David M. Brown's Blog, page 91
August 24, 2012
Guest Post: A Historical Perspective – Zoe Brooks
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave are delighted to welcome Zoe Brooks to the blog today. Zoe is the author of Girl in the Glass and Mother of Wolves and is here to share a great guest post.
A Historical Perspective – Zoe Brooks
Where do stories come from? I’m sure every author will have a different answer. My stories come from the past. I am a historian by training (I studied it at Oxford University) and by inclination. I was lucky to grow up in the small Cotswold town of Winchcombe, a town which had its heyday in the Middle Ages. It was a place that grew rich on the back of a story – the legend of the murder of the local Anglo-Saxon prince by his wicked sister and her comeuppance. So I learned as a child how history and fiction feed off each other.
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Source: Wikipedia (This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired)
My latest book was triggered by a visit to a Czech castle a few years ago. The tour guide was boring even the Czechs in the party, I speak very little Czech and so found myself dawdling at the back of the group examining the pictures on the wall. Three in particular caught my eye, they were folk art paintings and strange objects to find in a castle. The subject matter was disturbing. In one a woman sits with a baby at her breast, while in the background a man is hanging from a gallows. Looking closer I could see that blood was pouring from where the woman’s ear had been. I realised that this was a portrayal of the persecution of the gypsies, which was widespread across Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. I went home and did more research. The more I read, the more inspiration I found. The result is Mother of Wolves which draws not only on the history of the gypsies but also on famous women leaders (such as Boudica, Elizabeth I and Joan of Arc) on whom my central character is based.
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I think I should at this point make it clear that I do not write historical fiction. Academic training can be a problem. I doubt I will ever feel confident that I have done enough research to write a work of historical fiction. Instead I write magic realism/historical fantasy. Despite this I still do a lot of historical research for my books, and then I have fun weaving what I have found into a story. In fantasy writing world creation is an important skill, the study of history supplies me with countless worlds. I pick elements from different places and different times to create new, but realistic worlds. Because the settings I create have a foothold in reality, a number of my readers have commented about how they feel they know the cities and countries in my stories. History also supplies me with themes, for example my current work in progress Love of Shadows (a follow up to my first book Girl in the Glass) is inspired by the suppression and persecution of women healers.
I will always be grateful to my creative English teacher who advised me to study history and not English at university. She understood where my stories come from.
There are lots of historical sources for writers on the internet. I recommend Medievalists.net which gives you access to a constant stream of academic articles, plus the opportunity to search its archives. The same people are behind History of the Ancient World Both websites have excellent Facebook pages.
About Mother of Wolves (2012)
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Through the marshes and rich farmland of the great river, Lupa hunts and is hunted by her husband’s murderers. On the estuary islands her sons and their protector are just one step ahead of the killers. Everyone underestimates Lupa, if they consider her at all. They are making a mistake. The odds may be against her, but Lupa is the daughter of a fox and the mother of wolves.
This fantasy adventure is a revenge story with a twist, an alternative history of the gypsies and a profile of the rise of a woman leader all in one book.
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About Zoe Brooks
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Zoe is a British writer and poet. She spends half her life in a partly restored old farmhouse in the Czech Republic, where she writes all her novels and poetry. She was a successful published poet in her teens and twenties, (featuring in the Grandchildren of Albion anthology). Then her son arrived and she was juggling motherhood and career and somehow there wasn’t time for the writing. So many women will know how that feels. She worked with disadvantaged people for about twenty years. It was emotionally hard work but very rewarding. Nevertheless it took its toll and a few years ago she realised that she couldn’t continue. She needed to start writing again.
Zoe aims to write popular books, which have complex characters and themes that get under the reader’s skin. She finds her experience of working with people on the edge of society an inspiration for my fiction.
She has a liking for books in which reality and fantasy meet. Her favourite books include Master and Margarita (Bulgakov), One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Marquez), Good Omens (Pratchett and Gaimon), Jane Eyre, Bull From The Sea (Renault), Fludd (Mantell) and Woman Who Waited (Makine). She also enjoys reading fairytales and myths and Jungian analysis of these, e.g. Women Who Run with Wolves (Estes).
