The Continuing Saga of The Blue Mage
The Blue Mage took one last toke from the magic pipe, blowing the smoke out in the shape of colorful butterflies that fluttered on the gentle breeze before disappearing a few seconds later. He snuffed out the pipe and slid it into the folds of his cloak. Rolling up his sleeves, he gestured toward theForestofZondoharwhile speaking words of power.
“Transportium Magus Dragonian.” Instantly, the wizard now stood before the young gold dragon/woman, one hand firmly grasping his staff.
“After all the years of destruction your kind wrought on the realm of humans, you dare to show up at my tower asking for help?” The Blue Mage shook his head and laughed in disbelief. “The only reason I don’t smite you now is that I know the gold dragons have usually stood for good and justice. I also know the Golds refused to take part in the Age of Cleansing, but you are still a dragon.” He leaned against his staff for support and sighed. “What’s your name, little one?”
The young woman eyed him suspiciously. T o offer her real name would give the wizard some degree of power over her, so she decided to give one of her aliases. “I am known by many names, same as you Blue Mage, but you may call me Scalena.”
“Scalena,” the Blue Mage repeated softly. “That’s a very pretty name. In fact, something about it sounds familiar, but I can’t quite remember why at the moment.” His expression smoothed while his thoughts searched rapidly back through time trying to find the connection. Coming up blank, he frowned. “Oh well, it’ll come to me.” He turned back to the woman. “What is this help you speak of? How can I help the gold dragons?”
The woman lowered her eyes. “It is not the dragons that need your help, but for myself that I ask. My mother is very ill. She has contracted a deadly plague, and I fear she will die soon if you don’t help her. The plague is magical in nature—that’s why I came to you. An evil sorcerer cursed my mother when she refused to give him her treasure trove. Everyone knows dragons collect treasure, but not everyone knows that if a dragon was to lose their trove, they would die. The trove is literally our lifeblood, worth more to us than the mere intrinsic value of gold and baubles.” A tear ran down her cheek. “So, great wizard, will you help me…us?”
“Where do you live? Or maybe I should say: where is your mother now?”
The young woman looked up with a spark of hope in her eyes. “On the other side of Zondohar resides the Chasm of Time. Beyond the Chasm resides theEclecticOcean. Across the ocean is theUnicornPeaks. My mother and I live in a cave within those mountains. Pack warmly, Blue Mage, for the mountains are covered in ice and snow this time of the year.”
The Blue Mage shrugged. “My magic will keep me warm enough, but your home is a long way from here. I fear your mother may die before I can reach her.”
“Leave that to me,” the woman said. She shimmered into the gold dragon once again. “Climb aboard, Wizard, we have a long flight ahead.”
The Blue Mage eyed the dragon wearily. “This will be a new experience!” he mumbled. “How do I know you won’t try to drop me in the Chasm, or simply eat me once we get there?”
The gold dragon snorted, which caused a short burst of flame to escape its mighty jaws. “Sorry, but you needn’t worry about any harm from me.”
“And why should I believe you?” asked the mage, climbing up on the dragon’s back.
“Because,” the gold dragon said, flapping its scaly wings. “Why would I wish to harm my father?” The Blue Mage nearly fell off the dragon as they lifted into the air.
****** To Be Continued ******
FAITH
Faith is a word I find myself clinging to more and more lately. Funny how a simple word can mean so much to so many. Faith is an intangible: we can’t touch it, taste it or hear it, yet for those of us who rely on it, we know faith is real. We can feel it deep inside of us, growing, warming our hearts and souls, giving us purpose, keeping our hopes and dreams alive.
As a writer, I have faith that someday I’ll be discovered. I know that somewhere deep within me resides the perfect story just waiting for these fingers to type it out. It could be my current series waiting for the right time to take off, or a new project around the corner that takes me into a new world or a totally different genre. Who knows, maybe a major publisher, or literary agent, or even a movie director will stumble across this blog at the right time and— Voila! —just like peanut butter and jelly, or Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, or spaghetti and meatballs, the perfect union is formed. One must keep the faith.
There are some out there that might say, “Lenny, you’re not talking about faith, you’re just being hopeful.” I admit that hope and faith are first cousins, but there is an important difference between them. If I only say I hope to be a great writer that leaves room for doubt that I might not be. But if I say I have faith I’m going to be a great writer, then that removes the doubt and paves the way to success.
My life has literally been filled with magic and miracles. Some would call them the same thing, and in some cases, they’d probably be right. All I know is that I have to keep going. I owe it to my family, my friends, my fans, but most importantly, to myself. Faith has got me this far, and faith will see me home. Until next time, thanks for believing.
