tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2580487632207790742024-03-13T07:50:23.482-07:00White Raven WritingThe forest is waiting..."Centered on the very soul of myths and legends, the Celtic world, magical beings, life, tragedy and the final ultimate enchantment of happiness is full to overflowing with the magic of Lori J. Fitzgerald’s words." ~Amazon Top 500 Reviewer, Tome Tender Book BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-45052901873699556452017-08-28T18:26:00.002-07:002017-08-28T18:26:28.896-07:00Writer's Digest Conference 2017<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">I was excited to attend this year’s Writer’s Digest Conference (known as #WDC17 on social media).</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span>Loved the genre buttons this year!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">The energy in a gathering of writers, readers, and lovers of all things bookish is quite magical. We encourage and inspire each other as only fellow writers can because we <i>understand everything -- </i>the passion, the fears, the effort. And the speakers at the conference sessions are like gurus; they've been there, done that, and are here now to motivate. I was touched by their genuine generosity of spirit (what we would call <i>gentilesse </i>in the medieval code of chivalry). They all truly wanted to help the aspiring writers before them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">The whole conference was a wonderful experience, but there were a few stand-out moments. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">My absolute favorite line at the conference came from literary agent/ author Paula Munier: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;"><i>The best stories are tapestries, all woven together.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span>The Unicorn Tapestries, the Cloisters</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">I have to admit, I do love a good outline, but I've been feeling a bit constricted by my need to plan ahead in my writing lately. Author Stephen James taught two excellent sessions that refueled my well and emboldened me to trust my creativity and the story itself. And he threw papers at us. Brilliant! I wish I had done that to my students.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">Author Tabitha Lord, who won the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award 2016 with her space opera <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Horizon-Tabitha-Lord/dp/1940014794/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503966685&sr=8-1&keywords=horizon+tabitha+lord" target="_blank">Horizon</a>, held a fantastic session on indie publishing. She inspired me to really organize my time for the upcoming autumn and back-to-school, including writing along with house/family matters and self-care. I can see how scheduling these things give them weight and helps you honor your life reality and be present in each moment, no matter what aspect of life it is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">I was so happy to have all three of the above sign their books during the cocktail hour on Saturday and chat with them a bit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">There were three keynote speakers, but my favorite was Lisa Scottoline. She was so down-to-earth and honest. Writing is hard work. (Oh God, yes.) But I think it’s safe to say that her life story inspired all of us to keep writing, keep persevering. And she had us belly-laughing as well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">Round Table Companies (RTC), the main sponsor, hosted a Vulnerability wall (shown below) and question game played in the lounge, which I’m so glad I joined. I met a group of fabulous writers across several genres, and we all went out to dinner together afterwards! I’m so grateful to have met them and look forward to continuing friendships.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none;">Overall, WDC17 was a successful learning and professional experience for me. And my bonus was a lovely Anniversary dinner with my husband at one of our favorite restaurants, The Palm. (Our marriage is sweet 16!) I'm looking forward to next year's conference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">*Middle three pictures are from Pinterest. First and last pictures are my own.*</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-87549946579138252942017-07-08T12:00:00.001-07:002017-07-08T12:00:06.611-07:00 Through the Oak Door Book Launch On Sunday, June 25th, we celebrated the official launch of <i>Through the Oak Door</i> at the Knockdown Center, a renovated door factory that is now a unique venue for art exhibitions and events. It was the perfect place for the launch, both physically and symbolically.<br />
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As I wrote in my post series <i><a href="http://whiteravenwriting.blogspot.com/2015/05/sacred-groves-and-writing-on-ogham-and.html" target="_blank">Sacred Groves and Writing: On Ogham and Oak</a> :</i><br />
In <i>Love Lies Bleeding,</i> the word marker between sections is "duir," which is the Ogham symbol for the letter/sound D and the oak tree. It carries the same root as "Druid," which means "one with the wisdom of oak." In fact, the root of "duir" actually holds three meanings: oak, door, and stag.<br />
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So holding the launch in an artist space that was once a door factory was definitely the universe conspiring to create magic!<br />
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The Ready Room of the Knockdown Center is a spot perfect for book readings. It has gorgeous open-brick walls, plants, artwork, and a bar for refreshments! The entire staff was wonderfully accommodating and genuinely happy to have the book launch; it is obvious that they are committed to being a patron of the arts in the community. Check out their website here: <a href="https://knockdown.center/" target="_blank">https://knockdown.center</a><br />
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Once everyone settled in with a book I took the podium. (By the way, I LOVE PODIUMS. I haven't been at one in years! I want one in my house. Think that will go over well?)<br />
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As I was reading the first few pages of <i>Love Lies Bleeding,</i> haunting music began to play from an exhibit setting up in the next room...it was actually very atmospheric! Some of the audience even thought I had it piped in from somewhere on purpose. (I did not! But it worked!) Here's a clip:</div>
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I also read from <i>Songs Within Stone</i> for the first time ever! In the Q&A session afterwards, one comment really struck me: How my character William reminded the listener of Michelangelo, in the sense of an artist feeling like a power is moving through them into the art. I was so thrilled because this was spot-on part of what I was writing into William, although in a Celtic mythological sense. And really, isn't this what all artists of any medium, including myself, feel when they are creating?</div>
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Then I had lovely chats with my audience during the signing. It really was a happy occasion, and I am so thankful to all who participated! </div>
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Special thank you to Tyler and Alexis at the Knockdown Center, and to my ever-supportive friends who bought me those gorgeous roses in the picture and the wrapped bottle (it's St. Germaine -- they know me well). And the most gratitude goes to my husband, kids, and parents, whose presence at the launch were priceless. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-14758792095868740872016-11-07T07:02:00.000-08:002016-11-07T07:02:35.412-08:00Revelations: An Interpretation of Loves Lies Bleeding in Dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><b>The playbill of the performance, </b></i></h3>
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<i><b>part of the Crossing Boundaries Series</b></i><i><b> at Dixon Place</b></i></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> On October 25, I had the honor of watching Corporeal Arts Inc. perform <b><i>Revelations</i></b>, a work in progress based on my novelette <i>Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> It was every writer's dream - Selma took inspiration from my story and how the characters made her feel to create something unique and magical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> Dixon Place</b> is a 30 year old off-off Broadway theater known as <i>"one of NYC's most important and fiercely experimental artists' nests."</i> The minute I walked in I was struck by the welcoming, open atmosphere: wood-paneled walls covered in photos and art, a bar (the city's only non-profit one, I believe!) and an intimate lounge with a stage. The actual theater was a flight below and could seat around 50 people. This was a place I wanted to be, a true artist's nest, safe and encouraging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> One of the frames on the wall held an old program from 1992, with a Thursday literature series. The last performance of the night showed a science fiction series of readings, curated by...<b>Gordon Van Gelder!</b> Those of you who subscribe to <i><b>The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy </b></i>will understand why I almost fell to the floor - he was the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of the magazine (the top in the genre, publishing such authors as Asimov and Bradbury back in the day) for many years and is still the Publisher. To think my work was being adapted in the same place that Gordon Van Gelder once curated readings...I was over the moon!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The performance focused on the transformative effect of story. Selma made the reader (herself) a character and had the two main characters (Aislin and the Forest Lord) interact with the reader. The movements evoked both the character's personalities as well as the reader's reactions to them: the unfolding transformation of Aislin, the menacing yet sensual strength of the Forest Lord, and their competition to capture the emotions of the reader. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> There was so much richness and symbolism here that I could probably write a paper to analyze it all! But instead I mingled with the artists and spectators afterwards, a glass of wine in hand, and talked about performance and literature. It was truly a magical experience!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Unfortunately we were unable to take pictures of the performance itself, but - good news - Selma intends to expand <i><b>Revelations</b></i> and perform once again at her home-base studio! So hopefully pictures will be forthcoming!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-26049793829010950242016-03-23T10:59:00.002-07:002017-04-02T09:37:24.075-07:00Sacred Groves and Writing: On Enchantment and Elder<div style="text-align: center;">
Lady Ellhorn is my muse. </div>
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She is the "figment of my imagination" that I turn to when I am stuck with my stories. </div>
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She has never failed me. </div>
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But all magic comes with a price. </div>
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It may be a compulsion to write or create that distracts from other things in your day, that makes you feel incomplete until you attend to the muse. Or it could be days of writer's block before the onrush of inspiration. Or perhaps a day where the laundry just doesn't get done...or creativity doesn't get done because of laundry, appointments, or life getting in the way. The price can simply be the time and energy it takes to complete your passion. As I often tell my children, nothing "worth its weight in salt" comes without effort.<br />
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The poem "A Song of Enchantment" by Walter de la Mare expresses the fickle magic of creativity:</div>
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<i>A song of enchantment I sang me there,</i></div>
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<i>In a green-green wood, by water's fair,</i></div>
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<i>Just as the words came up to me</i></div>
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<i>I sang it under the wild wood tree.</i></div>
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<i>Widdershins turned I, singing it low,</i></div>
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<i>Watching the wild birds come and go;</i></div>
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<i>No cloud in the deep dark blue to be seen</i></div>
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<i>Under the thick-thatched branches green.</i></div>
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<i>Twilight came; silence came:</i></div>
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<i>The planet of Evening's silver flame;</i></div>
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<i>By darkening paths I wandered through</i></div>
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<i>Thickets trembling with drops of dew.</i></div>
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<i>But the music is lost and the words are gone</i></div>
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<i>Of the song I sang as I sat alone,</i></div>
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<i>Ages and ages have fallen on me -</i></div>
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<i>On the wood and the pool and the elder tree.</i></div>
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The English Elder tree, the <i>Sambucus nigra</i> or Ogham "Ruis," is the most enchanted of the Ogham trees. Beneath her roots lies a gateway to the Otherworld, the fairy realm. The Elder Mother, or Lady Ellhorn, can be associated with Titania, Shakespeare's Fairy Queen. The Elder tree is also used for spirit contact and symbolically for connection with our own subconscious and the collective unconscious...the otherworld without and the otherworld within. Like in Walter de la Mare's poem, the outer landscape mirrors the one within.</div>
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The Elder is such a powerful and revered tree that its wood should never be cut without obtaining permission from the tree first. In Celtic society elders often grew near a sacred spring or well, as they were a deep source of magic themselves, but were also planted by homes to grant the dwellers the Elder Mother's protections. </div>
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When I received my Ogham stave pouch, I placed great significance on the wood that I would pull out the very first time. It was Elder. I admit I was a bit taken aback, because at that time I felt my affinity was to Oak. But upon reflection I realized Elder was trying to tell me something about the pattern of my life and my art. From then on I turned to that wood for advice, comfort, and inspiration. When I practice yoga, I give my intentions to the Elder Mother and wish for a greater connection to her.<br />
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<i style="font-size: small;">My Lady Ellhorn Talisman of Eldritch, a custom order from WytchenWood shop on Etsy.</i></div>
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The Elder tree is symbolic of sacrifice (which is why it is an appropriate wood in the <i>Harry Potter </i>books for Dumbledore's wand, by the way). "Ruis" means red and is symbolic of blushing or the embarrassment we may feel when we make mistakes. Thus the Elder Mother teaches us that all great gain comes with sacrifice. Loyalty to Lady Ellhorn, however, in the form of tapping into our own inner otherworld and tending the roots of our creativity, can result in wondrous enchantment!</div>
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<b>For more information on Elder, and other exclusive content about my writing, sign up for the Corvus Calling newsletter in the right sidebar.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>All images, unless otherwise noted, are from Pinterest.</i></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-34876388691109992072016-03-05T17:39:00.000-08:002016-03-05T17:39:06.394-08:00Amazon's New Review PolicyUnfortunately, Amazon has decided to take down the five star reviews that I received from Tome Tender Book Blog, an Amazon Top 500 Reviewer, due to its new, inexplicable policy of "weeding." This is a shame, not only because both <i>Love Lies Bleeding </i>and <i>Songs Within Stone </i>are exclusive on Kindle Select, but because Tome Tender does such a beautiful and thoughtfully honest job of reading and reviewing books for all types of published authors. <div>
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So lest people think I am a liar, below are the full texts of Tome Tender's reviews that appeared on Amazon up until recently and still appear on the Tome Tender website. </div>
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I must add that when I first offered Tome Tender an ARC copy for review, I did not know that they were a Top 500 Reviewer (that was quite the gasping-for-breath moment, one I won't forget) and no way did I or will I ever pay for a review. </div>
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LOVE LIES BLEEDING <a href="http://tometender.blogspot.com/2015/05/love-lies-bleeding-by-lori-j-fitzgerald.html" target="_blank">(Click here to see it on Tome Tender)</a></div>
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"Never underestimate the power of well-chosen words! Love Lies Bleeding by Lori J.Fitzgerald brings the tale of a free-spirited girl and the Spirit of the Forest into your heart as it pricks long ago memories of feeling the magic of fairytales dancing through your mind.</div>
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Young Aislin always felt the call of the forest, beckoning her, surrounding her with warmth, but young girls grow up and reality seems to get in the way of fantasy and childhood musings. When her life takes a horrendous turn and becomes a living nightmare, only the magic of the forest can bring her eternal joy and love.</div>
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Centered on the very soul of myths and legends, the Celtic world, magical beings, life, tragedy and the final ultimate enchantment of happiness is full to overflowing with the magic of Lori J. Fitzgerald’s words. </div>
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I received this ARC edition from Lori J. Fitzgerald in exchange for my honest review."</div>
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SONGS WITHIN STONE <a href="http://tometender.blogspot.com/2015/07/songs-within-stone-master-mason-by-lori.html" target="_blank">(Click here to see it on Tome Tender)</a></div>
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"There is beauty and magic in the hands of an artisan, no matter what they create. William, a mason’s apprentice hears the beauty of the songs that stones sing to his heart as he brings raw stone to life with his carving. One brutal incident leaves William’s kind heart hardened and bitter, and in search of another Master Mason to train under. Was this punishment or did fate guide him to the place where he could make peace with his demons while finding his true calling and a place to call home?</div>
