The following is a guest post from an author Killarney Sheffield.
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Hello, my name is Killarney Sheffield. I am an award winning multi-published historical romance author from right here in Canada. You’re probably wondering why a romance author is writing on a magic blog, well it all started with a plot to a book I was working on called Love’s Magic. The story is about a female magician named Celeste in the early 1800’s and her sidekick a black Holland Lop rabbit Dexter. I know, magic rabbits are supposed to be white thanks to Mary Toft, but I had to make it a little unusual, because well, that is the publishing industry. As I got into the story I realized that if I was going to write about a magician I needed to know something about the craft of magic itself. Yes, I could have just made it all up and flubbed my way through the magic scenes but someone somewhere would have caught it, and I try to be true to the things I write about even though it is fiction. I could have bought a book on magic tricks but since I write in the historical period I needed to know early tricks and the history of magic. I was lost. As you know magician’s don’t like to share their secrets, can you blame them? I was on twitter one day and reached out to an American magician/escape artist and explained about the book. He was happy to help me write the magic scenes as long as I never revealed how they were done. I got to know him well after emailing and Skypeing back and forth for a few months and was amazed at just how seriously he took his craft, from the breathing exercises and practises, to his whole routine before each show he does. It really opened my eyes to the complexity of what magician’s do. Eventually I finished writing the book and emailed it to him to read it and double check my magic scenes. Once he gave me the thumbs up off it went into The Great Romance Contest of 2013. From there it came in runner up and was contracted by Assent Publishing’s Breathless Books imprint. The book is to be released this February and will be my 15th title. I couldn’t have done it without my Twitter magician. Not only do I have a new appreciation for the magician’s craft and skill, but now I am a diehard fan. There is a whole lot more to magic than meets the eye!
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Thank you Killarney for guest posting at Canada's Magic!
To learn more about "Love's Magic" visit http://www.assentpublishing.com/AuthorAnnouncements.aspx#KSheffield
22 December 2013
21 December 2013
20 December 2013
Toronto: Dan McLean Jr as "Trashy Claus"
From Facebook:
Friday December 20th
This Friday night is the Trash Palace's Christmas party, and they've asked me to be their "Trashy Claus": A drunken, grumpy Saint Nick.
I'll be just a small part of the evening's fesivities, singing an unsavoury version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", and reading a few pages from "Santa's Diary" (more unsavouriness, from my 1992 essay).
Read more.
19 December 2013
Keith Brown Fringing
Congratulations Keith!
Current cities I will be fringing in: Orlando, London, Winnipeg and Edmonton (BYOV)!!
— Keith Brown (@KeithHBrown) December 18, 2013
18 December 2013
World-renowned Playing Card Expert Buys Largest Internet Playing Card Forum - Match Made in Heaven
For Immediate Release:
For more information, go to the official announcement by Tom at The Discourse.
Toronto, Ontario. - December 17th, 2013 - In a surprise announcement, world-renowned playing card expert Tom Dawson stated that he has purchased "the Discourse at playingcardforum.com," the world's largest playing card Internet forum from previous owner and playing card designer, Alexander Yusupov.
The inspiration for selling The Discourse recalled twenty-two year old Alexander Yusupov, original founder of the forum "Tom and Judy Dawson are THE experts," Yusupov said. "It was time to pass the forum along to people that could take my work into unprecedented territory."
As the author, with Judy, his wife, of the definitive work "The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards," as well the current president of the 52 Plus Joker Club, the preeminent North American card collecting organization, Mr. Dawson has lots to offer the large and growing roster of playing card collectors online.
Don Boyer, administrator of the Discourse and 52 Plus Joker member, agrees. "I knew that Alex Yusupov had for some time been considering a sale of the forum, but the right opportunity hadn't presented itself. When Tom Dawson and Lee Asher approached me recently to discuss future plans for 52 Plus Joker, it seems like a natural fit to unite these two organizations in some way, creating a synergy between them that makes them greater together than they are individually. I suggested the idea to both parties and this is the happy result."
The idea of hunting for vintage pasteboards has always intrigued Mr. Dawson since he began his obsession almost forty years ago. The kind of passion that drove him back then to seek out the beauty and history those decks of cards possess still leads him today to help other fellow collectors, no matter their age or experience. After updating the 52 Plus Joker's Constitution and Mission Statement to expand the membership to include more modern custom playing card collectors and designers, Mr. Dawson saw the purchase of a sizable forum with over ten thousand members worldwide as a rare opportunity, one he couldn't pass up.
"When the United States Playing Card Company needs their collection evaluated, they call Tom and Judy Dawson. Imagine the kind of rich history and fascinating information they are going to share with anyone interested," said 52 Plus Joker's Director of Publicity, Lee Asher.
Asher adds, "It looks like 2014 is going to be pretty spectacular for card enthusiasts. I can't remember a time when everyone was so excited about playing card culture!"
According to Discourse statistics, the forum's membership is already growing exponentially with a high rate of regular visitors and posters. With luck, and if Tom Dawson 'plays his cards right,' he will end up achieving his ultimate goal of inspiring a new generation of playing card aficionados.
Interested in collecting playing cards? You aren't alone! Membership in the Discourse is free of charge to the public. Visit Tom Dawson's Discourse now, and get started today.
http://playingcardforum.com
For more information, go to the official announcement by Tom at The Discourse.
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