BLOG TOUR - DAY 3

DragonLight
by Donita K. Paul

Web site - http://www.donitakpaul.com/

Author moderated blog - http://www.donitakpaul.com/author/blog.html

(Click book for Amazon link)

On the final blog tour day, I wanted to mention that while DragonLight is the ending volume of the Dragonkeeper Chronicles, it isn't the end of Donita Paul's world of Amara. She is working on a story tentatively called A New Tail. Here's the first chapter download.

DragonLight struck me as a book of comparisons. Kale felt compelled to stay at the castle and oversee the estate while Bardon journeyed to take a cure for the stakes - a bone and joint ailment that brought great pain. Bardon followed Paladin and quoted Wulder's teachings, yet Bardon was quick to jump on Holt for schemes to turn a quick profit. Toopka enjoyed life and always looked for the postitives, while Sittiponder seemed the eternal pessimist at times; not because he looked for the negative but because he saw what was yet to come for his friends.

The second largest contrast existed between Kale and Gilda the Meech dragon. Kale looked outwards and thought of others. Gilda, as a Meech, looked down on the other races, deeming them less cultured and intelligent. Her problems were always the greatest, and needed solving the soonest. Of course the largest contrast existed between Wulder and Mot Angra. Wulder cared for all, and would bring all to him; even Mot Angra. Mot Angra brought only ruin and destruction through his self-centered goals and actions.

In the end, self sacrifice and compassion for others brought healing to the person and to the land.

Thanks to Nissa at LinaLamont. blogspot.com for mentioning the a link to Librettowit's Library
This page on Donita Paul's webpage explains about the character races and other items if you have questions.

In case you missed the earlier books in the series, CBD offers the complete set on sale.




DragonSpell, DragonQuest, DragonKnight, DragonFire, and DragonLight.


(Click books for link)

*Participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

BLOG TOUR - DAY 2

DragonLight
by Donita K. Paul

Web site - http://www.donitakpaul.com/

Author moderated blog - http://www.donitakpaul.com/author/blog.html

(Click book for Amazon link)

DragonLight is a light, fun read. I'm not always in the mood for a heavy, epic conquest story. Sometimes the good guys do win, but not always the way that you would expect. Besides the Followers, DragonLight introduces the reader to an ancient evil considered more fable than fact. Add to this the dangerous black dragons, and Kale and Bardon find problems coming from all sides.

The black dragons are a fourth type of dragon in the land of Amara - the majestic riding dragons, the intelligent meech dragons, the talented minor dragons, and now the evil black dragons with poison spines and flaming saliva. Kale finds herself unable to communicate with this new dragon breed. Instead, the dark threat from the sky comes looking for Kale and attacks her as the DragonKeeper. And all she wanted was a few days away from the castle enjoying a quiet quest with her husband, Bardon.

Thanks to Nissa at LinaLamont. blogspot.com here is a link to Librettowit's Library
This page on Donita Paul's webpage explains about the character races and other items if you have a question.

*Participants’ Links:


Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

BLOG TOUR - DAY 1

DragonLight
by Donita K. Paul

Web site - http://www.donitakpaul.com/

Author moderated blog - http://www.donitakpaul.com/author/blog.html

(Click book for Amazon link)

Dragonlight is the fifth and final volume in the Dragonkeeper Chronicles. One of the things I have liked about the series, and especially DragonLight, are the quotes from Wulder. They strike me as short, wise sayings like the book of Proverbs in the Bible. After a hard, long day Kale's husband Bardon the Knight quotes, "Words spoken from fatigue resurface like oil on water. They are clearly seen and not easily eradicated."

The main story centers around a new group known as The Followers, who corrupt Wulder's teachings by telling others they must learn new rules and work their way up the Follower ranks through their deeds. Their focus on works not faith in Wulder is known as Elevation.

I wanted to thank Mrs. Paul for answering a few questions on her series and on writing:

1) How did you get started writing fantasy stories?

