Songs of the Season!

Welcome to Songs of the Season! It's basically a caroling troupe, blogger style, where a bunch of marvelous people share their favorite Christmas songs. There should be an interesting variety of marvelous music, and I hope you enjoy them all. :) My post is a day late due to blogger malfunctions, sorry. :(



This is not the song I intended to post when I set out to write this post, but it just has so much cheerful energy that I have to share.

Here are links to more music and Christmas cheer, and make sure to thank Sasha Soren for setting this up!

                       Merry Christmas!
                                  Lieder Madchen

Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat Blog Hop! This is where a group of bloggers post about all things Halloween. There will be a new post every day, and, yes, there are some giveaways planned, too, so feel free to join us for sweets and treats this Halloween. This event was set up by the lovely Sasha Soren, author of Random Magic. We had a similar hop last year and it was such a good time we had to do it again!

There are certain books that I just love to read at this time of year. Not all of them are creepy ones, not all of them are Halloween-related, just favorites for curling up in the dark and reading by flashlight. What books do you like to read this time of year? What are you reading this year?

I'll go with the oldest first. I read The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child for the first time when I was maybe 13. It is still one of the darkest, creepiest books I have ever read. Except maybe for their other novel, Still Life With Crows, but I like Cabinet of Curiosities better. It has a nice romance do go along with the crazed murderer and gory removal of body parts. :)






Mr. Darcy's Bite by Mary Lydon Simonsen is not a scary novel, despite the cover. It is sweet, sometimes funny, romantic and lovely. In it, Mr. Darcy is a werewolf. He doesn't turn into a rampaging beast by the light of the full moon, but rather into a more realistic wolf. I love this story, and there will be a full review soon.






While on the topic, I might as well hit the other werewolf book on my list. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Anybody who knows me knows how much I love this series. It is so beautiful, so achingly lovely...I already gushed in my review of the full series, which you can read here.







Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake is a recent addition to my favorite Halloween season stories. It is breathtakingly creepy at times and I love the unconventional ghost story. I haven't read the sequel yet, but if it is anywhere close to being as good as the first one, I'll love it.










Die For Me by Amy Plum is a story I fell in love with before I even opened it. Yes, I first loved it for the cover. It didn't take long for the story and characters to steal my heart. I wouldn't call this a scary story; it's got far too much romance for that, but it definitely had some shivery moments. Again, you can read my full review here.







Masque of Red Death by Bethany Griffin is a new acquisition for me and I haven't even read it yet, but it sure looks like a good Halloween story. Inspired by an Edgar Allen Poe short story and with that creepy cover...It's what I was planning to read this Halloween except that I forgot to take it with me to Washington...I did remember to bring The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, so maybe I'll read that instead. :)





And now, here are some delightful bloggers who would like to share some of their favorite Halloween treats with you. Enjoy!


                                                    Lieder Madchen

Taking over the blogosphere this July: A Random Magic Video Week!

Coming Soon: 

Video Week: Random Magic  

(July 21-30, 2012)

****************************************

You are cordially invited to join us for an entertaining week of cool 

reviews and creative features from vloggers around the world. 

We're featuring the book Random Magic, by Sasha Soren. 

To see the schedule of marvelous events, go here.

The book: Random Magic, by Sasha Soren

Print | Kindle | Twitter | YouTube

Plus: Win some cool stuff! (Info TBA after June 15, 2012) 

Browse the tour schedule here, if you like: 

Video Week: Random Magic.

Be sure to stop by for a spot of tea and some lovely biscuits and 

jam. While I will not be one of the featured artists, you can be 

sure that I will be applauding them all from the front row.

It is not an event to be missed. 

             Lieder Madchen 

Love in Bloom Hop - Sasha Soren Style :)

Love in Bloom Hop
May 18-23, 2012
 

Welcome to the Songs and Stories stop on the Love in Bloom book hop! The blog is being taken over for a day by Sasha Soren so she can give a lovely book to you. All I did was cut and paste and make sure she didn't add anything crazy like flying sheep. :)

 
We're offering a charming book you can win, which could be a pleasant
summer read.
 
About: 

A magical garden. A cottage that holds

a secret. And a mysterious gardener. 

Wise and winsome, The French Gardener is a
contemporary story told with an 

old-fashioned sensibility steeped in
the importance of relationships and the 

magical power of love.Miranda and David 

move out of London into a beautiful country house with a garden. 

But reality turns out to be very different from their dream. Then a 

mysterious Frenchman arrives on their doorstep. With the wisdom of 

nature, he slowly begins to heal the past and the present. 

But who is he? (More)
Bonus: Hear a reading from this book here.

a
Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

HOW TO ENTER: 1a.
WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER
Watch the book trailer for Random Magic: Click to watch here.

1b. GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK Then, on the same YouTube page, leave your comment on your favorite part of the book trailer, or something which surprised you or made you smile.

