Reality Skimming
Reality Skimming promotes optimistic SF -- stories that inspire us to fight the good fight for another day. Committment to larger projects, the writer's sense of mission, joy of reading, the creative campfire of the SF community and the love of deserving protagonists are celebrated. We believe in heroes and striving to be what we believe in. It is also a news hub for content related to the Okal Rel Saga written by Lynda Williams.
ORU Sighting at a Library
Krista D. Ball is a Canadian speculative fiction author who is currently hiding from necromancers. Better safe than undead.
- A Royal Scheme (a short story comedy collection)
- Spirits Rising (Book #1 of the Spirit Caller series)
- Tranquility's Blaze (Book #1 of the Tranquility series)
- Road to Hell
- No More Blank Screen: Blogging Ideas for Fiction Authors
Krista has discovered time travel, as she is convinced it was February when she went to bed last night. 2012 has been busy already, with her Newfoundland fantasy series (Spirits Rising) launching, as well as her epic fantasy series, Tranquility's Blaze.
However, it's the later half of 2012 that will see Krista curled in the fetal position mumbling, "Precious." She has several speaking engagements, including a workshop at When Words Collide. The second story in her Newfoundland series launches in October (Dark Whispers), as well as the second book in her Tranquility series (Tranquility's Grief) in November.
And, because that isn't enough stress, her highly anticipated writer's guide, What K>ings Ate and Wizards Drank: A Fantasy Lover's Guide to Food, will expose the world to rabbit stew and pig bladders on jam jars in November.
Privacy today and Rire’s Solution
Facebook mention from Riesen
Stimulus/Response: Neo-opsis Review of Avim’s Oath
Lynda responds to a review of Avim's Oath in Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine.
Lynda Williams is the author of the Okal Rel Saga, published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. Part 7: Healer's Sword arrives in 2012. Lynda's work features moral dilemmas in a character-driven, multi-cultural setting with radically different attitudes to sex and social control surrounding space warfare and bio-science.
Stimulus
Avim's Oath has been reviewed in Neo-opsis by Stephanie Ann Johanson:
"Don't believe the descriptions of this novel, even the book's own blurb has the reader thinking this book is something else than it is. Avim's Oath is not about vengeful princesses, it's not about two half brother princes vying for the love of the lovely princess Lutharain. This story is about the growth of Amel. Throughout the other books in the Okal Rel saga Amel has been a beautiful soul, perhaps even a Golden Soul, who has lived and lives through one tragedy after another. Amel has managed to find moments of love and caring, but has always been afraid to enjoy these openly, because of the powers and jealousies of others. This might not have been as much of a problem, but Amel also often cared about his tormentors."
Response
There are few joys for an author as great as when someone "gets" it, except maybe when the person writes a review explaining it. Avim's Oath is, indeed, the novel in which Amel gets his act together and I could just kiss Stephanie Johanson for seeing it so clearly. I, too, had a problem with the "vengeful princesses" blurb Stephanie refers to. It was recommended by someone with marketing flare. I'm not certain, but I don't think the person concerned read a line of the book. The always wonderful Brian Hades let me negotiate the blurb to "power-hungry princesses" before the print run, which works better for me. "Power-hungry" appears on the back of the book. Seeing a reviewer familiar with the series connect with the spirit of the book is a gift. Thank you, Stephanie and Neo-opsis.
Reading the ORU: Matthew Graybosch
Part 4: Throne Price
Sent Matthew Graybosch ORU titles to say "thanks" for his collaboration. Sharing early feedback with permission. Throne Price is part 4 of the Okal Rel Saga, and the heaviest going of the ten.
"I'm currently on Chapter 3 of Throne Price. It's reminiscent of Dune, some of C.J. Cherryh's SF like Foreigner and her Faded Sun trilogy, and of C.S. Friedman's In Conquest Born. I normally read faster, but I'm taking my time to make sure I don't miss a cultural detail that will prove crucial to understanding the story."
-- Matthew Graybosch, author of Starbreaker, Curiosity Quills Press