Building Believable Magic

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. Check out Kylies' journal about the creatures of fantasy they encounter in the Netherscape in The Destineers’ Journal of Fantasy Nations available on Amazon; autographed copies available through the Cybrarie or here.

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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Magical Monday: Amulets

Amulets were often used for magical protection. They were used both by the living and the dead. Many amulets have been found in Egyptian tombs. These amulets are in the shape of gods, goddesses, animals, objects, parts of the body, etc. and were believed to contain special powers. Many amulets were wrapped up with the mummy. The mummy of King Tut is a good example and many such amulets were found wrapped in his mummy. Many different substances were also used in the making of amulets which included stone, wood, clay, etc. Since certain substances possessed certain powers, it was important to choose the right substance for a specific type of amulet. Magic writing was also considered an amulet and many such types of magical papyrus have been found in tombs. Thus, wearing of amulets during life was the means of seeking the gods protection and help. After death a special protection was also needed.

Amulets are close cousins to the talisman (from the Greek word “telein” which means “to initiate into the mysteries”. These are objects intended to bring protection or good luck to its wearer. These often have symbols, gems, carvings or even words on them to enforce its magical essence.

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New Releases in the Realms of SciFi and Fantasy

This week's releases are a tribute to the popular series "Dr. Who", a mysterious humanoid alien who travels through time and space righting wrongs in "TARDIS" (acronym for Time and Relative Demensions in Space). This is such a fun series!

The Forgotten Army (Doctor Who) by Brian Minchin

'Let me tell you a story. Long ago, in the frozen Arctic wastes, an alien army landed. Only now, 10,000 years later, it isn't a story. And the army is ready to attack'. New York is one of the greatest cities on 21st century Earth...But what's going on in the Museum? And is that really a Woolly Mammoth rampaging down Broadway? An ordinary day becomes a time of terror, as the Doctor and Amy meet a new and deadly enemy. The vicious Army of the Vykoid are armed to the teeth and determined to enslave the human race, even though they're only seven centimetres high. With the Vykoid army swarming across Manhattan and sealing it from the world with a powerful alien force field, Amy has just 24 hours to find the Doctor and save the city. If she doesn't, the people of Manhattan will be taken to work in the doomed asteroid mines of the Vykoid home planet. But as time starts to run out, who can she trust? And how far will she have to go to free New York from the Forgotten Army? This is a thrilling, all new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.


Night of the Humans (Doctor Who) by David Llewellyn
'This is the Gyre - the most hostile environment in the galaxy'. 250,000 years' worth of junk is floating in deep space, home to the shipwrecked Sittuun, the carnivorous Sollogs, and worst of all - the Humans. The Doctor and Amy arrive on this terrifying world in the middle of an all-out frontier war between Sittuun and Humans, and the countdown has already started. There's a comet in the sky, and it's on a collision course with the Gyre...When the Doctor is kidnapped, it's up to Amy and 'galaxy-famous swashbuckler' Dirk Slipstream to save the day. But who is Slipstream, exactly? And what is he really doing here? This is a thrilling, all new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

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Vamping Around on New Release Tuesday in SciFi and Fantasy Book

Changes (Dresden Files, Book 12) by Jim Butcher
From Booklist
*Starred Review* The twelfth Dresden Files novel (following Turncoat, 2009) finds the licensed PI and professional wizard Harry Dresden confronted with some shocking news: he has an eight-year-old daughter, and she’s been kidnapped by Red Court vampires. Harry is willing to risk everything to rescue her, even if it means turning his own life upside down. At more than 500 pages, this is one the longest books in the series, but it doesn’t move slowly; in fact, the entire novel takes place over only a few days as Harry races to rescue his daughter before she is sacrificed in a powerful black-magic rite. The taut and sometimes twisty plot is full of surprises and changes for Harry and his friends and family. Changes is a compelling installment in what continues to be an outstanding series. All the regulars (including cop Murphy; Harry’s half brother, vampire Thomas; Sanya the Knight; and Harry’s apprentice, Molly) are featured, as they, too, risk everything to save Harry’s daughter. After the cliff-hanger ending, readers will be clamoring for the next book. A can’t-miss entry in one of the best urban-fantasy series currently being published. --Jessica Moyer

I love this series – can’t wait to get my hands on this one!


