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Topics - Parker

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1
Movies and TV / WOT Optioned by Universal
« on: August 13, 2008, 04:41:22 PM »
The Wheel of Time series has been optioned by Universal to be made into a movie. Of course, this likely won't result in an actual movie (NBC had the rights back in 2000 to make Eye of the World into a miniseries, and that never happened), but it's good publicity for EUOL, at least--it mentions his name in Variety, and that can't be bad. Check out the linkage below.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990464.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
 

2
Video Games / Diablo 3, Baby!
« on: June 28, 2008, 03:36:45 PM »
Sure, it's probably two years from actual release (to go by Blizzard's usual release schedule), but this morning in France, Blizzard announced Diablo 3. I'm very excited for this--wasted many a happy hour with 1 and 2, and I can't wait for number 3. That means Blizz now has Lich King, Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 lined up for release--quite the schedule. Check out the game at the link below:

http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/

3
Movies and TV / Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule to Become ABC TV Series
« on: January 29, 2008, 03:14:02 PM »
The title says it all. I know there are quite a few Goodkind haters on the site, and he's not my favoritest author in the world, but Sam Raimi's executive producing . . . Does this have a chance of being good? I'm not sure.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i062b16e707aa9991beca376ab4ce2189

4
Rants and Stuff / Parker's Got a PW Review
« on: January 23, 2008, 06:35:10 PM »
Just to prove that I have not fallen off the face of the earth (just moved to Maine), I figured I'd toss this out there to anyone interested. I entered the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest back in October or so--5,000 entrants submitted a novel in any genre they wanted. I sent my Slovak YA Fantasy that some of you have had input on. They narrowed it down to 836 entrants a week or so ago, and Publisher's Weekly reviewed the complete manuscript of all 836. (Well, maybe not the complete manuscript in some instances. There were some pretty lousy samples, even in the winnowed 836.) Anyway, I got my review today. Here she be:

manuscript review by Publishers Weekly, an independent organization
American teenagers meet Slovak fairy tales come to frightening life in this engaging if occasionally over-plotted fantasy novel. After his family's home burns down, Tomas and his parents move back to their native Slovakia, where Tomas finds himself plagued by strange visions and forebodings of events to come. His parents attempt to shield him from the shadowy events of his childhood, that caused them to leave for the U.S., but Tomas- still deeply self-conscious about the burns he sustained on his arm in a childhood accident- digs into the past. With the help of his fetching cousin Katka, Tomas investigates his visions and discovers their intimate relationship with the figures of Slovak folklore, including the trickster vodnik. Can Tomas navigate his way through a new country, and a bizarre new set of friends and enemies, without causing further injury to himself, or to his cousin? The novel is heavily padded with action- at times too much action- and the characters lack definition, or much motivation, but the author keeps the plot rolling, and there is enough humanity lurking amidst the Slovak nightmares to keep readers interested.


Now those of you in my writing group at the time (EUOL, MsFish, CtrlZed, Eric James Stone and Hauf (if he's still kicking around here)) know what a jumble this book was in after the first draft. So frankly, I'm quite pleased that I managed to hammer it out into good enough shape to warrant this review. No, it's not glowing with praise, but it ain't a total downer, either. It points out areas I knew I had weakness in--plotting and consistent characters--but still calls the book engaging and interesting. I've read some of the other PW reviews on these entries, and it could have been worse. Much worse. What do you all think?

Anyway, if any of you want to mosey over and check out my excerpt and then rate it, you're more than welcome to. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00122GTYG

5
Movies and TV / The Hobbit!!!!!
« on: December 18, 2007, 08:23:01 PM »
Hey all. I just saw this, and I can't express how excited I am. Peter Jackson and New Line have kissed and made up, and things are on for two more LOTR films. The first will be the Hobbit, the second will be a bridge between the Hobbit and Fellowship. Jackson's going to at the very least executive produce. No word on if he'll direct as well or not. But still--I think this is awesome news.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35108

http://community.thehobbitsite.com

6
Video Games / Hellgate: London Demo Released
« on: October 21, 2007, 12:36:12 AM »
Haven't seen any discussion of this new game on the boards yet. Anyone else hyped for it? I just downloaded the demo (which was released Thursday), and I've been playing it and loving it so far. Basically, think post-apocalyptic Diablo II in 3-D, FPS style. It's made by the same guys who made Diablo II (they've since left Blizzard),  and while it doesn't seem quite as polished as Blizzard's typical game, it's been a blast so far. 6 different classes, fully randomized, random weapon drops . . . you name it. The demo's pretty darn short (unfortunately), but the game comes out on Halloween, so there's not much time left to wait. I'm planning on getting it the day of release, which I haven't done for a video game in years.