Guest Post: A Historical Perspective – Zoe Brooks | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 23, 2012
#BlogFlash2012: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts: #24 In the Woods
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This month Mr B and I are taking part in #BlogFlash2012, run by Terri Giuliano Long, and – every Friday – #FlashFiveFriday at The Indie Exchange.
The idea behind #BlogFlash2012 is simple: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts. Every day there’s a new visual prompt and you have to produce 50-100 words on the theme. The beauty of it is, you can produce anything from a simple anecdote to a piece of flash fiction.
There’s also a Facebook page so you can follow along and swap links.
I am also taking part in NaBloPoMo August.
#BlogFlash2012: #24 In the Woods
Dave
Whenever I think of woodland I always picture the woods at New Miller Dam on one of the routes between Barnsley and Wakefield in Yorkshire. I can’t tell you how many times I have wandered the woods, going back to my childhood when my grandparents were still alive.
There are numerous paths through these woods, each one as memorable as the one before. It’s been many years since I’ve traversed any of those paths but I do hope to return one day to relive many important childhood memories.
Donna
Once, in the woods, I saw a man sitting in a tree. The woods were on private land, behind a cottage. He should not have been there. I can see him now in jeans, a leather bomber jacket, boots. He had oily hair in tight black springs. I saw him and quickly moved away in fear.
When I returned with someone he was gone. They did not believe me. That night, in the cottage, with the woods behind, I wasn’t sure what scared me more: his appearance, his disappearance, or that my eyes might have played tricks. Even now, I don’t believe they did.
NaBloPoMo
What would you describe as the sweetest time in your life so far?
My husband and I managed five nights in Cologne a couple of years ago. It had been quite a stressful time in the run up to the trip but as soon as I stepped off the plane I felt my tension ebbing away. We ate, we drank, we visited museums, we event saw a ‘Jazz Tango’ concert. It was once of the sweetest times of my life by far.
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#BlogFlash2012: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts: #24 In the Woods | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
#BlogFlash2012: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts: #23 – Cooking
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This month Mr B and I are taking part in #BlogFlash2012, run by Terri Giuliano Long, and – every Friday – #FlashFiveFriday at The Indie Exchange.
The idea behind #BlogFlash2012 is simple: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts. Every day there’s a new visual prompt and you have to produce 50-100 words on the theme. The beauty of it is, you can produce anything from a simple anecdote to a piece of flash fiction.
There’s also a Facebook page so you can follow along and swap links.
I am also taking part in NaBloPoMo August.
#BlogFlash2012: #23 Cooking
Dave
I’ll be perfectly honest, my culinary prowess is pretty much non-existent. When I am charged with making meals I have good friends in the form of the oven or the microwave. Give me frozen or ready meals to prepare and I’m your Michelin star chef. Anything more taxing than that and I will tend to run a mile.
It’s not that I don’t want to learn how to cook better. I’ve just never been particularly good at it and after thirty years of survival that probably won’t change anytime soon.
Donna
Cuisine
Of the house?
Only simple fare.
Kind of quick and easy.
Italian’s always tasty.
Never lacks in variety…
Gosh, I’m hungry!
NaBloPoMo
Aristotle said, “Change in all things is sweet.” Agree or disagree?
Change is – sadly – not always sweet but sometimes what arises from those changes can be. There are things in my life that were unpleasant – just as there are things in everyone’s lives that are so. They have led me to a ‘sweet’ place. So perhaps he was right…
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#BlogFlash2012: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts: #23 – Cooking | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Game News: Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse Hits Kickstarter
Crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are becoming increasingly popular for book, game, film and music bods wanting to get a little financial support from the public prior to the product’s release. Revolution Software have jumped on board the crowd-funding train with their upcoming title Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse, offering funding options ranging from $15 up to a cool $10,000. Unlike an investment where you put in money to receive a share of the profits (hopefully!), funding via Kickstarter works a little differently, offering ‘rewards’ to funders. In this case a pledge of $15 will get you:
Download of Broken Sword – the Serpent’s Curse - PC & Mac
Regular Developer Diaries, ideas Exchange Forum and Video Updates
Access to exclusive digital content: Game Artwork (inc. poster and wallpaper); Director’s Commentary on previous Broken Sword games & Archive Videos
So, how does it differ from just buying the game? Well, for one thing you’ll have to wait until the game has been completed before your pledge pays off. On the plus side, however, it’s no-risk. Kickstarter offers an ‘all-or-nothing’ funding policy. If the project doesn’t raise the target funds, all pledges are cancelled. So, if you’re a fan of Broken Sword, Revolution Software or even just want to get involved with something before it actually hits the stores, check it out.
