tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44566685446932480392024-03-18T23:55:53.717-04:00The Enchanted InkpotAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01918754552937294606noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-40683599830052041892014-10-01T07:00:00.000-04:002014-10-01T10:06:07.915-04:00INTERVIEW WITH SANDRA WAUGH AUTHOR OF LARK RISING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lark has foreseen two things—she
will fall for a young man with sage green eyes, and he will kill her.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sixteen-year-old Lark Carew is
happiest close to home, tending her garden and gathering herbs for medicines.
But when her Sight warns her that monsters called Troths will soon invade her
village, Lark is summoned on a journey to seek help from the legendary Riders
of Tarnec. Little does she suspect that one of the Riders, Gharain, is the very
man who has haunted her visions. Or that the people of Tarnec have called her
there for another reason: Lark is the Guardian of Life, the first of four
Guardians who must awaken their powers to recover four stolen amulets.
Together, the amulets—Life, Death, Dark, and Light—keep the world in Balance.
To take back the Life amulet, Lark will have to discover her true inner
strength and give in to a love that she swears will be her downfall.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(From Goodreads)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And now, it is my great pleasure to
introduce my fellow inkpot member, the immensely talented Sandra Waugh! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As you know, I loved LARK RISING!
How did you come up with such an interesting and fresh premise? </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>That a
hawk stopped by on my porch one morning is old news by now, but truly—that was what
that tied together loose threads of a story I’d been trying to understand</i>. <i>I sat down and wrote the first pages based
on that brief moment and the rest followed, fleshed out over many, many
lawnmowings (I think it’s also old news that I work out my stories while mowing
the lawn!). I followed a classic fantasy
trajectory but hopefully (as you say!) from a fresh perspective. It follows from all that mowing that so much
of the story is about Nature and the fragility of Balance.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I work out most of my stories
walking my dog, so I totally understand that!
Your fantasy world is so unique. I loved Lark’s connection to the earth
and all of her creatures. The world was
both achingly beautiful, and at times, terrifying. Can you describe your world building for us?</span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It’s just past my
doorstep. I live in an old house with
about four acres of grass and garden and woods—it’s my job (beyond just
lawnmowing) to try and hold back the wilderness. It’s basically impossible. But
even so, I kind of love the challenge because it has brought me up close and
personal with my surroundings on a daily basis. I’ve watched Nature struggle
and thrive, and some of the most beautiful moments—the first spring crocus, the
fattest wild autumn raspberries; discovering a hummingbird moth (who KNEW there
are such things as hummingbird moths!) or watching a crowd of fireflies dancing
above the back field. There are, too, the dark things (hearing the coyotes at
night closing in for a kill, or finding too late a vine has sucked the life
from a tree) But… the magic is right there in all of it.</span></i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, you’ve certainly woven those
elements of danger and beauty into LARK RISING.
I love that your magical world is really just a version of the one out
your window! One of my favorite parts of LARK RISING was the heart pounding
climax. I could not stop reading! Lark, who begins her journey as a timid girl
who loves to toil in the garden and spend her time with her cousin, Evie, and her
grandmother, must dig deep within herself and find the courage to face her
fate, and the dangers that come with it.
Was the climax hard to write? </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Actually, I think it was my favorite part! I
love action, and heart-in-mouth threat. I also love that Lark had grown enough
to face such threat. And I loved her bravery in those moments<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>. But… there are some very sad moments as well
and so admittedly I was often choked up</i> <i>while
working.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I shed a few
tears while reading it, too! Which is your favorite character from this book,
and why? <i>They are all favorites—after
all, good or bad, you have to love your characters! But today I’ll choose the Bog Hag. I had the
best time writing her—all knobs, and sticks, and rage, and glee. She flew onto
the page.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which
character are you most like? Or who would you like to be friends with? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>There
are pieces of me in every character, but I am probably closest to Lark, and so
I would love to have as my friends her best friends: Evie and Quin. They are free where she is not. They can cajole her out of her timidity as
well as shield in difficult situations. And
best—they are true of heart.</i></span><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I would love to have all three of
them as friends! I can’t wait to read
the sequel (hand raised to interview you again!), which focuses on Lark’s
cousin, Evie, who must take back the amulet of Death. Can you give us a hint of what we can expect
from SILVER EVE? </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Well… here’s a bit of blurb</i>: <i>A
Healer without home or purpose Evie Carew has found the perfect place to
disappear: Rood Marsh. She can easily fade into the vast wilderness of reeds
and leave behind the violence now claiming her innocent world; leave behind the
tragedy that broke her heart. But the
girl is not alone in the marsh. A Rider, a seer, and Breeders of Chaos all seek
her, for they know something she does not—Evie is one of the Guardians, one who
can help save the world from the coming destruction by reclaiming the amulet of
Death. But fulfilling her destiny, meeting true love or a brutal death, is a
matter of who finds her first.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And now, a few questions for our
readers to get to know you better!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Book: <i>Pride
and Prejudice, Jane Austen<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Quote: <i>‘I say
there is no darkness but ignorance.’ Twelfth Night, IV, ii<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsquN9TJsLhiJpTwl198FYTUV0F06Awh_sRVdhdDSioYxFLtQuB3aZ2bm7Kccs7vMLuWsFB4ms-RgWM-LWTIPb-mZTQuDM0-cDLwBq4jugoNFM8J_JlU_mmNQzHPps3bQWr-ekK7KQog/s1600/sandrawaugh.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/AVvXsEjCsquN9TJsLhiJpTwl198FYTUV0F06Awh_sRVdhdDSioYxFLtQuB3aZ2bm7Kccs7vMLuWsFB4ms-RgWM-LWTIPb-mZTQuDM0-cDLwBq4jugoNFM8J_JlU_mmNQzHPps3bQWr-ekK7KQog/s1600/sandrawaugh.jpg" height="200" width="186" /></a><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Food: <i>crusty</i>
<i>baguette<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Ice Cream: <i>Rum
Raisin</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Place: <i>England.
All of it.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks so much, Sandra! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can find Sandra on her website
(</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://sandrawaugh.com/"><span style="background: white;">http://sandrawaugh.com/</span></a><span style="background: white;">) and </span>on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandra-Waugh/487837647957548" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/sandrajwaugh" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5875014.Sandra_Waugh" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/sandrajwaugh/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> or <a href="http://sandrajwaugh.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Erin Cashmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155324425606457077noreply@blogger.com98tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-24080191221457260682014-08-25T13:55:00.000-04:002014-08-25T13:55:06.282-04:00Child of Two Cultures, by Lou Anders, Author of Frostborn
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It's my pleasure to introduce our readers to Lou Anders, Hugo award winning editorial director of Pyr Books, and author of Frostborn. <b> </b></div>
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<b>Child of Two Cultures </b></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">“</span>Your mamma<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>s not American. She
doesn<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>t look American.<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">”</span></div>
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Those words were said to my son by another little boy on his
little league team. I didn<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>t know until afterwards, or I would
have had a few things to say. About how long my wife worked to become American.
About the interviews, the exams, the travel, the expense. About how maybe
working your tail off for something counted more than just being handed it at
birth. But really all I should have addressed is that absurd idea that there<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>s
a single American look. </div>
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When the President was elected, a family friend, who I<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>m
pretty sure voted against him and doesn<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>t like his politics very much,
nonetheless wrote to say how glad she was that my children had a biracial man
in the highest office in the land to inspire them. I appreciated her words,
particularly her choice of the word <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">“</span>biracial.<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span>Not just a black man, which was
historic enough, but a biracial man.</div>
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<i>Frostborn</i> is my first book, so you can imagine it means a
lot to me. But mixed in with all that debut author excitement is my happiness
at being able to give a gift to my children. I wanted to write a story that my
kids could see themselves reflected in, a story for boys and girls both. My son
is an obsessive gamer, and so, too, Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. You don<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>t
have video games in the year 986 AG in the land of Norr<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">ø</span>ngard, so he plays
a board game called Thrones & Bones every chance he gets. My daughter is a
tornado. She<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>s the youngest by several years, but I frequently have to order
her to quit pounding on him. For her, I wanted to write a girl a strong female
character, someone who was absolutely a co-lead, not simply relegated to the
role of sidekick. And while Karn is a blond haired, blue eyed lad of what we<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>d
equate with Scandinavian stock, Thianna is a child of two cultures. Her father
is a frost giant, and her mother hails from<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">—</span>well, that<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>s
actually a secret in book one, but her dark hair, dark eyes, and olive
complexion hint at what we<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>d call a Mediterranean heritage. </div>
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Thianna is also seven feet tall. Which you might think is pretty
big for a twelve year old, but in the frost giant village where she lives, it<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>s
actually pretty short. Her darker appearance and her size mark her as different
from her peers, and several of them<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">—</span>one in particular<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">—</span>make
her life miserable as a result. How she deals with this, as well as her own
struggle to appreciate the differences she has always despised, is why I think
so many readers are already embracing her so fiercely. I think struggles to fit
in, or not to, resonate with all of us, whether our eyes are blue or brown. And
as I write this I<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>m realizing I didn<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>t
just write <i>Frostborn</i> for my own kids. I wrote it for that little boy in
Little League who thinks there<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span>s only one kind of American. I hope <i>Frostborn</i>
is a better response than the one I would have given that day.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Lou Anders's research on Norse mythology while writing
<i>Frostborn</i> turned into a love affair with Viking culture and a first
visit to Norway. He hopes the series will appeal to boys and girls equally.
Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art
direction. He has published over 500 articles and stories on science fiction
and fantasy television and literature. <i>Frostborn</i>, which <i>Publishers
Weekly</i> described as </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">thoroughly enjoyable</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(starred review), is
his first middle grade novel. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends
writing conventions around the country. He and his family reside in Birmingham,
Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com,
on </span>
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Ello - Ellen Ohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18311917335471167591noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-62107764326746318952014-08-06T05:00:00.000-04:002014-08-06T07:54:32.575-04:00Interview with Mary G. Thompson, author of Evil Fairies Love Hair<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Today it’s my pleasure to interview fellow Enchanted
Inkpot member, Mary G. Thompson, about her latest novel, EVIL FAIRIES LOVE HAIR!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.booksofwondershop.com/images/products/detail/evilfairies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.booksofwondershop.com/images/products/detail/evilfairies.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here’s a brief description:</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>What if you could get your fondest wish? You could
be gorgeous, brilliant, a star athlete, or a great singer, or you could put a
hex on your worst enemy. And all you have to do is raise a flock of
two-inch-tall fairies. Easy, right?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> Wrong.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> Ali
learns this the hard way when her flock starter fairies get to work. Raising
them means feeding them, and what they eat is hair. Lots and lots of human
hair.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> Where
to get the hair is Ali’s first challenge. What about the beauty salon? Easy,
right? . . .<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> Before
long, Ali’s friends, classmates, teachers, sister, and parents are entangled
with the evil fairies, who have their own grandiose and sinister agenda. It’s
up to Ali to overcome these magical troublemakers and set things right.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Hi Mary! First, let me tell you how much I loved
EVIL FAIRIES LOVE HAIR! What a unique spin on fairy lore. We have seen many types of fairies in
children’s literature, but none like this one! The fairies were deliciously
evil, yucky and hysterical – and I don’t think I’ve ever used those words to
describe the same thing before! Where did you come up with the idea of these
sneaky, hair loving fairies praying on the deepest hopes and wishes of
children?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like most of my ideas, the fairies sort of popped
into existence out of nowhere. I was on the subway one night and the title
“Evil Fairies Love Hair” popped into my mind. I wrote the opening scene in my
notebook on the way home. The idea of growing fairies by feeding them hair
seemed perfectly natural to me, and who wouldn’t do it for their fondest wish?
I’d probably do it for nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>I would too! And I love the title by the way! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>I was immediately captivated by the richly painted
fairy world, with all of its rules – including a contract and a rule book! How did you create this fairy society? What was your world building process like? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, being evil, the fairies had to have a scheming
leader, in this case, the pompous and self-aggrandizing Bunniumpton, who likes
to be called “Grand Miss Coiffure.” But I liked the idea that even though the
fairies have magic, they don’t really control anything about the magical world.
They are subject to rules just as much as the kids are, and the rules of the
magical world are mysterious and nonsensical to us mortals. I wanted to create
a world in which nobody can ever truly get the upper hand. If you think you
have things under control, you will be humorously knocked off your pedestal. The
adults have no idea what the kids are doing, the kids have no idea what the
fairies are really doing, and the fairies are doing magic they don’t fully
understand. So my world building was all about ensuring that everyone had just
enough information so that all the right things could go wrong. The whole world
is saying, “don’t take yourselves too seriously.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>I loved Ali, the protagonist, and I’m sure readers
will easily relate to her and her insecurities. Who hasn’t lived in a shadow of
a star sibling or friend? And Michael
was such a great contrast to her. All of the characters were so well
developed. Which character in the novel
do you relate to the most? And which one
was the hardest to write?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It would be hard to deny that Ali is sort of based
on me. Everyone who knows me exclaims that the cover looks exactly like me!
Unlike Ali, I never had a problem with my grades, but my fondest wish would be
to be smarter. You can never be smart enough, in my opinion. I wouldn’t say any
of the characters were hard to write. Maybe the perfect little girl who
torments Bunny. I hated her too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>In this book nothing as it seems. The good kids aren’t really as good as you
think, and the bad kids aren’t really as bad as you (and the adults!) think,
and the adults that are supposed to be keeping an eye on the kids are clueless.
There are so many twists and turns, and yet it is such a funny story. I laughed out loud many times while reading
this! Was it hard to keep track of it
all and weave the fantasy, humor and exciting plot together? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wouldn’t really say it was hard. Humor, if it
works, just sort of happens in the flow of things. Most of the adults’ cluelessness
and the plot twists came from what seemed funny to me and what made me
laugh. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>I loved watching Ali learn that she had to rely on
herself and her own cleverness to foil the evil fairy plot. To me, the real
magic occurs when she believes in herself.
This is far from a preachy book, but is there something in particular
you would like readers to take away from the novel?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The truth is, I just want people to laugh. Yeah,
believe in yourself, don’t believe magical creatures, be true to your friends …
but mostly, laugh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Well, I certainly laughed while reading the book,
and I’m sure everyone else will, too! As the story progressed, the kids in the
book re-evaluated what a wish is worth, what the price is, and if they really
wanted their wish to come true. The book
explores the idea of careful what you wish for – you just might get it. If those evil fairies gave you one wish, what
would it be?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If I had to stick to the fairies’ list of options,
I’d wish to be smarter. Like Ali says in the book, don’t go wasting your wish
on a hex! If you’re smart, you can find a way to get all your other wishes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Very good advice! What are you working on now? (if
you feel comfortable sharing that)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have many irons in the fire. Watch this space!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>We will! Thanks so much, Mary!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Erin Cashmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155324425606457077noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-68707465319979952082014-07-09T10:13:00.003-04:002014-07-09T10:13:57.954-04:00Interview with Rosamund Hodge, author of Cruel Beauty<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I am
thrilled to welcome to the Inkpot Rosamund Hodge, whose debut YA fantasy CRUEL BEAUTY was
released earlier this year. I am completely in love with this spectacular book.
If you like fairy tale retellings, complicated heroines, unique
worldbuilding, or tough romances, this book is for you. (Even if you don't, it
might still be for you. It's that good!)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0E3w9-lrIuzD0vm9RxjGsquT_7iP-6q5du38X8NgUli7bxDsFEhUbUpGaBxtwY8dQLiTW7lASxhsclbdPTUgB_YYhCtHhroumigYu6k3dWaqyC_4oKuIEcI338yOnEblFWKKGM0cY-VA/s1600/Cruel+Beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0E3w9-lrIuzD0vm9RxjGsquT_7iP-6q5du38X8NgUli7bxDsFEhUbUpGaBxtwY8dQLiTW7lASxhsclbdPTUgB_YYhCtHhroumigYu6k3dWaqyC_4oKuIEcI338yOnEblFWKKGM0cY-VA/s1600/Cruel+Beauty.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
Cruel Beauty read to me like a re-telling mash-up of Bluebeard, Persephone, and
possibly some other fairy tales as well. Did you plan it that way? If so, which
legend was the spark that started the story?</span></b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Oh,
yes, the mash-up was completely intentional—crazy potpourri is one of my
favorite styles of writing—and the spark was realizing how some of the legends
were connected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">True
confession time: when I was a child, I actually was not a big fan of Beauty and
the Beast. I liked it just fine, but it felt like nothing special to me.
(Heresy, I know.) What I did love was the Greco-Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche.
Briefly—an oracle tells the king he has to sacrifice his daughter to a
“monster.” But the daughter, Psyche, isn’t devoured by a beast as she expects;
instead, the wind carries her to a strange palace with invisible servants who
tell her that she is a bride. And every night her husband comes to visit
her—but he forbids her to see his face. When her jealous sisters persuade her
light a candle anyway, she discovers that he’s Cupid, the god of love. But
because she broke his command, he becomes a prisoner of his mother Venus, and
Psyche must complete a series of impossible tasks—ultimately going to the Underworld—in
order to free him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As much
as I loved the story of Cupid and Psyche, I never planned to write a retelling
of it. In a way, it felt too perfect: what could I add? Then a few years ago, I
read the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which is basically a
half-and-half mix of Beauty and the Beast with Cupid and Psyche. (The girl
marries a polar bear, who turns out to be an enchanted prince trying to escape
the princess of trolls.) Suddenly I realized that all three stories were the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>same</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>story, working itself out in different
ways. That was when Beauty and the Beast became truly interesting to me, and
that was the birth of Cruel Beauty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
didn't even realize East of the Sun, West of the Moon was in there! That's
another of my favorite fairy tales.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
world-building in Cruel Beauty is really unique (side note: seriously,
everyone, you will not find anything like it anywhere). Its basis, though, is
ancient Greece. How did you decide to base your world there? What kind of
research did you do?</span></b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">This is
going to sound terrible, but I didn’t actually do much research. That’s because
the world-building in Cruel Beauty isn’t intellectual so much as aesthetic.
It’s an alternate Earth, but it isn’t the kind has a rigorously worked-out
alternate history (like in Kate Elliot’s marvellous Cold Magic, for instance).
Instead, the purpose of the world-building is to provide an appropriate
atmosphere for the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I knew
the world had to be vaguely Greco-Roman, because of the Cupid and Psyche
elements. But I also knew that it had to be vaguely Victorian, because Cruel
Beauty is a mad, passionate melodrama, and you can’t do that properly without
corsets and brooding Victorian houses. So I just threw all those elements in a
blender. My “research” was basically a core dump of all the Greco-Roman
material I had absorbed through a childhood obsession with mythology and a high
school/college career that spent a lot of time on the Classics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It
doesn't sound terrible at all - it sounds refreshing! I tend to agree that the
primary purpose of world-building is to serve the story. (And by the way, I've
heard Megan Whalen Turner say more or less the same thing...)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
absolutely love your fierce main character. How did you manage to write a
character simultaneously so full of hatred and so likable?</span></b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">That’s
kind of a funny question to me, because when I was writing Cruel Beauty, I
actually tried very hard not to make Nyx too likable, and I ended up breaking
my original outline to do it! But I did still want her to be sympathetic, and I
guess the main thing I did was try to make her aware of when she was being
hateful. I ended up drawing a lot on my own teenaged experience when writing
her. I had a very happy childhood and my parents hardly ever sold me to demon
princes. But I did have a bad temper, so I had a lot of experience with being
furious while knowing I had no<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>right</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to be furious. Back then, I would have
loved to read about a heroine who struggled with her anger the way I did. So I
tried to create that with Nyx. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I think
you did a great job. I also love the character of the sister, especially the
way my perception of her changed throughout the novel. Any insight into her?</span></b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I have
issues with the “sweet young innocent” character archetype. It used to be that
a lot of authors and readers idolized them because they were too preciously
good for this world. (Think of almost any 19th century novel.) Now a lot of
authors and readers seem to hate them because they’re too stupid and weak for
this world. (Think of how most people talk about Fanny Price in Mansfield
Park.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I
dislike both approaches, because they both assume that being innocent and kind
means you have no interior life. You’re just a symbol, either of purity or
stupidity, and either way you’re not a person. And that’s pernicious nonsense.
