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Okay, I've done it! It's here. A Bloggy thingy.

5/4/2014

3 Comments

 
Picture
Needed a picture for the post, thought this one was... totally unrelated, but hey, I'm not picky.

Okay, so I was meant to do this BLOG hoppy thing – well, let’s face it, it was a chain letter. Apparently if I don’t do it, death, torture, death, all that good stuff ensues. Not for me mind you, for Adam Oster, who foolishly tagged me for this. At least, I hope it’s not me. Oooo, goosebumps, note to self, must go back and check the note from Adam. By the way, Adam is the author of a very cool book called The Legend of Buddy Hero.

Anyway, it’s all my fault, or is it? I’m not wired for BLOG, it’s something I’ve had to figure out. It took a while. So now, what do I have to do for this BLOGGY hoppy thing? Oh, there are questions that I have to answer.

What am I working on?

Well, at the moment I’m working on a patent application and I’ve been trying to sell a plasma source to… Oh! Hang on, they mean as an author. Well, the first four Fairly Stillwart Chronicles are complete, and are being published by Morning Rain Publishing, they’re the story of a feisty pixie princess, Stillwart, and her friends. They undergo a series of adventures as they try to travel from Australia through Canada to the lands of Northern Pixie, where they must  rescue the Northern Pixie from themselves. I’m working on the Hidden Chronicle now, which is basically the fifth Stillwart chronicle, but it introduces the Magic Sisters, whom I hope to make into their own series.

In the background I’m working on The Dreams of Aine’s Blood. That’s a working title only, my wife keeps telling me that it’s an unfortunate title that reminds her of a woman’s monthly cycle. Actually it’s blood as in kin, so hey, I like the title. I’ll probably have to change it for the unfortunate thinkers though. Sigh. Oh, by the way this isn’t a kid’s book, it’s partly based on the mythical invasion cycle of Ireland, though part of it is set in modern times. It’s more a murder mystery/fantasy/romance/adventure story. You can tell I have trouble with genre selection. The first chapter is posted on this website.

Does that answer that question? Can we move on now? Oh, there is a sequel for An Eagle’s Heart in the works. Might be a while before I can get to it though. Need fans who cry out for it. Takers?...sigh.

 
  1. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Phht. Silly question. The Fairly Stillwart Chronicles are in the Australian-Canadian fairy tale genre. I ace that genre, they’re the only one in it!

And didn’t I just say that I was genre conflicted in regards The Dreams of Aine’s Blood (by the way there should be a little accent thingy over one of the letters in Aine, hard to do on my computer – that key doesn’t work)? I hope you were all paying attention.

Okay let’s move on here. Oh, well, actually I should mention An Eagle’s Heart, children’s/young adult’s book, talking birds (it’s the birdy book) struggle for survival; very Canadian, ahhh, what else can I say about it. Hmmm, courageous chickadee, a human story too in the background - going to expand on that in the second book.

  1. Why do I write what I do?

Why are these questions soooo hard? I feel like I’m in high school again, doing an English essay or something.

Grrr, gotta do an answer. Adam will die otherwise. Okay, for An Eagle’s Heart I was inspired by our time in Thunder Bay, we first lived in a house in the town, where we only saw crows and seagulls (the bad guys in the book). Then we moved out a bit where there are some trees, and all of a sudden we were seeing bald eagles, harriers, blue jays, robins, chickadees, phoebes, finch, all sorts of birds. Basically in the town there was too little cover for the smaller birds so the crows and seagulls would kill them. This was the inspiration for writing a book that has been compared to a Watership Down.

I don’t know where the Fairly Stillwart Chronicles came from. Stillwart is a little bit me. She’s someone out of place, growing up in a land where she doesn’t belong. She’s bullied, but she survives that, and it makes her stronger.  She goes on to new adventures in places I’ve known. She has my sarcasm, my view on life, which is fairly cynical. But she also has my sense of humour, and duty, which helps her carry on.

Aine is a very long term project, it’s based on ancient Celtic legends, but spills over into modern times. It has evolved over time, and still has some ways to go.

  1. How does your writing process work?

Well, often it doesn’t. Aine has been written over many years, but I’m hoping to finish it by next year. In contrast, An Eagle’s Heart flew out of me over a couple of months. Each of the Fairly Stillwart Chronicles has been even quicker than that, often only taking a long weekend to write. But in between there are long periods of imagining, where I’m mentally building some of the plots. When I write though things come to me, little details flow out that even I wasn’t expecting. Writing is a bit like working with a god, someone who provides inspiration from without. I’m sometimes surprised by my own writing. It doesn’t necessarily lead where I thought it was going to. It’s sometimes very much like there is another hand that guides me.

 

So I hope Adam hasn’t died. This is very late being posted. Who will I send this on to? I’m not sure. I’ll think about it. I have no fear of death myself, so maybe I’ll break the chain…ooooh. Everything I’ve lived is beyond my expectation. It’s all been a bonus. No fear.


3 Comments
Scott Butcher
5/4/2014 01:33:25 pm

Sorry, it's just me, I just wanted to see if this would work

Reply
Adam Oster link
5/5/2014 02:55:01 am

I'm still alive!

Reply
Scott Butcher
5/5/2014 08:59:53 am

Thank heavens I was in time. The Grim Reaper was definitely sharpening up his scythe.

Reply



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