Basic online play is free, but there's also a $10 a month subscription plan you can play to get regular content updates, should you choose. Not sure if I have the funds to subscribe, but I'm all over the free stuff. Anyone else been paying attention to this game?

7
Everything Else / To Build or Not to Build?
« on: September 24, 2007, 08:35:25 PM »
I want a new computer. Should I build one on my own (never done it before, but I have a fair amount of Computer Skills) or buy one made for me? (And if I buy one, where should I buy it?) Last time, I got my computer from IBuyPower, and I've been fairly happy with it. I edit video and pictures, I game a fair amount (planning on getting Hellgate: London as soon as it comes out, and I used to be hooked on WarCrack.), plenty of word processing and internet surfing. I want the computer to be upgradeable, and I'd rather not pay an arm and a leg. Looking at something in the $1500 range. So--what do you think?

8
Books / Vodniks Bite
« on: July 01, 2007, 05:27:06 AM »
I just finished the second draft of my current YA contemporary fantasy, and I'm getting ready to send it to the editor who has asked for it, but I'd love to have some extra, fresh eyes look at it before then.  Some of you (EUOL, MsFish, CtrlZed, Hauf) have already workshopped it (though if you'd like to see the changes, I'm not against repeat offenders), and I know some others of you (Nessa, Brenna, SE and others) have read books of mine in the past.  This one is even better!  ;-)  Anyway--feel free to volunteer here if you'd like to read.  If possible, I'd like to get the comments within a couple of weeks, though.  I told the editor I'd get it to her in a month, and that was a week and a half ago.  Yikes!

Oh--basic plot, just in case that helps you make up your mind: 16 year old boy moves to Slovakia and discovers he can see and interact with creatures from Slovak folklore, one of which wants his soul.  Fast-paced, humorous fantasy for all ages.  It's abut 113,000 words (Microsoft Word Count.  Under 200 pages single spaced 12-point Times).

Any takers?

9
Writing Group / David Farland's Novel Writing Workshop
« on: June 18, 2007, 04:12:10 PM »
Hi all--Dave just asked me to start spreading the word about this.  He's going to be running another of his week-long workshops next year.  If you haven't had a class from Dave or had the opportunity to hear what he has to say about the business, this is an excellent opportunity, and very reasonably priced.   I highly recommend it.  Here's the email he sent me:

DAVID FARLAND'S NOVEL-WRITING WORKSHOP

Who is teaching and what credentials does he have?
Dave is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer in two
fields.  As Dave Wolverton, he began his writing career in 1987 when
he won the Writers of the Future Gold Award for his short story, "On
My Way to Paradise," and shortly afterward was given a three-novel
contract by Bantam Books.  His first novel spent several months on the
Locus Science Fiction Best-seller List, and won a Philip K. Dick
Memorial Special Award for being one of the best science fiction
novels of the year.  Dave continued writing science fiction for the
following ten years, writing several bestsellers, until at the end of
ten years he decided to follow his childhood dream of writing fantasy,
and moved into a new genre.  With the move, he changed his writing
name to David Farland, so as not to confuse his readers.  His first
fantasy novel, The Runelords, became a runaway hit around the world
and has millions of readers.  The third book in the runelords series,
Wizardborn, hit the New York Times best-seller list.

Over the years, Dave has won numerous awards for his short fiction in
particular, and set a Guinness Record for the world's largest
booksigning--a record that he still holds.  In 1991, Dave became a
judge for one of the world's largest writing contests, the L. Ron
Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, and for the next several years
he read thousands of stories each year, edited an annual anthology,
and taught writing classes to new writers.

To date, Dave has written and edited nearly fifty books.  These
include novels for adults, young adults, anthologies, middle-grade
readers, and picture books.

As an instructor, Dave has taught eight workshops in conjunction with
the Writers of the Future, has taught upper-division classes in
science fiction and fantasy writing at Brigham Young University, has
appeared as a guest lecturer and instructor at dozens of conventions,
and has taught at over a dozen other private workshops.  Some past
students who have recently published include New York Times
bestselling YA author Brandon Mull, bestselling fantasy author Brandon
Sanderson, hot new thriller writer Virginia Baker, and hot new
children's fantasy author Jessica Day George.  (Way to go, all of you.
 You rock!)

Dave has also worked as a video game designer on such hits as
StarCraft's Brood War, and as a video game scripter on other games.
Dave has also worked as a movie producer in Hollywood, and is
currently the Director of Storytelling and the head of the Publishing
Department for a large new animation studio called CNW, Crocodiles Not
Waterlilies.

