I.E. Castellano's Blog, page 2

Sometimes, You Need a Recharge

I have neglected my writing since my mom died in 2017.  Wrote a novel, but haven’t done much to get it out of its early drafts.  Then, my dad passed in 2020.  I stopped a good bit of everything, this blog included.  After my divorce last year, I finally picked up my pen to properly continue the sixth book of the World In-between series.

I’ll be honest.  I’m exhausted.  And, I’m in desperate need of a recharge.  Hence, my upcoming trip to Iceland.

I’m not trying to get back to the person I used to be.  She’s gone.  She’s grown.  I feel like I’m embarking on a new chapter of my life.

On my quest of rediscovery, I’m going to use this blog to document my journey.  I’m starting with a blog series about Iceland.  I will talk about why Iceland, my plans, my preparation, and of course, the trip itself.  This will include my packing list, specific items, other insights, and, when the trip is over, how it all worked.

Watch this space for more.

I’ve come a long way, baby, but I’ve got miles to go before I sleep.

It’s Been a Year

 

As the year comes to a close, I don’t want to reflect—only look forward.  However, how do we know where we’re going, if we don’t know where we’ve been?

My personal journey this year has been difficult, and, at times, downright dark.  With all that has happened, I feel as though I have weathered this storm rather well.  I am in a better place as I head into the new year.

I have been working through early drafts of my new detective novel.  Polishing makes every draft better than the last.  I even have the outline and beginnings of a second detective novel.

The sixth book of the World In-between fantasy series stalled.  However, lately, Berty and Silvia have been rewriting parts and pulling me into a different direction than I originally planned.  And, I like where it’s going to go.  It might get a new title.

My plans are to continue devoting time to my writing.  I will not be taking any new editing or beta reading projects for the time being.  Not until I feel that I have a decent foothold on these books.  I need to take care of me and, in turn, my words.

Have a great winter holiday, and I hope that next year is better.

Links to connect with me and my work:

Facebook (as Irene Castle – detective novel nom de plume) 

Facebook (IE Castellano page)
MeWe
Twitter 
Goodreads 
Amazon 
Apple iBooks 
Barnes & Noble 
Kobo 
Google Play 
Smashwords 

Writing with Carpal Tunnel

Handwritten manuscripts of seven novels

I’m excited to announce that a first draft is almost complete. And, it’s all because I returned to handwriting my manuscript. There was a point where I couldn’t hold a pen. The doctor confirmed my suspicion: Carpal Tunnel. 
I started writing seriously (as in, hey, I’m going to write a book) in roughly 2005. I wrote with pencil on lined paper. That’s what I had at the time. Then, I transitioned to pen and blank computer paper because ink is easier to see than graphite. 
At first, I wrote rather large with decent spacing between each line. Then, my writing got smaller. Words crowded the page. Pens sacrificed their ink quickly. I started using whatever pen I had in arm’s reach. Sometimes, those pens were cheap stick pens. They cramped my hand. 
Until late 2016, I wrote prolifically. Novels, short stories, flash fiction, articles for others. With the exception of these blog posts, all those were handwritten first. 
All that handwriting caught up to me. Pain and numbness. I had to abandon my process. Typing drafts happened, although it doesn’t flow the same. Still, words appeared on the page. 
Pain has been my fiddly companion for decades. I injured my knees about a week after my sixteenth birthday. Pain comes and goes, but is manageable. And, I know when it’s going to rain and how heavy it’ll be. 
The pain doesn’t bother me. I can live with a little pain. However, I will say this: Pain is the indicator when something is wrong. Do not ignore pain. 
The loss of strength concerned me. Not just in my hand, but in my entire arm. Actually, concerned is a poor word choice. I should say scared me. 
Now, I did not get surgery. Not yet. I wanted to see if I could heal. Surgery, for me, is a last resort option. 
The first thing I did was stop. I stopped carrying heavy things. I stopped any movement that hurt me. 
The second thing I did was change how I did things. My old, regular computer mouse hurt my hand and wrist. I bought a vertical mouse. It immediately relieved my hand. I began holding a thicker pen differently, which eases any cramping. And, I do small exercises to bring back my strength. Some things, I had to learn to do with my other hand, such as brushing my teeth. 
The third thing I did was to give myself time. Healing takes time. It’s been a couple of years since the pain started. Now, it doesn’t hurt too much. I get an arthritic ache when it rains, and recently, that has lessened. 
I figure I probably have another year of recovery. And, after that, I’ll still have to do things differently and be careful with it—exactly how I manage my knees. 
My writing now is a bit sloppier and I am writing larger. But, I am writing. Physically writing. Sure, I take breaks. I need to. I can’t overdo. Or else, I’ll go backwards. 
I’m on a path of tiny steps. I walk it happily.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Author IE Castellano

