New Amber interview at BBC Cult

[kajo 2000]

Chapter Three of Astray is up now - you can find it here.

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

[Warduke]

Another great update. Can't wait for the next one.



I'm really liking this story so far.

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[urnofosiris]

I haven't had time to listen, but I am going to sit down and do it this weekend. I'm very curious now.

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She's so anally retentive she wouldn't sit down for fear of sucking up the furniture.

--Patsy Stone

[feena191]

I posted on Chris's Board to ask if there was any possiblity of a buyable audio book

Quote:

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Feena . . . There are LOTS of announcements coming on GoA in the next six weeks, but I'm afraid nothing I can say at the moment. Suffice to say if all goes well, you should be able to have your own version of "Astray" eventually.



In fact . . . clear a shelf.

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Yay!!!



Feena

-x-

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How's he gonna read that magazine rolled up like that?

~ Famous last words of an insect

[WebWarlock]

Just read the latest update.



It's very interesting, but I am a bit worried.

Chris and Amber are weaving a novel length tapestry in a short story, and thus I am worried that it might leave some threads hanging.



There is a great backdrop being created here. This is going to be a very interesting world to host many stories.



Now about that "review" above.

Picking on the animation is really low. It's Flash. It's going to be a little 'primitive' to deliver over the web. Sure if there was a huge budget and a nice TV deal then I am sure it have looked great. Buy hey "South Park" has a sweet TV deal and big budget and it still looks like crap.



About the story. I did not agree with her at all. If she wants to see sexual tension between William and Tamara, then hey, maybe that is more of a reflection on her.



Personally, I noticed two things about Tamara and William and Tamara.

First, Tamara seems to have a little bit of Amber in her. Maybe more than just a little.

Second, is it really a coincidence that "William and Tamara" are written by two people well known for their love of "Willow and Tara"?



In any case, I am enjoying this story.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

The Other Side,
home of Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks: Available October 31st, 2003!

“Well-behaved women rarely make history.” - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich,
Professor Harvard University.

[helpful information perha]

Chris G interview with plug for GoA/Amber at end

www.silverbulletcomicbook...498402.htm

[kajo 2000]

You can find Chapter Four of Astray here.

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

Edited by: kajo 2000 at: 10/10/03 2:56 am

[Warduke]

Just read chapter four and it just gets better and better.



I liked the sprite, she's funny and has a some attitude

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[WebWarlock]

Just finished the latest chapter, I liked the sprite as well.



There is a distinct similarity between this and the Willow & Tara comic "Wilderness". No surprise of course.



Also, unless I miss my guest, this is the first time that William and Tamara have been refered to as witches. Kinda neat.



I am also enjoying Bodecia quite a bit. I mean I have allways had affection for her since I first read her story years ago. Chris and Amber's version seems a little too refined for a Celtic warrior queen from the 1st century, but I can excuse that.



The one thing that I do have a criticism on is the Swifts seeming lack of concern about the situation. Yes, they say they are, as they mentally comment on the stones of the hearth. I am not getting that they are. Now maybe if they are painting the picture that Swifts are over-confident, then they are doing it well.



I am enjoying how the changeling babies all seem to like William. That is funny. I hope it is more than just a gag, it would be nice that if this was an insight to William's character.



More Albion goodness later this week.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

The Other Side,
home of Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks: Available October 31st, 2003!

"I don't want to believe. I want to know." - Carl Sagan

[Hemiola]

Speaking of Bodicaea/Boudicca, did anyone catch "Warrior Queen" on PBS's "Masterpiece Theatre" this past Sunday (10/12)? I thought it was really well done.



The scene where the horrid Catus has Boudicca flogged and forced to witness the rape of her two daughters certainly left no doubt about how oppressive the Romans could be !

[Warduke]

Chapter five of Astray is up here.



I just read it and again, good chapter. I'm just loving this story.

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

Edited by: Warduke at: 10/16/03 8:38 pm

[feena191]

I've been reading Chris's board again, this made me chuckle.



Someone posted that an extract from chap 3 reminded them of a really awful hotel they stayed in in June

Quote:

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It was a lengthy journey, made even longer by their overnight stay at a country inn that had been nothing short of horrid. The Swifts had led privileged lives and yet had only the most basic expectations for their lodgings: clean sheets and beds that did not list to one side at drastic angles, a kitchen whose offerings did not provoke nausea, and fundamental courtesy from the innkeeper and his staff.

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Chris's reply:

Quote:

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Why, James, I have no IDEA what you're talking about.

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Feena

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How's he gonna read that magazine rolled up like that?

~ Famous last words of an insect

[BFR from Paris]

Feena: Chris is so cool!



Hey, could you post in the BBC GoA Message Board please? Everybody's gone! I'm all alone!!



BTW, loving the novella



BFR/Spider

[Warduke]

Chapter six of Astray is up here.

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[WebWarlock]

Ah very fun.



