Charlotte Frankel Rides Again

[scfrankles]

My publisher (^___^) JayHenge Publishing has just announced that their latest anthology of short stories is now available. It's called 'Unearthly Sleuths' and I have a story in there, 'Noir Comedy', under the name Charlotte Frankel. You can see the UK paperback here and the UK Kindle edition here, and the US paperback version here and the US Kindle edition here.

As with the previous anthology I was involved in, I'm so pleased by how well-designed the collection is. I'm rather tickled by the fact that any 'a's in the authors' names are replaced by a little magnifying glass, and each story gets its own image as well. Mine is of a woman in a mask - as my story is a crossover between Commedia dell'arte and Detective Noir. (Someone else's prompt from Flash Fiction Month on DA, but I like to think I did it justice...) And it's a great cover as well. Haven't actually read the collection yet - but there are several authors in there I know and admire. I'm very happy to have been involved, and in fact I'm already planning on submitting stuff for another anthology.


Talking of little magnifying glasses... I'm in my *cough*late-40s*cough* but my near sight is still in pretty good shape for most situations. However, I am noticing the onward march of time - I have to hold my wristwatch a little further away, I can't comfortably thread a needle any more, I need plenty of light to read the small print on the back of a packet. And most pertinently, at work customers sometimes thrust items at me, point to tiny, tiny print on the label and ask, "What does that say?" And I either can't read it at all, or can't read it with confidence.

And so, in the spirit of keeping the ageing process as fun as possible, I have bought... my very own golden pince-nez! It's so cute. The frame is metal and a pale golden colour, with a little loop if I wish to attach a chain, and the lenses are oval. The whole thing is surprisingly small - about the width of a credit card. And I hadn't realised that pince-nez are worn so far down the nose - at the soft bit, rather than on the bridge. This makes it very easy to look over the pince-nez as well as through it, switching from near to far sight. Mine does pince the nez slightly more than I was hoping, but I can't expect a perfect fit from something off the shelf - and I don't need to wear them a lot.

I will go and have a proper eye test eventually though. It has only been 30 years or so... ^^"

Comments

[sanguinity]

Pince-nez! I would like to hear more about yours later, as your opinions continue to develop.

We were in Laramie, Wyoming, yesterday -- a town that is very proud of its Frontier West heritage -- and there was an optometrist's shop that puts prescription lenses in antique frames. They had quite the selection of antique pince-nez, including a gold-toned one whose chain seemed to end in... a hairpin? I'm not sure. But I did stand there thinking that you would know (would you were there), because you are very clearly The Person Who Knows All Things 1890s.

ALSO, congrats on the new publication!

:: ...my story is a crossover between Commedia dell'arte and Detective Noir. (Someone else's prompt from Flash Fiction Month on DA, but I like to think I did it justice...) ::

Oo, that's an intriguing combination. And I find it very easy to believe that you did it justice. :-)

[scfrankles]

I'm rather touched that once in Wyoming someone thought of me ^__^ (Wyoming's quite a distance from you, isn't it..?) ...you are very clearly The Person Who Knows All Things 1890s. Crikey - if only. In fact, all I know of Victorian pince-nez I learnt from the Wikipedia page ^__^

And that does mention hairpins, as well as pinning the pince-nez to clothing. Also, looking at the page again, the Victorian pince-nez is worn up on the bridge of the nose. It must just be these newfangled pince-nez that are worn on the end of the nose. (I checked photos again of people wearing them, just to reassure myself I wasn't managing to put the glasses on wrongly ^_^)

And thank you ^__^ My story is in fact still online as well. If you ever wanted to read it, searching for 'SCFrankles' and 'Noir Comedy' would probably make it pop up ^^

[sanguinity]

(Oh, look, here's the antique spectacles place!)

Laramie's a bit over a thousand miles, yeah. (A 2.5 hour flight to Denver, Colorado, then another couple of hours in the car.) grrlpup's family lives halfway between Denver and Laramie; when we're visiting, we usually make a side-jaunt up to Laramie to meet up with a childhood friend of hers.

:: In fact, all I know of Victorian pince-nez I learnt from the Wikipedia page ^__^ ::

Hey, that puts you well ahead of me! :-D

:: searching for 'SCFrankles' and 'Noir Comedy' would probably make it pop up ^^ ::

And so it did! I enjoyed that, thank you!

