Authors: Learn how to make the past relevant to today's readers

Ever wanted to try your hand at historical fiction but didn't know where to start? On Oct. 1, award-winning historical fiction author Nicole Evelina will show you it's not as intimidating as it may seem, even if you're not a fan of research (though it helps if you are). Held from 10 a.m. to noon at Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Rd., Kirkwood, Mo., her workshop is free to St. Louis Writers Guild members; $5 for nonmembers.

Nicole will cover research methods and sources, how research informs plot, how to handle characterization in other time periods, how to bring the past to life, mistakes to avoid, and more. Whether you're just dipping a toe in the historical waters or have already published in this genre, you're sure to learn something new.

A multi-award-winning historical fiction and romantic comedy writer, Nicole’s most recent novel, Madame Presidentess, is a historical novel about Victoria Woodhull, America's first female Presidential candidate. It won first place in the Women’s US History category of the 2015 Chaucer Awards for Historical Fiction.

                      

Her debut novel, Daughter of Destiny, the first book of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view, was named Book of the Year by Chanticleer Reviews, took the Grand Prize in the 2015 Chatelaine Awards for Women’s Fiction/Romance, won a Gold Medal in the fantasy category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and was short-listed for the Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction. Been Searching for You, her contemporary romantic comedy, won the 2015 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Great Expectations and Golden Rose contests.

Nicole’s writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Independent Journal, Curve Magazine, and numerous historical publications. She is one of only six authors who completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness.

Her website/blog is http://nicoleevelina.com, and she can be found on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Her email address is nicole.evelina@att.net.

Learn more about the St. Louis Writers Guild at www.stlwritersguild.org.

6 North hosts fantasy writers Cole & TW

Cole Gibsen

T.W. Fendley

Spring into Writing

Get a few tips about starting your own novel from authors T. W. Fendley and Cole Gibsen, who will sign their debut fantasy novels from 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, March 17, at:

6 North Café
14438 Clayton Road
Ballwin, MO 63011



When Cole isn't writing books for young adults, she can be found rocking out with her band, sewing crazy costumes for the fun of it, picking off her nail polish, or drinking milk straight from the jug--provided no one is looking. KATANA, which debuted March 8 from Flux. www.colegibsen.com

Preditors & Editors Readers Poll named TW's debut novel, ZERO TIME, Best Science Fiction Fantasy Novel for 2011. She writes historical fantasy and science fiction with a Mesoamerican twist for adults and young adults. www.twfendley.com

KATANA: A young adult novel.
Kill Bill meets Buffy in this supernatural samurai tale.

ZERO TIME: As Zero Time nears, only Keihla Benton can save two worlds from the powers of Darkness. But first she must unlock the secrets of Machu Picchu and her own past.

Saidak: Kalie's quest for vengeance becomes journey of healing & redemption

Sandra Saidak graduated San Francisco State University in 1985 with a B.A. in English. She is a high school English teacher by day, author by night. Her hobbies include reading, folk music, attending science fiction conventions, researching prehistory, and maintaining an active fantasy life (but she warns that this last one could lead to dangerous habits such as writing). Sandra lives in San Jose, CA with her husband Tom, daughters Heather and Melissa, and cats, Cocu and Oreo. Her first novel, DAUGHTER OF THE GODDESS LANDS, an epic set in the late Neolithic Age, was published in November 2011 by Uffington Horse Press. Her novel recently made it to Round Two of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition and she's waiting to hear about Round Three!
Learn more at http://sandrasaidak.com/

The Writers’ Lens is about "Bringing fiction into focus"–what brings your writing into focus, the characters, the stories, the love of words? I would have to say that passion is what brings my writing into focus. If I don’t feel passionate about something, there’s no point in writing about it. Some of my best writing has come from anger—at injustice, at the current political climate, even anger at an author who had a great idea and then botched it (IMHO). There is also, for me, a need to always have a window open to another world.  If was stuck in this world, 24/7, I’d go crazy.

What do you think readers will like about your book? I hope that readers will enjoy seeing a strong woman, who has been through a terrible trauma, reclaim her life and grow in ways she could never have imagined.  I hope the journey of healing and discovery that Kalie takes will resonate with the reader.  And since I researched hundreds of folktales, myths and legends from Russia to Greece to the Middle East, just to find the eight or nine that were right for this novel, I really hope the readers like the storytelling parts!

Would you share a bit about your next project? My next book, after I wrap the Kalie’s Journey series, will be set in Bronze Age Ireland. Some years ago, I spent a lovely weekend at the beach, mostly just staring at the waves (I guess I really needed to unwind). I came up with a story about a woman living alone on a beach, her only friends a group of seals. I assumed they would be selkies, but when I started my research, I discovered their Irish cousins the roane, who I came to like much better. The roane are kind and gentle shapeshifters, and I found them to be the perfect foil for the violence and savagery that existed in the human world at the time. The working title is SALTWATER KIN, but for me, titles usually turn out to be the last part of the process.

