Michael J. Sullivan's Blog, page 58
April 2, 2015
Short Story for Unbound Delivered
Yesterday I sent Shawn Speakman my final version of "The Game" a short story to be included in his Unbound anthology. I really like the way it turned out. I'm a bit embarrassed because it was a day late, (Shawn wanted the stories by then end of March). But as some here already know I've been working on finishing up the last book of the First Empire, and it's just really hard to shift gears that close to the end of a five book epic.The good news is I wrote this a few Christmas's ago and set it aside for Shawn as I thought it would be an excellent fit for either Unbound or his upcoming Unfettered II anthology. Robin, as always did my editing - and man she really out did herself with this one.
As is always the case, we have heated debates over editing. There was one "concept" in particular that she found was just too hard to understand (or maybe I wasn't doing a good enough job explaining it). But the real genius came from reworking the end. She wasn't happy with my rather rambling 1,124 word ending and we decided the book could stand well without it. I had to agree with her and the new ending was much better. But still not perfect. A little more brainstorming and the light went on. Now in just 191 I got the ending that I thought was the perfect punctuation to this short. I can't wait until it's released and other can start enjoying it as well.
March 31, 2015
The First Empire Series is Done!
I was shooting for April or May and got it in under the wire in March. Well, that's not entirely true, I still have to take another pass before my alpha reader (Robin) can put eyes on it, but her birthday is April 8th and I'm shooting for that. But I've "wrapped" the series and now know how it all ends. I'm really happy with how it's come out, and I hope others will be as well.
Writing an entire series before publishing any books is a lot of work, but I really think it paid off. I have a few changes to make to the first book one that came up in the last few pages! Now we just have to get the first book released - but it's Del Rey that has the remaining lifting for that book. Still, can't help but be excited about being done.
Writing an entire series before publishing any books is a lot of work, but I really think it paid off. I have a few changes to make to the first book one that came up in the last few pages! Now we just have to get the first book released - but it's Del Rey that has the remaining lifting for that book. Still, can't help but be excited about being done.
March 29, 2015
Tools for Authors: Chicago Manual of Style - online
I have a confession to make. I'm a complete idiot. Well, maybe that's not news to readers of this site, but I'll explain what I'm referring to in today's post. When I first hired a freelance editor to help me with my self-published books, the first question potential candidates asked me was, "What style guide do you want me to use?"
My response, "Style guide? I'll do the book formatting. Why does an editor care about the style guide?"
You see, I came from marketing, and in that world, a style guide lays out rules for using logos or spacing and size of fonts. Design style guides cover things like how much white space should appear between the brand mark and other elements on the page, permitted colors, and how to scale the logo elements. I didn't understand what a style guide was in relation to editing.
If you are also clueless, let me shed a little light. A style guide is a set of rules governing things such as spelling, italics, punctuation, hyphenation and many other things. Generally, they are the "rule book" writers conform to ensure consistency. Likewise, copy editors enforce the code. They lay out rules that may be "flexible" from organization to organization. Style guides exist so readers will have a consistent experience even if many people produce the work. Some of the most well-known style guides include:
AP Style Guide - for journalismChicago Manual of Style - for general publishing and readershipAPA Style Guide and ASA Style Guide - for social sciencesAMA Style Guide for medicineEver hear people debating the use of the Oxford comma? You know, that's the comma which is sometimes added or omitted before the conjunction in a list of items. For years, the AP Style Guide said omit them while the Chicago Manual of Style said to include them.
For novels, most editors will use the Chicago Manual of Style, sometimes abbreviated as CMoS.
It's a massive volume. The 15th edition comes in at 984 pages, and the 16th edition topped the thousand-page mark by coming in at 1,024 pages. It's also not all that cheap. List price for the print edition is $65.00 (although Amazon has it discounted to $40 and change).
But it's not the price that bothers me about CMoS. The issue is it can take a long time for me to find what I'm after, especially if I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. For instance, when writing my first published novel, I was debating which was correct: "your majesty" or "Your Majesty." It could take me a lot of time to find the answer in the printed version. It's in section 8.32, which explains how to capitalize honorifics, by the way. And hence today's post. There is an online version!
