Category Archives: Books
Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Jafrey
We promised when we did our original Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Time’s Edge post there would be sequels. Naturally, we just had to take a look at the world from the point of view of Jafrey, the irascible old man from the Time’s Edge series.
It’s okay to be yourself.
“Nice to meet you,” Jafrey said gruffly, his hands stuffed firmly in his pockets. “Shame the way they make us all get decked out for these events. Feel like a fool.”
(Jafrey, grumpy about being forced to dress up for a formal dinner. Time’s Edge.)
A sense of humor is a good thing.
“Alrick requested that we train him.”
Michael saw a spark of interest in Jafrey’s light blue eyes. “Did he? Interesting.” Jafrey eyed Michael again. “You his son?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Michael replied.
Jafrey gave a brief laugh. “Got a sense of humor. Good.”
(Time’s Edge.)
Mind your own business.
“If it’s that important, I don’t want to know. Knowledge like that can get a man killed.”
(Jafrey, deciding he doesn’t really want to know the secret involving Michael. Time’s Edge)
Be honest.
“Then either Barris or Jafrey is lying,” Michael noted.
Jafrey chuckled. “Good thing Barris didn’t hear you say that!”
“But it doesn’t bother you?” Michael asked with half a smile.
“Holy Kryton, no. I admire honesty.” (Time’s Edge)
Have some fun once in a while.
“Ah, he’s an old lizard. No fun at all,” Jafrey said as the door closed behind Ivar. “Now we can really have a good time.” He swung toward the musicians. “Play something we can dance to!”
(Jafrey, deciding to party once the very serious Ivar has left the room. Time’s Edge.)
Know your limits.
“I never go near that damn place!”
“Yes.” Ivar nodded. “I have noticed that you are the only member of the staff who has never ventured out to the site.”
“I’d rather be boiled in Karrilian lizard juice.”
(Jafrey, refusing to venture out to an abandoned site that holds bad memories for him. Time’s Edge.)
Don’t be envious of others.
“Alrick will kill you if you talk, and Michael will kill you if you don’t.” Jafrey shook his head. “Glad I’m not you.”
(Jafrey, grateful that he is not the boss. Time’s Edge.)
Fiction in the Garden
We have a lot of fun with our gardens. They are a mix of styles: cottage, Zen. rock, and just plain whimsical. (Plain whimsical? There’s an oxymoron for you!) But they do have one element in common. Each garden contains at least one reference to a work of fiction.
Sometimes it is just the name of the garden. One of our gardens is called the Thoughtful Spot from A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. It sits by a large pair of pines tree and has three boulders for sitting and contemplating nature, the world, or the plot of our most recent book. One of the entries to our backyard gardens is guarded by a large stone lion that we call Aslan. Next to him there is a sign that says “Narnia” with a directional arrow. A rock with a hole in the center has the name “Excalibur” scribbled across it. The roses that line the sidewalk out front are Robin Hood Roses (aka Mediterranean Musk Roses).
As you wander through our gardens, you will occasionally find a helpful signpost. Need to get to the Emerald City? No problem. A sign points the way. Want to visit Hogwarts? The sign tells you to follow the path through the shade garden. There are numerous signposts throughout our gardens, some boldly tacked to trees, others hidden so that they may only be glimpsed by the careful observer. If you look closely you will see directional signs for Camelot, Xanth, Neverland, Middle-earth, and several others. We are always adding to our collection.
The best part about our gardens? Nearly every one has a place where you can sit down and read. Benches, tree stumps, boulders; nooks, crannies, and hideaways. Just follow the sign to your favorite place, sit down, and open a book (or ebook, depending on your preference). You will be there.
The Cover of Time’s Illusion
Time’s lllusion, the third book in the Time’s Edge sci-fi/fantasy series, will be published in Fall 2012. The cover has just been completed. The picture is the work of the very talented Ali Ries. You can view Ali’s artwork on her website: casperium.deviantart.com
Everything I Need to Know…
We recently read an article that took the “everything I need to know” gimmick and applied it to several books, movies, etc. What a great idea, we thought, and promptly stole it. So without further ado, here is the first installment (of course we are anticipating sequels!) of Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Time’s Edge.
Choose your battles.
“Unless you know of a way to force a scientician to leave a room when he chooses not to, you’re wasting your time.” (Orela, a member of the Executive Council, cautioning another council member not to tangle with a man who could, literally, blast him into atoms. Time’s Secret.)
Know yourself.
“Choose your path. Choose the one that calls for you alone.” (The direction given to Michael and Kate as they are being tested in the Realm of the Scienticians. Time’s Edge.)
Perception is everything.
Unfortunately, Michael did not trust his own interpretation of events. His attraction for Kate was so strong he was afraid it was coloring his perception of her. He wanted her to be innocent of any evil intentions. He wanted her to be just what she said she was. He wanted it so badly he wondered if he was twisting the facts to convince himself she was innocent. (Michael, trying to decide if he can trust Kate. Time’s Edge.)
Don’t jump to conclusions.
“I won’t pass judgment until I have all the facts.” (Michael, refusing to express a negative opinion of his commanding officer in spite of the fact that it appears that the officer deceived him. Time’s Edge.)
Be observant.
Michael saw the flicker in Radford’s eyes and recognized it for what it was. Radford was, for the first time, afraid of losing. Michael now knew he had an edge over his opponent. (Michael and Radford’s Tavon contest. Time’s Secret.)
Keep a sense of humor during stressful situations.
“Let me be, Kate,” Radford whispered. “If you die healing me, Michael will kill me anyway.” He grinned ruefully. “I think bleeding to death would be an easier way to die.” (Time’s Secret.)
Don’t be afraid to say, “I love you”.
“No, I don’t think I do,” Michael replied, remembering Kate had known he loved her even though he had never said so. He looked down at her and opened his mouth to say the words.
“I love you, too, Michael.” Kate smiled and then stretched up on her toes to kiss him. (Time’s Edge.)
Libraries Rock
Take two minutes (all right, two minutes and 53 seconds) and watch this incredible video of how the Troy Library saved itself from disappearing forever. Go, Troy!
A Cat-Friendly Book Trailer
While experimenting with GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) we created the following book trailer for Time’s Edge.
Writing in Layers
The first draft of Time’s Illusion is nearing completion. And the next step? You’d think it was editing, right? Nope. It’s layering.
When we write, we look at the first draft as the basic structure of the book. It establishes where the action is, who is present, how the characters move through the story. A bare-bones, action-and-dialogue scenario. A lot of experimenting goes on in our first drafts, a testing of story boundaries and character limits.
Upon this base we add layers. This process fleshes out the details that really bring the tale to life. Descriptions are expanded. Dialogue is enhanced. This is the five-senses phase, when we get to play with color, sound, and sensation. Like a stage production, we decide what our characters will be wearing, we paint the scenery, adjust the lighting. The worlds we have created come alive.
For those who aren’t into play production, think of it as baking a cake. The cake itself is the basic story. The icing holds the story layers together. The fancy flourishes give the tale depth and beauty. When it is complete it is a feast for the eyes. It smells delicious. Your mouth waters in anticipation. The first bite makes you want to take a second bite.
Just like a good book.
J.M. Dattilo 