I got carried away with the holidays and didn't get as much work done on the Grand Illusion mystery quilt as I had planned. I have one block done and enough components to make three more. I have to say, if I had seen the revealed quilt instead of being introduced to it little by little, I would have run screaming from the building. It's not that it WAS difficult, it just LOOKS difficult -- and scary for a fairly new quilter like me. However, being led through this quilt a little at a time, I understand that I can do pieces that look complicated, as long as I break it down into small enough chunks for my brain to process.
Can you find the Dime Store Novel themes?
I also love the fact that I learned several new techniques and I met quilters from all over the world. I kept it scrappy and I was able to incorporate a number of fun fabrics that relate to our Dime Store Novel world, as well as some that have a personal meaning. One friend has suggested an event after the quilt is done where we display the quilt and read some of our works -- it sounds like an interesting idea.
Will I participate in next year's Bonnie Hunter Winter Mystery Quilt event? Yes!
In Writing News
The holidays are over and we are back to working on stories and we have an exciting 2015 planned for our readers. The first draft of Louisiana Snowflake is nearly complete and John is hard at work on the second draft of Striking Angels. Both of these books will be larger than the other books in the Dime Store Novel series -- the story grows and so do the books.
If you have not subscribed to our newsletter, take a moment to do so. We'll have lots of announcements soon. For a limited time, subscribers can download a FREE PDF of The Canary's Silence, a short horror story inspired by the Bonne Terre mines.
August is here. We're back from Camp #Nanowrimo. Overall, I consider camp a success. I wrote over 35,000 words in the upcoming Dime Store Novel, Louisiana Snowflake. John wrote 7800 words in the Dime Store Novel with a working title of The Reaper.
Where does Louisiana Snowflake fit in the series? It takes place in 1905. It's the story where the worlds of Mama Cats, Dylan Worth, and Duncan O'Malley begin to converge. We recommend that you read the following books before you read Louisiana Snowflake:
When will Louisiana Snowflake be released? The story takes place in winter, so a winter release is appropriate. Our goal is to release it in December -- just in time for a last minute Christmas gift.
Here is a short excerpt from Louisiana Snowflake.
In the Ice Realm
Faltor lay on his belly, letting the soft snow tickle his tummy. The cold
didn’t bother him anymore, not after all these eons. He scratched at the snow
drift and watched it sift gently down to cover the streets of New York. A child
stuck out her tongue to catch a flake. She laughed and turned in circles,
trying to catch another. Her mother laughed too and leaned down to kiss her on
the top of her head. Their laughter makes
it bearable.
When he had mastered the ice crystals so long ago, he took his time
crafting each snowflake, making sure it was unique before he sent it sailing
down to earth. Before long, he realized it didn’t matter. Snow was magical to
children and even some adults. Now he
created heaps of snow, shaving it with his claws from the huge crystals that
made up his prison. There was a time when he wondered if he could shave enough
of the crystal away that he could break free and find Shyla. He didn’t like to
think back on old days and how he lost Shyla, and so he didn’t. Instead, he
focused on the laughter and the children.
Sometimes he would get so excited by their laughter that he would romp
through the snow, sending more snow sailing down to earth than he intended.
Occasionally, a wind would catch his snow, sending it swirling and drifting in
dangerous gusts. He knew that was the doing of his son Khrou-ach, the reason
for their banishment. At those times, he could hardly believe that he had once
loved his willful child, even supported him in the beginning.
Faltor put the thought out of his head and gently pawed at the snow
drift, sending down a little more snow to gently cover the cobblestones of
Hell’s Kitchen. Three boys ran and slid on the snow, letting out joyous whoops
of laughter. Their joy filled Faltor’s heart and he began to run through the
drifts, sending snow sailing up around him and falling at a faster pace toward
the laughing boys.
Our August newsletter will be sent out this week and will include a longer excerpt from Louisiana Snowflake. If you have not signed up, take a moment to sign up now if you'd like to read more.
Where does The Reaper fit into the series? John took a leap forward. The Reaper takes place some time after High Rollers. It's a story that features Regan Worth. It's really in its infancy, so there is no release date set. However, John is having fun writing in Regan's persona. Usually that's my job.
Was Camp worth it? Definitely. Not only do we have two new stories well underway, we also met some new people who also have wonderful stories to tell around the campfire.
Sure, I collected marbles as a kid. I loved the pretty way the different colored glass swirled around. I'd even role them know and then, but only for effect because I never learned to play. John knows how, but since I'm the one writing the first pass of Louisiana Snowflake, I had to learn for myself. Why? Because marbles play an important part in the story. So part of my job today was to research marbles -- not only how to play, but what types of marbles were available in 1905.
Fortunately, I found very detailed instructions on how to play on the Land of Marbles website. The website included handy illustrations that let me imagine Hanover and Toledo instead of the cartoon figures. I also learned important vocabulary like lagging and knuckle-down.
Courtesy of
http://www.collectorsweekly.com
Next, I had to figure out what these marbles looked like. The Vintage and Antique Marbles site had lots of good information, including pictures. Since Hanover got his marbles as a gift from his uncle who lives in Germany, I decided on handmade glass German marbles. Toledo's shooter looks kind of like this red and white swirl marble.
Courtesy of
http://www.collectorsweekly.com
I was particularly intrigued by the sulfide marbles. Here's a picture of one that has a horse inside. The one I used in the story doesn't have a horse, but it's the only marble Hanover has named. It's called Louisiana Snowflake, just like the book. Why is it so important? You'll have to wait to find out.
Did you collect marbles? Do you have a favorite? Do you have a favorite marble-shooting technique? I'm sure Hanover Fist would love to hear about it. I know I would.
The August copy of our newsletter will contain a sneak preview of Louisiana Snowflake. Sign up before the end of July if you want a sneak peek.
Starting on Tuesday, July 1st, this will be me and John. Well, technically we'll both be using computers, but we will be writing every day, working toward our respective goals. For the first time, we will be participating in Camp Nanowrimo.
What is Camp Nanowrimo? It's a virtual camp for writers of all genres. Each writer pledges to write a certain number of words by the end of the month. My goal is 30K words, which should bring me pretty close to completion of the first draft of Louisiana Snowflake, a Dime Store Novel that takes place in 1906 and tells the story of how Mary O'Malley and Regan Worth are born. John's goal is 20K words, which will get him about to the halfway mark of a new Dime Store Novel we are calling The Reaper for now. His story takes place after High Rollers and will involve of the four main characters, in addition to a new character who feeds on spiritual energy. Whether she's a villain or a hero remains to be seen. We've been brainstorming her character for a few days and it could go either way.
What does this mean for our readers? It might mean that Louisiana Snowflake is released a little earlier than we anticipated. It might also mean a slight delay in the release of Striking Angels. John is making good progress on the second draft, but he needs to step away and write something fresh. Camp Nano is a good time for him to do just that.
Do you want an early look at what we're writing? In August we'll share excerpts from both books to newsletter subscribers. If you haven't signed up for our newsletter, take the time to do so now. You'll also receive a free copy of The Canary's Silence, a YA horror short story that is perfect for reading around the campfire.
