tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16560358541807707002024-03-18T22:24:35.183-05:00ADVENTURES IN FICTIONA Writer's JourneyKeanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.comBlogger485125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-79980106436330350882016-01-27T14:29:00.000-06:002016-02-07T21:09:39.439-06:00Opinions Below. Enter at Own Risk.The book <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Carnegie" target="_blank">Dale Carnegie</a> never wrote: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People" target="_blank"><i>How to Lose Friends and Alienate Enemies</i></a>.<br />
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Explicitly or implicitly, we learn this throughout life: If we want people to like us, we should avoid speaking of controversial matters, such as money, taxes, politics, religion, child-rearing, education or legal systems, immigration or national defense, and so on.<br />
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If I were a better marketer, I might avoid those topics as well, and concentrate only on publishing or writing or book reviews -- but those can be nasty, too, and bring wrath upon the reviewer. Nowhere in life are we truly free of conflict or of running afoul of someone else.<span style="color: red;">*</span><br />
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A conversation began on Facebook when a fellow Christian and writer posted <a href="https://shar.es/1hw5E2" target="_blank">a link to an article about the recent Planned Parenthood scandal</a> and his comments about the article. (They were not favorable.)<br />
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Someone replied that, although he abhors Planned Parenthood and their sale of body parts (which the organization denies, but is implicit in <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2016/01/25/grand-jury-ignores-planned-parenthood-selling-aborted-babies-indicts-man-behind-videos-instead/" target="_blank">the grand jury indictments</a> of the filmmakers whose secret videos captured the vile practice<span style="color: red;">**</span>), Christians should back down and compromise, because the pro-life side is losing the fight and should try other tactics. Also, he wasn't sure 1) morality can be legislated, and 2) when a fetus becomes a child. <br />
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My response:<br />
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Morality is legislated every day, whether we agree with that morality or not. Case in point: the recent Supreme Court ruling on marriage. Laws themselves are the imposition of morality upon a nation, and by those laws the legal system determines guilt or innocence. Therefore, the argument "you can't legislate morality" is invalid. </blockquote>
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However, the DNA is inarguable: A human child is a human child at conception. It is not a fully-developed human even when it's born, because it matures as it grows. Therefore, to ask at which stage of development it becomes a child is to ask the wrong question. (When does it become an adult? Well, that varies. ;) ) </blockquote>
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As for Christians taking the hard line and being uncompromising, we have an excellent example in Christ Himself. He didn't compromise, and it killed Him. But that's one of the reasons we follow Him: He loved not His life unto death and He took upon Himself the sins of us all, not backing down, not compromising, but doing what must be done in order to save any who would call on His name. </blockquote>
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There are times to back away and try another tack. There are times to stand firm and not gloss over the ugly, not try to avoid the uncomfortable. Christians and other religious and ethnic groups in the Middle East and in Africa are encountering this daily, facing death for what they believe or for what they are. Even their children are slaughtered. </blockquote>
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But filmmakers trying to save lives of the most defenseless are the bad guys? What an upside-down world.</blockquote>
And that's all I have to say about that.<span style="color: red;">***</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">*</span> Of tangential interest: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com_controversies" target="_blank">a list of Amazon.com controversies</a>.<br />
<span style="color: red;">**</span> Click to read <a href="http://gawker.com/no-planned-parenthood-is-not-selling-aborted-fetal-bod-1717823538" target="_blank">a rebuttal of the undercover sting operation</a>.<br />
<span style="color: red;">*** <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444;">Borrowed, of course, from</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/" target="_blank"><i>Forrest Gump</i></a><span style="color: #444444;">. :)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444;">Updated February 7, 2016: Looks like the indictments are "all hat and no cattle", to borrow an old saying used in <a href="http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/why-pp-really-doesnt-want-controversial-filmmaker-to-go-to-trial" target="_blank">this article</a>. That's all right by me.</span></span></span>Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-80946235335700885832016-01-07T22:21:00.000-06:002016-01-07T22:21:14.812-06:00Story FirstAnyone else wearied by myriad causes du jour? By politics and the endless “debates” about it on social media? By the expectation of outrage or an emotional response about [fill in the blank] lest one be labeled by folks who are outraged, offended, etc.?<br />
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In the literary realm, one current debate is the “inclusiveness” of novels, and some people think we need to keep score: x number of ethnic characters, x number of certain genders or sexual orientations, and so on. There’s plenty of agenda-driven fiction out there, from a variety of political, religious, and cultural viewpoints. From whence comes this need to turn stories into soapboxes or pulpits?<br />
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I have opinions and beliefs, and I’ll talk about them, but not everyone requires, deserves, or is entitled to knowing what they are. In this age of constant exposure, personal freedoms and privacy are in becoming a short supply. So is moderation of speech and behavior.<br />
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The Internet, as valuable as it can be, is also a digital three-ring circus. Society/culture at large is often a flamboyant, obnoxious tyranny demanding everyone think alike.<br />
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Not gonna happen.<br />
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Even in the most repressive governmental regimes, silence or outward compliance have never meant assent. There is always an underground.<br />
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I cannot and will not divorce what I believe from what I write. However, my focus is story first<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0J9TSgXJ-aUqzkzwTaHOJhNWimA7NNxdpW5aad4dqRE_s_Rgjl2_ngHDP2U4A8kiTjnutOgvBCqI0IYqagCugo2UnvkgHmg8bu8djM89cJXOUWESCnWW9t5VNxs5nOnVj5H1E1k-2G4/s1600/cut-paste+manuscript+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0J9TSgXJ-aUqzkzwTaHOJhNWimA7NNxdpW5aad4dqRE_s_Rgjl2_ngHDP2U4A8kiTjnutOgvBCqI0IYqagCugo2UnvkgHmg8bu8djM89cJXOUWESCnWW9t5VNxs5nOnVj5H1E1k-2G4/s320/cut-paste+manuscript+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a draft of <i>Dragon's Rook</i> (cKB)</td></tr>
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Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-50562568330759592282015-12-13T17:03:00.000-06:002015-12-13T17:03:46.555-06:00Oklahoma City Lights<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.5455px; margin-bottom: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="color: #999999;"><i> reposted from <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Adventures In Fiction</a> via WordPress</i></span></div>
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Last week, a fellow editor/writer and I met to work out a few details on a project and ended up hanging out until after dark. We ate supper at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://eatatthegarage.com/" href="http://eatatthegarage.com/" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">The Garage</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>-- great burgers and tasty fish tacos -- and I brought the camera for our stroll, just in case. Unfortunately, it had the short lens (shallow depth of field, 1:1 ratio), so there's less detail and more blurring than I'd like.</div>
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This first image is of a parking garage, looking rather sci-fi or action-scene-like:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="parking garage (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1857" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3311edited.jpg?w=200" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3311edited.jpg?w=200" style="display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px auto; max-width: 645px;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>parking garage (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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I edited the next photo to show the heat map, because the dim lighting was insufficient to show detail, such as the spiral fire escape strung on wires above the common space between two buildings. It's surreal and quirky and cool, but something keeps me from wanting to walk underneath it. ;)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=""flying" fire escape (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1859" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3314heat-map.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3314heat-map.jpg?w=300" style="display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px auto; max-width: 645px;" title="" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"flying" fire escape (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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The image below is a fuzzier version of one I shared on Facebook a few days ago. It's the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devon_Energy_Center_(Oklahoma_City)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devon_Energy_Center_(Oklahoma_City)" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Devon Tower</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in downtown Oklahoma City, otherwise known as<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Sauron" href="http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Sauron" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">the Eye of Sauron</a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Devon Tower a/k/a Sauron's other lair (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1860" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3329light-softdevon-tower.jpg?w=300" height="152" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3329light-softdevon-tower.jpg?w=300" style="display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px auto; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Devon Tower a/k/a Sauron's other lair (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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Miscellaneous images below of old buildings, Christmas lights, and alleyways:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=""Cinemascope" lends an older feel to the already old structure (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1862" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3316cinemascope.jpg?w=300" height="217" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3316cinemascope.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Cinemascope" lends an older feel to the already old structure (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="a misty, oblique shot that almost transports the viewer to an Old World city (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1863" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3320soft.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3320soft.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>almost like an Old World city (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="another blurry shot, this time of Christmas lights blanketing businesses near Automobile Alley (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1864" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3322hdr-soft.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3322hdr-soft.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christmas lights blanketing businesses near<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://automobilealley.org/" href="http://automobilealley.org/" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Automobile Alley</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="alley behind businesses that front Automobile Alley (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1865" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3325lomo-ish.jpg?w=200" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3325lomo-ish.jpg?w=200" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>alley behind front<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://automobilealley.org/" href="http://automobilealley.org/" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Automobile Alley</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="same alley, Christmas lights in a closed cafe (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1866" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3328orton-ish.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3328orton-ish.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>same alley, Christmas lights in a closed cafe (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="industrial-like structure abutting the alley (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1867" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3330cropped-light.jpg?w=300" height="196" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/img_3330cropped-light.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>industrial-like structure abutting the alley(c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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Below are variations on a theme. These images were taken before I departed the parking lot beside the alley. I was ready to drive away, but caught sight of the spiral fire escape in my rearview mirror. The result is a surreal mix of that reflection and of the alley beside the car.</div>
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The ghostly figure in the background is of a passerby walking her dog.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
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Something tells me I need to spend more time downtown, and this time bring a tripod to help hold the camera steady.</div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span data-mce-style="color: #808080;" style="color: grey;"><i style="border: none; font-style: italic;">NOTE: all images property of Keanan Brand</i></span></span></div>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-65638078623799424692015-12-08T21:14:00.000-06:002015-12-08T21:14:00.626-06:00The Shock of Night<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Night-Darkwater-Saga/dp/0764213466/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Night-Darkwater-Saga/dp/0764213466/" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ2jI89WvUJ1av3judHLm3mACyx6EPYLwOuo1vMDNR5Y07oQg70GU7hm3pxaAuMOaw1dTZlP7jdcGrqWRxDCvvyH7OUDTaZVQirGUZdLc8-Mc0L2pfQ4TFg2tHa326EmPYydR3k-0B2c/s320/The+Shock+of+Night.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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Welcome! Step inside for Day 2 of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Night-Darkwater-Saga/dp/0764213466/" href="http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Night-Darkwater-Saga/dp/0764213466/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">The Shock of Night</a></em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>blog tour. (My brief introduction to this month's feature novel for the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://csffblogtour.com/" href="http://csffblogtour.com/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">CSFF Blog Tour</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>can be read<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/the-shock-of-night/" href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/the-shock-of-night/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div>
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Due to life-related factors, today's entry will be equally brief. Others in the tour have delved into the writing itself and the spiritual and theological aspects of this fantasy-mystery tale, but I was struck by the inclusion of a PTSD-stricken protagonist (although such modern terminology was not used). In Carr's previous series, the hero was an alcoholic young man who was abused since childhood -- not typical fantasy fare.</div>
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In this series, the hero -- Willet Dura -- is a would-be priest who was sent to war, but his mind has shut out an important chunk of those experiences. Not only is part of his memory missing, he sleepwalks, and his job as one of the king's reeves means he encounters death in many forms. In fact, he has a strange fascination with it, and he questions the dead about what they know now that they're, well, dead.</div>
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I like that I can connect with Carr's fictional folk. He knows that externals do not make up a man's character, that not everything is what it seems, and that anything and anyone can change.</div>
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And they do.</div>
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Dura's study of the dead takes a step toward the further-weird when he gains the ability to read the thoughts of the living.</div>
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I wrote yesterday that this is fantasy for grownups, but I think teens would like it, too.</div>
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And for readers who don't want only mystery-solving or action scenes, there's a quiet romance between Dura and Gael, a well-off young lady whose uncle is scheming up an advantageous marriage that doesn't include Dura.</div>
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One thing that leans this story toward the grownup end of the readership is precisely that romance, and the other decisions and sacrifices that must be made. These characters aren't teenagers in a coming-of-age tale, but are already adults who've been shaped by war and torment, hardship and abuse. Even allies can be at odds with one another, and pride and ignorance still cause folk to stumble, but -- as a forty-something reader -- it's refreshing to encounter a fantasy yarn for readers older than sixteen. ;)</div>
