Realm Lovejoy's Blog, page 23
January 12, 2015
Le Fay Series - Research Travel: Stonehenge
I'm excited to start sharing details from my UK travel! A couple years ago I bought plane tickets to London so that I can research for the Le Fay Series. I wanted to get a feel for the setting and venture to key Arthurian sites that will be important for Morgan le Fay's journey. The adventure involved an epic road trip around Great Britain.
Let's start with Stonehenge! Prior to my travel, Stonehenge inspired the Henge--one of the Royal Relics in the Le Fay Series.
Did you know that there's Arthurian legend associations with Stonehenge? There's a story that Merlin constructed the monument. Of course I had to add this to my Arthurian research adventure list.
Before I added Stonehenge to my itinerary, some people who have visited Stonehenge before warned me not to go, that it was a "bunch of rocks." Regardless, it was a must visit for me! I'm very glad I went because Stonehenge left a very strong impression on me and one of the few things I remember clearly from my trip. I was a bit concerned at first that the barrier and crowds would cancel out the mystical grandness of the stones, but for me, it did not.
My fiance and I hit up Stonehenge on our way back from a giant road trip all over Great Britain--it was on the way back to London. I could see the stones as we drove toward it.
As Morgan noted in Henge, I was struck by how soft and organic the stones appeared--almost as if they were people standing rather than geometric rocks. The stones look much larger in person and it is truly baffling how anyone constructed it. I had a strong sense of awe as I walked around the stones. Whoever built Stonehenge... they must have had a very strong belief system, so strong, that they took lifetimes to build this and wanted it to last through centuries. I wanted to add that epic feeling into Henge.
After we walked around Stonehenge a couple times, we sat on the grass and hung our for a while as we watched the sunset turn the stones gold. I took notes in my notebook on my impressions of the stones and the surrounding such as what kind of birds were hanging around the stones and how the grass felt. We stayed for a total of 3 hours.
Did seeing Stonehenge in person affect my writing of the Henge scene? I did get a few ideas while walking around. I noticed that the space between the stones looked like doorways and it inspired me to make Morgan see different realities within these spaces.
I also thought of Morgan having the Henge all to herself for an hour at midnight... that's way lucky! I hope you enjoyed my photos from Stonehenge!
More photos of my research adventure coming up!
--Realm
Let's start with Stonehenge! Prior to my travel, Stonehenge inspired the Henge--one of the Royal Relics in the Le Fay Series.
Did you know that there's Arthurian legend associations with Stonehenge? There's a story that Merlin constructed the monument. Of course I had to add this to my Arthurian research adventure list.
Before I added Stonehenge to my itinerary, some people who have visited Stonehenge before warned me not to go, that it was a "bunch of rocks." Regardless, it was a must visit for me! I'm very glad I went because Stonehenge left a very strong impression on me and one of the few things I remember clearly from my trip. I was a bit concerned at first that the barrier and crowds would cancel out the mystical grandness of the stones, but for me, it did not.
My fiance and I hit up Stonehenge on our way back from a giant road trip all over Great Britain--it was on the way back to London. I could see the stones as we drove toward it.
As Morgan noted in Henge, I was struck by how soft and organic the stones appeared--almost as if they were people standing rather than geometric rocks. The stones look much larger in person and it is truly baffling how anyone constructed it. I had a strong sense of awe as I walked around the stones. Whoever built Stonehenge... they must have had a very strong belief system, so strong, that they took lifetimes to build this and wanted it to last through centuries. I wanted to add that epic feeling into Henge.
After we walked around Stonehenge a couple times, we sat on the grass and hung our for a while as we watched the sunset turn the stones gold. I took notes in my notebook on my impressions of the stones and the surrounding such as what kind of birds were hanging around the stones and how the grass felt. We stayed for a total of 3 hours.
Did seeing Stonehenge in person affect my writing of the Henge scene? I did get a few ideas while walking around. I noticed that the space between the stones looked like doorways and it inspired me to make Morgan see different realities within these spaces.
I also thought of Morgan having the Henge all to herself for an hour at midnight... that's way lucky! I hope you enjoyed my photos from Stonehenge!
More photos of my research adventure coming up!
--Realm
January 7, 2015
HENGE - Book Release Party
Photos are now up from the Henge book release party! Prior to the party I was baking all day (cakes, scones, and pasties). I chose a cozier venue than the Clan book release party and it turned out great. All of my dear friends and family members showed up! It was so much fun.
All photos were taken by Maxine Toh Photography.
