Have Our Writing Lives Expanded from the Narrow Genres There Used to be for the Better? by Traci Kenworth

Have Our Writing Lives Expanded from the Narrow Genres There Used to Be For the Better?

Traci Kenworth

Have our writing lives expanded from the narrow genres there used to be for the better? By which meaning, has moving away from the strictly action, horror, science-fiction, romance, thriller, and fantasy opened up the possibilities for all? Can we explore stories further? Go in new directions? Open those characters up in ways that weren’t possible before?

I think so. Who doesn’t love a little horror in their fantasy? A little action-packed romance? Some thriller with high stakes on another planet? Well, maybe that’s a stretch there. Or it just hasn’t been written yet to my knowledge then again, it might prove a great idea. You never know.

Maybe that’s when reading got more interesting: when the lines started getting blurred between genres. It brings surprise. It brings possibilities. A way for things to unravel. And that’s fun! Not many people like to stick to the dusty stacks of books (although sometimes you can find treasures there!). They’d rather explore the neat, unexpected path of things.

As we branch out in the smudged genres, we learn what works, what doesn’t. We push further. Other ideas occur to us. Other areas open up to us. It becomes a flirtation of sorts to see what goes together. Like different puzzles. Its just like how we test different characters for stories. One might work here, but not there. And so on.

It seems so restrictive to think of keeping a story fitted to one genre in today’s market. Peeks of other genres thread through the majority of what’s out there. Those threads are what keep readers coming back for more. Long after a book’s been read, the story simmers in the reader’s mind. Tantalizing them with visions of other outcomes, that’s often what becomes the seed for the next writer’s session.

The pick of the string and sew it into another story. Over and over, thousands of ideas become more stories. That’s why you don’t have to worry about someone “stealing your idea.” They’ll never have “the same” idea as yours. How many serial killer versions are out there? Killer clowns? Apocalyptic endings? Zombie scourges? Romantic movies? Fantasies on other worlds involving dragons, swordsmen, endless armies, sorcerers and so on?

Have our writing lives expanded from the narrow genres out there for the better, or for worse? You be the judge on your next read!

Happenings: Still, just the swelling going on here otherwise, things are looking better. The HVAC in my car went out and we had to replace that. Oh, what a nightmare it was to drive in the winter storm a day before that because well, work for one of my adult children. With the windshield frozen, there were three near-collisions on one route. Getting home was a tad better but the trauma of the drive left me so shaky. Needless to say, I was willing to get that fixed the next morning to avoid future incidents. We’d already been getting sick because of no heat.

Blog posts around the web you may like:

1. Life in the Realm of Fantasy https://conniejjasperson.com/2023/03/24/fineartfriday-under-flowering-trees-by-adolf-kaufmann/ Artist: Adolf Kaufmann (1848–1916) Title: Under flowering trees Date: before 1916 Medium: oil on canvas Inscription: signed A. Kaufmann What I love about this painting: Kaufmann gives us a beautiful spring day with apple trees and cherry trees in full bloom. The weather is misty, cool and damp the way spring mornings often are here in the Pacific Northwest. Chickens roam the orchard, and two women are digging, breaking the ground for a spring garden. To the left is a weathered building. Is it a barn? Is it their home? It’s hidden behind the shrubbery so it’s difficult to tell, but it has no window, so I think it may be a barn. Nothing is romanticized—we see it the way the artist did on that spring day over a century ago. I love to see her views on paintings. It just brings the piece to life, much like the artist’s brush.
2. Entertaining Stories https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2023/03/26/i-tried-negative-word-count/ This is an odd one for me. Basically, I’ve switched to watching almost exclusively Korean shows on Netflix. I like them because they present new ways of looking at things, but still retain a semblance of plot and character growth. They have a lot of fantasy and supernatural tales, and aren’t afraid to dabble in sophomoric humor, so you can further see the appeal to me. I started watching a new one last night involving a fantastic creature trying to become human. At one point he said, “I don’t think like humans.” This stuck with me. When we write, even our aliens and fantastic creatures have to be presented for human readers. We have to put things in their language. However, this could be a relatively cool plot point in itself. I’ve gotten negative growth when I go back through to fix something or I’m stuck on something all together and have to figure a new way to go. It’s tough but sometimes it breaks open the doors.
3. A Delectable Life https://adelectablelife.com/2023/03/25/weekend-writing-prompt-304-mail/ A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend.  How you use the prompt is up to you.  Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like.  Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise.  If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments.  Love me the short ones.  Thanks for hosting, Sammi!
4. Roberta Writes https://roberta-writes.com/2023/03/25/roberta-writes-thursday-doors-and-cffc-things-people-drive-cars-trains-planes/ Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2023/03/23/some-fun-leftovers/ Cee’s prompt for this week is Things people drive and seeing as most things people drive have doors, I am combining the two prompts this week. You can join in Cee’s challenge here: https://ceenphotography.com/2023/03/21/cffc-things-people-drive/
5. Syl’s 65 blog https://syl65.wordpress.com/2023/03/26/soulfulsunday-%e2%98%80%ef%b8%8fsmokie-norful-god-is-able/
6. Charles French Words Reading and Writing https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2023/03/25/17607/#like-17607
7. Angel Messages https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2023/03/26/angel-messages-mar-26-2023/
8. Smorgasbord Magazine https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2023/03/26/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-podcast-poetry-flash-fiction-seasons-and-murmuration-by-sally-cronin/ Seasons the seasons of life as in nature are defined from cradle to grave each marks the passage of time to the place we are today. In the spring of my life I was hopeful and eager. In the summer sun I blossomed and thrived. The autumn still offers bright days, but they are tinged with chill winds created by the evil humans can do. I am wary of what winter will bring. It threatens to dilute the hope I still cherish. I question myself can I still find the desire the words and the will to foster warmth in the hearts of those who ride icy winds Murmuration
9. The Leaning Pile of Books https://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2023/03/the-leaning-pile-of-books-418/ The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature in which I highlight books I got over the last week that sound like they may be interesting—old or new, bought or received in the mail for review consideration. Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included, along with series information and the publisher’s book description. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Some of this is a little late since things have been busier than usual (my husband has been recovering from surgery), but better late than never! This weekend’s highlights include two books in the mail, an ebook purchase, and a digital ARC, but first, here is the latest post since one of these features in case you missed it:
10. Chris the Story Reading Ape https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2023/03/26/what-is-freewriting-6-steps-to-unlocking-your-creativity-by-the-write-life-team/ If you have been lacking creativity in your writing and your work, freewriting might be a technique that gets you back on track. You might have wondered what is freewriting, how it works, and how you can use it to unlock new levels of creativity in your brain. The main idea behind freewriting is that you have all of this creativity hiding behind your conscious brain. Our conscious brains can be a mental bully, telling you that your ideas are silly or that what you have to say is not interesting, so freewriting is a technique that moves your conscious brain out of the way so you can tap into your inner creativity and flow. We so often want the writing to be perfect, but we never focus on getting started. If you relate to that, freewriting might be perfect for you. We will go through all of the above so you can use this helpful practice to bring some creativity back to your writing. I’ve used freewriting before to breakthrough when stuck with my writing. It works wonders.
11. Entertaining Stories https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2023/03/25/cant-whine-about-2200-words/ I got up really late this morning. I think my weeks are getting longer and more difficult. Probably a result of aging, but there it is. The morning was loaded with interruptions. I took a call from my daughter, and we have to make some plans for a serious road trip very soon. On top of that, the dogs needed… everything. Seriously, squirrels, the neighbor dog that always leads to a game of chase up the fence, someone walking by the Ring doorbell. If it could interrupt, it did. They’re out there barking at some other dog right now. Still, I’d reached a point in my story where things could just flow. This was Jenny’s interview with the fallen network anchorman, and you can think of it like a mini-mentor scene. I need to put some thought into how the next step is going to unfold, but now there are some tips from this mentor.
12. Meeka’s Mind https://acflory.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/little-miss-tukti-caught-in-the-act/ The Tukti are vegans, and a staple of their diet is the seed of the plains grass. Unfortunately, the delicate purple flower of the plains grass contains sweet nectar that the little ones love. The nectar is fine for a special treat, but too much can make you sick. Tell that to the kids though! The Little Miss in the image is being naughty… and knows it. She’s so creative!
13. Fiction Favorites https://johnwhowell.com/2023/03/24/friday-johnku-aka-tgif-fri-yay-good-news-37/ Europe’s love of train travel is about to transform the continent’s solar energy production as the Swiss are set to begin installing solar panels in between train tracks. The startup called Sun-Ways is waiting for a sign-off from the Federal Office of Transport to start installing their panels between the tracks near Buttes Station in the west of the country. With the Swiss national railway network stretching beyond 2,000 miles of track, estimates place the amount of power generation at potentially beyond 1 terawatt hour or 2% of the entire gross annual consumption. “There are over a million kilometers of railway lines in the world,” co-founder Baptiste Danichert tells SWI Swissinfo. “We believe that 50% of the world’s railways could be equipped with our system.” A great way to incorporate solar panels into an economy is to find a place where the flat ground is used by other industries, like canals, pastures, or warehousing. Some companies use solar panels to generate power over agriculture, a strategy called “agrivoltaics” while India and California use their massive canal networks and hot sun to generate power while saving land.
14. Rosie Amber https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2023/03/25/%f0%9f%8c%b7spring-forth-into-bloom-from-my-hampshire-garden-for-sixonsaturday-gardeningtwitter-gardeningmakesmehappy/ This is the last weekend of March and in the UK we move our clicks forward an hour on Sunday morning. We had our time change in the U.S. on Mar. 17th. Ugh. It’s such an exhaustive occasion.