Being innocent and sheltered does not make you less of a person. It also
doesn’t mean you escaped psychological damage, or that you have no capacity for
darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">So when
I wrote Nyx’s sister Astraia, I wanted to create a character who was not only
innocent in many ways, but who had been treated by her family as the precious,
sacred innocent to be preserved at all costs—and who had been damaged by that
protection almost as much as Nyx was damaged by trying to give it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Finally,
I know you're working on a new book -- are there any hints about it you can
share?</span></b><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The new
book is called Crimson Bound, and I just finished edits on it last week! It’s
not connected to Cruel Beauty at all, except that it’s another fairy tale
fusion. In this case, it’s inspired by Little Red Riding Hood and The Girl With
No Hands. The heroine is a girl who trained all her life to fight the dark
magic overtaking her world, only to end up bound to it instead. Then she gets
one last chance to fight back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I can't wait! Thank
you so for a fascinating interview.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Leah Cypesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11123736070369470635noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-89592513230741526092014-06-21T13:52:00.000-04:002014-06-21T13:52:16.274-04:00Summer ShamelessnessWell, Inkpot fans, it's officially summer! That means hot days, reading by the pool, and a whole new batch of shameless news from your favorite Inkpot writers!<br />
<br />
National Book Award winner <a href="http://authors.simonandschuster.com/william-alexander/80419209" target="_blank">William Alexander</a> has a new book out and GHOULISH SONG is already racking up some award nominations of its own: it's a finalist for the <a href="http://www.mythsoc.org/news/mythopoeic-awards-finalists-announced/" target="_blank">Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature</a>!<br />
<br />
Speaking of new books coming out, <a href="http://www.pjhoover.com/" target="_blank">P.J. Hoover</a>'s new book TUT: THE STORY OF MY IMMORTAL LIFE (Starscape/Macmillan, September 16, 2014) got an awesome Kirkus review! Here's my favorite line:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"the tension between Tut and creepy Horemheb is a well-placed and -paced plot driver. A pyramid history buffs and fantasy fans will delight in excavating."</blockquote>
Awesome.<br />
<br />
Not done yet! Elizabeth Bird released her <a href="http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2014/06/17/newbery-caldecott-2015-the-summer-prediction-edition/#_" target="_blank">Newbery/Caldecott 2015: The Summer Prediction Edition</a> and you might just recognize #5 on the list: THE GREENGLASS HOUSE by <a href="http://clockworkfoundry.com/" target="_blank">Kate Milford</a>!<br />
<br />
And last but very much not least, <a href="http://www.laurisawhitereyes.com/" target="_blank">Laurisa White Reyes</a> has a new book coming out this week! CONTACT, a YA thriller about a girl who uploads people's psyches with a single touch, comes out on June 23rd with Hallowed Ink Press. It will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Indiebound.<br />
<br />
I can tell you personally - this book is amazing.<br />
<br />
And that's it! Go grab your favorite book and enjoy the summer sunshine. I'll be back soon with more!Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09327185025020171674noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-49146679225804053122014-06-02T13:47:00.001-04:002014-06-02T13:47:26.005-04:00TOTW: Beginnings, Middles, & Ends"Which part of a book is hardest to write: the beginning, middle, or end?"<br />
<br />
I was on a panel at <a href="http://www.wellesleybooksmith-shop.com/">Wellesley Books</a> a few months ago, and when the events coordinator asked this question, I thought the answers would be boringly uniform. Obviously, the middle is the hardest part to write!<br />
<br />
But apparently that's just me. For some writers, it's the beginning -- especially in fantasy, where you need to establish your world while avoiding the dread inof-dump. For others, it's the ending, which has to satisfy the reader -- and which will establish their lasting impression of the book. Or, yes, the middle, where you have to connect that beginning and end while keeping all the strands of the characters, plot, and world-building straight. (Or twisting them exactly the way you want!)<br />
<br />
How about you? Which is hardest for <i>you</i> to write? (And don't say, "All of them." It may be true, but it's still cheating!)Leah Cypesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11123736070369470635noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-40417554496367085032014-05-28T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-09T16:51:35.490-04:00The Cabinet of Curiosities: the Curators Speak<div class="p1">
<i>The Cabinet of Curiosities is a disturbing little project helmed by four curators: <a href="http://twitter.com/stefan_bachmann" target="_blank">Stefan Bachmann</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/clairelegrand" target="_blank">Claire Legrand</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ementior" target="_blank">Emma Trevayne</a>, and me, <a href="https://twitter.com/kmcatmull" target="_blank">Katherine Catmull</a>. Each week on <a href="http://enterthecabinet.com/" target="_blank">our web page</a>, we post the stories—the unsettling, creepy, or quite terrifying stories—of some of the objects in our Cabinet of . . . well, curiosities is a pleasanter word than horrors. </i></div>
<div class="p2">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>A collection of those stories, entitled </i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062331052" target="_blank">The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Brief & Sinister</a>,<i> was published yesterday by Green Willow/HarperCollins. It includes </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLltxMIh_oXLJkfXqi9y8e6Z6pCYJahT_u750Fjzl9A1Ud1yP2QoXY7sqkJP1uXuYQd-9Yiz0j_ALrDArk3Sc69paLFsWAtn2EfWVHd-eEs6iUOCF9GxEK-tqkCABD1mLwgmEJ55E3cqcs/s1600/cover+artweb.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/AVvXsEiLltxMIh_oXLJkfXqi9y8e6Z6pCYJahT_u750Fjzl9A1Ud1yP2QoXY7sqkJP1uXuYQd-9Yiz0j_ALrDArk3Sc69paLFsWAtn2EfWVHd-eEs6iUOCF9GxEK-tqkCABD1mLwgmEJ55E3cqcs/s1600/cover+artweb.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></i></div>
<i>eight never-before-seen tales and other new material, as well as cover and illustrations—awful ones, in the best sense—by <a href="http://www.alexanderjansson.com/" target="_blank">Alexander Jansson</a>. </i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly have awarded it stars, which we keep chained in a little silver birdcage under the stairwell.</i><br />
<div class="p2">
<br />
<i></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>To celebrate the book’s publication, I’ve roused my three fellow curators from their magnifying glasses and blood-smeared notebooks to answer a few questions. Also, see the conclusion of the interview for some astounding news.</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><i>Curator Catmull</i></b><i>: How did this Cabinet business, in which one of us posts a story every week, begin? I know, of course. I am pretending I don’t for dramatic effect. </i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Trevayne: </b>I was boiling my bones on a beach in Mexico when the idea of our collection came to me. Naturally, such an endeavor is best not attempted alone, so I quickly recruited the others for assistance. "Assistance" in this case meaning I found three people far more talented than myself and relaxed with a giant chocolate cake as they scurried around making the place neat and tidy and altogether more wonderful than I ever could have imagined on my own.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g7L3TQhs0M13wRmzJqxlB_X-HUOgKnTwCbI9g-8w06NGDztCNTr1LqGiOcbApTRRh_EPi4hHWzWDTtMoRsxc3duFqF3Hy0JqQHzjAbvytedNWGObpcxISgDzeU9LCXsqcvuJMyYOr7Hd/s1600/Stefan-185x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g7L3TQhs0M13wRmzJqxlB_X-HUOgKnTwCbI9g-8w06NGDztCNTr1LqGiOcbApTRRh_EPi4hHWzWDTtMoRsxc3duFqF3Hy0JqQHzjAbvytedNWGObpcxISgDzeU9LCXsqcvuJMyYOr7Hd/s1600/Stefan-185x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stefan Bachmann</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Bachmann</b>: I was terribly flattered to be asked to join this intrepid group of curators, as I had been known to shriek ecstatically about their writings at unsuspecting bookstore patrons long before they had any idea who I was, or that we would be embarking on these adventures together. I continue to be pleased by this fortuitous development almost every day, even when chasing nasty, pointy-toothed stories in Siberia.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Legrand: </b>In the fall of 2012, Curator Trevayne approached me asking if I would care to join her and Stefan Bachmann in a new and exciting venture--the telling of short stories for those souls--either young or young at heart--who crave tales of the strange and unsettling. I had read and thoroughly enjoyed Curator Bachmann's first book,<i> The Peculiar,</i> and had had a peek at an early draft of Curator Trevayne's <i>Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times, </i>and knew them both to be utterly talented. And I, of course, was eager to stretch my writing skills in new directions. So it took me no time at all to agree to join them--and I'm so glad I did.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Catmull: </b><i>And I was invited when—after careful calculations checked via abacus and a rusty, steam-powered computing machine—the other three determined that each month contains four weeks. They have been unable to shake me since, and I plan to die in the Cabinet, though not for several weeks at least, unless I miscalculate while animating these carved onyx cobras. </i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Which brings me to my next question. Which is more fun—collecting the Cabinet objects, or writing about them? </i></div>
<div class="p2">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>I’ll begin: for me, crawling on my belly through a nest of fire ants to reach a cursed goblet rumored to turn any beverage it contains into a flesh-devouring acid is considerably more enjoyable than writing. What about you?</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Trevayne: </b>Being a person who quite likes comfortable cushions and readily-available cake, I should likely say that sitting in my rooms and writing the stories is more enjoyable, but I simply cannot deny the allure of visiting peculiar circuses, wandering bizarre museums, or riding the <a href="http://enterthecabinet.com/clickety-clack/" target="_blank">skeleton train</a> to </div>
<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/AVvXsEh5kOeq4NVheJMcW7mSB39feoL-0rdFNvP2ZojSA54bmO9Dsn3kn16ON3I1qsxP3yiBdSZaVMdCkkJn5XqX_oqPRyluKUssK6KI0BDqs_bysfnhlhAj16ncoAL1NcKPrNUShPVmwWdzEyII/s1600/IMG_1062-002-300x298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kOeq4NVheJMcW7mSB39feoL-0rdFNvP2ZojSA54bmO9Dsn3kn16ON3I1qsxP3yiBdSZaVMdCkkJn5XqX_oqPRyluKUssK6KI0BDqs_bysfnhlhAj16ncoAL1NcKPrNUShPVmwWdzEyII/s1600/IMG_1062-002-300x298.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma Trevayne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
the sound of their violins. Those skeletons--how we danced and danced! It is always a relief to return home with all my fingers and toes (the former make eating cake that much easier) but also always a delight when I am called away on another escapade.<br />
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Bachmann</b>: I am a rather timid soul in essence if not generally in practice, and I do so prefer scribbling in the silent corners of my house to visiting deserted hollows at midnight or ripping out beating hearts, which alas, one is practically forced to do if one is curious (because what is a heart, really, and what dwells within it, pounding its little fists day in and day out as if it wants to escape?)</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Legrand: </b>As much as I enjoy fighting my way through scorpion-ridden catacombs and running for my life through medieval villages overrun with goblins (did you know that we Curators can travel through not only time but also universes?), I must say that, for me, the writing of my stories is the most enjoyable thing. For often, when I am writing, I am happily ensconced in the Red Room at the Cabinet itself, which is my favorite writing spot. Sandwiched between the Bottomless Pit and the fairies' mortuary, the Red Room is...well, I shan't tell you why it is such a deep shade of crimson, nor why the air inside it is so pungent. Perhaps you will visit us someday and discover why for yourself.</div>
<div class="p2">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><i>Curator Catmull</i></b><i>: Please tell us the collecting adventure associated with one of the stories in this book.</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Trevayne:</b> Oh, what a great many grand adventures I've had in search of curiosities for the Cabinet, it is difficult to choose just one. However, what comes to mind is the strange incident detailed in "<a href="http://enterthecabinet.com/spidersong/" target="_blank">Spidersong</a>." Having traveled quite far and wide for our dear collection, it was strange indeed to happen upon one very nearly on my doorstep. However, there I was, walking through a lovely forest with my dog, and I heard the oddest, most beautiful music. Being a music lover, I naturally followed it, only to run screaming in horror when I discovered its terrifying source--for though I am, as I said, a music lover, I most positively do not have the same affection for our eight-legged, er, friends. I fled home, dog at my heels, and immediately transcribed the tale.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Bachmann</b>: For years, I had been hearing whispers of <a href="http://enterthecabinet.com/the-other-house-by-stefan-bachmann/" target="_blank">a little house</a>, small as a doll's, that could rush about on clickety spider legs; I could not have anticipated the difficulty of finding it, however. Its owner had it hidden away, walled up under a staircase. People always try to hide their wicked pasts, but it is we curators’ job to find them. We always do, eventually. And then we take great pleasure in publishing them in children's books for all to read.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfysiPJG4qTQ5KaMQJgqPip9la2S4UdzZzKZ4MvSdcmWCL8UN7XCoahrOvyAX9uK4J10dpK43ycKTiqk5i3xvIVbalT4lWINVgCr3EtBjdToya1BcXSeKpTI2FNC_eVY13RT4_h8YAMS9a/s1600/Claire_Legrand_Photo-199x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfysiPJG4qTQ5KaMQJgqPip9la2S4UdzZzKZ4MvSdcmWCL8UN7XCoahrOvyAX9uK4J10dpK43ycKTiqk5i3xvIVbalT4lWINVgCr3EtBjdToya1BcXSeKpTI2FNC_eVY13RT4_h8YAMS9a/s1600/Claire_Legrand_Photo-199x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire Legrand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Legrand: </b>To write about the silver-haired, pug-nosed girl called <a href="http://enterthecabinet.com/quicksilver-and-the-stranger-by-claire-legrand/" target="_blank">Quicksilver</a>, I had to journey to the far north, and wander through many icy, underground labyrinths, to which I unhappily lost several digits. (Luckily, Curator Bachmann is a skilled brewer of tonics, and managed to concoct one for the re-growing of maimed body parts right before I returned home from that trip, largely digit-less.) There, I found a stranger hiding in the city hall of a hidden settlement far beneath the Arctic seas. The stranger had vibrant red hair and flaky white skin, but I could not tell if it was a man or a woman. It wore a strange necklace that vibrated with power. To obtain this fascinating artifact, I had to beat the stranger in a game of Nine Lives (which has nothing to do with cats, but rather with testing the skillset of the underground city's resurrectionist). It was a close game, but I eventually bested the stranger--I suspect not through my own virtue, but rather because the stranger, I think, was tired of bearing such a burden.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><i>Curator Catmull</i></b><i>: Obviously, we all share our Cabinet living quarters. But many are unaware that our individual rooms are—while contained within the Cabinet—located in entirely different cities. </i></div>
<div class="p2">
<i></i><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>For example, my Cabinet rooms are located in Austin, Texas, a rather dry and dusty place where, in every single attic, mournful ghosts sing in harmony to the sound of lonesome guitars. I often wonder why it’s called “the live music capital of the world” when the dead musicians so very much outnumber us.</i></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Trevayne: </b>My Cabinet rooms are located in London, England, a city filled with so many age-old mysteries it is rather difficult to believe someone didn't invent it for a story. Kings and paupers are buried here, as is an entire river which rushes, unseen, far below the streets. On quiet days, in the right places, you can hear it whispering...*</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
*I hasten to point out that this is, in fact, actually true.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Bachmann</b>: My own room is located in alpine Switzerland, surrounded by copious numbers of mountains and cheese, obviously, and with a lovely view of rolling pastures and a barn. The house that room belongs to is an old one, filled with new things, and sagging under the weight of all the many people who have walked through it over the centuries. There is a loose step on the front stairs, which I am convinced holds secret treasures, or at the very least a skeleton. There is a locked box in the basement that was there when we arrived and has never been opened. My room is under eaves, and was once the servant's quarters, and sometimes I am quite sure they never left, but have simply moved into the walls. . . .</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Curator Legrand: </b> My Cabinet quarters are in a very old place called Princeton, New Jersey, where intellectuals who are very proud of their intellect attend classes and conduct research in an ancient university. I do believe the students think me odd whenever I go into town for supplies, for I can't seem to leave the Cabinet without taking some of it back with me. And Curating as we do is, of course, not something one can learn from a textbook.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqE1xB0UmQlK-FVGZvAWm12_OSdOK7Jh5fwFuAmG0WCx3AmcUicwELMZBa6QhJs2uQ_ptnf-aDcBwIgz48bGvU87U7EZWRdqqeEPI3aqMgK3cArFqOTvCs3pBgmAiUmZ9yI2OR4BSRrQH/s1600/catmullheadshotmed-275x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqE1xB0UmQlK-FVGZvAWm12_OSdOK7Jh5fwFuAmG0WCx3AmcUicwELMZBa6QhJs2uQ_ptnf-aDcBwIgz48bGvU87U7EZWRdqqeEPI3aqMgK3cArFqOTvCs3pBgmAiUmZ9yI2OR4BSRrQH/s1600/catmullheadshotmed-275x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katherine Catmull</td></tr>
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<i>Q. Curatorial tale-spinning is not confined to the Cabinet. I myself am the author of </i><a href="http://katherinecatmull.com/summer-and-bird/" target="_blank">Summer and Bird</a>, <i>the story of two sisters who wander into a land where a Puppeteer swallows birds alive, and where the earth and sky clash together like jaws—you know, that sort of thing. I am revising an even uncannier book right now, but on that topic I can say no more. What about the rest of you?</i></div>
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<b>Curator Trevayne: </b>I am the author of two novels about very strange music (<i>Coda</i> and <i>Chorus</i>, both available now), and one about a boy, a magical doorway, an evil sorcerer, a slightly mad Lady, and a clockwork bird (<i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flights-and-chimes-and-mysterious-times-emma-trevayne/1117053479?ean=9781442498778" target="_blank">Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times</a></i>, also available now). My next book, about maltreated faeries, will be available in 2015.</div>
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<b>Curator Bachmann</b>: My latest book is called <i><a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/books/The-Whatnot-Stefan-Bachmann?isbn=9780062195210" target="_blank">The Whatnot</a></i> and is the companion and concluding volume to <i>The Peculiar. </i>It concerns a brave girl with twig-hair fighting her way through a dreary and dangerous faerie world, desperate to return to the Victorian England she was stolen from. Furthermore, it concerns a boy with an eye that can see into a dying country, moving prisons, a woman with a porcelain face, cottages that are bigger on the inside than on the out, and one very nasty king. There are other books coming later, different sorts of books, about adolescents instead of children, about terror in deep places and running in the dark, but those are a long way off yet.</div>
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<b>Curator Legrand: </b>I have three other books either already out in the world or soon to be released. One is <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Cavendish-Home-Boys-Girls/dp/1442442921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401054836&sr=8-1&keywords=claire+legrand" target="_blank">The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls</a></i>, about a practically perfect twelve-year-old girl who must face off against a nefarious headmistress to rescue her friend from an orphanage that is not what it seems. One is <i>The Year of Shadows</i>, about a lonely girl who must work with a group of friendly ghosts to save her father's failing orchestra--if, that is, some not-so-friendly ghosts don't first destroy her. The next is a book for young adult readers called <i>Winterspell</i>, and is a dark, romantic fantasy re-telling of the classic ballet The Nutcracker. </div>
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<i>ASTOUNDING NEWS. To celebrate the publication of </i>The Cabinet of Curiosities<i>, we are releasing </i><b><i>a series of podcasts,</i></b><i> in which each week one of the Curators reads one of his or her own stories. The podcast includes deliciously disturbing music composed and performed by Curator Stefan Bachmann himself, whose talents are almost injudiciously cornucopian. The first podcast, in which Curator Claire Legrand reads her unsettling tale “The Tin Man’s Price,” is <a href="http://enterthecabinet.com/episode-1-the-tin-mans-price-by-claire-legrand/" target="_blank">available now</a>--or you can <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cabinet-of-curiosities/id881510901" target="_blank">subscribe to the entire series </a>at iTunes.</i></div>
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katherine catmullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060204901478490767noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-69497183825398089482014-05-26T09:00:00.000-04:002014-05-26T10:09:48.958-04:00Spring YA Covers: Yes, dresses--but also swords and fire and blood, blood red<div class="MsoNormal">
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There was a time when you could tell a fantasy was “Young Adult”
because the cover featured a one-word title and a gorgeous dress or exceptionally
great hair. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But today’s covers—dark, mysterious, sometimes
explosive—offer a refreshing variety of images. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Not that designers don’t get messages from the great hive mind. This season (meaning January-June 2014), the message seems to have
been “darkly mysterious blue,” alternating with “eye-popping red.” Anything to
drag us across that bookstore, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also there are badass heroines and heroes, swords, eyes
compelling or threatening, fire, shadow, explosions—and marvelous dresses. Can’t wait to read these
books!<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Young Adult” in this case means age 12 to 18. As always,
if there’s a cover we’ve overlooked, please link to it in the comments. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tell us which is your favorite, and why!<o:p></o:p><br />
