The surprisingly true tale of how my picture almost wound up in a castle in Wales. Yep. You heard that right. I’m famous. Or almost was. While I was in the hospital, I received quite an interesting email. Came all the way from Wales. Apparently, a certain picture I took a while back of one of my characters made quite the circuit of the web, until the man who contacted me stumbled upon it while scouting for images to represent a princess of Wales from the twelfth century, Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd. So, he contacted me to verify that the image was mine and request my permission to use it in an introductory panel in a castle in Wales. (The photo in question) My first thought: The costume isn’t historically accurate! How could they use it? My second thought: If they don’t care, I don’t! Sadly, being woefully ignorant of Welsh history, I had never before heard of Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd. So I decided to do a little bit of research and was completely fascinated by what I discovered—hooray for Wikipedia! Gwenllian lived from 1097-1136, during one of the many conflicts between the Welsh and the Normans. She married Gruffydd ap Rhys, a prince of Wales, and joined him in leading daring raids against the Normans. Matters came to a head while Gruffydd was away on an alliance forming mission, so Gwenllian mustered the army and marched into battle herself. Only to be defeated near Kidwelly Castle and beheaded by her enemies. A tragic end to the tale. But her example was an inspiration to the Welsh in their struggle against the Normans, and her name became a common battle cry throughout the conflict. Fascinating, isn’t it? Check out Wikipedia’s article on Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd to find out more! Research completed, I weight the pros and cons. I was amazed at the similarities between Gwenllian and the character in my novel that I had been depicting. Not only that, but her name is practically the same as mine! And who could say no to having their picture in a castle in Wales? Pros won. Cons lost. So I said yes. And immediately began planning ways to scrimp and save so I could eventually take a trip to Wales to visit the castle and research Gwenllian and walk the battlefield where she fought and died. Only to get another email a few days later that regretfully informed me that they had run the image past a historian who rejected the photograph on the basis that the costume wasn’t historically accurate. Ah well. Should have listened to my first thought. So there you have it. The fascinating tale of how my picture almost wound up inside a castle in Wales … and the even more fascinating tale of a princess of Wales who fought alongside her husband for the defense of her people. I still intend to find out more about Gwenllian. Amazing character inspiration right there!
Rallying the Clans—Operation Orphan’s Song
Most of y’all know that for me to say this summer has been crazy would be putting it mildly. Between my awesome but hectic job and exciting but looming writing deadlines, there was no time for planning anything by the way of cover reveals or news drops or future blog tours for Orphan’s Song which is going to be releasing this fall. I was trying not to stress about it, and then everything came to a screeching halt a week and a half ago, when I got into a car accident, wound up in the hospital for a week, had two surgeries, and am now recovering … with a little bit of time to kill before I’ll be well enough to head back to working my day job. (You can read the full thrilling tale here!) Cue planning. This my friends, is where y’all come in. I am faced with a difficult mission, a task I can by no means accomplish on my own, so I have come to ask you to take a stand by my side. I am in need of a few good men and women, warriors of the pen, readers of fantasy, and bloggers of renown. You see, some authors build tribes. Other establish street teams or set up undercover operatives. I on the other hand am establishing a clan. The word clan carries with it a strong sense of family and community (not to mention incredible brogues and kilts). Clans are united in purpose and mind, with all the members pulling together for the same goal through thick and thin. My goal is to gather together a clan of readers who get excited about the same sort of fantasy novels that I do and would be willing to stand by my side and help spread the news about Orphan’s Song and the future books in the series. The requirements? Clan members must have either a blog, twitter account, facebook page, or other online form of social media where they would be willing to post links, important announcements, and blog tour information. Brogues are encouraged. Kilts are not required. Remember, word of mouth is one of the best ways to spread the news about a novel! In return, clan members can expect sneak peaks at future books, backstage character access, discounts, freebies, giveaways, and more! Interested in joining the clan? You can either leave a comment with your name and email address, and I’ll add you to the list, or if you would prefer, you can send me an email at thesongkeeper(at)gmail(dot)com with your contact information. Once you join the clan, you can expect to receive an email from me in the next few days with your first mission! I appreciate your help as I try to prep Orphan’s Song for release this fall!
At The End of the Day, the Lord is Good
I apologize for the silence, folks. For the past several days, I’ve been trying to come up with some crazy exciting story to explain my absence – something involving portals, dragons, and a mysterious call to save he world – but once I sat down to write it, I figured there’s actually no need to elaborate on the true story.
It’s fairly thrilling, involving a death-defying escape and a helicopter ride and flaming vehicles.
Intrigued?
Well, long story short … I was in a car accident last Wednesday. My truck spun out on a road with a speed limit of 70 mph and ended up slamming head first into a tree. Not sure if I blacked out completely or was just really dazed, but my first conscious thought was of buzzing in my ears and smoke everywhere and pain and something wet dripping on my hands.