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Once again, Lori J. Fitzgerald had me entranced by her almost poetic style of writing! Songs Within Stone is a quick read that captures the feel of long ago times, the magic of friendships and believing in oneself to do the right thing. Ms. Fitzgerald has woven another tale filled with characters from mythology, some beasts and some fae and created a tapestry rich with character, color and atmosphere as one apprentice finally finds his very soul singing to him as clearly as the stones he brings to life. Feel the magic of fantasy, watch each scene play out and escape into a world meant to be found by all of us who believe in the magic of the written words within books. With a gentle pace, moments of awe and even sadness and joy, Lori J. Fitzgerald’s world is spellbinding to behold with her rich words and obvious love for her characters and her work. </div>
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I received this copy from Lori J. Fitzgerald in exchange for my honest review."</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-3546766931968226602015-10-22T10:05:00.000-07:002015-10-22T10:05:04.913-07:00Autumn & Samhain Sale<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-size: x-large;">"Time and their kiss stretched, eternal, like the ancient grove itself. The forest was satisfied, basking in autumn’s molten glow and love’s wild breath."</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In honor of my favorite season, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest </i>is ON SALE!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Only 99 CENTS for a limited time! </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPzq4rxmWmc/VikTicsBQGI/AAAAAAAAA54/k4OJjeZZYWI/s1600/LoveLiesBleeding.v4Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPzq4rxmWmc/VikTicsBQGI/AAAAAAAAA54/k4OJjeZZYWI/s400/LoveLiesBleeding.v4Amazon.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">An autumn color palette on the cover design evokes the seasonal theme of transformation found in this folkloric fantasy romance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lies-Bleeding-Forest-Stone-ebook/dp/B00W6JZCLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445532956&sr=8-1&keywords=love+lies+bleeding" target="_blank">Click Here to Experience the Magic of the Tylwyth Teg...</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The forest is waiting...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sale ends October 26th midnight EST</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-79816207724619039952015-09-12T06:00:00.004-07:002015-09-12T06:07:20.312-07:00The Tapestry of WordsWords have power.<br />
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Perhaps because they are strung together to start a spell in a fantasy book:<br />
<em>"Black Dragon. From darkness to darkness/ my voice echoes in the emptiness."</em><br />
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Or because they are placed together in a character's catch-phrase that becomes a theme of a show:<br />
<em>"All magic comes with a price!"</em><br />
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Or woven into a phrase that also inspires other works:<br />
<em>"By the pricking of my thumbs/ Something wicked this way comes."</em><br />
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Words can craft together whole worlds, birth characters, and plant thoughts and inspiration, and just simply yet profoundly tell a wonderful story that changes the reader's life. <br />
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The power of words never ceases to amaze me. It is in the exhilaration I feel every time I get that certain sentence or paragraph to convey just the right idea or emotion or description when writing a literary article or a fantasy story. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hzhKjVBwkhQ/VfQhyoP28uI/AAAAAAAAA5c/xSSfFHPKgfc/s1600/b4b87736e2d07352462e47443eb0c8a9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hzhKjVBwkhQ/VfQhyoP28uI/AAAAAAAAA5c/xSSfFHPKgfc/s640/b4b87736e2d07352462e47443eb0c8a9.jpg" width="467" /></a></div>
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<i>"Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice...but it all comes down to you..." </i></div>
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<i>"Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac, sung by Stevie Nicks</i></div>
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What are your favorite words or quotes? Which ones have changed your life or inspired you?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-45180907143474295342015-08-23T12:56:00.000-07:002015-08-23T12:56:54.964-07:00Believe: The Magic of a Garden<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Nothing quite whispers "Believe" like a garden.</span></b></div>
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<b>Believe in the possibility of growth...</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-idIcTTXcmYU/VdZCb2HeWiI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bhGcVpj8jDc/s1600/IMG_3734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-idIcTTXcmYU/VdZCb2HeWiI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bhGcVpj8jDc/s320/IMG_3734.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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<i>Looks like a loaf of bread that somebody threw over my fence next to my Frog Prince, right?</i></div>
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<i>That's what I thought.</i></div>
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<i>Wrong.</i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CosUEIpHkjM/VdZCeEhjdAI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/YpPdqU517PU/s1600/IMG_3737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CosUEIpHkjM/VdZCeEhjdAI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/YpPdqU517PU/s320/IMG_3737.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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<i>It's a giant mushroom that literally grew overnight!</i></div>
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<b>Believe in the beauty of nature...</b></div>
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<i>"The earth laughs in flowers." Ralph Waldo Emerson</i></div>
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<b>Believe in the magic of the greenwood...</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-XuK0C_ArM/VdZCk5ZJDII/AAAAAAAAA3g/sPhnNvT-9Xk/s1600/IMG_3714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-XuK0C_ArM/VdZCk5ZJDII/AAAAAAAAA3g/sPhnNvT-9Xk/s320/IMG_3714.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<i>Look closely....you'll see the little Green Man who guards the door to the Tylwyth Teg in my garden...</i></div>
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I don't have an enchanted way with plants, like the protagonist in my work-in-progress does (the third tale in the <i>Wood & Stone Series</i>), but I have had great pleasure and some success with my herb container garden in my backyard this year.<br />
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<i>My pride and joy: chocolate mint...yum. Great in iced tea, as a hot infusion, or in a simple syrup poured over ice cream or tossed in fruit salad! </i></div>
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And I have been deriving great satisfaction from drying herbs in my kitchen window and creating little sachets of lavender and chocolate mint. Sometimes I need a break from actual writing (egads!) to refresh my thoughts, and dried <span style="text-align: center;">chocolate mint and lavender crushed together make an intoxicating scent that both calms the senses and clears the mind</span><span style="text-align: center;">. The serenity I feel knowing that the green magic of nature is guiding me to express my own creativity is truly priceless. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14gl7DY8yik/VdokWXqiltI/AAAAAAAAA4o/SzvBhZTidao/s1600/IMG_3753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14gl7DY8yik/VdokWXqiltI/AAAAAAAAA4o/SzvBhZTidao/s200/IMG_3753.JPG" width="149" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HjTizCzNyP8/VdokZPcQM0I/AAAAAAAAA4w/0CSUK2rWLKk/s1600/IMG_3755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HjTizCzNyP8/VdokZPcQM0I/AAAAAAAAA4w/0CSUK2rWLKk/s200/IMG_3755.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-khUo3DNGd0M/VdZCOC1GVoI/AAAAAAAAA3A/6lX_9w4Kw7o/s1600/IMG_3743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-khUo3DNGd0M/VdZCOC1GVoI/AAAAAAAAA3A/6lX_9w4Kw7o/s200/IMG_3743.JPG" width="149" /></a><br />
I've added a cleansed/charged bloodstone and a fabric leaf to this sachet. Bloodstones are a very dark green jasper, almost black-looking, with red and yellow inclusions that show up best in sunlight.<br />
Bloodstone is one of my favorite stones, and it has an important part to play in the entire <i>Wood & Stone</i> Series...for example:<br />
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<i>Aislin kept the necklace in her apron pocket, her secret talisman. She rolled the stone in her fingers as she walked to the market each day, her basket of pies slung over her arm, glancing now and then at the distant forest trees. How different they were from the splintered stalls in the town square, the grit between the cobblestones, the dreary faces of her neighbors peddling and buying their wares. The town was brown and gray, cracked and pale. But the forest exhaled life to her, which the necklace captured in its evergreen depths. Every night she pulled the soft leather through her thumb and forefinger, and the thought that he had braided it sent shivers through her. She slept with it under her pillow. When she was baking, she kept it on the windowsill, fascinated how the sun brightened the stone’s green color and revealed red and yellow sparks of firelight within. </i><br />
Excerpt from <i>Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest</i><br />
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<i>Aislin's Necklace.</i></div>
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<i>I saw this in a now-defunct shop on Etsy and knew it had to belong to Aislin.</i></div>
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<i>And yes, of course I bought it! </i></div>
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<i>If you look closely you'll see it around Aislin's neck on the ebook cover...and around my neck in some of my bio pictures.</i></div>
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Bloodstones are quite true to their name: they help emotional centering and bring calmness, but also aid in courage, vitality, and creativity, all symbolic of the heart and the blood. And as with Aislin, their deep green color reminds me of the depths of the forest and the magic that lies therein.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">As always, the forest is waiting...</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">and I would love to share its magic with fellow bookworms!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://tometender.blogspot.com/2015/08/lori-j-fitzgeralds-songs-within-stone.html?showComment=1440337555097#c2972431718491923296" target="_blank">TOME TENDER BLOG</a> is holding a fantastic giveaway where you can win a "Believe" swag package I've put together including a "The Forest is Waiting" sachet (chocolate mint/lavender/bloodstone) and an inspirational bookmark, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">as well as copies of my e-books.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">AND, if you sign up for my CORVUS CALLING email newsletter, you'll also be entered to win a sachet every time I send a newsletter for as long as my herbs last!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> The sign-up form is over there on the sidebar.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What is your favorite herb, and how do you use it? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'd love to get some more ideas, so please feel free to comment below!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-66094660014490761542015-08-03T07:00:00.000-07:002015-08-03T07:22:41.340-07:00Writer's Digest Conference 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">You are not alone.</span></i></b></div>
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Writing can be a solitary life. Sometimes loneliness creeps up on us while we are staring at a lined page or index cards or a computer screen with only our characters to interact with. Fun and creative...but lonely sometimes.</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">You are not alone.</span></i></b></div>
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This is one of the recurring themes I heard throughout my first Writer's Digest Conference. And I experienced it firsthand. Workshop teachers all showed we have the same highs and lows as writers. So many times we laughed as a commonality was pointed out, such as: </div>
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"First. Drafts. S<i>uck.</i>"</div>
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But best of all, I made so many new writer friends. In just a short space of time we inspired, encouraged, laughed, and shared the stories of our characters and our lives with each other. We were so immediately comfortable because deep down we all knew each other, as only writers can.</div>
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Introverts unite! At the Writer's Digest Conference! </div>
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Absolutely priceless.</div>
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<i>By the way, how many writers does it take to pay a bar bill? </i></div>
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Three. (I was one of them.) It was hilariously pathetic. Obviously Math is not our thing.<br />
(Have to give credit to author Bernardo Montes De Oca for that line...he said it as he was watching us three fumble around with cash and calculator and credit cards.)</div>
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I've been tweeting out some #WDC15 Wisdom I gathered (Lesson #1: it's less stressful to ask for separate bar tabs to begin with), and here is some more:</div>
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<ul><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1bljmAE8sc/Vb9t_sC3UqI/AAAAAAAAA00/CtRoXGhyX0A/s1600/1cc30749b8df8b86f0ac773a9dfcb1ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1bljmAE8sc/Vb9t_sC3UqI/AAAAAAAAA00/CtRoXGhyX0A/s320/1cc30749b8df8b86f0ac773a9dfcb1ba.jpg" width="240" /></a>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Honor your reality</b>. Life is part of your reality. You can't neglect a job or forget to feed the kids to write. But writing is your reality too. Figure out how to make it all co-exist, or...</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>You will get cranky if you don't write.</b> Writing makes writers better people. So does coffee. I think we drained the hotel coffee supplies. I still can't believe I missed those cakes on Sunday. Where the heck were they?</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Writing is hard.</b> (Seriously, I know...but hearing EVERYONE say it made me feel better.)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Resistance</b> (like Writer's Block, or the sudden urge to scour your kitchen) exists for a reason. It means that what we are doing is important or meaningful.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>The craft of writing and the business of writing...learn both. Fear neither</b>. (Jonathan Mayberry's Opening Keynote)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Sometimes the story knows more than you do....Writing is emotionally autobiographical</b> - in the writing of it you are feeling it. ( Jacqueline Woodson's Central Keynote)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Whether it's creating a writing schedule or a story outline, don't feel you have to follow one way or someone else's way: <b>experiment to find what is right for YOU.</b></li>
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There was just a plethora of excellent information and inspiration in all these workshops. </div>
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My favorites were:</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><i>DIY MFA</i> and <i>Creating a Stronger Outline for a Stronger Story</i> with Gabriela Pereira (who was lovely and funny and sincere...she almost brought me to tears at one point.)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><i>Growing Your Iceberg: Creating a Seconday Story That Seems Ancient </i>with Brooklyn fantasy author N.K. Jemisin</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><i>Revising a Novel: Step Away from the Blue Pencil </i>with Hallie Ephron</li>
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And of course Chuck Sambuchino's <i>Pitch Perfect</i> session gave me the necessary tools (and the confidence) to talk to literary agents at the Pitch Slam!</div>
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I highly suggest looking into these workshops - many of them are online as webinars.</div>
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Overall, the Writer's Digest Conference was a game-changer for my career as an author. It inspired and energized me as well as introduced me to wonderful fellow writers! </div>
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<b>Total magic, and totally worth it!</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Did you attend the Writer's Digest Conference this year? </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>All images are from Pinterest. If an image is yours and you do not want it used in this post, please contact me. Thanks!</i></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-45119147875669935042015-07-10T07:04:00.001-07:002015-07-10T07:12:14.060-07:00Sacred Groves and Writing: On Walls and WillowSunny afternoons of my childhood were often spent on the edge of a park's pond. I tossed bits of stale bread into the water for the ducks and geese. They nibbled the crumbs off the water's surface. My mother and I strolled the path that encircled the pond, crossing bridges and watching the waterfall at one end. The far side bordered a wood of densely packed trees.<br />
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There was one tree that always drew my eye, enchanted me. She was immensely tall, her "hair" (in my child's vision) a beautiful bright green sweeping in feathery tendrils to the ground, wind-tousled and swaying, reaching out towards the water. She was the <b>Weeping Willow Queen</b> and I adored her as much as I was in awe of her.<br />
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Weeping willows were my mother's favorite trees, and so they became mine as well. I made up a song about willows, a lilting chant of their name, and whispered it into the air when I was alone, hoping the wind would bring it to them. I imagined their answers. </div>
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When I was first drafting <i>The Dragon's Message</i> (published March 2014), I knew there had to be some sort of boundary that Rhiannon and Gwydion crossed over from her world to the Ruins of DragonsGate. Immediately a wall of willows came to my mind's eye. What better access to a magical realm than to pass through those curtain of branches that always were so enchanting to me? And again, in<i> Love Lies Bleeding, The Wood & Stone Series Part One</i> (published May 2015) it seemed only natural to me for Aislin's favorite tree to be a willow.<br />
