IWSG - July 2022

Click here to find out more and to see a list of other IWSG blogs.

Co-hosts for the July 6th:   J Lenni Dorner, Janet Alcorn, PJ Colando, Jenni Enzor, and Diane Burton!

Optional Question If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

This one's actually easy, though I do have two now. It used to be Pern, created by the amazing Anne McCaffrey. But Rowling's wizarding world supplanted it. I got pulled into it so much that I spent three years as a moderator at the Leaky Cauldron's forum, the Leaky Lounge during the crazy times before the release of the final book. I'm still online friends with the wonderful people I met on there.

IWSG - November 2018

Click here to find out more and to see a list of other IWSG blogs.

Cohosts for this month are Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor and JQ Rose!

Something's been on my mind since last month that I want to talk about here.

First of all, I want to acknowledge that not all stories are for everyone. That's a good thing. What a boring place it would be if we all only liked the same things.

I had a new audiobook come out for a book inspired by Harry Potter and that wonderful park in Florida. Well, I had some feedback from a listener of Kings Crossed Lovers who found it hard to believe that Sam and Ethan, as adults, could geek out so much about the book series.

Let me assure you that they can because I'm one of them and, believe me, I had LOTS of company.

I served for five years on the Leaky Cauldron's forum, The Leaky Lounge, prior to the release of the final book (like Sam's father Alex did in the book).

I can attest to the fact that the book series is NOT just for kids.

I know of at least one couple who was working as staff on the forum and fell in love online. She was from the UK and he from the South. They're still happily married, have two beautiful children, and continue to share their passion for the series. They attended the opening of the park on the first day and met Jo Rowling who'd heard about their romance and was thrilled for them.

On the forums I moderated, we had attorneys, geneticists, college professors, business professionals, (to name a few) who participated. We needed moderators because those oh-so-mature adults were PASSIONATE about their opinions about the stories.

Yes. That's sarcasm. ;) I found out that adults can misbehave with the worst children.

Many who geeked out about the wizarding world Jo created were mature adults--and by "mature" I mean OLD. *raises hand* I cannot stress the following enough.

We risk losing something precious when we "mature" out of having fun. 

Like Sam and Ethan in this story, I never want to be one of those adults. And my kids and grandkids love that I don't. I guess I succeeded in raising a bunch of nerds.

In my experience, one person's reality isn't necessarily another's, so I try to be open-minded.

Personally, I think geeks rule.

What about you? 

Is there a fictional place you geek over?

Monday Meanderings - September 13th

A lot of stuff going on this week.

First Meandering ...

The Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Castle Collection which includes my novella A Savage Ghost is now available for preorder here. It's a whopping $.99.

This collection includes:
Dangerous Truth (by Cindy M. Hogan)--a mystery/suspense tale set in Belgium
All By My Selfie (by Jo Noelle)--about a cursed hunk of a Scotsman set in (of course) Scotland
A Savage Ghost (by moi)--includes an Irish ghost stuck in a castle moved to the state of Washington
The Ghost of Dunlow Manor (by Paige Timothy)--has an author who's hunting her muse and finds it through an unexpected source
Rose of Sherwood (by Kaye P. Clark)--is an historical tale set when Maid Marion was a girl.


Second Meandering ...

Got a retreat this week, and I'm teaching a class on foreshadowing in the Harry Potter series. Once I got into preparing my presentation, all I wanted to do was go back and read the books!

Did you know Scholastic, in celebration of the 15th anniversary, has a new set of covers?

What do you think? Since some of mine are falling apart, I mind need to buy new ones. Maybe.


Third Meandering ...

I'm part of a cool promotion to celebrate the release of Drawn Into the Mist--includes a chance to win a Kindle HD7. It's also available on preorder for only $.99.

After a battle with a small coven of vampires at the homecoming dance, Chuck Mc Williams is confident and prepared to use his newly found magical powers.

However, Kelsey Llewellyn, Chuck's date from the dance and an undercover elfin vampire hunter, has disappeared back to faerie. The vampires marked her as their next acolyte and sapped her elfin defenses. Returning to the village of her birth she is protected while the elfin elders work to restore her powers. 

Chuck is confused and emotionally desolate. When the vampires make an attempt on his life he decides his only option is to go to faerie for help and his own protection. 

Doug, a vampire who owes Chuck a favor, agrees to send him to the land between the human world and faerie by magically drawing him into a painting of a castle. He warns Chuck that he has drawn other things into the picture which will both help and hinder his efforts. 

