Roberta Trahan's Blog, page 14

The History Behind the Fantasy in THE WELL OF TEARS: Hywel dda (Hywel the Good)

In my debut novel THE WELL OF TEARS (Book One of the Dream Stewards), the story of the ancient sorcerer’s guild known as the Stewardry unfolds around historical milestones that mark the reign of a remarkable (and somewhat savage) ruler in 10th century Wales. Like the legendary Arthur, this later king brought lasting peace and stability to a war -weary land. That may well be where the similarities between the two end, but the more I learned about this less famous man, the more intrigued I became.

The recorded history regarding the era of Hywel the Good is scant, and what survives is conflicting and largely scholarly conjecture – a perfect storm for a fantasy writer. Plenty of historical backdrop, but not so much that the facts would interfere with the re-imagining of the events, the people, their relationships, and their world. THE WELL OF TEARS (Book One of The Dream Stewards) takes place in a magical realm that parallels the human one, and centers on a prophecy that foretells Hywel’s rise to power.

Hywel Dda, as depicted in the Peniarth Manuscripts

Hywel ap Cadell, descended from a long line of warrior kings and ruled in Wales from around 905 AD until his death in 950 AD. To this day, his reign is purported to be the longest period of peace and prosperity in the pre-modern history of Wales. This long and relatively benign rule earned him the epitaph “Hywel the Good”.

Hywel is credited by many historians with stabilizing the political and economic climate of the region by bringing all of the independent kingdoms under his sole control – something that had never been accomplished before, or since . It should be assumed that he accomplished this through no small measure of ruthlessness and brutality. His reign is described as violent, and his tactics include the assassinations of several of the rightful rulers of the lands he desired to possess. Hywel was clearly a skilled warrior as well as a brilliant, and probably vicious, military strategist.

However, he was also adept at political maneuvering and was very good at cultivating alliances that supported his ambitions. It seems that Hywel believed that territorial disputes between clans and power struggles between kings led to the sort of unrest that threatened the unity of all nations and, in turn, made them vulnerable.  His intent appears to have been to create a sovereign nation that was not only economically and socially prosperous, but also secure from the ravages of invasion. And it bears noting that during his years as overlord, the kingdoms under his control were spared the rape and pillage of the Viking conquests – where the neighboring regions were not.

Map of Hywel’s Kingdom (Blue)

When viewed through the lens of time, it seems clear that Hywel was a man in pursuit of a vision. Every significant decision he made appears to have been an intentional move toward consolidating the smaller principalities into one kingdom. An early marriage to the daughter of a rival king that brought the kingdom of Dyfed under his control, alongside the lands he inherited from his father. A series of skirmishes, the  questionable death of his younger brother, and his skillful betrayals of assorted cousins eventually garnered him nearly all of the territory now known as Wales and Cornwall. Add to that his strategic submission to the English monarchs who held power during his life (pure political genius), and you have the portrait of a man who was born to be king.

Perhaps Hywel’s most admirable quality was his life-long dedication to establishing formal rules of governance. In about 928 AD, Hywel made a pilgrimage to Rome, which is where historians believe he found the inspiration for his own legacy – the codification of the first written body of law, which  addressed issues of local governance, property rights and social conduct. A conference held at Ty Gwyn ar Daf, one of Hywel’s residences, circa 945 AD, resulted in the documentation of these laws for posterity. They are still known as “The Laws of Hywel the Good”, and were actively enforced for several centuries after Hywel’s death.

And so we have the makings of a complicated and somewhat romantic hero; certainly a man who would stop at nothing to accomplish his own ends, but also one who did it all in the furtherance of what he believed to be a greater good. At least as Hywel saw it, the end justified the means. The stuff of legend, I say, and a life full of enough intrigue to inspire me to create an entire mythology in his name.

If you’re as intrigued as I am about the history of Wales and Hywel Dda, I invite you to enjoy the fable-ized version I have created in THE WELL OF TEARS and the next books of The Dream Stewards. For you die-hard historians out there,  Wikipedia has a surprisingly accurate and complete overview of his accomplishments. Original sources are scarce and very hard to find, which as far as I am concerned, only adds to the mystique!

