THE FRIDAY SOCIETY ARCS!

I get back from my trip to London, England, and I find the most glorious welcome home present EVER waiting for me!

Yes, THE FRIDAY SOCIETY ARCs have arrived, and they is soooo pretty!

They made me burst out into song.

For those of you familiar with ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN, said song was "Jack", which as you know is one of the more complex and nuanced of the songs in that book.  Of course, wherever there was a "Jack", I replaced it with "ARC".  Thus:

ARC, ARC, ARC, ARC,
ARC, ARC, ARC, ARC,
ARC, ARC, ARC, ARC,
ARC, ARC, ARC, ARC.

And so on.


I call this new song: ARC.



And now, of course, it's time for show and tell!

Just so you get a sense once again of Greg Stadnyk's fabulous design work, here is the front, spine and back cover for the ARC as seen as one full image:

Isn't it just amazing??  I'm not sure how he managed to compile so many different elements on one cover and not make it look too overwhelmed or busy, but . . . he did.


Next.

Here are all the ARCs together.  You will notice they were tied in a pretty blue ribbon.  Because a pretty blue ribbon makes everything that much more special:

Now here is the back.

And here is the spine.

And here is a peek at the inside . . . Part 1 to be precise. 

 See all those pages???  That's a hefty book my friend.  A hefty book indeed.

Oh are you oh so excited???  Because I am!!!  I use triple question marks AND exclamation marks!!!

As always I have to thank everyone at Dial for their enthusiasm and general awesome-ness in putting together such a gorgeous object with such lovely attention to detail.  Specifically, as ever, my editor Nancy Conescu who just plain rocks.

Also...

YAY!!!!!!!!!

Revealing THE FRIDAY SOICETY cover reveal contest winner!

Okay, I thought at first I'd go through the comments, find one that really stood out to me and choose that one for the winner.

But after going through all your amazing comments, filled with such kind words and wonderful enthusiasm, I just knew this wasn't going to be easy.

So I went with blind luck.

I texted my fabulous fellow actor friend Heather (for those of you who have read ALEX, yes she inspired THAT Heather), and asked her to pick a number between 1 - 47.  Then I made sure not to count my comment in the thread and . . . ta-da!  She magically chose the winning commenter.

And now, without further ado . . . drum roll please . . .

. . .

Okay stop with the drum roll now, it's getting annoying . . .

THE WINNER IS:

Kelly!

Congratulations! You have won yourself a one of a kind Steampunk necklace inspired by
THE FRIDAY SOCIETY designed/made by Lady Lilleigh!

Also, I wanted to take the moment to address two comments from the comments section:

Jonathan C. Dietrich asked how scary the book is.  This is a tough question to answer because of course "scary" is subjective (I for one find even horror spoof movies scary).  There is some violence, murder, and dismembered body parts.  But none of it is dwelt on in any kind of gory detail, and all of it is treated with a sense of humour.  Some of the death moments are kind of sad though.

Hope this helps!


Also.

Ray Dean's comment began with "Three Girl Fridays" - and I just wanted to say YES! That's it exactly! :) 

Cover Reveal for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY (!!!!!!)

Today is a very exciting day for me, as it is for most authors.  Today I get to reveal to you all (FINALLY) the cover for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY!

But first, I thought, you should know my game plan for this blog post.

1. I shall reveal the cover!
2. I shall reveal details of an amazing contest to win a one of a kind Steampunk necklace inspired by THE FRIDAY SOCIETY.
3. I shall write at length about what I adore about this cover and anything else that comes to my mind on the subject.

But first I want to thank some amazing blogs who are helping me in this glorious reveal:

The Story Siren
The Book Smugglers
These are two of my favourite YA book blogs, the ladies that run these sites are enthusiastic, know their stuff and have a great sense of humour - seriously go check them out.  Immediately.  No, WAIT!  Wait, check out my cover first, THEN check them out.  At any rate, I am totally honoured that they agreed to help me out today.  Thank you, ladies, again so much.

That Cover Girl
You guys have heard me go on about this blog before.  I just love how this lady dissects book covers, she's got a fantastic eye.  And I am thrilled for my cover to be dissected by her (and a little nervous).

The Steampunk Scholar
I have also mentioned this fellow a few times, as well as linked to lists of his top Steampunk books and his post about Steampunk as an aesthetic.  A true class act, and again, thrilled that my Steampunk cover is gracing his insanely fabulous Steampunk blog.





And finally . . . drum roll please . . .



THE COVER (and blurb) -

Be Your Own Hero . . .

Set in London at the turn of the last century, the novel follows the stories of three intelligent and very talented young women, all of whom are assistants to very powerful men: Cora, lab assistant to a member of parliament; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant to a martial arts guru; and Nellie, a magician's assistant. The three young women’s lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It’s up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder—and the crimes they believe may be connected to it‐‐without calling too much attention to themselves.

Told with Adrienne Kress's sharp wit and a great deal of irreverence, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike--well, relatively ladylike--heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.


 Find THE FRIDAY SOCIETY on Goodreads.


THE CONTEST

Here's your chance to win an amazing one of a kind Steampunk THE FRIDAY SOCIETY inspired necklace designed by Steampunk jewelry maker Lady Lilleigh.

It's really very simple, leave a comment below and I shall choose the winner by April 13th (yes that is Friday the 13th :) ).

And now a little bit about the prize:

Suspended from a 24 inch antiqued brass chain, this tribute piece to The Friday Society boasts elements inspired by the main characters: a 1 inch silver bullet for Cora; a black feather for Nellie; and brass 'throwing star' gears for Michiko. But the true appeal of this pendant is what brings it all together, three alluring ivory ladies on a small tarnished brass tone cameo. The cameo measures 0.75 inches long and the steel pendant base measures just under 1.5 inches in diameter. 

THE LONGWINDED BLOG POST

Okay.  So.  Can I just say.  I love this cover.

I mean . . . seriously.

Love.

Possibly even lurv.

Is that going a bit too far?

