Tag Archives: YA Historical Fantasy

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New Project Reveal – Part 4: Title and Plot!

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.”

thurschilbadgejpg

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.

delain

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.

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New Project Reveal – Part 3: The Main Character

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.”

thurschilbadgejpg

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

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!

Vera

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…

emily_browning-

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…!

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Book of the Week – 18

Hello gentle reader,

Did you know Thursday 7th March 2013 is World Book Day? This is a celebration of reading. Vouchers and free books will be given out to young readers, libraries and schools will hold events, and most importantly, the love of reading will be passed on to children and teens everywhere.

So today I’d like to share with you a couple of books that are coming out this week or the next. They are definitely books I’ll be reading on World Book Day. What will you be reading on Thursday?

Legacy of the Clockwork Key

Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey (out today!)

YA Historical Fantasy

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.

poison

Poison by Bridget Zinn (out 12th March 2013)

YA High Fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it.

Clockwork Princess

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare (out 19th March 2013)

YA Historical Fantasy – Steampunk

If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it? The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose. Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

What will you be reading for World Book Day? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

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New Project Reveal – Part 2: The Inspiration

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.”

thurschilbadgejpg

In these posts, I share a little bit more about what I’ve been working on, a YA Historical Fantasy nicknamed Secret WIP. Last week the first part of this “Project Reveal” was all about Setting.

Today’s theme is : INSPIRATION.

My novel takes place in London, during the Victorian era. I had the idea for it years ago, and since then I’ve watched many films and TV shows which have helped me get a clearer idea of what story I wanted to write. Here are a few…

rachel-hurd-wood

The Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

Crimson Petal and the White

The Crimson Petal and the White (2011)

jane_eyre_mia_wasikowska_8

Jane Eyre (2011)

Great Expectations

Great Expectations (2012)

series-of-unfortunate-events

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

ripper_street

Ripper Street (2013)

peter-pan

Peter Pan (2033)

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Sally Lockhart Mysteries

The Sally Lockhart Mysteries (2006-2007)

Case of the Silk Stocking

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (2004)

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes 1 & 2 (2009-2011)

So this is what inspired me! I hope this gives you a taste of what’s to come in my Secret WIP…

What inspired you to write your Work In Progress? Do you find inspiration in the films or TV shows you watch? Feel free to leave me a comment below, and to visit the other Thursday’s Children posts here.

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One Year Blogiversary and Leap Into Books Giveaway! (closed)

Hello gentle reader,

My blog is one year old this week! To thank you all for following me on this journey, I am taking part in the Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Jinky is Reading.

Leap Into Books Giveaway

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED -THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

The winner will be contacted by email.

The giveaway runs from today until Thursday 7th March 2013. It is a chance for you to win:

a SIGNED paperback of Pantomime by Laura Lam (YA Fantasy)

Pantomime

The giveaway is, as always, international.

Giveaway information:

The giveaway is open until Thursday 7th March 2013 at midnight (BST time).

To enter please fill in the contact form below with your name and email. If you follow my blog by email or WordPress , if you are a Twitter follower , if you like my page on Facebook or if you tweet about the giveaway, this will grant you an extra entry. Mention it below.

Entrants must be at least 13 years of age.

This giveaway is open Internationally.

The winner will be chosen randomly, notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.

I am not responsible for items lost in the mail.

I hold the right to end the giveaway before its original deadline without any prior notice.

I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.

Privacy information: no information given for this giveaway will be used for other purpose than this giveaway. All information provided (names, emails and mail addresses) will be deleted after the giveaway.

Good luck and feel free to leave me a comment below…

This is a blog hop! Visit the other giveaways here.

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New Project Reveal – Part 1: The Setting

Hello gentle reader,

today 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.”

thurschilbadgejpg

I have decided to join this meme to share a little bit more about what I’ve been working on, a YA Historical Fantasy I have teasingly nicknamed Secret WIP. I have been getting a lot of questions about it, especially on Twitter, so I have come up with the idea of a “Project Reveal” in 4 parts, that will give you a taste of what Secret WIP is all about over the next few weeks.

Today’s theme is : SETTING.

My novel takes place in London, during the Victorian era. I am lucky enough to live near London, which means whenever I need to research a location, I can hop on a train, go to London and take pictures. All the pictures below are therefore mine…

EM Castellan - Whitechapel

Whitechapel, London

My main character moves about London a lot, and she can be found in the morning in East London, at noon at Covent Garden and in the evening at St James’s. Above and below are pictures of the Whitechapel district, made famous by Jack The Ripper at the end of the 19th Century.

EM Castellan - Spiltafields Market

Spitalfields Market

EM Castellan - Fournier St

Fournier Street (with the Ten Bells Pub and Christ Church)

Then if we travel west we arrive at St Paul’s Cathedral…

EM Castellan - St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral

Then we reach West London, wealthier and more grand…

EM Castellan - St James's Square

St James’s Square

EM Castellan- Russell Hotel

Russell Square

So this is where my new project takes place! I hope this gives you a taste of what’s to come in my Secret WIP…

What is the setting of your Work In Progress? Do you find inspiration in the places you visit or where you live? Feel free to leave me a comment below, and to visit the other Thursday’s Children posts here.

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My Week In Review – ROW80 Check-In 5

Hello gentle reader,

It is already time for a weekly check-in. I hope you had a great week (despite the snowstorm for those of you who are on the US East coast!). Mine was busy and productive…

Quote of the Week

“Despite herself Winnie was looking at life as if for her book. She was double-living through a day with genuine concerns because the needs of her fictions were as strong as those of her life, or stronger.”

Lost by Gregory Maguire.

