Hi guys,
Feel free to check out my next VBT stop at Wise Words Book Blogger, where you can see my writer's process. Don't forget the free ebooks giveaway, through the Rafflecopter entry form at the bottom of the blog - 5 free copies of the 2nd Edition to giveaway!
The next stop will be tomorrow, more details then!
Cheers,
T. M. Shannon
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Sunday, 12 May 2013
Again with the Forging Scene, and Other Matters...
Hi guys,
Well, I've got another review of TSH up, this time on Amazon from someone I have not had contact with (yay!). Another Two Star review (not so yay), with one particular comment: how they skipped the 10-20 pages of the forging scene (wha...).
This time its a lot easier to handle, and I can respect a dislike of a scene based on personal taste.
But seriously scene was skipped? That seriously concerns me, as there is more to the overall scene than just three rods of metal getting redrawn, heated and hammered, twisted together, put in a mould, connected to an Armiger hilt, sharpened and sold to the customer (without the hilt, mind, for very good reason).
This is a scene I've looked at backwards and forwards. Given further, professional editing, maybe Metallurgy can be reduced by a page. I could take out the song, or Gilthia's back story, but that robs the narrative of an integral character, and an introduction to the Duries; it also robs the narrative of Badrack and Gilthia falling in love - one of my favourite moments of TSH.
It leaves me to beg readers - please stick with the scene! There is more to the forging of Dresden's sword than Norse forging techniques. It draws light to the smithing process: its not just tapping metal a few times and, lo and behold, pulling out the best sword ever made. It also gives praise to the struggle of making the sword and the people who went to the trouble of making it - their conflict against metal, if you will.
And that's something forgotten with Narsil, Glamdring and Sting from Lord of the Rings. Thankfully, John Milius didn't forget it in Conan the Barbarian...
Speaking of sticking with it, my Blogs and that Virtual Book Tour of mine. Yes, I've been a bit quiet on both fronts lately. After a bit of a hiccup on the tour (all fixed now), you can find another spotlight here at Mass Musings, and my guest post at Bikers with Books. Don't forget you can win one of (at least) 5 review copies of The Torment, The Shadow, The Heart, too!
As for the Blogs, I've discovered its hard balancing a fortnightly posting of the History and even the weekly moments of the Author blog (and I've given up on the third blog) for now. I've decided to go for a once a month posting of the Author page (aiming for the 10th of every month - I know, I'm late), and the History of Talbadas blog (aiming for the 20th of every month, hopefully I can get the time in the next few days).
Don't forget to check out my Shared Links page, I owe a few shares, so don't forget to check out the links and see if you like what you see.
So that's it from me. Hope you all have a good week, and Happy Mother's Day.
Cheers,
T. M. Shannon
Well, I've got another review of TSH up, this time on Amazon from someone I have not had contact with (yay!). Another Two Star review (not so yay), with one particular comment: how they skipped the 10-20 pages of the forging scene (wha...).
This time its a lot easier to handle, and I can respect a dislike of a scene based on personal taste.
But seriously scene was skipped? That seriously concerns me, as there is more to the overall scene than just three rods of metal getting redrawn, heated and hammered, twisted together, put in a mould, connected to an Armiger hilt, sharpened and sold to the customer (without the hilt, mind, for very good reason).
This is a scene I've looked at backwards and forwards. Given further, professional editing, maybe Metallurgy can be reduced by a page. I could take out the song, or Gilthia's back story, but that robs the narrative of an integral character, and an introduction to the Duries; it also robs the narrative of Badrack and Gilthia falling in love - one of my favourite moments of TSH.
It leaves me to beg readers - please stick with the scene! There is more to the forging of Dresden's sword than Norse forging techniques. It draws light to the smithing process: its not just tapping metal a few times and, lo and behold, pulling out the best sword ever made. It also gives praise to the struggle of making the sword and the people who went to the trouble of making it - their conflict against metal, if you will.
And that's something forgotten with Narsil, Glamdring and Sting from Lord of the Rings. Thankfully, John Milius didn't forget it in Conan the Barbarian...
Speaking of sticking with it, my Blogs and that Virtual Book Tour of mine. Yes, I've been a bit quiet on both fronts lately. After a bit of a hiccup on the tour (all fixed now), you can find another spotlight here at Mass Musings, and my guest post at Bikers with Books. Don't forget you can win one of (at least) 5 review copies of The Torment, The Shadow, The Heart, too!
