Being the first book by Sarah MacLean, I  tried to read The Season a few months earlier but was put off by the existence of three headstrong, female characters in Regency England. One during that period would have been acceptable, but three in the center of the plot almost made me not continue reading. I put it down for a while and then, out of boredom, picked it back up.

All in all, I feel this is a good book for young readers to merge themselves briefly into the world of Jane Austen. I say merge because the modern day personalities differ so much from actual historical belief. Any hardcore regency fan would immediately find the main character a bit too American. During the 1800s, girls were brought up from birth with the knowledge of their duty as titled young ladies. They dreamed of marriage, planned and schemed. That simply how it was. Those who did not never publicly announced their desire to do otherwise. Doing so would have made them outcasts. The fact that her three main characters all felt that way was too much.

The conversation between characters flowed well, but belongs in a later era. For any middle grade, high school reader, the plot is straight forward, cute and characters fit in with the current notion of stubborn, headstrong, independent women. For all intents and purposes, the goal was reached. This novel reaches out to a broader audience. It is cutesy romantic with a small twist of suspense. The main character’s romance drives the plot and always leaves you banging your head against the dustcover every time her temper flairs, which is a lot.

Also, being a mainstream published book, there were quite a few places I feel the editor did not do their job when it came to word repetition. In the beginning part, Ms. MacLean describes the main character’s three brothers in detail. We know their names. Then, a chapter or two later, proceeds to bombard us with, “Kit said to his elder brother…”, “One brother commented to this other brother…”, and whatnot, at every opportunity. By the end, I was very sure that all the brothers were in the scene because it had been thumped into my skull thoroughly. Ms. Maclean also does more telling than required. There are quite a few places the author did not need to tell us one of the brother knew he had to skillfully change the subject because of tension in the air. Through her description, it was pretty clear.

Apart from those gripes, the book was a fast read. A few parts I smiled and actually laughed. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, take this with a grain of salt. Buy, or rent, the book knowing you’ll be indulging in a sweet little romance with very little substance. However, be prepared for a welcomed onslaught of delicious dress descriptions along with ornamental decorations and under garments.

For some reason, I have been watching Gosford Park almost non-stop. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Gosford Park is a murder mystery set in 1936 England. Here is the wikipedia quick summary:

Gosford Park is a 2001 mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, Michael Gambon, and Clive Owen. The story follows a party of wealthy Britons and Americans and their servants, who gather for a shooting weekend at the English country house, Gosford Park. A murder occurs after a dinner party and the film goes on to present the subsequent investigation into it from both the servants’ and the guests’ perspectives.

What I find so interesting is the romantic notion of the leisure class. Living in America and being middle class, we have no concept of servants. The idea of having someone waiting on us hand and foot is so strange that we tend to romanticize the era. It is a time of mink wraps, dressing for dinner, shooting parties, billiards and eight course meals.

We come close to knowing what it might feel like when we go to an upscale restaurant where the waiter hovers around the table. In the end, those individuals are serving with the hope of gratification – the tip.

In Edwardian/Victorian society, the lower class entered into service as a means to provide for the family. Young ladies dominated the service by 60%. They were scullery maids, parlor maids, cooks, lower house maids, ladies maids, wet nurses/nannies and governesses. The position for which a man could take on was far more limited: butlers, footman, hallboys, drivers and valets. They entered into domestic service with the hope of advancement, which came over the course of their lifetime. A boy might go into service as a hallboy – sleeping in the servants hall and doing menial work, only to raise himself to butler forty years later. His salary would top off at 50 pounds a year.

In Gosford park, you see how each position held its own sense of belonging. House maids only did certain jobs while footman had their own. Parlor maids and cooks did NOT clean up the kitchen dishes because they felt it was beneath them. Those below stairs knew their place in the society hierarchy, as did the upper class. In this movie, a lower class woman marries into the upper class and she is treated with scorn and ridicule, although never to her face. Even the servants feel she is cheap and lacking in self respect. In the modern world, you can hire a servant who treats you like royalty as long as you have the money. Money meant something then but the respect came with the heritage of a title and land.

