Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Writer interview - Greta van der Rol - the saga continues
I feel very privileged to have Greta back at Mind Lively, especially on the heels of a new book. Our previous interview took place eight months ago, and this fantastic author shows no signs of slowing down. She continues to deliver exactly the kind of quality adventure, science fiction and romance that we need more of in today's literature.
=====================================================
Q: You write in two very different genres: historic fiction and space opera, which, in your case, is very much in the classic space sci fi style. How do these two coexist in your world, as a writer? Are you planning to add any other genres to your plate?
A: I really enjoy writing space opera. I used to love the planet-hopping stories of Isaac Asimov, including his Robot series and his Foundation series and I suppose to some extent I've emulated that style. Jack McDevitt is another favourite who writes what might be termed "space opera" in that his books involve aliens and planet hopping, albeit his is 'hard' science fiction. I also love Star Wars, in spite of the scientific inaccuracies. In the Star Wars/Star Trek debate, Star Wars wins for me every time because it is action-packed space opera. I ignore the science and enjoy the story for what it is. Writing space opera is fun.
In contrast, writing historical fiction isn't fun. I've only written one, of course, and that's based on a true story. I felt an overriding obligation to the very real people who lived and died in the wreck of the Batavia and its horrific aftermath. I've tried to make them real and set them in the time and place. Of course, I've had to make up a lot, especially about character. But I tried to extrapolate on the evidence available to me to build the characters, especially the minor ones about whom so little is known. I've had a couple of ideas which could lead to another historical fiction novel, both based on true stories. However, they won't see the light of day unless I feel compelled to write them.
Another genre? My current WIP is a sort of paranormal romance, inspired by the plight of the tiger, a species teetering on the brink of extinction. I think it will be rather different from the 'normal' novels in this genre. It's contemporary Earth, set in India, Australia and Hong Kong with a good mix of action. There might be room for a second book if this one works out.
Q: When building your sci fi universe, where do you begin? Characters first? Worlds? Politics?
A: Characters, without a doubt. That's my straight from the shoulder answer. And yet it's all mixed together because a character must fit into a scene. Just as in a historical novel (see above), characters must be motivated and act within a setting to be believable. So I spent a lot of time coming up with my alien species the ptorix. I've written at length elsewhere about the challenge of creating a believable alien which would interact with humans. I've always wondered why energy beings inhabiting worlds like Saturn would be in the least bit interested in little old Earth.
In my latest book, Starheart, I re-used the universe I had created for the Iron Admiral books. It's such hard work building a convincing environment it's a pity to only use it once. So I had my aliens and my political system and its resulting tensions. I even alluded to events mentioned in the Iron Admiral which helps add depth.
Back to character, in the new book I decided to go for an ordinary woman. No special skills as we found with Allysha Marten and Morgan Selwod. Jess Sondijk is a smart, beautiful woman making the best of life on an impoverished planet. From there, I looked for a plot.
Q: Do you use real-life people as inspiration for your male and female characters?
A: No. Never. That way I'll never offend anybody. But that sounds as if it was a conscious decision. It wasn't. I've never felt inclined to use a person. The closest I think I ever came was when trying to imagine Adrien Jacobsz, captain of the Batavia. I think he might have been a bit like my dad in some respects. Certainly I might use some characteristic, or some behaviour I've come across. For example Chaka Saahren, hero of the Iron Admiral, is very nearly a misogynist who has never married when he meets Allysha. He would be in his late thirties, early forties. Some people find this unlikely. But I'll point you at Douglas MacArthur, a dedicated military man who married at 42.
Q: Some of your interplanetary political conflict are eerily similar to those we face today right here, on planet Earth. Of course, nothing is new under the sun (or suns, as may be). Any particular real-life events that inspired your sci fi books?
A: Not eerie at all. At university I read history. As part of my Honours year I was forced to take a unit in historiography. Patterns in history? Tosh. But it isn't. In broad terms, history is almost predictable. As an example, look at revolution. The revolution is started by moderate, well-educated people who want a share of power. Then the rabble becomes involved. Mass murder and anarchy ensue until the moderates try to exert some order but they are overthrown by a dictator. I give you the French revolution, the first Russian revolution and the second, recent, Russian revolution. You can see similar patterns in Zimbabwe and I watch South Africa with interest. Also the Arab spring.