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(Click the link below to see the covers)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cool images catch the eye,<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And complexities abound. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Badass Brigade: </b></span><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Heroines, </b></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">Heroes,</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1gpblj0kNaMfrIOE1Gu68J0AYnh50PsP6VWo6OfjdnplAByBgdnVpJO8mS04EYYTW2TbU36wfh1sWIUzw4MdQYH0HUbe-6ToPCeVYKP7Gz4bKDubUgRKgz0RY2pvwSrwZRMP0uE-eOg/s1600/last+apprentice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1gpblj0kNaMfrIOE1Gu68J0AYnh50PsP6VWo6OfjdnplAByBgdnVpJO8mS04EYYTW2TbU36wfh1sWIUzw4MdQYH0HUbe-6ToPCeVYKP7Gz4bKDubUgRKgz0RY2pvwSrwZRMP0uE-eOg/s1600/last+apprentice.jpg" height="200" width="185" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdudR8LIKKCFfKhzlzcvYwGJJ17ihmgnf4qQxNJcE4Lk5ldBtets_wgjV0vlLbJ28ZCTWUYhHiahIPZFGKNy3T-a9xuRX7x53ZsUCdte6zGuoaZRUp5v1hdD3njQHCIEbTROZ1fLlPVIE/s1600/tinker+king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdudR8LIKKCFfKhzlzcvYwGJJ17ihmgnf4qQxNJcE4Lk5ldBtets_wgjV0vlLbJ28ZCTWUYhHiahIPZFGKNy3T-a9xuRX7x53ZsUCdte6zGuoaZRUp5v1hdD3njQHCIEbTROZ1fLlPVIE/s1600/tinker+king.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large;">And the occasional hovering beast</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86-5xHp8xUuuBz_tQb7gPZ87iBmc5tFxT8oqHNnmUzAcKqz2oQb4hq05kzDlmaI-PP6YIGcp2OGOcn-SkkhsJCiaQzhyphenhyphen1xce1alOgFYhjh1VW6j6558yQtAQrXXbhNSgj3_RAl5PfnJc/s1600/feral+curse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86-5xHp8xUuuBz_tQb7gPZ87iBmc5tFxT8oqHNnmUzAcKqz2oQb4hq05kzDlmaI-PP6YIGcp2OGOcn-SkkhsJCiaQzhyphenhyphen1xce1alOgFYhjh1VW6j6558yQtAQrXXbhNSgj3_RAl5PfnJc/s1600/feral+curse.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH72gHHbcjfOYIKEnGMNccs_5qHNWnrvHXGy69qe6TBK2j8Qgw-yfLiMzKoXA75Ba8H1gioRPlHzEOnkeeHizi8pKkQOBG13a337GVGvI7i2FoMycosPPeMfTZEu2i90n59Bae_mqTOc/s1600/barbarian+lord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH72gHHbcjfOYIKEnGMNccs_5qHNWnrvHXGy69qe6TBK2j8Qgw-yfLiMzKoXA75Ba8H1gioRPlHzEOnkeeHizi8pKkQOBG13a337GVGvI7i2FoMycosPPeMfTZEu2i90n59Bae_mqTOc/s1600/barbarian+lord.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtGDWpCYLjb008JnLYGhlXFWNAqVkamkKyKh6ThHAHYoDgPLYPoP7jegNEDC7GXF6lcn_kammgTV2Hm_vjj2mz8bbFPZznnqJwSVs4FGAS1ghRvQVcAyKIQ5lBOYDIFO9PG-9jjc-lPc/s1600/paladin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtGDWpCYLjb008JnLYGhlXFWNAqVkamkKyKh6ThHAHYoDgPLYPoP7jegNEDC7GXF6lcn_kammgTV2Hm_vjj2mz8bbFPZznnqJwSVs4FGAS1ghRvQVcAyKIQ5lBOYDIFO9PG-9jjc-lPc/s1600/paladin.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">Young couples face fate</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5IErLbouYDAyw0_cBzEQ8fxByrq16lDOLIhLtxAqdm_mvfMh3sE5NgXBbPVIPZSF9AqN-99Hhe6KINfJUxpDPXBP8RgiT4b638sS6jobq4D-ujESGt6CwMFPsrWe6RCDerGDzVvpSF8/s1600/let+the+storm+break.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5IErLbouYDAyw0_cBzEQ8fxByrq16lDOLIhLtxAqdm_mvfMh3sE5NgXBbPVIPZSF9AqN-99Hhe6KINfJUxpDPXBP8RgiT4b638sS6jobq4D-ujESGt6CwMFPsrWe6RCDerGDzVvpSF8/s1600/let+the+storm+break.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3HsZ4JOVSLS8LghLIWCfT8WZ664kHjh1i9ivp0LHwHzzRyLLzDm4wqUR7rOgrGAkZ6PQcnzhjolODNIkKqVfs5qkojCF_f8y4lKKWf5_gzPYO6fz1OGCjcYFX8ua2-isbkATFOMmAnA/s1600/of+neptune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3HsZ4JOVSLS8LghLIWCfT8WZ664kHjh1i9ivp0LHwHzzRyLLzDm4wqUR7rOgrGAkZ6PQcnzhjolODNIkKqVfs5qkojCF_f8y4lKKWf5_gzPYO6fz1OGCjcYFX8ua2-isbkATFOMmAnA/s1600/of+neptune.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKrmwFr70Av1xOaCX_MF5OW-UtmZxs-uNPcW_28DLOmd4Oh0tAqdQBwKf5WDsIyBBsLmF8vP1RsQIWe6IjSzgF7bNx-yTeFlo0U_bkk5nPNFfmXi_rg8mja9NVR8MGzXnKF0AFAt2AZM/s1600/only+everything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKrmwFr70Av1xOaCX_MF5OW-UtmZxs-uNPcW_28DLOmd4Oh0tAqdQBwKf5WDsIyBBsLmF8vP1RsQIWe6IjSzgF7bNx-yTeFlo0U_bkk5nPNFfmXi_rg8mja9NVR8MGzXnKF0AFAt2AZM/s1600/only+everything.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>While the world blows apart<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAX7ybTQ7ku-F9TJ_YLC_AHH9j4VAfCtTtmCVYZPJ1-NYeLxr4s41hqtO8vCPVaDCDWgFEPHs7jpZD1QwYZSkMZYdJQLCvbDcsf5fbPjvMJG0q9IYXXN0AO7dP9c24scK_ikJdshOaLo/s1600/meridian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAX7ybTQ7ku-F9TJ_YLC_AHH9j4VAfCtTtmCVYZPJ1-NYeLxr4s41hqtO8vCPVaDCDWgFEPHs7jpZD1QwYZSkMZYdJQLCvbDcsf5fbPjvMJG0q9IYXXN0AO7dP9c24scK_ikJdshOaLo/s1600/meridian.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0L7yeQ9BUbK-PFoaX4cAyI7qd7JUl20AKdcbkWj4mFmGb6DmrwOvX8RP2N8ps_j-S8U7Wdcqql0DT4xstA6hYvmJ1ZsorGqqy524J4WUzXLGPzkRyFhlzrDAcJLEwQTt81FKu3JLd2A/s1600/take+back+the+skies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0L7yeQ9BUbK-PFoaX4cAyI7qd7JUl20AKdcbkWj4mFmGb6DmrwOvX8RP2N8ps_j-S8U7Wdcqql0DT4xstA6hYvmJ1ZsorGqqy524J4WUzXLGPzkRyFhlzrDAcJLEwQTt81FKu3JLd2A/s1600/take+back+the+skies.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnJPFQq51PxTosOsPcMxeKqjGcyUbkFcfL_HTZ1GuHNqKjdOJJGthSg_SApyedehdjZNov5t8JhBIGjLA-3mxlsjdeuoofPt68nmnfTYxogp7Yqib_YbHcMMAVfOZ64LbE_x2tOhjj24/s1600/toxic+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnJPFQq51PxTosOsPcMxeKqjGcyUbkFcfL_HTZ1GuHNqKjdOJJGthSg_SApyedehdjZNov5t8JhBIGjLA-3mxlsjdeuoofPt68nmnfTYxogp7Yqib_YbHcMMAVfOZ64LbE_x2tOhjj24/s1600/toxic+heart.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Or starts to cremate.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjzvGdqy0fnZ_vaZsQlHWkbniKsZm7kS-7222F0WLxbiCmIB1tKeNubg5L-sx13EYlXH_aVak62NixGJuyxE7qS_vBiqeypdvwLaiuxe1O16vydva-69Tijh7xvCIJgL9JhptwGOypw8/s1600/muse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjzvGdqy0fnZ_vaZsQlHWkbniKsZm7kS-7222F0WLxbiCmIB1tKeNubg5L-sx13EYlXH_aVak62NixGJuyxE7qS_vBiqeypdvwLaiuxe1O16vydva-69Tijh7xvCIJgL9JhptwGOypw8/s1600/muse.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuz6gtrEH9Bzzdbi2Ha-R2op8Juzr8zw_fh7zWDnSsee9HTDx4w2hQlpSEsFo70wy5eCY_hQ_28jvM2WUnX4ZtxOcRYV_F3Rh_sgdzvdyqSs04zt_9VvzYDUDzQju40pMHRaAJ2rtzhQ/s1600/summoned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuz6gtrEH9Bzzdbi2Ha-R2op8Juzr8zw_fh7zWDnSsee9HTDx4w2hQlpSEsFo70wy5eCY_hQ_28jvM2WUnX4ZtxOcRYV_F3Rh_sgdzvdyqSs04zt_9VvzYDUDzQju40pMHRaAJ2rtzhQ/s1600/summoned.jpg" height="200" width="137" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So bleak! Breaks our heart. <o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAor-OYeoiCkj9LjsjcuyWUNCWgzM1cLLAKdk1aUr1r9a3Z_HYQ17SXCWCKaJXFmS_XUTdJxStjZC-PFXDNZrvRDWRQB-aFMgfkXyz9pupskv85xJm2ymG3mlyeHRRIpCB3vCCgXM1sEo/s1600/after+the+end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAor-OYeoiCkj9LjsjcuyWUNCWgzM1cLLAKdk1aUr1r9a3Z_HYQ17SXCWCKaJXFmS_XUTdJxStjZC-PFXDNZrvRDWRQB-aFMgfkXyz9pupskv85xJm2ymG3mlyeHRRIpCB3vCCgXM1sEo/s1600/after+the+end.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdLfJ7quemY2GyPVxlPsl4dn2biSakNJbeDqboTJH45hxtymBhXY1zYpsXZFvWgABX7eq8_r592sjuWtK1AaUGNr94mJZZQ7ImpRyow1zRnIOdQtE_OhGAdZTwRgBgm1KUjs3CfGeZeA/s1600/death+sworn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdLfJ7quemY2GyPVxlPsl4dn2biSakNJbeDqboTJH45hxtymBhXY1zYpsXZFvWgABX7eq8_r592sjuWtK1AaUGNr94mJZZQ7ImpRyow1zRnIOdQtE_OhGAdZTwRgBgm1KUjs3CfGeZeA/s1600/death+sworn.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNx9Y7JVaw58guVO2W_Hafth-pQ5biAZvcrD_55kxgGBi4306D6WhAEXAhv7ftcDZao4tRaToI06ZlQjHo71QQlext2wbY-NTBYSxRMf7fnyNXNmkSrmytq755y0nKf2UXPCMlWS1rAk/s1600/and+we+stay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNx9Y7JVaw58guVO2W_Hafth-pQ5biAZvcrD_55kxgGBi4306D6WhAEXAhv7ftcDZao4tRaToI06ZlQjHo71QQlext2wbY-NTBYSxRMf7fnyNXNmkSrmytq755y0nKf2UXPCMlWS1rAk/s1600/and+we+stay.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjCo2ncBIXuKuiRPVlubch83SJ9kOojzgHUKDyZh66XsBHuBZdsQlRX_xvYig6S0E54Vcp55TUzmLCiN9KRzQ1OcrEiJ1d-WCneWEiZsqKfBXpjFufeZii-a9ou0qmR3R3jFxLtvzjXc/s1600/endless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjCo2ncBIXuKuiRPVlubch83SJ9kOojzgHUKDyZh66XsBHuBZdsQlRX_xvYig6S0E54Vcp55TUzmLCiN9KRzQ1OcrEiJ1d-WCneWEiZsqKfBXpjFufeZii-a9ou0qmR3R3jFxLtvzjXc/s1600/endless.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyHc9RQf_Rp5oUCRCOejCXT5Rty5kMunmKBpM6sYGvXOSg8yDLRbOd29DxT-mhs_UXMwFSxIHVgIiH3BgfUTy5N-F4FNiqO4wquD6xPmSbHv7ZUQWhyphenhyphenPaK6BhRZocL5C6LjFZRVTBH7g/s1600/tremor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyHc9RQf_Rp5oUCRCOejCXT5Rty5kMunmKBpM6sYGvXOSg8yDLRbOd29DxT-mhs_UXMwFSxIHVgIiH3BgfUTy5N-F4FNiqO4wquD6xPmSbHv7ZUQWhyphenhyphenPaK6BhRZocL5C6LjFZRVTBH7g/s1600/tremor.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Oh, that blaze of blood-red.</b><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KaTN3Otw05-XRpRuOfiy7JiHReaVejay41mqxtXz2c57-uQ2eR2m89hZP1yAvGJQnWG_R9p0VDdP74tewfMBtRkxpbpr_YMaOuIrWmcukJCILr3EHfAdYPKBW_aJxSO5fefB5j74p1E/s1600/cruel+beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KaTN3Otw05-XRpRuOfiy7JiHReaVejay41mqxtXz2c57-uQ2eR2m89hZP1yAvGJQnWG_R9p0VDdP74tewfMBtRkxpbpr_YMaOuIrWmcukJCILr3EHfAdYPKBW_aJxSO5fefB5j74p1E/s1600/cruel+beauty.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSI1u-jDv0w9zqNhnlrUKAuwu_1athUrb9o482nlKVITdePRlHFTY-1TilbQ1ci_-kaDJe-qVZtrPDHxGAGUQt8Aqjt9NNQBX4okyyJw8hiZZ1uohwYryJxvRc1BJN9Gv8AJkbGqrLoIE/s1600/dangerous+creatures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSI1u-jDv0w9zqNhnlrUKAuwu_1athUrb9o482nlKVITdePRlHFTY-1TilbQ1ci_-kaDJe-qVZtrPDHxGAGUQt8Aqjt9NNQBX4okyyJw8hiZZ1uohwYryJxvRc1BJN9Gv8AJkbGqrLoIE/s1600/dangerous+creatures.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqUox6Wq_fAII5oD38kxGgpebsnURLo02ivIju1fasbNyYGgj4pyevPCxnl7F1jg8dKTS6pdfXIxnJxCOlDlW7W3bQygjPW_qhElTgMlpnUM6LijCss7ncfW6jlpsQYP2mQJi3sqZSnw/s1600/thief's+war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqUox6Wq_fAII5oD38kxGgpebsnURLo02ivIju1fasbNyYGgj4pyevPCxnl7F1jg8dKTS6pdfXIxnJxCOlDlW7W3bQygjPW_qhElTgMlpnUM6LijCss7ncfW6jlpsQYP2mQJi3sqZSnw/s1600/thief's+war.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>That blue hue in the mirk.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Eyes fill us with dread . . .</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8LMtnI5308Vce0iVwfLnU_zMHZvhZtX12t0BezimHafOoebTN0hr2huX3eh3Y26lVAuFJVfn7gB6f2q9awryNBdhu0dYwG7Gr0Qsm5Lkwbz_6GVnJWEsnLGk9TIc2iGldZGfS-q78Ro/s1600/here+and+now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8LMtnI5308Vce0iVwfLnU_zMHZvhZtX12t0BezimHafOoebTN0hr2huX3eh3Y26lVAuFJVfn7gB6f2q9awryNBdhu0dYwG7Gr0Qsm5Lkwbz_6GVnJWEsnLGk9TIc2iGldZGfS-q78Ro/s1600/here+and+now.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bo37KCAcD1vindGEAuqZrYiY7_zR33B175mLCInc9PuIBH_9Vkl-3ybnmdtHRh9JshMU6bEgNfy_qZhlGwmPe5SUz4LyjkE1DXVyph1K2tNejcK3LKyPFV64AIpCtbqqNCTX7fRAwjo/s1600/sleep+no+more.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bo37KCAcD1vindGEAuqZrYiY7_zR33B175mLCInc9PuIBH_9Vkl-3ybnmdtHRh9JshMU6bEgNfy_qZhlGwmPe5SUz4LyjkE1DXVyph1K2tNejcK3LKyPFV64AIpCtbqqNCTX7fRAwjo/s1600/sleep+no+more.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNtpD8FMKEpmKOcoREn0zBZLijGP6M_71Q81GSJN3jBr7zMg6EnthHdw549jRCFF8IG5As_t_IhfBpOgvFyVey0sJaqlgu6telkkAh2ONO96RLsUXUMyJniwv_tP0bG-VPUm7SkDm6gE/s1600/strange+maid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNtpD8FMKEpmKOcoREn0zBZLijGP6M_71Q81GSJN3jBr7zMg6EnthHdw549jRCFF8IG5As_t_IhfBpOgvFyVey0sJaqlgu6telkkAh2ONO96RLsUXUMyJniwv_tP0bG-VPUm7SkDm6gE/s1600/strange+maid.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-size: x-large;">And watch out for that dirk!</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOggt8KHve4DKxHkxl5eY3lRPRbEIH8SVN7YFJ1tghUoKY1TiHtaiqIGiClsKlCvg5vid9NBnJDY0iBBXPJpClAHco0yxamF6Xuvj-kg_egCVB1XZXIrwHLaYVDbkRhiJOzYBmrkVSJnI/s1600/warrior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOggt8KHve4DKxHkxl5eY3lRPRbEIH8SVN7YFJ1tghUoKY1TiHtaiqIGiClsKlCvg5vid9NBnJDY0iBBXPJpClAHco0yxamF6Xuvj-kg_egCVB1XZXIrwHLaYVDbkRhiJOzYBmrkVSJnI/s1600/warrior.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQpEiN90MRtutpGLvPzgqUkuWSXadi_Siefec3TBYOC2gHYJioee9CPtLSv6ZZsrGeNcgXriWo7EnOFWn-fXLJ5f6_rqc8ht9JB_-G58D7fgOmH0kMfWABz4EzQl_FLtLwW-iWtiV8Kc/s1600/rebel+belle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQpEiN90MRtutpGLvPzgqUkuWSXadi_Siefec3TBYOC2gHYJioee9CPtLSv6ZZsrGeNcgXriWo7EnOFWn-fXLJ5f6_rqc8ht9JB_-G58D7fgOmH0kMfWABz4EzQl_FLtLwW-iWtiV8Kc/s1600/rebel+belle.jpg" height="200" width="127" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkHz06XYNlda7O2QzT-HEqdxwBR_eZNx7BaFDZjQVtOIW06h_heWne7SS-8s4MnQN5sx1DRKL1RW34Y8hSzjmXzM51YD23zQMZzjU1iHke7ZT1fevLK8oWTjSQx_Ug2oW3sxk-rbgpvg/s1600/defy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkHz06XYNlda7O2QzT-HEqdxwBR_eZNx7BaFDZjQVtOIW06h_heWne7SS-8s4MnQN5sx1DRKL1RW34Y8hSzjmXzM51YD23zQMZzjU1iHke7ZT1fevLK8oWTjSQx_Ug2oW3sxk-rbgpvg/s1600/defy.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The shadows grow bolder.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42LK6n_JJWfEt2qY7dE8kWZRjjgqlD0KSSvrl88jvj3rp_b0_xnn2GBc-See065Y4CbvdPTTkCdkmXqGsmlH80SOdnPCnUSxgnhBKpk0RiMwMZJcMemf3rvMbV5EUSPdrgJaLHnbhGkU/s1600/hunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42LK6n_JJWfEt2qY7dE8kWZRjjgqlD0KSSvrl88jvj3rp_b0_xnn2GBc-See065Y4CbvdPTTkCdkmXqGsmlH80SOdnPCnUSxgnhBKpk0RiMwMZJcMemf3rvMbV5EUSPdrgJaLHnbhGkU/s1600/hunter.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3NXl7r_AbHO0ZJIEE_fXtnVZ1S19jGAKrpk_quNAy6y8TdWFD4__arRt1pGXHKtcmEIPo6dnA2haop7RvfVZh0Zj_sPx2uo7Y_8tw83nWGaY-gqxQg3pFy0n9FAJLlHg2cdlW1jI7r0/s1600/illusive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3NXl7r_AbHO0ZJIEE_fXtnVZ1S19jGAKrpk_quNAy6y8TdWFD4__arRt1pGXHKtcmEIPo6dnA2haop7RvfVZh0Zj_sPx2uo7Y_8tw83nWGaY-gqxQg3pFy0n9FAJLlHg2cdlW1jI7r0/s1600/illusive.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIih4zfz4dSVOKJFlooXiaGopcfjK80vZbnem8rJ-q_3pc7hsiE5mopb0veBh4gpKo7r22jPyTlx1IHPZo6KKI3R28LxHSettItDob228D19D-NpY4zVLMYGjcxssgZ15rucQ0emEbac/s1600/in+the+shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIih4zfz4dSVOKJFlooXiaGopcfjK80vZbnem8rJ-q_3pc7hsiE5mopb0veBh4gpKo7r22jPyTlx1IHPZo6KKI3R28LxHSettItDob228D19D-NpY4zVLMYGjcxssgZ15rucQ0emEbac/s1600/in+the+shadows.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh326MNSPYh9P8iDYwjxZ8bXHDCcHmT7RJzgdKqv2DjeDdbGJ7xQBygUOrD138XXyrivFF2vsbSuSgy3H8_wlWASJ7_321BKO1qsPn-4W34kVTf0xMQWDi_elbqOWqduC_PYN38NnBCdI/s1600/v+is+for+villain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh326MNSPYh9P8iDYwjxZ8bXHDCcHmT7RJzgdKqv2DjeDdbGJ7xQBygUOrD138XXyrivFF2vsbSuSgy3H8_wlWASJ7_321BKO1qsPn-4W34kVTf0xMQWDi_elbqOWqduC_PYN38NnBCdI/s1600/v+is+for+villain.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Gz7UTHE1DG2fQ3YH3TOrGP6bf6Wulf5rcH9f-jXv5p4RjAukIKBYWHGVpxmPfQfmr9PP1V1DnAqdkaXLtxLFiNHN4JyEa9ag37QWeOtxUZxa3mOty2VWYRaxmkGLWOjHSb3AjSgp1Q/s1600/smasher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Gz7UTHE1DG2fQ3YH3TOrGP6bf6Wulf5rcH9f-jXv5p4RjAukIKBYWHGVpxmPfQfmr9PP1V1DnAqdkaXLtxLFiNHN4JyEa9ag37QWeOtxUZxa3mOty2VWYRaxmkGLWOjHSb3AjSgp1Q/s1600/smasher.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Who knew feathers were eerie?<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlI09CeJ_40vxBA9BfCp2WelFjgwy5-81HSg0ii3GzCO9Mr2dswuWX0XPVjMyxGp7w6C-r37e2TEZ71eM_6x4V61E0zh_uZIHcDl8asO8jdpCxL8VWIeqeDs0aBDjpBUUMfEEzk92nQM/s1600/ava.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlI09CeJ_40vxBA9BfCp2WelFjgwy5-81HSg0ii3GzCO9Mr2dswuWX0XPVjMyxGp7w6C-r37e2TEZ71eM_6x4V61E0zh_uZIHcDl8asO8jdpCxL8VWIeqeDs0aBDjpBUUMfEEzk92nQM/s1600/ava.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYujUKMPBsehpFJ5xovhpJ14YgN0hZvo9Cj4Ew5wLNPyJThenKbHSPypjGo4SFxHIKt2la7lo-FFnaGTmv2NQX05TQGVE8xvXrrii1mdRl6HKi1PfV_u1Z-xkU7YM2qcshf98ZO8VtRXs/s1600/promise+of+shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYujUKMPBsehpFJ5xovhpJ14YgN0hZvo9Cj4Ew5wLNPyJThenKbHSPypjGo4SFxHIKt2la7lo-FFnaGTmv2NQX05TQGVE8xvXrrii1mdRl6HKi1PfV_u1Z-xkU7YM2qcshf98ZO8VtRXs/s1600/promise+of+shadows.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86xUsg6vIGFCl2Jy4cCMT1vDmfBOQYmvGQq6WfSD2x29TnLiBEZnssAWjzKrHrwekAzoKBSSayzZONG2DIvytDqk1PmsSf_lhpzc24l0we5EmAtFm2EN4YZ-rC2PUzup7Koax4I0KC1o/s1600/blooodwitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86xUsg6vIGFCl2Jy4cCMT1vDmfBOQYmvGQq6WfSD2x29TnLiBEZnssAWjzKrHrwekAzoKBSSayzZONG2DIvytDqk1PmsSf_lhpzc24l0we5EmAtFm2EN4YZ-rC2PUzup7Koax4I0KC1o/s1600/blooodwitch.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">What's that over your shoulder?</b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjTullqIcXCSTCyvPuKICa_4EJA6a7n3PhEYntb385ip7uqXq9BPGzUuapGbcoNCKbIk9IgVd1H9g08n4agD6ZDXBW2LZlgXYlxoRDXtMKu_CY0mnRATBKkI2XbRnSbrMIvckZ1it7NU/s1600/born+of+deception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjTullqIcXCSTCyvPuKICa_4EJA6a7n3PhEYntb385ip7uqXq9BPGzUuapGbcoNCKbIk9IgVd1H9g08n4agD6ZDXBW2LZlgXYlxoRDXtMKu_CY0mnRATBKkI2XbRnSbrMIvckZ1it7NU/s1600/born+of+deception.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaKQTWQCRDnoRM8GbbTkVPux2u1DLEXAQc-RlC7-NEGjC0Jst0KVSV0SSngBTTGJiZa7vs5CLX4AzdwgMRh1Uum6vbpnalkhiIayF1NoIa2QnjF4KNf6fknU15xVMEoxDf8LTie3FD1Y/s1600/hexed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaKQTWQCRDnoRM8GbbTkVPux2u1DLEXAQc-RlC7-NEGjC0Jst0KVSV0SSngBTTGJiZa7vs5CLX4AzdwgMRh1Uum6vbpnalkhiIayF1NoIa2QnjF4KNf6fknU15xVMEoxDf8LTie3FD1Y/s1600/hexed.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dKzN6tIeRwuygc12J1V2L0PkA1fRMsiQ2CMmU_oMhLGHkdaJeudZIm7tiZ9EO85wlbtBDanpM6We4Y17BChVo-UgKKyxS_JyvigoNLHWlppo-dpdt7M6iMlG6_2ItaAgPe35r79KMQA/s1600/dark+metropolis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dKzN6tIeRwuygc12J1V2L0PkA1fRMsiQ2CMmU_oMhLGHkdaJeudZIm7tiZ9EO85wlbtBDanpM6We4Y17BChVo-UgKKyxS_JyvigoNLHWlppo-dpdt7M6iMlG6_2ItaAgPe35r79KMQA/s1600/dark+metropolis.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzskyLKueejmAKcsopFJO9uHg5ibQ_eWg2zXOB6eSwOk-_n0DDNEWbAuUFM_1pH9P2xhy36fqHap3ameYa5eUdIxeIqGa-S7KOFSVimm-RBBRPuhQuprh6d6Kjo1q632mwqaL6xjzCwI/s1600/love+reborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzskyLKueejmAKcsopFJO9uHg5ibQ_eWg2zXOB6eSwOk-_n0DDNEWbAuUFM_1pH9P2xhy36fqHap3ameYa5eUdIxeIqGa-S7KOFSVimm-RBBRPuhQuprh6d6Kjo1q632mwqaL6xjzCwI/s1600/love+reborn.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOQbtK0Nn6UDei8_pAlH8Liomhs_Ivgc2fPBtMN1Z40h1BeI1CPegcNbwRvGFIUKAUhjqx8wMNpoc_GY7qdPEozbnGHH82R1kxMrkIl3dWf-Fk3p3OO9rEeQ-wjW2PTdpfsHgUnKeBqs/s1600/paper+doll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOQbtK0Nn6UDei8_pAlH8Liomhs_Ivgc2fPBtMN1Z40h1BeI1CPegcNbwRvGFIUKAUhjqx8wMNpoc_GY7qdPEozbnGHH82R1kxMrkIl3dWf-Fk3p3OO9rEeQ-wjW2PTdpfsHgUnKeBqs/s1600/paper+doll.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Whoa, great dress, dearie! <o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAuwN0ic2usL35UcfI9urcjl6zFWLIR2q-uqMoorkh4rRzl0052Ixd6waFsGy9Vya95zZUYJ5k6Vrs5Lggxg1nFfszZBbZe2oZ-WSnol8ga-si69iUNQ7Ng1N52GZwnm2cd5K_oSzybA/s1600/bad+luck+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAuwN0ic2usL35UcfI9urcjl6zFWLIR2q-uqMoorkh4rRzl0052Ixd6waFsGy9Vya95zZUYJ5k6Vrs5Lggxg1nFfszZBbZe2oZ-WSnol8ga-si69iUNQ7Ng1N52GZwnm2cd5K_oSzybA/s1600/bad+luck+girl.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzTuk7_ZhgrvCRIqOy9Xu3cIscalQiDk0EvDcCy8lfXvylW5P_TeS2X75HCNw1C5PkPSfG53VDIBaSYnyj6bSol6KV5RfthJBHHCkq4SwfDCgF4voJjm6BHEd12UofC5H9aH24GWwa8Y/s1600/deception's+princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzTuk7_ZhgrvCRIqOy9Xu3cIscalQiDk0EvDcCy8lfXvylW5P_TeS2X75HCNw1C5PkPSfG53VDIBaSYnyj6bSol6KV5RfthJBHHCkq4SwfDCgF4voJjm6BHEd12UofC5H9aH24GWwa8Y/s1600/deception's+princess.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivszQgKKjasfnMA7EsMDAcjMJynrbabrVgQM4k8uxxEO5uQotVrhu5cieo-nTxXrOew46_31m5mtka0CoQAnmKgGmKNzV6XTPjUetLmL74Sb65T5VdzZl0YmaBKT3S9q_pwL-RWA4chlQ/s1600/steadfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivszQgKKjasfnMA7EsMDAcjMJynrbabrVgQM4k8uxxEO5uQotVrhu5cieo-nTxXrOew46_31m5mtka0CoQAnmKgGmKNzV6XTPjUetLmL74Sb65T5VdzZl0YmaBKT3S9q_pwL-RWA4chlQ/s1600/steadfast.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: #fff9f2; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Ellen Booraem's latest is TEXTING THE UNDERWORLD (Penguin/Dial, August 2013), the story of a scaredy-cat South Boston boy and a neophyte banshee. Ellen also is the author of THE UNNAMEABLES and </i><i style="background-color: #fff9f2; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS. </i><i style="background-color: #fff9f2; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">She lives in Downeast Maine with an artist, a dog, and a cat, one of whom is a practicing curmudgeon. She's online at <a href="http://www.ellenbooraem.com./" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">www.ellenbooraem.com.</a></i></div>
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Ellen Booraemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12751047743172852013noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-71923381456809729242014-05-21T03:00:00.000-04:002014-05-21T03:00:09.345-04:00CHANTRESS ALCHEMY with Amy Butler Greenfield!<style>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">This week I got to chat with the supremely talented, <a href="http://www.amybutlergreenfield.com/Chantress_Story.html">Amy Butler Greenfield</a>, about her new book CHANTRESS ALCHEMY, the wonderful second part of the CHANTRESS triology.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Here is the awesome book trailer...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">For ease of following our chat - my questions are in blue...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">I love the mood you set at the beginning of this novel with the Chantress by the sea - as someone who grew up by the shore, I wondered if you had ever lived there, and how you researched for this? I imagine you walking the sands of <a href="http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/things-to-do/Beaches.aspx">Norfolk</a> at night in the wind and rain!</span><br /> </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Oh, I wish I could have done that! I’ve always loved the sea, and I expect that’s why there’s a lot of water and water magic in the Chantress books. Growing up, the coasts I knew best were all on the eastern US seaboard, especially the island of Nantucket, where my uncle was a lobsterman. But ever since I first came to live on other side of the Atlantic, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the British coast better – though my explorations are hindered a bit by the fact that I live in landlocked Oxfordshire! <br />My favorite part of the British shoreline so far is the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. Initially I planned to start Chantress Alchemy there, but for all kinds of reasons I soon realized Norfolk made more sense. Because my deadlines were tight I wasn’t able to travel there, but luckily we have friends and family who often go to Norfolk, and I also researched the exact bit of coastline I needed at the library and online. Almost none of the research made it into the book, but it helped make the setting real in my mind – which helped me make it real on paper. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">How did this book idea come about and was it always
meant to be a trilogy?</span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">My friends and even my mom had ideas about what I should write
next but I couldn’t find anything I wanted to start on.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Then one day sitting in a coffee house, I thought, maybe this is
it. I don’t have any more books in me. I always have my journal and pen in
hand so I wrote, if I was only allowed one more book what would it be? And something
shook itself free and I was able to start. And the three things that came to me
were, singing, spy network, ruby, lost girl. And then I knew I really wanted to
write this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vyD12w9wAiU2nbthj9s0B3pKRTSsYjU7B4tjhmqD1uuaCh_e0lDd4liqa-ZgjPIpUVYukWiatiA4LR60xH2q83CFYiBr09TUxuLAA9UIAuBPX4IfBgMLYy5F7BPd0rXqpype2VZyXbXf/s1600/Alchemy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vyD12w9wAiU2nbthj9s0B3pKRTSsYjU7B4tjhmqD1uuaCh_e0lDd4liqa-ZgjPIpUVYukWiatiA4LR60xH2q83CFYiBr09TUxuLAA9UIAuBPX4IfBgMLYy5F7BPd0rXqpype2VZyXbXf/s1600/Alchemy.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">This novel is very much a stand alone, which I think is tricky
especially for the second novel in a trilogy - so often they become a
bridge between the beginning and end. Did you set out deliberately to make
sure each part has its own distinct story, as well as an overall arc?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeTmkqjl5XliLUBl2escIRrx9byVDuNccH8dNFiKoU1fFkatWQFYuJgyJ6xGz_uGB4r60Sjo7QEocTZGBt5b9l_na8E42o3yCHawmC-q5CBteslYDLMerWXbZE2q4ByoRkqev6u1_M_kf/s1600/the+dark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeTmkqjl5XliLUBl2escIRrx9byVDuNccH8dNFiKoU1fFkatWQFYuJgyJ6xGz_uGB4r60Sjo7QEocTZGBt5b9l_na8E42o3yCHawmC-q5CBteslYDLMerWXbZE2q4ByoRkqev6u1_M_kf/s1600/the+dark.jpg" height="320" width="187" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">It IS difficult! But it was something I very much wanted
to do, as I always get frustrated when I read a trilogy where the books break
off in mid-story – and I’ve always loved books like THE DARK IS RISING sequence
and THE CHRONICES OF PRYDAIN (and in a looser sense, the WIMSEY-VANE mysteries
and the MARY RUSSELL mysteries), where each book is both part of a whole and a
story in itself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUarrpLGuf7aF9Md5Mx8RNx6wQSSa7uDNyswnOK6gw20VguJzi0qUggaP0OPkJStxBDpd4DZDIZxtdwyaFdWBDKxfHBR3UFmA6G-PZgmenyt0RkStkI839XQuC_7HtKnpElA1y1cr2aLDg/s1600/book+of+three.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/AVvXsEgUarrpLGuf7aF9Md5Mx8RNx6wQSSa7uDNyswnOK6gw20VguJzi0qUggaP0OPkJStxBDpd4DZDIZxtdwyaFdWBDKxfHBR3UFmA6G-PZgmenyt0RkStkI839XQuC_7HtKnpElA1y1cr2aLDg/s1600/book+of+three.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">I underestimated how hard it would be to pull this off,
though! The characters need to develop and grow, and there needs to be
some kind of epiphany in each book – and yet you always have to remember where
you’re going with the overall arc of the series. And the same is true with the
ending: You need closure, but not so much closure that the reader has no
reason to come back. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I love and also despair at this ending - did you mean to break
my heart? Seriously, I need to know what happens next, after you left us on
such an 'oh, it had to be this way,' ending - how far into writing the third book
are you?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">I’m sorry that I broke your heart – but truly delighted that you
cared so much about the characters! I have to admit I cried when I wrote
that last scene. In fact, the first draft had a much happier ending,
because I couldn’t bear to write it any other way. But that ending didn’t
feel true to me. So I dug deeper and let the story be what it wanted to be, and
I found the ending that felt real.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Of course I left myself quite a job to do in the third book! But
I have a full draft of that now, and my editorial letter has just arrived, so
we’re on schedule for a Summer 2015 release. Although it’s been tough
writing on such a tight deadline, the book itself has helped keep me going, as
it’s full of adventure and all kinds of Chantress mysteries and secrets—with
Lucy and Nat facing their greatest dangers yet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I love how aspects of the Flamel story intertwine with this
one, and the elements of court life in seventeenth century England, can you
tell how hard I'm trying not to give any spoilers away here? How much research
did you do and was it hard to stop?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">You are doing a SUPER job not giving away spoilers, Keely!
I adore research in general, but the research for this book was especially
fun. I visited historic houses, sampled old-fashioned foods, and swanned
around a fashion museum admiring ballgowns and embroidery. I even got to
research chemical explosions and alchemical secrets. What’s not to love?! (Er,
yes… it was hard to stop.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I have never heard of <a href="http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/article/530609/The-Calendar-House-A-history.html">calend<span style="color: blue;">a</span>r houses</a> and am now dying to visit one. Were there any other amazing things you found out that you would have
loved to include but just didn't fit into this story?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">A ton! But dearly as I love research, I’m a firm believer in
only including what’s absolutely necessary for the story, and not letting the
cool facts take over. To give an example: I was fascinated by everything
I read about the alchemist <a href="http://www.womenalchemists.com/Sophie.html">Sophie Brahe</a>, but virtually all of it will have to
wait for some other book. As will all those gorgeous (and truly wacky)
illuminated alchemical manuscripts, and the brocaded seventeenth-century court
shoes, and… sigh. It’s hard not to include it all! But I try to keep in
mind that with novels, research is like an iceberg: most of it should stay
hidden.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Was it easier to write the second story, as you knew the
characters so well, or does it bring its own unique challenges when you're
working with the same personalities?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">It really was a joy to come back to these characters. In a very
real way I felt like I was getting to visit with old friends.
