Portrait of Natalie Dormer, the narrator of A History of Magic, for Audible.

“I think women like to read about murderous mothers and lost little girls because it’s our only mainstream outlet to even begin discussing female violence on a personal level. Female violence is a specific brand of ferocity. It’s invasive. A girlfight is all teeth and hair, spit and nails — a much more fearsome thing to watch than two dudes clobbering each other. And the mental violence is positively gory. Women entwine. Some of the most disturbing, sick relationships I’ve witnessed are between long-time friends, and especially mothers and daughters. Innuendo, backspin, false encouragement, punishing withdrawal, sexual jealousy, garden-variety jealousy — watching women go to work on each other is a horrific bit of pageantry that can stretch on for years. Libraries are filled with stories on generations of brutal men, trapped in a cycle of aggression. I wanted to write about the violence of women. […] I particularly mourn the lack of female villains — good, potent female villains…I’m talking violent, wicked women. Scary women. Don’t tell me you don’t know some. The point is, women have spent so many years girl-powering ourselves — to the point of almost parodic encouragement — we’ve left no room to acknowledge our dark side. Dark sides are important. They should be nurtured like nasty black orchids.”

• ad astra per aspera - to the stars through difficulties 
• alis volat propriis - he flies by his own wings 
• amantium irae amoris integratio est - the quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love 
• ars longa, vita brevis - art is long, life is short 
• aut insanity homo, aut versus facit - the fellow is either mad or he is composing verses 
• dum spiro spero - while I breathe, I hope 
• ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem - with the sword, she seeks peace under liberty 
• exigo a me non ut optimus par sim sed ut malis melior - I require myself not to be equal to the best, but to be better than the bad
• experiential docet - experience teaches 
• helluo librorum - a glutton for books (bookworm) 
• in libras libertas - in books, freedom 
• littera scripta manet - the written letter lasts 
• mens regnum bona possidet - an honest heart is a kingdom in itself 
• mirabile dictu - wonderful to say 
• nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - there is no book so bad that it is not profitable in some part 
• omnia iam fient quae posse negabam - everything which I used to say could not happen, will happen now 
• poeta nascitur, non fit - the poet is born, not made 
• qui dedit benificium taceat; narrat qui accepit - let him who has done a good deed be silent; let him who has received it tell it 
• saepe ne utile quidem est scire quid futurum sit - often, it is not advantageous to know what will be 
• sedit qui timuit ne non succederet - he who feared he would not succeed sat still 
• si vis pacem, para bellum - if you want peace, prepare for war 
• struit insidias lacrimis cum feminia plorat - when a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears 
• sub rosa - under the rose 
• trahimir omnes laudis studio - we are led on by our eagerness for praise
• urbem latericium invenit, marmoream reliquit - he found the city a city of bricks; he left it a city of marble 
• ut incepit fidelis sic permanet - as loyal as she began, so she remains

• e tan e epi tas - with your shield or on it. (meaning: come back alive and victorious or don’t come back at all.)
• iacta alea est  - “the die is cast”. (famously attributed to julius caesar in 49BC when he led his army across the rubicon river and started a war. variations: alea iacta est; acta alia esto. there’s a great discussion on the variations in translations here if you’re interested!)
• panem et circuses - bread and circuses. (read about it’s meaning here)
• dulce periculum - live life on the edge
• vivere memento - remember to live
• omnia vincit amor - love conquers all
• pulvis et umbra sumus - we are but dust and shadow
• flectere si nequeo superos, acheronta movebo - if i cannot sway the heavens, i will raise hell
• sic ego nec sine te nec tecum vivere possum - so i cant live either without you or with you
• ubi dibium ibi libertas - when there is doubt, there is freedom
• esse quam videri - to be rather than to seem
• si vis amari, ama - if you wish to be loved, love.
• utere, non numera - use the hours, don’t count them.
• quod me nutrit me destruit - what nourishes me, destroys me. (meaning: that which drives a person can consume them from within).
• aude sapere - dare to know

• quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur - whatever is said in Latin sounds profound

“He… knew ye?” The tears were coming back. I used my sleeve to scrub them away, my words calmer despite the choking sob at the back of my throat.

“‘Little Cloud’. That’s what he called me. That’s a finling name.” I paused, eye locking tightly closed against my crying. I continued far quieter, unable to muster up any more sound than a hoarse whisper. “That was my name.”

• My name is Stacy (duh!)
• I’m 30
• I live in the US
• Ii love books, music, movies and any kind of arts
• I am writing a fantasy book series at the moment

• I’m a plotter and always will be
• I started writing in the third grade when I did an assignment for class and my teacher said it was great! This led me on the long road I am on today
• I began to grow serious about writing at about age 25 when I thought of my idea for my fantasy series and wanted it to be published in some form
• I am not on Wattpad or anything like that, but I do hope to self-publish my fantasy book series in the future
• Right now, I am doing revisions for Book One and starting to make a better outline for Book Two
• I am hoping to have Book One self-published in five years or less
• Again, it’s a long road ahead 
• My fantasy book series is an Adult Contemporary Fantasy and is a Portal Fantasy
• I am mostly inspired by music