High Fantasy:What Is It?

Recently I was asked to explain what the high fantasy genre actually encompasses. Not an easy task, given the plethora of sub-genres abounding in speculative fiction these days, but nevertheless I had a crack at trying to make sense of how they all tie together and overlap. There is no real guide on how all the labels fit together, but this is my attempt at explaining what I think all these categories mean.

Click here to read the full explanation.

The Nuance In the Name

I recently guest posted for @abhinavjain87 on the importance of character names, particularly in a fantasy context, although not exclusively.

What makes a good name? Does it really matter what you call characters? Will readers care all that much?

For answers to these questions, and others, stop on over to read the full post here. You can also see some examples of my names and what they mean to me, and tell me if they evoke similar imagery and feelings for you. What did you call your characters, and do you feel they 'fit'?

Epic Fantasy Saga, Shadows of the Realm by Dionne Lister, on Sale Jan 8-22!

Shadows of the Realm is an epic fantasy for teens and adults. Join Bronwyn and Blayke, two young realmists, and their animal companions, as they are forced to leave the only home they’ve ever known to undertake a dangerous journey towards Vellonia, city of the dragons.

The gormons are invading, slipping through the corridors between realms, and they want blood, lots of Talian blood. Will the young realmists learn enough of the Second Realm magic to prevail, or will everything they love be destroyed?

The first book in The Circle of Talia series is on sale from the 8^th to the 22^nd of January for the bargain price of $1.99 on Smashwords and Amazon. Grab it and escape into an original and enchanting world filled with mystery, danger, dragons and adventure; you won’t be sorry!

Dionne Lister is a Sydneysider (for our overseas readers, Sydney, Australia) and she is currently studying an associate degree in creative writing.  When she's not writing, she's trying to keep fit or she's on Twitter. Dionne co-hosts a hilarious podcast called Tweep Nation, which can be found free on iTunes, and Club Fantasci, a speculative fiction online book club. 

You can download Shadows of the Realm free at Amazon and Smashwords.