The Okal Rel Universe in evolution and in the world.

 
"I am really enjoying The Courtesan Prince so have to read the next one
to find out what happens with the characters. Great to hear you only
have three more to go -- it's really hard for readers to have to wait."

Bonny Remple, NCLF Coordinator Burns Lake, BC. (w permission) Aug 2009

I met Bonny Remple at a presentation I gave for district public librarians at the P.G. Public Library. Hope to be making some appearances in her library district at schools or libaries in the coming year.

Labels: Courtesan Prince, testimonial

posted by Lynda at 07:50   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Earlier this summer I decided to start picking a line a day from the saga to post on twitter. (I got tired of saying, well, here I am again with my morning coffee.) I'm now up to page 75. It's my version of notching a tree trunk to mark time. :-) My original idea was that if I took one line for each page of each book in the main series, then about the time I made the last tweet would be the point where I could say I was done. And if I ran out of published (or drafted) books I would know I was way behind schedule. The goal is to be done the ten novel series by the end of 2012 and each published book should have a year's worth of tweets in it, more or less. So I'm good. :-)

Labels: Courtesan Prince, Twitter

posted by Lynda at 08:53   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
"A sweeping space opera with intricate weaving themes and brilliant characterisation that is sure to please any readers." is Nathalie's comment. Courtesan Prince appeared in her pre-Xmas blog entry "Books Make Excellent Gifts". Nathalie, of course, is a fellow SF novelist in Prince George, B.C. and author of the Princes of the Golden Cage and its forthcoming sequel The King's Daughter

Labels: Courtesan Prince, Nathalie Mallet

posted by Lynda at 07:35   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Part 1: Courtesan Prince makes a new friend! Always love it when people tell me they've made contact with the ORU. :-) Thank you Margaret.

Labels: Courtesan Prince, Margaret Curelas, World Fantasy Convention

posted by Lynda at 07:28   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Working on prints for the art show to go up on display at the launch for Pretenders on September 30, 7-9 pm at the Prince George Public Library. David has quite a line up on the agenda, with a short presentation on fencing in the movies by Craig Bowlsby, readings, video presentations and fencing demos. To get a copy of the full picture of Brianna's sketches click the small image. Brianna Thomas did these as a warm up for the House of Em graphic novel which we still hope to get into production one day. Maybe when Part 6: Avim's Oath is finished.

Labels: art, Book Launch, Brianna Thomas, Courtesan Prince

posted by Lynda at 20:36   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Thank you to LibraryThing users margalo_streussal and plappen for rating The Courtesan Prince on LibraryThing. Also to cenobyte and xiaolung for listing it among their books. I'm okalrelsrv :-).

Labels: Courtesan Prince, LibraryThing

posted by Lynda at 08:09   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Amel is grateful for Catherine's sympathy. Lynda was most pleased to sign her copy of Courtesan Prince. Ranar wouldn't know what to do about another frequent visitor to the Lott household, named Holly, who is "into" him. So I haven't told him. I don't think he'd mind particularly but he might want to study the phenomenon. Tegan is doing a portrait of a Silver Demish princess for an art project, with organic elements like wood in the background and wearing a string of pearls. Angela is advising characters in Righteous Anger about how to conduct their lives better whenever I get a chance to read her the next installment. Mel has done some new chibbie cartoons which are posted by the computer upstairs in the Lott house. Jennifer Lott is home for a visit and has promised to read the gang a new chapter of her second novel in the Drescopata series. She brought Angela the game, Catan, for her birthday and we all played it last night. Tegan and Jennifer teamed up to wipe out myself, David and Angela.

Labels: Catherine, Courtesan Prince, Reader Response

posted by Lynda at 07:39   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
This is one from the summer of 2006, which I fear I failed to share at the time. I remember the visit with pride and pleasure. It was one of the first times someone did me the honor of making an effort to drop in and "meet the author" because she had enjoyed my books. She is a friend of Anita Hades and a librarian, as I recall. Must get her name from Brian Hades (the tall gentleman publisher at the right). I'm the one on the left, and my daughter Tegan is the youngster.

Labels: Brian Hades, Courtesan Prince

posted by Lynda at 00:16   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Delighted to hear from my friend Stacey, on facebook, that Courtesan Prince left her eager to learn more.

Labels: Courtesan Prince, Stacey Schiller

posted by Lynda at 07:29   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
"I read The Courtesan Prince about a year ago and I really enjoyed it. The richness of the universe you created, along with the cultural relationship between the Sevolites and the Reetions was impressive. I think you are a talented local science fiction author and for this reason I am writing you with a few questions."

Hal Friesen

Labels: Courtesan Prince, testimonial

posted by Lynda at 07:23   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
"I have to say I was presently surprised when the book entirely sucked my attention in.  I haven't read about a universe so interesting for quite a while. Not since I read Dune, or the Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin, and your book definitely builds an interesting scene and story.  Just wanted to say good work!!"

Honey-Marie Giroday (Feb 07)

Labels: Courtesan Prince, testimonial

posted by Lynda at 06:59   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Artist Richard Bartrop recently treated members of the ORU's First Expansion to some sketches of ORU characters that tickled his fancy. I've got one up on the gallery so far (click the detail shown here for the whole thing). Richard and I are talking - well, thinking at least - about possible projects to engage his talents.

---

BTW one and all, art in the rough is always welcome for sharing on the "workshop floor": from pros, gleeful enthusiasts and everything in between! See examples on the ORU Gallery . We all play with the material and I enjoy seeing glimpses of what it inspires in others. The "First Expansion" refers to the private mailing list friends@lists.okalrel.org where the crazy creatives and promotional supporters of the ORU hang out and keep me ticking over. Membership is by invitation but open to anyone of good heart who makes a contribution on one of many fronts. See our help wanted list for stuff we are currently buying, begging, driving to completion or noodling around with in a dreamy fashion.

Labels: art, Balous, Courtesan Prince, Richard Bartrop

posted by Lynda at 07:48   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

I recently discovered (re-discovered?) a review of The Courtesan Prince by Jill, the book chick, that speaks to my own feelings about the whole Okal Rel Universe enterprise. She gives CP 4 out of 5 stars not because of any short-coming in its quality: "Only because it helps to be familiar with Okal Rel before diving in." But she goes on to thank me for the very qualities in my books that are such a sin from the perspective of the thirty-second sales pitch, for which I thank her with all my heart. I hope she is right about the ORU being treasured for many years by those for whom it "takes root". And I'm starting to have faith in that hope, thanks to all of you who have found the time in your busy, stressful lives to love the ORU along with me in whatever way worked best for you.

Featured Quote from Review at Amazon.com

Williams takes a brilliant and complex universe and invites us in, pulls us in, and keeps us there, turning pages, wanting more, voraciously lapping up everything she tosses our way. I should like to thank her for creating this wonderful thing, this series of books that will be treasured for years to come. - Jill Bell, cenobyte

Labels: Courtesan Prince, Jill Bell, Review

posted by Lynda at 06:38   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

On Sat, 24 Feb 2007 19:18:25 +0000, Honey Giroday wrote:
 > Hi Lynda,
 > I just wanted to send you a quick note about one of your books, The
 > Courtesan Prince... I have
 > to say I was presently suprised when the book entirely sucked my
 > attention in.  I haven't read about a universe so interesting as
 > when I read Dune, or the Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin
 > for quite a while, and your book definitely builds an interesting
 > scene and story.  Just wanted to say good work!!

Labels: Courtesan Prince, Reader Response

posted by Lynda at 17:05   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post