With all the swirl around Beauty and the Beast lately, I thought it might be fun to talk about fairy tales. Disney has done a laudable job of Disney-ifying classics with positive messages and happy endings. And while I remember obsessing over Disney's Aladdin well into my teens, I also remember going to Blockbuster and renting videos (yes I predate even DVDs) called Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. And Shelley showed the truth about those fairy tales - they were dark.
I love strong female characters. And since it's women's history month, I thought a blog about some of my favorite badass female characters in TV, movies and literature and why they rock, would be fun. So here it goes!
Prior to taking the plunge into the world of being a published author, I was unfamiliar with many things - the publishing industry in general, book marketing, social media, etc. Now things are different. I've started to understand the social in the social media. It's also opened up my creative side, beyond writing, in that I've become a wee bit obsessed with bookstagrams.
Well, I'll admit it! If there is some sort of personality test posted on a blog or Facebook, I'll take it, always, unless they make me sign up for something. Otherwise, I'm all over it. Whatever the reason, for me at least, it's a bit of an obsession. Instead of trying to fight it, I'm embracing it! Actually, I'm blowing it up...
Tuesday marked the end of Mardi Gras. Perhaps you've been or just witnessed it on the internet. Either way, you'll probably agree it's a spectacle. It also gives a glimpse into the the unusual, mystical city itself. In a way, Mardi Gras is the anthem of the musical opus of New Orleans.
As a child, I apparently had a bit of a doll problem. If a doll existed, I wanted it. As an adult, I got over my doll collecting obsession because you can't be an adult who buys and collects dolls, right? Therefore, instead, I transferred that obsessive nature to collecting other things, books obviously. (And, shhh, shoes too.)
You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. We've all heard that before. And I, who has a whole #booksoverlooks blog series about the importance of valuing thought and reading over superficial materials, agree - when it comes to people. But, when it comes to books, I say, yes you should! The cover is part of the whole book experience and a lot of thought likely went into the artwork. So - go ahead - judge it!
Falls City, Virginia is a town I made up in my book, The Travelers. Well, sort of. It's based on a real place called Falls Church, Virginia. And it's a town I returned to yesterday, seeking inspiration again, this time for The Travelers part 2.
Shakespeare famously wrote in Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." But, is it true? Would you love a character more or less because of their name? Would you love Harry Potter more or less if his name were Snotty McPoodle?
K.L. Kranes 