Friday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another."
— John Dewey

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you to have a fabulous day!
Keep reading for more of today's posts, including the interactive Word of the Day for all you visiting writers.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, dragon, goal

Journaling on Friday
Or...The Dragon wants a writer's break

I'm so freakin' glad the weekend is right around the corner. I don't know about you other writers visiting the blog (so I invite you to post a comment to tell me) but the weekend means more time to write.

Here's a writer's life: During the week, I work at least 50 hours at the day job (when I'm in town for the job - it has me traveling), I exercise at a club each morning, I run errands either on a lunch break or in the evenings when all the senior citizens join me and clog the roads with their land yachts that they drive at speeds about 10 to 15 miles per hour below posted limits, and I try to entertain my bird so he doesn't forget that I'm in his flock. (He's a great bird.) I deal with divorce attorneys and the requests the court makes in that situation. I deal with foreclosure stress and decisions. I function as a support system for a variety of friends in a variety of horrific life situations. (Truth IS stranger than fiction.) I edit books for other people in hopes that someday that will become profitable. (Hope springs eternal.) I market Choices Meant for Gods and other peoples' work because I believe in us and our products and I know that some day all this work is going to pay off. (Hope springs eternal.) Etcetera.

Here's a writer's dilemma: So finding time to write and edit my own work doesn't happen as frequently as I'd like.

It's been like this throughout the past 16 years since college. I find snippits of time to write, but the majority of my writing blocks come on weekends. I realized this recently when I found a journal I had purchased during one of the more stressful periods in my marriage. According to the first entry of the journal, I'd been told that journaling would help ease my troubled mind and get my anger and resentment out of me and not directed toward my spouse, who was driving me crazy. Turns out, I spent a lot of time journaling about all the tasks I performed on a given day. It's very bizarre. But it showed me something.

I spent more time performing tasks and "playing Mom" to the spouse in my life than writing. What a shame! (No wonder it took three years to write Choices Meant for Gods, which I'd spent 18 years planning. With that kind of background planning, a fantasy novel should pop out of you in a month, don't you think?)

Here's a writer's question to you: Anyway, the point of this post is to see what other writers "save up" their writing bursts for the weekends because their workweeks are so crazy busy that they can't get good, solid blocks of writing time. I can sit down at the computer for an hour before bed or drag a notepad off the dresser next to my bed to scribble ideas and scenes and dialogue before falling asleep, but that's not the kind of writing I'm wanting to do. I love those day-long binges where you crank out thousands of words and suddenly realize the room is dark because the sun has gone down and your bladder is screaming because you haven't peed for eight or nine hours. THAT'S the kind of writing block I want this weekend.

And I'm looking forward to it.

What kind of writing blocks do you get to lose yourself in? And how do you set them up?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, writer's life, journaling, journal, writing time, dragon

Friday, February 29, 2008
Word of the Day
Execrable (adjective) — abominable; abhorrent; very bad; deserving to be detested; wretched (from Middle English, Old French and Latin meaning "to execrate" (denounce))

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, the only reason Julette deigns to tolerate the execrable evil sorcerer Jamieson Drake as her partner in crime is because she knows his power will be useful as her horrid plans swing into motion.

Your turn! Put those evil and detestable thinking caps on and give me a wretched ol' sentence with today's vocabulary word. I avoided mentioning any "idiots" in mine, but everything's fair game in yours. Let's see what you can do to help us remember the meaning of this one!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, grammar, fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, dragon, execrable

Thursday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"Forgiving means to pardon the unpardonable,
"Faith means believing the unbelievable,
"And hoping means to hope when things are hopeless."
— G.K. Chesterton

Even though this is actually quite the cynical and biting quote considering its theme and who wrote it and considering the insane and ridiculous afternoon endured yesterday, Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a great and hope-filled day! I want the quote to bring you writers (and readers) inspiration and "drive" for creativity.
Keep reading for more of today's now joke-themed posts, including the interactive Word of the Day for all you visiting writers.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, dragon, hope

Because We're Joking Around...
Or...The Dragon thought this was fitting for today's theme as well.

What do you get from a pampered cow?

answer:
Spoiled milk

He he he he! Cute, isn't it?

Thursday, February 28, 2008
Word of the Day
Facile (adjective) — easily done; simplistic; effortlessly working or acting; speaking effortlessly; ready prose; fluent prose; shallow (from Old French)

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, Godric Taiman thinks his empty, facile praise of Chariss has placated her guardian into leaving him alone and not probing for his deep, dark secrets.

Your turn! Today's Word of the Day is actually a joke because I spent three hours in mediation for a divorce I started 11 months ago just to learn that A) the person I'm divorcing is not just an idiot but an a$$hole with no clue what color the sky is in the real world and B) this divorce is going to take another six months, $5,000 (at least) and some more court dates. Sigh. SO! Any easy, effortless sentences stirring inside you today? Share and make us laugh because we need it! The comment field awaits your creativity to help us all get this new vocabulary word firmly stuck in our brains.

