Frederation

We Gather Together

SilentFred — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:24:30 +0000

Thanksgiving 2009, and the Warren clan is once again gathered together at home, an easier achievement this year with only one kid traveling from college.

We also have a houseguest, our cousins’ Border Collie pup, who wanders around the house with an expression of total confusion on her furry face. Our own dogs just sprawl on the floor, follow her with their eyes, and sigh.

At this point, I should offer something profound about giving thanks in general or the holiday in particular, but I can’t really think of anything at the moment. Human beings are supremely ungrateful creatures, and when we are thankful, it’s usually as an afterthought, like the tenth leper reversing course a half-mile down the road to return and honor the One who healed him. I suppose returning at all is an accomplishment–the other nine never looked back.

So much to be thankful for. Steady jobs, good health, children on the road to maturity and avoiding most of the pitfalls along the way. Friends, extended family, and a country that, despite its current struggles, is still heaven on earth compared to many, many other places, and collectively would like nothing better than to see war and poverty ended and no one, anywhere, lacking the means to live and prosper.

We will give thanks around our table again this year, painfully aware that no expression of gratitude can possibly suffice, and, I hope, with the understanding that if all our material blessings were to vanish tomorrow, there would still be ample room and need for thanksgiving. I pray that we will be ever aware that part of being truly thankful is to reach out to our neighbors in need and do what we can to help. Of all neglects, this one always seems the most ungrateful.

May God richly bless you and your loved ones in this season of joy and thanks.

We gather together
to ask the Lord’s blessing;
he chastens and hastens
his will to make known.
The wicked oppressing
now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to his name,
he forgets not his own.

(link – hymnsite.com, words & music)

Weekend Update

SilentFred — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:55:58 +0000

Very busy these past few days with driving to and from Colorado and other associated activities, so here’s a quick update:

1a: Had a nice trip to Colorado Springs. Darling Daughter (DD) got her USAF Academy tour. I figured she’d come out of it either scared out of her wits or excited about the possibility of going there for college. Excitement won. I hadn’t been there myself in about ten years, and it was encouraging to see a lot of modest improvements in the facilities and the preservation of a lot of the things I love about the place. I’ll post some pictures from our trip on Facebook soon, and will link here when I do.

1b: Had a great visit with fellow writers Paulette Harris, John Patterson, and Kristine Pratt. Talked about my experience writing The Muse and a variety of other writing-related topics. Drank coffee! Ate scones! Sold a few books!

1c: Reconnected with an Air Force buddy who’s teaching at the Academy, and his family. DD had fun riding 4-wheelers in the snow with his daughter.

1d: Took DD to Garden of the Gods, an awe-inspiring area of uplifted sedimentary rock spires nestled at the foot of the Rockies near Colorado Springs. She was suitably impressed.

2. Another interview online, this one on the Lost Genre Guild blog.

3. Got a short story idea on the road to Colorado and finished drafting it today. Still needs a bit of tweaking, but I’m feeling pretty good about it. A superhero story–never written one before.

4. E-mail from Lyn Perry at Residential Aliens–he wants to put one of my stories, “Of All Things, Seen and Unseen,” into the first Res Aliens print anthology. Very happy about this–Lyn is quietly doing some great work creating a home for spec fic with a spiritual element. If that sort of writing floats your boat, keep an eye on his ‘zine.

5. Got a quick comment to my Armistice Day post with an outstanding link to diary entries from a WWI soldier. Check it out!

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

SilentFred — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:49:55 +0000

Traveling to Colorado and the fair city of Colorado Springs today with the Darling Daughter to visit the U.S. Air Force Academy. They’ve got a very cool orientation program that pairs her with a cadet whom she’ll shadow through an entire day of classes, etc. I expect this will have a huge impact on whether she decides to continue pursuing enrollment there or turns her attention to other opportunities. The Academy is my alma mater, so I’m naturally excited that she’s considering it, but it has to be her decision–if she goes there just because she thinks it’s what I want, well, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Also on the agenda is a meet & greet with some fellow writers in the Colorado Springs area. We’ll be at the Panera Bread cafe at 1845 Briargate Parkway from 4-6 pm tomorrow, November 20. I’ll have some copies of The Muse with me, so if you happen to be in the area and would like to get a signed book, postage free, feel free to stop by.

