Building Believable Magic in a Fantasy Book

Children have been raised to believe in fantasy – Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, and fairy tales galore. What is the attraction? Why do we enjoy the fantastical realm? I think one reason is the fairy tale ending, “they lived happily ever after”. These five little words bring a warm cozy, safe feeling. After all, don’t we strive to find our very own “happily ever after” in real life?

In most fantasy stories, there is not an easy magical answer to every trivial problem – true magic needs what all good stories need…conflict. There also needs to be a real chance for the hero of the story to fail, after all, if he can simply magic his problem away, where is the suspense of the story? The reader needs to feel compelled to feel the adventure as they enter the magical realm and join the hero on his magical quest. One sense the author must develop in a work of fantasy is the sense of wonder – stretching your imagination to places it may never have traveled before, then going beyond those limits to expand into the vastness of the “what if”. It stirs feelings within us, a familiar recognition of a realm where anything is possible and you must expect the unexpected. In this world logic is stretched, tested and redefined. Often, along the way the champion will have to face fantastical beings often with their own magical powers and qualities.

In my fantasy series, Kylie (the writer of the group known as the destineers) keeps a journal as a chronicle of the group’s adventures. It is filled with entries about all the magical beings they encounter. Later volumes will address their magical lessons and recounting of the legends they witness in the making. But, for now, those stories are being categorized and recorded by ghost writers in the Cybrarie. For updates about the series and new postings in the forum or book review blog, join the Destineers’ Fan Page.

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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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New Release Tuesday: Offerings from the Realm of Greek Mythology

This week’s new release suggestions come from the realm of Greek Mythology. I have just finished one of Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” books which will be the subject for the Cybrarian’s review at the end of the week, and thought it would be a good time to take a peek at some offerings from the Greek mythology theme.

Atlantis Unleashed (Warriors of Poseidon, Book 3) by Alyssa Day
Eleven thousand years ago Poseidon’s warriors took an oath swearing to protect humanity from those who stalk the night. Now powerful forces are uniting and it all comes down to a warrior prince and a woman of science; these two souls are all that stand between justice and the eternal darkness.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Kindle Edition)
This is the Kindle version of the second book in the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series. Summer is the time for all young heroes to gather at Camp Half-Blood to train in the art of survival against the monsters that live in the real world seeking to destroy the young demigods. It is called Camp Half-Blood because it is a safe place, a summer camp, specifically for young campers with one mortal parent and one parent who is a Greek god.

Amazon has this to say about the second book in the series: “after a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any “normal” friends. Things don’t stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia-only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name-the Bermuda Triangle. Now Percy and his friends-Grover, Annabeth, and Tyson-must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family-one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon-s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.” This series is wrought with traditional Greek mythology with a modern flavor. This series makes great family summer reading, just a thought...

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The Heart of a Character

Have you ever met one of those characters that capture your heart from the very first page and have you rooting for him through the whole book? That’s exactly what you have with Slob by Ellen Potter.

Owen Birmbaum is twelve years old. He is the fattest kid in his middle school and with an IQ of one point less than genius level, probably the smartest person in his school, too. He is an easy target for bullies (even his gym teacher falls into this category) but he engages you from page one and stays with you through the end.

This book totally takes you back to the miseries and drama of middle school – the cliques, the teachers, the sights and sounds. But it is so much more than a novel with funny stories of one disaster after another that happens in middle school life.

This little twelve year old kid teaches you compassion for others in the midst of all the havoc being shoveled upon you…even from someone you should be able to trust (a teacher).

This is the book reviewed by the Cybrarian this week. Why not pop over and check out the review, and the new template/look? Just a thought...


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Fantasy Friday

Reading Fantasy is not about escapism. It doesn’t teach magic to people. Fantasy is a genre to gain insights about being human or exploring the human soul by taking us out of the real world. In Fantasy, through the threats of sorrow and failure readers get a fleeting glimpse of joy and discover truths and an underlying reality.

Fantasy author and scholar Jane Yolen states the importance of Fantasy best:
"In fantasy stories we learn to understand the differences of others, we learn compassion for those things we cannot fathom, we learn the importance of keeping our sense of wonder. The strange worlds that exist in the pages of fantastic literature teach us a tolerance of other people and places and engender an openness toward new experience. Fantasy puts the world into perspective in a way that 'realistic' literature rarely does. It is not so much an escape from the here-and-now as an expansion of each reader’s horizons."

