Category Archives: A to Z Blogging Challenge

A to Z Blogging Challenge, About the Author, Everything else

G is for Giveaways & Getting to Know You; H is for Happy Blogiversary

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Saturday, June 16, is the first anniversary of Through the Mists of Time. I have presents to give away, but more on that later (see end of post). I can’t believe a year has passed already! Thank you to everyone who continues to come around week after week and listen to me babble. Your support means more than I can say. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll be able to announce an agent and a publishing contract.

I’ve been wanting to get to know my readers for quite some time now and what better time than the one year blogiversary? Please tell me a little about yourself in the comments. You can answer any of the questions below or maybe tell me about where you live, how you found Through the Mists of Time, what keeps you coming back, what you like about Arthurian legend. What are your hobbies? Are you a writer, a reader, a history buff or something else? What topics do you want to hear about on this blog? The better I know you, the more I can tailor posts to your likes.

And because it’s only fair, I’ll answer some questions, too. Here’s a little Q&A – yes, I’m interviewing myself. Hey, it’s not any weirder than 99% of the other things that go on in my head. (These questions come from the New York Times Book Review column “By the Book.”)

What book is on your night stand now?

Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Angelology by Danielle Trussoni, Arthur’s Britain by Leslie Alcock and Imagine by Jonah Lehrer. And in my car’s CD player is the audio book Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill.

What was the last truly great book you read?

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. She’s an amazing writer with a rare gift to be able to truly transport you in time (through 500 years in this book) and space (several different countries). I learned a lot about recent and Medieval history while reading it and its a truly fascinating tale, based on the true story of a mysterious codex – which I didn’t know when I read it.

Do you consider yourself a fiction or a nonfiction person? What’s your favorite literary genre?

Both. Nonfiction: history and religion, some biographies. Fiction: historical fiction, fantasy (especially urban fantasy), YA (dystopian and paranormal), general fiction, cozy and regular mysteries (Sue Grafton is as hard-boiled as I get), and intellectual thrillers. As a general rule, I stay away from chick-lit and anything marketed as woman’s fiction.

What were your favorite books as a child?

I remember my mom reading a lot of Bearnstien Bears books to me as a child. Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High books were the books of my pre-teen and teen years. C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series shaped my love of fantasy and I still remember reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin in 6th grade. I won’t go into the books we had to read in school that permanently traumatized me (I’m looking at you, Where the Red Fern Grows).

If you could meet any writer, dead or alive, who would it be? 

Christopher Marlowe. I think I had a thing for him in a past life. I’d also love to know if there’s any truth to the conspiracy theory that he didn’t really die in a bar fight and that he was actually Shakespeare. I doubt it, but I like the idea.

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**GIVEAWAY DETAILS
I’m giving away a copy of The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction by James Alexander Thom and the Mutefish CD On Draught. (Remember them from my Ireland travelogue? No, it’s not my CD. This one is still in the shrink wrap.) If you’re interested in either gift, let me know in the comments and I’ll pick names out of a hat (please include your email address so I can contact you). Because I’ve combined two posts, I’m keeping this one up for a week, so you have until June 20 to comment and qualify to win.

Even if you don’t want the gifts, please say hi and tell me a little about yourself. I look forward to getting to know you!

A to Z Blogging Challenge, Guinevere

F is for Fearsome Heroines

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Recently, CBS Sunday Morning did a piece on how today’s heroines aren’t afraid to kick a little ass. Well, that’s not how they phrased it, but you get the point. Gone are the days of damsels in distress and princesses who sit on their perfect rear ends waiting to be rescued.

Maybe it started with She-ra. I’d like to think so. Buffy definitely helped. But if you look at the shelves of your local bookstore or turn on the television, its clear women are coming into their own as heroines. From the katana wielding main character of Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland vampire series to Snow on Once Upon a Time, wallflowers need not apply. (Sorry Bella Swan, Katniss Everdeen proved you’re irrelevant.)

