tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39306460317782772832024-02-07T06:10:26.763-07:00DragonEye, PIKarina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-23197862382753135422013-04-27T12:56:00.001-06:002013-04-29T19:14:36.991-06:00Greater Treasures Book Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Rq1QEbQZTxc1XZO4ZVux6iTjwULrwVoEUxmSao-HnGSPVS7fqbF8KQtIuo-4IYbcMSYTQM7r63R9unGVPMY6JugvU2rIBWfgSsID7ruA3RIZqJpKBnbqFpCAa6pAr7jErDlXz4LZIDo/s1600/GT-book-tour-banner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Rq1QEbQZTxc1XZO4ZVux6iTjwULrwVoEUxmSao-HnGSPVS7fqbF8KQtIuo-4IYbcMSYTQM7r63R9unGVPMY6JugvU2rIBWfgSsID7ruA3RIZqJpKBnbqFpCAa6pAr7jErDlXz4LZIDo/s1600/GT-book-tour-banner.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being a private detective in the border town of the
Faerie and Mundane worlds isn’t easy, even for a dragon like Vern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="uficommentbody"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Still, finding the wayward brother of a teary
damsel in distress shouldn’t have gotten so dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>W</span>hen his partner, Sister <span class="uficommentbody">Grace, gets poisoned by a dart meant for him, Vern offers
to find an artifact in exchange for a cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, this is no ordinary trinket—with a little magic power, it could
control all of mankind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can Vern find
the artifact, and will he sacrifice the fate of two worlds for the life of his
best friend?</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Vern and I are going all out on
this book tour, with lots of Vern posts and prizes, too. Check out the
schedule and hope to see you around the blogsphere!</i></div>
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 594px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 402; mso-width-source: userset; width: 8pt;" width="11"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 10532; mso-width-source: userset; width: 216pt;" width="288"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 365; mso-width-source: userset; width: 8pt;" width="10"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 8082; mso-width-source: userset; width: 166pt;" width="221"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 48pt;" width="64">30-Apr</td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 8pt;" width="11"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66" style="width: 216pt;" width="288"><a href="http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://fabianspace.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65" style="width: 8pt;" width="10"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67" style="width: 166pt;" width="221">Tour Announced</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://gloriascorner.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://gloriascorner.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://timewithtannia.tripod.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://timewithtannia.tripod.com/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview &amp;Vern Talks About Duty *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">5 Rules for Fantasy</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Vern Talks Zombies</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://fabianspace.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">About the Cover</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://grace.splashdownbooks.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://grace.splashdownbooks.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://reviews.splashdownbooks.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://reviews.splashdownbooks.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">4-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://lincolncrisler.info/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://lincolncrisler.info</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Story Determines Style *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">5-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://apiusman.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://apiusman.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview &amp; Review</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">5-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">6-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://www.letters-to-the-cosmos.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.letters-to-the-cosmos.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review &amp; Interview<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">6-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://tributebooks.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://tributebooks.blogspot.com/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">7-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://beccabutcher.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://beccabutcher.wordpress.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Faerie vs. Mundane Investigation *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">8-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://harliewilliams.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://harliewilliams.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">8-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://thewriterschatroom.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://thewriterschatroom.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Chat Ettiquette w/a Dragon</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">9-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://iansrealandmore.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://iansrealandmore.blogspot.com/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Battling Knights, and other Scams</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">9-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Information<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">9-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://snoringscholar.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://snoringscholar.com<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">9-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://fabianspace.blogspot.com<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Exclusive Excerpt</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">10-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://www.christopherbunn.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.christopherbunn.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Vern on Global Warming</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">10-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://speculativesalon.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://speculativesalon.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">11-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://www.weigandchris.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.weigandchris.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">11-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://newauthors.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://newauthors.wordpress.com/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Self-Publishing Tips *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">12-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Variety in a World *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">12-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://thewriterschatroom.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://thewriterschatroom.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Live chat with Karina &amp; Vern, 7 pm EST *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">13-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://sarah-janelehoux.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://sarah-janelehoux.blogspot.ca/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">13-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://tmarquitz.com/blog/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://tmarquitz.com/blog/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Annoying Virgins</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">14-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://harliesbooks.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://harliesbooks.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Becoming a Dragon PI *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">14-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl68" style="width: 216pt;" width="288"><a href="http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com<br />
</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">On Writing Vern</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">15-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://www.jqrose.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.jqrose.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Dragon Hobbies *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">16-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">16-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://fabianspace.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Self-Publishing Adventure</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">17-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://kittyb78.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://kittyb78.wordpress.com/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">review</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">18-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Haunt_at_PNR/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Haunt_at_PNR/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Live chat with Karina and Vern *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">18-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://diannesagan.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://diannesagan.wordpress.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">20-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Growing Your World</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">21-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://spellbindings.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://spellbindings.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">21-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://www.erinmhartshorn.com/blog"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.erinmhartshorn.com/blog</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Vern's Dogs</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">22-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://ShaunaRoberts.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Interview *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">23-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://anneejohnson.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://anneejohnson.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Stories are Like Sonnets</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">23-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Vern on Knights *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">23-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://snoringscholar.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://snoringscholar.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Vern On Motherhood *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">23-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://fabianspace.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">About Cambridge Ramada</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">26-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://www.writersfunzone.com/blog"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.writersfunzone.com/blog</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Writing Novellas *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">26-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://writersandauthors.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://writersandauthors.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">On Amazon Ranks *</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">27-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://bagfullofbooks4kids.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://bagfullofbooks4kids.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review Roundup</td>
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<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">28-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://slowandsteadywriters.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://slowandsteadywriters.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Improving Your Writing *</td>
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<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">29-May<br />
29-May </td>
<td class="xl65"><br />
<br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://virginialorijennings.com/blog/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;"><a href="http://writerlywednesday.com/">http://writerlywednesday.com</a> </span></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Tweet Chat<br />
Interview </td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">30-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://www.bookinglyyours.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.bookinglyyours.blogspot.com/</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Trailer</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">30-May</td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl66"><a href="http://fabianspace.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">http://fabianspace.blogspot.com</span></a></td>
<td class="xl65"><br /></td>
<td class="xl67">Review Roundup</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>* indicates a prize being given that day, either a free e-book or something from Vern's warehouse.
</b>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-67838954405779335042012-11-10T07:00:00.000-07:002012-11-10T07:00:04.175-07:00Like 007? You'll LOVE Dragon-Oh-Seven!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46UNVfrKCZ3H7sYjBg-KNSTihsfxl5c2iZZSFweSlyZaODM82a-HpqES_QACjKWPkl3mFSZFUe3m-GyvhWZ-gZ2eFm_0ZE75sjky0oWJXovyM0jQiynmpk7RRugQXK47YbVOVnG6ezm4B/s1600/LiveandLetFly_200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46UNVfrKCZ3H7sYjBg-KNSTihsfxl5c2iZZSFweSlyZaODM82a-HpqES_QACjKWPkl3mFSZFUe3m-GyvhWZ-gZ2eFm_0ZE75sjky0oWJXovyM0jQiynmpk7RRugQXK47YbVOVnG6ezm4B/s1600/LiveandLetFly_200x300.jpg" title="Live and Let Fly by Karina Fabian" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover art by Lex Valentine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Get it this month <a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=377&category_id=151&manufacturer_id=61&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1" target="_blank">from the publisher</a> and 10 percent of the proceeds go to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy: </span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #990000;">The magic is Faerie. The technology, Mundane. When they meet, the survival of the world rests in one dragon's…er…claws. See Vern as you've never seen him before! </span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">For a dragon detective with a magic-slinging nun as a partner, saving the worlds gets routine. So, when the US government hires Vern and Sister Grace to recover stolen secrets for creating a new Interdimensional Gap-- secrets the US would like to keep, thank you—Vern sees a chance to play Dragon-Oh-Seven.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">No human spy, however, ever went up against a Norse goddess determined to use those secrets to rescue her husband. Sigyn will move heaven and earth to get Loki—and use the best and worst of our world against anyone who tries to stop her. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">It's super-spy spoofing at its best with exotic locations (Idaho--exotic?), maniacal middle-managers, secret agent men, teen rock stars in trouble, man-eating animatronics, evil overlords and more! </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"> Introducing CIA Agent Rakness, Stan Rakness</span></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA">If you love </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA">adrenalin-rushing</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA"> action...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA">If you love dangerous romance in exotic locations...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA">If you love nail biting suspense...</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA">If you love laughing so hard you draw stares...</span></span></b></div>
<span lang="EN-CA"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Then you'll love Live and Let Fly!</span></b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Still not convinced? Read the excerpt:</b></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Charlie started to close the door behind us, his other hand gripping the handle of his dagger so tightly I could hear the leather wrap on the handle strain, as we listened to the footsteps coming our way, slow, bored. My predator's instincts rose; then I had a great idea. I shook my head at Charlie and winked, and he shuffled out of my way, leaving the door ajar. I settled myself with my back to the door, just inside the shadows and let the script play itself out:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CLUELESS MINION enters Stage Left. He pauses, hearing a noise, but does not report it. Instead, he fondles the stars on his name tag and moves toward the empty hallway, his mind on adding another. (Probably saying, "I was proactive today!")</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CLUELESS pauses at door, hesitating. He stands and, back to the door, reaches for his walkie-talkie.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Suddenly, a well-muscled and gorgeously scaled tail whips out from the crack in the door and wraps itself around his neck. He only has time to grab ineffectively at the tail before he's drawn into the darkness. The door shuts behind him. </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Pan shot of the empty hallway.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">FADE TO BLACK</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I slammed my victim on the floor and pinned him with my forelegs, then I leaned my face in nice and slow, making sure he got a good look at my fangs before he saw my eyes. "Where's the girl?" I growled low and menacingly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Wh-What g-g-girl?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Charlie crouched down by Stutterboy and glanced at his name tag. "Look, Philip, we're in a bit of a hurry. We know Rhoda Dakota's being held captive somewhere nearby. Now you can be a good survivor and tell us where…or you can be dinner."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"I-I don't—" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Phil A. Minion." I mused and drooled a bit for effect. I live for these moments, I really do. I licked his cheek and asked Charlie, "Can I have fries with that?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Why not? This is Idaho."</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Or hear an excerpt:</b></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xTH3bEUZ-bY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Enjoyed that?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>You can buy Live and Let Fly at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/LiveAndLetFly">http://tinyurl.com/LiveAndLetFly</a> or Amazon.