It’s Book Launch Day!! (aka The Day Every Writer Dreams Of)

Today marks the official release of my debut novel THE WELL OF TEARS: Book One of The Dream Stewards. It was a long time coming – 10 years since the first draft was completed. All the struggle, sacrifice, and just plain hard work has finally paid off, and I am taking the entire day to revel in the accomplishment. And that is a big deal considering I am a mere 90 days away from the deadline to deliver Book Two!

So far I’ve had breakfast in bed, hung out in my PJs until well after lunch, and spent several hours watching my Amazon sales rankings climb. Yet to come is dinner with friends, followed by a champagne toast with my husband. I’m sure I’ll manage to find time for chocolates, and a pumpkin spice latte somewhere along the way. These are some of the little luxuries a writer foregoes when working under contract – so while it may not sound like much to you, I am loving every minute of it.

But wait, there’s more! So that the rest of you can also partake in my celebration of this momentous occasion (aka the day every writer dreams of), I am sponsoring a number of book and goodie giveaways around the web. I’ll be adding more events to the list over the next few weeks, so be sure to check back here, on my website, or on my FB fan page for updates!

Click on the links below to join in the fun:

Facebook Fan Page Sweepstakes - Click the FB icon in the menu on the right, or click here to LIKE the page and enter to win a signed copy of the book and a goodie bag!

 

Interview & International Book Giveaway at The Qwillery - This is one of my favorite speculative fiction blogs. Click on the badge to go to the post, and don’t forget to comment on the post to enter! And while you’re there, sign up for the Debut Author Challenge (and choose THE WELL OF TEARS, of course), vote for your favorite cover in the Cover Wars Contest (THE WELL OF TEARS, of course), and spend some time reading about lots of other great spec fic books and authors!

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway -click the link below to enter to win one of three copies, and don’t forget to add THE WELL OF TEARS to your to-be-read shelf!

The Well of Tears
by Roberta Trahan

Giveaway ends October 10, 2012.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Never Make a Stand Unless You Are Prepared to Take the Fall

It’s in my programming to keep my eye on trending topics, as both a longtime marketing professional, and as an author in the new publishing era. Once or twice a week I try to catch up with all my newsfeeds and you know, stay informed. Often I learn interesting things or am pleasantly entertained, sometimes I am moved or inspired, occasionally I am shocked, and once in a while I am horrified.

I never ever fan a firestorm – after all, they tend to rage on quite furiously all on their own. And, frankly, as a former publicist I know all too well how quickly one can regret speaking out in a moment of passion, or stepping in line with an angry mob. Even when the outrage is justified, it’s generally just a bad idea to enter the fray.  It’s unprofessional and can do your career more harm than good.

However, a recent dust-up in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy corner of the publishing universe caught my attention this week. One rubber-neck to glance at the cause of the crash and I haven’t been able to tear myself away since. The carnage is just too mind-searingly mesmerizing. And all because of a lack of maturity, sense of basic social responsibility, and professional judgment.

In this case one giant step in a pile of shee-it was followed by another even more enormous stomp, and the stink may never go away. I shake my head in utter dismay, because the absolute idiocy of this situation has reached gargantuan proportions, and it just makes me so sad – as an author, as a career publishing professional, as a citizen of the world.

This particular firestorm centers on SAVE THE PEARLS, a novel by Victoria Foyt – a semi-celebrity-turned-author who frankly, ought to have known better. If you aren’t already aware of the controversy surrounding this book, I suggest you go Google it and spend some time getting up to speed on one of the most emotionally charged discussions of the year. I refuse to link to anything related to this book (other than the message from the publisher of Weird Tales below) as my own personal statement. I sincerely hope that you will not choose to further line the author’s pockets by purchasing the book.

I suggest this not because of any critical assessment of her work, but rather as an expression of my constitutionally supported right to declare my disgust. That this book came into existence is yet another indicator of our fractured culture and pokes at an already seriously wounded society, all in the name of challenging racial stereotypes. And before you ask, yes, I read the book – or at least as much of it as I could stomach. Sigh.

