Tales Touched by Magick

EONS BOOK GALLERY's Interactive Author Chat

2008-09-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Next weekend, October 4th and 5th, EONS BOOK GALLERY will be hosting 30+ EONS authors for a day of interaction with interested readers. Planned by the book club administrator, Daffodil56, and backed by the crew at EONS, this promises to be a spectacular EONS weekend event.

Between now and the actual event, interested readers can drop by EONS BOOK GALLERY and read free excerpts posted by many of the authors.

Please drop by, preview the books and, if you've got the time, plan on attending an interactive chat session with your favorite EONS authors.

I will be hosted 'live' on Sunday, October 5th from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Pacific Time (2-5 PM Eastern Time) to chat about my Ancient Mirrors series as well as answer questions about writing for publication, the publishing and publicity experience, and book marketing.

You can read all the Ancient Mirrors book excerpts HERE. ]

If you're in the mood, come see me! I love to chat with you, and *grin* you are definitely all invited.

Until then, beoð ge gesunde,

Jayel

Smooth Moves: Tips for Interview Success

2008-09-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Did you finally land the interview you've been waiting for all your life? You think you're ready for your big day, but now that it's almost here, your nerves are getting the best of you? There's no way you'll be able to rock it as well as you always dreamed you would, right? WRONG! You can do it, by applying some tried and true dating tips to your interview preparation.

1. Be confident. In your head, you can be super distracted by everything from the bright lights, to the cute cameraman, to a little dust ball in the corner. But don't let it show. Take deep breaths, and focus on what your interviewer is saying so that you can give an intelligent response. Sure, maybe you could mess up and do something embarrassing that the audience will think is cute, but the likelihood of that happening is incredibly small. It's best to be sure of yourself, and they will remember and like you for what you said and how well you carried yourself.

2. Have a plan. You need to practice for this interview as much as possible. Have a friend (or your publicist) stage interviews with you. Make sure they ask you all the obvious questions, as well as the most off-the-wall questions they can think of. The more you practice, the more prepared you will be when the big day comes. And if the interviewer steers the topic away from something you want to talk about, it's okay to take control. But it's essential that you are comfortable in the situation before you will be able to do that.

3. Dress to impress. You want to look like the best version of yourself. Keep your style, but make sure it's television appropriate and dressy enough for the interview setting. Some things you want to avoid for television interviews are whites and crazy patterns. And while your audience may not see you on a radio interview, you still need to dress well enough so that your interviewer doesn't think you're being disrespectful. When in doubt, it is better to be overdressed than underdressed.

4. Have good hygiene. Even if your audience won't be able to smell you, they will be able to tell if you haven't taken a shower in a week. So clean up! Don't overdo it, though, because besides running the risk of looking goofy to everyone watching, if you put gel in your hair for the first time in your life right before your interview, it will make you really self-conscious and less confident.

5. Be creative. Do not try to impress your audience by spouting off factual information that even your mother doesn't want to hear. Instead, be resourceful. If you're interviewing about your new fitness book, take some equipment with you and teach the audience some moves. If your book is about dating, get a volunteer from the audience and practice some scenarios. Don't just stand there expecting the perfect interview to fall into your lap. Show you've put some thought into it, and if a chance for improving some creativity comes up in the middle of the interview, take it!

6. Be interested. If you sit there waiting for your interviewer to ask you the right question and twiddle your thumbs with boredom until that happens, you are really going to turn off the audience's interest in your book. It's crucial that you engage in an interesting conversation with your interviewer. Really listen to what he or she says to you, and give thoughtful responses that captivate your audience. Eventually, you will be asked the questions you've been waiting to be asked.

7. Show your interviewer chivalry is not dead. When you do your pre-interview, open doors, pull out chairs and act polite. If he or she likes you, it will really show in the interview, and the audience will like you too.

8. Call the interviewer. If the interview goes well, by the time it's over you and the interviewer will be more like old friends. So give them a friendly follow-up call to ask how they're doing, and ask about any responses the station may have gotten from viewers about your interview. This will keep the relationship strong between you and the station, so when your next book comes out, hopefully they will invite you back.

