Robin Lythgoe's Blog, page 30

In a moment of weakness (or genius), we bought a new ice cream maker. It's one of those nifty new machines that has a double-insulated freezer bowl with a cooling liquid between the walls—No ice! No salt! "Indulge your tastebuds!" the company urged. So we have been. We've had, thus far, Dark Chocolate Sorbet, Chocolate-Orange, Cherry Lane (a spectacular chocolate-cherry invention from my father-in-law), Orange Cream, Raspberry, and Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

I've probably made more ice cream in the last couple weeks than I've made since we got the original ice cream maker for our wedding a loooong time ago. Not to worry, I've been taking my portions in a little bitty bowl and I've staunchly resisted having seconds. I can't say the same for the rest of the family.

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe, for which I apologize. It's important to explore a wide variety of chocolate avenues. Without further ado, I present the latest chocolate yumminess.

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Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
(modified from a recipe I found at the Brown-Eyed Baker)

Yield: About 1½ quarts

Chocolate Ice Cream:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1½ cups heavy cream

1½ cups whole milk

¾ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1½ Tbsp. granulated sugar

1½ Tbsp. tablespoons heavy cream

pinch of salt

¼ cup all-purpose flour

⅓ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Prepare the Ice Cream Custard: Combine the chocolate and cream in a large, heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted, then remove the bowl from the saucepan.

2. Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula (it should reach 170-175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard into the chocolate mixture and stir in the vanilla extract. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir occasionally until the mixture has cooled to room temperature. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

4. Make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Combine the butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream, vanilla and salt, and mix for another minute or so, until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.

5. Churn the Ice Cream: Just before churning the ice cream, scoop the cookie dough into ½-teaspoon or smaller balls and place on a plate or parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions. When finished churning, fold in the chunks of cookie dough and transfer to an airtight container. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

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Go ahead. You know you want to try it...
Have you got any spectacular ice cream recipes to share? Chocolate sauce? I'm waaaaaiting...!

While everyone else is in a dither about J.K. Rowling's pseudonym and whether or not her new book is doing well, I have taken an axe to the series I've been working on. Not THE axe, mind you. Have no fear, the Tairenth novels will proceed! If you take note of the progress bar for my current projects, you'll see that Book One is nearly finished—and it's pretty good, if I dare say so myself. Except... it's not right. It tells the story of Kai's youth and carries him through some very terrible times. All very exciting, but I also feel like it handicaps the best part of the story, which occurs later in his life. So I am setting it aside for now, and perhaps one day it will make a good prequel. You love those, right? I'm as yet undecided on them, and it may turn out that it isn't necessary at all.

In the meantime, I'm reordering my timeline(s), reconstructing my beginning, and having a world of fun working on the maps. I'm working on a combination of outline and discovery writing. While the logical, orderly part of me ardently wishes for the structure of an outline, I find it difficult to create one. I just want to write! But I need to know where I'm going... Even with a vague outline, I find that I write myself right out of it.

Must. Be. Disciplined!

So... who is this Kai fellow?

(Original image from the 
movie "Swordfish"
and wildly photo-manipulated...)The name is short for "Sherakai," and when I started using it years ago the "Kai" part was unique. Clearly, people throughout the universe followed his story online and copied, eh? When I sat down to put his story into a book I thought about changing it—for about five minutes. And when I chose Hugh Jackman as the model for the character, he wasn't nearly as famous as he is today. That's the breaks. I've been writing about Kai for over ten years, and I don't care to change either of those aspects about him. And I am unanimous in that! (Anyone who knows where that quote comes from gets a virtual cookie.)

Sherakai dan Tameko was born into a noble family, the youngest of four sons. He had three sisters. He did not have the responsibilities of his older brothers, but his father refused to let him grow up to be a wastrel, so he was taught something of animal husbandry, reading and writing, and the manly and honorable art of the sword. Before he'd settled on something to occupy his future as an adult, disaster struck—as it must in these kinds of tales—and Kai lost everything, including his Self. A mage with far bigger and grander plans than running a mere barony made Kai over. Completely. Mutated by the magic and forced to unspeakable deeds, Kai eventually managed to escape captivity.

