The Okal Rel Universe in evolution and in the world.

 
Mel created an iThemes video of ORU character profiles.

Mel's iThemes ORU character profiles on PhotoBucket.

Labels: Mel

posted by Lynda at 20:30   1 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 1 comments links to this post

 


Mel Far made this Okal Rel themed pottery project in class. The lid has Monatese, Turquoise hued leaves. The sides have rel symbols and names of characters.

Labels: art, Mel

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

 
Jennifer Lott stage-managed and rehearsed actors Holly Altmeyer, Mel Farrow and Tegan Lott in a skit performed at the Bridges Festival June 11, 2009, at the University of Northern B.C. Shown here are Holly Altmeyer as Vretla Vrel and Tegan Lott as Samanda O'Pearl at the point where I have been hauled up from the audience by Amel (played by Mel Farrow) to break up the argument inspired by their exposure to Saturday morning readings of Part 6: Avim's Oath, which is currently in-press. I have more lovely pictures and memories to share from the Bridges Festival June 11-13, 2009 at the University of Northern B.C. I am also behind on SF Creatives and Saturday readings pictures. But I will be chugging away mornings again now Bridges is over and promise to share the visuals! Including the cover of Part 5: Far Arena which made it to be shown off at Bridges. Many thanks, Brian and Justyn! Now I am going to reply to one anthology author before I head off to the day job. :-)

Labels: Brian Hades, Bridges, Holly Altmeyer, Jennifer Lott, Mel, Tegan

posted by Lynda at 07:49   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 


ORU contributor Mel Farrow pointed out to me today that after many months of just a few friends talking with her on the ORU fan club site she created on Deviant Art, there are signs of visitors appearing. Very exciting.

Visit Mel's Okalrel-Fanclub on Deviant Art at http://okalrel-fanclub.deviantart.com . Mel did chibbie art for the OR Encyclopedia and for use on buttons. She is also a regular at our Saturday morning readings, wrote a wonderful review of the series for Over the Edge, the UNBC student newspaper, masterminds cosplay with Tegan to produce ORU picutres and is writing a story for an upcoming anthology.

Speaking of Saturday morning readings ... we just finished today's. Krysia brought a new friend, Miranda, who is an artist and is gamely getting into the stories. Holly had to do yard work today so we didn't get an Artemis Fowl installment. I read the last chapter of Part 6: Avim's Oath. David stayed for breakfast but had to go to work at the playhouse before the reading began. Angie showed him her ORU website before he left. He was impressed, just as I was! Thinking we should get it up on the main site, after it is finished, and label it "Angie's Route" to getting to know the ORU for newbies. Miranda is reading Part 1: The Courtesan Prince and is at about chapter 3. Angela is re-reading Part 2: Righteous Anger, in which Horth is about to be exiled to SanHome at age 11. The gang pointed out, after I read from Part 6: Avim's Oath, how the books are getting "lighter", compared with Part 4: Throne Price and Part 2: Righteous Anger. Part 7: Healer's Sword is about busy, productive change in the ORU and on the light side, as well, in as much as it features marriage, romance, babies and the cultural exchange. But it will have its nasty moments. The last three books head into darker waters, but I hope to keep up the sparkle on the interpersonal front established in the "middle volumes". Lovely to hear the Saturday morning audience lament "There's only three books left!" when I bragged about being halfway through Part 7: Healer's Sword But it will be a relief, at the same time, to have the whole saga delivered. Still hoping to get there by 2012.

Labels: art, fan, Mel

posted by Lynda at 12:25   3 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 3 comments links to this post

 
News from KP about the Part 5: Far Arena batch of buttons.

>Hi Lynda, a road trip, what fun! I certainly hope to have the buttons by
>then (they finally got the order in from the States, and started work on
>them yesterday). Cheers Kathy Plett

Mel Farrow is thrilled to be contracted to do a fan art booklet that will make its first appearance in a 'soul touch' package for Con*Cept http://www.conceptsff.ca in Montreal, which I'll be shipping to contact Cathy Palmer-Lister the first week of September. Mel says:

>:D Will do right away! :D Hurrah!

Craig Bowlsby has agreed to advise me on Horth's big fight scene in Part 7: Healer's Sword and I've a less formal but equally game offer of medical advice from nursing faculty member and Horth-lover Heather Ouellette who said, with a threatening scowl, "If you wound Horth, you wound me!" Bless her. I asked Craig if he was "game" to advise and he said:

>Yes. I got game.
>Let me know the details.
>Craig

Publisher Brian Hades has approved the new cover for OR Legacies novella Mekan'stan by Michelle Milburn, as the first step in unifying the look of the novellas in a direction parallel the character-focused covers of the saga. Michelle has also agreed to to new covers for The Lorel Experiment and Kath to match the theme. The good work done by previous cover artists will remain in the ORU hall of fame, of course, as significant and appreciated contributions to the greater whole. But it's time to get serious about look and feel for the OR Legacies. Artist Richard Bartrop will continue to do cover and interior art for the anthologies. Next two scheduled are 4 and 5. Michelle has also agreed to apply her certificate in web design to the ORU website since it is time I stopped being stubbornly Demish about changes to my 'messy desk' organization on that front and got some professional help. Look forward to discussing it with her on our trip to Terrace in May if arrangements for going together pan out ...

