“Panegyric” or “The End of Save-a-Word Saturday”

And now for the grand finale (yes, it’s true) of Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

The final theme: Finale.

The word: “Panegyric”, a noun meaning “a lofty oration or writing in praise of a person or thing; a eulogy”.

The example:

Will Scarlet stares ahead, expression dazed, the threat of tears in his twitching eye. “I can’t believe it’s ending.”

“All things do,” Allyn replies, though not without sympathy. “But we’ve made a good show of it, have we not? Every week since the ninth of February – nine whole months of Saturdays out of the year-long existence of the blog hop – we’ve married archaic words with arbitrary themes whilst sharing small glimpses of our story-world that even devoted readers of our future ‘Outlaws of Avalon’ trilogy would not otherwise have seen. That is a feat worth remembering with pride, and—”

“I don’t want to hear a panegyric, minstrel!” Will moans in frustration. “I don’t want to lay a lily on the grave of my beloved Save-a-Word Saturdays!”

“A rose, then?” Allyn suggests. “Perhaps a feather, as well?”

“I see what you did there. Seriously, though, we can’t let this end here. I need my Saturdays in the spotlight. More than that: My adoring fangirls need them!”

“But the event’s creators have declared this to be the finale.”

“Yeah, okay,” Will says, pacing back and forth as his mind’s mechanics pick up speed. “So we create a new event. One curtain falls, another rises. Our author’s still got a blog, and we’ve still got mad showmanship skillz. I’ve got it!” He snaps his fingers and spins around to point at Allyn. “Remember that thing we did, once? The ‘Peter and the Wolf’’ thing?”

An involuntary expression of pained horror crosses Allyn’s face. “You’re not suggesting a resurrection of ‘Will and Allyn’s Storytime Musical Theatre’, are you?”

“One better: ‘Will and Allyn’s Interactive Theatre’!”

“Wait—”

“Right, that’s the acronym. Just think of it!” Will spreads his hands before him, eyes dancing with a manic light. “Every Saturday, you and I and potentially other members of the Merry Men and the ‘Outlaws’ cast in general can do more or less as we’ve been doing all along, except instead of working with themes and ancient words, we’ll be working with suggestions from the audience!”

“What kind of suggestions?” Allyn asks uneasily.

Will Scarlet grins. “Anything they want. They can toss out words or phrases we’ve got to include, a prop to use, a prompt to run with… anything. We will ‘Yes, And’ the heck out of it like the professional improvisers we are, the audience will wet themselves laughing, and the public attention requirement for my fragile ego’s health will be met. Winning all around.”

“Well,” Allyn says, bracing for the inevitable, “I suppose if the readers would be interested…”

“Pfft, ‘suppose’. Why suppose anything when we can know for a fact? Go on, all you beautiful reader people.” Will gestures to the comment section below with a smile of anticipation. “Lay it on us: What do you want to see next?”

“Montivagant” or “Holiday Is Where the Heart Is”

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with my vignettes generally pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post them here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day.

The theme: Journeys.

The word: “Montivagant”, an adjective meaning “wandering over hills and mountains”.

The Example:

The pair lay back on the lake’s bank, eyes on the summer stars, the sleepy silence between them slow to break, until, “If you could journey anywhere,” Will said at last, “where would you go?”

Allyn shrugged a shoulder in the grass. “I’ve never much cared. The ‘where’ means less than the ‘who’. To make my montivagant way to our world’s edge and back with Father was no better or worse than to sit still with him in one place. Only perhaps the latter was the more thrilling,” he supposed, “for being the rarer.”

Will’s head turned Allyn-ward. “So you would be pleased to lie here just like this, night after night?”

“With my band brother beside me?” Allyn touched a hand to Will’s elbow. “Every night forever.”

“Hmmph,” said Will, returning his gaze to the sky. “Well, maybe a stay-still forever with you won’t be so bad.”

Allyn smiled. “Time may tell.”

“Bowdlerize” or “Words and Wallpaper Unfit to Print”

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with my vignettes generally pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post them here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day.

The theme: Wallpaper Removal.

The word: “Bowdlerize”, a verb meaning “to remove those parts of a text considered offensive, vulgar, or otherwise unseemly”.

The Example:

“Take it down.”

“But—”

“Take, it, down,” Merlin repeated, each word hard and distinct as the first drops of a freezing rain.

