It’s so Easy When You’re Evil...

 If you aren’t humming Voltair’s “When You’re Evil” yet, I hope you will be once you watch the video because it’s the perfect tune to hum as you read my answers to June’s Beautiful People: Evil Edition! Mua ha ha ha ha he :}

For June’s edition I thought I’d take on Whowlaski’s left hand man, since I used the Good General for April’s Beautiful People.  Chester would be Whoalwski’s right hand man, however, it’s his twin, York, who gets that honor. Thankfully, York isn’t nearly as evil. He’s just the better assassin. Chester, on the other hand, is a slime ball who likes Wholwaski’s methods.

1. What is their motive?

Revenge against all those whom Chester feels caused him and his twin, York, to be abandoned at birth. This list includes the Gods, as he feels it's their fault that twins are looked upon as 'bad news'.

2. What are they prepared to do to get what they want?

Anything except be kind and considerate (which I'm not sure he's capable of) or harm his twin.

3. Are they evil to the core, or simply misunderstood?

Originally it annoyance at being misunderstanding, which soon turned to grudge because no one saw his true potential. Then, after some cunning words from Wholwaski, his grudge has turned to hatred against the world.

Ted Raimi is my pick to play
Chester and York

4. What was their past like? What about their childhood? Was there one defining moment that made them embrace their evil ways?

Chester and York were abandoned at birth (due to the stigma of having twins). They were found by the Nigiri (Gods’ assassin) who wanted to retire, so he brought the newborns to the Gods to be raised to take his position. York was supposed to be The replacement assassin, but he refused to exclude his twin. Though they learned side by side Chester’s was never as good as York. This means Chester always got the easier jobs. When he’s tries for the harder ones, York ends up having to fix his debacles. His pivotal moment was when, York switched assignments with him. That was the day Chester tried to assassinate Wholawski and found himself facing an equal, who didn't even believe in the Gods. It was then that Chester switched sides.

5. Now that they’re evil, have they turned their back on everyone, or is there still someone in their life that they care for? (Brother? Daughter? Love interest? Mother? Someone who is just as evil as they are?)

Wholawski may have replaced the Gods in Chester's heart, but the General couldn't replace his twin. York and Chester share that mysterious twin bond and even if Chester could take out York, he wouldn’t.

6. Do they like hugs?

No. Definitely not. (York says he'll take them for his brother, though he prefers high fives)

7. Are they plagued by something? (Nightmares, terrible thoughts?)

Chester is definitely plagued by the ever present threat that his actions, especially his failures, could be the one that angers Wholawski enough to hurt York.

8. Who are they more similar to: Gollum or Maleficent?

Good question, I’m going to with Gollum, because he’s not the sharpest sword of the bunch.

9. If your villain could have their choice of transportation what would it be?

Willow transport. Ever since he stopped working for the Gods he hasn’t been able to use Willow trees to teleport from one location to another. Now he has to use horses like normal ‘mortal’ men, which really irks him.

10. If you met your villain in the street, how afraid would you be? Are they evil enough to kill their creator?

No, Chester wouldn’t kill me, York won't let him. He's more likely to kidnap me and take me to  Wholawski, which would be a fate worse than death. So yes, I'd be afraid and hope York, Sarah or Hason would show up to save me.

And for the Bonus Question!

Does the dark side really have cookies?

No, not in this world. Baking cookies is as foreign to them as guns are.

(The web has amazing things - you can actually purchase gun cookie cutters. - How cookie is that? *snickers*)

A Dog, a Pageant and a Play?

Oh, my word, this week has felt crazy!

• I finished reading this months novel
• I had a short story published
• I spent the day at the Zoo with my daughter’s kindergarten class
• I’ve participated in an afternoon of dance rehearsal
• We’ve adopted a puppy

And that’s on top of taking care of the kids, the husband, the house, going to work and all that. Yeah, I’m feeling a bit exhausted. Somehow, I will survive. I have before. It’s just one of those deep breath nights. Now, let me expand on the first two topics. *grins*

Review:  The Best Revenge by Anne R. Allen

I purchased this book on my Kindle as part of the Camilla Randall Mystery Box Set. Having just gotten used to figuring out how to judge where I was in a book, reading a book in a set threw me off. Somewhere around 25% of the way through I had to put the book down because I wasn’t certain I could handle it if Camilla’s life got any lower. Once I started it again, I quickly finished The Best Revenge (at 33% through the set).

What a relief.

Anne's writing pulled me in so deep that every time I came out of the book I’d be shaking from the emotional ride. Poor Camilla, debutant of the high society, thrust from her innocent world into one of sex and drama. Is she a darling in need of protection as playwright Plantagenet Smith believes? Or is she a spit fire young woman who can take on the world as reporter Jonathan Kahn believes? Oh and did I mention there’s the mystery of who killed the rocks star and some other sneaky mysteries lurking in the background ? Like I said, Camilla is put through a lot, but I’ll let you read to find out how she gets through it all.

I’m PUBLISHED! SQUEEEEEEEEE

Okay, so this is the last topic for the night. (I need some sleep before I have to wake up and tend to the potty needs of puppy and son.) That’s right, I’m an officially published author! After submitting a short story to Mark Williams, a few months ago, he took it and ran... Okay not quite. He did surprise me with an e-mail that included this link. And there is was, “The Harvest Pageant” by Cathryn Leigh a MWiDP single! (Can I also squee because they are the same people who published that box set above? *giggles*) It’s up on Amazon UK too.

Saffina Desforges wrote the intro (which is also posted on the Amazon page) I like the last paragraph best:

“Traditional fairy tales can sometimes be dark and brooding, and overly-stretched, while modern day fairy tales are often written in a modern style that ill-fits the setting. In The Harvest Pageant Cathryn Leigh achieves a delightful balance, with exotic settings and names, classic fairy tale themes, and a sound moral base, all told in a single short story that’s just right for bed-time reading.”