Adventure begins again for Chuck as he is drawn into the mist.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fourth Meandering ...

You ready for the 20th Annual International Talk Like A Pirate Day on Saturday? Argh!

What's in it for you to celebrate, you might ask?

Hint:

Will you get a dozen donuts free by dressing as a pirate on Saturday?

The Devil's Intern by Donna Hosie

My friend and mentor, Donna Hosie has a new book coming out. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know that she and I have "known" each other for several years. We met back when we were both moderators on The Leaky Cauldron forum, The Leaky Lounge. Our Harry Potter history goes way back. I was always struck by her fun sense of humor, so it's no surprise that it shines in this new release.

About the book:

"How did you die?"

It's the most popular question in Hell, and Mitchell Johnson has been answering it ever since he was hit by a bus at age seventeen and inexplicably ended up in the Underworld. Now Mitchell is The Devil's intern in Hell's accounting office. Lately, he's noticed a disturbing trend: the volume of new arrivals is straining Hell's limited resources. Then Mitchell overhears his boss discussing plans to limit newcomers with a legendary time travel mechanism. With a device like that, Mitchell realizes, he could change history and prevent his own death.

Mitchell's plot goes awry when his three closest friends—Alfarin, the Viking prince; Elinor, from 17th-century London; and Melissa, from 1960s San Francisco—insert themselves into his plans. It soon becomes clear that the fates of all four are entwined in dangerous and unpredictable ways. With unforgettable characters and a thrilling premise, this original novel is by turns funny, poignant, and thought-provoking.

★ "A comic, time-traveling trip to Hell and back. . . . Just outstanding fun for those who enjoy snarky comedy and suspense."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

★ "Interesting characters, nonstop adventure, and humor with a touch of heart will not disappoint teens looking for a dark comedy. —School Library Journal

Donna agreed to do a short interview.

1.  A wizard walks through the door right now wearing a Fedora. What does he say and why is he here?

It's Gandalf, and he's here for my INTERN launch party - although he's arrived late and as we're packing up after we sold out the place! He would say, "A wizard is never late, Donna Hosie. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Now where's the beer and my hat you borrowed for Comic Con. I look ridiculous in this Fedora!"

Gandalf in disguise. Hmmm. I kinda like it.


2.  What actor would play you in a movie about your life?

Kate Winslet. She's a Reading girl, and I moved there when I was 18. She actually had her wedding reception in my local pub! I used to drive past her acting school every week. I reckon she could pull off the insanity that's been my life pretty well. Plus she gets Oscar nominated for everything, so I'd go along with her to meet Benedict Cumberbatch!

Methinks we're seeing a theme here. 


3.  Who is your favorite literary villain and why?

Severus Snape - and before the world screams at me that he wasn't a villain and DEATHLY HALLOWS proves it, I will blow a big fat raspberry in your face and say he WAS a villain and nothing will ever change my mind. Snape is one of the greatest creations in literature. To get to book 7 in a series and still not know whether he was good or bad, is an amazing feat by the writer. Yet Snape was a villain. He was a vicious bully to his students, he didn't care about James or Harry; he only wanted to save Lily. He was emotionally blackmailed into helping Harry by Dumbledore. He was a Death Eater, and we still don't know what heinous crimes he did under that guise, but it is more than hinted at that his soul was already torn before he AK'd Dumbledore. Severus Snape is the most charismatic and complicated character in the Potterverse, but the greasy one was a villain.

Hear hear! I remember right after DH came out, Jo was interviewed. Someone said something like, "So Snape was a good guy?" Jo replied, "Do you think he was a good guy?"

Final Question.

4. What am I working on?

I'm juggling projects. I am currently in the middle of revising THE DEVIL'S DREAMCATCHER (Holiday House 2015), which is the sequel to INTERN. That'll be released in October next year. I have another release at the beginning of 2015 called QUEST OF THE ARTISAN, which is book five in my indie CAMELOT tales. That's written, so now comes editing and formatting once my critique partners have worked their magic. In terms of works in progress, I am currently drafting book 3 in my DEVIL'S series, and I also have a YA contemporary manuscript that requires some revising for my agent. Busy, busy, busy!

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO

About the author
Donna Hosie is a full-time geek who fell into writing while working as a Warner Brothers fan consultant on movie tie-in video games. Writing reports about different characters and worlds eventually inspired her to create her own stories for young adults. Originally from England, Donna now lives in Australia with her husband, three children, and a crazy golden retriever named Harry (after a certain boy wizard).