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In the Ogham alphabet, the writing system of the ancient Celts, the willow, or "Saille," is the symbol for the letter/sound "S." (The Ogham willow is technically not the weeping willow, but the pussy willow, although both trees are very similar in energies.) Willows thrive near water, of which they are considered queen. Like its kingly counterpart, the alder tree (featured in my last blog post), the willow at the water's edge crosses the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld. As such, the willow also represents intuition, imagination, and the ebb and flow of both the moon and tides.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b>As Stevie Nicks sings, "Like a willow, I can bend..."</b></span></div>
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The willow is sacred to the goddess Ceridwen, who rules over the moon and is the keeper of the cauldron of inspiration. Her cauldron bestows poetic vision, divine inspiration, and restoration of creative flow. Bards, the poets who are walkers between worlds, made their harps out of willow. Incidentally, a cauldron and a bard both have roles to play in <i>Songs Within Stone </i>(published June 2015)<i> </i>and <i>Branch and Grail</i>, the second and third parts of <i>The</i> <i>Wood & Stone Series.</i> Willow can also bring dreams, both as an access to the Otherworld and as a source for healing and comfort. The chemical salicin found in the willow was used in ancient and medieval times for pain relief.<br />
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In <i>Love Lies Bleeding</i>, the willow is a comfort to young Aislin, who plays by the tree to escape her mother's illness and feed her wild nature. It is the willow who delivers the message from the Otherworld to Aislin, starting her on the path to rediscovery and rebirth.<br />
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Pass through the wall of the Willow. Sit beneath her and let the ebb and flow of her branches in the wind enfold you in times of sorrow or when you need to get in touch with your intuition or creative spirit. She'll help you get through Writer's Block! The Willow has always given me inspiration and comfort. May she do the same for you!<br />
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<b>Enjoy the inspirational music of these modern bards!</b></div>
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<b>Speaking of Stevie Nicks...these ladies also play an incredible rendition of <i>Rhiannon</i>!</b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">~ saille ~</span></i></b></div>
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<i>Works Reference and Recommended:</i></div>
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<i>Celtic Tree Magic </i>by Danu Forest</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All pictures are from Pinterest. If a work is yours and you would not like it to be used in this post, please contact me and I will remove it. Thank you. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-28721007891723134722015-06-19T20:23:00.002-07:002015-06-19T21:49:39.399-07:00A Midsummer Night's Tea Party: Under the Stones and Sky<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://parayournormal.wordpress.com/2015/06/19/a-midsummer-nights-dream-blog-party-2/" target="_blank">ParaYourNormal Blog</a> is hosting a Blog Tea Party in honor of the Summer Solstice, </b></div>
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<b>and I am thrilled to be brewing my own pot of tea for it, along with some special treats at the end of this post!</b></div>
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The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. In Celtic tradition, "midsummer" is the time to celebrate the strength and warmth of the Sun, which could banish negativity and bring abundance of blessings.</div>
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Bonfires are lit and the Oak King, the King of Summer, is crowned at this time. </div>
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So it would seem fitting to have a <b>Midsummer Night's Tea Party</b> in a magical grove</div>
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underneath an old oak tree. </div>
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Perhaps with some <b>fairies</b> to dance with...</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue;">“The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are of imagination all compact.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue;">William Shakespeare, <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pmL8ctllEhM/VYMqcxAK34I/AAAAAAAAAwU/nsCohYvtjiI/s1600/d1bb05e1625ab10657c60888d85121ef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pmL8ctllEhM/VYMqcxAK34I/AAAAAAAAAwU/nsCohYvtjiI/s320/d1bb05e1625ab10657c60888d85121ef.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>But I want to take tea with you somewhere else.</b></div>
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I've mentioned before my memorable trip to England with my husband in 2003. On that trip we took a magical tour called "Stones and Bones" which brought us, among other places, </div>
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to Avebury and Stonehenge.</div>
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The <b>Avebury Stone Circle</b> is the largest in the world, split in half by road and town. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xiKRkSQyXAM/VYMeL1E1KQI/AAAAAAAAAvI/okyboMRUPzs/s1600/359b3c8ac6c94dd163ead471d8c38af9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xiKRkSQyXAM/VYMeL1E1KQI/AAAAAAAAAvI/okyboMRUPzs/s320/359b3c8ac6c94dd163ead471d8c38af9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the most powerful ley lines in Britain tracks through its entrance stone. In the center, a "male" stone aligns itself with the "female" Goddess stone. I have a great picture of my husband resting in front of the Goddess stone, facing her with his head on his backpack...you could actually have a tea party or picnic in this circle. (We opted to have a pint at the Red Lion Pub instead...the only pub in England that sits inside a megalithic henge!)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-599Q_4Q0OFw/VYMeGvsKJeI/AAAAAAAAAvA/RsEuRgjm9Nk/s1600/15a474be99f85b22f74c7223abedbc7e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-599Q_4Q0OFw/VYMeGvsKJeI/AAAAAAAAAvA/RsEuRgjm9Nk/s320/15a474be99f85b22f74c7223abedbc7e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our guide gave us dousing sticks, and sure enough, they spun around and aligned themselves to the energy path in the earth. (Unfortunately for this blog, my pictures are glued in a scrapbook. This is before we had a digital camera. So these are all from Pinterest!)</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">We were privileged to be inside <b>Stonehenge</b> at sunset with a "special access" tour. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">We watched the magnificent sight of the sun lowering between the stones as our guide playing a haunting tune on his fife. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPkDF341B2k/VYMkXFy4UbI/AAAAAAAAAvc/SvdKDwYWNYs/s1600/ddbd819bb29fa8a67759c1722918db2d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPkDF341B2k/VYMkXFy4UbI/AAAAAAAAAvc/SvdKDwYWNYs/s320/ddbd819bb29fa8a67759c1722918db2d.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b>Here is an excerpt from my scrapbook:</b></div>
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"The great expanse of land and sky that is Salisbury Plain made my soul billow out like a great wind. I caught my breath when I first saw the massive stones standing alone, waiting....The area has been etched in time; as I turned and looked at the plain around us, I could see several barrow mounds sloping the land. The Heel Stone in the distance marks the processional entrance to the henge. In fact, I could still see the creases of this road, the "Avenue," in the grass as it stretched out beyond the marker. This is the way that is aligned with the midsummer sunrise. At the Altar Stone in the center of the circle is a convergence of several ley lines -- so strong that I could feel the energy rumbling under the earth, and I lost my balance momentarily there. I will never forget that mystical feeling of standing on the track, and the magic touching me, moving me."</div>
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So I invite you to take Midsummer Night's Tea with me here, under the stones and sky on Salisbury Plain, so we can watch the Sun rise together along the ancient track.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue;">“My soul is in the sky.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">William Shakespeare, <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMab_hhCeq0/VYTfBkcl8JI/AAAAAAAAAw4/ERu7bT0_9Qg/s1600/02df716daa5225ba276708f08341b504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMab_hhCeq0/VYTfBkcl8JI/AAAAAAAAAw4/ERu7bT0_9Qg/s320/02df716daa5225ba276708f08341b504.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">In honor of the Summer Solstice, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Wood & Stone Series Part Two</i> is now up for PRE-ORDER on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Within-Stone-Master-Mason-ebook/dp/B00ZQN9P02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434658315&sr=8-1&keywords=Songs+Within+Stone&pebp=1434658313601&perid=03YQMZMD1S3A5NYSHKYK" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a>, and will be released on June 28th.</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cJVpAwYgBE/VYMmaSpYUAI/AAAAAAAAAvs/rh0cK8H823U/s1600/SongsWithinSong.v2Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cJVpAwYgBE/VYMmaSpYUAI/AAAAAAAAAvs/rh0cK8H823U/s640/SongsWithinSong.v2Amazon.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">"He carved and sobbed and bled. He breathed stardust from the singing stone." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">The stones sing to William, filling his blood with music, compelling him to bring forth the magic in their timeless depths. But an appalling betrayal leaves the apprentice mason with terrible scars on his hands and a heart as hard as the stone creatures he carves. Banished from the cathedral guild, he is sent away in disgrace to work under another Master Mason, in service to the lord of a faraway town. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">But things are not quite what they seem to be, here in the town at the forest's edge...not the manor's statuary nor the ancient apple tree. And certainly not the Lord and Lady of Tylwyth Manor. What secrets do these hunters hold behind their strange eyes? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">Within the stone walls of manor and town, Will's heart must be healed for him to understand and control his developing power. And when a dire threat emerges from the forest to wreak havoc on the town, can Will use that power to save all that loves from destruction? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">Songs Within Stone is Part Two of Wood & Stone, a series of connecting tales of folkloric transformation, startling self-discovery, and love as timeless as a sarsen stone, told in medieval and modern settings. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE...</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>WOOD & STONE PART ONE:</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>LOVE LIES BLEEDING</i> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">is on a </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lies-Bleeding-Forest-Stone-ebook/dp/B00W6JZCLU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1434658730&sr=8-2&keywords=love+lies+bleeding&pebp=1434658729821&perid=0R9W4GFQABY4X7NSMSB0" target="_blank">KINDLE COUNTDOWN DEAL</a> FOR $0.99!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Only from June 20th until June 27th midnight, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">so get it while it's hot! </span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HzkSWrEKkI/VYMoGbE9WRI/AAAAAAAAAv8/38zrVOQM_vY/s1600/LoveLiesBleeding.v4Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HzkSWrEKkI/VYMoGbE9WRI/AAAAAAAAAv8/38zrVOQM_vY/s320/LoveLiesBleeding.v4Amazon.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;"><b>Praise for <i>LOVE LIES BLEEDING, WOOD & STONE PART ONE</i>: </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">"Centered on the very soul of myths and legends, the Celtic world, magical beings, life, tragedy and the final ultimate enchantment of happiness is full to overflowing with the magic of Lori J. Fitzgerald’s words." <b>Amazon Top 500 Reviewer </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">"Love Lies Breathing vibrates with magic. This story BREATHES." Christine, Reader </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;">"Beautiful imagery and a unique fairytale-esque world." Alyssa, Reader</span><br />
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<a href="https://parayournormal.wordpress.com/2015/06/19/a-midsummer-nights-dream-blog-party-2/" target="_blank">Check out the other spots for tea in the Blog Party!</a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TNttVLCzVPg/VYMouXMr1XI/AAAAAAAAAwA/Nw2pKIm4HRk/s1600/Midsummer%2BNight%2BTea%2BParty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TNttVLCzVPg/VYMouXMr1XI/AAAAAAAAAwA/Nw2pKIm4HRk/s320/Midsummer%2BNight%2BTea%2BParty.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-72249983767496827952015-06-01T19:01:00.002-07:002015-06-03T06:19:28.295-07:00Sacred Groves and Writing: On Ravens and AlderMy favorite story in <i>The Mabinogion</i>, the collection of Welsh myths that influenced medieval Arthurian literature, is the tragic tale of Branwen, daughter of Llyr and sister to King Bran the Blessed. Bran means "raven," and his sister is White Raven, with "wen/gwyn" meaning "white" or "fair." Here is a wonderful video presenting their story:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5rOm95WT4aU" width="420"></iframe>
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The video does not mention the one part that always broke my heart in the story: "When Branwen saw her son burning in the fire, she made as if to leap after him from where she was sitting between her two brothers, but Bran seized her with one hand and his shield with the other....As each man went after his weapons Bran protected Branwen between his shield and his shoulder." I always imagined Branwen's struggle against the arms holding her, crying and desperately attempting to reach her dying son, who was probably the only light in her life. Branwen's son was named Gwern, which means "alder tree."<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vwlSKvu25E8/VWyTWvvH4uI/AAAAAAAAAqM/k2SHayl-fBM/s1600/Branwen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vwlSKvu25E8/VWyTWvvH4uI/AAAAAAAAAqM/k2SHayl-fBM/s320/Branwen.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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The raven and the sacred Alder tree are entwined in their own Celtic knot.<br />
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The Celtic God Bran and the raven are both connected to the concepts of prophecy and fate. As the video mentions, Bran's prophetic head was buried at Tower Hill, where the ravens are cared for even today. In 2003 my husband took me on the trip of my dreams to England, and I saw those majestic birds firsthand. They took my breath away. It bothered me a little to see them caged and know their wings were clipped, but I got the impression they are well-cared-for, even revered, by all. The Tower Ravens are symbols of the timeless magic of myth and belief.<br />
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In<i> Love Lies Bleeding</i>, a raven draws Aislin's attention towards the door in the oak, sealing her fate that she is "destined for the forest."<br />
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The <i>Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Trees</i>) is a Welsh medieval poem attributed to the bard Taliesin (who, by the way, is one of the seven warriors who survive the battle and return to Wales with Branwen and Bran's head). In the poem, Gwydion the enchanter animates trees to be his army. Gwydion identifies the god Bran as a raven and gains power by also identifying him with the alder tree, thus revealing his "secret" names:<br />
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"Sure-hoofed is my steed impelled by the spur;</div>
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The high springs of alder on thy shield; </div>
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Bran thou are called, of the glittering branches.</div>
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Sure-hoofed is my steed in the day of battle:</div>
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The high sprigs of alder are in thy hand:</div>
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Bran thou are, by the branch thou bearest."<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJC5fjedlN4/VWyXsaX2OVI/AAAAAAAAAqs/ks31et_wudA/s1600/Alder%2BOgham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJC5fjedlN4/VWyXsaX2OVI/AAAAAAAAAqs/ks31et_wudA/s1600/Alder%2BOgham.jpg" /></a></div>
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In the Ogham alphabet, alder is "Fearn," one of the peasant trees and representative of the letter "F." It likes to grow at the forest's edge and especially on riverbanks. Like Bran, who used his body as a bridge for his warriors, it was often used as material for bridges and viewed symbolically as a bridge between land and water as well as this world and the Otherworld. The alder is a tree of prophecy, like Bran's head and the raven that loves the alder's dark, damp groves, because it gives us a way to access the knowledge, tales, and energy of the Otherworld.<br />
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Alder was also the preferred wood for making shields for Celtic warriors. When cut, the alder's white inner wood turns red, thus "bleeding" and conferring magical protection upon the warrior who carries the shield. Alder is a warrior's wood, one of protection, defense, and preservation, just as Bran relied heavily on his shield to protect his sister.<br />
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The Alder Tree can protect us on our journeys and help us find the way to hidden knowledge. Follow the Raven lurking in its branches as it takes flight, for it can also lead us to the right path as we seek out life's mysteries to find who we really are. And speaking of which...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Introducing CORVUS CALLING, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">the new White Raven Writing Newsletter!</span></div>
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I named my shiny new email newsletter after the bird family that includes the mystical ravens. </div>
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Get a glimpse into the "Otherworld" of my stories with exclusive content and first looks before they are announced on social media channels, as well as fun offers just for fans! </div>
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Those of you who follow my Author Page on Facebook may have seen my lovely Oak Ogham pendant by</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Touchwoodcraft" target="_blank">TOUCHWOODCRAFT</a></span></b></div>
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<b>Bev Halstead,</b> the talented crafter and shop owner, has created these stunning pendants especially for White Raven Writing...<br />