Examples:
- I was intrigued by the character of the shapeshifting raven, and I'm curious about his name.
- I'd be interested in seeing what's behind the magical doors at the very end of the video.
- My favorite part of the video is watching the different colors come out of the teapot, for some strange reason.
- My favorite part of the video was watching Alice floating away at the very beginning, I didn't expect that! - My favorite part of the video was the little duck, because he's so cute
- although I'm most curious about the Red Queen. ((or can add your own example at top, you know, 'personally, liked such-and-such because...'))

2. SIMPLY CUT AND PASTE YOUR COMMENT Just cut and paste your comment from the YouTube page into the comments section below, at this blog post.

3. TELL US! When you’re done, just mark off the two simple tasks in the Rafflecopter box above, and you’ll be fully credited with twopoints.

BONUS: You do have the option to pick up a third point by either tweeting a link to this post, or pinning a mention and link of this post on Pinterest, whichever you prefer.

OTHER STUFF: Please leave your name or nickname and email address, so that you can be contacted if you win. A winner will be picked at random, unless someone leaves a comment so witty, fun-loving and hilarious that it makes us laugh out loud - then that person justifiably has to win, and fair play to all. Please note: In the interests of impartiality, you’re not required to write a compliment on the YouTube page, just to give your neutral take on which part of the book trailer stood out for you, personally. Of course, if you really liked the trailer, you're free to write more, if you like. If you don't enjoy the book trailer, it's perfectly fine if you choose not to enter to win. On the other hand, if you got a kick out of the book trailer and genuinely liked it, feel free to show your support by giving it a thumbs up or a like, if you want to - that's not a requirement to enter and not taken into account for the entry, but it would be appreciated, and thanks!

***** Thanks for visiting, have fun and good luck. ******

If you're a book blogger or vlogger who posts regularly and you’d love to review this book, feel free to send a note via Twitter. Kindly note that this is an indie book, and if there's a 'no indies' review policy in effect at your blog or video channel, we’ll be unable to fulfill your request for a review copy of this title. Review requests received from bloggers or vloggers who specifically have indie-friendly policies in effect will automatically receive first priority status.(Note from Lieder Madchen: I would highly recommend you requesting this book immediately.)

***** If you're just interested in knowing more about Random Magic, here are some quick links to browse. *******

Print | Kindle | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

***** If you're considering buying a copy of Random Magic for yourself, or as a gift for someone cool, and you just want a chance to check it out a little beforehand, here’s a quick sampling of reviews. Please feel free to browse.

****** Review | Review |  | Review | | Review | Review *****
You might also like...

 

 * Most romantic flowers* Most romantic reads* Most unconventional couples * Vintage Valentines Find some romantic reads: Browse ***** You might also be interested in... ****** To see all the stops listed for the Love in Bloom hop: View full Schedule.

Bookie Brunch

Welcome to Bookie Brunch

Come join the discussion!

Founder: Sasha Soren (Random Magic)

* Every Sunday*

Today's host: Songs and Stories 

Next week’s host: Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf 

This week’s discussion open through: July 17

Your host this week:

Natalie at Songs and Stories: @LiederMadchen

Her guests this week:

Lucy at Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf: @MoonlightGleams

Irena at This Miss Loves to Read: @MissIrenne

Amber at Down the Rabbit Hole: @Amberinblunderl

Michelle at Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!

Welcome to the first ever Bookie Brunch! Created by the marvelous Sasha Soren, the Bookie Brunch is a traveling event where bookish people get together to discuss bookish things. Every Sunday, 5 voracious readers will share their opinions on a particular topic, and you are welcome to join us! Come on in, pour a cup of tea and sit awhile...

Please join me in welcoming Lucy, Irena, Amber, and Michelle to Songs and Stories!

On the Menu:

Question: Are books better with or without love triangles?

Related topics to consider: Do you root for a particular character in the love triangle and why? What is your favorite literary love triangle?

I am so excited to have all of these lovely ladies here for a visit sharing their thoughts on love triangles. This is sure to be fun! 

Lucy, who is enjoying a white chocolate mocha from Starbucks, says:

I personally enjoy books that have love triangles. I know they can be cliche, but it is rather fun to see two people fighting over one person and finding out who ends up with who at the end. Love all the drama! 

I often find myself rooting for a particular character in the love triangle, especially after getting to know the characters. I start to get a feel for who has chemistry and who is just blinded by lust. I usually go for the person who has genuine feelings for the person and isn't blinded by lust.

What is your favorite literary love triangle?

This is a tough one.. I would have to go with Once Every Never right now. I just finished reading an ARC and I have to say this one is excellent (and definitely has plenty of love triangles!). 

