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43. Webinar about our lit projects (with Eric Price!)

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43. Webinar about our lit projects (with Eric Price!)

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It is a great honor to share this post with you! Thank you Eric for being such a wonderful person!

My interest in writing books developed around the same time I developed an interest in reading them. As a child, few things interested me less than reading. But around the time I started 7th grade, a few unrelated events happened to change my mind and to begin shaping me into the person I am today.
First, one of my friends started reading Stephen King books. He'd have me read passages, such as King's abbreviated version of "Hansel and Gretel" from the Forward to The Stand: Complete and Uncut. I found these excerpts entertaining, and eventually I discovered a tattered second-hand copy of The Shinning at the library. As far as I can remember, this is the first book I read for the pleasure of reading, not a homework assignment. I have continued to read three or four Stephen King books every year since then. He's still one of the authors I admire most; and while I don't think every story he writes is a gem, he still puts out about a book a year without participating in the "formula writing" that so many big name authors seem to do these days.
My 7th grade Literature teacher also played a major role in my development. She had a passion for books I had never seen, and she introduced me to Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe. While much darker than anything I read in primary school, Irving and Poe blended with King to form a perfect matrix for my blossoming love for the macabre. As a side note, I spent these same years listening to Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper and combing the video store shelves for all the horror films I could find-from the Universal classics to the low budget B-movies that may have been filmed in someone's basement.
So you may wonder if I'm a horror writer. The best answer I can give is sort of. I certainly do write horror, I have a book about the Salem Witch Trials I've been working on for several years, but it's slow going because I want the historical elements to be perfect, especially the dialogue. My published novels, while fantasy, have elements of horror in them. In fact, I think horror, fantasy, and science fiction are genre cousins-possibly genre siblings. And my very first published story was a children's tale about a haunted bed and breakfast.
This tale, "Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast," also marked my first serious effort at becoming a published author. As I stated before, I started writing stories around the same time I started reading them, but at first, I mostly wrote plot ideas and vague synopses. As I developed a love for comic books, I tried my hand at writing comics (I even drew the pictures, even though I have zero artistic ability). This helped me with character development, but I eventually migrated away from illustrations and back into narrative. By the time I finished college I developed a proficiency at beginning stories, but I never finished them before I started something new.
One day I came across a flyer for The Institute of Children's Literature. I had never considered writing children's stories, but I enjoyed reading YA so I applied and was accepted into the first of two courses I took with The Institute of Children's Literature. These courses provided the discipline I needed to complete stories. "Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast" began as an assignment for my first course; my first novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, started as my project for the second course.
I'm a natural introvert, and I don't mind bragging about how good I am at the lifestyle. As such, I find social media a challenge. Especially the part where I say, "Hey, I wrote these books. If you like fantasy you should check them out." Or whatever more creative, or less creative, way people have devised to say, "Buy my book." At first, I followed a lot of authors on Twitter to see what they were doing to promote their book, but it seemed to me most of it broke down to "Buy my book." One day I got the idea, since I wasn't learning much from other authors, I'd start following literature teachers, especially at the high school level, to see what they were talking about. I hoped to keep my finger on the pulse of publishing trends by doing this. I never expected to develop a working relationship from it, but that's exactly what happened.
I've had the honor of working with Mrs. Fasquel's classes for the past two years. As an introvert, my first instinct was to turn her down, but I forced myself to say yes as I'd have the opportunity to work with students very near the age of my target audience. And even though this is face to face interaction, I find it easier than posting to social media. I know it doesn't make sense, I suppose it's because I'm dealing with a small group of people, not the thousands that could see my posts on social media.
The experience has benefited me more than I could have ever hoped. I've learned what the students like and do not like to read, I've honed my writing abilities, I've expanded my reading list based on some of their suggestions, and most importantly, I've had the privilege to share the joys as a few of the students have achieved their own writing successes.
I must assume Mrs. Fasquel's students have also found the experience beneficial, or she wouldn't have asked me back for a third year. This year has me excited and nervous because the students will study a very short excerpt from Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud. My approach to writing comes largely from Stephen King's advice. And while I consider the whole of his book On Writing invaluable, the sentence that resonates most for me is: "Good fiction always begins with story and progresses to theme; it almost never begins with theme and progresses to story." He says basically the same thing, though less directly, about symbolism and other elements of fiction. When I set out to write my books, I wanted to write an entertaining story. I polished them to the best of my ability and with the assistance of my wonderful editors, but I daresay the students may grow to understand the incipit of my book better than I do.

And here are the presentation slides I will use to analyze the incipit of Unveiling the Wizard's Shroud with my students:

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New guest writer! Eric Price will be my students' next guest speaker!

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It is a great honor to share this post with you! Thank you Eric for being such a wonderful person! My interest in writing books developed around the same time I developed an interest in reading them. As a child, few things interested me less than reading.

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40. Our project has been selected at the 8th Innovative Teachers' Forum in Paris. It will compete with 99 other projects on December 4 and 5, 2015.

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40. Our project has been selected at the 8th Innovative Teachers' Forum in Paris. It will compete with 99 other projects on December 4 and 5, 2015.

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Congratulations to all the students whose work and efforts have made it possible!

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Forum des Enseignants Innovants et de l'Innovation Educative

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Le Café Pédagogique et les associations d'enseignants, vous invitent au Forum des Enseignants Innovants et de l'Innovation éducative (FEIIE)

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39. Christel's story loosely based on a short story by Eric Price

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39. Christel's story loosely based on a short story by Eric Price

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The Salvation of a Flying Vehicle-christel

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38. Article about Eric's new book (release date and so much more!)

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38. Article about Eric's new book (release date and so much more!)

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Today, Eric Price stops by to give us a sneak peek at the cover for his upcoming release and to share an excerpt from The Squire and the Slave Master.

My favorite cover artist in the world is C. K. Volnek for two reasons. First, her covers are amazing: check them out here. Second, she designed the cover for my first two books with Muse it Up Publishing.

The award winning Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud (CLC's Best First Novel 2014) chronicled Yara, Owen, and Cedric's quest to revive King Kendrick from a dark, magical spell. After the adventure to save King Kendrick, for Yara, everyday life has grown monotonous. The dull work of learning her father's blacksmithing trade, and the pressure from her parents to decide what she plans on doing with her life, has her nerves so stressed she snaps at her father's slightest teasing.

Lucky for her, a surprise messenger from the castle brings the king's request for her to join a collaborative mission between the Central and Western Domains of Wittatun to stop a recently discovered slave operation in a land to the west. King Kendrick and Owen want her to accompany the mission as a secret weapon disguised as a squire.

She has to keep secret not only her magical abilities from any possible traitors, but also her gender. The people of the Western Domain have a superstition prohibiting girls from sailing. But a chill wind carries the distinct odor of sabotage. Can one girl survive to destroy an evil rooted much deeper than mere slavery?

"I don't know how long I'll be gone." Yara cut the fat from an emmoth rib. "I don't suppose anyone knows. It will take as long as needed to end the slavery."

Her mother pushed her mostly untouched meal around her plate. "I'd prefer you didn't go. It sounds dangerous."

"Mother, these people are engaging in slavery. Not farm animals forced to work, they're humans."

"I understand. I'm not saying we shouldn't intervene. I'm just not sure why you have to go."

"King Kendrick and Owen think an undercover magician could give us an advantage. I agree with them. Besides, I want to go. I need to get away from here for a while. Plus, I'm an adult now. You can't tell me what to do." Chancing a glance at her father, she hoped she hadn't upset him again. Their earlier argument had been mostly in jest, but the comment she made about her brother must have stung.

Instead of looking angry, he leaned back in his chair and chewed his emmoth meat. When he finished, he grinned. "Don't get upset, Kamala. At least she told us she planned on leaving this time."

"When I left in search of Owen and Cedric, I didn't have time to tell you. This time we have a plan." Yara chewed her last piece of rib meat. She'd snuck out after her parents had turned in for the night.

She could usually count on her father to have a level head...when he wasn't provoking her about a woman's place in the world.

Her mother cleared her uneaten food from the table. "I don't presume to tell you what to do. I just want to make sure you've considered all the aspects of the mission."

"To the best of my ability, I have considered all aspects. First, I have to travel as a boy. Aside from my appearance, I shouldn't have trouble with this. My best friend is a boy, and I've never had much interest in girly activities. And why would I? As a child, playing with dolls couldn't compare to chasing piglets through the muddy stockyards."

Her mother's eyes lightened for the first time that evening. "You also don't care much for washing clothes. If you did, you'd have realized most of the mess you got into in the stockyards wasn't mud in the truest sense."

She laughed. "Fair enough. Now my second concern, while traveling as a boy, I'm best to not get caught. Big burly men, out to sea for several days, may have more interest in a helpless girl than just someone to whom they could confide their deepest secrets." She grinned, raised her hand above her head, and caused a blue flame to burst forth from her palm. "Good thing I'm not a helpless girl."

As long as they don't attack me in my sleep.

Her father collected the dirty dishes.

Yara helped him clear the table. "If I can keep my façade, the trip should sail by, so to speak. Once we get to Buisna, we'll have to find the ruler of the slave operation. I suppose this could present itself as a difficult task, but at least I won't have to do it alone."

Of course there's always the question of what we'll find in Buisna. Why does a country the size of the Western Domain need our help? How large is this new country? How many people are there to fight? The military of the Central Domain is weakened from the attack by the Wizard Rebellion. Why would King Kendrick decide to send troops at a time like this? Do they know, or suspect, more than Owen told me?

With the table cleared of dishes, Yara stretched and yawned. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll retire to bed early tonight. Shoeing that horse wore me out, and I need to get some thorough rest before my training tomorrow." She hugged her mother. "Everything will work out. King Kendrick and Owen will have a strategy planned for the whole mission."

A loud, rapid knocking at the front door startled her. Answering it, she found Owen standing with a man about his same size but a few years older, donned in the armor of the King's Sentry.

Owen glanced around the room, his eyes wide and observant but clear of any panic. "Yara, you have to come to Innes Castle now. The plans have changed. You're leaving tonight."

