I am so pleased to welcome Resa Nelson, author of The Dragonslayer’s Sword and The Iron Maiden, to Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf!
How a Last-Minute Decision Changed My Novel
by Resa Nelson
While researching my
4-book Dragonslayer series, I took a leap of faith and went to a seminar about
medieval and Renaissance weapons in England.
I felt intimidated because it was clear that the vast majority of people
attending the seminar already knew each other.
From what I could tell, it looked like a pretty tight-knit
community. I felt like the odd woman
out, but I plowed ahead and went to the seminar.
It was held at the
Royal Armouries museum in Leeds, and I arrived a day early so I could spend as
much time as I wanted exploring the museum, which turned out to be a great
decision. For anyone with an interest in
suits of armor and swords, this museum is exquisite.
I found the seminar fascinating. Each day different experts spoke about their
research of using specific medieval or Renaissance weapons. My favorite presentation was about an unusual
style of wrestling that’s existed in Iceland for centuries: glima (pronounced GLEE-ma) wrestling. In a nutshell, two people hold on lightly to
each other’s belts and kind of dance around, looking for the right moment to
trip the other up and wrestle him to the ground. To me, it looked like a very peculiar version
of the foxtrot. Later during the seminar
I got to try my hand at glima wrestling, and it was tremendously fun. But I digress.
You might be wondering
how people today can research medieval and Renaissance weapons techniques. It’s because during those times there were
weapons masters who often developed their own techniques and taught them to
people. (I based a character in Book 2,
The Iron Maiden, on what I learned about real-life weapons masters.) Some of these weapons masters wrote books
about the techniques they taught with cryptic instructions and tons of
illustrations. Dozens of books like
these that were written in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance still exist
today. There are sword guilds all over
the world where people are working with copies of these ancient books, trying
to figure out what they mean and recreate the techniques. This is a new field of study that’s been
going on for the past decade or so. I
ended up joining a sword guild and had the experience of working with a copy of
a manual about sword techniques used in the 1400s. Working to decipher and understand and
recreate the techniques is one of the most interesting things I’ve ever
done. But I digress again.
Going to the weapons
seminar in England turned out to be one of the best decisions I made for the
sake of my Dragonslayer series. Being
surrounded by experts from all across Europe gave me the opportunity to ask
people all kinds of questions. It
created the perfect environment for me to think through issues I had yet to
solve about the plot of Book 1. My mind
was constantly turning. I listened and
learned and watched people trying different techniques and got to try a few
myself.
On the last day of
the seminar, I was having lunch and brainstorming in the cafeteria of the Royal
Armouries museum, writing frantically as all kinds of new ideas dawned on
me. All of a sudden, all of the threads
I’d created for Book 1 came together in my head, and I finally had a solid
grasp of Book 1’s plot and my main
character, Astrid. If you read The
Dragonslayer’s Sword, the last couple of chapters of that book are what popped
into my head while I was in the cafeteria.
If I’d never gone to the seminar – if I’d given up and let the obstacles
to going there defeat me – I don’t think these ideas ever would have occurred
to me. Book 1 would have been quite
different, and it might never have been more than one book – I might never have
seen how to expand it into a series.
Ironically, going to the seminar was pretty much a last-minute decision
based on intuition. Ever since, I’ve
made other last-minute decisions that have turned out just as well. I’ve become a big believer in just going for
it.
During this blog tour
I’m telling lots of stories about the research I’ve done for my Dragonslayer
series. You can find out where I’ve been
and where I’m going next by checking my website (http://www.resanelson.com),
my Facebook page (Resa Nelson & The Dragonslayer’s Sword), or following me
on Twitter (ResaNelson).
If you’d like to sample
my work for free, you can download a free “mini” ebook called “Dragonslayer
Stories” from my website at http://www.resanelson.com/files. No cost, no obligation, nothing to sign up
for, no information gathering. I like
giving away samples of my work so you can decide for yourself whether you like
it or not. If you do, you can enter to
win a copy of the first two books in my series, which I’ll give away at the end
of this tour on Feb. 14. To enter, just
send email to ResaBonusGifts@aol.com.
(I won’t keep your email address – this just makes it easier for me to
keep track of entries.) I’m also doing a
book giveaway on GoodReads, so you can enter to win there, too.
The Books:
Synopsis for The
Dragonslayer’s Sword (Book 1)
For Astrid, a
blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers, the emergence of a strange
gemstone from her body sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to
destroy her life. Her happiness is shattered when her lover--the
dragonslayer--disappears without a trace, and the life that she knows and loves
implodes without warning.Astrid lives in a
world of shapeshifters whose thoughts have the power to change not only
themselves but others. Everything Astrid knows to be true is called into
question when she learns the truth about her past and the mysterious family
from which she was separated as a child.Reality turns
inside out as Astrid gradually learns the truth about the people she loves as
well as those she disdains. With the fate of dragons, ghosts, and slaves in
foreign lands resting on her shoulders, Astrid faces the challenge of deciding
who she is and how she will stand up inside her own skin. Will she withdraw and
hide from the world that has disappointed her so much...or will she rise to
lead others to freedom and peace?
Synopsis for The
Iron Maiden (Book 2)
Astrid is
reluctant to travel the winter route beyond the Northlands, even though it’s
her duty. She’d rather stay home in her village, surrounded by friends and
neighbors. Ignoring the bonds of tradition, she decides to spend the cold
winter months in the warmth of her blacksmithing shop. Why should she leave the
comfort of her cottage to serve and protect foreigners who might raid and harm
her native Northlands?Everything
changes when a traveling merchant steals Starlight, the first dragonslayer’s
sword Astrid forged and her last link to her sweetheart DiStephan. Having no
time to alert her friends, Astrid races in pursuit of the merchant, determined
to reclaim Starlight as her own and return home in time for dinner. Instead,
her quest leads her to new lands, unexpected friendships with foreigners, and a
harrowing encounter with the damage done by the followers of a new god that
considers women as nothing more than servants to men. All the while, she must
be ready to face any dragon traveling the winter route.In Book 2 of the
Dragonslayer series, Astrid must learn that deciding who she is isn’t a
decision she can make just once. It’s a decision she must make every day.
Check Them out here: GoodReads | Trailer
Buy them here: Amazon | BN
Connect with Resa: Her Website | Twitter| Facebook
The Author:
Resa Nelson has been selling fiction
professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction
and Fantasy Writers of America) and is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop.
Resa was also the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms
of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has
sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United
Kingdom.
Her first novel, The Dragonslayer’s Sword, was
nominated for the Nebula Award, the highest honor in science fiction and
fantasy. It was also a Finalist for the EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy
novel is based on a short story first published in the premiere issue of Science Fiction Age
magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first Readers Top Ten Poll. The Dragonslayer's Sword
is Book 1 in a 4-book series. Book 2, The
Iron Maiden, was recently published. Book 3 is scheduled for
publication in Summer 2012.
Resa's standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute,
is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient
Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a 5-star review, calling it "a
riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."
In real life, Resa is a fan of
chocolate, travel, summer, museums, ballet, movies, and Broadway musicals (her
favorites are Les Miserables and Wicked).
She lives in Massachusetts.