Nigel Presents Sandy Lender

She's Had Another Dragon Story Published

2011-01-11T14:11:00.003-05:00

(I'm listening to Spies Like Us by Paul McCartney.)

This is a quick note to announce that my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has a new short story out there in the world for you to read. It's available in a magazine called Winter's Night with a variety of other authors and fantasy stories at http://lulu.com/wintersnight. This is the second edition of the magazine, although she has a non-dragon story titled A Legacy Protected in the first edition...

You can also find an edited version of the dragon story on Smashwords, for free. Look for Sandy Lender.

The story is titled Dragons in Crisis--Overcoming Neurosis, One Dragon at a Time.
(I don't come up with these titles; the crazy fantasy author does.)

All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: fantasy, Sandy Lender, dragon

She Sets Things on Fire

2010-12-18T16:37:00.005-05:00

(I'm listening to I'll Be Home For Christmas sung by Bing Crosby.)

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, tried cooking again. The result, she nearly set things on fire in the kitchen. Now, I'm not an expert, but I had to tell her, even Chariss can boil eggs. Apparently, something with which she had nearly destroyed the kitchen a few days before had dripped beneath the burner and caused the problem. You can see in this image the calm aftermath...She got a little "loud" when I tried taking pictures during the height of the emergency.

I've suggested Sandy stick to writing and I'll see what I can do about keeping her fed.

All my best,
Nigel

Tags: sandy lender, fantasy

She Moved Her Dragon Blog

2010-10-14T14:26:00.003-05:00

(I'm listening to American Science by Duran Duran.)

My Fantasy Author Sandy Lender is on my "naughty" list these days for the same reason she's getting "anger mail" from fans who demand Book III in the Choices series. She's stalled too long. Rest assured, I'm flogging her daily and will soon withhold chocolate until the book's rewrite is complete.

In the meantime, you can see her new-and-improved dragon blog on the Wordpress server. I hate to encourage such time-wasters, but she asked me so nicely...

Please visit http://TodayTheDragonWins.wordpress.com when you get a chance and click on the "Gimme Free Content!" button to get automatic updates when she's playing on the blog instead of finishing my bride's book.

All my best,
Nigel Taimain

Tags: dragon, Choices, Sandy Lender, fantasy

She's Stalling

2010-06-04T16:26:00.004-05:00

(I'm listening to The Ghost in You by the Psychadelic Furs.)

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, got word today that her paranormal horror short story Desecrated Ring will be published by Keith Publications for their 13 Days of Halloween-fest this October. While I applaud her initiative and this ploy at marketing, I really want her to concentrate on my bride's story. She should be concentrating on Choices Made for All.

I'm sure I'll be asked to give you more information about all her publishing projects as they develop.

All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Desecrated Ring, Keith Publications

She's Getting Mail From Stress

2010-06-03T21:18:00.004-05:00

(I'm not listening to music tonight; she has the television on.)

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, calls it a fitting end to a full and angst-ridden day. She received an e-mail from "Stress" with the subject of "Stress Doesn't Have to Win." It was sorely tempting to open, but she refrained. Too obviously spam, she said.

I'm turning the computer back over to her for writing purposes.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, stress

She's Reminded Me To Do My Job

2010-04-11T16:40:00.003-05:00

(I'm listening to 18 by Moby.)

And I've reminded her to do her job.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, had the gall to remind me after her online marketing presentation today that I haven't posted anything to this blog for a couple of months. In a move she referred to as "deflection," I informed her that I've nothing to promote because she hasn't refined the final novel in the Choices trilogy. My lovely bride, Chariss, is stuck in a sort of literary limbo as far as I know.

So while Sandy fixes a snack for me, I'm posting a little something here at the blog. When I'm finished, she promises to work on the Choices Made for All edits.

As it turns out, it's important that I continue to spread the good word about the current novels in which you can read Chariss's story. Choices Meant for Gods and Choices Meant for Kings are now available in Kindle format, as well as hardcover and pdf for Sony eReaders and smart phones and iPads and such. Both are rather important to ingest prior to diving into the third novel in the trilogy. Of course, I can't confirm that statement because Sandy won't let me read the third--

I'm being censored.

She informs me that it would be wise for readers to be familiar with the first two novels, thus I need to stay on topic. Personally, I think readers should get the novels just to read about Chariss, but Sandy has this hangup about the story being all-important. (These crazy writers.)

I welcome everyone to support my concept of placing great importance upon the lovely maiden. Hopefully it will influence Sandy. For now, I must turn the computer over to her and watch her like a hawk to make sure she stays on task. I've held up my end of the bargain.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Choices Meant for Kings, Chariss, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's Got a Dragon in the House

2010-01-11T17:15:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to Stay by Me by Annie Lennox.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, says dragons are merely large lizards, thus no one should fear them until he or she gets to know them. This means the lizard seeking shelter in the other room is, by her definition, a small dragon.

The Story: Upon opening the front door earlier today, I let a small, dark-colored lizard scurry into the apartment. Sandy could easily have caught the reptile and tossed it back outside because it moved rather slowly due to the cold Florida day, but she took pity on it. And she said, with more enthusiasm than I think healthy, "Oh! He'll eat the bugs!" Is this a definition for a symbiotic relationship?

The lizard is lounging contentedly in a sunny window ledge, eyeing the butter-bowl-lid of water she set out for him suspiciously, and she's happily planning what she'll do with her free time that's currently consumed by killing bugs the apartment management seems unable to exterminate with chemicals. Personally, I'd rather see a troupe of small dragons eat the bugs than have the Truly Nolen personnel constantly gassing my author...

I'll report back when the lizard starts getting fat.
All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: bugs, lizards, dragons, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's Updating Kindle News

2010-01-06T17:22:00.005-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, plans to be on the East Coast this weekend, and wishes to impart other news. At the moment, the lady who updates her Web site is working on putting all sorts of upcoming news and events in its appropriate places, but Sandy has a few things that are immediate...

For instance, the first novel in the Choices fantasy series, Choices Meant for Gods, is now available in Kindle format. If you're looking for a fantasy novel to read on your Kindle device, you can search through Kindle books at Amazon, or you can click on this easy link for the Kindle version of Choices Meant for Gods. At the time Sandy gave me this information to post, all the reviews from the hardcover edition hadn't copied over yet, but you can see some excellent five-star reviews at Choices Meant for Gods or at Sandy's Web site.

Since late August, the second novel in the Choices fantasy trilogy, Choices Meant for Kings, has also been available in Kindle format.

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender will be speaking and signing books at the Delray Beach Library event this Saturday, Jan. 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. If you're in that neck of the woods, stop by this free book festival and meet her, check out the cool display, get a free pen or dragon magnet, and pick up your hardcover editions of Choices Meant for Gods and Choices Meant for Kings before she sells out of them.

Later in the week, check out the Web site for additional updates.

Tags: kindle, kindle books, fantasy, kindle format, fantasy novel, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, fantasy series, five-star reviews, Delray Beach

She's Injured Again

2010-01-04T15:28:00.004-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was excited to get to announce that her first fantasy novel has been released in Kindle format. To celebrate, she decided to make a pot roast. I thought I should prepare some ideas for marketing...like a fool, I left her to cook alone.

Surprisingly, she didn't swear when she sliced into her finger. In fact, her "ouch! Oh, man," sounded more like a moment of resignation or disappointed expectation. I hurried into the kitchen to check on her anyway and found her washing off this large knife photographed here.

Please help my fantasy author afford pre-cooked meals. Purchase and download her first two novels, which feature my lovely bride Amanda Chariss, in Kindle book format at http://tinyurl.com/CMFGkindle and http://tinyurl.com/CMFKkindle . The epic fantasy novels Choices Meant for Gods and Choices Meant for Kings are also available in hardcover formats.

Thank you for your help.

All my best,

Nigel Taiman

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, kindle, Choices Meant for Gods, pre-cooked meals, kindle book

She's Reading on the Radio for a Good Cause

2009-12-21T18:01:00.003-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, encourages you to help the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit by listening in to the PIVTR broadcast of authors reading short stories. Here are the details:

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009
Times: 2 to 4 p.m., 5:30 to 7.30 p.m., 9 to 11 p.m. (all ET)

The authors involved include (alphabetically by first name):
Brenna Lyons, Cindy Spencer Pape, Cornelia Amiri, Jade Lee, Lillian Cauldwell, Linda LaRoque, Linda Nightingale, Loretta Wheeler, Mickey Flagg, Fantasy Author Sandy Lender, Victoria Houseman

To Listen Live
http://internetvoicesradio.com/
Enter
In the Black Box, click on "Listen Live"
Sign in (there's a box for that)
Listen and Enjoy

To enter chat room
http://internetvoicesradio.com/
Look on the lower right under "In The Spot Light"
Live Chat Room... click on that.

To set up an RSS feed (to listen on mobile)
RSS feeds. Click on middle box RSS/PODCAST. Put "Soup" into description. Pay $3.50. Your donation will be acknowledged.
To donate to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen with or without listening either:
PAYPAL
lsaracauldwell@gmail.com
Memo "Soup"

or:
visit http://www.cskdetroit.org
Click on Click_And_Pledge or Donate Online
to donate using a credit card (https ... secure site)

More details:
Cindy Spencer Pape will be reading Christmas at Mort's
available for free on Cindy's website, as a holiday gift to her readers.
http://www.cindyspencerpape.com/
Cindy is currently promoting her novel Mistletoe Magic, available in print from Ellora's Cave

Victoria Houseman will be reading Rachel’s Light from Holiday in the Heart published by The Highland Press.
http://www.victoriahouseman.com

Loretta Wheeler
http://www.lorettawheeler.com/
http://www.lreveaux.com/
http://www.myspace.com/southernnuances

Brenna Lyons
http://www.brennalyons.com http://www.myspace.com/brennalyons
"I found the world Ms. Lyons created to be realistic. Both main characters had humanistic characteristics but also the genetic makeup of their Xxanian ancestors as well. I blushed more than once, that’s for sure. CLOSE ENOUGH TO HUMAN was an exceptional read." Reviewed by Natasha Smith for Romance Junkies 4.5 Ribbons

Linda Nightingale
http://www.lindanightingale.comhttp//www.pinkfuzzyslipperwriters.blogspot.coma Black Rosette, Black Swan Available from The Wild Rose Press Best of Week at The Long & Short of It Reviews

Linda LaRoque will be reading Goat Heads and Yellow Roses - Childhood Memories of Visiting Grandma in the 1950s. Unpublished.
Website: http://www.lindalaroque.com
She is currently promoting her novel Time Travel Romances - My Heart Will Find Yours and Flames On The Sky available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble. com and The Wild Rose Press.

Mickey Flagg
http://www.mflagg-author.com/
Retribution! The Champion Chronicles: Book One
Available at www.thewildrosepress.com

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender
From 9:30 p.m. (Eastern time) to about 10:15 or so, Sandy will be reading her paranormal short story "A Legacy Protected," which was recently published in the Winter's Night Magazine, edited and published by Richard Bray.
You visitors all know that Sandy is the author of the 2007 fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods.
ArcheBooks Publishing has released the intense sequel Choices Meant for Kings at http://tinyurl.com/CMFKamazon Also in Kindle format at http://tinyurl.com/CMFKkindle
Visit Sandy's Web site to read excerpts and testimonials about her work.
"Some days, you just want the dragon to win."

Cornelia Amiri
Long Swords, Hot Heroes & Warrior Women
http://www.myspace.com/CelticRomanceQueen.com

Lillian Cauldwell.
The Anna Mae Mysteries -- The Golden Treasure

JADE LEE
Jade Lee
http://www.jadeleeauthor.com/
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Dragonbound April 09

Your host:
Rowena Cherry
http://www.rowenacherry.com/
Heroines get more hero than they bargain for....

We thank you for listening and for your generosity. Have a Merry Christmas!
From Nigel Taiman
Tags: Capuchin soup kitchen, authors, short stories, Rowena Cherry, PIVTR, Sandy Lender

She Welcomes Jamieson Wolf to The Blog

2009-12-15T08:05:00.003-05:00

Today, I have the honor of hosting Author Jamieson Wolf at the site to discuss his newest book, Hard, and some writing process items. My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was supposed to assist me in preparing this interview for Sunday, but she's so scattered these days that she failed to do so. That means you all must please join me in offering Mr. Wolf a warm welcome today.

Nigel: Good morning and welcome to the blog, Mr. Wolf. You'll have to forgive me for using caution with your name. I have personal reasons for it. Now, I know I've interviewed some lovely characters of yours before, but I don't think you've been a guest at this site before. Could you tell me a bit about where you're from?

Jamieson Wolf: Hello, Nigel! Don’t worry about the name thing, I know Lord Drake well, having read and loved Sandy’s two previous books. I’d be afraid of using my first name if I had known someone like the sorcerer!

I was born in Ottawa Ontario Canada and I live there today. Even though I frequently go away, I always come home.

Nigel: Sandy tells me it's cold there.

Jamieson Wolf: That would be an understatement. Just last week we had our first winter storm. We got roughly thirty centimetres of snow in one day and temperatures of minus fifteen degrees Celsius; and that’s nothing!

The worst we had last year was seventeen inches in one day and the coldest I can remember was minus sixty something degrees Celsius with the wind chill. Obviously on that day, I stayed home with a good book.

Nigel: Interesting. Maybe that's why she's avoided going there so far. Now, as I said, I've only interviewed your characters at this site before, but I get the impression, from what I've read of your new book, that there's quite a bit of yourself poured into one of the main characters. What can you tell me about this gentleman and how much he mirrors you?

Jamieson Wolf: Well, much like any writer, there’s a lot of me in what I write. The character of Owen Wolfe, for example, first started to appear in my short stories. Then he appeared in a novella I wrote for Cobblestone Press. Then he appeared in The Written Word series. Now he’s appeared in the Hard series.

But what most people don’t know is that Owen is me.

Whenever I was writing a short story that was based off of a true event, or writing a short story based around something that happened to me, I used Owen as my mouth piece. Later, as I got to know Owen, I realized that he was me and wasn’t me. As I continued to write, he continued to grow as a character.

Now he is more what I want to be, rather than what I was or what I could be. Usually, if you’re reading one of my novels or short stories and Owen appears, it means that the story is either based off of a true event, a dream I had or I’m saying something I’d like to say, but feel more comfortable saying it behind the guise of fiction.

Nigel: No kidding. So this story is based on true fact?

Jamieson Wolf: Hard is indeed based off of true events.

When I was a randy young lad, I did indeed look at pornography magazines with my male chums. Name one guy that doesn’t when he’s younger (never mind when he’s older). But I always found myself looking at the guys in porno magazines.

I knew at a fairly young age that I was gay. I was brought around to this realization with a little help from my best friend at the time, a young man I will call Jason (that’s not his real name, in case you were wondering).

As young men are wont to do, we did explore each others bodies. We even pressed our crotches together, much like Owen and Daniel in Hard. But the true-life story ended much more horribly than the novel I wrote.

One afternoon, while Jason and I engaged in what could loosely be called an extra curricular activity, I got hard. Even worse, I got hard while we were rubbing crotches together.

I remember the look on Jason’s face when he realized I was hard. And the way the look deepened when he realized it was not the pornography magazines that were making me hard; it was him.

“You're hard,” he said. There was a note of accusation in his voice.

”No I’m not.” But he knew that wasn’t true. So did I.

The damage was done. Jason and I kind of drifted apart. We no longer hung out after school, we no longer talked. But I would see him from time to time in the hallways of our high school. Each time I saw him, I got a feeling that made me warm inside and slightly sad at the same time.

Years later, I realized that I was more than likely in love with Jason at the time. But I didn’t really know what love was. Heck, I didn’t even know what being gay was, not really. I just knew I was different; I just didn’t know how different.

When I sat down to write Hard, I had only one thought in my mind: what would have happened if my own story had gotten a happy ending? What would have happened if things had gone differently?

And the story of Hard was born.

While I was writing it, it was impossible not to think of Jason. I think of him every now and again and wonder what ever happened to him. He was the first boy I ever loved but, thankfully, not the last.

I can only hope that he’s found happiness as I have; and that he thinks of me every once in a while not with shame, but with pleasure.

Nigel: What a tragic story! But you've found real happiness in your life now, haven't you? Are you willing to share a bit of what real life is like, a bit of your bio, for visitors?

Jamieson Wolf: I’ve been very fortunate. I’ll give you a bit of an informal bio. I live in Ottawa Ontario Canada with my cat Mave (who thinks she’s people) and my husband Robert.

Robert and I met when I had completely given up on men. I had decided to check out some personal ad’s on line and was in the mood to fool around. I don’t mean bodily, I just mean hurting someone as I had been hurt.

But there was something about Robert’s eyes in his picture. I answered his personal ad and we chatted online for about two weeks before talking on the phone. It turned out he had lived literally right down the street from me for years. We had been shopping at the same grocery store, going to the same 7 Eleven; but we had never met.

Well, when Robert opened his apartment door for our first date, all I remember is his eyes. I fell in love with him then, I think.

Nigel: I think that’s the story we were waiting to hear today. I’m pleased for you. Now I must ask you a few writing questions. For instance, how much of your time do you spend writing?

Jamieson Wolf: Not as much as I would like. I work full time Monday to Friday doing work I love, but it’s not writing. I usually write for about three hours every evening and more on the weekends.

Nigel: And how much of your time do you spend marketing what you've already written?

Jamieson Wolf: I would say double the time I spend on writing. In fact, during this book tour for Hard, I haven’t written at all. I’ve written blog posts, but they don’t count. I’m craving, needing to write. I haven’t written in a week! This is causing me to be crazier than normal.

