Monthly Archives: August 2015

chase the moon and sun to blog my one and only you

We’ll kick off Sunday catchup with an announcement we’ll repeat on Tuesday: The first Monkey Queen book, Of Introductions And Abductions, is part of the Vivify End of Summer Sale! More after the cut. Continue reading

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Disney Infinity: A Whole New World

So my Disney Infinity shelf expanded a little:

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It’s tough to resist when there are so many figures out there I want, and I need to add to my Amazon order to hit $35 for free shipping. Which means that I need now to get a Hiro to go with my Baymax.

3.0 starts hitting the shelves in the next few days.  It’s not so bad right off, because the only figure I really want from the first wave is Yoda. (Minnie Mouse would be nice too, yeah, but she can wait. Sorry, Mickey.) But October (well, September 30) brings all the Star Wars figures from the original trilogy, so that’s five more I want right there, plus Mulan later on.

And since I started late, I’m now looking at the prices going up for the 1.0 figures I need. I have an emergency workaround for Violet and Rapunzel, but that still leaves Barbossa, Jack Skellington, two Incredibles and maybe the Toy Story crew. And I still want a couple of 2.0 figures besides Hiro, namely Captain America and Tinkerbell, and isn’t that a team-up we all want to see?

What it all means is that, darn it, Yoda and Chewie and the rest may have to wait until I fill in the holes. Which with my limited budget will probably mean that by the time I can get to them, they’ll start going up in price as they get discontinued with the rollout of 4.0.

I saw that Disney decided on Peter Pan as their “ToyBox” selection for 3.0. I suppose I should be glad that Tinkerbell has someone to play with, but I’m also a bit disappointed. So many great characters, ones that would make awesome sculpts, are being overlooked at this point. I know that Disney needs to focus on the new releases, and that not everyone is into classic Disney. But it wouldn’t have taken much to make me happy. Just a Jafar. Or a Darkwing Duck. Or even a Basil of Baker Street…

I also saw that Jar Jar Binks is showing up in the game. Is there a Toy Box minigame where we get points for kicking his butt? You should get extra points if you come up with a creative way to waste him, like having Baymax or the Hulk throw Stitch at him, or if you pound him into Jar Jar paste with as many different characters as possible. Which might get a bit tricky with Minnie or Olaf, but I’ll figure out a way.

Hey, don’t forget that if you like reading these posts, leave a comment and let me know what you think. And if really like these, or want a creative way to support or thank a hard-working writer, head over to Amazon and check out my Disney Infinity Want List. Especially with my birthday coming up in a few weeks. Hint hint.

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Willow Wednesdays: We’re all mad here

Welcome to Willow Wednesdays! We’re featuring art by Willow, the cover artist for the Monkey Queen series, with her kind permission! Read on after the cut! Continue reading

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I was born a someday man, I’m a blogging child

We’ll start off this Sunday with a request: If you’ve read and enjoyed any of the Monkey Queen books, especially the first, Of Introductions And Abductions, please consider heading to Amazon and leaving a review.  Some kind souls have already left reviews, and and we thank them! But more reviews will get more readers interested, and will open up more promotional opportunities for us. So please, help Michiko and Beth find new fans by leaving a review! And thanks! More, and a slightly different Sunday catchup post, after the cut.

The other day, on the KBoards forum, a thread was posted about what were people’s top five books, and why. I jumped in with my five, and provided quotes from each to explain why. I wanted to share that here, but I’m expanding the list to ten, and changing a few of the quotes. Enjoy!

 

Bridge Of Birds, Barry Hughart (my all time favorite book from the moment I finished the last page, as those who’ve read A Tiding Of Magpies know):

I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world.

May your villagers remain ignorant of tax collectors, and may your sons be many and ugly and strong and willing workers, and may your daughters be few and beautiful and and excellent providers of love gifts from eminent families that live very far away, and may your lives be blessed by the beauty that has touched mine.

Farewell.

Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll:

“Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin,” thought Alice; “but a grin without a cat!”

Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett:

ALL THINGS THAT ARE, ARE OURS. BUT WE MUST CARE. FOR IF WE DO NOT CARE, WE DO NOT EXIST.

 

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:

“It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

 

How Much For Just The Planet, John M. Ford:

Without missing a beat, Sanchez said “Because meeting new individuals gives me great intellectual pleasure. That’s why I became a diplomat.”

“Oh, good! There are almost fourteen thousand of us, you know. We should be able to make you really, really happy.”

 

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien:

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

 

Lean Times in Lankhmar, Fritz Leiber

Fafhrd and Mouser saved only the clothes they were in, their swords, dirk, and ax. And it was well they hung onto the latter, for while swimming ashore they were attacked by a school of sharks, and each man had to defend himself and comrade while swimming encumbered. Ilthmarts lining the quays and moles cheered the heroes and the sharks impartially, or rather as to how they had laid their money, the odds being mostly three-to-one against both heroes surviving, with various shorter odds on the big man, the little man, or one or the other turning the trick. […]

When Fafhrd and the Mouser finally staggered ashore panting, they were cheered by such Ilthmarts as had won money on them. A larger number were busy booing the sharks.

