Spun Stories, home of Cynthia Sally Haggard, historical novelist

A VINTAGE AFFAIR by Isabel Wolff

Cynthia Haggard — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:22:29 +0000

A VINTAGE AFFAIR is the story of a friendship that ended in tragedy. Or rather, two friendships that ended in tragedy, both causing a tremendous amount of survivor guilt to both women involved. One story takes place in France during the second world war. The other is a contemporary story set in present-day London. But author Isabel Wolff is a talented story-teller who manages to weave these plot threads together in a way that does not seem cliched or predictable. And although I am generally not fond of contemporary fiction (I tend to find it too depressing), I did enjoy getting to know the protagonist Phoebe Swift, who not only opens a vintage clothing store in London, but also goes on a emotional roller-coaster of a ride during this novel. If you love reading about the recent past, especially about beautiful clothes, and if you enjoy reading something that will stir your emotions and cause you to think, this is the book for you. Perfect for a curl up by the fire during one of those cold days we are having now. Five stars.

Monday Tips: Get an Early Start

Cynthia Haggard — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:20:47 +0000

I find that if I start working early in the morning my day seems to go a whole lot more easily. (And this is coming from someone who didn’t like to get out of bed!) But I find my life as a self-publisher so exciting, that I often find that I’m getting out of bed earlier than I planned, because I have something on my mind and I want to get on with it. Sometimes, I get started at 6 am. Well, I don’t have a commute, so that save’s me about an hour. I make myself some tea and settle down to get some things done before the phone starts ringing. I have found that I can clear my desk and still have time for major projects like making a movie by starting early. If you feel overwhelmed right now, why not try it? The catch (of course) is that you have to go to bed early, to get enough sleep. Which is very important:)

THE SILVER LOCKET by Margaret James

Cynthia Haggard — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:15:09 +0000

Margaret James’ THE SILVER LOCKET is the story of a spirited young woman on the eve of World War One who decides that she can no longer bear the tedium of waiting to be married to the right gentleman, and leaves home to become a nurse during the war. What is really great about this novel is the detail about what nursing was like during the 1914-18 war. What is less great is the plot, which provides the predictably unpredictable happy ending. What really needs work is the pacing of the story, which doesn’t work at all. What I mean by that is that events happen suddenly and abruptly with no setup. For example, when Rose returns to her home in Dorset with Phoebe’s baby, her mother immediately assumes that it must be hers. When Rose protests that it isn’t, her mother won’t believe her. The problem with this is that the reader isn’t given much basis for judging this incident. We know that there are the inevitable mother-daughter tensions, and that Rose’s mother wants her to marry well, whereas Rose would prefer to educate herself. But we don’t get much interior monologue, because the book is replete with tells, in which Ms. James tells the reader what to think. In the example below, the tells appear in BLOCK CAPS.

“Mummy, don’t be ridiculous!” ROSE COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT SHE WAS HEARING. SHE SHOOK HER HEAD AS IF TO CLEAR IT. “This is not my child! I wasn’t pregnant, I—” “You expect me to believe you?” Lady Courtenay turned her head away. “Mummy, pregnant women are enormous, they have bulging stomachs, they—” This passage would have been better if it had been re-written as follows: “Mummy, don’t be ridiculous!” Rose scrutinized her mother’s face. Where was that warm smile she’d come to expect? Why was Mummy staring at her in that way? Her light blue eyes had gone cold, the color of an icy lake. Rose’s stomach clenched. “You expect me to believe you?” Lady Courtenay turned away. She moved closer. “Mummy, pregnant women are enormous, they have bulging stomachs, they—” But Frances Courtenay wouldn’t look at her daughter. She twisted her white hands, pulling and tugging at her jeweled rings.

The result of using tells as opposed to interior monologue means that we don’t really know in detail what Rose thinks about her mother, or what her mother thinks about Rose. And so this clash seems abrupt, jarring and not believable. Three stars.

Why not give yourself a special treat this Valentine’s Day?

Cynthia Haggard — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:13:19 +0000

(Time for some shameless self-promotion:) It's Valentine's Day tomorrow. Why not give yourself a special treat and immerse yourself in an era where high fashion meant pointed headdresses with fluttering silk veils, where gentlemen greeted ladies with a courtly flourish, and where everything was handmade and homemade? It is the summer of 1441. Cecylee is twenty-six years old and has been married to Richard, Duke of York for four years. Richard has just assumed the role of Governor of Normandy, and he, Cecylee, and their entire household have crossed the channel to take up residence in Rouen, the capital of English France. During that summer, Richard sets off for Pontoise to teach the French a lesson. Cecylee is left to hold court in the castle of Rouen with the wives of Richard’s generals. Nicknamed The Rose of Raby on account of her beauty, Cecylee’s life laps placidly onward during those sleepy days of high summer, when suddenly, a mysterious young man appears. She soon loses her heart to this charming stranger. Cecylee’s private name for him is M. Beaujambs, because of his long, and very shapely legs, but history knows him as Blaybourne. Who is he? Is he an aristocrat of the House of Savoy? Or the son of a humble blacksmith? And if the latter, where did he get his exquisite manners? And his university education? And what is he doing in Rouen? By turns baffled and enchanted, Cecylee finds herself confronted by an intriguing challenge. What happens when Cecylee’s husband discovers she’s had a love-affair with an archer? Does he lock her up? Or worse? Give yourself a treat and find out by clicking here.

Welcome to my first YouTube Video

Cynthia Haggard — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:10:20 +0000

Finally, I've done it. After TWO MONTHS of trying, I have a video on YouTube that explains how I first started to write about Cecylee. After two months of learning about lighting, photography, writing movie scripts, learning how to control a video camera so that the result doesn't give your audience a headache... Well,here it is. Her ladyship is delighted!