No, I don't think so.

First I have to obviously thank Dial, Penguin for their amazing amazingness, and then I must signal out a few people.  Obviously the first is my editor Nancy Conescu who is marvelously patient with all my neuroses.  She is also the one who kept me up to speed on every step of the cover designing process. And the next are of course the photographer and designer of the cover: Michael Frost and Greg Stadnyk. Gentlemen, I bow in your general direction.

Truly I have been beyond thrilled at how up to date Penguin has kept me with the progress of this cover.  As some of you may know, I am quite obsessed with covers, I even designed one for my fabulous author friend Danielle Younge-Ullman's novel FALLING UNDER.  So I adored being kept in the loop.

I was sent headshots of the models before they did the photoshoot - and I knew right then that Penguin was on the right track.  The girls they chose to portray my girls are spot on.  What I love best about them is that they look like real people.  They are very pretty of course, but they look . . . real, like individuals with distinct personalities.  Of this I rather approve.

And then I was sent the first relatively quick mock-up of the cover.  It was shocking how quickly the turnaround happened from the photoshoot to the mock-up, and how they seemingly threw it together sans effort.  Of course I say "seemingly" because it is clear a lot of work went into it.  I saw it, and I was immediately all, "Can I share it can I share it!"

And Penguin was all, "Silly rabbit, we aren't done yet!"

"We aren't?"

And so a few weeks later I was sent another one.  Small changes had been made that made big differences (an example I can offer you is they added the blueish glow to Cora's goggles).  And again, I was all . . ."Can I can I?"

And they were all, "No."

Finally, and finally, we get what we have here today.

And I said, "Can I!"

And they said, "Yes." :)

And such love, my friends, such love.


That isn't the end of this blog post though, in case you thought you could move on now.  No.  Now we must dissect what Adrienne loves about this cover.  Because the wonder of blog posting is that there is no word limit.  So dangerous when it comes to me.

What I love about this cover:

1.  The three girls.  Let's meet them shall we?  From left to right - Nellie Harrison (magician's assistant), Cora Bell (personal assistant/lab assistant to a member of Parliament), Michiko Takeda (fight assistant to a self defense guru).

I've already talked about what I like about how the girls look (though I should add I also adore their outfits . . . and weapons).  What's also fantastic about them, is the way they are posing.  They look tough.  They look like they have agency, that they can take care of themselves. Which is good.  Because they do and can. :)


2. The pinwheel effect.  Okay, note to self, adding a pinwheel automatically makes stuff look awesome.  It's subtle, but present.  It both draws the eye into the middle of the page, and explodes out in fantastic fun times.  It adds a wonderful sense of energy.  Love it.


3. The London skyline.  Because it's the London skyline.


4. The grainy effect.  Look up close, the picture has been made to look slightly weathered. Cool?  Yes, yes it is.


5. The font(s).  Font, to me, is often far more important than any other element on a cover.  It can make the difference between whether a cover is seen as professional or not.  And it can dictate the intended audience for the book.  I love both the fonts on this cover.  I love the title, I love how strong it looks, how cool, both contemporary and classic.  And I love my name.  I mean, I love seeing my name on a cover of a book in any font really (it's kind of overwhelming every time when you do see it - and maybe just maybe I got choked up seeing it on this cover for the first time), but this font is also just plain cool. I don't know why, but I love that the A isn't pointy.  Yeah, I know, but I do.


6. The border.  Now I have had the honour of being bordered by many a great object.  With ALEX we had octopus tentacles.  TIMOTHY we had a dragon:

And this time, well this time we get a supremely kick-ass Steampunk mechanical piece.

That border might be just about my favourite part of the cover.  Not quite my fav, we'll get to that at 7.  But still.  Yes it is all kinds of Steampunk amazing, but what I love about it the most is that it really looks mechanical, like a real machine where one piece influences the other, and not just like there are some random gears hanging out together 'cause, you know, they're gears and they've got that in common.  I also love how the border makes the whole cover have a kind of movie poster vibe.  And as a fan of movies, you can understand why this would make me happy.

Lastly I love the accidental continuity.  That I get to be border girl!  All my books have borders (despite being published by different publishers and being different genres), and I love borders, and I love my books.  So it's like such a love fest man.


7.  And my number 1 (which I guess is number 7 for some reason) thing I love about this cover is . . . wait for it . . .

This:

??

This is a screw.

There are four of them, one in each corner of the cover.  Making the cover look like it's been screwed onto the book.  It might not be grand, it might hardly be noticeable at first glance, but it's this kind of small detail I absolutely adore.  It demonstrates care, and I think wit as well.  The cherry on top of the sundae. 



So there you go.  I've likely gone on long enough.  But, guys, seriously, I am beyond excited.  Every step along the way makes this all so much more real.  And it's been a while since I've had the pleasure of doing a cover reveal, and it's all kind of an emotional mess for me.  I am so excited, so grateful, and so . . . okay I'll be honest . . . terrified (in a good way of course :) ).

I remember blogging about the book deal a year and a half ago.  And now it has a cover.  That's pretty darn cool.  Pretty darn cool indeed.



(don't forget to enter the contest!!)

About Female Characters (or as I like to call them, Characters)

I belong on several writing forums.  Why?  Because I really love the support offered there.  It's also a place where I am constantly learning about new subjects and new information on the publishing industry. 

There is a slight drawback, however, to being on a forum for several years.  It means you encounter the same questions many times with new members coming along.  Now because I am always keen to share the knowledge I have learned in my relatively short time as a published author, I rarely begrudge repeated questions. 

But there is one question that does frustrate me slightly. Which I always address when it is asked, and it is often asked.  At least once a month, if not more frequently. 

This is that question:  How can I write a convincing female character?  or  Do you think people will mind if my female character is such and such?  or simply "About Female Characters".

And there is no male equivalent of this question.

There is the gender neutral equivalent.  The one that reads "How do you write about the opposite gender?"  And those happen on occasion.

But never so often as specifying female. 

