DRAGONMOUNT

How can I describe a dream come true? With this report,I'll give it my best try. My day started with my son waking me up saying..It's today! Yes, I admit it,even my eight year old knew how special a day this particular Sunday was going to be for me.   After going to church and offering prayers for the success of the whole Tour with special Trisagion Prayers of Mercy being said for the repose of the Soul of our beloved Departed Creator "Robert Jordan" and for the continued health of Harriet. I drove to Cambridge loaded with books, instructions and questions.   I also had all the the Tower Guard T-shirts. Since the Tower Guards and I did not get to meet prior to the Book Signing, I wouldn't wear my t-shirt until each of the other Tower Guard's had theirs. I wanted so badly to show it off, but felt honor bound not to..so I waited.   All the Tower Guards met at the Harvard Coop where there were lovely displays of the whole of the Wheel of Time Series as well as all of Brandon's books. I was pleased to see that Karen Porter from the bookstore was able to have all the books in time because last year I was unable to obtain even one full set of Brandon's books. This year, they were well stocked.     If one were to guess the amount of people planning to attend the book signing from the facebook page, they would have been surprised. I think we had over fifty people waiting in line at the time the Tower Guards arrived, and we arrived at least three hours prior to the Signing. We got ourselves set up and Dennis got started right away asking people questions from his specially prepared list. I will include the questions at the end of this report. I must say that the people who "WON" the prizes deserved them. These were no easy questions. In the meantime, I had my cell phone on and was patiently waiting for a call from Brandon and Harriet's driver's to tell us they arrived, when all of a sudden, in walks Brandon. It was like, HE's here..OMG...he's here.   One of the fan's went up and introduced himself to Brandon, reminding him that they met before and Brandon being the gentleman that he is, started to get involved in the conversation. We,. the Tower Guards being jealous of our personal time with Brandon and feeling it dwindle away, rushed him off to the fourth floor where the Coop kindly brought up a light lunch for us all. One of the Guards met with Harriet and we all sat down for our books to be signed, receive special instructions and ask questions.   We're not allowed to "discuss" spoilers but suffice it to say that most of our questions were met with "RAFO". I needed to be told what RAFO stood for. (Read and Found Out). Brandon told us that this was one of +Robert Jordan's favorite answers. I can see why. After our time for which I and I'm certain the other Tower Guards are forever grateful for, we went to the book signing area where it seemed that the amount of people tripled. The first thing evident other than the size of the crowd was the diversity of the crowd. We had people from all over the world, Brazil, Portugal, India, China, Korea, Japan, Israel and Lebanon. Children, infant's and parents all were together to show support and love for the Wheel of Time Series and for their new favorite author.     I met many people there who actually found out about the Wheel of Time because of Brandon's Sanderson's books and vice versa. While listening to many of the conversations the majority of people echoed the grateful feelings that Brandon is the one finishing the Series and that he is doing a "bang up job" of it. (bang up job-not being my words). I don't remember her name, sorry, but when I was asked by a young lady who the woman was sitting next to Brandon and I told her that it was Harriet, +Robert Jordan's widow, she was in awe almost to the point of tears.   Brandon was introduced by Richard, a member of the Harvard Coop who was incredible. He compared the Wheel of Time with Mahabaharat both in size and complexity and really "blew it out the of the ballpark"! Brandon said a few words and made his plea for everyone to patronize the book store and thanked the Harvard Coop for hosting us. He then introduced Harriet who read from my book! Squee!! Brandon had chosen to read from my book last year and HE mentioned that Harriet should read from my book this year so I would have a set. Isn't he Super Fantastic??!! Silly question I know.   Harriet read the Prologue and the few dry eyes that were in the crowd were probably hiding their tears well. I hope that my Tower Guard who had to step away for a moment doesn't get angry at me for writing this. What passion! What a Blessing to have had Harriet with us!   After the Reading, which I do have on video and will post here, the actual signing took place. On a sidenote, my Red Sister, Kaths made me a shawl so that I could have it in time for the signing, and Harriet LOVED it. Kaths, you did good! I draped the shawl over the chair that Harriet or Brandon were going to sit in and there it stayed! I digress.   Venkat and Andrea, who is the Mistress of Novices at theoryland.net, immediately started taking pictures, Bob and Dennis organized the people and started asking questions, I was standing there to make sure that everything was going well and if Brandon or Harriet needed anything, I was there to get it . The line went quickly with many surprise gifts for Brandon, Peter, his assistant, and Harriet.   We actually finished half an hour prior to Brandon's deadline and got to spend an extra half an hour of quality time with the small group that remained. There were many people that made great impressions on us. The Wolf Brother was one, Kalyani, who made special t-shirts for Brandon and Harriet and a special one for Peter, because he answers all her questions. Kalyana was promised to be a Trooper/Guard next year and it struck a chord because the first thing out of her mouth was, "I hope I am in the US next year." I will go anywhere." It's fair to say that all who heard her heartfelt wish also want her to be in the US for the next Signing. Kalyani, I hope to see you next year!   The little babies who were at the signing were a treasure but the young 13 year old who asked Brendan a question to which he was answered.."RAFO" was adorable. Okay,so I'm showing my age..but he was. Last but not least was the Pi Lanningham. who insisted that he be the "last" in line. Check out his t-shirt. I want one of those!   After everyone had their books signed, extra books signed for the Coop, we presented Harriet and Brandon with our gifts to them. We got "Dark Magic Cards" for Brandon and a Harvard Sweatshirt for him and for Harriet. My trooper decided to get some small gifts for Brandon's children because as he said, parents love to buy gifts for their children and it didn't look like Brandon would have any time to do much shopping. I agree, great job!   Some things you may or may have not known. Harriet graduated from Harvard University. She had a hand in editing "The Way of Kings. and drum roll please, Brandon let it slip that there will be one more opportunity to make a donation and have the chance to have your name be in the Final book of the series!!!!!! THANK YOU!   After the signing a small group of us,not wanting to end this magical day went to Grendel's Den and had dinner. Thank you Alric, it was a perfect place to talk, eat, have a drink and re-hash the events of the day.   I would like to end this report by mentioning the dedication of the Towers of Midnight. What a tribute!   I offer my sincere Thanks to Brandon, Harriet and all of you who work behind the scenes. This was a great signing because of all your hard work and dedication and the Troopers and I thank you so much for this opportunity.   May your Memory Be Eternal Creator! respectfully submitted on behalf of the Boston Tower Guards by Helane Hilwa Katir Sister of the Red Ajah

TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT, the thirteenth Wheel of Time novel, made a strong debut last week. According a press release posted by Tor/Forge (the US publishers of the series) it was the number one New York Times bestselling hardcover fiction book for it's first week of release. This marks the sixth Wheel of Time novel to debut in the number one spot on this prestigious list.   Additionally, TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT is currently #7 on Amazon's list of best selling books and debuted at #2 in the UK, just behind a new release from John Grisham.   Reviews Jason" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/tom/i-have-read-towers-of-midnight-r36">Jason Denzel Matt" rel="external nofollow">http://www.theoryland.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4217">Matt Hatch Leigh" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/09/the-wheel-of-time-towers-of-midnight-advance-review">Leigh Butler (non-spoiler) Leigh" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/11/the-wheel-of-time-towers-of-midnight-spoiler-review">Leigh Butler (Spoilers!!) Terez" rel="external nofollow">http://www.theoryland.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4270">Terez Pat" s rel="external nofollow">http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2010/10/towers-of-midnight-update.html">Pat's Fantasy Hotlist (mild spoilers) 4th" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/podcast/4th-age-podcast-towers-of-midnight-teaser-r47">4th Age Podcast with Leigh Butler, Jennifer Liang and Jason Denzel Linda" rel="external nofollow">http://13depository.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-review-of-towers-of-midnight.html">Linda (Thirteenth Depository) Nethspace" rel="external nofollow">http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-towers-of-midnight-by-robert.html">Nethspace Fantasy" rel="external nofollow">http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2010/11/towers-of-midnight-by-robert-jordan-and.html">Fantasy Book Critic Fantasy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.fantasyliterature.com/jordanrobert.html#towers">Fantasy Literature   Need to Get Caught Up? WoT" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/website/wheel-of-time-faq-updated-r44">WoT FAQ WoT" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/tom/the-wheel-of-time-recap-r49">WoT Recap (Downloadable PDF) Leigh" s rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/10/wheel-of-time-on-torcom#re-read">Leigh's Re-Read Thirteenth" rel="external nofollow">http://13depository.blogspot.com/">Thirteenth Depository   Fun Stuff Towers" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/Books/Towers_of_Midnight/trailer.php">Towers of Midnight Trailer Towers" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/tom/towers-of-midnight-book-trailer-behind-the-scenes-r41">Towers of Midnight Trailer Behind the Scenes Recording" rel="external nofollow">http://outta-this-world.com/2010/09/21/tom-prologue/">Recording of Brandon Sanderson Reading at Dragon*Con Sample" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/10/wheel-of-time-on-torcom#ToM">Sample Chapters Posted of Tor.com Dragonmount" s rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/tom/brandonsanderson/my-interview-with-brandon-sanderson-r45">Dragonmount's Interview with Brandon Sanderson Tor" s rel="external nofollow">http://view.mail.macmillan.com/?j=fe6f16757464027f7514&m=feee1c737d6c02&ls=fde6127872660d7973117473&l=fe6515757462067c7112&s=fdf615747262017871107575&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe2016787d630c7d711d71&r=0">Tor's Wheel of Time Special Edition Newsletter Robert" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/book-news/about-robert-jordans-signature-r46">Robert Jordan's Signature (An Update from Wilson Grooms) SciFi" rel="external nofollow">http://www.scifinow.co.uk/interviews/interview-brandon-sanderson/">SciFi Now Interview with Brandon Sanderson 10" rel="external nofollow">http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/10/26/robert-jordan-wheel-of-time/">10 Reasons the Wheel of Time is a Masterpiece Tor" s rel="external nofollow">http://torforge.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/wottheoryriot/">Tor's Wheel of Time Theory Riot (with prizes!)   Warning: Others have advised (and we agree) that you should not read the glossary at the back of the book until you have read the entire book. Don't say we didn't warn you, and don't go rushing back there because we said this!   Discuss the book Dragonmount" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/forum/278-towers-of-midnight-non-spoiler-discussion/">Dragonmount Speculation Forum Dragonmount" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/forum/350-towers-of-midnight-spoiler-discussion/">Dragonmount Spoiler Forum Theoryland.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.theoryland.com/">Theoryland.com TarValon.net " rel="external nofollow">http://www.tarvalon.net/">TarValon.net   Order Towers of Midnight and support Dragonmount? Amazon.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765325942?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0765325942">Amazon.com - This link helps support Dragonmount Amazon.co.uk" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/184149867X?tag=dragonmount-21&camp=1406&creative=6394&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=184149867X&adid=0NW45FP5BV0BQ4VMJHF3&">Amazon.co.uk - This link helps support Dragonmount Amazon.ca" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0765325942?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0765325942">Amazon.ca - This link helps support Dragonmount Indiebound.org" rel="external nofollow">http://www.indiebound.org/book/0765325942">Indiebound.org - Find local independent sellers Barnes" rel="external nofollow">http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?EAN=0765325942&afsrc=1&lkid=J25297035&pubid=K170413&byo=1">Barnes & Noble.com Borders.com http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0765325942">Borders.com href="http://store.tor.com/book/9780765325945">Directly from Tor.com http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=dragonmount&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=0765325942" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"> http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=dragonmount-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=184149867X&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"> http://rcm-ca.amazon.ca/e/cm?t=dragonmount-20&o=15&p=8&l=as1&asins=0765325942&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apJJ0NzOXEg?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apJJ0NzOXEg?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00">

The last stop on the tour, the New York signing went a little differently from the others. For the Tower Guards, it began a few hours earlier, in the Tor offices! We met with Brandon, Harriet, Maria, Alan, Leigh Butler, Tom Doherty, and a few other people from Tor. Afterward, we were given a tour of the office.   From there, we made our way to the bookstore! Upon our arrival, there was already a pretty long line waiting for us, headed off by last year’s Storm Leaders. Luckily, we came prepared with trivia questions! We walked along the line in different places, randomly asking our questions and handing out prizes. Many fans were eager to answer- some even asked trivia questions of their own! So many Wheel of Time fans gathered in one spot is a great opportunity to theorize and have epic discussions with other fans, so we of course did that as well.   Since it was a Monday evening, not as many people dressed up as we would like. In fact, there were only two people in costume. We saw an Asha’man, and Mat among the fans throughout the night. Thanks, you two! <a href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=435'><img src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1289304312/gallery_15164_51_573231.jpg' alt='Asha'Man, He's Channeling!!!!!' /></a>   As the line was ushered into the small event room of this Barnes & Noble, we were surprised to see how much of the line made it into the room. While the event space was definitely small, the fans did a great job of heeding the Tower Guards directions, and the line moved fluidly. For those who arrived too late, they were able to watch the reading and the Q & A on televisions that were set up outside the room. <a href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=430'><img src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1289304312/gallery_15164_51_516362.jpg' alt='Can you say Towers of Midnight?' /></a>   The event officially began with Harriet’s reading from the prologue of Towers of Midnight (which can be viewed 9mins 37secs). The part she read was Lan’s point of view, as he began his solo march into the Blight. Serious and heavy, Harriet painted a clear picture for us listeners. The tone was lightened by Lan’s thoughts of Nynaeve- those got a chuckle out of everyone, of course.  Following the reading was a Q & A session. We of course wrote that up, and you can find it here on Dragonmount. We filmed it as well, and you can view it on Youtube. , , and . The 4th Age Podcast also covered the event, so I am sure you will be able to listen to that as well. There were some great questions asked, and many resulted in a R.A.F.O., of course. Unfortunately, Team Jordan did not have any of their famous R.A.F.O. cards left at this point in the tour, but Maria did wear her R.A.F.O. hat!  Among the fans in attendance were Brandon’s wife, Emily, several Tor employees, including Justin, Tom Doherty, Brandon’s editor, Leigh Butler, and author Charlaine Harris. Towers of Midnight is dedicated to the major sources of Wheel of Time fandom. As a representative of this massive fandom, and as someone the book was dedicated to, Leigh Butler was asked to sit at the table and sign books as well.   In addition to the official Q & A session, many fans asked questions as they approached the table to get their books . We have documented those questions and answers also, and they can be found with the others. (Warning: These may contain slight spoilers for TGS and ToM). Some of the questions were fun, while others serious. All of them were given worthy answers!   While not everyone had a question for Brandon (at least one that wouldn’t get R.A.F.O.’d), I think almost every person thanked him for continuing the series and let him know what a wonderful job he has done. One group of fans even brought Team Jordan a cake! <a href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=477'><img src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1289351488/gallery_15164_51_670543.jpg' alt='nice map' /></a>   Lurking near the table to write down the questions people asked, we also heard many stories and comments, of course. One fan showed up with a European version of the book. He had traded with a European friend so they could get a taste of the different versions. Another fan noted that he had come all the way from Brazil! The signing wasn’t his only purpose in the States, of course, but that is still quite a trip. A young woman came bearing Warbreaker and explained that it was purchased on her honeymoon, and when she got home she realized it was the only souvenir she had gotten. We heard a lot of compliments on all of Brandon’s work- especially Way of Kings. Everyone who has read it seems to love it!   Several people let Brandon know how much they love and appreciate his Twitter updates, and of course there were a few fans that showed their appreciation by presenting him with Magic: The Gathering cards! In an interesting twist, he had his fans sign the cards they gave him so he will be able to remember where he got them! Among the books to be signed was someone’s Kindle! That’s right, Brandon & Harriet signed someone’s Kindle. Starr Goozee, another fan, gave Brandon some gorgeous environmental photos she had taken. They really were magnificent, and you can see photos of them <a href=’http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1289351488/gallery_15164_51_509155.jpg’> here</a>. Emily Sanderson, Brandon’s wife, sat beside him during part of the signing, and a bunch of fans thanked her and shook her hand.   Throughout the night, Tower Guards did their best to entertain the masses with more trivia and prizes. A poster sized version of the Towers of Midnight cover art was raffled off, and won by Ali Weisz, who enthusiastically got it signed by everyone. <a href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=478'><img src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1289351488/gallery_15164_51_2001527.jpg' alt='Raffle Winner!!' /></a>   While this particular Barnes & Noble was not the most accommodating of places, the night was definitely a success. As tired as we felt afterward, I don’t think any of us could begin to imagine how tired Brandon and Harriet must be after that tour. We appreciate all the work that goes into The Wheel of Time, from Brandon & Harriet, Maria & Alan, to Tor’s employees and the huge fandom. The overall feel was of the night was excitement and appreciation, and we Tower Guards have already made plans with the Storm Leaders to come back next year so we can experience it all over again (and let someone else keep everyone in line)! <a href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=495'><img src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1289351488/gallery_15164_51_1805190.jpg' alt='Team Jordan, Tower Guards and more' /></a>   Thank you to everyone who helped make this event as amazing and fun as it was. Special thanks to Tower Guard Zeshan Hamdani, who spent a great deal of time on all of the filming and photography. You can find the rest of his photos in <a href=’http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/gallery/album/15164/51-nyc-tom-book-signing-110810/’>Dragonmount’s gallery.</a> If you had your picture taken, this is where you will find it!   Editor's Note: The Tower Guard also conducted a short interview with Brandon at the signing. It contains spoilers for TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT, so it's posted on our spoiler discussion forum.