I have to be truthful and admit it was done on a whim. I was not an ardent
fantasy fan and in fact, had not read much before I started. One June I had an
infection in my leg and had to stay down with my foot elevated higher than my
heart. The length of the ordeal was to be six weeks. I was bored in five
minutes. My son brought me a fantasy series - nine hardbound books, each about
900 pages! When I finished them, I thought, "That was pretty cool." Nine
months later, I decided I'd give fantasy a whirl just to see what would
happen.

2) Where did you get the idea to write a series about dragons?

I was just experimenting, and it worked. I'm glad it did.

3) Who is your favorite character in the Dragonkeeper Chronicles books?

I love Wizard Fenworth. He reminds me of me. I know I'm smart and capable of
doing things. However, sometimes I just can't remember how to do these things.
How do you change the light bulb in the microwave?

4) Would you have any new writer suggestions?

Tom Clancy said it best.
"Keep at it! The one talent that's indispensable to
a writer is persistence. You must write the book, else there is no book.
It will not finish itself. Do not try to commit art. Just tell the story."

Thank you for your time, and help with these questions.

*Participants’ Links:


Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
* Beth Goddard
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Terri Main
Magma
Margaret
* Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
* Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Steve Rice
* Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
* Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

JulNoWriMo - Day 7
Progress: 5634 Words after Day 6

Summertime WriMos are harder to complete than Wintertime WriMos. During the Summer, there is grass to cut, dogs to walk, swimming, and summer sports. That doesn't leave a lot of time to sit down and get a lot of writing finished. You just have to hope for the best, and what you accomplish is what you accomplish. Suspense is a slower moving genre for me. Fantasy seems to flow more quickly, while suspense requires more thinking about how the pieces should fit together. Still, the story is still moving and that's a good sign.

JulNoWriMo - Day 3
Progress: 1328 Words after Day 2

Yesterday still started a bit slow. Thank goodness for the 4th's extra free writing time. Only about 48,700 words to go. Normally you have to average 1666 words a day to finish NaNoWriMo. Looks like 1700 words a day or better is needed for the rest of July.

The WriMo challenges are a great way to get that story out that you've been putting off. Things always seem to come up that take your spare time. JulNoWriMo allows you to put those interruptions aside for the time being. It's amazing how much free time is available when you just turn off your television and focus on writing.

JulNoWriMo - Day 2
Progress: 317 Words after Day 1

It's off to a slow start, but the writing extra day in July should help reach the 50,000 word goal by month end. NaNoWriMo begins in four months, so JulNoWriMo is a good warm up and a way to tide writers over that long dry spell between WriMos. JulNoWriMo operates on the author word total honor system. There's no verification step for your, but reaching a few hundred words over the 50,000 should cover any under-word balance.

I like the JulNo progress tracking spreadsheet. Once you enter your daily word total, time, and feeling score, the spreadsheet calculates your totals, averages, remaining words, and charts your monthly balances. This is a great aid to check how well you're progressing, and whether you're on track. JulNo Tracker: http://julnowrimo.thewrigro.com/julno-report-card2008.xls

JulNoWriMo
(July Novel Writing Month)

http://julnowrimo.thewrigro.com/

It's time for another mad dash to write 50,000 words in one month. NaNoWriMo returns on November 1 with only 30 days to rush our that next great novel. JulNoWriMo provides an extra day - 31 days to write your 50,000 words - and helps tide you over if you can't wait until November to write down the story you've been working on in your head.

One nice feature of JulNoWriMo is the JulNo Report Card spreadsheet. By entering data each day, you can track your progress, and check the chart if you are ahead, or behind schedule to complete by July 31. You can even track your daily, and total time that you've spent writing.

Time to put that thinking cap on and start typing away for the next 31 days.

Kentucky Christian Writers Conference
June 20-21, 2008
Elizabethtown, Kentucky

If you live in or near Kentucky, the KCWC provides an opportunity to meet with other writers around the area. The featured speaker for 2008 is Karen Moore Artl of Thomas Nelson Publishers. The theme for the twelfth annual KCW Conference is "Be Thou My Vision." This year's conference begins at 9:00 Friday morning, and ends Saturday afternoon at 3:30.