In talking about the new big screen versions of Snow White, CBS Sunday Morning notes, “Like every storybook heroine these days, she FIGHTS.” And they mean that literally – swords and all. Today’s heroines rescue themselves. Now that doesn’t mean they don’t need love or want someone to share the fight with, but like most modern women, they’re not waiting around for a man to complete them. They grab life with both hands and make of it what they desire.

That’s fine by me. That just means my heroine’s time has come. For reasons I can’t reveal until you read the book, my Guinevere can fight as well as any man, and she does. That’s one of the things that makes her different from the traditional portrayal of the character. She is not only physically strong, but smart and not afraid to express herself. (Although one could argue that was typical for a Celtic woman.) My Guinevere is in every way Arthur’s equal, a woman trained to sit beside her King on the throne or stand beside him as they lead their troops into battle. In many time periods – even a hundred years later – that would be anachronistic, but we’re fortunate that the Celts raised fearsome women. (Boudicca, Cartimandua, Maeve and Scathach are just a few examples from history and legend.)

Actress Aly Michalka at a Renfaire. She is the inspiration for a Saxon (sans bow and arrow) you’ll meet in book 2.

It’s time for strong female characters to serve as role models for young (and not so young) women. Even my female characters who don’t wield a sword know how to fight with their brains and their tongues. Morgan will best you in any verbal war and Isolde will out-strategize you before you know what hit you. That’s not to say my books are fueled on feminism. There are several female characters who fill more traditional roles (Elaine, Camille), but they are certainly more balanced with ones who will stand up for themselves than tradition usually dictates.

I know I’m not the first to infuse a little girl power into my books, and I hope I won’t be the last. I’m just proud to contribute to the growing trend of weapon-weilding heroines. IWA girls, this is for you!

What do you think of the new wave of strong heroines? Ladies, who do you most identify with in fiction today? What traditionally passive female roles would you like to see rewritten? And what other “F” topics do you suggest for future posts? (Clean ones, mind you.)

A to Z Blogging Challenge, Arthurian Legend, Celtic society

E is for Excalibur

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Who knew the story of Arthur’s famous sword was so complicated? (And this is just a short summary!)

Contradictory accounts have been written over the years, but Excalibur is usually not one in the same with the Sword in the Stone. The sword Arthur drew from the stone was broken in battle. In searching for its replacement, Arthur received Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. According to John Matthews, the story of the sword in the stone may have come from the Sarmatian custom of worshiping a sword stuck in a stone. (Apparently there was a large Sarmatian contingent in Britain. Matthews states that after they lost a long-standing battle with Rome, 3,000 Sarmatians were banished to Britain by Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century.) And if you like a little conspiracy to your legend, check out the story of Galgano Guidotti (later canonized a saint), whose act many believe is the actual origin of the Sword in the Stone stories.

Even though today we automatically think of Excalibur as linked with Avalon and the Lady of the Lake, the earliest Celtic Arthurian legends don’t include that part. Although they could have. It was common in Celtic myth for a young would-be warrior to be given his weaponry by a goddess-like woman.

In the earliest tales, Arthur’s sword is called Caliburn (or Caledfwich in Welsh). According to David Day and Ronan Coghlan, both come from the Irish Caladblog, which means either “flashing sword” (Day) or “hard lightning” (Colghlan). However, John Matthews argues that the name comes from Sarmatian smiths called Kalybes who lived in the Caucasus. He says that Caliburn derives from the words “chalybus” which means “steel” and “eburnus” or “white,” translating as “white steel.”

It is generally believed that the name Excalibur is the Norman French translation of the Celtic Caliburn, and that’s fitting seeing since the French are the ones who give us the story of the Lady of the Lake (and/or the arm that reaches up out of the lake, which might belong to the Lady or not, depending on the tale).  This sword was very powerful, forged by an elf smith of Avalon. It’s blade could not be broken, yet it could cut through steel and stone without being dulled. It’s jeweled scabbard was magic and protected the person who wore it from wounds involving blood loss. In many traditions, Morgan steals both the sword and the scabbard, replacing them with fakes. Excalibur is eventually recovered, but the scabbard is not, leaving Arthur vulnerable for the fateful battle of Camlann.