What Will the Focus of the Workshop Be?
This class will focus on what to look for when editing your own work,
and will teach you how to fix it.  Now, don't be confused: we're not
focusing on things like proper capitalization and comma splices.
We'll be focusing on such things as "how to capture a wide audience,"
"how to make your description sing," "how to heighten the drama and
humor in your stories," and so on.  In short, we'll be working at
teaching you how to edit the content of your story, rather than just
looking at stylistic elements.  Beyond that, this class will deal
heavily with the business of writing--how to sell to editors and
agents, how to market your books, and so on.

Who Should Intend?
Don't come if you're a beginner.  Dave is worried that this class will
overwhelm someone who has never tried to write a story.

It's helpful if you have taken classes in creative writing and worked
at the art for at least a couple of years.  It's doubly helpful if you
think that you've got a great idea for a novel, and you've got it well
begun.  Even if you've already published a book or two, this class
should help expand your horizons.

This will be an intensive class, and you will be working 8-12 hours
per day, possibly longer.  If you aren't up to that challenge
physically, mentally, and emotionally, please don't apply.  You need
to be able to take criticism gracefully and to critique others with
both gentleness and firmness.

You will need to be willing to do the following: 1) Buy and read
several textbooks on writing before coming to the workshop.  2) Finish
the first 25 pages of your novel, along with a 30-page outline before
coming to the workshop.  3) Read and critique others' work during the
course of the workshop.  4) Be prepared to rewrite your own work
during the course of the workshop (which means that you will need a
computer or typewriter, and get access to a printer).

When and Where Will the Workshop be Held?
March 31 thru April 7, 2008, in Saint George, Utah (Hotel Venue to be
announced)

What Will it Cost?
Tuition is $400.  Payment must be made in full in order to reserve a
spot.  If you have to cancel for any reason, the tuition will be
reimbursed in full up to 60 days prior to the workshop.  It will be
reimbursed at a rate of 50% from 59 days to 14 days prior to the
workshop.  But there will be no reimbursement if you cancel within 14
days.

You will of course need to make your own way to Saint George for the
workshop, find accommodations, and buy your own food.  Dave is willing
to help make arrangements for those who might want to share hotel
rooms.  He may also be able to put up two or three attendees in his
home for a nominal charge.

To Register or for further information--
Email [email protected], or phone him at 435-986-3858

10
Movies and TV / Superman Ultimate Edition (14 DVDs) for $33 bucks
« on: May 29, 2007, 10:39:36 PM »
Don't know if anyone out there cares, but right NOW, FYE has a supersale going on on this--usually like $100 dollars, but you can get it here for $33.  Just a heads up.

http://www.fye.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=13881505&categoryId=55006

11
Writing Group / Plea for Help
« on: May 16, 2007, 12:55:33 AM »
Hi all.  I just found out I have a chance to have an editor or agent read a piece I've written and sit down with me one on one to talk about it.  The only problem is that I need to email it by Saturday, and the piece I want to use is a brand new chapter I wrote for my latest book--meaning no one's workshopped it or evaluated it as yet.  If any of you out there have a bit of spare time and would like to read it, I'm going to cut and paste it below.  I'd rather not give you too much background, since the agent/editor won't have any more than the fact that it's YA fantasy.  Feel free to rip it to pieces and be as picky as you want.  (Although as a side note, I'm reformatting it for the web, so if there's an extra return somewhere by accident, you can ignore that.)  I would appreciate broad, sweeping comments or sentence level concerns or anything in between.  If you'd rather email me your comments, you can send replies to cundick [at] gmail.com.  Many thanks in advance.  Oh--and I'll probably be emailing Friday, so comments after then, while appreciated, will be less than completely useful.  Here's the submission:

Death in the Modern Day

Chapter One
Blood

I opened my eyes to see the walls of my bedroom shimmering with heat.  Above me, a cloud of brown smoke hid the ceiling, swirling around my bed and diving into my lungs.  My body shook with coughing, and I stumbled out of bed and into a crouch on the floor, hoping there might be some cleaner air down there.  The carpet was steaming, probably from flames below me in the kitchen.  Had it been a flashover?  Why hadn’t my smoke detector worked?

At least my room hadn’t caught fire yet.  Despite the shimmer to the air, it didn’t feel hot, but if I didn’t get out of there soon, I’d suffocate.  Already my lungs felt starved, as if what I was breathing was doing next to nothing for me.  This couldn’t be happening.  Part of me kept praying it was a nightmare--just like the ones I’d always had--but I knew it wasn’t.  This was too vivid.

I crawled to my door and put up a hand to open it, then paused and simply touched it first.  Elementary school had drilled into me the idea that I should feel a door handle before I opened it, and mine was cool to the touch.  Normal.  There was a draft of air coming in from under the door, but that was all.  The fire had to be all downstairs.  But then, why was there this much smoke?  It didn’t matter.  Flickers of light were flashing at the edge of my vision, and I felt like I hadn’t gotten any air since I had woken up--as if I’d been holding my breath the whole time.  I had to get out.