The World In-between Series (Fantasy)
The portal fantasy series chronicles the adventures of Berty Chase—a modern man who discovers he belongs in the magical world, then both his worlds collide as he fights for everyone and everything he loves.
Book 1: The World In-between – Berty joins the battle for magic and changes his life foreverBook 2: The Bow of the Moon – To stop a covert society from finding a long lost magical item, Berty must find it first and hold on to itBook 3: The Secrets of the Sages – As magical secrets threaten to unravel the Empire, Berty’s magical and mundane worlds collideBook 4: Whispers – Berty scrambles to find a way to save the EmpireBook 5: Hope – Berty’s niece defends her place in the magical worldBook 6: Coming Soon
Companion Story: The Dragonlands – The history of the DragonsCompanion Story: Yuletide Magic – Before Berty entered the portal, a young girl made a wish

Where Pirates Go to Die (Space Opera)
Notorious pirate Naria breaks out of a high security prison, then leads a renowned bounty hunter on a cat and mouse chase across the galaxy as she does everything in her power to make the Galaxy leaders pay for their crimes.

Tricentennial(Dystopia)
Teen siblings, Xavier and Nickie Kelton, in a pandemic aftermath try to find the truth about what happened to their family and inadvertently start a revolution.


Find my Books at: Amazon, Apple, Barnes &Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Smashwords Connect: Goodreads, MeWe, Twitter, Facebook

Readers Say:
“This book did not disappoint.  Quick fast read simply because you keep turning the pages.  I enjoyed it.”
“This is a gripping story that is sure to take your imagination to places it’s never been.”
“Really enjoyed this book.  Couldn't hardly put it down. … I look forward [to] more stories with these characters.”
“If you’re a reader not satisfied by the prosaic mundane, this book is for you.  Full of imagination and charm, rich in character development, vividly descriptive in all its sensual nuances, complete in and of itself and yet part of a series, I want to know more about this world in between!”
“Fast paced and exciting.  This is one of the best books that I have ever read.”
“Bow of the Moon takes the reader on an action packed adventure leaving no emotion untouched.  From start to finish I became totally immersed in the story and all of its characters, and had a hard time putting it down (even upon reading it a second time).”
“A quick read that brings back the magic of the holidays as only a child can see it.”
“If you follow this series, Dragonlands is a must read. It follows the story of the clans as they face dragon slayers, their own mortality, and finally find their place in the Land of the Sages.”
“… IE Castellano has taken childhood fancy and turned it into a world we all wish existed. Every time I opened the book, I lost myself and time.”
“IE Castellano tells another magical tale bringing the world of fairies, elves and other creatures to life in a mystical place that we can all relate to in our dreams. The story is fresh and imaginative and I can't wait to see what happens to the Emperor in the next book. Did I mention dragons? There are dragons! Truly a fairytale world come to life.”
“There are many world[s] to discover in the fantasy genre. Many are typical that give the reader more of what they seek within fantasy's realms. This author tosses aside the typical worlds in the genre and weaves an intricate story in a world between worlds. It is a blend of what the mind may hold in a world filled with dreams and is still leashed to the modern world. IE Castellano has given me a world I could not have imagined and pulled me deep into her world. Well done.”

7 Things to Do While Social Distancing

Cats don't understand how distancing works
Many of us in the US are going into our second week of quarantine / social distancing.  Places we normally go aren’t open.  And you can only binge so much streaming movies and tv.  What else is there to do?  As someone who normally spends her time socially distancing, I have a few suggestions.


1. Read Books

Of course, this will be my number one.  My local library, although physically closed, still has their online lending of ebooks available.  Check your local library system for similar programs.

Baen Books has a free library.

Smashwords is offering discounts on ebooks via their Author Gives Back program.

And, all my ebooks are free on Smashwords through 30 April 2020.  Use coupon code NK58T


2. Play Video Games

Use this time to start a new game or finish old games.  Spend countless hours on games like Skyrim doing favor quests so you can become Thane of each hold or picking every ingredient to make a potion you won’t use.  I’m partial to Borderlands 3 where I can shoot countless baddies and loot all the guns, although I religiously only use six.

If looter shooters aren’t your thing, there are games like Civilization VI that make you strategize to grow and thrive your people.  If you want to play with others, there are MMOs such as Elder Scrolls Online and Lord of the Rings Online.  If you want a game without NPCs only other players, Planetside 2 just had a big update and my brother says that it made the game better.