Then somebody was pounding on the side of the truck, shouting “Get out! It’s on fire!”
That brought me to pretty quickly. I tried the driver’s door, but it was jammed. But the adrenaline was pumping hard enough that I managed to jump over the console into the passenger seat, open the door, and stumble out in the arms of the folks who had stopped when they saw my truck smoking.
From there, I watched as my truck caught on fire and was consumed by the flames – after my rescuers managed to salvage my laptop and all the important stuff I had in the front seat – and waited for EMS to arrive. A helicopter took me to the hospital where I’ve been since. Apparently I broke my jaw in multiple places and fractured parts of my face, so I’ve had one surgery so far and another coming up, and several days of napping in the hospital in between.
All in all though, this story is the most exciting story I could have come up with, because I can clearly see God’s hand on the whole situation, and I am simply left feeling grateful. It could have been so much worse than it was. I mean … I was able to walk away from the accident – sure, I didn’t get very far, just out of the reach of the flames, and I had to take a wee detour past the hospital, but those are just minor details in the big scheme of things.
Nobody else was injured. My truck was the only vehicle involved. And yet once more God’s perfect timing came into play when there were people who came along the road just afterwards who were extremely helpful! Throughout the length of my stay in the hospital, I have been overwhelmed with the kindness of friends and family and sometimes even complete strangers who have rallied around me.
I have so much to be grateful for.
Including a publisher who was very understanding when I had to inform him that my Orphan’s Song edits were going to be just a tad late since editing a novel on high doses of pain medication doesn’t make for the best combination.
So here we are. I’m alive. I have not forgotten poor Alexander and hope to be continuing his story soon … though it might be a bit sporadic at first, since I’ll be neck deep in the last of my edits post surgery!
At the end of the day, all I can say is the Lord is good!
Guest Post: Sensational Descriptions
As I mentioned in my last post, summer has begun, which means my job has kicked into high gear. Something that usually results in a Sleeping Beauty-esque hibernation effect on this blog. But not today! [Insert inspiring speech reminiscent of Aragorn’s “But it is not this day!” complete with horse rearing and sword brandishing.] Today, I am beyond thrilled to bring you a guest post from S.J. Aisling, author of The Chateran Series. **** Have you ever wondered how to craft descriptions into a scene to make it stand out as vivid in the readers’ mind as if they were actually there? The key is to write in a manner than engages the five senses. This challenge may seem monumental at first, but by stockpiling sensory ‘imprints’ for you to insert into your writing and a bit of practice it can easily become second nature.
What is a sensory ‘imprint’ and how do I make one?
First, decide which of the five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, or sound) you will start with. If needed, close your eyes or listen to music on earphones to block out other sensory stimuli to help you concentrate. Then take a minute or so and just focus on that one sensory aspect of the area you’re in. Sight: tab any special landmarks such as unique or famous buildings, what makes the natural setting unique, and lighting (both sources, and how it moves/reflects/shine through your surroundings. What things would locals point out in describing this area to a stranger? Smell: breathe deep for a while, taking note of which smells you catch first, and which ones take you some time to distinguish. Touch: is probably the easiest sense to focus on, as (unless you’re in a zero-gravity room) you are always in physical contact with something – what does it feel like to move against the surfaces around you? How is the air shifting, and what is the temperature? Taste: is a piece of cake (literally) when you’re eating, but it can be a factor in non-meal-related scenes, too; some smells can actually be tasted. See if there are any in the area, and breathe through your mouth for a few breaths. Even if you don’t eat anything while in this area, mentioning what kinds of food present there can add a lot to a scene. Sound: list repeated noises that form an auditory ‘backdrop’, and those that occur less often but are nonetheless individual or usual in the setting you’re in. While you’re focusing on each sense in turn, pause to write down your observations once in a while. But do not use the first words that pop into your head if you can help it. Download a thesaurus app on your smartphone if you have too, by all means – anything to help you avoid clichés. (Because the cliché is what most people’s minds jump to when describing and labeling things.) One thing I’ve found helpful in crafting creative descriptions is trying to describe one sensation by using another. For example: ~ What color is the scent? (Sight to describe smell) ~ What textures could describe a particular flavor? I.e. gritty, smooth, plush, etc. (Touch to describe taste) You now have a mental (and hardcopy, if you do take notes) ‘diary entry’ or ‘imprint’ of what your senses picked up in the area you are in. Ta-da! Fodder for sensory descriptions! Now, when you come across a situation that reminds you of a scene you’ve written or want to write, take a moment to gather an ‘imprint’, and then use the sensations you gather to flesh out the descriptions. Which leads me on to the next part of this process…
How do I practice?
