Karina Rapp's Blog, page 6
July 12, 2013
Big Bear & “Time Bandit”
“Time Bandit” in Holloway’s Marina on Big Bear Lake
Returned yesterday from Big Bear Mountain, and managed to fit a little piracy into the vacation even up high on a mountain!
Who would think to put a pirate-themed tour ship on a mountain lake at a surface elevation of nearly seven thousand feet?! It’s exchanging seagulls for bald eagles, baby. Oh yea.
1981 Movie Poster
Even better, this little ship (1/3 scale replica of a real Spanish Galleon–it’s LITTLE!) was sold to MGM studios after completio...
May 24, 2013
Monster Hunter
I love having interesting siblings. My little brother is my dedicated “monster informer.” Tonight he helped me research Galla and Ammat, underworld creatures. He takes his role veryseriously, and has a special book cabinet devoted to his favorites, including books on monsters, aliens, machines, cars, and animals of both the land and sea. He is the resident bookworm of my father’s household, although each of my young siblings have their personaltastes. 
My sister, the oldest of the three, likes...
April 20, 2013
Pluto’s ‘Gate to Hell’
Everyone loves a little ‘good ole’ Greek and Roman myth every once and a while, right? The backbone of western civilization. There were apparently many sites mentioned in historical documents that had ploutonions, or gateways to Pluto’s realm, but one of the most celebrated has recently been discovered by archaeologists. For anyone who missed it in primary school, Pluto is the Roman name for Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld. Read on and LEARN something cool every day! –>
PLUTO’S ‘GATE TO...
March 20, 2013
Endings & Beginnings
John Martin’s ‘Pandemonium’, 1825 — illustration to accompany Milton’s Paradise Lost
A battlefield of white, a sword of ink: two choices lie before you. Throw your reader into the bedlam and chaos of a battle scene, with action here, action there, and a sideways glance at a main character that either revels or cowers in the face of it all, revealing their instinctual responses to pressure that will follow or change them throughout the novel. OR do you grab your reader by the arm, pull them int...
March 6, 2013
Sequel: April 2013
Idalia de Sevanté & the Tablet of Destinies, Part 1: Aboveworldwill be available via Amazon’s Kindle as of April 2013. Tablet of Destinies will be released in two parts for Kindle, and as a complete novel of both parts in paperback form. Part II will be released at the same time as the full paperback this spring. This story was FUN to write, and was inspired by true Mesopotamian myths of a clay, cuneiform-inscribed Tablet of Destinies (‘Dup Shimati’ in Sumerian)that gave its possessor control...
Trying to “Be a Pro”
Ahhh…I found a new favorite artist for story-music. Zack Hemsey, specifically his album titled “The Way.” Brilliant stuff. Haven’t been able to stop playing and replaying his piece “Redemption.” Listening to it now, in fact. Part of my attempt to get in the zone and accomplish some real work today.
It is not easy getting into the mindset of being a “professional” writer. Trying to BE a pro is different of course from GOING pro. The latter would be wonderful, but at this point writing is a rewa...
February 23, 2013
Pirate Flag
Driving to work early this morning (6 AM…eek!) I was so excited to hear Kenny Chesney’s new single, “Pirate Flag” on the radio. Firstly, awesome song, secondly, it combines country music and pirates. What’s not to love?
From the anthropology soap-box, I immediately think of the social implications of the recent resurgence of pirate-lore popularity. I think Chesney’s lyrics combine the themes of cowboy and pirate lore in a very interesting way. Country lyrics are a big part of the ‘cowboy’ lif...
January 24, 2013
Caernid Inn: A Short Story
I’m changing things up a bit for this week’s post. I’ve been engrossed in my current lineup of readings (Kristen Britain’s latest fantasy adventure, ‘Blackveil’, and Elizabeth Lett’s equine biography, ‘The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation’) so Ithought I’d give you folks a little something to read as well. I wrote this short story several years ago, and have more to say about it…but, I don’t want to influence anyone’s reading. Check at the end for a few commen...
