Return to the Henchmen Emporium

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Originally posted on May 15, 2015.)

Homunculi from Fullmetal Alchemist

Homunculi from Fullmetal Alchemist

Welcome, potential evildoer, to the store where we have minions, lackeys, henchmen, fodder, and whatever other human resources you need.  You’re not a cop or a hero in disguise, are you?  Of course not.  The dogs would have already torn your throat out if you were.  What dogs?  Best you don’t ask and pretend you didn’t hear anything.  So, what can I get for you?

First timer with a powerful hero to contend with?  Wow, I don’t want to know what you did to get that racket.  Seriously, I don’t care about origins because I’m not your therapist or friend.  Now, it sounds like you need a wide variety of underlings.  I suggest getting Combo 37, which includes a small army of nameless drones, an altered death squad of three to five codenamed henchmen, and a powerful right hand assistant.  No, the gender and powers are up to you.  Grab one of those clipboards and start filling out the form while I show you around the warehouse.  Watch where you go since we had a small . . . incident and are still cleaning the floors.

Don’t worry about the drones since they’re around to get destroyed by the hero, so we’ll create an army based on the others.  Given you have a flying and beam-shooting enemy, I recommend a four person death squad.  Five would be overkill and three feels like it won’t be enough.  Might I suggest a bruiser, a reflector, a speedster, and the hot one who doesn’t do anything besides looking pretty.  Yes, I have that last one in male.  You can do whatever you want with him, but the warranty is voided if you hurt, kill, or marry him.  No, making an example of him won’t void the warranty, but we do require you give us a written explanation and the body within 48 hours.  The only reason for an extension is if you’re in jail and there are no agents to contact us.  Though, we’ll know about that simply by watching the news and our spy cameras.  What spy cameras?  Don’t worry about.  Standard issue in our business. Here, have a cupcake while we move on to your main henchman.

Now, you’re a technology-based villain as I can see from the funny gun at your hip and all the gizmos on your head.  That’s your hair?  Kids these days.  So, what kind of villain are you?  Summoned from the hell of the future to get revenge on your former master’s enemies, but he was killed soon after you arrived.  So, you have no idea what you’re doing here and are simply going for world domination?  I have a power absorber in stock that can help with your enemy and be used as a battery for any doomsday weapons.  There’s a sale on psionic henchman where you buy one and get a mindlinked one for half off.  They count as one agent since they share the same psychic space.  The only thing is that losing one means the other is useless or insane.  We’ve also had a few complaints about them trying to absorb each other in a mental war of wills.  If that happens then we’ll give you store credit and . . . refund?  Only if you can fight your way to the portal in the basement and defeat Cthulu.  He’s your uncle?  In that case, I’ll throw in a tropical island lair on your next purchase.  What if you win the first time?  That’s adorable.

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Teaser Tuesday: More Than He Bargained For

Posted on August 11, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Ichabod Brooks & the City of Beasts (Cover by Nio Mendoza)

This is going way back!  Before The Life & Times of Ichabod Brooks, I gave our favorite adventurer a smaller outing.  It was a single short story that was well received on the blog.  I figured it was a great way to introduce people to him, my writing style, and Windemere.  It’s called Ichabod Brooks & The City of Beasts.  Feel free to check it out since it’s cheap and a quick read at 27 pages.  Hence the short teaser created solely for ambiance.

Continue reading →

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Windemere Governments: Hero’s Gate

Posted on August 10, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Originally posted on December 17, 2014.  Only covers Legends of Windemere for a bit, but it was still interesting.)

Castle Araluen from Ranger's Apprentice

Castle Araluen from Ranger’s Apprentice

For being one of the major areas of events in Legends of Windemere, Hero’s Gate isn’t a Sister City.  It’s decently sized with a profitable port and farmlands, but it’s actually a fisherman/farmer village that grew over the years.  So it still has a simple Mayor and guards system.  One man makes the rules with the help of a council and is elected every two years.

This isn’t to say there isn’t anything special in Hero’s Gate.  The Paladin Council has influence over the city because it is a few days journey from Rodillen.  This gives them an outpost to keep an eye on the other town and there has been a high level of undead activity around the city ever since the Great Cataclysm.  Any laws and influence that the Paladin Council has is restricted to those pertaining to defenses, undead, religious issues, and magic.  All other areas are off-limits to them because they are not a tax-funded organization.

