Tag: bell mountain series by lee duigon

How Far to the Home Stretch?

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Sun Shining Through Clouds Images – Browse 66,383 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock

Holy moly, what’s that! That yellow thing up in the sky?

It’s been almost a week since we had any sunshine here, and it’s already starting to turn cold. At a certain point, it’s too cold for the ink to flow out of the pen and my novel-writing has to stop.

I reckon I’ve got five weeks, tops, to finish Ozias, Prince in Peril. It has to be outdoors. Indoors, we get nuisance phone calls every 20 minutes, plus other distractions. It takes a great deal of concentration, believe me, to write a fantasy novel. If someone else is there (I name no names) watching YouTube videos of gaudy murder cases, it’s not always beneficial.

Will the evil regent who wants to be queen do away with the real queen and force the boy king to marry her when he comes of age? Are there other things in Lintum Forest to worry about, besides kidnappers and bounty hunters? Questions, questions…

I’d better get outside now and see about that yellow thing up there. I may have to report it.

Have I Written Too Many Books?

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Bell Mountain (Bell Mountain, 1)

I’ve written 15 books in my Bell Mountain series so far (two still awaiting publication), and it troubles me a little that some readers have already said “That’s enough!” Like they were being forced to read ’em and couldn’t take anymore. The one that really hurt was the reader who said he loved this series when it first came out but now it was (*sigh!*) boring.

Two dozen Tarzan books. I don’t know how many for the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Hercule Poirot, Freddy the Pig, Rick Brant, Nancy Drew, et al, et al. Those series are all a lot longer than mine. Readers must have liked them!

Nevertheless, I did feel it was time for a change. So I turned my fantasy world’s clock back 2,000 years to write about King Ozias. It’s going to be a trilogy, I even have the titles for it: Ozias, Prince in Peril and Ozias, Prince Enthroned and Ozias, King Betrayed.

Point is, everything’s going to be different except for some of the geography (There’s no bell, no cloud, on Bell Mountain yet). Different kind of civilization, different characters–oh, yes, above all, different characters. They’ve all been waiting for their cues to come on stage. Which is very cool, and suggests to me that I’m on the right track.

Of course, it’ll be several years between now and the first reader reactions to the first Ozias book. I pray we’re all still here for that. Meanwhile I’m working as hard as I can.

Katheleen Draws ‘The Cellar Beneath the Cellar’

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This scene is from the very beginning of Book 2, The Cellar Beneath the Cellar: Jack and Ellayne, having rung the Bell, find the assassin, Martis, swooning on the snow. Drawn by Kathleen.

I love the idea of having young adults fiction illustrated by young adults and children. I’ve been posting pictures drawn by Katheleen and her sister, Kerolyn, 9; they live in Brazil. If we ever get to the point where we can do a second printing of Bell Mountain or any of its sequels, I wonder if I can get one or more of these drawings included.

Well, back to work for me! I’ve got to write a cover blurb for Behold! and start the next chapter of Ozias, Prince in Peril.

Another ‘Bell Mountain’ Illustration

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Here’s another drawing for Bell Mountain by 9-year-old Kerolyn in Brazil. It’s a scene from Book No. 2, The Cellar Beneath the Cellar–Obst and Uduqu giving King Ryons a much-needed bath.

I like the idea of illustrating my young readers’ books with pictures drawn by children! I don’t think it’s been done before, and I wonder why not? I’d love to see more pictures done by young readers themselves, all around the world. Hey, is this way cool, or what?

I wonder if I can get a picture of the Baluchitherium in The Thunder King (Book 3) emerging from the river with King Ryons on its back, scattering the Thunder King’s army just as it’s about to take the city of Obann.

Another Bell Mountain Picture

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This drawing is by Kathleen’s sister, Kerolyn, who’s only nine years old. It shows Ellayne and Jack drinking tea with Hesket the Tinker, who turns out to be a very nasty villain. Kathleen and Kerolyn live in Brazil. These are very accomplished kids!

A book for young readers… illustrated by children. Why hasn’t anybody done that before? I’d love to see that for Bell Mountain.

