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WORD for Teens reviews Song of the Sword…
...and generally likes it. Nicole, the young proprietor of WORD for Teens, calls it "very well executed" and "a fun read" and also writes, in part: I thought, for the concept that was being used, it was very well done indeed. I'm never going to be a fan of evil Merlin. I love Merlin far too much. But I thought Willett did an excellent job here - it's not that Merlin is evil so much as stuck in at time that's not his own, with an idea that he doesn't consider evil... I like Ariana - she's got quite a bit of ...Song of the Sword first signing event: Chapters Regina
Here I am signing Song of the Sword at Chapters in Regina on Saturday. This was not only the first time I sat and sold copies of the book and autographed them, it was the first time I'd even seen copies of the actual book. It's shinier than the ARC! Plus it has a nice blurb in the back of it promoting book two in the series, Twist of the Blade. The only odd thing about this photo: it makes the store look deserted. In fact, it was very busy and I sold and signed more than a dozen books in the couple of hours I was there. For bonus ...SciFiGuy features me in an interview
There's a nice big interview with me up at SciFiGuy.ca, mostly focused on the upcoming release of Song of the Sword, Book 1 in The Shards of Excalibur. Alas, it's still the upcoming release because printer problems delayed it past the hoped for October 15, but they promise me it'll be ready at month's end--which is good, since I've got a signing coming up at Chapters here in Regina on November 6. (2 p.m. Be there! Well, unless you're reading this in, say, Miami. In which case, I won't look for you.) I had a school reading last Friday at W.S. ...Song of the Sword is staff pick at Library Bound
Library Bound Inc., "Your Canadian choice for all your library needs," a company that helps libraries build their collections, lists Song of the Sword among their Staff Favorites for September. Helen Wilding Cook, Children's Collection Development Coordinator, writes that: "The story...has wonderful Canadian references and some really funny passages. Ariane is constantly in danger, and the suspense is beautifully maintained." Yay!CM Magazine recommends Song of the Sword
CM Magazine (a.k.a. Canadian Review of Materials) has given Song of the Sword three out of four stars and a "Recommended" in its current issue. The review is mainly a pretty complete synopsis, with a longish excerpt from the first chapter. It ends with: Written clearly, and with an interesting version of the Arthurian legend, the tale portrays some common teenage problems through the eyes of the two main characters, while placing them in harrowing fantasy situations...The story will appear to those who enjoy fantasy and will not require a knowledge of the Arthurian tales to follow. Recommended. Nice!Quill & Quire review raves about Song of the Sword
I was pleasantly--very pleasantly, as you'll see--surprised to discover a review, the first I've seen, of Shards of Excalibur: Song of the Sword in the September issue of Quill & Quire, Canada's magazine of book news and reviews. The review, by author Robert J. Wiersema, almost gave me a heart attack with the first sentence, though. It begins: Authors who incorporate, interpret, or subvert Arthurian legends in works of contemporary fantasy take a huge risk: the failure rate of such books is staggeringly high. Gulp. Fortunately, he continues with: Every so often, though, a writer is skilled enough to utilize the stories of King Arthur and Camelot to significant effect. ...Download a free bookmark for Song of the Sword!
Lobster Press has created a great bookmark for Shards of Excalibur: Song of the Sword, which I'm pleased to offer for free downloading. There's a JPG version at left, or you can download the full PDF version. Be the first on your block to have one! Get it now!Lobster Press Fall/Winter 2010 catalogue released, Song of the Sword gets pride of place
Lobster Press has just made its Fall/Winter 2010 catalogue available, and my new YA fantasy Song of the Sword gets pride of place as the first book listed. Guess I'd better get busy and write the second book...Electronic galley of Song of the Sword available to reviewers
I now have an electronic version of Song of the Sword, Book 1 in The Shards of Excalibur, my new YA fantasy coming out this fall from Lobster Press, available to send to any bona fide book reviewers (for online sites or print) interested in reading and reviewing the novel leading up to its October release. If you review books and you'd like a copy, send me an email or just leave a comment on this post.Here’s the cover art for Song of the Sword
I'm pleased to finally be able to show off the cover art for my upcoming YA fantasy, Song of the Sword, Book 1 of five-book series The Shards of Excalibur, coming out in mid-October from Lobster Press. The art work is by Allen Douglas, and I like it a lot. Here's the blurb from the Amazon.ca page (where you can already pre-order the book...and where, obviously, some people have, because it has a remarkably high rating for not actually being in print yet): Before the Lady called her, Ariane's life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different ...
