Morning Bird Pic

We get lots of black birds around the feeder at times. From a distance, it's difficult to tell them apart, but I've slowly learned what to look for: a black bird with a short tail, black eyes, a yellow beak, and some tan speckling on its feathers is a starling; a black bird with a dark blue, glossy-feathered head, black beak, and startling yellow eyes is a grackle; a black bird with all-black feathers, beak, and eyes is a crow.

Here's a crow, perched by the orange shown yesterday -- though it's not the CROW OF CONNEMARA. And for comparison, here's the same crow beneath the feeder hanging out with a grackle.

Signal Boosting!

Joshua Palmatier, who's a nice guy and fellow DAW writer, has a new book out as of next Tuesday you should check out: SHATTERING THE LEY is the first book of a new series, and it sounds rather interesting to me -- I plan to pick it up myself. Here's info on the book:

Amazon link:

New from @dawbooks: SHATTERING THE LEY by Joshua Palmatier! Can Kara save Erenthrall by wielding the ley? Preorder: http://www.amazon.com/Shattering-Ley-Joshua-Palmatier/dp/0756409195/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403623285&sr=8-1&keywords=shattering+the+ley

Barnes & Noble link:

New from @dawbooks: SHATTERING THE LEY by Joshua Palmatier! Can Kara save Erenthrall by wielding the ley? Preorder: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shattering-the-ley-joshua-palmatier/1117225123?ean=9780756409197

Back Cover Copy:

Erenthrall—sprawling city of light and magic, whose streets are packed with traders from a dozen lands and whose buildings and towers are grown and shaped in the space of a day. At the heart of the city is the Nexus, the hub of the ley line system that powers Erenthrall and links the city and the Baronial plains to the rest of the continent and the world beyond. The Prime Wielders control the Nexus with secrecy and lies, but it is the Baron who controls the Wielders and the rest of the Baronies through a web of brutal intimidation enforced by his bloodthirsty guardsmen and unnatural assassins.

When the rebel Kormanley seek to destroy the ley system and the Baron’s chokehold on the continent, two people find themselves caught in the chaos that sweeps through Erenthrall and threatens the entire world: Kara Tremain, a young Wielder coming into her power, who discovers the forbidden truth behind the magic that powers the ley lines, and Alan Garrett, a recruit in the Baron’s guard, who learns that the city holds more mysteries and more danger than he could possibly have imagined . . . and who holds a secret within himself that could mean Erenthrall’s destruction . . . or its salvation.

Link to Chapter One:

http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2014/02/cover-reveal-and-extract-from-joshua.html

Publisher's Weekly Review:

Palmatier (the Throne of Amenkor trilogy) kicks off an epic fantasy series with this complex tale set in a world where wonders are accomplished by manipulating the magical energy of ley lines. Over several years, the city of Erenthrall--home to the miraculous Nexus at the heart of the ley system--is imperiled by the abuse of ley power and the dissident priests of the Kormanley. Caught up in the growing conflict are Kara, whose ability to manipulate the ley earns her a swift promotion through the ranks of the Wielders, and Allan, one of the ruthless Baron Arent's enforcers. As Erenthrall endures disruptions, blackouts, rebel uprisings, and political infighting, tension rises until catastrophe seems imminent. Palmatier lets the story build slowly, introducing a sprawling cast and fascinating setting, before explosively upsetting the status quo. This initial installment feels like build up for the rest of the story, but still delivers a compelling adventure. –Publisher’s Weekly