Irena, taking a sip from her Irish Breakfast tea with cream and sugar, says:

I used to not mind love triangles in literature. In fact, some love triangles are so well constructed and written that they pull at my heart strings and simply make sense because they are written cleverly and with a purpose. To my mind comes the example of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, which is not only my favourite novel to date, but also features one of my favourite love triangles ever written. In the last years, however, love triangles have started to overcrowd the book market, especially the young adult (YA) section, and I have started to see them as a redundant element of a story, mostly because they are present in the majority of such fiction for the sake of being there. I don't feel most love triangles and I have to connect to something in order to like it. So, I have a rule: no love triangles. But every rule has exceptions and so does mine. On occasion, I do enjoy a love triangle. My current favourite one is the Elena-Stefan-Damon one in The Vampire Diaries book series by L.J. Smith. I have also noticed that, if I like a love triangle, I root for the person who is a bit of an outcast because that makes things more fun. But what is most important is that true love wins, not some silly infatuation or fascination with a person.

Are books with love triangles better than the ones without it? Personally, I'd say no, but there are always nice exceptions.

Michelle, with a chocolate ice chai in hand, says:

My answer is YES! (There is a but coming) But, it has to be a plausible triangle, not just the best friend in love with the friend, while the friend loves someone else. The girl has to have real feelings for both boys or the boy has to have real feelings for both girls. I think I love a good love triangle because I will have outbursts while I am reading such as: "Oh my God, she going to kiss him!" or "I knew he was going to catch them!" It's a great addition to any story, if done well. My favorite, bar none, love triangle is Rose, Dimitri and Adrian from The Vampire Academies by Richelle Mead. I loved both of these guys and I think the heartbreak that Rose inflicted on both of them made it better because it made me feel something, and is the best experience from a book when you feel it.

Amber, savoring the taste of her caramel frappe, answers with:

I think I might be the minority here but I still can't get enough of love triangles in my reading as long as it's a balanced love triangle. I've mentioned this many times but I feel like a love triangle is a great way to represent a protagonist's choices for their futures. In general each guy on the triangle represents the kind of life she is choosing for herself. Also, it's an amazing way to make really complex characters as the points of the triangle seem to contrast each other faults and highlight their good points. My major thing is that both sides must be even. I don't like when another guy/girl/love interest is thrown into the plot just because and it's obvious who the main character will pick. I want to be struggling with said main character to pick a favorite.

I must be an adventurer because I tend to lean towards the guy that will offer the most exciting life. My opinion is, what's the point in reading a paranormal novel if the main character is going to spend the rest of the time fleeing from it and the person who represents it in the story? Heck, no! I want the adventure and danger that comes along with said paranormal creature. Likewise, I tend to like the bad boy because he offers a way to shake the main character's life. I'm not into the type that treats the main character like crap but I like him to have a complex past.

For me, one of the best love triangles I've read to date is the one in Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. I flip-flopped between Shay and Ren the entire way through. This is because Ren was the quintessential bad boy-- he had the look and the rebel with a care attitude but was fiercely loyal to Calla. On the other hand, Shay had the bad boy mind-- he questioned authority and encouraged Calla to take her future in her own hands.

If done right, love triangles challenge the main character in ways that one love interest may not. They also instantly cause strife and can really boost the plot. I know I'll read on just to figure out who the lead is going to pick. So while I get why people are tired of them, I'm still for a balanced love triangle. Like a good bogo sale, for me, two is always better than one! (which, you know, isn't to say I don't want the character to choose, I just love to watch the beforehand!)

I stir a generous helping of cream into my iced coffee and answer:

I love a good love triangle. To me, it is a good way to test the depths of the character's love for each other, to see if their romance is something that will fade away or last forever. Also, it puts the characters into situations where their true personalities are revealed. What will they choose? The safe and sweet boy who worships you? Or the wild one you will have to fight for? Which one they pick tells you a lot, as does how they choose.

I almost always root for a particular person immediately. I tend to go for the bad boy in love triangles with two boys, but even more so I go for the one who is more desperate. The one who would do anything for the girl, the one who would give her up for her sake. (I have the same opinion in two girls-one boy love triangles, but I don't think they are nearly as much fun as two boys fighting over a girl. But that's just me.) I also love, love, love a guy with a tragic past. I will pick a boy with a tragic past over the other every time.

Recently I read Shade and Shift (The first two books in the Shade trilogy) by Jeri Smith-Ready and I loved the triangle in them. On one side you had the hopeless ghost Logan, and on the other there was Zach, the cute Scot. Even though Logan was more of a bad boy, I loved Zach from beginning to end. (I also tend to go for the guy more likely to make the girl happy.) I liked that Aura truly loved both of them and did her best to be honest about it, which the boys took (mostly) well. So many love triangles are full of lies and jealousy, and I liked that Shade and Shift had so few lies. (There was still plenty of jealousy, where would be the fun without it?)
 