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, grammar, fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, dragon, facile

Wednesday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible."
— Anonymous

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a great and hope-filled day!
Keep reading for more of today's posts, including a new Grammar Guide and the interactive Word of the Day for all you visiting writers.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, dragon, hope

Grammar Guide
The epigraph versus the block quote


Whether you're writing a research paper for midterms or a novel with inscriptions at the outset of each chapter, this Grammar Guide will set a couple of standard quotation methods to right for you. Epigraphs and block quotes have different placements and citation requirements. To avoid plagiarism, follow these simple rules.

An epigraph is an inscription or quotation used at the beginning of a literary work or chapter to introduce or set the theme/tone of the piece.

A block quote (spelled both as one word or two) is set within the text, and, depending on its length, will have quotation marks to set it off. If it's very long, and parameters can be found in Grammar Guide "Punctuation with quotation in formal text," posted on this blog Feb. 7, 2007, you'll set it off by placing a line of space before and after the quote, indenting it on both the right and left margins, and, depending on the style guide you're following, hitting it with an endnote. (Those rules are spelled out in the Grammar Guide referenced above.)

Epigraphs do not get quotation marks around them. If the epigraph includes dialogue, the dialogue will have its correct punctuation, including quotation marks, but the overall device doesn't get set off by the punctuation. If you're following the American Literature Style Guide, your epigraph will be cited with an em dash and the name of the author and the title of the work from which the quote came. (You can read detailed instructions on the key stroke for the em dash at "Punctuation – the em dash" posted on this blog May 21, 2007.) No other attribution is necessary. No endnote is used, etc. In other words, the rules are a little more lax than with the block quote.

For the placement of the epigraph, again, it depends on the style guide you use. If you're following the AL style guide, you want the epigraph to be flush right at the top of the document, and the font to use is Roman. MLA doesn't list specific rules for epigraphs so students typically apply the MLA rules for block quotes/indented quotes, right down to listing the source on the source page. Etcetera. Just check your style book and write accordingly.

One thing to keep in mind with epigraphs is their perception with readers. If you're writing first-person chick lit with amusing characters in trite sexual encounters, putting deep and meaningful quotes from Dante and Cervantes at the beginning of each chapter equals an attempt at eloquence that the novel is not supposed to have. Stick with something light and fun to match the tone of the overall piece, as the epigraph is, by definition, supposed to do.

Another point to keep in mind is consistency. If using an epigraph on 15 out of 26 chapters in a novel, either strike the 15 or come up with appropriate lead-in quotes for the other 11. Don't do it halfway. Agents, editors and publishers will notice.

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

Sandy Lender is a magazine and book editor with 16 years experience in her field. Her first published novel, Choices Meant for Gods, is available from ArcheBooks Publishing.

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, grammar, grammar guide, epigraph, block quote, dragon

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Word of the Day
Scission (noun) — the act of severing; cutting; the process of dividing; a schism; a division in a group; a split in a union; the state of being split (from Latin meaning "to cut")

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, a scission between Lorendell and Lenordell 500 years earlier set up the perfect dichotomy of beliefs for Julette's evil plans in the current day.

Your turn! This is the part of the blog where you get to be creative with the new vocabulary word. I thought this was a fabulous word for today because of events in my life. See what divisive and interesting sentences you can come up with to share with us today!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, grammar, fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, dragon, scission

Tuesday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier."
— Anonymous

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a great and hope-filled day!
Keep reading for more of today's posts, including the interactive Word of the Day for all you visiting writers.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, dragon, hope

We Have a Book of the Day Winner
Or...Author Island and Today the Dragon Wins give away another copy of Choices Meant for Gods

Have you won your copy of Choices Meant for Gods yet? Well, join me in congratulating Cheryl Snyder for winning her autographed copy of the epic fantasy novel from Sandy Lender because she was the fabulous person who got the trivia question correct Friday at Author Island! CMFG was the featured Book of the Day and Cheryl was the lucky winner who knew the answer to the trivia question about it...so her name was pulled from the vat of folks who entered.

Congratulations Cheryl!!!!

I'm hitting the post office tomorrow...

There'll be another contest going up at http://www.authorisland.com/ in a few days here and DeNita will have all the info on that shortly. I'll let you know when to check in!

In the meantime, you can get the eBook version of Choices Meant for Gods if you hop onto my publisher's site at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm and click on the "download eBook now" button. (It's a whole lot cheaper than ordering it from Amazon.)

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy, Sandy Lender, Cheryl Snyder

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Word of the Day
Adjuvant (adjective) — auxiliary; secondary; serving as a helpmate or helper; assisting; serving to aid (from Latin meaning "to aid")

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, Loetha's adjuvant skill at healing comes in handy when Kora finds Chariss's illness more than she can immediately handle.

