When I tell people that I play Dungeons & Dragons, it is not uncommon for me to come across skeptisism. I'm sure many of them visualize pentegrams, evil chants, demons, holocost cloaks... maybe a wheelbarrow or two.... (Princess Bride pun). I won't say that you can't summon satan through a D&D game, if you take it too seriously. But, really, and as I have found for myself, D&D is a way for the players to participate in social experiements... aka, "playing pretend". It's just like what kids do when they play house or go on imaginary adventures, learning how to react to different senarios, people, and problems, but D&D's "playing pretend" is in such a way that an adult can enjoy it and feel "adulty" doing it. I'll not use any more time to detail what this TEDx Talk explains so beautifully, so I'll just leave this video right here and let you guys check it out and form your own opinions. ![]()
If you haven't already, be sure to check out DAY ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE & SIX of this challenge!
Today's challenge is: Your favorite character out of all the characters you’ve ever written. This is really hard. It would either be Pharrgon the regal dragon, Walneff Feldost the riddling prophet, Gillion the Jester, or Vliron Nightstalker the rogue assassin. If you’ve read my first book, then don’t worry - you haven’t met Gillion or Vliron yet. They are introduced in book #2, which is coming out really soon (No, really! It really is! I swear!). Trust me when I say that Gillion and Vliron are AWESOME. Because, they really are awesome. And you don’t have to take my word for it. You can ask any of the testers who have pre-read the 2nd book (or parts of it). I have heard that they think Gillion and Vliron are awesome, though, they are starting to split into teams on who they think is more awesome - Team Gillion and Team Vliron.... my awesome characters may end up starting a fan war.... Anyway. Where was I? Oh yes – favorite character. If I judge by which character is fun to write, I think Gillion would be my favorite. He is such a cut up! If I want something funny said or done, Gillion is my man. If I want something crazy or spastic done, Gillion is also my man. If I want someone to make some awesome ninja moves and kill monsters Legolas style, all while smiling and cracking jokes, Gillion is definitely my man. However, on the other end of the spectrum, I've had a lot of fun with Vliron. He is just the opposite of Gillion. If I want somebody to do or say something mean and cold, Vliron is my man. If I want somebody other than Pharrgon to scare the monsters, Vliron is my man. If I want someone to be a suspicious, sneaky, and befuddling character that the reader likes one minute and hates the next, Vliron is also my man. If I want someone to take a really bad beating..... then Keegan is my man. Though, Vliron has taken some really nasty ones as well. Picking a favorite character is impossible. I like them all for different reasons. I like writing them and learning their styles. I like torturing them and seeing how they respond. I like killing them too. Yes. I know. I have issues. I plan to capitalize on that though! Would any of you be interested in buying one of these T-shirts should I start an online shop?:
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Hey! This is going to be a really fun challenge today, but don't forget to check out DAY ONE, TWO, THREE, and FOUR if you haven't been keeping up with this challenge so far.
Today's challenge is: Your protagonist is somehow transported to this world, meets you, and learns that you are responsible for creating his/her world. What is the first thing he/she would say or do after learning this fact? Well..... I'm doomed. Keegan is technically my protagonist in Tales of the Wovlen (he's such an idiot, but we won't get into that). If he found out that I was the person who caused the red dragon to kick his people out of their kingdom, turning them into nomads (the life he was born into), and that I wrote the prophecy about the Dragon's Son, picked him for the job, and then sent the army that massacred his friends and family....... Yeah, he'd try to chop off my head. And yes, I'd scream and run like a little girl. He may be an idiot, but he gets ugly when he's angry, and I have a highly developed sense of survival. If Pharrgon (the dragon) was with Keegan, though, he would be more understanding. He'd see that I created the safe forest for him to hide in, all the wonderful creatures for him to enjoy, put Keegan in his life, and made him the formidable beauty that he is. He would try to help Keegan see the positive side to all of that, and he would certainly keep Keegan from chopping my head off. There is also one other delicate little thing that Pharrgon would be thankful to me for, but I can't mention her right now because...
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I want to hear the songs of the Wovlen.