“It will help with insulation!” Will argued. “You know how drafty castles are. And so dreary, with all this dull gray stone everywhere. High time we got a bold pattern and splash of color to liven things…” He trailed off into silence beneath the wizard’s glare, full of sentiment he suspected his sensitive author would be forced to bowdlerize if spoken aloud.

“Mr. Scarlet,” Merlin said quietly. “You will remove every scrap of this hideous wallpaper from the Round Table room by morning, or you will suffer.”

Will swallowed. “Suffer what?”

“Not half of what I do,” Merlin grumbled, stalking away toward his supply of aspirin.

<<<>>>

IN UNRELATED NEWS: If you haven’t yet, don’t forget to enter the “Inspired” Journal Giveaway, where winning the delightful notebook of your choice could be as easy as answering a fun question about muses, ideas, and of course, inspiration. I draw the seven winning names on Monday, so delay ye not!

“Sagittipotent” and the “One More Day” e-ARC Winner!

*Stay tuned at the end of this post for the announcement of the winner of the e-ARC of the “One More Day” anthology!*

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with my vignettes generally pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post them here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day

The theme: Chandeliers.

The word: “Sagittipotent,” an adjective meaning “having great ability in archery”.

The Example:

“Aaand it’s another bull’s-eye,” Will sighed, plucking the shaft from the straw target. “I hate to say it, Robin, but this is beginning to lose the thrill of surprise.”

Robin lowered his bow, shrugging in acknowledgement. “’Tis the price the sagittipotent must pay, I’m afraid. What would you have me do? Shoot blindfolded and drunk?”

“One, yes, we are so doing that!”

“I wasn’t being serious, Will.”

“Two,” Will continued, “I think it’s time we found you a challenge beyond simply hitting things with your arrows. What say we move this operation into the Round Table room and see if you can’t shoot out the flame of a candle in the chandelier?”

“Tempting,” said Robin. “Honestly tempting. But I don’t believe the residents of the castle would appreciate that.”

“I’m a resident of the castle, and I’m all for it! Come on!” Will dashed away across the Archer’s Green, calling behind him, “Last one there buys the ale for the blindfolded and drunk round!”

Shaking his head, Robin stayed where he was, and eyed the straw target in contemplation. Maybe trying to draw the bow left-handed would shake things up a bit.

<<<>>>

And now, the name of the lucky duck who gets to read a copy of the upcoming YA anthology “One More Day” ahead of its December 2^nd release…

Eric Wilder!

Congratulations! I’ll be in contact to get you your e-ARC courtesy of J. Taylor Publishing A.S.A.P. You’re in for a treat with the fun variety of stories therein (including, of course, my own contribution, “A Morrow More”.) I can’t wait to hear what you think of the book!

As for everyone else, sit tight. December will be here before half of us are ready for it, and then you’ll be able to scoop up a lovely e-copy or paperback of your own. ;D

<<<>>>

What if today never ends?

What if everything about life—everything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experience—never happens?
Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying … that’s where you’d be … forever.

Unless …

In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.

How do we restart time?

How do we make everything go back to normal?

The answers, in whatever the world—human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale—could, maybe, happen today.

Right now.

What would you do if this happened … to you?

“Ostent” or “By Your [Autumn] Leave”

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with my vignettes generally pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post them here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day

The theme: Fall Leaves.

The word: “Ostent”, a noun meaning “display, show, manifestation”.

The Example:

Robin woke to an ostent of autumn. Sherwood’s treetops seemed to have all caught fire overnight, the misty light of early morning as smoke to the flaming red and gold of the leaves.

All too soon, Robin thought with an internal sigh of displeasure, those leaves would fall from overhead, thinning the cover for his Men who would hide there, crunching underfoot when they would fain walk in silence. And all of it a harbinger of winter, a cruel season for most any Englishman, still worse for the poor and the outlaws who fought for them.

All told, Robin felt he had little enough to thank autumn for – though he wagered his cousin would feel differently.

“Today, Robin?” Will asked, the eager hope in his face drawing a smile out of his harried leader.

“Today, Scarlet,” he consented. “Go forth in hood of red until we don our winter coats of brown.”

Will Scarlet leapt with a near-silent whoop, seized Robin to kiss him full on the lips, and scampered away to make the most of his favorite few weeks of the year.

“Obfuscate” plus #PonyFest13 Update

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with my vignettes generally pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post them here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day – a sequel to the “buttered toast” themed S-a-W-S a few weeks back.