PBS put out Manor House, a program that took modern day people in the UK and placed them into the servant and master roles for three months. They lived the way their ancestors did and many were caught up by their modern sensibilities. They complained of wanting more time off, more time to themselves. Like the wealthy family upstairs, they should be able to sleep in and whatnot. Because in the day, those notions would never have been contemplated. Once born, you had to stay in your social class and never raise above.This then lead to the Labor Party raising in power after the first world war.

Taken from the PBS website, here is a list of the rules these people had to follow:

• Never let your voice be heard by the ladies and gentlemen of the house, except when necessary, and then as little as possible.
• Always “give room” if you meet one of your employers or betters on the stairs.
• Always stand still and keep your hands quiet when speaking to a lady or being spoken to and look at the person speaking to you.
• Never begin to talk to ladies and gentlemen unless it be to deliver a message or ask a necessary question.
• Servants should never offer any opinion to their employers, nor even to say good night or good morning except in reply to salutation.
• Never talk to another servant, or a person of your own rank, or to a child in the presence of your mistress, unless for necessity then do it as shortly as possible, and in a low voice.
• Never call from one room to another.
• Always answer when you have received an order or reproof.
• Outer doors are to be kept constantly fastened, and their bells to be answered by the Butler only, except when he is otherwise indispensably engaged, when the assistant by his authority will take his place.
• Every servant is expected to be punctually in his/her place at meal times.
• No servant is to take any knives or forks or other article, nor on any account to remove any provisions, nor ale or beer out of the Hall.
• No Gambling of any description, or Oaths, or abusive language are on any account to be allowed.
• The female staff are forbidden from smoking.
• No servant is to receive any Visitor, Friend or Relative into the house; or to introduce any person into the Servants’ hall without the consent of the Butler or Housekeeper.
• Followers are strictly forbidden, and any maid found fraternising with a member of the opposite sex will be dismissed without a hearing.
• No tradesmen, nor any other persons having business in the house are to be admitted except between the hours of 9am and 3pm and in all cases the Butler or Chef must be satisfied that the persons he admits have business there.
• The Hall door is to be finally closed at half-past ten o’clock every night, after which time no person will be admitted into the houses except those on special leave.
• The servants’ hall is to be cleared and closed, except when visitors with their Servants are staying in the house, at half-past ten o’clock.
• No credit upon any consideration to be given to any person residing in the house or otherwise for Stamps, Postal Orders etc.
• Any breakages or damage to the house will be deducted from wages.

Here is a link where the participants were able to voice their thoughts on the project and how they handled the stress of being masters and servants. I wish we could do something like that here – what a humbling adventure into history it would be!

I was browsing through a friend’s journal on devianart.com when I noticed they had not been online lately due to their newest addiction. Dragon Age recently came on the market and this person was entangled in Bioware’s fantasy world. Well, up to this point, my major gaming experience had been Lord of the Rings Online, which is an MMORPG (massive multi-player online roleplaying game). I rarely, if ever, play action role-playing games. Well… I did a bit of research and decided to find out a bit about the game for myself. Soon, I created an elf mage and embarked on a journey which would suck up hours, days, and weeks of my life. Body and soul I was sucked into the world of RPG adventures. After DA, I felt the desire for something new and the lack of purpose – a different challenge which the same flare. This time, I decided to see if Bioware made any similar qualities.

A real-life  friend (yep, I’ve got them too) had been posting on his facebook page about Mass Effect 2. While he indulged in several play-throughs, his wife and I teased and joked over his obsession.  Now, I was desperate and bored out of my mind. I found Mass Effect 2 and began playing that as well (by this point, I was so sick of DA that I had no desire to play it again). Let me defend myself by saying that I am not a sci-fi person. Yes, I like Stargate, Farscape and Star Trek, but never considered myself very geeky in that sense.