As soon as I opened the door, everything around me disappeared in a blast of fire and noise.  It felt like a linebacker crashed into me from behind, hurling me forward out of my room, my face crashing into the hall wall opposite my door.  When I could think again, my mouth was full of blood.  It felt like I had split my lip wide open and broken my nose.

It wasn’t until I had blinked a few times--my eyes stinging and tearing in the smoke--and cleared my head that I saw I was sitting in the middle of an inferno.  My lungs were breathing in smoke, but it still felt better than it had in my room.  Orange and red flames licked the walls all around me, as if they had just been waiting for me to open the door and let them in.  I knew what that was: a backdraft.  A fire gets deprived of oxygen and stops combusting, but still maintains the heat.  When oxygen comes back--by a door opening, for example--the fire literally explodes back into life.  But if it had been a backdraft, I should have been burned to a crisp right now.
Instead, I wasn’t even sweating.  I looked down.

My t-shirt and shorts were burning.

Stop, drop and roll.  This was the reason I had always read up on what to do in fires.  The room spun around in a tight circle, the flames blurring into orange streaks as I tried to put out my clothes.  Was my skin too badly damaged?  Had the nerve endings been fried again?  Was I in shock?  Even as I rolled, I couldn’t stop coughing.  The air smelled like a campfire, and I could taste the smoke as it poured down my throat with each breath.

I was still in my tumbling routine when I saw a face next to my mine.  Black helmet, clear gas mask: a firefighter.  I coughed twice more, then felt my vision going dim.  It was as if my body, seeing help arrive, had decided to give up on me.  The last thing I remembered was the firefighter leaning over me, and then I blacked out.

#

Consciousness came back slowly, in stages.  At first there was nothing, and then my hearing returned, although I for the first while I didn’t really understand what was being said.  It was like my brain was hazy.

“--we going to tell him?”  My dad’s voice.

Mom answered.  “There’ll be time for it after a while.  Let’s just be sure he’s okay before we make any plans.  And if he doesn’t remember anything about it, then we don’t need to bring it up.”

“What about your mother?” Dad said.  “Shouldn’t we at least--”

“No.  We don’t talk about her.  The less he knows, the better.  Maybe if he’s not reminded, he won’t--wait.  He’s moving.”

My eyelids opened and I saw I was sitting in a hospital bed.  No tubes or anything sticking out of me, so I couldn’t have been in that bad of shape.  The room was lit with fluorescent light, which made both of my parents seemed pale and worn, an effect made even more pointed by the ash smudges at the edge of both their faces.  They’d clearly tried to clean themselves up, and even more clearly hadn’t done a great job of it.

“Tomas?” Mom said.  She came over to the bed and put her hand on my forehead.  Mom was thin and tall, and even with no sleep and tired eyes, she still managed to look in control, with her hair pulled back in a pony tail and her back straight.  “How are you feeling?”

I blinked, and my thoughts started to click together.  “The house.  What happened?”

Dad swallowed before answering.  “It’s gone.  The firefighter’s response was quick, but . . . there was nothing they could do.”
What could I say in response to that?  The scene flashed through my mind again: the smoke, the smells.  Fire eating the hallway, cracking the glass in picture frames.  “Everything?”

“Everything but us,” Dad said.  “And that’s all that really matters, right?”

We were all quiet after he’d said that.  I don’t think any of us really believed it.  My mind conjured up images of the living room engulfed in flames, the kitchen--my computer, our movie collection, Mom’s recipe books from her grandmother.  Dad spoke up again. 
“I--I’m sorry, Tomas.”

I stared at him.  “For what?  Did you start the fire?”

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, something he only did when he was stressed.  “No.  We don’t know how that happened, but I should have been there for you.  We were running late on our date, and when we got home, the fire was already in full force.  The neighbors had called it in, and your mom and I rushed in to try and get to you, but the firemen stopped us.  It was so hot.  I couldn’t . . .”  He trailed off, his throat practically convulsing as he kept swallowing.  He pushed his glasses up his nose, and for a moment, he seemed like a stranger.  Middle aged, slightly overweight and completely powerless.  No one likes to see his dad look like that.

“It’s okay, Dad,” I said.  I wanted to make him feel better.  “You’re not supposed to go into a house fire, no matter what.  That’s one of the first rules of dealing with fires.  And like you said, I’m fine.  No worries.”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything in response.  Mom looked at both of us, her face lined with concern.” 

I turned to her, giving Dad some time to think.  “What happened?” I asked.  “I could have sworn I was in the middle of the blaze.  How am I not hurt?”

