| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| The Sage |
Posted - 22 Jul 2009 : 01:58:55
Well met
This being a collective scroll of any questions the Scribes and visitors of Candlekeep wish to put to a renowned author of the Realms, namely - Rosemary Jones, whose works include: "The Woman Who Drew Dragons" from the Realms of the Dragons II anthology, Crypt of the Moaning Diamond of "The Dungeons" series, and City of the Dead, from the "Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep" series.
Present your questions herein and check back to see what news may also come forth from the quill of this author. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| vallon |
Posted - 31 Dec 2012 : 15:11:28
Love those Carvers! Hopefully there'll be a new post-Sundering novel featuring them in the near future..A happy New Year to you in 2013 as well, Rosemary. |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 03:37:43
Hi gang!
We have a bookplate for Cold Steel -- well, kind of. I've put the first book in Kindlegraph. You don't need to have bought it, but you do need a Kindle and Twitter account to make this work. More on this here:
http://rosemaryjones.blogspot.com/2011/12/yes-we-have-technology-to-sign-your-e.html
Part 4 of Cold Steel comes out this month. Over at the Wizards community, in the book club,, the topic of discussion will be CITY OF THE DEAD. Those Carvers keep coming back -- a bit like the undead, but nicer.
And yes, Lord A did get a kitten. It keeps the mice out of his boots.
If you're going to be in the Seattle area this spring and heading to Emerald City Comic Con, I'm going to be hanging out with my friends at Timid Pirate. But I'll be happy to sign WOTC books or bookplates, etc.
Hugs and happy New Year to everyone.
Rosemary
Look for me and a bunch of Realms authors in the upcoming FORESHADOWS from Very Us Artists too.
|
| The Red Walker |
Posted - 03 Nov 2011 : 13:28:50
Rosemary, we need to hear more about this : Cold Steel and Secrets: A Neverwinter Novella, Part I,2,3 &4!
And I'm a little sad....how are you going to do bookplates for these? |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 21 Aug 2010 : 06:02:15
Hi Rosemary,
I've been rereading City of the Dead, and a question's popped up, namely - did Sophraea ever give Lord Adarbrent a kitten?
(And thanks for Rampage Stunk - a great example of how petty nastiness can be just as bad as the whole summoning archdevils kind.) |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 17 Aug 2010 : 04:01:12
One more anthology story out this week. It's in Zero Gravity published by Pill Hill (deep space adventures) and, again, I'm sharing a content page with another Wizards alum Murray Leeder. More details over at my blog.
Then, in September, you'll find Mr. de Bie and me in Cobalt City Timeslip.
Hope you're all have a wonderful summer. I have to go wrestle a werewolf or two for another short story anthology.
Hugs!
Rosemary |
| The Sage |
Posted - 23 Jun 2010 : 07:05:35
Oooh! I forgot about this anthology. I appreciate the reminder Rosemary.  |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 23 Jun 2010 : 06:24:23
Just wanted to let you know that I've finished up another short story that will be an anthology called Foreshadows. It's cyberpunk,not Forgotten Realms, but you'll recognize many of the authors...including a certain bearded gent with the initials E.G.
Happy summer! |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 05 Jun 2010 : 04:34:49
Thanks for all the nice comments! Sorry it has been so long since I dropped into Candlekeep. Very busy April and May!
Going back to the Realms is always up the editors at Wizards. If they call, I'd be happy to set sail for Waterdeep or other places!
Tremaine had a bunch of questions and I'll try to answer them all now.
Jeff Grubb and Roger E Moore sound wonderful and I will look for those. I love humorous novels (obviously). Right now I'm reading A Martinez's latest.
Laugh out loud or giggle to when you read their stories? Terry Pratchett (of course!), P.G. Wodehouse, Jerome K. Jerome, Georgette Heyer, Meg Cabot's Mediator series...those are a few that come to mind immediately.
