The Z Files: Judith Barrow ~ Scorpio

Astrology ~ a bit of fun, a load of rubbish, or something to take seriously?

I invited around 70 writers/bloggers to write a piece about how typical they are of their sign, and how its traits affect their writing life ~ if at all...

Has your favourite writer been featured yet?  Links to all previous posts at the end of this one :)

Yes, it's yet another Scorpio... a Yorkshire writer living in Wales, the author of very popular family dramas, Judith Barrow.  I've read and reviewed her compelling, warts-and-all trilogy about the fortunes of one family during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s; you can read my reviews HERE.  Judith is also a creative writing tutor, and a keen reader/reviewer for Rosie Amber's Review Team.

Here she is with Mr Barrow, who very kindly put her straight about her November born traits, as you will see below.... come and whip your Scorpio tail at us, Judith! :)

"Not having been confronted by the traits of a typical Scorpio before, now I look it up I’m not sure I want to be one; not with words like Jealous, Possessive, Manipulative, Controlling.

Throwing my pen across the table and giving a snort of disgust, I tell my husband, ‘I think my mother got the dates wrong; I think I’m more Sagittarius, I’m only six days out.

He slowly shakes his head without looking up from the newspaper. ‘It says Sagittarians are unemotional.’

Ah, I think. So…

Scorpios … deep, intense, passionate. Yep, like that; do like that.

 

Loyal. That’s better."

"Dynamic, Resourceful. I can feel a warm glow inside me; they’ve got it spot on!

Observant. Definitely; as I writer I have to be. Although someone has called it being nosey before now–just because I ask questions and don’t give up until I get the answers. 

‘Unyielding?’ he suggests.

‘Oh no, I’m not. Not at all.’  I glare at him.

He looks at me over his glasses. ‘How do you feel about being “suspicious?”’

Now, why would he say that?"

I love it!  Well done, Judith, a typical Scorpio personality portrayed in so few words ~ which is very Scorpio in itself, of course.  You can see Judith's blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter.

Judith has strong Welsh links, living in Pembrokeshire as she does, and being published by Honno, who cater for all things book and Welsh, so who could I choose for her first famous Scorpio writer if not....

....Mr Literary Wales himself, Dylan Thomas? 

My second choice is a lady who fixed me with 

a steely Scorpio glare even from Wikipedia and, like Judith, is famed 

for her gritty working class dramas ~ Beryl Bainbridge.

 

Up Next: a very kind and helpful Libra

Previous Posts:

Leo and Aries: Terry Tyler and Julia Proofreader

Leo: Rose Edmunds, Alex Johnson, Anne Goodwin,

Aries: Joanne Phillips, Trisha Ashley, Cynthia Harrison

Gemini: Haydn Lee, Norah Colvin, Jerome Dumont,  
John Privilege, Shelley Wilson,

Aquarius and Capricorn: Nicky Black

Aquarius: Cathy Ryan, Lynda Renham

Capricorn: Georgia Rose, Wendy Janes, Annie Lyons, Steffany R

Sagittarius: Jan Ruth, Adrienne Vaughan, Rachel Amphlett,  
Wendy J Lennox Katrina Mountfort

Cancer: Emma Gray, June Kearns, Sarah Boucher, Katie Oliver, 
Mark Barry

Virgo: Louise Marley, Elizabeth Ducie, Barb Taub,

Pisces: Lizzie Lamb, Julie Haiselden, Maria Savva, Sacha Black,

Scorpio: Gen Gannon, Stacey Garrity, Gemma Lawrence, Robert Leigh, Catherine Hokin, Jenny Twist,

Taurus: Valerie-Anne Baglietto, Val Poore,

Libra: Tom Hocknell, Jen Ammoscato, Joanne B

The Z Files: Genevieve Gannon ~ Scorpio

Welcome to The Z Files, in which writers show how the characteristics of their star sign influence their work; I instructed contributors to take the subject as seriously or as lightly as they wished.  Links to other posts can be found at the end of this one.

Today I'd like to welcome Australian Scorpio chick lit author Genevieve Gannon, who is published by Harper Collins.

"The idea that I'm an archetypal Scorpio makes me laugh. Scorpios are always described as hot-headed and passionate, jealous and dark and perhaps a little stubborn. When Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton started wearing vials of each others' blood around their necks, I thought: Scorpios. That's nothing like me! So it's difficult to say how these characteristics apply to my writing style and my stories, which are irreverent, light-hearted comedies."

However, the philosophical, intense approach the characters in my book Husband Hunters take to the task of finding a spouse is somewhat reflective of the Scorpio nature. And Violet Mason, the heroine of my second novel Chasing Chris Campbell, leaves her entire life to chase a guy she barely knows around Asia. That's definitely very loyal and intense. Perhaps not very deep thinking, which is another Scorpio trait.  

Unlike all the other contributors Genevieve has told us nothing about herself ~ which in itself perhaps reveals more of her Scorpio character than she realises; they do like to keep things hidden, and reject the frivolous. Perhaps she possesses some of the other traits listed above :)

You can find out more about Gen's books on her website or click the links above, and follow her on Twitter. 