Who are the Wovlen? They are a group of people I created. Keegan, the hero in my series (Tales of the Wovlen) is a Wovlen. If you would like to learn more about them, you can check out their page on my website: The Wovlen (it even has a pronunciation guide to help you, because I know you are trying to figure out how to say it right now...). The Wovlen have a complicated history and culture. And, yes, they even have their own folk songs and lore. You can read some of their songs on my website: Legends and Lore from Tales of the Wovlen. I would love nothing more than to hear the songs of the Wovlen playing on my computer. I want to actually hear someone put them to music and sing them. The songs I have written are really only poems. Out of all of my poems, only four of them have a tune that I came up with to sing them to. And of those tunes.... well... dang-it Jim, I'm an author, not a musician! So they aren't very good. One of my favorite YouTube artists is Karliene. She has a whole playlist to herself on my YouTube, which you can listen to HERE (and I do suggest you listen to at least a few of them). I love her voice. It's haunting, but still human. The way she composes her music and sings her songs - her style - is exactly what I hear when the Wovlen people sing me a song in the dead of night. Their haunting melodies never stay with me (I forget them by morning), but they force me to wake up and write them down before I forget the words. If I could choose anyone in the world to sing the songs of the Wovlen, I would choose Karliene... no offence to any of my musician friends. I love you and your music. Don't ever forget that. If you want to put my poems to music, go ahead! But, since none of you have done so yet...... I told my family about my fascination with Karliene's voice and that I feel her voice is perfect for the Wovlen songs. They suggested I contact her about it. They think it would be awesome if she made an entire album of Wovlen songs. They believe it would be a win/win for both Karliene and I - she would make money on the songs and album, and I would profit from the extra publicity. I, on the other hand, have this thing about contacting people (celebrities...cough, cough). I don't feel like I should message or call them out of the blue and ask them for stuff. It makes me feel like a pest, or one of those creepy people that we have all been warned about... Okay, no. That's not the real reason. I am afraid of being rejected. Plain and simple. I would rather approach the gal with money and offer her a paying job. I feel that, if I had money to offer, she'd at least take me seriously... and I'd take myself more seriously too. Alas, money and I are not on good terms. We remain distant acquaintances. My family also feel that I do not need to offer money to have my "songs" sang, especially when both parties would profit from it in this situation. I'm inclined to agree with them, but I'm still way to nervous to just contact the gal and ask her if she'd put my songs to music and sing them. After expressing my fears, my family took it a step further. We are all big fans of Celtic Woman, and one of our favorite voices from Celtic Woman has been Orla Fallon. Her voice is haunting and beautiful. Here are two of my favorite songs she has sang: Siúil a Run (Walk My Love) and Newgrange. Well, Orla has said that one of her dreams is to sing songs for a movie. My family really thinks my book is worthy of a movie. Therefore, they think I should contact Orla and ask if she would like to sing my Wovlen songs, and also see if she knew anyone who was in the movie making business. *Runs away... Hides under bed* Okay, so contacting Orla is probably WAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of the question. But is contacting Karliene, the YouTuber who has 50,000+ subscribers, out of the question? Would it be absolutely flagrant of me to send her a message and ask if she would be interested in working with me? Is it worth the risk? I don't expect much of a response, but what do you, my readers, think of this situation? Do you think I should let it lie? Or should I give it a try? To end this, I would like to leave you with one of my favorite songs by Karliene. She's a Game of Thrones fan. I'm not, but I love this song: You Win or You Die.
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So, this is my first ever video/YouTube book review, and I pretty much stumbled and staggered all the way through it. I got better toward the end, I think, but... yeah. I left out what Genre it is (Fantasy) and I didn't read the "blurp" on the back *Facepalm*.
Needless to say, if you have any tips on making a really good book review on YouTube, TELL ME! I will take any and all tips and suggestions (even if it's something along the lines of "shut yer pie hole and stick to writin' stuff... just be advised that I can throw pie as well as eat it). Anyway, here is THE ARRIVAL (<--- Amazon Affiliate Link): When a rash of mysterious and brutal attacks throughout the Hechani Sea shatters tenuous relations, the city-states erupt into a destructive war. Embroiled in the conflict, young Atian officer Kelvar Alexandros is determined to protect his men and his country in the looming trials, despite his growing concern that the enemy may not be as evil as he assumed. Meanwhile, Mistress Telaine Le Fay, sorceress of Gothrond, is dispatched to investigate the hostilities. Her mission is to discover the roots of the conflict and negotiate a peace settlement. The situation proves unclear, however, and she finds herself inextricably tangled in a web of lies, desperately searching for an elusive truth. Telaine’s past mentor, the excitable intellectual, Jax, has a problem of his own. His studies have led him to a discovery that could have dire consequences, and he is determined to discover if the threat he fears is indeed real. In the desert sands of the Great Waste, an adventurous young man named Tor longs for something more than his mundane, everyday scramble for subsistence. Little does he know, Jarwulf, the infamous Blood Berserker from the north, and his mercenary band will soon arrive in his village – and sweep him off to a life he dared not even imagine. Amidst the tide of darkness rising in Vrold, the only hope may be an unlikely alliance, but evil is rarely obvious. It is a subtle force hiding in plain sight, and the truth is hard to find when even heroes can fall prey to its malevolent will...
Space ships, playing cards, keys, and dragons, OH MY!
