Another Update on A Dance with Dragons

The latest on George R.R. Martin and A Song of Ice and Fire:
After returning from the HBO pilot shoot for A Game of Thrones, which took several weeks away from his writing in late October/November as he visited the set and actors, it seems George delved right into A Dance With Dragons with a slashing […]

Create Unique Words and Names When Writing Fantasy

Writer’s Corner has a good article on How to Find Interesting Words and Names for Your Fantasy Writing. The article covers the following points:

Keep a small notebook of interesting names and words
Maps are an excellent resource
Dictionaries and encyclopedias
Foreign languages
Add a glossary to your novel
Hearing the words
Enhance your readers experience

Names of cities on old maps have […]

A Song of Ice and Fire New Cover Art

A new edition of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is being released in France with new cover art. Marc Simonetti is the artist. The four covers depict: Castle Black (A Game of Thrones), Tyrion and King’s Landing (A Clash of Kings), hunting the Stark children Bran and Rickon (A Storm […]

Game of Thrones Filming Complete

According to westeros.org:
Filming on the Game of Thrones pilot has wrapped, according to VFX producer Julia Frey. So ends three weeks of shooting that took place in three different countries and involved a primary cast two dozen strong and more than a hundred extras.
Read more …

Lloyd Alexander and Welsh Mythology

Lloyd Alexander was one of the first fantasy authors I can remember reading. Actually, the Prydain Cycle was the series that really got me hooked on the genre. I was in sixth grade and someone handed me The Book of Three (the first book in the series). I need to go back at some point […]

Novel Update - Excerpt Included

I started working on my novel again this week. It’s the first time I’ve written something new in months. I’m re-writing the first scene entirely, and this is what I have so far (always subject to change, of course):
****
He knows the truth. Cobus held the parchment next to the flame on his desk, the red […]

Review of A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Paperback: 784 pages
Publisher: Bantam (October 30, 2007), *hardcover edition published November of 2005
ISBN-10: 0553582038
I finally got around to finishing A Feast for Crows (AFFC). I had read about 700 pages of the 1,000 page saga months ago, anticipating the new book A Dance with Dragons (ADWD) would come […]

Fantasy Fanatics Take Medieval Make-Believe to Bill Schupp Park

“Fantasy Fanatics Take Medieval Make-Believe to Bill Schupp Park”
By Amy Nichol Smith
September 17, 2009
The Monitor
Bill Schupp Park in McAllen has become a battleground.
A warrior clutches his shield against his chest and lunges with his sword toward an enemy. His opponent, a besieged wizard, quickly casts a spell that freezes his nemesis in place – for […]

New in Fantasy

The Other Lands (Acacia, Book 2) by David Anthony Durham
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (September 15, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0385523327
Amazon.com Review Book Description:
The thrilling new installment in the ambitious Acacia trilogy, praised by the Washington Post as “gripping and sophisticated.”
A few years have passed since the conquering of the Mein, and Queen Corinn is firmly in control of […]

Interview with Kaleb Nation, Author of Bran Hambric

1. What inspired you to write the story of Bran Hambric?
I was awake on the night of 3/3/03, thinking about a different story, when for some strange reason, the image of Bran Hambric and a banker sitting on a roof leapt into my mind. I knew they were waiting for a burglar, and I knew […]