In a fit of “I haven’t been able to dance for over a year and I’m so bored,” I went on Etsy and searched for craft kits. I was looking for something I could do in the evenings, when I was tired and stupid, so it needed to be easy.
I found this:
And I thought that was pretty cute. Plus, I happen to have several pairs of socks with holes in the toes. I do darn them, but I was not going to pass up the chance to get a pattern with which I could make a cute fox out of a pair, AND a bonus pair of un-holey socks for me to wear.
So I bought the kit, wore the lovely red-orange-yellow striped socks, and made the pattern out of a pair of differently-striped socks that I didn’t want to darn.
So here is my Arctic fox.
He needs a name, but naming is not one of my areas of expertise.
As you can tell from my recent post, I am not dead yet. I am, however, still suffering from the writer’s block when it comes to writing my own fiction.
I am currently ghostwriting a sci-fi novel, because I’m technically able to write. But I feel like none of my own ideas are worth writing about. I’m filled with a sense of futility the moment I think of getting on the keyboard to type out anything of my own.
I can’t even write fanfiction. That’s how bad it is.
However, the creative urge is still there, so I’m learning how to podcast, with the intention of distributing my back catalogue in audio format. I know from my own life how nice it is to be able to listen to a book while I’m doing other things.
It’s a very short fic written from the POV of one of Tolkien’s villainous elves, Eol, whose wife, Aredhel, took their son and fled from him. He followed her and accidentally murdered her while trying to kill the child.
There’s a whole load of stuff about elvish race relations and the histories of their two cultures that you need to know before you can really make sense of it, so perhaps it wasn’t the best fic to start with. But it was short, and it let me figure out how to add music, so that’s something 🙂
I’m thinking maybe Blessed Isle next? I don’t fancy reading anything with smut scenes, and that one is both shortish and family friendly.
Following that, I’ll start on the novels!
Since I’m not going to be charging for it, and I’m not expecting to
make money, I’m going to lump all of my writing into the same podcast.
People are just going to have to cope with the weird combination of mm
romance, SF/F, historical fiction, murder mystery and fan fiction that
is my particular blend. Trying to keep them all apart is more than I can
manage.
In honour of Plough Monday, a photo of my uncle George, my mother’s brother, who was killed in WWII. (She was the baby of her family and I’m the baby of mine.) I don’t know much about him, since my father disapproved of my mother telling me anything about my relatives-and I never met any of them-but I know the army sent her his cap-badge and she kept it in the kitchen drawer.
Plough Monday (today) is the first Monday after Epiphany, when the agricultural labourers would be expected to go back to work following the Christmas holidays. So naturally there had to be an extra day of holiday to bless the ploughs and for the plough-boys to morris dance in exchange for money/beer/food at the big houses.
(If they didn’t recieve money/beer/food or a welcome, they would return in the night with their ploughs and plough up the big houses’ flower-gardens.)
Today is the first year in living memory that we haven’t been able to dance on Plough Monday, since this time last year the Corona was only a distant rumour and we danced as usual.
I think it’s funny/odd/reassuring that uncle George could join the Mepal Morris dancers without changing his outfit one bit. I like to think he’d approve. I’m almost certain he’d feel right at home.
I’m sure you’ve suspected by now, from the lack of activity from me either on the blog or my newsletter, that I’m having an extended period of writer’s block. I’m afraid that means that all the new novels I’d talked about 9 months ago haven’t been written and may never be written. (Never say never – the muse may yet come back.)
Still, in a time like this when the world is in the grip of a pandemic – (never thought I’d actually live in interesting times. Not sure I like it.) – I have to do something to help, and I thought I’d start off by making the Trowchester books free. This way at least anyone who’s stuck inside will have four books to read.
Amazon doesn’t allow you to list books for free without having to ask them to do it and them reminding you in a snotty voice that they might allow it this time, but you should remember that they’re doing you a favour and can change their minds at any time. So I’ve left them alone on Amazon. Eventually they will cotton on and reduce the price to 99p by themselves. But for free books right now, you can get them here:
If you can’t get along with any of the above stores because you need the mobi format and they only have epub, let me know and I’ll just send you the mobi version.
Also, if you fancy a missing scene or two from any of my books, let me know what you particularly want to see and I’ll do my best to write it for you.
Today I have EL Croucher, author of Horned, Winged Blessed on the blog. She’s talking about her experience as an indie author and why she chose that as her route rather than waiting for pro publishers.
Take it away Emi Louise!