The theme: Bacon.

The word: “Obfuscate”, a verb meaning “to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy”.

The Example:

All hope of a quiet breakfast dissipated as Allyn and Little John were joined by a breathless Will Scarlet. “All right, fight practice is over, here I am! Sorry I’m late!”

At the sight of the partially empty skillet sitting on the banked fire, he moaned. “…Sorrier than even I first supposed. I can’t believe you people didn’t save me any bacon!”

“No bacon to save,” said Little John, in his habitually minimal manner.

“As is evident,” said Allyn, gesturing to the skillet, “he chose to make sausage this morning.”

“Sausage over bacon??” Will’s stare for Little John suggested the man utterly obfuscated him. “It’s like you’re not even American.”

Little John gave him a loaded look. “We’re not.”

“Like that’s an excuse,” Will grumbled, dropping to a seat on the ground and piling the remainder of the sausages atop a generous slice of toast. “Destroying the evidence,” he said, when Allyn opened his mouth to protest. “When Robin and Marion arrive, we’ll tell them it was bacon. Your reputation will thank me later, Little John.”

“Which will be more than Robin and Marion will do,” said Allyn under his breath.

<<<>>>

IN OTHER NEWS, the polls are open in #PonyFest13 (as hosted by Rebecca Enzor)! If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, my “Stone Kingdom” leading man Edgwyn Wyle explained it all during last week’s Save-a-Word Saturday. As a reminder in brief, if my pony design racks up the most votes, I’ll win a sweet prize package including various books and (wow-y-wow-wow) an actual My Little Edgwyn Pony doll, custom made!

So if you’re looking at my pony pic thinking, “Aw-w, how can I resist voting for a cutie like that?!” then throw resistance to the wind, hop on over here, and cast your vote for my ponyfied tailor! Huge, mega-appreciative thanks in advance to all you kind souls who do. (: May the best pony win!

“Habiliment” or “My Little Edgwyn (#PonyFest13!)”

I’ve got a very special Save-a-Word Saturday for you today, folks! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what the day usually means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with my vignettes generally pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post them here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day – plus an adorable treat!

The theme: Masks.

The word: “Habiliment”, a noun meaning “clothes, dress, attire, outfit”.

The Example:

“An inter-storyworld costume party!” Will Scarlet enthuses, rummaging through his chest of elaborate garments. “This is going to be great! We’ve never gotten to hang out with Danielle’s other characters in public before!”

“Well, the party itself won’t be in public,” Allyn-a-Dale points out. “And that’s assuming there’s to be any real party at all. She’s just using this scene of us talking about it to further her own ends, as authors will do.”

“Leave me my fantasy, minstrel. Blast it all,” he complains, digging deeper through the trunk. “I haven’t the faintest idea what to wear. I daren’t show up in the same habiliment as anyone else – that’s tackiness defined!”

“I doubt anyone else will come arrayed as flamboyantly as you, Will.”

Will’s eyes narrow in apprehension. “I know one of them who just might. Ho, tailor person!” he calls, pitching his voice to travel across the loose boundaries between the worlds of his author’s creation. “What are you wearing?”

From the fairytale realm of “The Stone Kingdom (Book Two of The Wilderhark Tales)”, Edgwyn Wyle enters Will Scarlet’s castle bedchamber. “To the costume party?” he says. “I was thinking of going as a pony.”

“A… pony?” Will repeats. “Well, no fear of us both showing up dressed like that. How were you planning to create the look? Some sort of mask, or…?”

“I didn’t create a thing. It was our author’s dear friend, Jeannie Stine. It seems friendship truly is magic after all,” he says, eyes sparkling with delight, “for she recreated me in My Little Pony form for #PonyFest13!”

Valiantly ignoring his distaste for hashtags, Allyn takes his cue. “#PonyFest13? Whatever might that be?”

“It’s a marvelous bit of fun, is what it is! Danielle’s other lovely friend, Alyson Grauer—”

Taking his own cue totally over the top, Will jumps in dramatically, “Contributing author to the steampunk anthology ‘Mechanized Masterpieces’? That Alyson Grauer?”

“Yes, that Alyson Grauer,” Egwyn laughs. “She told Danielle about this contest in which authors come up with custom My Little Pony designs inspired by their books or characters therein. All the details are over at the blog of the host, Rebecca Enzor, but the short of it is, everyone gets to vote on their favorite, and the author of the pony with the most votes will win – among other grand things – an artist by the name of Kalavista turning the winning design into an actual, physical, real world My Little Pony doll!”