This week’s Cybrarian Book Review spotlight is on THE SEVEN SONGS OF MERLIN (Book 2 of the Lost Years of Merlin) by TA Barron. What I love about this series is it focuses on Merlin’s youth at the time he was first coming into his magic. Barron’s epic telling of this period fits very nicely with all of the contradiction and controversy that go arm in arm with the legend of the great wizard.

In this tale 13 year-old Merlin must battle an ogre named Balor to gain entrance to the Otherworld to obtain the elixir that can save his mother from the poisonous deathshadow.

As we learned in my book, The Destineers Journal of Fantasy Nations, ogres are in the same family tree as giants and are easily twice as tall as mortal men. They are the strongest humanoids known and are notorious for their fighting skills. Imagine the fear a 13 year-old must feel in coming face to face with such a creature. Ogres are burly and muscular, but not known for their intelligence. They are not stupid, but they do not think fast on their feet – something Merlin is able to take advantage of in dealing with this being.

To read the Cybrarian ‘s review, please take a moment to click over to the other site.

What are some of the fantasy creatures you remember from your childhood? Were they from some of your favorite books? I'll bet they stir some pretty vivid memories. Just a thought...

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Fantasy Friday's Fantastical Character of the Day: The Seer

As Fridays are the day the Cybrarian posts reviews of books from the realm of fantasy, science fiction, and the paranormal, I have decided to use Friday as a day to introduce one the beings from The Destineers Journal of Fantasy Nations that is featured in the book being reviewed by the Cybrarian.

There are many beings in the world of fantasy. Many of them have special gifts and magical abilities. The Seer has the special gift of foresight – the gift of precognition that allows them to see images or shadows of things yet to be. Those with the abilities of the Seer have the supernatural ability to see things hidden from others. Sometimes this is a magical object that is otherwise invisible; sometimes it is the shadow of something that will happen in the near future. They have the ability to speak to the spirits, often through a dreamlike trance, and receive messages from these spirits. Seers are revered because of their rare power to see the future at will and are sought by those in high power to serve as their top advisor, thereby keeping them safe from their enemies.

While those who do not possess this gift think it would be truly one of the most amazing powers to have, those who have this true sight often feel it to be more of a curse than a blessing. The life of a Seer can be a very draining life path; they cannot always suppress their visions and when they inadvertently stumble upon the energy left behind by others it can often lead to strange and disturbing visions. These visions can be quite intense and can happen anytime and anywhere. For the Seer, the shadows of things soon to be, are everywhere.

This week’s Cybrarian’s book review explores the adventure packed science fiction novel, The Seer , by G. Clifton Wisler. Why not click over and check it out? Don't forget to check the website for other great things happening at the Cybrarie! Just a thought...


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Building Believable Magic in a Fantasy Book

Children have been raised to believe in fantasy – Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, and fairy tales galore. What is the attraction? Why do we enjoy the fantastical realm? I think one reason is the fairy tale ending, “they lived happily ever after”. These five little words bring a warm cozy, safe feeling. After all, don’t we strive to find our very own “happily ever after” in real life?

In most fantasy stories, there is not an easy magical answer to every trivial problem – true magic needs what all good stories need…conflict. There also needs to be a real chance for the hero of the story to fail, after all, if he can simply magic his problem away, where is the suspense of the story? The reader needs to feel compelled to feel the adventure as they enter the magical realm and join the hero on his magical quest. One sense the author must develop in a work of fantasy is the sense of wonder – stretching your imagination to places it may never have traveled before, then going beyond those limits to expand into the vastness of the “what if”. It stirs feelings within us, a familiar recognition of a realm where anything is possible and you must expect the unexpected. In this world logic is stretched, tested and redefined. Often, along the way the champion will have to face fantastical beings often with their own magical powers and qualities.

In my fantasy series, Kylie (the writer of the group known as the destineers) keeps a journal as a chronicle of the group’s adventures. It is filled with entries about all the magical beings they encounter. Later volumes will address their magical lessons and recounting of the legends they witness in the making. But, for now, those stories are being categorized and recorded by ghost writers in the Cybrarie. For updates about the series and new postings in the forum or book review blog, join the Destineers’ Fan Page.

