Category: Women and Fantasy
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Eolyn: Legends and Lore (Episode 2)
Hidden Heritage In my previous installment of Eolyn: Legends and Lore, I wrote about the origin of the Silver Web, including insights into Akmael’s parentage. The history of Eolyn’s parents, Kaie and Eoghan, is more obscure. In the series, we don’t learn much about Kaie or Eoghan because most of the people who knew them…
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The Perfect Magical Fantasy for the Holidays
I’m participating in a number of writer challenges on Instagram. One recent challenge asked: Why is my story important? To answer this question, I focused on EOLYN, Book One of the Silver Web Trilogy. What drew me into Eolyn’s story was the immense courage and strength she demonstrates when confronting a brutal system intent on…
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A New Look for EOLYN
I mentioned in an earlier post that I’ve commissioned new cover designs for The Silver Web Trilogy. Autumn M. Birt, ecologist, author, AND artist, is hard at work on the project now. I’m so excited about what she’s put together! I can’t help but give you a little hint of the new look – with…
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Free Read Fridays: Brothers in Magic
I’m testing the waters with some video content on my Instagram account. Called “Free Read Fridays,” each episode will include a brief (1-minute) reading from a randomly selected page in my novel EOLYN. I will occasionally cross-post here, but the best way to catch Free Read Fridays is to follow me on Instagram. This week’s…
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First Goals and Aspirations for 2020
Avila University started its regular spring semester about two weeks ago. Seems I’ve hardly drawn a breath, and the month has already slipped by! After some worry that I might be teaching an overload again this spring, I managed to negotiate with the powers that be so that my teaching obligations remain within contract. This…
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Kirkus Reviews ‘Daughter of Aithne’
I was excited (and nervous) last week to receive Kirkus Reviews’ assessment of Daughter of Aithne, the third and final installment of The Silver Web Trilogy. Nervous before I read it, excited afterwards. All three novels of The Silver Web have received positive reviews from Kirkus, but Kirkus seemed to like Daughter of Aithne best of all: “Thankfully,” the reviewer writes, “[Gastreich] ends her series with the…
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The Inquisitor
For a second, Carlos wonders what this man would look like under torture, whether his face would retain the same luminous quality. The thought excites him – the execution of power always does – and his sense of inferiority fades. – Tobsha Learner, The Witch of Cologne For a while now, I’ve been promising a series of…
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Not-So-Benevolent Sexism
The night I watched Hillary Clinton accept the Democratic nomination for president, something shifted inside of me. More than shifted; there was movement of seismic proportions. A complete re-ordering of my internal universe. Until that moment, part of me believed that this was impossible; that as long as I lived, a woman would never be nominated…
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The Un-Success Story
A couple months ago, I watched a documentary about the life of Jim Henson on PBS. I grew up with the Muppets and always admired the artistry and imagination of Henson’s enterprise. It was interesting to have this behind-the-scenes look at Henson life, and to learn about the personal and professional struggles he dealt with.…
K. R. Gastreich, Author 