Katherine Kurtz – författare

It''s 1775, and in Europe, an unseen Master peers into a darkened mirror to see the man whose destiny is to wear the victor''s crown. Across the sea, in a land named for a virgin queen, Gen. George Washington is thrown from his horse and has a dream that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Soon, a reluctant Washington will be elected Commander-in-Chief of the new Continental Army and considered for the position of king of America--and his rise will set in motion a chain of events that lead directly to rebellion. But little do the colonists and Founding Fathers realize that they are part of a greater plan, being used as pawns in another person''s game of power and conquest.

The Knights Templar were the fabled order of mystic warrior-monks supposedly disabanded more than seven centuries ago by the pope. Legends persist of their presence, and this collection of stories muse on the Knights' arrival at history's turning points to guide destiny in Good's eternal war against Evil. Original.

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Kurtz’s novels of the Deryni have been hailed by Anne McCaffrey as “an incredible historical tapestry of a world that never was and of immensely vital people who ought to be.” Now Kurtz weaves a thrilling conclusion to the epic Childe Morgan trilogy, in which bonds of both magic and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test…Alaric Morgan always knew his purpose in life—to stand alongside the king of Gwynedd. The old king knew that whichever of his sons succeeded to the throne would benefit from having a Deryni at his side. Alaric and the young Prince Brion Haldane were bound together by magic—a magic to be called upon when Brion was most in need.Now eighteen, Brion has ascended to the throne and seven-year-old Alaric has come to court. Through the coming years, both will grow to manhood and come to realize their destinies. Brion will strive to solidify his power and position, seek out a bride to secure his legacy, and ultimately, when faced with an unbeatable foe, call upon Alaric to fulfill his oath.Meanwhile, Alaric slowly learns the extent of his powers and how to use them, and will face the prejudice that many have against Deryni in its ugliest form. He will experience bittersweet first love, great personal loss, and the hard lessons one gains from both. And he will be there to unleash the full power of his Deryni magic at Brion’s command.For Alaric is—and always will be—the King’s Deryni.

In the kingdom of Gwynedd, the mysterious forces of magic and the superior power of the Church combine to challenge the rule of young Kelson. Now the fate of the Deryni -- a quasi-mortal race of sorcerers -- and, indeed, the fate of all the Eleven Kingdoms, rests on Kelson''s ability to quash the rebellion by any means necessary . . . including the proscribed use of magic!

“Kurtz’s strengths lie in her patient accumulation of telling detail, well-articulated plots, and believable magics. Should bring the fans flocking, and attract newcomers too.”—Kirkus Reviews

Speculation runs rampant throughout the kingdom of Gwynedd as to when, and to whom, King Kelson will finally be wed. As a rival monarch takes his rightful place on the throne of a nearby land, it becomes more imperative than ever that Kelson produce a long-awaited heir.

With the mystical Deryni blood flowing through his veins, Kelson can only hope for a woman whose power and conviction are equal to his own. Love is set aside for duty—and Kelson the king must make the choice that Kelson the man cannot….

New York Times bestselling author of In the King''s Service Alaric Morgan has been pledged to the king''s service. His Deryni blood makes him ideal to safeguard the Haldane kings and ensure that Prince Brion shall have the protection of his hereditary magic.

With young King Kelson on the throne of Gwynedd, the priesthood of the Eleven Kingdoms felt its control deeply threatened. For Kelson was half Deryni -- part of that race of humans gifted with extrasensory powers...a race that had ruled two centuries earlier, but was dethroned and driven underground.Now, the final battle for ultimate power was about to break into open conflict, led by the Church which equated the supernatural powers of the Deryni with witchcraft and heresy!

In this first book of an all-new Deryni trilogy,  New York Times bestselling author Katherine Kurtz takes readers back in time--before King Kelson''s bride...before King Kelson''s birth... when the magical Deryni blood was sought by the most powerful men and women in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Back when a man named Donal ruled over all.

The number of Deryni was small, for they had been hounded for generations and kept their identities secret. Those who managed to retain their arcane powers concealed their background--for bitter persecution once again swept the land of Gwynedd, inspired by a raving fanatic sworn to destroy all Deryni in a final bloodbath.

