trouble. A bio-weapon killed or sterilized all the male colonists.  To keep the colony from dying out, the Matchmaker Program finds ex-soldiers like Zack without a planet and offers them a new home if they are willing to marry women prepared to sacrifice all to save their colony. Zack’s home planet is a pile of radioactive ash. He desperately needs a new home for himself and his kids. When the Matchmaker Program chooses Katherine for him, is it a match made in Heaven or Hell? Katherine needs to find out in a hurry because Zack’s five foundlings are too smart for their own good. She and Zack must find a way to keep their kids safe from the ruthless Thieves Guild who want them, and what they stole when they escaped, back. Plus, she is falling for her new husband and hasn’t a clue if he feels the same about her…

[image error]A Year And A Day

 

A Clockwork Cat

Her name was Pixie and she choseto live with us. Originally she lived next door, but after an unfortunate set-to with the dog that also lived there, she left home. Pixie began to come to our front door asking for food, so I fed her.  Eventually she came to live with us and spent many hours in Vern’s lap, lowering his blood pressure with her warm, soft fur and purring. Pixie spent most of her time with us up off the floor, and she loved to be on top of the entertainment center and bookcases. I suppose this was because she felt safe from our dogs and from my son’s younger cats. She was Queen of all she surveyed.

Despite her age, she continued to insist on using the outdoors as her litterbox. One night she didn’t return when I called her. We found her the next morning. (A wild possum had attacked and killed her on her last trip outside). This was a very emotional painting for me. While I painted, I kept reminding myself of all the warm and pleasant feelings she brought to us. I hope those feelings show in the painting

Original: 5 x 7

Media: Acrylic on board

Original Price $225

Available in prints, cards, totes and various decor items- Click Here for more information