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Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-45634168282787068662012-11-05T19:18:00.002-07:002012-11-05T19:18:58.806-07:00Taking a Sabattical--from KarinaDear Friends,
You all know how much I enjoy writing Vern stories and blogging in my dragon's voice. However, lately, it's been more pressure than joy to write and to keep up this blog. I've decided that the best thing for me to do is take a break from writing I feel obligated to--including blogs--and just concentrate on writing that I want to do, when I want to do it.
I am not quitting writing, just scaling back. 2013 promises to be a BIG year for my family, with one child graduating, two leaving home, Rob retiring, and our moving into our "forever home," wherever that may be. I also want to explore self-publishing (the first of which will be DragonEye novellas). Right now, however, a weekly blog is just pressure instead of fun, so I know I need a break.
Please check <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DragonEyePI?ref=ts&fref=ts">Vern's</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/karina.fabian">my Facebook</a> pages for information. Otherwise, on behalf of Vern, Sister Grace and myself, God bless you and keep you laughing.
KarinaKarina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-51214669108897715162012-10-24T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-24T07:00:16.520-06:00A DragonEye view on Lust and GreedLet me start with the basics of Faerie dragons: We're immortal. We're androgynous. We don't reproduce. We were created at the beginning of time from God's greatest imaginings and have been around ever since. So we have no use for lust.<br />
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Greed, however, is a different matter.<br />
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Of the seven deadly sins, dragons are most prone to greed, wrath, and pride. (Although, to be fair, what you humans call "pride" is really just a natural acknowledgement that we are the superior species on Earth--but that's another post.)<br />
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What's the deal with dragons and greed? We're natural hoarders, like I mentioned in my <a href="http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-apologia-on-dragon-greed.html" target="_blank">Apologia on Dragon Greed</a>. At any rate, I'm not here to psychoanalyze my species. I want to compare lust and greed.<br />
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I've had the unique position of being in human form, with all its accompanying, irritating hormonal consequences, once "helped along" by a curse I still owe a demon a roasting over. So, I've felt lust, and I've got to tell you, it's not all that different from greed. For one, it's a basic emotional desire--object or person, it's still that kind of feeling. At its heart, it's about possession: permanently or until you lose interest, the goal is to own that object or person in some way. It's the same for lusting for power: you want to make it yours.<br />
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Of course, there's a certain biological mechanism involved. If humans weren't attracted to each other, there wouldn't be much "fruitful and multiplying" going on. Since dragons don't procreate, we don't have that mechanism, and thus don't lust. However, as hoarders, we do have the mechanism for collecting, which makes us susceptible to greed. Every species has its weak point. The problem, as I see it, is when you let that biological drive get the better of the spirit God gave you, i.e., your conscience.<br />
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Of course, that also means the remedy is the same for both--a clear conscience guided by perspective and prayer and some proper education in moral values. Works for greed as well as lust.<br />
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Unless, of course, you're a dragon cursed into human form and influenced by enchanted perfume, but that's a story I don't plan on sharing anytime soon.<br />
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<br />Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-37707905790598957732012-10-03T07:00:00.000-06:002012-10-03T07:00:11.988-06:00An Apologia on Dragon GreedI got asked the other day about the dragon hoarding instinct and if it wasn't really just a sin to want to acquire stuff. (Not that I'm getting to do that much in my current situation, mind you, especially since SOME PEOPLE have yet to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Live-Case-Files-DragonEye-ebook/dp/B007Y5TCHG/" target="_blank">purchase my latest adventure, </a><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Live-Case-Files-DragonEye-ebook/dp/B007Y5TCHG/" target="_blank">Live and Let Fly</a>.</b> What's wrong with you? Why are you denying yourself hours of entertainment and me any my writer our piddly royalties?)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMQA0v3TOiwGDctpReW_L2oEQwjN4MPZxAF2QQV6bivRwr6iCRd6Yzf6MBYzvIZ5ms39S6RRsfftJtZWyQpBbWXvyf7XcQc7_ZY70x6llhlkokErmDv1RsvFYuPKt80u5UHzopQmQlPh9/s1600/LiveandLetFly_333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMQA0v3TOiwGDctpReW_L2oEQwjN4MPZxAF2QQV6bivRwr6iCRd6Yzf6MBYzvIZ5ms39S6RRsfftJtZWyQpBbWXvyf7XcQc7_ZY70x6llhlkokErmDv1RsvFYuPKt80u5UHzopQmQlPh9/s320/LiveandLetFly_333x500.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C'mon. You know you want it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What was I talking about again? Oh, yeah. Greed.<br />
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Here's the short of it: Dragons have a hoarding instinct. We are built to want stuff--and not necessarily gold and jewels. That, ironically enough, is a stereotype placed on us by humans. I have a friend, Hrrowrssh, who had a fondness for joints. You know--elbows, knees, hips. He's got a collection stretching to the Paleolithic. He actually had the dwarves carve out a mountain so he could display them. I once spent fifteen years with him, just going through the collection. My favorites were the ones of things he'd eaten himself. My own tastes change. I like relics--or things I suspect will make great relics someday. I'm quite a connoisseur at it, actually. I know a lot of you probably think any old piece of junk becomes a relic if it's old enough, but real relics have history, meaning, and significance. Your singing fish plaque ain't gonna cut it, no matter how many thousands of years it survives.<br />
<br />
Now you can blow off our desire to acquire as simple sin, but it has its uses. For one, where are you going to find a better collection of joints in both universes. (And you can laugh, but the paleontologist of your era have been drooling over my friend's odd habit.) I have object (now priceless) that would have been erased from history by now, some for civilizations long forgotten.<br />
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"Well, what good is that, if you're the only one who has them?" you ask. Three words: Lance of Longinus--and if you don't get the significance, you will once Karina publishes "Greater Treasures." next month, maybe. Suffice to say, some relics should not be left to other species. Dragons know how to hoard, protect...and leave well enough alone. I'll tell you more about the lance some other time.<br />
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For that matter, it's a misconception that dragons greedily hang onto their wealth. We have been known to display certain selections--if the visiting party can keep their paws off it. Think of all the trouble tourists have caused with flash photography, greasy fingerprints, and "no one will miss this pretty rock." We will also redistribute on occasion. I sold an artifact I'd kept for 8000 years to a museum because it completed its collection.<br />
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Dragons have rules, just like humans have rules for gaining wealth. We don't raze villages in order to get a sparkly. However, if that village has come after one of us with the proverbial pitchforks and torches and we raze the village in self-defense, why not grab the sparkly? Hrrowrssh never went around biting the elbows off interesting creatures, but if he certainly took them off his prey. We are always glad to accept gifts, trade, grant favors for items, etc.--dragon commerce. And yes, we have a stash of gold and jewels--but usually that's in case we see something we just have to have.<br />
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<br />Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-66128827347625457842012-09-26T07:00:00.000-06:002012-09-26T07:00:09.384-06:00Dragons are not Inherently EvilOnce again, Karina has gotten into a discussion about dragons and how she should not write the adventures of one because they are creatures of evil.<br />
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This, of course, hearkens back to Revelations, to whit: <br />
<i>Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red <b>dragon</b> with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.<strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+12:3&version=NIV">Revelation 12:3</a></strong></i><br />
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So, naturally, I'd like to draw your attention to Exhibit A:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3JfuJ4Ji5nhXcwXbqIgBt-MSCf0Idr-mJJvWVRgVAtJas9sN6gzqMnCmMaJyP84Se7KOzNCx1nfjc2bsazeNXCd6bPkABctU1PvNFgRkFDZcSDVBHYTNQCg8CPhhzfkIlmEm12niqU4S/s1600/dragnoeye2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3JfuJ4Ji5nhXcwXbqIgBt-MSCf0Idr-mJJvWVRgVAtJas9sN6gzqMnCmMaJyP84Se7KOzNCx1nfjc2bsazeNXCd6bPkABctU1PvNFgRkFDZcSDVBHYTNQCg8CPhhzfkIlmEm12niqU4S/s320/dragnoeye2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Count the heads, please. Thank you.</td></tr>
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But say, you don't buy that. After all a dragon is a dragon, no matter how many heads, right? And if the bible says the dragon is the symbol of evil, then all dragons are evil.<br />
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Well, let's talk serpents, shall we? It wasn't a dragon that tempted Eve, but a serpent, right? And when the Israelites complained against God, what invaded their camp? Serpents. But I see serpents all over this earth. You keep them as pets--even good Christians do. But some are "good snakes," you say?<br />
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So some snakes are good, but all dragons are bad? Speciest, if you ask me.<br />
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Oh, but let's look a little further. When the Israelites were being attacked by the serpents, what did Moses do? Drive them out? No--he took it to God: <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