John Duncan – The Taking Of Excalibur

Interestingly, the Sword in the Stone and the idea of magical swords is common across the world. In the Norse Volsunga stories, the hero Sigmund pulls a sword from a tree. It is broken in battle. His son Sigurd gets a replacement called Gram, given to him by the mother of the god Odin. The hero Charlemagne had his sword Joyeuse. El Cid had Tizona. And according to Day, all were made by the mythic Wayland the Smith, who in turn traces his origin to the Roman god Vulcan and the Greek god Hephaestus.

What about the end of the story? Bedivere’s role of returning Excalibur to the lake comes into the myth at the 13th century, but it was probably based on the ancient Celtic custom of throwing offerings into sacred pools of water as part of a ritual honoring the deity of the lake or spring.

And if all this isn’t complicated enough, Excalibur isn’t necessarily Arthur’s alone. In some versions Accalon (also spelled Accolon) holds the sword for a time, while in Chretien de Troyes’s Perceval, Gawain is its owner.

What have you heard about the famous Excalibur? What part of the myth do you believe? What other famous swords do you know about? What other “E” topics do you want to read about when I do the A to Z Challenge again?

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Sources: The Quest for King Arthur by David Day, King Arthur: Dark Age Warrior and Mythic Hero by John Matthews, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Arthurian Legend by Ronan Coghlan, and King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land by Caitlin Matthews.

A to Z Blogging Challenge, Book reviews, Books

D is for Daughter of Smoke and Bone

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“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.”

Great opening line, right? So begins Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. If I had a daughter, I’d be proud to have her read it. This Young Adult (YA) urban fantasy is witty, intelligent and captivating. And unlike some other YA books, it manages to get morality across without being preachy.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the story of Karou, a 17-year-old girl in Prague who is by day an art student and by night an errand runner for Brimstone, a strange creature part of a race called Chimera. He trades teeth (animal and human) for coins that grant wishes on the supernatural black market. Karou doesn’t know her parents, her past or how she got mysterious eye-like tattoos (called hamsa) on the palms of both of her hands. Brimstone raised her from a baby and as a result, she is aware of how the supernatural world overlaps our own. Eventually, her two worlds collide when menacing black handprints are seared into the doors that are portals between the worlds, and a mysterious angel named Akiva becomes obsessed with her, leading her on a voyage of self-discovery that will change her life, her very identity, and set the stage for an Otherworldly war.

Hamsa

Though this book is fantasy, the thing I liked most about it was how much I could relate to it. Karou and her best friend, Zusana, remind me of me and my best friend (even down to the eerily accurate conversations) and Karou is very normal, despite her knowledge of supernatural things. She makes mistakes and suffers the same trials and temptations of every teenage girl. Even Brimstone, as animal as he is, is the father/brother/protector every girl/woman should have in her life at least once. In the mist of all the wishes, magic and impossible feats is a very real love story and a chilling tale of hate and genocide that smacks very much of our own history.

And if that wasn’t enough, Laini Taylor writes in such an evocative way, you feel like you’re walking through the streets of Prague with her. Her writing is lyrical and beautifully done.

Did I mention these books are laugh out loud funny? I listened to them on audiobook, and it’s a good thing I was alone, because I snorted a few times. One of my favorite exchanges comes near the beginning of the book:

“’I don’t know many rules to live by,’ he’d said.  ‘But here’s one. It’s simple. Don’t put anything unnecessary into yourself. No poisons or chemicals, no fumes or smoke or alcohol, no sharp objects, no inessential needles–drug or tattoo–and…no inessential penises either.’

‘Inessential penises?’ Karou had repeated, delighted with the phrase in spite of her grief. ‘Is there any such thing as an essential one?’

‘When an essential one comes along, you’ll know,’ he’d replied.” 

