tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41713418647958944522024-03-13T06:16:58.989-07:00N.O.A. Rawle: Through the Eyes of a Stranger Musings on the mundane and the macabre and all the oddities in between.N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-85613358923998081832022-10-08T14:46:00.000-07:002022-10-08T14:46:24.447-07:00REVIEW <p>This is a long overdue review for a book I won, devoured and wrote this review for, but for no reason whatsoever, never posted. Now we're well into spooky season, I thought some werewolves might satisfy reading tastes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDhhtNP5O_A2eXwxlnKrcAFG4hHPzxrIoszfM24AkR2FP9xTgrbfGNdb9mlVu0CQv2RME5oc2G_dxizy-olAtpmMeRdi-RyXZ9qdmNQPtAaIYtFk18UXChRqtA2g3eMKuvPLi-DNWiZ_tWTuYTvhJHTJ-ft-fgI3GQ9GZQEHov-S_XUZ-RZs4gQkH/s958/Screenshot_20221009-003924_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="613" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDhhtNP5O_A2eXwxlnKrcAFG4hHPzxrIoszfM24AkR2FP9xTgrbfGNdb9mlVu0CQv2RME5oc2G_dxizy-olAtpmMeRdi-RyXZ9qdmNQPtAaIYtFk18UXChRqtA2g3eMKuvPLi-DNWiZ_tWTuYTvhJHTJ-ft-fgI3GQ9GZQEHov-S_XUZ-RZs4gQkH/s320/Screenshot_20221009-003924_1.png" width="205" /></a></div><br /><p>Hellhound by Lou Yardley </p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gnashing teeth and tender flesh, mortal desire and immortal madness; werewolves in unfettered glory. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hellhound</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> binds the lives of Christine, Kit, Casper and Shannon in ways they can't imagine as they stand on the threshold of The Hound and Philosopher pub. Will Christine and Shannon satisfy their curiosity? Will Kit improve his employment prospects? Will Casper finally get what he's been waiting for? Join them at the bar, get a beer and relax if you dare.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lou Yardley writes fast paced and action-packed scenes, switching perspectives and power plays, slipping in twists and taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride of blood and guts that will keep pages and stomachs turning. Her characters are relatable, her scenes familiar yet terrifyingly macabre.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hellhound is a super read, recommended to fans of werewolf fiction, women in horror and horror fiction in general, but not a read for the faint hearted.</span></p>N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-2825204295579802912022-09-20T14:43:00.005-07:002022-09-20T14:52:34.965-07:00Revisiting the Here After.<div style="text-align: center;">*TRIGGER WARNING* </div><div style="text-align: center;">Discussion of exhumation, death, bodies and
skeletons.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Feel free to skip this post. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Dead and buried</i>, <i>laid to rest</i>, phrases
that in English imply the end, death, the matter is over and done with. Our very
language tells us that death is the end of (the) matter and we have no need to
revisit it.
</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdmO28co3Dmh8bJTo4NbqiQBpc4fqOOpu5djy1OAH2VnaNCxOJRMkfjuH3ZyikWGixzH2kkwU82zYma1lxsLf_a3-D6e4J8AypeyAndjQJnFJQU9OAKtwOA0FlYrNLLkU1whQXoVkgWWTVptDthPvxn2KAOEpjBVM7AphoXfqLCt9pJlCukXE5EHt/s2514/IMG_20220918_171134_386.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2514" data-original-width="2514" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdmO28co3Dmh8bJTo4NbqiQBpc4fqOOpu5djy1OAH2VnaNCxOJRMkfjuH3ZyikWGixzH2kkwU82zYma1lxsLf_a3-D6e4J8AypeyAndjQJnFJQU9OAKtwOA0FlYrNLLkU1whQXoVkgWWTVptDthPvxn2KAOEpjBVM7AphoXfqLCt9pJlCukXE5EHt/s320/IMG_20220918_171134_386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>In Greece that is not the case. </div><div><br /></div><div>The day dawned cool and cloudy with the odd shower, a portent of the coming winter and a very fitting atmosphere for my first task of the day. Today was a dear aunt's exhumation. Yes, you read that right, she was being dug up. Due to the lack of suitable ground (not too rocky, not prone too flooding, on the outskirts of town, but not too far out) graveyards are hot property in Greece. Here, your final resting place is actually just a port of call, (unless you're willing to pay luxury house prices that is).</div><div><br /></div><div>In Greece, graves are hollow pits, lined with cement blocks, somewhat reminiscent of a garage, and like cars are parked in and taken out of garages, so bodies are 'parked' in and taken out of graves. Once the coffin is in place, just enough dirt is added to cover the casket, which is buried for five years, for decomposition. After that, the skeleton is removed, cleaned, blessed and dried. The bones are stored in an 'osteothiki', a metallic box made for the purpose, which is placed in an ossuary, a building for storing bones, on the grounds of the cemetery. </div><div><br /></div><div>The reason for this macabre ritual is space. There are simply not enough graves in the country for the number of bodies. Thus exhumation has become part of the 'burial' process in Greece. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you are asking why bodies aren't cremated, it's mostly a matter of faith. Though cremation has been legal in Greece since 2006 (before then, bodies were apparently sneaked across the Greek -Bulgarian border), the Orthodox Christian Church is opposed to it, as the body is seen as the temple of the soul and there can be no redemption if a person is buried without one. (Let me just state for the record, this is not a personal concern; I wish to 'become' a tree. If you have no idea what I'm referring to, click <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Be-Buried-As-a-Tree">here</a> .)</div><div><br /></div><div>So, there I am standing in the cool autumn air, with a good two-grave distance between me and my late aunt's not so final resting place. The decorative pebbles are scraped off the metallic gauze that covers the grave hole, and Vasilis, the council worker doing the uncomfortable deed, starts to dig. After a five minutes, he stops and puts his mask on, then he pulls out a femur, then it's twin. Ribs, hip bones and all those other ones I never learned in biology, and finally, the skull with the sutures strikingly obvious. Somehow, my morbid curiosity is greater than my sadness or revulsion. The bones ranged in shades of dirty yellow, brown to almost black. None of the white you see in Halloween skeletons or the beige colour of anatomical structures in school labs. There was also nothing relating to the person that once was my aunt.</div><div><br /></div><div>A week later, the bones having dried, the skeleton was wrapped in a cloth bag and then placed in the osteothiki; truly, finally laid to rest. It was unceremonious but strangely peaceful; just me and the grave digger, and aunty, of course. I was left with a sense that her journey was finally complete and that was all I needed to know.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-68318252157507406832022-09-01T13:06:00.002-07:002022-09-02T23:56:30.876-07:00Autumn - Greek Style!I've been living abroad - in Greece - half my lifetime come this October!
In that time I haven't really talked about where I live or what
it's like being a stranger, learning Greek or getting used to a different
routine so I thought I'd post occasionally, on what I've come to love, live and learn
here.
The atmosphere here in Trikala has started to feel autumnal early this
year, due to a plethora of thunder storms so strong that storm warnings were
even issued and mobiles started buzzing all over the city. (Mine, having English
as its prefered language, reads out the Greek as phonetic gobbledegook in an
overtly strong American accent. This obviously diminishes the urgency or
severity of any warning...) So with the drop in temperatures to a cool 22
degrees centigrade (at the time of writing) I'm in full-on autumn mode and
thought I'd share five things that I enjoy at this time of year. <div><br /></div><div><b>1. Autumn Leaves</b>
No list would be complete without enjoying the autumnal colours. Trikala is one
of the few towns in Greece to be blessed with a river traversing the centre of
the city. The banks are lined with horse chestnut and plane trees for the most
part, both of which sport gorgeous colours from early September through to mid
November. More spectacular colours can be seen around the city on the trees along the roadsides, on Prophet Elias Hill (pictured here) or in St. George's Park.
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<b>2. The Panegyri</b>
Most provincial towns and villages have a fair called a <i>Panegyri</i>. In
Trikala, this starts around September 14th and lasts a week. The fair consists
of a funfair and market stalls selling anything from kitchen gadgets to clothes
and a huge food area where local businesses showcase their wares, usually any
form of barbecued meat - gyros, (Did you know that September 1st is national gyros day in the US?) souvlaki etc, or for the sweet toothed, Halvas
Farsalon, candy floss or toffee apples.
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<b>3. Picking fruit. </b>
There is a variety of
fruit that can be harvested throughout autumn here in Greece, in September (or
August if the weather is damp) blackberries are ripe and up for grabs. (Pictured below, my friend and I picking blackberries up in the mountains.) In
October, grapes and some pomegranates are ready and then in November, olives are
collected.
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<b>
4. Enjoying a steaming hot drink.
</b>
Of course, the hot chocolate trend
has taken off here and you can stop off at any café and get one in any flavour
you imagine. But for me, a more authentic autumn drink would be a cup of hot
'salepi' or salep (what the Victorians called <i>saloop</i>). It is made from flour
of the orchid genus Orchis, to form a slightly gelatinous beverage and is seasoned with cinnamon. In Trikala, you can buy yours from a
traditional street salesman who cycles around on a tricycle, calling out 'Salepi zesto!' - 'Hot salepi!', which he serves from a huge brass urn. If that doesn't sound like something you fancy, try a tiny cup of Greek coffee; it's only a few mouthfuls, but it's
pure heaven.
