PORT OF CALL: Tim Slover’s ‘Comin’ Out fer Christmas’

My good friend and playwright Tim Slover wrote this wonderful piece for his Christmas Party this year — and I just had to share it with you. Yee-ha!

The place of board games in our families traditional holiday celebrations is remembered and Tracy and Laura’s ‘Santa’s Sleigh Ride’ board game is offered for a free trial download.

CREATIVE ENGINE: Rosenstern and Gildencrantz

The sad fate of two — make that three — characters who suddenly realized, in the middle of a book, that they had no business being there at all.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: Sleigh Ride 1886

Laura reads a composition by my great-grandmother, Annie Gunn, who was twenty years old at the time she wrote this in 1886. You can see her amazing handwriting in the image above and enjoy the charm of her writing in the podcast.

STATUS REPORT:

In addition to the sneak peeks we offered to you of our upcoming projects, we let you know that our ‘Eventide’ novel will be available on Amazon.com for their Kindle readers within days! We’ll post a link here to where you can get yours as soon as it is available.

CAPTAINS CABIN: Tracy and Laura sing a Christmas Song

Laura and I  do our best to sing a Christmas song that Laura plans to perform at our Christmas Eve celebrations in our home. It eventually works out…

Episode 53 / December 23rd, 2010

PORT OF CALL: Mormon Tabernacle Choir Phase III

I give a final report on my Phase III audition for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the end of my journey.

CREATIVE ENGINE: The Few Hundred

A discussion on the journey of our Dragon’s Bard series and why a few hundred copies can be a great success — as well as our offer of a holiday gift package that can be a real treasure.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: Laura and the Secret Service

Laura’s adventures regarding a questionable dollar bill that came in the mail includes contact with the Secret Service.

STATUS REPORT

CAPTAINS CABIN: Santa’s Sleigh Ride

The place of board games in our families traditional holiday celebrations is remembered and Tracy and Laura’s ‘Santa’s Sleigh Ride’ board game is offered for a free trial download.

Episode 52 / November 2nd, 2010

PORT OF CALL: Gencon Indy 2010 Convention Live!

Felicia Day and Tracy Hickman ... isn't Gencon fun?

Our live edition of DragonHearth recorded as it happened at the Gencon Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana the afternoon of August 6th. I am joined by Howard Tayler of Schlock Mercenary and XDM fame as well as our own Laura Hickman as we take questions from the audience and enjoy our time together.

Most definitely NOT featured in our live podcast presentation but nevertheless a memorable and delightful time for me was meeting Felicia Day, star of ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog’ and ‘The Guild.’ She is among the three nicest people I have ever met and her consideration and generosity impressed me greatly.

And, in as much as I am such a fan of her work that I actually SANG part of ‘Dr. Horrible’ at Killer Breakfast this year — I just had to put the picture of us together here and brag about meeting her.

Episode 51/ August 9th, 2010

DRAGONSBARD: Eventide Chapter 4 Reading

As we have been preparing for the Gencon Game Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, we thought we would share with you a sample chapter from our Dragon’s Bard Eventide project. This is chapter 4 entitled ‘The Millinery and the Pixies’ — read largely by Laura — and we both hope you’ll enjoy it. This chapter introduces us to Melinda Oakman, the town millinery and her trials not only at creating a ‘quest hat’ for Jarod Klum but in dealing with some most unlikely — and unwelcome — house guests.

Our next podcast will be from the Gencon Game Convention in about two weeks. We hope you’ll join us there!

Episode 50/ July 26th, 2010

CREATIVE ENGINE: Writing like the Dickens

Why the time has come for serialized novels … again after a hundred and fifty years … in the new form of Dragon’s Bard.

STATUS REPORT

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: The Future Isn’t What it Used to Be

The view 40 years into the future … from 1968!

CAPTAINS CABIN: A Visit to Eventide

Where Tracy Hickman introduces you to the village of Eventide … and the stories of the Dragon’s Bard.

Episode 49 / May 29th, 2010

Here is my photo of Mutefish as they performed on Grafton Street…

DISTANT SHORES: Q&A with Sandy Mitchell at Leprecon in Dublin, Ireland

Here is my attempted Question and Answer session with the good people attending Leprecon while in the epicenter of their gaming hall. Sandy Mitchell joins me here as we attempt to make ourselves sound wise above the din of the hall.

