Poll Results for the Next Serial

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

It’s Hidebound Hump Day!

purple Steampunk woman drawing_Pixabay
Pixabay (image altered)

Welcome, my chuckaboos!  I promise you are at the right place.  After many years of the same blog-look, I’ve changed things. 

It is Hidebound Hump Day. For those of you who are new around here, “chuckaboo” is Victorian slang for dear friend.

Saturday I stopped wallowing in my indecision and did a poll to ask you which of two  stories you wanted to read (and participate) as my next weekly serial.  One was The Skull of the Alchemist.  That is the next adventure for my fictionalized Cornelis Drebbel character.  The other is not a series (at least not yet), called The Delta Pearl.  Both are steampunk fantasies, and look like the Victorian Era.

Drebbel’s steampunk submarine and the Delta Pearl riverboat were in a race!  Are you ready to know which won?  Drum roll…..  The winner by a huge margin is The Delta Pearl!

delta-pearl-cover-1
Book cover created by Teagan R. Geneviene

About The Delta Pearl

As many of you know, I have several unfinished novels.  My real world job sapped my creativity and I couldn’t finish them.  The Delta Pearl is one of those.  About three years ago I created the crew and passengers — along with some other things that live on the boat.  That part was fun.  

My character matrix grew quite complex with all sorts of tabs for different things I’m prepared to track or use for my own reference.  Do you see that across the bottom of the picture? Each of those is a separate “worksheet” with all sorts of information I collected three years ago. 

character-matrix-tabs

How It Began

First came the riverboat as the setting. That was definite, but what to name it? I want the paddleboat to be a character in its own right, so the name was important.  I bounced ideas around with a coworker (three years ago when this started). He goes on a cruise every year.  He suggested their names tend to mention a body of water and often royalty, like Pacific Princess. 

We also found one ship with sapphire in the name.  I have a thing about gemstones.  Their legends and properties fascinate me.  From that point, I quickly took myself to the name Delta Pearl, which I also used for the title.  Names are extremely important to me, as you can see.

riverboat-Clarence Alford Pixabay
Clarence Alford at Pixabay

Cast and Crew of the Delta Pearl

Research geek and collector of name meanings that I am, I had a lot of fun learning about Victorian names.  They often used flowers to name their babies.  Another Victorian favorite for names was gemstones, for both girls and boys. That’s when I decided to give all the Pearl’s crew gemstone names.

Here are a few of the characters you will meet.  

I like to cast actors for my stories.  I saw one of the Doctor Who companions, Jenna Coleman, as Émeraude, the heroine and narrator of the story.

Jenna Coleman as Émeraude
Jenna Coleman as Émeraude

A taller version of Louis Jourdan as he was in Gigi is The Dealer, or Jaspe (pronounced ZASH-pah).  Yes, his gemstone is jasper.

Louis Jourdan as Jaspe, also known as The Dealer
Louis Jourdan as Jaspe, also known as The Dealer

You will also meet the riverboat captain, Cecil Perlog.  I see him as Robbie Coltrane, better known as Hagrid from Harry Potter.  What does Perlog mean?  Pearl!

Robbie Coltrane as Cecil Perlog, aka The Captain
Robbie Coltrane as Cecil Perlog, aka The Captain (Wikimedia)

 If you haven’t already done so — or even if you have, I invite you to leave  a random non-technology thing, to help drive the story.  Please limit your description of the “thing” to two words.  Remember it is for a Victorian Era-ish setting.

I’ll meet you at the dock for the riverboat on Saturday, my chuckaboos!

***

Now for the obligatory shameless self-promotion…

Universal link to my Amazon Author Page

Amazon universal link (Kindle/e-book) Brother Love — a Crossroad

Amazon universal link (paperback) Brother Love — a Crossroad

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USA:  The Three Things Serial Story: A Little 1920s Story Kindle 

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USA:  Murder at the Bijou — Three Ingredients I

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USA:  Atonement in Bloom

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USA:  Atonement, Tennessee

(E-book still on sale at 99¢ )

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This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright ©  2019 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

 

70 thoughts on “Poll Results for the Next Serial”

  4. Pingback: The Delta Pearl — Prologue. A New Serial Begins! – Teagan's Books

  6. I’m late to the introduction, but I’ll be at the dock before she sails, Teagan. As much as I miss Cornelis Drebbel, there’s something about a river that I find intriguing, so I am very much looking forward to this serial.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. There’s no such thing as late at Teagan’s Books, Dan. I know that I owe you a couple of visits — no worries.
      I agree that there is something compelling and mysterious about a slowly, but inexorable flow of a river.
      I remember the river came up in some of our “brain bouncing” emails for Brother Love, though I wasn’t able to get the story to move to one. At least it was already going to be part of Delta Pearl. Thanks for agreeing to let me use your photos for some of the illustrations in this new one. See you at the docks! Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

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  7. Whoo Hoo!! My choice won! I can’t wait to get on board with this crew and your amazing imagination! I absolutely LOVE the cover you posted here and just the name, “Delta Pearl,” rolls off the tongue nicely!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hey Jan! Thanks for being onboard this magical steampunk riverboat. I’m not sure if I would have gotten to the title (maybe I would) without that brainstorming with my friend at my old job. But the water-related ships he mentioned, eventually flowed in my mind to the Mississippi River… then “Delta” came ashore. When “Pearl” popped into my head, there was a perfect rightness to it — at least for me. So thank you for saying that.

