Andrew Peterson Blog Tour

I love a good book.

Honestly, I have little interest in literature. But, I love a good story.

For the past eight years I’ve been enjoying the engaging storytelling of Andrew Peterson. But, the thing is that Andrew’s stories have, up until now, been songs.

Andrew is a Nashville-based Christian singer/songwriter. I’ve been in love with his songs since first hearing “Nothing to Say” on the radio back in 2000. His lyrics tell a story, or make a point, without being cheesy, obvious or heavy-handed.

In 2004 Andrew, along with some friends, released Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ. It is, for all intents and purposes a Christmas album. Yet, the album is somehow devoid of the umpteenth remake of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, et al. It’s an amazing album, and one my wife and I listen to year round. The strength is not only in the melodies, but in the lyrics. No one turns a phrase like Andrew Peterson.

Andrew has just released his first novel, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. It is Book One in The Wingfeather Saga. I have the privilege of being part of the Andrew Peterson Blog Tour reviewing and promoting the novel. It’s like a book tour, but transverses the Interwebs rather than physical bookstores.

The book is a fantasy, but not in the vein of Tolkein, Lewis, et al. It takes place in a different world than ours, in the township of Glipwood and focuses of the adventures and misadventures of the Igiby children, Janner, Tink and Leeli (mere coincidence that Andrew has two young sons and a daughter? I think not).

The story is clever, without being cloying. It draws on familiar elements of many a story of the past of the young hero-to-be who longs for adventure beyond his small backwater existence (shades of characters from Luke Skywalker to Belle from Disney’s Beauty & the Beast to countless literary sources), yet never comes across as unoriginal or derivative.

One of my favorite lines from the book comes very early on when Oskar, proprietor of the Books & Crannies bookshoppe, tells Janner, “…there’s more to the world than just seeing it. If you can’t find peace here in Glipwood, you won’t find it anywhere.”

It one simple line of dialogue Andrew speaks to the human desire to seek peace or satisfaction in whatever lies beyond our present circumstances. The Grass is Always Greener Syndrome.

Oskar later quotes the great explorer Jinto Qweb when he says, “Reading is fun!” That sums up On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness perfectly. Fun.

So, if you are looking for a good read, look no further.

In fact, I’ve got a deal for you, gentle Alley Cat Customer (and blog-reader). I have an extra copy of the book that I am going to give away (a $13.99 value!) free to the first person to come into the store and ask for it! That’s it. Just ask and it’s yours. First come, first serve.

UPDATED: The free book has been claimed! Congratulations, Dan! 

For everyone else, the book is available at bookstores everywhere and can be ordered from Amazon.com here.

Summary:
In the quiet land of Skree, the Igiby children—Janner, his younger brother Tink, and their crippled sister Leeli—stumble upon the lost jewels of Anniera and determine to return them. Unfortunately, the scary-bad Gnag the Nameless seeks the jewels for his own evil ends… and so our band of friends, accompanied by their trust dog Nugget, must escape with the help of their mom and grandfather (who happens to be an ex-pirate).

Their journey takes them through an inventively fantastical world of wonders, complete with memorable characters (like Gnag’s evil minions the Fangs and Peet the Sock Man), fanciful creatures (like sea dragons, snickbuzzards, toothy cows, flabbits, and bomnubbles), and captivating places (like the Books & Crannies bookstore, Shaggy Tavern, the Dark Sea of Darkness that divides the land of Skree from Anniera, the Glipwood Forest, Ice Prairies, and the Stony Mountains).

Through fast-paced storytelling, little ditties, songs, and poems, side-splitting asides, sensory descriptions of time and place, and characters rich in heart, courage, and smarts, Andrew Peterson has created a wondrous tale you’ll enjoy and treasure—just like those lost jewels.

Andrew Peterson is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist best known for his Dove Award-winning songs of the year, “Nothing to Say” and “Family Man.” A natural-born storyteller (being a preacher’s kid from the south), he wrote and produced the popular Christmas play and musical, Behold the Lamb of God. He has recorded seven albums and tours every year. Andrew and his wife, Jamie, are the parents of two sons and a daughter and live in Nashville, Tennessee. His website is www.andrew-peterson.com.

