tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23194536138367666102024-03-13T00:55:19.073+01:00Cross WordsTed Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.comBlogger398125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-53230967240332581752023-09-19T13:08:00.000+02:002023-09-19T13:08:59.546+02:00Retirement!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEax5sMM44mtf2WRtChLf_6SBMplU4JszxSEHaBxD9iL9tY9ZOqZanZsSDIDaVgl9z04YaipxDk8kOpFmc6Ja23Wg0_gErwcCZz-IWowLYnrN7MeL30j297ueW2KzrwMMBLCv2V0L0l9sSTWSXhny1p5UOTi2xeKZEa4KNv-DeKNhsfwnwlizdhXc8lU/s300/download.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEax5sMM44mtf2WRtChLf_6SBMplU4JszxSEHaBxD9iL9tY9ZOqZanZsSDIDaVgl9z04YaipxDk8kOpFmc6Ja23Wg0_gErwcCZz-IWowLYnrN7MeL30j297ueW2KzrwMMBLCv2V0L0l9sSTWSXhny1p5UOTi2xeKZEa4KNv-DeKNhsfwnwlizdhXc8lU/s400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
As of the end of this month, I am officially retired from my career as a diplomat! It feels good. I'm happy I did all I did over all these years (I began in 1993), but I'm ready to move on and pursue my own personal dreams in what remains of my life. I want to write more books, act in more movies, play chess and basketball, and generally try to get healthier from reduced stress and more exercise.
My very first tour as a diplomat was to Moscow, Russia. October 1993, just when the big coup attempt happened and Yeltsin managed to retain power after blasting the Duma with tanks.
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RkmvowVPf5m0T5vxvclKeD9eR2Myw_ow1vb0NC4R8Y67QwV93jfN05adDAXU5BVc7oHEtx4CSovQPrRRLWfeybpU9l240QhBRY7F32bsQ7Zq9V4pdwlEVCF5I7AnuPFD0sqc_8FARaOzWKeY9lvKDXW1-Jf9T6_a8S9-1KpQjydr5GiAuvZfGO7-YzM/s688/damaged%20duma%20building.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RkmvowVPf5m0T5vxvclKeD9eR2Myw_ow1vb0NC4R8Y67QwV93jfN05adDAXU5BVc7oHEtx4CSovQPrRRLWfeybpU9l240QhBRY7F32bsQ7Zq9V4pdwlEVCF5I7AnuPFD0sqc_8FARaOzWKeY9lvKDXW1-Jf9T6_a8S9-1KpQjydr5GiAuvZfGO7-YzM/s400/damaged%20duma%20building.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burned Duma building<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>
I met and married my wife Victoria there, for which I'll always be grateful.
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9GhjwG6yASE8mnlm5CgVqsvnBorhgE0b0vwhEU7B3YmPMNCiunEf5WOnQMPKHXXdhMu_CRRmccyY6j2GFl4VdH2ob--qm709_F5u6lko72c16Hn_tbOMUE_s9veYdupJ8oHIx4WCP7sidiM4HpoPXq0xaxgTpp7n7O8qU4YDWoTF0hZDRvPS0k_4cPU/s688/vika%20in%20moscow.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9GhjwG6yASE8mnlm5CgVqsvnBorhgE0b0vwhEU7B3YmPMNCiunEf5WOnQMPKHXXdhMu_CRRmccyY6j2GFl4VdH2ob--qm709_F5u6lko72c16Hn_tbOMUE_s9veYdupJ8oHIx4WCP7sidiM4HpoPXq0xaxgTpp7n7O8qU4YDWoTF0hZDRvPS0k_4cPU/s400/vika%20in%20moscow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victoria in Moscow</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>
And I played chess against four world champions. My first tour was perhaps my most memorable.
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_y0trE15y3IAe_6aB9Pt6Vd76KUYoaGrpli81K51v3m_DqFJ2EYRVRMuGUkxqVY7DBW_Hoa-x1y9Q0r7phwOWRr5_kopFXYFAXfKu-x-80sUGXDcue357woXUZYfF3VYNkQvkkY46gmbnzA2lalvwuIjJQc7Y_t5dr1VA-1MkKxpTc0jlgDSFUvMFOY/s675/me%20playing%20karpov.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="675" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_y0trE15y3IAe_6aB9Pt6Vd76KUYoaGrpli81K51v3m_DqFJ2EYRVRMuGUkxqVY7DBW_Hoa-x1y9Q0r7phwOWRr5_kopFXYFAXfKu-x-80sUGXDcue357woXUZYfF3VYNkQvkkY46gmbnzA2lalvwuIjJQc7Y_t5dr1VA-1MkKxpTc0jlgDSFUvMFOY/s400/me%20playing%20karpov.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me playing Anatoly Karpov</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>
I went on to live in eight other countries, including Croatia, China, Iceland, Azerbaijan (twice!), Hungary, The Bahamas, Italy, and Luxembourg. I've had amazing memories in each of these places. I'll never forget this life, but I'm a little exhausted from traveling so much, and I'm ready for a more settled life near our oldest son in Wisconsin.
</div>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-3481012623859714202023-02-16T13:17:00.005+01:002023-02-16T13:23:09.115+01:00Newly-Released Novelette Free!<p> Many years ago I wrote a novelette called Dragon Play that was published in the anthology called <i>The Dragon Chronicles</i>. I decided to publish it as a stand-alone, and since it is new and has no reviews, I have made it free for Amazon Kindle through Monday, hoping to entice people to read this fairly short story and hopefully leave a review. Anyone who loves fantasy, Vikings, or dragons, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVBWTC3J">please give it a try</a> and tell your friends! Here is the blurb:</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">All their lives the group of young Vikings had heard of their clan's past glories, but all they have known is the terror of being relegated to living within the shadow of a dragon's mountain. When the chieftain's daughter finds an ancient scroll showing a hidden back entrance to the dragon's lair, she and her three friends decide to sneak in and retrieve the lost talisman that holds the luck of their clan.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbmsV2M81WYR6BdR4CG1m7RZjT-cz0-ulBI7jdgvvo8lqDcj8MvXkG7Km0sobj-SqxUtkcSx_y4nXsjDYy3eixTFg9krgUz54nmZTCkNU3W1wKaj8IADC4-VJkGCwWj8_XnKtU1EXAzbAVkkVLcG1JKDCFFvhvyFqcmyA_t_WjNhUr8OQkmtcKD4b/s2048/329158763_605593731385441_3835090161369355741_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="2048" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbmsV2M81WYR6BdR4CG1m7RZjT-cz0-ulBI7jdgvvo8lqDcj8MvXkG7Km0sobj-SqxUtkcSx_y4nXsjDYy3eixTFg9krgUz54nmZTCkNU3W1wKaj8IADC4-VJkGCwWj8_XnKtU1EXAzbAVkkVLcG1JKDCFFvhvyFqcmyA_t_WjNhUr8OQkmtcKD4b/w640-h454/329158763_605593731385441_3835090161369355741_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork by Shane Tyree</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><p></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-35136585098044625832023-01-01T23:27:00.002+01:002023-01-01T23:27:42.020+01:00What I Read in 2022<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">At the end of each year I do a summary post of what I read throughout the year. I find it interesting to see my reading habits, and to make note of what the best books were each year. I read only 28 books this year, which is much worse than last. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">I use a standard five star rating method with five stars meaning I loved the book so much I intend to re-read it throughout my life, so there are rarely any five star books.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">1. <i>A Perfect Union of Contrary Things</i> by Sarah Jensen ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">2. <i>Oliver Twist</i> by Charles Dickens **</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">3. <i>Tigana</i> by Guy Gaviel Kay ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">4. <i>The Last Light of the Sun</i> by Guy Gavriel Kay *****</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh-C54VpGQUmfyWsaB9C29vb4joPTO8sbOet42_1bNBLOIDYfEo1yu3OjzB4CweFX2_hHOxNUBi8pTLw6zdV-4TH2IF-7liZXFdSphBrvBN9OcGGfJXtuM6NjlladnN1-wtmi8cQAWQ1Lt_7VzhwL7T637ZB3FZlmppIUhNk8zptLnzFZKNSWaI9-/s500/Last%20Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh-C54VpGQUmfyWsaB9C29vb4joPTO8sbOet42_1bNBLOIDYfEo1yu3OjzB4CweFX2_hHOxNUBi8pTLw6zdV-4TH2IF-7liZXFdSphBrvBN9OcGGfJXtuM6NjlladnN1-wtmi8cQAWQ1Lt_7VzhwL7T637ZB3FZlmppIUhNk8zptLnzFZKNSWaI9-/s320/Last%20Light.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">5. <i>Infiltrator</i> by C.T. Phipps ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">6. <i>Men of Bronze</i> by Scott Oden ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">7. <i>Carrion Comfort</i> by Dan Simmons ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">8. <i>Apocalypse Nyx</i> by Kameron Hurley *****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">9. <i>Swan Song</i> by Robert McCammon **</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">10. <i>Contact</i> by Carl Sagan ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">11. <i>Troubled Blood</i> by Robert Galbraith ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">12. <i>Everything Matters!</i> by Ron Currie, Jr. ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">13. <i>The Iron King</i> by Maurice Druon ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">14. <i>The Saints of Salvation</i> by Peter F. Hamilton ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">15. <i>The Strangled Queen</i> by Maurice Druon ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">16. <i>The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 1</i> edited Neil Clarke ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">17. <i>Project Hail Mary</i> by Andy Weir *****</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6375xKkEUh-WpxxnFDe48pS70WXnKiFnqUARpONENf7jGtp3cBDR0fUXPglQjEFPKIlCJjVXJcQ4Djdir_SGSL0jydkOY5ttfZklFwBfIZfPqGQ2FtGvX21CDLzRiEodRMPrXOtguYN4aXxPykne4oC2lmXZh02h_XC2KSRBasSzxmWIyQTdJ483p/s500/Project%20Hail%20Mary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6375xKkEUh-WpxxnFDe48pS70WXnKiFnqUARpONENf7jGtp3cBDR0fUXPglQjEFPKIlCJjVXJcQ4Djdir_SGSL0jydkOY5ttfZklFwBfIZfPqGQ2FtGvX21CDLzRiEodRMPrXOtguYN4aXxPykne4oC2lmXZh02h_XC2KSRBasSzxmWIyQTdJ483p/s320/Project%20Hail%20Mary.