Dead and Gone: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris
From Booklist
The Louisiana town of Bon Temps—along with the rest of the world—is about to be rocked with some big supernatural news: like the vampires before them, the Were people—humans with the ability to change into animals—are about to reveal themselves to humanity. Psychic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse is apprehensive about the revelation, given the way some people in the small town revile anyone with extraordinary powers, including Sookie herself. While the initial announcement seems to go over smoothly with most people, tragedy strikes when Sookie’s brother Jason’s estranged wife, a werepanther, is found murdered and nailed up on a cross. Jason is the prime suspect, but Sookie has even bigger problems to deal with when she learns that a vicious fairy prince is determined to kill her. Darker and more ominous than earlier entries in the series, Harris’ latest raises the stakes (pun intended) for lovable heroine Sookie and comes up a winner. With HBO’s True Blood, a series based on Sookie’s adventures, renewed for a second season, expect demand for this latest gripping installment. --Kristine Huntley --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Wow – a big week for vampire series!

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Werewolf Week on New Release Tuesday in SciFi and Fantasy

Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger
Product Description
Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can. She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.


Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity, Book 6) by Alexandra Ivy
Product Description
Salvatore Giuliani is not a happy werewolf. It's his duty as leader to track down the pureblood females who can keep his people from extinction. But the moment he catches scent of Harley, a pureblood held by a pack of mangy curs, his savage need for her obliterates all other instincts. And the only thing worse than being captured is finding that beautiful, independent Harley defiantly refuses to become his mate. Harley has been taught to distrust all Weres, especially their arrogant king. She won't be used for breeding or bonded against her will, not even to a man who makes every nerve tingle with awareness. Yet Salvatore is her key to saving the family she never knew she had - if she dares to succumb to his dark, predatory desire, and face a vicious enemy sworn to destroy them both...

It’s werewolf week!

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New Release Tuesday in the Realms of SciFi and Fantasy

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
Product Description
The New York Times bestselling duo of Crusie and Mayer team up again with a hilarious paranormal novel that shows why the wildest ride at the Dreamland Amusement Park isn’t the roller coaster
Mary Alice Brannigan doesn’t believe in the supernatural. Nor does she expect to find that Dreamland, the decaying amusement park she’s been hired to restore, is a prison for the five Untouchables, the most powerful demons in the history of the world. Plus, there’s a guy she’s falling hard for, and there’s something about him that’s not quite right.
But rocky romances and demented demons aren’t the only problems in Dreamland: Mab’s also coping with a crooked politician, a supernatural raven, a secret government agency, an inexperienced sorceress, an unsettling inheritance, and some mind-boggling revelations from her past. As her personal demons wreck her newfound relationship and real demons wreck the park, Mab faces down immortal evil and discovers what everybody who’s ever been to an amusement park knows: The end of the ride is always the wildest


Hammerfast: A Dwarven Outpost Adventure Site (4th Edition D&D) by Mike Mearls

Product Description :
A ready-to-use adventure location for any D&D® campaign...Need an exciting adventure location for your heroes to explore? Look no further.Hammerfast presents a fully detailed, ready-to-use dwarven town, complete with secret locations, maps, adventure hooks, monster and NPC statistics, ready-to-play encounters, and a full-color, double-sided battle map. The book is perfect for Dungeon Masters looking for an intrigue-laden adventure location that fits instantly and easily into their existing D&D campaigns.The dwarven outpost of Hammerfast is described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide® core rulebook and gets mentioned often in D&D published adventures. However, this is the first time the town has been fully detailed. In addition to an adventure location, Hammerfast can serve as the base of operations for characters exploring Nentir Vale.

This sounds like fun - can always use a good dwarven story!

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Holiday Weekend - You Know What THAT Means - DRAGON'S COOKOUT!

Well, another holiday weekend is nearly upon us. Where has the summer gone? Whoever coined the phrase, the lazy days of summer, definitely does not live in my world!

Sometimes it gets hard to keep up with the fast pace of life – family and careers can really keep us hopping. This holiday weekend, many of us will find a little time to slow down and spend a last memorable summer weekend. We celebrate this annual holiday to honor the labor union movement and celebrate the great social and economic achievements of the worker force. This year, let us hope and pray for a better and more stable economic climate for all and give thanks for all the blessings we have and tend to take for granted. Take time to celebrate, relax from the normally hectic routine and take the weekend to enjoy life to the fullest.

Me? I’m going to check in on the Destineers – my great escape – and join them for their holiday barbecue celebration. Stop by the Destineers’ blog and the Cybrarie forum to say hi – join us for our virtual cookout – we’ll be there all weekend and we’ll even bring the dragon! Goodness knows he loves roasted marshmallows!

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New Things Coming...Magic is in the Air!