If you go to this link, you'll find both the 15th edition and the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style in all its searchable glory. And yes, they offer a free trial month so you can see for yourself if it is something worth spending money on. If you do want to have it long term, then the cost is just $35 a year ($30 per year if you sign up for two years). Yes, that's just slightly cheaper than the book, but the time you'll save is well worth it.
My response, "Style guide? I'll do the book formatting. Why does an editor care about the style guide?"
You see, I came from marketing, and in that world, a style guide lays out rules for using logos or spacing and size of fonts. Design style guides cover things like how much white space should appear between the brand mark and other elements on the page, permitted colors, and how to scale the logo elements. I didn't understand what a style guide was in relation to editing.
If you are also clueless, let me shed a little light. A style guide is a set of rules governing things such as spelling, italics, punctuation, hyphenation and many other things. Generally, they are the "rule book" writers conform to ensure consistency. Likewise, copy editors enforce the code. They lay out rules that may be "flexible" from organization to organization. Style guides exist so readers will have a consistent experience even if many people produce the work. Some of the most well-known style guides include:
AP Style Guide - for journalismChicago Manual of Style - for general publishing and readershipAPA Style Guide and ASA Style Guide - for social sciencesAMA Style Guide for medicineEver hear people debating the use of the Oxford comma? You know, that's the comma which is sometimes added or omitted before the conjunction in a list of items. For years, the AP Style Guide said omit them while the Chicago Manual of Style said to include them.
For novels, most editors will use the Chicago Manual of Style, sometimes abbreviated as CMoS.
It's a massive volume. The 15th edition comes in at 984 pages, and the 16th edition topped the thousand-page mark by coming in at 1,024 pages. It's also not all that cheap. List price for the print edition is $65.00 (although Amazon has it discounted to $40 and change).
But it's not the price that bothers me about CMoS. The issue is it can take a long time for me to find what I'm after, especially if I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. For instance, when writing my first published novel, I was debating which was correct: "your majesty" or "Your Majesty." It could take me a lot of time to find the answer in the printed version. It's in section 8.32, which explains how to capitalize honorifics, by the way. And hence today's post. There is an online version!
If you go to this link, you'll find both the 15th edition and the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style in all its searchable glory. And yes, they offer a free trial month so you can see for yourself if it is something worth spending money on. If you do want to have it long term, then the cost is just $35 a year ($30 per year if you sign up for two years). Yes, that's just slightly cheaper than the book, but the time you'll save is well worth it.
March 24, 2015
Today I'm doing an AMA (Ask me Anything) on reddit's Fantasy Forum
I love AMA's, and I'm doing another one today ! If you aren't familiar with the concept, it stands for "Ask Me Anything" and while they occur all over reddit, the mods at /r/Fantasy do an amazing job organizing them.
This isn't the first time I've done one, not even the second, but a lot has changed since the last time. There's a lot to talk about:
The success of the Riyria Revelations books.Why I did the prequel series, The Riyria Chronicles?Why I'm writing science fiction, and what's different about Hollow World?Why I signed my new series with Random House?What is the new series about, and when will it come out?How has publishing changed, and is continuing to change, and what does that mean for writers?
I do hope people will stop by and ask a question or just say hello. Anyone who does post will be entered to win one of the limited edition early, early advanced copies of Rhune. Only a handful of people will have this opportunity (basically the beta readers and a few winners). Everyone else will have to wait until the summer of 2016. So that is reason enough to stop by. Here's the link.
March 23, 2015
Author's Workspaces
Recently, someone asked me post a picture of my workspace -- the place where I write my novels. I've have seen other people asking this of authors in the past, and I must say it is interesting to see the diversity in various workspaces. Awhile ago, I changed my picture on my author
Facebook page
to focus on that glorious place where the "magic happens. And here it is:
A few things about this picture:
Yes, it is always that clean. I abhor mess, especially where I work so if I bring out a book or something for reference, I use it and put it back (what this picture doesn't show is the bookcases on the wall behind me.
Yes, the clocks don't match. I love the look of the wall-clock (given to me as a gift) so I display it proudly on the wall...but it "ticks" loudly and when I write I want complete silence.
