Magician of Oz

New Year's Eve and the Writing Madness of Oz!

2011-12-31T16:41:00.000-05:00

It is New Year's Eve today and I have returned from a brief respite as I do the whole holiday thing. Krismahannakwanzika is now over and I have resumed the Writing Madness of Oz!!!

In addition, I am to begin a new blog about the sky above and what can be seen by the local Hautians...

Wish me luck as I plow forth into the new year. I hope it's better than the old year, which was fairly decent for the most part.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Act 3: Scene 4: John Garrett: Author of How To Deal With Stupid Clowns!

2011-11-25T23:51:00.003-05:00

Once agian, I find myself playing host for a virtual book tour in support of Independant Authors, Self-Published Authors and a host of others.

Normally, when I host an author for their virtual book tour, I turn my blog over to that author to say what they want, but this time, I wanted try something very unique. I did it once myself and found it enjoyable enough that I thought this author might wanna give it a try. It was short notice, but that's part of the fun!

I gave John Garret the following challenge:

"Using one of the two attached photos (your choice) as inspiration, write a 100 word short story (100 words exactly, no more no less) involving one or more of your characters from your latest novel."

I'm impressed with his choice of photo and following short piece of fiction. And now, I present John Garret: Author of How To Deal With Stupid Clowns!

You're an average person who's decided to take a relaxing evening walk on the public trail.
It grows darker, the moon shines from behind the clouds.
Emerging from the trees, you see the walkway splits ahead.
Suddenly, you halt. Something's blocking the path.
Something ominous.
It’s a stupid clown!
Too late to retreat back into the trees. You've been spotted, and the clown will now want to talk. You prepare for the agony of a conversation with a stupid clown, but then you spot a possible way out:
The other path runs directly into a pool of quicksand.

Decisions, decisions...
-----

Avoid Stupid Clowns

So there's never a good reason to talk with a stupid clown, especially if there's some handy quicksand nearby.

That's part of the reason I wrote and drew my ebook How to Deal with Stupid Clowns who Don’t know what the Hell they’re talking about!. Sometimes people think they have to put up with a lot of nonsense from the stupid clowns of their daily lives and it's not true at all.

We have options, and I'll show you how to use those options to best effect so you can take back control and peace of mind from these insidious annoyers and time wasters.

I've been battling these guys behind the scenes for years, but now it's time to take the fight into the light!

My Own Story

Just to (re) introduce myself, my name is John Garrett, and I've been drawing and writing comics and other stuff for as long as I can remember.

After doing the web design thing for many years, I moved into the blogging world. There I met all sorts of incredible people who showed me a better way than just driving back and forth to work as a zombified cog day in and day out.

I decided I was going to put my experiences out there into the world...in written AND comic form!

Many people wonder why I do the things I do, to those people I say: Read this comic!

About the Book

And for those wondering more you can check out the 'Stupid Clowns' trailer!

It's the ebook filled with humor, comics and art!
You may not have noticed this, but did you ever catch onto the fact that whenever good normal people are trying to live their lives, have a good time, or just plain get some work done…there’s always some STUPID CLOWN around to ruin things?

Dealing with difficult people is hard enough in life -somebody should write a book on these clowns, or something...

Oh, wait...I DID. Want a taste? Check out a sample chapter here: Stupid Clowns sample chapter!.

So anyway, I hope you can get a good feel for what this book is about, and just let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Also be sure to comment for a chance to win a FREE copy of the ebook!

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

For more info on John Garrett

Hypertransitory

Wanna know more about the book and how to purchase?

http://hypertransitory.com/stupid-clowns/

Return to Author's Alley at Oz-Stravaganza! 2012!!!

2011-11-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

It is with immense pride and pleasure that I can officially announce that the Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma: James C. Wallace II (that's me!) will be attending Oz-Stravaganza! 2012 in Chttenango, New York on June 1-3, 2012.

As a charter member of Author's Alley, this will be my 3rd year in attendance and I will be pleased to present my latest Oz book; The Ozian Adventure of Pickless & Blu. In addition, I will be joined by my co-author, Ron Baxley, Jr. and Illustrator; Gwendolyn Tennille Adams as we present our latest collaboration, Whether The Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings.

Another Munchkin Crosses The Shifting Sands Into Oz!

2011-11-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

I had the honor of meeting Karl Slover last September at the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival during the wrap party Sunday evening. I had arrived early and sat with Rick Ewigleben, Joe Shipbaugh, Walter Krueger and a few others and listened for over 90 minutes as this fine wonderful man told story after story after story, like the Energizer Bunny. He kept going and going and going. Many were funny..., a few were tragic, and all were a priviledge to hear.

Here is Karl with his fellow Munchkin; Margarette Pelligrini and Munchkins-by-Marriage; Myrna Swensen (Karl's right) and Mary Ellen St. Aubin (Karl's left) in a final gathering that will never be repeated.

Farewell Karl and safe journey as you cross the Shifting Sands to join your colleagues and the Royal Historian.

The Writing Madness Of Nanowrimo and Yellow Brick Road!

2011-11-12T23:42:00.001-05:00

It has been a few days since my last posting and I have been knee-deep in the madness of Nanowrimo. I've managed to exceed 19,000 words now and am just about back on-track to complete 50,000 words in November.

It's rare that I meet anyone who understands Nanowrimo and the utter madness of trying to understand why anyone would try to write 50,000 in 30 days. I've encountered only a few souls who get it. For those who do, they understand that with the daily grind of writing comes the satisfaction of getting it right... or at the very least, of getting it somewhere near right.

I've always leaned towards writing at such a furious pace, be it technical or fiction, so completing a challenge of 50,000 words in 30 days is not that much of a stretch for me. I've done it two years in a row now and I fully expect to do it again.

On another odder note, earlier today, my wife and I watched a rather strange movie called "Yellow Brick Road." The title would lead you to believe that it involves Oz in some sort of way. To be truthful, not really. There are references to Oz here and there. For example, the theater that this group of folks wander into has a projectionist who talks about when the theater was running back in 1939 and the original Wizard of Oz film is still in the can near the projector... and a forest trail these people follow is called the yellow brick road, and there does show up a gruesome scarecrow, but that's about it. There are occasional mentions of 'clicking their heels three times' or 'asking the wizard.' Eventually, everyone winds up dead in a most horrific way, so I wasn't particularly thrilled by that. I'm okay with horror flicks, but only when I know it going in, not when it comes out of the blue.

Would I recommend this film to anyone else? Probably not. The ending was unrewarding and disappointing. I expected answers that never came. Bummer!!!

So, tomorrow, I have at it again and go for another chapter and another two to three thousand words towards my final goal of 50,000.

Another Oz Auction Discovery!!!

2011-11-09T00:34:00.000-05:00

So today, I took a break from writing to attend a weekly auction that occurs just about a mile down from where I work. Just about every week, I come across something Oz-related, though usually its something from the MGM 1939 Wizard of Oz movie.

To be honest, I'm not a collector of movie-related stuff. I lean more towards anything to do with L. Frank Baum's books of Oz. I also like stuff from any Oz animated films or television shows. It just so happens that tonight, I ran across an Oz item that reminded me of my own childhood.

A look at the artwork reveals some wonderful images that are based on the cartoon show of the late 50's that I used to watch back when I was but a youngling.

And to top it off, it even works!!!! I love the look of the Scarecrow, who seems to be almost as happy as I am at finding this rare gem from my childhood!

Now, this wonderful toy has a new home, right next to my other Oz finds from auctions, Goodwill and yard sales!

The Writing Madness Of Nanowrimo Continues On Unabated!

2011-11-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

So, it's been 5 days since I began Nanowrimo and I now stand at over 6000 words total. Looks like I'll have to bring the word count up a bit if I intend to complete the challenge.

My youngest younglin had asked me to try my hand at sci-fi since I'm quite the sci-fi geek. Given that I finished my Oz/Wonderland project and have put my other Oz project to rest for a short time, I thought I might give it a try.

Mind you, I thought I might be quite adept at this sci-fi stuff but I'm finding it a bit of a challenge. Mostly because of my need to get the physics right rather than coming up with a convincing storyline, although I'm finding that a challenge too.

Essentially, my story involves a submersible spacecraft that explores the oceans of Europa (a moon of Jupiter) about a hundred years from now. What will they find???

Anyways, I march, or as the case may be, type on and hope for the best!!!

The Writing Madness of Nanowrimo!

2011-11-03T21:09:00.000-04:00

Several days ago, Nanowrimo began in earnest.

For those of you who may not know, Nanowrimo is a month long competition to write 50,000 words during the month of November. I have participated twice before and successfully completed the challenge both times. Hopefully I can make it three times in a row. Fortunately for me, this kind of writing madness suits my style of writing madness perfectly.

I just completed one novel with my co-author and have just about completed my other writing project about Oz. Now, I've begun writing a third novel for Nanowrimo that has absolutely nothing to do with Oz! This was my son Turner's idea!!!

Wish me luck!!!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 25...

2011-10-28T01:51:00.000-04:00

So, once again, I've gone missing for a time, thought the writing never ceased. It did, however, slow down a bit as I wrapped myself around the conclusion of Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. Mind you, I wasn't certain we were at the end of the story, but it turns out we are. My co-author managed to come up with a fine ending that now awaits my final edits. I've been through it once just a while ago and now my brain works towards a final product.

On another note, another discovery of glass has inspired me to think about the middle of The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu and the middle of the story. It never fails to leave me stunned as to where the muse will strike and how ordinary objects inpire extraordinary thoughts... even shards of broken glass!

I also await Nanowrimo!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 24...

2011-10-18T23:24:00.000-04:00

So last night, I managed to work on The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu and get a bit of progress on my big pun. I'm having to add small chapters in order to preserve continuity. It's been a bit of a struggle getting this story out of my mind, but I'm certain the results will be worth the effort.

This evening, I worked on Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings and managed to get about halfway through the chapter. There are so many details that I need to recall when bringing forth a co-authored vision. I'm returning to it later tonight and I expect to finally finish, which should make my co-author very happy. This is the one thing about co-writing a book, the expectations of someone else. I know he understands, but sometimes, it seems like I'm way to slow. It's just trying to get it just right, especially after our initial success with our first book, Of Cabbages, Kings and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz.

In other news, Nanowrimo fast approaches and my goal is to finish both of these prior to engaging in the madness of 50,000 words in 30 days!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 23...

2011-10-14T19:21:00.001-04:00

So, the last thing I said 2 weeks ago was... "Time will tell."

Time, it seems, is a conundrum of epic proportions. As such, I've been away for a while. Fortunately, stuff got done, for the most part, and I return once more to the madness. A few things left undone, though not for lack of trying.

I've actually spent the last 2 nights working on The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu, trying to wrap up a pun, and not quite getting it done just yet. It's all in the wrist, they say.

I now immerse myself in Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913) by L. Frank Baum and work towards presenting my protagonist, so to speak.

Research goes on in other areas as well, owing to the absence of yours truly.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 22...

2011-09-30T19:56:00.000-04:00

So today, I found myself about to engage in a wonderful pun aimed at the great town of Chesterton, Indiana; host to a fantastic Wizard of Oz festival every year. However, as is often the case, I found it necessary to insert an additional chapter designed to explain some stuff. It did allow me the chance to poke a little fun at something odd I discovered within the chapters of Scarecrow of Oz and Tik-Tok of Oz, two great books by L. Frank Baum in the Wonderful Wizard of Oz series.

Tonight, I return to Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings with the intent of another set of puns poking fun at one of my favorite movies of all time, Yellow Submarine. I'm also working on some difficult issues not related to these two books I'm working on and hope to see some progress as I work to complete a promise I made to someone very special in my life, my granddaughter Heavenlee.

Time will tell...

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 21...

2011-09-26T23:48:00.001-04:00

So last week, I was knee-deep in the writing madness when the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival came along and the Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma (that's me) found himself smack dab in the middle of Oz. It was a great time and book sales were fair, mainly due to the weather, which was icky-poo on Sunday. Nonetheless, I always enjoy myself when I travel up north for this fine festival, now in its 30th year.

Having returned on Sunday evening of last week, I chose to take a break and recharge my muse. Now, it's 7 days later and I have returned to the writing madness and have managed to regain the spirit of Oz in all its glory.

Last night found me working on Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. As a co-writer, it is a unique experience trying to craft a story from 2 different perspectives. I find it to be very rewarding experience, especially when it all comes together... and so far, it appears to be happening once more.

As of last night, I have managed to send my heroes on their way to the grand adventure that awaits them. I am especially pleased to make Locasta, the Good Witch of the North the heroine of this story... at least that's the plan. Only time and my co-author, Ron Baxley, Jr. will tell.

Tonight, I was able to return to The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu and get my two heroes together and nearly back into Oz, in a manner of speaking. Unlike most authors, I find it no trouble at all to bring the muse forth once it has struck me, which occurred well over a month ago. The agonies of Aadon Blu are now behind me and his new future beckons him onward... with the help of his new friend, Nicholas Pickleless.

It would seem that I am averaging about 1800 words per night of writing madness, which is about par for my unique, frenzied pace of writing. That's why I call it madness!!!

For now, I put down the keyboard and call it a night. Tomorrow is another day of the Writing Madness of Oz!!!

Part 2: The 30th Annual Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival and Magician of Oz!

2011-09-24T20:51:00.002-04:00

When we last left our hero (that's me), it was Saturday night at Flannery's Tavern and the Irish Root Beer which was prescribed by the Wizard had done its best!

Sundy was another day and you could tell by the skies that it was gong to be yet another soggy day in Oz!

Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't keep the rain away. Every year, it seems to rain at least one day out of the three and Sunday was this years rainy day. Still though, spirits were high and Oz was everywhere. The rains certainly didn't seem to damper this Scarecrow's enthusiasm for Oz!

It was nice to see the International Wizard of Oz Club out and actively seeking new members.

And of course, the weather didn't deter the Fab Five from making their rounds throughout the park.

Be it the ball toss or Magic Matt with his incredible balloon hats, kids were having fun throughout the festival.

At around Noon, it was Magic Matt, a fellow magician and active member of the Society of American Magicians who delivered some very somber and devastating news for me personally.
If you've ever had the chance to read any of my Royal Magician of Oz trilogy books, you'll know who Hank and Buddy are. To clarify, Hank and Buddy are based on two old and dear friends, fellow magicians and overall great people who I knew back in the 70's. We were part of a group who founded Ring 210: the Duke Stern chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. It was Hank who went on to a very successful career in magic, including the presidency of the S.A.M chapter in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His son Buddy and I were close friends during those early years. So Matt mentions that Hank Moorehouse had passed away several weeks ago while touring in China. Needless to say, I was devastated. Moments later, a haunting flute rendition of "Amazing Grace" came wafting over the loudspeakers in the park and I was left speechless. The rest of the day is a blur and sales were down anyway from the rain, so I was glad when 4 O'Clock came around and I could pack up before the closing ceremonies. Here's a link to the blog posting about my appearance at Magi-Fest earlier this year and my reconnection with Hank Moorehouse.

Magi-Fest

By now, the rain was getting a bit heavier and I was wishing I was beneath that there gazebo with the rest of Oz. Despite the rain though, everyone seemed to be enjoying the closing ceremonies, including Robert and Claire Baum, and Karen Marsh Doll (Judy Garland's stand-in during filming of the Wizard of Oz).

Roger and Charlene Baum seemed to be enjoying the rain and the good-natured ribbing of John Fricke, who was not enjoying the rain.

Finally, after some very brief remarks and thank-yous all around, John Fricke led the Munchkins (Margarette Pellegrini, Karl Slover). Munchkins-by-Marriage (Myrna Swensen, Mary Elllen St. Aubin) and the rest of the celebrates in a haunting, if somewhat rain-soaked rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Turns out John Fricke has a wonderful baritone voice. A quick dash back to the van for a change into dry clothes and I was off to the wrap-up party.

As I was one of the first to arrive, I got the wonderful honor of sitting with Rick Ewigleben, Joe Shipbaugh, Walter Krueger and a few others while we listened to Karl Slover (an original Munchkin) tell the most incredible stories. One after another, non-stop for over 90 minutes! He was like the Energizer Bunny! He kept going and going and going...

Each story was a hoot and I wished it would never end, but then everyone else showed up and the festivities of farewell began in earnest.