November CSFF Blog Tour Day 3: Curse of the Spider King, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

SilentFred — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:43:22 +0000

If it’s Day 3, it must be time to venture out into the cobweb-strewn forests of the CSFF Blog Tour and see what other folks are saying about Curse of the Spider King.

Spray can of Black Flag, check. Combat boots, check. Baseball bat, check.

Okay, I think I’m ready. I’ve even got a protective hat. It’s kind of fuzzy, though. Itches a little.

Waitaminnit…I’m not wearing a hat. AAAGH! Get it off me! Get it off me!

Ahem. Moving right along…

David Frost? Morley Safer? William F. Buckley? Amateurs. Some great interviews with the authors this time around, and a lot of interviewing skill displayed by our Tour bloggers, including Ryan Heart, James Somers, and Amy Browning.

Who’s on First, What’s on Second, I Don’t Know…Third Base! While there was nearly unanimous approval for the appealing and true-to-teen characters in Curse of the Spider King, a few reviewers (myself included) struggled a bit with the large cast of central characters. Phyllis Wheeler made a list to keep track of everyone. Valerie Comer said the handling of the characters felt “fractured.” I was looking for a character to step out in more of a leadership role or provide an overarching perspective for the whole story, but I think this is a situation where it’s worth being a little patient and waiting for a deeper exploration of the characters. They’ve got a long way to go yet in their adventures.

Membership Has Its Advantages. Several folks spent some time perusing the very nice webpages of Messrs. Batson and Hopper, and particularly the Berinfell Prophecies site, which hosts a fan forum and a plethora of series-related interactive games and activities. Robert Treskillard and his kids are already members of a Berinfell “tribe” and are enjoying the fun together. The authors seem to be very engaged with their fans, which is both smart from a marketing point of view, and just impressive overall. No socially-dysfunctional, ivory-tower snobs here. These guys are having a ball and sharing that joy with others. Good on ‘em.

The Eternal Question. It always happens during the Tour, and it’s important that it does happen–somebody raises the question, “Is this really a Christian book?” We are the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour, after all. This time, it was John W. Otte (“Least-Read Blog on the Web”? Au contraire, Pierre!). He observed that there aren’t many overtly Christian elements in the story, and simply making a few passing references to God doesn’t cut it if we want to call something a Christian work of fiction and have it mean anything at all. Mr. Batson, for his part, had the sense and grace to simply step back and say, “That’s a good question, and I’d like to hear what people think about it.” I weighed in with my two-cents’ worth, and suggest you do likewise, respectfully and intelligently. We’ll all be the richer for the debate.

And Now, the Rest of the Story. Wow, just found this…Shane Deal has logged his thoughts about the book chapter-by-chapter. He got through Chapter 12 before he had to stop, but he promises to finish in future installments. Great stuff. I recommend reading this AFTER you’ve read the book yourself, unless you have no intention of doing so.

Well, that concludes my expedition into the arachnid-ridden backcountry of Curse of the Spider King. Join me again next month as we…hey, waitaminnit…there is no CSFF Blog Tour next month! Our fearless leader, Rebecca Miller, is re-engineering the schedule for the coming year, so it looks like we’ll be featuring one or more writing-related web sites in lieu of a book review. Hey, everybody enjoys a few surprises for Christmas! See you then.

There’s still a lot of great commentary out there on the Tour–check it out:

Wayne Thomas Batson’s blog – http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/
Christopher Hopper’s Web site - http://www.christopherhopper.com/
The Berinfell Prophecies Web site – http://www.heedtheprophecies.com

Rebecca LuElla Miller

>>This review is based upon a copy of the book provided to me free of charge by the publisher, a courtesy I appreciate, but which does not guarantee my recommendation. I strive to evaluate every book I review purely on its intrinsic merits.<<

November CSFF Blog Tour Day 2: Curse of the Spider King, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

SilentFred — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:09:45 +0000

Okay, I’ve finished Curse of the Spider King. I may be checking under my bed for chubby black spiders with red legs for the next couple of weeks.

Thanks, guys.

Bottom Line, at the Top: I liked this book. Batson and Hopper have created a compelling story with interesting characters and strong themes of faith, courage, and friendship. Though targeted at younger teens, I think it holds appeal for readers of all ages.

N-QB3: This being the first story in a series, the authors have to spend some time getting the pieces onto the chessboard. In some ways, Curse of the Spider King reads like an extended prelude. We meet the heroes and villains and watch them make their way to Allyra, getting a fair bit of backstory along the way about who these people are, where they came from, and why we should care. I don’t mind that, and there’s plenty of white-knuckled action as things move along, but I ended with the feeling that the real meat of the story was yet to come.

