'Crimson City' series Book #3

Mass Market Paperback: 369 pages - Publisher: Love Spell (September 27, 2005) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0505526476 - ISBN-13: 978-0505526472

Back of the Book reads:

Los Angeles. Once, it was the City of Angels. Now, it's Crimson City, whose inhabitants know nothing of Heaven. The tentative peace between the species - werewolf, vampire, human - teeters on the brink of collapse. Sides are being chosen. Yet the peril is greater than any imagine. There is a power here that longs for release, an ancient darkness held captive too long. Below, beneath, beyond, it seethes. And there are those who would see it freed.

Mika herself seeks freedom. She's come to Crimson City looking for the key. But that key's keeper is a killer, an outsider, a mercenary with a poisoned past. To her kind, he has meant only death. No matter that Conor McCabe's pale green eyes hold a hint of lust, the glind of a bond never to be broken; the path ahead lies in shadow. In a city like this, death can come by fire or fang, by claw or kiss. And the moment of truth must come...

Through a Crimson Veil

Through a Crimson Veil on Amazon.com

Through a Crimson Veil on Chapters.ca

Through a Crimson Veil on Amazon.ca

15-Jul-08 to 16-Jul-08

Review: Pretty good for what it was.

Could have been a little better though, I think. Comparing this one to the first two, it fell a little flat somehow. The author didn't combine enough background info - it almost feels like something's missing. You don't really get the why of it all.

There's no misunderstanding as to why Conor is the way he is. It's crystal clear. I liked his character; strong, it takes quite a bit to succumb to his desires. I truly hope to see more of him.

Mika... sure, demons are made out to be just as sensual creatures as vamps are, and they are very open about it, but on her, it almost seemed immature somehow. That's how it came across and I'm still not sure why.

The fight scenes are pretty good, the descriptions make you feel like you're there - you see a clear picture of everything in your head while reading.

I say, read it - I think you'll like it.

Rating:

The fire gutters. It goes out.

Frog’s feeble struggles grow feebler yet. Her eyes bulge out. Her skin is moist.

Humanity ... clusters around the remaining warmth and the afterimage that was fire. It wails softly as that fades away.

Frog, broken, maddened, crawls off to the swamps. She leaves a trail of slime behind.

Then there is silence where she had been and humanity departs.

Now there is darkness on the world but in the darkness no one dances. Now humanity mourns for there is none to be its god.

I don't always follow the meaning of these stories, particularly when I've been out of the loop for a bit. In this story, I enjoyed thinking about the mythological resonance of the three creatures, and wondering about what their actions and fates mean. Dinosaur, for example, quickly fails to bring fire to Earth, attacked and killed by the "Three Lords." I wondered why it is easy to defeat the dinosaur, and why brutality seems to be so effective against it.

Reading a bunch of Rebecca's stories in succession is fun, since that mythological understanding builds up in layers, operating at its own subterranean level of consciousness.

If Diana Wynne Jones is good at one thing - and she is - it's really fun fluff. House of Many Ways is an excellent example of this. Our protagonist, Charmain, is the great great grand-niece by marriage of the kingdom's wizard. She's sent off to watch her great great grand-uncle's house while he's being healed by the elves, and takes the opportunity to write the King and offer her services helping in the royal library - not because she wants to be helpful, particularly, but because she wants to look at the books. Charmain is spoiled and useless, having never learned to clean up after herself, do laundry, wash dishes, or the like. She's prone to snapping at people, especially when she isn't quite sure what to do. When something goes wrong, her initial reaction is to bury her nose in a book.

In short, she embodies the worst parts of me, and probably of you, too. I should hate her. So should you.

But I just can't.

It's just too much fun to wander the strange house and the king's palace with her and gather the little clues the author has left for us, with little diversions to explore such problems as accidentally washing a red wool robe with a load of white shirts.

La historia comienza con un joven llamado Link que vive en el Bosque Kokiri, marginado por ser el único muchacho del lugar que no tiene su propia hada guardiana. Tenia terribles pesadillas acerca de una mujer de cabello blanco que escapaba a caballo de un inmenso castillo con una niña de Cabello Rubio; perseguida por un hombre de aspecto malvado montado sobre un caballo negro, le azotaban y le quitaban el sueño noche tras noche.

