C.H. Clepitt's Blog, page 13

Found in Translation

Found in Translation is back.  This time we are partnering with artist and amateur linguist Jen Giacalone. 

In this section, we take a well known phrase from another language, then find the equivalent saying in English.

If your language has an alternative version, we would love to know, so post it in the comments!

So, this week’s saying is:

In French, we don’t say “to work one’s fingers to the bone” but “travailler d’arrache-pied”, which literally means “to work until one’s feet are torn off.”

Which makes perfect sense… What is it in your language?

Badger because why not…

Monday Mystery Mime

It’s that time of the week again, where our friends at Feathers and Toast perform a mysterious mime for your guessing pleasure!  Pop your guess in the comments before Friday, and if you get it right, Tallulah will perform the mime of your choosing.

Congratulations to last week’s winner; Richard Goldman, who correctly guessed “fly banging against a window”.

The clue for this week’s mime is “Something Seasonal”, so go on, have a guess. What’s the worst that could happen?

7 Questions

Today’s 7 Questions are with Nicole Nutrell who is a speculative fiction author.  Having just gone wide with her books, she thought she’d drop by for a chat, so of course we asked her some probing questions.

 

1. How long have you been writing?

I honestly can’t remember a time I wasn’t creating stories. Before I could even write I’d draw pictures to convey stories about a cat and dog who were best friends and went on adventures when their owner was out. I was one of those geeks who actually loved writing assignments. But I’ll tell you about the day I realised that I wanted to be a writer. It was the Summer after I turned thirteen. I remember sitting in my room, and realising that RL Steine and Stephen King were real, actual people who made a living telling stories. They sure made enough money from my mom by that point. So, I went to the library and talked to the librarian. She found me a copy of The Writer’s Market and sent me on my way to not only being a writer but being an author.

2. How do ghosts pilot a spaceship?

I love everyone’s response to that bio. I would say if a ghost were to pilot a spaceship, there would be two ways to do it. Either they’ve mastered the art of possession and are using living people as pilots, or they’ve learned to manipulate things despite their lack of body.

3. If there’s no air in space, can a dragon still breathe fire?

Outside of a space station or ship, I wouldn’t imagine a dragon could breathe fire. But they also couldn’t breathe, so I doubt it would matter long.

4. Describe your writing style in two sentences or less (make people want to buy a book)

I want to write a good story about real people who impact their world. I never want to write a character who just reacts to her life.

5. Where do you stand on the whole pet couture debate?

I’m not above putting my pets in Halloween costumes, or a coat and boots in the winter. I think there are limits, but hey. If the pets aren’t being hurt, made uncomfortable or otherwise ill impacted by it, whatever makes people happy. Honestly, there’s just too much pain out there for me to be mad about someone putting their pug in a bee costume.

6. Describe your ideal sandwich.

A Ruben on marble rye bread. Literally, it’s my favourite meal. There’s a local restaurant where I live called Mickey’s, they make the best Ruben.

7. Which writer would you most like to be compared to?

I would love to be compared to Tamora Pierce. Her characters are amazing, and her books are some of my favorite. Who can’t love a world where people wield magic through cooking, dancing, growing plants and weaving? I’m sure readers of my Woven series will see the influence.

You can find Nicole’s books here:

Seeming
You Can’t Trust The AI
Virus


And if you’d like to answer 7 Questions, get in touch!

Monday Mystery Mime

The Monday Mystery Mime is back! See if you can guess what it is, post your guess in the comments.  If you guess correctly before Friday Feathers and Toast will perform the mime of your choosing, plus, you’ll get a mention in next week’s post. Think of the acclaim!

Good luck Nibblers.

Upstaged! An Anthology Review

We had everything from actual plays to space operas to period pieces to contemporary romance. These talented storytellers captured womanhood, and women on stage and screen, in all their beautiful, wonderful glory. In the end, I was only able to take ten stories. These are the ones that made me laugh and cry and want to sing. There are erotic and sensual tales, gender non-conformity, trans women, lesbians and bisexuals, politics, falling in love, parenting, youthful crushes, opera, toe-tapping musical numbers, death-defying stunts, humor, and more. This anthology is a celebration.

