TO REPORT ERRORS IN "SHADOWS BEYOND THE FLAMES"

Few things annoy me more than finding myself reading a book that has been to press ten times, has seen three anniversary editions (one with pretty, glossy pictures) only to find a typo or typesetting error from the first edition still clinging to life. I understand the publisher is making an economically sound decision. Few errors share the magnitude of Larry Niven’s first edition of “Rim World” in which he had the Earth spinning in the wrong direction. Most typos are of a nature as to not affect the over all sales of a book--particularly if it’s survived long enough for the super-duper glossy picture edition. Ereaders and print on demand has made this economical stance obsolete. Therefore, I’ll be handling “Shadows Beyond the Flames” much like publishers of school text books treat their publications. All reported errors will be fixed! Please read the guidelines below if you have found an error in “Shadows” and wish to report the problem. There are two options for doing this.

Option A: Leaving a comment on this blog:

1. Don’t worry if the error/typo has already been reported. It’s my job to keep track of the reports.
2. List the format of your copy--either ereader or paper copy.
3. Provide the page number and name of short story.
4. Write the sentence as it appears in text, followed by how the sentence should read.
5. All contributors’ names will appear in the next edition in the acknowledgments. Please write your name as you would like it to appear. (No vulgar nicknames.)

Option B: Contact Bear Lord Publishing

1. Open an email to bearlordpublishing@gmail.com
2. Follow steps 1-5 in Option A.
Option B is intended to provide privacy for those who do not feel comfortable leaving a comment. Those who contribute to hunting down and killing the typos will be notified when the second edition of “Shadows Beyond the Flames” is ready for distribution.

Thank you!

BOOK REVIEW: A DANCE WITH DRAGONS (NO SPOILERS)

Thirty-six days have passed since the release of George R. R. Martin’s ‘A Dance With Dragons,’

and already thousands of reviews are clogging the internet highways--like refugees on The Kingsroad. (Google lists 16,500,000 results for the search: a dance with dragons review. The search undoubtedly includes everything Martin and reviews having no relation to the writer.) This is not a bad thing. A heavily reviewed book by professionals and hobbyists alike is a recommendation in and of itself. The problem with reviewing any of Martin’s book is answering the all important question of: “Will the review include exploration into the events, or limit it to style?” Discussions on plot and theme tend toward spoilers, so that option is out. Fortunately, the question has already been answered for me. My wife, who will be the first person to read the review, is nearing the conclusion of ‘A Storm of Swords.’ I value my life and want to see our children grow up, so I won’t make mention of the crossbow marriage of Jon Snow and Queen Cersei Lannister--Jon really should have kept his hands off her skirts. (Don’t worry, that doesn’t happen . . . or does it?)

As fans of Martin’s world know, ‘A Feast for Crows’ and ‘A Dance With Dragons’ were intended to be under the same cover. Fortunately, that did not come to pass. Otherwise, we’d be faced with a volume so large it’d require four maesters to hold the book and turn the pages for you. Not to mention, Martin would have taken eleven years to complete book four if a chunk had not been sliced off to create ‘Crows.' The events contained within these books share the same timeline while focusing on separate sets of characters. To my knowledge, ‘Dragons’ is the first instance where book five in the series picks up after book three rather than four. (Still with me?) Frustrating at first, but it all works out in the end.

What can you expect from ‘Dragons’? Death, destruction, and descriptions of feasts that will make your mouth water--even if you’ve already gorged yourself on steak and potatoes. Martin remains at the top of his game. The book is a wonderful ride that will keep you turning the pages unless you strive to ration yourself. (Forced myself to take nearly a month rather than consuming the book in the typical three day reading fest.) The safest statement about ‘Dragons’ is a reiteration of the presenter for July 29th, 2011 Seattle book signing: “Someone will die!” (After reading The Red Wedding, my wife has dubbed Martin as, “George Really Rude Martin.”)

I envy those who learned of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ through the HBO miniseries. I’ve followed the book series since 1998, and many who read this review may have been following Martin since 1996 when ‘A Game of Throne’ was first published. So I envy people like my wife who are just now starting out, and will enjoy five books before running dry.

