Saturday, May 31, 2008

She's Got Nests and Pellets

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is pleased to announce that there are now four sea turtle nests in her "zones" along the Gulf. So when she patters along the shore looking for turtle activity, she gets to inspect the nest areas to make sure all is well with the little lives forming beneath the sand. She's very happy about this.

And in complete contrast to that good-natured story, she's in the kitchen putting all Petri's least-favorite food pellets into one container so she can tease him. Isn't that nice?

Petri, for those of you who aren't already aware, is the pet bird that rules the household. He's very particular about his food and doesn't eat the white pellets in his food mix. So, to make life easier for Petri, Sandy spends valuable time that I'd prefer she spent writing (it's my job to keep her writing, you know) picking out the white pellets so he doesn't have to. Tonight, for some odd reason, she's putting them all in one little cup to present to him as if that's his dinner. She's done this to him before and was so entertained by his expression that I guess we just have to do it again.

I'll get her back to the computer shortly. Never fear. We do have the third book in the Choices trilogy to complete, you know.

In the meantime, the second book is awaiting its release date at the publisher and Book I, Choices Meant for Gods is still available at the publisher's site and Amazon.

All my best,
Nigel
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Thursday, May 29, 2008

She's Letting Me Premier the Picture

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, had this earth-shattering event two weekends ago when she went to Orlando. She met one of her muses, the one she claims inspired her creation of me (which boggles the mind if you think on it too long, so don't think on it for too long) and then blogged about it over at Today the Dragon Wins. Because this is the blog where we're supposed to talk about the writer's life, I complained. (Of course. I wouldn't really be doing my job if I didn't give her a little grief about breaking protocol, now would I?)

So she's letting me showcase the picture of her with Duran Duran.

Enjoy the "zaniness" of it all. She's just insane, as far as I can tell. The young lady with blonde hair standing between Roger Taylor and Simon LeBon is Jennine. Sandy is standing almost on top of John Taylor but between him and Nick Rhodes. She's the one who looks deliriously giddy. I believe she was. She says she's going to crop the photo and make it her Christmas card this year. (And I don't think she's joking. I can usually tell now when she's teasing me, but I think she's serious about this...)

All my best to you,
Nigel

Saturday, May 17, 2008

She Has Choices Meant for Kings ARCs Ready for Reviews

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has advance reader copies of Choices Meant for Kings prepared for professional review.

While she's contacted several reviewers who are placing CMFK on their summer review schedule, she wishes to make a more concentrated effort to gather opinions on this fantasy novel than she did with Choices Meant for Gods. As a complete novice with the first of this fantasy trilogy, she waited until the book's release before approaching reviewers, and found most of them disappointed that the novel would be "old" before their opinion could be shared with the world. She doesn't want to make that same mistake with the second book in the series.

Choices Meant for Kings rests at the publisher awaiting its turn on a backlogged production schedule. The release date could be sometime later this summer or early fall, so the timing is perfect to get ARCs to reviewers now. If you're interested and haven't already been contacted, please let Sandy know by leaving a comment here or at her blog.

If you need a copy of Choices Meant for Gods, she has the pdf available for reviewers. Readers can also find the eBook and hardcover edition at her publisher's site. The hardcover is also available at Amazon. If you take your copy with you to ConQuesT39 over Memorial Day weekend, she'll be happy to personalize it for you.

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Friday, May 16, 2008

She's a Faculty Member at ConQuesT39 Next Weekend

ConQuesT39 "Fanimal House" announces its Memorial Day Weekend lineup and encourages fans of sci-fi/fantasy to enroll now. The faculty list (that would be the panel participants) includes my fantasy author, Sandy Lender. She'll read from her first novel Choices Meant for Gods Sunday at 11:30 and will have an autograph session Saturday at 4:30. The panels she participates in include "Blog 101: Oops, I Blogged Again" and "Out 101: Out of the Space Closet, Homosexuality in SF/F/H."

If you've ever been to a ConQuesT convention before, you know there's loads of fun fan activities from art viewing to seminars on your favorite sci-fi shows to opps to meet the guests to a masquerade (on Saturday night) to improv story-telling to sessions on creative writing. The special media guests this year are Jeff East from Young Clark Kent and Ellen Muth from Dead Like Me. Check out the ConQuest site or visit Sandy's blog to get more information. But do it fast! Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner.