Workshops cover writing, editing, songwriting, photography, and other areas of interest to writers.

For further information:
http://www.kychristianwriters.com/Conference2008.dsp

Bryan Davis' New Book -
Beyond the Reflection's Edge

Beyond the Reflection's Edge works on many levels. It's got car chases and get-aways, violin performances at Ganz Hall in Chicago, and a 1980's style flashback. Teenager Nathan Shepard has encountered villains before when helping his Dad recover stolen technology from around the world. Now he faces a new type of villain that is definetly not of this world. With the help of his new friend, Kelly Clark, he has to solve the mystery of what happened to his parents and avoid whoever is chasing him; all with the help of a small mirror, an older 35mm film camera, and his mother's violin.

(click book for Amazon link)

For more information, and daily clues leading up to the book release, check out Mr. Davis' blog at: http://dragonsinourmidst.blogspot.com/

Bryan Davis' New Book Releases May, 2008!

Bryan Davis' writing skill shines as he brings together a combination fantasy, science-fiction, suspense, and murder mystery story in Beyond the Reflection's Edge. Nathan Shepherd carries a small mirrored square from his father that reflects images of what isn't always seen. Nathan is pulled from one harrowing adventure to another as he fights to stay ahead of dangerous Interfinity employees. Interfinity wants the small piece of glass he carries, at any cost. But why?

(click book for Amazon link)

Bryan Davis' New Book Releases Next Month!

Bryan's new book, Beyond the Reflection's Edge, hits the stores May 2008. This book is published by Zondervan, and is a departure from his earlier two dragon series books published by AMG.
Beyond the Reflection's Edge is his best book to date, and contains great plot twists and suspense. While still geared to young adult readers, the story action is a little more intense than his earlier books. The characterization and story are top notch, and very enjoyable. It's one of those books that are hard to put down because you become so engrossed with the main characters and their adventure.

(click book for Amazon link)

Happy April Fools Day!

There are no blog tours planned this month for my blog, so I'll take time to mention a couple of writing opportunities in the bluegrass state.

On May 9-10, in Nashville, American Christian Writers is hosting a mentoring retreat. You receive over twelve hours of small group and professional review of your piece to help you learn how evaluate, copy edit, and proofread manuscripts. This is a good way to learn and polish your writing craft.

On June 20-21, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky Christian Writers presents their annual writing conference. Their featured speaker is Karen Moore Artl from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Links:

http://www.xariscomhosting.com/acwmentoring.htm

http://www.kychristianwriters.com/Conference2008.dsp

BLOG TOUR - DAY 3

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

by Andrew Peterson

Web site - http://andrew-peterson.com/
Author moderated blog - http://www.rabbitroom.com/

(Click book for Amazon link)


Besides the importance of family, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness stresses the idea of doing the right things for the right reason; but that doesn't mean that things will work out the way you hoped. Janner and Tink know that Leeli can sang. When they go to town for Dragon Day, Leeli sings a song for the dragons. The dragon music coming from the sea stops so that the dragons might listen to Leeli's song.

Afterwards, Leeli attempts a rescue of Nugget, her dog, from Slarb - an especially nasty Fang. Slarb corners the children in an alley, and attempts to take them to the Fang jail. With aid from an unseen rock-throwing friend, the children escape and tell their parents about their town adventures.

Tink finds a map in the old book store, and later Janner follows Tink to Anklejelly Manor in search of the Jewels of Annivera. Podo and Mother have warned the children before against venturing into the forrest. Tink figures the dangerous animals have all left centuries before, but the two boys soon find themselves pursued by horned hounds and toothy cows. When I first read about the "Fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree" images of cows chewing grass came to mind. Tink and Janner are chased by these over-sized bovine predators. Oddly it sounded suspenseful and funny at the same time.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is an enjoyable read. The author has a way with words and names that stands out from a lot of other YA fantasy books. This is one of those books that is almost as fun to read to yourself as to your children or grandchildren.

