Monday, June 2, 2008

Contest update and Bitterwood Review

I've had several poems, one recipe, and one drawing submitted so far, along side the name only entries to the contest. I'll announce the first winner this Wednesday night, and maybe post a poem or two. There's still time to get in on this drawing, and the three that will follow. And, don't forget, if you send in a poem or drawing and I use it, whether you win or not, I'll send you a nifty Dragonforge pin, just as soon as they come back from the printer.

In other news, 11 months after its release, Fantasy Book Spot has reviewed Bitterwood! Better late than never, yes? Especially when it's a meaty, well thought out review. You can see what they have to say here.

A sample from the review: "As more twists are parceled out, Bitterwood becomes more of a fantasy/science fiction story. ... While these more science fiction elements were intriguing to me and added to the story in the way that they were incorporated they didn’t affect the overall world, nor have any bearing on the war that was brewing between dragons and humans. ... It was these elements that added the unpredictable into a story that was predicable on the larger scale. The story gave us unexpected alliances, secret plans, betrayal, daring escapes, and heroic victory against overwhelming odds. There’s our basic scoop of chocolate ice cream. It’s good. The science fiction that James Maxey sprinkles into his recipe are the fudge chunks. They make it better."

I'm guessing the reviewer will be pleased by the plot of Dragonforge, since I delve even deeper into the secrets of my world, and really take a stab at filling it with fantastic elements of the fantasy stories I love--things like underground kingdoms, giants, angels, devils, fire-spewing dragons, rainbow bridges, talking animals, and magic weapons--and work hard to ground them in a plausible reality. I'm trying to imagine a fantasy world that could actually exist. I'm biting my nails as the next months pass, waiting to discover if readers think I've pulled it off...

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