Cynthia Sally Haggard's Blog: Cynthia Sally's Blog, page 68

George R. R. Martin’s A CLASH OF KINGS (A SONG OF ICE & FIRE #2)

[image error]The King is dead and chaos reigns. Sitting on the Iron Throne is the vicious boy-king Joffrey, ruled over by his ambitious, ruthless, amoral and disquietingly beautiful mother Queen Cersei. But many do not accept the boy-kings rule, and six other rulers rise to claim their place, including the Stark heir Robb.

This volume opens with the flight of Princess Arya Stark, pretending to be the boy ‘Arry, and ends with…but that would spoil the suspense, so I won’t tell you that.

As I mentioned in my last review, there are echoes of the Wars of the Roses in these volumes. Joffrey is as vicious as Edouard of Lancaster, the heir to the Lancaster cause and son of the ruthless and arrogant Queen Marguerite of Anjou. Who his father was, was something that no-one was really sure of (as in Joffrey’s case), but the betting was that it was Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset rather than King Henry VI.

What is so wonderful about this book is the accrual of detail that makes the lives of these characters so real, and by extension the world of that long-vanished past of the 15th-century real as well. Most second novels are extremely disappointing. This is just as wonderful as the first. Five stars.

The post George R. R. Martin’s A CLASH OF KINGS (A SONG OF ICE & FIRE #2) appeared first on Spun Stories.

A GAME OF THRONES (SONG OF ICE & FIRE #1) by George R. R. Martin

[image error]I came to A GAME OF THRONES because I read (and write) historical novels set during the Wars of the Roses, so I wanted to see what this writer of epic fantasy would do to the material. I was pleasantly surprised to find that George R. R. Martin (I’ll refer to him as GRRM) didn’t slavishly follow the historical events, making this a refreshing read.

Yes, I got that the Starks stand in for the Yorks (I guess Cateleyn is based on Lady Cecylee Neville, Duchess of York), and that the Lannisters stand in for the Lancasters. But everything has been mixed up, so that Robert Baratheon, who most resembles King Edward IV, is married to his greatest enemy Marguerite of Anjou (the Lancastrian Queen). Or perhaps Cersei Lannister is based upon his actual wife Elisabeth Woodville? Which makes Jaime Lannister what? Sir Anthony Woodville?

Anyway, you get the idea. It’s not easy to fit the actual history to this story, which gives GRRM a lot more freedom to develop his characters how he pleases.

For a book with the requisite plot twists and turns, it was a pleasant surprise to read such wonderfully poetic prose. Here is an example of what I mean. We are in Catelyn Stark’s head as she rides with her son and his army to cross the river at Riverrun:

“They crossed at evenfall as a horned moon floated upon the river. The double column wound its way though the gate of the eastern twin like a great steel snake, slithering across the courtyard into the keep and over the bridge, to issue forth once more from the second castle on the west bank. Catelyn rode at the head of the serpent, with her son and her uncle…”

Look at all those strong verbs: “crossed,” “floated,” “wound,” “slithering,” “issue forth,” “rode.” And how poetic the language is, with “evenfall” and “horned moon.” It is just enough to give a whiff of the Middle Ages without overdoing it. This long book, which I believe is about 700 pages (my iPad doesn’t tell me), kept me royally entertained for a week. If you have a boring plane journey ahead of you and this sort of thing grabs your attention, get it for your iPad. Five stars.

The post A GAME OF THRONES (SONG OF ICE & FIRE #1) by George R. R. Martin appeared first on Spun Stories.

Happy 2020!

With many good wishes to all my wonderful friends, acquaintances & readers for a Happy & Prosperous New Year!

"

The post Happy 2020! appeared first on Spun Stories.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

"
Sydney Opera House surrounded by fireworks

The post Happy New Year’s Eve! appeared first on Spun Stories.

Interview Questions 20: Answered by Cynthia Sally Haggard

To begin, can you please tell us a little about yourself?

I was born & raised in England, and came to the US at the age of 21. I’ve lived my entire adult life in the Mid-Atlantic region, firstly in Annapolis MD, and subsequently in Washington DC. (It was tough getting used to those steamy summers.)

Annapolis at night, showing the State Capitol

What inspired you to write Farewell My Life?