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">18. <i>36 Streets</i> by T.R. Napper ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">19. <i>Cold Summer</i> by Gwen Cole ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">20. <i>Lily Narcissus</i> by Jonathan Lerner ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">21. <i>Memnon</i> by Scott Oden ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">22. <i>The Fireman</i> by Joe Hill ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">23. <i>Tomorrow, the Killing</i> by Daniel Polansky ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">24. <i>Cemetery Road</i> by Greg Iles ****</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">25. <i>The Summer Tree</i> by Guy Gavriel Kay *****</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdmPebyyZ2kJZUIFhhuDCqaDmoXeQ5Pn036UGcv1zNOXv8mDOTdnhoM8Q0wlu6gfLmLq_JnFamYqd_A0eNHgCscUjIwwIDxqh4zgreuTY2lazLi-Ez0rKgrLZ8c0SGpmiJupVI5bUYBXfOebWaEhMbg3vaGGScJmzgWodlemFcEevAqv_1z39xubt/s500/the%20summer%20tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdmPebyyZ2kJZUIFhhuDCqaDmoXeQ5Pn036UGcv1zNOXv8mDOTdnhoM8Q0wlu6gfLmLq_JnFamYqd_A0eNHgCscUjIwwIDxqh4zgreuTY2lazLi-Ez0rKgrLZ8c0SGpmiJupVI5bUYBXfOebWaEhMbg3vaGGScJmzgWodlemFcEevAqv_1z39xubt/s320/the%20summer%20tree.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">26. <i>Sleep No More</i> by Greg Iles ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">27. <i>Use of Force</i> by Brad Thor ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;">28. <i>The Wandering Fire</i> by Guy Gavriel Kay ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /></span></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-8964568329667735852022-10-20T09:40:00.001+02:002022-10-20T09:40:46.137+02:00Release Day! The Shattered Spire<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2rvtPtmiIzwG4gLtz-LQLY2xYhK2oHYpimAY_v5J8nTR-I2puv7VF1RofmTqrasVYi54xbBgnRe9xvqaD_-CgztlfHnAa9LOnieq5U02oUUVVdmWsfddNjC_FMdnYP_Bwfh2Vc7vR3ZwXf2aXsTNQOHC7gAV6Ms-UBdpUrRrLOzRmwae1Co309l1/s3945/Shattered%20Spire%20cover%20medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3945" data-original-width="2595" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2rvtPtmiIzwG4gLtz-LQLY2xYhK2oHYpimAY_v5J8nTR-I2puv7VF1RofmTqrasVYi54xbBgnRe9xvqaD_-CgztlfHnAa9LOnieq5U02oUUVVdmWsfddNjC_FMdnYP_Bwfh2Vc7vR3ZwXf2aXsTNQOHC7gAV6Ms-UBdpUrRrLOzRmwae1Co309l1/w402-h612/Shattered%20Spire%20cover%20medium.jpg" width="402" /></a></div>It is finally Release Day for my latest novel, which is a prequel to <i>The Shard</i>, the first novel I ever wrote. Both stories are written to be able to stand alone, though they also mesh well with each other, though set 800 years apart. They do share some characters, such as the wizard Xax, and some long-lived elven characters. Here is the blurb:<p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The magic of the Spire of Peace has banished evil from the Known Lands for more than twelve hundred years. When a dragon destroys the spire and murders the king, the realm is thrown into turmoil. As civil war looms, can the royal Kaldarion family regain control over the kingdom and restore peace?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Livia, 20, is the eldest child of the slain King Varun Kaldarion. Though the wisest and most learned of the surviving family members, tradition says she cannot inherit the throne.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Balmar, 18, is too feeble-minded to rule, but his uncle, Duke Erol, crowns him anyway in order to appoint himself regent.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Darus, 17, was exiled by the spire's magic due to his bitterness that his father never named him heir. By force of personality and skill at arms, he has risen to command the army of exiles at the fortress of East Gate. Now he plans to invade the realm and take back what he feels is rightfully his by birth.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Imric, 13, was disavowed by his father after his mother died birthing him. Raised by his sister Livia, few in the realm even know he exists. Little more than a pawn in the conflict between Duke Erol and his brother Darus, Imric may hold the key to reuniting the fractured realm.</span></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-5450491745858264432022-10-06T12:44:00.003+02:002022-10-06T13:06:27.576+02:00Summer Move to Luxembourg<p> I don't write about my job much, mainly because I prefer to concentrate on my writing. But my career as a diplomat is soon coming to a close, as I intend to retire after one more year, thus allowing me to focus full-time on being a novelist. Since 1993 when I first moved overseas to work at the American Embassy in Moscow, I have been moving every 2-4 years to different countries. It has been exciting, but the process of constantly moving also wears on a person after many years of doing it. So this year, after moving from Rome to Luxembourg, I decided I've done enough with the Foreign Service, and now it is time to try to simply be a writer.</p><p>My wife and I left Rome in mid-July and had to do what is called 'Home Leave' in the United States. It's a requirement for US diplomats, so that we don't lose touch too badly with our home country. Home Leave typically lasts about a month and a half. Since our two sons were in Wisconsin, but I was also trying to figure out places that might be interesting for my retirement, we settled on St Louis as the place to stay. It was close enough to Wisconsin for us to easily drive up to visit our sons, but it allowed us to check out whether or not we would like St Louis. This city has the most famous chess club in America, which was a big consideration for me, as I'm passionate about playing serious tournament chess. The photo below is me at the World Chess Hall of Fame, across the street from the famous St Louis Chess Club. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33cd4iB8nQBZYJjtn89XiMetQqkGGhTOzItJe7NSX9BpnXSPM7pQMdIX7e9epOV_aoxJvBemxJyiCY9K3We4B3bsRBDVtN16m1BXhahBjXUq2ONAJPataQjNEjalIavA-La0Nb55zPwpNrFGVq6V5Hs_ax7uR8fwwMXCxSloSH20gnFeZe53fZ6l3/s2973/World%20Chess%20Hall%20of%20Fame.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1409" data-original-width="2973" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33cd4iB8nQBZYJjtn89XiMetQqkGGhTOzItJe7NSX9BpnXSPM7pQMdIX7e9epOV_aoxJvBemxJyiCY9K3We4B3bsRBDVtN16m1BXhahBjXUq2ONAJPataQjNEjalIavA-La0Nb55zPwpNrFGVq6V5Hs_ax7uR8fwwMXCxSloSH20gnFeZe53fZ6l3/w640-h304/World%20Chess%20Hall%20of%20Fame.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>We were surprised at how much we liked St Louis. I don't think we'd have had such a great experience, except that we lucked out and happened to stay near the fabulous Tower Grove Park. There is a reason this is the one US city park to be designated as a National Historic Landmark. It is easily the nicest park I have seen, and the idea of living nearby (there is also a botanical garden adjacent to it) and getting to walk there every day is highly appealing. There is no guarantee we will settle on St Louis as the place for us to retire, but I'm definitely checking out houses in the park area.</p><p>In late August, we arrived in my final overseas diplomatic posting of Luxembourg. It's a nice way to cap my career. It's one of the wealthiest and safest countries in the world. I absolutely love that it has such a brilliant public transportation system, and it is completely free.</p><p>The first weekend, a new colleague from work drove my wife and me to see the ancient Bourscheid Castle in northern Luxembourg. It was a great way to start life in a new country.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EjNfPF95f7XhtqJ3jCFXJi3gjaPNiWD2Pl2wBDdWXK-82JpGQIhI1vKNOJop5dd2PwHPs6-fXZzQ0T61_-E5pLR8iPXDzT4fipMtMCoaOW1Jkrt60MP_-lo2dOMd1uXBEnDNzv3LMXEPBch0eQ3UHvZdAHZdSF_O7ax9cII_ChsnQhW_1K7VjLKU/s2048/Ted%20at%20Bourscheid%20Castle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1418" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EjNfPF95f7XhtqJ3jCFXJi3gjaPNiWD2Pl2wBDdWXK-82JpGQIhI1vKNOJop5dd2PwHPs6-fXZzQ0T61_-E5pLR8iPXDzT4fipMtMCoaOW1Jkrt60MP_-lo2dOMd1uXBEnDNzv3LMXEPBch0eQ3UHvZdAHZdSF_O7ax9cII_ChsnQhW_1K7VjLKU/s320/Ted%20at%20Bourscheid%20Castle.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">Our apartment is very near the center of the small city. The photo below was taken just a short walk away, and it highlights how gorgeous the city is. It is built over multiple levels and everywhere you look there are ruins of old castle walls. You can click the photos to get a better look at them.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2CGAdRRQcB2xfW7u1IYH636aShR8lydZHd1QzWOlemc0tQsdWk22tUOS7WGwTIE0a72OgByxGP9Je1IoG6gErWcxMUzFLMUMSI7vAUkcdO8OLl_Ns863MyDSHcwuzSeJRXnFNWfJbGlTpWImu_-2WEheo9ZD_t3FhzhpqJfZ2_xgCZPJ3xGZHIbK/s1280/Luxembourg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2CGAdRRQcB2xfW7u1IYH636aShR8lydZHd1QzWOlemc0tQsdWk22tUOS7WGwTIE0a72OgByxGP9Je1IoG6gErWcxMUzFLMUMSI7vAUkcdO8OLl_Ns863MyDSHcwuzSeJRXnFNWfJbGlTpWImu_-2WEheo9ZD_t3FhzhpqJfZ2_xgCZPJ3xGZHIbK/s320/Luxembourg.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">My wife and I are definitely happy to get to spend our final year overseas in such a lovely place!