DRAGONMOUNT

It's time for more wallpaper! Remember, during the weeks between Brandon Sanderson's "musings" on each Wheel of Time book, Tor.com will post eBook art wallpaper for each of the books.   This week, the featured eBook wallpaper is for The Shadow Rising. The artwork is by Sam Weber. Here is the image:         Go here to download different sizes of the wallpaper and to read more about how this art was created. How do you like the art this week?

Check out this press release for some exciting news:  

Today's roundup will be a little shorter than usual because my Internet is being mean to me and running extremely slowly. I still made it here, though!   I'm still accepting applications for the Fan Art Friday blogger position. Remember, you have until Sunday, March 25th to apply.   There's still time to send in your Empy Award nominations. Nominating will end soon, so don't forget to stick around for the voting phase of the process.   The Wolfkin Social Group is discussing travels this month. Have you moved a lot or lived in any interesting places?   Our role players are re-opening the Haus of Three. Come see what all the fuss is about!   The JordanCon programming schedule is now posted! I'll be there, and I'm looking forward to what they have in store for us.

It's time for another Tor.com feature! This week, Brandon Sanderson shares his thoughts on The Shadow Rising. You can read the full article here.   Next up will be an eBook wallpaper for The Shadow Rising.

It's that time of the week again! I hope you are excited about the audiobook giveaway I started on Wednesday. That's what I was referring to earlier in the week when I said I had something up my sleeve.   Speaking of opportunities on the front page, I'm looking for a new Fan Art Friday blogger. Jenn sadly no longer has the time to devote to it. She did a great job with it, so please feel free to comment and let her know she'll be missed. You can visit this thread for application information if you're interested in the position.   Now that the Hollywood awards season is winding down, it's time for our annual Empy Awards! These are our membership awards, where we like to honor people from all parts of the site for various things. Head over to the link I posted above to participate.   The Aiel Social Group's March discussion is all about books! What are your favorite books and series? What recommendations would you make to people?   It's time for another Shockwave Competition at the Black Tower Social Group. Many of you know the drill by now, but if not, instructions are in the thread. You have until March 24th to nominate a game.   The Wolfkin Social Group invites you to play Animal Pictionary. Sounds intriguing, right? If you want to play, or even if you just want to see how they manage to run a Pictionary game online, check it out!   Imagine waking up in the morning not knowing where you are or how you got there. For some people, this situation is all too common, and for others, it is a downright scary thought. Either way, the role play The Morning After sounds like it's worth a read.   Well, now that my roundup is done for the day, I'm off to nominate people for the Empy Awards. I hope to see you all there!

So, seeing as doomsday is ticking closer day by day, I thought it would be fun to have a look at the other books written by Robert Jordan.   There are quite a few other works out there. Personally, I always thought that all he ever created was The Wheel of Time since it seemed more than enough of a legacy, but there is more. In addition to the main sequence of Wheel of Time books, there are a few additional ones. I would say the most well known is New Spring, in which we follow Moiraine's journey as Accepted during the time of the Aiel War and birth of the Dragon. I would have to say that it is definitely a book you should read. Moiraine and Lan meeting is priceless. One also gets more of a glimpse into the life of Lan and comes a little closer to understanding him. The other book that gets mentioned a lot is The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, also known as the Big White Book. This is essentially a reference book with all you need to know about the world that our characters inhabit. Also included in this book is a short story by Robert Jordan called "The Strike at Shayol Ghul". Both the Big White Book and New Spring are books that are a definite must have for your Wheel of Time collection.   Have you ever wanted to let your younger children read The Wheel of Time? Apparently, it is possible, at least for the first two books. Both The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt were repackaged into four books suitable for a younger market. There are also the three graphic novels that have been published so far, which are definitely worth a look.   The other series by Robert Jordan I was surprised to discover are Fallon (which was written under the pen name Reagan O'Neal), Conan the Barbarian, and a last novel called The Cheyenne Raiders (under the pseudonym Jackson O'Reilly). Fallon is a historical romance series set in the American Revolutionary War era that revolves around a central character Michael Fallon who becomes an indentured servant, begins his fight against poverty, and falls in love with a woman who will never be his. Conan the Barbarian returns Robert Jordan to the world of fantasy, where he essentially revives the classic legendary sword and sorcery of Conan. The last book, The Cheyenne Raiders, is kind of a western story. It's about a normal, urban man who gets involved with the mysteries of the Indian tribes and gets dragged into their world.   While I will definitely read the Wheel of Time based novels and those about Conan, I'm not really into romance or westerns, so I'll give them a pass. Nevertheless, one thing that this expedition has taught me is that Robert Jordan was definitely a man of very many talents.   Happy reading, folks!

It's time for more wallpaper! Remember, during the weeks between Brandon Sanderson's "musings" on each Wheel of Time book, Tor.com will post eBook art wallpaper for each of the books.   This week, the featured eBook wallpaper is for The Dragon Reborn. The artwork is by Donato Giancola. Here is the image:     Go here to download different sizes of the wallpaper and to read more about how this art was created. How do you like the art this week?

Macmillan Audio has partnered with us to bring you an amazing opportunity once again. We are going to give away free copies of each audiobook in the Wheel of Time series between now and when the final book is published.   On the first Wednesday of each month (and on the first and third Wednesdays of the month once we get to the final few books), I will post an audio clip for one of the audiobooks. The book featured in the clip will be the one we're giving away at the time.   As each clip is posted online, we will randomly select three winners to receive either a free digital audiobook download or a free CD. This contest is open to anybody world-wide, but non-US residents can only receive the digital download.   Entering to win is simple. Every time I post an audio clip, I will post a topic for discussion. Just post a response to the discussion question in the comments section of each news article. The winners will be randomly selected from the comments section exactly one week after I post the article.   There can be only one entry per person each time I put up an article. You cannot win more than once for this audiobook promotion.   If you are selected as a winner, I will PM you to notify you and request your contact information. Make sure to check your PMs, because if I still cannot reach you after two weeks from the date of my first PM, your prize will be given to another randomly drawn winner.   This month, we will be giving away a copy of The Eye of the World. Here's a clip from the audiobook: http://www.upload-mp3.com/files/337183_gv2tm/TheEyeOfTheWorld_Ch2webclip.mp3   This month's question is: Who is your favorite character in The Wheel of Time? You have until Wednesday, March 14 to answer in the comments section. Good luck!

