What a perfect day for hearing all of the great things that can be said about our freedom! "Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." (George Washington) “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” (Charlotte Bronte) “Our [...]
Tag: inspiration
Finding an Epic Life Beyond the Book
This is a guest post by Nadine Brandes. I read so many fantasy books as a child and teenager I started to think my life wouldn’t be amazing unless dragons attacked my little Wyoming valley or unless the fate of the world hinged on my brave choices. It was unfair that I was stuck in [...]
Words Light Fires
....words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts. -- Patrick Rothfuss Words. What would we do without them? They give us basic things, necessary things - like communication and understanding. But words can go beyond that, too. They can delve into realms of magic [...]
What’s More Important Than Books?
This is a guest post by Kohlie Stock. Books. They are enchanting, captivating, and obsessive. I am guilty of getting caught in their drama and storyline. Through books I’ve traveled the world, fallen in love, and at times been emotionally wrecked. Let’s be honest, when you pick up a book, particularly of the fantasy genre, [...]
Fictional Forests: The Real-Life Inspirations
“Beyond the Wild Wood comes the wild world,” said the Rat. “And that’s something that doesn’t matter, either to you or to me. I’ve never been there, and I’m never going, nor you either, if you’ve got any sense at all.” ― Kenneth Grahame The Wild Wood Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows was inspired [...]
Inspiration in the Garden
As a birthday surprise a couple of days ago, my son and husband planned a trip to one of my favorite gardens. The sun was shining, the breeze was cool, the flowers were smiling, and the whole garden was awash with color and life. The perfect day for a long stroll through the gardens, thanking [...]
The Birth of the Hobbit
The word Hobbit was soon to be as much a magical word for Professor Tolkien as Hocus-Pocus was for any fairy-tale magician. In fact, Hobbit was the most important single word that ever inspired him to invent a story. (David Day, The Hobbit Companion) Hob. A short enough word, simple and unsuspicious. Is this how [...]
Fairy Tales That Aren’t Fairy Tales
Although I read more fantasy than anything else, there are a great many books that I consider favorites that are from a variety of other genres. And many of them, now I think of it, are really fairytales at heart. I don’t mean "fairytales" in the sense that they include fairies or magic or other [...]
Ashlee Willis, Author of Fantasy 