More Magick from Mates Laurentiu

2008-09-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

Whenever I begin a new writing project, I commission a series of character portraits which grace my office walls and provide stern daily reminders that writing comes before video gaming. Mates Laurentiu is creating a series of portraits for my current WIP. So, from the wordsmithing of my pen - 'er keyboard - via Mates' magickal palette, here they come:

The first is the centagenarian wizard, Uallas, who I mentioned in an earlier contest post.

The second, the young mystic, Corregan Barrow.

Join Me at Sci-Fi Talk

2008-09-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Tony Tellado, who has been interviewing scifi and fantasy movie producers, directors, composers, stars, artists, novelists, and anyone else involved in the scifi/fantasy business for years, has just created a new community for SciFi Talk. It's a great place to get all of the up to date news, listen to great interviews, watch the latest movie, television and book trailers, or just hang out with fans and folks in the fantasy and scifi business. Come on over, set up a profile page, you'll love it!

View my page on Sci-Fi Talk

Winners Announced, New Contest Posted

2008-09-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

2008/2009 Fall and Winter Event Schedule:

2008-09-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

September 13, 2008 (1:00 - 3:00 P.M.)
Help Make Hunger a Fantasy

Books by the Bay
1875 Sherman Ave
North Bend, OR 97459
541-756-1215

Join Jayel for this exciting 'Hungry Minds' food drive event. Bring your non-perishable food donations, hear author readings and discuss how we can make hunger a fantasy. All Jayel Gibson title book sale proceeds will be donated to the South Coast Food Share Program.

For more information contact: Trish - 541-756-1215

* * *

September 27,October 25, 2008 (9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.)
Writer's Workshops - Southwestern Oregon Community College

Have an idea for a novel or a collection of stories for an anthology? Go from brainstorm to book in this non-genre specific five part, thirty hour workshop series. Based on current fiction trends and designed to walk writers through the process of novel creation, this series of workshops taught by award winning author Jayel Gibson is just right for the budding writer. From the initial story idea and character development to writing publisher queries and planning publicity and marketing strategies, these workshops will help you set your story free.

For registration information contact:
Southwestern Oregon Community College, Gold Beach, OR

* * *

November 8 - 9, 2008
Wordstock at the Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.

...offering readings from some of the finest authors in the country, a two day book fair with hundreds of exhibitors and authors, workshops, writing contests, a full slate of children's activities and more!

For ticket information visit: Wordstock Book Festival Online

* * *

November 21 - 23, 2008
OryCon 30 at the Marriott Waterfront in Portland, Oregon

Oregon's premier science fiction convention!

For ticket information visit: OryCon 30 Online

* * *

February 13-14, 2009
South Coast Writers Conference
Gold Beach, Oregon

Feb. 13th: Six hour writer's workshop (Topic TBA)
Feb. 14th: Two 90 minute writer's workshops (Topics TBA)

For additional information contact: Janet Pretti at South Coast Writers Conference

QUONDAM Giveaway at Puss Reboots

2008-08-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

This month's contest (ends Sept. 7th) at Puss Reboots features Quondam. It's an easy one to enter, just post a comment and recommend your favorite fantasy book or movie.

Win a copy of Quondam at Puss Reboots.

Congratulations July Art Print Winners!

2008-08-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Five winners were chosen from 137 entries using a number assigned to each email address. Numbers were created and winners selected by the random integer generator provided by random.org.

A full color, matted, ready to frame print of Ever’neath characters ‘Mora and Enoch Che’ will be shipping upon receipt of mailing addresses.

This depiction of characters from my upcoming Ever’neath series was created by fantasy artist Mates Laurentiu of AvatarArt.

And the winners are:

#84 anivaroth
#42 dragoness1957
#55 rickieellis
#93 mumbojumbo91
#20 mysacredsecrets

I hope each you enjoy your new art print. Thanks for entering our bi-monthly website drawing, and your interest in Mates Laurentiu's art work.Visit JayelGibson dot Com or AncientMirrors dot Com to enter upcoming Tales Touched by Magick book and art giveaways. Our September contest gift is a full color, matted and ready to frame print of my upcoming Ever'neath series' resident wizard, Uallas.

This depiction of Uallas the Wizard was created by fantasy artist Mates Laurentiu of AvatarArt.