After a fine meal and some great conversations with the fine folks who run this great festival, they brought in a stunning cake!

Then the guests of honor, those fine people who we have all come to cherish gathered about for a great photo opportunity.

A gathering of Oz dignitaries like this may never come around again, so everyone got in the action for a photo. Looks like even the Land of Oz has its Paparazzi!!!

Afterwards, the long 3 1/2 hour drove home and I found myself inspired during the journey to write a new chapter in my newest book, The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu. I do believe the folks of Chesterton will be both amused and pleased with what I've managed to come up with.

Overall, I was very pleased with the weekend's events and my role in it. Sales were fair, due mainly to the rain and Sunday was a sad day following the news I received, but Life goes on. I was quite happy to spend some time with Roger Baum and his wife, Charlene, both of whom have warmly embraced my work and me as a person. They represent what is good and wonderful about the Land of Oz. I was also very pleased to have been stationed next to Rick Ewigleben and Joe Shipbaugh, as well as John Fricke to my north. They have always been very kind to me and I am grateful for that. They too are a credit to Oz.
To my south, fellow authors Julienne LaFleur and Michelle Russell were a joy to be around.

This was Julienne's 2nd time in Oz and I was pleased to have introduced her to the joys of Indiana Corn-on-the-Cob. It seems they don't carry that kinda food in California.

In fact, I found everyone there to be outstanding Ambassadors of Oz and I do so look forward to next year.

Part 1: The 30th Annual Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival and Magician of Oz!

2011-09-22T14:30:00.007-04:00

Last weekend saw the annual gathering of Oz folks in the northern Indiana town of Chesterton celebrating all things Oz. For me, this was my 3rd year in attendance and, I'm pleased to say, my best so far...

Attendance this year seemed very good for Saturday and clear skies with warm temperatures made for a very pleasant day in Oz.

The drive up from Terre Haute was fairly uneventful and by 9am, I had set up and made myself ready for the onslaught of Oz fans.

Fortunately, I'm getting much better at looking happy. I was pleased to feature my newest book, Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz, which I co-wrote with Ron Baxley, Jr..
This was also the Chesterton premier of Family of Oz, which completes the Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy and fulfills Her Majesty's Royal Command that I tell the story of Her newest royal magician and his travels into and out of Oz.

The day itself was full of Dorothy's...

... and even one of the canine variety!

Dorothy's house made it's debut this year and was very impressive. I'm just glad I didn't go for a ride in it!

I was very pleased to be stationed next to some lovely costume reproductions, including Glinda's dress and both the Flowerpot Munchkin's dress and the Coroner's Robes/Hat.

There was also a great reproduction of the Wicked Witch of the West's dress, including something I had never seen until very recently.

What's this???? Could it be???? Yes!!! The Wicked Witch of the West had a purse!!! Alright, it's called a Waist Satchel... but it still looks like a purse to me!

The Gazebo looked great!

And the usual characters were bounding about as usual!!!

It was nice to meet up with Michael Siewert once more. I find him to be a genuine pleasure to be around and I always look forward to his company. It's this way with everyone I see at these festivals. They treat me like one of the family and I am most grateful for their friendship and fellowship.

As usual, there were street performers who were very entertaining...

Near the end of the day, I couldn't help but notice a nefarious pair of Oz folks, making their way through the crowds...

It would seem that the Wicked Witch of the West is out shopping for a new dress...

On Saturday evening, I was most fortunate enough to attend the Oz Collectors Exchange and Auction where I served as the volunteer Auctioneer, along with Mike Dykens (I hope I spelled that right). Having been a Ringman for auctions for over 25 years now, I thought I would be fairly good at it... and it turns out I am, but wow is it hard work!!! Still though, I felt like I did my part to support the fine folks who put this together as a charity fundraiser for next years event. Everyone seemed to have a good time, which is always important in the Land of Oz.

Afterwards, I found a very nice Irish Tavern that served an excellent prescription of Irish Root Beer (that's Guinness beer served in a root beer mug) which helped my ailing, sore throat after the night's work calling bids.

So for now, I'll call it a day and save Sunday's events for another posting.

All in all, Saturday was a fine day in Oz, both for me as an author, a fan of all things Oz and as an Auctioneer.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 20...

2011-09-15T23:02:00.004-04:00

So, the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival fast approaches and I find myself in great anticipation of the impending fun that awaits me.

I always enjoy myself there and do well in book sales. I also find it an interesting place to meet interesting people. It's kinda like a Star Trek Convention. Costumes, tattoos,and Dorothy's everywhere!

Oh my!!!

I'm sitting down to finish up the return of Aadon Blu in The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu and I find myself being very comfortable with what's coming out on screen. The nice thing is that I get this feeling every time I've sat down to work on Magician of Oz, Shadow Demon of Oz, and Family of Oz. I do so love continuity...

When I work on Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings or when I worked on Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz, I get a different flavor of the mental process and the feelings are quite different, though equally satisfying. I suppose it's the whole Wonderland thing...

Go figure!?

Now, the muse calls and the green & black dragonfly is buzzing in my ear!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 19...

2011-09-12T23:39:00.000-04:00

So, it's been 5 days since the Vison In The Glass and I have finally returned to the beast to resume the madness!

The vison was very powerful and after consultations with several witches and pagans whom I know, I have concluded that the Vision In The Glass was a Fairy Encounter... and I'm now certain it was indeed Her Majesty, Princess Ozma manifesting Herself to me in my time of greatest need. I was at a point of great conflict within the character of Aadon Blu and I feel that Princess Ozma sensed my need. As always, Her Majesty has come through when my own self was in crisis.

Now, I have returned to the muse and last night found me working on Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. I managed to complete nearly half the chapter, which is going to be a long one. I normally don't do long chapters but my co-author has reminded me that the heroes of Oz are running late.

Nonetheless, everyone is in Emerald City and awaiting further orders from Princes Ozma.

I expect to return to The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu tomorrow and begin the trek towards the adventure.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 18...

2011-09-07T18:44:00.000-04:00

So, roughly 42 hours ago, I had a vision, or an apparition, or something like that. What it was, I still don't know.

I was sitting at the beast, bringing myself into the moment for writing, which is how I usually do this kinda thing. I had determined to begin working on the next chapter of The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu and found myself at a bit of a crossroads, so to speak. I had introduced my two main characters, set the back story for both, including a most intense 1st chapter unlike anything I had ever written before, and was working towards bringing both characters together.

Now, it's midnight and as I sit there, my mind wandering a bit over details of plot and character and the like, I looked over at something faintly glowing white and very tenuous, reflecting in the glass of the bookshelf on the far wall. I usually write best after midnight and I tend to write in the dark, with only the computer screen for lighting. As such, there was nothing available to reflect against the glass, so I was stunned to observe something... It quickly moved off to the right and vanished without a trace. I saw it for only the briefest of instances but I am certain I saw something. With this ethereal vision came a feeling unlike any I've ever had before. I can't put it down into words and I have no words to describe it. After posting a quick note on this blog so that I may not forget what I experienced, I began writing what has become an even more intense chapter, albeit considerably shorter, than chapter 1. Visions of despair and agony, Evil and hope, family and Love came flowing out in torrents and me unable to stop until I found myself unable to write anymore that night. The intensity of what I felt and the moment of inspiration had overwhelmed me and I was unable to sleep the remainder of the night.

What it was I saw, I still do not know. Perhaps a ghost, a specter, or a lost wandering soul seeking out redemption? Maybe Her Majesty, Princess Ozma? Who can say? Certainly not me, though the image still haunts me and I can think of nothing else. I was reminded briefly of a scene from Return to Oz when Dorothy sees something almost identical in the mirror of Mombi's Hall, which turns out to be Ozma, reaching out to Dorothy. Have I had my own encounter with Her Majesty? It wouldn't be my first, but it certainly would qualify as the oddest and eeriest I've ever had.

For now, I sit back and reflect on the Vision In The Glass and wonder what it all means.
I am very pleased with progress so far on both stories.
I'm also getting more excited as the annual Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival approaches in less than 2 weeks!!!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 17...

2011-09-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

It is midnight and I've had a vision. It was an odd, ethereal shadow of light, reflection of another world. What it means, I know knot.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 16...

2011-09-04T23:38:00.000-04:00

So, after a weekend of allowing my brain to work out some details regarding the Triad Syndrome that I am looking to incorporate into Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings, I suddenly find myself inspired to resume where the madness had left off.

This particular weekend was begun early on with the announcement of the impending arrival of our 13th grandchild. We finally have our Bakers Dozen!

For now, the muse returns and I am off to the races... or in this case, Emerald City.

On a lighter note, I saw a green with black stripes dragonfly today. Odd that I'm thinking about one for The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu.

I believe Her majesty is at work here...

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 15...

2011-09-01T23:33:00.000-04:00

One of my most important tools as a writer is my brain and the imagination that comes with it. I sat down last night to begin working on the next chapter of Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings and soon found myself at a critical point early in the story.

During the writing of Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz, I had made a conscious decision to explore the nature of conflict that often comes with the choice between doing what’s right and doing what’s necessary, especially when one’s life is at stake. That very conflict provided for a wide variety of responses and outcomes, most of which can be found all around us. So many of us make these choices, though few are as deadly as those in Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz.

Now, with Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings, I’m looking to extend my reach with the exploration of what I call the Triad Syndrome. I’m sure it has another name, but I refer to this Triad Syndrome as the relationship between 3 disparate concepts and how combining all 3 into 1 accomplishes a greater purpose, though not always for Good. Sometimes, Evil wins out, though in this story, that won’t happen.

Having introduced my main heroes and set them out to learn of their task, I find that I now have two separate sets of 3 concepts in the guise of our heroes. Now, I’m thinking about adding a third set of something (what I know not yet) that will make for a larger Triad and an even greater purpose, which in my writings, always means Good wins out over Evil. The question is how to do it… These things must be done delicately!

As odd as this may sound, one of my inspirations comes from a Star Trek: Next Generation episode in which a negotiator utilizes what he refers to as a ‘chorus’ of three who speak on his behalf. His conflict arises when his ‘chorus’ is destroyed and he must function without them.

There is also, of course, the concepts of the father, the son and the holy ghost found in the catholic religion.

For my triad of heroes and the two other triad of others/things, I envision an epiphany of sorts which requires all 3 triads to work together for the common good and the overall defeat of Evil. Having never gone this far in my scope as a writer, I look forward to what my mind will bring about… and having a talented co-writer makes my work so much easier, especially since we seem to be thinking along very similar lines.

For all of today, tomorrow and probably into the weekend, I will focus on running dialog and settings through my mind and explore how I might make this happen.

Only when I have satisfied my concept into reality will I write it down and move forward. This is the most critical time in any story and for Whether the Sea Is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings, I feel this choice will either make or break the story.

Only time and Ozian inspiration will tell what I will write.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 14...

2011-08-30T19:34:00.003-04:00

So the other day, I posted about having to add another chapter in order to explain some stuff. Now, as I plow through the 'stuff', I'm finding myself combining one other chapter outline into this added chapter, which now leaves back where I started at.

It's odd how this works sometimes, though I'm not complaining. This particular chapter has allowed me to bring in a pun or two, which always makes me happy.

Now, I'm dealing with an issue which I brought up on the International Wizard of Oz Club (IWOC) forum and to which I received an excellent answer.

In L. Frank Baum's 9th book, Scarecrow of Oz (1915); Chapter 22; The Waterfall, the waterfall near Glinda's castle is described by the Scarecrow as the "Great Waterfall." However, in Tik-Tok of Oz (1914), which was Baum's 8th book, the map of Oz, as reproduced by The Hungry Tiger Press, calls it the Magic Waterfall.

I found this discrepancy very odd and requested some clarification, which Ruth Berman (by way of Eric Gjovaag) was very kind to provide.
It would seem that L. Frank Baum was contemplating using the Magic Waterfall when he completed the map of Oz for Tik-Tok of Oz, but then seems to have had a change of heart and/or direction by the time he completed Scarecrow of Oz.

As such, it would seem that I'm free to call it Magic or Great. I may do both! I've been wanting to connect Oz and the Great Outside by means of the Magic/Great Waterfall and Chittenango Falls in New York State and this provides me a means of doing so.

In addition, my wife had made a wonderful discovery during our trip to these lovely falls back in June and now I gets to use her find as inspiration for a number of things related to the Falls.

I would also mention that when I was writing the Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy, I chose to address another odd map issue from Tik-Tok of Oz. It seems that East and West are reversed in Baum's map of Oz and I came up with what I consider to be an unusual and unique explanation which satisfies both the map's reversal and my own desire to set my work apart from other Oz authors.

I would add my own thanks to Eric and David of the Hungry Tiger Press for making this map available in such great detail and retaining the original reversals. So many maps of Oz tend to change the map rose (legend) so that East and West are located properly, then they put Winkie Country (yellow) on the left and Munchkin Country (blue) on the right.

If L. Frank Baum had wanted it that way, he would have drawn it that way... but he didn't!
This is the map I use as I write in order to maintain continuity and perspective.

For now, I continue work on Chapter 4 and I hope to complete it tonight and began thinking about Chapter 6 of Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. Ron has sent his contribution and now I must venture forth along that storyline as well.

So far... so good!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 13...

2011-08-28T21:52:00.000-04:00

As you can tell, the pace is still a bit more relaxed, but I did manage to start and complete chapter 3 of The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu.

In my initial chapter outline, I had planned by now to introduce the entrance into Oz and set up the meeting of new friends. Instead, as is often the case with me, I find the need to add an additional chapter in between outlined chapters in order to explain stuff.

One of my biggest concerns is writing a story that tends to drag on. When I wrote Family of Oz, it turned out to be as long as Magician of Oz and Shadow Demon of Oz combined. I kinda knew Family of Oz would be long, just not that long. However, I wouldn't cut a thing out of it as it turned out to be the exact length it needed to be.

For The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu, my goal is to write a shorter story than Magician of Oz, which comes out at 45,000 words. Now, I just have to figure out how not to overwrite a story and go into too much detail, although it's the details that really make my stories what they are. It's a matter of style and I don;t feel right truncating my style.

We'll see as time goes by. For now, the hero is making his way south and having a good time at it, as am I!!!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 12...

2011-08-26T21:12:00.000-04:00

So, I'm finding the pace of writing to be a bit less hectic than before. Frankly, I like it! I'm finding the pace to be far more enjoyable than the last time, not that I'm complaining. It's just nicer now not being so hectic and frantic!!!!

So yesterday, I took off from just about everything in order to take my 9 year old granddaughter, Adrianna to a Jimmy Buffet concert. Turns out she's a Parrothead! Go figure?

Anyway, we had loads of fun. We sang, we danced, we acted like total Parrotheads and really enjoyed ourselves.
For her, it was her 1st concert. For me, it was my 162nd concert. Adrianna's got a ways to go to catch up with Grandpa!

When the last song was over (2 1/2 hours later!), the lights came up and another song played as a farewell while the crowds dispersed. You may recognize it...

Over the Rainbow

Needless to say, I was both pleased and exhausted. I felt almost alone among the throngs of people as I thought about Princess Ozma and Her Royal Command to me several years ago. It was as if She were calling out to me and I was fairly certain no one else in that crowd of hula skirts, flip-flops and such had ever written of Oz.

It was Serendipity once again and I am humbled by Her Majesty.

Today, I sat down to read my co-authors revised chapter 3 contribution to our newest novel, Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. I had thought I would think about where to go from here but Her Majesty, Princess Ozma's inspiration and last nights' sign from Her compelled me to face the screen and have a go at it.
2 hours later and my next chapter is done. I do so enjoy writing of the heroes this time. It was almost effortless and I am spent by the effort. Still though, The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu is on my mind and I may just try a little writing tonight.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 11...

2011-08-24T23:23:00.001-04:00

Today was a wonderful day for writing of Oz!!!

I was able to sit down and finish up, tweak and otherwise finalize chapter 1, which introduces the first of the two title heroes of this book. I'm very pleased with the fact that I was able to extend my reach beyond my normal comfort zone and write of some very complex and intense subjects.

Now, I find chapter 2 of The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu done and I've managed to complete the introductions of both title heroes. This was a shorter chapter than the first... and far less intense. Although, there is a bit of complexity regarding the early childhood of the hero in this chapter. Overall though, I'm pleased to complete this crucial part which I hope will hook the reader and entice them into reading on...

