Taryn Blackthorne

Guest writer, Julia Phillips Smith!!!

2012-02-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

Hi folks!
Here's a real treat, once a week I'm going to try to get guest writers in to talk to you all. Nothing super formal but hopefully lots of fun! And my very first guest here it my RWAC friend, Julia Phillips Smith! Her book, Saint Sanguinus is a top notch read!

A little bit about Julia, from Julia:

Like many people in the arts, my jobs have run the gamut – from box office for cinema and The National Ballet of Canada, to front-of-house staff for a big city performing arts centre. I’ve worked retail in an eight-story landmark flagship store, and in a small town dollar store. I’ve had the life-affirming adventure of being a live-in nanny, and the irreplaceable time spent providing elder care to my late Gram. I migrated into the 9-to-5 world of offices, morphing into records management for my Clark Kent job. All the while, I’ve been telling stories. I live with my husband, our dog and my mom on Canada’s east coast, where the rugged sea and misty forests feed my thirst for gothic tales.

Without further ado...the interview!

1. Who was your first author crush and why?

My first author crush—nowthat’s a tough one. I’d have to say Mary Stewart for her Merlin series. THECRYSTAL CAVE was a life-changing book for me, one that led directly to my owndebut Dark Ages vampire novel. What’s a few decades in between?

Her detailed authornotes that told of her research into a time period still not as understood in1970 as it has been with recent thermal imaging held me riveted, as much as thestory itself. Her passion for authenticity in turn led me to my own lifelonglove affair with that time period. The 2009 news story of the StaffordshireHoard—a thrilling archeological discovery of Anglo-Saxon jewelry and weaponsfittings—nearly sent me into paroxysms of joy.

2. What was your first clue you were awriter? Was it a long journey or a short one? Have you always known?

I was drawn to roleplay when I was kid, over things like skipping rope or playingred-light-green-light, or Monopoly or Lego. I did all those things, of course,but I was much happier when we were playing Little House on the Prairie (“Okay,you be Laura, you be Nellie and I’ll be Mary, and let’s pretend we’re walkinghome from school and Laura hurts herself and we have to go to Mrs. Olsen’s, butshe won’t let us in cause we’re all dirty.”)

In retrospect I wasalways in the midst of a story. I also seriously went about writing my ownLittle House-esque novel, complete with Garth Williams-inspired illustrations.And I wrote poetry from a young age—for fun. Which I still do, today.

I suppose I realizedthat other people saw me as a writer when my grade nine English teacher askedme to write original short stories showcasing aspects like setting, plot,character, etc. instead of handing in the essays that the rest of the classwere passing in.

3. What are some of your writer-esquequirks (do you have to be in your pjs? always facing the door? Do people lookat you after something funny happens and say ‘that’s going in a book, isn’tit?’)?

My typical writer quirkis habitually staring off into la-la land the moment I’m not specificallyengaged in conversation or intently focused on a task. I think this is a basicwriter thing, and for me it’s rather pronounced.

I also prefer to writewith my headphones on, listening to music. And when I say ‘prefer’ I mean I usethe putting-on of the headphones as a ritualized signal that it’s time to startwriting fiction.

4. Finish this joke: A clown, a priest anda writer all get onto an elevator…

Oh, man. I’m not acomedy writer. I write tragic historical horror/fantasy.

A clown, a priest and awriter all get onto an elevator. The clown asks for floor 13. The priest looksat the number panel, intending to press the button, only to realize there’sonly floor 12 and floor 14.

He looks back towardthe clown to explain, only to see that he’s alone with the writer. “Where didhe go?” the priest asks.

But the writercontinues to stare at the elevator doors, as though unaware of the priest’sexistence. When the doors open and the writer exits, the priest tries to followhim, but an unseen hand pulls him back inside the elevator.

The doors close. Theelevator begins to go down. Down. The numbers in the overhead display can’tkeep up. The priest tries to pray, but the gloved hand of the clown pressesfirmly over his mouth.

5. Speed round: Without giving it too muchthought, pick which one you favour over the other:

Chocolate or flowers - chocolate

Talk or Text - text

Mountains or Beach- beach

Cowboy or Marine - Marine

Wine or Beer - wine

Cats or Dogs –

dogs (just watched the Westminster Dog Show)

Ebooks or Paperbacks –
paperbacks (Iknow—don’t laugh)

Pantser or Plotter - pantser

Batman or Superman - Batman

Ability to fly or Powerto be invisible - invisibility

Prius or Hemmie - Jaguar (Hey Julia, that's not
on the list! ))

Follow the rules or Break therules –

I’m more of a follow the rules person— until it gets to things likeindie publishing or indie film

TV or Movies - movies

NY or LA – NY!

