Eleni Konstantine's Blog: Eleni's Taverna, page 2

Writing Wednesday: Writing tools...trying to kickstart the muse!

I've been working on gathering my stories for the upcoming short story collection - all the previously published ones - check, all the previously unpublished ones to beta readers - check, writing a new short story.... no check yet.

But I'm working on it.

I've been tidying up my office after it was painted earlier in the year. In the clean up I collated all my hand written notes for story ideas - and would guess not one of them appealed to me! Gahhhh!

I just couldn't seem to start a story and stick with it. After a few false starts, I have started on a short story. I know already know it needs changes but it's started and I now have 8 A5 pages.

I used the Wacom Bamboo Folio to write these pages. Basically it's an electronic pad and pen that work together so that the text can be then scanned electronically by using the app. The app can then convert it to text or Word, which helps with the retyping.

Retyping a short story - not so bad, but I plan to work on my current novel long hand so typing up all those pages wasn't something I was looking forward to especially with the arm and shoulder pain I have been having lately.

Of course, I need to have legible writing so it can then convert it but even if 80% of it is correct and I need to correct the rest, that is better than retyping the whole thing.


One of the reasons I love this product is that I can use my own paper and since I'm a stationery nut, I can use the A5 pads and notebooks I have purchased over the years. I just have to place them on the folio pad and use the pen (which is lovely to work with). How cool is that?

The muse has responded some but not as much as I would like because of low energy. Some pages is better than no pages, so I'm taking this as a good start.


~
Yia,
Eleni 

Enchanted Dreams coming your way...soon...soonish...well sometime this year...

My darling blog readers, it has been way too long since I've updated this blog. There are many reasons for this. Yes, you guessed one is not having the energy to run the blog as I have in the past. However, I've been slowly chipping away at different projects both personal and professional, so my time hasn't been wasted.

First of all, if you haven't been over at the DarkSide DownUnder blog, I have been having a series of blog posts on cover design as my alterego, HelzKat Designs. The posts talk about a particular project that is for moi - Eleni - and that is a collection of short stories.

Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay


The collection is going to be called Enchanted Dreams (yes there I go with Enchanted again. I so love that word).

It will feature both previously published and new work. I'm deciding whether to add more but this is the line up as it stands at the moment:

Previously published stories
Enchanted
Changes - flash
The Magician - flash
Stormy Divide
Strange Brew - flash
Angel Eyes
Image by Mystic Art Design from PixabayMinion - flash
Face to Face
Dragon’s Quest - flash
Detour
The Bucket - flash
Mirror, Mirror! - flash


New Stories
Rewind - flash
Diamond’s Slipper
Colonial Dreamer - flash
Goddess Chatter
Lexicon  - flash
Hidden Love


I'm not yet sure of release date but I'm not rushing with this project. All I can definitely say is that it will be published in 2019.


Yia!

~E~

Super Sunday: Sealed with A Kiss now Free on Smashwords

Sealed With a Kiss is free over on Smashwords!

Can a gift from her grandmother protect Lise?

Lise doesn't believe in vampires. Or so she tells herself. Though, she constantly wears the garnet necklace her grandmother gave her, which wards off the creatures. Andreas, the man she's attracted to, seems more than a little interested in it. Could there be an ulterior motive?

Happy Reading!
~Eleni~

Sunday Musing - 2018 so far

So far 2018 has been like the last few years - full of ups and downs. 
It's been busy on the home front with renovations on the go and health flare ups. Balance has been difficult but I am slowly chipping away at it all. The fibromyalgia kicks my butt most days than not, but I try to focus on the thing in front of me. Sometimes that distraction doesn't work, so I usually have some afternoon naps to balance me out or take some time out to watch a TV show or two.

