Hello gentle reader,
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I am in Paris for the SCBWI Euro Conference until Sunday. In the meantime, you can read a guest post written by yours truly on Sydney Aaliyah’s blog. For her one year blogiversary, Sydney asked me “Why do you blog?” and you can read my answer here.
Happy Easter everyone!
Hello gentle reader,
A few weeks ago I was tagged by the lovely Rachel Horwitz in the 7 Line WIP Game meme (thanks Rachel for thinking of me!). I have also wanted to take part in the WIPpet Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by K.L. Schwengel for a while, so I thought today was a good day as any to share with you an excerpt from my Work In Progress LILY IN THE SHADOWS.
LILY IN THE SHADOWS is a YA Historical Fantasy. Here is the pitch:
When all the flowers die in Victorian London, a streetwise flower girl with a love for books and a gift for getting into trouble investigates before the city descends into chaos and she loses everything.
In the following scene, Lily is coming home after a somewhat exciting day in London, but she is not made to feel as welcome as she was expecting…
Excerpt (unedited):
“So listen to this…”
Wes’s face darkened dangerously and my smile died on my lips. I realised his anger might be directed at me after all, and I didn’t finish my sentence, turning around to reconsider Elsie’s behaviour. Motionless, she was looking at us with wide eyes. In fact, the flat was so quiet I could hear the coal sputtering in the stove, the rain splattering against the tin roof and the neighbours having an argument next door.
I took a tiny step back from Wes, still unsure of what was wrong. His jaw was clenched and his lean body tensed. He scowled, his dark eyes fixed on me. My heartbeat quickened slightly, but my brain still refused to process the obvious: he was angry at me.
This is a blog hop! Visit the other participating blogs here.
Hello gentle reader,
It is time for the last ROW80 check-in for this round! Where did the time go?… I hope you had a more productive week than I did…
Quote of the Week
“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”
J.K. Rowling, 2008 Harvard Alumni Association Commencement Address.
Picture of the Week
I was in Paris this week (for my day job).
ROW80 Check-In
My goal for this round is to write every day. This week, the day job was crazy, and I only managed to write
2 days out of 7.
Word Count of the Week
This week I added 3000 words to my Work In Progress.
Book of the Week
Skylark by Meagan Spooner
This one had been sitting on my TBR pile forever. I won a copy a few months ago thanks to a giveaway organised by the lovely Ayesha Schroeder.
Good News of the Week
This week I entered my YA Epic Fantasy THE LAST QUEEN in the Write On Con Pitch Fest and got a nice comment from an agent. It is also a contest, and results should be announced this week…
Links of the Week
On my blog this week I celebrated my birthday with a book giveaway (still accepting entries!) and I explained the genre of my Work In Progress: Gaslamp Fantasy.
On There And Draft Again this week, Kathi discussed first drafts and Raewyn explained tropes in Fantasy.
On her blog, YA writer Amanda Foody wrote a hilarious post about her Perceptions About Writing.
And Thirty Seconds To Mars (did I mention I adore them?) have a new single out and you can listen to it here.
Next week
Next week on my blog I shall share a snippet from my Work In Progress… if you’re interested.
How was your week? Make sure to share your writing progress and what inspired you this week in the comment section below!
Hello gentle reader,
this week again I’m taking part in the Tursday’s Children meme hosted by Rhiann Wynn-Nolet and Kristina Perez. It is “a weekly blog hop where writers come together to talk about whatever inspires them.”
In these posts, I share a little bit more about what I’ve been working on, a YA Historical Fantasy entitled LILY IN THE SHADOWS. Today’s theme was inspired by a Twitter chat hosted by Tor Publishing yesterday under the hashtag #torchat
Inspired by a genre: Gaslamp Fantasy
So until now, and in order to make these posts as accessible as possible, I have been saying my Work In Progress is a “Young Adult Historical Fantasy set in Victorian London”. And it isn’t wrong, except there is an actual name for this genre, coined in 2006 by webcomic artist Kaja Foglio to differentiate her work from steampunk fiction. It is the “Gaslamp Fantasy” genre.
What is “Gaslamp Fantasy”?
Gaslamp Fantasy (also known as Gaslight Fantasy or Victorian Fantasy) designates stories set during the 19th Century, from the Regency to the end of Queen Victoria’s reign. It is a sub-genre of both Fantasy and Historical fiction, and it comprises elements from both genres.
How is it different from Steampunk?
The main difference between Gaslamp and Steampunk is that Steampunk is technology-focused and Gaslamp is magic-focused. Also Steampunk will often favour adventure when Gaslamp will focus on a mystery.
What books are examples of Gaslamp Fantasy?