Episode 48 / March 20th, 2010

DISTANT SHORES: Mormon Tabernacle Choir Phase II

I give a detailed … perhaps TOO detailed … report on the Music Theory Achievement Test required in Phase II of the audition and my condition after surviving the test.

STATUS REPORT

CREATIVE ENGINE: Macmillan vs. Amazon Wars

You can read the hard copy on this report at trhickman.com as well as links to the main articles referred to here.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: Star Trek Offline

My misadventures in trying to reach the Final Frontier via Cryptic Studio’s newly release online MMORGP, Star Trek Online.

CAPTAINS CABIN: Scribe’s Forge Workshops

We announce the development of a new series of online writing seminars and workshops at our new Scribe’s Forge website..

Episode 47 / February 6th, 2010

PORT OF CALL: Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Me

The first part of my journey through the arduous Mormon Tabernacle Choir auditions.

NEWS AND MAIL

CREATIVE ENGINE:  Assault on Santa’s Workshop

Why has there never been a really good, ripping Santa Claus adventure with hard hitting excitment, reindeer and explosives? Now you can have one as my gift to you by downloading the free PDF version of Assault on Santa’s Workshop from the XDM: Xtreme Dungeon Mastery website as my holiday gift to you.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: My After-Christmas List

And what do YOU want for After Christmas, little boy? On my list you’ll find Batman: Arkham Asylum computer game, a Batmobile Tumbler model, an XDM: Xtreme Dungeon Mastery book and my favorite board game: Z-man Game’s ‘Tales of the Arabian Nights.”

STATUS REPORT:

A link to the cover of the first Drakis novel will be posted shortly.

CAPTAINS CABIN: Leacock’s Christmas Story

Originally to have been aired last year … but included this year as a special gift.

Episode 46 / December 29th, 2009

GENCON 2009 Special Edition

Tracy Hickman hosts Curtis Hickman and Howard Tayler (co-author and illustrator of the new XDM: Xtreme Dungeon Mastery book) to join him in this hour-long gathering with DragonHearth listeners. This presentation was recorded live in the Westin Hotel Capital III room at 2:00 pm on August 15th, 2009.

Episode 45 / August 15th, 2009

DISTANT SHORES: XDM — Xtreme Dungeon Mastery Available

Our Xtreme Dungeon Mastery book is now available. You can purchase the book here online. You can learn more about the book at xtremedungeonmastery.com. Be sure to visit schlockmercenary.com to learn about our illustrator Howard Tayler and his web comic series.

Episode 44 / July 6th, 2009

DISTANT SHORES: T.V. … or not T.V. …

I contemplate the death of my widescreen, HD plasma television … and how it portends the downfall of western civilization.

CREATIVE ENGINE: Perfect Pitch

Crafting the perfect pitch of your book is a lot more complicated than it looks … even for an old pro.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: Acting as if…

My wearying a lifeguard shirt at a water park leads to an incident with a lost little girl … and a contemplation regarding whether people are more ready to believe fantasy than the truth.

STATUS REPORT

CAPTAINS CABIN: XDM — Xtreme Dungeon Mastery

Wherein we talk about how XDM came to be. You can find out more about this project at xtremedungeonmastery.com. Be sure to visit schlockmercenary.com to learn about our illustrator Howard Tayler and his web comic series.

Episode 43 / May 21st, 2009

PORT OF CALL: Old South Church

Margaret Weis and I walk the “Freedom Trail” in Boston, Massachusetts and discover the roots of rebellion alive and well in the Out South Church.

NEWS AND MAIL

DISTANT SHORES No fan of Twilight …

Tracy explains the origins of the modern literary Vampire … and why he believes that Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’ series does a disservice to women.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES Changing my name to Fannie Mae …

Here are the words to Tom Paxton’s ode to the current ‘bail out’:

Everybody and his uncle is in debt,
And the bankers and the brokers are upset.
Goldman Sachs’s, Merrill Lynch’s
Saw themselves as lead-pipe cinches,
Now they’ve landed in the biggest screw-up yet.
Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns and all their kind
Have turned out to be the blind leading the blind.
They are clearly the nit-wittest
In survival of the fittest––
Let me modestly say what I have in mind

Chorus:

I am changing my name to Fannie Mae;
I am changing it to AIG.
On this bail-out I am betting;
Just a piece of what they’re getting,
Would be perfectly acceptable to me.
I am changing my name to Freddie Mac;
I am leaving for that great receiving line.
I’ll be waiting when they hand out
Seven hundred million grand out––
That’s when I’ll get mine.