Or did he?

His mutation included having a demon thrust inside him. That, together with rigorous training at the hands of the mage—makes him a formidable warrior. Efforts by the demon and the mage to gain control threaten to drive Sherakai to madness. War provides a way to use his particular skill sets, keeps him and the demon fed, and provides an outlet for the terrible violence he harbors. It does not win him friends and he is often hunted. He craves peace. To obtain it, he must come to terms with the demon he loathes—and outwit the mage who will stop at nothing to reclaim his lost treasures.

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Stay tuned for more insights into the characters and world of Tairenth!
In other news, I am thrilled to find As the Crow Flies on the GoodReads' list, "Best Indie Fantasy Books Worth a Read." Wow! If you agree that it's worth a read and want to help spread the word, please go give it a vote.
Before you go, what's your opinion on prequels? Do you love 'em or hate 'em? Why? In what instances do you think they work best?

Lately I have been working on maps for the next books, which are to be a series. I love mapping! I started out on my own, working in Photoshop, but over the years some tips and tutorials from the Cartographer's Guild have helped me refine my skills. The folks over there are amazingly talented and supportive. The things I've learned make me excited to make more, more, more maps—and the graphic tablet my wonderful kids gave me a couple Christmases ago makes it even more fun.

As far as maps + writing fantasy go, I have read advice that declares one must start with a map to advice that says "maps are nice, but you don't really need them." Lest there be any doubt, I am firmly in the first camp. Well, mostly… I started As the Crow Flies without a map, sketched one out on paper as I went along, then managed to lose it. There was much weeping and wailing in the land. I felt oddly lost.

Sherakai's story began without a map—but it also began in a role-playing forum in which a map was actually available. I just didn't know about it at first. Oops! The thing was sadly out of proportion and I eventually made a new one to donate to the cause. I learned a lot about writing while I was with the role-playing group. It was a good impetus for honing my own style, most particularly when it came to writing stories to be posted on the boards, but eventually I found the venue limiting. Mind you, I am opposed to reading material that looks/sounds like it came from a role-playing session. While it's great fun to play, it makes for very choppy reading. I did, in fact, recently read a book that bore an unfortunate resemblance to gaming. Thank you, but no.

But I digress…

I made an awesome map for the role-playing forum, and I figured out the bones of a really good story. I even had people tell me I ought to write a book. Very gratifying. However, I couldn't simply scrape that story out of the forum and into a book of my own; I needed an original world and my own characters. And then, because we worked so splendidly together, the entire project became a joint effort with Kristie, who I originally met in the forum. We established a timeline that included points that must happen in the course of our characters' development—and we changed everything else. Then we gnawed at some of the details and changed them some more. An entirely new world has emerged: Tairenth. The process of developing it has been (and continues to be) both challenging and incredible.

Having a map not only helps us to keep technical details of the book(s) in perspective, but it makes the place come alive. It looks like someplace. It's real. It's helped us to ask further questions about the history of the land. One things often leads to another, and it amazes me how the threads of creation weave back and forth to produce a whole tapestry. Naming places led to more work on the native language, which in turn took us to a discussion about an aspect of the culture. From there we leaped to questions about the magic, and suddenly we'd tweaked and reshaped an old element into something unique. We had the kathraul'en: "Shades, nightmares, whispers of lives that never were...." Far more than mere shadows, these constructs of twisted magic are a frightening part of our protagonist's lives. They know them personally. Intimately. The kathraul'en are the impetus of actions both terrible and wonderful.

It's too early in the game to do a full map reveal, but I'll leave you with a little teaser—part of the coastline of Ryali, and the river that leads to the capital city and a surprising chain of events in Sherakai's life.