The third person shooter/adventure RPG style was so seductive. Bioware has created characters so real and tangible that, as a writer, I am jealous! Each had depth with virtues and flaws, strengths and weaknesses. It forced me to step back and look at my own work. Were my characters that memorable? Would a reader fall in love with my character? Would they wait with bated breath just to meet with them once more? The negative author in me mumbled, “Hardly.”

After the hours of staring at my monitor, I retreated back into my literary world and decided to rewrite the main romantic lead in my Season of Mists story to mirror Garrus from Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2. I wish I could spend more time on the story, but even that will change. Over all, my thoughts here were to share that inspiration comes from the strangest places. Thankfully, I am now a fangirl of Bioware and Brandon Keener’s voice.

I finished chapter 4 of Season of Mists and now that I have intregrated a new character, Amelia will arrive into the plot once more and Molly as well. I am looking forward to bringing the servant girl into the limelight. Her spunky, take no drama attitude is totally new to me as a writer so developing her will be an absolute pleasure.

I had my dad look at chapter 4 and he wanted me to turn the vampires into demons to bring in the Christian plot line. Well, we all have our POV.

I used to believe writing a novel was the most challenging part of being a writer. The countless hours I put into writing, outline, day dreaming and researching a plot consumed my thoughts entirely after my daughter went to bed. When I would drive to see my Dad or sister, I would have an hour to scheme and come up with twists or smooth out the rough spots int he plot. However, now I am forced to learn an entirely new concept…waiting.

For those of you who have gone through the writing process or are currently doing so, you might say, “Well, what about the query process?”

For any new writers, the query is, without a doubt, the most important thing you will ever write. What about a manuscript? It’s a step above that. Why, you ask? Because you could have an amazing story but no agent will touch it unless you can dazzle them with a well-written query. So, it is crucial.

So anyway, back to my previous thought.  The query process is easier to stomach because even while you’re waiting for a response for an agent, you can easily fill your time with searching out other agents or editing your manuscript. Once you have an agent and they are finding a publisher, there is nothing an author can do but relax and start a new project.  So, like usual, I sit on my anxiety, come up with new plot ideas, and wait for my beta readers to get back to me.

I am looking for a beta reader or two to help me with Season of Mists. Someone interested in helping out would read the chapters ( and I would love to return the favor) and give opinions, critiques and ideas.

Thanks!

I have added the updated version of Season of Mists and you can read the Prologue and Chapter One under the Season of Mists tab. I hope you enjoy.

Please enjoy.

Season of Mists is really starting to turn into something amazing. I sat down and wrote out notes and a tentative outline for the plot. Now, I have an idea where I’m going. As a writer, that feeling is a blessing and one that comes with a price. Recently, I have been trying to control my life. My husband’s job is threatened, our stability in our current residency is shaky…all this is driving me to realize that when we plan, God laughs. I am stressing over not being able to write and yet I am holding onto the reigns so tightly that I’m choking myself.

Shannon Dittemore’s words of relying on God soothed the raw edges of my frayed emotions. I had the pleasure of reading her Prologue and Chapter 1 of Celestial Eyes.  The read was smooth and even though the genre isn’t one I normally indulge in, the style pulled me in immediately.

At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.–Exodus 16:12

After losing steam with my Season of Mists plot, I am currently working on merging it with The Veiled. Adding the paranormal aspect into the plot is proving to be a challenge but not a bad one.  Many of my friends online have stated that it is hard to see Amelia in this world and it is, but she will be one of those characters who must grow into her role. I enjoy characters like that. Recently, I picked up The Season by Sarah MacLean and was disappointed when all three MC (main charaters) were  strong willed. One – ok, but three all at once made the plot too modern and pulled me out. I will keep on reading it, but not really that excited about it.

Originally, Amelia was going to be 15 years old but making her two years older allows the romance aspect to be a lot more approachable. In the Victorian era, girls younger than her were being auctioned off to older men, since younger ones did not have the means to marry early. I used “auctioned” loosely, although the concept is there.

So, the section for The Veiled will now be a prologue. I haven’t updated this site with the new versions, but it’s coming.