Captain Kat

Traveller through space and time. Lover of page and screen. Mistress of my own ship. I am a writer, a mother, a living history enthusiast, a traveller, an explorer, an avid consumer of movies, television and books, an archer, a sci-fi and fantasy geek... Join me on my adventures. Yours in anticipation of everything, Captain Kat (K M S Harvey)

[captainkatchronicles]

Two Conventions, Two Cities

Sometimes we all need a kick up the backside to get back on track. I had lost my creative ways for a bit -- caught up in the maelstrom of family life and smoothing the path for other’s journeys to creative expression. Fortunately, I knew exactly what I was doing when I booked myself on a double sff convention extravaganza, starting with Worldcon in Dublin, two days to catch my breath at a beautiful cabin on Strangford Lough, NI, before ending up at Eurocon in Belfast.

The beauty of these two conventions is that you are surrounded by inspiration and encouragement from start to finish. The sff community are ravenous for new material and will go out of their way to point you in any direction that will eventually feed their literary hunger. They are wise and they are patient.

This year, I gathered my courage around me and volunteered to participate on a couple of panels. My speculative fiction novel may only just be resurfacing as a regular visitor to my desk, but it never hurts to pave the way for recognition by your future readership. At Worldcon, I had lots of fun taking part in the ‘Sexy Beasts -- Non-human pairings in sff romance and erotica’ panel. Who knew that all those kidnappings in Enid Blyton books had such a formative effect on so many young minds? At Eurocon, I found myself in illustrious company on the ‘Future of FanAc’ panel. It was humbling to hear so many stories about the origins of the community that has given me so much support over the years, both personally and professionally.

For the first time, I was at these conventions with my writer’s hat on. I don’t know why it never occurred to me, at previous conventions, to introduce myself as a writer. I am published. I have been paid on a regular basis for the words I have written. Yet, I shy away from saying, ‘I am a writer.’ Maybe, it is because I am not yet the writer I want to be? Anyway, as a Writer, I attended panels led by commissioning editors, learnt about what agents are looking for, studied the business of writing, discovered the joy of kaffeeklatsches where I got to meet Robert S Malan (Author and Editor at Luna Press Publishing), John Berlyne (Literary Agent at Zeno Agency Ltd), Gillian Redfearn (Deputy Publisher at Gollancz) and Ellen Datlow (Fiction Editor), sneaked an invite to the Titan publishing party and soaked up the inspirational emotion that flooded this year’s Hugo Awards. I did all of this in the weird and wonderful company of new and old friends who I may not see again for many years but will remain my friends forever.

Now, I’m home and my desk is covered in To-Do Lists that are actually starting to fill up with ticked items. I have so much that I want to do, and I wake up every day excited, looking forward to ticking off more of those items. I am no longer an apologetic writer. I am a writer with a plan, a plan that is taking me steadily towards being the writer I want to be.

You can find a more business-like entry on the many ways budding authors can benefit from attending conventions here.

[captainkatchronicles]

This.

[captainkatchronicles]

Professional editor and proofreader. Approachable, supportive, objective, open-minded and reliable. Based in Scotland, SfEP member.

It’s been a while. I have been wrapped up in my chrysalis, evolving into a proofreader and editor for businesses and independent writers of genre fiction and creative non-fiction. I have added training to my experience and I am a member of the Society for Editors and Proofreader (SfEP).

Captain Kat still lives on but I have a new hat to go with all the others. I have discovered a genuine passion for editing which has the added bonus effect of inspiring me to work on my dormant writing projects. Life is good, life is exciting, life is full of wonderful, magical words!

[captainkatchronicles]

Alpine Summer

The Captain Kat universe is a happy place once again because I have pulled on my goggles and ventured to foreign lands.  It has been too long between trips but I have plans in motion to make travels a more common occurrence in my adventuring schedule -- but that’s another story for another time.  This story is one of towering mountains, chattering streams, blues skies, warm sunshine, laughing children, luxury accommodation and an endless choice of exploits.  Ever wonder what goes on in a ski resort when the snow melts?  I, along with my mum and my three teenagers, found out.