Nigel: And do you find yourself irritated by the amount of time marketing and promotion takes away from your writing time?

Jamieson Wolf: Oh, I get irritated about it, sure, but I know that as an author promoting myself is as essential to my writing career as the act of writing is. Most people don’t realize that writing, and all the elements of it, is a job. You have to be dedicated and want to get your name out there.

So sure, I’d love to be writing all the time and leave the hard stuff to a PR company. But then I wouldn’t be challenged and I certainly wouldn’t be having any fun.

Nigel: Can you offer any advice to visitors concerning the balance between the creative writing time and the marketing/promotion time?

Jamieson Wolf: I would say try to find a balance.

Normally I promote for an hour a night and then spend the rest of it writing. Obviously during a virtual book tour, things are a bit different and the balance is thrown off, but on a normal day, just promote when you can and write for the rest of it.

Promoting can be simple too. If you don’t have time for a lot of promoting, make sure to use Twitter and Facebook; easy and simple to do.

Nigel: You realize I'll be sharing that insight with Sandy because I think she spends entirely too much time away from the creative writing. I have many tasks for her in that arena and I thank you for your advice there. Now, I must let you get back to your writing. Mr. Wolf, it's been a pleasure to share some time with you. Could you let our visitors know how to track down your newest book before you go?

Jamieson Wolf: It’s been an incredible pleasure talking to you Nigel! I can’t wait to read your third adventure, Choices Meant for All. When you’re talking to Sandy Lender, tell her that I was very upset at the cliff hanger ending of Choices Meant for Kings. I know you’re supposed to leave the book open ended but still!

Readers can buy a copy of Hard (and read reviews and excerpts) by clicking here:

http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/hard.html

Nigel: Wonderful. I encourage everyone to look up Breathless Press. Thank you for sharing your insight with us today.

Tags: Jamieson Wolf, Breathless Press, Hard, self awareness

She's Solving Your Holiday Bonus Issues

2009-11-05T08:04:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is doing something quite clever in her efforts to spread my lovely bride's story all over the world. She's offering human resources departments a way to solve their holiday bonus woes this 2009 season. After a difficult year for many companies around the globe, presidents, CEOs, chief financial officers, etc., might be telling human resource directors that holiday bonuses will have to be scrapped. Rather than giving up on gifts entirely, Fantasy Author Sandy Lender suggests you send all your employees on an all-expenses-paid Christmas vacation, courtesy of her publisher and her. Here's how:

NAPLES, FL--ArcheBooks Publishing Author Sandy Lender suggests giving your employees a paid vacation for Christmas. For less than $30 each, you can send them on a fantasy journey courtesy of ArcheBooks Publishing and Author Sandy Lender because high-quality, hard-cover, first-edition, copies of Choices Meant for Kings are currently available for delivery.

This family-friendly tale of heroism, good-versus-evil, sweet romance and hope offers an ideal action adventure now that the Harry Potter series is complete. Lender's stories offer enjoyment for older teens as well as adults so the children your employees are encouraging to read will also benefit from your well-thought-out gift. Order before Thanksgiving and the author can provide autographed book plates to personalize each gift for free.

Visit the author's Web site for more information about Choices Meant for Kings or visit Amazon to order. Contact the author directly at sandy_lender at yahoo.com to request autographed book plates.

Tags: holiday bonus, Christmas vacation, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's Very Busy

2009-10-25T20:33:00.004-05:00

I'm listening to Slave to Love by Bryan Ferry.

I'm surprised by all that my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has going on right now. First, this strange picture of her is courtesy of her author friend Bob Bair. She was leading some workshop about blogging over the weekend (instead of writing) and he snapped this picture.

She's also been promoting the release of Choices Meant for Kings in Kindle format as well as hardcover. She's checking with her publisher to see how difficult it would be to go ahead and get it in nook format.

What else is she doing instead of writing? Well, let's see. She dropped off these postcard-like flyers at Barnes & Noble this afternoon to promote the book signing for next weekend. (If you're in Southwest Florida, be sure to stop in to see her sometime between 10 a.m. and noon Halloween morning at the B&N in Naples.) Then she's editing a novel for ArcheBooks Publishing that deals with reincarnation. I really need to get her to focus...

All my best to you,
Nigel

Tags: Choices Meant for Kings, Kindle, nook, Barnes & Noble, halloween, signing, blogging, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's in Some Magazine

2009-10-09T13:52:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to Whenever I Say Your Name by Sting.

True to form, my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has been penning things that have nothing to do with my lovely bride. You can catch her latest work in the innaugural issue of Winter's Night magazine, available now at Lulu.

Her short story A Legacy Protected was selected to be published alongside other fantasy authors such as Richard Bray, Todd Diel, Judith W. Huey, and many others. You can order a print version of this 84-page, family-friendly magazine, or download an electronic version of it at that Lulu site. Personally, I don't think we should encourage her in this maddening habit of writing things unrelated to the finale of the Choices series, but, apparently, there's nothing to be done for it. I shall continue to badger her. I promise.

All my best to you,
Nigel
Tags: Winter's Night, fantasy magazine, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's "Nudged" Me to Market

2009-10-01T11:59:00.005-05:00

I'm listening to Beautiful Thieves by AFI.

So my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, suggested I post something here to let everyone know I'm not ignoring her. Apparently, she's been talking about me (and this blog). She had a radio interview Tuesday, which aired again very early this morning. Then there's a guest blog post at LASR all day today that mentions me and this site. Last weekend she had an interview at Helen's Heroes that mentioned me ad nauseum. I keep telling her that her focus should be on Chariss...and, of course, finishing Chariss's story.

We're a bit sidetracked this week because Sandy's sitting around feeling sorry for herself. She had a couple of basal skin cell carcinomas removed from her shoulder and arm yesterday, and the pain set in during the night. (She can really be pathetic when she starts that moaning...oh...wait...sure enough...she's censoring this.)

As it turns out, she's not feeling sorry for herself; she's merely being cautious so as not to pull her stitches out. (Personally, I think she's sitting around feeling sorry for herself. I should probably fix her a piece of cake or something to be nice.)

Everyone have a lovely day and check out TodayTheDragonWins for some not-Chariss's-story contest she's holding. (Oh, more censorship: she says she can hold contests that aren't focused on the Choices trilogy and still work on the Choices trilogy.)

All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: Choices, basal skin cell, contest

She's Writing Like a Fiend on the Wrong Book

2009-09-04T17:05:00.004-05:00

I'm listening to nothing because she's watching Eureka on the SyFy channel.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is doing something quite upsetting to me this weekend. It's a holiday weekend in your society and she's planning to spend it writing. While this should make me happy, it doesn't. She's participating in the 3-Day Novel Contest, which forces her to write a whole book this weekend. Unfortunately, the book she's decided to write has NOTHING to do with my lovely bride Chariss from the Choices trilogy.

She has just informed me that I should relax. It turns out that the novels created during this contest have to be submitted and then "ignored" while the contest judges read them. In the event Sandy's work gets selected for something, it can't be previously marketed somewhere. So she really can't prepare something from the Choices series or the world of Onweald.

All right then. I'll "relax," as she puts it, and plan what I'll be feeding her this weekend...

Tags: 3-Day Novel Contest, Fantasy Author, Sandy Lender, Choices trilogy

She Announces the Release of Choices Meant for Kings

2009-08-23T16:18:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to Michael Buble...his entire catalogue, it would appear...

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, announces the exciting release of her latest fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Kings. The latest installment in my lovely bride's story of adventure and intrigue is now available at the front page of the ArcheBooks Publishing site at a 25% publisher's discount. (This is if you're interested in having a first edition hardcover pressing.) If you're interested in saving trees, as my dear mother Kora Taiman is, you can get the electronic version for only $3.99 from that same link.

I'm pleased to provide you with this information about Choices Meant for Kings.
There’s no doubt: Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a friend’s marriage. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way.

When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: Choices Meant for Kings, Fantasy Author, Sandy Lender, fantasy novel

She's Unveiling the Cover for Choices Meant for Kings

2009-07-30T19:31:00.005-05:00

I'm listening to Don't Get Around Much Anymore by Harry Connick, Jr.

I'm very pleased to announce that my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is unveiling the cover for her new fantasy novel Choices Meant for Kings this evening. I was going to make you go over to Today The Dragon Wins to check it out, but why?

Notice the lovely and sun-tanned Amanda Chariss, my beautiful bride-to-be, is featured up front there. I think that's as it should be. Of course, no artist can capture Chariss's charm and beauty, so this rendition is as close as one could come. Pity. But it pleases me that Sandy let someone try. I'm hoping she'll let someone like Megan Kissinger (the talented, award-winning artist from Southwest Florida who produced the map of Onweald for the Choices series) prepare a proper portrait some day. And perhaps a miniature portrait that I can carry in my pocket when Chariss is off running around taking care of unworthy gods...

If you'd like more information about the upcoming Choices Meant for Kings fantasy novel, which is off to the printer now, please visit the Books page of Sandy's Web site. If you still need to get your copy of the first novel, Choices Meant for Gods, visit Amazon or ArcheBooks right away. You're going to love Chariss as much as I do as soon as you start reading about her. Just a beautiful young woman. Just beautiful.

All my best to you,

Nigel Taiman

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Kings, fantasy novel

She's Home Again

2009-07-15T20:58:00.004-05:00

I'm not listening to music at the moment, so I can't report on the moment's iTunes selection. I'm watching The Transporter with my fantasy author. Quite the violent movie, I must say. She's transfixed by it, even though she's seen it before.

On to the blog post.
My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is home from her crazed Duran Duran vacation in Orange County, California, where she and two of her girlfriends, Christine and Jennine, enjoyed all the chaos and mayhem that a Duran Duran vacation entails. Now that she's home, I've got her on a strict writing schedule in the evenings so we can complete Book III of the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy. Luckily, she can write while watching this Jason Statham person in The Transporter.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Duran Duran

She's Being Unreasonable

2009-07-07T19:50:00.004-05:00

I'm listening to No More Words by Berlin.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, will soon find herself chained to the writing desk in the den. I don't think I can stress just how irritated I am. She finished her online book tour July 3 and was to then focus her evening and weekend time on completing the editing of Book III of the Choices trilogy. Has she done this?

No.

Instead, she's made corrections to the galleys of Choices Meant for Kings. She's approved ads for magazines and Web sites. She's sent poems and first-chapter files to test readers for critique. She's fiddled around with Twitter and facebook so she'll have people to announce book release and signing dates to. She's even put together additional content for her Web site. But the thing that's really angered me is this sudden interest in some story about a young lady named Lace. By the gods! I've spent the past three years helping her promote and market my Amanda's story and here she is working on a story about some strumpet from some other world? I'll have no part of such nonsense while...wait.

I'm being censored now. Isn't that just dandy. Apparently, my fantasy author thinks she can work on multiple stories simultaneously.

We'll see about that. These chains that I have for the writing desk will keep her out of reach of the reference books she's using for the "Lace" story, I can tell you that much.

Tags: Twitter, facebook, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Kings

She's Being Demanding

2009-07-01T12:50:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to Cuts You Up by Peter Murphy.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, called out to me this afternoon. Something in her voice made me think I was in trouble. You know how your mother would use your full name at a high level to indicate she knew you'd done something very wrong and intended to punish you for it? Sandy didn't use my full name, but she had that "tone." So I peeked into her den a little hesitantly. It seems I've been neglecting my "duties" in the marketing department.

For pity's sake. Do you visitors have any clue how much work I put into finding avenues for her to advertise in? Do you know how much information I had to gather and type for her new website? Do you know how much energy I expend "surfing" the blasted Internet to find social networks for her to join? Do you know how many of these blasted profiles I've put together for her? Or how many times I've typed her bio? I'm sick and tired of writing about her first story about mice picking berries, I can tell you that much...I've got her on FiledBy, GoodReads, Facebook, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, LinkedIn, SuspenseMagazine, BookHitch, Twitter, AuthorIsland, MySpace, BookTour, Gather, Technorati, RedRoom...

Oh, look, she's brought me cake.

She's quite charming when she wants to be...

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, twitter, social networks

She's Got Some Duran Thing Going On

2009-06-22T15:42:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to New Moon on Monday by Duran Duran.

Today is Monday. There's a new moon today. My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, tells me this is a fabulous thing and cause for celebration. It wasn't until she popped one of the versions of Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran that she owns into the CD player that I realized just what she meant.

Happy "New Moon on Monday" to other Duranies. My sympathies to other Duranie family members.

Tags: Duran Duran, Sandy Lender, fantasy, new moon

She Has Another Great Review

2009-06-04T11:48:00.004-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, asked me to direct you to this link to read a new review of Choices Meant for Gods:
http://tinyurl.com/LASReview

Tags: review, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

First Live Twitter Interview Features Authors

2009-06-03T19:38:00.003-05:00

NAPLES, Fla. – In the first live online interview via Twitter in Internet history, Fiction Author Jamieson Wolf, Ottawa, Ont., will interview Fantasy Author Sandy Lender, Naples, Fla., Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. EST. They’re calling it the first Tweeterview. The Twitter accounts to follow are http://twitter.com/sandylender and http://twitter.com/jamiesonwolf.

Join these two established authors for this groundbreaking Tweeterview event as Lender and Wolf share writing and writer’s life information in pithy 140-character Q&A segments. The purpose of the interview is to bring attention to Lender’s current fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, from ArcheBooks Publishing, Cape Coral, Fla., and her current online book tour.

“Sandy’s been an author friend of mine for three years now so I won’t have any trouble coming up with questions for her,” Wolf said. “I’ve read her work, including her upcoming release, and am qualified to ask dozens of questions about the world she’s built as well as the publishing process, which will interest a wide audience.”

“And Jamieson’s been an author friend of mine for just as long, so I don’t think I’ll have any trouble following his Twitter-style questions,” Lender said. “This is a new use for Twitter and can bring new life to the staid interview process that readers can become hypnotized by on the Blogosphere nowadays.”

Combined, Lender and Wolf have multiple books available in both print and electronic formats and offer a wealth of information about writing and publishing to Twitter followers who check in June 20. To keep up with the Tweeterview, follow http://twitter.com/sandylender and http://twitter.com/jamiesonwolf. Additional information can be found at Today the Dragon Wins.

Fantasy enthusiasts will recognize Sandy Lender as the author of Choices Meant for Gods and What Choices We Made, as well as the upcoming Choices Meant for Kings. She is the editor of a national trade publication headquartered in Missouri, but resides in Southwest Florida where she spends all the time she can helping with sea turtle conservation. Read more about her at her blog Today the Dragon Wins.

Jamieson Wolf is a speculative fiction writer with close to 20 titles to his credit in multiple genres. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with his adoring husband and a personable cat. Learn more about his work at www.jamiesonwolf.com.

Tags: tweeterview, twitter, online book tour, Sandy Lender, Jamieson Wolf, sea turtle

She Has This Mole

2009-05-21T15:45:00.004-05:00

I'm listening to Desire by Gene Loves Jezebel.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has a small, light-colored mole on her neck that looks like a tiny little pebble or raised freckle. It's quite the charming little thing, although she's muttering at me to get to the point and stop adding editorial comments. It turns out this mole looks a lot like a seed to her companion parrots who sit on her and get hit with hunger pangs.

Her newest bird needs a name! You can see the precious thing at Sandy's main blog, Today the Dragon Wins. Leave your name suggestion in the comments link there.

Tags: companion parrot, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She Tweets, But Doesn't Let Me

2009-05-15T15:14:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to Nothing Looks the Same in the Light by Wham!

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has a presence on Twitter, a micro-blogging networking site, but she refuses to let me participate. You can follow her at http://twitter.com/sandylender. But you can't follow me. She says it's difficult enough to keep track of what I'm saying about her here.

I've tried convincing her that, of course, I would only tweet about Amanda Chariss. For those of you not aware, Chariss is the lovely heroine from Choices Meant for Gods. She's this amazing young woman who arrives at my family's estate completely unaware that she's the single most important figure in our society's...wait...Sandy's harping at me about getting too romantic here. Next thing you know, I'll have to post about the differences between her fantasy work and works seeped in romance. (Just so you all know, Choices Meant for Gods was seeped in romance the moment she described Chariss.)

Ed. Note from Sandy: Choices Meant for Gods was seeped in romance the moment I described the hot and handsome Nigel Taiman, who has just announced he will NOT be completing this post. He he he. The point was you can follow me on Twitter, but not poor Nigel.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, twitter, tweet, fantasy, romance

She'll be Guest Blogging Tuesday

2009-05-08T12:19:00.002-05:00

I'm listening to Kiss Them For Me by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

This is just a quick announcement to let you know you can catch a guest blog article from my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, at The Author Island Tiki Hut, Tuesday, May 12th. There will be a contest of some nature that she's not given me information on yet. This does not help me market very well...

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Tiki Hut, guest blog

She Recommends This Video

2009-05-07T09:31:00.003-05:00

I'm listening to I Wanna Be Adored by The Stone Roses.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, highly recommends you check out this video about the trials and tribulations of revisions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKkR9S2lq6Q

She says it's "brilliant marketing."

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, editing letter

She'll be Speaking at GCWA

2009-05-05T15:54:00.005-05:00

I'm listening to Slave to Love by Bryan Ferry.

