E.M. Markoff's Blog, page 3
January 30, 2021
January 29, 2021
January Update for The Faceless God | Book 2 of The Ellderet Series
Originally posted on my IG (@tomesandcoffee) on 1/2/2021 . Follow draft three updates for The Faceless God here .
Happy New Year, everyone! Writing the sequel to The Deadbringer has been a very long journey of self-discovery, not just for the world of the Ellderet, but for myself as well.
As a self-published author, you often hear the words "publish or perish" used as the measure of success. Without realizing it, I'd internalized these words to an unhealthy degree. After I missed my own self-imposed publishing deadline, I lost my confidence. I couldn't write. I felt like every word and idea I had was shit. I felt like I had let down the people who gave me and the world of the Ellderet a chance. I started to retreat into myself.
Thankfully, I was able to let go of that toxic mentality (although, it still rears its fucking head from time to time) because of the authors and the readers who've supported me. Y'all gave me the safe space, courage, and motivation to find myself again. From the bottom of my bloody heart, thank you <3
I wish I could say the 3rd draft of The Faceless God is done, but it isn't. I am 30k in and have more to go. I'm very happy with where the story is going - the first two drafts were the little fish I needed to catch before I could catch the big one (h/t David Lynch).
If you're a writer and you find yourself feeling lost, know that you're not alone. There's nothing wrong with you, your writing, your ideas, your dreams. Sometimes, stories just take a while to flourish.
So, onward to 2021 and completing the final draft of The Faceless God!
EMM
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Writer's Life Blog RSSDecember 3, 2020
Reading "Leaving the #9" on 12/9 + the Meaning Behind Cuetlaxochitl
"All I could make out was that her skin was a warm sandy brown, like mine, her lips full and stained a deep red, like a cuetlaxochitl." - from "Leaving the #9"
Morning, everyone! I'll be joining Anya Martin (Sleeping with the Monster) for Story Hour hosted by Laura Blackwell and Daniel Marcus. When: Dec 9 at 7pm PDT/10pm EDT via Zoom and Facebook Live! I'll be reading my short ghost story "Leaving the #9." Check it out!
Photo taken and modified from www.storyhour2020.com
In the story, I include both Spanish and Nahuatl, which is one of the many native languages of Mexico and is still spoken today by 1.7 million people. I describe one of the character's lips as being stained a deep-red like a cuetlaxochitl, which you might know as the "poinsettia" or "noche buena" for Spanish speakers.
While doing research for this story, I learned that the poinsettia was co-opted after colonization and had its indigenous origins rewritten to accommodate its new Christmas narrative. The name cuetlaxochitl means “mortal flower that perishes like all that is pure" and also symbolizes the life force of blood. The flower was introduced to the United States by then-U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who apparently hated the native indigenous peoples. Surprise, surprise (not really), the native flower was named after him, with no recognition of its indigenous roots.
I grew up knowing this flower as the "flor de noche buena" and associating it with Christmas and thus Catholicism--colonialism at work, y'all. Not until I wrote "Leaving the #9" did I learn its true origins, and it broke my heart to learn of the erasure. Mexica (Aztec) history is not ancient; it's a culture and a people who are still very much alive to this day. So now that you know the truth, next time you see this lovely flower, you'll know its history ❤️
Have a great day!
Please check out these sources for more information over the cuetlaxochitl: https://bit.ly/33AwbOk, https://bit.ly/3lCPFrA
Stay in touch!
Subscribe to my blog, connect with me on social media, or read my books :)
Read the books already? Please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It really makes a difference in helping others take a chance
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December 1, 2020
Reader Photo Spotlight December 2020: @tanyainbookland
An ode to Ellderet readers, who are some of the damned best photographers
September 2, 2020
Bosses from Hell, by Loren Rhoads | A Post about Asmodeus from As Above, So Below
Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy’s Dictionnaire Infernal
A note from me (EMM): Welcome back
September 1, 2020
Book Review: As Above, So Below (Duology) by Loren Rhoads & Brian Thomas
Welcome back! I hope everyone is keeping safe and staying healthy As Above, So Below by Loren Rhoads and Brian Thomas. For longtime readers, this is not the first time you’ve seen the name “Loren Rhoads” here on my blog. But here’s the thing—I picked up the first book in the duology, Lost Angels, long before Loren and I met. And lo and behold, I LOVED the book!
Fast forward a year or two (I think) to when I was tabling with Shut Up & Write and selling my books at the local Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, California. While there, I happened to walk by the Horror Writers Association table, of which I later became a member. It was through the HWA that I got to meet Loren—the co-author of Lost Angels. It was a fangirl moment for me, for sure!
