Upcoming Games Based on Fantasy Books
May
30
2011

Namely George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn.

Ubisoft has a PC game scheduled for release in September called A Game of Thrones: Genesis.  It’s a RTS starting approximately 700 years before the beginning of the book A Game of Thrones and leading up to that point.  For more information, read this article or visit the official site.

Progress has also been made on the Mistborn pen and paper RPG and there should be some updates soon.  In the meantime, they are looking for researchers to help them with the details of developing the game.  For more information on the game and how to become involved, visit this site.

The Leaning Pile of Books: BEA Edition (Young Adult)
May
30
2011

This is the first of two posts on books from Book Expo America (BEA).  Instead of doing one post, I decided to split it into two with one focused on young adult (or in the case of the last book, middle grade – Amazon says it’s young adult but the ARC and Tor catalog both say middle grade so I’m trusting those instead).  The other post will be on books that fall into the adult fantasy, science fiction, and horror categories.  Splitting it up this way allows me to highlight the two books I am most excited about first in each post since there were 2 that I had to get or DIE FROM THE SADNESS.

These all have the added bonus of being signed books, which I love!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini TaylorDaughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Ever since I first heard about this book, I have been dying to read it!  I was fortunate enough to discover Laini Taylor’s Dreamdark series when the publisher contacted me about reviewing it.  After looking it up and seeing the beautiful covers, I had to try it, and I was so glad I did.  The second book especially was fantastic.  Then when her collection of three stories Lips Touch: Three Times came out, I bought a hardcover copy and absolutely loved it.  The last story, Hatchling, is one of my favorites.  Each of her books I have read is better than the last, and I am a big fan of her work.  (She also has a graphic novel, The Drowned, but it’s hard to find and I haven’t read it yet.)

So when I heard Laini Taylor was going to be signing copies of Daughter of Smoke and Bone at BEA, I knew I must get this book.  And I did – I was even second in a very long line for the book.  Seeing how Laini Taylor reacted to the line was priceless.  She was so excited and she even took some pictures of the line!  They really promoted this book at BEA with the signing, putting out copies at least twice that I saw, featuring it at some events, and putting up a huge banner.  It made me so happy to see that because I really believe she’s an author who needs to be read more.

I was also happy to see that it had a new cover because I really didn’t like the old one.  It’s still not as striking as the previous covers for Laini Taylor’s books, but it’s at least a big improvement.

I’ve already read most of this one even though I’ve been taking my time with parts of it, and it is fantastic.  Laini Taylor has such a way with words and writes so beautifully.  As mentioned in the description below, there is a “star-crossed love” sort of story in it, which I don’t always like, but I think this one will work for me because even though it is sudden it is a little more complex than a lot of these types of stories are.  (I say “I think” because all the details are slowly unfolding so I don’t actually know them all yet!)  But I love Karou and her two worlds and the wishes and the mystery of what the truth is and the mythology and the writing and the grayness between the two sides.  And Laini Taylor can write prose.  She’s one of those authors I think could find a way to make a grocery list sound amazing because she just phrases her sentences so well, whether it’s just gorgeous, or humorous, or just perfect.  Sometimes she just writes something and it’s exactly how to describe it but you never knew it until she worded it just right.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone will be released in September as a hardcover and ebook.

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages–not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers–beautiful, haunted Akiva–fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Darker Still by Leanna Renee HieberDarker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

This is the first book in the Magic Most Foul series.  I enjoyed Leanna Renee Hieber’s The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, and I am liking the sound of this book more and more, especially after reading the first page.  Plus I love the cover – I have to admit I want that dress! Darker Still will be released in November.

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart’s latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing…

Jonathan Denbury’s soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams ChimaThe Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

This is the third book out of four in the Seven Realms series.  I tried to stay away from books that were part of series I hadn’t read yet at BEA, but I made an exception for this one since I already have the first two books and am hoping to read them this summer.  Thea from The Book Smugglers loved them, and I keep hearing they get better and better (plus she loved Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman and Eona is now one of my favorite young adult books ever).  Oh, and they have a thief and I must admit I love thieves!

The first two books in this series are The Demon King and The Exiled Queen, respectively.  The Gray Wolf Throne will be released in August.

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

Teeth edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri WindlingTeeth edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

This is an anthology of vampire stories (and I got it signed by Ellen Datlow).  I am not normally a vampire fan, but I could not resist this collection of authors.  Catherynne Valente, Neil Gaiman, and Tanith Lee are all in it, plus it has many other authors I’ve been interested in reading – Garth Nix, Cassandra Clare, Ellen Kushner, Holly Black, and Emma Bull.  I’ve read the first few paragraphs of Genevieve Valentine’s and Catherynne Valente’s stories and am intrigued by both.