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Magebane
“Spectacular” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Evil wizards, multi-level conspiracies, hidden kingdoms…Lee Arthur Chane…has done a marvelous job…Magebane is a very entertaining book and well worth the time.” – A.M. Donovan, Night Owl Reviews
I happily recommend Magebane and I’ll certainly give Chane’s next novel a try based on this one.” —Bill Capossere, Fantasy Literature
“…an original and delightful tale of epic fantasy and magic, steampunk science, adventure, tragedy, and love…” – Errant Dreams Reviews
Eight centuries ago, the world changed. A devastating war swept the lands, and the MageLords, who had long ruled by virtue of their spell powers, were driven to a distant place, separated from those they had ruled by a magical Barrier. With magic banished from the rest of the world, the MageLords became mere legend and people turned to science to improve their lives. But if one man has his way, all that is about to change….
Written as Lee Arthur Chane (the middle names of my older brothers, Jimmy Lee and Dwight Arthur, and myself, Edward Chane Willett).
Marseguro
Winner of the 2009 Prix Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English
Water world Marseguro is home to the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from human DNA. When an unmodified human seeks revenge on a Selkie by activating a distress beacon taken from the remains of the original colony ship, a strikeforce is sent from Earth to eradicate the genetic abomination. Yet Marseguro will not prove as easy to conquer as the Earth force anticipates…
Terra Insegura
Finalist for the 2010 Prix Aurora Award for Best Novel in English
Marseguro, a water world far from Earth, is home to a colony of humans and the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from modified human DNA. For seventy years the colony has lived in peace. Then Earth discovers Marseguro, and a strike force is sent to eradicate this “abomination.” But Marseguro has created a genetically tailored plague to use against Earth’s Holy Warriors. With the enemy defeated, the people of Marseguro feel they are safe. But Chris Keating, the traitor who signaled Marseguro’s location to the Holy Warriors, has fled to Earth, unknowingly carrying the deadly plague within him. The people of Marseguro feel they must send a ship to Earth with a life-saving vaccine. Only time will tell what awaits them when they reach their destination.
Lost in Translation
Kathryn was a human empath whose world and life had been destroyed when the alien S’sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Jarrikk was a young S’sinn, an unproven warrior who’d seen his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who’d sought to colonize his world.
As humans and S’sinn found themselves on the brink of war, these two Translators had to work together to find a common ground and avert catastrophe. But whether their Translators’ oath and training could overcome the enemies leagued against them was very much in doubt…
Archives
Song of the Sword
My new YA fantasy novel from Lobster Press
Before the Lady called her, Ariane’s life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different foster homes until her aunt finally took her in. The meanest clique at her new high school has decided to make Ariane their prime target. And to top it all off, she is having frightening premonitions, and they are becoming more intense. The moment water touches her skin, she sees visions of a lake, a lady, and a sword. When a staircase opens up in the middle of Wascana Lake and the water begins singing to her, she has no choice but to answer the call….
Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw
Ten walks to points of historic and architectural interest in the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw (eight walks for Regina, two for Moose Jaw).
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
When country music legend Johnny Cash took the stage at Folsom State Prison in 1968, he solidified the public’s perception of him as a rebel who followed his own path. Born in Arkansas during the Great Depression, Cash endured poverty, the death of his older brother, and a difficult relationship with his father. He turned to gospel and country music to express the pain, and after many years of struggling, his songs of hardship and hope would finally reach the ears of those waiting for an artist who represented them, ordinary people fighting to survive.
Andy Warhol: Everyone Will Be Famous for 15 Minutes
“Paintings are too hard. Machines have less problems…” In the 1960s, Andy Warhol became the most famous creator of a new style of art called pop art, which transformed mass-produced items of popular culture into fine works of art. From Campbell’s Soup cans to photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Warhol’s willingness to use anything and everything from the mass media in his work expanded the range of subject matter available to artists. His avant-garde films, artistic usage of American icons, and unconventional social life made him a controversial figure, both greatly admired and deeply reviled. A trendsetter rather than a trend-follower, a dispassionate observer of both the seamy and celebrity sides of life, Warhol was a true American rebel.
Disease-Hunting Scientist
The true stories of six real disease hunters. Epidemiologists travel the world trying to keep us safe from deadly diseases—from high-tech labs in Canada to remote villages in Africa. Learn how these “disease detectives” are coming up with new ways to fight disease, and find out if you have what it takes to become an epidemiologist, too!
The Bounty Mutiny
The Bounty was a British ship visiting Tahiti in 1789 when some of the crew overthrew the captain, William Bligh, and set him adrift in a tiny boat with sailors loyal to him. The mutiny resulted in a number of trials–both of the men who mutinied and of Bligh for losing command of his ship. These fascinating events have been the source for numerous Hollywood movies, most recently The Bounty. The Bounty Mutiny: From the Court Case to the Movie explores the famous case and the movies it inspired.
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