1. Why did you choose to go indie rather than going for the traditional publishing route?
For me, it’s a matter of being proactive and managing my own
project. I’ve always enjoyed that type of management, so working on Horned
Winged Blessed and my previous novel as self-published books was part of the
fun for me.
The feeling of a random sale, knowing that I created all of
this buzz myself… and the time I get back when it’s all done! I enjoy each and
every moment of the process, just as much as I do writing and editing.
2. How are you getting your books out there? (Smashwords? Lulu? Createspace? Other sites? Printing & warehousing at home? Etc)
Currently, I’m hosting a large-scale launch party and
inviting friends new and old. I will have a “share and pass on” scheme in which
I’ll encourage those who bought a book to pass it on after reading it. I also have
an Instagram account (@emi13230), on which I have a following that support me as
an LGBTQ+ writer.
Finally, I have my website (ELCroucher.com), which is my
main hub for information and blog posts.
3. If you went for a print version, why? If you didn’t, why not?
I did, because I am a reader of hard copies myself. Amazon
provides the service for minimal effort, so any self-published author going
through them would be silly not to!
4. How much of your time do you spend marketing and promoting your book?
Far more than I ever did writing it. I have several PR and
Marketing managers, that are all friends as well. They have jumped on board to
the project and believe in this book just as much as I do. Together we work on
SNS content, blog posts, marketing strategies and press releases.
It’s all part of the fun!
5. Which form of promotion works best for you? Why do you think this is?
For me it’s Instagram, because I naturally gravitate to aesthetics.
I promote my life as an author, and transgender woman. That allows my audience
to connect and relate with me, eventually leading to a bond that makes them
want to invest their time in me and my writing.
I feel that the process is organic and fair. There is no
falsehood or “buy buy buy” element to it.
6. Do you spend a great deal of time on Goodreads?
In all honesty… not really. There is something about the website’s UI that I just cannot click with. I’m sure it’s a great site and I’m well aware that many people love it, but it’s just not for me. ?
7. If it’s not too rude to ask, how are you feeling about the progress of your book?
At the end of the day, I’m just a single person. There is
only so much I can do. With that in mind, I’m incredibly proud of what Horned
Winged Blessed has become. I read the book myself for fun. I still cry at the
sad bits and laugh at the jokes. If I have a single fan that says they enjoyed
it, then it is all more than worth it.
However, on a more positive note, HWB has now grown into a
beast that is no longer just fueled by me. No way. It has eager beta readers, editors,
a cover artist, PR managers and actual fans that care about it. That makes my
heart melt with joy!
So all-in-all, I’m more than happy with the progress of this
book.
8. Would you indie publish again?
Absolutely. Of course, if I was offered a contract I wouldn’t
turn it down or anything.
9. If you used a professional editor or cover artist, do you want to use this space to give them a mention, so other writers can find the good ones too?
Definitely!
Thank you to my three beta readers – you know who you are.
<3
Jake Ratcliff, my editor, wrote some of the funniest comments to my original
transcript that I was belly-laughing while I went through them. He deserves a
golden shovel award for the amount of plot holes he filled up!
Dawn M Larder was my cover artist, and I think I must have
gone to her with no less than 10 drafts. I’m not kidding. We originally tried a
concept that just wasn’t working, so when we gave up with that we moved to the
current cover art. However, even that took several attempts to really capture
the darkness and the dystopian vibe.
Thank you also to everyone that has helped with the PR side,
the marketing, proofreading, samples and general ideas!
We finally got there!
10. What would be a good resource to make your life simpler, as an indie author? What do you wish was out there but just doesn’t seem to be?
In an ideal world, I would love to see the traditional publishing companies wake up to the realisation that the way books are published is changing. Language is changing. Reading habits are changing. I think that a deep modernisation is in order across the board.
That sounds about right. Now, tell us about your book!
About
The Book
Follow Joan on
her adventure of discovery, as she learns the hard way that her
post-apocalyptic utopia isn’t always full of rainbows and Merlot.
Yes, she lives
on the nicer side of the settlement, as the daughter of the Mother Founder. But
after a life-threatening attack on her home, she soon realises that many out
there are against the Silver Party regime.
Horned Winged
Blessed is the story of one girl fighting against a tyrannous government,
elected to power amidst the unending chaos of World War III. Heavily enriched
in their pagan values, the Silver Party are to thank for pulling Broken Britain
up from the brink of a depression, but at what cost?
Will Joan
decide to take down the Silver Party from the inside…
…or will she go
on to fight alongside the rebel faction that allures her so intensely?