Michael Hacker thanking him for a corpse? whats the story behind that ;-)
Mike is an old writing buddy and fellow AD&D player. He suggested the moaning diamond -- I think my exact e-mail to him was: "help, I need something small that knocks down walls." I wanted Ivy to trip over a corpse and find an magic item too (seemed like such a classic thing to have happen in a dungeon). Mike said "Why not have one floating on the ceiling?" Hence the floating corpse!
what was it like working on your first novel was it scary? I'd written and had published seven nonfiction books before the novel. So, I wasn't scared to take on the contract. Up late at night madly typing, frequently muttering strange comments at odd moments, acting out fight scenes in my living room (often at 3 am) Those things I do with every novel!
and how did your end up working on a chinese language paper? that sounded interesting to me It was quite fun. The newspaper was published in my hometown, Seattle, and served the Chinese community. I was the first non-Asian employee and I edited the English edition. I both wrote and edited other people's translations from Chinese to English. It was my first journalism job out of college.
do you think i would like you short stories in Phobos as I've enjoyed all your realms writing so far...;-) Sadly, I don't think that book is in print. My story in it was "The Takers" and I'd love to rework the idea some day for a longer tale. That was my first fiction sale, BTW. I did have a short story in the anthology Realms of Dragons II which is very similar to my other realms fiction. It's another one that I wish could be reprinted some day.
as your enjoy the thetre was wondering if you would visit the shakespear globe theatre in the uk No and I'd love to see it! I love Shakespeare and see at least one of his plays every year. Usually more -- as I review theater here in Seattle. I've been in London several times, but never made it to the Globe. Next time!!
|
| Ruul |
Posted - 04 Jun 2010 : 15:56:28
Hello Rosemary! I've read both City of the Dead and Crypt of the Moaning Diamond. Loved them both! I'm looking forward to more of your work in the Realms. |
| Tremaine |
Posted - 30 May 2010 : 16:25:04
hi Rosemary just started reading your novel crypt of the Moaning Diamond
it's very exciting and humorous, your writing style reminds me of the old Jeff Grubb and Roger E Moore short stories hvae your read them? (i think you might like Lord Toede dragonlance book). which authors made you laugh out loud or giggle to when you read their stories?
In you Dedications at the start of the crypt of the maoning Diamond you mention your friend Michael Hacker thanking him for a corpse? whats the story behind that ;-)
what was it like working on your first novel was it scary?
and how did your end up working on a chinese language paper? that sounded interesting to me
do you think i would like you short stories in Phobos as I've enjoyed all your realms writing so far...;-)
as your enjoy the thetre was wondering if you would visit the shakespear globe theatre in the uk
sorry for all this questions (wonder if im one of the few to read about the author and dedication pages sections also lurked at your blog lol)
thank you for your time take care |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 07 Mar 2010 : 02:00:08
Come say "hi" at Norwescon. I'm a pro guest at Norwescon (April 1 - 4 in Seattle). If you're at the convention, drop into my reading of "Dusty Bones" on Saturday, April 3, or stop by the book signing later that day.
I'm always thrilled to meet the folks who gather here. As the date gets closer and I get more details from the convention organizers, I'll post information at www.rosemaryjones.com.
Regards,
Rosemary |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 07 Mar 2010 : 01:47:06
quote:
Originally posted by Lirdolin
I've got a question concerning the Carvers relationship to Waterdeeps Cere-Clothiers, Ossurists and Gravedigger’s Guild...Does the guild closely work with the Carvers or are they bitter rivals? Or do the Carvers make up the Guild in 1479DR?
Best wishes
Lirdolin
The Carvers tend to focus on themselves, being a large family with a thriving businesses, but they are certainly not the only funerary family operating in Waterdeep or the only provider of fine burials, shrouds, and tombs. The Henndevers are still around (one just married a Carver laddie, see page 13 of City of the Dead). Such rivalries as there are tend to be friendly -- although Leaplow's version of friendly can get pretty physical.
As Sophraea is trying to avoid going into the family business, she doesn't pay much attention to the politics surrounding it. She or one of the Carvers probably should have reported the disturbances in the graveyard to the proper authorities: but she kept thinking she could handle it by herself. And, for reasons of his own, Lord Adarbrent also advices her not to raise a fuss about this with the Watch or the Watchful Order.
And, while the Carvers tend to say things like "our graveyard" that's their family pride. There's definitely many other folk working in and around the City of the Dead including the cellars' and plumbers' guild.
Best,
Rosemary |
| Lirdolin |
Posted - 17 Feb 2010 : 07:09:00
I've got a question concerning the Carvers relationship to Waterdeeps Cere-Clothiers, Ossurists and Gravedigger’s Guild:
According to Blackstaff Tower pg.49 the Guild apparently still exists and is called when dead people are found in the City, but the Carver family seems to have taken over the care for the graveyards and burials of Waterdeep and house at least two gravediggers in their basement. The guild apparently lost many responsibilities to the Carvers. Does the guild closely work with the Carvers or are they bitter rivals? Or do the Carvers make up the Guild in 1479DR?