Teen Titans, GO!: The tale of orphan misfits who are hidden royalty and/or super beings with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men is familiar, but it’s managed to maintain its appeal for centuries. The feeling that nobody really understands us, that some malevolent force marooned us with these people, and that a higher destiny awaits us, somehow, sometime, resonates with teens and with adults who remember being teens. To their credit, Batson and Hopper’s heroes and heroines don’t wallow in self-pity or languish the days away waiting for their kingdom to come. They keep their chins up and muddle through. Some of them have great relationships with their adoptive parents they don’t want to abandon.

The battle scene at the end where the young Lords begin to realize their latent power and accept their role in the war thrust upon them is a lot of fun, as is the transformation of their Elvish protectors from mild-mannered librarians and the like into formidable warriors.

I Got in Through the Wardrobe, in the Spare Room: There’s a strong echo of The Chronicles of Narnia here, and C.S. Lewis’ classic series is given several direct tips of the hat. We have two worlds, linked by a mystical portal and other connections, both physical and spiritual. Two kingdoms are at war, with evil ascendant. Seemingly ordinary children have a prophetic royal destiny. Myth in one world comes to life in another. That said, Batson and Hopper have created a unique setting with its own rules. Allyra is not Narnia, but there’s definitely a kinship, as both draw on classic themes of heroic literature.

The same God rules both worlds, but as in Narnia, he goes by a different name in Allyra. I think it’s pretty cool that the connection comes through in conversation among inhabitants of both worlds, who are clearly quoting the same Scripture.

Once More Into the Breach, Dear Friends: One of the strongest themes in this story is the value of self-sacrifice. The Elves take horrendous casualties in their effort to protect their young Lords, and the children, despite their confusion and reservations, offer their own lives in return. The people of Berinfell know that freedom, and survival, aren’t free, and they pay the price willingly and courageously.

Coming Attractions: I’m looking forward to seeing our young heroes develop their special abilities and leadership skills in the next installment of this series. I’m also interested to see how they integrate into this strange, new culture they suddenly find themselves part of. Finally, there is a hint that this war was, in part, brought on by past misdeeds of the Elvish people, and I’m curious to see where Batson and Hopper go with that thread, as it implies their foes may not be one-dimensionally evil or irredeemable.

Oh, and there’s a lot of damaged real-estate and bodies scattered across the battlefield back on Earth. Will we human beings remain blissfully ignorant, or will the fate of Allyra be intertwined with our own?

For more sticky questions and intricately-woven answers, please visit the other fine sites on this month’s CSFF Blog Tour:

Rebecca LuElla Miller

November CSFF Blog Tour Day 1: Curse of the Spider King, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

SilentFred — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:58:07 +0000

Another month, another CSFF Blog Tour. This month’s feature is Curse of the Spider King, coauthored by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper.

Spiders…ick. I hate spiders. I hate ‘em! As Indiana Jones is to snakes, I am to spiders.

Spiders…why’d it have to be spiders?

However, I have enjoyed this book. I’ve not quite finished it yet, so I’ll provide a brief synopsis today, and more of a review tomorrow, if I’m done by then. If not, I’ll take a look at the various websites for the authors and the book, with a review on Day 3.

Curse of the Spider King introduces us to seven orphans living the hard-knock life (hey, it’s tough just being a tween, even under normal circumstances) in a variety of communities around the world. Some have it better than others, some of them don’t even know they are orphans, but all are facing a rocky adolescence, and not just the usual issues with bullies and bad grades. Alien forces seem to be taking over their bodies, with bursts of super strength and speed, weird premonitions, and enhanced abilities in marksmanship and music. Worse, some of the adults in their lives–librarians, gym teachers, even custodians–are manifesting a bizarre new side to their personalities, and engaging in combat with mysterious cloaked figures that seem to be following the orphans’ every move.

Then, there are the books. Each of the orphans is given a mysterious book that seems to warp the fabric of reality when they read it, plunging them into a three-dimensional retelling of the strange history inside.

Elsewhere, elsewhen, the kingdom of Berinfell is betrayed from within and overrun by the forces of the malevolent Spider King. A small remnant escapes to safety, but the only hope of regaining their lost home and driving away the enemy lies with the infant heirs of the slain Seven Lords.