and <a href="http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=6291">Yahweh</a> replied, 'Make a fiery serpent and raise it as a standard. Anyone who is bitten and looks at it <a href="http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=12332">will</a> survive.'<sup></sup> Moses then made a serpent out of bronze and raised it as
a standard, and anyone who was bitten by a serpent and looked at the
bronze serpent survived. <i>Numbers 21: 8-9</i></blockquote>
So, God used the serpent for His will. <br />
<br />
Hmmm.. that sounds familiar.<br />
<br />
<br />Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-59076747228755801112012-09-19T07:00:00.000-06:002012-09-19T07:00:10.332-06:00What I did in schoolOne of the kids from Church asked me to go to show-and-tell this week. <br />
<br />
The teacher had a fire extinguisher handy. Seriously? I may be from the Middle East, but I have more self-control than that. Anyway, the kids were sufficiently impressed and I used my charm on Mrs. Willoughby, so it turned out all right. The kids asked the usual second grade level of questions--no Mensans there*--and then I invited them to pet me.<br />
<br />
That's why I bother with these things, you know. Who needs a masseuse when you can have 30 little kids give you a good scale rub? and the little hands are perfect for scratching behind my cheek crests. No, I do not thump my leg like a dog. I can, however, be coaxed into a purr. It always ends too soon, but I go home happy and relaxed.<br />
<br />
Stan calls me a sensualist. I just tell him it's a dragon thing. He wouldn't understand.<br />
<br />
*In Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, Vern does show-and tell for the kids of Mensans. That's where he learned his tail spikes are called thagomizer.Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-46763314067899320682012-09-12T07:00:00.000-06:002012-09-12T07:00:03.202-06:00Dragon DreamsKarina recently lent me a book by Larry Correia called Monster Hunter International: Legion. Great book, very diverting, and made me glad I didn't have the problems these guys have had. If you like lots of action with heavy-duty baddies and heavy artillery, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-Legion-Limited-Edition/dp/1451637977" target="_blank">go check it out</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KluGrIMFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KluGrIMFL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I just want to talk about the dragon. (SPOILER ALERT)<br />
<br />
"Management" lives in a cave deep under a ritzy hotel where he is surrounded by gold jewels, fancy cars piled high--and I do mean piled; it's not like he was going to drive them--precious works of art, expensive wines... You name it, he had it, or sold it off when he got bored. He also had super high-tech stuff and owned major stock in companies. (Loved the comments, "Yes, but they are using techonolgy that I own 40 percent of..." etc. Knowledge wasn't even at his clawtips--he had bluetooth and voice commands for that. Oh, this dragon was equipped.<br />
<br />
I know what I want to be when I outlive the St. George's geas!<br />
<br />
I so want to be Management, but even better for me, there's no such thing as PUFF (government bounty for monsters in Correia's books), so I can come and go as I please.<br />
<br />
I'll be dreaming sweet dragon dreams tonight!<br />
<br />
Check out Larry Correia's book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-Legion-Limited-Edition/dp/1451637977">http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-Legion-Limited-Edition/dp/1451637977</a>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-90078171784403381032012-09-05T07:00:00.000-06:002012-09-05T07:00:17.879-06:00Don't Call Me "Momma!"<i><b>Spoiler Alert:</b> If you've not read "Coyote Fires," then go check it out now. <a href="http://coyotefires.karinafabian.com/">http://coyotefires.karinafabian.com</a>. The fundraiser is over, so just enjoy the story before Karina takes it down.</i><br />
<br />
Read it? Good. Then let me make this clear. I hatched that phoenix egg by breathing fire on it. That's it. I'm as much a mother as an incubator is. And labor jokes aside, it was hard and I was tired. So don't go calling me "Momma."<br />
<br />
Incidentally, we made $234, not counting the money made from book sales, which MuseItUp needs to get back with us on. Thanks to all who donated:<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
Margaret Realy </div>
<div align="center">
Christina Weigand</div>
<div align="center">
Tim Ward</div>
<div align="center">
Amanda Borenstadt</div>
<div align="center">
Jeff Bickley</div>
<div align="center">
C.F. Vici</div>
<div align="center">
Charlotte Babb</div>
<div align="center">
Janet Parfitt</div>
<div align="center">
Matthew E H Green</div>
<div align="center">
Christel Sparks</div>
<div align="center">
Lisa Mladinich</div>
<div align="center">
Teresa Schnellmann</div>
<div align="center">
Beth Barany</div>
<div align="center">
Dindy Robinson</div>
<div align="center">
Lea Schizas</div>
<div align="center">
Chris Speakman</div>
<div align="center">
Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz</div>
<div align="center">
Jolynn Oshea-Walker</div>
<div align="center">
Arthur Powers</div>
<div align="center">
Ellen Gable Hrkach</div>
<div align="center">
Michele Graf</div>
Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-62717723556052522112012-08-29T06:59:00.000-06:002012-08-29T06:59:00.174-06:00My Life Isn't All Laughs, You KnowLast week, Karina presented a bit of a tale I'm telling her to her crit group. They loved it--why wouldn't they?--but everyone wondered when the jokes and pratfalls were going to start. They thought it seemed kind of dark.<br />
<br />
That's because it is.<br />
<br />
Is your life always funny? Trust me, mine hasn't been, and in the legendary definition of adventure, I've had a lot of danger and discomfort. However, like to many dangerous and uncomfortable situations, they've also been interesting, so I choose to tell them. Why Karina tends to make these shorter stories and write the funny ones as novellas, I don't know.<br />
<br />
Here's the piece she submitted. She's finishing the story this week.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Dante assigned Judas his own special
place in Hell for betraying his Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was wondering what horrible sin I’d committed to deserve my own unique
inferno.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I slunk my way along the streets of the
Faerie side of Los Lagos, trying to ignore how the glare of neon signs and
pixie flash did nothing to dispel the gloom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A temperature inversion had trapped the noxious fumes of Mundane
technology, shrouding the autumn afternoon in a dismal, dirty gray fog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People had been warned to stay indoors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Mundanes, insular by nature, anyway, were
only too glad to hole up with their televisions and Xboxes, but the Faerie were
still too new to this dimension to give up their social ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The many races that made their homes in this
“brave new world” wouldn’t let a little smog get in the way of their gossip and
shopping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">With my treasure left behind in the
mountains of Caraparavalenciana, I didn’t have the means for shopping—even if
dragons did shop—and I was hoping to avoid any gossip about why the resident
undersized drake was prowling the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, the higher you got, the thicker the air; my nose balked
at the idea of flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept to the
back alleys until I got to my destination, then flapped my way to the second
story of a ramshackle hotel that dared to call itself The Ritz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was putting someone on, that’s for sure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I didn’t care about the digs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d come to visit another Judas in his hell.</span></div>
</blockquote>
Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-61740768997182820902012-08-22T07:00:00.000-06:002012-08-22T07:00:10.178-06:00Me and the Magic Mirror<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="mirror" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/t/ta/tatlin/843113_mirror.jpg" /></div>
<br />
Karina's writing up a case where I got some assist from the Magic Mirror, and she asked me to tell you a little about his backstory.<br />
<br />
I think you probably are familiar with it from Snow White. Stepmother 's magic mirror feeds her vanity until she gets into a jealous rage because Snowy's fairer than she. She orders the huntsman to take the girl into the woods and kill her, but he sends her running, and she meets seven dwarves...yadda yadda.<br />
<br />
The Faerie version is this: Said huntsman takes her to the dwarves for safekeeping while he finds the Bishop to get help. her Mad Majesty, meanwhile, tries to poison Snow White, which didn't really work, since a couple of mages and Yours Truly were there to put a kibash on the idea.Queenie does time, Snowy ascends the throne--after which, she's set up with Prince Charming--or, in this case, Duke Karl Reichfield II, a smart and kind nobleman who wasn't a threat to her throne but helped her rule wisely. Their grandson still rules the tiny kingdom, which is nestled between France and Germany.<br />
<br />
But of course, we confiscated all her evil magical items, and we came across the mirror. Since I, as a dragon, am naturally used to having my ego stroked, I was put in charge of it, and we got to talking. Turns out, Shiny wasn't such a bad sort; he was originally created to share information and truths. He has the ability to see into any mirror (which, incidentally, is how Her Majesty found Snow White, while the maiden was primping after cleaning house). However, he was made with neutral purpose; it wasn't really his fault that the queen was the fairest in the land (within a limited definition of land) nor that Snow White would blossom into womanhood so sweetly and well, fair.<br />
<br />
Still, the Queen fed his ego almost as much as he fed hers. He got used to her attentions, the guilt cleanings, etc. You don't really want to know the details. Fact of the matter was, he saw what was happening to her, but turned a blind eye, so to speak.<br />
<br />