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For other perspectives of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em><a data-mce-href="https://nook.barnesandnoble.com/products/9781441265463/sample?sourceEan=9780764213465" href="https://nook.barnesandnoble.com/products/9781441265463/sample?sourceEan=9780764213465" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">The Shock of Night</a></em>, visit these other stops on the blog tour:</div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/" href="http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Thomas Clayton Booher</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/" href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Beckie Burnham</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://dancingthroughthehotflashes.com/" href="http://dancingthroughthehotflashes.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Carol Bruce Collett</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://worthy2read.wordpress.com/" href="http://worthy2read.wordpress.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Carol Gehringer</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/" href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Victor Gentile</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.christsbridge.blogspot.com/" href="http://www.christsbridge.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Rani Grant</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://backingbooks.blogspot.com/" href="http://backingbooks.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Rebekah Gyger</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.brucehennigan.com/" href="http://www.brucehennigan.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Bruce Hennigan</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://janeenippolito.com/blog-2/" href="http://janeenippolito.com/blog-2/" style="color: #00aadc;">Janeen Ippolito</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/" href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Carol Keen</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://rebekahloper.wordpress.com/" href="http://rebekahloper.wordpress.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Rebekah Loper</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.jlmbewe.com/index.php/blog/" href="http://www.jlmbewe.com/index.php/blog/" style="color: #00aadc;">Jennette Mbewe</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189" href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189" style="color: #00aadc;">Shannon McDermott</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/" href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/" href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Rebecca LuElla Miller</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/" href="http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Joan Nienhuis</a><br /><a data-mce-href="https://myantimatterlife.wordpress.com/" href="https://myantimatterlife.wordpress.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Nissa</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://theloremistress.blogspot.com/" href="http://theloremistress.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Audrey Sauble</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/" href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Chawna Schroeder</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.provisionbooks.com/" href="http://www.provisionbooks.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Jessica Thomas</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php" href="http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php" style="color: #78dcfa; outline: 0px;">Robert Treskillard</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/" href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Shane Werlinger</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/" href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/" style="color: #00aadc;">Phyllis Wheeler</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/" href="http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00aadc;">Nicole White</a><br /><a data-mce-href="http://www.woodmr.net/blog/" href="http://www.woodmr.net/blog/" style="color: #00aadc;">Michelle R. Wood</a></div>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-28298902526219148712015-11-02T10:00:00.000-06:002015-11-02T10:00:01.919-06:00A Reading Wonderland<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_g_5q1JmI7PE04vLaljh7bFnMUjNPEoboZZzVi7ThZPFsYY4PHTvRYOcCBcFplUyTTNzd1nYee7LJ9TuxVVvCGaqiVEcDvKVx4RO2KnhH6CPW8wUHOWprUT6Xo_476CSBci3AYC6C9k/s1600/IMG_3038%255Estraightened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_g_5q1JmI7PE04vLaljh7bFnMUjNPEoboZZzVi7ThZPFsYY4PHTvRYOcCBcFplUyTTNzd1nYee7LJ9TuxVVvCGaqiVEcDvKVx4RO2KnhH6CPW8wUHOWprUT6Xo_476CSBci3AYC6C9k/s320/IMG_3038%255Estraightened.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">c2015, KB</span></span></span></td></tr>
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Some of my most calming, curiosity-piquing, wonder-filled memories are of libraries and bookstores. Even the smallest or dimmest or least organized are magical places, perhaps made more so by their imperfections and the sense of exploring a cavern of delights.</div>
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Years ago, I used to spend my lunch breaks at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.bing.com/mapspreview?&ty=18&q=Snooper%27s%20Barn%20Used%20Book%20Store%20Fort%20Smith%20AR&ss=ypid.YN59x428602&ppois=35.3817710876465_-94.4210891723633_Snooper%27s%20Barn%20Used%20Book%20Store_YN59x428602~&cp=35.381771~-94.421089&v=2&sV=1" href="http://www.bing.com/mapspreview?&ty=18&q=Snooper%27s%20Barn%20Used%20Book%20Store%20Fort%20Smith%20AR&ss=ypid.YN59x428602&ppois=35.3817710876465_-94.4210891723633_Snooper%27s%20Barn%20Used%20Book%20Store_YN59x428602~&cp=35.381771~-94.421089&v=2&sV=1" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">The Snooper's Barn</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>on Towson Avenue in Fort Smith, Arkansas, poking through the dusty stackes in the back where history books and old volumes -- some antique -- were shelved higgledy-piggledy, sometimes in precarious Jenga-like towers.</div>
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I recently introduced my eldest niece to an excellent independent bookstore in Oklahoma City. When we entered <a data-mce-href="http://fullcirclebooks.com/" href="http://fullcirclebooks.com/" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Full Circle Books</a> -- serving readers for more than three decades -- we stepped not through the looking glass, nor through a wardrobe, but through a modern glass and metal door, yet the magic still welcomed us.</div>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3081light.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3081light.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="entryway, Full Circle Books, c2015, KB" class="wp-image-1770 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3081light.jpg?w=200" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3081light.jpg?w=200" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">c2015, KB</span></span></dt>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3066cropped.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3066cropped.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="fireplace and sitting area, Full Circle Books, c2015, KB" class="wp-image-1772 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3066cropped.jpg?w=197" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3066cropped.jpg?w=197" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="197" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">fireplace and sitting area</span></dd><dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3075hdr-orton-ish.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3075hdr-orton-ish.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="an old friend, c2015, KB" class="size-medium wp-image-1773" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3075hdr-orton-ish.jpg?w=270" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_3075hdr-orton-ish.jpg?w=270" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="270" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">an old friend, c2015, KB</span></dd></dl>
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She fell in love with the rambling space filled with hidden rooms and cozy nooks, and the old-fashioned ladders that travel back and forth on metal tracks in need of oiling.</div>
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The children's rooms are well-stocked with old friends and new, including a French copy of Dr. Seuss's<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="border: none; font-style: italic;">One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>-- my niece's first excuse to climb a ladder, but I don't think she really needed a reason. ;)</div>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2984light-retouch.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2984light-retouch.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="children's reading room, Full Circle Books (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1784" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2984light-retouch.jpg?w=200" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2984light-retouch.jpg?w=200" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="200" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">c2015, KB</span></dd></dl>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2986cropped.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2986cropped.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_2986^cropped" class="wp-image-1785 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2986cropped.jpg?w=211" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2986cropped.jpg?w=211" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="211" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">the red ladder (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2989vignette-brown.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2989vignette-brown.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_2989^vignette brown" class="wp-image-1786 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2989vignette-brown.jpg?w=198" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2989vignette-brown.jpg?w=198" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="198" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">by the light of Winnie the Pooh (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2994cropped.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2994cropped.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_2994^cropped" class="wp-image-1787 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2994cropped.jpg?w=193" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2994cropped.jpg?w=193" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="193" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">French Seuss (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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<br /></div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 310px;" id="attachment_1788" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2999light.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2999light.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_2999^light" class="wp-image-1788 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2999light.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_2999light.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I love Sandra Boynton books. (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 310px;" id="attachment_1789" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3000light.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3000light.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_3000^light" class="wp-image-1789 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3000light.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3000light.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">another old friend (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 310px;" id="attachment_1790" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3006vignette-pale.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3006vignette-pale.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_3006^vignette pale" class="wp-image-1790 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3006vignette-pale.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3006vignette-pale.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">familiar author names (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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<br /></div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 310px;" id="attachment_1791" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3003hdr-soft.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3003hdr-soft.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_3003^HDR soft" class="wp-image-1791 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3003hdr-soft.jpg?w=300" height="177" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3003hdr-soft.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">funky covers (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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Same spaces have the atmosphere of a comfortable corner of someone's home, and every doorway welcomes.</div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 181px;" id="attachment_1792" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 181px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3007saturated.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3007saturated.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="a comfortable study (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1792" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3007saturated.jpg?w=171" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3007saturated.jpg?w=171" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="171" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">a comfortable study (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 310px;" id="attachment_1794" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3010vignette.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3010vignette.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="c2015, KB" class="size-medium wp-image-1794" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3010vignette.jpg?w=300" height="282" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3010vignette.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">c2015, KB</span></dd></dl>
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<br /></div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 190px;" id="attachment_1793" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 190px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3008hdr-soft.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3008hdr-soft.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_3008^HDR soft" class="wp-image-1793 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3008hdr-soft.jpg?w=180" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3008hdr-soft.jpg?w=180" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="180" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">c2015, KB</span></dd></dl>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 166px;" id="attachment_1796" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 166px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3028cropped.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3028cropped.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_3028^cropped" class="wp-image-1796 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3028cropped.jpg?w=156" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3028cropped.jpg?w=156" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="156" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">a cheery welcome at one of the several doorways (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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<br /></div>
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I came around the corner and encountered mysteries. There's a metaphor there, I'm sure.</div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 210px;" id="attachment_1795" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 210px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3014saturated.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3014saturated.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="IMG_3014^saturated" class="wp-image-1795 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3014saturated.jpg?w=200" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3014saturated.jpg?w=200" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="200" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">c2015, KB</span></dd></dl>
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<br /></div>
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My niece later found another reason to climb a ladder -- various collections of Edgar Allen Poe, to which she coined a pun: "If one is perusing the works of Edgar Allen, one could be said to be reading Poe-etry."</div>
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We are a silly lot.</div>
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<dl class="wp-caption aligncenter" data-mce-style="width: 200px;" id="attachment_1797" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(241, 241, 241); border-radius: 0px; border: none; clear: both; color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3049cropped.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3049cropped.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="Jamie reading Poe (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1797" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3049cropped.jpg?w=190" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3049cropped.jpg?w=190" style="display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="190" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Jamie reading Poe (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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<br /></div>
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On the mantel of one of the fireplaces stands this whimsical fellow:</div>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3057light.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3057light.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="c2015, KB" class="size-medium wp-image-1798" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3057light.jpg?w=300" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3057light.jpg?w=300" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="300" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">c2015, KB</span></dd></dl>
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If you ever visit Oklahoma City, try to carve out time to visit Full Circle Books, especially if you're an independent author. The staff are friendly and professional, and the store supports indie and local authors, and the variety of books is vast.</div>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3062cropped.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3062cropped.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="front desk and beyond (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1799" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3062cropped.jpg?w=193" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_3062cropped.jpg?w=193" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="193" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">front desk and beyond (c2015, KB)</span></dd></dl>
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Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-57668606481076844612015-09-29T15:23:00.000-05:002015-09-29T15:23:43.326-05:00Win a FREE novel!From <b>Friday, October 4</b>, through <b>Saturday, October 12</b>, enter to win a <b>FREE</b> signed copy of <i>Dragon's Rook</i>, first half of The Lost Sword epic fantasy duology:<br />
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by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6914471.Keanan_Brand" style="text-decoration: none;">Keanan Brand</a>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/156711" type="text/javascript"></script>Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-26811680001879437252015-09-24T23:35:00.000-05:002015-09-24T23:35:33.802-05:00The First Principle - a brief reviewWhen I learned of this book, my immediate response was negative: “Noooo! Not another <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/12408.Best_Young_Adult_Dystopian_Novels" target="_blank">YA science fiction futuristic dystopian</a>!”<br />
<br />
For the sake of family and neighbors, the wailing was internalized.<br />
<br />
However, I read a sample of the book and then the back cover copy, and decided to give this one a shot.
And I’m glad I did.
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Principle-Novel-Marissa-Shrock/dp/0825443571/" target="_blank"><i>The First Principle</i></a> by <a href="http://www.marissashrock.com/" target="_blank">Marissa Shrock</a> is a smooth, easy read, and could easily be finished in one day, although I read it over the course of several. The ill-tempered editor in the back of my brain did not stomp around and throw his arms in the air, which left me free to enjoy the novel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E-Ug6LfHUFvYsOORSplvjzjyCYvrt5cmSzNqDcJEGkbvuJE6TOihbv7494AkC2raCBOSe0L46kPXwKsXu57-XslSXdsgDXwQrUWw7RDZXN6SbJhTpw5kPqUvR5lt8aeTdAiIOwZCdcI/s1600/FirstPrinciple-258x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E-Ug6LfHUFvYsOORSplvjzjyCYvrt5cmSzNqDcJEGkbvuJE6TOihbv7494AkC2raCBOSe0L46kPXwKsXu57-XslSXdsgDXwQrUWw7RDZXN6SbJhTpw5kPqUvR5lt8aeTdAiIOwZCdcI/s320/FirstPrinciple-258x400.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
Well, to be honest, there were times when he looked up from his desk, his eyes narrowed. Those occurred in the first portion of the book — in the first long dialogue between ex-boyfriend and baby-daddy Ben and protagonist Vivica — and at two or three other places later in the story, probably because teenage speech and behavior annoys him. <i>(a wink and a smile)</i><br />
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Shrock gives us an intelligent lead character with skills as a computer hacker, and these come in handy as Vivica graduates from using her abilities to aid herself and her friends at school to employing them to escape those who want to abort her child.<br />
<br />
The rebels she joins are not all secret agents. Many are everyday, likable, good people, much to her surprise, and they are endeavoring to be nonviolent toward other humans even as they refuse to bow to the tyranny of a totalitarian government. However, the media and the government leaders label them terrorists and assassins.<br />
<br />
Hidden and aided by different rebels along the way — Ben included — Vivica uncovers a plot by government insiders to frame the rebels while staging a coup.
