Blog - StarDance Press

1920s, world-building, writing

World-Building Magic: Intro

January 13, 2025January 13, 2025 elouisebates

I thought it might be fun to do a blog post series that gives a deeper dive into some of the magical aspects of the Whitney & Davies world. Just as writing Julia’s story (currently available only to newsletter subscribers–if you subscribe to the newsletter and have not gotten the links to all three parts of Julia’s story, get in touch and I’ll send them to you directly) gave me a chance to explore the lives of other characters outside our main protagonists, I thought this series might give me a chance to explore the world beyond the spells and magical abilities Maia and Len use and develop in the course of their stories. And who knows? We may yet see a story or two that picks up on some of the aspects that get covered in this series, or at least is inspired by these posts! No promises, but we can all hope …

Some of these topics have been ones I’ve discussed with friends-of-the-series on various social media sites. I had a glorious discussion about different aspects of clothing magic around the time I published Death by Disguise on the site that used to evoke bird noises and is now a letter of the alphabet, and on Tumblr not too long ago on all the different types of magical craftsmanship there could be.

Some have come about as a result of working through implications of other world-building details in the novels, or through some of the short stories that go along with them. Patricia C Wrede has written of two different kinds of world-building camps that writers tend to fall into: soap bubble world building (where your world starts out with a few shiny ideas and gradually keeps expanding as you write) and iceberg world building (where you have developed your world fully before you ever start writing and your stories only ever show the smallest amount of the world you’ve developed). I am more of the soap builder type, because I tend to be an exploratory writer in general–if I focus on too many details before I start writing the story I lose the impetus to write at all. Finding out what happens next, keeping up with the story as it grows, letting it take me into unexpected places … that’s what keeps me writing. And so much of my world-building is also exploratory–let’s find out what is behind that bend in the road, shall we? Only now I’ve explored enough of the world of Whitney & Davies to start sharing some of those fun details with you. Things like Helen’s fashion magic, what the Circle really does, how does healing magic work, what about those different types of magical craftsmanship, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll start to come closer to figuring out what makes Maia and Len able to see each other’s magical auras when that’s supposed to be impossible.

The first post will be on clothing magic–specifically what Helen is doing for her career, but other practical uses of magic on and with clothing. I’m mostly taking the winter off from social media and the internet, so that post will likely not be up until early February. And then we’ll go from there!

goals, seasons, writing

“Play”

January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 elouisebates

Happy 2025! I would say it’s hard to believe we’re in a new year already, but if I’m honest, 2024 felt like it was about a million years long. As I was going through photos from the year in trying to put together a year-end review for the newsletter (which IS coming soon, subscribers, I promise!) I realized that I had almost entirely forgotten everything that had happened before July, or at least had sort of vaguely assumed it happened in 2023. So yes, I can believe we’re in a new year at last, and I’m very thankful to be so. Four deaths in the family in less than six months is hard beyond my ability to put into words.

I don’t tend to make New Year’s Resolutions, though I do like to set some goals for myself in January of things I would like to accomplish over the course of the year. If you’re interested in those goals so far as writing is concerned, I’m sharing those in my upcoming newsletter, so feel free to subscribe to that here:

Several years ago I jumped on the “word for the year” bandwagon, but I found that, much like New Year resolutions, I had a strong tendency to forget all about my chosen word round about March and just carry on with life. So I quit deliberately picking a word. However, last year, a word ended up picking me partway through the year, and in like manner, this morning a word popped into my head and told me it was my word for this year.

And this word bodes well for the upcoming twelve months:

I have been reminded over and over again in the last few months of the need for playfulness in my life and in my writing. I have developed over the last few decades into the type of person who always has to have a plan, and a backup plan, account for all possibilities, and maintain a strong work ethic in order to get everything accomplished that is necessary. None of those are bad traits, necessarily, but when they are not balanced by the ability to have fun and let loose at times … well, let’s just say that there are times when I am unbearably bored with myself. And unfortunately, I also often get bored with my writing! It is good to take this work seriously–but I also need to remember to have fun with it. Robert Frost famously said, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader,” but I think it’s equally true that if the writer isn’t having fun, the reader won’t either. Even if the story is not a particularly playful one, the writer still ought to be able to enjoy playing with words, following the story where it goes, trying to capture its magic on paper with joyful zest instead of grim determination. Or at least, this writer ought. I’m not going to tell anyone else how they ought to be writing (or living)!

