I had the chance to see Robert Jordan, author of the best-selling Wheel of Time series, speak at the Philadelphia Free Library over the weekend. The first thing that struck me was how funny he was. When the applause at his arrival died down, with mock indignation he asked who told us to stop. Mr Jordan took the time before fielding questions to explain how to pronounce many of his character’s names, often telling us some of the mispronunciations he has heard over the years. He also wanted to address the more common questions he gets asked at book signings, such as when book twelve would be released. He assured the audience that the next book would positively absolutely be on bookstore shelves very soon after he finishes writing it. He also said the next book would be the last – even if it had to be 6000 pages long.

A short question and answer session followed. Several people asked about specific plotlines in the Wheel of Time, and for the most part his answer was "Read and find out!" He promised to address any unanswered questions on his blog once book twelve is in paperback. A few had questions about his writing process and how he can keep track of such a large cast of characters. He said he keeps a file on each character, full of important facts, as well as a 'who is where' file that helps him remember just where everyone is supposed to be.

If you have the chance, go out and see Robert Jordan on his book tour for Knife of Dreams. He still has many dates to go and you can find a complete listing at the Knife of Dreams site. For more information, visit Robert Jordan's Blog (last time I tried to visit it was down, though).


Check out Amazon.com to buy books in the Wheel of Time Series