The Aldersgate Cycle

Alas, I am very, very busy. I was busy last week working on edits for Queen of None, but then I ended up in the middle of another, unexpected project, that is going to take up most of my time for the next few days. And my “most of my time” I really mean every waking moment that I’m not chasing around my two-year-old (which really isn’t as much time as it seems). A little cryptic, but a girl is allowed a little mystery, right?

So, that means no Alderpod for right now, unfortunately, and few posts here and at Writing Across Worlds. But I’m putting together something special for next week as soon as I get everything together and sorted out. So hopefully that will make up for the delay!

Truly, Victorian/Edwardian, but these date to 1917 (the watch) and the 1930s, respectively, though certainly evocative of the Victorian aesthetic. These were passed to me by my great aunt, and they belonged to my great-grandmother, Evelyn. When my great aunt brought out the watch, I think my heart stopped. My eyes filled with tears. I never knew there were such heirlooms in the family, to be honest. Or if there were, I didn’t think they’d be mine.

The watch was given to my great-grandmother on her graduation from high school which, at the time, was the only schooling she was allowed to have. As a woman, and a sister to a brother, the family would not pay or support her if she wanted to go to college. Such different times. But my great-grandmother was a poet, a writer, a guitar player, and by all accounts a remarkable person who always saw the good in people. I also have two of her yearbooks, and I will scan some pictures of her later; I look quite a bit like her! Though she was Swedish, she was dark-haired and dark-eyed.

The pin was given to my great-grandmother by my great-grandfather, while they lived in Italy (he was a painter). It’s a miniature mosaic, and I think it’s a Japanese beetle. The Victorian aesthetic loves the bug, and this particular fellow is just so brilliant. Such remarkable treasures! I feel quite lucky.

I explained to my great-aunt what sorts of things I write, and I think she understood what I was trying to say better than most. Funny how that works…

Alderpod #21: Chapter Nineteen – Princess, Priceless

Alderpod #21 is live! Huzzah. I had this all but uploaded right before I left for the West Coast, and then my son spilled (more) ice water on the MacBook, and we had to let it dry. Unfortunately by the time I left, I had not had a chance to finish it. As per usual, I also recorded #22, or Chapter 20, as well. I have to give it a good listen before I decide if it’s good enough to be released into the world, and it’s long. Long, long. But we’re not talking about 20, we’re talking about 19. Ahem.

This chapter, as I mention in the podcast notes, is about Ellin and Sylvan primarily, and their very odd relationship. Much of The Aldersgate is about the growing of relationships, or in this case re-kindling–The Ward of the Rose is really a little different than that, in that it’s where those relationships are truly tested. Although Ellin tries very hard in this chapter to go the way of a romance novel, as you’ll see, the outcome isn’t exactly as you’d expect in such as situation.

Again, sorry for the delay. Listen, enjoy; let me know what you think!

I have started a wiki! After months of deliberation on the subject, I decided to jump in and just go ahead and do it. It’s terribly addicting, I’ve found, and a little overwhelming. Having never put much of this stuff down, it’s been sloshing in my head, and I’m a little staggered at the sheer number of red links.

So, if you happen to be intrigued and would like a little more of a window into the world of The Aldersgate, you can visit Alderwiki. Most of the articles are currently in the barest of states, and some are even replete with spelling errors, etc. I am ashamed to admit my pitiful spelling capabilities, that I blame entirely on the advent of the spellchecker; in this instance, the built-in Firefox spellchecker doesn’t like the wikia forms, so…

Check back often, and hopefully it’ll start to look better soon (and be equally informative!).

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but since starting Alderpod, I really haven’t taken a look at iTunes. When I opened it up yesterday I realized how awful it looked, how silly the paragraph explaining the novel was, and how unprofessional it was! I could never find Alderpod in iTunes, and that’s because–for some reason–it’s not listed as Alderpod. Add to that the fact that half of the podcasts weren’t showing up well… I’m a bit red-faced.

I will defend myself by saying that I’ve been just too wrapped up in a) being a mom b) dealing with family issues c) writing my posterior off and d) trying to podcast in my spare time. I am not a podcast junkie myself–I just don’t have time to sit in silence and listen. It’s unfortunate, but true. I’ve learned a great deal by trial and error and this was a huge error. That anyone has followed along this far at all is astonishing to me.

So, first: apologies. Alderpod is a labor of love, not a means of making big bucks or getting “discovered”. It’s a public draft, and the feedback I recieve is absoultely instrumental in my novel polishing process (which is what I’m referring to it as these days). That I’ve been a little sloppy in the actual implementation is not a surprise.

Secondly, if you have tried in the past to subscribe to Alderpod, and found a) messiness and b) missing podcasts, I would ask you to revisit the feed. You’ll find the missing chapters, and an updated explanation of the book. It’s part western, part fantasy, part adventure, part steampunk.

And lastly, as a friend of mine recently inquired: no, this is not a kissing book. The first chapters sound a little like a romance, but, if you wait it out you’ll see that I have a rather skewed perspective on romance. If you get through the first three chapters you’ll soon learn that nobody gets what or who they want, and most everything is more complicated than at first glance. And, in fact, though the first draft of this book had quite a few um, extended scenes in the bedroom, the podcasted draft version (technically the third draft) does not. It’s odd. I certainly hadn’t intended to cut the scenes out, they just didn’t fit the feeling of the book the second time through, and didn’t make the final cut.

A sincere thanks to those of you who have stuck by. I can’t offer much in the way of thanks except that I can let you know I’m working on a wiki for the world (to answer questions I’ve recieved about other cultures/history, etc) that even includes a fancy map! Ah, yes. No fantasy is complete without a map.

“Nothing’s impossible, Brick. It’s only our thinking that makes it so.” – Sir Gawen of Fenlie (by way of Shakespeare, perhaps)