That’s really it for Hero’s Gate and you’ll see that it really doesn’t come up.  A reason for this is because Legends of Windemere doesn’t really delve into the politics of the world.  I have a few future series that will examine the inner workings of certain groups like the Chaos Elves and the Dawn Fangs.  Yet, I’m rather content to leave the politics of the world in the background.  These systems may come into play if/when I need them, which is why I have them written down somewhere.  Maybe it’s because I’m tired of there always being a political story within other genres and I’m sick of the topic in general.  My stories are designed to be escapism and fun, so that’s probably why the nitty gritty of the world doesn’t get pulled in.

Posted in Legends of Windemere | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Red Ape: Orangutan

Posted on August 9, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Another post from 2022.  I wasn’t doing animal facts at this point.  It was all about bringing attention to endangered animals and stirring people to research.)

I’m enjoying these animals posts, so I figured I’d do another.  Today, I thought I’d make a post about the orangutan.  These are critically endangered for the following reasons:

  1. Deforestation, which is eliminating their habitat.
  2. Poaching, especially females with children.  The children are kept as pets, so the illegal pet trade is a big problem.

Check out more on the orangutans at SAVE THE ORANGUTAN!

There are three species:

The Bornean Orangutan: Population is 104,700

The Sumatran Orangutan: Population is 13,846

The Tapanuli Orangutan: Population is 800

Clearly, these animals are in trouble and, again, it seems to be humans at fault.  Orangutans give birth once every 3-5 years, which means it’s harder for their population to bounce back from devastation.  Hopefully, something can be done.  Now for a cute video of a baby orangutan

Here’s another cool one:

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Goal Post: I’ll Remember A Title This Time

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

This week was another wild one with appointments, high humidity, and general chaos that I should accept as the norm.  Most of that isn’t interesting though, especially the appointments.  I am trying to get something settled for my son before the end of the summer, but that’s not looking possible.  Now, my goal is to simply get it set up to cause the least amount of impact on his schooling.  Fingers crossed there.

As far as writing goes, I did finish chapter 3 of Darwin & the Deadland Queen.  I was having a little trouble getting two characters settled, especially since I had a note mentioning a third who isn’t in the outline.  I don’t have any information on this person aside from a name and rank, but another one has that rank also.  For now, I’m just tossing the mystery character away.  This is an issue with a ruler having multiple queens and me not being sure who is the alpha at which point.  Probably shouldn’t use alpha either since the wolf pack theory is false.

I wasn’t able to tackle chapter 4 like I had hoped.  The evening where I thought I could get the time resulted in me not being able to use my laptop.  My son needed to use my room and the rest of the house hadn’t been cooled off enough for me to be comfortable with writing.  I ended up dozing off on the couch with the note app open on my phone and nothing writing.  The weather and constant activity is taking it’s toll, so probably best that I not push myself.  Small chance of tackling chapter 4 this week and next weekend, but we’ll see.  If I can get 4 and 5 done before the father/son trip, I’ll be happy.  My son plans on doing some drawing on the lazy day, so I’ll try to do some writing.

There was a near disaster this week.  I kept trying to get to work early to tinker with Coven of the Gray before people arrived.  I wasn’t getting out of the house as quickly as I wanted and had to do errands beforehand at times.  One morning, I attempted to tinker while getting the room set up and nearly knocked a water bottle onto my notebook.  That would have destroyed Phi Beta Files and Coven of the Gray.  Caught the bottle fast, but that was too close.  I should stop trying to squeeze things in and just do them when I have time.  There’s only one week of summer school left, so I need to focus on making it through that.

Family is coming over this weekend and today is a Pokemon event that my son wants to participate in.  If the weather holds, we’ll be going out to the beach or something before it gets too dark.  I’ve basically accepted that I don’t own this summer and am at everyone’s beck and call.  Not the plan, which was originally getting enough writing time to finish a third of Darwin & the Deadland Queen.  It isn’t a total impossibility, but it really depends on how things go after this coming week.  There’s been major changes to scheduling and activities that got in the way.  This involves the life event and fallout from the continuing chaos, so I couldn’t have predicted it.

Maybe I should focus on resting after work and other stuff this week.  Pushing myself to do writing could result in mediocre quality.  Doesn’t help that I got a bout of imposter syndrome after every page.  Still not sure why I feel so terrible about myself, which wasn’t the situation when I began Darwin’s adventures.  Think it really kicked in around 2024 after custody schedule and work situation changed to create more stress.  I’m still trying to make the best of it, but I don’t get to write very often.  Maybe that’s it.  Feel out of practice even though I still try?