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<b>...and is generously DONATING the FLYING RAVEN PENDANT to the WINNER OF THE CORVUS CALLING INTRODUCTORY GIVEAWAY!</b></div>
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Bev is also willing to <b>PERSONALIZE</b> this pendant for the winner!</div>
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Check out <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Touchwoodcraft" target="_blank"><b>TOUCHWOODCRAFT SHOP ON ETSY</b></a>...all her materials are made with local, sustainable sources, such as recycled Welsh oak, and she uses the old art of "Fire Writing" (pyrography). Bev is absolutely lovely to work with. And there is also an <b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/222592636/pendant-amulet-with-alder-celtic-year?ref=shop_home_active_20" target="_blank">Alder Ogham Pendant</a> </b>for sale...unless it's been snatched up already!</div>
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<b>TO ENTER simply SUBSCRIBE by typing your email address on the sidebar under </b><br />
<b>Corvus Calling, "Subscribe to Our Mailing List."</b><br />
Flying Raven Pendant Giveaway ends June 4th, 2015.</div>
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Winners to be announced in the first newsletter and contacted by email.</div>
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<i><b>~ fearn ~</b></i></div>
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<b>If you liked this post, scroll down to check out On Ogham and Oak, the first installment.</b><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Works Referenced and Recommended:</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Celtic Tree Magic</i> by Danu Forest</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Mabinogion</i> translated by Jeffrey Gantz</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All pictures are from Pinterest, except the pendants courtesy of Touchwoodcraft. If a picture is yours and you do not want it used in this blog post, please contact me and I will remove it. Thank you.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-38121756015019634652015-05-01T03:00:00.000-07:002015-06-12T16:06:09.988-07:00Sacred Groves and Writing: On Ogham and OakAll the tales in my latest collection, <i>Wood & Stone,</i> use words as markers between sections. I've written before about the power of words, but these markers are especially magical: they are the word meanings of Celtic Ogham sigils.<br />
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Ogham is a writing system, still found on stone monoliths throughout Ireland, Scotland, Wales and parts of England, used by the Druids and poets/Bards of the ancient Celts. It was a message system, a recording system of important deeds and names, a symbolic device used for learning and remembering ancient lore, and a spiritual tool. Each sigil represented a letter or sound and was linked to a tree or plant, with a corresponding "kenning"or poetic description to explain its meaning. Sacred groves were important to the ancient Celts, so it is no wonder that their writing/magical system was connected to trees. Although there are none that remain, Ogham was probably also carved on wood staves, and it is possible that its messages were transmitted secretly by hand gestures.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-No0-AWuQ-Do/VTP3CpEhkZI/AAAAAAAAAko/w0_MKsfj1W0/s1600/95936ca60cc109a74c68a6feb7c89e95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-No0-AWuQ-Do/VTP3CpEhkZI/AAAAAAAAAko/w0_MKsfj1W0/s1600/95936ca60cc109a74c68a6feb7c89e95.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Ogham is the middle column.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RUcYcNH5N_Q/VXtlxotiQ8I/AAAAAAAAAuI/MW03hcWep08/s1600/Ogham%2Bset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RUcYcNH5N_Q/VXtlxotiQ8I/AAAAAAAAAuI/MW03hcWep08/s1600/Ogham%2Bset.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is my stunning Ogham set made by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/178584348/ogham-set-corresponding-oghams-celtic?ref=favs_view_9" target="_blank">WYTCHENWOOD on Etsy.</a> </div>
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Each stave is its corresponding wood.</div>
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In <i> Love Lies Bleeding,</i> the word marker between sections is "duir," which is the Ogham symbol for the letter/sound D and the oak tree. It carries the same root as "Druid," which means "one with the wisdom of oak." In fact, the root of "duir" actually holds three meanings: oak, door, and stag.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s0t4e0GWHBg/VTP8keb0YqI/AAAAAAAAAk4/NMX21gp037o/s1600/6b5250dee078982ae186c8f9c8dc6d80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s0t4e0GWHBg/VTP8keb0YqI/AAAAAAAAAk4/NMX21gp037o/s1600/6b5250dee078982ae186c8f9c8dc6d80.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<i>"Aislin, find the door in the oak."</i></div>
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The sacred oak, its door to the Otherworld, and the grove of trees is central to the events in <i>Love Lies Bleeding,</i> and we will revisit that grove again in <i>Wood & Stone Part Three</i>, albeit at another time period. </div>
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The oak was considered one of the primary "chieftain" trees (the other classifications were "peasants" and "shrubs") by the Druids because of its strength. It has a very large root system, which spreads through the earth to mirror its branches above. The roots of the old oak trees by my house are known to buckle sidewalks and tangle into water pipes below ground. </div>
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Some famous oaks in England include Herne's Oak in Windsor Great Park, from which the Wild Hunt is said to ride out every Samhain, Major Oak of Sherwood Forest, and the twin oaks, Gog and Magog in Glastonbury. Gog and Magog were once part of a great avenue of oaks stretching up to the Tor (Avalon), but these trees were cut down in 1906 to clear the land for farms. Only Gog and Magog remain...2,000 year old trees.</div>
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<i>"Each oak is a guardian and a marker of the way between the worlds, and how much more so must this whole avenue have been...Now these two are all that remains, but the hold all the power of the others within them, all their memories and sacred hidden knowledge. Gog no longer puts forth leaves, and sitting with him one can feel he is more than halfway to the otherworld. Magog is still strong, however, and she scatters her acorns far and wide. A small forest grows at her feet."</i></div>
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<i>Excerpt from Celtic Tree Magic by Danu Forest</i><br />
<i>(See bottom of post for list of works consulted)</i></div>
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The oak tree is synonymous with the Oak King, King of Summer, and the Green Man, who represents sovereignty and fertility, and whose purpose is to protect and provide. </div>
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The Green Man and a Standing Stone<br />
<span style="text-align: left;">The Forest Lord's first appearance to Aislin in </span><i style="text-align: left;">Love Lies Bleeding</i><span style="text-align: left;"> echoes the Green Man. </span></div>
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Celtic sacred groves were places where the Otherworld below, the sky above, and the earth meet, and a person could be granted access to the magical realm of the Otherworld. If the grove was a doorway between worlds, then the oaks were the guardian spirits of the soul's quest. </div>
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The stag was a symbol of fertility, and often associated with the Horned God, Cernunnos, or Herne the Hunter.</div>
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Ogham is a key to enchantment in the <i>Wood & Stone</i> tales, and I hope as you read<i> Love Lies Bleeding </i>this explanantion of "duir" and the spirit of the Oak guide you to find magic and meaning in the story. </div>
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But for now, "duir" is your key that unlocked the following excerpt! Surprise! Click and Enjoy! Happy Beltane!</div>
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<b><i><a href="https://youtu.be/7BDkqvdYy4s" target="_blank">Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest YouTube Excerpt</a></i></b></div>
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<i>(Just so you know...I have a bit of a flair for the dramatic...I was, after all, an English teacher...</i><b>)</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y481ey-1RYs/VTUZYOGqSaI/AAAAAAAAAmM/bZNBAJ5l4dI/s1600/LoveLiesBleeding.v4Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y481ey-1RYs/VTUZYOGqSaI/AAAAAAAAAmM/bZNBAJ5l4dI/s1600/LoveLiesBleeding.v4Amazon.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1P5qCIn" target="_blank">AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON KINDLE</a></b></div>
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<b>~duir~</b></div>
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Works Referenced and Recommended:</div>
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Celtic Tree Magic: Ogham Lore and Druid Mysteries by Danu Forest (an informative and enlightening book!)</div>
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Celtic Magic by D.J. Conway</div>
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Myths of the Sacred Tree by Moyra Caldecott</div>
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Glastonbury Reception Centre and Sanctuary www.unitythroughdiversity.org</div>
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All pictures are from Pinterest. If you are the owner of a picture and would not like it to be used in this blog post, please contact me and I will take it down. Thank you. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-5032348777951408852014-12-10T18:33:00.001-08:002014-12-10T19:00:45.135-08:00Slaying the Dragon for the First Time: A NaNoWriMo JourneyDecember is here, and that means National Novel Writing Month is finished.
After watching the excitement over NaNoWriMo for years on social media and in
Writer's Digest articles, I decided to sign up...<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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Being a "Wrimo" means you write every day. Every. Day. Even if the
laundry hamper is overflowing. Even if the dust in your living room is an inch
thick. Or if something dire and unexpected happens that you absolutely
cannot write a word (in my case a broken molar) you have to catch up in
sprints. Or else you start to get the shakes. You start to feel guilty. You
start to feel like something is missing.</div>
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Why?</div>
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Because NaNoWriMo makes writing a part of your daily habits, like brushing
your teeth or exercising (well...for some...I count going up and down two
flights of stairs with laundry as exercise). We become writers out of passion and inspiration. But we stay writers out of habit, because it becomes an intrinsic part of us as much as
eating and breathing.<br />
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<i>Dip into that creative well at least once a day and bring up some magic!</i></div>
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Today is December 1st, and I was looking forward to the time to clean up the
house, decorate for Christmas some more, tackle some of the tasks that have
been a bit neglected (or done hastily, a lick and a promise). What am I doing? Writing about NaNoWriMo. Why? Because my hands began to twitch.<br />
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I had to write SOMETHING today. </div>
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Even though my Nano first
draft is finished at 30K words. (Huzzah! I'm still in shock!) It's not 50K, so
I don't officially win, but honestly I feel like a winner nonetheless. I sat
down to write almost every day, and I completed a first draft of a story that
became more than I expected it to. I proved to myself that I can write 10,000
words in one week. I proved to myself that I can finish a draft in a shorter
time than 4 months (that's how long <em>The Dragon's Message</em> took me).
I learned that if I just keep writing (don't stop to revise, don't stop,
just keep typing just keep typing, don't you look back...) the characters
and story magic will take over organically. I learned to trust in my
imagination a little more, and I was rewarded now and again by those plot epiphanies that flood your mind with a light that lasts throughout the day.<br />
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Most of all, NaNoWriMo helped me to<em> give myself the permission</em> to make my
writing time part of my daily routine. I had a definitive goal, a real
deadline. And for that, NaNoWriMo is one of the best things that has happened
to my career as a writer. I am proud to be a Wrimo!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pictures are from Pinterest. If an image is yours and you do not wish it to be used, please contact me. </i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-46766471951932785102014-10-20T11:17:00.001-07:002014-10-20T11:17:20.649-07:00Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>ACT I</strong></div>
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<strong>Scene I</strong> [<em>An open place</em>.]</div>
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<em>Thunder and lightning. Enter Three Witches.</em></div>
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<em>First Witch</em>. When shall we three meet again?</div>
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In thunder, lightning, or in rain?</div>
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<em>Second Witch</em>. When the hurlyburly's done,</div>
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When the battle's lost and won.</div>
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<em>Third Witch</em>. That will be ere the set of sun.</div>
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Thus begins <em>The Tragedy of Macbeth</em>, my favorite Shakespearean play. And here is my burning question: </div>
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<strong>Why <em>three</em> witches?</strong></div>
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The three witches, or "Weird Sisters," are Shakespeare's versions of the Three Fates: Clotho, who spins the thread of your life, Lachesis, who measures it, and Atropos, who cuts it. Indeed, these witches seem to know how to pull Macbeth's strings and influence him along his tragic path. This is shown most strongly in Macbeth's first line upon entering the stage:<br />
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<em>Macbeth.</em> So foul and fair a day I have not seen. (I.iii.38)</div>
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This directly connects to the witches' famous chant "Fair is foul, and foul is fair./ Hover through the fog and filthy air." (I.i.10) Herein lies one of the thematic undercurrents of <em>Macbeth: </em>Things aren't always what they seem in this place. (I'd bet my bust of Shakespeare...yes, I have one in my home library...that Jim Henson was influenced by this for his movie <em>Labyrinth</em>!)</div>
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<em>Three</em> has long been viewed as a "magic" number, and various mythologies have forms of a triad, or triple diety, with each aspect having certain qualities or functions.</div>
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Triple Goddess: Maiden, Mother, Crone</div>
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So next time you are stirring some eye of newt and toe of frog into your cauldron, make sure you say your incantation <em>three</em> times and think fondly of Master William Shakespeare!</div>
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If you are also fond of things not always being what they seem, and you happen to be a fan of <em>Once Upon a Time</em>, you may want to check out my joint article with Teresa Martin in the Once Upon a Fan Origins Archives: <a href="http://www.onceuponafans.com/from-anti-hero-to-hero" target="_blank">Rumplestiltskin's Transformation in Once Upon a Time: Literary Anti-Hero to Hero Archetype</a>. </div>
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Oh look, a spinning wheel...how very Fate-like!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>All images found on Pinterest. If something is yours and you do not wish it to be used, please contact me and I will remove it.</em></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-61206927603937962142014-10-12T12:37:00.001-07:002014-10-12T12:41:16.746-07:00Lightning Strikes: Fleetwood Mac and the Power of Words<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">No one knows how
I feel<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">What I say unless
you read between my lines<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">~"Stand Back" by
Stevie Nicks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The music of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie
Nicks has struck chords of enchantment in my soul for decades. Imagine my joy
when I saw them live in concert recently (many kisses to my husband for getting
those tickets)! Needless to say, it was a powerful experience: the raw, intense
guitar of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie's magical voice, the crazy drums and yes,
Christine McVie returned! It all swirled together around the theater like the
pulsing colors on the video screen behind the band, coalescing and reverberating
through my bones, the power of words mingling with the roar of the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yes, the power of words, borne on the
wings of music notes. That power made my soul soar when Stevie cried out:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Rock
on, ancient queen<br />
Follow those who pale in your shadow<br />
<br />
Rulers make bad lovers<br />
You better put your kingdom up for sale, up for sale<br />
<br />
Well, did she make you cry,<br />
Make you break down,<br />
Shatter your illusions of love?<br />
And is it over now?<br />
Do you know how?<br />
Pick up the pieces and go home</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">And
my heart beat with determination with Lindsey's crooning:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Been
down one time<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Been
down two times<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Been
down three times<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Never
going back again.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><em> </em>A
musician is a writer also. Fleetwood Mac wrote their songs and then gave
life to them, not on a page but embedded in music. In sharing them through an
album or live in concert, they did the same thing an author does when he/she
publishes a story: placing part of your soul out into the world so others can
be affected by it. And let me tell you, was the crowd ever affected: we
screamed and clapped thunderously. It was the same feeling of
creative exhilaration experienced when a piece you are writing snaps into
place, or you connect with someone over a story, or your students have a moment
of brilliant perception in a literature lesson, but amplified ten-fold
in the arena atmosphere. You could literally feel the creativity vibrating in the air.