A.M. Leibowitz, editor

July, 2018

Full disclaimer.  I was given a copy of this anthology by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I am going to break it down into reviews of individual stories, then round up with a review of the finished anthology.

1.Presenting the Revival of Jan by Aila Alvina Boyd

I really wanted to like this story.  In fact, I was really excited about the whole anthology, and when this one first started, I was pleased that there was immediately trans* representation.  However, the writing style felt naive (whenever someone’s hair is described as “locks” it makes me want to hurl my Kindle across the room) and there is a lot of show and very little tell.  Because of this, and I imagine because of the word limit, there is very little character development, and the relationship, such as it is, seems to spring from nowhere.  As such, I felt no connection with the characters, or their emotions.  I think perhaps it would have benefited from focusing on one point of the story, and fully developing it, rather than trying to cram so much into a small word limit.  I would also like to add that kissing someone cannot save them from a mental breakdown, or any other mental health issue.  This stretched the boundaries of imagination too far for me.  Mental health issues aren’t cute, and true love cannot save you from them.  That said, I liked the concept and the hopeful nature of the story and the fact that we get a happy ending, which is very much my main reason for reading.

So, for this one it’s 5/10.

2. The Helsinki Incident by Renee Young

 

I really liked this story.  A rock band touring space, what’s not to like, right? I love the fact that we are thrown into the lives of the characters without being spoon fed.  It feels gritty and real, and every part of it, including the sex scenes are well done.  Usually these would be a cringe moment for me, so the author gets an extra star! The characters felt real, and there was no back story (it wasn’t needed) so the story did not feel rushed, it felt the perfect length.

Over all very enjoyable, so 9/10

3. I, Stage Manager by Marolyn Krasner

 

I didn’t think I was going to like this when I first started reading.  It felt a bit like it was trying too hard to be lesbian… But trust me when I say it gets better, so persevere.  I liked the light sketches of the characters, which were just enough to paint a scene, but not overwhelming in a short story, and I liked Robbie’s internal monologue.  I was surprised to find out she was only 26, the impression given was that she was at least in her 40s!  I liked the fact that the story covered a very short space of time, and so worked within a reasonably short word limit.  However, I felt the ending was too rushed, as though totally avoiding any emotional connection in favour of boom, we’re done, there’s your happy ever after.

Overall, I enjoyed it, though, so it’s a solid 6/10.

4. End of an Era, By Athena Blue

 

I really loved this little short. It was historical fiction, which I always enjoy, and was totally understated.  It left me with more questions than answers, and a feeling of “was that it??” but, equally, I feel it was just the right length and achieved exactly what it set out to.  I would love to know what happens next to the characters.  Maybe in the next anthology, eh?

For a sweet, understated story, this gets 9/10.

5. Knife’s Edge by Geonn Cannon

 

A brilliant glimpse into behind the scenes at a circus.  I loved how all the characters were fully realised in such a short story, with flaws and emotions.  The relationship was expressed clearly in few words, and human flaws revealed.  It explored the very real fear of otherness, and being the other and how different people behave given the same situation.  It is also hopeful and I really liked that there was a happy ending without compromising character integrity  (by which I mean we didn’t have anyone have a complete personality switch in order to have  happy ending!).

This gets 8/10

6. I Think I’m Gunna Like it Queer by Allison Fradkin

 

I’m gunna start off by saying that if you like YA, you’ll probably like this.  I found the constant musical references and quotes really irritating, and the referrals to the characters by their hair colour “the blonde” or “the red head” is a pet peeve of mine anyway.  Also, teenagers.  Eurgh. If I wasn’t reading to review I’d have probably skipped this one altogether.

That said, in terms of content etc, I can’t really fault it.  It delivered what it said it was going to, it was a well written, sweet story, which I imagine a YA audience would really enjoy, so my score reflects that, and it gets 9/10.

 

7. London Lark by JL Merrow

 

Hurrah for steampunk!  I certainly was not expecting that, and it was a brilliant change of pace.  I adored the story for being a mixture of Tipping the Velvet and the wonders of steampunk.  I don’t know how to better describe it than that, and would say that the anthology is worth buying for this story alone!  I loved the fresh voice, which was a completely individual character, the nods to the Victorian working class combined with clockwork.  Everything about it!  Just go and read it already!