Mientras, el árbol Deku siente que una presencia maligna se acerca a Hyrule, y ordena al hada Navi que busque al niño sin hada. Link, después de matar al jefe del primer calabozo pequeño ubicado en el Venerable Árbol Deku, quien le explica la importancia de sus sueños y le encomienda la misión de partir en un gran viaje en busca de la Princesa del Destino que debería revelarle el camino que le llevaría a descubrirse a sí mismo, y le asigna a Navi como hada guardiana,(el cual es su ultimo deseo)no sin antes entregarle la esmeralda Kokiri.

Tras llegar al castillo de Hyrule, Zelda y Link, el único que cree en las premoniciones de la princesa, se alían para luchar contra Ganondorf.

haz click aqui para descargar el juego

Ed ecco:

il motion capture ed un po' di dietro le quinte

ed il risultato

Tutte le informazioni del caso e i link utili: al mio precedente post.

Per qualche video dei Blind Guardina: al mio precedente post

When I mention I'm writing a book, I'm usually confronted with similar questions. Or a raised eyebrow and a healthy amount of skepticism.

It usually goes something like this:

"What have you been up to lately?"
"Well, besides the usual, I'm writing a book."

There's a lot of responses one can receive after saying they've started writing a book.
Here's a few of the more common ones:

A. "Who isn't?"
The cynical response. This is implying that all people have given writing a try at some point in their lives and have already failed miserably or, if they haven't yet, inevitably will fail.

B. "Oh. What's it called?"
Ah! Either we have some genuine interest here, or they're casually asking---much the same way one would ask about how the weather is or how a sports team is doing ... and could actually care less about the title or the story that lays behind it.

But 'What's it called?' is a tough question to answer if you're not prepared for it. It took me a lot of composting, writing, and moments of inspiration to finally realize what the title of my book was actually supposed to be.

I guess next time I'll come up with a 'working title'; a tentative title just like what films have during production. Because I felt like an idiot not knowing the title of my own book. But eventually I knew. And I graduated to the next part of the conversation, which sometimes they'll just skip straight to:

C. "So, what's it about?"
A weighted question...
If I'm too expositional, their eyes will glaze over---guaranteed.
If I say stuff like:
It's about mankind's struggle to believe in a world full of empirical data.
or
It's about being dragged by fate into the world's torrid whirlwinds.
or
It's about the shades of grey between good and evil.
or
It's about surrendering trust to find true love.
or
It's about achieving a goal you never intended to chase, but will cost you everything in the end.
then I end up sounding like another Barton Fink, complete with delusions of grandeur.
So I tend to say "A high fantasy about a thief." I try to keep it simple and let them take the bait. You know.... To learn more if they wish.
At that point, the conversation usually moves on to another topic. :P
But if they ever did ask any additional questions, I'd be glad to answer them!
*hint hint*

In our personal quests to conquer the novel, the questions only get harder from there. But unlike the casual masses, us writers are genuinely interested in what we are writing (hopefully!) and we want all the expositional details and tidbits that will help us dig into the meat and bones of our stories.

There comes a day when we know we're ready to answer those tough questions. That's when we're done composting/free writing and ready to create scenes!

Prev: The 5th Ring: Seven Rays | Next: ????

This series is taking hold of me. Not just my creative imagination, my whole being. It's as if my life is falling away as I write this; I may cease to exist by the time "Breaking Dawn" is released (August 2, 2008)! I have always been obsessed with Vampires and the risky, romantic, seductive tales that they are generally intwined with, but this feels so real. I could be Bella. I could be the girl begging for my "greek god-like" boyfriend to wisk me into eternity with him! I haven't been able to create a better fantasy for myself in my 18 years of life.

I have read these books more quickly and with more intensity than I have read anything in my entire life! And, as strange as this may sound, I honestly believe that in doing so, I've brought myself more true happiness than ever before. I don't know why I've become so entranced, but I have. I could spend my whole life reading about theirs and the thought of the end (of the series), almost seems as though it's more than I can bare right now... as Edward (and hopefully soon, Bella) needs blood to prolong himself, I need this book.