Vampires or Angels - vampires

Fall or Spring – fall (my favourite season)

Neat or Messy –

neat at work, kick things outof the way at home

Werewolf or Genie - genie

Tell jokes or Pullpranks – tell jokes

Home cooked meals or Go out to arestaurant –

pass me the menu, please

Thanks Julia, I hope you had as much fun as I did! If you'd like to learn more about Julia or her books, visit her site HERE.

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-02-12T16:17:00.003-04:00

A little late, I know.
Here are the rules:
Choose six sentences from a wip, finished project or published release of yours.
Post them. That's it. Want to see more? Go here.
That simple.

Here's my entry

Thecrow was back. It was outside my window, cawing loud enough to wake the dead.Franco noticed it too.

“Morgan? Isn’t thatyour place?” he peered over his steering wheel.

Acking and Hacking...

2012-02-09T15:43:00.000-04:00

Acking comes from the whole 'Ack I'm not finished the Damn Book yet'. I'm close, but something is missing. I have a general idea of what is going to happen but someone is dragging their feet getting there. Not sure if its the mc who doesn't want to face what's happened to her family, Tyr who doesn't want to fess up to what he's done or me because if I finish the book then it will be over. I know this is the first book in at least four, so I won't technically be away from these characters for long, but it's like going to visit friends sometimes. You really don't want to go, you're having such a good time with them (or in this case, awful things are happening and you don't want to leave them just yet). It's not like I won't have to go back and edit this one before I let it see the light of another person's hard drive, except my CP (God bless and keep you!). I'm being a ninny, I know I'm being a ninny and still... I'm a ninny.

The Hacking comes from being sick. A good patient, I do not make. I'm not the one who wants to cuddle and get kisses and be coddled. Don't give me chocolates or stuff animals, magazines or books I haven't chosen myself. Leave me alone, preferably WAAAY alone. I do not want to be touched. I'm gross and phlemy and if you want to touch me like this you're insane and I have no bones about telling you...and while I'm picking these bones, there's a list I've been meaning to 'discuss' with you. I have to do a lot of apologizing when I get better. Most people I love know to leave me alone, when I'm sick. They pop in to make sure I'm eating (something I don't do much of when sick, which makes me more sick, I know), might cook me soup (I love soup) but they don't interact much with me. And I'm grateful. I had to put on my 'Happy Face' for the kiddos that came to visit today. Which makes me grumpy, because I'm hacking and coughing and sputtering and going through tissues a box at a time. The kids think I'm a freaking moron, my cousin gives me a pitying look, and my mother tries to keep me away from everyone so I won't have too much apologizing. And my cat tries to permanently attach herself to my lap...even while standing. She loves the computer, the table I'm sitting at, she'll even give the kidlets love (not much mind, she's a little skittish around the minis), all in an effort to make me feel better. I love her, I really do, but come on. Cuddle on the bed, while I'm sleeping.

Now excuse me while I continue acking and hacking my way to THE END. My book will not die at this point.

New things...

2012-02-06T18:09:00.000-04:00

Trying new things, today. Trying to get my blog here linked in with my blog here. Anyone with technical expertise willing to help the technophobe?

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-02-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

1. Choose 6 sentences from one of your works...published, unpublished, in progress, it doesn't matter. Post them in your blog before 9am est Sunday (as I said, I'm early, but I'm going away tomorrow and haven't figured out how to program my posts yet).

2. Link back to the Six Sentence website . Done. It's that easy, folks.

So here's my entry, again from rough draft of Raven's Blood

“Upright is good,” I nodded. He chuckled again, beeped open the door and helped me settle in, buckling my seatbelt securely. I shivered as his knuckles grazed the skin exposed by the v in my t-shirt. He froze.
“You okay?” his voice was low and I was painfully aware how close we were. I squirmed.

Hello Castle fanmania

2011-09-16T01:48:00.000-03:00

Okay, I admit it. I read the series tie-in book Heat Wave for the Castle television series. And you know what? It wasn't that bad. Actually, I found myself zipping through it, trying to catch the killer. The same way I do with the episodes. I got the in jokes. I could picture Nathan Fillion there wisecracking. I enjoyed it. It took me away from the problems of the day. It wasn't Shakespeare, but I don't need it to be. I just wanted to spend some time away from my problems and get lost someplace where the good guys always win in the end, people are genuinely good and friends are plentiful. See you next week, Castle. Until then, I have Naked Heat to read up on. See ya!