What's your favorite way to interact with fans/readers? I love science fiction conventions. They’re wonderful places to meet lots of people, in every way from one-on-one to small groups to large ballrooms full of people, all there to listen to one person (my dream is to one day be the person everyone comes to see!) But the internet is great too, because it allows me to interact with people from all over the world, and everyone can participate at their own pace.

What makes your book/characters unique? I don’t think very many books start out with a heroine on a suicide mission that turns out to have a happy ending (if there are, I want to know about them!). Many books in this genre show violence against women, or the destruction of one culture by another. Mine is different in that the both the women facing slavery and the culture facing extinction fight back in a variety of ways. And most importantly to me, my protagonist never waits for a man to come rescue her.

Not every idea is a winner. Written or not, what’s the most ill-conceived story idea you’ve ever had? My first attempt at writing began at age 13, after I become fascinated with Anne Frank and the Holocaust. There was very little information on the Holocaust at my local library, and nothing on what happened to Anne at Bergen-Belsen, other than that she died there. So, I decided I would write my own story, from a few facts and a lot of imagination. Unfortunately, I was also watching a lot of old musicals on tv at that time, and I came to the conclusion that every story (read “movie” to my adolescent mind) needed scenes when the characters spontaneously break into song. It wasn’t “Bergen-Belsen: The Musical.”  But it was close. You can probably imagine my reaction several years later when I saw “The Producers.”

DAUGHTER OF THE GODDESS LANDS is the unforgettable saga of Kalie, a courageous young heroine born into the untamed beauty of prehistoric Europe.

Kalie's peaceful life is shattered when a brutal attack by horsemen from the east leave her scarred in body and soul. As the sole survivor of the assault, Kalie makes her way home, and warns her people to prepare for the invasion that she knows is coming. But the goddess-worshiping farmers of her home have no concept of battle, and dismiss Kalie's warning.

When the marauders strike again, they cut a swath of destruction and death that prove too late the truth of Kalie’s words. Haraak, the leader of the invaders, demands a tribute of gold, grain and women in exchange for sparing her village.Yet it is in this cruel show of power that Kalie sees a chance to save her people, and gain revenge for herself.

Kalie leads a group of volunteers to infiltrate the horseman's society, and then destroy them from within. Once she is among them, Kalie uses her skill as a storyteller, and her knowledge of healing to penetrate the horsemen’s inner circle and to discover the secrets that could lead to their destruction.

But Kalie discovers that price of revenge is high, and that a quest for vengeance can become a journey of healing and redemption.

Available in ebook & print at AMAZON

What’s your sign—Mayan style? Free reading PLUS signed copy of Zero Time

For this week’s giveaway, we have two "grand prizes," but everyone's a winner with a FREE Mayan astrology reading. We’re leaving the literary world and delving into secrets of the cosmos. Are you with me?

For years, I’ve had a passion for astrology and Mesoamerican culture—that’s the Mayans and Aztecs. So, you can just imagine how excited I was to discover How to Practice Mayan Astrology by Bruce Scofield and Barry C. Orr!

Ever since I learned about Mayan astrology, I kept picturing a studly Mayan guy with huge jade earplugs leaning over a red-robed priestess and saying, “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” You won’t see that scene in my just-released historical fantasy novel, ZERO TIME, but one of the characters does practice Mayan astrology.   

So, you may ask, what’s different about Mayan astrology? Well, a lot. According to Scofield and Orr, “the major difference between Western and Mayan astrology is that Western astrology interprets sky events (i.e. astronomical cycles, eclipses, planetary alignments, etc.) spatially” while in ancient Mexico, “the same sky events were interpreted in terms of their significant influence on the period of time in which they occurred.”

From a layman’s perspective, the Mayan Day sign is like your Sun sign in Western astrology. What I like is that two people who have the same Sun sign usually have different Day signs, which just seems more accurate. For instance, my fellow Writers’ Lens contributor Brad Cook and I are both Leos, born one day apart (Aug. 12 and Aug. 13), though I’m about a century older. (Maybe it just feels that way?) His Day sign is 8 Ocelot (Maya: 8 Ix) while mine is 8 Flower (Maya: 8 Ahau).  

This brings me to how everyone’s a winner in this giveaway contest, thanks Scofield and Orr. Just go to www.onereed.com and click “FREE Sample report” on the Maya-Aztec Astral Report page. It asks the standard questions: your name, birthdate and email address.

To make things more interesting, if you’d like to see the real deal--your full Mayan astrology report that's a complete personality delineation about 10 pages long--leave a comment or question on The Writers' Lens Blog between Nov. 7 and Nov. 12, 2011. Please include your email so I can reach you if you win.

To celebrate the release of  ZERO TIME, I’m also including a signed copy in this giveaway!

The more comments you leave, the greater YOUR chance of winning the contest prizes--your full Mayan astrology report AND a signed copy of ZERO TIME. The winner will be chosen after midnight on Saturday and the announcement made on Sunday, Nov. 13.

Thanks for entering, and be sure to check out the rest of this week’s posts. I’m continuing the celestial focus on Wednesday with some research tips!