Since the first amphibian crawled out of the slime,
We’ve been struggling in an unrelenting climb.
We were hardly up and walking
Before money started talking
And it said that failure was the only crime.
If you really screwed things up, then you were through;
Now––surprise!––there is a different point of view.
All that crazy rooty-tootin’
And that golden parachutin’
Means that someone’s making millions––just not you!

(to chorus)

CREATIVE ENGINE: Heraclitus and Schrödinger’s cat

An essay on how Quantum Theory explains the relationship between the writer and the reader.

STATUS REPORT

CAPTAINS CABIN: How Beautiful Upon the Mountains

Wherein we council how to publish peace.

Episode 42 / March 27th, 2009

SPECIAL EDITION: Dragonships Video Interview

Last December, Margaret and I did an interview for Expanded Books on our upcoming Dragonships novel release. The first book, ‘Bones of the Dragon’ is available now. Here is some insight into this first novel.

Episode 41 / January 16th, 2009

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: My Brother, Gerry Hickman

On December 20th, 2008, my beloved and only brother, Gerald Todd Hickman, passed away suddenly as a result of a bicycling accident.

Episode 40 / January 13th, 2009

PORT OF CALL: Richard Garriott and the Return to the World

Legendary computer game designer Richard Garriott — known to many of us as ‘Lord British’ — joins us aboard the DragonHearth for a final time from Star City, Russia to conclude his first-hand account of his recently completed spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station. In this final of three parts interview, we’ll discover how life after such an adventure has its own challenges … that the lessons that have been learned are sublime and unexpected … and how he has not yet had time to fully appreciate what the journey had brought to him.

You can read more about both Richard and his mission into space at his Richard in Space website.

Episode 39 / November 8th, 2008

PORT OF CALL: Richard Garriott and the First Sci-Fi Movie Made in Space

Legendary computer game designer Richard Garriott — known to many of us as ‘Lord British’ — joins us aboard the DragonHearth from Star City, Russia to continue his first-hand account of his recently completed spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station. In this second of three parts interview, we’ll hear about his feelings approaching the International Space Station … how the realities of life in space can be unexpected … and how he took a ‘secret project’ created by Laura and I with him into orbitand used it to make the first science-fiction film ever actually filmed in space.

You can read more about both Richard and his mission into space at his Richard in Space website.

Episode 38 / November 7th, 2008

PORT OF CALL: Richard Garriott, Private Space Explorer

Legendary computer game designer Richard Garriott — known to many of us as ‘Lord British’ — joins us once again aboard the DragonHearth from Star City, Russia this time to tell us his first-hand account of his recently completed spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station. In this first of three parts interview, we’ll learn of his experiences leading up to his launch … what it it like to take a Soyuz into space … and the costs beyond the monetary that such an adventure exacts on one’s life.

You can read more about both Richard and his mission into space at his Richard in Space website.

Episode 37 / November 6th, 2008

PORT OF CALL: Richard Garriott, Spaceflight Participant

Legendary computer game designer Richard Garriott — known to many of us as ‘Lord British’ — joins us once again aboard the DragonHearth from Star City, Russia to update us on his final training and events leading up to his upcoming October 12th spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station. Richard, a tireless crusader for the exploration of space, is a founding board member of the X-prize Foundation, is on the board of directors of Space Adventures, and takes all of us to other worlds in his new Tabula Rasa computer game.

In this interview we’ll learn about some of the final ceremonial duties that are part of his graduation from the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, the experiments he will be conducting and about the infamous ‘spinning chair’.

