Pendragon Variety – Xtra 15 – The 2nd Annual Fantastical Mystery Tour

The 2nd Annual Fantastical Mystery Tour at Barnes & Noble, Columbia, SC

Couldn’t make it? The Ladies gotcha covered.

On July 7, 2012, seven fantasy authors came together under one roof to talk about   writing…and we got a recording of it!

RACHEL AARON is the author of The Legend of Eli Monpress series, an adventure fantasy about a dangerously charming gentleman thief who also happens to be a wizard, his swordsman, their monster, and the poor bastards who have to try and stop them from stealing whatever they like. The fourth book in the series, The Spirit War, has just been released. You can learn more about Rachel and read free chapters at www.rachelaaron.net

DELILAH S. DAWSON is the author of Wicked as They Come (Pocket/S&S), the first in a steampunk-tinged paranormal romance series set in the magical, Victorianesque world of Sang. Her second book, Wicked as She Wants, will be out next spring. She’s also an Associate Editor at Cool Mom Picks, a contributor at the Steampunk Chronicle, and a member of RWA, the Georgia Romance Writers, and the Artifice Club. You can stalk her properly at www.delilahsdawson.com, but you have to get past her army of adorably murderous bludbunnies first.

A. J. HARTLEY is the New York Times bestselling author of mystery, thriller and fantasy novels and the Robinson Professor of Shakespeare at UNC Charlotte, among many other things. His latest books are Macbeth, a Novel (co-written with David Hewson) and the first of his YA series, Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact (which recently won the SIBA award for Young Adult novel of the year). You can find out more about him at www.ajhartley.net.

JOHN HARTNESS is the author of The Black Knight Chronicles, an urban fantasy series that follows the adventures of a pair of nerdy private investigators, who also happen to be vampires. John graduated from Winthrop University with a BA in Theatre Performance and currently lives in Charlotte, NC, where he is active in the theatre community. You can learn more about John, his writing and other works by visiting www.johnhartness.com.

MISTY MASSEY is the author of Mad Kestrel (Tor Books), a rollicking fantasy adventure of magic on the high seas. Misty is one of the featured writers on Magical Words (www.magicalwords.net). When she’s not writing, she studies Middle Eastern dance and has danced as a member of the Carolina Renaissance Faire’s troupe, the Jewels of the Caravan. Misty’s short fiction has appeared in Rum and Runestones (Dragon Moon Press) and Dragon’s Lure (Dark Quest Books). You can see more of what Misty’s up to at her website www.mistymassey.com

KALAYNA PRICE is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Alex Craft Novels, a new dark urban fantasy series from Roc, and the Novels of Haven from Bell Bridge Books. Her works have received great critical review as well as several awards and are available around the world in multiple languages. Kalayna is an avid student of classic folklore, which is reflected in her work. As well as the mystical elements of fantasy, her stories contain a dash of romance, a bit of gritty horror, some humor, and a large serving of mystery. Kalayna is a member of SFWA and RWA, and a hula-hoop dancer who has been known to light her hoop on fire. To find out more, please visit her at www.kalayna.com

JAMES R. TUCK is the author of the Deacon Chalk series from Kensington. He is a former bouncer and a professional tattoo artist in the Atlanta area. He lives just north of there with his lovely wife, two lovely children, and four dogs of varying degrees of loveliness. He writes dark urban fantasy that makes the nerve under your eye twitch. www.jamesrtuck.com

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Pendragon Variety – Xtra 14 – The Steampunk Kerfuffle – Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine Interview

If you’ve been paying attention to Steampunk news lately, the whole snafu over a Goodreads/Listopia list getting deleted (and the inelegant blundering that followed) most likely hasn’t escaped your notice.

If you haven’t, boy are you in for an eyebrow-raiser.

In this special Pendragon Xtra, Steampunk authors Tee Morris and Philippa (Pip) Ballentine share what, for them, pushed it over the line from playground pigtail-pulling to a bold career choice, and you can believe…they’re steaming out the ears.

 

2-25-2012 – Edit - From an anonymous source: “Evelyn isn’t an illustrator, and does not draw. She didn’t draw the steampunk cats… she “collaged” (i.e. Photoshopped…) turn-of-the-century illustrations by Louis Wain.”

Philippa (Pip) Ballantine // -Pip’s books on Amazon Philippa (Pip) Ballentine’s personal website and Amazon page!
Tee Morris // -Tee’s books on Amazon Tee Morris’s personal website and Amazon page.
Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences - It’s like the X-files, only steampunk and smarmy!
Tales from the Archives - For a quick fix of ministry hijinks.
The Shared Desk Podcast - Listen to the first 15 minutes of the interview below. Love it? The Shared Desk is that. For like an hour. Gold.

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Pendragon Variety – Season 1, Episode 8 – Interview with David B. Coe

Adryn, Skrybbi, and Scribe interview author and “internet slut” David B. Coe (a.k.a. D.B. Jackson).

David B. Coe

D.B. Jackson

Thieftaker – available July 3rd on Amazon.com and in any good bookstore.

Magical Words Blog

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Pendragon Variety – Season 1, Episode 7 – Libraries

Topic: Libraries – how did they shape us as readers, how do they affect the publishing industry, and how can writers utilize them?

Book of the Week: Storm Front, by Jim Butcher

WTF: How to troll a 14-year-old WOW player.

Ladies: Sammy’s having anxiety dreams about her wedding, Adryn went to the Sapporo Snow Festival, Mica’s toddlers are crazy, Skrybbi started a new job, and Scribe finished a short(ish) story.

Also, singing trucks.

What are your experiences with the library? How did it shape you as a reader?

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Pendragon Variety – Season 1, Episode 6 – Plotting and POV Logistics

Adryn, Mica, Rosemary, Skrybbi, and Scribe discuss some difficulties with plotting and POV logistics.

Book(s) of the Week:
Mica’s picks:
Enchanted, by Alethia Kontis
Fighting Gravity, by Leah Petersen

Scribe’s pick:
The Iron Druid series, by Kevin Hearne
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WTF? – The Japanese school staff party of +3 suspender-nipple-snapping.
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Ladies’ Updates:
Skrybbi isn’t Kuppiecaking? (WTF is Kuppiecaking?)

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Pendragon Variety – Season 1, Episode 5 – Character Motivation

The Ladies Pendragon discuss character motivation. “Because we don’t tell stories about boring people who sit around and think their life is good.”

Scribe’s post on Specific Motivation for Characters

Wikipedia Motivation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm

16 Basic Desires

http://web.cynd.net/~willo/who-am-i-the-16-basic-desires-that-motivate-our-actions-and-define-our-personalities/

 

What sorts of problems or discoveries have you had about motivating your characters? What is your main character’s specific motivation? Is their initial course of action successful? What’s their next course of action?

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Pendragon Variety – Season 1, Episode 4 – The Truth About Publishing

Scribe and Raven interview Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, and John G. Hartness about what really happens after you publish your first novel. Recorded at StellarCon 2012.

A.J. Hartley
Facebook Fan Page
Twitter: @authorajhartley
Official Website
Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact
On the Fifth Day
Macbeth: A Novel
The Mask of Atreus
What Time Devours
Will Power
Act of Will

Misty Massey
Official Website
Mad Kestrel

Also look for Misty and AJ at the Magical Words Blog!

John G. Hartness
Official Website
Facebook
Twitter: @johnhartness
Seriously, there are over twenty books, so just click anywhere on this to go to his amazon.com complete books listing.

Daydream Believer” – by The Monkees

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