“You don’t say! And what would you look like in My Little Pony doll form?” Allyn asks – still on script, true, but also legitimately interested.

“Minus the hat and cape, like this,” says Edgwyn, pointing to the accompanying pic. “Kalavista is a customizer of dolls, not their tailor, so the final product would come sans any habiliment,” he explains (slipping in another instance of our Save-a-Saturday word in the process!). “Under normal circumstances, I’d be appalled to go around nude, but as a pony, I think I could pull it off!”

“Well, if you aren’t just too lucky to live,” says Will, trying to keep a reign on his spike of jealousy at not being the character chosen to be pony-fied. “Go on, spill all: What’s the story behind you and your little pony self?”

“I suppose this is where I should insert the ‘short description of your pony(s), and a one sentence tag-line for the book’ as specified in the contest rules. Oh dear, but Danielle’s dreadful with single-sentence summaries.”

“How about, ‘In their search for her true love, princess and tailor will leave no stone unturned’?” Will suggests.

Edgwyn lights up. “That is actually less than dreadful! Have you lately been told you’re a mad genius?”

Will beams. “Not recently enough, no.”

“You are. Thank you. As far as my pony’s appearance, it’s all very deeply symbolic. To start with, I’m a horse, because I love horses. (*cough* And because that’s what the contest is about.) Speaking of horses I love, my pony’s coat color is a nod to my dear, demanding horse friend in ‘The Stone Kingdom’, who is likewise gray. My cutie mark is a heart because, well,” – he ducks his head and blushes – “I am apparently best known and appreciated for my loving heart. And of course there’s a needle and thread in it, because part of that love is for sewing! The dark hair and green eyes, meanwhile, are an obscure, esoteric reference to the fact that my human self has dark hair and green eyes.”

“Profound,” Allyn says, with a straight face and everything. “Your pony’s got my vote, Edgwyn, for whatever it’s worth. You’ll let the people whose votes actually count know when and where they’re able to cast them, yes?”

“Oh, we can count on Danielle to do that,” Edgwyn says with assurance. “She’s too much in love with that little pony not to.”

A subtly wicked grin tugs at Allyn’s lips. “In love with the pony, or with you?”

“And now would be a good time to have a mask…” Edgwyn mutters, dropping his burning red face into his hands.

Since he’s blushing anyway, go ahead and sound off in the comments: What do you all think of My Little Edgwyn Pony? ^^

“Accismus” or “Save-a-Word/Scavenge-for-Words Saturday”

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday!

It’s also the second day of my “Stone Kingdom” Launch Week Giveaway, and the first in which I’ll offer up a chance to earn a raffle entry through a scavenger hunt! So stick around ‘til the end of the post for more on that!

But first, Save-a-Word Saturday. For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with this week’s vignette all pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post it here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day.

The theme: Pantaloons.

The word: “Accismus”, a noun meaning “feigning disinterest in something while actually desiring it”.

The Example:

“I say, Marion?” said Will Scarlet. “Random question. Do you wear pantaloons?”

Marion’s brows rose. “Pantaloons? What, you mean like bloomers? Long, lacy underwear? No, of course I don’t.”

“No? Hmm. Would you like to wear pantaloons?”

“Certainly not,” Marion laughed. “Why in the world would I?”

“Well, suppose I were to hand you a pair of pantaloons with a monogram of your initials on the bum? Would you wear them then?”

Marion stared at him. “Tell me you did not waste a dime on any such ridiculous thing.”

“It wouldn’t be a waste if you liked the pantaloons.”

“But I’ve told you I don’t want any pantaloons!”

Will cocked his head and regarded her with one eye narrowed. “Is this a mere display of accismus on your part, or do you honestly not want to wear pantaloons?”

“Wear pantaloons? I don’t even want to hear the word anymore! Why have you brought this up?”

Will shrugged. “No real reason. Just making conversation. I say, random question: If Robin and I had been born conjoined cousins, do you suppose you would ever…?”

This man has entirely too much time on his hands, Marion thought.

<<<>>>

Now, onto the “Stone Kingdom” Scavenger Hunt Question! (No, none of your accismus, readers – I know you want to play!)