Once again, the long wait begins.

Goodreads Book
Giveaway

Shadows
Beyond The Flames and Other Stories

by J.M. Tresaugue

Giveaway ends August 31, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

SAM OF GREEN COVE AND HIS UNTIMELY DEMISE

I doubt many people wonder what happened to “Sam of Green Cove.” I suspect even more never heard of the boy and his adventures. I surely never received any emails when he dropped off the face of the planet, but that was expected. Who is Sam of Green Cove? A boy of fifteen whose life is marked by tragedy, mysterious events, and a deformity.

The concept of “Sam of Green Cove” originated as a serial for Twitter at one post a day, and perhaps two on Sunday if I was feeling froggy. I modeled the series after newspaper comics for no other reason than I like the slow build up. His story was moving along fine until I got sick. I missed a day or two, but I got better (so much for being turned into a neut!) Then I got sick again. I missed a few more days. A week of good health was enjoyed, things were on the upturn, and before I knew it, I was sick again. This time, I was in bed for a week with little to no energy. Do I turn on the computer, or save that energy to ensure I make it to the bathroom in time? Let’s just say my wife would not have been happy if I soiled the bed in preference to the computer. I chose . . . wisely. It’s safe to say the winter of 2010 was a nasty bit of business for me. I got all the bugs scampering around the school, regardless if the girls came home sick or not. And so “Sam of Green Cove” slipped into a quiet, uneventful death.

I miss “Sam of Green Cove.” I might be the only person in the universe who does miss him, but I find myself unable to leave him in his grave, rotting while providing good nutrients for maggots and the like. He was a good boy. I enjoyed writing his story to fit the constraints of Twitter. Don’t get me wrong. There were moments I wanted to jab rusty nails in my eyes. Early on, I learned to stick to names of three to four characters to save room on text. I agonized over word choice, and cried myself to sleep when a weaker word was necessary to bring the post to 140 characters or less. But I had fun! So much so, Sam will be resurrected.

As in the first run, “Sam of Green Cove” will appear in my tweets. Every Sunday (unless I’m sick), the weekly posts will be compiled into a blog for those who wish to read the episodes back to back. The same will be done at the end of each month, and again when this serial novel comes to its conclusion. I have no ideas concerning the length of “Sam of Green Cove.” What I do know is the first two months are ready for tweeting. For now, I will be digging up the backyard, unwrapping the old bedsheets Sam was buried in, and cleaning him up for an attractive display.

Look for Sam’s return to life on September 1, 2011.

Goodreads Book
Giveaway

Shadows
Beyond The Flames and Other Stories

by J.M. Tresaugue

Giveaway ends August 31, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

"Angst" Review #2

Note: This review was intended for a site dedicated to independent writers. I was unable to post the full review for the sake of brevity. After a few days, I decided Pedersen was entitled to have the entire review posted, so here it is:

David J. Pedersen’s debut novel, “Angst”, is a wonderful journey through a magical world filled with wonders. Angst is a middle aged magic wielder and low level bureaucrat in the kingdom of Unsel. He finds himself and his taboo skills in demand when a mysterious threat to peace and harmony arises along the boarders. In the company of his trusted friends, Angst embarks on a high adventure filled with mystery and danger while struggling to retain his identity and values.


The pages of Pedersen’s book are filled with wonderful characters to love and hate as they bring joy or frustration to the reader. Immemorial issues of bigotry and acceptance, good and evil, love and hatred are deftly explored as Angst struggles to bring cohesion to his life. Pedersen has not only created a vast world bulging with all the elements fans of fantasy crave, but brings a unique and enjoyable touch to the genre of speculative fiction. Pedersen seems to have taken a page from Kurt Vonnegut’s rule book in working hard to make the reading easy.  The 767 page novel passes quickly, even when plagued with the day’s interruptions. “Angst” is a quick passed story that leaves the reader craving for more. Fortunately, that is what the reader will get when Pedersen’s forthcoming sequel is released. Though geared for an older audience, “Angst” is well suited for fantasy readers of all ages.