So it's gotten to the point where I must ask myself: why is that?

And then I try to answer it.  

The first answer is something I realised in high school:  a female character is seen as female first, person second.  I realised this while working on WAITING FOR GODOT (I was playing Vladimir). The role I was playing was typically played by a man, and had a male name, and clearly was meant originally to be performed by a man.  But it didn't matter if it really was a man.  There was no discussion in the play about being a man, about manliness (whatever that is).  He was a cypher for ideas.  He was an everyman.  Almost more of a thing than a gender.  And I wondered, could such a character exist and just happen to be female?

The answer to the question I asked myself made me sad:  "No.".  At least not easily so.  Another example: I'm not sure how many of you are into DOCTOR WHO, but there is a debate in the Whoverse as to whether or not the Doctor could be played by a woman.  Most people debate this point discussing whether there are any hints in previous episodes that allow the Doctor to be a woman, whether canon suggests he can only be male etc etc.  But the reality is, it isn't a question of canon and character: most people can't see it because despite a few romantic dalliances, the Doctor is an everyman.  And it's very difficult to fathom of a Doctor played by a woman still being an everyman - someone who just happens to be a woman, who is seen as a character first, her gender second.

For that is the crux of the problem:  a female character is seen as female first, a person second.  Whereas a male character is seen as person first, male second.  Think about it?  Can you think of an everyman character that is female?  I am asking about a typical grown up woman.  Not a pre-pubescent child (think Alex from my books), or an old wise woman (like the old wise man) who no longer is seen as "woman" due to her age.  So yeah, can you think of an everyman woman?  The closest I get is Tina Fey's Liz Lemon from 30 ROCK.  Which might be yet another reason to add to the pile of why I love her.

Needless to say, it isn't common.

Think of action movies:  you have the lead guy, the geek guy, maybe the big tough guy, the uber hot guy, the guy of some racial minority and the woman.  "Guy" is considered the default gender so it gets subdivided into types.  But not "gal".  "Gal" IS a type (just as racial minority is a type, but that's a blog post for another time).

Try for a moment to imagine OCEAN'S 11, but reversing the gender roles.  It's kind of fun.  But do you see how automatically it becomes a movie about women robbing a casino, not a quirky group of people robbing a casino?



Another reason that people question so frequently how to write female characters is that we are raised to see women as totally unfathomably complex.  This intimidates people when it comes to writing female characters.  If they are so difficult to understand as sitcoms and lad mags have been telling us for years, what hope is there for us to empathise?

But I'll tell you a secret.  First of all, seriously, we're no more complex than men.  We are complex because we are humans, of course.  And that's the thing.  There are far more differences between individuals, than the genders.

Sure you can say all men are this and all women are this (though invariably you will instantly have someone come along and say, "Uh, not me.") But honestly, isn't it far more interesting how different we all are from each other?  You think those two guys sitting on the subway have the exact same hobbies, education, belief system?  Unlikely.  Ditto those two women over there.  And here's a wacky thing, maybe that woman and that man actually have more in common with each other than they do with the other of their own gender.

It's how I feel when people ask: are you more likely to read a book with a character that is your gender?  Well, I mean, I'm more interested in who this character is?  I'm also more interested in if the book has a sense of humour.  Is it well written?  What's the setting of the book?  Is there a moral and do I agree (or not, it's interesting to read contrasting opinions)?  There are so many more things that I as Adrienne am interested in, than just, "Is the main character of this book a girl?"  And further, just because someone is a girl doesn't mean I have anything in common with her.

I'll tell you another secret, I've never been an Extremely Ginormous Octopus.  I've never been a pirate Captain.  I've never been a Magician's Assistant, nor lived in the Edwardian era.

Yet somehow people never question my ability to write about those characters.

My point: we as authors have been writing about people we aren't for forever.  We find a way to empathise, we find a way in.  Female characters are no different.  All they are are characters.  They are people too.  Instead of asking yourself, "How do I write this female soldier?" ask yourself, "How do I write this soldier?  Where is she from, how was she raised, does she have a sense of humour?  Is she big and tall, is she short and petite?  How does her size affect her ability to fight?  What is her favourite weapon, her least favourite?  Why?  Is she more logical than emotional?  The other way around?  Was she an only child and spoiled, was she the eldest of six siblings and a surrogate mother?  How does that upbringing affect how she interacts with her team? etc etc and so forth."  Notice how the first question gets you some kind of broad, generalised answer, likely resulting in a stereotype, and how the second version asks lots and lots of smaller questions with the goal of creating someone well rounded.

One would hope, really, that we as authors ask such detailed questions of all our characters, regardless of gender.


So let me, at long last, actually answer the original question:

"How do I write a female character?"

Write her the way you would write any other character.  Give her dimension, give her strength but please also don't forget to give her weaknesses (for a totally strong nothing can beat her kind of girl is not a person, she's again a type - the polar opposite yet exactly the same as the damsel in distress).

Create a person.

The I Haven't Read The Book Club – MEGAN CREWE, with ADRIENNE KRESS

Next Wednesday I will have the distinct pleasure to participate in an event featuring young adult author Megan Crewe.  I will be introducing her and interviewing her, and running a writing workshop based on her latest novel THE WAY WE FALL.  The event is free, and yes, consider this my invitation to you all to come.

I will, of course, remind you all closer to the date so you can make sure to come, but I wanted you to know now because Small Print Toronto, the organisers of the event, are running a contest where you can win a signed copy of THE WAY WE FALL, and contests are awesome.  Visit Small Print's event page for more details (scroll down a wee bit and you'll find information on how to enter).

Here is the information about the event itself:

THE I HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK CLUB  – MEGAN CREWE, WITH ADRIENNE KRESS

Wednesday April 4 – 6:30pm-8:15pm
Toronto Public Library, Northern District
40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto
FREE  (Space is limited - Advance Sign-Up Encouraged)

And here is a little blurb about the book itself (it's truly a page turner):

It starts with an itch you just can't shake.  Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat.  A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they're old friends.  Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again.  But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike.  As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island's dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl's bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living.