People are tribal. We wouldn't have survived if we weren't. It's natural to actively look for ways in which people outside our tribe are not like us. If it isn't color or slanty eyes (nice and obvious) we find something else. What they eat, how they dress, what they worship. I can't see those characteristics changing just because we head for the stars. There will always be dreamers, fundamentalists, fanatics, power-hungry politicians, those who seek wealth above all else. And it's easy to find examples in our own history. The first Iron Admiral book, Conspiracy was loosely based on the incident Hitler contrived to give him an excuse to attack Poland. In Morgan's Choice the society is based on the caste system in India. The ebb and flow of Empire (another candidate for patterns in history) is based on the Romans, the Ottomans, the British Empire, the Golden Horde… whatever.
Q: You are a formidable photographer. When you look through the viewfinder of your camera, does it ever occur to you, "Ooh, what a fantastic landscape/creature! I wonder what it would look like a thousand times as big!"?
A: Haha. I guess that one's been done before. The aliens in Ender's Game were insectoid and how many SF movies have been made with reptilian aliens? But to answer your question – no.
I see something that interests me in the here-and-now, I point 'n shoot. I don't class myself as a great photographer. I've captured some nice pictures but it's luck, really. I have a reasonably good camera and if I have the opportunity I take a snap. Sometimes they turn out really well, most times they're crap. Why do I take them? Because you literally freeze a moment of time. This is one reason I love to take pictures of birds in flight. It all happens so fast you don't see what actually takes place; the flex of the wings, the way the tail is used, how they generate lift. Some of my pictures are for sale on Dreamstime but some of my favorites they don't want because they are so unusual, like a bird that's been for a dip in the swimming pool and is fighting to get clear of the water, where it will surely drown if it falls back. I have others showing the power of a wing beat – but the bird's head is not visible. And my favorites the lorikeets – they fly so fast that the astounding colors under those wings are seen so briefly you'd never know, but in a photo you can see and marvel.
Having said all that, I use my photos to add color to my writing. Light through leaves, the curl of a wave, evening shadows, sunrise through clouds. I have a photo, somewhere.
==========================================
Greta's books are available for Kindle, NOOK and as paperbacks.
- Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Today... artists seriously need to lend each other a hand
The recent demand by PayPal to pull all content its executives considered objectionable from Smashwords and other independent book distributed had once again demonstrated that, when shit hits the fan, the authors can only count on each other for help and support. If we, writers, don't stand up for each other, don't help each other, don't speak up, nobody will.
In this case, I am not talking about the authors blessed and anointed by the Big Six - with enormous contracts, publication budgets and millions of copies in print. No, I am talking about the self-publishers or those united under smaller independent publishers. To keep from limiting the indie field to writers alone, I would also like to call upon other creative artists - painters, sculptors, and musicians - to join in on this endeavor of promoting quality content across the board.
Beta
In publishing, a beta-reader is a kind of pre-reader - a guinea pig who volunteers to test your writing on him- or herself. Good beta-readers don't just read the first draft of your work and provide you with feedback about the storyline and the characters. They also correct whatever spelling and grammar issues they manage to catch, reducing the amount of editing work you need to do later.
Finding and engaging good beta-readers is tough, because they are usually your fellow struggling writers, who have jobs, families and their own writing to attend to. Once you find them, you want to keep them, for no good beta-reader should ever be taken for granted.
Barter. Offer to beta-read their unpublished works or to read and review the published ones. If your preferred method for obtaining beta-reads is to post your new work chapter-by-chapter on Facebook, keep careful track of those who consistently read and comment on your posts. Once the book is finished, cleaned up and published, send them a copy as a gift (you can do that both with eBooks and paperbacks), ask them whether they need a boost with some of their work.
While beta-reviewing is somewhat more challenging for other creative artists, it can still be done. Musicians can post the first drafts of their recordings, artists - photos of their new works - and ask for the opinions of others.
Please keep in mind, a good beta-reviewer is an honest one. So, don't get your knickers in a bunch if the reviews come back less than stellar. Take the criticism in stride - we are artists, for crying out loud, we ought to be prepared to handle that sort of thing - improve your work, try again.
Use the tools
I cannot emphasize enough how easy it is to promote your own and others' work these days. The social media - Facebook, Twitter, Hootsuite, blogs - it is all out there and free. Use it! And don't just hoard all the promotion effort to yourself, use it to promote others as well.