Reserve your copy today at:
http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/new-releases/series/the-squire-and-the-slave-master-detail

Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper. Later that same year he published his first work of fiction, a spooky children's story called Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast. Since then, he has written stories for children, young adults, and adults. Three of his science fiction stories have won honorable mention from the CrossTime Annual Science Fiction Contest. His first YA fantasy novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, received the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Literary Classics Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Squire and the Slave Master, scheduled for a Fall 2015 release, continues the Saga of the Wizards. He is a member of SCBWI. Find him online at authorericprice.com.

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Today, Eric Price stops by to give us a sneak peek at the cover for his upcoming release and to share an excerpt from The Squire and the Slave Master. My favorite cover artist in the world is C. K. Volnek for two reasons. First, her covers are amazing: check them out here.

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37. Article about the upcoming webinar (in French)

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37. Article about the upcoming webinar (in French)

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Un séminaire organisé avec des élèves de section internationale peut-il intéresser les autres lycéens ? C'est le pari de cet article. Marie-Hélène Fasquel travaille au lycée international Nelson Mandela de Nantes. Elle a organisé en septembre une première rencontre en ligne avec un auteur américain. Et renouvelle le 30 novembre 2015 de 19h à 20h30 une rencontre croisée entre cet auteur et des auteurs français. Au coeur de ce travail, la littérature... Le contact avec des auteurs vivants ça change quoi par rapport aux auteurs classiques ?
Les échanges directs avec l'auteur permettent de comprendre de manière très fine comment il travaille, ce qui l'a influencé et de lui poser des questions en temps réel... rêve de beaucoup de lecteurs j'imagine ! En outre, ce travail nous a permis d'aborder un genre souvent extra-scolaire, la fantasy.

L'une des finalités de la section internationale est de permettre à des élèves d'étudier dans un cadre bi-culturel : en France, un baccalauréat français mais une option internationale américaine impliquant une pédagogie américaine, un approfondissement de la culture américaine et une immersion en langue étrangère en langue et littérature et en histoire-géographie où le programme est partiellement redéfini pour mieux appréhender le contexte américain.

Etre en contact avec des auteurs américains, mais aussi de nombreux "guest speakers" fait partie de cet enseignement. Mais laissons la parole aux élèves : Mathieu insiste sur le dynamisme que ça offre. Lucas apprécie particulièrement le fait que ça apporte une vision différente de ce que l'on étudie en classe. "Discuter directement avec un auteur permet de nous rapprocher de la littérature" d'après Charlotte et Lucie. "Les anecdotes personnelles sur sa façon d'écrire, sur sa vie quotidienne d'écrivain m'a passionnée", dit Juliane.
Comment avez-vous préparé la première séance avec Eric Price avec les élèves ?
Ces séminaires en ligne ne sont que la suite logique d'une collaboration régulière avec Eric Price, auteur dont le premier roman, Unveiling the Wizard's Veil, a été primé. Nous avons tout d'abord fait connaissance sur Twitter et cela nous a permis de préparer ce projet. Il a été interviewé deux fois par les élèves sur Skype. Il y a eu un véritable échange sur son écriture, sa sensibilité, son œuvre.

Les élèves ont ensuite lu les deux premiers chapitres de son tout premier roman et réécrit le chapitre 3. Ceci a permis de travailler l'écriture d'invention de façon plus ludique car il s'agissait en outre d'un concours : tous les travaux des élèves ont été publiés sur le site de l'auteur. Les internautes ont pu choisir leur version préférée. Cela a beaucoup marqué les élèves d'être publié sur le site d'un écrivain américain !

En outre les objectifs pédagogiques sont multiples : développer les compétences à l'écrit et à l'oral ; développer un style littéraire personnel; recevoir un feedback personnalisé d'un écrivain; encourager la réactivité des élèves face à des scénari variés et motivants; créer les conditions d'un travail en autonomie.
Pourquoi une confrontation avec des auteurs français ?
Le second séminaire se déroule en français et aura lieu le 30 novembre 2015 de 19h à 20h30. Ce sera l'occasion d'approfondir le sujet avec des auteurs francophones. Leurs idées, analyses pourront ensuite être traduites en anglais pour mes élèves ou par eux ! Ces jeunes auteurs sont Nathalie Bagadey, Sophie G. Winner et Cyane. Certains élèves seront présents et poseront des questions sur le processus créatif et l'écriture en général.

L'écriture en français, comme en anglais permettra de comparer les divers processus et de mettre en regard les deux cultures qui sont mises en avant dans le cursus de ces élèves.
Comment ça peut se dérouler entre autant d'élèves et quelques auteurs ?
Comme il s'agit de la soirée, beaucoup d'élèves ne pourront pas assister au séminaire (ils seront en transports en commun ou en internat) cependant je leur transmettrai l'enregistrement dès le lendemain. Il leur sera demandé en outre de correspondre avec les écrivains et de leur poser des questions sur Padlet. Les outils collaboratifs tels Padlet, Google Doc, etc. permettent un véritable échange ! Tous les enseignants intéressés sont les bienvenus pour échanger !
Comment allez-vous exploiter ensuite en classe cet événement ?
Comme je travaille partiellement en classe inversée, ce sera l'occasion de proposer aux élèves un travail d'écoute et d'approfondissement de ce qu'est la création, et de rédiger des questions, des articles sur le sujet. Les élèves vont étudier l'enregistrement à la maison et préparer des questions pour les divers intervenants afin de poursuivre (ou débuter) un échange productif qui leur permettra éventuellement de remettre en perspective leurs propres productions.
Propos recueillis par François Jarraud
Contact : https://twitter.com/Mariehel2

Scoop it sur la littérature

Ressources pour la classe inversée en littérature

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Anglais : Rendez-vous en ligne avec des auteurs

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Un séminaire organisé avec des élèves de section internationale peut-il intéresser les autres lycéens ? C'est le pari de cet article. Marie-Hélène Fasquel travaille au lycée international Nelson Mandela de Nantes. Elle a organisé en septembre une première rencontre en ligne avec un auteur américain.

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36. Blog post about the upcoming webinar (Nov. 30, 2015)

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36. Blog post about the upcoming webinar (Nov. 30, 2015)

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Diaporama qui accompagnera le sémainaire en ligne avec trois auteurs français : - Nathalie Bagadey (www.nathaliebagadey.fr) - Sophie G. Winner (http://www.ale2100.com/) - Cyane (http://www.les-enfants-de-calliope.com/ ) Réservez dès à présent votre soirée !!!!!

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Séminaire en ligne le 30 novembre 2015: La littérature autrement

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Diaporama qui accompagnera le sémainaire en ligne avec trois auteurs français : - Nathalie Bagadey (www.nathaliebagadey.fr) - Sophie G. Winner (http://www.ale2100.com/) - Cyane (http://www.les-enfants-de-calliope.com/ ) Réservez dès à présent votre soirée !!!!!

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Préparation du webinaire du 30 novembre 2015. Analyse de projets d'écriture avec un écrivain américain, Eric Price, ainsi qu'un entretien avec 3 auteurs franç...

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33. Article about our project on Daily edventures

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33. Article about our project on Daily edventures

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32. The webinar will also be in French on Nov. 30, 2015.

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32. The webinar will also be in French on Nov. 30, 2015.

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31. Link to the webinar recording and links

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31. Link to the webinar recording and links

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Marie-Hélène FASQUEL strikes again :-)

with an impressive panel of guests

After her latest highly successful webinar " Experimenting with the Flipped Classroom" on January 12th 2015 with Russell Stannard (http://teachertrainingvideos.com) as her host, Marie-Hélène asked me for a break before she would offer us another webinar.

The reason was that she had moved from the north of France to Brittany where she had been able to land a new job as a language and literature teacher at the well-known Lycée International Nelson Mandela in Nantes.

Thus - understandably - she needed some time to get to grips with the new situation and to launch a new project that she might be able to present and add to her remarkable BIO.

As the webinar highlighted, she seems to have dedicated her time to good use, accomplishing excitingly to ENGAGE her students.

This rings a bell with me, as I remember Mark PRENSKY's tenet:

ENGAGE THEM, OR ENRAGE THEM !!!

the link to the recording of the webinar

the relevant links from the chat : see below

http://authorericprice.com/
https://www.facebook.com/eric.price.1675?fref=ts
http://www.katielcarroll.com/
https://www.facebook.com/katie.carroll.12139
http://kaistrand.blogspot.de/
https://www.facebook.com/KaiStrandAuthor
http://lightningquickreads.blogspot.fr/2015/09/breaking-routine-by-kai-strand.html
https://www.facebook.com/silverteacher?fref=ts
http://silverteacher276.wix.com/learnenglish
https://www.facebook.com/marie.helene.7505?fref=ts
http://sharingteaching.blogspot.de
http://globinars.blogspot.de/

Even more than those that were present ( 50 people in the room) had registered and will receive this post-conference infomail, so that they can access the recording at a time that might suit them better: 130 people from 22 different countries : - )
Another TRUE GLOBINAR

Argentina - Chile - Czech Republic - Estonia - France -
Georgia - Germany - Great Britain - Greece - Italy -
Macedonia - Mexico - Netherlands - Poland - Portugal -
Romania - South Africa - Spain - Togo - Turkey -
United States of America - Uruguay

Do us a favour and enter your feedback into the following padlet !!! :

http://de.padlet.com/wagjuer/webinars

Check the LPM-Webinar Homepage for new events

Marie-Hélène FASQUEL will deal with the same subject in Fre nch towards the end of November, with authors of books in French language:

E4.122-0256: Enseigner la littérature autrement avec les TICE

Intervenante: Marie-Hélène Fasquel
Modération: Stephanie Wössner & Christophe Jaeglin
30. 11. 2015 | 19:00h - 20:30h CET
lien d'accés:https://webconf.vc.dfn.de/autrement/
Info:http://v.gd/autrement
Ce webinaire comprendra :

Le compte-rendu d'un projet collaboratif avec un auteur américain,

De divers projets d'écriture d'invention,

Le partage de sites utiles pour l'étude de la littérature,

Des ressources pour la classe inversée.