Your turn! It's a bizarre one today so you'll have to flex your creative muscles, but I'm sure you're up for it. What auxiliary thoughts can you come up with for sharing in the comment field today?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, grammar, fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, dragon, adjuvant

Monday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
“Life is a bundle of little things.”
— Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you to have a fabulous week!
Keep reading for more of today's posts, including a journaling assignment and the interactive Word of the Day for all you visiting writers.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, dragon, life, Oliver Wendell Holmes

Writers' Guide
Or...something thought-provoking for your journaling today

I've been in the slow, arduous, horrific process of breaking up with an alcoholic who seems unable to understand why I want him out of my life. He's being "victimized," you see, despite the fact that he's a jerk when he drinks. (Hence the "get out of my life" necessity.) But I noticed something about myself this weekend when dealing with his obstinancy. I was acting quite obstinant as well. And this makes a great writer's blog because of this quote from Nietzsche:

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster...When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

How about that? Now, I'm not becoming an alcoholic. Far from it. In fact, watching this person's inability to stay away from liquor despite his desire to do so has soured me on the whole "I need a stiff drink" concept. You know how some days the stress just makes you want to chill out with a glass of wine? I don't really feel like chilling out with a glass of wine anymore.

I look at this person and see a shell of the person I originally met. It's like looking at a slumped-over creature that once was very full of life and vigor and an incredible sense of humor. The muscle tone and spring he once had in his step are gone. Depression from a job loss swung into a drinking binge that just won't stop and I'm watching this person, now back among the employed, making excuse after excuse after excuse for the booze in his life. He's fighting with a monster, and I'm going to stop fighting with him before his excuses and arguments and angry attitudes become mine.

And there's your journaling assignment for today. How do your characters fight with their monsters? Do they take on characteristics of the creatures they abhor? How do you keep the "good guys" pure when the "bad guys" are too close? How do we heed Nietzsche's advice and keep our heroes and heroines from becoming the monsters they fight?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Nietzsche, writers guide, monsters, dragon, alcoholic

Monday, February 25, 2008
Word of the Day
Primeval (adjective) — original; ancient; primitive; belonging to the first ages (from Latin meaning "in the first period of life" or "first")

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, the edras and ryfel that attack Chariss and her friends are primeval demons from the first war of Onweald's history.

Your turn! What early and age-old ideas can you come up with to use today's Word of the Day in a sentence of your own? Share it with us in the comment field so everyone can ingrain this new vocabulary word in the brain today!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, grammar, fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, dragon, primeval

Sunday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"And thou shalt be secure because there is hope."
— Job 11:18

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a great and hope-filled day!
Keep reading for more of today's posts, including the interactive Word of the Day for all you visiting writers.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, dragon, hope

Sunday, February 24, 2008
Word of the Day
Devolve (transitive verb) — to delegate something to a successor in power; to pass something on to the next person in succession; (intransitive verb) — to be passed on to the successor; to be conferred upon the next person; to degenerate through evolution to a lesser state; to degenerate through change, usually slowly (from the Middle English and Latin meaning "to roll down")

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, Godric Taiman devolves from a promising young man with energy and ideas into a hard, bitter person who follows the wishes of an evil sorceress.

Your turn! At this point at Today the Dragon Wins, you get the opportunity to use the Word of the Day in a creative sentence of your own. See what you can come up with with your new vocabulary word and share it with us in the comment field. There's no judging here, and all of us readers and writers learn something together.

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, grammar, fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, dragon, devolve

Saturday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air…but only for one second without hope."
—Hal Lindsey

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a great and hope-filled day!
Keep reading for more of today's posts, including the interactive Word of the Day for all you visiting writers.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, dragon, hope, Hal Lindsey

Traveling the Globe
Or...we'll make announcements from yesterday's fabulous Book of the Day feature when everyone gets home

Yes, this is a map of Onweald, the place where most of the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods occurs, but I thought it captured the idea...I've been traveling. So has DeNita. So we'll make the announcement about yesterday's Book of the Day winner when we can coordinate our computers and e-mails and name-pulling art. :)

In the meantime, please enjoy the posts here at The Dragon and stay tuned for new stuff to entertain and educate writers. I've got our grammar guides, writers' guides and promotional guides, as well as our daily Word of the Day and Inspirational Quotes ready to fling out here. I also have a few author interviews lined up to bring you some good writing and publishing insight, so gather 'round the computer and mark Today the Dragon Wins as a "favorite" over at http://www.technorati.com/ so you don't lose track of this site...

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Today the Dragon Wins, Technorati, Onweald, Choices Meant for Gods, grammar, writers

Saturday, February 23, 2008
Word of the Day
Invidious (adjective) — objectionable in nature; envious; offensive; causing ill will; discriminatory; causing animosity (from Latin meaning "envious" or "hostile")

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, the ancient goddess, Julette, is an invidious creature who wishes to force the followers of The Master to worship her as their supreme being.