MADONNA OF THE SEVEN HILLS by Jean Plaidy

Cynthia Haggard — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:08:01 +0000

Jean Plaidy’s MADONNA OF THE SEVEN HILLS is a novel about the girlhood of Lucrezia Borgia, the illegitimate daughter of Roderigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexander VI. Lucrezia Borgia is famous for having an incestuous relationship with her brother Cesare, and for having a hollow ring which she would use to slip poison into the drinks of those she did not like. However, these tales were put about by the enemies of the Borgias, and it is not known how much truth there is to these rumors. In her novel, Jean Plaidy portrays Lucrezia Borgia as a gold-haired innocent, naively unaware of the treachery of her nearest and dearest, which includes not only her father the Pope, but also her two elder brothers Cesare and Giovanni. The story begins with the birth of Lucrezia in 1482 and gradually moves forward through her early years until the age of nine, when she meets 14-year-old Giulia Farnese and they become best of friends. Giulia is the bride of Orsino Orsini, the son of Lucrezia’s foster-mother Adriana. But it is not long before Lucrezia’s father becomes enamored of the young beauty. He is 59 and she is still only 14, when she becomes his mistress. Jean Plaidy is a talented author who knows how to keep a reader glued to the page with a gripping story. But there is one glaring problem: Ms Plaidy does not handle POV issues well. It seems strange that a book published by Random House would have this problem. One would think that the editors would have done something about it. Perhaps it is because this book was originally published in 1958, and the standard of writing is much higher nowadays. Whatever the reason, Ms. Plaidy is guilty of the sin of head-hopping which both makes her characters less vivid and also is confusing to read. Nevertheless, if you love reading about Renaissance Italy, this tale is sure to please. Five stars for the story, 1 star for head-hopping, making this 3 stars.

Tips & Tidbits from the Internet

Cynthia Haggard — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:07:46 +0000

Here are a couple of things that I thought were interesting.

From Charlie’s Diary, here are some common misperceptions about publishing: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/02/common-misconceptions-about-pu.html. Charlie Stross has a fine mind and many insightful things to say.

I thought this cinderella story must interest all of you who have unpublished work lying around: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-i-became-a-best-selling-author-.html

Have a wonderful week!

THE SHINING by Stephen King

Cynthia Haggard — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:01:08 +0000

I do not read horror, because I don’t like it. But I read Stephen King’s THE SHINING, because I’d read his book ON WRITING and I wanted to see what he was like as a writer. I can’t say that I enjoyed reading it, because explicit scenes of death and destruction just don’t appeal to me. But I could see what a good writer King is. I was surprised to see how much his technique of suspense rests of foreshadowing. Much of this comes from the point of view of Danny, the 5-year-old son of Jack Torrance, who signs on to be the housekeeper of the Overlook Hotel one winter. Of course, Danny can’t understand what his gift “the shining” shows him. So the foreshadowing is necessarily blurry and vague. But that is what drives the novel, of this scared young boy seeing things he can’t understand. Throw into the mix a recovering alcoholic with a dangerous temper, and you have great material for conflict. But King doesn’t stop there. His imagination soars as we gradually realize that the hotel is a personage as well. If you are a horror aficionado, and you’ve never read this, you owe it to yourself to do so. Five stars.

Evoking Mood

Cynthia Haggard — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:49 +0000

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 five minutes, write a description of one of the following settings. Do not mention the circumstances or emotion.

A description of a barn as seen by an old man or woman whose son has just been killed in a war.
A description of a lake as seen by someone who has just committed a murder.
A description of a grocery store as seen by a mother or father of three small children. The parent is away from the children for the first time in a week.

Read the descriptions with at least one other person. Readers need not guess the circumstances. The point is to give feedback on the mood evoked in the description and to identify the details that reflect that mood. As a follow-up, write one paragraph to fit a story-in-progress in which the main character’s emotion or mood is reflected in his or her perception of a particular setting.

THE ORACLE by William J. Broad

Cynthia Haggard — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:25:45 +0000

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 may have caused the Oracle at Delphi to be so well-regarded throughout the ancient world, that extra something that seemed to lie behind those Delphic prophecies. The priestess would sit on a metal tripod, her legs dangling, and that tripod was positioned over an X-like fault in the limestone bedrock through which seeped ethylene, a sweet-smelling gas that in small doses can cause a trance-like state, that quickly wears off with the entranced person remembering little afterwards. In this scientific age, it is easy to feel that the explanation just given explains everything about what being a Delphic Oracle was like. It’s easy to think that she was equivalent to a glue-sniffer, or someone high on mescalen or some other substance. But that would miss the point about what the women took themselves to be doing as they sat on that tripod. They had prepared carefully for the event (which took place once a month during the warmer part of the year). They had fasted. They had gone through various purification rituals. And as they sat on that tripod, in that darkened room, with a laurel held in one hand and a small bowl of water in the other, they expected that the god Apollo would reveal himself to them, and give sage advice to whoever might appear. Strangely enough, it mostly seemed to work. It probably helped that the women chosen for the task were well-educated and intelligent, so that in their semi-inebriated state they were able to reply in classical hexameters. It was probably necessary to have the priests of Apollo hovering nearby should something go wrong. But what I am trying to say here is that it is unfair to dismiss these women as akin to glue-sniffers. People sniffing glue are not usually planning to meet the god Apollo and use his wise counsel for the benefit of society. What is key here, is what people’s expectations are. Because, as I am fond of reminding my friends, we all possess an extraordinarily powerful machine in our heads. And expectations filter experience. Expectations can turn a tawdry quest for a high into something profound that still resonates thousands of years after the event. And William J. Broad is careful to spell out that point at the end of his wonderful book. Five stars.