Princess of Glass

Hear ye! Hear ye! Announcing Jessica Day George's new book Princess of Glass to hit bookstores everywhere May 25th!
If you haven't read any of her books before, you really should, they are fantastic. I've read them all and have loved, loved, loved, LOVED every one of them. She has five books out right now, which are:
Dragon Slippers
Dragon Flight
Dragon Spear
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
Princess of the Midnight Ball
You should read them, really you should. Go, go now.
I wish I had the cover image and synopsis for you, but I don't, which makes me sad. When it comes out and I read it, I'll post a review, complete with lots of happy smiley faces. Until then, enjoy the rest of her books and feel free to leave comments on her books and recommendations. (But, really, please do, I get lonely sometimes when people don't comment. Except for when Mary comments, then I'm not lonely. Thank you Mary.)

To: You From: Me

Well, it's Valentine's season. What comes to mind when you think of Valentine's Day? Cards? Chocolates? How about roses?

There was the tranquil moment of mind
As my eyes run down the rose stem to see
The small, simple, card declaring-
To: you From: me
A rich, red ribbon in a loose knot
The ends let run free
That is attached to the note stating-
To: you From: me
Rose petals feel of velvet
And smell of something soft and divine
An emblem of love and admiration
To a heart as elusive as mine
Perhaps I'll return the thought
And whoever he may be
He'll receive an emblem of my appreciation
With a card saying- To: you From: me

The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Synopsis: When Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, must flee through the Pool of Tears to escape her murderous Aunt Redd, she finds herself lost and alone in Victorian London. Befriended by an aspiring author named Lewis Carrol, Alyss tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Alyss trusts this author to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere will find her and bring her home. But he gets the story all wrong. He even spells her name incorrectly! Fortunately, Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan knows all too well the awful truth of Alyss' story and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she can eventually battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.

My thoughts: Forget the rabbit hole, this is not the Wonderland you know. I loved this book. It's well thought out and is very, very enjoyable. You will not want to stop reading this. It's wonderland like you've never seen before. If you like adventure and imagination, this book is for you.

The Legend of Big Red

It's finished! Here's the legend for the plaza at Bear Lake.

The Legend of Big Red
One foggy afternoon, two men went out fishing in a small boat. They reached the middle of the lake and cast out their lines. Shortly after, the first man said he saw a dark shape in the water. His friend glanced over the side of the boat and into the azure water.
“There’s nothing there,” he said. “You’re seeing things.”
A few hours passed of reeling in lines and casting them out again. The fog only grew worse as evening started to approach. They didn’t get a single bite, despite it being one of the best fishing seasons either of the men had seen in years. The first fisherman saw the shape in the water again.
“See, there it is,” he said pointing over the side of the boat to the spot in the water the shadow had been.
“I don’t see anything,” said his friend glancing over the side of the boat again. “You must be going crazy.”
After a few more hours of no bites, they decided to reel in their lines and call it a day. Just as they set their rods on the floor of the boat, the water rippled and began to bubble. The two fishermen cautiously leaned over the side of the boat. The water broke and a cutthroat trout the size of a Great White Shark, possibly bigger, jumped over the boat. The two men looked up and for a moment all they saw was the trout’s bright red gills gleaming in the fog. The fish dropped back into the water; the wave from its reentry tipping the small fishing boat.
After the two had pulled themselves back into the boat, they returned to the docks. Meeting some other fishermen, they told the story and it spread like a virus. Soon, everyone knew about the giant cutthroat inhabiting the lake. Fishing rods were fitted with new lines and equipped with bigger, stronger hooks and boats headed out. The hunt was on for “Big Red”. Fishermen from towns all around the lake and even from towns miles away came to hunt for Big Red. Days were spent out in the middle of the lake where the trout had first been sighted, but the fish was never seen again after that first fateful afternoon, although some fishermen claim to have seen a dark shape circling under boats in the water. Weeks passed and weeks turned into months. Many of the hopeful fishermen finally vanished from the surface of the lake and the hunt soon subsided. Some still look, some have given up the hunt. Either way, should you go out to the middle of the lake, be sure not to dangle your toes in the water for too long as Big Red may confuse them for bait.

The plaza won't be ready for a while, but it feels good to have a part in it.

My First Hired Writing Gig

JSA Architects called me and said they were doing a small plaza by Bear Lake and there were going to have bronze statue of some of the local trout. They said they were going to put a legend about "the trout that was never caught" and they wanted me to write it. Yes, me!!!! I'll probably post it when I'm finished. I'm so excited!