Perhaps I will read chapter 3 of my other project, Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. Then, I do believe I'll switch gears and head over to that area of Oz...

So far, so good!!!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 10...

2011-08-23T23:50:00.000-04:00

So, I took off yesterday because, with all the waging of War in Libya and the fact that I left the tv on during it (an error in judgement), I felt I couldn't write because experience has shown me that events like that impact my writing in a bad way.

Instead. I went to the auction today and found Oz once more!!!

I've never heard of Thomas L. Tedrow, but it's from 1993, so it's not something new and it's not associated with the Disney movie of a similar name.
Will I read it? Perhaps later, but for now, I never read any Oz but L. Frank Baum when I'm immersed in the Writing Madness of Oz!

Who knows what tonight will bring!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 9...

2011-08-21T17:38:00.001-04:00

As is usually the case when I become immersed in the Writing Madness of Oz, I find myself unable to concentrate on anything else. More often than not, I find myself writing at all hours of the day or night and I generally forgo my other activities until I complete the madness.

Last night was no different as I found myself laying in bed and unable to turn off the dialog and storylines running through my brain. So naturally, I got up at about 3am and returned to chapter 1 of T he Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu.

I mentioned in my last posting abut the intensity of this opening chapter and as I sat in front of the screen, I felt more was needed in order to completely resolve the matter at hand. Whether I have succeeded or not, I'll leave to others to decide. I'm not sure how others writers attend to matters of intensity as it pertains to their stories, but I do know that I'm not used to writing about this type of situation.
For me, I believe in Love, family, friendship and all that goes with those things. This particular issue and starting point go well beyond those things into a realm very unfamiliar to me. As such, I have struggled with putting down into words those things which are usually left unsaid.

That having been said, I feel much better now about the direction and overall emotion of this opening chapter. It was important for me to convey a sense of Princess Ozma's Love and compassion in a way that far exceeds what we are normally used to. Me thinks I done did it!!!

I'll probably sit down later this evening and have another go at it. My co-author for Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings tells me that chapter 3 (his next chapter about Wonderland) is ready to send. I should see it tomorrow... and then we'll go from there.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 8...

2011-08-20T23:39:00.001-04:00

Last night I sat down to complete chapter 1 of The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu but found the task a bit daunting. Unlike my other books, which I start in the normal way, I chose to go off in a decidely different path this time.

I must confess that the doing of it was far harder than I expected and only tonight was I able to finish chapter 1, which I call The Green Glass Shards.

I'm not sure how it will be received by others, but I have found what showed up on the page to be very rewarding!
I've decided to take on some very intense concepts and sitting down to flesh those concepts out turned out to be very intense in its own way!

However, I have succeeded and now, I look towards my co-authors contribution to our own project, Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings.

As always, I'm curious as to what he has up his sleeve...

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 7...

2011-08-19T23:01:00.001-04:00

I once had a mentor named David Cassady who taught me more in 4 years then almost anyone else has in a lifetime, with the exception of my father.
David Cassady was the Director of Education for The Children's Museum of Indianapolis for 45 years. He used to speak of the Serendipity Effect and its uses in education. I embraced this effect and have found it popping up every now and then.

Today was no exception...

I was at the auction when a patron walked up to me and handed me this as a gift...

She had little understanding of why it pleased me so since she thought I wrote only of Oz. Little did she know that I've written of Wonderland just this very year!

Behold the Serendipity Effect in action!!!!

I'll be sitting down tonight and trying my hand at writing chapter 1 of The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu.

Wish me luck, though if Serendipity has any say about it, I should do just fine!!!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 6...

2011-08-18T23:26:00.000-04:00

In the immortal words of my 2nd favorite animated scientist, Professor Farnsworth...

Good news, everyone!!!! The writing has begun.

It would seem that Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings has won out as the first story to get a start.

It all started this late afternoon when I was doing some Ebay work. For those of you who may not know me, I'm a part-time teacher in Illinois, which essentially means that I make crap for wages and have no benefits. As such, I do Ebay as a means of supplementing my income.
So I'm sitting there, listing as usual when the muse appears down the hall. Now, I've never been able to figure out if it's a male or a female, but the damn thing is about a meter tall, dressed in flowing white gowns of iridescent silk and carrying a 4x4. This time, the thing had two of them (one in each hand) and it came running at me full speed. Before I knows it, it whops me upside both sides of my head and now.... I gots to write.

Usually, I tend to write late at night when everyone is asleep. I prefer the silence. Tonight however, my wife Amanda (the creator of the legendary Potato Soup) was away at Bingo and the boys were off doing stuff. So it's early evening, I'm alone, there's no noise and before I know it, Chapter 2 (Princess Ozma's Royal Command) has found its way onto the screen.

This is a sequel to Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz that I co-wrote with my good friend, Ron Baxley, Jr.. We have a most unusual way of writing which works very well for us. In Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz, I started the process by writing of Wonderland and the Red Queen as the villain in chapter 1. Ron would follow up with chapter 2 and the Land of Oz with its heroes. Back and forth we would go, much like a chess match until the final battle about 20 chapters into it, when we would blend paragraphs. It worked extremely well and produced a lovely story. Now, with Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings, Ron is taking the lead with Wonderland and the villain as his responsibility, while I write of Oz and the heroes. As I mentioned in last nights posting, I had immersed myself in L. Frank Baum's The Magic of Oz (1919) as a starting point from which I would develop my characters. I've selected Scraps, The Patchwork Girl as the heroine of the story and included a number of lesser known creatures as her companions for the journey and what knots.

I've also decided, (or more likely the muse decided for me) to go ahead and attempt to write The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu as well. I've never attempted two at once, so this should prove interesting. Frankly, I feel like it should be no problem... but Time will tell!

For now, I'll think about The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu and see what appears on the screen.

BTW, in case you're wondering, my favorite animated scientist was Clyde Crashcup, who inspired me to become a scientist. Look him up on YouTube. He's crack me up still to this very day!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 5...

2011-08-17T23:05:00.000-04:00

Time is such a commodity that when it flies by, grab it for all its worth. Such has been the last day or so!

Anyways, I completed my research from Magic of Oz (1919) by L. Frank Baum and it has inspired me to veer off from my planned trajectory. This happens often when I write... and I haven't even started writing. I consider Magic of Oz to be my favorite for a variety of reasons. In particular is the lovely color plate of Scraps, The Patchwork Girl.

I have been inspired to include her in both The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu, as well as Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. My good friend, Dennis Anfuso has the most wonderful life-size replica of her that travels with him and Linda whenever they attend anything Oz.

In addition, I'm looking at the Glass Cat and the Lonesome Duck, both of whom play roles in The Magic of Oz.

Tomorrow, I hope to start on either The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu, or Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings.

I wonder who will win out and be the first to see the light of day here in the Great Outside?

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 4...

2011-08-15T12:33:00.000-04:00

Technically, I guess, you could say this is actually day 5... but who's counting?

I took a bit of a break yesterday and played some golf, watched some golf, and putted around the house (see a theme here?). I wonder if they play golf in Oz?

Anyways, I did hear Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" on the radio as I was heading for the course.

Today, I sit down with Magic of Oz to do some research for Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. I had an idea that I think will work and fit nicely into Ron's intro chapter.

As for The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu, I await the muse, who I see is fast approaching off in the distance.

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 3...

2011-08-13T22:50:00.000-04:00

Today was a most interesting day, from an Oz point of view.

I sat down at noon today under beautiful skies on my side porch and managed to outline the first 4 chapters of The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu. As always, I tend to write up about 6-8 sentences (about a paragraph or so) which generally tell the story of that chapter in sequence. When the time comes, I'll sit down and start with the first sentence and expand on it to explain what the sentence is trying to say. Then, I'll move onto the next sentence and repeat the process. When I've finished that chapter, which I almost always do in a single session, I'll have taken roughly 50-75 words and turned it into about 2000 words. This is how things will go over the next few days until I find the need to outline the next sequence of chapters. I also find that I tend to outline as many chapters as is needed to complete a specific sequence within the storyline. I have found upon occasion that what I've outlined doesn't necessarily fit where the story has been leading up to. This is generally the case later on in the story and not so in the beginning.

So far, I've managed to outline the intro chapter which introduces one of the two the main characters, Aadon Blu and explains how he came to Oz. This particular character is a spin-off from my third book, Family of Oz, in which Aadon Blu is the Caretaker of the Pinwheel Fields. I felt the need to expand his role and explain some things which I felt were necessary. This is a tragic beginning and not the normal way I start a book, but this story is somewhat different than my past work.

Chapter two will introduce Nicholas Pickleless, a pickle farmer who hates pickles. He too is a spin-off from Family of Oz and his whole concept just screamed for inclusion in this story. He will also come in from the Great Outside into Oz. I just loved the whole idea of a pickle farmer who hates pickles and his name was a flash of inspiration I received several years ago when I was still working on Shadow Demon of Oz.

Chapter three will introduce the entrance into Oz, which I have chosen as Chittenango Falls near Chittenango, New York. Near Glinda's red brick palace in the southern Quadling Country is the Great Waterfall, which the Royal Historian, L. Frank Baum wrote of in Scarecrow of Oz (1915). I visited this wonderful marvel of nature last June and my wife made a discovery which inspired me to include both the waterfall and her discovery in the story. What she discovered, I will not say. If you wanna know, you gotta buy the book.

Chapter 4 will unite Aadon Blu and Nicholas Pickleless and set them off on their adventure. At this point, I'm not quite sure what that adventure is, but it does involve Princess Ozma and the Patchwork Girl. I'll know more as I move along. For now, I hope to set down tomorrow and start the actual writing.

On another note, I watched Tom and Jerry and The Wizard of Oz on Cartoon Network tonight and found it to be wonderfully entertaining. It was a bit cheesy, but hey, it's Tom and Jerry. Whad'ya expect?

Over the next few years, there are going to be quite a few Oz movies coming out, the most notable of which is Dorothy of Oz, which was written by Roger Baum, great grandson of L. Frank Baum. All signs point to it being a wonderful adaptation of a fine book.

On a more bummer note, I did receive some disappointing news regarding an Oz project of mine which I had hoped would move forward. It still will, but without the participation of someone very special, whose work I greatly respect. Blame it lawyers, most of whom have no soul!

Such is Life!!!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 2...

2011-08-12T15:51:00.000-04:00

It would seem that I've managed to get myself into a pickle, so to speak! Nicholas Pickleless would be quite amused...

I managed to finish Family of Oz earlier today and started to put together some thoughts for outlining my chapters. In addition, my co-author, Ron Baxley, Jr. had sent me the first chapter for our sequel to Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz, which he is calling; Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings. I just finished reading it and now I have to start thinking about my part, chapter 2. I'll be writing about Oz this time around, instead of Wonderland, as I did last time.

So now I'm working on two different books about Oz and/or Wonderland. Oh yea, then there's my other project, Tails of Oz, which features a collection of short stories about the animals of Oz who have tails (hence the title).

It never rains but it pours!!!!

The Writing Madness of Oz! Day 1...

2011-08-11T23:27:00.000-04:00

I had hoped to read through at least half of Family of Oz last night, but I was only able to read about a third of it today. It's odd sitting down to read ones own work after it has sat around for 6 months or so. Still though, the story holds its own and I am most proud it. I consider Family of Oz to be my best work to date...

Tomorrow, I hope to finish Family of Oz and begin to outline chapters for the new story, The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu.

The Madness Begins Anew!!!

2011-08-10T15:12:00.000-04:00

With a number of projects now complete and the decks having been cleared, so to speak, I now move on to writing the next book of Oz, which I am calling The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu.

I thought it might be interesting to take all of you through the process, day by day. I expect to finish in about a month, which seems really fast for most people... but for me, it's just about right. I tend to write that way.

Anyways, tonight, I sit down to read Family of Oz and bring myself back into the Land of Oz. It should take me a day or so, then I'll begin the process of outlining chapters and developing the story.

This should prove interesting....

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

The Day of the Wiener Dogs!!!

2011-08-04T20:06:00.000-04:00

And what a day it was!!!!

Last weekend, I attended the 7th Annual West Virginia Hot Dog festival as a guest and, needless to say, I had a 'Wiener-riffic" time!!!!!!

I was very pleased to have brought along my youngest youngling, Turner Clay Wallace as he had never been to Huntington before and this was his chance to see both the birthplace of his dad, grandfather and great grandfather (whom he is named for), as well as a chance to see the old man (that's me) in action.

It all started at 2am as we left the Land of the Hoosiers and made our way east to the tri-state region of Huntington, West Virginia. By 8am, we had sighted the old iron bridge which crosses over into Huntington.

Moments later, we found ourselves in downtown Huntington and looking for wiener dogs! My boy seemed amazed that I would remember how to get around Huntington, especially since I've only been there a handful of times since 1968. Well frankly, it was easy as Huntington has a very simplistic layout. Still though, it was nice to be back home!

It certainly didn't take much effort to locate all the fun as it was all in Pullman Square, which is now a blocked-off, walking downtown area. It was very lovely to see and I am pleased Huntington did this.

Fortunately, Empire Books, which is where I was scheduled to appear was right on the square and easily accessible.

We walked around Pullman Square and saw a most welcome sight!

Who knew they had a portable wiener stand??? Needless to say, we instantly leaped at the chance to have a Stewart's Original Hot Dog and a mug of Root Beer (no ice as real men don't put ice in their root beer!). Walking around the festival grounds, we saw all manner of things, both expected and not so.

There was Barney Fife's Mayberry RFD car...

Loads of vendors and people... I remember this old water tower that has been around longer than me. I always thought about that old show Petticoat Junction whenever we drove by it way back when...

There were, of course, bouncy things...

And lots of these old clocks throughout downtown. I remember these well and I was pleased to see them survive from my childhood.

Finally, I set up for the day of book signings and such. Being in Empire Books had its advantages as it was air conditioned inside and VERY comfortable. The one disadvantage was less foot traffic, although I'm pleased to see that the trend towards declining sales and a lack of support for independent bookstores didn't seem to affect this fine establishment.Overall, sales were fair, though that wasn't the true reason for my attending this wonderful festival. For me, it was a chance to return home and give back to a community that did well by me in my youth.

Believe or not, I'm actually quite happy in this photo... I just don't look it! I gotta work on that.

When the festivities got going, they really got going. Attendance seemed to be outstanding, despite the stifling temperatures that topped out at over 95 degrees by midday.

After opening ceremonies and such, along came a variety of contests, most of which I didn't see because I stayed indoors during the heat. There were dog costumes contests, hot dog eating contests, root beer chugging contests, and bun stacking contests.

... and of course, there were wiener dogs...

... and pairs of wiener dogs.... (notice the common theme of tutus here?)

and just when you thought you were out of wiener dogs, there were even more dogs of other varieties!!!

About this time, I made it to the Huntington Public Library for a planned event promoting Youth Literacy in which I did some selected readings from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1899), as well as my own books, Magician of Oz, Shadow Demon of Oz and Family of Oz. I also spoke of how my parents taught me to read using this very library and the Oz books they had at the time.

Given that it was a Saturday with a great festival going on only 2 blocks away, I was pleased with attendance and felt I had made a fine connection with the kids who were there. In particular was a young lady of about 12 who was writing her own book called "The Celtic Knot." I hope she stays true to course and publishes it. It sounded wonderful... and of course, Huntington has a long Scottish history, as does my family.

Returning to the festival, we were just in time for the premier event, the Wiener Dog Races, which they called "The Dachshund Dash."

On Your Mark...

Get Set...

GO!!!!!

There were 6 heats of 10 dogs, with a final race deciding the Wiener... er, I mean winner!!!

Afterwards, there was, of course, the Grand Parade, featuring Stewie, the Stewart's Original Hot Dog mascot, the Geico Gecko (I have no clue why he was there) and a clown (once again, not a clue, but I'm glad my son Halley wasn't there as he has a mortal terror of clowns).

... and once again, the dogs were in full force, despite the heat, which was quite impressive!!!

Naturally, my son couldn't resist a photo with Stewie... After all, how often do you get to stand next to a guy in a wiener suit?

Having worn the Billy Bob suit myself when I worked at Showbiz Pizza long ago, I know all too well the agonies that poor soul inside there is going through. I only hope they paid him well!!!