Me with the book:
I have a purplish shirt that had a medieval-ish cut so I chose that to wear. Necklace: blue stone necklace I got from the Stonehenge gift shop during my travels. Nails: Butter London nail polish in Black Knight.
I created honey mead cupcakes for the party and attempted to make chocolate Stonehenge on top of each one... I'm sure the real Stonehenge was hard to make but so were these little ones!
Scones that Gorlois (Morgan's father) made in Henge--marmalade & currant + lavender & blackberry:
Cornish pasties! Specialties from Morgan's hometown, Tintagel:
Drinks created by me--Morgan le Fay, Merlin, and Henge:
Merlin (garnished with a star!):
Henge (has whiskey stone in it) and Merlin:
Morgan le Fay:
Arthur's Round badge!
For paperback purchases, money was put under the wizard hat (I forgot to bring a jar):
It was a really wonderful time! I hope you enjoyed pictures from the party. I think Maxine did a fantastic job capturing the details from the party!
--Realm
All photos were taken by Maxine Toh Photography.
Me with the book:
I have a purplish shirt that had a medieval-ish cut so I chose that to wear. Necklace: blue stone necklace I got from the Stonehenge gift shop during my travels. Nails: Butter London nail polish in Black Knight.
I created honey mead cupcakes for the party and attempted to make chocolate Stonehenge on top of each one... I'm sure the real Stonehenge was hard to make but so were these little ones!
Scones that Gorlois (Morgan's father) made in Henge--marmalade & currant + lavender & blackberry:
Cornish pasties! Specialties from Morgan's hometown, Tintagel:
Drinks created by me--Morgan le Fay, Merlin, and Henge:
Merlin (garnished with a star!):
Henge (has whiskey stone in it) and Merlin:
Morgan le Fay:
Arthur's Round badge!
For paperback purchases, money was put under the wizard hat (I forgot to bring a jar):
It was a really wonderful time! I hope you enjoyed pictures from the party. I think Maxine did a fantastic job capturing the details from the party!
--Realm
January 5, 2015
HENGE - Blog Tour Recap pt. 7!
Here's a recap of the tour over the holidays! Big thanks to everyone who bought a book during Christmas week--the royalties were donated. Also thank you very much for the continued support. HENGE is very fortunate to be selling steadily the past couple of weeks and I appreciate that every day it's going into the hands of a new reader--I hope to continue to connect with readers this 2015.As of right now, the next book in the Le Fay Series is scheduled to be out later this year. I am over halfway through the second draft of the book.
I met one of my goals and completed the Henge book trailer. It is scheduled to be revealed later this month. Other things scheduled: continued portrait reveals, book release party photos, and travel photos.
Now onto the reviews! HENGE got to enjoy great reviews over the holiday break and it filled my heart with gratitude:
"Henge is hands down the most original YA novel I’ve read all year. It’s one of my favorite books I’ve read all year, if not the absolute favorite."—Majanka, I Heart Reading
“I definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone and I need the sequel right now. ASAP. It’s not in my hands yet. This could be a problem."—The Word at my Fingertips
"Fantastical, fast-paced, full of magic and suspense—Henge will appeal to readers from teens to adults, especially those with a soft spot for King Arthur.”—Once Upon a YA Book
"If you love the legends of King Arthur, or a magical world in general, this is a great story full of plot twists and turns that will keep you interested."—The NerdHerd Reads
Interviews:
The Single Librarian interviews me on writing, Henge, and books!
Other posts by me:
New Year post
HENGE Cocktails
HENGE Baking
(There must be a lot of cocktail drinkers in my audience because the cocktail post was the most popular post out of all the Henge posts I've written by a large number.)
Here's the schedule for the next two weeks of the Enchanted Book Tour:
January 6th: Author Interview @ Plain Talk BMJanuary 8th: Promo Post @ The Book DailyJanuary 10th: Book Review @ Bedazzled ReadingJanuary 14th: Character Interview @ Miss Little Book Addict YA House of BooksJanuary 15th: Promo Post @ Perks of Being a Book NerdJanuary 17th: Book Review and Excerpt @ A Virtual Coffee Shop
Stay tuned for Wednesday--I will publish photos from the Henge book release party! Hope your year is off to a good start! I'm looking forward to sharing more creations with you and thank you for visiting the blog! Xo
--Realm
January 1, 2015
Happy 2015!
Happy New Year 2015!
Happy New Year from Morgan le Fay from Le Fay Series--she is displaying her fire to celebrate! I hope everyone had a happy new year's eve! I went to a Venetian masquerade dinner and got to eat some delicious risotto! Through the window I saw fireworks shooting off the Space Needle.
