Win a 'Jayne Hat' at ConCarolinas 2012

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'Jayne Hat' front view

Hey Folks,

A special treat at ConCarolinas this weekend: Purchase a copy of Flank Hawk or Blood Sword and obtain a chance to win a 'Jayne Hat' knitted by the ever talented Sibyl Brewster (see accompanying photo).

'Jayne Hat' side view

A quick reference for those who've not seen or recall the hat's appearance in the series Firefly:

Guest Blog: Character vs. Plot

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If  you have a moment, click on over to Cher Green's blog, Footsteps of a Writer, where I and several other authors answer/discuss the question: Which comes firsts, the character or the plot?

Link: Character vs. Plot (part 2)
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ConCarolinas 2012: Panels I'll be On

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I'll be attending ConCarolinas this upcoming weekend (June 1-3) and in addition to meeting readers and other guests, I'll be on participating on panels listed below. Looks like a good and interesting mix.


Saturday 09:00 am to 10:00 am
Event Title: The Next Step
Location: Lakeshore II - Programming 2


Saturday 12:00 pm to 01:00 pm
Event Title: The Future of Science Education
Location: Keynes - Programming 5


Saturday 02:00 pm to 03:00 pm
Event Title: Bringing Life to Your Characters
Location: Lakeshore II - Programming 2


Sunday 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Event Title: Keeping the Faith
Location: Lakeshore II - Programming 2

I will also  have a table (in the hall--don't know exactly where, yet) for selling novels, sharing it with authors Stephen Zimmer and Jim Bernheimer.

Hope to see you there!
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Piqua Taste of the Arts Tomorrow (Friday 5/18)

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For those who enjoy the various arts, foods and a festival atmosphere, I'll be at the Piqua Library with a host of other authors, meeting readers and signing copies of our novels.

If you're in the area, hope to see you there (from 5:00 pm until 8:30 pm)!

Piqua Library

Reception at the Governor's Mansion

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I had a wonderful time at the Ohioana Book Festival, meeting readers and other authors and signing copies of Flank Hawk and Blood Sword.

A reception after the Ohioana Book Festival took place at the Governor's Mansion. It was a nice wrap up to the event, with fine food, drink and discussion. Below are a few random pictures taken.

A Meeting Room off the Library

An interesting title, Song of Napalm, on the shelf

Formal Dining Room

Jim Petro, former Attorney General and current
Chancellor for the Ohio Board of Regents

My wife, Kathy, and me in the Mansion's Gardens

Next First Civilization's Legacy Novel: What Characters Would You Like to See Return?

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Over at Flankers (an unofficial fan page for the First Civilization's Legacy novels), readers are discussing what character(s) they would like to see return in the next novel in the series, whose current working title is Soul Forge.

While the storyline is planned out, I don't do such down to every character action, and even what I plan sometimes changes. For example, the primary character, influential in Krish's (Flank Hawk's) life that dies near the end of Blood Sword, originally wasn't planned to be that character until about 3/5 of the way through the first draft.

So if you'd like a say, consider joining the discussion at Flankers, leave a comment here, or contact me through my website: www.ervin-author.com

If you're a bit unsure, you can always give the What Character Are You? quiz a try over at my website and recommend that character.
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