Watrous & Valmora - author notes

Welcome to the fourth week in the comment contest (see below)*** containing six weeks of entries in an author-note series for Tall Tales Shorter Days.  The fourth story in On Stranger Winds was a personal break from some of the book's darker content. Not that this story isn't scary for the right age group, but unlike more gruesome stories (such as Jitter), "The Pumpkinheart Tales" were written in mind (but not to compare) with the likes of Frank Baum, Roald Dahl, Madeleine L'Engle or Dianna Wynne Jones, which I think are still a great read at any age.

Watrous & Valmora is basically an adventure story following a young girl (costumed as royalty) chaperoning her younger brother, a werewolf, out for trick or treats on the night of Halloween. With its full title - Watrous & Valmora: Further Tales of Pumpkinheart - the story describe a Halloween chain of circumstance after a bit of candy greed starts the engines of unexpected havoc. What ensues involves a magical jewel, a weird scarecrow, a talking cat, a mournful ghost, armies of bats and ravens, as well as other oddities, and not to forget, a terrible witch.

You can actually read the story, in its entirety, here on the Bindlegrim blog. It was published here first during the week of Halloween 2012... see Watrous & Valmora (Part 1). And since the story is here, on the blog, I thought I would rather just offer a few bits of acknowledgement for some of the characters and scenes that appear in the tale.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:. Watrous and Valmora, New Mexico

Watrous & Valmora: In the spring of 2012, while finishing up this story, (during what turned out to be long Colorado / New Mexico road trips), I often passed this sign for two towns that screamed out to me as likely characters names in an Edward Gorey book. And I suppose, you might notice, the characters go un-named at the beginning of the tale, because as yet, they didn't have names. I adopted these town names Watrous and Valmora to the characters, yet I have to admit I still haven't been to these towns. I do hope, out of curiosity, to some day see what is there!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:. New Mexico scarecrow photo by pinconnected

The scarecrow: There is a very odd bogle in this story (part two), that our characters discover during their unintended raid of a night-time pumpkin patch. It's not your average anthropomorphic scarecrow, but instead described as a mix of various materials such as wood and Christmas tinsel, and the entirety moans as it spins about on the wind. The above photo was a huge inspiration on that "character" and is one my favorite scenes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Carbon (right) and work by Kilkennycat

Carbon: And finally a big thank-you for the posting of this adorable photo by artist on flickr Kilkennycat that inspired a few things in part three.  For beginners, I was very taken with this cute cat's name Carbon, which was the name bestowed to a very affable talking cat that helps Valmora on her adventure. That cat in the story lives on a farm owned by none other than the Kilkenny's (as another nod to the artist). Yet this also had me curious about the origin of Kilkenny cats which is  terminology based on an older story from the old world. You can read more about that in this wikipedia article (Kilkenny cat), that in turn inspired a bit of the story where Carbon mentions singing the lyrics of an old song.

Bindlegrim books in need of a new home. PS - Cover art is by David Irvine

Well that's it for now, and next week will feature notes on the next to the last story in the book - another of The Pumpkinheart Tales. In the meantime, thank-you to all who found their way to a copy of the book in either print (on Amazon or Etsy) or the Kindle/iPad e-book version which is available by loan (for a short time) or for purchase. And hope you are having fun during this giveaway...!

*** GIVEAWAY DETAILS ***

1) From Feb 24th to Mar 2nd - leave a blog comment here about whatever you like... about cats, witches, memories of trick-or-treat, recommended reading...

2) For each author-notes blog entries, I will draw randomly at the end of that week to give the commenting visitor a signed printed copy of Tall Tales Shorter Days.

3) At the end of all six blog entries I will draw from ALL comments (more commenting visits, more chances to win) for one Bindlegrim lantern - The Horrid Decor (Orange on Ghost Skin) seen below.

Note - Bindlegrim encourages and hopes, but does not require, that readers might leave a Like or a Review on the Amazon pages for the book: print or e-book.