Totally off-topic, but I have no idea how I cut my toe.  Just looked down and saw it was covered in blood.  Must have happened with I went . . . somewhere.  For some reason, I feel like this is the only way this week of chaos could have ended.  Off to the goals:

  1. Bandage big toe.
  2. Handle setting up future appointments.
  3. Time with son.
  4. Work on Coven of the Gray.
  5. If possible, work on Darwin & the Deadland Queen.
  6. Last week of summer school.
  7. Lego time when I need to relax.
  8. Sleep better to reduce exhaustion.
  9. Get pizza at some point.
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Doing the Author Time Jump

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Originally posted on January 7, 2015.)

Prince of Persia Quote

Prince of Persia Quote

A ‘Time Jump’ is when you skip a modest length of time between chapters or books.  This can range from a day to a few years depending on the story.  Many times there are events that occur during this time and the characters operate a little differently than they did before the jump.  This tool gets used for several reasons, which include:

  • Moving the main story along to avoid filler sections.  These skipped events can be handled in short stories at a later date.
  • Altering characters to rejuvenate them to the reader.  For example, a positive hero goes through severe loss and is reintroduced as a broken figure.
  • Build mystery as you discover what happened to the characters and maybe even set up for a side switch.  Heroes can go villain and vice versa.
  • Change the world and return to an exploratory mentality.

It’s a fun little tool that can be great for a lengthy series or to skip over traveling sections during an adventure.  I’ve used it gradually in my books such as Luke’s remaining time at the academy, the heroes’ last few weeks in Haven, and the passing of months between The Compass Key and Curse of the Dark Wind.  Things happened during these moments and characters talk about them, but they really would have been nothing more than a chapter or two of filler.  Still, things had to happen during the ‘break’, so it helps to acknowledge this.

Even better, these jumps reveal something to the readers.  They are following a living, breathing world with evolving characters.  Just because the adventure is over, doesn’t mean the heroes are sitting around waiting for the author to cast them into danger again.  They have lives that operate when the big story is not going on, which gives them more to fight for in a way.  Luke Callindor is not just a wandering hero, but a warrior who is still training and will take time to help with mundane tasks if he can.  Nyx is big into researching when she can get her hands on a library while Delvin Cunningham is still trying to convince her to let him cook for her.  They ‘exist’ even when you have closed the book and the ‘Time Jump’ can help bring that to the readers’ attention.

This is not to say that it is a perfect writing tool.  As usual, you have to be careful with how you use it.  There is a double-edge sword in this. While you can push to big events quickly, you can create too much that happened and some readers will feel like they’re left out of something.  For example, some may really want to read about the gambling problem that one of the heroes fell into and is now struggling to get out of.  This is where a short story can help, but there are other things to consider.

  1. Try not to go too big with the missed events.  For example, a leader of a resistance movement, who is also the POV character, being unconscious for the biggest battle of the war can easily be met with disappointment.  Many readers who are invested don’t want to get that through secondhand accounts.
  2. Explanations of missed events should be brief and concise.  Too much complication can make it sound like a juicy story was skipped.
  3. Don’t skip explanations either.  If Timoran shows up with a missing hand then there should be a point where somebody mentions the event.

I say this about a lot of writing tools, but I think it’s important to say again.  You need to find balance between explanations, skipping time, and believable character development if you plan on doing a ‘Time Jump’.

So I open the floor to the audience’s opinion . . . unless I lost everyone during my day off.  🙂

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Poetry Day: The Snoozer and The Exhausted

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(A poem about two people.  One is always passing out for a nap while the other struggles to sleep.  Why do these types always find each other?)

Crisscrossed pair
Sharing the same bed
One can rarely find relief
Recovering from the day
The other passes out with ease
After napping during day

 

They barely get along
When the moon is up
The Snoozer takes her time
Flicking lights
And slamming doors
Ignoring the Exhausted’s pleas

 

Eventually they sleep
The Snoozer out in seconds
As if she has not slept in days
The Exhausted fights too long
Struggling for a blanker mind
While getting nudged away

 

Every morning
Upon the stroke of six
A battle rages on
Each one wanting to sleep in
Claiming more fatigue
Though the Snoozer has her naps

Posted in Poems | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Do You Wanna Kill A Character?

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Originally posted on January 21, 2015.)

Yahoo Image Search

Yahoo Image Search

I was going to be serious and some of these suggestions will be in that category.  Yet I find myself in a silly mood, which means we’ll see what happens.  So what are some things to consider when killing off a main character?