Wow, I would have never have thought about that story as kids bedtime story. After all, it’s the same setting as my Phoenix Trilogy, which isn’t a children’s book at all. Maybe I can write kids tales. I don’t know, but I’ll be trying my hand at more short stories. Now that my name is out there, I feel the need to write and polish more!

*GINORMOUS HUGGLES* Saffina and Mark – You made my day! (and potentially my week, maybe month, not likely year though, that’ll come when I finally get a novel out *giggles*)

:} Cathryn Leigh

You Don’t Need Money to be a God...

...You just need to be (no not a doctor, it costs a lot of money to earn that degree); a writer. You read me right. It doesn’t take any money at all to start writing. A walk to the local library, plop yourself down at the public computers and start typing. There are free writing sites out there (my favorite is Protagonize, of course). Or you could sign up for free e-mail and send the story out to the ones you love. But, either way, it’s totally free to dish out agony and pain on the characters you create.

Of course being a writer comes with its own pit falls. If you’re doing it like I do, your characters start to live inside your head and you’ll find yourself talking to them at odd moments. Worse yet they could take over you words and you might blurt something out. I’m serious. Charley’s characters took over her blog once to plead for help.

I haven’t had anything so drastic happen. I prefer to be a benevolent Goddess and love dishing out happy endings. Not ever afters mind you, those are simply unrealistic, but what they call in the Romance industry ‘happily for now’ – my life is full of those moments so I share with my characters, the good guys at least. They in turn protect me from the evil nasties I’ve begun to create.

It’s quite fun, actually, to see my character come to life and grow into their own persons. Plus, it’s a lot less stressful than raising my kids.  No one will accuse me of child abuse if I stuff a character into a bunker only to fill it with rotting vegetable stew. Not to mention those great character conversations that happen between me and Charley.

Of course, she’s like me so she doesn’t think I’m crazy for it. In fact I blame her for my characters becoming so vocal and active. Now I find them watching through my eyes and making observations about the world I live in. Sometimes keeping those thoughts to myself hard because... well, here’re two examples from Rachael.

Example 1

My hubby and I were watching Firefly, I can’t remember the episode now, but Rachel grins at me from inside my skull.

“I like him,” she comments as Captain Reynolds kicks the bad guy into the running engine because he won’t take the Captain’s message back to his nefarious boss.

Of course, she would like Mal. Though I created her before I ever say Firefly or Serenity, Rachael is a female version of him. She runs her ship without a crew, though... Or, she did until I decided to reunite her with her hodge podge family. Don’t let her grumbling fool you, she loves them and woe to anyone who tries to mess with them.

Example 2 (links in this example are 'not safe for work')

My hubby and I got cozy and started watching Diary of a Nymphomaniac and Rachael saunters into my brain.

“That’s what I am,” she states, indicating the main character with a smirk.

I think my jaw must have dropped, even if I didn’t say what I wanted to. I mean,

I’d known she was an adrenal junkie. And sure, she was a saucy minx and liked sex, but a nymphomaniac? That threw a wrench into the works on the loving romance I was hoping to write in there. Michael might never get over his depression now!

Yes, us writers may be the Gods of our creations, but our characters will assert their individuality. Of course if they annoy us too much we can alter their stories to add more physical or mental anguish. However, these are probably thoughts best not said out loud because, as Miriam so nicely blogged about, you might have to tell the police: “I’m Not a Psychopath. Honest!”

Have you had any moments like that? I told my hubby about a couple and decided not to tell him anymore. I love the dear man and don’t want him to think I‘m crazier than he already does. Not to mention he’s currently my best editor... when I can get him to edit my stuff!

*Giggles and Grins*

:} Elo / Cathryn

P.S. I’d like to thank Tammy J. Patton, whose comment on Anne’s blog about Writer Myths for the inspiration of this post – even if it took me a month to write and post it. {:

A Map is All You Need!

No fantasy book is complete without a Map. It’s your invitation to go places, and explore. Not to mention it is very handy for making sure it takes the proper amount of time to get from point A to point B... something I am a little, erm, obsessive about.

So how does one go about making a Map? Good question! I suspect I might enroll myself in some cartography classes (or hire a cartographer) eventually, but for now, this is how I'm going about making the map for my Phoenix Trilogy.

Rough Sketch

It all started with an idea. I wrote the very first book with no map at all, but when I got to revising for posting on Protagonize I needed a map to figure out timing. So, I made this rough sketch of what I thought Vervell and part of Azure looked like.

When I got to revising the second book, I needed something more. My map had no scale, and I needed more detail. Thus this, my second, and more detailed, version was born!

Detailed Sketch

Then I got into these whole world building exercises and found a link to some web pages about building a planet, which emphasizes there really aren’t planets of sand or forests or ice (Bonus 1).

One of the other points in the world building was that maps don’t have to be free handed. One way is to trace old maps, so I bought myself a World Atlas. I wish I could have the one I used to pour over when growing up, but the one I bought isn’t bad. It’s on the environmental side, but that means it has useful world maps, that show currents and climates.

Then I got to talking with Charley. We’ve always had a sense that our Phoenix and Aeserion trilogies take place on the same world. Both trilogies are set in a similar era of human evolution. And then there was the character invasions of each other’s plots in the third books, without thought to continuity! Anyway, I offered to layout her world of Cumnor and my world of Videra on one map.

Charley's Sketch

So this April, after Charley sent me this lovely sketch, and a barrage of email exchanges, I got out my tracing paper and atlas. Using one of the world maps, I began tracing land boarders and country boarders, mixing and matching, reversing and inverting, until I was relatively happy with the result.

After some more e-mails and some reconsiderations of the amount of water necessary, I finally have... The Map!

I’m still figuring it out – I’ve got the currents (dark blue lines in the ocean), mountain ranges (the grey/silver lines on the land), and major lakes and rivers (landlocked blue obviously). Now I need to work on climates and vegetation cover.

The Map!