Today I'm just announcing an upcoming speaking engagement for my fantasy author, Sandy Lender. If you’d like to hear about platforming, existing audiences, and the business of publishing from a published author’s perspective, join the Gulf Coast Writer’s Association Saturday, May 16, to hear Fantasy Author Sandy Lender present these topics and more. GCWA Programming Chairperson Barie Fez-Barringten initially asked Sandy to tell the story of how she got published, so be prepared for more than the usual entertainment at this presentation. For GCWA members who’ve seen one of Sandy’s workshops or presentations before, you know to bring pen and paper because she’s known for sharing lots of tips and links during her talk and during the Q&A sessions afterward.

The meeting will be held at the Zion Lutheran Church at 7401 Winkler Rd. in Ft. Myers. Cost of admission is $3 for members, $5 for non-members. (First-time visitors are free.)

Tags: GCWA, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, publishing

She's Been Cooking Again

2009-05-04T16:22:00.003-05:00

We're listening to These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has been cooking again. How can I tell? Because I entered the apartment to discover she's injured.

Cooking injuries are usually centered around her hands, which unnerves me because she needs those hands for typing books, you know. Anyway, this time she managed to "whisk" boiling cheddar-and-potato soup up onto her hand. Here she sits with ice on it.

The last injury involved band-aids at Easter. Photo at right. She won't let me photograph the ice situation here because it's just too much trouble.

I promise to keep a closer eye on her.
All my best,
Nigel
Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, cooking, potato soup

She's Being Smug With Me

2009-04-26T11:43:00.003-05:00

We're listening to Mandy by Barry Manilow.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, says this song has more meaning for me than I realize. It is quite lovely, but I don't believe, as a man, I should admit that openly in your society.

So let us begin the blog post.

My purpose today is to tell you should be reading about my bride-to-be, Amanda Chariss, in the Choices trilogy. She's just great, you know. You can pick up the full-length novel, Choices Meant for Gods at the Publisher's site, or on Amazon, or at your local bookstore. Or you can pick up this nice little chapbook titled What Choices We Made that has a short story about Amanda as a child. Oh, sorry, Chariss, as a child. (I still use the name I prefer for her despite Sandy's constant badgering...)

The next installment in the trilogy is due out soon. Choices Meant for Kings gives you more of Mandy's story and the...wait a minute...is that why the song's important? Now Sandy's giving me that smug smile of hers.

All my best to you readers.
Nigel
Tags: Mandy, Barry Manilow, Choices Meant for Gods

She Has Tortoise Food Advice

2009-04-24T13:56:00.003-05:00

We're listening to Clocks by Coldplay on the iTunes.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has some excellent advice to share with the blogosphere this evening: never ever ever set a prickly pear cactus pad on your couch.

Now, it's very easy to remember to "retrieve" said cactus pad from the couch, thus avoiding the slapstick moment of sitting on it. (Yes, I know what slapstick is. I watch Monty Python with you.) What's not so easy is seeing the many little stickers the pad leaves behind...like miniscule "I was here" signs all over the couch cushion...

Tags: tortoise food, prickly pear, fantasy

She's Impressed by the Bird

2009-04-22T15:13:00.003-05:00

I'm being forced to listen to Rudebox by Robbie Williams.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has this pet bird that she's talked about over on her main blog, Today the Dragon Wins. Today, she gave him some millet as a treat and proceeded to marvel over how easily he uses his beak to pick the tiny little seeds out of their husks, leaving the husks to float like dust in the air. (She now has to dust...)

In her first novel, Choices Meant for Gods, I recall only a short reference to one ofersey'n's possession of hawks. Now that I come to think of it, I believe that may have been edited out. The original work was over 250,000 words, you know. Her publisher still took it on, but, really, there was no doubt editing was required.

Now when Choices Meant for Kings is released, Lord Akelous Foresterson will be brought in again, and, again, he has one of his hawks on his arm. My lovely bride-to-be is taken with birds, and I can't help thinking that Sandy forced this characteristic upon her because of Petri. Oh. Sandy assures me that Chariss loves all animals, and that's why she tolerates a dragon in her bedchamber. Nice. Why, again, do I help this woman with marketing?

Tags: pet bird, dragon, Choices Meant for Gods, Choices Meant for Kings

She's Posting About Pet Rights for Earth Day

2009-04-21T19:02:00.003-05:00

Right now I'm listening to Mack the Knife (and Sandy says I should make it clear I'm listening to the version from the Brian Setzer Orchestra) on Sandy's iTunes.

Tomorrow is Earth Day and my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has been irritating me today with her soapbox topic for her blog over at Today the Dragon Wins. Pardon me. I need to rephrase that. Sandy has shared her views concerning the topic about which she'll post for Earth Day. (She's just shared these views ad nauseum...)

Seems someone in your government has introduced a bill (don't ask me what that means exactly--I'm still grasping the concept of Earth Day) that will dictate what kind of animals you can keep as pets, and will prohibit you from moving your animals with you if you should move to another region of your land. But because the bill will prevent you from transferring ownership of your pet to anyone else, it will require you to have your pet put to sleep if you choose to go ahead and move. It seems to stomp all over the rights people in this land are supposed to have. (Oh, Sandy says that's one of the reasons people should be upset about it.) Personally, I would be upset if someone said my pet had to be killed. Doesn't that go against everything Earth Day stands for?

You can read all about this bill and Sandy's opinion (and you know THAT will be a treat) at Today the Dragon Wins April 22. Enjoy.

In the meantime, I'll work at promoting the books. You all remember my lovely bride-to-be, Amanda Chariss? Yes, I'm still pleased to suggest you should read all about her and her duties in Choices Meant for Gods, What Choices We Made, and the upcoming Choices Meant for Kings. And I promise to keep Sandy hard at work on Book III, the prequel, and the spin-off novels that seem to be growing like mad out of her mind. It's an exciting time in the writing den.

Tags: Earth Day, Choices Meant for Gods

She Says It's a Form of Flattery

2009-04-07T14:25:00.003-05:00

I'm supposed to tell you all that my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is currently listening to Mad World by Tears For Fears. I guess it would be more appropriate to say I'm listening to Mad World by Tears For Fears while I post something promotional for her and she leans over my shoulder to make sure my promotional efforts are acceptable.

Anyway. The reason she says this is a form of flattery is because we're stealing the "update on iTunes" from an agent's blog that she was perusing last night. She was most impressed with the woman's musical selections on her iPod (I actually know what that is, by the way. Sandy has one. An iPod Nano that...what? Of course they care. They'll want to know what you listen to just as you wanted to know what that woman listened to.)

I have just been informed that no one cares yet what Sandy listens to. But for those of you who don't already know, it's usually Duran Duran.

I've also just been informed that I've wasted everyone's attention span on this nonsense instead of promoting Choices Meant for Gods, What Choices We Made, or the upcoming release Choices Meant for Kings, so you'll have to come back another day to hear more about them. My apologies.

Nigel Taiman
Tags: Mad World, Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's Just Too Stressed Out

2009-03-21T12:16:00.004-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is planting things today. It's a way to reduce stress. She talks to the plants. Tells them how lovely and green they are. She uses a very calm and relaxed voice. She mixes their water and liquid food just right and moistens or soaks their soil according to what type of plant she's working with. It's a stress-reducing process that usually leaves her quite mellow.

I appreciate this because it usually means we'll be working on editing and Book III rewrite time well into the night.

And I approve of that.

Book II, Choices Meant for Kings, is still in a holding pattern while publishing schedules rollick through the usual hiccups and bumps. ArcheBooks Publishing is a smaller publisher, as those of you who have been following the saga know, so the process can't be rushed much. And I think that's one of the things that causes Sandy stress. She's speaking at the Naples Press Club Writers Conference April 4 and 5, and it's distressing to know that the second novel in her fantasy series won't be available to promote. But she has the first novel, Choices Meant for Gods, and the chapbook, What Choices We Made, to use for examples in her talks. Anyone who's going to be in Southwest Florida that weekend would benefit greatly from the many topics of interest at the conference and will enjoy the offerings from the vendors at the adjoining Authors and Books Festival. You can get all the registration information you need at the Naples Press Club's link to the festival.

Hope to see you there.
Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Naples Press Club, Authors and Books Festival, Choices Meant for Gods

She Wrote this Paper Once

2009-02-18T11:44:00.002-05:00

Don't ask too many questions about this post. My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, just called in here and asked if I'd tell the story of the day she totally screwed up in one of her core classes in college. I have no idea what a core class is, and I'm "in" education.

She says this is a nightmare college students in this society often have.

She went to class one morning to see many other students stapling papers together and stuffing papers in nice colored folders, etc., and she wondered at the buzz of energy in everyone. Then the professor walked in and asked for everyone to hand their papers forward. Oops. She thought the paper was due a week later and had not even begun work on it. So she watched helplessly as every other student turned in the assignment, worth whatever percent of the final class grade it was worth, while she had nothing to hand forward.

At the end of the class hour, she sprinted back to her dorm room, whisked out some reference books, and wrote a paper on whatever the topic was. She cited her sources at the end, printed it out, put it in a nice colored folder, and sprinted over to her professor's office. He wasn't in. So she wrote an honest note that she had forgotten to prepare the paper for class that morning and asked him to please accept it late and left it under his door.

He was very kind to accept the paper and even gave her an A.

Sandy says THAT is stressful writing. It reminds me of the proposal she had to write for her publisher when she pitched the Choices trilogy. She had to do that whole marketing piece one night because she thought her pitch was going to be a weekend later than it actually was. Another nightmare for some people that she's actually lived. Interesting...

All my best,
Nigel

She Makes Lists

2009-01-03T12:47:00.003-05:00

I must apologize for my long absence from posting. To those of you who have been sending me e-mail, and to those of you who accosted me in person over the Christmas holiday, I want to say I’m sorry for neglecting to keep you up to date on the happenings in Sandy’s life. You must understand, though, taking care of my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has been a fulltime job as of late. I have good news there: she’s doing very well. In fact, she’s doing so well that she’s participating in your society’s annual tradition of setting new year’s resolutions. (You can share at the main blog.)

I can’t recall her ever doing this before…
Now, I’ve seen her set goals. And I’ve seen the crazy system she uses to meet the goals. You can use this blog as a how-to guide if you like—how to make your new years resolution a reality or how to keep your new years resolution. Whatever you like. But, I warn you, it’s a bit odd. It focuses on lists. Stages of lists. Random lists and organized lists.

She starts by writing the goal in the middle of a piece of paper. Then she writes out random two- to four-word actions she will have to take to get to the goal. She writes them as they occur to her in rapid-fire succession all over the paper, speckling it with these action items in no particular order. It looks chaotic but she refers to it as stream-of-consciousness. She will usually set the paper aside after a while and come back to it frequently with new action items that have occurred to her over the period of a couple days.

When she feels satisfied that she has plenty of actions written down to help her get to her goal, she’ll sit down and prepare an organized list or two…or three… Depending on the goal she’s trying to reach, there might be internal goals to hit first.

Here’s an example to make it all make sense.

Back when Sandy moved to Florida, she needed an extra large sheet of paper. She bought one of those huge sketch pads and placed “move” in the middle of it. Some of the random actions were “sell house”, “find a school for xxx”, “find a job”, “pack”, “get boxes”, “revise resume”, “garage sale”, “clean out basement”, etc. Now, as you can see, “revise resume” would go on a list under “find a job”, but for this initial, stream-of-consciousness exercise, the point is to get as many action items down on paper as you can. Organizing them is the second step.

And that’s what she did next. She turned over all school-related actions to her ex-husband because the move centered around getting him to a school where he could lift out of his decade-long depression. The rest of the items went on lists that she organized and put in motion so the goal of moving could be met.

So what new years resolution do you need to sit down and think about meeting? You might try this anal-retentive list-making system of Sandy’s. Start with the “splatter” of actions and ideas all over a large piece of paper, and then organize those actions and ideas into manageable lists that lead you to success.

Good luck with your goals and resolutions this year.

Tags: new years resolution, goal, list, actions

She Got Flowers...Sort of

2008-11-07T16:30:00.004-05:00

So my fantasy author got home from today's radiation zapping and said, "oooo, the apartment smells a bit like stinky trash. I'll take that out." She proceeded to do this. On her way back from the dumpster she saw a woman walking around the corner of the building with a large vase of tall pink roses and a plush white teddy bear clinging to the large vase. She was instantly intrigued.

The woman began walking up the steps to the apartment and Sandy became further intrigued.

But no.
The woman stopped halfway up the stairs, looked at the number on the door and started back down the stairs. When she saw Sandy walking toward the building, she called out, "Do you know which apartment is 202?"

Sandy was very disappointed, but after relating the story to a friend, she received the lovely image above via e-mail. She says it's as cool as the real thing.

Tags: fantasy author

She Hasn't Repressed This One, Careless Memory #13

2008-11-02T10:24:00.003-05:00

A Glimpse into a Writer's Life
When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was a young girl, she stood in the check-out line at the grocery store with her mother one day. In your society, towns are so highly populated that people have to stand in line with their food to pay for—oh, she tells me you already know this.

Anyway, Sandy stared at the headlines on the magazines while they waited their turn in line, and one particularly large title stood out from the others. It said, "Talking to Your Teens About Virginity". She found this curious, so, in front of everyone in the store, she turned from the magazines to her mother and asked, out loud, "Mom, what's virginity?" And she pronounced it incorrectly, to boot.

Given the nature of this parent-offspring moment, she knew, in the future, that she had to incorporate it into a story. (You know how those writers are…everything's fair game.) She knew that a young Amanda Chariss, the heroine of her epic fantasy trilogy, had to supply one of these embarrassing moments to her guardian and mentor, the great wizard Hrazon. Because there's no room for such backstory in the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy, Sandy included the little tale in the upcoming short story anthology What Choices We Made. You won't be able to get your hands on the piece until the end of November (the busiest shopping day of the year, she says…whatever that means), but, as soon as the book is available, she'll let me announce it here and you can enjoy Hrazon's embarrassment as much as I did when I read it.

In the meantime, the first novel in the trilogy is already out. You can pick it up at Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc., or order it online or at Amazon.

Tags: virginity, Choices Meant for Gods, What Choices We Made, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, writers life

She's Teaching me About Employment and the Economy

2008-10-28T16:24:00.002-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, created a host of careers for the characters in the society from which I hail, but she can't wave the magic pen and create jobs for her friends who are looking for work in your society. After speaking with one of these friends, she started to explain something to me. War, high gas and food prices, a housing market meltdown, record unemployment numbers, etc. make the headlines—and have been making the headlines for years. The mass media bombards already stressed people with constant negativity, constant gloom-and-doom.

You can't turn on the television or radio without hearing some negative political ad frightening middle-class America about their health benefits or some negatively charged news story trying to out-sensationalize the "other station's" negatively charged news story. A local job fair drew 11 employers and more than 700 job seekers one weekday afternoon and the local news stations couldn't stop emphasizing how this was a harbinger of doom for the area…and with three more hours of the job fair to go!

But the television and radio aren't the only culprits feeding your society's stress. The front page of newspapers flash the latest business closings and County job cuts, leading above the fold with headlines that state the number of people losing their jobs for the sake of saving taxpayer dollars. You can't fire up your e-mail server without seeing headlines that tell of war, death totals, the latest victims in corporate scandals, etc.

It's enough to drive an already stressed out person over the edge. (Sandy would be an already stressed out person, by the way.) It's enough to make you want to unplug all devices that can receive a signal.

What brought this to her mind was a job interview one of her friends went on. It was at a rehab center. THAT place is hiring. THAT place is at capacity. THAT place needs more employees to handle the influx of disturbed, substance-abusing people who seek medical attention to help them through this troubled time.

And that's a shame.

What has this society come to when stress is so great that, as a community, people are falling apart? It will be so wonderful when the elections are over and the political crap can stop. It will be wonderful when the eventual upswing in the economy takes place. It will be wonderful when people stop listening to the constant bombardment of crap and start accepting that there are good things going on around them, too. Won't it be a great day when there's so much good news that the local news station will have no choice but to lead with a good news story?

In the meantime, Sandy encourages you to try to look on the bright side of life. (She also suggests a great fantasy novel at this Amazon page to take you out of reality for a while.) She posts inspirational quotes at her main blog every morning and tries to give fun, light, creative writing ideas there. She says we can't bury our heads in the sand (wait…what? How would you breathe? Oh, well, it's a strange colloquialism!) …we can't bury our heads in the sand, but we can shut out some of the negativity, focus on the positives and uplifting things around us, and wait out the tough times together.

Looking forward to a great news day,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: employment, economy, headlines, inspirational quote

She Got Up Too Early

2008-10-22T07:42:00.003-05:00

But it's not her fault. Nor (this time) is it mine. You know how I like to offer subliminal suggestions to my fantasy author when she's sleeping...and this often results in her waking up and writing in the middle of the night or early in the morning. It can make her very fussy with me, but the results are worth it.

Today was not my fault. Today she curses Waste Management.

You see, she's got the windows thrown open wide to give the air conditioner (thus the electric bill) a break. I suggested this might be unsafe but she lives on the second floor and she figures anyone climbing up to break through the screens in the middle of the night deserves a sword through the heart anyway (yes, she keeps the cutlery near the bed). But this morning at the cheery hour of 5 a.m. the garbage truck emptied the dumpster about 40 yards from her bedroom window. It first had to back into position with its backup alarm wailing.

She's not pleased. I think this means Tuesday nights will find the air conditioner on and the windows closed.

Tags: waste management, cutlery, sword, fantasy author

She Found This Blogsite...

2008-10-14T08:03:00.003-05:00

I'm not happy.

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, reviewed a site called Writers and Authors over at Today the Dragon Wins this morning and it has me quite concerned. She liked the site. In fact, she went on and on in rapturous tones saying, "oh, check this out!" and "oh, look at this!" and "oh, there's a thesaurus!" Whatever that is. (Okay, she's just explained that the thesaurus is part of an "Online Reference" tool that the administrator, Jo Linsdell, has up all the time on the site.)