Fascinated by vampires?

Then feast on nineteen tantalizing, bite-sized tales exploring the intersections between the living, dead, and undead.

The vampires in these stories range from romantic to chilling to gleeful—and touch on nearly every emotion in between. The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood. . . .

Stories from
Genevieve Valentine
Steve Berman
Christopher Barzak
Neil Gaiman
Delia Sherman
Garth Nix
Suzy McKee Charnas
Kaaron Warren
Cecil Castellucci
Jeffrey Ford
Nathan Ballingrud
Kathe Koja
Catherynne M. Valente
Melissa Marr
Ellen Kushner
Cassandra Clare
Holly Black
Lucius Shepard
Emma Bull
Tanith Lee

Down the Mysterly River by Bill WillinghamDown the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham

Bill Willingham is best known for the Fables comics, which I have been meaning to read.  This book is also illustrated by Mark Buckingham, the artist for Fables.  Down the Mysterly River looks like a lot of fun to read, and it will be released in September.

Down the Mysterly River is the children’s book debut of Bill Willingham, the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel series Fables. Complete with illustrations by Fables artist Mark Buckingham, it is a spirited, highly original tale of adventure, suspense, and everlasting friendship.

Max “the Wolf” is a top notch Boy Scout, an expert at orienteering and a master of being prepared. So it is a little odd that he suddenly finds himself, with no recollection of his immediate past, lost in an unfamiliar wood. Even odder still, he encounters a badger named Banderbrock, a black bear named Walden, and McTavish the Monster (who might also be an old barn cat)—all of whom talk—and who are as clueless as Max.

Before long, Max and his friends are on the run from a relentless group of hunters and their deadly hounds. Armed with powerful blue swords and known as the Blue Cutters, these hunters capture and change the very essence of their prey. For what purpose, Max can’t guess. But unless he can solve the mystery of the strange forested world he’s landed in, Max may find himself and his friends changed beyond recognition, lost in a lost world…

The Leaning Pile of Books
May
29
2011

Hope everybody had a good week!  I am back after being at Book Expo America (BEA) and the Book Blogger Convention.  Because of this, I have a whole bunch of books I could add here, but I’ve decided to do books from BEA in a separate post. I’m also going to talk about some books in some of the fall catalogs I picked up while I was there in a separate post.  So for now I’m just going to list the two review copies that came in the mail this week, and I’ll tell you about what’s out/coming out that I got at BEA later.  (I’m already almost done with my first book from BEA, Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone which I am so thrilled about reading!  I was second in line for the signed copy of this ARC – I wanted it sooooo much!  But that’s all I’m saying about BEA books for now!)

When I get back to writing reviews, I’ll be writing about Eona by Alison Goodman and Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy.

On to the books with more to come later!

Legend by Marie LuLegend by Marie Lu

This book was actually at BEA and I missed it, but that’s ok because a copy was waiting for me when I got home.  It’s a YA dystopia, which is pretty popular at the moment.  The letter from the publisher that came with it is so full of enthusiasm that I’m really curious about it.  It’s a book she couldn’t put down when she read the manuscript, and she was so excited about it that she shared it with all her colleagues who then also got excited about it.  It is part of a series, but I didn’t find any information on how many books there would be.  Legend will be released in hardcover on November 29, and it will also be available as an ebook and audiobook.  An excerpt is available online.

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower by Margaret KilljoyWhat Lies Beneath the Clock Tower by Margaret Killjoy

What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower: Being an Adventure of Your Own Choosing is a steampunk choose-your-own adventure style story by the founder of SteamPunk Magazine.  The quote from Alan Moore, author of Watchmen, is what sold me when I was asked about receiving a copy for review consideration, but I also like the quote on the back:

“As I aspire to be a drunken and feckless adventurer myself, I felt great kinship with Our Hero Gregory.” – Jake von Slatt

It sounds like a fun book and it’s also fairly short (less than 200 pages). It will be available on June 17.

Descend into the depths of the undercity and embroil yourself in the political struggles of colonialist gnomes and indigenous goblins. Fly in air balloons, drink mysterious and pleasant cocktails, smoke opium with the dregs of gnomish society. Or dream and speak of liberation for all the races. Fall in love and abscond into the caverns. It s up to you, because this is an adventure of your own choosing. From the founder of SteamPunk Magazine and editor of Mythmakers & Lawbreakers (AK Press, 2009) comes this interactive novel of danger, drugs, and revolution.