Back to School, Back to Fun

2008-07-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

For many kids, back-to-school signifies the end to the dog-days-of-summer and reuniting with classmates and friends. It means shopping for new clothes and school supplies, but it also signifies studying, homework and tests. When it comes to hitting the books, will your kids be digging their heels in and refusing to get back into the swing of things? Engage them with these gripping sci-fi/fantasy novels that examine real-life issues facing today’s young adults. Huge plus, they are also on most library shelves. If your kids just refuse to read, offer them a video game off this wish list of highly anticipated video games that will educate while they play, long after the homework is done.

Recommended reads:

Beastly
by Alexandra Flinn

A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form.
(Suggested for ages 12 – 18)

Betwixt
by Tara Bray Smith

Three alienated teenagers are drawn to a strange outdoor concert in the woods outside of Seattle, where they discover that they possess magical powers and that their destinies are intertwined.
(Suggested for ages 13 – 18)

City of Bones
by Cassandra Clare

Suddenly able to see demons, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.
(Suggested for ages 13 – 18)

Faerie Wars
by Herbie Brennan

Troubled by family problems, Henry finds his life taking a whole new dimension when he and his friend, old Mr. Fogarty, become involved with Prince Pyrgus Malvae who has been sent from the faerie world in order to escape the treacherous Faeries of the Night.
(Suggested for ages 13 – 18)

Recommended video games:

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Genre: Real-time Strategy

The next game in the completely over-the-top Red Alert fast-paced real-time strategy series requires the use of lots of brain cells. (Anticipated release date: TBA for the following platforms: PC, PS3, X360)

Tomb Raider Underworld
Genre: Action Adventure

Watch out for Lara Croft’s next adventure, equipped with slick motion-captured animations and new acrobatic maneuvers to help video gaming’s most famous female character solve all-new puzzles. (Anticipated release date: November 2008 for the following platforms: PC, PS2, PS3, X360, DS, WII)

Spore
Genre: Strategy

This unusual strategy game let’s players take a player created race
of sentient beings from the primordial soup through the vast reaches of space exploration. (Anticipated release date: September 2008 for the following platforms: PC, DS, WII, MAC)

Fable 2
Genre: Action Role Play Game

Explore a new world and make it your own as a do-gooder or an evil villain and experience the natural consequences that come with your behavior. (Anticipated release date: Fourth Quarter 2008 for the Xbox 360).

Madden NFL 09
Genre: Sports Simulation

The biggest sports-game franchise on the planet returns with an all-new edition. A perfect score for sports fans of all ages. (Anticipated release date: August 2008 for the following platforms: PS2, PS3, PSP, XBOX, X360, DS, WII)

Next Up on Chapters Radio: RABIES MOM and Fathers' Rights

2008-07-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

Join live, or listen to the recorded broadcast
at your leisure for details on winning a copy of
The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest. The
winner will be announced during the August 24th show.

Special guests Pat Carroll and Jack McGowan, fathers' rights
advocates and authors of Rabies Mom, will be sharing the chilling
truth about fathers’ custody rights in America today.

The winner of Jim C. Hines' Goblin War will be drawn and announced.
Listeners' entries will be accepted until midnight August 9th. For entry
details listen to the July 27th Chapters show.

A Wee Wizard

2008-07-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is Uallas, a character from one of the upcoming Ever'neath stories. My thanks to artist Mates Laurentiu for understanding my blabberings about shamans and Albert Einstein. *grin* Just click the image to view the full portrait.

Chapters Radio: Listen and Win

2008-07-24T18:36:00.001-07:00

Join us live, or listen to the recorded broadcast
at your leisure for details on winning a copy of
Jim C. Hines' Goblin War. The winner will be
announced during the August 10th show.

Photo credit: Mureen Walker

Special guest Earl E. Mohr, The Reading Wizard of 'Od
will be sharing the magick of several interpretive
readings. Don't miss it!

Video Games: Friend or Foe?

2008-07-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Video games. While they may seem like the bane of every parent's existence, they don't have to be—many of them offer unique learning features. And with increased requirements in schools placing unprecedented demands on children, parents and even grandparents, it may be time to start thinking about video games as teaching tools. The learning component of gaming can be optimized with parent involvement. That means understanding what makes a game both fun and educational.