[scfrankles]

Can I just mention I did so enjoy your explanation for your edit in your previous comment? ^_^

I had a look at one of the videos that shows you around the 'antique spectacles place' ^^ It does look like a fascinating place - and so gorgeously set out. I wore my pince-nez while watching - it seemed appropriate ^^

Crikey, a thousand miles - I hope you and grrlpup had a great time on your visit ^_^ I believe it's a particularly lovely part of the world - I used to have a mild obsession with Colorado because of the film Cannibal! The Musical, of all things ^^"

And as I said over on DA, thank you for taking a look at my story ^^

[sanguinity]

Good, you were meant to enjoy it. ;-)

Weirdly, we think of Denver and Laramie as relatively close, in their not-at-all-close way? But that's the western US for you: anything that's within a state or two is manageably close, in a "well, it's not like you have to put in real effort to get there" kind of way.

It was a good visit, yes. Her family is very kind, and we always enjoy nipping up to Laramie.

Huh, I know nothing of the film beyond what I just googled. However, grrlpup informs me -- and I am duly informing you -- that the C.U. Boulder campus cafeteria is officially named the Alferd Packer Grill, and was somewhat notorious for that during her childhood.

Of course I did; I like your stories. I was even prepared to create a DeviantArt account just to say that I liked it. (But then it turned out that I already had one...? My life is a confusion.) Speaking of, is there a way to get DA to email comment notifications, or is that a paid-members-only kind of thing, do you know?

[scfrankles]

...the C.U. Boulder campus cafeteria is officially named the Alferd Packer Grill... That is both hilarious and deeply disturbing ^___^

...is there a way to get DA to email comment notifications, or is that a paid-members-only kind of thing, do you know? DA doesn't do email notifications for anyone at all I'm afraid - they only do marketing emails for things like special offers, or confirming you've paid for something. The only way you can find out what's going on in your account is to log into DA itself.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

CONGRATS! Wow! Such great news. We will say we knew you when you were just a pink and purple icon.

Edited to add I'm glad you're able to see better, too.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I know you might not be interested and I know you don't generally write original fiction but... JayHenge is going to be doing an anthology of erotic speculative fiction. The details are here (http://www.jayhenge.com/callforstories.html). You'd have some months to consider it I think. It's only a small amount of money as payment at the moment, but you'd be able to do what you liked with your story - put it online if you wanted. Might be fun..? But I understand if it's something that doesn't appeal to you.

And to be honest, I haven't really needed to use the pince-nez yet but it's so reassuring to know that I've got it ^__^

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Congratulations

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you ^__^

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Just watch out for any dodgy Russians when wearing your pince-nez. Oh, and any handsome detectives ;)

Congratulations on being published again. I shall be sure to get a copy - maybe add it to my birthday list - it's ideal for my mother when she asks what I want. Strangely I looked for it on one of the booksellers I use and found several books on sloths!

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Believe me, I would consider dodgy Russians turning up at my place of work as a delightful distraction ^__^ And handsome detectives are always welcome everywhere ^^

I'm really touched that you're going to get a copy. And touched that you didn't decide to go with one of the sloth books instead :P

[debriswoman]

That is excellent news; many congratulations and I shall seek the volume out:-)

And yes, age with style...are we to expect an ear trumpet and a Victorian Bath chair in several decades' time?

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you ^__^ And I'm very touched that you are going to seek the book out ^_^

And yes, age with style...are we to expect an ear trumpet and a Victorian Bath chair in several decades' time? Thank you, madam. Very witty :P Oh, crikey - the ear trumpet might actually be a good idea though ^^" Whenever I'm watching or listening to something with my sister, I always have to ask her to turn it up 'just a little bit more'.

[debriswoman]

Have hunted book down now...none available when I first clicked the link...well done, your authorship:-p And yes, nice mask illustration:-)

[katleept.livejournal.com]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! It may only be an entry in an anthology to some folks, but to me and many other writers, it's still something HUGE!!!

Maybe I should look into how to submit one of these days...

The design sounds very cute, too! :)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Well, JayHenge only does anthologies in speculative fiction but if you're interested, Jessica (the lady who runs it) is always looking for new writers and she's very nice and very professional.

I should probably expand my horizons a bit and try submitting to other places now too - you've got to be bold ^^ And thank you ^_^

[tripleransom]

Wow - that's exciting news about the book! Congratulations!

I always thought pince-nez glasses were worn up on the nose, about like regular glasses. Woodrow Wilson wore them, as I recall, so you're in good company.

[scfrankles]

Thank you ^_^ It's only a very small thing really, but it's lovely to know that someone considers my work worth publishing ^^

And yes - proper pince-nez glasses do seem to be worn up on the bridge. But all the modern-day pince-nez reading glasses I've seen online do seem to be worn on the end of the nose. Perhaps easier to get a universal fit that way? It does have the advantage that the reading pince-nez are very small and can just be tucked in a pocket. And if they're at the end of your nose it's easy to look over them when you want to switch to far vision.