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<b>5. Pumpkin or Apple Pie, but make it Greek.</b>
Trikala is renowned for its pies and Greek pumpkin pie, which can
be either sweet or savoury, is no exception. Both are made with layers of filo pastry and both are
delicious! The other autumn classic is apple pie, though actually more of an apple cake, it is usually garnished with cinnamon
and walnuts to add that pure autumn feel. (Just let me know if want my recipe pictured below.)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJM8oKUlHbYlmS47xFadgpayZLSzJoxOQlwoiXJh4tU8ih4TSuALmm7J0n4jO6-MtdpDhd64lwVgsj0_IxB9Ef8V6-V8cuQQF2JXio75vEPNIlATPEwdJ1FCuGj1wyJo-U4GvViRaeW5C6AUNupV2NZJf0fJP5l_qTwDmJssyTmBH9mbMF7EpZLIMQ/s4160/IMG_20220826_111007.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJM8oKUlHbYlmS47xFadgpayZLSzJoxOQlwoiXJh4tU8ih4TSuALmm7J0n4jO6-MtdpDhd64lwVgsj0_IxB9Ef8V6-V8cuQQF2JXio75vEPNIlATPEwdJ1FCuGj1wyJo-U4GvViRaeW5C6AUNupV2NZJf0fJP5l_qTwDmJssyTmBH9mbMF7EpZLIMQ/s320/IMG_20220826_111007.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</div>
Let me know if you try out some of these ideas and add any of you can think of. Tell me what you most enjoy doing during autumn where you live.
Until next time, have fun!
</div>N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-27200039107342988642020-09-17T15:00:00.002-07:002020-09-17T15:00:31.301-07:00Back tracking 2019 - 2018 (?!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As it's that time when one reviews the year, I thought it was about time I got my act together.<br />
<br />
If you have visited here recently, it might seem that I have been dormant for two whole years and you'll most likely have scooted off to more prolific writers/bloggers. My statistics have dropped, both in blogging and writing. That was a conscious choice. My health was suffering (too many sleepless nights creeping up on me) and I needed to devote myself to family and paying work (which I've had to literally double the hours of, what with wage cuts and crazy taxing.)<br />
<br />
So here are the last two years in review (an easily condensed version)!<br />
<br />
Stemming from my steampunk interests I've been sewing a whole bunch of things, all shamefully unfinished, apart from a Victorian style choker and a cute hat. The former is made out of a remnant of lace scooped up from the floor of a local seamstress and the latter was a gift from a friend which, if I am honest, I would never have worn as a simple everyday hat, though you will rarely see me without one in the winter! I've also altered several modern pieces to make more vintage styled items.<br />
<br />
From steampunk I ventured into historical fashion and rediscovered my love of the 1920s/30s/40s. I have been trawling You Tube vintage fashion videos/vloggers and gone full circle to Costubers. (My Christmas cooking was accompanied by binge watching Costubers Secret Santa.)<br />
<br />
What about the writing you ask? Well the list of published works between 2018 and 2019 is significantly short, but here goes:<br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
2019<br />December 2019 - , 'Hoodwinked' in Southern Steam Tales from Port Reprieve <br />
May 2019 - 'Make Do & Mend' Trembling With Fear<br />
March 2019 - 'Forget Me Not' Trembling With Fear<br />
<br />
2018<br />
October 2018 - 'No Ordinary Game' & 'Acceptance' in Trembling With Fear Year 1 anthology<br />
August 2018 - 'The Arrangement' in the Dark Voices charity anthology<br /><br />
What does 2020 hold?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
According to <a href="https://www.numerology.com/free-numerology/2020-predictions">numerology</a> 2020 is a year of "vision and accomplishment" and of manifesting one's dreams. Am I asking too much? Probably, but I can try!<br />
<br />
I have three major rewrites, all of them old but good and in need of some love before I send them out into the world. I won't say what because if I talk about a project it never seems to get done.<br />
<br />
Other than those, I have a plethora of short stories floating around which need tidying and submitting. So I am still writing though I have taken it down a pace or two hundred.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><strike>
Whatever you are up to and whatever you plan, I hope 2020 is a great year for you!</strike></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strike><br /></strike></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h1><span style="color: red;">STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></h1><div><span style="color: red;"><div style="color: black;">Three things... </div><div style="color: black;">1. Obviously the whole world has been turned up-side-down with Covid-19 since I wrote this post and I simply didn't get round to publishing this post. I thought it was rather peculiar looking back and decided to share it with you despite it being a 'little' after the fact!</div><div style="color: black;">2. Please note the comment at the end of February's blog post. Unknown, were you talking from the future?</div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ARWkxPlbvc/X2PX9ucPEPI/AAAAAAAAPBs/8ldWPhGDUOc0bp-KhIQGQBZ20fylqvuJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Screenshot_20200918-003530_1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ARWkxPlbvc/X2PX9ucPEPI/AAAAAAAAPBs/8ldWPhGDUOc0bp-KhIQGQBZ20fylqvuJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot_20200918-003530_1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>3. I hope you and yours are well and coping in light of all that's going on.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>
N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-90746491017174270222019-07-31T22:58:00.000-07:002019-07-31T23:08:57.554-07:00Mutiny on the Moonbeam by Rie Sheridan Rose - Reviewed*<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">At some point in time you may have mused on the romantic idea behind pirates, adventure on the high seas, stolen loot and buried treasure. Rie Sheridan Rose takes those romantic notions one step further in her fantasy novel Mutiny on the Moonbeam, published by Mocha Memoirs Press.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Branwyn St. Clair stands up to her step father and stows away aboard the Moonbeam, she doesn't realise that it will lead her to to a life of adventure and pirating. Johnny Pate, the only human on the elven crew tries to keep her safe, but there are forces working behind the scenes that bring them together in ways which even they can't imagine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throughout her<a href="https://noarawle.blogspot.com/2019/07/mutiny-on-moonbeam-by-rie-sheridan-rose.html"> blog tour</a>, Rie Sheridan Rose has elaborated on the characters and their inspiration and motivation. I didn't read any of it until I got to the end of the book and to writing this review - it's like watching the film before reading the book - for me that just won't do! The characters pull you in and drag you helter-skelter through the adventure with them. Bran is feisty and determined, Johnny is bashful and love-struck, Captain Aidrian is cool and aloof (curiously, I imagined him as a Ralph Fiennes type, quite different to Rie's idea!) and the evil Leac is just plain selfish and mean. There are fairies too flitting throughout the story, driving it along. I will not write too much about them as they are somewhat of a surprise and you will enjoy discovering them as you read! Queen Mab lurks in the darkest corners of the ship and the story but her finale is the best of all and you too will grow to love her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I thoroughly enjoyed Mutiny on the Moonbeam; it's a quick read and suitable for lovers of romance, fantasy and young teens too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learn more about Rie Sheridan Rose on <a href="https://riewriter.com/">her website.</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To get your copy of 'Mutiny on the Moonbeam' click <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mutiny-Moonbeam-Rie-Sheridan-Rose-ebook/dp/B07FD612KZ/ref=nodl_">here for the USA</a> , <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Mutiny+on+the+Moonbeam&ref=nb_sb_noss">here for the UK</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Mutiny-Moonbeam-Rie-Sheridan-Rose-ebook/dp/B07FD612KZ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mutiny+on+the+moonbeam&qid=1563948667&s=gateway&sr=8-1">here for Australia</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*I was given a copy for review, by the publisher.</span></div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-74392506070967593572019-07-23T23:20:00.000-07:002019-07-25T12:45:01.814-07:00Mutiny on the Moonbeam by Rie Sheridan Rose<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ahoy m' hearties! It is my honour that Rie Sheridan Rose, author, poet, lyricist and editor has decided to kick off her blog tour for her latest Fantasy Romance novel, 'Mutiny on the Moonbeam', right here on <i>Through the Eyes of a Stranger.</i> I've been lucky enough to have been granted a sneak preview and I can tell you the book's a fantastic read (but more on that in the coming week), so without further ado, let me hand over the reins!<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">Why
Do We Love Pirates?</span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">Long before Jack Sparrow took to the High Seas,
readers (and viewers) have had a love affair with pirates. From Disney fare
like “Blackbeard’s Ghost” to the swash-and-buckle of Errol Flynn, something
about these buccaneers has captured the imagination.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">It’s not like real-life pirates were anything to
romanticize. They robbed many a ship, killed more than their share of sailors,
and probably lived a fairly filthy existence if we are honest about it. Still,
they have wormed their way into the hearts and minds of the public from the
dawn of popular culture.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">According to Wikipedia (and we all know that’s the
definitive source) the first book to popularize piracy was written in 1724 by
Captain Charles Johnson. Called </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://amzn.to/2OfgN4o"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">A General History of the Robberies and Murders of
the Most Notorious Pirates</span></i></a></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">,</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;"> this work has provided many of the biographies that we know today for
the Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17<sup>th</sup>, early 18<sup>th</sup>
centuries. It features Anne Bonny, Edward Teach, and many other famous—or
infamous pirate names.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">This book provided source material for some of the
most recognized fictional pirates of all time—among them Long John Silver and
Captain Hook.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">In film, pirates feature all the way back to <i>The
Black Pirate</i> starring Douglas Fairbanks in 1926. There has been at least
one pirate movie every decade since.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">What makes these masters of mayhem so enduring and
endearing?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">Personally, I think it is their sense of freedom.