GOODREADS

Big Indie Giveaway

The awesome Natalie Aguirre over at

Literary Rambles

is hosting a big Indie giveaway.

And you know who

(no, not Voldemort)

is part of it.

They usually spotlight children's books,

so I feel especially honored to be included. 

I've added so many books to my to-be-read list from their site.

Why not drop by and say hi?

Interview with Author Donna Hosie

Earlier this month you may have seen the awesome cover of Donna Hosie's new book, The Spirit of Nimue which comes out in four days with the exciting conclusion of Donna's The Return to Camelot triology.

Well, Donna's taken some time off from her busy schedule to visit and answer some random questions.

Welcome, Donna!

1. If I came to dinner at your house, what would you prepare?

Nothing! I don’t cook. I can cook, but I don’t. My husband and I both work full-time, and with three kids we have insanely busy lives. So the household stuff is divided up and my husband does the food shopping and the cooking. And he’s great at it. But of course I would love to have you and your husband round to dinner, so I hope you like Mexican food because my husband makes the best chicken fajitas in the world. Just bring beer!

2. If you thought you'd silenced your phone for this interview, but it rang anyway--REALLY loud--how would you cover that social faux pas?

My ring tone is Owl Post from the Harry Potter soundtrack, and so I wouldn’t cover it up. Knowing you like I do, we’d have it as the background track to our interview!

You're so right. We might even have to take a break from the interview and just savor the music. =D For the longest time I had one of the Ministry of Magic's songs--The Bravest Man I Ever Knew--for my ringtone. I got a new phone and never took the time to put it back on. I need to fix that.

 3. And what song/sound would your phone make?

See above. I also have one of the themes from Fellowship of the Ring. I LOVE getting calls, I just can’t be guaranteed to answer them!

4. Since we knew each other years ago when we were both moderators at the Leaky Cauldron, I know Remus Lupin was your favorite Harry Potter character. Who was your second fav?

Sirius Black. I am a total Marauders geek. In fact my username in most online forums is MaraudingDon. I use that name over on AbsoluteWrite. Come and say hello.

Good taste! I think Sirius is the most tragic of the four Marauders.

 5. If you could have a super power, what would it be--and what would you do with it?

I would like to be invisible, and then I would sneak onto the Sherlock tv series set and do things to Benedict Cumberbatch that would get me arrested if I wasn’t invisible!

6. What do you have in your Zombie Apocalypse emergency kit? Don't have one yet? Well, what would you put in one?

I don’t have one!! I’m going to die. I would have a Mars Bar, because if I’m going to die, then I’m going out with a Mars Bar in my mouth!

You and Harry. If I remember correctly, Mars Bar was his favorite, too.

 7. If you were an ice cream, what flavor would you be? Why?

Vodka. I drank so much of it when I was younger my entire body could be distilled!

Vodka ice cream? They make interesting ice cream flavors Down Under.

8. Why are manhole covers round?

To make it easier for Basilisks to get in and out of the pipes.

See why I love Donna? This is the perfect answer. 

9. Name three uses for a stapler--not using staples.

Paperweight (that is my use right now actually), beer bottle opener, and…and a deadly weapon in my Zombie Apocalypse emergency kit!!!! I’m not going to die after all – but I still get to have the Mars Bar, right?!

Woot! I'm so glad I helped you realize you are prepared and will live to write more fabulous books. Assuming that we can still get books if we're all running from zombies.

10. With The Spirit of Nimue being the conclusion of your Arthur series, what other projects are you working on?

I cannot believe I am at the end of this trilogy after three years of hard work. That said, it isn’t really the end because book one (SEARCHING FOR ARTHUR) is released as a paperback in September and so I will go through all of this again! I am also working on a four book series with my agent which is about time-travelling devils. And I also reserve the right to revisit my Arthur series in the future, although the next generation of novels will not be from Natasha’s point of view. There, I have given away a clue for readers who have enjoyed the series and would like more.

Natasha Roth and her older brother, Arthur, have removed the magical darkness that had fallen over the land of Logres.

But all actions have consequences.

Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, is now a sworn enemy. Natasha realises that the only way the land of Logres will truly be at peace is if the sorceress is removed forever. So with her beloved Sir Bedivere, the feisty Guinevere, and a trusty brethren of knights, Natasha plots to free Logres from the malevolence of Nimue once and for all.