But not only is the national leadership in turmoil — there’s a mole inside the Emancipation Warriors.<br />
<br />
Is it Jared Canton, or is he, too, being framed?<br />
<br />
And who keeps revealing Vivica’s information to the very people from whom she’s running?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Principle-Novel-Marissa-Shrock/dp/0825443571/" target="_blank"><i>The First Principle</i></a> is recommended reading for teens to grownups, male or female.<br />
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[This post adapted from <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/the-first-principle-day-2/" target="_blank">an original</a> on the other <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Adventures in Fiction blog</a>, and has two companion posts discussing the novel -- click <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/the-first-principle-day-1/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/the-first-principle-day-3/" target="_blank">here</a>.] Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-87814469160482446742015-09-11T08:00:00.000-05:002015-09-11T08:00:05.336-05:00Scathing: Receiving Criticism, Avoiding Labels, and Redacting a Review<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.5455px; margin-bottom: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
Ever been labeled something that puzzled you?</div>
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Recently, a fellow writer wrote that I was unethical. At first, I thought she meant someone else, and thought, "What does she mean? That's not true of that person," but then realized she referenced a blog post I wrote last year regarding how pride can get in the way of receiving feedback or criticism. No names were mentioned. In fact, the only person readers knew was involved was me, and I admitted that even now, after decades as a writer, my pride is still sometimes stung by harsh criticism.</div>
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Hey, even the most thick-skinned of veteran writers still wants his work to be liked and read, no matter how many bestsellers he has behind him. (I'd like to have at least one bestseller, but that's a goal yet to be reached.)</div>
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Another label put on me in the past -- this time by a publisher -- is "the editor who makes authors cry". That is not an appellation of which to be proud. By no means. My goal has been and always will be to help authors produce their best work. Sometimes, they can be so in love with their creations that they cannot see flaws or weaknesses, missed storytelling opportunities, or clunky sentences. When an editor tells them what needs revising, they don't receive the news well.</div>
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There is an implied compliment in the fact that someone else is taking the time to not only read one's work, but to help one improve it. However, we writers often react with affront, with offended pride and scathing words toward the "clueless", "high-handed", "overbearing" editor. We don't see his/her true intent. All we know is that we didn't receive the praise and the rubber-stamped approval we desired.</div>
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Before we slap labels on folks and burn bridges we might need to rebuild, might I suggest a bit of reflection? Some distance? Perhaps a walk, a rant to a friend, a scribbled diatribe in a journal? A good night's sleep? Prayer? Something that allows us to grow calm, to be objective, and not to say or do something we'll regret. (Related reading: "<a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/08/07/whats-your-filter/" href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/08/07/whats-your-filter/" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">What's Your Filter?</a>")</div>
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We may find -- as I did while editing<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="border: none; font-style: italic;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RJGVPT8" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RJGVPT8" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Dragon's Rook</a></em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>-- that snarky, scolding feedback that shoots wide of the mark can still contain something valuable. When I stepped back and looked at the advice with cold objectivity, I saw a couple pieces I could use. As a result, I tore apart one scene that had been troubling me. The reconstructed version is many times better than the original.</div>
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So, then, what should I do when I'm now the one giving the ugly, scathing criticism?</div>
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Write it all out, and then don't say most of it.</div>
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Recently, a PR firm requested I review a new novel by a young author. After reading the back cover blurb and the dark, well-written prologue, I had high expectations for the book. Below is the review. For the author's sake, it will not be posted elsewhere, and has been edited here to obscure the author's identity.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #993300;" style="color: #993300;"><strong style="font-weight: bold !important;">~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~</strong></span></div>
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Although marketed as contemporary literary fiction, this novel could also be described as speculative fiction, a mix of modern and futuristic, of post-apocalyptic dystopian and the quest for utopia-via-enlightenment, of a perverse coming-of-age/search-for-meaning story with a science fiction existentialist-absurdist tale.</div>
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Try saying that ten times, fast. ;)</div>
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<em style="border: none; font-style: italic;">[Story synopsis, character list, and website links have been omitted to preserve author anonymity. However, quotes from the novel text remain unaltered, but for the characters’ names.]</em></div>
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It is not often I write a review like this. I want to write only the positives, but the cons are weighty. To be blunt, this book needs an editor, for content as well as mechanics.</div>
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It runs the risk of being “a tale...full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” (<a data-mce-href="http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html" href="http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Macbeth</a>, Act 5, Scene 5). The writing is often preening and pretentious, but that could be the result of a conscious stylistic choice on the part of the author, matching the attitudes and egos of the characters.</div>
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Yet it sometimes feels like the writer is trying to make use of every high-sounding turn of phrase he can conjure or every word he can find in the dictionary. One is left wondering if, by the sheer volume and length of words, the author believes he has communicated—but, perhaps, I am not the audience for this work. I can wax lyrical with the most poetic of the poets, but prefer straightforwardness to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/roundaboutation" href="http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/roundaboutation" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">roundaboutation</a>.</div>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-weight: bold;"><a data-mce-href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/macbethorson-welles.jpg" href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/macbethorson-welles.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #cd4517;"><img alt="Macbeth^Orson Welles" class="wp-image-1708 size-medium" data-mce-src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/macbethorson-welles.jpg?w=230" height="300" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/macbethorson-welles.jpg?w=230" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 5px; max-width: 645px;" width="230" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;">Orson Welles as Macbeth</dd></dl>
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As<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Macbeth</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>might say, “Thou comest to use thy tongue; thy story quickly,” (Act 5, Scene 5).</div>
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Despite proofing errors (the repeated use of “causal” in place of “casual”, for instance) and some awkwardly-constructed sentences or phrases (what are “<a data-mce-href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathartic" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cathartic" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">cathartic</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>muscles”?), there remain many quotable lines:</div>
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“I take it you’re the self-proclaimed chosen one?” (Leroy) asked. “Prophets are rarely successful. Even when they are, society kills them.”</div>
<div style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 18px;">
(Walter’s) thick lips gave way to a line of crooked teeth. “Hence, it comes that all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed.” (p77)</div>
</blockquote>
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Later in the same conversation:</div>
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<div style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 18px;">
“The day is not calm when you discover humanity to be ripe for the taking.” (p78)</div>
</blockquote>
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And some lines read like refugees from a modern-day “<a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabberwocky" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabberwocky" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">Jabberwocky</a>”—they have a sound and a rhythm, and therefore the reader might almost think he understands their meaning or the author’s intent. But repeated readings reveal, no, the words really do make no sense.</div>
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This paragraph on page 121 transforms from poetic imagery to lyrical nonsense:</div>
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<div style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 18px;">
The notes of a distant piano played a melodic Bach and a blue Chopin to the beat of Kerouac. The sounds were unremitting as they’d always been in her mind. Real, but at the same time not real. Resonating. Vibrating. For she was a lollipop made of cherry and petrol, more given to the depths of trench coats and dark alleys; lethal-red lipstick, rocking a tear that was not a tear, but moisture secreting the nostalgia of an instinct held away from mankind by the missing link. From the real show and state.</div>
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Thank you, Google Translate. Sense to make, you do not.</div>
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The novel’s subtitle—<em style="border: none; font-style: italic;">[redacted]</em>—is a clue to how readers are expected to view this work. The publisher’s mission statement, as well as the author’s explanation for the story’s existence, seem overly earnest, betraying a certain immaturity and youthful desire to ‘make a difference’:</div>
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<div style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 18px;">
[mission statement redacted]</div>
</blockquote>
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Below is a quote from the introduction:</div>
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In the novel you’re about to read, I do not seek to victimize technology, nor to condemn our evolution, but to instill the realization that we are the product of our own thoughts, our own ideas, our own dreamed of reveries. We are the discomfort and leisure of humanity, the bright flame and its grey ashes. By nature we are born free.</div>
</blockquote>
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Can’t argue with that last line. No doubt the author and I would find agreement on several other points. But how does one “victimize technology”?</div>
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Confession: I skimmed the second half of the book. Perhaps the story improved as it progressed. However, despite seeing interesting passages, I was not compelled to continue. The green-visored, cigar-chomping curmudgeonly editor who lives in the back of my brain could tolerate no more, and he suspects that publisher, editor, author, and the originator of the "editorial review" on the back cover are one and the same.</div>
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Nonetheless,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="border: none; font-style: italic;">[name redacted]</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is talented and intelligent, and is definitely an author to look for in the future. Give him time.</div>
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And his website waaaaay outclasses<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://keananbrand.wix.com/keananbrand" href="http://keananbrand.wix.com/keananbrand" style="color: #cd4517;" target="_blank">mine</a>.</div>
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[This entry was also posted <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/scathing-receiving-criticism-avoiding-labels-and-redacting-a-review/" target="_blank">at Adventures In Fiction's WordPress site</a>.] </div>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-87111464950352387602015-08-20T19:00:00.001-05:002015-08-22T15:59:25.971-05:00What's Your Filter?Two or more people can look at the same object at the same time, and although they are seeing the same thing, they are not perceiving it the same way.<br />
<br />
The filters of experience, prejudice, understanding, philosophy, religion, age, appreciation, comfort or discomfort, good day or bad -- all color the way we see the world.<br />
<br />
Below are several versions of a photo of the statue of the grieving Christ outside the Oklahoma City National Memorial, commemorating the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Building. Each image is affected by various filters imposed by photo editing software -- each filter is overlaid the others, until the image underneath is far different from the original.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101edited.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1597" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101edited.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101b-w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ in black and white (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1599" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101b-w.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ in black and white (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101duo-tone-blue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ in black and white, with blue duo-tone (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1600" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101duo-tone-blue.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ in black and white, with blue duo-tone (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101duo-tone-blue-1960s.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ in black and white, with blue duo-tone, overlaid with a filter to make it appear as if taken circa 1960 (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1601" height="200" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101duo-tone-blue-1960s.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ in black and white, with blue duo-tone, overlaid with a filter to make it appear as if taken circa 1960 (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101duo-tone-blue-1960s-cinemascope.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ in black and white, with blue duo-tone, 1960s, and Cinemascope effects (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1605" height="221" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101duo-tone-blue-1960s-cinemascope.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ in black and white, with blue duo-tone, 1960s, and Cinemascope effects (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
See how unexpected interferences or cooperations change what the viewer
perceives?<br />
<br />
The order matters, as well. If trauma colors our world at a young age,
we will view it through a different filter than we might if that same
trouble arrived when we were older.<br />
<br />
Below, black-and-white and Cinemascope effects were applied in different
orders. When the movie effect was applied first, then the monochrome,
the image looks crisp. However, when the order was reversed, the
image takes on a sepia cast.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101cinemascope.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ in color, as if filmed in Cinemascope (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1604" height="221" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101cinemascope.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ in color, as if filmed in Cinemascope (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2102cinemascope-b-w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ in Cinemascope with the color removed (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1606" height="220" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2102cinemascope-b-w.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ in Cinemascope with the color removed (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101b-w-cinemascope.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christ in black and white, then "Cinemascoped" (c2015, KB)" class="size-medium wp-image-1602" height="221" src="https://keananbrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/img_2101b-w-cinemascope.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christ in black and white, then "Cinemascoped" (c2015, KB)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Is there something in life you're not seeing clearly?<br />
<br />
Are there colors you think you're perceiving, but your friends, colleagues, loved ones -- or perfect strangers on social media -- do not view?<br />