Registration with English interface
Inscription avec interface en langue française

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Flipped Lit Projects - Post-conference materials

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with an impressive panel of guests After her latest highly successful webinar " Experimenting with the Flipped Classroom" on January 12th 2015 with Russell Stannard (http://teachertrainingvideos.com ) as her host, Marie-Hélène asked me for a break before she would offer us another webinar.

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30. Slides of the webinar about the project -- Sept. 10, 2015.

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30. Slides of the webinar about the project -- Sept. 10, 2015.

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Two-part webinar: - partnership with Eric Price (American author) - interview of three American authors

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You can read about our project with Eric here and you can re-read the first chapter of Unveiling the Wizard's Shroud

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Greetings and welcome back. Today we are honored to question chat with the elusive Eric Price, wordsmith behind the award winning, young adult fantasy UNVEILING THE WIZARDS' SHROUD (CLC's Best First Novel 2014). We've offered him a goblet of mead and our best victuals to help keep him occupied as we endeavor to unravel the mysteries of his mental journeys. Without further ado, I give you Sir Eric Price...
If you were to hold a dinner party for six, who would you invite and share at least one question you would have for each?
Annie Wilkes-Why didn't you like Misery's Child?

Hannibal Lecter-Do human brains really taste like chicken?

Marla Singer-Is this my week to go to the brain parasites meeting or yours?

Alex ("Your Humble Narrator" from A Clockwork Orange)-When you're ready for the old ultra-violence, is it really that horrorshow to make the red red kroovy flow from your droogs?

Michonne (The Walking Dead)-Can you recommend a good swordsmith?

Jack Torrance-Would you like a cocktail?

I thought about inviting Bellatrix Lastrange, but if you consider the movies, I already had one character played by Helena Bonham Carter. I didn't want to get confused.

In a lot of ways, this is how Yara came to join the cast of Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud. I had written the book and submitted it to Muse It Up Publishing. They rejected it but gave me some suggestions to improve upon. If I did, they'd take a second look. Well, in the time since I had written it, I had an idea for a story with Yara that took place in the same world as Unveiling.

I started rewriting Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud taking into account the suggestions and adding a little about Yara so readers would have some introduction to her when I wrote her book. I intended to introduce her in the first chapter and bring her in again at the end of the book; but, as so often happens, especially for those of us who don't outline every single plot detail, she decided to tag along for the whole book. I'm glad she's there. She's one of my favorite characters. Her book, The Squire and the Slave Master, comes out soon.
-Been there, done that, have secondary characters who've managed to finagled their way into their very own story to show for it.
Erotic Romance. I have no interest in reading it, and I believe in reading the same genre(s) I write. I wouldn't sit down to write a steampunk novel having never read one (though, I intend to read one soon). For the most part, I don't even like sex scenes in the books I read. I prefer the way Stephen King typically handles the subject: a little foreplay in one paragraph; in the next paragraph everything's finished and we've moved on to bigger and better things. (The pun may or may not have been intended.)

-If I may offer a suggestion for your introduction to Steampunk, consider Jim Butcher's Cinder Spires.
What is some of the best advice you were ever given?
Rewrite don't revise. It's a lot of work, but it makes the final manuscript much cleaner than cutting and pasting; plus, it helps weed out wordy sentences. When you're up late trying to finish a few more pages, you realize a lot of the words you've used aren't needed.

Write your own story. Don't try to write the next Harry Potter, or Divergent, or whatever. Those stories have already been told. If you're going to spend the time writing, write something new. Oh, and trust your editor(s). They have the same goal as you, to make your book the best it can be.

Now, as the blood pudding makes its way into the dining hall, we proceed to our ironshot list. Ready? Aim. Fire...
Blades, guns, fists or feet?
Blades for the coolness aspect. Though, like Indiana Jones, I'd choose a gun if my opponent has a blade.

Peter Pan. I just read it again a couple weeks ago. Well, I listened to the audio book, but that counts.

Three titles and their authors sitting on your nightstand/bookcase/table/floor waiting to be read?

Stephen King's Revival

Chuck Palahniuk's Beautiful You

Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033

I think the greatest of all time is Tom Cruise's line from the end of Risky Business, you know, the one about what you've got to say sometimes. But since I don't want to turn off any readers with foul language, I'll use my second favorite line. This one from The Princess Bride: "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife."

-For your next visit, we promise no stone throwing will commence if foul language is involved.

Sarcastic witticism, Southern sweetness or Geeky disdain?

Like I care. Oh, I guess that answers the question.
Strangest item currently taking up space in your writing cave?
The double decker couch from The Lego Movie.

Werewolves-because I'm sick of vampires.

We offer Eric our humble thanks for coming over and sharing. If you're looking for a wild ride that will make you wish to be younger, check out Eric's UNVEILING THE WIZARDS' SHROUD now, so you can pick up his upcoming THE SQUIRE AND THE SLAVE MASTER arriving in September...

The award winning Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud (CLC's Best First Novel 2014) chronicled Yara, Owen, and Cedric's quest to revive King Kendrick from a dark, magical spell. After the adventure to save King Kendrick, for Yara, everyday life has grown monotonous. The dull work of learning her father's blacksmithing trade, and the pressure from her parents to decide what she plans on doing with her life, has her nerves so stressed she snaps at her father's slightest teasing.

Lucky for her, a surprise messenger from the castle brings the king's request for her to join a collaborative mission between the Central and Western Domains of Wittatun to stop a recently discovered slave operation in a land to the west. King Kendrick and Owen want her to accompany the mission as a secret weapon disguised as a squire.

She has to keep secret not only her magical abilities from any possible traitors, but also her gender. The people of the Western Domain have a superstition prohibiting girls from sailing. But a chill wind carries the distinct odor of sabotage. Can one girl survive to destroy an evil rooted much deeper than mere slavery?
EXCERPT:
Opening the door, she paused to size up the tall, well-built man who stood outside the yard gate. His hair had grown out since she had last seen him, and it looked like he hadn't shaved for a week. He wore gloves, but she knew underneath, the palm of the right one looked black and charred.

She sprinted and threw herself into his arms. "Owen! How are you?" She pulled away to look at him. "What's this on your face? Dirt?"

"Yeah, it's dirt. I thought I should match you."

Her face grew warm. How much filth must cover her? She hadn't cared to take time to freshen herself for a messenger, but she would have had she known his identity. It must have something to do with their time apart-they used to spend almost every day together-but as the official heir to the throne, each time she saw him, he somehow looked different in her eyes. More noble. More royal.

He smiled and wiped at a smudge on her cheek. "Did I hear you say something about getting married?"

"Oh no! Father loves trying my nerves. I don't want to talk about it. Why are you here?" And how much of the conversation did you hear?

You can find Eric meandering around the following social locations:

Website authorericprice.com

Twiter @ AuthorEricPrice

Facebook Author Eric Price

Goodreads Eric Price and Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud

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Uncover #YA @AuthorEricPrice and his award-winning UNVEILING THE WIZARDS' SHROUD #fantasy

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Greetings and welcome back. Today we are honored to question chat with the elusive Eric Price, wordsmith behind the award winning, young adult fantasy UNVEILING THE WIZARDS' SHROUD (CLC's Best First Novel 2014). We've offered him a goblet of mead and our best victuals to help keep him occupied as we endeavor to unravel the mysteries of his mental journeys.

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Hello and welcome to the Summer Travelogue series on the J.Q. Rose blog. You're in for a treat today as fantasy author Eric Price gives us the opportunity to step into the fantasy world of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you'll be as thrilled as Eric who is truly a fan.

Eric is giving away a copy of his YA fantasy, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud. Just leave a comment to enter the drawing. Winner will be chosen after 6 pm EDT Sunday, August 30.

Eric also treats us to an excerpt from his book, soon to be released. Enjoy the sneak peak and find out about Eric Price.

Now, sit back in your arm chair as we fly away to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

A Visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley By Eric Price

I tend to avoid the super popular "thing" of the hour. Be it music, movies, TV shows, or books, I don't jump on them right away. If they stand the test of time, at least on a small scale, then I'll check them out. Likewise, when the Harry Potter books started filling every bookshelf, I paid them little attention.

On the day the 2002 World Cup started, I went to a bookstore looking for something to do at halftime and between games. It was played in Korea and Japan that year, so the games didn't start until around 1:00 am my time. I had adjusted my work and sleep schedules so I could watch the games live, but I needed something to keep me awake during down times. The first three Harry Potter books were out in paperback, and the seller had them in a box set.

I doubt I read any the first night, since they'd have only played one match, but I blew through the first book the next night. It was one of those times when you realize, while it's happening, your life has just changed. I finished the two remaining books in paperback and the fourth book, which was only available hardcover, that summer. In the coming years I finished the series, anxiously awaiting each new release like the rest of the crazed fans. (Though admittedly, I never waited in line at a bookstore for a midnight release-not my thing.) I've reread the series countless times, and currently I'm working through it with my oldest son.

And that brings us to the present, or at least the very recent past, and our family trip to Orlando, Florida, which included a trip to Universal Studios and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Due to time and money restraints, we only went to the side with Diagon Alley. To go to the Hogsmeade side, and ride the Hogwarts Express, it would have cost an extra $200, and we would have missed out on some of the non-HP stuff we did. Not riding the Hogwarts Express was a very difficult sacrifice.

So here it is, a photographic journey into my favorite fictional world.

On our way to Diagon Alley, we passed by 12 Grimmauld Place. If you look closely, you can see Kreacher in a window.

If I'd have known we could have taken the Night Bus to get here, I'd have done that instead of driving for three days.

Nerd Alert!: One of the reasons I didn't go to Hogsmeade first is because I wanted to have my first exposure to the Wizarding World similar to Harry's--passing through the wall into Diagon Alley.

Here's a closer picture of Gringotts Bank. This really impressed me. I couldn't see it at all from outside of Diagon Alley (as if it's magically hidden from the muggle world), but when I passed through the door, it's impossible to overlook. The ride was awesome too. It's not exactly an intense roller coaster, but it tells a story, and it has amazing 3D visuals. The idea comes from the 7th book, so you may not want to ride it if you haven't read the full series.

