Category Archives: fiction

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop: Elisha Barber

Posted on January 2, 2013 by

I was tagged to participate in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop by the marvelous Heather Albano, author of two (so far!) steampunk novels you can learn more about at her post:  http://www.heatheralbano.com/2012/12/26/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop/ So without further ado: What is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha Barber, fantasy, fiction, historical medicine, history, magic, medieval, The Dark Apostle, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Racism and the Problem of the Hybrid Hero

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

It has been said that there are really only two plots:  A stranger comes to town, and someone leaves home.  What I want to look at today is the first one, the stranger–but not just any stranger, the stranger who … Continue reading →

Posted in character development, fantasy, fiction, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Writer’s Blech

Posted on November 7, 2012 by

Over the weekend, I had a chance to talk with a writer-friend about one of the problems we all seem to face:  the moment we realize the work-in-progress (WIP) is, in fact, crap.  I think there is at least one … Continue reading →

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It was a Dark and Stormy Night. . .

Posted on October 31, 2012 by

Those of us in the Northeast are bracing right now for the “storm of the century” (yep, another one), and thinking about that old saw on New England Weather, if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute.  Me, … Continue reading →

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Review: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption

Posted on October 24, 2012 by

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand My rating: 5 of 5 stars Anyone interested in survival of either body or spirit should read this book! This is the story of an Olympic … Continue reading →

Posted in book reviews, fiction, history, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

. . . From a Certain Point of View

Posted on September 26, 2012 by

Hands up everyone who immediately recognized the source of my title quote?  Okay, that was an easy one. In a post a couple weeks ago, I referenced the special difficulty of writing a book in a single point of view … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction, writing, writing advice, writing process | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Avengers” and the vulnerable superhero

Posted on September 19, 2012 by

I went to see “The Avengers” again recently. Don’t ask how many times I’ve seen it–I’m not an addict, I can quit any time.  Really. The film got me thinking about the role of vulnerability in heroes.  Any time you … Continue reading →

Posted in character development, fantasy, fiction, movies | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

No More Bad Villains!

Posted on September 12, 2012 by

During a critique session this weekend, a writer friend said she wanted to know if readers found her protagonist “too stupid to live.”  This is an issue we think about often in relation to our protags, but not often enough … Continue reading →

Posted in character development, fiction, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Writing Down the Darkness: The Evil Within

Posted on July 13, 2012 by

So the guy next to me on the plane is watching a horror film, one of these creepy, psychological things where guys keep dying in nasty ways—not slasher ways, but more personal, with visions of their loved ones in their … Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, fiction, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

T minus 365 Days and Counting!

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

Today, Elisha Barber is negative one year old.  Woo-hoo!  And yikes!  I have a lot of work to do.  One year from now, I’ll be enthusiastically trumpeting my book release from every place I can think of.  Hopefully, before that, … Continue reading →

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