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The Beauty of Accepting Ourselves and Others As We Age Within the Pages of Life by Traci Kenworth

The Beauty of Accepting Ourselves and Others as We Age Within the Pages of Life

Traci Kenworth

Wherever we begin in life, whatever our journey, the beauty of accepting ourselves and others as we age within the pages of life comes after a lifetime. When we’re a bright star burning along that path in the beginning, we don’t consider the whole of it. That is, we don’t think about what we’ve learned, what we’re still learning. We just keep going. Faster and faster. Always the need to keep moving.

But as we relax along that pathway, as we learn to turn the tide, we begin to slow and think about our movements. Where we’ve been, where we’re going. No longer do we thrash about in any direction. We choose one with purpose. Now, we study our whereabouts and begin to plan. That’s how life works. Learning bit by bit as we go. We stumble at first then we eventually learn to hit our stride.

It may take a while, but it’ll happen. When we’re in school, we begin to draw into cliques, into groups of those more like us. Or perhaps, those who can fake it as well as another. We’re all just trying to get by, just trying to find that rug to pull us up to the next level. We do what we can to get into a good college and hope and pray it was the right choice. That we picked the right major.

Nowadays, well at any time, it’s uncertain. Jobs change as fast as light bulbs. One moment we’re one place then another. We’re always searching for security but somehow that never comes. It’s lost alongside anything these days: relationships, dreams, and mortality. We never see a lot of it coming. We just wing it. Sometimes life’s like that bartender you see in the movies, the one who’s always willing to lend an ear.

Except, you don’t quite find those irl. In real life, you rely on a close friend, a good neighbor, or a family member. In years past, it might’ve been a clergy person. Although some of us might still attend church, we don’t often confide in another there for fear of reproachment. I’ve had a pastor wife condemn me after finding out that I write horror. It turned me off the whole church experience.

Not that I don’t believe in God or Jesus if you’ve read any of my other posts. I just remember that he said that his church is not confined by a building but by the people within. So, maybe that’s what we should do: take a look around at the people around us. Consider who’s trustworthy. Although, hopefully, they wouldn’t be in your life if they weren’t.

Accepting those around us may take a bit of time. Just the same as it does for accepting the flaws about ourselves that linger despite our best efforts. It takes work. I do think it’s easier to accept weakness in others rather than in ourselves however. Maybe because it doesn’t take us as much work. Instead, we either agree or don’t with the other’s changes.

It may be hard to get past the hurts they’ve caused. And I’m not suggesting if they’ve done something reprehensible to stick around. No, I’m talking about smaller things. Arguments. Disagreements on politics, religion, whatever. Things that can be talked through. Or, at the very least, set aside. Sometimes, it’s not possible to discuss these with individuals. You have to decide whether to just move on to dropping that piece from your get-togethers.

You might not like the subject but you’ve got to let go of the block if you want a relationship with that individual. Because, at some point, you need to realize you’re not going to change their mind. They are going to be who they’re going to be. Just like you. It’s here where you decide whether to support each other no matter what.

The beauty of accepting others as we age within the pages of life is up to us, win or fail. No matter what happens, we must agree to that. Each of us is allowed our own mind, our own thoughts, our own rules. Come what may. We take what comes and move on with our lives, knowing we’re at peace with our decisions.