I’m thinking there might be a connection here somewhere.

In Curse of the Spider King, Batson and Hopper have set the stage for an epic struggle of good versus evil that spans two worlds and multiple volumes. More details (I hope) tomorrow, but in the meantime, please follow the gossamer threads woven by the other contributors to this month’s Tour:

Rebecca LuElla Miller

Celebration!

SilentFred — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:38:29 +0000

Tonight from 7-9pm U.S. Central time is the online launch party for my novel, The Muse. It’s been quite a year, taking this thing from concept to no-kidding published book, but it’s been a great learning experience, and I’ve enjoyed every…well, almost every minute of it. Of course, the hardest part is perhaps still ahead, trying to spread the word and build the buzz and get the book into folks’ hands so they can read and enjoy it.

To that end, please drop by http://tinychat.com/splashdown this evening to say hi and pepper us with questions about the book and what it took to get it into print. We’ll have some door prizes, confetti, virtual cake, and other fun stuff along the way.

Notes From All Over

SilentFred — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:16 +0000

Busy week–I feel like I’m going in about fifteen different directions at once.

I’m writing this from a Holiday Inn breakfast nook in Chicago, where I’ve spent the last two days trying to get my son’s car fixed. Happily, it looks like the problem was just a corroded battery cable, and the fix is both quick and relatively inexpensive. In the meantime, I’ve had a nice visit with my middle son and met his girlfriend, a very nice young lady who plays soccer and had the good grace to laugh at my corny jokes. Dinner and a movie last night, saw Disney’s new version of A Christmas Carol in 3D. Not bad.

NaNoWrimo progress has been slim to none this week with the Chicago trip and other schedule disruptions. The project isn’t dependent on NaNo to get finished, but this was a good opportunity to get it cranked out. I may be able to catch up next week.

Launch party for The Muse is tomorrow evening from 7-9pm US Central time, online at http://tinychat.com/splashdown. Tinychat has sound and video capability, so we’ll see how that works. Should be a fun time, everybody’s welcome.

Taking the Darling Daughter to Colorado Springs for an Air Force Academy tour next weekend, and will also have the opportunity to get together with Paulette Harris from the Lost Genre Guild and a few other writers from the C-Springs area.

In-between, trying to expand the marketing effort for The Muse, pitch some local bookstores, etc.

Whoops, gotta go pick up that car…

Happy Armistice Day!

SilentFred — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:53:24 +0000

Today we celebrate the conclusion of the War to End All Wars (well, not so much, but we were a lot more hopeful back then), and honor the sacrifices of all our military personnel across the sweep of our nation’s history, from the Revolutionary War to our current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also my birthday today, which is irrelevant to this post, but makes this day a little nearer and dearer to my heart.

In a lot of ways, WWI marked our transition from young upstart to major player in global affairs. We don’t talk about it much these days, it being all messy and un-sexy with its entangling alliances and fading European monarchies, and trench warfare, and sitzkrieg, and poison gas, and bayonet charges into the teeth of machine-gun fire. For most Americans, I think it was about our young men going off to a war they didn’t fully understand, but wanting to make a difference–to go “Over There” and fight evil. Some of them are in the banner photo at the top of the page. They believed in the rightness of their cause, they were strong and courageous under hellish conditions, and they did good. A lot of them didn’t come home again, and everybody in this country felt the loss. To quote Billy Ray Cyrus (yeah, I know, but it fits), “all gave some, some gave all.”

We’ve got an outstanding WWI Memorial and museum in downtown Kansas City. That’s a picture of it at the beginning of this post. If you’re ever through here, take a couple of hours and check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

In conclusion, here is perhaps the definitive statement on the Great War, written by a Canadian Army surgeon after the battle of Ypres in 1915:

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 – 1918)

The Muse: Release Party!

SilentFred — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:47:04 +0000

To celebrate this month’s debut of The Muse, Splashdown Books will be hosting an online release party on the evening of November 15th, from 7 to 9pm, U.S. Central Time, at http://tinychat.com/splashdown . More details to come…giveaways, special guests, shocking revelations, etc…but please plan to join us as we party like it’s 2009!

Oh, right…it is.

Order The Muse from Amazon.com

Order The Muse from Barnes & Noble

I’ll also throw in a signed bookplate, if you like. Just send an e-mail to sffwarrengmail.com with your snailmail address. Tell me if you’d like it personalized (and to whom) or just signed.