I left there infused with a renewed sense of awe in the magic of language. Apparently, this is a spell that Stevie has woven herself: check out this </span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">video from Oprah's Master Class in which <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFSMIla9SpE" target="_blank">Stevie reveals why writing is so important.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I've found this word magic in so many places.
Of course, first in the books that have been my soul mates throughout life. It's
amazing how a quote can pull on your heartstrings and resonate within
you again and again. We all have those passages in our hearts; one of mine is
from <em>Wuthering Heights</em> (and there are so many from that book):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"> Books can pull
our entire minds into them, and bring us on an adventure to another world, like
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lord of the Rings</i>, that we literally have to tear ourselves away to
get some sleep. </span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">And I love the chills that I get
listening to my old cassette tape (yes, I am dating myself) of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqvhMeZ2PlY" target="_blank">T.S. Eliot reading <em>The Wasteland</em></a>. To hear a
poet's voice from beyond time and dust reading his own work is an enlightening
experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am so blessed that my passions,
reading and writing, are crafted with words. I saw the gift that language is
every day when I was teaching, and I see it in my own children who
get so excited about the book series they are reading and want to talk about
them with me. My interactions with my kids remind me of the power of words to
uplift, inspire, and teach, and how important it is to choose our words wisely.
Even in writing, I am more and more aware of the craft and hard work it takes
to put the right words down on paper to capture a story. And as I write this,
I'm drinking my pumpkin spice tea (it is October, after all) out of my old name
mug that my parents found way back in their cabinets recently. It is the mug I
used as a teenager, and it reminds me of the days I sat hunched over loose-leaf
scribbling away with no care of passing time. It reminds me that the core of my
soul is a writer. Names are words after all, and powerful ones at that, as all
the stories say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3x5mmeqwpw/VDniWe-gYAI/AAAAAAAAAbg/L6QQa-Yu1xM/s1600/IMG_3009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3x5mmeqwpw/VDniWe-gYAI/AAAAAAAAAbg/L6QQa-Yu1xM/s1600/IMG_3009.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stevie shared a story with us about
her song "Gypsy." The first line comes from a San Francisco shop that
she ventured into when she was a young musician. She absolutely loved the name
of the shop...Velvet Underground...and the gorgeous clothes within. As she
stood in this store surrounded by beautiful gypsy-like clothes, she had a premonition
of her creative success. She suddenly knew who she was destined to be. And she was a true vision in the concert: black
flowing skirt, boots, her shawls and scarves on her tambourine, her trademark
twirling and bowing in front of the drum set. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"> She even wore her black top hat
for one number and her gold shawl for "Gold Dust Woman," which I
quote above along with "Never Going Back Again." To me, those two songs
speak of finding the inner strength to overcome hardship and adversity so that you can cultivate your true self. Stevie
added lines to the end of "Gold Dust Woman" which I had never heard:
"<em>You should see me now</em>...<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You can't take me down...you can't
take me...you can't break me down."</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So in this autumn season of magic and
mystery, cauldrons and incantations, and leaves that crackle like old paper, know
that the creative power of words is in all of us to tap in our own unique ways.
You just have to reach down inside yourself, knocking any obstacles out of your
way, and own it (and maybe listen to Fleetwood Mac as a muse):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRx3tUEzdp4" target="_blank">Lightning strikes, </a></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">maybe once, maybe twice, </span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">and it all comes down to you...
</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*All images are from Pinterest. If something is yours and you would prefer it not to be used, please contact me and I will take it down.*</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-18798426453246853892014-08-04T18:53:00.002-07:002014-08-04T18:53:42.708-07:00Guest Post: How to Hunt Your Dragon, Author H.L. Burke<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Welcome to fellow fantasy author, dragon lover, and writer mom H. L. Burke! In today's guest post she is sharing with us some of the rules of her world from Dragon's Curse, Volume One of <em>The Dragon and the Scholar Saga, in celebration of the release of the latest in this series, Volume Three, Dragon's Rival! Read below to find out how to hunt your own dragon and enter a giveaway.</em></span></strong></span><br />
<em></em><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Displaying coverdesign2larger.jpg" aria-hidden="true" class="aLF-aPX-J1-J3" height="320" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=2e3674695b&view=fimg&th=1476f4e83f880690&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_hy1zmgh20&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9VfDdfcfSZlaCuSrP8-dkpbloiP-Ggb-zhukALntlrVvnN4-jEqJdJTAfbRymBu9-6xTTJWn3D01ygY7MoCAAGAowd6Rrrm3gKrBUz7IAzG7AhqGlTOa1UjhU&ats=1407202145034&rm=1476f4e83f880690&zw&sz=w1553-h511" width="227" /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An excerpt from: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Laws and Guidelines Governing the Hunting of Dragons</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a pamphlet produced by several noted scholars from the Academy of Magic and Sciences, detailing the dangers and difficulties of dragon slaying and the laws regarding such sport. Please note, this is not a how to manual, but rather a cautionary piece presenting some things an ambitious knight would be wise to consider before taking on his first dragon slaying assignment.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Academy of Magic and Sciences acknowledges that dragon hunting is an ancient and honored tradition among kings and knights. However, the creatures are both rare and dangerous. Because of this, certain laws have been passed and are upheld by all kingdoms upon the Continent. Refusing to abide by these rules may result in prosecution, fines, or in extreme cases execution. It is your duty, as a dragon slayer, to familiarize yourself with these statutes and see that you and your companions keep to the letter of the law.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first and foremost rule of dragon hunting is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">never</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> attack a dragon’s nest. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is difficult to observe the mating habits of dragons. They are solitary beasts and during such intimate moments, they can become exceedingly hostile to outsiders. Due to the valorous and persistent research of Henry of the Many Scars, we do know certain basic facts. For instance, when in search of a mate, dragons set fire the majority of trees around their lairs, as an invitation to other dragons and a warning to those who might be tempted to watch. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While dragons are known to mate for life, they do not nurture their young. Once the hatchlings have emerged from the eggs, they are left to their own devices, and considering they are roughly the size of young horses at birth with fiery breath and venomous fangs, they generally do quite well for themselves. Dragons often lay their eggs in community nests. The nesting period is one life stage where dragons are known to be social creatures. For most of their existence they are solitary or keep to mated pairs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the years following the Wars of Wild Magic, when dragons were much reviled for their choice to side with the Fey rather than the Humans, ambitious hunters took advantage of this knowledge. A large group discovered the hatching grounds and managed a successful attack, destroying hundreds of unborn dragons and several mating pairs. Within days an organized force of adult dragons rose up and burnt the home villages of the offending hunters to the ground. This swift retribution led to an assembly of representatives from several kingdoms as well as the Academy, and the First Law of Dragon Hunting was agreed upon and signed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Those who would hunt dragons must always consider the long term repercussions. Dragons are an extremely long lived race. Their average lifespan stretches upward of three hundred years. They are also patient creatures, and just because they do not take immediate revenge for the slaying of a mate or a child does not mean they will not strike at your great-granddaughter’s christening or some other far future event.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Always be aware of the trouble your desire to slay dragons may have on those around you. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not slay dragons for profit. Only merchants approved by an Academy review board may traffic in dragon bones, blood, venom, or scales. Bounties on problem wyrms, however, are an accepted practice. If a dragon has chosen to settle in close proximity to humans, he has taken his life into his own talons and can be exterminated as a nuisance dragon. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thankfully the rarity of such beasts makes it less and less likely that a knight will be called upon for such dangerous duties. However, if you wish to try your hand at dragon hunting, please remember that in doing so you take your life in your hands. Do not allow your carelessness and disregard for the law to endanger others. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em>Dragon's Curse, book one in The Dragon and the Scholar Saga</em></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by H. L. Burke</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On her first assignment out of the Academy, young healer and scholar, Shannon Macaulay is summoned to the struggling kingdom of Regone to see to the wounds of a young but crippled king. When the unwanted attentions of an aggressive knight and the sudden appearance of a hated dragon turn her world upside down, she decides to take matters into her own hands even if doing so proves dangerous. Finding herself strangely drawn to the company of the dragon, Gnaw, Shannon must force herself out of her safe world of books and botany to come to the aid of her unexpected ally in a strange kingdom, cursed by a fateful encounter with a dragon and the loss of a beloved prince. Can she learn to put aside her fears, and perhaps sacrifice her deepest desires, to help a friend and restore a family?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ABOUT H. L. Burke</span></div>
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<img alt="Displaying 182531_10152345169511002_425964214_n.jpg" aria-hidden="true" class="aLF-aPX-J1-J3" height="320" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=2e3674695b&view=fimg&th=1476f4e83f880690&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=f_hy1zmt851&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ8MSuyopOcKabniQHPFHlZJZ4Z50psp-VHC80mzH63qrv9lRTRlywHxx7ppW1D-K4N7JpqxpNKlu9Dt0gxCa3AeD9I_rc_t1tqGL4y-LCTzM0RYLo4RU-RuGM4&ats=1407202145035&rm=1476f4e83f880690&zw&sz=w1553-h511" width="240" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">H. L. Burke on Amazon:</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Burke/e/B00EYQ1HLW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-<wbr></wbr></span>Burke/e/B00EYQ1HLW/ref=ntt_<wbr></wbr>athr_dp_pel_pop_1</span></a>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">H. L. Burke on Facebook:</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hlburkewriter" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr></span>hlburkewriter</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">H. L. Burke on Twitter:</span><a href="https://twitter.com/typativemamacat" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr></span>typativemamacat</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">H. L. Burke on Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7230868.H_L_Burke" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.goodreads.com/<wbr></wbr></span>author/show/7230868.H_L_Burke</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">H. L. Burke's Author Website:</span><a href="http://www.hlburkeauthor.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.hlburkeauthor.com/</span></span></a></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/99b51d7/" id="rc-99b51d7" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-41006988919230200152014-07-19T12:53:00.001-07:002014-07-20T19:21:36.688-07:00The Mythological Dragon of Author Karin Rita GastreichGreetings and well-met to author Karin Rita Gastreich on her Magic Appreciation Tour for the audio release of her novel <em>Eolyn</em>, the prequel to her latest book release <em>High Maga</em>. Karin writes fantasy fiction with strong female characters, but I was most intrigued with her concept of Dragon as it fits into the magical world she has created. Karin is a lovely, intelligent lady and a talented author, and I am so pleased to have her on my blog. After you read the fascinating article on Dragon below, make sure you check out the YouTube audio preview. What an enjoyable, melodious excerpt! And don't forget to enter the Giveaway! <br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dragon</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By Karin Rita Gastreich</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Lori Fitzgerald invited me to visit her blog during this tour, I
knew at once that I wanted to write a post about Dragon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could be a better fit, given the recent
release of Lori’s romantic adventure, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Dragon’s Message</i>?</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dragons are extraordinarily versatile, given the fact that the basic
blue print of “fire-breathing flying serpent” rarely changes. We have Smaug of
Tolkien fame, the epitome of the greedy, destructive beast ready to wreak havoc
on the world. We find Smaug’s polar opposite in Draco from “Dragon’s Heart”,
who represents all that is honorable and true in humankind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wonderful Falcor, that fuzzy dragon from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Never Ending Story, </i>is one of my
personal favorites. Certainly, he’s the most huggable dragon on record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The variations on the dragon theme are endless, and I hope some of you
will share your favorite dragon examples in the comments. Today I want to tell
you a little bit about the role Dragon plays in Eolyn’s world.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the novel ‘Eolyn’, Dragon is not a biological or physical creature,
but rather a spiritual entity. </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the beginning of time, Dragon taught the legendary figures Aithne
and Caradoc the ways of High Magic. Also called “Messenger”, Dragon was sent by
the gods who supported Aithne and Caradoc’s search for cures and spells that
could contribute to the welfare of their people. </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many generations after appearing to Aithne and Caradoc, Dragon returned
in its true form to teach the first mage warrior Caedmon how to use magic during
the brutal struggle against the People of Thunder. This was a crucial turning
point in the history of Eolyn’s people. Until Dragon appeared to Caedmon, it
was forbidden to use magic to cause physical harm to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But through Dragon’s intervention, Caedmon
brought magic to the battlefield, turning the tide of a war that would
otherwise have ended in the annihilation of all practitioners.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In his campaign against the People of Thunder, Caedmon formed an
alliance with the warrior chief Vortingen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Following their victory in that long and terrible war, Dragon appeared
once more and granted Vortingen the crown of the Kingdom of Moisehén.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vortingen and all his descendants were
charged with protecting the mages and magas, and through them the traditions of
Aithne and Caradoc. </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although Dragon has appeared in its true form only a handful of times,
as a spiritual entity it can take on the shape of any living creature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, Dragon has walked the earth on
