Isabel Roman's Blog, page 46
June 21, 2011
Vaudeville
Vaudeville...in my mind it conjures images of train rides, seedy backstage of small town theaters, and pantomime. However, there was more to it than that.
In my story The Dangerous Miss Hunt, Emma Hunt is a former vaudeville performer. Today I'm over at Slip into Something Victorian talking about the origins of both the word and the show.
In my story The Dangerous Miss Hunt, Emma Hunt is a former vaudeville performer. Today I'm over at Slip into Something Victorian talking about the origins of both the word and the show.
June 20, 2011
When do you give up?
I don't mean giving up writing, I mean
when do you give up on a story
?
I have 2 stories-one is a stand alone 1792 Regency and one is a 1860s paranormal historical series. I have the first plotted down to each scene. I have the series planned for the overall world as well as the first 2 books' overall arcs.
But I'm not writing them. I'm not even close to writing them. In fact, I cannibalized the Regency for parts. The paranormal is one I'd love to get to, but how far back can I push it before I lose interest? Or it doesn't work? Or a whole slew of other things?
What do you do? Do you lovingly tend to a story you know you're not getting to any time in the foreseeable future? Take it for parts? Forget it and shove it in a metaphorical drawer-folder?
I have 2 stories-one is a stand alone 1792 Regency and one is a 1860s paranormal historical series. I have the first plotted down to each scene. I have the series planned for the overall world as well as the first 2 books' overall arcs.
But I'm not writing them. I'm not even close to writing them. In fact, I cannibalized the Regency for parts. The paranormal is one I'd love to get to, but how far back can I push it before I lose interest? Or it doesn't work? Or a whole slew of other things?
What do you do? Do you lovingly tend to a story you know you're not getting to any time in the foreseeable future? Take it for parts? Forget it and shove it in a metaphorical drawer-folder?
June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day
To all the dads, granddads, and uncles. Happy Father's Day!
June 18, 2011
Saturday Excerpt: Murder & Magick
Saturday's Excerpt at
Slip into Something Victorian
will be my story,
Dark Desires of the Druids: Murder & Magick
. The first in my druids series, and because of that a story close to my heart. This is from the middle of the book, the black moment. Well, one of many. I did say it was my first published story!
June 17, 2011
Friday smiles
Here are some more pictures from the email forward. No idea where they came from but they're too cute not to share. Some captions only came in the email, so I pasted them here. My absolute favorite is the last one, but the second to last one is adorable as well. Which one is yours?
"You want a piece of me? Bring it on!...
"Kid . . .. You're askin' the wrong guy".
It was only a little pee, why the 30 minute timeout?
Touch de duck... I keel you!
"You want a piece of me? Bring it on!...
"Kid . . .. You're askin' the wrong guy".
It was only a little pee, why the 30 minute timeout?
Touch de duck... I keel you!
June 16, 2011
Thursday Progress: rights reverted
The rights for my 2 stories with
The Wild Rose Press
have been reverted back to me. I'm pleased to have them, don't get me wrong, but I'm also sorry that two great anthologies are no longer in print as such. As a business decision, it's right for the company, but it's still sad.
Northern Roses & Southern Belles finaled in the EPIC awards this year. And while Taming of the Wolf didn't do as well award wise, it's still a great anthology.
So I'm taking my stories, In the Shadows (South Carolina 1861) and Shadow State (Germany 1933) and reformating them for self-publishing. I've downloaded the how-to and this is gonna take some time! Only because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to this types of converting and the fact that I really don't have the time anyway. I did manage to make some awesome new covers!
Hopefully within the next month all will be up and available.
Northern Roses & Southern Belles finaled in the EPIC awards this year. And while Taming of the Wolf didn't do as well award wise, it's still a great anthology.
So I'm taking my stories, In the Shadows (South Carolina 1861) and Shadow State (Germany 1933) and reformating them for self-publishing. I've downloaded the how-to and this is gonna take some time! Only because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to this types of converting and the fact that I really don't have the time anyway. I did manage to make some awesome new covers!
Hopefully within the next month all will be up and available.
June 15, 2011
Wednesday Review: Game of Thrones
The series. I haven't read the books, but I hear they're awesome. They'd have to be if the HBO series is this great. Granted, there's one episode left, but I'm confident in my review: WATCH THIS SERIES!
If you like: Drama, political intrigue, Sean Bean, sex, back stabbing, war, an imp/half-man with a wicked sense of humor and more brains than 3/4 of the rest of the characters, and overall compelling storytelling, then this is the series for you!