They have their own code, and bow to no man’s will. They do what they like,
take what they want, and destroy anyone who gets in their way. Don’t we all
wish life could be a little more like that sometimes? After all, Johnny Depp
makes it look like so much fun…</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;">My elven pirates in <i>Mutiny on the</i> Moonbeam
are more bored aristocracy than anything else. They feel that the elves are
stagnating in their culture, so they want to go out and find adventure. This
doesn’t sit well with the Court, and now they are outlaws. But, for the most
part, they have a highly idealized sense of what it is to be a pirate
themselves. Lots of velvet and gentility abound aboard the <i>Moonbeam</i>.</span></div>
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Thanks Rie!</div>
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Learn more about Rie Sheridan Rose on <a href="https://riewriter.com/">her website.</a></div>
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To get your copy of 'Mutiny on the Moonbeam' click <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mutiny-Moonbeam-Rie-Sheridan-Rose-ebook/dp/B07FD612KZ/ref=nodl_">here for the USA</a> , <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Mutiny+on+the+Moonbeam&ref=nb_sb_noss">here for the UK</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Mutiny-Moonbeam-Rie-Sheridan-Rose-ebook/dp/B07FD612KZ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mutiny+on+the+moonbeam&qid=1563948667&s=gateway&sr=8-1">here for Australia</a>. </div>
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If you want to follow the 'Mutiny on the Moonbeam' blog tour here are the dates:</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">July 24 - Through the Eyes of a Stranger <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://noarawle.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1564037149571000&usg=AFQjCNF8hWJgcclnI_6fAquAACsouvEXnA" href="http://noarawle.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://noarawle.blogspot.com/</a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">July 25 - Mocha Memoirs Press Blog <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mochamemoirspress.com/blog/&source=gmail&ust=1564037149572000&usg=AFQjCNHeIYlELpbPvKus2cRJ-2UAIPxcJg" href="https://mochamemoirspress.com/blog/" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://mochamemoirspress.com/<wbr></wbr>blog/</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: underline; unicode-bidi: embed;">July 26</span><span style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"> - I Smell Sheep <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ismellsheep.com/?m%3D1&source=gmail&ust=1564037149572000&usg=AFQjCNHRT_O4yShs7UxDIE_bD0h7pDFpcQ" href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/?m=1" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://www.ismellsheep.com/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">July 27 - Rie Sheridan Rose <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://riewriter.com&source=gmail&ust=1564037149572000&usg=AFQjCNGdJ4cZBS-LaNa1QLpktLXS8gDlfA" href="https://riewriter.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://riewriter.com</a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">July 28</span> - Perfectly Paced Reads <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.perfectlypaced.com&source=gmail&ust=1564037149572000&usg=AFQjCNF05qCIzEQiyDa-Eu4YwwqOuWO88Q" href="http://www.perfectlypaced.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://www.perfectlypaced.com</a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">July 29 - Carole Ann Moleti <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://caroleannmoleti.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1564037149572000&usg=AFQjCNEhcH5mEviYwNUoWnl5fykputRWvg" href="http://caroleannmoleti.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://caroleannmoleti.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;">July 30 - Mocha Memoirs Press Blog <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mochamemoirspress.com/blog/&source=gmail&ust=1564037149572000&usg=AFQjCNHeIYlELpbPvKus2cRJ-2UAIPxcJg" href="https://mochamemoirspress.com/blog/" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://mochamemoirspress.com/<wbr></wbr>blog/</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MochaMemoirsPress/">Mocha Memoirs Press</a></div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-61550558227723610792019-07-12T00:43:00.000-07:002019-07-12T00:43:39.749-07:00Upon death and other matters.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So here's a ramble of the kind I don't do so often. I set 2019 as a purge year - no don't go thinking I've been running riot on the streets dressed in carnival costumes while I gleefully find ways of slaughtering everyone who so much as piqued my anger. I've been clearing out the physical cr*p in my life. I'm no fan of the KonMari method, but any fool can see that when your house is cluttered so is your life! My house is full of four generations of such clutter, not all of which I can dispose of. So, that means I've been clearing out stuff from my own past mostly, or at least re-ordering it. This in turn has lead me to contemplate everything I've done thus far, as well as all the places I've been and the people I've met. And I've been thinking about getting old - I'm at that stage and it's been in my mind more than ever. Now if you don't know me personally you probably won't know I'm the youngest in my family. My oldest sister reached the same age as my parents were when they died, this year. (Too young, after battling years of disability and illness, in case you are wondering.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr3PJfZXDhw/XSg0eVGDz6I/AAAAAAAAHME/ojBFI9hbPOUz5yT9ho7DAND02nLzZPkewCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20190702_180622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr3PJfZXDhw/XSg0eVGDz6I/AAAAAAAAHME/ojBFI9hbPOUz5yT9ho7DAND02nLzZPkewCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20190702_180622.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why Fay Wray (and not my teenage alter ego) got the lead role in King Kong (1933).<br />(I found old cartoons in my basement.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />It's a weird thought that she's made it this far and my other sister and I are not far behind. My sisters have lived long enough to see their grandchildren, travel abroad and live a good life. And that's an achievement in itself. It hasn't been easy. Age is creeping up on all of us and health is inevitably sneaking out the back door, although we battle this more effectively than my parents were ever able to. For whatever reason, I'm going through long phases of feeling perhaps I should let my still teenage kids take the reins; let them have the fun and adventures, you know? But then I think why should I?<br />
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Let's face it, my kids are going to have adventures whether they have my blessing or not! And who's to say that we, as parents, should just give up on our lives? Now those of you who are my age (the middling kind) or above, will know you still think and feel the same way you always have about most things in life. Let me give you some examples. I still love all the trips I take, although they may not be so far away. I still love creating stories and clothes, pictures and cartoons. I still love reading and writing, teaching and movie-going, gardening and listening to music too loud (in our house the kids tell their mum and dad to turn the volume down).<br />
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So where I'm I going with this? I'm not giving up anything I still feel in my heart I want to do, just like I'm not thanking and disposing of all the stuff that clutters my basement. I'm reorganising, I'm delegating and I am thankful that I have gotten this far. I have sen too many people I love leave this world before they have even reached anything like the age I have or even had the chance to think about goals they want to achieve. So from now on, I'm going to try and appreciate those people close to me and who support me and give them my love, respect and support in return. I'm cleaning out the dead wood, pruning back on clutter, making way for new growth. (Better add gardening analogies to the list above...)<br />
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What am I reading?<br />
The Department of Curiosities by Karen J. Carlisle<br />
Split Second by David Baldacci<br />
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What am I making?<br />
Scones for cream teas - it's summer after all.<br />
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What am I watching?<br />
Greta<br />
A whole load of vintage youtubers - retracing my late teen interest in the 1920s - 50s.<br />
Living Big In a Tiny House<br />
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-90050556590062254452019-07-01T09:52:00.001-07:002019-07-11T23:41:08.187-07:00The Feast of Fools<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How's the summer (or winter for my friends from the southern hemisphere)? I'm clawing my way back into the blogging habit now that my day jobs are over for a while.<br />
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Now we're into July, I'm a little late in telling you about 'Southern Steam: Tales from Port Reprieve', which is available from Amazon.<br />
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My fellow steampunk authors at the Scribblers' Den and I have gotten together for our third anthology. This one is set around the world of Port Reprieve, the brainchild of fellow anthology author and the founder of the Scribblers' Den, Jack Tyler, is a fictional port in the southern US.<br />
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The content is as follows:<br />
Stars and Bars by Steve Moore<br />
The Stench Street Revs by William J. Jackson<br />
Hoodwinked by N. O. A. Rawle<br />
The Aeronaut by Bryce Raffle<br />
Sea Story by Jack Tyler<br />
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Now this was quite a difficult challenge for me as I have never had the good fortune to visit the southern States, so I thought about what I knew best about this area and something that I could tie in with experience I already had, that way I would make my story more believable. Carnival or the Mardi Gras of New Orleans was the straw I found myself clutching.<br />
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I have long been a fan of carnival and have participated in many parades from my first in <a href="https://malmesburycarnival.co.uk/">Malmesbury, Wiltshire,</a> to more recently here in Greece more as a spectator. With a little research I managed to tie in Greek traditions with American ones, added a little horror, suspense and a good dollop of Steampunk and, low and behold, 'Hoodwinked' was born!<br />
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'Hoodwinked' tells the story of Vera Portmandritou who ventures into the New World after her Aunt Mara's death. Within minutes of stepping onto the quay, she is greeted by a mysterious stranger who offers her a ride. Now I'm sure mama warned you about taking lifts with strangers, so you can imagine that there are a lot of unpleasant surprises in store. One of the best things about carnival is of course the masquerading. Vera takes part in all of this and is introduced to the <a href="https://youtu.be/vqwMWvCHtlg">tableau</a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://youtu.be/vqwMWvCHtlg"> vivant,</a> a concept that was new to me too and one I should like to see for real one day. (Do click <a href="https://youtu.be/VKD_oEGqek8">this link</a> if you want to see what inspired the ending to my story, you are in for an amazing show, although it my not be to everyone's liking!)</span><br />
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Once again all proceeds from the sales of this anthology will go to charity - the Red Cross - so not only are you getting a great read, but you are also doing a little bit to help your fellow human beings! What are you waiting for? Click on the links below to purchase your (very reasonably priced) copy today!<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Southern-Steam-Collection-Steampunk-Scribblers-ebook/dp/B07S8RZQH8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=southern+steam+tales+from+port+reprieve&qid=1561965357&s=gateway&sprefix=siuthern+steam%3A+tales&sr=8-3">Southern Steam in the UK</a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Steam-Collection-Steampunk-Scribblers-ebook/dp/B07S8RZQH8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=southern+steam+tales+from+port+reprieve&qid=1561965529&s=gateway&sprefix=Southern+steam+&sr=8-1">Southern Steam in the USA</a><br />
