Cool thing to try...

Hmmm, apparently I must use a lot of big words!

Teresa

Thanks to Margaret Moore...

for the link to this great post from her blog (she links to it, it's not a post she wrote).

Teresa

Currently Reading: Lucy in the Sky by Paige Toon

How I Write...

Ok - so I know I said I wouldn't be blogging much, but I figured the following was easy and fun. Melissa posted this great meme on her blog the other day.

What is your genre(s)?
Historical, time travel and contemporary romance. I've completed two HRs, one TT and am working on a contemp.

How many books are you working on now?
Um, three. With several more lined up.

Are you a linear or a chunk writer?
Like Melissa I'm a linear writer. Chunks just don't work for me. I'm also a plotter.

What POV are you partial to?
Third person. It comes naturally to me - usually the hero, heroine and villain have a voice, though in my contemp, it's only the hero and heroine.

What tense do you use?
Past.

What theme keeps cropping up in your books?
I'll just echo Melissa's answer as it's equally applicable and put very succintly: "Forgiveness and acceptance. Forgiving yourself and others and accepting yourself and others."

How many days a week do you write?
Most days, in one way or another. Not enough on my novels right now, but I do try my best.

What time of day do you get your best writing done?
Mid to late afternoon is ideal for me. First thing in the morning doesn't work as my brain doesn't seem to function properly then - at least to be creative. My body is up, but my mind isn't awake fully till around 10 am.

Who are your mentors?
Currently, a couple of author friends. From the past, three of my high school English teachers and a couple of history/art history teachers.

Who are your favorite authors to read?
There's not enough room to list them all, but here are a few: Elizabeth Chadwick, Sandra Gulland, Sharon Kay Penman, Anya Seton, Tracy Chevalier, Rosalind Laker, Jo Beverly, Claire Delacroix, Marian Keyes, Cathy Kelly and many, many others.

So - how do YOU write?

Teresa

I'm Elinor Dashwood...

Some Sunday fun:

Take the Quiz here!

So - which JA heroine are you?

Teresa

Reading Meme...

PLEASE NOTE - this post is a mess as I used the draft.blogger option (in which you can schedule posts) and something has gone wrong with their line break coding, which seems pretty much impossible to fix. I'm still trying, so please bear with me.

I found this at Sam's blog and thought it looked fun - perfect for a Saturday post:

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
Not at all - I just remember reading all the time as a kid. What are some books you read as a child?
Anything by Enid Blyton (Famous Five, Secret Seven, St. Clares, Mallory Towers etc), the Chalet School books by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, LIW's Little House books, LMM's Anne series and others (Emily etc), Caddie Woodlawn, The Witch of Blackbird Pond and oh, so much more.

What is your favourite genre?
Historical fiction of any flavour and stripe - mainstream, romance, mystery, suspense. If it's historical, I'll generally give it a try! But I also enjoy Women's Fiction of most shapes and forms, especially anything by Marian Keyes, Cathy Kelly and Catherine Alliot

Do you have a favourite novel?
It all depends on when you ask me. Anything by Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon Kay Penman or Sandra Gulland comes to mind, but then again, I'm also a HUGE fan of Susan Howatch's masterful The Wheel of Fortune.

Where do you usually read?
In the living room, my little library, the deck - often with a cat on my lap! (though not out on the deck - too many predators out there for them to be safe if they decide to go exploring).

When do you usually read?
In the evening. If I try to read any other time of day, I get sucked in and don't accomplish much else :) Except when I'm on vacation, then the book comes out at lunch and rarely leaves me hand.

Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
Yep - not unusual for me at all. My husband doesn't understand that.

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
It depends on what it is. If it's non-fiction for research, then yeah, I've very slow and deliberate and skip around in the text. But if it's for pleasure, I just read like I normally would.

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
At one point I bought a lot of books, but now I borrow a ton from the library. It's so easy and the ILL librarian at the Sechelt Library is fantastic - she can get me pretty much anything!

Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?
Not any more. I used to, though. Now I give away the ones that aren't absolute keepers.

If you have children, what are some of the favourite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
No children, but I'm hoping to share my favourite books with my nephews and nieces. My older niece has already read Heidi and the Little House books - hopefully I'll share more with her in the coming years.

What are you reading now?
Right now, nothing. Wait, no, that's a lie - I am rereading SH's The Wheel of Fortune, but had put it aside when some other books came into the library for me. But they're all done now, so I'm back to that. Unless something else catches my fancy - possibly March by Geraldine Brooks or Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay - they're in the living room.

Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?
More like a TBR bookshelf (or two)

What's next?
Robyn Harding's The Journal of Mortifying Moments - when it arrives at the library, which should be soon.

What books would you like to reread?
Some of my Elizabeth Chadwick collection, Susan Howatch's Penmarric and Cashelmara - oh, so many others.

Who are your favourite authors?
Elizabeth Chadwick, Tracy Chevalier, Susan Howatch, Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Sandra Gulland, Marian Keyes, Catherine Alliot,Sharon Kay Penman, Barbara Erskine, Cathy Kelly, Anya Seton, Edith Pargeter/Ellis Peters, Kathryn Smith - oh so many others I can't even call to mind right now.

Anyone else want to play along?

Teresa
Currently Reading: The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch

7 Random Things...

Melissa posted her answers to the meme and as I have nothing brilliant to say today, I figured I'd try to come up with seven random things about me.

1) I LOVE house-flipping and house buying shows on HGTV. NOT that I have any intention of doing either - moving again is not something I want to do for a long, long, long time. But I just find the process fascinating and love to see what other people do with houses and what appeals to them when they buy.

2) I was on a tv game show back in the 80s called Reach for the Top (yes, fellow Canucks, I was a bit of a geek that way). Our team lost our second game, but I somehow then ended up on the All Star Team for the City of Ottawa (still have NO idea how that happened) and we ended up playing a team from CFB Lahr in Germany. The best part of that was meeting some great people, one of who later ended up at Queen's and being friends with Sean at CFRC (talk about a small world).

3) I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. Yep, I was probably one of very few kids who actually was scared by all the films we saw in health class in the mid-70s. As an adult I've never really been tempted either - wine and chocolate are my vices :)

4) I never did master Double Dutch. My friend Kalli was fantastic at it and gave me pointers, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it for more than a few turns of the ropes.

5) When I have popcorn at a movie theatre, I won't start eating it till the trailers start. I don't know why, I just like to have my popcorn with my movie and know that I love it so much, if I start eating it as soon as I sit down, most of it will be gone by the time the movie is on. I cover it with napkins and woe betide those who try sneaking their hand under for a kernel or two before the lights dim and the trailers roll.

6) I'm petrified of spiders. Not uncommon, I know, but where mice don't bother me and I'm ok with snakes, spiders, depending on their size, can paralyze me! Hence my being eternally grateful to my mum for including the Long-handled Spider Catcher with our Christmas package this year. Out here in the country, with wood piles both inside and just outside the house, eight-legged visitors are inevitable, so I'm learning to deal with my fear with the help of the spider catcher.

7) I'd love to learn to ride a horse. It must be the historian in me. We now have neighbours with horses, so maybe one day soon I'll get a chance to do it.

What about you - are there seven random things about you that you want to share?

Teresa

Currently Reading: Book for Review

Archive Recycle Meme

Kelly tagged me for the Archive Recycle Meme - very cool!

I looked back through my archives and this one shouted out to be repeated:

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Writing is Like Exercise

Ok, this really isn't news to me, but I was thinking about it again yesterday while at the gym. Why? Because it was the first time in almost two weeks since my dh and I had taken the time to go there. As each day had passed, we'd talked vaguely about going, then ceme up with a reason not to. Even yesterday, when my hubby was getting really insistent, I was still reluctant. Felt tired and cranky and just not interested. But as he was in the driver's seat and I wasn't *grin*, I went along, chanting under my breath "I really want to do this, I really want to do this."

