Setting as Character by Helen Henderson

Windmaster Legacy by Helen Henderson
Click the cover for purchase information

One of my favorite characters to write is setting. Once a reader suspends belief, the world can encompass whatever the author's imagination can create. Or, possibly more important, places that I would love to visit.

In the Windmaster Novels, readers are invited to journey the high seas, and from mountain heights to cavern depths on an epic quest to save the future of magic. One inspiration for the land of Tarekus in Windmaster Legacy was the Australian outback. The landmark where Lord Dal and Lady Ellspeth were to join the caravan was based on Uluru, or Ayers Rock, the massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Australia's Northern Territory.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

In the veldt, Dal, Ellspeth and the caravan encounter long-necked animals that eat the tender leaves off the top of trees. These creatures are called by tree-trimmers by the locals.

Settings can not only be where an author wants to go, but have been. Looking through old travel photographs of the Desert of Maine reminded me of the area around Montrat. The area is a perfect place for a rogue mage, such as Leod in Windmaster Golem to practice his spells without anyone being aware of his activities.

Spelunking is a  non-starter for a fun activity. That is unless the ground opens up and swallows you, and traveling the underground is the only hope of escape. On the other hand, Ellspeth willingly entered a cave to save the future of mage. And, she had to do it without the knowledge of what was to come or the comfort of Lord Dal and his magic.

That is not to say that I didn't have real-world experience that served as inspiration for the cave in Windmaster. I have visited caves open to the public from Ohio to New York and used the experience as inspiration for Ellspeth's adventure. Each had their own unique world. Access to the underworld varied from rough-hewn, water-slicked stairs to a modern elevator. Some chambers were narrow and walked. Other sites had large, vaulted rooms with a river running through them and visitors traveled by boat.

The real world does not consist of one environment, one microsystem, or one geography. Varying the setting is important to me. And I hope my readers enjoy their journey in the dunes of Montrat, the scrub of Tarekus, and from mountain heights to cavern depths.

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

~Until next month, stay safe and read. Helen

Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination. Follow me online at Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who have adopted her as one of the pack. 

Time- where does it go? by Nancy M Bell

 

To find more of Nancy's work please click on the cover.

Time, where does it go? It feels like only yesterday I was sixteen and galloping through the Rouge Valley near Scarborough, Ontario. My world was filled with horses and the people associated with them. That time in my life is kind of like a golden halo, you know the old saying- the Good Old Days. Of course, life being what it is, there was good and bad in those days. But the constant thread running through it all was the horses and my passion for them. 

It wasn't until I was seventeen that I got my own horse, but I still remember those wonderful patient horses who made up the dude string at Rouge Hill Stables. Considered by some as old, or used up, or just a grade (the equine equivalent of mutt), but they patiently put up with packing non-riders up and down the big hill to gain access to the valley. They did their job without complaining day in and day out. I learned so much from those horses, in my mind's eye I can see them still.

And now, in December I will turn sixty-five. Officially a Senior. How the hell did that happen? My youngest will turn forty in February of 2022. I mean...are you kidding me? Where did all that time go- how did all those years slip by without me really noticing? I have been many things in my life, but through it all the constant has been my horses. Although many horses have made an impact on my life, there are a few that were truly horses of my heart. Brandy was the first horse that was mine, one that no one else could make a decision about. That's the problem with loving horses that don't belong to you, other people can make decisions that take that horse away from you. The second horse of my heart was Tags, a big chestnut quarter horse that looked more like a stocky thoroughbred (and acted like one as well) the third horse, the horse of my old age is Emily. She's twenty-one and still looks much younger. She's been mine since before she was born as I owned her momma. 

I know some men can keep track of events that happened in the past by what car they drove at that time, for me it's what horses were around me that brings back the memories clear and strong. In my heart I am still that sixteen year old kid riding horses in the moonlight through the blooming apple trees beneath Spy Glass Hill, wearing my heart on my sleeve and believing anything is possible if you just want it bad enough.

That idealistic outlook is a bit tattered by the passing years, but I guess I do still believe anything is possible if you just work at it and don't lose focus. The old lady I see in the mirror now can still startle me sometimes, who is she? And behind her eyes I can still find the golden halo of youthful optimism, and always the horses, teaching me courage and fortitude and reminding me patience is a virtue.

 Until next month, stay well, stay happy.

The Front Porch Is Decorated by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Granddaughter #decorating #Halloween

 

My one book with a Halloween scene.  Written for my black adopted daughter andfour of my grandchildren. Wonder when my eldest grannddaughter will undecorate so we can be ready for Christmas.

The last week in September arrived. My granddaughter came downstairs. "The porches in the neighborhood are boring." Not that on our block the ten houses all have porches. Five do and five do not. I just shrugged. "Do you mind if I decorate a bit? she asked. "Go ahead." I thought of something for fall. Well Halloween is fall but what my porch has become since the end of September is quite stunning, I guess. If I can get the pictures to hit this post, you will see what she has done. Halloween is still weeks away. Her furious decorating spree was completed before September ended.