Ms. Foyt has made public statements in justification of her work and her intent – which, in my opinion, have only further illustrated her naiveté (at best) or her complete lack of understanding of anything outside of her own perceptions. I will make this one personal statement because I feel honor bound to do so – as a white woman married to a man of color with children of mixed racial heritage, I am deeply offended by what Ms. Foyt espouses to be her personal manifesto against racism.

However, as a classically trained journalist and writer who has spent decades honoring the professional ethics and standards of the trade, and a passionate defender of Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech — sacred tenets which are all too often invoked in defense of irresponsible behavior — I support her right to publish it. I also fully support the independent publishers who frequently make way for voices who might otherwise not be heard. Everyone deserves the opportunity to speak their mind. I just don’t have to listen.

And so we come to the huge fiery pile-up on the Internet that has had me gawking at bloody wreckage all week. Sadly, one of the victims may not survive. Ms. Foyt will recover, I suspect, though I hope she will look twice before she enters traffic again. However, the long-standing and iconic Sci-Fi/Fantasy publication who took an ill-advised editorial stand in her defense this week will be on life-support for weeks, if not months. They may even have to pull the plug.

I still cannot wrap my mind around it – the scope of the hubris which led to this decision is so incredibly enormous its limits have yet to be found. Under new ownership and management, this once venerable magazine has lost its way – not only in terms of understanding its audience (and the world we currently live in), but also with regard to the most basic standards of the publishing industry. Shame on you, Weird Tales. I won’t regurgitate the whole debacle here, but suffice it to say that the Editor/Owner of the publication threw the magazine’s considerable weight behind Ms. Foyt’s book without properly vetting the material. The publisher has since retracted the original endorsement but the damage runs deep. You can read the Publisher’s Message and the subsequent fall out here:  Weird Tales.

My point is this – as writers (and publishers), it is our job to raise awareness, challenge the status quo, instigate debate, explore new ideas, and speak for those who have been shouted down. It is our right, and profound privilege, to raise our voices freely. It is also our unmitigated obligation to do so with a sense of moral and social responsibility and consideration for the impact and potential consequences of our actions. Something Ms. Foyt and the Publisher & Editor of Weird Tales failed to comprehend.

And that is all I have to say about that.

30 Days & Counting – My First Guest Blog & Other Book Launch News

Only one more month until the official release of THE WELL OF TEARS: Book One of The Dream Stewards (47North)! Have you reserved your copy yet?

I am proud to announce that today I am blogging over at The Qwillery – one of my favorite speculative fiction blogs. THE WELL OF TEARS is part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge.

The discussion is centered on the debate over character vs. story driven novels – and there’s an exclusive excerpt from the book! Come on over and join the conversation, and sign up to take part in the DAC!

You also might spend some time checking out all the other amazing authors and books – you are sure to find some excellent additions for your TBR pile (after you finish my book, of course)…

 

 

Other big news this week was the release of Library Journal’s Genre Spotlight edition, in which THE WELL OF TEARS is named a “promising debut”. The article is a revealing overview of SFF trends, and includes some fabulous reading recommendations! You can read the article here:  Hungry for SF: Genre Crossovers Retain Fans and Attract New Readers 

More news to come soon, including contests (with prizes) and an invitation to my online book launch party. You can keep up with all the excitement right here, or join me on Facebook or Twitter (click on the icons in the sidebar –>).

I will also be updating my website with my calendar of upcoming events – conference appearances, book signing events, blog tour stops, and more.

How To Grow Writer’s Skin

“A Writer’s Ink” by Norman Duenas

In a recent twitter exchange, writer Kevin R Hill commented that many great books might never see light of day because the authors were not tough enough to stand against years of rejections. How true, I replied, and the idea of “writer’s skin” came up. We should coin a phrase, Kevin said – writer’s skin, the thick layer that protects tender hearts.

If only one could buy writer’s skin ready-made, I said, like a magical cloak or suit of armor, instead of having to grow it from the inside out. Yes, if only. But as it turns out we all must cultivate our own thick layer of protection.

That day I happened to be suffering from some of the soul-wounding that all writers must endure. Although knowing that this ritual scarring is an unavoidable test of author-hood helps you prepare for the battle, it does nothing at all to stop or even slow the blood-letting. Kevin’s tweet reminded me that this uncomfortable truth was universal – that I was not alone. And neither are you.