<br />
Before we impugn one another's intelligence, reputations, abilities, etcetera, it might be wise to step back and consider the filters through which we -- and they -- view the world.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>reposted from <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/08/07/whats-your-filter/%20%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">Adventures in Fiction</a>, August 7, 2015</i></div>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-32559719097490798552015-08-13T16:17:00.000-05:002015-08-22T19:15:10.508-05:00A ReturnIt's been two and a half years since I posted here last, and this remains true:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-size: small;"><b>Adventures in Fiction has moved!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>(<a href="http://keananbrand.wordpress.com/">Click here to visit the new site</a>.)</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVipbQeIqc8EWA7OUcdVRyExxq1C8lWrUEY2pMIMylCLF_YXVnVD62DhSJ2439qLer3vnp2Cb0VcKi9vtXEI39X0NWCxbq4NHGnfd4QO972yYHeuRcbD_Uh53CCoYFXl2UAQqgPox70Oc/s1600/dragons_rook_cover_keanan_brand_susan_troutt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVipbQeIqc8EWA7OUcdVRyExxq1C8lWrUEY2pMIMylCLF_YXVnVD62DhSJ2439qLer3vnp2Cb0VcKi9vtXEI39X0NWCxbq4NHGnfd4QO972yYHeuRcbD_Uh53CCoYFXl2UAQqgPox70Oc/s1600/dragons_rook_cover_keanan_brand_susan_troutt.jpg" /></a>However, the epic fantasy trilogy has become a duology -- <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/2015/08/13/filthy-lucre/" target="_blank">The Lost Sword</a>, comprised of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RJGVPT8" target="_blank"><i>Dragon's Rook</i></a> (2015) and <i>Dragon's Bane</i> (projected for 2016). Meantime, <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/thieves-honor/" target="_blank"><i>Thieves' Honor</i></a> remains unfinished, but only until the duology is complete.<br />
<br />
When I first started this blog, I was writing in my spare time while working at a non-profit organization for the youth of my community. I quit after fourteen years, and life has been quite different since. I've moved to two different states since 2011, worked for a publisher as an associate editor, and now am focused on writing full-time.<br />
<br />
This would not be possible without the generosity of my brother, who allows me a very comfortable writer's garret over his garage. (Yay for brothers!)<br />
<br />
I met many a fellow writer, reader, and editor by blogging here. Perhaps that's one reason I never closed the site. After allowing this page to languish, I may be cross-posting from the other <a href="https://keananbrand.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Adventures in Fiction</a>, and from <a href="http://penworthypress.com/" target="_blank">Penworthy Press</a>, a blog shared with other independent writers. Come visit us!<br />
<br />
Until next time, here are other links of potential interest:<br />
<a href="http://keananbrand.wix.com/keananbrand" target="_blank">my website</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KeananBrandWriter" target="_blank">my author page on Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/KeananBrand" target="_blank">my Twitter page</a> <i>(though I am rarely there) </i><br />
<a href="https://jadesmith09.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">the cover designer's blog</a> <i>(she not only designed the cover, she drew the dragon's eye)</i><br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/GothicTones" target="_blank">Gothic Tones</a> <i>(her jewelry & art store)</i><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gothic-Tones-Jewelry-Art/1618454888366843" target="_blank">Gothic Tones on Facebook</a>Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-12296325792201890212012-10-19T18:52:00.003-05:002012-10-19T19:00:29.786-05:00Bones, Bones, Lovely BonesI'm not a celebrator of Halloween, but have been known to read the odd dark fantasy, watch the occasional horror flick, and write a weird tale or two.<br />
<br />
This being October, I thought I'd root around in the dank cellars of past writing and short pieces for the reading pleasure of those for whom All Hallow's Eve is a source of creativity.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW-BnzAQdxqfmCjLLFGjp6VTCzPD2sm-qUJgz28fLiFIkNp3CkuCJbsCEhEqNwYQIWML6mAQrx3fuqqkFAPEl2y53xCr9MIf_JKZbZA-GKOI-gmCa34YVleVgkkFcpWSr1ayOeNu1R8Y/s1600/bones%5Emy+hand-drawn+attempt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW-BnzAQdxqfmCjLLFGjp6VTCzPD2sm-qUJgz28fLiFIkNp3CkuCJbsCEhEqNwYQIWML6mAQrx3fuqqkFAPEl2y53xCr9MIf_JKZbZA-GKOI-gmCa34YVleVgkkFcpWSr1ayOeNu1R8Y/s200/bones%5Emy+hand-drawn+attempt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>my attempt at drawing bones</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First is this quirky little poem composed on the fly in 2009 as the response to an editor's new system for judging stories in our slush pile: award them bones.<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-style: italic;">Bones, bones, tasty bones </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Fresh bones, blood-sticky, flesh-spongy bones </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Arm bones and thigh bones and tiny, skinny finger bones </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Puzzle-cut spine bones and knobby-ended wrist bones </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Not-so-round skull bones </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Shovel-scooped collar bones, wing-like shoulder bones </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Bones, bones, lovely bones </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">White-boiled angels floating in my stew </span></blockquote>
In keeping with the previous image, here's another sideways bit, this time a piece of flash fiction I composed for a <a href="http://www.adamcallaway.net/2009/09/100th-post-weirdapalooza-part-3.html#comment-form" target="_blank">contest Adam Callaway hosted over on his blog</a>, also in 2009:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Dinner drips from my fingers, grease
mingling with the blood on my boots, and I am weary from the hunt, but
the cook has ruined his last meal; despite his weeping protestations,
despite my wife's admonition not to bite the hands that feed us, I will
have new meat for roasting.<br />
<br />
Resigned, she sends one of the servants with a cauldron to capture the
fat for rendering, and wonders aloud if the skewer will bend to breaking
with such a load as it now bears.<br />
<br />
"It's his own fault"—I kick aside his apron and bloody clothes—"for
letting that annoying miniature Englishman up the beanstalk."</span> </blockquote>
Y'know, I've always wondered about Jack. He invades someone's home, steals his stuff, and chops down the beanstalk, committing murder. Makes me think the giant was justified: "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he
alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread."<br />
<br />
Yum!Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-66839529211176303662012-10-18T21:13:00.000-05:002015-08-22T19:20:47.667-05:00Excellence v. Mediocrity<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Novelist <a href="http://www.atholdickson.com/">Athol Dickson</a> has posted an article on his site, discussing<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.atholdickson.com/2012/10/18/why-the-50-worst-books-of-all-times-are-so-great/"> excellence v. mediocrity in writing</a>.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Excerpt:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s
true many novels by Christians are poorly written. That’s also true
of many other kinds of novels. In fact it’s true of most novels of
every kind, but it’s not a particular indictment of mediocre
writers or the readers who enable them. Most people don’t really
care about excellence in architecture, sculpture, painting, or dance
. . . or government, commerce, marriage, or anything else in life
that ought to matter.</span></span></div>
<blockquote style="border: medium none; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.45in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 255, 255);">What
interests me, is why. In our discussion about the “Worst Books”
list, some of my author friends speculated that so many people
dislike those novels because they were forced to read them in school
and disliked them then. But these books truly are works of
genius—most of them are, anyway—so why didn’t we love them in
the first place?</span></i></span></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a thought-provoking read, not only for writers who happen to be Christians, but for any writer who strives for excellence.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">As
an editor, I am constantly confronted by the "good enough"
work of fellow writers who just want me to sign off on their
manuscripts rather than helping them shape those manuscripts into
polished books. The constant fight to challenge other writers toward
excellence can be wearisome, but it's not a fight I can ignore.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div style="border: medium none; line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.08in; margin-right: 0.08in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Just
this past week, I had an e-mail conversation with a rookie
novelist whose work is being published soon. He acknowledges that it
needs more crafting, but it's been praised so highly by so many
people</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">—</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">I was his only negative reviewer</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">—</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">that he's going ahead
with publication, because (as he put it himself) it's good enough. </span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="border: medium none; line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.08in; margin-right: 0.08in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Not
to sound overly pessimistic, but I've been feeling like the "lone
voice crying in the wilderness"</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">—</span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">and then I read Mr. Dickson's eloquent, thought-provoking post. I'm dropping a copy into my
archives so I can pull it out whenever I need encouragement. Or a kick
in the pants.</span></span></span>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-87637211092380503442012-09-26T14:08:00.000-05:002012-09-26T22:23:02.819-05:00The Telling - day 3<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Zeph stared at the Indian. "We've met before, haven't we?"<br />
<br />
"Ha!"
Little Weaver clapped his gloved hands. "A shred of sanity!" Then he
leaned toward Zeph. "At some point, Brother Walker, you will have to
trust again."<br />
<br />
Zeph's eyes were locked upon the Indian. Then his shoulders slumped. "That's what I was afraid of." (p172)</blockquote>
<br />
When the people around town start behaving strangely, knowing who to trust becomes a challenge in this month's <a href="http://csffblogtour.com/" target="_blank">CSFF Blog Tour</a> feature: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Mike-Duran/dp/1616386940/" target="_blank"><i>The Telling</i></a>, a speculative novel by <a href="http://www.mikeduran.com/" target="_blank">Mike Duran</a>, author of <i>The Resurrection</i>. And what's the story behind the town's mass suicide over a hundred years ago, and what truth is there to the legend about the ninth gate of hell?<br />
<br />
Human grief and hubris unlocked it. Zeph Walker is the key that will close it once more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oLLhOLUT8-CW8lTKYd0ADv4SKGrPw6VMdAGg05C3OFFhyphenhyphenb7240_wvR4MzWnYhWDiitwY2XCdJxRHnf5BOV8DD5OHKis_v8IxeReRkyz5qKy5suLwcxgAlKrIMkY7DShk0PDO_fnuLMo/s1600/The-Telling-Cover-23-756x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oLLhOLUT8-CW8lTKYd0ADv4SKGrPw6VMdAGg05C3OFFhyphenhyphenb7240_wvR4MzWnYhWDiitwY2XCdJxRHnf5BOV8DD5OHKis_v8IxeReRkyz5qKy5suLwcxgAlKrIMkY7DShk0PDO_fnuLMo/s320/The-Telling-Cover-23-756x1024.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
If only he can overcome his past: a childhood marked by the gift of prophecy; manipulation and abuse by his mother and stepmother; and the grief and regrets that keep him locked inside a world of his own making.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>You aren't a prophet</i>, the phantom hissed. <i>The blade proved it</i>.<br />
<br />
Sadness. So much of it inside him. Her words seemed to reawaken the venom of bitterness. Zeph swayed back, overtaken by a great darkness looming on the periphery of his mind.<br />
<br />
<i>You are the son of silence</i>. Sickly glowing eyes peered at him from deep inside the mine shaft. <i>And now you've gone and killed someone</i>. (p213)</blockquote>
<br />
I could analyze this novel, and dive into spiritual applications or ramifications, but I won't. This is fiction, and anyone seeking a one-to-one correlation with the Bible will not find it here. There are no sermons. No allegories. There <i>is</i> a serious struggle between the darkness and the light, and flawed characters who are drawn into the fight. Some lose the battle, but some emerge stronger because of it.<br />
<br />
For readers looking for suspense, action, a touch of horror, they'll find it in the pages of <i>The Telling</i>. It's an intriguing read. <br />
<br />
Anyone who has ever had to fight for his faith, has ever had to walk alone because of deep wounds, has ever endured abuse and struggled to find hope or love on the other side, will likely connect with Zeph Walker as he wrestles with truth, failure, forgiveness.<br />
<br />
For other perspectives on <i>The Telling</i>, check out these stops along the tour:<br />
<a href="http://tdtwr.wordpress.com/"> Jim Armstrong</a>
<a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/">Beckie Burnham</a>
<a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a>
<a href="http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/"> Theresa Dunlap</a>
<a href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/"> Victor Gentile</a>
<a href="http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/"> Nikole Hahn</a>
<a href="http://www.brucehennigan.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a>
<a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a>
<a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a>
<a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a>
<a href="http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/"> Emileigh Latham</a>
<a href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/"> Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a>
<a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
<a href="http://blogginoutloud.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lyn Perry</a> <a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a>
<a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a>
<a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a>
<a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a>
<a href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/"> Shane Werlinger</a>
<a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a> Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-13580704162954644432012-09-25T16:12:00.002-05:002012-09-25T16:12:30.625-05:00The Telling - day 2<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"According to the legends, on Planet Earth there are nine gates to hell. Most of the gates are scattered across America--insane asylums, cult clearings--"<br />
<br />
"Retirement homes," Zeph deadpanned. (p114)</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweAMl-jKOOILQf62MjGUJ-1lPbTbFt0vdlNiRJAndAe4jafyMpj-eXs0ey0kHVSQgNs_8oOU_cd9F9mK7OtmXJrO0AbCb4T1vBZlMRB_5ha47s90YxIk3keyXFzM8gJddd_SEVbN-WlM/s1600/The-Telling-Cover-23-756x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweAMl-jKOOILQf62MjGUJ-1lPbTbFt0vdlNiRJAndAe4jafyMpj-eXs0ey0kHVSQgNs_8oOU_cd9F9mK7OtmXJrO0AbCb4T1vBZlMRB_5ha47s90YxIk3keyXFzM8gJddd_SEVbN-WlM/s320/The-Telling-Cover-23-756x1024.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
One of the things I like about <a href="http://www.mikeduran.com/" target="_blank">Mike Duran</a>'s novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Mike-Duran/dp/1616386940/" target="_blank"><i>The Telling</i></a>, is the wit. It's sideways, dry, often unexpected, and it rises naturally from the characters and the events. And some of it -- humor dropped into a dark situation -- has a Southern or country twang, which reminds me of stories told by older kin back home in Arkansas:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Mr. Duty." The world seemed to wait for Zephaniah's words. "The Lord has this for you."<br />
<br />
The congregation drew a single collective breath. And held it.<br />
<br />
Zephaniah spoke the words just as he'd heard them.<br />
<br />
Blaise Duty looked like he'd been punched in his soft, spongy gut. The color drained from his orange-tinged skin, and his bottom lip began to tremble.<br />
<br />
..."Loree-e-e," was the last thing he said before spinning like a corkscrew onto the carpet and falling flat on his back, as dead as a possum on the center line of the 395. (p150)</blockquote>
Or an armadillo in the ditch.<br />
<br />
Despite the California setting, there's a Southern gothic feel to this novel. That's all right by me. Done well, that dark, moody atmosphere adds mystery rather than melodrama, and serves the story. <br />
<br />
It also enables even the not-so-spiritually-inclined the reader to suspend disbelief and accept fantastical elements as if they were a matter of course. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Ah! The dark angel craves one thing--to be like man. And to be like man, it needs but one thing--the breath of life. If this one had finished its feast, Brother Walker's body would have been disposed of--a fully formed ectype would have developed, an angel become man. It would have blended into your society without notice. In the case of Brother Walker, few would ever know it."<br />
<br />
..."The world is growing dark. Soon the night will fall when no one can stand. All will become enemies. Friend and foe... ." (p169)</blockquote>
And:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Little Weaver closed his eyes. He drew a breath and straightened. "My name is Little Weaver, heir to Big Weaver. He guarded the gateway to the underworld, heir to those before him. Long before the miners came with their tools and their lust for wealth. Long before the scientists with their calculations and careless tinkering. We watched. We waited for the wielder of wild magic. The Branded One who would close the gateway forever." (p171)</blockquote>
