Welcome to Festival Season!

This week has been hectic. In the pandemonium of the lockdown - and therefore being unable to work - I'd just about forgotten how demanding times were. When, in August (hopefully), I get back to work, it will be interesting to see how a timetable works again!

While I sit here typing there's not a single cloud in the sky! The heavens are blue, the canopy green, and the landscape amass with all colours. Inspiration is really in the air. It's perhaps little surprise, then, that I've returned to my wonderful set of friend, The Clan of Caledon, as they run through the Scottish landscape. With the lockdown (even as it's easing) despite being outlaws, they are more free than I am. An interesting thought. Currently, they are in their fourth adventure.

This week has been dominated by these characters, beginning on Monday when I joined chair Ann Landmann and fellow author Olga Wojtas in pre-recording our event for the #Cymera2020 festival. You can find out about the event by clicking on this link:

https://www.cymerafestival.co.uk/2020-events/2020/6/6/virginia-crow-amp-olga-wojtas

I had such a great time recording the event, I really hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed taking part in it!

I was immensely disappointed when the festival was cancelled due to Covid-19, but the fabulous Cymera committee moved the whole event to a digital platform. Now, as well as being delighted to appear as part of the festival, I'm really excited about being able to watch all the events!

If Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror are your chosen genre(s), you are in for an absolute treat with the events Cymera have lined up! You can find them all here:

https://www.cymerafestival.co.uk/2020-events

On Wednesday, I shelved my Caledon friends in favour of the wonderful Doctor Henry Fotherby, in my appearance as part of the second Our Own Write. There are very few characters I have written in whom I can see every aspect of myself. Fotherby is the one who knows me best, and who I can fully understand. Even when I have let him run wild with his own story, I know where he'll go, because it's where I would have gone, too!

I gave a short reading from Beneath Black Clouds and White followed by a sharing of fanart(!) and answering a few questions.

You can watch this by following this link:

https://twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory/status/1266299996468477952?

Authors! Our Own Write is running on the final Wednesday of every month. This is a brilliant event to get involved with. Your audience is global and full of like-minded people. Check out their website and join in the bookish fun:

https://ourownwrite.squarespace.com/

In addition to this, my New Year's resolution is still going strong. This week it was a submission to Wigtown Poetry Prize.

The books mentioned in today's blog can be found here:

Caledon: amazon.co.uk/dp/B083JNL9NK

"Go out and tell all those you meet, Caledon has risen. Caledon will be protected and defended. And to you who would cause her harm, be prepared. A new fight has come."

After the destruction of the Jacobite forces at Culloden, Scotland is divided, vulnerable and leaderless, with survivors from both sides seeking to make sense of the battles they have fought against their fellow Scots. 

James Og flees Drumossie, seeking the protection of his uncle's house in Sutherland. It is here that James learns that the Northern Highlands hold a secret power only he can wield: Caledon. When Ensign John Mackay begins hunting Og's family, James realises he must harness this power to defeat the enemies of Scotland. 

But, as the ageless Caledon awakes, so too does an ancient evil. When it allies with Mackay, the small Clan of Caledon faces enemies at every turn, discovering that even those closest to them may seek to destroy them.

Beneath Black Clouds and White: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QFYFB6V/

Accompanied by his wife to Flanders, Josiah Tenterchilt meets a man who could not be more different from him: an apprentice surgeon named Henry Fotherby. As these two men pursue their own actions, fate and the careful connivance of a mysterious individual will push them together for the rest of their lives.

​

But it is a tumultuous time, and the French revolutionaries are not the only ones who pose a threat. The two gentlemen must find their place in a world where the constraints of social class are inescapable, and ‘slavery or abolition’ are the words on everyone’s lips.

​

Beneath Black Clouds and White is the prequel to Day's Dying Glory.

Keep safe and keep smiling!

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

Fly by the Hours with Words and Flowers

This week's been a very busy week!

Dusting myself down from the disappointment of countless rejections last week could only be done in one way...

Do more writing!

So, in the last seven days, I've:

• completed a piece of writing which was meant to be a 5,000 word short story, but bloomed into a 35,000 word novella
• written a 500 word piece of prose for the Wild Inside competition run by the John Muir Trust which, in turn, led to...
• revisited something I wrote for Consequences and always had an idea of returning to. I'm about 7,000 words in so far

So, I've not been idle!

In addition to writing, I've also been snapping shots!

 

Remember! Tune in to Our Own Write on Twitter this week. I'm talking Historical Fiction at 3pm BST!

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

A Directory of Inspiration!

Last week (27th April - 3rd May), I was the Crowvus Author of the week. For the first five days I wrote a blog on various ways in which I become inspired. These were:

• Places
• Objects
• People
• Music
• Characters

[you can read these by clicking the links!]

On the last two days I considered looking forward and looking back.

The lockdown has given us plenty of opportunity to do this!

