Writing magical realism can be risky; it’s easy to fall into clichés. But it should never be dismissed as some kitschy literary device. Its history and traditions are firmly rooted in the literatur…
Stories about finding answers and pursuing justice, focusing on BIPOC characters
In RUMORS AT COURT, scheduled for release in May, 2017, I did something I had never done before: I had a heroine who had been previously married. While in a romance novel, this created an additional character challenge, (one has to then explain her previous husband and their relationship) it did something more important. It allowed Valerie of Florham to hope for a life other than that of a wife. Widows had the potential for a kind of freedom available to no other medieval woman - on her own, without a husband constraining her every move. (See http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2016/05/my-characters-lived-in-14th-century.html for my post on this subject.) Of course, that was not to be. My main characters are fictional, but the story includes a number of real historical figures. The book, the third Royal Wedding Story, is set in England, late in the Fourteenth Century. The English king’s son has assumed the title of King of Castile, by virtue of his marriage to the previous king’s daughter. Soon, he plans to seize Castile from the current ruler and establish his own court there. My hero, Sir Gil Wolford, plans to go with him. But before they sail, Castile’s “king” insists Gil marry the widow. A medieval garden, similar to that of my heroine. Gil is no more eager to wed than Valerie, but for very different reasons. He has spent his life trying to prove himself worthy, despite his scandalous family background. Before he marries and sires a son, he wants to sit at the right hand of the King of Castile, in the palace of Alhambra, as far away from his past as possible. Valerie longs only to be left in peace in the garden she has created on land that her family has held in England for generations. At this time, England’s earlier success against France in the Hundred Years War has slipped away and the once extensive English holdings on the continent are in danger. There is unease in the country and rumors abound about the royal family, the intentions of the enemy, and about Valerie and Gil. Neither is certain who can be trusted, including one another. Here’s an excerpt from Chapter One, when the two first meet. Gil, whose company included Lady Valerie’s late husband, has a final commander’s duty to perform. One he wants completed quickly. *** When Lady Valerie turned to meet his eyes, for a moment he could not speak. Now he could see her plain. Fair skin. Dark eyes that changed expression when she knew him for who he was. Was it his family history or his reputation in battle that erased both smile and sadness? No matter. Now, he faced a strong, impenetrable shield, through which he could glimpse no emotion at all. Until then, he would have judged her a woman who needed protection. Now, he thought she would have been an asset on the battlefield. “Some have called me that,” he answered, finally. A silence. Awkward. “What do you want of me?” she said, finally. The time had come. “Your husband served in my company.” She glanced down at the floor. “I know.” Had her sadness returned? Would there be tears? He hurried to speak. “Then you know that the siege was broken by that attack. That his death was not in vain.” “That is a comfort, surely.” Her tone suggested otherwise. “He was a worthy fighter. His death was a blow.” Now her gaze met his again. Her shield had not slipped. “More so to me.” Ah, then she blamed him for the man’s death. She had the right. “Men die in war, no matter what we do.” War was not what those at home imagined. It was not…glorious. He pulled the stained, crumpled silk from his tunic. “Your husband was carrying this when he died. I thought to return it to you so you would know he treasured the thought of his wife.” He waved it in her direction. A poor, limp thing, even more wrinkled and dirty now than it had been when he took it from the man’s body. She did not reach for it. Instead, she recoiled, as if it were a live thing with teeth. He shook his outstretched hand, wishing to free himself of it. “Do you not want it back?” “Back?” The word, barely a whisper. Then, she lifted that hard, impenetrable gaze and met his eyes again. “It was never mine.” *** After many years in public relations, advertising and marketing, Blythe Gifford started writing seriously after a corporate layoff. Ten years and one layoff later, she became an overnight success when she sold her first book to the Harlequin Historical line. Since then, she has published eleven romances set in England and on the Scottish Borders. RUMORS AT COURT, a Royal Wedding story, is a May, 2017 release from the Harlequin Historical line. For more information, visit www.blythegifford.com Author photo Jennifer Girard. Excerpt © 2017 by Blythe Gifford. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ®and T are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and/or its affiliated companies, used under license. Copyright 2017
I Was An Apple And I Got A Peeled But It Was A Good Thing is a photographic art book by Finnish artist Hertta Kiiski, whose photos revolve around the themes of time and its experience. Photographed during seven years, the protagonists of the book are the artist’s daughters, the surroundings of private life intertwine with art history and different genres of photography. Through everyday observations and the ontology of materials, the book explores one’s relationship to the camera and creates a non-verbal, slowly unravelling internal logic where everything seems to make sense in the end. Hertta Kiiski holds a B.A. in photography from Turku Arts Academy and an M.A. in time-based arts from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. The Turku-based artist works with photography, moving image, objects and space. Published by the German art publishing house Kehrer Verlag, I Was An Apple And I Got A Peeled But It Was A Good Thing is Kiiski’s second book.