Your turn! It's been a while since we've done Word of the Day on a regular basis, so newcomers to Today the Dragon Wins may be unfamiliar with "the drill" here. At this point in the blog posting, you get to take today's Word of the Day and use it in a sentence you create from your own imagination. Whether you're a reader or a writer, it's a good way to sharpen those vocabulary skills and just do something different. (I also figure I'm staving off the onset of Alzheimer's by keeping my brain active…) So join in the daily interactive portion of the blog and leave your hit of creativity in the comment field!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, grammar, fantasy novel, Choices Meant for Gods, dragon, invidious

Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence."
-Helen Keller
Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wants you to have a great day! Keep reading for the answer to the Author Island Book of the Day question and for today's Word of the Day.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Helen Keller

We're Excited About Book of the Day at Author Island
Or...The Dragon gives up the answer you need to win the contest

This Friday, if you visit http://www.authorisland.com/, you'll see that the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods is the featured Book of the Day. And that's tres cool. Now, you can enter to win an autographed, first-edition, hard-cover copy of Choices Meant for Gods if you answer the question o' the day correctly. To answer it correctly, you have to know why Chariss ends up at the Taiman estate (Arcana) one night, half dead and exhausted from teleporting away from the battle with Jamieson Drake where she was in danger of being killed.

(For those of you who aren't familiar with Today the Dragon Wins, or who haven't read the free chapters at my publisher's site, or who haven't read any of the teasers at Author Island, here or at my publisher's site, Jamieson Drake is the evil sorcerer who's been chasing Chariss all of her life.)

If you haven't caught the answer yet, you're welcome to visit my publisher's site to read the teaser and first three chapters for free! Click here: http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm and check out the "free sample" button to get more info about Chariss's story.

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, author island, dragon

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Word of the Day
Rambunctious (adjective) - disorderly; exhibiting overly excited behavior; boisterous

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, after fleeing a madman to the safety of the Taiman estate, Chariss meets the rambunctious Kaylin Taiman during one of the child's rare quiet moments.

Your turn! What noisy and excitable sentences can you come up with for us today?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, word of the day, dragon

Monday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen."
—Wayne Dyer
Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a fabulous day! Keep reading for a cool announcement and today's Word of the Day!
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

Choices Meant for Gods Will be Book of the Day Friday

Or...Visit Author Island to see The Dragon in lights...and to win stuff

This Friday, February 22, the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods will be the featured Book of the Day at http://www.authorisland.com/, and I encourage you to visit for your chance to win an autographed copy of the hard-cover, first-edition version of the book. DeNita will have all the details posted on the front page of the site Friday.

In the meantime, you might want to know some info about the storyline. Yes, it will be important.

For instance, you already know that Nigel Taiman, the hero in the story, stops by Today the Dragon Wins frequently to talk about the heroine, Amanda Chariss, because he adores her. But do you know how he met her? They aren't childhood sweethearts.

Chariss ended up at the Taiman estate, Arcana, one night because the evil sorcerer, Jamieson Drake, just about captured her one day on the west side of the continent of Onweald. Our surprising heroine teleported herself and her guardian wizard all the way across the map (see Megan Kissinger's rendition above) to Arcana. In one day. For those of you who haven't read the book yet, I'll just let you in on a secret: That's unheard of. Even the most talented of Geasa'n would have trouble with a feat such as that. But Chariss overexerted herself in the task and ended up on the Taiman estate front porch not just exhausted, but poisoned from the experience. She's spent her whole life running from Drake, and her arrival at Arcana is no different. Lucky for Nigel, eh?

I'll give more information about the fantasy story this week in celebration of the big day Friday, but if you're interested in reading the first three chapters (for free), you can visit my publisher's site at http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm. There's a button in the middle of the right-hand side of the page that says "Free Sample." Or, if you want to own the whole thing, go to http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm and hit the "Click here to buy eBook for immediate download" button on the right-hand side of the page and you can own the electronic version of the whole book right now.

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, Author Island, Book of the Day

Monday, February 18, 2008
Word of the Day
Prudent (adjective) — behaving wisely; using good judgment; exercising common sense; careful; discreet

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, Chariss feels it would be prudent for her and Hrazon to leave the Taiman estate as soon as she's well enough to go, to avoid drawing the evil sorcerer who chases her around to the good family harboring her there.

Your turn! Do you have an example of wise and wordly wisdom to use in your sentence today?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel

Win a Spa Kit from Arcana's Bathing Rooms

Or...The Dragon just can't give enough stuff away

I just got back from running errands, one of which was shipping Ann's copy of Choices Meant for Gods to her because she was the winner of the Win a Fantasy for Valentine's Day contest. Now DeNita at http://www.authorisland.com/ is gearing up to announce the next contest where you can win the "Spa Kit from Arcana's Bathing Rooms."