Best wishes
Lirdolin
|
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 15 Feb 2010 : 05:20:45
If you're interested in writing for Wizards, check their website for open calls. They usually post these in September. That's how I got started. |
| The Red Walker |
Posted - 12 Feb 2010 : 15:29:25
quote:
Originally posted by Rosemary Jones
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
Hmmm.....is someone finally addressing the story of Waterdeep's courageous gardeners guild and their struggle againt spell-plagued gardens running amok ? 
What a fabulous idea! I think you need to write this adventure.
Best,
Rosemary
PS Have you seen the 20 questions game that the FR authors are playing at WOTC community. Really fun. Link from my website at http://www.rosemaryjones.com
I would hate to write an unsollicited adventure and have my hopes dashed
And I greatly enjoyed City of the Dead! |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 12 Feb 2010 : 05:57:59
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
Hmmm.....is someone finally addressing the story of Waterdeep's courageous gardeners guild and their struggle againt spell-plagued gardens running amok ?
What a fabulous idea! I think you need to write this adventure.
Best,
Rosemary
PS Have you seen the 20 questions game that the FR authors are playing at WOTC community. Really fun. Link from my website at http://www.rosemaryjones.com |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 12 Feb 2010 : 05:57:20
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
Hmmm.....is someone finally addressing the story of Waterdeep's courageous gardeners guild and their struggle againt spell-plagued gardens running amok ?
What a fabulous idea! I think you need to write this adventure.
Best,
Rosemary
PS Have you seen the 20 questions game that the FR authors are playing at WOTC community. Really fun. Link from my website at http://www.rosemaryjones.com |
| The Red Walker |
Posted - 12 Jan 2010 : 16:44:00
quote:
Originally posted by Rosemary Jones
I'm not a very uber-powered person, myself -- as anyone watching me struggle to take down my Christmas tree can attest (I'm currently retreating to the corner of the living room and fiddling with the computer to ignore the fact that the lights are still tangled around the tree base).
As a novelist, I find uber-powered characters problematic. To get them into real trouble, you're basically stuck with doing the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it dance. Which is a great treat when done right, but tends to dominate too much fantasy fiction. Besides, like the song in Camelot, I spend a lot of time wondering "what do the simple folk do" when overrun with dragons, ghosts, and walking skeletons.
The lovely thing about Ed's world is that there's room for both big and small stories: you can write the end of the world or you can fiddle about with topiary dragons.
Hmmm.....is someone finally addressing the story of Waterdeep's courageous gardeners guild and their struggle againt spell-plagued gardens running amok ? |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 00:45:00
I'm not a very uber-powered person, myself -- as anyone watching me struggle to take down my Christmas tree can attest (I'm currently retreating to the corner of the living room and fiddling with the computer to ignore the fact that the lights are still tangled around the tree base).
As a novelist, I find uber-powered characters problematic. To get them into real trouble, you're basically stuck with doing the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it dance. Which is a great treat when done right, but tends to dominate too much fantasy fiction. Besides, like the song in Camelot, I spend a lot of time wondering "what do the simple folk do" when overrun with dragons, ghosts, and walking skeletons.
The lovely thing about Ed's world is that there's room for both big and small stories: you can write the end of the world or you can fiddle about with topiary dragons. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 02 Jan 2010 : 21:48:57
Thanks Rose.
One of the reasons I like the novel. The characters were not uber-powered. |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 02 Jan 2010 : 13:37:04
quote:
Originally posted by Rosemary Jones
Gustin may even be level 3 -- he's bit modest about his abilities and likes to use his head as much as his magic to get himself out of problems.
That's no way to become a hero! |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 01 Jan 2010 : 23:19:34
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
Rosemary, I am currently reading City of the Dead.
Good stuff. This is the most unusual novel.
Does Sophrea have any heroic levels or is she just a normal(Up for debate, I know) Girl? A girl thats running around with a first level wizard?
Great novel.
I'm so sorry - I thought I posted this reply earlier. Sophraea is basically a normal girl with some slight psychic talents (basically she always knows where she is when inside the graveyard's walls).
