Day: January 26, 2012

Sneak Peek: Ken Magee’s Dark Tidings

Dark Tidings Front CoverToday we get a sneak peek of author Ken Magee’s novel, Dark Tidings:

What happens when ancient magic meets the internet? One thing is certain, modern life will never be the same again.

In the medieval mists of time a young thief, Tung, and a disgraced wizard, Madrick, are thrust together in an executioner’s dungeon. In the darkness, Madrick reveals an incredible secret about a legendary spell. The great spell helps them escape their prison cell… and eventually their century.

Catapulted into the present day, their lives collide with Michael, a computer hacker who plans to destroy the world’s largest bank. But sinister people are tracking their every move and will stop at nothing to steal their spell.

Dark Tidings is available in print and for Kindle on Amazon.com, and in print on Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Ken Magee’s Dark Tidings”

Dead Poets and Video Games

No one reads anymore. Kids are the worst offenders. Right? But why? I mean, I liked to read when I was a kid…so, what happened?  For six years, I was fortunate enough to work for a non-profit scholarship program in San Francisco. My teaching background was in reading remediation. I had grown accustomed to working with kids who were dealing with severe learning issues. Autistic kids. Kids with Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Kids with deep comprehension issues. I loved the challenge. It was a big change to work with kids who did not suffer from any diagnosable condition. These kids shared one common trait…they came from the poorest parts of San Francisco, the deepest recesses of the ghetto, and most of them read at about a second grade level. This is a problem if you are attending an exclusive Catholic High School.

Continue reading “Dead Poets and Video Games”

Characters Are The Lifeblood of a Story by David A. Cleinman

Author David A. Cleinman
Author David A. Cleinman

A character is more important than plot, locale, conflict, or any other part of a story. This is because a character is the only thing that a reader can truly relate to in a strong and meaningful way. We may have visited a location where a story takes place and even love the region. If a character visiting that area is not strong and real to us, however, the location will have less meaning. The deeds of a character might be amazing. But if the character is not well rounded and strong, their deeds are fairly insignificant. The best way to describe that is to say this: Characters need to be individuals we can relate to, or individuals that we recognize. The strength of a character is in their consistency. Their words match their actions and their actions match their personal traits. Emotionally connecting with a character requires that a character possess consistency of presence. Continue reading “Characters Are The Lifeblood of a Story by David A. Cleinman”