This is my favorite quote so far.

Quote:

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"Oh, yes. The six foot, glowing, ghostly naked woman isn't at all conspicuous."

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- Willam



Warlock

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Web Warlock

The Other Side,
home of Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks: Available October 31st, 2003!

"I don't want to believe. I want to know." - Carl Sagan

[feena191]

hi BFR



At the moment I'm only online on a Friday afternoon in the library, so sorry I've not replied before now. I'll try & post there, but I'm not sure if I can remember my password!



Feena

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Everyone whispers in Cornwall

[dekalog]

ww

there's lots of little things like that which make me giggle

balances off alll the scarey bits

[kajo 2000]

From the Ghosts of Albion Message Board:

Quote:

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NEWS!!! Read it here! Christopher Golden - 61st post - 29 Oct 2003 12:09



Well, it's been awfully quiet in here, but the hits keep coming, so we have to assume that people are just too busy to post after they've read.



Amber and I hope you've enjoyed "Astray," which we think of as the bridge between Phase One of Ghosts of Albion, and Phase Two, a veritable WAVE of new GoA projects. Without further ado . . .



**Yes, yes, yes, while a deal still has to be finalized, discussions have begun that ought to make the original animated hour "Legacy," and possibly the audio book of "Astray" available on DVD next year.



**"Astray" will soon be available for preorder in as an actual, physical book. The novella will be published by Cemetery Dance (you can search for their web site or just check mine) as a limited edition, possibly signed hardcover and a trade edition as well.



**What? That's not enough . . . well how about this? Amber and I are finalizing details with a major U.S. publisher for a series of Ghosts of Albion novels. The first one would likely appear in late spring or summer, 2005.



**Aaaaand, we're planning to produce and distribute our own audio books based on those novels.



**Much sooner than that, we'll be doing Ghosts of Albion t-shirts, available online (watch our websites) and at finer specialty shops in the U.K.



**And, finally, saving the best for last . . . we're currently at work on the SECOND hour long animated episode of Ghosts of Albion for the web. The sequel to "Legacy" will be entitled "Embers," and you can look for it right here in late spring/early summer of 2004! Not too far away. And wait until you see what we have in store for the Swifts. shudder :)



**We'll be in the U.K. recording it in January or February, if all goes to plan. If there's enough response, maybe we can have a Ghosts gathering. So what do you think? Anyone interested?



I hope you're all pleased with the news. Keep coming back, and keep spreading the word.



Chris

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

[xita]

wow, woo hoo! Good for both of them. I am so happy. I feel guilty for not having caught up with the novella! It sucks when you work and go to school. But, that's great news, so many good things in store for Ghosts of Albion!

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"Hard work pays off in the future but laziness pays off now!"

[Warduke]

Chapter 7 of Astray is up here.

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[WebWarlock]

Astray, Final Thoughts.



I have not had a chance yet to post these so I thought I go ahead and do it now since Ghosts have been on my mind lately.



William and Tamara: We get to see how close these two are here in the last few chapters. I had to stop and remind myself that these two are not twins, even thoguh their behaviors remind me of two very close in age like that. I guess the best parallel I can think of is Tia and Tony Malone from "Escape to Witch Mountain". They had a similar relationship.



I am glad that Chris and Amber are not let William and Tamara just skate over every problem because they are the 'Protectors of Albion'. They still have to prove their worth to the supernatural world. I am also glad that William got a chance to show off a little power there at the end.



Bodicea: Ok four words. Don't fuck with Bodicea.



I felt the end seemed a little rushed. Like they were telling this great story and suddenly realized they needed to wrap things up.



In the end I enjoyed it. It added to the richness of this world. The comparisons between this and the CG/AB W&T comic Wilderness are not off of the mark. I can see them exsisting in the same world.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

The Other Side,
home of ">Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks. Available Now!

"I don't want to believe. I want to know." - Carl Sagan

[Warduke]

The Astray Epilogue is up here

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[kajo 2000]

From Christophergolden.com:

Quote:

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Christopher Golden

Topic: Ghosts of Albion announcement #1

Posted: Jan. 30 2004,13:21



DEL REY BOOKS SIGNS AMBER BENSON AND CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN TO WRITE ORIGINAL ‘GHOSTS OF ALBION’ NOVELS



New York, New York (January 28, 2004) – Steve Saffel, Editorial Director of Media Projects for Del Rey Books, has signed on Amber Benson and Christopher Golden to co-author a series of original novels based upon their wildly popular BBCi animated online drama GHOSTS OF ALBION.



Amber Benson, best known for her portrayal of Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is an actress/writer/director whose most recent work includes the upcoming independent films Latter Days and Chance (which she also wrote, produced and directed). Among Benson’s other film credits are The Crush, Bye Bye Love, Imaginary Crimes and Steven Soderbergh’s critically-acclaimed King of the Hill.