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What have I been reading?<br />
The Halloween Party by Agatha Christie<br />
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What have I been making?<br />
Southern Red Velvet Cake<br />
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What have I been watching?<br />
The Mule<br />
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-18627206490488825092019-06-06T06:57:00.002-07:002019-06-06T06:57:58.191-07:00Dribbles of Drabbles and a touch of the past in a very belated post.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Spring touched Greece and I was trying to get into the rhythm of Monty Python (Always look on the bright side...)!<br />
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Valentine's Day blew by me this year and I was feeling a little blue. Don't go imagining my my loved one had forgotten, we don't 'do' Valentine's as such (after all, love is for every day not just Valentine's). No, my sky-hued mood was down to my late submission of a few romantic horror drabbles I'd hoped would make it the Feb 14 deadline and as I'd heard nothing I was sure they hadn't been accepted. But I was wrong! 'Trembling With Fear' from the Horror Tree have accepted both drabbles I sent in their direction.<br />
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Thankfully, with spring comes rain and then come the flowers! All kinds of blossoms like new love blooming in glorious abundance until the petals fall and the raspy husk is all that's left. Does it fall or become fruit? Does the love die or survive?<br />
<br />
All flowers have symbolic meanings. Take Forget Me Nots for example, those gorgeous little blue flowers that grow in little clumps. According to www.flower meaning.com they are a symbol of 'true and undying love, rememberance during partings and after death, and a connection that lasts through time.'<br />
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Of course having a warped sense of perspective, I have turned the meaning on its head, in the first of the drabbles accepted, 'Forget Me Not' is a hundred words of poisoned love. You can read it on <span id="goog_341033504"></span><a href="https://horrortree.com/category/trembling-with-fear/">Trembling With Fear</a><span id="goog_341033505"></span>.<br />
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My second story, Make Do and Mend, goes back to that wartime saying that we must get by on what we have. My vintage-fan heroine Fran takes this a little bit too far will when she applies it to her relationships. Again you can read Make Do and Mend on <a href="https://horrortree.com/category/trembling-with-fear/">Trembling With Fear</a>.<br />
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What have I been reading?<br />
Goodnight Mr Tom<br />
and Cold Comfort Farm<br />
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What have I been cooking?<br />
Kataifi<br />
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What have I been watching?<br />
The Durrels</div>
N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-31157520195197388342019-02-02T11:19:00.000-08:002019-02-02T11:19:06.183-08:00It never snows but it pours...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
(This was supposed to be a New Year post!)<br />
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It's been over five months since I posted here and there is many a reason for this. Most sincere is that I need time for my family. Needs must as the devil drives - and here in Greece the devil drives a very hard bargain these days, so I'm working long hours in my day jobs - thus what little free time I have goes to my babes (12, 13 & 40+), not writing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braced for worse to come.</td></tr>
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Then it seems like everything is breaking: the cooker, the washing machine, my sewing machine, the toaster, my computer - bits are even falling off the house.<br />
<br />
I've written virtually nothing.<br />
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Prices are rising. Taxes are impossible and wages are dropping as are hours of work. Even my phone company seems to be playing sneaky tricks.<br />
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And dribble of drabbles is all I've come up with.<br />
<br />
Then there's the weather. Now I like a white Christmas as much as the next person but 2019 swung by and brought snow with thunder and lightning, then it started raining ice crystals - not sleet, but frozen rain! I was forced off my day job for a week. All fine and dandy, unless you're paid by the hour...<br />
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And did I write with all this free time?<br />
<br />
Nope.<br />
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Not even a word.<br />
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Not unless this blog post counts...<br />
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-91394916441203825862018-07-26T00:40:00.001-07:002018-07-26T00:46:14.642-07:00Interview with Karen J. Carlisle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>You may or may not know this but today is Aunts and Uncles Day and so it seems most fitting to catch up with Karen J. Carlisle, fellow of The Scribblers' Den and the author behind Aunt Enid: Protector Extraordinaire. I've managed to get her to take a break from her hectic schedule and answer a few questions about Aunt Enid and other projects she is working on. Why don't you get yourself a nice cup of tea and join us?</i></div>
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<i>So Karen, most of your novels are in the Steampunk genre, what made you take a break from writing Steampunk this time?</i><br />
<br />
I’d written three (slightly dark) steampunk books. I needed something a little more light-hearted. I delved into my WIP progress box for the steampunk adventure novel I had almost completed…<br />
At the same time I was going through some old photos and reminiscing… and reading an article on garden gnomes. I wondered where mine had disappeared to. Then a few things fell into place. Could garden gnomes move? What colour would hydrangeas be in alkaline (Adelaide) soil? My brain made a point of reminding me that lemons were acidic... <br />
Suddenly there was a story, several plot points, a Big Bad wanting to muscle-in, and Aunt Enid demanding they would not pass…<br />
(Yes, my brain is that chaotic sometimes.)<br />
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<i>It certainly sounds like a real 'brainstorm'! Now, you write mostly detective fiction, what are your influences and what qualities do you need to create a good detective novel?</i><br />
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I grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh and Sherlock Holmes. I‘d read almost all of them before I started high school (when I re-discovered fantasy and science fiction).<br />
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To create a detective novel, you need to know the solution first, so you can lay clues, red-herrings and distractions that make sense. It requires attention to detail, in both the mystery and characters, and just enough suspense to keep the reader interested.<br />
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<i>Aunt Enid has the perfect qualities of a favourite aunt; nice cooking, home with doors always open and everything in the strictest confidence. Is she based on a favourite aunt of yours?</i><br />
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She is based on my own great Aunt Enid and my grandmother, both of whom I have very fond memories. As a child, we used to visit Aunt Enid’s house. She’d make lemon butter (curd) on her wood-burning stove, and had two enormous hydrangeas - one on either side at the bottom of her front stairs. My grandmother used to make toffees, ginger slice and fruit cake - and ride motorcycles during the war years.<br />
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<i>Both ladies sound like poeple to inspire many adventures. But getting onto gnomes; gnomes are an integral part of the story. I'll be totally honest, I never really liked them, but the one I inherited with my house has taken on a new standing since reading Aunt Enid - I have even named him Manos (o vavos) Are you a fan of garden ornaments generally?</i><br />
<br />
(POSSIBLE SPOILERS!)<br />
I think there are two types of people: those who love garden gnomes (or secretly do) and those who have a morbid fear of them. I’ve had various gnomes in the garden over the years. Back in the nineties, you could get ones with axes buried in their skulls… I always wanted one of those. It got me thinking… why did they have axes in their skulls? And why do some people have armies of them in the garden? Their story needed to be told.<br />
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<i>I have mentioned to you before how I love the use of weather in the story and how I get the 'feel’ for Australia, was that a conscious intention?</i><br />
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Yes. In my author bio (see below) I state I am ‘not keen on South Australian summers.’ They are dry and hot. I’m an ex-Queenslander and I don’t cope at all in zero percent humidity, even after almost thirty years in Adelaide. I started writing ‘Aunt Enid’ as we were experiencing early heat waves last summer. It was hell! So, I decided to use the weather as a plot point - one of the keys facilitating The Dark’s entry into our world. <br />
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<i>Yes, I remember you to the members of The Scribblers' Den about the Adelaide heat. Another element in the story is bees. If you had Aunt Enid's ability to talk to bees, what would you say to them?</i><br />
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“Thank you.”<br />
I love bees. They are so important to pollination of much of our food crops. I have a chemical-free garden (I don’t spray insecticides etc) and I plant things in the garden for them - and they don’t sting me, as I’m allergic. We have an agreement.<br />
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I’m often asking them not to sting me. They seem to listen.<br />
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<i>Aunt Enid has lots of charms and warning signs, like the hydrangeas, around her house. Are you superstitious in any way?</i><br />
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I wouldn’t say superstitious. I walk under ladders, like black cats and when asked, consider ‘13’ as actually my lucky number. I do think it’s interesting looking at how some superstitions originated.<br />
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<i>Oh me too! I always find Saturday the 14th is when things go awry! I'm sure it's because I let my guard down.</i><br />
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<i>Lemon butter, or lemon curd as it is called in the UK, features throughout the story. Do you have a favourite recipe you'd like to share with us?</i><br />
<br />
There’s actually a recipe in the back of the paperback version of the book (along with the orginal short story that inspired the novel). ☺ <br />
I’ve also got a recipe video ‘Aunt Enid’s Lemon Butter Recipe’ on my youTube channel. <a href="https://youtu.be/7jnpCvpJ34Q">https://youtu.be/7jnpCvpJ34Q</a><br />
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<i>Did you know that July 26th is Aunt's and Uncle’s Day in the USA? Now that you do, will you do anything to celebrate?</i><br />
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I just found that out. I hadn’t previously known. I should do a blog post and an ebook sale to coincide with your book review blog post? Okay. Yep, I can do that.<br />
<br />
Aunts and Uncles Day Celebration: July 26th, 2018:<br />
Get an eBook copy of ‘Aunt Enid’ for US$0.99 via Smashwords (66% savings). Buy a copy (from <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/833068">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/833068</a> )<br />
Use the code: US23D at the checkout.<br />
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<i>Oh wow! That's so generous of you Karen. I'll be totally honest with you, I thoroughly enjoyed Aunt Enid: Protector Extraordinaire. Will we be hearing more from her in the future?</i><br />
<br />