The Leaning Pile of Books
May
22
2011

This week brought 3 review copies and 1 book bargain that I couldn’t resist!

Fox & Phoenix by Beth BernobichFox & Phoenix by Beth Bernobich

After reading Passion Play, I really wanted to read Beth Bernobich’s young adult book coming out this fall.  So when the author contacting me about receiving a galley to review, accepting was a no-brainer!  Now that I’ve had a chance to look through it, I’m looking forward to it even more.  It sounds really good, and I loved the opening line and what I read on the first page.  This is the first book in a series, Lóng City, and it will be released in hardcover on October 13.

“One cool, lively, exciting book set in a unique new world-more, please!”-Tamora Pierce

The king of Lóng City is dying. For Kai Zōu, the news means more than it does for most former street rats in the small mountain stronghold, because he and the king’s daughter are close friends. Then the majestic ruler of the ghost dragons orders Kai to travel across the country to the Phoenix Empire, where the princess is learning statecraft. In a court filled with intrigue, Kai and his best friend Yún must work together to help the princess escape and return to Lóng City. A refreshing mixture of magic, wit, and action, Fox and Phoenix is an auspicious debut!

“I couldn’t stop reading! Ghost dragons, talking pig spirit-companions, magic phones, royal intrigue, and a treacherous journey. . . . I loved this adventure through a unique magic world.”-Sarah Beth Durst, author of Into the Wild

The Immortal Prince by Jennifer FallonThe Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon

Recently, I received a copy of The Chaos Crystal by Jennifer Fallon in the mail.  At first I was excited because I’ve been interested in reading a book by Jennifer Fallon for a while, but then I read the press release which said it was the fourth and final book in the Tide Lords series.  After looking up the series, I just wanted to read it more so when I saw this first book was available for just $4.99 in hardcover, I snatched it up.  The fourth book just came out so the Tide Lords is now officially a complete series!

The Tide Lords series order is: The Immortal Prince, Gods of Amyrantha, Palace of Impossible Dreams, and The Chaos Crystal.

“When a routine hanging goes wrong and a murderer somehow survives the noose, the man announces he is an immortal. And not just any immortal, but Cayal, the Immortal Prince, hero of legend, thought to be only a fictional character. To most he is a figure out of the Tide Lord Tarot, the only record left on Amyrantha of the mythical beings who, fables tell, created the half-human, half-animal Crasii, a race of slaves.”

“Arkady Desean is an expert on the legends of the Tide Lords, so at the request of the king’s spymaster she is sent to interrogate this would-be immortal, hoping to prove he is a spy, or at the very least a madman.”

Though she is set the task of proving Cayal a liar. Arkady finds herself believing him against her own good sense. And as she begins to truly believe in the Tide Lords, her own web of lies begins to unravel ….

The Deadliest Bite by Jennifer RardinThe Deadliest Bite by Jennifer Rardin

The eighth and final book in the Jaz Park series will be released on June 2, although it seems to already be shipping from Amazon.  This is another series I’m interested in picking up from book one, but it might be a while until I get to it.  I have heard they are very good books, though!

Excerpts from the first six books in the series can be found on the author’s website.

The books in the Jaz Parks series are:

1. Once Bitten, Twice Shy
2. Another One Bites the Dust
3. Biting the Bullet
4. Bitten to Death
5. One More Bite
6. Bite Marks
7. Bitten in Two
8. The Deadliest Bite

I have two choices. Carve Brude’s name into Hell’s bile-encrusted gates. Or lose my soul.

After an assassination attempt on Vayl, I find myself pulled into a tangled web that takes the gang to Romania. So how will I save a ghost, rescue a demon, and cheat the Great Taker out of a soul he’s slavering for while defeating my nastiest foe yet so that Vayl can, at last, cherish a few precious years with his sons? With careful planning, major violence, and one (hopefully) final trip to Hell.

Eat Slay Love by Jesse PetersenEat Slay Love by Jesse Petersen

This is the third book in the Living With the Dead series, a romantic comedy set during a zombie apocalypse. It will be released on June 28 as a mass market paperback and an ebook.

The books in this series are as follows:

1. Married With Zombies
2. Flip This Zombie
3. Eat Slay Love

Sarah and David have survived the zombie apocalypse. They stood side by side and fought the undead, mad scientists, and even bionic monsters until the unthinkable happened. A zombie bite. But not even that could stop them. Now, with a possible cure in hand, they’re headed east, looking for a safe zone behind the rumored “Wall.” They’re feeling pretty optimistic.

That is until Dave stops sleeping and starts lifting huge objects.

Eat. Slay. Love.

Because they haven’t got a prayer.