The coffee mug is always by my side. I'm fueled by coffee, especially since I do most of my writing in the morning.
My computer is a Mac - which I love dearly. It's clean and beautifully designed. The fact I have no wires for my keyboard and touchpad (preferred over mouse) is something I appreciate to no end. Robin accuses me of loving my Mac more than her...that's not true, but I must confess I spend more time with the Mac then with her....hmmmm.
The microphone and earphones are used for podcasting. I also sometimes use earphones...for instance if Robin is on the phone, as any noise is distracting.
The lamp on the left is new - a big splurge from a recent royalty check.My feet are up on the bedpost - yes, my office is in my bedroom - REALLY short commute. Robin is in the process of getting me a "writing cabana" - a separate building where I can isolate myself. The building is actually "done" and will be delivered to some land we bought in the mountains as soon as the ground has dried out and can accept a truck with a heavy payload.
A few things about this picture:
Yes, it is always that clean. I abhor mess, especially where I work so if I bring out a book or something for reference, I use it and put it back (what this picture doesn't show is the bookcases on the wall behind me.
Yes, the clocks don't match. I love the look of the wall-clock (given to me as a gift) so I display it proudly on the wall...but it "ticks" loudly and when I write I want complete silence.
The coffee mug is always by my side. I'm fueled by coffee, especially since I do most of my writing in the morning.
My computer is a Mac - which I love dearly. It's clean and beautifully designed. The fact I have no wires for my keyboard and touchpad (preferred over mouse) is something I appreciate to no end. Robin accuses me of loving my Mac more than her...that's not true, but I must confess I spend more time with the Mac then with her....hmmmm.
The microphone and earphones are used for podcasting. I also sometimes use earphones...for instance if Robin is on the phone, as any noise is distracting.
The lamp on the left is new - a big splurge from a recent royalty check.My feet are up on the bedpost - yes, my office is in my bedroom - REALLY short commute. Robin is in the process of getting me a "writing cabana" - a separate building where I can isolate myself. The building is actually "done" and will be delivered to some land we bought in the mountains as soon as the ground has dried out and can accept a truck with a heavy payload.
March 22, 2015
Authors Helping Authors: Thierry Sagnier's Thirst
I have a local writing critique group that I don't go to very often. It occurs on the same night that I head out to the pub, and sometimes authors I'm friends with come meet me at the bar before or after. When someone I know has a piece up for critique, I do go and help them out with my feedback (most of which I share privately because I'm a very picky reader). My goal in critiquing is to help the author be better, not to stroke their ego and I'm a harsh critical reader.
At a few meetings I've come across some submissions by Thierry Sagnier. I don't really know him, but his work was always well received by the group. One thing led to another and we (my wife and I) ended up meeting him for lunch to talk about various things.
Robin has a way of volunteering me for things, and I knew after a short while she was going to ask me to "whip up a cover." Luckily, I had already read the book and really enjoyed it, providing a bit of help on restructuring of the start.
For her part, Robin volunteered to do the book's layout and create a new ebook file (formatting in the old version was jacked up for reasons none of us understood). She also was willing to help him get the book posted on various sites and making the paperback available for sale.
Thierry hired a copy editor to go through the book from top to bottom and it has now been released and is live on goodreads and Amazon .
As I said, I really enjoyed the book, and Thierry is an accomplished author. He was a Pushcart Prize Nominee and has been writing since the 1970's including works for The Washington Post. Thirst is a hard-boiled suspense thriller set in Washington DC. Here's a bit about the book:
A fortune in drugs is missing. Finding them starts with finding her.
Colin isn’t a cop. Joe is, but isn’t up for this. Mamadou was an excellent police officer back in Senegal, but in Washington DC he drives a limo. Josie’s just a girl—a recovering crack addict fed up with her parents and with Herbie, her boyfriend. She’s planning on giving him a piece of her mind. Trouble is, Herbie stole a shipment of drugs, and now he’s dead. And let’s not forget Mollie Catfish…
Now the Zulu wants his drugs, Mamadou wants revenge, Joe just wants to do his job for once, and Colin wants to save his girlfriend’s daughter. All Josie wants is to remember what Herbie might have told her, what the Zulu insists she knows. If she doesn’t—she’s dead too.
