Ma’am is the colloquial shortening of madam, by replacing the “d” with an apostrophe. Madam (madame in reference to foreign women) was once a title of respect for a woman of rank. It is now the respectful form of address to give a married woman. It came from the French “ma dame,” which translates to… Continue Reading
To Darkness Fled Artwork from a Reader
I got these awesome sketches of Jaira Hamartano from Ember, who gave me permission to post them on my site. Cool, huh?
Final Cover for From Darkness Won
Punctuation 101: Replacing Omitted Letters with an Apostrophe
An apostrophe can be used to replace omitted letters in a word. Take note of the proper direction the apostrophes should point when using curly quotes. I’ve been singin’ all day long. ’Tis the best steak I ever ate. I ne’er had so many friends visit me. Go get ’em, boys. I love rock ’n’… Continue Reading
From Darkness Won: Chapter One
Get the little pilfering prince! The soldier’s wooden blade whipped towards Achan’s face. He lunged back a step in his heavy armor and threw up his guard. The wasters scraped overhead. His body ached, right thigh still sore from where Esek had stabbed him with Ôwr, right shoulder tender from the cham bear’s teeth. Achan… Continue Reading
Some Interesting Facts I Learned about Horses
Here are some pictures of what Achan’s horses from the Blood of Kings trilogy look like, along with some interesting facts I learned about the animals. *You mount on the left side of the horse. *You can steer with the reins, but most horses can take signals from your legs alone. Type of Movement and… Continue Reading
Teenage Author Q&A: How is the market for science fiction/fantasy books?
Robert wants to know: How hard is the market for science fiction/fantasy books? The market for science fiction and fantasy is huge. It’s very popular. There are so many subgenres that it really gives you a lot of room to be creative. (See my recent post on speculative fiction subgenres.) And if you can come… Continue Reading
To Kindle or Not to Kindle
I love books. My husband knows this. Christmas 2008 he bought me the brand new Amazon Kindle. It was very expensive that year. (I think Brad paid $329 for the thing!) Needless to say, Brad earned beaucoup bonus points for that gift. Just over two years later, there are a few versions of the Kindle for… Continue Reading
Try Fear by James Scott Bell
Review by Jill Williamson This time our hero Ty Buchanan finds himself defending a half-dressed Santa Claus on DUI charges. His client seems average enough, but when Santa is suddenly murdered his brother is the number one suspect. Now Ty is doing all he can to prove the brother’s innocence. Ty recruits the… Continue Reading
The Medieval Blacksmith
What did a medieval blacksmith do? Did he only make swords? While I’m sure that there were some who made swords specifically, most blacksmiths would have crafted whatever a paying customer wanted, be that door latches, hinges, horseshoes, pokers, pitchforks, tools, bakeware, nails, swords, weapons, shackles, chain, wire, sconces, and toys. If they were good… Continue Reading
Interview with Teen Author J. R. Parker
Here is a special treat. I’m thrilled to have my friend J. R. Parker here to talk about his book and how he got published so young. His pen name is J.R. Parker, but it felt too starge to call him J. R., so I’m rebelling and calling him Jacob. His secret is out. Mwa… Continue Reading
From Darkness Won: Back Cover Copy
It’s coming! Only 38 days until From Darkness Won releases! Here is the back cover copy. Darkness trembles. Achan steps into his role as Crown Prince and prepares for war. But war against whom? Could Esek still be alive? Has Lord Nathak taken Esek’s place? Or is the mysterious Hadad the true enemy Achan must… Continue Reading