If you need a copy of CMFG to take to the signing, Amazon still offers free two-day shipping. Click here. I don't think you can get it that fast from the publisher's site. Sandy will have some copies on hand that you can purchase directly from her and have autographed on-site, but don't count on there being copies in the dealer room. Dealers don't always play nicely with the Ingrams or Baker & Taylor distributors...

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

She May Have Gone Over the Edge

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is suffering from some sort of manic syndrome. I don't know what it is precisely, but she woke at 2:00 a.m. unable to go back to sleep. So she got up at 3:30 to type. Typically, I'm thrilled by such developments because I feed her ideas when she's groggy and she doesn't question them. But I was too tired to feed her ideas and just returned to my own realm.

Now she's received an e-mail from Bianca reminding her that "anything is possible at zombocom." When I asked her what zombocom is (because she seemed really happy about the reminder), she told me, "Nigel, Honey, it can't really be explained."

Here's the link. http://zombo.com/

Good luck.
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Monday, May 12, 2008

She Read a Great Scene on the Radio Last Night

I'm quite pleased with the scene my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, selected for the Internet Voices Radio program last night. The authors were labeled as romance writers, and the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods has that element running beneath the plot(s), so Sandy read the following. (I'm very pleased with you, dear. You'll have my uncomplaining marketing efforts redoubled for weeks because of this.)


This is a romantic scene as Nigel Taiman and Amanda Chariss ride from the estate at Arcana to Arcana City. Her wizard guardian has already clued her in to the fact that Nigel wants to court her, and she's upset over it. The scene mentions the bear-like ryfel creature that nearly killed Nigel in the training arena.

Nigel frowned at her. Spurring his horse slightly, he reached out to take hold of Shadow’s bridle. Bringing them both to a stop, he turned in the saddle to face her.

“Hey!” she objected.

“Indeed. Have I done something to anger you?”

Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

“’Manda?”

“You’re staring at me.”

“By the gods, Woman. All right, I’ll look at your horse. ’Manda,” he said to Shadow, “what have I done that’s made you angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“You’re not a liar,” he spoke to Chariss again.

“All right, so I’m a little angry. It will pass.”

“And you don’t want to tell me what it is?”

She couldn’t blame her reticence today on worry over Drake. She also couldn’t blame her health because she’d completely recovered from her telabyrinth poisoning. With Hrazon and The Master attending the summer festival, she couldn’t blame some sort of timidity at being ‘alone’ in the city. No, she had to take a deep breath and be honest with him. Considering the number of suitors she’d sent packing in the past few years, this should have been an easy thing to do again. It wasn’t. She sighed, closing her eyes as if she could make the scene disappear.

“Do you agree that you’re my friend?” she finally asked.

He watched her open her eyes then, realizing where the conversation must be going.

“Yes.” It was said with exasperation.

“And that I’m your friend?”

“Yes.”

“And does that please you?”

He sighed, but didn’t get a chance to answer.

“You see, Nigel, it pleases me. I appreciate your kindness, and I would be disappointed if we hadn’t built such a…such a…”

“Friendship?” he retorted.

“Such a rapport.”

He rolled his eyes. “A fancier word with even less affection.”

“My stay at Arcana is much more pleasant because I have this relationship with you. But someone has tried to convince me that your…your…”

“Feelings?”

“Well…your…”

“Intentions?”

“Well…your opinion of our relationship might be somewhat different from mine.”

“’Manda, just say what you’re thinking. You won’t hurt my feelings.”

She looked miserable then. “I don’t want to say what I’m thinking.”

“Good!”

“No, that’s not good. Hrazon thinks you’re…Hrazon believes you spend time with me because…” She paused, searching for the words.

“Because I’m in love with you?”

She nearly fell backward. “Just blurt it out!”

He chuckled slightly. “This is uncomfortable, isn’t it? I’m sorry to embarrass you. This conversation would be better in a darkened corner of Arcana’s parlor. ’Manda, I’m not going to lie to you. Hrazon has every reason to believe I’m after his ward because I am. It’s no secret to anyone I enjoy your company. What, where are you…You’re the only woman I know who can scoot that far away on a saddle without falling off.”