Steampunk Tuesday - Lady Lilleigh's Little Luxuries: Affordable Steampunk Accessories for the Discerning Consumer

It may or may be just a wee bit obvious by my posts on this blog that I happen to know some incredibly talented people.  I'm not sure how I lucked out in this way, but I have and I am not going to question it.

And for today's Steampunk Tuesday I would like to feature a friend who is also a Steampunk jewelry maker of truly gorgeous unique pieces. What I love about her and her work is the fun she clearly has in putting her pieces together, how much pride she takes in her pieces, and the joy she derives from a challenge. 

May I present to you Kristie St-Martin aka Lady Lilleigh.

(FYI: she has also come up with a spectacular piece specifically designed for a contest I'm going to be running for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY extremely soon.  But I can't tell you about any of that yet because I'm mean.)

Here's a little interview I did with her, along with some pictures of her work.  Also, if you are interested in her stuff (and why wouldn't you be), she is very easy to find as she is all over the interwebs:


Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LadyLilleigh

Website: http://ladylilleigh.myshopify.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-Lilleighs-Little-Luxuries/306654386020888

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LadyLilleigh
 



*When and why did you start making jewelry?

I started making jewelry in 2009. It was my first foray into both jewelry making and Steampunk. I had seen many other talented artisans creating Steampunk items, but was disappointed that most of the time, I was unable to afford those 'little luxuries'. My husband, the talented author, Rob St. Martin (no bias), had just started his new series in the Steampunk genre and encouraged me to create my own Steampunk accessories instead of buying them. I thought that it was a bit sad for those who were 'artistically disinclined' to not have the option of affordable Steampunk bits and bobs, so I took it a step farther and created Lady Lilleigh's Little Luxuries: Affordable Steampunk Accessories for the Discerning Consumer


*What interests you about the Steampunk Aesthetic?

I love the originality of Steampunk. At every convention I attend, I see someone who has taken Steampunk creativity one step farther - it's a constant adventure of discovery!

*When did/how did you discover Steampunk?

I've loved Steampunk since I was a little kid, I just didn't know it was called Steampunk yet! I always loved the stories of Jules Verne and I've always been addicted to the fashions of the Victorian era (especially the shoes!). Back in 1985, I saw the movie Young Sherlock Holmes and from that point on, was completely smitten with Steampunk.


*What's one of your favourite items you've designed?

Ooh, that's a tough one. I LOVE commissions. Creating something unique to an individual is very rewarding. I also think any of the items I create with one of a kind scrap parts are my favorite. I LOVE the challenge of turning old discarded items into reclaimed 'luxuries'.



*What's your proudest moment as a designer?

When someone comes to see me at a convention to show off the item they bought from me in previous years. I guarantee all my work, so if there is ever a problem with an item, I'll repair it or if it's irreparable, I'll replace it with a similar item. It's so important for me as a designer to see my customers happy with their purchase.



*What Steampunk article that you own but didn't design is your fav?

My Steampunk corset, hands-down! I got it from this amazing retailer, DragonCorsets.com.

On the unfortunate difficulty of being human

I realise I haven't blogged in a while, and the reason is simple.  There's been some stuff going on in my life (not horrible, nothing for anyone to be concerned about) that has been preventing me.  I've also been a bit low about it all, so not really in the mood quite frankly.  But I wanted to post this small post simply to point out that this happens.  To everyone.  To remind people, and myself, that things go wrong.  We feel sad.  But it isn't for forever.  

And it will get better eventually.

So as a pick me up for me, and hopefully for your enjoyment, here are some things that make me happy. 

Atticus as a kitten

Last but not least . . . The Rainbow Connection.  Which has amazing restorative powers.

STARLING by Lesley Livingston: Book Cover Reveal!

I like Lesley Livingston.

She's an awesome person, and yeah, also an awesome author (her latest novel ONCE EVERY NEVER has just been shortlisted for the CLA in the Young Adult Book Award category, an award that was given to her first novel, WONDROUS STRANGE).

So it always makes me more than happy to share awesome stuff about her.

In this case, it's the cover reveal for the first in her new Trilogy spinoff from the WONDROUS STRANGE series called STARLING.

Lesley is celebrating the event by hosting a contest over at her blog to win the complete set of WONDROUS STRANGE books until March 15th, so you might want to mosey on over there to enter!

In any event . . .

Here's the cover and blurb - can we just say it all together?

Awesome. :)

"Love is just the beginning... of the end."

When Mason Starling rescues an unconscious young man from the ravages of a terrible storm—and he rescues her from the otherworldly creatures lurking in that storm—little does she know her whole life is about to spiral dramatically, mystically out of control. Someone is trying to kill her, someone else is trying to use her, and the only one who seems willing to help her is the tantalizing, dangerous stranger who can’t even remember who—or what—he is. All he remembers is his name: Fennrys Wolf.

What Fennrys doesn’t know is that, thanks in part to his past actions, a crack has appeared in the barrier between the mortal world and the Beyond Realms. The crack has opened up a nexus of dark energy in the middle of the East River and it’s attracting the attention of powerful entities on both sides of the rift.

Because of that, a longstanding truce involving the members of several ancient underworld cartels is now in jeopardy. Mason, Fennrys, and the students of elite Gosforth Academy—a neutral-ground “safe haven” for children of the Families—soon find themselves caught in the crossfire as the servants of the warring pantheons fight to see whose gods come out on top...and whose demons go down in flames.

Set in New York City, with all its dark, gritty sparkle, the STARLING saga explores the spaces between the worlds and the realms of the ancient gods… only a heartbeat beyond. It’s a tale spun from ancient mythologies—Norse and Greek and Egyptian—filled to the brim with adventure, danger, and romance, and played out against the backdrop of a city with its own siren-song.

From the universe of Lesley Livingston’s WONDROUS STRANGE, a new series and captivating heroine make their exciting debut.

