Saturday, February 10, 2018
Friday, February 9, 2018
Write What You Know by Rita Karnopp
Write What You Know by Rita Karnopp. Some of the best advice I’ve ever received in my writing career is
to ‘write what you know.’ Writers can’t
help but draw from their own life’s experiences when developing stories. This enriches and deepens the believability
of our characters.
A writer improves with
each book, and so does their ability to reach deeper inside themselves to pull
out those personal life experiences through the actions of their characters. By
allowing our characters to experience our very own emotional roller-coasters or
hurtful experiences … we bring our reader in … and they will sense the honesty and
vulnerability of your characters.
It was through writing
that I realized I was drawn to the Native American’s way of life and
traditions. I’ve always felt the
eighteen hundreds through the Native American’s point of view. In sharing that epiphany with my sister, she
revealed, “That’s because our great grandmother was Chippewa Cree from
Wisconsin.” Say what?
I had no idea … and so
developed my love for writing the Native inspired story; whether 1800s or
2020. Because I live in Montana … I
turned my attention to the Blackfeet; the most feared Indian nation on the
Northern Plains in the nineteenth century.
Through extensive
research I found I could draw on those life experiences of true Native people
who participated in the changes that ripped their lives and culture apart … and
their struggles to survive.
I believe writers
should ‘write what you know’. But, it’s equally important to ‘write who you
know.’ Every character you create should have a reason for existing … and a
reason they are who they’ve become.
History gives us an
opportunity to create believable characters. I found a sketch showing Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and James Doty,
Secretary to Stevens, and Little Dog, who served as an interpreter, plus various Blackfoot tribes (Piegan and Blood), the Flathead, Nez
Perce, Gros Ventre, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille, Cree, and Shoshone at the Judith
River, for the signing of the Blackfeet’s first treaty with the United States. This
was the inspiration I needed to write Leota, Dream Woman, who believed it was
her mission to stop Chief Lame Bull from signing the Treaty of 1855. The white berry from the red willow was
bitter and even though it was used as a kind of enriched vitamin for the
Native, the white man found it bitter and undesirable.”
That grabbed me … the
‘white berry’ could be my white woman and the ‘red willow’ could represent the
Indian Nation … and so my book White Berry on the Red Willow developed. History is a world of captivating stories of ‘what
ifs’, and by writing them we bring characters to life. We give them air between the pages of an exciting
life’s journey.
Check out my latest novel, OFF THE GRID, a YA that is for
readers thirteen to ninety-three.
Living in the woods, surrounded by nature, is a
fantasy of those living within the unethical confines of society. But when
you’re seventeen, even thinking about walking through the woods conjures up
ghastly visions.
Taylar must forgive her father’s intentional betrayal of bringing her family to live in the remote Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana. Hundreds of miles from civilization, she must put aside her fears and do her part to help her family survive the challenges of dense wilderness, mountain lions, bear, rattlesnakes, and the worst animal of all – man.
Will their father realize that their neighbors
aren’t what they appear to be . . . before it’s too late? Will her almost
sixteen-year-old sister, Brook, who loves hunting and nature, have what it
takes to guide them out of the untamed wilderness and back to civilization?
Rita Karnopp is a
fun-loving, imaginative, creator of stories that take you away . . . until you
close the book. Versatile, she writes Indian historicals, suspense, thrillers,
futuristic, YAs and a trilogy about the Gypsies during the Holocaust.
When
not writing, Rita enjoys the Montana outdoors with her husband, Dennis, her
Cockapoo, Gema, children & grandchildren, RVing with new camper, crystal
digging and gold panning.
Please
visit Rita at Amazon page:
Email
Rita at: ritakarnopp@bresnan.net
I would say writing is my passion . . . I see a story in just about every situation. I love Native American history and all the lessons it has to offer.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Dragon Princess, Book 1 of the War Unicorn Chronicles, released today
After a period of writing niche historical fiction for
kids, I rested back into my long-time love of fantasy—reading, dreaming,
researching, writing, repeat all with lots more dreaming.
After writing War Unicorn: The Ring, published last
October with BWL, I could not let the characters go. I had an arrogant,
demanding unicorn and a simple apple farmer tossed into an underdog country
where magic coexists with Ordinaries. The only way I could move on was to
continue writing about them. I soon came to realize it’s not that I can’t let
go of the characters, but that they won’t let go of me, not until their stories
are told.
Dragon Princess, release date February 7, is the first
book of the War Unicorn Chronicles. Mortal enemies Aldric and Thram must work
together to find other unicorns, an impossible relationship sent on an
impossible quest.
From Chapter one:
Ricky bit his lower lip as he watched Neighbor kick out
with her back legs in the trained war unicorn way while the horses cowered in a
far corner of the field. Aldric couldn’t peel his eyes from his friend. Yes,
this Unicorn Keeper had to agree with Iggy Millerson that Neighbor was not
acting like herself. But what, after all, did they know about unicorns? As far
as anyone knew, she was the only unicorn in the world. It wasn’t like there was
any training for this position. He only had the experience of the year before,
spent with her, becoming her friend.
Maybe his mother knew a unicorn story he hadn’t heard
yet. Or perhaps his father could put a calming spell on the unicorn.
