Blogtalk Interview Postponed

The interview with Webb Weaver Books Blogtalk Radio has been postponed, due to unforeseen circumstances. I will post the new date when it is finalized.

New Rankings and Random Promotion Day

We have hit an all-time high on our rankings for Amazon's Best Seller lists! As of right now, my book is ranked #23 in Historical Fantasy, #30 in Fantasy Books, and #37 in Children's Fantasy! I'm so excited! Granted, this is updated almost hourly...but still. For this moment I am super awesome. Oh! I mean, I'm humbled and happy. Haha! (I'm totally kidding, for those of you who aren't as familiar with my sense of humor.)

Also, I have decided to do another promotion day. No reason, really. Just for fun. It will take place this upcoming Monday (Feb. 25), so be sure to download your FREE copy of "The Threshold Child" and please spread the word!

WebbWeaver Books Blogtalk Radio

I have been invited to do an interview on WebbWeaver Books Blogtalk Radio. It should be pretty low-key, but I'm still kind of nervous. I've never done an interview before (at least, not about my writing). Hopefully, I won't sound like an idiot! There will be some friendly Q&A, and then I will be doing a reading from my book. It will be this upcoming Tuesday (Feb. 26) at 2:00 CST. Tune in or listen to it later (it will be archived)!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/webbweaverbooks/2013/02/26/webbweaver-books-proudly-presents-author-callie-kanno-1

Threshold Trivia: The Rashad

The Rashad are a race of highly intelligent felines that can speak, use magic, become invisible, and have visions. They are magical creatures, and were therefore brought into being by the Creator (religion/mythology will be covered in a future post). Their purpose was to act as guardians and companions to the Serraf--a race of magical women.

When the eleven Serraf (who eventually became the wives of the sons of L'avan) decided to leave behind immortality and return to the human world with L'avan, their Rashad came with them. Since the L'avan people are the descendants of those Serraf, the descendants of those Rashad are sworn to protect them. Some of the mortal Rashad are "called" to do specific things or protect specific people (like with Ravi and Adesina), but most of them protect the race in general.

They have a wide variety of abilities, and only some of them are commonly known. They can speak any language without ever being taught (or even hearing it first). They can become invisible, and they can transport themselves over short distances. They are Dreamers, which allows them to have visions and also to communicate with each other over long distances. They also have a form of magical intuition, which allows them to look into the hearts of those around them. The intuition also give them an idea of how things will eventually turn out (this is separate from Dreaming, since they do not need to be asleep for it to happen). These are the common abilities, but there are also a number of talents that are unique to each Rashad.

They are known for their wisdom, and their advise is often sought. They are extremely careful in the use of their gifts, and they strive to never abuse their power. Like the L'avan, they are deeply religious, and that is reflected in their day-to-day lives.

They have a lifespan of approximately 100 years, but they reach maturity at 2 years of age. Adult males are roughly four feet tall, and the females are slightly smaller. The majority of them have golden-tan fur (of varying shades) with blue eyes, like this:

However, the leader of the Rashad always has black fur and golden eyes, like this:

A new leader is always born in enough time to replace the former one, and there is no knowing which female will bear the new leader. It doesn't run through family lines, so it could be anyone. Gender also plays no part in who the leader will be. Male or female, regardless of parentage, the cub born with black fur and golden eyes is the designated heir.

They live in the grasslands that lead to Pevothem (the L'avan homeland), but they have no qualms about leaving for whatever reason. Their invisibility makes it so they can go anywhere they need to with no trouble at all.

Heart List: Typewriters

Once upon a time, I asked for a typewriter for Christmas (for which I was rather mocked by my family), and I loved it so much that I bought a new one when the old one died! Yes, that's right. I own my very own typewriter, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. In fact, I love having it! I like writing something and having an immediate hard copy...and I also like the clicking sounds. I haven't used it as much of late, but I love having it all the same. I just hope that they never stop making them! I don't know what I would do if my current one stopped working and I had no way to replace it. :)

Threshold Dream Cast

I have absolutely zero expectations that my book will ever be made into a movie. Has that stopped me from assembling my dream cast? Nope. So, here is my list of (currently) favored actors to bring my story to the silver screen:

Adesina:

Stephanie Leonidas

or

Katie McGrath

Ravi:

Ron Glass (voice)

or

Sir Ben Kingsley (voice)

Kendan:

Brandon Routh

or

Henry Cavill

(This was decided before they were both cast as Superman.)

Signe:

Melinda Clarke

or

Dina Meyer

Basha:

Christina Cole

or

Julia Stiles

L'iam:

Jensen Ackles

or

Mike Vogel

E'nes:

Ben Barnes

or

Matthew Goode

L'era:

Molly Quinn

or

Hayden Panettiere

Aleron:

Josh Groban

(I know he's not an actor, but I think he could pull it off. And he has the singing voice I imagine for Aleron.)

or

Colin Morgan

Sa'jan:

Liam Neeson

or

Jeremy Irons

Me'shan:

Clive Owen

or

Ioan Gruffudd

E'rian:

Dagmara Dominczyk

or

Kelli Williams

Okay, I know that some of the actors' ages don't line up, and some of them don't really fit the role (as far as the types of characters they tend to play). But at the very least, this is pretty close to how I imagine them looking.

Evil Overlord: Part 4

Things I will Remember if I Ever Become Evil Overlord

* After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.

* I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know."

* Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.

* If an advisor says to me "My liege, he is but one man. What can one man possibly do?" I will reply, "This," and kill the advisor.

* If one of my dungeon guards begins expressing concern over the conditions in the beautiful princess' cell, I will immediately transfer him to a less people-oriented position.

* My dungeon will have its own qualified medical staff, complete with bodyguards. That way if a prisoner becomes sick and his cell mate tells the guard it's an emergency, the guard will fetch a trauma team instead of opening up the cell for a look.

* When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner.

* I will instruct my Legions of Terror to attack the hero en masse, instead of standing around waiting while members break off and attack one or two at a time.

* I will not rely entirely upon "totally reliable" spells that can be neutralized by relatively inconspicuous talismans.

* I will not order my trusted lieutenant to kill the infant who is destined to overthrow me--I'll do it myself.

* Before employing any captured artifacts or machinery, I will carefully read the owner's manual.

* I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am.

* My dungeon cells will not be furnished with objects that contain reflective surfaces or anything that can be unraveled.

* Even though I don't really care because I plan on living forever, I will hire engineers who are able to build me a fortress sturdy enough that, if I am slain, it won't tumble to the ground for no good structural reason.

* I will not agree to let the heroes go free if they win a rigged contest, even though my advisors assure me it is impossible for them to win.

* I will never accept a challenge from the hero.

* I will decree that all hay be shipped in tightly-packed bales. Any wagonload of loose hay attempting to pass through a checkpoint will be set on fire.

* I will not hold lavish banquets in the middle of a famine. The good PR among the guests doesn't make up for the bad PR among the masses.

* My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.

* If I decide to hold a double execution of the hero and an underling who failed or betrayed me, I will see to it that the hero is scheduled to go first.