Steampunk Tuesday - Why I Love Steampunk

Why I, Adrienne Kress, love Steampunk:


1.  It's Oldy-Timey

I am, as the title of my blog would suggest, an actress.  Why did I become an actress?  To play make believe.  And what do I want to pretend to be?  Oldy-timey people.

Okay.  I love any kind of acting really, anything from contemporary realism to fantastical musicals, but I absolutely adore period pieces.  I love the costumes, I love the different way people expressed themselves.  I love the plays that have lasted the test of time.  I love dueling, and historic dancing, and carriages and yes, I even love corsets.  Because I don't have to wear one every day.



2.  I'm an Anglophile.

Now there's nothing saying Steampunk needs to be set in Victorian/Edwardian England.  There's a very popular Wild West Steampunk subculture, and more and more people are exploring other parts of the world as well.  All good things.  But, hello, my name is Adrienne Kress and I am an anglophile.

I have loved England (or my romanticised version of England) since before I can remember.  It was the setting for all those oldy-timey BBC movies/TV shows I watched growing up.  Where my favourite Disney musicals took place.  The land of Shakespeare (which I fell in love with at the age of 9).  Thatched cottages.  Grand estates.  And then there was London.  Magical, grimy, historical, fabulous London.

Magical, grimy, historical, fabulous London.

I made it my goal in life to get me to England, as soon as I possibly could.

And so . . . 

Through the University of Toronto, I was able - in my first year - to study at what we dubbed "The Castle".  Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex to be precise.  I was horribly homesick, but I stuck it out.  Why?  It was ENGLAND.  I was living in the English countryside. I went for field trips into London and visited the Tate, British Museum, National Gallery, St. Paul's and on and on and on.

The Castle

Then after I graduated from university in Toronto, I returned to the UK to live in London proper.  I had been accepted into LAMDA's post-graduate one year Classical Acting program, and after about two days I had determined that I had to stay longer.  So after my fantastic year at LAMDA drew to a close, I acquired what is called in the Commonwealth a Working Holiday Visa.  It's a visa for people under 30 that allows them to live and work in a fellow Commonwealth country.

I spent three incredible years in London, leaving only because my visa expired.  I learned that London (and England itself) was far from a perfect utopia.  It has political difficulties and a class structure held over from the past that still permeates contemporary interactions.  Tube lines are shut down often for construction, and the downtown streets are packed so tightly with locals and tourists.

But despite learning that my dreamland had flaws, I still loved it.  I loved that most of the museums were free, and if I was feeling low or bored or whatever, I'd just pop in and be inspired.  I loved the parks, would wander through them as often as possible.  I found my cozy pubs (not so easy, as many London pubs are very serviceable, not nearly as quaint as one would think), The Dove on The Thames was right near me and also had so much charm.  Speaking of which . . . the part of the river I lived near was lovely.  Parks lined it, leading to rows of pubs and rowing clubs, and then the more posh fabulous homes in Chiswick.  Most of all, I loved the theatre.  I went to the theatre there the way I see movies in North America.  It was affordable, and it was almost consistently quality.

The exterior of The Dove

Along the river near where I lived.

And after many years of being back in Toronto, I still get pangs in my gut, missing London so much.



3.  I love leather and brass and clockwork pieces, oh my!

The combination of those elements makes anything look cool.  I also love goggles, and corsets, and weird crazy weapons.

4.  I love the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, the Mouse Trap board game, and the machine that made Violet Beauregarde's gum in the Chocolate Factory. 

Seeing how things work, how one thing affects the other.  Watching wheels turn, and balls roll, and pulleys pull.  It's just so cool.  And really fun.

5.  I love SF/Fantasy.

Why?  Well aside from the cool toys factor, there's the brilliant opportunity to deal with certain subjects that might otherwise come across as a bit preachy or too on the nose or just too darn risky thanks to the nice distancing layer of the fantastic.  First interracial kiss on television?  STAR TREK.  And has any contemporary television show dealt with the tension between religion and science better than DEEP SPACE NINE or BATTLESTAR GALACTICA?   Well okay, maybe THE WEST WING comes close. . .

6. And the number 1 reason I love . . . wait . . . And the number 6 reason I love Steampunk . . .

I love Douglas Adams.

He is my writing inspiration.  His work showed me one could do weird and fabulous things, could break the writing rules.  That one could have fun.

By John Martz - http://johnmartz.com/

No, he didn't write Steampunk.  But what he wrote was wonderfully absurd.  And I love absurdity.

The concept of Steampunk is an absurd one.  You need to have an ability to suspend your disbelief, and, I really think, a sense of humour.   You need to be able not only to accept the dichotomy of a world in the past using technology of the future, you need to be excited by it.  You need to, when you see the trailer for THE WILD WILD WEST with Will Smith for the first time sit up a little straighter in your chair and think, "You can DO that??"  You need to think that it's wonderfully marvelous, and utterly ridiculous, and the fact that it is utterly ridiculous makes it even more wonderfully marvelous.

I love a good idea.  And Steampunk is just a really good idea.  It's fun.  It's wacky.  It's absurd. 




So there you go.  My list.  It's hardly comprehensive, there are many smaller things I love about it.  But these are the major factors that brought me down the road to THE FRIDAY SOCIETY. 

Now it's your turn!  What do you love about Steampunk??

All The Rage

There is nothing wrong with passion.

I myself am a rather passionate person myself, as anyone who has met me in person can tell you (and as you, dear readers, might be able to glean from the general length of my blog posts).  I actually get very tired of living in a world where being unemotional is considered cool, where a flat delivery of speech, with barely any inflection except, oddly, an upwards one at the end of any sentence, question or not, is de rigour.  Whenever I meet someone who speaks with enthusiasm and passion I am totally thrilled.  Caring is not always easy in our cynical world.  Sarcasm and negativity gets you much further.  People understand it.  You don't have to explain yourself.

It's hard to care about things in this day and age.

So I get it, I really do.