Fill in the blanks: ___ and ___, both ___, wed ___ of white in realm of stone; for blood ___ begins, but naught can be put right by ___ alone. (Hint: The answer is somewhere in this post!)

First person to answer correctly in the comments below gets an extra spot in the raffle pool. Good luck, you guys, and I’ll see you all back here on Monday to announce our first prize-winners! (:

* * * * *

Recap of the “Stone Kingdom” Launch Week Giveaway!

[Action] = [Chances to Win]

Every mention/link to the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or blog = 1

An addition of “The Stone Kingdom” to your Goodreads “To Read” shelf= 1 (Find “The Stone Kingdom” on Goodreads here! )

Schedule a day with me to host me on your blog for an author interview, character interview, or guest post = 3 (Message me through my contact page here!)

Every purchase of an e-book copy of “The Stone Kingdom” = 3 (Available for Nook and Kindle!)

Every purchase of a paperback copy of “The Stone Kingdom” = 7 (Launch week only, Buy One Paperback on Amazon and Get One Kindle E-Book for just 99 cents!)

Your chances to win will accumulate over the seven days of the giveaway (didn’t win on Day One? You’ve still got your rollover entries for the days to come, and you can continue earning more), so the sooner you jump on board, the better your odds of winning!

The prizes:

Day One = A signed print of the lyrics to a Danielle E. Shipley-original “Stone Kingdom”-inspired song!

Day Two = A signed print of a Danielle E. Shipley-original dual portrait of Rosalba and Edgwyn!

Day Three = A signed mystery print of a Danielle E. Shipley-original “Stone Kingdom” scene illustration!

Day Four = A different signed mystery print of a Danielle E. Shipley-original “Stone Kingdom” scene illustration!

Day Five = Seven selected chapters of “The Stone Kingdom” with author commentary!

Day Six = Seven selected chapters of “The Stone Kingdom” with character commentary!

Day Seven (Grand Prize Day!) = 3 Winners each get to select any 2 previous prizes, and one of the three gets a free, autographed paperback copy of “The Stone Kingdom”.

**Note to all winners: If I don’t hear back from you within 7 days after your name is announced, I go back in the pool to pick a new victor. Prizes feel sad when no one comes to claim them. Of course, I’m sure you’ll all be far too eager to lay hands on your winnings for this defaulting rule to come into play; still, figured I’d best give you fair warning.**

* * * * *

“Love and prince,

Both true, wed rose of white in realm of stone;

For blood begins,

But naught can be put right by blood alone.”

 

One thoughtless act is all it takes to bring the curse threatened on Rosalba’s christening day to pass. Now the princess must combine her desperate determination with the service of benevolent tailor Edgwyn Wyle to find the second half of the key to her kingdom’s restoration.

The Stone Kingdom

Book Two of The Wilderhark Tales

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An enchantress’s curse turns a spoiled royal into a beast;

A princess’s pricked finger places her under a hundred-year spell;

Bales of straw are spun as golden as the singing harp whisked down a giant beanstalk –

All within sight of Wilderhark, the forest that’s seen it all.

You’ve heard the stories –

of young men scaling rope-like braids to assist the tower-bound damsel;

of gorgeous gowns appearing just in time for a midnight ball;

of frog princes, and swan princes,

and princes saved from drowning by maidens of the sea.

Tales of magic. Tales of adventure. Most of all, tales of true love.

Once upon a time, you knew them as fairytales. Know them now as Wilderhark’s.

<> ~ <> ~ <>

“A charming and excellent read.”

“Wry wit, clever twists, and, of course, dashing love interests.”

“Not only fun and funny, but relevant and wise.”

“A highly vivid, carefully formulated story … [Shipley] has a style all her own, and it’s lovely.”

“Moiety” or “The Daddy Issues Diet”

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”, Book Two of which launches on Friday!). But I figure, hey, with this week’s vignette all pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post it here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day.

The theme: Buttered Toast.

The word: “Moiety”, a noun meaning “portion, part, half, or equal share”.

The Example:

It was only the two of them at breakfast beneath the trees so far, the other three Merry Men off rehearsing a fight scene together. Having taken what he wished from the skillet, Little John offered it to Allyn-a-Dale.

“Oh, no sausages, thank you,” the minstrel declined. “And no need for a full slice of toast; a moiety will suffice.” Under the silent interrogation of his titanic comrade’s gaze, he added a bit defensively, “I’ve already eaten.” He fluttered a hand toward the past. “Scarf-a-Scone Saturday.”