I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone, but here's one of the creative aspects from the ride...and this is just something you see while waiting in line--yeah, he moves and speaks.

Pictured above is my very first Butterbeer. Not what I expected, but still good. I had one cold and one hot. They were different, but both good. I didn't try frozen, but I've had several people tell me frozen is their favorite. Maybe next time.

Apparently I didn't take a picture of the Leaky Cauldron, but we had lunch there. The menu consisted of traditional British dishes. I had the Fish and Chips, and I highly recommend it. If you're not extremely hungry, one order could easily be split between two people (I brought my A-Game and ate the whole thing.)

The rain started, and our day in Diagon Alley ended. Back through the brick wall we headed.

Oh wait, before leaving the Wizarding World, I did waste some money on one souvenir. I may have been able to resist the urge to ride on the Hogwarts Express, but I left with the wand of my favorite character. I'm trying to think of a clever way to display it, but for now it's on my bookshelf sitting on top of my Harry Potter books...including the box set that started it all.
Photos courtesy of Eric Price.

Opening the door, she paused to size up the tall, well-built man who stood outside the yard gate. His hair had grown out since she had last seen him, and it looked like he hadn't shaved for a week. He wore gloves, but she knew underneath, the palm of the right one looked black and charred.

She sprinted and threw herself into his arms. "Owen! How are you?" She pulled away to look at him. "What's this on your face? Dirt?"

"Yeah, it's dirt. I thought I should match you."

Her face grew warm. How much filth must cover her? She hadn't cared to take time to freshen herself for a messenger, but she would have had she known his identity. It must have something to do with their time apart-they used to spend almost every day together-but as the official heir to the throne, each time she saw him, he somehow looked different in her eyes. More noble. More royal.

He smiled and wiped at a smudge on her cheek. "Did I hear you say something about getting married?"

"Oh no! Father loves trying my nerves. I don't want to talk about it. Why are you here?" And how much of the conversation did you hear?

Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper. Later that same year he published his first work of fiction, a spooky children's story called Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast. Since then, he has written stories for children, young adults, and adults. Three of his science fiction stories have won honorable mention from the CrossTime Annual Science Fiction Contest. His first YA fantasy novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud , received the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Literary Classics Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Squire and the Slave Master , continues the Saga of the Wizards. It is scheduled for a September 2015 release. Find him online at authorericprice.com , Twitter , Facebook , and Goodreads .
Please leave a comment below to say hi to Eric (and me.) Your comment will enter you into the drawing to win his first award-winning novel. Thanks for visiting.
Be sure to get all the posts on the J.Q. Rose blog by submitting your email addy in the Follow by Email box at the top of the sidebar. No Spamming!! Thank you.

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Travelogue: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios with Author Eric Price, Giveaway

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Hello and welcome to the Summer Travelogue series on the J.Q. Rose blog. You're in for a treat today as fantasy author Eric Price gives us the opportunity to step into the fantasy world of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.

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Writing, Rewriting, Revising, and When to Submit

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Today I am pleased to welcome Eric Price as this week's guest blogger, to talk about the writing process. This is something that's different for every writer, so let's hear about what it means for Eric. Writing, Rewriting, Revising, and When to Submit By Eric Price Coming up with ideas has never presented a problem...

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25. Dystopian & science fiction  short story by Eric Price

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25. Dystopian & science fiction  short story by Eric Price

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Part 3

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This concludes the three part story, Cloverleaf Project.
Click here for Part 1: Thank the Lucky Stars
Click here for Part 2: The Final Transmission

The beast came around the corner and eyed the dying man while Ray watched. All he could ever do in his dreams was watch. He knew it was a dream. He had had dreams like this his whole life. As a child, his mother would say, "It's only a nightmare." She quickly learned "only a nightmare" didn't begin to explain Ray's visions. He would see disasters, assassinations, devastating accidents. He had positive dreams too, but he seldom remembered them. They didn't stick with him. They didn't frighten him.

For a while, his mother thought he may have precognition. When she took him in for sleep screening, and they compared his results to the times of the actual events, they realized he didn't have the ability to see the future. The events he saw happened as he saw them.

As a thirty year old adult, time had not lessened the effects of the visions. It didn't desensitize him to them. If anything, they became worse. Stronger. More real. And now, as he watched some ungodly creature ripping Simon to shreds, he knew, beyond any doubt, his father was dead.

Ray awoke with a start. He sat in bed, gasping to catch his breath. Sweat ran down his chest like rain through a gutter. His bed sheets had been un-tucked and knotted into a ball. They fell to the ground as he sat, practicing the breathing exercises he had learned for the purpose of calming himself in the days before the sleep screening, back when they were "only nightmares."

He pulled on some clothes and headed down the hall to his mother's room. Her friend, Julie, had insisted she and Ray go into hiding. At first, just a seemingly casual move every few years. Don't make a big deal out of it. Don't mention it to anyone. But that changed a year ago when Adam P. Jackson, a childhood friend of Ray's parents, Simon and Susan, and their mutual friend Julie, announced his candidacy for president. The people involved with Cloverleaf Project started disappearing. Not the first group. All except Julie and Ray's mother had been sent on space exploration missions-from which they would never return. But the hundreds of babies born in the subsequent batches/breadings/broods, aside from enhanced strength, agility, intelligence and luck, they must have also been bread to withstand the effects of gravity. As far as anyone could tell, they may have floated into space.

Ray knew they hadn't disappeared without a cause. So did Julie and Susan. Ray knew where they went because he dreamed about it. Julie and Susan knew because Julie had always been a firm believer in the old cliché, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." She proved her loyalty to Adam time and time again so he would keep her employed as an advisor. She betrayed said loyalty by secretly keeping Susan and Ray in hiding.

"Mom? Mom, are you awake?"

The door opened and Susan looked wide awake. "Ray? It's 4:30 in the morning. I got up when I heard you screaming. Was it another dream? What's wrong?"

He looked over her shoulder at the clock on her night stand. "Yeah. Another one. Come to the kitchen. I'll brew a pot of coffee. I don't think I'll get any more sleep tonight."

Susan came into the kitchen fully dressed as Ray set two cups of Highlander Grogg on the table. He motioned for her to sit has he pulled out his own chair.

She didn't take her eyes off of him as he took a deep breath followed by a sip of his coffee.

"It's Dad."

Her gaze didn't waver, but the muscles around her eyes spasmed, and a layer of tears formed on the rim.

"Did he-? What happened?"

"Mom, he's dead."

"You're sure? Who am I kidding? Of course you're sure." A tear broke free of its eyelash levee and coursed down her cheek. "What happened?" Her voice cracked.

"Some kind of animal killed him. He hadn't landed very long ago. Something happened to his ship too. Another animal, some type of bug, ate the metal. He...he never sent the final transmission."

Susan took two large gulps from her cup and wiped the tears from her eyes. When she spoke again, her voice sounded as steady as ever. "We'll have to move again. Soon. They'll realize he should have landed by now. I'll throw my things together. Let's just go as soon as we can. How about sunrise?"

"No." Ray went to the coffee pot and refilled his cup. "I'm done running. We're done running."

"Ray, we knew it would come to this sooner or later. If Simon sent his transmission, it would have bought us some time. We're too high profile for Adam to attack us now. We'd have had at least until the election or maybe until his inauguration, but he'd have come for us. Now he can have us arrested, and it will be perfectly legal because Simon didn't send his final transmission containing details of Kapa1 Ceti VI."

He sat at the table and took his mother's hands in his own. "I have to stop Adam. You know as well as I do he's killing the other people created by Cloverleaf Project. You and I have always been top of the list; you for being married to Simon, and me for being a genetic impossibility since you and Dad were supposed to be sterile. Plus, I don't think they'd afford me the luxury of killing me. Not since they have no idea what special abilities I may have other than managing to beat the odds and live."

"Coffee on an empty stomach gives me the jitters." Susan refilled her cup, topped off Ray's, and brought a container of cinnamon rolls back to the table. "What do you suggest we do?"

Ray took a bite of cinnamon roll and took his time chewing it. He washed it down with a sip of coffee and said, "We aren't doing anything. You're almost sixty years old. I'll take care of it. I have to stop Adam. At the very least, I have to stop him from becoming president."

"First of all, I'm fifty-eight. That's almost fifty-nine, not almost sixty. Plus, I'm in better shape, both mentally and physically, than most people in their thirties and forties. Second, I'm your mother, and I'm sworn to protect you until the day I die."

"You've come to the reason why I'm going alone. With any luck, and we both have an exceptional amount of luck, neither of us will have to die." Ray paused to drink more coffee. "Adam's arms have a long reach, and his fingers dig well below the topsoil. Stopping him may take more than putting an end to his campaign for president. I don't know."

But he did know.

****

Adam read through his speech again. No mention of the disappearances. Perfect. The small amount of public outcry happened almost a month ago, and it died down as quickly as it started. It all came from the extremist branch of the other party, and nobody takes them seriously anyway.

A mention of my accomplishments. Discuss a few unattainable goals. Shake some hands, kiss some babies, and I'm sipping a cocktail on my private plane before noon. Do politicians still kiss babies? I should ask Julie.

A knock came at the door. Julie stuck her head in and said, "Mr. Jackson, it's time."

"Thank you, Julie. Oh, while you're here, should I kiss babies?"

Julie's brow furrowed, but quickly returned to its smooth appearance. "Sure. If someone presents you with their baby, you can kiss it." A smile brightened her serious face, somehow making her look younger yet showing the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. "Don't go picking up babies and kissing them if their parents don't offer them, though. People will think it's creepy."

Four security guards stood sentinel outside his door. They flanked Adam two by two as they traversed the corridor leading to the outdoor stage. The draft carried the salty taste of seawater on the air. Adam had considered keeping some of the Cloverleaf Project products. He could see the benefit they'd provide with security jobs, but he calculated the risk as too great. He couldn't have humans as advanced as himself walking around.

He had Julie where he wanted her. She thought him a savior of the human race. She'd be the last to die. But Simon's family. They presented a problem. First, he had no idea where to look for them. They show up every once in a while and disappear again without a trace. Julie would help him find them, then she could go too. Who knows, maybe at the same time.