Now, if you are susceptible to motion sickness like I am, I don’t recommend LOTR Online.  I tried it today and had to stop while going through a mine.  All of the others I mentioned above are problem free as long as you tweak the options to lower the mouse sensitivity.

Steam has a bunch of games that are free through April.


3. Board Games

Apparently, board games are still a thing.  If you’re like me and find that no one in your family has ever thrown away a thing, you may find a few.  We found a bunch in boxes and placed them on shelves in the attic.  Growing up, we played them all the time.  My favorite was Scattegories.  But, I like words.  I absolutely abhorred Sorry and to this day, I refuse to play it.  Tabletop games also fall under the board game category as far as I’m concerned.  My husband still has some of the rulebooks and die around.


4. Playing Cards

We always had at least one deck of cards in the house.  And always in the kitchen junk drawer.  Believe it or not, a deck of cards can be used to play games other than poker.  Rummy, gin, gin rummy.  Those sound like drinking games—they’re not.  Spades, hearts, bullshit, old maid, go fish.  All of these can be played regardless of age.  All alone with a deck?  There’s always solitaire.  People played that with real cards before the computer game.


5. Cleaning / Organizing

When not reading or playing games, we can take this time to clean or organize our spaces.  You don’t need any special types of cleaners.  Old rags and basic dish soap and water will do.  I use that for pretty much everything from furniture to walls and trim to windows.

Organize that junk drawer.  Or all those wires that we all still need regardless of how wireless everything gets.


6. Household Projects

Some projects require expertise and specialized equipment.  Others don’t.  You know those projects you bought all the stuff to do it and never got around to actually doing?  Now’s the time.

Me?  I’ve put up curtains in two rooms.  I found those curtains because, well, I explained that whole thing in the board game section.  The hardware was there.  I figured why not.  I have plans of putting up more in a couple of more rooms as long as I can find the hardware.  Not making a special hardware purchasing trip.  Curtains aren’t that important.


7. Cook / Bake

Try the recipe or ingredient or whatever it was you bought that is sitting in your pantry or fridge waiting to be used.  Captive families make the best guinea pigs.  Since I have some buttermilk, I’m going to try making biscuits using home rendered lard.  I already make them with store bought lard.  Sounds like fun.

If you’re looking for a yummy chocolate recipe, I highly recommend Fudgy Pudding Cake.  This recipe tastes like childhood.


Bonus:

Tap into your creative-ness.  Music, painting, drawing, writing, sewing, knitting, crafting, et cetera.

Don’t forget to peer suspiciously out your windows from time to time.  And if your weather cooperates, go for a walk so that your neighbors can peer at you.

That Numb Feeling All Over Again

Daddy and Me
I lost my father last week to a cascade of medical complications over the past four months.  I feel as though I’ve just gotten off a too fast, yet too long roller coaster—wobbly, shaken on the inside, and numb.
My daddy had this way about him.  Gentle, good, and kind.  He relished the little things like ricotta nestled in his plate of rigatoni, a dog wanting petting from him, or sitting on the porch during the rain.
We would talk about stuff, big plans, little plans, it didn’t matter.  He made it all feel important and gave his advice.  We’d cook together, clean together, do projects together.  My husband and I would take him to local festivals and shops and wherever.  We enjoyed his enjoyment—his celebration of life.
He instilled that same celebration of the important things in me.  I know that when I take the time to savor a type of candy we both favored that a part of him will survive and be with me.  Right now, I miss the corporal—the smiles, the singing, the conversations.
Although he had been at facilities for months, an emptiness now fills the house he called home with us.  There is no place to visit him.  His body now lies next to my mother’s in the cemetery, but he isn’t there.
People help ease some of this pain.  Family.  Friends.  Those who care.  I am so grateful for having each and every one of them in my life.  They help me realize that, eventually, happy memories will replace the sadness, the numb will recede, and, together, we will celebrate living once again.

A Decade in Review

The turn of the millennium feels like it was only yesterday. Soon, the ‘20s will be roaring. Before the decade ends, let’s see from where we’ve come.
My first book, The World In-between, debuted in 2011. At my writers’ group the other night, I was talking about reading books and wondering how someone can write something complex and interesting. Then, I wrote the 125,000 word epic fantasy series beginning with its multiple plot threads and array of characters in a magical setting connected to the mundane world.
So far, the series has five books: The World In-between, Bow of the Moon, Secrets of the Sages, Whispers, and Hope. And, I am currently writing the sixth.
In-between writing the series, I’ve also written two stand alone science fiction novels, Tricentennial and Where Pirates Go to Die. The former being a dystopia whose secrets tear apart a family that struggles to find themselves and each other. The latter is space opera where pirate outlaws lead a chase across the galaxy. I’ve also written five short stories, two of which are related to my series, and a slew of flash fiction that I have posted on this blog.
And, of course, I started this blog where I connect with all of you. I’ve changed the layout and colors plenty of times.