OK, maybe I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself! I'm not going to kill myself when this is all over, but it's extremely sustaining at the moment. My only fear is for the movie. OH how I already know that they've butchered my wonderous, dark, sensuous savior!! Come on, Cedric Diggory as Edward?! There are SO many things wrong with that I don't even know where to begin! There I go getting ahead of myself again, of course I know where to start!!
1) The dude was Cedric Diggory - CEDRIC DIGGORY, AS IN FROM HARRY POTTER! I'm definitely no science fiction expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure there should be some rule - somewhere - about not crossing fantasy series!!
2) To put it lightly... HE'S A PUNE! (For those of you not in the know, a pune is a man with small, weak looking, boyish features.) Edward is supposed to be a vampire, i.e. gorgeous, STRONG, mysterious, broody, with just a touch of ancient wisdom. I'm sorry Cedric, these are things that you simply don't possess and never will!
3) The eyebrows/jaw! How can anyone look at him without staring at the eyebrows? Don't get me wrong, I actually think Mr. Diggory is quite cute, but not my gorgeous Edward! Finally, the jaw... a vampire kills people... with his teeth, this would lead me to believe that in order to play a vampire one would have to posess a strong jaw line! Apparently, the casting directors weren't following my knowledged expertise! (Yes, this is sarcasm.)

What would appease me, you ask? I'll tell you what would appease me : Steven Strait! For those of you who don't know who he is, he is the man I've been picturing as Edward for the past - since I started reading the series. More noticably, he was the main character in "The Covenant". Mark my words, if he was Edward, the movie would do SO much better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In closing - and changing the subject, entirely - I love my boyfriend to the core of my being, but... Steven, if you can make it to ANY major city in Western Canada, I'll be there in a heartbeat! Don't worry, I won't forget the fake blood!

In der aktuellen Ausgabe der Zeitschrift hörbücher gibt es noch bevor das Teil offiziell in den Handel kommt:

Die komplette erste Folge der Mystery-Serie “Dorian Hunter” mit Martin Semmelrogge, Patrick Bach, Udo Schenk und K.Dieter Klebsch.

Meldet das Hörbuch- und Podcast-Blog. Leider gibts keine genaueren Infos bei der Webseite der Zeitschrift selber was es mit dieser "Dorian Hunter"-Folge auf sich hat. Da gibts nämlich einerseits alte Heftromane in Buchform, andererseits Hardcover mit neuen Romanen. Knifflig... Nun, wer suchet der findet - auf Webseite des Zaubermond-Verlags wird klar, dass man mit den alten Klassik-Folgen beginnt. Ist ja auch logisch irgendwie. Es gibt einige Infos zu den Sprechern:

So wird Dorian Hunter von Thomas Schmuckert gesprochen ("Saw", "24") und Coco Zamis von Claudia Urbschat-Mingues, der deutschen Stimme von Angelina Jolie. Ebenfalls dabei: Till Hagen (Kevin Spacey), Udo Schenk (Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman), Santiago Ziesmer (Steve Buscemi), Martin Semmelrogge und Patrick Bach. Aus der alten Europa-Hörspielsprecher-Riege sind unter anderem Gisela Trowe, Jürgen Thormann (Michael Caine), Konrad Halver ("Winnetou") und Andreas von der Meden ("Skinny Norris" aus den "???") vertreten.

Tragen wir mal noch nach, welche Rolle Thomas Schmukert bei den obengenannten Filmen/Serie gesprochen hat - komisch, warum fehlt das? Flüchtigkeitsfehler? Kalil Hasan bei "24", vierte Staffel und Troy in "Saw 3". Immerhin sprach er auch schon mal den Connor Trinneer bei "Numb3rs". Und bei den neuen Szenen für "Star Trek - Der Film" den Ingenieur. (Neue - Szenen? Nein, Mike, ich will das nicht wissen, nein...) Der Rest - nun gut, ich würde auch nicht mit der Tatsache hausieren gehen, dass ich mal eine Synchronstimme für die Power Rangers war, aber irgendwer muss diese dreckigen Jobs, die Geld bringen ja wohl machen...

Drei Folgen werden erstmal produziert, probehören kostet ja nichts - wenngleich die Witt-Titelmelodie bei der Heft-CD nicht mit dabei sein wird. Was man wohl verschmerzen kann... Ich meine, Witt.

