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Ten Legendary Islands
If you’re still looking for a place to go for summer vacation, maybe one of these imaginary islands highlighted today at mental_floss is just what the doctor ordered!
The Tuatha Dé Danann
Here’s another excellent, concise summary of an aspect of Irish mythology from Ruth at the Celtic Myth Podshow:
The Tuatha de Danann, the people of the Goddess Danu, were one of the great ancient tribes of Ireland. The important manuscript ‘The Annals of the Four Masters’, records that they ruled Ireland from 1897 B.C. to 1700 B.C.
The daoine sídhe or faeries of Ireland are said to be the descendants of this noble lineage.
In the world of Taylor Smart, the sídhe sometimes swear by saying “Danu!” or “By Danu!” I haven’t gone into any detail how contemporary sídhe remember and/or reverence their distinguished ancestors. Perhaps a bit of that will trickle into the third book of the Into the Wonder series, Oak, Ash, and Thorn.
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon has refined its system for customer reviews, as Nate Hoffelder describes in her latest post:
It’s always been easy to post a review on Amazon; simply jot down a few sentences, select a star rating, and you’re done. It’s so easy to post a review, in fact, that it’s also easy to miss important details.
That doesn’t help readers, and it doesn’t help Amazon, which is why Amazon has added more options. In addition to the star rating, Amazon has added extra dropdown menus which invite reviewers to describe the quality of the writing, the amount of sex and violence in the book, and other details….
All in all, this is a good move on the part of Amazon. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who has put down a book in frustration with the writing style, tone, or amount of extraneous sex or violence. By offering specific prompts for these areas of concern, Amazon is helping readers make more informed decisions.
In other words, now would be an excellent time to leave a review of Children of Pride or The Devil’s Due! 🙂
I somehow forgot to mention that there is now an Into the Wonder Facebook page. So if you’re into that sort of thing, come on and join us!
Poll: What Next?
What mythological beastie should Taylor Smart encounter next? I’m past the halfway mark of the first draft of Oak, Ash, and Thorn, book 3 of Into the Wonder. There are a few places where I’m not 100% sure what sort of fearsome creature to throw at my protagonists, so I thought I’d give you a vote!
Of the following monsters known in the folklore(s) the American Southeast, which would you most like to see in print?
Note: I’m not promising the winning entry will be the one I pick, but if there is an overwhelming favorite, I will promise to at least include it in book 4.
The Devil’s Due Has Been Released into the Wild!
The Devil’s Due is now available on Kindle. Paperback and NOOK versions will be available shortly.
The Devil’s (Over)Due
My design guy and I have both had a pretty hellacious couple of weeks related to various and sundry real-life issues. Unfortunately, that means The Devil’s Due is not likely to be ready to debut early next week as planned.
I’m sorry to disappoint those who may have been itching to find out what happens next to Taylor Smart. I promise, you won’t have to wait too much longer.
In the meantime, however, I thought I’d give you a free sneak preview of The Devil’s Due. Here, then, are just a few of the 86,000 or so words you’ll soon be reading:
- hiking
- zombies
- reality
- bragging
- froze
- kittens
- weekend
- animatronic
- Hebrew
- naked
- chocolate
- bounded
- flailing
- maelstrom
- exasperated
- toothy
- farted
- crypt
- trouble
And there’s plenty more where those came from! Stay tuned!
Monsters of Africa
Courtesy of CNN, of all places.
[P]erhaps no continent has more history of folkloric myths, monsters and demons than Africa.
This is where the human story began, after all, and it remains home to tales of giant reptiles, lost plesiosaurs and snakes with the head of an elephant!
Yet few of these creatures are as well known as the Loch Ness Monster or the ape-men type creatures of the mountains in Asia and the U.S..
To set the record straight, we decided to highlight ten examples of African legends that can compare to anything the Scottish lochs or peaks Himalayas has to offer.
What’s Going On?
Before the Christmas season completely overwhelms me, here are a few random notices about things going on in the world of Taylor Smart.
- The Devil’s Due, book two of the Into the Wonder series, is on schedule for release early next year. Certainly by February 2 (Taylor’s birthday), but earlier if possible. In this book, we’ll learn a little bit more about Taylor’s (biological) family as she and her best friend Jill go on the worst road trip ever.
- I’ve knocked out a short story revealing a little bit of the background of everybody’s favorite pooka, Danny Underhill. I’m sure it will see the light of day at some point, in some form. Stay tuned.
- It’s not too late to get book one, Children of Pride, or to leave a (glowing, gushing, effusive, etc.) review at Amazon.com.
- I have not neglected those who have asked for an Into the Wonder Facebook page. Well, actually, I have—but only until I can decide what I’d want to do with it. What would you like to see on an Into the Wonder Facebook page?
- I always have time to answer fan questions. Dana’s recent question about sídhe politics got a timely answer; your questions will, too!
- Work on the third book, with the working title Oak, Ash, and Thorn, is well underway. This one will have a somewhat different format from the first two, with the plot unfolding over a number of months instead of just a few days.
- Thanks to those who’ve found Children of Pride an enjoyable ride. More is on its way!
The Devil’s Due: Back Cover Blurb
The book is not quite ready for prime time, but here is the cover blurb:
Taylor Smart knew that living with one foot in the everyday world and the other in the faery realm wouldn’t be easy, but nobody told her it was a death sentence! When you’re only thirteen years old and a powerful sídhe overlord puts you on his black list, bad things are bound to happen. And as if that weren’t enough, somebody has also set their sights on her best friend, Jill.
In the unearthly world its inhabitants call the Wonder, people pay their debts…or live to regret it. And so, Taylor and Jill find themselves running away from home, forging new alliances, and facing unexpected dangers in hopes that maybe—just maybe—they’ll be able to soothe the wounded pride of the powers that are out to get them.
Darrell J. Pursiful 