Cumnor is solely Charley’s territory. She is the overlord supreme and is tackling at least four countries with, I don’t know how many, deities. (Bonus 2)

Videra is mine. Since Sarah’s from the USA Midwest, I felt the need to turn her world even more upside down, so Vervell,  Azure and the Areni Plains are actually located in the southern hemisphere and a mirror image from before. I, however, have stuck with two Gods for the entire continent. (Bonus 3)

The Pontus Isles, and Draconia are collaborative territories. They may or may not feature in our novels. Yet, they are there, just waiting for a mischievous Demi-God (or two) to set things in motion. The lonely Apanati Islands, however, are mine. I have a lament to write, which I intend to set there. (Bonus 4)

BONUSES

Now if you’ve been wondering what those Bonuses are... Well they are questions for you to answer.

1. What is the names of the ‘planets’ I reference and what universe do they belong to? – 4 possible points
2. Where is the Errion and Skatha Peninsula located, and what parts of the world did I use for this continent – 2+ possible points
3. Where is Azure, Vervell and the Areni Plains located and what parts of the world did I use for this continent? – 2+ possible points
4. What parts of the world did I use for these Island groups? – 4 possible points

E-mail me your answers (elorithryn at gmail dot com) by June 1st. The person with the most points gets to choose one prize from the list below. I’ll let you know the results in my June 6th post, though I'll e-mail the winner asking for their preference.

• A scaled sketch of your map
• Editing on up to 2,000 words of prose
• A guest blog post on you blog (you pick the topic)
• Post as a guest on my blog
• Pick a topic for me to blog about

Villains Can be Beautiful Too

I know I just answered some questions for Sarah and Hasón, my Phoenix Trilogy protagonists. But what about the antagonist? A tale can fall just as flat if the villain isn’t believable as it can when the hero isn’t. So for April’s edition of Beautiful People, posted last Sunday, I’m picking on General Jackobus Wholawski.

"Come into my fortress," said the General to the innocent lass.

Tim Curry– Read his Trade Mark.
He’s the perfect choice for playing Wholawski.

WARNING:

Wholawski's name was derived from Jack A. Hole, only he’s turned into a sadistic psychopath, which is reflected in his answers. Read them at your own risk!

1. What is their favorite type of shoes?
   Fur lined, leather, knee high boots, no questions about that. It gets cold up in the mountains of Azure and Wholawski likes to stay warm. Not to mention they are good armor on the practice field. Woe to anyone who manages to slice them; there’s a fine line between showing your skill and ending up on the rack when you spar the General.
2. Do they journal?
Even if he could write fluently, he wouldn’t. A journal would only give his enemies fuel to their fire and he would have been ousted sooner. No, for Whoalwski it is better to read theirs than to keep one of his own.
3. What’s their favorite animal?
A well seasoned and cooked one; particularly Vervellean steer. The man keeps no pets; hates cats and hunting dogs. The only reason he has a horse is because the beast is useful.
4. What does their average day look like?
   A typical day at his strong hold starts with Wholawski rising at the crack of dawn to practice sword play. After that, he eats breakfast and then spends some time in the dungeons. Usually, at least one new recruit from that morning practice will require racking. Then from late morning to late afternoon he pulls together all the information he’s gleaned from the past day to continue his quest for domination of Videra. When the sun starts setting, he goes back out for more sparring before picking one of the servant girls. If the girl is lucky, she’ll get to dine with him in the Great Hall, otherwise she’ll be a prisoner in his bedroom. If he’s had a really bad day, she may end up in the torture chamber.
   Wholwaski’s routine when traveling is much the same only the practice sessions are shorter and he does a lot of thinking while moving. He also forgoes the woman, unless they happen to be in town and one suits his purpose. Wenching is a reward for good performance on the road. Bad performance results in flogging; or worse.
5. Night owl or morning person? (Optional: What time do they usually wake up? Go to bed?)
   Up by dawn and in bed (but not asleep) by dark is his way of life. Then again, when your only other source of light is through candles and the rare oil lamp, it’s not hard to see why. Plus, Whoalwski is not a lazy man; he has a continent to conquer.
6. Do they have a sweet tooth?
   Yes, he does, though probably not as sweet as what we think of as sweet. Sugar and honey are high commodity items. Still, Wholwaski has developed a refined palette and likes savory food.
7. What colors are their bedroom?
   The anteroom is predominately the grey of stone, with yellowed parchment maps hung upon the walls. Separating this room from the bedroom is a red curtain. Made of woven wool, blood stains seem to disappear in it. In the bedroom the walls are hung with threadbare tapestries keeping the grey at bay. More red wool curtains hang over the windows and around the bed. All the better to hide his violent tendencies.
8. Can they cook?
   By the Gods’ Graces No! His mother did that for him and after he killed her, his sister took over the job. Now his sister just runs the kitchen whose wenches try to satisfy Wholawski’s many appetites.
9. What is their favorite household chore?
   Torturing ‘guests’ for information and slicing up sparring partners, if you want to count those. He’s rather fond of being mean to a fellow human beings and causing them to cower in fear. In his youth his favorite chose was chopping wood. While his ax sliced through the logs, he imagined they were someone’s body part.
10. Favorite kind of tea?
    Whoalwski doesn’t drink tea – not if he can help it – but if he has to present a facade to some Nobel or upper classman, he prefers Checkerberry (think wintergreen).

So what do you think? Is he a diabolical villain? I hope so, since that’s what he’s wants to be. There will be no redemption for him, though the Gods have their use for his ghost. Just as I have a use for BeautifulPeople. I think it shall become a regular monthly occurrence.

:} Cathryn

Beautiful Sarah and Hasón

Beautiful People is a series of questions you ask your characters to answer as a way to get to know them better. It comes from the blog Further Up and Further In, which I’ve begun to follow and occasionally comment on.  I first saw this set of question in March. They were repeated again in April (just this past Sunday, in fact). They are questions meant for a couple or pair of Protagonists. So who better for me to use than Sarah and Jason, now known as Hasón (aka the Spanish pronunciation of Jason).

