She's Writing a Letter

So there was this program on television that she actually took the time to watch this evening. It represented half an hour out of the time she should have spent on marketing or writing or blogging or finishing off these blessed press releases so she can get back to writing. No, she sat in front of the television watching some program about sea turtles. Have I mentioned here that she already knows about sea turtles?

Anyway, the program was a boring nature documentary that showed the trials and tribulations of a solitary loggerhead turtle (apparently, there are seven different kinds of sea turtle in the oceans, all endangered or threatened) traveling 9,000 miles to get to her natal beach to lay eggs. Toward the end of the program, Sandy burst into tears because the first turtle that the film makers tracked made it across the ocean almost to her goal...

...and drowned in a shrimp trawler's net.

As Hollywood has trained the film makers to do, though, the editors had a second solitary turtle being monitored by a second crew. That turtle made it to the shore and deposited her eggs. I figured this would make my author happy. Instead, she's writing a letter of "extreme protest" for lessening the impact of the commercial fishing industry and the horrors it visits upon the oceans by delivering a happy ending instead of the original ending.

I swear, her fixation with reality makes me nervous. I really must sit down with her and discuss the sequels to Choices Meant for Gods to be sure she's treating all the characters (particularly Amanda Chariss) as kindly as possible. Sandy Lender may think there are no happily-ever-afters in real life, but I'm lobbying for one in the trilogy.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender, sea turtles, commercial fishing

The Neighbors Can't Hear Her Scream

So Sandy returned to the house after dark this evening, which I assumed would be the case because she turned on the porch light before walking out the door earlier. This attracts bugs, which attracts frogs, which she seems keen on. Unfortunately, this evening, it attracted something more sinister than a frog. And I wasn't here initially when she returned...

You think I would know the difference between a "the-biggest-spider-I've-ever-seen-is-blocking-my-path" scream versus a "there's-a-true-threat" scream. (Oh, of course, I'm getting a lecture on that one. "True threat" is in the eye of the beholder? As the teenagers say: Whatever.) I've been a constant resource for her during the writing of Choices Meant for Gods so I've been around for several spider episodes and the "I-cannot-believe-that-freaking-scorpion-just-stung-me" episode and even the "black-panther-at-the-window-one-early-morning" episode (and if you haven't heard that one yet you're in for a treat).

What disturbed both of us tonight is none of the neighbors came to the rescue. It's dark outside and a woman is screaming. Shouldn't that garner at least moderate interest? And it's not that none of the neighbors care. Sandy has a fantastic couple living across the street who are wonderful people who would give the very shirts off their backs to help out a friend in need. This leads us to believe her shrieking went unheard (which boggles my mind). She says this is probably for the best because she's rather embarrassed about it and a Budweiser will settle the whole matter for her.

I'm pretty sure she's joking...

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender, Budweiser

She's Such a Good Diplomat

You should see the business cards Sandy designed for me today. They outshine Henry’s, I can tell you that. And they’re being professionally printed. As Sandy is fond of saying, you can’t beat that with a stick.

So now we can hand these out to let people know I have this site to “journal” about the author of Choices Meant for Gods. Also, she’s put Mother’s blog at http://ChoicesMeantforGods.wordpress.com along the bottom of the card to help promote the book. Anything we can do to promote my bride’s story is a good thing at this point. (And I guess that includes mentioning Henry’s stinking interview site at http://friendsofdragons.wordpress.com.)

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender

She Made Business Cards for Him!

I’m completely offended by this. Henry Bakerson shows up here in this society long after I’ve been here helping out, pops in only sporadically to do anything that borders on useful, only has a handful of posts on his blog (all of which Sandy has had to censor heavily—as if she has time for that nonsense—because Henry is a self-professed cad), and she makes business cards for him.

Business cards, I tell you!

She says it’s because people need to get in touch with him for the interviews he does on his blog. (Oh, by the very gods in Mahriket I can’t believe she just asked me to add this.) You can view his blog at http://friendsofdragons.wordpress.com/.

I don’t have any business cards.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender, friendsofdragons.wordpress.com

She Wants to Show You the Cover

You may not be aware of this, but Sandy has two artists’ work featured on the cover of Choices Meant for Gods. Robert Gelinas, her publisher, designed the incredible front cover, combining elements to reflect the magic and danger that surround my bride, Amanda Chariss Derdriu. (Hold on a second; I’m going to see if Sandy will let me use Taiman for her last name. Drat. Well, isn’t that unsettling…)

The other artist is Megan Kissinger, whom visitors at The Dragon had the pleasure of meeting during the week of March 26-30. The interview with Megan is in the archives there. Megan is the cartographer for Choices Meant for Gods. She designed the map of Onweald, and you can see the four-color (is that correct?)…you can see the four-color, or full-color, version of the map ghosted behind a few testimonials for the book on the back cover. (Again, don’t ask me what these printing terms mean. I’m trusting the gal with the career in this stuff here.) Then there’s a black-and-white version printed inside the book, but Sandy’s disappointed in the print quality of that one. She says they’ll have a better file plated for the second press run (by the gods, stop with all that jargon). She’s giggling over my shoulder as I type all this nonsense.