</span>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-28583504863019585052022-10-05T10:24:00.005+02:002022-10-05T10:31:25.996+02:00Closure/Continuation by Porcupine Tree<p> Since my <a href="http://tedacross.blogspot.com/2022/09/top-20-songs-by-porcupine-tree.html">previous post</a> rating the top songs by Porcupine Tree (which I posted because I'm about to see their concert in Amsterdam) did not include any of their latest album <i>Closure/Continuation</i>, I'm going to rate the new album now. I did not rate it before, because I had not listened to it enough at that point to have fully formed an opinion. I've been listening to the album nearly every day now, so I have a pretty good idea of how each song stacks up. Having said that, I know from past experience that even after a hundred or more listens, I tend to change my mind about songs later due to tiny nuances that begin to stand out to me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZs6M6b8hG4Ysp2CDhqMVjE5c2EMzd8cDtgoWkcz6LIMF9WZg5H-xVJf5c-LQ3HHqaqGdCnS__JGR5E53KL9XdVpApFhudyuiS0F3thN2QUU1Z-NwWuSYEa5bg4bgso4cjx_NgbE-KFVFqr8H68A_zAyrh1uKQmUZzuD6IsraDEf-WHe1IYC5DtGo/s600/porcupine%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZs6M6b8hG4Ysp2CDhqMVjE5c2EMzd8cDtgoWkcz6LIMF9WZg5H-xVJf5c-LQ3HHqaqGdCnS__JGR5E53KL9XdVpApFhudyuiS0F3thN2QUU1Z-NwWuSYEa5bg4bgso4cjx_NgbE-KFVFqr8H68A_zAyrh1uKQmUZzuD6IsraDEf-WHe1IYC5DtGo/s320/porcupine%20tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>So, I think this new album is probably my second favorite of all of their albums now, right behind <i>The Incident</i>. There may be individual songs I love more from other albums, but it is the overall strength of nearly every song on this album that makes it so good. </p><p>My favorite song so far, after about seventy listens, is Rats Return. It rocks pretty well while also having some really beautiful choruses. I had Harridan second for quite some time, but now I'm moving Herd Culling into second place. There are bits of Herd Culling that don't suit my taste as much as most of Harridan, but there is a vocal section of Herd Culling that is so astonishing and lovely that I find myself listening to this song more often just so I can hear that part again. That means, of course, that Harridan is my choice for third best song. I like so much about Harridan, though it also contains a bit that I really dislike, so that colors my perception a bit. I rate all three of these songs with five stars in my iTunes.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HHs1X1jFi8Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>Dignity and then Of the New Day are the next two, both rated as four stars. None of the remaining songs are less than three stars, so the album overall is very strong.</p><p>The album can't beat <i>The Incident</i>, though, because I don't rate a single song on that album below four stars, and it contains a bunch that are five stars. </p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-65692541414109675912022-09-17T16:06:00.005+02:002022-09-17T16:19:22.575+02:00Top 20 Songs by Porcupine Tree<p> It's often said that Porcupine Tree is the greatest unknown band, and there really is some truth to that. They are no one-hit wonder. They're a band with numerous five-star and four-star quality songs that, for some unknown reason, simply flies below the radar for the majority of rock lovers. It doesn't help that they essentially vanished for more than a decade before returning with their latest album "Closure/Continuation". </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xQnC11SSKZDvJnnTaCmDnVzI0fieY1nbOD_vMVYRIM3hpzHheD2w8A3m0ysi_MVBS6uBgB2eq98fqytD9MfQ1WpX5Xu4Mb1TKOW7HhOPR8Iawg3WLkQhIsIPJyNhXP3i_FGZLpF5OG2s_YgsOLa_z-xuEffgikWPpiQWcgX4yttZndMom-17t45X/s2000/porcupinetree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="2000" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xQnC11SSKZDvJnnTaCmDnVzI0fieY1nbOD_vMVYRIM3hpzHheD2w8A3m0ysi_MVBS6uBgB2eq98fqytD9MfQ1WpX5Xu4Mb1TKOW7HhOPR8Iawg3WLkQhIsIPJyNhXP3i_FGZLpF5OG2s_YgsOLa_z-xuEffgikWPpiQWcgX4yttZndMom-17t45X/w438-h291/porcupinetree.jpg" width="438" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyhow, I feel very fortunate to finally get a chance to see them live in concert in early November in Amsterdam. In honor of this event, I decided it was time to give my personal top 20 songs by the band.</p><p>1. Black Dahlia, from <i>The Incident</i>, 2009</p><p>To be honest, this song and the next are basically a tie for me. They both have similar quiet, atmospheric beauty and touch the same heart strings. Some people may find them morose, but I love them.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EBUolXAvLBc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>2. Flicker, from <i>The Incident</i>, 2009</p><p>You're going to see a lot of songs from this album, because every single song on <i>The Incident</i> is great. My favorite album by far of theirs.</p><p>3. The Incident, from <i>The Incident</i>, 2009</p><p>An amazing song that really can be broken down into a string of distinct songs that mesh together. The overall song is more than 55 minutes long and is well worth hearing in its entirety, though my favorite sub-tracks are Drawing the Line and The Incident.</p><p>4. Anesthetize, from <i>Fear of a Blank Planet</i>, 2007</p><p>Another long song, at nearly 18 minutes, but lush and filled with cool changes, including a crunchy rocking section.</p><p>5. Drown With Me, from <i>Futile</i>, 2003</p><p>A punchy pop/rock song with some cool choruses. The live version from <i>We Lost the Skyline</i> is also amazing.</p><p>6. Remember Me Lover, from <i>The Incident</i>, 2009</p><p>A companion piece to Black Dahlia--they really go well together played back to back.</p><p>7. Bonnie the Cat, from <i>The Incident</i>, 2009</p><p>An uber-cool, slightly twisted song that my eldest son turned me on to. It took a bit to grow on me.</p><p>8. Futile, from <i>In Absentia</i>, 2002</p><p>Blending heavier rock with lovely vocals.</p><p>9. Lazarus, from <i>We Lost the Skyline</i>, 2008</p><p>I'm not a big fan of the recorded version, but this live version is beautiful.</p><p>10. Even Less, from <i>Stupid Dream</i>, 1999</p><p>A lot of these cool songs from the middle rankings could easily swap places with each other depending on my mood.</p><p>11. So Called Friend, from <i>Deadwing</i>, 2005</p><p>A rocker that slows for a gorgeous chorus.</p><p>12. Fear of a Blank Planet, from <i>Fear of a Blank Planet</i>, 2007</p><p>13. Fadeaway, from <i>Up the Downstair</i>, 1993</p><p>To be honest, I can't tell which version I enjoy more, the recorded version or the live version from 2005's <i>XM II</i> album. The latter version is sung by guitarist John Wesley, while the original is sung by band leader Steven Wilson.</p><p>14. Trains, from <i>In Absentia</i>, 2002</p><p>15. Lightbulb Sun, from <i>Lightbulb Sun</i>, 2000</p><p>16. Waiting, from <i>Insignificance</i>, 1997</p><p>17. Where We Would Be, from <i>Lightbulb Sun</i>, 2000</p><p>18. Wake As Gun I, from <i>Insignificance</i>, 1997</p><p>19. Shallow, from <i>Deadwing</i>, 2005</p><p>20. Nine Cats, from <i>Insignificance</i>, 1997</p><p>Like I said, a lot of these songs lower in the list are not essentially any less worthy than ones I've ranked above them, so here are some honorable mentions that easily belong alongside some of the ones mentioned above: Hatesong, Gravity Eyelids, Arriving Somewhere But Not Here, Mellotron Scratch, Shesmovedon, Stars Die, My Ashes, Blackest Eyes, Nil Recurring. Of course, Porcupine Tree are so good that these are just my five- and four-star songs--they have tons of good songs that I personally only rank as three-stars due to not wishing to listen to them quite as often. Some of the songs from the new album are worthy of being on this list, but I simply haven't listened to them enough times to tell where they belong.</p><p>If you are one of the legions of people who have unfortunately not heard of Porcupine Tree, do yourself a favor and give them a good listen. If you only wish to try one album, then try <i>The Incident</i> in its entirety.</p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-20697015849290723902022-09-16T22:00:00.002+02:002022-09-16T22:00:21.555+02:00iTunes Legal Info<p> I find this silly, especially as it means having to provide information I'd usually prefer not to put out in public, but according to iTunes, European law is requiring authors to provide the below information if we wish our novels to be available for sale within the EU. So, here it is:</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, "Lucida Grande", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">legal address Unit 5380 Box 1053, DPO, AE 09710 USA</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, "Lucida Grande", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">email address knight _ tour @ hotmail . com</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, "Lucida Grande", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">telephone number +352 691400077</span></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-28971870804672089532022-09-09T16:24:00.001+02:002022-09-09T16:24:22.675+02:00The Shattered Spire — VillemI began discussing the different POV characters of my new novel (coming out October 20) in my <a href="http://tedacross.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-shattered-spire-imric.html">last post</a>. <div><br /></div><div>The second character I'd like to introduce is Sir Villem Tathis. He is a 15-year-old from the small city of Iskimir in the western part of the Known Lands. He grew up believing he was the heir to Iskimir, but after his rite of passage to manhood at the age of 15, he learned that he was actually a bastard and his younger brother was in fact the actual heir to the lordship. This knowledge, along with learning that the woman he had always thought was his rather cold mother was not actually his mother (and now he understands why she acts so coldly toward him), came as a huge shock to Villem. Naturally, he was quite bitter at the overturning of everything he believed about his life.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Known Lands are dominated by the huge magical spire of the novel's title. The magic causes surges of strength to those with good hearts, and causes weakness and fear in those with bad. Not that Villem truly had a bad heart, but the means by which the magic detects what is in a person's heart is not a perfect system. It sees that Villem is filled with bitterness, anger, resentment, jealousy, etc., and thus it adversely affects him. Like all others who are affected thusly, Villem sets out to depart the Known Lands to escape the horrible feelings that overwhelm him.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the start of the story, he has escaped the sphere of influence of the spire and is approaching the great fortress of East Gate, where he hopes his status as a knight will allow him a place of honor within the exile army there.