Little John’s brows sank to a level of incredulity. “That scene was three months ago.”

Allyn squirmed. “Isn’t one vignette where everyone watches me chew enough?”

“So I won’t watch.” Little John pressed a pair of sausages between two pieces of butter-slathered toast and handed the lot off to Allyn without a glance. “We’ll even end the narrative before your first bite, if you’ll promise it’s not the only bite you’ll take today.”

Allyn accepted the sandwich with a grumble. “I know how to keep from starving, thank you. When one apprentices to Gant-o’-the-Lute,” he muttered, “it’s a trick one’s body had better learn.”

Little John just shook his head. Keeping his bandmates alive was part of his job description. Their psychological quirks, however, were their own to handle.

“Rivelled” or “A Fictional and Real Life Prize”

It’s Save-a-Word Saturday! It’s also the day I announce the winner of my Three Wishes Blog Blitz raffle, so we’ll start with that! Hearty congratulations to… *drum roll* …

Emerald Barnes!

Ya-a-ay, Emerald! You’ve won a lovely little package of prizes related to my upcoming novella, “The Stone Kingdom (Book Two of The Wilderhark Tales)”, and those prizes are:

– A set of three signed “Stone Kingdom” bookmarks, as drawn by the lovely Yana Naumova.

– A print of side-by-side portraits of Princess Rosalba and Edgwyn Wyle, as drawn by me.

– And one automatic entry into the raffle which shall accompany the launch of “The Stone Kingdom” on September 20^th – meaning you’ll be eligible to win even more awesome stuff, including a signed paperback copy of the book!

If you’d be so good as to contact me with the address to which you’d like your goodies sent (before next Saturday, please, or I’ll pick a new name to usurp your winnings), into the mail they shall go. (:

And now, on with Save-a-Word Saturday! For any who need a reminder of/never knew what that means, here’s how it goes:

1) Create a post linking back to the hosts, The Feather and the Rose.

2) Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in the post. (If you find yourself in want of options, Feather ‘n’ Rose recommended a site that may have some word-lovers drooling. Luciferous Logolepsy. Even its name is old and delicious!)

3) Provide a definition of your word, and use it in a sentence/short paragraph/mini story vaguely related to the particular week’s chosen theme.

4) Sign up properly on the host post’s linky list so participants can easily find each other and share their logophilistic joy.

5) Be a hero by sharing these retro words with the world!

I’ve been participating in the weekly fun via my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” Facebook page, giving myself the extra challenge/fun of relating every word I pick to my re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “Outlaws of Avalon” trilogy (a.k.a. the magnum opus to be self-published after the completion of “The Wilderhark Tales”). But I figure, hey, with this week’s vignette all pre-written and ready to go, no reason I can’t post it here for the blog-inclined to see!

So, without further delay, here’s my word-saving civic duty of the day.

The theme: Maps.

The word: “Rivelled”, an adjective meaning “wrinkled”.

The Example:

Her brow creased fit to match the rivelled paper in her hands, Ellie’s gaze darted back and forth, from aforementioned paper to her surroundings and back again, all of it in vain. She was hopeless with maps. Not two minutes through the gates, and she’d already gotten herself lost.

“Your pardon, fair maiden,” a voice spoke from nearby. “Are you in need of directional assistance?”

“As a matter of fact, I—”

She ended in an abrupt squeak as she saw who stood before her – took in the bright blue eyes a compliment to garb of Lincoln green, the bow and quiver at his back, and a less underexposed version of the smile she’d had taped to her bedroom wall since her first visit here, last summer.

“Um, yes!” she forced herself to say, with or without the reliable cooperation of her stuttering heartbeat. “I, uh…” She held out her map. “Where are we?”

“We stand here, good lady,” he said (oh, that voice! That accent! British nothing, he sounded like ye olde heart of England! ), reaching to tap a finger near the paper’s lower right corner. “And whither do you wish to make your way? I find myself with some few minutes of leisure, and would gladly act as your guide, if you so desire.”

If she so desired?! Did the starving peasantry poach the King’s deer?!

“Here,” Ellie said, pointing without hesitation to the map’s upper left. She didn’t remember what was over there, and she didn’t care. She would follow Robin Hood to the very edge of the earth, if offered the chance; barring that, she’d walk with him to the far end of the Faire.