Sally Kilpatrick's Blog, page 2

#TBRChallenge: Award nominee/Winner

Whoopsie! Not only did I have the wrong date, but I also chose the wrong book. There’s a metaphor for 2016 somewhere in there. Okay, let’s focus. Now you’re going to pretend that it’s July 20, 2016. You’re also going to pretend that I read these books in the proper order. Let’s say I read this book back in July instead of finishing it, oh, yesterday, shall we? Without further ado, my award winner/nominee for the #TBRChallenge isAlways a Temptress.

Once I finishedNever a Gentleman, I had to ke...

#TBRChallenge: Favorite Trope

First and foremost, I want you to pretend that it’s June 15th. Yes, yes, I know that it’s October. PRETEND that it’s June so we can PRETEND that I wrote my blog post for #TBRChallenge: Favorite Trope on time. I read the book in a timely fashion, but I’m afraid my blogging got sidetracked.

Let’s talk about my favorite trope: marriage of convenience/arranged marriage/sticking two people together who don’t want to be married but have to get married and then fall in love anyway. Maybe I’m waxing...

Giftie for a Good Cause: Love & Grace Anthology

Today on the Book of Face, I’m the resident giver of things on the Love & Grace Anthology page. This anthology’s proceeds will benefit Gracepoint–A School for Dyslexia. All of the stories are sweet and/or inspirational. To raise awareness, I’m giving away a copy of my decidedly not-so sweet, yet hopefully uplifting book,Better Get to Livin’. You have three options for entering and until 7pm EST to do so. I’m really wanting to hear those funny funeral home stories. Or your favorite Elton John...

Hate Watch Monday: Batman v. Superman

Okay, so I don’t know if Hate Watch Monday is going to become a thing, but I decided to watch Batman v. Superman and see what happened. I had hoped that it would be so bad it was funny, but Zach Snyder depresses me. I REFUSED to see this movie in the theater because he is pretty much dead to me after the travesty that was Sucker Punch. But I wanted to see Wonder Woman. For reasons.

Here’s what I did. Being at least half luddite, I took notes, and I am now going to transcribe them into this p...

Cover Reveal for Love & Grace

Need a new Kilpatrick story? Maybe you like my stories but wish I’d cut down on the cussing and such? You won’t have to wait as long as you may have thought. I am so honored to be a part of a new box set calledLove & Grace, and today is the grand cover reveal!Each story is sweet and/or inspirational and contains at least a mention to dyslexia because, you guessed it, full proceeds go to help fund Gracepoint — A School for Dyslexia. You’ll be able to purchase one of these babies, which is cho...

Announcing Better Get to Livin’

Better Get to Livin’will be available May 31, 2016.

Available May 31!

The post Announcing Better Get to Livin’ appeared first on Sally Kilpatrick.

#TBRChallenge: Something Different

This one was a challenge. I have read just about every […]

References to Shakespeare in Bittersweet Creek

At long last I have compiled all of the references to Shakespeare that I know I put into Bittersweet Creek. THIS POST HAS SPOILERS so be forewarned. If you've already read the book than proceed. If you fear spoilers, perhaps come back later.

SPOILERS.

DID I MENTION THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD?!

First, I'll offer a bounty for any references that I may have missed because writing is a messy process somewhat akin to making sausage. As a writer you put things in only to take them out. You swirl them around. You play with those words a dozen times before your publisher puts the pretty casing of a cover on the book. Serendipity--or maybe it's the magic of the subconscious and all of those brain cells we're not accessing--also plays a huge role in how your story goes. Finally, Shakespeare is such a part of our everyday language that I would be willing to bet there are phrases throughout that go to the Bard that I used without even thinking about it.

Without further ado, I give you the references that I found upon further reflection on Bittersweet Creek:
1. Romy—obviously for Romeo
2. Julian--obviously for Juliet
3. Ben Little—Benvolio is Romeo’s friend
4. Mercutio/Freddy Mercury—Romy’s cat is explicitly named after Romeo’s friend
5. Genie Dix—Dorothea Dix was a famous American nurse, and Genie IS a nurse. She plays the part of confidant that Nurse fulfills for Juliet.
6. Richard Paris—is named after Paris, the guy who wants to marry Juliet. What a coincidence that he wants to marry Romy and is influential and powerful just as Paris was.

