Today, we're talking to Cindy Spencer Pape, Ellora's Cave author of her latest novel, Stone and Sea: Sent to Atlantic City to retrieve an ancient artifact vital to the future of his clan, gargoyle Remy Rocher meets sexy selkie Marina Bell and ends up getting shot for his efforts. Now he has to find the chalice and keep Marina and himself alive-all while dealing with the hottest sex of his life and emotions that scare him more than evil wizards or mobsters with guns.

______

First of all, I'd like to thank Tracy for inviting me today. She posed some really great questions, which I'm going to take completely out of order, if nobody minds.

One of her questions was if I prefer pixels or paper for my reading.

This has become quite a major issue in the fiction market these days, and I am rather firmly on the fence. I don't see why we simply can't have a best-of-both-worlds situation. Have them available electronically for the technologically enlightened, and as POD for those of us who like dusting and moving heavy boxes of books every time we need to find something in our basement.

Seriously? I am proud to be in the e-pub business. But as I don't at present have a reading device other than my computer, I admit, most of my pleasure reading is on the written page. It's still hard to curl up in bed with a computer, or take it into the bathtub.

She also asked what it is about novels and stories that I enjoy the most.

Simple answer? Escapism.

I freely admit that I read (and write) fiction to escape from the trials and tribulations of reality. That's one reason I demand my HEA. If I want to be depressed or thoughtful when I'm done, I'll read the newspaper. When I read for fun, I want to feel good.

That said, I love a complex, intelligent, imaginative plot. I like paranormal because it combines the best of escapist SF&F and romance. Double yum. I also enjoy romantic suspense and the occasional steamy historical. Hey you gotta have variety.

Some of my early idols include Roberta Gellis, Mary Stewart, and Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels. More recently such icons as Elizabeth Lowell, Linda Howard, and Jayne Ann Krentz (under any of her names), and paranormal/erotic authors like Lora Leigh and Christine Warren.

And in e-books? I've never been disappointed by Anny Cook, Amarinda Jones, Regina Carlysle, Desiree Holt, or Bronwyn Green. I really could go on for hours, and I'm sure I've left out someone important. Dee Brice, Dakota Rebel, Brynn Paulin, Kaenar Langford. Okay, I read A LOT!

Anyway, as much as I read, I've always also had a habit of telling myself stories at night as I went to sleep, or in the car, waiting in grocery lines, or whatever. I've always toyed with the idea of writing.

One year I had a job which often required my presence, without giving me anything to do. So. Had a chair, had a computer. What the heck. That first book was pretty awful, but yeah, with practice they got better.

Now here I am, celebrating my fourteenth release, Stone and Sea, out now from Ellora's Cave. This is the second book in my Heroes of Stone gargoyle cycle, following Stone and Earth, a Garnet quickie out last January. This one features gargoyle Remy Rocher and selkie Marina Bell, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Coming up next? I have a story in the September Ellora's Cavemen anthology called Sorecer's Song, that one features a Celtic sorcerer and a Greek siren. Can you tell I enjoy mixing up my mythologies? You can never be sure if I'm going to write about cowboys or dragons, or ghosts or gargoyles, but with any of my books, you can always count on fun, romance, and the Happy-Ever-After.

That's a promise.

_____

Thanks, Cindy.

I'm going to jump in with the first question, if you don't mind.

You write a lot about mythical creatures.  Where did you develop that interest from?  Was it a single book, or experience?

Klappentext:
Menschen, Elfen und Trolle werden von Dämonen bedroht. Nur einer kann die Oberirdischen und das Erdvolk retten: Artemis Fowl, der genialste Gauner aller Zeiten. Doch da kommt ihm ein Mädchen dazwischen, und das ist mindestens genauso gerissen wie Artemis!

Inhalt:
Bei einem Besuch in Barcelona versucht Artemis Fowl einen Dämonen einzufangen. Zunächst passiert nichts, dann materialisiert sich der Dämon und Artemis wird in Zeitloch gezogen. Dank seines Leibwächter Butlers geschieht ihm nichts, außer das zwei Finger vertauscht sind.  Dies war allerdings nur der Beginn einer rasanten Geschichte. Denn die Dämonen versuchen ihre Insel Hybras, die sich in der Zwischenwelt befindet, zu verlassen. Um die Welt im Gleichgewicht zu halten, muss Artemis herausfinden, weshalb sich immer wieder Dämonen in der menschlichen Welt materialisieren. Jedoch kommt ihm dabei Minerva Palazzo in die Quere, ebenso intelligent und kaltblütig wie Artemis eins war.  Sie verfolgt eigene Ziele und arbeitet dann doch mit Artemis zusammen.