What do you think? Are maps a necessary part of fantastic worlds, or just eye-candy? What are some of your favorite fictional maps?

I've talked a little bit about book covers before, and how important they are as both a preview of the content and as a tool to catch the eye. A comment by a recent reviewer has me mulling over the old adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder—which makes the task of designing or choosing a book cover even more of a challenge. We're all drawn to different colors, styles, and concepts, and we all draw our own assumptions from the things we see, whether right or wrong. What stands out to one person means little to the next. What we interpret one way, someone else perceives entirely differently. I truly admire those artists who can produce covers that delight and intrigue—and are true to the tale in detail and ambiance.

I plan to showcase covers often in the future, but today I want to share with you a few that meet the aforementioned criteria (as far as my own senses were concerned!):

artwork by Michael Whelan artwork by Jody A. LeeAnd in the Indie category: artwork by Bill GraffWhat are some of your favorite covers that appeal to the eye and deliver exactly what they advertise? Please share in the comments!

I picked this book up because I loved the cover (nothing new there, right? Great cover), my interest was piqued by the blurb, and because I read good things about it. I really wanted to like it, but... at best I came away with mixed feelings. Galley has made use of some truly beautiful prose, but it is unfortunately buried in a hailstorm of adjectives and repetition that tangled the flow rather than moving it along. He tells an interesting story about an unusual character, but... his choice of wording put a distance between me and the characters that was only exacerbated by poor grammar. I read about these people, I didn't feel them, couldn't become invested in them. They felt shallow. The dialogue was frustratingly weak, and oh, the head-hopping...

The magic seems interesting—and I love the idea of the tattoos investing a person with particular strengths. I like, too, that gaining those marks was not an easy process to endure. There are hints of another, older magic, and I wish that had been explored a little more, just so that I could see that a difference actually existed.

We're served a platter of typical fantasy-fare creatures: vampires/vampyres, werewolves, dragons, elves, trolls, etc. The Sirens—who are nothing at all like traditional sirens—provide a bright spot with their (not uncommon to the genre) bonding with the dragons, which inexorably changes them. They begin developing scales as well as taking on the dragon's color and personality, except in the case of the king dragon and the queen Siren, and no explanation was offered for that inconsistency. The storm giants? Awesome.

The drug addiction is an unusual subject for fantasy, and the character's involvement with "nevermar" starts out strongly on both the personal and the social front. We can understand a little about his problem with it, and it promises an obstacle that is difficult to overcome. I enjoyed the idea of a hero with some very real problems, but... but... the drugs weren't one of them and his crazy uncle wore his welcome right out. For someone of Farden's age, education (hello, he's Written), and experience, he was often extremely stupid and illogical. I want either Experienced or Stupid; the two do not mix well in the same character! About halfway through, more or less, we were suddenly introduced to foul language, which not only didn't fit the scene(s) well, but served to take me right out of the story. Personal preference? To a certain extent, yes, but I thought the use felt first forced, then lazy.

The dream scenes—also interesting, but could pack a little more oomph. There are all kinds of hints about things to come, and then an outright realization, but the character does the realizing on his own and I was left scratching my head. Did I miss something? Maybe. Being bludgeoned by adjectives had me skimming.

The author also has a tendency to introduce chapters and sections with a mysterious "someone" that is only identified later in the scene rather than coming out and telling the reader who we're dealing with right up front. This works occasionally, but after a while it is only annoying. Potentially *good* scenes were overwritten, and I got the distinct impression of a play-by-chat RPG. As a result, the actual plot suffered. I struggled to connect the dots, especially when the army ran off to Durynas on what seemed a whim.

Then the wonderful potential that kept sneaking out went all to pieces with the melodramatic—and also illogical--antagonist. I couldn't help but think of all the villains faced by Scooby Doo and the gang, which is great if you're writing a cartoon or a comedy, but hard to swallow in "gritty" fiction.