Cyber Punk’d

Rezolution: A Dark Tomorrow from Aberrant Games launched a few years back. Rez (as it’s affectionately known) Rezolution is a fast paced, cinematic miniature battles game set in a universe teetering on the brink of destruction, with revolutionary simultaneous play mechanics and story based missions. The minis are metal and come unpainted and unassembled. The gameplay is fast and fun.

The game has struggled somewhat to find it’s audience and really become the breakout game it deserves to be, but it definitely has a loyal, and growing, following.

Alley Cat’s #1 Employee, Bryan, also serves as the Organized Play and Event Co-Ordinator for Aberrant. He’s been a huge fan of the game since it’s release, and does everything he can to support and promote it. And there’s a solid gang of players here fighting it out on a regular basis. They’ve been doing League Play, Campaigns, Bring & Battle and even playtesting. Best of all, they’re having fun doing it!

Looking for a new miniatures game to try? You may want to check out Rezolution. I know Bryan would love to demo the game for you. You can always reach him in the store on Mondays, as well as via the Alley Cat Message Boards.

Almost Here.

Fantasy Flight Games has officially unveiled the site for their upcoming Mutant Chronicles Collectible Miniatures Game. This game has been a long time coming (you can check out a previous blog entry from last November to see what I mean), but it looks like it is finally almost here.

I think the game looks pretty darn cool.

Just click on the image below to check out the official Mutant Chronicles website.

Action. Figures.

One of the areas we’ve slowing been expanding lately is the action figure category.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me. To say that I’m an action figure collector is putting it mildly. Ask anyone who’s seen my basement. 3-1/2 years ago, when we were house shopping, my wife graciously told me that the basement of whatever house we found would be mine.

I’ve been writing about action figures, in some capacity, since around 1992 when I had an article printed in Tomarts Action Figure Digest magazine. I went on to write for (and eventually take the helm of) Raving Toy Maniac. I currently hang my hat at Julius Marx’s Action Figure Insider,  but am an active poster on a variety of toy-based message boards (hey Fwoosh!).

Yeah, I love action figures.

We’ve been carrying some product from DC Direct pretty much since we opened, but have recently expanded into things like Diamond Select Toys‘ Star Trek lines. We currently have some Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan figures.

In the coming months we’ll be offering Mezco’s Heroes action figures, based upon the mega-hit NBC series, and NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure, which are based upon how the heroes in a half-shell originally looked in their first comic incarnation.

Also in stock right now are McFarlane Toys’ amazing Halo 3 figures. The first series consists of Master Chief, Brute Chieftan, a Grunt, a Jackal, Cortana and umpteen variations on the Spartan armor as seen in the multiplayer game. Beautifully done and lots of articulation for all sorts of posing fun!

Of course we have a nice selection of Minimates, the cute little block figures of characters from Marvel, DC, 24, Star Trek, and more!

Brick and mortar sources for specialty figures are drying up. It used to be you could walk into Media Play, Suncoast, Hot Topic, GameStop, etc and have a pretty nice selection of specialty action figures (i.e. not available in mass market retailers like Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, etc). But, those stores have either  closed (Media Play, most Suncoast locations…) or drastically reduced the amount of action figures they carry or eliminated the category altogether.

So, with figures getting harder to come by, we wanted to offer more in this category. Let your voice be heard and let us know what you want!

Gary Gygax, RIP

News is just starting to come in that Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax has passed away.

Gary Gygax, along with Dave Arneson, co-wrote the original Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game which first saw publication in 1974. To say the game made a cultural impact would be something of an understanding. It changed the face of gaming, certainly, and ingrained itself into popular cultural to the point it was even adapted into a Saturday morning cartoon in the 1980s.

It’s ironic that Gary would pass away today. March 4th is recognized in the gaming community as GM’s (GameMaster’s) Day, a time to show appreciation for the efforts of those who take players on tours of adventure on a regular basis. Gary was certainly the grand-master of GMs.