  1. Make sure the readers will care.  If a central character dies and there’s no reaction then something went wrong.  Maybe you forgot to include them in the previous parts of the book?  Perhaps you forgot to explain what the character’s purpose was besides getting shanked in the giblets.  Either way, you might want some beta readers to make sure this doesn’t happen.
  2. Have it be memorable.  Nobody likes a forgettable death scene.
  3. Have it be simple.  Only so many ‘life story’ speeches a character can do with a gaping chest wound.  Unless they’re in a Metal Gear game and then they seem to have all the time in the damn world.
  4. Irony can be fun when killing a villain.  Though I might be thinking of blatant foreshadowing too.  I can’t quite remember what irony is exactly because I’m part of the generation who listened to a popular song that muddied the term.
  5. Sacrificial deaths are great, but don’t overdo them.  Also make sure the sacrifice is real and important.  For example, don’t have a character run the bomb into the enemy forces that are invading a space station when the others are standing near a button that decouples the parts that the enemy has taken.  Just hit the damn button.
  6. You don’t have to kill a character to make them suffer.  Villains seem to enjoy torturing and it can be more interesting to see a character rise from the ashes.  After all, dead characters don’t evolve.
  7. Be careful resurrecting characters and establish the possibility beforehand.  Don’t do it if the only reason is because readers are mad at you.
  8. Please make sure people know a character is dead, especially villains during the climactic fight scene.  If the reader has to ask you if that was a death blow or wonder where the bad guy went, you slipped up somewhere.  Of course, this can be ignored if your intention is to leave the character’s fate a mystery.
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Teaser Tuesday: A Local Pest or Guide?

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

Today’s teaser introduces a new character who may be just what Clyde needs to survive War of Nytefall: Savagery.  He’s a denizen of Mestra, which meant I wasn’t always sure where I wanted to go with him.  Since Mestra was always going to be a one-time location, I let things go where they wanted, including this guy.  Enjoy.

Continue reading →

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Windemere Governments: Rodillen

Posted on August 3, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Originally posted on December 16, 2014.  Only covers Legends of Windemere for a bit, but it was still interesting.)

City of Bree from Middle Earth

City of Bree from Middle Earth

This would be the second city that Luke Callindor, Nyx, and their friends visit in Prodigy of Rainbow Tower.  Rodillen is sometimes called Two-Faced City because it has an outer facade of a typical port city and the true face of a place run by thieves.

There is a mayor, a judge, and a guard captain who do their jobs like those of any other city.  The difference is that they’re entirely corrupt and exist to give Rodillen a semblance of order/normalcy.  Without these people, there would be nobody to function between the populace and the guild.  It mostly when a stranger breaks a law that these people come into play and show that justice can be served here.  It’s all a show and it tends to revolve around a visiting warrior killing a thief in self-defense.  They make sure to have some of the accused be found ‘not guilty’ to keep up appearances.

As stated, the true power is in the thieves’ guild who have their hideout beneath the surface.  They are run by a Guild Master who takes a share of every theft and spends most of his or her time watching for danger to the guild.  These are the ones who make the laws and pull the strings when events have to unfold a certain way.  It’s been shown that Guild Masters with extreme ambition tend to cause trouble as there have been many who nearly brought the guild to ruin by reaching too high.  So there is also the position of Barbed Whip who is a thief that is given the freedom to openly defy, criticize, and argue with the Guild Master.  After a year, this person can even call for a vote to remove a leader if they can prove that they are a danger to the guild.  By remove, I mean they publicly announce that an assassination will happen unless the rejected leader gets out of town.

Note:  The guild is not typically cruel even if you think that after reading Prodigy of Rainbow Tower.  It simply had a greedy jerk of a Guild Master who was recruiting children and selling the failures to various organizations.  He had been in charge for almost a year and was on his way to be revoked.

So you might be wondering why a city like this exists within the kingdom of Serab.  Well, there are a few reasons that Duke Solomon won’t destroy the thieves’ guild and retake Rodillen:

  1. It’s been tried before and the guild returned soon after the royal guards left.  It was seen as a waste of manpower.
  2. The guild has proven to be a valuable source of information and, in times of war, willing spies.
  3. Many thieves gravitate toward the guild.  Without this organization, these people would be spread across the land and might set up multiple guilds.
  4. Rodillen actually pays its kingdom taxes on time and the guild has even been known to help citizens pay off debts.  This is to keep the royal guards and money collectors from showing up, but it’s made it that the city is 100% debt free.
Posted in Legends of Windemere | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments