Review: The Map Across Time

"Heaven is not impressed with power and strength, but favors those with a true heart.  Let your heart lead you, Adin, for love is what will drive you and protect you.  The solution to all your troubles lies in your past."

An ancient curse plagues the kingdom of Sherbourne, and unless it is stopped, all will fall to ruin. The King, obsessed with greed, cannot see the danger. But his teenage twin children, Aletha and Adin, know they must act. A hermit leads Adin to a magical map that will send him back in time to discover the origin of the curse. Once back, Adin must find the Keeper, who protects the Gate of Heaven, but all he has is a symbol as a clue to guide him. Unbeknown to Adin, Aletha follows her brother, but they both arrive in Sherbourne’s past at the precipice of a great war, and there is little time to discover how to counteract the curse.

One unexpected disaster after another forces the twins to make difficult choices. Adin’s only hope to correct the past is to return to the future to manipulate events so his quest can succeed. Through his trials and failures, Adin learns that nothing can stop heaven from accomplishing its goal, and that all events work for the good of those who trust heaven. An epic fairy tale with surprising twists, embracing the enduring power of love and faith. (From the back cover.)

Okay, I have to admit: I was expecting a good, fairy-tale read with not much force to the plot.  Good, but not great.  That was, in essence, the summary of my opinion of The Wolf of Tebron (Book One of the Gates of Heaven Series).

And I was so, so wrong.

First, I have to hand it to this author: C. S. Lakin has a way of packing a novel full of proverbs and truths (most of which come so naturally to the text that you don't think twice about it).  If you were a highlighting person, this would be one of those few fiction books to highlight.  There were tons of paraphrased verses and proverbs in this book that made the words jump off the page and into real life.

This book excelled where the other struggled: plot.  The story started out a little slow, with little mysterious tidbits to drive us on.  And then, around a fifth of the way through the book, The Map Across Time picks up until it grabs you by the throat and takes you on a wild ride to the satisfying end.  The plot twists are wonderfully shocking, as they should be, and most of the questions are answered by the final page. This was a huge improvement from the second book, making the series jump from "good" to "epic" in the four hundred pages of this novel.

It's mysterious enough that I may have to re-read the Wolf of Tebron to make the less obvious connections between this book and the first; no doubt, the next book will increase the connections even more.

The characters are fantastic.  Each character, to some extent (especially evident in the short snatches we had of a minor character, Merin) had their own unique voice, and all of them were very well-developed.  I loved them.  I really did.  This novel is definitely a prime example of character development.

This novel also had a subtly mysterious take on description.  The description and overall writing had almost a magical feel to it; it certainly enhanced the fairy-tale theme of the book, and made the pages turn quickly.  The use of Hebrew as the "language" helped make it "mysterious" as well.  It really added to the book.

There were very few cons with this one.  I found one or two typos, but nothing too bad.  There were several awkward scenes that could have been written better (like the sudden romance between two characters and a couple other instances), but it didn't detract too much from the story.  The whole time-travel thing became very confusing nearing the end (one time, no pun intended, I lost track of which time I was reading in), and it also made the book seem a bit circular.  The ending(s) reminded me a bit of the end of "Green" (one of Dekker's books that I really disliked), but this book actually had an ending.  The author pulled it off, and I really liked it.

And, to note one last thing: the cover art is definitely phenomenal.  The physical copy has this weird kind of sheen that makes it...glimmer.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book; mysterious, magical, engrossing, with a shining worldview.  I can't wait until the next one comes out.

Rated 9 out of 10. (Five stars.)  Read this book!  Or better yet, buy it!

(This book was given to me for free by AMG Publishers in exchange for a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.)

Spectacular News!

Greetings to all; Elves, Dwarves, Men, Hobbits, Goblins, Orcs (OO), and all manner of creatures!

I have come to announce some spectacular news; I have finished my OYAN novel, with a total of 25,110 words!  Since this is a very outlined and condensed curriculum (you are allowed 12 chapters with one scene per chapter), I am definitely excited that I reached my goal, 25k.  That means each chapter/scene is a little over 2,000 words.  Good, eh?

Now, along with the finishing of the novel, I shall reveal the title (for those of you who don't know it already): The War Horn.  It may not sound like much, but it has a great deal to do with the message of the story.

I really feel like, though the War Horn was the hardest novel I've ever written, it's one of my best.  It's totally in first person, and I think you all will like the characters.  It's definitely my best in terms of message and the clarity of that message.  And I put the character through all sorts of mental tortures; poor John is the most tortured character I've ever written.

The only con is, I didn't have as much time as I would have liked (remember the 12 chapter/scene limit?) to flesh out my characters, so some of them are only seen briefly.  I think, however, that in the short time I had, I accomplished a lot of development.

If any of you ever consider the One Year Adventure Novel (what I have been referring to as OYAN) curriculum, I think it to be well worth the money.

So, let the fireworks begin!  Don't let 'em off in populated areas, please, and try not to get too carried away. o_O

*proceeds to make sure the farm is empty of unexpected visitors*

Thanks so much for all the encouragement you readers give me.  I'm in your debt.

Farewell!

*watches as one of St. Pierre's barrels are thrown up just 'cause*  Oooh...

The Book of Shaldu: Cover Art!

That sounds really exciting, right?  No, I'm not getting it published just yet: but my sister and I have composed some cover art for The Book of Shaldu proof copy that I'll be getting from CreateSpace; as soon as I get my edit finished.

Want to see? 

Really?

Here it is.  Don't criticize it too much. ;)

(Click for a bigger size.)

