tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35289724835958235072024-03-05T01:46:35.389-05:00Cloak and Dagger FictionKatie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-42308073299860484642012-11-28T22:34:00.001-05:002012-11-28T22:34:54.471-05:00Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>I wrote this review a while ago, but since it seemed more critical and speculating than most of the ones I write, I left it as a draft. But hearing my sister struggle to get through the book as well, I realized I wasn't the only one sensing that this book was a lot different from Dee's previous novels. So here are my thoughts - what did you think of Dee Henderson's return to writing?</i><br />
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I got Dee Henderson's latest in the mail (thanks to Bethany House for providing the ARC) and thanks to some sleeplessness due to allergies, devoured it within 24 hours. I came away enjoying Dee's writing, as usual (I do own all of her books), but I was somewhat dissatisfied with the actual story.<br />
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Spoilers below! <br />
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The phrase that echoed in my mind while reading the book was: self-indulgent. I'll explain more about that in a bit. Also, this is based on an advance, uncorrected copy - I don't know what changes were made in the final published version.<br />
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This is Dee's first book in 5 years, due to neck trauma. (Side note: why didn't she tell her readers that was why she wasn't writing? Yes, perhaps she wanted some measure of privacy, but when people buy hundreds of thousands of your books, you should at least give them the courtesy of a brief explanation as to why you suddenly disappear in the middle of two series of novels.) After that long of an absence, I suppose it's natural to prefer to just write what you want to. But Dee crafted something that seems equal parts intrigue, memoir, want ad, and fantasy.<br />
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The intrigue was classic Dee. Murders, puzzle pieces, law enforcement procedure - most of her books have this. The suspense element that usually appears was missing. Neither of her two main characters were in harm's way during the current events of the story; both were far enough into their careers that they mostly called shots and figured out thorny problems.<br />
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I read an interview that mentioned that Dee had a lot in common with Ann, the heroine of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764210890/&tag=tvbreakroom-20" target="_blank">Full Disclosure</a></i>. And the more of the book I read, the more I realized that Ann IS Dee - fictionalized, of course, with an added career as a cop and some past trauma to serve the storyline. And that's where the self-indulgent part comes in.<br />
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The O'Malleys appear in this book, only they're not the O'Malleys. They're Ann's friends who asked her to write their stories, so she changed their last names and some details, and published The O'Malley series. "Ann" also wrote other books, including one focusing on Paul's (the hero of Full Disclosure) brother and his wife (that would be True Honor) and Paul's cousin, Luke Falcon (True Courage, later published as Kidnapped). And yes, they use the real titles of the novels. Ann also shares a bunch of other details with Dee - engineering background, age, love of big dogs, etc.<br />
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This fiction-within-fiction lends a sort of Inception quality to Dee's work as a whole, but also kind of destroys the fictive dream within the O'Malley series. The best stories feel real as you're reading them. For one book to claim the others really didn't happen as they were written forces you to choose one world as false. And Full Disclosure isn't a good enough story for me to prefer to live in that world rather than the world of the O'Malleys.<br />
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Paul Falcon seems a little too perfect - great job, well-off, awesome family, and a willingness to bend over backward just to get Ann to let him into her life. She tells him she can't handle being a mother, so if he wants kids, he should find someone else. Once they start talking about marriage, she tells him that for this to work, he needs to give her 4 hours of alone time every day, and a week when she can disappear every month, just so she can function as an extreme introvert. Knowing that Dee Henderson is single, the way Paul is written almost seems like she's saying, here's what it will take to win my heart. Be this guy.<br />
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As a single, introverted writer myself, I have wondered if I would have trouble adjusting to married life. But throwing down a gauntlet like that makes Ann seem out of touch and selfish. Especially since Paul doesn't get the option to put any of his own requirements on the table. Yes, Ann does quit her job as the MHI to get married, but it's her own choice because she doesn't think she can add marriage to her life without taking something out.<br />
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In some ways, Ann is similar to Sara from Danger in the Shadows - writer, nightmares from past trauma, wary of letting a guy into her life, and not wanting to have kids. But in Sara's case, the last two items tie in strongly with her past and a very real threat. Adam's high-profile life could lead a dangerous man right to her, and her childhood kidnapping makes her afraid to have children she could one day lose in the same way. Ann, on the other hand, is extremely private and just doesn't want kids.<br />
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But Paul slowly breaks down her barriers and caters to her whims, and she reluctantly lets him in. There's not really much emotion to their love story - it's full of fascination and respect, building trust and working together. They get married several months before the story ends, so it's atypical in that respect as well.Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-70868056514047850682012-06-21T00:30:00.000-04:002012-06-21T00:30:03.658-04:00Knowing Your Story and YourselfOne of the worst mistakes I made in my writing career was following someone else's timetable.<br />
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I'm not talking about deadlines - of course every working writer needs to do what he/she can to meet deadlines if at all possible. This is more about process than time.<br />
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A while back, I signed up for a two-year novel-writing course. It took you from idea, to worldbuilding, to plotting, through writing and editing. As mostly a SOTP writer, it was the most pre-planning I'd ever done for a novel. But this was my first major foray into fantasy writing, and I loved the guided help as I set up my storyworld.<br />