Occasionally I found myself constrained by something I wrote in the first book
that I wished I could change, but that was rare. Honestly, I think I had the
best of both worlds this time around, since there are also quite a few new
characters in this book, and most of them were enormous fun to write. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">So, what is your next project? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #444444;">I’ve had the good luck to write about things I love and care
about and have a few ideas, but I’ll wait until the end of this project to see
which one grabs me, or it might be something completely different!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"> </span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #444444;">Okay, as Amy lives just outside of Oxford, and I'm an expat, Brit talk!</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Hot buttered crumpets or cream tea? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;">Cream
tea – with clotted cream, please!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: blue;">Earl Grey or black tea?</span> </span> <span style="color: #444444;">Oh, that’s hard. But I’ll go
for Earl Grey.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Pimms or G & T?</span> <span style="color: #444444;">Pimms. </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #444444;">It always makes me think of
summer in England, which happily is almost here.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #104abc; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">I cannot wait to read your next book and what a delight it was to meet you! Thank you <a href="http://www.amybutlergreenfield.com/Chantress_Story.html">Amy Butler Greenfield</a>, for stopping by The Inkpot! </span></span></span></div>
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Keelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03919770744520555221noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-92030835758510443142014-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:002014-05-19T12:42:25.669-04:00Spring MG covers: The Light! And the genders. Also hooves. And goldfish.<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnU2AZn7H-zi2qLr0IVACfH2AEB0aaBeQ-0AiYVT2P0UyLkDIqddrCt2aT-7u3to2FP22qBmJoJWnJBCJ16Wjl0rJg1DJaSSyAUqXzrbn-LKHze1o-z_olO6xSm2HsDBLgWYizKBz73RA/s1600/bite+sized+magic.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/AVvXsEhnU2AZn7H-zi2qLr0IVACfH2AEB0aaBeQ-0AiYVT2P0UyLkDIqddrCt2aT-7u3to2FP22qBmJoJWnJBCJ16Wjl0rJg1DJaSSyAUqXzrbn-LKHze1o-z_olO6xSm2HsDBLgWYizKBz73RA/s1600/bite+sized+magic.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a>Ever since Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the two-boy-one-girl
combo has been a winner. That’s apparent in this season’s roster of
middle-grade fantasy covers, although we see pretty much every combination of
genders. (Interestingly, there seem to be more all-girl covers than all-boy—we’ll
leave you to debate what THAT means.)</div>
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The girls, we’re pleased to note, appear to be active and self-sufficient—we didn't find any “boy
reaches out to help girl climb the castle stairs” motifs. Girls have swords
nowadays, and they know how to use them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once again this season, light is a big factor. Sometimes our heroes run toward it, sometimes away, but
designers know that a bright and mysterious light on a cover always will draw the eye. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Some publishers seem to be lowering the age-range for middle
grade—we included several covers this time that were earmarked for ages “8 to
12” rather than the usual “9 to 12” or “10 to 14.” As a result, some of the covers look a
little younger than in the past.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These covers hit the bookstores between January and June 2014. If you know of a great one we’ve overlooked, please link to it in the comments. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And tell us which is your favorite!<o:p></o:p></div>
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(Click the link to see the covers . . .)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A winning combo: two boys, one girl.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCleM6N7dYgWzfUvNsTClQF6xvvixXVKQzbVxi6pZ0PUR0WKocSf40YtCdRx3OGZJ43qAgVxPV3vt1e_MDI7ZsIyuuXlIoXdKLcAcQHxTBRQ7Oy7haLMIyq91qMsDC_HKVc2xGwEdgaMk/s1600/dark+lord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCleM6N7dYgWzfUvNsTClQF6xvvixXVKQzbVxi6pZ0PUR0WKocSf40YtCdRx3OGZJ43qAgVxPV3vt1e_MDI7ZsIyuuXlIoXdKLcAcQHxTBRQ7Oy7haLMIyq91qMsDC_HKVc2xGwEdgaMk/s1600/dark+lord.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksA3d7suExOT2DQ4XZ7YsvRpjHnUsNLuR7gt5MTJtUpz8zUYEKxBopFJZWTiSNq1HZbHO1NTztS6CMos3JHc0oAgWylqRvpG7Axl773pDwl_B5Rp4FVb6MjAM1e7PpQq51IuJ0Zd2r0o/s1600/quantum_league.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksA3d7suExOT2DQ4XZ7YsvRpjHnUsNLuR7gt5MTJtUpz8zUYEKxBopFJZWTiSNq1HZbHO1NTztS6CMos3JHc0oAgWylqRvpG7Axl773pDwl_B5Rp4FVb6MjAM1e7PpQq51IuJ0Zd2r0o/s1600/quantum_league.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Unless it's two girls, one boy and some swans,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Or one of each.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfJXX_4K-Ps53vT08HOMjnB50swNobyxnUuBJSK5r-mea-jRfrT8EBQEp5wZONSiLzyAI3bkfwwwY73f4BWcrfXt8vkyMttZ7QH4MDTXkET9rNCqYt0j95Mvu_1Ril3hUfp12khU_uRg/s1600/riverman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfJXX_4K-Ps53vT08HOMjnB50swNobyxnUuBJSK5r-mea-jRfrT8EBQEp5wZONSiLzyAI3bkfwwwY73f4BWcrfXt8vkyMttZ7QH4MDTXkET9rNCqYt0j95Mvu_1Ril3hUfp12khU_uRg/s1600/riverman.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ94T24_i9wVbdk9PT8hmUVDldVFdNbEErgtNadtUOu0BRWRrpTWQ-vbcD3nA9V011NIBsqQyWhqMQ3xPxxcVORTJ5dOEiYsa05VhGAa4HyQL3Mv-urITt6VdEMGHV_DXAI0OFck7OGmk/s1600/wildwood+imperium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ94T24_i9wVbdk9PT8hmUVDldVFdNbEErgtNadtUOu0BRWRrpTWQ-vbcD3nA9V011NIBsqQyWhqMQ3xPxxcVORTJ5dOEiYsa05VhGAa4HyQL3Mv-urITt6VdEMGHV_DXAI0OFck7OGmk/s1600/wildwood+imperium.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrmGSKJbCnvK-KVenLvBYoerd_E4_0H_lLMObRnRFmdMuOKDUa_eByx2pY9F5_0xXKJvYoeudGTKf3EatXb4BDtwyL15bO7CARFAw2Wl2N3p78VWNX0cFOqebKsJq5GCFbE59Fxh-lOY/s1600/the+secret+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrmGSKJbCnvK-KVenLvBYoerd_E4_0H_lLMObRnRFmdMuOKDUa_eByx2pY9F5_0xXKJvYoeudGTKf3EatXb4BDtwyL15bO7CARFAw2Wl2N3p78VWNX0cFOqebKsJq5GCFbE59Fxh-lOY/s1600/the+secret+box.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Sometimes girls like to stick together.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYY5mmKbbdPKndnMAbH3blhvkHKWVAhIvccEC82MOA_89_q6e7Qcz3r1WaUir3VvjjlbeIYX9Uxkgdqp_2_7k1rCcyfzMNSGLLdu9AXJ4OVstKFRNLcdFWJvTbTAWlJVFSpOG8szI6-0/s1600/monster+high.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYY5mmKbbdPKndnMAbH3blhvkHKWVAhIvccEC82MOA_89_q6e7Qcz3r1WaUir3VvjjlbeIYX9Uxkgdqp_2_7k1rCcyfzMNSGLLdu9AXJ4OVstKFRNLcdFWJvTbTAWlJVFSpOG8szI6-0/s1600/monster+high.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt7YaK-19gk2f8yDYMiT2rvJuzUH6zjavleLE5sXxsMmUbHZrqxQpwxTpsP9bIyoCtRTtbhfBDVlgDG3_S7PSiWqO5xijquoNfhyPvBjBGLxNlOd-mHrXlhTaE4LHxxPWbCD8D_oQAzM/s1600/omg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt7YaK-19gk2f8yDYMiT2rvJuzUH6zjavleLE5sXxsMmUbHZrqxQpwxTpsP9bIyoCtRTtbhfBDVlgDG3_S7PSiWqO5xijquoNfhyPvBjBGLxNlOd-mHrXlhTaE4LHxxPWbCD8D_oQAzM/s1600/omg.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW86RL1wGXcxet7E8l65KPUlltImJ8mzeKA2cF8i-4-Zz_LJF4O3i89XGIxFEdzL1FOSLeuhf8U0sb6va6XksljN-s89sNky5Ef-kf_RbMvO96aw1cEzxJs_X_KiaPZcbC6jA7bdA1Dw/s1600/quirks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW86RL1wGXcxet7E8l65KPUlltImJ8mzeKA2cF8i-4-Zz_LJF4O3i89XGIxFEdzL1FOSLeuhf8U0sb6va6XksljN-s89sNky5Ef-kf_RbMvO96aw1cEzxJs_X_KiaPZcbC6jA7bdA1Dw/s1600/quirks.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV73Y9xA9duSlLIFBK68pZb8ANcOUng7g1qSjxO4yRpAvSyoXh_hG31K-YaLE0_JGB0kQwRLdAgpFhk_DFyZvcTJpSMvYjZeQCfQbylcEUBh-nPH-15LXA6hVGGSZGJEj5H551dY_2iIQ/s1600/seven+stories+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV73Y9xA9duSlLIFBK68pZb8ANcOUng7g1qSjxO4yRpAvSyoXh_hG31K-YaLE0_JGB0kQwRLdAgpFhk_DFyZvcTJpSMvYjZeQCfQbylcEUBh-nPH-15LXA6hVGGSZGJEj5H551dY_2iIQ/s1600/seven+stories+up.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S5r17n2wIo88w1vgLjh2RSwBsczzSOAq-nB4er37x2y4gh82GzZAWdXAhooRaO1qzOu4x6L6jyYCSowkzMysjY65IKuWTJaRLirVP0RbeOAsGK_QC1QUxzT7-c2gmGAlLPH53cBbnRA/s1600/seven+wild+sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S5r17n2wIo88w1vgLjh2RSwBsczzSOAq-nB4er37x2y4gh82GzZAWdXAhooRaO1qzOu4x6L6jyYCSowkzMysjY65IKuWTJaRLirVP0RbeOAsGK_QC1QUxzT7-c2gmGAlLPH53cBbnRA/s1600/seven+wild+sisters.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTvX_34W3TM6gpWaNklOtnCgzy4FSAuMom8v3aayZ80p0JtNu-xtKyuEykbGh_MiAx46Mu7pWQMH9bQIoenhEjDn3CK026cQNw4iBg2Pj5O12pfiSu4DIwTA3DQKnNy6JNe26iJ4EZcM/s1600/unfairest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTvX_34W3TM6gpWaNklOtnCgzy4FSAuMom8v3aayZ80p0JtNu-xtKyuEykbGh_MiAx46Mu7pWQMH9bQIoenhEjDn3CK026cQNw4iBg2Pj5O12pfiSu4DIwTA3DQKnNy6JNe26iJ4EZcM/s1600/unfairest.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP_UZFRf5OlvPCS1H3cZpWjqKWzwSNm81g9vkQzeR12Ss-vsCesZyU8D6uhwztLrtjLKye3JVnLC9EUpL8YshMyJJVIOmYCaCylZW3RD2BS-z_6Vjqg6RaTvRfH4oEEyqmfwx3GT1XYQ/s1600/west+of+the+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP_UZFRf5OlvPCS1H3cZpWjqKWzwSNm81g9vkQzeR12Ss-vsCesZyU8D6uhwztLrtjLKye3JVnLC9EUpL8YshMyJJVIOmYCaCylZW3RD2BS-z_6Vjqg6RaTvRfH4oEEyqmfwx3GT1XYQ/s1600/west+of+the+moon.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Boys too, come to think of it.</b></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNQWHMLF7zM5CPyP-5NTB7_SML6yJfBSNuOzWqh_yDVuzRjAjsngmRtMoSFap5u6f5TDLkX14Z48EYEAEvRKuC24kmDebI6odzCHVHhUCC2pxVeC1tCJB9hCIjQ1tLdj3zAasYXpX3xc/s1600/boys+of+blur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNQWHMLF7zM5CPyP-5NTB7_SML6yJfBSNuOzWqh_yDVuzRjAjsngmRtMoSFap5u6f5TDLkX14Z48EYEAEvRKuC24kmDebI6odzCHVHhUCC2pxVeC1tCJB9hCIjQ1tLdj3zAasYXpX3xc/s1600/boys+of+blur.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgeN13o5M1-SxPIsrJoWmDWjlWDNzILi7k2bTMszuZrSy5Yq3Sk0EfF2KV1aLgGMV9-sPBnUrNfcYRDsBqTHBF4R0RGec3DPqLTG3MPfCUfMgH46SDu43bTArVlo6nsIKqyJVVj6UeIQ/s1600/midnight+eerie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgeN13o5M1-SxPIsrJoWmDWjlWDNzILi7k2bTMszuZrSy5Yq3Sk0EfF2KV1aLgGMV9-sPBnUrNfcYRDsBqTHBF4R0RGec3DPqLTG3MPfCUfMgH46SDu43bTArVlo6nsIKqyJVVj6UeIQ/s1600/midnight+eerie.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Often, it’s best to go it alone,<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLfgLlxhyV5HhzCWOOURADCJJNZPDazxg5lYfE9d5obugM7hLOhHhZgIlcaKvK0za0bJN0Flg17TV5QAQA11GIOEGynmUJ6-H4qavcmLXirfCpfsyRUrKs4Je8Hl6GkwnWhMeEw3edTU/s1600/being+wicked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLfgLlxhyV5HhzCWOOURADCJJNZPDazxg5lYfE9d5obugM7hLOhHhZgIlcaKvK0za0bJN0Flg17TV5QAQA11GIOEGynmUJ6-H4qavcmLXirfCpfsyRUrKs4Je8Hl6GkwnWhMeEw3edTU/s1600/being+wicked.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HFIJt1C8lgYpIVN0_u2vDwGRhn53xTy67puEIkC7g8QD6iiTcWYqUgWjAXM1sg1zmfK59HgZvVAgXRHz0CvKgs8eFkX61Yh0qkAK5jyv2wFa4sC7L09V_ejWsbAQdnfs_43yOBx_Jkg/s1600/fire+and+ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HFIJt1C8lgYpIVN0_u2vDwGRhn53xTy67puEIkC7g8QD6iiTcWYqUgWjAXM1sg1zmfK59HgZvVAgXRHz0CvKgs8eFkX61Yh0qkAK5jyv2wFa4sC7L09V_ejWsbAQdnfs_43yOBx_Jkg/s1600/fire+and+ice.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXamxj9OJzfSp9JgGKDfK6IHywQFgsPa0H6ngQBwunkffktsCDEmz1T8Lc_srPqv3s64aHumKMutpMdEOSjVnr_WFFBQ8K-Z0ntZRsAk5xjLbTiXNAXcHY3kR1foKWigldtai1Pli7q6k/s1600/jinx's+magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXamxj9OJzfSp9JgGKDfK6IHywQFgsPa0H6ngQBwunkffktsCDEmz1T8Lc_srPqv3s64aHumKMutpMdEOSjVnr_WFFBQ8K-Z0ntZRsAk5xjLbTiXNAXcHY3kR1foKWigldtai1Pli7q6k/s1600/jinx's+magic.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Although an animal sidekick can be a comfort. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeXIXoYlbeKXsMZBWcf_bxM2tlxnhiOByyymsLdozL9S-GvAoTurLZztP05g0Mve6jGh5hDaqzt4Ccq4pLhyOdgWXI1Zov_ZqcYUsA5_uEYf4DNkyyOkkPDrDchXU3vR97897x3zVPno/s1600/ever+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeXIXoYlbeKXsMZBWcf_bxM2tlxnhiOByyymsLdozL9S-GvAoTurLZztP05g0Mve6jGh5hDaqzt4Ccq4pLhyOdgWXI1Zov_ZqcYUsA5_uEYf4DNkyyOkkPDrDchXU3vR97897x3zVPno/s1600/ever+after.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOeOcLYq4oHvyylTq-rIa3IlfxhI-otKesKjHihmtMRLAeu5zMeLXg3xW82m2xoQXrCGdy79A0PymtPUD2Yj6fLE6bLamHJQ_TKWt2EJMAqq6JqoV5JgDnJyxBmbHo8PFK2ECLCGu18g/s1600/time+out+of+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOeOcLYq4oHvyylTq-rIa3IlfxhI-otKesKjHihmtMRLAeu5zMeLXg3xW82m2xoQXrCGdy79A0PymtPUD2Yj6fLE6bLamHJQ_TKWt2EJMAqq6JqoV5JgDnJyxBmbHo8PFK2ECLCGu18g/s1600/time+out+of+time.jpg" height="200" width="162" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt1OMNlGKQzhfhF74CauVJpP9LnNWjMN6gbId1iv379eKdi7I5Am9GhmeR8u-kRdId7LL43DWPPW8hSeDWDkMJC05tGZ8wMM_dxESfRY0IB_xywJuWLaj6EHG63052jMDBe4rIx2f_Sc/s1600/last+wild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt1OMNlGKQzhfhF74CauVJpP9LnNWjMN6gbId1iv379eKdi7I5Am9GhmeR8u-kRdId7LL43DWPPW8hSeDWDkMJC05tGZ8wMM_dxESfRY0IB_xywJuWLaj6EHG63052jMDBe4rIx2f_Sc/s1600/last+wild.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Or, you know, trolls.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzazt05BRb_yvgUZ7UQDC6TgxqhCxy2dMrp7UONpEigHAl8MIU2pneuEFApjd-sB22Aii446zA9PnRmcbB3d4YW17yZjya9Xx0OJFuIhx3Q2zvnSTQqhGJYidBLLxU5wAx0HLXRkDdTXU/s1600/Bog-cover-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzazt05BRb_yvgUZ7UQDC6TgxqhCxy2dMrp7UONpEigHAl8MIU2pneuEFApjd-sB22Aii446zA9PnRmcbB3d4YW17yZjya9Xx0OJFuIhx3Q2zvnSTQqhGJYidBLLxU5wAx0HLXRkDdTXU/s1600/Bog-cover-web.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">Anyway, a girl’s best friend may be her fighting spirit,</b></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKQ-TQeFPLA11JdX61diSHcaI0AlSvpJsDXxT0mXd_KUV6TMvNarpl8qG625cRJ-9xa8hEdGDI160ZgItWubvpav_R_mjG7MlF4H1hM8c0t8XIkCnsTl4S0VUZG68EooemZgNxGM3ykw/s1600/bravest+princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKQ-TQeFPLA11JdX61diSHcaI0AlSvpJsDXxT0mXd_KUV6TMvNarpl8qG625cRJ-9xa8hEdGDI160ZgItWubvpav_R_mjG7MlF4H1hM8c0t8XIkCnsTl4S0VUZG68EooemZgNxGM3ykw/s1600/bravest+princess.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU_F80cB22J6rgAxIiTzB2RXR9dEt5dnxr0TBwsK9xRByHZXoSCm-jSC-3C57yiWQb6H1DhpLXeC3NZXy0PfI7AQ2mAaINbxKh-8vV_3ueJWoYG7npZ4NvCLU-A_bIlzXhwRyBT4FUA4/s1600/burn+bright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU_F80cB22J6rgAxIiTzB2RXR9dEt5dnxr0TBwsK9xRByHZXoSCm-jSC-3C57yiWQb6H1DhpLXeC3NZXy0PfI7AQ2mAaINbxKh-8vV_3ueJWoYG7npZ4NvCLU-A_bIlzXhwRyBT4FUA4/s1600/burn+bright.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzcGE9cQA4U50PuFbF6cPUp4VwJ5mbxNTa991Kb_bsMB8ZAYoJkW1qYbhsLlMvtQTFcQCvBHPopaV-BBTFTNxUNWSrgrmpuGcA0kmwHTg_nHEoMD-zXT65q5aE_QqNIMHsUVz6VQuEyg/s1600/sorcery+and+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzcGE9cQA4U50PuFbF6cPUp4VwJ5mbxNTa991Kb_bsMB8ZAYoJkW1qYbhsLlMvtQTFcQCvBHPopaV-BBTFTNxUNWSrgrmpuGcA0kmwHTg_nHEoMD-zXT65q5aE_QqNIMHsUVz6VQuEyg/s1600/sorcery+and+snow.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm85_QAbj8AbHtTzH19V9cEG-qsR23LGiw6hgy6oMBdUg1tkcIJAc_STUMDoldSl4FUyjBEupCPL0DfE_H2CcW-yhvfl8KFDDAiYCyKx1-st5tMzaOuvcgUi5-bSWmsJeKPpTS5puVnc/s1600/wondla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm85_QAbj8AbHtTzH19V9cEG-qsR23LGiw6hgy6oMBdUg1tkcIJAc_STUMDoldSl4FUyjBEupCPL0DfE_H2CcW-yhvfl8KFDDAiYCyKx1-st5tMzaOuvcgUi5-bSWmsJeKPpTS5puVnc/s1600/wondla.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Especially when menace is looming from behind. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcvNUQ41xwiSp06vAyBm7Pl6RZBZ9aItjXxefqklKLgKFJeCtlpyuyS-MsMEjBrKuo40x-0RG3lsuHNdPBCDfAKue1s9OHl1ISb672No8-TMx6MWUuTWrz5gRfyIMuzgQtJCb8v9LZ9s/s1600/kingdom+keepers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcvNUQ41xwiSp06vAyBm7Pl6RZBZ9aItjXxefqklKLgKFJeCtlpyuyS-MsMEjBrKuo40x-0RG3lsuHNdPBCDfAKue1s9OHl1ISb672No8-TMx6MWUuTWrz5gRfyIMuzgQtJCb8v9LZ9s/s1600/kingdom+keepers.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DfqKEKHS5G4j_Qv6r5ULe4WeZuocc-m7xNEAIya7NKgHPTPUg4r3Cl5P47RJS9T4KimCHJo3T19UGSoeatwELEY-lb0KsCvZruTXg7_aoTp9sGFri3mP37cWr13-GqJHXXyBDFU4Dk0/s1600/mouseheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DfqKEKHS5G4j_Qv6r5ULe4WeZuocc-m7xNEAIya7NKgHPTPUg4r3Cl5P47RJS9T4KimCHJo3T19UGSoeatwELEY-lb0KsCvZruTXg7_aoTp9sGFri3mP37cWr13-GqJHXXyBDFU4Dk0/s1600/mouseheart.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE14xMeULbsAbVVUzdGE1h78Mvo8NnN82Oc1zEEOVOR2BCFOF15YDkNgdnoVW0Gc5QByi2IGf5E-YwOWJLlbXvI-zNeK61N7KdkNKz1Lmw6xtrgh9XFMi8Z_k1RwQDqTMQP3ATMJXauyU/s1600/nanny+piggins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE14xMeULbsAbVVUzdGE1h78Mvo8NnN82Oc1zEEOVOR2BCFOF15YDkNgdnoVW0Gc5QByi2IGf5E-YwOWJLlbXvI-zNeK61N7KdkNKz1Lmw6xtrgh9XFMi8Z_k1RwQDqTMQP3ATMJXauyU/s1600/nanny+piggins.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">But oh . . . the hooves!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsIzphOQCnTiGRXWkB66l3KwIf7I9xkctcWL2wdfBU7pNNHtvV7u0ZTXOhnksHG3S-cWFfZqFv9Ivrbf3tVww3sDv0RXqStyQ95DrnMxGPA3RvuH39Z_nc44U9cu6SI8wfe5KpD-3-Ew/s1600/a+hundred+horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsIzphOQCnTiGRXWkB66l3KwIf7I9xkctcWL2wdfBU7pNNHtvV7u0ZTXOhnksHG3S-cWFfZqFv9Ivrbf3tVww3sDv0RXqStyQ95DrnMxGPA3RvuH39Z_nc44U9cu6SI8wfe5KpD-3-Ew/s1600/a+hundred+horses.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxKqS49AoitdEE8VE18KHUoOliU6jOkSVivNFI8tPxiUdVq60-LwpnMFJ9PtCyx-nMTWKqHE9fhzdKdzGZWzv6yjUfpeuMisjH1_eLnkMM6vAQokdqtN81Tm1r5UdyNHz2lPzMq-58OE/s1600/horses+of+the+dawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxKqS49AoitdEE8VE18KHUoOliU6jOkSVivNFI8tPxiUdVq60-LwpnMFJ9PtCyx-nMTWKqHE9fhzdKdzGZWzv6yjUfpeuMisjH1_eLnkMM6vAQokdqtN81Tm1r5UdyNHz2lPzMq-58OE/s1600/horses+of+the+dawn.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjwX_nH_VBLY4qrNZT8oWyFX-ReuIOZiChpmBsmkrz-nOTyPOjLOAVDjhLDqYac47g1VzljJFLdI3sjg4-wUKGfbAuyJ3f6Lw5bX-uVxHvHQ7eN93MwKq6vLv_qRrNodX3bt1MiLSeQY/s1600/pagasus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjwX_nH_VBLY4qrNZT8oWyFX-ReuIOZiChpmBsmkrz-nOTyPOjLOAVDjhLDqYac47g1VzljJFLdI3sjg4-wUKGfbAuyJ3f6Lw5bX-uVxHvHQ7eN93MwKq6vLv_qRrNodX3bt1MiLSeQY/s1600/pagasus.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">The feathers!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHd0raxGzukgJq35oNmOm9BbPcJIjbGsJbhcB7QlkBEf4RN0fppATNoQ7KuKB1MNHJNx33KKDoZRHGAtY1UfO_rk-Epk329OK5mspsbzyWb0QBctNbnNJxaxAU6IAjUbSs5Wa1WDKDHA/s1600/bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHd0raxGzukgJq35oNmOm9BbPcJIjbGsJbhcB7QlkBEf4RN0fppATNoQ7KuKB1MNHJNx33KKDoZRHGAtY1UfO_rk-Epk329OK5mspsbzyWb0QBctNbnNJxaxAU6IAjUbSs5Wa1WDKDHA/s1600/bird.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytcjOx3yOGi7gws-lmSCx16dxAJOuB1ZUzeveWOxj4kgjaQL0V0KVJLS_l0A3KczAu8nN-sk_AI8th_pW_02rKZZ1t0ZA-T01l4dao9408cTkBcV1EqtR2OIV4WFsUX_KLG7z56iS9_s/s1600/dark+inheritance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytcjOx3yOGi7gws-lmSCx16dxAJOuB1ZUzeveWOxj4kgjaQL0V0KVJLS_l0A3KczAu8nN-sk_AI8th_pW_02rKZZ1t0ZA-T01l4dao9408cTkBcV1EqtR2OIV4WFsUX_KLG7z56iS9_s/s1600/dark+inheritance.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1_X6s-btlg-VQSwFJ9EchHdJ2qxzqZ1MhyphenhyphenxyPFnOJSaRX3WL3DlVkk_hBsq-wCu3s84bnbG7v9I2fKxqGcISk6RQrtYDuEOxdtP124DmCG5SjyyqgkINV395tk5Tfyk8W4fIyQgxgWU/s1600/horizon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1_X6s-btlg-VQSwFJ9EchHdJ2qxzqZ1MhyphenhyphenxyPFnOJSaRX3WL3DlVkk_hBsq-wCu3s84bnbG7v9I2fKxqGcISk6RQrtYDuEOxdtP124DmCG5SjyyqgkINV395tk5Tfyk8W4fIyQgxgWU/s1600/horizon.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlkiGM27iVA7Bbmz6DvIVZ3JR5ONbl8iB1vyVZFAfIvW5E5ezSCAwNR8nRP5B5RcSOrJp3Vddj0NZQyoUA7zUwjpMCInPi3lV1jnk0xnC9t3Q5XJdZk0ciCxJ94iQhtT7MWz4zAg5lVo/s1600/odin's+ravens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlkiGM27iVA7Bbmz6DvIVZ3JR5ONbl8iB1vyVZFAfIvW5E5ezSCAwNR8nRP5B5RcSOrJp3Vddj0NZQyoUA7zUwjpMCInPi3lV1jnk0xnC9t3Q5XJdZk0ciCxJ94iQhtT7MWz4zAg5lVo/s1600/odin's+ravens.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggq2mRo82rG2wt4_XcRbzxOOpTs_AHU8NDyeAq9UVvmph8OaH-ZmaEyjQgbEPWuZkF_6Uvk1TuffWFfc5EnOFlhRssD9Zd8qZAZCTAs9hpJcDpXKYcHo8NWK4Q9be9AKcNBU03Uhew6A8/s1600/fluff+dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggq2mRo82rG2wt4_XcRbzxOOpTs_AHU8NDyeAq9UVvmph8OaH-ZmaEyjQgbEPWuZkF_6Uvk1TuffWFfc5EnOFlhRssD9Zd8qZAZCTAs9hpJcDpXKYcHo8NWK4Q9be9AKcNBU03Uhew6A8/s1600/fluff+dragon.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scales!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi8DpbUBkwgyVLbyUZTevdMHUw9GeahGi840RYHNdZATvjqCDevxC-wLhddj7l58S-m8EcbctqVOAdesDVepjTYxvg5VJGYKWtRg3Hovd2fsk3W6qlELqbCsQ42mvlEO6XVIkEqjc9XE/s1600/champions+of+breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi8DpbUBkwgyVLbyUZTevdMHUw9GeahGi840RYHNdZATvjqCDevxC-wLhddj7l58S-m8EcbctqVOAdesDVepjTYxvg5VJGYKWtRg3Hovd2fsk3W6qlELqbCsQ42mvlEO6XVIkEqjc9XE/s1600/champions+of+breakfast.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZf7i0RvOZvixE6YIAiRAL4drU7hTUCAQGMxN2qPGRxKkyvGx2z_bHa6jzIShMcve_pQLMDpRa5eakBozXkKITGXYeAhjZ4DBISN7CJQNn01CXCDWGy9AWn34CyIBRt_8u8lkDj-X9zU/s1600/dragon+on+trial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZf7i0RvOZvixE6YIAiRAL4drU7hTUCAQGMxN2qPGRxKkyvGx2z_bHa6jzIShMcve_pQLMDpRa5eakBozXkKITGXYeAhjZ4DBISN7CJQNn01CXCDWGy9AWn34CyIBRt_8u8lkDj-X9zU/s1600/dragon+on+trial.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmbSRJuV1oe0_yyxl7F5a3u71_naXoIvhmJbb4LO76M-IynBDAu8lNt1xHe0aKXpY3YbOlQ2ExfHWKRv532nS5VE890mjKERIaENbXCCTrbjzY3-bV3jjSjpzvtMufFHIaR9wuXBfFno/s1600/wings+of+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmbSRJuV1oe0_yyxl7F5a3u71_naXoIvhmJbb4LO76M-IynBDAu8lNt1xHe0aKXpY3YbOlQ2ExfHWKRv532nS5VE890mjKERIaENbXCCTrbjzY3-bV3jjSjpzvtMufFHIaR9wuXBfFno/s1600/wings+of+fire.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Also . . . er . . . goldfish<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV9j1FV93Az2AI9wDIHAFvV3NmblkxEVXdhkPzGoIGIJVAKiMhhzp8jHO7qrKl3rkoBixgZ7Km6chsNoYuWg-s9x0E0uzM7YNYYppgod3vDrYfUROl_Zu_tmSyajtg-koirSeN-Z93Io/s1600/circa+now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV9j1FV93Az2AI9wDIHAFvV3NmblkxEVXdhkPzGoIGIJVAKiMhhzp8jHO7qrKl3rkoBixgZ7Km6chsNoYuWg-s9x0E0uzM7YNYYppgod3vDrYfUROl_Zu_tmSyajtg-koirSeN-Z93Io/s1600/circa+now.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10mJL4BTudskQHPClwJPmMf8bIqsyd49w4f37ZkhaolW2DwIXkiT0i-KKP1xTX2D6JRw8r4q9a2AgW51ew1lsk-H6WwacwlI2IOnUYOGIVGkIixH4Db11zRzXXXJck8Y25lfXpRd4qzY/s1600/dreamer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10mJL4BTudskQHPClwJPmMf8bIqsyd49w4f37ZkhaolW2DwIXkiT0i-KKP1xTX2D6JRw8r4q9a2AgW51ew1lsk-H6WwacwlI2IOnUYOGIVGkIixH4Db11zRzXXXJck8Y25lfXpRd4qzY/s1600/dreamer.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ominous light,<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOByERinmihh1A0mZgbgHFvOGHT3Toi0e9A27Z_B029fSDfFsQPY13wrU-_S5kxJqOGvavXqjrSZ19MiT-kEU49mWigFpkHct18XUsn14lIhmH3kvV4for8Qv_4TMtM3xv5V0Ceu1beKk/s1600/nethergrim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOByERinmihh1A0mZgbgHFvOGHT3Toi0e9A27Z_B029fSDfFsQPY13wrU-_S5kxJqOGvavXqjrSZ19MiT-kEU49mWigFpkHct18XUsn14lIhmH3kvV4for8Qv_4TMtM3xv5V0Ceu1beKk/s1600/nethergrim.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1ip66aSNdJC7Vr-LxsZCD9kaYWsF_wMZipQCCQ_3Vi9tbNhmChqb2y526O55Qco4v5-8oxi2uSlWY0Yct3dZA1w3_lLyMCIhWjalKd5RPyivH9_iDzr_O1gtTzam5rxr0jMgwuO9I7o/s1600/tesla's+attic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1ip66aSNdJC7Vr-LxsZCD9kaYWsF_wMZipQCCQ_3Vi9tbNhmChqb2y526O55Qco4v5-8oxi2uSlWY0Yct3dZA1w3_lLyMCIhWjalKd5RPyivH9_iDzr_O1gtTzam5rxr0jMgwuO9I7o/s1600/tesla's+attic.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GNlKvrfgRzEjmGECQnZZHJ802rTgi3SK4BBbUd5plHBrNsnEP13jzLkjH_zmpr0wgwDRnH4_H5mZRDUdzgDF9WX16vbXoR6R12k8Srtv5rlkAzyxacTIqbyLkZyUD3HLsthURGrBhAs/s1600/the+finisher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GNlKvrfgRzEjmGECQnZZHJ802rTgi3SK4BBbUd5plHBrNsnEP13jzLkjH_zmpr0wgwDRnH4_H5mZRDUdzgDF9WX16vbXoR6R12k8Srtv5rlkAzyxacTIqbyLkZyUD3HLsthURGrBhAs/s1600/the+finisher.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Angry seas,<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7nzMV2oCPoZFkcRWhwYkFBMTfVgUKNz-TTTJlXUy89jPi7uZJvIijhZRICulsB9svF0-K3MHJ8mRqGyYDsC91eYRXEIO2PBPDs7Ffr7ELXERW0Gwm3KNHMP_v4XOV1UwEnIH3A3N1q8/s1600/blue+sea+burning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7nzMV2oCPoZFkcRWhwYkFBMTfVgUKNz-TTTJlXUy89jPi7uZJvIijhZRICulsB9svF0-K3MHJ8mRqGyYDsC91eYRXEIO2PBPDs7Ffr7ELXERW0Gwm3KNHMP_v4XOV1UwEnIH3A3N1q8/s1600/blue+sea+burning.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiiTIK0w3F8dsfbeLYyPwuQw3RLd30rV3lLfb2blq3DYj1onLmWg_xfDQ7CBWkL3gfYHh35IoKmd-iLzyBxgwAAqGPW9IFJZubP2_9ryaH4Cpcaqp2uFeyNNHjBCgfuWDNzjNsma98VQ/s1600/brotherband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiiTIK0w3F8dsfbeLYyPwuQw3RLd30rV3lLfb2blq3DYj1onLmWg_xfDQ7CBWkL3gfYHh35IoKmd-iLzyBxgwAAqGPW9IFJZubP2_9ryaH4Cpcaqp2uFeyNNHjBCgfuWDNzjNsma98VQ/s1600/brotherband.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And, in general, cool stuff.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn8DlYXJjlW6ONGx52nXB2BnJBjn22qrmjZLO6MvaaLf0wpMyu6O8k-JgktCprptdOEzAqHkMOLNC2RNZkbqAryjZIIgExL04GSfzigz9-iQxG0W_zxIryQIq3-eFTntHiwx232HNihA/s1600/cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn8DlYXJjlW6ONGx52nXB2BnJBjn22qrmjZLO6MvaaLf0wpMyu6O8k-JgktCprptdOEzAqHkMOLNC2RNZkbqAryjZIIgExL04GSfzigz9-iQxG0W_zxIryQIq3-eFTntHiwx232HNihA/s1600/cabinet.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupPpYkXJkDTBFJV8ZQhEaJDB_JaaWaklRe2cyQin6r5xou3cgxGJGDMLE5hLTxHZBmdSXpM0qZtBclhpzjahEAsHjfH6hQrSbqu06GkFUPF86908yHdhTadtCD9-kJ2PbdFmtgfL2vEA/s1600/flights+and+chimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupPpYkXJkDTBFJV8ZQhEaJDB_JaaWaklRe2cyQin6r5xou3cgxGJGDMLE5hLTxHZBmdSXpM0qZtBclhpzjahEAsHjfH6hQrSbqu06GkFUPF86908yHdhTadtCD9-kJ2PbdFmtgfL2vEA/s1600/flights+and+chimes.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YRGvRjUJApmzkhFEwHknfWo6U5oSV2KyIcq4wGnZX4CHDG7TBbNfLPvcJJQZbCRrDm7sjCPxD3-GJAf8K1yFQW0tgEr9XyT1v4nxzyCItnFkoffIqzSRWNWMSN7YftNe9uRl6Uu0St0/s1600/house+of+secrets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YRGvRjUJApmzkhFEwHknfWo6U5oSV2KyIcq4wGnZX4CHDG7TBbNfLPvcJJQZbCRrDm7sjCPxD3-GJAf8K1yFQW0tgEr9XyT1v4nxzyCItnFkoffIqzSRWNWMSN7YftNe9uRl6Uu0St0/s1600/house+of+secrets.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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Next week: the season's young-adult fantasy covers!<br />