In an alternate Middle Ages, a new chapter begins in the magnificent fantasy saga of the Deryni, as the magical race faces annihilation by royal enemies and a radical church These are the darkest days for the Deryni of Gwynedd, the magical race that once ruled this medieval kingdom but now find themselves despised and hunted by the governing regents following the death of King Cinhil. Dead also is Camber of Culdi, who served as the Deryni’s most faithful friend in the royal court. With young King Alroy too immature and weak to rule effectively, no one holds the power to halt the reign of genocidal terror that sweeps across the land—not even Prince Javan Haldane, Alroy’s twin, who recognizes the perfidy of the regents and religious zealots hovering around his royal brother. But there is an equally distressing concern for the surviving children of Camber, whose body remains uncorrupted weeks after his death, suggesting that his soul may be trapped somewhere between earth and heaven—and nothing short of the ultimate sacrifice can set Camber free. Award-winning fantasist Katherine Kurtz continues her chronicles of an extraordinary medieval race in a magnificent series that picks up where her acclaimed Camber of Culdi trilogy left off. A story of intolerance, faith, and courage, rich in character, magic, wonder, and evocative detail, Kurtz’s brilliantly imagined alternate history is one of the shining jewels of fantasy fiction.

Magic and mysticism come alive in this magnificent historical fantasy from the New York Times–bestselling author of the Chronicles of the Deryni.Long before Camber was revered as a saint, he was a Deryni noble, one of the most respected of the magical race whose arcane skills set them apart from ordinary humans in the medieval kingdom of Gwynedd. For nearly a century, Camber''s family has had little choice but to loyally serve the ruling Festils, Deryni usurpers who employed dark magic to wrest the throne from the rightful Haldane liege. Now, the land suffers under the tyranny of King Imre, whose savage oppression of the human population weighs heavily on Camber''s heart—a heart that is shattered when the despot and his evil mistress-sister, Ariella, cause the death of Camber''s beloved son. The grim demands of justice and vengeance drive Camber far from his family''s estates in search of the last of the Haldane line. This descendant of kings will not be easily persuaded to accept Camber''s unthinkable plan. But with the kingdom in turmoil, the aging mage and the reluctant Haldane heir must confront together the awesome, terrible might of the Festils for the good of all. The first book in Katherine Kurtz''s epic medieval fantasy series is filled with irresistible suspense, action, adventure, and political intrigue, leading Publishers Weekly to hail the author as possessing "a rare craftsmanship with narrative exposition that is also dramatic and moving."

The breathtaking history of the Deryni continues as the greatest hero of a medieval fantasy realm is forced to make the ultimate sacrificeThe evil king is dead, and thanks to the efforts of revered Deryni magic-user Camber of Culdi, a human liege occupies the throne of Gwynedd for the first time in nearly a century. The yoke of tyranny has finally been lifted from the shoulders of an oppressed people who suffered for decades under the cruelty of the ruling magical race. But Camber''s job remains unfinished. The dangerous remnants of a conquered enemy still mass at the borders. Worse still, the former monk and new ruler King Cinhil is desperately unhappy wearing the crown, and is resentful of all Deryni, Camber in particular, and their arcane abilities. Now, with the stability of a fragile kingdom at stake, its greatest champion must make the ultimate sacrifice: Camber of Culdi must cease to exist.

In the kingdom of Gwynedd, a hero faces an inquisition that could destroy his magical race, in a novel of the Deryni by a New York Times–bestselling author.In the medieval kingdom of Gwynedd, strife has long existed between the human population and the Deryni, a powerful race of magic-users. For more than a decade, a fragile peace has held under the rule of King Cinhil. The former monk reluctantly ascended the throne with the help of Camber of Culdi, Gwynedd''s most revered Deryni lord, who in turn sacrificed his identity and physical form for the good of all people, earning sainthood in the process. But now Cinhil is dying, and a dark cloud is descending upon the land. The king''s heir is a mere boy of twelve, and the malevolent regents who will rule until young Alroy comes of age are determined to eliminate all Deryni. Suddenly, the future of Gwynedd hangs in the balance, and Camber—once adored as a saint, but now reviled as a heretic—must find a way to protect his people before everything and everyone he loves is destroyed in the all-consuming flames of intolerance and hate.