The Bailey’s Crossroads (Washington, DC) Towers of Midnight signing has come and gone, and I think all will agree it was a huge success. An estimated 400 people showed up to get books signed and hear Brandon and Harriet speak. Yet the whole affair was done after less than four hours. Most of this can be attributed to the New Signing System by Brandon Sanderson ™, wherein you can bring as many books as you like up the first time, but only one can be personalized. I know Brandon was concerned that this might anger some, but most seemed ok with it, and a few stuck around until the end for extra personalization. And it sure did speed up the process.     Or it’s possible we were just an extra-effective Tower Guard contingent.   We were definitely an EAGER Tower Guard contingent. I’ll admit that, rather than having one of our members wait for Brandon and Harriet’s arrival as suggested by Jennifer Liang, we may have all waited down there, at one point clogging up the lanes into the store a bit, until an amused Borders employee spread us out.   Bad traffic on the roads resulted in a late arrival for Brandon and Harriet, but only by about 15 minutes. In the interests of time, we were quickly ushered into the Borders break room after Harriet warmly greeted a friend of hers who lived in the area and had stopped by to see her.   In the break room, we were fed sandwiches while Harriet and Brandon pre-signed store copies (for those who wanted signatures but could not stay for the event) as well as copies for the store employees. They graciously answered Tower Guard questions as they signed, about the nature of writing and publication as well as about the series itself. It was a lot of fun, but too brief, as we were already running late to start the signing. To end the pre-festivities, Harriet and Brandon both graciously signed all our Tower Guard shirts, ensuring that mine will probably never get washed.   The official signing started off with a reading from the prologue by Harriet. Since they had just been in Baltimore the evening before and expected some crossover attendees, they picked a different section to read. Without naming any names and invoking the wrath of the Spoiler God, let’s just say that Baltimore’s reading involved a long-absent evil-doer and ours involved an old-favorite do-gooder. Having Harriet do the reading was a very special event, and I think she charmed the crowd quite well. Her southern accent also lends a certain gravitas to the words as she reads them.     After the reading, Harriet and Brandon held the Q&A portion of the signing. Several questions about the nature of publication were raised, including why the price of audiobooks is so much higher (because of the hundreds of hours of takes the voice actors have to record as well as a relatively low production rate) and why the ebook is delayed (because ebook sales are not counted by the NYT for the bestseller list). Harriet pointed out that the longer the book is on the bestseller list, the larger the discount for that book later on. She also expressed a general wariness of ebooks. In her definition, a book is “an artifact that can transfer ideas from one person to another without an external power source,” which was not something I’d heard said before. Still, she listened when Brandon recently voiced the concerns of the ebook contingent of fans (“Brandon went to bat for ALL of you”), and agreed to move the publication of the ebook up to February 2011, 90 days from the hardback publication date.   Questions for Brandon included which character he enjoys writing most vs. which he enjoys reading most. For writing, he quoted Robert Jordan, saying that it tended to be whichever he was writing, though he admitted that it depended a lot upon the type of scene he was writing vs. the type of mood he was in. For reading, he said his favorite was Perrin earlier in the series, with Mat claiming the title later in the series. Brandon also spent several moments praising Harriet as an editor and a titan in the field, only breaking off when Harriet got so embarrassed that she made him stop.   The highlight of the Q&A session had to be when Harriet was asked to pronounce the names of all the Forsaken. Harriet asked for a list, proclaiming “show me the wretched creatures!” A fan who had bought his Big White Book to be signed obliged eagerly. Harriet prefaced the reading by saying that this was HER interpretation of the names, but that any pronunciation the fans preferred was correct in her eyes. Discussion of the Forsaken continued on a bit, and Harriet pointed out that Robert Jordan used to say that all of his female characters had a bit of Harriet in them. To much laughter, she joked that Moghedien was the part of Harriet that would complain when Jordan forgot to take out the trash.   After the Q&A, the signing started, and the Tower Guard had to stop watching raptly and start actually earning our shirts. We split off into our various tasks, taking photos, handing out paraphernalia, and checking to make sure personalization post-its and jacket flaps were properly positioned for maximum signing velocity. For those of you who have never attended a signing by Brandon, he is very engaging and loves to chat with the readers. I can now report that Harriet has a similarly gracious view of Wheel of Time fans, and having everything positioned for ease of signing allowed them both to concentrate more on the person in front of them than the book they were signing.   One interesting tidbit overheard by Tower Guard members came when Brandon was asked about the Eye of the World movie. Apparently the script is being finalized now, so this is a lot closer to reality than a lot of us were aware.   My job was to keep the masses amused. With 400 people, there was going to be some waiting in line. People were called up 10 to 20 at a time to wait, the rest reading, milling around the store, or venturing out to find food. When they arrived in line, they would find me waiting with a huge bag of candy and a list of trivia questions I’d composed (thanks http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/ for letting me fact-check my memory so easily!). If they answered a question right, they got to pick a piece of candy. If they answered it wrong, they could still take candy, because I felt like a jerk withholding it. Many who missed their question demanded to be asked another, stating they needed to “earn” their candy. There was also a large number of people who were there getting books signed for others who couldn’t be present. These people had never read the series. They got candy for being awesome.   A number of hardcore fans demanded that I try to stump them. I’m happy to report that I was able to in most cases. But in these cases other fans quickly jumped in to help, ganging up on the poor helpless Tower Guard with his bag of candy. Everyone was in high spirits, despite the long waits, and the trivia seemed to amuse many. I did manage to learn one spoiler (due to a poorly-chosen question I asked) but it was something I had mostly guessed anyway. Oh well, the price I had to pay.   There were three items in our WoT swag box that went beyond mere bumper stickers. These included an extra Tower Guard shirt (signed by Brandon and Harriet), a Borders display poster for the book (also signed) as well as an excellent bronze bookmark with the Serpent and Wheel logo. These were chosen by line number raffle, with the numbers picked by Harriet. The winner of the shirt went to a very excited woman who “never wins anything” in her words. A bookstore display Towers of Midnight Poster went to Craig, a recent fan who quickly became a “raving ultra-hardcore fan.” Truly, there is no zeal like the zeal of the recent convert. In a neat turn of events, the bookmark went to a gentleman who was there for his brother, currently serving in the military overseas in Korea. It will be shipped to him along with a copy of the book! We all agreed that this was a great way to part with the bookmark (which the Tower Guard all secretly coveted).   The event wound down, and at last it was just a few stragglers and the Tower Guard that needed their books signed. In a move that would surprise no one who knows me, I managed drop one of my three ToM copies, bending a few of the pages. I decided that, rather than saddling my brother or cousin with the slightly-damaged copy, I would pay the klutz’s price and claim that one for myself. But Brandon surprised and amused me when he found the bent pages and wrote BUBBLE OF EVIL along the crease. So yeah, sometimes being a klutz pays off. Also, Brandon Sanderson is awesome. I also got Harriet to sign my copy of Winter’s Heart, previously autographed by Robert Jordan himself. She found the dedication page (“Always for Harriet. Always,”) and signed beneath it, a gesture which I found very touching. Harriet McDougal is a very special lady, and it was a pleasure and an honor to have met her.   I’ll close with a quote from a Tower Guard’s email. “One more time. In barely over a year, it will be over. Feels like ice water being poured down my spine. After doubts arose about the series even being completed, fans couldn't have a better person than Brandon complete it, or one who could connect as well with the fans. 20+ years will have passed since the furious ride to The Eye of the World, ‘yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Oh ye people of the world, weep for your salvation.’”   Photos available here: http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/gallery/album/11024/49-baileys-crossroads-towers-of-midnight-signing/

