Idyll Dreams & Nonsensical Things

Where the Angels Dream – Coming fall 2023

cari lyn jones

August 1, 2023

Something old and powerful walks the gas-lit streets of Ashwood town –

For decades the Ascher family cemetery had been left to rot and ruin. Still, getting the position as caretaker there had been a boon for Devon Amaris. The job suited him, and it paid well enough that he could bring his younger sister, Sara, to Ashwood to continue her education. And if the spirits did not rest as quietly as they should in their weed-shrouded crypts… well that was of no nevermind to him. He could not say the same of the woman who waited for him every night in his dreams.

Sara had worried that making friends in a new town would prove difficult. As it had happened, a little white cat with rust-colored ears had adopted them nearly from the first day that she and her brother had arrived in Ashwood. And she had made more friends since. The fact that most of her new friends happen to be dead, she supposed was only to be expected.

Unbeknownst to Devon and Sara, a darkness is growing in Ashwood. The devil is in the air, and not everyone is as they appear to be. Certainly not a little white cat with rust-colored ears.

Set in a time when electric lights and telephones are signs of the well-to-do and spiritualism is all the rage, Where the Angels Dream follows the story of Devon and Sara Amaris. Two siblings with an affinity for the dead and the unfortunate luck to have drawn the interest of powers far older than themselves.

Ghosts, cemeteries, hauntings, secrets, magick… I can’t wait until this book is out in the world!

I’ll be sharing the inspirations and interesting little tidbits that went into Where the Angels Dream over the next few months, so keep an eye out for upcoming posts!

Pictures and Progress

cari lyn jones

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July 17, 2023

Hip-hip-hurray! The gas lamp fantasy that I have been working on is on its way to my editor. Where the Angels Dream, the first book in my An Affinity for the Dead series, should be coming to you this fall. I plan on sharing the blurb and some interesting tidbits about the story here on the blog next month, but I thought I’d celebrate my progress by sharing a few pictures from my summer thus far.

Garden

Cats

Food

Lumina and the Goblin King – Cari Lyn Jones

cari lyn jones

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July 14, 2023

I couldn’t stop smiling after reading this review from All About the Love. Thank you Jess!

All About the Love

About the Story (from Booksprout):

It is unwise to steal from goblins…
In order to save a dying silver kitten, a kind-hearted sprite makes a desperate decision. A choice that will change her life forever; because all debts come due eventually, and a debt to the Goblin King is no small thing.
Caught up in an age-old enmity, can she find a way to make good what she owes and still keep all she holds dear? Or will the price of her choice be more than she can pay? No matter the answer, some things are worth the cost, whatever it might be.

Do stories about fairies and goblins captivate you?
Personally, I love fairytales and folklore – both reading them and writing them. Lumina’s story is just such a tale, one of promises made and bargains kept, cursed kings and fairy queens, long-held animosity and love yet to be…

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Down the Rabbit Hole – Spinning and weaving

cari lyn jones

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April 5, 2023

“Hoax quietly watched as she spun flax and nettle into thread, twisting the strands of hair in as she twined the fibers together. A bowl of water sat on the floor at her elbow, the scent of rosemary rising up from it every time she dipped her fingers in to wet them while she spun.”
– The Broken Court, Chapter 3, On the Breath of the Storm

One little sentence and I was lost for hours.

It turns out that there are a ton of natural fibers you can spin into thread. There are the common ones you have probably already heard of such as flax, hemp, and cotton. But there are also several less common ones; rose, banana, nettles. Yep, nettles. Stinging nettles, the bane of bare feet everywhere. It was a very interesting process to watch!

A quick note – I am not affiliated with any of the sites whose links I have shared below. I make no money if you click on them, and any of the ads or opinions seen there do not necessarily reflect my own opinions or suggestions.

Youtube – Processing stinging nettles

Youtube – How to make fiber from stinging nettles

How to Root Ret Nettles to get fibre for cloth

How to make nettle yarn- Mother Earth News

Turning nettles into textiles – Mother Earth News

The most surprising natural fiber you can spin yourself

Weaving class – The basics

Beginner’s guide to Weaving – The Weaving Loom

Oh, a wonderful horse is the Fly-Away Horse-

cari lyn jones

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March 20, 2023

When I first read “The Fly-Away Horse” by Eugene Fields it set my imagination alight! I found it in an old book of poems at my grandmother’s house. I don’t remember how old I was (pretty young), and I thought it would be an amazing thing to be able to fly away to faraway lands on the back of a winged horse. Which was only encouraged further by reruns of Terrytoons’s cartoon Luno the White Stallion.

When I was a little older, I would sit out in the pasture on my mare’s back while she grazed, book in hand (she was so patient with me!). I would do as much daydreaming as I would do reading, and came up with reams of stories many of which are still filed away in my file cabinet today.