To help you get a good start, here are some tips for growing a healthy, hardy sheath of writer’s skin:

Start with a Rich Growth Medium that has been fortified with equal measures of patience, persistence, and perseverance, and is resistant to infiltrations of noxious weeds like self-doubt, jaded perspective and bitterness.

Sow Only the Highest Quality Seeds by selecting the most unique and well-formed ideas for cultivation. This will help to ensure that your writer’s skin is fashioned from the strongest creative fibers.

Water Frequently from the deepest wells of knowledge and most trusted fountains of inspiration. Avoid shallow, stagnant ponds and shark infested pools.

Fertilize As Needed with only the highest quality, well-credentialed experience you can find. Choose carefully – there are a lot of low budget brands out there that promise plenty but deliver little results.

Be sure to harvest your writer’s skin before the beginning of the submission season, and wear it whenever you venture out. This should help to shield you from the harsher elements.

Remember, writer’s skin is susceptible to normal wear and tear and that frequent use will erode its protective qualities. Therefore, it must be replaced periodically. While writer’s skin tends not to flourish in intemperate climates, it is a self-sustaining renewable resource and can be grown almost anywhere and at any time by constructing a green-house like environment that recreates the favorable conditions mentioned above.

Marketing Mondays, Writer’s Block, and Pre-Pub Panic

Waning Gibbous Moon

Today was one of those far-too-reflective Marketing Mondays (read “full of artistic angst”) wherein I tend to over-think, over-analyze, doubt, question and distrust — everything. Tends to suck the fun right out of those once in a lifetime, never-come-again-moments like approving the almost probably final FINAL version of the cover art, and seeing my very first reader review.

If it weren’t for Alex Carr, intrepid editor, master multi-tasker and tireless author wrangler, I might have missed the joy in it all.

I spent the first half of the day plodding through my task list but I wasn’t getting much of anything accomplished. I realized about two hours in that I was resenting the whole process – what I really wanted to to do was write, and my marketing efforts were keeping me from feeding my muse. Finally I decided WTF, and gave myself permission to abandon the Marketing Monday ritual in favor of the creative flow. Except that the creative flow wasn’t flowing. It wasn’t even trickling. Not even a drop. By noon I had managed to actually edit the total word count on my WIP DOWN by almost 500 and had added exactly ZERO. Sigh.

An hour later I was fully adrift on  the Sea of Self-Loathing and had begun negotiating with myself - screw the daily word count goal – if you just write 500 words to replace the ones you ditched, you can skip the gym. No wait, even better. You can have the ENTIRE box of salt caramels AND a glass of wine. And if you get to 1000 words, you can have THE WHOLE BOTTLE.

Still nothing. In fact, I actually managed to edit out another sentence. By the time the email (with the little HIGH PRIORITY exclamation point attached) arrived, I was envisioning the end of my not-yet-launched writing career. I was in no state to offer or even formulate a meaningful opinion on anything, least of all something as life-altering as the cover art for my first novel. Still, this is what must be done.

When I first saw the latest revision of the cover design for THE WELL OF TEARS, I expected a completely visceral and reflexive reaction, which is how I tend to respond to pretty much everything. I also tend to trust these initial instinctive responses. I’m a go-with-your-gut kind of girl, and this approach generally leads me down the right path. To my surprise (and utter horror), my internal gut-ometer totally flat lined. I had nothing, and my response was needed by EOD (end of day, for those of you not versed in hip, trendy corp speak).

Fortunately, Alex the Intrepid has always been really good about helping me work through my artistic angst. I have no idea how HE feels about these conversations, but I find them extraordinarily helpful (and often quite humbling). Somehow Alex always manages to talk me off of whatever ledge I’ve leaped out onto without sacrificing too much of my dignity. Frankly, I count myself lucky he still takes my calls. Which brings me to the turning point in my story.

During our chat, somewhere between my fluster over the hair color of the sorceress depicted in the center of the design and my remembering why I so loved the basic design in the first place, Alex reminded me ever so gently that they had made these changes based on my feedback, which in turn reminded me of the many reasons I am so grateful for my publisher. In passing, Alex also mentioned internationally best-selling fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss and the cover design for THE NAME OF THE WIND, which then reminded me of what I had set out to achieve. Cover art issue resolved, pre-publication panic diffused.