The fantasy being reviewed by the Cybrarian this week is The Lost Years of Merlin the first book from T.A. Barron’s 5-part series following the wizard’s young teenage life. Why not click over and check out young Merlin’s tale?

The Enchanted Isle of Fincayra

TA Barron's Map of
The Enchanted Isle of Fincayra

"Fantasy opens the door to experiencing the magic that is in the world around us and more importantly the magic in ourselves. As a genre, fantasy is about moving from our world into the world of experiences beyond. By tapping into those experiences we come to know more about ourselves. ...In pure fantasy, readers on the journey discover truths about themselves and about their connection to humanity." ~ T.A. Barron

TA Barron is one of my favorite children’s fantasy writers. He wrote a series of books on Merlin as a young boy growing up (The Lost Years of Merlin). While most people know of Merlin, the most famous of wizards, there is very little known or written about his youth on the isle of Fincayra (an enchanted isle that lies between earth and sky). This series answers the questions “Where did Merlin come from and what happened to him for him to become this great exalted wizard?” Barron’s fantastical series imagines his youth and learning of magic and the very special way he interacts with the world around him. It addresses how he got his name. My favorite book in the series is The Seven Songs of Merlin (this is the second in the series of five books). Merlin must discover and master the Seven Songs of Wisdom that have been passed down from the great wizard Tuatha.

I’m currently re-reading this for the Cybrarian book review blog. It has a magical way of sweeping you back to days of childhood as you travel with Merlin, seeing him through more vulnerable eyes as he goes through adolescence and learning about the world around him. Barron is in the midst of another Merlin trilogy called Merlin’s Dragon which I am anxiously waiting delivery of my first installment.

With the numerous books dealing with Merlin, it is refreshing to see a different viewpoint, his early years.

As writers the question remains, how do we keep stories fresh – go beyond the normal storylines to keep the unique? Face it, there are clichéd storylines in virtually every genre – romance, fantasy, mystery…what do you do to have your book stand apart from the rest? Perhaps you use a different viewpoint as Barron did. Perhaps it is a unique and engaging character that sets your book ahead of others in the genre. What is that special X factor the reader looks for and, more importantly, how do we deliver?

Just a thought…

Ask the Cybrarian: Book Reviews

Book Reviews are a great way to spread the word about a new book. Readers are more apt to buy a book from an author they are not familiar with if they see endorsements from other readers and professionals from the writing community.

I have recently started a separate book reviewing blog called Ask the Cybrarian: Book Reviews. It for a review site featuring books intended for the children through young adult age range and is hosted by a character from my current work in progress, a young adult fantasy, The Destineers and the Legend of the Netherscape.

Millicent Prendergild, is the nearly departed Cybrarian at Greenbrier Academy who hosts the blog. Why nearly departed? Well, Ms. Prendergild began working at the Academy when it first opened its doors over 100 years ago. When her time had passed in our world, she could not bear to leave her beloved school behind so she remains overseeing the mortal library as well as the Inter-Realm Cybrarie. The Cybrarie is an Inter-Realm library, a place where the stories from the other Realms are transmitted through cyberspace to our ghost writers for weaving into the appropriate archive. Einstein, HG Wells, and many others from our world have offered theories and suggested stories from the other Realms. Ms. Prendergild oversees a staff of very loyal ghost writers that sort it all out – separating fact from fiction and archiving them appropriately (well, where did you think the term "ghost writers" came from?).

The Cybrarie website is an interactive forum all about exchanging and sharing information. This is a fun place for friends to meet, converse, share and discuss books and ideas in the Fantasy Realm or whatever else happens to come up. Think of it as a virtual coffee house. If you have a book appropriate for children through young adult age that you would like to promote, there is a room called the Cybrarie Exchange that would welcome your contribution (book blurb, copy of the book cover, and of course a link to where the book can be purchased), just send me an email through NetherscapeRealm@aol.com.

The most recent review of a fantasy entitled The Lost Lake Digs by PW Corss (geared towards children aged 9-12) has just been posted by our loyal Cybrarian. Stop over if you get a chance, the Cybrarian would love to meet you.