D&D Chronicles: Chased out of town. Again.

ZILLAH -- Royal Rose inn, Lhangessa Outside, the distinct trample of the city watch. Squirrel twitches to his feet. Alix throws an apprehensive glance. I’m on my feet too, not quite knowing why, but I’ve drawn my swords. The door opens and six armed guards storm in, brandishing weapons. We’ve had a fair few ales, … Continue reading D&D Chronicles: Chased out of town. Again.

And at the bottom of my wardrobe I found…

(Or, "Sometimes it pays to be a hoarder") In the very near future I’m heading to the Steppes Of Mongolia. To ride a horse. For two whole weeks. Squee! As you might expect, I’ve been planning what to take for a while now. I don’t ride horses all that often, so I don’t have all … Continue reading And at the bottom of my wardrobe I found…

D&D Chronicles: At the crossroads

Having just completed a fairly hefty mission, some of the party members muse on recent events and what's going to happen next... and size up their new companions. SQUIRREL Standing on the outskirts of town, I’m at a border between the known and the unknown, on a couple of levels. We are returned from ranging … Continue reading D&D Chronicles: At the crossroads

Travelling in the 90s: Florence is freezing

Meanwhile, at the tail end of my 1993-1994 adventures, we're in Italy. Having just experienced the Carnival of Venice, we're now en route to Firenze. Welcome to Travelling in the 90s... [Saturday 12 February, 1994] It took over three hours on the train to reach Florence, through lovely rolling hills with villages nestled in the … Continue reading Travelling in the 90s: Florence is freezing

Journal ~ update on words, books, journeying

Words... In the last several months I haven't talked too much (in fact, at all) about the novel revision I'm (still) working on. This is because it's taken me a while to conquer 'the middle section', which has been nipped and tucked and rearranged and tweaked... and then some more... I've been enjoying myself, though. … Continue reading Journal ~ update on words, books, journeying

D&D Chronicles: We pull off the retrieval mission but are betrayed

ZILLAH This crater expedition has been long and bloody and we have lost dear companions -- but finally we have discovered the treasures we were seeking. They will never be worth three lives (what could ever be worth that?) but I'm so relieved we have something to show for the high price we have paid. … Continue reading D&D Chronicles: We pull off the retrieval mission but are betrayed

Travelling in the 90s: The Carnival of Venice

We're into the final two weeks of our 1993-1994 (Travelling in the 90s) adventure (back when I was a true natural blond -- check out the photo). Venice was our first stop in Italy and undoubtedly one of the highlights. I can't tell you how many exclamation marks I had to remove from the following … Continue reading Travelling in the 90s: The Carnival of Venice

In preparation for the steppes of Mongolia where there be horses

There's a rumor going around that my next big adventure will be in Mongolia. Horse trekking in Mongolia. On the steppes. The steppes of Mongolia. On horseback. With horses. For two weeks. (And then some.) Except it isn't a rumor. It's tremendously exciting. The scenery should be amazing, the culture fascinating -- and, oh, the … Continue reading In preparation for the steppes of Mongolia where there be horses

D&D Chronicles: The Green Man

Recap: Our party has spent the past couple of weeks (game time) stumbling around a tiny island, summoned by a mage who wants us to retrieve certain magical scrolls from a secret stronghold inside a forested volcanic crater. The first time we attempted this, we lost our mage, Calwyn. Then we tried to leave the … Continue reading D&D Chronicles: The Green Man

Musings on secret preview TV viewing versus feedback reading

I've done my fair share of reading and providing feedback on short stories and novels over the years. It's much easier to be objective and analytical about someone else's work -- all in the name of being constructive and helpful, of course. In such cases you know the author will take onboard some suggestions, discard … Continue reading Musings on secret preview TV viewing versus feedback reading