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Soon, though, I knew it was time to start writing. I was ready to go. Scenes were starting to write themselves in my mind. But everyone in the forums said no. Writing wasn't supposed to start for about a dozen more weeks. Hold off, they said, and my story would be that much stronger.<br />
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Stupidly, I listened.<br />
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I continued with the planning exercises, but instead of being helpful and insightful, they seemed meaningless and out-of-touch. As the weeks slowly slogged by, my passion to start writing my story faded every day. Eventually, I set the class and the story aside. The magic was gone.<br />
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I can only imagine what my story would have been like if I'd ignored instructions and started writing when I knew I was ready to. Sure, it might have been choppy. Sure, I might have needed to add and edit some things once they came up in the course material. Sure, I might have gotten some backlash for not staying with the group. But the magic would have still been there.<br />
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I did eventually pick up the story again, but the passion never returned in full force. This time, it was hampered by a dozen ways of "how to write a novel" drilled into my head by well-meaning blogs and books. The words slowly ground to a halt, and years later, the story still sits, unfinished.<br />
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I know myself better now. I'm more content with being a rebel. I know that I'll never be able to turn off the internal editor completely, so I'll edit my work as I write. I'll ignore how many drafts others say I need to do, and not see my story as half-baked after my light revisions. I'll shell out the money for a good editor who can help make my story the best it can be instead of wallowing in cosmetic changes. I'll mash together the genres I want to mash together, write the length that feels right for the story, and view both traditional publishing and self-publishing as equally viable options.<br />
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And so I'm going back to that 2-year course. I'm building another world. And this time, when I'm ready to write, I'LL WRITE.<br />
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And magic will follow.Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0Beaver Falls, PA 15010, USA40.7664977 -80.354728640.6702887 -80.5126571 40.862706700000004 -80.1968001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-64163576032682782632012-06-20T19:48:00.002-04:002012-06-26T10:05:27.701-04:00Off-the-Rack Advice Won't Fit Every WriterI have to laugh at some of the writing advice I read online. It might be great for some people, but I know it doesn't work for me. Two pieces of advice in particular have cropped up multiple times in the past few weeks, and they're starting to irk me now. Why do these people think that their advice automatically applies to every writer? Am I so atypical, so in the minority, that my opinion doesn't count?<br />
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Piece of advice #1: Clearing your desk before you start working (some say every day, others only for a new project).<br />
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I'm a messy person by nature. Nothing kills my creativity faster than a perfectly clean room or an empty desk. I know, because occasionally I've tried working on ideas or prose in these environments, and my page and mind stay as blank as my desk. I don't know - perhaps if I always cleared an area to work before I began, I might eventually get used to it. But it just seems so . . . sterile.<br />
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It's not real. Life is messy, and writers will always have things pressing in on them while they're writing (unless they're rich enough to go away for a few weeks and do nothing but write in a remote cabin). I think it's better to get used to clutter and noise, and find your writing sweet spot amid all that, then to have to waste precious time preparing your location. But I do know some people who are as bothered by clutter as I am by emptiness, so if that is you, clean away!<br />
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Update: Just came across <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/06/study-of-the-day-why-crowded-coffee-shops-fire-up-your-creativity/258742/" target="_blank">this article</a> about noise firing up creativity. If it works for sound, perhaps visual noise accomplishes the same thing?<br />
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Piece of advice #2: If you want to boost your creativity, stop or severely limit your TV watching.<br />
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I created a <a href="http://tvbreakroom.com/" target="_blank">TV blog</a>, so you can guess part of the reason why I think that advice is hogwash. But all TV is not created equal. I don't mindlessly turn on the TV to see what's on. I don't let it play in the background while I do other tasks or try to write. I don't watch reality TV or talk shows or competition shows or even the news. I stick with live-action scripted shows pretty much exclusively, and I watch them for the story and the characters. I only watch "my" shows, and I drop the shows with poor storytelling.<br />
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I know you can learn more about writing novels from reading novels than you can from watching TV shows. Mastering things like POV and internal monologue are important, and you can't learn those from TV or movies. But dialogue, plot arcs, setting, and characterization can all be boosted by watching great TV.<br />
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There has to be balance, of course. For many years, I read hundreds of novels and watched next to no TV, so I'm content with the ratio being inverted for the time being. But if you find your TV watching to be negatively affecting your writing, by all means, cut back (or find better shows to watch!).<br />
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Rant over! Back to your regularly scheduled programing. :)Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-57755222053930462252011-08-24T17:20:00.000-04:002011-08-24T17:59:51.056-04:00CSFF Tour: Residential AliensI haven't had too much time to look around <a href="http://www.resaliens.com/">Residential Aliens' website</a>, but I read the first story in their free issue ("Petition" by L.S. King) and loved it. The navigation on the site seems a bit tricky - once you click on a page, the only obvious link to go anywhere else on the site is the "Home" button at the top of the screen. And when you read a blog entry, you have to scroll back up to the top to get to the next one.
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<br />Other than that, the site seems a great place to find science fiction written with a Christian worldview, and I know I'll enjoy exploring further!