So this year, I am going to be developing my playful side. I am going to be purposeful in letting go sometimes, of letting things happen and just enjoying them. I am going to write silly nonsense for my own amusement, play with words and stories, even allow myself to be goofy. Whether any of those words are seen by anyone else is irrelevant–the enjoyment of them will be in the making.

I don’t have a set plan for this–in large part because putting together a plan for playfulness is entirely counter to the very idea of playfulness–but this is the mindset and attitude I intend to focus on this year. And you know what?

I can’t wait!

Happy 2025, everyone. Let’s play this year!

Life Talk, seasons, writing

Golden September Days & Crisp Nights

September 19, 2024September 19, 2024 elouisebates

The headline refers to both how September has been this year, and also to a few literary quotes:

That September was a month of golden mists and purple hazes […] a month of sun-steeped days and of nights that were swimming in moonlight or pulsating with stars.

-Anne’s House of Dreams, LM Montgomery

September came in with golden days and silver nights …

-The Return of the King, JRR Tolkien

And from one of my favorite lesser-known books:

September was very Septemberish that year.

-Betsy in Spite of Herself, Maud Hart Lovelace

September has indeed been surprisingly Septemberish in New England this year! Golden days that are warm but not summer-hot, cool nights with crisp air, leaves just starting to turn colors, and the glorious promise of a proper autumn just around the corner. My kids were thrilled to be able to start the school year without sweltering heat, and I have enjoyed being able to open my office windows at work during the day instead of needing the air conditioner to keep the temperature bearable.

“But how is the writing coming?” I hear you ask in plaintive tones, enjoying the description of the weather but much more interested in story updates. (At least, I hope that’s what I am hearing from you …)

Writing Update

Never fear, writing is happening! Slowly, as I am making some health discoveries which are prompting some changes to my lifestyle (more about that once I have something a bit more concrete to share–right now everything is still fairly nebulous), but writing nonetheless. I have finally had a chance to browse through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, which my good friend A.M. Offenwanger has been recommending to me for years. I’m not quite in a place to do the full twelve-week workshop, but I have started trying to incorporate daily morning pages (3 handwritten pages or half an hour of writing, whichever comes first) and weekly artist dates (trying being the operative word there … I’m not very good at thinking up outings that refill my creative cup) into my routine. And just last night, I began work on Julia Part 3–the final installment of Julia’s story, to be shared with newsletter subscribers sometime this fall! I am also nearly done with the first draft of Len’s holiday short story. I’d still like to have that available for purchase for this holiday season, but we’ll have to see–I am learning to be cautious in my goals, given my current energy levels (low. They are low. But we’re figuring out why and making progress toward improvement).

Book Selling

At the end of August I took part in a book festival for authors in my part of New England, and had a blast. I used to help sell my sister’s hand-crafted silver jewelry at craft shows when I was a teen, and I’d almost forgotten the fun of interacting with people and working with them to try to match them to their perfect purchase. Books are a little different from earrings, bracelets, and necklaces–you either like a genre or you don’t, and if I happen to write in a genre you don’t like, there’s not a whole lot either of us can do about that–but it’s still fun. I’ve been researching other local (or local-ish) events I can sell my books at, now that I’ve remembered how much I enjoy this sort of thing. There are a couple of Christmas artisans markets locally that I’ve asked if they’ll accept independently-published books at, and one huge fall festival that I am too late to apply this year for, but will definitely be visiting in hopes of getting an idea what it might be like to do it next year (well, that and purchasing Christmas presents early–two birds with one stone). I’ve learned I would far rather sell my books in person than attempting to do it through social media marketing!

New Start

Between Carl’s years in grad school, the years homeschooling the girls, and my own brief time recently as a returned student myself, September has always felt like the start of a new year, even more than January 1. While I’m not starting any major projects this year, it still feels like a fresh start on the ongoing projects, and a fresh look at the way I market and sell my books. I am excited to see what the upcoming “year” holds for my writing career–and looking forward to sharing the adventure with you all as it happens.

1920s, fiction, newsletter, stories, writing

Julia Part 2, Coming Thursday

August 13, 2024August 13, 2024 elouisebates

If you have been waiting to subscribe to the StarDance Press newsletter, now is a good time! Coming Thursday is the EXCLUSIVE release of Part 2 of Julia’s story (and no worries if you were not able to download the first part–there’s a link to that in the email as well). Part 1 left off with Julia determined to uncover a secret, and Part 2 shows us how that’s going. Part 3, hopefully coming this fall, will wrap up the story!