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<i style="background-color: #fff9f2; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Ellen Booraem's latest is TEXTING THE UNDERWORLD (Penguin/Dial, August 2013), the story of a scaredy-cat South Boston boy and a neophyte banshee. Ellen also is the author of THE UNNAMEABLES and </i><i style="background-color: #fff9f2; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS. </i><i style="background-color: #fff9f2; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">She lives in Downeast Maine with an artist, a dog, and a cat, one of whom is a practicing curmudgeon. She's online at <a href="http://www.ellenbooraem.com./" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">www.ellenbooraem.com.</a></i></div>
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Ellen Booraemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12751047743172852013noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-34063108151987818312014-05-14T12:36:00.001-04:002014-05-14T12:36:43.295-04:00Interview with Karen Krossing, Author of BOG<br />
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<i>In the midnight forests of the north, a cave troll named Bog has spent his young life hunting with his father and avoiding humans whenever possible. When his father is mercilessly turned to stone by the Troll Hunter’s followers, Bog sets out to find the murderers and avenge his father. But with no leads and little knowledge of the human world, Bog knows his journey won’t be easy. Along the way, he meets a huge forest troll named Small and a young human girl named Hannie. Together, they venture deeper into human territory, where they learn of the legendary Nose Stone—a rock rumoured to bring a stone troll back to life. Hope fills Bog’s heart, but when he discovers the Troll Hunter is also going after the Nose Stone to destroy it, his quest becomes a race of cunning, trickery, and wits.</i><br />
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Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Don't you just want to avoid whatever you're supposed to be doing, make yourself a cup of tea, and curl up with BOG? (The book, I mean<i>—</i>maybe not the troll!) Today we welcome BOG's creator, author <a href="http://karenkrossing.com/" target="_blank">Karen Krossing</a> to our blog. <br />
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<b>Lena</b>: Welcome to the Enchanted Inkpot, Karen! As you know, I am a great fan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyizCssk0Y-2WENW8b9AoMIafVsM95px7LvQry8sSa5lQd1HMPdk0gkeIqy9WIB7Cp5v685ysOYt7oFgDxtc6b8KP4zqDZU_Mlgf2f5Qf9ncUsxDtRRF4EMY9lvXyfVnK0Fn51ptX2So/s1600/Karen+Krossing+(75+dpi).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/AVvXsEimyizCssk0Y-2WENW8b9AoMIafVsM95px7LvQry8sSa5lQd1HMPdk0gkeIqy9WIB7Cp5v685ysOYt7oFgDxtc6b8KP4zqDZU_Mlgf2f5Qf9ncUsxDtRRF4EMY9lvXyfVnK0Fn51ptX2So/s1600/Karen+Krossing+(75+dpi).jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a><b>Karen</b>: Thanks for the interview, Lena. If Bog, were here, he’d affectionately yank your nose in greeting.<br />
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<b>Lena</b>: Well...I suppose I'd yank his right back, then. <br />
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You’ve been very busy lately, haven't you? Your book CUT THE LIGHTS came out in October, BOG is just out, and you’ve just come back from your TD Canadian Children’s Book Week tour. Many Enchanted Inkpot readers are in the US and might not know about Book Week, so we’d love to have you tell us about it. Where did you go and what was it like?<br />
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<b>Karen</b>: I have been busy! I’m just back from Vancouver, where I toured local schools and libraries, giving writing workshops and readings. Book Week is a national celebration of books and reading, organized by <a href="http://www.bookcentre.ca/" target="_blank">the Canadian Children’s Book Centre</a>. For one week, touring authors and illustrators bring the magic of books and reading to over 25,000 children and teens. I was thrilled to be able to connect with readers—and to go looking for trolls in the forests of western Canada.<br />
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<b>Lena</b>: I know that you’ve been working on Bog for a long time, that it’s one of those labour-of-love books. How long did it take and what was the writing process like?<br />
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<b>Karen</b>: BOG took ten years to conceive, write and publish, and it certainly was a labour of love. I stopped writing BOG several times during those years because the story needed more time to mature. Some books just take longer to develop in the writer’s subconscious, I think. So I researched my characters and world further—both troll lore and the rugged, wilderness setting for my book—and I planned my plot twists and turns. I also approached other writers for feedback on my early drafts.<br />
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<b>Lena</b>: What made you decide to write about trolls? Did you research them, or did you make up the <br />
details?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9H3F7K1dT2gYNdGN03p-HoXERWaHHHPrcfohPSfEy5zv4kNCLwYuteWFzNGb2hZA_8coiskkbrwOlB1ssl5GbP4V7NVPkTGds7oPCrnfrqOijYzriJDDqhFQBXmGSXcQc3Vfx1aL_rs/s1600/Reading+at+WestPoint+Grey+Academy,+Vancouver,+BC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9H3F7K1dT2gYNdGN03p-HoXERWaHHHPrcfohPSfEy5zv4kNCLwYuteWFzNGb2hZA_8coiskkbrwOlB1ssl5GbP4V7NVPkTGds7oPCrnfrqOijYzriJDDqhFQBXmGSXcQc3Vfx1aL_rs/s1600/Reading+at+WestPoint+Grey+Academy,+Vancouver,+BC.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Karen's readings in British Columbia, Canada</td></tr>
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<b>Karen</b>: I first conceived the idea for BOG after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and the ensuing war on terror. I wanted to write about cultural hatred fostered by learned biases from previous generations. But the novel is also a reaction to ethnic conflicts the world over—anywhere where there is prejudice against another cultural group instead of acceptance and understanding of differences.<br />
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I chose to write about trolls because, in literature, they’re traditionally considered vile to humans. The point of view of a troll character sets up humans as “monsters,” asking what morals and values make us human versus monster. For me, the novel explores the journey from hatred to tolerance.<br />
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I researched troll lore in Norse mythology as well as ingenious legends before creating my version of trolls. These trolls are family oriented and in tune with nature. They tend to avoid humans, and they have a rich storytelling culture. Like in traditional troll lore, they are night dwellers, since sunlight turns them to stone. It was great fun to imagine the details about my trolls and their world, but it was also challenging.<br />
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<b>Lena</b>: Bog is such an amazing character. He’s so complex and so flawed. How did you develop him?<br />
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<b>Karen</b>: When I started writing a book from the point of view of a cave troll, it fit with who I am. Somehow, writing about a fur-covered beast was natural to me. I developed Bog by thinking about his contradictions. He’s deeply caring yet deeply wounded by the loss of his father. He has adopted his father’s prejudices against humans as well as his strong commitment to family, so it’s hard for Bog to see beyond his family biases to the reality of his world. I think the conflicts that are built into his character make him appealing and fascinating.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for trolls in BC forests</td></tr>
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<b>Lena</b>: I love your fantasy writing, but you’re known more for your gritty contemporary stories like THE YO-YO PROPHET. Will you be writing more fantasy now? *crosses fingers*<br />
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<b>Karen</b>: Yes! I adore writing both fantasy and realistic contemporary fiction. Although my next book will be realistic (PUNCH LIKE A GIRL, Orca Book Publishers, Spring 2015), my current work-in-progress definitely falls within the fantasy genre. It’s tentatively titled THE WANTON CRIMINAL, and it’s about a fantastical trial of the absurd.<br />
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<b style="text-align: center;">Lena</b><span style="text-align: center;">: You seem to really get that middle grade and lower YA age group. What were you like back then? Were you a big reader at that age and if so, what were you reading?</span><br />
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<b>Karen</b>: I was terribly shy, quietly rebellious and fiercely independent. As a teen, I wrote angsty poems and rants, and planned to be a writer—maybe when I retired. I didn’t think writing could become a career, maybe because I’d never met any professional writers. I was also a reader, and I read anything I could get my hands on. I didn’t distinguish between literary and commercial fiction; I consumed everything from trashy romances and Archie comics to Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis and Judy Blume. I was hungry to understand the world from any source.<br />
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<b>Lena</b>: In addition to your writing, I know that you are very keyed in to the writing community in Canada. You’re the former president of CANSCAIP, you work with teen writers…. Do you find that this feeds your writing or does it take time away from it?<br />
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<b>Karen</b>: I find that connecting to other writers helps my writing in many ways. I’m a firm believer in writing groups and the value of quality feedback from trusted fellow writers. I also find that my community encourages me when the daily grind of writing becomes challenging. So I like to give back to that community. I feel it’s important to support the creators of literature for kids and teens, so that we can all have fabulous new stories to read.<br />
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<b>Lena</b>: Thanks so much for dropping by the Inkpot today, Karen! If anyone would like to try their luck at winning a copy of BOG, Karen is having a <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/91131" target="_blank">Goodreads Giveaway</a>. And have a look at her book trailer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_32xu_GZ04W0mMkYXX4JpxAtNv9Z-gHOXvTsd4bW-DgVmaNqK3pmMHpoBJoDGVBp72Hy9eVWWAGTZDJIM_g6XOSn7l2YFp0XMqA4RWC2qnI1fLRKJsYzMb90j9dyrMk6kqfsuAX4GhR8/s1600/LenaCoakley3409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_32xu_GZ04W0mMkYXX4JpxAtNv9Z-gHOXvTsd4bW-DgVmaNqK3pmMHpoBJoDGVBp72Hy9eVWWAGTZDJIM_g6XOSn7l2YFp0XMqA4RWC2qnI1fLRKJsYzMb90j9dyrMk6kqfsuAX4GhR8/s1600/LenaCoakley3409.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><br />
Lena Coakley's first novel, Witchlanders, was called “one stunning teen debut” by Kirkus Reviews and won the SCBWI Crystal Kite award for the Americas. It is a 2013 MYRCA nominee and a 2013 OLA White Pine honouree. Lena is also the author of two children’s picture books and the former administrative director of CANSCAIP. Learn more about her at www.lenacoakley.com<br />
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<br />Lena Coakleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04769948195647068745noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-26064620700267730712014-05-12T04:00:00.000-04:002016-06-17T22:01:27.293-04:00TOTW: Magic Systems in Fantasy<div class="p1">
Magic, and the way it's used, can be one of the most fascinating aspects of fantasy fiction. </div>
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Especially when the magic is creating plot opportunities and restrictions that directly impact the plot, like the rule that "the wand chooses the wizard" (and all the plot ramifications that grew from that), as well as the Horcruxes which provided a means to destroy a seemingly invulnerable opponent (though they wouldn't be easy to destroy) in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. </div>
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Then there's The Small Science, a magic system based on light in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy, and Dragonlance, in which spells take time to memorize and vanish from the caster's mind once used. </div>
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There are so many ways to add dimension and thematic significance to a fantasy novel through the ways in which magic is used. Curious about which ones the Inkies would pick, I asked them for their favorites:</div>
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<b>Elizabeth Bunce:</b></div>
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I was especially intrigued by the way magic developed over the course of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. The magic is formed through wishes, which have varying values, like currency. The source of the magic comes from the energy binding together multiple parallel universes--but no one understands this, so any magic practiced tends to be haphazard guessing, at best. Ignorant practitioners must instead tap into the energy created by pain, so the actual cost of doing magic ends up being very high--which is perfect for the dark, complex, and war-torn world Taylor creates in the series. It also brings magic down to an intensely intimate level, adding another layer of emotional resonance to the books. The magic isn't just there as a worldbuilding background or a prop; it's woven through the lives of all the characters, and it <i>hurts</i>.</div>
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<b>Leah Cypress:</b></div>
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I really love the magic system in LJ Smith's Night of the Solstice - it is all about mirrors being used to cross between worlds, and the way she depicts it is magical and poetic, but at the same time it all works very logically. As a kid I was always fascinated with mirrors, and wrote a dozen unpublishable stories about people's reflections coming to life, so this was right up my alley.</div>
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<b>Miriam Forster:</b></div>
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One of my favorites is the Tradition magic in Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms books. It's an impersonal, powerful force that tries to force people's lives into the shape of stories that have already been told, mainly fairy tales and often grim ones. (so to speak). The characters have to work around and within Tradition to save people, while trying to carve out new stories for the magic to use. It's a fresh take on some old tales and a lot of fun. </div>
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<b>Amy Butler Greenfield:</b></div>
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One system that I love is Holly Black's magic-meets-the-mob setup in The Curse Workers series, where magic has been prohibited since 1929, but certain families deal in it illegally. There are several kinds of magic-all of which can only be worked bare-handed-and each one has its own Achilles heel. Death workers, for example, lose a body part every time they cause a death. It's a beautiful system that runs as smoothly as a Rube Goldberg machine, set in a universe where the Godfather meets 1940s screwball comedy. Delicious fun.</div>
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These are some of our favorites, but now we'd like to hear from you. W<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">hich fantasy story has the best system of magic of all time?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">Lia Keyes is a London-born speculative fiction writer based in California, represented by Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She's the founder of the Steampunk Writers & Artists' Guild, and development strategist for Ellen Hopkins' non-profit foundation, Ventana Sierra, dedicated to training at-risk youth for a brighter future.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">Website: <a href="http://liakeyes.com/">LiaKeyes.com</a> | Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/liakeyes" target="_blank">@LiaKeyes</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01918754552937294606noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-61816067172657203872014-05-07T11:27:00.003-04:002014-05-07T11:27:37.146-04:00Procrastination Wednesday - Quiz Challenge!It's hump day, the middle of the week, fantasy can seem so very far away in our day to day lives so today at The Inkpot we're bringing it to you with a dollop of faerie fun and dragon fire.....drum roll.<br />
We bring you the Fantasy Quiz Challenge! <br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quizzes/41-fantasy-young-adult-novels-quiz">How Well Do You Know You Fantasy Novels?</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tk421.net/character/">Which Fantasy Sci-fi Character Are You?</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_fantasy_book_are_you_from">What Fantasy Book Are You?</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/quiz/2014/jan/10/fantasy-teen-fiction-quiz">Fantasy Teen Fiction Quiz</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/which-fantasy-writer-are-you">Which Fantasy Writer Are You?</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://vara-sundaisy.fateback.com/quizmania/charrole.html">Which Fantasy Archetype Are You?</a><br />
<br />
And finally...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.quibblo.com/quiz/eaCFsBA/What-Sci-fi-or-Fantasy-Book-Should-I-Read-Next">Which Fantasy Novel Should I Read next?</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yes of course there had to be seven, this is fantasy we're talking about after all! <br />
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<br />
<br />
I know, I know, you were looking for ways to procrastinate! We're happy to help!<br />
So what did you learn about your fantasy self this morning?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Keelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03919770744520555221noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-77192727234740982292014-05-05T11:31:00.000-04:002014-05-05T11:31:33.671-04:00Diversity in Fantasy - I'll show you mine , you show me yours!You may have noticed #WeNeedDiverseBooks on twitter starting May 1st and extending to May 3rd.<br />
It was the top trending hashtag and in no small part due to our very own Ellen Oh, with Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon! You can read much more on the background and why it is so important to us, as a community of writers for children here: <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/62094-diversity-social-media-campaign-goes-viral.html">Publishers Weekly - Diversity campaign goes viral</a><br />
<br />
So we're very proud to say there were over 107,000 tweets and retweets during
the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign.And you can see much more about it here:<a href="http://www.techfun.org/2014-05-04/download-wndb-tweet-archive/"> What does the #WeNeedDiverseBooks Tweet archive tell us? </a>and even get a link to the <a href="http://weneeddiversebooks.tumblr.com/keyposts">Best Tumblr feeds </a><br />
<br />
Here's the most retweeted post, which came with this heading from Gayle Forman.<br />
<br />
The reason <a class="hashtag customisable" data-query-source="hashtag_click" data-scribe="element:hashtag" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WeNeedDiverseBooks&src=hash" rel="tag">#<b>WeNeedDiverseBooks</b></a>: So both my daughters can see themselves—and each other—in books.<br />
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<br />
So today we're throwing open our virtual fantasy library and sharing our favorite diverse fantasy books and we'd like you to share yours as well!<br />
<br />
Here are some of my favorites:<br />
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Notice how three are by Enchanted Inkpot authors? <br />
<br />
Okay, so now on this gorgeous Cinco de Mayo day - we're asking, what are your favorite diverse books in fantasy?<br />
<br />Keelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03919770744520555221noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-29153194213590024142014-04-27T11:55:00.002-04:002014-04-27T11:55:37.320-04:00Shameless Weekend!!!I really should just change the name of this post to "SHAMELESS DAYS THAT START WITH 'S'" since the number of times I don't get to it until Sunday is growing exponentially.<br />
<br />
<i>Don't judge me.</i> :D<br />
<br />
I'm here now! And I have fabulous Inkie news to share!!!!<br />
<br />
The cover for Book Two of <a href="http://www.dawnmetcalf.com/" target="_blank">Dawn Metcalf</a>'s the Twixt, <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373211074" target="_blank">INVISIBLE</a> is now live! AND AWESOME! <br />
<br />
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<br />
I do so love a cover reveal.<br />
<br />
Inkie <a href="http://katherinecatmull.com/" target="_blank">Katherine Catmull</a> and her co-authors Stefan Bachmann, Claire Legrand, and Emma Trevayne won a Kirkus star for their collection of scary middle-grade short-short stories, <a href="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/books/Cabinet-Curiosities/?isbn13=9780062331052&tctid=100%22" target="_blank">THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES: 36 TALES BRIEF AND SINISTER</a>, out May 27.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://clockworkfoundry.com/" target="_blank">Kate Milford</a> has two pieces of news. 1) The Kickstarter campaign for her short novel, BLUECROWNE, was successful and was funded! It'll be completed and published in May. The info on the campaign is <a href="http://clockworkfoundry.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, with instructions for preordering the book. <br />
<br />
2) GREENGLASS HOUSE, which comes out from Clarion in August, just received its first official review and a star from Booklist. It was called:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"an enchanting, empowering, and cozy read." </blockquote>
Which I think means you should buy it.<br />
<br />
And last but not least, the trailer for <a href="http://www.amybutlergreenfield.com/" target="_blank">Amy Butler Greenfield</a>'s CHANTRESS ALCHEMY was released this week! Amy did the reveal on Thursday over at <a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/chantress-alchemy-by-amy-butler.html" target="_blank">Mundie Moms</a>, where there’s a final copy giveaway, which you should definitely check out. CHANTRESS ALCHEMY comes out May 6th.<br />
<br />Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09327185025020171674noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-47216275282972851752014-04-23T03:00:00.000-04:002014-04-23T05:44:20.732-04:00Interview with Tiffany Trent, Author of THE TINKER KINGWe're thrilled to welcome Tiffany Trent back to the Inkpot today! She's here to talk about her terrific new novel, THE TINKER KING, a sequel to her YA steampunk fantasy, THE UNNATURALISTS, which won a Green Earth Book Honor. Both novels are a tantalizing blend of science and magic, set in a marvelously imagined world in which scientists are saints, fantastical creatures are real, and myth is a source of power.<br />
<br />
To catch you up, here's a quick summary of THE TINKER KING:<br />
<br />
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<i>After Vespa, Syrus, and Bayne defeated the Grue and restored order to their world in THE UNNATURALISTS,
they thought their future was secure. Empress Olivia, committed to
peace and equality for humans and Elementals alike, was a fair and just
ruler. And the Creeping Waste had vanished, giving them hope for the
first time.</i> <i></i><br />
<i><br />But rebellion is brewing in the far-off city of
Scientia, and dark Elementals are plotting war in the ruins of New
London. Before they know what’s happening, Vespa, Syrus, and their
friends are plunged into a new swamp of intrigue, deception and
magic—and the cost of survival may be more than any of them are willing
to pay.</i> <br />
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And now on to the interview!<br />
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</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>Delighted to have you on the Inkpot, Tiffany!