This site has myriad features that are going to lure my author back when she should be listening to me. It has interviews with other authors and she's just always intrigued by what other authors have to say about their publishing experiences. It can be exasperating for us characters when we're trying to force-feed ideas, you know.

And then yesterday there was an article about Lulu.com, which had facts that Sandy obviously didn't know about because she felt the need to interrupt me and read them to me while I was trying to interrupt her. It's all very disconcerting. I went to the site myself when Sandy took a break. The mission statement claims the site is "a place for people in the writing industry to gather and share experiences, tips and advice. Not to mention promote their latest work and discuss various topics related to the writing industry. Included in this blog you will also find; links to sites for writers, competitions and contests, interviews, writer and book event listings and more..." Just what I need: competitions and contests to take Sandy's mind off the job of editing Book III.

Blast Jo Linsdell for making the site so inviting to writers. If you're a character, I tell you to avoid letting your author find it. Avoid it at all costs. If you're a writer...well...it's at this link.

All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: writers and authors, Jo Linsdell

She Reminds You That Choices Meant for Gods is Available as an Inexpensive eBook, Too

2008-10-08T10:48:00.003-05:00

Whether you enjoy collecting hardcover books for your shelves or not, sometimes cash for such luxuries runs low. Fantasy Author Sandy Lender is in a "low-cash" phase these days due to medical bills, foreclosure, etc., so she empathizes with others in negative cashflow situations. (She says "it sucks a lot.")

So, for those of you who want to read new fantasy but don't have the funds to pick up Choices Meant for Gods at the local Barnes & Noble or Hastings book store, Fantasy Author Sandy Lender has your answer. Download the pdf from the publisher's site. It's only $3.99.

You see, the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods is the story of the amazing heroine, Amanda Chariss. It tells of love, tolerance, overcoming insurmountable odds, standing up for yourself, not backing down, coming of age, befriending dragons, and irritating evil sorcerers…but not everyone in the world is able to shell out nearly $30 for a hard cover, first edition book from a fantasy author they've never read before. Enter the oh-so-economical eBook.

If you're unsure about your $4-purchase, you can read a bunch of five-star reviews of Choices Meant for Gods on the Amazon page... Then link over to ArcheBooks Publishing to order/download the electronic version for much less money than the physical book. You can also read the first three chapters for free at that same link.

I know you'll enjoy the story.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, eBook, five-star review, Amanda Chariss

She's Free

2008-10-05T09:52:00.003-05:00

After 17 long months of waiting on "the other side" to get "their" act together, my fantasy author is finally free. Yes, she's single again. And she's very pleased with this.

Seventeen months ago, she filed for divorce from someone who is divorce-worthy. And that's all she's going to allow me to say about this person. (If you've been following the blog from home, you know I've wanted to run him through with a sword on more than one occasion. What!? It's my blog! I'm allowed commentary.)

Fine. She's told me to mind my manners.

The point of this post is to say that Fantasy Author Sandy Lender is rejoicing. She's keeping the pen name for pen name purposes, of course. You don't do several years of marketing, while you know you're getting your maiden name back, and then switch gears on everyone. Besides, the name "Lender" is in the middle of the alphabet and is more likely to get browsers at the book store. (See the pseudonym discussion that went on quite heavily during the entire month of June at Today the Dragon Wins. Several guest bloggers and visitors had interesting comments concerning last names.)

Now that Sandy is single again, there will be fewer manic visits to the attorney's office when "the other side" misses a deadline (oh, you have no idea...a divorce with no children and no assets doesn't go on for 17 months unless one side is actively insane...what!? I'm merely stating my opinion!) Fine. Once again, I'm stating here and now that I'm pleased to see my fantasy author freed up to write instead of flitting off to the attorney's office. She's free to buy paper and toner cartridges because the "other side's" $4,000+ overdue bill is NOT landing in her lap after all. She's free to date a guy if she decides we're worth the time (although, I should warn all members of my sex that she keeps swords and a short temper these days...and she does write about ways to kill sorcerers with or without magic...)

That's my subtle way of suggesting everyone stay clear and let her write.

Congratulations are in order!
Tags: divorce, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, pen name

She Has A Bizarre Early Review for Choices Meant for Kings

2008-09-18T09:15:00.003-05:00

These writers can be so creative. Check out the format of the latest early review for Choices Meant for Kings at The ChrisChat Reviews. Thank you to Chris for the glowing praise!

And if you haven't already gotten your copy of Choices Meant for Gods, you'll want to check that out to get caught up on the series. The eBook is available for only $3.99 at the publisher's site. Or you can get the real thing at amazon, b&n, the publisher's site, etc. Enjoy!

All my best,
Nigel
Tags: Choices Meant for Kings, Choices Meant for Gods, ebook, review

She's on Suspense Magazine's Site

2008-08-19T07:31:00.003-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is pleased to announce that Suspense Magazine's online presence now includes a page devoted to her and an early review of the upcoming fantasy novel Choices Meant for Kings. You can check out the direct link to the page here. At the site, you can see Megan Kissinger's map of Onweald in full color, a blurb about the book, and an interview of Sandy Lender (complete with inane ramblings about snails).

If you're still in need of the first book in the Choices trilogy, the easiest way to get your copy is through Amazon or the publisher's site. You can also walk into Barnes & Noble or Borders, etc., to order it if you don't see it still sitting on the shelf, but online ordering is faster, and, if what folks are telling Sandy still holds true, less expensive. It appears the book store's fees are more exhorbitant than the online shipping fees, and both Amazon and her publisher have discounts at the moment.

All my best.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Suspense Magazine, Choices Meant for Gods, Choices Meant for Kings

She Hasn't Repressed This One, Careless Memory #12

2008-08-07T17:50:00.003-05:00

A Glimpse into a Writer's Life
When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was about 7 years old, she lived in an apartment complex across the breezeway from a child named Debbie. One day, Debbie and another girl, who Sandy can't even picture, much less name at this point, wanted to ride their bikes up to the convenience store a few blocks away.

Because Sandy's mother wouldn't let her go with them, Debbie and the other girl began to mock her, telling her she was "a baby" and "too little" to go with the "big girls" to the store. (That's mean. These were your friends?) Ah, back to the story. It gets strange, she tells me.

When Debbie and the other girl returned from the store, they taunted Sandy with the candy they'd bought (by the gods, you surely didn't remain friends with such people…oh, she tells me children are just cruel beasts in this society…great). As I was saying, the girls taunted her with the candy until they decided they wanted to go to the store again. This time, they told her that she was too little to go to the store, but she could watch their candy for them, if she promised not to eat any of it.

For pity's sake. I think we can all see where this is going.

As soon as the girls were out of sight, Sandy unwrapped all the pieces of gum and smeared them around in the dirt. (You've got to be kidding.) She licked some first to make the dirt really stick, she says. (Hey, she was 7; this was 7-year-old logic.)

Once all the pink gum pieces were lying there in their random disarray of dirty inedibility, she went inside to play with her dolls or something pleasing like that. (Your mind frightens me.) When Debbie and her friend returned a second time, they were incensed, of course, and came to Sandy's door to find out what had happened. Sandy quickly came up with (What? Thought up a lie and thought it up quick? What does that mean?) Sandy quickly came up with a story about some older boys riding by on their bicycles and stopping to smear the gum in the dirt, which the girls believed, and smugly went back to playing with her own toys.

I think I'll do everything she tells me to for the marketing and promotion of Choices Meant for Gods. It's available at a discount at the publisher's site, you know. And I think Amazon still has it on sale as well. Choices Meant for Kings is due out this fall.

Tags: writer's life, careless memory, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Gods

She Doesn't Like the Fire Alarm

2008-08-05T09:40:00.003-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, had just settled into sleep when something loud and obnoxious began screeching in her "new" apartment. No, the bird was not to blame. In fact, the bird remained remarkably calm...

Now that she lives in an apartment community again, there comes with that joyous community living all the mature activities the neighbors find fun, such as pulling fire alarms when there's no fire. The resulting noise is supposed to empty the building of half-dressed, groggy apartment dwellers waiting for the fire department to come turn off the alarm.

It took them over ten minutes.

Sandy figures she needs a better back-up system for the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy so she can grab that (and the bird) on her way out should there ever be a real fire because this place obviously isn't high on the priority list of places to rush in and save.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, fire alarm, Choices Meant for Gods

She's Back on the Beach

2008-08-02T21:08:00.005-05:00

After letting substitutes patrol her zones during much of the month of July while she dealt with surgeries and whatnot, my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was back on the beach this morning to see what her turtle nests were up to. She wasn't disappointed. First, she came across a turtle crawl, which means some sea turtle out there was holding eggs for quite a while...

But in even more exciting news, one of the nests hatched last night, which means there was a hatching to report. I've not been a part of a hatching so this was new to me. Turns out it involves multiple Turtle Time volunteers. In the photo above, you can see Lynn and Pat digging out the leathery egg shells that the baby sea turtles leave behind in the nesting chamber. They count these to see how many eggs hatched. In this case, it was 112. Four eggs were left unformed in the nest and those were put back in to decompose naturally. The ghost crab picture at left was the reason the Turtle Time volunteers were "allowed" to get into the nest so soon. Typically, they must wait three days after an emergence, but because this nest-robber had gotten into the chamber and could have posed a threat to any hatchlings still in the chamber, a permit holder, such as Lynn, is allowed to dig in and save the day. The ghost crab is ousted and sent on his merry way, although all the volunteers would rather crush him. Sandy snapped his photo as he hunkered down pretending to be one with the sand.

I'll post some more beach photos another day. For now, Sandy needs to get some rest and I'm keeping her from that with all my questions.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, sea turtles, Turtle Time

She Moved Again

2008-07-28T16:45:00.003-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, now sits in her new apartment amid tons of boxes. It's unsettling. She says the good news is the move is over and her parents have come to town to assist in unpacking. She has an inordinate number of books...

Now, you might ask yourself why on earth would an author select this time of her "writer's life" to change abodes. She's just been diagnosed with a pretty serious illness and is just starting treatment for said illness while still recovering from a major surgery. It seems "odd" at best that she would pack boxes of books and kitchen utensils, clothes and computer equipment to move. As luck would have it (what's that, dear? oh, yes, your luck is less than stellar) As her luck would have it, the landlord from whom she rented the former abode ran into some legal issues with the condominium association and the bank. Both entities are suing him. Sandy's attorney suggested she "get out" immediately if not sooner.

So here we are in an apartment community where she feels confident that the property management company won't go into foreclosure. She says it's worth a heavy sigh of relief because we made it here with minimal loss of sanity. There was a brief moment in the car, as we passed the moving trailer parked at the side of the road, when she said, "well of course our movers are stopped at the side of the road. Why not?" We doubled back to check on them to discover they had not just a flat tire, but a tire that was on the verge of blowing out. Because the key to the lug nuts (I have no idea what those are, but Sandy's helping me and that's what she's called the items that blocked the successful changing of the flat tire) was stored in the front of the trailer, the movers would have had to have emptied all of her belongings out onto the side of the road to get it and change the tire. I find that a bit odd, but, the team elected to leave everything as it was and drive on. Sandy drove behind with her car's hazard lights flashing. As a short, flashing caravan, the two made it to the new apartment and all was well.

She says this is a step up because she gets to rent a garage and non-timid ducks approach her begging for food. I told her all animals recognize her as "a pushover."

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, writer's life, moving

She Took Pictures of the Ghost Crabs for You All

2008-06-28T08:46:00.005-05:00

I was surprised she got out of bed today. After yesterday's yucky procedure, my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was quite full of pain medication and "droopy" last night. But she got out to the beach for sea turtle patrol this morning and got these pictures for everyone to see. These are the ghost crabs she wishes to skewer (in fact, she said that to the first one she saw, hence we have a picture of its backside as it is up fleeing).

She informs me the first one here is a relatively small crab, as if I didn't grow up next to an ocean in my world.

The second one, sitting in some man's sandal footprint is a bit bigger. At first, she thought it might be dead because it didn't move as she approached it. But when she moved to place her own sandal next to it for "scope", it jumped up and scurried into the surf. It certainly looked bigger standing...but not as dead.

And you all have seen pictures of the ghost crab burrows in past posts. Sandy goes around filling those in around the turtle nests to annoy the crabs and encourage them to find better places to take up residence.

On a bizarre note, she passed a bird that had nested in the middle of the beach so she called that in. She didn't get a good picture of it because the bird became quite agitated (understandably) when she walked by. (What's that?) Oh, yes, Sandy says the bird ruffled up in bird language for "There's nothing to see here; just keep moving along." She's convinced it was a Bonaparte's Gull, which has a stable population. (Seems they'd be a bit less stable if they keep laying their eggs out in the middle of the beach like that.)

That's all for a writer's life for today. I think she's about to nap...

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, sea turtle, ghost crab

She Invited Anna to Interview Today

2008-06-27T06:32:00.003-05:00

Today my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, invited Jamieson Wolf's Anna to the blog. It gave me an opportunity to meet this lovely young lady and learn more about her as a character, and about the novella Valentine by Paranormal Romance Author Jamieson Wolf. Here's the result:

Nigel Taiman: Good morning and welcome to the blog. Today I get to interview the lovely Anna from Jamieson Wolf's latest novella Valentine. Anna joins us with Mr. Wolf's permission. Welcome, Anna.

Anna: It is very nice to be here, Nigel. Thank you very much for having me.

Nigel Taiman: First, could you tell our visitors your profession?

Anna: I am a Priestess and I perform rights for the God Lespercus.

Nigel Taiman: For my edification, as I'm sure our visitors already know this, what does a priestess do?

Anna: Well, a Priest and Priestess will perform rights and rituals for their Gods. Valentine and I worship the God Lespercus; it is he who gives us our power. We use our magic to conduct hand fastings, oversee births and provide healing for the people.

Nigel Taiman: It sounds dangerous to me. Doesn't the emperor of your society frown upon just about everything you and your priest, Valentine, do? Does the emperor actually disagree with your very religion?

Anna: Well, essentially, yes. We follow a Pagan path while the Emperor Claudius worships Christ. He has put a decree out across the land forbidding us to marry couples; he wishes everyone to convert to his chosen religion. It is a sad time for Rome.

Nigel Taiman: Why, then, do you risk your lives?

Anna: Because we have to. Lespercus gave us our power to use and how can we not? He gave us our magic to better the lives of his people and that is what we do. Though we face death, exile or torture, we have to follow our hearts and do what is right.

Nigel Taiman: That's got to be one of the bravest things I've heard in a long time. Now, changing subjects just a bit, it seems that you're quite devoted to this priest, Valentine, and, from what bits I got to read of the novella, you're also enamoured with him. Is that tru…are you blushing, my dear? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you blush. Is it true that you've admired him for some time?

Anna: Oh, yes. Yes, I have always loved him. When I looked into his eyes, it was the first time I knew what love was or what it could be. But Valentine was always meant for someone else, not for me. That is the way it has always been.

Nigel Taiman: I see. So his love interests lie in other fields. And you admire him yet? For his ideals?

Anna: Yes, I admire him. Though he loves me like a sister and not a lover, he is one of the most wonderful caring men I have ever met. He sacrifices himself for his people so that they can have the life they so richly deserve. Have you ever heard of anything more admirable?

Nigel Taiman: I must say, you remind me of a certain bride I wish to marry. She's opinionated and loyal like you. Well, Anna, do you have any aspirations of taking on adventures of your own? You've helped the priest Valentine in this story; will you convince your author to put you in a story of your own? Do you have any ideas for a story of your own?

Anna: Well, I know he’s thinking of it. He’s going to start a sequel to Valentine soon called Valentine’s Promise. I know that I’m going to be in that book. But I would love a book of my own; could you imagine the wonder of it? I think that story will be called Anna’s Wish.

Nigel Taiman: Well, with these authors, you just have to plant the idea when they're groggy. I find that waking them slightly around 3:30 in the morning is the best tactic. Just plant the seed of an idea at first.

Anna: Exactly. It will happen if I’m patient enough. I wonder where my story will take me though? Only time will tell.

Nigel Taiman: It's certainly been a pleasure conspiring with you today. And I wish you all the best. Do you know how folks can get their hands on the novella Valentine? It's all right if you don't; Sandy can pop in here and post it for us. But if you know it, just spell it out here and we'll have the link for everyone.

Anna: Oh, I do know where they can find a copy of it. It’s from somewhere called Cobblestone Press, it’s a…what do they call it? A web site? What a new fangled thing, I don’t understand it. But Jamieson says that readers can read an excerpt and purchase a copy of Valentine here:

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/valentinejw.htm

Nigel Taiman: Thank you, dear. Now, I'll let you get back to suggesting ideas to Mr. Wolf.

Anna: You’re quite welcome, Nigel. It’s been so much fun talking to you, I feel like a celebrity! Enjoy the book everyone!

Tags: Valentine, Jamieson Wolf, novella, Anna

She Stopped Me From Stabbing a Guy at the Hospital

2008-06-26T11:52:00.005-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, had an appointment this morning to prepare for tomorrow's procedure. She let me tag along because I made such a fuss about being left in the dark on the last procedure. At one point, an elderly gentleman with his wife were in the same waiting room with her. Sandy got sent to another area to have blood drawn, and when she came back, a nurse took her and the elderly couple to radiology.

On the way, the nurse stopped to make sure the lady had a bracelet for identification purposes, so Sandy made small-talk with the gentleman. On they went. When the couple was led out of the radiology waiting room, the gentleman wished her luck and said something else I couldn't hear (I admit that I was distracted by this beeping metal box on a rolling stand), but I snapped to attention when the couple left and Sandy started weeping.