Mollie? She wants it all.
Behind the polished marble of Washington DC, lies dark alleys where everyone thirsts for something.
I should note that I rarely give blurbs for books, although I'm asked to all the time. Remember how I started this post about being a "picky reader"? Well I have no reservation about providing one for Thierry's book so here goes:
"Sagnier builds characters as solid, gritty, and as broken as a DC street, with prose thatlights up like monuments on a starry night." — Michael J. Sullivan,best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations
So if you happen to read suspense thrillers, please take a look at the sample of Thirst or check out Theirry's goodreads page and it to your "to be read pile." If you do give the book a try, please let me know what you think.
At a few meetings I've come across some submissions by Thierry Sagnier. I don't really know him, but his work was always well received by the group. One thing led to another and we (my wife and I) ended up meeting him for lunch to talk about various things.
Robin has a way of volunteering me for things, and I knew after a short while she was going to ask me to "whip up a cover." Luckily, I had already read the book and really enjoyed it, providing a bit of help on restructuring of the start.
For her part, Robin volunteered to do the book's layout and create a new ebook file (formatting in the old version was jacked up for reasons none of us understood). She also was willing to help him get the book posted on various sites and making the paperback available for sale.
Thierry hired a copy editor to go through the book from top to bottom and it has now been released and is live on goodreads and Amazon .
As I said, I really enjoyed the book, and Thierry is an accomplished author. He was a Pushcart Prize Nominee and has been writing since the 1970's including works for The Washington Post. Thirst is a hard-boiled suspense thriller set in Washington DC. Here's a bit about the book:
A fortune in drugs is missing. Finding them starts with finding her. Colin isn’t a cop. Joe is, but isn’t up for this. Mamadou was an excellent police officer back in Senegal, but in Washington DC he drives a limo. Josie’s just a girl—a recovering crack addict fed up with her parents and with Herbie, her boyfriend. She’s planning on giving him a piece of her mind. Trouble is, Herbie stole a shipment of drugs, and now he’s dead. And let’s not forget Mollie Catfish…
Now the Zulu wants his drugs, Mamadou wants revenge, Joe just wants to do his job for once, and Colin wants to save his girlfriend’s daughter. All Josie wants is to remember what Herbie might have told her, what the Zulu insists she knows. If she doesn’t—she’s dead too.
Mollie? She wants it all.
Behind the polished marble of Washington DC, lies dark alleys where everyone thirsts for something.
I should note that I rarely give blurbs for books, although I'm asked to all the time. Remember how I started this post about being a "picky reader"? Well I have no reservation about providing one for Thierry's book so here goes:
"Sagnier builds characters as solid, gritty, and as broken as a DC street, with prose thatlights up like monuments on a starry night." — Michael J. Sullivan,best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations
So if you happen to read suspense thrillers, please take a look at the sample of Thirst or check out Theirry's goodreads page and it to your "to be read pile." If you do give the book a try, please let me know what you think.
March 21, 2015
Tools for Authors: Grammarly
Sorry, I missed this post last week. Things got pretty crazy here, and I couldn't get it written in time. I'm trying to use Saturdays for Tools for Authors. And previously spoke about Natural Reader. Today I want to talk about
Grammarly.
What is Grammarly?According tot their site it is:
Here's an example of Grammarly in action.
One of the features I find particularly nice is that you can classify they "type" of the writing. In other words, something more formal (like a research paper) will have slightly different analysis criteria than say a creative writing piece like a novel.
Now it should go without saying that Grammarly is not a replacement for a good editor, but it does do a good job pointing out some common problems and alerting you to something that might be an issue. The little "x" on the right can be used to ignore something that you know is correct. If you are not sure what it's trying to say, then the down arrow will give you more information.
How much does it cost?Well like most programs it has a free trial. It also offers several different payment plans:$29.95 if you get a month-by-month subscription$19.98 if you get it for a quarter (3 months) at a time$11.66 if you commit to a full year (which is what I did)Additional ResourcesGrammarly also has a Handbook, which you can use to learn the rules of grammar with topics such as how to use commas or hyphens.