Ahhhh…this is the season, the time of year when summer break is coming to a close and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils fills the air as students begin to prepare to return to school. Things are no different for the Destineers as they prepare to return to Greenbrier Academy. The professors are planning their lessons which they will, of course, be posting in the Cybrarie, and on the Destineers blog. Things have been pretty quiet over on that blog – the gang has been busy having adventures, following quests and keeping the Netherscape safe from the tyranny of Deimos and the Clan of Ares sen Feear, but a new school year is coming.

I hope you will join us as we learn more about the fantasy realms with classes like Dragon Training and Mythical Beings. The schedule planned now is for classes to post Tuesdays and Thursdays to both the blog and the Cybrarie . Right now, the professors are busy supplying their classrooms and giving the blog a facelift to have a more magical feel, the link is live now if you want a sneak peek. Hope we’ll be seeing you there!

In the meantime, how about a little game to spice things up? Christy Condoleo is launching her new book tomorrow (Friday, August 7) with a scavenger hunt! Really - how cool is that? You visit her site which will lead you to another author's site to hunt for an answer to answer a question. I believe there are seven sites involved. You get to visit some great author sites, learn a little about them (and I hear the Destineers will be on one of the stops!), and have some fun. Submit your answers to Christie for a chance to win her new book! Sounds like a lot of fun - I know I'll be making the tour!

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Shadows of Annihilation

Just a thought…for a slight departure from the ordinary today, I thought I would post an example of an exercise I performed while writing a particular scene for my work in progress The Legend of the Netherscape.

This is a young adult fantasy and I did a good deal of research trying to get a scene from the Holocaust era. As Kylie is the writer of the group and the keeper of the journal, to get the scene right, I wanted to see it from this particular character’s point of view. The novel itself doesn’t come from her point of view, but for the purpose of this lesson which will become clear at a later point in the novel, it was necessary to get her perspective. This scene is graphic and disturbing - it's the holocaust - fraught with senseless killing. The scene in the book is not as graphic as this, it is written for a younger audience, but I had to totally get inside her head to see what she saw and feel what she is feeling and find the trigger that brings this memory back later in the novel.

If you didn’t read yesterday’s post, you may want to skim it to get a feel for what is going on and a short intro to the characters. Again, I appologize yesterday and today's posts are a little longer than usual because of having to set the background and introduce the characters. Thank you for your indulgence.

As part of an Interactive History class, the Destineers are getting ready to go into the Incarnation Chamber for their Holocaust lesson. The translation software is on so they will understand everything being said. The date they are visiting is November 9, 1938.

I will now turn the blog over to 15 year-old Kylie O’Connor.

Journal Entry: September 5, 2008

Why am I breathing so loud? Do you know what fear
tastes like? I do…it’s in the back of my mouth right now. It’s hot and it’s dry and it’s swallowing up all my spit. It’s like someone wadded a big ball of cotton and rammed it down the back of my throat. It tastes bitter, acidy. It takes my breath away so I can’t even scream.

Why is my skin so clammy? I can’t stop sweating. My chest physically hurts; my heart is beating so hard. The shadows are going to find us and it’ll be my fault. I’m not so sure I’m going to like this class.

Just reading about these times in history is horrific enough, but to witness it
up close as it really happened…I don’t know about this. Okay. Deep breath,
Kylie. Here we go.

I take a deep breath and follow the class into the chamber.

Suddenly, it is mid-day November 9, 1938…again. There is frenzied chaos everywhere, people running every which way. I feel the fear choking me as my eyes dart across the landscape taking in everything. I can’t move. My legs suddenly feel very heavy and rooted to the ground. A Ukrainian peasant, middle aged of moderately wide girth runs by exclaiming, “The troops have arrived, they are executing Jews in town. No one is safe! Run! Hide!”

Sounds of screams, running…surround us. People flood into the streets, running amuck, yet there is nowhere to run – no way to escape. Even the birds are trying to get away, I hear wings fluttering softly at first, raising to a heavy beating sound as they squawk and flap about panicking now too. The ground is shaking – I can feel the trucks filled with soldiers rumbling down the dirt road. My hair is bristling on the back of my neck.

Oh my God. What’s that?!?! My heart is racing. Gun shots! There is gunfire everywhere! They’re coming! Strike that –they’re here!

I can’t breathe; cold perspiration runs down the back of my neck, matting the tiny hairs that are standing upright. “Professor!” I scream in horror. “Where do we go? What do we do? They can’t do anything to us, right? You’re sure?” My head pivots wildly taking in the scene around me. Tears spill uncontrollably down my cheeks.

“Kylie!” I hear the headmaster calling out to me. “Try to stay calm.”

His voice is soothing, but he sounds so far away from the chaos around us. Why does he feel so far away? I trust him. I know he will keep us safe. I want to find him, I need to find him. Everything is dark and spinning around me.