If you don't know what Arcana's Bathing Rooms are, you've got to read more of this blog, my friends. In fact, I'll have Nigel guest post or something next week as we announce my exciting day as the featured Book of the Day at Author Island next Friday. How does that sound?

If you want to get a head start and read about Arcana yourself, you can pick up the electronic version of Choices Meant for Gods at my publisher's site very cheaply. Scoot over to http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm and click on the button to purchase the eBook/download. It's a whopping $3.99. Enjoy!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Author Island, contest announcement, Arcana

Saturday, February 16, 2008
Word of the Day
Vouch (intransitive verb) — to give supporting evidence for; to give a guarantee of something; to grant personal assurance for

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, the narrator (me) explains that Godric Taiman once had to vouch for Hrazon's character before the council of ofersey'n (governors). (This royally pissed Hrazon off because he's the greatest wizard the gods created and he didn't need a freaking character witness to stand before this council and tell them that his ward was being chased by a madman. Hmph! :) )

Your turn! Use your fabulous sentence to vouch for your creativity today…

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, dragon

Friday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."
— Friedrich Nietzsche

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a fabulous day! Keep reading for a chance to share embarrassing Valentine's Day moments and today's Word of the Day!
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, Friedrich Nietzsche, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Aftermath
Or…The Dragon wants to know what you regret most from Feb. 14, 2008

'Fess up. Someone out there ate the entire box of chocolates in the oversized chocolate heart from Russell Stover or the gold box from Godiva after your date went home. (Or someone let the date "stay" longer than you should have and woke up next to a frog instead of a prince, if you catch my drift.) I'm ready to share my embarrassing moment if you'll share yours! The comment field is wide open.

Here's mine. I was waiting for my date to get off work (And can you believe they made him work late?!? On Valentine's Day?!?) and scooting around on the Internet (because that's what I do when I'm ignoring my muse) when a message came through from The Great Barry Manilow PR Machine. Yes, I'm a member of the Barry Manilow International Fan Club. I adore the man. The message said to click on a special little site and I could stream Valentine's Day music from him.

Fabulous.

So I scoot to that site, click on the appropriate links, see one for Mandy (my favorite song of all time; please see the name of my main character in my fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods), and click on it. Up pops this little video of Barry at a white grand piano. "Uh-oh," think I. "This looks like a recording of a live performance."

Now, to anyone else in the world, this shouldn't be "an event." But for me, an obsessed moron, it's psychological mayhem. Sure enough, he hits the first six notes, that up-and-down melody, and I burst into tears.

It's happened to me since the first time I saw him in concert and he played Mandy at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Tears. I bawl when he plays it on TV shows. I bawl when it's been recorded and I'm watching the play-back of TV shows. I have been known to sob when it's played on the radio if I'm not expecting it.

Why? I have no idea. I've loved this song since I was 5 years old. It makes no sense to me, but it has the power to just wrench my heart out when Barry sings it.

Sigh.

And that's my embarrassing moment from Valentine's Day. I adjusted my makeup and patted my face with a cool cloth to get the splotchiness away before my date arrived so no one would suspect anything was out of the ordinary. Of course, now it's out here on the Internet for him and everyone else to read. But, you know, everyone has to figure out sooner or later that I'm a little off.

Now I've shared. It's your turn! Anything embarrassing or crazy happen on your Valentine's Day? Any overturned wine bottles? Flaming baked Alaska's get too close to your hair? Melted chocolates stick to your clothes? Anything good?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, Barry Manilow, Valentine's Day

Friday, February 15, 2008
Word of the Day
Conciliate (transitive verb) — to win over a distrusting person with good acts; to appease or placate; to win favor with friendly overtures

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, the god Master Rothahn tries to conciliate Chariss with patronizing flattery after forcing her to travel to another city without her lifelong guardian at her side.

Your turn! Please note that this cynical word is in keeping with the tone of yesterday's. Bwuahahahaha. What creative verbiage can you use around today's word in your sentence?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, dragon

Thursday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
“She doesn't smile at anyone else quite the way she does him. It's this pure, honest, lifelong love. She loves her guardian more than life itself. She's patient with him, kind to him, never raises her voice to him...”
— Sandy Lender, from Choices Meant for Gods

Today's inspirational quote is a little bit different than what we usually run, but that's because it's Valentine's Day and I wanted to be different.
Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a fabulous day! Keep reading for the winner of our Win a Fantasy for Valentine's Day contest and for a nice Valentine's Day message from moi to you and today's oh-so-inspiring Word of the Day! Bwuahahahaha.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, Choices Meant for Gods, Valentine's Day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

The Valentine's Day Winner is Ann Thayer-Cohen!
Or...Ann gets the goods from the Win a Fantasy for Valentine's Day Contest

Congratulations to Ann! She's an Author Island visitor who sailed over and posted comments to Nigel's guest blogs and won herself an autographed, first-edition, hard-cover copy of the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods!