Let me tell you, I pulled out the sword in an instant and went off after the guy, but she stopped me. Turns out he said something very lovely and she was just being weepy, which she stopped quickly enough because the nurse came to fetch her next.

I swear, these authors surprise you at times. But that's a writer's life for you. You talk about sticking them in the chest with large needles and you don't know how they'll respond. By the end of the consultation, I looked at her and said, "Are you seriously going to let them do this to you?"

She seems okay with it. Now, I obviously have to attend to her tomorrow because this whole stabbing-in-the-chest-with-a-needle procedure happens tomorrow, but I'll post an interview with a lovely young lady named Anna before we head out. You all may be familiar with the author Jamieson Wolf, whom Sandy has interviewed over at The Dragon today. Well, Anna is one of Mr. Wolf's characters. It'll be a wonderful read for you all.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Jamieson Wolf

She's Asking About Tortoise Substrates

2008-06-23T10:49:00.004-05:00

I appeared because I get the computer for a bit while my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, gets ready for her doctor appointment. Lo and behold, she's in tears. A complete wreck.

Imagine my distress. At first, I thought maybe she'd killed off a character in the Choices trilogy because I've seen what that does to her. It's not pretty.

No, something horrible happened here in the apartment. One of the pancake tortoises died. Blueberry. (Yes, his name was Blueberry.) She had just come in from burying him amid the violets she'd planted the other weekend when I arrived so she was still weepy. Poor dear little tortoise. He'd always had a very soft plastron so she believes she'd done a poor job of measuring out his calcium powder on his food, etc. I don't believe there's any point in her putting on eye makeup to go to her doctor appointment... She's quite a mess right now.

Her question, for anyone knowledgeable about pancake tortoises, is what type of substrate do you use in your tortoise's habitat? She's raised Buttermilk (that's the other pancake tortoise) for about 10 years on a reptile mulch sold in regular commercial pet stores. She once tried the calcium-enriched sand-like substrate sold in specialty pet stores/reptile pet stores, but fear of compaction and not being able to monitor calcium intake should the tortoises ingest the substrate became an issue. (I never thought I'd get an education on turtle and tortoise husbandry by helping her with fantasy book marketing and promotion.)

If anyone out there has tortoise substrate suggestions, especially for pancake tortoises, Sandy would be thrilled to hear them.

All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, pancake tortoise, substrate, tortoise habitat, specialty pet store, reptile pet store, calcium intake, calcium-enriched, tortoise husbandry

She Just Noticed the Oncologist's E-mail

2008-06-20T17:31:00.003-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has carried a certain business card around in her purse for two weeks now. Just a few minutes ago, she relinquished the computer to me so I could drum up more professional reviews for the upcoming release of Choices Meant for Kings and so she could prepare to go out "into the world", and she began emptying her purse. (Don't ask. It's like a ritual.) She pulled the Florida Cancer Specialists card out of her purse and said, "I doubt I need to cart this around."

The way she abruptly stopped and then laughed maniacally made me wonder just what it was she had been "carting around." Turns out she has her doctor's business card and it has her doctor's e-mail address. Because it would be inappropriate to broadcast the whole thing to the universe (and I know I'm flattering myself by thinking the entire universe reads this blog), I'll just give you the important part.

reuben sandwich

The man treating my fantasy author for lymphoma has an e-mail address of reuben sandwich. What confidence this instills in me. (Oh, and it doesn't give YOU pause?)

She's fine with it. Says it proves he has a good outlook. Personally, I have to wonder.

Everyone have a lovely evening. I just might be sending some mail to reubensandwich after she goes out "into the world" this evening.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Florida Cancer Specialists, lymphoma, Choices Meant for Kings

She's Hosting Pseudonym Bloggers at Today the Dragon Wins

2008-06-19T09:18:00.004-05:00

That title makes no sense at first.

Here's what it's supposed to mean. My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is hosting a variety of authors at her main blog, Today the Dragon Wins, throughout the month of June, to talk about their use of (or non-use of) pen names for writing. Today's guest is Lisa Haselton, whose name you might recognize because I mentioned her several days ago. She's a book reviewer and author interviewer who recently read Sandy's upcoming novel Choices Meant for Kings. You can read the review here.

Today, Lisa discusses her need to use a pseudonym for her fiction writing because a celebrity already had her name on bookshelves. Pity. I think Lisa should have gone in with sword drawn to demand her place right beside...wait...Sandy's censoring me.

Fine.

If you'd like to read what other authors have contributed to the pseudonym discussion, the posts are archived at Today the Dragon Wins throughout the month of June. If you participate in the comments, you are automatically entered in a contest to win an electronic version of Sandy's epic fantasy Choices Meant for Gods and Raven Bower's paranormal thriller Apparitions. (Really? Raven? That's fantastic! When did you post Raven's story?) Everyone should read the article on Friday, June 13 (oh, how appropriate!) as well as Lisa's story today.

All my best,
Nigel
Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Gods, pseudonym, Apparitions, Lisa Haselton, Raven Bower

She Hasn't Repressed This One, Careless Memory #11

2008-06-16T09:34:00.003-05:00

A Glimpse into a Writer's Life
When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, had graduated from high school, she started dating a lad named Matt. (That's it? You don't remember his last name?) She doesn't remember his last name at this time and doesn't have a yearbook (whatever that is) on hand to look it up. Matt was a funny guy who could draw cartoons very well and made her laugh.

Anyway, one afternoon, Sandy and Matt were sitting in the living room floor watching some movie in her parents' house when her father returned from a hunting trip. With his shotgun in hand.

Sandy thought nothing of this because her dad had been a hunter for as long as she could remember. Matt, on the other hand, freaked out. Sandy didn't notice, but heard stories from several of Matt's friends later.

Now, Sandy's dad is an intimidating man without a gun in his hand, but saw this as a perfect opportunity to put a little fear o' God into the lad dating his daughter. He proceeded to sit down and clean said gun in front of them. (This, too, was in the stories Matt told his friends, and which his friends recounted to Sandy.)

It's sometimes difficult to tell when her father is serious and when he's in jest. One evening when Sandy had endured several hours of divorce mediation stupidity, Sandy informed her parents that the day had "not gone well." She wasn't allowed to give particulars, but they were as disappointed as she was that the mediation hadn't resolved what it was supposed to resolve. Her father's response was, "You tell (insert name here) that your dad is looking for him." Now, coming from that man, that's just unsettling. I'd like to go with him if he starts hunting.

But to finish our current non-repressed memory, Sandy ended up breaking up with poor Matt for a variety of "space" issues, she says. The poor guy thought they should be in love and married and having a family. Sandy thought she should be going to college and getting a degree and looking for someone reliable and mature. She succeeded with the college and degree part…

Maybe Amanda and I will help her find the rest when she's ready.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, writer's life, dating, shotgun, Careless Memory

She's Eternally Grateful for the Suggestion to Wear Pants

2008-06-12T08:55:00.003-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, returned from the hospital groggy, woozy, and unable to reason for herself. She blames the medication. At some point in the late afternoon, while sleeping in a drug-induced haze, she mumbled to me, "was that the doorbell?"

Now, I didn't want her climbing out of bed to answer the door, and I am unable to speak to other humans in this realm (she likens it to Big Bird's Snuffelupagus, which I have probably spelled incorrectly, and of which I have no working knowledge), so I just said, "no." She plunged back into R.E.M. sleep.

A few hours later, she awoke a bit more "alert" and, before scarfing more pain pills, announced, "I should see if someone left a package at the door."

I asked if she was expecting a package. Apparently, there's an Amazon order on the way and she's keen to get it. So I helped her get out of bed and suggested she put on pants. "Why?" My response was something along the lines of "you don't want to collapse in the open doorway in your skivvies and be found that way by a friend coming to check on you in the morning, do you?"

So she slid on the sweat pants she'd worn earlier and we meandered out to the front door, where, lo and behold, there was not only a package from Amazon, but well-meaning neighbors gathered around waiting for an appearance.

So she's eternally grateful for the suggestion to wear pants.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, amazon

She's Hungry

2008-06-11T06:01:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Post 200 here at the blog about my fantasy author, Sandy Lender. You'll be surprised to hear that she's starving herself this morning. No food. Or water. When she brushed her teeth, she couldn't even drink the water afterward.

Next strange twist, she's going to the hospital in sweat pants and a sleeveless tank top under her shirt instead of ... ah ... well ... I feel a little uncomfortable delving into that about my dear girl, but, suffice it to say, she's behaving abnormally this morning and I just KNOW it involves the lymphoma in her chest. She's being awfully vague with me, and whenever she's vague with me, I know something's up.

A friend arrived just a short while ago to whisk her away to the hospital. Do people usually go in pairs? She keeps telling me "See, Patrick Swayze is beating the odds with pancreatic cancer, and that's something serious, daunting, and horrific. He's filming a new series for TV. He's taking on the world and winning. All I have is Hodgkin's, which is going to be cured up in a couple months, hands down. No problems."

I guess if Patrick Swayze's doctors can perform extreme miracles, to the point that he can film The Beast, and all my author requires is normal procedures, I should be calm, but I don't like it when she's vague.

So here I sit for the morning, wondering what I'm missing at the hospital.

In the meantime, I writing down some excellent ideas for her re-write of Book III in the Choices trilogy. She's been trying to come up with a name for it.

Tags: Patrick Swayze, pancreatic cancer, Hodgkin's Disease, lymphoma, The Beast, Choices trilogy, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

Choices Meant for Kings Gets First Official Review

2008-06-08T08:31:00.005-05:00

You can read the first official review for Choices Meant for Kings at Lisa Haselton's review and interview site here. My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is thrilled. She wishes to extend her appreciation to Ms. Haselton for her time and for her positive comments.

When CMFK is available later this summer, we'll announce it all over the blogosphere. In the meantime, if you need a copy of the first novel in the Choices fantasy trilogy, Choices Meant for Gods is available at the publisher's site as either a hardcover edition or eBook (the eBook is only $3.99 so we're recommending that, of course), or at Amazon or anywhere fine books are sold.

Tags: Choices Meant for Kings, Lisa Haselton, Choices Meant for Gods, eBook, fantasy

She's Learned a Lesson About Liquid Plant Food

2008-06-08T08:22:00.004-05:00

When purchasing Miracle-Gro All Purpose Liquid Plant Food, do not assume that it comes in a sealed and leak-proof container. Also, do not assume that the plastic bag the cashier put it in because you didn't take enough cloth bags to the store will be leak-proof either. When setting the plastic bag containing the liquid plant food container down in your home, you should consider setting it somewhere other than your stovetop.

Do I need to continue? Do all you visitors have a clear picture now of what my fantasy author did yesterday? Can you visualize the greenish liquid mess she mopped up off the stove?

The good news is she has these white and ivy burner covers (she called them burner covers...I have no idea how to work the stoves in your society so I'm just going with what she called them) so the liquid didn't go down into the stove, but, just the same, she let out this strange gurgling sound that made me assume we had lizards in the house (see post below).

The plant food bottle will be stored upright under the sink from now on.

Tags: plant food, Miracle-Gro, fantasy author

She Was So Excited She Could Hardly Breathe

2008-06-07T11:03:00.012-05:00

No, it wasn't another "brush with Duran Duran." This morning while on sea turtle patrol, my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, found three sea turtle crawls in her zones. She was ecstatic. Now, one of the crawls looked as if the turtle was just up on the beach checking things out, perhaps getting frustrated by a particularly difficult dune where digging activity was evident. At that crawl, the turtle did quite a bit of crawling around on the sand, as if she'd been disturbed by something.

Sandy felt sorry for her. As she puts it, "Dragging your body around the beach can't be easy when you're a turtle full of eggs."

Anyway, I'll post some pictures here. The one with "holes" that look like eyes is a nest with obvious ghost crab activity. Sandy was miffed (and concerned) to see ghost crabs were already messing around her turtle nest. You can see by the first picture that the crab has a sizeable entry and exit chamber. In the second picture, you see the shells Sandy has poked in the holes to aggravate the crab if it should be continuing to use the burrow. This is the practice the members of Turtle Time use to discourage the crabs from sticking around. (Oh, Sandy informs me she'd rather skewer the blasted little beasts, but that's not fair to the crabs who are just doing what crabs do.) Instead, the volunteers put shells, sticks and sand down the holes to irritate the crabs into moving elsewhere.

I was moderately concerned for her throughout the process because she gets winded easily these days. Because this is the "writer's life" blog I'm allowed to announce that she's got an obnoxious battle to fight over the next couple of months. She's been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease and all the enlarged lymph nodes and whatnot are in her chest around her breathing tube, so when she gets all excited about sea turtle nests, she starts coughing and wheezing as if I need to cart her away on some sort of stretcher. Combine that with the "oh my God, the stupid ghost crabs have been here already!" and getting her to breathe became my focus. You know, there are books to finish...I can't have her collapsing on the sand somewhere waiting for the tide to carry her out.

She's happily planting flowers now. The dead plant that she couldn't bring back to life finally irritated her enough that she had to replace it. So she went all out and put violets in the planter box in front of the lanai. This is something her landlord should be responsible for, but...we won't get into all that. But here's the odd thing she's done so far. She left the lanai door open so going back and forth with potting soil and plants would be easier. Of course, a lizard darted in. This sort of thing worries her because lizards that get trapped on the lanai usually starve to death. So she cornered the lizard, grabbed it without causing it to drop its tail, and took it back outside to release it. While she had it in her hands, it, naturally, opened its mouth and grabbed her thumb. Small lizard=no pain. But when she placed it on a tree outside, it didn't let go. In fact, it clamped down harder on her thumb. And there she stood. Next to a tree. With a lizard hanging from her thumb. For at least a solid minute.

The end of the story is she convinced the lizard to grab onto the tree instead and she finished planting all the flowers (they look lovely, by the way; Kora would be pleased with the scene) in the planter box. I'll go inspect the rest of what she's doing...

All my best,

Nigel

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Duran Duran, Turtle Time

She Announces Choices Meant for Kings has its ISBNs

2008-06-04T10:35:00.004-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, is pleased to announce that the second book in the Choices fantasy trilogy, Choices Meant for Kings, now has its ISBNs.

Hardcover (10): 1-59507-219-5
Hardcover (13): 978-159507-219-1
eBook: 1-59507-220-9

If you wish to read the first novel, Choices Meant for Gods, before the second book comes out, you can pick it up at Amazon or anywhere fine books are sold. The eBook version is available for only $3.99 at the publisher's site.

Tags: ISBN, Choices Meant for Kings, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, eBook

She's Watching the Mail for Returning ARCs

2008-06-04T10:21:00.004-05:00

Prior to the release of novels, authors typically send out advance reader copies (ARCs) for marketing blurbs to put on the cover jacket and for professional review. My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has been engaged in this practice for a couple weeks now, seeking out professional reviewers who a) read fantasy and b) will accept ARCs. It's surprising the fine line of time during which reviewers will accept a work for review. They want the book to be a published work, but they want it on their reading schedule while the book is "new". Considering the backlog some of these reviewers have, this means they should never read a "new" book. Be that as it may, she's having some success getting ARCs for Choices Meant for Kings out the door.

When the post office doesn't thwart her.

Here's why she's grumbling. She took one of these advance reader copies, beautifully spiral bound (which she spent a pretty penny to do, by the way), and mailed it from the post office to a reviewer in Canada who is anxiously awaiting its arrival. A day later, the package was returned. It needed a customs form. Considering Sandy had taken it to the post office for mailing, it seemed odd to her that the post office was returning it for something they should have "noticed" when she said, "this one is going to Canada; can I still send it by media mail, or is there some other way we have to use?"

So she hoofed it (her phrase, not mine) back to the post office yesterday to try again. The lady behind the counter gave her a form to fill out and did something Sandy did not expect. She didn't charge her to re-post the package. In fact, the lady printed a new postage label with the new date and affixed it to the package just below the original postage label. Sandy questioned this, but was told it would be fine.

Now Sandy's betting anyone who's willing to take the bet that this package gets returned again because the post office (read: government entity) will want more postage for having to touch the package a second time.

In the meantime, she's repeating her announcement that any professional reviewers willing to read the ARC for Choices Meant for Kings can contact her through this site. She still has a few left.

All my best,
Nigel
Tags: advance reader copies, Choices Meant for Kings, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, professional review

She's Got Nests and Pellets

2008-05-31T19:56:00.004-05:00

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
Tags: sea turtle, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's Letting Me Premier the Picture

2008-05-29T08:16:00.004-05:00

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

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Duran Duran

She Has Choices Meant for Kings ARCs Ready for Reviews

2008-05-17T10:02:00.003-05:00

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.

Tags: Choices Meant for Kings, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, fantasy trilogy, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, professional review, advance reader copy, ARC, eBook, ConQuesT39

She's a Faculty Member at ConQuesT39 Next Weekend

2008-05-16T12:52:00.003-05:00

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...

Tags: ConQuesT39, blogging, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Jeff East, Ellen Muth, Dead Like Me, Today the Dragon Wins

She May Have Gone Over the Edge

2008-05-14T16:18:00.004-05:00

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.
Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, writer's life, zombo.com

She Read a Great Scene on the Radio Last Night

2008-05-12T08:34:00.003-05:00

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!
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Internet Voices Radio, fantasy novel, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, contest, Author Island

She Said I Could Blog About Mother

2008-05-11T09:24:00.003-05:00

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.