I've found Grammarly to be well worth the money. Check it out, and maybe you'll agree.
What is Grammarly?According tot their site it is:Grammarly is the world's leading writing enhancement app. It checks for more than 250 types of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, enhances vocabulary usage, and suggests citations.Widely used, they have more than 4 million registered users, including myself.
Here's an example of Grammarly in action.
One of the features I find particularly nice is that you can classify they "type" of the writing. In other words, something more formal (like a research paper) will have slightly different analysis criteria than say a creative writing piece like a novel.
Now it should go without saying that Grammarly is not a replacement for a good editor, but it does do a good job pointing out some common problems and alerting you to something that might be an issue. The little "x" on the right can be used to ignore something that you know is correct. If you are not sure what it's trying to say, then the down arrow will give you more information.
How much does it cost?Well like most programs it has a free trial. It also offers several different payment plans:$29.95 if you get a month-by-month subscription$19.98 if you get it for a quarter (3 months) at a time$11.66 if you commit to a full year (which is what I did)Additional ResourcesGrammarly also has a Handbook, which you can use to learn the rules of grammar with topics such as how to use commas or hyphens.
I've found Grammarly to be well worth the money. Check it out, and maybe you'll agree.
March 20, 2015
Great Eight under a buck
The GrimDark Alliance posted a list of Eight Great Short Stories under $0.99. And I thought I would share it. Here is a link.
Here's the full list and where to get them:
The Face in the Window by Brian McClellan ( $0.99 Amazon )The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr by George R.R. Martin ( $0.99 Amazon )Select Mode by Mark Lawrence ( Free Wattpad )Sleeping Beauty by Mark Lawrence ( $0.99 Amazon )The Viscount and the Witch by Michael J. Sullivan (Free: Amazon | Wattpad | From Author )The Jester by Michael J. Sullivan ( $0.99 Amazon | Free: Wattpad | From Author )Allanon’s Quest by Terry Brooks ( $0.99 Amazon )Hisses and Wings by T. Frohock & Alex Bledsoe ( $0.99 Amazon )Enjoy!
March 19, 2015
In 2014 /r/fantasy had more than 50,000 members and ...
In 2014 /r/fantasy had more than 50,000 members and p0x0rz created a poll resulting in "the big list" to find the top series recommended by members of the board. When all the voting was in (511 votes) a list of
105 series was compiled
.
Here's the complete list:
* A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
* The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
* The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
* The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
* The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
* The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
* The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch
* Discworld by Terry Pratchett
* The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
* Harry Potter by JK Rowling
* The First Law by Joe Abercrombie
* Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
* The Dark Tower by Stephen King
* The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence
* The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
* The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
* The Black Company by Glen Cook
* His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
* Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K Leguin
* American Gods by Neil Gaiman
* The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
* The Drenai Saga by David Gemmell
* Watership Down by Richard Adams
* The Riyria Revelations by Michael J Sullivan
* Prince of Nothing by R Scott Bakker
* The Belgariad by David Eddings
* Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
* Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf
* The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
* Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
* Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan
* The Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist
* The Demon Cycle by Peter V Brett
* The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle
* Lightbringer by Brent Weeks
* Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
* The Coldfire Trilogy by CS Friedman
* Dragonlance Novels by Various Authors (linked the first one listed on Goodreads)
* The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay
* The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb
* The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
* The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
* Lions of AlRassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
* The Magicians by Lev Grossman
* Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
* The Princess Bride by William Goldman
* The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb
* The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski
* Acts of Caine by Matthew Woodring Stover
* Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
* The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephend R Donaldson
* The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
* The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
* Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
* Abhorsen by Garth Nix
* Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
* The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
* The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel kay
* The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
* The Powder Mage by Brian McClellan
* A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel KayVlad Taltos by Steven Brust
* The BasLag Cycle by China Mieville
* The Black Jewels by Anne Bishop
* Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E Howard
* Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert
* The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
* Elric by Michael Moorcock
* The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
* The Empire Trilogy by Ramond Feist and Janny Wurts
* Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
* Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey
* The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham
* Night Watch and Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
* The Once and Future King by TH White
* A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
* Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
* The Saga of Recluse by LE Modesitt Jr
* Stardust by Neil Gaiman
* The Sun Sword by Michelle West
* A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
* Alices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
* Bartimaeus by Jonathon Stroud
* Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
* The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham
* Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
* Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
* Exiles by Melanie Rawn
* Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
* Guardian of the Flame by Joel Rosenberg
* The Inheritence Cycle by Christopher Paolini
* The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael SwanwickLast Call by Tim Powers
* The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron
* Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
* The Low Town Trilogy by Daniel Polanksy
* Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
* The Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix
* The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
* The Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings
* RiddleMaster by Patricia A McKillip
* River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
* Song for the Basilisk by Patricia A McKillip
* The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind
* War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
For 2015 there were more than 73,000 members and the "voting list" was determining authors rather than series. The results aren't yet in (the thread has more than 800 posts), but you can see the votes here .