The monks were all for breaking his spell along with the glass, but I saw potential. I dunno; maybe St. George rubbed off on me. Anyway, I argued for clemency, and having wisdom of the ages and all that, made my case. Shiny was locked away in the Vatican vaults until someone could decide on a useful way to redeem himself. I consulted with him once in a while, and then the Gap opened, and my Mundane friend Natura introduced me to self-esteem therapy."<br />
<br />
Now Shiny hangs in a small room in the local charity clinic, where his job is to help others see the good in themselves. His frame has tarnished, but with each goodness he does, it regains a little luster. You'd think this would be an easy, satisfying job. He begs to differ. Apparently, some people don't' want to believe in their own beauty--even when a magic mirror points it out.Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-59849547354002184122012-08-15T07:00:00.000-06:002012-08-15T07:00:15.819-06:00Coyote Fires and Reluctant Dwarves<i>Came across this old interview of Garn, one of the dwarves in Magic, Mensa, and Mayhem adn thought you might enjoy it. Incidentally, we are still holding at $103 in donations o the victims of the Colorado wildfires. You can't tell me you aren't enjoying the story, so what's the deal? Toss them a couple of dollars with the donate button, and I'll finish telling Karina the story. Don't forget, too, that we're donating all our profits from the e-book sales, and donations of $25 get a free copy of Magic, Mensa, and Mayhem. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1510480840">h</a></i><a href="ttp://coyotefires.karinafabian.com"><i>ttp://coyotefires.karinafabian.com</i></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Can
you tell us your name and the title of the book you live in?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
(Muttering to himself: I can't
believe Kent talked me into this...) I'm Garn, and I'm a dwarf and one of the
conspirators in the DragonEye, PI, novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Magic,
Mensa and Mayhem.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Describe
to our readers what your role in the book is. </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I think I'll pass actually. Vern
has told me about your Mundane concept of "spoilers" and has told me
what he'll do to me if I provide any.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">How
did you convince your author to put you in this book?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, did you visit a dream or
make yourself known some other way?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I don't really know what you mean
by that. I didn't ask to be put in this book. I'd rather have not been
mentioned at all, but I do have a key role in the whole case, so she couldn't
have left me out, I suppose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Would
you tell us about one of your favorite friends from this book?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I guess that would be Kent, my
traveling companion for the convention. We'd actually just met before the trip.
Don’t tell him, but at first, I was kind of excited to have him for a roommate.
I'd heard a lot about his performance as Graf Goldhacker in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Day the Mine Ran Dry</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dwarf Entertainer</i> gave it three
diamonds. Anyway, he turned out to be quite shale--er, Mundanes would say,
"a flake"?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thought he could
dress like that Gimli character and roam the streets of BillyBeaver's
Fantasyland spouting off lines get himself "discovered."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Still, got a heart of gold, he
does. And he did eventually break into Mundane television. He was supposed to
get a role on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Atlantis</i> until they
canceled the show. Now he's got a role as the assassin in the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Live and Let Fly</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Do you
plan on appearing in another book or are you happy to be where you are?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I think I'm done with adventuring,
intrigue and getting on Vern's bad side. I've got my Faeriemet mine here in
Faerie Australia and I'm happy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">What
would you like our readers to know about you?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Only that I'm sorry the Mundane
world got involved in what should have been Faerie scheming. It was a cultural
misunderstanding, really.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Did you
learn anything during your adventure in this book?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
(Growling) My ancestors were right:
never trust an Elf.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="8" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Can
you tell us what you think is the most exciting thing that happened to you
in your book?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
As in fear-for-my-life exciting?
Probably the trip to Florida. On that abomination of a transport.
Airships!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dwarves were meant to be
underground, not in the air!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="9" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Is
there anything in your story you wish you had not done? Why?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I should have been more casual
about my pickax. I realize now my possessiveness drew attention to it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="10" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">What
was your main motivation? </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
What every dwarf's motivation
should be: a mine to call his own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="11" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Introduce
us to your main adversary?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Galendor. Uppity, politicizing,
better-than-Elvish High Elf. If he hadn't set those--sorry. Spoilers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="12" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Is
there anything you would like to have done but your author stopped you?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I don't understand the question.
She wasn't there. She just wrote down the story as Vern told it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now what I would have liked to have done, but
Vern stopped me, was take my pickax to Galendor's family jewels.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="13" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Here’s
your chance to speak your mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do you want to tell everybody?</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
If yer looking for the best
Faeriemet in two universes, you'll find it at Garn's of the Outback. High
quality, reasonable rates.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Oh, and I don't have any hard
feelings toward Vern or Grace. They were just doing their jobs--and they made
Gozon fulfill his part of the agreement and give me the mine he promised. Spent
two days of talking him into it, too. That's actually pretty fast for a High
Elf, amazingly fast considering it was Gozon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-75067703103412961972012-07-25T15:49:00.002-06:002012-07-25T15:49:49.973-06:00Vern talks about CoyoteSince Coyote was responsible for the fires in "Coyote Fires,"
directly or indirectly, depending on your point of view, Karina wants me
to tell you a little about him from my point of view:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin-bottom: 24.0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 2.0gd;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here's what I wrote about him in <a href="http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/p/magic-mensa-and-mayhem.html" target="_blank"><b>Magic, Mensa and Mayhem</b></a>: Yes, the Native American Trickster is
an actual Faerie demigod and he's everything the Mundane legends claim and
more. Unfortunately. Coyote changes form, just like in the legend. He can be an
old grandmother or he can make Fabio look like a plain Jane. His animal form is
usually a coyote, but he can be other animals. Pretty much whatever brings the
most enjoyment to him and the most pain to sensible beings (especially PIs who
have to bail out the world from his tricks.) </span></div>
<div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin-bottom: 24.0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 2.0gd;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Of
course, he didn't get named "Coyote" for nothing, and even in his human
form, he can't escape his animal self. Call them attributes,
instincts, or bad habits--regardless, they include things like
scratching for fleas, peeing on things, and sticking his head out the
window on car rides. He does the puppy-dog-eyes schtick very well.
Don't be fooled. He's inevitably more trouble than he's worth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin-bottom: 24.0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 2.0gd;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Incidentally, he has a thing for females, and isn’t too picky as long as
they are of mating age. Thanks to Sister
Grace, however, he stays away from religious sisters. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(I must admit, though, I’m curious about the
mange—or better yet, the pattern to his male pattern baldness should he get out
of hand. Leave it to Grace to attack him
where it would hurt most—his vanity!) </span></div>
<div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin-bottom: 24.0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 2.0gd;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">He
got Grace into a lot of trouble in "Coyote Fires." In fact, he put the
whole of Los Lagos County in danger--and guess what drake had to get
everyone out of it? The worst of it is, he's taking credit! To this
day, he's still bragging about how he--</span></div>
<div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin-bottom: 24.0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 2.0gd;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>oops!
Vern's heading into spoilers! If you're interested in learning more
about Coyote and finding out what happened to Los Lagos, check out h<a href="ttp://coyotefires.karinafabian.com">ttp://coyotefires.karinafabian.com</a>.