A muffled sound behind Adam pulled him from his thoughts. He turned, but no one followed him-not even his bodyguards. Another sound came from the other direction, and Adam stood alone in the corridor.

"This ends today, Adam."

"What? Who said that? Show yourself. Is this some kind of prank?"

"You took something from me. Now I'm taking something from you."

Footfalls landed on the ground behind Adam. He spun to look into an all too familiar face. But not a face from the present, a face from the past.

"I know you. You're Simon's son. What's your name? Randal?"

"Raymond. My friends call me Ray, so you can call me Raymond."

Adam smiled. "I've been looking for you, kid. Well, I've been looking for your mom. You don't interest me much. Julie tells me you're not special. She says you may not even be Simon's son. What are the odds two sterile people could reproduce?"

Now Ray had a chance to smile. "You recognized me at once. I could see it in your eyes. You know as well as I do how much I look like him. They are my parents, and there's a lot about me you don't know."

Adam shot his hand into his sports coat and produced a classic Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum revolver.

With advanced genetics coming from both parents, Ray sidestepped the line of fire, and kicked Adam's arm skyward. Without his incredible strength, Adam would have never maintained a grip on the gun.

"Unbelievable. How can it be? How can you be?"

He lowered the gun level with Ray's head and pulled the trigger. The report sounded like a cannon in the corridor.

Ray's cheek stung from the graze of the bullet. He spun, backhanded Adam in the face, and ripped the gun from his hand.

Adam landed on the ground. A two inch gash below his right eye gushed blood. Disoriented and off balance from the blow, he struggled to get to his feet.

While Adam fought gravity, Ray opened the cylinder, checked the remaining rounds, and snapped it closed. A swift kick sent Adam sprawling. Ray stepped on the presidential candidates neck and rested the barrel of the gun on his forehead.

****

Susan passed through the hallway for probably the fifth or sixth time before she noticed the envelope on the table. Simple capital letters on the front said, "MOM." Her heart stopped as she fumbled with the seal and began to read.

Mom,

I'm sorry I couldn't tell you any of this face to face. I had another dream a few days before Dad died, and I knew what I'd have to do. I didn't want to worry you, or have you try to talk me out of it. This dream wasn't like the rest. It didn't show the present. I could see the future.

I have no way of knowing if my vision will work the way I saw it, but either way you'll have to go into hiding one more time.

Everyone will think I'm dead, but I'll be living incognito in the country you told me you most wanted to visit. I can't write it here in case someone by chance were to find this note before you. Of course, you should destroy it after you've read it. Go wherever Julie sends you, give everything a few months to settle down, then it should be safe to join me.

Love,

Ray

The phone rang, and Susan dropped the note.

"Answer phone. Hello?"

"Susan, it's Julie. Have you heardthe news?"

Thinking of the note, Susan asked, "What news?" Did Ray contact Julie as well?

"I can't talk, now. I just wanted to make contact with you. I'll have press conferences the rest of the day... maybe the rest of the week. I'll get back to you when I can. Turn on the television. It will answer your questions."

The conversation cut off with a click.

"Television on."

A light below the counter illuminated, and a three dimensional image showed a reporter standing in a stadium. A few moments later the audio started.

"...will keep you updated on any new findings. Here's what we know right now. Presidential candidate Adam P. Jackson has been assassinated. The identity of the gunman is currently unconfirmed. Witnesses report seeing a Caucasian male, of average build and about thirty years old, running from the crime scene. He then advanced east to the pear and jumped into the ocean. A body has not been retrieved, but he is believed dead."

"Television off."

Susan retrieved the note from under the table, set fire to it, and threw it into the fireplace. When the last embers turned to smoke, she went to her room and started packing.

Dedicated to Philip K. Dick (1928-1982), my go-to for a short science fiction fix.

****

Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper. Later that same year he published his first work of fiction, a spooky children's story called Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast. Since then, he has written stories for children, young adults, and adults. Three of his science fiction stories have won honorable mention from the CrossTime Annual Science Fiction Contest. His first YA fantasy novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, received the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Literary Classics Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Squire and the Slave Master, continues the Saga of the Wizards. It is scheduled for an August 4, 2015 release. Find him online at authorericprice.com, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

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This concludes the three part story, Cloverleaf Project. Click here for Part 1: Thank the Lucky Stars Click here for Part 2: The Final Transmission The beast came around the corner and eyed the dying man while Ray watched. All he could ever do in his dreams was watch.

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24. Dystopian & science fiction  short story by Eric Price

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24. Dystopian & science fiction  short story by Eric Price

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Part 2

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This is part two of a three part story. Click here for part 1: Thank the Lucky Stars

The blue oceans and green land of Kapa Ceti VI came into focus on the viewing screen before dissolving into static as Simon's craft penetrated the upper atmosphere. He knew it would return momentarily, but in the meantime, he had to fly completely blind.

The planet had two moons, but he didn't see any satellites created by intelligent life orbiting the planet. Entering on the dark side would have allowed him the opportunity to search for lights, and possibly cities. Yet he didn't fancy the added difficulty of spending his first few hours as a stranger in a strange land at night.

Lack of evidence of intelligent life from space didn't guarantee he wouldn't crash into some form of an atmospheric satellite or even a large flying creature. Though the odds of hitting something upon entry borderlined non-existent, he still found the thought disconcerting. After all, the odds declared his genetically engineered body incapable of reproducing. Yet he had a son. A son he had never met, and would never meet. A son who had probably aged around thirty years on Earth, while Simon hardly aged at all while traveling near the speed of light. A son who, unless Simon sent the final transmission about his findings on Kapa 1 Ceti VI, the government would kill as surely as they had sent Simon into space to search for an inhabitable planet as punishment for breaking into a secret floor of the Pentagon to learn about the Cloverleaf Project. A project involving him, and countless others, and the government's intent on breading super-humans: advanced in strength, agility, intelligence, and luck.

As far as Simon was concerned, his life only had one purpose now: explore the planet enough to send an accurate transmission regarding its inhabitability back to Earth. He considered his advanced gift/talent/power of luck. Did it even exist? The government tried to find a genetic code for luck, but did they succeed? The closest thing to proof he had was a son produced by two people intentionally bread sterile.

The viewing screen flickered on once, twice, three times before it finally held a picture. The land stopped abruptly at a vast ocean. He identified a river and gave the computer the final coordinates needed to land near the estuary. Having no idea if rivers contained fresh water while oceans consisted of undrinkable salt water like on Earth, he had no choice but to assume at least one of them would be drinkable.

"Computer, magnify the land."

The view of the planet below shifted and small fern like plants grew over the surface. Farther from shore, trees with dark green leaves towered over the vegetation below.

"Scan for signs of humanoid civilization."

A series of beeps followed the command.

"No signs of humanoid life within scanning radius."

"What is the scanning radius?"

"20 million square kilometers."

"Double the area and scan again."

Another series of beeps.

"No signs of humanoid life within scanning radius."

Well, with no humanoids here, I don't have to worry about the settlers from Earth coming and wiping them out...or the other way around.

When the shuttle landed, Simon opened the hatch and stepped onto a new world. The ground, covered by short, grass-like vegetation, crunched beneath his feet. Examining it, he found a layer of a black, sandy substance covering the soil. A shiny black stone nearby caught his attention.

"I think that's a meteorite."

When he picked it up, several long bugs, with sharp pincers on their heads and many fast moving legs, scurried to regain shelter. The underside revealed a hollowed center, giving the whole meteorite the appearance of half of a black coconut shell.

Having no use for it beyond mild curiosity, he cast the meteorite into a patch of shrubs.

The mid-day heat exceeded the temperate climate Simon came from, but it did not surpass the temperature of tropical climates on Earth. He wiped sweat from his forehead and decided he better locate drinkable water before exploring anymore of his new home.

It didn't surprise him to find the rivers flowed with fresh water, while the ocean contained an unbearable salt content. To his satisfaction, several small animals resembling eels snaked around the rocks in the stream.

Once he had his fill of water, Simon set off to discover the mysteries of a nearby forest. He had no intention of exploring too deeply. Just enough to send a report to Earth with adequate details to ensure the government would not harass his wife and son.

The sound of heavy footsteps and breaking tree branches greeted him as he approached the canopy of trees. He pulled a knife and gun from his belt. The knife was a generic stainless steel utility knife available at any discount department store. The gun, much like the spacecraft which delivered Simon to Kapa 1 Ceti VI, was one of his own inventions. Instead of firing a projectile, it shot a beam of condensed sound waves at adjustable frequencies. The damage it could inflict ranged from discomfort to knocking its victim unconscious. It could even stop the heart of anything up to the size of a human.

He cranked the adjustment to maximum. Whatever snapped the tree branches sounded much bigger than a human. His gun hand didn't tremble when he pointed it into the forest, but he lowered it when seven beasts about the size of elephants crashed into the clearing. They had a face shaped like a rhinoceros', but the horn protruded from between the eyes. Their bodies had a strange covering; not quite hair or scales. It looked like long, needle shaped scales growing thickest on the backs and shoulders of the creatures, but the hair-scales didn't appear rigid at all. They blew and swayed in the gentle breeze.

The front creature lowered its head, scooped up a mouthful of ferns, and began to chew. It cocked its head sideways, as it must have discovered Simon. It tilted its head in different directions, keeping one of its eyes fixed on Simon. The animal froze for a few seconds, rose on its hind legs, and thundered to the ground in three rapid stomps. The six trailing animals darted into the woods. The leader turned to run, but two bipedal carnivores, only slightly shorter than Simon, darted from some underbrush concealing them and attacked. The predators, with long beaks like vultures, sprinted lion fast-cheetah fast-and when they couldn't possibly run any faster, they each expanded two monstrous wings and soared after the larger animal. An earsplitting screech emitted from their beaks.

They struck feet first, and the sound of tearing flesh was drowned out by the shrill scream of the dying animal. Simon dropped his knife and steadied his gun with both hands to shoot the two assailants, but lowered it again without pulling the trigger. He resolved himself to only disturb the natural ecosystem of this planet enough to maintain his own survival.

