Alesha Escobar's Blog, page 40

Verisimilitude

I just read this awesome post by Dean Wesley Smith, basically telling authors that we don't have to drive ourselves crazy or be scared off by the idea of having to do research. The concept of verisimilitude, the appearance of something being true, is a very useful tool in fiction. I can very much relate [...]

Tower's Alchemist Book Trailer

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What Exactly is the Gray Tower?

My story is a fantasy alternate history based on WWII, where the Nazis team up with warlocks and the Allies employ wizards, and there are several elements, events and characters that I've just really enjoyed creating. One of these is the Gray Tower. The Order of Wizards (according to the story lore) is an organization [...]

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) Pt.2

Got a few minutes (well…more than a few minutes)? Check out this documentary on SOE.           Tweet

The Special Operations Executive (SOE)

SOE plays an important role in my story. My main character, Isabella (codename: Emelie), is employed as one of its agents or operatives. As I started researching the organizations and players during WWII, I was shocked that I had never learned about SOE. This organization (and its operatives) were a group of interesting and quite [...]

Milton and Myth

Classes or lectures like these make me want to go back to school (almost)! Milton with Professor John Rogers It's been a while since I've read Paradise Lost, but don't we all remember that famous line? (paraphrase) Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven… I think my five-year-old told me that after I [...]

Update!

I should finally have my cover ready by next week! I'm so ready to get the ball rolling on this. It will also feel like an accomplishment–because it'll be DONE! Yes, I am filling up space with short sentences and not much news… But I assure you, more will be coming soon. Yipee!     [...]

Almost There

I mentioned in an earlier tweet that I had a talented artist working on my book cover–perhaps I should also mention that this artist is also my husband. Despite immense pressure at work, he's graciously taking his time in creating and delivering a quality cover design that will be both simple and attractive. To be [...]

What's in a name…er, label?

This discussion had me thinking…what would my story actually be labeled as? I swear I've read so many definitions of what makes a novel "urban fantasy," but then there's also "historical fantasy" and then "alternate history." I feel like The Tower's Alchemist can fit into more than one of these. For some, just having the [...]

Why I Write

I don't remember how or why, but I do know that at the age of seven I wrote my first fictional story. I would show off my seven-page masterpiece (with illustrations in pencil and crayon) to my family, and they'd read it with amusement and encourage me to write more. By sixth grade I wrote [...]