Virginia Crow's Blog: Crowvus Book Blog, page 4

#MGMonday Characters: The Mentor

I'm afraid that today was another forgetting-it-was-Monday day! It's the May Day Bank Holiday, meaning I'm off work so naturally, I've been spending the entire day thinking it was Sunday.

So I've had to quickly put together my notes for this blog, which is all about the Mentor Character in a middle grade novel. But first...

What is the Mentor Character?

This character's primary job is to teach and guide the protagonist until the time comes when they can stand on their own two feet. This could invol...

#HistFicThursdays - The Historical Fiction Community (and why I'm so glad I'm a part of it!)

 Today is the arrival of #HistFicMay, now in its third year. When I started it, I did it because I had really enjoyed meeting new writers through a similar #IndieApril list of prompts. I had a quick perusal to see if anyone had done a Historical Fiction one, saw they hadn't, and decided to set one up. It had the desired effect, and I have "met" (only online!) and discovered some wonderful writers and their books over the last couple of years.

Community is a bigger thing than most writers realise....

#MGMonday Remembering My Favourite Book

 Today was supposed to be a book review day, but with everything that is currently needing attention, I haven't got round to reading my backlist yet and, rather than skim read one of the books, I would rather do it the credit of giving my full attention.

So, I thought, that I would introduce my favourite book from when I was little.

The Moon of Gomrath is a fantasy adventure, which I partially credit with my love of the genre. It is heavily woven with myths and legends from rural England and, whil...

#HistFicThursdays - Inspirational Series: Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill: The Roaring Lion

At the moment, clips from The Crown keep coming up on my Facebook page and then, once you’ve watched a few, they appear on YouTube too. Thanks, cookies! 

I’ve never gone in for writing twentieth century fiction, although I’m not opposed to reading it. One of the most interesting things about historical fiction, of course, is the ability to put words into the mouths of people who really lived. Over the past couple of blogs, I’ve looked at Henry VIII and Alexander...

New Release "Sir Louis Curlewy" by Susan Crow... the ups and downs of publishing a book

Today (on #MGMonday) was supposed to be a blog about creating worlds for fantasy stories, but that will have to wait, because I have some amazing news to share!

Happy Release Day to our latest book, Sir Louis Curlewy by Susan Crow! Happy Birthday, Sir Louis Curlewy! (Balloons and Curlews don't actually mix that well!)

This wonderfully informative book contains heap-loads of facts about this vulnerable bird, but all told in engaging rhyme. I've been sharing information about this book for a few mont...

#HistFicThursdays - Gothic Horror - Memories of the Grand Tour

Arthur Rackham's timeless illustration
(from Wikipedia)

 There was a big push a few years ago to rewrite fairy tales. Snow White and the Huntsman got a less than warm reception, but Maleficent was more kindly received. Not wanting to be left out, I also had a go at rewriting a fairy tale, although I think I was a little bit late to the party.

Memories of the Grand Tour was based on the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, and features my only female narrator. I don’t know particularly why...

#MGMonday Genres: Middle Grade Fantasy

I could write for ages and ages about fantasy. It was the first genre I wrote, and I'm talking about being very much younger! It was also the first genre I loved to read. As I've grown older, I've realised that most fantasy authors try to instil a shock factor into their audience. I realised early on that, while I enjoyed middle grade fantasy, adult fantasy was often a bit too much for me. But, seeing as this is Middle Grade Monday, that's ok!


What is fantasy?
Fantasy are things that can't happen....

#HistFicThursdays - The Return of #HistFicMay

 It is that time again... Get ready for the return of #HistFicMay!

For the first time, this #HistFicMay will be taking place predominantly on BSky, although I would encourage all writers to share the posts on any and all their social media channels. I'll be around on BSky, Facebook, and Instagram (if I can remember my password!) to share and like as many posts as I can. I am so excited to discover new authors and books, as well as reconnecting with the stalwarts who have been doing #HistFicMay ov...

#MGMonday Characters: The Friend

I'm sorry this blog is later than usual! Truth is, I'm on holiday at the moment and a little tired and sore with all the walking and gardening. Not that I would change a thing - it's been a wonderful few days!

Today, in our Character series, I'll be looking at what makes a good Friend character. The poor Friend never gets a great deal out of the story and I'm afraid this blog is going to be shorter than normal, so I feel like I'm adding to the Friend's misery. Sorry!

What do I mean by a Friend cha...

#HistFicThursdays - Strait Lace by Rosemary Hayward - Guest Post

For this week's #HistFicThursdays blog, I'm delighted to be welcoming Rosemary Hayward to the blog with a guest post about her new release Strait Lace, as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Read on to discover the history surrounding this fabulous book. But first, let's meet the book...

Blurb

It is 1905. Edwardian England. Harriet Loxley, the daughter of a vicar and niece to a prominent Nottingham lace manufacturer, spends her days playing cricket with her brother, scouring the countryside for...