https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates daily 1.0 2022-08-15 https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/20210604 monthly 0.5 2021-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1621893403617-VIZ8X3P8AMED8C8N0W8R/Castle+Images+1.jpg Updates - Greetings - Write your story No one else can write it. What have you got to lose? https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/sample-update-2 monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1621893651069-E7EEZRMRXELTKZNCZC44/Castle+Images+2.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Best Writing Advice I Ever Read - If it works for you, use it. If it doesn’t, keep looking. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/the-muse-takes-a-vacation monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1621893839019-SCBRZ2M1JKDN621DWZI5/Castle+Images+3.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: When the Muse Takes a Break - Muses are great. Until they go, and do not leave a forwarding address. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/the-avalon-project monthly 0.5 2022-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1621893839019-SCBRZ2M1JKDN621DWZI5/Castle+Images+3.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Avalon Project - Stories end where your imagination ends. If you want more story, write it. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/avadaine monthly 0.5 2021-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1625604614120-XJUWW2AA0FJ8DH1C8XEF/Avadaine+Mockup.jpeg Updates - The Avalon Project: Avadaine - Avadaine of Avalon “I cannot give away a piece of my heart so easily. If it makes me selfish, so be it.” https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/backstory-matters monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1624991155505-R7YWMFAFM4VF4G312Z35/Lake.jpg Updates - How I Write: Backstory Matters. - You have to know where you’ve been. Then, you can be assured of where you’re going. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/the-muse-takes-a-vacation-pb57z monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1621893839019-SCBRZ2M1JKDN621DWZI5/Castle+Images+3.jpg Updates - How I Write: Time to Call In The Professionals - We are all perfectly imperfect. And there are people who can make us appear as if we are not. Maybe. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/readinghabits monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1621893651069-E7EEZRMRXELTKZNCZC44/Castle+Images+2.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Reading Habits of an Author in the Wild - “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” Steven King, in On Writing https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/inspiration monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1625604303523-CNGAVV0PIXC6TH372YI7/treefall.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Leaves of Inspiration - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1625604355566-Z8OYFZ0MSONBQMJPKN4J/treesummer.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Leaves of Inspiration - Let Inspiration come to you …whenever…wherever https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1625604322722-SI4EF5VSPDEAYUDJITYO/treeside.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Leaves of Inspiration - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1625604067553-G9OGWN3Z0NMHH9WSYIE1/treespring.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Leaves of Inspiration - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/book-review monthly 0.5 2021-08-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1626881848484-C3MFH781O3TY4VPNUOFT/TheLostQueen.jpg Updates - Book Review - The Lost Queen If you advertise a book about Arthurian Legends, especially if you say it’s origin stories, I’m going to buy it. Maybe it’s a sickness, but if it is, don’t send me a pill for it. As soon as I saw this book on Kindle Unlimited, I downloaded it. I had to wait until I finished another series to read it, but I started it right before I left for a week in Iowa. I read on the plane for the most part. I put headphones on, with no sound, and I just read. Any opportunity to stick my nose in a book is a happy time. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/things-growing-up-in-iowa-taught-me monthly 0.5 2021-08-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1627395448914-2KNNXF4OESNUWGKFT9ZT/big+sky.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Things Growing Up in Iowa Taught Me - Make it stand out Right off Highway 61 North between Dubuque and Maquoketa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1627395231316-DPUC5A83CWDJEK5SMVKH/Mississippi.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Things Growing Up in Iowa Taught Me - Make it stand out Mississippi River, Northern Iowa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1627394285805-1315I3NMPXCD7Z8VB7NC/flags.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Things Growing Up in Iowa Taught Me - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1627394909783-9TVYXJBUGR84ZISLW3ZA/city+hall.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Things Growing Up in Iowa Taught Me - Make it stand out Former Post Office, Now City Hall, DeWitt Iowa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1627394886493-C7IHJ64CPVN27GGGD792/Swiss+Valley+trout+stream+Dubuque.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Things Growing Up in Iowa Taught Me - Make it stand out Trout Stream, Northern Iowa https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/printed-pages-or-pixels monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1621893403617-VIZ8X3P8AMED8C8N0W8R/Castle+Images+1.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Printed Pages or Pixels - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/andred monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1628085902266-RRQCZV80ZUFKPCZOF888/Andred_Modified.jpeg Updates - The Avalon Project: Andred - Andred of Avalon “You do not see the man I have grown to be. You do not see my accomplishments, only his failures” https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/to-outline-or-not monthly 0.5 2021-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1628088556775-CT30F3007WMXO308PBFH/Twitter.jpg Updates - How I Write: To Outline, or Not to Outline - Write it all down. Let the characters tell you their stories. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/coffee monthly 0.5 2021-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1628263004395-XLU5LBBNIBVVJDFWNMAY/person-holding-black-and-orange-typewriter-5.jpg Updates - How I Write: To Coffee or Not to Coffee - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/one-at-a-time monthly 0.5 2021-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1628534570980-DHRH4BCZWRN529GSHE3O/tree-of-life-3ux-prints.jpg Updates - How I Write: One Story at a Time - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/listen-to-the-universe monthly 0.5 2021-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1628779070584-MQE55348MA24JXRO608M/sparkle.jpg Updates - How I Write: Bad Vibes Dull My Sparkle - Don’t Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/printed-pages-or-pixels-5ns34 monthly 0.5 2021-08-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1629135090062-9Y4V1G14Z1GKESOUPC80/magic.png Updates - A Writer’s Life: Listen to the Universe - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/just-write monthly 0.5 2022-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1629208963959-TID7645SG3DF80Y1MKET/cowritecar.