“I don’t think you should say those things.”

“Aye,” he sighed, watching her fidget with Shadow’s reins. But he made a decision to press the matter. “I’m going to say them and get them out in the open. Then we can decide if you’re to die of embarrassment, or slap me across the face.”

She couldn’t help smiling, even though her heart beat as if it would burst through her bodice from the tension she felt.

“I enjoy being with you because you’re my perfect match,” he said. “Have you noticed that we agree on almost everything? And the few things we don’t agree on are intriguing to argue because you make them intriguing. There’s no one at that entire estate, The Master and every intelligent student combined, who can hold my attention as you do. None of them compare.

“I’m attracted to everything about you, including your compassion. Even now, when you’re on the verge of falling off a horse with embarrassment, your concern is for my feelings, not your own. Godric, who doesn’t deserve to wash your feet, who finds every excuse to correct you, gets your respect because you remind yourself that he’s your benefactor. Do you know what strength of character that shows? Do you know how it endears you to me to know you bite your tongue after his arrogant remarks to save my mother’s feelings?”

She merely nodded, her eyes cast down.

“And do you know how it endears you to me to know you would fight to the death for Kaylin?”

She nodded again.

“And do you know how it endears you to me to know you instinctively threw yourself into healing spells to save my life?”

“You shouldn’t assume that means—”

“I remember sliding toward death that night, life spilling out of me, and poison seeping into me from that thing’s claws. But do you know what I remember most distinctly? I remember you commanding me not to bleed to death…and I remember your hands afterward. Once I was healed, once Master Rothahn became preoccupied with the dead ryfel, you crawled over to me and put your hands on me again, as if you had to be sure He’d done a good enough job of healing me. But you would’ve done it for any member of my family. I daresay you would’ve done it for any student in the school. And it’s because you care about others, and you want the best for everyone around you. And you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

The last comment caught her off guard. It didn’t seem to fit with the logical argument he tried to make.

“I fail to see how these things tell you you’re in love. Kaylin enjoys my company. Mia enjoys arguing with me. I saved Sorne’s life once. Does this mean they’re in love with me?”

“If love could be explained that easily, it wouldn’t be real.”

“But what makes you think it’s real now? If you can’t explain your feelings, how do you know you’re not misled?”

“How does the rose know to bloom in spring?”

“Oh, now that talk I’ve heard before. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t think you should let yourself believe it now.”

“’Manda, I’m telling you the truth and I’m telling you what I know. If I’ve made you angry by falling in love with you, you’re just going to have to deal with it. Because you’re not currently interested in me, you have to give me time to change your mind.”

They were silent then; he waited for some sign that she wasn’t going to cast him aside, she waited for her heart to stop beating so loudly in her ears. As far as she was concerned, she was often a foolish girl, but her intentions at the beginning of this conversation were foolish beyond compare. She realized—with alarm—that the blood rushing through her veins, the lightheadedness, the excitement at getting to spend an afternoon with him, were all signs she had chosen to ignore. She swallowed hard against the fear in her throat, and, with as much calm as she could muster, said: “What gives you the idea that I’m not interested in you?”


Now isn't that grand? I'm overjoyed that she'd share it with the masses. If you want to read more, you can read the first three chapters of the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods at the publisher's site at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. You can also download the eBook there for only $3.99 (which still makes no sense to me, but Sandy says it's possible). You can also order the hard cover edition there, or go to the Amazon site to order it and get free shipping. If you look at the Amazon site, you can read the five-star reviews that are already posted. Either way, there's more to learn about Amanda Chariss.

Don't forget to enter the contest to win the basket, as well. That information can be found by scrolling below. The question is "Who is Chariss chosen to protect?" You can find the answer on this blog, on Sandy's blog at www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com, at her publisher's site (URL in the graph above), at www.authorisland.com, or in the book itself. Send your answer, with your name and snail mail address, to authorisland at yahoo dot com before the end of May. DeNita at Author Island will pull the winner May 31. Sandy originally thought it was happening on Memorial Day, but that's just her addled brain trying to keep track of too many details. And that's why she has me at her side.