Finally, we met with John Mandt., Jr., the 4th generation owner of Stewart's Original Hot Dogs. I wanted to thank him personally, not only for the invite to the festivities, but also for the wonderful memories those magnificent chili dog samiches from my youth. They were so good, I had to write a chapter in my book, Family of Oz, about them!!!

After packing up at about 3 o'clock, Turner and I headed over to Cabell Huntington Hospital for a visit with the Pediatric Care Unit and a chance to repay an old debt of Karma. Then, we made our way over to the 5th Avenue Stewart's Original Hot Dog stand of my childhood for some more chili dog samiches and root beer. I wound up taking a dozen home, along with a gallon of root beer.

I decided to make one final stop by the old valley past the hills where I grew up and show my son our ancestral home. On the way, he was amazed by the red brick roads of Huntington and begged me to stop while he took a picture. Kids.... Go figure?

At least now he begins to understand my fascination with Glinda the Good Witch; Ruler of the South Quadling Country, whose Red Brick Palace is found by following the road of red brick.

Remember the 1939 MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz? When Dorothy starts out on the Yellow Brick Road? Did you ever notice that there is also a Red Brick Road? Where did you think that led to???

Finally, we found my old home, which I'm pleased to say was occupied by a family with 2 kids. The last time I visited many years ago, it was empty and I was sad.

Finally, we made for the Land of the Hoosiers and home. The journey back was madness on many levels and I had to be in Indianapolis the next day for the Brickyard 400. It was quite a weekend.

Overall, I found the 7th Annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival to be quite the fun time and I was very pleased to be a part of it. I was also glad my son had come along, as well as the fact that I was able to give back a little to the library which had helped me learn to read and to the hospital which had done so much for me and helped make me the man I am today.

I'm especially grateful to John Mandt, Jr. for his understanding of my need to write about his wieners (heh heh... sorry about that. I couldn't help myself) and to Kym York-Blake of Clear Channel Communications in Huntington for her willingness to find me a place in the festival. I loved Empire Books and, as an author, I was most gratifide to see my hometown embracing the independent book stores, which are fast becoming a vanishing breed.

Soon, the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival in Chesterton, Indiana will be in bloom and the Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma will once more be among the citizens of Oz.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Return of the Hometown Oz Author!‏

2011-07-22T13:59:00.000-04:00

West Virginia native James C. Wallace II (that would be me!) leaves the Land of the Hoosiers and returns to his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia just in time to attend the 7^th Annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival on July 30^th, 2011.

I will be introducing my hometown of Huntington to my latest children’s book, Family of Oz, which features Stewart’s Original Hot Dogs as one of the ingredients of the story. Stewarts’s Original Hot Dogs were a cherished memory of my youth and as such, I felt compelled to immortalize them in the Land of Oz. They are also the creator of and an ongoing sponsor of the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival.

Family of Oz is the third and final volume of the Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy and completes the saga of young Jamie Diggs and his coronation as the new Royal Magician to Princess Ozma; Sovereign Ruler of Oz.

The Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy is a 3 volume tale of magic and wonder that recalls the cherished values of friendship, loyalty and courage. This timeless tale of Oz reminds us of the value of overcoming our deepest fears and conquering the challenges that might otherwise defeat us. Volume One, Magician of Oz; Volume Two, Shadow Demon of Oz and Volume Three, Family of Oz are now available and will be featured during my appearance.

I am currently working on my 5th book in the Oz and/or Wonderland series. #5 is a spin-off of Family of Oz and is called The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless and Blu, all about Nicholas Pickleless (a pickle farmer who hates pickles) and Aadon Blu (the Caretaker of the Pinwheel Fields). The Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy is based on the written works of L. Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) and include The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1899).

I will be speaking out on issues of Oz, literacy and my lifetime of experiences working with youth. Blending decades of experience, both professionally and as a parent & grandparent, with those around me, I will also speak out in encouragement of the youth in attendance and promote the values of literacy which influenced my life, including the vision of the Royal Historian, L. Frank Baum’s and his Land of Oz.

Cabell County Public Library Appearance

In addition to my appearance at the 7^th Annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival on Saturday, July 30^th, I will also make a minor journey down the road of red brick to make an appearance at the Cabell County Public Library at 11am, that same morning to promote youth literacy and support the library of my youth. More info can be found at http://cabell.lib.wv.us/ .

Biography

Originally a native of Huntington, West Virginia, I currently live in Terre Haute, Indiana with my wife Amanda. We have been married more than 26 years, with a herd of 5 children and 12 grandchildren. My background covers over 26 years in children's education, including experience working for the world's largest children's museum; The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, where I was the Planetarium Educator for SpaceQuest Planetarium. In addition to children's books about Oz, I was recognized by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a leading developer of web-based educational games, educational exhibit design, curriculum development and implementation. In addition, I am involved in the DiscoverHover program, which is an educational program developing and utilizing hovercraft in a unique and fun way.

I now serve as the Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma; Sovereign Ruler of Oz and endeavors to fulfill Her royal command to tell the tale of Her newest Royal Magician to the children of the Great Outside.

For more info and updates, please contact:

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

CEO/ Scientia Est Vox Press

magicianofoz@hotmail.com

The Purse of the Wicked Witch of the West!

2011-07-08T23:22:00.000-04:00

So, I'm sitting at home yesterday, checking out Facebook as I occasionally do during the day when this conversation comes along on a group I follow called Wizard Of Oz Collectors United!. They were discussing something about a "waist satchel" on the Wicked Witch of the West.
Well, being an author of Oz books, I'm usually pretty knowledgeable about the 1939 MGM The Wizard of Oz movie and so this got my attention.
Anyways, after a post or two, John Henson posts this screen grab image from the movie and there it is...

At this point, I had one of those OH MY GOD!!! moments. The Wicked Witch of the West has a freakin' purse!!!!!

In all these years, I had never heard of this or seen it. Now I've seen it all!!!! I made a comment about it looking more like one of my wife's bingo bags and was told it is a waist satchel. What's the difference??? Satchel, bag, purse... It's all the same to me!

What next??? The Wizard of Oz carrying a man purse?????

Happy Resolution Of A Possible Consumer Fraud Issue!

2011-06-29T00:07:00.000-04:00

As the title implies, I've received a happy resolution to a situation that had caused me great concern.

To begin, those who know me know several things. First, I have little tolerance for perceived injustices, hence my ongoing efforts to change Indiana law in order to better protect children in car seats and hold those accountable when they fail our children in their time of need: ( Justice for Heavenlee!!!). I also abhor repression of free speech and consumer fraud, be it intentional or not. Second, while I may be quick to criticize when a situation warrants criticism, I am equally quick to offer praise when either I find I have made an error or my efforts have seen that situation resolved to my satisfaction.
Such is the case with my recent experience with our local Kroger store and a promotion they were running in conjunction with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and the upcoming Brickyard 400 NASCAR race.
If you read my last blog posting, then you know the details. If not, then check out my blog posting about my experience over the weekend.
Possible Allegation Of Consumer Fraud!

When this situation first occurred, I sent out a letter of complaint, as we are often taught to do in our youth. However, my dad always told me to "start at the top since that's where the command decisions come from." As such, I began by searching for the email addresses of the CEO (David Dillon) and other corporate suits at Kroger in order to insure that they were made aware of my issue.

I'll hand it to the powers-that-be at Kroger. They made it nearly impossible to find an email address for anything other than their consumer complaint webpage. It took me over 45 minutes of Google searching, plowing through various financial reports, disclosure reports and the like at Barrons, Forbes and many other financial websites before I finally ran across a listing for nearly all the top execs at Kroger. Persistance does have its own rewards, as my father would often remind me.

After insuring that as many email addresses as possible were included in my email, I sent it off and waited.

Being a Sunday afternoon, I fully expected a 24-48 hour delay before a response would come my way. So imagine my surprise when my phone rang nearly 90 minutes after emailing my complaint, posting it on my blog site, linking to it on Facebook and tweeting the blog site on Twitter.

On the other end was Charlene Ward, a corporate exec based out of Indianapolis who was calling to resolve my issue. She told me that she had received a note from David Dillon (Kroger CEO) asking that she resolve this issue asap, along with a copy of my email. Once again, my father's wisdom shines through as I recalled his advice to "always start at the top."

Let me remind you that it is still Sunday afternoon and I am, by now, quite stunned.

I would like to say that Ms. Ward was polite, very professional and demonstrated a level of empathy I had not expected from a suit. She assured me that my concerns were of vital concern to Kroger and that she would personally resolve my concern in as timely a manner as humanly possible.

I was assured by Ms. Ward that she had contacted IMS and was awaiting a reply as to what had went wrong which caused my issue. She promised me that she would contact me the following day (Monday) with answers and the Brickyard 400 tickets I had earned through their promotion the day before.

Following our conversation, I found myself quite impressed at both the rapidity of the response as well as with Ms.Ward herself. However, being the skeptic, I chose to wait and see....

On the following day (Monday), true to her word, Ms. Ward called and explained the situation, which had affected several other customers as well. She thanked me for bringing this to their attention, for my patience and understanding and for my willingness to afford Kroger the opportunity to demonstrate their corporate policy of "Customer First." I had heard this phrase from several other people who had commented on my Facebook & blog posting assuring me that Kroger did indeed have a "Customer First" policy that started at the top and applied to everyone from the CEO to the common cashier. It was nice to see it in action, as demonstrated by David Dillon (he actually reads his emails from customers) and Charlene Ward. She assured me that my tickets would be overnighted to my home and to "expect them tomorrow."

Again though, being the eternal skeptic, I once more waited....

Today, when I returned from classes, I found a UPS envelope and my Brickyard 400 tickets waiting for me.

I AM IMPRESSED!!!

Whatever concerns I may have had about Kroger and their Brickyard 400 promotion, I am pleased to report that I was wrong to suggest that Kroger may have been involved in a possible case of consumer fraud. The actions of their CEO, David Dillon and his subordinate, Charlene Ward clearly demonstrate that Kroger places the concerns and issues of their customers at the top of their list. "Customer First" is a fine policy and I appreciate Kroger showing me that.

Having been a loyal customer of Kroger for over 30 years, it's nice to see my loyalty vindicated.
Now, I'll be firing up my grill with Kingsford Charcoal, grilling up some Bison (Buffalo) burgers with a dash of Worcestershire Sauce, sprinkling them with crumbled blue cheese and serving them up on freshly baked onion rolls, all of which I recently purchased at my local Kroger store!

Per Ardua Ad Alta!!!

James C. Wallace II

A Possible Allegation of Fraud!

2011-06-26T15:58:00.002-04:00

UPDATE: Looks like I may be wrong about Kroger. Maybe they do care about their customers! Just got off the phone with them after only a few minutes of posting my concerns about a possible scam. I'll know tomorrow if they're good on their word. I think they just might be!

Yesterday, I fell victim to what I can only consider to be an act of consumer fraud perpetrated by Kroger and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kroger is running a promotion where if you buy $150.00 worth of groceries, including some specific items, then you receive a voucher for 2 free tickets to the Brickyard 400. Needless to say, we went there, satisfied the requirements and received the voucher. Today, less than 24 hours later, I go to the website, enter the code and am told that no seats are available. I find that highly unlikely and consider this to be an act of consumer fraud.

The letter below is what I have sent to as many folks involved as I can find. I will keep you folks updated on Facebook and Twitter regarding the final results. I hope they come through as I bear no malice towards Kroger or IMS, I just don't like being scammed.

James

To whom it may concern:

Yesterday June 25, I went to the Terre Haute Kroger store at 25th and Wabash and spent the required $170.83 in order to qualify for the Brickyard 400 ticket promotion sponsored by both IMS and Krogers. Today, within 24 hours, I redeemed the code from the receipt at www.imstix.com/kroger and got the message that no seats were available. I consider this highly unlikely and I am considering legal actions to rectify this possible act of fraud. Please respond with an explanation and/or a set of tickets in order to satisfy your advertisement/promotion.

Be advised that I have lodged a complaint with the Ohio State Attorney General Mike DeWine's Office, as well as the Indiana Sate Attorney General Greg Zoeller's Office.
If I receive no contact from your office, I may find it necessary to contact the fine reporters and news investigators at WLWT, WKRC, WCPO, FOX19 News as well as the Cincinnati Business Courier, Cincinnati Call and Post, Cincinnati City Beat, Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Herald. I'll be sure to include the Indianapolis news organizations as well, including WISH-TV, WTHR, FOX59 and WIBC, as well as Indianapolis Star and Nuvo News Weekly. I'm sure all these organizations would find allegations of fraud very interesting and well worth looking into.
Be sure to look on FaceBook and Twitter as well, since I'll be speaking/tweeting of this consumer fraud issue there as well, unless this issue is resolved to my satisfaction.

James C. Wallace II

Happy Summer Solstice!

2011-06-21T23:36:00.000-04:00

It pays to always carry a camera with you at all times.

Now if I can just figure out how to get this image to fly right!!!

Happy Summer Solstice!!!

Return From Oz and Oz-Stravaganza 2011!!! (Part 2)

2011-06-14T13:11:00.002-04:00

When we last left off, our heroes, James and Amanda were just about to attend the opening performance of Oz-Stravaganza 2011 on Friday evening, June 3rd at Chittenango High School. As a member of Author's Alley, I was accorded special seating with my fellow authors and were introduced by John Fricke after a unique opening ceremoney by Marc Baum in which he hosted a Let's Make An Oz Deal show. Lots of prizes and a nice chance for the winners of the various youth catagories for Miss Oz-Stravaganza 2001 competition to appear and be recognized.

The show started off with Bob & Clare Baum, along with Eric Shanower discussing various Oz things with John Fricke, the evenings excellent host. Somehow, my photos of them looked really bad, so I'm not posting them here. They just weren't Fricke-riffic!

Of course, there were Munchkins and Munchkins-by-Marriage on stage, including (right to left) Karl Slover, Margarette Pelligrini and Myrna Swenson, as well as Caren Marsh-Doll, who was the stand-in for Judy Garland during filming of MGM's 1939 The Wizard of Oz. Ms. Doll also served as the Grand Marshall for the following day's parade.

As always, Margarette stole the show with her wonderful banter and exchanges with John Fricke, who seemed to really enjoy himself. Karl Slover gave us all a wonderful performance of "We're Off To See The Wizard," which always gets a huge round of applause. Both Myrna and Ms. Doll were equally entertaining with their insights and stories of Oz.

The following morning saw my wife and I strolling about the grounds and marveling at the abundance of Oz all around.

We then found ourselves at the local church next door, enjoying a wonderful pancake breakfast with Dennis and Linda Anfuso. It was nice to finally catch up and visit for a time.

Afterwards, I set up in Glinda's Royal Tent for my appearance in Author's Alley and a day full of Ozian madness!

There was, of course, the parade, which was wonderful and very interesting. Sadly though, no photos from Amanda as our camera batteries died. Afterwards, I did a quick replacement and we were back in the photo business!!!
I made a quick dash back to the All Things Oz exhibit down the street to attend some matters and met up with Michael Siewert, who was just setting up a display of Judy Garland dresses. I was very pleased to finally meet him as we only knew each other from Facebook.

I also had a chance to meet up with Bob Baum, the great grandson of L. Frank Baum. We've met several times before and, as always, he was very kind and generous with his time and praises.

I was always very pleased to spend a moment visiting with Margarette Pelligrini, who is best known as the Flower-Pot Munchkin from the movie and I took a moment to do a bit of sleight-of-hand for her, which she seemed to enjoy quite a bit.

The remainder of the day was filled with sales, autographs and lots of interactions with fans of Oz from all ages. Amanda and I were totally spent and were unable to stay for the evening's music in the park.

The next day (Sunday) was much like the day before with lots of visitors, fans of my writings and many other happenings.

My wife was particularly pleased when Margarette Pellegrini came by to say hi and reacquaint herself with Amanda. They had met last year but Amanda was not quite well and Margarette had a bum wing!

Margarette made my wife feel very much at home and was very kind to her. Words cannot express how much that means to me.

As the Grand Finale quickly approached, we looked about one last time and found a most interesting sight.

Finally, the finale... and it was quite grand to say the least. Here, the members of Author's Alley who had remained are seated and waiting the festivities. They include (from left to right), Gwendolyn Tennille Adams, Ron Baxely, Jr. and James C. Wallace II (me).

Moments later, the rest of the special guests arrived and I certainly felt like royalty among the elite of Oz.