Did you originally plan to write a sequel to THE UNNATURALISTS? Or did you have to figure it out as
you went along? </b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<span style="background: white;">I had originally
considered this as a potential trilogy, but then decided that I should focus
more on making the books stand alone. I had other ideas about how this book
would go that were ultimately thrown out, and for a long time, I stumbled over
how to deal with the constraints the first book had given me while still
challenging my characters (and readers!) with an engaging story. But I had to
write a proposal to sell the book, so yes, there was a general plan.</span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>It’s wonderful to see Syrus, the young Tinker in THE
UNNATURALISTS, take a starring role in THE TINKER KING. What was it
like as a writer to revisit such a familiar character, and to take on the
challenge of portraying his change and growth? </b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
Syrus is really one of my favorite characters I've
written. Though I have the least in common with him, I just genuinely like him.
(Which cannot always be said of certain other characters I could mention.
Ahem). I had to spend a lot of time figuring out a way to get inside his head
and make him accessible to the reader in this book because transcribing
his thoughts in a jumble of Chinese and English did not quite work out in the
first pass of the book. And Vespa's voice is so strong that I had to be careful
I didn't slip into her gear, so to speak, when I was in first person with
Syrus. It actually helped to go back to the source and look at pictures of the
person on whom Syrus is based and remember his demeanor -- very outwardly quiet
and calm, but obviously filled with thoughts he daren't speak. Hopefully, it
turned out OK!</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>I can assure you that it did! In THE TINKER KING, Syrus and his friends face a truly
terrifying antagonist: Ximu and her horde of xiren. In creating them, how
much did you draw on existing myths? How much came from your own
imagination?</b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
Ximu is pretty much my own invention, except for her
Chinese name. In China, spiders are considered lucky, so really I just flipped
that idea on its head and decided to invent a Greater Elemental even more
fearsome than the Grue, one who had been in Fairyland since the beginning of
time. I suppose Ximu is somewhat the lovechild of Shelob and Jadis, but perhaps
that's stretching things. (And in all fairness, I absolutely love spiders
myself, so writing a nasty one was a bit hard for me). </div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>Sometimes fantasy can be very monocultural, but that
can’t be said of THE TINKER KING. I love how it deals squarely with
cultural divides, including the cultural misunderstandings that can occur even
among friends (as when Syrus slurps his soup to show appreciation for the
cooking). What advice do you have for writers – especially fantasy
writers – who want to write more culturally sensitive stories?</b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
Much as I've likely bumbled through two very gracious
cultures--China and Japan--in the past, I'm certainly no expert. I try to live
by the rule of being a good guest, whether I'm traveling or researching with an
eye toward using something in a story. I very much want my work to honor the
people who inspired it, so I try everything I can to make it clear that
fair representation is the norm in my stories. And I never assume that my
characters are all of one race or creed or sexual orientation. Even if I don't
say so overtly, I assume a vast spectrum in the worlds I create and I try to
leave enough room for the reader to join me in imagining these worlds in all
their diversity.</div>
<b> </b><br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<b>Nikola Tesla (aka “St. Tesla”) is an important figure
in your world. He’s a fascinating man, and I’d love to know what drew you
to put him in your books.</b><br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
I suppose my reasoning was quite utilitarian. I
needed someone who could make a rift in the space-time continuum, someone whose
science generated serious voltage. Couldn't think of anyone better than Tesla.
When I started researching him, he was a writer's dream come true -- a somewhat
mad genius filled with visions of a world that still is largely the province of
science fiction. If anything, I wish he could have played a greater role.</div>
<b> </b><br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>I'm all for that! I hope you end up writing about him again.</b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>Steampunk has sometimes been accused of using the
trappings of Victoriana but not examining the moral dilemmas of the
period. Do you think this is changing? In THE TINKER KING, it’s
clear that your characters know that luxury has a cost—one that often involves
the exploitation of others—and for me that was a very powerful part of the
book.</b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
I think that is definitely changing. A lot of people are
challenging the notion that Victoriana is the sole province of steampunk -- we
know that many cultures had steam/clockwork-powered inventions long before the
Victorians did. And many of the inventions we attribute to the Victorians
really have their beginnings in Chinese, Indian, or Arabic culture. I wanted to
make clear that the Victorians, while fascinating, caused a good deal of damage
that we still haven't repaired. </div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>Thanks so much for visiting us here at the Inkpot, Tiffany! We can't wait to see what you write next.</b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b>To learn more about Tiffany's books and stories, you can visit her website: <a href="http://www.tiffanytrent.com/">www.tiffanytrent.com</a> </b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<b> </b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amybutlergreenfield.com/images/Alchemy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://amybutlergreenfield.com/images/Alchemy.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Amy Butler Greenfield</i><i> was on her way to a history Ph.D. when she gave into temptation and
became a novelist. Now a</i><i><i><i>n award-winning writer</i>, sh</i></i><i><i><i>e lives with her family in England, where she eats chocolate, bakes cakes, and plots mischief. </i>Her
most recent book is the YA historical fantasy CHANTRESS (McElderry /
S&S, 2013). Its sequel, CHANTRESS ALCHEMY, comes out in May 2014. You can find her at <a href="http://amybutlergreenfield.com/">www.amybutlergreenfield.com</a>.</i></i></span></span></h2>
<br />
<br />
<br />Amy Butler Greenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11088460968445455290noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-75002932051874653952014-04-16T01:06:00.001-04:002014-04-16T01:06:18.534-04:00Interview with Joshua McCune, author of TALKER 25<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3pHPGR0PT1hc_EC6xYMF8Q0zW9p4nu59Vas7BqHyVp9FYRsncM61tSOKgoJ2PASJQZ5GpLTfR8ogKoRQE-DynRF9RKIq3Glpy6qpWrM31WkPf-g7e4iB8hClpVwxZIkyf8CWNCYm800/s1600/Talker+25.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/AVvXsEj_3pHPGR0PT1hc_EC6xYMF8Q0zW9p4nu59Vas7BqHyVp9FYRsncM61tSOKgoJ2PASJQZ5GpLTfR8ogKoRQE-DynRF9RKIq3Glpy6qpWrM31WkPf-g7e4iB8hClpVwxZIkyf8CWNCYm800/s1600/Talker+25.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a>Today, the Inkpot is thrilled to interview Joshua
McCune, a debut author who’s going to have people talking about his book. It’s
called TALKER 25 and has one of my favorite covers of 2014. Here’s the
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17339959-talker-25" target="_blank">Goodreads summary</a>:<span id="goog_85136900"></span><span id="goog_85136901"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #131313; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">It's a high
school prank gone horribly wrong-sneaking onto the rez to pose next to a
sleeping dragon-and now senior Melissa Callahan has become an unsuspecting pawn
in a war between Man and Monster, between family and friends and the dragons
she has despised her whole life. Chilling, epic, and wholly original, this
debut novel imagines a North America where dragons are kept on reservations,
where strict blackout rules are obeyed no matter the cost, where the highly
weaponized military operates in chilling secret, and where a gruesome
television show called Kissing Dragons unites the population. Joshua McCune's
debut novel offers action, adventure, fantasy, and a reimagining of popular
dragon lore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Welcome,
Joshua! Let’s dive in with some questions!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There are
many dragon stories out there, but I haven’t read anything quite like this one.
Where did you get the idea for modern day dragon wars?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I was on an airplane, daydreaming out the window,
and the image of a dragon popped into my head. Then a first line popped into my
head (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Normally it’s the farmboys who
become the heroes in the stories with dragons</i>.) The first line ended up
changing, but the basic idea of dragons in the modern world developed fairly
organically. I grew up on epic fantasy (Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert
Jordan, etc.) and so the natural scope for me was something big, a modern day
tale where technology is the magic to counter/combat the ostensibly evil
dragons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I think
Melissa is a wonderful heroine – so complex and imperfect. How did you find her
as a character?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
For some aspects, I drew from those closest to me.
My wife, my mother, my sister. Complex personalities, for sure. In terms of
character arc, I’ve always imagined Melissa as a young Sarah Connor. She starts
off as this every-woman who gets thrown into an extraordinary situation. She
toughens both internally and externally, goes a little mad in the process, but
learns what’s most important to her. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8v4s5gAI12Qn5jFZuY-Xsw-nrW0WoL2GpXf9aIIYQ84XJZqmTTHxBEgydTq6QRAayNeh7IyCK4q9sIBVKrxi7fxU2AevM9RyQeIUJXoKyBMffXXrM185_oMk4quNgJLD1U_xbHwT-_cg/s1600/TSCC-the-sarah-connor-chronicles-3891893-1280-1024.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/AVvXsEi8v4s5gAI12Qn5jFZuY-Xsw-nrW0WoL2GpXf9aIIYQ84XJZqmTTHxBEgydTq6QRAayNeh7IyCK4q9sIBVKrxi7fxU2AevM9RyQeIUJXoKyBMffXXrM185_oMk4quNgJLD1U_xbHwT-_cg/s1600/TSCC-the-sarah-connor-chronicles-3891893-1280-1024.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quick aside while I reminisce about one of my all-time favorite shows. WHY did you cancel Sarah Conner Chronicles, Fox TV, <u>why</u>? Not to be over dramatic or anything, but I will never not be sad about that.</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anyway Joshua, tell us a
little about yourself. Have you always been writing?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_G4F4jUx9yWki6yU-x0hfqUkEIXhfzM_BSMrlwXoT362wF2s44xnB1nx1N-8ma7kBfC7tYLNQZEwsgB5Ncd8gASru1zDO7hjEl0P71BBxaT7hyphenhyphenz7r7enREPpi7YTPljIsW5Xo5TLiVY/s1600/6925229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_G4F4jUx9yWki6yU-x0hfqUkEIXhfzM_BSMrlwXoT362wF2s44xnB1nx1N-8ma7kBfC7tYLNQZEwsgB5Ncd8gASru1zDO7hjEl0P71BBxaT7hyphenhyphenz7r7enREPpi7YTPljIsW5Xo5TLiVY/s1600/6925229.jpg" /></a>I was born in Brazil, grew up in Washington DC,
earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in Houston, and got married
in New Zealand. I’ve been writing the entire time, most of it badly. I wrote my
first non-assignment story in third grade. WWIII. Complete with pictures. A
sign of things to come, though I did once write a lighter story about an
intrepid squirrel named Charlemagne, his basset hound sidekick, and their lemur
guide (note: this was the first story I ever queried, back when I knew nothing
about the industry – 81,000 word MG… I did mention that I grew up on epic
fantasy, right?)</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What are you
working on now?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I just sent my editor the first draft on the
TALKER 25 sequel and am now outlining the final book in the trilogy. I’m also
polishing up a MG about a boy thief recruited by a covert government
organization with patriotic pretenses and sinister intentions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How exciting! We can't wait! Now for some
quick answers:<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beach or
Mountains? </i>Mountains<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Most irresistible
dessert?</i> Angel food cake (preferably slightly smushed)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The last
book you could not put down?</i> EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN (Lindsey Lane)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Most
listened to song on your playlist? </i>Recently: Tired (Stone Sour). While
writing T25: The Sound of Madness (Shinedown)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Worst job
title you’ve ever had?</i> Telemarketer (though it did come in handy for the
call center scenes in T25 <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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You can learn more about Joshua and his books on
his website <a href="http://www.joshua-mccune.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. If you want to purchase a copy,
please support your indie bookstore first! Find the one nearest to you at <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder" target="_blank">Indiebound</a>.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00430312687904475709noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-55122704437489101442014-04-14T07:00:00.000-04:002014-04-14T07:00:11.803-04:00Chatting with Soman Chainani<style>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So today I am chatting with the fabulous author
of The School For Good and Evil series, my friend Soman Chainani, who’s second
book, SGE 2, A World Without Princes, is coming out on April 15th. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrensImages/isbn/large/2/9780062104922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrensImages/isbn/large/2/9780062104922.jpg" border="0" class="decoded overflowing" src="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrensImages/isbn/large/2/9780062104922.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you
haven’t read the first SGE book, what are you waiting for? Go read it! It isn’t
a NYT bestselling book for nothing! I rhapsodized over how much I loved this
book in this earlier post (link here). And today we are going to have a
giveaway for A World Without Princes! All you have to do is leave a comment for
a chance to win the sequel. So let’s get chatting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen– Soman, you have your second book coming
out now. One I have been dying for since I read the first book last year. And
you teased and tortured me this entire time! Tell me, what the experience was
like for you writing the second book as opposed to how you wrote the first one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soman – First off, I have to tell you how much I
love your PROPHECY series. What I loved most about Kira's journey in the book
is her emotional complexity and fallibility. She's prone to impulse and
misinterpretation, like every volatile teenager. Your hero feels fully
three-dimensional and I can't wait to see what happens in the final volume.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen – Aw, thank you, Soman, it is always
lovely to get Prophecy love!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soman - On another note, I was raring to do this
chat with you, because I always feel like you're one step ahead of me in your
experience as a debut author -- your books always come out first -- so you can
give me a peek at what I can expect, what I should avoid, and how to keep my
mental sanity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen – Are we supposed to keep our sanity?
Isn’t book 2 where most authors usually lose their grip on reality? At least
that’s what happened to me, and I’m not quite sure I ever regained all my
senses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soman – The funny part about Book 2 is I tried
to outline and organize it ahead of time, like a good student. When I started
writing, though, I ended up accomplishing practically my entire outline in the
first 50 pages. Talk about panic. But somehow here it is… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen – Panic in the Sequel. Isn’t that a song?
I think panic actually might be good for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or maybe I’m fooling myself… Anyway, personally, I learn a lot from you
and how hard you work on promoting your book. I find it really impressive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soman – It’s so funny, because I’m horrible at
promoting me as a personality or anything about my personal life. I have no
interest at all in people knowing anything about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i>. But when it comes to the work, I’ll stand out there on Queens
Boulevard and shove it into people’s hands if I have to. I learned that from my
Dad, who is a master at separating his own ego from the product.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen – Dude, you need to teach me how to do
that. I can’t even ask people to pay me back money they owe me. Look at us
digressing again. Let’s go back to the second book…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soman - First off, I found writing the second
book in a trilogy at once easier and yet much more difficult than the first
volume. On the one hand, I felt much less pressure writing A WORLD WITHOUT
PRINCES -- partially because I had put so much pressure to make THE SCHOOL FOR
GOOD AND EVIL <i>perfect. </i>Such a silly thing to do, of course, but with
your first novel, it's so easy to get worked up and believe that if you make
even the slightest mistake, your career will implode before it's ever started.
(I was the kind of student in school who thought he failed if he got a 92.) If
there's one thing that irks me about my first book is that sometimes it feels
too controlled, when I wish I had been just a tad more reckless. So with Book
2, I tried to just quiet my thinking mind and let my unconscious run. Perhaps
it's why I like the second book more than the first. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ellen – Me too! I do love my second book,
Warrior, even more than Prophecy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soman - That said, on a practical level, there
was much more time pressure for the second book -- only about ten months to
write it versus the 18 months I had for the first book. But perhaps a focused
deadline forces you to be more linear and drive through the story. With A WORLD
WITHOUT PRINCES, I found myself worried where and when to end it, since the
middle volume of a series so often withers because it can't find any meaningful
conclusion. But the time pressure really let me just feel my ending and commit
to it without the usual hemming and doubt that comes with having too much time
to work on something. What was your experience like writing WARRIOR? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ellen – I had
the same time constraints. I mean I had years to rewrite Prophecy and literally
months to first draft and edit Warrior. And yet, I loved it more. I do well
under deadlines anyway. I think it makes me a more efficient author. Ok now I
want to talk about the trailer for World of Princes. Let’s share it here:</span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EDHTWDnwBbU" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love this
trailer as much as the first one! Was it fun working with your producers? What
guidance did you give them on both of your amazing trailers?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soman – I think
one of the bigger lessons in life I’ve learned as an artist is that when you
collaborate, it’s so important to find people who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">care</i> as much as you do. And the two guys who do the trailers –
Manny Palad and Michael Blank – are not just geniuses, but they live and
breathe these things. As for guidance, I just send them a list of images in my
subconscious and they use it as a kind of brainstorm bank. Speaking of book
promotion, what have you learned from your experience with the Prophecy series
about the need for an author to be a businessman as much as an artist? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ellen – Well, I
do think that there is only so much an author can do unless you are willing to
put a lot of money behind your book. Which is why it is usually the big books
with the big marketing push of their publishers that make it on to the lists.
Having a small book means doing everything in my power to garner as much attention
as I can. But I am a realist. I wrote a fantasy novel with Asian mythology and
set it in ancient Korea. Plus I’m an author of color. These are not easy things
to overcome in our very western centric society.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soman – I’d be
interested to hear your thoughts on how you perceive marketing in the YA genre.
Chad Harbach (author of the blockbuster THE ART OF FIELDING) recently edited a
book called MFA vs. NYC about the split in publishing between literary fiction
and commercial fiction, and how your book either ends up siloed into one of
these categories, often artificially. In children’s Middle Grade books, there
is the stereotype of the same split – where books are either considered ‘high’
literature and thus pushed towards teachers, librarians, and the so-called
‘gatekeepers’, or considered ‘popular’ fiction, and marketed directly at the
kids. But I don’t know if it holds true anymore. Plenty of schools have been teaching
THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, despite its controversial elements (or perhaps
because of them) – and we ended up creating a Common Core-aligned discussion
guide to facilitate it. In the past, that might have been less of a possibility
because SGE is fairy-tale themed. Growing up, I felt like all the books we read
in school were either Newbery-award winners or had that same kind of lofty feel.
But with so much competition for kids’ attention these days, perhaps some
teachers feel it’s worth teaching something they know will engage them, without
necessarily sacrificing language, themes, etc.? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ellen –I’m so
glad schools are teaching SGE! Man, I would have loved to have been in that
class! The split you are talking about has always irked me because it doesn’t
feel true to what our kids are really reading or interested in. Sometimes it
feels as if the gatekeepers are reading these books as adults and not with
their inner child. What makes a work of popular fiction any less worthy than
one which is a so called “literary” book? There should be no true division in
that sense. It’s different in YA. While there is definitely a separation of
“literary” vs “popular”– there isn’t the same issue with gatekeepers. But in
some ways I think it is also harder to promote yourself directly to the readers
in the oversaturated world that YA has become. I don’t know that there is
anything that we can really do except write your next book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soman – Speaking
of which, we should probably get back to it. What’s next for you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ellen –Finalizing
book 3! I should be seeing first pass pages soon, I think, which is always an
exciting time. And there are a few fun projects that I’ve been working on that
I love. What about you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soman – Because
Middle Grade is more tour-heavy than YA, I’m literally packing for a 2 month
tour around the country and then to Canada and the UK. (My mother’s been
barking at me to pack light this time, because of my overpacking last year. I
think at one point I yelped over the phone, “I REFUSE TO WEAR THE SAME OUTFIT
TWICE.” After that, she lost all respect for me.) When the tour’s over, I’ll
hide in a cave and write Book 3, which is out in October 2015. Or maybe I’ll
come to your cave and write there. I go through Ellen withdrawal if I don’t see
you for too long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ellen – Oh you
should have me pack for you! I’m the most efficient packer. And I would happily
have you come to my house and write if you weren’t on deadline – because you
know you won’t get much writing done as we would spend all the time talking and
eating! But wouldn’t that be so fun anyway! Speaking of fun, note to self, must
schedule NY trip to see Soman after his book tour! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ok Soman, thanks
for being on the Inkpot again. Next time let’s share crazy family relative
stories like the time your grandmother took you white water rafting even though
she refused to row and how my mother forced me to eat the same plate of
broccoli for a week because she wanted me to lose weight. Wouldn’t that be fun?
