tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74345163249614798302024-02-18T19:30:57.018-08:00Laughing Otter's Lair“We're all made of stories. When they finally put us underground, the stories are what will go on. Not forever, perhaps, but for a time. It's a kind of immortality, I suppose, bounded by limits, it's true, but then so's everything.”
― Charles de LintBryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-15667065223501665412016-01-09T00:57:00.000-08:002016-01-09T01:00:47.157-08:00A few words from the lovely Rose DrakeGather round, children! It's time to play 'Know Your Dracoforms'.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-mH7S5DJuyQhWLQa2H3DeWTioC15ujw3LXtMXoMtCSZUJ_mtCLCczOJ451HgCbcHdXK24JtxX-AVcto_mJ6SY0HtUJliCJNilcS3K5sb6C46ibcYjT2I2CGcA-nvHOJGOqSnPIiTwEoC/s1600/Know+your+dracoforms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-mH7S5DJuyQhWLQa2H3DeWTioC15ujw3LXtMXoMtCSZUJ_mtCLCczOJ451HgCbcHdXK24JtxX-AVcto_mJ6SY0HtUJliCJNilcS3K5sb6C46ibcYjT2I2CGcA-nvHOJGOqSnPIiTwEoC/s320/Know+your+dracoforms.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, I didn't draw this. I'm busy. - Rose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm not sure what the 'drake' is supposed to be. An aspirational monitor lizard, perhaps? I<span class="text_exposed_show">
suppose it could be a hatchling with...say, tightly-folded wings? No
matter... In proper society, "Drake" is used as a general term for any
true Dragon. Back home, it refers to a male Dragon. The feminine term
is 'Drakess'. 'Drakessa' is the plural.</span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
Wyverns have more in common with geese than they do with true Dragons.
They are generally bestial and lack speech and refinement. They can be
useful in warfare, however, assuming you can keep them from eating your
infantry.<br />
<br />
Wyrm is an Anglo-Saxon word which properly refers to
any ancient true Dragon. In the eastern regions of Earth, the type of
Dragon pictured has been referred to as a 'Lung', 'Ryu', 'Naga', and
'Tatsu', among other names. They are true Dragons, and tend to be
somewhat contemplative and scholarly. There are exceptions, of
course...<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yVBfqCgNyuBMF7RXsIeFi28Q3I-vrKn6BwUwW8-5l9bRpZh20ymHblLlOgVh96bybJYNwq86p-gBM8DMbh9-UGoy1DkvcCNqclHnkE1BgXW_8Za-XPwW3Jj9-WHTuTzKTO6JSNWjXQNy/s1600/Getting+Purple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yVBfqCgNyuBMF7RXsIeFi28Q3I-vrKn6BwUwW8-5l9bRpZh20ymHblLlOgVh96bybJYNwq86p-gBM8DMbh9-UGoy1DkvcCNqclHnkE1BgXW_8Za-XPwW3Jj9-WHTuTzKTO6JSNWjXQNy/s400/Getting+Purple.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold me!<br />
Well, sort of... Fine, I picked it because the scale color was the closest I could find. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lastly, we have the true Dragon as we appear in the
western part of Earth. A true Dragon has the following characteristics:
Intelligence, the capacity for speech, four legs, and the power of
flight. Wings are the primary physical trait differentiating eastern
and western true Dragons from one another; they do not determine what is
and is not a true Dragon.<br />
<br />
One more detail: if you are unsure if
your new neighbor is a pathetic wyvern or a noble true Dragon, take a
few moments and look around the lair mouth for 'fewmets'; that is, er,
droppings. A true Dragon does not defile his or her home by defecating
around it; a wyvern will. In short, if you see poop, shoot to kill. If
not, bring a large meal, some tribute items, and your best manners to
request a parlay. The lives you save could be your entire village's.<br />
<br />
Farewell for now, children. The donation chest is on the left as you leave.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10320527_1420320351571531_8571954578888866965_n.jpg?oh=e49903aeb25c95655a836541604a7b6f&oe=5748F30B" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10320527_1420320351571531_8571954578888866965_n.jpg?oh=e49903aeb25c95655a836541604a7b6f&oe=5748F30B" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose Drake</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Rose Drake is a Dragoness living in Boulder Colorado. She is the Chief Financial Officer of Curious Diversions game studio, makers of 'Ecophage', and writes a financial discussion blog. She enjoys sunbathing, treasure baths, and using her Middle Eastern dancing skills to charm tribute from the wallets of horny men who have forgotten both their wives and their roasted lamb platters. </i><br />
<br />
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DragonessRose</div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-70179617702015946832015-09-11T08:21:00.000-07:002015-09-11T08:21:46.937-07:00Humor, gamer culture, sex, violence, exploding bluebirds...more, please!<h2>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25954574-forging-day">Forging Day</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14177290.Noelle_Alladania_Meade">Noelle Alladania Meade</a></h2>
<br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1349693617">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomO5bXq7_x2ahqI_HUpjSSPiQceNGz1ID1D8Hm23ZLeWcbKjvAk_lYGsza-4gdM6OJExFl4pVf8V1YNd68U7qPEumFexY5ZCYtJ6bY0qS-h3BLIL0rtENg56Xlu94dpNLnuDrEDZ6bpPF/s1600/forgingday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomO5bXq7_x2ahqI_HUpjSSPiQceNGz1ID1D8Hm23ZLeWcbKjvAk_lYGsza-4gdM6OJExFl4pVf8V1YNd68U7qPEumFexY5ZCYtJ6bY0qS-h3BLIL0rtENg56Xlu94dpNLnuDrEDZ6bpPF/s200/forgingday.jpg" width="132" /></a>'Forging Day' doesn't lend itself to to easy categorization. It's not a romance, lesbian or otherwise. It's not pure erotica. Ti's not post-apocalyptic. That said, it does include elements of all three genres. When we meet Olivia, the narrator, she is unemployed, living off the kindness of her friends and the generosity of her sister, and scraping the bottom of the barrel for boyfriends. She's not a bad person, but she is broken. Over the course of the book, she, like the Shards of Narsil, is reforged into strength and purpose.<br />
<br />
There's a bit of dialog that captures the flavor of Olivia's transformation:<br />
<br />
“Oh my god, Berto. We’re noobs. We’re not even first level adventurers. We’re those idiots trying to figure out the tutorial— and I always skip the tutorial. . . . when I dreamed about becoming a fantasy adventurer, I was always a max-level character with epic gear. Look at me. I’m wearing vendor trash.”<br />
<br />
Thankfully, Olivia, like countless other low-level adventurers, has a party backing her up. Her friends have abilities of their own and are learning to use them as well. As with any ensemble cast, most get only the screen time and storyline they need to have, not what they ideally should have. Developing the secondary characters would have added a lot to the story, but I think it would have lessened the urgency and tension the plot needs.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwKVdqTI2EwztT67sz63ntp8nQ9F1WW_2DoQWebIAgUZnm712hHy003jwT-dG4iro5K552cuWMhHNrL5cONZTuV4m895PQVl6m7s9Z8KiVIw8ZdiHpQFb9HKdsU9FLgLdd7DacEJXSv_m/s1600/bluebird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwKVdqTI2EwztT67sz63ntp8nQ9F1WW_2DoQWebIAgUZnm712hHy003jwT-dG4iro5K552cuWMhHNrL5cONZTuV4m895PQVl6m7s9Z8KiVIw8ZdiHpQFb9HKdsU9FLgLdd7DacEJXSv_m/s320/bluebird.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Less of a flying rat and more of a flying hand grenade.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Olivia's romantic relationships are a significant part of the story, especially in the first chapter. In online gaming terms, Chapter One is a gear check for the reader. Make it through to the end (and I mean the entirety of the chapter) and you're in good shape for the rest of the story. The author handles a rough scene with great skill, and the reader becomes invested in Olivia almost at once. The other sex scenes in the book are nicely fun and sweaty. Olivia doesn't get magic items as she levels up but she does get magic moments.<br />
<br />
Obviously this is the first book of a planned series, and I can't wait to pick up the next one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3716107-bryan">View all my reviews</a>Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-52890204112907246652015-06-22T12:54:00.001-07:002015-06-22T12:54:45.337-07:00If the idea works, it isn't dumb..<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
I
didn't feel up to posting anything yesterday for Father's Day, and I
still rather don't. That said, we did have one issue this weekend that
brought to mind Noelle's father, Carl, and his approach to
problem-solving.<br />
<br />
We bought Alissa a Mylar balloon for her
birthday last month. Against all odds, it still had plenty of helium in
it Saturday night, and it proved this by floating out of Alissa's room,
bopping across thirty feet of ceiling, and fetching up against the
intake slats for the attic fan. Thankfully, the string had come off the
balloon, so there was no danger of that being sucked into the fan and
getting tangled up with the blades.<br />
<br />
The intake is twenty feet
above our front door, right next to a 6'x6' window. The intake slats
are weighted to stay closed and only open when there's enough air moving
to force them open. They're too narrow for the balloon to fit through,
but it got pulled in far enough to get pinned when the fan shut off.<br />
<br />
That's what we woke up to Sunday morning. <br />
<br />
One option was moving Alissa's bed so we could climb up into the attic
and scoot gracefully through the rafters to the fan. Carl was up there
when we first moved in, and he talked about what a pain it was, even as
skinny and agile as he was at the time. I was fairly sure if I tried,
I'd either get stuck like Winnie-the-Pooh and have to be rescued with a
crane and a Saws-All. or the rafters would give way and I'd fall through
the ceiling, the first floor, the basement floor, and be buried in the
crawlspace under a pile of rubble. Then naked mole rats would go
through my pockets for loose change. <br />
<br />
A ladder might have worked,
if not for the window. We'd have to put it at an angle that would
leave us with a good ten feet between the ladder and the balloon. We
could maybe reach it with a rake, but there's the window again.<br />
<br />
We ruled out putting a line on a broadhead-tipped arrow and shooting it
through the balloon. Ditto for breaking out the desktop-scale Civil War
cannon my dad made and pounding a volley of BBs through it. No good
backstop. That aside, we didn't have any black powder, BBs, wadding, or
cannon fuse.<br />
<br />
Tying a cord to a small object and wrapping it in
tape sounded promising. Except that, if we missed, said object was
usually falling straight down on us. We missed a lot. The dog was not
helpful; every time she looked at us, the "WTF people???" was writ plain
on her furry little face.<br />
<br />
Then we remembered Alissa's little western fort play tent.<br />
<br />
The poles for the tent are plastic, about five feet long. We lashed
three of them together with packing tape and wrapped one end in more
tape, sticky side out.<br />
<br />
Noelle was now standing on a stepladder,
playing 'hit the pinata' with a fifteen-foot fishing pole that had all
the rigidity of a warm Twizzlers stick. She finally managed to swing
the tape-wrapped end enough to hit the balloon - and the slats were too
tight for her to pull it loose. I hit the fan on 'low', and the balloon
was free to float again.<br />
<br />
Right up to the point where it fell down on the the scissors. Several times.<br />
<br />
I can't say that was how Carl would have solved this issue; I suspect
he would have gone to his tool chest and built a 20' robotic claw made
of wire coat hangers and used shock absorbers. However, I can say I'm
very tempted to look to my father when it comes to keeping future Mylar
balloons safely grounded.<br />
<br />
I just need to find someone who sells cannon fuse.</div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-25854036301086331692015-06-16T09:17:00.004-07:002015-06-16T09:22:30.284-07:00Review: 'Silver Shackles' by Fiona Skye<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00X4UYL4O" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.com/B00X4UYL4O " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftE7DzZBJR60HMzurw5fazGKEJDOFLkcRrjvzB2Ex4nnXKULVo5uVP8EG0dP6fsJHVboygsex9CIz6RxvpxpxW8lAb3TS6Iuc0apRYmpIqFvDSgSzPvJCFc9cPD4etVu3ncgOtmt82gUK/s320/Silver+shackles.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<span class="a-size-base review-text">I came in to Silver Shackles not
having read the first book, but it is a good stand-alone and I had no
issues understanding the world or getting into the story. The story
does tend to follow the general, common conventions of the paranormal
genre, but it avoids 'cookie cutter' characters and themes, for which I
was thankful. I just do not see why every city in the paranormal genre
has a court ruled by vampires. Why can't we have a were-Tyrannosaus Rex
with adamantite claws running things once in a while? Anyway....<br /><br />Riley
and her boyfriend David were both easy to relate to, and all the major
characters were developed enough to move out of the "generic background
extra" category. I'd kvetch about Riley and David not communicating
(one of my big pet peeves), but in this case the major communication
failures are due to professional and ethical constraints rather than
literary convenience.<br /><br />For me, one of the strongest points of
enjoyment was the sheer malevolence of the dark Fae. It was nice to see
villains who didn't remind me of Snidely Whiplash.<br /><br />My biggest
criticism is that the story moves very fast. Some folks have said the
same thing about my own books, so I can't complain too much about that.
:-)</span><br />
<br />
<span class="a-size-base review-text">Rating 4 of 5 </span>Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-4871788727286710222015-04-17T02:00:00.000-07:002015-04-17T10:41:38.347-07:00Steampunk + India = Tasty<br />
While I was doing the background
research for <a href="http://amzn.com/B00KTX6XDQ" target="_blank">'Hearts Before Diamonds'</a>, I wanted to find a Victorian-era
breakfast dish that would have been popular with Westerners visiting
India. A British friend told me about kedgeree, but the flavor profile
(and the flaked haddock) were too British. A little looking turned up
more recipes than I can count for khichuri, the root dish kedgeree is
derived from.<br />
<br />
So, presented here is the recipe I used for Edward Wal<span class="text_exposed_show">lace's
breakfast. It's appropriate for any Steampunk adventure, and if you
see something you don't like, by all means replace it. Khichuri is as
malleable as the cheeseburger or the omelet. Case in point: this recipe
calls for red lentils, but I think yellow ones are more tender. Also, I
hate cauliflower. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Recipe originally posted on Zesterdaily and shamelessly copied here. You don't want to know how much time I've wasted browsing recipes there...</span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
Allez cuisine!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAz1_-GX3zOEQcqErb90NH5kCrgNhMqdya42VThBrl4zasePd9DnQ5PBTIMHuO2zwLl-dqdAJAwgbDQn1ys0a5-bsgx9ed8cwTyi198P0JUuoW37ykgEMjp0v3SFb6KAhUb9SLJkeQEXHT/s1600/Khichuri-plate-580x386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAz1_-GX3zOEQcqErb90NH5kCrgNhMqdya42VThBrl4zasePd9DnQ5PBTIMHuO2zwLl-dqdAJAwgbDQn1ys0a5-bsgx9ed8cwTyi198P0JUuoW37ykgEMjp0v3SFb6KAhUb9SLJkeQEXHT/s1600/Khichuri-plate-580x386.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Bengali Red Lentil Risotto (Khichuri)<br />
(Recipe adapted from “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles”)<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
1 cup dried red split lentils (masoor dal)<br />
1/2 teaspoon turmeric<br />
1/2 cup short-grained rice (such as Arborio or kala jeera)<br />
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger<br />
1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
1 teaspoon ground coriander<br />
1 medium-sized tomato, finely chopped<br />
1 medium-sized potato, peeled and cubed<br />
1/2 small cauliflower head, cut into small florets<br />
3 to 4 green chilies, slit halfway lengthwise<br />
1 teaspoon sugar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 cup frozen peas<br />
2 tablespoons oil<br />
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped<br />
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter)<br />
1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />
1 to 2 bay leaves<br />
<br />
Directions<br />
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan put the red lentils and about 4 cups water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.<br />
2. Add the turmeric and simmer for about 10 minutes. The lentils should be partially cooked but not mushy at this point.<br />
3. Add the rice, 3 more cups water, ginger, ground cumin and coriander,
tomato, potato, cauliflower, green chilies, sugar and salt. Simmer for
about 25 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. The rice and
lentil mixture should be a porridge-like consistency (add more water if
too thick). The texture is important. You do not want the rice to
completely lose its integrity, however it should be softer than a
regular well-made bowl of rice. Add in the greens peas and stir well.<br />
4. While this is cooking, heat the oil in a wok or skillet and add the
onion and cook on medium heat until soft and pale golden. It is
important to cook the onions low and slow to let them caramelize.<br />
5. Stir the onions into the rice and lentil mixture and cook for about 2 minutes.<br />
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.<br />
7. Heat the ghee in a small skillet and add the cumin seeds and the bay
leaves. Cook for about 40 seconds until the cumin seeds darken and turn
fragrant.<br />
8. Pour the spice mixture over the rice and lentils.<br />
9. Stir lightly and serve the mixture hot.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/khichuri/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/khichuri/</a></div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-33060042050018181552015-04-14T09:05:00.000-07:002015-04-14T09:06:16.730-07:00Every picture tells a story...A friend of mine, Rowan Moonstone, took this picture up near Estes Park a few years back. She posted it in one of the Charles de Lint groups on Facebook a
few days ago, commenting that she thought there was a story there, but
she couldn't find it. She threw the gates open for folks to give it a
shot, so here's my submission.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc1d3wwgg3E_dr89rVxSQ5ooQdulB_1DacIO0Pp3nHanpk5h0Nwjk7MVRtoijjSwmUUwOaZdCt9nbN6hO9Nicq1ra8Rkai4PfkROU0N7ejqNKb6xwYMeqGvZL9t_4Cdd_-glv7yeFWERg/s1600/Elk+and+Bluebird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc1d3wwgg3E_dr89rVxSQ5ooQdulB_1DacIO0Pp3nHanpk5h0Nwjk7MVRtoijjSwmUUwOaZdCt9nbN6hO9Nicq1ra8Rkai4PfkROU0N7ejqNKb6xwYMeqGvZL9t_4Cdd_-glv7yeFWERg/s1600/Elk+and+Bluebird.jpg" height="174" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Business of Winter</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
by Bryan Fields</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fall in the Rockies is a time of great industry for the
creatures living there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They look around
themselves, seeing this sign and that, and watch the days grow shorter, and
each sign they see stirs them to be about the business of winter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As happens sometimes, a bluebird gave heed to an excess of
distractions, and, for a time, forgot to give account to the doing of needful
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not until the first
flecks of snow intruded on her that she realized she was unprepared for winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thought terrified her, and she gave a
great wail of despair.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her cries startled a young bull elk, who was full of dry
grasses and thoughts of lady elk, and of things done with lady elk in large
meadows of soft, dry grass…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sounded a
challenge and turned to face his attacker—but it was only a foolish bluebird
weeping over….well, something. </div>
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He snorted at her, and assumed his proudest stance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What did you say to me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I warn you, I’m not to be trifled with.”</div>
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The elk sniffed and cried, “Yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell me, what…er, how, I mean, where?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<![endif]-->Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-11777028027792582382014-09-13T02:00:00.000-07:002014-09-13T02:00:01.118-07:00Spooky Doings in Middle School: an interview with Iva Valentino<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I never had any weird teachers at East Arvada Junior High. The closest to 'interesting' I got was the one guy with a giant poster for the movie 'Rollerball' over his desk. I had to wait until high school to meet anyoen seriously strange - starting with the science teacher who wandered the halls with chips of dry ice in his mouth, blowing smoke rings at people. Iva Valentina's Middleton Middle School sounds like it would be a fun place to go. I wonder if we could get Mrs Pruitt to sponsor a D&D club...<br /><br />Welcome, Iva! Please</span></b> t<b>ell us about yourself. What
do you do for a living? How long have you been writing?</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ve
always had a big love of science. When I started my Biology degree at the
University of Arizona, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it. Five
years later, after participating in a few marine biology workshops with kids, I
knew I found my calling in education. I soon obtained a Master’s degree in
teaching, and began my eight-year adventure teaching middle school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW00jAJojBoYgc1qjpY9f3U1p1dqBDEsR4M634EuMnsm3Y0Pcm7lpnv_Icl7xCdALovlJmugl5IXSCbkJ9Hl3lSP7MM2v18kixI3J_sGd_gyCM3849-2Aw5fvEx4iPu0YOMOFaWJqNmUod/s1600/355+med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW00jAJojBoYgc1qjpY9f3U1p1dqBDEsR4M634EuMnsm3Y0Pcm7lpnv_Icl7xCdALovlJmugl5IXSCbkJ9Hl3lSP7MM2v18kixI3J_sGd_gyCM3849-2Aw5fvEx4iPu0YOMOFaWJqNmUod/s1600/355+med.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even
though I really enjoy working with kids, something I love just about equally is
books. So, I decided to combine the best of both worlds. Now, I work as a
science editor at an educational publishing house. I help create beautiful
nonfiction books for kids, and I write some as well. When I’m not working this
amazing day job, I write humorous tween chapter books. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In my
spare time, I enjoy yoga, photography, and cooking. I live in Tucson, Arizona,
with my husband and our dog, Lupo. My week is not complete unless I’ve taken at
least one Zumba dance class! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">How did you start writing? Was
there any specific event that sparked your interest?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ve
been writing fiction since I was a kid. At first, it was short stories. I loved
creating fun characters and then sending them on silly adventures. I never
imagined myself having a career as a writer. I took a long break from writing
during college due to my hectic schedule. Once I started working as a teacher,
my love of writing came back full force. Being around kids and talking with
them about the books they were reading really made me realize how much I missed
the writing process. This is when I started pursuing writing fiction books. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Do you have a schedule when you
write or do you write whenever there’s some peace and quiet? If you have a set
schedule, share it with us.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I work
best when I make a schedule for myself ahead of time. I set aside blocks of
time in which I make an appointment with myself to write. This means NO
internet surfing or email!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The schedule
will vary a bit from week to week, depending on what I have going on. For the
most part I am able to carve out several hours a day. The time when I’m most
productive is in the morning, so I always set time to write first thing before
I do any other kind of work. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Any odd rituals that get you in
the mood to write?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
recently started a daily meditation practice. I meditate right after I get up
in the morning, before I write. I feel that it’s really improved so many
aspects of my life!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What’s on your desk?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Usually
my desk is pretty organized. I’m one of those people that normally can’t
function with clutter of any sort. I just have my laptop, desk calendar, inbox
(where I admit, I do sometimes toss in stuff I don’t know what to do with), and
some pens/highlighters/whatnot. I also have a little figurine of a dragon that
my husband recently gave me for inspiration! Oh, yes, and I can’t forget to
mention all the little sticky notes I post all over my desk as I’m working and
need to remind myself of other things I need to do later. I love sticky notes.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">How have your family and friends
reacted to your writing?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My
husband thinks it’s great that I write. My dog, Lupo, spends his time sleeping
under my desk while I work. All around support from friends and family!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tell us about your new book.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Black Cats and Ballet Slippers</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> is a humorous tween chapter
book. Gemma Mayfield, the main character, is a ballerina and middle school
student. She is convinced her teacher is a witch. After her crush, Trevor, has
a spell cast upon him, Gemma embarks on a mission to save Middleton Middle
School from witchcraft! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Where did the idea for this book
come from?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-EeDM5HAbFgxQBU0rCdFTlboNPu-wwXkixrC0PRnDpkUPzcSzZnU1xCAzFUWT47VRvFe3Lr1E_YIXW4km7U-21DNDUeMgG62w2nwNanO3vhWfIvwB83WO5dYgCw8ABwc_UWtU-CaSuNi/s1600/333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-EeDM5HAbFgxQBU0rCdFTlboNPu-wwXkixrC0PRnDpkUPzcSzZnU1xCAzFUWT47VRvFe3Lr1E_YIXW4km7U-21DNDUeMgG62w2nwNanO3vhWfIvwB83WO5dYgCw8ABwc_UWtU-CaSuNi/s1600/333x500.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
idea for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Cats </i>came about during
my last year of teaching middle school. In the book, Gemma’s science teacher,
Ms. Pruett, has a really creepy classroom. The classroom has a preproom with
lots of “witchy” things, such as powdered unicorn horn and other ingredients
for spells. In my classroom, I also had a big preproom. My classroom was
actually very nice and not creepy at all, but over time my imagination took
over. I started to envision this preproom as being Ms. Pruett’s. From there on,
the rest of the storyline for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Cats</i>
started to brew! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">How hard is it to step away from
characters you’ve spent time with and finally pen THE END? Do you have an
impulse to continue their story?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
definitely have a hard time stepping away from my characters in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Cats and Ballet Slippers!</i> I’ve
always envisioned this book as being the first in a series. Gemma, Izzie, and
the rest of the Middleton Middle School gang will be back with more adventures!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If you were making a movie, who
would you cast to play your characters?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Most
of the characters in this book are middle school age. I am imagining some
spunky, smart, funny young actors and actresses! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What advice would you offer to
new writers?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Keep
writing every day! Even if you don’t feel like it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What’s in the workings for your
next novel?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’m
currently working on a sequel for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black
Cats</i>. This next book doesn’t involve a mystery, but the entire gang will be
back for some more fun at Middleton Middle School. I’m looking forward to
introducing some new characters!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Where can we buy a copy of your
book?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MuseItUp Publishing: </span></b><a href="https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/black-cats-and-ballet-slippers-detail"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/black-cats-and-ballet-slippers-detail</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Amazon</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Cats-Ballet-Slippers-Valentino-ebook/dp/B00ISW6BAA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410125518&sr=1-1&keywords=Black+Cats+and+Ballet+Slippers"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">http://www.amazon.com/Black-Cats-Ballet-Slippers-Valentino-ebook/dp/B00ISW6BAA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410125518&sr=1-1&keywords=Black+Cats+and+Ballet+Slippers</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Please include links to your
author page, blog, etc.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Website: </span></b><a href="http://www.ivavalentino.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">www.ivavalentino.com</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Blog: </span></b><a href="http://www.ivavalentino.com/blog"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">www.ivavalentino.com/blog</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Facebook: </span></b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ivaavalentino"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">www.facebook.com/ivaavalentino</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Excerpt:</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Okay, so something REALLY strange is
going on. Boys are from a different planet, but right now a few of them at
Middleton are acting like they’re from a different universe. (Wait. Does this
make sense? Is there more than one universe? Ugh. Maybe I should have paid more
attention last year in Astronomy.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So, by the time I got to Ms. Pruett’s
class, I had already worked myself into a super version of “I Don’t Wanna Go To
Class Because I’m Creeped Out!” mode. I walked into the Science Laboratory, and
I swear I felt the cold of Building 400 smack me right in the face. I’m not
kidding.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Of course Ms. Pruett was at the door,
acting like her sweet old lady self (ha ha, I know better), and was welcoming
all the kids into the classroom. I just kept my head down and muttered a hello
as I passed. Staying below the radar was the goal. Then I sat down at my lab
table and shivered a bit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Joey sat down at the table just a
second later. Normally he is really loud and obnoxious, cracking jokes, and
calling to the other Soccer Jocks across the room. Today he was quiet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Hey,” I said, trying to be friendly.
I thought maybe we could commiserate on us both having spells cast on us. Joey
responded with a “hey” but didn’t say much else. Hello? Was this the Joey I
knew?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“So, Joey, are you feeling okay?” I
asked. “You know, after yesterday…”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Joey didn’t say anything, but began
writing on a piece of paper. He folded up the piece of paper and passed it to
me. I gave him a questioning look. He gave me a weird look back that I couldn’t
decipher. The note was as follows:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Hey Gemma,</span></i><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Sorry I gave you a hard time yesterday
about the “Cute Boy” list. It was kind of rude of me.</span></i><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Joey</span></i><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">That’s when it hit me that Joey hadn’t
recovered from Ms. Pruett’s spell. For me it was just temporary, like a few
minutes. But Joey was acting weird. It had to be the spell.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Um, thanks,” I said. “Don’t worry
about it.” I then started taking out all my school stuff so that I could look
busy and not have any more awkward moments with Joey until he felt better. He
was taking longer to recuperate.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After class I headed straight down
toward the lunchroom. On the way there, I saw Trevor going in the opposite
direction past me. Our conversation went like this:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
Me: “Hi Trevor!” (with a big smile and enthusiasm)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
Trevor: “Oh, hi Gemma.” (with zombie-like attitude)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
Me: “Okay, have a good lunch!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
Trevor: “Okay, thanks. Bye.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
I wondered where he was going, in the opposite direction from the lunch room
when it was lunchtime. It took me another couple of moments to realize that the
ONLY classroom in that part of campus was Ms. Pruett’s room. He was headed back
toward Building 400!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
Yikes! I turned myself around in mid-stride and turned back the way I came. I
knew there was no way possible that Trevor would be going to Ms. Pruett’s. Why
would anyone in their right mind be going there by themselves?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
I didn’t want Trevor to think I was stalking him, because of course I would
never do that. But just in case that’s what it appeared to be, I used as much
stealth as possible. I walked in the shadows and stopped to peek out behind
bushes and building walls. I saw him up ahead…just before he ENTERED MS.
PRUETT’S CLASSROOM.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
My mouth fell open, and I just sort of stared at the door for a while.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
Weird things are going on here at Middleton. And I think Ms. Pruett’s behind it
all!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-69654166010272947492014-09-03T12:32:00.001-07:002014-09-03T12:36:30.926-07:00Doing a Guest Post Today<span class="userContent">I'm doing a guest post on Heather Greenis's
blog today, interviewing David Fraser. David is the main character in
'Life With a Fire-Breathing Girlfriend' and 'The Land Beyond all
Dreams'.<br /> <br /> I wanted to talk about life as a Hero, but David h<span class="text_exposed_show">ad other issues to discuss. Warning, minor use of offensive language.<br /> <br /> Stop in and enter for a chance to win a free copy of 'The Land Beyond all Dreams' and a hand-made bookmark (courtesy of <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=279078508919570" href="https://www.facebook.com/AlladaniaAuthor">Noelle Meade</a>).<br /> <br /> <a href="http://heathergreenis.weebly.com/heathers-blog/the-land-beyond-all-dreams-bryan-fields" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://heathergreenis.weebly.com/heathers-blog/the-land-beyond-all-dreams-bryan-fields</a></span></span>Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-89562936958961929352014-08-19T13:35:00.000-07:002014-08-19T13:35:02.273-07:00A few words from David Gerrold(David Gerrold originally posted this on Facebook. He kindly gave his permission for his words to be reposted and reblogged if desired.) <br />
<br />
I haven't said much about Ferguson because I haven't taken the time
to read all the news accounts. What I have read makes me recoil in
horror. It is as if someone has pulled the blanket off the bed and
revealed a horrifying mass of skittering cockroaches -- Missouri's
institutionalized racism and bigotry are now on display for the entire
world to see. <br />
<br />
Elsewhere, the news is reporting other shooting deaths of young black men, other unfair incarcerations, other miscarriages of<span class="text_exposed_show">
justice -- I have to wonder if some of this isn't a backlash against
the first African-American president, but more than that, I have to
wonder about the great wealth of skills and abilities and talent that
are being wasted, that are being denied to us. </span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
How many George Washington Carvers, Booker T. Washingtons, Harriet
Tubmans, Maya Angelous, Neil deGrasse Tysons, Duke Ellingtons, and
Martin Luther Kings are we jailing, suppressing, and killing? <br />
<br />
How many opportunities for a cure for some pernicious disease? How many
great works of art or literature? How many brilliant performances? How
many great scientists? How many incredible educators? <br />
<br />
What we
are doing to ourselves and our nation is attacking ourselves and a vital
part of our own culture. We are punishing our own ability to succeed
and thrive. And why? Because we're still fighting a war that both sides
lost over a hundred and fifty years ago. The south lost the war, the
north lost the victory, and America is impoverished because we have not
yet begun to heal the wounds, instead we just inflict deeper wounds upon
ourselves. <br />
<br />
Regardless of the circumstances of Michael Brown's
death in Ferguson (and right now, I do not trust anything the police are
saying), but regardless of the circumstances, what has been revealed is
much deeper than one incident or even a pattern of incidents. What has
been revealed is the portrait in our attic, the one that reveals the
rot and corruption we have allowed to fester. <br />
<br />
There is only one sure and certain way to change any of this. Register and vote. <br />
<br />
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to click the remote control.</div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-23160568596934006572014-07-15T05:00:00.000-07:002014-07-15T05:00:01.530-07:00Guest post: Natasha from the 'Natasha Saga' interviews author Heather Greenis<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Today, Natasha, the main character in the four books of the <i>Natasha Saga</i>, interviews her author, Heather Greenis. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNZ0xpCRljL3VvCArHXaR8ZX2gFu2jaNAwef1iTy41vcijYfnNBo5FmGTHogv7Tv15YuV94GB99GAEb6Pgrbu_dMhHAnWxWYxMEWaJ9fP-xR-hwkg3WAcSVPWcPwDN8peVwBgKnb3SNyH/s1600/Nat+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNZ0xpCRljL3VvCArHXaR8ZX2gFu2jaNAwef1iTy41vcijYfnNBo5FmGTHogv7Tv15YuV94GB99GAEb6Pgrbu_dMhHAnWxWYxMEWaJ9fP-xR-hwkg3WAcSVPWcPwDN8peVwBgKnb3SNyH/s1600/Nat+01.jpg" height="262" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Ah, Heather, you are prompt. How delightful.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - I knew you’d be early. Reading, I see. Are you enjoying your book? </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - It’s a book of poetry. I’m able to hear Stewart’s voice as he reads to me. I’m glad you gave me time to think about questions. I’ve given this a great deal of thought.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38ITEjqaz9lC1AsuJRLG0n1ewQBfSBjLrVVBE4O1yXX4h9bSCG_A_-ahWveyhyphenhyphen2hMTD7g629GqfdthOyIMAMuyjy5D43Klj55qwUDGaMPeIGRUv30sd7uuBYexbUcZkEiWghZ5hwS9NqT/s1600/Nat+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38ITEjqaz9lC1AsuJRLG0n1ewQBfSBjLrVVBE4O1yXX4h9bSCG_A_-ahWveyhyphenhyphen2hMTD7g629GqfdthOyIMAMuyjy5D43Klj55qwUDGaMPeIGRUv30sd7uuBYexbUcZkEiWghZ5hwS9NqT/s1600/Nat+02.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Uh oh. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1ORLt5_OFnDGnEtN6vdvVdYDYf5GuWcgbP-gPIIlM99tKQSdq5QIgHSTynWdPvd5f_9dXyk0KUZ0ov7XxP-Vas10bsq5lo5-BzdLg0PPuvZuTjXf__so5CWcXoLu3bo5KWqyEd2SqpJW/s1600/Nat+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1ORLt5_OFnDGnEtN6vdvVdYDYf5GuWcgbP-gPIIlM99tKQSdq5QIgHSTynWdPvd5f_9dXyk0KUZ0ov7XxP-Vas10bsq5lo5-BzdLg0PPuvZuTjXf__so5CWcXoLu3bo5KWqyEd2SqpJW/s1600/Nat+03.jpg" height="203" width="400" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - No. I won’t be cruel. To start, who is your favourite character in Natasha’s</span></div>
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Dream?<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">. - Goodness. I’m thankful they can't. I'm not comfortable having strangers touch me.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - In the second book, Natasha’s Diary, Stewart has a stronger voice. Readers get a better grasp of his character. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - I’ve read the story came to you through a dream. Much like Keeghan is dreaming. Your dream gave you the idea for the end of Natasha’s Dream and your imagination built the story that lead to the ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you have another dream to inspire the remainder of the saga? The other 3 books? </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - No. Natasha’s Diary, Hope and Legacy were completely my imagination. My husband read Natasha’s Dream and said ‘And??? You can’t end it there. Keep writing. The story needs developed.’</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjv7ib_aJXx5nTA6ZXClr5Iv6xbraVkbP8EA2G15nNm8kdnpd7sUgnqQf-ERhkc3E_tbDtvEzCL02cjfhjTvdSk7ddzQjUuBhN8cSuZ7tkD2Q2tpYUdU-ixxfXAyNGH9Dq_9KWAyQN3Yoz/s1600/Nat+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjv7ib_aJXx5nTA6ZXClr5Iv6xbraVkbP8EA2G15nNm8kdnpd7sUgnqQf-ERhkc3E_tbDtvEzCL02cjfhjTvdSk7ddzQjUuBhN8cSuZ7tkD2Q2tpYUdU-ixxfXAyNGH9Dq_9KWAyQN3Yoz/s1600/Nat+05.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - I didn’t expect to chuckle while interviewing you. You are as witty as Stewart.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Stewart</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - I heard my name. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Love. Allow me to introduce you to the woman that gave you life. Hum. Perhaps that’s the wrong term. This is not your momma, but Heather. We are discussing our lives. My life. My character is rather bright, Heather. Surprisingly so.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - You spent a lot of time in solitude as a child. Reading, and discussing novels with Nanny, you would be intelligent. The plot required siblings, education and values. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Stewart was written as a sweetheart. Gorgeous, smart, a real catch. The kind of guy any girl would give her right arm to date. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Stewart</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - You’re making me blush. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - It's not the first time, is it, Stewart? Natasha, you had to be special to capture his attention.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">- I must mention Goldie. That lovely dog. Was Goldie part of your original dream?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - No, but it made sense to include her. Animals give the opportunity to add humour to a scene. To lighten the mood. Growing up with a dog, I was inspired. Critters are smart and with that sixth sense. I enjoyed writing scenes with the dog. If only Goldie could talk. Oh, I take that back. It’s a good thing dogs can’t talk. Goldie would have ruined the story. Perhaps that will be another novel...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVftw00fgHvFNx_kYK9e4ZNF7WGEgHfqVPOOkOWPT9vLMaLxyLY_E3Pi_Ix52sj0a5sbN5Sp8XU8lnpI0EFpJA2G3yU-g6hondezHJQiDa-aGtWe_0V322wtzxdRXUd71-x2aIWp-XX6tI/s1600/Nat+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVftw00fgHvFNx_kYK9e4ZNF7WGEgHfqVPOOkOWPT9vLMaLxyLY_E3Pi_Ix52sj0a5sbN5Sp8XU8lnpI0EFpJA2G3yU-g6hondezHJQiDa-aGtWe_0V322wtzxdRXUd71-x2aIWp-XX6tI/s1600/Nat+07.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PfXrjh-ZiQHbnTGuHGNUt2buWoyzAy_nh0K_CXSFcmalmJx45ez-nJuG0ZggtoJxdUocbaeffUHUsnhMXv8olEBMnIWaqrDidS60K7jeRQOaWLsTxSQioZjhkUsgk_uo5674Ym4K2SuD/s1600/Nat+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PfXrjh-ZiQHbnTGuHGNUt2buWoyzAy_nh0K_CXSFcmalmJx45ez-nJuG0ZggtoJxdUocbaeffUHUsnhMXv8olEBMnIWaqrDidS60K7jeRQOaWLsTxSQioZjhkUsgk_uo5674Ym4K2SuD/s1600/Nat+06.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - We had a delightful visit with William and Keeghan yesterday. The computer challenged me. This small, um, thing, but I was enchanted when William showed me the picture of you and information about you. In particular we looked at books you have read. Keeghan has read a number of the books you have read and we concluded most have a moral. I am curious. It there a moral to the Natasha Saga?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Yes, every story needs a moral and for the Natasha Saga it’s greed. Drives me crazy. People are greedy for personal reasons, people running institutions are greedy. How the world would be a better place if greed didn’t exist.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Greed and power. Indeed.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The first book is called Natasha’s Dream. How did you come up with the name? Stewart and I have discussed this, but we’d like to hear the thought process behind it.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - My husband came up with it. We discussed a lot of names. One being Crown of Denial, but when the story turned into a saga, I wanted a name that could carry throughout the saga. Crown had it’s limitations. Natasha’s Dream had a double meaning. Natasha Dreams of a different life. Keeghan is having a dream. The name connects the two stories.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Given the fact I wrote a diary, the name of the next book makes sense. Natasha’s Diary - Any tidbits about the second book?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2GhLYSgJsxWqShJUpcmEmXllsonhlF-q0eLexdkenu9dXlQvsqnNHFo29jNtyqFjdj9y-PogedDVIYbwk1pQvG2KmmeB2vXlt5IpucJlXmfd-JEoV18N7pkIJuY5DkFuc1nlVejfy3q6/s1600/Nat+09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2GhLYSgJsxWqShJUpcmEmXllsonhlF-q0eLexdkenu9dXlQvsqnNHFo29jNtyqFjdj9y-PogedDVIYbwk1pQvG2KmmeB2vXlt5IpucJlXmfd-JEoV18N7pkIJuY5DkFuc1nlVejfy3q6/s1600/Nat+09.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjF2BM0N7mTtsaKwjqyymDloFzYkraPS1ouADL6ZlKroCzStbIha-Hk3W8YevI7mmD97dR3VYHrhAnIUqGm0yQGTIBrN3L96HM4gHnU0Yl8-aFQ0ErcvPP6k44pqIh3h8QIPIMpdS31eJ/s1600/Nat+08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjF2BM0N7mTtsaKwjqyymDloFzYkraPS1ouADL6ZlKroCzStbIha-Hk3W8YevI7mmD97dR3VYHrhAnIUqGm0yQGTIBrN3L96HM4gHnU0Yl8-aFQ0ErcvPP6k44pqIh3h8QIPIMpdS31eJ/s1600/Nat+08.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Well, my editor Teale loves it. I quote “Heather, it was so good. The first book was good, but I'd say this one is even better. It's just a real pleasure to read.”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Like the first book it may make you chuckle and could bring a tear to your eye.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - That is pleasing to hear. What about Natasha’s Hope? Once again I’m certain I know the answer.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - Natasha’s hope. Natasha’s Hope. Either works. A verb or a noun.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> - I love double meanings. And the saga will end with Natasha’s Legacy.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">HG </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">- Yes. And I promise, questions are answered. One friend read all four books.She wrote;</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I just finished reading your last book. I couldn’t put it down all week and this morning stayed in bed until finished.This isn’t just a family/love story, you have managed to weave some great messages on family, on love, on giving. Many writers I read I don’t get the same from.”</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://heathergreenis.weebly.com/contact-me.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidImCnWshcptmDf6hB18m3AucQca-LY-ZUnhjE6HJ1n8RG4JalPLeikmE53_9J9Pcf-IZMeUKcSYI7GH-Ej41UuA76qq4mMsV659flsoABGr-tQrDHKR6g3YNQd9Jfz7eyd34VD0KsDAZU/s1600/HG+Bio.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://heathergreenis.weebly.com/contact-me.html" target="_blank">Author Heather Greenis</a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I respect this woman so couldn’t be more pleased. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Natasha’s Dream</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">For purchase links, click <a href="http://heathergreenis.weebly.com/my-books.html" target="_blank">here</a></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://heathergreenis.weebly.com/my-books.html" target="_blank"> </a></span></b></div>
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Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-36943934267882657662014-06-25T08:44:00.000-07:002014-06-25T08:44:03.420-07:00Please, God, Someone show those idiots to the airlock.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21899041-pure-control" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Pure Control" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397317912m/21899041.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21899041-pure-control">Pure Control</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874886.C_Lloyd_Brill">C. Lloyd Brill</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/977223609">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Pure Control was a love/hate read for me. It had the setup and feel of an episode of "The Twilight Zone", which I very much enjoyed. Sadly, it had the casting director from "Big Brother". I enjoy a good unlikable baddie, but not stupid ones, and these bad guys didn't have the brains of a day-old roadkill. <br />
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Too much of the tension and conflict comes from the incessant arguing and not enough from the environment. Quinn and Kevin never become interesting or likable, or anything at all beyond designated crap-stirrers.<br />
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The premise and the actual story were enough to keep me reading despite getting irritated every time Quinn wasn't shoved out the nearest airlock--and for that, kudos to the author.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3716107-bryan">View all my reviews</a>Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-35871514666730621372014-06-20T10:05:00.001-07:002014-06-20T10:05:14.865-07:00Review of Attack the Geek by Michael R. Underwood<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18170539-attack-the-geek" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Attack the Geek (Ree Reyes, #2.5)" border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394148873m/18170539.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18170539-attack-the-geek">Attack the Geek</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820379.Michael_R_Underwood">Michael R. Underwood</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/810958015">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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‘Attack the Geek’ is a very long short story set after ‘Geekomancy’ and ‘Celebromancy’, and is mostly independent of those two books. You don’t need to have read them, but it helps a lot.<br />
The story centers on a nasty, prolonged siege directed at Grognard’s the sewer-accessed bar/gaming store/geek hangout where Ree Reyes works. She and a number of patrons have a bare-knuckles, no-holds-barred fight against a legion of Uglys, which takes up most of the book. <br />
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The battle is excellent. Fast, relentless, and wearing on the characters. You feel the physical, mental, and financial toll each encounter takes. The dialog has a nice flow and a realistic sound, changing to match the conditions of the characters as they get hurt or run down.<br />
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My biggest issue is that the story feels rushed at the end. The resolution makes sense, and is the civilized thing to do, but it fails to satisfy. After the world of crap the characters go through, I wanted something more.<br />
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As long as the book is, I think it could have gone a bit further and allowed the characters to fully settle matters with the villain. The ending provided does make sense, in a Lawful Good sort of way, but I really wanted to see the villain get held at knife-point out over the edge of a volcano and asked, “Are you familiar with the works of Shan Yu?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3716107-bryan">View all my reviews</a>Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-53981812018947436582014-05-21T08:39:00.004-07:002014-05-21T08:39:56.996-07:00What do you do after killing a demon in Las Vegas? Get married!Another WIP excerpt...<br />
<br />
***<br /><br />
The line for marriage licenses was mercifully shor<span class="text_exposed_show">t.
Four mounted police hovered around the area, keeping order and sorting
those who were too drunk to make good decisions into taxis back to their
hotels.</span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
The people in line
were almost outnumbered by the chapel rats hawking the glories of the
various wedding mills in the area. Nadia waved several over and asked,
“Who’s got the best Elvis working tonight?” Three rats started heaping
the praises on their guys; the fourth rat pulled out his phone and
played Nadia a video of his guy singing <i>Love Me Tender</i> and <i>Can’t Help
Falling in Love</i>.<br />
Just like that, we had a winner.<br />
<br />
Nadia
called the place to make sure they had a slot open and the right Elvis
on duty. They did and he was, so Nadia signed her order form and waved
down the next taxi. Nadia waited until we were halfway to the chapel to
call Aerin with the details, but the entire family still beat us there.
Even a Vegas taxi driver can’t outrun a teleport spell.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrNs9Sw7l-UxERKVEGGOoF12hu3pvOSH0XjtfzxRUh1oykOoAOyP2jWlQdypijp6_Outcl2F7DL8MddOMSM-e3x_Z5KEu8aCezS75eDqszb8ryC0P395oSSE889HqHA1mM8jGs2YgYPn7/s1600/Elvis-in-Las-Vegas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrNs9Sw7l-UxERKVEGGOoF12hu3pvOSH0XjtfzxRUh1oykOoAOyP2jWlQdypijp6_Outcl2F7DL8MddOMSM-e3x_Z5KEu8aCezS75eDqszb8ryC0P395oSSE889HqHA1mM8jGs2YgYPn7/s1600/Elvis-in-Las-Vegas.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Nadia’s
twin sister Natasha scooped her out of the taxi and into a changing room
loaded with dresses, some of which she’d bought that morning in Monaco.