Review of The Fear Principle by B. A. Chepaitis
May
20
2011
The Fear Principle
by B. A. Chepaitis
190pp (Paperback)
My Rating: 5/10
Amazon Rating: 4.4/5
LibraryThing Rating: 3.67/5
Goodreads Rating: 3.5/5
 

The Fear Principle, the first book in the Fear series by B. A. Chepaitis, was first published in 1998 under the name Barbara Chepaitis.  The books in this science fiction series are being reprinted, and the first two of the four books were re-released recently.  The titles that come after The Fear Principle are as follows, respectively: The Fear of God, Learning Fear, and A Lunatic Fear.

The Planetoids were developed in response to what became known as the “Killing Times,” a time when serial murder became so common that everyday life was fraught with danger.  These rehabilitation centers are based on the premise that fear is the root of criminal behavior.  On the Planetoids, criminals are first tested in order to discover their primary fear, then a program is developed for making them face that fear.   Then, a Teacher is assigned to execute the program and work with the felon individually to help him or her overcome that fear.  In most cases, they are successful and the criminal returns to Earth to never commit a crime again – or sometimes, the former convict even chooses to stay and work on the Planetoid.

Dr. Jaguar Addams often takes the unconventional approach and modifies programs she believes to be flawed, but her track record speaks for itself: she may not be the most experienced Teacher, but she is the most successful.  With a special gift for empathy and a keen instinct, Jaguar often uses her psi capabilities to her advantage, as most do even though it’s technically not allowed.  When Clare Rilasco, an assassin who has murdered countless men, is captured and brought to Planetoid Three, Jaguar is assigned to her case.  However, this isn’t just any assignment.  Not only is Jaguar supposed to help Clare become a law-abiding member of society, but she’s also supposed to find out who she was working for when she murdered the governor of Colorado – a rather difficult task with Clare’s particular personality and the fact that her clients would like to remain anonymous for obvious reasons.

The Fear Principle is one of those books I’m on the fence about and didn’t really like or dislike overall.  While there was a lot about the book that really worked for me, these parts were balanced out by a lot that did not work as well for me.

The premise hooked me from the beginning and set up a rather interesting future scenario.  The book takes place after a major societal decline and deals with the facilities where the cure is administered.  Murder rates had increased to the point where just going out to get food was dangerous in many cities.  Eventually, a new system was devised for working with criminals based on discovering what fear drove them to feel the need to commit crime.  These felons were sent away to receive individualized treatment.  First, they were tested to discover the root cause of their fear, and then they worked with a Teacher with training in psychological studies who helped them overcome that fear.  Also, some of these Teachers like Jaguar, the main character, had psi capabilities, so they were able to delve into other people’s minds when working with them.  It’s an intriguing concept: how education and specialized treatment (perhaps with a dose of empathic powers thrown in) could help with reforming those who cause problems in society.

It’s not all about solving the problems of the world, though.  The Fear Principle also has a lot of action, some mystery, and just a little bit of romance.  There’s the question of who hired Clare and Jaguar becomes involved in untangling the threads of what happened.  Jaguar is also facing another Teacher who wants to take her down, and the full story of what happened between the two comes out over the course of the book.  The romance is very subtle and not the main focus, and it starts out a bit one-sided but it’s hard not to root for someone who is so quietly caring.  In this particular instance, love is doing what is best for someone without expecting anything at all in return, and I liked the non-flirtatious, mature, and kind way it was handled.

Most of the other characters didn’t do much for me, and I didn’t love any of them, but I did like Jaguar’s personality and the complexity of her character.  She’s someone who doesn’t care for authority and she does come across as brash at times, but she does have a compassionate side and good instincts.  Although she can be very stubborn, she’s also not incapable of changing her opinion when presented with new facts.  Throughout the course of the story, more is learned about her past and how she chose to react to it and managed not to fall into the same traps as others.  While I never cared about her so much that I was on the edge of my seat hoping she’d pull through anytime tension rose, I was able to admire her as a character.

Even though there was plenty to like about the book, there were two things that did not work for me at all: the writing style and the pacing.  The prose style is very casual, to the point where it’s full of sentence fragments.  The dialogue is written how people speak with words like “lemme,” “kinda,” “gotta” and “where’ve.”  Although I understand why it is often used, it’s not a style that appeals to me personally.  There’s also a lot of infodumping.  At first, I didn’t mind this since it filled in what had happened to cause the creation of the prisoner reform program and told about how this new system worked. It never stopped, though.  There are a lot of third person perspective switches, and when it does it usually has a lot more of their thoughts than I really needed to know going on for too long.  Also, some of the dialogue is overly dramatic and a bit corny:

 

“You’re way out of line, Dr. Addams,” he said coldly. “Whatever Nick’s doing, I’ll handle. You better keep track of yourself.”

