Researching Culture and Setting: Viking ships, Abbeys, and Enchanting Castles Like any novel[ist], I take my research seriously! A Hundred Breaths delves into the Norse culture and I was fortunate to tour an actual Viking ship, the Draken Harald Hårfagre, last year. When I heard this ship was coming to a port near us (Mystic, CT, and only an hour drive away), I messaged the captain and booked myself tickets. The researcher in me squealed with delight. The ship did […]
2019
51 posts
Episode 25: Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Never Long ago, my great-great-great grandmother lived halfway up the mountains on the eastern border of Highmoor Province near the cataracts. In those nearly forgotten days, expectant mothers spent their confinement before bearing children in solitude, attended only by a trusted friend or relative. According to legend, she and her closest friend made their way to a cavern in the heights and settled in for the remaining weeks before my great-great-great-grandmother’s first child was to […]
Looking for previous episodes? Start Here with a PDF of 1-18. Episode 23: Witches, Witches Everywhere Older relatives, slightly singed but maintaining an air of refinement, rest on tussocks near the river, enjoying quiet conversation. Their breaths puff into white vapor in the cool morning air. All in all, the scene is one of a pleasant outdoor celebration in full swing despite the occasional crash from the burning castle. The one common trait all witches share—no matter their politics––is adaptability. […]
Lyrical Embrace–A Deerbourne Inn Romantic Suspense Novel Out-of-work violinist Erica Timberly decides enough is enough. She leaves her abusive boyfriend and flees the big city, but then her car breaks down in the middle of the night. Though wary of men, she accepts help from Dylan Haynes, a stranger driving by on the road, and soon recognizes him as the sexy former drummer of her favorite indie rock band. Maybe, just maybe, her run of bad luck is finally […]
Finding love can be like walking a tightrope By Addison Brae While I was jogging in my neighborhood park right before Valentine’s Day a few years ago, I saw a guy walking on a tightrope. I always wondered how people learn how to walk on a tightrope. They practice. He tied a narrow nylon strap to two trees and walked on it between them. It reminded me how much dating is like walking a tightrope. So many girls, me […]
If you want to read the whole story so far, Follow this link to Episodes 1-20 Episode 21: Unexpected Discarding the light blanket Mayebelle has wrapped around me, I scrabble in the spring-damp mold of the forest floor. Pain in my midsection redoubles, but I crawl to the edge of the road and use a handy rowan sapling to hoist myself up. “Maddock!” I would have run to him, but little Priscilla or Madeleine or Jane will not be ignored. […]