For those of you who are hearty, you may stay up with me and watch the launch over the internet. You may wish to try NASA Select TV online to watch the launch. According to the NASA Select TV website, Sunday, October 12th, the video feed of Expedition 18/Spaceflight Participant Launching Morning Activities begins at 1:15 a.m. EDT with coverage beginning at 2:am EDT. The launch itself is currently scheduled for 3:01 a.m. EDT. There is a scheduled replay of the morning’s launch at 10:00 a.m. later that morning. Docking of the Soyuz to the ISS has coverage beginning at 4:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 14th. The docking itself is scheduled for 4:38 a.m. EDT. At 5:30 a.m. begins coverage of the Spaceflight Participant hatch opening and Welcoming Ceremony. Both of these events will be rebroadcast at 9:00 a.m. EDT. As the return schedule may have changed, look for updates on the hatch closing and farewells as well as the reentry coverage.

You can read more about both Richard and his mission into space at his Richard in Space website.

Episode 36 / September 26th, 2008

PORT OF CALL: The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival

Laura takes us to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival held in Provo Canyon and at the Sierra Amphitheater in Orem, Utah. She introduces us to the incredible storytellers: Victoria Bernett, Antonio Rocha, Kevin Kling, Motoko,  and Rex Ellis.

Carmen Agra Deedy is our dear, exceptional friend. If you would like a sample of her extraordinary talents, watch the online video of her address at the Library of Congress.

DISTANT SHORES: On Being Extras in the Movies

We’re in a MOVIE! You can check out the website and previews for the movie and, who knows, you might actually get to SEE it one day.CREATIVE ENGINE: Secret Projects

Thoughts on why sometimes silence is the best course of action.

STATUS REPORT

Laura and Tracy’s DNA going up to the International Space Station as part of Operation Immortality. Upcoming appearances at the Lucca Comics and Game Convention in Lucca, Italy and the “Life, the Universe and Everything” Symposium at Brigham Young University in February.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: The Dairy District Derby

You can keep your Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby … here’s what horse racing is all about!

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: The Course Ahead

Settling in on course for the fall … and a look at our future transmissions.

Episode 35 / September 16th, 2008

Recorded live at the 2008 Gencon Gaming Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana…

DISTANT SHORES: Reading from the upcoming ‘Drakis’ book ‘Song of the Dragon’

Laura and Tracy invite members of the audience up to assist them in a reading from their upcoming novel, ‘Song of the Dragon’.

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: Final Thoughts

Thoughts on what is coming next … especially Laura and Tracy’s DNA going up to the International Space Station as part of Operation Immortality.

Episode 34 / August 18th, 2008

Recorded live at the 2008 Gencon Gaming Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana…

STATUS REPORT: Guess Who’s Coming to Gencon

Margaret Weis, Jamie Chambers of Margaret Weis Productions, the Producer of the Dragonlance Movie John Frank and Phil Athans, Managing Editor of Wizards of the Coast Book Publishing … all join Laura and Tracy aboard the Dragonhearth and begin by each giving us their own status report on what they are currently working on.

PORT OF CALL: Questions and Answers

Questions from our audience are answered including the possibilities for a second Dragonlance Movie and the future of Dragonlance at Wizards of the Coast.

Episode 33 / August 18th, 2008

PORT OF CALL: “Dragons of an Hourglass Mage” Publication Announced
We are pleased, in a joint press release by Wizards of the Coast with Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, to announce that the third book in the ‘Dragonlance Lost Chronicles’ trilogy now has a publication date set in 2009.

NEWS AND MAIL:
We at last deal with a number of questions, including ‘Hourglass Mage’, the question of swearing in my novels as it relates to my faith, and a plethora of questions regarding the social customs of … gulp … gully dwarves.

STATUS REPORT
Manuscripts for first books in both the Weis & Hickman ‘Dragonships’ series and the Hickman & Hickman ‘Drakis’ series are at the publisher … plus there’s the question of this secret project.

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: Appearances
Tracy & Laura are scheduled to appear at the Gencon Indy Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana this August and at the Lucca Comics and Games Convention in Lucca, Italy in November.

Episode 32 / July 21st, 2008

DISTANT SHORTS: Gencon OZ in Brisbane, Australia
Part Two of Two as Tracy and Laura conclude their journey to Brisbane, Australia and the first Gencon Australia Game Convention.

We begin with a reading from the upcoming Tracy & Laura Hickman series ‘Drakis’ … enlisting members of the audience (shown here) into our cast. With only a few minor bumps along the way, their performance is flawless.

