Elaina J. Davidson's Blog, page 407
June 8, 2015
June 6, 2015
Justine's Journal #42
52 Weeks 500 Words
This is how it began: Justine (not her real name) decided to write 500 words (or as near as), anything goes, per week for 52 weeks. She would then submit it for anonymous posting, via me, her friend. Perhaps a pattern will emerge from her words, but at this stage it’s more an experiment I have agreed to share in. I’ll attempt to draw conclusions at the end of this. Stay tuned if this resonates with you.
Week 42
"Oh, I had the greatest ten days in a long time! We decided to get together, brother dearest and I, and I flew up north to the plateau part of South Africa. I tell you, it gets pretty cold up there, but weather and temperature was far from our minds the whole time.
We did all the tourist stuff, took many photos, ate too much and laughed all the while. And we talked. We talked so much! We have definitely reconnected and no distance in living arrangements will again become distance in our relationship. This is the best feeling, knowing neither of us will ever really be alone.
Treasure family. If something is wrong, attempt to fix it. I am well aware sometimes it is better to walk away from a toxic family member and I’m not saying fix it with someone you know will entirely destroy your peace of mind, but your brother or your sister can also be your very best friend. The cousin you knew as a child may become that, or the aunt who always sent you little notes when you were growing up. Age is immaterial; the connection counts.
I thought I was alone, and now I know I am not. Happiness is realising our foolish pride can be set aside!
Friends, too, can become family. Sometimes a friend is more family than we realise, for they are always there without judgement. I said I thought I was alone, but I wasn’t, for I did have family, I had and have amazing and supportive friends, and I treasure them absolutely. I can’t wait for my brother’s visit towards the end of the year, for then I can bring him into my friend circle and I know already they will become part of his family as he will become part of theirs. I met his BFF while up north, a great teddy bear man who smiles all the time, and he is now part of my family!
Do I sound as I’m rambling? Floating on my happiness cloud, I may be stringing thoughts together to make some kind of sense for you, for me, and all I may be succeeding in doing is sounding random. Well, that’s just fine by me, for right now I can’t stop smiling either (like the teddy bear man!) and I hope you can at least sense how contented I am with life at the moment.
If something is wrong, fix it. It does make all the difference.
I came home to RAIN here in the south. The heavens had literally opened up and it rained and rained. Dams are filling, fields are green and the dust of many hot months is now washed away. In a way, for me this was a blessing. It was like having my return home anointed, validation of what I have learned and who I am now. Maybe that’s a bit freaky, but when I stepped off the plane, I felt blessed. I was home and new, as the familiar world around me was again new.
Life is good."
This is how it began: Justine (not her real name) decided to write 500 words (or as near as), anything goes, per week for 52 weeks. She would then submit it for anonymous posting, via me, her friend. Perhaps a pattern will emerge from her words, but at this stage it’s more an experiment I have agreed to share in. I’ll attempt to draw conclusions at the end of this. Stay tuned if this resonates with you.
Week 42
"Oh, I had the greatest ten days in a long time! We decided to get together, brother dearest and I, and I flew up north to the plateau part of South Africa. I tell you, it gets pretty cold up there, but weather and temperature was far from our minds the whole time.
We did all the tourist stuff, took many photos, ate too much and laughed all the while. And we talked. We talked so much! We have definitely reconnected and no distance in living arrangements will again become distance in our relationship. This is the best feeling, knowing neither of us will ever really be alone.
Treasure family. If something is wrong, attempt to fix it. I am well aware sometimes it is better to walk away from a toxic family member and I’m not saying fix it with someone you know will entirely destroy your peace of mind, but your brother or your sister can also be your very best friend. The cousin you knew as a child may become that, or the aunt who always sent you little notes when you were growing up. Age is immaterial; the connection counts.
I thought I was alone, and now I know I am not. Happiness is realising our foolish pride can be set aside!