Gustin may even be level 3 -- he's bit modest about his abilities and likes to use his head as much as his magic to get himself out of problems. |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 01 Jan 2010 : 23:14:07
quote:
Originally posted by Tremaine
hi, I got city of the dead for Christmas with some other realm books and started yours first and I'm really enjoying it only up to chapter 5 so far through
on chapter 3 There is a mention of a broadsheet called the blue unicorn did you come up with that? for some reason I find it amusing that the realms have the equivalent to newsagents and press deadlines do you know how many broadsheets,magazines are in the realms and do there have page 3's and celebrity columns
read about the author on the back of the novel and it says something about a Cardiff giant what is this? sounds cool
The Blue Unicorn is actually a little shout out to fellow Waterdeep author Steven Schend. He'd sent me a note about the broadsheets and mentioned that one in particular. According to a number of guides published about Waterdeep, the city has a flourishing industry in gossip rags and other literature including the equivalent of pulp novels about heroic exploits of others -- this is probably inspired Gustin's original idea for a "frozen hero."
The Cardiff Giant is a real hoax created in the 19th century. Basically George Hull buried large stone statue of man in a field in upstate New York, dug it up, and claimed that he had found a fossil of a giant dating back to Biblical times.
Being the days before TV, people paid to look at it.
Some equally sharp journalists figured out that the "giant" wasn't real, but had been actually carved by a stonemason in Chicago and shipped to New York state. The stonemason in question was an ancestor of mine and, looking at photos of the Giant, I must say that he looks much like my cousin Tony from certain angles. So I've always suspected the stonemason used himself or his sons as the model, although some articles claim that George Hull (the guy who thought up the idea) had it modeled on himself.
According to family legend, my ancestor didn't get much money for the job. When the Giant was eventually sold to P.T. Barnum, his wife told him that he should have charged Hull more. These days, you can see the Giant at a museum in Cooperstown, NY. But you still have to pay to look at it -- so maybe Gustin had a pretty good idea for a business!
As for my ancestor, he continued to make his living carving statuary for graveyards. |
| Tremaine |
Posted - 28 Dec 2009 : 12:08:12
hi, I got city of the dead for Christmas with some other realm books and started yours first and I'm really enjoying it only up to chapter 5 so far through
on chapter 3 There is a mention of a broadsheet called the blue unicorn did you come up with that? for some reason I find it amusing that the realms have the equivalent to newsagents and press deadlines do you know how many broadsheets,magazines are in the realms and do there have page 3's and celebrity columns
read about the author on the back of the novel and it says something about a Cardiff giant what is this? sounds cool |
| gomez |
Posted - 01 Sep 2009 : 07:31:04
quote:
Originally posted by Rosemary Jones
There was a dwarf walking along side this dandy, brave with highly polished helmet on his head and a bright red beard cascading down his broad as a barrel front.
A dwarf name I once used for a character was Gerund Burrowforge.
We are also using a dwarf in our Dalelands adventure series called Dorring Brightaxe. Dorring shaves his head bald. His beard is red as fire and he wears it in a clean braid ending in an iron ring. His favorite weapons are bows, aside from his family heirloom, a Brightaxe clan battleaxe. Dorring's best friend is Elyan the Swift, a female halfling he met in Earthheart when he lived there (the Brightaxes, being originally merchants, are scattered over the realms, though their roots lie in Daggerdale).
The clan name was derived from Brightblade, a Daggerdale dwarven clan. The Brightaxes are an offshoot who changed the name because it was better marketable in Sembia and beyond - what do humans know about dwarves, after all?. The Brightaxes are a bit disdained by the Brightblades for that reason.
You could use Dorring (he was last located near the Dalelands, but an errant - and yes, I do have some ideas, PM me if you like - might prompt him to travel to Waterdeep), or another member of his family.
Pierre 'Gomez' van Rooden,
LFR Dalelands Writing Director
|
| Aysen |
Posted - 30 Aug 2009 : 08:38:54
I've found that dwarf names starting with a "B" or "H" seem to flow easier from my tongue; like Berltor or Hargand |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 24 Aug 2009 : 12:07:36
Re: dwarf names- how about Glod? Perfectly good dwarf name with plenty of provenance. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 23 Aug 2009 : 21:43:50
Rosemary, I am currently reading City of the Dead.
Good stuff. This is the most unusual novel.
Does Sophrea have any heroic levels or is she just a normal(Up for debate, I know) Girl? A girl thats running around with a first level wizard?
Great novel. |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 23 Aug 2009 : 20:12:44
I like Tapper. Hmmm, keep your eyes peeled. Something may come of this. |
| Teneck |
Posted - 20 Aug 2009 : 16:19:05
From the clan of dwarves located in the Galena mountains in my home game.
Tapper Stoutkeg, of the clan Stoutkeg.
Primary brewers for the settlement of about 650 dwarves in the northern part of the mountains.
Their success lies in the secret ingredient that they put in the ales and beers.
Only Dwarf name I could think of here at work  |