We then conclude with additional questions from our new friends ‘Down Under.’

Episode 31 / July 3rd, 2008

DISTANT SHORTS: Gencon OZ in Brisbane, Australia
Part One of Two as Tracy and Laura journey to Brisbane, Australia and the first Gencon Australia Game Convention.

We speculate about Rugby League vs. Union rules and on why American Football manages to make a ninety minute game last for four hours. We tell about our adventures aboard the Mirimar going up the Brisbane River and our encounters with Koalas and Kangaroos in the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

We explain the nature of Killer Breakfast and why Australians should come and enjoy it just like those in the Northern Hemisphere.

We then take questions from the Dragonlance Crew (shown below) and prepare for a reading from our upcoming book ‘Drakis.’

Episode 30 / July 3rd, 2008

PORT OF CALL: Cam Banks and ‘The Sellsword’
Cam Banks, author of numerous Dragonlance game books, comes aboard to discuss his novel, “The Sellsword” — first in the new ‘Tracy Hickman Presents: The Anvil of Time’ series.

Episode 29 / June 21st, 2008

DISTANT SHORES: Ben Stein’s “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed”

A review of Ben Stein’s documentary film about Intelligent Design. You can visit the ‘Expelled: No Intelligent Design’ website for more information on the film and their take on ID.

News and Mail

THE CREATIVE ENGINE: An Inconvenient Book

The strange case of ‘Dragonlance: Lost Chronicles’ and the twisted fate of ‘Dragons of the Hourglass Mage’ are considered — the mystery of how a third book in an advertised trilogy (whose previous novel was a New York Times Best Seller) would be abandoned by its publisher.

STATUS REPORT

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: Blu-ray and Browncoats

Why HD DVD is … er, WAS … better than Blu-ray … and why it didn’t matter.

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: “The Immortals”

Celebrating the new printing of the book with an excerpt from the podiobook.

Episode 28 / April 22nd, 2008

PORT OF CALL: Richard Garriott, Spaceflight Participant
Legendary computer game designer Richard Garriott — known to many of us as ‘Lord British’ — joins us aboard the DragonHearth from Star City, Russia to conclude our two-part conversation about his amazing life, his recent projects and his preparations for his upcoming spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station scheduled for launch this coming October. Richard, a tireless crusader for the exploration of space, is a founding board member of the X-prize Foundation, is on the board of directors of Space Adventures, and takes all of us to other worlds in his new Tabula Rasa computer game.

In this second part of our interview, we discuss his training for the mission, his objectives for the flight and what he is looking forward to after his flight.

You can read more about both Richard and his mission into space at his Richard in Space website.

Episode 26 / February 11th, 2008

PORT OF CALL: Richard Garriott, Spaceflight Participant
Legendary computer game designer Richard Garriott — known to many of us as ‘Lord British’ — joins us aboard the DragonHearth from Star City, Russia to talk about his amazing life, his recent projects and his preparations for his upcoming spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station scheduled for launch this coming October. Richard, a tireless crusader for the exploration of space, is a founding board member of the X-prize Foundation, is on the board of directors of Space Adventures, and takes all of us to other worlds in his new Tabula Rasa computer game.

In this first part of our interview, we discuss life in Star City, his history and his views on the current state of computer games.

You can read more about both Richard and his mission into space at his Richard in Space website.

Episode 26 / February 11th, 2008

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: The Dragonlance Movie Review
The Dragonlance Movie has premiered here at the Hickman House … and here is our first review. You can join the discussion on this topic either at the Dragonhearth Message board or get additional information from the Official Dragonlance Movie website.

PORT OF CALL: The Blu-ray / HD-DVD War Report
Our son Curtis Hickman … a professional After Effects artist as well as professional magician … calls the victor in the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD war.

CREATIVE ENGINE: Softening Stories for Young Children … and why you shouldn’t
An essay by Stephen Leacock from the early 1900′s shows us why ‘politically correct’ children’s stories may NOT be the best choice!

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: Santa’s Beard
My father recites our favorite of his Christmas Poems:

DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT SANTA’S BEARD
By Dr. Harold Hickman

Don’t talk to me about Santa’s Beard…
That it’s just fur or cotton.
I busted Joe just up the block
for saying things that rotten.