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soman – My
mother made me drink nonalcoholic beer in high school, hoping it would make me
GAIN weight, since my father got fat from drinking beer. So I totally
understand your pain. Until next time Ellen…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">So that's the chat! Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget,
leave a comment below for a chance to win the exciting sequel – SGE2 A World
Without Princes!</span></div>
Ello - Ellen Ohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18311917335471167591noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-72975207681134596032014-04-09T10:35:00.001-04:002014-04-09T10:35:32.828-04:00Kate Milford on Trad-Pubbing, Self-Pubbing--and Kickstarting BLUECROWNE<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijm_-gerQztGW8SCkpBf8tfFV7_HNSuGoDCZuIuknRLs3Iiu4F01pVbYBkRUJ4gZ_INs8PFQw8gpdZibimjWYUF5iGV0TYIrROk_lRgg17p6bIA9fFQzILqzJCYvZ3o38Rym16aa4Tbecu/s1600/DSC_0100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijm_-gerQztGW8SCkpBf8tfFV7_HNSuGoDCZuIuknRLs3Iiu4F01pVbYBkRUJ4gZ_INs8PFQw8gpdZibimjWYUF5iGV0TYIrROk_lRgg17p6bIA9fFQzILqzJCYvZ3o38Rym16aa4Tbecu/s1600/DSC_0100.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kate Milford</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>Kate Milford</b> is <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3548813/bluecrowne-arcana-project-2" target="_blank">Kickstarting</a> the second book in her Arcana Project series, just as she did the first. But she also has four traditionally-published books either out or coming soon. She talks to EI about why a writer with a publishing contract is also splashing in the self-publishing pool--and shares her thoughts on the trials of marketing and the secrets of her prolific-ness.</i><br />
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<i>1. You've been traditionally published in the past, and you've got more trad-published books coming out this year and next. What drew you to self-publishing as well?</i><br />
<br />
Honestly, it started because I was bored. I was in between contracts back in 2012, waiting for <i>The Broken Lands </i>to come out and waiting to hear about my next sale. I don’t sit still well, and I don’t take time off from writing well. So I got this idea that I could write extra stories set in the world of my books, stories that would offer extra content, extra information, extra insight into the world and into the larger story I have planned for down the line. It was basically a way for me to tell more tales related to the bigger books and to help flesh out the world. It was a way to keep busy, initially.<br />
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The project definitely didn’t arise out of any dissatisfaction with my publishers, or out of the belief that I’d be happier doing everything on my own, or the idea that I’d make a bunch more money this way. I love my publishers. I have two editors that I adore personally and have learned buckets from professionally. My editors make me a better writer, and the books they’ve made out of my novels are beautiful objects as well as better pieces of storytelling than they would’ve been otherwise. And they’re very supportive of the Arcana Project.<br />
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<i>2. This is your second Kickstarter, right? Why did you choose Kickstarter?</i><br />
<br />
I chose it because I knew what I wanted from the project and I knew my limitations (which are many). For one thing, when I imagined what I wanted the novellas to be, I pictured not only great stories, but also beautiful objects. I wanted the physical books to be just as beautiful as my trad-pubbed books, and I wanted bookstores to be willing to carry them. I brought in Andrea Offermann, the artist who did the covers and the interiors of <i>The Boneshaker</i> and <i>The Broken Lands</i> (who’s become basically a partner in the ongoing project). I decided to print the paperbacks on the Espresso Book Machine at McNally Jackson Books, where I work a couple days a week, not only because it prints absolutely beautiful paperbacks, but because I feel very, very, very strongly about supporting independent bookstores. And lastly, because I had this idea about doing an illustrated edition with art from young artists, and I wanted to pay them for their work. <i>The Illustrated Kairos Mechanism</i> is one of the things I’m most proud of having done. (Here’s a <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29247031@N05/sets/72157637189757956/show/with/10609067373/" target="_blank">link to a slideshow of the art</a>; the entire <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/ZAtT" target="_blank">PDF is free/pay-what-you-like here</a>. ) Fifteen kids between 11 and 20 contributed artwork in all different styles. I can’t wait to do it again with <i>Bluecrowne</i>.<br />
<br />
All of these things, taken together, put the first installment of the project,<i> The Kairos Mechanism,</i> outside the realm of things that I could afford to do out-of-pocket. But then I remembered a book we’d carried at the bookstore and had sold the heck out in 2010 of that had been kind of a big deal--it was this beautiful quality hardcover anthology, the contributors to it had all been paid up front (which is not always the case, of course), and it had been crowdfunded with Kickstarter. It sounds funny now to say I thought of using Kickstarter in a sort of eureka moment, but I had completely forgotten about it.<br />
<br />
So that’s why I originally decided to do it this way—because I couldn’t afford to do it exactly the way I wanted otherwise. But one of the things I learned the first time that made me eager to do it again for <i>Bluecrowne</i> was that Kickstarter allows you to involve your readers in the process in a really direct and wonderful way. People who funded <i>The Kairos Mechanism </i>were emailing regularly to find out when <i>Bluecrowne</i> would be happening. I feel like I know the names of the readers I’m writing for. It’s kind of amazing.<br />
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<i>3. Do your self-pubbed and trad-pubbed books complement each other at all? Or are they entirely separate tracks?</i><br />
<br />
They’re definitely complementary. That was another reason I started this project: I figured these shorter books would have the added benefit (in addition to keeping me busy) of helping to show readers how the different trad-pubbed books are connected, because each of them so far is set in what I’ve started to call in my own mind the Walking World. <i>The Boneshaker </i>and <i>The Broken Lands </i>are very directly connected because they’re both part of the larger story of an uncanny itinerant called Jack who was turned away from both Heaven and Hell and now roams the world with a coal of hellfire looking to start his own place. <i>Greenglass House</i> and<i> The Left-Handed Fate</i> are less directly connected, but they’re still set in the same world. So these novellas, in addition to being stand-alone stories, help to connect the dots between the different books. (<i>Bluecrowne</i>, for instance, while having some very direct connections to <i>The Boneshaker,</i> is set in Nagspeake, which is also the setting for <i>Greenglass House</i> and <i>The Left-Handed Fate.</i>) At the same time, though, they’re also beginning to run on their own unique track. <i>The Kairos Mechanism</i> and <i>Bluecrowne</i> share a villain, for instance.<br />
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<i>4. Well, don't stop there. Tell us about Bluecrowne. </i><br />
<br />
It’s set in 1810 in the Sovereign City of Nagspeake. Lucy Bluecrowne has grown up aboard a British letter-of-marque, a private ship of war called the Left-Handed Fate. However, her father, the owner and master of the ship, has decided it’s time to put his family (twelve year-old Lucy, her step-mother Xiaoming, and her seven year-old half-brother Liao) ashore in Nagspeake, which has remained neutral in the wars in the Atlantic. Lucy can’t bear the idea of life ashore—she’s a sailor, through and through—and is struggling to adapt. Meanwhile, two peddlers called Trigemine and Blister arrive in town under orders to find two items for the great merchant they work for: a knife in the shape of an albatross, and a conflagrationeer, which is a pyrotechnical artificier capable of near-magical feats. Trigemine has identified this as the ideal time and place to acquire both the Albatross and the conflagrationeer. They find the Albatross immediately, but discover that they aren’t the only ones attempting to acquire it, and the maker is seriously considering selling to the other buyer, a man named Simon Coffrett. They identify Liao as the conflagrationeer they’re looking for, but standing in their way are Liao’s very formidable mother, and Lucy, who despite being stuck on land is a fighter through and through. Hijinks ensue.<br />
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We’re finishing the cover titling this week, but this is the main illustration:<br />
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<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/AVvXsEgVAd-Z6_WCu0FD_i_WO5IF8TRJKfyZ8Qj9exiAktbnDe9i7qkpV_TP6Y_jegklGzOEU1B8REtHlVZ9GpIgIq7Rjap2XyDnvhdRR4YnVvM2ehZZfh17G7iJXoOHjrsH7jTb5epafYD9ozvq/s1600/bluecrowne_cover_05022014+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAd-Z6_WCu0FD_i_WO5IF8TRJKfyZ8Qj9exiAktbnDe9i7qkpV_TP6Y_jegklGzOEU1B8REtHlVZ9GpIgIq7Rjap2XyDnvhdRR4YnVvM2ehZZfh17G7iJXoOHjrsH7jTb5epafYD9ozvq/s1600/bluecrowne_cover_05022014+(1).jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover illustration from BLUECROWNE<br />by Kate Milford. Illustration by<br />Andrea Offerman.</td></tr>
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(Editor's note: Check out Kate's <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3548813/bluecrowne-arcana-project-2" target="_blank"><i>Bluecrowne</i> Kickstarter</a>--it's pretty awesome.)<br />
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<i>5. I've noticed you're awfully good at making your books sound delicious. I'm sure they ARE delicious, but not all authors are as good at the alluring pitch as you seem to be, and that would be a drawback for someone trying to self-publish. Any marketing tips?</i><br />
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I’m really glad they sound delicious! I guarantee you the question here I’ll obsess over the longest is the one where I actually have to talk about the book. The truth is I don’t feel like I’m a particularly good marketer—I don’t enjoy the marketing element at all, and I always feel like I’m fumbling when I try and tell people what my books are about. I’m feel like I’m terrible at synopses and worse at short pitches. Since I’m not a natural marketer and I’m awkward at self-promotion, all I have going for me is the stories themselves.<br />
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So I guess I think the best marketing advice I can give—which doesn’t guarantee big sales, but does get you the loyalty of your readers—is to focus on the story first and always. None of the rest of it matters if it isn’t the very best tale you believe you can tell. Then the next thing is to treat the pitch, when you have to write it, the way you’d treat a query. Actually, maybe the ability to make a book sound delicious is a side benefit of all those months spent writing queries however many years back. I do think that running the gauntlet that is the agency search has value beyond simply finding an agent. There’s value in being told “no” and having to keep working and working and working until someone says “yes.”<br />
<br />
But I really struggle with the marketing piece, I do. I’d rather spend time writing than selling, and I consider the self-pub books as more of a fun project than a source of income. I could be way better at selling books, but the truth is I really want to focus on revision and polishing and writing more. That’s what I’m good at. That’s how I want to spend my time.<br />
<br />
<i>6. You seem terrifyingly prolific! I guess that's not really a question (she said in a small voice) but . . . how do you do it?</i><br />
<br />
Terrifying? Me? Nah. I just can’t sit still and I’m truly not happy unless I’m writing. Plus there are <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/AVvXsEiX6ocVtrcNcSYhhOWHo0TI3IYPHra-Wl0QDczMFdgMDGnYGjXmx58R81uiHjuTXGcGbf3kGdCrkWlawErUZfqMoUEAmLuyz7XDDU_kbMiMsS4PikX27kzaq-o0uhehP-5NBeSOtpk0E0BI/s1600/bluecrowne_backvignette_Red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6ocVtrcNcSYhhOWHo0TI3IYPHra-Wl0QDczMFdgMDGnYGjXmx58R81uiHjuTXGcGbf3kGdCrkWlawErUZfqMoUEAmLuyz7XDDU_kbMiMsS4PikX27kzaq-o0uhehP-5NBeSOtpk0E0BI/s1600/bluecrowne_backvignette_Red.jpg" height="320" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back vignette from BLUECROWNE by Kate Milford. <br />Illustration by Andrea Offermann.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
always four or five stories kicking around in my head at any given time. A big part of what keeps me going is that I know this world so well, and I love all the characters in it. I know their pasts, I know where their lives intersect. I know who the ubervillains are and what their long-term plans are. And I’m a history nerd, so I’m constantly finding times and places I want to write about. Then I just have to figure out who might have been there at that time and why, and what kind of trouble they might have gotten up to, and how it could fit into the master puzzle.<br />
<br />
As for actually finishing stuff, I focus on adding words and powering through until I reach the end. Then I revise like crazy. I keep track of my words per day—seeing projects advance is wildly motivational for me—and I make sure I’m focusing my primary attention on the projects I need to complete first, since I’m always working on more than one thing at a time. My brother built a program to help me do both those things and it’s my favorite writing tool, right up there with good pens and fun notebooks. It’s called <a href="http://spadefish.net/" target="_blank">Spadefish</a>, and it allows you to manage your works in process. You set your word count goals and your deadlines, then add writing sessions, and Spadefish calculates how many words you need to write per day to meet your deadlines and it updates your progress as you go. You earn badges when you reach milestones and you can share your progress. I love it. It’s in beta, but it’s live and it’s free.<br />
<br />
I also have a really amazing group of beta-readers and critique partners for once I do get to the end of a project. My critique group is absolutely outstanding, plus I have five young beta-readers. I don’t usually show anything to them until I have a draft, though. I’m usually figuring stuff out right up until I get to the last chapter, so it doesn’t make sense to focus too much on polishing the beginning until I really know where I’m going. I will admit that often leads to a lot of revision and retrofitting, though.<br />
<br />
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<i><b>Kate Milford</b> is the author of </i>The Boneshaker <i>and </i>The Broken Lands<i> (both from Clarion Books), the forthcoming </i>Greenglass House<i> (Clarion, 2014) and</i> The Left-Handed Fate<i> (Holt, 2015), as well as two companion novellas,</i> The Kairos Mechanism<i> and </i>Bluecrowne<i>. She is also an occasional travel correspondent for the <a href="http://www.nagspeake.com/" target="_blank">Nagspeake Board of Tourism and Culture</a> and a bookseller at McNally Jackson Books. Kate hails from Brooklyn, New York by way of Annapolis, Maryland and sometimes remembers to update her website at <a href="http://clockworkfoundry.com/">clockworkfoundry.com</a>. </i><br />
<br />katherine catmullhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060204901478490767noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-25797803820615820412014-03-26T08:00:00.000-04:002014-03-26T08:00:12.561-04:00Interview with Scott Bly, Author of SMASHER<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It's always exciting when we interview a debut author on the Enchanted Inkpot. Today we are featuring <a href="http://scottbly.com/" target="_blank">Scott Bly</a>, whose middle-grade novel, SMASHER, came out just yesterday! Here's what's it's all about:</div>
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SMASHER <i>is a fast-paced techno-thriller about computers,
magic, and time travel, set in an alternate Los Angeles in the near future. A
magician’s apprentice in the Renaissance era is recruited by a time-traveling
bionic girl to help stop Gramercy Foxx, the most powerful media mogul alive,
from releasing The Future — his most exciting and mysterious product ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They race against time to unlock the secret
of The Future before the magical computer virus enslaves every human being on
the planet.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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And now for the interview:</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: Welcome to the Enchanted Inkpot, Scott, both as an
interviewee and as one of our newest contributors—and big congratulations on
your debut!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Scott</b>: Thanks for
having me, Lena! It’s a real honor to be
included among the ranks of authors such as yourself, Gretchen McNeil and my
fellow Scholastic author Jennifer Nielsen.</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: I really enjoyed SMASHER. One of the things I found the most original
was the way you wove together both magical and technological elements. How did your own work with computer
technology influence the book?</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: I’ve spent the
last fifteen years helping people with their computer issues and dealing with
small business technology needs – everything from getting a computer virus to
identifying hacker intrusions and working with the FBI. Of course, there are lots of other little
things, too, but those are the most dramatic examples! One the most common pieces of advice that
writers get is to “write what you know." I certainly know computers. And I
wanted to give kids a way to learn about computers in a way that wasn’t
dry. So finding the most interesting
story where that could happen was a really strong motivator for me.</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: I saw that you began your novel in 2006 and wrote more
than nine versions. My own first novel
took ten years to write, so I’m always interested to meet others who have had a
similar experience. What stayed the same
from that first early draft? Was there a
key moment when the final story began to come together?</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: Yeah, it was
quite a journey! There are two key
chapters that never changed – the second, in which Gramercy Foxx is introduced
(although it was originally chapter one), and the scene where Jane Virtue is
running through the shopping mall as Foxx calls for her video call. I’m sure there are other pieces here and
there that were largely unaltered, but those two stood out as being nearly
untouched the whole time.</div>
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Even for a
long process like mine, there are times when the voice and the structure and
the pacing all line up and you just have it and it rings true. I think I just got lucky with those two.</div>
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You ask
about the final story, and I think that by the time I was most of the way
through the first draft, which in and of itself took nearly three years (I had
no idea what I had gotten myself into), the story was pretty well locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became a matter of cutting and cutting and
cutting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a few key elements
that changed, and things shifted a lot and tightened a lot, but the story
itself never really changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course,
this is over nearly ten years, so who knows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Memory is a fickle thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Lena</b>: I know what you mean! Sometimes I think we authors forget what a story was like in an early draft and then when someone asks, we end up struggling to make something up.</div>
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Everyone’s path to publication is different. How did SMASHER end up being published with
Scholastic and what was the editorial process like?</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: Well, I had
stopped writing for quite some time after film school and a frustrating
introduction to the entertainment business.
So I started writing and playing music for a creative outlet as I got my
computer consulting business off the ground.
One of my clients referred me to my editor, Bonnie, here in LA when she
got a computer virus. </div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">During that first lengthy
conversation she said to me, “In twenty years of unsuccessfully trying to use a
computer, you’re the first person who has been able to talk to me about this
stuff in a way I can understand.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Have
you ever thought about writing a children’s book?”</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">So I gave it some thought and we
had a series of conversations over lunches that ultimately started to turn into
chapters. She had a very brilliant way of asking just the right questions that
would turn my entire worldview on its head and send me off into different
directions. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I was really fortunate in
that she served very much as a mentor through the whole process.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
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<b>Lena</b>: Tell us about Charles and Geneva, your two main
characters. I thought they were great
foils for each other.</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: Thanks! I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two
of them as they in turn served as master/student then reversed roles. It was very important to me that each had a
gift that was the opposite of the other so that they would depend on one
another.</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: Charles is a boy from the past who is brought forward
in time. Did you have to do much
historical research for the book? What
about computer research?</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: The historical
research was probably more involved for me than the computer research. There were certainly some details about some
of the theoretical quantum computing and DNA encoding that I had to dig around
for, but the computer side of things was primarily stuff that I use on a
day-to-day basis. Also, I love the
magazine <i>Scientific American</i>, so getting to read about whole worlds of
scientific research as a layperson really informed a lot of the book's future technologies. Of course, some is completely made up, like
the AquaFase screens. Seems cool, seems
plausible, but outside of some knowledge of how researchers use lasers to cool
atoms, I have no idea if something like that could ever exist.</div>
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The
historical side, though, required research for almost every detail that made
it’s way into any draft, whether it survived to the end or not. There are actually a tremendous number of
chapters that served as episodic educational adventures that were cut from
early drafts, and those will almost all end up online in the very near
future. That represented the lion’s
share of the research that I did, and was actually a lot of fun! It’s just that about 95% of it isn’t in the
published novel.</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: I know that
you’ve developed children’s interactive computer games. Do you think that books and reading will
become more interactive in the future?
If so, is that a good thing?</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: I don’t want
to overstate the development I’ve done, but I’ve certainly been involved in the
creation of some alternate reality gaming that I have worked on with a
team. We’re gearing all of that toward
the educational market, and it’s very much a story-driven experience. But that’s more about the educational
experience, which I think has to change – we’re a couple hundred years into the
current educational paradigm of teacher in front of class, and we’re finding
that the approach is only partially successful.
Kids are driven to games because of the interactivity, the fact that
those individual small goals on the way to a larger goal – they totally hit the
pleasure/reward centers of the brain – and they’re learning the entire
time. Unfortunately, most of the skills
they’re learning aren’t particularly helpful in the real world except to maybe
a drone pilot in the military, but they are skills nonetheless. With the gamification of education taking
place right now, I think we’re going to see a dramatic rise in gaming theories
and approaches change the education landscape.</div>
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As for the
book business, I’m not so sure. The
process of reading hasn’t changed in thousands of years. There is of course, a different language in
images, and now in moving images, but that’s a different paradigm
altogether. Books may be available on e-readers
and what not, but I think that the fundamental process of being told a story is
something that human beings want at a nearly genetic level. And with reading, if the interactivity takes
you out of that experience, I think it can be a negative effect. That said, if the interactivity is a truly
organic part of the storytelling experience and can be done smoothly, without
technical glitches and the other frustrations that we all run into with
computer issues, then I think we might see a real increase in “interactivity”
as it were. Of course, I say all of that
having now positioned myself very much in the interactive space. I hope that the trend continues, but it really
depends on the successes being a transformative experience. I think <i>Avatar</i> is a great example from the
film world, where a 3D movie successfully accomplished what 3D is meant
for. There are a lot of films where the
3D is just an updated version of the same gimmick that we’ve seen since the
sixties or seventies.</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: What were you reading when you were thirteen? Do you think any of your childhood favorites
have influenced SMASHER?</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: I was reading
<i>Dungeons and Dragons</i> novels, specifically the <i>Dragonlance</i> books, which I
loved. And of course <i>Lord of the
Rings</i>. So a lot of fantasy, but not many
of the other real established names like Piers Anthony or Asimov on the scifi
side. Once I was just a bit older I
started reading Stephen King and Tom Clancy, and I think that their influence
is more obvious on the kind of writing I did in SMASHER, especially
Clancy. I really see SMASHER as a Tom
Clancy novel for kids. With magic.</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: I like that! Any advice for debut authors like yourself (or debut-authors-to-be)?</div>
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<b>Scott</b>: Eat your
vegetables and stay away from high-carb meals, especially late at night. And call your mother. She misses you.</div>
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<b>Lena</b>: Thanks Scott! And congrats again!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://smasheronline.com/" target="_blank">Read chapters one to three of SMASHER here!</a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_32xu_GZ04W0mMkYXX4JpxAtNv9Z-gHOXvTsd4bW-DgVmaNqK3pmMHpoBJoDGVBp72Hy9eVWWAGTZDJIM_g6XOSn7l2YFp0XMqA4RWC2qnI1fLRKJsYzMb90j9dyrMk6kqfsuAX4GhR8/s1600/LenaCoakley3409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_32xu_GZ04W0mMkYXX4JpxAtNv9Z-gHOXvTsd4bW-DgVmaNqK3pmMHpoBJoDGVBp72Hy9eVWWAGTZDJIM_g6XOSn7l2YFp0XMqA4RWC2qnI1fLRKJsYzMb90j9dyrMk6kqfsuAX4GhR8/s1600/LenaCoakley3409.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
Lena Coakley's first novel, <i>Witchlanders</i>, was called “one stunning teen debut” by Kirkus Reviews and won the SCBWI Crystal Kite award for the Americas. It is a 2013 MYRCA nominee and a 2013 OLA White Pine honouree. Lena is also the author of two children’s picture books and the former administrative director of <a href="http://www.canscaip.org/" target="_blank">CANSCAIP</a>. Learn more about her at <a href="http://www.lenacoakley.com/">www.lenacoakley.com</a></div>
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Lena Coakleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04769948195647068745noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-70763412839129186502014-03-19T03:00:00.000-04:002014-03-28T09:11:55.332-04:00Interview and Giveaway: C J Busby, Author of DEEP AMBER<br />
Hi, there! I'm Amy Butler Greenfield, and I'm delighted to welcome <a href="http://www.cjbusby.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"></span></a><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">C J Busby</a></span>, author of DEEP AMBER, to the Enchanted Inkpot today. I was lucky enough to meet Cecilia in person last autumn at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton,
where she read an extract from DEEP AMBER that was full of humour and
action and absurdity - a perfect combination for middle-grade readers.<span class="blue_dark12"> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="blue_dark12"><span class="blue_dark12">Cecilia </span>lived on boats till she was sixteen: she vividly remembers
mushrooms growing out of the walls, and a terrifying occasion crossing
the English Channel in a gale in a small barge which nearly overturned.
She studied science and then
social anthropology at university, and lived in a South Indian fishing
village for a year to research her doctorate. She has spent time living in
Scotland, Wales and various bits of England, and currently lives in
Devon with her three children</span><br />
<span class="blue_dark12">.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.cjbusby.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Deep_Amber_Cvr-195x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.cjbusby.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Deep_Amber_Cvr-195x300.jpg" /></a></div>
Here's a quick summary of DEEP AMBER (Templar UK / March 2013): <i>People and objects are moving between different worlds – and somewhere
there is a very powerful piece of deep amber causing all the mayhem. Can
siblings Cat and Simon join forces with apprentice witch Dora and
castle mischief-maker Jem to find the amber before it falls into the
wrong hands?</i><br />
<br />
And now for our interview...<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>DEEP AMBER is a wonderfully funny book. What
advice do you have for writers who want to make kids laugh?</b></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;">I’m so glad you found it funny! My books are
mostly what you’d call fantasy adventures, but I do like to inject a bit of
humour, too. I love to hear my readers chuckling, and if they have proper
laugh-out-loud moments I feel I’ve done my job well. It’s hard to give advice
on this, as I’m not consciously thinking ‘what will make kids laugh?’ – the
humour just comes out of the situation. Usually there’s the odd character who
doesn’t quite understand what’s going on, and with the best will in the world
somehow manages to create chaos. I also have a soft spot for characters who add
a bit of rolling-eyed sarcasm into the proceedings. I have a quite childish
sense of humour myself (I’ll always laugh at any Laurel and Hardy type mayhem!)
so maybe that helps.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>That's great advice! For me, part of the fun of DEEP AMBER is the way it
switches between the fantasy world of Dora, the apprentice witch, and the
modern-day world of Cat and Simon. Which world did you most enjoy writing
about?</b></span>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;">When I started the book, it was from the point of
view of the modern-day world, and it was originally going to be from that perspective
only. But I found I just couldn’t get the tone right, And then I tried starting
from the other world first, and it just took off. Maybe because my previous
books had been based firmly in that kind of Arthurian setting, so it felt
comfortable. Both worlds were fun to write, but what I enjoyed most were the
bits where they collided – the knight trying to follow his quest in the middle
of a modern market town, or the castle kitchen boy trying to work out what a
Nintendo DS does.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"> <b> </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>What were your favorite books as a child? And when did you first start reading fantasy? </b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: JA;">I read all sorts as a child. I loved history, fairy tales, fantasy,
adventures, funny books. The earliest writer I remember being aware of was Enid
Blyton, and I raced through all of the Famous Five and Malory Towers series.
Then for a long time my favourites were Richmal Crompton’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">William</i> books, which are hilarious. But at the age of ten or so I
would have answered the question “Who is your favourite author?” with one name:
Diana Wynne Jones. At the time that would have been based on only one book – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eight Days of Luke</i> – but it was so
amazing, and so unlike anything else I’d read, that I was a die-hard fan from
that moment on. I also loved John Masefield, Alan Garner, and Susan Cooper’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dark is Rising</i> sequence. Apart from
Tolkein, though, and a few others, I’m not a big fan of high fantasy – I
generally prefer the more Jones-like mix of magic, humour and the real world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Before writing DEEP AMBER, you wrote a very
successful series (FROGSPELL, CAULDRON SPELLS, ICESPELL, SWORDSPELL) for
slightly younger readers. Was it tricky to make the switch to a new
series? </b></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Yes, it really was, and I wasn’t expecting it to
be! I hadn’t realized how much background knowledge of your characters and the
world they live in you draw on when writing later books in a series, and then
suddenly, there it all is to build up again from scratch. What made it worse is
that in the previous series I’d had a fair few ready-made characters, like King
Arthur and Merlin – and although you do reshape them and make them your own,
there are some givens that you start from. In the new series, everyone had to
take shape just from my own head! It could have been liberating but was actually
rather daunting. I learned a lot about the craft of writing in struggling
through that process. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>Speaking of the craft of writing, there's an important secret in DEEP AMBER that's hidden with
intriguing mix of alchemy and runes. Do you have any advice for writers and
readers who want to create their own riddles and secret codes?</b></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;">I always loved secret languages and symbols as a
child (my sister and I used to try and write messages to each other in
Tolkein’s Elvish script – although we could never properly decode each other’s
notes!) So I enjoyed putting that puzzle into Deep Amber, and searching for the
exact combinations of runes and alchemical symbols that would say what I
wanted. It’s quite tricky, as there are a number of different interpretations
of some of the runes, and my editor and I had to go over it a few times before
it worked. It had the advantage of making a nice little extra for David Wyatt to
illustrate. The main advice I’d have for other writers, I guess, is that you
have to check and re-check your logic, because children will definitely spot
any flaws!</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMsnoWbf8XSAuhb7fCZfPrYRO0yMTzowYzp3V57LfjC_5buyHcFL-M9HOezmpvUkaXkyQS8nV2hnFDJlZkNtNlWXLY3FU09pwJ0J7BDcEdkaYtxZeIVIe24X637bl4hGGaveQFfUmnIM/s1600/C+J+(2).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/AVvXsEgGMsnoWbf8XSAuhb7fCZfPrYRO0yMTzowYzp3V57LfjC_5buyHcFL-M9HOezmpvUkaXkyQS8nV2hnFDJlZkNtNlWXLY3FU09pwJ0J7BDcEdkaYtxZeIVIe24X637bl4hGGaveQFfUmnIM/s1600/C+J+(2).jpg" height="320" width="286" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>You had a remarkable childhood, living on a
series of boats and then on the site of a Welsh ruin. Did any bits and
pieces of that life find their way into DEEP AMBER?</b></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: JA;"></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;">There are a few, yes. Albert Jemmet is the name
of a barge captain who worked with my dad for a while, but the character in the
story is not at all the same - he’s more like my dad, in fact. Then there’s my
younger brother, who bought a sword on ebay when he was seventeen. In the book,
there’s a scene where Simon gets a bit wild with the sword that’s magically
appeared <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>in their house, and he chops up his mum’s
washing-line and slices the arm off the sofa… Well, that’s not a million miles
away from what happened in real life. Needless to say, my brother’s sword was
swiftly confiscated! I suppose what my childhood really gave me, though, was a
sense that life ought to be adventurous, and also that grown-ups were quite
likely to be quirky, interesting and in on the adventure. I tend to make my
grown-up characters part of things, whether as allies or enemies, rather than
shadowy background figures.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><b>A sense of adventure is a wonderful gift! And it’s great to see that DEEP AMBER won't be the end of this adventure, since it's the first
part of a trilogy. Can we persuade you to reveal any secrets about the next
books?</b></span>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Well, there are two more bits of magical amber to
be found<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the end of the first book,
and the race is on to find them before the sinister Lord Ravenglass and his
dark-suited allies can get their hands on them. So the next two books follow
that struggle into a couple of new worlds: one, a hot desert world of temples,
bazaars and dragons, and the other a watery world of sailing ships and pirates.
The final showdown will be back in our world, but it may involve a chase
backwards in time… I’ve nearly finished book 2, which I’ve really enjoyed
writing, but there’s a bit of a dispute over the title at the moment, which
will either be DRAGON AMBER or FIRE AMBER. The final book, though, will be
called THE AMBER CROWN. I’m very excited about getting started on it!</span></div>
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<br />
<b><span class="blue_dark12">And we're excited that you're working on it! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit with us.</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="blue_dark12">Now for the GIVEAWAY! </span></b></div>
<br />
Cecilia's publisher, Templar, has very generously
provided TWO copies of DEEP AMBER for two
lucky Inkpot winners (UK residents only)! All you have to do is leave a comment here and make sure that we have some way of contacting you. The giveaway will run until midnight GMT on March 29th, and two winners will
be chosen at random. Good luck!<br />
<br />
[ETA: If you're having trouble registering a comment to win, you can instead email Amy via her <a href="http://amybutlergreenfield.com/Author_Contact.html" target="_blank">author contact page</a> and enter your name that way.]<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWSG8UIgp7l1y23gE81V9VZ1hTHvsD1PvyDOE5f2ocF4HHdi81FF40ki9fSdsvezNMK7UvZNiUMYZ-w0bn56bLGJNL6lwjaFsRAzgi56F5_-W84h1msDgtVLPF3ZMsDNZrGVdZrulMII/s1600/Chantress+comp+new+1a+%2528405x612%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWSG8UIgp7l1y23gE81V9VZ1hTHvsD1PvyDOE5f2ocF4HHdi81FF40ki9fSdsvezNMK7UvZNiUMYZ-w0bn56bLGJNL6lwjaFsRAzgi56F5_-W84h1msDgtVLPF3ZMsDNZrGVdZrulMII/s1600/Chantress+comp+new+1a+%2528405x612%2529.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Amy Butler Greenfield</i><i> was on her way to a history Ph.D. when she gave into temptation and
became a novelist. Now a</i><i><i><i>n award-winning writer</i>, sh</i></i><i><i><i>e lives with her family in England, where she eats chocolate, bakes cakes, and plots mischief. </i>Her
most recent book is the YA historical fantasy CHANTRESS (McElderry /
S&S, 2013). Its sequel, CHANTRESS ALCHEMY, comes out in May 2014. You can find her at <a href="http://amybutlergreenfield.com/">www.amybutlergreenfield.com</a>.</i></i></span>Amy Butler Greenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11088460968445455290noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-20033147128734798232014-03-15T11:56:00.001-04:002014-03-15T11:56:34.902-04:00Shameless MemoryYeah, my memory is less shameless and more shameful these days. I totally forgot to post these lovely updates last weekend! Although I think you'll all cut me some slack. In addition to moving into a new house (tomorrow) I'm in the home stretch of one of the craziest deadlines of my writing career (writing and editing a complete draft of my next book in 8 weeks...) So yeah, my brain is mush.<br />
<br />
But enough about me!!!<br />
<br />
First up, the very lovely <a href="http://www.dawnmetcalf.com/">Dawn Metcalf</a> has a new book deal to announce!<br />
<blockquote>
Natashya Wilson at Harlequin Teen has bought INVIOLATE and INVINCIBLE by Dawn Metcalf, the third and fourth titles in the Twixt series for teens. The books will continue the story of a girl who is accidentally marked by a mysterious boy to whom she becomes indelibly bound, finding herself caught between the world of the Folk and the world of humans. Publication is scheduled for summer 2015 and summer 2016; Sarah Davies of the Greenhouse Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.</blockquote>
How awesome is that? You can read more about Dawn's new books, along with her experiences finding a new agent, and having two books pushed back several months, over at her <a href="http://www.dawnmetcalf.com/announcements-news-general-woo-hoo/">blog</a>.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, THE SHADOW THRONE, the final book of the Ascendance trilogy by <a href="http://www.jennielsen.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Nielsen</a>, is in stores now! Kirkus says, "From one cliffhanging episode to the next, wily Jaron’s rebellious, undisciplined spirit carries the day as he battles to save everything he holds dear." I know all of Jennifer's fans have been waiting with bated breath for this finale. I know I have!<br />
<br />
So that's it for this week. I'll actually be back next week with another set of updates...as long as I survive all the chaos. Ciao!Gretchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09327185025020171674noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-38767080081745375622014-03-12T09:00:00.000-04:002014-03-12T09:00:08.614-04:00Interview with Adi Rule (STRANGE SWEET SONG)<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I am thrilled to
introduce to the Inkpot Adi Rule, whose debut STRANGE SWEET SONG mixes magic,
music, and gothic secrets!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>STRANGE SWEET SONG
is about a singer and takes place in a music academy -- and you yourself are a
singer for the Boston Pops! (The Pops at Tanglewood was the last concert I went
to before my first child was born, so this made me squee.) Can you tell us
about how your training and career as a singer influenced the book?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Pops are always fun, but Tanglewood is extra fun! I see
classical singing as an embodiment of the pro music world itself. On the
outside, it may seem easy, it's very expressive and free looking. (And the best
singers make it look the easiest!) But it's not enough just to feel it. There
are a hundred calculated, technical, physical things that are happening, too.