I played a little fast and loose with who matches up with whom because I switched genders of the main characters. I also based the couples on the Hatfields and the McCoys, hence Satterfields and McElroys. To add to the feud between them and show how nonsensical some of the things that divide us are, I also made them opposites in a bunch of crazy ways. The Satterfields are Methodists who drive Fords and like cats. The McElroys are Baptists who drive Chevy’s and prefer dogs, etc.

7. “My kingdom for a skinny venti Caramel Macchiato!” p. 15—This is a paraphrase of a line from Richard III: “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!”
8. “Alas! Poor Adidas! I knew them, Horatio.” P. 22—Here Romy mourns the loss of her Adidas by paraphrasing the often misquoted line from Hamlet: “Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.”
9. Happenstance in Love: a Comparison of Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing by Romy Satterfield p. 25—I thought it would be fun to have young Romy comparing these two plays because Julian sees their relationship through the lens of tragedy, while she sees it, maybe wants it to be, more of comedy. In the end, it’s a mixture of two, but we’ll get to that.
10. Beatrice p. 27—Julian named a mare after Romy’s favorite character in her favorite play and intended to give her to Romy as a wedding gift. Also, Benedick says in Much Ado, “I would my horse had the speed of your tongue and so good a continuer.”
11. “I can’t believe I managed to screw my courage to the sticking place…”p. 43—Romy’s line is a reference to Macbeth, specifically when Lady Macbeth tells her husband, “But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail.”
12. Mr. Giles, the pharmacist—You can’t have a Romeo and Juliet story without referencing the apothecary. (“O true apothecary, they drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” Or I stave off infection with antibiotics. Whichever.)
13. “No, I was stuck between two worlds.” p. 116 A big part of Romy’s conflict is that she’s torn between her country past and her city present. Coming home to the country helps her simplify her life even if she didn’t know it needed simplification—this is one element of traditional pastoral literature. As in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, however, rural life has its own complexities. The Forest of Arden isn’t a perfect world; neither is the countryside outside Ellery.
14. Romy names the calf Star, which is a reference to the original title of this story and, of course, the prologue to Romeo and Juliet p. 129—“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.”
15. “O that way madness lies.” p. 137—Direct quote from King Lear.
16. Benedick p. 139—Julian named his own horse after Beatrice’s love interest in Much Ado About Nothing.
17. Julian McElroy, wherefore art thou such an asshole? P. 168 Romy may be in a barn loft, but this is a paraphrase of Juliet’s famous balcony scene. Oh, and remember that “wherefore art thou” has more of a “why do you have to be” sort of meaning. (“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”) Important also to note that Romy would love for Julian to “Deny thy father and refuse thy name.”
18. Orange blossom ring p. 169 and beyond—rings play a huge part in All’s Well that Ends Well and this is just a nod. Romy doesn’t have to get Julian’s ring and get preggers by him as Helena did. For his part, Julian is blessedly the exact opposite of Bertram. That said, rings abound in Bittersweet Creek just as they do in All’s Well that Ends Well.
19. “Remember that mess from Romeo and Juliet that you read to me back in tutoring? You would recite some shit about ancient grudges and fatal loins then laugh and call us star-crossed lovers?” p. 217 (See #14 above. This is Julian’s interpretation of the prologue.)
20. Anon, nurse. P. 221 A reference to the balcony scene (“Anon, good Nurse!”)
21. “After all, the downfall of Romeo and Juliet had been the impatience and impulsiveness of youth.” p. 256—Here Romy reflects on her past relationship with Julian and if they have a future. There are also other references to being “young and stupid” (p. 40, 54, 61, 151, and 179) which might accidentally show this author’s prejudice against Romeo and Juliet as romance. Love story, yes. Romance, no.
22. “And with all that bitter past, I couldn’t help looking forward to the sweet.”—This line is a paraphrase of something the king says in the last act and scene of All’s Well That Ends Well: “All seems well, and if it end so meet, The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.”

Lost references, or Why I Should Make Notes While I Write:

1. Coffee, sweet coffee. I swear this is a paraphrase of something I read, but now I can’t find it.
2. “Tell me you don’t love me and I’ll go. I swear it.” The dialogue in this scene on p. 218 is taken from one of the plays, also, but I can’t find it.

The first person to find each of these references will get an ARC of whichever book I have coming out next.

Shakespearean References in Bittersweet Creek

At long last I have compiled all of the references to S […]

#TBR Challenge–Contemporary

I am going to be on time with my TBR Challenge even if […]