Yet Arthur also has problems. Now a father to Mila, he starts to witness a terrifying change over his girlfriend, Samantha, as she struggles to contain the awakened powers of Morgana.

With dark magic coming at them from all sides, Natasha and Arthur decide to make use of the Falls of Merlin: a mystical landscape of waterfalls that connects 21st century England with the mystical world they fell into. A place that does not exist in the future.

And by the end, they will know why.

As Natasha finally discovers the truth about her past link to Logres a tragedy will strike at her very heart. Can Arthur get his young family back to the 21st century and still continue to be the king that Logres demands he be? What is the secret that Sir Gareth has been hiding all this time? 

And who is the true owner of Excalibur?

THE SPIRIT OF NIMUE is released on Amazon on the 31 May 2013.

It is the final book in THE RETURN TO CAMELOT trilogy. 

GOODREADS   |   AMAZON.COM  |  AMAZON.CO.UK

Cover Reveal - "Pop Travel" by Tara Tyler

I've been a follower of Tara's blog for a while now and been fascinated by the little snippets she's let out over time, so I'm thrilled that she's so close to launching this story out in the world.

I'm excited today to be part of the cover reveal of Pop Travel.

Private Investigator J. L. Cooper always knew pop travel laser teleportation was too good to be true. Finding video proof of a disintegrating traveler is the stomach turning “I told you so.”

Cooper can’t broadcast the video on the nosy, government monitored Qnet, so he digs around, revealing more suspicious traveler disappearances, the death of his client, and threats to his political little brother, who is in jeopardy of turning to dust anyway for disregarding Cooper’s warnings not to pop. Cooper has to do everything himself. 

To stop the disappearances and save his brother he must shut down the ruthless mega corp Pop Travel International (PTI). And that means convincing Hasan Rakhi, the celebrity Creator of pop travel, to publicly admit the deadly flaw. No problem. Under constant surveillance, Cooper will have to be unpredictable, facing his fear of popping to crash a party at Hasan’s well-fortified plantation compound. Yes, the laser fences are real. As long as he survives his next pop, Cooper won’t let anything distract him from getting the job done. Not the android security guards, who aren’t as bright as they look, or even Southern Comfort in a purple dress, Geri Harper (an undercover Agent). Nothing Coop can’t handle.

Release Date: July 7, 2013
Publisher: Curiosity Quills

About Tara:

Math teacher by day, sports mom by night,

When does she have time to write?

Good question, but the Lazy Housewife makes time! Tara Tyler writes sci fi, thriller, and fantasy, with dabs of romance and humor and tips for efficient living. Something for everyone.

Literature and film have touched on interesting ways to quickly get from one place (or time) to another. There's apparting in Harry Potter. There's the fax-like transportation through time in Crichton's Timeline. And, of course, there's the transporter in Star Trek. The cartoon below is from a 1967 edition of Mad Magazine which did a spoof of classic Star Trek.

But it does address some problems inherent with travel of this kind. What do you think of it. Cool? Crazy? Would you do it?

The Rest of the Story . . .

I’ve had a number of requests from people to expand on my news and share a few more details. So, here it is. Sorry, but this is going to be long.

Anybody notice the pictures of my grandkids in my signing picture?

As anyone who’s followed this blog over the summer knows, I received a request for a full from Rhemalda Publishing (one of many I'd considered submitting to and had researched) for my adventure romance last spring. I was so excited and encouraged. It ended up being a rejection, but the best kind of rejection: revise and resubmit (aka R&R).

Now I admit the idea was both heady and intimidating.

I remember reading an article by Ben Bova who gave Orson Scott Card an R&R for Ender’s Game (yeah, the Hugo winner). Bova made a very interesting observation. He said he was always nervous when he did that because he never knew how an author would react. Some are so arrogant that they will never entertain changes. Others actually make the book worse. He was thrilled when Card not only was willing to make changes but crafted a much better book in the process.

So there I was, faced with this R&R. I’ve always tried to stay teachable, and I'm willing to consider anything that will make my book the best little story it can be (with my skills at this time—because we’re always looking to improve, right?).

Would the recommendations for change to my book be things I could live with?

What if I couldn’t live with them?

I’ve been running around the blogosphere and am a member of a number of writing organizations where authors talk about their publishing experiences. Some have shared experiences where the R&R they received would change the very nature of their story, the essence of their characters.