I also get how frustrating it is to try to have a conversation about something that matters to you, only to have it be dismissed as, "You can't do anything about it anyway, why bother trying?" or "Woah, chillax."  Or the even better dismissal of, "What are you talking about?  That whole problem you think still exists, like, so totally doesn't."

A person can develop some serious rage being dismissed, especially when it's so clear that said problems do still very much exist, if maybe a bit differently than they did in the past. 

I get angry.  Oh boy do I ever.  And sometimes at kind of inappropriate moments.

But you know what I'm learning as I live on this planet more and more, and very much through personal experience? 

Rage ain't never gonna change no one's mind.

It doesn't matter how salient your point is.  It doesn't matter how right you are and how wrong the other person is.  It doesn't matter if there is a giant sign over your head with a flashing neon arrow pointing at you that reads:  "SHE'S RIGHT!  SHE'S RIGHT!" 

Rage ain't never gonna change no one's mind.

People don't hear cogent arguments when they sense rage.  People just feel the anger.  And you know what happens when they feel that someone is angry at them?   They get defensive.  They want to protect themselves.  It makes sense, it's instinct.  People don't say, "You know, you've got a point."  No, they find any and all ways of defending their position.  And the angrier you get, the tighter they'll hold onto it.

So how does one actually affect change? 

Slowly.

And through respectful discourse.  Where not only do you share your thoughts calmly and logically, but you LISTEN to the thoughts of others, and truly take on board what they have to say as well.

Also by acknowledging that not everyone will be interested in what you have to say, and that it's not worth wasting your energy on people who clearly won't listen, no matter how calm you are.


Why am I writing all this?  Well there's been some fun business around the interwebs of late.  There have been people so angry and frustrated with the world and the injustices that do exist, that they have been lashing out.  Calling people names, being truly brutal in how they voice their opinions.  Most importantly not allowing for middle ground, that maybe someone might not be perfect in their actions but nor are they, you know, evil.  And the end result winds up being defensiveness.  And people commenting back on how stupid these people are being.  And in turn calling those people names. 

And the whole purpose of the rage gets buried under an argument of "why you gotta be so mean?".

The message gets lost.  People get angry.  No lessons are learned on either side.  And the conversation reaches a stalemate.

Because it never was a conversation to begin with. 

(this is happening not just on the net, but in my political environment too - my mayor is so upset that people [experts, fellow councilors] are pointing out that a certain plan that he is passionate about likely isn't going to work for numerous reasons [including financial ones], that instead of actually listening and maybe coming to some kind of compromise, he's threatening to fire everyone who dissented against the idea)


I want to change the world.  I do.  I want to even more so after I attended the Engineers Without Borders conference as a temp (will be blogging about this this week).  And I like to think that those who rage also, deep down, want to change the world.  Which is why I am writing this blog post.  In my own little way, this post is meant to help change.  Because we can't actually change the world, until we change our way of communicating with each other.

Consider this my appeal:

We need you.  We need your intelligence, and we need your insight.  We live in a world, especially in the western half, that doesn't even think there are still injustices to be fought.  It is such a horrible waste to see those who could help make change choose to make rage instead.  I realise it's still a personal choice, and I can't prevent anyone from making it.   And it's harder to work towards something, to stay optimistic, than it is to rail against something.  I know that.  I like to rail myself :) .

But please, please, if you can, if even a small part of you wants to, choose thoughtfulness. 

Because then we can start to truly make a difference.

Steampunk Tuesday - Interview With Professor Elemental

One of the sincere pleasures I had last year was attending the first ever Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition.  At that wonderful event, I met many fabulous people.  But the highlight of the weekend had to be meeting Professor Elemental and seeing him perform.  Here we are photographed together with my fellow author J.M. Frey.

For those of you unaware of the most talented Professor Elemental, here's a brief bio:

"Professor Elemental is a steampunk mad professor. His hobbies include adventure, invention, and a good cuppa. Aside from a few of his experiments (best left unmentioned), the Professor first got himself noticed with the track Cup of Brown Joy. The video has notched up over a million views on YouTube. 

  He takes to the stage and engages the audience at any kind of show – from festivals to fetish nights – and he also loves to work with people on special, bespoke events such as weddings. He's happy to host cabaret or perform solo. Recent events have included The Bizarre Ball, Secret Garden Festival, and the Steampunk World’s Fair."

I am most thrilled to announce to you all that the good Professor agreed to be interviewed by yours truly, and the following is the result.  Enjoy!

Professor, you are a true renaissance man.  Not only a skilled performer and musician, but also an adventurer, scientist, and boiled dead leaves enthusiast.  Where on earth did you acquire so many skills, and why do you think you are so talented?

 I think it’s something in the water. Namely a cocktail of mind altering drugs that my father used to sprinkle randomly into our daily cordial. He delighted in seeing which of us might become geniuses or go quite quite mad. So far as I know, I’m the only one who escaped madness- I am not sure about my brothers and sisters, or indeed if I didn’t imagine having them in the first place. I have a photographic memory, but it is a shaky, amateur photography at best. 

What made you think, “Hip Hop, well now wouldn’t that be just delightful?”?

 It was the only choice available to me. I love hip hop, more than almost anything, it feeds my every waking moment. Plus, it involved a great deal of words and talking and I’m a great fan of both. 

What are your musical influences? 

Hrmm, Bonzo dog doo dah band, Dizraeli and the small gods, Isaac Hayes, Walter Snicket and the army of broken toys, Tom Caruana, Jon Clark and every single piece of rap music that came out in the 90s. 

How do you see your music evolving in the years to come?

 

 I am pushing in some very strange and beautiful directions over the next couple of years- collaborations and solo shows, shows in strange fictional places and songs about things that no one has ever done songs about before. 

What is your favourite part about performing?

 Peoples. I love meeting people afterwards and having a party with whoever has been watching. That has always been my favourite bit- I’ve never been very good at doing and show and leaving straight afterwards. 

I also enjoy being able to ask a crowd to do my bidding- it is amazing what people will do if you ask politely.   

Any excellent stories from your tours you’d like to share (oh do say yes!)?