If you don't like surprises then this is NOT the series for you.
I found this while reading a recap of an episode:
To all the newbies, some advice:
Dont become attached to any character (seriously) Whatever you believe is happening, you are wrong Whatever you think will happen, you are more wrong Whatever you have hope that will happen, sorry, wrong again Keep a box of tissues, you're going to need it
June 14, 2011
Summer
One week before the Summer Solstice. Any plans?
I know, what an odd question. But it's the longest day of the year. One day I'd love to go to the beach (on the west coast) and just watch the sun set past 8pm. Or climb a decently high mountain and see the sunset on the longest day of the year.
There are all sorts of beliefs involved with Summer Solstice. There's the summer aspect. The religious aspect. And even the let's enjoy it aspect.
I know, what an odd question. But it's the longest day of the year. One day I'd love to go to the beach (on the west coast) and just watch the sun set past 8pm. Or climb a decently high mountain and see the sunset on the longest day of the year.
There are all sorts of beliefs involved with Summer Solstice. There's the summer aspect. The religious aspect. And even the let's enjoy it aspect.
June 13, 2011
Monday Musings
Today I'm musing on why it's so important to keep up with social networking Which isn't to say that I do, or that I have all the secrets...or even one secret for that matter. Nope, today is all about why it's important but not necessarily how to accomplish this. important thing.
First and foremost, you must have access to social networks. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or any of the other hundreds of groups out there.
Which ones? I refuse to do Linkedin for the simple matter of yet another social network. Can't keep up as is, forget adding one more! I rarely update my facebook page and am only marginally better at Twitter. At least with that it's more a running commentary on what I'm do/watching/reading/thinking than profile update.
Then it's a matter of doing it. How often? I can just about (/movie or finally find the right words to describe it in any sort of coherent statement. Fun things are also done in advance, like last Friday's pictures. Likewise with guest authors. On an average week that still leaves 2-3 days. Updates and Progress are hard to do in advance.
So say you update your blog every day...should you post to twitter every day? I don't, rather I do go on Twitter, but don't share my blogs every day. Some days aren't anything more than Hey, this is what I'm doing. Other days are more interesting--those funny pictures from Friday or guest authors who are on my blog for the exposure (of their work, sheesh, not that way Mind-in-the-Gutter!)
Yes, even when I don't have the bestest blog out there I'm on Twitter. It's easy to update and interesting to read. There are a LOT of things on Twitter about the publishing world. OK, there are lots of things in general but most of the people I follow are in the publishing world.
Tired already? Yeah. My advice (okay so maybe I do have an answer...but only one!) My advice is to start small. Join ONE thing...Facebook, Twitter, start a blog, whatever. But then do that. Update regularly, find 'friends' with similar interests, share stuff and not just about you, you, you.
Then see what happens from there!
First and foremost, you must have access to social networks. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or any of the other hundreds of groups out there.
Which ones? I refuse to do Linkedin for the simple matter of yet another social network. Can't keep up as is, forget adding one more! I rarely update my facebook page and am only marginally better at Twitter. At least with that it's more a running commentary on what I'm do/watching/reading/thinking than profile update.
Then it's a matter of doing it. How often? I can just about (/movie or finally find the right words to describe it in any sort of coherent statement. Fun things are also done in advance, like last Friday's pictures. Likewise with guest authors. On an average week that still leaves 2-3 days. Updates and Progress are hard to do in advance.
So say you update your blog every day...should you post to twitter every day? I don't, rather I do go on Twitter, but don't share my blogs every day. Some days aren't anything more than Hey, this is what I'm doing. Other days are more interesting--those funny pictures from Friday or guest authors who are on my blog for the exposure (of their work, sheesh, not that way Mind-in-the-Gutter!)
Yes, even when I don't have the bestest blog out there I'm on Twitter. It's easy to update and interesting to read. There are a LOT of things on Twitter about the publishing world. OK, there are lots of things in general but most of the people I follow are in the publishing world.
Tired already? Yeah. My advice (okay so maybe I do have an answer...but only one!) My advice is to start small. Join ONE thing...Facebook, Twitter, start a blog, whatever. But then do that. Update regularly, find 'friends' with similar interests, share stuff and not just about you, you, you.
Then see what happens from there!
June 11, 2011
Saturday Excerpt
Susan Macatee over at Slip into Something Victorian...check out her excerpt!