I lucked out. None of the recommendations did that. Instead of arguing in my mind about making the changes, I was excited to find ways to make the suggestions happen and took nearly three months working on them. So, after a few of my awesome online critique partners and writer friends gave me some feedback, I resubmitted.

And the wait began again.

Now, let me explain a little bit about where I was in my real life a few weeks ago. I normally love my day job, but we’ve got stuff going on that’s really killing the moral of my organization. I'd even been the focal point of a couple of local newspaper articles because of a decision I had to make. My sleep had been restless for days, my stomach a roiling mess.

I returned to my office and checked my cell phone in case I’d missed anything. My email accounts come to my phone, and my heart stopped when I recognized the email address. With shaking fingers, I accessed the email and read it.

The words that stood out were “your changes did not disappoint.”

With my fingers clutching the phone, I lifted my hands in a silent squeee. One of the attorneys peeked her head around the corner of my door, saw me, and asked if I was all right.

Um.

I cannot begin to express the surreal feeling of that moment. On one hand I was in the pits of despair and the next moment it was like my feet wouldn't stay on the ground (imagine Harry’s aunt floating away in Prisoner of Azkaban). My hands shook the rest of the day.

To make this long story short, we scheduled a time to talk. I was offered a contract, which I then had reviewed by a couple of attorneys. The publisher has been wonderful to work with and very up front about everything. I know a few of the authors who publish with them, and they talk about how the folks at Rhemalda are wonderful to work with.

And that’s important to me. It’s all about the experience, about being a partner in this publication process, about the fruits of my creative labor being treated as more than a bin of apples or a pound of beef for sale at the market.

It’s an understatement to say I’m excited.

Seriously. We need more words in the English language!

Book Trailer . . . and Places

Author Tamara Heiner is having
a trailer blitz for her book Altercation.

When Jaci and her friends are placed in FBI custody, they think they are safe... until a betrayal puts them back in harm's way.

You can check out the trailer here.

Places

I saw this totally awesome sign on Facebook the other day, and I just have to ask my wonderfully building-kind-of-guy hubby to make me one of my own. While I would include some these locations, there are many that I would do differently.

I would be sure to add the following:

• The Harper Hall (Dragonriders of Pern series)
• Benden Weyr (Dragonriders of Pern series)
• The Spooky Old Tree (Berenstain Bears)
• Prince Edward Island (Anne of Green Gables)
• Guernsey Island (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society)
• Lothar (Restoree)
• Arizona--"My House. My Rules" (Uncle Jeb in The Host)
• Orthedale
• Lewistown, Montana

What are some of the wonderful literary places

that have captured your imagination over the years?

What places would you want to visit--

especially if you could see the characters
you've come to love?

I Love Life . . . and Motherhood (in its many manifestations)

I love my book. 

 I better. 

I'm its mother.

No one, not even my sweet hubby who's been so supportive of my journey, is as deeply invested in it and my characters as I am. Friends and family try to be good sports about it. There's a lot of eye rolling, but I'm used to it. I went through that with them about Harry Potter, too.

They love me me anyway.

With this R&R, I'm on the 13th edit/rewrite. I've spent so many hours in my characters' company that I know them really well. Better than some of my dearest friends--because real people don't spill all their guts.

My life changed when I had my first child, a son. Until that moment, I'd never truly realized the depth of human love. Of a mother's love. It worried me as I prepared for the birth of my second child if the love I felt for my son would be diminished, divided, with the new addition. Or if I might not be able to love the new baby as much.

Stupid woman.

The love for my son didn't lessen with the coming of my daughter, and the love I felt for my beautiful daughter was no less than what I felt for my son. I discovered an important lesson.

Love defies mathematics.

I'd been operating on the assumption that my capacity to love was a finite thing.

Wrong!

With the addition of each child, I found that my capacity to love increased. It grew so I not only had a greater ability to love all these wonderful little people I had the privilege of mothering, but that I had more love for everyone else as well.

So how does this relate to my book? My other baby?

It means it's okay to fall in love with new projects, new characters, new worlds.

*sigh*

I love being a writer.

Have a wonderful weekend. Summer is almost here. 

 Life is good.

A to Z - Foreshadowing

I lurves foreshadowing, especially when it's cleverly done. I think Jo Rowling is probably one of the best out there. It made her books like little treasure hunts every time I'd read them, especially when a new book would come out.

Her books are so full of them that this could be quite a long post. To spare you I'm only going to touch on one that I thought was particularly well done--if you knew what you were looking for.