Il 1° novembre 2008 uscirà in America il primo episodio della serie televisiva (produttore Sam Raimi).

Ecco le prime immagini:

Ed ecco i due protagonisti:

L'iimagine è tratta dal sito ufficiale: Legend of the seeker

Craig Horner, che sarà Richard Cypher, vanta la partecipazione ad un discreto numero di serie televisive australiane.

Abbiamo avuto già modo di conoscere Bridget Regan, che sarà Kahlan, in Law & Order Criminal Intent.

Per tutti i lettori di Goodkind: che ne pensate?

What would the object of my past dreams, now forgotten and left to evaporate, think if they could see them? What would I think if I could see all the fantasies men have had about me? Dreams are so personal, we expose ourselves in them so fully, imagine a world in which we had access to the secret dreams of others! I would simply die if the men I loved in dreams saw what I once cherished...but I would probably die FIRST if I saw what men imagined from me.

Sometimes I wonder what became of all of my forgotten hopes...of all the moonlit walks I took with X or M in my head, all the things I never think of anymore, they, having served their purpose, now being dissipated wisps my past. Now that I have moved on from them of course, I am almost abashed by the dreams I harbored for 'us,' as I am fickle and no longer desire the objects I once did. Almost everytime I have been with someone I fantasized about, they tore down my illusions.

I guess the best way is to not fantasize about others. But something in me, even when I have the perfect boyfriend, loves to have someone unattainable and far away to dream of...as to hold onto some illusions, that reality cannot destroy. I need an unrequited love, on top of my real life lovers, except when i have too many.

I always have someone in my heart and whoever that is I love so dearly... I can't but think of them sometimes. Like I am thinking of someone now!

Interestingly enough, people who disdain or criticize fantasy seem inoculated against the problems with reality fiction.

For starters, reality fiction can be written by those whose reality is not one consistent with what the Bible says is true. Take a look at some of the books with a gay agenda such as Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate. In addition, much secular contemporary literature imprisons readers in the bleak and depressing, purposefully voiding ideals, sentiments, morality, religious values.

Now more and more Christian authors are pushing for reality Christian fiction to actually depict reality. That would be the sinful, fallen world: child abuse, pornography, Internet predators, drugs abuse, serial marriage, same sex marriage, child sex slaves, gang violence, homelessness ... shall I go on?

With reality being what it is, writing reality fiction should not be looked upon as some kind of safe ground while fantasy dances with danger. Instead, fantasy can act much the way the old fairy tales did. In a pretend story, a child could see a truth that applied not only to the story but to the real world.

In fairy tales dwarfs take in a needy, lost girl; a disobedient child invites trouble into her grandmother's house; a wise pig withstands the assault of the enemy; a vain queen loses everything because of her jealousy; a misused step-sister is rewarded for her constancy; and on and on.

Does anyone really need a reality villain to enjoy the story or get the point of Little Red Riding Hood?

Especially in a society that is becoming more and more "story saturated," fantasy brings in something fresh and fun. This is fiction, after all. It's made to enjoy.

And reality? Since reality has become so ... real, it just may not be as entertaining as a good fantasy, even as it mucks around in the very real sin all around us—without offering an answer.

I'll give you an example. Juno. This movie, released in the spring, I believe, took a bold pro-life stand. The reality was teen pregnancy. The result was, adoption is an option. I applaud the message, though it is but a band-aid to the real issues of life. No, not teen sexuality. Teen, adult rejection of God and His love and mercy and forgiveness so we can go our own way.

Reality is so partial. It tells a little bit of the truth perhaps. Fantasy deals with the real Truth.

Questa figura femminile è in 80 mm. di metallo bianco assemblata e
dipinta a tecnica mista: olio e acrilico

Denise Little (editor)

Daw, Aug 2008, $7.99

ISBN: 9780756405106

The in spot for shopping in Chicago is ENCHANTMENT PLACE, a mall opened 24 hours 364 days a year.  This is the place where the vampires, shapeshifters, and other paranormal go shopping.  The only day the mall closes is for that most sacred of holidays, Halloween.  With that Introduction and whimsical kudos to her sister who’s let them have a mall comment which led to this anthology, Denise Little brings out the ship 'til you drop supernatural crowd.

In spite of the cutesy gimmick, the authors are a who’s who of fantasy to include Sarah Hoyt, Deb Stover, Esther Friesner, Laura Resnick and Diane Duane; etc.  Special acclaim goes to Peter Norwood who aptly titled his well written entry “And into the Fire” as he is the sole male contributor; Ms. Little must have settled on author realism even with an enchanted mall as finding men to admit they chose the mall over football would be too surrealistic.  Surprisingly none of the tales are weak as each contains a bit of whimsy as if the writers truly enjoyed doing these tales.  Where else could one shop for a familiar, watch the IRS audit a Wiccan supply store owner, observe I’m a unicorn watcher (apologies to the O'Kaysons), and of course trolls arguing over taxes.  Readers will be enchanted from start of finish when Carman the untalented offspring of two mages deals with the enchanting “Poop Thief”; that sums up a lighthearted fun collection. 

Harriet Klausner

I really liked the character. But it was time for her to go. I had a situation where it would have been nearly impossible for all three characters to escape from, and this particular woman would have broken a later plot at the end of the chapter. I killed her well, without needing to stretch events to set her up. No 'I'll hold them off!' lines (instant death in almost any genre). It set me up for a great fight scene between a scary-as-hell spearman and my hero.

And I've written twenty words on Blue Crystal in the last three days. Like a ghost in a haunted house, I can't seem to leave that scene.

Now THIS excites the living hell out of me! Zack Snyder (300) brings another graphic novel to life with Watchmen, a great-looking flick set to drop on March 6, 2009.

Most people who are into this type of thing already have seen and analysed the trailer to death, but I bring it here for those who might not ordinarily be into these types of films. I can almost assure you good people that this one is going to be hot. This is something different from the usual superhero mania and it should be a nice breath of fresh air for those a little too tired of the Iron Man and The Dark Knight hype that dominated the summer blockbuster season.

So...here is the trailer. Enjoy!

Trailer:

Ein Rezi-Exemplar! Extra fürs Blog! Whow! Gut, okay - so überraschend ist es nun nicht, weil - nun - ähem - wie lenke ich jetzt dezent vom Thema ab? Ist schon beeindruckend wenn man einen Umschlag bekommt auf dem als Absender Random House draufsteht und zudem eine Karte beiliegt, bei der einen die Autorin nett grüßt. (Ja, okay, es KOENNTE Claudias Handschrift sein, dazu müsste ich die Space-Views rauskramen, die sind ja alle signiert. Also die Kernspaltereien-Kolumne. NATUERLICH sind die signiert. Was denkt ihr denn? #Kernmaniac.)

Falls ihr es also nicht schon mitbekommen haben solltet: Die Claudia Kern, die die Space-View gegründet hat und die dort immer noch ihre eigene Kolumne hat, die auch relativ viel bei Panini/Dino übersetzt - die Warcraft-Romane z.B., dann maßgeblich den Charakter "Fu Long" bei "Professor Zamorra" geprägt hat, da gibts ein tolles Hardcover, das man durchaus als fast reinen historischen Roman ansehen kann, die Claudia Kern, die lange Zeit bei "Professor Zamorra" und "Maddrax" mitgeschrieben hat und die unter anderem das Anno-1701-Buch schrieb - genau diese Claudia Kern hat eine Fantasy-Trilogie geschrieben. "Der verwaiste Thron" heißt die und "Sturm" ist der erste Band. Es geht um Zombies, Splatter, apokalyptische Gesellschaften und - ähm - quatsch, um Zombies und Gewalt gings bei "Stalker". Gut, ein gewisses Maß von Gewalt, Zerstörung und Leichen dürfte auch in der Trilogie vorhanden sein wie ich Claudias Werke kenne. Hüstel. Ach, wißt ihr was, Claudia hat das VIEL besser als ich beschrieben worum es geht. Na ja, SIE ist ja auch die Autorin von dem Teil. Einfach mal oben aufs Cover klicken, dann kommt ihr zur Seite von ihr.

Kurz und gut - es gibt eine Hörprobe, es gibt eine Leseprobe - und das alles braucht ihr gar nicht, weil ihr das Teil einfach kauft. Einfach so. Vertraut mir mal. Wann habe ich euch - ähm - jemals ein Buch empfohlen, dass ich nicht mögen würde? Ach, ich habe es noch gar nicht gelesen? Egal, kauft es trotzdem.
Wer schon mal direkte Fan-Reaktionen lesen möchte, es wird schon eifrig auf Claudias Webseite diskutiert.

Übigens scheint Claudia wirklich nur DIESE EINE Jacke zu haben, wenn ich mir das Photo anschaue. Und der Umschlag ist wirklich toll geworden, ich mag diese Ausprägungen, das hat so was schönes Haptisches. (Da gibts sicher einen Fachbegriff für... *achselzuck*)

I can see the devil’s apprentice, a man with buzz-cut gray hair and long thin sideburns. Tattoos snake up and down his arms like twisting wires and his fingertips grind against the steel chords of his midnight guitar. The slim spectacles glinting on his nose conceal nothing as he pours his soul into the strumming and plucking of strings.
On either side of the devil’s apprentice stand two with instruments of gold clutched in their gifted claws. A saxophone, a trumpet, they squeal and stamp their song into the crowd. They are red in the face, mouths bulging with fire and brimstone. Their fingers tap out the whirling crescendos that dazzle and blind before they lay their weapons to rest.
The devil’s apprentice grins now; a tongue of flame escapes from his maw.
The roiling undercurrent of sound that pulses beneath guitar licks and snares and shrieks can not only be heard but felt as a wild-haired demon kisses his thick strings with steady fingertips. He stoically stands, a sharp contrast to the devil’s apprentice, a solitary and silent companion to the intense threads of fire issuing from the midnight guitar and the golden ones. His bass guitar is obsidian and sharp angles rimmed with white gold.
Behind the four black and white imps lies a master of rhythm in steady repose. One two three four, he sets the tone and pulls puppet strings like he controls their every move with his shining beats. He flicks the drumsticks across his set of tightly drawn skin and hard bone, he relaxes. He can feel the power behind his staccato beats and thumping rhythm.
The devil’s apprentice still bares his teeth in a grotesque fashion, a maniacal smile.
He laughs.
He laughs and drops the guitar pick to the ground and unleashes a new wave of sound and pounds away at the crowd with dancing tapping springing fingertips.
The devil’s apprentice is slowing, swaying from side to side. He slows, he relaxes.
He stops.
And the crowd bows low as the Devil’s apprentice swings his arms high.

The Coffee House Series

After reading and reviewing the book, I met with J. Scott Savage, author of Far World - Water Keep. We had a nice chat about the book, which will be on the shelves in September. Of great interest to me was Scott's writing process, so that is what my questions focused on during the following interview.

I'll tell you, that Scott, he is quite the jokester!

Qu: You made it to the Milwaukee stop on your blog tour! Hope you had a great trip. How was the plane? First class, great hosts, no one had a heart attack or anything? I was on a plane, just after take-off – man had a heart attack. Pilot had to dump all the fuel before we could land. Did you know sometimes it rains plane petrol on you?

Scott: How lousy would that be? You’re heading out to that big job interview. Your hair looks good. You just bought a new suit, and suddenly 5,000 gallons of gas washes over you. Of course it would be worse if you were smoking, huh? This flight was actually pretty good. Lame movie was the worst of it.

Qu: I am glad to hear that. I know you have had some pretty wild trips. Well, thanks for popping into my office - Alterra – Humboldt Café, for a cup of coffee and a chat with me. Alterra makes the best coffee - they buy Free Trade beans and roast them right here, so it gets a little noisy sometimes.

Scott: Great atmosphere. Much better than Starbucks. But what the heck is a Free Trade bean? It sounds a little like a free range chicken. Makes me wonder if they are a whole bunch of little beans wandering around some field, hanging out, telling bean jokes. “Yeah, it’s a good life until the coffee grinder shows up. Then it’s not so pretty.” So what does the big spinning thing do?

Qu: Well when the little beans get tired of wandering around the field telling jokes, that spinner thing gives them a lift. Let me get you some coffee… or... What do you like to drink? I am going to have the barista whip up a cappuccino for me.

Scott: Looks good. You can probably read your fortune in the froth. “I see that you will meet a tall dark man with a beard that looks kind of like this.” I’m not much a coffee drinker, but I am a serious cocoa connoisseur. Do they have that here?

Qu: Of course, cocoa it is. Coffee is a big part of my writing life. Once I have that cuppa, my fingers start flying, so I do a lot of my writing here. The dog hasn’t figured out where I am yet, so I’m not interrupted by having to take walks - other than walking to the bathroom. Oh nooooo, don’t turn around… here she comes. Quick, give me your baseball cap.

Scott: Here you go. Duck your head and try not to smell like yourself.

Qu: That was a close call, but she didn’t spot me. Whew.

Scott: Yeah, I think she’s headed for a likely looking fire hydrant.

Qu: Anyway, my question is where do you do your writing?.

Scott: I like to write just about anywhere. One of my favorite places is the library. I like to imagine that I am soaking up inspiration from all the great books.

Qu: Writing at the library is a great idea. I have never tried it. Nice big tables, quiet, …..actually, I would probably fall asleep. Back to my question: I am really interested in the process…. could you describe your writing process a little? Do you write, edit, write, edit vs. write straight through and then go back, or?

I’d love to be able to just write straight through, but I’m a write, edit, write, kind of guy.

Qu: Do you ever hit a wall?

Ooops. Not that wall. You know what I mean.

Scott: Each day I reread and edit what I wrote the day before. It helps me get back into the story and get my imagination flowing.

Qu: Does anyone read your work while you are writing? Who do you have read your work after it is completed?

Scott: I usually let my wife and my critique group (the infamous Women of Wednesday Night) read my book before it’s done. Also some other family members.

Qu: Since this is a YA book, do your kids have any part of the process?

Scott: I prefer that my kids wait until a complete draft is done, so they can enjoy it more. But hey, if they promise to clean their rooms . . .

Qu: I don’t think that bribe would work with my kids, but I guess I could try it. How much time a day do you spend on this job of writing? I mean the whole thing, from blogging to talking to agent/editors, and so on.

Scott: Way too much. I suspect I spend as much time on my writing as I do on my full time job. It really is a second job.

Qu: Do you have more than one project going at a time?

Scott: I have lots of projects in my head. But I try to focus on writing one book at a time. It’s too easy to confuse voices if I don’t.

Qu: When you started Water Keep, did you already have in mind that this was going to be a series?

Scott: I knew the basics of the series when I started. But for me, part of writing is discovery, so I knew a lot more about the world and what was happening. I have a lot of “light bulb” moments where I discover something major about the story that I didn’t expect. I know quite a bit about the series now. Definitely how it will all end.

Qu: Can I get you something else to drink, or eat? They have great bakery here…the scones are really good.

Scott: How can you turn down a good scone? They do have honey-butter right?

Qu: Sure, they have that too. (Okay guys, now that I have primed the pump, maybe I can sneak in this trick question and he won’t notice…..) Can you tell us something about the next book in the series?

Scott: Mmm, scones the plot of the next book is . . . hey wait. The old scones and cocoa trick. I should have seen it coming. That’s it. I’m calling your dog back. Okay, how’s this for a clue. There is no such thing as a Land Elemental.

Qu: Oh boy. A clue. I am going to have to mull that over. Well, thanks so much for coming all the way to Milwaukee to chat with me today, Scott. Before we say goodbye, I have to tell you I loved Water Keep. I was a teacher of students with special needs, so your hero really touched me. The review of the book was posted on July 23rd, so folks can go there to get a taste of this great fantasy.

It was great meeting you, and I wish you good luck with the upcoming release of Far World - Water Keep in September! Are you sure you wouldn’t like a chocolate filled croissant or something, before you head back to the airport?

Scott: Chocolate-filled croissants? Are you kidding me? Shoot, I’m filling up a bag. It was great meeting you as well. I’m so glad you liked Water Keep, and I totally applaud you for your teaching. I hope that if my book does nothing else, it will give kids hope that they can overcome any obstacle. Hopefully I can get a chance to tell them that in person as I visit schools. And thanks for the fun interview and the great review!

Qu: It has been my pleasure, Scott. Look out for the dog when you go out the door. She likes croissants, too.

To make fantasy readers doubly happy, there is a book give-away. If you would like to enter the drawing for an author-autographed (with a personal message!) copy of the advance reader's edition, just make a comment on this interview, or the review of the book. You can have a copy of this book before it hits the shelves in September, ensuring the envy of all your friends! Winner chosen on July 30th.

Prologue: Child of Destiny

I cant recall much from my infancy, but if there is something particular that anyone would ask me to recall, then I can only recall a misty memory of myself as a child, standing infront of a large fire-breathing dragon, the flame from whose maw encircled me like a protective shield, granting me power and contentment.
Most of my growing years have been spent being loved by my mother and spoiled by my father, but somehow it never went to my head. Mostly due to the influence of my grandfather. Although my parents loved me and doted on my- as I am their only child- they knew where to draw the line. They infused me with proper ideals, and taught me how to struggle in this harsh world. My father had been one of the Class-A warriors in his time, so had been my grandfather. The fighting spirit ran in our blood. But I was different.
Not that I was not a warrior, but rather it was my elemental proficiency. The entire generation on my father's side had been Earth school warriors. They had preserved their proficiency of Earth by making it a law to intermarry among their own. My father had broken that rule and had married my mother, who is from a clan of Fire school warriors. She had been rejected by her people because her weak build would not allow her to be a warrior. She had been forced to live in the outskirts of the great city of Lavalore. She had been kidnapped by a gang of pirates and my father- who was then working in Lavalore as a mercenary- was tasked with rescuing her by my maternal grandfather. He had found her imprisoned on a ship with a bunch of other women who were being carted overseas to be sold as slaves. He had beaten the pirates to a pulp, and she had lost her heart to him- which he had been enchanted enough to accept. They had married secretly and had gone back to the country of Earth, Stoneclaw, to meet my grandparents. Grandfather had been furious. He had vowed to disown my father and break all ties with him if he did not divorce my mother at the very moment. But my father had been stubborn and had refused outright to do any such thing. They did not see each other for nine months.
Then I was born. My father always says that seeing my tiny arms flailing wildly and sometimes catching him on the nose gave him the greatest pleasure in life. Although my grandfather had vowed not to see my father's ace again, he just couldn't keep away. He came to our house and gruffly declared that he had a right to see his grandson. On being reminded by my father that he had no son, having disowned my father, he had no grandson either. On hearing this my grandfather burst into tears for the first time in his life, and embraced my father, begging for forgiveness. My father relented and everything was as jolly as could be.
On my fifth birthday(which is the day on which a warrior or mage attains his elemental powers), I displayed my proficiency for fire by setting ablaze my birthday cake(and half the house), while trying to blow out my candles. My grandfather was delighted and disappointed at the same time. Delighted because of my high elemental proficiency, disappointed because he considered me as a loss to the school of Earth. But he couldn't regret me now, after having tearfully accepted me, so he learnt to accept me as I am.
But he wouldn't trust my father with my training. He would take me twice a week to the house of one his friends who is a fire Warrior. The two of them put me through extremely rough training. Rondor, the fire Warrior taught me everything I know about manipulating fire. My grandfather trained me to be a top class Earth Warrior. For although I can not perform any earth-based skills, I have inherited the tough constitution of the Earth warriors and this helped me gain amazing skill in hand-to-hand combat. I specially perfected my Combo 3X skill which I know consider my signature move.
This continued for eleven years, after which I decide to have a break...

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＜Use software＞
Photoshop ・ Paintshop
＜Production environment＞
Mac OS

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＜Use painting materials＞
「Drawing ink」

Copyright（C）T-KONI . All Rights Reserved.

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＜Free material＞ It is possible to use it free of charge.
T-KONI`s Free material　"Illustration, web material, wallpaper, and coloring paper"
「Download site of "Free material"」
T-KONI`s"Paper book jacket design"
It is possible to use it free of charge.
「Download site of "Paper book jacket"」
「How to make "Paper book jacket"」

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＜Use painting materials＞
「Watercolor colored pencil　・ Oily colored pencil」
＜Production technique＞
Round stroke method

Copyright（C）T-KONI . All Rights Reserved.

------------------------------------

＜Free material＞ It is possible to use it free of charge.
T-KONI`s Free material　"Illustration, web material, wallpaper, and coloring paper"
「Download site of "Free material"」
T-KONI`s"Paper book jacket design"
It is possible to use it free of charge.
「Download site of "Paper book jacket"」
「How to make "Paper book jacket"」