I picked up Daughter of Smoke and Bone not because of all the acclaim around it (it’s been on practically every #1 list out there), but because author Veronica Roth recommended it on the basis of the quality of the writing. I’m so glad I took her word for it. I hope you will love it as much as I did. I can’t wait for the second book in the series, which is due out this fall.

Have you read Daughter of Smoke and Bone? What did you think of it? What other D topics would you like to read about? 

A to Z Blogging Challenge, Everything else

C is for Crystals

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So many crystals, so little time!

I’m easily distracted by anything shiny. (Stop snickering, those of you who know me offline.) Ever since I was little, all it took to make me happy was a rock that sparkled in the sun. I grew up in an area of the Midwest where caves are quite common, so my parents would often take me to them on weekends and every one had a gift shop. That was where I bought my first geode to crack open and my first set of crystals, having no idea it would lead to a life-long obsession.

I still have that first package of rocks, neatly wrapped in plastic and glued to thick paper with the name of the stone written underneath. Only today, I have many, many other stones as well. Some are tumbled, some are rough cut, but all are special. I have so many I could probably open my own store.

Every stone (or crystal, call it what you like) has its own unique properties. There are a million books that will tell you about them (I prefer Cassandra Eason’s The Complete Crystal Handbook), but I like to work with them intuitively. I’m an earth sign (Virgo), so a lot of times I just go with whichever crystal strikes me as right. Crystals can inspire, heal, strengthen, calm and aid in anything you do in life. You can hold them, meditate with them, carry them in your pocket, wear them as jewelery, or just have them in the room with you and they will do their thing.

Many shamanistic cultures (including the Native Americans) were known for understanding and using the healing power of crystals, but as of today, I haven’t found any evidence that the Celts felt the same way. (If you know differently, please let me know.) But I haven’t really been looking for that connection, either. So they don’t figure into my Guinevere books, but they will into a fantasy novel I’m planning for the future.

There are hundreds of crystals out there, but here are five that are good for writers, communicators and book lovers. (This is a short summary of their properties. Each one has many more.)

  1. White howlite

    White Howlite – Known to help calm and bring patience, howlite is also a communication stone. Take with you or put it in your pocket when you need to have an open and honest conversation. But beware it is very powerful and you may not like what you hear. This is the artists’ stone (no matter what your medium) and it encourages life-long learning.

  2. Garnet

    Garnet – Garnet is often mistaken for ruby, but it has a deeper burgundy color than a ruby. Long believed to be a protective stone, garnets are worn as talisman against evil spirits. It is also the stone of the creative fire within. Though I have no documentation to back this up, I believe it to be sacred to the Goddess Brigid and her fire of inspiration. Paired with an opal, it is a great stone to induce writing productivity.

  3. Opal

    Opal – Good at balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain, opal is the stone of all who write, act, dance, etc. – especially those who hope to do these things professionally. Opals are fiery, with a rainbow of colors reflected within, so they represent the range of possibilities open to you in life. They’ve been revered since the time of Pliny as wonders and are, to me, sacred to the Goddess Brigid.

  4. Blue Goldstone

    Blue Goldstone – This stone is called blue, but to me it looks like a deep purple. It sparkles like it has glitter in it, especially in sunlight, so it makes me very happy. Some say it resembles a starry sky. It’s said to be helpful in getting your big break in your career and is considered a wish stone with strong positive energy. It also facilitates clear communications.

  5. Citrine

    Citrine – Citrine is a naturally upbeat stone, being a bright yellow, like the sun. It’s strongest property is that it takes negative energy from the environment (and others) and turns it into positive energy. It hardly ever needs to be cleansed, so it can be left alone for long periods of time without tending. I wear a citrine pendant every day and have found it helpful in identifying my inner happiness and shielding myself from the negativity of others.

Do you use crystals? If so, how? Are there any you want to learn more about? Or do you think they are all just a bunch of hooey? Let me know in the comments and I’ll tell you what I can. Also, please let me know if you have any suggestions for future “C” topics.

A to Z Blogging Challenge, Everything else

B is for Bucket List

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What’s on your bucket list?