What makes a game fun?

• Challenge and strategy – this is the core of the game. It includes the objective, the play and the scoring. The game should provide a challenge for its players and allow them to use different strategies to gain a level or win. This is what determines the age group or skill level.

• Element of surprise – this is the variation of the game. The element of surprise must be built into the game to provide laughter, excitement, regret or risk.

• Replay ability – this is the ability to play the game over and over with different outcomes each time. This is measured by the ‘boring’ factor. If the child gets bored fast, the game lacks replay ability.

What makes a game educational?

• New information – this is the educational information provided. It may be text or graphics, and is normally unknown by the age group or skill level for which the game is made.

• Memorization – this is the part of the game that rewards good memory. If players are able to remember the new information, they can advance in the game.

• Context and Cognition – this is the part of the game that puts the new information to use. Players win or score points by matching pairs, answering questions or problem solving.

• Gender and Ethnic Balance – the game addresses equity issues through cooperative group play, language diversity, and character gender options.

Armed with that information, let’s take a look at what the PC and console video gaming industry has to offer. Several game development companies are devoted to designing video games that help kids learn.

• Big Fish Games. These games teach about animal habitats and the solar system, like “Wild Thornberry's Australian Wildlife Rescue” and “Chicken Invaders 2.” They also make mind bending puzzle games and challenging word group associations, such as “BeTrapped” and “WordSearch Deluxe.”

• Broderbund. These games allow elementary students to explore spooky museums and learn about bugs with “Scooby-Doo in The Glowing Bug-Man,” or follow the real life journey of the Oregon Trail. Middle and high school students can explore the features of shapes and solids and the relationship between length, perimeter, area and volume with “Mighty Math's Cosmic Geometry.”

• Educational Insights – This company makes games that focus on mathematics, acting as tutors in basic skills from addition and subtraction, to decimals and percentages.

But learning doesn't just come from the video games that are designed specifically for education; there are some great learning experiences among popular entertainment video games, too. The most effective teaching video game genres are management, role-playing, and strategy. Each of these types of games offers opportunities to develop new learning strategies, problem solving, and real life skills, with built-in skill leveling and good gender balance options.

• Management games are based on creating a business in a simulated environment. The Zoo, Railroad and Amusement Park Tycoon series involve players in activities to raise funds for daily repairs and to pay workers. This requires the use of critical thinking and math skills. Management games have elements that help teach science, social studies and language arts. Most management games are rated “E” for everyone.

• Role-playing games are based on exploration and the completion of quests. Role-play games such as “Tomb Raider” and “Half Life” require reading dialogue and directions, inventory and maps. There may be elements of fighting, but in many instances the player must decide whether fighting, or avoiding the fight, is the best choice. Online versions of role-playing games include the extremely popular “World of Warcraft,” and long running “EverQuest” series. This genre is suitable for teens.

• Strategy games feature an array of activities, from building historical vehicles to creating the history of new worlds or replaying the history of our own. These include games like “Model Trains 3D”, Microsoft's “Flight Simulator X,” “Empire Earth,” and “Age of Empires.” Players experiment and discover how things work, or don't work, as they set goals and labor to achieve them. Strategy games involve many of the same skills used in today's science exploration. They are suitable for most children 10 and older.

For parents and grandparents who are wary of just handing over the console carte-blanch, there are ways you can get involved to make sure your child is getting the most out of the learning game experience.

• Play games with your child. Be available during game time. Today’s online game play offers the chance to create and play as a family clan, regardless of where family members are physically located.

• Don’t be afraid to say no. Be aware of Electronic Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings found on the front of video game boxes. Movie ratings and ESRB ratings are quite similar. If your child is allowed to view only “G” rated movies then an ESRB rating of “E” will be appropriate. An ESRB “T” game rating is the equivalent of “PG-13” movie ratings, and an “M” video game rating indicates an audience level of 17 years and older.

• Allow your child to show and tell about their gaming experience. Character journaling is also a good way to improve creative writing skills. Have your older child keep a journal from the game character’s perspective.

• Ask questions about the gaming experience, especially when using entertainment video games. Questions can be generic or game specific. For example: Do any of the characters in this game remind you of any real life heroes? What are your favorite Zoo Tycoon animals, and what do you think they need to survive in real life?

• Avoid the pitfall of the video game becoming a babysitter by locating the gaming PC or console system in a family room, rather than in the isolation of a child’s room.

Whether card game, board game, PC or console video game, the key ingredient for success is parent involvement, and regardless of the delivery method, the main focus of learning games is that they should be both fun and educational. Incorporate fun into daily learning activities by using games, and you will be surprised at how much kids learn!

Character Portrait Update

2008-07-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

We are busy, busy, busy. Mates got the next five Quondam lineworks completed and shaded (*grin* ahead of schedule).

Flida the sentinel

J'var (A Noor)

Sōvië (daughter of the Dragon Queen)

A mermaiden

B'rma (A Noor sorceress)

A Library Conference Room

2008-07-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

I've known for nearly two years that when the new Port Orford Library opened it would have a 'Jayel Gibson' conference room. I donated the money earned from my book sales to help with construction and received the plaque as acknowlegement. But somehow, hearing it tossed about in conversation just gave it a dream-like, furturistic feel. I never gave much thought to the reality of the event.

Well, July 5th was the library's grand opening, and there it was in sheet rock, paint and polished wood. Oh, the temporary paper plaque will be replaced with one of brass before the official dedication on September 12th, but, the library is open, the room is there, *grin* and it even has furniture and lots of white wall space for Ancient Mirrors fantasy art. It is the honor of a lifetime.

I watched the townspeople (my neighbors and friends) and tourists, who stopped when they saw the crowd, wander the stacks, and I felt so proud of Port Orford and its accomplishment. Together we have created a community 'livingroom,' a place of shelter and warmth, a wonderland of words. There could be no greater legacy for a storyteller.

Outside the conference room

Ribbon cutting

Library dedication

Me, with Tobe Porter the library director.

Inside the conference room.

With friends, inside the conference room

View across the library

Even the sculpture is fantasy friendly. It is titled: Imagine.

View across the computer center

Hot Off the Artist's Sketch Pad

2008-07-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, a recent request has seen us shift gears from work on the character portraits for the new Ever'neath series, to recreating a series of characters from my Ancient Mirrors stories, and the novel Quondam in particular. So, here are the first five Quondam sketches: the hellwing She-shadow, a waspwoman, Ud the firefly, Queen Karid, and Aenzl the wizard.

On the drawing board this week are five more: Sovie, B'rma, J'var, a mermaiden, and Flida the woodland nymph. Scheduled to follow them is a character portrait featuring Yavie and Sorel and then one of Cwen and D'raekn. Right now, I am a very happy lady. There's nothing quite as special as the artwork on my walls.

August 'Free Books' Drawing Announced

2008-07-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Email us at - webmaster @ ancientmirrors.com - with the words 'FREE BOOKS' in the subject line to be included in the August 2008 website drawing. Five lucky winners will receive autographed copies of Jayel Gibson's Quondam, winner of the 2008 National Indie Excellence Award for fantasy and science fiction.

The winning email addresses will be drawn on August 30th at 7:00 P. M. (PST). Winners will be notified by return email and posted here.

Congratulations to our June winners:
Bettina, Scarlet Haine, R L, Ella Swansonand Martin

Book Meme

2008-06-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Nicked from: Several people.

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who've only read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (Wouldn't this be part of the Chronicles?)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

New Ever'neath Sketches

2008-06-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Just in from my artist, Mates Laurentiu. Meet (left to right) Bronte Greywood, Cordelain Dunegal and Uallas tne Wizard. I'm just so delighted with this group. They've been such fun to write, so it's wonderful to know they will soon be hanging on my walls while I finish up their tale.

Pondering Fatherhood...

2008-06-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

As Father's Day approaches I look at my children, now successful adults, and I am so very grateful for my husband. He is a quiet man, one with great strength of character, who managed to pass on honesty, integrity, courage, and personal responsibility to our children without ever raising voice or hand. He did this while I had all the fun. I'm not sure how he did it, but I am so thankful that he did.

