80 Post Challenge – Post 52

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Ileandra Young

Write about a recent visit to a museum or art gallery

Heh this should be interesting. I’ve been wondering about this question for a while, because I don’t do these things over much. However a couple of weeks ago, Dave and I took the little one (his little’un) to the British Museum. We were heading for the Grayson Perry exhibit, this chap being one of Dave’s favourite artists.

I must admit I was quite excited myself; I’ve seen enough of his work to realise that I would be interested and that it would be a real treat to see some of his ceramics in the flesh. Problem is, we almost didn’t make it.

I’ll hold up my hand there and say ‘my fault,’ though even that probably isn’t really fair to myself. It’s not like I could help it. To explain… in brief… I had several dizzy/fainting spells on the train and had to be ambulanced to the nearest hospital. O.o

Yeah I know; crazy right? I’ve had these spells before, but never that bad and the main focus was just making sure that both I and the twins were okay. Anyway, they must have decided I was okay pretty damn quickly because I was waiting for two and a half hours before I saw anybody at all. Humph.

Meh. It was far more traumatic at the time, but the main thing is, they kept me in the hospital well past the time marked on our tickets for Grayson Perry. I remember feeling sad and guilty, because Dave had been waiting to go so long; and I would have just felt rotten if he missed it because of some rubbish medical thing. But of course, he’s saying that health comes first. Which I suppose is fair… it is the health of three after all.

*sigh* Anyway, when they did finally let me out, it was a very slow and gentle walk to the museum – which wasn’t far at all – and, after a brief stint of queuing, straight into the exhibit.

It was wonderful. Grayson’s art is incredibly witty and often just plain weird. I love his sense of humour and the way he’s able to put that across so eloquently on a pot, or in a piece of embroidery. It’s beautifully done and so very real; there is nothing manufactured or fake about what he produces and in a world where actors and singers are produced to match the current public fancy, it’s actually very, very refreshing. ^_^

 

 

 

 

My 80 Post Challenge is brought to you with help from Tom Slatin’s 80 Journal Writing Prompts.

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Six Sentence Sunday 26/02

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Ileandra Young

I’ve got another six for you!

This is from one of my A-Z Flash Fiction Challenge shorts. Its from the ‘P’ entry, the word for which was ‘pant.’ I took a character of mine from The Ice Wolf Tavern and wrote a little bit about him getting a bit hot under the collar for another of the characters on the boards there.

Never mind that he’s a vampire and that a lot of the hottest action takes place under the collar so to speak, but the man he was talking to is the source of so much fascination for him, that he cannot help but be intrigued. And feel a little hungry.

Tristen smiled. “You don’t need to convince me any more; I’m coming. More than you realise.”

The skin beneath his gripping fingers was hot and sent a trail of tingling heat up and down his arm. He shuddered, feeling his breath become suddenly short.

“I really should go.”

Indeed you should Tristen, before you do something terrible!

 

Don’t forget, hit the banner below to enjoy other Six Sentence samples from a fabulous selection of other authors. Catch you next time. ^_^
Six Sentence Sunday

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New WIPs and Writing Update

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Ileandra Young

I haven’t actually talked about my writing for ages! Or it feels that way. Humph; as interesting as my life may (not) be, this blog is about me as a writer. Besides, I can’t give you too much of an insight into my life- otherwise the enigma is lost! :p

Well with February nearly over I must say I haven’t written as much as I’d hoped I would by this stage. Granted the blog has been chugging along smoothly, but there are several projects that I didn’t quite manage to get myself sorted out for.

Sirens Call Publications
There were two anthologies that I was hoping to get something written for. I did actually start something for both, but for some reason I couldn’t get passed hated what I’d written. It just felt really bad; clichéd and overdone, so I put both shorts to one side. Maybe they’re something I’ll go back to another time.

Crowded Quarantine
There was a werewolf anthology here that I nearly hit the roof about. I was so thrilled that when I put the other two pieces aside, I started on this straight away, using the back story to one of my RPG characters on The Ice Wolf Tavern, to get started. Problem was, I enjoyed writing it far too much. In fact I’m still writing it. I’ve sailed well passed the 10k guidelines and its turning into much more of a novella than a short, though it is still about the how the chap came to be a werewolf. Its still a very rough draft, so I won’t put an excerpt up here yet, but I will say that its going very well. I should be able to finish by mid-March if I continue at my current rate.

Alt Fiction
You may recall last year how much fun I had at this event, and that I vowed I would do it again when the time came. Well so long as my luck holds out and the twins don’t plan an early appearance, I’ll not only be reading to this event (for the whole weekend this time!!!) but I’ll be reading some of my work during the Open Mic section. Can’t wait for that! Still trying to decide what piece would best fit the scene and what I want to showcase. As soon as I know that I’ll be able to start practising my reading of it. I’ve only got 5 minutes after all (or is it three?).