Now, before I start grilling them, there are two important facts for people who don’t know Sarah and Hasón, my Phoenixes of Vervell.  First off; Sarah is from our world, which is on the brink of, and then collapses into, World War III. Secondly; Hasón is from another plant/parallel world that’s similar to our 18th century but without gunpowder. Sarah ends up in his world, which is where their trilogy takes place.

Part One

1. Do they believe in anything that most people think is impossible?

I can’t say that Sarah does, though by the end of the book she believes in things she would have never believed in before.

Hasón doesn’t believe in the impossible so much as hopes that what seems impossible will become possible. He prays a lot to the Gods about this.

2. Are they strong, or the "damsel/knight in distress" sort?

Oh goodness no, neither one of them. They are both people of action, though Hasón thinks things through a bit more than Sarah does. Then again he’s been trained to do so.

3. Do they have a special place? (e.g. a corner in his/her bedroom, under a tree...)

They both feel The Grove is their special place. It’s a ring of Willows with one Dogwood tree and a spring hidden inside. No one else can come into it, even though they’ve tried to share it with other friends.  It’s also where they met (see Part Two Question 1). :}

4. What occupation do they have, or plan on having?

Sarah is an elementary school teacher. She’s following in her mother’s footsteps and it’s also a way for her to avoid the draft (and war). But, she also really cares about kids and in the time of war wants to give them a safe place to just be kids.

Hasón is a Scout, a trained swordsman. It’s not a typical profession for a Nobleman’s son, but he didn’t want to become a Knight due to their arranged marriages. Now he’s a Sergeant and leads his own small group of men, patrolling the boarders of the Kingdom and generally keeping the peace.

5. Describe their current place of residence.

In the beginning of the story, Sarah’s moved back into the farmhouse in which she grew. There, she’s helping work the farm with her father while tending and teaching the city children that they are sheltering from the bomb threats. Once in Hasón’s world... well let's just say that finding a new home is part of the plot. *grin*

Hasón lives in a Sergeant’s house when he’s not on patrol. It’s a simple wooden duplex, with a outhouse and small yard in the back next to the barracks where his men live and the practice fields and what not. My own medieval version of army base housing.

6. Explain their last crisis. How had they changed when they came out of it?

Sarah’s last big crisis was a gang rape. Five guys did some nasty things to her and as a result she had to get a full hysterectomy or die. She was twenty. Afterwards she dove back into taking self defense classes, mistrusted most guys and decided she was glad she had decided to become a teacher. In fact, it was easier for her to accept the fact she’d never be anyone’s biological mom than it was for her to start trusting guys again.

Hasón’s last crisis was being captured by unfriendly kingdom next door. He managed to escape with his men, but not until after they’d been tortured by General Wholawski. Hasón left the fortress knowing just how much pain his body could withstand and how a woman can pull apart friends. His exterior self became a hard shell, but thankfully, he’s still a lovable huggable teddy bear at his core.

7. If they could drive any kind of car they wanted, what would it be?

Sarah would have a red pickup truck. In fact, I suspect she drives her Dad’s, which is probably an old ford. At least she would drive it if the war hadn’t put a ration on gas.

Hasón has no idea as his world doesn’t have cars, but he prefers horseback to a carriage, despite being open to the elements. He likes being able to see around him – it’s the military training.

8. How do they deal with change?

Sarah will moan and groan about it, but she deals. She’s seen a lot of change in her life, with the conversion of the ranch to a farm, her mother’s death and then the war. The war has changed a lot of things like de-modernizing the farm, and the rationing of food and gas.

It depends on the change with Hasón. He thinks a lot, internally running through the various ways to deal with it before selecting the one he wants. Essentially, change is just another mission to conquer. The amazing part is he can do it quickly, which is why he’s a good leader.

9. If they had to amputate one body part, which one would they choose?

Sarah would choose her hair, and if that didn’t count she’d go for a pinky toe. Easy to get used to having and easy to hide in shoes or show off in tevas for amusing conversations.

Hasón would give up his sword arm so he could retire from the Scouts and spend the rest of his life with Sarah. And if the Gods won’t let him do that, he thinks Sarah’s idea is a reasonable one.

10. What would their favorite be at the local coffee shop?

Sarah would probably order a French Vanilla, light, extra sugar, from the local Dunkin Donuts. Starbucks would be too pretentious, though a good chi from her hometown coffee shop always hits the spot.

Hasón would have no idea what to do with coffee. I presume his land probably drinks tea like the English, so I suspect, if Vervell has small cafes, he’d order a nice black tea... No, scratch that. Apparently, he prefers light green tea. Go figure.

Part Two

1. How did they meet?

Sarah’s best friend had just moved away and she didn’t want to deal with her brothers that day (she has four, all older) so she slipped out to the Willows behind their house.

Hasón, disappointed no one would spar him with his new shiny and sharp sword, went into some woods to fight imaginary foes and rescue damsels in distress. He stepped under a Willow tree and found Sarah.

They became best (imaginary) friends, almost immediately, as she joyfully joined in his game, but not as the damsel in distress mind you... at least not one without a few tricks up her sleeve to get herself rescued.

2. How do these two deal with conflict?

They both face it head on. Sarah might be more stubborn, but Hasón is well versed in the way of compromise. He rarely yells though, and would rather think it through and let Sarah rant and rave before throwing in his two quinnies (Vervellean cents). After all Sarah isn’t completely illogical and she often has good points hidden in her ranting.

3. Do they have a special song, phrase, item, or place?

If they had a song it would be “Some Where, Out There” only they technically are not ‘sleeping underneath the same bight star’. They definitely have a place though – The Grove – the place I mentioned above where they met and played, and later just talked.

4. What kind of things do they like to do together?

They like to just be together and talk about whatever comes to mind, or hash out whatever is in their thoughts. Only, it’s mostly Sarah doing the talking. Hasón loves to listen to her and be near her. He wants to wrap his arms around her, only there was a limitation to the Grove where he couldn’t actually touch Sarah. Once she’s in his world, he’s not all sure what he should do.

5. Describe their relationship as a whole in 3 words or less.

Skeptical true love

:} Cathryn Leigh

Name Thyself, ye Witty Chapter!

