New Short Story

http://storytails.podbean.com/2011/08/10/admiration-for-the-oyster-by-joan-taylor-rowan/

This story was selcted by Storytails back in July and you should be able to hear it through this link, let me know what you think.

It's an e- Book!

BUY NOW for Kindle

http://www.amazon.co.uk

I've finally delivered, after a long labour.  Mother and offspring are doing nicely. It was a little late - but the first ones usually are. The formatting looks clear and the cover in colour looks splendid. I can't quite believe it and keep smiling to myself everytime I think about it. So many decisions to be made, pricing, method of payment, DRM (Digital Rights something) I did think it might never happen.  I hope you buy it, read it and love it and if you do let others know and please leave a comment here and on Amazon. If you hate it you'll have to ask Amazon for a refund.
I've had one written review:

"A wonderful tale about love and redemption set in a Mexican Circus. Joan Taylor-Rowan writes with great freshness and assurance, and her descriptions of the 'cirqueros' and circus life are pitch perfect. I LOVED this book; and it deserves every possible success." - (Katie Hickman, award-winning travel writer and best selling  author of A Trip to the Light Fantastic - Travels with a Mexican Circus, The Pindar Diamond, The Aviary Gate.)

Creature comforts...

Captain Constentus, claimed to have been tattooed against his will in Burma (almost certainly untrue although his tattoos are certainly Burmese in style) and was a great attraction in the Barnum and Bailey circus in 1870's, reputedly earning $1000 a week. I noticed in the summer the incredible amount of people who are heavily tattooed now, sporting everything from gorgeous Japanese style flowers and fishes to futuristic anime inspired creatures.  I'm sure he could have incorporated his nipples into the design in some more imaginative way. I've never had a tattoo but if I sell 1000 copies of my novel I must just do it.  Why am I so interested in tattoos - you'll have to read The Birdskin Shoes to find out. Found this image at www.thehumanmarvels.com.

Tattooed lady

This is a painting by Jaques Le Moyne de Morgues, 1585, A young Daughter of the Picts.
Romanticised but rather beautiful.

E-book publication creeps closer

A few days more.  Katie Hickman (with her Mexican circus experience) has been brilliant in agreeing to review my novel -  so waiting for her comment before publishing. Realised downside of e-books is no free advertising. No-one on the tube clutching my book in their hands, whilst weeping with emotion at my wordsmithery. Kindle needs a little backscreen which would say "I am now reading..." but you'd have to be able to override it in case you were reading something really trashy and didn't want anyone to know...If they do it - remember you saw it here first.

Manet's The Execution of Maximilian

Something a little more serious after my last post.  I've begun a story inspired by this painting by Manet that's in The National Gallery.  I wrote the draft off the top of my head in the writer's group, WOOA that I belong to.  When I got home I decided to do some research. What a strange  story I uncovered. Maximilian was imposed by the French on Mexico in 1864 as a puppet emperor much to the fury of the Mexicans. However he was not a bad egg but just rather naive.  In fact he and his wife Carlota (Charlotte) were appalled by the inequalities they found and tried to bring in some liberal reforms.  He found himself caught  in a political mire which he didn't seem to understand and was eventually executed but by whom?  A firing squad (or possibly three) were recruited to execute him and two of his generals. Were they French or Mexican.  Manet shows them wearing French style uniforms - a political attack on his own country for possibly authorising the murder.  The work could never be shown in France and was cut up and then bought up in pieces by Degas. There are many horrible aspects to the story but two stick in my mind - apparently soldiers were given a pouch of gold- or possibly a gold coin- by the emperor if they would promise not to shoot him in the face, - he wanted his mother to view his body -  one source claims they took the money but shot him in the face anyway. The embalming was then a disaster and his blue eyes liquified, so someone ran to the local church and removed the brown glass eyes from a statue of the Virgin.  How will I now get all this into the story? Watch this space...