Saturday, January 30, 2010

Agent in Old Lace

Tristi Pinkston is not only one of my favorite authors, she's one of my favorite people. She has four published novels with the latest being Agent in Old Lace. It is the only book of hers that I don't have a signed copy of.

MRBunderson is currently running a contest for a signed copy of Agent in Old Lace. In fact, I am writing this blog post to increase my chances of winning Tristi's book. You could do the same, but I'm hoping that you won't because that would decrease my chances of winning. Typically, I'm not this sefish, but if you've read Tristi's other books, you'll understand why I'm hoping you don't enter the contest to win her book. Please don't go to this link to try and win her book. In fact, just ignore that you ever read this post.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Why I like Fantasy

Fantasy is a growing genre. Perhaps viewed by most erudites as a colossal waste of time; nothing could be further from the truth. Good fantasy is not merely a vehicle to help escape reality for a short period but rather a means to look more deeply into the human soul. Magic, dragons, elves, etc. are not to be taken literally. However, their symbolism can powerfully portray truths in a clear concise manner. When Gimli looks at Legolas in The Return of the King and states something to the effect of, “I never thought that I’d die fighting alongside an elf,” and Legolas responds, “How about dying fighting alongside a friend?” Gimli states, “Aye lad, I could do that.” The lesson on diversity and tolerance is unmistakable. If an elf and a dwarf (mortal enemies) can become best friends then why can’t you and I?