Girls, hang on to those drawings! Who knows? We may be able to put them in the books someday.

Found: The ‘Behold!’ Book Cover

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Behold(1)

Ah, there it is! Kirk DouPonce’s wonderful cover for the next Bell Mountain book, Behold!

Those fearsome-looking men are some of King Ryons’ chieftains, former Heathen who are now servants of the true God. But who’s the old lady? And how has she provoked such an alarmed reaction from the chieftains? A few of you will be able to guess rightly; but if I’ve played my cards well, most of you will be surprised!

I must resist the temptation to spoil the surprise by telling you what it is.

Hopefully we can get Behold! available to you in time for Christmas. But that’s not in my hands.

‘A Superb Sequel Takes Bell Mountain Readers on a Wild Ride’ (2015)

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The Cellar Beneath the Cellar (The Bell Mountain Series ...

Every now and then I remember that this blog is supposed to get people interested in my books. Here’s a review by Robert Knight of Book 2 in the series, The Cellar Beneath the Cellar.

A Superb Sequel Takes Bell Mountain Readers on a Wild Ride by Robert Knight

How about it, folks? My Bell Mountain series has grown to 13 books, with two more being prepared for publication and another being written. I don’t mean you should skip No. 1, Bell Mountain, and start with No. 2: Bob’s review of Cellar just happened to be handiest.

Fantasies written from a Biblical point of view–that sums ’em up, I guess. It won’t cost you anything to click “Books” on our home page and get acquainted with them. And you’ll find some more reviews in the Archives.

‘Prince in Peril,’ Sixteen Chapters

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Holy moly, it’s hot out there today! Patty’s trying to sleep off her back spasms, and my heel spur is giving me fits. I’ve been to the stores today, we’ll have lamb shanks for supper, and it’s hard for us today to summon up a festive mood.

I’m plugging away at Ozias, Prince in Peril–sixteen chapters done so far. Mid-November seems a long way away, especially now, but you’d be surprised how fast it comes when you’re trying to write a book. I finished The Ocean of Time last year on absolutely the last day I could have finished it before it got too cold outside.

Prince Ozias is learning the ways of the forest, the Red Queen has sent hunters in to capture him, and Lord Claudus has his hands full, keeping Queen Parella safe. You know what’s going to happen if Maressa ever gets her hands on them.

You may have noticed that I haven’t covered any nooze today. Leaving it out is the best I can do by way of celebration. And thank you, O God, for air conditioning!

We’ve got to wipe out the Democrats in the midterms. Got to! And we know they’re going to cheat. May the good Lord fight for us.

‘Another Big Piece of the Story’ (2016)

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Good lord! Was it really seven years ago, that I was writing The Silver Trumpet? How many years ahead will it be, the next time I wake up in the morning?

Another Big Piece of the Story

The people of Obann dread the sea. They don’t even like to look at it from the safety of the shore. And I didn’t know why. I never sat down to hash it out. I waited for God to make it clear to me.

Which He did!

I’m not the only writer who’s had this experience. We’ll all tell you–it’s positively great when it happens.

‘I Love My Characters’ (2018)

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The Cellar Beneath the Cellar (Bell Mountain, 2) by [Lee Duigon]

Ellayne at work in Book 2

I’ve written almost 100 pages of my new book, Ozias, Prince in Peril, and have had to meet a whole new cast of characters–’cause it’s 2,000 years before the events described in my other Bell Mountain books.

I Love My Characters

I say I “meet” my characters because that’s what it feels like. It’s like they’re already there, waiting to come into the story.  I take pains NOT to pattern them on real people. Let that mask slip just once, and your book is toast.

Queen Maressa has already shown herself a top-flight villain; but can she outwit Lady Gwenlann, the scatterbrained wardrobe mistress who controls the late king’s spy network? (“Scatterbrained” is only an act.) There’s the little fat man, Mallen, who heads a troupe of actors: Maressa wants to buy them. And of course Queen Parella, Prince Ozias’ mother, written off my Maressa as “that goose-girl,” but with a lot of gumption to her.

Dagnabbit, writing a novel is fun! And if it isn’t, you’re doing it wrong.