Première Neige was our host, sending their trusty steed all the way to Geneva Airport to pick up my band of adventurers and bring us to the glorious Chalet La Marquise in the resort of Sainte Foy Station, Tarentaise.  Our chalet’s open views over the mountains and down the valley ensured that we never forgot about the beauty that surrounded us.

That endless choice of exploits gave us quite a problem.  What to choose?  What to leave for another time (there would have to be another time)?  We managed to scare ourselves silly on the Family Aerial Adventure, learn the fundamentals of horsemanship with the pony-trekking, travel up the mountain on the chair lift and avail ourselves of the fine eating establishments within the resort.

Those mountain vistas were beckoning us though.  Trampolining in Val d’Isère, exploring the market in Bourg St Maurice, whitewater rafting on the Isère River, cooking our own pizzas in an outdoor pizza oven with family at La Rosière ... the idyllic, peaceful scenery belies a frenetic pace of life.  The people inhabiting the Alps don’t simply ski for a week a year like the rest of us annual ski-trippers, they make the most of the outdoor activities all year round, from dawn ‘til dusk.  This out-of-practice Captain admitted defeat and stole a day to travel over the Col Petit St Bernard to the QC Terme Spa in Italy.  Possibly, the best 52 Euros that I have ever spent.  Bubbling water, saunas, steam rooms, ice water, body scrubs, infrared relaxation beds, power jets, refreshments and so much more that my ultra-zenned brain can’t remember; all of this heavenly bliss under the watchful presence of snow capped mountains and a bluer than blue sky.  I returned to France feeling like I’d gained a decade of life expectancy.

Our travelling group of mixed ages often had differing ideas of which adventure was to be pursued.  Teenagers and adults can have opposing definitions of the word ‘fun’.  Towards the end of our stay, we chose to walk from Sainte Foy to the listed hamlet of Le Monal.  Deaf to the wifi-generation protests, we packed a picnic, herded the teenagers and set off along the mountain track.  The sun was beating down, the start of the walk was steep, the adults were not popular.  Gradually the climb leveled out, we found pipes providing ice-cold spring water to top up our water bottles, the buzz and click of insects filled the air, the breeze went hand in hand with the sun, shuffling feet began to stride, and heads lifted.  By the time we reached Le Monal, the teenagers were enjoying themselves though they weren’t ready to admit it.  Winding through the old hamlet with its pretty white church and hobbit fridges, we spotted a good picnic spot by the clear, rushing stream.  Shoes and socks came off, feet dipped into the refreshing icy water accompanied by shrieks and laughter, everybody forgot to be miserable.  The walk back through the valley and down the mountain was a harmonious treasure.

With just a week for our travels, there was still so much left undone but we had added to our experience log, reveled in beautiful surroundings, and reached a peace accord seldom found in the hormonal maelstrom of the teenage years.  We were sad to leave Chalet La Marquise, with its amazing bathrooms, bountiful balconies and bubbling hot-tub, but we’ll be back to Sainte Foy and its breathtaking backdrop.  The adventures never end.

[captainkatchronicles]

Brexit and the Question of Scottish Independence

I have heard a lot of pro Scottish independence voices raised in favour of Brexit and it scares me.  It scares me that so many people are allowing themselves to be persuaded by the small picture, seemingly oblivious to the looming right wing power grab.  Comments all over social media saying things like, how can we be pro-independence from Westminster but seek to remain under the power of Brussels; we want to rule ourselves, control our borders, stop paying all this cash to the EU.

I get it.  I understand those arguments but, and this is a big BUT, what happens when we no longer have the safety net that the EU provides for us?  That control that is being railed against keeps the government we seek to break from under some semblance of moral and legal control.  What happens when we leave the EU, still as part of the UK, and we are governed by a right wing government in Westminster that is no longer kept in check by European laws and regulations?  When big business, the likes of Rupert Murdoch who are currently rubbing their hands in glee, can push their agenda unfettered?  How likely is it that, in a non-EU UK with nothing to gain and everything to lose by us breaking away, we would get another crack at an independence referendum?

