celialake.bsky.social
Author (cosy historical fantasy romance) : avid devourer of information : librarian by day : knitter : general geek in several directions. https://celialake.com and https://www.celialake.com/links/
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Timers, playlist cues, having the 'thing I am currently working on' be most visible.
I have been working on the trick of doing the thing that involves distractibility when there are other things to do (doing dishes while making tea, because I will run out of dishes eventually).
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I mean, it's also largely a pleasure. But in this case there's a specific history thing I'm reading for (from about the Norman Conquest through to the Wars of the Roses) for a future writing project.
(I'm actually enjoying the structure of it too, mind. Being that sort of person.)
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She is, but this is reading for part of a project where I'm trying to get to the Wars of the Roses sometime this century. So, forward I must go!
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Thank you, @lynnstrong.bsky.social . For people looking for more, Eclipse is the friends-to-lovers staffroom romance at the same school in 1924-25. (Parents of one of the kids in The Magic of Four)
I've also heard amazing things about Emily Tesh's The Incandescent, currently top of my TBR pile.
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We had okay health education in school, but my parents left a copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves (the classic text, this would have been the c. 1988ish edition). And did not comment at all when it disappeared into my room indefinitely.
(Solid info! Detailed illustrations as relevant.)
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I mean, do you want to give me nightmares?
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Given your other comments in the past, I think this one is definitely right up your alley.
(And thank you for sharing it with other people!)
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Also, let me call out @lynnstrong.bsky.social's Chai and Cat-Tales! Three delightful stories full of cats and cat folk, chai, and people who care deeply about their communities. (Lynn's also a friend, but I wouldn't say this if it weren't true!)
cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org/chai-and-cat...
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Facets of the Bench is a love letter to place - both Whitby in Yorkshire and Albion's magical city, Trellech. Also being your best self regardless of what others think about disability (Griffin is an ambulatory wheelchair user.)
cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org/facets-of-th...
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I'm really looking forward to whatever else you come up with here!
(I write cosy historical fantasy romance, so constantly thinking about both the worldbuilding and romance pieces of that, given things are set 1850s to 1940s currently. I do not have any answers, just stories.)
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Thank you so much for teasing out some of the threads in here.
Particularly the lines of the genre forming in distinct but overlapping threads (but in ways that mean readers of one thread often blink a lot at the other in terms of reader expectations.)
The article's making me think. All good!
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I imprinted really early on Classic Doctor Who (which has a whole lot of competence, sometimes even collaborative). And then there was (and is!) Leverage, which does it so splendidly.
There's also something about competence in mystery novels for me, especially amateur sleuth ones.
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I find writing competence endlessly fascinating, honestly. Or rather, the many different ways competence can come out, and what it can look like.
(Particularly fun with the post-war series that starts with Grown Wise, and looking forward to drafting the last two books in that later this year.)
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My range in writing characters is rather larger.
Though I will allow as how competence, a desire for emotional intelligence, and the pleasures of the world are running themes.
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I've just finished reading a bunch of stuff about Henry II and Thomas Becket (who was canonised really really fast). That is also an entire ride when it comes to the politics of at least three countries/whatever we're calling what's going on then.
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You know where you are with a good spreadsheet.
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I have been known to have strong opinions on such topics.
(And yeah: the verb in question is basically "I faith". Not have faith, not hold faith. Just I walk, I breathe, I faith.)
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Happy birthday! (And the way you encourage folks is such a brightness in the world.)
Grown Wise is a 1947 cosy historical fantasy romance about land magic, how family shapes us, a secret society, apples, and many plots. Great place to start with my books.
celialake.com/book/grown-w...
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And by 'don't care' here, I also mean "they've read the description previously, and don't need to spend time on the repeat."
Which is true for some people who like alt-text! It's nice to signal when someone's hit a bit they might already know.
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I don't always include my name (depends on if it's obvious it's my book, i.e. attached to my account).
And of course I edit for context - if I'm drawing attention to something specific in the image, that gets some space, unless I'm already talking about it in the general comments.
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I do "[book title] [description of image]. The cover has... [description of the cover]." That way if people don't care about the details of the cover image, they can stop after the first bit.
I keep a basic alt-text of my covers stored with my metadata for each book for easy copy-paste.
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@kiyanicoll.bsky.social pinged me in chat with "RAH IS AWAKE"
Because, yes, both of us were waiting for Rah's take. As you do.
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My allergist and I have a (fairly well proven theory) that getting allergy shots and giving my immune system enrichment in its enclosure regularly is keeping the autoimmune stuff to a simmer.
(The problem is the people who give shots and the people who do research are mostly not the same people.)
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So, I also shared this recipe on the authorial Discord, and there is now a fascinating chat that started with "Can someone explain Graham crackers?" (from someone outside the US).
Now there is a definitional discussion of crackers, biscuits, and similar strata objects, as well as baking fats.
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Delights in this book:
- Ursula dealing with her Uncle Garin
- Exactly how many plots she has
- Thinking about the land magic and agriculture together
- People building something better, together
- Jim putting down roots after WW2
- Refusing to repeat family history that was a bad idea
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Also, for the Souper Cube fan, I used the cookie tray for mini quiche, and they came out wonderfully and super easy to clean the tray. Even with having to wait for them to cool between batches.
(Ham, pre-made pie crust, plus cheddar in one and a Mexican blend + green onions in the other batch.)
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I don't always know which things are going to provoke exactly what commentary, but the commentary is always high quality and fascinating.
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My other cooking involves mini quiche and tomorrow, cream scones.
For those, I use the www.budgetbytes.com/cranberry-or... recipe often with different ingredients. No cutting in butter! They come together super fast. Tomorrow's are probably orange and chocolate.