I had the opportunity to meet Gary this past summer at Gen Con. I was able to speak briefly with him, and thank him for creating the game that has brought so much enjoyment to so many for so long. I’m sure when he started out he never, ever dreamed  that that little fantasy game would still be going strong almost 35 years later.

AT-43 Rages On!

Thursdays have really turned into AT-43 nights at Alley Cat!

Where a few weeks ago we had two players (including myself), last night we had five (not including myself, since I sat out the battle last night).

Dan, Kennedy, Steve, Matt and Jeromy waged a massive battle between UNA, Red Blok and Therian forces. I didn’t get to witness much of the battle this go ’round as I was stationed at the front desk in a DayQuil induced stupor (been sick for a couple days), but the guys had fun. Steve suggested I take a few pics for posterity.

Our Thursday evening Pokemon League is growing as well. It was awesome to have a game room full of people of all ages having fun and playing games.

We are up to 13 AT-43 players at Alley Cat now. So, if you’re looking to get into a game that has a solid player base you may want to check it out!

It Was Inevitable…

It’s coming.

It was just a matter of time really…

World of Warcraft Miniatures Game.

ICv2 reports that it was announced today at the Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nurnberg in Germany that Upper Deck would be releasing a collectible miniatures game based upon the mega-popular World of Warcraft propert.

Products announced include a fixed two-player Starter Set, a randomized Deluxe Starter Set, Booster Packs, and a giant-size Onyxia Raid Set that allows the player to either play against an automated Onyxia or play the black dragon.

According to ICv2 “Each mini will come on a removable base, so it can be used both as a game piece and a collectible.

Game play will include standalone raid and dungeon scenarios. Players will be able to either battle individually or cooperatively against teams of players or the game itself.”

Personally I am pretty excited about this announcement. I need another game like I need a hole in the head, especially a collectible one…but I love the Warcraft world. I loved the original Warcraft games. I never got into World of Warcraft as I just don’t have the time (my wife would kill me) and don’t want to pay the monthly fee. But I love the idea and know I would really get into the game if I allowed myself to. I’ve never played the World of Warcraft Collectible Card Game either, as I’m just not a CCG player in general. But I love the universe that Blizzard has created, and love the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

So, give me prepainted minis, and I’m there!

You can see some 360° turnarounds at the official WOW Minis site.

Let’s Make History

Historical gaming has long been an active and dedicated pastime on the gaming landscape.

I can recall back in my gaming infancy in the late 1970s and early 1980s seeing historical games from publishers such as Avalon Hill (which was started in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, which is - in turn - a subsidiary of Hasbro). I remember playing Panzerblitz at my best friends house around that time.

Since then many companies have produced a huge variety of historically-based wargames from every period imaginable. From small PDF-based publishers like Two Hour Wargames to gaming powerhouse Games Workshop (with Warhammer Historical), many have tried their hand at historical gaming with varying degrees of success. The popular De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA) ruleset continues to have a rabid following. The locally produced Sailpower is a big draw each year at Origins.

The latest company to enter the historical gaming arena is Slitherine Strategies (in conjunction with Osprey Publishing) with their new Field of Glory ruleset due to hit stores around February 19th.

From Slitherine’s site:

Field of Glory is a wargaming rules system that uses model figures and terrain to recreate the great battles of the ancient and medieval world, written by some of the biggest names in the wargaming community, including the co-author of the popular DBM rules, Richard Bodley Scott. Field of Glory allows players to use miniatures of any scale to re-fight historical scenarios or create their own “what if” battles.

Iain McNeil, Technical and Design Director of Slitherine, explains further: “One of the great aspects of Field of Glory is that it can be used to reconstruct battles like Cannae or Hastings, but will still allow players to use any of the armies from their collections and play out anachronistic match-ups such as Vikings versus Ancient Egyptians. Our expanding player base has already lined up a number of tournaments worldwide, so we are certain that Field of Glory is off to a great start”.

Historicals have never really set the gaming world on fire (’though it can be argued that they are the very backbone of tabletop gaming) with the exception, perhaps, of Battlefront’s Flames of War WWII miniatures game, but there’s been considerable buzz about Field of Glory, and the system looks quite promising.