*Participants’ Links:

Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Green
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

BLOG TOUR - DAY 2

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

by Andrew Peterson

Web site - http://andrew-peterson.com/
Author moderated blog - http://www.rabbitroom.com/

(Click book for Amazon link)


One of the positve themes that ran through the book was the importance of family. Tink is afraid of heights so their grandfather thinks it best to cure him by facing his fears on the cottage roof. Crippled while very young, Leeli stays inside the cottage to help her mother with chores as walking with her wooden crutch tires her at times. The three had lost their father during the great war after the Fang invasion, and their mother moved the family to live with their grandfather.

Life is good at the cottage for the Igibys. The children learn their T.H.A.G.S. ( Three Honored And Great Subjects) from their mother, and their grandfather, Podo, spends much of his free time fighting and removing thwaps from their garden. Thwaps sound like some type of short, furry gnome with a taste for vegetables.

In one scene, Podo manages to knock out a single thwap who later recovers and throws pebbles at him. The thwap groups are small, and they band together to survive; much like the Igiby family.

Janner becomes discouraged with the prospect of looking after his younger siblings, Tink and Leeli, and feels burdened with his lot in life. Janner later panics when Leeli and her dog Nugget disappear after the Dragon Song is heard from the cliffs on the outskirts of Glipwood. His job was to watch over her at the Dragon Day event, and now she is no where in sight.

*Participants’ Links:

Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Green
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

BLOG TOUR - DAY 1


On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness


by Andrew Peterson

Web site - http://andrew-peterson.com/
Author moderated blog - http://www.rabbitroom.com/


I wanted to start off by saying, I enjoyed this book! The humor filled story moves along at an enjoyable pace, and contains many not so average characters. There are unexpected twists in the this young adult fantasy story.


Mr. Peterson may not be a big Monty Python fan, but that's what many of his location names reminded me of - Anklejelly Manor, the Fearsome toothy Cows of Skree, and Peet the Sock Man.
Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby live with their mother and their grandfather - a peg-legged retired pirate who is till full of spunk.

Life in their cottage on the cliffs above the Dark Sea of Darkness would be idyllic if not for the amphibian looking Fangs of Dang who hate all humans, and their pets. The children encounter run in after run in with the Fangs, who hate all humans and their pets. Ruthless overseers of the land, the Fangs love to punish and insult humans at every opportunity. After half-spoken answers and unanswered questions, Janner and Tink decide to scout for answers on their own and end up in the most dangerous place in town; the Fang Fortress.





*Participants’ Links:

Sally Apokedak
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Green
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

The Muse Online Writers Conference

MuseItUp offers a free online conference OCTOBER 13 - 19, 2008.



There are plenty of workshop and chat opportunities in many genres. I haven't attended the conference in the past years, but plan to this fall.

2007 Conference Info:

2008 Conference Registration:

The Shadow and Night - Tour Day 3
by Chris Walley

Web site - http://www.chriswalley.net/
Author blog - http://chriswalley.blogspot.com/

This is the final blog tour day for The Shadow and Night. I'll confess that I'm still reading the final chapters, so I'm not quite finished. That's not to say that it's not been an enjoyable journey through the story, but rather that I find myself stopping to mull over some aspect of the characters or Farholme. A book that pulls you in so well that you want to stop and savor the moment says something about how well it affects readers.

On the last day I wanted to mention something that struck me as different with The Shadow and Night from some other books that I've read. Merral and Vero came across as pacifists at heart; their whole society is structured that way. With the end of war and strife knowledge of fighting has been all but forgotten. Even when threatened by the two mutated humanoid species in hand to hand combat, Merral and Vero fell misgivings over what they must do to survive.