The 4th Age podcast presents Episode 75, Knife of Dream recap for Chapters 22-27, one of our “catch-up” episodes that never got posted. We realize it is out of date now but want the series to be complete. Coming immediately – all The Gathering Storm read-trough episodes, plus new episodes on Towers of Midnight. Check out our host Dragonmount.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com">Dragonmount.com for forums and comments. We went out of number sequence here to get some time-sensitive episodes out to you all before the release date for ToM. Never fear – all of the podcasts in between WILL be posted now that the podcast page and the new Dragonmount server are playing nicely together. ATTENTION! THERE ARE SPOILERS! No Towers of Midnight spoilers, but information from ALL the other books are VERY likely! There will be spoilers, just none for ToM! If you haven’t read all the way through the Wheel of Time, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS of all previous books! Maybe of other series, too…. we will try to give warning. Hosts: Virginia and Andrew G Editor: Jim H Music by: Josh Needleman His website is at www.joshneedleman.net" rel="external nofollow">http://www.joshneedleman.net/">www.joshneedleman.net and he has the music available to hear on his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/joshneedleman." rel="external nofollow">http://www.myspace.com/joshneedleman">www.myspace.com/joshneedleman. It’s title is Floodgate. Thanks, Josh! Download" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/Podcast/Media/dm-4thAge-076.mp3">Download this Episode nowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/4thAge/~4/zfWEht_ksDM" height="1" width="1"/>

The 4th Age podcast presents Episode 75, Knife of Dream recap for Chapters 18-21, one of our “catch-up” episodes that never got posted. We realize it is out of date now but want the series to be complete. Coming immediately – all The Gathering Storm read-trough episodes, plus new episodes on Towers of Midnight. Check out our host Dragonmount.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/tom/book-tour-info-for-towers-of-midnight-r33">Dragonmount.com for forums and comments. We went out of number sequence here to get some time-sensitive episodes out to you all before the release date for ToM. Never fear – all of the podcasts in between WILL be posted now that the podcast page and the new Dragonmount server are playing nicely together. ATTENTION! THERE ARE SPOILERS! No Towers of Midnight  spoilers, but information from ALL the other books are VERY likely! There will be spoilers, just none for ToM! If you haven’t read all the way through the Wheel of Time, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS of all previous books! Maybe of other series, too…. we will try to give warning. Hosts: Virginia and Andrew G Editor: Spencer Music by: Josh Needleman His website is at www.joshneedleman.net" rel="external nofollow">http://www.joshneedleman.net/">www.joshneedleman.net and he has the music available to hear on his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/joshneedleman." rel="external nofollow">http://www.myspace.com/joshneedleman">www.myspace.com/joshneedleman. It’s title is Floodgate. Thanks, Josh! Download" rel="external nofollow">http://www.dragonmount.com/Podcast/Media/dm-4thAge-075.mp3">Download this Episode nowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/4thAge/~4/NVJEuFGnPrs" height="1" width="1"/>

Let me tell you about my day on Thursday November 4. It was, in a word, awful. To begin, my alarm didn't go off, causing me to be late for work. Work, as a result, was slightly on the miserable side. In addition, it was cold and drizzling, and the traffic was a mess. Suffice it to say, I spent the better part of the bloody day in a fairly foul flaming mood.     Why am I telling you all this? Because when I say that the Towers of Midnight book signing was awesome enough for me to consider the day an amazing success, I want you to fully grasp my meaning. After a rough day at work, I headed straight into Dallas to help set up for the signing. There, I found my fellow Tower Guards already hard at work getting things ready and entertaining the small crowd that had already assembled with trivia questions. By the time the tables had turned and members of the crowd were offering up their own obscure trivia, I couldn't help but be in good spirits, and I think it was the same for everyone present. Being surrounded by people who are as geeky as you are (and I mean that in the best was possible!) and love this series as much as you do, and seeing the laughter in their eyes and the anticipation on their smiling faces... well, I defy anyone to be in any kind of a bad mood at that point.     Now let's move on to the good stuff. Most of you reading this were not privy to the conversation we in the Guard shared with Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal over dinner. Lucky you, I'm in a sharing mood, so I'll give you a brief rundown of what we said. Why brief? I understand that this is supposed to be spoiler free, so I don't want to give too much away. I feel though that I can at least share the main points, as long as I'm vague enough on plot points.   We all sat down for dinner, asking Harriet and Brandon about their travels this week. They informed us that it had been rough despite what sleep they had gotten, yet I was struck by how cheerful they both seemed. Both wore warm smiles and seemed fairly relaxed for all that they had been traveling across the country so much recently. Harriett informed us with a laugh that “life on tour is like being a Fed-Ex package”: Just tell her where to go and send her off. Fed-Exed or not, her eyes grew wide at the sight of a pizza laden with olives, while Brandon stated stoutly that he didn't like “green things” on his pizza as he reached for another slice of pepperoni.   Once we were settled to eat, we got to ask them any questions that were burning in our hearts. Again, I will avoid spoilers, and many of our questions were R.A.F.Oed (Read And Find Out!) but what we gleaned was quite interesting. We asked Brandon about his time working on the story, such as his greatest surprise from the last book, Gathering Storm. No one was surprised to hear that it was a certain scene involving Verin of the Brown Ajah, and while I won't go any further than that, I will add that he stated the scene in question was written entirely by Jordan before his passing.   We learned that Brandon's favorite scenes of the series turned out to be Rand at Rhuidean in Shadow Rising, followed closely by the climactic events in the Two Rivers in that same book. You know the ones I mean, and if you don't, go read! We learned that what Brandon liked about the magic system, and magic systems in general, is what the magic can't do. Think of the limitations on Traveling, and you'll understand.   Most interesting, in my opinion, we learned more about Brandon's thoughts on writing the series in general. He told us that most important was staying true to Jordan's notes and his vision. He wanted the characters to stay the same, so that if you liked Perrin (the girls all sighed at this point) or hated Cadsuane, you would continue to do so for the same reasons, until such time as the story might bring about any changes. Some things would change as he wrote, but Brandon's conscience would not let him deviate from Jordan's true vision of the story.   We wrapped up our private Q&A, got Brandon, Harriet and Bob Kluttz to sign all our books, then it was on to face the crowds of adoring fans.   Brandon and Harriet were met with a round of applause, which they accepted with gracious smiles and a friendly wave. It seemed obvious that they were as excited and pleased to be there as the rest of us. The crowd had swelled considerably; a buzz of excited conversation and a spark of anticipation filled the air. Wasting no time, the guests of honor took their seats at the head table and dove right in.   Brandon started the ball rolling, announcing that Harriet would do a brief reading, one that had been requested at the previous signing. He passed the microphone to Harriet, who, with a mischievous smile, claimed she was going to “chew the scenery.” She did not disappoint. She began to read from the prologue, specifically the excerpt from Padan Fain's point of view. Bad Guys can be fun to read, and Harriet seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself, narrating the twisted villain's vile exploits. Even in the middle of the reading, when our recording device (a phone) began to make several loud ringing sounds, she merely picked it up, passed it to Brandon with a wry smile (he passed it to us, looking bemused), and told the crowd, to peals of laughter, “This is not the Droid you're looking for!” before diving right back into her fun.   Harriet finished to tumultuous applause, and Brandon reclaimed the microphone for the Q&A. What follows is a transcript of the audience's questions and Brandon's and Harriet's responses. For space, I cannot put every single word, but I will write out the responses as fully as possible. (Anything in parentheses is my own.) For more details, look for the film footage, which should hopefully be posted here as well.   Q: I heard that Great Hunt was written first, before Eye of the World. Is this rumor or truth?   Harriet: It's rumor, not truth. He (Jordan, obviously) worked on The Eye of the World first; they came in order. He did work on The Eye of the World for four years before he ever gave me any of it. And, while he was writing The Great Hunt, he and I went out to lunch in the neighborhood deli, and he asked me what I thought the child-rearing practices of this desert people he had in mind, what they would be like. And if you remember, we just saw the first Aiel in a cage. But he was already working on how would Rand be brought up, you see, so he worked very far ahead in his thinking. But the way he wrote them was the way they were published.   Q: Verin—   Brandon: Let's avoid spoilers. (A lot of people hadn't read Gathering Storm yet, it seemed.) Can you talk around it?   Q: There's a certain character of the Brown Ajah—   Brandon: Now that's too much! Ask us in the line.   Q: Is there a scene planned with one of the Aiel Wise Ones as a damane?   Brandon: That will be a R.A.F.O., I'm afraid! But excellent question, nonetheless.   Q: Do you write the scenes in order?   Brandon: For very large epic fantasies, such as Towers of Midnight and Way of Kings, I actually approach it by viewpoint grouping, meaning I take all the characters who are together in the same location, or who are kind of together emotionally or things like that, and I will write them straight through until they run into people from other sequences. At that point, I'll usually stop and do the next one straight through, or I'll just skip those chapters and go on, depending on what's going on. I do it by group, and the reason for that is: juggling all of these characters in your head, and making sure I'm keeping every character true to themselves, it's kind of like I have to upload a bunch of stuff into my brain, and then wipe it clean and upload a bunch of other stuff for another sequence. So for instance, for this book, Perrin and Faile and everyone around them would have been written straight through, and then I jumped back and would've done Mat, and so forth.   Q: How are decisions made about breaking up the chapters?   Brandon: Usually, that's Harriet. I break the scenes, she decides what gets grouped together into a chapter, and she will often move the chapters around. She does quite a bit of that, tweaking it to try and figure out where the best balance is. I don't generally give her an initial (order) with a bunch of them. Well, she'll get them in viewpoint chunks first, and she'll be doing edits on those while I'm writing other viewpoint chunks, and then I'll stick them together in an initial, and she'll through and say, “No, this one needs to be here, and this one needs to be here, these three need to be one chapter.” That sort of thing.   Harriet: And if Brandon says, “No, I just can't get behind this one,” he wins! (Laughter from the crowd)   Brandon: There were a couple that I really like. There's a really, really great cliffhanger at the end of the first Mat chapter and I'm like, “Oh, that's such a great place to break a chapter; it'll make everyone turn to the next page!”   Q: Who is Bela really working for?   Brandon: Harriet?   Harriet: (with a wicked grin on her face) Would you believe Bela is the Dark One? (much laughter followed that statement!)   Q: Have you finished the Mistborn novella?   Brandon: The Mistborn short story, that became a novella that became a short novel is 60,000 words long and is really looking like 70,000 words, which is about a third the length of one of my other novels. It's slow going while I'm on tour, but it will be done fairly soon. (He had a few other details about this, but I'll let you watch the recording for the specifics. Also, read Mistborn if you haven't yet!) If you weren't aware, between books, I generally take a few months off and just write something random, whatever strikes me. I can't have a contract for it. It has to be something completely unexpected to keep instincts sharp and my writing ability sharp. I'm starting on Memory of Light on January 1, but I've got these three months to do whatever occurs to me. Two months ago, I wrote a story about a pizza delivery man who turns into a necromancer. It was called Death by Pizza. (lots of laughter; although I hope he publishes this!) He was a good pizza delivery man, with good pizza, he was just a necromancer.   Q: Are there any characters in particular you find hard to write?   Brandon: There are several that I've had more trouble with than others, and in that case, I generally work on them quite a long time. Aviendha, when I first started writing her, was probably the most difficult to get the voice right. There are characters that I write that are more difficult to write than others for different reasons. For instance, Gawyn is kind of... frustrated with himself, and when you step into a character's viewpoint, you start to feel and think like them; that's the goal. And so, him being frustrated with himself and his purpose in life makes it hard to write his scenes, because you feel frustrated and things like that, and Harriet has a great story about that.   Harriet: One of the things that happens with a writer, which certainly happened with Jim (Jordan's real name, FYI), was he was often asked “what was his favorite character?” and he said, “whoever I'm writing today.” Because he understood that villains don't think they're villains. They are doing what the world or the devil or something outside has forced them to do. So they think of themselves as gallant victims, generally, while they're slitting somebody's throat. But I could tell when he'd been writing somebody awful. He'd come in the kitchen door at supper time and he'd slink around the walls! I said, “You've been writing Padan Fain today, haven't you?” “How did you know?!”   Q: Who's your favorite villain to write?   Brandon: It depends on the book. The scene that Harriet just read was a huge amount of fun to write, because Fain is just completely bonkers at this point. And so in this book I'd say that was, of the villain viewpoints, my favorite one to write.   Q: Can you do a Forsaken “Mwa-ha-ha”?   Brandon: MWA ha ha ha HA HA HAH HA HA HA!!!   Brandon's evil laugh brought a huge round of applause, and then it was time for the book signing to truly begin. Everyone lined up eagerly, awaiting his or her chance to talk with the people responsible for our favorite series.   Talking with the crowds, listening to them as they came up to speak with Brandon and Harriett, I began to get a feel for the assembled fans. They were diverse. They liked The Wheel of Time for different reasons. Some were old hands, some recent converts. Some were just getting the book for friends and family.     One person from Dallas who had been reading for ten years expounded on her love of the fashion and the spark of imagination they gave. Another pair of girls from Edgewood and Coppell, Texas told me about how the different story-lines sucked them in and they were never bored with any of them.   One person from Houston, a history student in college, described his love of the depth of the story and the world. Another college student explained that he was working on his doctorate and that Wheel of Time was the only pleasure reading he allowed himself. Yet another person in line told me he'd written his thesis on the series and had exchanged a wealth of correspondence with Jordan, seeking details to help write his paper.   One couple from Ft. Smith, Arkansas, fans from the beginning, had brought their three-week-old child last year, and another couple, fans for but a short time, informed us they had named their first son Lan.   One person said these books had gotten him to turn off the TV and to start reading. Another person told Sanderson that he made her want to write, and they discussed NaNoWriMo. Some people asked about his magic systems; some asked about playing Magic: the Gathering. Some people asked for pictures, to which Harriet and Brandon happily obliged.   Some were young, and had only read Sanderson's Alcatraz series; some were older and claimed a need to read the last three books six times through as they had done the previous stories.   A pair of ladies, dressed as Aiel Maidens, were just happy to be there.   Young and old, male and female, old fans and new, they came, and each person in line was as unique as the one before and after. And yet several things bound these people together. Each and every person offered Brandon and Harriet their thanks. They thanked them for continuing the series after Robert Jordan's death, and for keeping the books as good as they had ever been. They told Brandon and Harriet it was an honor to meet them. They treated the writer and editor with class, offering smiling faces and small stories of their love of the series, and received the same in turn from the pair. It was an experience such as you can only get when you are surrounded by those who share the same loves that you yourself hold so dear.   Several hours later, the signing was done, and a few hundred fans rushed home to begin reading their new books, despite the late hour and having work and school the next day. Don't deny it; you know you did. With a last group photo with their Texas Tower Guards, Brandon and Harriet departed, off to the next signing in Baltimore.   As I'm writing this, several thoughts come to mind. I know it gets said time and time again, but it really was an honor to get to meet with Brandon and Harriet, and I want to add my thanks. I think I speak for everyone reading this when I say that we all appreciate everything they have done for us, the fans. I think they were happy to meet with us and sign well over a thousand books, despite how stressful such tours can undoubtedly be. It shows a level of dedication to their readers, and I think we all owe them a huge amount of gratitude for the efforts and the sacrifices that they make, in addition to those of all their assistants, whom I have never had the pleasure of meeting. It is clear to me that this is a series written by fantasy fans and for fantasy fans, and the level of dedication that has been shown for The Wheel of Time is nothing shy of remarkable.   