'Always nice to get a chance to chat with an author!

I learned that Brandon relies upon the eWoT to double check his facts extensively when writing. Why?

As best can be expected, given when I arrived at that Barnes & Nobles in Woodland Hills, CA tonight, which was late and that it was a book signing not a convention or a graduate seminar. However, their were many, many fewer people attending this book signing about 50-65 people overall according to a B&N employee compared to 300-400 people at the November signing in Pasadena, CA which I also attended. So I was able to ask a few questions, out of a list of 21 printed pages I had on hand....

Quite a few Warbreaker and Mistborn fans attending this signing tonight, about half the audience's size overall. I just might of been the nerdest of the bunch though... and maybe a tad too serious! Too many WoT questions, so little time...sigh. Although I waited to the very end the event to ask my questions.

Previously, I had never visited this particular Barnes & Noble location, but I would visit it again if I was in the area. Nice store overall, good selection of books, large Starbucks cafe inside, and lots of free parking in Woodland Hills. In comparison the Pasadena book signing at Vroman's Bookstore in November lacked enough parking for his crowd drawing abilities. If Brandon does a book signing again in the future in the greater Los Angeles area to push sales of WoK or ToM books, I think he's going to require a location with ample parking. Similar to this particular B&N store at large Mall location.

Sulin is an ERROR!

The most surprising news I heard in passing tonight, was that Brandon confirmed that "Sulin" appearance with Rand in Arad Doman was an "error". I did a double-take when Brandon said this, so I asked him again who was an "error" and he said "Sulin" again. He later explained that Maria and him had a discussion about Sulin, and that she convinced him it was indeed an error. He said that the upcoming tGS paperback would correct this error, about "Sulin" being with Rand during the balefiring of the palace in Arad Doman.

This little factoid about Sulin came up because some how we went on a long tangent on errors in tGS book. I mentioned Karldin Manfor rank being incorrect listed as a soldier in tGS book when instead he became an Asha'man in KoD book, then how the Salidar Aes Sedai rebels army around Tar Valon was not properly described relative to past books of their positions. I thought it strange Brandon did not know he made an error of Manfor's given rank in tGS, nor how Egwene's army was described was at odds with its former descriptions in prior books. Both of those examples, have been listed on the forums in multiple places. Yes, at both Dragonmount & Theoryland forums too.

Brandon disagreed that there was an error about the placement of the Salidar Aes Sedai armies around Tar Valon nor in there descriptions in tGS book. It did not seem that he's seen this criticism before-- whether my comments nor Linda's or Dominic's or various others at Theoryland forum.

Brandon preferred the use of 'omitted' the Salidar armies in his response, that they were there in the background un-written. He said that the Salidar armies, were going to hold five bridges, then punch in the sixth bridge with a large assault. If an invasion was called for by Egwene al'Vere, to re-gain the White Tower by force if necessary.

One of the original questions I had asked Brandon about was, "Do Ogiers have accents, dialects located among their steddings whether in the Westlands along the Spine of the World or in Seanchan itself?". I then explained the reason for this question further to him, when Loial met the Ogier Elders at two abandoned steddings in the Shadow Coast mountains; why didn't Loial noticed that oddly of Ogiers Elders in a place where their should not be? Elder Hanan told Rand al'Thor in LoC book that no Ogiers lived in the Shadow Coast steddings, they were specifically abandoned. Did they really all sound the same in the Ogier language speaking to one another?

I even much later mentioned the possibly of Shadow sworn Ogier Elders being in those two steddings, to Brandon...((which is what my gut hunch is, their all Shadow sworn Ogier at those two abandoned steddings in the Shadow Coast mountains. )). If there are Shadow sworn Ogier, from the Blight steddings or maybe say Shara, shouldn't there still be noticeable accent, dialect differences from the Westlands Ogier? I do recall one single quote mentioning native Sharan Ogiers of any kind. If they exist, Shara Ogier, they have been separated from the Westland Ogiers for a very long time.

The reply to this question, "Do Ogiers have accents, dialects among the steddings?", was answered by Brandon Sanderson this way:

"Its a three part response, its partially RAFO, partially MAFO, and partially I can't say because if I did it would break my N.D.A. with Tor Inc."

It in essence, I don't think Brandon has thought through fully how the Ogier language works just yet. Hence the partially MAFO's answer. By what mechanism do the speech patterns of Ogier help retain the same accents worldwide? If that is indeed the case. But I do not think that is the case, I suspect that Ogier speech patterns would have a degree accents, dialect differences between the long separated groups, especially between the Seanchan Empire Ogier and the Westlands Ogier. It's been what 18 or so generations of Ogier since the previous Breaking Era, over 3,000+ years. That's using Loial's assumptions of 6 generation back to reach the War of Hundred years and assuming a generation of time is the same length of time in sum.