Sure enough, within a minute of starting the treadmill AND my mp3 player, I felt tons better. And kept going for the full 55 minutes (25 mins on treadmill, 30 on eliptical trainer).

How is this related to writing, you ask? Well, I sometimes have the same thing happen with my wip - I'll be stuck somewhere and just avoid it. Every day I think about opening the file, then find something else to do. But when I FINALLY do take the plunge and go back to it, just like with the gym, I find myself lost in the story within five minutes.

For those of us who are writers, ones who KNOW how important our writing is to us and ultimately how good it is for us, we still have a habit (at least most of the writers I know) of avoiding it from time to time. Just like exercise - that feeling of being tired and cranky yesterday, well, likely much of that came BECAUSE I'd avoided the gym for so long. Yes, I'd done a lot of walking, but there's still nothing like getting the blood really going while listening to music. I've been exercising regularly for the last 15 years (since just after my engagement) and my body is used to it. Just like my writing.

Then my mind wandered off to the musical portion of my workout. Now, you might think I'm some kinda freak for doing 55 mins of cardio. Maybe. And there's only one reason I can manage it - the music. Without my mp3 player and earphones, I'd last maybe ten minutes. Ok - probably 30, but it would be tough.

Often when I'm writing I play music as well - for company and inspiration. Just like when I'm exercising. Sometimes with the writing I do need quiet, but when I'm on a real roll, I LOVE background music that revs up my heartrate - it really helps.

So what's in my mp3 player/RealPlayer right now?

Vertigo - U2
What I Like About You - The Romantics
Ocean Pearl - 54-40
Found Out About You - The Gin Blossoms
A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley
Love Shack - B-52s
Rockaway - Rawlins Cross
Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen
Call Me - Blondie
I Was Made for Lovin' You - KISS
Only Happy When it Rains - Garbage
Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats
Rubberband Girl - Kate Bush
Home for a Rest - Spirit of the West
She Moves in Mysterious Ways - U2

Looking at the list (far from complete, but gives you an idea), I've pretty much given my age away *grin*.

I also listen to more ethereal stuff while writing - Loreena McKennitt, Enya, Kate Bush, Gregorian Chant, Clannad etc - it all depends on my mood and at what point in the manuscript I'm at.

Anyone else out there need music to write and/or exercise?

----

So, there you go! Scary thing is, most of that music is STILL in my little Lyra *g*.

And speaking of exercise, I have to get going to Nia now.

But first I'll tag Jen, Annette, Rene, the Doubtful Muse and Katy.

Teresa

8 Things I Like...

Rene listed her 8 things and asked others to do the same. Here are 8 things I like:

1) Riding on the back of my dh's motorcycle, especially along a quiet country road. It's so relaxing just to watch the world go by and you're so much closer to everything than when you're in a car.

2) Losing myself in a research library. I can totally forget about everything but gleaning as much info as I can from all the books, documents etc.

3) Walking through the woods - since I was a kid, I've loved walking on spongy ground strewn with branches, pine needles etc as trees soar above me. The longer the walk, the better. And it's always perfect when Sean joins me.

4) Knitting in front of a roaring fire. I did this a lot over the past winter and while it's a simple pleasure, it's one I can see myself indulging in a lot in the future.

5) The way my cats run to greet me when I get home - their enthusiasm is so infectious. Of course, they generally want food, but even so, they also want cuddles first.

6) Hanging out with my nephews and nieces. I don't see any of them as often as I like, but spending time with them is always fun.

7) Like Rene, I love to bake, but hate to clean up. Same goes for cooking - love the creating, loathe dealing with the huge mess I always make *g*.