<br />
And <i>that</i> is the crux of the tale.<br />
<br />
But we'll discuss that further tomorrow. <br />
<br />
For other perspectives and more in-depth reviews of <i>The Telling</i>, check out these other stops along the tour:<br />
<a href="http://tdtwr.wordpress.com/"> Jim Armstrong</a>
<a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a>
<a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/">Beckie Burnham</a>
<a href="http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com/"> Brenda Castro</a>
<a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a>
<a href="http://www.theiemommy.com/"> Christine</a>
<a href="http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/"> Theresa Dunlap</a>
<a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a>
<a href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/"> Victor Gentile</a>
<a href="http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/"> Nikole Hahn</a>
<a href="http://www.brucehennigan.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a>
<a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a>
<a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a>
<a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a>
<a href="http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/"> Emileigh Latham</a>
<a href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/"> Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a>
<a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
<a href="http://annamittower.blogspot.com//"> Anna Mittower</a>
<a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a>
<a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a>
<a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a>
<a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a>
<a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a>
<a href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/"> Shane Werlinger</a>
<a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a> Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-44820686668856506032012-09-24T00:52:00.002-05:002012-09-24T00:53:30.551-05:00The Telling - day 1<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Is this..." Zeph's voice was detached, his eyes fixed on the body. "Is this some kinda joke?"<br />
<br />
The detectives hunkered back into the shadows without responding.<br />
<br />
Goosebumps rose on Zeph's forearms as the overhead vent rattled to life, sluicing cool air into the room. He took another step closer to the cadaver until his thigh nudged the table, jolting the stiff and bringing Zeph to a sudden stop. He peered at the bizarre figure.<br />
<br />
Their similarities were unmistakeable. The lanky torso and appendages. The tousled sandy hair. Thick brows over deep-set eyes. <i>This guy looks exactly like me!</i> (p4)</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSs8Y44tu579065EMRWBiuLzNcpc6-B7quOPtA5G2xDRmd5XVKGiEM6IteVVwkEoZmdP6Pfgsxa57WzfXOoYkWAks7YOXkYt5xsy19unmWkIUbHwvbCUXp96iKgk4_tC0rKbMYX-SO0xM/s1600/The-Telling-Cover-23-756x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSs8Y44tu579065EMRWBiuLzNcpc6-B7quOPtA5G2xDRmd5XVKGiEM6IteVVwkEoZmdP6Pfgsxa57WzfXOoYkWAks7YOXkYt5xsy19unmWkIUbHwvbCUXp96iKgk4_tC0rKbMYX-SO0xM/s320/The-Telling-Cover-23-756x1024.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
This month's <a href="http://csffblogtour.com/" target="_blank">CSFF Blog Tour</a> offering is <a href="http://www.mikeduran.com/" target="_blank">Mike Duran</a>'s speculative novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Mike-Duran/dp/1616386940/" target="_blank"><i>The Telling</i></a>, a compellingly creepy, sometimes funny, often intriguing read (with a cool cover, too).<br />
<br />
I enjoyed Duran's previous novel, <a href="http://adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/2011/03/resurrection-by-mike-duran.html" target="_blank"><i>The Resurrection</i></a>, so I needed no convincing to give <i>The Telling</i> a try -- and I'm glad I did.<br />
<br />
The main character, Zeph Walker, is a young man scarred in many ways: physically, spiritually, relationally. He's almost a hermit, his world contracted to three acres, a book exchange (think community library, sorta), his painting, minimal human contact, and a past he'd rather forget.<br />
<br />
I'll discuss the story further over the next two days. Meantime, for other perspectives on <i>The Telling</i>, check out these other stops along the tour:<br />
<a href="http://tdtwr.wordpress.com/"> Jim Armstrong</a>
<a href="http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault</a>
<a href="http://tulipdrivenlife.blogspot.com/"></a>
<a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/">Beckie Burnham</a>
<a href="http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com/"> Brenda Castro</a>
<a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a>
<a href="http://www.theiemommy.com/"> Christine</a>
<a href="http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/"> Theresa Dunlap</a>
<a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a>
<a href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/"> Victor Gentile</a>
<a href="http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/"> Nikole Hahn</a>
<a href="http://www.brucehennigan.com/"> Bruce Hennigan</a>
<a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a>
<a href="http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie</a>
<a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a>
<a href="http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/"> Emileigh Latham</a>
<a href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/"> Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a>
<a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
<a href="http://annamittower.blogspot.com//"> Anna Mittower</a>
<a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a>
<a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a>
<a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a>
<a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a>
<a href="http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/"> Dona Watson</a>
<a href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/"> Shane Werlinger</a>
<a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a> Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-68027444848437873092012-09-19T13:22:00.000-05:002012-09-19T13:22:21.450-05:00The Door Within -- a teenagers's review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA-J-ApX-Zp9RxbXYOhdG1X1qC0vuJUcj6v9S6T-yyGFzx2K0V3zIlfEfNc52SjV4UDfWimnR7FhIv_naSw-plvVXqnlzPja1SZP-IWy0GLIifPyYjLKxnAiTUjkmCbnlNGF6hfChpN0/s1600/6012DWimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA-J-ApX-Zp9RxbXYOhdG1X1qC0vuJUcj6v9S6T-yyGFzx2K0V3zIlfEfNc52SjV4UDfWimnR7FhIv_naSw-plvVXqnlzPja1SZP-IWy0GLIifPyYjLKxnAiTUjkmCbnlNGF6hfChpN0/s320/6012DWimage.jpg" width="213" /></a>I've challenged my eldest niece to write reviews of books she reads, and posting them on this blog and on bookseller sites, in exchange for food and drink from, say, Panera. (She's partial to their giant carrot cake portions and cold lemonade.) I figure that's a fair exchange for a teenager, especially one who point-blank says she can be bribed with edibles.<br />
<br />
We went to the Air Force base library last week, and looked for the works of authors she's heard me discuss, and we found a few novels but no complete series, until we happened upon <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Thomas_Batson" target="_blank">Wayne Thomas Batson</a>'s trilogy, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Door_Within_Trilogy" target="_blank">The Door Within</a>. I grabbed all three books off the shelf and plunked them into her arms. "Here. Read this."<br />
<br />
She looked momentarily bemused then smiled and shrugged, and we kept looking for more reading material. However, upon returning home, she almost immediately dove into the trilogy, and completed it in two days, but took a few days to compose notes into an orderly review. Here it is:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjU3LqKqRes2SmSPhpoj9NYzvjpM2MtmgSPWXXqKbRMkVVAz_2-b7PlAasjZh7_wgquyO3WvKKMnKvrRf3LXuNbpLYQ6pDiFPeM5Yi_p0_5a4i7tUy2vYArPdUBuxlSYfZPTSOaSfNf4/s1600/RiseofWyrmLord+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjU3LqKqRes2SmSPhpoj9NYzvjpM2MtmgSPWXXqKbRMkVVAz_2-b7PlAasjZh7_wgquyO3WvKKMnKvrRf3LXuNbpLYQ6pDiFPeM5Yi_p0_5a4i7tUy2vYArPdUBuxlSYfZPTSOaSfNf4/s320/RiseofWyrmLord+cover.jpg" width="214" /></a><br />
<br />
When Aidan's family moves to Colorado, it seems like the end of the world. Aidan has to leave everything he knows, including his only friends, to live with his wheelchair-bound grandfather. But when Aidan decides to explore the basement one afternoon, he finds the Scrolls, and the Story within them which turns out to be <i>very</i> real.<br />
<br />
Heeding his grandfather's advice, Aidan enters the Door Within, and embarks on the adventures of a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I recently borrowed The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson, and found it to be both exciting and well-written. The characters and setting are realistic and vividly described, and the people are just that -- ordinary people who behave in ordinary ways -- making them easy to relate to.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru4onEzfRLJxWEKV9cHp1l36fuQK0WHSJR7dd37DEIrw60IZoj8k7ghvGa0Zbi_G6jGJeebUm9dZw22j-jxgxT5yxHv2ifuGJZ82o64giivkotdbR33j94F0p_fxkgMOaZg99Ogbd9T8/s1600/FinalStorm+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru4onEzfRLJxWEKV9cHp1l36fuQK0WHSJR7dd37DEIrw60IZoj8k7ghvGa0Zbi_G6jGJeebUm9dZw22j-jxgxT5yxHv2ifuGJZ82o64giivkotdbR33j94F0p_fxkgMOaZg99Ogbd9T8/s320/FinalStorm+cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
While there was a spot or two where I had to stop and think a minute before I could picture something (and I can't say I enjoyed the part in the spider den!), the books are definitely among my favorites.<br />
<br />
There is plenty of adventure and suspense, but at the same time, an appropriate amount of wit and humor keeps the story fun in places where utter seriousness is not required.<br />
<br />
Also, there are some very good lessons on courage and faith to be learned from these books.<br />
<br />
Overall, I think that I would definitely purchase these books for myself to keep, and I would also recommend them to any other teens who are looking for good Christian fiction.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>-- review by "Jamie", age 14, avid reader</i></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-86061675167489354612012-09-13T19:23:00.000-05:002012-09-13T19:23:14.648-05:00The Saga of Davi Rhii, Books 1 & 2<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finding time for reading a book -- or a magazine, or all my e-mail -- shouldn't be such a fight, and it wasn't, once upon a time. I used to look at non-readers as if they were three-headed freaks. How could they <i>live</i>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But now I've pretty much joined them. For a writer and avid reader, editing as an occupation is akin to a gourmet foodie making a living as a cook at a greasy spoon: one's hunger increases even as one's stomach sours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks to recent conversations with a friend who recommended a couple science fiction novels, a fantasy featured in a blog tour last month, and a few more SF offerings written by acquaintances, my reading taste buds have been reawakened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, beginning at the bottom of my reading stack, with the volumes that have been longest in my queue, I offer as hors d'ouvres the first two books in <a href="http://www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/" target="_blank">Bryan Thomas Schmidt's</a> science fiction series, <i>The Saga of Davi Rhii</i>: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11621961-the-worker-prince" target="_blank"><i>The Worker Prince</i></a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12880402-the-returning" target="_blank"><i>The Returning</i></a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Excerpt from <a href="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/store/" target="_blank"><i>The Worker Prince</i></a>:</span><br />
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You’ve
got to be kidding me,” Yao muttered.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2j3wmhiKrouHjaQ3g7lSo5KYhVNmt-GPjHilCBlTjqiZ1r9Z3rba3aa_BftBq1er7w434k5rfqlPre5NIEYGLls9PeoQM1ZM6ToJqwcQElJaqfly50A49TOlHTsWPo9yzh-PipjXJVk/s1600/11621961-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="320" name="graphics1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2j3wmhiKrouHjaQ3g7lSo5KYhVNmt-GPjHilCBlTjqiZ1r9Z3rba3aa_BftBq1er7w434k5rfqlPre5NIEYGLls9PeoQM1ZM6ToJqwcQElJaqfly50A49TOlHTsWPo9yzh-PipjXJVk/s320/11621961-2.jpg" width="206" /></a>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Davi
turned to the cab-bot. “Please outrun that taxi and take us to the
north shore.”</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
cab-bot’s facial LEDs lit up in the shape of a smile. “I am</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">attempting
to adjust our velocity, sir.”</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
taxi jerked as Bordox rammed them again. Davi leapt over the safety
bar and pulled the manual override lever, pushing the cab-bot to one
side and placing himself at the controls.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do
you know how to drive this?” Vivi said, alarmed.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Davi’s
the top pilot in our class,” Farien said and smiled.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let’s
see what this thing is made of.” Davi began pushing buttons,
bringing the air taxi to a much faster speed.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bordox
launched another run at them, but Davi braked, and then slid in
behind him, taking an onramp back up onto the air highway overhead.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
he turned onto the onramp, Bordox’s frustrated face appeared in the
rearview mirror. Bordox’s bulky body looked ridiculous behind the
wheel of the air taxi. His dark beard couldn’t hide his aggravation
as he struggled to turn the air taxi around.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
they merged into traffic, Davi couldn’t see Bordox behind them.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maybe
we lost him,” Bela said.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
doubt it,” Yao said as he and Davi exchanged looks.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="background: #e6e6ff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
a moment, Davi saw another taxi racing up from behind. “Here he
comes.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background: #e6e6ff;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bryan takes the Old Testament story of Moses, sets it in the far future, and turns it into space opera -- with chase scenes. Some reviewers have complained about the overt Christian faith in the books, but I set those comments aside. After all, there are science fiction or fantasy novels with other religions, such as Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, pantheism, etc., as the dominant faiths, and I've read them just fine. (Hey, did any of those reviewers bother to point out that Moses is in the <i>Old</i> Testament, and therefore the faith of the workers/slaves would more closely associate with Judaism? Oh, well.) </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although my
internal editor itched to break out the red pencil and go to crazy,
fixing misplaced or missing punctuation and such, the story itself is a
quick, easy read that will appeal to adult and young adult audiences
alike. </span>
</div>
<br />
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">Excerpt from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Returning-Bryan-Thomas-Schmidt/dp/0984020942/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342229535&sr=8-2&keywords=bryan+thomas+schmidt" target="_blank"><i>The Returning</i></a>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4cccc;">
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: separate; display: table; height: 68px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><tbody style="width: 52px;">
<tr style="display: table-row; vertical-align: inherit;"><td align="left" height="68" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; display: table-cell; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" valign="top"><div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="display: block; line-height: 51.05pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 64pt;">E</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ither his eyes were failing or the shadows were alive. </span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Returning-Cover-front-only1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Returning-Cover-front-only1.jpg" width="208" /></a>Dru
blinked as he listened to his fellow cadets breathing and snoring
around him. He lay at the center of a row of seven bunks with seven more
lining the opposite wall. All twenty-eight were occupied and no one
else seemed to be stirring.</span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As
he lifted his head, he saw a dark shape like a shadow, slinking down
the center aisle. The figure moved quickly, sliding between the bunks on
the opposite wall and leaning over one of them. He saw a sharp
movement. Did the shadow have four arms? Who could it be? His mind raced
for answers. His clothes stuck to his body, an odd feeling. He never
sweated at night. There was a gargling, then he watched as the shadow
shot upright and ran back the way it had come. Dru heard wheezing coming
from the bunk and sat up, planting his feet on the floor. What was
happening with Cadet Kowl? He jumped up. “Kowl, are you ok?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No
sign of the shadow. A metallic smell filled his nostrils. Others
stirred around him. He heard a click as reflector pads flicked on
overhead.</span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Dru
gasped and stepped back as he stared down at Cadet Kowl's slashed
throat as blood drained from it into two pools on either side of his
bunk on the floor. He shivered, a sudden chill coming over him.</span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> “Gods!