Happenings: It’s been a while. Sorry about that. A lot has happened. For instance, the stress tests showed there was no evidence of congestive heart failure. I did have fluid on the heart and legs though. And although they said my tests were “perfect,” there was still a concern. My heartbeat was really, really fast. They put me on a beta blocker in addition to the water pills and Jardiance. Also, during all these tests, they mentioned that the tests showed I’d had a heart attack previously. I believe that all went back to the end of Jan. when I was in bed for days. I had flu-like symptoms but I knew there was something more going on with my body, it just didn’t feel right, and that is a sign of a silent heart attack. I also think it all came about because of a decongestant someone I knew recommended I take because I was having trouble with my sinuses at the time. Turns out, decongestants can spike your heartbeat, my heart doctor said. He also said there was no sign of damage to my heart which is good news. From the end of Jan. on, my head had been so confused and foggy and I found myself dazing off quite a bit, unable to hold a conversation, this is what caused me to seek medical help in the first place. Turns out this was a side effect of the decongestant as well. It was so bad it had roughened up my lungs and brought on the cough which made them think I had water on my lungs. Once that was out of my system, I felt like myself more and more. It’s been different getting used to the new meds and no-salt routine but I’m getting better and better. So, yeah, another loop in what I thought was going on and had been told was going on, now straightened out.

Some things around the web to check out:

1. Writers Helping Writers https://writershelpingwriters.net/2023/03/fear-thesaurus-entry-conditional-love/ Debilitating fears are a problem for everyone, an unfortunate part of the human experience. Whether they’re a result of learned behavior as a child, are related to a mental health condition, or stem from a past wounding event, these fears influence a character’s behaviors, habits, beliefs, and personality traits. The compulsion to avoid what they fear will drive characters away from certain people, events, and situations and hold them back in life. In your story, this primary fear (or group of fears) will constantly challenge the goal the character is pursuing, tempting them to retreat, settle, and give up on what they want most. Because this fear must be addressed for them to achieve success, balance, and fulfillment, it plays a pivotal part in both the character arc and the overall story. This thesaurus explores the various fears that might be plaguing your character. Use it to understand and utilize fears to fully develop your characters and steer them through their story arc. Please note that this isn’t a self-diagnosis tool. Fears are common in the real world, and while we may at times share similar tendencies as characters, the entry below is for fiction writing purposes only. Fear of Being Loved Conditionally Notes Conditional love has to be earned through performance or achievements. A character who has experienced love in this way is likely to develop certain habits that they believe will ensure the acceptance of others. They may also perceive their value as being tied to certain behaviors or successes. These thought patterns and actions may continue to plague the character even after they’ve recognized that this kind of love is unhealthy and they want no part of it.
2. Smorgasbord Magazine https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2023/03/11/smorgasbord-book-promotions-book-review-ya-dystopian-the-insurgent-the-colony-series-book-2-by-teri-polen/ If a megalomaniac threatened your family, would you give up your freedom for them? Would you give up your soul? Asher Solomon is faced with that choice. And makes the ultimate sacrifice. Exactly as Director Silas Reeves expected him to. Unable to live as the Colony’s premier assassin, Ash retreats to a corner of his mind, ceding control of his body to the alter-ego he was engineered to be—Subject A36. As he’s unleashed to battle the Insurgents, the only family he ever knew, the tide of war shifts in Silas’s favor. Combined with his expansion into new territories, the director is poised to take over the world. But the Insurgents don’t give up easily. Not on their cause, and not on their people. With the help of a few double agents deep in the Colony, they stand a fighting chance at ending Silas’s reign. In order to shut down the program, they face almost insurmountable odds. And their most dangerous foe—their former champion turned killing machine, A36. Still have to get around to reading these! Sounds terrifying!
3. Entertaining Stories https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2023/03/11/still-fumbling/ I decided to work on Percy the Space Chimp today. Getting both of these stories flowing has taken me more time than I anticipated. Honestly, since Percy involves a sequel, I thought it would be up and running a little faster. I feel the need to at least do some minor reintroductions of the characters because there could be someone out there who reads them months apart. Prejudice is one thing that kind of sets Percy off, so that’s where I went. It allowed me to revisit his relationship with Buffer Dole, and the clones got some page time, too. They managed to obtain their course from the spy network and avoided throttling the crap out of some people. All I have to do is get them to their ship and send them into the unclaimed part of the galaxy.
4. Chris the Story Reading Ape https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2023/03/11/how-to-slay-others-with-your-writing-guest-post-by-traci-kenworth/ How to slay others with your writing comes with practice and confidence in yourself and in your writing. When you’re younger, you stumble down the road not sure where to go, or what to see in life. That’s why experienced writers have always recommended to those coming after them, for the others to take their time, and watch the swans in the pond. Dream. Dreaming helps whet that appetite. What appetite you ask? Why the one for making writing more than just a pit stop. The more you do something, the more you learn. That’s a truth universal. We don’t want to believe it’s that easy. We insist there must be some secret that the big writers are keeping from us. Some magic they found along the way. And there is: it’s called butt-in-the-chair. You keep at it. Even when it’s tough. No matter how much you feel like giving up. You don’t. You go on. You keep on. Even when it’s hard. Despite wanting to throw away the manuscript, you fight the urge. And gently tuck it away. Wait. Pull it forth. Begin again after you’ve given it some distance. The distance helps. It helps you take stock of things you couldn’t when you were too close to things. That’s how you get through. Make progress. One step at a time. Sort of like life. You learn new techniques as you go about the process. Marketing. Interviews. Small time at this point, of course, but hey, they lead to notice and notice is what you want and someday those small times will come in handy. Blogging is a good thing to have a go at. Couldn’t resist!
5. Nail Your Novel https://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2023/03/10/your-first-pages-5-manuscripts-critiqued-at-litopia-by-literary-agent-agentpete-aj_dickenson-and-me/
6. Syl’s 65 blog https://syl65.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/3-12-23/ He has such beautiful, soulful poetry!
7. Myths of the Mirror https://mythsofthemirror.com/2023/03/11/the-zone-2/ I don’t know about you, but for me, the creative process requires a lengthy visit to “The Zone.” If you’re an artist of any kind, you probably know what I’m talking about, surely sense the obsessive urge, the quiver of excitement at the prospect of exploring undiscovered shores. My creative muse resides there, tantalizing and intoxicating, and she demands my undivided attention. I love each foray into the Zone—despite its consumption of my life. It’s creative gluttony, stuffing my face with words, gobbling down characters, disgorging pathos. When I dive into the Zone, I’m not myself. I’m immersed in my craft, drowning in a taste of pure manna like an addict. The rest of the world fades into the hazy horizon as the Zone awakens that right brain craving. As a writer, this is especially true during my first draft when a story takes shape. Within the Zone, unfamiliar scenes tap from my fingertips and uncooperative characters demand a voice. A fickle wind pushes my plot, requiring vigilance to stay on course. As an adventurer, I’m on my own, trying to make sense of an untold tale before I return to my ordinary life, take a long overdue shower…wash loads of stinky laundry…vacuum blankets of dog hair…make dinner for a gaunt spouse surviving on snack food. Oh, I SO LOVE the zone! It is candy for writers! A place where literally anything can happen and does in creation and the writer is frantic to get said down.
8. Angel Messages https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/angel-messages-mar-12-2023/
9. Stream of Consciousness https://johnwhowell.com/2023/03/11/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-prompt-mat-met-mitt-mot-mutt/ My cup runneth over mainly because an accidental hit of the brew button brought three instead of two 5 oz servings. Luckily the machine has a drain, or the tsunami of caffeine would be on the floor. So the absorbent mat that is in reserve will not be necessary. Sipping the life fluid reminds me of last week’s arrival of too many Warner Brothers look-alikes for comfort. The grey rabbit said there was going to be a circus. An inquiry to the city assured me that no permit was necessary if it was held on my property, and no entrance fees were charged. We met in person so that the possibility of talking them into a restraining order could have happened. The mutt of a compliance officer refused to prevent what will no doubt become mayhem. In deep thought, the thirty-story falling piano crash of the doorbell jerked me back to reality. It also set off a round of barking, cracking every mirror in the house. A toss of my old baseball mitt causes Lucy and Twiggy to think a sheep is loose in the place and brings the silence of chasing the lambs. “Who is there,” is the inquiry through the Ring doorbell.” “C’est Moi. Phiil Harris.” As I told John, I really enjoy these Looney Tunes scenarios.
10. Chris the Story Reading Ape https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2023/03/12/writing-female-characters-in-fantasy-guest-post-by-jaq-d-hawkins/ It has become cliché that male writers are notoriously bad at writing female characters, especially in the Fantasy genre, but are female writers any better? This question came to mind because I often find female characters in novels written by women writers this century as either totally airheads or unrealistically badass. Two of my own free-spirited female characters (in different books) have taken some review criticism for behaving, quite honestly, more realistically. One was a goblin character, Talla, who comes from a culture where there is a shortage of females and a need to breed more younglings. It seemed only natural to me that in such a circumstance, the female goblins would be given sexual choice and would be free of the restrictions that human religions impose on women and girls. These are people who live close to nature. Observe any species in the wild and the goblin society reflects similar characteristics, including a certain freeform breeding culture. As suggested, culture as well as weather matter. Someone in a snowfilled environment would wear layers. Unless, of course, they had some type of jewelry or armor that melted the snow.
11. Writers in the Storm https://writersinthestormblog.com/2023/03/5-reasons-your-amazon-ads-arent-drawing-in-readers/ With new books of every genre being added to Amazon daily, it’s crucial that you understand what makes for good book promotion on the platform and what you can be doing better. A lot of authors begin an Amazon ad campaign without learning trends, updates, and all that goes into a well-performing campaign. Through the thousands of ad campaigns I’ve managed, I’ve learned quite a bit about this specific marketing art form. And I’ve pulled the top reasons that authors’ ads fail to draw in more readers or end up costing more than they’re worth. You Don’t Have Enough Keywords In order to gain traction, you need to start with a high number of keywords. Just five keywords aren’t going to cut it. My recommendation is 300 – 400 keywords, and if that number made you gasp, then consider this: I don’t need you to find 400 unique keywords. I need you to find 100 – 150 and save them as different match types. So, you’ll be saving them as broad, exact, and phrase matches, which will allow you to watch and see how the same keyword does under these different match types. You’re Using the Wrong Keywords or Keyword Blends Whenever I pull together keywords for an author’s ad campaign, I do so with keywords I find right on the Amazon site. I don’t use software or shortcuts. Finding keywords that are already trending on Amazon is a great way to dip into consumer trends, too, which is something that software often doesn’t capture. The other issue is the blend of keywords versus book titles and author names. If I’m working with a fiction book, I’m doing 80% book titles and author names and 20% of keywords. If I’m working on an ad set for non-fiction books, the numbers are reversed. So, I do 80% keywords and 20% book titles and authors. My reasoning is that a consumer searching for a non-fiction book is searching for a specific topic or benefits of a topic. A reader looking for their next great fiction read is looking at genre (and this is where your product placement ads can really do well), but they’re also looking for authors similar to ones they’ve already read work from.
12. Story Empire blog https://storyempire.com/2023/03/10/celebrate-the-day-of-awesomeness/ Hi SEers. John with you on this TGIF Fri-Yay. This is the second time in a row I had planned to do more on humor but found something a little better. Do you know what day this is? This is the Day of Awesomeness. That’s right, March 10 is a day to recognize and celebrate awesomeness wherever you find it. For those of us who still work at home, awesomeness might be found on that beautiful couch that calls our name at about two o’clock. Or maybe it’s that special cup of coffee that can only come from the most awesome beans and machine. It could even be super quiet that descends upon your workplace after all those annoying co-habitues depart for the day. For those of us who work at an employer’s location, awesomeness may be found in catching the elevator and finding it empty. Or maybe the last person actually made a new pot of coffee, and it is fresh and hot and waiting for you. How about the boss approving your request for one work-at-home day a week and will leave the choice of the day up to you? Those of us who don’t work awesomeness might be found enjoying an extra cup of coffee while finishing a blueberry scone. Maybe it’s going to the store and being the first person in the checkout line. Could also be going to the library and finding that number one best seller is available to check out. For we writer’s awesomeness can be found in a finely turned sentence. Or maybe in that plot twist just created. Or how about seeing your latest book for sale on Amazon.
13. Rosie Amber https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2023/03/10/%f0%9f%93%9aa-time-travel-fantasy-adventure-with-a-strong-fairy-tale-theme-rosies-bookreview-of-grimm-diagnosis-matt-golec-booktwitter/
14. Meeka’s Mind https://acflory.wordpress.com/2023/03/09/backup-backup-backup/ I confess, I’ve been very, very lucky. I haven’t been doing my backups as often as I should, but last night I backed up ALL my most important works-in-progress. Lady Luck must have been looking out for me because when I booted up my pc this morning, the hard drive on which I usually save all my data was…’ inaccessible’. When I looked at the map of my hard drives [I have two], my data drive didn’t even have the NTFS operating system structure. I had to format the drive in order to be able to use it again. Needless to say, I won’t be using it for anything critical from here on in. Once I can afford to have another one installed, it’ll be gone. I have lost some data, including the most recent pics used in my blog, and a heap of raw footage from videos I’ve worked on, but at least all of that stuff was completed. The pics were uploaded to WordPress and the finished videos were uploaded to Youtube so I haven’t lost anything critical. That’s why I say I’ve been so lucky; if this had happened a few days earlier, I would have lost a week’s worth of video-in-progress. And if I hadn’t backed up last night… -shudder- In case you’re wondering, I backup periodically to an external harddrive that can take masses of data. In between times, I backup work-in-progress data to a thumb drive that sits on my desk all the time and is quick and easy to use. Unfortunately, I don’t back up data often enough.