countless occasions. When Eolyn makes her pilgrimage into the forest to
petition for a staff of High Magic, her tutor Ghemena advises her to be
prepared for all possibilities when receiving a visit from Dragon. Dragon can
appear as something as innocuous as an ant, or as fearsome a bear.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No matter what form it chooses, Dragon reveals to the initiate what
elements are to be incorporated in his or her staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under the traditions of the Old Orders, it
was widely taught that Dragon appeared as a male to mage initiates and as a
female to maga initiates, although there were of course exceptions to this
rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Dragon does not appear during
the pilgrimage of the initiate, it is understood that the Gods for whatever
reason have judged High Magic to be an inappropriate burden for the petitioner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dragon is often referred to in Eolyn’s world as the Silver
Serpent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In its true form, Dragon’s
scales are iridescent and highly reflective; they can take on a variety of
colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nonetheless, artwork in Moisehén
portrays Dragon only in silver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sigil of the ruling House of Vortingen, for example, is a silver dragon against
a purple night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eolyn’s ally Corey of
East Selen wears a clasp on his cloak in the form of a silver Dragon. At a key
moment in their relationship, Prince Akmael gives Eolyn a silver bracelet with
images of the many forms in which Dragon has been known to appear: winged
serpent, snake, lion, butterfly, river otter, fish and many others. Each figure
on the bracelet blends into the next, creating a single creature as fantastic
as imagination itself.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the most beloved and feared entities of Eolyn’s world, Dragon is
the guardian of her people and the patron of all mages and magas. It is not a
wild creature that razes villages, nor is it a companion that can be flown into
battle. Rarely does Dragon appear in its true form, yet it constantly intervenes
in the lives of Eolyn’s people, in intimate and complex ways. Every time a
spell is invoked and the power of the gods is made manifest in Eolyn’s world,
Dragon is at work. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">EOLYN [audio edition]<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Karin Rita Gastreich
(author)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Darla Middlebrook
(narrator)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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Sole heiress to a forbidden craft, Eolyn lives in a world
where women of her kind are tortured and burned. When she meets Akmael,
destined to assume the throne of this violent realm, she embarks upon a path of
adventure, friendship, betrayal and war. Bound by magic, driven apart by
destiny, Eolyn and the Mage King confront each other in an epic struggle that will
determine the fate of a millennial tradition of magic.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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"Vigorously told deceptions and battle scenes will
satisfy fans of traditional epic fantasy, with a romantic thread." – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Publishers Weekly<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></i></div>
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“Magnificently written.” –<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kindle Book Review<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Link to YouTube
Preview: </b><a href="http://youtu.be/ymFTCvi8wew"><span style="color: blue;">http://youtu.be/ymFTCvi8wew</span></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
<strong>Purchase Link:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eolyn/dp/B00KROCQCY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405799455&sr=8-1&keywords=Eolyn+audio">http://www.amazon.com/Eolyn/dp/B00KROCQCY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405799455&sr=8-1&keywords=Eolyn+audio</a></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">About the Author</b></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iUjWn7v8mYk/U8qyh35-_PI/AAAAAAAAAaA/0kICB_6K_Hc/s1600/Karin+Rita+Gastreich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iUjWn7v8mYk/U8qyh35-_PI/AAAAAAAAAaA/0kICB_6K_Hc/s1600/Karin+Rita+Gastreich.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></div>
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KARIN RITA GASTREICH lives in Kansas City and Costa Rica. An
ecologist by trade, her past times include camping, hiking, music, and flamenco
dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karin's first fantasy novel,
EOLYN, was released by Hadley Rille Books in 2011. The companion novel, HIGH
MAGA, is also available from Hadley Rille Books. Karin’s short stories have
appeared in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zahir</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adventures for the Average Woman, 69 Flavors
of Paranoia, and A Visitor to Sandahl</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is a recipient of the Spring 2011 Andrews Forest Writer’s Residency.
Follow Karin’s adventures into fantastic worlds, both real and imagined, at <a href="http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com</span></a>
and at <a href="http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com</span></a>.
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author Web Links:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Blog for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eolyn</i>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
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Blog <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heroines of Fantasy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><a href="http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
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Facebook:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Eolyn/110814625640244"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Eolyn/110814625640244</span></a>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">About the Narrator</b></div>
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With experience of 34+ years as a Speech-Language
Pathologist, more than 20 years as a stage & film actor and over 20 years
as a trained singer with knowledge and insight into the mechanics of the voice
and speech, Darla Middlebrook brings a wealth of experience to bear to develop
character voices (male, female, mature, extremely elderly, creepy, bright
exotic, etc) with an impressive emotional range.</div>
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Currently, Darla is one of many voice actors who narrates
podcasts for AIRS-LA (an audio internet service for individuals with visual
challenges) in addition to narrating audio books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is able to produce retail quality audio
books from her home studio in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - Canada.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9280113/" id="rc-9280113" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-89264951614761265292014-07-03T12:18:00.003-07:002014-07-03T12:18:58.315-07:00Wisdom and Whimsy in A Wizard of Dreams by Robin Chambers <em></em><br />
Among my favorite books in my library are the tales that put a unique and often modern spin on the Arthurian legends, most notably Susan Cooper's<em> The Dark is Rising</em> series. Imagine my delight to find a new series from a fellow indie author and medievalist who crafts a tale about a special boy who is the "heir" of Merlin himself! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJHTCZoCYAU/U7Svwt9q2CI/AAAAAAAAAYw/XaL2w3PCeWg/s1600/MyrddinsHeir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJHTCZoCYAU/U7Svwt9q2CI/AAAAAAAAAYw/XaL2w3PCeWg/s1600/MyrddinsHeir.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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In <em>Myrddin's Heir, Book 1: A Wizard of Dreams</em><span style="color: black;"> we follow the tale of the early years of Gordon, a boy with extraordinary powers and a legendary destiny, on a journey of self-discovery through several fascinating adventures that had me eagerly turning the pages. From antics in school to a (quite literally) haunting family vacation in the British countryside, to Avalon itself where he meets Merlin and Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (to name but a few journeys!), this book weaves a magical, heartfelt tale with beautiful themes and life lessons, perfect for young readers as well as older and wiser ones.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-guKAfaUjDfE/U7TD21MvXwI/AAAAAAAAAY4/jkQHiUXjpgc/s1600/db41ebe97feacd4bc3bed1ffcb1901cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-guKAfaUjDfE/U7TD21MvXwI/AAAAAAAAAY4/jkQHiUXjpgc/s1600/db41ebe97feacd4bc3bed1ffcb1901cc.jpg" height="320" width="142" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Merlin takes Arthur to the safety of his foster home.</span></div>
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<em>A Wizard of Dreams</em> emphasizes the power and magic of our imaginations, as many of Gordon's adventures take place in a dream-state with his "imaginary" friend Zach. However, there is much more to Zach than meets the eye! Also, I especially appreciated the grandeur and spirit with which Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were portrayed as they answered Merlin's summons. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In many stories, such as T.H. White's <em>The Once and Future King</em>, Merlin was Arthur's teacher as well.</span></div>
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As a former teacher, I wish I had this book in my classroom years ago, for after each chapter is a list of themes, events, and <em>metaphors</em> to be discussed, and there is a wonderful glossary at the end with more information on each of these items. <span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">The author, Robin Chambers, a former teacher himself, infuses his book seamlessly with wisdom as well as historical and literary knowledge. I was overjoyed at the number of Shakespearean references hidden in the narrative! <em>"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."</em> (<em>Hamlet</em>) There is also a large section of plot in which Gordon faces and counteracts bullying with wit and aplomb (and "magic," of course). It is simply amazing how much whimsy and wisdom is packed into the pages of <em>A Wizard of Dreams</em>!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8MNFH-A4kAI/U7WoR2qMMfI/AAAAAAAAAZU/btps1zpe2fg/s1600/8f2c52c5e0bf37ac2f2fb9fd64abe03f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8MNFH-A4kAI/U7WoR2qMMfI/AAAAAAAAAZU/btps1zpe2fg/s1600/8f2c52c5e0bf37ac2f2fb9fd64abe03f.jpg" height="320" width="276" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Merlin the Enchanter by Howard Pyle</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">And yes, that is Robin himself on the cover, in costume when he performed a dramatic reading of <em>A Wizard of Dreams</em> for a classroom of schoolchildren. Isn't that fantastic? He has a mesmerizing voice, like a wizard himself, which you can hear at his website <a href="http://www.myrddinsheir.com/index.html" target="_blank">Myrddin's Heir.</a> His website is the treasure trove in Mabon's cairn <em>(read the book and you'll see!)</em> for teachers and students as well, for there are activities based on the books and a page where students can even submit their own writing! </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dU2-C0OfFVA/U7SvmaV4fNI/AAAAAAAAAYk/zo1SzM9vPqE/s1600/header+photo+Myrrdins+Heir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dU2-C0OfFVA/U7SvmaV4fNI/AAAAAAAAAYk/zo1SzM9vPqE/s1600/header+photo+Myrrdins+Heir.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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I am privileged to have gotten to know Robin through various email exchanges. He is truly a wise gentleman and a knowledgeable teacher and medievalist. I find his autobiography simply fascinating and inspiring, a testament to <strong>"trouthe,"</strong> the medieval word for integrity and seeking one's best self:<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><em>Once
upon a time –a long time ago – I was born in Bootle (Liverpool 20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a war on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, I wanted to follow in the footsteps of
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis but instead was plunged into the maelstrom of inner
city education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1970s I wrote
some stories for children to see if I could, and Penguin published them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I would write something <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">really</b> good when I retired from
teaching…<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><em>After
fourteen years of headship in Hackney I came back up north in 1993 and met my
wonderful wife Amy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We looked after my
increasingly ill parents full-time until they didn’t need us to do it anymore, by
which time the first of our two daughters was ready to go off to University and
on to the first rung of the housing ladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We did the sums and I went back to teaching…<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>In
2008 Amy and I set off for a life by the western shores of the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was only after I survived a murder attempt
by three local thugs in November 2010 (skull crushed in two places, seventeen
stitches in head wounds) that I realised how easy it is to die without
accomplishing a cherished ambition.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<em><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3fg4Q1CJl8/U7SvdfHt0HI/AAAAAAAAAYg/D-EG9RkT9aU/s1600/Author+Robin+Chambers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3fg4Q1CJl8/U7SvdfHt0HI/AAAAAAAAAYg/D-EG9RkT9aU/s1600/Author+Robin+Chambers.jpg" height="312" width="320" /></a></em></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><em>So
we came back to the UK and I set to work on “Myrddin’s Heir”: the epic story I
will leave behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took three years to
write the first four books - now in the Kindle Store at 99p each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Self-publishing means self-marketing, so here
I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Book 5 is just out…<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><em>This
is a story for bright children from 10–110 years of age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s longer than The L of the R, longer
even than HP &…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To finish it I need to live another 15
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d like to finish it, because I
know how it ends.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I want to know how it ends too! Which is why I am so thrilled there are other books in the series available so I can continue along this magical reading adventure. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Dreams-Myrddins-Heir-Book-ebook/dp/B00CKKHFCO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404412859&sr=1-1&keywords=myrddins+heir" target="_blank"><strong>Find A Wizard of Dreams at Amazon!</strong></a></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><o:p>Robin is definitely worth following on Twitter @myrddinsheir and on Facebook.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">For an extra treat, read what Robin Chambers has to say about the creation of Gordon's character in his imagination:</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Some ‘Inside
Story’ Facts about Gordon<o:p></o:p></em></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>He first came to me when he was 9½. I was
daydreaming in Belize; which was quite appropriate really: because Gordon is an
Aisling wizard...<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>If you haven't read Book 1 yet, it is likely that
you won't have come across the word 'aisling' or 'aislinn' before. <b>Dream</b>
is the nearest one-word in the language we now speak; but it falls short of all
that 'aisling' means.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>According to Gordon's sixteen greats grandmother,
"an Aisling wizard finds and tames wild things that wander through the
tangled world of dreams. He travels in the wonderland of wishing. He goes
wherever truth has found a cunning place to hide..."<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Of course, the same can be said of an Aisling
witch. You meet one of those towards the end of Book 1...<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Early one morning in the spring of 2010, I was out
walking my dogs - Bamford and Cookie - through the savannah woodland near our
house at 14½ Miles Western Highway (now renamed George Price Highway) when I
came across Gordon and his alter-ego Zack engaged in earnest conversation.
