Windemere Monsters: Jesters #fantasy #adventure

NiGHTS from Sega

This is one that can get confusing because their name is also used for the career and clothing.  The thing to remember going forward is that the Jesters here are spelled with a capital ‘J’.  Also that I won’t be talking about the other kind.  They get the name because of how they dress . . . Although, the bell-tipped caps and colorful clothing are actually parts of their bodies.  Segue into the description!

The Jesters are incredibly powerful beings that are said to have been born from chaotic magic.  As I said, they have the clothing of the mortal career and they indulge in some of the same activities such as juggling and getting laughs.  All Jesters are high energy and tend to be friendly, but they also have a curiosity that can be unnerving.  For example, one meeting a pregnant woman could open her belly up like a door and take a peek without harming either mortal.  This was actually done in a Dungeons & Dragons game that I ran and it freaked the mother out.  You see, Jesters don’t pay attention to social norms, mortal rules, and laws of physics.  They are composed of raw magic and can twist reality to some extent.  Only gods and named demons can really hold a candle to their power, which they use at their leisure.

There is no social structure to these creatures because they are fairly whimsical.  You might find several in a group for an extended period of time, but then there might be a solitary one.  Some adventurers have stumbled onto hidden colonies, which are very rare due to the amount of magic in one area.  Many Jesters wander around and search for areas that can entertain them.  It could be a temporary weather pattern or a group of mortals that they will stick with until they get bored.  Not being gods, they are allowed to interfere with mortal affairs and they will for laughs.  It is unclear if Jesters can get angry or even kill people since neither have been recorded.  They are more likely to send an enemy away or do something to embarrass them.  Being near immortal, they understand the concept of death, but find it bland and refuse to be a part of it.

Jesters will continue to be a mystery, especially after the Great Cataclysm.  Prior to this event, they were scattered about Windemere and were fairly active.  Once the chaos had ended, only the Jesters that had been trapped in magical locations remained and they lived in secret.  Various artifacts that unleashed reality-warping magic have been discovered and it is rumored that the Jesters were transformed by their own power into these items.  Others believe they were reabsorbed into the chaotic magic that birthed them thousands of years ago.  Nobody really wants to investigate in case they free something strong enough to kill the Jesters.  Because of this, they have fallen into legend and appear in bard tales to entertain children.

In my books, Jesters first appeared in Legends of Windemere: Tribe of the Snow Tiger in the form of Fortunatos.  He is the guardian of Aintaranurh, which is the holy temple of Timoran Wrath’s tribe.  People enjoyed his appearance and antics, which I had a blast writing.  Yet, this wasn’t the first time I used a Jester.  In fact, he was originally going to be a genie, but I changed it once I got to the scene.  They first appeared in that D&D game that I mentioned when I wanted a powerful being that will throw off the players.  I had a problem with them attacking and destroying nearly everything that came across their path, so I made the Jesters nonthreatening and beyond their abilities.  Even if they attacked, they wouldn’t do enough to warrant a counter.  It was the first time I got to play a wacky and curious character, which would go on to influence my creation of Yola Biggs the Chaos Goddess.  I do plan on bringing them into a few more stories too.  Haven’t fully decided on that one yet.

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The Bet: a Halloween Story

Nicholas C. Rossis's avatarNicholas C. Rossis

Following this blog’s tradition, this is this year’s Halloween story. Enjoy!

The Bet

Pig | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's books

“No way,” I say and lick my lips. The mere thought makes my mouth water.

“Yes way,” he says and leans back on his seat, a smirk playing on his handsome face.

Does this young man feel as confident as he sounds?

I glance at the rest of the tables in the half-empty restaurant. It is a slow night, which works fine for me. I don’t want any nosy reporters listening in to our conversation. I lean forward, lowering my voice. “You’re telling me you can get people all over the country to dress up like pork.”

“Like pigs,” he corrects me. “Snout, ears and tails, to be exact. Maybe even hooves. Shouldn’t be too hard to design shoes that resemble those.”