Meinung:
Artemis Fowl gehört nun zu den Guten. Mittlerweile vierzehn Jahre alt kämpft er mit der Pubertät, das Interesse an Mädchen lenkt ihn von seiner eigentlichen Aufgabe ab, zu verhindern, dass das Erdvolk für die Menschen sichtbar wird. Besonders gut hat mir an dem Buch gefallen, dass Artemis eine Widersacherin bekommt, die ihm ebenbürtig ist. Es war auch wieder toll zu erleben, dass Eoin Colfer, die Akteure aus den Vorgängerbüchern wieder beteiligt hat. Ein sehr schönes Buch für Artemis Fowl Fans.

Vittorio Catani, uno dei Grandi Antichi della fantascienza nazionale e certo uno degli ultimi veri gentlemen che frequentino la nostra categoria, che da sempre si occupa di mettere ordine nel caos strisciante dell'antologia italiana, è come sempre preciso, dettagliato e intrigante.

Mi fa persino venir voglia di leggere il racconto di Massimo Soumaré....*

E non midispiace affatto scoprire che nel nutrito gruppo degli Alia Boys entra con questa uscita (haha... che simpatico giochino di parole) anche l'ottimo Elvezio Sciallis.

Non si conosce ancora la data esatta di uscita del volume, ma le premesse sono buone, molto buone.
Attendiamo con impazienza.

[* in realtà una bonaria battuta.
Da anni Massimo ed io siamo legati da un patto oscuro per cui io devo sempre parlare benissimo di lui, e lui deve parlare benissimo di me - al solo scopo ovviamente di pompare le rispettive carriere,e fare intanto la figura di quelli che conoscono solo numeri uno]

Jenny, the world's oldest gorilla in captivity died at the age of 55 in the Dallas zoo.  She suffered from an inoperable stomach tumor.  This is the second gorilla the zoo has lost this year.  Hercules, a 43-year-old silverback died of a heart attack recently.  The zoo is keeping an eye on the four remainining gorillas to make sure they don't slip into a depression.  The scary thing is that one of the four gorillas is 46-years-old. 

BTW - The lifespan of a gorilla in the wild is about 35 years.

I'd like to clarify that this man controlling everything is just a common man, with no extraneous abilities, and for all we know he might be oblivious to the fact that he has great influence in the happenings of the world. Now, this doesn't make him god. Just an average person thinking average thoughts about average things, but they actually come true. 

This may sound crazy, but it is entirely possible. For all we know, we could just be a figment of someone's imagination. Or we just created our own "reality" to try to explain what's going on, but we really have no idea in the slightest. So lets be open minded, and believe something other than church dogma or a red, white, and blue piece of cloth. Maybe in ourselves? In the power of our own interconnected minds? In coexistence? Believing in the possibility that we are wrong about everything?

So whilst Joan Bugler tried desperately to transfer air from her lungs

into her cheek pouches (and thereby increase her natural hamster

tendency to bob to the surface), on shore events were transpiring to which

she was not privy.

***

Rootley Farnham wasn’t a big lad, even when measured against the

standards of adolescent male hamsters. In fact he was pretty much

considered to be nothing more than a skinny little runt. At least by The

Law Master – Perfidity Gallowsmith.

Perfidity (or The Law Master as she preferred to be addressed), on

the other paw, was anything but skinny. Indeed not: She was a veritable

monster of a female hamster – with at least fifty percent European

Hamster blood coursing through her veins. The result of this was that

there was no one single part of her anatomy that wasn’t either large,

powerful, imposing, or down right scary. And that included the parts that

were hidden beneath her fine leather jerkin, and chain mail tights.

And she had a temper so quick that it could frighten the dead – and often

did, because her favourite off-duty pastime was holding nude séances.

The Law Master’s lieutenant, Quentin Blackheart, had been reticent to

act upon her ill-advised order to slay the people of Weasel’s Pit. As

fearful as he was of her, he knew that the church – even one that
17

ruled such a dreadfully medieval land such as Prannick – could not

countenance the unreasonably violent act without a full hearing in the

presence of the Church Elder’s chamber pot. In any case, in his view,

they hadn’t done anything particularly wrong: They were just dim beyond

belief, with a tendency to argumentativeness. Or ‘argumentality’ as they

put it. As a result of his inaction, not one of his Lawmen had raised their

crossbows with the intent to kill.

Fortunately for Quentin’s continued existence The Law Master

managed to calm herself sufficiently to repeal the order. Instead she

turned her wrath upon their prisoner, who sat manacled into the village

stocks, and was busy trying to finagle something gooey out of his nose.