Tags: Mother's Day, woman, matriarch, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel

She's Going on Internet Voices Radio Sunday Night

2008-05-08T08:49:00.002-05:00

"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
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, internet voices radio, rowena cherry, bear awareness, Mother's Day, carrie masek, sandy lender, cynthia eden, angie fox, lise fuller, dragon, internet radio

She Has Another Cool Contest Going

2008-05-05T07:58:00.004-05:00

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

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, contest, author island

She Says She's Already Won

2008-04-23T15:45:00.004-05:00

A fantasy author walks into a grocery store...

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, went to the grocery store this afternoon. This is eventful for a variety of reasons. First, she despises going to the grocery store and only does it when forced to do so. Today's glare into the empty refrigerator prompted this whiny "Oh, Nigel, there's nothing in this place to eat," and, subsequently, a fussy stomping around until she found shoes, an undergarment to slide beneath her clothing (you should see THAT process), and her purse so we could go to the store. While there, she decided she would buy a lottery ticket.

Now I have to explain that she doesn't typically buy lottery tickets because she considers them a form of reverse taxation (which I don't fully understand, even though she's explained it). But today she's willing to be taxed because the prize if her ticket's numbers are chosen is $25 million. Supposedly that will allow her to liberate all forms of sea turtles from shrimp trawling oppression. Oh, and she'll suddenly be able to market her novel, Choices Meant for Gods, in ways never before thought possible, making my lovely bride Amanda instantly famous. (I think that's a grand idea.)

To get on with my story: she approached the counter, handed the clerk her money and a voucher that indicated what numbers she'd like selected for her ticket, and the clerk asked if she had her ID with her. Sandy was stunned for a moment. As she explained to me later, no one has ever asked her for an ID when purchasing a lottery ticket before. The event is so infrequent that Sandy's never really thought about having an ID for it. She started digging in her purse and asked, "How old do you have to be to play?" The clerk answered, "18." I thought I would have to put hands on Sandy to keep her from dancing around the store. (She's 37. Ow! Well, you know they were all wondering!)

So Sandy says her day has been made and, even if she doesn't win $25 million in the drawing tonight, she feels like a winner at the moment.

Isn't that nice?

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, lottery, sea turtles

She Hasn't Repressed This One, Careless Memory #10

2008-04-19T07:13:00.002-05:00

A Glimpse into a Writer's Life
When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was in sixth grade, her teacher would read to the class from a novel each day after lunch recess. She applauds this practice for a variety of reasons...

One of the books the man read was Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. (Hey! You've got that on the shelf here. Sandy has a first-edition hard-cover version of that on the book shelf here. You should put that on your www.shelfari.com page.) Anyway, the story is about a boy who works his tail off to save up enough money to buy two little hound dogs that he then spends every waking (and sleeping) moment with. It's a coming-of-age sort of story. It's also gut-wrenching, from what Sandy tells me. (I'm going to have to read this book…)

Her memory is of sitting in class listening to the teacher read, and as the story nears its completion, everyone in the classroom is bawling like an infant (boys, girls, teacher, too) over the ending chapters. It's quite moving, she tells me.

The class was so stirred by the book that they voted to have the teacher look up the other book Wilson Rawls wrote (Summer of the Monkeys) and read it next, which he did. Now, considering the age group in this story, these are young adult novels, but Sandy highly recommends them for anyone of any age.

We both recommend Sandy's fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, but that's sort of a given around here. You can still pick up the hardback version everywhere, including www.amazon.com. The eBook is available from her publisher at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods; fantasy novel; young adult; Where the Red Fern Grows; Wilson Rawls; writer's life; Careless Memories

She Has a Divorce Question for You

2008-04-16T13:13:00.004-05:00

If a woman is working 50+ hours a week at a job that pays a certain amount of money...
and that money gets taxed by the government...
and that money gets taxed by the state of her employer...
and she pays her own health insurance...
and she has so many bills and responsibilities that she actually loses, on average, $1,083.29 per month that she's alive...

also

if said woman is in the process of divorcing a "male" that removed his name from the mortgage on their home when it went into foreclosure and fled the state...
and said "male" informed his fulltime employer of 6 months that he was leaving the state to obtain a degree at another university elsewhere so the employer (of 6 months) fired him and gave his job responsibilities to a student...
and said "male" refuses to get a job so that he can pay for any of his living expenses, attorney expenses, school expenses, etc., but everyone assumes he is living off of student loans and federal financial aid (this cannot be proved, though, as he refuses to comply with court orders to provide appropriate financial information in the divorce proceedings)...

Do you believe the woman should be compelled to pay the "male" person's attorney's fees for him? My fantasy author is on the verge of fleeing the country just so the "male" person can be solely responsible for everything (perhaps including HER attorney's fees) just to get even with him for all the years she supported him financially and emotionally. She's quite the fussy little thing today and I fear letting her do any writing or editing of Book III in the Choices trilogy. It just couldn't bode well for any of the characters...

So let's hear your comments. Does this guy deserve to have his fees paid for him? Should she have to keep carrying him? Or should he be gang-raped by HIV-infected drug addicts who want to steal his shoes? She's laughing maniacally... Yes, I'm keeping her away from the story of my bride for a couple of days at least. I shudder.

Tags: divorce

She Wants Me to Discuss the Romantic vs. Fantasy Elements of Choices Meant for Gods

2008-04-11T08:09:00.003-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, would like me to talk about my bride's story today. And that pleases me just fine!

Amanda Chariss is the heroine of the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, which I encourage everyone to read. If you don't already have a copy, you can pick one up at or order one from any local book store. If you don't feel like dealing with unruly book store employees, you can get it at http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1595071652/ref=s9_asin_image_1-1966_g1/105-8001163-2859664?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=10TVDGS539SGZYCWCBRW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448601&pf_rd_i=507846 or the publisher's site at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. If you don't feel like paying full price, you can download the electronic version for less than $4 at the publisher's site, as well.

While you're thinking on those options, let me tell you a little about Sandy Lender's first fantasy novel. You see, you can read the synopsis at Sandy's site at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ or at the publisher's site at the link above, or at any number of the sites that you find her on when you put her name in a Google search (and she's explained that to me ad nauseum), but I can give you the real synopsis.

All the marketing materials will tell you that Choices Meant for Gods is an epic fantasy novel available in either hard cover or eBook format. All the propaganda and promotional pieces will tell you that Chariss is an orphan who's been on the run from an evil sorcerer all her life and she's finally found the will to stand and fight; and with that will has come the truth about her destiny, purpose and place in prophecy's plan to put her in charge of protecting a god who isn't worthy of her notice.

But I can tell you that Amanda Chariss isn't just the protector of the gods of Onweald. She is the stunning and amazing woman who will change the course of my life. Now, Sandy has warned me not to make more of the romance between Mandy and me than the book portrays because we don't want people coming to the book expecting a romance novel; you won't get only that.

Choices Meant for Gods is a fantasy novel. High fantasy with a new world that Sandy has created. High fantasy with new creatures and monsters that no other fantasy author has dreamt up before. High fantasy with gods and goddesses who walk among the mortals, influencing and affecting our lives (though not always for the better). High fantasy with prophecy and history and legends and family lineages that all interweave with current events to create an atmosphere that spells danger and intrigue for my bride.

It sets my nerves on edge, believe me. I'd rather it was strictly a romance novel. For a variety of reasons. For those who prefer a heavy hand at romance, you can pick out that thread under the rest of the plots in Choices Meant for Gods and be delighted with it…as I am.

For a spate of five-star reviews of Choices Meant for Gods, visit Sandy's page on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1595071652/ref=s9_asin_image_1-1966_g1/105-8001163-2859664?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=10TVDGS539SGZYCWCBRW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448601&pf_rd_i=507846.

All my best to you,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, romance, fantasy, epic fantasy, high fantasy, fantasy elements, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, eBook, electronic, five-star review, today the dragon wins, archebooks publishing, amazon, Amanda Chariss, Onweald

She Made $18 This Weekend

2008-04-09T16:28:00.003-05:00

Or This is Why Writers Starve to Death

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, participated in the Naples Press Club Author and Books Festival as an extension of the club's annual Writer's Conference this past weekend. She'd normally be blogging about this over at www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com, because this is a lesson in marketing and promotion that writers can take information from, but Blogger is still reviewing her site (and she's adding this as one more day she'll be billing them for…).

But to get to the point of this post, she sold six copies of her fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, and traded one, from her table in a hidden tent on the back patio of the von Liebig Art Museum on the first day of the conference, which was held alongside the Naples Art Festival just off of 5th Street downtown. She sold nothing on the second day because the only traffic (approximately 15 people who weren't other vendors) was conference attendees who had already seen the vendors on Saturday. But she still considers the event a success because she got her name out there for a couple of days and did some networking.

Here's where she's entertained by the statistics she gathered for other writers.
First, the list of facts.
She distributed the following:
16 pens at 42 cents per pen = $6.72
21 bookmarks at 25 cents per bookmark = $5.25
30 flyers at 39 cents per flyer = $11.70
one sword at $19.99 (not including shipping and tax)
one basket at approximately $53.00

The table cost her $75 for the two days
So she spent approximately $171.66 to make $18 this weekend. This does not include the 15 hours of editing and writing time lost while she stood there being perky.

The reason she's entertained by this is because it's NORMAL. When she attended DragonCon last fall, the same concept held true, but on a larger (read: more expensive) scale. This is why she laughs and calls her soon-to-be-ex a flaming idiot when he (and his attorney) makes requests for royalties from her sales. It seems the idiot who's never supported her writing habit and never read Choices Meant for Gods in any of its incarnations (either before meeting her, before marrying her, after marrying her, etc.), feels entitled to half her royalties "just because". She'd be perfectly willing to hand him half the $18 if he'd like to hand her half the $171.66 (of course, he'd need to also give her half of the $154 she paid up-front to have those seven copies of CMFG on hand). Oh, and there's about $6 grand plus in other marketing expenses prior to this weekend that she has records of that he can split 50/50 if he's still feeling entitled.

Have I mentioned that he's an idiot?

SO! If you're a writer with marketing and promoting aspirations, there's one way to network and get information distributed. Now, Sandy could have gotten together with a fellow author or two to split the cost of the table for the two days, but, considering the table afforded her only a 3- or 4-foot space, and her display is extensive, splitting it would prove problematic. For DragonCon this fall, she's splitting a 6-foot table with fellow fantasy author M.B. Weston, so they each get 3 feet of space to set their goodies in. It doesn't seem like much, but they're making plans to use the space behind them for presentation as well. It sounds elaborate and crazed.

They will spend nearly $1,000 each for the honor of standing in the basement of a hotel hoping attendees realize there are vendors in that section of the hotel and hoping those attendees purchase their books, love them, and become fans for the future.

And this is why so many writers starve to death before they become famous.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, M.B. Weston, DragonCon

She Interviews Dee Owen, a Lady with Class

2008-04-07T08:56:00.004-05:00

Dee Owen, a friend of Sandy's, has taken on the lovely (yet arduous) task of publishing the works of her late mother-in-law. The first novel to be published is a murder mystery called Ladies of Class, and the review of it can be found in the post below. Both readers and writers can benefit from Dee's experience as she offers information on her process, but, as you will see in the interview here, there is not just a love of books and stories and the written word at work here. Sandy says to look for the underlying love of family. She was moved by some of the answers Dee offers, and hopes you will be, too.

Sandy Lender: First, can you give us a sort of biography of Marjorie Owen, the author of Ladies of Class?

Dee Owen: Marjorie Grace Patricia Bridget Owen was born Sept. 11, 1911, in England and endured the bombardment of World War II. As far as we can ascertain she was born out-of-wedlock with an Irish Lord for a father and a Russian princess as her mother. Although her life before working is somewhat sketchy, her career, as a major London department store clothing buyer, was long and interesting. Members of the Royal family were among some of her more famous clients. Marjorie found time to write many short stories and four novels ranging from romance to mystery. She did not attempt to publish any of her writings. We can only surmise that she wrote for the joy and did not wish to seek out any recognition or fame.
Marjorie passed away March 28, 2004, after a very full life, at the age of ninety-three.

Sandy Lender: How do you think Marjorie would feel about being published posthumously? About having her stories shared now?

Dee Owen: Mum is actually my mother-in-law. We do not know if she had ever thought of seeking publication but believe not, as she told no one of her writings. I hope that Mum is happy that I have had all her efforts and talent recognized through publication!

Sandy Lender: Do you know when Marjorie Owen started writing? Or what influenced her choice of genre?

Dee Owen: I really do not know when Mum started writing. She did not tell anyone that she had written the four novels and over fifty short stories. We only found them after she passed on. I would imagine that she wrote them over many years, as she worked full time as a top clothing buyer for one of the largest department stores in London. We know that she also worked several years past the official retirement age. Mum read many books and I believe her favorite were the murder mystery, detective genre. Although, two of her books and some of her stories are romance.

Sandy Lender: Do you write also?

Dee Owen: No I have not attempted to write… as yet! I hope to complete the task of transcribing all of Mum’s works first and maybe have some more published. However, this experience is a great learning curve for me. Who knows, perhaps I will try my hand at writing.

Sandy Lender: How did you find Vintage Romance Publishers?
Dee Owen: I researched publishers on-line and submitted the book to several. Vintage Romance were the first to respond.

Sandy Lender: How did you convince them to take on a mystery novel when the word Romance is so prominent in their name/brand?

Dee Owen: "Vintage" is the key part of this small press. They publish books with a historical content, not only romance. As Mum's book takes us back in time to pre-World War II, therein lies the history.

Sandy Lender: Did Vintage Romance Publishing assign an editor to the book even though you were already (in my eyes) the editor, or are you looked upon as the "assembler"? How is your role defined?
Dee Owen: Dawn Carrington, the owner of the company, gave me guidelines on the editing. She basically "taught" me how to edit and guided me through the process with suggestions and advice. Therefore, you could say that my role was sub-editor.

Sandy Lender: Do you intend to publish all of Marjorie Owen's works beyond the Richard Hayward series?

Dee Owen: If Ladies of Class is reasonably successful, then I would like the sequel to be published. If that is successful, perhaps I will hire a ghost writer to continue the Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hayward series. Yes, I would like to eventually publish all Mum’s works. As stated previously, I may attempt to write!

Sandy Lender: Because he's so important to Ladies of Class and the rest of Marjorie's series, tell us a bit about Richard Hayward.

Dee Owen: The main character is Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hayward. He has a knack for catching the criminal and has a unique character of being "part of the system" but "kicking back against the system". If you understand what I mean. He is a loving, caring person and at the same time blunt and to the point.

Sandy Lender: Would you give visitors a synopsis of Ladies of Class before the review posted below?

Dee Owen: In the book Ladies of Class, Richard Hayward’s promotion and move from the big city life to the sleepy town of Burshill, England, has been shattered. Sir John Bury needs a murder solved. Clues take him from Burshill to California, Paris and London and back in time. As the story progresses the plot thickens. Richard Hayward's reputation as the youngest officer to be promoted to Detective Chief Inspector precedes him. Richard hoped his recent transfer and move to Burshill would allow him a quiet convalescence from a broken leg. But his peace was soon to be disturbed by a phone call from Sir John Bury, the Chief Constable.
A murder had been committed that night and Richard's ability to solve crimes, in spite of his unconventional methods, were needed before his duties officially began.
The results of his investigations and travels, in search of clues and answers to the apparently senseless murders are surprising. Several ladies of a particular "class" become part of the inquiry. As the facts begin to unfold, they not only amaze Richard, himself and the community of Burshill, but extend all the way to the top brass of Scotland Yard. In the face of adversity, Richard manages to outwit the criminal and emerges triumphant.

To order your print copy of Ladies of Class, visit Barnes and Noble at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Ladies+of+Class&z=y. Or visit the Vintage Romance Publishing site at http://www.vrpublishing.com/book_pages/ladies_of_class.html. Ladies of Class is also available at Amazon.com.

You can read about Dee, Marjorie and Ladies of Class at the Web site http://pangirl.tripod.com/. Dee also has a blog called Mum's Writings to visit at http://marjo-mumswritings.blogspot.com/, but the Web site has tons of info...I'd go there first!

Tags: Ladies of Class, Dee Owen, Marjorie Owen, Richard Hayward, Vintage Romance, Sandy Lender

She Reviews Ladies of Class

2008-04-03T07:31:00.003-05:00

My Fantasy Author Reviews Ladies of Class by Marjorie Owen
(interview with daughter and editor Dee Owen here tomorrow)

Ladies of Class is a fantastic read! Ms. Owen catches your attention right up front with the surprise announcement of the well-loved Laura Clayton's impending murder and speeds you from clue to clue with her clever and likeable Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hayward. He's new to the quaint English town so we get to learn all the peculiarities of the place right alongside him as he tries to figure out why Laura, and two old friends from a finishing school in pre-war Leveisin, France, would be murdered within days of one another.

The wonderful thing about this mystery is that the information comes at you at the perfect pace, presented in a manner that keeps you guessing what's next. You don't lose track of what's already been revealed because the elements build so fluidly on each other. Ms. Owen has an excellent style for storytelling and even had me laughing out loud at some of the twists her inspector got to watch.

If you're looking for a good, clean mystery to absorb you for an afternoon, I recommend Ladies of Class by Marjorie Owen. It's available from Vintage Romance Publishing, although it's very much a mystery tale with all the page-turning elements of a detective story. You can order your copy from http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ladies-Of-Class/Marjorie-Owen/e/9780979332753/?itm=1.

