A Noctuary for Your Thoughts

The Gates of Dream, by Xeeming on deviantart.com

Noc´tu`a`ry
n.1. A record of what passes in the night; a nightly journal; – distinguished from diary.

If you could see the future, would you write it down to remember? If you could see the past, would it be important to record it? If you saw honestly, would you want it inscribed, so it would last forever? If you could record your dreams, would you?

The answer, for me, is a resounding yes to all of these questions. But then comes the next question,  why? Why would you want to record your dreams?

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Fixed Points in Time (an Oz perspective)

If the TARDIS had landed, instead of Dorothy’s house, would that have been worthy of writing? Would it have become a fixed point in time? (Image courtesy Rampaged Reality, via google image search)

I had a facebook conversation with a friend of mine the other day. He is also an Oz author. We were talking about the Great Book of Records and the role that it plays in our individual stories. Here is what I shared:

The Perils of a Dangerbread House

On a path lined with cookies, beware of what lies at the end of that magical journey. – Illustration by Tarl Telford

A Dangerbread House is a strange thing of wild magic. You’ve seen it before – a house in the woods made of gingerbread, sweets, and candies. It is usually inhabited by a witch, who uses it to lure unsuspecting children into her clutches. This house is different though. In the new illustrated chapter book, Tabby Abacus and the Dangerbread House

Oz author working on adoption

Tarl and Aimee – hopeful adoptive parents

This is a personal posting, not specifically Oz-related. My family is pursuing adoption. We are reaching out to our social networks and asking friends and family to share our information with their trusted friends and family. The wider the network we grow, the greater the chance that expectant parents who are considering adoption will see our profile and hopefully consider us.

Frequent visitors to The Hidden History of Oz blog have come to expect interesting information about this prequel series to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and info about Witches…mostly Witches. This is more personal, but I believe that you readers can work a little bit of magic for my family. In Oz, dreams are the greatest magic of all. Perhaps your combined efforts to share can make my family’s dreams of adopting a baby come true.

We have a facebook page that contains details and a link to our profile on adoption.com. We will also be launching a crowdfunding campaign soon. Details forthcoming on the facebook page. If you can help, or you know of someone who can, please share. We believe that dreams can come true.

Mapping the Hidden History of Oz

“Oz-and-surrounding-countrie” by L. Frank Baum (illustrated by John R. Neill) – Tik-Tok of Oz, first published in the United States in 1914. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Creating a map is an interesting process. I like to have things accurate, so that I can trust the facts. When it came time to update my map for the Hidden History of Oz stories, I had my work cut out for me. I did a lot of research on the Cartographer’s Guild to understand how good maps work. The Cartographer’s Guild has a great website with a lot of knowledgeable folks providing comments, critiques, and advice for creating accurate maps. I looked at the original map of Oz, and I saw some features that needed more explanation. Let’s take a look.

Emerald Spectacles (Hidden History of Oz, Book Three) – Available Now

Available on Amazon, Smashwords, and wherever digital books are sold.

Emerald Spectacles is the third book in the Hidden History of Oz series. This intense, imaginative story spans the magical land of Oz and delves into the mysterious conjoined dreamlands. To save the Wizard, and to preserve the Land of Oz, Glinda must join forces with her mortal enemy, Kalinya, the Wicked Witch of the East, forge a coalition of dangerous Witches (including Mombi and Locasta), battle those that she once considered friends, and challenge the immutable forces of time and magic.

In this spellbinding conclusion to the Glinda Trilogy, time is running out for the Wizard. If he dies with his soul in the dreamlands, the Land of Oz will be host to his nightmares forever. However, success only guarantees survival, not a happy ending.

Emerald Spectacles is available on Amazon (in paperback and kindle versions) and on Smashwords, in your favorite digital format.

The Benefits of Being Painted Into a Corner

Painted into a corner via Google image search.

As a reader, I love to see how the characters are going to get out of difficult situations. When the odds are stacked against the hero, and escape appears impossible, those are the moments where creativity pays off. The process of going through the adventure, getting stuck, and then emerging victorious, provides great satisfaction. But what about authors that paint themselves into a corner? (Yes, I’m looking right back at myself.)

My own creative process actually requires that I paint myself into corners. What do I mean by that? 

50% off Hidden History of Oz Books at Smashwords

Coupons available at checkout on Smashwords, now through March 7, 2015.

March 1 – 7 is Read an eBook Week at Smashwords.com. To celebrate this event, you can pick up The Witch Queens (HH1:WQ) and Crown of the Dreamer (HH2:CotD) for just $2.00 each. That’s 50% off the regular price.

Plus, as part of the soft launch of Book Three: Emerald Spectacles, you can pick up the exciting conclusion to the Glinda Trilogy for 25% off.

• The Witch Queens – 50% off
• Crown of the Dreamer – 50% off
• Emerald Spectacles – 25% off

Pick up your copy of Emerald Spectacles before anyone else. Go to Smashwords.com now.

Looking through Emerald Spectacles

Emerald Spectacles (The Hidden History of Oz, Book Three) cover

Emerald Spectacles prevented Dorothy and her friends from seeing the Emerald City as it really was. In a sense, the Emerald Spectacles are a form of of humbug – a deception. However, this exciting novel gives the real power of the magic glasses – they prevent the wearer from seeing magic. The Emerald Spectacles that Dorothy and her friends wore were to protect them from any dark magic they might see in the Emerald City.

Why would they see dark magic? Ah, that’s an excellent question. It goes back to the foundation of the Hidden History of Oz series:

Oz is a magical land powered by human dreams. What is dreamed on Earth is filtered through the Emerald Engine to become magic in Oz. When a dreamer from Earth came to Oz, his dreams changed the land around him. One such dreamer was given the title of Wizard. 

Wickedness in Oz

Dr. Doofenshmirtz as the Wicked Warlock

Oz is a world more innocent and wondrous than the world we currently live in. The original author of Oz, L. Frank Baum, wanted to create a modern fairy tale, where the heartaches and nightmares are left out. This creates a whimsical world where good is the order of the day and the adversaries are either misguided or wicked.

So what, exactly, does it mean to be wicked?