BookExpo America - Los Angeles: Aftermath

2008-06-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles is sprawling, noisy, eye irritatingly smoggy, and so energy charged it actually sets one’s aura humming. I can honestly say that I didn’t connect with many of the people I intended, but the thrill of chatting with Faerieworlds and FaerieCon co-producer Emilio Miller-Lopez, authors Ray Bradbury and R.A. Salvatore, and a host of Star Wars enthusiasts pretty much made up for it. Having Damselflies and Quondam represented in the New Title Showcase and International Rights Center, as well as at Synergy Books in the Midpoint Trade Pavilion for my signings, kept me smiling all weekend.

Even with the smaller crowd, there were plenty of booksellers, librarians, educators, and media folks wandering the aisles, all on the lookout for new and upcoming releases.
There was a much greater ‘Hollywood’ influence than at the New York and Washington, D.C. expos, with Alec Baldwin and Brooke Shields putting in appearances, and a number of film studios, conspicuously tagged, browsing the booths for movie rights.

I can’t stress the advantages of BookExpo America's networking possibilites for authors. There is no other event in the U.S. that puts so many book industry people in the one place at one time. Hope to see you next year at BookExpo 2009 in NYC.

Now, rather than load my blogs with photos, I’ve simply posted a single image here, and added the rest to the photo galleries at the Tales Touched by Magick websites at ancientmirrors.com and jayelgibson.com . Drop by at your leisure and browse.

BookExpo America - Los Angeles

2008-05-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

Ken and I are leaving for the BEA-LA book signings later today and will be back on June 6th. I'll have internet access and try to get some photos up during the events, but just in case I'm too overwhelmed, they'll get posted when I get back.

If you're going to BEA, stop by and see me.

My signings are:

2:00 P.M. on Friday, May 30th in the Midpoint Trade Books Pavilion (signing booth #607)
and
10:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 31st in the Midpoint Trade Books Pavilion (signing booth #607)

Hope to see you there!

Trainspotting Reviews Book Giveaway Contest

2008-05-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Trainspotting Reads" is holding a drawing with five copies of Quondam as prizes.

All you need to do is post a comment over at the Trainspotting blog. or email trainspotting0@gmail.com to be entered. You can also earn an extra entry by reposting the contest on your own blog.

For additional entry details, and to enter visit: TRAINSPOTTING .

Spread the word!

Quondam Book Trailer

2008-05-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

It's here! From Circle of Seven Productions and Antley Drive director, Brenda Urquhart, with voice over by actor Keith Kraft. *grin* Be sure your sound is enabled.

Some May Event Photos

2008-05-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Just a few photos of May activities to date. Still busy, but I do have a couple of weeks at home. We had a great time in WA, and the Gold Beach Book Signing was a blast.

We met a wonderul, friendly group of Mensans at their recent (very casual) annual 'Getaway' in Vancouver, WA.

I got to talk about two of my favorite things - okay, three of my favs.

Education,

Kids,

And technology (including, how to use video games as educational tools).

Then we were off to Seattle, with its narrow streets and sidewalk cafes.

Some stunning architecture.

The ORIGINAL Starbucks was on the tour led by our longtime friend, Ken Cummings.

A sidewalk musician entertained Ken as he enjoyed his hazelnut latte.

We hit the public market and watched the guys throw fresh fish at the famous Fish Market.

Had drinks at a rooftop cafe overlooking the Sound with its ferries and sailboats.

Then it was back home for a signing at Gold Beach Books.
The owner caught wind of the Indie Excellence Award and gave Quondam and extra 'push.'

As always, there was no shortage of laughter and sharing with readers.

I signed about 37 books altogether. It was great to have readers stop by and have earlier books signed,
along with their pre-ordered copies of Quondam.

Store manager, Carolyn joined the chat and made sure there were plenty of books..

I met 'Mike' - a real life warrior and was invited to a medieval 'war' re-enactment taking place in July.
Mike also won the drawing for a framed and matted copy of Mates Laurentiu's beautifully rendered
character portrait of Ever'neath dragon, Enoch Che.

The first couple of weeks in May have been tons of fun. Now, for a bit of rest, and some sorely missed video gaming. Tomorrow, its back to the schedule with interviews until we leave for BookExpo on May 27th.