Bonfires, Castles, and Time Travel

 In the chasms of our minds lurk dark thoughts... Why do so many writers choose to write about dark surreal subjects, things that they wouldn't wish upon themselves or others. Why do readers have such an appetite to read about such dark subjects? In a way we are weaned on such darkness, so many children's stories have such a dark side to them and maybe children's innocence is lost through being read them.   I read stories a lot to my two and half year old son,   today a story about Mr Nosy and the beanstalk...the story seems innocent enough, then suddenly there is a giant, who says “I will grind your bones to bake my bread”. The meaning and implication of this sentence is hopefully lost on my son...I imagine. I started reading Pinocchio , not a fluffy Disneyesque version, but an original story, I couldn't believe how dark it was, I had to skip large sections. Maybe you can't   keep a child away from the full horrors of this world, but then you worry y

Hi everyone, So throughout my summer so far working at the Depreciation Lands Museum, I have had many hands on experiences that I feel continues to help the historical content of my writing. Plus it's just an interesting and all around rewarding experience to be able to experience and live (even if just for a few hours out of the day) the way people centuries ago did. Skills I have picked up along the way so far: Drop Spindling - the drop spindle is a sort of portable spinning wheel that allows a user to spin fleece (or roving) into yarn or thread for things like sewing, knitting, and crocheting (the latter wasn't widely done until the 1800s or Victorian era). It is a straight stick (usually made of wood) and allows the person spinning to twist the fibers (usually wool, flax, or cotton) into the yarn needed. It is agreed that the process of spinning fibers to form thread has been around for over 10,000 years. And initially, it was done WITHOUT tools. Yes, according to t

No two vampires are the same. What I mean by that is, it seems like vampires in each book, movie or TV show have their own appearances, powers, and blood drinking requirements. Sometimes these characteristics are based on folklore (the Eastern European of the vampire has had a big influence on how we see vampires these days) or at times, the author creates their own version (I never heard of vampires sparkling before “Twilight”). So I say it is safe to say writers of vampire stories got their ideas from various sources – as did I. In this post, I will discuss where the characteristics of my vampires in my book, “The Dark Proposal”, came from. Firstly, let me lay out what those characteristics are: very pale skin that turns into a healthier tone after feeding, the ability to read minds and erase thoughts, move at a very quick speed (think True Blood), turn into mist, no need to sleep in coffins, being able to walk around in daylight or even overcasts after many c