Monthly Archives: January 2012
Evoking Mood
I thought it was time for a writing prompt. Here is a great exercise to do, courtesy of Janet Burroway and John Gardner, that you can share with a writing friend. In … Continue reading
Filed under Craft
THE ORACLE by William J. Broad
William J. Broad’s THE ORACLE is a fascinating look at the science behind the Delphic Oracle. Blending ancient history, recent modern history and the scientific disciplines of anthropology, geology and archeology, the author pieces together a fascinating account of what … Continue reading
Filed under Book Review
Tips & Tidbits from the Internet
Here are a couple of things that might interest you: Global e-book awards needs judges. If you have a little extra time and would like to get some exciting new e-books to read for free, then please contact Dan Poynter … Continue reading
Filed under How to Publish Your Novel, Promoting Yourself
Have you heard of International Book Awards, Jeffrey Keen or JPX Media?
The oddest thing happened to me recently. I heard about the Best Books Award and so I wrote an email to USABookNews@earthlink.com verifying that they accepted e-books, and asking how I should send the file of THWARTED QUEEN. I got … Continue reading
Filed under About Cynthia
PERSEPHONE UNVEILED by Charles Stein
This is a magical book. Author Charles Stein takes us on a journey into the heart of the Eleusinian Mysteries, a spiritually transformative process that culminated in a rite at temple in Eleusis, a village near Athens after a week-long … Continue reading
Filed under Book Review
Tips from the Internet: Chats and an unpublished MSS by Charlotte Bronte
Here are some chats you might be interested in. To use, you have to download Tweetdeck at www.tweetdeck.com. #litchat (create a column in Tweetdeck by searching #litchat). This runs from 4-5pm Monday, Wednesday and … Continue reading
Filed under How to Publish Your Novel, Promoting Yourself
THE RELUCTANT EMPRESS by Brigitte Hamann
It is heartbreaking to read about the destruction of an attractive and lively personality. Yet that is what Brigitte Hamann’s biography of Empress Elisabeth of Austria does. Titled THE RELUCTANT EMPRESS, Ms. Hamann’s book charts the downfall of Elisabeth (more … Continue reading
Filed under Book Review
Life in the Past Lane wins the Best History Historical Fiction Blog for 2011
Please join me in congratulating Jessica James for winning the Historical Novel Blog’s People’s Choice contest for the Best Blog of 2011. Many members voted and the winner was…LIFE IN THE PAST LANE!
Filed under Blogs and websites to watch
Making minor characters interesting
It is so easy to overlook the minor characters in your fiction. But you miss a great opportunity to make your work more interesting if you just use them as placeholders. Compare the following two excerpts to see what I … Continue reading
Filed under Craft
DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL by Mary Sharratt
Mary Sharratt’s novel, DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL, is about an infamous witch trial held in 1612, in Lancaster England, in which seven women and two men were hanged for witchcraft. Early seventeenth-century England was still reeling from the religious … Continue reading
Filed under Book Review
