Victoria Dougherty writes Cold War historical thrillers, historical fantasy, and personal essays. She's also a book coach, blogger, podcaster, and avid celebrant of the creative life!
Remembering The Count of Florida's Panhandle
Hello from the Cold!
Before we get to the roast pork and dumplings of this missive (FYI, roast pork and dumplings is the Czech national dish), my BREATH series is on sale today and tomorrow only (that's the 29th and 30th)! For those of you who have not read these novels yet, you'll be able to download BREATH (book 1, on multiple platforms) for $.99 and OF SAND AND BONE (book 2 on Amazon only) for free. The links in the paragraph you're reading will take you to Amazon, while the button link below is self-explanatory.
For my noir and thriller readers who have been on the fence about reading this new historical fantasy series, don't hesitate. I promise it's got all the war and grit and treachery and adventure that you love! Only difference is it takes place in other eras and doesn't involve spies. Lots of warriors, though! Plus a damsel in distress and some great villains and villainy!
| Breath on all platforms but Amazon right here! |
And Now, For Something Completely Different
It's taken me a long time to even consider writing this piece, and even longer to consider making it available to people outside of my family. Grieving a parent is always complicated. Especially when you factor in estrangement and, well, strangeness. And my biological father was a complicated man.
Remembering The Count of Florida's Panhandle
by Yours Truly
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“I am a Cejka,” my father would often announce, as if all of us should know what that means, other than recognizing that it is his family name.
The communists had taken over Czechoslovakia when he was a boy, stealing his family’s estate and fortune, but my father continued to carry with him a sense of pride about being a Cejka. One he took with him from the cold water flat he shared with my mom in Prague, all the way to his simple, one-room rentals in Chicago. He strode the public beaches of his retirement state of Florida with the imperious detachment of a noble surveying his lands.
As a child, I had a fascination with my father, and this high-falutin’ family of his. The dichotomy between the way he lived his life, and the Downton Abbey circumstances of his birth couldn’t have been starker, and his eccentric behaviors were the stuff of legend in the Czech immigrant community.
| An obituary, of sorts |
Cold Podcast
This week in the Cold, I tell you all about one of the biggest pieces of shite that I've not only ever come across, but actually had the audacity to translate and produce for the stage. And I say this with tremendous affection. I do this not to torture you, but to demonstrate why, sometimes, really bad stories hit a sweet spot in the greater culture and go on to phenomenal success.
| What does it mean to "move an audience?" |
Larry's Music Box
I just love this song by a band that is nothing short of bluegrass perfection. They're called the Steel Drivers, and if you haven't ever listened to them, you're in for a treat. "Where Rainbows Never Die," makes me ache in the best way, and yes, it is a song that is the perfect accompaniment to grief. It's raw, poetic, and as complex and comforting as the perfect cup of tea. Just take in these opening lyrics:
I'm an old man now, I can't do nothing
Young folks don't pay me no mind
But in my day, I sure was something
Before I felt the heavy hand of time...
Victoria Dougherty
Writer, Book Coach, Unapologetic Fantasist
Victoria Dougherty writes Cold War historical thrillers, historical fantasy, and personal essays. She's also a book coach, blogger, podcaster, and avid celebrant of the creative life!
Hello from the Cold! The holidays are truly upon us, and I've been thinking a lot about how to express to all of you how very grateful I am for our Cold forum. It's a place, I believe, where nothing is off limits, and where we endeavor to address topics of real meaning, and stories of true consequence, whether they are fiction, family lore, or history. I thought about writing a short story, holiday-themed perhaps, or offering some of my favorite holiday photos along with some anecdotes I...
Hello from the Cold! I'm coming to you a bit early this week, but for good reason! American Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I wanted to be sure we could give thanks together, bask in the soul-nurturing gift of gratitude. This annual mediation is a great reminder of the good things in our lives, large and small. It is especially indispensable to those of us who aren't feeling particularly thankful, have had a hard year, and may be wondering what comes next. If this is you, you're not alone, my...
Hello from the Cold! This is going to be a something of a stream of consciousness. An attempt at articulating a process that I'm still smack in the middle of. There will be no neat beginning, middle, and end. At least not today. Nevertheless, I hope you'll indulge me, because I think this could be illuminating. See, I've been experiencing what I would call a creative stutter. This is not to be confused with writer's block, which is when a writer stares at a blank page for hours, days, or...