Title: Horned Winged Blessed
Author: E L Croucher
Category: LGBTQ+ Dystopian Fiction
Publication Date: 29th November 2019 (Pre-release as of
10th Nov)
Today I’m welcoming a new author into the fold. Jessica’s first book, The Paladin’s Path, goes live today. I was lucky enough to be able to read an ARC copy and found it lively and unique, a real page turner.
I know some of you have enjoyed my blend of fantasy and sweet, low-key m/m romance. The Paladin’s Path falls in a very similar niche of the genre 🙂
I sent Jessica my now infamous pick and mix questionnaire so we could get to know her a little more, and now I hand over to her 🙂
How did you come to write The Paladin’s Path? What was your inspiration?
I was inspired to write The
Paladin’s Path while binge watching a LOT of kdramas in 2017. The
historical dramas all include at least one person who is a martial artist of
some kind, and a lot of them have homoerotic subtext – brothers-in-arms,
friends-turned-enemies, ride-or-die friends, and the like. So the basis for a
group of warriors working to defend a prince/queen came from that. And because
I was irritated at the lack of representation in the shows I was watching, I
made sure every main character in my book was some form of LGBT.
How you’re feeling on
the brink of being a new author?
I’m excited. I got excited once it was edited. I got excited
when I gave out my ARC copies. The reviews from those ARC copies have been so
amazingly positive so far that just thinking about them turns me into a creature
of sunlight and sparkles. I know there won’t be a huge blowout of people
reading my book, but getting it out into the world and having anyone read it,
and enjoy it, and get something out of it? It’s invigorating.
Do you tend to base
your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
I like to think I have an amazing imagination, but
ironically I have a very hard time fully realizing who my characters are if I
can’t pick a face claim. Even if, by the end of writing the book, my mental
image of them no longer matches that face claim. So, while they aren’t based on
real people in fact, I do base them on real faces. Their personalities, hopes
and fears, likes and dislikes, and the rest are from my head.
Do you believe in
Happily Ever After?
I love Happily Ever After endings, or at least Happily Ever
After For Now. I like when stories end with hope.
What’s the one thing
readers can always count on when they pick up a book written by you?
Readers can always count on relationships where characters
are supportive of each other. I don’t write couples (or even friendships) where
one character is abusive or cruel toward the other.
Which of your
characters is your favorite and why?
Of my original characters, I think Kres is my favorite. He tries
very hard at everything he does. He is very optimistic and supportive of his
friends. He’s a problem solver. He never backs down from a challenge. I love
him very much, and he’s not even part of the main couple in The Paladin’s Path.
What’s the funniest
scene you’ve ever written?
I think the funniest thing I’ve written is one of my
fanfictions for Teen Wolf. It’s based on a tumblr post about really
embarrassing attempts at flirting. It’s an AU that covered several years of
Stiles attempting to flirt with Derek and absolutely, utterly failing.
Reviewers said it gave them lots of secondhand embarrassment but was also
hilarious, and every time I reread it myself I laugh.
Do you have a day
job?
When I’m not writing on my couch, I am living in my
classroom, teaching Ancient World History to 11-year-olds.
Looking at that Greta Thunberg post going around, and yeah, she’s not the only one furious with policy makers and corporations willing to destroy the planet in 10 years to make a profit now.
What can we do to help, as relatively powerless people.
1. is obviously vote for the people who will make good decisions on ecology
But that’s not something we can do this instant, and things need to be done right now. It’s not enough to be angry about it. Lets act!
As individuals, we can change our own habits. God knows I’ve heard enough people on here whining “me giving up plastic won’t make a difference when industry is still churning it out.” But you’ve seen all the “Millenials are killing x industry” articles. If enough people change their individual habits, you have a groundswell. You have a movement that industry cannot and will not ignore. Industries are already trialing plastic substitutes. The minute their bottom line suffers because consumers are switching to greener alternatives, they’ll start getting serious about keeping up with the new demand.
Make your own deodorant (mix 20mls milk of magnesia with 20mls witch hazel, add 0.5 tsp baking soda and 10 drops essential oil of choice, pour into the last roll-on deodorant bottle you’ll ever have to buy.)
Buy your food from a shop that uses no packaging. If you can’t find such a shop in your area, consider teaming up with your neighbours and making one.