Do you have friends who are talented writers or artists? Share and tweet links to their work along with your own. Are you on any of the "wish list" sites (like Pinterest, Kaboodle or StumbleUpon)? Make a point to add your friends' work - pin it, stumble it, add it to wish lists.
Amazon and Barnes & Noble both allow you to review books without buying them, as long as you are a registered user and have bought something from them at some point. Which means, if you have beta-read a book for a friend, and then the book becomes published via these channels, you can march on over and leave a review and a rating.
Amazon.com has two additional pieces that are used to improve a book's position in buyer searches. One is the "Like" button located at the top of the book listing right next to the title. The other one is tags. The tag area is further down the page under the section for customer reviews. If a book is already tagged, you can simply agree with all the tags. If there are no tags or if some are missing, you can add your own. It is a small thing, but it does make a difference in how much the book is seen when readers search by a particular category.
Similarly, for artists who sell on etsy, entire stores or specific items can be added to your "circle" (a group of etsy sellers whose work you like) and to your favorites (pieces you would like to purchase or recommend to others). As with Amazon's "likes" and "tags", this pushes your creative friends and their work higher in the search hierarchy, allowing more of their pieces to be seen.
Give credit where credit is due
Amazon makes it very easy to include various contributors to a published work, in addition to the author. Yes, many indie writers do everything themselves: the editing, the illustration, the cover art. But if that is not the case, do include your team: your editor, your graphic designer, your book trailer designer, your translator, your historic consultant, etc. If you cannot pay other contributors for their services, it is once again time to barter. Ask where they need help and lend a hand.
If your work does very well and the royalties are plentiful, contact your contributors and discuss what percentage of royalties you can split away to compensate them. Keep your books diligently and stick to your word. With so much crap being manufactured in all areas of the arts, with so much corporates squabbling and mud-slinging, we in the indie world must maintain our integrity religiously, because otherwise, how else are we to prove that we are different?
Don't be a slacker
Even if you reach fabulous success, never, never, never forget where you started from and who helped you along the way. There is a difference between taking pride in your work and your achievements and feeling entitled.
Mentor other artists, whose work you admire but who are struggling to get noticed. Coach them on how to use the tools. Leverage own network (including the virtual network like LinkedIn and the brick-and-mortar network, like libraries, museums, art shops, and book stores).
Offer to beta-read. Offer blog interviews. Offer video reviews. Remember all the help you needed when you were in the trenches - what you received and what you did not receive. Chances are, someone else could use all of that help right now.
We are a community. We are unique in that we operate outside of political, economic and religious boundaries. We speak the language of art, which is universal. We carry within us an amazing power to unite millions of people. It is our privilege and our duty to make the most of it.
In this case, I am not talking about the authors blessed and anointed by the Big Six - with enormous contracts, publication budgets and millions of copies in print. No, I am talking about the self-publishers or those united under smaller independent publishers. To keep from limiting the indie field to writers alone, I would also like to call upon other creative artists - painters, sculptors, and musicians - to join in on this endeavor of promoting quality content across the board.
Beta
In publishing, a beta-reader is a kind of pre-reader - a guinea pig who volunteers to test your writing on him- or herself. Good beta-readers don't just read the first draft of your work and provide you with feedback about the storyline and the characters. They also correct whatever spelling and grammar issues they manage to catch, reducing the amount of editing work you need to do later.
Finding and engaging good beta-readers is tough, because they are usually your fellow struggling writers, who have jobs, families and their own writing to attend to. Once you find them, you want to keep them, for no good beta-reader should ever be taken for granted.
Barter. Offer to beta-read their unpublished works or to read and review the published ones. If your preferred method for obtaining beta-reads is to post your new work chapter-by-chapter on Facebook, keep careful track of those who consistently read and comment on your posts. Once the book is finished, cleaned up and published, send them a copy as a gift (you can do that both with eBooks and paperbacks), ask them whether they need a boost with some of their work.
While beta-reviewing is somewhat more challenging for other creative artists, it can still be done. Musicians can post the first drafts of their recordings, artists - photos of their new works - and ask for the opinions of others.
Please keep in mind, a good beta-reviewer is an honest one. So, don't get your knickers in a bunch if the reviews come back less than stellar. Take the criticism in stride - we are artists, for crying out loud, we ought to be prepared to handle that sort of thing - improve your work, try again.