Plus, it’s just been announced that Wargames Factory will be producing an official range of Field of Glory miniatures. The only thing that could be better is if the minis were pre-painted (they’re not).

So, be sure to give Field of Glory a look when it hits next month. You may find yourself surpised. Also, if you’re interested in historical gaming be sure to check out the Great Lakes Chapter of the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society at www.hmgsgl.com.

Monkeys, Bloody Monkeys…

(sung to the tune of U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” of course)

We got in another game of AT-43 last night at the shop while the Pokemon League raged in the back room. Dan and I were joined by a new player this week, Kennedy. Dan plays UNA, Kennedy brought Therians to the table and I, of course, played Karmans. We played a 3 battle on the not-yet-complete terrain I’m building for the store (more on that later).

The battle was fierce, and sadly my Karmans were the first to fall. The first casualties were one of my K-Fighter units which got wiped out by a Therian squad on “overwatch”. It hurt to see ‘em go down so easy, but the slogan of the game is “no one escapes war”. I made some tactical errors, and the dice rolls were certainly not in my favor last night. Dan’s UNA forces managed to take out my other K-Fighter unit and most of my Anakonga unit…leaving me with one lone warrior still on the table, engaged in battle with one of Dan’s Steel Trooper units.

Then Kennedy’s Tiamat went in for the kill and steamrolled over the Steel Troopers and my last figure. That was it for me, and nearly the end for Dan as well.  Tiamat squared off with a Fire Toad, but the Toad’s machine guns were no match for the Therian hero.

So last night found the Therians victorious, the UNA defeated and the Karmans embarrassed.  But we still had a lot of fun!  Keep an eye on our calendar for additional AT-43 nights! If you’re looking to check out the game we have a demo coming up on Monday, February 4th between 6pm and 8pm.

The terrain pictured above is from an Australian company called CNC Workshop/Miniature Scenery. They produce pre-cut wood models that you assemble and paint. When I saw pictures on their website of the Battle Ground Series and City Ruins Series I knew they’d make the perfect playing surface for AT-43 as well as a variety of modern or science-fiction miniatures games. They also produce models for fantasy-based games. It’s great stuff. The thing I like the most about it is that it’s modular. The layout of the ground tiles can be changed up in countless ways to create new battlefields. Even the ruined building is comprised of modular components that allow me to reconfigure how I want the ruins to look.

I love it. I need more!

Family…

This week has been a little interesting here at Alley Cat, schedule-wise.My wife has been in Kentucky since Sunday attending the Flourish Workshop in Louisville. So, it’s just been me & Allie. Well, running a shop while keeping up with a very energetic 3-year little girl who has to go to pre-school and take naps takes some pretty crazy juggling skills.Sunday and Monday were fine, since we’re closed on Sundays and Bryan mans the store on Mondays. Tuesday and Wednesday (today) were a bit more unusual.Pre-School really wasn’t an issue, as she’s done by 11:00am…so, I picked Allie up from school and we headed to the store, grabbing lunch along the way. She hung out at the store with me until 2:00pm when I closed up shop and took her home for her nap both yesterday and today. Then I’d wake her up around 5:30pm and get back to the store by 6:00pm.My apologies for anyone who came by Alley Cat these past two days between 2:00pm - 6:00pm to find the place closed. I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience. It wasn’t the greatest of solutions, I know, but it was the best I could come up with. Our best friends offered to help out, but they live across town in Reynoldsburg and while I really (really!) appreciated their offer it just seemed like more hassle than it was worth to do the whole meet up/hand off thing.So, in the end, I figured it was just two days out of the life of the store and an excellent opportunity to spend more time with my little girl.While at the store Allie pretty much kept herself occupied on the computer playing on the Little Einsteins and My Little Pony sites, watching Veggie Tales and Little Mermaid videos and asking me about a gazillion questions (she’s definitely in the “why?” stage!).We always stated that Alley Cat Games & Comics was a family-friendly store. We believe in family, and sometimes family just needs to take the front seat.All in all…it made for a good two days.