Announcement: Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse
Kickstarter: Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse:
Revolution adventures have had considerable success – but the traditional publishing model has prevented us receiving the required royalties to fund future games. With limited financial reserves we have been unable to fund our own titles and so we have not benefited from their success. Now you can help us to change this. For the first time in our history, we will be funding an original adventure game: Broken Sword – the Serpent’s Curse. This will give us full creative freedom, and let us work with you. We promise to keep you up to date with all aspects of development and we will value your support.
Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse
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When a mysterious painting is stolen during an armed raid on a Paris gallery, George and Nico are thrown by chance into the investigation together. From Paris to London and beyond, the trail becomes a race against time as dark forces from Europe’s turbulent past are woken from their slumber. Broken Sword characters old and new are encountered – but who can George and Nico trust? The journey they are on reveals a conspiracy as old as the written word, whose ancient heresies will cause innocent blood to spill once more…
Game News: Broken Sword: The Serpent’s Curse Hits Kickstarter | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 22, 2012
Game News: King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North Trailer and Screenshots
1C Company has released a new trailer for the upcoming title in the King’s Bounty series: King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North, due for release in late 2012.
Trailer: King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North (PC)
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About King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North (2012)
A new hero, young Olaf, the son of the Northling King, dedicates his life to the fight against the undead infesting the Northern Lands of Endoria. He will face epic battles, valor and love. Accompanied by gorgeous Valkyries who will assist Olaf on the battlefield, he will liberate the icy wastelands of the North, dwarven dungeons and Darion, the heart of the Endoria, from the reign of necromancy.
Format: PC
Game News: King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North Trailer and Screenshots | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Book Reviews: Don’t Make It Personal
It seems as if every week (day?) there’s a new controversy about reviews and this week has been no exception. If you’re a New York Times reader you may have come across William Giraldi’s eloquent but scathing review of Alix Ohlin’s work. You may have delighted in his turn of phrase and dry wit, or you may have cringed a little at every criticism lambasted at Ohlin’s craft. Unless you were the author.
Here’s an excerpt from Giraldi’s review.
Teeth are described as “white,” as if we needed telling. About a porn magazine: “The girls were young, with enormous fake breasts.” William Gass once called this breed of abysmal writing “the uselessly precise fact” — it’s what you doodle when you need to fill a page but have nothing important to say. What then passes for wisdom in this novel? Nonsense clichés: “Nice guys finish last.” The absurdly obvious: “Anyone driven to hang himself would have to be suffering deeply and terribly.” Preciousness: “It was hard to believe they’d ever been so young.” And this platitude chained to pronoun disagreement: “Nobody could look their best when lying in a hospital bed after a car accident.”
Shortly after a piece appeared on Salon.com entitled “How to write a bad review” by J. Robert Lennon. It branded Giraldi’s review ‘cruel’ and argued that even though he – Lennon – has written snarky reviews with “an air of malignant delight at exposing what the author considers offensively bad work”, he felt Giraldi was much worse:
I’d like to argue that Giraldi’s review is, in fact, quite nasty, and that mine is less so. And that my other negative reviews over the past few years aren’t nasty at all, even when they’re highly critical of their subjects. There is a good way to write a bad review of another writer, and I don’t think Giraldi is doing it. Whatever the shortcomings of Ohlin’s work might be, his review does its reader a disservice — his glee at eviscerating Ohlin overshadows his analysis, and casts doubt on its veracity. It isn’t trustworthy, which makes it no more valuable than the kind of swooning puff pieces most critics write.
Of course, we already know that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and this nicely balances out an article published on the New York Times site before either of the above: “A Critic’s Case for Critics Who Are Actually Critical“, which argued:
The sad truth about the book world is that it doesn’t need more yes-saying novelists and certainly no more yes-saying critics. We are drowning in them. What we need more of, now that newspaper book sections are shrinking and vanishing like glaciers, are excellent and authoritative and punishing critics — perceptive enough to single out the voices that matter for legitimate praise, abusive enough to remind us that not everyone gets, or deserves, a gold star.
So, who is right in this saga? The truth is, in a little way everybody is. I agree that reviews should not be nasty but let me clarify that by saying I don’t believe reviews should be personal, or make silly comparisons without supporting evidence. A review that simply says “Worst book ever” or “A toddler could have done better” is of no use to either the author or other potential readers. What didn’t you like? Be critical, by all means, but a little constructive feedback goes a long way. A review that says “This author is a doofus” is similarly without merit.
However, all of those things said, it’s easy to forget the key thing: a review is an opinion. It should be an opinion of the work, not the author and – like any other opinion – should be formed around something, but it is an opinion and – as such – will vary considerably from one person to another. Lennon states “Don’t be a dick” in his article and accuses Giraldi of ‘crowing’. Ridiculously he even goes so far as to accuse Giraldi of hating Ohlin’s ‘very existence’. Lennon’s own hyperbole and over-reactive ridicule makes me take his own article far less seriously. If the first golden rule is “A review is an opinion”, he certainly broke the second: “Don’t make it personal.”
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We can’t all be the same
Was Giraldi vicious? Well, there’s no doubt he was viciously scathing in his opinion – about the work. Having read the article twice, I cannot see any personal references to Ohlin or anything that would support Lennon’s assertions. The simple truth of the matter is that Giraldi intensely disliked the two books he was reviewing and has written a detailed, eloquent, and – dare I say it – informative – critique around his opinion.
There are many arguments that something is rotten in the world of reviews but this is not it. This is New York Times coverage, with a detailed review from an author and editor, which gives numerous examples of the flaws as he seems them. This is not personal. This is not a stinging one-line put down. This is perhaps the worst kind of legitimate review an author can encounter – and goodness knows I’d probably take to my own bed for a week – but it is a legitimate opinion. While authors have flocked to defend Ohlin against Giraldi’s ‘cruel’ attack, I can’t help but think of one thing: if he had published a gentle review, lamenting his dislike of the novel and taken a softly, softly approach, nobody would be talking about this book. Now, it’s everywhere. Giraldi may have hated it but he’s done more to get it seen than any kind but mediocre three star review could possibly have done. In three months time, will people see this book and think? Ah, that’s the book Giraldi slammed? Or, more likely, Oh, I saw that in the New York Times – let’s see what all the controversy is about.
If we want to address the issues of negative reviews – as in nasty, personal, abusive reviews – let’s close the door on this saga. We cannot waste time and energy fighting those who are actually trying to be professional themselves – albeit in a way we might not like. Instead, let’s move on, be grateful that someone has taken the time and effort to express their opinion so fully, and remember that some people would give their right arm for a mention the NYT – scathing or otherwise!
Book Reviews: Don’t Make It Personal | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 21, 2012
#BlogFlash2012: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts: #22 – On Holiday
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This month Mr B and I are taking part in #BlogFlash2012, run by Terri Giuliano Long, and – every Friday – #FlashFiveFriday at The Indie Exchange.
The idea behind #BlogFlash2012 is simple: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts. Every day there’s a new visual prompt and you have to produce 50-100 words on the theme. The beauty of it is, you can produce anything from a simple anecdote to a piece of flash fiction.
There’s also a Facebook page so you can follow along and swap links.
I am also taking part in NaBloPoMo August.
#BlogFlash2012: #22 On Holiday
Dave
I love to travel and still rank my month going through Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Thailand as one of the greatest experiences of my life. I travelled alone which I could never have imagined doing but somehow I got through it.
Australia and New Zealand had been top of my travel list for some time and exceeded all my expectations. Next up will hopefully be Japan. I long to see the Land of the Rising Sun for so many reasons – the scenery, the culture, the people, the history and the anime.
Donna
Hoping to escape -
Only need a weekend.
Longer if possible.
I’ll pack light, I know
Dave will pack lighter.
Airplane to Germany…
Yes, my perfect break!
NaBloPoMo
Do you think love is sweet? Why or why not?