Two famous Scorpio lady writers to go with Gen ~

Fellow chick lit writer Kathy Lette...

....and Pulitzer prize winner who has been likened to Jane Austen, Anne Tyler.

Up Next: A very talkative Capricorn!

Previous Posts:

Leo and Aries: Terry Tyler and Proofreader Julia

Leo: Rose Edmunds, Anne Goodwin, Alex Johnson,

Aries: Joanne Phillips, Trisha Ashley, Cynthia Harrison

Gemini: Haydn Lee, Norah Colvin, Jerome Dumont, John Privilege, 
Shelley Wilson,

Aquarius and Capricorn: Nicky Black

Aquarius: Cathy Ryan, Lynda Renham

Capricorn: Wendy Janes, Annie Lyons, Steffany R

Sagittarius: Adrienne Vaughan, Rachel Amphlett, Wendy J Lennox, Katrina Mountfort,

Cancer: June Kearns, Sarah Boucher, Katie Oliver, Mark Barry,

Virgo: Louise Marley, Elizabeth Ducie, Barb Taub,

Pisces: Lizzie Lamb, Julie Haiselden, Maria Savva, Sacha Black,

Scorpio: Stacey Garrity, Gemma Lawrence, Robert Leigh, Catherine Hokin, Jenny Twist,

Taurus: V A Baglietto, Valerie Poore,

Libra: Tom Hocknell, Jen Ammoscato, Joanne B

The Z Files: Stacey Garrity ~ Scorpio

Astrology ~ a bit of fun, a load of rubbish, or something to take seriously?

I invited around 70 writers/bloggers to write a piece about how typical they are of their sign, and how its traits affect their writing life ~ if at all...

Has your favourite writer been featured yet?  Links to all previous posts at the end of this one :)

Today I've got another intense Scorpio for you!  Stacey Garrity, who runs a really excellent book blog called Whispering Stories (link at end of article).  She's very professional and the blog is so well presented; as well as book reviews, Stacey has included features such as 'The Writing Life' in which she interviews authors, Fun Fact Friday and a monthly poem ~ and lots more.

Stacey with her husband ~ they'd just climbed Mount Snowdon in aid of Childflight,

a volunteer run charity with which they are both involved, that takes long term sick children and their families on holiday (click link for more info).

Welcome to The Z Files, Stacey, and please tell us about your Scorpio blogging self!

"I am quite a typical Scorpio, although I don’t read my star sign any more.

As a teenager, I was obsessed by them and would read numerous magazines every day."

"Looking at the traits associated with being a Scorpio, I realised that at some point throughout my life, I have had, each and every one of them – positive and negative, though most of the negative ones no longer play a part in my life.

When it comes to blogging I most associate myself with being focussed, determined and ambitious.  I am a keen planner and I am meticulous about everything I do, this helps me keep focus on the task at hand and do it to the best of my ability."

"I have always been ambitious, so it came as no surprise to me when I wanted my blog to be more than just about reviews, I wanted it to have a variety of categories that people could enjoy.

Lastly I am an extremely determined person, and when I set my mind to something I don’t give up easily.  Some days, blogging is hard, especially with three children, work and being a Patient Representative for a charity.   I can sometimes be sitting until nearly midnight writing new posts, as I am determined to make my blog a success."

It deserves to be a success, it's a great blog!  The link to it is HERE and you can also follow Stacey on Twitter.  Her book review list has grown so large now that she's looking for reviewers to help her out; if you think you may be interested in this, the details are HERE.

Stacey was the seventh Scorpio to respond to my invitation to contribute to this feature (five was the maximum from any other sign), so I'm getting a bit low on famous Scorpio writers!  But I've found one nicely appropriate one, and I'd saved one of my favourites....

.... Evelyn Waugh ~ I've read a few of his books, and A Handful of Dust 

is definitely in my all time Top 20

...and Margaret Atwood, Canadian poet, novelist, activist ~ and literary critic!  

I expect she would have had a book blog, too, if she'd been born forty years later :)

Coming Next: A New Romantic trio ~ with four zodiac signs....

Previous Posts (click name to see post):

Leo and Aries: Terry Tyler and Julia Proofreader

Leo: Rose Edmunds, Anne Goodwin, Alex Johnson

Aries: Trisha Ashley, Cynthia Harrison

Gemini: Haydn Lee, Norah Colvin, Jerome Dumont, John Privilege, 
 Shelley Wilson

Aquarius and Capricorn: Nicky Black

Aquarius: Lynda Renham, Cathy Ryan

Capricorn: Wendy Janes, Annie Lyons, Steffany R

Sagittarius: Rachel Amphlett, Wendy J Lennox, Katrina Mountfort

Cancer: Sarah Boucher, Mark Barry, Katie Oliver

Virgo: Louise Marley, Elizabeth Ducie, Barb Taub

Pisces: Julie Haiselden, Maria Savva, Sacha Black

Scorpio: Gemma Lawrence, Robert Leigh, Catherine Hokin, Jenny Twist

Taurus: Valerie-Anne Baglietto, Val Poore

Libra: Tom Hocknell, Jen Ammoscato, Joanne B

The Z Files: Gemma Lawrence ~ Scorpio

Astrology ~ a bit of fun, a load of rubbish, or something to take seriously?