I began reading the series in high school, when my best friend handed me Eye of the World and said, “Dude, read this.” I have been hooked ever since. Now, ten years later, I have gotten to be a very small part of making the series happen. That is, to coin the phrase, frickin' awesome. But it's not about one person; it's about all of us, and the book signing was a place for us all to be connected to these books. For those of us who were present, all united by our common love of what I consider to be the greatest fantasy series of our time, it was an amazing experience.   Thirteen books down, and one to go. Many people said they were eagerly anticipating A Memory of Light, book fourteen, next year, but would be sad to see the series end. Brandon said it was a bittersweet feeling gaining the chance to write the series but losing the chance to read it, for which we all must be grateful to him. In the same way, it will be very bittersweet for all of us to see the series come to an end.   But, as we all know, there are neither beginnings nor endings to The Wheel of Time, so I think it'll be just fine.       -from Dallas, Texas Chris Treco   Steve Godecke, owner of PortalStones.com and Stormblessed.com was also at the signing and provided us with video links. Thanks Steve!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEDFZnCoaXI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEDFZnCoaXI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00">   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQWIMxOpWV8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQWIMxOpWV8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00">

The day begins much like the previous twenty-four hours have passed by, with an oppressive blanket of steel grey clouds and constant rain making the already brisk November air seem that much colder. But today is different; today is the book signing in Hanover for the release of Towers of Midnight, and as if by the blessing of the Light, when I set out at midday the sun has finally broken through the overcast skies to shine brightly on my journey south and west towards my fellow Tower Guard. I carefully dodge Darkfriends in black cars, Aes Sedai of every Ajah driving green SUVs, blue four-doors, or yellow minivans, and Asha’man in their sleek sports cars. As a Tower Guard it is my duty to brave such lonesome odds, so I continue on unabated, happy to drive the two hours it will take to reach my destination.   When I arrive there is already a crowd of people waiting to make petitions to the Amyrlin and her Keeper of the Chronicles, but there is a while yet before they will arrive and so I do my best to see that everyone is kept happy along with the other Tower Guard. During my talks with some, I find that they have come from cities as far away as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and in the case of one gentleman, London, England. They are all excited to be here, however, and are as pleased as I was to make the journey if it meant getting the opportunity to have an audience with Harriet and Brandon. After a short delay -- planes will simply never be as reliable as Traveling -- the two arrived to much applause and got right down to business.   The evening started with a reading by Harriet from the prologue of Towers of Midnight. We were given the choice of hearing a section from Lan’s point of view or Padan Fain’s, though it wasn’t much of a competition when it came time to raise our hands and vote. For the next quarter hour we listened as Harriet read about Fain’s trek north into the Blight, sometimes laughing and sometimes nodding our heads thoughtfully as she read the passage with a slight southern drawl. Once Harriet was finished, Brandon stepped up to the podium and proceeded to answer questions posed by those in the audience for another twenty minutes, covering topics ranging from the Mistborn series to future works within the Wheel of Time universe after A Memory of Light is complete.   The hour is already growing late, however, and we must move quickly if we are to get all the books signed before Tarmon Gai’don arrives. My duty is to prepare the thick tomes by making sure dust jackets and post-it notes are in their proper place, while others of the Tower Guard perform their assigned tasks. Melody is taking professional photos to document the event; Cassy, ever ebullient, stays nearby to assist Harriet and take pictures for people on their personal cameras; David, Maureen, and Gavin stroll through the crowd waiting in line and play trivia games to win a bookmark or conduct interviews about who their favorite characters and moments are from the Wheel of Time. Eric, our leader, is stalwart by Harriet and Brandon’s table, ready to marshal the other Tower Guard into action when needed.   All things considered, in short order the last person made their way through the line, and by eleven o’clock there were only a handful of people left roaming about the Tower. I was able to absorb a lot in that brief window of time, due in most part to Brandon and Harriet’s unflagging dedication to their fans. Over and over Brandon made sure to ask each person if they had any questions, not just about the Wheel of Time but about any of the projects he is involved in, and more than a few people were brave enough to ask the occasional question of Harriet or tell her how Robert Jordan’s work has changed their life. I felt almost like a Brown, quietly sitting back to listen and make mental notes to jot down once I returned home. If I can take away anything from that experience to pass on and share with the rest of you, it would only be to say that we truly are blessed to have Robert’s life’s work left in such capable, enthusiastic hands.   All too soon I’m on my way home, after a few precious moments getting to talk one on one with Harriet and Brandon about the books they’ve been a part of writing. I asked a single question each of the duo, receiving a RAFO response from Brandon when I asked if we ever get to see Shara, and finally solving the mystery of how, exactly, to pronounce Cairhien from Harriet. A group wolf howl and several goodbyes later, I find myself driving back down Route 50, and this late at night I am the only car on the road. I have left the other Tower Guard to go our separate directions, forging a lone path of light through the darkness as I travel east and north to await the Last Battle. Until then, my friends, may you always find water and shade.   - Renee, Tower Guard 11/05/2010   Damn. That was awesome.   It seemed that our event was going to be plagued with transportation issues. From traffic for the Tower Guard to the tarmac for Harriet and Brandon, the world was just running late. (Oh, who are we kidding? It's the DC-Baltimore metro area on a Friday. That is the Lord of Chaos' time to shine!) But Brandon and Harriet stuck it out, and Books-a-Million allowed people to stay waaaay past their closing time. And just like many years ago with Robert Jordan, Brandon and Harriet inquired and responded to every fan so everyone felt like they had a personal moment. Everyone that wanted to wait had the opportunity to get signatures and to have a small amount of time with Brandon and Harriet. It seems like the word for the signing was "gracious." Thanks, Books-a-Million! Thanks, Harriet and Brandon!   But gracious did not just apply to the people responsible for the event, it also describes the people that got to enjoy the event: the fans. At 11:00, while putting personalizations on post-its, people were still smiling and laughing, sharing their WoT experiences and theories, having a good time despite some having waited for as long as four hours. I got to meet many cool fans, from Bobby and Tammy to Karina, Christoph and Aviendha to Aryn, the birthday girl -- everyone had a WoT story. I will remember Dawn, although I never met her, and her stoic (but unnamed) friend. Dawn, I hope that somewhere you know that there is a Towers of Midnight book dedicated to your memory by Brandon. And some of the theories were fantastic; Paul and Sandy were discussing Rhuidean and the possibility that your sanity passing through the ter'angreal depended on your lineage. Waaaaaay cool, Sandy! It was great that people were excited about the crossword puzzle (even if I did make a few mistakes -- thanks for not lynching me, guys!), and it was more wonderful seeing people reading in line, because before I had WoT friends to go to signings with, that's what I was doing. It's been many years, but this was the first time I got to be on the other side.   Damn. That was awesome.   - Maureen, Tower Guard 11/05/2010   The book signing was so much fun! My role was basically helping out with the fans, talking to everyone, and handing out numbers and stickers (red for -No Spoilers!- and green for -Spoiler Alert!