A Second Glimpse at My Exciting New Project

The cathedral at Burgos, constructed 300 years after our story takes place. 

Although my novel's pitch didn't win first prize or the reader's choice award for the Pitchapalooza thing, I was glad just be reviewed. Thank you very much to everyone who voted for me! Here is a revised version of my pitch for The Seven Noble Knights of Lara. Let me know if it makes you want to read the whole thing.

No one can safely ignore doña Lambra. Her need for revenge leaves the plains of tenth-century Spain stained red with the blood of her seven warrior nephews. That same blood rises up from the rich soil of Andalusia in the form of Mudarra. This knight of noble lineage can bring meaning to his life only by exacting revenge on doña Lambra and her pawn husband.

In an age of superheroes and superpowers, this book returns to a simple hero, a mere mortal born with a special purpose. The setting is exotic, but the complicated web of rivalry and admiration between the cultures means that it fits seamlessly into our multi-ethnic, multi-denominational, and multi-problematic world.

I hold a PhD in Medieval Spanish literature. This historical tale brings together the violent family culture of Mario Puzo and the rugged realities of medieval Spain of María Rosa Menocal. Gleaming silks spill out of treasure chests. Heavy, rough coins are traded for taken lives. Diners turn the goblet to avoid drinking from the same spot as their neighbor. Our young hero holds his hands out to catch falling almond blossoms as if they were snowflakes, then takes his glittering sword to the throats of his betrayers. Can Mudarra bring balance to the feuding families? Will he be satisfied with a simple revenge?

Inside the Great Mosque at Córdoba, finished around the time of our story. 

This novel is based on a medieval Spanish epic, thought to have been sung by minstrels, and which now only survives prosified in history books, primarily Alfonso X el Sabio's Estoria de Espanna. It has never completely faded from the popular imagination through the ages. Most recently and notably it took the form of films and comic books in Tagalog in the Philippines. Bringing together my knowledge of the era and of the craft of writing, I make it a compelling story for todays' readers.


This year, I had several smaller writing projects to complete, and with the help of critique partners and set deadlines, they are done. Because I mentioned in my New Year's resolutions that I would make good progress (okay, I said I'd finish a first draft!) on a big project, there's now nothing for it but to get to work. The daunting part is strictly the assembling together more than 50,000 words.

It's time to get my specialty, medieval Spain, back into my writing. Who doesn't love a little exotic adventure with castles and palaces, knights and battles, desire and hate? I hope you will be as excited about the new project as I am. Tune in to this blog for periodic updates and teasers. 

Showing versus Telling

"Telling" gets a really bad rap in the writing world. The strong, universal preference seems to be for lush, sensory-enhanced descriptions of every detail and emotion that happens to fall into the scope of a story. In writing courses, instructors always admonish, "Show, don't tell!" But for someone like me, who can appreciate brevity, telling has its uses. While I would not care to read a whole novel of bare telling, consider the following opportunities:

• Moving the story along: "Three days passed with no news."

• Shorthand for a minor character: "Melissa had lived next to Bob since they were children."

• Keeping under a word limit: Sometimes all you have room for is "He was handsome." Admittedly, as I mused in my last post, most editors want more words instead of fewer, but there will always be a time in a writer's life when words are at a premium.

• Summarizing the first book, if this is a subsequent book in the series. J. K. Rowling did this at the beginning of  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so technically you never had to read The Philosopher's Stone. Of course, most people did read it, and they were allowed to skip over the summary in the second book if they were so inclined. The telling did no damage to anyone in that case.

• Otherwise avoiding repetition: "He sat them down and told them what had happened, leaving nothing out."

Just as a single short sentence can be the strongest among long ones, a well-placed instance of telling, set like a diamond on a cushion of showing, can make the biggest impact. Used consciously and skillfully, a writer can consider telling one more tool in her kit.

So, for Pete's sake, move the story along, people!

What's Next -- You Tell Me!

As you may have been able to piece together through the hints in the posts on this blog, my husband and I can no longer support ourselves in Pennsylvania. Very soon, we're starting a journey across most of the United States with a few things in the car, to live with my husband's sister. It's the only solution we can think of to the intractable problem that my husband is highly employable and loves his work, but is only getting paid $1000 per month.




My husband says I should write a book about us. We went from $100,000 a year to $12,000. It's a pretty startling figure, but I'm thinking it's not that unusual these days. We were able to avoid foreclosure and we have someplace to go, even if it is more than 2,000 miles away. Overall, we're much happier than we were three years ago, when we had no money troubles, but didn't know each other yet.

So, I won't be able to post for a while as we pack up and I pay less attention to writing and the writing world. I hope to be able to post from the road, especially if we encounter anything interesting.

COMING SOON
* I have some important birthdays to commemorate later in November, starting a week from today, so be sure to check them out!
* The day after Thanksgiving, I'm posting a great interview I had with author Barbara Briggs Ward, and that is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit!
* From the new digs, I hope to offer you more free excerpts of my writing! Tempting and thrilling!
* I'm also considering posting on how to be happy, seeing as my husband and I have found the secret. Please let me know if you would be interested in that kind of reading. I would love to know!

Lastly, I know my books are unusual and undefinable, but if you're feeling charitable and just want to help, please consider buying them or telling your reading friends about them. (The links are in the Good Reading link on the upper left of the page.) Research shows: it makes you feel lastingly good to help others! Even if I were sleeping under the stars and living on bread and water, what I would most want is to be read. The writer's disorder.