He said down at the shopping mall
The Santa Line was merry.
‘Cause they gave kids a lolly-pop
And his was lime … or cherry.

It stuck to Santa’s beard real good
It glued right in the middle.
And he yanked that guys beard right off
And he just tugged a little.

Well that might be for store-bought ‘Nicks
In shopping malls some place
But it’s not true of Santa Claus
He’d always save his face.

You see there’s just ONE Santa Claus
A mighty jolly guy
The others are just helpers
Like Santa’s foreign spies.

Cause Santa’s got a rush up there
To get his stuff all ready
He’s got a million things to do
And work must go quite steady

If he would leave this time of year
The whole place would be frantic
With all them elves a running round
And Mrs. Claus in panic.

So he assigns some guys around
Who look the same as he does
But they ain’t got no beard like his
As soft as down or peach fuzz.

They represent the grand old man
And listen to the kiddies
And ask what kind of dolls they want
To sing them little ditties.

So these guys look like Santa Clause
To make us all remember
That this old man who brings the stuff
Will be here this December.

So next time you sit on his lap
NO LOLLYPOP … and trust him!
The next kid that pulls off his beard…
I’ll find him out AND BUST HIM!

Episode 25/ December 1st, 2007

PORT OF CALL: Killer Breakfast
At last we can bring you Killer Breakfast: The Series! Our famous Gencon event is now a new video podcast which you can view either online at our website or subscribe to for download… and don’t miss the obligatory gift shop on our way out!

CREATIVE ENGINE: NaNoWriMo
Nation Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an effort to bust through your writer’s block with a blitz attack of words on the page. It includes mutual support online.

STATUS REPORT

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: NaDruWriNi
An joke that has a darker side when we explore the myth of the drunken writer.

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: Dragonlance Art Auction
A discovery of forgotten art brings a piece of Dragonlance history to light. The original Larry Elmore painting that was used to sell Dragonlance to TSR is for a limited time up for auction on Ebay … along with four additional pieces by Larry Elmore. You can view the art and find the auction by searching Ebay for ‘TRH’ or through this link in the DragonHearth Ship’s Log.

Episode 24 / November 19th, 2007

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: Choking on Bones
Our visit to the set the the hit television series ‘Bones‘ — as guests of the talented Director of Photography, Gordon Lonsdale — turns into a nightmare as I fight to suppress the dreaded COUGH!

NEWS AND MAIL

CREATIVE ENGINE: Scary Writing Reviews
We ponder the the underlying questions behind the most dreaded and terror-inspiring question “What do you think of my writing?”

STATUS REPORT

CAPTAIN’S CABIN A halloween story by Dr. Hal Hickman.
My father has told this tale to generations of Hickmans … and now you are being subjected to it as well! For other tales, you may wish to listen to his own podcast, “Tale of the Old West.”

Episode 23 / October 30th, 2007

PORT OF CALL: Game Designer Interview
Jamie Chambers and Cam Banks, game designers for Margaret Weis Productions and authors of Dragonlance, Serenity and Battlestar Galactica RPGs are interviewed.

Episode 22: October 25, 2007
Visit www.dragonhearthproductions.com for our ship’s log and our contact message board.

DISTANT SHORES: Dragonlance Soundtrack Composer Karl Preusser
This time we interview Karl Preusser, the composer of the music for the Dragonlance movie. You can find him on MySpace or browse his website.

Also, if you are interested in the innovative way the music was recorded, you can visit the orchestra.net website.

Finally, two important groups contributed to the magnificent sound of Karl’s score: the Mila Vocal Ensemble and the Musica Antiqua. We hope you’ll take a moment and visit the sites of these two astonishing groups.

The Music Cues List in the Dragonhearth Podcast:
The following music cues and their position in the podcast is as follows:

(01:06 – 02:56) Forestmaster
(06:31 – 07:44) Main Title
(10:53 – 12:00) Tanis Theme & Goldmoon Resurrection (short)
(15:30 – 16:17) Traveling Back to Solace
(17:23 – 19:06) Dragonarmies
(29:03 – 31:29) Tanis Theme & Goldmoon Resurrection (long)
(32:52 – 34:05) Qualinesti Hymn

These times are taken from the original source files for the podcast and are timed from the beginning of the podcast itself before the addition of any bumpers for Farpoint Media. All music used in the podcast is from the upcoming movie soundtrack except for the opening and closing theme and the music for ‘The Immortals’ promo.