Scabbers aka Peter Pettigrew aka Wormtail. 

How many of you imagined, even after you'd read the first couple of books--or, to be honest, 3/4s of the way through Prisoner of Azkaban--that Ron's pet rat was really the animagus form of the supposedly dead Peter Pettigrew?

Here's a bit of foreshadowing from the first book--in fact, it's from the very first time that Ron and Harry ride together to Hogwarts. Remember that spell Fred gave Ron?

Sunshine daisies,

Butter mellow,

Turn this stupid,

fat rat yellow!

We assumed the spell either wasn't a real spell and just a practical joke or that Ron didn't cast   it right. Well, the spell wouldn't have worked because Scabbers wasn't a rat. 

See what I mean? That tricksy Jo.

What are some of your favorite pieces of foreshadowing?

Harry Potter Ebooks--a New Trend in Marketing?

I have a Nook Color and got it before the Kindle Fire came out. I love it. I have a huge library of books on my Nook. I either downloaded them from Barnes and Noble, or I downloaded them from Smashwords as epubs.

I believe in competition. I don't want Big A (either them) to be the only places we have to go to purchase.

But I digress.

Yesterday I bought an iPad. I've wanted one for a long time because I attend a lot of conferences (both for my day job and as a writer), and the iPad--with its little keyboard set that makes it a mini laptop--will be much easier to carry around and take notes on.

But I also want it to be my ereader of choice. I'm giving my Nook to my hubby to use for church books, so I need to move all the books I've downloaded from B&N and a handful of Kindle books I've downloaded to my laptop but haven't read yet.

I wish they didn't make it so hard!

If you haven't had a chance to read the article "What Book Publishers Should Learn from Harry Potter" by Matthew Ingram, you should check it out. He discusses the model that Jo Rowling and Pottermore have developed for the new release of the Harry Potter ebooks.

Imagine! You can download EIGHT digital copies of each book for the multiple digital places you want to read them or for lending. One of the reasons I've continued to buy paper books is because it's hard to lend digital books, especially if your friends have competing readers.

I love this quote from the article:

"Charlie Redmayne, who left HarperCollins to become the chief executive officer of Pottermore, said that all of these developments and enhancements for users stem from a single principle:

My view is that the one thing we should learn from the music industry, is that one of the best ways of fighting back against piracy is making content available to consumers at a platform they want to purchase it on, and at a price they are willing to pay, and if you do that most people will instinctively want to buy it.

Redmayne is right, and if book publishers could only learn one thing from the Pottermore launch, it should be this: that one of the biggest drivers of piracy is the inability to find or consume the content that a user wants in the format or on the platform or at a time they wish to consume it . . . ."

click the picture

Jo gets it.

Why don't the others?

You Know You're a Writer . . .

I've been messing around lately when I needed a break. I'd like to thank the folks at cuebon.com for compiling these.

And, while I'm waiting for my son to finish the book cover, I've been messing around some myself. This is nothing like the cover he's working on. He's the artist, after all.

 Here's some artwork by my oldest son, David.

He did this as a senior art project and gave it to me for Mother's Day. It's airbrushed.

Here Dave is with another one of his projects (also airbrushed).

One more.

Here's one he did recently on Corel Paint.

And here he was just sketching on the iPad.

Have a great week!

Define Paradise

My daughter put on a fun Harry Potter party for her son. I love that my grandkids love Harry Potter. My grandson just barely turned 8, and he's already halfway through Goblet of Fire. Not too shabby. I got to help make the Owl Snacks and Cauldron Cakes. The Butterbeer was to die for.

I brought him a fun book--Bees in My Butt, which he and his older sister both read. Hilarious books. I'm going to have to get the others in the series.

 

I got my granddaughter Mist Warriors, and they both read that one. 

Then I remembered that I brought Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School) to her. She blew through that one in a day.  

 Some addictions are good to pass down to future generations.

We made it safely back to the mainland.

To snow.

Sad. Really sad. Though it's supposed to be nearly 70 degrees one day this weekend. Which is actually a bit better than what we experienced on Kaua'i. They had rain of nearly biblical proportions. It's a good thing we went for a family event and not sightseeing. Besides the airport and the church (and my daughter's house) I only made it to Walmart.

But it was awesome seeing my daughter and her family again. I miss them so much.