The Road Less Taken
A long time ago, Robert Frost, one of my all-time favorite poets, wrote a poem titled: “The Road Not Taken.” The last stanza goes as follows:
| I shall be telling this with a sigh | |
| Somewhere ages and ages hence: | |
| Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— | |
| I took the one less traveled by, | |
| And that has made all the difference. |
I’m sure many of you are familiar with this famous poem, and are asking yourself: “Lovely poem, Lenny, but what does this have to do with your writing?” Well, I’m glad you asked.
The road to becoming a successful writer can be tough. Oh, sure, every once in a while someone jots down a story and becomes an instant success, but that’s like winning the lottery and is the exception…not the rule.
So, as a writer, I found myself standing in front of a wood (better known as the “publishing industry”) and before me, two roads diverged. Let’s call the first road the “Traditional” road to publishing. This well-traveled road is paved with queries and is patrolled by agents, publishers and editors. The majority of authors whose found success have taken this road, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I took a few steps down this road myself, and that’s when it happened! I found a divergent road—the road less traveled. We’ll call this road the “Indie” road to publishing.
Like any road off the beaten path, there’s some beautiful scenery (creativity) waiting to be discovered. At the same time, forging one’s own path involves a lot of hard work, and sometimes danger. (Look what happened to those guys in Deliverance when they strayed into the wilderness.) Fortunately, I don’t think I’ll have to “squeal like a porcine” anytime soon, but one can still encounter an unexpected plot hole at any moment. The main point I’m trying to (poorly) make is that while the road less traveled can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be wrought with peril.
I’ve learned a lot about the writing business while traveling down the Indie road. I’ve discovered everything from ISBN numbers to social networking. I’ve learned the importance of editing, marketing, editing, cover design, editing, and did I mention editing? I’ve made some dear friends, gained a few fans, and sold enough copies of my first book to be encouraged that great things await at the end of the road. I’ve reveled in the highs, endured the lows, and persevered no matter how many thorny vines tried to block my way.
Like Robert Frost, I chose the road less traveled, and that’s made all the difference in my writing career. Uh-oh! Do I hear a banjo in the distance? Until next time, thanks for believing.
Yes, but can he juggle?
Sadly, the answer is no. But that doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes feel more like a circus clown than a writer. Why, you might ask? Because life is complicated and at times we must all turn into jugglers. Right now, I find myself juggling a lot of balls and no matter how good of a juggler one might be, every once in a while you’re going to drop one. Unfortunately, writing is the one ball that keeps hitting the ground.
Writing is the one passion that allows me to escape into a magical world where anything can happen. One moment I’m riding a Pegasus, the next moment I’m battling demons and dragons or perhaps rescuing a damsel in distress. You’d think with all that going on I’d find more time to escape….um…write. The hard truth is writing doesn’t pay the bills…yet! Someday, with a lot of luck and continued practice, it might. Luckily, especially in this economy, I have an interesting full-time day job and that brings us back to the many balls that must be juggled.
So far we have two balls, writing and a full-time job, but juggling two balls isn’t that difficult or impressive. We need more balls! So let’s add one more: family time. This is an important ball because if I drop this one, not only am I a lousy juggler, but I might very well be an unmarried one!
With three balls going I can at least call myself a juggler, but we need more. Being an Indie published author, I have to do all my own promotion, so let’s add a ball called marketing. If you look at the marketing ball under a microscope you’ll notice it resembles a mini planet with orbiting moons called Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, YouTube, and several other lesser known satellites. Then we have the entertainment ball. I like to watch my favorite TV shows and go to the movies as much as anyone. Plus, when you own a home there’s always a “Honey Do” ball.
Now that I’m breaking a sweat trying to keep six balls going, let’s really make it interesting and add one more. This is the granddaddy of all balls and its called procrastination. This ball is much larger than the others and weighs twice as much as all the other balls together. This ball grabs your attention as it floats through the air bobbing and weaving with the greatest of ease. Fortunately, when my writing muse shows up, s/he (you never know which muse it is until they arrive) takes the procrastination ball and shoots it from a cannon into the awaiting heavens. Gravity works, even in the fantasy world, so the procrastination ball eventually returns, but thankfully, so does my muse.
Hopefully, I’m a better writer than a juggler. I don’t want to wake up one morning and discover that Barnum & Bailey are my agents. Besides, I don’t think my feet were built to wear those big floppy shoes.
Until next time, thanks for the believing.
Meet Debut Author Carrie Ann Ryan
Welcome, Carrie! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me about the release of An Alpha’s Path. First off – Congratulations! Why don’t we start with you giving us a short biography?
Of me? I’m so boring LOL. It’s my characters that are the real show. But I’m a 25 year-old Chemistry instructor (much like Melanie, my heroine LOL) and live in New England with my two kittens and husband. I’m an avid reader of romance and love happy endings – hence the need to write about it!
When and why did you decide to become a writer?