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<br />Visit the blogs below for more:
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<br /><a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com/"> Brandon Barr</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Clayton Booher</a>
<br /><a href="http://reviews.splashdownbooks.com/"> Grace Bridges</a>
<br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a>
<br /><a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a>
<br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a>
<br /><a href="http://carolcollett.wordpress.com/"> Carol Bruce Collett </a>
<br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a>
<br /><a href="http://magnuskir.wordpress.com/"> Dean Hardy</a>
<br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.brucehennigan.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a>
<br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189"> Shannon McDermott</a>
<br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
<br /><a href="http://blogginoutloud.blogspot.com/"> Lyn Perry</a>
<br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a>
<br /><a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a>
<br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a>
<br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a>
<br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-32980877000863708822011-06-22T17:44:00.000-04:002011-06-22T18:09:12.538-04:00CSFF Tour: Darkness FollowsThis month, the Christian Science Fiction Fantasy blog tour is featuring <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1616382740"><span style="font-style: italic;">Darkness Follows</span></a> by <a href="http://mikedellosso.wordpress.com/">Mike Dellosso</a>.<br /><br />I've received so many books from publishers over the years that finding time to read them is a challenge, so I try to limit my requests to ones I plan to read. I'm not a fan of horror in general (except for certain TV shows that blend in a good dose of comedy to offset it), so I didn't request a copy of the book or read it. But I love promoting speculative authors, so I stayed on the tour.<br /><br />Here's a brief synopsis of the novel:<br /><br /><blockquote>Sam Travis lives in a Civil War era farmhouse in Gettysburg, PA, where he awakens one morning to find an old journal with an entry by a Union soldier, Capt. Whiting, written in Sam's own handwriting. When this happens several more times, both at night and during waking, Sam begins to question his own sanity while becoming obsessed with Capt. Whiting and his bone-chilling journal entries. As the entries begin to mimic Sam's own life, he is drawn into an evil plot that could cost many lives, including his own. Can the unconditional love of Sam's daughter, Eva, break through his hardened heart before a killer on the loose catches up with them and Sam's past spurs him to do the unthinkable?</blockquote><br /><br />Check out the blogs below for reviews and discussion:<br /><br /><a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Clayton Booher</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://www.hiddenvalleysimplicity.com/"> Melissa Carswell</a><br /><a href="http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/"> Karri Compton</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://thescatteredstones.blogspot.com/"> Chris Deane</a><br /><a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/"> Nikole Hahn</a><br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://inaekyo.blogspot.com/"> Inae Kyo</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://methodistcorner.net/"> Allen McGraw</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/"> Joan Nienhuis</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a><br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-75337273608911983582011-05-18T23:37:00.000-04:002011-05-18T23:54:22.462-04:00CSFF Tour: The Ale Boy's Feast by Jeffrey OverstreetThis month, CSFF is featuring <a href="http://lookingcloser.org/fiction/">Jeffrey Overstreet</a> and his latest novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9781400074686"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Ale Boy's Feast</span></a>. I interviewed Jeffrey several months back for an author profile in FamilyFiction's March/April issue (you can read the issue online <a href="http://www.familyfiction.com/magazines/2011/mar-apr/pageflip.aspx">here</a> or download the PDF <a href="http://ht.salemweb.net/ccm/familyfiction/pdf/20110304.pdf">here</a>).<br /><br />Here are some excerpts from that interview that didn't make it into the article (or were paraphrased for space).<br /><br />On becoming a writer:<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> 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mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">I was so fond of books that I would actually copy down the entire text of books I was bringing home from the library, because I loved reading books and was just so fascinated by the whole experience of books that I wanted to make my own. Pretty soon I started making changes to the stories I was copying . . . by the time I was 6 or 7 years old I was writing original adventure stories, typing them out with one finger on an old Black Royal typewriter. I loved fairy tales especially, and that’s sort of the shape my stories have taken since then.</span></blockquote><br /><br />On the world of Auralia's Colors:<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> 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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">And the kingdom just becomes this gray, dull, sterile, somber place in the middle of an extravagantly beautiful landscape. Then I realized I was seeing this place over the shoulder of this character who was an artist who lived in the woods, who didn’t like what she was seeing and wanted to restore a sense of imagination and beauty to that place.</span></blockquote><br /><br />What he hopes readers take away from the story:<br /><blockquote><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> 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mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">I hope they really enjoy their journey through this world, as dangerous as it becomes. I hope that they come away with some new questions about the role of imagination in our lives, what art does best, the many ways we try and exploit art for our own purposes, which really ends up hurting imagination.</span></blockquote><br /><br />Find out more about this book (and the entire series) on the blogs below:<br /><br /><a href="http://ofbattlesdragonsandswordsofadamant.blogspot.com/"> Gillian Adams</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com/"> Grace Bridges</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://morganlbusse.wordpress.com/"> Morgan L. Busse</a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://sjdeal.blogspot.com/"> Shane Deal</a><br /><a href="http://thescatteredstones.blogspot.com/"> Chris Deane</a><br /><a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.povbootcamp.com/"> Andrea Graham</a><br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://www.momofkings.com/"> Dawn King</a><br /><a href="http://inaekyo.blogspot.com/"> Inae Kyo</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://shenandoahdawn.blogspot.com/"> Shannon McNear</a><br /><a href="http://www.disturbingreviews.blogspot.com/"> Karen McSpadden</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://www.questwriter.blogspot.com/"> Eve Nielsen</a><br /><a href="http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a><br /><a href="http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/"> Rachel Starr Thomson</a><br /><a href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard</a><br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-29011791446034144792011-04-20T22:04:00.000-04:002011-04-20T23:28:31.350-04:00CSFF Tour: The Strange Man by Greg MitchellI haven't had a chance to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1616381949"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Strange Man</span></a>, so I'd intended to opt out of this tour, but I forgot to in time. But here's a quick blurb about the book:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dras Weldon is a 22-year-old unemployed washout who lives in a world of horror movies and comic books. But when a nameless demon threatens his friend Rosalyn Myers, things change! Putting his faith into action, Dras races against time to turn Ros---and a whole town---toward God and away from unspeakable evil.