“Anyway, as I was saying to the miniscule Rootley Farnham – and it

doesn’t matter if he’s a witch, a warlock, a padlock, or even if he

possesses bollocks that number fifty-three: The only one way he’s going

to free himself of the charge of being Stix is by accepting his subjection

to the administrations of…” She paused for effect, and several villagers

held their breath for so long that they fainted. “…The Dunk Master!”

Those with sufficient breath cheered uproariously. Those without

merely chipped in with a breathless “Hurrah for the Dunk Master.”

Naturally those others remained mute.

“Sod the Dunk Master!” growled the trapped  Rootley Farnham,
18

“The Dunk Master can shove his dunking chair right up his arse! I mean –

think about it: It’s not even logical: Surely dunking my puny body into

the stinky waters of Lake Effluence, with its multitude of diseases, shit,

and hamster-eating Pike, cannot possibly prove that I am anything but an

average hamster who firmly believes in the teachings of The Wheel. It’s

so obvious that even a blithering moron could see it. And anyone who

thinks it isn’t, and can mount a reasonable counter-argument, can go stick

their privates in the mangle - sideways!”

For a moment The Law Master looked impressed. Then she leant close

to her prisoner, and almost nuzzled his furry ears.

“Well spoken, young Stix.” She whispered, “And eloquent too. But it

will do you no good, boy: For if the fishy-wishies don’t eat you, and your

lungs do not give up their air too freely – it will only condemn you. Then

you’ll hang from the gallows for a week - where the midges can feast

gleefully upon your soft tissues.”

But Rootley wasn’t really listening. Instead he was gagging on the Law

Master’s fetid breath, and the sight of her huge furry bosoms jiggling

with mirth inside her deliberately loose-fitting jerkin.

Naturally the Law Master took umbrage to this. Pulling herself upright

she cried out, “Dunk Master: Be about your work.”

19

The crowd of villagers fell silent, and a general hubbub subsided.

Then, from out of a lakeside shack that seemed to drip with slime and

general ghastliness, a figure stepped into the sunlight. It was dressed in a

sackcloth habit, and wore a hood so vast that a pregnant hamster could

give birth to a record litter within its massive folds, and still find room for

itinerant lodgers.

Utter silence followed as The Dunk Master made its way to the Dunking

Chair, which comprised a wooden receptacle for a hamster’s backside,

some straps with which to secure the aforementioned hamster, and a long

pole that rested upon a swiveling fulcrum that would allow the chair to be

swung out over the rancid waters of Lake Effluence, and then deposited

into its lower reaches.

Then the moment that the village mob had been waiting for arrived.

With a horribly gnarled and warty paw The Dunk Master threw back its

hood. What this revealed caused the expectant audience to gasp with awe.

“Fluff me,” exclaimed Rootley, “It’s not like you’re all surprised or

anything: Everyone knows that Weasels Pit has a well-trained toad as its

Dunk Master. And an ugly bastard one at that!”

But what a lot of people didn’t know - was that the well-trained toad had

been taught a few ceremonial utterances, which it now spoke with a

surprisingly charismatic croak…
20

“Into the dunking chair, Accused Scum: Quickly, or I’ll wrap my

enormous tongue about your nether regions; and crush you to a pulp!”

No one had ever rightly accused Rootley Farnham of being timid; but

the thought of the Dunk Master’s tongue about his nether regions was

enough to send him skipping his way from the stocks: Gleefully throwing

himself onto the Dunking chair: Then pulling the straps tight about his

person with no help from anyone at all. He even whistled a little tune.

Only when he was firmly embraced by the device did his naturally

occurring manner return. “Satisfied?” He spat. Then he added insolently,

“Do your worst, loathsome beast. You’ll not better me. I curse The Wheel

with my last ounce of bile. I wipe my bottom with its scriptures. I…”

But he said no more. This was because he was now beneath the surface

of the lake, and desperately wishing that he’d taken a moment to draw in

some badly-needed air.

Rootley’s first act was one of self-recrimination. ‘Oh what a twatty

hamster you are.’ He thought to himself. His second act was to widen his

eyes in abject panic: Something huge and wobbly was approaching

through the murk. He quickly reasoned that it could only be a death-

dealing Pike: Nothing else would dare live in such vile conditions.

‘But,’ he considered for a nanosecond, ‘Pike are fast and lithe: This

21

approaching object is wobbly and cumbersome. Perhaps it’s something

else completely.’

And, of course, it was. A mere split-second later Joan was upon him –

all kicking and floundering. But Joan hadn’t noticed Rootley: She was too

busy struggling against the drag of her waterlogged freezer suit.