They include (from left to right); Eric Shanower, Michael Siewert, Karl Slover, Margarette Pelligrini, Myrna Swensen, Clare Baum, Robert Baum, Caren Marsh-Doll and John Fricke. The Three Stooges of Oz, that being Gwen, Ron and myself and sitting behind them. We are, of course, in total awe of where we found ourselves.

After another lampooning of John Fricke by Margarette Pellegrini, which John always takes with great joy and affection;

there followed the usual thank-yous and such and ended with a great sing-along of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

After a few lingering farewells to this Motley Crew of Oz, Amanda and I hit the road for a 13 hour journey back to the Land of the Hoosiers!

Reflecting on our time in Oz, I would say that Marc Baum, who was my primary contact and the facilitator for Author's Alley, did a stunning job! As good as last year was, despite the tornadic winds and such, Marc made this year even better. He listened to our suggestions from last year and implemented them with ease. The tent was great, our location within was great, our time onstage and in the parade was great... In fact, it all was great!!!! Barb and Colleen were equally great in working with us, even on a moments notice!

In all, I made some wonderful new friends, reconnected with some great old friends, sold quite a few books, met an elder magician and colleague of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and managed to spend a week alone with my wife. What more could a Royal Liaison ask for???

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Return From Oz and Oz-Stravaganza 2011!!! (Part 1)

2011-06-09T12:10:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been a couple of days since we returned from Oz-Stravaganza 2011 in Chittenango, New York and what follows is part 1 of my report on an incredible journey through the heartland of America and Oz!

My wife, Amanda (the creator of the legendary Potato Soup) and I set out on a journey to Oz-Stravaganza 2011in Chittenenago, New York last week to promote my latest Oz novel, Family of Oz and my newest co-venture, Of Cabbages, Kings and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz: A Gothic Young Adult Crossover Novel.

I had been approached by Ron Baxley, Jr. with the idea of co-writing a novel which blends the worlds of Oz and Wonderland in a most unique way. The results far exceeded my expectations and I was very much looking forward to meeting both Ron and Gwendolyn Tennille Adams, our illustrator for this rather odd collaboration. .

The journey to Oz started on Monday as we made our way out of Indiana and into Ohio. By Tuesday, we found ourselves conquering Chestnut Ridge in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. The summit was quite hard on our 1992 Olds Delta 88 and, like Pickett's Charge on Gettysburg, which was our initial destination, we failed and retreated back toward Pittsburgh.

The view though was amazing and we did visit Laurel Caverns at the top and had a wonderful time.

By Wednesday, we had arrived in New York state and were aiming for Niagara Falls, which we had visited last year but Amanda had been too ill to enjoy.

The view, as always, was stunning and we had a great time. We then aimed for Chittenango and arrived on Thursday afternoon. During the journey through New York, I found myself doing a phone interview about Family of Oz and Aadon Blu, a character in the book and the circumstances surrounding how he found his way into my story. Here's a link to the story which appeared in the Friday edition of the Syracuse Post in case you are interested:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/little_aadon_blu_olmsted_lives.html

After checking into the Craftsman inn, which is a wonderful motel in the area, we turned in for the night and dreamed of Oz. The next morning, we decided to visit Chittenango Falls State Park just a few miles out of town.

The Chittenango Falls were stunning and my wife made a discovery which inspired me to begin the writing process for my next book, The Adventures of Pickelless and Blu. What it is, I won't say, but her support and insight inspires me!!!

Hours later, we found ourselves at the Sullivan Free Library doing a event I had scheduled in order to promote youth literacy.

Although attendance was lower than the folks at the library would have liked, I was very pleased as we made a connection with the youth who attended and for me, that made all the difference! I considered the event highly successful.

Afterwards, we were treated to a private tour by Marc Baum of the new All Things Oz exhibit in downtown Chittenango.

There were a variety of exhibits and displays, such as The Wicked With of the West,

A great collection of 1st editions of Baums books on loan from Robert Baum, the great grandson of L. Frank Baum,

... and of course, the best display of all were a selection of books which included my own humble editions of Magician of Oz (a true 1st edition), Shadow Demon of Oz and Family of Oz.

It was here that I was finally able to meet Ron Baxley, Jr. and Gwendolyn Tennille Adams, my co-author and illustrator for our book.

I also had the chance to finally meet Jane Albright of the International Wizard of Oz Club.

On our way back to the car, we stopped by for a quick look around the park and a stop by the local poppy field.

We then went to the local high school for the first event of the weekend and it was there that I reconnected with friends who I absolutely worship!

It's difficult to express how much my friendship with Dennis Anfuso and his wife Linda mean to me. Let's just say that they are kindred spirits and my life would be a bit less blessed had I never met them!

I was pleased to see that Ron and Gwen were there...

As well as fellow authors Paul Bienvenue and Robert Baum...

and fantastic artists Joe Shipbaugh and Rick Ewigleben.

With so much going on, it seems appropriate to stop here and take up the evening's performance and Saturday's madness and mayhemwith my next blog posting.

It was quite a weekend!!!

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

We're Off To See The Wizard!

2011-05-30T09:55:00.000-04:00

The road beckons us forward as we step out onto the road of Life and make our way to Oz-Stravaganza 2011 in Chittenango, NY; birthplace of the legendary L. Frank Baum.

As one of the returning members of Author's Alley, I am gratified to be a part of this glorious world created by the Royal Historian back in 1900.
Now, the effects are ready, the illusions prepared and ready for action, the spells ready at the hand for casting!!!

We celebrate Oz in all its glory and wonder what the road will bring!

Per Ardua Ad Alta!!!

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Gauisus Natalis, Mr. Baum!!!

2011-05-15T21:33:00.000-04:00

Today is the 155th birthday of Lyman Frank Baum, the Royal Historian of Oz and author of 14 books about the wondrous fairyland known as Oz. In celebration of this day, I have made homage to my favorite cemetery, which so happens to be the location for a lovely entrance into Oz known as the Archway In The Woods.

That entryway is just behind and out of view, though the dry, yellow sand creek bed runs directly through the trees over my shoulder. If you turn left, you run into Oz, but if you turn right, Wonderland awaits you... Or so I discovered one day. It was there that I once met my second cousin, twice removed... The Mad Hatter!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

All's Well That Ends Well With The Scarecrow And The Tin-Man!

2011-05-14T00:03:00.002-04:00

After a full week of Oz, we now find ourselves at the conclusion of W.W. Denslow's 1904 Scarecrow and the Tin-Man, which he published in response to the success of the 1902 stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, for which L. Frank Baum wrote the script and W.W. Denslow designed the sets and costumes. There was a bit of a falling out for the two during this time frame and Denslow illustrated only the first of Baum's books.

Whoops... Sorry about that stumble! Blame it on the 'Net!!!

Now, where was I? Oh yea! So, we see our two reformed convicts meeting up with the Cowardly Lion back on stage... or so we are told!

Everyone seems happy enough and W.W. Denslow's story has a happy ending! As it should be!!!

I'm pleased to report that the W.W stands for William Wallace, which makes the Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma very happy indeed!!!
On an even finer note, the following image is the final page before the back cover and I consider it to be Denslow's finest work in the book. Perhaps even outside of it against his other Oz drawings.

I have it from a reliable source that the crow's name is Corvus. He currently serves as the Head of the Messenger Crows that serve the Scarecrow in his fairly large ear-of-corn house by the Winkie River in the Winkie Country. Downstream lives his good friend, the Tin Woodman in his very shiny palace.

Denslow sure did have a jones for orange.

The most unique thing that stands out on nearly every page was W.W. Denslow's signature, which was very ornate and quite gregarious. It certainly defined him as an artist of Oz.

Those who followed in his footsteps, or line art, as the case may be, owe W.W. Denslow a debt of gratitude for setting the bar so high. His vision brought out the best in following artists, including John R. Neill and others.

Oz-Stravaganza 2011 is less than 2 weeks hence and anticipation looms large in the distance...

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

The Scarecrow And The Tin-Man Meet The Long Arm Of The Law!

2011-05-10T23:18:00.000-04:00

For the last week or so, we've been following the misadventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin-Man as they try to have a little fun... at the expense of a streetcar driver, a fruit stand owner and an automobile owner. Now, the the long arm of the law has caught up with our nefarious pair and it would seem that justice is served with a smile!!!

It would seem that our pair at least know how to observe proper etiquette in court by removing their hats. Also, I see where the Tin-Man has had his umbrella confiscated. Even then, the possibility of fashioning a weapon from such an innocuous object was being considered. At least everyone seems happy with the outcome, including our two Ozian criminals!!!

Tomorrow, the conclusion to our story and a few thoughts about W.W. Denslow.

I tried out my Majiloon Balloon Pump tonight and was very pleased with the results. I should, hopefully, be a big hit with the kids at Oz-Stravaganza 2011. The days are dwindling down and the missus and I are greatly looking forward to the big Oz festival in Chittenango, New York. For us, its like a vacation... and we don't get many of those!!!

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Karma Exacts A Measure Of Revenge for the Scarecrow And The Tin-Man.

2011-05-09T23:37:00.001-04:00

So far, our story has seen quite a few twists and turns as our two wayward actors of the stage have engaged in a fairly nefarious journey of crime and mayhem!

As we now see, Karma rears its ugly head and exacts some revenge for the Scarecrow's larcenous behavior. Fortunately, the Tin-Man knows enough to save the day!!!

On a lighter note, I found the perfect coin for a part of my routine next month in Chittenango, NY. It's a 1982 Kennedy Half-Dollar and it works just fine for what I have in mind.

Tomorrow, the long arm of the law shows up just in time!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Violence In The World of Oz and Autos!

2011-05-08T23:22:00.004-04:00

As promised, behold the violence of an act of Grand Theft Auto as perpetrated by the Scarecrow and the Tin-Man.

It certainly proves that the Scarecrow cannot drive! That and the fact that cars back then were a far sight more delicate than today's vehicles. And yet that fan and the umbrella remain!!!

This piece of art really reinforces my opinion that W.W. Denslow had an ability to capture a sense of whimsy within his art. He certainly did seem to have a jones for the color orange. Who knows why???

Tomorrow, Karma pays a visit to the Scarecrow and the Tin-Man.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

The Wizard of Oz or Caddyshack?

2011-05-07T21:52:00.000-04:00

An odd choice, ain't it? And yet, I found myself pondering that choice earlier this evening.

I decided to play a round of golf today. Given my poverty, this was in fact my first round of the year and sadly, I won't get to play many more as money is tight and expenses even tighter! Even so, I felt the need and played a walking round of nine holes at Mark's Par Three here in Terre Haute. I prefer walking as it keeps me fit. As such, I was walking up to the par 3 9th hole, having put my tee shot within about 10 feet of the cup when the tornado sirens went off over at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Looking off to the northeast, I could instantly tell why.
Being the cool, calm and collected person that I am, I strolled up, lined up and sank the putt for a birdie! As I was standing above the ball before the strike, I found myself pondering the situation I was in.

"I hope this ends up like the Wizard of Oz and not like Caddyshack!" I thought to myself. Then, my only birdie of the day! The clouds rolling in were very impressive and the drive home was quick as lightning started flashing everywhere. Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE lightning!!!

Now that I'm home and the hail, lightning and tornado warnings have subsided, I thought we should continue on with our 1904 The Scarecrow and the Tin-Man story by W.W. Denslow. If you'll recall from yesterday, I mentioned something about Grand Theft Auto.

As you can see, These two have absolutely no regard for the rule of law. To date, these two have attempted to ride a streetcar without paying a fare, destroyed the livelihood of an Italian immigrant and stolen an automobile. On a lighter note, the Scarecrow seems to be able to hang onto that fan of his.

Tomorrow, we pay witness to the wanton destruction of said vehicle and charges of arson!

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

The Banana Man meets the Scarecrow and the Tin-Man.

2011-05-06T23:04:00.001-04:00

Our story moves on after my day of celebration yesterday, which took considerably more time than I had expected.
So now, the Scarecrow and the Tin-Man get booted from the streetcar and find a Banana Man,,,

The ensuing madness of Oz sends fruit and friends flying everywhere. This is an example, in my honest opinion, of W.W. Denslow at his finest.

Overall, a fine story to this point. We're not quite half-way and mayhem has ruled the page!

Tomorrow, Grand Theft Auto!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Back On Track... The Story Commences

2011-05-04T23:48:00.003-04:00

This story is based on a 1902 stage play adapted from the Wizard of Oz by Baum and designed by Denslow. It would seem that our two Ozian heroes are now actors on a stage somewhere on or off Broadway... but the rigors of acting give them pause to contemplate an adventure.

It's good to see that the Tin-Man comes prepared for any possibility of rain.

Luckily, the Scarecrow and the Tin-Man have no need of nor desire for money! Oh if only it could be...

I've also completed my give-aways for Chittenango and was able to purchase a vintage piece of magic from the auction last night.

Sadly, there are no instructions with this... I would also remind everyone reading this that "tricks are for charlatans and those up to no good!" It was a favorite quote of an old mentor of mine, the venerable Duke Stern. He would tell us that we would perform "effects, illusions and feats of legerdemain." I wrote of this in Magician of Oz and Family of Oz as it is as true today as it was in my youth.

Fortunately, I've done this effect before, so instructions were not necessary.

Lots of fun!!!

You can do them!

Now here's where I will disagree... It does take some skill and quite a bit of practice!
The nicest part of all was that it only cost me 0.50 cents.

Tomorrow, we see what other trouble our wayward pair can get into.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

A Day Late... Little Freddie Stone

2011-05-04T00:51:00.000-04:00

I seem to have timed it so I'm always approaching midnight when things come due and such it is tonight. Nonetheless, I soldier on and bring you page 1 (the inner side of the cover) of The Scarecrow and The Tin-Man, a 1904 publication by W,W, Denslow, who was the original illustrator for L.Frank Baum and his Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1899).

The Wikipedia article which I quote from is an impressive collection of information about the illustrator for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1899). It states the following:

"After Denslow quarreled with Baum over royalty shares from the 1902 stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, for which Baum wrote the script and Denslow designed the sets and costumes, Baum determined not to work with him again. (As co-copyright-holder, Denslow demanded an equal share in royalties with Baum and composer Paul Tietjens.) Denslow illustrated an edition of traditional nursery rhymes titled Denslow's Mother Goose (1901), along with Denslow's Night Before Christmas (1902) and the 18-volume Denslow's Picture Books series"

This book represents what I consider to be his finest work which involves the Denslow's Picture Book series.

I have no clue who Little Freddie Stone is???

The one thing about this book which really impressed me was the very feel of the pages, being linen and glued together. Its almost like a thin oil painting. At least that's the impression I get... and I do have museum training in artifact handling.

Tomorrow, the story begins.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

New Moon Oz, Scarecrow and the Tin-Man

2011-05-02T22:33:00.003-04:00

Today is beginning of the New Moon which follows Beltane and so me thinks it be a magical time for Oz and beyond. As preparations begin for Oz-Stravaganza 2011, I want to present for your enjoyment a gift that I recieved the other day.
As many may know, or not (as the case may be), I've gotta thing for auctions. I work at a few as Ringman, I write about auctions and I'm always on the lookout for neat stuff at the auctions (be it Oz or knot).
Anyways, one of the great things about auctions are the people you meet and the friendships you build. It was one of those auction friends who presented me the other day with a book he thought I might like. He said it had a scarecrow and tin man on the front but it wasn't written by Baum. He also mentioned that it was a 1904 book, as best he could tell.

Needless to say, I was thrilled. The Serendipity of Oz seems to be well acquainted with Karma and I am humbled by its power to amaze.
It turns out that this is a very rare and unique book from 1904 and was part of a larger series of children's picture books inspired by both the 1899 Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1902 stage play based on the aforementioned book.
Over the next few days, I will present the story and images that appear from within. It is a very quaint and pleasant story and the artwork is stunning.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Countdown to Oz!

2011-05-02T01:53:00.000-04:00

As the title implies, this is the first of what I hope will be an extensive daily countdown to Oz-Stravaganza 2011 in Chittenango, New York from June 3rd - 5th.

All the paraphernalia and effects of legerdemain are gathered about and set upon to begin the process of magic. It is a unique time when all is llusion and nothing is real.

Here be my first item of completion.

That was the front... and here be the rear.

I strive to complete my goal and make Oz real for all who see. Time will tell...