Suffice it to say, here’s the cover for ya’ll to look at. (How’s that, you little sprite?)

The URL for The Dragon is www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com. You can order the fantasy novel at www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGsa.pdf or www.amazon.com.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender, cover art, Megan Kissinger

She Says It's a Good Day

Sandy explained this society's variety of religions, particularly the one that brings her peace. She is a Christian and believes Jesus Christ is the son of God. Through Him, people gain salvation, and today, people celebrate His resurrection. The story of His so-called trial (which was no trial; if you read the accounts, you'll see He did nothing wrong) and execution horrified me. But the hope given to the world when He arose afterward is unprecedented. I'm amazed.

So today is a good day. You can see her Word of the Day at www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com to join in the celebration.

She says all the crazy drivers from "up north" leave this area after today, as well. That part she hasn't explained very well, but if it means she'll spend less time commuting (look at all this bizarre vocabulary I've picked up in this society - Amanda won't understand half of what I'm saying in the future) and more time writing the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy, then I'm happy about it.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender

She Has Another Testimonial for me to Post

Don't ask me why we're posting this here before she posts it at The Dragon. I think Sandy's trying to be all chivalrous and save me the time of writing a full article this evening. (She has me prepping some items for Henry Bakerson's blog at http://FriendsofDragons.blogspot.com because he's a slacker, which I thought she realized since she's the one who wrote him. No, I'm not complaining on the blog again... She can be so testy... )

Anyway. Here's the next testimonial:

"Lender masterfully weaves multi-dimensional characters and an intriguing plot into her addicting fantasy world. Choices Meant for Gods will keep readers turning pages and leave them savoring the epic tale long after they've finished reading it." -- M.B. Weston, author of A Prophecy Forgotten (which is also available now, by the way)

Sandy just popped in (again) to remind me that I need to tell you all Choices Meant for Gods is rising in its ranking on at www.amazon.com.

Choices Meant for Gods is also available at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781595071651&itm=1 if you're a member of Barnes & Nobles's savings program (oh, she tells me it's a card of some kind that Barnes & Noble members have).

Choices Meant for Gods is also available at the Borders site if you prefer using some sort of Borders point-rewards-system-thing that I don't understand. You would click on this link: http://www.amazon.com/Choices-Meant-Gods-Sandy-Lender/dp/1595071652/ref=sr_1_1/104-9089752-5140754?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175816810&sr=1-1, but, as you can see, they're partnered with Amazon, so, why not just go to Amazon and save on the shipping because Amazon is running a shipping...she's arguing with me again.

Buy it wherever fine books are sold? That's it? Fine.

I'll post a picture of the cover next time. It's very striking.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender, M.B. Weston, A Prophecy Forgotten, friendsofdragons.blogspot.com

She's Floating on Cloud 9

I guess it would be more accurate to say Sandy Lender is floating somewhere above Cloud 9, if I'm understanding the colloquialism correctly, now that she's holding a copy of Choices Meant for Gods. It's heavy for a fantasy book. Solid and substantive, I should say. But don't take my word for it. I'm supposed to be posting testimonials from people for her:

"Choices Meant for Gods is a marvelous read. The action and suspense continue in one easy flow. Congratulations to Lender. She has a winner."
--Lea Docken, FantasyToday.com

So as long as you like epic fantasy in the style of J.R.R. Tolkien or Terry Goodkind, you should be set to enjoy the story of my bride, Amanda Chariss. You can get your copy to judge for yourself at Amazon.com or http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender, fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Goodkind, Lea Docken, fantasy book

She Can Barely Move

I actually feel sorry for her this evening. I've done this myself: worked in the fields at Arcana in early spring after being away from that type of work all winter so that you wake the next morning unable to lift your body out of bed. When Amanda started training with Mia (a lesser goddess from Mahriket), she had some "issues", as it were. Now Sandy Lender is bemoaning the fact that she elected to change her exercise routine on the same day that she spent three hours on her hands and knees scrubbing the ceramic tile floor in her house. Because she takes this bizarre (and, from what I understand, dangerous) migraine maintenance medication, she can't just pop a painkiller and lay down until the pain goes away.

It's sort of humorous.

Yet I still feel sorry for her.

So that's what my author is doing today--trying to get things done around her house at half-speed. I've suggested more than once that she could sit at the computer to work on the sequels to Choices Meant for Gods and she wouldn't have to try to move at all...

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Sandy Lender