Tag Archives: historical fantasy

Research Tips for Your Story Writing

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So we all know about doing research for a non-fiction book, or for any sort of accurate historical fiction tale, right? But what about other types of storytelling? Basically, anything besides memoir/autobiography or fiction-loosely-based-on-your-personal-experiences requires research. Yes, even the highly fictional genres like science fiction and fantasy. 

How writers often feel doing research

Why Research? 

Details matter when it comes to worldbuilding for a story. The more little details that are woven throughout a tale (spread throughout the story, not info-dumped all at once), the more real the world of the story will feel to your readers. 

Details like food, clothing, buildings, climate, entertainment—all of these things exist in our lives and we use and are affected by them everyday. In a believable story (yes, even sci-fi/fantasy), the same should be true of your characters. 

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New Jazz-Age Fantasy Adventure!

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The next installment in my Adventures of Mrs. Jones series is out–and it’s a full-length novel! Up till now, all the books I’ve published (Mrs. Jones tales and others) have been short stories or novellas.

Mrs. Jones and the Radium City is now available for Kindle on Amazon. A physical paperback version will be available soon, so stay tuned for more info about that. But in the meantime, you’d probably like to know what this book is all about! And so here we go:

Mrs. Jones and the Radium City

In 1920s Los Angeles, Cornelia Jones moves in the top circles of society, thanks to her privileged upbringing as well as her marriage to the brilliant scientist and inventor, John Jones. But when John, on the verge of completing his latest invention that has the potential to usher in a new technological age, is critically injured in a laboratory accident, it’s up to Cornelia to investigate what happened and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Good thing she knows magic. 

Aided by Adelaide, a young society debutante eager to learn the ways of both science and magic, Cornelia embarks on a journey to discover who’s responsible for these nefarious deeds. But the deeper she dives into John’s world, Cornelia realizes that evil is alive and well in this bright new age of progress. A secret organization moving in the shadows seems to have mysterious and sinister plans for her husband’s altruistic creation. 

The world is changing as the Twenties begin to roar, and if Cornelia and Adelaide fail to stop the villains, then both Cornelia’s world and the rest of the planet will change more horrifically than anyone could imagine.

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New Short Story! Roaring Twenties Fantasy Adventure!

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It’s been quite a while since I’ve published anything, though I’ve been getting more disciplined with my writing habits. I finished this short story months ago–even had it edited and revised and everything–but for some reason I just hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. Why are us writers and artists sometimes so reluctant to share our beautiful and finished projects with the world?

The answer to that is, I think, long and complicated and the subject for a different blog post. But anyway, I finally did click “upload” and “publish” on Amazon, so here we are: a brand new short story in my decopunk Roaring 20s historical fantasy series! I’m currently writing the first actual novel of this series, but this story should give readers a little more insight into my character and her world before the novel is ready. Click the link to buy and enjoy! Continue reading →

Decopunk Aesthetic: #ThursdayAesthetic Images

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses by

With the recent social media trend of sharing aesthetic posts or mood boards for books, I thought I’d join in.

Below are some images that I feel help to set the stage for my current 1920s historical fantasy series. Glamour, intrigue, and danger are a part of Cornelia Jones’ life. Magic and advanced technology flourish in her Roaring 20s world!

 

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Choosing a Historical Time Period for Your Dieselpunk Story

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One of the aspects of dieselpunk is the time period and associated aesthetics. The “punk” aspects of fantasy, the paranormal, high-tech gadgets, or alternate history blend with the “diesel” age—from about World War I to post-World War II/1950s era.

I chose the Roaring 20s for the setting of my dieselpunk series starring the enigmatic high-class adventurer Mrs. Jones. Why the Roaring 20s? Well, for the story I wanted to tell and the world I wanted to build, it seemed like the most ideal time period.

Post-war Decadence

My main character Cornelia Jones is a wealthy, upper class woman who very much enjoys the privileges of her class. Fine clothes, dinner parties, and a house full of servants is what she expects out of life. She’s not arrogant or snobbish, but she is accustomed to luxury. The 1920s saw a booming economy and a world of people ready to put the grimness of the Great War behind them. For a character who loves the glamorous life, the Roaring 20s was an obvious choice for a setting. Continue reading →