Fawkes

If you've read Harry Potter, you remember Fawkes: Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey. Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making it's gagging noise again. Harry thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail. Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames. Not a brilliant...

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Game of Thrones - Who is the next one?

I've found this article, and it made me remember an important hint from the 3rd season.  Recap:  - Robb Stark: dead at the Red Wedding - Joffrey "Baratheon": dead at the Purple Wedding Who is the next one? Here's a possible answer. Game of Thrones: You Might Have Missed the Huge Hint About Who Could Die Next, by Joanna Robinson: http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/game-of-thrones-big-death-hint Meanwhile, I've finished the 1st book, A Game of Thrones, and I'm devouring the 2nd...

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Cover Reveal: "Holy Frigging Matrimony" by Emma Chase @emmachse @ennbocci

What does Drew Evans have to say next? Find out in this forty page short story, filled with his sexy charm, unique advice and hilarious one-liners.  Marriage: the final frontier. Steven went first. He was kind of our test subject. Like those monkeys that NASA sent off into space in the fifties, all the while knowing they’d never make it back. And now another poor rocket is ready to launch.  But this isn’t just any posh New York wedding. You’ve seen my friends, you’ve met our families, you know you're in for a treat. Everyone...

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Writing Lab: 7 Traits of Enduring Characters, by Michael A. Stackpole

What have Tarzan, Casablanca, and James Bond in common? According to Michael A. Stackpole, those are three good examples of enduring characters. I'm sure that in your reading experience you've met some characters who still hold a special place in your hearts and minds. How could you create enduring characters for your readers? The article 7 Traits of Enduring Characters will help you: http://www.michaelastackpole.com/?p=3163 I've found this article because Shay Savage recommended it in her workshop on Project Team Beta.  Happy...

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Game of Thrones - Season 4 - Episodes 3 and 4: two videos

My favourite scene in the last episode was the one with (poor) Tyrion Lannister.  I think many characters in A Song of Ice and Fire are based on a (sometimes very difficult) balance between what they've been given by their life and family and what they've chosen to become. Many of them are full of hate after the humiliations and traumas they had to endure. I'm in awe of Tyrion, because he's one of the characters who have suffered most, and yet he's one of the most generous. His own family would happily sacrifice him for their own...

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Game of Thrones - Season 4, Episode 2 - Whodunit?

If you haven't watched the last episode (aired 4/13, 2014), "The Lion and the Rose", stop and catch up. I've watched the last scene twice, the second time in slow motion, and I'm working on theories. I haven't read all the books yet (I'm still reading the first one), so my ideas are based only on the aired episodes. First of all, in one of the previous episodes Pycelle said that poison is the preferred weapon of women, cravens, and eunuchs. We have one eunuch, Varys, and a few women who were very close to the crime scene. I've noticed...

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Cover Reveal: "Tied" by Emma Chase @emmachse @ennbocci

In the fourth sexy romance by the New York Times bestselling author of Tangled and Twisted, Drew and Kate can’t wait to tie the knot—if they can survive the pre-wedding festivities. For most of my life, I never imagined I’d get married. But Kate did the impossible: she changed me. I think we can all agree I was pretty frigging awesome before, but now I’m even better. The road to this day wasn’t all rainbows and boners. There were mistakes and misunderstandings worthy of a Greek tragedy. But Kate and I made it through with our inexhaustible...

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Writing Lab: "Angst" by Shay Savage @savage7289 - Workshop on @ProjectTeamBeta

If you've read Savage's stories (and if you haven't, you should), you know that angst is a very important trait of her work. Do you enjoy angst as a reader? And as a writer, do you know the "must haves" you need to set the scene? How can you achieve balance? Shay Savage talked about angst in a workshop on Project Team Beta. At the end of the workshop there's also a challenge. Don't miss it! http://projectteambeta.com/blog/author-workshop-angst-by-shay-savage-savage7289/ Happy writing, - Ra...

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Game of Thrones - Honest Trailer

If you've watched the first three seasons of Game of Thrones and if you want an unconventional recap, you can't miss this video: From fiction's most notorious serial killer... A bookmark for every death... Find our why the authors of this Honest Trailer are calling the show "the most perfect mix of history, D&D, and p0rn ever made." Enjoy! Your comments are always welcome! - Ra...

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"Game of Thrones" - Season 4, Episode 1

Do you follow Game of Thrones? I fell in love with that show last fall, thanks to Camilla's rec.  As Serena Davies pointed out in her review, it "gives you everything from dragons and deadly zombie-like creatures to high level politicking".  [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10745383/Game-of-Thrones-Season-4-Episode-1-review-the-most-brutal-yet.html] Are you reading the books as well? I'm currently reading the first (huge) novel. Here's one of the most poignant moments from last episode: Tyrion...

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"Snare" on Bookish Temptations! @BookTemptations

Snare's been reviewed on Bookish Temptations! Katiebird wrote a lovely review for my vamp story and for The Agreement by Badjujube. You can find the complete post in this week's Fanfic Friday: http://bookishtemptations.com/2014/04/04/fan-fic-friday-snare-and-the-agreement/ Enjo...

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