With only a few seconds worth of air remaining in her cheek pouches

calm action gave way to panicky flailing. So when her paws felt the solid

form of Rootley, Joan grabbed on like the very Limpet of Death itself.

“Oi,” Rootley bubbled incoherently, “get off, ya great fat lump!” Then

wished that he hadn’t: There was hardly any air trapped inside his cheek

pouches: Only methane given off by some fermenting wheat grains that

he’d been storing in there for a rainy day.

***

At the lake’s edge consternation abounded as the dunking chair was

wrestled from the startled Dunk Master’s amphibian grasp.

Everyone rushed forward to peer into the murky waters.

“ ‘Ere,” cried out the formerly argumentative old crone, who happened

to be a particularly unpleasant looking field mouse, and was known by

the name of Chaffinch Comelightly,  “young Farnham is a witch after all:

‘E’s gone and made ‘imself all ‘eavy, so’s ‘e can sink to the bottom and

evade the justice of The Wheel by wallowin’ in the ooze.”
22

“Warlock.” The Law Master ground from behind a set of angry incisors,

“The word is Warlock. And would you please refrain from dropping your

aitches! But I take your point: Drowning is an excellent means to save

yourself from the gallows. But it’ll do him no good whatsoever: Justice

will prevail. I’ll see to that!”

With those words still ringing in the villager’s ears, Perfidity

Gallowsmith, the Law Master of Weasels Pit, dirtied her paws, and leant

her considerable weight and strength to the aid of the struggling Dunk

Master.

“On the other paw,” the old crone was continuing, “he might ‘ave turned

‘imself into a Pike, so’s ‘e can swim away, and thumb ‘is nose at us at a

later date, and probably from quite some distance too.”

This theory was not well received by the mob: They began to grumble

nervously; and several armed lawmen began to fidget, and finger their

crossbows.

Quentin Blackheart noticed this, and immediately bent to the task of

decrying this theory as an act of perversion – an art at which he was most

adept. This confused the crowd, and quieted them. But as a result his

watchful gaze had slipped, and high upon the hill that overlooked

Weasels Pit, the arrival of a spectacularly bedecked cavy and its hamster

23

rider went unnoticed.

***

Darkwood Dunce narrowed his eyes (as much as any poppy-eyed

hamster could do), and surveyed the tableau before him from beneath a

vast brass helmet, upon which a huge plume of feathers danced daintily in

the breeze.

At first nothing appeared clear to him. Then he set his monocle correctly,

and the truth of the situation in the village began to dawn upon him.

“By heck and humdingery, Margarita,” he bellowed in a rather

effeminate voice, “I do believe we are witnessing a primitive form of law

enforcement. For surely it is not justice that we see practiced here.”

“Disgusting, that’s what it is.” Replied Darkwood’s mount, “But should

we sit and fret? Why aint ya doing something about it?”

“What – free the poor unfortunate, you mean?” Darkwood was caught

up in the moment, and excitement shone through in his every body

movement. “Do you really think so? It would be ever so daring, wouldn’t

it! But might we not risk some dreadful wounding from the lawmen’s

crossbows?”

“You might, pal,” Replied the cavy, “but underneath all this flappy

finery there’s a chain mail blanket. Even this female equivalent of a

codpiece that I’m wearing is armoured: Aint nothing gonna hurt me,
24

unless I take a bolt straight up the jacksey. And what are the chances of

that!”

“I know,” Darkwood coloured beneath his fine facial hair, “I had that

codpiece especially made for you. I call it a minge-piece It fits perfectly.”

Then, more resolutely he said, “Yes, and I shall wear the armour of

righteousness to protect me. Come, dear gallant Margarita, the bravest

female cavy in all of Spanx: We gallop toward our destiny.”

“Waddle.” Margarita corrected her owner, as she started down the hill,

“We waddle. With all this crap on my back, the only way I’m gonna build

up any speed is by jumping off a cliff. I don’t see one any place nearby:

So we waddle toward our destiny.”

“Fine,” Darkwood urged his mount onward, “but make it a fast

waddle: You know that I can’t abide a casual saunter. ”

***

Sorry, that’s all for now. Hopefully you’ll be able to read the remainder of this exciting/inspiring/highly entertaining/rip-snorting/hilarious/bloody awful/pile of dung (delete as applicable) tale at a later date. That is when a publisher of great vision and intellect recognises its true worth, and makes it available to all and sundry as either an E-book or the good old-fashioned paper version.
Until that time (or when I give up, throw up my hands with despair, and place the complete work here, free-of-charge) please peruse other chapters of my Hamster Britain stories: You may not know how the stories end, but you can enjoy the bits leading up to it. Oh, and please leave a comment. Tell me if you liked it (or thought that it should be thrown out on the compost heap). Suggestions are always welcome. Well, not always welcome. Nice suggestions: That’s what I’m looking for. And adulation too, of course. That goes without saying. You show me one author who doesn’t seek adulation..…

Quick synopsis: Prince Nuada wants to activate the Golden Army in order to start a war between humans and elves (and other mythical creatures) to effectively take over the world. Hellboy and hid colleagues have to stop him, helped by his sister, Princess Nuala. I think that kind of covers the plot, though what makes this film truly wonderful is the imagination that has gone in to creating the various characters and the world that they inhabit.