</div>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-16035405899413925082022-09-07T10:43:00.004+02:002022-09-07T10:43:49.304+02:00The Shattered Spire — Imric<p> With my new book, The Shattered Spire, coming out October 20, I thought I'd provide a bit of detail about each of the POV characters from the novel. I'll start with the youngest member of the royal Kaldarion family, Imric.</p><p>Imric Kaldarion is thirteen when the story begins. His mother died giving birth to him, which led his father, the king, to disavow the baby. So Imric has been raised by his sister Livia. With his father refusing him any sort of training to prepare him as a potential heir or any skills in knightly combat, Imric mainly skulks about the castle, discovering a maze of secret passageways. The only experience he gets with his father is by spying upon him in his throne room from a secret nook. Other than his beloved sister, his only real companion is his best friend, Soot, a servant from the kitchens.</p><p>With such an unusual childhood, it's hard to believe that he would one day rise to become one of the greatest and most beloved kings of the Known Lands. In later history books, he is known as Imric the Lame, due to the terrible wound he received to his left foot during the Times of Tragedy.</p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-2334736597242291842022-08-31T16:20:00.002+02:002022-08-31T16:20:53.091+02:00New Book Release! The Shattered Spire<p> It has been a long time since I have posted. Life has been busy. I finished up my posting to Rome and have now just arrived in Luxembourg. It seems very nice so far. </p><p>I'm super proud of both of my sons, one of whom is now working at a law firm in Wisconsin, and the other is pursuing his master's degree at Georgetown.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKztglecdxjpVB2_WljqdN8SA7C11c4bSAn0vYbuGfg448NLNc3Hhu6u3uHge6lojdbb8LoUtwJ3XBeRKjkm3-oAu58YrJy3m6DYSr6PDyGehEarfjnFEtosKcJD98twi6fUINbRLs6jyoKZtQYQSrLUwDiPNFEochd1GnR9ikiY9xJVwKmjGo9bS/s3945/Shattered%20Spire%20cover%20medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3945" data-original-width="2595" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKztglecdxjpVB2_WljqdN8SA7C11c4bSAn0vYbuGfg448NLNc3Hhu6u3uHge6lojdbb8LoUtwJ3XBeRKjkm3-oAu58YrJy3m6DYSr6PDyGehEarfjnFEtosKcJD98twi6fUINbRLs6jyoKZtQYQSrLUwDiPNFEochd1GnR9ikiY9xJVwKmjGo9bS/w234-h357/Shattered%20Spire%20cover%20medium.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br /> And, the best news is that after seven years, I am finally publishing a new novel! It is called The Shattered Spire, and it is a prequel to The Shard. It is set centuries before that story, and it covers how the shard came to be. It is only in pre-order for now, and only the ebook, but I'm working on the paperback and audiobooks to have them ready by the October 20 publication date.<p></p><p>I'm not particularly happy with how the cover art came out. It's a serious story, and I hoped to have a cover that reflected that, while to me this cover looks more like something from a graphic novel or a comic book.</p><p>Here is the blurb for the story:</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The magic of the Spire of Peace has banished evil from the Known Lands for more than twelve hundred years. When a dragon destroys the spire and murders the king, the realm is thrown into turmoil. As civil war looms, can the royal Kaldarion family regain control over the kingdom and restore peace?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Livia, 20, is the eldest child of the slain King Varun Kaldarion. Though the wisest and most learned of the surviving family members, tradition says she cannot inherit the throne.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Balmar, 18, is too feeble-minded to rule, but his uncle, Duke Erol, crowns him anyway in order to appoint himself regent.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Darus, 17, was exiled by the spire's magic due to his bitterness that his father never named him heir. By force of personality and skill at arms, he has risen to command the army of exiles at the fortress of East Gate. Now he plans to invade the realm and take back what he feels is rightfully his by birth.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Imric, 13, was disavowed by his father after his mother died birthing him. Raised by his sister Livia, few in the realm even know he exists. Little more than a pawn in the conflict between Duke Erol and his brother Darus, Imric may hold the key to reuniting the fractured realm.</span></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-16780618362296454862021-12-28T12:07:00.002+01:002021-12-28T12:50:18.663+01:00What I Read in 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">At the end of each year I do a summary post of what I read throughout the year. I find it interesting to see my reading habits, and to make note of what the best books were each year. I managed 45 books this year, which is much better than last. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">I use a standard five star rating method with five stars meaning I loved the book so much I intend to re-read it throughout my life, so there are rarely any five star books.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbGdhk9Lxr2psA4dK51TFkyzbEZrGZrQj5ka4WrREzENfl8fpCdKzEK-Q6aZPMTFxTRxUuKWQHxOXVT5iFcbtW322JwBhma10VbFjcnjqmkoJobxwPaQPcJqCx_77n0COBw-QU5xR2fpRV_GU7UFDiX5NlWGYJaoxq8gCDEVsLWlJ4YoZ24uFYqmIi=s2560" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1709" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbGdhk9Lxr2psA4dK51TFkyzbEZrGZrQj5ka4WrREzENfl8fpCdKzEK-Q6aZPMTFxTRxUuKWQHxOXVT5iFcbtW322JwBhma10VbFjcnjqmkoJobxwPaQPcJqCx_77n0COBw-QU5xR2fpRV_GU7UFDiX5NlWGYJaoxq8gCDEVsLWlJ4YoZ24uFYqmIi=s320" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>1. Wings of Omen, edited by Robert Asprin *****</p><p>2. The Godfather by Mario Puzo *****</p><p>3. Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara ***</p><p>4. Me by Elton John ****</p><p>5. Salvation by Peter F Hamilton *** and a half</p><p>6. The Dead of Winter, edited by Robert Asprin ****</p><p>7. Grant by Ron Chernow ****</p><p>8. Soul of the City, edited by Robert Asprin ****</p><p>9. The Civil War by Bruce Catton ****</p><p>10. Salvation Lost by Peter F Hamilton *** and a half</p><p>11. Head On by John Scalzi ***</p><p>12. A Time to Kill by John Grisham ** and a half</p><p>13. Unlocked by John Scalzi **</p><p>14. The Pelican Brief by John Grisham *** </p><p>15. The Rooster Bar by John Grisham **</p><p>16. The Siberian Dilemma by Martin Cruz Smith ****</p><p>17. A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo ****</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPyFyC8hf4D7G4QUdLqZmzWitRaMDucHeNGYpcb6szyFXz2vVecu2EueJZgyVO5WtUTg5umhIbtouhi-CH5k1fojdOBajaj0yNIiiUs-uS7updeDaO0-LI-K3T5Uf-HHW1JLo9IPWstVxacmmXmxNBW1QobFxLcxHsp2N5UK9zavfkPmbkDdDQ7b3p=s334" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPyFyC8hf4D7G4QUdLqZmzWitRaMDucHeNGYpcb6szyFXz2vVecu2EueJZgyVO5WtUTg5umhIbtouhi-CH5k1fojdOBajaj0yNIiiUs-uS7updeDaO0-LI-K3T5Uf-HHW1JLo9IPWstVxacmmXmxNBW1QobFxLcxHsp2N5UK9zavfkPmbkDdDQ7b3p=s320" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>18. Thin Air by Richard K Morgan *****</p><p>19. White Wolf by David Gemmell **</p><p>20. Near Enemy by Adam Sternbergh ***</p><p>21. Blood Ties, edited by Robert Asprin ****</p><p>22. Apropos of Nothing by Woody Allen **** and a half</p><p>23. The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck ***</p><p>24. Sabriel by Garth Nix ***</p><p>25. House of Spies by Daniel Silva ***</p><p>26. R is for Rocket by Ray Bradbury **</p><p>27. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith ****</p><p>28. Aftermath, edited by Robert Asprin ****</p><p>29. The Swords of Night and Day by David Gemmell ***</p><p>30. Uneasy Alliances, edited by Robert Asprin **** and a half</p><p>31. Red Rising by Pierce Brown *</p><p>32. King and Maxwell by David Baldacci **</p><p>33. Hue 1968 by Mark Bowden ****</p><p>34. Stealers' Sky, edited by Robert Asprin ****</p><p>35. Lovedeath by Dan Simmons ***</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj317p-ax6hpZRGOCgWr9ChLINKo3qpM8DQy_veMuyNTICHlHeaVHflUd_kIn-U0fJa7wqGLBkbJYETBhVfpRAbBne_0spd3A2GmkAX0UGZWmp86Wra_GE_HRLHAawbczahWVVxCjYCJoBRQgBPluS6_SezdrSS7RsPi8vtz_oXyYwc1Cpreb2IqH5J=s498" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj317p-ax6hpZRGOCgWr9ChLINKo3qpM8DQy_veMuyNTICHlHeaVHflUd_kIn-U0fJa7wqGLBkbJYETBhVfpRAbBne_0spd3A2GmkAX0UGZWmp86Wra_GE_HRLHAawbczahWVVxCjYCJoBRQgBPluS6_SezdrSS7RsPi8vtz_oXyYwc1Cpreb2IqH5J=s320" width="179" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>36. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane *****</p><p>37. Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane **</p><p>38. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer ***</p><p>39. Nightflyers by George R.R. Martin **</p><p>40. Master Assassins by Robert Redick ****</p><p>41. Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub *** and a half</p><p>42. Arrival by Ted Chiang **</p><p>43. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner *</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-1igmoN2ZEvOJ__8furXge6DAzNAYYaDa_XZV6LvDTaMeJV6T9uqz8a9Lnt8mrtYmLS0-eg1Ja6UDs5xg-UOcqDQ3-RKVzBG5mSizijQt9eSyOr33NrT3rLCZKGZOQa8-KYwgz5rdb6GafzPnToSsBXkNMzqt1VIWnU9jp2JFJqw2635k20GK4I_F=s630" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-1igmoN2ZEvOJ__8furXge6DAzNAYYaDa_XZV6LvDTaMeJV6T9uqz8a9Lnt8mrtYmLS0-eg1Ja6UDs5xg-UOcqDQ3-RKVzBG5mSizijQt9eSyOr33NrT3rLCZKGZOQa8-KYwgz5rdb6GafzPnToSsBXkNMzqt1VIWnU9jp2JFJqw2635k20GK4I_F=s320" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>44. A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden **** and a half</p><p>45. Twilight of the Gods by Scott Oden *****</p><p><br /></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-88181413794073968472021-11-09T21:12:00.000+01:002021-11-09T21:12:04.119+01:00Top 25 Albums of the 2000's<p> As everyone knows, I have the best taste in music in the world. And of course I've listened to every single album that has come out since the year 2000. No sarcasm at all there :)</p><p>Okay, so it's completely subjective (though I do have terrific musical taste), but I thought it would be fun to sort my music in iTunes by date and see what I thought were the best albums to come out since the year 2000, at least based on what I have listened to.