 There’s many that I really can’t share as this might be read by children or the infirm. Well, in the last 6 months, I have been upstaged  by America’s best gorilla, spanked heartily at a fetish night and ridden a bicycle powered roundabout through San Francisco- my aim is for something unique to happen at every show, and my record is pretty good thus far. 

The worst show for me was still the ‘Shoreham by sea food festival’ a few years back however, where I played for free to three old ladies in the rain. (One of whom stopped me mid-verse and asked me to turn up the beats as the vocals were annoying her.) 

What part of the world have you enjoyed exploring (either fictional or real or both) the most, and what part would you like to still visit? 

I am aiming to do a tour of purely fictional venues before the end of 2012. I have popped into a Conan the barbarian comic (Dark horse comics, issue 12) and am appearing in a few role playing games which is a nice start. I’d like to work my way up to a live concert at the town hall in Oz or at the Queen of hearts royal garden party- but it’s still a way off…

Photo courtesy Lex Machina

You are now being honoured with a comic book about you, could you tell us a little bit how this came to be and what it will be about?  Were you concerned they’d get anything wrong about you?  What did they get oh so right?

 Well, when your face is as handsome as mine, it is of course very difficult to capture it accurately. Even looking directly at it can make one go blind, so all of the artists had to wear special protective goggles when they were sketching me. 

To be honest, they have done a fantastic job overall- the adventures are accurate and exciting. And so many secrets are revealed: just what did happen on that arctic expedition, how did I meet Geoffrey and why on earth do I have so many giant robot bees around the house. 

Now that you are being immortalised in ink, are there any other goals out there for you, Professor?

YES. We are filming a TV pilot later this year- a sort of cross between Sherlock Holmes, Flight of the Concords and some other things that I don’t really have a frame of reference for. It will be amazing.

Plus there is plenty of new music on the way; you can find it all at www.professorelemental.com

What’s your favourite animal hybrid?

 Oh the badgermingo definitely. Lovely plumage and can wrestle a dog to the death. 

What is your favourite Steampunk accessory?  

My goggles, they allow me to see backwards and also the colour of peoples souls, which can be a great party trick.

And there you go!  Thanks so much for joining us!

Thanks so much for having me. Battenburg?

Video for "Cup of Brown Joy" :

And then . . . it was February.

Yeah, it's been a while.  Those of you familiar with my blog may note that this happens on occasion with me, these sudden vanishing acts.  You might also likely recall upon my return I tend to post my excuses.  So that's what I'm doing right now.

First, I started a very cool and interesting new Temp job with Engineers Without Borders.  As such, I spent a full week in Ottawa at their annual general conference.  This made it tough to post, but it inspired much fodder for posting anon (it was a truly inspirational week).  Then when I returned I thought I might start posting again, but . . .

I got my edits for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY.  Both from my editor and copy editor.  So that then occupied my time a fair bit.

Now the edits are in, I've got a bit of time, and I promise to post more frequently.  At least for the near future. 



My plan is to start up fresh with a new Steampunk Tuesday tomorrow.

So until then . . .

Enjoy the latest HUNGER GAMES trailer.  I know I did:

A Few Of My Favourite (Genre) Things of 2011

As some of you might know, I also contribute to a geektastic website called HardcoreNerdity.com (HcN).  Recently I wrote a post of my favourite genre things from 2011, and I thought, hey, why not share it with my blog readers too!  And that's what I'm doing.  Just FYI, the stuff I talk about in this post has nothing to do with books and writing, it's rather the thoughts of my alter ego as film reviewer and general pop culture consumer :) .

Enjoy!

(the links in the post lead either to film reviews of said movies, most of them by yours truly, or to my Manly Monday column where I spend time admiring the most delightful qualities of certain male actors in genre films - in case you feel like clicking through :)  Also, minor spoilers ahead. )

So the year has come to a close, and as usual it was filled with . . . my opinions. What better way, then, to wrap up 2011 than by having me share my favourite genre things from the year. Why did I choose the things I did? Because I felt like it.


Favourite Genre Movies:

The Muppets – arguably my favourite movie of the year. It was laugh out loud funny, the songs for the most part were sincerely catchy, and the pathos hit me right in the emotions, you know? Sure there’s some nostalgia here, and likely some bias – am a fan of both Kermit and Jason Segel – but it also meant that this could have turned out to be one of the most disappointing movies of the year for me. In the end, it not only met my expectations it exceeded them. Most importantly Segel kept true to the essence of what makes The Muppets so special: heart. And I think I needed to see a movie about people/frogs/bears/pigs/ etc being nice to each other this year. A little dose of dreams coming true never goes amiss either. Also, I give brownie points to any film that makes jokes I haven’t heard before. And has an 80s Robot.



XMen: First Class – the movie no one wanted aside from the major studios is up there with my favourite films of the year. Sure there are some frustrating sexist tropes (why oh why must all the female characters at some point be half naked?) but the 60s setting and the two leads, James MacAvoy and Michael Fassbender, combined with some truly creative storytelling and action sequences (hello, best change of perspective ever at the beginning there) elevated the film and brought back our excitement about this franchise. Then word of a Wolverine sequel brought us back down to earth.


Thor – poorly advertised it is a miracle this film did as well as it did. First of all Thor? Not exactly the most popular or empathetic of superhero characters. Second of all, man did those trailers make the movie look cheesy and everything Kat Dennings said, dumb. But the movie itself is awash in charm, from Chris Hemsworth’s amazing ability to make us like the cheeky fellow at the beginning, and believe his not really well written reformation at the end, to Tom Hiddleston’s surprisingly moving performance as a lunatic god, to Kat Dennings not actually being dumb at all but a perfectly timed comedienne, to Kenneth Branagh not afraid to give us pomp and circumstance, this movie really was fun. Sure the storyline on Earth was slight and the emotional resolution seemed to come far too easily and quickly, but did you see Hemsworth without his shirt on? Also: “I need a horse!”