Yes. I have an idea for a story on how Agnes became a Protector. There are a couple of clues in ‘Aunt Enid’ as to when it will be set.<br />
But first I need to finish my steampunk adventure, ‘The Department of Curiosities’…<br />
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Ah, yes! That was a blast. <br />
Last year Richard Ryall, of The Littmus Steampunk Band, contacted me to see if I would review some CDs. I agreed. I like them (you can read the review on my blog post: Friday: Sounds and Pictures - <a href="https://karenjcarlisle.com/2017/08/25/friday-sounds-and-pictures/">https://karenjcarlisle.com/2017/08/25/friday-sounds-and-pictures/</a> )<br />
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Earlier this year he asked if I was interested in writing some lyrics. I was intrigued. How could I resist such an opportunity? I wrote ‘The Gadgeteer’ and Richard completed it with music. The Gadgeteers appear in Viola Stewart’s last adventure, The Illusioneer. We meet them in Venice as they ‘greet’ English tourists. The Gadgeteers are a not-so-secret Society determined to convince Queen Victoria to allow free trade of technology in Great Britain. The song questions their motives.<br />
You can buy a digital copy of my song from my webpage: <a href="https://karenjcarlisle.com/product/song-the-gadgeteer/">https://karenjcarlisle.com/product/song-the-gadgeteer/</a><br />
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You can buy the album via Bandcamp - https://littmus.bandcamp.com/album/left-foot-forward - or contact Richard via his webpage if you would prefer a CD (posted within Australia).<br />
I’ve also just finished filming for the music video of their song, ‘She Writes Books.’ <br />
I’m looking forward to more collaborations with Richard and the Littmus Steampunk Band.<br />
<br />
<i>They are an exciting band, that's for sure, and it must be an honour to participate in such a project. So, what can we expect to see from you I'm the future?</i><br />
<br />
More steampunk, more mysteries and some fantasy.<br />
<br />
First I must finish The Department of Curiosities’, then decide which to revisit first - Aunt Enid or continue onto the second DOC novel. I’ve also got a fantasy story/series bubbling away in the background, and at least two stand-alone novels, set in both my steampunk and fantasy worlds.<br />
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You can follow updates either on my webpage ( <a href="https://karenjcarlisle.com/writing/works-in-progress/">https://karenjcarlisle.com/writing/works-in-progress/</a> ), sign up for my newsletter or get sneak peeks via my Patreon page.</div>
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<i>Well, it's been great sharing a cuppa with you. I hope you have a great winter there in Adelaide.</i></div>
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<i>As you know, it's summer where I am and I'll be retreating to the mountains to avoid the heat for a week or two and hopefully get some writing done. I'll be sure to catch up with you when I return, in the meantime, enjoy the read!</i><br />
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LINKS:<br />
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Website: <a href="http://www.karenjcarlisle.com/">www.karenjcarlisle.com</a><br />
<br />
Blog: <a href="http://www.karenjcarlisle.com/">www.karenjcarlisle.com</a> <br />
<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KarenJCarlisle/">https://www.facebook.com/KarenJCarlisle/</a><br />
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Twitter: @kjcarlisle (<a href="https://www.twitter.com/kjcarlisle">https://www.twitter.com/kjcarlisle</a>)</div>
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Amazon Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/karenjcarlisle">https://www.amazon.com/author/karenjcarlisle</a><br />
<br />
Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/KarenJCarlisle">https://www.goodreads.com/KarenJCarlisle</a><br />
<br />
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/karenjcarlisle/">https://www.instagram.com/karenjcarlisle/</a><br />
<br />
Youtube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4LiXU6uVL_g4MT5ykMIUzw">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4LiXU6uVL_g4MT5ykMIUzw</a><br />
<br />
Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/KarenJCarlisle">https://www.patreon.com/KarenJCarlisle</a><br />
<br />
BIO<br />
<br />
Karen J Carlisle is an imagineer and writer of speculative fiction – steampunk, Victorian mystery and fantasy.<br />
<br />
She graduated in 1986, from Queensland Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Optometry and lives in Adelaide with her family and the ghost of her ancient Devon Rex cat.<br />
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Karen first fell in love with science fiction when she saw Doctor Who as a four-year old (she can’t remember if she hid behind the couch). This was reinforced when, at the age of twelve, she saw her first Star Destroyer. She started various other long-term affairs with fantasy fiction, (tabletop) role-playing, gardening, historical re-creation and steampunk – in that order.<br />
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She has had articles published in Australian Realms Roleplaying Magazine and Cockatrice (Arts and Sciences magazine). Her short story, An Eye for Detail, was short-listed by the Australian Literature Review in their 2013 Murder/Mystery Short Story Competition. Karen’s short story, Hunted, featured in the ‘A Trail of Tales’ exhibition in the 2016 Adelaide Fringe.<br />
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She writes full-time and can often be found plotting fantastical, piratical or airship adventures.<br />
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Karen has always loved dark chocolate and rarely refuses a cup of tea.<br />
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She is not keen on the South Australian summers.</div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-73267813846671082342018-07-01T07:40:00.002-07:002018-07-01T07:42:12.947-07:00REVIEW: Aunt Enid: Protector Extaodinaire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AUNT ENID: PROTECTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE</span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Manos, the gnome from my home.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I never really liked gnomes, but I'm looking at Manos in a whole different light these days, and I'm thinking of planting hydrangeas outside my door. Karen J. Carlisle and her latest book Aunt Enid: Protector Extaodinaire are to blame!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've watched this book grow from the beginning when Karen J. Carlisle announced to the writers' group The Scribblers’ Den that she was writing something not Steampunk. Knowing her Steampunk fiction well, I was really looking forward to reading Aunt Enid: Protector Extraordinaire. What do you know? I won a copy of the ebook in her Facebook book launch. (I would have bought it anyway so this was just an extra bonus!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aunt Enid is a feisty octogenarian with an uncanny ability at winning bingo, a garden full of gnomes and a freezer stuffed with scones. Kind of like anyone's favourite aunt really, except that Aunt Enid has a secret; she is protecting all of Australia and perhaps even the world. It isn't until the people around her start getting hurt that her secret is discovered by her niece Sally. Agnes, her bingo buddy, seems more interested in matchmaking than helping the cause. Will she survive her toughest battle yet and save the ones she loves? Ask Red the garden gnome, he knows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well I wasn't at all disappointed. Karen writes in a style that is suitable for all ages, her characters are engaging and lovable, there are enough clues to keep you wondering whodunnit and plenty of tension to make to turn the next page. I particularly love the references to Australia, even though I have never been, I feel I got a real taste of the country. I would like to see more of Aunt Enid. Grab a cuppa and snuggle up in a cool corner of the garden and get carried away on a fun adventure!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Find Karen's book via her website: <a href="https://karenjcarlisle.com/">https://karenjcarlisle.com/</a></span></div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-11821378314090533202018-06-22T08:58:00.000-07:002018-06-22T08:58:52.834-07:00The Writer, the Word Demon and Wild Damson Jam.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Once upon a time there was a writer who lived in house surrounded by titanic fruit trees. She was a little known writer who wrote mostly for her own pleasure and because, at times, it felt like there was a ravenous word demon roiling inside her. She loved creating worlds of wonder and impossibility, etching out visual and sensual nuances with language. Then one day, because she had a whole lot of other stuff to do, she had to abandon tug-of-war with the demon and wean herself off creative word usage.<br />
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It was hard going and she missed it dearly, but there was no other quick and easy way to feed her family, and a ten-hour day job didn't leave much energy to play with words. How she longed for the summer, a time of freedom and fruitful work at her ageing laptop. In her notebooks she had been scribbling dreams and visions of other worlds, she had been visited by so many characters that she was beginning to feel her head would explode.<br />
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The summer inevitably arrived and finally she sat down to write. She prodded the the demon affectionately.<br />
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'Come out to play!' she demanded.<br />
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It didn't so much as flicker it's ears. She jabbed at it for a few more days but it did no more than lower it's scaly eyelid and look right through her. She kicked at her desk in frustration and fled into the garden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...the fruit trees began to thrash above her. It rained cherries first of all.</td></tr>
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A storm was brewing in the mountains all around and the darkening sky was encroaching on the sun. The air zinged with static and the fruit trees began to thrash above her. It rained cherries first of all. Grabbing a ladder and a bowl, the writer gathered the ripe fruit knowing that a jam making session would cure her blues and might even lure the word demon from hibernation. She left the bowls of glistening fruit on the kitchen table while she slipped out to buy sugar. On her return she found only the rotten worm-ridden fruit left. Her children lay snoring, their bellies bloated and their faces smothered with cherry blood.<br />
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In frustration, the writer went back to her laptop and wrestled the demon again. It stretched a lazy talon in her direction but never stirred. Instead, she went and scrubbed the bathroom until it glistened. At least something positive would come from the day.<br />
<br />
The next day she bought sugar home with her, but most of the cherries were already scattered in the yard after the storm and the sparrows fought over the last hanging few.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaning from the balcony like a love struck Juliet, the writer gathered a few kilos of the globular gems.</td></tr>
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Above the porch the wild damson was laden with fruit, tart and ruby red they glistened like semiprecious stones in the dark green branches. Leaning from the balcony like a love struck Juliet, the writer gathered a few kilos of the globular gems and rushed inside. She boiled the fruit and fished out the stones that would break the demon's teeth and the tough skins that would lead him to choke. She added the sugar and boiled the jam. She waited for it to thicken. It never did. She tested it thrice and another dozen times, but it never wrinkled. Swearing under her breath she poured it into jars and hoped it would at least taste okay.<br />