These story snippets have been so much fun to write. They have a very different feel from either the novels or the short stories I’ve written in this world previously, being much more character focused, with the plot mostly existing to move along the character development. They are also giving me a chance to go a bit more in depth with some of the world-building that is only ever alluded to in my other works.

Plus, they are a fun perk for newsletter subscribers! It’s always lovely to be able to offer people a “thank-you” for subscribing to my thoughts on writing, reading, and life each month.

So again, if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to subscribe! Aside from occasional sale and new release information (and gifts, like this one), I send the newsletter out once a month, and my goal is to always make it a pleasant oasis in the midst of your busy life. And if you subscribe now and decide after a month or so that it’s not for you, you can always unsubscribe with no hard feelings.

So if Julia’s story sounds like something you’d enjoy reading, and the newsletter itself sounds like fun, subscribe today in order to get the new story on Thursday!

1920s, characters, newsletter, stories, writing

Julia’s Story

February 9, 2024February 6, 2024 elouisebates

I took the month of January off from social media (and fiction reading, which was much, much harder), in part because I was hoping it would give me the time and space I needed to start figuring out some better ways to connect with readers and potential readers, whether it be through this blog, my newsletter, social media, or something else. Maia and Len have never had a particularly large following, and I’ve always struggled with finding ways to get their stories into the hands of more readers.

One idea that I had was that of writing little “story snippets,” or “Whitney & Davies Extras”–that is, brief scenes from the point of view of characters other than our main duo, set either during or after the books–and offering those to newsletter subscribers. The first such character I thought of, naturally, having just recently finished re-writing Magic Most Deadly, was Maia’s friend and the hostess of the house party that is the setting for the story, Julia Foy.

In the original edition of Magic Most Deadly, Julia played a much larger role than I was able to give her in the new edition, and proved to have a sneaking suspicion of magic’s existence, despite her inability to use it. I always had an idea of where I wanted to go with that idea, but was never able to fit it into any of the other books, and then some of the world-building details that developed as I wrote those books seemed to contradict the idea that a non-magic user could be aware of magic’s existence.

But Julia still had a story of her own that she wanted told, and as I started writing the story snippet for her, set at the end of Magic Most Deadly, I started to get an inkling of what that story was supposed to be. It is too much to be told in one snippet, however–especially since it develops right alongside the series. I foresee at least three parts, possibly more: the first taking place at the end of MMD, the second at the end of Glamours & Gunshots, and the third most likely happening around the time of Death by Disguise.

I’m excited to share more about Julia’s character and her story with readers! If you are interested in reading more about her, subscribe to my newsletter before the end of the month, as the first of her story snippets will be released exclusively to newsletter subscribers in the newsletter that will go out on March 1st.

I had originally planned to released a Becket snippet next, sometime this spring, but I think I’ll have to get all of Julia’s story out first, and then start exploring Becket’s character after that, later in the year.

This is a fun way for me to explore more of the world of Whitney & Davies without having to focus so exclusively on Maia and Len and the magical mysteries they are called upon to solve, and I hope it will be a fun way for readers to immerse themselves further into that world, and make it a place new readers want to come and visit and hopefully stay a while, as well.

(If you have suggestions for things you’d like to see more of in the Whitney & Davies world, or something you think would be a good draw to help attract new readers to the series, feel free to leave a comment letting me know–I’m still exploring ideas and options, and I welcome input!)

1920s, world-building, writing

Len’s Unreliable (But Gorgeous) Automobile

December 28, 2023December 28, 2023 elouisebates

It’s been a subtle running joke in the Whitney & Davies books ever since Glamours & Gunshots that Len is a keen driver but has the most unreliable vehicle known to man. I recently started working on a holiday short story (hoping to have it ready to publish by next Christmas season, for newsletter subscribers at least if not the wider public) that opens with his car quitting on him in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. What happens as a result of that will, of course, have to be saved for the story itself, but the opening did prompt me to at last settle on the details of just what exactly Len is driving.

I knew he’d want something sporty and fast, but also practical. A 4-seater touring car–or “tourer” as they were called in Great Britain–was indicated. I knew enough about older vehicles from researching them for the second Pauline Gray novella to decide on that much. A little bit of research then led to me the Vauxhall 30-98, also known as the Vauxhall Velox tourer. It was considered a sports car for its day (perhaps not as impressive as a Bentley, I discovered as I read further, but wholly British, generally reliable (unless you’re Len), and an iconic car of England in the 1920s.