WOO-HOO, to Ann!!

Join me in congratulating her on a job well done. Fabulous.

We'll have info on the next contest over at the Author Island site real soon (at http://www.authorisland.com/), and I'll let you know here. And CMFG will be the featured Book of the Day soon, too! So stay tuned, don't sail too far out to sea and pay attention if you'd like to win a hard-cover copy for yourself.

Now! If you're worried that you might not win one of these upcoming contests and you're nervous about shelling out the big bucks for a hard-cover book (and, come on, that's hard-earned money we're talking about even if it does have bunches o' fab reviews on Amazon), you can always get the eBook version from my publisher's site for $3.99. I consider that cheap. (I'm not making any money off my first book anyway, so what do I care? I just want to build audience and make more people crazy for the release of the second book in the trilogy, which will also be available in both hard-cover and eBook.) So be-bop over to http://www.archebooks.com/BookIDX/Indexes/Fantasy/CMG/CMGDesc.htm and click on the right-hand button immediately above my banner ad. It's easy. I've done it.

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, Ann Thayer-Cohen, Valentine's Day

A Valentine's Day Wish
Or...The Dragon gets sappy

As a fantasy author, I escape into worlds (plural) that I create with characters (plural) who populate my brain on a fairly regular basis to create entertainment for others. I figure I've done a pretty decent job of this so far because I get threatening messages demanding the release of Book II in the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy and I get guilt trips from friends when they don't get short stories with their Christmas presents.

So you could say I spend a great deal of time in "other worlds".

I've never felt the need to give those other worlds some sort of trumped-up holiday for expressing love. Because we have Valentine's Day here in our society, I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity to focus on love thoughts for a few moments today, with writers in mind.

First of all, since joining the realm of published authors, I've learned a great deal about the nuances of the romance genre. For instance, you can't just state that you're a romance writer and be done with it. There are many levels and types of romance. (I'm a fantasy author. But there are dark fantasy authors, as well. You see?) There are paranormal romance authors, erotica authors, gay and lesbian romance authors, historical romance authors and the list goes on. The distinctions are made because there are as many different types of romance (or fantasy) readers as there are writers. This same layering of the genre has developed in horror, mystery, etc. It gives the reader very specific categories to select merchandise from.

It also makes things freaking confusing. I mean, does the average romance reader know what speculative fiction romance is? If you say, "this novel is a paranormal historical romance?" is the reader going to understand that there's a ghost trying to get it on with a lady from the 1820s? Or a werewolf...whatever the case may be. I have a difficult enough time telling the old people in the town where I live what "fantasy" is. Just straight-up fantasy. Nevermind that what I write is epic fantasy. :) When they give me a confused, furrowed-brow stare, I usually say, "like Harry Potter that your grandchildren read," and I get the "O" of understanding with the supporting noise. But I don't go on with that audience member to say, "but mine is more like Tolkein" because we're going to lose that "O" and be back to the furrowed brow of confusion.

Now, within my current fantasy trilogy, there is romance. But romance is not the focus of Choices Meant for Gods or its sequels. (No matter how hard Nigel Taiman - or his fans - pushes for the theme.) Yes, he and his leading lady take center stage and their relationship is something I have enjoyed writing, but the world I've built for them and the war they're in is the story. (Despite Nigel's insistence that their love is what drives it to completion.) The focus of Choices Meant for Gods is love. Love of country, love of one's gods (yeah, it's plural in that society), love of one's family, love of one's mentor, and, yes, love of one's betrothed. If it wasn't for love, what would be the point of fighting to save anyone?

So for this Valentine's Day, I'd like to say that Jamieson Wolf's message from yesterday's interview is fabulous. Love can move mountains. And I'll just add that love can win wars. Love can tame dragons. Love can sway the balance of power in an unbalanced society. Love can save people. We'll have to wait and see if all of that works out in the heroine's favor by the end of the trilogy, because, as you can see by today's Word of the Day, Chariss doesn't believe in love.

For the rest of us, I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you spend it with friends or family or someone coo-el and close to you.

"Some days, I just want the dragon to fall in love."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, fantasy author, Valentine's Day, love, dragon

Word of the Day
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Cynical (adjective) — mocking; bitter; not trusting the motives of others; not trusting the virtue of others

Word in a Sentence (a few of them for context):
"Nigel, let me give you some advice. You don't want to marry for love because people fall out of love, and then there's nothing left between them."
He stared back at her in shock. "I believe that's the most cynical statement I've ever heard in my life." — from the high fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, page 194

Your turn! Bwuahahaha. Do you have any barbed and "lovely" sentences for us on this Valentine's Day?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, word of the day, Valentine's Day, dragon

Valentine's Day Treats a Day Early
Or...The Dragon has cool stuff for you today

First, today is the last day to enter the Valentine's Day Contest I'm holding in conjunction with www.AuthorIsland.com, so find one of Nigel Taiman's posts (there are at least three since the contest began Jan. 14) to enter that contest before midnight! You could win tomorrow's drawing for a first-edition, hard-cover, personalized copy of the epic fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods.

