Sheila Deeth's Blog, page 10
September 20, 2019
Is it Magic? Real? Horror? Science Fiction? Psychological...?
A recent speaker at our writers' group writes horror, or "horror light" as he described it. Straight after the meeting I read and enjoyed his novel WiZrD, which reminded me in many ways of my favorite Stephen King novels - the less heavy and wandering ones. I also enjoyed discussions with friends about the difference between magical realism, fantasy and horror. Someone suggested it's all a question of balance; if the real and the magical are equally balanced, it's probably magical realism. Bu...
September 19, 2019
Bright Colors for Gray Bedtimes Perhaps?
One day it was sunny, the dahlias were blooming, buds on everything else, and tomatoes slowly ripening. It was like spring and summer combined. And then came fall. Now the sky's gray, the blooms are waterlogged, and squirrels have squirreled all the tomatoes away (unless it was that rabbit, or the raccoon - wildlife is blooming!). I swept the murk and dead leaves from the path, trimmed the grayed decay from plants, and looked up, waiting for rain. Then I came back inside to warm yellow lampli...
August 23, 2019
How to see the past through fresh eyes
Visiting places remembered from childhood is a great way to see how quickly the world changes. Our recent trip to England brought back lots of memories, but nothing is ever quite the same. Weren't beaches wider back then? And sidewalks? And buildings... weren't they taller? Didn't people smile more, and possibly argue less?
Watching old videos makes the differences even clearer - the toys the kids played with, the way they played and dressed and spoke...
And then there are books. I've recently...
Watching old videos makes the differences even clearer - the toys the kids played with, the way they played and dressed and spoke...
And then there are books. I've recently...
August 21, 2019
Visiting family in the past, and reading kids' books
I visited family in England recently and brought back an English VCR. Our old "multi-region" VCR died in our flood and isn't made any more. Second hand versions are "available," but with reviews that say the machine overheats and only runs for about a year, so buying that way did not seem good. So... an English VCR, that reads English tapes (PAL as opposed to NTSC), but would they play on an American TV?
First, of course, I had to connect the player to the TV. No SCART plug of course. I could...
First, of course, I had to connect the player to the TV. No SCART plug of course. I could...
August 19, 2019
What is Magical Realism?
Today I'm joining in with an immersive and enthralling experience in magical realism and mythic fiction in celebration of the release of Trajan's Arch, by Michael Williams! And the author is here, on my blog, to let us know his take on magical realism. So grab a coffee, tea, beer... whatever suits... and over to you Michael.
Magical RealismThe term “magical realism” is a kind of fuzzy set, so it’s no accident that a good definition has always been the subject of dispute. A lot of peopl...
August 16, 2019
Wolves
WOLVES AT OUR DOOR by Soren Paul Petrek
* Historical * Action * Adventure *
Title: WOLVES AT OUR DOOR
Author: Soren Paul Petrek
Publisher: Editions Encre Rouge/Hachette Livre
Pages: 319
Genre: Historical/Action/Adventure
The Allies and the Nazis are in a deadly race to develop the ultimate weapon while supersonic V-2 rockets rain down on London. Madeleine Toche and Berthold Hartmann, the German super assassin who taught her to kill, search for the secret factory where Werner von Braun and his Gest...
August 14, 2019
Poetry in Picture
I love to read and I love to review what I've read, so I was delighted to be given the chance to read and review Patrick Stull's new book, Encounters. It's not my usual kind of "picture book" though - this book of intriguing black and white images is aimed at adults, not children, and offers readers/viewers the chance to see the human body through a deeply sympathetic and empathetic observer's eye. So thank you Richard Stull, and thank you Dorothy Thompsom at Pump Up Your Book for giving me t...
August 10, 2019
Page or Stage? Sorcery or Sword?
Today I'm delighted to welcome author Stephen Zimmer back to my blog as he tours the internet with another Rayden Valkyrie novella. But Rayden's not "just" the star of a cool (and growing) series of books. She's also star of her own TV pilot - maybe even a series - and Stephen's here to tell us about the difference between writing for page and screen. So, over to you Stephen, and thank you for visiting my blog:
Writing for Page and Screen in Sword and Sorcery
Sheila asked me to comment on the...
July 23, 2019
What makes it fantasy?
My husband used to tell me he only liked "real" science fiction, not that "fantasy" stuff. So it's kind of surprising to find him thoroughly hooked on fantasies like Game of Thrones and Mistborn. But it's satisfying too. It seems what makes fantasy work for him is when it has a well-imagined, logical worldview, when magic obeys its rules rather than making them up to change with the novel's changing needs, and where characters become real and believable rather than cardboard cutouts. That bei...
July 15, 2019
cozy or literary for you?
Sometimes I want a book that will take me out of myself, out of my world and all the cares of my world, and away into somewhere safe where problems are solved, disasters averted, and relationships healed. Then I'll read a cozy mystery perhaps, an fast-moving thriller, or a romance, and I'll enjoy the gentle respite they offer.
Other times I want something to absorb my attention, involving my thoughts and concerns in someone else's life, with that gentle hint that what I learn might, maybe, hel...
Other times I want something to absorb my attention, involving my thoughts and concerns in someone else's life, with that gentle hint that what I learn might, maybe, hel...