Labels: Brian Hades, buttons, Justyn Perry, Kathy Plett, Mel, Michelle Milburn, Terrace

posted by Lynda at 07:16   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 


Here's one of the new ORU buttons made possible by Kathy Plett. The chibi on this one is by Mel Farrow. The button design art is by Jordan Bacon. Charlie Harmon says "I like the chibies". Dave Anderson has sent the buttons along, in digital form, to AboutSF. The actual buttons will be available in a couple of weeks - in time for the Bridges conference at UNBC in June, for sure. These buttons feature quotes from Part 5: Far Arena, although a few hark back to earlier materials. The Ranar quote on this button, for example, occurs in Part 3: Pretenders.

Labels: buttons, Charlie Harmon, Dave Anderson, Kathy Plett, Mel

posted by Lynda at 07:51   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Justyn Perry, Lynn Perkins and Mel Farrow are helping me give Kathy Plett input on which quotes from Part 5: Far Arena to use for buttons. We're thinking of using Lynn's art for one button and one or two of Mel's chibies for others. Kathy Plett will pick eight ideas from our list. She's got the tough job. :-)

Here's a quote from Lynn on one of the prospects for a button:

>"May the gods ignore you" has become a houshold saying here;-)
>--Lynn

Justyn really liked Horth's infamous quote from this book.

> Some people need killing. (this is my biggest favourite)
> -- Justyn

Labels: buttons, Justyn Perry, Kathy Plett, Lynn Perkins, Mel

posted by Lynda at 07:58   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 


I had a very nice birthday yesterday. Took the day off (on overtime) from work, and puttered at plotting and bits and scenes in books 7, 8, 9 and 10. David took me to lunch. Jennifer called and so did my sister, Holly. After school, Tegan, Angela, Mel and 'friend' Holly came to my den to present me with a birthday song, one of Angela's handmade cards, a candle to blow out and an ORU cartoon card Mel had created for me. Click the detail, above, to see the whole thing.

Labels: Mel

posted by Lynda at 16:50   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Honored by the wonderful review of the Okal Rel saga written by Mel for the UNBC student newspaper, Over the Edge. I confess I was a little worried when I first heard about it for fear Di Mon would feature in those pink slippers she keeps threatening him with. :-) But for this Mel -- hell, I'll have to see what I can do in the pink slipper department for that promised novella of Ranar and Di Mon taking a holiday on one of the Commercial worlds. You are awesome, woman. Thank you from all the ORU gang.

Labels: Mel, Review, UNBC

posted by Lynda at 07:10   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Mel F. shared the following with me, inspired by reading Pretenders. She's Di Mon's #1 fan.

Dark and alone, he's in so much pain
In a world where he?s trapped by shame.
Many care but do not know.
Onward and up, he had to go.
Never forgotten, always forgiven,
what a bigoted world he had to live in.

Labels: Di Mon, Mel

posted by Lynda at 09:19   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
My appreciation to Patrick Shettlesworth for his tutorial on coloring line art in Photoshop. It is going to be a big help working with sketched art. This example is a detail from a "young Horth" cartoon by Mel F. I used the tutorial to get the coloring done much faster and cleaner than the way I was doing it. One day, when I have book 6 done maybe, I'd love to put some time into turning some of Mel's "crack" cartoons or other work into a sort of cartoon sampler as a means of getting us both some experience with the comic/graphic novel media. Meanwhile I putter. :-) "Crack" art, I'm informed, is the sort which pokes fun at characters.

Labels: art, Mel, Photoshop

posted by Lynda at 22:07   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Pleased to have a half-page spread in the program for Conversion 24. It wasn't a large turn out this year but we had good people-times at the bar and it was awesome to see the growing display of ORU books at the Edge table in the dealer's room. It was fun to have Tegan and Mel there, too. They even dressed up for the ORU event and joined us in the bar - for Shirly Temples in their case. Justyn Perry had out the first Absolute XPress catalog which includes two of the ORU anthologies, thus far, and three of my novellas. Making progress with Craig Bowlsby's novella and the third anthology. See David's choices of all the pictures we took on my Con's Attended Page for ConVersion 24.

