2. Where did you get your name?

I first made it up for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. I was playing a Ranger character, and I wanted a name that sounded half like my real name (no, I won't tell you what that is) and half like something Tolkien could have made up. Later I recycled the name for the heroine of some short stories I wrote (posted online at Dreams of Reality), and it eventually became my standard web name.

3. Can I submit some of my own/friend's/relative's/significant other's art to your website?

Thanks for the offer, but when I set up this site I made the decision to use only professional artwork; and I don't take submissions, period. However, if you'd really like to see your stuff online, I encourage you to submit it to Rolozo Tolkien. He accepts both professional and amateur artwork, and I actually get most of my non-movie pictures from him.

4. Why don't you have any pictures from the Hildrebrandt Brothers/Angus McBride/etc. on your site?

Taste in art, as you know, is highly subjective. I happen to dislike the Hildebrandt Brothers and so will never use any of their work on my site. I do like some of Angus McBride's paintings; but I always seem to like Lee, Howe and/or Nasmith's versions better, so end up using them instead.

As for all the other artists I get asked about, either I've seen their work on Rolozo Tolkien and didn't find anything I liked well enough to use, or else Rolozo doesn't have any/enough of their stuff for me to judge. Therefore, if you really want to draw my attention to an artist, the best thing you can do is to make sure Rolozo has plenty of samples of his or her work. I stop by his site frequently, on the lookout for new pics.

5. Can I ask you some questions about the LotR movies?

Sure, go right ahead! I consider myself pretty well-informed on the movie doings and will answer you as best I can.

6. Can I ask you some questions about Tolkien's writings apart from LotR, The Hobbit, and the Silmarillion?

I've read Unfinished Tales and about half of the History of Middle-Earth series, so I'll tell you what I know. But I don't consider myself a real expert on this stuff. If I can't answer your questions, try checking The Encyclopedia of Arda or the Green Books' Q&A section over at theonering.net. Those folks really know their Tolkien.

7. Will you help me write a paper on Tolkien?

No, but I will tell you where to go... for help (Remember, I am a former English teacher!).

Before I do, though, I must insist that you read the books yourself. We Tolkien fans love our LotR, so we feel insulted when non-fans ask us to help them avoid reading it. The folks at theonering.net bulletin board will laugh at you and give you false information, while other, less easygoing boards might flame you until your monitor explodes.

Next, I advise you not to rely solely on the net for your research. Yes, there's some good material out there -- The Encyclopedia of Arda and the maps here and at Rolozo Tolkien might, depending on your topic, be helpful. But the problem with online articles is that you can't always tell the quality from the dreck...especially if you haven't read the books for yourself (ahem!). And if you fall for the "Cliffs Notes" parody that's floating around the web -- as at least two so-called professional journalists did -- all I can say is, you deserve the "F" you're going to get.

Now, here are some hard copy sources that can really help you. All these books are readily available in libraries, bookstores, and online:

• The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien
• Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien, a Biography
• Lin Carter, Tolkien: A Look Behind the Lord of the Rings
• Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-Earth
• Michael Martinez, Visualizing Middle-Earth
• T. A. Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
• The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and any and all books from the History of Middle-Earth series

8. Can you tell me how to contact Orlando Bloom/Elijah Wood/Viggo Mortenson/etc.?

No, I can't. I don't know any more about these actors than you do. In fact, I probably know less. Try using Google or another search engine to find fan sites.

9. Can you send me more pictures of X?

No, I can't. It's not practical to send large quantities of pictures via e-mail, and I've already put the best of what I have on this site. Please use my Links page to find some other helpful resources.

10. What's your policy on linking to other sites?

In order to earn a place on my Links page, a site must be something I use frequently myself or something very unique, well designed, and/or extremely useful to the LotR fan community.

I will not link to any site which specializes in unauthorized movie pictures or which does not list sources for the pictures it displays. Not giving proper attribution to one's sources is basically the online version of plagiarism, and I disapprove of that very strongly. In addition, I will not link to any site which promotes pornography or hatred of any sort.

I do not solicit links, and if you ask me to add your site to my Links page, chances are that I will say no. However, I will be glad to post a thank-you message on my What's New page if you link to my site, and I will provide a link to your site there.

For more information, visit my Linking to Middle-Earth Tours page.

11. Can I use your site as a source for a research paper/project I'm working on?

Certainly, as long as you provide proper attribution. You'll probably need to know the founding date for Middle-Earth Tours; it's 10/11/99.

12. Where can I get prints of paintings by Alan Lee and/or John Howe?

So far I've only found one online site: http://www.artistsuk.co.uk. You'll find a few Alan Lee prints here. You can also buy John Howe's maps of Middle-Earth from LotR and The Silmarillion in your local bookstore. They're about 3' x 3' and make nice posters. If anyone knows of other places on- or offline where you can get Lee and Howe prints, let me know. I get asked this question a lot.