I give him a hard stare, still finding it hard to believe, and point my…

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Revisiting Legends: Nyx the Willful Caster #fantasy #adventure

Nyx by Jason Pedersen

In Legends of Windemere, people are introduced to one who we could consider the female lead.  Nyx debuts in the second book (Prodigy of Rainbow Tower) for a few reasons.  One is that she is a caster (Windemere term for wizard), so she wouldn’t be found in a warrior academy where the first book took place.  Also, this allowed me to have Luke Callindor and Nyx debut without overshadowing each other.  He is already established and now I can have her enter the adventure.  Little did I realize, Nyx would be a bigger catalyst than any of the other heroes.

Nyx talks to Luke about being raised to fight an approaching evil and he promises to help her in her destiny.  This officially puts him on the overarching story line path and she tends to be the one who connects the other heroes as well.  She is childhood friends with Sari, a love interest for Delvin, partnered with Timoran, and the first to work closely with Dariana.  If Luke Callindor is the courage of the champions then Nyx is the core because everyone connects to her.  She also stands out as being the only one who has been aware of her destiny and trained from a young age to fight Baron Kernaghan.  Even Dariana, who has lived for centuries, had a long time before she discovered her true calling.  This awareness has been the driving force for Nyx, which opened her up to a story that is fairly unique among the champions.

You can see that all of the heroes have plans for after the final battle, except for Nyx who was raised to only think about that moment.  Part of her evolution is discovering the possibility that she will live and needs some kind of future.  Her initial fear of letting people get close, except for Luke and Sari acting like siblings, is most evident in how she reacts to Delvin’s comments.  He compliments her in an attempt to be charming since he really likes her, but she responds either with mild violence, silence, or any number of resistant actions.  Yet, it’s made clear that it isn’t that she isn’t interested, but that she doesn’t know what to do.  Her own feelings are alien and uncomfortable since they don’t connect to her destiny.  This is where she matures from the short-fused caster to a more mild tempered maternal figure.  Not only with Delvin too, which you can see by how she refers to the other champions:

  • Luke Callindor is her little brother.
  • Sari is her little sister.
  • Timoran Wrath is her big brother.
  • Dariana is her big sister.
  • Delvin is . . . Delvin because calling him a brother would be weird.

For those that don’t know her origin, Nyx’s hometown was burned to the ground by demons when she was a small child.  Her father had already been killed before she was born and her mother died in the fire.  So, she was raised by Cyril and Willow, who are two of the most powerful casters in Windemere.  While they acted as her parents, they had more of a teacher role in her mind.  She considers them family, but there is a block in her mind that makes her yearn for a lot of connections.  This goes against her instinct to keep people at a distance because her ‘inevitable’ (in her mind) death would make them sad.  Yet, she creates a surrogate family from the champions and many of the friends that they make along the way.  Kira Grasdon, Fizzle, Aedyn Karwyn, Fritz Warrenberg, and the rest of the supporting cast fall into her non-blood related family tree.  So, Nyx’s growth is more a social one than a physical one.

I mentioned last week that Luke Callindor has a champion core of courage.  Nyx is defiance/willpower/determination because she is a character who does not give up.  Many times, she will be beaten into the ground and she gets up for more as long as she isn’t unconscious.  Her allies attain a similar level of determination when they are with her and she takes strength from their presence.  This makes her the most powerful of the champions too.  Being a channeler is a big boost in itself since it means she can absorb magic and cast any spell that she can imagine.  Once you add a lot of stamina and willpower, she can edge out the immortal Dariana.  Although, it could be a tie there because Nyx doesn’t have a clear answer for psychic powers.

To be honest, Nyx is a difficult character to write about.  Long ago, I played Luke Callindor in my first college Dungeons & Dragons game.  A girl joined in the second semester to play her first game ever and created Nyx.  She would charge into battle without a second thought and promptly get knocked out.  Her spells were never at the same level as those in the book, so there is a world of difference between the two versions.  That makes it a little easier, but the girl is still my ex-wife and the game is still where we met.  Yeah, not the greatest thing to mention on this post, but this is a look behind the curtain.  I can still write Nyx, but there are difficult memories attached to her.  One of the reasons I can use her without much of a problem is because she never became an item with Luke Callindor, so art didn’t come close to mimicking life.  Let this be a lesson to other authors.  Be careful who you use for inspiration and try to find some separation between fiction and reality in case things go askew.