Putting aside the fact that, if we wanted to trade in Europe, we would not have greater control over our borders with regard to freedom of movement of EU citizens.  We would, in reality, have to subscribe to the same rules as we do now but we would have no influence over the making of those rules, no rights of veto.  We live in a global society, immigration is part of the deal.  Putting aside the idea that by not paying money to the EU all of that money will be distributed to the deprived areas and industries which have benefited from our EU membership, to our public bodies which are so starved of investment by our friendly Westminster government.  Really?  We’re going to accept that argument?  Those of us who wanted so badly to break away from the monstrosity of our out-dated mode of government and begin again with a new way of doing things, a way not influenced by entrenched cronyism?  We’re honestly going to buy the argument that all of that money will go to where it’s needed and not into the pockets of those who are so fervently supporting a Brexit?

Putting aside all of that.  Outside of the EU, we will be a tiny minority of a United Kingdom that answers to nobody.  Once we have independence, then we talk about whether we want to be in or out of the EU.  But now, without independence, we have to stay in.  We need to stay in.  The bigger picture has to win out.  Surely.  Doesn’t it?

[captainkatchronicles]

Where the very eloquent Peadar Ó Guilín defends his love affair with Michael Swanwick's dark, erotic fantasy.

My response to  Peadar Ó Guilín, who pedalled The Iron Dragon’s Daughter to me and then wrote the above review in Black Gate.  We will be having words when I see him next...

A Dirty Love Affair

It was Peadar who introduced me to Michael Swanwick’s, The Iron Dragon’s Daughter, so I hold him entirely responsible for the damage that has been inflicted.  Read his review that was published in Black Gate - it is excellent but do not be taken in by his treachery cunningly disguised as romanticism.

When it comes to my literary relationships, I know what I like.  The experience of being swept off my feet, wrapped up in the excitement of a ride through territory that is new but relatable, with characters who I am cheering on through every tumble, mishap and victory.  I know that’s what I like, except that I don’t, not anymore.  My time with The Iron Dragon’s Daughter has robbed me of my certainty; every future, fictional relationship will be tarnished by the experience.

From our first introduction on the first page, it was clear that I was in dangerous territory.  A little voice told me to step away, close the book, stop reading, this is a dark and dangerous path.  Maybe I should have listened, but the allure, the draw of the copious little mysteries, deafened me to the good advice.  In his review, Peadar writes:

“This is not how fiction is supposed to be written, people. It’s a crime against the very concept of adventure and I feel dirty for having any part in promoting it. 

But good dirty.”

This is at the heart of my sojourn with The Iron Dragon’s Daughter.  Would I have heeded this warning so cunningly hidden amongst the honey lathered temptation that drives his review?  Probably not, the boy is really good.  The question and the answer are moot though because by the time he wrote those words I was already half way through the book and beyond saving.

The Iron Dragon’s Daughter made me want to leave over and over again but she offered so much promise, so much delight in the detail, that I knew I would have to let this relationship drag me along to its natural end.  No escape, no surrender.  She is the ride of my life, the one I wanted to get off but couldn’t, the one I will never forget but I’m so glad it’s over - sort of.

Venture onto her pages at your peril, succumb to her disciple’s (yes, Peadar, that’s you) call and know that you have been warned.  You may be lucky enough, like some, to be so overcome by her shortcomings that you are saved from the burning lust for what bubbles beneath.  Those shortcomings that make me hate myself for loving her so much.  This must be what it feels like to be an addict; I have tasted the drug in its vilest, purest form and, though I never want to touch it again, I can’t get it out of my head.

In short:

Unpredictable, wild, beguiling, unforgettable.  An industrial fairyland filled with unpleasant, otherworldly characters imbued with modern attitudes and pastimes.  Frustratingly overflowing with intriguing, incomplete stories, characters and concepts whilst the main story arc is difficult to grasp.  At times it is horribly violent, freakily shocking and utterly erotic.  It is impossible not to feel dirty but, oh yes, it is good dirty.