Use less stuff; buy stuff second hand if you can, try not to use tumble-driers or dishwashers, switch your devices off rather than leaving them in standby. Walk, bike or electric bike where you can instead of driving…
It’s true that this stuff doesn’t make a lot of difference when done by one individual, but if it’s done by a million individuals then it makes an impact, and it takes a single pebble to start an avalanche. Maybe you can be the pebble.
So what else can relatively powerless people do when they face a corporation or a government that they can’t do anything about as individuals?
3. Team up. Find your local eco-organization. (It’ll probably be on Facebook, at least in the UK.) If you can’t find one for your town, you can make one. Now you have a group of people who can collectively run letter-writing campaigns, shame the local supermarkets into changing their ways, band together with the groups in the rest of the state/county and start putting pressure on local politicians, spread ideas and recruit new people who hadn’t thought about this stuff yet.
It’s much easier to change the minds of those in power if there’s a big groundswell of popular opinion with you. And doing something about the environment is an idea whose time has come. You won’t be alone. You’ve just got to look at all the people who turned out for the climate strike to see that.
Icelandic descendants of Vikings singing a hymn in a German train station. They totally need to be on the next Thor soundtrack.
brokenponycutiemark Deactivated
Oh man oh man oh man. 6 guys, and it FILLS THE SPACE. Luck of the architecture – and they know how to pull it off. Nothing is easy making vocal music in a space not built for it. I want to do this kind of thing – randomly perform multipart harmony in public spaces.
This makes me feel so many things. Gods, it’s gorgeous and so evocative and wow. I need to find out what hymn this is.
euclase Deactivated
It’s Hear, Heavenly Creator (I don’t know how that’s spelled in Icelandic, and I don’t have the characters on my keyboard for the letters anyway haha).
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this video and it never fails to give me chills. There’s just something about knowing how old it is, that they’re singing the same words and notes their ancestors did, unchanged over almost a thousand years, that makes my heart and soul ache in the best way.
Also the harmonization is gorgeous, I’m so weak for men’s chorale.
Translated lyrics for the curious (transcribed from this video, I do not speak Icelandic so I can’t judge the accuracy):
Listen, smith of the heavens, [to] what the poet asks. May softly come unto me Your mercy. So I call on Thee, for You have created me. I am Thy slave, you are my Lord.
God, I call on Thee to heal me. Remember me, mild one, most we need Thee. Drive out, oh King of Suns, generous and great, every human sorrow from the city of the heart.
Watch over me, mild one, most we need Thee, truly every moment in the world of men. Send us, Son of the Virgin, good causes; all aid is from Thee in my heart.
I suspect this is a more literal translation, but there’s something incredibly poetic and lovely about “smith of the heavens” as a synonym for “heavenly creator”.
I can finally announce that the ebook is out and available today!
Bad boys don’t tame easy.
Victor is a bad man. Is there anything he won’t do for power and money? Destroy a local business so he can buy it cheap? Kick out its owners and turn it into a cash cow? He relishes the chance.
Idris is a good man in possession of a renowned tea-house. He’s put his heart and soul into the place. It’s everything he has and wants… Except for Victor. He wants Victor too. Can the love of a compassionate man restore a predator’s withered soul? Or is Idris doomed to lose his life’s work, and his heart with it?
~
A contemporary mm romance, Seeing Red is a long-awaited new installment of the critically acclaimed Trowchester Series. Each book in the series is a standalone, and can be read in any order.
If you get it, and I can beg one last favour, can I ask that you review it on Amazon after you read it?
When I was pro-published it didn’t matter so much whether I got reviews or not, but for an indie author they make a huge difference to how well I can promote and advertise it.
Thank you!
And finally – as a way of saying thank you for putting up with all the chat about Seeing Red recently. I would like to point out that The Reluctant Berserker is currently available for free on Amazon, and will be free until Friday. You could snap them both up together 😉
Well, I think I’ve done everything I can to prepare for the release of Seeing Red tomorrow. I’ve still got to write a Newsletter, reminding my list that it’s out – but I can’t really do that until tomorrow.
I’ve engaged Vibrant Promotions to do me a blog tour starting on the 18th and carrying on until the 24th. This is my first experience of using a marketing service to do for me what Riptide used to do. Will it work as well?
I’ll be interested to find out.
I’m not really sure what I’m doing, tbh. But that’s never stopped me before.
On an unrelated note, I’ve also joined the @sunbeam.city instance of mastodon, where I can talk about solarpunk and permaculture gardening all I like. Whether or not I end up being as inactive there as I am everywhere else remains to be seen. But if you’re interested, you can find me here:
