DRAGONMOUNT

Artist Paul Bielaczyc has already amazed fans with his artwork for the Special Edition "Ravens" and "Wolf King" shirts from Ta'veren Tees.  Now, the ta'veren trio is complete, and you can wear the stunning "Dragon Reborn" tee as well.  Check out the press release:   DRAGON REBORN SHIRT AVAILABLE FOR SALE "Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us,  yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle,  and his blood shall give us the Light." - Prophecies of the Dragon   Ta’veren Tees has completed its trio of ta’veren silhouette tees with the “Dragon Reborn” shirt by guest artist Paul Bielaczyc. The new addition is a companion to the “Ravens” and “Wolf King” shirts in the Special Edition collection of TaverenTees.com. Rather than a particular scene in the book, the design contains symbols that make up the character of Rand al’Thor, an homage to the shepherd and savior as he is depicted in various ways throughout the series.     The “Dragon Reborn” tee comes in both men’s and ladies’ styles and is on sale now at www.taverentees.com/dragonreborn and www.taverentees.com/ladiesdragonreborn.  Men’s shirts are available in S-5XL and ladies shirts are available in S-2XL. All Special Edition shirts have the Snake/Wheel logo on the left sleeve.   $7 off a print from Aradani Studios Since everyone needs more WoT art on their walls, Ta’veren Tees and Paul Bielaczyc have partnered up to give you a deal. Through January 31, 2013, when you buy a “Dragon Reborn” shirt, you will receive a coupon code for $7 off either the “Ravens,” “Wolf King” or “Dragon Reborn” 11 x 14 print from AradaniCostumes.com.  You can read more at www.TaverenTees.com/specials.    Paul Bielaczyc Paul Bielaczyc is an avid Wheel of Time® fan and costumer. He created his first Rand al’Thor costume in 2003 and has been making WoT costumes ever since. Paul co-owns Aradani Studios with his siblings, where they sell art and costumes. To read more about Paul, visit www.taverentees.com/artists.      

Jason D. - @Dragonmount   A Memory of Light is out. The Wheel of Time turns on, but this story has reached its ending.   The podcast hasn't, though! With the final book out, we have all the more to discuss and debate. And we won't be doing it alone.   Instead, we will be inviting two of our listeners to join us for a discussion of all that has happened in A Memory of Light.   That's right: you have the opportunity to join us for for a recording of The 4th Age Podcast.   Before you start commenting below, keep reading to find out how you can join us.   If you are interested, please make a 1-2 minute recording of yourself and your reactions to just the prologue of A Memory of Light. Send that recording, in .mp3 format, to podcast@dragonmount.com. Based on the recordings we receive, we will choose two (2) listeners to join us for an episode of The 4th Age Podcast.   Please get all submissions into us by Noon PST Friday, January 18th, 2013. Any submissions received after that time will not be considered.   Also, please only submit if you can commit to being available for the recording session that will take place at 6pm PST on Saturday, January 19th, 2013. We plan to have a quick turnaround on this one. We will contact those who are chosen to join us early Saturday morning, so if you submit something, make sure to check your email throughout the day.   Important! You are not auditioning for a place on The 4th Age Podcast. This is simply to join us for a special "Listener's Viewpoint" episode.   Thank you, and we look forward to all your submissions.   May you find water and shade.   Spencer

Thank you to Lara, one of my fellow Memory Keepers, for writing this post!   Book Signing Lexington, KY with Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal Rigney January 11, 2013   As I was talking with fans as they were waiting to have their books signed, one of them asked me if I was the Loial of the Memory Keepers. I liked it, so I said yes. So consider this Loial’s report of the signing.   The Wheel of Time books were front and center as one entered Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington. The barista at Bronte’s Bistro said the managers were worried about running out of everything with the volume of people they were expecting. People began to file in, one or two in costume or pieces of costume, several in Ta’veren Tees t-shirts. There were whole families with small children in hand. One proud father said all of his children were “future fans” (he hoped).   By the time Brandon and Harriet appeared, there was standing room only. The bookstore was still open for regular business, but the top floor was filled with people holding A Memory of Light. There’s one fantastic picture in particular that you should be sure to check out on www.josephbeth.com (the Lexington Store). You’ll know it when you see it, I promise.             The Q&A Session was as follows (as I have not yet read The Book, I guarantee that this will be spoiler free):   Question: If there are three people, and person 1 balefires person 2, then person 3 balefires person 1, does person 2 come back to life? Answer: Brandon reminded the fan that when someone asked Robert Jordan this question, Mr. Jordan responded by saying the asker needed the love of a man, woman, or schnauzer of his choice. There is actually a correct answer: balefire removes a thread from the Pattern, and, once removed, that thread cannot be replaced.   Question: How did Brandon feel when he was chosen to complete the work? Answer: “Dumbfounded stupefaction.” Brandon repeated the story of how Harriet found Brandon and hired him to finish the series. It’s been stated several times, so I won’t repeat it here.   Question: Which character is most like you? Answer: Brandon said he identified with Perrin. Harriet stated, “Verin, minus her wrong turn, but I still want her owl.”   Question: There was a new weave used by someone in book 14; did anyone else see it? Answer: Yes, and that’s all that was spoken about it, since it contained spoilers.   Question: Did Brandon question himself when he was chosen? Answer: Apparently, Brandon was unable to sleep that night after saying yes, because he knew that he would fail. Anyone who took on this project would fail, because no one could tell the story as good as Robert Jordan would have. Brandon had only published two novels at the time, so it was a huge risk for him, and it was a risk for Harriet to ask him. However, he knew that he was a fan of the series, and that, if he didn’t say yes, and it went to someone who wasn’t a fan of the series and they messed it up, it would be his fault. He decided that in the Venn Diagram that consists of Wheel of Time fans in one circle, and pretty good writers in another circle, he was the person in the middle. “I’ll screw it up the least,” he said.   Question: Will the prequels be written? Answer: The answer, directly quoted from Harriet, is, “This is it. Except for the Encyclopedia, this is it.” There are not enough notes to write them, and Robert Jordan didn’t want any sharecropping, once stating he would “run over his hard disks three times in a semi” before he’d let that happen (which makes Tom Doherty sad). Robert Jordan left two sentences about the outriggers. Later, someone asked what the two sentences were. Harriet stated they contained spoilers, but they would be released at a later time, possibly six to seven months, possibly included in the Encyclopedia.   Question: With now having the new series on top of Brandon’s other work, is he concerned that he’s spreading himself too thin? Answer: “That is a worry.” Brandon is a compulsive writer; he does side projects to keep himself fresh and able to write.   Question: Does he have any advice for new writers? Answer: He suggests listening to his podcast, Writing Excuses, published weekly. In addition to this, someone recorded Brandon’s lectures in his writing Science Fiction and Fantasy class at BYU, and published them online at www.writeaboutdragons.com. It’s like taking his class. Harriet’s advice was to attend sci-fi conventions, which are quite frequent in this country. Editors and agents troll for talent, so attend often and collect as many business cards as you can.   Question: What is your writing regiment? Answer: His goal is to write 2,000 words, but there are days when he writes a half a page, and days when he gets 20 pages. His biggest piece of advice: If it’s not flowing, work on it anyway. Do it wrong, commit it to the page poorly, and change it tomorrow.   Question: Are there any updates to a potential TV series or movie? Answer: “It is, at present, under development at Universal Pictures, but the dates are mysterious to me.” --Harriet   Question: Will anything be done specially for those who won the contest to have their names in the book? Answer: In The Gathering Storm, many fans stated that the names felt off, and Brandon agreed. Robert Jordan’s character names were inspired by the real world, such as Ogier St. in Charleston, his stove, medications he was taking, etc. There had been a fundraiser for one person to have his name included in one of the books, and that was being continued. Brandon decided to increase this, and put many people in the final two books. The short answer: Nope, the name in the book is the something special. (Note: Later, I happened to be sitting up front when the person who asked this question came to the front, with his wife and an absolutely adorable two-year-old little girl. Turns out, he had his daughter’s name placed in the book instead of his own. Brandon signed the book at the place where she was mentioned.)             Question: What was Brandon given to start his work? Answer: He received one scene from each prologue--the first scene from The Gathering Storm that was dictated, the Kandori tower scene from Towers of Midnight, and one scene from A Memory of Light that I will not state since it contains a spoiler. There were large chunks of the ending, including the entire epilogue. He received fragments of Egwene’s visit from her “special visitor” in TGS, and a proposal at the end of ToM. There were also discussions of scenes, and answers from Team Jordan.             Either my hand was cramping up or I missed a segue, but somehow a discussion of Brandon’s writing style commenced. He stated that he works from an outline, and that Robert Jordan grew and nurtured scenes over time. Brandon did not try to imitate Robert Jordan’s writing style, and left the blending of the two writing styles up to Harriet. Harriet was Tor Books’ original editor, discovering Mr. Rigney and editing the two best-selling series in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Harriet was in charge of blending the voices together.   Harriet gave a shout-out to a relative of hers from Kentucky named Martha Bennet Styles (I hope this is spelled correctly), author of the book Sailing to Freedom. The state of Kentucky chose this book to be included on the National Mall in Washington, DC.   Brandon and Harriet both thanked bookstores in general, saying that they provide a service that is difficult to find elsewhere. “Bookstores are a great treasure.”- Harriet   That concluded the Q&A portion, and they moved on to some housekeeping. While people were waiting in line to have their books signed, I began talking with the fans. I was curious to know what some favorite scenes were, how far they traveled, favorite characters, etc. One fan I met lived almost right across the street from the bookstore, while another family drove 5 hours. Most lived about 1.5-2 hours away.   One fan waited around for personalization for...I have no idea how long. The last book came out on his birthday, and he wanted Brandon to write Happy Birthday in it.   The question of favorite character came out overwhelmingly in favor of Mat, with one fan saying his favorite character was Noal. However, in the question of favorite scene, I figured Dumai’s Wells would be the overwhelming favorite (not my favorite part, but it seems to be quite popular). No one I asked said the same scene as another person. Dumai’s Wells, Rand’s bonding, Moiraine meeting Lan, Rand’s epiphany on Dragonmount, Lan admitting he loved Nynaeve, Lan finding Nynaeve after their separation, Moiraine describing the fall of Manetheren, even Mat cursing at Moiraine and Thom after leaving the Tower of Ghenjei were all mentioned as favorites, along with countless others.            The most remarkable and heartwarming experience for me at this signing was that everyone had a story. Each person had a tale to tell about how this book changed and impacted their lives. Marriages have happened and babies have been born because of this series. We’re all sad to see its end. I started reading this series at 11 years old, and I am now 31. The past 20 years of my life have been, in part, defined by The Wheel of Time. I would turn to my friends Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene when I literally had no other friends, and many others I’ve met did the same thing. Many of us don’t know what to do next, but, there are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel. This is a beginning.     Pictures of this event can be found here.

A Memory of Light, the final book in the Wheel of Time series, has debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. This is the seventh straight book in the series to debut at #1.   Congratulations to Brandon, Harriet, Team Jordan, and everyone at Tor Books. This is a fitting and appropriate accomplishment for the end of the series.   AMOL also debuted at #1 on the USA Today bestseller list, as well as #1 on the Ingram, National Indie, and Amazon.com lists.   Buy the book & support Dragonmount          Interviews http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/836.Brandon_Sanderson">Goodreads http://www.npr.org/2013/01/06/168627939/for-wheel-of-time-fans-the-last-battle-is-at-hand'>http://www.npr.org/2013/01/06/168627939/for-wheel-of-time-fans-the-last-battle-is-at-hand">NPR http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2013/01/interview-brandon-sanderson-on-wheel-of.html">Nethspace http://blogs.citypages.com/dressingroom/2013/01/brandon_sanderson_i_was_absolutely_stunned_when_asked_to_finish_the_wheel_of_time.php">City Pages http://www.brandonsanderson.com/blog/1136/Its-finally-out.">Brandon's blog (he answers FAQ's)   Reviews http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/amol/dear-robert-jordan">"Dear Robert Jordan", Jason Denzel's response to the book http://www.theoryland.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7653'>http://www.theoryland.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7653">Matt Hatch (Theoryland.com) http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/12/the-wheel-of-time-a-memory-of-light-spoiler-free-review">Leigh Butler (non-spoiler) http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/01/the-wheel-of-time-a-memory-of-light-spoiler-review">Leigh Butler (Spoilers!) http://13depository.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-review-of-towers-of-midnight.html">Linda (Thirteenth Depository) http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-memory-of-light-by-robert-jordan.html">Nethspace http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-memory-of-light-by-robert-jordan-and.html">The Wertzone http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bryan-maygers/a-memory-of-light-wheel-of-time_b_2429397.html">Huffington Post NPR http://www.avclub.com/articles/robert-jordan-brandon-sanderson-a-memory-of-light,90562/">The Onion AV Club http://io9.com/5975831/the-wheel-of-time-rolls-to-a-stop-io9s-review-of-a-memory-of-light">io9   Discuss the book http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/forum/364-a-memory-of-light-non-spoiler-discussion/">AMOL discussion NO SPOILERS http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/forum/382-a-memory-of-light-full-spoiler-discussion/">AMOL Full Spoiler Forum Theoryland.com http://www.tarvalon.net/">TarValon.net Book Tour Info Dates and times about the AMOL book tour:   Monday, January 7th - 8 PM Provo, UT (pre-release Q&A) Provo High School auditorium with Harriet   Tuesday, January 8th - Midnight Provo, UT (midnight signing) BYU Bookstore with Jason Denzel   Tuesday, January 8th - 7 PM Minneapolis (Roseville), MN B&N with Harriet   Wednesday, January 9th - 7 PM Chicago (Skokie), IL B&N with Harriet   Thursday, January 10th - 7 PM Dayton, OH Books & Co with Harriet   Friday, January 11th - 7 PM Lexington, KY Joseph-Beth Booksellers with Harriet   Saturday, January 12th - 2 PM Charleston, SC B&N @ 2pm (off-site @ Addlestone Library/ College of Charleston) with Harriet and Jennifer Liang   Friday, February 1st - 7 PM Salt Lake City, UT Weller Book Works   Wednesday, February 6th - 7 PM San Diego, CA Mysterious Galaxy   Thursday, February 7th - 7 PM Los Angeles (Huntington Beach), CA B&N   Friday, February 8th - 7 PM Sacramento (Citrus Heights), CA B&N with Jason Denzel   Saturday, February 9th - 3 PM San Francisco, CA Borderlands   Monday, February 11th - 7 PM Portland, OR Powell's (Beaverton store)   Tuesday, February 12th - 7 PM Seattle, WA University Books (off-site; University Temple United Methodist Church)   Thursday, February 14th - 7 PM Vancouver, Canada Chapters Metrotown   Friday, February 15th - 7 PM Toronto, Canada Bakka-Phoenix Books (off-site; Lillian H. Smith Library)   Saturday, February 16th - 2 PM Milford, NH The Toadstool Bookshop (off-site; The Amato Center for the Performing Arts)   Monday, February 18th - 7 PM Baltimore (Hanover), MD Books-A-Million with Harriet   Tuesday, February 19th - 7:30 PM Philadelphia, PA Free Library with Harriet   Wednesday, February 20th - 7:30 PM Raleigh, NC Quail Ridge Books with Harriet   Thursday, February 21st - 7:15 PM Atlanta, (Norcross), GA Eagle Eye Books (off-site; Norcross Cultural Arts Center in conjunction with the Gwinnett County Library system) with Harriet and Jennifer Liang   Friday, February 22nd - 7 PM Birmingham, AL Books-A-Million with Harriet and Jennifer Liang     Videos        

Bittersweet. That word seemed to be the common answer from Team Jordan as they talked about the completion of A Memory of Light. After 23 years since the first publishing of The Eye of the World in 1990, the long journey has come to a completion. Harriet McDougal, widow of the late Robert Jordan, and Brandon Sanderson, who has completed the last three books of the series with the help of notes, were joined by the other two members of Team Jordan, Maria Simons and Alan Romanczuk. While Harriet continued to edit the series as Brandon wrote it, Maria worked on continuity, and Alan worked on the great battles and commanders. The entire team was present for the Q&A and signing, and answered a number of questions for those present. Truly, it was bittersweet, listening to Harriet reading the first paragraph of Chapter One in AMOL...or TEotW. That first paragraph, which has stayed with us for a generation, elicited silence from the entire crowd as they simply sat, watched, and listened. It was truly emotional, hearing those words.   Ta'veren Tees was on site, selling T-shirts, playing cards, posters, and giving away Wheel of Time and Dragon temporary tattoos. Across from them, the last three books of the series were for sale from Barnes & Noble. The entire event was hosted by the College of Charleston Addlestone Library. While most of the action was downstairs, Wheel of Timers flocked to all three levels to look down from the balcony at the Q&A and signing below. Special Collections for the College had a number of displays available, containing other works by Robert Jordan, the books in various languages, and even first draft copies of The Eye of the World, along with pencil markings.       Hunter Wentworth showed parts of his documentary on the life of Robert Jordan, The Wit of the Staircase, while also recording over three hours of video to help complete the work. Karen Campbell spoke about the Waygate Foundation, which brings together fantasy and science fiction authors and fans to help on global philanthropic endeavors. Jennifer Liang spoke about the upcoming JordanCon in Atlanta, which Brandon Sanderson will be attending this year. The theme is Tar VaCon. Seventeen questions were asked at the Q&A from fans, eliciting a number of responses and laughter from the crowd. The entire event was a spoiler free zone, making it safe for anyone reading this report to continue reading and enjoying all of the Questions and Answers listed below. Around three hundred people participated in the signing, and the Team signed for almost three hours, including taking photos and personalizing books. Backpacks and paperback copies of The Way of Kings were given away to the crowd, along with some bumper stickers and iPhone covers.   Given that the doors to the library opened at 10:00 and the event didn't start until 3:00, the library was filled with fans reading their new copy of AMoL or just chit chatting with other fans. New friends were made, along with making plans for JordanCon. It was rather exciting and people enjoyed getting to hang out with other fans. All in all, it was a wonderfully successful event that went smoothly. Each of the Memory Keepers wanted to share a few thoughts on what they loved the most about the day: "Getting to listen to Harriet read [the first paragraph from the EotW/AMoL]" -Brandie     "Getting to see Team Jordan" -Suzanne "Talking with Harriet [while she was signing books]" -Billie Jo "The fan girl freakout" -Megan "Meeting Christine [He was the serious one of the group]" -Perry "Being the flapper... err...flapping for Brandon and Harriet..." -Kate     "Giving them a gift from the Wolfkin Social Group" -Christine   Jennifer Liang and Ta'veren Tees also had an exciting day, and shared their best moments: "Brandon writing in my AMoL" -Jenn     "Selling the Loial shirts" -Kiley from Ta'veren Tees Even Team Jordan had a little something to say to all of Dragonmount! "My Love, Hugs, and Kisses" -Harriet "Hi, Dragonmount!" -Maria "Extra Extra! Read all about it! We love you guys! Thanks for your support over all the years." -Alan *smiles* -Brandon All in all, everyone was very happy! If you are interested in more pictures from the event, you can find them here in the Gallery. Listed below are all of the Questions (and Answers) from the signing. Thanks everyone that attended and made our day awesome! Signed, Christine - Memory Keeper and Wolfkin SGL   Q1 : What happened to the fourth boy from the Two Rivers? Harriet: Jim originally had good plans for him later on, but when convinced to eliminate him, he realized how easy it was to kill off that story line. Q2: How does it feel now that you are done with the series? Brandon: Bittersweet. Has been reading the series longer than he has had some friends! Harriet: It was truly done well. Maria: Bittersweet. And wow! Alan: Brain Dead. Q3: Writing Life: How did you sell Elantris? Brandon: It was hard, but it gets easier as you go. An editor can see in one page who has been training for years on their writing. You have to practice for years, and have good writing habits. For example, I was working on book 13 when I sold book 6. Just learn, adapt, and network. Q4: How should a writer get their work in with an editor? Harriet: Turn off the mad pleasure of creation, and turn on the rational brain. Q5: To Alan : Which of the great captains do you identify with? Alan : Bela (lots of laughter from everyone). They are all really great. Q6: What is the official land name? Is there anything? Harriet: Nope. Maria: No real need. Q7: Will you be continuing the comic books? Harriet: Yes! Q8: What do you like most and least working on the novels? Brandon: Liked Perrin, and misses writing some of the PoVs. Had to constantly research things to make certain it was accurate, but won't miss fulfilling everything that was foreshadowed...lots of the foreshadowing will be mentioned in the encyclopedia in a year and a half. Harriet: Two years. Q9: How many volumes will there be for the encyclopedia? Harriet: One, but it will be fat, and hoping for a disk. Q10: Do pregnancies that occur in the dream world carry over? Maria: If injuries carry over, then why not? Q11: Did Charleston have a lot of influence on the Ogier? Harriet: The Two Rivers? Ogier Street? Maria: Actually, it was later revealed that Ogier was a subconscious thing, as Jim wanted something close to the term "ogre". Harriet: And, Jim grew up in a small town, much the same as the Two Rivers in their treatment of strangers. Q12: Will the encyclopedia include only facts, or also speculations? Maria: Everything will be things already known, or else more notes on the characters. And a few other goodies, like the Aes Sedai power scale. Q13: Why is the Last Battle chapter so long? Brandon: It is two hundred pages, and takes place for almost 24 hours, but the goal was for the reader to feel as exhausted after as the characters themselves did. Fan: It worked! Q14: Will more prequels happen? Harriet: No. One prequel is enough. Q15: Any of the characters you got caught into? Brandon: Yes, so lots of trimming and pruning, and had to write some others back in. Q16: Seems like RJ was a King Arthur fan? Names seem so familiar. Harriet: It was consciously done. Q17: Do we find out who killed Asmodean? Brandon: *laughs* It is in the ToM glossary.   More Pictures : http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/gallery/album/281-charleston-amol-book-signing/ Interested in more random video?  Check Christine's Blog http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/blog/183/entry-1821-charleston-amol-video/

On Wednesday, January 9, 2013 in Chicago, we were lucky enough to have Brandon, Harriet, and Maria come to visit us, chat, answer questions, and of course sign A Memory of Light. For so many, it was a bittersweet moment, knowing that something we have been a part of for so long is now over. That said, this was an incredibly successful, simply wonderful event, and one in which I am incredibly proud to have taken part.      With this signing taking place at the beginning of the tour only the day after release, it made things more interesting in a lot of ways. Of the Memory Keepers, I was only one to have finished the book upon arrival. Some had not yet even started. The group of Memory Keepers we had was also incredibly diverse, coming from all over. One came all the way from St. Louis, another from Milwaukee, and another from Indiana to go along with those who were closer. We had lots of different backgrounds, working experiences, and different experiences in reading The Wheel of Time. One first read the books in Turkish, some had only started recently, while some of us have been reading for over twenty years. They were all great to work with, and made the entire experience more enjoyable for me.   The event started for me when the other Memory Keepers began to trickle in around 3:00 p.m. By 5:30, four of the seven had arrived. We were expecting Brandon, Harriet, and Maria at 6:00, but Harriet and Maria decided to arrive a bit earlier (at 5:30), which ended up being an incredible gift for us. When the Barnes & Noble CRM told us that Harriet had arrived, I felt my heart start beating a little faster, and I remembered what it was like to be genuinely nervous for the first time in quite a while. I was about to meet the woman that helped guide the creation of one of my favorite things in the world! We met her at the top of the stairs, and then escorted her and Maria to the room where we would get to hang out. For the next hour and a half, that’s what we did. We really just hung out. There was a little talk about the book, but not much, since most people hadn’t finished reading yet. Harriet asked if any had finished, and when I said I had, she asked for my opinion. I gave it openly and honestly, telling her of my love for this book, as well as the entire series. I expressed my gratitude to her, Brandon, Maria, and of course forever to Robert Jordan, for what they brought to us. But most of the time, we just talked about life. Harriet talked about South Carolina. We heard stories about their lives there, about the “Night Hell Froze Over” as Harriet called it, and so much more. Brandon talked about what Magic decks he likes to play. We literally talked about the weather, comparing Chicago to Charleston. In so many ways I find myself grateful that we were so early and that most people hadn’t finished reading yet. If they had, the entire time would have been spent discussing specifics of the book. Instead, we were able to spend time with these three incredible and amazing people who have touched our lives, and to do so just as regular people, as friends, sitting around the table and trading stories. It was mesmerizing.     After that, we had the event for everyone else. The group was huge, filling up the entire bookstore, both the ground level where Brandon, Harriet, and Maria were, and also the stairways and balconies above. We ended up with around 350 people at the event, and every one of them was great. There was no reading for this, but they did have a Q&A, which I tweeted live as it happened. I have since transcribed and expanded on the 140 character limit from Twitter. Here is what was asked and the answers given:   Q: How do you keep track of all those characters? A: Lots of use of online resources. Also, Maria and Alan are invaluable assets for that. Brandon told a funny story about trying to figure out who was with Perrin, and Maria pulled out some notes from Robert Jordan that had a list of every single person from the Two Rivers that came with Perrin! Brandon also said he thinks there are more than 2800 named characters throughout the entire series.   Q: Is there a character you took in a different direction from what Jordan had intended? A: In terms of a character, and what would happen to them ultimately, no, not really. However, there were times when some things had to be adjusted, specifically some plot points, in order to make the narrative as a whole flow better. Brandon did mention that he wanted a character that he felt was his own, which he got to do the most development on. That character became Androl. A lot of what Androl did were things which Jordan said had to happen. Brandon picked Androl to do them, and gave the character his own touch more than any other.   Q: Did Brandon insert a character in the story based on himself? A: No. He did however mention two items, one for Robert Jordan, one for him. In the ter'angreal cache found in Ebou Dar, there is a man with a beard statue. The power of the item is to be like an easily movable library. [MY NOTE: We see this in AMoL.] This was Robert Jordan. Brandon then told the story of how he got his sword, with the dragon scabbard, while in Mr. Jordan's home in South Carolina, and meeting with Wilson. That sword appears in the book, and is the one which Rand gives to Tam in AMoL. So Brandon's sword is in the book, but not Brandon himself.   Q: [side note: One person almost got himself lynched by asking a somewhat spoilery question, regardless of what people had been instructed...] Some characters die in AMoL. How do you choose which characters to kill and which to keep alive? A: [My note: Brandon tried to keep this out of spoilers and make it more general about writing and dealing with killing characters off in general.] In this book, Robert Jordan had left very specific instructions regarding the fates of some characters. He left a lot of notes, and some of those determined their fate. In general, characters have to be allowed to take risks in order to create a compelling story. There has to be a real danger for them, or the characters fall flat. Sometimes, that means characters are going to die. (Brandon added a nice bit that made the crowd laugh: "Which character can I kill off that will really piss everyone off and which no one expects?")   Q: We know the Aes Sedai don't use a lot of the ter'angreal they have in their possession in the manner in which they are meant to be used. Specifically, what are the correct uses for the ter'angreal used to raise a novice to Accepted and an Accepted to Aes Sedai? A: I have no idea.   Q: Who was the Aiel woman that Aviendha met on her trip to Rhuidean? A: Nakomi. Also, RAFO, there's a hint in AMoL. (Later in the evening, he said that hint can be found between the chapter "The Last Battle" and the end of the book. He also said she came from deep in Jordan's notes, and he did not feel like he could give more information than that. Also, she might be explained in the encyclopedia, but no promises regarding that.)   Q: How much was already completed when you took over the series? A: Brandon referred to what Tom Doherty had previously said on the issue. He said there were about 200 pages when he took over. Also, the Epilogue in AMoL was almost entirely written by Jordan with Brandon trying to bring everything else to that point.   Q: How was the Old Tongue created? A: Harriet: Jim had books on almost every language in the world in his study. He drew inspiration from those. Maria: A lot of it comes from those and at the same time a lot was just his own creativity in adapting that into this world which he has created.   Q: In a charity drive, a lot of people were chosen to have their names inserted into AMoL; specifically, we were told a large group would consist of these people. Who are they in the book?  A: The Dragonsworn. Aes Sedai have joined this group, and many others. That's where they were added.   Q: Harriet: How did you choose Brandon to finish this series? A: A friend had provided the eulogy which Brandon wrote for Robert Jordan on his website, and it was moving. So, Harriet called Tom Doherty and asked for one of Brandon's books. He sent her the first Mistborn book. She then told how she can't stop reading a book, can't fall asleep if she starts, if she doesn't know yet if those characters are "in good hands". After 47 pages, she fell asleep, not because she was bored, but because she knew that Brandon's characters were in good hands. She called Tom Doherty and told him this was the man to finish The Wheel of Time.   There was just the one semi-spoiler question, and Brandon did a masterful job of side-stepping it.   After the Q&A, it was a rush to get people in line and start the signing. With that many people, we knew it was going to take a lot of time and work to make things run smoothly. Thankfully, the staff at Barnes & Noble was very well organized, and we were able to help with flapping book covers and taking pictures for people, as well as moving through the crowd, talking with people, getting to know them, and sharing our love for this world.     Tor had also very kindly provided us and the store with lots of great swag to give away. We wanted to come up with something that would be fair to everyone, while not being totally random. We decided on a trivia contest. Ticket numbers were drawn, and those people had a chance to answer a trivia question and win a messenger bag, iPhone case, and a paperback copy of The Way of Kings. Some thought some of our questions were too difficult, but when it was all said and done, all the prizes were given out, and those who won them seemed pleased not only with having gotten something extra, but also satisfied at having been able to answer their question. After the giveaways were done, a group of ten or fifteen people hung out and wanted me to go through more trivia with them. This was one of the coolest parts of the evening for me. I was brought back to my days at Dragon*Con just going through random pieces of WoT trivia with a group of people just as deeply passionate about it as I am.   As the line continued to shrink and the clock drew closer to midnight, we all withdrew together to the signing area. We had more discussions with fans about the series, making certain to keep the conversation spoiler-free. Brandon talked about the other things he has coming out, including Steelheart, and the new Stormlight Archive book (due in November!). We named the AMAZING Trolloc doll he was given (Narg Jr.) and congratulated him on the upcoming birth of his third child. We watched people come through the line with nearly thirty books to be signed (this was at the end, when Brandon would sign any number), and the joy on their faces was great.     I’d like to close with something one of the other Memory Keepers sent to me. It was very touching and a feeling that I personally share:   “I am not the oldest of the series, or the youngest one. I wasn’t the first to read it and sure as sky I won’t be the last. What I am is your average Wheel of Time fan. And I had a bittersweet taste in my mouth after the event. I didn’t know what it was at first but it was a realization that I was with hundreds of people who waited just as I waited for this day, to finally get closure to a story that we love so much, to finally finish what I have started nine years ago. And during all that time, never once I needed a fake smile. I was happy. The drive home, however, was sad for the very same reason. Knowing that this was it. Wheel of Time. No more. In the Wheel of Time there are no beginnings or endings, but this is an end.”  

~I will do my best not to turn this into a novel~ I was the “First Among Equals” at the Dayton signing. I was the second Memory Keeper to arrive at the store. We were shown to the back room where we could stash our stuff, and then the first problem arose. While all of the prizes had arrived, the box of the Memory Keeper t-shirts never had, though the latest communications had said they would be shipped with the prizes. As the other Memory Keepers arrived, it was decided that to distinguish ourselves from the other Wheel of Time fans, we would wear “badges” taped to our shirts or necklaces (which were all later signed by Harriet). While this problem was solved, the line of other Wheel of Time fans waiting to have their books signed was growing longer. Three of us set about condensing the line by winding it through the rows of bookshelves, which worked pretty well. We would split the line, lead a “follow the leader” around a bookshelf, then lead them back to the rest of the line, then go to split at the next spot.  The final Memory Keepers arrived shortly before Brandon and Harriet were set, which was also around the time that line numbers were to be handed out. The Memory Keepers helped guide those who had gotten their line numbers to the place where the Q&A session was to take place. A few Memory Keepers went around handing out Mad Libs and “Autographs” to pass the time.  While that was going on, I was telling another Memory Keeper that we needed to watch out for Brandon and Harriet, and behold, they walked in the door. We showed them to our little hiding place, where a couple of the Memory Keepers helped them as they pre-signed some stock books. The rest of us helped with the prizes of the games (the “Bela is a Darkfriend” bumper stickers were gone almost instantly). Towards the end of this time, we rotated in to have our time with Brandon and Harriet to ask a couple of questions and get our books signed. Then the big moment arrived: it was time for the Q&A! The Memory Keepers kept to the back, while Brandon directed which sections he’d take questions from when, and repeated the questions back for all of us to hear. I don’t specifically remember many of the questions, but I certainly learned a lot about Brandon, Harriet, and the Wheel of Time project as a whole.  At the end of this time, Harriet read the first two paragraphs of the first chapter of A Memory of Light ( ), and Brandon explained how the book signing process was to go. For the first round, he and Harriet would simply sign all of the books and get pictures taken if requested.. If someone wanted it personalized, they could wait until everyone had been through the line, and then we’d go through the numbers again. This system ended up working VERY well.Then, the store supervisor in charge of this event auctioned off the A Memory of Light poster that they had put on display. It sold for over $200, and the money went towards a local program which taught reading to at-risk children and adults who also needed help reading. About half of the Memory Keepers helped out with the signing process, making sure the flaps were in the right place, helping out with keeping the right books with the right people, giving the books back, and calling out the numbers.  The rest were leading games in a different area of the store. For a short time, we had three different trivia games going, but eventually those combined into one and a hangman game started. We had other games planned, but those two lasted us through the night. There were new people that came around for trivia after the first group had ended, and so we got to “recycle” questions. The hangman was also fun--especially when the phrase was in Old Tongue. I enjoyed floating through these games as I dashed about. One of the trivia games:   The hangman game (fuzzified): There were nearly three hundred people at this event, and though the Q&A had started at 7:00, we were able to make it through the first round of numbers around 10:00. We said our goodbyes to Harriet, and after a few more autographs and pictures, she departed for the hotel.  I had to leave partway through the second round, but it seemed like it would be done well before midnight--perhaps even by 11:00.  I am very proud of the Memory Keepers that volunteered at this event. Each of them did their part and contributed many ideas and smiles to the night, helping it be a success. I doubt any of us will forget it any time soon. 