Notice the rose garden still in bloom.

An over view of the entire porch.

The cemetery in the rose garden

Even the front door didn't escape

Creatures taking up space on the furniture,

All the witches brooms. Notice there are two one for her and one for me.

Now the month is half over, she's already planning the Christmas display. I figure before November ends, there will be Christmas on my porch, A big thanks to Ashley for providing me with these many pictures.

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Good News and Bad News, by J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb – Darkness Descends 

Book 2 of the award-winning Twisted Climb series

2021 sailing season is officially over for me and my partner, Ian. To that end, we have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is - we sold our beloved sailboat.

The bad news is - we don't have a sailboat.

You see, our dream is to sail to the Bahamas, to the Caribbean islands and across the ocean to the Mediterranean. Our 36' Catalina sailboat could do the job in the Bahamas and even the Caribbean islands, but we want to sail BIG. That is, sailing with comfort and without worry when encountering 20+ foot ocean waves. We also want to invite family to stay with us for a week or two at a time, and our current boat would not do that comfortably.  

1st Journey to Bahamas: Route from Georgian Bay through Trent Severn Canal 
to Lake Ontario then down Hudson River to New York. South through
Intercoastal Waterway to North Carolina then southeast to the Bahamas. 
Vacation in Bahamas for up to six months, then head north to Annapolis, Maryland,
or Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Cross-Atlantic Journey: Route from New York or Nova Scotia (Canada) across
Atlantic Ocean to the Azores, east to Portugal and Strait of Gibraltar (perhaps Europe?)
Weather window regulates passage south to the Canary Islands, then
southwest across the Atlantic to Antigua, Grenada, British Virgin Islands.
Note: arrows denote ocean currents.

So we are boat-less for now, but greatly enjoying the online experience of searching for the most suitable boat. Ian loves to sail fast (he used to race sailboats) so we need a boat that handles well, sails fast, and for me, is super comfortable. Our preferred boat is a Catalina but we're also looking at Moody and Hylas brands.

Catalina 47 aft cabin (Captain's Quarters)

Hylas 49 main salon

Moody 46

We had 13 wonderful seasons onboard our Escape Route II (and before that, three seasons on our first Escape Route, a 27' C&C). Here's to sailing another 16 seasons :)

We purchased our 36' Catalina in Sandusky, Ohio in March 2009
and had her transported to Georgian Bay, Ontario (Canada).

Hike to Lake Topaz, Baie Fine, North Channel

Escape Route II at anchor, Henvey Inlet, Georgian Bay.

At anchor, Covered Portage Cove, North Channel.

Captain Ian enjoying the sunset at Beckwith Island, Georgian Bay.

Oh and more good news. I'm honoured to say I was voted Best Local Author for South Simcoe, Ontario. Thanks to everyone who voted - Book 3 of The Twisted Climb series is on its way! Below is my upcoming Star Metroland Media newspaper ad.

Stay safe everyone!

J.C. Kavanagh, author of 

The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2) 

voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada 

AND 

The Twisted Climb,

voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll

Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart

VOTED Best Local Author 2021, South Simcoe, Ontario Canada

Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh

www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh 

Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh) 

Instagram @authorjckavanagh

 

A Couple of New Publishing Technologies by Mohan Ashtakala

 

The last twenty years have bought extraordinary changes to the publishing world. Among the most important have been the emergence of the Digital Marketplace, and its younger brother, Social Media Marketing. While purists may rue the days when everything was in print, not to mention available in dozens of small bookstores, there is no doubt that the new technologies have made writers’ works available to an enormous, global audience.

        The days of innovation are not over. Newer, more democratic, ways of publishing are on the horizon. Here then, are a couple of emerging technologies that hold promise:

 

1.      Auto-generated Audio Books.

Currently, only a select few books are turned into audio books. The process involves professional narrators and expensive equipment. The conversion takes time and money. Google, which controls Google Play Books, has been working to developing Artificial Intelligence to automatically transcribe text-to-speech. Far from the robotic voices which mangle names and words, Google has worked on using natural voices that can handle complex words and proper nouns, and deliver speech with authentic pitch, stress, rhythm and intonation. Once widely available, this technology will allow audio books to become available to a vast number of publishers and writers.

 

2.      Books to Graphic novels.

Crazy Maple Studios, a tech company based in California has developed a software which allows authors to recreate their books as graphic novels. While not an automated process, it offers authors the chance to create graphic characters, plates (or scenes) and insert animation and sound. The technology allows the author to even introduce game play, where readers can decide what a character does. In this way, it creates an immersive reading experience which can include gaming.

Mohan Ashtakala (mohanauthor.com) is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," a fantasy and "Karma Nation," a literary romance. he is published by Books We Love (www.bookswelove.com)