There is another poll going on related to series. You can vote for it here .
Here's the complete list:
* A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
* The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
* The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
* The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
* The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
* The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
* The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch
* Discworld by Terry Pratchett
* The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
* Harry Potter by JK Rowling
* The First Law by Joe Abercrombie
* Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
* The Dark Tower by Stephen King
* The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence
* The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
* The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
* The Black Company by Glen Cook
* His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
* Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K Leguin
* American Gods by Neil Gaiman
* The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
* The Drenai Saga by David Gemmell
* Watership Down by Richard Adams
* The Riyria Revelations by Michael J Sullivan
* Prince of Nothing by R Scott Bakker
* The Belgariad by David Eddings
* Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
* Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf
* The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
* Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
* Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan
* The Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist
* The Demon Cycle by Peter V Brett
* The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle
* Lightbringer by Brent Weeks
* Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
* The Coldfire Trilogy by CS Friedman
* Dragonlance Novels by Various Authors (linked the first one listed on Goodreads)
* The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay
* The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb
* The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
* The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
* Lions of AlRassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
* The Magicians by Lev Grossman
* Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
* The Princess Bride by William Goldman
* The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb
* The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski
* Acts of Caine by Matthew Woodring Stover
* Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
* The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephend R Donaldson
* The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
* The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
* Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
* Abhorsen by Garth Nix
* Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
* The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
* The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel kay
* The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
* The Powder Mage by Brian McClellan
* A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel KayVlad Taltos by Steven Brust
* The BasLag Cycle by China Mieville
* The Black Jewels by Anne Bishop
* Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E Howard
* Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert
* The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
* Elric by Michael Moorcock
* The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
* The Empire Trilogy by Ramond Feist and Janny Wurts
* Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
* Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey
* The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham
* Night Watch and Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
* The Once and Future King by TH White
* A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
* Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
* The Saga of Recluse by LE Modesitt Jr
* Stardust by Neil Gaiman
* The Sun Sword by Michelle West
* A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
* Alices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
* Bartimaeus by Jonathon Stroud
* Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
* The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham
* Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
* Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
* Exiles by Melanie Rawn
* Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
* Guardian of the Flame by Joel Rosenberg
* The Inheritence Cycle by Christopher Paolini
* The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael SwanwickLast Call by Tim Powers
* The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron
* Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
* The Low Town Trilogy by Daniel Polanksy
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March 17, 2015
It's St. Patty's day - which means Robin and I will dine alone
Every year is the same. St. Pattys means I'm going to whip up my FAMOUS mustard creme sauce and laddle it over a big plate of corned beef, cabbage, and boiled potatoes.
Robin and I look forward to this meal all year long, and even tried having it on non March 17th days as well. The problem is it's the sure-fired way for our kids to scatter. How can the fruit of my loins turn their backs on a timed-honored Irish tradition? Sacrilege!
Oh well, more for me and I'll lift a Guinness and sigh in ecstasy as I dig in. Hope your day is as good as mine will be ;-)
Robin and I look forward to this meal all year long, and even tried having it on non March 17th days as well. The problem is it's the sure-fired way for our kids to scatter. How can the fruit of my loins turn their backs on a timed-honored Irish tradition? Sacrilege!
Oh well, more for me and I'll lift a Guinness and sigh in ecstasy as I dig in. Hope your day is as good as mine will be ;-)