Why We’re Content with Love to Changeas a Book Ages by Traci Kenworth

Why We’re Content with Love to Change as a Book Ages

Traci Kenworth

I’ve been reading and downright enjoying the Sarah J. Maas series “The Throne of Glass.” It is a vast and comprehensive world of both light and darkness. It is the story of Celaena Sardothien or as her real name comes to be revealed: Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius. She is a Fae princess stuck in a human body when the story begins. I don’t really want to get into revealing too much of the story for some who haven’t read this excellent series. What I wanted to discuss is why we’re content with love to change as a book ages.

By which, I mean, there are different choices/different triangles as the story moves along. You wouldn’t think this would be a good move but surprisingly, it works really well for the characters involved because as you would expect: life changes and so should relationships. When we first meet Celaena, she is enamored of the prince who rescued her from a prison of darkness and pain. He is the son of the King who murdered her family and wiped out her bloodline. His name is Prince Dorian. He is charming and smart, a bit of a ladies’ man as can be expected of that type of character.

There is nothing serious between the two. At least, on Celaena’s part as she recognizes she could never belong in his world. She finds the gruff bodyguard of the prince, Chaol, more intriguing.  He will not make a move on her, however, as long as Dorian is in the picture because Dorian is also his best friend, and future sworn King.

When Dorian comes to the slow, painful realization that Celaena won’t ever love him back as more than a friend, he steps aside so that she and Chaol can be together. Full of guilt, they begin a love affair too late as Celaena has won the title of King’s Champion (or Assassin) to free herself of the prison forever and now must go about doing the King’s business. But true to her character, there is a façade to her actual deeds that Chaol doesn’t see. He only sees her as a threat to his prince.

To protect her and his prince, he petitions the king to send her to another land for an assignment. The King is only too willing as he believes it will wipe out two of his enemies. While there, she learns about her Fae heritage and how to bring it to the forefront with the help of Prince Rowan. As much as she hates him for the physical and emotional challenges he throws at her, she begins to fall for him as well.

Each of the relationships she goes through is different, unique. I think that’s what makes them believable, sustainable in each case. She’s not just throwing men aside to be with them. She truly cares about each of them. And they in return, care about her. I’m not saying there’s no jealousy between the men. There most certainly is but they work through it and get to a different spectrum of the their relationship with her.

And we, the reader, can see why she falls for each of them and in return, why she passes on the ones before Rowan. I’ve never read a series like this. Where you actually go through the fall and breakup with the character and then the new bud of another relationship instead of the Twilightish triangle/till death to us part ideal.

This just works better. Like I said, it shows more real life. You don’t always stay with one person forever from your teens on up. Things change. We change. Partners change. We’re human. We grow. Interests go in different directions. Sometimes we realize how unsuited we are to that person. When the right one comes along, he doesn’t try and change her. He accepts her, both her human and Fae sides unlike the others did. We can see why he is “the one.”

Have you seen this in other series? I’m quite a fan of it, I think. I haven’t considered it in my own work, but I might in the future. Sarah J. Maas has definitely won me over as a fan for life with these books. Her style is very elegant and yet old world casual, if that makes sense. Her world and the characters in it are so deep and satisfying. I haven’t finished the final book in the series yet but I’m looking forward to seeing how she ties it all together.

Happenings: I’m just beginning to get over a viral infection that kept me out of the mix for a couple weeks straight including through my birthday. I was able to get my new plates and my license. So often in the past, I used to shudder at my photo and I admit though I’m not actually thrilled with this one, it is more me. At least, more of the “me” than the glossed-up, trying to be someone I’m not image. Appearances shouldn’t have to be fussed over and be faked to matter. This one was more recognizable to me because I see her when I look in the mirror more and more. Aging has been hard. Women don’t like to look all wrinkled and chewed up by life’s wear but that’s what happens to us all. Eventually, we turn into our aunts or grandmothers or uncles, or fathers. It’s just the way it is. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Youth is meant for the pretty, the more graceful. I’ll take my dents.

Some links around the web you might enjoy:

1. The Bee Writes.com https://the-bee-writes.com/2023/01/28/not-wanting-to-see-nicht-sehen-wollen/ Yesterday’s Holocaust Memorial Day quote brought back the realization of how easily we humans fall for propaganda. Many Germans after the war said “We didn’t know” but I assume what they meant was “We didn’t want to know,” because knowing is uncomfortable. Knowing asks us to act. Knowing asks for sacrifices of us. Knowing asks “Who am I really”. This is a topic that makes me worry for all of us. Who are we when no one is looking? Do we hide our real selves and join the crowd? Do we shrink and try to hide from the violence of what’s shown in the daylight? Only we can answer that question. We pray we would do the right thing but how many would turn aside when one of their loved ones was threatened? It’s a scary thought for all to answer. And why we might bellow of course how we’d react, we wouldn’t actually know until those circumstances impacted us.
2. Syl’s 65 blog https://syl65.wordpress.com/2023/01/29/1-29-23/
3. Robbie’s Inspiration https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2023/01/28/robbies-inspiration-a-poem-on-vocal-and-a-poem-for-tanka-tuesday-poetry-poetrychallenge/ Vocal is running a poetry challenge with the theme of Uncommon – write a poem about something rare. I wasn’t going to participate as I couldn’t think of anything I fancied writing about until yesterday when I discovered Eleanor, the hadeda, had come into my office for a visit. I thought that was quite rare, I’ve never had a hadeda come inside before and I’ve lived in my current home near a bird sanctuary for nearly 20 years. These are the pictures that inspired my poem, The Visitor. You can read the poem on Vocal and if you have a few extra minutes you can register on the site and leave a like and/or comment for me. Or you can just leave a comment here.
4. Writers in the Storm https://writersinthestormblog.com/2023/01/top-posts-from-2022-the-wits-dynamic-dozen/
5. Fiction Favorites https://johnwhowell.com/2023/01/30/the-last-drive-tour-with-annette-rochelle-aben/ Annette can be described as a Communicator, WordSmith, Artist, Guide, Mentor, and Muse. She is all of these things. As a communicator, she is a trained radio broadcaster and has a blog talk radio show. Her wordsmith moniker is proven by the fact she has a daily blog and has written 20 titles which are available on Amazon. Her artistic talent can be seen in her Zazzle store. Here is the link http://www.zazzle.com/annetteaben. As a mentor and guide, Annette has developed the concept of Attitude with Gratitude. She shows folks how to approach life in a way that produces happiness. You can visit several examples of her teachings HERE. As a muse, Annette invites everyone to her blog with these works. “In addition to writing, I am completely in love with Angels, cooking, making jewelry, photography, cats, listening to music, and laughing! Perhaps we have something in common, if so, leave me a comment, and let’s connect.” Annette os a wonderful host! I’m sure John would agree as he visits with her today to discuss his latest book. I find the idea of being able to choose which state perhaps you’d like to visit in the after life fascinating.
6. Chris the Story Reading Ape https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2023/01/30/monday-funnies-5/
7. Story Empire https://storyempire.com/2023/01/30/when-the-words-stop/ Hi SEers! Denise here to talk about when a story hits some unexpected roadwork and comes grinding to a halt. The ideas and words flow until that one day, and they don’t. It’s like riding in a convertible, watching the sunset on a warm summer evening. A cool breeze is blowing the story onto your computer screen or paper. Everything is right in your world until that one moment when you see a stop sign ahead, and everything suddenly stops. A lot of times, like Diane said, the best thing to do is set it aside and come back to it. You’re going to beat it to death if you just keep fooling with it until it’s ready. I’ve done this before with the research to, thinking something was true when it wasn’t.
8. Entertaining Stories https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2023/01/28/a-different-angle-on-editing/ I’m down to the final reading of each manuscript. This is something I always do, but since I have three, there might be an option. Today, I started out reading one chapter, then switching stories to do the same thing. Right now, I’m up to about seven on each story. I did this, because when I get into the tale, I start enjoying it, then I miss things. I have no illusions about missing something. There’s always some stupid thing that gets published. t honestly feels like it’s working better to do it this way. Doubt I’ll ever have three finished stories at the same time again, but this one time it feels right. I’ve read recently from an editor’s opinion and I think it’s true that no matter how many times you write a book or go through the editing process, each will be different. Because they have to be. You learn stuff. You apply stuff. And then you pull together all that you’ve learned.
9. Writer’s Helping Writers https://writershelpingwriters.net/2023/01/how-does-internal-conflict-fit-into-the-characters-arc/ If you’re writing a story in which your character will need to evolve internally to achieve his goal, a cohesive and well-planned character arc will be vital to its success. This type of arc (a change arc) requires internal conflict, which will provide opportunities for your character to adapt and grow. But first, let’s quickly summarize what the change arc is and what it looks like. At their heart, most stories boil down to a simple formula: It’s a story about A (the character) who wants B (goal/outer motivation) because Y (inner motivation). That Y explains why the character so desperately wants to achieve the goal. If you look at the movie Groundhog Day, Phil Connors (A) wants to win Rita’s love (B) so he can find meaning in an utterly meaningless life (Y). This example shows how the character’s outer and inner motivations work together in the story. The outer conflict is the main external thing keeping the character from his goal. Phil’s conflict comes in the form of the supernatural forces that have him reliving the same day over and over, making it virtually impossible to get Rita to fall in love with him. But what internal conflict or struggle does Phil experience throughout the story? Or, as Michael Hauge puts it in Writing Screenplays that Sell: What is standing in the way of the character achieving real self-worth as he pursues his inner motivation?  In Phil’s case, he simply loves himself too much to love anyone else. This is why his initial attempts to win Rita’s heart fail—not because of time limitations but because his motives are selfish. She sees him for the pretentious, condescending, self-absorbed prat he’s always been, so he has to resort to deception and trickery to achieve his goal. And it never works. 
10. Life in the Realm of Fantasy https://conniejjasperson.com/2023/01/30/heroes-and-villains-part-2-who-are-they-and-why-should-we-care-amwriting/ When we begin planning a novel, we might have the plot for an award-winning narrative in our head and an amazing cast of characters eager to leap onto the page. But until we know who the hero and the antagonist are when they are off duty, we don’t really know them. And until we know what they want, we have no story. No matter what genre we write in, when we design the story, we build it around a need that must be fulfilled, a quest of some sort. For the protagonist, the quest is the primary goal. But they must also have secrets, underlying motives not explicitly stated at the outset. The supporting characters also have agendas, and their involvement in that storyline is affected by their personal ambitions and desires. Our task is to ensure that each of our characters’ stories intersect seamlessly. Motivations must be clearly defined. We must know how the person thinks and reacts as an individual. To that end, we assign verbs, action words that reflect their gut reactions. What drives them? This is where we give them a void, a lack or loss that colors their personality. We assign nouns that describe their personalities. Finally, we ask ourselves, “What are their moral boundaries, and what is out of character for them?” Good questions! I love that she says, “Until we know who our character is off duty, we can’t know them.”
11. Writers in the Storm https://writersinthestormblog.com/ 2023/02/7-tips-for-a-dose-of-relatable-dimension-to-your-character/ by Miffie Seideman As authors, we know our characters need to be multi-dimensional, with emotions, characteristic traits, backstories, and flaws that speak to our readers. So, we spend countless hours designing characters. A number of great tips can be found in these previous posts for creating characters that are genuine, strong, or stand out. One additional way to create a relatable character with dimension is to give them a simple trait, quirk, or habit—one that resonates with readers. Just a little something to bring the character off the page and make them memorable. For example, what quirks, traits, or habits come to mind when you think of these characters? The Joker (in the Joker) Jem (To Kill a Mocking Bird) Haymich Abernathy (The Hunger Games) Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie Novels) Captain Hook (Peter Pan) An often-overlooked approach is to give a character a habit involving socially popular drugs. Not all drugs require big, bold, and deadly scenes Think writing about drug habits is all about hard core drugs, overdoses, and addiction? Think again! I’ve just written a short story where the character had an addiction in a world devestated by loss of the people in it. The more I rewrote it, I came to see that the addiction needed to be focused more into the story than just a slight mention.
12. Roberta Writes https://roberta-writes.com/2023/01/31/cffc-legs-and-feet/ Regarding the Queen Push-Push photo–I have one of those. Her name is Callie or Calico. I swear she thinks my desk is hers! She claims everything on it including the right to knock anything of it. Believe me, she broke my computer a few months back and I had to replace it. Sigh.
13. Tel Aviv Feral Cats https://telavivsferalcats.home.blog/2023/01/31/how-far-do-domestic-cats-travel/ How far do house cats travel? And how far do domestic cats travel at night? Is there a difference between a house cat and an outdoor cat roaming range?
14. Myths of the Mirror https://mythsofthemirror.com/2023/01/31/january-book-reviews-3/
15. My first book reviews for the new year! I hope everyone is up for a great year of reading.
16. January’s reviews include my 4 and 5-star reads of a memoir, literary fiction, a paranormal adventure, a poetry collection, a collection of short stories, a collection of poetry and flash fiction, and three short reads on Irish Mythology.