In reading a blog post by Sierra Godfrey about 1star reviews, I got a little random in my commenting and mentioned trying to figure out “how to translate my ability to flip to the section I want in a paper book” to my Kindle. This then linked to the thought that people should use chapter names rather than chapter numbers.

I don’t know if naming my chapters this is something I would have done without having joined Protagonize. But, there’s something about having the Chapter title box, with the little saying “This is the title of your chapter. Make it catchy!” that makes me want to use words more than numbers.

And let me tell you, adding chapter titles with a hyperlinked table of contents and it’s pure magic! I have used my tables of contents many times A LOT. Most pf the time I”m looking up information to make sure I’ve remembered something correctly. Without those chapter titles I’d be lost. Even with them I’m sometimes a chapter or two off, still better than randomly guessing.

So now that I’ve exposed their value (to me at least) how does one come up with Chapter title? Sad to say they don’t name themselves, so why don’t I step through some my chapter titles, both good and mediocre, maybe some bad.

Firstly, some things to keep in mind: 

• Strike a balance between hinting and giving away what happens in the chapter.
• Stick to three words (not counting words like the, in, on, and, a, etc.).
• Make it catchy! Similar to bullet one, but now it’s purpose is to make readers keep reading.

Secondly, some examples, 2 from each book of my Phoenix Trilogy

• Scouting – As the title of the first chapter of the first book of the trilogy I feel it’s meh. It states what’s happening, but nothing really to pull us into the story.
• Ambush! – Book 1 is rife with titles like this one. It tells us exactly what’s going to happen in the chapter, and while it doesn’t give the outcome, it does spoil the surprise.
• Sarah and the Four Bears – I like this one because it gives reference to the story she ends up telling Bears children, maybe it could be better, but I liked it.
• Amber Waves of Pain – I like this one for many reasons. There’s lots of layers to it, though the simplest is that Sarah is in pain an ends up dreaming of the grain farm she grew up on. It’s a title that clicks about halfway through the chapter; just like a good book title. (Plus I love titles that make me think of songs) :}
• A Tour and More – Obviously there’s going to be some description in here, but what is going to be the more? Not a bad attempt at making the reader keep going. In fact I’m tempted to read the chapter because I’ve forgotten what the more is.
• Playing Telephone – I like this one for the juxtaposition of the modern invention in an archaic world. (That and it was one of the few decent titles I could find that weren’t song related, like Wheels on the Cart.)

So there you have it; some examples of chapter titles. I’ve given my opinions on them. What do you think about them?

:} Cathryn Leigh

P.s. There’s still a part of me that loves the Moomin Tolls chapters that also contain a summary, but I wouldn’t use those in something that wasn’t a kids book. Using them, while writing. to outline your next chapter however... Now that proved useful for writing my 2011NaNovel, The Nurie. :}

Anca in Auschwitz

Tuesday I was wondering what I was going to blog about. I thought about seeing if I couldn’t outline how I was going about my edit process for Watching by Miriam Joy. Then I thought about posting up some responses to Beautiful People. But, after I got home and had the kids in bed there was only one thing I wanted to do...

Finish reading Anca’s Story by Saffina Desforges (Amazon US). And now, I’m going to relay it to you as I fight back the tears.

The cover, and of course my post title gives away the fact that this is a Holocaust story. The author’s don’t hide that fact from, nor the fact that it’s about three children who smuggle themselves into Auschwitz, that concentration camp that anyone who has paid attention to history class should know the name of. And from my recollection it was touted as the worst of all of them.

The story doesn’t start there of course, but rather in mundane classroom of the modern age, supped up with high tech gadgets, and a frail old lady asked to come in a relate her tale to slumped teens who probably all think Vampires should sparkle *scoff*. That is until Anca asks them if they have lost a parent and then tells them that she lost hers at the age of 12. Her father was executed in front of her and her mother... well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out.

Make sure you bring tissues. I suspect if I hadn’t taken three separate occasions to read the whole book I’d have been bawling by the end.

The Holocaust isn’t a pretty time in our history. But it is something that must be remembered. I’ve been horrified and fascinated by it since my Fourth Grade teacher read Devil’s Arithmatic by Jane Yolen. I followed that up by reading, and then watching, The Diary of Anne Frank in middle school.  In high school two busloads of kids, including me and my friend, the Rabbi’s daughter, were shipped to the theater to view Schindler’s List.

Now I add Anca’s Story (Amazon UK) to my list. I am glad I did and I hope they get a movie deal with a director who knows what they are doing. That way those who won’t read can be exposed to the tale. A tale I feel worth every tear I cried, and all the ones I didn’t.

:} Cathryn Leigh

Tag! No Backsies! Please...

Well I’m out here in sunny Florida, enjoying the warm weather and recuperating from a friend’s wedding (three nights of parting – I can’t do it as easily as I used to). Anyway, earlier in the week/last week maybe, Miriam decided to tagged me with a blog chain letter. Normally I ignore chain letters, but I’ll go with this one as it makes my life a little easier. AS I said I’m on vacation at the in-laws with the kids. So, here are...

The Rules

1. You must post the rules – check
2. Post eleven facts about yourself on the blog post – Do I have to?
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged. – Really? I make no guarantees on the quality of the questions.
4. Tag eleven bloggers, however, you can break the rules and tag fewer  people if you want. Make sure you hyperlink their names/blogs. – I’m going to do less, that’s for sure.
5. Let them know you’ve tagged them! – Right. I’ll do my best.
6. Have fun! – Um okay. But isn’t that what my vacation is for?

Now for the ...