A voice spoke from the doorway.  “That’s what we’d like to know, too.”  A doctor entered, replete in full doctor-in-a-hospital regalia.  He even had his clipboard, which he switched to his other hand as he walked over to me and shook my hand.  “I’m Dr. Geld.  Glad to see you up and awake again.”

“How long have I been out?” I asked.

He smiled.  “About eight hours.  Enough time for us to get some oxygen into you, get you back into working condition and for your body to get the rest it needed to recover.  You inhaled a lot of smoke, but you’re going to be fine.  Do you remember much of what happened last night?”

I shook my head.  “Not much.  I woke up with my room covered in smoke, but it wasn’t hot.  When I opened my door . . . something blew up.  I hit my head . . .”  I had been surrounded by fire.  The temperature inside a burning house can get as hot as 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.  The average is 1200.  Crematories burn at about 1600 degrees.  These were facts I had known since I was seven.  I glanced down at my old burn scar that covered all of my right arm and then some, turning my skin mottled and rippled, like a melted candle.  Knowing about fire was supposed to have kept me safe from it in the future.

Dr. Geld cleared his throat, calling me back to attention.  “Yes,” he said.  “Well that explains some of it.  The firefighter said he found you out in the hall by your bedroom.  His guess had been that you had been involved in a backdraft, with your room being the focal point.  But since you say the temperature inside wasn’t too high--and your body thankfully confirms that for us--we’ll have to just say you’re an extremely lucky young man.”

Lucky?  To have fire ruin my life twice, when most people never have to deal with it at all?  “Yeah,” I said.  “Lucky.”

“Right,” Dr. Geld said, and made a couple of notes on his clipboard.  “I did have one question for you--or your parents.  We ran a few basic tests to make sure your son was alright.  There seems to be some extensive scarring in his lungs.  Healed already--we think--but if you could just confirm--”

“He was in an accident when he was little,” Mom said.  “He almost drowned.  The scars are from then.”

Dr. Geld frowned and flipped through his papers  “From drowning?  I would have thought it had come from when he was originally burned.  The charts--”

“It happened at the same time,” I said.  I was sick of people always tiptoeing around it.  “When I was six, I almost drowned, and they found me with third degree burns on my right arm and side of my torso.  It’s on my records, if you’d get them from my doctor.”

“Oh,” the doctor said.  I knew what he was thinking: how does someone get third degree burns while they’re drowning?  I didn’t know the answer.  “Well in that case,” he continued, “I’m happy to say I can give you a clean bill of health.  You’re free to check out whenever you want to.”  There was another round of hand shaking, and then he left us.

“Free to check out,” I said after an uncomfortable pause.  “Check out to where?”

“Well,” Dad said.  “Your mother and I have been talking about that, and we think we have a sort of plan thought out.  The first part’s easy.  We already have reservations at a local hotel for tonight.  We’ll take a taxi over when you’re ready to move--”

“A taxi?” I said.

“The . . . uh . . .”  Dad paused.  “The car was in the garage.”

“Oh,” I said.  “Of course.”

“Anyway,” he continued.  “We’ll take a taxi over and stay there for the next couple of days while we try and get everything back in order.  I’ve already talked to the library.  They’re being very understanding.”

Mom and Dad had already thought everything through.  That was a relief.  It was at times like these that I was glad I had parents.  “Good,” I said.  “Then what?  We go house hunting?”

Dad and Mom exchanged glances, and it was Mom who answered.  “That’s the thing.  We’ve been on the phone with the insurance agent, and it wasn’t all good news.”

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

“Housing costs have skyrocketed in the last few years,” Mom said.  “And . . . well, your father and I weren’t as on top of keeping our insurance up to date as we should have been.”

I stared at them.  Insurance?  “What do you mean?”

“It means we were under-insured,” Dad said.  “Pretty badly.”

That wasn’t making things any clearer for me.  Mom explained.  “To buy another house like the one we had would cost about four hundred thousand dollars.  We were only insured for two hundred, and that includes all our belongings.”

“But that’s what insurance is for, right?” I said.  “To pay you back for all the stuff you lost.  Don’t the insurance people make sure you’ve done things right?  Or the bank--what about them?  They probably--”

“It’s complicated, Tomas,” Dad said.  “But trust me, we already looked into it, and I’m going to look into it a lot more before we do anything final, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore what is a very real possibility.  Moving.”

“We can’t afford to live in this area any more,” Mom said.  “Not on our savings.  The insurance money will pay off our loans and even give us some money to work with, but not enough.  So your father and I can either commute to work, or . . .”

“Or we could try something a little more drastic,” Dad finished.

“Drastic?” I said.

Dad nodded.  “How would you feel about moving to Slovakia?”