Welcome back, everyone! Let's see how the various sections of Dragonmount are kicking off the month of March.   If you visit our General Wheel of Time Discussion forum, you'll encounter a question that's sure to inspire interesting comments: Who thinks Rand is insane? Those of you who enjoy theories should take a look at this.   These days, everyone's talking about Skyrim, and our Movies and Games Discussion forum is no exception. Have you played the game? If so, how do you like it? Would you recommend it to a newer gamer?   For their March Challenge, the Artists, Crafters, and Writers Guild brought back a popular theme from last year. The challenge is to create a work a week. Are you up to the task?   Speaking of making things, it's Arts & Crafts Month at the Kin Social Group. Visit the thread above for a guide to the month's events.   The Red Ajah from our White Tower & Warders Social Group is celebrating International Women's Week. The activities they have been doing are a lovely homage to strong, intelligent, capable women everywhere. This event is very dear to the Reds, so make sure to stop by!   What's this? The First Weaver of the Yellow Ajah is suddenly leaving the Tower in the middle of the night. Is she up to no good? Find out in the new role play Stabbing the Dark.   That's all I have for now. Keep your eye on the front page, because I've got something else up my sleeve that I'll be revealing soon!

So, today I poked about in the personal business of one of our Admins. I am fairly sure that most of you at least know of her, especially if you read all the articles on the front page. With pleasure, I bring you a short interview with our very own Dwynwen, Front Page Admin!   Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   A: I started reading the series in the summer of 2003, right after I graduated from college. One of my friends from school recommended the series to me, and since I finally had time to read for fun again, I took advantage of that opportunity.     Q: Why did you join Dragonmount? How did you get involved as an Admin?   A: I joined Dragonmount in October 2004. I wanted to find a place where I could talk to other fans about the books. When I discovered that I could go through the raising process and become an Aes Sedai in the White Tower Social Group, I immediately joined the site and that group. I've spent most of my Dragonmount membership in just the White Tower, although I also had a brief stint in our currently defunct Seanchan Social Group.   I'm the sort of person who enjoys leading, organizing, and helping out, so I worked my way into various leadership positions around the site. I have served the White Tower as a White Ajah Sitter, the White Ajah Head, the Keeper of the Chronicles, and Temporary Amyrlin right after Jennifer Liang retired from her reign as Amyrlin. I recently was appointed as a White Ajah Sitter again, so I am doing that alongside my Admin duties.   I was first appointed as the Social Groups Assistant Admin in March 2011. Shortly after that, I transitioned out of that role and into my current role as the Front Page Admin. I'm enjoying my time as an Admin.     Q: Is there any truth to the rumors that you are secretly a Forsaken?   A: Maybe so, maybe not. I like to keep everyone guessing.     Q: What do you do in Real Life (e.g. work, family, and the like)?   A: I am a 30-year-old single female. I have lived here in California for most of my life, although I have had lengthy sojourns elsewhere. My current household consists of myself, my parents, my younger brother, and my three cats.   I am a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of California. I see patients, supervise doctoral students, and teach on the side. I teach a few different courses at my doctoral alma mater, but my favorite is our sex therapy course.   I enjoy reading (especially fantasy series), sleeping, hanging out online, singing, dancing, writing, and music. My intellectual interests include psychology, philosophy, world religions, mythology, astronomy, and art history.     Q: Are you involved in the Wheel of Time community in any other manner?   A: Yes, I'm pretty addicted to the fandom. In addition to my membership here, I am a member of the Blue Ajah at TarValon.net. I have attended five Dragon*Cons and am looking forward to attending my second JordanCon this April. I served as a Storm Leader at Brandon Sanderson's San Diego book signing when The Gathering Storm came out. I've also done copyediting on part of the WOTFAQ.     Q: What would you say is the greatest impact that the Wheel of Time has had on your life?   A: It has had a tremendous impact on my life. I have made some of my closest friends through this fandom. I even dated a former member of this website several years ago. I have been given opportunities to spend time with Brandon Sanderson and the members of Team Jordan. I have grown as a person and have become more comfortable in my own, geeky skin as a result of my time in the fandom.     Q: Favorite and least favorite character?   A: My favorite character is Egwene. Her growth from a quiet, unsure girl to a strong leader mirrors a lot of the growth I've done in my life. My least favorite character is Elaida. She's so rude and incompetent.     Q: What nation would you say you're from?   A: The USA.     Q: Male character crush (or female, if you're inclined that way)?   A: Mat would make a great Friend with Benefits, but Perrin is more my type in terms of husband material.     Q: If you could choose between being a Maiden, Wise One, Aes Sedai, Seanchan, or any other group that is found within the books, which would it be?   A: Definitely Aes Sedai. I would love to channel, and I like the concept of being in an Ajah.     Q: Favorite scene within the books? (Please include a spoiler warning if necessary.)   A: It's so hard to pick just one! I guess that if I had to pick, I'd choose the scene with Egwene and Verin in Towers of Midnight. I'm being vague so I don't spoil anything, but I hope my answer is enough of a teaser to inspire people to read that far in the series.