I just wanted to tell you, Dragonsblood was GREAT! You truly are qualified to add to the PERN library. I have been reading and re-reading the Pern books for along time, every few yrs I reread them, sometimes I start with Dragonriders trilogy and other times I start with the landing…. but now you have opened up more of the lives…. what happened in between! I love to escape to Pern whenever life here on Earth is too stressful for me. No, don’t worry, I do have a life, it’s just like a favorite movie seen repeatedly.

An idea that has bugged me along time tho is, did the homing capsule EVER get picked up and if so, did anyone come to visit Pern? Thanks for adding to my treasured Pern library.

Nancy

Dear Nancy,

Thank you! I’m glad that you liked Dragonsblood. And I think you’ll find with Dragon’s Fire that we’ll be opening up more of the story of Pern.

As I recall, the issue of the homing capsule was covered in Rescue Run which Mum wrote a while back. It’s a short story that was first printed in Analog and is now anthologized somewhere (I can’t remember). If you check out annemccaffrey.net and go through the bibliography, I think you’ll find it.

Cheers,
Todd

Dear Todd, you and David Gerrold and your Mum all took the training.
Now, would you please make it clear….what training?

Dear Barbara,

As you may have noticed from my other posts, I don’t claim to be able to make it clear about the training — any more than I can make it clear why a drink from a mountain stream is such a different experience than a plain glass of water or what a first kiss is like.

Those are experiences and the training is experiential. Instead of simply listening to someone talk, the trainings involve doing things, in pairs, groups, mingles. And even that is not a sufficient explanation.

Simply, for those who’d like to take their lives to a different level, this is the quickest way I know of getting there.

If you’re interested in knowing more, let me know.

Cheers,
Todd

Ok Todd, I’ll bite. What training have you taken? It sounds rather strange to call it that. Perhaps a retreat? I can’t glean anything from Gerrold’s website. Speaking of which, I highly recommend his website. It must be a fan favorite.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Glad you bit!

The training (which I’m still in) is called Accelerate Trainings. You can find the website but be advised that I am working to update it which is why I don’t currently recommend it.

I think the other name that’s been used a lot is transformational trainings but I’m not sure that’s an apt description.

If you’re ready for a change in your life, if you want to take things to a different level, then the trainings are probably something you’d want to investigate. In and of themselves, the trainings don’t do much — any more than learning how to drive a car. It’s where you or what you decide to do with the trainings that make it interesting, just like driving to a place is what makes getting a license so appealing.

These trainings, in different flavors, have been in existence for over thirty years.

For me, though, the bottom line is in results. There were two results that I found most memorable: The first was the night I finished the Basic training and had the greatest conversation with my eleven year-old daughter that I’d ever had; The second was when Mum finished the training.

I learned a lot about myself and about people and I’m sure it’ll show it (quietly) in my writing from now on. I’m in good company, not only did David Gerrold take the trainings but Theodore Sturgeon took them ages ago when the training was just new.

Cheers,
Todd

Dear Todd…

Thanks so much for the advice. You can’t possibly know how much it means to me. I think I have an idea on a new book. Perhaps this one will work. ‘Tis worth a try, by the way, did I tell you I have a job now? I work at a gas station, but we also do tire repair and oil changes. Messy job, but it pays. I told you about my new trio of pern books, and I am currently on the second one, (forgot the title, so many 🙂 but I’ve also gotten my hands on some manga ( I can blame my brother for getting me into manga as well) I currently read dragon hunter. It’s pretty funny, thats why I read it. Well, I look forward to talking to you soon, ’till then, bye:]

Your drakonic friend..

Nhorad.

Dear Nhorad,

Congratulations on the new book idea — I hope it goes well. And congratulations on the job. Money’s a nice thing to have, isn’t it?

Hmm, Manga, eh? My daughter is into Manga, too.

Cheers,
Todd