My life has been pretty simple. I grew up in Alabama and graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor's in Advertising. I have spent about the last ten years in web development. In 1998, a friend of mine and I started a web design company we ran for three or four years before deciding to close it due to the demands of school. Since then, I stayed in the web working with various companies in Alabama. I worked for a brief period with Southern Progress, namely with Southern Living magazine and Health magazine, in their web departments. While there, I also wrote for Southern Living magazine, Health.com., and the company's internal newsletter. I write as much as I can. For the last five years, I have been working on my first novel. I am on the third revision now and hope to be finished with this draft by the end of the year. I also write short fiction, though not as frequently as I used to due to the time I spend on the novel. My goal is to have my novel published in the next three years. Other interests include: History (particularly medieval and ancient civlizations), Reading, Foreign Language (I currently speak Spanish but plan to learn as many as I can), Landscape Photography, the outdoors, sports (especially college football), and Travel.
Over the weekend, I finished re-writing the first two chapters of my novel. These chapters, while likely still in need of some editing, should serve as the first two chapters in the final version. I don’t foresee re-writing them yet another time. I’ve lost count, but I think this is… Read More »Novel Update
On this date, January 28th, in medieval history: 814 – Charlemagne dies at Aachen 1457 – Henry VII is born 1547 – Death of Henry VIII The following account of Charlemagne’s death is from the king’s long-time friend and courtier, Einhard: Toward the close of his life [813], when he… Read More »Today in Medieval History
The following are literary Web sites I came across: Bartleby Bartleby is the preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference, and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge. The site also offers an encyclopedia, dictionary and thesaurus.… Read More »Bartleby, DailyLit and Wikibooks
Writer’s Corner has a good article on How to Find Interesting Words and Names for Your Fantasy Writing. The article covers the following points: Keep a small notebook of interesting names and words Maps are an excellent resource Dictionaries and encyclopedias Foreign languages Add a glossary to your novel Hearing… Read More »Create Unique Words and Names When Writing Fantasy
Scott Ginsberg has some good advice on disciplining yourself to be a more effective writer. His article 8 (More) Ways to Discipline Yourself to Write Every Single Day – Even When You’re Not in the Mood covers the following points: 1. Shift your attitude toward writing. 2. Rearrange your definition… Read More »8 Ways to Disciplined Writing, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (January 2, 2008) ISBN-10: 0061149047 The year is 878, and Uhtred is returning home to Northumbria at the hands of the Three Spinners. Lords of the North is the third book in the Saxon Chronicles series (following… Read More »Review of Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell
On this day, December 25, in medieval history: 800 – Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor 875 – Charles the Bald crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John VIII 1066 – William the Conqueror crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey in London 1085 – William the Conqueror commissions the creation of… Read More »Medieval Timeline: Today in Middle Ages History
A new edition of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is being released in France with new cover art. Marc Simonetti is the artist. The four covers depict: Castle Black (A Game of Thrones), Tyrion and King’s Landing (A Clash of Kings), hunting the Stark children… Read More »A Song of Ice and Fire New Cover Art
Thanks to Anne Gilbert for showing me this site. The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England is a database which aims to cover all of the recorded inhabitants of England from the late sixth to the end of the eleventh century. It is based on a systematic examination of the available written… Read More »Names in Anglo-Saxon England