</blockquote><br />And here's the book trailer for the next book:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZPCTIROKGxc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://hobbiton-hill.blogspot.com/"> Kathy Brasby</a><br /><a href="http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com/"> Grace Bridges</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://www.amberfrench.blogspot.com/"> Amber French</a><br /><a href="http://going-greene.blogspot.com/">Tori Greene</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://fantasythyme.blogspot.com/"> Timothy Hicks</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://inaekyo.blogspot.com/"> Inae Kyo</a><br /><a href="http://southernfiberreads.com/"> Emily LaVigne</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://gavinpatchett.blogspot.com/"> Gavin Patchett</a><br /><a href="http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/"> Andrea Schultz</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a><br /><a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a><br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-91941948463292164542011-03-23T17:01:00.000-04:002011-03-23T17:12:51.239-04:00CSFF Tour: The Resurrection by Mike DuranI've been reading <a href="http://mikeduran.com/">Mike Duran's blog</a> for years now, but I haven't gotten around to reading his debut novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/161638204X"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Resurrection</span></a>, yet (if you saw my to-be-read stack, you wouldn't be surprised). Here's a brief look at the storyline:<br /><blockquote><span>When Ruby Case, an unassuming crippled woman, inexplicably raises a boy from the dead, she creates uproar in the quiet coastal town of </span><span>Stonetree</span><span>. Some brand her a witch, others a miracle worker. Yet Reverend</span> Ian Clark could care less. Dogged by demons and immersed in self-pity, Clark is being unwittingly drawn into a secret religious order--one that threatens his very life. But he's about to get a wake-up call.<br /><br />Together, Ruby and Reverend Clark are thrust into a search for answers... and a collision with unspeakable darkness. For behind the quaint tourist shops and artist colonies lies a history of deceit. And a presence more malignant than anything they can imagine. Yet a battle is brewing, the resurrection is the first volley, and the unlikely duo are the only ones who can save them. But can they overcome their own brokenness in time to stop the evil, or will they be its next victim?</blockquote>Check out the blogs below to find out more about the book:<br /><br /><a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a><br /><a href="http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com/"> Brandon Barr</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsbymolly.blogspot.com/"> Book Reviews By Molly</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://hobbiton-hill.blogspot.com/"> Kathy Brasby</a><br /><a href="http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com/"> Grace Bridges</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://www.hiddenvalleysimplicity.com/"> Melissa Carswell</a><br /><a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a><br /><a href="http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/"> Christian Fiction Book Reviews</a><br /><a href="http://carolcollett.wordpress.com/"> Carol Bruce Collett </a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/"> Karri Compton</a><br /><a href="http://campcostinak.wordpress.com/"> Wanda Costinak</a><br /><a href="http://www.the160acrewoods.com/"> Amy Cruson</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://janey-demeo.blogspot.com/"> Janey DeMeo</a><br /><a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a><br /><a href="http://going-greene.blogspot.com/">Tori Greene</a><br /><a href="http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/"> Nikole Hahn</a><br /><a href="http://www.faithfiction.blogspot.com/"> Joleen Howell</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://southernfiberreads.com/"> Emily LaVigne</a><br /><a href="http://shenandoahdawn.blogspot.com/"> Shannon McNear</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://mirathon.blogspot.com/"> Mirtika</a><br /><a href="http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/"> Joan Nienhuis</a><br /><a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a><br /><a href="http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte</a><br /><a href="http://gavinpatchett.blogspot.com/"> Gavin Patchett</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/"> Andrea Schultz</a><br /><a href="http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/"> Tammy Shelnut</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a><br /><a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a><br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a><br /><a href="http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/"> Nicole White</a><br /><a href="http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/"> Dave Wilson</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-71991540282962305292011-02-23T15:56:00.000-05:002011-02-23T16:15:02.272-05:00CSFF Tour: The God Hater by Bill MyersWhile I have enjoyed <a href="http://www.thegodhater.com/">Bill Myers</a>' books in the past (starting out when I was young reading the McGee and Me novelizations), I must confess that I have not yet read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1439153264"><span style="font-style: italic;">The God Hater</span></a>. One of the reasons I have shied away from reading it is simple: the back cover copy gives away too much.<br /><br />Oh, I understand the publisher's logic for including a few critical plot points. After all, with a title like <span style="font-style: italic;">The God Hater</span> you have to make sure your primary audience (for a Christian publisher, that generally means Christians) understands that this isn't a book that bashes God. There's a huge redeeming factor to this novel.<br /><br />I just wish they hadn't spelled out exactly what that redeeming factor was.<br /><br />No, I haven't read the book, but from what I can tell, the redeeming factor is part of the climax. And as someone who never skips to the back of the book, giving away the climax feels like the publisher forced me to do just that.<br /><br />So if you want to read this book, don't read the back cover. Trust me, Bill Myers is an excellent writer. You don't need to know what the book's about to know that it's good.