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princes Ozma

... and the winner is!!!!

2011-03-24T20:26:00.001-04:00

Congratulations Lilac SilverFox!!!

You are the big wiener... er, I mean winner!!! Hee hee. Sorry about that. I'm in a silly mood!

Anyways, a brand-new set of The Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy, which includes Magician of Oz, Shadow Demon of Oz and Family of Oz will be winging its way to you, by means of the Royal Flying Monkey Corps, all the way across the Shifting Sands, past the Truth Pond and over the border into Canadia.

For those who may not know, The Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma (that would be me), was contacted and asked to participate in a book giveaway in celebration of all things Oz. Time having passed and a winner determined, secret messages were sent through the ether and by way of telegraph informing me of the results of this unique contest over at Pagan Culture. The winner, known by her blogsite as Lilac SilverFox, looks to be a fine site devoted to the Ways of the Wiccan. As a magician of over 40 years, I have great appreciation for all things magic, be they witches, warlocks, wizards or fairies.

... and don't forget, 'There's no place like home!"

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Win a set of new Oz books when Magician of Oz meets the Pagan Culture!

2011-03-16T17:10:00.002-04:00

The other day, I was contacted by Magaly Guerrero, who manages a very unique blog entitled: Pagan Culture. She had expressed her great love for Oz and that she was working with a very good friend (who also loves Oz) on a blog party entitled Celebrate Oz.

Naturally, I was pleased to make her acquaintance and make a new friend in Oz. She had requested that I consider doing a book giveaway of my Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy, which includes Magician of Oz, Shadow Demon of Oz and the newly released Family of Oz.

Since Princess Ozma Herself had commanded me to spread the word and tell Her story of Her newest Royal Magician, Jamie Diggs (the great grandson of O.Z. Diggs, the original Wizard of Oz), I was quite gratified to participate in a celebration of Oz.

So, without further ado, (and who needs any more ados?), I am proud to announce that an autographed and personalized set of The Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy will be given away to one lucky winner of the Celebrate Oz blog party.

In order to win this critically-acclaimed 3-volume story of Oz, you will need to visit the blog site: Pagan Culture. Follow the instructions, which are fairly straightforward, then spread the word to everyone else and await the blessing of Her Majesty, Princess Ozma, Royal Sovereign and Ruler of Oz.

Per Ardua Ad Alta!!!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Another interview with a great authors site!

2011-03-12T22:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a great interview of me from a site that I follow and have found interesting.

So, Write!

Enjoy!!!

A bad witch's blog: Fiction in the magical world of Oz

2011-02-09T13:18:00.001-05:00

Here's a wonderful review of my first two books, Magician of Oz and Shadow Demon of Oz from a source well versed in witchcraft and magic.

A bad witch's blog: Fiction in the magical world of Oz: "With previews of a new production of The Wizard of Oz at The London Palladium this week, I thought it was an ideal time to review two novels..."

Recollections of Magi-Fest and the Dream of Oz fulfilled!

2011-02-05T18:22:00.000-05:00

This last weekend, I found myself at Magi-Fest in Columbus, Ohio. This was the 80th annual gathering of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, as well as all other magicians worldwide, including those in the Society of American Magicians.

I was there to fulfill a Royal Command from Her Majesty, Princess Ozma; Royal Sovereign and Ruler of Oz. It was nearly two years ago that She spoke to me of Her new Royal Magician and his adventures in Oz.

There were tales of Marauding Morel Mushrooms and an Army of Fighting Trees, the Spell of the Stone Morels and Nick Chopper's Place, of creatures of shadow and Evil, of sacrifices and retribution, of mechanical dogs and pinwheel fields. The tales She spoke of were both amazing and incredible and in any other land, almost unbelievable. In the Land of Oz, all things are possible and so I returned to the Great Outside with Her blessings and a mandate to write of the great grandson of O.Z. Diggs, the original Wizard of Oz.

After nearly two years, I have completed my task and presented my work to my fellow magicians at Magi-Fest.

I had attended numerous times, starting in 1971 at the old Neil House. I am pleased to report that I had the time of a lifetime and my memories of Magi-Fest in the past had not failed me. It was like coming home and I felt at home among my fellow magicians.

I really enjoyed the Close-Up Competition, which featured some very talented magicians.

The Stage Competition was equally fun and included some classic illusions that I recall from my childhood, including the Zombie Ball, Linking Rings and even the Dancing Cane, which I had first learned from Paul Diamond.

And of course, the were the Dealers, with such a wonderful and varied selection of effects, illusions and legerdemain.

I was especially pleased to reconnect with an old friend from long ago. It was this man and his son who gave my father and I a lasting friendship I can never repay.

I'm also pleased to report that Joanne the Duck also had a great time!

In retrospect, Magi-Fest was everything I had hoped for and I look forward to next year... I may even perform!

Ruminations On The Journey Ahead!

2011-01-28T00:57:00.001-05:00

In a matter of hours, I set my feet upon the road east and on to Magifest, the 80th annual gathering of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. It is the culmination of over 2 years of hard work and many a restless night as I strive towards fulfilling the Royal Command of Her Majetsy, Princess Ozma.

I think back to my childhood and memories of magic club meetings, performances and dreams of illusions. I still recall a day when I was 9 or 10 and my father took me by the hand and led me into our first magic club meeting in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It was to be the beginning of a wonderful journey into legerdemain, sleight-of-hand and more friendships than I can ever keep track of.

Soon, Ring 210; the Duke Stern Ring had formed and we were magicians. It has been a life-long passion and now, in less than a day, I will find myself once more (to quote the Wizard of Oz) "consulting, conversing and otherwise hobnobbing with my brother wizards" as I attend the 80th annual Magifest.

I have attended many such Magifests and each one is as unique and fun an event as my very first one in 1971. Such is the world of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
When I set out to write my stories of Oz, I knew that my life in magic would become a central theme and with the publication of my third book, Family of Oz., that theme has been realized and the Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy now completes my long and sometimes arduous journey. I am humbled by the support I have received from those in the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the world of Oz and from children, both young and old alike.

What will come of my journey into the world of Magifest, I cannot say. I only know that I am back among my fellow magicians and I am happy.Life is good!

Her Majesty, Princess Ozma is equally pleased and has blessed me with Her Love and support.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Family of Oz and the 80th Annual Magi-Fest!

2011-01-02T17:09:00.001-05:00

The Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma; James C. Wallace II is proud to announce the upcoming world premier of Family of Oz, the third and final volume of the Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy.

Family of Oz will officially debut at the 80th Annual Magi-Fest, the yearly gathering of the International Brotherhood of Magicans in Columbus, Ohio; which takes place on Jan. 27-29, 2011.

Family of Oz

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

It has been nearly 6 months since young Jamie Diggs returned from the Land of Oz with his best friend Buddy after defeating an ancient Evil while serving as Princess Ozma's new Royal Magician.

Now, he is called to return once more and take his rightful place alongside Her Majesty; Princess Ozma and Glinda; Good Witch and Ruler of the South Quadling Country, as well as Princess Dorothy.

Before the Royal Magician can return to Oz however, he finds himself on a fantastic journey down the Wabash River and a stop in Huntington, West Virginia for a taste of the legendary Stewart's Original Hot Dogs and Root Beer. Then it’s on to attend the annual gathering of their fellow magicians, known as the Magi-Fest and a tumultuous Close-Up Magic Competition.

Soon, the Family Diggs, Hank and Buddy find themselves transported back to Oz by way of The Duke's Magic Box. The only problem they find is that each one of them now find themselves somewhere in Oz... but alone!

As the Family Diggs, Hank and Buddy journey along the roadways, riverways and even above the Land of Oz alone, each one struggles to discover what Love and family means to them and each learns along the way that Love and family have been with them all along.

Aided by Her Majesty, the Queen of the Field Mice and Jamie's wayward, living decks of playing cards, as well as Buddy and the Cowardly Lion, the Royal Magician of Oz soon teaches Princess Ozma the true meaning of family and Love.

In a final and most fantastical battle alongside the Munchkin River, Jamie Diggs and his new army of friends battle Cobbler the Dog, a new and most mechanical pet of Tik-Tok, the Mechanical Army of Oz and an Unwilling Villain in an epic struggle of Good against Evil.

Scene 12; Act 30: Guest Author Jacquitta A McManus & Labyrinth's Door

2010-12-30T01:42:00.006-05:00

With the end of 2010 in sight, I present yet another fine author who is out on her Virtual Book Tour.

Guest Author Jacquitta A McManus

Labyrinth's Door

Creating memorable characters is one of the hardest challenges when writing a story. And like a memorable character, a great adventure can make readers’ morn the end of a novel or series. But I also would argue that creating a great adventure itself could be just as hard.

But what makes a great adventure?

I personally love to write adventure stories. It’s the not knowing around the corner that makes me turn the page and stay up late to read … It’s what gets my heart pumping with each word. The wonder and the enchantment is what I seek when I sit down to read but as a storyteller making a great adventure isn’t just creating a memorable character and picking the theme and plot. It takes much more than that.

In my search for what makes a great adventure, I found that it takes memorable characters, an exciting adventure in a believable world, with twists and turns. It takes scenes that fit together in such a way that weaves you in and out of obstacles and through the emotions of the characters, while still revealing a world that your reader’s have never seen.

Reader’s sit down with adventure stories knowing that they are about to go on an adventure, so it’s not the adventure that captivates them … it’s the journey of the adventure. It’s the preparation, the friendships and the obstacles. It’s the wins and the losses. It’s the sum of the adventure they are seeking. They want someone to care about and something to fear as they journey through the adventure.

And it’s that balance I strive for as I create my stories.

To find out more about Jacquitta A McManus’s adventure in storytelling and her answers to the third of the three questions she asked herself as she started down her road of storytelling, follow her as she continues on her virtual book tour.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and her blog: Journey of a Storyteller.

She would love to hear from you. If you would like to order any of her books visit WorldsToDiscover.com or find it on Amazon.com.

Happy Holidays for Family of Oz!!!

2010-12-05T14:37:00.004-05:00

With the Chrismahannahkwanzika season now fully upon us, I am most pleased to report that progress on completing Princess Ozma's Royal Command is being made.

Family of Oz has now completed final edits and is going through formatting and such prior to sending it out to the printer.

It has been a long 2 years since Her Majesty commanded me to tell the story of Her new Royal Magician.

Now, with the upcoming publication of Family of Oz on schedule for its January 27th, 2011 premier at the 80th Annual Magi-Fest, I;the Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma, can see the end in sight and breath a welcome sigh of relief.

I am particularly pleased with the cover, which was done by my good friend and stunning artist, Dennis Anfuso.

As always... Par Ardua Ad Alta

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Once More, I Have Achieved My Goal For Nanowrimo!

2010-11-29T21:17:00.003-05:00

This was the second year for me to participate in Nanowrimo, a month-long frenzy of writing with then pure goal of writing 50,000 words or more in the 30-day month of November.

Last year, I achieved that goal and wrote Shadow Demon of Oz. This year, I focused on a series of short stories and such as my effort towards winning Nanowrimo.

As of today, November 29, 2010, I made it to 52,784 words!!!

Now, the editing begins amongst the holidays and such...

Another Loss Of Friends

2010-11-15T20:33:00.004-05:00

Anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time knows that I have jones for the auction and all things auctionee, so to speak.

It's not the stuff that I find at these gatherings, nor the thrill of a winning bid, or even the fun of the Ringman, which I do on a regular basis.

No... it's the people I meet there, time and time again.

They bring a unique perspective and a passion that shows up in the oddest ways and is eerily similar to the passion that Oz imbues in folk.

In 4 days, I have lost two dear friends from the auction and it saddens me greatly.

John was one whom I knew from Prairie Creek Auctions in Vigo county, Indiana. He was in his mid-50's, suffered from Diabetes and had one leg. I loved him dearly and we had a running gag about him leaving his leg at home. His wife, who worked at KFC, would sometimes bring me a small container of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Hmmm.. Them's good mashed potatoes and gravy!!!

Betty was a kindly little old lady in her early 90's who attended Shadow Auction Barn here in town. She would come in a wheelchair and had a little slot in the seating across from the snack bar where she sat and bid on anything with roses on it... and fake plants.

That woman loved fake plants. Her front porch was a jungle of plastic leaves, flowers and branches.

If you've read my second book, Shadow Demon of Oz, you'll recognize her as one of the characters at the Umbra Auction Barn.

Both will be missed greatly by family, friends (myself included), and anyone who ever came across their paths.

The Shifting Sands welcome another pair of souls into Oz...

James C. Wallace II

Once More, The Wizard of Oz Shows Up At The Auction!

2010-11-13T16:11:00.005-05:00

The other day, I found another Wizard of Oz book from the mid-50's that included this wonderful illustration.

The other nice thing about this particular edition of the Wizard of Oz was that it was an unabridged edition, meaning that the Queen of the Field Mice, the Kalidahs, China Country and all the other unique aspects of Oz were not cut out for the sake of brevity and cost-cutting.

Revision: Serendipity intervened today and directed me towards Bill Campbell's The Oz Enthusiast blog site where he gave some great information about this particular volume.

Her Majesty, Princess Ozma is very pleased indeed!!!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

The Madness Of Nanwrimo Begins Anew!!!

2010-11-03T00:17:00.004-04:00

Once more, I have begun the daunting task of participating in Nanowrimo;

a month-long marathon writing session designed to expel the demons of our minds onto reams of paper, although in today's culture, that would be virtual paper.

Nonetheless, I take up once more the challenge and take the virtual pen to virtual paper in an attempt to make my dream realities for all to see...

and hopefully enjoy!

Already, the monsters of my brain reach out to speak to me and task me with making them show themselves!!!!

Another Munchkin crosses the Shifting Sands!

2010-10-08T13:05:00.003-04:00

The Lullaby League of Oz lost one of its own last month (Sept. 24) with the passing of Olga C. Nardone, the smallest member of the three girls who danced for Dorothy in welcoming her to Munchkin City.

From the files of Wikipedia, we find the following information:

Olga C. Nardone (1919-2010) was an actress and one of the last surviving Munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. She was known as "Little Olga" and "Princess Olga" and was one of the smallest of the Wizard of Oz Munchkins, standing at just 3 foot 4 inches tall. The fact that she had done ballet solos in vaudeville helped get her the part.

I had always thought of her as one of the young children who were brought in to supplement the cast and do the very delicate job of dancing her ballet routine to welcome Dorothy. I didn't realize that she was, in fact, one of the 124 adult pituitary midgets which were hired as Munchkins.

It turns out that, like a few of the Munchkins, she chose a very private life and never embraced the life of Oz here in the Great Outside.

It's a shame but we respect her choice and wish her well on her journey across the Shifting Sands to Oz... and to reunite with the Royal Historian.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

2010-09-26T18:56:00.002-04:00

It's been a week since the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival and this has been the first opportunity I've had to post a blog entry about the outstanding time I had in the Land of Oz.

As many of you will no doubt notice, 'ol James cut his hair. Given that it's been nearly a hundred degrees every day all summer here in the Land of the Hoosiers, I reached a point where I couldn't take it anymore.

How you ladies deal with long hair in oppressive heat is beyond me.

Anyway, back to Oz.

The weekend of September 17-19 was highlighted on my calander for months as I was really looking forward to this fine festival which is only a few hours from my home.

Last year was the first year I had attended this festival and was, in fact, the very first Oz festival I had ever attended.

As you can tell, day one was highlighted by rain for about half the day. A bit of a bummer but I met many people that day who were very supportive of my writing and book sales of Shadow Demon of Oz went very well.

Here is one of the most unique and imaginative costumes I have ever seen at an Oz festival.

It's the Bucket of Water that Dorothy used to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West.

She called it the 'Weapon of Witch Destruction' and she seemed to be the only one who wasn't annoyed by the rain.

On Sunday, things were looking much better. The characters here were about to go on a tour of the grounds when the Wicked Witch of the West, who had been motionless for several minutes while children cautiously approached her, let out a cackle like none I have ever heard before. It scared everyone in earshot and the kids were especially frightened by her laugh.

As you can see, all of Oz was having a wonderful time.

Here, we see that the Tin man has grown a bit and found a nice place for a special beverage. I hope he doesn't engage in drinking and chopping.

The winner of the Hat Contest makes an appearance at my stall to show off a wonderful Professor Marvel Wagon Hat. Very inventive and unique.

