Superheroes, Mutants, Villains, and even Turtles roamed the aisles of Wizard World Texas last weekend held in the Arlington Convention Center. Among known artists such as Ethan Van Sciver and James O'Barr were two newcomers to the fantasy convention scene: Christine & Ethan Rose, authors of the YA fantasy novel Rowan of the Wood.

Christine & Ethan took the fun to heart and dressed in costumes representing two of the major characters in their novel. "The costumes were a big hit," reports Christine, "I think we were as successful as we were because of the costumes." Kids especially enjoyed the costumes and were excited to learn how to write in "secret code" by visiting the fun page of rowanofthewood.com.

One mother who bought the book for her son returned on Sunday and said, "I just gave it to him this morning, and he's already halfway through! He said to me: 'Mom, this is excellent!'" She told Christine that she was now on her son's "list," and he would be anxiously awaiting the sequel. Similarly, another fan who bought an author-signed copy returned after reading two chapters at the convention to tell Ethan that she loved what she read so far and she couldn't wait to get home and read the rest.

A limited number of author-signed, preview copies of Rowan of the Wood are available online for $20.00 through the publisher's websit or rowanofthewood.com for a limited time. The official release is on April 22, 2008.

See the pictures from this event here.

The Sight Sword
        by E. S. Hudler

The following is an excerpt from Loftlore Mission To find our more about this work and the author, please visit their website. http://www.loftlore.com)

Sleep came quickly, but was filled with disturbing dreams. Dercy's mind fought off images of the horrors she had experienced and troubles that lay ahead. She felt alone, unwelcome and lost. She struggled with twisted dreams of Ragnall, Sarahan and Men fighting forces they could not possibly overcome. The dreams were further distorted by her mind's inability to find reason in the nightmares. Her conscious thoughts were suppressed by the sleep. She could not find a voice to call forth the memory of her dead husband, Balanor.

Dercy moved into darkness. She suffered inky-black nightmares. Asleep, she walked in shadows around which there was no light. Buried in blackness, she struck out at an unseen danger.

The Bridgeman had guard duty. He had heard Dercy's unintelligible nightmare mumbling. He observed the rustling of her disturbed sleep. What he didn't know was that she had rolled over onto the Sight sword.

Without will, she brushed the jewel-weapon with her hand, accidentally tapping it. With that touch the Sight sword peeked out of its dark sheath. Its dampened powers awakened in a rush.

Dercy had been swimming weightless in blackness when she found the power. Afraid of the dark and the unseen things it contained, she moved the power to make it a light, and what a light it was!

The Bridgeman, some ten strides away, was blinded. He hadn't been looking at her when the light splashed the forest and rebounded. Nonetheless the illumination was so bright and so pervasive that it would not abide shadows. The Bridgeman instinctively shielded his eyes. Thandor and Render woke up, the light having passed through their eyelids to wake them. No morning could match this brilliance!

Far, far overhead, another thing saw the light. The orphan star had been watching. Using the blinking star, he saw it. Everand, the evil that never slept, saw Dercy's light. The orphan was a ship in airless space.

It had been constructed to find just such a light, just such a power.

Everand's fantastic device signaled to him. He gave the light his full attention.

Dercy walked midway between a dream's understanding and a conscious knowing of what was happening. The sword had given her more than light, it had given her infinite awareness...

Read the rest of The Sight Sword...