He lives in Delaware and teaches at a college prep high school in rural Maryland. His previous work includes The Paladin Trilogy and the Jack Dixon novels.
Ford applied the Page 69 Test to his new novel, The Warden, and reported the following:
From page 69:Visit Daniel M. Ford's website."A dwarf, an elfling, a wizard, and a girl walk out of a bar...seems like the beginning of a joke."This is page 69 of The Warden, and it starts exactly like a joke would. Aelis (wizard), Maurenia (elfling), Timmuk (dwarf) and Pips (girl) are leaving Lone Pine's inn to search for a bear that recently slaughtered an entire flock of sheep and sent the boy tending them running back to the village, injured and terrified. The catch is that Aelis has only just learned that local superstition means she can't actually harm the bear, just look for ways to scare it off.
"More like a tragedy...wizards don't leave a bar until there's only water left to drink."
I think readers turning to page 69 will get a great idea of what The Warden is about. Aelis is trying to find ways to grow into her new role as the Warden of Lone Pine, she's recruited some capable people to help, and she's going to be forced to think of creative ways to use her magical abilities that she's never anticipated. It's got jokes, Aelis reflecting on her training, and the friction between what Aelis knows she's capable of and what the villagers will accept from her.
Page 69 of The Warden is a shockingly good litmus test, I think. If you like what's happening on this page, you'll like the book. Aelis is confident, certain she can handle whatever comes her way, but she doesn't quite know how to help the people here, in the godsforsaken posting she didn't expect. She's met Maurenia...who she won't be able to stop thinking about or even staring at for quite a while...and Timmuk, both of whom will be strong presences throughout the series as companions. And this is one of the first times Aelis is forced to grow as a wizard, to use her magic in ways she isn't sure will work, but suit the demands of the moment and the people she's meant to protect. That's really the crux of the book and the entire series; Aelis learning that the best use of her considerable power is in service to her obligations to other people.
--Marshal Zeringue
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