[captainkatchronicles]

This will be my enduring memory of Victoria Wood. May she bring as many belly laughs to the afterlife as she gave us.

[captainkatchronicles]

Charles Vane Has Captured My Heart

I have just finished watching Black Sails Season 3.  What a ride.  This show just gets better and better.  I will leave you to enjoy the sensory storm without interference from me. I am, however, compelled to leave a tribute to a certain rebel pirate who is as wise as he is wonderfully wicked. 

Flint: “I can’t understand how you cannot understand. You have no instinct towards earning for yourself a life more comfortable?”

Vane: “I don’t. And had I that instinct, I would resist it. For that is the single most dangerous weapon they possess. The one they tempt. ‘Give us your submission and we will give you all the comfort you need.’ I can think of no measure of comfort worth that price.”

Charles Vane has inspired a little pirate rebellion in my landlubber’s heart.  His character is driven by so much more than violence.  There is a philosophy, a well considered manifesto for raging against the machine, that pulls at my inner pirate and makes me, a woman with no sea legs whatsoever, want to run away to sea and fight until the war is won, until we are all free of swallowing the rhetoric of those who rule.  As he says so eloquently to a self-satisfied priest,

Vane: “You are not a shepherd.  You are a sheep.”

This is a man who will always cut to the truth of a situation, stripping away the cosy duvet of civilization that we have chosen to wrap around ourselves, reminding us of what we gave up in order to live comfortable lives.  To rebel requires an acceptance that life will be hard, that the basic necessities of life will be all that we aspire to in order to enjoy freedom from walking a path not of our making.  Should we choose to rise to the challenge, we would do well to remember that we are many, the pathmakers, the tempters, are few.  After all,

Vane: “They can’t hang us all.”

[captainkatchronicles]

Anxiety Overload

I haven’t been blogging much recently. You may have noticed! In the time since my brain tumour and my dad’s death, I have been struggling with sustained anxiety.  It’s a condition that I’ve always suffered from but previously I’ve been good at levelling myself out.  These days, not so much.  I accept that I need help and I’ve started the ball rolling by visiting my GP.  I’m doing the ‘beatingtheblues’ programme online which is monitored by a clinical psychologist and reports into my doctor.  What I really need is to get to talk to a professional but I know that the waiting list for this kind of help is long and I am not suicidal so I will survive until it’s my turn.

In the meantime, I thought that I’d have a crack at externalising how it feels internally when I’m on anxiety overload.  You may recognise the feelings yourself or it may help you to understand what is happening on the inside for somebody you love.  The pressure can feel overwhelming, along with the urge to do something, anything, to release it.  Here’s a snapshot of my brain activity, it might explain a few things...

Boom!

Tick, tick

Pick, pick

Tick, tick

Pick, pick

This way

That way

There

Here

Up

Down

Which way?

That way

This way

That way

Tick, tick

Pick, pick

Tick, tick

Pick, pick

Wheeeee!

Crash

Wheeeee!

Crash

Bump

Thump

This way

That way

Up

Down

Tick, tick

Pick, pick

Tick, tick

Pick, pick

Think

Think

Think

THINK!

In

Press

In

Press

Push

Out

Push

Out

Squeeze

Squeeze

Gasp

Tick, tick

Gasp

Pick, pick

Gasp

Tick, tick

Gasp

Pick, pick

Stop

Stop

Still

Wait

SCATTER!

[captainkatchronicles]

The last pancake is always my favourite #spacemonster

[captainkatchronicles]

What’s in a Name?

I am fascinated by the origins of language, words and names.  It is a healthy byproduct of my love for writing and history.  My craft will never bore me.

Today I found this origin story for my surname on Ancestry.co.uk:

“English and Scottish: from the Breton personal name Aeruiu or Haerviu, composed of the elements haer ‘battle’, ‘carnage’ + vy ‘worthy’, which was brought to England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, for the most part in the Gallicized form Hervé. (The change from -er- to -ar- was a normal development in Middle English and Old French.) Reaney believes that the surname is also occasionally from a Norman personal name, Old German Herewig, composed of the Germanic elements hari, heri ‘army’ + wig ‘war’.”