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Just Write. - You will never know if you can until you try. Just write. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/city-of-bones monthly 0.5 2021-08-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1629814539082-5FDC3RR1M4VH9ODQU7VP/512qJxcvPzL._SX331_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Updates - Book Review - City of Bones City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare, is one of those books I put off reading for a few reasons. The reviews I read were diverse. Some with much love, some with much upset. Typically, I like those kinds of series – The Black Jewels series, one of my favorites, is also very divisive. The other reason was because it’s super popular, and if Twilight taught me anything, it’s the super popular books are typically not my favorites. It’s not always true, of course. But often enough that I typically put those books and/or series further down my list to read. I had a friend mention the series to me recently, and I thought – All right, let’s do this. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/ya-or-not monthly 0.5 2022-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1629818032074-RRYV5517UIFF94WLFO5T/va.jpg Updates - A Reader’s Life: To YA or Not to YA Twilight, I did not fall in love with. I did read all four books, and the novella that followed though, so that I could talk about it with my niece. It’s a perfectly good book for teenagers, if it encourages them to read; I am always in favor of that. But it was a little too overwrought for me personally. When I went searching for another Richelle Mead book, I found her Vampire Academy books. I read the cover, sighed, and bought it, hoping against hope it wasn’t another Twilight. It’s not. I raced through these books at a high rate of speed. I bought them all in hardback and gave them to my niece, hoping to capitalize on her Twilight fandom, and hoping that she would find these books to be more compelling than the others (She did!). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1629818137815-JTYF1CTT4ZZDMHH5YX2A/51MMzQ1U4IL._SY346_.jpg Updates - A Reader’s Life: To YA or Not to YA - As with everything, times change. I don’t read a lot of YA these days. I am still reading The Shadow Demon Saga by Sarra Cannon and as a recent post suggests, I’m reading The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. By and large though, they are the exception not the rule. But what I have learned over the last several years is that you cannot judge a book solely on its metadata. Yes, some YA books read like romance books for teenagers with a spare supernatural creature thrown in for good measure. But some of them deeper. Reach higher. Feel less like you’re reading a YA book, and more like you’re reading a well-crafted story about characters who happen to still be in high school. Those, I will continue to read. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/outling-in-excel monthly 0.5 2021-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1630090810317-C84C5K58HV27LKO0W1U7/excel+picture.JPG Updates - How I Write: Outlining In Excel - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1630090693417-SPL2BUBJ68WTFU7DJROA/excel+picture1.JPG Updates - How I Write: Outlining In Excel - Don’t Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/book-reviews monthly 0.5 2021-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1630353856724-K8M64O9E6420FPT1IALR/New-Open-Book.jpeg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Book Reviews - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/the-irish-project monthly 0.5 2022-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631553255000-L1ZVISOFEYY3UXP90Q1U/Dark-Hedges-1d.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Irish Project - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/ygraine monthly 0.5 2021-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631553518018-5LZPMXU4BR196J57K6UD/Ygraine.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: Ygraine - Ygraine, Priestess of Avalon, Former Duchess of Cornwall, Former Queen of Britannia “To this day, as much as I loved my younger sister, I cannot forgive her for treating my child as nothing more than a broodmare for her own gain.” https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/vivaine monthly 0.5 2021-09-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631642187115-76Q0EMRTB08KWIJBOHA6/Vivaine.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: Vivaine, The High Priestess of Avalon - Vivaine, High Priestess of Avalon “It is the nature of the world to be both beautiful and full of sorrow.” - Vivaine of Avalon https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/books-that-made-a-lasting-impression-on-me-part-1 monthly 0.5 2021-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631726713438-JXHZK67LYFYQRX6HFPUC/raven+boys.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 1) - The Raven Boys Book 1 of the Raven Cycle By Maggie Stiefvater I do not read a lot of YA (Young Adult). I read some. This book was recommended on several sites and blogs, and I bought it. It sat on my Kindle for probably six months as I tore through other series. And then I started it. The concept of this book is Unique with a capital U. Most of the characters are deep, their relationships with each other twisted and tangled and full of angst and heartbreak and family and love. The magic system is so very different from the books I normally read. All of that added up to me binge-reading the four books in this series as well as the epilogue novella, and I giddily pre-ordered the first book in the second series that follows one of the characters from this series. This series showed me that not all YA is created equal. And that having young characters in a book does not mean you cannot touch on edgy subjects. And that I can no longer judge a book on it’s Amazon category. And neither should you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631725732753-ZG2YHMJK3QLAQIK8CEZG/rules+of+magic.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 1) - The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman Book 2 of the Practical Magic Series Long before I knew there was a book, I fell in love with the Practical Magic movie. Once I found the book, all bets were off. The series is now 3 books, with a fourth coming soon. Ms. Hoffman makes the characters so engaging and so much fun, that I sped through the first book, then raced on to this one and the one that came after (Magic Lessons). The series now has history. We find out so much more about the aunts, and their parents, and their reason for living in the town they are in. I could probably gush about this series for pages, but I won’t. Suffice it to say, the series has taught me that backstory is crucially important in getting and keeping readers engaged. She also taught me that literary fiction can be fantastical, and that magic is everywhere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631727761411-K4OO7LCFXFVPWITQA4BX/paper+magician.