Friends, too, can become family. Sometimes a friend is more family than we realise, for they are always there without judgement. I said I thought I was alone, but I wasn’t, for I did have family, I had and have amazing and supportive friends, and I treasure them absolutely. I can’t wait for my brother’s visit towards the end of the year, for then I can bring him into my friend circle and I know already they will become part of his family as he will become part of theirs. I met his BFF while up north, a great teddy bear man who smiles all the time, and he is now part of my family!
Do I sound as I’m rambling? Floating on my happiness cloud, I may be stringing thoughts together to make some kind of sense for you, for me, and all I may be succeeding in doing is sounding random. Well, that’s just fine by me, for right now I can’t stop smiling either (like the teddy bear man!) and I hope you can at least sense how contented I am with life at the moment.
If something is wrong, fix it. It does make all the difference.
I came home to RAIN here in the south. The heavens had literally opened up and it rained and rained. Dams are filling, fields are green and the dust of many hot months is now washed away. In a way, for me this was a blessing. It was like having my return home anointed, validation of what I have learned and who I am now. Maybe that’s a bit freaky, but when I stepped off the plane, I felt blessed. I was home and new, as the familiar world around me was again new.
Life is good."
June 5, 2015
June 4, 2015
The Sleeper is Awake!
I have been so busy doing other things this week, I haven't yet shared with you that The Sleeper Sword is now available in print!
Amazon
Amazon
June 3, 2015
Writer's Wednesday: Chatting to Christy Jackson Nicholas
Today we chat with Christy Jackson Nicholas
My name is Christy Nicholas, also known as Green Dragon. I do many things, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing and photography. In real life I'm a CPA, but having grown up with art and around me (my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of infected me, as it were. I love to draw and to create things. It's more of an obsession than a hobby. I like looking up into the sky and seeing a beautiful sunset, or a fragrant blossom, a dramatic seaside. I then wish to take a picture or create a piece of jewelry to share this serenity, this joy, this beauty with others. Sometimes this sharing requires explanation – and thus I write. Combine this love of beauty with a bit of financial sense and you get an art business. I do local art and craft shows, as well as sending my art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad.
Welcome, Christy!
1. What sparked your interest in writing? Your proverbial light-bulb moment?
Finding my father. I was raised by a single mother, and never knew my father. He was never even told I existed, so I searched for him since I was 15, and found him when I was 30. My parents got married for the first time after I got them back together, and that inspired me to write a novel based on their true love story.
2. Which genre are you most comfortable writing in?
Historical fantasy. I love history, but I also love fantasy, so being able to mix the two is a delight. I’m too lazy to go to all the work of world-building that high fantasy requires, so I work with an already created world I’m familiar with.
3. Would you say you draw most often from your own knowledge base when writing or do you research for fresh material?
I start with my own knowledge base, but have to stop frequently to look things up. For instance, what sorts of foods would be available for a picnic in 18th century northwest Ireland? What fruits, vegetables, or grains would they have? Did they enjoy pears? Would they even have a picnic? My favourite source is www.etymonline.com – to look up those words you didn’t realize weren’t in use until AFTER your manuscript is set.
4. I do the same, always stopping to check something! Tell us a bit about your work. How, for instance, do you choose your titles?
It took some brainstorming to come up with my title for Legacy of Hunger. Since it is set against the backdrop of the Great Hunger in Ireland (1846) I knew I needed something to refer to that. Legacy came from the main thread in the trilogy I’ve written – a magical brooch that is passed down within the family, the legacy of a druid in the distant past who had gifted it to an ancestor.
5. Love the thought of a book passing down! We love to read excerpts. Share with us your favourite bit of writing from you latest book.
Majesta looked up from her breakfast. “But why Ireland, Valentia? There are plenty of men much closer. We could plan the summer in New York, once we’re done with our duties here. You’re much too old for the debutante circuit, but I’m sure we could find you a suitable match among the gentry there.”
“Val can’t find a local husband. She has to import one that will deal with her Mouth!”
She sent her brother a withering look. Ever since he’d discovered that her name, Valentia, came from the name of Valentia Island, or Beal Inse, in the Irish, he had teased her. Mouth of the Island quickly became ‘The Mouth.’