Then I found the photo above, and I knew at once that was Len’s car. Look at it! It simply screams, “Len!” to me. The only difficulty is that that particular car is a 1924 model, and int he new edition of Magic Most Deadly I establish that Len’s had an unreliable car since at least 1921. Do I allow the discrepancy to slide, or will it annoy me forevermore if I give him a car that’s three years newer than it should be? (Answer: even if I say I will let it slide, it will annoy me forever)

Then the answer came to me: clearly the above car is Len’s second vehicle, his first finally breaking down irrevocably, forcing him to buy a new one … only this one has all the same problems as the first, leading to the inevitable conclusion that the problem is not with the automobiles … it’s with Len.

That settles the discrepancy, and is also far more funny than if I had just let it slide. Poor Len!

(Adding insult to injury, I’ve decided just now, Maia has little interest in cars but is able to drive when she must, and never has the smallest amount of difficulty even with the crankiest of cars. Len finds this incredibly unfair, and Maia cannot understand why he can’t simply make them work. Alas that his magic won’t do a thing for cars!)

I think this was his first car … also a Vauxhall Velox tourer, but a 1920 model, and while very elegant, not as striking as the shiny red and silver of the 1924 model.

My editor is right–details like this may seem irrelevant at first (she is always having to remind me to include more detail in my stories), but boy do they add a lot of depth! In figuring out his car, I’ve also learned something new about Len himself, and about Maia to a certain extent. And I had a good bit of fun while doing it, too!

Next I’ll be needing to teach myself exactly how cars were manufactured in the ’20s so that I can determine whether any magic at all would work on them, or if they are immune. The rabbit-trail world-building has only just begun!

1920s, Books, publishing, writing

Pre-Order Magic Most Deadly Now

October 24, 2023October 22, 2023 elouisebates

Magic Most Deadly–the new edition–will be released on November 1st, but you can pre-order your e-book edition right now!

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and many more! Click here to order your copy today so it can be delivered to your e-reader instantly on November 1st!

Oh, and that’s not all–from now through the end of November, it’s on sale for $0.99! So if you had the old edition and you’re curious to read the new, you can purchase it for less than a dollar. And if you’ve never read any of the Whitney & Davies books before, this is a great way to get introduced to the series!

When a rogue magician is murdered and secret government papers disappear, Maia and Len must race against time to find the murderer and the papers to decide the fate of all of England’s magicians.

Lennox Davies is no stranger to plots, lies, and even murder. As an agent for England’s Magical Intelligence Agency, that is all in a day’s work for him. But this time, the stakes are personal, the last loose ends from a job that ended in tragedy for him during the War—and keeping his mind on task is even trickier with the enigmatic and lovely Maia Whitney working by his side.

Maia has spent years sacrificing her own interests to those of her family. The revelation that she is a magician opens up a world of possibilities for her. Freedom—ambition—friendship. But first, she has to help Len find this murderer and recover the stolen papers. So long as her newly-discovered magic doesn’t overpower her before she even gets started.

Together, nothing can stop Maia and Len—except perhaps their own stumbling blocks. Will they be able to overcome what holds them back in time to solve the puzzle that has all of England—and beyond—hanging in the balance?

Here again is the first story of Whitney & Davies, the tale of how Maia and Len meet and work their first case together, in a brand-new revised edition. Read it and fall in love with our favorite detective team all over again!

The print edition is coming soon–but if you prefer e-books, go ahead and pre-order now!

Books

Beloved SFF Sale is LIVE Now!

August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 elouisebates

Once again, Glamours & Gunshots is part of the Epic Sale of Beloved SFF–over 50 books personally recommended by someone who read and loved them. This is my favorite sale of the year, so I’m excited it has come around again!

G&G has plenty of company in the “historical fantasy” category this year, some of which are new to me, so I’ll be picking those up for my e-reader library!

As mentioned in my previous post, in honor of this sale you can also pick up Magic Most Deadly and Death by Disguise for $0.99 from now until August 23 as well (the Beloved SFF sale only goes until the 22, but I always keep my books on sale a day longer in case of stragglers). That’s all of the current novels in the series for less than $3.00!

So go ahead and check out the Epic Sale of Beloved SFF, and why not get the full set of Whitney & Davies novels while you’re at it?