Brunch Goodies from Sasha:

About: Cute and colorful tote bag, the perfect size for a beach towel, sunscreen, a cool drink and a beach read. We'll even provide a light beach read for the winner!
Details: Measures 15.20 x 14.20 inches (38.60 x 36.06 cms), cute casual tote to take to the grocery store or for day trips to the beach or sporting events. and:

About: A light summer read for the beach, to tuck into your tote bag. When a powerful hypnotist succumbs to the charms of a talented crystalworker, both of their futures are threatened. Light read, historical romance. Setting is Victorian London. Can be read as part of a series,but each book is also a stand-alone title. Paperback edition. 418pages.

Details: To win this cute brunch gift of book bag plus light summer read, please leave email info and thoughtful or interesting comment below. Please include a separate line just indicating that you’d also like to enter to win this week’s brunch goodies, also. A winner will be picked at random. If host and guests agree that a specific visitor comment is substantial, outstanding, or in some other way has particular merit, they can override random.org pick at their discretion. U.S./Canada (Hopefully there’ll be some international goodies on future brunches.). Through July 13, 12 midnight EDT.

Brought by Sasha Soren, author of Random Magic.

If you want to be a part of Bookie Brunch, please contact one of the people below:

Contact Bookie Brunch:

If you would like to be a host, contact: @StoryWings

If you want to bring goodies for a giveaway: @StoryWings

If you want to suggest a topic or question for discussion, you can reach me at @LiederMadchen

To see an archive of past brunches (when there are some) go here: Fluidity of Time

Upcoming Bookie Brunches in July 2011: We’ll be talking about e-readers vs. print editions, fantasy vs.realism in books, characters vs. plot, and lots of other cool and bookish questions.

Sunday, July 17
Host: Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf (@MoonlightGleams)

Sunday, July 24
Host: This Miss Loves to Read (@MissIrenne)

Sunday, July 31

Host: Beyond Strange New Words (@StrangeNewWords)

You’re invited to join the discussion below, and you will most likely get a reply from one of your fellow bloggers.

So, ladies and gentlemen, what are your opinions on love triangles? And what are your favorite beverages?

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you decide to visit us again. :)

                       

                                                 Lieder Madchen

Bookie Brunch Coming Soon!

It is my great pleasure to invite you all to the Bookie Brunch. Every Sunday five book bloggers will meet up to discuss a literature-related topic. I am very excited to be hosting the first brunch here on July 10th. I hope you stop by to say hello and decide to stay a while for a cup of tea.

The Bookie Brunch is open to absolutely everyone! I hope you will join in!

Coming soon: Bookie Brunch
Founder: Sasha Soren, author of Random Magic.
Come join the discussion! * Every Sunday*

What’s Bookie Brunch all about?:

Bookie Brunch is a weekly meet-up, held every Sunday, where book bloggers can have a cup of tea and chat about a particular bookie question of interest. The discussion is open from Sunday through Wednesday, and you’re welcome to drop by any time to add your opinion or read what other people have to say. This discussion is open as well to general readers or bloggers in a different field, authors, publishers and publicists. 

Courtesy guidelines:
All thoughtful comments will be considered and probably get a response from fellow bloggers. In fact, you’re encouraged to talk about it and share viewpoints or include links to relevant materials. We’d like everyone to have a nice time. Differing viewpoints are just fine, even if strongly expressed, but inflammatory or off-topic comments will be removed.
Contact Bookie Brunch:

If you would like to be a host, contact: @StoryWings

If you want to bring goodies for a giveaway: @StoryWings

If you want to suggest a topic or question for discussion, you can reach me at @LiederMadchen

To see an archive of past brunches (when there are some) go here: Fluidity of Time

Find Bookie Brunch You’re invited! Feel free to join us every Sunday for great company, fun discussions, and occasional goodie giveaways. Some upcoming dates are listed below, it’ll be great to see you there. Calling all bookies - grab a seat and let’s talk books.

Upcoming Bookie Brunches in July 2011: We’ll be talking about e-readers vs. print editions, fantasy vs.realism in books, characters vs. plot, and lots of other cool and bookish questions.

Sunday, July 10
Host: Songs and Stories (@LiederMadchen)

Sunday, July 17
Host: Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf (@MoonlightGleams)

Sunday, July 24
Host: This Miss Loves to Read (@MissIrenne)

Sunday, July 31
Host: Beyond Strange New Words (@StrangeNewWords)

More Bookie Brunches: Every Sunday, July 2011 through December 2011:
Upcoming dates on the schedule - Coming Soon.

Would you like to be a guest on an upcoming brunch, bring a giveaway, or send a question? Feel free! Please leave your info below, and then contact the Bookie Bruncher who can help get you set up:

Contact Bookie Brunch:

If you would like to be a host, contact: @StoryWings

If you want to bring goodies for a giveaway: @StoryWings

If you want to suggest a topic or question for discussion, you can reach me at @LiederMadchen

To see an archive of past brunches (when there are some) go here: Fluidity of Time

The first Bookie Brunch is open for a delicious discussion on July 10, right here at Songs and Stories! I hope you join us!

