Let us Talk of Many Things; of Books and Queens and Pirates, of Mystery and Kings...

Tuesday, 6 August 2019

Tuesday Talk: A Few Thoughts About Staying In Touch?

Just lately I've been sending a few emails to my 'besties' with content like: 'Haven't forgotten you, busy this end. Hope all OK with you?' Which is not exactly a scintillating sort of conversation, but is the situation in a nutshell. I mean - I didn't even realise it was August, whatever happened to June? (or May, come to that!)

By 'Busy' I mean I've been re-editing the entire series of the Sea Witch Voyages. Not just reading through and kicking out the typos (yep, they were there!) but putting right a couple of continuity bloopers which occurred because I wasn't expecting the first book to run into what is going to be a long-term series. (In other words, I hadn't planned out future plots back in 2006 when I wrote Sea Witch.)

Mermaid - e-book the early adventures of Jesamiah Acorne

Then an email from a dear Canadian friend popped into my inbox, and I thought I would share it with you. It is old - very old - but worth dusting off and re-posting:

"When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward emails!
When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.
When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how . . . . You forward... stuff!
A 'forward' lets you know that...
You are still remembered,
You are still important,
You are still loved,
You are still cared for.
So, next time you get a 'forward',
Don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke but that you've been thought of, and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile."

waiting for an email?

Which then got me thinking. (OK don't all groan and mutter 'Oh no, not again!')
How did the people of the past deal with/cope with not hearing from their loved ones when they went away? In many cases, never, ever, to be seen again.

A few centuries ago few 'ordinary' people could read or write so no mail - old fashioned letter mail that is. No telephones until the early 1900s - goodness, how did we survive without our mobile phones?

The only word received by a mother or wife, father, siblings, left at home would be, often years later, via word of mouth - if they were lucky.

Men, boys, went off to war. Many never came back. Think about the sailors on those first voyages across the Atlantic, Pacific or circumnavigating the world - Columbus, Drake, de Gama, William Dampier, Cook et al.

Oil on canvas portrait of Dampier holding a book

William Dampier
Circumnavigated the world three times

I have a feeling that perhaps some of the wives were quite relieved that their other half had b*ggered off, as there is evidence that some of these marriages were not happy ones. Dampier and Henry Morgan (he of rum fame), we know, had little interest in their spouses. For these women, as long as she was well-provided for, it meant she had the status of being married but not the worry of childbirth or (in many cases) the unwelcome intrusion of sex. They were quite happy for their husbands to be off somewhere, and possibly, disappointed when they eventually came home again. ('Life is not always a box of chocolates' as someone once said!)

Were the mothers, wives, sisters, more accepting of their men-folk clearing off than we are today? I guess it was slightly different where war and battles were concerned because it was more likely that they would, eventually, hear of their loved one's death. But for sailors? Quite often a ship would go down and no one would be any the wiser as to where, why, how or when. It would simply be that the ship, and its crew, never came home again.

No knowing when, why, how or where...

We know of Columbus, Dampier, Cook, Drake, de Gama - and other adventurers such as Marco Polo, because they did come home. But let us, perhaps, take a moment to think of the unknowns, the nameless many who didn't... Those many, many who set out, waving goodbye and never returned again...

And here's me worrying because my daughter and son-in-law always forget to call me to say they've arrived safely at a competition venue a mere hour or so drive away...

P.S. why not email the friends you've not contacted for a while? Send a joke or a nice picture, or just a 'hi, haven't forgotten you!' message. Oh, and add this link....

Tuesday Talk: Staying In Touch...
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/2019/08/tuesday-talk-staying-in-touch.html

Thursday, 1 August 2019

Novel Conversations with Brigit Quinn

In conjunction with Indie BRAG
posted on the first Friday of the month
#IndieBragNovConv

To be a little different from the usual 'meet the author'

let's meet a character

Brigit Quinn

from

Q: Hello, I’m Helen the host of Novel Conversations, please do make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink? Tea, coffee, wine – something stronger? You’ll find a box of chocolates and a bowl of fruit on the table next to you, please do help yourself. I believe you are a character in Valerie Biel’s novel Circle of Nine: Beltany. Would you like to introduce yourself? Are you a lead character or a supporting role?

A: Tea would be nice. Thank you. I’m not old enough to drink yet.

My name’s Brigit Quinn. I’m the lead character, but it’s not like I wanted to be.

It’s all because I’m descended from one of the founding tribes of Ireland, which I just learned. I can’t believe my mom kept that big of a secret from me!

Q: What genre is the novel and what is it about?
A: Technically, this is considered a young adult novel, because it all starts on my 15th birthday. My birthday wish has been the same year after year—to just be normal. This is not a very easy thing when you live in a small town and everyone thinks your mom is a witch. Instead, my mom told me that we’re descendants of one of the four founding tribes of Ireland, The Tuatha de Danann. They were powerful people who served as guardians of the stone circles of Ireland. My mom also gave me a spellbound book of family history which reveals the magical powers of my ancestors. Powers that could be mine, but I don’t really want them. To be perfectly honest, I’m a little scared about what I might find.
So I have to finish reading this huge book of family history before May Day or Beltane because my other birthday present was a plane ticket to Ireland to celebrate the holiday at the Beltany Stone Circle in County Donegal, Ireland. My mom goes every year and meets up with her eight best friends there. See my mom follows a pagan religion that celebrates the solstices, equinoxes, and the cross-quarter days in between. Now that I’m 15, she says I can go, too. I’m excited about going to Ireland, but I’m not excited about having to finish this huge book first.

Q: No spoilers, but are you a ‘goodie’ or a ‘baddie’? (Or maybe you are both!)

A: I don’t want to be either. I mean, I’m a goodie, of course. But truly, I don’t want a part in all of this magical power stuff. Mom says I have a choice to be whoever I want to be, but I’m not so sure.