When forced to at last protect Farholme against the invaders, FDU members still question whether a defensive posture would be interpreted as too aggresive. Sentinal Vero points out that all must stand against the Evil, or all will fall to Evil. Merral encounters changing attitudes among Farholdens as a small stray from Assembly laws grows into a wider societal gap. Evil needn't conquer Farholme all at once when a series of gradual victories work just as well. Merral has been warned to stand firm in the Lord during this period of testing in preparation of the coming battle. Yet around him he sees people he cares for changing - his parents argue and complain, and Isabella wants more than just a simple engagement commitment out of him.

Evil knows our weaknesses, and Merral faces the enemy both without and within. The future of Farholme is at stake, but then so is Merral's future life.

The Shadow and Night pulls the reader deep into the story, and will make you stop and think long after you've finished the book.


Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Rebecca Grabill
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Heather R. Hunt
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

The Shadow and Night - Tour Day 2

by Chris Walley

Web site - http://www.chriswalley.net/
Author blog - http://chriswalley.blogspot.com/

On the second tour day for The Shadow and the Night, I wanted to mention some of the technology and how it fits into Assembly socity. Worlds are connected by Gates that enable vast ships to jump 40 or 50 light years at a time in a matter of moments. Short travel jumps between gates help the Assembly worlds stay connected both economically and socially.

Merral's almost fiance, Isabella, works as a child pyschologist to compare her patients against the Assembly norm. This continous re-evaluation has helped strengthen the stability among the star systems for past 11,000 years. Technology and the environment are checked and rechecked on the made worlds - humanly modified dead worlds. The pre-story begins with the remote seeder ship Leviathon-D preparing the world for future colonization.

Society accepts technology as long as it doesn't create harm to another being. Growing and modifying new plants is an ongoing process, yet plants are as advanced a life form as they may change. Merral's young cousin first sights one of the alien creatures in the high woods overlooking her town. Merral and Vero travel to the wilds, and find another more dangerous creature in league with the first. Both creature types appear as modified humans; a clear blasphemy of the laws.

Wars have been ended, so when Merral and Vero are forced to fight the mutated creatures in the Northern expanse, the fighting is seen as an alien concept to both. Yet, they must learn quickly if they, and Farholme, are to survive. The pair try to warn a ship's captain about impending doom of the Gate, but are told again and again that the Gate never fails; it just works.

The second book takes up days after the greatest catastrophe Farholme has faced since it's founding. Families and friends have been seperated by light years, and society appears to be unraveling. Electronic diary security has been compromised, and Merral begins to wonder who can be trusted. A darkness is settling over Farholme containing both physical and spiritual danger.

Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Rebecca Grabill
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Heather R. Hunt
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

The Shadow and Night - Tour Day 1
by Chris Walley

Web site - http://www.chriswalley.net/
Author blog - http://chriswalley.blogspot.com/

The Shadow and the Night is composed of two books - The Shadow at Evening and
The Power of the Night - combined into one 613 page book. The first half of the book begins the tale of forester Merral D'Avanos on Farholme in theyear 13851. Evil has been defeated for millenniums under the control of the Assembly.

Connected by interstellar Gates, Farholme lies at the outskirt of Assembly civilization hunders of lightyears from Ancient Earth.

The story starts out slowly, keepng pace with Merral's travels through the icy north forests. Life seems normal at first, but with a strange foreboding Merral notices telltale signs of unease and a certain strangeness in his uncle's actions.

When Merral returns home in time for Nativity celebration, he is surprised to find Sentinel Verofaza Ennand from Ancient Earth at his parent's home. Something big is about to occur for a sentinel to travel the eight gates to Farholme; and why has Verofaza chosen to visit his house?

Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Rebecca Grabill
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Heather R. Hunt
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

Beyond the Reflection's Edge

Bryan Davis' new book, Beyond the Reflection's Edge, is scheduled for a May 2008 release. The YA fantasy involves a boy and a girl, a camera that takes pictures of what's not there, and a violin that plays odd sounds only the girl hears.