Remember--the story is free, but I am doing it as a fundraiser to help
the victims of the Colorado wildfires. If you can spare a few dollars,
please donate. We are stuck at Episode Four at the moment; I'm asking
for $10 cumulative donations for each episode, so ask your friends and
spread the word on FB, Twitter, and other places!</i> </span></div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-10655813587766951092012-07-11T07:00:00.000-06:002012-07-11T07:00:19.361-06:00"Coyote Fires" fundraider story for Colorado fires victims<div style="font-family: inherit;">
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Since we now live in Los Lagos, Colorado, we've been watching the Wasatch Canyon fires with interest. We're not anywhere near them, but it has been a pretty intense show. A lot of people are shocked and worried. Me, I have a longer perspective. Lot of dead dry trees in the area have been cleared out. The forest will regrow. It happens.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Doesn't mean I don't care about the people who have lost their homes and property. Believe me, having been rousted from my home by St. George and forced to leave my treasure behind, I do understand loss. I'm lucky; I'll get all that back eventually. These people have to start again.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbanTWKpxlKy1gUfNf9VKpJDp5fiSYH_ylIVNDSR_XoOOsQH97uJnnV4NlyS-ajwBPK0ol5S1xBbIvnPwYwahZx95xFXFPPrkd76r1W-qI0yRbjo7AwNzgFtZ_iCaJd4fa9FUDLUO-kgm/s1600/perfect10_200X300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbanTWKpxlKy1gUfNf9VKpJDp5fiSYH_ylIVNDSR_XoOOsQH97uJnnV4NlyS-ajwBPK0ol5S1xBbIvnPwYwahZx95xFXFPPrkd76r1W-qI0yRbjo7AwNzgFtZ_iCaJd4fa9FUDLUO-kgm/s200/perfect10_200X300.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46UNVfrKCZ3H7sYjBg-KNSTihsfxl5c2iZZSFweSlyZaODM82a-HpqES_QACjKWPkl3mFSZFUe3m-GyvhWZ-gZ2eFm_0ZE75sjky0oWJXovyM0jQiynmpk7RRugQXK47YbVOVnG6ezm4B/s1600/LiveandLetFly_200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46UNVfrKCZ3H7sYjBg-KNSTihsfxl5c2iZZSFweSlyZaODM82a-HpqES_QACjKWPkl3mFSZFUe3m-GyvhWZ-gZ2eFm_0ZE75sjky0oWJXovyM0jQiynmpk7RRugQXK47YbVOVnG6ezm4B/s200/LiveandLetFly_200x300.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">We'd like to do a little to help, so I shared another story with Karina Fabian to use as a serial story fundraiser. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Go to <a href="http://coyotefires.karinafabian.com/">http://coyotefires.karinafabian.com</a>
and read the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you like it (and
I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t), show your appreciation by donating to the
American Red Cross through the link on the sidebar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karina is tracking the payments and will
donate them September 1<sup>st</sup>.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">In addition, MuseItUp is donating the profits from the sales of "Perfect Ten" and <b>Live and Let Fly</b> between now and Aug 31. You can find the links on the Coyote Fires story or at http://museituppublishing.com.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Last time, we raised around $450 for Food for the Poor. I'd like to see us better that. Please check out the story and encourage your friends to do the same. Also, get the books for your friends if not yourself.</span></div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-45722253710737884722012-06-27T07:00:00.001-06:002012-06-27T07:00:05.473-06:00Five Random Questions for VernThis is from an interview with Sally Franklin Christie on her blog, <a href="http://sallyfranklinchristie.com/wp/">http://sallyfranklinchristie.com/wp/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
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1. If God appeared to you in a series of vivid and moving dreams and told you to leave everything behind, travel alone to the Red Sea and become a fisherman, what would you do?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Are you kidding? Caraparavalenciana is right by the Red Sea. I’d be going home!</div>
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<br /></div>
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2. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most people’s?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Dragons are androgynous, created at the beginning of time and immortal, so we don’t have families like most species think of them. My “family” is a drove of dragons. We would meet every couple centuries or so, hunt together, dance, fight (sometimes, they’re the same thing), and gripe about the humans. I didn’t have a childhood; or I’m still in it; or I’m merely choosing to have one. Depends on who you talk to and how much I’m enjoying my day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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3. Does the fact that you’ve not done something before increase or decrease its appeal to you?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Increase, definitely. Being immortal gives you a taste for novelty…and plenty of time to learn from mistakes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Do you feel you have much impact on the lives of people you come into contact with?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have saved both the Faerie and Mundane worlds so often, I’ve developed a pay scale for it. (Not that Grace always lets me extort that kind of money.) So, yeah. Big impact. Colossal impact. But I’m a dragon. Did you expect anything less?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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5. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one unique ability or quality, what would it be?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chew gum. I tried it once, but I had to use six entire packs and then it stuck to my teeth. You can only imagine the time I had trying to get a dentist to clean them.</div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-14260610322527681972012-06-20T07:00:00.000-06:002012-06-20T07:00:20.933-06:00An interview with Vern concerning foodFirst appeared in Jaleta Clegg's blog, Far Edge of Normal (<a href="http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/">http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoPlainText"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hi, Vern. I hear you are quite the private investigator. What case was your favorite? (plug his books here if you want)</span></b></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My favorite?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about the ones where I’m not hurt, embarrassed, or lose something valuable—and I get well paid in the end?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*sigh* Those, unfortunately, don’t make interesting reading.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Karina chose to write one of the most embarrassing, annoying cases for her first DragonEye, PI novel. We were “volunteered” to babysit a bunch of Faerie at a Mensa convention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, it was a convention; we didn’t expect the all the Magicals to behave, but to declare war on Florida?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Magic, Mensa, and Mayhem</i> won the 2010 INDIE award for best fantasy, so apparently, you Mundanes enjoy reading about me being annoyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thus encouraged, Karina has novelized the case where we take on a Norse goddess who wants to destroy the world—your world—in hopes it will get her husband out of Helheim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(It’s a Norse thing.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually had a lot of fun on this case, which almost made up for iron poisoning, nearly being eaten by a giant board game, and getting shrunk to the size of a Great Dane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Live and Let Fly</i> comes out in April from MuseItUp. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Does being large, red, scaly, and a dragon help or do you find people are prejudiced against dragons?</span></b></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I am a superior species, top of the food chain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I command respect from all sentients (intellectually challenged knights notwithstanding).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, that was in Faerie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, in the Mundane, I spent the first few years just trying to convince people that I had not eaten their cats, did not need rabies shots, and, yes, I was better “housetrained” than aforementioned intellectually challenged knights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things are better now, but I’d just like to mention that the government still refuses to consider dragons as “persons,” and I still cannot get a green card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Coyote the Trickster God has a green card, and I cannot get one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where is the justice in that?</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I've heard rumors that dragons eat virgins. Is that still true or are you enlightened now?</span></b></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The only enlightentment needed is for the humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s do the math:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two-ton omnivore…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>125-pound adrenalin-filled waif dripping tears and snot? Or 1200-pound dairy cow, milk included? Honestly, virgin meals are kind of like French Haute Cuisine—looks good, not exactly filling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, dealing with the heroes was a pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give me a nice juicy bovine instead.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I was just starting to get the humans in my territory trained up to this fact when St. George decided to use me in God’s ineffable plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I will say about the Mundane world: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when you get a take-out order wrong, you usually apologize and offer a discount on the next meal.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What about Hostess products? At our house, we call them politically correct virgins because they're untouched by human hands.</span></b></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">*snort*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I’d probably get in trouble if I used that phrase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a dragon mentions virgins, people automatically get the wrong idea.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I don’t like chocolate, and the individual wrappings are a lot of work for what’s, to me, a tiny reward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d rather pry a knight out of his armor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when I was bored and truly desperate for food, I did come across an entire gross of Twinkies in the back of my lair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The lair is an old warehouse of some crazy packrat who upon death, donated it complete with contents to the local parish, who sold it to me.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent two days just opening plastic wrap and eating Twinkies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next day and a half, I pretty much slept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much sugar, even for my metabolism.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Are you into health food? What would constitute a good meal for a dragon? </span></b></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After the Great Twinkie Feast, I’ve been a little more careful about what (or at least how much) Mundane food I put in my gullet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having said that, I thoroughly enjoy the variety of cuisine I’ve found in Los Lagos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Natura, who owns a restaurant that does theme buffets, is always good for giving me the leftovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love Indian nights!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, nothing beats Rosa’s chili.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She always adds extra Bhut Jolokia pepper sauce for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Closest thing to breathing fire you can get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-50667665117517444462012-06-13T07:00:00.001-06:002012-06-13T07:00:19.545-06:00What the characters were doing between Magic, Mensa and Mayhem and Live and Let Fly<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came home from Florida to discover the roof had a leak.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SISTER GRACE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aye, that bad, but more importantly, we spent the next several months working with the US government and the Elvish tribes over the problem with scanatine-flavored drinks.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could have done it in two weeks if we'd just let the elves drink some.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grace:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vern!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just saying there are times when a hyped-up brain and an accelerated time sense could come in handy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent a lot of time doing work we didn't get paid for--work that could have fixed the hole in the roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found all kinds of drips after that hailstorm in September…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HEATHER HASKEL (aka RHODA DAKOTA):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>September!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's when I got my first letter from Charlie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did it take you so long to write, honey-bunchkins?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">CHARLIE WILMOT:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My love, a big music star like you, interested in a herald from a small duchy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was too much to hope for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the duchess hadn't pushed me, I hate to think--</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HEATHER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might never have met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm going to thank her again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…and all my bedding got soaked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Took forever to dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of it got ruined…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SISTER GRACE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a difficult winter, but at least it kept the Despredatores at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things were rather peaceful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is bad for business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn't get the loan for the roof.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HEATHER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stan, what about you?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">RAKNESS, STAN RAKNESS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Classified.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SISTER GRACE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The parish came and helped us fix it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a wonderful Christmas present.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah--out in 30-degree weather, breathing fire on the roof like some kind of draconian welding torch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention that I'm a warm-climate dragon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bad enough we had to deal with the snow--</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">CHARLIE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you wrote that song for me at Christmas--and it made #1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in heaven for a week because you'd said you loved me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HEATHER: (giggle) It was the only way I could; my parents were so worried about us, even if we hadn't met yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that Valentine's Day--</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">CHARLIE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best day of my life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SISTER GRACE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the Christian Brothers bought that lot in Territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It'll be good to have a Catholic school there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially with that Real Humans gang in town now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sigh)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They're going to be trouble, 'tis a fact.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">RAKNESS, STAN RAKNESS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I can neither confirm nor deny I was in the country…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come March, that windstorm blew off the repairs and I had to go flying after it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HEATHER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's when I signed the contract for Live and Let Fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so excited, but the best part was being in Los Lagos, nearer my Charlie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then that paparazzi caught us kissing and we went public with our courtship!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">CHARLIE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One moment of indiscretion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't regret it at all.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SISTER GRACE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Gloria was asking about what cases we handled over the past couple of years.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">RAKNESS, STAN RAKNESS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I told you, I'd have to kill you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>National security, you know.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did we do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just remember battling the drips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of drips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SISTER GRACE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the roof had deteriorated.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">VERN:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, the drips in the roof, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was one good thing that came out of Live and Let Fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a new roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love that roof.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SISTER GRACE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aye, me, too.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-19471133516804651372012-06-06T07:00:00.001-06:002012-06-06T07:00:18.009-06:00An Apologia on Extortion, An Acceptable Dragon Practice<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">There are some people who will read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Live and Let Fly</i> and may come to the conclusion that I’m selfish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, the world was in peril, bad guys were on the loose, and I was holding out for a bonus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">big</i> bonus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, all I can say is, those people are right—if I were human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">But let’s face it; dragons have different standards.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before I start, let me define apologia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a defense of one’s opinions or actions.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not an apology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not the least sorry for holding back information from my temporary employers while some evil overlord no doubt moved forward on her diabolical scheme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will, however, be glad to explain why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s the scene in question:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Mordash just leaned forward, his hand out, his eyes glinting. "I'll have our people analyze these—"</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Grace started to hand him the files.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I set my large paw between them. "Not so fast. There's one very important detail we're missing," I said. I pulled out of my pocket one of the most important tools in the private investigator's repertoire.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The receipt book.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"What're you doing?" Mustache Mordash asked as I took out my small inkpot, opened the lid and dipped my writing claw into it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"Our rescue was strictly an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">independent operation</i>, remember?" I tossed Rakness a dark look but spoke reasonably enough. "So any information we might have acquired on said operation would be our own—"</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"You mean to sell this information to us? I thought we were trying to protect this country; both our worlds, for that matter. What kind of patriot are you?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I looked at him like he was a stupid mortal and didn't mention that I wasn't a citizen of the United States—or any nation, come to think of it. "Funny thing about saving the world," I mused. "It always manages to get un-saved. Kind of wrecks the job satisfaction factor. Philanthropy, though... Grace, how much did the Christian Brothers say they needed to start that school in Territory?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Grace's eyes lit up. "Well, seven hundred fifty thousand, but the diocese and FlintCorp are contributing."</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"Right. Some kind of matching funds deal." Even though I had already done the calculations in my head, I wrote them down. Dramatic effect. Very important.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Mustache blanched. "Are you out of your minds? You said yourself the forces of evil could be rising—"</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"Exactly. Which is why a morally-based education for the underprivileged youth is so important. Now if we consider operating expenses for the first year..."</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Mustache glowered. "And if the information you 'hypothetically acquired' is useless?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"Then I'll be glad to negotiate a discount the next time you hand us a mission and some commercially available tech toys and abandon us at twenty thousand feet." I ripped off the top copy with a flourish and handed it to Mustache. He looked from my hand to Grace's, but she'd already returned the thumb drives to her sleeve pockets. He snatched the bill out of my claw.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"Let me make some calls," he growled. He spun his chair around, dismissing us.</span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">#1. Dragons are immortal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tend to have a long-term view of things, having seen the extinction of the dinosaurs (known as The End of the Biggie Sized Meal, as far as I was concerned), and the rise and fall of empires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if I hadn’t succeeded, things would have been chaos for awhile, but hey, the world recovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Been there, seen that.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">#2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dragons are confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was on the case—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i>, Vern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I defeated Quetzalcoatl when I was barely the size of a Labrador, and without any help from secret government agencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I hadn’t given them the information, I still knew it, and they could have just followed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Might have been easier, come to think of it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">#3<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dragons are treasure seekers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to St. George, I don’t get to enjoy treasure anymore, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I life in a dump of a warehouse on the bad side of Los Lagos, Colorado, with (at the time) a leaky roof and no hoard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since raiding museums and banks is frowned upon, I get my jollies where I can.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">#4 The money went to a good cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school I helped fund with BILE’s money is almost finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t collect treasure, so I go for good deeds, nowadays.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">#5<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ticked off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not the best of reasons, but angry dragons are dangerous; better to get my satisfaction by extorting some extra cash from my employer than to flame his desk, don’t you agree?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Incidentally, I didn’t want to do this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got my hands full training up an apprentice superhero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I held out until Karina offered me a half a lamb to do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bribery, or simple payment for services?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Decide what you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got a veal lunch waiting.</div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-7725249904587557082012-05-30T07:00:00.000-06:002012-05-30T07:00:15.728-06:00Story Time! Karina reads form Live and Let Fly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xTH3bEUZ-bY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Enjoyed that? You can buy Live and Let Fly at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/LiveAndLetFly">http://tinyurl.com/LiveAndLetFly</a> or Amazon.Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-34337369677631832432012-05-23T07:00:00.000-06:002012-05-23T07:41:13.683-06:00Vern Takes on a Jehovah WitnessThis happened to me in my second year in the Mundane world, when I was still getting annoying comments like, "Are you sure that...creature...didn't eat my cat?" and parents who either protected their daughters from me, or just watched closely to see if I was interested. Folks didn't know me well, and there were times I used that to my advantage.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://the-dragon.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Dragons-Bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://the-dragon.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Dragons-Bible.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..and it wasn't even Halloween</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was at my friend Rosa's house. Rosa and her family were some of my first friends. They believed Father when he said I wasn't the spawn of the devil, and I helped them out with a few things. And Rosa fed me chili. Before I got my fire back, it was as close to firebreathing as I could get.<br />
<br />
One afternoon as the chili pot was going and I was again explaining to the toddler that I am not a scaled pony for her pleasure, the doorbell rang. JJ, the eldest peeked out the window.<br />
<br />
"Mami!" JJ called, "It's the Jethova witnesses."<br />
<br />
If there's anything worse than a telemarketer interrupting dinner, it's a Jehovah Witness interrupting the cooking--especially when it's my dinner that's cooking. I told Rosa to let me handle it, pulled myself to full height at the door and let JJ open it.<br />
<br />
They didn't even let the door open before they started their spiel. "My friend, have you heard the Good--erk!"<br />
<br />
Yeah, crimson and black scaled, fangs, 20-foot wing span. So what if I was a fourth of my regular size? I still had it.<br />
<br />
<br />
"Oh, look. Delivery." I added just a hint of menace to go with the drool. I live for these moments, I really do.<br />
<br />
They were out of the yard and down the block before their Watchtower hit the porch.Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-2201683245134902332012-05-16T07:00:00.000-06:002012-05-16T07:00:01.762-06:00Vern takes some personality testsOne of the Costa kids is doing a project and asked a bunch of us to take some personality tests to see how close the computer comes to the real image. In particular, Matthew has asked some of us Faerie.
Here's my results from The World's Shortest Personality Quiz:
<br />
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 350px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 14pt;">
<b>Your Personality Profile</b>
</span></td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="100" src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/worldsshortestpersonalitytest/red.jpg" width="100" /></center>
<span style="color: black;">
You are sexy, powerful, and bold.<br />
You're full of passion and energy...<br />
Sometimes this passion has a dark side.<br />
<br />
You feel most alive when you're seducing someone.<br />
You never fail to get someone's attention.<br />
Quick minded, you're also quick to lose your temper!
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.blogthings.com/worldsshortestpersonalitytest/">The World's Shortest Personality Test</a></div>
"Sexy," huh? Interesting result for an androgynous creature.
My temperament: (Note that I did not answer one of the questions.)
<br />
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 350px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 14pt;">
<b>You Have a Melancholic Temperament</b>
</span></td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="100" src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/whattempermentareyouquiz/melancholic.jpg" width="100" /></center>
<span style="color: black;">
Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.<br />
You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.<br />
You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you.<br />
<br />
Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace.<br />
You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life.<br />
Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times.<br />
<br />
At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.<br />
You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.<br />
You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whattempermentareyouquiz/">What Temperment Are You?</a></div>
Myers-Briggs has me here:
<br />
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 350px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 14pt;">
<b>You Are An INTP</b>
</span></td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="100" src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/intp.jpg" width="100" /></center>
<span style="color: black;">
The Thinker<br />
<br />
You are analytical and logical - and on a quest to learn everything you can.<br />
Smart and complex, you always love a new intellectual challenge.<br />
Your biggest pet peeve is people who slow you down with trivial chit chat.<br />
A quiet maverick, you tend to ignore rules and authority whenever you feel like it.<br />
<br />
In love, you are an easy person to fall for. But not an easy person to stay in love with.<br />
Although you are quite flexible, you often come off as aloof or argumentative.<br />
<br />
At work, you are both a logical and creative thinker. You are great at solving problems.<br />
You would make an excellent mathematician, programmer, or professor.<br />
<br />
How you see yourself: Creative, fair, and tough-minded<br />
<br />
When other people don't get you, they see you as: arrogant, cold, and robotic
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/">What's Your Personality Type?</a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of
course, if this were a short answer test, here's what I'd say:</span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You tend to:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="one" type="radio" value="2" />Act first -
then think about what you did</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="one" type="radio" value="1" />Think first
and then act</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">I think so fast, there's not much difference. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It's Friday night and your friend just canceled on you.
You:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="two" type="radio" value="2" />Spend
some quiet time alone instead</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="two" type="radio" value="1" />Find new
friends to hang out with</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You are more likely to say that:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="three" type="radio" value="1" />Other
people motivate and inspire you</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="three" type="radio" value="2" />You tend to
find your motivation an inspiration from within</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I AM inspiration.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></li>
</ul>
</ol>
<ol start="4" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You prefer to interact:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="four" type="radio" value="2" />In all sorts
of social situations</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="four" type="radio" value="1" />In one-on-one
situations</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Doesn't matter as long as we all realize who's on top
of the food chain here.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You are:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="five" type="radio" value="1" />Hard to read</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="five" type="radio" value="2" />Easy to get
to know</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Beyond human understanding, really, but I'll come down
to your level.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You have:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="six" type="radio" value="1" />A ton of
friends, aquaintances, and people you know</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="six" type="radio" value="2" />A few
people who are very dear to you</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What would make you more nervous?</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="seven" type="radio" value="2" />A one on
one job interview</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="seven" type="radio" value="1" />A group job
interview</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I don't get nervous.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You ideal Saturday night is:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="eight" type="radio" value="2" />Stimulating</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="eight" type="radio" value="1" />Peaceful--"Stimulating" usually means trouble and annoyance, in my experience</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Your friend is annoying you. You:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="nine" type="radio" value="1" /><span style="color: #990000;">Let
them know--sometimes with my teeth.</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="nine" type="radio" value="2" />Keep it to
yourself</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At a party you:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="ten" type="radio" value="2" />Approach a
group of strangers</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="ten" type="radio" value="1" />Wait to be
approached</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Depends on my mission.
Ideally, you should come to me; but human fear necessitates my
approaching you </span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You think more about:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="eleven" type="radio" value="1" />The
present</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="eleven" type="radio" value="2" />The future</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What I have to do in the present to work off the geas
of St. George so I can enjoy my future.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When faced with a problem, what do you use to solve it?</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twelve" type="radio" value="1" />Creativity
and new ideas</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twelve" type="radio" value="2" />Common
sense and a step by step approach</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Dragon intelligence, which is common to my kind but
creative to yours.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You are more likely to remember:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirteen" type="radio" value="2" />Someone's
face</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirteen" type="radio" value="1" />Someone's
name</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Someone's smell.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You would describe your style as:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="fourteen" type="radio" value="2" /><span style="color: #990000;">Matter
of fact</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="fourteen" type="radio" value="1" />Enthusiastic</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When deciding on something important, you:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="fifteen" type="radio" value="1" />Look at
every fact possible</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="fifteen" type="radio" value="2" />Go with
your gut</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I'm a dragon--I already have the wisdom of the ages,
knowedge of eternity. I already know the facts.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You rather work on something that is:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="sixteen" type="radio" value="2" />Familiar
and tested</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="sixteen" type="radio" value="1" /><span style="color: #990000;">Novel
and new--when you're immortal, you value novelty</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The best way to get something done is through:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="seventeen" type="radio" value="1" />Inspiration</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="seventeen" type="radio" value="2" />Hard
work</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Both. Stupid question</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You would rather study</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="eighteen" type="radio" value="1" />How
something is put together</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="eighteen" type="radio" value="2" />A new
philosophy or religion</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Anything.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When explaining something difficult to understand, you:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="nineteen" type="radio" value="2" />Give as
many details as possible</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="nineteen" type="radio" value="1" />Use
metaphors and analogies</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Depends on the person and the species.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Driving home from work or school, you:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twenty" type="radio" value="2" />Vary your
route, just for fun</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twenty" type="radio" value="1" />Almost
always take the same route</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Can you imagine me driving?</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Your decisions are more likely to be rooted in:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyone" type="radio" value="2" />Emotions
and feelings</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyone" type="radio" value="1" />Facts
and logic</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">What's in it for me. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You would rather be:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentytwo" type="radio" value="2" />A
lawyer</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentytwo" type="radio" value="1" />A
teacher</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A predator</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When making a decision in a group, you:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentythree" type="radio" value="1" /><span style="color: #990000;">Are
able to reach a decision without consulting others--like I need to
consult others</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentythree" type="radio" value="2" />Prefer
to decide on something everyone is comfortable with</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You think conflict is:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyfour" type="radio" value="2" />Hard
for you to deal with</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyfour" type="radio" value="1" />A
normal part of relationships</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What happens in the moments before I eat the person
annoying me</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In an argument, someone can win you over if they
present their case:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="twentyfive" type="radio" value="1" />Reasonably</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyfive" type="radio" value="2" />Sincerely</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When it comes to people's birthdays, you:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentysix" type="radio" value="1" />Always
forget them</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentysix" type="radio" value="2" />Remember
and celebrate them</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wonder what the big deal is</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You tend to:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyseven" type="radio" value="2" />Hold
people to high standards</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyseven" type="radio" value="1" />Give
people the benefit of the doubt</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wonder how they taste</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You would rather be:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyeight" type="radio" value="2" />Accomplished</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentyeight" type="radio" value="1" />Appreciated</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Left alone</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Two of your close friends are fighting. You would
approach each of them:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="twentynine" type="radio" value="1" /><span style="color: #990000;">Truthfully</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="twentynine" type="radio" value="2" />Diplomatically</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What do you value more?</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="thirty" type="radio" value="2" />Logic,
justice and fairness</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirty" type="radio" value="1" />Empathy,
harmony and forgiving</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You have a big trip coming up. You:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyone" type="radio" value="1" />Take
several days to prepare and pack</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyone" type="radio" value="2" />Do
everything at the last minute</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Like I need to pack</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You are the type of person who:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtytwo" type="radio" value="1" />Has a
gazillion windows open on your computer</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtytwo" type="radio" value="2" />Tends
to focus on one task at a time</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Since the dragon brain is wired differently, I can do
both.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You've got a big project for work coming up. You:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtythree" type="radio" value="2" />Get
it done whenever you feel like it</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtythree" type="radio" value="1" /><span style="color: #990000;">Get
it done as soon as possible--or people die</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyfour" type="radio" value="2" />Think
every decision out carefully</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyfour" type="radio" value="1" /><span style="color: #990000;">Make
decisions on the fly--because I can</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Do you prefer:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyfive" type="radio" value="1" />Rules
and structure</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyfive" type="radio" value="2" />Breaking
all the rules</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Rules? Dragon's
don't need no stinkin' rules.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If someone's in charge:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="thirtysix" type="radio" value="2" /><span style="color: #990000;">Whatever.