I started off the year wonderfully with new pre-made covers but unfortunately I haven't been able to maintain that work.
courtesy of PixabayOn the writing front - I submitted The Book That Kept on Going. Completed 3 OWLs (Online courses) via RWAus, though two of them I really didn't participate much. I'm glad I have the information when I need to refer back.Writing Mojo online course (with Juliet Madison) - helped start kicking my butt back into thinking about writing consistently.   Unfortunately I only did a few of the units at the time because I had a CFS crash that lasted a while. Next step is for me to have a read through the rest of the units.I undertook Fiona McIntosh's Signature MasterClass - and it was amazing. Since I've been chipping away at this for a while, I had heard a lot of information before - but having all the information in one place in such an easy to understand matter-of-fact manner was indeed a boon. It was perfect for the complete newbies in the class.  I met some amazing people and hope to cheer them on to publication success.Both the Writing Mojo and MasterClass made me realise that because of my lack of energy, I had been putting pressure on myself to write a clean first drafts. I have never done this, never being my process. Of course, this stifled my creativity. No wonder I couldn't get to my ideas. I have given myself permission to not care and just get the story down. I can always edit. I have about 7,000 words on a new fantasy manuscript. Since this story has been in my head for a long time, I'm giving myself permission to allow it to change. This is not to say the invisible barrier between me and my stories has disappeared. I've struggled to get to writing the last couple of weeks, but I'm taking it as 'time off' that is part of the plan. I have, however, managed to get some words written by hand in a notebook. I've gone to most of the writing meetings so far this year, which going by my one attendance last year is a huge improvement.I'm working in the background on of the DarkSide DownUnder's website and writing up the DarkSider News posts. Again, slower than before but one step at a time. Rebranding and self-publishing is on the back-burner for now. 


Swings and roundabouts. Such is life. Such is writing. 


Yia!
~Eleni x

Happy Easter....

For all those who celebrate Easter either this week or next week (Orthodox):

source: Pixabay
Yia!

Sunday Musings - 2018

Well other than a flash fiction post, this is my first official post of 2018.

courtesy of Pixabay

2018! I tend to do a double take when I see it. Surely I'm dreaming and I'm still back in another year with 2018 way into the future?

2018 has gotten off to a productive start for me all round. Part of it is in my design persona, HelzKat Designs, who has started to make some pre-made covers. It's been a joy to work on and I'm flexing my skills and of course trying to learn new ones.

On the writing front, 2018 is going to be a big year -
I'm in the middle of final read through of 'The Book That Will Finally Be Submitted' (formerly known as 'The book that will not end').I'll be doing Fiona McIntosh's MasterClass in April and so I'm prepping my work for that. It's on a story that has been in my head for a long long long time, and it needs to see the light of day. What better way than with this class?I'm doing a few OWLs via the Romance Writers of Australia currently Author Branding with Nikki Logan. Why would I need that? Well I thought it was time to rethink what my brand is. More on this when I've nutted it out. Hide & Seek with Frank Ahearn - this one is about surveillance etc, and it's definitely a topic that would be useful for my DreamTamer manuscript. Getting into Libraries - firstly because 1) libraries! and 2) there's no national system in Australia and so it'll be useful info to have. I almost didn't sign up because I'm so busy but 1) I don't know if this OWL will be offered again, and 2) libraries!Writing Mojo with Juliet Madison in February - I'm hoping this will help re-ignite the mojo and  have steps to keep it going if I'm having bad moments with health.Self PublishingI've decided to self publish some previously published short stories into an anthology.  SNOOP and Gateway to Hell will get another lease of life, but before I get to them, I want to write more in each series.I've got a one-one-one online session with Michael Hague I want to take advantage of. Hearing him speak at the 2016 RWAus conference in Adelaide was a highlight and I had so many 'aha' moments that I know any time with him will be productive and help me on the path with a project.Going to local writing meetings again.Updating the DarkSide DownUnder website. I'm taking this slow and easy but it's great to see so many wonderful books out there by this talented bunch. 


I'm also trying to clear out the office. Very slow process as it tires me and I'm first concentrating on the writing now and then getting to this. I used to try and do it the other way around - you know a clear desk will help with the mind - but it didn't work. I'm all for reviewing procedures that don't work. 
Yia!~Eleni x

Flash Fiction Friday: The Magician

Here's a blast from the past...

The Magician was originally published by Flashes In the Dark ,  May 28th 2011. 




Vladimir the Magician mesmerised the crowd gathered at his Believe It travelling magic show. They clapped. They gasped. They cheered.

The smoke machine choked out its mist as he finished with the grand finale – breathing underwater for twenty minutes while he escaped his straight jacket.

Unbelievable, they cried.

As the last cheers died down and it was time for the crowd to go, Vladimir had one final performance. One they wouldn’t like. He flicked his wrist. The doors slammed shut and locked.

His fangs extended. Now was time for Vladimir the Vampire.

He cackled.

Time for his audience to scream.