8) Hot coffee first thing in the morning - even better when being sipped on a deck in the warm sun.

So, if you haven't already done this meme, what are some of the things you like?

Teresa

Link of the Day: Viking Kittens

Eight things about me...

Rene tagged me with this :)


1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Eight Things About Me

1. I put a hairline fracture in my right hand slamming it on the piano keys while learning to play Music Box Dancer (Frank Mills), when I was about 12 or 13 years old. (If you click on the link, make sure your speakers are on - it sounds different than I remember, less complicated. Hmmm.)

2. One of my favourite TV shows is a Canadian production called History Bites - each week they examine a different period/event in history. The premise is that tv existed and they channel surf. Hard to describe, but oh, so much fun.

3. I've been reviewing books for The Historical Novel Society
for the last seven years and found out recently I'm one of their top five reviewers from North America. That really set me back on my heels - I'd no idea I'd read and reviewed so many books!

4. I worked as a Buyer's Clerk (or Assistant - the term I preferred) for the Canadian Forces for five years. My immediate boss was fantastic - I still send him and his wife a Christmas card each year. From him I learned a lot about retail buying and about life in general. Even though the job literally raised my blood pressure (my boss's boss wasn't quite so, well, um, how do I put this - nice), I don't regret the time I spent there, learning new skills and making friends across the country.

5. I love family history and by default, have become the unoffical family historian. One of my mum's cousins did a lot of work in England, so we can trace one line back into the 17th century - my many times great-grandfather went to London from either Portugal or Spain (we're pretty sure it's Portugal). Through the GRO site I found my great-grandparents' marriage certificates (both sets of GGPs) and ordered copies of them, which was very cool. I also have a transcription of my paternal grandparents' (babcia and dziadek) marriage certificate from 1922 as well as my babcia's high school graduation certificate.

6. My dad taught me to ski when I was really little, first on the front of his skiis, then with my own little red wooden ones and small leather boots. Ironically, I'm still only an intermediate skiier (at least by West Coast/Rocky Mountain standards *g*).

7. One of my favourite holiday spots ever is Osmington/Osmington Mills in Dorset. My aunt and uncle had a caravan there for years and when we went to England in the summers of '74, '76 and '78 we went down there to stay. It was heaven - fields, cliffs, the sea and long walks with my cousins.

8. I've been writing for as long as I can remember - short stories, poems, half-finished novels (in high school), essays, and now reviews, articles and, of course, my mss. I can't imagine not writing. My babcia saw that in me and always encouraged me to follow that dream. And my nana, through her love of books as well, also inspired me to write.

Now, eight people to tag may get tricky, as so many people I already know have been tagged - here goes: Annette, Susan, Jen, Sarah, Nienke, Kit, Katy and the Doubtful Muse.

Teresa

Currently Reading: Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Also Currently Reading: Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
Link of the Day: Journal of Matthew Vienneau whose sister, Nicole, is missing in Syria

For fans of British history....

Sean sent me this link this morning. Very cool:



Enjoy!

Teresa

Five questions from Kelly...

Here are the five questions Kelly gave me to answer:

1. If you could pick one published author who’s career you would like to emulate, who would it be and why?
Elizabeth Chadwick. Over the last 17 years she's slowly, but surely, become a fan favourite among readers of historical fiction, particularly those who love the medieval period. Not only that, her writing has improved from pretty darned good at the start to absolutely fantastic now. Her gradual rise through the midlist allowed her to survive in the not-always-easy world of publishing as each of her books built on the strengths of the previous one. Last, but certainly not least, she's generous with her time to both fellow writers and to her readers, taking the time to give talks and participate in online discussion groups, where she shares her experiences and doles out sound, sensible advice.

2. Your favorite flavour of lip gloss.is...?
Raspberry - anything raspberry tastes good to me. If I had to have a second choice, it would be vanilla.