I gaped.  They hadn’t let me go back to Slovakia since I was six and had the accident.  They hardly even talked to me about the place, despite it being where we’d lived for three years, and where Mom had grown up.  “Really?” I said.

Mom glanced and Dad, then said, “Yes.  Our savings would go much further there, and we’d be able to keep our standard of living without much loss.  It’s something we’ve thought about doing for years, but there was always a reason to stay in America.  Now . . .  Your Uncle Lubos said he could probably have a job arranged for me fairly easily.  He knows someone at an ESL school, and they’ve been looking for quality teachers.”

“What about Dad?”

“I could try writing again,” Dad said.  “That’s what I wanted to do before.  At Slovak prices, even a moderate American sale would be as good as a full time job.  I know you’re in the middle of high school and it wouldn’t--”

“I’ll do it,” I said.

That caught both of them off guard.  “Are you sure you don’t want to--” Mom started.

“I don’t need to think about it.  You guys want to do it, and it’s not like I’d be leaving anything great here.  What’s to lose?”

Dad looked at Mom again, then cleared his throat and turned back to me.  “What do you remember about Slovakia?”

I shrugged.  “Not much.  I was six.  There were a lot of trees, and there was a playground near our house.  That’s about it.”

“You don’t remember anything strange?” Mom said.

“No,” I said.  “I hardly remember anything at all.”

Mom and Dad looked at each other yet again.  It felt like they were debating telling me some life-altering secret.  “What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Mom said.

Dad’s shoulders slumped in what looked like relief, and he actually smiled.  “Don’t worry about it,” he said.  “We can talk more later.”

“One more thing, though,” I said.  “When I was still out of it, were you guys talking about Babka?”  Babka’s what we called my mom’s mom.  She’d been dead since my mom was a teenager.

Mom looked at me blankly.  “No.  Why?”

Maybe I had been more out of it than I knew.  Or maybe Mom was lying.  I looked over at Dad, who was fiddling with his cell phone.  Now probably wasn’t the time to push for answers.  “I thought I heard you say something about her,” I said.  “It must have been a dream or something.”

“You’ve been through a lot,” Mom said and smiled.  Her face looked like it had gotten some new wrinkles on it since last night at dinner.  “Things will get better.”

Dad spoke up.  “Right now, we need to see about getting to the hotel and restoring some semblance of order to our lives.  Let’s get you dressed.  Mom went out and got you some new clothes.”

Of course.  My entire wardrobe had gone up in the blaze.  The memory of my t-shirt and shorts smoldering on my skin came back in a flash as I sat up.  “Dad,” I said.  “My clothes were burning.  I remember that.  How is it that I’m not touched?”

He paused while taking out some jeans from a plastic bag, then looked at me and shrugged.  “I really don’t know.  All I can say is that it must have been a miracle, and that’s all the explanation we’re likely to ever get.”

It wasn’t.  I understood it all eventually, but that explanation didn’t come until I’d been in Slovakia for a while.

12
Rants and Stuff / Huckleberry Finn Presentation
« on: May 03, 2007, 05:52:59 PM »
Hi all.  I just figured I might as well shamelessly plug a presentation I'm giving tonight.  It's on Huckleberry Finn film adaptations--the topic I wrote my Masters Thesis on.  If you're interested in adaptation, Huck Finn or me speaking in public, come on down tonight (Thursday May 3rd) to Orem Public Library at 7pm.  It's going to last for about an hour, and I'm bringing along some of the rare adaptations I've accumulated.  Clips will be shown, fun will be had, an audience will (hopefully) be present.  Wish me luck.

13
Writing Group / BYU Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers
« on: April 14, 2007, 09:32:03 PM »
Hi all.

This year I'm helping out at BYU's annual Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop again, and I wanted to get the word out to everyone on the boards.  Actually, I think this announcement would work better on the Rants and Stuff or Everything Else page, but I'm sure it'll get moved here soon after, so I'll just save the mods the trouble of moving it.

Anyway--as always, BYU has a really nice conference ready this year.  It's running from June 11th-June15th.  Essentially how this conference works is that in the mornings, you are in a workshop with an author in which you receive instruction and critique on your writing.  In the afternoon, there's a plenary each day by one of the editors or agent attending, and then there are break out sessions where the authors, editors and agents discuss particular topics more fully.  Authors you can sign up to workshop with are as follows:

Quote
Rick Walton is the author of over 70 books for children. His works include picture books, riddle books, activity books, mini-mysteries, a collection of poetry, and educational and game software. His books have been featured on the IRA Children’s Choice list, on Reading Rainbow, and on CBS’s This Morning.  Rick lives in Provo, Utah, with his wife and their five children.  http://www.rickwalton.com/

Randall Wright is the author of several novels for young readers, from coming-of-age to historical fantasy. He also has a picture book being released in 2008 (or there abouts). He lives in Highland, Utah, with his wife and children.

