Sunday, March 30, 2014

Bad Ass War Women



Elsie Knocker (and how great is that name) and her bff Mairie Chisholm.  Even before World War I, they were kind of badass. They got to know each other through their hobby, stripping down and racing motorcycles in a culture where women riding bicycles was seen as scandalous.

When England entered the war in 1914, Knocker wrote to Chisholm that there was "work to be done." Chisholm hopped on her bike in in Dorset and popped off to London with the intent of being dispatch riders for the Women's Emergency Corps. Although initially the women were frustrated at not being allowed the front lines. While Chisholm was riding as a courier, she was spotted making hairpin turns around a city by Dr. Hector Munro. He was setting up a Flying Ambulance Corps to help the Belgians who had been caught in the German invasion. Munro invited the women to join his team.

Chisholm said, "Munro was deeply impressed with my ability to ride throught traffic. He traced me to the Women's Emergency Corps and said, 'Would you like to go out to Flanders?' and I say 'Yes, I'd love to'."

The women were stationed well behind the lines and quickly grew frustrated by the loss of life due to delayed treatment at the front. In November they left the corps and set up their own aid station right on the front lines in a little town called Pervyse. It was 100 yards from the trenches. They spent the next three and a half years tending to the wounded. Since they weren't affiliated with the Red Cross, they had to raise all their own funds - for bandages, food, etc.

They ended up saving thousands of lives and only stopped when forced to due to injuries suffered in a gas attack.

Yo, WW2?  Elsie and Mairie called.  What’s all this rot about the “greatest’ generation?  (That’s right!  I just did a women in war sacrifice throw down.)

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Torn Between Two Covers

Hi.

"Don't post this shit about book covers on your blog," they said.  "People don't DO that," they said. Or they would if I had voices that talked to me.  Luckily, I am sane, so I don't hear those voices and am posting this anyway.

Right now I'm torn between two choices for "Not Quite Darcy".  Do you have a preference?

My editor wants me to ... as she said on the art form she gave me ... "This story is BIG on humor, so something whimsical, light-hearted, with a play on time-travel. The setting is nineteenth century England, but it’s hardly your typical historical, so we’re better playing up the humor than the historical bent."

Without going pie in the face (and ignoring any pudding that might go in faces, ahem!) which of these two choices do you like?

Choice A (Or Silhouette):
Have two silhouettes, with their backs to one another, male and female.  The male would look traditionally Victorian.  Either in profile or full view.




The female would look more like this:
Or a full body version.  Carefully avoiding any copyright infringement and getting rid of the ipod, sadly. (Publisher has a legal department, right?)  If the image is profiles, Eliza could be blowing a bubble.  If it's full body, figures would still be back to back. She would be in modern dress - dancing with a feather duster or we could swap that for a broom if  you like. William could be holding out a book, ever so politely.  Key would be juxtaposing the ipod manic girl with the standard rigid Victorian silhouette and I think full body does that most effectively.

Background to be hot pink.

I feel this one captures the feel of the book the best and answers my editor's wish for it not to look like a typical historical.



CHOICE B (or Fuzzy Focus)
How about this?
Since the title would lend itself to such a cover.  But instead of a fugly guy with a disturbing collar, a handsome guy just out of focus.  Like this one.


Also, to lighten this one, it could be done as a blurry photo with a bright 'wash' of yellow or pink.  So it doesn't look like Deadly Serious Literature.

So?  You there?

Which one do you like better?  
If you like choice one, full body or profile?

WE WILL BE SENDING A THANK YOU GIFT! A VOUCHER FOR A DISNEY RESORT FOR 5 DAYS!  FREE PARKING!  PLUS A FRUIT BASKET!! WE'LL BE GETTING BACK TO YOU REAL SOON ON THAT.

But really, thank you.  I owe you pie.  Or a fruit basket.