I started Tales of the Drui in November of 2008. In 2010, I found a collection of videos that helped with my research…okay…kind of helped. Norway For Noobs by Chris Nikopol. Chris, if ever you see this. Thank you! I am a huge fan here in New York! I couldn’t stop laughing for a week! […]
From Norway to Fantasy Part #1
I could not have chosen a better land to inspire my writing than Norway. Just in thought, she takes my breath away. I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “I want to write about Norway!” Nor did I research her and say, “Oooh! This is a beautiful country (and it is)! I have an […]
Behind Dolor and the Shadow
I can not tell you how many times someone has stopped to ask me what “Dolor” is. I also have been told many times that a reader picked up the book just to find out what “Dolor” means. A few people have come to me and asked directly what the meaning is behind “Dolor and […]
Daryl Dixon
I love it. I write an article on “Shame” and it inspires me to write about Daryl Dixon. I loved Norman Reedus when he was in Boondock Saints. I ran to The Walking Dead because I learned that Norman Reedus was in TWD. When Reedus auditioned for the role of Merl, the writers loved him […]
Speculation on “Elf”
Alfr is Old Norse for “River” and “Elfr” is the Anglicized name for “Alfr” meaning “River folk.” The Old Swedish term for River is “Alv.” Alv…Alf…Elf…River. “Alfheim” means “home of the river folk.” In Old Norse, most river names end in “-elfr” literally “river.” Klarelfr = Clear River in Varmland, Sweden Raumelfr = Thunder River […]
Dimension
Dimension. A writer begins with a blank page. Like canvas. Empty. They add a name. A description is soon attached to the name. But the dark haired, lapis blue eyed female elf named Kallan is only just that. A name with a face. You still don’t care about her. You still don’t see her world. […]
Food and Spices of the Middle Ages
I just filled my new salt shaker. When I was done, I looked at the pile of salt—about 1 ounce—in my sink. I turned on the water and washed it down the drain. Down the drain. I felt sick to my stomach. Six months ago, I had finished researching the history on spices in Medieval […]
The Longships
“The Longships” by Enya The longships. Give me a moment while I sit back and ogle the memories. Tales of the Drui all started with a tantrum. I was so angry at another book I had read where the women were flaky and thrilled that they had been kidnapped and raped. I was enraged, to […]
History vs. Fantasy
When I wrote Dolor and Shadow I wanted a Fantasy that started here on Earth…in Norway to be exact—the culture who gave us elves—and expanded into the myth from whence the elves were birthed. That drew me to Norse mythology. With Dolor and Shadow toggling between the fantasy and reality, I had to watch where […]
Jelling Stones
I adore history and decided to insert a lot of little treasures into Dolor and Shadow while I researched the project. One of my favorite scenes in Dolor and Shadow—Chapter 53—was the one I wrote around the Jelling (pronounced “Yelling”) Stones (pictured below). In the 9th Century, the king of Denmark, Harald “Bluetooth” Gormson, erected […]