Geneva slipped in to referee and pulled the door shut behind her.<br />
<br />
Angus handed Eric a designer tuxedo and said, “Bathroom is over here.
Make it fit.” He and Nadia’s brothers blocked access to the door to give
Eric a few moments of privacy. Alexander appeared to be a few years
older than Matthew, with a dark, Mediterranean look normally found on
romance novel covers. He had two girls from Gilead with him, one on
either arm. They looked amazed and a little scared; I got the feeling
they had never been outside of Gilead in their lives.<br />
<br />
Angus had
to give Eric a hand with the suit, since Eric had never seen one before.
The sizing was dead on and Eric looked quite striking when he emerged.
Then Nadia came out of her dressing room, and everyone forgot about
Eric.<br />
<br />
Her dress was a one-off original Gothic gown by a
major-name designer. Natasha had snagged it off the runway during
Fashion Week in Milan. It looked like black velvet, but when the light
hit just right, sheens of amethyst and midnight blue cascaded through
the fabric. The underdress and sleeve lining were scarlet silk, with
gold roses blooming on a Celtic knotwork of gold vines. Her
shamrock-green mane was tamed and recolored to a golden rose, held in
place by a gold and ruby headdress. As eager as Nadia had been for this,
she looked about to faint. Angus patted her hand and kept her steady.<br />
<br />
The chapel’s sound guy started an orchestral version of Beethoven’s
9th, the <i>Ode to Joy</i>, as the wedding march. Natasha slipped in front of
our Elvis and launched into the choral with a gorgeous opera-trained
soprano. She had the same waifish build Nadia did, leaving me wondering
where she was pulling that monster of a voice from.<br />
<br />
As Nadia
passed us, I saw her fighting back tears and losing. I guess she didn’t
know her sister as well as she thought she did.<br />
<br />
With everyone in
place, Reverend Elvis took the stage with a “Y’all be seated now.” He
nodded to Natasha and added, “I dunno where you hid those pipes, miss,
but that was sum’em else. Thank you, miss, thank you verra much. Ladies
and genamen, it’s so good to see all of you here for this joyous
occasion, especially on such short notice. Eric and Nadia met yesterday,
folks. Yesterday, and that time was enough to tell them they were meant
to be together. People often say they and their beloved are from two
different worlds, but for Eric and Nadia, it’s just the simple truth.
Sometimes two people are just meant to be together, despite what…wise
men say….”<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw47-jrEljMBYObYOJBtheDRDnc1JC1MN4CWbl598qMcysQ9VPMnOCrhgDCp3l5xcQS0O7mJJn4Say-8gLqfuxT2lQy2zYZ_NzyyEku7OJdkfJb0z7P2JlKW5_tq_nN1iSQaZiSZkDjSb3/s1600/IMG_1355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw47-jrEljMBYObYOJBtheDRDnc1JC1MN4CWbl598qMcysQ9VPMnOCrhgDCp3l5xcQS0O7mJJn4Say-8gLqfuxT2lQy2zYZ_NzyyEku7OJdkfJb0z7P2JlKW5_tq_nN1iSQaZiSZkDjSb3/s1600/IMG_1355.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a>And off he went into <i>Can’t Help Falling in Love With You</i>. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the time he finished.<br />
<br />
Just as Nadia had asked, the ceremony was pure, undiluted, hunka-hunka
burning Vegas cheese. They promised to set their blue suede shoes by the
door, to rockin’ all the time without being a hound dog, to love each
other tender and so all their dreams fulfill.<br />
<br />
In the end, they
kissed, waved to the crowd, and Eric carried Nadia down a red carpet
while Reverend Elvis sang <i>Viva Las Vegas</i>. Out in the parking lot, Rose
and everyone with a trace of magical talent started throwing fireworks
spells into the air. Young Elvis was waiting behind the wheel of an
early ‘50s Chevy convertible with the top down. The lovebirds waved to
us as Young Elvis swept them out of the parking lot and into the Vegas
night.</div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-53072789382000356682014-05-08T22:04:00.002-07:002014-05-08T22:04:44.015-07:00The Secret History of the Flying Carpet<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can't take credit for this work; I found it years ago on an Iranian web page that doesn't exist any more. It's a great resource for fantasy writers and game masters alike, so I decided to repost it here. My thanks to the author, whoever you are. If anyone has information on the original author, please post in the comments. Thanks!<br /><br />Source:
http://www.chn.ir/english/eshownews.asp?no=2300</span></span></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">LONG before the broomstick became
popular with witches in medieval Europe, the flying carpet was being used by
thieves and madmen in the Orient. Factual evidence for what was a long-standing
myth has now been found by a French explorer, Henri Baq, in Iran. Baq has
discovered scrolls of well-preserved manuscripts in underground cellars of an
old Assassin castle at Alamut, near the Caspian Sea. Written in the early
thirteenth century by a Jewish scholar named Isaac Ben Sherira,' these
manuscripts shed new light on the real story behind the flying carpet of the
Arabian Nights. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcZnybL4SVzH94zJ7L1YFSKvczo6H6Ud4HvCn6VKRDshfY7GURVxBLaeafrdxQwveNTL-61mkKEF5eFrfkTZkXP1hn3V0RUauB37CGv3Vy5mRcTXKDKkMJOc0qQ3aaxzeJ0CavuLKPMQR/s1600/321409_fentezi_kovyor-samolyot_dzhennifer-lopes_mark_2000x1364_(www.GdeFon.ru).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcZnybL4SVzH94zJ7L1YFSKvczo6H6Ud4HvCn6VKRDshfY7GURVxBLaeafrdxQwveNTL-61mkKEF5eFrfkTZkXP1hn3V0RUauB37CGv3Vy5mRcTXKDKkMJOc0qQ3aaxzeJ0CavuLKPMQR/s1600/321409_fentezi_kovyor-samolyot_dzhennifer-lopes_mark_2000x1364_(www.GdeFon.ru).jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The discovery of these artifacts has
thrown the scientific world into the most outrageous strife. Following their
translation from Persian into English by Professor G.D. Septimus, the renowned
linguist, a hastily organized conference of eminent scholars from all over the
world was called at the London School of Oriental and African Studies. Baq's
discovery came under flak from many historians who insisted that the
manuscripts were forgeries. M. Baq, who could not attend the conference because
of the birth of his child, was defended by Professor Septimus, who argued that
the new findings should be properly investigated. The manuscripts are now being
carbon dated at the Istituto Leonardo da Vinci, Trieste. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">According to Ben Sherira, Muslim
rulers used to consider flying carpets as devil-inspired contraptions. Their
existence was denied, their science suppressed, their manufacturers persecuted
and any evidence about incidents involving them systematically erased. Although
flying carpets were woven and sold till the late thirteenth century, the
clientele for them was chiefly at the fringe of respectable society. Ben
Sherira writes that flying carpets received a favorable nod from the establishment
around AD 1213, when a Toranian prince demonstrated their use in attacking an
enemy castle by positioning a squadron of archers on them, so as to form a kind
of airborne cavalry; the art otherwise floundered, and eventually perished in
the onslaught of the Mongols. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The earliest mention of the flying
carpet, according to Ben Sherira's chronicle, was made in two ancient texts.
The first of these is a book of proverbs collected by Shamsha-Ad, a minister of
the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, and the other is a book of ancient
dialogues compiled by one Josephus. None of these works survives today;
however, with their aid, Ben Sherira compiled a story relating to the Queen of
Sheba and King Solomon that is not found elsewhere. Located at the southern tip
of Arabia, the land of Sheba occupied the area of present-day Yemen, although
some geographers claim that Ethiopia or ancient Abyssinia was also part of its
territory. This country was ruled by a beautiful and powerful queen who is
remembered in history as the Sheba of the Bible, the Saba or Makeda of the
Ethiopian epic Kebra Negast, and the Bilqis of Islam. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the inauguration of the queen in
977 BC, her alchemist-royal demonstrated small brown rugs that could hover a
few feet above the ground. Many years later she sent a magnificent flying
carpet to King Solomon. A token of love, it was of green sendal embroidered
with gold and silver and studded with precious stones, and its length and
breadth were such that all the king's host could stand upon it. The king, who
was preoccupied with building his temple in Jerusalem, could not receive the
gift and gave it to his courtiers. When news of this cool reception reached the
queen, she was heartbroken. She dismissed her artisans and never had anything
to do with flying carpets again. The king and the queen eventually reconciled,
but e wandering artisans found no abode for many years, and eventually had to
settle near the town of Baghdad in Mesopotamia in c. 934 BC. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the Ben Sherira chronicle,
certain passages describe the workings of a flying carpet. Unfortunately, much
of the vocabulary used in these parts is indecipherable, so little has been
understood about their method of propulsion. What is understood is that a
flying carpet was spun on a loom like an ordinary carpet; the difference lay in
the dyeing process. Here, the artisans had discovered a certain clay, 'procured
from mountain springs and untouched by human hand', which, when superheated at
'temperatures that exceeded those of the seventh ring of hell' in a cauldron of
boiling Grecian oil, acquired anti-magnetic properties. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now the Earth itself is a magnet,
and has trillions of magnetic lines crossing it from the North to the South
Pole. The scientists prepared this clay and dyed the wool in it before weaving
it on a loom. So, when the carpet was finally ready, it pulled itself away from
the Earth and, depending on the concentration of clay used, hovered a few feet
or several hundred feet above the ground. Propulsion went along the magnetic
lines, which acted like aerial rails. Although they were known to the Druids in
England and the Incas in South America, only recently are physicists beginning
to rediscover the special properties of these so-called 'fey-lines'. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ben Sherira writes that the great
library of Alexandria, founded by Ptolemy I, kept a large stock of flying
carpets for its readers. They could borrow these carpets in exchange for their
slippers, to glide back and forth, up and down, among the shelves of papyrus
manuscripts. The library was housed in a ziggurat that contained forty thousand
scrolls of such antiquity that they had been transcribed by three hundred
generations of scribes, many of whom did not understand the dead alphabet that
they bore. The ceiling of this building was so high that readers often
preferred to read while hovering in the air. The manuscripts were so numerous
that it was said that not even a thousand men reading them day and night for
fifty years could read them all. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although the library had been
damaged in the civil war under the Roman emperor Aurelian, its final
destruction is attributed to a Muslim general. He burnt the papyrus to heat the
six hundred baths of Alexandria, and the carpets, which frightened the wits out
of his Bedouin Arabs, were thrown into the sea. Ben Sherira comments bitterly
that the knowledge of Alexandria went down the drainpipe in 'washing the dirt
of philistines'. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Flying carpets were discouraged in
the Islamic lands for two reasons. The official line was that man was never
intended to fly, and the flying carpet was a sacrilege to the order of things,
an argument that was spread enthusiastically by a zealous clergy. The second
reason was economic. For the establishment, it was necessary to keep the horse
and the camel as the standard means of transport. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3v0gPWSoL9e0eudCNmAto1rLE_sPjUd6GN2-IPCY4LRqazaGEiHzm-q2cUHadFfdEX-nD7a_TeaoQG9BF1Aky7hSucmphrW6yeT2CIjocCKgW0ScHTRrguLopVTk6wsBGNEKV5Af-D0n/s1600/Segrellis-Carpet-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3v0gPWSoL9e0eudCNmAto1rLE_sPjUd6GN2-IPCY4LRqazaGEiHzm-q2cUHadFfdEX-nD7a_TeaoQG9BF1Aky7hSucmphrW6yeT2CIjocCKgW0ScHTRrguLopVTk6wsBGNEKV5Af-D0n/s1600/Segrellis-Carpet-01.jpg" height="277" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The reason was that certain
Arab families, who had access to the inner chambers of successive rulers, had
become rich because of their vast stud farms, where they bred hundreds of
thousands of horses each year for the army, merchants and the proletariat. It
was the same with camels. Certain Egyptian king-makers (listed by Ben Sherira
as the Hatimis, the Zahidis and the progeny of Abu Hanifa II) owned camel
farms, and enjoyed a total monopoly on the supply of camels in the whole of the
Islamic empire. None of these old families wanted their privileges usurped by a
small group of poor artisans who could potentially wreck their markets by
making flying carpets popular. Thus they were undermined. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to the mullahs' propaganda,
the Muslim middle class was beginning to shun flying carpets by the mid-eighth
century. The market for Arabian horses flourished instead. Camels were also
fetching high prices. Ben Sherira notes that a curious incident, which happened
around this time, damaged the reputation of the flying carpet beyond salvation:
On a bright Friday afternoon in Baghdad, when the white disc of the sun blazed
in the third quarter of middle heaven, and the bazaar bustled with people
buying fruits and cloth and watching an auction of fair-skinned slaves, there
appeared across the sun the shimmering wraith of a turbaned man gliding towards
the highest minaret of the Royal Palace. </span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The devil was no other than a poor
soldier who had once served in the palace. He had been caught holding the
youngest princess's hand, and was thrown out by the eunuchs, disgraced and
defeated. When news about this affair reached the caliph, he was furious. He
had the princess locked up in a tower, and to humiliate her, decided to marry
her off to his royal executioner, a towering black slave from Zanzibar. The
soldier, a Kurdish youth by the name of Mustafa, now returned. He glided up to
the minaret and helped a girl climb out of the window. Then in full view of the
public below, he glided away. The bazaaris cheered. As the young lovers eloped
on their carpet, a battery of the elite guard, mounted on black Arabian
stallions, charged out of the palace and gave chase. But the flying carpet
disappeared in the clouds above. </span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The establishment retaliated by
hunting down everyone even remotely involved with the business of flying
carpets. Thirty artisans were rounded up with their families in a public
square. A paid audience was assembled. The men were accused of being
libertines, and their heads rolled in the dust, all chopped off by the black
executioner from Zanzibar. Next, the caliph sent his spies to every corner of
his empire ordering them to bring back every remaining flying carpet and
artisan to Baghdad. The small community of artisans, who had lived near the
Tigris for several centuries, packed their possessions and, with only three
male survivors, fled. After wandering for many months through the moon-like
wastes of Iranian marshlands, they reached, ragged and near death, the shining
city of Bukhara, where the emir, who did not take orders from Baghdad, gave
them refuge. </span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This exodus, Isaac notes, happened
in AD 776, a decade before the celebrated reign of Harun ur Rashid, when The
Thousand and One Nights was written. Isaac believes that the inspiration for at
least one of the tales in the Arabian Nights comes from the incident of the
eloping lovers on that bright Friday afternoon in Baghdad. Ben Sherira
describes the genealogy of the artisans in great detail. Some of these families
later migrated to Afghanistan and established themselves in the Kingdom of
Ghor. The most renowned family of carpet weavers, the Halevis, settled in the
town of Merv, where they began to introduce patterns into their carpets. The
mandala in the centre was a trademark of the master, Jacob Yahud Halevi ? the
same Jacob who appears in history as the teacher of Avicenna. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Artisans also wandered (or flew)
into Europe, where their recipes were subsequently employed by a feminist
secret society, that of the witches. Their persecution, meted out by the
church, was equally swift. Ben Sherira claims that the witches' trademark, the
broomstick, with its phallic symbolism, was developed because of their lack of
male company. In Transoxiana, the flying carpet enjoyed a brief renaissance
before being erased forever by the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two incidents are worthy of mention
here. In 1213, Prince Behroz of the state of Khorasan in eastern Persia, took
to heart a young Jewess, Ashirah. Her father was an accomplished carpet-maker.
