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Fantasy, Home, Short Stories

The Jewel and Her Lapidary ~Fran Wilde

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“To anyone who dreams about the layered histories of a familiar place, or an unfamiliar one, this is for you”
~Fran Wilde

Jewel Lin, daughter of the King of the valley, and her lapidary, Sima, awaken to find themselves imprisoned and the kingdom in madness-induced disarray. Lapidaries are bound to the gemstones that speak to them, gemstones with the power to both protect and enslave the kingdom. They are also oathbound to serve a Jewel, and lapidary Sima is ever faithful to the vows she made that now tie her to Jewel Lin.

Unprepared for the devastation in which they find themselves, the two must summon all their training, courage–and not a little bit of cleverness–to save the people of the valley who look to them for protection.

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Welcome 2016

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grantholiday
(From one of my favorite classic films, Holiday)

“Dear old world’, she murmured, ‘you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

On one level I recognize that today is Friday. It is just like any other Friday, with the same potential for uses wise or wasteful, the same potential for good or ill. Perhaps the only exception to most Fridays in a 365 day period is that, for some, this is a paid holiday.

On another level this is a particularly auspicious Friday, for it is Friday, January 1st, 2016. The start of a new year.

For all of you being born this day, welcome! It truly is the first day of the rest of your life. For the rest of us, it is a day to mark a new beginning, even if it seems like that is only true in the sense that we will be writing a new number whenever we place a date on something.

I have always liked to look at the new year as a time to start fresh. It is, admittedly, an artificial, calendar-prompted time to take stock and think about goals for the next 365 days. I have had years in which I have laid out many “resolutions” that I would like to accomplish, and others where those were very few in number. This year I’m leaning much more towards the “few” end of the spectrum, as I truly want to dedicate time to those things that matter to me.

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Hello October

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October-Scholarships-2014
(Image Credit)

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Hard as it is to believe, October has arrived!

My favorite quarter of the year has begun. I love the this time of year, as the Earth (where I live) slowly drifts off to sleep. We get all those great Autumnal color changes as Winter slowly approaches. We get to celebrate all the fun holidays–Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years–and somewhere in the midst of that I turn another year older.

So I welcome October with a hearty “Hello!”. It should be a fun month. I think I’ll kick it off with a reading of Neil Gaiman’s short story “October in the Chair” tonight. It seems fitting. And the fun will continue with a weekend viewing of the film adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel, The Martian, which took science fiction fans and non-science fiction readers by storm after its release.

My hope is that the month will be filled with some classic scary reading and viewing (time to get out the Vincent Price DVD’s), with pumpkin-flavored and pumpkin-themed eats and drinks, with bonfires and s’mores and with making memories with friends old and new.

What about you? How do you plan to revel in the month of October?

Fitness, Home

Getting Psychotic with the Trail Nerds

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fgump1

It had to happen this way, didn’t it? I knew when signing up for the 10 mile loop (10.41 miles, to be exact) of the Psycho Psummer “Run Toto, Run” Trail Run that it would be brutal. I’ve volunteered at aid stations for this race twice and both times it was extremely hot.

It is called “Psycho Psummer”, after all.

But in the week leading up to the race, the temperatures were very unseasonably moderate…because it just would not stop raining.

A couple of years ago I ran this course for the winter version, Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run, right after a massive snowstorm that stopped the city dead for two days and then quickly melted, leaving the course a muddy disaster. I was overconfident because of a 13.1 mile race the November before, had not trained well, and the course destroyed me. My legs hurt for days. The course kicked my proverbial behind.

But this time would be different. The course would be hard packed and I would only have the heat to contend with. What could go wrong?

Remember that rain I mentioned?

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The Interview

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gotcarl

Recently I sat down [or perhaps I went running] with fellow SFF blogger S.C. Flynn to answer a series of interview questions. Flynn has been interviewing a number of interesting individuals with passion for all things genre and I am honored to be a small part of that amazing group of people.

I’d be further honored if you would head over there and check out the interview. And if you feel so inclined, please leave your comments there. Both Flynn and I would be happy to hear your answers to any of the questions asked and/or your responses to my opinions.

Thanks again S.C. Flynn for including me on your site, it was fun!