Super 8 – this movie, like all movies this summer, had some serious flaws, but what holds it up above the other movies are the kids. While the monster might have disappointed some, I think the kids and their home made zombie film more than make up for it. Besides, the point of the movie wasn’t the monster, it was how a boy was affected by the death of his mother and how he comes to terms with letting go.  Great performances all round from the kids, especially Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning. And some great action sequences too. In a summer where planets are being blown up and world wars were waged, nothing came close to being as terrifyingly terrifying as that train crash. Also that single shot following the kids as they run through the neighbourhood while the army’s equipment goes haywire? Awesome.

Honourable mention goes to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Hugo and Mission Impossible IV. I enjoyed them, a lot, and I’m not really sure why they aren’t quite up there on the favs list, all I know is they weren’t the first films I thought of when I started making that list and I gotta trust my gut instinct.


Biggest Surprise Movie of the Year:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It wasn’t a work of art. But I actually had good time watching it (even more impressive considering how I absolutely loathed the second film). Even surprising-er? That the 3D actually worked and added to the fun-ness.


Favourite Newcomers (male):

Michael Fassbender – okay, come on, it’s so been this guy’s year. He’s been in every film and I think only Ryan Gosling beats him out as far as visibility goes. And why not, he’s sexy, he’s talented, and he makes amazing choices. He’s one of the reasons XMEN: FIRST CLASS is as good as it is.

Tom Hiddleston – fans of HcN won’t be surprised by this choice, I’ve developed a wee bit of a fan-girl crush on this lad. But for good reason, his performance as Loki totally blew me away. He really didn’t need to make the character as three dimensional as he did, but we as an audience were grateful. Further, we were also grateful that he didn’t go too artsy fartsy and still had fun just being bad. I am most excited to see him be badder still in THE AVENGERS, which I think will elevate his popularity even more so. On a personal note, the fact that he will be playing Hal (one of my favourite Shakespearean characters aside from maybe his nemesis, Hotspur) in a televised version of the two Henry IVs – well just makes me love him all the more.

Favourite Newcomers (female):

Jessica Chastain- the TREE OF LIFE star made some extremely wise choices this year, starring in one of the more artsy and odd films of the year (guys, there were dinosaurs . . .DINOSAURS), one of the most acclaimed yet unheard of films of the year, TAKE SHELTER, and one of the more popular films based on a massively successful bestseller films of the year, THE HELP. Not only did these films get her seen by everyone, it showed her incredible range. And of course how gorgeous she is.

 

Elle Fanning – stole every scene she was in in SUPER 8, and though she’d been on the scene a while, she’s suddenly making a splash this year. Plus SUPER 8 was the genre world’s introduction to her, so that works for this list in particular. What makes it all even better is that we’ve seen her older sister not fall prey to the evils of Hollywood and continue to work and make interesting films as she grows up. This bodes well for the talented younger sister. Please, Elle, please, don’t rebel.

I need to mention Elizabeth Olson also, simply because she’s been EVERYWHERE this year and I like to jump on bandwagons and make sure everywhere includes HcN.


Favourite ONCE UPON A TIME (yeah, it’s got me hooked) moment:
When Rumplestiltskin blew up Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother? That was awesome.

Yeah.

Like that.

Favourite GOOD WIFE (yeah, I know it’s not genre, I don’t care) moment:
That part of the show when it starts and then keeps going until the end.


Funniest Line in a Superhero movie:
From THOR: “Good.”


Funniest moment that doubles as “omg omg omg is he going to do it omg omg omg” moment:
Jeremy Renner (swoon) getting ready to jump down that computer shaft thing with a gigantic fan at the bottom with razor sharp blades and a pointy thing at the top to be impaled on in Mission Impossible The Fourth.

Thing I don’t have that I wish I did:
A computer shaft thing with a gigantic fan at the bottom with razor sharp blades and a pointy thing at the top to be impaled on.


Person I don’t have that I wish I did:
Jeremy Renner.


Best Fake Action Sequence:
The motorcycle chase in TINTIN.


Best Real Action Sequence:
The briefcase on the constantly moving up and down garage thing with the cars in Mission Impossible The Fourth.


Best Stunt:
A tie between Mission Impossible’s Dubai tallest tower skyscraper walk, and Transformer’s base jump off of a skyscraper. Whichever, they both work because of skyscrapers.

Performance that elevated an entire movie:
This is a tricky one because I feel most performances this year were what elevated otherwise okay films into the great category, but this one’s got to go to Andy Serkis in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Without his Caesar there wouldn’t have been a movie. Okay granted, yes, the movie is about Caesar so that’s kind of obvious, what I mean is, without an empathetic Caesar, a creature we cared about, worried about, sided with, this movie would have been pretty pointless.


Favourite Saddest Moment:
The end of a beloved series. I must admit that unlike many Harry Potterphiles, part deux this year did not impress me the way it did others. I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t adore it, not like I did Part Un in 2010. Still, I’ve been with this series a long time. First with the books, then with the movies. It’s been a decade. An incredible feat. 8 movies. No re-casting (aside from one actor who died). They stayed very true to the source material. Had some really genuinely funny, touching, impressive moments. And while the last movie wasn’t my favourite, it still was quite well done. Bravo, Harry Potter – and thank you again J.K.

 

Favourite Trailer that not only totally misrepresented the movie it was promoting, but managed to actually be the total opposite of said movie:
SUCKER PUNCH – okay, so technically this trailer is from 2010, but we didn’t know the truth until 2011.
Trailer: Empowered women kicking butt with awesome action and a sense of humour.
Movie: Dull, cliché ridden, derivative and if it had made any lasting impression whatsoever would have set back the women’s movement decades.


Favourite Tweet:
Seth Macfarlane:  “Unfortunately at no point during my workday does anyone ever have cause to shout my name and then toss me a sword.”


Favourite Moment for Adrienne with HcN:
Being complimented on my shirt by Kermit the Frog.


Favourite Moment for Adrienne in General:
That I continued to be totally fabulous for another year.