Got back yesterday and had my last wisdom tooth removed. I'd been putting this off for 30 years because the other bottom wisdom tooth was a bear afterward. Well, this one was a bear getting out. The dentist had to take it in pieces.

And the tooth area isn't the only place that can take a hit during an extraction. Like my lip here. I haven't had the guts to look at the tooth extraction site.

One positive note though. The oral surgeon (as he's cutting the tooth from my jaw bones) assured me I didn't have osteoporosis.

Anybody doing anything fun this weekend?

Review - "Rising, Book 1 Resistance" by Laura Josephsen

Check It Out

Book Description:
All Alphonse wants is a quiet summer at home before his final months at university. What he gets is a half-dead stranger on his doorstep and the task of delivering a package to the leader of his home country. Not long after he boards a train toward the capital, he's attacked by knights, elite soldiers of the neighboring king.

Alphonse is temporarily rescued by Mairwyn, a mechanic with a haunted past and a deep hatred of knights. Together, they attempt to carry out Alphonse's urgent errand, only to learn that if they fail, countless people will die.

And even if they succeed, they may not be able to prevent the war that lurks on the horizon.

I guess I'm a sucker for geeky guys. Not that I'm suggesting my hubby is a geek--I can almost guarantee he'd be offended. But I do embrace my inner geek (Harry Potter helped me with that), so perhaps it's a bit of kindred spirit sort of thing.

In some ways Alphonse--who is so happy to be buried in a book--reminds me of Elend in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. Elend was a bit more proactive than Laura Josephsen's character, but Alphonse finally quits kicking against the pricks, so to speak, and finally accepts that he's one of few people in a position to stop something terrible from happening.

Genocide.

I found the character of Mairwyn to be endearing and intriguing. She's so stubborn and impatient, yet you can tell there's something else going on with her. As her personal history slowly unfolds, you realize why she's the way she is, and your heart breaks for her.

There's plenty of intrigue, suspense, and action in this story. I can vouch for how vile the villains are. While this is the first in a two-part series, the second book will be from the point of view of different characters as they continue to fight the psycho bad guys.

Grammar Friday . . . Commas

The issue of commas can be a bit Harry.

But siriusly, commas can save lives.

For example:

Let's eat, Grandma!

source

OR

Let's eat Grandma!

source

Have you ever had

an embarrassing experience

with a misplaced comma?

Book Review - Mistborn: The Alloy of Law

Brandon Sanderson's done it again. And that's why he's become one of my favorite authors. You can find an article on the Tor blog here where Brandon wonders if his 14-year-old self would approve of what he did in this fantasy book.

Well, I loved what he did.

Here's a synopsis:

Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.

One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.

I'm good with some fight scenes in books. If they drag on too long I find myself getting bored and will skim ahead to see what the outcome is. What's surprising is how much I enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy's fight scenes using the unique magics of the world, both for the Allomancers (people who can "burn" metals and get power from it) and the Feruchemists (people who can store things like health, weight, strength, etc. into "metalminds" on their bodies).

I love what Sanderson's done in this new society where the main character can do both Allomancy and Feruchemy. Oh, my, the things he can do with it. In Brandon's article above, he spoke about the introduction of guns into this world. Adding this element to the already clever and exciting fight was brilliant. I grew up in a day when westerns were big on TV and in the movies. I remember Clint Eastwood before he became famous in the Spaghetti Westerns like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly back when he was on Rawhide. The feel that Sanderson brought to the book matched well with my memories but, as always, with his own fascinating twist.

Brandon did a great job blending of our turn-of-the-century-type (the one before) technology with trains, horseless carriages, skyscrapers into the culture and political system we were familiar with in the earlier series. I loved what he's done with the place, so to speak.

And the characters. Brandon writes characters I love. I love their flaws (oh, my gosh, Wayne just makes me smile!), their strengths, their humor, and their interactions with each other. In the character Waxillium, you've got a brilliant mind mixed with amazing physical skills all set inside a man who's dealing with a terrible emotional burden. A man with a powerful sense of justice and a need to do something to make things better. Kind of a "saving people thing" that Harry Potter had--only Wax is no kid.

I'm glad this is the start of a new series. As always, Sanderson throws in some great twists that will keep you on your toes. I highly recommend this book.

Tomorrow is the last chance to enter to win The King's Envoy in The Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop. 
Click here to sign up. I'm choosing the winner at noon.

Also tomorrow, you  might want to stop over at Matt's place at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. He's going to post my query and critique it on Friday.