<br /><br />And if any of the blogs below give away the climax (without spoiler warnings), feel free to give them a cyber Gibbs' slap:<br /><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Clayton Booher</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://hobbiton-hill.blogspot.com/"> Kathy Brasby</a><br /><a href="http://bookshiddencorner.blogspot.com/"> Rachel Briard </a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://morganlbusse.wordpress.com/"> Morgan L. Busse</a><br /><a href="http://www.hiddenvalleysimplicity.com/"> Melissa Carswell</a><br /><a href="http://carolcollett.wordpress.com/"> Carol Bruce Collett </a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/"> Karri Compton</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://janey-demeo.blogspot.com/"> Janey DeMeo</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://www.amberfrench.blogspot.com/"> Amber French</a><br /><a href="http://askandrea.adamsweb.us/"> Andrea Graham</a><br /><a href="http://going-greene.blogspot.com/">Tori Greene</a><br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a><br /><a href="http://www.faithfiction.blogspot.com/"> Joleen Howell</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://thewriterssword.blogspot.com/"> Becca Johnson</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://southernfiberreads.com/"> Emily LaVigne</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://mirathon.blogspot.com/"> Mirtika</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsbymolly.blogspot.com/"> MollyBuuklvr81</a><br /><a href="http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/"> Andrea Schultz</a><br /><a href="http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/"> Tammy Shelnut</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a><br /><a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a><br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a><br /><a href="http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/"> Nicole White</a><br /><a href="http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/"> Dave Wilson</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-32184628805766268342011-01-25T17:49:00.000-05:002011-01-25T18:05:36.636-05:00CSFF Tour: Dragons of the ValleyThis week, CSFF is touring <a href="http://www.donitakpaul.com/">Donita K. Paul</a>'s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400073405"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dragons of the Valley</span></a>. I don't own the first book in the series, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Vanishing Sculptor</span> (soon to be renamed <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dragons of Chiril</span>), so I haven't read either book. However, my younger sister Lydia is a huge fan of Donita's books, and has this to say:<br /><blockquote><br />The characters in <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragons of the Valley</span> captured my heart from the very first sentence – from the unpredictable Wizard Fenworth, to the adorable Rayn, and, of course, the absent-minded Lady Peg. Mrs. Paul writes in such a way, that at the end of each book, every character seems like an old friend. I look forward to reading these books again and again, and cannot wait to read <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragons of the Watch</span>.</blockquote><br />Twelve-year-old Lydia Hart loves fantasy, and is also a writer herself. She just had her first story published in the <a href="http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/140183">Winter 2010 issue</a> of <span style="font-style: italic;">Starsongs</span> magazine. The story is entitled "A Winter Melody."<br /><br />For more about <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragons of the Valley</span>, check out the blogs below:<br /><br /><a href="http://ofbattlesdragonsandswordsofadamant.blogspot.com/"> Gillian Adams</a><br /><a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a><br /><a href="http://the1amster1.wordpress.com/"> Amy Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/"> Justin Boyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com/"> Grace Bridges</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://morganlbusse.wordpress.com/"> Morgan L. Busse</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://www.the160acrewoods.com/"> Amy Cruson</a><br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://www.amberfrench.blogspot.com/"> Amber French</a><br /><a href="http://askandrea.adamsweb.us/"> Andrea Graham</a><br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://www.momofkings.com/"> Dawn King</a><br /><a href="http://southernfiberreads.wordpress.com/"> Emily LaVigne</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/"> Joan Nienhuis</a><br /><a href="http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte</a><br /><a href="http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/"> Donita K. Paul</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/"> Tammy Shelnut</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a><br /><a href="http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/"> Dave Wilson</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-59918057192113962162011-01-05T02:55:00.000-05:002011-01-05T03:09:27.546-05:00CSFF Tour: The Wolf of TebronThe CSFF Blog Tour is in full swing once again! This month, we're featuring <a href="http://www.cslakin.com/">C.S. Lakin</a>'s novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0899578888"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Wolf of Tebron</span></a>.<br /><br />I haven't yet read the book, but here's a quick description of this fairy-tale story:<br /><br /><blockquote>All Joran wanted was to live a peaceful life in his forested village of Tebron. But when his wife, Charris, is captured by the Moon in a whisk of magic, he must go on a grueling journey to the four corners of the world to rescue her. On his way, he befriends a wolf named Ruyah who becomes a trusted companion while he solves riddles and eventually battles the Moon to save his wife.</blockquote>On her website, Lakin shares reasons why fairy tales are still relevant today, and why she writes them:<br /><br /><blockquote>Fairy tales have an uncanny staying power, and the need for the archetypes of myth has never been greater. Most traditional tales carry the message that blessings follow those choosing honorable principles and seeking heaven's will. Fairy tales inspire hope, while at the same time impart life lessons as a hero or heroine ventures out into the world on a classic "hero's journey." Those of us raised reading fairy tales have had these values inculcated in us from early on, but it seems no one has taken the path of reinventing traditional fairy tales and turning them into full-length, original novels.</blockquote><br /><br />For more about this book, visit the blogs below:<br /><br /><a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a><br /><a href="http://the1amster1.wordpress.com/"> Amy Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/"> Justin Boyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com/"> Grace Bridges</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a><br /><a href="http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/"> Christian Fiction Book Reviews</a><br /><a href="http://carolcollett.wordpress.com/"> Carol Bruce Collett </a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://askandrea.adamsweb.us/"> Andrea Graham</a><br /><a href="http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/"> Nikole Hahn</a><br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://thewriterssword.blogspot.com/"> Becca Johnson</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://www.momofkings.com/"> Dawn King</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/"> Joan Nienhuis</a><br /><a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a><br /><a href="http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/"> Tammy Shelnut</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers</a><br /><a href="http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/"> Rachel Starr Thomson</a><br /><a href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-85924352840838622882010-12-08T20:50:00.000-05:002010-12-08T21:08:11.318-05:00FeechiefolkAs I was writing my article on <a href="http://jonathan-rogers.com/">Jonathan Rogers</a> and <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307458229">The Charlatan's Boy</a></span>, I came across this incredible video promoting the book, created by Jonathan's own family. If you ever wanted a glimpse of feechie life, you'll be sure to enjoy this:<br /><br /><object width="500" height="306"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uCUXvLIGKmo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uCUXvLIGKmo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="306"></embed></object><br /><br />The tour is wrapping up, so be sure to check out the blogs below for their final opinions about the book:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/"> Sally