Eleven Facts

1. I got braces the summer before Fifth grade (year 6), right before I participated as a Dragon in a mummers play, at Pinewoods Dance Camp (Family Week).
2. The year before that I got bifocals due to a stigmatism in one eye that made it hard for me to refocus from near to far and back again (I refused to wear them and didn’t start wearing glasses full time until college).
3. I married my third boyfriend, whom I also consider my first.
4. I think my kids handpicked the genes they got because there’s no way randomness would have created two such adorable kids from my hubby and I.
5. I believe in Unicorns.
6. All the surgeries I’ve had were related to my mouth – a gum graph, removal of six teeth (including two baby teeth that hadn’t fallen out yet), a root canal, and wisdom teeth removal.
7. I’m having a hard time thinking of eleven facts.
8. I had to be dragged from my laptop to go take a walk with my daughter this afternoon, as I’m still trying to recover my ‘quiet time’ I could use a day by myself.
9. TV is a major distraction for me. I have a very hard time ignoring it, even when the volume is off, the images will still attract my eye. There is no way I can go to sleep in front of it like many people I know.
10. I’ve sewn my thumb with my sewing machine once, but I didn’t have to go to the emergency room.
11. I stepped on a rusty nail two weeks after I’d gotten my tetanus shot, which was also two days before I went to Summer camp for two weeks.

And now I must...

Answer the Questions Posed for Me

1. What is the largest object to the right of the computer or other device on which you are writing this? – A restaurant sized red wine glass. Hey I’m on vacation. At home It’d be a china hutch.
2. What was the last book you read? (Not finished. Just read.) – Anca’s Story, which is very emotional (I’ve cried nearly continually since chapter 3), and very awesome.
3. Do you name inanimate objects? Yes, I mean who hasn’t named a stuffed animal!
4. What was your response to receiving the message that you’d been tagged? (Be honest.) – Not again! / Do I have to? Or something along those lines.
5. Do you have any pets? – Not yet, but there is a dog in our future, and  maybe a cat.
6. How many projects do you have going at the moment? – Do I really have to count, because it will probably depress me? I’ve got at least three writing/revising projects. One critiquing project and then there’s the sewing projects that are progressing even slower.
7. What are you supposed to be doing instead of writing this post? – Nothing, as far as I know, maybe socializing, but I’ve no interest in watching TV. I hate TV, it always takes up more time that you want it to.
8. How long have you been blogging? – Good question, I’ll look that up as soon as I go to post this, but definitely less than a year. Yup, it will be a year come mid June.
9. Do you play any musical instruments? (Vocals count.) – Not officially, but I do sing to my children every night, using songs I learned from chorus.
10. What is the last piece of orchestral music you listened to? – I have no idea, but it was last week on the XM radio.
11. What is the oddest objects you can see right now? – A cookie tin being used to hold my nana-in-laws medication (it’s a big cookie tin and a long medication list). Though I suppose the bear rug/wall hanging that’s ‘sitting’ on the antique couch might be weirder.

Now I need to write my own...

Questions

1. What was the last drink you had, or may be drinking right now?
2. What is your favorite food topping?
3. Do you prefer dogs or cats, and if neither, then what?
4. How far are you living from where you were born?
5. How many places have you lived for more than one year?
6. When you write these questions, will you tailor them to the recipient(s)?
7. What would you do if you found a bear rug in your living room?
8. If you could ‘live’ one book (or movie) what would it be?
9. What’s the best gift you’ve received so far?
10. Pick one location that you would love to drop everything and go visit?
11. What do you think should be everyone’s top priority?

Whew and now I must find some people to pass this off to. I can’t do Miriam, since she tagged me. Out of fun I’ll do Charley so she can be double posted and then... Naw, I won’t bother anyone else.

Just an FYI, I think this may be the last ‘chain blog’ I do.

:} Cathryn Leigh

Between Time and Place

Packing’s been the name of the game this week. Tomorrow I hop on a plane for Texas to attend a friend’s wedding, sans kids. Then on Sunday I hope another flight to Florida to meet up with the kids at in-laws for a week of fun in the sun!

But enough of what I’m doing. 

I’ve finally gotten around to reading The Time Baroness by Georgina Young-Ellis; A book graciously given to me by Mister International Mark for reading and reviewing. He chosen well, yet again (though I have to confess I liked A Thousand Glass Flowers better). But, the cool thing about the time baroness is that it proved to be valuable research for my Phoenixes.

How, you ask? Well it’s simple Cassandra ends up in a similar situation to Sarah. Only Cassandra’s a bit more, okay A LOT more prepared because it’s scheduled time travel and Cassandra has a return date. She’s been studying the time period – that of Jane Austin – she’s had a few pieces of clothing made – she’ll buy the rest when she gets there – and her turn has now come.

Choosing to go three years after Jane Austin passed away, Cassandra embarks on a one year journey into the life style Jane’s books embodied. She’s there to observe and take notes, to write a paper about her experiences. But, just being an observer is hard than she thought, as she’s drawn to the upper, and lower, class circles. Finding herself in her own Austin like tale, Cassandra must face increasingly difficult challenges as her year long stay comes to a close.

In a way Sarah’s jealous, since Cassandra has a way to return home to her family and friends, but I suspect that in some ways Cassandra might be jealous of Sarah – especially if you discount everything that goes on in book 3. Anyway back to how this is research. Well Georgina probably did a lot of research and her portrayal of Cassandra’s acceptance, how she both is and is not, was something for me to take note of.

Looking at those notes I’m thinking Sarah may be disguising herself as a man sooner than I thought. Now won’t that put Jason in a funny pickle. It certainly will put an interesting spin on book 1. I’m kind of looking forward to it.

Now it’s well past my bedtime, so I say 'Adios', and if you all like next Wednesday I’ll post up my, technically Sarah and Jason’s, responses to the 2012 March Beautiful People questions. Unless you want me to regale you with tales of the wedding and Florida.

*giggles and grin*

:} Leigh, Cathryn

Imaginary Friends need Love Too!

Last week I talked about where I get my strong and independent female characters. Today I thought I’d talk about how Sarah’s Phoenix got started. I’ve probably mentioned it a little bit but, I thought I’d go into more detail. It starts in my childhood

*Wayne’s World Dream Sequence Motion*

I don’t know when my parents told me, but it feels like I’ve always known that I had a brother. Unfortunately, he died about a month before I was born after a year or more of being sick. There was a one in four chance that I could develop the same sickness because it’s due to a recessive gene.