The bottom line? In spite of the twitch-inducing problems, I think this could be a really fantastic story if it were put into the hands of a ruthless editor. All of the "good buts" I've mentioned could so easily become strong points and turn this book into a "must read."

Reviewers are an unpredictable lot. One need only pick a book on the website of their favorite retailer to read evaluations that run from high praise ("A beautifully written page-turner [...] cannot recommend this book too highly") to outright condemnation ("full of cliches and unclear language [...] desperately needs a real editor.") It only goes to prove the old saying, "You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time." I haven't yet heard from someone who detests As the Crow Flies, but I hold my breath every time I see a new review go up. My head swells over comments about the witty dialogue, the fast-pace, the mastering of voice. The book has been compared to the works of Ursula LeGuin, Joe Abercrombie, David Eddings—and now Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

Say whaaaat...?

I had to laugh. While *I* wouldn't have picked that last analogy, I can't complain about the company. I'll be the first to tell you that As the Crow Flies is more of a light read than the trending "dark and gritty fantasy," and I love hearing that the book made people laugh. Still, while it has its comedic moments, I wouldn't go so far as to call it "slapstick." I might be a little disgruntled over that description, but hey—the book still earned three out of the reviewer's four stars, for which I am humbly grateful, and it still came "absolutely" recommended. Can't get much better than that.

And so, with the song "We're off on the road to <pick your favorite>", I present to you the results of the professional photo shoot for As the Crow Flies. Oo, la la...






(Photos courtesy of Boyd Lythgoe)
Now I have to go find one of those movies to watch... Oish.

Waldo is back! For those of you who missed the exciting story, we rescued a baby robin. He got tagged with the name "Waldo" when we took him outside, and then couldn't ever see where he was. "Where's Waldo?" The neat thing, though, was that he would chirp at us, then hop/flap out of hiding to come visit. A couple days after letting him go, he disappeared. "Typical teenager," we complained. "Leaves home and doesn't even call!" Now that he's back, he's a little wary of us. He lets us get close (but no touching!) and he let my husband feed him a worm (from a polite distance). But that's all right. It's just good to know he's doing well. :)
All right, enough with as the robin flies, and onto As the Crow Flies! We're entering the final stretch of the book tour! I hope you've signed up for the giveaway and made sure to comment on a couple of the posts where they're being hosted by my oh-so-generous bloggers—those comments may land you a free e-book, and it's a great way to show your appreciation.
So, what are we doing today? I'm glad you asked! Over on Mathew Reuther's blog I talk about The Attraction of Voice and why it's important in the books we read—and write!

"It grabs your reader’s attention and makes a connection with them. It’s memorable. The authors you read repeatedly have seduced you with their voice." 

Unless you're looking for it, "voice" is one of those qualities that is easy to miss—and it should be! Drop on over and pay us a visit!

And then skip over to RK Grow's blog, where she's got a couple of excerpts from the book for you to enjoy: As The Crow Flies by Robin Lythgoe.

Here are the links to previous posts so you can catch up:

Kristie Kiessling, Directions for the Journey — Interview, Excerpt, GiveawayAE Marling, The Importance of the Impossible — InterviewZinc Universe — Interview and ExcerptsThree Blank Pages —Review and GiveawayMarsha A. Moore — Guest PostPatricia Reding — Interview
And last, but not least, the entry form for the giveaway. Can't forget that!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you enjoying this ride as much as I am? I hope so! Today I have three goodies to share with you—and there's still the giveaway, too. Make sure you sign up for that, and don't forget that digital versions of As the Crow Flies are being awarded to random commenters on the blogs of my wonderful tour hosts.
On her blog, Disciples of the Fount, Louise Blankenship interviews Tarsha, the love of Crow's life. Allow me to give you a peek:

So, Tarsha, how did you and Crow meet?  

I am, as I’m sure you’ve heard, a professional dancer. Crow came to all of my shows and it wasn’t hard to tell he was completely smitten. Of course a lot of men are smitten and it is something I’ve become used to. He wanted to see me—off the stage, you know—but I turned him down.

