An Epic Quest

 While I've been out having an epic fantasy quest of my own (pictures below - including sword fighting!) , there's been a so much happening in the world of poetry, book releases and more.

While I've been distracted, Tim Jones has released his latest book New Sea Land available from Makaro Press and so has Keith Westwater, releasing No One Home: A Boyhood Memoir in Letters and Poems .  And that's not even including Bonsai : Best Small Stories From Aotearoa New Zealand,which has some great little stories and prose poems by a range of literary authors. It was fun to see so many familiar and new faces at the launch, I was almost sad not to have subbed, but authors have to choose their projects, and I choose fun. Take a look at the pictures of my launch of Quest and say I chose wrong!

It was lovely to see so many wonderful friends, fans and fellow writers at my book launch for Quest. It was epic, so thank you all, and here are some pictures from the launch. I'm looking forward to seeing even more authors next month when Eileen Mueller launches her book Ezaara, because it won't clash with the biggest NZSA event of the year (oops!)

Have fun,
A.J. Ponder

And if you like fantasy and having fun check out the article It's a World of Fantasy on Scoop or buy a copy of my book Quest, it's at a low opening price that is unlikely to be repeated so get one now - before checking out the last two pictures of the Company of the Dragons sword fighting during the launch of Quest. :) 

 (Available to buy on Rona Gallery, Children's Bookshop or Arty Bees, Wardini with personalised signed copies available from Rona Gallery if you ask. To find out more follow this link to "Quest" on my author website.

Love fantasy? An invitation to my Book Launch Event Sept 22 2018

An invitation to come to my book launch of Quest. Quest is a real celebration of the fantasy genre, so I decided the launch should be as well. With heaps of fun for all ages.

If you're on Facebook you might like to sign up to the event, or you can just come along, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there.

A.J. Ponder 
PS if the blurb is hard to read  in the image...it's repeated below

If you like Terry Pratchett, The Princess Bride or Diana Wynne Jones' The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, you'll love the latest book by A.J. Ponder:

Sylvalla escapes Avondale castle and the life of a princess, in search of the adventure she’s always wanted.

Once found, adventure bites back.

Fortunately, she is not alone. Unfortunately, her new-found companions are less than heroic. Jonathan would rather make money. Dirk would rather live a long and happy life. And at 150, old Capro would rather stop gallivanting, and harangue unsuspecting wizard students about his glory days over a nice cup of tea.

Quest has everything: heroes, monsters, chases, escapes and a complete lack of true love.  To see more follow this link to my author website. 

Pre order your copy today because it's a great read, and a lot of fun from Wizard's Guide to Wellington author, A.J. Ponder. 

Officially, officially, Lost in the Museum is Launched and Online

Lillian Hetet signing Lost in the Museum

I'm excited to say Lost In The Museum is now officially, officially launched. There's even a picture from our amazingly successful launch at the New Zealand Science Fiction Convention (even though Dave Freer isn't a contributor, it's the only picture I have of Lyn McConchie, & besides, Dave Freer was amazing, he's said he may contribute to another anthology, so looking forward to that!)

Phoenix Authors and artist Geoff Popham

So I'm kinda sad because it's the end of an era, but mostly excited, because so many new projects are now on the horizon. Looking forward to the excitement of creating more worlds, Lilly Lionheart, another Wizard's Guide, Twisty Christmas Tales and more... :)

Eileen Mueller, A.J. Ponder, Dave Freer, Lyn McConchie at the National

Lost in the Museum is available on Amazon and all good NZ bookshops including Children's Bookshop Miramar.
Retrospace in Auckland and should soon be available from Unity Books as well. The ISBN is 978-0-473-28320-9.

Check out the review by Lee Murray up on Beattie's Book Blog



Phoenix Authors from left to right are Vic Scott, A.J. Ponder (Sir Julius Vogel Best Short Story), Lillian Hetet, Lorraine Williams (who has published more short stories than I've had hot dinners, and has definitely won awards but is too shy to say so), John Homes, Jenny Hammond, Rob Campbell, Eileen Mueller, and artist Geoff Popham.Missing authors are Tim Jones (NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Award for Literature in 2010), Phillip Mann (Nominated for the Arthur C. Clark Award 2014) Glynne McLean (second prize in the 2013 Ashton Wylie Awards & Sir Julius Vogel Best New Talent), Jean Stevens, Tracie McBride
(Sir Julius Vogel Best New Talent) & Lyn McConchie with awards too numerous to count including multiple Sir Julius Vogel Awards and the Australian SF Foundation’s award for Best Short Fiction

Geoff Popham artist

Eileen Mueller

Vic Scott

A.J. Ponder
Author of Quest, Prophecy, Omens, Miss Lionheart and the Laboratory of Death, Wizard's Guide to Wellington, Attack of the Giant Bugs - a You Choose Science Adventure, and The Frankie Files

Pick up some of these books, and support my new poetry book on ko-fi

 

If you drop into ko-fi, tell me what would you'd prefer, a fantasy poetry book, a science poetry book, or another theme?

The Kraken by Alfred Tennyson

A quick note, this week I am the editor of the Tuesday Poem,  with Keith Westwater's Poem, "Resiliance", so if you want to find out more about why I like it, or about Keith Westwater, then click on the link - or take no heed of the warning and follow me into the treacherous deeps...

Below the thunders of the upper deep,
Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumber'd and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.


Found this while looking up random London myths, legends, alchemists etc in an effort to do a little pre-research "Wizard's Guide to London. And came across - "And dross to gold with glorious alchemy,"  It  wasn't quite the direction I was looking for - although it was very useful - otherwise I'd have had nothing to post today.  :)

 So much great stuff to work with - I'm only getting more and more excited by the idea - but the goal really has to be making enough money from Wizard's Guide to actually go and visit London itself.

Have a great week folks

A.J.

A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus and good Wellington bookstores.

PS It amuses me to think that Lord Alfred Tennyson, and quite a few celebrated literary poets from the past wrote a fair amount of fanatasy/scifi/speculative fiction :) 

Alicia's World of Warcraft Poem

It seems a certain game

requires

you bring my poem

past the dangers

of war

through death and

through danger

to complete your quest

in a world

unreal.

This is not the truth.

I require

only that

you wend your way

through my reality

along the stony path

past the troll

of misunderstandings

to the mountain of disbelief.

If you stand there

upon the tip of your toes

you'll see the world

as it never was.

This is not the truth

For in my world realities sail

bright as ships on a shining sea -

only slightly beyond the pixelated

blood, sweat and tears

of conformity.

So take those words back -

if you can -

past the horrors of war

through death and

through danger

to complete your quest

in a world

as real as

you.

A.J. Ponder

It has come to my attention (P.S. never google your name and poem - it can be a pretty hair raising experience)  that there is a certain quest in Warcraft that requires taking "Alicia's Poem" from somewhere to somewhere else.  Presumably.  

-- I had to include this - in my comments Tim Jones outlined the true origin of the World of Warcraft poem - it's such a touching story, the death of a player inspired writers of the game to create this quest - and the poem to go with it - the real "Alicia's Poem" can be found here.  Try not to cry.

And I thought, as any poet might (at least after the initial dicombobulation), that there had to be an actual poem in there...somewhere.    Enjoy, have fun, and don't forget there are more worlds of poetry waiting for you...

A.J. Ponder

I hope you enjoy my poems on this blog, for more of my work check out Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores