L. Jagi Lamplighter's Blog, page 30
September 8, 2014
Meet The Character Blog — Part Two
Today, the fantastic authors who are following me are posting their Meet the Character Blogs, please drop by and visit!
Misty Massey – http://mistymassey.com/meet-the-character-blog-tour/
Sarah A. Hoyt – http://accordingtohoyt.com/2014/09/08/meet-the-character/
Sondra Allan Carr – http://sondraallancarr.com/villain-free-to-a-good-home/
(And her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSondraAllanCarr?ref=hl )
Tee Morris – http://teemorris.com/
September 5, 2014
With My Own Dice!
My son Juss is writing a parody of Al Yankavitch's With My Own Eyes. It is still a work in progress and may end up as two separate songs.
With My Own Dice!
I saw a toad drive a cart!
I saw a half-dwarf-half pig!
I talked to a rat heart-to-heart,
I saw a dragon dance a jig.
I saw a gnome stand defiant
And send an orc to heck
I saw a halfling fight a giant
And make his grappling check!
I saw a guy with a squid head
I saw a table beat our fighter!
I saw a cleric turn undead.
I saw a wizard brawl a spider!
I saw the DM roll the five twenties that turned me into to a rat.
I could have gone my whole life without seeing that!
With my own dice, I’ve lost saving throw that would have kept me from going insane.
I let a mind-flayer take over my brain
With my own dice!
With my own dice, I’ve failed spot checks with a difficulty of two.
What am I supposed to do?
With my own dice!
The original:
September 4, 2014
Kickstart Joy! — Eternal Wanderings!
Have you heard of the Eternal Wanderings Kickstarter? Danielle Ackley-McPhail has pledge to write a new novel following her popular Eternal Cycle trilogy of Irish-myth bases urban fantasy novels.
You aren’t familiar with the series? Here’s what the Bibliophilic Book Blog had to say about it: Ms. Ackley-McPhail has brought us a seamless blending of the present, past, and future throughout her Eternal Cycle Series, incorporating Irish myth, the beautiful and mysterious Gaelic language, and prophecies which span millennia.
If you’re interested in learning more, visit the kickstarter page: http://kck.st/1tv0cq7
Some reviews from the original novels:
On Yesterday's Dreams:
[Danielle Ackley-McPhail] certainly seems to know her Celtic mythology…a solid story. —Piers Anthony, bestselling author of the Xanth series (source, personal letter)
"This novel will appeal to fans of Charles DeLint with its urban approach to Irish mythology. At times I was mesmerized while at other times…I had to get up and turn the lights on…" —4 Tombstones, Kate, Bitten By Books Reviews
On Tomorrow’s Memories
“Tomorrow’s Memories” is darker in a rich sense from the first book in this series. Compelling characters, history, and plenty of action will keep you glued to each page until you reach the end. -4 Stars, Bibliophilic Book Blog
"Danielle Ackley-McPhail seems to get better with every book…I didn't want (Tomorrow's Memories) to end, and I'm looking forward to reading the third novel of the trilogy." – BookSpot Central
On Today’s Promise
“Today’s Promise” is the stunning conclusion to an epic series which can be read time and time again without losing its potency. – 4 Stars, Bibliophilic Book Blog
We are funded! #EternalWanderings @Kickstarter Now let’s start hitting some of those stretch goals! http://kck.st/1mOoXrp @eSpecBooks #magic
Danielle Ackley-McPhail
www.sidhenadaire.com
September 3, 2014
Orville Wright Wins Reading Award!
Orville Evander Wright just won the Wright House household award for First Child To Read a Novel.
The prize is $100.00
The novel Orville read was: Up In Smoke by Steve Johnson.
September 2, 2014
September 1, 2014
Meet The Character!
Welcome to the Meet the Character Blog Tour!
First, thank you to author Laura Ann Hill for inviting me to participate. If you have a moment, please check out her post about her character, Juanita Elise Jame-Navarro, here.
Here goes:
1.) What is the name of your character?
Lady Rachel Jade Griffin
2.) Is he/she fictional or a historic person?
Rachel is a little sorceress from Gryphon-on-Avon in Devon, England who attends Roanoke Academy for the Sorcerous Art.
3.) When and where is the story set?
The story is set in 2023, though this is never mentioned in the books.
It takes place in an alternate world that is much like ours, except there are is a secret magical world called the World of the Wise. Also, there is no knowledge of Jews, Christians, or Muslims–but there are signs that suggest such things once existed, such as statues of angels and mysterious words like friars and steeple.
It takes place on Roanoke Island, which is located where we Unwary see Pollepel Island, in the middle of the Hudson River, just north of Storm King Mountain, in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York.
4.) What should we know about him/her?
Rachel is thirteen. She is extremely short for her age. Everyone else at school is older and taller.
Her mother is part-Korean. Rachel has her mother’s Asian features, though some of her siblings look more like their British father. Her father is the Duke of Devon, so Rachel is a lady, though titles are not used at school.