By writing. Just like with using silverware, riding a bike, or dancing, learning how to write scenes that engage a reader’s senses takes time and immersion in the process. When you’re next writing, pay attention to highlight the sights, sounds, smells, feeling, and tastes of the scene you are working on. Do not run through these as if they were a laundry list at the beginning of the scene, however. Begin with a few descriptions that are the strongest representations of the setting, to give readers a foundation to begin imagining the scene with. The rich scent of freshly turned earth mingled with the overarching odor of animals and manure, all intensified by the sun heat that radiated off the road and up against my calves. From over the fields the gentle wind carried the grinding whir of machinery, and it toyed with my hair, lifting strands off my sweaty forehead. With just the two above sentences, the reader is treated to the initial sensation of being outdoors at a farm in the middle of summer without describing every aspect of the scene. Throughout the action and dialogue you can sprinkle more descriptions in – the whir of doves flying from the loft of the barn, the way the gravel road crunches underfoot, and the earthy flavor of dust grit in your mouth. This builds the realism without being overbearing. You do not, however, need to describe everything. Leaving room for the readers’ imagination to fill in the gaps with memories of similar real-life experiences allows the scene to become more personal and real to them than mounds of information ever could.So take heart! Building vivid descriptions that will tickle your readers’ senses isn’t really that hard – just practice observation and your writing craft, and you’re halfway there. ~~~ Stacia Joy is the author and illustrator of the newly released fantasy Becoming the Chateran (Book One of The Chateran Series). When not writing or obsessing over art, she spends her days immersed in numerous pastimes that include archery, Irish dancing, playing the folk harp, reading history and researching off-beat topics like medieval medicine, and tossing helpless people as inspiration into her books. For years now she has been struggling with a bad case of sesquipedalianism, and can also be found nosing into almost anything or brushing up on her nearly-fluent sarcasm. Join Stacia Joy at her blog every Thursday for a delve into the art and agony of writing, a new book cover design, sneak peaks and backstories via Creating the Chateran, or book reviews! You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Wattpad, Pinterest, and DeviantART. You can find Becoming the Chateran on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. Ask for it at your local bookstore! Thanks, Stacia, for stopping by! It was a pleasure to host you on the blog today!
No News is Good News?
Some of you may live in parts of the world where ’tis always winter, but never Christmas. Or the end of school and the beginning of the summer holidays is at least another fortnight away. Perhaps even two. But it’s summer time at camp in Texas. And those of you who’ve followed this blog for any length of time know what that means. The beginning of silence. For those of you who scratching your head in bewilderment over the correlation between summer and silence, let me explain. When I’m not creating fantasy worlds, I work full time as a ministry specialist and equine program manager at a Christian youth camp. As you might imagine, summer time is on time for us. Fourteen plus hour days spent in the summer haze, full of activities and kids and behind-the-scenes-work and most important of all, the chance to share the Gospel … it’s my dream job! One of them at least. At night, I’m busy working on book two of the Song of Leira trilogy. It won’t be long before I’m squeezing edits for both Out of Darkness Rising and Orphan’s Song in there too. That said, I fully intend to pop over here at least once a week to keep the conversation going—whether it’s through a fantasy reflections post, updates, or something of either a heroic or villainous nature from the respective academies. But for once know that silence is a good thing. It means I’m working hard on polishing my books so you can read them. So if the silence ever gets too much for you, imagine the clicking and clacking of the keyboard as I type through the wee hours of the night to get the Song of Leira trilogy into your hands.
Orphan’s Song–Good News on the Publishing Front
For the past several days, I’ve been practically bursting to share some news with y’all. And yet, each time I fingered the keys and started typing this post, something held me back. By the time you read this, I will probably have scrapped and rewritten multiple drafts only to pause at the very end with my cursor hovering over the “publish” button at least a dozen different times before finally summoning enough courage to release my news to the world. It is good news, actually. Thrilling news! You see, the Song of Leira trilogy found a publisher! (Thrilling, right? Cue whooping and hollering and dancing all around!) The first book, Orphan’s Song, is slotted to release Fall 2014 from Marcher Lord Press! Many of my favorite books and authors are with Marcher Lord Press, so it’s an honor and a thrill to join the “team.” It’s been a long journey from start to finish, and it’s not over yet. There were many times along the way where I was temped to lose heart and wonder how I—an ordinary gal from Texas—could have been insanely confident enough to venture into the unknown wilds of the publishing world and expect to return with a contract! To be sure, I had plenty of help and encouragement along the way, and an incredible agent in Amanda Luedeke! More news will be forthcoming soon. I’m about to dive into the busiest time of my year, and I’m also pounding furiously at the keys trying to work on book two of the trilogy, but I will try to keep y’all updated as we reach the important milestones prior to the book’s release. For now, to find out more about the series, check out the Song of Leira page. (Be sure to stop by and meet the characters too!)
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