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 1) - The Paper Magician The Paper Magician Series, Book 1 by Charlie N. Holmberg This is the first book I picked up by Ms. Holmberg. It was not the last. Historical Fantasy, set in what appears to be Victorian times perhaps, about a very unique magic system (the other books in the series are about glass, plastic and magicians who can use all!) using ordinary objects to do extraordinary things. There is a romantic element to these books, but by no means does that rule the plot in my opinion. Ms. Holmberg’s writing is engaging and fun, and her take on magic - and what it can and cannot do - is quirky and new. I got swept up in the stories and read them quickly. This series made a lasting impression on me because it forced me to look at magic differently than I had been - as most fantasy series do - and changed the way I think about ordinary objects in life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631726195627-T2TG7T66Z93ACMA0QHFK/Mists.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 1) - Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley The Avalon Series This is a no-brainer. Before Mists of Avalon, I had read a great deal of Arthurian Legend, but this book, and the series that followed it (and was continued by Diane L. Paxton after Ms. Bradley’s death), is what solidified my love for all things Arthurian. So much of the Legend paints Morgan/Morganna/Morrigan in such a negative light, but this book gave me a new perspective of who Arthur’s sister might have been. It has been called the Feminist Arthurian Legend, and I suppose if you want to look at it from that angle, it well could be. But for me, it simply remains my favorite book of the genre. Nothing I have read since has come close, and I blame my adulthood obsession with the legend on it. As a side note, I know there is great controversy about Ms. Bradley and things she may or may not have done during her lifetime. As she is deceased, and cannot answer any allegations made after her death, I have chosen to cover my eyes and ears, so to speak, and not let it affect my love for her writing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631727255034-RJQGYPUE7TBLK3SWT12W/hounded.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 1) - Hounded The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1 by Kevin Hearne In my search for Urban Fantasy series, this one came up quite often. It seems that people either love or hate this series and Mr. Hearne’s writing style. I fall deeply in the “serious like” camp. Urban Fantasy, with mythology, witchcraft, druidic magic and an Irish Wolfhound that talks? Sign me up. I read this series straight through, including the novellas and short stories. And while I will agree with some reviews of this series that say by the end, it seemed as if the author no longer wanted to be writing in the series, I still enjoyed it as a whole. Magic is not only all around, it hides in plain sight. What I learned from this series is that an author is not forced to stay in one camp for an entire series. If you want to add some witchcraft or wizards into your vampire story, go for it. If you want a talking dog, but you also want Thor and some Russian demon hunters, and you can find a way to make them all work together, you totally can! I learned artistic freedom from this series. And you can too! https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/what-do-i-look-for monthly 0.5 2022-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632162221071-BXL8WAY0M9V8WD286JWG/bookshelf-black-red-green.jpg Updates - A Reader’s Life: What do I look for in fantasy books? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/morgaine monthly 0.5 2021-10-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632162846142-ILW40AKVP464R2TQ6QNQ/Morgaine.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: Morgaine - Morgaine, Priestess of Avalon, Duchess of Cornwall “Wisdom comes with age and experience. And it only comes if you are ready for it.” https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/books-that-made-a-lasting-impression-on-me-part-2 monthly 0.5 2021-10-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632250258485-D5NBO605SWTBFNCZXHDM/discovery.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 2) - A Discovery of Witches Book 1 of the All Souls Trilogy By Deborah Harkness I found this book in the literary fiction category, after having seen it recommended on several “best fantasy” lists. Witches are typically not my favorite topic in fantasy, but I am always willing to give something new a chance. I am glad I was in this case. Witches and Vampires and Demons, oh my. I will admit freely that my favorite part of this series is the more historical aspects of it. The magic system is different, but not so different that I would consider it ‘unique’. The characters are well-rounded and well thought out. The dialogue is downright fun in some places. But the historical aspects included in the series really socked it to me. And I can clearly see why you’ll find these books in literary fiction, not the fantasy categories. The ease at which the author weaves her obvious historical research into the plot of these books is amazing and unforgettable. I aspire to be able to do it half as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632250280849-WF1CIU4LMEOV5DSNW7EL/lost+queen.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 2) - The Lost Queen The Lost Queen series, Book 1 by Signe Pike I did a full review on this book awhile back, so I won’t go into a ton of detail here, but this series for sure makes my list. A new side of the Arthurian Legend (with one more book promised to us in 2023), The Lost Queen tells us where Merlin may have really come from. Whether you believe it to be true or not (I don’t), this is a wonderful read. This book has taught to me to be open to alternate origins of our favorite myths and legends, and to never stop searching for the truth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632250298923-HZVK21MWE66WDZZ8LZSY/daughter+of+blood.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 2) - Daughter of the Blood The Black Jewels, Book 1 by Anne Bishop And here is the second series on my list that has as many detractors as it does supporters. A completely new world, unlike any other I have read. A startling disregard for trigger warnings (although, if I ever read a series that needed them, it would be this one). A complete and utter lack of following any fantasy formula ever written. These books are dark. I mean, really dark. But there is brightness is them, too. And with that brightness (that will take awhile to get to), comes a remarkable ‘make your own family’ type of story that can make you wince on one page, and smile on the next. I have read everything Anne Bishop has written, and enjoyed it. I know that many people will disagree with me on that, and that’s okay. If you find this one a little too dark, try the Ephemera series. It’s dark, too, but has flashes of brilliance in it as well. From these books, I learned that it’s okay to turn down that road that leads somewhere people may fear to tread. But to make the payoff in the end worth it for the reader. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632250205737-OMMCHR25AEFZBDDSPMMS/Kushiels.