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War of Nytefall Interviews- Mab and Jewelz: Centuries of Hatred #vampires #fantasy

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It’s another Monday in October, so I’m going to present two more characters from War of Nytefall to answer questions in the comments.  Hopefully, this gets a lot of responses and we have some fun.  To check out the books in this series, here are the links:

  1. War of Nytefall: Loyalty
  2. War of Nytefall: Lost
  3. War of Nytefall: Rivalry

Today, it’s Mab for the third time joining us and Jewelz the Vampire Queen.  Since Mab was part of the first interview, I’m not going to post her bio again.  To get a refresher on Mab, check out her interview alongside Clyde.

This is going to be tough because a lot about Jewelz is a big part of War of Nytefall: Rivalry.  She is an ancient enemy of Mab and has been in hiding to become the mysterious Vampire Queen.  Her goal is to claim the strongest Dawn Fang as her king and she is already betting on it being Clyde.  The fact that he is connected to the woman she blames for destroying her life is a bonus.  A lot of the animosity stems from Mab being adopted by their maker and teacher, Rellan Everald.  They were friends while apprentices until Mab began surpassing the older Jewelz.  Everything fell apart after their final test and they became enemies.  At one point, Jewelz turned Mab’s brother, Titus, into a vampire to use as a weapon, but he didn’t obey.  He ended up throwing her into a volcano, which everyone thought was the end of her.  She survived with the help of Dean Pendrac, a scholarly vampire noble, and waited for another chance to go up against her hated enemy once more.

In terms of power, Jewelz can be considered an equal of Clyde.  She can coat her claws in acid and mesmerize others with a touch or eye contact.  Her greatest power is the ability to manipulate gemstones for various effects and craft her own from the surrounding elements.  This makes her very deadly and more versatile than Mab with her claws and shadow jumping ability.  Yet, Jewelz loses in terms of aggression, so this will be an ugly, nasty fight when it occurs within the pages of War of Nytefall: Rivalry.

Let’s get the awkward finale to these interviews underway!

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Costumes of the Past

First of all, I always post this music video leading up to Halloween:

I was thinking of adding more to this post, but I’ve done a bunch in the past and can’t think of any fresh Halloween songs.  Feel free to suggest any and I’ll add them in throughout the day.

Mostly here, I wanted to say that I was thinking about my old costumes.  My son asked what he had been over the years and I remembered most of them.  There’s one . . .Olaf!  That’s the one I forgot when he asked me 4 days ago.  Okay, we’re good.  At least, I have a better shot of remembering his than mine.  All I can get is (in no specific order):

  1. Pumpkin Patch
  2. He-Man
  3. Clown  (two-colored hair dye didn’t come out for a while)
  4. Han Solo
  5. Donatello the Ninja Turtle
  6. Starfleet Officer
  7. Garfield dressed as a pirate  (homemade)
  8. Spider-Man (homemade, but I got the flu on Halloween)
  9. Ghostbuster (homemade proton pack)
  10. Johnny 5 from ‘Short Circuit’  (Homemade from a large box and not very good . . . I may have been 10)

Johnny 5

That’s really it.  I think I’m missing 6-7 costumes.  Keep thinking I was a dinosaur or an animal at some point.  Most of my costumes were homemade because I would pick some odd things.  Surprised that I wasn’t a superhero more than twice.  Maybe I was a cowboy at one point because I did have a cap gun and tin star at one time?

Anyway, what costumes can you remember from your childhood?

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Picked the Wrong Week to Make Goals

The heck was I thinking when I swore I’d get all of the December blog posts and Legends Revisited stuff scheduled by the end of the week.  Hell, I’m writing this post at 10:30 AM instead of doing it the night before, which tells you something.  This week was always going to be busy, but this took the cake . . . There was a rainbow cake where every color was a different flavor involved here too.

First, I’ll talk about work.  We were down 1-2 people for the whole week, so there were fewer hands to handle various situations.  I’m still having fun, but I ended most of the days wanting to sleep.  Never got the chance to just conk out, but we’ll get to that.  Wednesday was what is called a ‘Day of Service and Learning’, which is when all of the teachers and students do community service projects.  I wasn’t with my usual group though, which was a little bit of a shock when it happened.  Instead, I went with kids to a senior center, which ended up being us helping with Bingo and lunch.  To be honest, I felt like I was tossed into the deep end of a pool since I’d never been there for this day.  After a week or two of worrying that I’d bungle things because I didn’t know what was expected, things went smoothly.  So, I’m more prepared now if this happens again next year.  The week ended with a bake sale where that amazing cake was the star attraction for about an hour before it was gone.