But rather than return to the masochistic deconstruction of my WIP, I pulled up Patrick Rothfuss’ website and began reading excerpts. Which were amazing, by the way, and did absolutely nothing to make me feel better about myself. And then I clicked on his blog.

The most recent post was titled, ironically enough, “Why I Love My Editor”. Reading this post did make me feel better about myself, by and large because Patrick recounted a tale of his own author angst in which his editor Betsy Wollheim was his salvation. Which brings me to the moral of my story.

If an author is truly fortunate, he or she will be blessed with a Champion of the Work who is also a Guardian of the Creative Spirit. In other words, an editor who nurtures, encourages, and genuinely cares about their authors. And if an author should be so very fortunate to receive this rare blessing, he or she should give thanks – often.

All of this has absolutely nothing to do with my accidental discovery of the posting of the very first review of THE WELL OF TEARS. It did, however, allow me to find the mind set I needed to be able to revel in it (thanks, Alex).

If you are so inclined, you can read the review here . I think we’re off to a good start.

Wine, anyone?

For the Love of Lore: Why I Write Fantasy

It’s one of the questions always asked of authors – why do you write (insert genre here)?  Every writer has a unique backstory – a collection of singular and often profound experiences that have informed and inspired them.  For me, it all started with fables and fairy tales.

The summer of 1977, I traveled with my parents to rural western Montana on the occasion of my great-grandmother’s death.  We stayed for nearly a week to help clean out the ancient farmhouse that had been the Davis family home for nearly 50 years. It was a somber time, and the adults, eager to keep the kids busy while they tended to the needs of the moment, assigned us all tasks.

Naturally, I volunteered to clear out the bookcases in the sitting room. Books had long been a source of solace for me, and I was so very sad. Sifting through these treasured relics from Granny’s long and well-lived life was a way for me to feel connected to her and still process the reality that she was gone. Better still, I was told I could keep as many books as I liked – since the whole lot was to be donated to the local community service center.  My mother, the minimalist, limited “as many as I liked” to “a few” – and so I resolved to choose carefully.

In those many bittersweet hours, I sifted through hundreds of volumes of literature, periodicals, school primers, grammar books, historical biographies, and who knows what all else. Many of these books were well over a hundred years old, which both astonished and intrigued me. I had never seen such old editions of any book, let alone the classic titles I recognized. 

When all was said and done, I had some tough choices to make – in the end, I came home with a first edition of Bernadin’s Paul Et Virginie in the original French, circa 1787 (I had never seen a book printed in a foreign language before); early printings of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair and the children’s classic The Little Lame Prince; and the best of the bunch – a very early English translation of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

The book was pretty worn (as you can see from the photos) and missing the title page,   but I was over the moon. I was initially captivated by this collection of what were called “household tales” because I recognized the titles of some of the fables as childhood stories I knew – or thought I knew. I quickly discovered that these were grittier and much more provocative versions of what I had always thought were Golden Book originals. Being a moody and maudlin tweenager at the time, this suited me just fine.

 I spent several weeks obsessing over this book – partly because I was enthralled by the darkly romantic window into the past, and partly because I wanted to know “the story behind the story”.  I knew that mythology and folk lore were allegorical and that cautionary tales were based on real fears and events, and this appealed to me on every level.

That summer I read every book on mythology I could find in the local library (which wasn’t many), and then the librarian turned me on to the fantasy fiction genre. She introduced me to Mary Stewart’s iconic Merlin series (The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills) – my first encounter with the real Arthurian legend, and the amazing world a masterful novelist could create by blending fact, fiction, and fantasy. I have been in love ever since.

Why do I write fantasy? The easy way out would be to say that I write fantasies because those are the stories that come to me. This happens to be true, but it only scratches the surface –the full answer is much more complicated than that. The genre calls to me intellectually, emotionally, instinctively, and spiritually.