“Oh, I can track myself. Don’t you worry.” She put her hands on his desk and her face level with his, leaning forward.

“I can track a cat under a new moon, or the smallest scent of death in open air. I can track last week’s eagle in a cloudy sky. And I can track you, Supervisor. Even you. So keep Nick away from me, or I’ll take care of him myself. My way.” [pp. 73]

The text was filled with typographical errors and missing words to the point where it was very distracting as well.

Before I close, I just want to make one note on content.  There is a memory revealed at the very end that some may find difficult.  It’s somewhat important to the story so I don’t want to say what it is, but if you want to know basically what it involves and if it would be a problem for you, read the spoiler below.

The Fear Principle started out promising with some interesting ideas and a decent main character.  However, in spite of the entertaining story and an appreciation for a couple of the protagonists, the writing style and some of the dialogue really grated on me to the point that when I reached the end, I didn’t feel like I wanted more.

My Rating: 5/10

Where I got my reading copy: Review copy from a publicist for the blog tour.

Guest Post by Barbara Chepaitis: The Ordinary Empath
May
19
2011

The Fear Priniciple Virtual Book Tour Banner

This week I am pleased to be part of the Virtual Book Tour for Barbara Cheapaitis (also known as B. A. Chepaitis), author of The Fear Principle and the rest of the books in the Fear series featuring Jaguar Addams.  Tomorrow I’ll have a review of The Fear Principle for you.  For today’s post, Barbara shares some thoughts on empathy, an ability that is very important in the series.

The Ordinary Empath

In my novel The Fear Principle and the ones that follow, my two main characters, Jaguar Addams and Alex Dzarny, are empaths, with a variety of psi capacities.  Alex is precognitive,  Jaguar is a chantshaper.  Both can read energy lingering in objects or places.  Both can enter the memory,  dreams, or current emotions of others and experience  it as if it was their own.  These are useful skills since their job is to make criminals face their fears.

Readers often ask me how I imagine those states of mind.  They want to know if I – um – can – you know…. Do that sort of thing, and do I know others who are – y’know – like that?  The answer is absolutely, on both counts.  In fact, I think we all have the capacity to reach beyond the five senses and pick up intuitive knowledge in lots of ways.

I’ve been known to pluck a strange truth from someone in a way that frightens them.  Once, when my now ex-husband was making a joke I didn’t laugh.  When he asked why I said, “I don’t know.  I just see the word sorrow.”

He was taken aback.  Well, okay, he was scared.  “How did you know?”  he demanded.   I shrugged.  I really had no idea.  Maybe, as my mother used to say when she did that kind of thing, I could smell it.

But my mother and I both taught for many years, she in a first grade and myself in universities.  I’ve also had many years of live stage performance, storytelling with my group, The Snickering Witches.  These arenas require very good people reading skills . So yes, sometimes I dip into the thoughts of other people, but I’m guessing I’m really just very good at reading subtle cues of gesture and face.

And maybe, like the empaths in The Fear Principle, we all have our own particular ordinary psi capacities, our own limited skills. I don’t dream predictively and often can’t even predict the behavior of those I love most.  But I’ve known people who do,  and people who see ghosts,  people with other skills.  My favorite example comes from  a friend of mine, a very down-to-earth woman who called me in a panic one day and said,  “I dreamt for you last night, Barbara.”

She told me the dream, and within two days it came true, quite literally, with details.  If she hadn’t warned me, I would’ve missed a very important bit of information that explains why I got divorced soon after.   I asked her later if she did that often, and she said she’d always dreamt for others, but never dreamt for herself.  I asked her if that was a family thing, something maybe her mother did, too.

She said, “Oh, no.  My mother doesn’t dream like that.  She just talks with the dead.”

Okay, then.   Apparently, Jaguar’s world is simply an exaggeration of what goes on every day, with lots of people.  The Ordinary Empath is everywhere.

About the Author:

Barbara Chepaitis

Barbara Chepaitis is the author of 8 published books, including The Fear Principle featuring Jaguar Addams (Wildside Press), and the critically acclaimed Feeding Christine and These Dreams. Her first nonfiction book, Feathers of Hope, is about Berkshire Bird Paradise and the human connection with birds.   She’ll follow that up with a book about Eagle Mitch, a bird she helped our US troops rescue from Afghanistan.  Barbara is also past director of the storytelling trio The Snickering Witches, and faculty coordinator for the fiction component of Western Colorado’s MFA program in creative writing.


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