This year is big for me:
MarriageMilestone3rd BookNew Project
One of my goals include experimenting with different formats. This is the first time I've attempted this so I am very interested in the results. I've been so busy becoming an author but now that I have a process for my yearly novel production I think I can expand my storytelling outlets further.
Thank you everyone for your support! I very much appreciate it and hope you'll continue to read my work this year!
Stay tuned,
--Realm
Happy New Year from Morgan le Fay from Le Fay Series--she is displaying her fire to celebrate! I hope everyone had a happy new year's eve! I went to a Venetian masquerade dinner and got to eat some delicious risotto! Through the window I saw fireworks shooting off the Space Needle.
This year is big for me:
MarriageMilestone3rd BookNew Project
One of my goals include experimenting with different formats. This is the first time I've attempted this so I am very interested in the results. I've been so busy becoming an author but now that I have a process for my yearly novel production I think I can expand my storytelling outlets further.
Thank you everyone for your support! I very much appreciate it and hope you'll continue to read my work this year!
Stay tuned,
--Realm
December 31, 2014
Year in Review 2014
Goodbye, 2014! 2014 was a peaceful year for me and it also seemed to be a year of hard work and preparation. Today I contemplate the past ten years of my young adulthood: getting into my career as an artist, meeting my fiance, buying a house, and becoming an author. There's still work ahead as I dream new dreams. I'm looking forward to what's next.
“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”― Edgar Allan Poe
FALL:
SUMMER:
SPRING:
WINTER:
My "Best of" picks:
Best Movie: Interstellar
Best TV Show: True Detective
Best Music: Far From Any Road by The Handsome Family
Best Podcast: Serial
I hope everyone had a great year! Have a happy NYE!
--Realm
“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”― Edgar Allan Poe
FALL:
SUMMER:
SPRING:
WINTER:
My "Best of" picks:
Best Movie: Interstellar
Best TV Show: True Detective
Best Music: Far From Any Road by The Handsome Family
Best Podcast: Serial
I hope everyone had a great year! Have a happy NYE!
--Realm
December 29, 2014
HENGE - Cocktails
Want drink ideas to celebrate New Year's Eve with? Why not try drinks inspired by the Le Fay Series? I created these drinks for the Henge release party. The owner of the bar that hosted liked the recipes a lot and I'm glad the drinks turned out great! Hurray.
Drink photos by Maxine Toh Photography
MERLIN
(Mint Magic tea combined with gin and garnished with a star)
2 shots Mint Magic tea by Celestial1 shot gin1/2 shot honey mead1 splash simple syrupsqueeze of lemon juice(shake ingredients)top with sparkling winegarnish: 1 slice of starfruit
MORGAN LE FAY
(crimson blaze atop sparkling wine)
fill glass with chilled sparkling wineadd small drizzle of cherry syrupadd small drizzle of creme de violettesqueeze of lemon juicegarnish: 1 rose petal
HENGE(bourbon and mead enchanted by a magical stone)
1 shot bourbon2 shot honey mead1 pour of simple syrupsqueeze of lemon juice(shake ingredients)top with sparkling winegarnish: 1 chilled whiskey stone
The drinks together:
Here's the tea I recommend for the Merlin cocktail:
I hope you enjoy the drinks!
--Realm
Drink photos by Maxine Toh Photography
MERLIN
(Mint Magic tea combined with gin and garnished with a star)
2 shots Mint Magic tea by Celestial1 shot gin1/2 shot honey mead1 splash simple syrupsqueeze of lemon juice(shake ingredients)top with sparkling winegarnish: 1 slice of starfruit
MORGAN LE FAY
(crimson blaze atop sparkling wine)
fill glass with chilled sparkling wineadd small drizzle of cherry syrupadd small drizzle of creme de violettesqueeze of lemon juicegarnish: 1 rose petal
HENGE(bourbon and mead enchanted by a magical stone)
1 shot bourbon2 shot honey mead1 pour of simple syrupsqueeze of lemon juice(shake ingredients)top with sparkling winegarnish: 1 chilled whiskey stone
The drinks together:
Here's the tea I recommend for the Merlin cocktail:
I hope you enjoy the drinks!
--Realm
December 23, 2014
HENGE - Blog Tour Recap pt. 6!