Tags: Ladies of Class, Dee Owen, Marjorie Owen, mystery

She's Pissed At Blogger

2008-04-03T07:06:00.004-05:00

My Fantasy Author, Sandy Lender, is not just pissed off...she's ready to take down the Blogger empire. Without her blog, she's not able to market efficiently (wait...what am I here for?), so when Blogger's "robots" (their terminology, not mine; Sandy had to explain to me what a robot is in between swear words that I'm not allowed to use here) sent a message saying her blog at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ had characteristics of a spam blog, she was irate. She figures it's probably because she works the title of her fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods into almost every blog post one way or another (that's called "marketing," folks, and she's got a career in journalism and public relations that taught her how to do it tactfully) and then includes it in the search engine tags.

Because she posts to http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ every single day (well, she missed Sunday due to "too much going on in my insane life!"), that's at least two or three instances of Choices Meant for Gods hitting the search engines every single day. Blogger must have flipped out.

Or her soon-to-be-ex is a bigger @$$ than we thought and he sent a note to Blogger telling them to check it out. If so, she'll be bringing it up in court so he can be penalized for affecting her ability to make money from the sales of her novel. She's no fool. (She's also paranoid. Did you know she owns a book called Only the Paranoid Survive?)

The reason this is obnoxious this week is because Sandy wished to help a fellow author who's doing a small book tour to celebrate the release of a mystery novel. The novel is Ladies of Class by the late Marjorie Owen; the editor is Dee Owen. Dee is scheduled to be at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ tomorrow, Friday, April 4, and Sandy is considering whether to assess Blogger with fines for the sales Dee will lose in lost traffic due to the delay in posting because of the block while they (I can't use that word, Dearest)...ahem...while they screw around figuring out that http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ is NOT a spam blog, but a site for writers and readers to get writing, editing, grammar, promotion, inspiration, and publication tips.

In the meantime, I'll be taking on the next two days of Dee Owen and Ladies of Class posts. They'll appear at Today the Dragon Wins as soon as Blogger finishes reviewing the site, which should be any day now, but Sandy didn't want Dee to miss her days on her tour... Sandy did a two-month book tour last summer, you know, and it was quite deflating when someone would drop the ball.

The post above should be Sandy's review of Ladies of Class by Marjorie Owen. Come back tomorrow, Friday, April 4, for an interview with Editor and Daughter, Dee Owen.

Have a fabulous Thursday.
Nigel Taiman
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, Today the Dragon Wins, Ladies of Class, mystery novel, Dee Owen, blogger, review

She Says Picture Your Character at Age 65

2008-03-29T09:26:00.005-05:00

You know my fantasy author has a Web site for writers (and readers) at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ where she doesn't really expound on her life issues. That's what this site is for: a writer's life. (And marketing the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods...)

But today she asked me to do something that writers would get value from. I imagine readers enjoying this exercise as well. Picture a character that you've read about (or, for you writers visiting today, picture a character you're working with; or, for you folks who know Sandy's soon-to-be-ex-husband, who is continuing to be a jerk, picture him). Picture this character at age 65. By imagining this character's later years, you can work on the arc that takes him or her to that point. It's a valuable writing exercise, and I think it's helped calm Sandy just a bit. (You'll understand why as you read on.)

Where is the character? Is he in the modern world, or, like Sandy's soon-to-be-ex, is he in a place where the sky is not the same color as the real world? Is he in a run-down motel room with mildew on the bottom of moth-bitten curtains?

What is the character doing? Is he holding a remarkable woman (or man) who looks up to him, respects him and has carried affection for him since the time he rescued her (or him) from a fire-breathing dragon back in Book III, or, like Sandy's soon-to-be-ex, is he still wondering if anything significant besides his impending kidney failure will happen in his life? Is he staring at an out-of-focus television screen with a half-empty bottle of booze slipping heavily from his limp, pudgy grasp onto his ample belly?

What does the character look like? Is he thickly tone and grayed at the temples with thin but real hair, or, like Sandy's soon-to-be-ex, is he thickly poured onto the chair and oozing out the sides like Jabba the Hut with three-day stubble and squinting eyes because he's lost his glasses in his latest drinking jag? Is he unable to lift the remote to change the television channel from atrophy in his left arm?

What brought the character to this place? Is the hero resting beside a brook with his trusty steed because they've returned from one last quest before he retires with his bonny lass and family on the farm he's desired to rebuild stone by stone and pasture by pasture, or, like Sandy's soon-to-be-ex, has he run here to hide from creditors trying to collect on the thousands of dollars owed to Federal Financial Aid and student loan authorities for the 474 credit hours earned toward the four degrees that he's had since 1994--40 years before.

How will this character die? Will she be well-known, well-respected and well-liked in her industries; full of spunk and humor and the ability to make people laugh despite trials and tribulation that once looked like setbacks? Will she be comfortably situated and in love with a handsome person who respects her and stands by her? Will she be slaying bad dragons, immortalizing good ones, blogging about grammar and tips for marketing, writing reviews for her friends' new novels and making some insane donation to the Archie Carr Foundation? Will hordes of friends fly from parts unknown to visit her in her final days, at a final party where they quote Thoreau and sing Duran Duran songs and watch old X-Files, Star Trek and Stargate re-runs on a huge plasma-screen TV (like in the old days) while breaking off into groups to reminisce about book tours and family reunions before someone notices that she has slipped into her writing den to type one last ending to one last fantasy book before the keyboard goes silent. Or, like Sandy's soon-to-be-ex, will the character's life be wasted trying to run from responsibility and authority until its long arm eventually finds him and its long fingers snuff out his life while he's alone, quiet, unheard of, with perhaps a solitary friend or two to identify the body and mourn while considering what to do with his computer and shoes...

Helen Keller once said, "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." My fantasy author has been asked to deal with yet another chunk of stupidity (this one to the tune of $4,000) because of her soon-to-be-ex's inability to accept responsibility for his own decisions. Of course she's not going to clean up yet another mess for him. He's no longer her son to raise. But she's thought about the situation, and it speaks to her about the condition of so many characters... This is the kind of character she'd never root for in a story.

And neither would I.

Tags: character development

She Wants me to Market the Fantasy eBook

2008-03-27T08:52:00.005-05:00

For those of you who want to read new fantasy but don't have the funds to pick up Choices Meant for Gods at the local Barnes & Noble, Fantasy Author Sandy Lender has your answer. Download the pdf from the publisher's site for only $3.99 at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm.

I highly recommend CMFG because it's the story of my amazing warrior bride-to-be, Amanda Chariss, and the trials she goes through dealing with an oh-so-arrogant god whom I think she should just dump by the side of the road. I'm telling you, this deity is not worth her time, yet she thinks she has this responsibility to protect Him just because some prophecy they found foretells it. It's crazy. She has enough trouble trying to keep herself alive with some lunatic sorcerer chasing after her...and does her god-charge seem to care about that? Not at all!

You know, Sandy promised me she'd make life easier on Chariss if I helped with book marketing, yet I'm looking through the pages of Book II, and I can't really see how life is getting easier. I don't think this bargain is working out right...

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, ebook, fantasy novel

She Wants to go Into Medical Billing

2008-03-26T09:28:00.004-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, says people who work in medical billing must have access to all the most fabulous drugs in the universe because they have no ability to do their jobs. And it's a rampant problem in Southwest Florida. Since her arrival here, she's not seen any examples of medical billing performed correctly on the first try.

It's making her quite fussy.

The most recent screw-up (her phrase, not mine) arrived in yesterday's mail. She received a notice from a health insurance provider that she hasn't had coverage with for about two years. The notice was basically denying payment for a doctor's follow-up visit she had back in February. At that doctor visit, she filled out new paperwork and gave her new insurance information to the folks who would be taking care of filing the medical claim.

So she figures they must all be taking copious amounts of fabulous drugs and she finds it unfair that the rest of the population would get arrested for doing the same thing.

She just left a message for Eileen in the billing department at her doctor's office to let Eileen know that the correct company to use is the company that she gave information for at the most recent appointment. Basically, Sandy doesn't want to get stuck paying $245 out of the blue for something Blue Cross/Blue Death of Florida should be paying. And doesn't $245 seem excessive for an office visit? I guess the office visit price has to be commensurate with the cost of the prescriptions, which are $170 each, per month, after insurance. There's a hit to the bank account. (Can't you buy these things on the black market more cheaply? What? I heard about it on television when you weren't paying attention to me the other evening.)

It does make me wonder. I mean, I've heard her make these kinds of phone calls several times just since I've been in this society helping her promote the novel. You would think these people could do their jobs. At least check the dates on paperwork or something... It seems simple enough to me. But, then, I'm not from this society, so maybe dates are difficult to find on paperwork. I don't know. Maybe something that was filled out in early 2006 is more valid to a medical professional than something filled out in February of 2008. It just strikes me as slightly odd. Perhaps that's why so many old people down here have strokes... They have to deal with the medical billing fiasco every time they go to the doctor's office and it causes them too much angst.

And that's the latest installment of a writer's life.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She Asked Me to Revisit the Purpose of This Site, Part II

2008-03-24T08:24:00.004-05:00

In part one of this "explanation," I told you that my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, asked me to develop this blog to assist with marketing the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods. You might wonder why I would acquiesce when I'm not from this society. I don't typically interact with this world. The bride that I'm madly in love with is in a fantasy realm where I should be even now. Well, here's part two of the explanation.

I’m Nigel Taiman, a 28-year-old gentleman who once lived just south of Arcana City in the southeast corner of Onweald. I'm representing Fantasy Author Sandy Lender here in the blogosphere for two reasons. At first, it was merely because Sandy Lender, as the fantasy author, knows the end of my story. She knows the end of my bride’s story. She said she’d make it “easier” for Amanda Chariss, the heroine of Choices Meant for Gods and the woman I love, if I helped her market and promote the epic fantasy novel. As ominous as that sounds, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep Mandy safe.

The second reason for my involvement has developed during the past 13 months. Sandy Lender is really a neat writer to hang out with. At first, I thought she was going to coerce me into whatever promotional tasks she needed performed by threatening to harm Chariss, but, now that I've spent so much time with her, I see that's not the way Sandy operates. She's really quite a fair and equitable author. And, if you could see the insane schedule she keeps, you'd see why she needs help with promotion. She's on her own.

So I’m her spokesperson. Of course, Sandy Lender has her own blog where she’s not only promoting Choices Meant for Gods, but she’s offering writing and grammar tips (for free!—in this society, I didn’t think people gave away information they’d learned over a 16-year career, but she’s doing it). If you type in http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/, you can visit Sandy’s site. The very name of it makes me shudder, given what I know of The Dragon.

But this site, http://SandyLender.blogspot.com, will be devoted to the author herself. Why? Because she needs me to promote Choices Meant for Gods.

As much as I need her to protect Amanda Chariss.

If you'd like more information about the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, I recommend reading the first three chapters, for free, at the ArcheBooks Publishing site at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. That's also where you can order a hard cover, first edition copy with a 20% discount for your book collection, or download the electronic (eBook) version for less than $4.

To read some excellent five-star reviews of Choices Meant for Gods, visit http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1595071652/ref=s9_asin_image_1-1966_g1/105-8001163-2859664?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=10TVDGS539SGZYCWCBRW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448601&pf_rd_i=507846. That's also where you can order a hard cover, first edition copy with free shipping for your book collection.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, epic fantasy, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, ArcheBooks Publishing, Amanda Chariss, Nigel Taiman

She Hasn't Repressed This One, Careless Memory #9

2008-03-21T12:41:00.004-05:00

A Glimpse into a Writer's Life
Now this story isn't from her childhood, so it's not so difficult to imagine it being unrepressed, but it still qualifies as a glimpse into a writer's life. She told this story at the Author Island chat* Monday (St. Patrick's Day) when it was far more appropriate than today, but I don't know when you all celebrate your societal holidays, so I deserve a break.

When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, graduated from college, she started a job at a company that shall remain nameless to protect the people in this story. She worked with several women, two of whom were obsessed with food.

These two women were rather cruel, and Sandy did not enjoy working with them. On days when the company would have potluck lunches…wait… (what's a—okay, will they all know what that is?) Excellent. On days when the company would have potluck lunches, these ladies would usually complain or mock what other people brought to the table.

One of them volunteered Sandy to prepare baked potatoes for a "potato bar" for the office at one of these functions, and actually yelled at Sandy for using too much aluminum foil to wrap the first baked potato. Then the woman stood over her to make sure she wrapped the rest of them correctly before watching her place them in the oven. These ladies also raised a ruckus when the Christmas party planning committee arranged to serve ham as the main course (the ladies thought it should have been beef, and made this clear to the president of the company). One of the ladies, while at a group luncheon one afternoon, requested a doggie bag to take the free chips and salsa from the table back home so she'd have a snack that evening. Sandy's list of their bizarre food fetish examples goes on, but, to get to the specific memory that you readers are going to enjoy, I'll move on.

One St. Patrick's Day, Sandy baked and decorated cupcakes to bring to the office. By decorating, I mean she poured a great portion of a bottle of green food coloring into a can of white icing, stirred it into a soupy, bright green mess, and smeared it on the cupcakes. It was "vivid", she tells me. "It was vivid like a bright green shamrock in a bright green field of shamrocks." (She's actually giggling as she tells me the story…)

Anyway, she forewarned her "normal" co-workers, set the plate of green goodies down, and waited for the aftermath. It took a couple of the sugary confections before the two ladies noticed each other's mouths, but when they did, it was too late. They had green teeth, green gums, green tongues, green lips…Sandy says it's like a leprechaun had shat in their mouths.

(What's a leprechaun?)

Remind me not to piss Sandy off. I'd hate to see Amanda Chariss with green lips in any of the Choices Meant for Gods sequels…

*footnote: The Author Island chat is a monthly opportunity for readers to "meet" authors online at www.authorisland.com. Several authors participate, offer free excerpts from their books, offer books or other prizes through contests through their Web sites or the Author Island site that day, and make announcements pertinent to new releases. The hostess, DeNita Tuttle also arranges for a moderator to gather a series of recipes shared throughout the day and make them available at a later date on the Author Island site. The conversations range from all topics, but tend to focus on books and whatever questions the readers bring to the group. More information about the experience is available at the site.

Tags: writer's life, careless memory, shamrock, Author Island, author island chat, Amanda Chariss, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Gods

She Went to a Barry Manilow Concert While in Vegas

2008-03-20T08:29:00.003-05:00

Yes, my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, spent more time working and running around the CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show floors than anything else while in Vegas last week, but she did attend the Terex evening event that I "blogged" about earlier in the week and, on Friday evening, she attended a concert just for the fun of it. No clients were involved. No press badge was necessary. She merely got herself an advance ticket and went to see Barry Manilow's Music and Passion show at the Las Vegas Hilton. And she was very pleased with the way it turned out.

She's been a fan for 32 years so every song he played was something she wanted to hear. The songs included Weekend in New England, Looks Like We Made It, I Made it Through the Rain (which, strangely enough, she posted about at www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com prior to leaving for Vegas), Copa Cabana, American Bandstand, Boogie Woogie Blues, New York City Rhythm, Moonlight Serenade, Can't Take my Eyes off of You, When They Dance (and she tells me that she loves his Mayflower album), Daybreak, Can't Smile Without You, I am Your Child, and, the one my bride in Choices Meant for Gods is named after, Mandy. There were more, of course, but she's unable to list them all.

In summary, Sandy Lender highly recommends attending the Music and Passion show in Vegas, or wherever it may be appearing. For instance, he's taking the show to Kansas City and St. Louis here shortly and tickets are on sale this weekend, I believe. (She gets these updates from the fan club...) The stage is phenomenal; the backup singers are flashy and full of energy; the band is tight and dead-on; Barry's voice is spectacular and his sense of humor is still as sharp as ever; and the show leaves you thrilled at the end.

Now, if my version of Sandy's review doesn't convince you, you can see her version (which is much more fawning) over at www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com, but you have to scroll to Wednesday. That means getting past some bizarre experiment she's done with Cadbury creme eggs today in honor of Easter. I don't even pretend to understand. All I know is I would have preferred she was writing instead of playing around with chocolate.

Have a great day, everyone.
Nigel

Tags: Barry Manilow, Music and Passion, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, today the dragon wins, Cadbury

She Asked Me to Revisit the Purpose of This Site, Part I

2008-03-19T09:07:00.003-05:00

First of all, my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, asked me to develop this blog to assist with marketing. She is the author of Choices Meant for Gods, the first of three books in the epic fantasy story of Amanda Chariss.

Chariss has been on the run from a madman all her life. When she finally chooses to stand and fight, she finds that she’s wrapped in centuries of prophecy that require her to protect the gods themselves. This site is managed by me, Nigel Taiman, the son of her current benefactor. I once lived on the outskirts of Arcana City on the continent of Onweald, thus am considered an expert on farming, animal husbandry, crop rotation, reading the weather, swordsmanship and keeping my younger brother from getting the family into trouble.

Oh, yes, I'm also madly in love…

For more information about Choices Meant for Gods, you can read the first three chapters for free at ArcheBooks Publishing at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. That's also where you can order a hard cover, first edition copy with the publisher's 20% discount for your book collection, or download the electronic (eBook) version for less than $4.

To read some excellent five-star reviews of Choices Meant for Gods, visit http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1595071652/ref=s9_asin_image_1-1966_g1/105-8001163-2859664?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=10TVDGS539SGZYCWCBRW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448601&pf_rd_i=507846. That's also where you can order a hard cover, first edition copy with free shipping for your book collection. (The eBook is only available through the ArcheBooks site link above at this time.)

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, epic fantasy, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, ArcheBooks Publishing, Amanda Chariss

She Went to a Lionel Richie Concert While in Vegas

2008-03-18T10:45:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'll tell all about the Barry Manilow concert, too, but she wants to go in chronological order. (and I think she wants to jot down notes so I don't leave anything out about Barry...you know how obsessed she is)

First, while my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was in Vegas, she didn't spend every waking moment working. She also had time to play. The CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show closed each evening and the attendees were to leave the trade show floor. Those attendees possessing press badges or exhibitor badges could stick around because they were still working, but the events they attended were designed to hold their interest. Food was usually involved. Copious amounts of alcohol were consumed. Believe me, if you want the trade press to show up at an evening event at CONEXPO, put "open bar" on the invitation and they'll appear in droves.

An equipment company called Terex wanted not only members of the trade press, but its customers, suppliers, dealers and potential clients to attend its Thursday night event. So members of management rented a ballroom at The Mirage, hired a cover band and dancers, set up several open bars and food stations, and bought a plethora of silly hats and plastic jewelry (some of which flashed) for guests to wear, and booked Lionel Richie to play on the main stage.

Sandy was overjoyed. When else does she get to wear a plastic flashing tiara while dancing to a song called Brick House? It was quite the scene... Luckily, she wasn't the only one. What I found most surprising about the evening was the fact that she'd spent Tuesday, Wednesday and the day Thursday walking around the 2.2-million square feet of the trade show (yes, that's how large it was) and yet she was able to stand the four or five feet in front of the stage to enjoy the concert. When one of the couples she attended the concert with had to leave, she went to the dancefloor area to "boogie." (I'm assuming that means "dance.") Now how does a person with feet that sore dance around for two hours?

Well, I'll fill you in on the Barry Manilow concert tomorrow, or whenever I can get the computer back from her again. She's typing like a fiend trying to get caught up with the magazine and e-mails and blogging. She's preparing her giveaways and flyers for the Naples Press Club Authors and Books Festival April 5-6, and she's got a meme and a contest going over at www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com so she has plenty to keep her busy.

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Lionel Richie, Terex

She's Not Really a Cook

2008-03-17T13:28:00.004-05:00

My fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has been on a business trip for the better part of a week, and now that she's returned, she wants me to post a recipe from Arcana's kitchen. I think this is silly. There are so many other things to write about. But I bow to her wishes.

Keep in mind that Loetha, who runs the household at Arcana, is not from your society, so the recipe will be a bit "odd" for your kitchens. Sandy has given me tips to modify the recipe for your modern convenience. It will make the stew much faster to produce. Sandy tells me it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to prepare (because you have to brown the beef) and another 10 to 15 minutes to cook. Thus your meal is ready in half an hour, which, in her mind, is excellent. I also applaud this because I prefer her to spend very little time in the kitchen. This gives her more time for writing, you see.

Loetha's Beef Stew

3 cups hot mushroom soup (or cheat using 2 cans of condensed mushroom soup to make life easier)
3 cups hot tomato soup (or cheat using 2 cans of condensed tomato soup)
1 cup dry Bellan wine (that would be red wine in this society)
4 cups chopped cooked roast beef
4 heaping handfulls of chopped, steamed vegetables (or cheat and use two 16-ounce bags of frozen cut broccoli, carrots, etc.)
1 teaspoon crushed, dried thyme
If using Sandy's cheating version, add 4 cups of water (Sandy actually prefers her stew a little less "brothy" and only adds about 1 cup of water)

You put everything in a huge Dutch oven and cook on medium heat until boiling, stirring frequently. Then lower the heat a bit (not a lot), uncover it and stir it once in a while for another four or five minutes until the vegetables are the firmness that you prefer.

This recipe accommodates 10 people. Loetha would double it when cooking for my family and staff at Arcana. You may wish to cut it in half. So you'd only use 1 can each of the condensed soups, 1 bag of frozen vegetables, etc., thus feeding a family of five on a cold winter's eve, which you still have a few of this season...

Rest assured, I'll be posting news from Sandy's trip (this is the blog about the writer's life, after all), updates on her upcoming events, an announcement of today's winner from the Author Island chat contest, and information about the fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, as well as any other pertinent tidbits as they arise. I think the recipe is just something to tide you over until she figures out what marketing tack to take next.

Very strange.

Have a lovely evening.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, fantasy novel, beef stew, recipe

She Reminds You That Choices Meant for Gods is Available as an Inexpensive eBook, Too

2008-03-10T09:13:00.004-05:00

Whether you enjoy collecting hard cover books for your shelves or not, sometimes cash for such luxuries runs low. Fantasy Author Sandy Lender is in a "low-cash" phase these days due to the divorce, foreclosure, etc., so she empathizes with others in negative cashflow situations.

So, for those of you who want to read new fantasy but don't have the funds to pick up Choices Meant for Gods at the local Barnes & Noble or Hastings book store, Fantasy Author Sandy Lender has your answer. Download the pdf from the publisher's site. It's only $3.99 at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm.

The epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods is the story of the amazing heroine, Amanda Chariss. It tells of love, tolerance, overcoming insurmountable odds, standing up for yourself, not backing down, coming of age, befriending dragons and irritating evil sorcerers…but not everyone in the world is able to shell out nearly $30 for a hard cover, first edition book from a fantasy author they've never read before. Enter the oh-so-economical eBook.

If you're unsure about your $4-purchase, you can read a bunch of five-star reviews of Choices Meant for Gods on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1595071652/ref=s9_asin_image_1-1966_g1/105-8001163-2859664?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=10TVDGS539SGZYCWCBRW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448601&pf_rd_i=507846... Then bebop over to (Bebop? What does that mean? Oh for pity's sake…must I use these words in your marketing efforts?) Then link over to ArcheBooks Publishing to order/download the electronic version for much less money than the physical book at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. You can also read the first three chapters for free at that same link.

I know you'll enjoy the story.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, epic fantasy, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, ArcheBooks Publishing, eBook, five-star review, Amanda Chariss

She Wants to Push the eBook Version of Choices Meant for Gods Because it's Cheap

2008-03-09T11:39:00.003-05:00

And I'm all for it.

You see, the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods is an amazing story, but not everyone in the world is willing to shell out nearly $30 for a hard cover, first edition book from an author they've never heard of. Enter the eBook.

You can read a bunch of five-star reviews of Choices Meant for Gods on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1595071652/ref=s9_asin_image_1-1966_g1/105-8001163-2859664?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=10TVDGS539SGZYCWCBRW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448601&pf_rd_i=507846...

And then order/download the electronic version of the book at the publisher's site for a whole lot less money at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. ($3.99 to be exact) You can also read the first three chapters for free at that same link, Sandy says.

Now, why would a fantasy author encourage folks to buy her book electronically for $25 or $26 less than what it costs in the Barnes & Noble book store? Because it's almost time for the second book in the series to be released and this is called audience-building. If you like the first book, you're likely to buy the second book in the series, too. And she tells me that will also be available in a cheap electronic version. (Wait a minute. How are you going to make any money in this business? Oh. I've just been informed that writers are starving artists, too. What does that mean?)

Well, the point of today's post is to let all you visitors know that the first book in the Choices trilogy is available in an inexpensive format, right now, at the ArcheBooks Publishing site. Fantasy Author Sandy Lender encourages you to download the pdf and enjoy the story of Chariss, who is (What? I'm not describing her that way!)

(Sigh.) Enjoy the story of Chariss, who is a loveable yet kick-ass warrior.

Great.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, epic fantasy, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, ArcheBooks Publishing, eBook, five-star review, Amanda Chariss

She Hasn't Repressed This One, Careless Memory #8

2008-03-08T11:45:00.003-05:00

A Glimpse into a Writer's Life

When my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, was about six or seven years old, she lived in Sterling, Illinois. Don't bother looking; she says you probably won't find it on a map.

At that time, her dad worked at a college and was building their house in the evenings, and her mom worked at a lumber yard, so Sandy went to a friend's house after school where the friend's mom ran a sort of babysitting service/daycare service for kids.

This memory is of the time when Shaun Cassidy's Da Doo (oh, by the gods, do I really have to type this?)…

This memory is of the time when Shaun Cassidy's mid-seventies album was released. Sandy was at Heather Kaly's house for dinner and Heather's dad put the new album on the turn-table (I actually understand these terms because Sandy has a vinyl collection that she's schooled me on—don't ask…) and they ate dinner while singing along with Shaun's new songs.

In other words, she was predisposed to be a music freak. You know…she accosted some poor Hall-mark store employee over Shaun Cassidy about five or six years ago…The store was pumping out some tunes (and does that impress you? I've been paying attention to the hip-hop language she spews from time to time) and when she heard the beginning of…oh no…I have to type it…when she heard the beginning of Da Doo Run Run, she pounced on the nearest store employee and demanded he show her the CD they were playing. Of course she bought it because she'd not seen any of Shaun's merchandise on CD before. I call this behavior "odd."

Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Shaun Cassidy, Careless Memory, writer's life

She Has Another Contest Running at Author Island

2008-03-07T16:52:00.004-05:00

Win a spa package from Arcana's bathing rooms when you visit Author Island and Sandy Lender's Today the Dragon Wins blogsite.

To help explain the "goodies" in the spa package my fantasy author is giving away, I must explain where I live. Arcana is the estate where I live in the epic fantasy adventure Choices Meant for Gods. It's the Taiman family home where my great great great grandmother, Arcana Scheld came to live when she (wait, Sandy's having some sort of hissy fit...)

Apparently, I'm being censored because I'm about to bore you all to tears with backstory. Nice. You think she'd treat me a little more kindly if she expects me to promote this contest she has running. It's all about relaxing and she doesn't appear to be relaxing at the moment. She appears to be chasing me off the computer.

In case you haven't already read the novel, Choices Meant for Gods includes the lovely yet stressed out heroine, Amanda Chariss. One evening, while seeking refuge from an evil sorcerer, Chariss takes a break from her training and plotting to just relax in the bathing rooms of Arcana. In honor of the need for all heroines to take a break and relax, Sandy has teamed up with http://www.authorisland.com/ to give away a spa package from Arcana's bathing rooms.

The picture above is of the prize Sandy has assembled. (And notice all that lovely lavender to match Chariss's eyes…) If you'd like to win this prize, all you have to do is leave a comment at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ letting us know that you're an Author Island fan. And if you'd like to hear more about the story of Amanda Chariss, I'll have information about Choices Meant for Gods there throughout the contest (which you can enter every day if you like).

Or you can just succumb to the pressure now and buy the electronic version of the book at ArcheBooks Publishing's Web site. It's only $3.99 to get the eBook, whereas ordering the hard cover edition is a larger investment. The link is http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. (You can also read the first three chapters there by clicking the "free sample" button.)

Enjoy and good luck with the contest!
All my best,
Nigel Taiman
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, contest announcement, spa package, fantasy novel, Today the Dragon Wins, author island

She Sees Such Disparity in Relationships Around Her

2008-03-06T10:06:00.003-05:00

The point of this post is to ask for your prayers for a couple in surgery today, but it's a long-winded road I travel to get to that point. You see, I've reported on this blog about my fantasy author's insane and remarkable cynicism after living nearly 14 years with someone who didn't give a flip about her. Now that the soon-to-be-ex-husband is attempting to ruin her financially for the rest of her life, she's turning more cynical (if you can imagine). But she can be moved by extreme displays of love and emotion. There are three acute examples she'd like to share here.

First, a friend in Tennessee has, in the past 12 months, been through a heart attack and lung reduction surgery. His bride of 30+ years was at his side through these situations. While Sandy wasn't in Tennessee to witness their testimony of love for one another, she has received his e-mails and carried on conversations with this self-proclaimed redneck mountain man who dotes on his wife and family like you wouldn't believe. While helping compile a Valentine's Day eBook a couple years ago, Sandy had the honor of reading the story of how these two met and nearly walked away from their relationship. It was a moving story that took guts for a mountain man to tell, but gave incredible insight to a love that has lasted through years of marriage, children, grandchildren, moves, stories, housebuilding, vacations, travels, loss of parents, sickness, health, love, feistiness, art, schooling, you-name-it!

Second, a friend in Missouri suffered a severe and surprising stroke at the tender age of 34 a few years ago, rendering her paralyzed from the neck down, unable to lift her toddler into her arms ever again. In this case, Sandy did have the opportunity to visit this friend in the hospital and witnessed, first-hand, a husband's devotion to his wife, seeing the gentleman care for the woman he loved and hearing him describe with almost breathless hope the ways modern medicine could help her communicate with him. What sticks in Sandy's mind to this day is how he described sitting in the hospital bed next to his lovely bride the night before, holding her while they watched a movie together, and saying how incredibly thankful he was that he was still able to share that with her. He was so thankful to still have his wife…so thankful that she'd made it through the stroke to still be with him. (Side note of great news: her physical therapy and recovery regained some movement in one of her hands, and the advances in medicine and technology allow her to use computers in amazing ways for communication, mobility, continued therapy, etc. Every day is a miracle for her and she writes like a fiend! Sandy is addicted to her Stargate fanfic.)

And now, today, one of her friends from "baseball reunions in St. Louis," fun titles like Empress and Contessa, and too-infrequent e-mails updating each other on life and books, goes through the worry of watching a spouse in surgery. Patrick has battled the fallout from cancer treatments for months on end and found himself at a standstill in the recovery, so the neurosurgeons go in to remove a brain tumor today. This friend who has stood by her spouse, cared for him day in and day out, sent out prayer requests and health updates, asked for loving thoughts, and rearranged her life around the man that she loves now sits alone in a hospital waiting room, receiving random updates from an attending nurse throughout the operation. She expects she'll be able to update immediate family members late in the day or tomorrow; the rest of us by the weekend. (Sandy would like everyone reading to pray for Marilyn and Patrick.)

Do you have someone dear to you that you still feel that deep, unending, romantic love for? When that person is sick do you feel empathy and worry? You see, Sandy had lost that in her relationship. When her soon-to-be-ex had excruciating pain from a kidney stone the first time, Sandy was a wreck. It was horrible to see this person she cared about in pain. She was right there worrying and fretting and wanting answers from the doctors at the hospital.

The second time around was different. His years of continued reticence and neglect had beaten most of the emotion out of her. By the time she got to the emergency room to see why he was there, discovered it was just another kidney stone issue, and learned that she'd missed an hour of work for the nonsense, she wanted to use the tools to get the stone herself and get the ordeal over with. Sure, she felt sorry that he was in pain—who wouldn't feel sympathy for a fellow human writhing around like a worm on a hot sidewalk? But the intense love that the examples above express…that kind of love is special. If you've got it, Sandy and I recommend you cling to it.

Consider these two illustrations:
Sandy went to dinner with a friend last Friday evening. At the two tables behind her were two elderly couples. In one corner booth a gentleman sat across from his wife, slouched over his plate, watching the woman talk on her cell phone (loudly). At one point, he took out a bottle of pills from a fanny pack on the seat next to him and swallowed a couple. The lady prattled on… In the other corner booth a gentleman sat beside his wife, both of them munching away at an appetizer, waiting for their dinners to arrive. The man had a glass of red wine. They didn't say much to each other that Sandy's friend could report to her, but they seemed content to sit together.

Now, which couple would you like to be? Because she's so jaded, I know Sandy would say (yep, she just smarted off and walked out of the room…) I know Sandy would prefer to be with a group of girls discussing how to emasculate any man who walked by the table. But, for argument's sake, I'd like to think that she'd be the woman sitting next to the gentleman who cared for her and whom she cared about. Looking at her friends in the examples above, she recognizes true love and emotion in them. And we both encourage you to hang onto it when you recognize it, too. She put it in her fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods (even though the love story isn't the main focus of the plot). And I, for one, am thankful.

The heroine, Amanda Chariss, is a strong, amazing, compassionate young lady, but where would she be without love? Without the love of a sturdy mentor who has trained and supported her as she grew from a child into the lady she is today? Without the love of a god who swoops in to (in my opinion) wreak a little havoc in her life? Without the love of friends and benefactors who hide her from the evil sorcerer who hunts her and wishes her dead? Without the love of a kindly gentleman like myself who wants to fold her up in my embrace and keep her safe for the rest of her life? These forms of love may be played out on the pages of a work of fiction that has its share of violence and mayhem, but they represent the forms of love we can see in the couples Sandy has had the good fortune to know in her life.

Inspiration, she says, is all around, despite the disparity she sees.

If you're interested in learning more about Sandy's first novel in the Choices trilogy, you can read the first three chapters for free, or download the eBook (dirt cheap) at her publisher's Web site at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. You can also read reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Choices-Meant-Gods-Sandy-Lender/dp/1595071652/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203344454&sr=1-1.

Tags: love, emotion, prayer, relationships, Stargate, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

She's Playing Favorites

2008-03-05T09:22:00.003-05:00

When marketing with the Internet, one aspect of generating an audience is increasing the number of visitors to your blog site. An avenue of increasing traffic that my fantasy author, Sandy Lender, has not pursued yet is exchanging the "favorite" status at Technorati with other bloggers.

The site at http://www.technorati.com/ is a free network where bloggers register their blogs and receive information, HTML code, ideas, etc., to use with their blogging technique. Sandy visits it from time to time (as time allows, she says), but would like to make use of the "favorite" tool.

If your blog is registered with Technorati, as Nigel Presents Sandy Lender and Today the Dragon Wins are, please let us know that you'd like to exchange favorite status with us and we'll do so to increase our marketing and promotion power. You can click on the link I've provided at the bottom of this blog page to get you there easily. Sandy provided one at the bottom of http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ as well.

Best of luck to you in your marketing efforts!
Tags: fantasy author, Sandy Lender, blogging, technorati, favorite, today the dragon wins