Category: Uncategorized

Book Updates

So, y'all. This blog was meant to talk about my journey as an author (hence the title), which to be frank I haven't done a lot of. So every month or so, I'll let you all know where I am with everything that's in the works. The Winter Tales As most of you know, I've … Continue reading Book Updates →

On Ted Lasso, and the single best review of anything I’ve ever read

Y'all, the purpose of this blog was never meant to just point you to other people's writing (like my last post did), but sometimes, other writers just insist on posting things that need to be read by more people. My wife and I have absolutely adored the series Ted Lasso. It's been appointment television for … Continue reading On Ted Lasso, and the single best review of anything I’ve ever read →

On Writing Prompts, and one of the very best responses I have ever seen

The Norse God Odin welcomes warriors who fell in battle to Valhalla I'm not a huge fan of writing prompts. The truth is, I already have more ideas than I have years left to live (that means I have a lot of ideas, not that I am in any immediate mortal danger) and I'm not … Continue reading On Writing Prompts, and one of the very best responses I have ever seen →

Who are your book grandparents?

Professors Tolkien and Lewis So, fellow authors. My publisher, business partner, friend, and fellow author Lou Aronica and I have been talking about a theory I have. See, we all carry our ancestors with us in the attics of our brains as surely as we do in the spiraling chains of knowledge that make up … Continue reading Who are your book grandparents? →

On Ray Bradbury, Pat Conroy, Renaissance Fairs, and setting as a character in a story (Combining Blogs, Part 3)

Dear folks, A while back, I started a second blog, one just for my renaissance fair novel, Blackthorne Faire. I'm combining them, because, well, it's a lot easier to maintain one blog than two, and a lot of the topics I want to write about, like music in fiction (just to name one), fit equally … Continue reading On Ray Bradbury, Pat Conroy, Renaissance Fairs, and setting as a character in a story (Combining Blogs, Part 3) →

ON RENAISSANCE FAIRS AND THE FEELING OF BEING LOST IN A STORY (Combining Blogs, Part 2)

Dear folks, A while back, I started a second blog, one just for my renaissance fair novel, Blackthorne Faire. I'm combining them, because, well, it's a lot easier to maintain one blog than two, and a lot of the topics I want to write about, like music in fiction (just to name one), fit equally … Continue reading ON RENAISSANCE FAIRS AND THE FEELING OF BEING LOST IN A STORY (Combining Blogs, Part 2) →

Combining blogs!

Dear folks, A while back, I started a second blog, one just for my renaissance fair novel, Blackthorne Faire. I'm combining them, because, well, it's a lot easier to maintain one blog than two, and a lot of the topics I want to write about, like music in fiction (just to name one), fit equally … Continue reading Combining blogs! →

Food for thought … can the old pulp heroes of yesterday work in a contemporary setting?

My love for the old pulp heroes — characters like Tarzan, Doc Savage, Professor Challenger, and the Shadow — came early, and when it took hold, it never let go. First loves are like that. It started, like so many of my early loves, on Saturday morning. I was watching TV with my dad — … Continue reading Food for thought … can the old pulp heroes of yesterday work in a contemporary setting? →

In which I am interviewed on writing and marketing, I write about Renaissance fairs and setting as a “character” in a story, and prepare to write about the old pulp heroes of yesteryear

In which I am interviewed on writing and marketing, I write about Renaissance fairs and setting as a “character” in a story, and prepare to write about the pulps

Did y’all know I have another blog, too?

Hey, did y'all know I have another blog, too? It's about stories, writing, fantasy, mythology, and Renaissance festivals.

You can find it here: http://blackthornefaire.net

The most recent post is about Renaissance fairs, and the feeling of falling into a story. I hope those of you who follow this blog will take a look at that one, too. I'd be grateful.

Musing on Some Elements that Work in Fantasy, Part Two: Iconic Imagery

As we build the ePic Books brand, we're focusing on a single genre (or range of subgenres, I guess), at least for the first year or two: fantasy. A part of our strategy involves looking for certain elements that the very best and most successful fantasies—I'm talking the classics, the most beloved and enduring works that stand out, across years and even generations. One of those elements, Iconic Imagery, is very closely related to the Iconic Locations detailed in Part One.

Musing on Some Elements that Work in Fantasy, Part One: Iconic Locations

When asked to picture Narnia, you probably think of something rather like this, don't you?[/caption]If asked to close one's eyes and picture Narnia, I am willing to bet that just about everyone will picture a snow-covered wood surrounding a clearing where a lamppost sheds a soft, golden light ... just beyond a wardrobe door. Something about that image, that specific location, is iconic. It's a strong, concrete, visual image. It's something we almost can't help responding to, almost like it, that one place, was a character in a story. When we revisit, years later, it's like meeting an old friend.

Web TV: My Bitchy Witchy Paris Vacation

My Bitchy Witchy Paris Vacation is a six-part Web series created by writer/filmmaker Alexis Niki that follows a menopausal mother and her two daughters, one pregnant and one adolescent. It's not really a drama, and it's not really a comedy (although it has plenty of both to offer), which means it likely never would have found a home in the TV Guide grid. But the portrait it paints of three women at three very different and pivotal points in their lives, and their efforts to bond, are fascinating.

Jake’s Hot Fudge and Capobianco’s

Jake's had no hot fudge. For an ice cream shop, that seems, well, wrong. It's like that one blemish that keeps it from perfection. The very next day, I received a message from Jake Rothschild himself, the Jake, Jake of Jake's. Jake assured me that the rumors were true. Homemade hot fudge is on the way. In fact, if I would come down and be the official taster, he would name the hot fudge after me. A blogger's work is never done. Since I take my responsibilities very seriously, I agreed. Someone, after all, has to do it. The whole name thing, of course, has nothing to do with it. Not to kill the suspense, but since I was the official taster, and the product is named for me, it's not much of a stretch to imagine that the review is (spoiler alert!) going to be a good one. The simple truth is, the reality far exceeded my expectations. It is, quite simply, the best I've ever tasted.

Speaking of handmade, the Irwin Street Market also boasts a bakery called Capobianco's, which bills itself as "the King of Cannolis." They are fantastic. The pastry is light and wonderful, and the fillings of sweetened, whipped ricotta and chocolate chips are to die for. They also offer a surprising (and constantly evolving) list of variations, including chocolate dipped (I suspect Jake may have something to do with that chocolate sauce, although that is just speculation), chocolate mint, and even blueberry. The blueberry is amazing. When I was tasting Jake's Hot Fudge, I overheard Franky Capobianco, the baker himself, ordering fresh mango. That's a variety I can't wait to try.