Labels: Absolute XPress, Con-Version 24, David Lott, Justyn Perry, Lynda Williams, Mel, Tegan

posted by Lynda at 11:58   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Mel recently gave me some "chibbie" art -- which is a sort of anime style -- featuring characters in Righteous Anger. I'm puttering at getting it up in the gallery whenever she's around to supervise my work in photoshop doing the coloring. She has also agreed to take on the organizing for a student art show at the launch for Book #3: Pretenders, September 30, 2008, at the Prince George Public Library. Go Mel. One less thing for me to worry about as I slog away at porting titles with some help from First Expansion friends.

Labels: art, Book Launch, First Expansion, Mel, Pretenders

posted by Lynda at 14:50   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Mel gave me this notebook to capture thoughts about the Okal Rel Universe. I would sketch in it, too, but I don't draw like Mel does. :-) The anime-style chibby of Amel on the cover is actually a separate picture we applied with Photoshop and some editing help by Tegan to remove the lines of the ruled paper Mel drew the original on. I have a bunch more chibby from Mel to get into the gallery and she is keen to do some interviews with characters for the podcast I keep threatening to set up.

Labels: art, Mel

posted by Lynda at 06:37   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

Labels: Book Launch, David Lott, Freeblades Fencing Club, Krysia, Mel, Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Paul Strickland, Prince George Public Library, Stephen St. Laurent, Tegan

posted by Lynda at 09:20   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 


Last but not least, click the picture for a link to a page of picture taken by my husband David Lott at the Prince George launch for Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Jan 29 2008. He didn't put up all the shots he took! So I've added this one from the set, here, to feature Stephen St. Laurent and Michelle Cry-Whiting who spiced up the proceedings with their media presence. Big thank-you, as well, to Citizen reporter Paul Strickland for coming out. Betsy Trumpener put in an appearance with family as a member of the audience. I was also delighted to have fellow SF author Nathalie Mallet in the audience.


Big thank you, as well, to the readers: Krysia Anderson (who did a great job of reading from her story "Ladylike" in the 2nd Anthology), Paul Strickland (who read the Horth as a child at Amel's genotyping reception scene from Righteous Anger), Hal Friesen (who read from his forthcoming story for the 3rd anthology featuring a run in with Di Mon), and Gareth of the UNBC Fencing Club (who read the lead up to the fight in the arena on SanHome from Righteous Anger).


In costume for the event, we had Mel and Kailey as Di Mon and Ranar, and Tegan as a Golden Demish princess. I wore my red velvet cloak which I think of as Vretla Vrel's "dress up" attire for Demish receptions. On the table at the back of the roome, for show and tell, we had samples of braid worked in thread which a few members of the audience had fun playing with after the main event. I am in the debt of helpers Angela, Tegan, Mel and Kailey for helping with set up. And, of course, my husband David Lott too the pictures and helped with nearly everything from picking up treats to driving us to the event. Angela Lott made me the little sign behind the chocolates which read "Do not eat if you are Vrellish". Mel Farrow created the braid worn by herself (as Di Mon) and by Tegan (as a Demish princess). The chart explaining which colors went with which house was also created by Mel for the event. Art for the third anthology, by Richard Bartrop, was on display as a poster. I also gave away a commemorative postcard, to readers and others doing presentations, which featured the 3rd anthology artwork. Also on display was the ORU plaque given to me for Xmas by Lisa O. After the readings and costume presentations we had a fencing demonstration by the UNBC Freeblades Fencing Club, MC'd by their president Gareth Hopkins.

Much thanks to all participants and attendees! And if you weren't there this time, plan to do something for the next launch (Book #3: Pretenders in the fall) or to come out and see what other people come up with.

Labels: Book Launch, Gareth Hopkins, Hal Friesen, Krysia, Mel, Michelle Cyr-Whiting, Nathalie Mallet, Okal Rel Universe Anthology 2, Paul Strickland, Righteous Anger, Stephen St. Laurent

posted by Lynda at 06:46   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Much thanks to Mel for setting up the Okal Rel fan club on Deviant Art, and contributing pictures of her own. Mel is a real ORU booster with a particular softspot for Di Mon.

Labels: art, Mel

posted by Lynda at 08:18   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Okal Rel Universe enthusiast and Lynda's young friend, Mel, earned her flight jacket yesterday for helping to spread the word about the Okal Rel Universe on places she frequents on the web that Lynda would never have found in a million years. Thank you Mel! And fly carefully.

Labels: flight jacket, Mel

posted by Lynda at 07:18   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 
Thanks to Mel, we now have an entry for the Okal Rel Universe on the Zillapedia ... which I never knew existed until she discovered it. :-)

Labels: Mel, Web Presence

posted by Lynda at 20:55   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

A Di Mon and Ranar love picture by Mel, is up on the ORU gallery.

Labels: Di Mon, Mel, Ranar

posted by Lynda at 19:55   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post

 

It's been a while! But Mel has inspired me to start putting up pictures on the gallery page for the saga, again. Pleased to add her sketch of Di Mon.

Labels: Di Mon, Mel, Tribute

posted by Lynda at 22:21   0 comments permalink comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments links to this post