Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Walking Tour of Erin's Children Neighborhood by Eileen O'Finlan
Monday, June 6, 2022
New releases from BWL Publishing Inc. for June 2022
NEW RELEASES FOR JUNE 2022
Now available from your favorite booksellers - click the book cover to purchase
The Simper Augustus, most famous tulip in history may or may not have actually existed, but to the industry in Holland it is legend worth exploring and to Professor Jacob Dirksen it is worth recreating. Once he has the correct hybrid, he takes the information to the largest tulip growing area outside Holland to sell it. When he is found dead in a tulip field, several agencies from the Dutch and US government get involved. Max Maxwell is given the mission of tracking the professor from the day he arrived until his death. He finds the good professor may have more than tulips on his mind when he came to Seattle, WA.
Sunday, June 5, 2022
Writing Historical Fiction by Rosemary Morris
Writing Historical Fiction
There is a hypothesis that there are only
seven basic plots. This should not deter novelists, who can devise their own
special twists in the tale and write from the heart.
What is Historical Fiction? The
Historical Novel Society’s definition is: ‘The novel must have been written at
least fifty years after the event, described, or written by someone who was not
alive at the time, and who therefore only approached them by research.’
I think novelists, who set their books in
times past, are under an obligation to readers to transport them into another
time based on fact. My characters, other than historical figures, are
imaginary. To ground my novels, I weave real events into my plots and themes.
To recreate days gone by, I study non-fiction and, before covid, visited places
of historical interest, including museums.
There are many excellent novelists who
write, historical fiction and genre historical romance, etc. Unfortunately,
there are others who cause me, and, presumably, other readers, to suspend
belief. I was torn between shock and hysterical laughter when I read a medieval
romance in which, the hero, a knight in full armour, galloped to a castle to
rescue a proverbial maiden in distress. Without putting aside his shield and
weapons, he flung himself off his horse and scaled stone walls with no
handholds or footholds. He then climbed through a window - impossible as a
castle in that era only had narrow apertures. When he gained access through the
mythical window, not affected by her ideal the fair heroine asked: ‘Would you
like some eggs and bacon and a nice cup of tea,’ as though she were offering
him a modern-day English breakfast. The sense of the ridiculous overcame me. I
lost faith in the author and did not read on.
Of course, the above is an extreme
example from a novel accepted by a mainstream publisher. However, I am
frequently disappointed by 21st characters dressed in costume, who have little
in common with those who lived in previous eras. Over the centuries, emotions,
anger, hate, jealousy, love etc., have not changed, but attitudes, clothes, the
way of life and speech has. A historical novelist should study these and do
their best to verify the facts.
Misnamed characters also make me pause
when reading. The first pages of a medieval novel held my attention until I
reached the part when the heroine’s name was Wendy, which, J. M. Barry invented
for his novel Peter Pan. I daresay I’m not the only historical novelist, who agonises
over characters’ names. I recommend The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian
Names, an invaluable resource.
In conclusion, a skilful historical
novelist should hold the readers’ attention from the first page to the last and
take them into the realm of fiction on an accurate, enjoyable journey.
http;//bwlpublishing.ca/morris-rosemary
Saturday, June 4, 2022
The River, Waterfalls, and the Writing Life by S. L. Carlson
The River, Waterfalls, and the Writing Life by S. L.
Carlson
I am S. L. Carlson, a proud and grateful BWL Publishing
Inc. author. My books can be viewed and purchased by visiting https://www.bookswelove.net/carlson-s-l
Part I:
Waterfalls in northern Wisconsin flow
best in May, when most of the snow has melted and the rains have begun filling
the rivers. May is also a time before mosquitoes, thick enough to carry off a
human, start to immerge, and before tourists start crowding in. It was an
adventure.
Locating waterfalls was mostly tentative. I had two paper maps open on my lap, as well as a sightseeing book of Wisconsin, as well as a brochure on waterfalls in two counties. Even so, directions were not always clear, and our time limited. Finding a waterfall was all a matter of trust: my husband trusting me to get us into the approximate area; me trusting maps and books which sometimes contradicted; trusting signs with no further directions of where to go, but having to take our best guesses. Sometimes, physical signs to reach it were antiquated and/or vague.
Sometimes, physical signs to reach it were antiquated and/or vague.