3. Most embarrassing moment for your high school days.
Hmmm, nothing in particular stands out. Though I was at one point a bit of a waterworks at school dances - hormones and love songs never seemed to mix well with me. Especially as I was a wee bit of an ugly duckling at the time, so never had a date.

4. If you could be transported back into one historical period, what would it be?
1483 England. Just like my heroine in Trust in Love, I'd want to go back to meet Richard III and ask him WHY in heaven's name he left his nephews behind when he went on progress in July 1483. I don't believe he murdered them himself, but by not keeping them with him, he abdicated his responsibility to guard them from those who sought to use them as pawns.

5. Hollywood has called. They want you to pick your favorite book to make into a movie and do the casting. Which book do you pick and who gets cast as hero and heroine?
Of my own mss, it would be What the Heart Remembers, with James Purefoy in the role of Adrian and Kate Winslet in the role of Cécile (I know, she's not French, but she looks more like my vision of Cécile than my other choice, Audrey Tatou).

Of books already published, that's a lot harder. I've so many books I love, but I'll give it a shot - Elizabeth Chadwick's The Falcons of Montabard is one of my faves - I'd probably go with Ioan Gruffudd as Sabin and Laura Fraser as Annais - she played Kate the Farrier in A Knight's Tale, and her character should have been, IMHO, the heroine of that movie.

Great questions, Kelly! Thanks :-)

I'm off to bed now - still recovering from my week hauling deadfall etc and preparing for another busy few days. Am hoping to get back to my story at some point as well. Our niece was up to visit this weekend, along with my brother/sister-in-law. Family weekends are so much fun!

Teresa

Currently Reading: Dark Angels by Karleen Koen (I'm savouring every page of this wonderful tale of intrigue, love and politics at the court of Charles II)

Fun stuff from Kelly...

Exhausted after another four hours hauling trees, deadfall etc. Saw this at Kelly's blog - perfect for tonight's post! Thanks Kelly :)

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

BTW - for some reason I can't see any comments on my post from Tuesday night. The Comment area is completely missing - please let me know if you left a comment!

Teresa

I'm on a blog vacation...

here's something fun for the meantime, courtesy of susanw:

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Teresa

Procrastination Meme...

courtesy of Kit :-)

Soundtrack of my Life

Directions: If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

1. Open your mp3 library
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool.
7. Don’t skip songs.

My Movie:

1. Opening credits: Manic Monday - The Bangles
2. Waking up: Our Love, Don't Throw it all Away - Andy Gibb
3. First day of school: The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
4. Fight song: Drive - The Cars
5. Breaking up: Lovers in a Dangerous Time - Bruce Cockburn
6. Happiness: Lost in Your Eyes - Jeff Healey Band (HONEST - this came up all by itself!!! It's a fantastic love song - have to let it play in its entirety)
7. Life’s okay: Ebudae - Enya
8. Mental breakdown: Mizerna Cicha (Meek and Mild) - Mazowsze & Slask (a Polish Christmas Carol - hmm, interesting)
9. Driving: Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
10. Flashback: Tell it to my Heart - Taylor Dayne
11. Getting back together: How Many - Luba
12. Wedding song: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - K.T. Tunstall (very ironic, if you listen to the lyrics)
13. Birth of first child: The Wedding Gift - Rawlins Cross
14. Final battle scene: Lothlorien - Enya (a less battle like song I can hardly imagine!)
15. Death scene: Take me to the River - Talking Heads
16. Funeral song: Dance With Life (The Brilliant Light) - Bryan Ferry (Again, I'm not kidding, this came up all by itself)
17. End credits: Pieces - Dan Powell (from the soundtrack of A Knight's Tale)


Kit finished by saying - "If you’re reading this, I’m tagging you! Let’s see it!"

Ditto!

Teresa

Currently Reading: Dark Angels by Karleen Koen (an absorbing read)

West Helly-Aa and more...

We had some fun down on the beach last night. More on that below.