If Seanchan Human speech patterns had enough time to gain an distinctive accent, should not Ogier speech patterns have had enough time to gain an distinctive accent too, each relative to various Westlands nations, guilds, groups & other steddings?? Meaning Loial should have noticed Ogier speech differences in Ebou Dar and in the other Westlands steddings, even the two mysterious Shadow Coast mountains steddings.

I was also a bit surprised to hear that Brandon has 5 assistants working for him now, only Peter is working full-time now though. That not including Maria, Alan, and Harriet either, who are separate according to Brandon. Yes, that's eight individuals all there to help Brandon out all told now. Previously, I was under the impression Brandon has only Peter, Maria, Alan, and his editor Harriet to aid in the create and polishing of the text. All new hires I guess? He did claim to still read every email directed to his website tonight.

My first question of the night was, "Where is Fearil?" Brandon replied that Balefire can only go backwards in time at most "a few hours", not days backwards. He immediately caught the grasp of this question, and said he wasn't sure if there was space to mention Fearil in the next book or not. But if not, it would be included in the later published Encyclopedia book. I followed up with two more questions: "Is Fearil orders to protect the Dragon Reborn at all costs still valid and active?" and "Is Fearil with Rand's group?". He almost answered the 2nd question about Fearil's given location, but then Brandon mentioned Fearil suffering "Warder Rage"? He would not say anything about Fearil's prior orders by Elza Penfell to protect the Dragon Reborn from threats, given 55 days before she was Balefired by Rand.

I should of followed up Brandon's "Warder Rage" answer about Fearil...because if Elza never existed, how would Fearil suffer Warder rage in the first place? Isn't that a direct action by Elza, bonding a Warder? Not an indirect one? Yet Fearil should recollect who Elza was, who gave him that order, and he should remain with Rand group's since the Balefire had a limited scope at most of a few days?

I was able to ask a Sea Folk question, "is Zaida the Mistress of the Ships considered part of the First Twelve or not"? However, Brandon would not give me an answer of any type on this topic. That's consist with my other previous try at a Sea Folk question I asked in Pasadena, CA in November. No answers about any thing related to the Sea Folk, from Brandon. Even after I explained the reasoning for this question. Sigh. It is just me, or it the whole topic of the Sea Folk a huge RAFO?

As I was walking out the door with Brandon, I asked him if the new character point of view which was going to be written totally by himself was going to be in the next book, ToM. Brandon said, he has not written that POV yet, as it may not be in ToM book. I asked this question because, Brandon seemed excited to have the chance to write a POV in the WoT series, which was completely his, at DragonCon last year before tGS book was published. Note I used the same type of language in this question, as Brandon used at DragonCon last year: very vague.

In the back of my head, it almost sounded as if the unknown new character POV was associated directly with the rescue attempt to save Moiraine from the Eelfinn realm. ((Brandon did not mention the Tower of Ghenjei in relation to this new POV tonight.)) That's completely my guess though. As previously there has been references by Brandon elsewhere online, that the rescue may not take place in ToM book at all. If taken together, this suggests that the mysterious new POV is the 3rd male individual to go with Mat, Thom to the Tower of Ghenjei.

Noal has had a POV in the series before (aCoS, Ch.17), likewise Bayle Domon has had multiple POV's previously (in the Great Hunt book), however Valan Luca has not had a single POV yet in the series.

Note I did not once mention nor ask about Lanfear, Cyndane nor Valan Luca at Barnes & Noble the whole night! Chuckles.... I didn't think he'd bite at all, too likely to be major pieces in the next book. Nor did Brandon speak of them, when I was in attendance.

Lots of Mistborn Q&A though tonight, which went over my head totally. Never read Mistborn before.

Though I wish I had asked about "Slowing" tonight in relation to Tuon, Talaan din Gelyn et la.; "Ogier, who are Shadow sworn, would they have Longing or not?". (I'd guess any Seanchan Ogier shadow sworn would lack Longing. While its a big question mark for any Sharan Ogiers who might be Shadow sworn, and same would go for any Blight steddings Ogier-- Longing or not?)

Also missed asking whether Hurin's scenes where is he smells something terrible, like death and violence only darker, did that fulfillment part the foretelling of violence Hurin smelled in 'The Great Hunt' upon Rand? That same foretelling by Hurin's nose included Loial, Hurin, Lanfear and yes, Rand in it.

As it was, I ended up walking & talking to Brandon and two other people to his car. Just not enough time to really dig into the texts in 30 minutes, but then again this was a book signing not a convention or graduate seminar.'