Many of the books that I read at my grandmother’s house were lost over the years, but I still have that book of poems in my library. Published in the 1920s, it is over a hundred years old now and is a little worse for wear. But I wouldn’t give it up for the world, although I may have to find someone to help me restore or preserve it fairly soon. Thankfully, it was not the only one I managed to keep, and I have made a point to collect many of the books I remember reading at her house. Most are extremely old-fashioned by today’s standards, but they carry many memories for me. It has also been very amusing when rereading them to realize just how much of the story I embellished in my head when I was young.

I recently saw this journal in the bookstore and I fell in love with it. When I showed my husband he bought it for me, wonderful man that he is. He asked me what I planned to write in it. I didn’t have an answer at the time, but I think I do now. I am going to write all the things that bring a sense of wonder with them and set me to daydreaming. Song lyrics, poems, movie quotes, scenes from books… that is what I will write in there. And I think it only right that the Fly-Away Horse be the first entry.

I have had this since I was in fifth grade. It hangs in my daughter’s room now. And though I don’t think she sets quite as much store by it as I did, it still gives me a delightfully warm feeling every time I see it.

The Fly-Away Horse
by Eugene Fields

Oh, a wonderful horse is the Fly-Away Horse--
Perhaps you have seen him before;
Perhaps, while you slept, his shadow has swept
Through the moonlight that floats on the floor.
For it's only at night, when the stars twinkle bright,
That the Fly-Away Horse, with a neigh
And a pull at his rein and a toss of his mane,
Is up on his heels and away!
The moon in the sky,
As he gallopeth by,
Cries: "Oh! What a marvelous sight!"
And the Stars in dismay
Hide their faces away
In the lap of old Grandmother Night.
 
It is yonder, out yonder, the Fly-Away Horse
Speedeth ever and ever away--
Over meadows and lane, over mountains and plains,
Over streamlets that sing at their play;
And over the sea like a ghost sweepeth he,
While the ships they go sailing below,
And he speedeth so fast that the men on the mast
Adjudge him some portent of woe.
"What ho, there!" they cry,
As he flourishes by
With a whisk of his beautiful tail;
And the fish in the sea
Are as scared as can be,
From the nautilus up to the whale!
 
And the Fly-Away Horse seeks those far-away lands
You little folk dream of at night--
Where candy-trees grow, and honey-brooks flow,
And corn-fields with popcorn are white;
And the beasts in the wood are ever so good
To children who visit them there--
What glory astride of a lion to ride,
Or to wrestle around with a bear!
The monkeys, they say:
"Come on, let us play,"
And they frisk in the coconut-trees:
While the parrots, that cling
To the peanut-vines sing
Or converse with comparative ease!
 
Off! scamper to bed -- you shall ride him to-night!
For, as soon as you've fallen asleep,
With a jubilant neigh he shall bear you away
Over forest and hillside and deep!
But tell us, my dear, all you see and you hear
In those beautiful lands over there,
Where the Fly-Away Horse wings his far-away course
With the wee one consigned to his care.
Then grandma will cry
In amazement: "Oh, my!"
And she'll think it could never be so.
And only we two
Shall know it is true--
You and I, little precious! shall know!

Found on my camera…

cari lyn jones

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March 5, 2023

A few pictures from around my garden that have been patiently waiting on my camera for me to remember them.

The moon was a silver bost sailing on an endless sea. It reminds me of this bit from Fairer than a Fairy in my Fairytale Series.

“They landed on a rocky shore and left the boat glowing softly on the beach behind them. When scarcely a minute later she looked back, it was nowhere to be seen. Although a thin moon now rose in the sky just ahead of them to light their way.”

And can you also see the valkyries riding in the clouds of the last photo?

Recipe – Lemony Chickpeas and Crispy Tofu

cari lyn jones

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January 23, 2023

The promised recipe from my Instagram post.

Lemony Chickpeas and Crispy Tofu

14 oz. extra firm tofu

4 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp margarine

2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained

½ cup cropped arugula

½ cup cropped cilantro

I cup riced cauliflower

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp lime juice

Dry mix:

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp granulated garlic

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp green salt (if you do not have green salt, use ½ tsp salt total)

¼ tsp salt + 1 pinch (omit if not using green salt)

¼ tsp paprika

Cut tofu into approx. 1 inch thick slices. Press to remove water.

In a medium size bowl combine cornstarch, granulated garlic, pepper flakes, green salt and salt. Mix well and set aside. Rinse and drain chickpeas, sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Heat sesame seed oil in a large pan over medium heat. cook tofu until fairly crispy on both sides. Remove allow to cool then cut into chunks. Toss in dry mix.

In same pan, heat olive oil. Add minced garlic, cook until fragrant. Add tofu. Cook for 5 min. stirring constantly so it does not stick to the pan. Add chickpeas, cauliflower, cilantro and arugula. Cook for another 5 min. or so until arugula is wilting. Add lemon juice, lime juice and margarine. Turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for additional 5 to 10 min. until liquid in mostly gone.