 

Sandman: Brief Lives, Neil Gaiman:

“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less. You got a lifetime.”

MythAdventures, by Phil Foglio, adapting Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin:

Aahz: “You traded a magical pendant that sees through spells for a fledgling dragon?’

Skeeve: “Yeah.”

Aahz: [picks up Skeeve and shakes him roughly]

Skeeve [discombobulated]: “What was that for?”

Aahz [furious]: “I wanted to see if you’d completely lost your mind, or if a piece of it was still rattling around in there!”

The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster:

“And remember, also,” added the Princess of Sweet Reason, “that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you’ll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.”

 

And as a reward for reading this, here’s a photo of me with my new Doubleclicks Coloring Book! Yay!

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Willow Wednesdays: Now you’re cooking!

Welcome to Willow Wednesdays! We’re featuring art by Willow, the cover artist for the Monkey Queen series, with her kind permission! Read on after the cut! Continue reading

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eFestival of Words: the wrapup!

The 2015 eFestival of Words is over, and thanks to everyone who dropped by and to Julie Dawson for organizing the whole shebang! The forums are still open for viewing, so you can catch up on all the events and chat transcripts here!

My chat transcript is here. In trying to keep up with all the questions, I did miss one asked by user HideAndSeek, referring to my saying that it took 17 years from conception to completion for the first Monkey Queen book: “Why do you think it took so long from conception to book?” It was because I moved on to other projects, and eventually other things, and didn’t come back to Michiko and Beth until I stumbled across my extensive notes in March 2013.

And here is where you can find the Heroes Vs Villains feud! Alas, the heroes lost, but Michiko made new friends and had fun. And is still figuring out how the heck she can get rid of a sasquatch…

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She’s got a blog that tells about everybody’s past

Putting this up early with a last reminder: Later today is my Q&A chat at the  eFestival of Words (8:30 AM Pacific / 11:30 AM Eastern / 5:30 PM CET), and then Michiko will be part of the Heroes Vs. Villains panel (11:00 AM Pacific / 2:00 PM Eastern / 8:00 PM CET)! And as a thank-you, we’ve marked down Of Introductions And Abductions, the first Monkey Queen book, to 99 cents through Monday! More after the cut.

Speaking of 99 cents, that will also get you Awakened, the first book in the Dakota Shepherd series from Shei Darksbane with Darksbane Books! And the second, Hunted, has just come out! Good urban fantasy adventure, with a snarky but lovable main character, and a new favorite here at Monkey Queen Books!

D23 is this weekend, and there may be a new Disney Infinity post this coming week, as they’re due to announce three more figures on Sunday. This year’s expo has been all about the Star Wars, at least to most people, but I was most intrigued by the announced sequel to The Incredibles. It’s been reported for a while, but it’s good to have confirmation from Pixar, and with Brad Bird returning, we can hope that it’s as good as the first was. But I suppose I should be concerned about the fact that Pixar announced or confirmed five films, and only one of them isn’t a sequel…

And finally, in case you somehow missed this earlier this week: Whoa.

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eFestival of Words: A reminder, and a sale!

I wanted to remind everyone that the 2015 eFestival of Words, the annual online convention for readers and writers, is under way! I’ll be involved in two events on Sunday. First, I’ll be taking part in an Author Q&A at 8:30 AM Pacific / 11:30 AM Eastern / 5:30 PM CET! Come on by, and be prepared to ask questions! If you don’t, I’ll have to be the one asking myself what kind of tree I would be if I were a tree!

And later on Sunday, at 11:00 AM Pacific / 2:00 PM Eastern / 8:00 PM CET, you can attend the “Heroes vs. Villains” panel! Three heroes and three villains from the wild world of literature, answering questions “Family Feud” style, and on the side of the heroes will be Michiko the Monkey Queen herself! The villains will include a murderous demon, a bloodthirsty sasquatch, and a cruel teenage magician, so Michiko will be ready with all the snark they can handle!

There’ll be more panels, Q&A sessions, and workshops all weekend, and there’s an extra incentive to stop by: All attendees (aside from staff and special guests) will be entered into a drawing to win a Kindle Fire HD 6 6″, and you get an extra entry for every Q&A session you enter!

And as a thank-you to attendees and staff at the eFestival, there’s a surprise sale this weekend! If you still haven’t read the first Monkey Queen book, Of Introductions And Abductions, it’s just 99 cents US through Sunday, exclusively at Amazon! Grab it now!

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The Hunt Is On

Last month, we told you about the debut novel by Shei Darksbane with Darksbane Books, Awakened. Well, she’s just released the second book in the series…Hunted. Dakota Shepherd’s adventures continue in this gripping urban fantasy, when a mysterious threat stalks her and those closest to her. Grab Hunted here! And if you haven’t read Awakened, it’s just 99 cents US for a very limited time! Go! Read!

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Willow Wednesdays: Coming soon!

Welcome to Willow Wednesdays! We’re featuring art by Willow, the cover artist for the Monkey Queen series, with her kind permission! Read on after the cut! Continue reading

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