You could say that about a lot of artistic disciplines, but singing is the one
I know best so it was the easiest for me to write about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> I have no trouble believing that - it's
certainly true about writing!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>This line in the book
description made me laugh: "the artistry and politics of classical
music." My sister-in-law is a professor of music, so I know it's just as
political as the rest of academia! Did any real-life political incidents or
maneuvering make it into the book?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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The only slightly real life incident in the book is a single
line that's something like, "For every soprano on stage, there are twelve
more waiting in the wings for her to die." This is something that occurred
to me one time when I was singing a leading role and started to get sick around
dress rehearsal. I just had this sense that my understudy was gearing up for me
to collapse and roll off the stage so she could kick my carcass aside and go
shine.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In a larger sense, I think it's fascinating that music,
which is one of the ways we explore and express humanity, has this intense
"business/politics" side. To make it in classical singing, you have
to be tenacious and ferocious. But at the end of the day, you also have to
captivate an audience, and there's a certain sensitivity -- and vulnerability
-- that goes along with that. It's a very strange double world for musician
creatures to inhabit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>STRANGE SWEET SONG also features an intriguing icy
forest. Did anyparticular forest or
forests inspire this?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm very entrenched in the land I grew up in, rural New
Hampshire and Maine. So while STRANGE SWEET SONG is set in a fictional town, in
my mind it's vaguely northern New England. We have some spectacular ice storms
here! I don't like going for days without power (you do NOT want to sample my
nasty woodstove-baked gingerbread), but snowy forests are gorgeous. And I
definitely didn't have to do much research, other than going outside, for that
aspect.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Your main character
is named "Da Navelli" - does that reflect the country/time period
your world is based on?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not really. It's just an Italian last name that means
"from Navelli" (Sing's dad is Italian). Although I did just look up
Navelli on Wikipedia, and apparently they're known for their saffron. Fun fact
of the day! :)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>That is fun. I love
saffron!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Thank you so much for
visiting the Inkpot and for your fascinating answers!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>You can find out more
about Adi and her book at her website, http://www.adirule.com/.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Leah Cypesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11123736070369470635noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-68433787462313652892014-03-05T09:46:00.001-05:002014-03-05T09:46:16.467-05:00Interview with Leah Cypess, author of DEATH SWORN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn2LfMUJiwsA4c2Syfk5UOMhii36UaERCXp_tlG4lCqTQValEmzss8VCnwrCCR86A-9JFq1Ji_JCyKTeeug3UzxwP1z9s3b2fzk_K0x1GOGSSJma00vt8VteYWMHaCFZNrIb_6_itQl4/s1600/Leah+Cypess+author+photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn2LfMUJiwsA4c2Syfk5UOMhii36UaERCXp_tlG4lCqTQValEmzss8VCnwrCCR86A-9JFq1Ji_JCyKTeeug3UzxwP1z9s3b2fzk_K0x1GOGSSJma00vt8VteYWMHaCFZNrIb_6_itQl4/s1600/Leah+Cypess+author+photo+1.JPG" height="200" width="155" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here at the Inkpot we
have been huge fans of <a href="http://www.leahcypess.com/" target="_blank">Leah Cypess</a> since practically the beginning of
time--which in this case means 2010, of course, when <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780061957017" target="_blank">MISTWOOD</a> came out. MISTWOOD
and its companion novel, <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780061957048" target="_blank">NIGHTSPELL</a>, enthralled us with their complex worlds,
gorgeous images, and tense plotting, so naturally, when we heard that <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062221216" target="_blank">DEATHSWORN</a>'s heroine was going to </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">find herself
losing her magic while living with assassins underground</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">, our collective
hearts went pitterskip-pat. And today she's visiting us in virtual person!</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anne Nesbet (on behalf of the Inkpot):</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Leah, thank you so much for coming by to talk
about DEATH SWORN! I loved the way you lead us deep into a world of caverns and
passages and secrets. Come to think of it, every fictional world you've ever
created has astonishing depth to it--layers upon layers of mystery, secrets,
and political intrigue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But let's start with
the official description of DEATH SWORN: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Ileni is losing
her magic. And that means she's losing everything: Her status as the renegade
sorcerers' most powerful rising star. Her purpose in life. The boy she loves.
Her home. Exiled to teach sorcery to the assassins hidden deep within the
mountains, she expects no one will ever hear from her again. The last two
tutors died within weeks of each other. As Ileni unravels the mystery
surrounding their deaths, she'll uncover secrets that have been kept for
decades--and she'll find an unexpected ally and dangerous new love. But even he
may not be able to protect her. Not when she's willing to risk
everything."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesCX0vVlweUcS5c2L3jPbr7MTOgZnfJoFYOC4pj8SNSaMwpNxw1gW7zfUjLmhP6PVuz8SLz3r97ya5qzcWuxwf5pnA5qxMr5pbQqr8QFNxDjqW-vz2_s5ZvN1cray12RSvVNwcCyEaWU/s1600/DeathSworn+HC+C.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/AVvXsEiesCX0vVlweUcS5c2L3jPbr7MTOgZnfJoFYOC4pj8SNSaMwpNxw1gW7zfUjLmhP6PVuz8SLz3r97ya5qzcWuxwf5pnA5qxMr5pbQqr8QFNxDjqW-vz2_s5ZvN1cray12RSvVNwcCyEaWU/s1600/DeathSworn+HC+C.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let the questions
begin!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: As Ileni takes the steps into (what she is sure will be) a
world dominated by darkness, loneliness, and death, we feel her courage, but we
don't understand her world right off the bat. Of course, neither does she, in
certain key respects! But like Ileni, we understand more and more as the story
continues, and we always have the feeling we are seeing the tip of a very deep
iceberg. So how do you manage backstory, Leah? Do you think through the history
and politics of your worlds before you start writing a book, or does the
context settle into existence gradually as you write?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Leah Cypess</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: First of all, thank you! I'm blushing and also grinning. :)
When it comes to world-building, I am definitely in the latter camp - the
context settles into existence as I write. My first drafts, to be honest, often
take place in a world that makes no sense. I have to go back and fill the first
part of the book with everything I figured out while writing the whole thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Ah, that's interesting. So your worlds grow almost the way
stalactites grow, with the help of that magical drip-drip-drip of Cypessian
limestone..... And since we've already gotten to the subject of caves: when I
was a child my family visited one of the largest caves in France, the Gouffre
de Padirac--I had never been in such a magical place, with stalactites and
stalagmites and paths and even boats rowing about from cavern to cavern. Have
you always liked caves? Are you not at all claustrophobic? What's the best cave
you've ever been in? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: It was a real treat for me to write a book set in a system of
caves -- I've always been a fan of caves (in a strictly amateur sense -- I've
gone on guided caving expeditions, but nothing requiring actual skill), and of
claustrophic murder mysteries where the rest of the world is shut out. The Cave
of the Winds in Colorado Springs is one of my favorite caves, in part because
it was the first cave where I went with a guide into the non-altered parts of
the caves, with hard hats and everything... a lot of that experience went
directly from my travel notebook into the first draft of DEATH SWORN! There is
also a cave in northern Israel called the Avshalom Cave that has the densest
concentration of stalactites and stalagmites I've ever seen, and is definitely
one of the most beautiful caves I've been in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: The cavern world you describe in DEATH SWORN is populated by
assassins--a very male world, into which Ileni comes as an outsider. You do
such a great job of keeping the edge, the sense of danger, sharp, even as Ileni
gradually grows somewhat more used to her new world. There are some
extraordinary scenes that show us just how dangerous a place this is, and just
how ruthless these assassins, so that the tension doesn't let up. The moral
questions here about what is worth killing for--and even what is worth killing
an innocent person for--are very unsettling. How do you feel about ends and
means? Do you think good ends justify awful means, sometimes? What percentage
of you, as a writer, is "assassin" and what percentage
"sorceress"?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Regarding the philosophical questions, while I do of course
have opinions, I try to follow a piece of advice I read in a writing book once
(unfortunately, I can't remember the book): that a writer's job is to ask
questions, not provide answers. I also try to recognize that the answers I've
personally come to might not be the answers my main character, who is a
different person in a different world, will come to. So I honestly try NOT to
think about my own opinions when I'm writing a book that deals with such
questions! Obviously, my own mindset and worldview filter in, but certainly not
in any systematic or directed way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: How was the writing of this book a different experience for
you than the writing of MISTWOOD and/or NIGHTSPELL?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: DEATH SWORN is the first book I ever wrote with the knowledge
that, when I was done, there was a very good chance it would get accepted for
publication. I finished the first draft of NIGHTSPELL before I sold MISTWOOD --
and MISTWOOD was the fifth manuscript I had ever submitted for publication --
so I always wrote with an underlying sense that I was going to send these books
out to every editor on earth and get lots of encouraging rejection letters and
then move on to the next manuscript. Of course, I always hoped I would get
published -- and I almost always believed I would, eventually -- but it wasn't
as real to me as with DEATH SWORN, where I not only had an agent, but I had
already run the basic idea of the story by my editor. None of that guarantees
anything, of course, but I still had a very real sense that DEATH SWORN might
end up as a real book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Your book's cover is a gorgeous mystery. It's so beautiful,
but how are we to understand it? Is the tower meant to represent the column
that plays such a symbolic role in the assassins' lives? Or is it about cliffs
and heights and verticality (so important in this story)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: I asked my editor that same question! I think the tower is
more symbolic than literal, and I think of it as representing the master's
perch (though in the book, that's at the edge of the mountain, not a
free-standing tower -- a free-standing tower certainly looks better on a
cover!) I know the art director read the book and tried hard to capture its
feel in the cover -- she told me she drew upon Lascaux Caves, which she had
visited as a child, for inspiration. I think she did an unbelievably amazing
job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Here's a very silly question for you: when you were writing
the bit about Ileni showing up at the caverns, her magic on the wane, as
sorcerer number three after the apparent murders of the first two, did
you <i>ever</i> find yourself secretly muttering, "twelfth in a
long line of governesses...."?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: I did NOT! Though it's an apt line. Thanks, now I won't be
able to get it out of my head. ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN (now really getting carried away with the
silliness)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Because it is
intriguing, isn't it, how many times young women have to step in to educate
large groups of misbehaving/dangerous young people: Ileni faces her assassins;
Maria faces the Von Trapp children; Wendy must deal with the Lost Boys [who
also live underground!]. And in all those cases, there's a more or less
ruthless male figure who thinks he really runs things, but we are not sure . .
. . )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC (being oh so very patient with AN's
meandering mind)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Hmmm, I hadn't
thought of the Lost Boys either! The idea for this book actually came to me
while reading THE ELENIUM by David Eddings, in which one of the characters is a
sorceress who serves as magic tutor to a society of knights. In that book, the
knights are misbehaving rogueish heroes, but not really dangerous -- at least,
not to the sorceress. Once I was developing the idea on my own, I naturally thought
it would be better if they were actually dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN, back on track</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Oh, the romance in this story! It makes us
ask the question (which now I'll bounce over to you), "Can love work, do
you think, between two people whose loyalties lie in very different
directions?" You make us want it to work, that's for sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: That's another of those absolute questions that I try not to
think about when I'm writing a book! The question for me is, Can THIS love,
between these two people, work? Or, more specifically, will it? I answer that
in the sequel so I'll have to plead the fifth for now. ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: That's an excellent writing tip, really: to be thinking always
of "THIS love" and not of some generic idea of what a romance should
be like! Let me ask an Ileni question: she has to show enormous courage at many
points in this story. Of all the brave things she has to do, which one do you
think would be hardest for you personally?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: All of them! I'm not nearly as brave as Ileni. But I'm
particularly afraid of heights -- I have a hard time walking over high bridges
-- so the sequence in the end of the book (*hums mysteriously*) would probably
have been the most difficult for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Oh, good grief, me too. (*shudders all over again*) The
description of Ileni's secret wound--how it feels to have once been the most
talented sorceress around and now to be losing her powers--is very evocative.
When you were the age of the teens reading your books now, would you have
understood that sense of loss? What do you remember feeling yourself growing
out of, when you were in middle school or high school?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: I think I would have, yes, and I hope teens will as well. I
think it's pretty universal that most of us have dreams of various destinies
awaiting us and we have to give some of them up -- not necessarily tragically,
just because as part of life, you cannot be an Olympic gymnast AND an
illustrator AND a fashion designer AND an author AND cure cancer AND discover
the secret language of dolphins AND become an expert horse-trainer AND discover
that you are secretly a princess in an alternate reality (just speaking about
my personal childhood life goals, here).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For me, I think the
thing that changed the most as I grew up was my own estimation of my abilities.
In elementary school, I thought I was the smartest kid in the class -- whether
or not that was true is impossible to say, since I was so confident I didn't
feel the need to prove myself by studying or getting great grades (much to my
parents' delight) -- but when I started high school with a whole new set of
fairly advanced students, it was certainly not true, and I had to adjust to
that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: You know, Leah, I actually think you're probably still one of
the smartest kids in the class. Seriously! Your books totally give you
away--they are multi-talented, kind of like your childhood self. Tell me, when
you were revising this book, what changed most?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: The first draft had this whole OTHER subplot involving a
contest between the students that, after a few revisions, my editor gently
pointed out served no point in the story. She was right. Thank goodness for
editors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: What's the name of the next book, and will we be getting a
closer look at the Empire and the home of the Renegai?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> "What's the name of the next book....." Hahahaha. We
are working on it. Extensively. Trust me. (I think we may have it, actually,
but I'm not going to announce it until I have confirmation that it's final!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: So you have to promise to come back and tell us, just as soon
as you know for sure!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: I totally promise to come tell you immediately!!*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(*<i>The Inkpot Legal Team insists that I, AN, point out that I just 100%
made up this line and attributed it to "Leah Cypess". I explained to
the ILT that we're all writers here, right? A little fictionalized non-fiction
is fine between friends, right? Leah herself will forgive me, right? I REALLY
WANT TO KNOW THE TITLE AND WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO MAKE LEAH TELL US SOONEST,
right? But everything else Leah says in this interview, she really did say
herself.--AN</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: . . . .As for the second part of the question [about the
sequel] - now you're asking me for spoilers! You will definitely be getting a
closer look at the Empire. That is all I will say. Even if you torture me.
Unless you offer me chocolate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Now, as another person whose name is always always always
misspelled, let me ask, sympathetically, how "Cypess" is actually
pronounced and whether you're having any more success, these days, in keeping
people from always popping an "r" in there because they love trees so
much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: It's pronounced like "cypress," but without the
"r." And no, I have no success in keeping the "r" out. I'm
mildly grateful that it's never actually appeared on the cover of any of my
books! But trust me, it has appeared everywhere else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: And, finally, a food question! Chocolate plays a fairly
significant role in this book, as something even assassins are willing to bend
the rules to acquire. What kind of chocolate do you personally prefer--milk,
dark, or something more specific than that? Most particularly, what kind of
cookies will you be serving at your launch party on Sunday, March 9, from
2-4 p.m. at The Children's Bookshop in Brookline, Massachusetts?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LC</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: *deep breath* My favorite type of chocolate is... white
chocolate. I know! I know! It's not even REAL CHOCOLATE. So I've been told. What
can I say? The heart wants what it wants. Although when it comes to chocolate
combinations, I'm really fond of Godiva truffles (almost any kind) and of milk
chocolate peanut butter cups.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As for cookies, we
(i.e. me and my kids) have plans! We have cookie-cutters shaped like books and
swords. We also have some great recipes and a stash of chocolate chips from
Trader Joes. Everyone should come eat cookies even if they have no interest in
books at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AN</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Sounds great! Every New England Inkie should commit to
Brookline this weekend. Leah, thank you for writing this haunting story, and I
can't wait to read your next installment....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LC</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">:
Thank you so much for the interview and for asking such interesting questions! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>(Another Inkpot note: Thanks to the wonders of technology, this interview looks like it was posted by Ellen Booraem. But it's an Anne Nesbet production through and through.)</i></span></div>
Ellen Booraemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12751047743172852013noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4456668544693248039.post-28140818235074486092014-02-26T07:04:00.000-05:002014-02-26T07:04:03.714-05:00AN INTERVIEW WITH HILARI BELL -- AUTHOR OF THIEF'S WAR!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6sen74dvd_7nE5v8YubTCFWynrAUAUNaz4pFfp_LXPZhREy7zWwz893Bqvwgwot_g6ntG0DyqWkuHAcEa1aCuqTHvfRNPpwU8W7LT100BAUwl7BJlI_Qd5FnLRxyzaOz_tZNEjqdAdg/s1600/thief's+war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6sen74dvd_7nE5v8YubTCFWynrAUAUNaz4pFfp_LXPZhREy7zWwz893Bqvwgwot_g6ntG0DyqWkuHAcEa1aCuqTHvfRNPpwU8W7LT100BAUwl7BJlI_Qd5FnLRxyzaOz_tZNEjqdAdg/s1600/thief's+war.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THIEF’S WAR, by Hilari Bell, will
be available on March 7! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is my great pleasure to
introduce my fellow inkpot member, the immensely talented Hilari Bell! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I really loved THIEF’S WAR, Hilari.
What an exciting adventure! I know it’s the fourth book in the Knight and Rogue
Series, but a reader certainly does not need to have read the other three books
to enjoy the book. Was it difficult writing a novel that can stand on its own
for new readers, while satisfying fans of the series?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is tricky, though not so much in the story itself—any book
that will please old readers should please new ones, and visa versa. The hard part is figuring out how to reveal
information the old readers already know (like how the magic system works)
without boring them, and also how much of past adventures do you need to bring
up again. Interestingly, I’ve found that
it’s the people who have read
the previous books who’re more likely to want me to remind them about what
happened before the current story started.
I think new readers just figure I’m telling them all they need to know,
while the old readers are the ones saying, “But you’re not telling us enough
about ...” <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That is interesting! The characters
of Fisk and Michael, and their friendship, was one of my favorite things about
the book. It was a very close relationship, and yet there was some tension and
history between them as well. Was there an inspiration behind either of these
very life-like characters?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some writers always start their books by creating a
character, but for me the core idea of the plot usually comes first—and my Knight & Rogue books are the only
exception. One day Fisk just popped into
my mind, standing in the rain at the foot of a tower and grousing about how
much it sucked being squire to a hero—though Fisk put it in better, and in more
archaic language. A whole six book
series grew out of that moment, but that exact scene is the first paragraph of
the first book. It had to be.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I read that you will write three
more books in this series. Do you
already know where it will end?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s actually two more books, for a total of six. And I’ve known the last scene in the last
book almost from the start. But that’s
not to say I know everything. For the
book that follows this one, Scholar’s
Plot, I knew it would be a murder mystery at a university, and that it
involved Michael’s brother, and a few things that happened in the overarching
series plotline—but until the time came to start prewriting, I had no idea who
was murdered, why they were murdered, or who murdered them. And for a mystery, that’s a lot not to know. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I read on your website that the
first book you sold was the fifth book that you wrote, and when it sold you
were working on your thirteenth book! How many books have you published?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This one will bring the total up to twenty, and you’d think
that would make your career secure. One
tip—if you want career security, <i>don’t</i> become a writer! On the other hand, I’m now writing the first
draft of book six, and there’s something so wonderful about writing a first
draft. My best friend is a writer too,
and whenever one of us is writing a first draft the other one is jealous,
because it’s so exhilarating and centering and satisfying.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Twenty books - wow! There is magic
in a first draft, when the story comes to life. Do you work on one book at a
time, or do you jump around?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One at a time. I’ve
heard of people who could work on more than one book at a time, but I can’t
imagine doing it. When you’re writing a
first draft, you’ve got so much of the story stuck in your head... There’s not room for two at once, and it
would take me days, if not weeks, to unload one story and completely reload
another.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Your fantasy worlds are so well
drawn. I loved the magica and Gifts in this series, it is so unusual and
exciting at the same time. Can you describe your world building for us? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have a ball with world building! I used to dread it, but then I came across a
chapbook, <i>Checking on Culture</i> by Lee Killough, that gives you,
literally, a culture building checklist.
It’s designed for science fiction, so it starts by asking you to figure
out your alien’s Habitat, Anatomy and Psychology, and then it gives you
categories in alphabetical order: <i>Agriculture,
Architecture, Arts...</i> With fantasy
some of that stuff doesn’t apply, but most of it does, and I just bop around
and work things out so that they work for my plot and characters. <i>Clothing, Commerce, Communication,
Cosmetics....</i> I find that my world
building changes my plot, and my plot changes my world building, and this
structured checklist creates this wonderful organic process where things start
pinging off each other. <i>Machines,
Marriage, Math/counting, Medicine, Modesty...</i> It’s a great tool.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks for
that tip – I’m definitely going to check that out! Which is your favorite character from this
book, and why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People keep asking me if Fisk is my
favorite or Michael—and I honestly don’t have a favorite between the two of
them. I love Fisk’s cynicism...but
Michael’s craziness makes him a blast to write.
Of the minor characters...
Atherton Roseman is one of my better villains, if I say so myself, and
the mad jeweler’s dialogue was incredibly fun and cool to write. Someone in my critique group asked me how I
created dialogue so disjointed and crazy...and I had to admit that it just
welled up, completely effortless. Which
may say bad thing about the state of my sanity.</span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What are you working on now (if you
want to share!)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Book six—which is still creatively titled Book Six. I hope something better comes to me
soon. And I do have a couple ideas for
things I’d like to write after this, but I’m not sure which one I’ll take on</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Do you have any talents besides writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Not
notably. I might have been talented in
some other area, if I’d taken the time and work to develop it. But talent is a dime a dozen kind of thing,
except for a rare few—which I’m not.</span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And now, a few questions for our
readers to get to know you better!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Book: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Can I do favorite author instead? Right now Lois McMaster Bujold leads the pack
with her Miles Vorkosigan books—though her <i>Sharing Knife</i> books come a
close second. She’s fabulous.</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Quote: </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t
have one particular favorite, but Thomas Edison’s statement that “The reason
there are so many missed opportunities is that opportunity usually shows up
dressed in overalls and looking like hard work” is a goodie.</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Food: </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Carmel
corn or kettle corn. I’m OK with
chocolate, but caramel is my favorite—and then add popcorn and salt... Oh my.</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Ice Cream: </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Actually
not that big an ice cream eater—possibly because I have teeth that are
sensitive to cold, of all the weird things.</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Favorite Place: </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Camping
on the coast, Cape Blanco State Park, in Oregon. Camping is my favorite thing to do, and
that’s my favorite place to do it.</b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjyQ6egoVpPdO7Fu6fU2irNsJawJxD5P55hbhh2G-oNZakE_dqjrH3IdJJfspRyj98eGteZwW7dKBxG3AdvHVkLyO7ulabhImiwa4xr63QlOH-5CRmNjxYqtV2K2ptnsh0e4c-2q04qs/s1600/p.hilari.SM.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/AVvXsEijjyQ6egoVpPdO7Fu6fU2irNsJawJxD5P55hbhh2G-oNZakE_dqjrH3IdJJfspRyj98eGteZwW7dKBxG3AdvHVkLyO7ulabhImiwa4xr63QlOH-5CRmNjxYqtV2K2ptnsh0e4c-2q04qs/s1600/p.hilari.SM.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks so much, Hilari! If you’d
like to read more about Hilari, you can check out her website <a href="http://www.sfwa.org/members/bell/a.books.html">here</a> - and the link to pre-order the book on Amazon is</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_17?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=thief%27s%20war%20hilari%20bell&sprefix=Thief%27s+War+hilar%2Cstripbooks%2C272&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Athief%27s%20war%20hilari%20bell">here</a></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Intrigued by THIEF’S WAR? Read on:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who
are you? What are you doing here? Where are...?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A sudden suspicion of the answer stopped my tongue,
but they knew what I’d been about to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Yah,” said one-eye.
“We’re orfinks, mostly. Those as
ain’t, they’s better off here than home.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d heard bits of the Tallowsport accent this week,
but never so thick and pure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Surely you have kin in this town who’d take you
in.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was a long silence, then the girl
shrugged. “They were chasing him. And it’s not like they don’t know about us.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The blond boy growled under his breath, and a
murmured echo came from the shadows—a feral sound that lifted the hair on the
back of my neck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That’s how come we’s here,” one-eye said. “It’s the Rose. He says anyone takes us in, they get the same
as our famblies got. We’re supposed to
be dead, see?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said it with a casual acceptance that chilled my
blood, even as it broke my heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Who is this Rose?” I demanded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All of them stopped, staring as if I’d asked why the
night was dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The Rose,” said the girl. “Tony Rose. Atherton Roseman. The man who runs this town. The man who owns the six thugs who were about
t’ beat the crap out of you!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">--Thief's War<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Interview conducted by Erin Cashman, author of THE
EXCEPTIONALS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Erin Cashmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155324425606457077noreply@blogger.com6