I'll post the entire cover on here sometime; back, spine, and all.  And then you'll get to read the official blurb for The Book of Shaldu. 

Farewell for now, folks!  Tell me what you think of the cover!

Review: Swords of the Six

Betrayed in ancient times by his choice warriors, the dragon prophet sets a plan in motion to bring the traitors to justice. He hatches daughters from eggs with human characteristics; however, their veins flow not with human blood but the strength of the dragon's.   Armed with the traitors' rusted swords, these brave daughters set out to face the first traitor.

Either the traitor will repent, or justice will be served.

What follows is a story of betrayal, love, and ultimate sacrifice.

(From the back cover.)

I found Swords of the Six to be a good read with a great message, marred by a few faults that lessened my opinion of this book.

The cons.  Bear with me as I walk through some of the things I struggled with in this book.  Maybe it's because I'm a writer myself, and a persnickety perfectionist writer at that.  But I'll try to give my honest opinion.

If I had to sum up the faults I found in this book, I'd say 'unrealistic'.  This book struggled with realism.

First, many of the fight scenes were unrealistic.  I was disappointed by this. In a fantasy novel, a fight scene often makes or breaks it.  And I couldn't imagine them.  There were many sentences like this: "Dantress stood, grasped her sword, and dashed to the scene of the kidnapping. Before the remaining four dragons could attempt to take off, she thrust one of them through the chest and stabbed another in the neck when it clawed at Rose'el."  Like I said, unrealistic.  I just can't imagine this.

And, from throwing an ax that happened to be lying about at a huge serpent (he managed to hit it, too), to hunting with a sword (how DOES that work?), I was constantly jerked out of the story as my Inner Editor woke up.

Second, the characters were unrealistic.  While some characters (like Specter and Miverē) I really loved, the main characters kind of annoyed me.  Dantress never seemed to have a solid character; I never really felt attached.  She went this way one chapter, the other the next.  While some of these changes in character might have been realistic, the change just wasn't shown sufficiently.

The five other sisters, too, were not realistic.  They resolved in one section of the book not to kill, whereas in the next section they said they would kill to bring justice. I never felt like they were unique; they all seemed the same to me.  And then, what they did at the end just made me shake my head in disbelief.

Ilfedo seemed to be an engima.  The scene in which he started out made me think he'd be a bitter man for the rest of the book, but later in the book he seems to have not been affected by his own rampage.  Those emotions and characteristics completely disappeared.  He melted into a warm and rather gentleman-like guy.

And third, the writing was unrealistic.  It was dotted with places where the character apparently noticed her own long and dark, red-tinged hair (for it was described thus) and other such things.   Here's another one that bothered me: "She must have hit an artery because exorbitant amounts of green blood mixed with the rain-soaked mud and the monster fell."  Not only could we use a couple commas in there, but I don't even know what exorbitant means.  "Never use a long word when a short one will do," is a law I live by.  And we readers already know that the mud is rain-soaked; why tell us?

Now, forgive me if I ranted a bit here.  Like I said, I'm a persnickety, perfectionist writer.  Just because I spent a long section describing the cons doesn't mean the cons are all huge and major.

And for the more enjoyable bit: the pros.

I saw a lot of epicness hinted at for later in the series.  Several mysterious prophecies were given (and that I very much enjoyed), and the author himself said that this book is more of a prelude to the epic that is to come in his later books.

For this reason, I expect that the coming books in the series will improve.  I'll definitely be looking forward to reading them.  If Scott Appleton can redeem some of the faults I just described, I'm sure it will turn out to be a great series.

The character voice in Swords of the Six was likewise delightful.  From the easily recognizable tone of Miverē to the sound of the white dragon's voice, I found that the author excelled in this aspect.  Most of the characters had a favorite phrase or another that gave them their own flair.

The worldbuilding was quite good.  Although I think I still need some clearing up on actual locations, it appears that there's two worlds, dangerous creatures, towns, woods, and many, many ancient battles and struggles.  Some of them have only been hinted at; some we experienced for ourselves as readers.

I found the message of the book to be very good, even though I thought it could have been pulled off in a more emotional manner.  Sacrifice is a worthy moral.

The description, even if it was over-the-top and often used big words when small ones would do, was vivid in certain scenes.  It didn't quite deliver in some, but that was made up for in the more dramatic ones.

I found little visible plot to be found (it almost seemed to be two different storylines; thus, the book is divided into parts one and two).  This further adds to the feel of a "prologue" but I felt there could have been more to it.  There was absolutely nothing at stake, and that's what bothered me.  Nothing drove the story.  But if you don't mind a more character-driven story, I didn't find it that bad.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  It had a lot of promise. I hate to criticize it, but there were some serious faults.  There were some redeeming elements to it as well, though.

Rated 6.5-7 (as I'm torn how to rate this) out of 10.  Roughly 3.5 stars.

Thanks to AMG Publishers for the free copy of this book to review.  This is my honest opinion, and I was not required to write a positive review.

Politics and Toothy Cows

(Photo taken from WingfeatherSaga.com)

(Inspiration and overall layout of the list taken from here, which was taken from here.  The following list is a simplified version of both.)

FEUDALISM: You have two toothy cows.  You and your lord are eaten after your lord tries to take some milk.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two toothy cows.  The government takes them and puts them with everyone else's cows.  The toothy cows eat the regular cows.  Then the government sends you in there to take care of them, telling you that they will give you all the milk you need if you do so.  You are eaten.

FASCISM: You have two toothy cows.  The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and then tries to sell them back to you at a low price after their President of Cattle Affairs is eaten.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two toothy cows.  Your neighbors help you stay alive and take care of them, and as a result, you all live.  For a little while.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two toothy cows.  The government makes you take care of them, and then feeds you to the cows.

CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two toothy cows.  The government takes both, shoots you, and then the President of Cattle Affairs is eaten.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two toothy cows.  Your neighbors decide who gets eaten first.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two toothy cows.  Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets eaten first.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two toothy cows. At first, the government regulates when the toothy cows are fed.  Then it pays you to starve them and thus provoke them into a bloody rage.  Then, it takes both, shoots one (while the other eats the President of Cattle Affairs).  And then they feed you to the remaining cow.  After that, the government charges your family for funeral fees.

LIBERTARIAN/ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: You have two toothy cows.  You manage to sell one (to whoever was foolish enough to buy it), and then set off in search of a toothy bull. 

SURREALISM: You have two bunnies.  The government sends you to search for a peaceful colony of flabbits.

Review Links

Hey all!  I recently discovered that the BloggingForBooks program reset all of their settings due to people using the system dishonestly.  That means that all of my ratings have been cleared.

So, I have come to ask you to rank all of these reviews below.  O_o  It's a tedious task, but if you can complete it, I am much in your debt.  I think, if I get enough ratings, I could win something.  Which would be amazing.

Thank you very much!

Dug Down Deep:
(Click here for the review on my blog)



Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest:
(Click here for the review on my blog)



The Ale Boy's Feast:
(Click here for the review on my blog)



Radical:
(Click here for the review on my blog)



Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor:
(Click here for the review on my blog)



The Charlatan's Boy:
(Click here for the review on my blog)



All right!  I'm off again.  I must write a lot today.

*disappears*

Review: Dug Down Deep

What are you going to build your life on?


Dug Down Deep is systematic theology like you've never seen it before.  Readable.  Relevant.  Powerful.  As best-selling author Joshua Harris shares his own journey from apathetic church-kid to student with a burning passion to truly know God, you'll be challenged to dig deep into the truths of God's Word.

With humor, conviction, and compelling insight, Dug Down Deep covers the basics of faith—God, Scripture, Jesus, the Cross, salvation, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, and the Church.  Don't settle for superficial faith; dig deep.

(From the back cover.)

To speak simply, Dug Down Deep is three things.  First, it is a book that recounts various aspects of Joshua Harris's spiritual journey to faith and other similar stories (like his father's story).  Second, it is a book that explains the meaning behind words like doctrine, sanctification, and theology.  Thought you knew those words?  Think again.

And third, most importantly, Dug Down Deep lays down the foundation of the Christian faith, chapter by chapter.  God.  The Bible.  Jesus.  He shows what the Bible says about each, in terms just about anyone could understand.  He shows how it's important to build your life on these truths, to dig down deep for them.

I found Dug Down Deep to be a fantastic read.  Before actually talking about truths you build your life on, Joshua Harris explains what doctrine really is.  "Doctrine is a clunky word for truths to build your life on," Harris says.  He also writes, later in the same chapter, "Doctrine is the meaning of the story God is writing in the world.  It's the explanation of what he's done and why he's done it and why it matters to you and me."

With this in mind, Harris plunges deep into the doctrines of Christianity.  Chapter after chapter, I felt the urge to grab a highlighter and highlight half the book. (I never highlight.)  The revelations I found in this book—and they were many—fed my thirsty soul and awakened it to dig down deep into Scripture in pursuit of a theology to build my life on.

Grab a highlighter, a Bible, and this book.  Be prepared for life-change.

Rated 9.1 out of 10.  It's a must read.

Check out the video for Dug Down Deep below:



Check it out here to buy on Amazon.

Here's my review on the Blogging For Books site.  I'd appreciate it if you'd rate my review!

If you want to read more about Dug Down deep, you can find an excerpt from the book here.

(This book was given to me for free by Waterbrook Multnomah.  I was not required to write a positive review.)

Edits and Updates

(Not my image.  Cool, though, eh?)

I might not be the greatest blogger on earth, but at least I've been writing, right?  Here's what I've gotten done so far:

• I'm on chapter four out of twelve in my OYAN novel; the word count is 6,629 words.  Roughly 26, 27 pages.  It's not too bad, yet, but I have a lot of brainstorming and researching to do in the next few chapters.
• I rewrote several sections and did one quick edit over the entirety of The Book of Shaldu.  It is now 52,900 words, with an epic new ending chapter.  Like I have said before, I thought the ending too dark and ended up writing just one more chapter in The Book of Shaldu.  I sent it off to some friends to critique as soon as I finished.  (That made me really nervous.  This is the first time in history that Jake of the Sadaar's novels have been read by any mortal.  What?  What's that you say?  Of course I'm immortal.)
• This blog post.  Yeah, I count them.  Judge me not!

Also, I'd like to post several other things: 

First, Michelle Archer at Arrowhead Reviews is having a giveaway of a book called Beyond the Dead Forest.  Don't join. ;) I want a free book! (Who doesn't?)

Second, I recently discovered (more like rediscovered) a Christian blogger who composes music.  His name's Jon Maiocco. I have listened to most everything he has up there, and I can assure you, that guy has some serious talent.  If you have a bit of time and some headphones, I'd encourage you to check out his Celtic song and his Isle of Swords song.  Those are my favorites. :)  Or you could just head to the main page of his blog to browse through them all.

Got Goals?

Well, June has dawned over the fields of Kansas, and it brings with it news: Mathe is dead, and school is almost finished.  (Technically, the last of my school is finishing a novel.)

But there's unseen news drifting in on the wind: Jake of the Sadaar has brought some goals with him into June.

I like to call summer the Season of Writing.  Made that up just now; clever, huh?

And I have some incentive for writing, too.  For instance, consider this: if you had 26 days until a writing conference, wouldn't you write?  But it's more complicated than that.  Because it's the OYAN [One Year Adventure Novel] conference: and that means you have to have an OYAN novel.  One I *ahem* haven't quite written one yet.  Yup, that's incentive.  Poor Procrastination doesn't stand a chance.

So here's some goals I have for this month of June, things I'd like to get done.  And it's a list!  Huzzah for lists!  Lists and bullets!  Double combination.

This list is in order of priority.

• Write the OYAN novel.  This is pretty much a must.  Either that, or I'm showing up to the Conference with a blank novel to share.  (Yup, I'm going to be sharing my novel at that conference.  Now you ALL want to go, eh?)
• Rewrite the Book of Shaldu.  This probably won't happen, since I need to have it formatted and edited and stuff for a proof copy from CreateSpace.  Believe it or not, I still haven't gotten my free proof copy from all the way back to NaNoWriMo.  Oh, and did I mention the free copy expires June 31st? ;)
• Write the last section of A Battle Fought at Midday.  This is farther down the list, since my above works have an "expiration date".
• Write in Revolution.  Probably won't happen, but there's a slim chance I'll have some time.  I'll probably pick it up next month

That's about it.  See you all next time.

(Postscript: Contact me if you want to do a rough-and-ready Word War.  I'm craving those right now; I gotta finish a novel before the 28th, right?)

Tuesday Night Word War: War II

It's that day of the week again.  Aye, 'tis Tuesday.  And there's more wars coming your way!

You know the drill. (Hopefully.)  But, in case you're like me (forgetful) or new to the Word Wars, here's the rules.

1) You must write only in the allotted time.  But, if you cannot do it in the time specified, feel free to participate (within the same amount of time, i.e. three hours) at a different time of day.

2) The War will take place from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the Central time zone.

3) To enter the Word War, post your starting word count in the comments section.  Then, once the War is over, post your end word count.  The writer with the greatest increase of words wins!

Like last time, I regret to say I will most likely not be able to participate in this Word War.  However, I wish you all the best of luck.  May your pen smoke and your keyboard smolder!

Write like the wind races; burn your words across the page!

Tuesday Night Word War

Hail, everyone!  I have come to announce the beginning of weekly Tuesday Night Word Wars.

For those of you who don't know, Word Wars are a kind of writing challenge.  Basically, you write as much as you can in an allotted amount of time.  The writer who writes the most words wins the Word War.

This is not one of my previous word wars (Word War I, II, and III).  This is like a miniature version of those.   It is a little shorter, and there will be no button award for the winner. The stakes are a bit smaller, but the rules and writings are the same.

Here's the rules:

1) You must write only in the allotted time.  No going over, no going before!  Count only the words you wrote during the time.  If you can't write during the time that I will post below, write for the same amount at another time.

2) The Word War will last from 6:00 to 9:00 PM CST time.  Like I said above, if you can't write at that time, write for three hours some other time in the day.

3)  To enter the Word War, you must post your current word count in the comment section before the Word War.  After the Word War is done, you can then post your increased word count in the comment section.  The writer who writes the most wins!

I shall probably not participate in this one, but I wish all of you writers the best of luck!  Write well, write hard, and don't let Procrastination defeat you!


Let the Warring begin!

Where in the Name of Cheez-Its has Jake Gone?

Greetings and Hallucinations, Elves, Dwarves, Readers, and other strange characters!

It's been a while since I've been here.  Things have been hectic here in Kansas.  Between schoolwork and lots of other activities, I've barely had any time to write.  (And I assure you, for once, it's not Procrastination's fault.  This time it's Mathe.)

But a few new things are coming my way in the direction of writing.  If all goes well, most of my school will be finished on Friday.  But I have to do triple schoolwork everyday to do that. (OO)

Right now, I'm working on my One Year Adventure Novel.  It must be done before the middle of June (my goal), due to the fact that I am hopefully going to the OYAN Workshop at the end of June.  The famed EaglesWings will also be there.  Right now, I'm at 2,675 words, with a goal of at least 25K.  It's my first 'historical novel', but it's really very similar to my fantasy novels, taking place in 1100s England.  Some legends are being used, and I'm excited about it. :)

For those of you waiting with bated breath for the next segment of A Battle Fought at Midday, breathe.  It's coming sometime soon.  If not this week, then next weekend.

Some non-writing stuff has been happening as well.  Though the world didn't end yesterday, it got awfully close.  We were under a tornado warning for a while last night, and a bad thunderstorm.  No tornadoes touched down, but sirens were going off.

Also, my mom is having me read the Kansas Driving Handbook.  Beware, Kansas drivers, beware....

That's all I have time to write. :)  More posts coming within the week! (I think.  If I don't post, Mathe has eaten me.)

Review: 100 Cupboards

Twelve-year-old Henry York wakes up one night to find bits of plaster in his hair. Two knobs have broken through the wall above his bed and one of them is slowly turning . . .Henry scrapes the plaster off the wall and discovers cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he can hear the sound of falling rain. Through another he sees a glowing room–with a man pacing back and forth! Henry soon understands that these are not just cupboards, but portals to other worlds.  (Description from Amazon.com.)

As soon as I started reading this book, the writer got ahold of me, using the setting of the first chapter.  Any other placement, and I would have been neutral.

But no, it was the description of a small town in Kansas that did it for me.  What can I say?  I'm biased.  I love small towns. I love Kansas.  And both of my parents originated from small-town central Kansas.

That being said, 100 Cupboards started out well.  The writing was lighthearted and humorous, and, while the first few pages weren't the most exciting, the writing style kept me going.

As the story progressed and became more mysterious (and, as a whole, this is a very mysterious book), it grabbed my attention.  Weird things started happening.  And then the plot took off.

100 Cupboards was an easy read.  It took me around a day to get through it, and the pages went by fast.  Not a I-can't-stop-reading fast, but it was still engrossing.  The suspense level was high, mystery abounded, and there were several moments where the book sent a chill down my spine.  There were several surprising plot twists as well.

I found it very similar to the Dreamhouse Kings series, for younger readers.  Not as suspenseful, but the two series seem to have a lot of characteristics in common; portals, strange houses, unwanted people living in the house, etc.

For a novel targeted at teen/tween ages (the protagonist is twelve), it was surprisingly scary, and there was a lot of danger and intrigue.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, however.  There were, though, several edgy scenes that bordered on gory (like a description of an eyeless 'witch').

Now, if you were put off by my mention of a witch, let me warn you: there is some sort of dark magic thing going on in this story.  The main antagonist was  a twisted woman who uses some sort of magic to destroy places and cast spells (though they were not called such).  I was not bothered by it, as it was downplayed and I didn't really notice it.  (If I need to convince you, I strongly dislike the Harry Potter kind of magic, and this was not very similar at all.)

There were several downsides to this story.  While the characters were unique and well done, I didn't see as much development as I might have liked.  There were few difficult choices for the characters, and only a couple situations that revealed the good or bad aspects of their character.

There was also a lack of meaning in 100 Cupboards.  It was written to entertain, and not much more.  It's what I might call a "forgettable fantasy" that will just become another book I've read and liked.  It is a secular book, after all, though the writer is a Christian (as far as I know).

It ended well, with a hook at the end, indicating where the next book will lead.  I'll be reading the rest of the series for sure.

Overall, read it.  It's good enough to check out from the library, and you won't regret it.

Rated 8 out of 10. [Four stars]

Do Y'Really Want to Know the Winner?

Hello, readers!  Greetings!  Jake here. :)  I have come to announce the winner of the unbelievable Blood of Kings giveaway.  I have barely escaped death and chocolate rabbits to bring you this news.

But now that I'm here, I'm not entirely sure if you want to know.  I  mean, it's not like you entered or anything.  Or invested any time.  Or effort.  Or maybe you just don't want to win.

Well, I suppose I have to do it sometime.  Just remember: never put off 'til tomorrow what you can put off to the day after tomorrow.  And since it's the day after tomorrow...

First, I must put up the Blood of Kings banner.  Just for good measure.  After all, it is the indirect subject of this post.

So, are you ready?  Really ready?  I mean, ready to face a charging dragon-mouse hybrid bent on utter destruction and the oppression of cows?  That kind of ready?

All right, enough delay.  I present to thee, the winner of the Jill Williamson giveaway!

Congrats, Seth! Shoot me your address and choice of the books, and I'll send them on to Mrs. Williamson.  If you don't reply in three days, then I shall draw another winner.  Thanks so much to those who participated! You guys rock.  

And just to give you all a little reward, have some pie. :D

And some cheese!

Thanks again, readers.  Ta-ta!

A Battle Fought at Midday, Part III

Sorry it took so long to get to this, all! But, as promised, here is the third installment of A Battle Fought at Midday.

If you have not yet read the first two installments in the story, please read them! You can find the first one here and the second one here.

Oh, and another shameless advertising blurb: my giveaway is still running wild, so if you want to enter or just check out the interview with Jill Williamson, just click here.

Enjoy. Don't let Procrastination win!

A BATTLE FOUGHT AT MIDDAY

Part III

In Which I Battle Procrastination (and Ruin My Shoe)

I blocked the blow with the Pen, easily. I laughed in his face, our blades crossed. "That all you have, Big Pro?"

He growled. "I told you not to call me that!" Procrastination shoved my blade backwards, and stepped back, uncrossing the blades. He then feinted to the right, and swung wildly at my feet.

I merely stepped back a bit, and then stamped my foot down on the sword. He jerked it back, slicing my shoe.

"I was going to throw them away anyhow," I said. "I have a newer pair by the door."

He said nothing to this, and we fought for a little bit longer, bantering.

"So, Big Pro, how's your assignment to Sir Batson coming along?" I taunted, knowing very well that Sir Batson was doing just fine with Procrastination. After all, he had dragons and sea monsters on his side—not to mention Alastair Coldhollow.

His face reddened, so I added a barb to an already salty wound. "Your silence speaks volumes."

"You are a thrice-accursed son of a pigdog!" he fumed. "You don't deserve to wield a pen, thy stupid, foul, four-eyed writer from the dirt pile!" Procrastination spat at me. Literally. Never the good aim, he missed me by several inches, hitting the tan, oval clock on the wall behind me instead.

"Such language!" I said. "If your mother could hear you."

He shouted incoherently and stabbed at me. I sidestepped, and he viciously stabbed the clock instead.

"Oops! Missed me again, you butterfingers you. And look what you did to my dear mum's clock."

"Always one to butcher the accents," Procrastination said, tugging at his sword. I struck a Basil Stag Hare pose while a waited, one foot gracefully positioned on the mutilated red couch.

"On the contrary," I told him, holding my sword loosely at my side to complete the effect.

He finally tugged his sword free, and turned to face me. "Then come and face me!"

"I'm already facing you," I said. "Do you want me to get any more face? I can go and borrow another one, if you wish."

"Keep the one you have," he snorted. "I'm tired of your games. Let us get this over with." He took a swing at me.

"I'm enjoying it, actually," I said, parrying. "We could stop and do a mind duel, if you wish. I can go and get my shampoo."

"No," Procrastination said flatly, blocking a blow from me. "I already took a shower today."

"It doesn't smell like it," I said. I ducked under one of his slashes. What was meant to slash me slashed my poor couch, and couch stuffing went everywhere, making me sneeze.

"This is going to be really hard to explain," I said dryly, tripping Procrastination. He rolled to one side as I stabbed at him, and stood up. He hit his head on an old lamp near the window, and it fell over. Glass shattered, and tinkled all over the ground outside. (Which, to quote The Book of the King, is not to say it went to the bathroom, but that it made a ringing sound.)

He shook himself off, and I waited near the now unstuffed couch. Procrastination charged back at me, trying to use what little weight he had to his advantage. (Procrastination looked like a Wisp, I'm tellin' you—he was all skin and bones. Which was strange, considering he was actually an embodiment of a feeling/action.)

I merely sidestepped (again) and then ran out the window, breaking the rest of the window and tumbling out into the front lawn.

Procrastination recovered and ran out after me. "That sidestep is getting annoying," he said, smushing one of the recently trimmed bushes in the landscaping.

"Hey, I worked hard on that trimming!" I said, ducking behind the giant oak in our front yard.

He followed me around, and we went in circles for a little bit, running around and around the giant oak. After a bit, I stopped and turned, dropping my sword. I tackled Procrastination football-style.

Procrastination grunted, dropping his sword and scrabbling at me with his long fingernails. We tumbled across the lawn for a bit. The guy was like Gollum or something—he might be small, but he can pack a wallop with his wiry body.

I managed to free myself (realizing that tackling him wasn't such a good idea after all), and ran for my sword. I snatched it from the grass and stood behind the tire swing (which hung from a branch in the oak).

Procrastination stood on the other side of the tire swing, a scowl on his face. "This has gone long enough," he said. Holding his sword with one hand, he cut at the chain of the tire swing. It thumped to the ground. Procrastination stepped over it to swing at me.

And promptly tripped, falling on his face.

********

Enjoyed it? I hope so.  See some mistakes?  I always need editing!  Comment and tell me what you think of this latest installment in the story.  It was rather difficult to write, being 'the middle' of the story.  I promise you, though, the next installment will be the best yet.  Talking swords (er...pens?), the return of turkey spies, and a massive cleanup job.  Hopefully.  I might have to split it into two more installments. O_o

Well, cheerio, folks! (and other breakfast cereals!)

Writing Lessons from Sam

FRODO: I can’t do this, Sam.

SAM: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here, but we are. 

It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?

But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

FRODO: What are we holding on to, Sam?

SAM: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

[The actual speech from the movie can be found here.  It's a lot more emotional, so I'd encourage you to watch it first before reading the post.]

--

I love Sam's Speech.  It's one of my favorite scenes in Lord of the Rings (save for the Battle of Pelennor Fields).  Something about darkness, light, stories—they meld together and create something utterly compelling to me.  And Sam's speech—in the middle of the destruction of Osgiliath—expresses this perfectly.

Amidst this speech are some great points.  The speech is chock full of meaning, and it is especially  meaningful for writers.  I agree with Sam wholeheartedly: the best stories (like Lord of the Rings) are full of darkness. Danger.  The characters had a choice to go back, but they didn't.  And they held on to something.

But since I don't have time to write a full-blown post about the wonders of this speech (and believe me, I could write one), I thought I'd ask you a question, dear reader.  What do you see in this speech?  What moves you?  What do you think you can take from these words and apply in your writing?  What kind of stuff do you see regarding great stories?

Take a few lessons from Sam.  He knows what he's talking about.

By the way, if you haven't already, stop by my giveaway.  Good stuff happening over there. :)  It ends in less than a week, so hurry and enter!

Interview with Jill Williamson & A Giveaway

Greetings, blog readers!

(This picture is on my desktop.  *grin*)

If you remember, I have been raving about a book (one that I have yet to read) and an author for a while now.  From Darkness Won, by Jill Williamson, the last in "The Blood of Kings epicness", as one person put it.

You've read my review (here), so I have no need to rave about it on this post. And raving (good as it is) is not what I came here to do.  In actuality, I have conducted my first interview--with Jill Williamson!  And I get to share it with you.  Buckle in, folks.

Please welcome Jill Williamson, all!  *widespread applause*

*******

Why do you write? And why do you specifically write speculative fiction?

"I want to tell exciting stories to teens that inspire them to grow into men and women of integrity. I want to put my love for God within the pages of my stories and show the readers that life is fulfilling when you know your maker.

"I’ve always loved reading fantasy novels. But when I first started writing, I wrote nonfiction articles for teens. Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness really opened my imagination to the possibility of writing something Christian. I had never read Christian fiction before that book. When I did start writing, I didn’t set out to write something speculative. I just wanted to write something entertaining for teens. I wrote a teen spy story first. Then I wrote a story about a cloning lab. Then I wrote my first fantasy novel. I remember being so frustrated because I kept hearing that new writers needed to figure out what genre they wrote, and I didn’t have a clue what my genre was. Was it fantasy? Science Fiction? Urban fantasy? Contemporary? Adventure? At Mount Hermon in 2007, I went to Jeff Gerke’s class on speculative fiction and was pleased to discover that I was writing in the same genre. It was called speculative fiction. What a relief!"


When was the first time you were infected with the writer's virus and felt the symptoms?

"I wanted to speak to teens. I discovered that sometimes, people hire speakers based on articles written by the speaker. So I looked into writing articles. Then the new Harry Potter book came out, and a new barrage of debates within the church community flared up as to whether or not the books were bad for Christians to read. The debate inspired me to write my own blockbuster-style novel for teens that glorified God. Once I started that spy kid story, I was hooked and didn’t want to go back to writing articles aver again!"


Who's your favorite wordsmith?

"I have too many favorites to single one out. In no particular order, I love Jane Austen, Ted Dekker, Lisa Samson, Robert Liparulo, Caroline Keene, C.S. Lewis, Frank Peretti, Jenny B. Jones, Rick Riordan, Brandilyn Collins, J.R.R. Tolkien, Suzanne Collins, Michael Crichton, Cathy Gohlke, Anthony Horowitz, Caroline Cooney, John Grisham, Megan Whalen Turner, Melody Carlson, Nicolas Sparks, J.K. Rowling, Francine Rivers, Randy Ingermanson. The list goes on and on. I enjoy stories that make me laugh, cry, or stay up all night because I can’t put the thing down."

If you were to become proficient in the use of a certain weapon from your novel, what weapon would you pick? And who would you choose to train you?

"I’d want to use a bow, and I’d want Kates to train me (I don’t know if I could stomach Inko! Lol). I think a bow would be a good weapon for me. It would keep me far enough away from my enemy—or dinner—that I’d be able to run away if need be. LOL"

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

"World Class Chocolate from Baskin Robbins. It’s a swirl of chocolate and white chocolate ice cream."

What is the best tip on writing you would give to an aspiring writer? (Aside from "read a lot", which seems to be a common one.)

"Write, write, write. Get into a critique group where you feel you are learning. And finish that first book. Many new writers tend to get stuck writing that first book for years. Then they get so close to it they can’t let go. Train yourself to be a writer by doing the hard work of completing a full manuscript. Then go back and rewrite it. And rewrite. And when you are done, put it down and write another book. Then write another. Then another.

"One of my favorite writing quotes is from Michael Crichton. He said, “Books aren't written - they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.” It’s so true."

How much do you write in a typical day?

"It depends. If I’m not in the middle of a book, sometimes I don’t write at all. I might be promoting instead or blogging. I try never to write on Sundays. If I’m working on a book, I try to write for three-four hours a day. Sometimes more. If a deadline is close, I might write all day long for weeks straight."

What is the strangest experience you've had as a writer?

"Winning the Christy Award. I wanted to win it, but I didn’t really think I would. When I saw my name scroll by on my TV screen, it was so strange. It felt like it was happening to someone else."

How did the epic saga we now know as The Blood of Kings Trilogy get published?

"I wasn’t trying to get published when I submitted my first chapter of my fantasy novel to Jeff Gerke at the 2008 Oregon Christian Writers’ Summer Coaching Conference. Marcher Lord Press’ submission guidelines were clear: no young adult novels.

I’d met Jeff at the 2007 Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s conference and used his editorial services on a different novel. When I saw he was at OCW, I submitted my manuscript to him hoping to glean wisdom. I was surprised when he wanted to meet with me. I was even more surprised when he wanted to read the full.

“Why does it have to be YA?” he asked.

As soon as I got home, I looked over the book and sent it off. A few months later I got an email from Jeff that said: “Do you happen to be by a phone right now so that I can call you?”

And that was the beginning of a new adventure."

*******

Mrs. Williamson has been gracious enough to also provide a book to give away on Teenage Writer!  But this giveaway is unique: the winner gets a choice between any one of her three books.  If you haven't heard or read The Blood of Kings trilogy, then (should you win), you can choose to receive By Darkness Hid, book one.  If you've read the first two, then, by all means, ask for From Darkness Won!  Only one book is being given away, however; but that book is a choice of the three Blood of Kings books.

To enter, all you need to do is post a comment and answer one of the three questions below.  If that is done, you are automatically entered in the giveaway!  **NOTE** You will not be entered in the giveaway if you do not comment or you do not answer one of the questions.

1) Who's your favorite author?
2) Where's your favorite place?
3) Who's your favorite fictional character?

Fire away, readers!  Make this the biggest giveaway yet!  This giveaway ends May 6.

Review: From Darkness Won

Achan steps into his role as Crown Prince and prepares for war. But war against whom? Could Esek still be alive? Has Lord Nathak taken Esek’s place? Or is the mysterious Hadad the true enemy Achan must confront?

Vrell has her own agenda of serving Prince Oren as a healer, but when she is stormed and lost to the Veil, Achan does all he can to bring her back. His conversations with her are strange, though, as if she has no memory of who he is.

In a land consumed by Darkness, the fate of Er’Rets hangs in the balance as Achan endeavors to take the throne and end the reign of Darkness. (From the back cover.)

This is it.

The end.  Or, the end of the beginning.  All of what happened before has been leading up to this—a final battle for the heart and for the land of Er'Rets.

As I began reading this book, (I was reading the print version, a whopping 661 pages) I couldn't help but wonder how things would turn out.  How everything would work itself to a satisfying ending.  It had been a long journey, and there was much ground left to cover, and a few strands of plot to tie up yet.  I wondered, could this book measure up to the other two?

It certainly could.