What do you want to do before you “kick the bucket?” What accomplishments/events would make your life complete? Like many of you, I saw the movie The Bucket List a few years ago and cried, but I wasn’t moved to create one.

I’m not sure why, but I actually didn’t make one until very recently. As of today, it has 56 items. I’m not the skydiving, bungee jumping, shark swimming, do-anything-that-involves-risk-of-bodily-harm kinda girl, so mine may seem pretty lame. Lots of them involve travel or meeting celebrities or authors. I’ll spare you the obvious ones like “Write novels full-time” and “See my name in the NY Times #1 bestseller spot.” (If those weren’t on there, I’d seriously need to reconsider my line of work.)  Without further ado, here are a few of my items:

  1. Work with UN Women.
  2. Be in a music video.
  3. Fly first class to Europe.
  4. Go ice skating.
  5. Dance around a may pole.

I’m proud to say I’ve already crossed a few things off:

  1. See Grease on Broadway starring Max Crumm. (He won the part on the TV show Grease: You’re the One That I Want. Yeah, I voted for him, over 70 times.)
  2. Live in a castle. (I got to stay in the castle in England where they filmed The Haunting about a month after shooting wrapped.)
  3. Change clothes in a car on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway. (It’s really not as risqué as it sounds. The car had tinted windows and we were going to the beach.)
  4. Get a tatoo. (Actually, I have two and am planning a third.)
  5. Experience life as a nun for a week. (I used to want to be one, so what can I say?)

So, what’s on your “bucket list?” What have you been able to cross off?

I’m probably going to do the A to Z Blogging Challenge again in the future, so please let me know if you have any suggestions for “B”topics.

A to Z Blogging Challenge, Arthurian Legend

A to Z Blogging Challenge: A is for Aggrivane

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A to Z bookends by Katie Wong NYC

So, I’ve decided to take on the A to Z Blogging Challenge. (I was inspired by Jenny Hansen over at More Cowbell.)

Technically, it was supposed to take place in April, but I couldn’t do it then, so I’m doing it now, but with my own twist to the rules. The official rules say you blog every day except Sundays for 26 days, with each day’s topic starting with a different letter (A, B, C, etc.). My life doesn’t allow that kind of aggressive blogging schedule, but I’m going aim for twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays, until I’ve made it through the alphabet. (I reserve the right to interrupt the challenge for the Through the Mists of Time blogiversary next month.)

The idea is that these posts are supposed to be shorter than the ones I typically do, and that’s probably going to be the hardest part. And since I’m not going to confine myself to Arthurian/Celtic themes, so you might just learn a little more about me or maybe read something that interests you more than my boring old posts about bygone days. But my first topic is Arthurian.

A is for Aggrivane

More properly spelled Agravain or Agravaine, this Arthurian character is the second son of King Lot and Arthur’s sister (Morgause or Anna, depending on who the story), which makes him Arthur’s nephew. He is said to be somewhat of a villain. Aggrivane knew about Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair and worked with Mordred to arrange the lovers being caught in the act. Traditionally, he is killed by Lancelot, either at the time of their discovery or when Lancelot rescues Guinevere from her death sentence.

I’ve always seen this character used as a secondary player, but when I plotted my story, he became a natural main character. If I told you how or why, it would ruin one of the biggest plot points of my first book, but I can tell you this: in my world, he is still the son of Lot, but he is a much kinder person who has a talent for reading the stars and dreams of a life very different than the one legend has put him in to date. I fell in love with him, and I hope you will, too.

So, why do I spell his name Aggrivane? Well, that’s the way it came out of my fingers the first time I typed it and since I’ve never been able to get myself to spell it any other way, that’s the way it’s staying. (In my head, he wants it that way.) And if you need help picturing him, think of Orlando Bloom. I wrote the character with him in mind.

So what do you know about this character? How have you seen him portrayed? What do you want to know? I’ll probably do the A to Z Challenge again in the future, so please let me know if you have any other “A” suggestions.