I had the idea of writing a series of short stories with the same group of characters, and that's what I've been on with for most of this week. I haven't finished any, but that's just the problem of writing outside - too many distractions - but so much inspiration!

Currently, I have characters I write short stories about for the following genres:

1. High Fantasy
2. Historical Fantasy
3. Mystery
4. Historical Fiction

Probably no surprises there!

My New Year's Resolution is continuing, having made submissions to KSAA's #Chatterton250 and The First Line. Time will tell how those get on. If nothing else, I'm building up a collection of poems and stories of which I am proud.

In other news (that is: wearing my publisher hat!) the 4th Crowvus Ghost Story Competition is now open for entries. Head over and have a peek! The other judges and I are putting together a free eBook of our own ghostly experiences - this is coming out in mid- to late May.

Remember! You can read my books here, here and here(this one's free until 20th May).

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

Writing Tips in Tumultuous Times

Trying to settle into writing has been slightly - ok, not so slightly! - awkward this week. But only from the point of view of new writing. I've had a super busy week in the realm of author and part-time artist! Here's some of what's kept me busy...

I took part in the Writing Community Chat Show's #WritingCommunityBedtimeStory challenge. So now you can, if so inclined, listen to me reading Chapter One of Caledon. Authors, if you haven't already done this, please give it a go. It's great for readers to hear a story in its conceptual voice.

I've also signed up for Our Own Write, a virtual book fair which takes place on 22nd and 23rd April. I'm on at 8pm BST, followed by Judith and then Clemency.

And, since I've mentioned Clemency, she's offering everyone - readers, bloggers, reviewers - a chance to join in with her next book. You can find more about it here! So I did her a little picture (above) to celebrate.

Finally, I'm still on with my New Year resolution. If everything goes according to plan, these are the four competitions/submissions which I'll enter in April. Why don't you have a look and see if there's one you'd like to enter?
The Trench Coat Chronicles
Didcot Writers
Parsec
87 Bedford Anthology

Remember - writing is not just about new writing. Take time to re-read and edit your earlier writings.


Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

Hello Indie April

A quick look through my writer's diary reveals that this week's biggest advancement has been March into April. Writing-wise, this has also presented a big change in direction.

The Clan of Caledon - in avatar form!

Two reasons.

1. One - welcome to #IndieApril, the month of the year where we, as independent authors and independent publishers, become the stars. This doesn't necessarily mean we become famous, in fact this week's biggest achievement has been helping other indie authors along the way. Writing is really NOT a competitive business. If we support one-another, we're all winners!
2. Two - Camp NaNoWriMo! Day three, and already I'm really failing on this! But I'm going to try and persevere through this crazy time. In Possession of Words, my horror novel, is currently weighing in at 13,887 words, the majority of which are still little more than notes. I have to come clean and admit that only 1,760 of those were written during Camp NaNoWriMo. If any of you are part of this, please hunt me out and add me as a Buddy - I'm here: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/stomper-mcewan

But April's arrival also means that I'm a quarter of the way through the year, and my literary New Year's Resolution is still in tact! Nothing's come of it so far, but I'm hopeful! How are your 2020 writing goals shaping up?

Finally, week three of my review tour occurred yesterday with a couple of reviews. Interestingly, this week's reviews were both impressed with the history and landscape in the book. It's always great to have feedback like:

I found this book immersive. The world felt real and like I could walk right into it.

and my favourite of this week:

One of the best features of this book is the significant amount of accurate, intriguing Scottish Highlands time-period detail that the author weaved into this book.  It is [...] well-versed in the culture and customs that she was able to provide such cohesive knowledge and references in her writing.

There's only one more review left on my tour, but if your appetite has been whetted, you can find Caledon FREE here. Whatever you thought, please leave a review and I'll be eternally grateful!

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

Summery Sunshine through the Window!

Spring has well and truly sprung!

This week, an entire year has passed me by. I've been revisiting a manuscript I completed last year, entitled The Year We Lived, which - you've guessed it! - spans a whole year. It's set in 1174, and follows a conflict between a Saxon family and a Norman family. It's got a massive twist at the end (more like a contortion) which I'm quite proud of!

It has also been Week Two of my Caledon review tour. Two more great reviews!

The first, from The Avid Reader, gave the book four stars and had this to say of it:

Caledon is filled with fighting, betrayals, magic, truths, lies, suspense, action, heart ache and twists and turns that keep the pages turning.

The second came from Hurn Publications, who gave the book five stars (wahey!), and concluded by saying:

Get ready for quite the journey. You’re going to love this read!

[Star ratings are not from blog sites, but can be found on the Caledon Good Reads page]

I'm off now to enjoy the sunshine - thank goodness for gardens in these crazy times!

Keep smiling and stay safe.

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

Hello Again - 2020 Writing Challenges

Someone pointed out to me that a blog was a good way of sharing ideas and thoughts on writing. Since there are very few activities I love as much as writing, I decided to give it a go, and share some of my 2020 antics with you, one writer to another, this author to her readers.