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: the Qualinesti Hymn
In addition to hearing it on our podcast, you can see an online video which Laura and I created for the Gencon Game Convention which also shows some of the background art from the film set to the incredible sound of the Qualinesti Hymn. You can view low resolution versions of of this at The Dragonlance Movie Website and on YouTube or you can view a higher resolution version on the DragonHearth Productions Website.

Episode 21: September 22, 2007
Visit www.dragonhearthproductions.com for our ship’s log and our contact message board.

DISTANT SHORES Dragonhearth Live at Gencon 2007.
An exhausted Tracy and Laura Hickman welcome guest to the DragonHearth at the Gencon Game Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Episode 20 / August 31st. 2007
Visit www.dragonhearthproductions.com for our ship’s log and our contact message board.

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES Dragonlance Soundtrack and the Prague Symphony
We hope everyone will get acquainted with Karl Preusser, the composer of the music for the Dragonlance movie. You can find him on MySpace or browse his website at www.karlpreusser.com.

Also, if you are interested in the innovative way the music was recorded, you can visit the orchestra.net website.

CREATIVE ENGINE Playing Guitar Hero
If somehow you’ve missed the whole Guitar Hero wave, the wikipedia is a good place to start.

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: Gencon Preview
For information, please visit the Gencon website.

Episode 19 / July 30th, 2007
Visit www.dragonhearthproductions.com for our ship’s log and our contact message board.

Distant Shores: Pirate Movies Actually Worth Watching
If you have already spent your money on a bad pirate movie, perhaps you would now like to see a few GOOD ones! We recommend the following as a lot of fun…

The Sea Hawks
(Errol Flynn)

The Pirate
(Gene Kelly and Judy Garland)

Cutthroat Island
(Gena Davis and Matthew Modine)

Pirates of the Golden Age:
Against All Flags
Yankee Buckaneer
Double Crossbones
Buccaneer Girl

Veggie Tales: The Ultimate Silly Song Countdown
(Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything)

Muppet Treasure Island

Captain Blood
(Errol Flynn)

The Crimson Pirate
(Burt Lancaster)

News and Mail: Convention Report
The only convention Laura and I will be attending this year will be the Gencon Gaming Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. We’re especially pleased that we’ll be performing a special edition of our ‘Killer Breakfast’. Gencon has even given us our own page on their website and you can now watch the Safety Presentation Video online. You can also get information about all our other Gencon events.

Uncharted Territories: My Favorite Piratical Things
That they might feel better about pirates in general after the latest movie release, we thought you might want to sing along with Laura’s song in the podcast. Here are the lyrics

My Favorite Piratical Things

Boots that are shiny and swashes that buckle
Gaudy big rubies, a pair of brass knuckles
Cutlasses flash as they strike with a ring
These are my favorite piratical things.

Blackbeard and Bonnie and tales of Port Royal
Taking a prize at the end of a foil;
Hearty rough men in a chorus all sing
These are my favorite piratical things.

High Jolly Roger and deep buried treasure;
throw in a couple of skulls for good measure;
Erol Flynn given a rope always swings
These are my favorite piratical things.

Swab the decks and … stop the fighting,
Eat your tack and limes
Then simply remember Piratical things
And sail away to good times.

Tall ships with mast heads and filled with good plunder
Grapple with hooks and then split them asunder.
Thunderous yells, cannonballs on the wing
These are my favorite piratical things.

Women with corsets and sultry eyelashes
Passionate kisses to foaming sea splashes
Rogues who have stolen the bride of a king
These are my favorite piratical things.

Tempest filled oceans and epic sea battle
Burry the treasure ‘cause dead men don’t tattle
Traitorous dogs walk the plank as they sing,
These are my favorite piratical things.

Swab the decks and … stop the fighting,
Eat your tack and limes
Then simply remember Piratical things
And sail away to good times.

Episode #17 / May 31st, 2007
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

PORT OF CALL:  J.C. Hutchins ’7th Son’
If you are interested is listening the this original audio book series, you can get 7th Son: Book One – Descent, 7th Son: Book Two – Deceit, and 7th Son: Book Three – Destruction at www.podiobooks.com.