Crabapples! Neighbor would never stand for that. One spell on her was enough.
Who knew how Neighbor would react if she realized her sudden calmness was
caused by a magical spell?
Skirts rustled as a girl his own age slipped between him
and Iggy. Ricky straightened up and pushed back his blonde hair from his
forehead. He sucked in a breath, but kept watching the field.
“Your unicorn’s going crazy,” Gwen said.
“So I’ve been told,” he answered.
“Maybe it’s her moody time,” she suggested.
Ricky bit his lower lip and looked away. Gwen, of anyone
in the kingdom, knew about moody times.
He turned to the princess. Why couldn’t he control the
jump his heart did each time she came near? How could he still have feelings
for her after all she’d done? Not too many moons ago, she was just the
general’s daughter, a girl who liked to dress in boys’ clothes so she could
work in the royal stables. She loved her horses. Back then, she was just Gwen,
his friend. Now that her father became king of Farhner, she was pulled along
with him to be the king’s daughter, the princess. He couldn’t remember the last
time he saw her wearing trousers.
“So where’s your boyfriend?” Ricky asked coolly.
Iggy let out a low whistle and, suddenly fascinated with
the passing late summer clouds, moved a post away from Gwen and Ricky.
“Thram is not my boyfriend.” Gwen put one hand on her
hip. “And even if he was, what business is that of yours?”
Apparently none, he wanted to snap back.
“Your business,” she continued, “is poor, dear, old
Neighbor out there, who is going crazy. What are you going to do about her?”
From Chapter seven:
“The unicorns are somewhere in this direction,” Neighbor
said, although Ricky didn’t think she sounded very certain.
“We’ve got nine days and a bit before we have to turn
around. I’m sure we’ll get some hints of your people by that time. We must.”
Ricky realized he didn’t sound very certain, either.
After riding a few more hours, Thram complained of sore
thighs. Ricky wondered if he should point out that Thram didn’t have any idea
how sore his legs were going to be by the end of the three weeks. Instead, he
suggested they dismount and give the horses a break. Once they got into the
mountainous areas, the animals would be working hard enough. Gwen would have
been proud of his horse thoughtfulness.
“You know how Thram can sometimes sense his mother’s
thoughts?” Ricky asked Neighbor. “Can you do the same with your herd?”
Neighbor twitched, and there weren’t any flies on her. “I
do not know. Neither do I remember much. There were mountains, big, white,
protecting mountains.”
“What were they called?”
Neighbor ducked her head and blew through her lips. “Our
mountains?”
“What did they look like?”
“Bbrrrrah! Mountains! The snow-on-the-peaks kind! Like
those. I think.” She shook her head and stomped angrily like she had fire ants
racing up her legs.
“Sorry,” Ricky said, knowing it was a weak apology.
“No. I am sorry. Pitifully sorry...for myself.” Her sides
expanded as she drew in a deep breath. “I just do not know those things,
Aldric. How I wish I did. I was merely a filly, not even a yearling when the
Wizard Wormage captured me. And that action was hundreds of years ago. Everyone
in the herd is probably all dead by now. I am certain Wormage must be.”
“Well, if your home...er...range,” Ricky said slowly,
“was in a secluded mountain section, couldn’t your people have survived
undetected? Or... what if you aren’t the only unicorn Wormage captured?”
“Don’t be silly. No one would be that stupid.”
Ricky raised his eyebrows. Ah—no one except for her,
she’d meant.
“We are trained from the day we first stand on our wobbly
legs not to have human contact. We hide. We camouflage—”
“You know how to camouflage? Me too!” Ricky said.
“I know. Remember escaping the Spikes from Martin’s
Company? I was there when you covered us both with your spell. And you covered
my horn, and…actually, Ricky, that act of covering us in battle drew me to you
more than anything else you could have done or said. When mother unicorns smell
danger, they camouflage their babies. I did not live with the herd long enough
to learn how to do it for myself.”
Ricky chuckled. “So it was like I was your father?” He
stood next to her. “Aw. My little baby filly.” He stroked her neck. Neighbor’s
mighty muscles rippled tensely beneath his hand. He stopped stroking.
“Mothers camouflaged. Father gave the warning and covered
himself.” Neighbor sounded as though she was going to cry, just as if she were
a human.
Ricky patted her neck and pulled one of the remaining
flowers from her mane. “It’ll be all right. If we don’t find any other unicorns
this time, there are other months. We’ll keep trying, stretching out in
different directions. Our adventure is in the journey, and the journey’s been
uncomplicated, just as King Segan said.”
Neighbor jerked her head up, ears laid back.
Thram put his foot into the stirrup and swung onto his
horse’s back. “I wish you hadn’t said that out loud.”
“You are so superstitious,” Ricky said. “Saying things
like that out loud doesn’t mean it’s some kind of verbal magic spell to cause
things to go wrong. I know about these things.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, tell that to them.” Thram nodded to the
hills on their left. Nine black-bearded men rode upon horses, trotting straight
for them, each wearing black Spikonian leather-armor.
October, 2017 Release with Books We Love Publishing:
WAR UNICORN, Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1773627201/
WAR UNICORN, Digital Stores: http://books2read.com/u/3Ro6jp
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