... and of course, there were aspiring Munchkins around every corner. It's amazing how much Oz makes people so happy.

Scraps, the Patchwork Girl decided to make an appearance this year and spent her time with Dennis Anfuso in his stall, which happened to be right next to mine. And if that isn't enough Oz for you, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse showed up as well.

Who knew Jack could drive a Hoveround, although technically, it doesn't hover!

I also had the great pleasure of meeting Rick Ewigleben and Todd Bates just a few stalls down from me. They are wonderful people who made me feel very welcome. I look forward to seeing them at every opportunity in the Land of Oz.

It's amazing how a little nice weather really brings out the crowds. There were loads of people everywhere and many unique visions of Oz to be seen.

Such is the devotion to Oz that many people had tattoos of Oz. Some were very small and hardly visible... and then some were like this one. Now, I'm not a tattoo kinda guy, so don't expect me to get one, but boy, when some people get one, they don't go half-hearted at it, do they???

Of course, there were the wonderful ambassadors of Oz, who we know as the Munchkins of Oz.

Jerry Marin, the Lollipop Guild Munchkin was in wonderful spirits today and had a smile that could not be wiped off if you had used a steel-wool pad.

Karl Slover, the First Trumpeter was also present and happy as always.

... and of course, there was Margarette Pellegrini, the Flower-Pot Munchkin.

Just as in Chittenango, these fine and wonderful representatives from the Land of Oz made the festival more special than normal. Their spirit, enthusiasm and love of Oz made everyone in the room fall in love with them, without even trying.

Princess Ozma has often said that no finer ambassadors could have been chosen for the task of representing Her Majesty and the World of Oz.

It seems Dorothy has grown up a bit. But wait, what's that she's carrying? Why, it's a Longaberger Basket. Apparently, Dorothy has gotten more expensive tastes in baskets.

As the day wound down, we see Glinda the Good Witch and Ruler of the South; Quadling Country paying a visit to fellow author, Julienne La Fleur and checking out her book.

The crowds were fantastic and it was a joy to see Oz is still loved by so many people, young and old alike.

As we bid farewell to another year of Oz in Chesterton, I look forward to next year, when the Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy will be complete with the publication of Family of Oz.

It has been a long two years since Her Majesty commanded me to tell of Her new Royal Magician and his adventures in Oz. Since that day, I have met the most wonderful people and had the best time anyone could possibly have.

Finally, I make my way down the road of yellow brick and back home to the Land of the Hoosiers, where my wonderful wife awaits me with a steaming bowl of Potato Soup and all the love and support any man could ask for.

My report to Her Majesty, Princes Ozma; Royal Sovereign and Ruler of Oz will be very appreciative of all the folks in Chesterton, with a special thank-you to Machelle Blount, Celeste Hertz and every yellow-shirted volunteer that helped make our time in Oz well worth the trip.

Par Ardua Ad Alta!!!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

I'm off to see the Wizard!

2010-09-18T00:33:00.001-04:00

In a matter of hours, I'll find my self in the Land of Oz.

http://www.ozfestivalchesterton.com/

Wish me luck as I cross the Shifting Sands and find the Emerald City!!!

Frank Zappa Spinning In His Grave!

2010-08-29T19:40:00.004-04:00

An odd analogy, I know... but I did something today that I normally never do.

I censored myself and removed a blog post.

Now, I can't recall the last time I did that, though I have once or twice.

I had done my research, I was confident of my posting and was intrigued when a colleague made a valid point against my actions.

As I have a great deal of respect this colleagues opinion, I listened (read) with an open mind and found this person's argument to be valid and fair.

Hence, I censored myself today.

My idol of free speech and copyright, Frank Zappa would be spinning in his grave right now. '
My apologies Frank, for the misstep.

Frank Zappa on Crossfire
WARNING: This video contains harsh, vulgar language. Young children and sensistive people should not listen to this recording.

Please pardon the frank language, but Frank was being frank that day. (hey, that was a pun!)

Scene 6; Act 3: Guest Author Diane Griffin; Author of Everything You Wanted to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid To Ask

2010-08-18T19:16:00.009-04:00

The heat has diminished somewhat, but not by much! Good thing I sits in front of a fan, thumbing through the Virtual Book Tour and wondering who our next guest is. Turns out its:

Diane Griffin; Author of Everything You Wanted to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid To Ask: Professional Guidance for Obtaining and Maintaining a Security Clearance.
Who knew that visitors to the Land of Oz needed a security clearance? Apparently Ms. Griffin did.

She also wins first prize for the longest book title I have hosted to date.

Just kidding, of course, but now on to the business at hand. I present to you our next Virtual Book Tour Author; Diane Griffin.

Bio: Diane Griffin, President and owner of Security First & Associates, says her motivation for writing Everything You Wanted to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid To Ask: Professional Guidance for Obtaining and Maintaining a Security Clearance came from the more than two decades of people she has assisted, both in her role as a private security contractor, and as the head of personnel or security within major governmental contractors, in finding their way through the complicated security clearance chain. Diane, is nationally recognized as an expert in the design and delivery of security throughout the intelligence community and has worked with a variety of clients throughout the US Government and industry. Diane is a past membership chairperson and current secretary of the National Classification Management Society (NCMS) and is active in several professional security organizations.

Diane received her B.S. degree in Human Resource Manager from Colorado Christian Univ. and MBA degree in Management from University of Phoenix. Author of several articles on Security and she volunteers with shelters, collecting used Cell phones for Women of Domestic Violence. In addition, volunteers with the foster care program, creating a program called Bags & Bears for Foster care, collecting pack backs and teddy bears for children in the foster care program. Diane is single again and has one child.

Synopsis: If you have plenty of time to click around through myriad government websites and the patience to cut through red tape and make sense of confusing bureaucratic talk, you may be able to find some of the answers to your questions about the security clearance process,” Griffin says. “Chances are, however, that you will still be left with some of your questions unanswered, because there are some questions that the government just doesn’t address. So, unless you know someone who is well acquainted with the process from a first-hand perspective, good luck.

“What I sought to do was compile all of these answers into one easy-to-read compendium of advice and guidance, giving my readers signposts along the way to assist them in navigating through the clearance process. I believe I’ve come up with a volume that will greatly help its users, and being able to assist folks in working through this process is extremely gratifying to me.”

GROUNDBREAKING SECURITY CLEARANCE EBOOK A ONE-STOP KNOWLEDGEBASE FOR THOSE CONFUSED BY THE SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS

Blog:

Today’s economy is one of the most difficult times in recent history to find work, and many people are not even making use of their college degrees as related to employment! The number of people unemployed is staggering, and the overall lasting impact on our nation as a whole is, I believe, still not completely understood. There is hope, however.

President Obama plans on hiring 270,000 people for federal jobs. Many of those positions will require a security clearance. These jobs will become available in varying fields, and encompass all types of skills sets. The war on cyber crime has been declared, but our country is facing a shortage of computer professional holding valid security clearances,

Federal jobs, as I am sure you know, provide an opportunity for a solid career path complete with its own set of benefits and rewards that are becoming less and less common as small business America is forced to spend less and less money on these things for its employees in a tough economy. As I mentioned, most of the federal jobs that will be available for your students will require a security clearance of some type. For those with the skills to obtain a high-paying or advanced position, higher and higher levels of security clearances will be needed. This is nothing new, but with the changes that have taken place since the Patriot Act was enforced, the process is quite complex. Many people are discouraged by this and end up taking jobs elsewhere as a result when they could be quite successful if they could just get past that initial phase of getting the security clearance.

For the past 20 years, I have been walking people through this process and helping them get on the right path to security and success. My company, Security First and Associates, has assisted individuals, government contractors, and entire companies in getting the security clearances they needed in order to get the job, be awarded that contract, or be able to continue working as a vendor to the federal government.

Everything You Need to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid to Ask is now available for $19.95, from my website, amazon & lulu.

Amazon: Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask

Lulu: Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask

Security First Associates

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Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Actionable guidance in 65 pages, June 14, 2010

By	L. Evans "collaborative-action" (Pacific NW) -

This review is from: Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask (Kindle Edition)

When I read an instructional book, I'm looking for help. That means it needs to be easy to understand and formatted in a way to quickly find what I'm looking for.

Diane Griffin's book, "Everything you need to know about the security clearance process, but are afraid to ask" does this and more.

She even adds a bit of humor that may address some people's real fears about the security clearance process.

... all in a fully-packed 65 pages of actionable instruction. Well done!

-Lori Leavitt Evans, Performance & Risk Management Expert
Abrige Corp. ([...]) & C-Secure Systems ([...])

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Guide On The Security Clearance Process- Highly Recommended!,June 12, 2010

By	CFH "chillnhill" (Blue Ridge Summit, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask (Kindle Edition)

"Everything You Need To Know About The Security Clearance Process But Are Afraid To Ask" is an excellent resource for individuals and companies that need to understand the often intimidating process of obtaining a security clearance. Back in the early 1990s I went through the Security Clearance process to get access to DoE and FAA facilities in order to work on Data Networks and truly wish that Diane Griffin's comprehensive book was availible to me at that time!

The book is easy to read, leaving out unnecessary jargon, and covers all of the questions that an applicant will have and many that I didn't think of on my own. The inclusion of sample forms was very helpful but most importantly, the chapter containing the "odd" questions Diane has been asked will likely put a few minds to rest about what will and won't be a considered an impediment to obtaining a clearance.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

So close... yet so far away!

2010-08-17T16:01:00.004-04:00

Having completed chapter 40 last night, it would seem that my 40 chapter goal is being exceeded... by at least 4 more chapters.

Not quite my intention but the story dictates the length and the story is really progressing now.

Ad hoc, ad loc, quid pro quo... So little time, so much to know!

Nearing the Finish Line!

2010-08-03T16:13:00.002-04:00

On the Summer Solstice, I set myself to the task of writing Family of Oz. I had been awaiting the muse for some time and it was during the evening of the Summer Solstice when the muse finally chose to strike.

Since then, I have been actively involved in the writing, along with several other projects tertiary to this one.

I usually average a chapter a night, though this book has gone a bit slower than both Magician of Oz and Shadow Demon of Oz. It has now been 41 days and I've completed 36 chapters. At just a hair over 60,000 words so far, I'm very pleased at my progress so far, though I never thought Family of Oz would wind up longer than Shadow Demon of Oz.

With the end in sight, I have finally brought together all the elements that had been developed over the last two books.

Now, it's time to wrap things up and complete Her Majesty's Royal Command.

Soon, the fun really begins!

A howl of a good time: Unofficial world record set in TH

2010-07-27T20:37:00.000-04:00

A howl of a good time: Unofficial world record set in TH

Howl Yea! For Child Safety in the Wabash Valley‏!

2010-07-20T20:01:00.004-04:00

A Guinness Book of World Records Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon.

The Center for Public Service and Community Engagement at Indiana State University, in conjunction with C.H.A.N.C.E.S. for Youth of Terre Haute, Ryves Youth Center at Etling Hall and the Terre Haute Children’s Museum are co-sponsoring Howl Yea! For Child Safety in the Wabash Valley on July 26th, 2010 from 8:30-10:00pm at the Indiana State University Fountain area of Dede Plaza located next to the Hulman Memorial Student Union in the center of campus.

This event is designed to promote the local non-profit organizations which serve the youth of the Wabash Valley and bring about further awareness of their programs and facilities, as well as highlighting issues related to child safety and awareness throughout the Wabash Valley.

The centerpiece of this event features a Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon.

The current record stands at 250 people and the goal of the Howl Yea! For Child Safety in the Wabash Valley is to break this record and be officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records Organization.

The record-breaking event is free of charge and the public is highly encouraged to attend and be a part of an official world record.

Registration for the event begins promptly at 8:30pm and is a required part of the official program. Registration will occur on sight at the ISU Fountain area of Dede Plaza located next to the Hulman Memorial Student Union in the center of campus. In order to be considered as an official participant in the Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon, all participants must be registered prior to the attempt.

The Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon will begin at10:00pm and will last only a few minutes.

C.H.A.N.C.E.S. for Youth of Terre Haute, Ryves Youth Center at Etling Hall and the Terre Haute Children’s Museum, along with the Center for Public Service and Community Engagement at Indiana State University will have representatives available to discuss their programs and mission of service for the youth of the Wabash Valley.

For more information regarding the Howl Yea! For Child Safety in the Wabash Valley event, including the Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon, please contact James C. Wallace II, Event Organizer at howlyea2010@yahoo.com or 812.841.0886.

Scene 5; Act 2: Guest Author Trish Silver; Author of When I Remember Love

2010-07-18T18:44:00.004-04:00

The Virtual Book Tour approaches its next stop, which just so happens to be located adjacent to the oven that appears to be set on 450 degrees. So make sure the rack is on the center pins, the timer is set and the book is totally basted.

I present our next author; Trish Silver;

Author of When I Remember Love

I was born and raised in Whitefish Bay, WI. I went to college at the University of Cincinnati. I moved to Los Angeles in the turbulent 1960's and met my husband Ed. We have been happily married for 41 years and have two sons, Matthew and David. We also have two grandchildren, Jack and Sarah.

Book Info: When I Remember Love is my first book. It is a contemporary romance novel about a rock superstar, Aidan, who realized fame by winning an American Idol type of television reality competition. He falls in love at first sight with the beautiful Jenna and together they navigate through the rocky road fame presented them.

You can learn all about it on my website: http://trishsilver.com.

It can be purchased on my site, Amazon.com, and BarnesandNoble.com, and SmashWords.com.

There is a Kindle version.

Who would have thought that I would ever write a romance novel? I am a big fan of American Idol and after watching the show one night, my story unfolded in a dream. It was like watching a movie; at that moment, I knew that someday my book would become a film. I could see the look on the face of my handsome pop star, Aidan, as he saw his beautiful Jenna for the first time. Jenna, star struck whispered in my ear," He’s the one!" As the story came to me vividly scene by scene, I became a fan of my characters.

Personally, I wanted to help Jenna build Jenna's House, a home for the homeless. Also, I wanted my characters to overcome the many obstacles that sudden fame bestowed upon them. It’s not like the usual romance novel; I took a chance and wrote outside the box. It was my intention that my readers look upon married love in its purest form without cheating or abuse of any kind.

I wanted my readers to hear the music that Aidan sang to his audience and to Jenna and was lucky enough to become part of a brilliant songwriting team. You may hear it on my website: http://trishsilver.com. And you can get a preview of the story by watching the book trailer video on my site and hear one of our original songs sung in the background too. If you like a good love story like I do, you will adore this book.

2010-07-15T18:44:00.005-04:00

Renowned Wabash Valley author James C. Wallace II will be appearing at the Rockville Farmer's Market in downtown Rockville, Indiana to discuss and autograph his latest children's book, Shadow Demon of Oz.

Mr. Wallace has been commissioned by Princess Ozma, Ruler and Royal Sovereign of Oz to tell her story of her newest Royal Magician of Oz, young Jamie Diggs, the great grandson of the original Wizard of Oz, O.Z. Diggs.

The Royal Magician of Oz Trilogy features Magician of Oz and Shadow Demon of Oz, both of which are currently available through Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Family of Oz, the third and final volume of the trilogy is due out in early 2011.

Scene 3; Act 4: Guest Author April Blanding; Author of Diamonds in the Rough

2010-07-13T00:01:00.004-04:00

The heat is less oppressive, but not by much! Good thing I sits in front of a fan, thumbing through the Virtual Book Tour and wondering who our next guest is.

Turns out its: April Blanding; Author of Diamonds in the Rough.

Now, somebody pass me a cold soda and turn the fan up higher.

“Jumping In”

Although I am only a first time author, I have gotten a slew of questions about the publishing industry and process. I don’t consider myself an expert, but I do have some knowledge about the business. However, I am still learning. Since this is my first guest blog post, I figured I would use the space to discuss some of the things I’ve learned and give some tips to those who are looking to “jump into” this business. As you read, please remember that some of this is fact and some is a matter of opinion. Also, no two authors will have the same experience in this business so their views will be different.

Research Publishing Companies

I consider this as my first rule of thumb. It is also the first thing I tell people who show interest in joining this business. It is very important that you research the company that you want to join. If you don’t, you may go in expecting more than what you are going to get in return. It helps to ask other authors what they like or dislike about the company so you can get an idea of what you’re getting yourself into. You still have to keep in mind though that everyone’s experience is different. Whereas one author may be content with the company, another author may be marking off the days when his/her contract is up. You may not even know what is considered a “good” publishing company until you have something to compare it to.