What I loved about this movie = well, obviously Hellboy himself, but also: the fantastic prologue complete with puppets; the co-opting of Barry Manilow (really loved that bit!); the Tooth Fairies (I'll never think of them the same way again); The Angel of Death; Luke Goss (who would have thought it?); the Golden Army; the coolness that is Selma Blair.

No dislikes but one quibble = how can you have a set-piece at the Giant's Causeway without actually showing the Giant's Causeway???

Rating stuff = contains moderate fantasy violence and infrequent strong language, so once again not for the under 12s

Tissue count = zero

Safety cushion = not applicable (but I didn't need to close my eyes at any point either)

By the way, there's a great review of this movie by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings........

Mirar und Auraya machen raschere Fortschritte, als ich zu hoffen wagte, auch wenn das Potential des Jungen wohl dem eines gewöhnlichen Bauern entspricht. Nun, eine Herausforderung ist es schließlich, was ich suchte. Zudem wird sein einfaches Gemüt und seine schreckhafte Art es mir ermöglichen, leichter seine absolute Treue und Loyalität, vielleicht gar Verehrung zu gewinnen. Eine allgemein vorteilhafte Situation also.

Sölva und ich sind wieder im Reinen miteinander, was ihren Groll mir gegenüber angeht. So weit so gut. Cery hat sich ebenfalls ein Spielzeug gesucht, auch wenn er das Mädchen seinen Knappen nennt und wohl keine Pläne über die offensichtlichen hinaus mit ihr hat; jede Form von Verschlagenheit scheint ihm fremd, was mir durchaus zum Vorteil gereicht.

+50 Erfahrungspunkte

3200 Erfahrungspunkte Sterblicher - Stufe 10

2750 Erfahrungspunkte Held - Stufe 9

E così ieri sera l'ho fatto: mea sponte  ho aperto i miei orizzonti cinematografici, devo dirlo, con molta soddisfazione!

Quando ho visto per ma prima volta "La storia infinita" ero piccolina e ne sono rimasta a bocca aperta: la vicenda raccontata nel film era emozionante, coinvolgente e dolcissima, Atreyu era l'eroe coraggioso e affascinante che sognavo di sposare una volta cresciuta, ho pianto vedendo Artax, il suo fedele cavallo, affogare nelle Paludi della Disperazione, e ho esultato quando alla fine del film Bastian, a bordo del fortunadrago Falcor lo vede galoppare come se niente fosse nelle praterie sconfinate di Fantasia, guidato dal valoroso Atreyu alla caccia del solito bufalo purpureo. Ne ero rimasta talmente colpita che avevo perfino racimolato una collanina giocattolo per le Barbie e facevo finta che fosse l'Auryn, che avrebbe permesso loro di agire in nome della giustizia e di orientarsi meglio che con un GPS.

Poi sono stati trasmessi i sequel: le storie infinite 2, 3 e addirittura 4, uno più brutto e pacchiano dell'altro. Da questa delusione fortissima per una bambina è venuta la decisione solenne: mai e poi mai avrei rivisto un altro film fantasy, oltre alle repliche de "La storia infinita" prima e, per me, unica.

Fino a ieri sera. Ieri sera ho deciso per pura curiosità visto le pubblicità del momento di guardare "Le cronache di Narnia". Sorvolando sull'accento orientale del leone Aslan, sulle analogie religiose a cui si presta la sua morte (e di cui andrebbe parlato a parte...maggari lo farò in un altro post), sul fatto che sarebbe stato meglio usare un leone ammaestrato piuttosto che un pupazzo, e sui trucchetti grafici per muovergli la criniera, ho apprezzato tantissimo la vicenda narrata, il modo in cui è stata raccontata, il modo in cui sono stati trasposti il rapporto tra i fratelli, il valore dell'amicizia e della lealtà. Un intreccio accattivante, un linguaggio piacevole per gli adulti e per i bambini, e personaggi che ti sciolgono, come la piccola Lucy o il dolcissimo fauno. Ero talmente coinvolta dal e nel film che era come se fossi al cinema e non esistessero altre distrazioni nel mio soggiorno.