Decide for yourself if it's true love or something else entirely when you read the rest of the story!

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Brandon Wright of Indie Author Book Reviews did—Wait for it!—a book review, and gave me a thrilling 9.0/10.0 (stars? points? french fries?).

 "This book came with me everywhere I went and while I had a spare minute, I was reading this book."

If you want to read the rest of his review (and I think you do!), you can zip over to his site here: As the Crow Flies.

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Brandon Ellis (Don't get confused by two Brandons!) of The PureLights let me take up space over on his blog talking about Mining Ideas.

The subject of where writers get their ideas seems to be a hot one recently—in my circles, anyway. Frankly, the notion of a writer being without ideas boggles me. We live in an idea-rich age, with a plethora of books, movies, news, music, graphics, events, museums, online interaction, and opportunity for personal experiences. It’s a gold mine! The truth is that the writer with the empty poetic pan simply refuses to do the work involved in turning information into useable concepts, starting with constantly searching for useful tidbits. Like most talents, this one takes practice, but it can be fun!

Click here to read the rest of the article.

And be sure to catch up on the rest of the tour here:

Kristie Kiessling, Directions for the Journey — Interview, Excerpt, GiveawayAE Marling, The Importance of the Impossible — InterviewZinc Universe — Interview and ExcerptsThree Blank Pages —Review and GiveawayMarsha A. Moore — Guest PostPatricia Reding — Interview



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day 4! Can you believe it? We're right in the middle of the tour, and I have two guest spots. One of the unexpected benefits of this shindig has been all the thinking it's forced me to do; I don't often think about why I do what I do beyond the fact that I really enjoy it. Lately I've been digging into the juicy meat of things. On Marsha A. Moore's blog, Illusions of Intimacy, we talk about what inspires me to write fantasy and how the components of the genre affect the characters.

Today I will happily read almost any fiction, but as I started reaping the library stacks on my own, it was to fantasy I was most drawn. Oh, the magic! Not just the spells and talismans and wizards and elves, which I adore, but the intricate worlds, the strange creatures, the very construction of those amazing foreign settings! 

You can read the rest here: Why I Write Fantasy—and toss your two cents into the bucket. Why do you write—or read—fantasy? What influenced your choice?

My other engagement (doesn't that sound flamboyant?) has a bit of a story behind it. I recently met a kindred spirit over on GoodReads. Patricia Reding and I hit it off right away, delighted to learn that we both speak sarcasm fluently. I wanted to do an interview with her on my blog (you can meet here here: Guest Interview), and she wanted to feature me on hers. Cool, right?

As the Crow Flies possessed that rare and unusual thing—that thing that made me want more. Robin, through her ready wit, had managed to create a unique story line and fully formed and relatable characters. Moreover, it was clear that Robin had a clear understanding of--that indeed she fluently spoke—my second language--sarcasm. Best of all, Robin displays a fun and unique voice that made me know I would want—no, that I would need—to read more from this gifted writer. 

Is that an awesome introduction or what?? Amazingly, there's an "and" what. Read on. You'll see.

In her interview, Trish posed some questions that twisted my brain. I had to walk away and think about a few of them. And she uses em-dashes as prolifically as I do. Clearly, we're on the same wave length. Please check out our chat here: Robin Lythgoe  and feel free to comment or ask questions. We'd love the visit!

So not only did this lovely woman give me her time and space on her blog, but we've had a running chat going ever since that first email about the interviews. We talked about the birds and the bees—er, her children's graduations (and you do remember the bird, I hope?), the humor of typos, the overwhelming joy of having the flu (not!), and stayed away from my jealousy that she was going to BookExpo America. She read As the Crow Flies (You guessed that already, didn't you?). And then she knocked my socks right off with her review. If you see them anywhere, please send them back to me. In the meantime, please read what she had to say:

As the Crow Flies  tells the tale of Crow, a witty, sarcastic thief who steals your heart from the earliest pages. Truly, there are so many things to love about As the Crow Flies, that it is hard to know where to begin. 