Behroz married Ashirah against the wishes of his family, and requested his
father-in-law to weave two dozen flying carpets using the best wool and the
best clay, specially wound on a bamboo frame to make them more robust. Next he
had forty-eight of his handpicked archers trained by a Japanese master by the
name of Ryu Taro Koike (1153-1240?). </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When the archers were ready and the
carpets delivered, he assembled his men and gave each man his weapons: twenty
steel-pointed arrows tipped with rattlesnake venom, longbows made of layers of
deodar and catgut, and Armenian daggers. Two men were assigned to each carpet:
one fore, one aft. Some carried fireballs. Behroz thus conceived four squadrons
of the first airborne cavalry of the world, which went into action when his
father waged a war against the neighboring Khwarzem Shah. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The archers led the assault: they
attacked the castle, dived in and flew out, felled the defenders and threw
fireballs inside its compound, setting it ablaze. The Toranian military brass
were awed. They sensed that the prince could become a threat to their
oligarchy, and with his father's consent, blinded him. The prince's wife, heavy
with child, and her ailing father were banished from the kingdom. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuj9nJEjEQXo6kTrlmqwX7CvTJV-lvybN9orAfNn-zPsAtXvrklDq4hi2fYaYeOUhWUtSuTJ61KYfE7EEDYcV_Sxp4f6oJW1koUUwR4ihVEhzNfpiokecU1Mdi7NRccDI2E2xWolgTqxa/s1600/Vasnetsov_samolet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuj9nJEjEQXo6kTrlmqwX7CvTJV-lvybN9orAfNn-zPsAtXvrklDq4hi2fYaYeOUhWUtSuTJ61KYfE7EEDYcV_Sxp4f6oJW1koUUwR4ihVEhzNfpiokecU1Mdi7NRccDI2E2xWolgTqxa/s1600/Vasnetsov_samolet.jpg" height="220" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Around this time, the Abbasids no
longer wielded the same power as in the days of Harun ur Rashid. Many local
kings and emirs were taking matters into their own hands. As the grip of the
empire on its states weakened, a cult of the flying carpet flourished. Young
dissidents, political refugees, hermits and agnostics went airborne for their
escapades. Merchants also began to see the advantages of the flying carpet. The
flying carpet was not only a much speedier form of transport than the camel but
also a safer one since bandits would not waylay a flying trade caravan ? unless
they themselves were on a fleet of flying carpets. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Artisans began to weave bigger
carpets, but with more people on board these became sluggish and lost height.
But there is one episode, witnessed by many people on the ground, where a party
of turbaned men flew from Samarkand to Isfahan at whirlwind speed. This
incident is corroborated in the facsimile of another rare text, produced in the
seventeenth century, in which one witness is quoted as saying 'We saw a strange
whirling disc in the sky, which flew over our village [Nishapur], trailing fire
and sulphur', and another: 'A band of djinn appeared over our caravan, heading
towards the Straits of Ormuz.'[sup5] (The thirteenth-century original of this
text is impossible to find.) </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next incident, before the
terrible invasion from the steppes, was the last straw in the ill-fated history
of the flying carpet. In 1223, a dragoman of Georgia arrived in Bukhara with
his harem to shop for Chinese silk. Ben Sherira's source, the guardian of
Minareh Kalyan, describes what eventuated: On a pleasant evening, when the suk
was bustling with people, and the veiled ladies from Georgia had just
disembarked from their litters and were being escorted to the silk merchant, a
madman appeared from behind a dome and swooped down at them. The flier was a
giant of a man with a magnificent black beard and long hair trailing in the
wind behind him. He was wearing a loincloth, his eyes were a luminous green, an
eagle was flying by his side, and he was laughing madly. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The women saw this apparition
heading towards them and froze with terror as he tore away his loincloth and
started urinating in their upturned faces. This man was the mathematician-royal
of Samarkand, Karim Beg Isfahani. Betrayed by his Georgian mistress, he had
drunk a goblet of fermented grapes and gone insane. The incident caused pandemonium.
A spear was launched that caught him in the chest, and he fell, dead, into a
palm tree. But the outrage caused in Bukhara was understandable. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fearing another massacre, the
artisans burnt their laboratories, left their possessions, and fled in all
directions. Ben Sherira writes that on that fateful day they swore never again
to weave together a flying carpet. The story almost ends here. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1226 Genghis Khan laid waste most
of the cities in Central Asia. Their inhabitants were massacred; their treasures
plundered. The towers of skulls outside Herat, Balkh and Bukhara ? so vast that
the whole countryside reeked with their stench ? included the skulls of the
artisans. In their loot, the Mongols found flying carpets. When a prisoner told
them that these contraptions were more agile than the steppes pony (a blasphemy
to Mongol ears, if ever there was one), the great Khan beheaded him and had his
skull made into a drinking mug. He ordered all flying carpets in his vast
empire confiscated.</span></span> </div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-80685476045984806802014-05-07T11:40:00.004-07:002014-05-07T11:40:54.376-07:00Review: Offside by A.J. Stewart<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20454567-offside" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Offside (A Miami Jones Case)" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389044467m/20454567.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20454567-offside">Offside</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1385835.A_J_Stewart">A.J. Stewart</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/900156896">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I've never been to Florida, but if it's half as hot an muggy as Offside made me feel, that might be for the best. A.J. Stewart does a great job of bringing the environment to life, This is a nice, tight mystery that manages to stay engaging right up to the grand reveal. I spotted a few of the clues and figured a few things out slightly early, but more than once I was dead wrong. Perfect balance for a good mystery.<br />
<br />
My only complaint is that there was a lot of sexual tension that wasn't needed. It all made sense in the storyline, but it felt in spots like the sexual tension was there to bridge gaps in the mystery tension. <br />
<br />
I hope to see more or Miami's adventures. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3716107-bryan">View all my reviews</a>Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-73724132633996421022014-05-02T20:56:00.000-07:002014-05-02T20:56:55.979-07:00Pioneers of Urban Fantasy: Gael Baudino<span class="highlightNode"></span><br />
<span class="highlightNode">Gael</span>
Baudino's last book was released in 1996, and to my knowledge she has
no plans to resume writing. A pity, because she is one of the
founding voices of the urban fantasy genre, despite being largely
unknown these days. Her books are gems to watch for when haunting used
book stores.<br />
<br />
'Gossamer Axe' is my favorite of Ms. Baudino's
works. It's a Pagan lesbian '80s hair metal rock fantasy about a Celtic
student bard and her quest to rescue <span class="text_exposed_show">her
lover from the elves who imprisoned both of them back in the 6th
century. In the hands of a bard, harp music can do magic, and this bard
is packing an electric guitar with a full rock band to back her up.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gossamer-Axe-Gael-Baudino/dp/0451450256/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399088919&sr=8-1&keywords=gossamer+axe" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Gossamer Axe on Amazon" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievX6SvBSr4AE5mSvW2-tjmAOirPOmMCI404Z3YE1AMOIZsqeH8b1gvwQYHgsivqlmGbWnFaS3wAGHEQfQgSbDw6zVu7z548kKpUbt_IATC1_58U1yOweb174HO3ZIx6W9L2eENWqCIxMW/s1600/Gossamer+Axe.jpg" height="400" title="" width="236" /></a></div>
Come on - blasting open the gates of Faerie using 'Come on feel the
Noise'! Challenging an immortal Elven master bard, armed with Van
Halen, Malmsteen, and the Doors! How can you not love that?<br />
<br />
'Strands of Starlight' is a more optimistic tale of Elves and humans;
specifically, humans who begin to follow the ways of elven spirituality
and begin learning to change the world around them. The series is very
much a tale of hope, especially for those who would have loved finding
out their real parents had pointy ears and a thing for flowing robes.
Sure, fine, Vulcan, Elf, take your pick. <br />
<br />
The Dragonsword
trilogy is a darker tale. It follows an aging former hippie graduate
student who gets pulled into a fantasy world created by the jackass
history professor she works for. The professor's world is cruel,
misogynistic, and totally oriented to glorifying him - the invincible,
dragon-riding savior of the people. Problem is, the dragon in question
responds to the grad student as well. <br />
<br />
The series is a little
heavy-handed on the social commentary, but it's still a fun read,
especially as the world starts changing and evolving away from being the
professor's personal fantasy fulfillment.<br />
<br />
Ms Baudino was working
with a publisher to bring her books out in ebook format, but that deal
fell apart over differences in quality standards. For now, it's
old-fashioned paper, and well worth the hunt.Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-75717139555237032932014-03-13T08:50:00.000-07:002014-03-13T08:50:05.265-07:00Writing Process Blog Hop: My Turn<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
Misty Mymudes from http://bassetbones.wordpress.com/author/mudepoz/ talked me into doing this blog hop, mostly by having George the Basset Hound write her bit. I wasn't able to find three more authors to feature (well, I had two and both backed out at the last minute). It does make me question the effectiveness of this kind of promotion, but that's another article.<br />
<br />
Obligatory introduction: My first book, ‘Life With a Fire-Breathing Girlfriend, is a modern fantasy
about a database administrator, David, and his girlfriend Rose, who is a
Dragoness from a high-fantasy world. She is spending three years on
Earth, in Human form, soaking up all the love, wonder, and joy David can
generate. She needs that energy to make her children stronger and better
able to survive to adulthood. The spell which transfers that energy keeps
them mentally, physically, and emotionally balanced. They can’t fight.
Their moods, needs, and desires are all perfectly matched. They know
where each other is and how the other feels at all times. The spell is
even designed to prevent them from going crazy from living like that.<br />
<br />
The part David didn’t count on is really what happens to him. Up until
now, he’s only pretended to be a Hero in games. When he bonds with Rose,
he becomes an actual Hero. He missed that part of the fine print.
Of course, when you have a Hero enjoying a perfect, peaceful life, some shmuck
has to come along and try to ruin it. That’s in the fine print, too.<br />
<br />
For David, it starts when someone murders a childhood friend of his.
The also get into a fight with their homeowners’ association, which is just
rife with bad decisions all around. Some of those bad decisions get
totally out of hand, leaving David and Rose scrambling to stop a genocidal
unicorn from giving Earth an extreme makeover.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1) What am I working on: Right now I’m working on
Rose and David’s third adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
takes place at a science fiction/fantasy/gaming convention in Las Vegas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David has been running a game design studio
and encountering all kinds of problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve really enjoyed ruining his life with the company; part of my
research was talking to people I know in the gaming industry and collecting horror
stories from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also added a few
events I witnessed while doing IT contracting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Re-reading some of these events, I’m still amazed at what people think
they can get away with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre: A lot of urban fantasy
tends to be set in grungy, low-magic environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like keeping Rose’s world available, since
that gives me an option to do stuff with a more ‘epic fantasy’ feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also use a lot of geek/pop culture references,
since geeks and gamers are a major part of my target audience. <br />
<br />
3) Why do I write what I do: Because I’m rubbish at erotica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d have a lot more money coming in if I
could write hot sex scenes.<br />
<br />
4) How does my writing process work: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
usually start with a crazy idea and then find out what happens next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I get stuck, I have a deck of Storymatic
cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grab one or two and use them as
inspiration for a plot twist or new development, and that usually gets me going
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Speaking of getting going again, I should go back to writing. Las Vegas isn't going to trash itself. </span></span></div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-27702526292297878592014-03-10T13:15:00.000-07:002014-03-10T13:47:26.832-07:00Guest Post From George the Magical Basset Hound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<h1 class="entry-title" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">George is the star of the Young Adult novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/George-Knows-Mindy-Mymudes-ebook/dp/B00H2YO68O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1394482141&sr=1-1&keywords=george+knows+mindy+mymudes" target="_blank">George Knows</a>, by Misty Mymudes. As basset hounds are the most perfectly designed creatures on Earth (just ask George), we're very happy to have him stop by to discuss how he writes his adventures.<br /><br />On March 13, I'll be answering these questions, and checking out three other new authors!</span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span> <a href="http://bassetbones.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/this-is-a-my-writing-process-blog-thingy/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://bassetbones.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/this-is-a-my-writing-process-blog-thingy/" src="http://bassetbones.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/cropped-basset-hound-cute_92935-480x360.jpg" height="353" width="475" /></a></h1>
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This is a ‘My Writing Process Blog Thingy’</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<a href="http://bassetbones.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/this-is-a-my-writing-process-blog-thingy/" rel="bookmark" title="5:42 pm"><time class="entry-date" datetime="2014-03-10T17:42:00+00:00" pubdate="">March 10, 2014</time></a><span class="byline"><span class="sep"> | </span><span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://bassetbones.wordpress.com/author/mudepoz/" rel="author" title="View all posts by mudepoz">mudepoz</a></span></span> </div>
<div class="entry-content">
I am doing this under duress. Lynda Cox’s Dog suggested I do this; lyndajcox.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
You’d think it’s easy to write. You need a pen, a pencil, and paper.
Or maybe one of those computer thingies. Except, I’m a dog. I don’t have
fingers and thumb to hold things or use a keyboard. I also can’t talk.
So the first thing I had to do was find a Peep that was receptive to my
creativity. The Lady With The Fingers wasn’t my first choice. In fact, I
think she was about 732 or so down the list.<br />
<br />
See, she raises English Springers, a breed that are dumb as rocks. I
mean, they’ll do anything for food. Seriously, right? What sort of
creature will do something foolish like carry a dumbbell for no reason.
