Splish Splash Check out "In My Bath"!

Hi Guys! Brady here. A lot of you know me from the blogs and over at the Cybrarie. I’m one of the Destineers and we had a lot of adventures in the Netherscape. I attend the Greenbrier Academy and we have a lot of really cool classes to help us learn about the fantastical nations that inhabit the Netherscape. Today Bath Boy from In My Bath is here to swap stories. I’ve been telling him all about meeting Firewing, my pet dragon hatchling I found in the Netherscape, and he’s been telling me all about the adventures he has in his bathtub – it must be really magical with all the cool places it takes him.

This is really cool, he brought a copy of In My Bath for me to see. His author is Beth Bence Reinke and his illustrator is Ginger Nielson – they are the source of his special magic and bringing his adventurous world to life. You should stop by our school Cybrarian’s blog, she’s reviewing the book today and even has a really cool giveaway to make your bath time magically fun too!

Each time Bath Boy gets in the bath, he gets to have a new adventure. Some days he gets to jump the waves of the ocean or maybe swim with the manatees – these are really great and gentle sea creatures! Bath Boy says sometimes he goes diving under a fountain of bubbly suds and he never knows what he is going to find when he surfaces – a friendly turtle or maybe a comical penguin! Tub time is always an adventure In My Bath! Pick up a copy today to share with someone else who loves to splash through their bath time looking for adventure! Where can you find your own copy? That’s easy. It’s on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, on 4RV Publishing, on author Beth Bence Reinke’s site, on illustrator Ginger Nielson’s site and, of course, at book stores everywhere – just tell ‘em Brady sent you!

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

Childhood Lessons From the Looking Glass

Recenty I found a very interesting article entitled the Winnie the Pooh Guide to Blogging. Once again, this bear of little brain comes through with marvelous pearls of wisdom. And, as we all know, this cannot be an easy feat when your head is full of fluff. (BTW this really is a good article.)

From there my little brain got to wandering through a plethora of treasures from childhood literature contemplating many great lessons I have learned and insights gained.

Dick and Jane taught me to finish what I start and to appreciate a great love of reading.

Nancy Drew taught me to believe in myself. She taught lessons of observation, to use the art of reason and to think things through.

Dorothy Gale (Wizard of Oz) taught me “There’s no place like home”

Augustus Goop (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) taught me not to scarf the chocolate. Oh, okay, fine…the lesson of moderation.

Alice (Alice in Wonderland) taught me that things just get curiouser and curiouser.

Peter Pan taught me to think happy thoughts, and to believe in pixies and the wonderment of childhood...and, whenever you're lost, look to the second star to the right for the magic of NeverNever Land.

Pinocchio taught me dreams can come true.

Cinderella taught me a dream is a wish your heart makes….and that a great pair of shoes can change your life.

And, perhaps two of my favorite lessons:

Dumbledore (Harry Potter) taught me that “it is our choices that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities”.

And…

Christopher Robin (Winnie the Pooh) taught me to always remember: “You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Just a thought...

What have your favorite characters taught you?

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

New Release Tuesday in the Realms of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In this sequel to 2009's Naamah's Kiss, Moirin, the devoted servant of a sex goddess, journeys across half of a fantasy version of Asia in search of her soulmate, Bao. In Tatar territory, she finds Bao... and his wife. His father-in-law, the Great Khan, is willing to go to great extremes to keep Bao and Moirin apart. Captured by the fanatic Patriarch of Riva, Moirin escapes to find that Bao has vanished again, this time headed toward the distant lair of the Spider Queen and her army of assassins. The romantic tale is marred by Moirin's narcissistic awareness that she is destined for a glorious fate that lesser mortals like Bao's jealous wife may only envy. Carey's storytelling ability is top-notch, however, and readers will applaud her willingness to resolve major plot threads in the middle book of a trilogy. (June)


Stories: All-New Tales by Neil Gaiman, Al Sarrantonio
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This collection of 27 never-before published stories from an impressive cast—Roddy Doyle, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stuart O'Nan, among others—sets out to shift genre paradigms. The overarching theme is fantastic fiction, or fiction of the imagination, with fantasy being used in the most broad-sweeping sense rather than signaling the familiar commercial staples of elves, ghouls, and robots. Consequently, the collection's offerings run a wide gamut. In Joe Hill's Devil on the Staircase, an Italian boy commits a crime of passion and subsequently meets an emissary of Satan. In Jodi Picoult's Weights and Measures, a young couple who have just lost their daughter struggle to hold their marriage together as they both start noticing strange changes taking place. Chuck Palahniuk's The Loser features a college kid on acid as a contestant on a game show, and in Kurt Andersen's Human Intelligence, a geologist meets an explorer from another planet who has been studying humans for the past 1,600 years. The range of voices and subjects practically guarantees something for any reader, but the overall quality is frustratingly variable: most stories are good, some aren't, and few are exceptional. (June)

Magical Monday

This is definitely a magical Monday. This weekend I waqs fortunate enough to have been able to preview the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Univeral Studios Florida before Friday's official opening. It was truly amazing. I don't want to say too much and give anything away - but the castle experience is amazing - it really brings the wizarding world to life with you in the middle of it. The wand shop is interactive letting your wand choose you. The shops are built like genuine shops on a small street - not your typical theme park shop. The food is also themed around the wizarding world (the pumpkin juice is yummy!) I will definietly be back at the official opening Friday, and I can't wait!!

When I got home, I was ready to immerse myself into the Netherscape (my current WIP), but a package on the doorstep caught my eye. It was my early copies of If Wishes Were Fishes. It is so exciting to see it has been released early (the last I had heard from the publisher, 4RV Publishing, was an October release) Now comes the time to immerse myself into the magical realm of marketing for the new release. Yes, it is truly a magical Monday.

I am including the slide show for the current book, If Wishes Were Fishes in case you missed it! (**wink**) Have a magical day!

Check this out!

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

Friday at the Cybrarie

Looking for a good book to read over the holiday weekend? Check out today’s review of Just Breeze by Beverly Stowe McClure over at the Cybrarian book reviews!

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

If Wishes Were Fishes...The Slide Show!!

I am so excited - my new picture book, If Wishes Were Fishes, is now available for pre-order at 4RV Publishing!!!

The book comes to life with illustrations from a very talented artist, Ginger Nielson - she did an awesome job

Check this out!

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

New Release Tuesday in the Realms of Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) by Ilona Andrews

Product Description: Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community. And now there's a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.


Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies by Christie Golden

Product Description: What began as a quest for truth has become a struggle for survival for Luke Skywalker and his son, Ben. They have used the secrets of the Mindwalkers to transcend their own bodies and speak with the spirits of the fallen, risking their very lives in the process. They have faced a team of Sith assassins and beaten the odds to destroy them. And now the death squad’s sole survivor, Sith apprentice Vestara Khai, has summoned an entire fleet of Sith frigates to engage the embattled father and son. But the dark warriors come bearing a surprising proposition that will bring Jedi and Sith together in an unprecedented alliance against an evil more ancient and alien than they can imagine.While the Skywalkers and their Sith allies set off on their joint mission into the treacherous web of black holes that is the Maw, Han and Leia Solo risk arrest and worse to aid the Jedi imprisoned back on Coruscant. Tyrannical Chief of State Natasi Daala has issued orders that will open a permanent schism between her government and the Jedi Order—a schism that could turn all Jedi into renegades and wanted criminals. But it is in the depths of the Maw that the future of the galaxy will be decided. For there the Skywalkers and their Sith allies will engage a true monster in battle, and Luke will come face-to-face with a staggering truth.


The White Road (Nightrunner) by Lynn Flewelling

Dissolute nobles, master spies, and the unlikeliest of heroes, Alec and Seregil have survived exile, treachery, and black magic. But the road that lies ahead is the most hazardous they’ve ever traveled. For with enemies on all sides, they must walk a narrow path between good and evil where one misstep might be their last. Having escaped death and slavery in Plenimar, Alec and Seregil want nothing more than to go back to their nightrunning life in Rhíminee. Instead they find themselves saddled with Sebrahn, a strange, alchemically created creature—the prophesied “child of no woman.” Its moon-white skin and frightening powers make Sebrahn a danger to all whom Alec and Seregil come into contact with, leaving them no choice but to learn more about Sebrahn’s true nature. With the help of trusted friends and Seregil’s clan, the duo set out to discover the truth about this living homunculus—a journey that can lead only to danger or death. For Seregil’s old nemesis Ulan í Sathil of Virèsse and Alec’s own long-lost kin are after them, intent on possessing both Alec and Sebrahn. On the run and hunted, Alec and his comrades must fight against time to accomplish their most personal mission ever.

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes!

In the magical realms, there are many types of magic and fantasy. For an author this can also take place in the form of a book release. I have taken a step outside the fantasy realm and have written a picture book called If Wishes Were Fishes.

It is now available for pre-order through the publisher’s site: 4RV Publishing and will soon be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The story has been beautifully illustrated by the very talented Ginger Nielson. Check back Wednesday for the unveiling of a slide show for this latest release.

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

New Release Tuesday in the Realm of Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Turn Coat: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Here's the review from Publishers Weekly:
The search for a traitor in the highest circles of power forms the main plot thread of Butcher's 11th hard-boiled fantasy novel featuring Chicago's wizard detective Harry Dresden (last seen in 2008's Small Favor). Harry, a warden of the magic-governing White Council, finds himself in an unusual position when Morgan, his fellow warden and frequent antagonist, asks for his help. One of the White Council's leaders has been murdered, and Morgan was found at the scene of the crime holding the murder weapon. If he has been framed, then another senior wizard is behind the killing and may be trying to destroy the council entirely. Aided by werewolf and vampire allies, Dresden investigates with his trademark sardonic noir flair. Despite the sprawling plot, both fans and newcomers will get into the fast-paced action. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

And this is from School Library Journal
When fans of the immensely popular Dresden Files series last left the urban wizard in Small Favor, he was dealing with the aftermath of an adventure that might have left his best friend's life and family in danger. But Harry is back in fine form in his 11th outing, which begins with another, extremely unexpected White Council Warden begging for sanctuary at Harry's place and ends with several frightening revelations. Once again, Butcher's urban fantasy features excellent, irreverent humor, the return of favorite characters, and new challenges from unexpected foes. Harry's cop friend, the tiny but fierce Murphy, sticks by his side here, as do the werewolves Harry befriended in 2001's Fool Moon. Longtime readers will not be disappointed. Recommended for public libraries collecting the series; this is also a great book to plunge newbies into the dark, magical side of Chicago.—Stacey Rottiers, Warren Civic Ctr. Lib., MI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Wow, based on these reviews I can honestly say I can't wait to read this one - I am a HUGE fan of the Dresden files! I am really excited about this latest - if you haven't read this series, I really urge you to give it a read.

Next up, Born To Be Wild (The Others) by Christine Warren

Josie Barrett brings out the animal in men. Literally. As the local veterinarian in a town that’s approximately seventy percent Others—mostly shapeshifters—Josie deals with beastly situations all the time. It’s practically part of her job description. But when the werewolves of Stone Creek, Oregon, start turning downright feral, Josie smells a rat—among other, more dangerous critter.

Teaming up with the ferociously sexy Eli Pace, a full-time sheriff and part-time were-lion, Josie tries to contain the shapeshifting problem before it spreads like a virus. But when more shifters get infected—and stuck in their animal forms—the fur really begins to fly. Josie and Eli have to find the cause, fast, before the whole town goes to the dogs. But first, they have to wrestle with a few animal urges of their own.

I love it when an author brings history to life - here it is with a twist:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.
While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

And, last but not least, a story about Atlantis and the gods...

Atlantis Redeemed (Warriors of Poseidon) by Alyssa Day
The fate of Atlantis is on the line-and the future of the world is at stake... Poseidon's warriors have learned that the battle to protect humanity produces unexpected enemies-and alliances. But none more unexpected than the bond between a cursed Atlantean warrior and a woman whose sight surpasses any lie.

Well, there you have it - this week's offerings for new releases. Which sounds the most intriguing to you?!

Like this post? Tweet It! Go ahead, you know you want to!

Behold, I Tell You a Mystery

Last night I went to a memorial service for a friend. It was a wonderful celebration for an amazing life. Claire Carter Malone Short valiantly fought her battle against the monster called breast cancer -conquered the demon - and lived the past several years in a more tranquil (yet tentative) realm called remission. But, as demons have a tendency to do, the beast reared its ugly head and began attacking again with a renewed vengeance.

Claire was in Germany for aggressive treatment, an ally enlisted to assist in her brave battle. Sadly, it was not enough, and she succumbed to the inevitable. As her time drew near, was able to have her husband, children and grandchildren by her side to tell them again how precious they all were to her and that her love would always be with them. Later that night she surrendered her pain and now frail mortal body to the promise of eternal life among the angels. While her physical presence will be missed in this mortal realm by her friends, family and (literally) the thousands of lives she touched and influenced, her strength, love, friendship and guidance will forever live among us.

Here's To Magical Beginnings

Like many others, I tend to take time in early January to reflect on the past year and contemplate goals for the New Year.


From a writing standpoint, 2008 was a good year. I hit several writing milestones in completion of projects and publications. You don’t understand. This is a REALLY big step for me. I never have problems meeting deadlines in the workplace or in my personal life where others are counting on me. Yet, somehow, I have a lot of difficulty completing…anything, deadline or not, when it is solely for me. And writing, until recently, has been just that – strictly for me. I enjoy writing. When writing for your own pleasure, you write what you want to write. When writing for business, you do not always get this luxury. I am blessed. I have had the incredible good luck to have writing projects that I have enjoyed immensely, had them published and been paid for it – the trifecta of writing.


Writing is often a very personal thing. It reflects your work, your time and talent. It is not always easy to share what you have written with others. Face it, it’s a critical world out there, and to have someone else read your work and pass judgment on it is not an easy thing to handle. Often as writers we baby step it, first showing a piece we’ve written to our closest circle of friends and family – those people in our lives who know our short comings and stick around anyway. The problem with this is we sometimes get feedback that is slanted towards what we want and need to hear (thank you kind hearted friends and family) but not necessarily what we may hear from someone who is not concerned with sparing our feelings. When we make that giant leap of faith to show our work to professionals in the industry it can be a very big and scary step. I’ve been baby stepping this leap of faith offering certain projects for critique to my writing group, reworking areas and polishing it and sending the piece out into the big world of publishing. So far, I have been fortunate – haven’t found homes for everything of course, but have gotten off to a pretty good start.


To those of you who know me, you know the Destineers stuff is my baby. For anyone who may not know about the Destineers, here are some links. The website link is http://Destineers.com and the forum link is http://Cybrarie.com Please feel free to join in the fun. We love new friends! These are my playgrounds and you are most certainly invited to come join in and play there with me, Ryan (the leader of the group), his brother Brady (who is fanatical about dragons…especially since he found a dragon egg in the Netherscape), Sean (the self proclaimed comic relief of the group) and Kylie (the writer of the group who keeps the journal of all they have learned and their adventures).


In a few weeks we are releasing the Destineers Journal of Fantasy Nations. This is the Journal as recorded by Kylie, her “field guide” of the various fantasy beings they have learned about in class. It’s filled with tidbits she has learned in class [from Professor Noah Washington who is, by the way, a goblin] about the various Nations of Fantasy as well as her own observations from meeting these folks. It’s sort of a prequel to the novel – a sample of the types of characters from the quests. We hope you will join the fantasy and the fun.


Please take a moment to stop by the website (at http://Destineers.com) and the forum (at http://Cybrarie.com) and join in the fun.


Thanks, and have a magical week!

RIP Michael Crichton

Sometimes life comes at you fast. Sounds like a commercial. It also sounds like my life lately - busy with the Muse Conference, which was fantabulous by the way, (except in the midst of it my computer crashed and burned...grrrrr...thank goodness for flash drives.), lots of things going on in my personal world and writing projects, this year's Nano project...and then tonight I heard some very sad news.

Michael Crichton lost his brave personal battle with cancer. He will be definitely be missed. His work and contributions to the general field of entertainment (writing, film and television) has touched so many lives. He has been a favorite author of mine for years. His work has definitely inspired me - what an impressive list of credits:

Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Congo, Sphere, Prey, Andromeda Strain, and my personal favorite Timeline.

"Michael's talent out-scaled even his own dinosaurs of ..Jurassic Park,'" said "Jurassic Park" director Steven Spielberg, a friend of Crichton's for 40 years. "He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs again walking the Earth. ... Michael was a gentle soul who reserved his flamboyant side for his novels. There is no one in the wings that will ever take his place."

John Wells, executive producer of "ER" called the author "an extraordinary man. Brilliant, funny, erudite, gracious, exceptionally inquisitive and always thoughtful.

Wow - what an amazing legacy. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fans. This is indeed a great loss.

I'm going to go curl up with Timeline, a cup of cocoa, and wonderful memories of a great author....just a thought

Woo Hoo! It's Finally Here!

Well, it’s that magical time of year again and I can hardly wait! This morning the Muse Online Writers conference officially begins. This past week has been a flurry of introductory emails and networking, and handouts for galore for each of the classes, but tomorrow the forum workshops and chat workshops officially begin and it promises to be a whole lot of fun.

This is my second time attending the conference. This year is no different than last – I signed up for waaaaay too many workshops…but they all sounded simply to good to pass up.

A lot of the writers at the conference are doing their preliminary work for NaNoWriMo. What’s NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month. Yes, November is officially the month to challenge yourself to flesh out a novel of 50,000 words or more. That is quite a challenge. I tried it last year. I was successful in hitting my 50,000 word target, but the novel still in my “work in progress” drawer. You see, I decided not only to challenge myself to write a novel in a month…but to change genres and challenge myself to try something totally new – out of my comfort zone. It was great! Invigorating! The only downfall was with the change there was a need for a lot of research. I had not realized how much research was going to be necessary to get a believable mystery written. You have to know law – well, not chapter and verse, but the basics. You have to know jurisdiction – there are some lines that cross in the particular storyline I have going. You have to know people and behaviors. Well, for any good book to have believable characters you need to know the human element fairly well and show well defined and developed characters to keep today’s readers interested. By the way – there are a couple great workshops on writing mysteries at the Muse Conference!

My favorite genre is fantasy. Again, there are lots of great workshops at the Muse conference on Fantasy, World Building, Magic, Celtic magic. Of course I signed up for all of them. Yes, it is like regular school and they all have homework. Sleep? Nah, not this week, they’ll be plenty of time to sleep…hmmmmm…well, sooner or later there’ll be time to sleep, I’m sure. I’m an insomniac by nature anyway, lol.

Well, I’m still working on preliminary work for the conference soooooo…to everyone who is attending the conference – have fun and I’ll see you there!