Loren’s been a great support in my life as a writer—both on and off the pages. We put out a charity anthology together, and I even had the honor of having my name be on the blurb on the front cover to Angelus Rose, the sequel to Lost Angels!! Most definitely a career high for me as an author and a reader.
I mention all of this because I want to be clear that I went into this series (book 2 had not yet been published) as a fan, and that the review that follows contains my honest views on this series and in particular on its lead character—Lorelei.
Spoiler Free Run Down…
This paranormal romance duology is very much about enduring the consequences for choices made, which is something I really enjoyed in this story. In the first book, Lost Angels, succubus Lorelei's life takes an unexpectedly dark turn when exiled angel Azaziel possesses her with a mortal girl's soul. For me, it was Lorelei who propelled this book to the top of my paranormal romance list. Despite the situations Lorelei finds herself in, she has agency. Without giving away too much, the sequel, Angelus Rose, addresses the repercussions of her choices even as the hard truths are laid out. Check out Loren Rhoads's blog about Lorelei's role as a succubus, sex positivity, and how "in the novels, sex is—above all else—about character development," and I agree.
Genre: Paranormal romance, angel and demon romance
If you like … angels, demons, and theology in general that takes place in a modern location, all with a splash of horror
Heads up: If you do not like to read about rape, violence, or female characters that are sexually liberated, then this series may not be right for you. But know this: The above points are used not as shock value but as character growth, and they serve to further the plot. This was one of the reasons I enjoyed this series so much.
Potential Spoilers…
This part is going to focus on why I liked the book and its female lead—Lorelei the Succubus.
Lorelei was created by a world run by demonic men. And yet, despite being part of a system that compels succubi to be nothing more than a tool for Hell, she makes the best choices she can when pretty much all the choices she has available to her are bad. Lorelei has agency, yes, but it’s important to note that throughout the duology she is constantly being put in disempowering situations by Heaven and Hell. Furthermore, she is “rewarded” when she plays by the rules, a tactic further seeking to disempower her by making her believe she is the one in control. Life tends to be less shitty when you fall in line and don’t stand out.
If the choices Lorelei makes don’t pan out, she will (and is) punished, and yet she continues to fight back in her own way—and this is why I fell for both Lost Angels and Angelus Rose. The authors’ choice to show the unfiltered power structure of the world the characters inhabit helped add weight and meaning to those characters’ actions. The story becomes more than just about Heaven and Hell hating each other because of theological reasons; it becomes a story of Lorelei discovering her agency and then fighting to retain that agency in a system seeking to oppress her from both sides—Heaven and Hell.
And that’s the end of my review. I hope you’ll check these books out! If you’d like to read about the inspiration behind the power dynamic between Lorelei and her boss, Asmodeus, the author has written a post which I will be publishing tomorrow here on my blog (I’ll add the link to the post tomorrow when it goes live!). Until then, you can visit Loren Rhoads at her website to check out her other books. Oh, and she also writes about cemeteries, so I think it’s safe to say Kira from The Deadbringer is a fan.
August 21, 2020
LWTF: Aug 21 | Here There be Klingons
“Last Week This Friday” is just me sharing what made me happy last week in the hopes it brings a laugh or that you discover something new
Better Call GowronMove over Saul, there’s a new lawyer in town.
Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3741506...
I wonder what kind of puppets Gowron would have in his Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Photo Credit: https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/commen...
Tinguiriringui
My mom would say this as well!!!
incredible. tinguiriringui is universal. I always thought it was something my parents invented. pic.twitter.com/ME3UJap4mW
—
August 15, 2020
August 13, 2020
#TBT: That Time I Went on FCC Free Radio
Back in August 2019, I was invited by author Loren Rhoads to be on FCC Free Radio to help promote our charity anthology for the victims of the 2018 NorCal wildfires—Tales for the Camp Fire. Prior to this, my only other experiences with radio or podcasting were as a guest on Unreliable Narrators (to talk about The Deadbringer) and a live reading of “Leaving the #9” that I did at SF in SF.
The show is recorded inside the historic Odd Fellows Building in San Francisco, although I was a bit too nervous to appreciate the building’s architecture on the way in! Let’s put my anxiety this way: think Tweek from South Park, nervous tics included. These pictures were taken after the recording was over. Enjoy!
L to R: Lilycat (host), me, and Loren Rhoads
Check out the FCC FREE Radio Podcast Episode
Take care and stay safe!!
EMM
Stay in touch!
Subscribe to my blog, connect with me on social media, or read my books :)
Read the books already? Please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It really makes a difference in helping others take a chance
Writer's Life Blog RSS
August 12, 2020
Reader Photo Spotlight August 2020: @spellbound_by_books
An ode to Ellderet readers, who are some of the damned best photographers