From Darkness Won takes you on an adventure and if I would describe the word adventure, I would include in that definition a mention of this series.  You don't read this book—you live it.  The characters are real, in your imagination.  Alive.  I read this book and felt like everything that happened happened to me.  Such is the power of Jill Williamson's writing.  Adventure has become a common word, thrown around to describe various books.  But when I say adventure, I mean this: a saga.  An epic.  A story so real you can touch the grass and fly into the Veil yourself.  And From Darkness Won is undoubtedly an adventure.

In matters of plot, From Darkness Won excels.  If you thought Williamson was done with the plot twists, you were sorely mistaken.  The entire book is a wild ride (except for the ending, that is).  From murders to storming to underground passages and battles; you will find such within these pages.

And rarely have I seen such characters.  They practically live and breathe.  They become beloved to the reader, three-dimensional men and women (and the odd kid) with their own faults and weaknesses.  The point of view of the characters was excellently written as well.  Each POV has an original voice.

As always, the dialogue in From Darkness Won is superb and realistic, and some of the dialogues between Vrell and Achan made me laugh.

The spiritual matters were well-done as well—the dangers and consequences of temptation, lying, and many others were addressed in this novel, as an integral part of the characters' development.

After the climax, the book had fifty pages or so that I nicknamed the Epilogue (though the real epilogue is only at the very end).  It wrapped up loose ends and showed the scenes that the reader had been waiting for in the entire trilogy, which gave me some time to wind down and absorb what had just happened.  It might have been a slightly boring section, had it not been for Vrell and Achan's constant banter, which had me smiling the entire way through.

There were a few cons, however.  First, in the middle of the book, Vrell's name (in her POV) was changed to Averella, which rather annoyed me (though I could see it was necessary).  I expected her POV to change back to 'Vrell' sometime in the book, but it never did.  It made me feel as if I had lost the familiar Vrell I was accustomed to, replaced with a similar character with more refined mannerisms.  Several other characters acted out of sorts with their personalities as well.  However, other than this minor detail, the book was excellent.

All in all, From Darkness Won is a fantastic final installment to the Blood of Kings trilogy.  Highly (and more so!) recommended to older ages.  Rated 9.3 out of 10.

Ineffective Writer's Syndrome

This week, literologists in Kansas City, Kansas, made a breakthrough in a devastating virus strain known to them only as IWS: Ineffective Writer's Syndrome.  They believe they might have found the internal causes.  Uniquely, the IWS manifests itself in different symptoms, and each symptom must be treated differently.

I found this list of symptoms and cures on the IWS site and thought it may help for those of you who may have a temporary case of the IWS.  Please see your literary doctor before making a decision to use IWS cures or any decisions regarding IWS.  IWS is a serious disease that may end up crippling you for life, so act now to stop it, before it is too late.


Some Common Symptoms:
-Procrastination
-Bad quality writing
-Stubborn characters
-Stubborn plot
-Lack of time
-Frustration issues
-Lack of writing
-Lack of originality

Some Suggested Cures:
(These recommendations have been tested by the IWS Committee of Writers.  While they are reasonably accurate, we cannot guarantee full recovery or effectiveness.)
-More sleep
-Read more
-Write more often
-Brainstorming
-Cutting
-Rewriting
-Make time to write each day

IWSCW Cures may produce side effects, such as sleepless nights, unproductive schooldays, lack of desire for social activity, literary madness, abandon, and dreaminess.  IWSCW Cures contain such ingredients such as Imagination, so it is not for those with VGAS (Video Game Addiction Syndrome) or similar illnesses.  or IWSCW is not liable for such side effects and cannot be held responsible.

(Note: Normal post coming soon. ;)  Hang in there!)

Review: Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

A knight left for dead.
A country on the verge of ruin.
And an evil lord rising to conquer.

Sir Rowan is the most decorated tournament knight in Cameria, but when he is attacked and left for dead, his world collapses. Betrayed and lingering at death’s door, only a bizarre vision of his Prince and the help of a woman dedicated to the King keeps him alive. As Rowan heals, he finds new purpose in life through service to his King.

But his beloved land of Cameria has fallen victim to the tyranny of the Dark Knight.

Rowan’s countrymen need his help taking their cities back from the enemy, but all is not as it appears. The mysterious Sir Lijah insists Rowan’s purpose lies elsewhere—far away from Cameria, in an ancient city and for an ancient cause.

Rowan’s destiny is greater than he ever imagined. The final battle with the Dark Knight approaches, and he must choose where he will fight. Will he discover his true identity and purpose as a Knight of the Prince, or will the Dark Knight claim victory for eternity?

Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest is the last book in the Knights of Arrethtrae Series; and I couldn't help but wonder if this book would measure up to the other books in the series.

However, Chuck Black finishes the series well with another short novel that packs a punch. He manages (yet again) to write a tale with the right measures of allegory, plot, character, and worldbuilding to complete a compelling novel and still reveal a lesson behind the story. A winning formula.

As the last book in a series, this one held up well and finished in a spectacular manner. Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest touches on the speculated fate of Cameria and the prophecy of the two mysterious witnesses from Revelation, and also packs in a couple plot twists I never thought to expect.

The writing was concise and descriptive--Chuck Black's wordsmithing skills have been steadily rising. The book was an easy read, with some thoughtful questions at the end. It's more than enough to keep you up reading at night.

All in all, the last book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series is my favorite of all of Black's books and a thought-provoking book. Highly recommended.

Rated 9 out of 10.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.)

See my review on Amazon here. :)

Also, please take a moment to rate my review on the Blogging for Books site. :)