The elephant sized creature stumbled to the edge of the woods before succumbing to its wounds and collapsing.

Simon picked up his knife only to find two of the long insects like he had seen before clinging to the blade. He shook it, sending them sailing in different directions. As he returned it to his belt, he noticed rough patches in the normally smooth surface. Two small, semi-circles of metal had disappeared from the knife.

He dropped the knife to the ground. An instant later one of the long bugs had latched itself to the blade.

"Insects that eat metal. They can't possibly get nutrition from it."

As the insect gnawed away at the blade of the knife, Simon pondered.

"They must need the metal. Maybe it aids them in their digestion."

He picked up a handful of the black sand covering the ground under the plant growth.

"It's small pieces of meteorite. They do eat metal-"

Simon spun so fast he almost lost his balance.

The loose sand provided a poor foothold when Simon jolted for the ship. He stumbled, almost regained his balance, and planted himself face first into the ground. The rough gravel skinned his palms and left cheek. Thrusting himself back to his feet, he made as much haste as possible without another wipe-out.

Bugs swarmed the surface of his ship. A screech, almost a scream, resonated from somewhere behind him, but he couldn't worry about it now. He had to get his final transmission sent before these vermin rendered it impossible.

Another loud screech. This one so close he had no choice but to turn. One of the vulture-faced predators swooped feet first, and its talons ripped open Simon's abdomen. He instinctively grabbed the gun with his right hand and blasted the beast. It toppled to the ground and convulsed. Simon's left hand tried to conceal the opening from which spewed his intestines. The snakelike feel of them slithering between his fingers repulsed him, but one obsessive thought pushed him forward: "My son."

Simon half crawled, half stumbled, up what remained of the ramp. His surroundings faded in and out of focus as he flung himself into the cockpit.

"This is Simon. I have landed...on Kapa 1 Ceti VI. Terrain...atmosphere...similar to Earth. No intelligent or humanoid...life...discovered. Two meter...bipedal...predators. Unknown population numbers. One attacked me. I'm...dying."

A coughing fit overtook him. The thought of death consumed him, and he welcomed it. The pain faded as death approached, but his obsession revived him. My son.

"I've done my part. I've sent information...about this planet. Leave my family alone, you bastards!" Another coughing fit. "Leave them alone."

Simon took a few deep breaths to steady his voice. His only remaining desire was to die with dignity.

"Computer, send transmission."

The surrounding darkness subsided once more.

"Computer, send the damn transmission."

"Unable to comply." The computer's voice sounded different. Slower. More drawn out.

Simon fell to his knees, barely aware of the squishy mess he knelt in. Wiping a swarm of bugs from the computer terminal. He entered the manual sequence to transmit the message. Nothing happened.

The latch under the computer slipped through Simon's blood soaked fingers. He fumbled with it a second and third time before it finally opened. The wiring had vanished. In its place dangled more of the atrocious metal eaters.

"My son...My son...Leave my son alone."

Another loud screech shook the walls of the cockpit. Simon looked at his gun, considered his options, and cast it across the room where it instantly became food for this new life form...this new growth. Every ounce of his remaining life swelled within his chest. He wouldn't die crying. He wouldn't exit life the way he started it. He had come too far. He wiped the tears from his eyes, no doubt replacing them with streaks of his own blood.With his last remaining strength he held his head high and looked death in the eye when it stuck its vulture head through the cockpit door.

To be concluded... May 17

Dedicated to Robert Heinlein (1907-1988), though I've only read a few of his stories, his writing style has influenced me as much as anyone's.
****

Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper. Later that same year he published his first work of fiction, a spooky children's story called Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast. Since then, he has written stories for children, young adults, and adults. Three of his science fiction stories have won honorable mention from the CrossTime Annual Science Fiction Contest. His first YA fantasy novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, received the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Literary Classics Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Squire and the Slave Master, continues the Saga of the Wizards. It is scheduled for an August 4, 2015 release. Find him online at authorericprice.com, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

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This is part two of a three part story. Click here for part 1: Thank the Lucky Stars The blue oceans and green land of Kapa Ceti VI came into focus on the viewing screen before dissolving into static as Simon's craft penetrated the upper atmosphere.

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23. Dystopian & science fiction  short story by Eric Price

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23. Dystopian & science fiction  short story by Eric Price

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I've heard it called the final frontier, the sea of tranquility, the great unknown. I call it solitude. Destitute.

I've told you in my previous transmissions that I consider myself lucky. When they caught us, they could have killed us. No one would have known. It was a risk we took, Sandra, Max, and myself. And when Adam found us, maybe that was luck too. I don't mean him catching us, of course. But better him than someone else.

I've never given you details about what we did or why we did it. By now you've probably figured out most of it.

Simon flipped off the video recording transmitter (VRT) and rubbed his eyes. He continued to shiver even after his third cup of hot chocolate. He could have drunk plain hot water to warm himself, his taste buds hadn't reawakened yet, but he needed the calories. The hibernation periods drained him. Now that he had awakened for the final time, he'd need to replenish himself by eating a minimum of 5000 calories a day until he landed on Kapa Ceti VI.

The planet appeared as a small pinprick on the viewing screen. The star itself burned on the left edge. Had all the ship's sensors not told him he had traveled nearly thirty light years, he'd have believed Kapa 1 Ceti the Earth's sun.

He walked away from the viewer and the dim yellow light it cast faded from the walls as it powered down. The walls of the ship reilluminated green as the food generator activated with his proximity.

"Hello, Simon." The epicene voice hadn't startled him since his first waking period. The fog of sleep still hung in his mind when he had first heard speaking on a space vessel allegedly occupied by a single passenger. When his heart rate slowed, he had felt completely awakened. Now, on his third waking period, he knew to expect the various components of the ship to strike up conversations, even if he didn't feel mentally revived. "What would you like? Another hot chocolate? Perhaps something to eat?"

"Yes. I'll have lasagna with extra cheese and three pieces of garlic bread." With a menu limited only by his own imagination, Simon knew he wanted his favorite childhood meal to start his rejuvenation before arriving on the planet. He decided it when the authorities sentenced him. He needed to connect with the life he had before he knew something was different about himself.

"Preparing one meal of lasagna with extra cheese and three pieces of garlic bread."

The soft, high-pitched whine of the food generators electric motors created a welcome background noise.

While he waited for his meal, he returned to the VRT to record more of his transmission.

We infiltrated the compound by walking through the main entrance. I'm serious. It was as easy as that. Sandra had a friend on the inside who printed us employee badges. And they call themselves the Department of Defense? Really?

Everybody knows about the five floors above ground and the two basement levels. They're great. Seriously. Even the western side, which had to get rebuilt after that hijacked plane flew into it, looks amazing.

I suppose you know about that. The plane I mean. They couldn't have erased it from the history books. Too many people remember where they were when it happened. I remember. My second grade teacher got called out of the room and returned with tears in her eyes. I didn't think anything could soften the heart of that old bitch. What did I know?

But back to the building. We didn't care about the seven floors everyone knew about. Our interests resided somewhere on the third basement floor. I know what you're thinking. 'There is no third basement.' Yes, it does have a third basement. I've seen it. And it's where you'll find all the good stuff. Area 51, Roswell, the Kennedy assassination, Bigfoot, Yeti, you name it. If it exists, and the government doesn't want you to know about it, the information is stored in the third basement.

So the files I wanted to see. The ones I needed to see. The ones about me. Yeah, they're three floors down. I didn't know Sandra and Max had connections too. I should have figured it out, but I didn't.

Most of the stuff I mentioned, the stuff about aliens and hairy monsters, I don't believe in any of it. Even after seeing the files. What I can tell you is the government keeps files on all of it. I read a few of the files. They didn't change my opinion. But I didn't come to read about them. I came to see if what I had heard had any truthful merit to it. Did I exist because of the Cloverleaf Project? And if so, what involvement did I have with it...or it with me.

A high pitched series of beeps alerted Simon to his prepared meal. His tastebuds watered as his olfactory receptors started to revive from slumber. He brought the lasagna back to the work station and placed what looked like a wire hat on his head. Two sharp probes tightened against his temples, almost piercing the skin. Simon preferred the VRT, but to ensure he included every detail of his break-in at the Pentagon, he needed to use the memory extractor (ME).

His wife's face came into focus on the view screen. Even on the day of this image, the final day she would see him as a free man, she had no idea what he had planned. Should he have told her? Probably not. They would have come for her too. Her ignorance kept her free then, and his completion of this mission will ensure she remains free. Or will it? Can he trust the government to uphold their end of the bargain? For all he knew, they had arrested her the second his shuttle launched.

No. They'd have no reason to arrest her. They knew she had nothing to do with any of it. After hooking her to an ME for three days, she didn't have a single private memory left.

He focused his mind. The image of his wife faded. The long wall of the Pentagon replaced it.

Two security guards stepped onto the elevator. Simon cast a glance at Max to make sure he kept his composure. Simon thought he looked nervous, but it was hard to tell. Max always looked nervous. Sandra on the other hand, she could handle anything.

The guards only rode down two floors. When the elevator stopped on the first basement, Simon, Sandra, and Max exited.

Simon pointed to the left. "If we follow this hall, we'll come to another series of four elevators. We take one back up to the fourth floor where we'll find a fifth elevator marked 'Maintenance Only.' Our badges should open it. It only goes to the second basement. A secret corridor not accessible any other way. A few top secret offices line the hall, and at the end we'll find a stairway to the third basement. The one that supposedly doesn't exist. The offices should all be vacant for the weekend."

They followed the maze and found themselves on a floor clearly not the size of the entire Pentagon. Most of the small offices contained numerous file cabinets and a small desk. The offices had no labeling announcing their contents.

"Well, let's split up and see what we can find."

Simon headed into an office and started browsing through the file cabinets. The first had photos of world leaders meeting with aliens and transcripts of their conversations. He randomly selected one and started reading before tossing it aside to focus on his objective. The next cabinet had photos, transcripts of eyewitness accounts, and hair samples of tall, apelike men. He didn't even bother reading these before moving on to the next file cabinet.