-) so people would know who had finished Towers of Midnight and who you had to watch what you say around. It was amazing seeing everyone there, hanging out and talking about Wheel of Time. Thanks to Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz series, there were some kids who came out to see him. Brandon and Harriet were running late due to plane issues, but they were all smiles when they arrived. Both of them made sure to give each and every fan their attention, thanking them for waiting, asking if anyone had questions and signing many, many books. And in the end, even after spending the day on a plane and signing books until 11:00pm, they made sure to spend a little bit of time with the Tower Guard. Harriet told me a story about Robert Jordan and even howled with "Perrin" -- a fan who stayed around until the very end. All in all, this experience was so much fun, and being a bigger part of this event meant so much to me. I've made some great friends, saw some people from last year, and was able to talk to people who are as big a fan of Robert Jordan's work as I am.   - Cassy, Tower Guard 11/05/2010   Fun Facts: -- Most difficult trivia question: What gifts does Mat give Tuon while courting her during Crossroads of Twilight and Knife of Dreams? Answer: Jewelry, Silk Rosebuds, and a Razor (rare breed of horse).   -- Most popular character: Matrim Cauthon by a landslide; 17 votes. Egwene took second place; 4 votes. Verin took third place; 3 votes. There were 19 characters total mentioned by members of the audience.   -- Favorite Moment from WoT: A tie between when Rand cleanses the Taint and when he travels to Rhuidean; 4 votes each. Second place was a three way tie between Rand’s battle with himself/Lews Therin on top Dragonmount, when Aviendha and Elayne become first sisters, and the battle at Dumai’s Wells; 3 votes each. Third place was another three way tie between when Rand and Aviendha took shelter in the igloo in Seanchan, when Egwene solidifies her authority with the rebel Aes Sedai, and the romance between Mat and Tuon; 2 votes each.   -- Best answer why ________ is your favorite character: “Thom, [because any] old man who can do back flips has my heart.” - Karina   -- Best answer how you found the Wheel of Time: “A friend named Michelle [introduced me to the series] but died before she graduated. [i am on a] mission to get people to read [the books] in her honor.” - Christoph   -- There were two children present who were named after the books: Perrin and Aviendha.   Perrin   Aviendha This post has been promoted to an article   This post has been promoted to an article

Hello my fellow WoT maniacs!   Sorry this is so late, a full three days after the event. Hopefully I can make it up to you with punch and pie. Well no, I don't have any of that. I do have this reports and some pictures though. Almost as good, right?   All pictures for the event can be found at: http://www.dragonmou...amento-signing/   And for those that haven't finished the book yet, don't worry. This is a No Spoiler Zone.     It was a warm day in Sacramento, highs in the 80's which is a little warm for November even in Northern California. And where was I? Having an awesome time stuck inside a rather warm and increasingly stuffy Barnes & Noble. And I wouldn't trade a minute of it. The Tower Guards started to gather around 4 pm to survey the lay of the land, organize duties, get our equipment set up, and write on the floor. Yep, I spent at least 20 minutes wandering around B&N writing Wheel of Time phrases on arrows of bright pink tape on the floor to show people the direction of the line. Easy enough you'd think, but apparently writer's block is possible even in those situations. Thanks to the fans there that helped give me ideas when my brain locked.   Who would have thought setting up would require weaponry?     Yes, that is a sword.   The signing was supposed to start at 7 pm. At 4 pm there were already people in the store waiting. At 5:45 pm they started to give out numbers and move people into line. That was when we realized just how big this event was going to be. Some of us had felt a little pessimistic about turnout because there hadn't been much advertising. We scoffed at the estimate Tor had given the store of 400 – 500 people. However at 6 pm we had over 60 people in line already, and still an hour to go until the signing started. We started to realize that this could well be long night. Brandon, Harriet, and Jason Denzel of Dragonmount arrived around 6 pm. Brandon and Harriet sat down with a couple of people for interviews, including one with Tower Guard Virginia for the 4th Age podcast. Meanwhile Jason helped us Tower Guards with getting things set up. Then at 6:30 pm the Tower Guards, Jason, Harriet, and Brandon got to sit down to a nice pizza dinner and talk. One of my favorite parts was talking with Harriet personally about how we both loved Terry Pratchet's “Discworld” series, and how she and RJ used to share reading them, passing the books back and forth as they got them read. I also loved to listen as Brandon talked about writing and the best ways to get going when you're having troubles.     Brandon's main piece of advice was to write, no matter what, just find something and write about it. If you're stuck in the middle of writing a scene and feel like you can't finish, have some ninjas attack. Write something, and don't be afraid to throw it out. The important thing is that you're writing. He also said not to look back. Don't keep rereading and changing what you've already written. That is the path that leads to never finishing anything. Finish first, then go back and polish. Even if you end up rewriting half your work, at least you finished. Interestingly enough this was actually a really popular question through the night. Yes we got Wheel of Time questions like the usual “Who killed Asmodean?” or “What happens if a person gets balefired in the World of Dreams?” However we also got a lot of aspiring writers there looking for advice on how to get going. Brandon was always happy to answer any question, even if it was with the dreaded RAFO card. But the questions about advice on how to get writing seemed to really resonate with him, as fans of his Writing Excuses podcast would probably tell you is not surprising.   After dinner Brandon and Harriet both got up on a ladder to see out over the bookshelves and addressed the crowd. They thanked everyone for coming of course, and Harriet made sure to let people know how much it meant to her to see us all out there supporting her husband's work. They announced the rules for the signing, i.e. what Brandon and Harriet would and wouldn't sign. And Harriet told us about the great vest she was wearing that was made from her husband's old ties. RJ had great taste in neckware.     Once the announcements were finished, Brandon, Harriet, and Jason settled in for a very long night of signing. For the most part things went pretty smoothly. We kept the line running well, everybody seemed to be behaving themselves, and despite the night lasting until almost midnight people seemed to keep in pretty good spirits. Sadly Harriet had to leave around 9 pm as she'd had a very long day already considering she'd had to fly all the way across the country from Charlotte to Sacramento. It was a sad moment for many though as Harriet got up to say goodbye to everyone. I know we not only missed our chance at getting her autograph, but just having her there was a connection to RJ that I think everyone wished to experience. People were eager to talk to her and say goodbye, but eventually she had to say farewell.     One of the most common things I heard people say to Brandon was how grateful they were to him for picking up the series and carrying it on for us. I know many people, myself included, despaired about the fate of the Wheel of Time books after RJ's passing. It was clear that people felt an intense gratitude for seeing someone who obviously loves the series be able to continue it and see it to the end. And it was also clear just how grateful and humbled Brandon felt each time he heard those comments. More even then how well he writes, the way he handles the responsibility of carrying RJ's legacy on shows that he was the right man for the job.   The signing lasted well into the night. After Harriet left I got to join Brandon at the table and assist him in making sure we got every copy of Towers of Midnight numbered. With the long day and the rush of trying to get to everyone I had to catch a couple here and there. It might not have been the most glamorous job, but it was a lot of fun. Getting to sit there and listen as everyone came up, and getting to interact with Brandon and Jason was great. I even got to be there for a question that stumped Brandon. Someone wanted to know why Verin was able to feel that the one Ogier had no soul when she visited the Stedding with the boys during tGH. Brandon, if you're reading this, the part of the Wheel of Time FAQ I was talking about is http://wotfaq.dragonmount.com/node/88 The whole time the signing was going on, we were stopping people as they left and had them sign large poster-board version of the Towers of Midnight cover, minus the text, as a thank you to Harriet and Brandon. Tower Guard David felt like they were going to spend all night signing things for us, so we should sign something for them to say thank-you.     Slowly the night went by, but eventually we started to make headway against the line. At one point some time after 10 pm we were told that the last person was in line and we were in the home stretch. As time went by I kept looking over at the line to the side where it wrapped through the bookshelves. I kept hoping for some sign that we were nearing the end. Finally I saw it, the end of the line. My girlfriend was at home watching us on ustream and sent me a text wondering why we were all suddenly looking behind us. It was amusing how everything stopped or that one moment as we all realized the end was in sight. At the same time though was a touch of sadness at knowing that this great night was coming to an end. Finally shortly before midnight, almost five hours after the official start of the signing, the last person in line stepped up to the table, greeted by a round of applause. We got our stuff packed up, and the Tower Guard finally got to get their books signed. Brandon tried to skip numbering mine as a test, but I caught it one last time.     We took some final pictures and said our goodbyes. It was a long night, but it was a great experience. It was easily one of the most fun I've had stuck for eight hours in a bookstore. A good time was hopefully had by all, and hopefully Sacramento gets another visit next year.   Thank you to everyone who came out.   Yours Truly,   Sacramento Tower Guards  

