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| Start the Power Ascending series for FREE, plus lots more in this week's Medieval Musings. |
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This time of year, we often find ourselves watching holiday-themed movies. These range from very good to barely tolerable, and I must confess we’ve found equal amounts of both this year.
So what do I think makes a bad Christmas movie? Primarily quality of acting or lack of chemistry between the leads. I can overlook unbelievable coincidences, and I’ll admit to trying any movie involving an author, but I at least want an engaging plot. There are also quite a few actors who put out consistently entertaining movies, which can sometimes be a draw.
Also, since many are filmed in Ontario, it’s a bonus if we can recognize the location!
How about you: have any favourites among this year’s releases?
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The difference between regular and Large Print
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The idea of lighting up a tree at Christmas comes from Germany. When this started, there were no electric lights, so they used candles, which is not the safest of practices inside one’s house.
Edward Johnson of New York introduced the first indoor electric lights in 1882, illuminating a tree with eighty red, white, and blue lights he had hand-wired together. His friend and business partner, Thomas Edison, had created an outdoor strand in 1880.
In 1903, General Electric produced the first commercially available pre-assembled strings of lights, consisting of only eight bulbs, a far cry from the myriad of choices we have available these days.
Now, the big question is, how long do we leave them up?
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Ready for another FREE story?
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What drives a warrior to fight?
Charlaine deShandria has never questioned what her future holds. For years, she's trained to take over her father's smithy, spending her every waking hour toiling at the forge.
Ludwig Altenburg loathes his role as the baron's son. Always dreaming of fighting battles, he must now surrender himself to the inevitability of his future.
Duty is all they've known, but when they meet, they begin to question if there is more to life. Before they can even make a choice, they are surrounded by those determined to tear them apart.
Travel back to the origins of these soon to be mighty warriors in Tempered Steel, the prequel of Paul J Bennett's military fantasy series, Power Ascending.
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Congrats to Gary for winning last week's giveaway. Over 90% of the respondents downloaded Ashes!. Remember to answer the question below to be entered in to the eBook giveaway.
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| Did you download your free copy of Tempered Steel yet? |
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| It's a great story, trust me |
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| Thank you |
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| You are now entered to win a free ebook of your choice |
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The tradition of making gingerbread dates back to the 11th
century when Crusaders returning from the middle east brought back the custom of spicy bread. Ginger not only added flavour, but it also acted as a preservative.
Making houses out of gingerbread is a much more recent tradition, originating in Germany during the 16th century. The Brothers Grimm, when writing of Hansel and Gretel, described a house made entirely of food, though it’s unknown if gingerbread houses predated this tale or came about because of it.
The largest gingerbread house on record is a massive building constructed in Texas, occupying nearly 40,000 square feet. It included 4,000 gingerbread bricks, 1,800 pounds (816 kg) of butter and over 1,000 ounces (28 kg) of ginger!
I think I’ll stick to the traditional cookie or two this season.
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Favourite 5-Star Review of the Week:
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I loved it!
This book shows you how Charlaine becomes what she is in Temple Knight. Her strength and devotion to her family and St. Agnes along with her love for Ludwig gives her life meaning.
In return, Ludwig becomes the man he wants to be because of Charlaine and defies his father.
This prequel leaves you wanting to know more about these characters.
I can’t wait for the next book. I am so excited for it and highly recommend this book and series.
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I’ve been hard at work on my special project. It started as a short story, but I struggled with it. The problem, it seems, is that I’m too used to writing longer fare, and the story ended up bogging down.
I then switched gears, coming at it from a different angle, stripping it down to only a few characters while keeping the story's core intact, but it also proved elusive.
Now, in the past, I’ve written a couple of poems, both based on the Night Before Christmas (The poem’s real name is A Visit from Saint Nicholas). This year, though, I found inspiration in another literary concoction: The Grinch.
And so my project is almost complete. It only needs to go through some minor editing, and then it will be fit for your consumption just in time for the Holiday Season
What is it about, you ask? You’ll have to wait and see when it arrives in your inbox.
Until next time, Happy Holidays.
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Dragons complicate everything!
Peter Smalley was certain of two things in life: England was full of dragons, and even very small dragons could cause very large problems.
As a minor dairy farmer with rent coming due and no money to pay it, Peter had enough problems of his own to be bothered with dragons.
Until a dragon came looking for him.
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It's time for mankind to go home.
Over a century after the end of the Earth, life goes on in Redemption, the sole remaining Lunar colony, and possibly the last outpost of humankind in the Solar System. But with an existential threat burrowing its way into the Moon's core, humanity must recolonize the homeworld.
Twenty brave dropnauts set off on a mission to explore the empty planet. Four of them—Rai, Hera, Ghost and Tien—have trained for two-and-a-half years for the Return. They're bound for Martinez Base, just outside the Old Earth city of San Francisco.
But what awaits them there will turn their assumptions upside down—and in the process, either save or destroy what's left of humanity.
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The Sandman is real!
Seventeen-year-old Chastity Blake knows the Sandman is just a silly children's story parents tell their children to get them to sleep. At least she thought it was until the day a mysterious, golden sand appeared in her hands during a high school prank that went horribly wrong. A sand that has the power to send anyone it touches into a deep, sound sleep.
Fearing she'd lost her mind, Chastity soon discovers the shocking truth of her heritage—she's a Dream Caster who was never supposed to be raised on the Domain, or what humans call Earth.
She returns to her true birth place, Revera, the world of Dreams, but there is no balance between good, the Light Casters, and darkness, the Shadow Casters. Chastity is soon caught square in the middle. If anyone ever discovered her shadow self, she'd be thrown into the Oblivion – the world of Nightmares.
Dreams are always more than they seem, and this time Chastity is going to discover just how different they can be.
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A dragon-sized secret. A life-changing test.
On the continent of Kaitstud, the four clans who rule the continent condemn and slaughter any hints of dragons.
In her sixteenth summer Birgith must face her manifestation test with all the others of her age. The test will prove her ability and solidify her place with the Bear Clan.
There’s just one problem. Birgith might shift into a bear… but she could also end up a dragon. And if that happens, she’ll end up dead and the four clans will hunt and slaughter the family she’s never met.
But when the test comes, she is unable to shift at all, and is exiled, now classed as a lowly human. Trapped and alone, she fears never being able to escape or find out who she really is.
A group of travelling traders provide a way out, but she is unsure how much trust them. Will they help her with her search, or be the first to join the hunt? Birgith needs to decide before it is too late.
Part bear, part dragon, part human. Is Birgith destined to be an outcast mongrel? Or will her diversity be the answer Kaitstud has been searching for?
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Here are some great stories just for you!
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Extra Book Deals & Giveaways
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| "Every review I receive inspires me to write more!" |
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Paul J Bennett,
Author of Epic Fantasy.
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