Writerly Things 12/9/19: Top YA Books in 2019, imo. Traci Kenworth

Image by Pezibear from Pixabay

Image by Pezibear from Pixabay

Writerly Things 12/9/19: Top YA Books of 2019, imo.

Traci Kenworth

1. Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor #1 YA Fantasy
2. Slayer by Kierstan White #1 YA Horror
3. Finale by Stephanie Garber #1 YA Mystery
4. Bane of the Dragon King by J. Kellerford #2 YA Fantasy
5. Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pan Preto #3 YA Fantasy
6. Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor #4 YA Fantasy
7. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard #5 YA Fantasy
8. Graceling by Kristine Cashore #6 YA Fantasy
9. The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter #7 YA Fantasy
10. A Curse So Dark & Lonely Brigid Kemmerer #8 YA Fantasy
11. Windwitch by Susan Dennard #9 YA Fantasy
12. Harry Potter & the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and John Kelly
13. The Devouring Grey by Christine Lynn Herman

I’m still reading some so this list might change before the 30^th of Dec. but I think this is pretty well set. Have a great week, take care, and God Bless!

Book Talk Sarah J. Maas’s Heir to Fire (Book 3 Throne of Glass series) Traci Kenworth

Book Talk 9/4/2020: Sarah J. Maas’s Heir of Fire (Book 3 Throne of Glass series)

Traci Kenworth

Heir to Fire by Sarah J. Maas. Bloomsbury 2015. YA.

Amazon’s blurb: Celaena Sardothien, heroine of the New York Times bestselling series, rises from the ashes to burn even brighter than before.

Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth…a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

In this USA Today bestselling third book in the New York Times bestselling series, Sarah J. Maas again delivers the epic fantasy, heart-stopping pace, and heady romance that have won her readers the world over. Look for a teaser for the fourth book in the series, Queen of Shadows, out in this same season!

My Review: Caelena Sardothien has been sent to her homelands to kill the king and queen there. She finds herself unwilling to complete her orders. While she contemplates what to do, a fae by the name of Rowan, sworn to her aunt Maeve comes to retrieve her. Maeve wants to know what Caelena wants. Caelena asks about the Wyrdkeys. Maeve says she must serve her before she will answer. Rowan begins training her, showing no mercy for her weakness in her human form.

As Caelena begins to remember her former life as Aelin Galathynius, Princess of Terrasen. She remembers who the assassin was who killed her family. One sacrifice saved her. As she mourns the memories, enemies the King of Ardalan has sent to her homelands close in. They work to drain her but she finds forgiveness in her suffering and rises up against them.

Can she do the same with her Aunt? And old enemies who wish her dead? She finds unexpected allies.

The read was an absolute delight! I’ve already started the fourth book in the series, Queen of the Shadows. Three more to go!

Three Senryu and a Short Story Traci Kenworth

Image credit: Snapwire from Pexels

a piece of fabric
lies cluttered beside rail tracks
its owner misplaced

did she run along 
the train’s rails, heart in her throat,
or did her dress tear

did she see the beast
leave the shadows of the trees
no bones or blood tracked

The Girl Running Beside the Train Tracks

Traci Kenworth

Millie lost her shoe in the flight from whatever lunged after her. She’d been about to tie her laces at the time. Bent down, she’d heard a noise. Low, keening. Like a wounded animal. She’d thought perhaps a dog—

And gone to look. Eyes hooded like a snake; the beast had crept from the woods. She’d shouted but no one came. Perhaps the train drowned out all sound from around her. Gusting down the tracks, the people inside paid her no mind as they went about their travels. Never mind, that she’d been a passenger. She’d gotten down to investigate some flowers and that was that.

She raced down the path beside the rails, the beast coming near enough to snatch a piece of her purple dress. It spun her around as it did so. She stumbled and braced herself on a tree trunk. Please. Whatever god was out there—

She wanted to live. To grow up. To do so many things.

Why she hadn’t even kissed a frog and turned it into a prince yet.

Okay, maybe that was a stretch. But what about the pony she wanted? Surely, she should have that. Or at least, a kitten.

Maybe both.

She sucked in air. Must run. She bolted toward the blue sky ahead. Someone, help.

The beast panted behind her, its claws snarling in her hair. It swung her around. She batted at it, pushing those great snapping jaws to the side. Her gaze widened at the trickle of blood on its paw. She examined it further, the beast stifling its rage. At once, she saw the problem.

The thorn removed; the beast bowed to her. “My thanks.” He gestured to a saddled and bridled pony. “Yours.”

“I’ll treasure it always.”

The End.

Bestselling in the Little Market, a non-profit for Women. Coconut-Soy Wax Blend Candle. Medium Woven Star Bowl. A Reusable Gift Bag. A Beach Towel. A Dainty Triangle Necklace-Rose gold. A reusable wine tote. Dainty Blue Opal Necklace-rose gold.

Writerly Things 8/10/2020 Traci Kenworth

Image by Nicola Redfern from Pixabay

Writerly Things 8/10/2020: Do People Take Fantasy Writers Serious?

Traci Kenworth

There’s a saying that people don’t take fantasy writers seriously. Somehow, they think that all the creativity that goes into the writing makes it easy to write fantasy. After all, it’s all made up, right? So, it shouldn’t take a whole lot of talent to write? Just a whole lot of imagination.

Authors Shouldn’t Downgrade Other Author’s Work.