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 2) - Kushiel’s Dart Book 1 of the Kushiel's Legacy: Phedre Trilogy By Jacqueline Carey This is a series that comes recommended on a whole lot of fantasy “lists”. I’ve seen it many times over the last several years, and in reading the description, I had always passed it by on my way to something else. I finally caved last year. And devoured the six books in both Phedre’s trilogy as well as the three in Imriel’s trilogy. This is political fantasy, more than sword and sorcery. It involves religion and Gods and Goddess’. And sex. And sado-masochism. At least Phedre’s trilogy does, which is why I did not think I was going to enjoy it. I was wrong. These books are extremely well written. Thoughtful, even. The magic is unique and different, and the characters are never quite what you expect them to be. Have I mentioned I like surprises in my books? I do. People either love this series, or hate it (much like another one further down the page here) and after a great deal of time invested in reading them, as well as time thinking about them, I fall on the love end of that spectrum. These books are not for everyone. But if you read fantasy to have your expectations shattered and your mind change - if you read for arrogant villains and stingingly sharp heroes, they might be for you. I learned a great deal about creating characters from these books. And how to make them imperfect enough to be enjoyable without making them simpering fools. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632250236900-C6P0EXU4WUP618VERH7X/karma.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Books That Made a Lasting Impression on Me (Part 2) - Karma by Donna Augustine Book 1 of the Karma Series Ah, Karma. Sometimes, you are indeed a bitch. And sometimes, you’re just a young woman trying to make her way in life and/or death without screwing up too much. I love a book that turns everything you thought you understood about life upside down and inside out. This series does that and more. Urban Fantasy is fun. This series is a great example of how it can be done in such a way that you’ll forget why you picked up the book in the first place, and order the second one immediately. Fast paced and full of enough battling to keep even the most stringent fan of the genre engaged, this book - the whole series, actually - is just fun on paper. This book taught me that anything - anything - is up for grabs when you’re coming up with a plot. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/edits monthly 0.5 2021-10-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632859347939-VJAML9KF7LFGNCPN9YAK/gettyimages-1084485994.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Edits - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/tv-shows-with-excellent-writing monthly 0.5 2021-10-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634230402345-BX2G6C6I9BLRZ0YIUNOG/old+tv.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: TV Shows with Excellent Writing - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/the-coe monthly 0.5 2021-10-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634233413895-GU6QT4JNY83WAXSVBD10/Vivaine.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: How Avalon Runs Vivaine, the High Priestess, was chosen for her position because she is the eldest female in her generation of line of High Priestess’ before her. There are others, including her two sisters, Ygraine and Morgause, however, she is the eldest of those who chose to stay on the isle. She is the niece of the former High Priestess, Cerridwen, who did not have any children of her own. The High Priestess’ role is to oversee all training and activity on the isle. She makes decisions with the help of her Coe. She leads rituals and holidays. The final decision is always hers to make. It is a great responsibility, and the High Priestess must always put the safety and well-being of Avalon first, above her own family and self. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634233310891-2ZJO5R0YB9E3ONC8IB85/The+Raven.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: How Avalon Runs The Raven is the High Priestess’ Voice. She is chosen at the time of the High Priestess’s ascension. She often passes along information to the priests and priestesses of the isle when the High Priestess is not available. She handles most correspondence on and off the isle, and she is the keeper of all archived documents. She does research. She oversees the kitchen staff and the trainees therein. She handles day to day questions. She is the voice of reason when necessary. In my story, the Raven is Narah, the High Priestess’ closest friend and confidante. Narah is calm but never still. She runs as if she were a much younger woman. She teaches. She is a sounding board for anyone in need of one. Wise and occasionally sarcastic, she is one of my favorite characters to write. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634233365716-PA99U7310G2Y29ILRKY7/Lowen.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: How Avalon Runs The Hawk is the sword and shield of the High Priestess. He is her warlord, her strategist. He trains her guardians and her couriers, as well as anyone who wishes weapons training. He is often the head blacksmith of the isle as well, and in charge of the making of weapons. He is chosen at the time of the High Priestess’ ascension. In the case of my story, he is Lowen, Taliesin’s brother, and he takes his job very seriously. He is gruff and often looks for the simplest solution to any problem. Lowen never took a life-partner, as he prefers to focus on the task at hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634233247507-SIF66GQKUGGQ028GBG8V/Talisien.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: How Avalon Runs The Merlin is the partner of the High Priestess in all senses. He is her life-partner, her second in command, her sounding board. He is the eyes and ears of the High Priestess. His assistance and counsel are invaluable. In addition, he sets the crystals that a priest or priestess receives when they make their bond with the Goddess, and often assists in rituals. Often, before the High Priestess ascends to her position, she has already chosen her life-mate, and that person becomes the Merlin. In The Avalon Project, the Merlin is Taliesin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634233169724-Q23TW4KOYSNJK9SP3LS3/2019JulyPolytunnel.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: How Avalon Runs - Morgaine, Priestess of Avalon, Duchess of Cornwall “Wisdom comes with age and experience. And it only comes if you are ready for it.” https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/nanowrimo-2021 monthly 0.5 2021-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634570163836-4OBWJTHDCNWSRIHU4UK6/NaNoWriMo-WriterBadge-555-2x.png Updates - A Writer’s Life: NaNoWriMo 2021 I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year again. I did not do very well last year, all things considered, but I have won the July Camp NaNoWriMo two years running. Summer seems better for me, but I’m going to give it a shot and see how it goes. As I’m still waiting for another chunk of chapters in The Avalon Project to edit, I’ve been working on a plot structure for The Irish Project. I realize that I said at one point that I only wanted to work on one project at a time, but it seems that I had grander visions of the editing process than I should have. It takes a great deal of time for my editors, and then for myself. If I can manage to rewrite the first two scenes of chapter 1 in The Avalon Project this week, I will use the Irish Project for NaNo, and edit as I can. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/where-is-avalon monthly 0.5 2021-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634584140917-8V4HL9C5IXFFDAEHUV7U/Avalon+to+Cornwall.