Gordon had just asked Zack an important question:<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>"Where did I come from?"<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>He seemed to take it for granted that Zack would
know. I got the impression that Zack knew things like that; but I was amazed
when he casually let slip the fact that he'd been with Will when he wrote those
astounding plays and poems around 400 years ago. Obviously he meant
Shakespeare: he'd just quoted him...<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>The dogs had gone haring off after an agouti (which
is a kind of Belizean jack-rabbit), so while I waited for them to charge back
and find me I tuned in to the rest of what Gordon and Zack were saying; and I
realised a number of things:<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Zack could not be "human" in the normally
accepted sense: because human beings live for a finite amount of what we
casually refer to as "time". I didn't think Zack could have been
around for ALL of it (common sense told me he couldn't be 13.75 (to the nearest
0.11) billion years old); but could he have been around when language
was evolving among the apes we used to be? Might he in fact have had a part to
play, even then, in the honing of that immensely powerful tool we casually
refer to as "language"? <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Was he bound up in those beginnings? Was he was
some sort of manifestation of genius...?<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>He'd been with Gordon from Gordon's beginning (at
any rate on this planet) - as you will know if you have read the opening
chapter of this very long story; and that had to mean that Gordon was no
ordinary boy.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>I left them talking in the woods, and turned for
home with my alert, panting dogs. We were all looking forward to breakfast. It
had been an intriguing, apparently chance encounter, but nothing more than
that...<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>However, that remarkable boy - whose name, I now
know, is Gordon Bennett - began to turn up more and more regularly: sometimes
during the day when I was out walking, or letting my senses drift for a while
just after lunch. Quite often, in the middle of the night, I would wake to find
him wandering through my wonderland of wishing. He was looking for truth, I
suppose, which often finds a cunning place to hide...<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Zack was always with him: which was how I first
found out that Zack could bend time. On one occasion I found myself watching
Gordon's teddy doing the can-can when he was only five months old. He'd just
amazed his mother with his first three words: MA-MA, DA-DA and ZACK...<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>I wasn't completely surprised when at the age of 2½
he told his mum he wanted to be a palaeontologist. My grandson had told me the
exact same thing when he was that age. He had also corrected my
pronunciation of the word <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">diplodocus</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"A lot of older people say diploDOCus,
Grandad, but it's pronounced dipLODocus nowadays."<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>(He's at Imperial College London at the moment,
reading Theoretical Physics, and has assured me that it won't stop him writing
his first novel. But that's another story...)<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>I am pleased that Gordon is good at dealing with
bullies, because I wasn't good at dealing with them when I was at Gray Street
Primary School in Bootle, or at first even at Bootle Grammar School for Boys (I
got better at it after my dad took me to Boxing Club…). <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>I admire Gordon's love of learning and the wide
open windows in his mind. I thoroughly approve of his positive mental attitude.
His mother told me he'd never been bored, and she was sure he never would be.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>But things got really serious when I heard Myrddin
(English people know him as Merlin) tell Gordon that he was his heir, and that
he had been born to make the world a better place. That was when I began to
think that maybe I too had been chosen: to tell Gordon's story to the world. <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Maybe telling his story was somehow part of the
overarching plan - to make the world a better place? - because if the world IS
to be made a better place, it has to know how, and why.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Here's a bit of good news about all the problems
that stand in our way. <b>They're all man-made.</b> That's a sexist remark, and
I stand by it.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>Of course: you don't make the world a better place
in a week. Rome wasn't built in a day. It takes me a day, when I even it out,
to write a thousand fairly careful words... <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>The things that Gordon's already done (worth
telling you about) have filled four books, and I'm only two days past his
twelfth birthday. I suspect the things he has yet to do will fill a fair few
more...<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><em>I fear for him sometimes; but I know he is never
alone... <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-77541936150543921942014-06-16T06:25:00.000-07:002014-06-16T06:25:11.558-07:00Guest Post: Medievalist and Author William Hahn and Games of Chance<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Huzzah! I'm honored to have fellow medievalist William Hahn on my blog today to discuss one of his main characters in his new release, <em>Judgement's Tale I: Games of Chance</em>. Prince Gareth may well come to be one of my favorite characters in the series, as he already has bonus points for a namesake in one of the Knights of the Round Table! I am so impressed with the detail and scope that Will has created in his world The Lands of Hope, and I'm positive you will be too. </strong></div>
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<strong>Make sure you check out the link to the Gareth excerpt below. Will is a regular blogger on the Independent Bookworm, and his creativity and witty personality make his posts a blast to read. Also check out the book trailer and Will's Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes and Nobles links. And don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">I’m delighted at the chance to address Lori’s audience on a
theme that I think rings well with the tone of her writing. I also studied the
Middle Ages in school and came to love the period. Sure enough, in my upcoming
novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Judgement’s Tale</i> there is a
predominantly medieval culture and technology, with some variations. In the
excerpt I’m linking to here, the reader gets a first glimpse of a very Arthurian-style
kingdom named Shilar, and the major character of Prince Gareth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">Shilar is named for one of the heroes of the elder days of
The Lands of Hope, and the nation is situated the furthest east of the kingdoms
(see the map), closest to the last place where the armies of Despair threatened
the Lands nearly two thousand years ago. Taking up the challenge to keep watch
over the mountains known as the Swords of Stone and guard against the return of
evil, the knights of Shilar prize their honor and duties very seriously, with a
rather complex code of chivalry closely resembling those which evolved here in
the Alleged Real World. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">All well and good, but it’s been twenty centuries since
there was anything for these brave fellows to actually do. And just as they say
in Community Theater, “the passions run so high because the stakes are so small”.
The closest thing to an enemy the knights of Shilar have is the nomadic tribe
of Bordbeyonds that live even further east of their kingdom, across the great
River Sweeping and practically in the shadow of the Swords of Stone. These
half-elves too have sworn to keep watch, but are not nearly as advanced or
settled as the humans in Shilar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">With that backdrop we see in this excerpt the first public
appearance of the character Gareth, and I hope you enjoy it. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Judgement’s Tale Part One: Games of Chance</i>
will be available July 4<sup>th</sup> 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">As we say in The Lands, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ar
Aralte!</i> (Hope Forever)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://independentbookworm.com/games-of-chance-gareth/"><span style="font-family: "Rockwell","serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Link
to the Gareth Excerpt</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Rockwell","serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">Judgement’s
Tale Part One: Games of Chance<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">For twenty centuries the Lands of Hope prospered from their
Heroes’ peace, but suffer now from their absence as a curse thickens over the
central kingdom known as the Percentalion. An immortal omniscient conspirator schemes
to escape the extra-worldly prison restraining his tide of undeath, using a
demonic ally in a plot to bring back hell on earth. Solemn Judgement steps onto
these Lands both a stranger and an orphan, driven to complete the lore his
father died to give him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;">In a world beset with increasing chaos, the bravest Children
of Hope must take mortal risks. A young woodsman’s spear-cast, a desperate bid
to save his comrades; the Healers Guildmistress’ cheery smile, hiding a grim
secret and a heavy burden of guilt; the prince of Shilar’s speech in a foreign
tongue, a gambit to avoid bloodshed or even war. As a new generation of heroes,
scattered across the kingdoms, bets their lives and more, Solemn Judgement-
soon to be known as The Man in Grey- must learn to play… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Games of Chance:</i> Part One of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Judgement’s
Tale</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Wm. L. Hahn Bio<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MRqENTt9keA/U55P0EJFa9I/AAAAAAAAAX4/op7xUgm3l0g/s1600/Will+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MRqENTt9keA/U55P0EJFa9I/AAAAAAAAAX4/op7xUgm3l0g/s1600/Will+3.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></div>
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</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<em>*Hmm, what happened to the picture with all the medieval weaponry, Will? </em></div>
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<em>Didn't want to scare 'em too soon?*</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Will
Hahn has been in love with heroic tales since age four, when his father read
him the Lays of Ancient Rome and the Tales of King Arthur. He taught
Ancient-Medieval History for years, but the line between this world and others
has always been thin; the far reaches of fantasy, like the distant past, still
bring him face to face with people like us, who have choices to make.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Will
didn't always make the right choices when he was young. Any stick or vaguely-sticklike
object became a sword in his hands, to the great dismay of his five sisters.
Everyone survived, in part by virtue of a rule forbidding him from handling
umbrellas, ski poles, curtain rods and more.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Will has
written about the Lands of Hope since his college days (which by now are also
part of ancient history). With the publication of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Judgement’s Tale Part One, Games of Chance</i>, he begins at last to
tell the tale of the Land’s most unique hero, The Man in Grey.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><u><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">CONTACT
LINKS<o:p></o:p></span></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Will
Hahn is the chronicler of the <b>Lands of Hope</b> tales.<br />
</span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/226745"><i><span style="color: blue;">The</span></i></a><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"> </span></em><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/226745"><i><span style="color: blue;">Plane of Dreams</span></i></a><span style="color: black;">- </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mECMipJxYtE&feature=plcp" target="_blank"><strong><i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">See the trailer!</span></i></strong></a><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/67461"><i><span style="color: blue;">The Ring and the
Flag</span></i></a><span style="color: black;">- </span><a href="https://www.scribl.com/books/E4ZHZ/the-ring-and-the-flag"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c13fbb;">Try the Audio
Book at Scribl!</span></i></a><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79733"><i><span style="color: blue;">Fencing
Reputation</span></i></a><span style="color: black;">- <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69309"><i><span style="color: blue;">Three Minutes to Midnight</span></i></a><span style="color: black;">- <br />
</span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/267189"><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Book of Tales</span></em></a><u><span style="color: black;">- <o:p></o:p></span></u></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/WillHahn"><span style="color: blue;">Will Hahn at
Smashwords</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Will-Hahn/e/B0057RBIO8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1345657829&sr=1-2-ent"><span style="color: blue;">Will’s
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/wm.-l.-hahn"><span style="color: blue;">Will’s B&N Page</span></a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://independentbookworm.com/category/authors-will-hahn/"><span style="color: blue;">Will's
Blog Thoughts</span></a><span style="color: black;">- Including tales of a happy
childhood (which continues), hopes for a writer's journey, and analysis of
Classics You've Never Read<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Rafflecopter
of the Lands Contest<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Enter to win free Tales of Hope here!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/688b2410/" id="rc-688b2410" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-35504259780842273752014-06-05T11:01:00.001-07:002014-06-05T19:22:08.547-07:00Calling All Readers to Battle! COVER WARS! Join the Dragon Army!<div style="text-align: center;">
Everyone wants a dragon on their side, right? What better way to win a battle, find treasure, or ensure a dashing knight falls in love with you, as Sir Gwydion fell for Rhiannon in <em>The Dragon's Message</em>? Dragons bring magic and majesty to a fantasy world. I've never grown tired of them, for each author breathes fiery (or icy, or electric) life into their own unique creatures. </div>
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One of my all-time favorite series, the one that I lived and breathed in high school, was the <em>Dragonlance</em> books.</div>
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It sparked my love of dragons, and I'll never forget the scene in <em>Dragons of Winter Night</em> when the companions come upon this in Ice Wall Castle while they are searching for a magical Dragon Orb:<br />
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<em>"It was during their search that they came upon a startling sight - a huge dragon, over forty feet long, its skin a shimmering silver, completely encased in a wall of ice. The dragon's wings were spread, poised for flight. The dragon's expression was fierce, but the head was noble, and he did not inspire them with the fear and loathing they remembered experiencing around the red dragons. Instead, they felt a great, overwhelming sorrow for this magnificent creature." </em><br />
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A knight's corpse is sitting atop the dragon, holding a broken lance. One of the elves magically melts the ice and tries to pry the lance from the frozen rider, but it will not release. But when Sturm Brightblade, who lives by the knightly code, takes the lance, it seems as if the corpse relaxes and <em>gives it to him</em>. This, of course, is a remnant of the fabled dragonlance, and finding it will eventually turn the tide of the upcoming battles against the evil Dragon Highlords. <br />
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So you can see how dragons have always called to me. When I wanted to publish <em>The Dragon's Message</em>, I knew I needed a cover that portrayed the magic and majesty of these fantastical creatures. I turned to the extremely talented <a href="http://www.najlaqamberdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Najla Qamber Designs</a> to put the vibrancy and power of my dragons and their medieval world into pictures...<br />
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<em>Behold! Rhiannon, the Dragon Tome, Caer Idris, and one of her dragons with its ember breath.</em></div>
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<em> I think Najla nailed it, don't you?</em></div>
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Now, Rhiannon and Sir Gwydion are calling all their liege readers to battle! <em>The Dragon's Message</em> is entered into <strong>The Masquerade Crew's June COVER WARS</strong>! It's a contest for readers' favorite covers, and I must say there are some great covers this month. But I think with the support of her readers and dragons, Rhiannon has an excellent chance at winning! If you like <em>The Dragon's Message</em> cover and love dragons, then check out the link below and support your local dragons by voting for <em><strong>THE DRAGON'S MESSAGE.</strong></em></div>
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<a href="http://masqueradecrew.blogspot.com/2014/06/vote-for-your-favorite-10-book-covers.html" target="_blank">VOTE FOR <em>THE DRAGON'S MESSAGE</em> IN THE COVER WARS HERE!</a></div>
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And after you vote, head on over to my Author Facebook Page (you can like it here: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/whiteravenwriting" target="_blank">White Raven Writing</a>) and find <strong>The Dragon Army post.</strong> In the comments tell me you voted and you will be entered to win something dragon-ish (to be revealed...I have "crafty" connections) at the end of June.</div>
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You can also tweet this blog post and tag me in it @MedievalLit for an entry as well. </div>
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<strong>Each time you vote and tell me on Facebook or tweet about it (make sure you tag me) will be another entry!</strong> <strong>You can vote and enter my giveaway EVERY DAY! More chances for you AND the cover to win! Huzzah!</strong></div>
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And Rhiannon and Sir Gwydion promise an epic medieval celebration<br />
if <em>The Dragon's Message</em> WINS the COVER WARS!'</div>
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<strong>Knights and Dragons (and READERS) to the Battlefield!</strong> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*All Images from Pinterest. If an image is yours and you do not want it to be used, contact me and I will take it down.*</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-70646284482536399082014-05-10T19:28:00.000-07:002014-05-10T19:28:48.650-07:00Flash Fiction for Mother's Day: Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Her daughter’s birth was the turning point in the English teacher’s life story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nestled with soft terrycloth-clad baby weight in the glider, she knew the life in the child’s veins was her own A- blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An adopted child herself, the new mother finally had a wonderful gift, one she had longed for from childhood: the ability to see pieces of herself in another person. What could this former English teacher give her now, as a new mother, to show the child how enveloped her soul was with love for her?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">She read her stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First board books with colors and shapes, then little stories with bunnies and moons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told her stories, sweet ones like when she first opened her eyes in the hospital and funny ones like when she yelled her brother’s name so close to her mother’s pregnant belly that the baby kicked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The child would giggle, “Tell me again about me.” And again. And again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">She started school, and every night she would beg her mother to read to her in bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The child’s hair grew longer, straighter, as did her legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her eyes turned a strange greenish-bluish-gray to match her mother’s. They read longer books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, the words unlocked for the child, and she could read: chapter books, paperbacks that her mother catches herself reading when the girl is at school, books about fairies and magic tree houses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now she is seven, and she reads herself to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She only needs her mother to put out the light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One night the child came downstairs waving a novel about a kid’s diary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mom, this is sooooo funny! Please, please, please, come to my room so I can read it to you!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And that was the best gift that a former English teacher mom could ever have.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>Author’s Note: This flash was originally written for the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop section. The prompt was "Stories" and the instructions were to write "a tale of tales."</em></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Images from Pinterest*</span></em></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-11697030849562634502014-05-08T18:40:00.000-07:002014-05-08T18:40:47.694-07:00Union of Renegades Book Blast: Indie Fantasy for People Who Don’t Do What They’re Told<br />
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<o:p><strong>Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Get Thee to the Book Blast!</strong></o:p></div>
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<o:p><strong>Fantasy Author Tracy Falbe </strong>is offering a wonderful chance to pick up some adventurous reads for FREE!</o:p></div>
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I've read Tracy Falbe's new release, <em>Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale</em>. Set in 1561 Bohemia, it's a historical paranormal romance of humanity shaking off obedience. It's crafted with a vivid historical setting and great attention to detail. Read on for a taste of Tracy's other worlds...<span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><br />
<st1:place w:st="on">Union</st1:place> of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I is a free fantasy ebook worldwide. This week fantasy fans can sign up to receive a coupon to get The Goddess Queen: The Rys Chronicles Book II ebook for free. See details below. <br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">About <st1:place w:st="on">Union</st1:place> of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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The epic begins as Dreibrand Veta and the conquering Horde
of the Atrophane Empire reach a mythic Wilderness that beckons with a magical
call to glory. But Onja, Queen of the rys, a race far more powerful than the
greatest human state, guards this land. She has the power to imprison souls and
her genocidal rage is legendary. Everything is at risk for her desperate
enemies, the union of renegades.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Meet the Players –
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Renegades by Tracy Falbe<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dreibrand Veta</b> is
in his early 20s when the saga begins. He’s been fighting with the conquering
horde of the Atrophane Empire for two years. He is a character born of my
disgust with following rules and not getting what you want. He’s an ambitious
person but he’s done some things he’s not proud of. When he finds out he’s not
going to earn what he expects for his efforts, he makes a decision that will
change his life and ultimately influence the history of his world. </div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Miranda</b>
represents a woman at the bottom deciding she’s not going to take it anymore.
