Category: On Writing

  • The Unmarked, Backwards Grave: Symbolism in Wolf in the Sanctuary

    I rarely talk about symbolism in my books. That’s for the readers to decipher. After all, what is symbolic to me might not have the same meaning for a reader. And yes, your English teachers were often basing what they taught you on some scholar’s opinion of what the “symbols” of a text actually are.…

  • Horror, Heart, Humor: Essential Elements in Carmilla’s Gambit

    So, this is going to be a busy marketing month for us here at Cursing Raven Books. In addition to the Tales of the Veiled Rose dark fantasy novelette series patreon, both Carmilla’s Gambit and Wolf in the Sanctuary release next month. And while I do not want to spam post, I will be posting…

  • Wolf in the Sanctuary Release

    BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, May 3, 2025, On 10 June, former folklore, rhetoric, and literature professor turned independent author and freelance editor Robin Schadel brings her home state into her passion for creating worlds and spinning tales where the fantastical and folkloric move side-by-side with the mundane world. “Stories have always been my life,” Schadel says…

  • A Paranorma-latte Romance?

    A Paranorma-latte Romance?

    Hey, I’ll be quick. I’m working on getting everything set up for release of the first Veiled Rose short, but I do have something fun and light to share in the meantime! Over the past week, I wrote a short paranormal romance/romantic comedy called School Spirit: a Paranormalatte Romance under my Elisabeth Shade pen name.…

  • Louisiana Gothic: A Beautiful and Horrifying Gumbo

    Hey, I’ve got some cool stuff to show y’all this weekend once I get my concept art back from the artist I hired to help with my upcoming dark fantasy novelette/novella series. But I also want to talk about my Louisiana Gothic novel, my first real foray into longform horror of any kind, that I’m…

  • I Dislike Fate and Destiny: in my heroes, that is

    I had planned to produce a video post this week, but a severe sinus infection has kept me from feeling up to it. I didn’t want a week to go by without a post, so here is something I’ve been thinking of: Fate and Destiny in heroes. I started thinking about this after a romance…

  • Blue Moon: Soundtrack to a Novel

    Blue Moon: Soundtrack to a Novel

    One thing I’ve noticed a lot of younger writers doing is creating a soundtrack that captures the vibes of their novels. I have never really been one to do that, preferring to write with either a TV series or a podcast on in the background. There’s something about the hum of conversation that helps me…

  • Blue Moon Release Day Q & A Part 1

    Blue Moon Release Day Q & A Part 1

    So, my novel Blue Moon releases today. So, I thought it might be interesting to apply some of the questions I’ve gotten in my email and DMs across social media. So, in this post, I’m going to present ten of those questions. I will present more next week. Blue Moon was inspired by a lot…