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: Where is Avalon? - Avalon to Cornwall In most of the books I have read, and research I have done, Avalon is near Glastonbury Abbey, and I chose this as well. It lent itself to the story and seemed to fit quite nicely into the travel that would have been necessary for Morgaine to go back and forth to Cornwall, https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634584316130-7DVOAQJC1X2Z55K6NQGS/Map+of+England.png Updates - The Avalon Project: Where is Avalon? Did I choose correctly? I doubt we will ever know. But it feels right to me. In Signe Pike’s series, the Lost Queen, she expresses that Merlin and Camelot would have been in Scotland. I took a long serious look at this, after having already written the first book of my own series, and I was intrigued. But not enough to change my course. Other options include north-western France, on the Ille Aval (The Island of Apples). It’s been put at Hadrian’s Wall. In Cumbria. Even as far away as Spain, on the island of Mallorca, or Cornwall itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634584196871-DAKKLSZ9YX6UN7EEQ5N6/Map+from+Camelot+to+Cornwall.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: Where is Avalon? - Camelot to Cornwall and for Ygraine and Morgaine to travel to Camelot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634584423066-JPCQ1CU67YEFU8IXDSDI/england_550.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: Where is Avalon? The problem with myths and legends, you see, is there is no right or wrong answer. Being the Arthurian geek that I am, I do believe Avalon existed. Was it a mystical isle, surrounded by mist? Was it the training place of the Priests and Priestess’ of the Mother Goddess? That, I can’t know. But in one form or another, I do believe it existed. Some things, you must take on faith. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634584082937-5JO2ILUCE4TFFXOI3110/01-literal-map-of-great-britain-uk-quick-quid-1522919844.jpg Updates - The Avalon Project: Where is Avalon? - Morgaine, Priestess of Avalon, Duchess of Cornwall “Wisdom comes with age and experience. And it only comes if you are ready for it.” https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/pulling-characters-from-real-life monthly 0.5 2021-11-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/3b442719-1bd9-4c75-a710-76341b62e284/people.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Pulling Character Inspiration from Real Life Everyone knows a few characters. Everyone has a person or two in their life that they think would make an excellent hero or villain in their story. Do you use them? Change their outward appearance enough that no one you know would suspect they are a real person? Change a few habits or quirks? Give them a completely new catchphrase? I haven’t done this. But my Irish Project will. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/pinterest monthly 0.5 2021-11-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/3c4662d4-a272-4879-9abf-60804d1a6f7e/images.png Updates - The Avalon Project: Pinterest Boards https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/nanowrimo-2021-day-one monthly 0.5 2021-11-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634570163836-4OBWJTHDCNWSRIHU4UK6/NaNoWriMo-WriterBadge-555-2x.png Updates - NaNoWriMo 2021: The Journey begins November 1st means NaNoWriMo has begun! I am on this bandwagon until it stops. Or until my wagon loses a wheel. I got more of my developmental edits back last week, and with the amount of work I can feel it’s going to take to get The Avalon Project into shape, I have set it aside until January. That means the Irish Project is up to bat, and I am swinging for the fences. I started today. I got 3,235 words into Scrivener. It’s a little rough, switching from Arthurian Legend to a current-day fantasy. I know the kind of current-day fantasy I enjoy reading, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking all of the “fun” out of it, so it took me awhile to get on a roll, but about two hours in, I think I found my stride. In some ways, I think this (still unnamed) Project is going to be easier for me to navigate. One point-of-view characters, who is in some ways, like me (but in most ways is not). https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/the-irish-project-something-different monthly 0.5 2021-11-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1631553255000-L1ZVISOFEYY3UXP90Q1U/Dark-Hedges-1d.jpg Updates - The Irish Project: Something Completely Different - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/nanowrimo-2021-update monthly 0.5 2021-11-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634570163836-4OBWJTHDCNWSRIHU4UK6/NaNoWriMo-WriterBadge-555-2x.png Updates - NaNoWriMo 2021: Get ahead, stay ahead. NaNoWriMo is in Day 9, and so far, I have been able to keep ahead of my word count. And that’s good, because I will have a couple of days later this month when I will not be able to write at all. The Irish Project is moving along more swiftly than I could have hoped. A firmer outline, and less points-of-view seem to be serving me very well in this project. There have been a couple of places that I’ve struggled, but it’s mostly because until I started writing, I was not sure how much of a romantic element I wanted to this story. I’m still not sure, to be honest, but since the main character has not yet met her love interest, I have a little time to decide. Because this story is more of a contemporary fantasy, it’s also kept me from worrying about what people would eat or do at certain times of the day. And while I do have some things in common with my main character, she is different enough from me that I’m able to explore some themes and plot points that I could not otherwise. I’m telling you, I’m having fun! I’ve kept my word count above 2,000 a day (reaching as high as 3,470 on day 2!), and as long as I can continue doing that, my days off won’t impact me. Much. The normal goal of NaNo is 50,000 words, but I have a feeling that unless I get super stuck on something, I’ll be able to surpass that. My word count goal for this book is 100,000, so I will not finish it in November, but I will be able to be on the downhill slide for sure. Good luck to you, if you are participating! Even if you set a goal of 20,000, know that it is an accomplishment to reach that. We all start somewhere! https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/nanowrimo-2021-day12 monthly 0.5 2021-11-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634570163836-4OBWJTHDCNWSRIHU4UK6/NaNoWriMo-WriterBadge-555-2x.png Updates - NaNoWriMo 2021: Reality is a stern taskmaster. NaNoWriMo Day 12: The last few days have been a rude reminder that I have a full time job and if I can’t get my words in during the day while I’m working, sometimes I just can’t get the words in. I had my lowest day ever in a NaNo project: 1,198 words. I know that I shouldn’t complain about it. Some folks struggle to get 500 words a day when their lives are busy. I like big word counts and I cannot lie… I guess. The Irish Project is going well. I had an outline going in - a loose one, really - and I’ve found a way to add to that, by spending a few minutes at the end of my writing day to write out a few key points I know are going to happen next. I actually got a personalized notebook from Erin Condren for this project, back in September, and I’m logging a lot in it. I like the idea of it so much, the 20+ blank journals I have downstairs are going to suffer and get dusty - having a notebook with my name and the project name on it is just cool! I am over half way to my 50K goal for the month, so I’m headed for a big W, if things keep progressing as they are. Good luck to you, if you are participating! Keep your spirits and word counts high, and your self-confidence-eating gremlins in the closet. If you don’t feed them (midnight or not!) they can’t bother you! Total NaNoWriMo2021 Word Count: 35,130. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/10-things-about-me monthly 0.5 2021-12-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/be70714c-bd80-4665-94e8-139e3a8eded2/shoetree.jpg Updates - 10 Things about Me 10. Every Christmas, in addition to our 7-foot tree, I set up a smaller tree that is full of high heel shoe and boot ornaments. It started small when I still lived in Wisconsin. I had a 2-foot white tree with maybe 10 high heel ornaments on it. Now, I have a four-foot-tall silver tree, with an unknown number of ornaments on it each year. The collection grows every year, to the point where I either must be picky about what I hang up, or I need a bigger tree. The Boyfriend says to be picky. I say I need a bigger tree. I think high heels are beautiful, but I do not wear them (I have balance issues). For me, this is the best option – hang them on a tree and look at them sparkle for 4 weeks out of the year. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/nanowrimo-2021-day18 monthly 0.5 2021-11-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634570163836-4OBWJTHDCNWSRIHU4UK6/NaNoWriMo-WriterBadge-555-2x.png Updates - NaNoWriMo 2021: So close and yet….nope. NaNoWriMo Day 18: 3,096 words today And that’ll be it until Sunday or Monday. We’re hosting our annual Friendsgiving this weekend, and my creativity will be at the kitchen island instead of the computer for a couple days. But it’s all good. I’ll keep my notebook with me and make notes, make plans, make friends with the new characters I’m introducing… It’s a marathon, not a race, and I’m winning it this year. The Irish Project is still going well. I’ve veered off from my outline slightly, but the muse took me in a different direction and I’m loving how it flows together. It’s kind of fun to take a long standing ‘belief’ about a race of people and turn it on it’s head. Everything you thought you knew will be turned inside out, in a good way, I hope. Good luck to you, if you are participating! Keep going! Watch some videos on you-tube from other participants. Get involved on the NaNoWriMo website. Just keep going! Total NaNoWriMo2021 Word Count: 48,712. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/nanowrimo-2021-day23 monthly 0.5 2021-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634570163836-4OBWJTHDCNWSRIHU4UK6/NaNoWriMo-WriterBadge-555-2x.png Updates - NaNoWriMo 2021: ~1300 words to go. NaNoWriMo Day 23 …aaaand there have been no words written since Thursday. Friendsgiving went off with just a few hitches: one of our friends had a conflict and could not come, and another couple had a Covid invasion in their home, so we lost two more — one of which was in charge of deep frying the turkey. Another friend stepped up and we had grilled turkey, along with all the great food everyone brought and good times were had by all. However, on Friday, our cat Grace was acting odd and not wanting to eat. Ben took her to the emergency vet Friday night and they sent her home with special food. By Sunday, we knew she had to go back. She had surgery today and will hopefully be back with us tomorrow. In the mean time however, our minds have been occupied with thoughts of our missing little one, and nothing much has gotten done. I am going to try like hell to get at least half of my 1300 words later today, but we’ll see how it goes. I will win Nano this year. Just maybe not as early as I planned. And my hope is that The Irish Project first draft is done by 1/1. C’mon muse. Kick it into gear! Total NaNoWriMo2021 Word Count: 48,712. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/nanowrimo-2021-day29 monthly 0.5 2021-11-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1634570163836-4OBWJTHDCNWSRIHU4UK6/NaNoWriMo-WriterBadge-555-2x.png Updates - NaNoWriMo 2021: …and that’s a win! NaNoWriMo Day 29 YAY! I won! That’s the upside. I’m super proud of it. The downside is, I haven’t written a word since last week. Between Thanksgiving and emergency surgery for our cat, Grace, and the subsequent medicine/cone/babysitting necessary to keep her recovery safe, I haven’t had a minute to sit and write. I did some more plotting while she napped over the weekend, but that was as far as it went. I have about another 30K-50K left to write in The Irish Project, and my hope is that I can knock out the first draft before the end of the year. I love this story, even though I know it has some issues that I need to address in my second draft. Currently, the goal is to have the second draft ready to edit before 3/31/2022. If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, I hope you’re exceeding your goals - and even if you’re not, I hope you’re proud of what you’ve accomplished! I am proud of you! Total NaNoWriMo2021 Word Count: 50,113. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-2021-wrapup monthly 0.5 2021-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/91ef0b22-5214-45d9-b863-7e0102a4f29a/istockphoto-1193971028-612x612.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: And the Insanity Begins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-there-is-no-secret monthly 0.5 2021-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/69247a47-c869-483a-88c2-8294e0f148af/51RQ5km2gkL._SX386_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Real Secret Is There Is No Secret. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/26392f29-e1c6-41b0-b978-bd60b35081e0/be+grateful.JPG Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Real Secret Is There Is No Secret. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/68c5df6b-50ea-4e09-8327-2173f7b821c4/be+open.JPG Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Real Secret Is There Is No Secret. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/34f4ba3b-8e1a-4cec-a614-8de8e1a40b40/seek+joy.JPG Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Real Secret Is There Is No Secret. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-favorite-bookish-youtube monthly 0.5 2021-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/6ceac106-926c-4841-a7d2-5f822986bb94/youtube.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: YouTube Favorite Bookish Channels - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/e4358771-58e3-44a6-b5a6-c24fd73fbc8f/YouTube_play_button_icon_%282013%E2%80%932017%29.svg.png Updates - A Writer’s Life: YouTube Favorite Bookish Channels - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/how-i-write-background-noise monthly 0.5 2022-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/200385e0-dca6-450e-864f-217046586035/nch.JPG Updates - How I Write: Background noise, or the lack thereof. I used to go back and forth a bit between writing with music, and writing with utter silence. I recently started using a white noise podcast on Spotify, and that seems to work really well for me. But I can’t have lyrics. That’s a big no-no for my writing. Lyrics distract me. They worm their way into my thoughts and before you know it, a word from the lyrics slips into my writing - into a place where that word has never belonged. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/0cc379e7-c683-4e85-917b-010efbcc95e0/article_white-noise_1920x1080_min-extreme.jpg Updates - How I Write: Background noise, or the lack thereof. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/book-review-the-book-of-magic monthly 0.5 2021-12-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/7a7f633f-0309-4951-aab0-97728b3eb707/bom.jpg Updates - Book Review - The Book of Magic Many years ago, I sat down and watched the movie “Practical Magic”, with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, along with one of my favorite actresses of all time, Stockard Channing. I loved the movie, and almost immediately bought the book the movie was based on. It sat on a shelf for awhile. I wasn’t reading much fantasy during that time period, having just moved to Wisconsin after separating from ex-husband. I was reading more historical fiction about the Tudor period. I was much more interested in court intrigue than anything remotely related to a story that might have elements of love in it. As I was packing up books to donate to the library in the small town my parents live in, I ran across the paperback again, and moved it to my nightstand, committed to reading it. I read it. And instantly fell in love with these characters of Gillian and Jet and Franny and Sally all over again. The book gives so much more detail, so many things the movie could not begin to cover. I lingered in the Owens’ world as long as I could. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/how-i-write-organization monthly 0.5 2021-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/c0e6f7da-aa47-4446-8249-3c11daf9600a/erin-condren-life-planner-vertical-layout-jun-2021.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: How I stay organized https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/32e446f2-2c07-4bed-a2ee-e7da89a68c2d/JU-18-Blank-OS-1024x612.png Updates - A Writer’s Life: How I stay organized - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/0d831570-06e2-4af8-853b-4adbe7fdd55d/61Vp9Kq9D-S.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: How I stay organized A whole book full of these amazing check lists (with 8 columns, which is perfect for 7 days and a done column!). I fill this out on Sunday’s too, with all of my weekly goals for writing and other things. I find this amazingly motivating. I sit down and make a list of everything I know I need to do during the week, and add more items as they come up. I carry it around the house with me, and if I have a moment of nothing to do, I pick something from the list and knock it out. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/rip-anne-rice monthly 0.5 2022-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/50fab96c-4709-469e-85b4-eeae581c8586/thewitchinghour.jpg Updates - A Reader’s Life: Rest In Peace, Anne Rice I was not the biggest fan of Interview with a Vampire, but I read it, along with 3 or 4 books that came after it. Where Anne Rice got me was with the Mayfair Witches trilogy. I’ve read all three books, plus Merrick that followed. It was announced a few weeks ago that AMC would be producing a series based on these books, and I was very excited about that - so much so that I bought the first book on my Kindle to read through them again. (They’re also doing Interview with a Vampire, according to the article). https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-2022-plans monthly 0.5 2021-12-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/2f16c0f1-0330-4245-8aff-d01c119e887d/2022.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Plans for 2022. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/43e26714-a735-44c3-95f4-dc2b1e032cad/unnamed.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Plans for 2022. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-resist monthly 0.5 2022-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/32f25a31-9815-4c1b-8c49-fcaca4de01c5/quotes-about-writing.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Resist the Lazy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/36fca928-849a-413e-b839-36dce97a1b9e/Quotes%2Bon%2BOvercoming%2BFear.png Updates - A Writer’s Life: Resist the Lazy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/322ad7b7-86b3-47ce-b83e-216249e0a546/image-asset.jpeg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Resist the Lazy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/81ec018a-9ffd-4bd9-9d5e-2308d6b238fe/images.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Resist the Lazy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-holiday-hangover monthly 0.5 2022-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/cac5fc22-41e2-4e44-a5e0-15bb837c8710/1449251378-holiday-hangover-by-photosur-on-flickr.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Holiday Hangover is real, y’all. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/74add7b3-5aed-4f41-93c1-2dc5c57575a2/5-Steps-to-Cure-a-Holiday-Hangover-landscape.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: The Holiday Hangover is real, y’all. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/how-i-write-super-structure monthly 0.5 2022-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/926b123e-4adb-4801-94d0-6c601cfcfd9a/61ulGVzdN-L.jpg Updates - How I Write: Finding an Outline Structure that Works for you This is a short book. 109 or so pages of Mr. Bell’s pithy commentary and direct, often adamant advice. Every word of it resonated with me. Unlike Save The Cat, I felt like I had found my guidepost. This was what I needed to hear. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/efabd73d-d354-4a9f-a21c-ae86cae968e0/1_KdGxx7rbsXWp2rDEOImoIg.jpeg Updates - How I Write: Finding an Outline Structure that Works for you - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-what-moves-you monthly 0.5 2022-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/dd37a697-c884-4f2a-9ae1-7a49b59578d7/sons-of-anarchy-opie-death-scene-ryan-hurst-20105799.jpeg Updates - A Writer’s Life: What Moves You? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/e3f0e56c-eb9e-40e2-98fb-23c0b11ee16f/Screen_Shot_2014-12-10_at_9.30.06_PM.0.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: What Moves You? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/3c3d7a9e-60c5-4907-9262-68699c58e539/88147718921235187b543c8db738bdae.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: What Moves You? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/struggling-to-start-again monthly 0.5 2022-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/51c5c7fc-bc0a-4049-96cf-5b0e4f6534ff/writing-better-person.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Struggling to start… again. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/610f6f53-78be-417d-9b4a-c5eba6282fdb/writing.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Struggling to start… again. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/sorting-the-pieces monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/05b7230f-ae5c-4f7c-8ab4-d99d05d687d8/nanoapril2022.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Sorting the Pieces - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/58acef87-ec6c-48d9-8d23-a016e8610367/20220315_125658.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Sorting the Pieces - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/short-stories monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632859347939-VJAML9KF7LFGNCPN9YAK/gettyimages-1084485994.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Short Stories - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/ce3c5b70-d2d6-44ce-9a87-b9fe76d4feb1/onceupona.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Short Stories I’ve been reading these “Once Upon A…” books for years. I’ve found a few authors I really enjoy from them and the stories are entertaining and well written. (By the title and cover, you would assume this one is all about vampires, but you’d be wrong. In fantasy, bites are not limited to the not-quite-dead.) https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-readers-life-tudor-nerd monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/67079492-a133-45c5-81dd-55327b104757/220px-Tudor_Rose.svg.png Updates - A Reader’s Life: A Tudor Nerd is Moved to Stay up Past her Bedtime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/3c84eb7f-c5dc-4595-b266-5811616e046a/51iORi%2BK%2BRL.jpg Updates - A Reader’s Life: A Tudor Nerd is Moved to Stay up Past her Bedtime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-readers-life-emotional-support-books monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1630353856724-K8M64O9E6420FPT1IALR/New-Open-Book.jpeg Updates - A Reader’s Life: Emotional Support Books - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-frozen monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632859347939-VJAML9KF7LFGNCPN9YAK/gettyimages-1084485994.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Frozen - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/ca26cb84-885f-4f66-91d8-ace90792f659/fail.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Frozen I’ve been reading these “Once Upon A…” books for years. I’ve found a few authors I really enjoy from them and the stories are entertaining and well written. (By the title and cover, you would assume this one is all about vampires, but you’d be wrong. In fantasy, bites are not limited to the not-quite-dead.) https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-process monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/0514bc14-0690-4101-8208-973923b4fb87/0524.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Find your own process. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/674ba62d-72bc-4d7d-b734-7751cb4603c1/ES+Cut+2.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Find your own process. A batch of cold-process soap I made about 8 years ago, using mica and activated charcoal for color and I believe this was scented with lime and cedar. This is one of my favorite batches ever. And it wasn’t done at the beginning of my tries. I had been making soap at this point for nearly 12 years. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-change-of-place monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/67c80011-8363-425c-a58a-46fb771dcc7c/4-pikes-peak-state-park-mcgregor-ia-sherri-hasley.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Change of place, change of pace. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1627395231316-DPUC5A83CWDJEK5SMVKH/Mississippi.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Change of place, change of pace. A batch of cold-process soap I made about 8 years ago, using mica and activated charcoal for color and I believe this was scented with lime and cedar. This is one of my favorite batches ever. And it wasn’t done at the beginning of my tries. I had been making soap at this point for nearly 12 years. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/start-again monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/610f6f53-78be-417d-9b4a-c5eba6282fdb/writing.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Start from the Beginning A batch of cold-process soap I made about 8 years ago, using mica and activated charcoal for color and I believe this was scented with lime and cedar. This is one of my favorite batches ever. And it wasn’t done at the beginning of my tries. I had been making soap at this point for nearly 12 years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1653416669898-PEGMU91G1PJXAEXJPFRO/cowritecar.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Start from the Beginning - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-tell-the-right-story monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1657219424245-U9P1LHODU0ONO5FHLMIB/1_v4585YTS7afIZM3RREWbeA.jpeg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Tell the right story. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1632859347939-VJAML9KF7LFGNCPN9YAK/gettyimages-1084485994.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Tell the right story. A batch of cold-process soap I made about 8 years ago, using mica and activated charcoal for color and I believe this was scented with lime and cedar. This is one of my favorite batches ever. And it wasn’t done at the beginning of my tries. I had been making soap at this point for nearly 12 years. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/book-review-nettle-and-bone monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/0e01d5c2-d08b-4d55-8a67-fdb5e39aeea4/nettle-and-bone.JPG Updates - Book Review - Nettle & Bone Note: This book was recommended by Elliot Brooks on You-Tube in a recent video, and I loved her description of it so much that I went to grab it immediately. This is a rare thing. No I mean it. It’s rare. This book is a fairy tale for people who like a little snark and an awkward protagonist. This book is a fairy tale for those of us who are tired of stories of beautiful people and happy lives. This is a book for those people who don’t want to be the princess. This is a fairy tale for the rest of us. Oh. And there is a demon chicken. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-writers-life-its-happening monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/f05bd95d-f139-4983-bb3e-53bb966429f9/20220804.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Finally, Something is Happening! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1645559128562-8KJPN196CHW00574XQ4L/writing.jpg Updates - A Writer’s Life: Finally, Something is Happening! A batch of cold-process soap I made about 8 years ago, using mica and activated charcoal for color and I believe this was scented with lime and cedar. This is one of my favorite batches ever. And it wasn’t done at the beginning of my tries. I had been making soap at this point for nearly 12 years. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/a-readers-life-book-journal monthly 0.5 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/87e926db-7a2c-4838-801a-67bd8151e0f6/What-is-journal-writing-image-of-blank-journal.jpg Updates - A Reader’s Life: Starting a Book Journal. Finally. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/category/A+Reader%27s+Life monthly 0.5 https://www.jilliancastle.com/updates/category/A+Writer%27s+Life monthly 0.5 https://www.jilliancastle.com/about daily 0.75 2021-06-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1622068838389-C761CSJP4GY54R1EXH19/Full%2BIcon.jpg About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1622767777435-XZVSYL3U2JGM6JN1BUSO/Profile+pic.JPG About https://www.jilliancastle.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-06-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6075dc563bde291e35c716e0/1622082418203-0EPMLZJ48AWL4OB71MOV/Full+IconUpdated.png Contact - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.