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The demon opened an eye when the writer lay the jam at the entrance of his lair. She dipped a spoon into the syrupy mixture and held it out. Raising it's head slightly, it tasted the air with its blue forked tongue and then rolled it's nose under its wing. She brought bread and butter - the unsalted kind - because salt shrivels the guts of word demons, dries them right up. After slathering a few hunks of bread with creamy butter and the sweet juice of the wild damson jam the writer left the word demon in peace.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VlFK9PA9_cM/Wy0YIIqbHzI/AAAAAAAACaI/C_nJBTmssbQ8Ol_0QwN-jFzNkzbCFVR6wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180622_182753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1600" height="290" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VlFK9PA9_cM/Wy0YIIqbHzI/AAAAAAAACaI/C_nJBTmssbQ8Ol_0QwN-jFzNkzbCFVR6wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180622_182753.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The demon opened an eye when the writer lay the jam at the entrance of his lair. </td></tr>
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The town clock struck three am and the writer awoke. The word demon lay coiled at her feet flicking it's tail like an angry cat.<br />
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'Don't you dare wake my husband.' the writer whispered.<br />
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The demon huffed a breath as rotten as bad poetry in her face, it's eyelids blinking inquisitively. The writer gathered her notebooks and sat at the laptop, a smile on her face. The word demon sidled past her, it's haunches so broad that it nearly toppled the knickknacks in the hall.<br />
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'Where are you going?'<br />
<br />
The demon sat expectantly in front of the pantry. A whole loaf, a pat of butter and a jar of syrupy jam later the writer finally put words down. The demon slept contentedly at her feet, it's tail twitching as it dreamt of wild damson jam.<br />
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'It's great to have you back.' the writer thought.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">∽</span></div>
If you enjoyed this tale then you might like to check out The Arrangement, a tale of horror, winter and undying desire, soon available in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LycanValley/posts/2121339284777103">Dark Voices</a> from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LycanValley/">Lycan Valley Press</a>.<br />
<br />
And if you're inspired to make jam click the link for the damson jam recipe I adapted and read about ways of testing jam.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/pYTS-kZqLE4">Recipe for damson jam</a>.<br />
<a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/7-tips-to-make-sure-your-jam-sets-up-193268">Ways of testing if jam is set</a>.<br />
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-88271682099232714572018-04-10T22:38:00.001-07:002018-04-10T22:44:29.941-07:00World Building - a guest post by David Wiley author of Monster Huntress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A guest post by David Wiley<br /><br />When I sat down to write Monster Huntress, I didn’t know much about the world in which it was taking place. I knew the type of world I wanted, but it transformed and evolved over the course of revisions, always growing either in size or in the details. While the story of Monster Huntress visits only a small portion of the world I’ve created, there are some lessons I’ve learned from J.R.R. Tolkien that have had a ripple effect toward my approach to worldbuilding. The biggest of those lessons was to provide the promise of something greater.<br /><br />What I mean by that is there is something more out there beyond what the reader is experiencing. There is a larger world, other events going on. There is a rich history, filled with named heroes and battles and events that can be referred to over the course of the book. The reader doesn’t need to know what the Wizard Wars were, for instance, but knowing that there was some massive war hundreds of years ago is important to provide the experience of an aged world. After all, we still refer back to events and wars that waged hundreds, and thousands, of years ago. The same will hold true in a fantasy book, unless it is a newly-formed world. Even new civilizations likely stemmed from somewhere with a history on that world.<br /><br />Some writers might take the “cut it” approach to those things, and my own editor prodded at some of those. I took a few out but kept others, because I wanted to provide depth to the world - it has a history, after all, even if I haven’t written it yet. It opens the door for significant events to be explored later in shorter forms of fiction, or even a spin-off book that covers some of those things.<br /><br />There is a scene in the book where Ava comes across a statue of four famous, yet nameless, heroes from the past. Here is the small scene:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The landmark of her journey, a tall statue made from an aquamarine granite, loomed just ahead. Its features were smooth and worn from the weather, their individual faces indistinguishable, but she could still make out the original image carved by the sculptor. It was depicting a trio of men and one woman, a party of unnamed individuals that performed heroic deeds long ago during the Wizard Wars. When Ava was close enough she could read the short inscription at the base of the statue which read: "These four warriors fought to maintain the balance in the world. They fought bravely and their sacrifice for the side of the Light will forever be remembered." The rest of the words had been worn down to the point where they were no longer legible.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ava sat in her saddle and contemplated the deeds of these bold warriors from the past. Had they not acted perhaps the world would be radically different than the world she was living in now. It was clear, from the inscription that remained, that these four were important in shaping history.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />This scene was much longer, originally, giving some physical descriptions and some speculations on their individual roles. Yet I like the concise nature here. It gives you enough to emphasize their importance in making the world like it is, yet doesn’t steal the scene away from the main character. Look for more worldbuilding scenes like this to appear as the world I’ve built continues to grow. After all, Monster Huntress is set in a world with 13 kingdoms. By the end of book one, she’s only set foot into two of them, so the possibility for growth is quite large as she goes on more adventures in the Young Huntress Series. <br /><br />Want to get started on Monster Huntress? <a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/3RoARx">Grab a copy today! </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Want to learn more about the world I’ve built? Check out the <a href="http://owsink.ourwriteside.com/blog/2018/04/07/track-down-monster-huntress-in-the-exciting-release-tour-starting-today/">earlier stops</a> on the tour and meet some of the characters!</span></div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-41306751473991259382018-04-06T13:03:00.000-07:002018-04-06T13:03:10.843-07:00Cover Reveal - Her Dark Voice 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The saying goes<i> All good things come come to those who wait,</i> and so here it is.<br />Her Dark Voice Volume Two, edited by Theresa Derwin and published by Quantum Corsets.</h3>
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I'm really looking forward to this anthology for many reasons. It is the second time that I have worked with Theresa Derwin - the last time being the <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Once-Bitten-Jacob-Prytherch-ebook/dp/B013J456U2">Once Bitten</a> anthology (currently free on Amazon Unlimited for kindle edition) from Knightwatch Press. Theresa is a super editor and staunch supporter of <a href="https://www.womeninhorrormonth.com/">Women in Horror</a>. Then there's the fact that this anthology will raise money for the charity <a href="http://breastcancernow.org/">Breast Cancer Now</a>. I have pledged all my royalties to the charity. The launch is planned to coincide with <a href="https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/edge-lit-7.aspx">Edge Lit 2018</a>, where there will be author readings and so much more. My story will be nestled with a whole bunch of great reads from some superior authors. More on that later. Until then, feast your eyes on the cover!</div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-40065495028046331742017-12-29T00:43:00.001-08:002017-12-29T00:43:53.898-08:00Bring it on!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2018 looms and I'm still wallowing in a dirge of expiring tech and a deluge of work-that-isn't-writing. (Stevie Smith's <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46479/not-waving-but-drowning">Not Waving not Drowning</a> springs to mind.) Yet I am sure all is not lost!<br />
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So here's the run down of 2017 - not an inspiring picture as you can see.<br />
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Published:<br />
Acceptance (Trembling With Fear, The Horror Tree)<br />
No Ordinary Game ( Trembling With Fear, The Horror Tree) <br />
<br />
Reprints:<br />
Synchronysi (Great Jones Street)<br />
Balancing Act (Great Jones Street)<br />
Shark Nose (Great Jones Street)<br />
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There is a sliver of molten gold peeling across the horizon of 2018, however. Let's hope I can turn it into a wedge or even an ingot!<br />
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Forthcoming 2018 (so far!):<br />
The Arrangement, Her Dark Voice Volume 2 (Quantum Corsets)<br />
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On the reading front, my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/7821147">Goodreads Book Challenge</a> target has been reached. Click the link to see.<br />
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I have work, my family are well & happy and my bills are paid, so life has been a success for another year.<br />
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Let's hope that 2018 offers you those luxuries (because the basics are becoming luxuries these days) and if you are supremely lucky, even more than that!<br />
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Thanks for sticking with me!<br />
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Happy New Year!</div>
N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-67424895647066959542017-09-06T08:09:00.000-07:002017-09-06T08:09:12.163-07:00Clearing House<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been stuck for so long that I really didn't do much writing. Fairy talk and forest visits have built ideas and inspiration but I've put little pen to paper, so to speak. My excuse? I couldn't see the wood for the trees! My laptop, my chief writing tool, 'is old and has no memory', to misquote Gary Oldman in Dracula. It keeps popping up little warnings and runs like sloth.<br />
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So, despite fear of the unknown, I've been forced to sort out my desk top. No big deal for you digital natives out there maybe, but I'm home-schooled in computing. My son (10) is a bit of a whizz at these things has helped me out with this. (Thanks Villy!) and I now have nice little folders for all my work and can see just what I have to do each day and what I have ahead. Now, I must have mentioned in the past, that I am an easily distracted person which means extreme organisation is the key to success for me. (Ask my family about my 'Book of Lists' and they will tell you how I plan expeditions like a sergeant major!)<br />
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But what does this mean for my writing? #1, I have rediscovered many half-written stories. How many? More than 30! #2 I've scrapped piles of rubbish and feel cleansed to Marie Kondo extremes. #3 I have a plan of action! Guess what I'm going to be doing over the coming months? Finishing, honing, tweaking and submitting. I've already started - I've submitted 3 stories this week and I'm not even done clearing my desktop. Here's hoping acceptances arrive like Hogwarts letters.<br />
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I will keep you posted!</div>
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So what did you glean from this post? (Tick as appropriate boxes, more than one answer allowed.)</div>
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<li>I am disorganised.</li>
<li>I did virtually no writing over the summer.</li>
<li>My computer is old.</li>
<li>I am overly optimistic.</li>
