Friday, March 23, 2012

Short, mostly unedited post #...ah, bawoon

"Mama, hot air balloon!"

"What...where?"

"By those trees!" exclaims my sweet little Ana exuberantly as she leans forward in the backseat.

"What trees? Where?" I bark as I whip my eyes around the landscape of smog and morning traffic. "I don't see it."

I'm stopped at a light, and, I swear to goodness, this light always turns on me on the last moment. It's an Old West stand-off, and I always lose; my brakes have the scars to prove it. Plus, I've been rushing all morning, more even than most school mornings. To top it off, my daughter is teasing me with this fictional hot air balloon that I know is invisible to my grumpy eye. To see this hot air balloon I must turn into a happiness nymph or a sweet brown-haired girl of seven. I'm not betting on seeing this balloon.

But then my cynical nine-year-old boy points and says disinterestedly, "By those trees. It's right there."

Moving again, I look to my left and lo, a gargantuan balloon hangs suspended over the shopping center across the intersection. Laaaa-aahhh! If I could do a jig and maintain proper control of my vehicle, I'd do it. This is the closest I have ever been to a hot air balloon. I can see it's basket and the bright pattern on it big bulbous body clearly. It rules the southern sky, and the child within me blooms from my head.

"Balloon! Balloon! Balloon!" I shout, tapping the driver's side window energetically with my finger. "Look, Danny Sam! Do you see it?" I add, turning to the carseat behind me.

It's something he should appreciate, being an ardent fan of the much smaller variety. That love of his has often lead to what I term "balloon drama" whenever he sees one, pops one, or someone else is playing with one. He's always asking for a "bawoon, p-eezzz!" And it was a sad day indeed when his birthday balloon escaped into the great unknown of a cloudless Arizona sky. Goodbye!

Such little things bring joy and inspire longing. I've lost much of my appreciation for the ones on a string, but large flighty balloons have long had a special spot in the hearts of my children and I. When my two eldest were small, I used to take them outside very early on a fall morning. They'd play in the crisp air, and I'd jump rope in laps around our now-deceased pepper tree, working to lose some weight. I'd stop every little bit to give them piggy back rides around the yard, and if it just so happened that we saw a balloon in the sky, as we often did, we delighted in it, pointed it out to each other, and admired its lift as the smell of fast food frying floated to us from the nearest major street.

Strangely, though, this balloon on the drive to school is boldly black beneath its flashy patterns. One could think the Grim Reaper would show up in just such a conveyance outside one's bedroom window.

"It's your time, my friend," he'd say, leaning through the glass, smoothly. Then he'd smile beneath his cloak and add, "But let's go for a ride first, eh?"


But, no....hot air balloons don't belong to wraiths. They belong to children and children at heart, which is why my toddler son and I were so disappointed on our way home an hour later.

"Bawoon? Bawoon, p-eezzz?" he pleaded, gazing out the window.

"No, it's gone," I replied sadly.

But I admired his gumption in asking for a balloon he could ride in instead of merely holding by a string.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Book 4 of my dreams


He comes from the west and arises in the east,
Tall and strong, fierce as a storm upon the plain.
He ascends the height to put his hand among the stars
And wield the sword of heaven.
Master of wolves, friend of horses,
He is a Prince of men and a walking flame
- Kelven's Riddle from Kelven's Riddle by Daniel Hylton



Daniel Hylton, my dad, is experiencing a problem with a certain plot thread in Book 4 of Kelven's Riddle, a fantasy tale of Aram, a slave thrown into extraordinary circumstances when he bucks his lowly existence. The book will be delayed a few weeks perhaps, and though I can't help but understand, I also can't help but be disappointed. I've been waiting for some time now to put my life on hold, to sit like a slob in the recliner with a scone flaking and a cup of cocoa dripping on my pjs, to shout at my kids to give me a break so I can read, and truly just read, for the first time in months.

Somehow when it's Dad's book I don't feel the guilt of letting the house become a den of disorder, of letting the kids amuse themselves, of telling my husband it's frozen nuggets and canned beans for dinner - again. After all, though I may be enjoying myself, I'm also responsible for giving Dad my opinion after I read that last page of the manuscript.

But, well, why wait this time? Why wait to give him my opinion until I have that long-looked-for Book 4 in my hands? I say this with all due respect to the author and the father; I have my expectations for this story, for these characters. So, while I wait for the first 60,000 or so words to reach me by mail, I'm going to make my hopes for this tale's characters known, and here I go:

The Astra (or Guardians of the Call of Kelven)  - These incredible beings were barely palpable in Book 3. Not once did they come to Aram's aid; they did not even defend Aram when he faced the beast in the Lost, and he and several others were in real danger of being butchered for a meal. Why were the Guardians silent? Granted, Book 3 is essentially about exploration and the aggrandizement of Aram's armies, but Aram was threatened several times, and the Guardians were a no show.