Rachel has also inherited her mother’s perfect memory. She can instantly recall anything she has ever seen or read. This is quite useful in itself, but it also has the unusual ability of allowing her to recall hidden supernatural creatures that she cannot see with her eyes—including a mysterious Raven who is said to bean omen of the Doom of Worlds.
Rachel is a superb flyer. She flies a steeplechaser, a very complicated model of bristeless broom. She is, however, only a middling sorcerer, her magical abilities being additionally handicapped by her dislike of practicing her flute, which is necessary to play enchantments.
She does have a handful of spells she has practiced at length, which she is reasonably good at, but she is often being show up by her best friends the orphan boy Sigfried the Demon Slayer and Nastasia Romanov, Princess of Magical Australia, who are the best sorcerers in the freshman class.
Rachel is eager to make friends but is awkward in social situations, making the process difficult.
5.) What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?
Before coming to Roanoke Academy, Rachel Griffin had been an obedient girl—but its hard to obey the rules when the world is in danger, and no one will listen.
Now, she’s eavesdropping on Wisecraft Agents and breaking rules. Because if the adults will not believe her, then it is up to Rachel and her friends—crazy, orphan-boy Sigfried the Dragonslayer and Nastasia, the Princess of Magical Australia—to stop the insidious Mortimer Egg from destroying the world.
But first she must survive truth spells, fights with her brother, detention, Alchemy experiments, talking to elves, and conjuring class. Oh, and the Raven with blood-red eyes.
As if that were not bad enough, someone has turned the boy she likes into a sheep.
6.) What is the personal goal of the character?
Rachel wants desperately to keep her loved ones safe.
She also suffers from wanderlust. She wants to stand upon high peaks and catch glimpses of distant sapphire waves. She wants to drink from “yet untasted wells.” She wants to met fairy creatures she had read about in books. She wants to kick sand on the beaches of Neverland, to pick a ripe volume from the book trees of Oz, to drink the Mad Hatter’s tea in Wonderland.
Rachel Griffin wants to know everything. But everything is a big subject, and even she has to occasionally admit that some things are more interesting than others. What she wants, most of all, is to know everything secret, everything new, everything unseen by eyes other than hers.
7.) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
The first two books of Unexpected Enlightenment are done.
The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin is available: http://www.amazon.com/The-Unexpected-...
The Raven, The Elf, and Rachel will be available in October.
I am currently hard at work on the third book: Rachel and the Technicolored Dreamland.
***
Next week, Monday, September 8th, the MEET THE CHARACTER BLOG TOUR continues with these fabulous authors:
Sondra Allan Carr: http://sondraallancarr.com/blog/
Tee Morris: http://teemorris.com -or- http://ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com
Misty Massey: mistymassey.com
Sarah Hoyt: accordingtohoyt.com
Here's a little bit more about next week's authors:
Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel (Tor), a rollicking fantasy adventure of magic on the high seas, and the upcoming Kindle ebook Kestrel’s Voyages. Misty is one of the featured writers on Magical Words (magicalwords.net). When she’s not writing, she studies Middle Eastern dance and performs with Mythos Tribal and Chimera. You can see more of what Misty’s up to at her website, mistymassey.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Sondra Allan Carr (http://sondraallancarr.com/blog/) lives in the Bluegrass state of Kentucky with her husband of more than four decades. A confessed word nerd who reads the dictionary for fun, she has “want to read all of Shakespeare” at the top of her bucket list. She is also a huge fan of The Walking Dead (especially Daryl!) and hopes one day to make the pilgrimage to Atlanta to see where the series was filmed.
Sondra writes fiction that is a blend of fantasy and romance. Her first novel, A Bed of Thorns and Roses, is a Beauty and the Beast-themed historical romance set during America’s Gilded Age. Readers have called it “a page-turner,” “very moving,” and “one of the best romantic stories I have ever read.”
She is currently writing an adult (18 and over) fantasy series, The World of Pangaea, a projected five-volume family saga set in an alternate pre-history. Book One, The Beast, introduced the troubled patriarch of the family. The soon-to-be-released second book in the series, The Savage, tells his eldest daughter’s story.
Sign up for Sondra’s newsletter to get your free copy of The King’s Man, the short story prequel to The Savage. Just click on the link to her website, or go to her Facebook page here, to sign up. Subscribers will get the latest news about the series plus bonus materials and notice of upcoming sales, giveaways, and contests.
Sondra loves to hear from readers. You can connect with her online at:
Website: http://SondraAllanCarr.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSondraAllanCarr
Twitter: @SondraCarr
Tee Morris has been writing for over a decade from science fiction to fantasy to horror. His first novel, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana, was a nominee for the 2003 EPPIE for Best Fantasy, but in 2005 the book became the first novel to be podcast in its entirety, ushering in a new age for authors — podcasting. He went on to write several books on social media initiatives and tour around the world with a variety of seminars and workshops covering blogging, podcasting, and social networking.
In 2011, Tee returned to fiction with Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, written with his wife, Pip Ballantine. The title went on to win the Airship Award for Best Steampunk Literature and become a finalist for Goodreads' Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction of 2011. 2012 saw the release of the sequel, The Janus Affair, also a finalist for Goodreads' Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction of 2012. While celebrating the release of Dawn’s Early Light, Tee and Pip continue producing Tales from the Archives, an award-winning podcast anthology featuring short stories set in their steampunk universe.
August 28, 2014
Cool Speech
“But little Peter, he started to havin' ideas.
There's how to steal a diamond brooch without spillin' blood.
Here's how to take a ring and leave the finger.
But, you see, Beverly Penn…in my line…it's the ripples that give the work meaning. Ideas…They can do more good than harm.
And that would be the opposite of the plan.”
Pearly Soames, Winter's Tale (movie)
August 26, 2014
Signal Boost Tuesday — New Kickstarter for Danielle Ackley-McPhail’s Kara O’Keefe series.
Award-winning author Danielle Ackley-McPhail has started her first Kickstarter for a project entitled Eternal Wanderings: The Continuing Journey of Kara O'Keefe. A spin-off series to her popular Eternal Cycle trilogy of Irish-themed urban fantasy novels, Eternal Wanderings follows Kara's adventures after she saves humanity from ultimate evil, discovering in the process that she bears the soul of a goddess.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dackley-mcphail/eternal-wanderings-the-continuing-journey-of-kara/messages#messages/7723555?&_suid=140896045312909343257677663344
August 13, 2014
Part Three: Speaking With the Opposition
Final repost:
In light of the contentious political subjects among us today, I thought it might be helpful to someone if I shared a few thoughts on what to do if you want to talk about the issues and you would prefer a discussion instead of an argument.
Typical portrait of a member of the opposite party (from you) discussing politics.
The key is to remember this one, hard-bought secret: He is not the opposite of you.
Here is what I mean:
Liberals and Conservatives today are both people of great character. Many of them hold convictions requiring tremendous nobility and courage–convictions for which they would willingly die.
But their convictions are not the opposite of each other. In fact, they are seldom related at all.
Examples:
War.
Conservatives are often for it. Liberals are usually against it. Why is that? Is one good and the other evil?
Conservatives think war is necessary because real bad guys won’t be stopped by nice words, no matter how much we wish they would. However, they also think war is evil and scary. Yet, they are so loyal to the ideals they believe in that they are willing to summon the courage to face this terrible fate. They will go forward because they are brave enough to do so…out of love for that which needs defending.
So, obviously, anyone who does not agree with them must be a coward. Therefore, all Liberals are cowards. Brave men hate cowardice. Therefore, it is very, very difficult not to hate the Liberals.
Liberals look around and they see that war solves nothing. All that fighting, all that killing, all that waste. The net gain is never worth the price. They see this so clearly. Anyone with even a little intelligence could not miss it.
So, obviously, anyone who does not agree with them must be stupid. Therefore, all Conservatives are stupid. Intelligent men despise stupidity…especially the deliberate kind in people who should know better. Therefore, it is very, very difficult not to hate the Conservative.
Health Care.
Conservatives worry about men’s freedom and the logistics of the drawbacks of socialized medicine.
Liberals care about compassion and helping the little guy who is suffering.
The Conservatives are often compassionate, not selfish like Liberals assume. They are willing to die for to protect the freedom of men they will never know.
Liberals often care about freedom. They think the freedom to live is necessary to be able to enjoy the other freedoms. They want to defend this freedom.
If a Conservative wants to convince a Liberal, he has to start by establishing that lack of compassion is not what motivates him. It is because he does feel compassion for his fellow man that he does not want a program that will make things worse for those fellows, not better.
If a Liberal wants to convince a Conservative, he has to start by establishing that he does know how the system works and the many disadvantages of socialized medicine—everything has drawbacks. So, one might as well make oneself familiar with them. He has to make it clear that he understands that some of the good things we have now will go away. And then explain why he believes that the overall gain will be greater than the loss, why those drawbacks are worth the price.
Gay Marriage.
Liberals care about tolerance and fairness. Conservatives care about morality and decency. Many Liberals think those terms don’t mean anything…but if they want to convince Conservatives, they need to understand what they do mean and discuss why gay marriage does or does not offend those concepts.
Conservatives, on the other hand, need to discuss the matter in terms of fairness and toleration and explain how those concepts do or do not figure in to the subject.
Conclusion:
Basically, what this comes down to is: If you want to have a real discussion with the other guy, you have to find out what he thinks. Arguing in favor of what you think will only produce a knee jerk reaction from him—because he’s never going to hear what you are really saying.
If you want to convince the opposition, start by finding out what members of their group say on your side. (A pro-gay marriage Conservative or an anti-Obamacare Liberal) Both sides have discussions among themselves, members who don’t agree with the majority. They often have arguments that are couched in the terms that apply to the convictions of their party.
If you argue along these lines, you will be able to hold a civil conversation, even if you do not convince anybody.
And you will come closer to having sympathy for your fellow man, even if he does not convince you.