The river above the more major falls
often runs deep, swift, and silent. Then comes the continuous tumble of water.
(Earplugs were recommended for one.) After the churning and bubbling ceases below
the falls, the river once again runs quietly.
Part II:
My writing life, writing a novel, is
like a river. It can start with an idea, like a spring bubbling up in a high meadow.
As the idea develops, the story-stream widens into a river with more characters,
action and plot, running deeper and faster. I start writing faster as I feel
the story coming to life. I must admit that there are times when I write blind,
not sure where the river is going. Sometimes a tributary leads me to backwater
or a still pond. Do I block it off or ignore it, or is it interesting enough to
keep in? Always, though, I must backtrack to return to the writing river, to the
essence of the story.
My river tumbles as whitewater over rocks with various conflicts in the story.
There are twists and turns in the
river I can’t always see around. I mean…which the reader can’t see around. There
are areas with towering cliffs on each side, evidence of erosion from the many authors
before me, carving the way for me to follow. Then comes the climax, the rushing,
tumbling, crashing to below. But follow the river downstream, and it continues
on, silent and calm.
From the bubbling beginnings of a story
idea, my novels develop into the deep and silent river flow, gathering more and
more speed, to the sound and expectation and excitement of the dramatic climax,
the waterfall, finally concluding with the quiet, satisfactory story ending.
May each book you read follow to
the thrill of the river and waterfall adventure.
S. L. Carlson Blog & Website: https://authorslcarlson.wordpress.com
BWL Inc. Publisher Author Page: https://www.bookswelove.net/carlson-s-l
Friday, June 3, 2022
Mystery Writers Unite! A peek into the Maple Leaf Mystery Conference by Diane Bator
The week of May 24 to May 28, I had the honor and priviledge to be a part of the Maple Leaf Mystery Conference! I'm happy to say it was all online because we had mystery writers not only from all over Canada, but from around the world! Panels that discussed True Crime, Cozy Mystery, Comedy in Mystery, Romance in Mystery, Thrillers, Short Mystery Stories... Sixteen sessions in all! WHEW!
AND everyone who registered got a great Murder She Tote bag. How cute is that?
We got to hear one on one
interviews with accomplished mystery writers Maureen Jennings, Ian Rankin, Rick
Mofina, Iona Whishaw, and Vicki Delaney. We were also introduced to new novels
by Mike Martin (one of the organizers) as well as Mary Jane Maffini. Each had excerpts read by friends of theirs Robert Way and Terri Tomchyshyn.
Here is the link from this past
conference should you want to take a peek! https://writers-first.com/maple-leaf-mystery-conference/
I was a part of the Cozy Corner
Panel and found it interesting when our moderator, Lynn McPherson, read a
definition of mysteries condensed from the Bookends Literary Agency blog https://bookendsliterary.com/cozy-mysteries-v-traditional-mysteries/ :
Cozy mysteries can be
defined by the word used to describe them. They are cozy and everything that
word conjures in your mind. Think of warm tea, comfy chairs, cuddly pets, a
soft newly knitted blanket and warm, freshly baked pasteries. That's a cozy.
When you read one, you feel like you're being embraced by a world you want to
be in. A cozy is almost always and amateur sleuth, but an amateur sleuth isn't
always cozy.
In an Amateur sleuth, a
regular citizen (non-professional detective) decides to find the real killer
(the hallmark of any good amateur sleuth.)
Traditional mysteries
probably have the broadest definition. They can be amateur sleuths or official
investigators, they can be a little darker or light and funny. What they aren't
is suspense or cozy. They tend to fall somewhere in between. Typically and
amateur sleuth who is not cozy will fall into the area of traditional mystery.
In traditional mystery, you'll also see a faster pace and maybe a little more
blood and guts, but nothing that would compare to what a suspense might offer.
By definition, my Wild
Blue Mysteries walk the line between cozies and more traditional
mystery. While there are detectives involved, it's usually the amateur detectives
(Katie and Lucy) who dig in to help solve the mysteries.
Crime
Writers of Canada (CWC) also announced the winners for the 2022 Crime Writers
of Canada Awards of Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing. Started in 1984, the
annual Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, then known as the Arthur
Ellis Awards, recognizes the best in mystery, crime, and suspense fiction, and
crime nonfiction by Canadian authors. The presentation of the
winners can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjSQew_DnnA
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