The years might rush by and we might look different, but deep down inside, we’re still the same people we always were. In our opinion, one of the most interesting trends to sweep the internet is people recreating old family photos. While some people are reenacting the same scenes with the same poses alongside their family members (sometimes even wearing nearly identical clothes), others are snapping photos where they look so much like their loved ones, the similarity is uncanny.
Mythology has always tried to answer a society’s existential questions. By explaining our reality and trying to answer what will happen to us after we die,
I think many college readers have experienced a moment where you stare at a bookshelf and realize all of the protagonists are younger than you and many of the
Since I was a child I’ve experienced eidetic memory, that is the ability to recall images in memory with extreme accuracy, and this is so much true when it comes to fashion photography. I sti…
Madeline Potter. James Potters sister, very similar yet very different from each other. They were always very close growing up, and that didn't change much when they went to Hogwarts. Madeline never really wanted to get into a relationship, she got around instead, that is until she fell for Regulus Black. Started October 2020 Currently: finding motivation to finish this Highest rankings: #2 in regulusblack #1 in RAB #1 in Andrew #1 in Marauders fanfiction #6 in Ben Barnes #1 in marlenemckinnon #4 in lilyevans #2 in remuslupin #1 in Slytherin
Vauxhall Gardens appear in numerous novels written in the Georgian period, such as Evelina and Cecilia by Fanny Burney and The Expedition of Humprhy Clinker by Tobias Smollett – the source of the following excerpt: Image to yourself, my dear Letty, a spacious garden, part laid out in deligh
Want to write a memoir? Every writing coach will tell you to find an authentic voice, words that carry your soul. The truth demands it. Readers, too. So don’t start here: lunch out, Manhattan, whit…
The Ferrari Store in Maranello is of crucial importance to the Ferrari branded retail sector, as it will be the first branch to be reworked in accordance with the new store restyling concept. The clear protagonists of the new design are the Ferrari product and the brand's history, which is told...
About The Artwork Mixed media on WOOD PANEL I am very interested in memory. Our memories are our identity, but it is not an organized archive. Many memories disappear, we forget them little by little, some others are our unconscious inventions. Even society influences on our memories and we censor them consciously or unconsciously. The memory is individual and collective. My paintings are a reflection on memory, identity and oblivion. I hope my artworks awake the memories of the viewer. So that, I paint everyday situations. I choose important life moments such as childhood or Christmas holidays. Children are the protagonists of my paintings doing things such as run, play or interact with each other, meanwhile in other times, they seem to be lost in their own thoughts as if they were adults. I am looking for the empathy of the viewer and therefore my paintings are realistic. But realism is not something photographic. The mixed technique allows me to explore new types of representation. Oil, charcoal, collage and more. When the papers of the collage have images, their content may be not symbolic. The three-dimensional realism coexists with abstract representation. For example, human figures seem to be about to appear or disappear. My paintings try to show the difficulty of remembering and the inevitable oblivion. Original Created:2017 Subjects:Children Materials:Wood Styles:Realism Mediums:CharcoalPaperOilAcrylic Details & Dimensions Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper Size:10 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in Size with Frame:15.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in Frame:White Ready to Hang:Yes Packaging:Ships in a Box Shipping & Returns Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments. Handling:Ships in a box. Art prints are packaged and shipped by our printing partner. Ships From:Printing facility in California. Have additional questions? Please visit our help section or contact us.
I started this just as a middle grade list, but didn’t want to ignore the littles who are just starting out in the chapter books world, so I featured books for kids from about 1st/2nd grade to 8th grade. Of course, you don’t have to be in elementary or middle school to enjoy these books! I also included some books featuring biracial characters and characters from the Caribbean – specifically trying to promote as many different types of books as possible. If I’ve offended anyone, this is not my intent! Some of these books deal with being different, because of the character’s skin color, while others are realistic fiction about everyday life and still others are historical fiction or fantasy. Also, if you have other books that I missed (because 30 just isn’t enough) please let me know! I’ve created a new post with 30 More Chapter & Middle Grade Books Featuring Black Protagonists, written by Black authors. You don’t want to miss it! This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. 30 Chapter Books Featuring Black Protagonists I’ve updated this list with 30 More Chapter & Middle Grade Books Featuring Black Protagonists, written by Black authors. You don’t want to miss it!
In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of diverse books that reflect the daily lives of children and feature kids just being kids!