I would have to say that underpinning those early inspirational reading experiences is the neuropsychology that is hard-wired into my DNA. I have a pathological need to understand the foundations of the human experience, as well as what could be called a clinical compulsion for research. I am also completely seduced by the “in-between” spaces in our histories and cultures which defy explanation, and the misty veil at the edges of our existence that hints at something beyond what we can comprehend.

This is where the magic lives, and sometimes, so do I.

My Mother, Myself: From Whence A Writer Comes, or Gifts My Mother Gave Me

It was the best of times, and the worst of times.  I had just experienced the terror-laced exhilaration of my first national publication and   received acceptance to the three most prestigious journalism schools in the nation. I was about to step into womanhood in the age of feminism and seize the destiny I had envisioned for myself — and unwittingly outstrip my mother’s hard earned successes. This was, after all, exactly what she had raised me to do, but it was also a source of contention between us that I could not understand. Why was this woman who had worked so tirelessly and selflessly to provide me opportunity, and who had quietly nurtured my writing dreams, so mad at me all the time?

When Nancy Friday’s now-iconic but then controversial book “My Mother, Myself – The Daughter’s Search for Identity” came out in the late 70′s, I was the same age my daughter is now. I can still recall my mother’s embittered lambasting of the book and its message, and her refusal to not only read it but also to discuss any idea it put forth. The fact that I had read it was heretical. Even then, however, I understood she felt threatened by the very idea of turning a critical eye on herself  - because in opening that particular Pandora’s box she would have no choice but to reflect on her relationship with her own mother. We never did discuss that book.

Suffice it to say, mothers and daughters in my family have a long history of conflict and estrangement – something my mother and I were eventually able to overcome, and a pattern I hope I have successfully avoided repeating with my own daughter.

This season of motherhood has me pensive and moody, more sensitive than usual to the bittersweet memories it evokes and the invaluable bonds it symbolizes. It is a singular time in my life, to be sure. As I come into the realization of my lifelong dream, my daughter is on the verge of her own journey – and sadly, my mother has long since come to the end of hers.

As I contemplate the nature of mothers and daughters today, a question a friend of mine asked keeps resonating in my thoughts — How did you know you were a writer?

My mother told me.

Not in so many words, mind you.  My mother was never able to speak of encouragement or praise when I was growing up. Such sentiments were expressed in scribbles on bits of scrap paper left on my desk, or by the receipt for the prom dress we couldn’t afford taped to the fridge, and in a handful of unexpected surprises.

It was she who read my third grade teacher the riot act when he accused me of plagiarism, bought me my first typewriter, renewed my subscription to Writers Digest every year until I was 30, and insisted I send my verse to my great-uncle, the poet laureate, whom I had never met.

It was she who first believed in me, and this was the most important gift of all.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

Idyll Book Review for May — THE SISTER QUEENS by Sophie Perinot

Though I was not yet familiar with these princesses of Provence, what a delightful introduction I received in this novel. Perhaps the most endearing aspect of the book is the way in which author Sophie Perinot tenderly reveals the lives of sister queens

Marguerite and Eleanor through their relationship with each other. Perinot employs the use of correspondence between the sisters to cue the reader to a change in point of view and to draw parallel timelines throughout the book. In this way, she also shows us the strong bond that ties these women to each other, despite the great distance and many years that separate them.

This device also helps to reinforce the individual voices of each of the sisters, which in my humble opinion, were not quite strong or distinct enough on their own to keep me from confusing one with the other throughout the story. This is a minor distraction, however, as the heart of the story lies in the natures of these women – intelligent, educated, sophisticated beauties – as their lives unfold on the pages, from daughter, to sister, to wife, to mother, and as leader. As portrayed in THE SISTER QUEENS, each of these women wielded great influence in their respective lands, despite the constraints of the customs of the day. As they say, behind every great man is a woman.

Most appealing to me is the loving relationship the author has drawn between Henry and Eleanor, in which the younger sister is allowed to employ her intelligence and given the opportunity to make significant contributions not only to her husband’s success, but to the betterment of the country he rules. Though both women must come to terms with the realities and limitations of their marriages, Eleanor at least finds some measure of happiness and satisfaction through partnership.