The classic example is Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004). Other examples include The Magic Most Foul series by Leanna Renee Hieber (2011-now), The Rook by Daniel O’Malley (2012) or Temeraire (aka His Majesty’s Dragon in the US) by Naomi Novik (2006).
How is LILY IN THE SHADOWS Gaslamp Fantasy?
LILY takes place in London during Queen Victoria’s reign. It is a Historical novel, because I have been very careful to re-create 1862’s London and to double-check every historical detail. But it is also a Fantasy, because magic infiltrates every part of the novel. I want this story to combine this magic with an industrial age that was changing England, its people and the world along with it. 19th Century England was an era of scientific discoveries, of exploration, changes, where common people sought and found answers and explanations for the first time in centuries. But it was also the time pollution, poverty and crime got out of hand.
Writing Gaslamp Fantasy allows me to explore all these interesting aspects of that moment in time.
So are you ever inspired by a genre? Or do you write your novel first, then find which genre it belongs to? Feel free to leave me a comment below, and to visit the other Thursday’s Children posts here.
Giveaway is now closed – Thanks to all who entered!
Winners will be contacted by email
Hello gentle reader,
yesterday was my birthday and as a result, I have even more books on my shelves than before, so I thought it was time to do some “Spring Cleaning” with a book giveaway! This giveaway hop is hosted by Kathy @ I am a reader, not a writer and it runs from today to Monday 25th March 2013.
Here you can win ONE of the five following books:
Fever (The Chemical Garden Book 2) by Lauren Destefano
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Evermore by Alyson Noel
Masquerade (Blue Bloods Book 2) by Melissa de la Cruz
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
All books are paperbacks, UK editions. They are used books in very good condition, but the spines are broken since I have read them. The giveaway is, as always, international.
Giveaway information:
Thanks for entering my giveaway and good luck! Feel free to leave a comment below…
Visit the other giveaways here.
Hello gentle reader,
It is time for another weekly check-in! I hope you had a great and productive week…
Quote of the Week
“Richard had noticed that events were cowards: they didn’t occur singly, but instead they would run in packs and leap out at him all at once.”
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
This week was indeed very eventful in my corner of England…
Picture of the Week
Light by my friend M.LIN
ROW80 Check-In
My goal for this round is to write every day. This week, the day job was crazy, but I still managed to write
5 days out of 7.
Word Count of the Week
This week I added 2800 words to my Work In Progress.
TV Show/Movie of the Week
Veronica Mars
Thanks to an incredible 24-hour Kickstarter campaign, the once cancelled TV show Veronica Mars is to become a movie in 2014. And this is awesome news!
Good News of the Week
This week the amazing Kat Ellis organised a pitch contest on her blog. I entered my Work In Progress Lily In The Shadows and won not one but TWO first-pages critiques, by Jani Grey and Bridget Shepherd.
Links of the Week
On my blog this week I finally revealed the title and plot of my Work In Progress.
On There And Draft Again this week, new member Rachel explained how to draw inspiration from other genres when writing fantasy.
On the Corsets, Cutlasses and Candlesticks blog, YA Author Jennifer McGowan explained How and Why She Fired Her Writing Process (an got published).
On the YAvengers blog, Amanda Foody wrote a great article on how to show, and not tell.
Finally I also recommend YA writer Carissa Taylor’s blog, full of writing tips and books recommendations.
Next week
Next week on my blog I will celebrate my birthday with a book giveaway! Come back on Tuesday to see which books you’ll be able to win…
How was your week? Make sure to share your writing progress and what inspired you this week in the comment section below!
Hello gentle reader,
this week again I’m taking part in the Tursday’s Children meme hosted by Rhiann Wynn-Nolet and Kristina Perez. It is “a weekly blog hop where writers come together to talk about whatever inspires them.”
In these posts, I share a little bit more about what I’ve been working on, a YA Historical Fantasy nicknamed Secret WIP. Three weeks ago the first part of this “Project Reveal” was all about Setting. Two weeks ago I talked about films that inspired me to write this story. And last week I introduced you to my Main Character.
Today’s theme is : TITLE, PLOT and HOW I GOT THE IDEA FOR THIS STORY.
So withour further ado…
My Secret WIP’s title is LILY IN THE SHADOWS.
Here is the pitch I have come up with for it so far:
When all the flowers die in Victorian London, a streetwise flower girl with a love for books and a gift for getting into trouble investigates before the city descends into chaos and she loses everything.
I got the inspiration for this story from a song by Delain (a Dutch symphonic metal band I’m fond of) entitled Mother Machine.
