Cavern of Babel
"A cute, well-written and suspenseful animal-adventure story . . . A charming, enjoyable read." --Kirkus Discoveries
The book has everything: fantasy, adventure, prophecy, humor and . . . alpacas? No, alpacas aren't mythical beasts created for a fantasy world--they're cousins to llamas and camels, and they're the main characters of Cavern of Babel, available now at a web page near you:
For those of you who have already discovered the wonder that is Cavern of Babel, do I have a treat for you. Here at my web page, you can find all things Buttersby: deleted scenes, chapter commentaries, an explanation of why I chose to write the book under a pen name. You want it? I got it. And if there's something you'd like to see but don't, email me and I'll do my best to solve that problem right away. So click to your heart's content, and please drop me a line when you're through.
Reviews
Chapter Commentaries
I think most people are used to the idea behind DVD commentaries these days. You can watch a film while at the same time hearing what the director or main actor or producer or someone else connected to the film has to say about what you're watching. I think these are nifty, but I have a complaint about them: I'd like to watch them and watch the whole movie (with soundtrack) at the same time. Essentially, I'd like to be able to pick and choose when to hear what the commentaries say about a scene.
You can do that here. In this section, you'll find chapter-by-chapter commentaries written by yours truly, the author. The great thing about this is that you can read the chapter, then read what I have to say about it. I'll discuss the process I went through in writing it, any pieces of trivia that might be associated with it, and anything else that pops into my head. Just remember that these all presume you've already read the book. I consider it fair game to touch on anything in the commentaries, including the ending. So read Cavern of Babel first, and then come back and supplement that reading with these commentaries. Everybody clear on that? Good. Then onward!
Deleted Scenes
For now, I only have one deleted scene for your perusal. There might be more, depending on what I come across while I write each chapter commentary.
Why 'Albert Packard'?
Now, this might come as a surprise to some of you, but a man named Albert Packard did not write Cavern of Babel. That's right. I know it seems like it would have been fated: that someone born with a name like "Al Packard" should one day grow up to write the Definitive Alpaca Fantasy Novel (DAFN). Would that it were true. But it isn't. I wrote that book as a work-for-hire piece for Diamond Triple C Ranch. But I thought that the DAFN written by Bryce Moore just didn't have the same ring to it. So I put on my creative thinking cap and came up with Albert Packard. I think it fits the whimsical tone of the book.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Although I do have a Q&A with Albert Packard, if you might feel like reading one.