Next, our favorite living author Jamieson Wolf granted us an interview with all kinds of information about his new romance, Valentine (which is available for the low price of $3.99 at Cobblestone Press). He gives all kinds of good info about writing and publishing when he stops in so I recommend the interview, which is the next post!

Enjoy and have a great day.
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, Jamieson Wolf, Valentine

A Valentine From Jamieson Wolf

Or...The Dragon welcomes a new romance author to the site to discuss a special release for Valentine's Day

Today we welcome back one of our favorite authors to The Dragon. Jamieson Wolf has a new novella out and he's delved into the romance genre with Valentine. He took some time out of his insane writing schedule to share with visitors some of the research he did, some of his writing tips and some ideas for getting your novella into an online publisher's hands - and onto readers' computer screens.

The Dragon: First! Welcome back to The Dragon, Jamieson! It looks like Valentine took some research before writing. You've got the Roman Empire, a god out of the Pantheon, a Roman soldier...tell us how much research you had to do and how that differs from your usual writing style. Did you enjoy it?

Jamieson Wolf: I have had a long love affair with all periods of history but particularly Greek, Roman and Egyptian. I did have to do some research in regards to time, dates, years, etc. so that everything was correct. Though the story is based off of the myth of the real Valentine, I wanted to make sure that there was still enough fact in the story to make it real. I had to research the God Lesperecus, housing, whether or not they would have had simple household objects like a kettle, whether or not they would have drank tea in that time. Normally, I don't do any research. I just write the story. It was a nice change this time around to delve into a past I loved. It helped me get to know my characters better.



The Dragon: One of your characters has to face danger and death to be with the character he loves. Will you be giving away too much of the story to tell us a little about that idea? I'd like to hear how that "danger" element adds to the conflict that already existed in Valentine's disobedience in the novella/story.

Jamieson Wolf: Valentine is a cleric and he marries people against the edict of the Roman Emperor Claudius who forbids marriage. By defying the edict, he is brought to the attention of the Emperor, and Asterius, chief of the Roman Guard, comes to interrogate him. Valentine doesn't care about the danger; he knows that what he is doing is right, despite the Emperor's wishes. There is also the danger Valentine faces from letting himself love an enemy, but you'll have to read the novella to find out more about that. You can actually read the first chapter by clicking here:

http://www.cobblestone-mainstreet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=246&d=1201895436


The Dragon: In this story, you're exploring the concept of a man's love for another man, even though Valentine, the main character, has been performing weddings for all couples. How has your audience responded to this love story and are you encouraged by the feedback you've received so far?

Jamieson Wolf: Valentine is quite different from my normal fare. I don't think anyone who reads my work was expecting me to delve into the romance genre, even though there is usually an element of romance in everything I write. I was a little worried about the reaction and how people would take it but I needn't have worried. With the exception of a few family members, the reaction has been incredible. I'm surprised by how many people have been touched by Valentine, by how many people have read it and written to me to tell me how much they enjoyed it. I'm more than encouraged by the reaction because it just goes to prove one thing: love has the power to move mountains.


The Dragon: The length of the novella is listed as "tryst" on Cobblestone Press's Web site. About how many words is the story? Is that a comfortable length for your novellas? Will you be submitting more stories of this genre and this length for Cobblestone Press readers?

Jamieson Wolf: Tryst is the signature short story line for Cobblestone Press and can go anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 words. Pretty much a novella. Valentine clocks in at around 15,000 words and it is a comfortable length for Valentine. I just submitted another historical romance, around the same length, so hopefully that will be accepted. Keep your fingers crossed!

The Dragon: What was the most exciting part of the process in creating Valentine? How did that differ from or feel familiar to the other stories you've had published in the speculative fiction realm?

Jamieson Wolf: I enjoyed the writing the most, I think. I loved getting into the heads of my characters and trying to get their emotions down on paper. I have always wanted to be a romance writer, to explore that genre, so the fact that I am now a published romance author is an incredible achievement for me. Valentine is really different from what I normally write due to the historical background. I had to be a lot more detailed than I normally am. When I write, I tend not be too descriptive. In the romance genre, I had to do the exact opposite so that was thrilling. It was such a wonderful experience because instead of focusing on the story, I got to focus on the people, the characters, to create a thrilling read. I can only hope I've succeeded.

The Dragon: How did you find Cobblestone Press or how did you go through the submission process with them? Do you have any tips or advice for writers visiting The Dragon today who might be interested in submitting a manuscript to them?