      Woot! Roll on Delta Pearl!

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  9. Congrats, Teagan, this is going to be fun! You make me feel lazy with your incredibly organized book bible! lol.
    I don’t know too much about the victorian era, but here’s my stab at two things; a solid brass hotel counter bell and a victorian hair comb.

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. When I voted, I saw the results and figured this one would come out on top. I’m so excited. And I use excel workbooks too. They make great depositories for all kinds of information. Now get writing, my friend. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks for taking time to visit today, Diana. Yes I have work to do! Even though I had done a good deal on this story 3 years ago, it needs to be reworked. I’m posting the prologue first, and I’m unhappy with the flow, so I have a lot of work to do just for that. Hugs on the wing!

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  13. Delta Pearl! Yaaayyyy! I’m so glad that you base your characters on actors. When I’m reading, my mind automatically sees an actor as the character. I LOVE Jenna Coleman! She’s perfect. After all, she’s “Victoria” on Masterpiece Theater. Really interesting reading your process of putting these stories together.

    This is going to be another fun ride. Bring on Saturday!!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hi Ginger! It’s funny. Three years ago, I found that Victorian looking photo of her, buy I still have not seen that series. I agree that she is a wonderful actress.
      Sometimes I never find a real life face to put with a character. Frankie in the first Three Things Serial story is an example. All these years, and he is still a tall blur in my mind. 🤔.
      Thanks so much for visiting with your wonderful enthusiasm, my chuckaboo! Hugs.

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    1. I’d be honored, Robbie. You are so kind. ❤ The prologue airs Saturday. That shows the heroine as an 8 year old, to ground her character and let us have an idea of what might shape her thoughts and personality. Then next weekend Chapter 1 moves to her life on the Delta Pearl. I'm delighted that you are onboard, my chuckaboo! Have a wonderful vacation. Hugs.

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    1. Thanks so much about the site, Staci. I’m still fiddling with it, and stomping on any “bugs.” Although WordPress itself is such a mess that it’s hard to tell is something in the theme that I don’t want and what is a WP gremlin…

      Some of the characters (passengers) will be different than any I’ve done before. I hope it’s a fun voyage for everyone. Hugs!

      Liked by 1 person

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  17. Delta Pearl, definitely! Looking forward to it. I love the Victorian look in women’s clothing and hair styles. So may words to choose, but one word about hair comes to mind – chignon or bun! Go Delta Pearl! 📚🎶 Christine

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hi Christine. I hope you are having a wonderful vacation. Thanks so much for taking time to visit. Oh that’s a perfect thing. I image The Cook (or Agate) as wearing a chignon. Thank you!
      LOL, Roll on Pearl! Hugs on the wing.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you, Mae. It’s been so many years since I shelved this story. Yet the Pearl and particularly the Jaspe character have stuck around in my mind. It feels good to be back on the riverboat, working on their story. Hugs on the wing!

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  20. I’m looking forward to the story, Teagan, and I love the actors you have cast for the roles in your stories.

    Two things invented in the Victorian Era that aren’t techie for you. Jelly Babies, and the gramophone. I don’t think the gramophone is techie…is it?

    I hope you’re having a wonderful week! xx

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Deborah, you’ve just made me realize that I communicated something very poorly. Thank you. Victorian and/or “steam era” tech is a huge part of steampunk. In discouraging readers from leaving things like microwave oven (which someone left for a 1920s story), or other things we use in our modern daily lives, I said non-technology. I need to change that.
      Gramophone is a perfect tech thing for this story, and Jelly Babies are a wonderful detail. Thanks so very much for this comment, my chuckaboo. Hugs on the wing!

      Liked by 1 person

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  22. This should be a lot of fun, Teagan. I envision the Delta Pearl as a living entity, with a soul and all (like many houses seem to do), so I’ll have to come back. I have too many things going on in my head!!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Absolutely! GP you get it.
      I had gone a good way into this story before having to shelve it. I want to rework and add to the idea via this serial. It will be a combination of my existing ideas (from 3 years ago) and new material.
      That said, there are layered elements: a few mystery subplots with passengers and/or crew. Why are the various crew members onboard? Particularly Émeraude. Also the nature of The Captain and The Dealer (in particular). Plus the natures of the clockwork creatures.
      While it is certainly *not* “The Love Boat goes Steampunk” (LOL) 😀 — but there is a lot going on, in the way that show had mini-stories for all the passengers and crew.
      Heartfelt thanks for visiting, my friend. Hugs on the wing.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hi Cynthia. Most of the time I need to see something before I can write it. When I have a real face (rather than a blurry figure) in my mind, it’s easier to write the next scene, and to see the character’s emotions. Thanks for visiting. Hugs.

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