But, there you go, I made due.<br />
<br />
I was asked a few foolish questions for this blog, but if it helps Peeps to find my book, I’ll do it.<br />
<br />
1. What am I working on: Currently, Tillie’s Tale. The silly pup
didn’t follow her instincts and ended up haunted by a poultry ghost. Not
good.<br />
<br />
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre: Get real. How
many basset hounds, particularly brilliant familiars, do you know that
write middle grade urban fantasy. Actually, how many dogs write anything
for that matter. I’m unique.<br />
<br />
3) Why do I write what I do: It’s said to write what you know. I know
about me. My adventures are interesting. How many dogs find human bones
that lead to discovering a dragon, save a park, and his BoyPup?<br />
<br />
4) How does my writing process work: That’s the hard part. The Lady
With The Fingers is pretty good at reading dog language. I think, she
picks it up through our link, and watches the story. Sometimes she’s
wrong, then I pee on her leg.<br />
<br />
Is that enough?<br />
<br />
I’m passing this foolishness on to http://www.writerjimlandwehr.com<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bassetbones.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/jim.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Jim" class="aligncenter" src="http://bassetbones.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/jim.jpg?w=216&h=267" height="178" width="144" /></a><b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Jim Landwehr</b> lives and works in Waukesha,
WI. He enjoys writing creative non-fiction, poetry and fiction. His
book, Dirty Shirt: A Boundary Waters Memoir, will be
released on June 17th, 2014. The book is a humorous account of his
travels to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota with
friends, brothers and his children over the last 25 years.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is another silly Peep <a href="http://laughingotterslair.blogspot.com/2014/03/nowhere-fast.html" rel="nofollow">http://laughingotterslair.blogspot.com/2014/03/nowhere-fast.html</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<h2>
Bryan Fields</h2>
<div>
<a href="http://bassetbones.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/946211_10201362574055472_1796615661_s.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="946211_10201362574055472_1796615661_s" class="alignright size-full wp-image-153" src="http://bassetbones.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/946211_10201362574055472_1796615661_s.jpg?w=560" height="68" width="68" /></a>By day, I’m a mild-mannered IT tech; by night, a writer who spends
too much time in online games. I grew up reading classical authors such
as Verne, Burroughs, Wells, Haggard, and Lovecraft, often in conjunction
with large doses of Monty Python, <i>Wild Wild West</i>, and<i> Hee-Haw</i>. My current influences include <i>Dr. Who</i>, <i>Girl Genius</i>, and<i>An Idiot Abroad</i>.<br />
I live in Denver with my wife Noelle and daughter Alissa. The three
of us can often be found prowling around Istaria, Wizard City, and the
wilds of Azeroth. I also makes occasional side jaunts to scavenge bits
of ancient technology in the radioactive ruins of the Grand Canyon
Province.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bassetbones.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/1133392_orig.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="1133392_orig" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-154" src="http://bassetbones.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/1133392_orig.jpg?w=378&h=300" height="298" width="252" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kellyrisser.com/1/post/2014/03/when-comparisons-hurt.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.kellyrisser.com/1/post/2014/03/when-comparisons-hurt.html</a><br />
Becoming a published author is a lifetime dream come true. As a
child, I subjected friends and family to my “KellyMark” greeting cards
(“When you care enough to make the very best.”), poetry, homemade
magazines, and short stories. In high school, my short story, “If Only
to Escape” was published in the local paper, and I won a writing contest
for my children’s story, “Televisella.” In college, my creative writing
tapered off, but I still managed to write the occasional review for The
Marquette University<i>Tribune</i>. Once I graduated, I mixed
creative writing with business writing, and I’ve held positions in
Advertising, Marketing, and Instructional Design/eLearning Development.<br />
Today, I am busy writing the next book in Meara’s story. When I’m not
writing, I’m reading, hanging out with my husband and two kids, or
playing with our Whoodle puppy.<br />
Drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!</div>
<br />
<b>The Peeps will be doing their thing March 13</b></div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-9092202632348806402014-03-02T13:34:00.000-08:002014-03-02T13:34:24.020-08:00Nowhere Fast<i>Everybody's going nowhere slowly<br />
They're only fighting for the chance to be last<br />
There's nothing wrong with going nowhere, baby<br />
But we should be going nowhere fast<br />
It's so much better going nowhere fast</i><br />
<i> - </i>Nowhere Fast, <i>Streets of Fire</i> OST<br />
<br />
When I first started outlining my current WIP, I
pulled a half-dozen cards from my Storymatic deck, just to get some
unpredictable elements in the story. One of the cards said 'steal a
wreck of a car'. OK, no idea how that's going to fit in... I filed it
under 'See how things work out'.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQTg8_w0M4SOJjS5sl5OHSvTA4D1FUZrJi14cGbi8HKq6m4OTLccmG00eIUb3dM3gHHI9frgdtJaQ-qjpcVl4tnKf8l_UvYJN1kLmUdbXg0n-NonFXMGHm5c2y6NV8X_gcFzyKM6bf9Ry/s1600/David%2527s+pow-wow+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQTg8_w0M4SOJjS5sl5OHSvTA4D1FUZrJi14cGbi8HKq6m4OTLccmG00eIUb3dM3gHHI9frgdtJaQ-qjpcVl4tnKf8l_UvYJN1kLmUdbXg0n-NonFXMGHm5c2y6NV8X_gcFzyKM6bf9Ry/s1600/David%2527s+pow-wow+car.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David's new ride</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This isn't the first time I've used the Storymatic deck; it's a handy tool for getting past annoying 'stuck' moments - those times when you know something should happen, but have no idea what. The deck is a big box of cards, each with some kind of writing prompt. Gold ones have descriptions of people ('Aging Clown'), red ones have events ('Disturbance at the Bus Station'). Usually I can find a way to use whatever comes up, but this one was tricky.<br /> <br /> About the 25k word mark, I ran
across this picture of a beat-up car driving into Vegas and thought, "Damn, that's got a lot of story to
it". Second thought: that's the car David has to steal. Still no idea
why, how or when.<br /> <br /> At 50k, I still had no idea, but watching a
Lego version of the Blues Brothers shopping mall chase on YouTube, I
found my answer: they'll be on a mission from Crom.<br /> <br /> Yesterday I hit 60k and the car scene is turning out to be a hoot to write. They didn't have to steal the car, but they went in prepared to, so I'm counting that as using the card.<br />
<br />
Next time you're staring at a page, hoping for inspiration and going nowhere fast, pick a card. <br />
<br />
Any card.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Storymatic-Classic-Includes-Activities/dp/B004PICKDS/ref=pd_bxgy_t_text_z" target="_blank">Storymatic Classic on Amazon</a><br />
<br />
Just for grins, I'm also sharing my favorite bit from yesterday's work: <br /> <br />
It was two feet long, with a heavy, square point on the end. It was
the business end of a Roman pilum, and it was old…about two thousand
years old, if I was right. I took the key ring off the triangular piece
of wood and slid the narrow end into the base of the spear tip. It fit,
nice and solid, and the bolt holes lined up perfectly.<br /> <br />
Boudreaux fished in a soup can and came up with two bolts that looked
workable. I fastened the bolts finger-tight and held up the spear
point. In the light, it was easy to see the dark, red-brown stain
running the length of the iron shaft. “We need the rest of those wooden
pieces.”<br /> <br /> Rose cocked her head to the side. “I don’t smell anything special. Are you sure this is what we need?”<br /> <br /> “It is a stabby-stabby kind of thing,” Boo said. “But, yeah, what is it?”<br /> <br />
“It’s the Spear of Longinus. The real one. The spear that pierced the
side of Jesus.” I held it against my chest as though stabbed from
below. “Damn… That would punch a half-inch wide hole clear through the
heart. This was what killed him. This spear had the power to kill the
son of God, and it still has it.”<br /> <br /> “Crom’s beard,” Nadia whispered. “Um, try not to poke anyone with it, OK?” <br /> <br /> “So now you got it,” Boo said. “What are you going to do with it?”<br /> <br />
I turned the spear, running the light along the length of it. “Kill a
demon bitch suffering from delusions of grandeur, thereby bringing an
end to centuries of civil war between the dark elves of a parallel world
and destroying a cult preying on the homeless children of Las Vegas.”<br /> <br /> He nodded. “Guess we better get the car running, then.”Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-10224673229308534262014-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:002014-02-10T12:49:57.422-08:00Welcome to Your World<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
World building is a vital part of writing, even if you’re sticking to history or biography—it’s part of ‘making the past come to life’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The events, people, and places you write about need to exist for you in order for you to write about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do that, they need a world.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2oSZHOEjdNLwK4uzSKqCTCA8XnjgY7qzxFAfgCnt95i9gVLeAKglxVtMgaZ0j3zovYX0Iiieql6Qu2ijFe9_PSMuLKWClqj3hsK3bO-RlfD-v9Bkq_9YVPrDLYGToHfkYTCd56Lfz0kC/s1600/diskworld.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_lm_89942="null" cua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2oSZHOEjdNLwK4uzSKqCTCA8XnjgY7qzxFAfgCnt95i9gVLeAKglxVtMgaZ0j3zovYX0Iiieql6Qu2ijFe9_PSMuLKWClqj3hsK3bO-RlfD-v9Bkq_9YVPrDLYGToHfkYTCd56Lfz0kC/s1600/diskworld.bmp" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dude, we live on a turtle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Creating that environment is a remarkably daunting task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The classic advice is to begin small, just with the areas the characters inhabit or which are likely to get screen time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you can expand the world as needed, filling the details in as the story and the characters require.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Intuitively, this seems like a very reasonable approach; however, it predisposes the world to a certain degree of sameness and familiarity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By leaving the larger world more or less undeveloped, you preserve flexibility at the expense of immersive details and ‘flavor’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immersive details are the little bits of knowledge which help create a sense of being a part of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flavor is a rather ineffable quality which, once established, determines if something ‘feels right’. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The Science-Fiction Writers of America website has one of the best tools I’ve found for world building: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
This questionnaire is massive, and by the time you finish answering the relevant questions, your world will be well fleshed-out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great tool and I’ve used it myself more than once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, I’m going to ignore it and talk about a totally different way of doing things. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-Uf1FtQ8GGGb6u6uRo8IPwxWAhfJf0XB92bWQrsWOnC60RoQFZcz2cWkKMXYNU8Jh__ywVhUYRkroC4Dxtmri0iMmKpwXF3LX1R9N7f2njt_mr2wLgSmgj-rxS338D8YAuMgczCoSALC/s1600/1302162014076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_89942="null" cua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-Uf1FtQ8GGGb6u6uRo8IPwxWAhfJf0XB92bWQrsWOnC60RoQFZcz2cWkKMXYNU8Jh__ywVhUYRkroC4Dxtmri0iMmKpwXF3LX1R9N7f2njt_mr2wLgSmgj-rxS338D8YAuMgczCoSALC/s1600/1302162014076.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The approach I favor is to work from the top down, beginning with the major items such as what races there are, how they get along, what kind of environment and society they live in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any races live together or in close proximity to one another, note that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you know how the races relate, then group them into nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have any specific details about these nations in mind, note them now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Next, decide what enemies you want to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evil nations, demonic cults, barbaric races such as goblins and orcs, whatever sounds good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to use monster groups (such as orc tribes) as enemies, keep different monster types grouped by the level of threat they present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t want to mix up a small group of bandits with a nation of professional soldiers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
You’ll also need a list for environmental features you want your world to have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A list for Earth might include the Grand Canyon, the Amazon rain forest, the Great Barrier Reef, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mt.</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Fuji</st1:placename></st1:place> – you get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t need to get into a ton of detail, though you can if desired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you think of anything you want to add to any of these lists, get it down as soon as you can so you don’t get distracted and forget.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Now you’re ready to start mapping.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Even if you plan on using a software product to do the grunt work of mapping for you, the first stage is a very manual one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get a blank sheet of paper and place the nation the characters (or the majority of the characters) will hail from in the center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sketch in any physical or environmental features around it in as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, place the other nations, enemy groups, and physical features on the map, using any notes about geography and environment as guides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be afraid to change or rethink something that doesn’t quite fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This portion is very abstract; if you were looking at North & South America, for example, three blobs labeled “USA”, “Canada”, and “Mexico” would be grouped together with blobs labeled “ocean” on the east & west sides of all three.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What you are going to wind up with is a map abstract that shows you the basic layout of the people, places, and things your story mentions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you create your actual world map, this abstract will help you avoid doing things like placing the <st1:placename w:st="on">Varglesnarf</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype> on the northern continent when your notes clearly say that the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Varglesnarf</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:place> has an ocean on its northern border and is separated from the Ancient Empire of Southern Foozledoom by the Mountains of Suffering.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How you draw your actual world map is up to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use Campaign Cartographer in conjunction with Fractal Terrains, both available from <a href="http://www.profantasy.com/default.asp" target="_blank">ProFantasy Software</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Fractal Terrains can generate an entire world map, customized to your specifications, in a matter of seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your results are random and might not fit what you had in mind, but you can generate a new world with just a mouse click.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you get a result you like, you can export it to Campaign Cartographer as a full-color topographic map, ready to be detailed.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZeLvIkkvUqErFoOCSUAFHtQ4KVzisb0sPmGcnpaYp45-RuTXIESRX6t7JcICE3rdqOSCQum5DQdv5Jb4Wl8CaiLnwZyjfEx5igSIfOhJDhhTOXMtVG85HcCR_kr7WtcHAzFSI1FOwc5u/s1600/gallery09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_lm_89942="null" cua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZeLvIkkvUqErFoOCSUAFHtQ4KVzisb0sPmGcnpaYp45-RuTXIESRX6t7JcICE3rdqOSCQum5DQdv5Jb4Wl8CaiLnwZyjfEx5igSIfOhJDhhTOXMtVG85HcCR_kr7WtcHAzFSI1FOwc5u/s1600/gallery09.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campaign Cartographer in action</td></tr>
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Once you’ve placed the major cities and landmarks from your initial lists, take some time and look over the regions you left empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind of areas are they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who lives there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What sort of things would be neat to find there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What products might come from such a place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write down anything you come up with on a fourth list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there are regions you want to wait to develop, that’s fine too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just mark it “Terra Incognita” and keep going.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even though your readers will be seeing only small portions of your world at first, the world itself is still a very large place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The residents have histories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have been places, heard stories, and seen wonders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe your main character learned basic fighting skills from “Wilhelm, a grizzled veteran who bears the scars of a long-ago war.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a good, usable description, but with a quick look at your world map and history notes, he becomes “Sergeant Wilhelm, a veteran who served in the 2<sup>nd</sup> Legion ‘Bloodhammer Brigade’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lost his left arm to a Vergathi halberd during the battle of Whitewillow, but even injured he helped the 2<sup>nd</sup> hold firm until reinforcements arrived.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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You can use simple objects to introduce exotic lands the players might want to visit one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s say that when you were filling in your world map, you noted a desert region and decided that it would be a good spot for an Arabian culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could say, “Hey, there’s a fantastic Arabian culture on the other side of the world”, or you could describe the exotic carpet on the floor of midwife Heather’s tea room; full of bright colors and complex designs, bordered with letters in an unknown tongue, worked in thread (they say) made of real gold!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A treasure from a distant land where birds talk, horses can go weeks without water, and humble carpets - just like this one – can fly!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every culture has unique rituals, customs, taboos, holidays, and social norms; the more of this sort of thing you can work in, the better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my current project, the (yet-unnamed) third David and Rose story, I needed a background for several new characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For simplicity, I decided their world was physically identical to ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy on the mapping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also decided they were from a Celtic culture, because it’s also relatable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On their world, the Celts beat the Romans, with Boudicca driving them out of Britain and back south of the Swiss Alps. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I added a mixture of authentic and imported cultural details, tossing in anything that sounded alien without being totally off the deep end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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By divine decree of Mother Bastet and upheld by the goddess Danu, deliberately murdering a cat was punishable by death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a civil law so much as all the cats in the city hunting the offender down and eating him (a tribute to Lovecraft’s ‘The Cats of Ulthar’).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Possession of a crossbow without a special permit for hunting dangerous creatures was proof of intent to commit murder – it was considered an assassin’s weapon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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People would fight over who would be served the Hero’s Portion (the best cut of meat) during formal meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nine different forms of marriage existed, only three of which were permanent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After killing a personal enemy, the victor could take the deceased’s head, store it in a box filled with cedar oil, and pull it out on special occasions to show off to friends and family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or throw at the dead guy’s relatives during a wedding – always great fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Humans and Minotaurs populate this version of Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone comparing a Minotaur to a cow - or even making mooing noises at the wrong time – could be killed on the spot by the offended party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After surviving a series of really bad emperors, the Senate made restoring the dead to life illegal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it did happen, the resurrectee had no rights, no claim on their former life, and could expect to find their own family trying to hunt them down and ‘lay them to rest’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I may not need all those details for the story I’m telling right now, but you never know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Details make your world come alive for your readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As your story grows and evolves, jot down any new details you come up with as soon as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be nothing more than an offhand comment now, but you never know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Lastly, the next time you’re stuck in a story or facing a mountain of writer’s block, try throwing someone’s head into the middle of a dinner party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’ll get things moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-15390977662046899722014-01-23T22:31:00.005-08:002014-01-23T22:31:58.129-08:00A look 'Into the Darkness', with K.F. Breene<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today I’m talking to K.F. Breene, author of the urban fantasy/paranormal romance ‘Into the Darkness’. Stay tuned to learn how you can win a free copy!</span></div>
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<b>What can you tell us about your heroine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What brings her into the story?</b></div>
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Ah, Sasha. What can one say about her.</div>
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Well, for starters, she’s an orphan. But not a sad, lonely, depressed orphan like you might read about in a Dickens’ novel. She’s spunky, kooky, and battles life in a funny, head-on sort of way. </div>
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She’s lonely, though. The car accident that killed everyone but her left her with nothing but a gift, or a curse. Or maybe turned her crazy. And that’s the problem—she doesn’t know. She sees large, hulking-type men in the shadows. Has since she was tiny. But no one else sees them. She sends her foster dad into the backyard, pointing and screaming that someone is out there, only to have him return angry and put-out. </div>
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When she finally meets the men that lurked in the shadows for all those years, she finds herself in an unimaginable situation for which she is not prepared. But fighting life head-on means grabbing her arsenal (a whistle and a penchant for smack talk) and marching into battle to rescue her boyfriend. </div>
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It is here that she realizes she possesses the ability of magic. Uncontrolled and fatal if used incorrectly, she throws herself onto the brink of death to escape.</div>
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In other words, the heroine is strong-willed, fast acting, and in way over her head.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WWUxuhvsUB8EkNiD6e70UMu0pGd3eiTZxgBirW2t4Q0_OvLTA3Neqc2Zqg94TNPvmaRuvUKkmQe1Kx6TIcR2tzVGzTrncNycclIj3udWV5F-BPJxKhK495D2QuTVfN6W7c1gjgLb2NjW/s1600/Into+the+Darkness1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WWUxuhvsUB8EkNiD6e70UMu0pGd3eiTZxgBirW2t4Q0_OvLTA3Neqc2Zqg94TNPvmaRuvUKkmQe1Kx6TIcR2tzVGzTrncNycclIj3udWV5F-BPJxKhK495D2QuTVfN6W7c1gjgLb2NjW/s1600/Into+the+Darkness1.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
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<b>Your leading man seems to have a good bit of darkness and mystery to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is it that attracts him to your heroine?</b></div>
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He doesn’t know. Neither does she. They kind of happen on each other, two people from vastly different worlds, and share a connection that neither of them understand. But the more he learns about her, the more he gets entrapped. His clan needs a mage, and this human (Sasha) has a rare type of magic that could help his faction overcome their enemies. </div>