Q: Tell me about another character in the novel – maybe your best friend, lover or partner … or maybe your arch enemy!

A: Well, there’s Tyler McGrath. He’s an athlete and really popular (not like me), but he’s not a typical jerk—I mean jock. He’s in my art class. He asked me out, and now we’re sort of going together, I guess. But don’t tell my mom. I know I have to tell her, but it’s just that he’s a senior and I’m only a freshman, and I’m afraid she might not like it.

And there’s also his grandmother, Adele, who seems just a bit too interested in my family history and asks a lot of strange questions. I don’t think I like her. I get nervous around her and my skin prickles.

Of course, there’s my mom, Celeste. It’s just us. She won’t talk about my dad much, no matter how much I ask.

Q: Is this the only novel you have appeared in, or are there others in a series?

A: Oh, no, I couldn’t have gotten off that easy. I’m in the first book and the third book (Circle of Nine: Sacred Treasures). The second book is a set of novellas about some of my female ancestors. One of them is my grandmother Phoebe. I really liked reading her story, but I’m not in that one because I wasn’t born then.

Q: What is one of your least favourite scenes you appear in?

A: Hmmm, I don’t want to give too much away, but there’s a point when I’m really, really scared because someone is trying to hurt me. I didn’t like that part at all.

Q: And your favourite scene?

A: There’s a scene that is the best one ever. It’s something I wished for forever and ever and it happened! But I can’t tell you because you have to read the book to find out!

Although my second favorite scene is when Tyler first kissed me.

Er – well, I have to also admit that I rather liked it when Bodie kissed me goodbye before I left Ireland. (I know I haven’t mentioned Bodie, but he’s really special, and his mom is in the Circle with my mom, so he understands our family history, and he’s so easy to be around. But he lives an ocean away!) It’s not like I go around collecting boyfriends or anything. The kiss with Bodie just happened and it probably didn’t even mean anything. It’ll be months or years before I see him again anyway.

Q: Tell me a little about your author. Has she written any other books?

A: She thinks she’s rather clever, but I am not certain I appreciate all of the scenes she’s put me into. I’ve had to make some tough decisions because of her! Although, she does give me a bit of a happy ending. I’m not sure what she has in store for me next though, so maybe I’d better wait to decide what I think of her until I know more about that. She does write stories for the middle grade audience as well. I’d rather like to be included in one of those adventures, but she hasn’t asked me to join that cast of characters.

Valerie

Q: Is your author working on anything else at the moment?

A: My fate is in her hands. She’s trying to decide what to do with all the people in my Circle of Nine World because she’s writing a second trilogy. Frankly, I’m a little frightened about what might happen to me and all the people I love. She can be ruthless, and I don’t want anyone to die.

Q: How do you think indie authors, such as your author, can be helped or supported by readers or groups? What does your author think is the most useful for her personally?

A: I know she thinks very highly of Indie BRAG. I’ve heard her talking about it. She’s found that authors are very generous people and are willing to help other authors make a go of it. I know just from watching how hard it is to market books that it’s incredibly helpful to be part of a community of authors who share social media posts and other news to help boost sales.

Q: Finally, before we must bid adieu, the novel you appear in has been awarded a prestigious IndieBRAG Medallion, does your author find this helpful, and is there anything else he/she would like IndieBRAG to do to help indie authors receive the recognition they deserve?

A: Oh, she was so excited the day she received the news. It is such a thrill to know other people enjoyed the story. IndieBRAG does a wonderful job of promoting the books that have been awarded a Medallion.

Thank you Brigit it was a pleasure talking to you. While your author is adding a short excerpt would you like more to drink?

Yes, please, and I think I’ll try one of those delicious chocolates now.

Salute! Here’s to being a successful Brag Medallion Honouree!

EXCERPT

The grandmother clock chimed midnight in the hallway below my bedroom, and I whispered my first birthday wish, “No shoveling, no shoveling, no shoveling.” The odd shadows cast by the yard light made it seem as though the snowflakes spiraled backward into the sky. Leaning closer to the frosty pane, I was relieved to see only a thin layer of snow on the ground – definitely not enough to shovel, but, thankfully, enough to hide the ashes that had once been our Yule tree.

The tree had been part of our winter solstice celebration on December 21. Twelve days later Mom always burned the tree on top of the herb garden. I was grateful she chose to perform this little ritual in the backyard instead of the front yard where everyone could see, and now at least the ash pile was covered with new snow. Our neighbors knew we didn’t celebrate the same holidays as they did, but I didn’t think there was any point in drawing attention to that fact.

With the exception of torching our tree – and yeah, I knew it was a big exception – I liked to imagine our Yule celebration was like everyone else’s Christmas. It was one of the few times during the year when I felt like I fit in.

As my breath slowly fogged my view of the backyard, Mom popped her head into my room. “Happy Birthday, Brigit Blaise Quinn. It’s getting late, but I’m glad you’re still awake. I have a present I want to give you.”

“What? Now?” My birthday was only a minute old.

Mom carried a wooden box into my room. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I’ve waited years to give this to you. My mother gave it to me on my fifteenth birthday, and now it’s my turn to pass it on to you.” She sat on the edge of my bed, and I maneuvered out of my comforter to perch next to her.

“Obviously, you know we follow a different path than most people,” Mom continued.

I nearly snorted at her understatement that the Pagan religion she followed (and I tolerated) was a simple life-style choice.

She paused and seemed to search for the right words. “You remember the story I told you about the Tuatha de Danann, the ancient Irish tribe?”

“Sure, I like that story.” The magical tales about the mythological founding tribes of Ireland who built all the stone circles were my favorites.

“Right, but the thing is – the Tuatha aren’t a myth. They really existed.”