A Memory of Light, the final book in the Wheel of Time series, has arrived! Here's a round-up of news and reviews.   Buy the book & support Dragonmount          Interviews http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/836.Brandon_Sanderson">Goodreads http://www.npr.org/2013/01/06/168627939/for-wheel-of-time-fans-the-last-battle-is-at-hand">NPR http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2013/01/interview-brandon-sanderson-on-wheel-of.html">Nethspace http://blogs.citypages.com/dressingroom/2013/01/brandon_sanderson_i_was_absolutely_stunned_when_asked_to_finish_the_wheel_of_time.php">City Pages http://www.brandonsanderson.com/blog/1136/Its-finally-out.">Brandon's blog (he answers FAQ's)   Reviews http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/amol/dear-robert-jordan">"Dear Robert Jordan", Jason Denzel's response to the book http://www.theoryland.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7653'>http://www.theoryland.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7653">Matt Hatch (Theoryland.com) http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/12/the-wheel-of-time-a-memory-of-light-spoiler-free-review">Leigh Butler (non-spoiler) http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/01/the-wheel-of-time-a-memory-of-light-spoiler-review">Leigh Butler (Spoilers!) http://13depository.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-review-of-towers-of-midnight.html">Linda (Thirteenth Depository) http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-memory-of-light-by-robert-jordan.html">Nethspace http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-memory-of-light-by-robert-jordan-and.html">The Wertzone http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bryan-maygers/a-memory-of-light-wheel-of-time_b_2429397.html">Huffington Post   Discuss the book http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/forum/364-a-memory-of-light-non-spoiler-discussion/">AMOL discussion NO SPOILERS http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/forum/382-a-memory-of-light-full-spoiler-discussion/">AMOL Full Spoiler Forum Theoryland.com http://www.tarvalon.net/">TarValon.net Book Tour Info Dates and times about the AMOL book tour:   Monday, January 7th - 8 PM Provo, UT (pre-release Q&A) Provo High School auditorium with Harriet   Tuesday, January 8th - Midnight Provo, UT (midnight signing) BYU Bookstore with Jason Denzel   Tuesday, January 8th - 7 PM Minneapolis (Roseville), MN B&N with Harriet   Wednesday, January 9th - 7 PM Chicago (Skokie), IL B&N with Harriet   Thursday, January 10th - 7 PM Dayton, OH Books & Co with Harriet   Friday, January 11th - 7 PM Lexington, KY Joseph-Beth Booksellers with Harriet   Saturday, January 12th - 2 PM Charleston, SC B&N @ 2pm (off-site @ Addlestone Library/ College of Charleston) with Harriet and Jennifer Liang   Friday, February 1st - 7 PM Salt Lake City, UT Weller Book Works   Wednesday, February 6th - 7 PM San Diego, CA Mysterious Galaxy   Thursday, February 7th - 7 PM Los Angeles (Huntington Beach), CA B&N   Friday, February 8th - 7 PM Sacramento (Citrus Heights), CA B&N with Jason Denzel   Saturday, February 9th - 3 PM San Francisco, CA Borderlands   Monday, February 11th - 7 PM Portland, OR Powell's (Beaverton store)   Tuesday, February 12th - 7 PM Seattle, WA University Books (off-site; University Temple United Methodist Church)   Thursday, February 14th - 7 PM Vancouver, Canada Chapters Metrotown   Friday, February 15th - 7 PM Toronto, Canada Bakka-Phoenix Books (off-site; Lillian H. Smith Library)   Saturday, February 16th - 2 PM Milford, NH The Toadstool Bookshop (off-site; The Amato Center for the Performing Arts)   Monday, February 18th - 7 PM Baltimore (Hanover), MD Books-A-Million with Harriet   Tuesday, February 19th - 7:30 PM Philadelphia, PA Free Library with Harriet   Wednesday, February 20th - 7:30 PM Raleigh, NC Quail Ridge Books with Harriet   Thursday, February 21st - 7:15 PM Atlanta, (Norcross), GA Eagle Eye Books (off-site; Norcross Cultural Arts Center in conjunction with the Gwinnett County Library system) with Harriet and Jennifer Liang   Friday, February 22nd - 7 PM Birmingham, AL Books-A-Million with Harriet and Jennifer Liang     Videos        

With the release of A Memory of Light upon us, the podcasters take a moment to tie up some loose ends, and talk about their predictions for some of the minor characters. Spoiler Warning In this episode, the Podcasters talk about books 1-13, as well as the promotional chapters previously released for AMOL. If you haven't read all the pre-released bits of this last book, you may wish to hold off on listening to this until you have. Of course, at that point, you'll have probably read the book already, and can laugh when we get everything absolutely wrong. In this episode, Andrew, Virginia and Spencer are joined by Richard. Download the podcast here