Episode #18 / June 20th, 2007

CREATIVE ENGINE, Soundtracks to write by
NEWS AND MAIL
STATUS REPORT
UNCHARTED TERRITORIES Dr. Leopold Van Der Kvak and Fossle Fuels
CAPTAIN’S CABIN, PBS, Mormons and a gift.

Episode #16 / May 5th, 2007
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

CREATIVE ENGINE, How to be famous
NEWS AND MAIL
STATUS REPORT
CAPTAIN’S CABIN, Guido the Gimlet of Ghent, a satirical romance of chivalry.

Episode #15 / March 29th, 2007
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

PORT OF CALL, Jason Marsden interview
NEWS AND MAIL
CREATIVE ENGINE, Don’t share worlds
UNCHARTED TERRITORIES, Academy of Hickman Awards
CAPTAIN’S CABIN, New Series Announced.

Episode #14 / February 24th, 2007
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

Distant Shores BattleLore review
News and Mail
Creative Engine Purposive and Reflective Art
Status Report
Captains Cabin the Gift of Dreams.

Episode #13 / January 24th, 2007
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

PORT OF CALL Interview with Caroline Gelabert the voice of Laurana in the new Dragonlance movie
DISTANT SHORES Reading of the Prologue from Dragons of the Highlord Skies
UNCHARTED TERRITORIES Twas the Night Before Podcast
CAPTAIN’S CABIN Lauras Christmas Poem.

Episode #12 / December 23rd, 2007
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

DISTANT SHORES Stranger than Fiction
MAIL CALL questions and answers
CREATIVE ENGINE Everything I learned about how not to be famous
STATUS REPORT Current status on upcoming projects
PORT OF CALL Steve Alten and Adopt an Author program

Episode #11 / November 21st, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

PORT OF CALL: Dead Gentlemen’s The Gamers and Dorkness Rising
The Dead Gentlemen’s films ‘The Gamers’ and their new “Dornkess Rising” movies are a ‘critical hit’ with gamers. Check out the original ‘Gamers’ and ‘Dorkness Rising’ trailers here!

UNCHARTED TERRITORIES: My Star Fleet Memories
As always, the Star Trek website can give you the latest on what’s going on in Starfleet. You can check out the details behind the scenes of the Remastering of Original Episodes and also get the latest on the Christie’s Auction.

CREATIVE ENGINE: What’s REALLY scary?
Laura talks about horror, terror and suspense — and what makes for a really GOOD scare!

STATUS REPORT: Current status on upcoming projects

CAPTAIN’S CABIN: A special Halloween Treat Tracy reads Stephen Leacock’s Buggham Grange A Good Old Ghost Story.

Tracy reads Stephen Leacock’s “Buggham Grange: A Good Old Ghost Story”. Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) (Wikipaedia) was a Canadian humorist writer and lecturer as well as the William Dow Professor of Political Economy and chair of the Department of Economics and Political Science at McGill University. His parodies of some of the most popular genres in fiction are found in his ‘Nonsense Novels‘ and ‘Winsome Winnie’. My personal favorites of his literary works, however, are his ‘Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town‘ (free text download / audio / iTunes) and ‘Arcadian Adventures among the Idle Rich’ (free text download).

Episode #10 / Thursday, October 19th, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

PORT OF CALL Perspectives of Starting Authors
MAIL CALL News about Writers Workshop and a question about writing partnerships
CREATIVE ENGINE Part II of James Chrstensen interview
STATUS REPORT Current status on upcoming projects including the Dragonlance Movie
CAPTAIN’S CABIN The Author and the Doorknob.

Episode #9 / September 21st, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

DRAGONHEARTH LIVE from the Dragon*con Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Special Edition / September 4th, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

GENCON LIVE from the Gencon Game Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Special Edition / August 12th, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

BOOK TOUR PODCAST from the Joseph-Beth Bookstore in Charlotte, North Carolina

Special Edition / August 1, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

BOOK TOUR PODCAST from the Joseph-Beth Bookstore in Lexington, Kentucky.

Special Edition / July 31st, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.

BOOK TOUR PODCAST from the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Special Edition / July 28th, 2006
Visit our website for contact information and access to our DragonHearth Harbor Message board.