You don't care.--unless they have something I want</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtysix" type="radio" value="1" />You
tend to listen to them.</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When it comes down to it, life is:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyseven" type="radio" value="1" />Very
complicated</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input checked="checked" name="thirtyseven" type="radio" value="2" /><span style="color: #990000;">Very
simple</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You tend to:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyeight" type="radio" value="1" />Adapt
well to change</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtyeight" type="radio" value="2" />Resist
change</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Am stuck with change thanks to St. George</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Your desk is:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtynine" type="radio" value="2" />A
total mess</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="thirtynine" type="radio" value="1" />Organized</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Not for you to judge. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In your opinion, the best parties and dates are:</span></li>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="forty" type="radio" value="2" />Spontaneous</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><input name="forty" type="radio" value="1" />Planned</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Done by others</span></li>
</ul>
</ol>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-32551933133518684242012-05-08T07:00:00.000-06:002012-05-08T07:00:03.406-06:00The Next DragonEye, PI Magazine is out!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLofRO8oclavw6_IgJk4SVoFnqtE131T3MMfHbTt6AIGlSeNZxyO9BaxlXdZii5iSQTbzmlQf6idTCTS2bvgt0jQId_PGDJuLBk-yxxzJdJ1G1lXo3_njWku1rB8k4QH9C2IdN5_5sXxW/s1600/devicon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLofRO8oclavw6_IgJk4SVoFnqtE131T3MMfHbTt6AIGlSeNZxyO9BaxlXdZii5iSQTbzmlQf6idTCTS2bvgt0jQId_PGDJuLBk-yxxzJdJ1G1lXo3_njWku1rB8k4QH9C2IdN5_5sXxW/s1600/devicon.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In this issue:<br />
<br />
* An Interview with a Dragon<br />
* The Next Chapter of Magic, Mensa, and Mayhem Continues<br />
* A DragonEye, PI novel and a new story! <br />
<br />
* Faerie Facts: Interdimnet<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.myebook.com/ebook_viewer.php?ebookId=125753" target="_blank">Click here to see it.</a>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-1189564335804789272012-05-01T07:00:00.000-06:002012-05-01T12:07:08.513-06:00Scavenger HuntLast contest of the <b>Live and Let Fly Book</b> Tour! This one is for the big prize--two free books, and a bunch of other fun stuff. You'll need to have read the book or check out these fun stops on the <b>Live and Let Fly</b> book tour! Fill out the survey between now and may 25th!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div id="surveyMonkeyInfo"><div><script src="http://www.surveymonkey.com/jsEmbed.aspx?sm=y4TK_2ffY6CVmXF446bumy9Q_3d_3d"> </script></div>Create your <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/">free online surveys</a> with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.</div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-42454841771139614942012-04-22T07:00:00.003-06:002012-04-22T07:00:25.392-06:00World Gathering, Episode 19: It's a Wrap--Load up the Bus!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:DoNotShowComments/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I sat in the front portico of the hotel and watched as Grace got everyone loaded. Like any conventioneer, the Faerie were tired but happy and a little wistful that the World Gathering had ended. I could see the bags looked heavier--probably full of plastic drek from Fantasyland. A few folks wore T-shirts; I didn't think they made them in pixie size. Theirs all bore Tinkerbell striking a most unchildish pose. I snorted. Figures.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I spied Siegfried by a pillar getting one last kiss from his Nordic lady. Meanwhile, Cambridge Ramada was giving Brunhilde a small leather case. I heard her exclaim, "My own pedicure set!" and she enveloped him in a hug, squashing his face in her ample bosom. I don't think he minded until he started suffocating. She released him with a hasty, "Oh, sorry, ja?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Galinda and Galendor exited the hotel and came over to see me. Galinda gave me a hug. Galendor was more stand-offish. Neither he nor Gozon was pleased that we had not only confiscated the found bull, but convinced the brownies that its proper place was with the Faerie Vatican until the House Eternal Winds started playing nice. I figure another fifteen or twenty years of negotiations, and all will be well again. That's a flash in the pan to an Elf, but it doesn't mean they have to like it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fine by me; I wasn't especially interested in getting hugged by an Elf, anyway. I seldom got hugged before St. George's spell; even now, I don't especially appreciate being treated like a large plushy. Not my image, if you know what I mean. I'd make an exception for a Faerie Princess--but her Consort Elf? Even I get to have standards.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It seems we again owe you a debt of gratitude; isn't that right, Galendor?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did I detect an archness in her voice? She'd come a long way since she was a damsel in distress needing my rescue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Galendor nodded. "My beloved speaks truly, for verily, were it not for you, O Great and Wise Dragon who once flew the fields of Caraparavalenciana, striking awe and fear into the hearts of its mortal inhabitants..."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By the time he'd finished the Elvish equivalent of a grudging, "Yeah. Couldn't have done it without you" and they bid me goodbye and headed to their limo, the bus was loaded.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Grace exchanged a last hug with Shirley and walked over to me. "Ready?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I nodded to her, then tossed my head in a "good-bye" to Shirley and the other conventioneers we'd be leaving behind. I frowned thoughtfully.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"What?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Just wondering."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her gaze grew suspicious. "About...?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My frown turned into a grin worthy of any imp. "Just what other fine Mensa we're going to get into next."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I launched myself in the air and had taken my station on the roof of the bus before she could shriek.</span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mensa-Mayhem-Karina-Fabian/dp/1934041785/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324942621&sr=8-1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAyyc0ueVXb34ZR_GpS10fOyUExyWhdB9Na7sABSVPp-acfsFdRIPzUbozkORz2xlv6kJ0ONzUHvGY2fydIfxhXNFqo8VayrVuJfjzdeIGKBR-etHI2PNwc7TyH2FdziQcik2ki6ULqSE/s1600/MagicMensa%2526Mayhem150x225.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">If you like the story, the book is even better! </div><div style="text-align: center;">More antics, more mystery, new ending. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mensa-Mayhem-Karina-Fabian/dp/1934041785/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324942621&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Order from Amazon</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Karina Fabian. World Gathering first appeared in serial in <i>The Prairie Dawg </i></span></div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3930646031778277283.post-32066433538878311652012-04-18T07:00:00.001-06:002012-04-18T07:00:08.746-06:00World Gathering, Episode 18: Lost and Found<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:DoNotShowComments/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shirley walked into the security office, a defeated look on her face. She sighed. "Well, that's all the rooms occupied by Mensans in the hotel. We're down to searching the conference rooms now."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I growled. After Coyote's confession, the audience decided to get in on the game and arranged search parties to scour the hotel. In the meantime, Grace and I had retired to the office to make some calls. The shifts had just changed, and I was explaining to Officer Gary what was up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"So Brunhilde had been hiding the bull in her breastplate, but negotiated with Cambridge to borrow it. He put it in his briefcase--"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Why did she give it to him now?" Gary asked.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"She said she kept feeling 'tickles,' and thought the brownies might have been searching her. Probably her imagination. They'd have taken it from her. My theory is that since Gozon entrusted her with it, and she entrusted Cambridge, there wasn't enough disorder to trip their radar. However, when Coyote stole the briefcase, neither were where they belonged, so they acted."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"So they cleaned it and put it back where it belonged? Where's that?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I tossed my head. The whole situation had gone from annoying to absurd. "You never know with brownies, which is why they make bad housekeepers. Grace put in calls to her order to check with the Faerie Vatican and the churches where the bull had been held, and I asked my contacts to do the same for your Vatican, just in case. Gozon and Galendor are both having their people search likely places in Elf lands. In the meantime, we're searching the hotel. For all we know, they may have decided the most logical place is nearby, where all the concerned parties can work things out."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shirley snorted. "Gozon and Galendor were arguing in the lobby last I saw. They're being polite, but I don't think they'll work anything out without a negotiator."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A negotiator? I looked at Grace, saw she had the same idea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It can't be that easy," Grace said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You never know with brownies. Come on!" We headed out the door.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Hold on. I'll drive you." Gary snatched up his keys, walkie-talkie and Taser and followed. He got us a cart and we piled in. I gave him our room number.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You didn't check your room?" he asked.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We were getting to it! We didn't think it a likely spot, until what Shirley said about negotiators."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Grace explained. "The Church has a longstanding role of negotiating between warring parties, and I'm the nearest representative. However, if it's not in our room, we may want to see if there are any priests in the hotel, then call the local clergy."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gary's walkie talkie went off. He groaned. "Sorry, guys. Disturbance in the Con Café. Gotta detour and drop me off."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He turned us around. Soon we heard the clattering of pans and a French voice shouting, "No! Bad Doggie!" The door banged open and a large grey coyote, gravy dripping from his chin, tore out of the café. A flying ladle barely missed him. A couple of Mensans screamed and flattened themselves against the walls as he ran past.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I leapt out of the cart and had tackled Coyote before he'd gone halfway down the hall. He turned with a snarl, saw my fangs were bigger, and whined.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Don't change form until we find your clothes," I warned. I noticed he'd slipped the police anklet that was part of his probation, but the silver bracelet Grace had bespelled to keep him from escaping had transformed into a collar. I got off him, hooked my tail through it and led him back to Gary.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I think someone just broke parole." I almost sang it. I live for moments like this. "Grace, Shirley, go check the room. I'll help Gary escort this dog to the pound."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Coyote whimpered.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It didn't take long to find his clothes, and soon, he was human, handcuffed and enduring the verbal abuse of Jean Pierre d'Pasimmonierre as he demanded he be charged for crimes against all France and the BAC. When Coyote tried to protest that he was only looking for the bull, Jean Pierre screamed, "That was fish, you bad doggie" and started to beat him about the head with his chef's hat. Beautiful. The only thing that could top the day was Grace's call.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It was in the room safe," she said. "Cleaned, restored and beautiful."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I laughed. "Tell Shirley: I know it sounds redundant, but she's a genius."</span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mensa-Mayhem-Karina-Fabian/dp/1934041785/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324942621&sr=8-1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAyyc0ueVXb34ZR_GpS10fOyUExyWhdB9Na7sABSVPp-acfsFdRIPzUbozkORz2xlv6kJ0ONzUHvGY2fydIfxhXNFqo8VayrVuJfjzdeIGKBR-etHI2PNwc7TyH2FdziQcik2ki6ULqSE/s1600/MagicMensa%2526Mayhem150x225.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">If you like the story, the book is even better! </div><div style="text-align: center;">More antics, more mystery, new ending. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mensa-Mayhem-Karina-Fabian/dp/1934041785/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324942621&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Order from Amazon</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Karina Fabian. World Gathering first appeared in serial in <i>The Prairie Dawg </i></span></div>Karina Fabianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937791512486438983noreply@blogger.com0