Threshold: Preview of Map

Here's a little preview for all of you. My husband is working on the maps that will be in the 2nd edition of "The Threshold Child," and they are coming along great! Here's the map of Sehar (a work in progress, of course).

Heart List: Warwick Davis

One of the characters in my upcoming sequel is a little person, and that has caused me to reflect on how they are typically represented. My first thoughts go to movies, and it seems that little people are overlooked when audiences think of great actors. Take, for example, Warwick Davis. He is an incredibly talented actor! His more famous roles include: Wicket the Ewok (“Star Wars”), Willow (“Willow”), Professor Flitwick (all of the “Harry Potter” movies), and Nikabrik (“Prince Caspian”). Ok, so maybe Wicket isn’t a role worthy of an academy award, but still. The guy’s got some serious talent! I’ve seen him play the hero, I’ve seen him play the villain, and I’ve seen him play any number of strange creatures that involve large amounts of prosthetics. He’s amazing, and I’d love to see him publicly recognized for his skill and hard work.

Update

I've been a bit remiss in my blogging lately. Sorry about that! Let me give you an update on what I've been doing.

I've been taking care of Lewis, obviously. He's at such a fun stage, but he also gets into everything he's not supposed to. Keeping him out of trouble is definitely a full-time job. I've been working on the 2nd edition of "The Threshold Child," and it's coming along quite well. I'm halfway done with the glossary and revising, and my husband has been making some really good progress on the map. I'm excited to see it released! I am hoping that it will be ready before the fall. I want to get it out there as soon as possible.

Another reason for wanting to polish "The Threshold Child" is because I have officially begun my search for a literary agent. There have been a number of people who have asked about getting the book in hardcopy, but that's not something I can do on my own (too much expense). I have always wanted to go through a publishing company, and an agent is a good first step to achieving that goal. I haven't had any luck yet, but I'm not discouraged. I know that it will be a long process, and I'm willing to do the work. I will keep you all updated as I continue that search.

I am also working on the sequel to my book, which will be titled "Legacy of the Blood." It's going pretty well, but not as quickly as I would like. It's hard to dedicate as much time as I'd like to it when I have so many other things going on. I'm still planning on releasing it this fall, but it may be a bit later than I originally thought. The first 15 chapters are with my editor right now, because she likes to work back and forth throughout the process. When I get back those first few chapters, I will start posting excerpts here on my blog. So, be on the lookout for that!

As for now, I should get back to work. I will try to be better about blog posts, and I will post official release dates as soon as I can!

Evil Overlord: Part 7

Things I will Remember if I Ever Become Evil Overlord

* I will not fly into a rage and kill a messenger who brings me bad news just to illustrate how evil I really am. Good messengers are hard to come by.

* I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.

* I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X.

* If I decide to test a lieutenant's loyalty and see if he/she should be made a trusted lieutenant, I will have a crack squad of marksmen standing by in case the answer is no.

* If I have a fit of temporary insanity and decide to give the hero the chance to reject a job as my trusted lieutenant, I will retain enough sanity to wait until my current trusted lieutenant is out of earshot before making the offer.

* If a group of henchmen fail miserably at a task, I will not berate them for incompetence then send the same group out to try the task again.

* When arresting prisoners, my guards will not allow them to stop and grab a useless trinket of purely sentimental value.

* Prison guards will have their own cantina featuring a wide variety of tasty treats that will deliver snacks to the guards while on duty. The guards will also be informed that accepting food or drink from any other source will result in execution.

* If I am escaping in a large truck and the hero is pursuing me in a small Italian sports car, I will not wait for the hero to pull up along side of me and try to force him off the road as he attempts to climb aboard. Instead, I will slam on the brakes when he's directly behind me. (A rudimentary knowledge of physics can prove quite useful.)

* Whenever plans are drawn up that include a time-table, I'll post-date the completion 3 days after it's actually scheduled to occur and not worry too much if they get stolen.

* If my doomsday device happens to come with a reverse switch, as soon as it has been employed it will be melted down and made into limited-edition commemorative coins.

* I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.

* The passageways to and within my domain will be well-lit with fluorescent lighting. Regrettably, the spooky atmosphere will be lost, but my security patrols will be more effective.

* Ropes supporting various fixtures will not be tied next to open windows or staircases, and chandeliers will be hung way at the top of the ceiling.

* I will not imprison members of the same party in the same cell block, let alone the same cell. If they are important prisoners, I will keep the only key to the cell door on my person instead of handing out copies to every bottom-rung guard in the prison.

* No matter how attractive certain members of the rebellion are, there is probably someone just as attractive who is not desperate to kill me. Therefore, I will think twice before ordering a prisoner sent to my bed chamber.

* All crones with the ability to prophesy will be given free facelifts, permanents, manicures, and high fashion wardrobes. That should pretty well destroy their credibility.

* All midwives will be banned from the realm. All babies will be delivered at state-approved hospitals. Orphans will be placed in foster-homes, not abandoned in the woods to be raised by creatures of the wild.

* I will never place the key to a cell just out of a prisoner's reach.

* If I'm sitting in my camp, hear a twig snap, start to investigate, then encounter a small woodland creature, I will send out some scouts anyway just to be on the safe side. (If they disappear into the foliage, I will not send out another patrol--I will break out the napalm.)