Random Magic Tour: Pirates! The Parting Glass

May 30
The Parting Glass
Today's the wrap day for Random Magic Tour: Pirates!

As one of the mates - ahoy, matey! - sailing with this crew of
buccaneers, would like to say thank you for visiting the blog on May 10 and 18 and hope you also enjoyed some of the other great blogs on the tour.

I had a fantastic time with this tour. I met some wonderful bloggers and discovered quite a few exciting books. Thank you Lyrika! If you hadn't wandered across my blog I would have missed out on so much fun it is not even funny.
I would also like to thank all of the readers who stopped by, I hope you had a marvelous time!
Thank you to all of my fellow bloggers for sharing so many delightfully piratey things!




For the wrap day of the tour, we’re just going to raise a final pint o’ grog to say thanks for the good company. Smooth seas be ahead o’ye!

(Isn't that the coolest pirate song ever? It has been stuck in my head for the past month!)

Message in a Bottle: visit Liana's Paper Doll Blog to see the Pirate Queen Sasha and read more about her at Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf.

Sea Wolves Reading Circle, Part of Random Magic Tour: Pirates!

Ahoy! Welcome to the Sea Wolves Reading Circle. The Sea Wolves are a bunch of swashbuckling bloggers who will be sharing their favorite piratey books with you. Set sail with us and you will be sure to find all manner of piratical adventures.

To start, I would like to introduce you to the handsome and dashing Captain Blood!

Random Pirate Award: Best-Looking Pirate.

Now, who hasn't heard of this most famous of classical fictional pirates? Not that he ever intended to turn pirate, it just sort of happened. There he was, a doctor tending a patient, and then before he knows it he is sent to Jamaica as a slave. His rebellious spirit, however, cannot allow for such circumstances, and so in a daring escape he steals a ship and becomes one of the greatest buccaneers to sail the Seven Seas. Of course, where would such a man be without a lady? And that is where the beautiful, defiant Arabella Bishop comes in, and with all of their mutually professed hatred there is nothing to do but fall in love.

To add to the magnificence of this character, he is portrayed by Errol Flynn in the wonderful, cheesy old movie adaptation!

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini can be downloaded for free from Project Gutenberg for your immediate enjoyment.

Random Pirate Award: Most Technologically Advanced Pirate.

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel has it all. Steampunk, a red-headed lady, a supposedly uninhabited island and, above all, flying pirates!

Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the airship Aurora. Born in the sky, he never wants to leave. Little did he no that this journey was going to be different. The peaceful trip is interrupted by the stubborn, rich Kate de Vries and her unfailing determination to drag Matt into trouble. Compared to her, the pirates almost seem tame.

Airborn is the first in a fantastic YA trilogy that I have read through at least three times and I will definitely be reading them again.

Random Pirate Award: Most Ticklish Pirate
Random Magic by Sasha Soren is a delightfully insane tale with a couple of very piratey adventures.

When faced with quite probable death, the not-so ordinary Henry Witherspoon and the extraordinary Winnie Flapjack make some interesting discoveries as to the sensitivities of villainous pirates.

To see my full review, click here. Give this book a try, you won't regret it!

Random Pirate Award: Most French Pirate

Bloody Jack Faber is a very different sort of girl. Having grown up on the streets, she is resourceful, unscrupulous and completely dishonest. Escaping London, she disguises herself as a boy and joins the navy. Before too long, she finds herself attracted to one of her fellow cabin boys, studying to be a midshipman and encountering (you guessed it!) pirates!

Random Pirate Award: Largest Number of Pirates

Inda by Sherwood Smith is one of my favorite novels of all time. At first it may not look like a pirate novel, but I assure you, they are there.  Inda is a prince, but not a particularly important one. He is filled with excitement when he is finally old enough to attend the Academy, where he will be trained in the art of war and how to be a proper Shield for his older brother. However, terrible things happen and Inda is exiled far away from his friends and family. Placed on a ship where no one knows his name, forced to make a new life for himself, he may prove himself to be more formidable than anyone suspected, especially when it comes to fighting pirates! Inda is the first in a series and the second book, The Fox, has even more pirates.

Random Pirate Award: Meanest Pirate

With a cover like this, do I even need to tell you that there are pirates? Not to mention time travel? But I bet you didn't guess that there are Nazis, did you? On the eve of WWII, young Nick McIver discovers an old sea chest containing a time machine and a plea for help from an ancestor that takes him to 1805 where he battles both a villainous pirate and the treacherous French! The sequel to Nick of Time is called The Time Pirate and has even more piratey adventures.