Use the tools
I cannot emphasize enough how easy it is to promote your own and others' work these days. The social media - Facebook, Twitter, Hootsuite, blogs - it is all out there and free. Use it! And don't just hoard all the promotion effort to yourself, use it to promote others as well.
Do you have friends who are talented writers or artists? Share and tweet links to their work along with your own. Are you on any of the "wish list" sites (like Pinterest, Kaboodle or StumbleUpon)? Make a point to add your friends' work - pin it, stumble it, add it to wish lists.
Amazon and Barnes & Noble both allow you to review books without buying them, as long as you are a registered user and have bought something from them at some point. Which means, if you have beta-read a book for a friend, and then the book becomes published via these channels, you can march on over and leave a review and a rating.
Amazon.com has two additional pieces that are used to improve a book's position in buyer searches. One is the "Like" button located at the top of the book listing right next to the title. The other one is tags. The tag area is further down the page under the section for customer reviews. If a book is already tagged, you can simply agree with all the tags. If there are no tags or if some are missing, you can add your own. It is a small thing, but it does make a difference in how much the book is seen when readers search by a particular category.
Similarly, for artists who sell on etsy, entire stores or specific items can be added to your "circle" (a group of etsy sellers whose work you like) and to your favorites (pieces you would like to purchase or recommend to others). As with Amazon's "likes" and "tags", this pushes your creative friends and their work higher in the search hierarchy, allowing more of their pieces to be seen.
Give credit where credit is due
Amazon makes it very easy to include various contributors to a published work, in addition to the author. Yes, many indie writers do everything themselves: the editing, the illustration, the cover art. But if that is not the case, do include your team: your editor, your graphic designer, your book trailer designer, your translator, your historic consultant, etc. If you cannot pay other contributors for their services, it is once again time to barter. Ask where they need help and lend a hand.
If your work does very well and the royalties are plentiful, contact your contributors and discuss what percentage of royalties you can split away to compensate them. Keep your books diligently and stick to your word. With so much crap being manufactured in all areas of the arts, with so much corporates squabbling and mud-slinging, we in the indie world must maintain our integrity religiously, because otherwise, how else are we to prove that we are different?
Don't be a slacker
Even if you reach fabulous success, never, never, never forget where you started from and who helped you along the way. There is a difference between taking pride in your work and your achievements and feeling entitled.
Mentor other artists, whose work you admire but who are struggling to get noticed. Coach them on how to use the tools. Leverage own network (including the virtual network like LinkedIn and the brick-and-mortar network, like libraries, museums, art shops, and book stores).
Offer to beta-read. Offer blog interviews. Offer video reviews. Remember all the help you needed when you were in the trenches - what you received and what you did not receive. Chances are, someone else could use all of that help right now.
We are a community. We are unique in that we operate outside of political, economic and religious boundaries. We speak the language of art, which is universal. We carry within us an amazing power to unite millions of people. It is our privilege and our duty to make the most of it.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
An open letter to PayPal
Dear PayPal representative,
As of right now - February 26, 2012 5:02 PM EST, the following products are available via your parent company eBay. They feature some or all of the following: rape, molestation, sex with minor, gay sex, teenage sex, polygamy, marital infidelity and other acts you declared objectionable during the recent change in Terms of Service with Smashwords:
- "The Tudors" - TV series on DVD (34 results)
- "Rome" - TV series on DVD (49 results)
- "Mad Men" - TV series on DVD (24 results)
- "Lolita" - Stanley Kubrick's movie
- "Quills" - historic fiction about Marquis de Sade (20 results)
- A horror section with over 86,000 selections, no doubt including everyone from Jack the Ripper to Son of Sam.
- 3, 693 results when searching for "erotica", including such titles as "Best Fetish Erotica" and "Alternative Treatment - best M/M erotica"
- Numerous vibrators, sex toys, fetish costumes and accessories.
- 200 results for "Marquis de Sade" in books.
- 407 results for "Anais Nin" in books.
- 618 results for "Henry Miller" in books.
I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. If you are so proper and wish to advocate YOUR definition of what is appropriate or not appropriate to buy and sell, you will have to pull all of these products, as well as works by Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, Georges Sand, Bulgakov, Yefremov, Solzhenitsyn, Hemingway, Coleridge, Shakespeare, Salinger, Orwell and many, many, many others. And, oh yes, the Bible, which, as I am certain you are aware, includes incest, rape, molestation, sex with the minor and slaughter of infants. You will also have to bar all photographers and graphic artists who sell erotic art. Of course, pulling all those materials and barring all those sellers from eBay would mean letting go of a HUGE share of the market that has anything to do with sex.