Questo film ha davvero riscattato l'opinione che avevo del genere fantasy, non c'è che dire! E ora sarei molto, molto curiosa di vedere "Il principe Caspian", che sarà in uscita nelle sale a breve... la pace può dirsi così suggellata tra Desireè Clery e il fantasy!

E comunque, visto che anche l'occhio femmineo vuole la sua parte, Peter da grande, che si può vedere per pochi fotogrammi alla fine de "Il leone, la strega e l'armadio", è un gran belvedere!

Before long, his travels had him witness the cruelty of the Priest Lords as they tormented their slaves and serfs with unceasing labour in great fields, offering little to reward to their servants.

All over Mu, Rhazna saw time and again the hardship of the peasantry, who demanded from their lords to know the hallowed prayers as they did - yet many Priest Lords kept would only share such lore with each other.

To shorten that phrase up sensual means different, unique or unusual to what you are accustomed to. So if you are searching for sensual lingerie then you are searching for lingerie in which is not normal to you.

The desire for sensual lingerie, shows that you are adventurous and would like to act out the fantasy of “being excitingly strange, or from another part of the world."

And you are thinking to yourself that you need some kind of wild lingerie to fulfill that fantasy. I am here to tell you that whips and chains, are not the only way to go. Just remember this important fact sensual means different and unusual for you.

If you are a biker chick and wear leather vests and chaps all the time, then the whips and chains would not be considered unique or different. What would be sensual lingerie for you, would be a cute little pink or white teddy or babydoll with little ruffle but panties.

If you never wear dresses then something like a chemise or sexy club wear dress could be sensual lingerie for you.

If you are the lady whom wears dresses and is usually very feminine, maybe whips and chains will give the shock and awe you are looking for. Costumes are also a good source of sensual lingerie, with tons of styles and fantasies to choose from.

The whole purpose of wanting sensual lingerie is to feel different than normal, and to shock and excite our partners. And there is something about an abrupt style change, which can boost your spirits and give you that all powerful feeling of confidence saying "I can be and do anything I want".
Men get excited about the unusual and new lingerie choices; it keeps them hanging on the edge of their seat wandering what’s next.

Luego de que Tecmo rechazara la oferta de compra por parte de Square Enix, Yoichi Wada, presidente de esta última, declaró a la prensa japonesa que siguen en pláticas con otras compañías dentro y fuera de Japón, pensando en una futura adquisición.

Wada también comentó que no sabe si volverán a hacer una oferta por Tecmo (que ahora quiere unirse con Koei).

En pocas palabras, Square Enix quiere comprar algo, ya sea en Japón o afuera, pero no creo que se piensen quedar con las manos vacías.

*ETA: I've linked to Neil's blog rather than HarperCollins so you can get the full story.

White's dry, even tone lends an air of authority to this quiet farm setting. The book is filled with simple, understated descriptions. Oddly enough, my favorite description was Zuckerman's dump. There's a lovely rhythm and variation to it that I admire.

...an astonishing pile of old bottles and empty tin cans and dirty rags and bits of metal and broken bottles and broken hinges and broken springs and dead batteries and last month's magazines and old discarded dishmops and tattered overalls and rusty spikes and leaky pails and forgotten stoppers and useless junk of all kinds, including a wrong-size crank for a broken ice cream freezer.

I vaguely remembered that Fern saves Wilbur in the first chapter, but forgotten how Fern drifts out of Wilbur's story. I had forgotten how funny it could be. Sometimes the humor is subtle, like when Fern's mother is the one who immediately sees that the "miracle" is the spider, but the men stubbornly insist on seeing the miracle as the pig. Sometimes it's slapstick, like when Fern's cousin Avery breaks the rotten goose egg.

I remembered, of course, that Charlotte dies, but forgotten that she dies alone. No wonder no one can read that passage without breaking down!

I loved the scene where Wilbur watches in horrified fascination as she captures a fly and tells him she's going to drink its blood. The scene where she decides what kind of silk to use to write the words (excerpted here ) is a great example of using your research to tell the story, instead of forcing True Spider Facts on the reader. And the scene I remembered most vividly from my first readings all those years ago is the 514 baby spiders drifting away under their silk balloons. In short, I love Charlotte because she is so much like a real spider. I wonder now if I got some of my love for bugs from this story.

They called Charlotte "bloodthirsty, wise, and true." I call this book gentle, unflinching, and true.