Apokedak</a><br /><a href="http://the1amster1.wordpress.com/"> Amy Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://quiverfullfamily.com/"> Jennifer Bogart </a><br /><a href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Clayton Booher</a><br /><a href="http://www.AdventuresInFiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a><br /><a href="http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/"> Christian Fiction Book Reviews</a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://askandrea.adamsweb.us/"> Andrea Graham</a><br /><a href="http://going-greene.blogspot.com/"> Tori Greene</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://www.christopherhopper.com"> Christopher Hopper</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://methodistcorner.net/"> Allen McGraw</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a><br /><a href="http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/"> Donita K. Paul</a><br /><a href="http://thestuffyouneedtoknow.blogspot.com/"> SarahFlan</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/"> Tammy Shelnut</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers</a><br /><a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a><br /><a href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a><br /><a href="http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/"> Nicole White</a><br /><a href="http://kerani-in-the-world.blogspot.com/"> Elizabeth Williams</a><br /><a href="http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/"> Dave Wilson</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-68060076369412656892010-12-07T23:24:00.000-05:002010-12-07T23:43:40.489-05:00The Charlatan's BoyFor the article I mentioned last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jonathan about his journey towards writing and his latest novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307458229"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Charlatan's Boy</span></a>.<br /><br />Jonathan shared how he got started with novel writing. "I knew I wanted to make a living writing, I just figured it would be more like technical writing or writing ads and brochures and stuff. While I was looking for that sort of work, I sort of dashed off a chapter of what became <span style="font-style: italic;">The Bark of the Bog Owl</span>. I showed it to an agent, and the agent said he thought he could sell it, if I wrote that book, so I went ahead and wrote it. And it sold, and I’ve been writing books ever since."<br /><br />I also talked to him about leaving the Biblical parameters that shaped The Wilderking series, especially the first novel. He said he actually enjoyed the freedom that came from drifting away from an already established plotline. "If there's any Biblical story that shapes these books, that shape <span style="font-style: italic;">The Charlatan’s Boy</span>, it's really those passages in the prophets, where God is communicating to His people that they really are beautiful, even though they don't seem very beautiful."<br /><br />To find out more about Jonathan and his novels, visit the blogs below:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/"> Sally Apokedak</a><br /><a href="http://the1amster1.wordpress.com/"> Amy Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://quiverfullfamily.com/"> Jennifer Bogart </a><br /><a href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Clayton Booher</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a><br /><a href="http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/"> Christian Fiction Book Reviews</a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://askandrea.adamsweb.us/"> Andrea Graham</a><br /><a href="http://going-greene.blogspot.com/"> Tori Greene</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://www.christopherhopper.com/"> Christopher Hopper</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://methodistcorner.net/"> Allen McGraw</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a><br /><a href="http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/"> Donita K. Paul</a><br /><a href="http://thestuffyouneedtoknow.blogspot.com/"> SarahFlan</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/"> Tammy Shelnut</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers</a><br /><a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a><br /><a href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a><br /><a href="http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/"> Nicole White</a><br /><a href="http://kerani-in-the-world.blogspot.com/"> Elizabeth Williams</a><br /><a href="http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/"> Dave Wilson</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-66952134741352880852010-12-06T23:41:00.000-05:002010-12-06T23:50:13.429-05:00Intro to Jonathan RogersThis week, the Christian Science Fiction Fantasy blog tour is featuring <a href="http://jonathan-rogers.com/">Jonathan Rogers</a>' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307458229"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Charlatan's Boy</span></a>. I will be sharing more about this wonderful book in the days to come, but first, let me direct your attention to my introduction to the author and the book in FamilyFiction:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.familyfiction.com/magazines/2010/nov-dec/pageflip.aspx">November/December issue of FamilyFiction</a><br />(click the book cover on the front page of the magazine to go directly to it)<br /><br />In the meantime, please visit the other stops on the tour:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sally-apokedak.com/whispers_of_dawn/"> Sally Apokedak</a><br /><a href="http://the1amster1.wordpress.com/"> Amy Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell</a><br /><a href="http://quiverfullfamily.com/"> Jennifer Bogart </a><br /><a href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Clayton Booher</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a><br /><a href="http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/"> Christian Fiction Book Reviews</a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://askandrea.adamsweb.us/"> Andrea Graham</a><br /><a href="http://going-greene.blogspot.com/"> Tori Greene</a><br /><a href="http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a href="http://www.christopherhopper.com/"> Christopher Hopper</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/"> Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a href="http://methodistcorner.net/"> Allen McGraw</a><br /><a href="http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/"> Matt Mikalatos</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a><br /><a href="http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/"> Donita K. Paul</a><br /><a href="http://thestuffyouneedtoknow.blogspot.com/"> SarahFlan</a><br /><a href="http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/"> Tammy Shelnut</a><br /><a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a><br /><a href="http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers</a><br /><a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a><br /><a href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a><br /><a href="http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/"> Nicole White</a><br /><a href="http://kerani-in-the-world.blogspot.com/"> Elizabeth Williams</a><br /><a href="http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/"> Dave Wilson</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-53425338572028761312009-09-23T22:15:00.000-04:002009-09-23T22:33:22.771-04:00The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul<a href="http://www.donitakpaul.com/">Donita K. Paul</a> visits the wonderful land she created in the DragonKeeper Chronicles once again in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400073391"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Vanishing Sculptor</span></a>. A brief intro:<br /><br />Donita K. Paul’s 250,000-plus-selling <i>DragonKeeper Chronicles</i> series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans–and they’re sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly-crafted novel for all ages. It’s a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.