©2011 Eleni Konstantinep.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 2.0px; line-height: 18.5px; font: 19.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #084cf5} p.p2 {margin: 0.5px 0.0px 0.0px 2.0px; font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'} p.p3 {margin: 0.1px 0.0px 0.0px 2.0px; line-height: 14.4px; font: 12.5px 'Times New Roman'} p.p4 {margin: 0.6px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 12.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15.0px} p.p5 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 2.0px; font: 12.5px 'Times New Roman'} p.p6 {margin: 0.8px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 12.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15.0px} p.p7 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 2.0px; line-height: 14.3px; font: 12.5px 'Times New Roman'} p.p8 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 2.0px; line-height: 12.3px; font: 12.5px 'Times New Roman'} span.s1 {text-decoration: underline ; vertical-align: 0.5px} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; vertical-align: 0.5px; letter-spacing: 0.7px} span.s3 {text-decoration: underline ; vertical-align: 0.5px; letter-spacing: 0.5px} span.s4 {text-decoration: underline ; vertical-align: 0.5px; letter-spacing: 1.0px} span.s5 {text-decoration: underline ; vertical-align: 0.5px; letter-spacing: 0.9px} span.s6 {letter-spacing: 0.6px} span.s7 {letter-spacing: 1.0px} span.s8 {letter-spacing: 1.1px} span.s9 {letter-spacing: 0.8px} span.s10 {letter-spacing: 1.5px} span.s11 {letter-spacing: 1.8px} span.s12 {letter-spacing: 0.7px} span.s13 {letter-spacing: 1.6px} span.s14 {letter-spacing: 0.9px} span.s15 {letter-spacing: 0.4px} span.s16 {letter-spacing: 1.4px} span.s17 {letter-spacing: 1.3px} span.s18 {letter-spacing: 1.2px} span.s19 {letter-spacing: 0.1px} span.s20 {letter-spacing: 2.0px} span.s21 {letter-spacing: 0.3px}

'Tis the season - holiday wishes...

While I haven't been around much in 2017, I'm planning on changing that in 2018 (if the health behaves). I'm looking forward to getting back to writing, editing, and getting a few stories out there.  
All the best for the holiday season and may 2018 be a marvellous year for everyone.
Eleni :)

Opening the Vault: Free Fantasy Short Story - Apprentice Bound

I've been busy. Lots of stuff going on the health front but I won't bore you all with details. Suffice to say, I have surgery to unblock a stuffed nose at the end of the month and I've been in a sea of paperwork as I've been updating my medical records.


I needed a break and was looking over some old files with submission information on stories. I realised that I have never made the story Apprentice Bound available on the website as had been my intention.

This was my first published fantasy story in a magazine called Shortz back in 1999!

Gulp that's a long time ago now.

I'm always fascinated in an author's change in style over the years. I've learned a lot since the day this was published but I still love the story and so I haven't changed anything other than a few exclamation marks (- I couldn't let them all stay. *grin*). I guess if I were to start polishing the story, I could be there forever and so it's a tribute to my early days that I've not updated it.

I'm not going to put it up on distribution sites. This is purely for you readers and is only available from my website.


So without further ado, you can find Apprentice Bound HERE (it opens up a pdf file).


Now, the big question is - should I turn this story into a novel? Or start a series of short stories based on this story?

What's your preference?


~yia~
Eleni

Softly softly...

Well it's been a little bit of a turn around with my health. I do have more energy than about a month or so ago, so am grateful. So so grateful. Some energy is better than NO energy. It's always in a state of flux, so I'm hoping that it at least doesn't go backwards. Softly, softly.


Writing
There isn't much to report on the writing front. I continue to slowly do the final go over The-Novel-That-Will-Not-End. At least it's going forward.

My short story, Enchanted is no longer available at the Alfie Dog Fiction site. Unfortunately, the sales weren't there for it to continue and really I didn't push the story enough with life imploding the last few years. Oh, well. I'm thinking of doing a short story anthology with all my short stories but it'll have to go on the list.





Cooking
I've been mainly doing extra cooking as we've had an abundance of green veggies in our garden.


Not being people to let things go to waste, we've cooked some Greek spinach pies and squares, and some quiches.  Enough to keep us out of trouble. We can't overdo it because of health but here is some pictures of tsaitia (the squares).

cheese/spinach squares and cheese only squares ready to be grilled
grilling
Yum yum
Thank goodness for freezers. 



DarkSide DownUnder

I have had some energy to get back into the DarkSide DownUnder with a few other lovely volunteers. I'm running the monthly DarkSider News column which I love doing as I get to see all that is happening in the DarkSider world, and I'm also updating the Goodreads and website pages - very slowly.


Come check us out on our blog, website, Facebook page, Twitter, and Goodreads.


That's it from me. Until next time...Yia!~Eleni x