Random Pirate Award: Creepiest Pirate

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is the story of a mute boy with no name and no family who stows away on a ship to escape starvation and abuse. It is only later that he realizes what kind of ship he is on. A pirate ship. When the crazed Captain Vanderdecken curses heaven and is doomed to sail with his ghostly crew for all eternity, the boy, now named Ben, along with his faithful dog are sent out into the world as immortal wanderers, unable to ever cease their travels. This book has two marvelously piratical sequels: The Angel's Command and Voyage of Slaves.

Random Pirate Award: Most Misunderstood Pirate

 Last but most certainly not least is my very favorite pirate novel of all time, The Sea-Hawk by Rafael Sabatini! Unfairly dwarfed by the more popular Captain Blood, The Sea-Hawk is a magnificent tale of love and betrayal, brothers and lovers, forgiveness and revenge. Sigh, I could probably go on about this book forever. Sir Oliver Tressilian is in love with the fair Rosamund, but there is no love lost between him and her brother, Peter. When Peter is killed (by Oliver's brother, no less) Oliver is the prime suspect. He will not allow anything to happen to his brother Lionel, so he determines to prove his innocence through evidence. However, just when he can accomplish this goal, he is kidnapped under orders from his brother and sold as a galley slave. When the ship he is held captive on is attacked by corsairs, he takes the chance to revenge himself upon his captors and so becomes the notorious pirate Sakr-el-Bahr, the Sea-Hawk. I love this book so much that I recommend that you follow this link directly and download a copy for yourself.

I hope your appetite for piratiness has been properly whetted, because there is more! Check out some chances to win pirate loot here!

Or set sail and find the next Sea Wolf!

Fair seas to you all, my fellow buccaneers!

Random Magic Tour: Pirates! Bonus: Color-Me-Pirate

Random Magic Tour: Pirates!
Bonus: Color-Me-Pirate
May 18 (Songs and Stories)

Here be a fun pirate game to play during Random Magic Tour: Pirates! if ye’d like to experiment with a cheery palette of colors and some cool pirate looks. The world of Random Magic is a vivid place, painted in bold and brilliant colors. The characters of Random Magic are just as colorful, from their off beat personalities right down to the clothes they wear, including the crew of bloodthirsty pirates that our heroes (Winnie and Henry) meet on their sea journey. Yes, even the pirates are a bit over the top, including the dastardly-- and decorative-- Captain Jack:

Winnie and Henry sat uncomfortably on a rotten barrel, under the baleful eye of Captain Jack. The king of sea thieves was decked out in eye patch, peg leg, curly black hair, and big floppy hat with a floofy ostrich feather, as if he’d stepped out of a coloring book about pirates.

Shown above: Quote from Random Magic by Sasha Soren. If you’d like to know a little more about the story, the book trailer is right here:

Shown above: Random Magic, by Sasha Soren.
Find Random Magic: Amazon| Kindle

In the meantime, here’s a fun little diversion on Random Magic Tour: Pirates!, feel free to play with colors and fashion as long as you like, in this cheerful Color-Me-Pirate widget.



 How to play: You’re presented with a pirate and a selection of clothing and colors to use, and the sample wardrobe items are shown above. When you’re using the actual widget, you’ll see these items on your screen. Just click on the item to add to your pirate, or click on the color you’d like to use for your pirate’s hair, eyes, and so on. Here’s a quick sample image, to see what your pirate might look like:


And here’s the link, so you can make your own! Play Color-Me-Pirate!

If you’d like to find more cool piratey things, feel free to join us on the tour, there’s a lot going on --features about pirate grub, gear and eats, music and games, a great art series called Queens of the Sea, an interesting series on pirate queens, lots of prizes and a fun treasure hunt. Set sail with us! Browse the tour schedule. Here's another interesting tour feature you might also enjoy:

The main Rum + Plunder treasure hunt is open internationally! Here’s a fun way to win something piratey and cool: Browse prizes or join the hunt…

 Bonus: Find even more pirate plunder, with Little Pirate Prizes, these aren't marked on the schedule and they're not part of the hunt, but they’re out there for visitors to find and they could be ANYWHERE. Find some Little Pirate Prizes .

Have fun and good luck!

Random Magic Tour: Pirates! May 18 Feature: Finding Starboard

Random Magic Tour: Pirates!

May 18 Feature: Finding Starboard

 Ahoy, matey! For this stop on Random Magic Tour: Pirates!, we’ll share a quick read to help us find our way around a pirate ship - or just about any sailing ship. Several scenes in Random Magic take place on ships, including this one:

‘Ughhhhh,’ Henry groaned, holding his nose. His hand came awaywet. He looked down. Blood. He staggered towards the pile of torncanvases piled along the other railing. Maybe there’d be something hecould use to mop up the blood. The rising wind slammed the loosened sails against the masts of theship, until the t’gallant of the main mast snapped in half, hurtlingdown towards him. He pressed back against the mast as the crow’s nestslammed into the forrard deck, shattering into splintered wood. The mooring links on the foremast sail broke free, and the slide ofheavy canvas whipped downwards, beating against the wind like awounded bird of prey. He’d have to cut it free… No. No time.