Love is sweet… but it is also sticky. Enjoy that sweetness. Bank those sweet moments so you can draw on them during the sticky times. It cannot feel sweet every day but you can appreciate the sweetness of love every day. With commitment and patience, the sweetness will take you through the sticky patches.
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#BlogFlash2012: 30 Days, 30 Prompts, 30 Posts: #22 – On Holiday | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Giveaway: $250 Amazon Gift Cards (Mom Powered Media/GiftHulk)
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave are pleased to share a great giveaway today, with Amazon gift card prizes worth $250. Scroll down for more information, including the giveaway sponsor and hosts. Thank you to Mom Powered Media for amazing work in getting this giveaway up and running!
About GiftHulk
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At GiftHulk users can earn gift cards, electronics and other rewards the EZ Way, by doing things they already do online – searching, answering surveys and more!
GiftHulk offers users more than 15 different ways to earn Hulk Coins! These include Search&Win, Offer Walls, Daily Surveys, Friends Connect, Treasure Box (patent pending technology) and much more!
Currently GiftHulk is open to users from USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.
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Why GiftHulk?
“Time Is Money.” However, when it comes to surfing on the Internet we totally forget about it and spend our time refreshing Facebook and Twitter to see if there is a fresh update. We all do it.
GiftHulk established a way to make it possible to gain from surfing the web and your online daily activities! The main goal is to allow people the things that they really want and need – for absolutely FREE!
That is the main reason they offer such a huge selection of gifts, from department and fashion stores to online shopping cards to premium game account cards and even cool gadgets! The idea is that every person will be able to enjoy GiftHulk!
Giveaway
One lucky winner will receive a $150 Amazon Gift Card & 2 additional winners $50 Amazon Gift Cards.
Giveaway ends September 3rd at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Hosted by Mom to Bed by 8, Powered By Mom, Real Mom Reviews and Mom Always Finds Out.
I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway: $250 Amazon Gift Cards (Mom Powered Media/GiftHulk) | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Game News: Omerta – City of Gangsters Trailer
Kalypso Media have released a new trailer for upcoming title, Omerta – City of Gangsters.
Trailer: Omerta – City of Gangsters
About Omerta – City of Gangsters (2012)
Omerta – City of Gangsters is a simulation game with tactical turn-based combat. Taking the role of a fresh-off-the-boat immigrant, with dreams of the big life, the player will work his way up the criminal hierarchy of 1920’s Atlantic City, New Jersey. Starting with small jobs, his character recruits a gang and expands his empire by taking territory from other gangsters. Eventually he establishes his own crime syndicate and becomes the de facto ruler of Atlantic City.
The player strategically manages his business and his minions in a real-time format, slowly but steadily increasing his influence over the city. The player sends his henchmen out on missions ranging from assassinating an informant, to raiding a warehouse, springing a friend from prison, robbing a bank or attacking a rival gang’s hideout. Nobody is above the law in Atlantic City, so it always helps to have a little cash handy to bribe a policeman or pay off a politician.
The turn-based combat in Omerta – City of Gangsters focuses on the tactical command of “The Boss” and his henchmen. Cover and stealth are essential parts of any shootout in the game. Finding the best vantage point to gun down an enemy, while taking cover from a hailstorm of bullets, can be just as satisfying as sneaking quietly behind a foe and taking him down.
Format: Xbox, PC
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Game News: Omerta – City of Gangsters Trailer | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 20, 2012
Game News: Guardians of Middle-earth – Behind the Scenes Video
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released a new behind the scenes video “Seeing is believing” for upcoming title Guardians of Middle-earth.
Behind the Scenes: Guardians of Middle-earth
About Guardians of Middle-earth (2012)
In Guardians of Middle-earth, gamers team up as the most powerful heroes from the greatest fantasy epic of all time, bringing up to 10 players together in a competitive multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game. Featuring tie-ins to the upcoming film,The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the game allows players to develop and master more than 20 iconic characters. Play as Gandalf, Gollum, Legolas, Sauron and more, forming memorable and unlikely alliances with and against friends. Gamers will have the ability to connect with other players via an in-game voice communication system, as well as access to a comprehensive online stat and leader board system where they can track friends’ victories and defeats, and more.
Formats: PS3, Xbox360
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Game News: Guardians of Middle-earth – Behind the Scenes Video | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