I was trying so hard not to have another announcement until Tuesday... but I was looking to see if there were any conventions in the area and I found Ithacon is happening next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- admission is only $3. Here's the guest list:

• Writer and fantasy author Tamora Pierce (White Tiger, The Song of the Lioness, Circle of Magic)
• Fantasy illustrator and art teacher Jime Elena Grabowski (2008 Ithaca Festival Best of Show Winner for "Chaotic Freedom")
• Cartoonist and underground comix artist Jay Lynch (Bijou Funnies, Otto's Orange Day, Mad magazine)
• The "Answer Man" Bob Rozakis ('Mazing Man)
• Writer and Syracuse University professor Doug Brode (Salt City)
• Freelance writer and blogger Tim Liebe (White Tiger)
• Illustrator Wayne Beeman (The Dubious Duo)
• Writer and playwright Joe Edkin (Sonic X, Scooby-Doo, Animaniacs)
• Artist Ken Wheaton (Bart Simpson Comics, Radioactive Man, Futurama)
• Cartoonist Josh Blair (Candy or Medicine)
• Local sports illustrator Joe Orsak (Salt City, Captain 'Cuse, Faceballs)
• Superman novelist and New York Times bestselling author Roger Stern (Giant-Size Incredible Hulk, X-Men: Odd Men Out)
• Fantasy/RPG card artist Storn Cook (Legend of the Five Rings CCG, Wildways)
• Local artist and musician Aaron Windsor
• plus additional surprise guests

I was wondering if anyone would be interested in this? If there were enough students interested and committed to actually going, then I would see if it was possible to sign up for a van rental through HWS--which means I'd have to get trained to drive the van before I'm actually allowed to borrow it. So it's a lot of hassle to go through to borrow a van, but if there were like seven students who would definitely want to go, and guaranteed they'd show up on on Saturday morning to hitch a free ride to Ithaca, then it'd be worth it.

The funny thing about Goldman is that in all his author's notes and prefaces and public appearances, he acts as though Florin and so on are real places. Like a lot of fantasy authors (like Edgar Rice Burroughs, for example), he wrote The Princess Bride pretending that he had come into possession of a book written by "S. Morgenstern" (or in Burroughs' case, he pretended to have heard the story from others as well as read the original Greystoke's journal). To this day, Goldman claims to be a descendant of a grandson of a man of Florin or something.

Goldman also wrote a lot of very famous screenplays, for which he received an Academy Award or two. He wrote Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Stepford Wives (not the terrible Nicole Kidman one), Maverick, The General's Daughter, and the adapted screenplay for All The President's Men.

Let's cap off this entry with the 'Battle of Wits' scene between Wesley and Vizzini. ;)

Track Listing

1. The Spy
2. Retaliation
3. Movin'
4. Blue Sky
5. Drifting
6. Heresy
7. Fisherman's Horizon
8. ODEKA de Chocobo
9. Where I Belong
10. The Oath
11. Slide Show Part 1
12. Slide Show Part 2
13. Love Grows
14. The Salt Flats
15. Trust Me
16. Silence and Motion
17. Dance with the Balamb-fish
18. Tears of the Moon
19. Residents
20. Eyes On Me

1. The Spy

The oddest song to start with happens on the 3rd disc with The Spy.  Another sneaky track which has some sounds that sound like "Martial Law" from D. 2.  It really doesn't spark anything but I do like the funky jazz feeling that the song shows off.  I just wish there was more to it again.

2. Retaliation

A very nice track this is indeed.  Albeit, very short but it does make some epic sound in it which is great.  The horns/strings make a very suspenseful drive and then the strings end it off on a very sad note.

3. Movin'

Another very strong track appears.  I'm not sure where it's played, but I think it's when Balamb GARDEN moves for the first time.  The sense of a march is apparant here and in its concept it fails because I don't know why you need a march style to say, oh yea this place is moving.  Then it gets this beat where it sounds like a factory...now that's where it got good.  Now as a track by itself it totally rules.  Smart track here.

4. Blue Sky

A short song, but also with a short scene.  It's a graceful and valiant tune.  They could have made is longer as well.  This is Rinoa's scene and only appears if she's in the main 3.  So it's kind of a hit-miss track.  Though it's a pleasant tune.

5. Drifting

The most boring track is right here.  Not only that it doesn't grasp my attention, it makes me want to press next.  All it is is strings playing phrases and nothing else really.  It does fit the title however since it does sound like drifting...into sleep maybe HAH.

6. Heresy

Oh yea, this is very evil with the organ playing long and short notes, it really possessed a dark quality, that's ranging to vampiric status.  Though there isn't too much of a change, It really puts a mood into your thoughts.  Probably the scariest track on this disc so far.