Around the time of my parents’ separation, I created an imaginary friend. Wishing that I had a sibling to share my turmoil with the person I talked to was always male. I never gave him a name though. He was just always there when I needed him. he’s the one how got to hear me rant and rave as tears poured down my face, just because my  mom’s bf had put pieces in the puzzle I was working on. (Hey I was 14 or so, very emotionally unbalanced and that guy... well he’s another story.)

Life moved on an I got boyfriends and that imaginary guy friend receded into the back of my head. I met my hubby, we dated, we moved across country together, then we got married and started trying to have kids.

*Back to Life, Back to Reality*

Now I know that Sarah & Jason (the original title of Sarah’s Phoenix) was typed into the computer in about 2005, the year my daughter was born, so either early that year, or, as is more likely, in 2004 I wrote Sarah & Jason in a notebook; or two. There are bits and pieces of it in numerous places.

Writing it was like documenting a waking dream. In those days I’d wake up at six in the morning to get ready for work, but after I’d eaten I lie on the couch daydreaming; but not. It was like the story had a spell on me and I would spend a half hour each morning living it like it was a dream, a very real dream. Then I would write it. I even wrote it at work, when I had spare moments. That’s what there are printed paged paper clipped to the original notebook.

The story has come a long way from that waking dream. Certainly Wholawski, named because he was supposed to be a donkey cavity (creative synonyms for the win!), has become a lot more sadistic than I ever wanted him to be. But, Jason, the supposedly imaginary friend of Sarah, turned out to be my childhood imaginary friend.

Apparently, now that I was happily married, I had no need for him. But, being me, I couldn’t just abandon him. I like my happy endings. I have one, so why shouldn’t he? Enter Sarah, the protagonist most like me, only a bit more kick donkey. *giggles* She gets to play the role I would have loved to have (before I met my hubby) – girl travels to what she thought was her own imaginary world to help conquer an evil man and find true love all at the same time!

Yes, I love my happy endings so much I gave one to my childhood imaginary friend...

Strong Inspirations

Inspiration strikes in odd places. Today mine came from by Sierra Godfrey’s blog post on Woman’s History Month. She asked that we think about women in our lives and be thankful for them.

I’m going to be thankful for the strong women, who aren’t necessarily in my life, but they’ve influenced it beyond a doubt. I’m not talking fictional people, or authors.  Charley R. already posted what amounts to my Ode to Anne McCaffrey *grin* these are the women whose genes I have running in my system.

These are the women of my previous generations that have inspired my character to be the women they are. And they all funneled through my mother and into me. I’m sure my dad’s side of the family had its share, seeing as my Abuela was a Missionary down in South America. I just happen to know my mom’s family a bit better.

My Mom:

• It might have taken her a bit to get through the divorce and find a proper mate, but she did it. More than that she took up the back breaking work of cleaning houses to put food on the table and clothing on my back.
• She never gave up her dream of graduating college either. She beat me to it too. She walked down the aisle to get her Bachelors the week before I did.
• She’s my real life Cinderella, with a closet of ball gown to prove that finding your Frog Prince isn’t always that easy. (What? My step-father happens to be a French Swamp Yankee, and they both love my analogy).

My Grandmother (mother’s side):

• Oh Nellie, where to begin with her? Anyone who has read my collaborative story, Faerie Bound, on Protagonize, will know Haddie. Haddie pretty much is my grandmother. She was vocal in town hall in her day, she raised six boys with my mom’s help and raised hell with anyone who might cross her.
• Case in point – She became a Court Advocate for abused women, taking up a position in the court that served the town she raised her boys in. Sometimes the abusers would try to approach her desk (located in a hallway mind you) to harass ‘their woman’. Well the moment my grandmother caught their eye they’d be all ‘yes ma’am’ no ma’am’ ‘I’ll just be going now Mrs. B.’
• In fact I could give you all sorts of anecdotes about her. Some good some bad. Maybe on another day.

My great-grandmother, (mother’s, mother’s side):

• I actually got to know her as the little old lady who made yummy donuts and collected bells.
• She sang in the choir and held faith fast, despite an abusive husband.
• She stayed independent in her own home, up until the last few years.
• As I love telling people, she camped out with the girl scouts until she was 76 at which point she declared sleeping on the ground wasn’t good for her back.

My great-grandmother (mother’s father’s side):

• I’ve only heard stories about her, but she sounds pretty amazing.
• For one she was a trolley car conductor in Maine. We’re talking turn of the last century people (1920s/30s)! That’s a pretty amazing job for a woman to have back then.
• When she separated from her husband, whom she never divorced, she bought the house across the street from his and cleaned houses to support herself and her boys and a couple nieces and nephews.

How can I not write strong female protagonists when these women are in my blood? What about you, is there someone, or a group of someones who have influenced you?

:} Cathryn Leigh

Pocketful of Sunshine

Pocketful of Sunshine clip from “Easy A“, a great flick about thinking before speaking and the power of the rumor mill. I can get that song suck in my head without hearing it though, but I don’t mind. It’s a great song, very catchy. Someday I ought to fully listen to the lyrics just to make sure I agree with them (for the most part) there are a lot of songs out there I start singing to an then go blech.

Oh well. Today’s post is dedicated to an award I got nominated for by my good friend Miriam. She may want to take it back when I return her novel, Watching, at the end of the month. I’m currently sinking my editing teeth into it and I’m being ruthless! Seriously I’m amazed at all the red I’ve put on it and I’m not even paying attention to grammar or spelling (they are not my forte).