Military service has played a large part in my family’s recent history.  I wonder if it is the name that instills the martial spirit in us or if the genes that earned that far away ancestor the name have simply remained strong over the centuries?

So many potential stories leap to mind from the thoughts that flow around this origin story but, for now, I will leave you with this:

Carnage may follow me wherever I go but you can rest assured it will be worthy carnage.

Who wouldn’t want to go adventuring with a Harvey?

[captainkatchronicles]

Proudly presenting the Ladies of Clanranald.  Inspiring me since 2010.

Happy International Women’s Day!

[joannechocolat]

So, THIS is where I was on Monday. It’s a magical apothecary’s, built from the wreckage of an old pub in Rotherham, and selling all kinds of amazing things. Spells; wands; curses; salves; Extract of Genius: Trouble Stirrers; Goblin Mucus; Middle-Aged Vitriol.

But that’s not all it is. Not by a long way. Behind a bookcase, there’s a hidden door, leading upstairs to another, even more magical floor, where children of all ages can dress up, read, write stories, collaborate in storytelling projects and generally explore the world of their imaginations.

It’s a literacy project with a difference, affiliated to the Ministry of Stories and run entirely by volunteers, with all proceeds from sales in the shop going back into the charity. It gives children from all kinds of backgrounds the chance to discover the magic of stories, as well as the magic inside themselves.

Language gives us the power to communicate with those around us. But literacy gives us the power to reach out and communicate with anyone around the world, and to learn from the greatest minds in history. 

Who says magic isn’t real? It’s happening right here, under our noses, at Grimm & Co, where, along with a legion of kids, they’re changing the world in secret, one story at a time.

[captainkatchronicles]

The world needs more of this.

[captainkatchronicles]

The Witches are packing for their Easter trip to Blocksberg. They'll be stopping off at the former St Kessog's in historic Callander. Easter fun for young and old.

[captainkatchronicles]

Digesting The Facts

It turns out that figuring out which foods cause a reaction and which foods don’t is not as straightforward as it sounds.

‘My body hates me’, has been my standard response to everything for the last week. It probably doesn’t help that I started with the more complicated food groups - gluten / wheat and dairy / lactose.  It also doesn’t help that I got a little over excited and didn’t, initially, reintroduce them in their purest forms.  Then there is the added complication of underlying health issues that could be causing symptoms without having anything to do with food intolerances.  I have been marching through a minefield using the ‘let’s see what happens if I step on the mine’ approach - I’m not surprised that my body hates me.

Out of this muddle I have managed to draw a few conclusions.  Gluten and soya definitely cause intolerance type reactions.  Nuts, honey, corn and lentils appear to induce no discernible change in symptoms.  Natural cow’s yoghurt and butter seem good as does goat’s cheese but mature cheddar cheese in anything other than tiny quantities brings me out in hives (this could be due to histamine or bacteria).  Too much fruit or certain types of fruit are also responsible for hives but it’s difficult to pinpoint those at this stage as fruit was not part of the elimination.

I will continue to work my way through the eliminated foods and keep a food diary.  My thoughts at this stage though are that my hyper sensitivity to some foods could be caused by underlying health conditions so I need to get to the bottom of those and how they affect the digestive system.  I also think that it would be better to come at this process with the support of a health professional.  I will be going to my doctor with my conclusions / suspicions when I have done as much as I can and I will be asking for a referral to a dietician or whoever is best suited to untangle this web of interdependent chemical reactions.

Eggs, tomatoes and seeds this week.  My body hates me... but probably with good reason.

[captainkatchronicles]

Nom Nom Nom!

Three weeks are up and I can start to re-introduce the eliminated food.  I am so excited.  Today is dairy day.  Natural yoghurt for breakfast, bliss!  Creme fraiche, parmesan and cheddar to be had as part of my meals later in the day.  All low in lactose but tasty.  I remember being told, way back in my student days, that I was allergic to anything that came from a cow.  If this is going to be the last day that I eat dairy, I want to make the most of it.