Good luck!
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Sunday, May 11, 2008

She Said I Could Blog About Mother


I don't want to come across as a "Momma's Boy," as Sandy puts it, but I wanted to take advantage of this special day to speak about a lovely woman. She embodies grace, beauty, sacrifice, love, and strength. You may think I intend to talk about Chariss, my bride, but today, I want to talk about my mother.

Kora Rothahn Taiman is the current matriarch of Arcana. She's my mother. At least, she's the mother I'll claim. She's the goddess who gave up immortality and power unknown to leave the city of the gods in Mahriket and raise me. She married an ogre of a man so she could give me a home. She sacrificed her life and happiness to give me a family--a heritage, so to speak.

Even when I acted like an ungrateful brat, gambling and drinking and acting the fool in every Arcanan tavern I could find in my youth, Kora bailed me out, cleaned me up, and made a man out of me. I'm not sure how she did it, but I owe her everything.

On this special day, I'd like to thank all the mothers out there for tolerating the stupid things we sons do. And thank you for seeing us through. I wonder if you know that it's your unfailing love that brings us back from the brink.

You can read about the lovely Kora Taiman and how she takes in and heals my bride in the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods. Luckily, my sordid past is glossed over quickly, and, for that, I thank the author. You can pick up the eBook at the publisher's site at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. Or the hard cover edition is available anywhere you purchase books.

Happy Mother's Day.

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Thursday, May 8, 2008

She's Going on Internet Voices Radio Sunday Night

"Are you Bear Aware? Mother's Day is also the start of National Bear Awareness Week...and why not? Bears are great mothers, too! This May 11, from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern, authors Carrie Masek, Sandy Lender, Cynthia Eden, Angie Fox, Lise Fuller (and perhaps a surprise guest) join Rowena Cherry to promote awareness of bears and any other large, scary, hairy (or otherwise) creatures that inhabit the woods...or our romantic imaginations."

If you've followed along at www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com, you know that Sandy Lender's fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods includes plenty of scary monsters that crept from her imagination--ryfel, edras, The Dragon Julette herself. She plans to re-post the deleted scene of poor Charlotte Anne in the Rochest Forest at Today the Dragon Wins tomorrow (Friday, May 9). Many a legend from the days of old began deep in the forests where your forefathers dared not venture for fear of the unknown. Sunday night, the authors of the paranormal and speculative fiction listed above intend to creep you out a little further with hints and whispers of scenes they created with that "unknown." Tune in to PIVR online to hear what they have in store for you.

Here are the instructions to listen in: http://www.internetvoicesradio.com/

Sandy Lender will read an excerpt or two from her epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods. You can follow along if you have your own copy. Download the eBook now at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. Or run out to the nearest Barnes & Noble to get the hard cover edition.

All my best,
Nigel Taiman
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Monday, May 5, 2008

She Has Another Cool Contest Going

If you've read many of the posts where I've gone on and on and on about my intended, Amanda Chariss, here at this blog, or at Sandy's blog, http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/, you'll already know the answer to the Choices Meant for Gods trivia question, and you'll be one step closer to winning the basket of fantasy goodies that Sandy's put together for the current contest at Author Island. If you haven't read any of these ravings, well, might I suggest you scroll through and find a few so you'll know who Chariss is chosen to protect in the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods.

You'll need to know if you want to win.


Here's what you do: E-mail your name, snail mail...wait...(what's a snail mail address?)

Okay. Now that my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has given me all the information I need, I might be able to complete this task for her. (Well, you have to explain these things if you want me to do marketing for you, dear.)


Here's what you do: E-mail your name, snail mail address, and answer to the trivia question to authorisland at yahoo dot com by the May 31st deadline. DeNita will draw a winner on Memorial Day and Sandy will ship out the basket pictured above. Simple!

Here's your trivia question:
Who is Chariss chosen to protect in the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods?


If you have trouble finding the answer at this blog, at Sandy's blog, at her publisher's site, or in the excerpt at http://www.authorisland.com/, you could read the book. The eBook version (read: inexpensive version) is available at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm.


Good luck to you!
Nigel


 
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