That pretty much sounds like me at work this week…

Picture of the Week

M.LIN London 1849

London – A Clock (by my friend M.LIN)

I’m still working on my YA Historical Fantasy, which means I’m still obsessed with Victorian London…

Word Count of the Week

This week I added 5000 words to my Work In Progress, which means it should now be at 11,000 words. However since I deleted 2000 words (I realised one character could be taken out of the story without harming the plotline) it is now at 9000 words.

TV Show of the Week

Ripper Street

Ripper Street (BBC)

This mini-series is set in Whitechapel (London’s East End) in 1889, six months after the Jack the Ripper murders. I find it highly enjoyable, and I can pretend it’s research… 🙂

Good News of the Week

This week, both Brianna Shrum and Emmie Mears got an agent!

Reading their post recounting “how they did it” is quite inspirational, I recommend it.

ROW80 Check-In

ROW80 Logo

My goal for this round is to write every day. This week again I managed to write

4 days out of 7.

Music of the Week

snow-white-and-the-huntsman

Finding a relevant music to my Secret WIP has proven hard.

This week I have listened to the soundtrack of Snow White and the Huntsman (by James Newton Howard) quite a lot, and I like it.

Links of the Week

On my blog I made a list of 5 books I think should be movies. Stop by and let me know which book you’d like to see turned into a movie.

On There And Draft Again this week, Jessy tackled The Creation of a New World: Believability and Raewyn discussed The Role of the Epic Fantasy in a Byte-Sized Future.

On her blog, Authoress Anon wrote a beautiful post about writing the story you want: The Story Inside You. Read it.

If you need motivation to write every day, Twitter sprints are a good way to get writing along other writers. I especially like Lauren Garafalo’s #ROW80 sprints (twice a day) and Susan Dennard’s  #BAMFWordBattle (all day long when she is on a deadline!)

And finally, because your week wouldn’t be complete without this picture:

Wedding dress and bouquet made entirely from the pages of The Princess Bride

Next week

Next week on my blog I shall be discussing how having a crush on an actor can make your book better. The post will thus include pictures of handome actors. Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day on Tursday after all…

How was your week? Make sure to share your writing progress and what inspired you this week in the comment section below!

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Follower Love Giveaway Hop (aka 300 Followers Giveaway) ! CLOSED

follower love

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED – THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED

The winner will be contacted by email

Welcome gentle reader!

My blog has reached 300 followers and to thank you all I am taking part in the Follower Love Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Reader’s Antidote.

The giveaway runs from today until Monday 11th February 2013. Since this giveaway is to thank my followers, you have to follow my blog via email or WordPress to enter. If you do, it is a chance for you to win a paperback copy of Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare.

Clockwork Princess

Warning: This book will be released on 19th March 2013, which means the winner of my giveaway will have to wait a few weeks to receive it in the mail. I have never given away a not-yet-released book before, but I wanted to do something special for this giveaway, and winning an exciting and much anticipated new release sounds special enough, doesn’t it?

The giveaway is, as always, international.

Giveaway information:

The giveaway is open until Monday 11th February 2013 at midnight (BST time).

To enter please fill in the contact form below with your name and email, and let me know if you follow via email or WordPress. You HAVE TO follow my blog by email or WordPress to enter.

Entrants must be at least 13 years of age.

This giveaway is open Internationally.

The winner will be chosen randomly, notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.

I am not responsible for items lost in the mail.

I hold the right to end the giveaway before its original deadline without any prior notice.

I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.

Privacy information: no information given for this giveaway will be used for other purpose than this giveaway. All information provided (names, emails and mail addresses) will be deleted after the giveaway.

Good luck and feel free to leave me a comment below…

This is a blog hop! Visit the other giveaways here.

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My Week In Review – ROW80 Check-In 4

Hello gentle reader,

So I’m trying something new today. Instead of my usual ROW80 Check-In + Inspiring Writer’s Story, I’m starting a new series of posts. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know in the comment section!

Quote of the Week

“Watch your step. Keep your wits about you; you will need them.” The Crimson Petal & the White by Michel Faber

Especially if you’re attempting to write a YA Historical Fantasy set in Victorian London, like me.

Book of the Week

cover_ruby_in_the_smoke

The Ruby In The Smoke by Philip Pullman (YA Historical Fantasy set in Victorian London)

Read in your genre, they say…

Picture of the Week

M.LIN St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral – London (by my friend M.LIN)

My WIP’s opening is set in St Paul’s Churchyard…

Word Count of the Week

As of yesterday, my WIP is at  6000 words. Also it has a secret title and my MC has a name. It’s taking shape! I’m hoping to add more words today.

TV Show of the Week

Spartacus-War of the Damned

Spartacus – War of the Damned (Starz)

This show has its flaws, but I’m addicted. And this is the last season…

Good News of the Week

The ever-awesome Amanda Foody got an agent and celebrated with a hilarious post. Go and congratulate her!

ROW80 Check-In

ROW80 Logo

My goal for this round is to write every day. This week I managed to write 4 days out of 7.

Music of the Week

Les Miserables Musical 1985

I’ve been listening to this on repeat. If you’ve read this post, you know why.

Links of the Week

On my blog I discussed how to write unforgettable secondary characters.

Over on There And Draft Again Raewyn talked about Magical Creatures in Fantasy and Rachel gave some advice on writing fantasy without clichés.

On the Writer Diaries Blog, Vicky Leigh posted a great post about the querying process – with Gifs

Dahlia Adler did the same, but without Gifs

Next week

My blog is so close to 300 followers I have decided to thank you by giving away a book! Stay tuned 🙂

What did you do this week? Make sure to share your writing progress and what inspired you this week in the comment section below!