I invited around 70 writers/bloggers to write a piece about whether or not they're typical of their sign, and how its traits affect their writing life ~ if at all...

Has your favourite writer been featured yet?  Links to all previous posts at the end of this one :) 

Today's guest, striding over to my blog in a subtly confident Scorpio manner, is fellow Tudor obsessive, Gemma Lawrence.  Lover of many things historical, she also finds some great quotes on Twitter's #ShakespeareSunday:)  Gemma's series and short stories have quite a following on Wattpad, and she won an award on the site last year.  I read her first published novel, The Bastard Princess, about the early life of Elizabeth I, and was highly impressed; my review, including Amazon links, is HERE

Tell us about the life of a Scorpion, please Gemma ~

"My favourite explanation of my star sign was on a t-shirt someone once gave to me which said: 

“Scorpio: Cynical, sarcastic, manipulative revenge-seeker”

Call me cynical if you like, in line with my star sign, but I’ve often thought that Scorpios were cast as the baddies of the Zodiac…. And as a writer, I have to say… baddies are important. We cannot have the light without the darkness, we cannot prevail over evil unless there is evil there to vanquish in the first place. What would Harry Potter be without Voldemort? What would Luke be, without his nefarious father Lord Vader? 

And there is something in all of us, I believe, which would rather be Dick Dastardly than Penelope Pitstop…."

"Baddies give the hero something to fight, to prevail against, give the author a chance to explore their own darkness, and give the reader a chance to take on the qualities of the hero they admire, to recognise and fight evil in the world when they see it.

There are exceptions in literature of course; it’s hard in fact to find a hero in a book like Wuthering Heights since Cathy and Heathcliff are both such deplorable characters, and perhaps that is why a book such as this becomes a classic; because it gives free rein to the reader to see what happens when evil is unleashed without hope of redemption."

"But we Scorpios are given some good virtues, perhaps to off-set the naughty ones: loyalty, something very important to me; focus, something I can see in some of my life… although not all! Courageousness, a trait I admire in many of my characters and I hope something that I possess, and then the trump card; sexy.

Oh yes, we all like being told we’re sexy, why wouldn’t we? But of course, many baddies have a charm and a magnetism which can be called attractive, perhaps because baddies are the ones to always act on their wicked impulses…"

"So, do I believe that I am all of these things? I can certainly see some of them within me, I think we all can. But if I am one of the baddies of the Zodiac, I would much rather be cast as a baddie with some hope of redemption… a star sign in which the good characteristics might prevail over the bad ones… I think that is what we all struggle with in our lives generally; to outweigh the bad in us with the good. We are all capable of goodness and evil, but I am sure that most of us, if we admitted we were not a Harry Potter or a Hermione Granger, would rather be a Draco Malfoy than a Lord Voldemort, a Lord Vader rather than an Emperor Palpatine….  We are, most of us, redeemable baddies struggling to be heroes in our own lives. And perhaps the reason the baddies of literature and film are so charming to us is because we recognise a little bit of ourselves within them. It’s not a bad thing, and what’s good about it, is that learning to recognise your own faults may lead to something baddies never seem to possess; an ability to control them.

So, do I mind being cast as a baddie of the Zodiac? Not really. I know I am, like most people, a redeemable baddie… and if nothing else, it gives me a chance to say things like… “Drat!! Tripe Drat!!” and “I’ll get you next time, my pretty…” 

Baddies often get the best lines, after all…"

I think membership of the typical and higher Scorpio club has been well earned :)  You can follow Gemma on Twitter and read more of her stuff on Wattpad.

Now, some fellow Scorpions to whisk across the desert with her....

Acclaimed historical novelist, the late Anya Seton....

.....and the (also, sadly, late) great, poet and short story writer, Sylvia Plath

Who's next?  An AstroSceptic Libra!

Previous Posts:

Leo and Aries: Terry Tyler and Proofreader Julia

Leo: Anne Goodwin, Alex Johnson

Aries: Cynthia Harrison

Gemini: Jerome Dumont, John Privilege, Shelley Wilson

Aquarius and Capricorn: Nicky Black

Aquarius: Cathy Ryan, Lynda Renham

Capricorn: Steffany R

Sagittarius: Rachel Amphlett, Wendy J Lennox, Katrina Mountfort

Virgo: Louise Marley, Elizabeth Ducie, Barb Taub

Pisces: Maria Savva, Sacha Black

Scorpio: Robert Leigh, Catherine Hokin, Jenny Twist
Taurus: Valerie-Anne Baglietto, Valerie Poore,

Cancer: Katie Oliver, Mark Barry

Libra: Jen Ammoscato, Joanne B