I’d been reading for a few years and then couldn’t get the voices to shut up in my head LOL. No, I’m not crazy. I’m a writer. I needed to write down the stories and see what would happen. Yes, I don’t know the ending to each of my books and series until I write it, that’s half the fun. But An Alpha’s Path is my debut. So I’m super excited.
Tell us about your novel.
An Alpha’s Path is a novella – about 21k words – that introduce my Redwood Pack series. It’s about going on a blind date and finding your soul mate. What would you do if that happened to you? Would you drop everything you’ve ever known and jump into a relationship and the paranormal?
Here’s the blurb:
Melanie is a twenty-five year old chemist who has spent all of her adult life slaving at school. With her PhD in hand, she’s to start her dream job, but before she does, her friend persuades her to relax and try to live again. A blind date set up through her friends seems like the perfect solution. Melanie can take one night away from the lab and let her inner vixen out on a fixed blind date - a chance to get crazy with a perfect stranger. The gorgeous hunk she’s to meet exceeds her wildest dreams – be he is more than what he appears and Melanie’s analytical mind goes into overdrive.
Kade, a slightly older werewolf (at over one hundred years), needs a night away from the Pack. Too many responsibilities and one near miss with a potential mate made Kade hide in his work, the only peace he can find. His brother convinces him to meet the sexy woman for a one night of fun. What could it hurt? But when he finds this woman could be his mate, can he convince her to leave her orderly, sane world and be with him and his wolf-half, for life?
What authors/books have influenced you the most?
To me, it’s not the work or the books that have influenced me, but the people I’ve met along the way. Leia Shaw, Rebecca Royce and Jessica Subject have been awesome in helping find my place in the writing world. Love them!
But in terms of reading I would say Yasmine Galenorn has influenced my world building. My world is NOTHING like hers, but she did give me a grasp on how to go out there and do what feels right – even if it’s not the norm.
What was the inspiration for your novel? In other words, what made you decide to right this story?
I’d always wanted to write about an Alpha male and see what would happen if he met an analytical romantic. Yes, that is a person. And, yes, that can happen. I wanted to see if one instance can find your true mate. And what would happen. I’m writing the series, because I wanted to see what would happen when you have a family of Alpha males and their fight to preserve the good.
What was your favorite part about writing it?
Finding out their reactions. I had no idea how Melanie would react to finding out about the paranormal world. And how Kade would react to her reaction LOL. It was nice to let them do what they wanted for a change.
What was the most difficult part about writing it?
Not having the happy ending in the first two sentences LOL. Apparently people need conflict LOL. But don’t worry, there’s always one in my stories, it just may take a bit.
Whose you favorite character in the story?
Kade is my favorite so far. He’s so Alpha, but not annoying so. Plus he’s dreamy LOL. Melanie was a fire cracker and I enjoyed her, even though I wanted to slap her upside the head a few times LOL.
Now that the story is published, is there anything you wish you could go back and change?
Not really. I’ve changed it a few times, but I’m happy with it. Maybe I could have made it a full length novel, but I love my story as is.
Do you have any advice for new writers?
Write. Just write and learn about the process. Then find a crit group. Seriously. I have learned so much in such a little amount of time, it’s amazing.
Please provide the links for those wishing to purchase your book:
If we wanted to connect more with Carrie Ann Ryan, how could we do that?
Could you give us a hint about any future writing plans/stories?
The Redwood Pack series is a seven book series. Book 2 is called A Taste for a Mate and is Jasper’s story. It should be out in late Jan or so. Book 3 is called Trinity Bound and is Reed’s story. It may come out late March or so.
I’m also writing another seven book series, called Dante’s Circle, that will be part of another world, different than the Redwood Pack.
I keep my site pretty up to date with that. 
Before we close, very quickly tell us ten things about yourself listed below.
- What’s your favorite color? Pink, though I wear black mostly so I don’t have to worry about matching for work and only add a splash of color with scarves.
- What’s your favorite food? Japanese food. Yum.
- What’s the color of your eyes? Honey brown as my hubby would say. Isn’t he sweet?
- Tell us one of your favorite all-time movies: Saving Private Ryan. Love it. I cry every time.
- Tell us one of your favorite musical groups: Adele. She’s not a group, but she rocks. I’ve had her albums since she was underground
- When you were small, what was one of your favorite toys? Uh…my Fisher Price Kitchen?
- What’s your favorite time of the year? Spring. The snow has melted and I can were a light jacket. Plus all the baby animals LOL
- If you could have a super power, what would it be? Flying. How cool would that be?
- What country would you like to visit (other than your own)? I’ve been all over the world, but I still need to visit a country with the Amazon.
- Whose your favorite actor/actress? Right now I’m in love with Henry Cavill. Yum.
Thank you, Carrie, for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and tell us a little about yourself. We wish you continued success with your writing career and look forward to your future works.
Thank you so much for letting me stop by! I’m so excited about my release An Alpha’s Path!