Carmen Agra Deedy is an internationally known author and storyteller. Born in Cuba and raised in Decatur, Georgia, she has charmed thousands of adults and children with her performances across America and Canada. She has performed at the White House, Kennedy Center, Disney Institute and on Broadway and National Public Radio. Her six highly-acclaimed books have won dozens of awards, including the Jane Addams Peace Association Honor Book 2001 Award, the 2001 Christopher Award-Books for Young People, the 2000 Parent's Choice Gold Award and the Bologna Ragazzi Award. Her books include Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story, Growing Up Cuban in Decatur, The Last Dance, The Library Dragon, The Secret of Old Zeb and The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark.  http://carmendeedy.com/

Dandi Mackall is an award-winning author of 400 books for children and grown-ups, with sales of 4 million in 22 countries. Her publishers include Simon & Schuster, Dutton/Penguin, HarperCollins, Harcourt, Random House/WaterBrook, DreamWorks, Tyndale House, TommyNelson, Zonderkidz, Disney, Warner Brothers, and Hanna Barbera. Eva Underground received a Kirkus star and nomination for ALA Best Book 2007. In 2006, she had 21 new books released from 9 different publishers—board books, picture books, short fiction, middle grade, young adult, and novel. She’s a national keynote speaker and has made dozens of appearances on TV, including ABC, NBC, and CBS. www.dandibooks.com

Ann Cannon was born in Salt Lake City but grew up in Provo, Utah where she spent summers going to her brothers’ baseball games and reading.  Although she loved books, it never occurred to her that real people wrote them. Ann says that at some level she believed they were created by the wave of a wizard’s wand or other acts of magic.

It wasn’t until she took Elizabeth Wahlquist’s Literature for Adolescents class as a graduate student at BYU that she thought about writing books herself.  But once she read M. E. Kerr’s novel Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack, she knew she wanted to give the world of kids’ books a serious whirl.  “And here I am (sort of),” Ann says. “All these years later.”

Things have changed in the industry since Ann published her first novel, Cal Cameron by Day, Spider-man by Night, in 1988.  “But,” Ann says, “what never changes is the demand for well-written stories peopled with characters to whom young readers can relate.  It’s a great pleasure to participate in a conference like this that helps all of us reach this goal.” Learn more about Ann on her website.  http://aecannon.com/

Alane Ferguson was born in Cumberland, Maryland, in 1957. She attended the University of Utah and Westminister College where she studied journalism. Latter, Alane became interested in writing for children, mostly, she says, to follow the examples of her mother, Gloria Skurzynski, who had launched her own successful writing career years earlier. Alane is completing her twenty-eighth children’s book.  Alane’s novel The Christopher Killer has been nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the 2007 Edgar Allan Poe “Best Mystery” Award.  http://www.alaneferguson.com/

Dave Wolverton began writing during college and entered short stories into various contests. His career began in 1987 when he won the top award in the L. Ron Hubbard “Writers of the Future” contest. He has been nominated for the Nebula Award in the Best Novelette category for his short story After a Lean Winter and for a Hugo Award. Dave is president of Story Island, currently in preproduction for Runelords, the Movie. Under his pseudonym, David Farland, he writes fantasy, leaving his real name for his science fiction novels. www.runelords.com www.benravenspell.com

Martine Leavitt is the author of Dragon’s Tapestry; Prism Moon; Taker’s Key; The Dollmage; Tom Finder, winner of the Mr. Christie Award; and Heck Superhero, a finalist for the Governor General’s Award of Canada. Her newest book, Keturah and Lord Death, was a finalist for the National Book Award in the United States. Martine has a BA degree from the University of Calgary and an MFA degree from Vermont College and works full time as a copy editor in the corporate sector. The creative project she is most proud of is her seven children and six grandchildren, all of whom have been critically acclaimed. http://martineleavitt.com/

Jeanette Ingold writes to explore times, places, and lives beyond her own. Her half dozen novels for young adults include Mountain Solo, about a prodigy violinist; The Window, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and IRA Young Adults’ Choice; The Big Burn, Spur Award winner and Montana Book Award honor book; and Hitch, a Christopher Award winner and Society of School Librarians International Best Book. Jeanette began her writing career on a daily newspaper, and she brings a reporter’s eye and careful research to her fiction. She and her husband live in western Montana and have two grown children. http://jeanetteingold.com/

Gloria Skurzynski is the author of more than fifty books for children and young adults, including Virtual War, The Clones, and The Revolt. Her books have won numerous awards, among them the Christopher Award, the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, the Golden Kite Award, and the Science Book Award from the American Institute of Physics. She lives with her husband, Ed, in Boise, Idaho. http://gloriabooks.com

