Cynthea Masson's Blog, page 4

“Medieval Joss Whedon Bee Book”

Today I would like to thank Ricky (featured in the photo) and Sarah for welcoming me to COLES bookstore at the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay. Thank you also to Maya Pozzolo for initially arranging the event.

For the first few minutes I was concerned that no one would venture over to speak with me, let alone purchase a book. These concerns proved unfounded! Coles had ordered 15 books for the occasion, and all were sold before 2 p.m. Moreover, I spoke with several interesting and enthusiastic fa...

Reading The Alchemists’ Council: Chapter 2

If you haven’t done so already, take a look at this week’s Graybosch & Higby Reading. Our two commentators have taken on Chapter 2 with extensive discussion that ranges from Stalin to Tutankhamun. Truly, I am astounded at the connections being drawn and the breadth of the analysis. As an English professor, I can certainly imagine the emerging Reader’s Guide being an extraordinarily useful resource for students studying the book. Indeed, if I were teaching it, I would assign the following ess...

Nanaimo is Abuzz with Bees

What do two recent articles published in the Nanaimo News Bulletin have in common?

In one, the bees are disappearing in a book by a Nanaimo author. And in the other, the bees are reappearing in the parking lot of a Nanaimo shopping plaza. Coincidence? Perhaps. On the other hand, alchemy could be at play. After all, certain medieval poets believed their texts to comprise alchemical properties; why shouldn’t twenty-first century novelists?

Alchemy or not, bee paraphernalia was certainly a high...

Reading The Alchemists’ Council: Chapter 1

This week Council dimension has been quite busy. I’ll start with a few news items before moving on to my response to Graybosch & Higby’s Reading of Chapter One.

First, I direct you over to Urban Fantasy Investigations for my first online interview.

Second, if you’d like to win a copy of The Alchemists’ Council, head on over to the Giveaways page at 49th Shelf. The Giveaway period runs from today until June 3, 2016.

Third, I’ve received a fun and intriguing review from “Alexa” on Goodreads. T...

Reading The Alchemists’ Council: Prima Materia and Prologue

CLICK IMAGE FOR SOURCE

Breaking news! Thanks to the generosity and ingenuity of two readers, today marks a momentous time here at News from Council Dimension. Matthew Graybosch and Eric “Stile Tekel” Higby have begun their chapter-by-chapter read through ofThe Alchemists’ Council. Once a week, for the next several weeks, these two “outside world scribes” will offer their insights, anecdotes, quips, and analyses of the book. Honestly, I could not be more thrilled than I am with the discussion...

What If I Cannot Speak Musurgia Universalis?

The characters inThe Alchemists’ Council speak a variety of languages and communicate through Musurgia Universalis–“the sacred language of the alchemists” that “enables communication not only among alchemists but also between alchemists and the people of the outside world, no matter their native tongues” (XII). Not privy to this alchemical magic, I wrote the book in English. Thus, the pronunciation tips in this post follow accordingly.

CLICK IMAGE FOR SOURCE

As many of you know, most of the c...

Long live the Quintessence!

Welcome to News from Council Dimension, a blog focused on The Alchemists’ Council and related matters.

Scroll downward to read the latest BLOG entries.

Scroll upward to access the main MENU options, including “Book Reviews” and “The Graybosch & Higby Readings.”

Click here to learn to pronounce the CHARACTERS’ NAMES.

Click here to learn about the symbolism of the COUNCIL LOGO.

Use the SEARCH function at the bottom of the homepage to find specific post topics.

If you have a QUESTION about th...