When I developed the heroine for Union of Renegades I very much did not want
her to be an innocent young female. She came from the place inside me that
weeps for the suffering and oppression faced by so many women in the world.
When the story opens she is kept as a slave by an abusive master. She’s also
the mother of two young children. Although she is a compassionate person there
is an edge inside her sharpened by hard use. </div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shan</b> is a rys
with immense magical powers. All rys possess magic but the elite among them are
capable of battle magic, mind reading, healing, and even enslaving the souls of
the dying. Shan is a young rys who wants to overthrow Onja who rules their race
and the humans of the western tribal kingdoms. He abhors her wicked tyranny but
to challenge her he must use his magic to kill, something his good heart has
never allowed him to do before. </div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Onja</b> is the Queen
of the rys and the Goddess of the people. She has ruled for over two thousand
years. Her character represents the status quo, the all-powerful always-been.
She believes she has the right to rule because she made the world as it is.
During her long reign she closed off her realm from the east with a haunted
wilderness, but when a curious whim prompts her to let people through
everything will change. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You can download this
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to get The
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Read 3 Chapters Right
Now</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b> </div>
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</div>
<o:p></o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
http://www.slideshare.net/Braveluck/union-of-renegades-fantasy-book-3</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="511" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/34046014" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="479"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Braveluck/union-of-renegades-fantasy-book-3" target="_blank" title="Fantasy Book Union of Renegades 3-Chapter Preview">Fantasy Book Union of Renegades 3-Chapter Preview</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Braveluck" target="_blank">Tracy Falbe</a></strong><strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Braveluck" target="_blank"> </a></strong><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-29136606338568132322014-04-08T05:43:00.000-07:002014-04-08T05:56:20.365-07:00The Dragon's Message Ebook Release<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Hear Ye! Hear Ye!</span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="null"><span style="color: #3e454c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><em><strong>A dragon writes a
cryptic message with its ember breath in the evening sky...</strong> <o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
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<em><strong>
</strong></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OnefddodPAU/Uzmv2oEROtI/AAAAAAAAAOo/nnmiE2NiVrQ/s1600/TheDragon'sMessage.v2WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OnefddodPAU/Uzmv2oEROtI/AAAAAAAAAOo/nnmiE2NiVrQ/s1600/TheDragon'sMessage.v2WEB.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="null"><span style="color: #3e454c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><em><strong>Lady Rhiannon watches
from the turret wall with an ache in her blood. She's the only person who can
decipher the message as the sole keeper of the Dragon Tome. When an old enemy
threatens the castle, her father charges his knight with escorting her to a
safe haven—the same knight Rhiannon had a crush on as a girl. But she must now
convince him to change his plans, for she has her own sacred charge to
fulfill...<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></span></div>
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<em><strong>
</strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span class="null"><span style="color: #3e454c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">So begins a journey
to hidden ruins where magic slumbers in the stones and love lies in the heart,
waiting to awaken. As Rhiannon and the knight face seemingly insurmountable
odds, only the dragon knows if they can fulfill their destiny...</span></span></strong></em></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>The Dragon's Message</em> is available now on </span></strong>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragons-Message-Dragon-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00J5343FG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396289977&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Dragons+Message" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle</span></strong></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dragons-message-lori-fitzgerald/1118974725?ean=2940149166763" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Barnes & Noble Nook</span></strong></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Enjoy an exclusive excerpt:</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><strong>When
Rhiannon was small and had just learned to read, her mother brought her into
the hall one day when her father was on campaign, and led her to the large
table upon which a great map of their lands lay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She instructed Rhiannon to read the words of
the landmarks: castle, road, mountain, forest, village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The young girl touched words inscribed over a
place where trees met craggy peaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“What does that say, my love?” her mother prompted.<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
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</strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><strong><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Here be dragons,” Rhiannon answered,
glancing up at her mother.<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
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</strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><strong><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Her mother nodded, smiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knelt down in front of Rhiannon so they
were at the same height.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lady’s
hazel eyes sparkled as she whispered, “I have a secret to share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I can only share it with a little girl
with red and gold hair,” she pulled playfully on Rhiannon’s braid,” who knows
how to read.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rhiannon giggled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Are you a little girl such as this?”
Rhiannon nodded eagerly, and her mother laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She stood up and gestured at a tapestry on
the wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Come, child, the dragon
guards our treasure.”<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
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</strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><strong><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hand in hand they walked to the tapestry of
the sleeping dragon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Your great-great
grandmother wove this tapestry when she was an old woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took her a long time to complete, with her
hands gnarled so, like the twisted oak by the drawbridge.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dragon was curled up in front of a
turret, with stone dolmens in a semi-circle behind it, interspersed with trees
and a mountain peak in the background and bright blue sky above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dragon’s scales were crimson and woven
through with glittering gold thread, and its curved horns and talons were
gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they paused in front of the
large tapestry, Rhiannon looked closely at the eyes of the dragon; she thought
perhaps she could see a slit of gold, as if the dragon were only pretending to
be asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
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</strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><strong><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rhiannon’s mother stood on tiptoe and moved
part of the tapestry to the side, revealing a slit in the stone wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With her free hand she reached in and drew
out a large leather-bound tome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
motioned her daughter to come sit with her on one of the benches that lined the
walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Look and listen well, my daughter,”
she said, and ran her fingers along the smooth cover, “this book is our special
treasure, and it contains many secrets within its pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to teach you how to read them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She opened the book as Rhiannon snuggled
closer to her, her mother’s loose red-gold hair falling over the girl’s shoulder
and brushing the crinkly parchment pages of the book which she turned until she
came to the picture of a girl.<o:p></o:p></strong></em></span></div>
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<em><strong>
</strong></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><strong><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The first secret is a story…”</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"></span><strong>Huzzah! Praise for <em>The Dragon's Message</em>:</strong></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
"It is a beautifully imagined tale, perfect for curling up under the covers with for an hour or so and falling under the dragon's spell."<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <em>~Christine</em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Fitzgerald's writing style is poetic and rife with compelling descriptions of medievalesque life that make her novella a true cut above the usual fantasy fare." <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">~Angel Wing Buyer</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"It is romantic, inspiring, and quite the surprise at its satisfying end." <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">~Augusta McCrae</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em></span> </div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Enter the world of the Dragon Tome and discover its secrets!</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em></strong><br />
</div>
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<o:p><em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~Cover design by <a href="http://www.najlaqamberdesigns.com/index.html" target="_blank">Najla Qamber Designs</a>~</span></em></o:p></div>
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<o:p><em><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"></span></em></o:p> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>
</em>*"The Dragon's Message" was originally published in Mystic Signals Magazine Issue 19 August 2013*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <em> </em></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258048763220779074.post-88544489430159466702014-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:002014-04-03T09:59:49.720-07:00Once Upon A Fan - Magic is Here! <strong><em>A TV show changed my life.</em></strong> <br />
That must sound so weird, so shallow, to people who don't understand. But if you are a Oncer, you more than understand. You feel it too, deep within you. That profound effect that usually only people or life events (or in my case, as an English Major, books) can have in altering your perception of yourself and/or the universe. It causes you to act differently, to take the road less traveled. Yeah, a TV show did that.<br />
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Before October 2011 I would have scoffed at the idea of a TV show having that much impact on me. I was never a big TV watcher. Oh, over the years I had my shows that I followed, like <em>Buffy</em> and <em>X-files</em>, but I was never as invested in them as I was in my favorite book series, never as touched emotionally or intellectually by them as I was by my well-worn <em>Wuthering Heights, Le Morte Darthur</em>, or my collections of T.S. Eliot or the Bard himself. But the minute the opening scene of <em>Once Upon a Time</em>'s pilot unfolded before my eyes, I was enthralled. <br />
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By the end of the episode, and increasingly with each episode thereafter, I was hooked through the heart by the characters, the intriguing plot, and the timeless resonance of the literary themes of hope, true love, and redemption. <br />
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As with many of us, "Skin Deep" in Season 1 was a real turning point for me. Rumple shattered the glass cabinet in rage and desperation on the screen, and something shattered within me. <br />
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This TV show was no longer just entertainment; it became something deeper than that. It was a book for me, a literary expression that I could not get out of my head, and I became desperate to find people who understood exactly how I felt, desperate for an outlet to talk about the show with the passion that I felt for it and the literary analysis it inspired in me.<br />
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<em><strong>"We will always find each other."</strong></em> <br />
I found Once Upon a Fan. There were other sites as I surfed around the web, but this one had the upfront news I craved, the passion and creativity and humor in the pictures and the fanfiction that kept me coming back for more each day. And, best of all, it had people who were in love with the show, as I was (and still am). I think joining Once Upon a Fan on the website, Facebook, and Twitter is when I truly became a Oncer, a part of a real, vital fan community.<br />
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<em><strong>"With one breath, with one flow/ You will know/ Synchronicity."</strong></em> <strong>The Police</strong><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hb_XrdX-SsI/Us4QpmXzmAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/3a0_rEWQz9s/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hb_XrdX-SsI/Us4QpmXzmAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/3a0_rEWQz9s/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>It happened fast, the changes. I posted comments on Facebook, Twitter, and the website, interacting with other Oncers and forming friendships. One of the first cast interviews was with Lee Arenberg, and I remember tweeting him and Diane Reed, the interviewer, about how impressed I was with the quality of the interview. <em>And they both answered me! </em>I learned that Diane was a published author, and she encouraged me to re-kindle the spark of creative fire that watching <em>Once</em> and reading the fanfiction had brought out in me, and I began to write my own stories again. Chris and Teresa, Oncers who began by writing fan-fiction and became staff members, also became my beta editors for my own work. And I was inspired to write my first Origins articles, after which Gareth (site founder and our fearless leader) asked me, to my utter delight, to become a Staff Writer for the fansite. To top it all off, my own novelette was published, which was an old dream come true. What a whirlwind! I made so many new, lovely, creative friends, became a published author and OUAF Staff Writer, and had the opportunity to go to Enchantacon at the Doubletree Hilton in Orlando and meet these Oncers and some of the cast (like the gracious Raphael Sbarge), as well as to be our fan panel moderator. <em>Once Upon a Time</em> was the crucible for all these wonderful, life-changing events, but really it was the fandom and Once Upon a Fan that inspired me even further, to take what the show was offering me and act upon my creativity. I believe that everything happens for a reason: it was truly synchronicity for me, a magical chain of events that helped me to further realize my best self, my true self, as a writer again. <br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The Dragon's Message" as it originally appeared in Mystic Signals Magazine</span></em></div>
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<strong><em>Magic is Here!</em></strong><br />
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One hundred and forty characters is simply not enough to explain why I nominate Once Upon a Fan for a Shorty Award in the #fansite category (obviously...hence this blog post). But I bet that I'm not the only one who has been affected in a positive, life-changing way by the fandom in general and Once Upon a Fan in particular. I cannot tell you enough how much I adore and admire the fansite for its dedication, its positive attitude, its enthusiasm, humor, and constant evolution. I am proud and so eternally grateful to be a staff member, for the opportunity not only to be a part of this Oncer family and the wonderful charitable works they do, but to have an outlet to express my literary-minded thoughts on the show. And, of course, to have a safe, non-judgmental place to fangirl. A lot. <br />
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<strong><em> </em></strong><br />
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<strong>*This post was originally published for the Shorty Awards*</strong></div>
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"We will always find each other."</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588825169412863892noreply@blogger.com2