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The side effect of desire is certainly distracting. Especially since she’s human. And completely naïve to anything magical. And always in trouble, not to mention pain in the keister.</div>
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He can’t help but gravitate toward her.</div>
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So irritating.</div>
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<b>Where did this story come from?</b></div>
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My head. *quirked eyebrow*</div>
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In all (relative) seriousness, I wanted two things with this book.</div>
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The first was the paranormal aspect. I am sooo tired of the usual vampire suspects. Burn in sun or sparkle… Chew on human necks or animal’s… Hide from society or attempt to embrace it...</div>
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Yawn.</div>
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I wanted something different. I wanted to do a paranormal story with a modern take on vampires. That’s been done, has it? Um…not really. If you mean, vampires in today’s culture—okay, I guess. But they are still the same sort of vampire, right?</div>
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Yawn.</div>
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I wanted to take the myth of vampires, and put them in today’s world. As a different strand of evolution. Don’t believe in evolution? No problem. Then they are God’s experiment. I used anthropology to help define the probability of their existence. To make them “real”.</div>
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Second aspect was magic. I love magic. I really do. Everything magic I want to read about. In detail. And happy days, I can add magic to a paranormal/urban fantasy deal and no one would tilt the head. So I came up with a different type of vampire, and added a bunch of magic. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Voila</i>. </div>
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<b>What influences – literary, mythological, or otherwise – contributed to the world you constructed for the book?</b></div>
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The world is based on modern times, but the desire of originality loosely came from the Kate Daniel’s series by Ilona Andrews. That series is an urban fantasy with an awesome take on vampires. Truly unique how they are defined and used. That was my benchmark. I wanted to come up with something as original as that. </div>
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I didn’t succeed. The she/he writer team is pretty freaking awesome. But I gave it a go, and my critical readers have noted that my new approach is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">interesting</i>.</div>
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Interesting, yes. You’re riveted, I know.</div>
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I think the interest level comes from the roots in anthropology, though, and the references to natural elements that might be a bit different to accommodate a different species.</div>
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Also, it’s edgy, but that’s just my writing.</div>
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Thank god I’m crass, sarcastic, and threw a bunch of magic at it, or it might have been absurd. So, there’s that. </div>
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<b>If you were a resident of the world you created, with all of its strangeness and differences from this one, what would you want to be doing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind of life would you want to create there?</b></div>
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Well, the thing is, it’s the same world as this one. We are the same people. Sasha is just like you and me. Human.</div>
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The difference is, the boogey man is real, and she gets to meet him/her where we don’t. If I found out about this other group of “people”, though, I’d be all over it. I’d want to learn about their lifestyle, date one of their “men”, and check it all out. So, obviously, we know where Sasha’s streak of wild abandon came from.</div>
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<b>What is your writing routine like?</b></div>
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Most of my creative “genius” is had during mundane tasks. Working on a spreadsheet. Walking/running. Showering. Cooking. I let my mind wander, and daydream about the world I am creating or want to live in. About the characters and what they might say. About who they are. </div>
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Then, when something occurs to me, I head to the computer like a sick man does a toilet, needing to purge the ideas into the story. I write like a fiend, and when the well runs dry, I drift away again and go back to daydreaming.</div>
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I am extremely logical, which is why I like accounting. Accounting is boring, though, which is why I like daydreaming about strange places and different people. Then I just write it down. Routine is the reason I write, or exercise, or drink wine. I need an escape. If writing were also routine, I’d probably stop doing it.</div>
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<b>Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?</b></div>
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First it was a collection of romance books. Speaking of mundane. The classic romance is a hot, perfect man and the woman that gets him.</div>
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The end.</div>
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There are some better ones, and there are some that you read primarily for… well, not for the story, so much. I’d been married about a year, got into the rut—I mean, into a groove of life, and read a couple romance books. Then thought—I can devise my own perfect man with a lot more laughs, mistakes, and fun involved. So I wrote the essence of my college years into a story (Jessica Brodie Diaries). </div>
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After my fill of romance, the biggest influence on my writing was Ilona Andrews. It is a husband/wife writing team with imagination, creativity, humor, and a great writing style. Like gunpowder and kerosene, their books are great reads. I can’t say what I actually took away from them with any clarity, just that I knew what I wanted out of a book, she/he had done it, and I wanted to try and do it, too. </div>
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<b>What’s in store for your next project?</b></div>
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The thing with me is, I write something, and then stick it on a “shelf.” I wait until I forget the details, and then go back to it with a reader’s eyes. In the meantime, I write something else. So right now I have five things in the rafters, waiting for revisions. I also have two more Darkness books, working through critical readers and editors. I don’t like idle time, so when I am taking a break from one project, I am working on the next. So my projects are running all the time.</div>
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<b>Where can people find your books?</b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
iTunes: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-darkness/id754780178?mt=11" target="_blank">Into the Darkness</a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-darkness/id754780178?mt=11"></a></div>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Darkness-1-K-F-Breene-ebook/dp/B00HZLCINE/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1390420373&sr=8-14&keywords=k.f.+breene" target="_blank">Into the Darkness</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Darkness-1-K-F-Breene-ebook/dp/B00HZLCINE/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1390420373&sr=8-14&keywords=k.f.+breene"></a></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>About the Story:</b></div>
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<br />
I’d always been different. I saw objects in the night where others saw emptiness. Large, human shaped shadows, fierce yet beautiful, melting into the darkness. I collected secrets like other women collected bells; afraid to fully trust lest my oddities be exposed.<br />
<br />
Until I saw him. He’d been gliding down the street, unshakable confidence in every step. It wasn’t just that he was breathtakingly handsome with perfect features. Something about him drew me. Sucked my focus to him and then tugged at my body. As his eyes met mine, I was entrapped.<br />
<br />
No one had noticed him. He’d been right there, just beyond the light, but only I had perceived.<br />
<br />
I had to know if he was real. Or maybe I really was crazy. And even when my secret box was blasted wide open, dangers hurled at me like throwing knives, I couldn’t stop until I unraveled his true identity.<br />
<br />
I just had to know.</div>
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<br />
<b>Excerpt:</b></div>
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<br />
As I met his black eyes, his puzzled expression deepened. “You’re human…”<br />
<br />
“We established that, yes. What I want to know is, if I am human, what does that make you? And why do I notice you when others usually don’t?”<br />
<br />
His head cocked to the side. His easy balance, his lethal edge; he was like a blade resting on billowing silk. “Very few humans are able to withstand our pheromones. Fewer still to break a <i>Kolma</i> once it has been placed. You’ve not been trained, that’s obvious; so how is this possible when you’re definitely human? Do you possess the blood of another species?”<br />
<br />
I could barely think past the pounding ache of my body, begging to touch him. I needed to get a grip! He was revealing some very interesting factoids I needed to jot down in my mental notebook.<br />
<br />
His nostrils flared. “Charles was right; your arousal is a unique scent. Like a spicy, warm drink on a mid-winter’s night. It rises above other smells, entrancing the mind.”<br />
<br />
“Umm,” charged with questions, determination, anger, and demands, I thrust forward, “Listen, what did you mean about withstanding the…pher-thing? Or breaking the other thing? How can you trap someone’s head with pleasure? Because I’m pretty sure—not positive, but pretty sure—that Jared is straight. And also, I really think we should circle back to what the hell you are, and why nobody knows that you exist? Because this whole people scattering thing is not normal, and I think an explanation is probably in order.”<br />
<br />
He stepped closer, not hearing me, or not caring that I spoke. His eyes looked at me like I was a life-sized riddle. They delved, searching. He took another step, forcing me to retreat two steps to keep distance between our bodies. Another step back had my back to the wall.<br />
<br />
A small smile curved his lips. “I exude pleasure, you run. I exude fear, you come calling. You want me, I can smell it. I can feel it, almost like a palpable thing. Give in to it. Yield to me.”<br />
<br />
Oh God I wanted to. His body was mere inches from mine, his intense eyes looking down into my soul from a face out of a Renaissance painting. The power of him, the sheer strength, had strange, primal fantasies running amok through my head. My core tingled, my chest surged, and my nipples were so hard they could cut this stone wall.<br />
<br />
Why had I come here, again?</div>
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<br />
<b>Giveaway time!</b><br />
<br />
Click on the <a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dd50ca2/" id="rc-dd50ca2" rel="nofollow">Rafflecopter giveaway</a> to be entered into a drawing for a free copy of 'Into the Darkness'!</div>
<br />Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-53284636938173209452014-01-02T22:57:00.002-08:002014-01-02T23:13:12.021-08:00Music to Date your Dragon By<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is kind of an experiment, not just in terms of
the level of interest it generates, but also in terms of just how practical a ‘soundtrack’
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ideally, I wanted to have a playlist
set up so these pieces could be played directly from the blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know if it’s even possible, but I
couldn’t find a way to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like a lot of writers, I listen to a lot of music
while I work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes as background noise,
sometimes as inspiration, and sometimes as mood setting for a specific scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the writers I admire have listed the
artists they listen to while working; that was how I got introduced to Steeleye
Span, Clannad, and Silly Wizard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought about a list of inspirational music, but the idea of an actual
soundtrack was much more fun.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two albums deserve special mention: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Conan the Barbarian</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How to Train Your Dragon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Both are excellent additions to any
library, but for writers, game masters, and game designers, they’re both
must-haves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power, adventure, tragedy,
romance, triumph – these two have music for all those occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money well spent.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of these can be tricky to find, so I've added links for those. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Book 1</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rose appears<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>‘Open
Arms’, Journey</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Dragon With the Girl Tattoo<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>‘Test Drive’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How to Train Your Dragon</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Family Dinner<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006XMRK6Q/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk11_B006XMRK6Q" target="_blank">Information</a>’,
The Rainmakers</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For Sharon<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00136S3U4/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk3_B00136S3U4" target="_blank">Bright Eyes</a>’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watership Down</i>, Art
Garfunkle</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>‘Banzai
March’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3142Vuw49o" target="_blank">Buckaroo Banzai</a> </i><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Driving with Randall<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Baseball
Furies Chase’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Warriors</i> OST<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Welcome Aparna<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘The
Rolling World’, Ruth Barrett <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Book 2</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chasing Mavis<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Yakety
Sax’, Boots Randolph (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Benny Hill Show</i></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dealing with the HOA<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>‘Mars,
Bringer of War’, Gustav Holst</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Real Rose<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>‘Coming
Back Around’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How to Train Your Dragon</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Little Blue Hatchie Romp <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>‘He Mele No Lilo’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lilo and Stitch</i> OST</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bardic<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>‘River’s
Dance’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Firefly</i> OST<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unicorn<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>‘Into
the West’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of the
King</i> OST</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This Means War<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Not
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Dragon Angel<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Fanfare
for the Common Man’, Aaron Copeland</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Breakfast at the Diner<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>‘Safety
Dance’, Men Without Hats<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Book 3</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hero’s Funeral<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Hail
the Hero (Mo Ghile Mear)’, Celtic Thunder</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Smith<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Terminator</i> Main Theme’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Terminator</i> OST</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dressing for War<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Follow
Me up to Carlow’, An Cat Dubh</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tianisa<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>‘Theology
and Civilization’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Conan the Barbarian</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dungeon, With Dragons<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>‘Ride of the Valkyries’, Richard Wagner</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bandits and Boss<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>“Thunderstruck”,
AC/DC</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Big Damn Heroes (back to town)<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>‘The Magnificent Seven Theme’, Elmer
Bernstein<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blood for Blood<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Orphans
of Doom’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Conan the Barbarian</i> OST</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Hall of Undying Names<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>‘Mountain of Power’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Conan the Barbarian</i> OST</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rose Carries On<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Love’
and ‘End Credits’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Serenity</i> OST</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">David’s Theme <span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>‘Holding
Out For a Hero’, Bonnie Tyler</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rose’s Theme<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>‘Parade
of Charioteers’, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summon-Heroes-John-Williams/dp/B00004WK4E/ref=sr_1_19?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388731080&sr=1-19&keywords=ben+hur" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ben Hur</i></a> OST </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-70118084592784878962013-12-31T09:24:00.000-08:002013-12-31T09:24:14.499-08:00Dave Cooper, Force of the Awesome<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sometime back, I saw a Facebook post lamenting the number of male protagonists who were little more than over-idealized versions of the author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t any kind of new insight; I think it passed out of being a trope and crashed headlong into cliché about the time of Homer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I can’t deny that David Fraser, my main character and narrator, has some elements of wish fulfilment to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mea culpa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, reading the original poster’s comment, my first reaction was, ‘Good thing I didn’t base him on Coop’.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFgsCUf5Bj8Z5G6cmXT8NurzWzMw8TrMIy63ZKsTnrxIaPhGqQ1IFZCbqb0MZBWVKAPRwTf5Gz5jtRpLAksrUgpnodcySYGNFu2CPpsnRT-KbJ2GjVSE88FkSbvVCg8_86rm3zkumLluh/s1600/Coop+in+Honduras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_730615="null" gua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFgsCUf5Bj8Z5G6cmXT8NurzWzMw8TrMIy63ZKsTnrxIaPhGqQ1IFZCbqb0MZBWVKAPRwTf5Gz5jtRpLAksrUgpnodcySYGNFu2CPpsnRT-KbJ2GjVSE88FkSbvVCg8_86rm3zkumLluh/s320/Coop+in+Honduras.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dave Cooper and I met at work ages ago and he was a regular player in the D&D campaigns I used to run, until he decided to go jaunting off to Antarctica for a season at McMurdo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still think he was crazy for doing it; bloody penguins don’t even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">play</i> D&D…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">These days, Coop is a fireman/EMT and a student of Brazilian Jujitsu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned to him for advice on the aftermath of a car crash and procedures first responders would follow and wound up writing him into the scene we’d discussed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It hadn’t occurred to me until I read that line on Facebook, but… I’d really missed an opportunity by only using Coop as a walk-on character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy has more story than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ladies and gentlemen, Dave Cooper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What motivated you to go to Antarctica?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you find (for lack of a better term) what you were looking for, either in the experience or in yourself?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For lack of a better term, I’d say I was looking for an adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was at a good point in my life, both professionally and romantically, but I was looking for something more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw an opportunity to do something unique, and maybe a little crazy, and went for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did learn a lot while I was down there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people I met certainly opened my eyes up to the world going on outside my comfort zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travelling through Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific on the way back to the states gave me a great perspective on the world outside of the U.S.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What was the most surprising thing you learned about daily life in Antarctica?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Life at McMurdo was certainly different than what you might believe initially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had a lot of comforts that you might not expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a couple of bars, a coffee house, two lane bowling alley, bouldering cave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They made every effort to find ways to keep you from going stir crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: You know I have to use the picture of you posing on the firetruck – it’s almost a defining example of a ‘go forth and be awesome’ moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was there anything you wanted to do but weren’t able to get to while you were there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I should answer this one by explaining the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the early-mid 80’s (don’t quote me on the date), the US Men’s Soccer Team got in a little trouble for taking a team picture wearing just Reeboks and a strategically placed soccer ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I somehow got it in my head that I wanted to do the same thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New Years Eve 2002 I stripped down and climbed onto one of the ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting) rigs for the picture, wearing just bunker boots and a helmet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As for regrets, I would have liked to be able to make it to the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were not many opportunities to make it there while I was working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some short daytrips that were offered periodically o get you a change in scenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even did the “Happy Camper” school, where you learn cold weather survival skills and got to camp out in a snow mound on the Ross Ice Shelf. (Which was a lot more fun than it sounds!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: If you had your pick of ‘crazy places to work’ and ‘crazy jobs’ (however you define those terms), where would you go and what would you do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I can always say I’d like to be an astronaut or an NFL player if I wanted to go for the obvious, but I’ve got to say that I’ve got the job that I want, and it’s plenty crazy at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What drew you to the fire\EMS services?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I worked at a retirement accounts company for 5 years out of school because I thought that was what you were “supposed to do”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was never really happy and knew I wanted to do something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day I dove up on a pretty major car accident and got out to help, but didn’t know what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next semester I went into EMT school and I’ve been addicted since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no many jobs where you can actively make a difference in people’s lives every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d have to say that it’s making a difference in people’s lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t often get a chance to truly step in and save someone’s life, but we touch people’s lives every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They call us when they’re at their worst and we have to come into whatever situation they’ve got and make it better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Firefighters get a lot of respect from the public for the job we do and I try every day to earn that respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: Most people run away from fires and other dangerous situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your job is to run towards them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you prepare yourself mentally and emotionally to do that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think that most people run from a situation not because they’re “afraid” but because they can’t process the information and rationalize what’s going on around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We train for all sorts of emergencies (fires, medical calls, hazardous materials incidents. . .).