My daughter was playing this song on her internet list. The tune and singer’s voice grabbed me. I downloaded it based on that. Then I really listened.

Oh, man.

I cannot tell you how much I love this song. I love the melody and phrasing, Aslyn’s voice. I love the lyrics. I love the true story behind them. Gracious Lord, this is what it’s all about.

This youtube is of a live performance. She gives a great into to the song. She tells how her grandfather Wally, who was in the Coast Guard when he young, met his wife Fae. They were married for 55 years. Then Aslyn tells how she found Wally, a few days after Grandma Fae died, sitting in his rocking chair holding a black and white picture of his wife, his eyes wet with tears. Fae had written on the picture: ”to sweetest boy I’ve ever known.” You gotta listen to that intro. Then you have to get the Lemon Love album version of the song. It’s 99 cents on Amazon.

Here are the lyrics. I’ve added the little spoken part you get on the Lemon Love version that’s not in the live performance.

“Wally”

[Aslyn's grandfather]

Hello, I’m Wally. I’m the man that had the good fortune of one day of finding a companion that would live with me for more than 55 years. No man could have ever asked for a better wife, or better friend, than the one I found across the dance floor at the USO.

[Song begins]  

Dear Wally, I’m writing this letter sincerely.
To tell you you’re the “sweetest boy I’ve ever known.”
Remember that USO when we met.
You almost didnt go.
Well, me and your two sons are very glad you did.
Cause when your eyes found me I could hardly breathe.
I wanted you.
Glad you wanted me.

I never stopped falling in love with you, Wally.
From the first day I saw you
I was sailor-bound, I just knew.
You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you more.

That night was pure magic.
Who would have imagined.
It would become 55 loving wonderful years.
Your job was not all easy.
Those last years I could hardly speak.
But when I looked at you I knew nothing had changed.
And when I was leaving.
I could feel you hurting.
But then I saw those angels and I knew your love would want this for me.

I never stopped falling in love with you, Wally.
From the first day I saw you
I was sailor-bound, I just knew.
You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you more…more… more…more… more

So while you’re waiting
Know that I’m saying I love you
I love you………

I never stopped falling in love with you, Wally.
From the first day I saw you
I was sailor-bound, I just knew.
You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you

You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you more..

Dear Wally…

The three amigos (David Farland, Larry Correia, and I) have locked down venues for Phoenix and Denver.

Servant of a Dark God on Deseret News Bookmarks. The article, well, it’s more of a notice, is open for comments.

James Maxey is a writer I admire. For his work ethic. For the quality of his prose. For his imagination. His story “To Know All Things That Are In The Earth” is one of my favorites. So you can be sure I was pleased to find and read this today.

I will say, in utter candor, that Servant of a Dark God is a work that truly stands out from other fantasy books on the market. What makes this book work so well is that it’s a story about family first, and a fantasy adventure second. Full review.

Mette Harrison is the author of Mira, Mirror, The Princess and the Hound and The Princess and the Bear (Orson Scott Card simply loves her work.) So she’s a great writer, but she is also someone who does not blurb books if she doesn’t like them. Heck, she has a hard time doing PR for her OWN work. So I was so very happy to see this review of  Servant of a Dark God.

John Brown’s book has all the great things about epic fantasy that I love. Full Review.

Just a reminder. I’ll be meeting the public and chatting about my book in Utah this week. David Farland and Larry Correia will there as well. It’s a three-for-one deal.

I figured regular readers would want a break from all the book release news, as fascinating as it is. And so I present to you my photograph, “Mumma, Cat of Death.” (I need a new camera. The quality of this piece of junk is so stellar.)

Mumma was a stray that showed up in our garage one day, freaked many of the long-timers, and then got pregnant. Up here in the ranch lands there are no such thing as spaying and neutering. There are a number of Toms, and, well, we were too slow with our communist population control program. So she had five cute kittens. Up until that time she was satisfied with catfood and an occasional bird or mouse. After that, she became Mumma, Cat of Death.

What you see above is only PART of the catch of ONE day: a packrat, a ground squirrel, a bird (she ate it, what you see on that piece of white paper is what she left–one leg), and a rabbit. Notice, she’s looking away from her catches. I think she was eying a visitor’s toddler at that moment, deciding if she could take him down. Every day she hunted up a few meals. And these were not for show, not nice gifts left on the doorstep for the master. No, she’d bring them up from the fields, let them ripen a bit, and then start in at the head. But she wouldn’t always eat the whole thing. Sometimes she’d leave it for the kittens. Sometimes, she’d just leave it for the next day. She turned our garage into a scene of blood and carnage.

So again: Mumma, Cat of Death.

John Scalzi writes a massively visited blog called Whatever. He has a regular column called “The Big Idea” where authors explain the “big idea” behind their novels. I got a chance to explain the big one behind Servant of a Dark God. Read about it here.

In this interview William Morris of A Motley Vision: Mormon Arts and Culture asks the normal questions about the book, but he also asks about my Mormonism and how that affects my writing. Enjoy!

As one of the literary footnotes. But, hey, there’s my mug. I’m sure when I take over the world next week, they’ll give me headline billing on the comics page.  So leave them a comment and let them know how happy you are to see my handsome fleshy head.