can anyone help name that book?

[kareina]

I did get some work done this afternoon before heading off to Social Night. Had a lovely time there, spent most of it visiting with a friend who lost her parents recently, and she looked much happier when she went home than when she arrived. The birthday cake didn't hurt. Much laughter drifted down the hall to where I sat stitching and visiting quietly, so I guess the evening was a success on more than one front. Arrived home after 22:00, and hurried back to the computer because I wanted to try a bit more work. Did a little, then noticed a possible problem with what I'd done earlier. Realizing that it is after midnight, I'm going to do the sensible thing--do yoga, read my 1000, and go to bed. I've made a note of what I think the problem might be--in the morning, when I'm rested, will be a fine time to work out if there is even a problem at all, and if so, what to do instead... (sometimes problems one sees when sleepy are simply figments of one's imagination).

Oh--speaking of imagination--last night whilst talking with clovis_t, I remembered a series of books I enjoyed reading, which I'd borrowed from a friend, back in about 1999 or 2000. I can't remember what they were called, nor the name of the author. The covers were varying shades of pastel background, and involved knot work, and possibly the faces of the characters in the borders. This morning I woke up from a dream wherein I had been typing up as much as I could remember of the books into my livejournal to see if any of you could tell me what the books were so I could find them and read them again--but in the dream clovis_t asked me "why don't you just use ___(he named a web page I'd never heard of)___?", and suddenly I was watching him click on questions in the web page in question, filling in plot details so that the web page would be able to compare that with its database and offer suggestions as to what the book was, and then I woke up wanting him to move aside so that I could be the one answering the questions, because I was the one who had read the book, and I thought it would be easier if I had the controls. A very weird dream! Alas, when I told him about the dream he said that he'd never heard of such a web page. Have any of you? (I'd do a Google search, but 1) I'm sleepy and need to go to bed, and 2) I can't think of how such a page would be described, so wouldn't know what to search for anyway.)

But, I suppose that I'd best type up a couple of details about the books, so that if any of you have read them you can tell me the titles/author so that I can find them again. Fantasy novels, involving some sort of magic-based competition to select the new rulers of the area. The rulers are a team--one with sills in fire, another in water, earth, & air. Working the magic involves "weaving patterns". There is another category of magic which might involve spirit or time or both. Adding someone to their group who has that category happens late in the book, and is terribly pivotal. Before that happens they find out that the contest is usually rigged, and that they weren't meant to win by those that rig things, and that they are in danger as a result. Anyone have any ideas?

Comments

Actually...

[lifeofglamour.livejournal.com]

If you don't get an answer here, try this site:
http://www.whatsthatbook.com/

[bethpeters3.livejournal.com]

Sharon Green's the Blending series?
Convergence, Competitions, Challenges, Betrayals, Prophesy

[kareina.livejournal.com]

yes, thank you!

[darttn.livejournal.com]

What you describe in your book I vaguely remember reading as well. It may possibly have been something written by Charles DeLint, but I don't know which, since he's written so many many books. (he's from Canada). But I don't really remember. The other potential author for something like that would be Sara Douglas (an Australian author). I've read a lot of her stuff also, so perhaps it is something she did. Good luck in finding it.

Mom

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Nope, I've still not read any of the DeLint, and I never read Sara Douglas till I moved in with you and Terry in Tassie. The books I mentioned were some I borrowed from Half-Orc. bethpeters3 is correct when she guessed Sharon Green's the Blending series for the ones I'm thinking of.

[madryn-1960.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing I know the friend who lost both her parents recently. Good to hear she was laughing. I emailed her a few times, but she doesn't reply, although she did call me to tell me about her dad. If you see her again tell her I said hi.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's the one. I don't know if she's been checking her mail, but she's back in town if you want to give her a call.