His distant voice calls out to me; a warm safe feeling is enveloped in his voice. “Remember, we are in the Chamber and it is set to Replication mode only. They can neither hear nor see us. However - we will see and, to a degree, experience what the people here are experiencing, but we have the safety net that we cannot be harmed. Sadly, we can do nothing to save these people from the shadows of the past and the fate that awaits them. Quickly class, stay together. We need to take cover where we can observe.”

I stumble blindly towards the sound of his voice and feel a gaggle of arms reaching for me, and then holding me, pulling me close. Through my teardrops, I see Ryan’s stony face as he pulls me to safety behind the shelter of bales of hay where the class is gathering out of the line of fire.

Professor Derrnz’ voice continues “I am truly sorry for what you are about to witness, you may not understand now, but it is a very unfortunate necessity. This is the only way you can know, it is a lesson you cannot learn at the level you need to understand it from simply reading a book. It is cruel, but it is a lesson you must experience in person for it to touch the very depths of your souls for you to truly understand. Again, I am sorry. Quickly! In here!” His voice is curt as he leads us into a storage room of some sort made of cinder block.

I can see light passing through some cracks in the stone, but I don’t think the attackers see us. There is mayhem everywhere. A short distance away, about half a mile down the road, a large German military truck is spewing out soldiers firing their weapons at the innocents running through the streets. Frantic bursts of gunfire resonate through the town. It is all happening so quickly...yet in slow motion...time seems distorted somehow.

The screams of people being exterminated literally only a hundred feet away from us haunt me. Bodies are falling everywhere – old, young, fat, thin, men, women,children, all gone. All dead. They never had a chance. None of them. Goosebumps travel down my spine sending uncontrollable shivers through my body. I can’t stand on my own and feel myself slump hard against the cold stone wall. I don’t think I will ever be able to close my eyes again and not hear the terrified screams, the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire and then the most horrific sound of all – the deafening silence.

And the smell…blood spilling out on the hot pavement, gunpowder, perspiration. It is nauseating and I feel myself starting to retch.

I feel compelled to watch, horrified as I am, I can’t turn away. Through a distorted teary-eyed gaze I watch one soldier as he chases a young mother trying to run away, in her arms is a squirming terrified toddler. But the soldier grabs her by the shoulder, spinning her around. No!!! Her eyes are huge as she turns to him pleading for their lives.

Rat-a-tat-tat.

The sound echoes in my head.

She crumbles on top of her baby, small crimson rivers pooling from the bullet holes that riddle their bodies.

I can’t hold back the tears and fall over sobbing convulsively. I feel the arm of the headmaster around me, gently pulling me back towards the door to the exit, back to our own world and time.

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Worldbuilding Wednesday, a Sneak Peak into the Netherscape Realm

Just a thought, but tomorrow is the day my blog book tour class will visit to critique my blog. I have been trying to think of something special to post that is representative of what this site is about. After consideration I thought an excerpt based on my work in progress might be appropriate. I write for kids and young adults – this sets me apart from the rest of the class a bit, as does my genre of fantasy, and I do appreciate the tolerance of my differences from the rest of the class. Tolerance is a strong theme in my book. I hope everyone will continue to bear with me as today and tomorrow’s posts will be slightly longer than usual.

Today’s worldbuilding theme is a little more specific. Today I am going to “set the scene” for tomorrow’s post.

As the scene I plan on sharing is not from the book’s opening, I will try to give you a little story and character background. Ryan (16), his little brother Brady (9), Kylie (15) and Sean (16) attend a renowned private school called the Greenbrier Academy, one of the highest rated schools in the country. It is located in the fictitious town of Wen Melas, CA nestled in the valley of the Alijunga Mountains. A strange new head master, Wiliam Derrnz, has arrived at the prestigious school and suddenly very interesting things begin to occur. The headmaster brings with him new professors and an odd new curriculum that includes classes like dragon training and interactive history. The friends discover they have been assigned to a “directed study” program, which is the beta testing group for the new curriculum, but they seem to be the only ones participating with the new professors and classes.

They have discovered they each have very special innate talents, as everyone does.

Ryan is the leader of the group, a practical “everyman” with organizational skills that play to each of their strengths. He fearlessly blazes the trail on their quest into the Netherscape realm with a quiet strength.

Kylie’s talents lie in writing so she keeps a very special journal chronicling every step of their journey. She’s a bit awkward socially, and relies heavily on what she has learned from books for all her answers. She writes for the school newspaper and dreams of someday having adventures and not just writing about them.