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtc9Z14bTjYqaNTaOkjWzeTEuEwZ9bebbM4YKcLlc9Mw8tofyXDRRBD3gc9bym0cR4PjCsgFRmitL0f8gBOA3oBQbVZRqaXFcbe-tD5XbsZQsA6yl97P1SRNZjSUfZP8y4BkBeNzhNkw/s268/Tool_-_Lateralus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="268" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtc9Z14bTjYqaNTaOkjWzeTEuEwZ9bebbM4YKcLlc9Mw8tofyXDRRBD3gc9bym0cR4PjCsgFRmitL0f8gBOA3oBQbVZRqaXFcbe-tD5XbsZQsA6yl97P1SRNZjSUfZP8y4BkBeNzhNkw/s0/Tool_-_Lateralus.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>1. Lateralus -- Tool 2002</p><p>2. Fear Inoculum -- Tool 2019</p><p>3. The Incident -- Porcupine Tree 2009</p><p>4. 10,000 Days -- Tool 2006</p><p>5. Live: Featuring Stone and Echo -- A Perfect Circle 2013</p><p>6. Thirteenth Step -- A Perfect Circle 2003</p><p>7. American Idiot -- Green Day 2004</p><p>8. Army of Anyone -- Army of Anyone 2006</p><p>9. Lost Dogs -- Pearl Jam 2000</p><p>10. Bullet in a Bible -- Green Day 2005</p><p>11. Blade Runner 2049 Soundtrack -- Hans Zimmer 2017</p><p>12. Eat the Elephant -- A Perfect Circle 2018</p><p>13. Elephant -- The White Stripes 2003</p><p>14. Backspacer -- Pearl Jam 2009</p><p>15. King Animal -- Soundgarden 2012</p><p>16. Fear of a Blank Planet -- Porcupine Tree 2007</p><p>17. Weathered -- Creed 2001</p><p>18. Lightning Bolt -- Pearl Jam 2013</p><p>19. 21st Century Breakdown -- Green Day 2009</p><p>20. We Lost the Skyline -- Porcupine Tree 2008</p><p>21. One Day Remains -- Alter Bridge 2004</p><p>22. Riot Act -- Pearl Jam 2002</p><p>23. eMotive -- A Perfect Circle 2004</p><p>24. Walk the Sky -- Alter Bridge 2019</p><p>25. Dust -- Tremonti 2016</p><p>What are your favorites within the 2000's?</p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-25885567205378951822021-11-05T23:33:00.004+01:002021-11-05T23:33:46.532+01:00Audiobook Out Today!<p> The audiobook for my sci-fi technothriller The Immortality game went live today! It's the bestselling of my books, so I hope it will do well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8oSAA6bp_QpDb-V4ovwTEAuoYWkDlIQhLlCq4T24uizrnq9xlpTa_gvyFDGL_pKonE9wCaLjmqsnZ9O7wJVlE8MSJ1v2H-C5QZ3YFVjOxAbeIXcDAsPdp3yRpcz1lhn7kXC3yd1QUGQ/s2048/TIG+Audiobook+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8oSAA6bp_QpDb-V4ovwTEAuoYWkDlIQhLlCq4T24uizrnq9xlpTa_gvyFDGL_pKonE9wCaLjmqsnZ9O7wJVlE8MSJ1v2H-C5QZ3YFVjOxAbeIXcDAsPdp3yRpcz1lhn7kXC3yd1QUGQ/w421-h421/TIG+Audiobook+Cover.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><br /><p>I have free promo codes for US or UK Audible stores for anyone willing to do an honest review--it's great to get some reviews up early on within the first few weeks of release.</p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-44014203018170662832021-06-04T13:30:00.001+02:002021-06-04T13:31:02.295+02:00Might As Well Be<p> That phrase, 'might as well be', isn't used all that often, but it always seemed a little odd to me. Sometime during my younger teen years, that phrase struck me funny and I turned it into the name of my Dungeons and Dragons paladin character--Midas Welby.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8uiWkxsyCpDfXKugjm4yzoibOvML7J1SzYnnOvtw2aP_DVC9jfZhJ7BXeXDFniPXRpseHbxisk5E0_RfOQNEnQB2ScqfZxiURbBIaE2ag0GgPrGE-TY_GTnliy4yAUJVua6EhkDGOUI/s1296/KNIGHTSKETCH2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8uiWkxsyCpDfXKugjm4yzoibOvML7J1SzYnnOvtw2aP_DVC9jfZhJ7BXeXDFniPXRpseHbxisk5E0_RfOQNEnQB2ScqfZxiURbBIaE2ag0GgPrGE-TY_GTnliy4yAUJVua6EhkDGOUI/w309-h400/KNIGHTSKETCH2.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><p>Many years later, when I decided to write a fantasy novel, I turned that old D&D character into the protagonist of my story The Shard. I mean, he might as well be the main character, right? Rather than a paladin, I made him a minor nobleman, who had been born to a fisherman but gained notice during his service fighting barbarians and became a captain-of-the-guard for a major noble, who later knighted him, married him to his daughter, and granted him a small keep.</p><p>I guess I was very subtle about his name in the book, because it was published in 2015 and not one reader has ever noticed that his name was a play on that phrase.</p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-53491379018807782002021-04-28T09:12:00.003+02:002021-04-28T09:12:47.552+02:00Have Audiobooks Changed the Way You Write?<p> I rarely notice any change to my style of writing, but recently I've noticed that I have changed the way I approach dialogue and thoughts due to having listened to my novels that were made into audiobooks. I noticed that whenever I listened to dialogue or thoughts in audiobooks, it sometimes became confusing as to who was speaking. This is because in novels the writer often doesn't need to explicitly state who is speaking or whether what is being said is a thought and not spoken out loud, because it is obvious to the reader. But it isn't so obvious once the reader isn't seeing it on the page. </p><p>So, while I haven't changed my approach to dialogue or thoughts too much, I do find myself adding more attributions to the thoughts or dialogue, just so when the audiobook comes out it won't be so confusing to the listener. </p><p>Anyone else had this same issue?</p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-47387390814036609512021-04-02T14:57:00.001+02:002021-04-02T15:15:49.277+02:00Writing Two Books at Once<p> I published my last novel in 2015. So it has already been nearly six years since I last released a new story, which puts me in the company of writers like Patrick Rothfuss and George R.R. Martin for the slowness of my productivity.</p><p>There are many reasons why it is taking me so long. I naturally procrastinate unless something really urges me on. I've been stressed out by so many things, not leastwise by the election of a certain someone to the highest office in the land in 2016. But primarily the reason is that I started working on two different books at the same time.</p><p>I hadn't planned to do it. I started working on one of them (I don't even recall which I started first), got stuck on something early on, and then began working on the other while my mind mulled over how to overcome the complications in the first.</p><p>I really don't recommend this method of writing. I've never been a fast writer--each of my first novels took four years to produce--but at least by working on only one at a time I did manage to finish them. Now with the six year mark approaching, I just hit the 51,000 word mark in one novel, and I'm only at 21,000 words in the other. Which means I'm perhaps around the halfway mark in the first, and nowhere close to finished in the second.</p><p>The stories don't bore me. I haven't lost interest in them. It's just that one of them is extremely complicated and needs lot of thought to overcome the many obstacles. Yet my mind can never just set about working on one of them, because both stories keep jockeying for attention in my brain. Each time I think I have stopped working on one to focus solely on the other, some new idea pops up that makes me go back to the other manuscript.</p><p>I so badly want to finish at least one of them, so I've pushed harder this year than I have in quite some time, but the finish line feels so far away still, which is discouraging. If I could just finish one then the other might be easier to complete as well.</p><p>I wonder how many of you have had this same frustrating experience?</p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-72264822814860793462021-01-01T12:30:00.090+01:002021-01-01T12:30:01.367+01:00What I Read in 2020<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">At the end of each year I do a summary post of what I read throughout the year. I find it interesting to see my reading habits, and to make note of what the best books were each year. I managed only 31 books this year, though to be fair some of them were very long ones. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">I use a standard five star rating method with five stars meaning I loved the book so much I intend to re-read it throughout my life, so there are rarely any five star books. But with how crazy this year was, I purposely re-read a lot of my old favorites, which is why you'll see so many this time.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">1. Fortune's Favorites by Colleen McCullough *****</span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">2. Caesar's Women by Colleen McCullough *****</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">3. Dispel Illusion by Mark Lawrence *** and a half</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">4. Caesar by Colleen McCullough *****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">5. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">6. Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi ***</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">7. The October Horse by Colleen McCullough *****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">8. Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">9. Rosewater by Tade Thompson **</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">10 Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey *****</span></p><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" rel="”nofollow”" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=tedc-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0316332895&asins=0316332895&linkId=166b873dcc6abf1b1ddadae14d54f26e&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">11 The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley **</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">12. The Outsider by Stephen King ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">13 The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb ****</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">14. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King *** and a half</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">15. The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley **** and a half</span></p><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" rel="”nofollow”" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=tedc-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1481447971&asins=1481447971&linkId=f7edaa435088aa75193756d2ff483729&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">16. The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfey ****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">17. Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb ****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">18. City of Dragons by Robin Hobb ****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">19. Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb *** and a half</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">20. Delta-v by Daniel Suarez ****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">21. The Blackest Heart by Brian Lee Durfey ****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">22. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan ***</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">23. Thieves' World edited by Robert Asprin *****</span></span></p><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" rel="”nofollow”" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=tedc-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0441805914&asins=0441805914&linkId=1caf876adc1e303011d961e473bca45e&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">24. Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn edited by Robert Asprin *****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">25. Shadows of Sanctuary edited by Robert Asprin *****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">26. Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Albert Zuckerman **</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">27. Storm Season edited by Robert Asprin *****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">28. The Face of Chaos edited by Robert Asprin *****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">29. The Firm by John Grisham *****</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">30. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King ***</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">31. Wings of Omen edited by Robert Asprin *****</span></span></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-58156382179452782572020-10-30T11:37:00.007+01:002020-10-30T11:39:47.904+01:00Sample From My Work in Progress<p> I'm been struggling so much with writing over the past few years. I'm not a fast writer in any case--my first two novels took me four years each to complete. But it has been nearly seven years now since I last finished a book. To be fair, I have been working on two at the same time, which is probably a bad idea, but I haven't been able to help myself. Both stories have been compelling to me.</p><p>I've started to have fun again, though, which is nice. Wrote this bit this morning, and it gave me a good chuckle.</p><p>-------------------------------------------------------------------</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoGgjD-pbq-QG4vT3pSr0f7y450T3OBWROJc_GlT7ie38m09rQ1WryDlJa24cJh11J2IhyphenhyphenZLxK893sDsocpw8zdmujx5-2QlCVd58awlTa0wkj3glpzpmsE-NqBNUBgRiGcwQat7oB8A/s273/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="273" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoGgjD-pbq-QG4vT3pSr0f7y450T3OBWROJc_GlT7ie38m09rQ1WryDlJa24cJh11J2IhyphenhyphenZLxK893sDsocpw8zdmujx5-2QlCVd58awlTa0wkj3glpzpmsE-NqBNUBgRiGcwQat7oB8A/w400-h271/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Villem hacked and gagged on the
earth choking him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something warm and
wet rasped across his face again and again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He spat dirt from his mouth and breathed in air sweeter than any
dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gasping and panting, he tried
to open his eyes, but it was too painful from the grit that filled them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was confused by whatever it was cleansing
his face, until he heard a whine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The dog!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has saved my life once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite his utter misery, Villem’s heart
filled with a warm glow for the poor, starving mongrel that refused to let him
die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He recalled the ridged line across
the dog’s haunch from where the crossbow bolt had left its mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scar!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
deserves a name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll name her Scar.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">He spat and spat until his mouth
was free of dirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scar began licking him
about the eyes, and soon Villem was able to try opening them again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grit was painful and filled his eyes with
tears, but he could see Scar standing over him, continuing to lick away the
dirt from around his face.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Villem was grateful that the lord’s
men hadn’t bothered to do more than toss a thin layer of earth over his face,
else he’d surely be dead now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had
done better with his lower extremities, though—he couldn’t move them much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He began wiggling his arms and legs the best
he could, trying to gain more room.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Scar’s head jerked up and looked
away, and she barked twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
distance, Villem heard a voice, perhaps that of a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was coming closer!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“H-help!” he cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Help me!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He heard a startled cry, then silence for a few moments.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Back dog!” someone yelled,
sounding like a young boy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“It must belong to the witch,” came
a voice from a different boy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“No!” Villem cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Help me!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Run!” yelped one of the boys, and Villem
heard them scampering away.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Villem wept and laughed at the same
time, while Scar began to lick his face again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“They thought it was you, girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good
girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good, Scar.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wished he had an arm free so he could pet
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He began to wiggle his arms and
legs again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Just when he began to feel he was
making some headway, he heard voices again, and Scar again looked up and
barked.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“There it is, see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get too close,” came the voice of one
of the boys.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">A man’s voice responded, “It’s just
a mutt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you daft?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“It talked, I swear!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“It the witch’s, I tell you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the other boy was there as well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Villem gathered his breath and
called out, “It’s not the dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Silence reined for some time before
Villem heard scuffling sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scar
barked again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Easy, dog,” came the raspy voice
of the man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’ll poke you if I have to.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Don’t hurt her!” Villem called
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“She’s a good dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Show yourself, whoever you are.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“I’m here, in the ground.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">A man’s face appeared, eyes
widening as he saw Villem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man was old,
but he wore a conical steel helm on his head, so Villem assumed he must be a guard