2020 is a new decade and so I've set myself a new writing challenge or two. My New Year resolution was to enter one writing competition/award each week and, so far, I've managed to stick to it. I'm 12 entries in, and scribbling eagerly at number 13!

Although that resolution has constantly pressing deadlines, by far the harder goal I've set myself is to write a book in each major genre.  Until now, all my books have had an historical backdrop, but this year will see the release of my first contemporary novel, a thriller with the working title Among These Dark Satanic Mills. This has been a while in the making but, when my publishing team suggested it was good enough to put "out there", I decided I wanted to know if I could write in other genres.

At the moment I'm writing a horror novel, trying to balance the right amount of cliche with a fresh plot and my own style of telling the story. I'm not sure horror is the genre I'm best cut out for, but we'll see how the end product looks!

In a way, I have NaNoWriMo to thank for this new challenge. Stories I have stored up in my head for months and years formed the basis for my first November writing month last year. Going back to these plot lines, scrawled in the tiny notebook I keep by my pillow, has given me a new drive to get them written. So far, it's still at the enjoyable stage!

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

With Love - The Enduring Legacy of Book Inscriptions

This week on Twitter (@stompermcewan) I've been sharing some inscriptions from books in our library. It was suggested to me that I list some of these treasured memories here in blog format, so that it would reach a wider audience, so that's what I'm doing!

An inscription immortalises the recipient and the giver. But more than that, it preserves forever the heartfelt love and appreciation embodied in the giving of a book. That's why I finished the week with the following tweet:

Enjoy these bite-size histories which have created heroes of normal people as they shared there love of reading and books with someone else. We have bibles, adventures, poem, biographies and so many more. You can find all of these - and more - on my Twitter page.

So many of the books in our little library were gifts from Sunday Schools
- this one given to Dad when he was 7.

Children's books were a thing to treasure and, according to Granddad, also doubled up as sketchbooks!

From a gentleman with a story or two to tell - a trained exorcist.

19th century collection of Burns' poetry gifted 1905.
This is a book we acquired so I don't know who Esther was.

A Bible given to my Great-Granddad on going to war
- pleased to say he did have a safe return. 

Given to Mum from her Godparents.

A dedication from Jeffrey Meyers to Susan Watson in his Robert Frost Biography.
Not sure who she was.

Another Biography, this time of Richard Dimbleby

One of several books given to Granddad from his Sunday School.

No idea who Nellie was, but the handwriting in this is incredible.

From a stamp album - the date is 1894.
Why was the word "Day" underlined and capitalised?

I don't know Evelyn but like to imagine this is from a
secret admirer which is why there are only initials.

An unsteady hand with a lot of love.
This one is from a copy of Tom Brown's School Days.

I've been surprised by how many people abbreviated Christmas to Xmas.

Amazing handwriting with a message which speaks for itself.
Featured in here: http://childoftheisle.blogspot.co.uk/

A tale of knights and chivalry - a perfect gift for a 21st birthday!
"The Dove in the Eagle's Nest"

From a time when a book was a treasured prize. How do I know?
Because it's survived since 1887!

This is from a biography of King George the Sixth.
A time-capsule.

I don't know who Charlotte Harrison or Miss Mary Smith were,
but I love the handwriting in this Book of Psalms.

This was given to Dad when we relocated to Orkney.

Intrigued as to whether Claude R Barber was related to Joan Margaret Pearson.
Maybe the book stayed in the house.

A fragile connection to my Grandfather (Maurice) who I never knew
and, in turn, my great-grandparents.

Beyond Frank I can't identify the names in this prayer book.
Interesting that the recipient's name comes second.

A shared Adventure story! Never seen the name Arnalyn before and
I can't track them down despite the unusual name.

A copy of The Ingoldsby Legends sent to Angelo on his 28th Birthday from his mother.
Beautiful!

We thought this Bible had no connection to us until we began
researching our family tree that we found a link.

Thoughtful gift of "Little Cat Lost" A book may have a thousand words,
but an inscription speaks a million more.

Two poetry books inscribed by the poet.
Not sure the significance of the pictures but they'll remain in the book.

We got this with a bundle of 19th Century Royal Navy items.
Many items were parted with, but we kept this book.

I can't expand on this inscription but love its sentiment entirely.

This is from a pocket bible given to my Great-Grandma from
my Granddad (George). He was 14 in 1941.

Two and a half years makes such a difference to this handwriting!
I don't know Elaine, but think I taught her father piano.

Sharing a corner of our world with someone who's shared their own,
creates a global community. Nothing teaches us more.

And finally, one of my favourite inscriptions.
Alex was 1 at the time, Mum wrote the inscription.

If you've got any inscriptions in your libraries, please share them. They are such beautiful sentiments and they're also treasure troves for genealogists.

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