*** GIVEAWAY DETAILS ***

The Pumpkin Dream - author notes

This third entry for Tall Tales / Shorter Days author-notes series, goes back in time to around 2004 (circa A Breif History... Part 1). This is a look backward at a particular poem, and the first Bindlegrim book which was really the birth of a holiday alter-ego. With this blog started in April 2011, the contents of that book in some form - the poetry, the illustration, as well as a vintage-style commemorative Halloween lantern has been in the Bindlegrim blog 26 times. So with that in mind, I will endeavor to discuss something new,  while keeping this entry brief...!

I perhaps enjoy this poem most pre-2010, that is, as words alone, (as it is now being presented in the print version of Tall Tales Shorter Days).  Originally there was no illustration for every eight lines of rhyme, no scrolling borders of skeletons and cats, nor any trace of graphic design ding-battery scattered about the pages. At that time there was only pulse, rhyme, and sensory descriptions...

When tattered oaks of autumn lend
prophetic chatter to the wind,
and gremlins from a branch dispatch
with felon deeds upon the latch,

We trust these words illuminate
of bogymen whose hunger slake
on children in a sugar feast
the fearless know as Trick or Treat.

Not to say that the graphic work wasn't exceptional fun (!!!) - but in some ways what came next was quite distracting from the poetry. I have to admit, once I began working on the visual art, it changed my experience of the poem - like a music video can  alter the experience of a song, for better or worse. Even now, I will catch myself reciting the poetry, no visuals at hand, doing my best to mock the voice of Vincent Price or Christopher Lee as the words alone build the senses of that Halloween night's adventure...

Trembling smirks from candle beams
devour themselves in ash and steam,
as vapor licks the ailing hearts
of smoldered pumpkins in the dark.
Escaping flames from embers red
flee hoot owls hunting overhead,
where critters on the roasted bits
of pumpkin features start to rip.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of the difficulties designing poetry for e-book formats The Pumpkin Dream poem is NOT included in the e-book version. It is only available in the print version here on Amazon or Etsy.

Well, even though Tall Tales Shorter days contains the non-illustrated version, I just couldn't write a blog entry without throwing in at least some media. Below is a little promo video for the original book The Pumpkin Dream: A Cautionary Tale from the Library of Mr. Bumble Bindlegrim to perhaps offer a touch more sense for its Halloween mood:


As before, comment as you like here on this blog entry, and I draw for a free book from that week's comments! This week starts Sunday 2-17-2013 and ends the evening of 2-24-2014. In the meantime, if you are looking for either version of the poem, visit my author page on Amazon. Thank you for visiting!

Bindlegrim books in need of a new home. PS - Cover art is by David Irvine

*** GIVEAWAY DETAILS ***

1) Leave a blog comment here between 2-17 to 2-24 about whatever you like... about pumpkins, mice, Jack O'Lanterns with attitude...

2) For each author-notes blog entries, I will draw randomly at the end of that week to give someone who commented a signed printed copy of Tall Tales Shorter Days.

3) At the end of all six blog entries I will draw from all comments (more comments, more chances to win) for one Bindlegrim lantern - The Horrid Decor (Orange on Ghost Skin) seen below.

Note - Bindlegrim encourages and hopes, but does not require, that readers might leave a Like or a Review on the Amazon pages for the book: print or e-book.

*** GIVEAWAY DETAILS ***

Updated 2-25-2013

Congratulations to this weeks winner: Peanut...! And thanks again everyone for leaving a comment. All are entered into the lantern drawing at the end of this series! I wish I had enough to go around for everyone!

Jitter - Author Notes

This second entry (Tall Tales Shorter Days author notes) begins with humble appreciation for everyone who commented on The Herbivorous Witch! Self publishing is not easy work and all the recent activity makes for great motivation! And that said, please accept my deepest apologies for small errors you many encounter which, though scoured and intensely edited, may have slithered their way into the book. For its majority a solo project, the elfin team of editors, proof-readers, and design goblins of big-books-inc. was not present --- (gah! I just discovered another tiny glitch now fixed). And so I ask for your patience and understanding.

And now for those who have returned to the blog, time to explore Jitter, a tragic and horrifying love story of sorts... loosely appropriate for Valentines week. (And don't forget the giveaway contest for printed copies of the book and a grand prize lantern - details below***).