from the keep.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“What’s this then?” the man said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What are you doing in the ground?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Just help me, please!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The man looked behind him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You boys, come here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing t’be affrighted of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just some demon digging his way out from the
bowels of the earth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man chuckled.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-89843220527692120762020-05-28T11:45:00.000+02:002020-07-08T17:10:28.010+02:00Audiobook Release for Epic Fantasy The ShardMy very first audiobook was released in Audible yesterday. It is narrated by the talented Rosa B. Watkinson. It's a whole new realm of learning for me, trying to figure out how to be successful in the audiobook realm. I imagine getting reviews for audiobooks isn't easy. I've Googled for audiobook reviewers and there don't appear to be very many.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGMA8FHkp8Gdnrs0dSUXTPvKImHj-oo2e9ugghyOQG361vRWOJOsPMSZO6_fw3-DR3dzedn4D-XzuM2WLxfoUUTdsDkr-45fzErDnfHjGYTytFUQX3hsGXHF4kz3VazremiNKGEi__tk/s1600/Ted+Cross+The+Shard+audiobook+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGMA8FHkp8Gdnrs0dSUXTPvKImHj-oo2e9ugghyOQG361vRWOJOsPMSZO6_fw3-DR3dzedn4D-XzuM2WLxfoUUTdsDkr-45fzErDnfHjGYTytFUQX3hsGXHF4kz3VazremiNKGEi__tk/s400/Ted+Cross+The+Shard+audiobook+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
For those who enjoy audiobooks and think they might try this one, I think having a map may be useful. I have a link on the right side of my blog to the map for The Shard. If you click on the picture of the map, it will enlarge and you can do CTRL + P to print it out.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Shard-Audiobook/B0892VV1FQ?ref=a_newreleas_c3_lProduct_2_13&pf_rd_p=f98f2d31-f081-438d-a6bd-63a6ca0f91aa&pf_rd_r=4QMSDTPG327M6W3N85J3" target="_blank">Click here to visit the Audible page for this book.</a><br />
<br />
I am looking for lovers of epic fantasy to do reviews of the audiobook of The Shard. I can provide a free code for Audible US or UK. I don't expect anyone to do dishonest reviews. If you truly dislike the book, then it would be better for me if you didn't post a review, but any honest reviews are appreciated. Note that a review on Audible is great, but please also consider posting a review on other great sites, such as Reddit's r/fantasy or in various Facebook groups that love fantasy or audiobooks. Thanks for your consideration!Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-42908933237821879982020-03-27T11:55:00.003+01:002020-04-20T10:41:51.164+02:00Pandemic Diary RomeI don't write that much on this blog anymore, mostly because I use Facebook for the bulk of my thoughts these days, but every so often it's good to put something up here if for no other reason than to serve as a sort of diary entry for myself. Everyone is going through this Covid-19 global pandemic these days, though here in Italy it was one of the early epicenters of the virus. The entire country was shut down about two weeks ago.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55C2iNnsZPFIKbKpFq3t8fSgiGpcskoa4xqofAlyYSEGuJ5_2rDd3YoPEJrfpRkZuSndgV0Lk_ucbmKywbFiv7tqLe3msaVI4EcIWnylxpcqdc9nLBCeLMFlN2KG-6JQ-HmWNf36ENdc/s1600/90143476_10219377235095063_2812338396372926464_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55C2iNnsZPFIKbKpFq3t8fSgiGpcskoa4xqofAlyYSEGuJ5_2rDd3YoPEJrfpRkZuSndgV0Lk_ucbmKywbFiv7tqLe3msaVI4EcIWnylxpcqdc9nLBCeLMFlN2KG-6JQ-HmWNf36ENdc/s400/90143476_10219377235095063_2812338396372926464_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empty street in center of Rome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While most of my colleagues stay home, I'm unfortunately considered to be an 'essential' employee, so I continue to have to go to work. It's an eerie experience walking through the heart of historic Rome and seeing how empty everything is.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMPnQlsdgs2XVD5W1BCFzWp2ypf2J6_xZyUmw7brgun_revv6UYghpwttl_3Y_vx3UkWSqaNVKRviP4UFcTiSdewZRXHo4Kmsz_nP293V_m3URsgxPxZGh37hbaprhyphenhyphenLPnaeX5p1j30M/s1600/90075383_10219376192068988_6150268768439238656_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMPnQlsdgs2XVD5W1BCFzWp2ypf2J6_xZyUmw7brgun_revv6UYghpwttl_3Y_vx3UkWSqaNVKRviP4UFcTiSdewZRXHo4Kmsz_nP293V_m3URsgxPxZGh37hbaprhyphenhyphenLPnaeX5p1j30M/s400/90075383_10219376192068988_6150268768439238656_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza del Popolo with no people</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I couldn't take photos in some spots, like the Trevi Fountain, because there was a cordon of police officers and I didn't want a confrontation with them.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3wx-2iQqrC1_PhjAWJfFByuxjKIyjMjVK-niIvL3DN2RfkjuA938NTT9s210OyjaAgoitLah3VNDfUh8sMLj_I9fo2f1dmqm5zDP0Sw2LMwuxwLyoRYmZAKg263RZFhjRFfHrkcn8Do/s1600/Deserted+Spanish+Steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1211" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3wx-2iQqrC1_PhjAWJfFByuxjKIyjMjVK-niIvL3DN2RfkjuA938NTT9s210OyjaAgoitLah3VNDfUh8sMLj_I9fo2f1dmqm5zDP0Sw2LMwuxwLyoRYmZAKg263RZFhjRFfHrkcn8Do/s400/Deserted+Spanish+Steps.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Spanish Steps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Walking down the Spanish Steps, the two lady police officers that you see in the picture stopped me to make me show my paperwork that allows me to be outside.<br />
<br />
Sadly, the past couple days I have started to see more and more cars and people out, which tells me that people are starting to lose patience with staying indoors. But this will only help the virus to start spreading again.<br />
<br />
I feel a tad prescient, since my novel The Immortality Game has a Dark Times from the middle of this century until the start of the next, and the Dark Times was caused by a mixture of the effects of global climate change and a terrible pandemic, much worse than our current one.<br />
<br />
I hope that our scientists find a vaccine sooner rather than later, so we can save many more lives.<br />
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<br />Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-12315283382194972532020-01-31T15:56:00.000+01:002020-01-31T15:56:01.466+01:00Russian Names in The Immortality GameI only have one review in Amazon France, and it's a bad one. Two stars. That's fine; it's what that person felt when they read the book, and I appreciate that they read it. I just don't like one thing that was central to their dislike--the reader complained that the Russians in my book use diminutive names, suggesting that they would only be using the formal of first name and patronymic. He seemed to be suggesting that I didn't know enough about Russia and Russians.<br />
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I have lived in Russia and other Soviet-sphere countries for 13 years. I had a lot of experience with Russians, speaking not just to me but with each other. Yes, I saw the situations where they used the formal first name with patronymic. I've seen the occasions where my Russian wife of 24 years will use the formal. I do understand when it is generally used. It wasn't the case of the situations set in my story.<br />
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I am sure there are work places where colleagues use the formal addresses. Probably in such places as the police force, hospitals perhaps, etc. In the places that I witnessed, even at the embassy, everyone was closer to one another and they used the diminutives, not the formal. That was what I was expressing in my story. These scientists had been working closely with one another for decades. They were beyond the point of using the formal names with each other.<br />
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I'm sorry this reader felt the way he did about my book, but I disagree with him that I used the language of names wrong.<br />
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<br />Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-65206886326489637052019-12-30T13:41:00.001+01:002019-12-30T13:41:18.837+01:00What I Read in 2019<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">At the end of each year I do a summary post of what I read throughout the year. I find it interesting to see my reading habits, and to make note of what the best books were each year. I managed only 28 books this year, though to be fair some of them were very long ones. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">I use a standard five star rating method with five stars meaning I loved the book so much I intend to re-read it throughout my life, so there are rarely any five star books.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">1. The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">2. Langue[dot]doc 1305 by Gilian Polack ***</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">3. The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">4. Silent Hall by N.S. Dolkart **</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">5. God's War by Kameron Hurley **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">6. Infidel by Kameron Hurley **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">7. Rapture by Kameron Hurley **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">8. Somebody to Love: The Life, Death, and Legacy of Freddie Mercury by Matt Richards ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">9. The Wolves of Winter by Matt Johnson ***</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">10. Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">11. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer ***</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">12. Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">13. One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence *** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">14. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon *****</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">15. The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson ** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">16. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">17. Low Town by Daniel Polansky ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">18. Lucifer's Hammer (reread) by Larry Niven ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">19. Embassytown by China Mieville *** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">20. Winter of the World by Ken Follett **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">21. The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin *** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">22. With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">23. Alliance Space by C.J. Cherryh ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">24. Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">25. The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi **** and a half</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">26. Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton ****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">27. The First Man in Rome (reread) by Colleen McCullough *****</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;">28. Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence *** and a half</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span>Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-28813547693036644032019-11-22T11:57:00.001+01:002019-11-22T11:57:59.721+01:00Writing a Single Point of ViewMy first two novels were written with multiple point-of-view (POV) characters, and it never occurred to me to do otherwise. It just felt natural. I have seen a few readers complain about not liking the change of characters, but it never bothered me much given that I really love reading multiple POVs in a novel. I love complexity.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1UuQUJMv7ARKkmuQd4mlkE4FEPadk1HHR7OsMG4WTdLATdiIbHGXU6IqgguY_CtfE7B0F1Fgy5wECA1KhNulDEQWE0cQSltnGddLBjBxrTpBk61EEirQsirwbBTmIL2HyWxdU4iU0jM/s1600/Zoya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="388" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1UuQUJMv7ARKkmuQd4mlkE4FEPadk1HHR7OsMG4WTdLATdiIbHGXU6IqgguY_CtfE7B0F1Fgy5wECA1KhNulDEQWE0cQSltnGddLBjBxrTpBk61EEirQsirwbBTmIL2HyWxdU4iU0jM/s320/Zoya.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One POV from The Immortality Game, art by Stephan Martiniere</td></tr>
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But in the sci-fi novel I am currently working on, I tried to do it with just a single POV character. It was more 'young adult', which is a category forced on us by the book industry these days and not something I actually like, but having said that, the YA category often outsells the standard adult category. So since I felt a young protagonist was necessary for this particular story, it felt logical to try to tell it in the manner of most YA novels -- with a single POV.<br />
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I managed to get through about seven chapters this way before hitting a wall. It began to feel to me that I was running the character around far too much to try to witness and participate in all the key plot points. It began to ring false to me. And this is with only two primary locations for the whole plot!<br />
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I haven't read a ton of books with just one POV, so I don't recall whether I had this feeling of the character running around too much and seeming to overhear or oversee too many key moments, but I vaguely recall feeling this way a number of times. I'm certain some authors have brilliantly pulled a single POV off with no such issues. I guess I'm just not that kind of writer.<br />
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I've come to realize that I just can't make this story work without at least two other POV characters. I wonder if it will always be like this in my writing?Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319453613836766610.post-20675582074216816112019-10-08T11:24:00.001+02:002019-10-08T11:24:46.785+02:00False RomanceA recent review on Goodreads of my novel <i>The Immortality Game</i> made a similar point of several other reviews, so it made me start thinking about the romantic aspects within that story. I set out to do romance quite differently from what is typical in novels, and I guess people are either confused by it or simply don't like it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2oCKBHYRR8pLop1LrCt9oSX2_87eQ31TkMX1lWdC0LuO6DFwdK25E5IOEswbGcQmwBy8C27ZC4PC2UsbD8haOQyOD6ek6vIYx37y-AmIyE0ZBbjWNWDBdmyV5JS22veCpqoZVAfl3mA/s1600/Zoya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="388" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2oCKBHYRR8pLop1LrCt9oSX2_87eQ31TkMX1lWdC0LuO6DFwdK25E5IOEswbGcQmwBy8C27ZC4PC2UsbD8haOQyOD6ek6vIYx37y-AmIyE0ZBbjWNWDBdmyV5JS22veCpqoZVAfl3mA/s400/Zoya.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoya, art by Stephan Martiniere</td></tr>
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The two primary characters of similar age in <i>The Immortality Game</i> are Zoya and Marcus. Zoya is a young Russian woman just trying to get by in a harsh life. Marcus has had it both better and worse in his life as an American living in Phoenix, Arizona. He has no financial difficulties. His father was the most famous scientist in the world. And that is the main problem for Marcus--he was sheltered and very much overshadowed by his superstar dad. Marcus is no dummy, yet he feels very small in comparison to his father, so he has struggled to figure out his place in life. He became one of the billions of Mesh addicts, and probably would have died of it if his father hadn't intervened.<br />
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Marcus has been sheltered in the extreme, barely ever going outdoors and almost certainly never speaking with a woman other than his mother. His entire education happened via the web and food and anything else that is needed arrives directly to his door. I purposely made Marcus lacking in self-esteem because I wanted for a change to see a main character that I could personally relate to.<br />
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I was so painfully shy when I was young that I didn't date until after graduating college. It's not that I didn't want to but rather that I simply couldn't start a conversation with a girl. If I saw a girl that I found attractive then I automatically assumed she was out of my league. It is painful to go through all your formative years this way, and I had never yet read a book that really gave me a character who went through this.<br />
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So I did it with Marcus...and readers don't seem to like it. Or else they don't understand it and act as if there is a real romantic arc in the book that actually isn't there. I'm sorry the readers are confused, but I'm not sorry I wrote it the way I did. I'm tired of standard romances and am glad to do one that rings true to life, at least for my own experiences.<br />
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From Zoya's perspective, a romance never made any sense in the story. It all takes place in one day, and it's the worst day of her life. I don't see a romance happening in such a place and time, so I certainly never shoehorned a romance into it. I think where the readers get confused is that the Point of View switches between chapters, so sometimes they are seeing things and thinking and feeling from Zoya's perspective, while at others they are seeing everything through Marcus. Naturally in the thoughts of a single character you are going to see when they notice an attraction to another person, so there are hints of that throughout the book. Marcus clearly is smitten with Zoya from the start. But he never indicates anything of this to her other than subconsciously. He definitely doesn't flirt with her. Alternatively, Zoya is going through hell that day, and barely has a few moments to catch her breath. She does notice certain nice qualities about Marcus, but that's where it stops. She goes no further with it, and it makes no sense for it to go further.<br />
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I think the readers forget that they are seeing inside the minds of both characters, so they know the thoughts and feelings of both. But the two characters don't know what each other think and feel. So there is no romance there. Only some budding feelings that never get any chance to bloom. Yet readers keep seeing a romance. Even at the very end of the story, when circumstances change dramatically, I only hint that there now exists the possibility that a romance could potentially happen in the future.<br />
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So my point--I guess it frustrates me that readers want to elevate the relationship between Marcus and Zoya to a romance when it really isn't there and isn't meant to be there. Perhaps readers only want the same old cliche romances? Perhaps they don't like real life intruding upon the stories that they feel should go the way they want them to go? They don't like Marcus because of his weaknesses, his lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. Well, a lot of us live like that in real life and I think there should be a place in literature for us to have our stories told.<br />
<br />Ted Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09022309459554237650noreply@blogger.com2