<br /><br />In <b>The Vanishing Sculptor</b>, readers will meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions–including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon–and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.<br /><br /><br />I've just read the first chapter so far (though I've read all of Paul's previous fantasy novels and loved them), and already I'm excited about diving into the world of Tipper. To find out more, visit these blogs:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com/"> Brandon Barr</a><br /><a href="http://jimfictionreview.blogspot.com/"> Jim Black</a><br /><a href="http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/"> Justin Boyer</a><br /><a href="http://bookshiddencorner.blogspot.com/"> Rachel Briard</a><br /><a href="http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/"> Karri Compton</a><br /><a href="http://www.the160acrewoods.com/"> Amy Cruson</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://word-up-studies.blogspot.com/"> Stacey Dale</a><br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a><br /><a href="http://scriptoriusrex.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Draper</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/"> Karina Fabian</a><br /><a href="http://lindarg.wordpress.com/"> Linda Gilmore</a><br /><a href="http://anewnovelistsjourney.blogspot.com/"> Todd Michael Greene</a><br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://krystisbooks.blogspot.com/"> Krystine Kercher</a><br /><a href="http://momofkings.wordpress.com/"> Dawn King</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://mirathon.blogspot.com/"> Mirtika</a><br /><a href="http://www.questwriter.blogspot.com/"> Eve Nielsen</a> (posting later in the week)<br /><a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a><br /><a href="http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte</a><br /><a href="http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/"> Lyn Perry</a><br /><a href="http://prochristroetlibertate.blogspot.com/"> Crista Richey</a><br /><a href="http://www.cherylrussellwrites.wordpress.com/"> Cheryl Russell</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers</a><br /><a href="http://specfaith.ritersbloc.com/"> Speculative Faith</a><br /><a href="http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/"> Rachel Starr Thomson</a><br /><a href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard</a><br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a><br /><a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a><br /><a href="http://kerani-in-the-world.blogspot.com/"> Elizabeth Williams</a><br /><a href="http://kmwilsher.blogspot.com/"> KM Wilsher</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-71049099136010676452009-09-15T00:05:00.000-04:002009-09-15T00:24:44.714-04:00Realm of EmpiresI'm a fantasy geek, right? So it's only natural that when I find an awesome fantasy game online I want to share about it. No, it's not World of Warcraft or any of those other MMORPGs that make you bleary-eyed from staring at the computer too long (and then people laugh over your obsession until you make a successful web show about people like you, a la <a href="http://www.watchtheguild.com">The Guild</a>). This game is designed to only take a few minutes a day, yet still be wonderfully complex and strategic.<br /><br />The game is called <a href="http://www.realmofempires.com">Realm of Empires</a> (aha - you guessed that from the post title, right?). It has villages and palaces and knights and clans and wars and royalty - you name it! No wizards or magicians as of yet, but the servants do a wonderful job of making amazing things happen. There's a tutorial to get you started, some quests to help you improve more quickly, and I've even written a nice long <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5259200_play-realm-empires-facebook.html">how-to article</a> to make you the best newbie ever!<br /><br />It is a Facebook game, so you'll need an account there to get started. Don't wait, <a href="http://www.realmofempires.com">start growing your empire</a> today!Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-45816882951133013592009-09-03T19:43:00.000-04:002009-09-03T20:02:06.110-04:00I Just Sold Caspian and Bought AragornAm I the only one strange enough to name my electronics after fantasy and science fiction characters? I think I'm a bit obsessed.<br /><br />It wasn't always that way. My first computer, an ancient hand-me-down from my dad's job (it died because the battery ran out. I didn't even <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span> desktops had batteries!), was named Humphrey. Named after the little snake Jack found in Derwood, Inc. It also sounded wheezy and old, which fit my computer perfectly.<br /><br />Then I discovered Woot.com and bought my first MP3 player. Windows Media Player told me to name it, so I did. Samwise. A plain, dependable little player. My next upgrade was a bit more techy, so it was dubbed R2D2.<br /><br />After that, I bought a used laptop off eBay. It was large, a bit mysterious (all the stuff left from the previous owner), and had several deep scratches on the lid. I called it Strider. The PDA that came free with it was dubbed my DLF (Dear Little Friend, aka Trumpkin).<br /><br />I then bought an MP3 I could actually watch video on, and named it Caspian.<br /><br />I got a bronze finish on my next laptop and thought of calling it C3PO, but the color and personality were entirely wrong. I went with Tirian instead.<br /><br />And that brings me to my latest purchase, an MP3 player exactly like Caspian, but with twice the room. I've named it Aragorn, and just sold Caspian to my sister.<br /><br />Not much point in all that, except to show my weirdness. At least I haven't named my cell phone or my camera . . . yet.<br /><br />Do you name any of your gadgets, cars, pieces of furniture? Do tell!Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-70796261327063976772009-08-18T23:46:00.000-04:002009-08-19T00:08:19.382-04:00Offworld by Robin Parrish<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4f7iMG0Z8hVCu0S4-C-bwymK6FNaqJUxmPXO_giXch9b5V8NCCPSkn557j2-BYSc4C7jqIBD0XS-B158xqezxlXQaDIs8ONHdBOg1tiDukEHWtwmzNjGjipO5-aHcTuTxW0WOh2Y1Dui/s1600-h/offworld.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4f7iMG0Z8hVCu0S4-C-bwymK6FNaqJUxmPXO_giXch9b5V8NCCPSkn557j2-BYSc4C7jqIBD0XS-B158xqezxlXQaDIs8ONHdBOg1tiDukEHWtwmzNjGjipO5-aHcTuTxW0WOh2Y1Dui/s320/offworld.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371521729208956018" border="0" /></a>I've been a fan of <a href="http://www.robinparrish.com/">Robin Parrish</a>'s writing since Infuze Magazine was Fuse Magazine - probably 2004 or a little earlier. It was right around that time I started joining writers' forums and began my own blog. Infuze was a big part of my falling in love with speculative fiction. Sure, I loved Narnia for many years before that, and had also discovered Kathy Tyers' and Karen Hancock's science fiction, published by Bethany House. But Infuze opened the doors wide to the entire genre.<br /><br />And now it comes full circle in his latest speculative thriller, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764206060"><span style="font-style: italic;">Offworld</span></a>, published by Bethany House. The first manned Mars mission loses contact with Earth two months before they crash-land into a silent planet. What's next? I'll get back to the book once I finish this post. But something seems a bit familiar. I'm wondering if this is Vanished - the serial story that only had a few installments on Infuze. It's been years since that was taken down, so my memory may be wrong.