Just because you write literary, for example, doesn’t mean you trash your fellow author’s work. Every writer is called to a different pursuit. Some write genre and there’s nothing wrong with that. Frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I enjoy all types of books. There are others who do the same. It’s a part of our reading life.

Readers flock to all sorts of books. Why deny them the right to read what they want and enjoy? Just because fantasy is often set in other worlds and times doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its merits. Just think of the vast audience of fans GOT had/still has. Movies, books, each enjoys its own rewards. Fantasy has brought us some of the biggest fandoms: J.R. R. Tolkien, anyone? C.S. Lewis? Mary Stewart? Susan Cooper? Marion Zimmer Bradley? And so many, many more.

Just Because There are Funny Creatures.

That doesn’t mean the work isn’t intelligent. Didn’t Tolkien craft languages with his works? C.S. Lewis brought out sharp contrasts between good and evil. Mary Stewart wowed us with tales of Merlin, Arthur, and the Roundtable. Susan Cooper further the Arthur legend. Marion Zimmer Bradley was famed for the complex worlds she built.

Imaginary creatures come with their own Wikipedia page. Some are based on legends. Some history. Others are built after much thought and research. They are both a gift and a curse to their authors. After all, fandoms have a hard time moving on even years down the road. Look at Star Wars. Alien. The Terminator. Predator. Even Jaws.

Time.

When it comes to historical, present, or future, often we have to lay the groundwork for what may or may not be invented by that date. There’s an uncertainty and yet with that comes a great satisfaction for what we create. Maybe there was never spaceships in the time of the French Revolution but isn’t it exciting to see how the author pulls off this stretch?

What about Back to the Future? Its inventions have long been a perk of interest for moviegoers when certain dates arrive. We like anticipating new things. Just like we like to view fantasy elements in our reading or shows. I think it’s the little kid of us out there in the fields, playing with their friends, imagining that footprint, the echo of pterodactyls to drive them back to safety.

No, certainly fantasy writers like other writers should be taken seriously and not dismissed. Some of the stories written have gone on to define the ages. Dune. His Dark Materials. Harry Potter. The Bridge to Terabithia. Sandman. The Eyes of a Dragon. The Dark Tower. We could go on and on. Not bad for a genre that some authors don’t take seriously.

Bestselling in College Cleaning Essentials. Philips Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush. Men/Women Shower Sandals. Bic Soliel Disposable Razor Collection for Women. On the Go Men’s Duffel Grooming Bag. Bathroom Accessories Gift Set.

Book Talk 8/7/2020: Brigid Kemmerer’s A Heart So Fierce and Broken Traci Kenworth

Click on image to be taken to Amazon.

Book Talk 8/7/2020: Brigid Kemmerer’s A Heart So Fierce and Broken

Traci Kenworth

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer. YA. 2020. Bloomsbury.

Amazon’s blurb: In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Grey may be the heir, but he doesn’t want anyone to know his secret. On the run since he destroyed Lilith, he has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

My Review: The guardsman, Grey, has taken on the identity of farm laborer by the name of Hawk. When his ruse is discovered by accident, his new friend, Tycho is used against him. Back at IronRose, Rhen tortures Grey to find out what he knows about the heir, but Grey won’t tell him. Lia Mara, Karis Luran’s daughter has traveled to see if she can’t make peace for her people with Rhen but he takes her hostage. When Grey uses his magic to save himself and his friends, he must team up with Lia Mara to win a kingdom and a throne. But can he and Rhen bury the past or will they be doomed to repeat tragedy?

LOVED, LOVED! The fairytale deepens with Grey’s side of the story. I wasn’t sure about Lia Mara at first, but she won me over quick. I look forward to seeing how they break the next curse in the next book of the series, The Cursebreakers.

Writerly Things 6/22/2020 Traci Kenworth

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

Writerly Things 6/22/2020: Does War Bring Out the Best in Our Characters?

Traci Kenworth

You’ve seem numerous battle scenes. Men and women walking toward their doom or into victory. The question is: does war bring out the best in our characters?

Does It Make Them Stronger Individuals?

For some perhaps. Others, it makes cowards of. The cowards seem to slink off in the midst of every battle but still bray about their prowess to any who would listen. Now, I’m not saying when one of the armies about to clash realizes their outnumbered and to save their people, they retreat and regroup for another day. But when a person repeatedly uses others as shields to get away for the sake of their own lives, that shows cowardice.

To become stronger, the person must face their fate and fight to survive it. These become heroes. Legends. It’s what makes kingdoms stronger. Having a brave warrior or king who won’t back down. With few to support them at times, they stand against the darkness. Shield up, they wait for the fight to come to them and then give it their all.

Does It Make Them Better Heroes?

Heroes defend. They don’t hide. They press into battles with odds against them. Knowing their people will perish if they fail. Their world might cease to exist. They do everything in their power to win. Sometimes they stumble, a lot of times, they fall. But even on their knees, they do not yield. They live to fight another day.

What brings them back when life is ebbing from their bones? Their loved ones. Their friends. Hope. A dream. Give a hero a cause and he will rush into battle despite the cost. Or because of the cost not to do so. They care. Sometimes they gamble. At times, they plead. Never do they surrender.

Does It Break or Support Their Lives?

Think of The Last Kingdom. Uthred fights on. Even with his wife gone and his children hostage. He’s lost everything. Again and again. Still, he stands. He rushes into battle. And he saves for the good of all. Does he get honor in return? Lands and riches? Not from his King. Time after time, he loses. He is forced into giving his oath to one who never rewards him. A good man would lose hope. He does not.

In LOTR, Aragorn is a man filled with shame over what his father did. He learns throughout his journey that he does not need to fill those shoes. He can make his own path. Take back the sword and overcome the darkness that pierces the kingdom. He brings honor and hope to all even in the face of sure defeat. When he wins, so much the better for who he becomes.

So Then, Why Not Bring the Battle to Your Character? Let Them Show Their Stuff?

You might be surprised at the methods they will come up with to win. The distance they will go to save. And the hope they will inspire in those around them. Why do you think the sidekicks exist? To show the heroes spirit. To show what they’re capable of. To make a mark of their own.

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Book Talk 5/29/2020: What I’m Reading in YA Traci Kenworth

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

I’m reading A Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer, Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, Where There Be Humans by Rebekah L. Purdy, A36 by Teri Polen, Through the Nethergate by Robbie Cheadle, The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco, Sightwitch by Susan Dennard, The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, and How to Write a Children’s Book by Children’s Literature Society.

Want some fun summer games? How about volleyball? Badminton?

Pool table?

Cricket? Horseshoes?

Need some poolside chairs?