Hello everyone! I started the second draft of the next book after Henge! Also I finished the book trailer and hope to reveal it in January. This week royalties are going to charity. I hope you'll have a happy holiday!Review highlight:
"I really loved this book. I really just didn’t want to stop reading. I loved this world of Camelot, the magic and the mystery. This book is definitely going on my favorite list and I completely understand the comparison to Hogwarts and Panem. "--Maureen's Books
Interviews:
Majanka interviews me on writing and Henge
Howling Turtle interviews Merlin!
Posts by me:Artwork of Merlin!
Henge-inspired Holiday cooking ideas
Henge-inspired gift ideas
Also my winter vacation goals
The holiday week will be a little slow but posts will return in full force next week! Coming up next:
December 23rd: Book Excerpt @ The Single LibrarianDecember 25th: Book Review @ I Heart ReadingDecember 27th: Promo Post @ 365 Days of Reading
Happy Holiday!
--Realm
December 22, 2014
Holiday Charity 2014
It's that time of the year again! For all of Christmas week 12/22-12/26, all royalties will go toward charity.
Royalties from CLAN will go to Cancer Research Institute-- a nonprofit organization developing cancer immunotherapy to conquer cancer.
Royalties form HENGE will go to The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program which help teens become aware of depression and other mental health issues.
I hope you'll consider buying a book for charity and I hope you have a happy holiday!
--Realm
Royalties from CLAN will go to Cancer Research Institute-- a nonprofit organization developing cancer immunotherapy to conquer cancer.
Royalties form HENGE will go to The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program which help teens become aware of depression and other mental health issues.
I hope you'll consider buying a book for charity and I hope you have a happy holiday!
--Realm
December 21, 2014
HENGE - Gift Ideas
Henge and Arthurian-inspired last minute gift ideas. Perfect for packaging with the paperback!Lavender and Thyme candle form Paddywax (smells like the English countryside)
Camelot Bath Set from Cafe Primrose
"The fragrance of this set can best be described as very rich with some lovely spices from the east, with under currents of sweet expensive red wine, and topped off with a rich floral English rose. This is an absolutely delicious fragrance pulled right from the pages of the literature on the legendary Camelot, King Arthur's capital. "-- Cafe Primrose
Henge scented incense from Celtic Magic
Sometimes I light this incense before I start my work on Henge. Smells great!
Wizard Hat from Lush
Wizard Bubble Bar from Lush (so cute!)
Bluestone jewelry from Stonehenge Gift Shop
Nail polish in Black Knight from Butter
Camelot Eyeshadow Collection from FabledFragrances
Happy shopping!
--Realm
HENGE - Holiday Recipes
Anyone cooking for the holiday week? Today I am sharing some recipes I used for the Henge (my YA fantasy novel) release party that I think will be perfect for the holidays. Do you remember the scones Morgan's father made? Did you know Tintagel, where Morgan is from, is known for delicious pasties and scones? Try making some recipes from Morgan's town!
Currant Marmalade Scones
Use a scone mix (I used Garvey's Organic Traditional Scone Mix)
Add 1/2 cup soaked currants
1 tablespoon of marmalade
Blackberry Lavender Scones
Use a scone mix (I used Garvey's Organic Traditional Scone Mix)
Add 1/2 cup chopped blackberries
1 tablespoon lavender sugar (I used lavender sugar from Cafe Primrose)
Mead Cake (I used this recipe--substitute winter fruits like pear to make it more of a winter solstice cake)
Cornish Pasties (I used this recipe)
Pasties are great for the winter because it uses winter vegetables! And super easy to eat--a great way to feed lots of people on holiday.
Pics of scones and pasties we had in Tintagel:
I know I'll be making more scones for Christmas.
Also if you are doing some last minute Christmas shopping, I posted some Henge-inspired gift ideas on my Tumblr!
Happy cooking!
--Realm
Currant Marmalade Scones
Use a scone mix (I used Garvey's Organic Traditional Scone Mix)
Add 1/2 cup soaked currants
1 tablespoon of marmalade
Blackberry Lavender Scones
Use a scone mix (I used Garvey's Organic Traditional Scone Mix)
Add 1/2 cup chopped blackberries
1 tablespoon lavender sugar (I used lavender sugar from Cafe Primrose)
Mead Cake (I used this recipe--substitute winter fruits like pear to make it more of a winter solstice cake)
Cornish Pasties (I used this recipe)
Pasties are great for the winter because it uses winter vegetables! And super easy to eat--a great way to feed lots of people on holiday.
Pics of scones and pasties we had in Tintagel:
I know I'll be making more scones for Christmas.
Also if you are doing some last minute Christmas shopping, I posted some Henge-inspired gift ideas on my Tumblr!
Happy cooking!
--Realm