<br /><br />Visit the blogs below for more. You can also <a href="http://twitter.com/robinparrish">follow Robin on Twitter</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com/"> Brandon Barr</a><br /><a href="http://jimfictionreview.blogspot.com/"> Jim Black</a><br /><a href="http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/"> Justin Boyer</a><br /><a href="http://www.adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand</a><br /><a href="http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com/"> Gina Burgess</a><br /><a href="http://canadianladybugreviews.blogspot.com/"> Canadianladybug</a><br /><a href="http://www.aweakrose.blogspot.com/"> Melissa Carswell</a><br /><a href="http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer</a><br /><a href="http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/"> Karri Compton</a><br /><a href="http://www.the160acrewoods.com/"> Amy Cruson</a><br /><a href="http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour</a><br /><a href="http://word-up-studies.blogspot.com/"> Stacey Dale</a><br /><a href="http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson</a><br /><a href="http://scriptoriusrex.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Draper</a><br /><a href="http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin</a><br /><a href="http://virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/"> Karina Fabian</a><br /><a href="http://lindarg.wordpress.com/"> Linda Gilmore</a><br /><a href="http://bethgoddard.blogspot.com/"> Beth Goddard </a><br /><a href="http://anewnovelistsjourney.blogspot.com/"> Todd Michael Greene</a><br /><a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a><br /><a href="http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/"> Cris Jesse</a><br /><a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a><br /><a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a><br /><a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a><br /><a href="http://krystisbooks.blogspot.com/"> Krystine Kercher</a><br /><a href="http://momofkings.wordpress.com/"> Dawn King</a><br /><a href="http://forstrose.blogspot.com/"> Melissa Meeks</a><br /><a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a href="http://mirathon.blogspot.com/"> Mirtika</a><br /><a href="http://www.questwriter.blogspot.com/"> Eve Nielsen</a> (posting later in the week)<br /><a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a><br /><a href="http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte</a><br /><a href="http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/"> Lyn Perry</a><br /><a href="http://ansric.blogspot.com/"> Steve Rice</a><br /><a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a href="http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers</a><br /><a href="http://specfaith.ritersbloc.com/"> Speculative Faith</a><br /><a href="http://www.captivated00.blogspot.com/"> Stephanie</a><br /><a href="http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/"> Rachel Starr Thomson</a><br /><a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a><br /><a href="http://frederation.wordpress.com/"> Fred Warren</a><br /><a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a><br /><a href="http://kerani-in-the-world.blogspot.com/"> Elizabeth Williams</a>Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-30999888252075869542009-07-24T10:51:00.000-04:002009-07-24T14:45:57.531-04:00The Enclave by Karen Hancock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8jPz7LpRL_yvMIx4mBfKJf5J0KmJOLy0q9n8nGhpWIUXzU6ftjKyA2Ys7grDKD8YfXPwdI1jz7-PB4TT02fsBvpj7RuVSIEPb6TAlzI8PbhBf37jyqLCZwnnCWmsoVtJXIJz9mg2yQw/s1600-h/theenclave.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 157px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8jPz7LpRL_yvMIx4mBfKJf5J0KmJOLy0q9n8nGhpWIUXzU6ftjKyA2Ys7grDKD8YfXPwdI1jz7-PB4TT02fsBvpj7RuVSIEPb6TAlzI8PbhBf37jyqLCZwnnCWmsoVtJXIJz9mg2yQw/s400/theenclave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361109369530776658" /></a>When I first read Karen Hancock's debut novel <span style="font-style: italic;">Arena</span>, I loved it. It still ranks as one of my most favorite speculative fiction works.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Enclave</span> is Hancock's latest novel. Amazon's product description reads: <blockquote>When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendell-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But a disturbing late-night encounter with an intruder leads to an unexpected cover-up by Institute authorities, and she soon realizes there's more going on than she ever imagined.<br /><br />She finds a supporter in genetics researcher Cameron Reinhardt. However, Reinhardt is a favorite of the Institute's director, and she can't help wondering if he, too, is in on the cover-up. The brilliant but absentminded researcher turns out to have his own secrets, some of them dark and deadly.</blockquote>So far this sounds like a typical suspense novel, with one word hinting there may be something more. Can you find it?<br /><br />The description continues: <blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">The Enclave</span> is characterized by adventure, intrigue, spiritual analogy, and romance, all set in an unusual but fully realized world--one that may have its foundations on earth but which, the more one learns of it, doesn't seem much like the earth we know at all. </blockquote>Well!<br /><br />That sentence alone (especially the last phrase) would make me want to read this novel. And you can read it too!<br /><br />While I forgot to opt in for the CSFF book tour, I did request a review copy, so I am hosting a giveaway! Post a comment below with the one word that hints to something more from the first part of this book's description (it's okay if it's not the word I was thinking of!). I'll draw a name from the entries I receive by the end of August 15, 2009, and send the book to the US address you specify. If I receive more than 10 entries, I'll give away TWO copies of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Enclave</span>!Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528972483595823507.post-48472718326409203252009-06-16T14:21:00.000-04:002009-06-19T09:00:41.742-04:00Why Cloak and Dagger?I don't know what first led to my love of swords and flowing gowns and princesses in disguise. Perhaps it was my mom reading <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890843481/chrisnovel-20">The Bridge</a> out loud to me. Or when I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Princess-Milly-Howard/dp/0890844658/chrisnovel-20"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Runaway Princess</span></a>. Or when our homeschool writer's club read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Kingdom-David-R-Mains/dp/0891915605/chrisnovel-20"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tales of the Kingdom</span></a>. Or when I finally picked up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Witch-Wardrobe-Chronicles-Narnia/dp/0064471047/chrisnovel-20"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</span></a> at age 11.<br /><br />Soon following that came my love of spies and international intrigue and undercover work. From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phoebe-Spy-Judith-Griffin/dp/0698119568/chrisnovel-20"><span style="font-style: italic;">Phoebe the Spy</span></a> to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Way-Through-Young-Underground-Book/dp/1556613741/chrisnovel-20"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Way Through the Sea</span></a>, I loved reading about the rush of clandestine encounters and keeping secrets at all costs.<br /><br />Later, I realized how hard authenticity would be for someone used to hiding in the shadows with weapon drawn. How could someone pretending to be someone else ever have a true relationship? But it's not just professional spies and incognito royalty who have to deal with the question. We all hide behind our own masks, ready to strike out at anyone who gets too close.<br /><br />And so my fiction, and this website, explores the facets of this paradox:<br /><br />How can you live authentically when your existence depends on keeping secrets?Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com1