Christopher Golden is a Bram Stoker Award-winning writer best known for his novels The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, and The Gathering Dark. Golden is also the author of the Body of Evidence series of teen thrillers, and several bestselling Buffy and Angel tie-in novels. As comic-book writer Golden has penned original tales for Batman, Spider-Man, Doctor Fate, Punisher, and Hellboy.



Set in nineteenth-century London, GHOSTS OF ALBION revolves around William and Tamara Swift, siblings who must use their family legacy of supernatural powers to protect England from an ancient evil that threatens to destroy the world. To this end, they enlist the help of the mystical “Ghosts of Albion,” a trio of restless and heroic spirits from England’s past: Lord Nelson, Lord Byron and Queen Bodicea.



Created and written by Benson and Golden, and directed by Benson, GHOSTS OF ALBION originally launched at BBC online last March as a series of original twelve-minute animated chapters, and featured vocal talents such as Emma Samms and Anthony Daniels. The online series won Special Commendation at the 2003 Prix Europa Awards, an award that recognises the best in European television, radio and web production. GHOSTS OF ALBION soon became a cult favorite, was listed by USA Today as a “Hot Site,” and went on to generate an equally popular sequel, the original online novella Astray.



“Working on the animated serial version of GHOSTS OF ALBION was wonderful, but we’ve really only scratched the surface,” Golden explained. “In the novels, we’ll have the space to enrich our characters, and you can bet that’s going to make their lives darker, nastier, more complex and far sexier. Working with Amber is a pleasure. She’s remarkably talented, a Renaissance woman, and her mind is even more devious than mine.”



Co-author Benson matched Golden’s enthusiasm for the project. “It’s fantastic to think that after years of being a voracious reader, I have the opportunity to join the ranks of those very authors that inspired me as a child. Chris and I are honored to have Del Rey as the new literary home of the GHOSTS OF ALBION universe. I can’t wait to get down into the really dark places of early Victorian England. We’ve created an enormous mythology for the series, and it just keeps growing.”



“When Amber and Chris brought us their proposal, what struck me immediately was the terrific energy and enthusiasm they had for the story,” added Del Rey’s Saffel. “These will be edgy, fast-paced adventures that thrust readers back in time to grimy, dimly-lit streets of London, where the shadows hide unspeakable evil. You might say it’s Buffy meets The Alienist.”



The first of Del Rey’s GHOSTS OF ALBION novels is currently scheduled to appear in Fall 2005.



GHOSTS OF ALBION made news recently when Eden Studios (www.edenstudios.net) announced an agreement with Benson and Golden to design, produce and distribute an original role-playing game based on the series. Currently in development, the game is slated to hit shelves in 2004.



For more information about BBCi’s GHOSTS OF ALBION series, visit the website at www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ghosts.



About Del Rey Books:

Del Rey Books (www.delreydigital.com) was founded in 1977 as a division of Ballantine Books under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes the best of modern fantasy, science fiction and alternate history in hardcover, paperback, and now e-book formats. Ballantine Books is a division of The Random House Publishing Group, which is a publishing group within Random House, Inc, the trade book publishing division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world’s leading international media companies.

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

Edited by: kajo 2000 at: 1/31/04 5:45 am

[WebWarlock]

Wow. That was fast.



How is it that the Kitten news service (Kajo and Tyche) know more about what is going on than I do???



I don't even what I can say yet. Hmmm....



Give me a little bit.



But I have it from a really, really good source that the game will be 100% with the Buffy or Angel RPG. So that means those Willow and Tara sheets from Eden can find a new home in 1837 London.



Of course UNLIKE the Buffy and Angel RPGs, the money from this one certainly goes to Amber and Chris.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"Does anybody remember laughter?" - Robert Plant, "The Song Remains the Same"

Edited by: WebWarlock at: 1/31/04 6:04 pm

[xita]

Woo hoo for the novels. I am glad to see this series growing. And lookie Tim, Eden studios and a role playing game... who knew!

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"Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now!"

[BytrSuite]

Wow, this kicks ass. Most excellent news. I love novels.

________
"...the sharks got smarter."

[Warduke]

This is great news. I really enjoyed GoA so this is something I'm looking forward to a lot.

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[maudmac]

Thanks, kajo!



This is such awesome news. How cool will it be to see Amber's name on the cover of a novel? Go Amber! (And Chris!)



I like the GoA mythology and it was obvious immediately that it has pretty much limitless potential. I can't wait to read it and I hope there will be lots and lots of them.

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go         donut           go

[MellindraX]

And so my book collection grows...



But fall 2005?! Damnit... I got all hopeful and forgot how long it takes to actually write and publish a book

I’ve never purposely gone out to take somebody out. Well, maybe, in elementary school I once did try to trip somebody. –Amber Benson

[dekalog]

This is great news.



The possiblities for what they can do in their universe are unlimited. I can't wait to see what they come up with.