Wheel of Time

So, here they are! Arrived today. Ten books of the "Wheel of Time" series:

I have to admit this will be my first epic fantasy. I have read LOTR, and Silmarillion is one of my most favorite books, but “Wheel of Time” seems ten times longer.

I have never started anything as epic before, and I’m not sure I will finish it in less than five (!) years.

Last night I read the first two chapters. Then reread them. Too many names, too many characters and locations. I had a hard time remembering the names of the characters and who was who. But since early morning I have been longing to go back to the book.

Either I am already addicted to “The Eye of the World” or I am afraid to forget what has already happened in the book, because then I will have to start anew.

I am not sorry for my big purchase. I know I will love the “Wheel of Time”. The only thing I feel sorry for is that I had a moment of parsimony and did not buy the e-books. Those used paperbacks cost almost nothing ($40 for the whole set), but now I’m outside, and won’t be able to resume my reading till late at night when I get home.

And at last, I will understand what Blind Guardian has been singing about. 

That's a big bonus! :)

The young man says:
"I will never give in"
The prophecy
Behold it's true
I conquer the flame
To release the insane
I'm crying
I cannot erase
I'm the Dragon Reborn
And in madness
I soon shall prevail
Twice I'll be marked and
Twice I shall live
The heron sets my path
And name me true
Twice I'll be marked and
Twice I shall die
My memory's gone
But twice I pay the price.

(Blind Guardian, "Wheel of Time" from the album "At the Edge of Time").

It's available!

Witch Hollow and the Dryad Princess is already available on Amazon.

As promised, it was published on the last day of summer :)

Remember to tell me what you thought about the 3rd book of the "Witch Hollow" series. Your  reviews and comments will  help me to finish the series.

I recently received an email from a reader, who was wondering why some of the characters were not dying. She told me that in popular YA/Fantasy books at least two characters in one book should die. 

Do you agree with what this reader is saying? 

As for me, I don't think I will kill off a character unless it is necessary for the plot :) And sadly, deaths may happen in the next book. But no more spoilers. Enjoy the book and don't forget that you can always email me at idblindauthor@gmail.com.

 

Bobby's Girl

Have you ever read a book which you couldn't take out of your head for weeks? I know you have. We all have.

But I always believed that the best books for me are those written at least 100 years ago. Ok, 50, maybe. I don’t like contemporary literature. I’m a classic fan. Nothing written in the past decades had ever touched my heart like one particular book.

  

 Bobby’s Girl.

This is a book that I’m not averse rereading, although I never reread. “Bobby’s Girl” still lives in my head, despite that more than a month has passed since I read it.

So what made this one book so exceptional for me?

The superb writing? 

Maybe.

The story? 

Surely.

The sensation I had throughout reading? 

Yes.

This book is an emotional package, and so deep that I still can’t get out of the story, can’t forget the characters, can’t stop thinking about the wonder that is called first love.

“Bobby’s Girl” is a masterpiece. I hope it will reach the readers and will find the deserved place in the literature world.

Encouraging quotes for writers (and not only)

We all sometimes need a bit of encouragement, don't we?

I was feeling dismal and couldn’t do anything, not even write despite that writing is my biggest enjoyment and the greatest love.

Then I lurked in the web and found many encouraging quotes by those whom I admire and who have probably felt the same at least once in their lifetime. Those words gave me courage and hope, and so I am sharing them with my fellow writers.

"I learned to write by writing. I tended to do anything as long as it felt like an adventure, and to stop when it felt like work, which meant that life did not feel like work." - Neil Gaiman.

  

 "Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself." - Terry Pratchett.

"You need not expect to get your book right the first time." - Mark Twain.

"To aspiring writers, I say : Don't give up. Storytelling has been an integral part of the human condition since the beginning of time. Don't let anyone tell you your dreams don't have value. They do." - Beverly Jenkins.

"Every professional writer has that first moment of breathless chills like a caffeine pill has just kicked in and you feel like the words you read are not words but wings and you can fly with them." - Tiffany Reisz.

"If it pleases you and you can write at all, it's gonna please somebody else." - Charlaine Harris.

"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence." - Octavia Butler.

"Once upon a time, something happened, and it was better than something not happening. The end." - Dan Harmon.

 "Writing is an extreme privilege but it's also a gift. It's a gift to yourself and it's a gift of giving a story to someone." - Amy Tan.

 

"Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money." - Moliére.

And my favorite:

"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." - Herman Melville.

About "Witch Hollow and the Dryad Princess"

The 3rd part of the "Witch Hollow" series has a cover, a synopsis, an Amazon page, is now undergoing an edit, and will be available very soon :)

 Eric is on the deathbed.

Cassandra is heartbroken.
Jack is entangled in a love triangle.
Dinah is forced into a marriage.
These are the minor problems that young residents of Hollow have to deal with. The Hunters are back in town, and the Council is plotting another witch-hunt.
To find a way for fighting back the Hunters, the young people will have fly to Walachia and receive advice from their wizard grandfather. Things become worse when three mysterious girls begin to mar the witches’ plans.







A bit about the book (be warned that I may include minor spoilers).

It is darker than the first two, and concentrates not only on the upcoming witch-hunt, but tells also about the characters' love matters. The children are growing up, and their problems are becoming more emotional. Thomas loves Dinah, Dinah loves Eric, Eric loves Electra; Ariadne and Eleanora love Jack; Jack loves both; and as if so much heartache is not enough, three new girls and two new boys will appear in the book, and everything will become even more complicated.

But because there are also lots of adventures, some of the love matters will stay unresolved. More questions will be answered in the 4th book.

Oh, and about the title character. The Dryad Princess is actually a minor character who appears at the very end of the book, but I was so taken away by her that decided to put her on the cover.

Happy reading.