The headache finally eased off a couple of days ago and the hives were calming down until last night / today.  I hadn’t had cherries for two days and then had them again yesterday so it’s possible that they are the culprits.  Some fruits certainly seem to have a negative effect - apples have preceded a big flare up too.  

I have also cheated a bit.  On Saturday, I went out for a meal and ate a few small potatoes (I had mild stomach ache later).  When I added the gluten free oats to my diet I tried a couple of different kinds of milk that were ‘off plan’ - unsweetened soya milk and unsweetened almond milk.  Soya seems to give me wind.  There was no obvious reaction to the almond but it may be a contributor to the hive flare up so I’m reserving judgement on that one.

Next on the list to re-introduce is wheat / gluten and then eggs.  Really hoping I survive those two without out any adverse reaction.  I miss boiled egg and toast for breakfast!  Will update you on the results... bet you’re on the edge of your seat!

[captainkatchronicles]

Elimination Revelation

Day 15 and I have to confess that I reached the end of my rope yesterday.  It’s not so much the restricted choice of food that I am eating.  I am finding good, tasty food to eat every day.  Starvation is not an issue.  It’s the ever present headache and the continuation of the hives.  I had hoped to be feeling so much better than this by now.

Fortunately as part of me spiralled down into the pits of despair the rest of me went in search of the Why?  These are my conclusions so far:

The headache.  This is a clear symptom of withdrawal.  Research had told me that it should last a few days but mine has been almost constant for about two weeks.  I was ready to throw the towel in when I stumbled upon the symptoms of sugar withdrawal.  Now, whilst this elimination diet has allowed me to eat fruit it has cut out refined sugar, sweeteners and honey whilst drastically reducing my intake of simple carbohydrates.  My sugar consumption has been cut to almost nothing.  Sugar withdrawal goes on for much longer than a few days.  So, whilst the headache is a constant pain, I now understand that it is part of the flushing out of something that my body really doesn’t want to let go of.  I have hope that the headache will come to an end eventually and my system will be the better for it.  Hope gives me purpose and I will stay the course plus I know that sugar is something that I need to restrict going forward.

The hives.  These are not a symptom of an intolerance, they are a symptom of an allergy and they have been driving me crazy over the last couple of weeks.  The irritation is greater because I assumed that, by eliminating the main culprits in the food allergy arena, their cause would be ousted and they would go with it.  The obvious conclusion was that something that I have no excluded is causing them but, if that’s a case, how was I to discover what it was?  My search for answers took me in a different direction and threw up that auto-immune condition of mine that seems to be at the root of many chronic conditions - hypothyroidism.  That pesky thyroid can cause hives and, incidentally, has also been linked to acid reflux - another of my ongoing symptoms.  With the hives and the acid reflux potentially being a result of my underactive thyroid it means that I can relax a bit about whether I am doing the elimination diet wrong.  I now have some ideas on how to reduce the effect of my dodgy thyroid through taking steps to fix what could be a leaky gut, the fixing of which would also reduce the effects of any food intolerances.  Bonus fuel has been added to the elimination diet mission.  As a back up, because this is all just reasoned conjecture, I can still follow the allergy angle by going back and eliminating the foods I am currently including once I have been through the re-introduction of the current list.  Once again - hope and a plan gives me determination to see this through.

There are the strands that make up my knot.  Two problems plus research and logical reasoning.  The problems aren’t solved but I have manageable plans in place to deal with them and I can hang on in there for the duration.  Less than a week until I start to reintroduce the eliminated foods.  I have survived the worst of it, there’s no way I’m slipping off the end of my rope now.  The benefit of dealing with these two problems is that I am more aware of how I want to introduce foods and which ones I want to keep to a sociable minimum regardless of how I respond to them.  Sugar addiction and the prospect of a leaky gut with all its resulting health problems are a powerful incentive to make long term changes to what I use as fuel in the future.  Even if that is the only benefit that comes from undertaking this elimination diet then it will have been worth every bit of achy, itchy deprivation.