A powerful cleric plots the ultimate treason against a medieval realm''s young king in Katherine Kurtz''s breathtaking return to the fantasy world of the DeryniFor centuries, a powerful faction of the Holy Church in Gwynedd has been at war with the Deryni, the mysterious race whose magic is despised and feared by those who lack their remarkable arcane abilities. The bloodshed ended with the coronation of the popular young King Kelson Haldane, himself a possessor of Deryni magic—but the peace is short-lived. Dark rumblings of secession are coming from northern Meara as support strengthens for Caitrin Quinnell, the cunning and ruthless pretender queen. But an even greater threat is emerging from the shadows of orthodoxy. The treacherous Edmund Loris, onetime Archbishop of Valoret and the Deryni''s most virulent foe, has escaped from confinement—and, with a cabal of like-minded conspirators, is preparing to undertake an act of blackest treason: the craven murder of Gwynedd''s rightful liege. With the first book in the Histories of King Kelson trilogy, acclaimed fantasist Katherine Kurtz continues her sweeping and magnificent history of a feudal society on an alternate medieval Earth—a complex world of war, political intrigue, faith, romance, and magic, where the courageous and enlightened are called upon to take up arms against the entrenched forces of ignorance and intolerance.

A young liege goes to battle in a medieval land teetering on the brink of civil war and church-sanctioned genocide in the second chronicle of the reign of King KelsonIn troubled Gwynedd, the crown sits heavy on the head of King Kelson Haldane. In a realm historically torn asunder by deep-seated suspicion and fear of the magical Deryni who live among them, young Kelson is both beloved for his humanity and abhorred for his Deryni blood. Now, the traitorous cleric, Bishop Loris, has joined forces with Queen Caitrin, the Pretender of Meara, in her attempts to rip her homeland away from Gwyneddan rule. But Loris has even darker intentions. His scheme to reignite the terrible flames of holy civil war against the Deryni, coupled with Caitrin''s campaign of violent secession, draw Kelson and his army away from the royal court—where, in the king''s absence, an assassination plot is brewing.An extraordinary world-builder, acclaimed fantasist Katherine Kurtz returns readers to the Middle Ages of an alternate Earth in her continuing chronicles of the Deryni. Kurtz''s second history of the troubled reign of King Kelson is a breathtaking tale of majesty, magic, war, treachery, faith, and intolerance that once again brings a fascinating world and its diverse peoples to glorious life.

A medieval kingdom is thrown into chaos by rumors of the death of its liege in the final volume of the Histories of King KelsonKing Kelson Haldane of Gwnyedd knows he owes much to the legendary Camber of Culdi, the most revered of the magical Deryni race. Having suppressed the rebellion that threatened to tear his realm to pieces, Kelson, himself a possessor of Deryni magic, is now dedicated to exploring the history and legacy of the man who returned the Haldane line to the throne two centuries before. But word reaches the royal court that, while on their noble quest to help restore Camber to the sainthood he was stripped of by a virulently anti-Deryni church, King Kelson and his blood brother, Dhugal, have perished. Now, for the lost king''s ambitious rival a pathway exists to the throne—and to the bedchamber of Rothana, Kelson''s intended queen. But there is more to the king''s "accidental demise" than initially meets the eye, and a powerful unseen player in this drama that no one could have ever suspected.Katherine Kurtz brilliantly concludes her acclaimed fantasy trilogy of the reign of King Kelson with The Quest for Saint Camber—ending but one remarkable chapter in her breathtaking history of the Deryni in the Middle Ages of a magnificently imagined and brilliantly constructed alternate Britain.

A young king''s ascension threatens a traitorous conspiracy of powerful nobles who plan to brutally eliminate all magic-users from their medieval realmThe brief reign of Alroy Haldane is nearly at an end, as the life of the young king of Gwynedd slowly slips away. Called back from the abbey where he has sought sanctuary for the last three years, Alroy''s twin, Prince Javan, prepares to ascend the throne—against the wishes of the former regents, who plan to enslave or destroy all Deryni in the kingdom. Though human, Javan secretly possesses the psychic powers of the magical race that the powerful faction of great lords and religious zealots strives to eliminate—and it is this ability that alerts him to the terrifying scope of their dark treachery. While his enemies do not yet realize how determined a foe the young liege is, Javan must summon remarkable courage and cunning if he hopes to prevail against them—or even survive.In the middle chapter of her enthralling medieval fantasy trilogy, the Heirs of Saint Camber, award-winning author Katherine Kurtz adds richness and depth to the alternate world she has so magnificently brought to life in three previous series. Blending exquisitely detailed history with breathtaking invention, Kurtz proves once again that she is without equal in the popular realm of fantasy fiction.