During the day I worked some more on plotting/character for When the Heart Believes. There are niggling little things I'm having trouble resolving, so I spent a lot of time free-writing about characters, plot ideas etc. Especially the beginning. I've had two beginnings now and scrapped them both. I THINK I might have one now that will work, though there are still some plot points that need to be finalized. And I have to hope I'm not stretching the bounds of believability with the circumstances leading up to the opening. Rene made a good point about Beginnings the other day, so I had that in mind yesterday as I worked.

Yesterday evening, however, Sean and I went down to the beach to take part in the third annual West Helly-Aa - a variation on the Shetland tradition of Up Helly-Aa
- a rite during which the old year is sent packing and the light is welcomed by burning a replica Viking longship.

Here's the boat, before the ceremony started:



Sean and me with the boat - not the most attractive photo of us, but y'all can see our costumes. I'm technically out of period, but considering the temp down on the beach was about 5º C, I figured velvet was warmer than linen and sacrificed authenticity for warmth *g*:



Circle of lit torches - I took this from down on the beach:



The procession of torches:



ends at the boat:



where it's lit on fire:
















We left reasonably early on as Sean had to get back here to go to bed for his early shift. Still, it was great fun and we look forward to participating again next year :-)

Teresa

Currently Reading: Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
Also Currently Reading: The Adventurous Bride by Miranda Jarrett
Link of the Day: Interview with Claire Delacroix/Claire Cross

Tagged by Rene...

Rene tagged me for a book meme:

1. Grab the book closest to you.

2. Open to page 123, look down to the 5th sentence.

3. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog.

4. Include the title and the author's name.

5. Tag 3 people


"Who are we writing about? A mountain climber? Are we writing about a policeman?"

Debra Dixon - Goal, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks to Good Fiction - p. 123.

I'm tagging Annette, Kelly and the Doubtful Muse.

Teresa

Currently Reading: One More Time by Claire Cross
Also Currently Reading: The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair
Link of the Day: Tracy Chevalier on The Lady and the Unicorn

My first Thursday Thirteen...

I picked this up from Rene.



Thirteen Things I want for Christmas1. An agent
2. An Alphasmart Neo
3. A gift certificate (in any amount) to ABE Books
4. An end to hunger and war in the world - yeah, I know this is corny and totally against what we've accepted is human nature and the way things are, but still, it's MY list and I can tell you, after watching the news this last year, I can't think of anything better to wish for
5. The latest Chantal Kreviazuk cd
6. A copy of Elizabeth Chadwick's The Scarlet Lion
7. A haircut I'm happy with - I keep trying to find someone who can give me what I want, but so far, no dice
8. A turn on TLC's What Not to Wear - yep, I'm ready for the abuse! I've already learned lots from Stacey and Clint, so think it would be great fun to be on the show
9. A big Christmas with our entire family - mine and Sean's. All the kids. Yeah, it would be loud and crazy, but kinda fun too.
10. Snowshoes
11. A house
12. A gift certificate to Sew Easy in Sechelt
13. See # 4 - THAT is what I really want for Christmas

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants


You know what's interesting? I really had to reach for most of those, as, other than the house and end to hunger/war, there really isn't much I actually want. Books, cds etc are all nice, but especially over the last few months, when we've pared down our life to the bare minimum, I've discovered as long as I have Sean, the cats, my computer, a roof over our head and food, I can do without pretty much everything else.

Ok, I'll stop being introspective and soppy now. As y'all can see, so far, we have power and as the winds have dropped, I'm hoping we're ok for the rest of the day. Which means I'm off to Nia soon - yay! Last class before Christmas.

Teresa

Currently Reading: The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick (when I'm not madly knitting, which is most of the time right now)
About to Read: Mistletoe Kisses - Harlequin's Regency Christmas anthology
Link of the Day: Shakespeare's Den - a very cool place to buy writers gifts. Thanks to Melissa for the link!