10/10

8. Prima Donna by Kathleen Jowitt

 

I’m afraid I’m starting to sound like a broken record, when I say this is another great story!  This time set in the world of opera, and all the diva-like behaviour and jealousy that comes with it.  Again, it was just a snapshot, and the author doesn’t fall into the trap of trying to cram too much into a short story, and as such it works perfectly.  I want to know much more about the characters and their lives, but good stories do that to you, no matter their length.

This is 9/10

9. Oh No She Didn’t! By Debbie McGowan

 

You may or may not have noticed from previous reviews that I enjoy Debbie McGowan’s writing.  Her slice of life style stories told with the humorous tone of someone who is clearly very fond of their characters makes you feel like you’re a very welcome guest at a family dinner.  This foray into the world of panto did not disappoint.  I thoroughly enjoyed the intercharacter dynamics, the way a tragic back story was interwoven with humour and the diverse cast of characters. I really want to know what happens next with all of them.  Bring on another anthology call!

10/10

10. Rise or Shine by Sonni De Soto

 

I quite liked this.  The initial er, code(?) was about as subtle as a brick, read it, you’ll get it, honestly, you’d have had to have been living in a box.  Because I’m reading to review I didn’t bother with the blurbs on any of this, so didn’t realise this one would have elements of erotica! Eeek! It was a bit too much for my taste, but I could see it was done well; no self propelled body parts or getting lost in eyes!  I liked the story.  The narrator was frustrating to me as a character, but also real, and whilst I struggled to relate, she was real enough for me to feel sorry for her, and want to help, which I think is the sign of a good writer.  There is also enough of a story element to keep you compelled if, like me you prefer your naughty bits at a minimum.

So, over all, well done. 9/10

Conclusion

 

Overall, I very much enjoyed this anthology.  I thought it was well balanced with something for everyone.  I’ve tried to come at the reviews objectively, and review on merit, rather than whether a story was to my taste.  That said, all reviews are personal, so you should probably go and try the stories for yourself, rather than take my word for it! I did maths (fortunately this anthology has 10 stories, so I wasn’t too challenged) and it gets 8/10.

You can purchase the book by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie’s Unleashed Hunt

45 this one really knows what I like, yum yum

46 you know tea really can be the solution to any problem

Monday Mystery Mime

It’s that time of the week again where our friends at Feathers and Toast perform a mysterious mime for your guessing pleasure.

Guess correctly and Tallulah will perform the mime of your choosing.  And this weeks we even have a clue for you, so go on, pop your answers in the comments.

Congratulations to Sarah Venus, who correctly guessed that last week’s mime was syrup being poured over pancakes.

This week we’re sticking with the breakfast theme, so if you have an idea what this is, post it in the comments!

Sophie’s Unleashed Hunt

Our travel correspondent is back, and searching Bristol for Wallace, Gromit and Feathers McGraw.

50 There gromits Bristol but not as we know them

51 round like the wheel within a wheel 

52 This one is by far a favourite, looks like a kitty

Monday Mystery Mime

It’s that time of the week again where our friends at Feathers and Toast perform a mysterious mime for your guessing pleasure.

Guess correctly and Tallulah will perform the mime of your choosing.  And this weeks we even have a clue for you, so go on, pop your answers in the comments.

Clue: something essential with an american breakfast

And congratulations to last week’s winners: Janet Martin, Linda Henderson Eubanks, Richard Goldman, Shira Levine and Marnie Baxter who all correctly guessed Pinwheel.

Found in Translation

Found in Translation is back.  This time we are partnering with artist and amateur linguist Jen Giacalone. 

In this section, we take a well known phrase from another language, then find the equivalent saying in English.

If your language has an alternative version, we would love to know, so post it in the comments!

So, this week’s saying is:

In Italian you don’t say “please return this item that you’re borrowing from me”, you say “si chiama Pietro (e torna indietro)”, which roughly sounds like “its name is Jack (’cause it’s got to come back)”.

What is it in your language?

Also, rather than a picture, we thought we’d run a musical interlude with this one.