A-Z Flash Fiction Challenge
Still going strong you’ll be pleased to hear. I’ve just tackled ‘S’ which means I’m very near the end now. When I’ve made it all through the alphabet I’ll start looking into getting those up here. One is here already – you can find it here – but I think it will be quite a treat to see the rest of these go up; since I’m quite chuffed with my range. I think you’ll be surprised too; some of it is quite unlike anything else I’ve showcased here before. ^_^

SORB and CoTAK
I can’t give you an update on my writing without talking about these, can I? Okay, well SORB is still on hold for the moment; its been my baby for so long that I know that I need even more distance from it before I can give it the edit it deserves. So that is actually rather far down on my list for the time being.
CoTAK’s contract has been sent off, as I mentioned at the beginning of the year and I’m just waiting to hear back from Popcorn Press about the next steps. I remain thoroughly excited, but, as I say, these things take time. We’ll see how we go on that score. ^_^

So even though the blog, for a short while, has been rather a lot of reviews and ‘Real Life Chatter’ don’t think for a moment that I’ve forgotten what its all about. I’m still going and still as stubborn as ever. To cap it, I’m heading back to the Phoenix Writers today as well. I haven’t managed to get back there this year yet, so I’m incredibly excited about it. It will be wonderful to see everyone again. XD

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80 Post Challenge – Post 51

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Ileandra Young

What was the title of the last book you read?

D’oh! This feels like cheating, just a little bit, because I normally write reviews about books I’ve been reading. Okay, well, it won’t hurt to do one as a 80PC right?

Last book I read: Tales Of The City
Author: Armistead Maupin
ISBN: 9780552998765
‘San Francisco, 1976. A naïve young secretary, fresh out of Cleveland, tumbles headlong into a brave new world of laundromat Lotharios, pot-growing landladies, cut throat debutantes, and Jockey Shorts dance contests.’

I am a lucky, lucky girl. Dave got me the set of eight books for Christmas and though it took me a while to tear myself away from the Kindle, I’ve managed it. Now I don’t think I’ll go back to it until I finish this series. Maupin is brilliant!!!

I’ve heard people talk bout these books quite often. I’m also aware – just about – that there is a TV series of the same name and that the books were originally serialised in The San Francisco Chronicle. Its probably why the chapters are so tiny, but it makes it a frightfully easy read. And immediately engaging. Two chapters in and I was already hooked!

It took me a while to get to grips with the sheer number of characters – it really is an ensemble piece – but once I did that, I found myself drawn into the tale of each and every character and enjoying every word. Some of the stories touch smartly on issues that are still relevant now, and some are thankfully past, but still have done their part in shaping today’s world.

The novel manages to be very real and surreal at the same time. Lord knows how it manages it, but some parts are just so strange that I had to put the book down for a second just to get my head around what I’d just read. Other parts made me howl with laughter either because I’ve been there, done that, or because it was just so bizarre, that it tipped right of the edge of weird into downright hilarious.

The whole thing reads like a Soap Opera, but I’ll tell you what; its one I don’t mind! Honest to God! Mary-Ann is just so delightfully naive that I just want to pull her to my bosom and hug her. Anna Madrigal is fabulous; just the sort of crazy grandmother (aunt?) that anybody would want. Beauchamp Day is a cock-bucket that I want to slap, but that makes him all the more fun to read about. Michael Tolliver (Mouse) is such a sweetheart that I desperately want him to find his true love as soon as he can. ^_^

Basically; I’m about to start reading ‘More Tales Of The City’ and I can’t wait! Mainly because Mary-Ann has done something utterly shocking and I want to see how it pans out, Dee-Dee Day is in a bit of a fix and I feel for her, and there is a secret about Anna Madrigal that I’m just on the verge of figure out, but I need a tiny bit more info first.

 

 

 

 

My 80 Post Challenge is brought to you with help from Tom Slatin’s 80 Journal Writing Prompts.

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eBook Review: Diggers

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Ileandra Young

Author: Douglas Daniel
Title: Diggers
Genre: Fantasy
ASIN: B004WOY34O
‘In the Tunnel Infantry, the only thing you can’t be afraid of is the dark.’

So this is another of those books that I never would have picked up if not for the Kindle. As it is, part of my free-splurge (which still hasn’t ended yet!) was to pick up this little novella (17k words I think) to help fill up the Fantasy category of my Kindle. I picked it up because was free and because I thought I had read it before.

I have not read this book before and I’m not surprised by that. But only because military books are not really my style. But this is the second of its kind I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed.

It brings home the grim realities of war and seems to use the tried and tested formula of grim, grizzled veterans alongside fresh, green, squeaky clean noobs who need to learn what war is all about before they are of any value to the mission. And of course they are in positions of authority.

The fact that this is a formula I recognise takes nothing away from how good the novella is. I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel’s writing style, his attention to detail and his unwillingness to shy away from just how nasty war can be. Friends die. Orders are made with narry a worry for those on the receiving end who may never see their homes again. That’s just how it is. The fact that there were fantasy elements involved only managed to make it a deal better.

For a quick, easy read, feel reassured that you can pick this one up; so long as you don’t want to be in a light, fluffy, kissing-baby-bunnies-on-the-nose kinda mood when you’re done. Because you won’t be. Huffing and puffing with relief your part in the war is over? Sure. 😉

Incidentally; I do also believe this book was self published, which does much to give me help for self-pubbed works out there. Keep it up Douglas!

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