A young king manipulated by evil hands becomes a champion of justice when a magical pretender to the throne challenges his sovereigntyFor six years, forces of evil and repression have ruled medieval Gwynedd after eliminating two rightful kings of the Haldane line. Keeping the current young liege, King Rhys Michael, weak with wine, the council of regents and its fanatical allies in the church have been virtually unstoppable in their quest to dominate and destroy the mystical Deryni who share their land. But now a credible threat has arisen: A Deryni claimant to the throne has taken up arms against the cruel oppressors of his magical race. With a mighty army at his command, Prince Marek—the bastard son of King Imre, Gwynedd''s last Deryni ruler—has challenged the Haldane reign, and Rhys Michael''s masters realize the young king must be roused from his stupor to confront the interloper. However, the young Haldane monarch is not the malleable, drunken puppet the regents imagine—and when his long-dormant arcane powers are awakened, Rhys Michael will put his own clandestine plans in motion to right the wrongs of recent history no matter what the cost.The fourth trilogy in Katherine Kurtz''s magnificent chronicles of the Deryni concludes with awesome power in this stirring tale of war, faith, magic, and justice. Populated by a large cast of unforgettable characters, the thrilling history of an alternate medieval world unfolds in all its epic splendor and tragedy, strongly reaffirming Kurtz''s well-deserved place among the finest storytellers and world-builders in all of fantasy fiction.

The New York Times–bestselling author explores the occult history of WWII in this thriller inspired by true events during the Battle of Britain.The year is 1940, and Great Britain''s forces struggle against the invincible Nazi war machine. France has fallen easily to Adolf Hitler''s army and England is next in his sights. A British secret agent pays the ultimate price to deliver early warning of the Führer''s secret plan to harness the awesome power of the occult to conquer Great Britain by launching a supernatural assault that no defending military force could possibly deflect. British Intelligence operative Col. John "Gray" Graham of MI6 is not only a valuable player in the great game of wartime espionage, he is also a practitioner of the ancient occult arts. In this life—and other lives before—Gray''s destiny has been firmly intertwined with that of his close friend Prince William of the British royal family. Now, with the future of Britain at stake, these two men, the spy and the royal, must rally the hidden adherents of the Old Religion, hoping to unite the British covens in defense of their endangered island homeland. But it will take more than combined Wiccan sorcery to repel the Reich''s black magic on Lammas Night—and the sacrifice required might be greater than imagined and truly terrible to endure. Lammas Night is a spectacular feat of creative imagination from the author of the acclaimed Deryni fantasy series. Smart, affecting, and brilliantly conceived, it is an enthralling combination of historical fiction, war novel, and the occult that will appeal to fans of all fantastic literature.

In this "charming" fantasy by the author of the Deryni novels, a gargoyle guardian and a Knight of Malta defend a Dublin cathedral and battle a demon (Booklist, starred review).The gargoyles of Dublin, Ireland, have a sacred duty to perform. Formerly God''s avenging angels, for centuries they have been entrusted with guarding the churches and cathedrals of the Irish capital while avoiding all contact with human beings. But once a month these loyal stone sentries must leave their posts to attend a conclave of their kind, and it is during one such absence that a sacrilege occurs. The guardian of St. Patrick''s Cathedral, the gargoyle Padraig, called "Paddy," has returned to find violence and vandalism committed at his church and two silver artifacts stolen. Taking to Dublin''s night streets in search of a culprit, Paddy inadvertently reveals himself to an aged chauffeur in an ancient Rolls Royce, thereby dooming Francis Templeton to an impending premature death. But the grim reaper will have to wait, because old man Templeton is a member of the Knights of Malta, a secret order of defenders of the faith dating back to the Crusades, and as such is an ideal partner for the onetime angel in his quest for justice and revenge. Their hunt is about to take some sinister turns, however, leading the gargoyle and the knight to Clontarf Castle, where a major demon, an emissary of Satan, is preparing to make his reentrance into the world. An acclaimed and much beloved fantasist best known for her popular Adept and Knights Templar series and her chronicles of the magical Deryni, Katherine Kurtz now displays another side of her extraordinary talent and succeeds magnificently. St. Patrick''s Gargoyle is a delightful feast of the imagination, rich in Celtic lore and religious arcana, and brimming with wit and heart, wonder and magic.