The second story in On Stranger Winds is definitely a darker addition to this book's content. Whereas The Herbivorous Witch is best read with a sense for dark humor, Jitter, is rather more for those who like their horror gritty and grim. At one time I pondered if the book was best split in two halves - on the dark side: Jitter, Let Rains Bring Toads.... and the lighter side: The Pumpkin Dream, Watrous & Valmora, The Ballad of Papi Huesos... with The Herbivorous Witch somewhere out of place in the middle... but the decision was made instead to mix things up for a bumpy ride. I can't say if that was a wise decision or not...?

Jitter, I suppose, would fit the genre of animated scarecrow tales (?) along with Nathaniel Hawthorne's Feathertop. As best I can recollect, the story was partially inspired by autumn trips to the Craven Farm pumpkin patch (Snohomish, Washington), as well as by the following excerpt (below) of imagery dreamt for The Pumpkin Dream (originally illustrated in 2010). However, Jitter travels into much darker territory.

Beyond this morbid change withdrew
your friends like dreams forgotten flew,
and pausing at the edge of town
you shiver from what sights abound,

Of corn shock bent in rhythmic charm
at Goblin's Hob and Craven Farm,
as scarecrows in a dance morose
wave tattered arms from broken posts.

In the Jitter tale, a bogle awakens near an early season pumpkin patch. Though he once began as the lifeless and innocent work of protective crop farmers, a nearby witch has since animated him for her own mysterious purposes, which are relentlessly troublesome to the farm. But the farmer's have a bit of of their own magic, and escalate the situation with a second scarecrow. What happens next, when these two innocent creatures become involved in this older squabble, and on one particular Halloween night, make up some of the darker moments in the book.

Note - the wikipedia entry linked above has some great info on the term bogle which I must say I've taken a liking to over the term scarecrow. Here is an excerpt of the Wikipedia article --- "There is a popular story of a bogle known as Tatty Bogle, who would hide himself in potato fields (hence his name) and either attack unwary humans or cause blight within the patch. This bogle was depicted as a scarecrow, "bogle" being an old name for "scarecrow" in various parts of England and Scotland. Another popular Scottish reference to bogles comes in The Bogle by the Boor Tree, a poem passed down in the Scottish dialect. In this ghostly ode, the Bogle is heard in the wind and in the trees to "fricht wee weans". (Wikipedia)"

Our tatty bogle at Ichabod's Cottage, 2011.

As the first story written for the collection in Seattle, I thought I was setting a self precedent for a book full of scarecrows. And the original title of the book was Sketchbook of Straw (which will likely bequeath its name next time around on volume 2). But curiously enough, and discovered after the book was compiled, witches (of sorts) appear in each and every story, not scarecrows. This collection of witches are quite different from tale to tale. Some are seemingly harmless and sarcastic, while other are treacherous and certainly up to no good. And the witch in Jitter certainly has no warmth in her heart for scarecrows...

^{The snow has teeth...
oddly following a perfect Halloween in Colorado.}

As before, I would love to hear from you. The last entry had some great comments on witches! Now, what about scarecrows and/or bogles? All comments are entered into the Giveway mentioned below. In the meantime, a continuing thank-you to all who recently grabbed a copy of the book in either print (on Amazon or Etsy) or the Kindle/iPad e-book version which is available by loan or purchase, (note - loaner availability is a limited Kindle library offer).

Bindlegrim books in need of a new home. PS - Cover art is by David Irvine

*** GIVEAWAY DETAILS ***

1) Leave a blog comment here about whatever you like... about scarecrows, about writing, good stories, or better yet about Jitter.

2) For each author-notes blog entries, I will draw randomly at the end of that week to give someone who commented a signed printed copy of Tall Tales Shorter Days.

3) At the end of all six blog entries I will draw from all comments (more comments, more chances to win) for one Bindlegrim lantern - The Horrid Decor (Orange on Ghost Skin) seen below.

Note - Bindlegrim encourages and hopes, but does not require, that readers might leave a Like or a Review on the Amazon pages for the book: print or e-book.

*** GIVEAWAY DETAILS ***