Or, you could reverse look up the definition and the difference between fictional sexual violence and real-life sexual violence (and the studies regarding interactions between the two, of which they are many, most agreeing that fictional sexual content has very little impact on what people do in real life), reverse your Smashwords decision and leave the authors alone. As is, you are begging for a class action lawsuit.
Respectfully,
Maria K.
As of right now - February 26, 2012 5:02 PM EST, the following products are available via your parent company eBay. They feature some or all of the following: rape, molestation, sex with minor, gay sex, teenage sex, polygamy, marital infidelity and other acts you declared objectionable during the recent change in Terms of Service with Smashwords:
- "The Tudors" - TV series on DVD (34 results)
- "Rome" - TV series on DVD (49 results)
- "Mad Men" - TV series on DVD (24 results)
- "Lolita" - Stanley Kubrick's movie
- "Quills" - historic fiction about Marquis de Sade (20 results)
- A horror section with over 86,000 selections, no doubt including everyone from Jack the Ripper to Son of Sam.
- 3, 693 results when searching for "erotica", including such titles as "Best Fetish Erotica" and "Alternative Treatment - best M/M erotica"
- Numerous vibrators, sex toys, fetish costumes and accessories.
- 200 results for "Marquis de Sade" in books.
- 407 results for "Anais Nin" in books.
- 618 results for "Henry Miller" in books.
I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. If you are so proper and wish to advocate YOUR definition of what is appropriate or not appropriate to buy and sell, you will have to pull all of these products, as well as works by Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, Georges Sand, Bulgakov, Yefremov, Solzhenitsyn, Hemingway, Coleridge, Shakespeare, Salinger, Orwell and many, many, many others. And, oh yes, the Bible, which, as I am certain you are aware, includes incest, rape, molestation, sex with the minor and slaughter of infants. You will also have to bar all photographers and graphic artists who sell erotic art. Of course, pulling all those materials and barring all those sellers from eBay would mean letting go of a HUGE share of the market that has anything to do with sex.
Or, you could reverse look up the definition and the difference between fictional sexual violence and real-life sexual violence (and the studies regarding interactions between the two, of which they are many, most agreeing that fictional sexual content has very little impact on what people do in real life), reverse your Smashwords decision and leave the authors alone. As is, you are begging for a class action lawsuit.
Respectfully,
Maria K.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The open letter to Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords
Dear Mr. Coker,
This is to inform you that I am pulling all of my books from Smashwords effective immediately, as a result of the new policy regarding censorship of erotic and other literature dictated to you by PayPal.
Do you read history, sir? Are you aware that it is not possible, for instance, to write a book about history of Egyptian religion without mentioning incest? You are aware, surely, that Osiris and Isis - the two gods that figure prominently in Egyptian lore - were brother and sister who mated in the womb of their mother, with Isis born already pregnant with their son Horus.
Does it occur to you that homosexual sex and incest were common and widely accepted in Ancient Rome? So, writing a book about Ancient Rome and avoiding that subject matter is not possible, if it is to be historically accurate.
Bestiality was often a part of religious initiation rituals in Mesopotamia, did you know that?
Books about every period of human history, especially books about wars include rape - not for titillation, but if someone reports such a book to be in violation of your new TOS, who is to prove otherwise? Did you even think about that?
Oh, no! You were too busy simpering before PayPal. You couldn't find it in you to take a stance for the First Amendment and the rights of the authors who, incidentally, put money into your pockets - and more so than into their own. You couldn't set up electronic payments directly to people's accounts. No. That would require effort on your part - it is so much easier to just cave in and take pride in how moral you are.
Very well then - enjoy your high moral standards and watch your inventory melt away.
Respectfully,
Maria K.
This is to inform you that I am pulling all of my books from Smashwords effective immediately, as a result of the new policy regarding censorship of erotic and other literature dictated to you by PayPal.
Do you read history, sir? Are you aware that it is not possible, for instance, to write a book about history of Egyptian religion without mentioning incest? You are aware, surely, that Osiris and Isis - the two gods that figure prominently in Egyptian lore - were brother and sister who mated in the womb of their mother, with Isis born already pregnant with their son Horus.