Books For Treats

There's no getting around it: it's the Halloween season. What used to be a time to honor the ancestors has become a celebration of the willies and a chance to gorge on candy (as if Americans needed another opportunity like that!).

With all of that at the front of my mind, I was thrilled to find out about the organization Books For Treats. Founded and run by Rebecca Morgan in San José, California, it replaces candy with books! Passing out literature instead of sweets! Substituting cavities and obesity for literacy!

Now, I have the world's biggest sweet tooth -- always have. I remember being cynical when a teacher talked about giving a "treat" to the class and it turned out be a visit from the music teacher or something else non-candy. But, reimagining my childhood trick-or-treat ventures, I know how amazing it would have been to receive an age-appropriate picture or story book instead of that fistful of Dum-Dums. The website gives examples of child feedback, and it's very positive. Let's face it: finding books and making sure they're suitable for the particular child who comes to your door takes a lot more attention and care than grabbing a bag of candy at the grocery store, and children will perceive that qualitative difference.

The site also links to similar organizations in Texas and Iowa and great ideas for where you can get inexpensive kids' books, as well as guidelines for deciding what to give to whom. Check it out!

I highly doubt we will get any trick-or-treaters where we live, so when I heard about Books For Treats, I donated some 28 children's books via priority mail, and I hope they get there in time to be used this year. Most of the books were children's picture books in Spanish, which I have used with some success in the language classroom. Two volumes were The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Magician's Nephew, fabulous books I bought to read to my husband, who didn't do much reading as a child. (The couple that reads to each other, stays together!) Even if they can't be used this year, the books will still be fresh for the 2011 round. Really good children's books never get old.

booksfortreats.org

Coming soon: Interviews with authors Angela Townsend and Barbara Briggs Ward! Musings on web site issues! Stay tuned!

Here's What I Need to Continue Posting

1. One of my forthcoming publications to show up. September, yes, but when in September? October, perhaps.

2. One of the writers who promised me an interview to get back to me. If you're a writer, please contact me. I'd love to feature you here.

3. More hours in the day. I need to pack up, figure out what to do about the house, find a job, and write. It doesn't leave much blog time.

So you see, I don't ask for that much. Just three little things. I'll post again when one of those conditions is met. Take care until then.

And meanwhile, don't forget to check out authorsatthevirtualpark.blogspot.com (they've saved the best for last! I'm at the very bottom!) and a coupe of books that are sure to bring you hours of joy.

A Conversation in the Park

An exciting new experience is coming to the web! Once a month on the 25th, a bunch of writers will get together to converse about their work in a virtual park. There will be many fun prizes for visitors! Get in on the fun! I'm at the bottom of the page: they saved  the best for last!

And don't forget, if you're a writer -- or a discerning reader -- I want to interview you here! Contact me for details!

In other news, my poetry book has finally made its appearance on Amazon! If you can't wait to win it at the virtual park, buy it there or here! It really has something for every taste.

The Name of My Publishing Company

I've always had a strong desire to get new writing out into the world for readers to enjoy, whether the writing is mine or not. In high school, I expressed a desire to be the editor at my own publishing house when my life's dream was needed for the local papers. It sounded more professional and realistic than just to say that I wanted to be a famous author, and hey, I was already a famous writer (see my first post), so I didn't want to seem lazy!

So, as some of you will be discovering soon, I've created my own "imprint." The Kindle version of Tree/House already has it listed, and Dusk Before Dawn proudly bears the name: Açedrex Publishing. But what does "Açedrex" refer to?

That's the way Alfonso X el Sabio (more about him later, no doubt) and his humble writers referred to the game of chess. In the thirteenth century, chess was strongly associated with the refined culture of the Arabs, who compiled and passed on many great treatises on the game. Alfonso himself seems to have held chess in high regard because it favored the use of intellect, rather than blind luck, as in the many popular games of chance of his day. It was also considered a pastime for the well-to-do because it required time and tranquility (what peasant had either of those?) and it could serve as a model for real-life warfare for noble knights. It was also most appropriate for people who, like Alfonso when he commissioned a tour-de-force chess treatise in 1283, found themselves aging and not as vigorous as they used to be.

"Açedrex" has therefore come to symbolize (for me, who's thought about this a little too much) refined entertainment. No pandering to the masses here, nope. The motto is "The leisure of the well-informed," a nod to Alfonso's learned reputation (well earned, I assure you!).

Once we're back on our feet financially or even just geographically, I hope to take steps to further legitimize this imprint and make it into something Alfonso might be proud of. Wish me luck! And start writing some things to submit to Açedrex!

And yes! You can still check out my brand new poetry book here!

A Creative Project For All!

Now is your chance to join a highly creative project. All you really need is a Facebook account! 


An intrepid artist who calls himself Johnny Socko has decided to test how welcoming Facebook actually is. Although he cannot actively seek out new connections, he accepts all friend requests. How many people can he add? Johnny actively posts and contributes to the community in other ways, but the rule is to be completely passive with making connections. Additionally, Johnny is accepting submissions for a project stemming from this Facebook experience. On his blog, he imagines a beautiful, poignant exchange of creativity: 


Imagine walking in to fictional train station that served the whole world and every couple of hours you changed the message that was on your tee shirt. Some people are going to ask about it, some are going to comment about it, some are going to want to befriend you. Now imagine asking for some creative input from all of these people who were interested enough to establish some type of communication with you. Should be amazing right? 


Get more information at featherbullet.blogspot.com, and of course, at Facebook!