The author’s characters are neatly drawn and are given quirks and manners of speech that are unique and consistent. The reader will never forget that Crow is a thief, for if not his first, then his last thought in nearly every situation in which he finds himself, will be Crow’s consideration of what he can do to “re-arrange” the goods of others.

Read the rest here—then get up and do a Snoopy dance with me. This is a fantastic review, not just because it's glowing, but because Trish actually says what's good and why, rather than giving another recap of the blurb or falling into the generic review pattern. Please let her know what an amazing job she did. Maybe we can convince her to write an article about how to review books...

Catch up on the Blog Tour Fun:
Kristie Kiessling, Directions for the Journey — Interview, Excerpt, GiveawayAE Marling, The Importance of the Impossible — InterviewZinc Universe — Interview and ExcerptsThree Blank Pages —Review and Giveaway
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day three of the blog tour brings a fine tangle of miscommunication (which is why I'm so late posting this!), but Crow shall prevail! He is, after all, beloved of the gods, right?
So, what happened? I thought I sent information to someone, then I couldn't find any trace of said email, so I sent it again, but I never heard back... Unfortunately, these things happen, even on the best of days. And unfortunately, I don't have "Easy" or "Do-over" buttons! I hope we'll be able to reschedule. In the meantime, I have an excerpt for you and, in case you missed any of the tour goodness we've featured so far, here's the lineup:

Kristie Kiessling, Directions for the Journey — Interview, Excerpt, Giveaway
AE Marling, The Importance of the Impossible — Interview
Zinc Universe — Interview and Excerpts
Three Blank Pages —Review and Giveaway

And don't forget to enter the giveaway, which is listed below as well as in the places aforementioned. I want to point out that a few random commenters will receive a digital copy of As the Crow Flies, too. So, speak up! Observe! Reflect! Opine!
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The two men came into the cage and hauled me unceremoniously to my feet. My knees buckled. They caught me before I fell and dragged my arms up across their broad shoulders. They were so tall that my toes barely scraped the ground as they carted me off down a dim corridor. My head swam with pain and my vision blurred. What felt like eternity could have been no more than minutes, and then they deposited my carcass on the floor. While I blinked stupidly up at Tanris, one of them held me down with a foot on my chest while the other removed my boots and my belt.

“Slop bucket in the corner,” he said, pointing. “Meal in the morning. I wouldn’t waste it, as it will be the only one you get for the day. If you get chilly, there’s a blanket at the foot of the bed.” He grinned and bowed extravagantly. “Enjoy your stay.”

The door thudded closed behind him, immediately immersing me in darkness so black that not even my excellent eyesight could penetrate it. Panic grabbed me by the gut and yanked me into motion. “Tanris!” I yelled, scrambling for the door. The thud of a bolt sliding into place answered me. “Tanris! Don’t do this!” Another bolt slammed. I pounded the thick wood with my fist. “Tanris!” The third bolt gave a scream of delight as it locked. Muted laughter came from the corridor, then nothing.

I banged on the door with both fists, then put my sore hands to better use searching for a handle. Again, nothing. The walls and ceiling closed in on me, and I sank to the floor, pressing my back against the door. My breath was loud and harsh in my ears. In and out, in and out. Like a bellows. Stars danced in front of my eyes, and my lips and fingers tingled strangely. Had Tanris poisoned me?

Reason battled with Panic, slowly gaining a small advantage. Tanris had already got what he wanted. Me. In a cell. He had no need of poison. His pleasure depended on putting me in a cage forever, not by killing me quickly. I concentrated on breathing slowly and carefully. I had to think.

How had I fallen into his hands?

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷a Rafflecopter giveaway
("Easy" button courtesy of devzign at DeviantArt)