Sean is the comic relief of the group. He is very comfortable at being the laid back, fun-loving practical joker they have all known and loved over the years. As the adventure unfolds the group is surprised to learn of Sean’s natural abilities in science and survival techniques. (After all, who knew he could read, let alone think?!) He is quick witted, resourceful and able to think outside the box in a MacGyver-ish sort of way, a source of continuous surprises.

Brady is the innocent; a kind-hearted and compassionate child who happens to love dragons and discovers his talent lies in the area of language and communications. He quickly assimilates languages and soon finds he is able to hear with more than his ears – he learns quickly to listen with his heart.

What they have learned in the short time they have been back at school is there is an ancient prophecy stating the Destineers will save the worlds. Yes, it is worlds with an “s” because there are many of them…you just have to know how to find them. They are the Destineers and they share strong roots with ties to different factions within the magical community…at least that is what they have been told. Research in the Cybrarie has told them many generations earlier, the magic ran strong in each of their families but that was the time when our world believed in “the old ways” and magical enchantments. But those beliefs and the magical crafts died out in our world centuries ago forcing the birth of the magical realm, a realm fraught with fantastical beings and magic, the Netherscape realm. Once again, magic is in danger of disappearing forever.

One of the classes the students are taking is interactive history. The techno-imagineering professor has invented a machine called an incarnation chamber that can transport anyone to any time in any history of any realm. This device enables them to study history interactively. In this particular lesson the headmaster, Wiliam Derrnz, is taking the group to get an important glimpse from a particularly violent portion of our world’s history – the Holocaust. Wiliam Derrnz has just told the class: “No matter how far you go, history has a way of coming back to haunt you. Keep this in mind as we enter the Chamber for today’s lesson. We shall be returning to November 9, 1938. ”

I am now turning the blog over to 15 year-old Kylie O’Connor who keeps the journals for the class and will be accompanying you tomorrow on your blog tour.

Hi, Kylie here. It is my job to keep the chronicles of our lessons and adventures in a very special journal Professor Sinclair gave me.

Just to set the scene for you: I was nervous about entering the Incarnation Chamber. I knew the headmaster said it was set to replication mode, and these were mere shadows of the past—nothing that could hurt us, but our lesson was on the Holocaust, one of the bloodiest most violent times in recent history and this was Interactive History class. It was still early in the school year and I wasn’t sure just how interactive the lesson would get. Professor Derrnz said the chamber was programmed to automatically translate everything being said so we’d hear everything in our own language. I could hear my heart thumping loudly so I knew everyone in the chamber could hear it too. They’d know I was afraid.

These were just supposed to be shadows from the past…shadows can’t hurt you, right? I kept telling myself this…but last night Sean and I watched one of those horror movies he likes so much. Shadows are never just shadows…shadows ALWAYS hurt you in those movies. Please don’t let this be like the movies…

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Fantasy Friday - Ghosts

As Fridays are the day the Cybrarian (from my kids – young adult book review blog) posts reviews of books from the realm of fantasy, science fiction, and the paranormal, I have decided to use Friday as a day to talk about one the beings from the fantasy guidebook The Destineers Journal of Fantasy Nations that is featured in the book being reviewed by the Cybrarian.

The fantastical beings featured by the Cybrarian this week are ghosts; the name of the book: GHOST FOR RENT. By definition ghosts are described as disembodied spirits of a deceased person trapped between the land of the living and the land of the dead. They are spellbound in limbo, unable to rest because of something they must resolve in our world before they can pass into the next plane of existence.

These ethereal beings can move through solid objects. Their appearance is usually very similar to their mortal body, only now they are translucent. They are often sited in areas that were familiar to them, places they frequented in their mortal form. Humans often refer to this as haunting the area.

Most people, at one time or another, have heard some form of a ghost story. It seems with each retelling the tale gets bigger and even more eerie. These stories are standards when gathered around a campfire, or with the kids when they are huddled under the covers at a sleepover. Folklore and Legends provide the foundation for many of these stories. It was a ghost story stemming from New York folklore that inspired Washington Irving's masterpiece, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. While the purpose of most of these stories is for the entertainment value of scaring those that hear the tale, many of these stories also provide lessons to be learned from the spirits (ie A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens). Some people claim to have had first-hand experiences with these ghostly entities. The characters from my novel in progress have become quite good friends with one of these spirits...it is our own beloved Cybrarian. She and her team of ghost writers weave the stories of the realms into their historical archives...when she is not busy reviewing books for us.

This week’s Cybrarian’s book review explores the adventure packed Paranormal Mystery novel, GHOST FOR RENT , by Penny Lockwood. Why not click over and check it out? 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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