Anyway before I procrastinate too long, here are my answers from the Comfy Chair of the Spanish Inquisition. :}

The Sunshine Award 

• Thank Miriam, whonominated me: So thank you Miriam, may your blog resound with the words of a thousand viewers... or something like that.
• Favorite colors: Purple, royal purple that is, the kind they used to make from snails shells.
• Favorite animal: Unicorn, which in my mind, is not an imaginary beast, but that’s another story all together.
• Favorite number: 42, seriously that has to be obvious!
• Favorite drink: Hot chocolate, the rich creamy kind with whipped cream and chocolate shavings... nom nom nom
• Facebook or Twitter: Facebook: Twitter is too fast for me. I tried and gave up. No time for it right now.
• Your passion: Writing is the first thought that comes to mind, then reading, dancing and creating.
• Giving or Receiving: Well now it depends on the situation. Giving a well thought out gift gives just as much joy as receiving the well thought out gift. And seeing kids faces light up at Christmas time is seriously awesome...
• Favorite pattern: A natural one... Twills are kind of nice though, simple yet elegant, erm... *shrug*
• Favorite day of the week: Tough one and it’s a toss-up between Monday and Friday. Hey I look forward to the week and Weekend! *grin*
• Favorite flower: Crocus, they are a symbol that spring is coming (despite the snow flurry on Monday).

So there you have it, and I suppose I’m supposed to send this out again... Any volunteers? :}

If not I pass it on to Charley R, because she never fails to make me smile at least once a day in one of our many conversations... And To Marc / Eloosive because he’s slowly but surely making his way through my Phoenix trilogy and I love his Daily Writing Practice Blog. :}

:} Cathryn Leigh

Hearts, Ghosts, and War, Oh My!

I read “Water’s Purple Heart” by Catherine Ryan Hyde in about two weeks. That’s a slow pace compared to some people I know and how fast I used to read, but I’ve got a lot more responsibilities than I used to. That’s why I left the book at work until last weekend. Then I devoured the remaining two thirds on Saturday, snacking on it here and there until I got to gobble it up as dessert after the kids were in bed.

The book was an easy read with it’s simple and yet poetic prose... Okay maybe not poetic, but succinct or concise sounds too cut and dry (and makes me think of the documents I write and review at work). But what is poetry anyway but lyrical prose striving to be succinct and precise, but in a pretty. So yes, in my mind the prose was poetic. Not once did my eyes wander ahead trying to skip dialog or descriptions.

Walter, the central character in “Walter’s Purple Heart”, is trying to come to grips with the fact he’s dead and life moved on without him. Killed at the end of World War II, he’d left his mother’s lemon pie and a fiancée to enlist with his best friend Andrew. Reincarnated in Michael, a twenty-one year old drifting pot-head, Walter manages to reconnect with Andrew and Mary Ann (the fiancée). Together the four of them sort out Walter’s life, death, and the feelings he hadn’t quite worked out.

Amazingly enough I finished the book right at bedtime, with my husband’s head on my lap. (Poor guy was exhausted from riding his dirt bike - fyi, the link is a video.) It was quite fitting, given the theme of love that ran through the book. (Real love too, not that stuff they try to pass off as love these days.) I definitely like this book. There are so many things in it that I can relate to.

• Walter / Michael’s different ways of feeling love – I’ve been through the transition of I do this because it’s expected to needing to hear my loved ones voice at least once a day.
• The Purple Heart – my grandfather earned one, but he never talked about it. My grandmother had to eves drop on his conversations with his army buddies to figure it out.
• Walter’s love of lemon pie – my grandfather's mother was a working woman (in a time of few) and to show her boys love, she'd stay up late and bake. My grandmother continued baking for my grandfather, though it was slowly killing him, because that's how he understood love.

Anyway, the book is sadly out of print (maybe she’ll get around to an e-book?) but if you go to her website page for it, she’s got some links to where used books can be found. Catherine Ryan Hyde is also the author of that amazing story “Pay It Forward”. I’ve seen the movie, now I feel need to read the book.

And since we’re on the topic of books, Charley R put up my guest post on her blog, Leaning Tower of Plot, yesterday. It’s all about the books I grew up with and how they’ve influenced me as a writer.

:} Cathryn Leigh

Phoenix may Triumph, but The Queen Needs her Wings!

So I’ve finished editing Phoenix Triumphant and, as my Protagonize fans know, I have only six chapters left to post. It feels weird to be done with editing. I floundered a bit last night, not quite knowing what to do with myself. I haven’t gotten up at 5 am to edit either. But, my goal to finish editing and posting by February 29, will be accomplished.

Next up on my list of things to do is edit Sarah’s Phoenix, or more to the point re-write it. I want that done by the end of September so I can send it out for critique. However, the month of march is going to be about preparing for that. I’ve got me a to do list.

• Revamp the map – I’m found the perfect are on the globe to use and I’m putting my county in the southern hemisphere. Nothing like setting a northern hemisphere girl down under. Just one more thing for Sarah to get used to.
• Outline the whole plot – Looking at the spreadsheet I used to keep track of time, distance, and events, it’s clear why Sarah’s Phoenix is only 28K words – Nothing happens! So I’m going to fix that by outlining Wholawski’s rise to power and his dastardly deed. Sarah’s going to be coming to face with a few things sooner rather than later. *snickers* I may even be mean enough to have Sarah witness Allmarah’s kidnapping... not that she’d realize it at the time. *grin*
• Move Sarah’s Phoenix to a private group – just something that will have to be done when i start revamping it. But, I don’t want to delete it because I want to keep the comments from my readers for posterity.

The unmodified dress

But before getting into all that work. I’m giving myself a break, well just from my Phoenixes.  I’ve still got my collaborations to work on and a novel to finish reading. Still I feel I deserve a reward. Not a food reward mind you, but my other pleasure, a costume reward. I’m going to start work on my Dragon Queen Costume and hopefully finish her wings. I believe I mentioned my Dragon Queen a while ago, well now, her are some pictures of it in its current state. Plus my the inspiration for my wings... sadly they didn’t come out nearly as well as they hoped, but hopefully they will end up cool.

My inspiration and pattern

I love Anne McCaffrey's Dragons!

The Wings  - They do not stay extended on their own. However you can see how thin the material is that I used. I still have to work out how I'm going to actually wear them. The trick is to make them somewhat easy to get on and off for traveling.

:} Cathryn Leigh / Elorithryn