“Actually, yes, I do wish to go to New York, as that would be a perfect opportunity to continue on to Ireland. American men are so boring. I have been corresponding with a painting teacher in Galway. He sounds delightful.” Valentia nibbled at her toast, glad her father had been called away that morning. Mother could be brought around, especially with the lure of a prospective husband. Her father, on the other hand…
Putting down her work, Majesta pulled her glasses off and pinned her daughter with a sharp look. “A painter? That doesn’t sound like someone worth crossing the Atlantic for, dear. What’s really behind this?”
Heaving a sigh, Valentia realized she should have known she couldn’t fool her mother for long.
6. Who do you identify with most in your work? And why?
For this novel, I would have to say I identified most with the main character’s Lady’s Maid, Maggie Curran. She’s a somewhat mousy girl, raised as a servant, but interested in books, new places, and thoroughly competent at what she does. I’m not a leader of men – I’m a doer of things. She’s the same.
7. If you could choose who would play (the character you identify with) in the movie or series made from your work, who would it be?
Maggie is a sweet round, brown wren of a woman. I think she would be best played by someone who can play demure well, and still get things done. Jennifer Lawrence comes to mind – she is a little tall for what I pictured Maggie, but as long as whoever plays Valentia is taller, it would work. I would pick Anne Hathaway for Valentia, I think – someone who can be both kind and imperious as needed.
8. Which four words would you use to describe yourself?
Crafty, determined, helpful, practical.
9. Which four words would you use to describe your work?
Descriptive, historical, adventurous, magical.
10. I have to throw this in! That list of favourites we’re all interested in!
Favourite movie: The Quiet Man
Favourite TV series: Outlander
Favourite colour: Green
Favourite food: Pizza
Favourite drink: Hard Cider
Favourite pet: My cat, Zathrus
Favourite season: Autumn (I love the colors!)
Favourite place: Ireland, of course!
11. Often personal fame and prominence for your work go together, but frequently authors prefer remaining in the background while hoping their work will assume the limelight. Is this true for you, or don’t you mind a bit of fame?
I would be happy either way. My main goal is to create something that others can enjoy, even after I’ve gone. As an artist, I’ve created some local fans. I’ve had people come up to me at Dragoncon and tell me they love me and my artwork – it’s an odd feeling!
12. Tell us about your next book (we love to know what to look forward to!).
Legacy of Hunger is book one in the Druid’s Brooch series. I’ve already written the next two books, and both are prequels to this one. Legacy of Truth recounts the life of Valentia’s great-aunt, and Legacy of Luck recounts the adventures of the great-aunt’s grandfather, Eamonn. I still haven’t decided yet if I want to push the story back farther into the past.
13. What comes next, besides a new book project? A holiday, an event?
I do art shows for my jewelry and photography; June 12-14th I’ll be in Pittsburgh at the Three Rivers Arts Festival with my jewelry.
14. And finally, if you could choose one person, living or dead, you would like to meet, who would it be and what would you ask of that person?
Eleanor of Aquitaine, definitely. She’s one of my heroes, a fascinating woman. I would ask her how she kept from going mad for ten years, while exiled in the tower by her husband.
Thank you for visiting with us, Christy!
AUTHOR WEBSITES
www.greendragonartist.comwww.facebook.com/greendragontravelwww.facebook.com/greendragonartisthttp://greendragon.quora.com/
PUBLISHER WEBSITE:
http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Nicholas_Christy/ireland-guide.htm
June 2, 2015
5 June is Release Day!
Friday 5 June is release day for The Tinsal Deck, Latticework and A Tear in the Clouds. Currently on pre-order from Tirrgear Publshing :)
Tirrgear Author Page
Tirrgear Author Page
Collage - Them Books :)
Our Friend Thomas Henson will soon form part of a series of four tongue-in-cheek stories. One current cover is therefore missing, for it is undergoing redesign. The Dreamer Stones and Realm Walker will be available real soon!
