I recently got to read Teddy O’Malley’s book The Fairy’s Bubble Wand. This is a cute story about Fay, the Fairy King’s daughter, and a human girl named Vadaya. Vadaya’s big sister and main friend is going away to college, and as a going away givt, she gives Vadaya a tube of bubble-stuff to cheer her up.

Meanwhile, Fay has been failing Fairy School, and is depressed and sad, because she so much wants her father to be proud of her. Somehow, Vadaya winds up the same size as Fay, and they go off to rescue Fay’s father, who has gotten lost. Both girls lack self-confidence, but working together they manage to escape the Ice Fairies and have other adventures, while Fay discovers her fairy magic and Vadaya discovers what Fay calls here “human magic”. Through their cleverness, and a work of advanced magic that Fay isn’t supposed to be able to do, the girls rescue Fay’s faather, and all ends happily.

This is a charming book, simply told with nice, clean writing. It might seem a bit young for children who can read it for themselves, but they’ll be captivated by Fay and Vadaya and their adventures. The chapters make nice breaks, so it would be good to read a chapter or two at bedtime.

I hope there’s a followup story with more adventures for Fay and Vadaya – I’ll certainly read them, if there are.

I’ve just added Field, Forest and Fairies as an Amazon e-book. It contains the full text and pictures from Fairies and Fireflies, The Wood and the Wildfolk, and the Wizard and the Wood. By the end of August it should also be available as a paperback.

I’ve finalized the text of Siren’s Song, and it will go for illustrations by September 1. This is an unusual book, and will be lavishly illustrated. I hope to have it available by the first of the year, both in paperback and hardcover.

I’ve just started my YA/Adult fantasy novel, The Boy Who Loved The Moon. I’m aiming for completion by 2019, but since it’s my first real novel, rather than a collection of short stories, I don’t know how long it will take. It involves a Neolithic hunter/gatherer young man, and a 14th Century warrior/bard on the Isle of Mythos, and their interactions with the personification of The Moon. I’ve got plotted some interesting twists that I hope you’ll like when it finally comes out.

OK, by request of a fan, I’ve opened a Zazzle store. So far, mostly The Snarls and Dragons and Dreams cover t-shirts and mugs. If you have anything you’d like to see, just let me know and I’ll create it.

Store name: WyrmTales

New Fall Schedule!

Flat Rock Riverfest – September 15-18
Clinton Fall Festival – September 22-24
New Boston Applefest – October 6-8
Tecumseh Appleumpkin – October 13-16
Detroit Shriners, Southfield October 28
Airport Highschool – November 4-5

April 2: Gypsy Mama’s Psychic Fair, Crystal Gardens Banquet Center, Howell MI 12-7pm
June 3-4 Gypsy Mama’s, Chesaning Fair Ground, 11-6
June 16-18 National Strawberry Festival, Belleville, MI
June 22-25 PaganFest, Belleville, MI
July 14-15 Celtic Festival, Saline, MI
August 11-12 Saline SummerFest, Saline MI
September 22-24 Clinton Harvest Festival, Clinton, MI
October 7-8 AppleFest, New Boston, MI
October 13-15 Appleumpkin, Tecumseh, MI

November and December dates are still up in the air, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do.

Wyrmtales Press will be at several festivals this spring/summer, and with some new offerings. I have some coloring books, containing pictures from Dragons and Dreams and Fairies and Fireflies. In addition, there will be a new collection of stories, The Wood and the Wildfolk, which is a prequel to The Wizard and the Woods.

The festivals we’ll be at are:

May 21: Flight of Fantasy at the Howell Nature Center. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/events/229478290741980/

May 26-30: The Sumpter Township County Fest in Belleville MI. For more information, see http://sumptertwp.com/Country_Fest.php

June 4-5: The Gypsy Goddess Summer Fest in Chesaning, MI. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/events/1654834604800420/

June 23-26: Michigan Pagan Fest at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Belleville, MI, For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/events/858832610878959/

July 8-9: Saline Celtic Festival in Saline, MI. For more information see http://www.salineceltic.org/

as some of you may know, my best beloved cover artist is quite ill. This has held up release of The Wood and the Wildfolk (although not as much as my own illness this past year, I must admit).

I’m fortunate to have found a wonderful cover artist for Wood and the Wildfolk – her style is close enough to Todd’s that I think it will blend well, without being identical. I’ve just seen her sketches for Wood and the Wildfolk, and am very pleased with her work. With luck, I’ll have the printed version available for the Fairy Festin Jackson on April 23.

I hope to see you there.

2016 Events

2016 is filling up fast! If you know of a festival or fete where you’d like to see me, please contact me!

I am also available for school or library visits. Please contact me at [email protected] for more information.

*Items marked with an asterisk are Society for Creative Anachronism events.

January
9th 12th Night at Hidden Springs Church, Howell Michigan*
22-24 Confusion SF Convention, Novi Sheriton, Novi Michigan

February
13th Val Day, Kalamazoo, MI *

April
23-24 Jackson School of the Arts Fairy Fest

June
4-5 Gypsy Goddess Festival, Saganaw, MI
23-26 Pagan Fest, Wayne County Fairgrounds, Belleville, MI

July
8-9 Saline Celtic Festival

September
23-25 Clinton Fall Festival, Clinton MI

October
7-9 Appleumpkin, Tecumseh MI

November
5-6 Airport High School, 11330 Grafton Rd, Carleton, MI 48117

It’s been awhile since I last posted. A lot of life happened all at once (including a wonderful visit with family in California that lasted a week longer than expected), and The Wood and the Wildfolk (the prequel to The Wizard and the Wood) just wasn’t coming together the way I’d hoped it would. I’m currently aiming for a spring 2016 release for it.

I’ve been doing a lot of festivals, too, which are fun but exhausting. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, and some great kids.

We have two more festivals planned for this year, the first two weekends in December:

Christmas in Ida is December 4-6 – we’ll be in the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 1920 Lewis Ave, Ida Michigan.

On Saturday December 12, we’ll be at a smaller show at the Dundee Assembly of God church at 13790 S. Custer Drive, Dundee MI

Let me remind you that books (of any sort, not just mine) make great holiday gifts!

I’m putting together quite an aggressive festival season for 2016, so if you have any suggestions for good places for me to apply, please let me know.

Have a great holiday season, what ever holiday you celebrate, and I’ll look to see you next year.