So, what’s a crow’s nest or a t’gallant and where can they be found on a pirate ship? We’ve got answers! A t’gallant (topgallant) would be near the top of a mast. Usually there’d be three masts, those are the upright poles, let’ssay, making a place for rigging and then the sails. Masts would look like this, see ‘em?:

Shown above: Diagram (#1), Parts of a ship.

And a t’gallant is near the very top of the mast. In the quote from Random Magic,

‘The rising windslammed the loosened sails against the masts of the ship, until thet’gallant of the main mast snapped in half…,’

we can tell that if the rising winds are strong enough to damage the uppermost part of the mast on this particular ship, well, that’s one heck of a storm for the ship to be caught in. Partly a supernatural tempest, too - in this case…There’s a photo of a t’gallant (topgallant mast) here:

Shown above: Contemporary t’gallant.

There’s a quick explanation about rigging, here, and here’s a quick bit from that page of rigging information, specifically discussing the placement of a topgallant or t’gallant:

A fully square rigged mast consists of three spars - the lowermast, the topmast, and the topgallant mast. The rig has at least threesquare sails: the course on the lower mast, the topsail on the topmastand the topgallant sail on the topgallant mast.

So, you know what a mast is and what it looks like. You know what the t’gallant bit of a mast is and where it’s located. Now, the next bit of the quote from Random Magic talks about a crow’s nest and a forrard deck. Forrard - that’s easy, it’s just an alternate way to say ‘forward.’ In nautical usage, anyway. So, the forrard deck - what’s a deck? What you’d be standing on. The part underneath all the rigging and sails, like a living room floor,the first flat bit, there’s your deck. If the ship was caught up in rough waters or a storm and someone yelled, ‘All hands on deck,’ well, the deck’s where the action happens.

Shown above: Deck view of the warship Vasa, Vasa Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

And the forrard part of the deck, then, would be the forward part of the deck - at the front of the ship, rather than at the back of theship. Actually, the forrard part of the deck even has its own name, the forecastle, also spelled 'fo'c'sle.' Here’s a great painting illustrating a crew hard at work during a storm - all hands on deck!

Shown above: Hoisting The Upper T'Gallant, John Michael Groves, pastel. Date unknown, depicts scene from 1900s (Via: Tall Ships gallery, WoodenBoats.com) More works by this artist: Screensaver and exclusive prints.

 Now, to continue with the Random Magic quote,

‘He pressed back against the mastas the crow’s nest slammed into the forrard deck, shattering intosplintered wood.’

What’s a crow’s nest? It’s a look-out spot on the ship, usually built out from an elevated spot on the main mast. Before the invention of radar, the best way to spot approaching hazards, like land, storms, other ships and so on - or pirates! - was just to get to one of the highest points available and have a look around. So, that’s what seafarers did. The structure itself might’ve been just a barrel or basket for the sailor to sit in, to offer some protection against the possibility of being flung from the mast during a sail through rough waters. Contemporary ships might have something more sophisticated, a special platform, but still with some kind of protective railing or screen.

Shown above: Vintage greeting card, the illustration shows two young fellows waving from the crow’s nest of a ship. Boy, oh, boy - are theygonna be grounded.

And why was it designated a ‘crow’s’ nest? The origin of the term, like a lot of maritime lore, has an interesting back-story:

The crow was an essential part of the early sailors' navigation equipment. These land-lubbing fowl  were carried on board to help the navigator determine where the closest land lay when the weather prevented sighting the shore visually. In cases of poor visibility, a crow was released and the navigator plotted a course that corresponded with the bird's because it invariably headed toward land. The crow's nest was situated high in the main mast where the look-outstood his watch. Often, he shared this lofty perch with a crow or two since the crows' cages were kept there: hence the ‘crow's nest.’ (Origin of Navy Terminology, via the Navy Department Library)

In the quote from Random Magic, then, the storm was violent enough that the wind tore down the crow’snest and smashed it down onto the deck below. So far, you’ve already learned about these parts of a ship -t’gallant, crow’s nest, forecastle (forward deck) - and can pick these out, now, if you happen to see a ship at harbor. We can’t cover all the parts of a sailing ship, or this feature would be really long. But here’s another diagram showing some additional info on the various parts of a ship: 

Shown above: Diagram (#2), Parts of a ship.