Best known for her beloved Deryni series, Katherine Kurtz rockets into new territory in this breathtaking science fiction murder mystery. The interstellar cruiser Valkyrie has been ordered to take an unexpected detour from its normal route to pick up a strange and valuable cargo. Capt. George Lutobo cannot disobey the commands of his emperor, but the idea of bringing four huge, blue-furred lionlike creatures onboard a luxury vessel makes the captain uneasy. Nor does he trust the big cats'' escorts, husband and wife scientists Mather Seton and Wallis Hamilton. Though these magnificent felines possess remarkable psychic abilities and are worshipped as deities on their home planet—and, for that reason, are essential components of the diplomatic negotiations between worlds—they are nevertheless frighteningly dangerous beasts, powerfully built, with razor-sharp claws and teeth. Soon after the creatures'' arrival, the discovery of a dead passenger, ripped to pieces and clutching a clump of blue fur, seems to justify Captain Lutobo''s fears. The killings continue, each as savage as the last, though Seton and Hamilton insist that the great felines could never have escaped from their cages. But the dark mystery only deepens when one of the imprisoned cats is murdered—the manner of its death impossible to fathom—and one terrible truth becomes frighteningly clear: No one and no thing is safe any longer aboard the Valkyrie. Thrilling, surprising, and marvelously inventive, Katherine Kurtz''s The Legacy of Lehr is an exciting science fiction adventure that displays a daringly different side of the acclaimed fantasist best known for her popular Deryni and Knights Templar fantasy series.

During the fight for Scotland’s independence, the mystical Order of the Knights Templar battles ancient evil and a treacherous king in this gripping alternate history.   A powerful order of warrior monks forged in the fires of the Crusades during the twelfth century, the legendary Knights Templar did not vanish entirely following their failed campaigns in the Holy Land. Having attained great power and arcane skill, they withdrew from the public eye but remained hidden in the shadows, prepared to do battle against the enemies of Christianity and the adherents of the old malevolent gods. Now, these noble defenders of the faith recognize Scotland as the next battleground, foretold in dreams and visions, as legendary Scottish heroes William “Braveheart” Wallace and Robert the Bruce take up arms against the forces of the English King Edward I in the terrible Anglo-Scottish War.   Charged with establishing their holy fellowship’s temple in the disputed land, loyal knights Arnault de Saint Clair, the French cleric, and Torquil Lennox of Scottish birth arrive in the midst of the bloody conflict to help prevent the conquest of Scotland and assure the ascension of its rightful liege. But the magical stone upon which every Scottish king must be crowned has been drained of its mystical power, and only an extreme sacrifice can revive the magic. A perilous endeavor must be undertaken to stem the supernatural evil that is growing amidst the chaos in the land as a powerful Pictish shaman attempts to raise the ancient pagan gods from the darkness to feed on blood and terror.   Coauthors of the acclaimed Adept historical fantasy series, Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris imagine an alternate history that will appeal to fans of the occult, Scottish history, and the fabled Knights Templar.  

The Knights Templar battle an occult order in this "soundly researched [and] briskly paced" alternate history set during the Scottish War of Independence (Booklist).In this stunning sequel to their acclaimed historical fantasy The Temple and the Stone, coauthors Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris return to the legends of the fabled Order of the Knights Templar, the mystical medieval brotherhood of warrior monks born in the crucible of the Holy Land Crusades. Returning to a brilliantly recreated alternate past, two of the world''s premier fantasists spin a breathtaking tale of courage, destiny, duty, and magic that unfolds against a backdrop of England''s tumultuous struggle with Scotland and the heroic exploits of Scotsmen Robert the Bruce and William "Braveheart" Wallace. Unwavering devotion to God and their magical order has carried noble knights Arnault de Saint Clair and Torquil Lennox into the heat of battle in war-torn Scotland in these dark days of conflict, only to discover that there are forces at work far more sinister than kings and crowns. The English liege, Edward I, is determined to destroy the Knights Templar, who have sided with the enemy Scots, while in France, Philip IV, known as "King Philip the Fair," is driven by his greed for the legendary Templar wealth and would usurp the power of the Pope himself to attain their riches. But unbeknownst to either king, they are both in the thrall of the Knights of the Black Swan, a malevolent supernatural order with loyalties to Lucifer alone. On the eve of the decisive battle of Bannockburn, Saint Clair, Lennox, and their brave Templar brethren will be compelled to stand against these minions of the Devil, who are willing to see thousands die and kingdoms crumble to feed their unholy hunger for ultimate power. The Temple and the Crown is an epic tale that celebrates a history that never was, a legend that has endured for centuries, and the heroic exploits of Scotsmen Robert the Bruce and William "Braveheart" Wallace.