Another suggestion that I give is to submit your manuscript to a company that specializes in your genre. For example, you do not want to submit a science fiction novel to a company that only publishes romance. More than likely, the company is not going to be interested since it is not their focus. If you review the submission guidelines, most companies state specifically what they are looking for (sometimes even down to the page count!). Make sure to follow the guidelines! It is your first step to getting your manuscript reviewed!

Know Your Budget

I would highly suggest that you choose your publishing company based off your budget. Even if your company does not charge you a fee for their services, you will still need money for marketing purposes and travel. Be prepared for it!

If you want to self-publish, be prepared to handle almost all of the expenses. Yes, you keep creative control over your work, but you are also responsible for the costs. This can include cover design, editing, etc, depending on the package that you purchase.

Remember this: it takes money to make money!

Keep it One Hundred

Since it is your work and your dream, you are naturally going to put in one hundred percent. You want everything to be perfect even down to the period at the end of the sentence. Going into the business, you expect to get the same thing in return. Well, the truth is, it doesn’t always happen. I have met a slew of authors and have heard some horror stories. Your vision for your work may be to inspire while someone else’s is to simply make money. Some companies do not care if your book has errors. They will publish it in a heartbeat without a second thought.

Out of all the tips I’ve given, the most important one is this: Do not ever give up. If you have a dream, take control to make it a reality. The only person who can stop you is YOU!

Diamond is the Rough can be purchased form the following retailers:

barnesandnoble.com

amazon.com

booksamillion.com

passionatewriterpublishing.com

April L. Blanding/ Vogue
Simply Vogue- http://www.simplyvogue.net/
faith...hope...trust

Howl Yea! For Child Safety in the Wabash Valley‏

2010-07-11T19:25:00.005-04:00

A Guinness Book of World Records Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon.

This event is designed to promote the local non-profit organizations which serve the youth of the Wabash Valley and bring about further awareness of their programs and facilities, as well as highlighting issues related to child safety and awareness throughout the Wabash Valley.

The centerpiece of this event features a Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon.

The current record stands at 250 people and the goal of the Howl Yea! For Child Safety in the Wabash Valley is to break this record and be officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records Organization.

The record-breaking event is free of charge and the public is highly encouraged to attend and be a part of an official world record.

Registration for the event begins promptly at 8:30pm and is a required part of the official program. Registration will occur on sight at the ISU Fountain area of Dede Plaza located next to the Hulman Memorial Student Union in the center of campus. In order to be considered as an official participant in the Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon, all participants must be registered prior to the attempt.

The Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon will begin between 10:15-10:30pm and will last only a few minutes.

C.H.A.N.C.E.S. for Youth of Terre Haute, Ryves Youth Center at Etling Hall and the Terre Haute Children’s Museum, along with the Center for Public Service and Community Engagement at Indiana State University will have representatives available to discuss their programs and mission of service for the youth of the Wabash Valley.

For more information regarding the Howl Yea! For Child Safety in the Wabash Valley event, including the Guinness Book of World Records Sanctioned Attempt for the Most Number of People Simultaneously Howling at the Full Moon, please contact James C. Wallace II, Event Organizer at howlyea2010@yahoo.com or 812.841.0886.

Scene 2; Act 1: Guest Author Susan Hanniford Crowley; Author of

2010-07-09T13:03:00.012-04:00

Two days later and it's still HOT!!! So hot that you could melt a vampire, or so I've heard.

Our next guest author on the Virtual Book Tour just might have a thing or two to say about that.

So, without further ado, (and who needs more ados?), I present Guest Author Susan Hanniford Crowley; Author of: WHEN LOVE SURVIVES
THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS
A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS
&VAMPIRE IN THE BASEMENT - Coming Soon!

Summer Nights, Vampire Bites

By Susan Hanniford Crowley (totally fang in cheek)

Tall, dark-haired, dark-eyed vampire David Hilliard walks in and takes a seat. A minute later, blonde Laura Cordelais comes in and sits in his lap.

"I apologize for Susan's tardiness. I hope you don't mind that she sent Laura and me ahead. So this is Oz."

"At least it's not scorching hot, like Manhattan," said Laura.

"I didn't think vampires were affected by the heat?" Susan walks in and sits in a chair.

"We're not."

Laura winced. "It's just when it's hot, all the New Yorkers are out doing things more than normally. There are humans everywhere."

"That's true. It's very hard to do what we do, when there are human everywhere," explained David.

"What do you do?"

The two just grinned.
Susan enjoyed prodding a little. "Let's talk about the Arnhem Knights."

When David shows fangs, it's more than a little frightening. Laura gets up and waves her hand, an arc of lightning shimmering around her.

"David's in a mood. When there are so many humans out and about, the uncivilized vampires go on a spree. The goal of the Arnhem Society is to civilize the vampires of the city. The purpose of the Arnhem Knights is to protect humans from death at the hands of vampires."

"We also give aid to supernaturals in trouble," he added.

"So this week's been bad?"

"Oh, God, yes. But not as bad as when that vampire movie came out. People were standing in lines outside of theaters, around the building, and vampires were si

zing them up for a late night snack." Laura sighed.

Susan shivered. She was in one of those lines.

"So any advice for the readers of Oz?"

"Yes," said David, "Stay inside. Watch tv. Read books."

"Like the Vampires in Manhattan series," added Laura.

WHEN LOVE SURVIVES is about Regina, a half leprechaun/half elf who discovers her magic on the day the World Trade Center is attacked. Gregor (shapeshifer) saves her by pulling her into a coffee shop minutes before the calamity, and they fall in love during their efforts as rescue workers. This story is also a sneak peak into the supernatural diversity of the city.

It’s available at http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-w

henlovesurvives-362921-143.html

and at fine ebooks stores everywhere.

For a review, see: http://wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-when-love-survives-by-susan.html

THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS is about Laura, a Telkhine, a rare race of supernaturals who control storms, and the tall, handsome, dark-haired, and mysterious vampire David Hilliard. While Laura is falling from the Brooklyn Bridge, David is begging God to take pity on his loneliness. He gets a vision of a woman falling. What he doesn’t know is that saving Laura plunges them both into an underworld of voodoo and sorcery, from which no one escapes. Does he love her enough to die for her? This book is filled with strange supernaturals the world has forgotten and a hot passion between two lovers who are fighting to keep together. A vampire is not worthy of a Telkhine. Does Laura really believe that?

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thestormylovelifeo

flauracordelais-374695-139.html

It’s also available in Kindle at Amazon Books. http://www.amazon.com/Stormy-Love-Laura-Cordelais-ebook/dp/B00318D5VY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1278215109&sr=1-1

We’re also waiting for the date of its print release.

A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS is about dashing vampire and Arnhem Knight Trevor Stenwood. He’s found the woman of his dreams but she’s marked for death by demons. She has him so awestruck that he can’t find the words to talk to Georgia Blake. Georgia thinks he is a stalker. How can he protect her life if she’s afraid of him? A warm, sizzling tale reminding us that love comes in the most unexpected way.

Georgia and Trevor’s ebook can be purchased at http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-avampireforchristmas-387184-139.html

Coming soon from Tease Publishing LLC: A new ebook in the series, one with a humorous tone—VAMPIRE IN THE BASEMENT.

I will be participating in the Authors After Dark Romance Unlimited Convention in Secaucus, New Jersey, September 16-19. There's still time to register. There will be tons of fun events, panels, workshops, parties, a charity auction, and giveaways. Here's the link:

http://authorsafterdark.blogspot.com/p/aad-confrence-info.html

For those that are attending Authors After Dark Romance Unlimited Convention, come up to me and say “I saw you on the Magician of Oz blog” and I will give you a small gift, while my supply lasts.

For more information about Susan Hanniford Crowley, her vampires and other supernaturals, visit:

Website: http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com
Where love burns eternal!
Romance Blog: http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SHCrowley

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Susan-Hanniford-Crowley/629298868

Tease Publishing: http://www.teasepublishingllc.com/authors.htm

Thank you.

Scene 1; Act 5: Guest Author Mike Dolan;;Author of A Pecunious Life - How to Have a Life Abounding in True Wealth

2010-07-07T23:48:00.007-04:00

Man, is it HOT!!!

But not nearly as hot as our next

guest on the Virtual Book Tour.

Rather than sit here in a pool of my own sweat, I present to you, Mike Dolan;;Author of A

Pecunious Life - How to Have a Life Abounding in True Wealth

Now, pardon me while I go stand in front of the open freezer door!

A Pecunious Life - How to Have

a Life Abounding in True

Wealth

Genre: Self-Help

Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN:0741458195

Mike was born in the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado 43 years ago. He has lived all around this beautiful world of ours, from Europe to Alaska, to his current home in the Middle East. His education is that of the experiences life gives and school is far from being out for him. He is a lover of life, a life adventurist. He loves to travel, meet new people, and experience new cultures. He has been given a great opportunity to see life in a different light and wishes to share this with you.

Here is Mike in his own words:

This is a challenge for me to write. I’m not accustomed to writing about myself. I am a newly published author who believes in the best this life has. I’m a positive energy that is always willing to help those that seek out my help. I am an enabler, a catalyst that’s willing to set the bonfire of your soul aflame. I am nobody.. and yet I am everyone. I have the same feeling, the same hopes, the same desires, and the same dreams you do. Perhaps the one difference is my burning desire to help others come alive to find the dreams once held in my heart. My intent is to help as many people as I possibly can, to bring joy to as many lives as I can, and to empower as many people as I can to find the life of dreams again… My life has been comprised of experience, experiences that have lead me to this point in my life. I wish to share what it is that I have learned along the way so tthat we all will enjoy the time we have.

Today is a new day as is everyday of your life if you so choose. What do I mean by this? It’s simple really… New experiences in our lives always seem to be more exciting, more moving, more beautiful, more of everything. Each day has that energy within it, more specifically your experience of this life as that energy in it. You get to choose how you experience the days of your life. You don’t always get to choose what is within the experience, but you do get to control the way you experience it. Take everyday as a new day, as a new challenge, as a fresh start… Many may balk at this idea due to the nature of how they perceive their own lives, but I would challenge them to try it. If you work in an office where you life is dull, where all you do is sit in a cubicle and push paper. I challenge you to experience it for the first time as if it was your first day. Go in with a smile, say Hi to someone that doesn’t expect it… Experience your day as a new day…

Review

The book A Pecunious Life written by Author Mike Dolan has great advice for improving ones life, not only does the author write details of how to become more wealthy, but he incorporates his own experiences which are woven into lessons of life quality. Learning from the past, learning from mistakes, learning from beliefs or mis-beliefs, life-altering events, and exercises where the author asks you to sit in a quiet place and reflect on the lessons given.

The book is not really about becoming wealthy in the money sense, but wealthy in the spiritual and happiness sense. Could we be happy with less? Happiness is a state of mind-

I found this educational and easy to read and recommend it to adults in need of self-hep, spiritual guides, and for people who need a better life than they have right now.

Reviewed by Ami Blackwelder

A Pecunious Life can be purchased on Mike's website or at Amazon:

http://www.mike-dolan.com

http://www.amazon.com/Pecunious-Life-M-L-Dolan/dp/0741458195/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

Scene 1; Act 4: Guest Author Patti Hultstrand; Author of the Time Chaser Series

2010-07-02T14:51:00.005-04:00

With the holidays nearly upon us, I am happy to present our next guest on the Virtual Book Tour.

Her name is Patti Hultstrand and she is the author of the Time Chaser Series.

The sound you hear in the distance are the firecrackers of the fourth proudly announcing the VBT guest of the day.

Patti Hultstrand, the stage is yours!

FINDING INSPIRATION

Inspiration in writing ...

One doesn't get up in the morning and say, "Think I'll write today." A person becomes inspired by those around them or by what has been done to them.

· The teenager with too many emotions to handle, becomes inspired to put these thoughts on paper to get them out of their head before they explode.

· The mother writes something in between the potatoes and the pot roast on her organized grocery list because that inspiration is overflowing in her creative mind, spilling into this world in a need to get free.

· The tire&auto repair station attendant sits in the restroom stealing whatever moments he can to write just a few more lines on that short story he's been working on for months.

· And a lonely woman writes about a man; the man that never came to take her away from her lonely life.

I know when I haven't been writing enough, when I write an email note to someone and it winds up being a page long, with anecdotal tidbits and just plain good stuff being said. The shame of it is, only the email recipient will ever get anything out of my inspirational moment.

It's said that everyone has at least ONE story inside them. As it happens to be, I have over twelve planned for this Time Chaser series alone, with "Time Conquers All" being the first book out in 2009 and its follow up second book, "Rescue in Time" coming out in about two weeks.

If you have that ONE story inside, you may want to let that story get out and onto paper. You'll know its name...call it YOUR inspiration!

Chapter One:

The low rumble from behind startled her, just as the foreign surroundings put her senses on full alert. With a dagger already in her hand, Tamea quickly turned to meet this new threat while the sound grew in intensity. As the ground beneath her growled in anticipation, she noticed a bend in the road, next to a building clearly marked “GAS.” These vibrations, in the form of forty or more machines with people riding singly and in pairs, invaded onto the property.

Since Tamea harbored a general curiosity for all machines, she did not fight the compulsion to follow the direction her instincts dictated. She squinted to get a better look at the metallic apparitions as the sunlight bounced off the surfaces. Even though she had no first-hand experience with these machines, she did not seem to fear them. Something had called to her from her past, back to this building and these machines.

Tamea sheathed her dagger at the small of her back, as she made her way across the street. Some of the riders remained outside attending to their machines, while others had gone inside the building. She examined the machines, wanting to touch their smooth and glistening forms. They were different shapes and sizes, but most seemed to bear the same name and symbol, a shield with a banner across the middle. She wondered if this symbol signified their country, bearing its name, much like a military unit.

She scanned the machines, each in turn, gliding through their presence. Tamea felt a prickle on the back of her neck as she passed one particular machine. Moving back to it, the compulsion grew to an intense desire to touch its deep burgundy finish. Her pulse quickened and her instincts grew more aware. She could not explain why a machine would make her giddy with excitement. She was devouring the machine as she would a man, taking in its features with her eyes and feeling its textures with her fingers in a form of communication as old as time. There had been only one man she had ever scrutinized in this manner, getting to know his intimate details and communicating with her fingertips in place of words.

Then her heart skipped several beats when she came upon more identifiable markings on this machine. Under the national symbol of HARLEY-DAVIDSON was a name in light gray lettering, “PARKER”. Her fingers followed each letter as if they were embossed on her heart.

“You know, it’s considered rude to touch someone’s bike without permission,” a man said in an even tone, not giving away how he really felt about the implied offense.

Tamea swung around in surprise as her hand moved quickly to the dagger stashed at the middle of her back. She found him standing behind her with a glass bottle in his hand. Her lips parted slightly at the familiar sight of his face, with those endless blue eyes that could look deep into her soul. Even though she knew every crevice of his body, she had not been prepared for the attack on her senses. His blue pants seemed glued to his muscular thighs. He allowed her the pleasure of following his lines up his backside as he walked past her to throw out the empty bottle.

The dangling fringe attached to the edges of his black jacket moved freely as he turned and moved back to his bike. Wavy, sandy-blond hair softly touched the nape of his neck. His hips were lean and his body flared up into an expansive chest.

Tamea’s hand had been frozen on the partially extracted dagger in the hidden sheath at her lower back. She secured the weapon as she moved out of his way so he could swing one of his muscular legs over the bike, straddling it possessively between his thighs. At that moment, Tamea craved to be that bike.

For ordering information, please consider the following:

Order direct from the publisher for FREE SHIPPING http://www.azpublishingservices.com/BookStore.php 

Order from Amazon and you will pay for shipping here. http://www.amazon.com/shops/azpublishingservices

Also available on Kindle

For a longer list of eBook and print distribution points go to:  http://www.timeconquersall.com/

There is a character blog on timeconquersall.com website.

Oz Remembered!

2010-06-30T18:19:00.001-04:00

Here's a great interview I did on BlogTalk Radio yesterday. Lots of good info
and a few laughs along the way!

Oz Remembered!