Here is a little video I made just yesterday about my favorite things that I own and geek out over. If you watch closely and look behind me, you can even see some of my favorite books!
Originally submitted at NBC Universal Store ![]() Youre one step closer to unlocking the mystery of being a Grimm with the Grimm Key Necklace. The bronze finished key perfectly replicates the key worn by Nick, handed down to him from his Aunt Marie. The key comes on a 19 inch chain and flips open to create a seventh of the map to locate the treasu... Totally Awesome!
By Joy the Grimm from Oklahoma, USA on 11/18/2015
5out of 5
Pros: Beautiful, Good Length, Stylish, Unique, Good Quality Best Uses: Travel, Everyday, Night Out Describe Yourself: Modern, Practical, Comfort-Oriented Was this a gift?: Yes I got two of these Grimm Key Necklaces - one for me, and one for my sister, who is a huge Grimmster. (legalese) ![]()
So, as I have been processing my grief and coping with the loss of my grandmother, I have turned into a YouTube junkie. More specifically, a short films junkie. I have been wasting an unbelievable amount of time watching short films and independently made "movies" on YouTube.
It's been a lot of fun! Before you rush off to YouTube and start doing it yourself, though, I gotta tell you that there have been a few short films I've watched that were pretty bad (and then there were a few that were worse than bad). However the good ones, the ones I like, I save to THIS PLAYLIST. If you want to have a fun short film marathon, you are welcome to start out on my list. I'd say it is a PG-13 list, in case you have kiddos that want to watch. Anyway. Of those videos I have saved, there have been a few about dragons. If you know me, you know that I EAT. THOSE. UP. Dragons - Can't get enough of them. Since I don't have anything better to post about, I thought I would share my top 3 favorite dragon short films from YouTube for your enjoyment. WARNING: The last one is a tear jerker! And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. - Leviticus 23:1-2 ![]()
Okay, kids, time for some Bible fun.
Rosh Hashanah is coming up soon. It's September 14th. What is "Rosh Hashanah", you ask? It's the Feast of Trumpets! Feast of Trumpets? What is that? Is there food? Well, read on and find out! When the Children of Israel were wandering the desert for 40 years, dreaming of milk and honey, the LORD told them to set aside certain days and weeks for HIS special occasions. He knew that humans were party animals, after all, He made us that way, so He made special parties for us to throw that would glorify HIM (instead of those weird parties where people get drunk and throw up on each other and lose their memory). One of those parties that God made was the Feast of Trumpets. What is "Feast of Trumpets"?"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’” - Leviticus 23:23-25
Sounds better than Labor Day to me. It has fire. (Yes, I'm being silly... well, only partially...)
In Jewish tradition, it is believed that Feast of Trumpets is the day that Adam, the first man, was created. So, it is the mark of the Jewish New Year. It is also tradition to celebrate the occasion by eating apples and honey, pomegranates (YUCK!), and round challah... that is pronounced "KA-la". Say it like you're trying to clear your throat of mucus. Anyway, the Lord God didn't say to do any of that in Leviticus. In fact, He went into seemingly very little detail on the matter. He just said to observe the day by chilling, blowing trumpets, and playing with fire (Mwahahaha!). God also told his people to observe Passover, as well as Yom Kippur and Sukkot - Day of Attonment and Feast of Tabernacles. I'll be going into those later, but you can read about "Yom Kippur" in Lev 23:26-32 and you can read about "Sukkot" in Lev 23:33-43. In fact, you can read about all the Feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23 (except for Hanukkah, Feast of Dedication, and I'll explain that later). How I Celebrate Rosh Hashanah
How do I celebrate Feast of Trumpets? Well.... I like to wave at it as it goes by.
Yes. I usually forget about it. At least you can't call me legalistic, can you? (BTW, if you ever, EVER call me legalistic.... I will laugh so hard, and so long, you will become very uncomfortable, even from the other side of your computer screen). Sometimes, when my family remembers it, we will eat apples and honey together, chop up a pomegranate to throw out to the chickens, and attempt to make challah, which is braided bread. Yeah... You braid the dough before you bake it. Yeah... Our braid usually looks bad. The bread is usually eatable though. Anyway. We also like to blow our trumpets... or attempt to blow them. We don't have a shoffar, which is the horn traditionally used for Jewish feasts, but we have other wind instruments. For your viewing pleasure, I have put together a video of the kid's most recent attempt at "tooting their horns". Grab your popcorn and enjoy:
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Kathryn FoglemanAuthor of the fantasy series, Tales of the Wovlen, Kathryn spends a great deal of time in the world of her imagination, having tea with fire breathing dragons, writing books on flying space ships, and practicing her mad scientist laugh with gusto. However, on occasion,she returns to this world just to play with her dog and blog about her fun. My BookGrab a Button!![]() Archives
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