Does it occur to you that homosexual sex and incest were common and widely accepted in Ancient Rome? So, writing a book about Ancient Rome and avoiding that subject matter is not possible, if it is to be historically accurate.
Bestiality was often a part of religious initiation rituals in Mesopotamia, did you know that?
Books about every period of human history, especially books about wars include rape - not for titillation, but if someone reports such a book to be in violation of your new TOS, who is to prove otherwise? Did you even think about that?
Oh, no! You were too busy simpering before PayPal. You couldn't find it in you to take a stance for the First Amendment and the rights of the authors who, incidentally, put money into your pockets - and more so than into their own. You couldn't set up electronic payments directly to people's accounts. No. That would require effort on your part - it is so much easier to just cave in and take pride in how moral you are.
Very well then - enjoy your high moral standards and watch your inventory melt away.
Respectfully,
Maria K.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Look book - winter reds
It's easy to fall into a rut during winter months. The jeans-and-sweaters-with-thick-socks-and-boots sort of rut. I often gravitate that way and so do many others. On a really bad day the streets are filled with dark, shapeless, genderless, waddling bundles. I realize that in some areas, the weather necessitates not merely warm clothing, but warm-or-else-I-might-freeze-to-death clothing. But we do get a few warm days here and there. So, when that happens, take an opportunity to emerge from your winter cocoon and toss in some color.
Enter the sweater dress. Wrinkle-free, washable, patterned, warm, comfortable, and, very importantly, colorful to brighten up the winter blahs. I have several: one in basic gray I can easily punch up with colorful accessories and jewelry, a purple one, a chocolate-brown one and this one, in burgundy red. I am one of those people who go very pale during winter, and having a nice rich red near my face draws out whatever little bit of pink I have left. 
This particular piece can be worn with or without a belt and easily goes from a casual day to a reasonably pretty evening look with lighter hose, smaller shoes and more prominent jewelry (like a large brooch for example). Worn here with one of my favorite and most versatile pairs of earrings that pick up the colors of the dress and the accessories - light-brown patterned tights and two-tone red-brown laceup booties.
Ladies, the times of opaque shiny taupe pantyhose are over. There are tons of sellers out there who sell fantastic legwear in all sizes, shapes, colors, textures, patterns, and warmth levels imaginable. Actually, there are some unimaginable out there too. Just Google "patterned tights" and browse away - there is bound to be something out there that is warm, comfortable but also fun-looking for you.
The boots have enough of a heel to be worn with dresses and skirts - both short and long - but work equally well with trousers. They can be unlaced and re-done to accommodate the size of your calves and ankles, and then you can just leave them as is and use the zipper on the side to get in and out.
While the overall look is fun and girly, it's actually quite practical, warm and comfortable for running errands. Throw on a coat and taller boots - and you can even venture into a snowstorm.
Enter the sweater dress. Wrinkle-free, washable, patterned, warm, comfortable, and, very importantly, colorful to brighten up the winter blahs. I have several: one in basic gray I can easily punch up with colorful accessories and jewelry, a purple one, a chocolate-brown one and this one, in burgundy red. I am one of those people who go very pale during winter, and having a nice rich red near my face draws out whatever little bit of pink I have left. 
This particular piece can be worn with or without a belt and easily goes from a casual day to a reasonably pretty evening look with lighter hose, smaller shoes and more prominent jewelry (like a large brooch for example). Worn here with one of my favorite and most versatile pairs of earrings that pick up the colors of the dress and the accessories - light-brown patterned tights and two-tone red-brown laceup booties.
Ladies, the times of opaque shiny taupe pantyhose are over. There are tons of sellers out there who sell fantastic legwear in all sizes, shapes, colors, textures, patterns, and warmth levels imaginable. Actually, there are some unimaginable out there too. Just Google "patterned tights" and browse away - there is bound to be something out there that is warm, comfortable but also fun-looking for you.
The boots have enough of a heel to be worn with dresses and skirts - both short and long - but work equally well with trousers. They can be unlaced and re-done to accommodate the size of your calves and ankles, and then you can just leave them as is and use the zipper on the side to get in and out.
While the overall look is fun and girly, it's actually quite practical, warm and comfortable for running errands. Throw on a coat and taller boots - and you can even venture into a snowstorm.
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