Hallo Tosis--Strange Name For A Dwarf

Hallo Tosis the dwarf is the fourth main character in my book. I know, it's kind of a stinky name. Right from the beginning, Hallo had a hard life. First, his father stuck him with that horrible name. Then, he finds that he's the least talented dwarf in the history of the Dwarf Kingdom. This gets him banished.

So, he's forced to wander the Iron Mountains, unable to get help from the dwarves of the Kingdom, and unwilling to go down to Calendria and reveal himself to the Big Folk. Finally, he decides to end it all, but changes his mind at the last minute, which is when he enters the story.

Hallo turns out to be invaluable. He helps the village in their plan to defeat Sharky and his pirate band. He also learns a few interesting things about his family history that change his relationship with his father.

He's feisty and funny and another standout character. He took a little while to develop, but once he did, he really took off. He's the perfect finish to the quartet of Eric, Stig, Kate, and Hallo--the group that became The Deliverers.

Back In the Saddle Again

Well, here we are. I can't believe it's November 5th already, and I REALLY can't believe that the photo above was taken on the morning of OCTOBER 30th. That was the day after a good old fashioned Nor'easter blew into Connecticut and nearby states, and dumped up to 17 inches of wet, gloppy snow on top of leaf-covered branches.

Do you know what happens when this occurs? Trees and/or huge tree limbs snap, crackle, pop and break, falling on to houses, sheds, and power lines. For us it meant a week long power outage. I was without power (and heat) for five days. Some people still don't have their power back. Not to worry, the power company expects (hopes?) to have power back to 99% of all customers by midnight Sunday. We shall see.

Anyway, I'm thankful that my power is back, and I hope those of you who are still out will get yours back soon. Meanwhile, I can honestly say that I was lucky. While my back yard looks like a tornado hit it:

I was extremely lucky in that nothing came down on the house or the shed and gazeebo. My wife, Stephanie, was great. She had to deal with two children all day who were bored because they were out of school and there was nothing electronic to play with. While I was at work, where the electricity flowed freely, as did the heat, she had to find places to take them to keep them entertained. And, thank goodness for the YMCA. Not only were we able to shower there, but the kids had a ball swimming. It was a lifesaver during a couple of afternoons this week.

So now, I've got some cleaning up to do. Ironically, I had just sold my chain saw (which I rarely used) the weekend before the storm, so that left me with just a bow saw. I went out this morning to make a start, and after about an hour the saw broke. So now, I'm heading out to Sears to pick up a new one. I hope they're not cleaned out, or my yard will be looking like this:

for quite a while. Oh well, all's well that ends well--although I guess I'll be losing four trees. I suppose it means less leaves to rake next year!

Now that things are sort of back to normal, I can start concentrating on my book again. In the next couple days, I'll be updating you on that front. I will also have an announcement to make sometime next week, so stay tuned. In the meantime, be safe and be warm!









But We Never Lose Power...

Hi all. I just wanted to post something quickly to let you know I haven't disappeared. I'm stuck smack dab in the middle of the worst area of power outages in Connecticut, so no internet, electricity...heat. When the power's back up, I'll make a real post and let everyone know.

In the meantime, if you have no power (then you're probably not reading this), be safe. If you have a warm place to stay, then stay there--don't be a hero. Remember, the local YMCA usually opens up to the community for showers, etc., and look for lists of community storm shelters in your area.

We're supposed to get power back here...sometime. I'll talk to you when that happens! All the best.

And Now for Our Next Character...

Our introduction to the characters in "The Deilverers: Sharky and the Jewel" continues with the major female character. Her name is Kate Endria. She is the daughter of the Lord Mayor of Calendria, and she's obsessed with finding The Deliverers, the heroes of a legend that's been part of her village's folklore for over 300 years.

In the legend, the Deliverers--a mighty warrior and a talking eagle--appear to save the village of Calendria from the immortal pirate Sharky and his band of cutthroats. After having a dream about them, she spends all her time combing the jungle and the beaches around her village for some sign of them.

What she finds are a boy, Eric, and a talking owl, Stig--hardly heroes. Nevertheless, they've been sent to help deliver Calendria from Sharky, and save the entire world from a terrible danger.

Kate is one of my favorite characters, because she was so easy to write. Like Stig, she appeared almost fully formed when she came rushing out of the jungle when she first appears in the book. She is a spirited kid. Like Eric, she's lost a parent--her mother died when she was seven.

That hasn't stopped her, though. She has certain goals--finding the Deliverers, being accepted as her father's heir--that she's determined to fulfill. It doesn't matter that what she sets out to do seems impossible, or has never been done before, she is convinced that she will find a way to achieve it. She is also fanatically devoted to the memory of her ancestor, Calvin Endria, and is trying to answer the question of what happened to him after he mysteriously disappeared.

All these things that she's trying to do tie in to one overriding goal--delivering her village from the clutches of the immortal pirate captain Sharky and his crew. If not for her, Calenndria would never be free.

The Deliverers has a lot of great characters. That's one of its major strengths. Everyone will be able to relate to at least one of them. They each have some growing to do, and develop as the book goes along. It's strange, because it's  not something I set out to consciously do. All the characters and their stories just seemed to mesh naturally.

In our next character study, we'll get to know the shortest character--Hallo Tosis the dwarf.

The Proof Is In the Pudding

Good evening all! I want to apologize for not posting yesterday. I had good intentions, but it just did not work out. Yesterday was my birthday (shameless plug) and I was so busy with the family and phone calls, that I did not get a chance to post.

Today, I actually received a late birthday present. A couple days ago, I wrote that I had received the final files for my book. After reviewing them, I uploaded them to CreateSpace. Today, I received an email telling me that my files were useable, and that I should order my proof copy, which is exactly what I did.

For those of you who don't know, a proof is a test printing of the book. When I receive that, I'll go over it with a fine tooth comb to see if I can spot any printing inconsistencies, such as the cover color not being right, etc. After I give the final approval, my book will be ready to go!

Wow, it's hard to believe it's getting so close. Right now, getting it published is the goal, but then it will be sharing it with as many people as possible. It's really a great story, and I know you and your children will love it. More on this in the days to come! Have a great night!