     These mysterious and strangely beautiful beings so fascinate me that I really, really don't want to spend Book 4 without them, though I will if I have to. The exchange that happens between them and Ferros, a god, at the end of Book 1 and then especially that which occurs with Aram at the end of Book 2 both blew me away. The Astra are obviously more powerful than anyone we've yet seen. Bring back the Astra! I want to know they're at Aram's side waging war. It'd be great if I could hear them speak again, too.

The Lashers - flat-eyed monsters with horns curved forward over their faces toward those they mean to kill. When Aram finally learned how to annihilate them with Thaniel's help, I almost felt bad about it, because I found them immediately interesting when they showed up in Aram's village. They're a mash-up of species, an experiment born of human mothers. Perhaps there is something better for them if Manon, god of mankind, can be destroyed. Regardless, I've always found them compelling, evil or not - even the way they look sparks imagination. I see them clearly. I'd like to know more of their history and their future.

Aram - I feel I am Aram when I read the books, very strange I guess considering I'm a woman and Aram is a man. But because I feel I'm at least walking by his side, I don't think of him as being eligible to be my favorite character. Someone on Goodreads lauded him, however, as one of the best components of the book (well, one would hope so for the main character) - fierce yet humble, a warrior yet compassionate - something like that.
    Aram really isn't a muddy character like those often popular now. He makes mistakes; he has a bad temper, but he is good and working toward the good. At first all his effort is only for his own freedom, then to restore the right order to the world, and finally because he loves Ka'en. Unfortunately I feel he has a long, sad road ahead of him, and in Book 4 I want a clue about how the hell he's going to use that unusual sword he gained to destroy Manon. It wouldn't be so bad if he and Manon came truly face to face at last...well, actually - it might.

Thaniel of the horses - Thaniel, my Thaniel. I love Thaniel, and I would find it hard to say exactly why. He becomes extremely loyal to Aram after their shaky start. They are brothers in war. Thaniel is reticent by nature, but he gives council to and is open with Aram. At the end of Book 2, he needs to remain by Aram's side even in the most dire conditions and even when he is told to abandon the situation, and we understand the depth of his commitment when he finally obeys orders.

     For Thaniel, I want life, because I love this character, but I do wonder what Thaniel can become when all the war is done. To me he is a tragic figure. This is mostly do to his personality and what I feel he is willing to do for Aram's sake. It is very hard to imagine what Thaniel can be without the strife and risk of bloodshed in battle. The idea of it is somewhat reminiscent of Frodo after the ring is destroyed, though Thaniel is more imposing than a hobbit. Perhaps my dad has an extraordinary place for Thaniel reserved at the end of it all. Perhaps he'll be a family man (or horse). Anyway, his loss at any moment in the tale would break my heart, but tragedy feels inevitable to some extent.

Ferros - Ferros is as mercurial as one would expect a god over the engines of the world to be. What I want from Ferros is simple: I want him to keep the promise he made to Aram. Technically, he already kept it when Aram discovered the fellring and dragon's egg in the cave, but I want it kept in real crisis and at Aram's demand, if you will.

The Laish (or dragons) - Well, I just hope they'll be as schizophrenic and strange as they were in Book 3, and though it has already been (the evidence in ruined ships near Seneca, Book 3) and would be disastrous, I want to see what they can unleash when provoked. I feel sure they're about to be provoked.

Marcus of Elam - I just want him to stick it to his SOB Uncle Ram. Ram seems to believe that selling poor men's daughters into a vile slavery is for the good of Elam, a wealthy city, and definitely for his own. Marcus is honorable, and his uncle wants him dead. I have a feeling Marcus will bring Elam back into the light, join Aram's forces after some contention, and the uncle will be dead. I hope I'm right.

Borlus the Bear - Okay, I have no illusions here. I know Borlus was always truly a minor character, but I want him to have an impact for the good. Honestly, any way that Dad finds to use him in Aram's campaign against Manon will surprise.

Kelven - If Kelven can rise above his bitterness and do something grand, it'll be pleasing. He seems so mired in the realization of what he gave up (and for little) that effective help for Aram seems iffy. My dad meant for Kelven to be a disappointment in Book 2, surprising in his rancor and detachment from hope, and Dad succeeded.


There are many more hopes I have for Kelven's Riddle and its characters - Joktan, Ka'en, Alvern - but rather than writing them, I'd prefer to be reading Book 4 and 5 to see if my wishes for the story are valid or not. Order the first three installments on Kindle (or traditional paperback if you're like me) and anticipate Book 4 with me. Dad has promised it will be out this spring despite the small delay. Until then, I am reading his short story based on Bram Stoker's Dracula at  The View From The Woods . It's a good anecdote to the current glorification of vampires in fiction and television, back to the original monstrous tale.