This book marks a departure from Mr. Davis' two successful dragon series published by AMG Press - Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire.

If you would like to pre-order an autographed copy of Beyond the Reflection's Edge, click here.

The Teaching Company - Research and learn at the same time.
http://www.teach12.com/teach12.asp?ai=16281

Want to learn more about history, mathematics, or economics from the comfort of your car or computer? Then try courses offered by The Teaching Company. These are college level courses for the most part, and presented by top instructors in the field.
If you decide that the course you ordered wasn't up to the promise, the Teaching Company will offer an alternative title or refund your course - even years later. When was the last time you dealt with a company that stood behind their products this well?
The courses aren't cheap - a few are over $500 - but are offered on sale twice a year. The materials ship in nice cases, and contain multiple Cd's or DVDs, along with a short course guide.
One of the courses - The History of Ancient Rome - includes forty-eight 30-minute lectures. After 24 hours of lectures, you should have learned a lot about the ancient Romans, and have plenty of good story ideas or background for your next story.
The Teaching Company is like attending college, and taking only courses that interest you. Even better, there's no hassle of finding that elusive parking place every week and coming in late to class.

Blog Tour - Day 3

AURALIA'S COLORS
by Jeffrey Overstreet
(Book 1 in The Auralia Thread Series )

Book web site: http://lookingcloser.org/auralia/default.htm
Jeffrey Overstreet Author blog: http://lookingcloser.wordpress.com/

This is the final blog tour day for Auralia's Colors. Someone brought up the fact that there is no clear villain. The former Queen is probably the closest thing to a villain in the story, but she disappeared many years ago after letting her greed and control get the better of her. No one protested for long, lest the become a gatherer - an outcast forced to live outside the safety of the city walls - and lose it all any way.
The Wintering had gotten out of hand as it continued year after year with no end in site. Citizens accepted their lot in life, and made the best of their situation by following government demands. Forced to live within the city walls for safety, the walls instead became a self-imposed prison. The Gatherers were more free in their poverty than the city dwellers in their abundance.
Few within Abascar City owned property. It all belonged to the Underkeep for the promise of Spring's future awakening. Over time, the stored treasures owned the citizens. Desires for things replaced their desire to follow The Keeper.

****** SPOILER ALERT **********

Auralia promised to never enter the city, and enjoy the freedom of the forest and lake. When she did enter the city, she gave up her freedom and very thing she enjoyed. She entered not to gain a part of the Underkeep treasures, but because she wanted to follow the Keeper's will. Auralia entered not to benefit herself, but to benefit others. A pure sacrificial gift that helped many, and at great cost to Auralia.

********************************************************************************

For more reviews, and information, check out some of the other fine participant web sites listed below.

Participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

AURALIA'S COLORS
by Jeffrey Overstreet
(Book 1 in The Auralia Thread Series )



Book web site: http://lookingcloser.org/auralia/default.htm

Jeffrey Overstreet Author blog: http://lookingcloser.wordpress.com/

Blog Tour - Day 2

It's now day two of the Auralia's Colors Blog Tour. I visited some of the participating sites, and they raised some good questions. One site wondered about a Christian theme in the story. I think that was the purpose of the Keeper, who traveled throughout the Expanse - or world - and watched over those who sought him. Abascar City citizens had relegated the Keeper to a children's story character, or a myth for the colorless gatherers that lived outside the city walls.
The book gave me pause after finishing. Could the focus on color status be a reflection on our cultures obsession with wealth and power? Could Abascar's focus on keeping the outside world out of the city, and the city dwellers safely inside the city at all costs represent how we often distance ourselves from others?
For more reviews, and information, check out some of the other fine participant web sites listed below.

Participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

AURALIA'S COLORS
by Jeffrey Overstreet
(Book 1 in The Auralia Thread Series )



Book web site: http://lookingcloser.org/auralia/default.htm

Jeffrey Overstreet Author blog: http://lookingcloser.wordpress.com/

Blog Tour - Day 1

Jeffrey Overstreet has managed to weave colorful words and descriptions into a story tapestry. Auralia is found as a baby on the Throanscall River by Krawg and Warney - two Abascar outcasts called Gatherers - and raised as their daughter. Years before, the Queen reserved colors for all but the privileged few living within the city walls. Everyone else must wear or own muted colors. Their world has devolved into shades of gray or brown.
Within Abascar City colors denote status and citizens will go to incredible lengths to earn colored 'honor stripes'. Ouside the city walls, gatherers are limited to browns and grays. Wearing other colors without royal permission results in arrest and stays in the dungeon. Free spirit Auralia finds colors in everything she sees and creates beautiful gifts for the poor gatherers in her village - a red yellow scarf, a pillow, all created from colorful forest treasures.

At first read this preoccupation with color seemed odd, but Overstreet pulls it all together into a masterful story. City officials and Abascar's rich manage to drape themselves with brilliant colors so that other's would know their importance. This seemed a strong allegory for extravagent displays of wealth and power in our world. Instead of colors, our world's rich and powerful use money and expensive items for the trappings of their importance.
Overstreet weaves a picture of a world both beautiful and foreboding at once. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the world of the Expanse may soon find the true beauty of the Keeper's world outside the city gates.

Participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

Writer's Workbench
Writing help for the grammatically challenged

http://www.emo.com/

Writer's Workbench version 8.18, is a boon to writers at all stages of their craft.
The program works as a Microsoft Word add-on, and keeps any changes or suggestions in a separate Word document file.

You import you file, and choose which area you would like analysed. Click one of 30 buttons and Writer's Workbench will check one of five punctuation areas, three verb areas, or one of seven clarity issues. If you are not sure about a grammatical issue, tutorials and further explanations are readily available.

There isn't a learn user's guide but the program contains plenty of help, and if you still can't find an answer to your program question, call their support line. They will work with you to make sure that you are getting the most out of your use of Writer's Workbench.

April 19, 2008
Sloan Convention Center
Bowling Green, Kentucky


http://www.sokybookfest.org/BookFest08/kwc.htm

The Tenth Annual Southern Kentucky Book Fest and Writer's Conference begins at 8:00.
The conference is held at WKU's South Campus at the Bowling Green Community College.

The twelve free sessions will cover fiction, nonfiction, poetry, songwriting, and writing for children. Some Kentuckt Literary Award nominees will lead presentions, writing workshops, and book readings.

DragonKnight, by Donita K Paul, is a fun read!

This is the third book in Mrs. Paul's dragon series. In this sequel to Dragonspell, young squire Bardon has left the city in hopes of a quiet sabbatical in a cabin beside a lake with his dragon. In stead he finds the emerlindians, Granny Kye and N'Rae, waiting for a knight's aid in the search for a son and father. His sabbatical delayed, Brandon learns that Wulder has plans for him to help the two ladies in their quest. The quest must be completed on time, but they face delays and problems every step of the way.

NaNoWriMo is Over, and it's catchup time!

Well, NaNoWriMo is over for 2007. Over 100,000 entered this year as the program continues to grow.

Annual participant/winner totals:

1999: 21 participants and six winners
2000: 140 participants and 29 winners

2001: 5000 participants and more than 700 winners

2002: 13,500 participants and around 2,100 winners

2003: 25,500 participants and about 3,500 winners

2004: 42,000 participants and just shy of 6,000 winners

2005: 59,000 participants and 9,769 winners

2006: 79,813 participants and 12,948 winners

2007: 101,510 participants and 15,333 winners

Participants write for 30 days, and then spend the next few months trying to catch up on what they've put off or ignored during the month of November.

Nanowrimo provides your creative muse an opportunity to write that story that you've been putting off. By keeping a short deadline, you have to turn off your internal editor. Turn your mind loose, and you'll be surprised at the stories that seem to write themselves.

Signup for NaNoWriMo 2008 begins in October!