As for the Blogs, I've discovered its hard balancing a fortnightly posting of the History and even the weekly moments of the Author blog (and I've given up on the third blog) for now. I've decided to go for a once a month posting of the Author page (aiming for the 10th of every month - I know, I'm late), and the History of Talbadas blog (aiming for the 20th of every month, hopefully I can get the time in the next few days).
Don't forget to check out my Shared Links page, I owe a few shares, so don't forget to check out the links and see if you like what you see.
So that's it from me. Hope you all have a good week, and Happy Mother's Day.
Cheers,
T. M. Shannon
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Yes it denotes sheer fanboyism, but...
May he Fourth be with you this Star Wars day.
Just read on euronews that, as per some fans, we should be celebrating Revenge of the 5th tomorrow. Yes, it's geeky, but it means I get to wear my Yoda t-shirt today for an "official reason." Then again there's further official reason on the 25th (date of Episode 4's release) - which in 2027 is going to be an epic party.
Well, that's it for me for this week's post, cementing myself forever as Star Wars Fan (see, nothing fancy like a Twihard or derisive like Trekkies [just checked, they prefer Trekkers and use Trekkie as a form of derision]).
The force will be with you, always,
Tresh Korbel
(P.S. Yes that is my name from when I ran it through the Star Wars Name Generator many moons ago)
Just read on euronews that, as per some fans, we should be celebrating Revenge of the 5th tomorrow. Yes, it's geeky, but it means I get to wear my Yoda t-shirt today for an "official reason." Then again there's further official reason on the 25th (date of Episode 4's release) - which in 2027 is going to be an epic party.
Well, that's it for me for this week's post, cementing myself forever as Star Wars Fan (see, nothing fancy like a Twihard or derisive like Trekkies [just checked, they prefer Trekkers and use Trekkie as a form of derision]).
The force will be with you, always,
Tresh Korbel
(P.S. Yes that is my name from when I ran it through the Star Wars Name Generator many moons ago)
Monday, 29 April 2013
Next VBT Stop...
Hi guys,
I'm at my next stop on the Virtual Book Tour, you can catch me at Morgen Bailey's Writing Blog
Thanks for stopping by!
I'm at my next stop on the Virtual Book Tour, you can catch me at Morgen Bailey's Writing Blog
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Stuck for something to write about this week...
Hi guys,
Well, the VBT is underway at http://somuchtowritesolittletime.com/ with my thanks to the host already up and one nice comment. But past guest blogs, reviews, previews and whatnot, its left me with nothing to blog about this week that won't pop up in the next few weeks.
That leaves me with a conundrum, since I don't want to blog about the book, or writing the second book, or the pratfalls of taking certain comments in a bad review badly, or doing another History of Talbadas post.
Maybe you'd like the views on when the 21st Century will actually get here. Well, we have ski goggles with a HUD that takes photos and posts to Facebook and after 20 years Virtual Reality has finally been figured out. In true Idiocracy standards, those photos have been close ups of trees that the wearers ran into because they weren't used to the whole HUD idea. But there's been no tangible advances in the flying car, the hoverboard or replicants; just the laceless Nike's from Back to the Future.
Maybe you'd like to hear my political view, but I'd rather not get started on minimising tax deductions, dropping welfare from those who can afford it, building more public transport and that High Speed Train we've needed for the past 40 years, and plugging budget gaps with fat, rich, loudmouth miners. Frankly, like I do with politicians on TV, I'd mute myself and have a groan.
Maybe you'd like to hear the one about how one-legged waiters work at IHOP. Better yet, maybe you'd like to hear my plans to import IHOP and Culvers into Australia.
But before I forget, today is Anzac Day, where we commemorate not only the Gallipoli landings in 1915, or the loss of Australian and New Zealander "Diggers" in this campaign, but remember the lives lost in many wars. And while steeped in no small degree of mythicism and glorification, sometimes flippantly ignoring the horrific reality of conflict (look up Wilfred Owen for some honesty and what he really thought of Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori), I'd like to remember ALL who fought and died in any war, no matter the legitimacy, no matter the reason.
Why we have to go to such lengths, I simply do not understand. What we need are heroes to stop hatred and cruel ambition.
Ending on a sombre note, I know,
T. M. Shannon
P.S. The next stop on the tour is at Scrapblog, here at http://25three.blogspot.com.au/. Hope to see you there as well.
P.S. The next stop on the tour is at Scrapblog, here at http://25three.blogspot.com.au/. Hope to see you there as well.
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