Random Chatter

Whew! Springs sports season is over, and I'm heaving a big sigh of relief. This is our first year doing this, and we spent most of the last eight weekends at either competitions or exhibitions. My daughter loved it, so it was worth it. We'll do it again next year, plus hopefully some more stuff.

I've been reading The Stranger and Lisa Shearin's The Trouble With Demons, which comes out at the end of the month. I'm going to do an advance review on that one. It's the author's third novel, but since she was my first author here at FD, I imagine I'll cover all her books.

Last week, I did some beta reading for a very promising young author, and I hope she doesn't mind my linking her here. I don't do a lot of beta reading, but she has read both of my novels, and now I have read both of hers. Her latest is a Young Adult Fantasy called Grim Light, and it's nothing like all the vampire stuff you see these days. She's come up with a fascinating mythology around Death, and her novel was very un-put-downable. I would be very surprised if she weren't published in the next five years. Maybe I'll be able to announce her here, if I keep this blog going that long.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my calls for opinions on Epic Fantasy Week. All the authors generated some interest, but the ones who generated the most interest were Tad Williams and Peter V. Brett. The most popular subjects were Gods and Religions, and Magic Systems, with the other subjects getting either one or two votes.

So now I need to get busy--especially now that I have a bit more time on the weekends!