On Writing

I'm copying this over here from http://mcedits.com/christa-bedwin Christa Bedwin | Author Interview One of the best things about editing is that I get to read some really inspiring works. I want to share some of the amazing people I have had a chance to collaborate with. I have always enjoyed various genres, so you never know who I will be featuring here! This month, I have Christa Bedwin, who combines two of my favorite things: dragons and strong female leads! Oh, and she digs science, like me… I’m pretty sure we are soul sisters. Her latest book, Caterina’s Renaissance, is coming out on June 22, 2018. I fell in love with her characters—to the point where the day after I finished the book, I woke up and thought, “I wonder what Caterina and Massimo are up to…” and then got really sad when I remembered that I was done with the story. And despite Caterina’s neighbors being secondary characters, I still want to spend time at their beautiful home and maybe ...

I'm copying this over here from the Hearts of History blog at https://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/blog/ Happy Wednesday Gentle Readers! I’m excited and pleased to introduce you to a member of HTH who has made such a positive and energizing impact on the group! You might know Christa from her active presence in the forum and for introducing the highly popular Hot Topic Tuesday (or for her fascinating experiences as a volunteer worker!) but now is your chance to get to know a bit more about her and her writing. Minerva Spencer: Thanks so much for joining me on the blog today, Christa! Before we start talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself and what you write. Christa Bedwin: I’m a world-travelling, adventurous, homeschooling single mom. Now that my son is six feet tall, intelligent, curious, and well mannered, I have a little more time to write and I’m loving it! I grew up in the mountains on a cattle ranch in Canada, but now I really love i...

I'm on an insanely short deadline to get Idelle's Inheritance (a little time-travel novella in Englightenment Edinburgh) out the door... naturally that means I'm procrastinating down research rabbitholes that aren't even relevant to what I'm writing right now. But I just discovered the most amazing family, all descending from/related to Lord Byron, the infamous poet, lover, and Venetian-sea-swimming playboy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron This needs sharing, and saving for later! I did not realize before today that Ada Lovelace, who did a lot of the mathematics leading to the first computers (of course, most historians mention/credit it all to Charles Babbage, and forget to speak of Countess Lovelace, sigh), was Lord Byron's daughter! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Ada_Lovelace Recently, since historians have started adding women to the historical record where they belong, she is getting her proper credit as the world's first computer progr...

An Englishwoman I met at a coworking space in Bulgaria travels a LOT with her husband and she just posted this textiles analysis -- of travel towels! I thought it was interesting that she touched on linen, cotton, and synthetics. I'd second her endorsement of a thick (soft, attractive) linen scarf that I have actually being the best "travel towel" I've had by virtue of drying quickly, being light, never being stinky (in fact the linen smells delicious), and being useful for other things. (She didn't endorse linen as her favourite, but did list those aspects of it). https://asocialnomad.com/reviews/best-travel-towel/ Information that may not be useful to you in a settled lifestyle, but if you have heroines on the move in an adventure, these thoughts about travel towels may be just the extra fact to build your scene around!

So I'm taking a class on historical textiles with my historical writing association, and the teacher said "write a short bit about yourself, and what you're wearing, and what you write (and what textiles come into your writing)." So, I, um, wrote this short bit. Which is... much longer than others' short bits, but at least shorter than a novel. :) First, since I'm in France now and I'm not freezing like I would be in Canada, I'm wearing (here not-too-expensive and readily available) linen. I'm writing (among other things, the most interesting one relevant to this class, I think) a time-travel novel set between modern-day North America and 5th Century Cornwall -- just after the Romans left, and before Christianity got established there. Fascinating period -- much of my research is in my Breton language class in Brittany where I'm living just now. In the 5th century, Breton and Cornwallish were the same (or nearly) language and cul...