He's dead!” The cadet behind him sounded as shocked as Dru felt. Cadet
Walz was it? Dru couldn't remember. Then chaos erupted as someone pulled
the alarm and he was shoved aside by arriving instructors.</span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In Bryan’s second novel,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Returning</i>, new challenges arise as Davi Rhii’s rival Bordox and his uncle, Xalivar, seek revenge for his actions in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Worker Prince</i>,
putting his life and those of his friends and family in constant
danger. Meanwhile, politics as usual has the Borali Alliance split apart
over questions of citizenship and freedom for the former slaves.
Someone’s even killing them off. Davi’s involvement in the investigation
turns his life upside down, including his relationship with his
fiancée, Tela. The answers are not easy with his whole world at stake.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="color: #cc0000; display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Author Spotlight</b></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="color: black; display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
</span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">Bryan Thomas Schmidt writes science fiction and fantasy, not only for grownups but for children, too. </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36DIHsZDl5cAQ7JlC_HriZHW3ktucbpv22JOT7SvYcU28zmE5ejvc_GgNCDzCCtz4mpp5c_IuXKPE6Zvygic1HnLXoRi9OM2ewVccoSFFK8Cjf_uJzs9aQgk22uJIsULel2DH1UQqW_E/s1600/3874125-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36DIHsZDl5cAQ7JlC_HriZHW3ktucbpv22JOT7SvYcU28zmE5ejvc_GgNCDzCCtz4mpp5c_IuXKPE6Zvygic1HnLXoRi9OM2ewVccoSFFK8Cjf_uJzs9aQgk22uJIsULel2DH1UQqW_E/s200/3874125-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">His goal? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">"To
write family friendly, fun stories both parents and children can enjoy
which inspire wonder and a desire for adventure and a lifetime of
learning. To write the kinds of stories that inspired me when I was
growing up, safe stories with fun, admirable characters, interesting
worlds, humor and action that you can’t put down and won’t easily
forget."</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">Bryan's favorite authors include </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">en, C.S. Lewis, John Grisham, W.E.B. Griffin, Nicholas Sparks, Timothy Zahn, Gail Carriger, A.C. Crispin, Leigh Brackett.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">He hosts </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht/" target="_blank"><b>#sffwrtcht</b></a></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;"> (Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Chat), a live chat with science fiction and fantasy authors, editors, etc., on </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">Wednesdays at 9 ET on <a href="https://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. <b>#sffwrtcht</b> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">also posts interviews and reviews on a blog, as well as at <a href="http://www.sfsignal.com/" target="_blank">SFSignal</a>, <a href="http://www.graspingforthewind.com/" target="_blank">Grasping For The Wind</a>, and other sites.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">Bryan's work includes novels, anthologies, and more: </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Saga of Davi Rhii: </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worker-Prince-Bryan-Thomas-Schmidt/dp/098402090X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">The Worker Prince</a></i> (October 2011</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Saga of Davi Rhii: </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Returning-Bryan-Thomas-Schmidt/dp/0984020942/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342229535&sr=8-2&keywords=bryan+thomas+schmidt" target="_blank">The Returning</a></i> (June 2012) </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><i>The North Star Serial, Part 1</i> (May 2009)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Space-Battles-Full-Throttle-Tales/dp/098459275X/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in" target="_blank">Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales 6</a></i> (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">editor & contributor)(April 2012)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Jokes For Kids</i> (Forthcoming 2012)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Worker Prince</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>made Honorable Mention on <a href="http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Explorations-The-BN-SciFi-and/The-Best-Science-Fiction-Releases-of-2011/ba-p/1241244" rel="nofollow" style="outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Barnes & Noble Book Clubs Year’s Best SF Releases of 2011</span></a><span style="line-height: 14px;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">A member of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://www.sfwa.org/">SFWA</a>, <a href="http://www.ascap.com/">ASCAP</a>, and CCL, Bryan is also available for conferences, and he moonlights as a freelance editor. He can be reached via <a href="http://www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/" target="_blank">his website</a>, where readers can catch up on <a href="http://www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/blog" target="_blank">his blog</a> or <a href="http://www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht" target="_blank">SFF Writers Chat</a>, buy his books, and read excerpts of novels. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-65676973682074750252012-08-22T17:47:00.001-05:002012-08-22T17:47:49.697-05:00Eye of the Sword - Day 3Ah, the end.<br />
<br />
Of the CSFF Blog Tour, I mean, not of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn-Henley/140411189331787?v=wall" target="_blank">Karyn Henley</a>'s <a href="http://www.karynhenleyfiction.com/Karyn_Henley_Fiction/welcome.html" target="_blank">Angelaeon Circle</a>. We're featuring the second in the series, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/" target="_blank">Eye of the Sword</a></i>, a well-paced novel peopled by angels, half-angels, and other fantastical beings.<br />
<br />
Concern has been expressed about the nature of angels in the book versus their portrayal in the Bible. I'm not going to address that discussion today, other than this comment I posted on <a href="http://annamittower.blogspot.com/2012/08/csff-blog-tour-eye-of-sword-review.html?showComment=1345494316607#c7661417788897269542" target="_blank">Anna Mittower's blog on Monday</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Gotta
be honest: I thought the pairing of harps with angels was cliched, but
the author went in an unexpected direction with both elements, so I was
more able to accept them occupying the same story. As for the portrayal
of angels, I immediately noticed the differences from the Biblical
angels, but </i>Eye of the Sword<i> is a novel, not Holy Writ, so I was able to
"go with it" during the story.</i></blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV2QIqJgNlONY8cE1e425s-JTpYa_XagA79AvBg7Qx-pZQXZ3dfOSJx96_N63mYZgX2yUKh795UZIFEKmp1uheB_yPDL8a7AQHv31-hq7ilNlazutNBZoBvboIurXgCKjhYBHyVifrD0/s1600/Eye_Sword_fb-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV2QIqJgNlONY8cE1e425s-JTpYa_XagA79AvBg7Qx-pZQXZ3dfOSJx96_N63mYZgX2yUKh795UZIFEKmp1uheB_yPDL8a7AQHv31-hq7ilNlazutNBZoBvboIurXgCKjhYBHyVifrD0/s320/Eye_Sword_fb-2.jpg" width="213" /></a>I would have liked to see angels who had nothing to do with harps, other than, say, collecting angel-and-harp jokes as a hobby.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, Henley doesn't set her angels in the clouds with nothing to do but strum Cupid-sized instruments. A trio of harps serves a distinct, necessary, life-and-death purpose for the angels:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"I don't know what the future holds. I have to find the kyparis harps and unite them, and what then?"</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>"The Wisdom Tree will be restored, the angels will have their stairway to heaven, and your task will be finished."</i></blockquote>
Some aspects of the novel caused a hitch in my step: angelic beings have auras, and there are characters ("elementals") who exist in or manipulate elements. Could just be me, but auras and elementals have the tang of New Age or pagan religions.<br />
<br />
But the elementals are cool characters -- I like them -- and the auras serve as identification among angels and Nephilim.<br />
<br />
As mentioned in a previous post, I enjoyed <i>Eye of the Sword</i> more than expected, and would (and will) recommend this series to other readers in search of an excellent tale.<br />
<br />
Visit these other stops on the blog tour for other perspectives on the novel:<br />
<a href="http://kinynchronicles.blogspot.com/">Julie Bihn</a>
<a href="http://tulipdrivenlife.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Fletcher Booher</a>
<a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a>
<a href="http://castlereads.blogspot.com/"> Jackie Castle</a>
<a href="http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com/"> Brenda Castro</a>
<a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a>
<a href="http://www.theiemommy.com/"> Christine</a>
<a href="http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/"> Theresa Dunlap</a>
<a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a>
<a href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/"> Victor Gentile</a>
<a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a>
<a href="http://thequietpen.wordpress.com/"> Janeen Ippolito</a>
<a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a>
<a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a>
<a href="http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/"> Emileigh Latham</a>
<a href="http://blackanddarknight.wordpress.com/"> Rebekah Loper</a>
<a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189"> Shannon McDermott</a>
<a href="http://www.domesticdissident.blogspot.com/"> Karen McSpadden</a>
<a href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/"> Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a>
<a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
<a href="http://annamittower.blogspot.com//"> Anna Mittower</a>
<a href="http://thebookfae.wordpress.com/"> Mirriam Neal</a>
<a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a>
<a href="http://labornotinvain.blogspot.com/"> Faye Oygard</a>
<a href="http://dadscancooktoo.com/"> Nathan Reimer</a>
<a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a>
<a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a>
<a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a>
<a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a>
<a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a>
<a href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/"> Shane Werlinger</a>
<a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a><br />
<br />
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-33836964479714618602012-08-21T14:15:00.001-05:002012-08-21T14:21:07.981-05:00Eye of the Sword - Day 2<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Raise the sword, Trevin," she said. "Look into it."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>With both hands he lifted the sword and stared at the reflection. Broad shoulders. Long hair gathered at the neck. His hands glowed like coals, the right one raised in the sign of the Tree. The face was his but more confident. Older. Wiser.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>He was certain the image did not show who he was now, but he could not deny that it showed the man he wanted to be.</i></blockquote>
After hearing me say good things about <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/" target="_blank">Eye of the Sword</a></i>, the second book in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn-Henley/140411189331787?v=wall" target="_blank">Karyn Henley</a>'s <a href="http://www.karynhenleyfiction.com/Karyn_Henley_Fiction/welcome.html" target="_blank">Angelaeon Circle</a>, my eldest niece asked to read it. She's fourteen, and we can't keep enough reading material. (Well, there'd be more, but I haven't unpacked all my books.) In her own words:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The story is very interesting, the characters are believable, the main character is someone I can relate to. He suffers from what we all suffer from: he feels he isn't good enough, and can't live up to who he wants to be because of things he's done.</i><br />
<br />
<i>The descriptions of people and places are clear, easy to understand, and good.</i></blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV2QIqJgNlONY8cE1e425s-JTpYa_XagA79AvBg7Qx-pZQXZ3dfOSJx96_N63mYZgX2yUKh795UZIFEKmp1uheB_yPDL8a7AQHv31-hq7ilNlazutNBZoBvboIurXgCKjhYBHyVifrD0/s1600/Eye_Sword_fb-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV2QIqJgNlONY8cE1e425s-JTpYa_XagA79AvBg7Qx-pZQXZ3dfOSJx96_N63mYZgX2yUKh795UZIFEKmp1uheB_yPDL8a7AQHv31-hq7ilNlazutNBZoBvboIurXgCKjhYBHyVifrD0/s320/Eye_Sword_fb-2.jpg" width="213" /></a>It bears repeating: "He suffers from what we all suffer from: he feels he isn't good
enough, and can't live up to who he wants to be because of things he's
done."<br />
<br />
Wow.<br />
<br />
Yup. I can totally identify.<br />
<br />
I liked Trevin, the main character, and his band of fellow travelers, and the fact that -- despite wings and harps and elementals -- Henley does a great job of turning ethereal creatures into flesh-and-blood people. <br />
<br />
My favorite part? The eye of the sword. It sees beyond the surface to the truth.<br />
<br />
Kinda reminds me of the old prophet, Samuel, coming to anoint the young shepherd boy, David. The kid wouldn't be king yet -- that was years in the future -- but Samuel didn't think he had the right stuff. God replied, "The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."<br />
<br />
More about <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/" target="_blank">Eye of the Sword</a></i> tomorrow; meantime, check out these other stops along the <a href="http://csffblogtour.com/" target="_blank">Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour</a>:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://kinynchronicles.blogspot.com/"> Julie Bihn</a>
<a href="http://tulipdrivenlife.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Fletcher Booher</a> <a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a>
<a href="http://castlereads.blogspot.com/"> Jackie Castle</a>
<a href="http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com/"> Brenda Castro</a>
<a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a>
<a href="http://www.theiemommy.com/"> Christine</a>
<a href="http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/"> Theresa Dunlap</a>
<a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a>
<a href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/"> Victor Gentile</a>
<a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a>
<a href="http://thequietpen.wordpress.com/"> Janeen Ippolito</a>
<a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a>
<a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a>
<a href="http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/"> Emileigh Latham</a>
<a href="http://blackanddarknight.wordpress.com/"> Rebekah Loper</a>
<a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189"> Shannon McDermott</a>
<a href="http://www.domesticdissident.blogspot.com/"> Karen McSpadden</a>
<a href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/"> Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a>
<a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
<a href="http://annamittower.blogspot.com//"> Anna Mittower</a>
<a href="http://thebookfae.wordpress.com/"> Mirriam Neal</a>
<a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a>
<a href="http://labornotinvain.blogspot.com/"> Faye Oygard</a>
<a href="http://dadscancooktoo.com/"> Nathan Reimer</a>
<a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a>
<a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a>
<a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a>
<a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a>
<a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a>
<a href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/"> Shane Werlinger</a>
<a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-10388047208904437782012-08-20T00:00:00.000-05:002012-08-20T01:11:08.689-05:00Eye of the Sword - Day 1<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Time was, time is, and time will be.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Thus starts the tale of the Wisdom Tree</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>and two brothers who rivals forever shall be.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- Dio's song, <i>Eye of the Sword</i></span></div>