Jamieson Wolf: I actually stumbled upon them. I did a Google search for gay romance publications. Since Valentine is a gay romance, I knew that I had to find the right market for it. Luckily my browser pointed me towards Cobblestone Press and they have been fantastic to work with. I submitted Valentine and then played the waiting game. Imagine my excitement when they said they would be publishing Valentine!

My best advice for aspiring writers is to read a lot and to write a lot. If you don't read, you can't write. Reading will help to increase your vocabulary and give you a good idea of how to write credible dialogue and good stories. Writing every day will also get you in the habit of writing on a regular basis. Even if you don't feel like writing, try writing a small piece every day. You never know when that small piece could be the seed for something larger.

The Dragon: How can visitors to The Dragon get a copy of Valentine?

Jamieson Wolf: You can purchase a copy of Valentine by clicking here:

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/valentinejw.htm

And don't forget to check out the Valentine Blog for tons of fun stuff, the Valentine book trailer and much more. You can find that here: www.valentineanovel.blogspot.com

The Dragon: When is your memoir set to be released from The Friday Project? And if our visitors want to stay up-to-date on that release, where can they get more information?

Jamieson Wolf: My memoir, One Step at a Time, is set to be released this summer from The Friday Project. No set date yet, but I'll know more as the summer comes closer. I'm so excited about this release! If you want to stay up to date on the release of the memoir, check out the site: www.takingonestep.com As always, readers can always take a look at what I'm doing by checking out my regular blog www.jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com or my web site at www.jamiesonwolf.com

The Dragon: Thank you for stopping by The Dragon today, Jamieson! It's always a pleasure to have you share information with our fellow writers and readers here. We wish you the best of success with Valentine and all your titles that are out right now!

Jamieson Wolf: Thanks so much Sandy. It's always a pleasure to stop by and visit with you and your readers. Thanks so much for having me! It's an honour as always.

Tags: Jamieson Wolf, Valentine, dragon, Cobblestone Press, The Friday Project

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Word of the Day
Imbricate (adjective) — having regular, overlapping edges; being covered in a pattern of overlapping edges; being ornamented with an overlapping-edged design

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, the fledgling dragon that Chariss befriends is imbricated with glistening purple and deep-blue scales.

Your turn! Do you have a roof or a fish you want to describe in your sentence today?

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy novel, dragon

Monday's Inspirational Quote of the Day for Writers
"The best things in life have little to do with money or success. They are based on heart, compassion, and allowing others to express their passions."
—Declan Dunn
Fantasy Author Sandy Lender wishes you a fabulous day! Keep reading for a guest post by Nigel and today's Word of the Day!
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

Tags: inspirational quote, quote of the day, fantasy author, Sandy Lender

Valentine's Day Contest Ends This Week
Post from Nigel Taiman

I can't believe how my fantasy author is letting everything else in life get in the way of regular posting on her blog, but there you have it. Sandy Lender is letting everything else in life get in the way of proper marketing. I guess it's up to me to remind everyone that the Valentine's Day contest will end at midnight Wednesday, the 13th, so she can pull a name on Valentine's Day. All you folks visiting from Author Island need to get your comments posted before that deadline so you have a shot at getting your personalized copy of Choices Meant for Gods. I happen to think it's a fabulous story, you know. And that's because it's a story about the most incredible woman to walk the earth. I'm talking about the heroine, Amanda Chariss, and, because Sandy's too busy with everything else in life to pay attention to what I'm posting, I believe I'll just go on a bit about Chariss while I have the chance.

First of all, if you were at the Author Island chat today, you could read the excerpt from Choices Meant for Gods in which Chariss and I have our little fencing exercise in the training arena. I nearly died, you know. But that Chariss...she's amazing...

And now the fantasy author shows up. It appears I need to just state facts and give the computer back to her. There's an excerpt from the fantasy novel posted at the Author Island all-day chat today, three chapters available for download at www.archebooks.com, and a deleted scene that I posted here a couple weeks ago that you can read to tease you into wanting your own copy of Choices Meant for Gods. You can order it and get free shipping at www.amazon.com if you don't like your odds with the contest...But I wish you all good luck in the Valentine's Day contest. You can enter every day...

All my best to you.
Nigel
Tags: Choices Meant for Gods, fantasy author, Sandy Lender, Valentine's Day

Monday, February 11, 2008
Word of the Day
Organic (adjective) — originating from living organisms; free from pesticide or man-made additives; using fertilizers and mulches of animal and vegetable origin

Word in a Sentence: In the fantasy novel Choices Meant for Gods, all the food grown and prepared at the Taiman estate is organic because the crops and orchards are cared for with natural methods.

Your turn! Do you have a healthy lifestyle that you'd like to share with our word of the day today? Let's hear your sentence!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: word of the day, Choices Meant for God, fantasy novel