<li>I am getting in the mood for back to school.</li>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-56129166422608973812017-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:002017-08-08T06:01:58.556-07:00Snips and Snails and Fairy Tales, That's What My Summer's Made Of!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I'm back and the wedding's over. It was a glorious but small affair in the gorgeous Grand Hotel perched on the edge of the Jurassic Coast. I met family members I've never ad the chance to meet (they were born after I emigrated ) and was reunited with many more. I wasn't there for nearly long enough but times are tough and purses are not over-flowing.<br />
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I haven't finished reading any of the books I recommended in the last post - not because they aren't superb but because I stocked up on some second hand bargains during my stay at home! I love charity shops and Swanage is stuffed with them, I found a hardback copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Anne-Rice-x/dp/0099255154/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502196928&sr=1-1&keywords=violin+anne+rice">Violin</a> by Anne Rice that I haven't read - hadn't even heard of to be honest, although the character was touched on in the Prince Lestat. Looking forward to diving into that. Didn't get hold of her latest book but I'll ask for it for Christmas! The one that has really got me stuck though is <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Nature-Alice-Hoffman/dp/0425161633">Second Nature</a> by Alice Hoffman - I love her stories they are pure magic realism that I would love to capture! I even found a box of books up at <a href="http://www.durlston.co.uk/the-castle.aspx">Durlston Castle</a> which I practically emptied - there were super reads for my kids - one kid's rubbish is another kid's treasure!<br />
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So as for writing. I have several things pending with publishers and several rewrites going on but this summer it's my intention to finish my first fairy story. I've got about 12,000 words down but no ending as yet. In fact, I'm only just going into the adventure! I'm taking the kids to up to a tiny cottage in the forest where they'll run free and I'll be inspired to write, at least that's the plan. Wish me luck!</div>
N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-91680814948820162112017-07-03T05:10:00.000-07:002017-07-03T05:11:28.533-07:00Hot Summer Reads!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
July already and it's averaging 40 degrees Celsius here in Greece. The heat's not so conducive to writing - or much else for that matter - I do not do air conditioning (for various reasons I won't bore you with here!) So with fans swirling overhead, I've been reading and packing for a long awaited trip home for my niece's wedding. So here's the (wedding) low-down on what I'm currently reading (or planning to)!<br />
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SOMETHING OLD:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aviary-Gate-Katie-Hickman-ebook/dp/B004VVF2HU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499062095&sr=8-1&keywords=The+aviary+gate">The Aviary Gate</a> by Katie Hickman. I'm about a third of the way in and intrigued! A friend of mine, who I always meet on holiday, gave me this last year (it had been passed on to her from a friend of hers). I had a pile of books on the go and didn't start it then. This year I picked it up and I'm really stuck in it.<br />
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The story slips smoothly between the present and the past following the research of Elizabeth Stavely, who is running away from a troubled trelationship, and Paul Pinder, who discovers that his lost fiance may just be the newest slave in the sultan's harem. The detail and research that must have gone into the book are phenomenal. Hickman, not only builds strong characters but also gives a vivid description of life in Constantinople of the 1500s. I can't wait to see if Pindar rescues Celia and if Elizabeth get over her relationship Marius. I'm also curious about Elizabeth's very strong sense of intuition.<br />
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SOMETHING NEW:<br />
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On a much lighter note, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bite-Somebody-Else-Dobie-Bauer/dp/0997788895">Bite Somebody Else</a> by Sara Dobie Bauer is my new book as it was released in June. It continues the story of vampire friends Imogen and Celia, this time from the perspective of Imogen. (Celia took the lead in volume 1, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bite-Somebody-Sara-Dobie-Bauer/dp/0692661832">Bite Somebody</a> - which I also read recently - the Kindle edition is currently on offer on Amazon for 99p!)<br />
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I'm about to dive into this one, but the blurb makes it sound just as exciting as Bite Somebody. Imogen is wild and crazy and on the surface seems not to give a damn about anyone, but I somehow feel that she's about to show a deeper side in this novel. Now Celia is pregnant with a human/vampire baby, Imogen has to deal with the ancient vampire history who wishes to follow Celia's progress. Bauer's writing style is quick witted and very funny. She makes reference to other contemporary vampire fiction and has familiar tropes, yet there is something delightfully original that will suck you in.<br />
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SOMETHING BORROWED:<br />
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Living in a provincial town in Greece means that reading material is in short supply unless you have $s to spend. (Which, due to the financial crisis/wedding, I do not!) Fortunately, my local library has a quite a good foreign language section which consists mostly of classics donated by graduates returning from English philology studies in the UK. This gives me the opportunity to catch up on reading books I feel I should have read, but never have. So my borrowed book at the moment is <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirty-Nine-Steps-John-Buchan-ebook/dp/B0082Z2904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499067360&sr=8-1&keywords=the+thirty-nine+steps">The Thirty-nine Steps </a>by John Buchan. I have only just started reading it and I love that very British voice that classic writers have. I've tried to emulate it in one or two of my stories and it's not easy. This is one of those occasions where I have seen <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_39_Steps_(1935_film)">the film</a>, by Alfred Hitchcock, first and now I'm reading the book. Apparently there are other stories with Richard Hannay as the protagonist, so I'll be looking out for those too.<br />
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If you do not know the story, here's a quick overview: Richard Hanney returns to London after growing up in South Africa and finds life boring as hell. He is on the verge of returning to S.A. when he's accosted by a dead man and dragged into a story of espionage and murder that takes him to the wilds of Scotland and turns him into a the prime suspect in a murder investigation.<br />
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SOMETHING BLUE:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Call-Fire-Blood-Earth-Beth-ebook/dp/B01N66GYTX/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498932602&sr=1-1&keywords=beth+Cato+Call+of+Fire">Call of Fire</a> by Beth Cato and is the sequel to Breath of Earth, which I read last summer, but have only just gotten round to reviewing. (Shameful, I know.) I can't wait to catch up with geomancer Ingrid Carmicheal, Cy, Lee and Fenris and see what is going to happen since they were left fleeing San Francisco after the devastating earthquake at the end of the last book. It seems they're going to get tangled with ambassadors and turn to Theodor Roosevelt for help. The galley <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32600743-call-of-fire#other_reviews">reviews on Goodreads</a> are really promising another great story! So why is this blue? That's how I feel because it doesn't come out until August 15th!<br />
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-1248972938160400422017-05-09T15:04:00.000-07:002017-05-09T15:04:13.418-07:00Challenge me!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
May 12th is National Limerick Day held in commemoration of poet, artist and composer Edward Lear (May 12th 1812 - January 29th 1888). It is also in commemoration of his Book of Nonsense, first published in 1846, which contains fantastic limerick poems. (When I was about twelve, I asked for a copy of the book for my birthday, instead I got a birthday book with his limericks!)<br />
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In a blatant attempt to increase followers/ subscribers to my blog, and following the adage that you don't get something for nothing, I'm proposing you challenge me! Yes, you heard me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Challenge me!</b> </span></div>
Subscribe to/follow my blog, post a key word (often but not always a place name), in the comments below any time during May 12th and I will (attempt to) write a limerick in return. Those of you who know me from the (recently fallen) Steampunk Empire know that I've got a bit of a knack at this (even if I do say so myself). The publishable limericks from a similar challenge carried out there and a few more besides are free to read on my Wattpad account under the title <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/408654781-there-was-a-wild-woman-who-in-memory-of-the-empire">"There was a Wild Woman Who"</a>.<br />
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NOTE: This challenge is only for all people who post their word on May 12th, 2017 and are subscribed to/following N.O.A. Rawle: Through the Eyes of a Stranger. All limericks remain the copyright of the author. Please don't expect immediate returns on your prompt word; I'm a working mum after all, and it is a pretty hectic period for me right now too, but I'm also known for writing into the wee hours of the morn, so check back frequently throughout May 12th and that goes for any time zone!<br />
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-70357359850513314492017-04-27T23:38:00.000-07:002017-04-27T23:44:21.676-07:00"Write What You Know."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is the some of the oldest advice given when it comes to writing. It holds true even though it might feel a bit limiting, especially if to a young and/or inexperienced writer. So let me explain how I've dealt with this.<br />
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Think about all the <span style="color: red;"><b>emotions</b></span> you know. It's certain that you've experienced a huge range of feelings from euphoria right down to depression. Really explore those experiences. How did you move? How did other people understand your feelings or relate to you during that time? What were you thinking at that time? What made your emotion change?<br />
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Then there are <span style="color: orange;"><b>age issues</b></span>. You cannot change how old you are, but in my experience the way you think will not change so drastically despite the encroaching years. What does change are your reactions to certain situations. (I find myself thinking, "Oh hell, I sound just like my mother." more frequently than I wish.) But anyway, there are always older or younger people around who you can observe. Look at how they react in certain situations, how the respond to people of different age or status. Quiz them on their thoughts on a certain experience. I enjoyed doing this with my story Shark Nose.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8d9uS3ytw5E/WQLdMdWLvNI/AAAAAAAAA8g/o90COpPcR1Ubvbcla2xK5LjSL95wfIigwCLcB/s1600/Shark%2BNose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8d9uS3ytw5E/WQLdMdWLvNI/AAAAAAAAA8g/o90COpPcR1Ubvbcla2xK5LjSL95wfIigwCLcB/s320/Shark%2BNose.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.greatjonesstreet.press/shark-nose-n-o-rawle/">Read it here.</a></td></tr>