Serve warm as is or with feta or goat cheese topping. Goes great with crusty bread or naan.

Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

I found this recipe on Gypsyplate. I added artichoke hearts, and used arugula and watercress instead of fresh herbs because that is what I had on hand. It turned out specular! That site has a slew of fantastic recipes so you should definitely go take a look.

Down the Rabbit Hole – Christmas

cari lyn jones

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December 23, 2022

‘Tis the season…

Sometimes, a scene for a story will burst full-grown into my mind, and sometimes it’s just a vague inkling. A foggy idea that sends me off along a twisty path that is not guaranteed to lead anywhere. In this case, my meandering journey was prompted by a scene that may (or may not) appear in the second book of a gaslamp fantasy series whose first book I haven’t even finished writing yet! *sigh* Still, I thought it might be fun to share a few of the links that I found along the way. (See below)

And in keeping with the turn-of-the-century Christmas theme, I have a short tale you may enjoy reading titled The Rocking Horse that I posted a couple Christmases ago.

Vintage Christmas Candle Holders

Christmas Tree Candleholders

crackercountry.org

The thought of a mustache cup as a Christmas gift tickled my fancy no end. I remember seeing one of these in my grandmother’s house. I believe it actually belonged to my great-grandfather, or maybe it was even older than that.

Vintage moustache cup

watervillehistory.org

Christmas in 19th Century America

A black and white photo from around 1895 of the Christmas Groupe Car Troupe

The History of Stringing Popcorn

The Curious KISStory of Mistletoe

Mistletoe: The Evolution of a Christmas Tradition

Wishing all of you a joyous holiday season and a prosperous, healthy New Year!

Reflections

cari lyn jones

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December 21, 2022

November came and went before I knew it, and now December is nearly gone as well. The year is drawing to a close and as always that leads me to reflect on what I’ve accomplished over the past twelve months. Regarding my writing, that usually means I end up lamenting about those projects I thought would be finished by now, but aren’t. But too be honest, that sort of thinking really doesn’t get a person anywhere, does it? So instead, I decided to reflect on those things I did accomplish.

The first of those is the release of my second book in the Stolen Away series, The Broken Court.

I loved creating this book, loved drawing the cover art and the interior illustrations, loved writing the story. I especially loved reading what others thought of it and the first book of the same series, Lumina and the Goblin King.

“…I loved how this book is very subtle. It’s not the kind of book you can enjoy when you’re leaning back and shut off your brain. But if you read between the lines, if you see the story of the world changing, of an old woman changing, of love and all the different ways to express and how love, you will find a beautiful book set in a beautiful world.” – Goodreads review of The Broken Court

“…My favourite character remains the silver cat: well-intentioned, but believes the world revolves around him (and with cats, maybe that’s the truth).” – Goodreads review of The Broken Court

“…sweet read with strong, well-developed characters. The world building is detailed, imaginative and so well done…” Amazon review of The Broken Court

“…This slim story is basically perfect. It’s deceptively simple, but never simplistic; achingly beautiful, sad and hopeful.” – Goodreads review of Lumina and the Goblin King

“…a lovely book, warmly and lyrically written with appealing characters and interesting twists on all sorts of traditional folklore.” – Amazon review of Lumina and the Goblin King.

If you are interested in reading the full reviews, you can find the links here. The Broken Court; Goodreads, Amazon – Lumina and the Goblin King; Goodreads, Amazon

I do not, however, love how Amazon and Goodreads have two author profiles listed for me; one under Cari Lyn and one under Cari Lyn Jones. Why, you might ask? Well, because I’ve published under both names. My children’s illustrated books were published under Cari Lyn and my novels not necessarily meant for children were published under Cari Lyn Jones. I have yet to find a way to put them all together or keep them all separate. (A task for next year, I’m thinking)

That does lead me to the second thing I accomplished, book-wise, this year. And that is the release of second editions of all three of my illustrated children’s books.

As I laid these books out in their new format I fell in love with the characters all over again.

So on reflection, I did accomplish a few things this year. Maybe not all of what I had hoped to, but there were accomplishments achieved all the same. And even the one I fell short on, my gaslamp fantasy Where Angels Dream, is still at almost 90,000 words the longest manuscript I have ever written, and nothing to sneeze at.

So, I’ve decided not to be too hard on myself. Every accomplishment, big or small, is something to celebrate.

Pleasant Distractions

cari lyn jones

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December 10, 2022

What am I supposed to be doing? Why writing, of course! But as I have posted more than once lately, the last 50 pages of my current WIP have become an endless hallway, every time I am sure I am close to finished, I find there is still a long way to go.

Plus this time of year tends to bring with it many distractions. Pleasant though they are, they are NOT conducive to getting anything like work done. As you can see…