Three fantasy novels of intrigue, betrayal, and magic in medieval Gwynedd by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Deryni series—bonus story also included.Camber of Culdi: Long before Camber was revered as a saint, he was a Deryni noble, one of the most respected of the magical race whose arcane skills set them apart from ordinary humans in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Now, the land suffers under the tyranny of King Imre, whose savage oppression of the human population weighs heavily on Camber''s heart—a heart that is about to be shattered by a tragic loss that will lead him to confront the usurpers whose dark magic haunts the realm. Saint Camber: The yoke of tyranny has finally been lifted in Gwynedd, but Camber''s job remains unfinished. The dangerous remnants of a conquered enemy still mass at the borders, and the new ruler is desperately unhappy wearing the crown. With the stability of a fragile kingdom at stake, its greatest champion must make the ultimate sacrifice: Camber of Culdi must cease to exist. Camber the Heretic: The king''s heir is a mere boy of twelve, and the malevolent regents who will rule until young Alroy comes of age are determined to eliminate all Deryni. Suddenly, the future of Gwynedd hangs in the balance, and Camber—once adored as a saint, but now reviled as a heretic—must find a way to protect his people before everything and everyone he loves is destroyed in the all-consuming flames of intolerance and hate. Filled with mysticism and magic, these sagas reminds us that "Kurtz''s love of history lets her do things with her characters and their world that no non-historian could hope to do" (Chicago Sun-Times).

Soar to new heights of Science Fiction & Fantasy.

Who are the top science fiction writers and illustrators of the future? The answer is here. Get to know tomorrow’s brightest creative talents chosen by some of today’s bestselling authors and celebrated artists including Kevin J. Anderson, Orson Scott Card, Larry Elmore, Brandon Sanderson, Dan dos Santos, and Robert J. Sawyer.

Enter brilliantly realized worlds of dystopian politics, magical realism, post-apocalyptic adventure and romance, dark fantasy and more.

Explore universes of unlimited possibility in which a cereal box becomes a Pandora’s box of good and evil . . . a troupe of artistic androids risk everything to catch the eye of a critic . . . and the foundation of a family, the very key to their existence, is not only inhabiting a home, but becoming it.

Discover the writers who push the boundaries—and break beyond them . . . the illustrators who envision the impossible—and render it real . . . the stories that challenge the way we see ourselves—and see the world in a new way.

The future of science fiction and fantasy is in your hands.

Anthology includes: 12 award-winning stories, 16 full-color illustrations, 4 bonus stories, and 4 articles offering art and writing tips.

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4 bonus short stories by L. Ron Hubbard, Katherine Kurtz, Jody Lynn Nye and Nnedi Okorafor.

“Borrowed Glory” by L. Ron Hubbard: For a single day of glory and the settlement of a dispute among immortals, a life can be a satisfactory price.

“The Green Tower” by Katherine Kurtz: The magic is strong in the Green Tower, and two young girls struggle to discover its secrets.

“The Phoenix’s Peace” by Jody Lynn Nye: The Phoenix has always been the guardian of Dembia. Now there’s trouble in the land, and mysteriously, the Phoenix has left two golden eggs.

“The Winds of Harmattan” by Nnedi Okorafor: A young woman seeks her destiny in the African winds of Harmattan.

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Art and writing tips by Echo Chernik, L. Ron Hubbard, Mike Perkins, and Sean Williams.

“The Illustrators of the Future Contest and the Art of This Anthology” by Echo Chernik: As a successful advertising and publishing illustrator, Illustrators of the Future Coordinating Judge and art director, Echo gives the story behind the cherished art included in this anthology.

“Steps in the Right Direction” by L. Ron Hubbard: In this interview, Ron describes the practical philosophy and energetic disciplines he applied with such telling success to his own career as a professional author.

“Breaking In” by Mike Perkins: Marvel and DC artist for Captain America, Thor, and Spider-Man shares valuable advice for anyone wanting to make it as a professional artist and illustrator.

“Making Collaboration Work for You or Co-writing with Larry and Sean” by Sean Williams: New York Times bestselling author, provides insight on the pitfalls and advantages of collaborating with another author.

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