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Knowledge of certain <span style="color: yellow;"><b>jobs</b></span>, places or circumstances can seem hard too gain too. The most revealing way of doing this is actually by putting yourself in that situation, embracing opportunity. If you a recent report from Greek Reporter, you will know that I suddenly found myself in the position of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GreekReporter/videos/10154556589985829/?pnref=story">translator/reporter</a> on live TV, earlier this month. I've also had a variety of jobs including but not limited to fishmonger, set builder for the BBC, costume designer,interior designer, factory worker, baker, cleaner, secretary, teacher, care assistant, bookseller, shop assistant, oh and of course writer. You don't have to do the job to get a feel for it though. Find another person who does it and subject them to an inquisition. Watch documentaries in the Internet where people are talking about their lives as a.... (I did this for a WIP about a taxidermist.)<br />
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For a fantasy author,<b> <span style="color: lime;">worlds</span></b> are a challenge all on their own, especially if you want to create another, non-existent planet. There are whole blogs on world-building you can follow but you can make it simpler too. Look around you and observe. Weeds growing on an old stone wall can become fairy land, a desert a barren planet. It is said that the Shire is inspired by certain areas of the Forest of Dean where Tolkien worked in the late1920s. Regions can become countries, follow the geography of a map but put in your own cities, swamps, forests and so on. Think about the climate you want to create and then research regions which have this climate. Of course, if you have the wherewithal, why not take a visit to the place you wish to write about. Neil Gaiman had tours of London's sewer system when researching Neverwhere, which just proves, nothing beats reality after all.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Characters</b></span> are a challenge too. They require a little psychoanalysis and a lot of observation. Find a person who resembles your character in looks of personality or both and trim them to suit your purpose. It doesn't have to be someone you know or even a real person. Beth Cato says she drew inspiration for Mrs. Stout from British TV series 'Are You Being Served?''s Mrs. Slocombe in her bestselling Clockwork Dagger series.<br />
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Don't have a <span style="color: purple;"><b>plot</b></span> and want to be a writer? Use someone else's. Yes, I am serious. How many stories have been inspired by Mythology, Bible stories, the Classics or Fairy tales? (Ulysses by James Joyce, for one!) Take your favourite story, change the setting, give the characters new names, swap their genders or race and write it anew! You will find that you will probably just wander off on a tangent as you write and create something very much your own.<br />
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Finally and most simply, be inspired. You know an awful lot about all kinds of things and in the words of William Arthur Ward, “If you can imagine it, you can create it.”</div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-1926342209743438362017-02-28T15:47:00.000-08:002017-02-28T15:48:58.947-08:00Shark Nose!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Those lovely people at <a href="https://www.greatjonesstreet.press/">Great Jones Street </a>are featuring my short horror story 'Shark Nose' and boy have they made a great cover! Don't forget to download the app to your phone if you want to read for free! <a href="http://gjs.rocks/Shark-Nose">Click here</a> for a link directly to it and my story.<br />
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"The story is heart-pumping and so vivid, you can feel the earth move when the bombs make impact with the ground." Great Jones Street</blockquote>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-30667401989761971192017-01-20T22:48:00.000-08:002017-01-20T22:52:28.617-08:00Balancing Act Cover!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2016 was a very sparse year for me as a writer. Let's hope 2017 is more promising and what a better way to begin the year than with a cover reveal?<br />
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<a href="https://www.greatjonesstreet.press/">Great Jones Street</a> is promoting my steampunk short story 'Balancing Act' and they have created this beautiful cover for it.<br />
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BALANCING ACT</div>
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Jeremy Alsop has managed to dupe Clarisse and her family into believing he is rich and eligible. As an engagement present he invites Monsieur Du Monde, snake oil man, and the Equilibrator to work it's fickle magic upon his fiancee.</div>
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If you want to read 'Balancing Act', 'Synchronysi' or 'Shark Nose' all you have to do is download the free Great Jones Street app from <a href="https://greatjonesstreet.app.link/JSIQGb2Pzx">Google Play</a> or <a href="https://greatjonesstreet.app.link/JSIQGb2Pzx">App Store</a> and off you go!</div>
N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-88178885546584728112016-12-31T00:41:00.000-08:002017-01-03T23:18:42.639-08:00Saying Goodbye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The end of 2016 is here and social media is lamenting a long list of lost icons. I too am mourning a loss; that of my godmother. She was one of the last of the real ladies, full of grace and charm and a wicked temper! A lady who told tales of the mountains and the creatures and fairies that live in them. She supplied many tidbits and trivia which have filled my stories with magic and mystery. Her passing is a huge loss. I have included her in my latest work-in-progress, a new short story currently called Hood Winked, as a character that is not too far removed from reality and guides the heroine through a devil of a difficulty. Let's hope this is published so you can meet her and so that she lives on in print as well as memory.<br />
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2016 also saw the passing of the lovely lady whose memories graced the pages of my story Shark Nose and I'm glad this story is dedicated to her so that she will always be remebered there. You can read this story on <a href="https://www.greatjonesstreet.press/">Great Jones Street</a> via your mobile phone.<br />
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As a writer you never can tell who or what will inspire you nor what will become of those little sparks; will they fizzle out to nothing or burn like a thousands suns? I have realised that the truth is not fate or luck, but sheer determination. My output this year was minimal because of personal health problems and too much work of the bill-paying kind. I have been gathering sparks in my notebook and I'm hoping to kindle a few blazes this coming year!<br />
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Just in case you have missed anything, here's a recap of published works from 2016 - it's a shamefully short list! (One of my colleagues published 75 stories and novellas and thought he had not done enough...I have to get my a**e in gear in 2017 it seems!) Click on the titles for links/purchase details!<br />
<a href="http://stories.greatjonesstreet.press/3iZr/m0NyYo8RDz?action=story-detail&storyId=16799&storyTitle=Balancing%20Act&author=N.O.A.%20Rawle&referring_user_id=1773B818-D0BD-42D5-92E3-208B51B86F70&share_medium=SMS"><br /></a>
<a href="http://stories.greatjonesstreet.press/3iZr/m0NyYo8RDz?action=story-detail&storyId=16799&storyTitle=Balancing%20Act&author=N.O.A.%20Rawle&referring_user_id=1773B818-D0BD-42D5-92E3-208B51B86F70&share_medium=SMS">Balancing Act</a> (Steampunk)<br />
<a href="http://stories.greatjonesstreet.press/3iZr/z4wAwY5RDz?action=story-detail&storyId=16797&storyTitle=Synchronysi&author=N.O.A.%20Rawle&referring_user_id=1773B818-D0BD-42D5-92E3-208B51B86F70&share_medium=SMS">Synchronysi </a>(Steampunk)<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0995276722/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1478296232&sr=8-1&keywords=scribblers+den">Hark! Hark!</a> (Steampunk)<br />
<a href="http://stories.greatjonesstreet.press/3iZr/DY6NLm7RDz?action=story-detail&storyId=16798&storyTitle=Shark%20Nose&author=N.O.A.%20Rawle&referring_user_id=1773B818-D0BD-42D5-92E3-208B51B86F70&share_medium=SMS">Shark Nose </a>(Horror)<br />
<a href="https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/61765903-close-call">Close Call</a>* (Horror)<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Hungry-Pete-Sutton/dp/099546412X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479898870&sr=8-1&keywords=forever+hungry+far+horizons">The Night Before </a>(Zombie)<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflections-Fox-Pockets-Chloe-Yates/dp/1909348929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478988599&sr=8-1&keywords=reflections+fox+spirit">Tickets to Ride</a> (Weird)<br />
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* Watch this space for the final chapter in 2017!<br />
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HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY 2017 BE THE YEAR TO TOP THE REST!</div>
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4171341864795894452.post-90997211834805507142016-11-20T15:13:00.002-08:002016-11-20T22:45:58.316-08:00Great Jones Street and a Stranger's Perspective!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First of all, it has been a while since I have written a post that isn't advertising something and to begin with, this may seem yet another one of those posts! I was saving some of the thoughts here for my December post, but I've just had some great news that I want to share.<br />
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I have had a run of bad luck on the publishing front this year. Two of the companies that I've had stories with went under and that affected my desire to write more than I thought possible. It felt like I had a jinx on me, especially as one of those anthologies was 'What Went Wrong'! But there's nothing like a bit of stiff upper lip to shake me out of the doldrums and I've just sold three stories to <a href="https://www.greatjonesstreet.press/">Great Jones Street</a>! What's that you might ask? It's a new short story app and intends to do for short stories what Netflix has done for TV. Sound great right? Looks great too - check out their <a href="https://vimeo.com/174551528">teaser video</a>. I will give you more details when my stories go live there.<br />
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Some of you may have noticed how the title of my blog changed this summer, well there are several reasons for this. <i>Through the Eyes of a Stranger</i> is a line from a song I loved in my early teens and it just seemed apt. The Greek word for <i>foreigner</i> ξένος can also mean <i>stranger</i>. I am a foreigner in the place I've lived almost half my life - that won't change no matter how much I adapt. Thing is, I am also a stranger to the land of my birth not having returned there for over a decade. It's a pretty unique perspective I can tell you. But then, I've always made slightly obtuse observations about things (and often miss what most others see as obvious)!<br />
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All this had been churning in my subconscious and the aforementioned dark period acted as a catalyst for what was probably writer's block. It's hard having all the ideas that just pop up in your head just disappear and not have the will to sit down and put pen to paper so to speak because there's nothing there. But it happens. If you don't write then perhaps you've lost your voice at some point in time, or maybe broken a limb? If you have you'll know what it's like to have something you take for granted just stop functioning! You can't go on the way you were, you have to figure out another way. Some writers advise keep on plugging away, write everyday. For me that was like looking inside my soul and seeing a void! Why should I waste time sitting in front of a screen trying to get something from nothing? It was like taking a helter-skelter ride into self-loathing introspection. I didn't stay there and won't attempt it again. Time's too precious to beat yourself up, believe me! I just gave up, took a break, threw myself into some other activities and sure enough, the ideas have come flooding back! Nothing like a little perspective. Be looking out for more fromme in the coming months. Until then, I've finally got a follow tab just on the right here.>>><br />
Get yourselves signed up for further updates!<br />
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N.O.A. Rawlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718721706857262161noreply@blogger.com2