<br />
<br />
Ever go to a movie, not expecting anything in particular but daring the movie makers to impress you?<br />
<br />
That's how I approached <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/" target="_blank">Eye of the Sword</a></i>, the second book in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn-Henley/140411189331787?v=wall" target="_blank">Karyn Henley</a>'s <a href="http://www.karynhenleyfiction.com/Karyn_Henley_Fiction/welcome.html" target="_blank">Angelaeon Circle</a>. Hey, it's a fantasy series about angels. I'm as apt to read that as I am to read a book about pixies. Impress me.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV2QIqJgNlONY8cE1e425s-JTpYa_XagA79AvBg7Qx-pZQXZ3dfOSJx96_N63mYZgX2yUKh795UZIFEKmp1uheB_yPDL8a7AQHv31-hq7ilNlazutNBZoBvboIurXgCKjhYBHyVifrD0/s1600/Eye_Sword_fb-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV2QIqJgNlONY8cE1e425s-JTpYa_XagA79AvBg7Qx-pZQXZ3dfOSJx96_N63mYZgX2yUKh795UZIFEKmp1uheB_yPDL8a7AQHv31-hq7ilNlazutNBZoBvboIurXgCKjhYBHyVifrD0/s320/Eye_Sword_fb-2.jpg" width="213" /></a>And that's what Henley did.<br />
<br />
I was immediately involved in the excellent writing, engaging characters, and intriguing story. Despite not having read the first book (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breath-Angel-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/0307730123" target="_blank"><i>Breath of Angel</i></a>), I was never lost. Necessary information was given to the reader as needed, and I never felt cheated that I reached the series late. A few chapters in, I never even missed the first book. Events from it are referenced so that they lend a sense of history -- even deep history -- behind the events of the current book.<br />
<br />
I'm an editor, though, so I rarely read purely for pleasure, even when that's my goal. One of the best ways for me to gauge a novel is how painless it is to read. During <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/" target="_blank">Eye of the Sword</a></i>, my internal editor conked out, lulled to sleep by writing free of the usual speed bumps: awkward phrasing, trippy words, illogical character actions, and bland, boring, or laughably bad dialogue. Although no particular passage stands out to me as memorable for its style, the writing is smooth, and there are scenes and images that stick in my mind.<br />
<br />
A note about style or voice: Neither of those elements should overwhelm the story. Style or voice should never become the star of the novel, but should serve the story. Therefore, when I say that no particular passage stands out due to style, that's not a bad thing. I'd rather have substance than pretty, pretty lights.<br />
<br />
More about <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/" target="_blank">Eye of the Sword</a></i> in the next couple of days; meantime, check out these other stops along the <a href="http://csffblogtour.com/" target="_blank">Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour</a>:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://kinynchronicles.blogspot.com/"> Julie Bihn</a>
<a href="http://tulipdrivenlife.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Fletcher Booher</a>
<a href="http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham</a>
<a href="http://castlereads.blogspot.com/"> Jackie Castle</a>
<a href="http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com/"> Brenda Castro</a>
<a href="http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman</a>
<a href="http://www.theiemommy.com/"> Christine</a>
<a href="http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/"> Theresa Dunlap</a>
<a href="http://in--and--out.blogspot.com/"> Cynthia Dyer</a>
<a href="http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/"> Victor Gentile</a>
<a href="http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart</a>
<a href="http://thequietpen.wordpress.com/"> Janeen Ippolito</a>
<a href="http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner</a>
<a href="http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen</a>
<a href="http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/"> Emileigh Latham</a>
<a href="http://blackanddarknight.wordpress.com/"> Rebekah Loper</a>
<a href="http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/?page_id=189"> Shannon McDermott</a>
<a href="http://www.domesticdissident.blogspot.com/"> Karen McSpadden</a>
<a href="http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/"> Meagan @ Blooming with Books</a>
<a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller</a>
<a href="http://annamittower.blogspot.com//"> Anna Mittower</a>
<a href="http://thebookfae.wordpress.com/"> Mirriam Neal</a>
<a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa</a>
<a href="http://labornotinvain.blogspot.com/"> Faye Oygard</a>
<a href="http://dadscancooktoo.com/"> Nathan Reimer</a>
<a href="http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder</a>
<a href="http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith</a>
<a href="http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson</a>
<a href="http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas</a>
<a href="http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower</a>
<a href="http://www.shanewerlinger.com/"> Shane Werlinger</a>
<a href="http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler</a>
Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-67152368599007889242012-07-24T17:50:00.001-05:002012-07-24T17:50:57.842-05:00Quick update: <a href="http://eastereditingservice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Penworthy</a> blog has re-published a blog post I originally wrote in February 2008 about <a href="http://eastereditingservice.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/fiction-calisthenics/" target="_blank">"Fiction Calisthenics"</a>. It's a short read about a quick exercise to warm up one's creativity or break out of a writing rut. Check it out!Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-37223148543649898482012-07-16T00:00:00.000-05:002012-08-11T01:20:38.956-05:00Science Fiction and Fantasy Author, Bryan Thomas Schmidt<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">Excerpt from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Returning-Bryan-Thomas-Schmidt/dp/0984020942/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342229535&sr=8-2&keywords=bryan+thomas+schmidt" target="_blank"><i>The Returning</i></a>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Ethnocentric; font-size: 64pt;">E</span><span style="font-size: 64pt;"></span></div>
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<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
ither his eyes were failing or the shadows were alive. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv3972926MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f4cccc; display: block; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Returning-Cover-front-only1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Returning-Cover-front-only1.jpg" width="208" /></a>Dru blinked as he listened to his fellow cadets breathing and snoring around him. He lay at the center of a row of seven bunks with seven more lining the opposite wall. All twenty-eight were occupied and no one else seemed to be stirring.</div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As he lifted his head, he saw a dark shape like a shadow, slinking down the center aisle. The figure moved quickly, sliding between the bunks on the opposite wall and leaning over one of them. He saw a sharp movement. Did the shadow have four arms? Who could it be? His mind raced for answers. His clothes stuck to his body, an odd feeling. He never sweated at night. There was a gargling, then he watched as the shadow shot upright and ran back the way it had come. Dru heard wheezing coming from the bunk and sat up, planting his feet on the floor. What was happening with Cadet Kowl? He jumped up. “Kowl, are you ok?”</div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No sign of the shadow. A metallic smell filled his nostrils. Others stirred around him. He heard a click as reflector pads flicked on overhead.</div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Dru gasped and stepped back as he stared down at Cadet Kowl's slashed throat as blood drained from it into two pools on either side of his bunk on the floor. He shivered, a sudden chill coming over him.</div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> “Gods! He's dead!” The cadet behind him sounded as shocked as Dru felt. Cadet Walz was it? Dru couldn't remember. Then chaos erupted as someone pulled the alarm and he was shoved aside by arriving instructors.</div>
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<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In Bryan’s second novel,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Returning</i>, new challenges arise as Davi Rhii’s rival Bordox and his uncle, Xalivar, seek revenge for his actions in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Worker Prince</i>, putting his life and those of his friends and family in constant danger. Meanwhile, politics as usual has the Borali Alliance split apart over questions of citizenship and freedom for the former slaves. Someone’s even killing them off. Davi’s involvement in the investigation turns his life upside down, including his relationship with his fiancée, Tela. The answers are not easy with his whole world at stake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Author Spotlight</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">
</span></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/BTS-author-photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/BTS-author-photo1.jpg" width="157" /></a><span style="font-size: normal;">Bryan Thomas Schmidt writes science fiction and fantasy, not only for grownups but for children, too. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">His goal? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">"To
write family friendly, fun stories both parents and children can enjoy
which inspire wonder and a desire for adventure and a lifetime of
learning. To write the kinds of stories that inspired me when I was
growing up, safe stories with fun, admirable characters, interesting
worlds, humor and action that you can’t put down and won’t easily
forget."</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">Bryan's favorite authors include </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">en, C.S. Lewis, John Grisham, W.E.B. Griffin, Nicholas Sparks, Timothy Zahn, Gail Carriger, A.C. Crispin, Leigh Brackett.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">He hosts </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht/" target="_blank"><b>#sffwrtcht</b></a></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;"> (Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Chat), a live chat with science fiction and fantasy authors, editors, etc., on </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">Wednesdays at 9 ET on <a href="https://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. <b>#sffwrtcht</b> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">also posts interviews and reviews on a blog, as well as at <a href="http://www.sfsignal.com/" target="_blank">SFSignal</a>, <a href="http://www.graspingforthewind.com/" target="_blank">Grasping For The Wind</a>, and other sites.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">Bryan's work includes novels, anthologies, and more: </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Saga of Davi Rhii: </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worker-Prince-Bryan-Thomas-Schmidt/dp/098402090X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">The Worker Prince</a></i> (October 2011</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Saga of Davi Rhii: </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Returning-Bryan-Thomas-Schmidt/dp/0984020942/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342229535&sr=8-2&keywords=bryan+thomas+schmidt" target="_blank">The Returning</a></i> (June 2012) </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><i>The North Star Serial, Part 1</i> (May 2009)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Space-Battles-Full-Throttle-Tales/dp/098459275X/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in" target="_blank">Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales 6</a></i> (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">editor & contributor)(April 2012)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Jokes For Kids</i> (Forthcoming 2012)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Worker Prince</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>made Honorable Mention on <a href="http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Explorations-The-BN-SciFi-and/The-Best-Science-Fiction-Releases-of-2011/ba-p/1241244" rel="nofollow" style="outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Barnes & Noble Book Clubs Year’s Best SF Releases of 2011</span></a><span style="line-height: 14px;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Projects Bryan is </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">currently </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">working on for future publication:</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Dawning Age
Trilogy</i>, </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">an epic fantasy series with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk" target="_blank">steampunk</a> elements</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Abraham Lincoln, Dinosaur Hunter</i>, chapter books for kids 6-12</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Saga of Davi Rhii: </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>The Exodus</i> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">World Encounters
Anthology (editor)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">One of Bryan's favorite quotes is this: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">“Concert pianists at the height of their fame practice every day, why shouldn’t writers?” – John A. Pitts</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: normal; line-height: 14px;">And, indeed, he's one of the steadiest writers I've encountered, whereas I am not so steady, writing when I can, schedule be damned. That's probably why he has far more fiction in print than I do. (There's a lesson in here somewhere, kiddos.)</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;">A member of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://www.sfwa.org/">SFWA</a>, <a href="http://www.ascap.com/">ASCAP</a>, and CCL, Bryan is also available for conferences, and he moonlights as a freelance editor. He can be reached via <a href="http://www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/" target="_blank">his website</a>, where readers can catch up on <a href="http://www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/blog" target="_blank">his blog</a> or <a href="http://www.bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht" target="_blank">SFF Writers Chat</a>, buy his books, and read excerpts of novels. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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</span></span>Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-16502320738412077862012-06-29T03:27:00.001-05:002012-06-29T03:39:41.731-05:007 Things I've Learned About Storytelling<div class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">
Below is an updated excerpt from a Q & A with a fellow writer who was looking to be inspired and to learn knew things for his own book. This was originally posted in April 2008; it came to mind again as I prepared for a presentation to a writers group. Sometimes, I need to be reminded of my own words, or take a refresher course in the basics of writing. Perhaps the lessons listed below might be of help to other writers, as well.</div>
<div class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></div>
<div class="post-header" style="color: black;">
</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Q) What useful things have you learned about creative writing in general from writing a novel? </span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />A)</span>
Though I've learned much from writing this book, I've also gleaned much
from other sources. Below are a few things I've gathered along the
journey.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
I copyedited manuscripts for a publisher. My job was to
find spelling, punctuation, usage, and subject/verb agreement
errors--all the boring stuff--but I also found paragraphs that should be
rearranged, or sentences that were awkwardly structured or misplaced.