On a more personal note, my life drastically changed in the past ten years.

My mom lost her battle with cancer.

I married the most wonderful man—my best friend.


Whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope you celebrate with gusto.

Happy Holidays and I wish you all the best in the New Year!  
See you next decade!

October Flash Fiction

It's that time of year where I write a Halloween themed flash fiction that gets displayed in my local library.  Enjoy!




Slow Burn
IE Castellano


The convergence has begun, Mister Rank Ore. All is prepared. Come. I’d be honored if you joined me for the ritual.I have kept the hairs pristine and in their original condition. Even added one from that harpy shrieking on her phone who cut in front of me in the checkout lane the other day. Yes, of course, I know I complained your ear off all about her already.Oh, you remember that neighbor of ours a few years ago? The one who couldn’t be bothered to keep her ratty mutt out of our rose bushes. Well, I have her hair here. Too bad that mongrel predeceased her.Anyway, Mister Rank Ore, this one is from that man who constantly clucked his tongue through four consecutive bus stops. Yes, it was quite annoying. Not to mention the he ignored my irate stare.This dark hair here is long before your time, Mister Rank Ore. When I was a young girl, he courted me. We were going to marry. I already chose my dress and which flowers would grace my bouquet. He, well, he’ll be sorry for leaving me.How fitting that this long, strawberry blonde strand should be twisted with his. It’s the last of hers remaining. She’ll get the final lesson about stealing what should have been mine.The effigy looks beautiful with all its colors and textures. Don’t you agree, Mister Rank Ore? I’ve been curating my collection for some time, waiting for this exact celestial alignment.Can you hear the chimes? It’s time to light the fire bowls. Now, I soak the effigy in the chalice. Why, yes, Mister Rank Ore, that is my blood. I saved it in the freezer.Of course, when I do something, I do it properly. You know me so well.Stand back while I lower the candle to the offering plate. Watch the smoke rise to deliver my vengeance.

Keep Going

It has been almost a year since I last typed the sixth book of my fantasy series.  Before the last day of July, that is.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, I write my first drafts on pen and paper, then type it.  I started typing it again.  Getting to this point has been a struggle.
Rewind to November of 2016.  Hope, The World In-between book 5, released.  I already began writing book 6 as soon as I penned the final word of 5.  That’s how I work.  I write and type simultaneously, even the same book.  The exact day my book released, my mom was admitted to the hospital.
I would take my writing to the hospital.  Sometimes, I’d get pages done, but mostly nothing.
After my mom’s death, I kept writing although not as much.  I lost the connection to my characters.  No amount of pen ramble would bring that back.  Writing another genre helped.
I put my fantasy series aside.  I hoped that someday I would come back to it.  I needed to finish the book, if not the series.  I couldn’t.  Magic fluttered far from me.
Two and a half years later, I have made great strides with dealing with all the things that surround a loved one’s death.  Some things still linger.  Those will take a little longer to subside.
This journey that I needed to take, the stepping away from writing a story so intertwined in not so happy times, brought me somewhere better.  A place where I could connect to these beloved characters without looming clouds.
I have been writing so much of this story that I have roughly ten thousand words to type in order to catch up to my pen.  Mind you, I am not abandoning the detective novel.  I am writing them both.
I don’t know how long until I finish the first draft of Book 6.  But, I’m excited about getting there.  

More Newness

In March, I posted that I began working on a detective novel.  This is something that I have been working on everyday with the exception of the end of April when I got this terrible cold and watched four Marvel movies in one Sudafed-hazed day.
Actually, I mentioned this book eons ago, but I pushed it aside to write my fantasy series.  The fantasy series… let’s just say it’s on hiatus.  Writing a completely non-magical story is helping.  Helping me untwine my mother’s death and my fantasy series that have wrapped themselves together in my mind.
To further distance the fantasy and the mystery, I’ve decided to use a new pen name for the mystery.
Irene Castle
Irene is my first name and Castle is derived from Castellano, which means “castle man” in Italian.
This new pen name has a Facebook account.  My very first (and only) Facebook account.  I post stuff about writing, funny things, cute things (mostly cats), and other stuff I’m doing.  Basically, the type of stuff I post on MeWe, just on Facebook under a different name.  Add me, it’ll be fun.