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a problem comes up it’s more like a puzzle that we need to solve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We identify the problem, make a plan and then implement the plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just another day at the office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: How do you respond when political leaders or members of the public refer to you and other first responders as heroes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think anyone on the job would say that we just dismiss it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re just doing our job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because it comes to the forefront in a time of crisis doesn’t mean that there aren’t thousands of first responder out there every day, just doing what we do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What is the strangest thing you’ve seen as a first responder?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s a tough one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between working in the Emergency Department of an area hospital, time on an ambulance and almost 15 years on the fire department I’ve seen some interesting sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently we were responding to an early morning grass fire, as we pulled up I said something I never thought I would have to, “Are those guys wearing Ghostbusters outfits?” Sure enough, there were three teenagers in Ghostbusters jumpsuits putting out the fire with fire extinguishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day brings a new story and a new cast of characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard a story about a salty old firefighter who was giving a presentation to a class of small kids. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy told them that he had been on every type of call there is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then one of the kids put his hand up and asked if he’d ever been on a shark attack. [crickets]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just when you think you’ve seen it all. . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: How has your study of martial arts changed you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think it brings me a lot of focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to get caught up in the daily stress of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you can find a productive outlet for that stress it makes life’s bumps and bruises easier to cope with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also gives you a lot of perspective on life and what’s important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a handful of kickboxing fights I found that day to day stressors were not as important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you prove to yourself that you can handle that, you can handle anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“After fighting, everything in your life got the volume turned down.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--Fight Club<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What attracted you to study these specific fighting styles? Are there others you’d like to study if given the opportunity? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve studied many different styles over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve studied Kenpo, Kuntao Silat, Karate, Muay Thai, American Kickboxing, Traditional Jiu Jitsu and most recently Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. I have found my love in BJJ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The art is much more cerebral than how it may seem from the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a big, strong guy I’ve always been able to muscle my way through other arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In BJJ I was humbled by an instructor who was literally half my size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the flexibility and adaptive nature of the art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each person is able to find their own path on heir “journey” and find what works for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a cookie cutter approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In retrospect, I would have liked to study more Japanese Jiu Jitsu or another art that has more of a focus on weapons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s nothing the ladies love more than a guy with mad bo staff skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What are the top three items on your ‘bucket list’? Bull-leaping, perhaps, or playing in the Klingon Rollerball league?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Being a fan of good beer, I want to hit every brewery in Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d also like to make it to all seven continents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows what else, maybe go paragliding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Q: What is the secret to being a force of the awesome?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I wouldn’t claim that I know the secret to being a force of the awesome but I will say that when I stopped worrying about what others thought or expected of me and started living the life I felt I was meant to live, I was a much happier and successful person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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“<span style="color: black; font-family: proxnov-reg; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You’ve gotta pick yourself up by the bootstraps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No ones gonna help you out when you fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve gotta find a way out of your problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you’re broke and you’re backed up against the wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you sleep on your only chances, they’ll never come around again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So dig deep and swing for the fences, you never know it might work out in the end.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--Dropkick Murphys</span></div>
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Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-18679351886810509702013-12-18T14:34:00.000-08:002013-12-18T14:34:48.039-08:00Writerly Ride-Alongs<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If there’s any chance at all the story you’re writing will involve a police officer at some point, and you aren’t yourself a cop, do your story a favor: sign up for a few ride-alongs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even a high fantasy tale can benefit; your towns do have city guards, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If you’ve never heard of ride-alongs, they are exactly what they sound like: You go out with a police officer for part of their shift, usually around four hours, and what happens, happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you get a lot of coffee, scenery, and conversation; sometimes you spend half the day staring at the walls of the station while your officer fills out the mountain of paperwork that goes with each arrest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, there’s a lot of screaming and crying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I’ve done six ride-alongs with five different departments, mostly while I was getting my Criminal Justice degree and serving as a volunteer Victim Advocate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The procedure for all of them was essentially the same: call the non-emergency line for the department you’re interested in and find out when the patrol division can work you in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expect a background check (you did get that warrant taken care of, right?) and a stack of disclaimers to sign. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The department will likely ask you to dress at least business casual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t wear red.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not a Star Trek reference; it’s because red clothes can cause problems for people who have just been in traumatic situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re going at the beginning of a shift, try to show up half an hour or so early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chances are you’ll get to sit in on the patrol briefing and be introduced to the other officers on the shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you meet your officer, do exactly as they say until the ride is over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Yes, you can get shot doing one of these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are assuming the risk, however small it might be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my officers took his seatbelt off every time we turned in to certain apartment complexes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“If they start shooting at the car, jump out the door and roll away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try to hide with your head between the front wheels of two cars-that way you have an engine block on both sides to soak up the bullets.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charming notion ten minutes into the first hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Cops have a strange sense of humor, and they love telling war stories. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially ones involving bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bugs covering the floor, bugs on the food in the refrigerator, roaches falling out of the ceiling, coming out of a welfare check covered in scabies-every cop I rode with had at least two or three stories about bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fabulous resource for terrifying/horrifying your readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The most active ride I did was 6-10pm on a Friday in Denver’s District 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a two-officer car, so I spent most of it locked in the back seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hadn’t even finished the shift briefing when we got called to respond to a pursuit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The back seat didn’t have shoulder restraints, just a lap belt and nothing to hang on to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chase only lasted four minutes, but it seemed far longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excitement? Yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also terror, since we were tearing through a residential area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also feeling some intense anger at the person who was running, because of the danger they posed to everyone on the streets and in the chase..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The suspects finally pulled over and surrendered. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>End result: two arrests, no injuries or property damage, and a big bag of soap chips taken into evidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ivory soap won’t get you high, but it was being sold as crack, which is just as illegal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they’d sold the soap to the wrong person, their night might have ended very badly indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It took an hour to process the evidence and transport it to the lockup facility in downtown Denver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in service, we did three noise warnings at different parties, warned a prostitute away from a hotel, and stopped at a Greek place for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The owner didn’t charge us, because cops eat free at his place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him I was a civilian and insisted he let me pay for my food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">That small gesture made a big difference in the rest of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both officers opened up, telling all manner of anecdotes about the hotels, pawnshops, and apartment buildings we came across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We broke up two more parties, wrote a bunch of speeding tickets, and chased the same prostitute away from a convenience store.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Our last call was for a domestic, resulting in the arrest of a combative gentleman who’d been smoking crack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transporting him was the only time I got to ride in the front of the cruiser.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Back at the station, my last half-hour was spent listening to more stories while my officers did their arrest paperwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another officer arrived to do his booking papers as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looked at me and said, “Who’s this guy?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">My driver said, “He’s our ride-along. He’s OK.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Her partner nodded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Good ride.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The new officer nodded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Alright then.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He introduced himself and said, “Ask for me if you ever want to do an eight to midnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll have some real fun.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I never took him up on it, but I bet some great stories would have come out of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7434516324961479830.post-71392510338049961102013-12-12T23:27:00.000-08:002013-12-12T23:27:07.508-08:00Razing Arizona<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
The following is a true story, offered here as an introduction to myself and my view of the world. Spoiler alert: the good state and citizens of Arizona were not harmed in the creation of this blog entry. </div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
* * *</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I never meant to be investigated
as a domestic terrorist. I just wanted to run a D&D game.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I had been running campaigns set
in a homebrew world for about ten years, and I was getting a little burned out
on it and on traditional fantasy games in general. I decided that I
needed to work on something new to get my creative juices flowing again.
I started thinking about creating a new campaign world, but ran into an issue
right off: I could not find a map I liked.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I spent hours tweaking various
fractal world generators, to no avail. I tried freehand and gave up
because everything I drew somehow looked like a random number of amorous ducks
playing with oil paints. Finally, I decided to use (drum roll!) good old
Earth. OK, so, it’s a parallel Earth. This was good, I could live
with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less time mapping, more time
actually creating, right?</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I had to start naming things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Historical references, random name
generators, searches through the atlases of several different countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything sounded terrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave up, convinced that I’d burned out as a
GM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My creative engine was running like
a ’72 Pinto that was up on blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
shelved the whole project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, a few
days later, I was setting up a printer in one of the offices I supported and I
found out that the woman getting the printer was the web crafter for the local
SCA barony.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Somewhere in the back of my mind,
lights started coming on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generators
began spinning, electricity began arcing up a Jacob’s ladder, and someone put on
the theme from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Superman</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mind was racing the rest of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, I work in IT, so it was really
easy to look busy and not actually be working on anything for the rest of the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I went home, I had most
of a campaign planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game would
take place in a world where the SCA kingdoms really were kingdoms – a
high-fantasy world of chivalry and service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Once I got home, I sat down to
work on my ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For background music,
I picked Leslie Fish’s ‘Serious Steel’ CD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a collection of SCA songs, with a couple done by Joe
Bethancourt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first song (the title
track) is one I’d heard before, and had always considered fairly amusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It describes what happens when a nuclear war
breaks out while the SCA is holding the Pennsic war – a two-week long event
that attracts between 10 and 15,000 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the song, the SCA members become a force for good, an army of Might
for Right in a dark and lawless time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The last verse hooked my attention:</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How can we not take up the steel, for to serve our people’s need? <br />
How can we leave our land to fall to any bandit’s greed? <br />
We have the skills to save our folk from whatever evil thrives, <br />
Admit the truth: this is the chance we’ve hoped for all our lives!</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Not a high-fantasy game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
A post-apocalyptic game, using
D&D rules.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
The Road Warrior with magic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orcs with Mohawks on motorcycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drow babes in Hooters tank tops and leather
chaps! </div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I was definitely in the
groove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several days later, I had the
first story arcs planned and a good beginning hook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The players would begin as members of the
SCA, going to Phoenix for the Estrella War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The game would begin with them watching the collapse of society and the
outbreak of magic around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now,
I needed maps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I headed for a nearby
major chain bookstore and snagged two topographic map books – the really good
ones – of Arizona for me to use, a road map and vacation guide for the players
to use, detail maps of Phoenix and Flagstaff, and a nice little “what to see”
tourist guide for the Phoenix area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
headed for the cashier, gleefully plotting the utter ruination of the Valley of
the Sun.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“Going on a trip?” the clerk asked
as she rang me up.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“No, I’m going to blow it up.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
She looked at me with eyes so
large I thought she was about to turn into a Pokemon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woops.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“Heh, kidding!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, they’re for a role-playing game I’m
running.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I signed my credit card
receipt and tried to look casual as I left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I fretted for a few days, but no police came to knock on my door, so I
relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ran the first game and it
was a success, especially President Jesse Ventura turning into a dwarf during a
live press conference.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
The following week, I was at my
desk surfing, err, finishing up a ticket, when the receptionist called me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had visitors, could I please come up
front?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t expecting anyone, so I
asked who they were with.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
The FBI.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Now, one of my co-workers was
applying to the Secret Service and I knew that I was down as a reference for
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, off I went, mentally reviewing
what I would say to best depict her as a person well-qualified for a position
of public trust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I greeted the
gentlemen, checked their IDs (FBI don’t have badges) and showed them to an
empty conference room.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“So, how may I help you?”</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“About two weeks ago, did you make
a public statement threatening mayhem or violence towards the people or state
of Arizona?”</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I couldn’t help it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not quietly and politely, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The VP of HR heard me and went to ask the
receptionist what was happening in the conference room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phrase “FBI” really got her attention.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Back in the conference room,
neither agent appeared to be reassured by my response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The senior agent waited for me to catch my
breath and said, “Sir, I can assure you that we are not taking this statement
lightly and we do not consider it cause for amusement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are assigned to the special task force on
domestic terrorism and you are the subject of a serious inquiry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, could you please answer the question?”</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I nodded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Yes, I did say I was going to blow it
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sorry, I was feeling jaunty and
I made a smart-ass remark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was buying
the maps for a role-playing game I’m running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do not now nor have I ever harbored ill intentions towards the people
of Arizona.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The senior agent smirked
just a little when I said ‘role-playing game’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He knew what they were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
junior agent was looking at me like a pit bull with colic, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued, “This is a post-apocalyptic game
set in Arizona and the desert southwest, but that’s all it is.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I focused on the junior agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Ever play cops & robbers when you were a
kid, or go to a murder mystery dinner theater?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Same thing, only instead of saying ‘bang, you’re dead’ it’s ‘bang, roll
some dice to see if you hit and how much damage you do’.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
The VP of HR came in at that point
and the senior agent reassured her that all was well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that point, he relaxed and told me what
was going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, as I had assumed, the
clerk at the store told her manager what I had said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called the FBI and gave them my name &
credit card number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that, they got
my current employer (I think the IRS was involved) and found out that my office
was just a few blocks from theirs and that they were going to drive right past
it on their way to lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though
they thought the report was probably a false alarm, they decided to drop in on
me ‘just in case’.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
I told them – truthfully and
seriously – that I was glad that they had done so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m just a goofball gamer who was feeling
jaunty and said something stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
rather see them investigate a hundred people who did something innocent but
stupid than have them miss one person who was not so innocent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They thanked me for my time, and headed off
to lunch.</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
My campaign ran for about five
years, thankfully without any other law enforcement incidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never had any repercussions from that
visit, either, until I had to apply for a DOD security clearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very nice lady from the Office of Personnel
Management came to interview me as part of my background check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part way through the interview, she asked me,
“Have you ever done anything that would give people cause to question your
fitness for a position of public trust?”</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“Does being reported as a possible
domestic terrorist and getting questioned by the FBI count?”</div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Maybe she gave me points for being
jaunty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the clearance.</div>
Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922408095015502005noreply@blogger.com7