Once phrases or entire <span style="color: black;">sentences were given new homes, the writing
flowed. It read well.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black;">LESSON ONE: </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black;">T</span>he boring stuff matters. Who cares how creative your stories are if you can't tell them coherently?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
I
also edit manuscripts writers are preparing to send to agents or
editors. Some writers have already been published, but for most this is
their first manuscript to be sent out into the world. They want "the
works" when it comes to editing/critiquing. From reading these
manuscripts, I've often learned what <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">not</span> to do in my own writing.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
If spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, dialogue, description, or some other basic element of storytelling makes you nervous, consult other writers, ask editors, or find resource materials (style books, online dictionaries, etc.).</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">LESSON TWO: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Read someone else's manuscript. Sometimes we are blind to our own words, and need the mirror of others to see our mistakes.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">LESSON THREE:</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The adage "show, don't tell" is valid</span>.
Sometimes, we need to tell the reader some information because we need
to condense time or space on the page, and move on to the next scene.
However, those times should be rare. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Never miss an opportunity to dramatize the story, make it come to life</span>.
Don't report dialogue; let us hear it. Don't tell us how characters
feel; show emotion in their actions, words, expressions, silences.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
For more along this line, check out Rebecca Miller's blog for a discussion of <a href="http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/scene-vs-narrative/">Scene vs. Narrative</a>.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black;">LESSON FOUR:</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Silence is golden</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span>
Sometimes, we writers fall so in love with our own words that we
disgorge them onto the page with abandon, without consideration to
whether or not they belong there. If we subject the reader to long
passages of poetic prose describing the countryside, he may give up on
the story altogether, or he may skip ahead to the good stuff, to where
something is actually happening. Interweave description with action.
Learn when to shut up.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Learn what to leave out</span>.
There is power in a character's pause, in the implied words he never
says, in the actions she almost takes. Go ahead, and lead the reader
toward a certain conclusion, but also leave something to the reader's
imagination; it will often be more powerful than any words we might use
to fill the gap.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">LESSON FIVE:</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Daydreaming is an active pursuit</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span>
To the untrained eye, you're lollygagging. You're sitting and staring
at the ceiling, out the window, into oblivion. You're watching paint
dry. No. Your mind is active. In your mind, warriors are scaling cliffs,
serial killers are stalking their next victims, a lover is desperately
trying to capture the girl's attention, the gunfight is about to
commence. Writers need time apart and alone in which to daydream. That's
part of telling the story.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black;">LESSON SIX:</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Patience is also an active pursuit</span></span>.
Sometimes, the words won't arrive when we need them. Sometimes
characters dig in their heels, stick out their chins, and refuse to
cooperate. They say things that raise our eyebrows or do things that
startle the rest of the fictional populace. When this happens, don't
scrap the work. Stop. Reflect. Consider the alternatives. Go with
it--see where this leads. Go backward--see if you took a wrong turn.
Most often, I see where the new road takes me, and I am rarely sorry.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
Sometimes,
you realize you've taken on a task bigger than you expected. (That's what happened to me with this current project). It expands like
some sort of alien goo. How are you going to tell a story that's so big
you stagger under its weight?</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
You can only do what you can do.
You start. Perhaps you produce a timeline so that you know what happens
next, who enters the story and where. Perhaps you outline the plot--as a
whole, or chapter by chapter, or scene by scene. Perhaps you just wing
it (my most-used strategy), and you write about this group of characters
and their problems and desires, then you bring in other groups or
events, and so on, and weave the tangled threads as you go. Perhaps you
adopt an eclectic approach: seat-of-the-pants mixed with a little
outlining here and there, and sometimes a timeline to help orient
yourself.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">However you approach it, don't give up</span>.
I've been with the basic kernel of this story for about twelve years,
wrote other stuff and tinkered with this one, but didn't get serious for
a long time because it was hard work. The story, however, wouldn't let
me go. January 1, 2008, the first manuscript in the cycle was completed,
and now I'm three-fourths of the way through the second one. Patience
is an active verb.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black;">LESSON SEVEN: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Be true to the story</span></span>.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Don't let others write it for you.</span>
Sometimes, we ask for the opinions of other writers, and their version
of an edit or a critique is to rewrite the story in their image. Help is
one thing; control is another. A good editor will hunker down inside
your story, get a feel for it, try to look at the story's world through
your eyes, then help you tell that story and reveal that world as best
as possible. He won't take over and turn the tale into something it was
never intended to be.</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Go ahead, have a theme, but don't turn your fiction into a pulpit</span>.
This goes back to Lessons Three and Four: "Show, don't tell" and
"Silence is golden." You may want to dramatize a family breaking apart,
or a person being lured into an abusive relationship, or maybe you're
going for a broader effect, such as nations at war, the politics of
poverty, and so on. Perhaps you have experienced something similar, and
the idea about which you write is a personal thing. You have strong
feelings about it, or strong beliefs. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Tell us a story, but don't tell us what to think, believe, or feel</span>.
A reader's imagination, personal experiences, and beliefs will do that
job. He may disagree. That's okay. But, if you do your job well, he may
keep reading until the end. What more can a storyteller ask?</div>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
Lastly,
don't let others tell you it can't be done, it won't sell, you'll never
finish, it's no good, whatever. If you--the author--believe in your
story, if it grabs you by the collar and drags you to the finish, then
it must be written, even if it won't sell or it's not good. You need to
ask yourself why you're writing it in the first place. Perhaps it's not
intended for the world. Perhaps it's the thing you must write before you
can write something else. Many bestselling authors have years of work
hidden in a filing cabinet or a cardboard box, piles of pages, thousands
of words, that the world will never see. Those are the training
manuscripts. Don't be afraid to write a few.</div>Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-22561841085375500732012-06-20T11:20:00.000-05:002012-06-20T11:23:03.583-05:00Lessons from LittlestTook a walk Monday afternoon with Littlest, who is not quite two. Wouldn't ya know it? She chooses the rattiest looking daisy to admire while telling me how pretty the flowers are.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qFyKkwRkZY45w18QQlh1R_Wda2dYMfXFZv-2BJX5PT6qgFv6G5X0OMGpqn7LH4YtTwMUydpBuYgtw7mdS2xH8E4qSZ55FAKefA8KGiZaduhtIkok_tovi96pfyZFuKep9JNGIBuqeQ4/s1600/IMG_5500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qFyKkwRkZY45w18QQlh1R_Wda2dYMfXFZv-2BJX5PT6qgFv6G5X0OMGpqn7LH4YtTwMUydpBuYgtw7mdS2xH8E4qSZ55FAKefA8KGiZaduhtIkok_tovi96pfyZFuKep9JNGIBuqeQ4/s400/IMG_5500.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>in the backyard c. KB, June 2012</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Reminds me of God: He created us, and there's sure some uglies in the bunch -- I'm talking behavior more than appearance -- but taken all together, we're a beautiful sight.<br />
<br />
Littlest then tries to pick a daisy, but she doesn't have the strength to do more than pop it's head off if she pulls any harder, so she looks up at me and asks for help. Of course, I choose a nice specimen.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfSchMsqluxZHQdPnDpee5REyKixxa3APl71u87ew3MVTch_2DdjH0pe6a4UCy3PUnKkQ-QpaBrtkaE45eQ9UOskAjrYT7nknFjFiravluCp7TKORePk-hj114XC4QFtNCPZR8dKbC3o/s1600/IMG_5507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfSchMsqluxZHQdPnDpee5REyKixxa3APl71u87ew3MVTch_2DdjH0pe6a4UCy3PUnKkQ-QpaBrtkaE45eQ9UOskAjrYT7nknFjFiravluCp7TKORePk-hj114XC4QFtNCPZR8dKbC3o/s400/IMG_5507.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>c. KB, June 2012</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Again, reminds me of God. He wants only the best for us. Sometimes, though, we're content with the rattiest we can find.<br />
<br />
"Best" doesn't always mean shiniest, newest, biggest, costliest. A walk with a child is free. So is time, laughter, patience, companionship, a listening ear. Sometimes, the hardest to do and the most difficult to give is a shut mouth. Do we <i>really</i> need to express every thought in our heads?<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBYMnFwDx8hdnr2lEO99FSkTBAKo4VFU1wzFYel4C14Bvk65eKwf_zBYR9vko7FEWXgnK4KRB6lWsNtjBI8i8DWgtTqmVJpzJ6idmO01eWFw7BtOtegLPQqNQAqkXQIsZEy6TKUl6esY/s1600/IMG_5493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBYMnFwDx8hdnr2lEO99FSkTBAKo4VFU1wzFYel4C14Bvk65eKwf_zBYR9vko7FEWXgnK4KRB6lWsNtjBI8i8DWgtTqmVJpzJ6idmO01eWFw7BtOtegLPQqNQAqkXQIsZEy6TKUl6esY/s400/IMG_5493.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>c. KB, June 2012</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black;">
Sometimes, the best thing is a session of sidewalk chalk in the driveway.
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">"What
you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create
anyway."</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>(credited to Mother Teresa)
</i></blockquote>
</div>Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656035854180770700.post-75593763476623104082012-06-19T23:56:00.003-05:002012-06-19T23:56:50.585-05:00Animal Control, or How to Remove A Squirrel Trapped in Your Fireplace (redux)In honor of my brother's return to the States for a brief R&R, here's a re-post of a funny-but-true experience he had a couple years ago when an uninvited guest invaded the fireplace. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;">
<b>How to remove a squirrel trapped in your fireplace in 12 easy steps</b>:</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.about-squirrels.com/graphics/squirrel-hp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.about-squirrels.com/graphics/squirrel-hp.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.about-squirrels.com/"><i>http://www.about-squirrels.com/</i></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 1</span>: Call pest removal service and get a quote.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 2</span>: Have your spouse resuscitate you after you hear price quote.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step
3</span>: Repeat steps 1 and 2 until every pest removal service in the phone
book has been contacted or until you understand that the lowest price
quote is still going to be over $100.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 4</span>: Contemplate purchasing commercially available trap.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 5</span>: Decide $25 is still too much to pay and retrieve cage of your late hamster.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 6</span>: Place cracked corn inside of cage, attach wire to door for remote closure, place cage (quickly) into fireplace.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 7</span>: After about 12 hours of waiting, realize that the squirrel is NOT falling for it.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 8</span>: Add seeds to cage and cover the cage with old tee-shirts to make it dark and cozy.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 9</span>: Accept the fact that the squirrel will NEVER enter your trap.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 10</span>: Lose patience with squirrel, get out flashlight, lantern, digital camera, and canned air.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 11</span>: Harass squirrel mercilessly. This part is fun.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 12</span>: Fear is good motivator. The squirrel exits back up the chimney the way he came in. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;">
<b>7 Things I learned while trying to evict a squirrel</b>:</div>
<br />
1. A squirrel can growl.<br />
2. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1277663040_0" style="border-bottom: 2px dotted rgb(54, 99, 136); cursor: pointer;">Squirrels</span> do not like flash photography.<br />
3. Squirrels will stare you down.<br />
4. Squirrels jump when sprayed with canned air. <br />
5. Angry/scared squirrels in confined spaces can be quite entertaining.<br />
6. Trapped squirrels are not fond of yelling, running children.<br />
7. With enough motivation a squirrel can clear obstacles that were previously insurmountable.<br />
<br />
<br />
"I
made the mistake of leaving the shirt in the fireplace," said Bubba,
"because he (the squirrel) just wallered it around until he made a cozy
nest and went to sleep. He stopped trying to escape."<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Here's a Sunday sermon:</span><i><b><span style="color: #990000;"> <span style="color: #cc0000;">Even if your captivity is comfortable, you're still not free.</span></span></b></i><br />
<br />
In
addition to the above observation about no longer trying to escape, my
wise younger brother said this several months ago: "When you get to the
point that <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> is
unacceptable, you take steps to change it. But you don't change until
your dissatisfaction with where you are outweighs the risk of stepping
out on faith." <i>(Context can be read <a href="http://adventuresinfiction.blogspot.com/2009/06/taking-risks-part-2.html">here</a>.)</i><br />
<br />
Amen, brother. Amen.Keanan Brandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12638962927055276969noreply@blogger.com0