A Memory of Light, the final book in The Wheel of Time series, is just days away! Almost exactly 23 years have passed since the original publication of The Eye of the World. On January 8th, the grandest saga of modern literature will be complete. Are you ready? We are! Here's a complete breakdown of everything you need to know about the AMOL release. Where to get it AMOL will be released in hardcover and audiobook on January 8th. (The ebook will be available on April 9th) First and foremost, please support your local bookseller. As a community of readers and book lovers, we encourage you to support the fundamental ideas of having brick-and-mortar booksellers in your community. If you prefer to order online, please consider ordering through these Amazon.com links, as a small portion of the sale will go to support our website. http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=DF1B12&t=dragonmount&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0765325950" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">   http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=FF1800&t=dragonmount-21&o=2&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0765325950" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">   http://rcm-ca.amazon.ca/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=FF2400&t=dragonmount-20&o=15&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0765325950" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"> The Book Tour Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal will be going on Book Tour. You can attend the events below and meet them in person. Harriet will sign any book written by Robert Jordan, and Brandon will sign his books, including the 3 WoT books he wrote. Some of the events will also have other guests such as Alan and Maria from Team Jordan, myself, Jennifer Liang, Matt Hatch (from Theoryland.com), and others. Each event will also have a team of "Memory Keepers"--volunteer fans who help organize the event and will be conducting games and handing out promotional materials. Tour dates and locations: 1/7/13: Provo, UT (pre-release Q&A) - Provo High School auditorium @ 8:00 p.m. / w Harriet 1/8/13: Provo, UT (midnight signing) – BYU Bookstore / w Jason Denzel (For" rel="external nofollow">http://brandonsanderson.com/book/A-Memory-of-Light/page/68/">For information about signed books at this event, be sure to read Brandon's blog post) 1/8/13: Minneapolis (Roseville), MN -- B&N @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/9/13: Chicago (Skokie), IL -- B&N @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/10/13: Dayton, OH -- Books & Co @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/11/13: Lexington, KY -- Joseph-Beth Booksellers @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/12/13: Charleston, SC -- B&N @ 2pm (off-site @ Addlestone Library/ College of Charleston) / w Harriet and Jennifer Liang 2/1/13: Salt Lake City, UT -- Weller Book Works 2/6/13: San Diego, CA -- Mysterious Galaxy @ 7pm 2/7/13: Los Angeles (Huntington Beach), CA – B&N @7pm 2/8/13: Sacramento (Citrus Heights), CA -- B&N @ 7pm / w Jason Denzel 2/9/13: San Francisco, CA – Borderlands @ 3pm 2/11/13: Portland, OR -- Powell's (Beaverton store) @ 7pm 2/12/13: Seattle, WA -- University Books @ 7pm (off-site; University Temple United Methodist Church) 2/13/13: Vancouver, Canada –*To be confirmed 2/14/13: Calgary, Canada –*To be confirmed 2/15/13: Toronto, Canada— *To be confirmed 2/16/13: Milford, NH The Toadstool Bookshop @ 2pm (off-site; The Amato Center for the Performing Arts) 2/18/13: Baltimore (Hanover), MD -- Books-A-Million @ 7pm / w Harriet 2/19/13: Philadelphia, PA -- Free Library @ 7:30pm / w Harriet 2/20/13: Raleigh, NC – Quail Ridge Books @ 7:30pm / w Harriet 2/21/13: Atlanta, (Norcross), GA -- Eagle Eye Books @ 7:15pm (off-site; Norcross Cultural Arts Center in conjunction with the Gwinnett County Library system) / w Harriet and Jennifer Liang 2/22/13: Birmingham, AL -- Books-A-Million @ 7pm / w Harriet and Jennifer Liang Preview Chapters At this point, the entire prologue, and parts of chapters 1, 2, 3, and 11 have been released: Purchase the prologue and support our website Read the opening portion of the AMOL prologue for free. Read the opening portion of Chapter 1 for free. Listen" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/10/audioslice-a-memory-of-light-chapter-2-qthe-choice-of-an-ajahq">Listen to Chapter 2 for free. (Tor.com) Read" rel="external nofollow">http://www.npr.org/2012/12/29/168075551/exclusive-first-read-a-memory-of-light-by-robert-jordan-and-brandon-sanderson">Read the opening portion of Chapter 3 for free. (NPR.org) Read the opening portion of Chapter 11 for free. Early Reviews Jason Denzel's spoiler-free response of the book Leigh" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/12/the-wheel-of-time-a-memory-of-light-spoiler-free-review">Leigh Butler's spoiler-free response (Tor.com) Promotional Videos Tor Books released several promotional videos for A Memory of Light. Please share them around! http://www.youtube.com/embed/YOJiyFf8gW4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> http://www.youtube.com/embed/XrfUoR4Z9Ig" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> http://www.youtube.com/embed/ja3QAV_t3vs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> Discuss the Book Dragonmount features a wide variety of ways to discuss AMOL. Visit our complete AMOL info page. Discuss A Memory of Light on our forums. (No spoilers) A Memory of Light SPOILER FORUM. (BEWARE!) Follow" rel="external nofollow">http://twitter.com/dragonmount">Follow us on Twitter or %22Like%22" rel="external nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/dragonmount">"Like" us on Facebook.