There’s just enough time to cover one more basic thing - a quick way to orient yourself when you first step aboard. It’s simple if you keep four directions in mind. The four directions, like the main four points on a simple compass (North, South, East, West), would be ahead and behind you, to the left and right of you, that should keep things simple. The bow: That’s the front of the ship. The stern: That’s the back of the ship, the part behind you, when you’re facing the bow. Port side: Face the bow - port side is to your left. Starboard: Face the bow - starboard is the side to your right. You can remember where the bow happens to be, if you think of taking a bow to an audience. Where’s the audience? In front of you. There are also other ways to remember the difference between port side and starboard. It might help to first understand the history of both terms - here’s a quick definition of ‘port side,’ viaWikipedia:

Port side: An archaic version of ‘port’ is larboard. The term larboard, when shouted in the wind, was presumably too easy to confuse with starboard and so the word port, and phrase ‘port side’ came to replace it.

Shown above: Spanish galleon firing its cannons. Date and artist unknown. View of the ship is the port side. Derived from the practice of sailors mooring ships on the left side at ports in order to prevent the steering oar from being crushed.(Wikipedia) Here’s more on the possible origin of the term ‘larboard,’ and the later use of the term ‘port side,’ from a nautical history fact sheetprovided by the NMM (National Maritime Museum, UK):

In Old English, the term was bæcbord, perhaps because the helmsman at the steorbord had his back to the ship’s left-hand side. This did not survive into Medieval and later English, when ‘larboard’ was used. Possibly this term is derived from laddebord, meaning ‘loading side’;the side rudder (steorbord) would be vulnerable to damage if it went alongside a quay, so early ships would have been loaded (‘laded’) with the side against the quay. In time laddebord became larboard, as steorbord became starboard. Even so, from an early date ‘port’ was sometimes used as the opposite for starboard when giving steering orders, perhaps deriving from the loading port, which was in the larboard side. However, it was only from the mid-19th century that, according to Admiral Smyth’s The Sailor’s Word Book, published in 1867, ‘the left side of the ship is called port, by Admiralty Order, in preference to larboard, as less mistakeable in sound for starboard’. (NMM)

Shown above: Wooden model ship depicting a Spanish galleon, MuseoStorico Navale di Venezia (Naval History Museum) in Venice, Italy.View of the ship is the starboard side.

Starboard: Before ships had rudders on their centerlines, they were steered by use of a specialized steering oar. This oar was held by an oarsman located in the stern (back) of the ship. However, like most of society, there were many more right-handed sailors than left-handed sailors This meant that the steering oar used to be affixed to the right side of the ship. The word starboard comes from Old English steorbord,literally meaning the side on which the ship is steered, descendant from the Old Norse words stýri, meaning ‘rudder’ and borð, meaning‘side of a ship.’ (NMM)

So, back to bowing to the audience - you’re facing the front (bow) of the ship. The producer of the show is behind the scenes, looking stern (the back of the ship.) It’s boring being a star, so even though you’re standing there waving (most likely with your right hand - sorry, lefties!), you’re really bored. You’re a star and you’re bored, doing a limp royal wave. Starboard - the right hand side of the ship.

Shown above: The royal wave, translated: We are a star and we are so bored. And in the meantime you’re making small talk, with a glass in the other hand - and it has some port in it. Port side - the left side of the ship when facing the bow. There, all done! For the lefties, it might just be easier to remember,‘Star light, star bright, starboard is to the right.’ If the whole ‘star light, star bright’ doesn’t really stick in your head, can always memorize a music tune about the difference between port side and starboard. Well, look here! There just happens to be a cute music video out there about this very topic. How very fortuitous:

Shown above: Port Side, by Captain Bogg and Salty. There we are - next time you find yourself aboard a ship, you’ll know a little bit more about where you are and what things are called. You already know what all of these mean: Bow, stern, port side,starboard, t’gallant, forecastle (forward deck), crow’s nest, and the masts. Don’t believe you could learn that much in just five minutes? Give yourself a pop quiz, you’ll see:

Shown above: The Straits of Hormuz, John Michael Groves. Year and medium not indicated.(Via: WoodenBoat.com) In the image above, take a look at the ship on the left - what are you seeing, from your point of view as an observer? That’s right, the stern. Now, the ship in the center, what are you seeing? That’s right, portside - plus the main mast, the deck, can also point out where the forecastle is and where the t’gallant and crow’s nest are likely to be. Lastly, the ship all the way on the right, what are you seeing? That’s right, the bow of the ship is the first thing you see, and just a bit of - yes, the starboard side just coming into view. Hope you enjoyed reading about the different parts of sailing ships and have fun exploring the topic.

Feel free to visit the rest of the tour to read some other cool features about ships, trips and, above all, pirates!

RandomMagic Tour: Pirates! Browse Scedule.

If you’d like to know more about Random Magic, feel free to check out the trailer above, or pick from one of these delicious Random Magic links. There might or might not be pirates involved, but for sure there’ll be fun!

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Image credits: Diagram 1 - 2 

Image credits: T'gallant photo, deck of warship Vasa, crow's nest greeting card, model ship (galleon), galleon in sea battle

Image credits: Header image or header image