Oppositely, Marguerite’s empty marriage and her long-suffering pursuit of her husband’s affection is heart-rending. Perinot’s portrayal of Louis IX is less than romantic, albeit honest, and Marguerite is cast as a woman so desperate to be valued she curries a dangerous liasion. While fun to read, the detailed sexual encounters between the Queen and her lover seem almost out of place in this novel. The affair is in conflict with Marguerite’s core values, which seems to be much more troublesome for her lover than it is for her. The author’s premise of the affair is indeed plausible given the historical record, and it is certainly fun to entertain. Unfortunately, Marguerite’s character, as she is written in the early chapters, seems to devolve rather than evolve. While some readers will find her sympathetic and her behavior understandable (even laudable), others may find that she grows less appealing as the story progresses, rather than more. This is a risky choice by the author, but certainly opens the door to great book club discussions!

Overall, THE SISTER QUEENS is a rich and detailed account of two of history’s most overlooked royals. Women of strength, substance, and significance, Marguerite and Eleanor are heroines of the best sort – devoted and dutiful, and above all, true to themselves and each other. Sophie Perinot has given us a well-dressed window into the past through which the view is sweeping, vivid, and poignant. Carefully researched and artfully written, this novel is a triumphant debut.

Marketing Mondays — My Own Personal Purgatory

I really shouldn’t complain. After all, I did it to myself. Months ago, when I was trying to figure out how I could possibly market the debut of one novel while writing the next, I devised “Marketing Mondays”.  I set aside an entire day to focus on things like blog posts, Facebook fan page and website updates, Triberr re-posts, and gathering the data my publicist needs for the book launch. Not to mention developing my own mailing list and brainstorming ideas for contests and other release-party related ideas.  Made perfect sense, really. In fact, I had been recommending the exact same strategy to clients for years.

What WAS I thinking?!! Gads, how I now fear Mondays. It all starts with a prickling sensation on the back of my neck every Sunday evening, as I glance at the planner to get a feel for the week ahead. Not even an extra cup of my favorite honey-vanilla chamomile tea can ward off the dark dreams that follow. And then dawn breaks and there is dread coiled in the pit of my stomach. By the time I’ve poured the first mug of coffee, my palms are already perspiring.

Who knew this would be so HARD? So many tasks and so few hours in the day. And as you all already know, I often fail to get to it all. But week after week I chip away at the monolithic ‘to do’ list with a toothpick and hope to do better than I did the week before. Because every little bit counts. It really does.

I’d like to share today’s coup de gras — a little design my friend and colleague Jeanie James at Shorebird Media designed for me. Remember our talk about author branding? Well, one idea is to create a personal logo –>

Awen a Bendithion is a Welsh phrase that I have adopted as my personal salutation, shared with me by a fellow writer years ago. I’ll tell you what it means one of these days .

This lovely artwork speaks to my family heritage and embodies my personal totem creature, the hummingbird. It’s job is to uniquely represent me and my author identity. You’ll be seeing it a lot soon — on my blog, facebook fan page, and promotional materials. Have you thought about creating something that speaks for you?

As fugly as Marketing Monday is, it serves its purpose. Today I got more accomplished than I expected, but still not as much as I had hoped. Next week I’m going to try not to set myself up for disappointment – I just can’t take the constant feelings of failure and self-loathing. Here’s my plan for future Marketing Mondays — maybe it will help you, too:

Set Attainable Goals – one of my biggest stumbling blocks is the never ending ‘to do’ list. When I take it as a whole, it is insurmountable and since there are always things left to be done no matter how hard I try, I always end up feeling like I fell short. A better practice is to bite off small pieces — focus on a few selected tasks that can realistically be accomplished in the time you have available.

Mix it Up – of course the most time sensitive task is the one that ought to get done first, but it is stressful to constantly be managing your priorities by catering to chaos. A helpful time management tool is to keep yourself working ahead of the curve by adding at least one or two items to your list that isn’t hanging precariously on a deadline.

Delegate – many hands make light work, isn’t that what they say? Hire help, if you can. I use the lovely ladies at Beyond Novel because, frankly, this book is just too important to me to leave up to my own limited efforts. Knowing when to hand the work off is an important and powerful step toward achieving your marketing goals.

Well, that wraps up another Marketing Monday for me. I’m off in search of dark chocolate and caffeine — I earned it!