WOW! It’s more than “OK” Todd. I’ve overwhelmed by the responses. The “Dee-John” notation gave me a fit of giggling that my boyfriend hasn’t seen in weeks. Thank you! We’re just online today after a week’s absence. I do greatly appreciate seeing such kindnesses here upon returning.

We’re settling into our new place – it was just too difficult living where we were (with my late-boyfriends’ parents) and we pushed up the moving to this past Sunday. We ran out of energy and bodies to do the lifting, so it’ll finish off in spirts over the next weeks as time, energy, money and space permit (our new place is small but it’s OURS).

I did find my ‘library’ and most of the books are salvageable – some not. My darling sweetheart has said our first ‘extra’ money is going to DragonsBlood and he now has a curiousity to read the books himself.

I never expected to be in this position at 40 yrs of age but the kindness of others has definately shown me that there are wonderously large hearts out there and good people who own them. May the deities bless you all a thousand fold.

Dee

PS: What’s “KT”?

Hi Dee!

I’m glad to hear that some of your books are salvageable. Really cherished books can no more be replaced than puppies or kittens. Hopefully you’ll find books that’ll fill the holes in your library.

One of the things that I truly love about people is that they pull together unstintingly in the face of a crisis. Pern fans seem to rise above all others in their kindness (maybe the books are self-selecting).

As to your question, What’s KT? KT is the abbreviation to Kitchen Table also known as Kitchen Table Live, or Kitchen Table Bulletin Board. The Kitchen Table was part of Mum’s website when it seemed a requirement to keep strict control on anything related to Pern — or lose any chance of possibly seeing a Pern film. Fortunately, particularly when looking at Harry Potter fandom, it’s become clear that such strict policing isn’t necessary and we’ve relaxed such tight controls. Nowadays there are several websites devoted to discussing Mum’s various works.

Here’s a brief list:

Pernese Friends
Anne McCaffrey Fans
A Meeting of Minds
Benevolent Protective Order of Ilk
Pern Fandom Forums

Cheers,
Todd

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Thanks for the answer, Todd. You are so correct that I have the old bookplate; however, it is neat just the same. I have completed the first read of DRAGONSBLOOD, and I think that the plotting, the characters and the continuity were very well-developed. I have written a paper or two in my English classes about the strong woman warrior/hero (only to be found in fantasy/sci-fi), and, naturally, Lessa was the character that I always used as the supreme example. Now, there are many more women characters of strength, and you have written more of them with Lorana as well as fleshing out Emily Boll, Sorka and giving Wind Blossom a redemptive voice. Kitti Ping’s treatment of her daughter is all too normal in the real world. To overcome situational reactions with strength and intelligence and heroic action is the true nature of the hero. Congratulations again on seamlessly keeping the world of Pern as I and my son always see it!

(We read the Pern cycle yearly, just as we do The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit.)

– Donna

Hello again, Donna!

I’m glad that you liked Dragonsblood. I’m particularly glad that you liked Wind Blossom and her redemption. She was really an interesting character and explaining her apparent clumsiness in Dragonsdawn was a real challenge but it all ties in with some of the larger questions that still aren’t answered about the colonists.

I wouldn’t be too hard on Kitti Ping, though. I’ve an inkling of her backstory and I think it may well explain her behavior. However, that story lives before Pern and even only at the very earliest beginnings of the Nathi War and I’m afraid that such stories won’t get told because they’re neither fish nor fowl — not proper Pern stories but too tied to Pern to attract non-Pern readers. We’ll have to see.

But once again, I’m really glad that you liked Dragonsblood!

Cheers,
Todd

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Congratulations on your FANTASTIC new novel, Dragonsblood!!! I read and thoroughly enjoyed Dragon’s Kin, and so opened the first page of Dragonsblood with much anticipation….and couldn’t stop till I finished the last page.

It’s fascinating reading about Pern at a time so much closer to the initial colonization…when not all memory of the Landing and Technology have faded away yet.
And the characters are interesting and alive, the story is fast-paced and gripping, and all-in-all a thoroughly enjoyable book, well deserving of the title “A Novel of Pern.”

Speaking as a mother of sons myself, I must close with this comment…”YOUR mother must be VERY Proud!!!!

Looking forward to the next “Novel of Pern” by Todd McCaffrey!

Lisa

Hey Lisa!

Thanks for making my day! I’m so glad you liked Dragonsblood. My mother is very proud. We’re working on Dragon’s Fire which fits between Dragon’s Kin and Dragonsblood.

Cheers,
Todd

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Todd,

Been enjoying reading about the diversity of things people enjoyed about the book. I am one of those who more easily got into the Wind Blossom story line. I’d say it is a mark of your realistic characterization that I got into her story line first and most memorably. I have been known to manipulate DNA and clone things myself in my successful pursuit of my Ph.D. in biochemistry.

More importantly, I wanted to follow-up on Marilyn’s letter where you said: “… I have a complete cast of characters (Dramatis Personae), and had one for Dragon’s Kin, too, but my editor prefers to avoid them … Would it help you if I put the cast of characters on-line?”

The answer is YES, sound like a great bonus to your website. You can also add me to the list of people who like to see the Dramatis Personae and Dramatis Draconae and perhaps even a Dramatis Draconetae (as firelizardae sounded forced) in the book. I think Wendy Glass called the one for you mom the Dragondex. Also, especially for DB, I would like to see the Chapter listing with some chronological notation (year or pass or interval) with the Chapter number, title and page number. Such things may distract, but are easily skipped over. Incidentally, I find the extras in a book, like in Yolen’s Pit Dragon Trilogy, and Rawn’s Sunrunner trilogies, and especially maps and Dragondex’s to be essential to a re-readable book.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I’m glad you liked the book. I’m relieved that you didn’t find quibble with any of the PNA (Pernese Nucleic Acid) science that I’d put in the book (there’s more lurking in the background).

I’ll see what I can do about the Dramatis Personae. It may take a while (I’ve got it but it’s in MS Word tables complete with little notes that I don’t want to expose to the light of day) as I’m trying to get a good rough draft of Dragon’s Fire.

The chapters actually *do* have the year After Landing listed. I rather wish that the chapter headings had included the date and location, then had the poetry or excerpt and then the text of the chapter rather than having the chapter heading, the poetry/excerpt, and then the date/location. Editors have their druthers and it’s wise to listen to them, so listen I did.

I’d like a table of contents, too. In fact, I had one in the original manuscript but it was cut.

I can argue to get the Dramatis Personae, the table of contents and maybe even a revision to the chapter headings in the paperback — I managed to get the songs in Dragon’s Kin to be left-aligned instead of centered on the page when we did the paperback, I’ll see what can be managed with Dragonsblood in paperback.

I’m glad you liked the book.

Would you consider sharing your opinion on amazon.com?

Cheers,
Todd

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