Sharing Monday

Writing historical fantasy fiction involves diving into myth and magic, and the occasional monster story. But reading isn’t all that informs ideas, characters, and themes. So, five things I’d like to share with you this week are;

1. It was Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday last week. On 30th March, he would have been 168 (if he were immortal). He made it to 37 before taking his own life. His art, that we love so much today, was a product of his deteriorating mental health. If only he could have found an audience during his lifetime.

2. I’ve been listening to the Gailghe album, The Gloaming by Samradh Samradh. I don’t usually listen to music when I’m trying to sleep because I get too involved with it to actually go to sleep, but this album has that peaceful quality that allowed my mind to rest. It also helps that I can’t understand a single lyric.

3. I made a lovely vegaliscious dessert for Easter. This has nothing to do with research or theme, but a writer does have to eat. The recipe, Fruity vegan nice cream bars, came from the January edition of the Coles freebie magazine. As I don’t have the appropriate lamington pan to make slices, I used a flan tin and made a ‘nice cream pie’ instead. Delicious!

4. It was also Jane Goodall’s birthday this week. As a teenager, I desperately wanted to live a life studying chimpanzees and gorillas (Diane Fossey). Before that I wanted to be a marine biologist and after that elephants took over my fascination. For quite a while though it was apes and I read everything I could on the subject. After animals, I discovered world mythology and haven't looked back from there. Inspiration comes in many forms and over a lifetime.

5. I watched the first season of ‘Beforeigner’. It’s an interesting concept from Norway where people unexplainedly start popping into the future. The series looks at the issues these new type of “immigrants” face including the reaction of the general population (known as “nowadays people”). It’s also a murder mystery with lots of twists and turns for the mystery and the main protagonists – a veteran detective with a drug problem and a rookie officer who was formerly a Viking Shieldmaiden.

Coming up: I’ll be sharing some music with you. I find new music either through radio or YouTube, and from recommendations from friends.

I’ve just finished reading ‘The Bee and the Orange Tree’ by Melissa Ashley so I’ll have a review to share with you soon as well.