Cincinnati Book Signing -     As Tower Guards our book signing began much sooner than the general attendees. As fans we felt a strong desire to do right by the community to which we are a part of and love. As such, we had planned for a night of fun and camaraderie with prizes and games in order to celebrate the release of Towers of Midnight. Arriving at the bookstore at 4pm I proceeded to contact the store event manager a lady by the name of Barb. Unfortunately the Tower Guards for whatever reason were viewed at this point as somewhat of a nuisance by the bookstore. As Tower Guards we recognized that in effect we were simply volunteers extremely honored to be granted this chance. To Joseph-Beth, they had a well-trained staff ready to do what was needed for the book signing to be successful. That and a gentleman by the name of Brian who is probably one of the most well-read fantasy/science fiction people I have ever met and a friend of Brandon Sanderson's. Brian was extremely pleasant to deal with but due to the lack of a final authority for the Tower Guards we were required to wait until Brandon Arrived in order to do anything.       The Tower Guards had agreed to meet before the signing at the Rusty Bucket near the bookstore and after meeting with the bookstore I headed over there to meet my fellow tower guards. Upon arrival I passed out our shirts and sat down. We ordered drinks and began by introducing ourselves and what we knew of each other. Skipping the details of our planning we began to discuss the books themselves. Only two of us, myself included had finished Towers of Midnight so we had to be careful with our discussion lest we ruin it all. Where nerds gather the conversation is bound to get animated and we discussed many things over good drinks and some homemade brownies that one of our Tower Guards provided. Yum, mint.   We talked for almost two hours before we needed to be at the bookstore to meet Brandon at six. Around 5:45 we paid our tabs and moved over to the bookstore to meet with the staff again. Since the question of our duties during the signing were still up in the air we were herded into the upstairs break-room. We made ourselves at home and discussed our impending meet with Brandon and Harriet. Unfortunately, Brandon's flight due to the time difference going from the West to East coast was due in at 6pm as opposed to the 2:45PM the bookstore staff expected. Brandon and Harriet themselves arrived straight from the airport at 6:30ish and proceeded once freshening up to being signing pre-release copies for those attendees who wanted a signed copy but could not stay.   During this time we got to chat a bit and ask a few questions. One of our Tower Guards, Lynn asked Harriet which Aes Sedai had Jim used Harriet as a pattern for. She replied that they Jim had a bit of her, Harriet in many of them, including some of the Forsaken like Moghedien. That bit with a bit of laughter and a follow-up did Jim get to sleep on the couch after that revelation. (No) Despite their willingness to answer questions both Brandon and Harriet were pressed for time having arrived less then 30mins before the signing. Joseph-Beth had a couple of Nacho tray's sent up so Brandon could get something to eat before going in. Tor was supposed to have provided meals but those were not present so the Joseph Beth staff reacted quickly so Brandon would not go out on an empty stomach to sign books for almost 4hours.   For the Tower Guards the arrival of Brandon finally dispelled any worries over our duties as we were able to take our positions before the event started. For the actual signing what follows is a bit of creative blogging by one of our Tower Guards, Mark for the event: --   CINCINNATI - Evidence of a startling reality is readily apparent at the Joseph-Beth Bookseller in Norwood tonight (November 3rd): the WOT virus has spread more rapidly than originally projected. Hundreds of the afflicted are present here to engage two of the leading experts in the field of WOT, Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal. Drs. Sanderson and McDougal emerge from the second floor and nervous anticipation fills the air (along with the WOT virus, which is airborne) as Sanderson introduces McDougal to read from the latest book on the subject, Towers of Midnight, in which he co-wrote with the most prominent WOT researcher, the late Dr. Robert Jordan. Dr. McDougal reads the first section of the Prologue, holding her audience in rapt attention.   Please note that as of now, there has been no cure found for the WOT virus, but it is treatable and people with the virus are able to lead normal and productive lives. However, occasional flare-ups of RLDS (Real Life Deficiency Syndrome) do occur, and it is during these times that the virus is so dangerous to those afflicted. Symptoms include uncontrollable reading, a lack of sleep, dementia, mania (mainly laughing hysterically over things that only people with the virus find funny), depression (mainly weeping over things that only people with the virus find sad), and an inability to care about responsibilities such as work, school, or household chores.   Generally, with the release of a new book by Dr. Sanderson, an RLDS flare-up wanes once the afflicted person finishes the book, and within weeks usually reverts back to only being WOT-positive. Also, attacks usually go away quicker if other WOT-positive people or RLDS sufferers are there to coax the patient into speaking about his or her affliction, and this is done mainly on websites attributed to information about the disease or those afflicted, such as Tor.com or Dragonmount.com, to name a few.   However, this has brought hundreds of those suffering from RLDS or that are WOT-positive into interaction with each other on a more personal basis. And even though those of us that are unaffected by the WOT virus may not understand the nonsense they discuss, play or wear, that does not make them any less worthy of our thoughts and/or prayers (if so inclined).   For instance, two men are arguing whether a Role-Playing Game that they invented should use a D20, or another type of die. Men dressed as “Asha’man” and women dressed as “Aes Sedai” are in attendance. When one woman dressed as an “Aes Sedai” is asked about her costume, she exclaims that she is not “full Aes Sedai, only Accepted,” whatever that means. Another group of afflicted people are playing a game called “Stones,” which may offer them some level of comfort, but does not seem to have any sort of point.   Clearly, these people are tormented with a significant level of dementia. Among the most common nonsense questions that RLDS sufferers are asking the researchers, who are here to sign the most recent book written by Drs. Jordan and Sanderson: “Who killed Asmodean?,” “Who is Demandred?,” and “Who is Mesaana?” But others, seemingly more thought-out, and therefore indicating an even deeper level of dementia, are: “Is Shara just a red herring?,” [to Dr. Sanderson] “Did you find yourself disagreeing with anything in Robert Jordan’s notes?”, [to Dr. McDougal] “What Aes Sedai are you most like?”, “What is the Book of Translation?,” and finally, “Why was the female Choedan Kal sa’angreal destroyed during the cleansing of saidin, and not the male?”   Drs. Sanderson and McDougal are very generous with their time and Brandon is a lesson in humility, especially when people thank him for writing the books. The hope is evident on their faces; it is clear that they believe Dr. Sanderson may be able to deliver them from RLDS and possibly even the WOT-virus itself, which has now spread since its first discovery 20 years ago.   Let us hope this most recent book, Towers of Midnight, and the last book co-written by Drs. Jordan and Sanderson, A Memory of Light (to be released in 2012), will help them to reach the finally reach the goal of being WOT-free. Because I have been breathing the air in here for so long, and I just picked up a book called The Eye of the World, and it is very interesting, but I am starting to feel a little strange myself…   [Marvin Knorr, Lynn McDonald, Kathy Eisen, Andrew Gelos, Leah Jent and Rosie Kraftick contributed to this report.]   The signing itself went on for almost 4 hours. Brandon and Harriet were very much troopers for the event handling themselves with grace and kindness for a seemingly endless horde of fans. We were honored to be able to represent the Cincinnati crew for the signing despite our limited time with Brandon and Harriet, that was just more time for the fans. We were happy to see several fans dressed up as well as play some trivia for swag for the estimated 400 attendees.   See you guys for AMoL!     Here is the link to our gallery! http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/gallery/album/15021/43-cincinnati-towers-of-midnight-signing/