7. Fisherman's Horizon

Kind of a twist into this song.  This just like "Breezy", this has a very calm atmosphere and some beautiful instruments.  I know it's synth but the harmonica sounding synth plays so well into the song.  To even include a pan flute was even smarter and give some soothing sounds all around.  It is a town theme as well.  I think this game had some of the better town themes than all of the others.  Beautiful.

8. ODEKA de Chocobo

It's the chocobo theme but in 8-bit!  Yeah, it's totally cute and playful and most of us have heard the main melody at some point throughout the various Final Fantasies.  This song was just here for pure randomness and especially to cause an interlude from FH to our next track.

9. Where I Belong

The "Ami" theme returns again but in almost a saddening tone to it.  Then again it's played by some kind of different sounding piano.  Maybe it's just me but I think it's like a music box kind of sound.  The strings come in and gave some hope into the music which was much appreciated.  I think this was, however the weakest of the "Ami" tunes.

10. The Oath

A quite longing tune comes together and to be honest it's melody is just as sad sounding as the previous.  The instrumentation was there, but there was just nothing that really stood out for me as anything special.  It is a smooth track though, I'll give it that.

11. Slide Show Part 1

Another Laguna song that was part of a dream sequence.  I thought it was funny and the song sounds just as funny if not more.  Though the song is pretty quick when it loops so it's nothing too spectacular.  The piano playing like a Western was an interesting catch.  The only thing that bothered me was the movie clicking sound.  That was a bad choice.

12. Slide Show Part 2

Then after the 2nd tie through it leads almost unnoticebly into the 2nd part which took out the annoying clicking and it sounded fun keeping its Western roots intact.  I like pianist in this song.  They kept the bounce and manages to keep fun in its meaning. 

13. Love Grows

Love Grows is a nice example of a love theme.  Interesting is they use the melody of "Eyes On Me" in a more loving kind of way.  The woodwinds also sound beautiful playing a different part of the song.  This I think was the scene where Squall was carrying Rinoa to Esthar.  So it was a charming and lovely scene with the right music.

15. The Salt Flats

I thought winter track when I heard this.  There a feeling of serenity with this song, but the striking notes are also appealing since it was like pushing an emotion to the listener.  Some of the chords also provided some sort of uneasiness also which was interesting.  Way to convey the cold!

15. Trust Me

Trust Me has some bouncy instrumentation and the pan flute adds some childish moments.  Another "Ami" track...it does its job very well.  It's where Laguna saves Ellone in Esthar.  So it did it's job well.  Though I kind of wished it was a little longer.  I mean I was hoping for more stuff again...

16. Silence and Motion

Esthar's theme.  Not only is the city of Esthar pretty to look at its music is just as pretty.  Combining orchestrated sounds with the futuristic bleeps and bloops.  This song has the most fantastic of melodies consisting within a 3/4 time signature.  I'm in complete awe with this track because I never thought it could be done.  More or less be implemented in the city of Esthar.

17. Dance with the Balamb-fish

Something is wrong when you place a song that's a waltz in space.  I would have never have guessed it would've been especially for its title.  I do like the interesting beats for this quirky waltz.  The strings sound lively and the brass is bouncy.  Moon dancing perhaps?  Nahhhh...

18. Tears of the Moon

Ok, everyone seems to know this track as the moment Hell broke loose and Rinoa revived Adel.  That was a jaw-dropping moment to see this whole scene.  The song was as dark and menacing as well.  Another of them short songs that pack a punch, it really made an impact.  Luckily it was short enough for me to like it.

19. Residents

Yeah, the Ragnarok did have "residents" and this song proved to be a nice track.  The plucked strings mixed with evil low synths...Not really much to the song by itself.  Later before the loop the song had some bounce and kind of contradicted the song itself.  Making the Propagators look like cakewalks (which they weren't)...So the song kind of failed its purpose.

20. Eyes On Me

Faye Wong was the lady to give this song some life and she did an awesome job doing it as well.  It starts off with a string beginning where it was just bleeeh.  The actual song doesn't really start until 2 minutes passed by, where Faye sings.  Her voice sounded pretty and with the infamous love scene happened it really stuck out in my mind.  Squall proposing to protect Rinoa at all costs even though she's a *SPOILER* a sorceress.  Length-wise its practically 13 minutes...so it's gonna be a long ride with the song.  I'll stick with the single version.

Tracks Recommended

• Silence and Motion
• Fisherman's Horizon
• Movin'
• Eyes On Me
• Tears of the Moon

Yea, this disc changed moods at various times.  There was no song that had the same mood throughout which was funny.  Some of the songs were random while the important ones were placed after these random moments.  Though the songs are placed chronologically in-game...There could have been more connections around it and couldve been more fluidity.