Violin

I had a picture in my mind of the practical sister (Violet) bringing a violin for the dreamy sister (Grace) who had had to leave home under a cloud. That was all I knew when I started writing.

The post Interview Questions 20: Answered by Cynthia Sally Haggard appeared first on Spun Stories.

Trivia Sunday 7: Farewell My Life by Cynthia Sally Haggard

"Farewell My Life by Cynthia Sally Haggard

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Book Idol, and the mighty judges will determine whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a big screenplay.  What would impress them more – your book cover, an excerpt or your best review – and why?

The book cover, whose unconventional dark simplicity perfectly mirrors the mood of Farewell My Life.

The post Trivia Sunday 7: Farewell My Life by Cynthia Sally Haggard appeared first on Spun Stories.

Fashions in the 1920s & 1930s: 1, from Farewell My Life by Cynthia Sally Haggard

One of the pleasures of writing FAREWELL MY LIFE is that I got to imbibe all the wonderful fashions of the early 1920s.

Compare the tennis outfits from the 19th Century:

"Two women wearing high-necked dresses and hats over corsets to play tennis. By the look of their costumes, this was either happening in the 1880s or 1890s. Notice underarm position of racket.

to the “indecent outfit” from the 1920s:

"This woman from the 1920s is still wearing a hat, but look at the way she lunges towards the tennis ball and the overarm position of her racket. There is NO WAY you can do that in a corset! By the way a journalist – I presume a MALE journalist – described this outfit as “indecent.”

After World War I (1914-1918) fashion became driven by young people. Partly it was because young women had a different conception of what they needed in clothes. For example, they wanted to play a much harder game of tennis than their mothers and grandmothers with over-arm hits to the tennis ball, much like modern tennis today.

"Here is a photo of a poor young woman with a 16-inch waist from the Victorian era. These corsets were so restricting that women could only play a couple of rounds of tennis before fainting, leading their men to declare that women were TOO WEAK for physical activity!

Can you do that in corsets? Of course not, which is why young women ditched corsets and stays in favor of much lighter underwear, which allowed them much more freedom of movement.

"These women from the 1920s are wearing girdles (to attach their stockings) over cami-knickers, a one-piecer much LESS revealing than today’s Teddy. Notice how much lighter their underwear is compared to the 19th century and consequently how much more natural their figures look.

The post Fashions in the 1920s & 1930s: 1, from Farewell My Life by Cynthia Sally Haggard appeared first on Spun Stories.

Interview Questions 19: Answered by Cynthia Sally Haggard

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with Farewell My Life?

"

Life is fragile. Those of us who have enough money to enjoy our lives feel secure in the notion that everything will continue forever. But that is not true. Things can unwind much more rapidly than we like to admit.

The post Interview Questions 19: Answered by Cynthia Sally Haggard appeared first on Spun Stories.

Character Bio from Farewell My Life by Cynthia Sally Haggard: ZIA PAULINA

Zia Paulina is:

"Zia Paulina played by Argentina Brunetti



53 years old
Matriarch of Pagano Family
Angelina, Louisa & Josephina’s aunt
Grace & Violet’s great-aunt
Left Italy in 1885 at the age of 17
Married a lawyer who lived in Georgetown
Society matron
Supported her husband until his death
Spent her whole married life wearing clothes she didn’t like and leading a life she didn’t care for
Unusual views for her woman of her position & age…

 Zia Paulina is actually a feminist who doesn’t realize that she is one. Unlike other female family members, who believe Grace & Violet should marry well, Zia Paulina supports them in their ambition to have careers…violinist for Grace & fashion designer for Violet.

BTW Zia Paulina is Italian for Aunt Paulina.

The post Character Bio from Farewell My Life by Cynthia Sally Haggard: ZIA PAULINA appeared first on Spun Stories.

Happy Holiday Season!

"






















Zillertal Alps in Winter

Many thanks to all my readers & my wonderful friends for a successful 2019!

"


Zillertal Alps, May 2018

The Zillertal Alps run along the border between Austria & Italy. I went hiking there in May 2018, and had the privilege of walking from Austria to Italy. A never-to-be-forgotten trip with HF (Holiday Fellowship) from the UK

The post Happy Holiday Season! appeared first on Spun Stories.