Here are some of the lyrics:
Little girl in a concrete world
artificial hurt
in your eyes
You won’t see any living trees
any flower fields in my time
Round and round and round
the wheels come down
Dreaming of the steam
the pounding sounds
Round and round and round
the wheels come down
Won’t you electrify my soul
intensify it all
(…)
I’ll fold you paper flowers little girl
for you’ll never see a real one
So are you ever inspired by a song? Feel free to leave me a comment below, and to visit the other Thursday’s Children posts here.
Hello gentle reader,
This week I’m waiting on The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (Expected publication: September 17th 2013 by Scholastic Press).
This will be Book 2 in The Raven Cycle and I can’t wait to read it. The Raven Boys (a YA Low Fantasy) was definitely one of my favourite 2012 releases. I read it thinking it was a stand-alone book, then found out only weeks later it was part of a series… which makes sense considering the ending. Now I’m really looking forward to finding out what happens next to Blue and the boys.
If you haven’t picked up The Raven Boys yet, I suggest you do! Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
Which book are you waiting for this week? Feel free to leave me a comment below!
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. You can see what other bloggers are waiting for here.
Hello gentle reader,
It is time for another weekly check-in! I hope you had a great and productive week…
Quote of the Week
“Once again…welcome to my house. Come freely. Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring.”
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Basically my blogging philosophy.
Picture of the Week
Lights in London by my friend M.LIN
ROW80 Check-In
My goal for this round is to write every day. This week again I managed to write
6 days out of 7.
Word Count of the Week
This week I added 2680 words to my Work In Progress. I also edited it a lot, and wrote a synopsis for it.
TV Show of the Week
Vikings (History Channel)
Honestly, I watched this show because of its title. I LOVE Vikings stories. The first two episodes aired this week and they were quite enjoyable, if you don’t mind a slow start and ridiculous hairstyle. I know I don’t, as long as there are, you know, VIKINGS.
Good News of the Week
I had again a lot of good news this week! First a fellow member of There And Draft Again, Kathi, awarded me the Very Inspiring Blog Award. If you recall, I have already received it twice (!) so you can read my acceptance post here. Then the awesome Veronica Park offered (!!) to critique my synopsis and she gave me some amazing feedback to improve it. And finally after 4 months of silence, my wonderful CP Jessica Montgomery started blogging again! Go and follow her here! She’s awesome, I promise.
Links of the Week
On my blog this week I celebrated World Book Day and I introduced you to the main character of my YA Historical Fantasy novel set in Victorian London.
On There And Draft Again this week, Mara shared tips on finding the perfect Critique Partners and Jessica reviewed her favourite Fantasy book.
Also YA author Laura Lam blogged about How To Help Debut Authors.
Susan and Tyler Rose over at The Feather And The Rose celebrated their 200th post with a Mysterious Giveaway.
Finally you should check out Serena Lawless’s awesome Tumblr. And while you’re at it, you may want to follow her on Twitter. You won’t regret it.
Next week
Next week on my blog I will (finally) reveal the title and plot of my Work In Progress!
How was your week? Make sure to share your writing progress and what inspired you this week in the comment section below!
Hello gentle reader,
this week again I’m taking part in the Tursday’s Children meme hosted by Rhiann Wynn-Nolet and Kristina Perez. It is “a weekly blog hop where writers come together to talk about whatever inspires them.”
In these posts, I share a little bit more about what I’ve been working on, a YA Historical Fantasy nicknamed Secret WIP. Two weeks ago the first part of this “Project Reveal” was all about Setting. Last week I talked about films that inspired me to write this story.
Today’s theme is : MAIN CHARACTER.
My novel takes place in London in 1862. The main character is Lily, a sixteen-year-old flower girl who lives in Whitechapel, likes books and tends to get into trouble.
Augustus Edwin Mulready – A street flower seller (oil on canvas, 1882)
In Victorian London, flower girls were a very common sight. Instead of having to go to the market or a nursery garden, people who wanted to buy flowers simply had to go to any street corner in London and find the nearest flower girl.
Lily has honey blond hair and for various reasons, she dresses well above her social status. I’m having fun researching Victorian clothing for this novel!
You may know I like to base my characters off actors to help me describe them physically. When it comes to Lily, I’ve been keeping Emily Browning in mind: not to tall, not too strong-looking, halfway between innocence and sadness…
The last important detail to know about Lily is that within the first pages of the story, she becomes almost deaf. I find writing a character with a disability very interesting and challenging. Here I thought writing a novel in the first person from the point of view of someone who can’t hear would be challenging enough…
So what inspires you to create characters out of thin air and flesh them out? Feel free to leave me a comment below, and to visit the other Thursday’s Children posts here. And come back next week for the 4th and last post in this New Project Reveal series, in which I will tell you all about the Plot and the Title of my Secret WIP…!
EM Castellan 