Guy Francis has done a variety of illustration, including editorial illustration and children’s books.
Some of his recent children’s picture books include Dance by the Light of the Moon by Joanne Ryder, 2007 Beehive Award Nominee Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom! by Kelly DiPucchio, and Shelly and Mary Had a Little Ham by Margie Palatini. He has also illustrated several early chapter book series. His wife and four children are his art critics and often visit the studio in his home in Provo, Utah, to help out.  When he isn’t drawing or painting, he heads to the mountains with his family. http://www.guyfrancis.com/

The editors and agent are:

Quote
Krista Marino began her publishing career in San Diego at Harcourt Children’s Books. After transferring to the Harcourt offices in New York she decided that fiction was her passion and took a position as an Associate Editor at Delacorte Press, in the Random House Books for Young Readers division, where she is now an Editor. She now works on Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction solely and is always looking for new voices, innovative concepts, and great stories for her list. Recent books she has edited include King Dork by Frank Portman, Ball Don’t Lie by Matt de la Peña, Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and the Lucy Rose books by Katy Kelly.

Margaret Miller is an associate editor at HarperCollins Children's Books.  Her favorite genre is middle grade literary fantasy, but she publishes a variety of books for all ages, from babies through teens.  She lives in the Bronx, NY.

Stephen Fraser joined the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in January 2005. He worked most recently as executive editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where he edited such creative talents as Mary Engelbreit, Gail Gibbons, Michael Hague, Ann Rinaldi, Kathryn Lasky, Brent Hartinger, Stephen Mitchell, Dan Gutman, and many others. He began his career at Highlights for Children, the famous children’s magazine; he then worked at the Weekly Reader Book Club, the Trumpet Book Club, Oxford University Press, and Simon & Schuster. A graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, he has a master’s degree in children’s literature from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, and has written children’s book reviews for The Christian Science Monitor, Five Owls, and Publishers Weekly. He represents both children’s and adult books in a wide range of genres. http://www.jdlit.com/


Right now there are eight spots remaining in Dave Wolverton's class--the one I'm helping out with--but there are plenty of spots open in all other sections, so no matter what your interest, there's room available right now.  I was at Dave's last year, and even if you're not interested in writing for young people alone--but rather in fantasy in general--then I'd recommend it.  If you don't know Dave, this is an excellent opportunity to get to know him and learn from him.

The full workshop is $450, or you can attend just the afternoon sessions for $120 (including all plenary talks).  You can even get college credit for attending.

Yes, it's expensive, but it's also worth it.  I highly recommend it.  If you have any questions, post them here and I'd be happy to answer them.

14
Rants and Stuff / Free the Pirates!
« on: March 06, 2007, 07:19:04 AM »
Well, we've celebrated Talk Like a Pirate Day on the boards before, so perhaps this isn't too far off base.  A friend of mine wrote and directed a movie: Pirates of the Great Salt Lake.  It's screened across the country to very good reviews, but he's having trouble drumming up support from distributors to release the film.  So he's come up with this idea he's called Free the Pirates.  Basically, fans of the film can donate money to get screen credit (for $5) or an autographed DVD when it's released (for $25), or a DVD and autographed poster (for $50), or--if you really have moola--a verbal onscreen thank you along with everything else (for $500).

I'm not asking you to do this just because I asked (because you probably wouldn't anyway), but I'd like to encourage everyone to go over and check out the site.  You can view the trailer, read about the film and the Free the Pirates campaign--the whole bit.  Then, if you feel like you want to, you can donate the money.  I anted up $25, just because I'm going to want to own the movie anyway, and that seems like a reasonable enough price for it.  This isn't your typical LDS comedy--think more along the lines of Napoleon Dynamite.  Eric (the director) is a really nice guy, and he's written some funny stuff.  Go check it out.

Here's the link to their home page:

http://www.piratesofthegreatsaltlake.com/

And here's the link to the Free the Pirates page:

http://freethepirates.com/

15
Everything Else / A Warning Concerning Swords
« on: February 22, 2007, 04:50:40 PM »
I just read this story over at cnn about a man who lives with his mother in an apartment.  He heard sounds of rape coming from the upstairs apartment, so he grabbed his trusty cavalry sword and rushed upstairs to defend the damsel.  He kicked in the door and confronted the foul perpetrator.  Only problem?  The guy upstairs had only been watching a porn movie.  Granted, it probably was a little loud, but still . . . not quite enough cause for getting attacked in his own home.

I read this, and I thought about all of you whom EUOL had provided with swords, and I figured I'd better make sure you were all very careful.  Very.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/22/porn.sword.ap/index.html


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