The sixth book in the series is a pivotal story in more than one way. In The Emerald City of Oz, Dorothy learns that rebuilding the house in Kansas following the twister, and then taking the rest-cure trip to Australia, put Uncle Henry in considerable debt. He had hoped to be able to pay that debt off, but crops have not been good and his health has not fully recovered. While Henry doesn't worry much for himself, he does about Em and of course both of them are very worried for the often inexplicably cheerful Dorothy. They want her [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: The Road to Oz
May 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The Road to Oz begins, as did the others except The Marvelous Land of Oz, in the "outside world", this time back in Kansas on Dorothy's farm. A strange, shaggy man comes wandering through, picking apples and putting them in his pocket – and when a certain black dog challenges him, he picks up the dog and puts him in the shaggy pockets, too. The Shaggy Man encounters Dorothy and asks if she would show him the road to Butterfield; she agrees and takes him to the intersection, and is then surprised when he begins to move off down a different [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
May 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment
By this point in the series, the Oz books had developed into the Harry Potter of their day. Writing an Oz novel was an assured way to mint money for L. Frank Baum, and for many years he availed himself of that mint whenever he found himself short of funds, as he invariably did since he was a terrible businessman with a fondness for putting on expensive theatrical productions. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is the fourth entry in the series, and the title alone shows how Baum was making sure to pay attention to his fans. Dorothy was popular, [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Ozma of Oz
May 6, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The third book of the Oz series by L. Frank Baum sees the return of arguably the most popular character in the land – Dorothy Gale. In Ozma of Oz, her Uncle Henry has become ill and is advised by his doctor to take a trip to Australia for a sea and country cure. This was not uncommon in the era in which Baum was writing – various forms of "sea air", "desert air", etc., cures were recommended for exhaustion and for illnesses, especially tuberculosis or "consumption" as they called it. While onboard, a powerful storm strikes the [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
May 1, 2015 By 4 Comments
I discussed Baum and his Oz books in a prior Under the Influence, but in honor of the release of Polychrome, I thought it might be appropriate to perform a review of each of the first fourteen Oz novels, including particular reference to events, characters, and my own thoughts on each book that found their way into Polychrome. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, often just called The Wizard of Oz, is the first of the Oz books, published in 1900, 115 years ago. The basic outline of the story is well-known, thought today mostly through the [ Continue reading... ]
Writing: Musings on Publishing
April 29, 2015 By 1 Comment
Having now made it through my own self-publishing saga as well as having multiple books published the traditional way, I figured I would gather my thoughts on the two approaches. I'm probably not going to say anything that others haven't said, but maybe it'll be said differently enough to make it interesting! The TL;DR version: Trad publishing is a great gig, IF (big if) you can get it, as long as you're cool with someone else running the show. Self-publishing, YOU run the show – but that word "RUN" is what you'll be doing, as in "run [ Continue reading... ]
POLYCHROME: Chapter 30
January 9, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Our Hero was in grave danger... ------ Chapter 30. Polychrome stood with a jerky haste uncharacteristic of her, and Iris looked at his daughter with a raised eyebrow. "Well!" she said, a bright and brittle smile on her face. "I… don't think we should be prying into any private life of our hero!" She gestured to close the viewing pool as she walked quickly away. "I… I really should be practicing. Nimbus says I need more training!" The doors of the Rainbow Throneroom closed behind [ Continue reading... ]
POLYCHROME: Chapter 29
January 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Our Hero was searching for a key... ------ Chapter 29. "Ha! You'll need to be faster than that, Erik!" Yeah, no kidding. Zenga was dodging most of the blows I sent at her, and I couldn't do nearly so well dodging hers. My armor did make up some of the difference, though. This was worthwhile practice, I had to admit. My workouts in the Rainbow Kingdom had been against Sky Fairies, and mostly near-pure blood, which meant that my True Mortal advantage was tremendously [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 28
December 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, it looked as though Erik was going to get a companion... ------ Chapter 28. "So, Lord Erik, we head for the Nome King's domain once we have landed?" I turned and smiled at Zenga. She was easy to smile at, having the dark-coffee skin of most of Pingaree's people combined with the sharper-cut features of her mother to produce a girl of striking beauty. "Yes and no, Princess." "You are far too young to speak in riddles," she retorted, leaning on the rail next to me. "That is the [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Second Vision and Chapter 27
December 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment
A second glimpse at an important viewpoint, and Erik arrives at his destination: ------ Second Vision: Agony of boiling light, cruel radiance tearing her slowly apart, pieces of her own self taken away, forged with hammers of blazing selfish will and cruel luminant ambition. But the tiny comfort of the point of darkness remained, and she clung to that. Over days and weeks and untold passage of time, when her eyes and soul felt tormented beyond endurance, she could seek it out, so small, but [ Continue reading... ]
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