The first folder had a tab reading Cloverleaf Project. The cover had an image of a four leaf clover. Each leaf had a different word written on it: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Luck. The first sheet in the folder read:

In an attempt to create the perfect human, top geneticists from around the world will collaborate to create a genetically superior human. They will combine DNA from human subjects with extraordinary qualities in at least one of the following characteristics: strength, agility, and intelligence. The experiment will also take DNA from individuals with seemingly unnatural luck to answer the questions: Does luck exist? And if so, can it pass through genes?

The first batch will consist of six artificially created zygotes (three male and three female) implanted into female volunteers all deemed unable to conceive naturally. As an added precaution, the test subjects, once mature, will be sterile. This will serve two purposes. First, it will prevent the artificial genes from contaminating the normal human gene pool. Second, many of the geneticists fear if two of our test subjects were to reproduce, it may create an Fhybrid superhuman.

Simon riffled through the pages to find extensive notes on the process, the specific genes isolated, and prenatal care given to the expectant mothers. Finally he found the page he wanted. A list of birth records. Just as he expected, he found his own name, date of birth, and his mother's name. He read the remainder of the names.

He staggered backward and sat in an office chair. It almost rolled out from under him, but he grabbed the arm and secured it. He read the names again.

His head spun. Flashes of his life danced before his eyes. Images of his childhood. College. He knew them all. He always had. He couldn't remember a time without them. He read the names again, first to himself, then aloud.

"Sandra. Max. Julie. Adam. No. No. Not her too." He read the last name ten times. Fifteen. Twenty. "Not Susan. Not my wife."

He flipped back to the overview and reread the last paragraph. How they had wanted children. How they had tried. For how many years? Seven? Nine?

Sandra burst into the office.

"I thought I heard you scream."

He looked at her through eyes glassed over with tears.

Max came to Sandra's side and she pushed on. "What is it Simon? Did you find what we came for? Are you part of Cloverleaf Project?

Simon couldn't speak. He reached across the desk and handed the list of births to Sandra.

Sandra took the list, read it, and handed it to Max.

Max read the list and threw it to the ground.

The alarm in his voice instantly sobered Simon. "What? Why?" But as he asked, he sprang to his feet.

"I may have blown everything. I told Adam you suspected you had involvement with the Cloverleaf Project."

"So? You didn't tell him our plan, did you? You didn't tell him we planned on breaking in here?"

"No. But I didn't have to. He just knows things. He always has had a way of just knowing."

They bolted for the door. Simon jerked it open. A flash of silver and Simon felt the barrel of a gun press against his head. His instincts wanted to snatch the gun in a swift movement. He knew he could, but his eyes focused down the hall at the fifteen other guns pointed at them. A tall, muscular man with dark hair stepped forward.

"I hope you found what you came for, Simon."

"Adam, listen, this concerns you too."

A single laugh escaped Adam's throat. "I know. I've seen all the files. They showed them to me when I took the job. Sure, my badge says 'Pentagon Security,' but I've only had one objective: protect these files from anyone else involved with Cloverleaf Project. We weren't the only batch of super babies, you know. The project ran for ten years. Eventually someone would learn they may have been a part of it and want in here."

Adam gestured toward the stairway. "Come along, now, we have a special new punishment lined up to try on you three."

Simon removed the ME and rubbed his temples. He placed his plate, utensils, and napkin back into the food generator.

"Recycling initiated," said the not-quite-human voice.

The low hum of the engines started again, and he returned to the VRT.

So we received our sentence. Sandra, Max, and myself each got sent different directions in space. Three pioneers to the three closest planets potentially habitable by humans. I have no idea how much of this you already know. I didn't say anything in my previous transmissions. I knew the government would screen them. You'd have never seen them... Or at the least you wouldn't get them in their entirety. My only hope for you to hear this one is if Julie still works for the department. This is the last message I can send you. I only have one transmission beacon left, and it has to contain information about the planet I land on. If I fail to send it, the government will come for you.

If I calculated correctly, and if the ship's sensors are accurate, which I'm sure they are-I designed them myself-you should be about 30 years old now. It's challenging to conceive, even for me, since I'm not much older than that myself. But by traveling nearly the speed of light, my ageing doesn't progress like yours.

I've spent my time between hibernation periods pondering my decisions. Did I do the right thing? Was it worth it? I think I did. And it was. I only learned of your existence the day they sent me into space. By all accounts, you shouldn't exist. I guess we really were lucky. My only regret is that I'll never get to meet you.

To be continued... April 17

Dedicated to Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015), without whom, modern science fiction would likely not exist.

****

Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper. Later that same year he published his first work of fiction, a spooky children's story called Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast. Since then, he has written stories for children, young adults, and adults. Three of his science fiction stories have won honorable mention from the CrossTime Annual Science Fiction Contest. His first YA fantasy novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, received the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Literary Classics Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Squire and the Slave Master, continues the Saga of the Wizards. It is scheduled for an August 4, 2015 release. Find him online at authorericprice.com, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

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I've heard it called the final frontier, the sea of tranquility, the great unknown. I call it solitude. Destitute. I've told you in my previous transmissions that I consider myself lucky. When they caught us, they could have killed us. No one would have known. It was a risk we took, Sandra, Max, and myself.

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different versions of chapter 3 :)

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21. Author Spotlight - Author Eric Price on his award winning book, Unveling the Wizards' Shroud

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21. Author Spotlight - Author Eric Price on his award winning book, Unveling the Wizards' Shroud

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Author Spotlight - Author Eric Price on his award winning book, Unveling the Wizards' Shroud

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WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY? As a child, I didn't like reading. That all changed in junior high when ...

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20. 2nd version of chapter 3 by Alix & Mathieu

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20. 2nd version of chapter 3 by Alix & Mathieu

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19. Webinar about the project featuring Eric Price, his editor, other writers and Marie-Hélène Fasquel on September 10, 2015. Students and parents alike are welcome! More information will be added later on.

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19. Webinar about the project featuring Eric Price, his editor, other writers and Marie-Hélène Fasquel on September 10, 2015. Students and parents alike are welcome! More information will be added later on.

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18. Blog post .. Please visit it and read the post and all the wonderful comments. You can also comment and post your ideas about the project!

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18. Blog post .. Please visit it and read the post and all the wonderful comments. You can also comment and post your ideas about the project!

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Eric Price, award-winning fantasy writer, has agreed to be interviewed twice by my students and they are currently re-writing the third chapter of his novel, Unveiling the Wizard's Shroud. This collaboration has been fantastic and is still ongoing as Eric and I have new plans for the coming school year! Here is the first article. (published by the Café Pédagogique). Here is the second one published on Eric's author website. Here is the Padlet I'm using to share flipped resources with my class.

And here is the first student version of chapter 3. Eric and I will soon give a webinar together about the whole project (on September 10, 2015.) Feel free to comment upon it and to share your feelings with the students!

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Article about my OIB literature class -- Collaborating with an American author and becoming one!

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Eric Price, award-winning fantasy writer, has agreed to be interviewed twice by my students and they are currently re-writing the third chapter of his novel, Unveiling the Wizard's Shroud. This collaboration has been fantastic and is still ongoing as Eric and I have new plans for the coming school year!

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Today we are spending a little extra time getting to know Lightning Quick Reads author, Eric Price.

First let's take a gander at Eric's bio:

Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper. Later that same year he published his first work of fiction, a spooky children's story called Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast. Since then, he has written stories for children, young adults, and adults. Three of his science fiction stories have won honorable mention from the CrossTime Annual Science Fiction Contest. His first YA fantasy novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, received the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Literary Classics Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Squire and the Slave Master, scheduled for an August 4, 2015 release, continues the Saga of the Wizards. He is a member of SCBWI. Find him online at authorericprice.com.

LQR: Tell our readers a little about you.

Eric: I lead a fairly mundane life, which is exactly how I want it. I work on my wife's family farm and write. That, as well as my children's sports and other activities, keeps me busy... sometimes busier than I'd like. We spend most of our free time and money traveling. I think kids learn more from first hand experiences than they ever will in a classroom.

LQR: If you had to pick only one moment that spurred you to write professionally, what moment is the most defining/inciting?

Eric: The moment I go back to the most is when I found a secondhand copy of Stephen King's The Shining. I didn't like to read as a child. I found this book when I was in seventh grade, and it changed everything for me. It's the first book I read entirely for my own pleasure. It spurred me to get into other authors like Poe and Irving, and before long I started to think I could probably create a story too.

LQR: Does the majority of your work focus around or within a single theme? If so, what is it?

Eric: I don't really set out to write about any certain themes, yet most of my ideas, at least to some extent, seem to focus on fighting against corruption. I think I have a rather cynical world view, especially about those in positions of power. From business management, school boards, city councils, and everything up to world leaders, I have a hard time trusting individuals to make decisions based on the greater good and not putting their own self-interest above all else.

LQR: Tell us what you're currently working on currently.

Eric: I'm in the editing process of The Squire and the Slave Master. It's book two of the Saga of the Wizards, which started with Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud (and assuming my publisher accepts it, concludes with A Wizard Reborn). My working titles for these books were Yara's Sequel and Owen's Sequel respectively. After Unveiling, Yara and Owen follow different paths, so a large portion of the two sequels overlap. It's been challenging to write, but I like experimenting with different styles. Oh, I guess I should say a little about what actually happens in the book. Here's a blurb:

After the adventure to save King Kendrick, for Yara, everyday life has grown monotonous. The dull work of learning her father's blacksmithing trade, and the pressure from her parents to decide what she plans on doing with her life, has her nerves so stressed she snaps at her father's slightest teasing.

Lucky for her, a surprise messenger from the castle brings the king's request for her to join a collaborative mission between the Central and Western Domains of Wittatun to stop a recently discovered slave operation in a land to the west. King Kendrick and Owen want her to accompany the mission as a secret weapon disguised as a squire.

She has to keep secret not only her magical abilities from any possible traitors, but also her gender. The people of the Western Domain have a superstition prohibiting girls from sailing. But a chill wind carries the distinct odor of sabotage. Can one girl survive to destroy an evil rooted much deeper than mere slavery?

The Squire and the Slave Master is scheduled for an August 4, 2015 release as an eBook.

LQR: What is one of your favorite authorial moments from your career so far?

Eric: I've had some great classroom visits the past month. I've been working with an American Literature class in France. I did Skype interviews with them in two sessions, and they are working on a project for me. After reading the first two chapters of Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, they had an assignment to write what they thought would come next. If I can figure out how, I'm going to post them on my website and let people vote for their favorite. I'll send the winners a copy of the book.

On the same day as the second interview, I also spoke in person to a middle school literature class in my hometown. They read my book as a class assignment (it was slightly above their reading level, so they took it slow and had a lot of classroom discussion). They all enjoyed it a lot, and for some of them it was their first experience with fantasy. Seeing the excitement in their faces in talking to me about the book was a great experience. They even did some book related artwork. I'm planning a blog post about both interviews.

LQR: Share with us a five year and ten year goal for your writing career.

Eric: I hope to have a book out every year or every other year. I've finished the first book of what I hope to be a three book middle grade series, and I have several standalone titles, some even for adults, in the planning phase.

LQR: Do you write what you read? Watch? What are your favorite television shows and movies?

Eric: I tend to read a little of everything, and my writing does tend to follow suit. My first love was horror, and the first story I ever had published was a spooky children's tale. When I started reading a lot of science fiction, I wrote a few sci-fi stories. Some of them even won awards. When I moved on to reading fantasy, I wrote Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud. Lately I've been reading a lot of P.I. books. So far I don't have any stories of my own surfacing.

I recently watched the complete series of How I Met Your Mother over the course of about a month. I'm impressed by the writing on that show more than any other I can think of. Every detail, no matter how trivial it seems at the time it's introduced, works its way back into the plot.

LQR: If you had one week away from any and all responsibility what would you want to spend your time doing?

Eric: I can think of roughly a million things to do, and they'd all be somewhere around the Tropic of Cancer.

LQR: Anything else you'd like to add?

Eric: Just a plea from all authors: Please review our books, and if you liked it, tell your friends about it. I'm not as good at writing reviews as I should be, but I do try to make up for it by telling others about the books/authors I like. These are the two most helpful things you can do to promote a book or author you like.

LQR: Where can readers find you online?

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Spotlight on Young Adult Author, Eric Price

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Today we are spending a little extra time getting to know Lightning Quick Reads author, Eric Price. First let's take a gander at Eric's bio: Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper.

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16. Blog update about our project by Eric Price (April 9, 2015)

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16. Blog update about our project by Eric Price (April 9, 2015)

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15. Article Café Pédagogique (April 9, 2015)

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15. Article Café Pédagogique (April 9, 2015)

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The students are still working on their assignment. They will habd them in at the end of April. But this one is ready! Well done!

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=The last I knew he resided in the Land of Fire

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13. Interview of a character by Eric Price

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13. Interview of a character by Eric Price

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Today I am excited to turn the blog over to fellow MuseItUp author Eric Price, and Owen, a character from Eric's upcoming debut novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud. Take it away, Eric!

When I sat down to write a blog post for Mary, I intended to put together a mock newspaper story like I did for Katie Carroll, which her readers seemed to like a lot. But as often happens when I write, and I think other authors have this issue as well, something completely different appeared on my screen.

A few months ago, my publisher, Muse It Up Publishing, suggested a blog theme of having your main character interview you. This seemed like an interesting idea, but I never found time to do it. Well, it finally happened. Owen convinced me to meet, and he got some things off his chest. The interview didn't go as well as I had hoped. He seems to have a chip on his shoulder about some of the stuff he got into during Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud, and he blames me. As if I had anything to do with it! I just opened a window into his world and wrote what I saw. But how do you convince someone who's never seen a computer something like that? I did manage to find someone a lot like myself at the same age. In that regard, I guess we were destined to bump heads a bit. Is this what I have to look forward to when my boys are teenagers?

If you like what you see, you can buy the book and enter the contest. If you want the book, but don't care about the T-shirt, hold on to your confirmation number anyway. I plan on holding more contests in the coming weeks. Just check authorericprice.com to stay up to date on what promotions I'm running. Some, I think, are very interesting. I'll have a chance to see who really pays attention when they read my book.

Here's the interview as I received it from Owen. I thought about editing it to make myself look better, but decided against it.

Eric enters the room and his eyes instantly dart to the sword I left on the desk. He takes his hands out of his pockets and reaches for the sword. He must change his mind because he withdraws his arm and sits in an empty chair. He faces me with his back to the sword.

Owen: Thanks for meeting with me today, Eric.

Eric: You're welcome, Owen.

Owen: What is this room?

Eric: It's my office.

Owen: What do you do in your office?

Eric: I write.

Owen: Ah, yes, you write. That's the reason I wanted to talk to you in the first place. Before you came along, I spent my days studying, practicing swordplay, and exploring the forest. You ruined everything. You made me team up with Cedric, you put my father's life in danger, you almost got Yara killed.

Eric: Yara did not almost die.

Owen: Hard telling what could have happened in that cave, and you put her there.

Eric: I did no such thing. She got herself into the situation. She wasn't even supposed to come with you, remember? Besides, I just tell people what happens in your world. I don't alter the course of events.

Owen: How am I supposed to believe you? Everything was fine before you came along.

Eric: I just came into your life and started writing about events the day everything changed for you. Don't you think it would have been kind of boring if I'd have just written about you studying, practicing swordplay, and exploring?

Owen: Are you calling my life boring?

Eric: No. I'm just saying readers want to see how characters handle situations different than their normal daily routine.

I slam my charred-looking hand on the table.

Owen: This hand is certainly different than my normal routine. Are you going to do anything to fix it?

Eric: I can't do anything about it; I've already told you that. But I have looked ahead in your world. I think another event is going to happen. You may even get a solution to your hand problem.

Owen: When are you going to write this story?

Eric: I don't know. I've got at least two works in front of it. Maybe three. Yara has been asking for her own book too.

Owen: Don't you do anything to hurt Yara.

Eric: I've already told you, I don't decide what happens. Besides, you've known Yara as long as anyone. She can take care of herself.

Owen: What have you seen of her story?

Eric: Not much. It looks like she'll be leaving Wittatun for a while. She has to travel across the sea. I think she's going to meet some mermaids and mermen.

Owen: Mermen?

Eric: Yes, mermen. Are you alright with that, or do I sense a tinge of jealousy? You don't have a crush on her, do you?

Owen: For Yara? No. She's like my sister. But I worry about her, and I've seen what kind of stories you like to write. Also, I've never heard of mermen. The seamen only tell stories of the beautiful mermaids they come across on their voyages.

Eric: Well, everyone leaves out some details of their stories. And as far as mermaids being beautiful... well, I've heard beauty is in the eye of the beholder. They're a bit scaly for my taste.

Owen: Alright. So after Yara's voyage and safe return...

Eric: I didn't say she'd have a safe return.

Owen: After Yara's voyage AND SAFE RETURN, do you think you'll be able to solve this hand issue?

Eric: I don't know for sure. I just saw a glimpse of it, and it looked different. It seemed to work better for you.

Owen: I better let you get back to your writing, so you can finish these books. I'd hate to spend the rest of my life like this.

I stand to leave and grab the sword from his desk. I scrape the point on purpose, leaving a scratch down the top of his cherry wood desk.

Owen: That's for the hand.
Wow! Thanks Eric and Owen. That was quite an interview. I'm very curious now to see what happened to Owen's hand. If you're as curious as I am, head on over and pre-order your copy today!

As the only son to King Kendrick, Owen despises the idea of being king one day. Magician may be the only career he'd like less. He has dreaded the days leading up to his fifteenth birthday, when his father will certainly declare Owen heir to the throne. But at the birthday celebration, his father falls ill. The only person in the kingdom that may be able to save him is a magician-the very same magician Owen holds responsible for the death of his mother.

Owen and his companions will have to travel the continent of Wittatun in search of the cure for King Kendrick. On the journey, they will battle strange beasts and harsh climates, befriend extraordinary magicians, and meet a dragon before returning to Innes Castle-where much has happened in the days since he departed.

SPECIAL:
Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud comes out November 22. It's available to pre-order now on the Muse It Up Publishing website. If you pre-order it, save your confirmation number and enter it into the rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a T-shirt featuring the beautiful cover art by CK Volnek. I'd even scribble my name across the shirt, if you so desire.

Available in all sizes. For US mailing addresses only, sorry. Non-US readers, if you pre-order, keep your confirmation number as well. I have more giveaways planned for after the release.

Hmmm. Eric gave me a teaser from the story, and it makes me wonder if this is where Owen injured his hand. What do you think?

Owen halted in his tracks. Did the magician really just suggest they stroll into the perils and scorching heat of the accursed land? He shook his head in disgust.
"Did you say the Land of Fire?"
Cedric stopped and looked back at Owen, a casual expression gracing his face. "Yes."
"So we have to cross Death Desert?"
"Indeed, we do."
Owen could feel rage bubbling at his temples. His vision lost focus, and his voice sounded more like the grunt of a wild boar than a human. "You know I can't get beyond the outer rim! If the heat doesn't kill me, the animals will!"
"You can, and will, get through Death Desert," Cedric's mustache twitched as he attempted to smile through his mass of facial hair. "But we'll have to use magic."
Want to learn more about Eric and his characters? You can find him:

Website/Blog authorericprice.com
Twitter: @ AuthorEricPrice
Facebook: Author Eric Price and Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud

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Eric Price and Owen from UNVEILING THE WIZARDS SHROUD

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Today I am excited to turn the blog over to fellow MuseItUp author Eric Price, and Owen, a character from Eric's upcoming debut novel, Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud. Take it away, Eric! When I sat down to write a blog post for Mary, I intended to put together a mock newspaper story like I did for Katie Carroll, which her readers seemed to like a lot.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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10. Answers and questions from the students (see post n°7)

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10. Answers and questions from the students (see post n°7)

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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7. Letter from Eric Price to the students

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7. Letter from Eric Price to the students

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Three Times A Charm with Eric Price and a Giveaway

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Welcome to Three Times A Charm. I love meeting new authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the children's publis...

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Interview
Let's learn more about Eric Price!