Now, I’d normally be able to get some blogging stuff done at night.  That only happened on Monday because the other nights exploded.  Actually, Monday had an issue too because my son was having a rough time.  He wasn’t with me, but it made a mess of the nightly phone call and had me worried about him.  Tuesday was an appointment for him that went directly to a Halloween event at school.  Because of homework and his dinner, I didn’t have time to eat until after all of that.  Taco Bell at 8:30 PM while trying to get an overtired kid to shower ended my night and made the next day (the Day of Service) an extra challenge since I was spent.  We haven’t even gotten to the big event that I’m sure many people aren’t going to read about because they’ve already stopped.

My son has had an appointment with a back doctor scheduled for a few weeks because someone claimed he could have scoliosis.  Mistakes were made by people who I will not name and it was revealed that we needed x-rays.  Good thing we found out only a few days before the appointment on a week where we’re already busy.  So, I finished the ‘Day of Service and Learning’ to find out if the ‘script was sent to the lab and I could easily get my son from school, bring him there, and get him to martial arts.  What could go horribly, insanely wrong?

The lab was in a place called Great Neck.  This means nothing to people here, but it isn’t the best place to go to during certain parts of the day.  At least, the area of Great Neck that the lab was in.  With only a slice of pizza eaten that day and a grumpy child in the backseat, I set off on an adventure that looked like it would go in my favor.  Only the lab was busy, so we didn’t get in there for a while.  Some confusion on if I could walk back there with him and he looked ready to freak out.  I’m running on fumes at this point and he’s starving now.  Martial arts isn’t going to happen and now we have RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC!  Long Island has horrible traffic and we couldn’t even get on the highways, so we had lights to contend with.  Took 20-25 minutes to get to the lab and over an hour to get back home.  This drained both of us, but it did lead to him having his first 6 inch sub and trying Swiss cheese for the first time.  Unfortunately, this was also his third late night in a row.  Whatever energy I had retained was gone.

Thursday was coparenting therapy and I vented a bit, so that night was a bust.  I’ll admit that it took a lot of energy not to break down crying because of some of the things that were said.  Friday night was going with a friend to this brewery that his friends opened up, which beats drinking alone.  I overdid it and had to wait a while before I could drive myself home, so I’m sitting here groggy and out of it.  In my defense, I was told after a few beers that they had mead, which I hadn’t had since my wedding.  Couldn’t resist because I have very fond memories of that drink.  Maybe I’ll make a post about that next Sunday since it has two funny stories.  This morning might be my blogging time because I don’t see myself writing very coherently.

Speaking of writing . . . I got nothing.  Losing a chunk of today might be good since I’m already at a funky point with War of Nytefall: Ravenous.  It’s only the second chapter, but I think I have to move stuff around.  The end of the first chapter feels like it should be the beginning of the second and there’s a middle section that is a two-person version of a discussion in chapter three.  So, I might spend more time moving stuff around.  This does make chapter one shorter by 4-5 pages, but that might be a good thing.  It ends it on an action scene instead of having that in the middle.  It means the next ‘talking’ chapter will work out better in my mind.  Any of this make sense?

Goals of the week:

  1. Write 1-3 chapters of War of Nytefall: Ravenous.  I can use Halloween night to write too.
  2. School and parenting.  (Do I even have to list these since they’re givens?)
  3. Finish the December posts.
  4. Try to finish the Legends Revisted posts.
  5. Come up with 3 more January post topics.
  6. Put on jeans in a bit because it’s better for me to get pizza today than when it’s storming tomorrow.
  7. Take a picture of the puzzle I finished this week.
  8. Start up the next puzzle.
  9. Stop making silly, minor goals and get my butt to writing.
  10. Laundry.
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Resurrection of Monster Maker Fun 2019: Creatures Donated by Kaine Andrews, Deby Fredericks, & Victoria Zigler #October #Monsters

Stein’s Lab in Soul Eater

The last one of 2019 and it’s a big one.  Thank you to everyone who contributed and I hope everyone enjoyed the fun.  See you again in 2020!

The following three beasts have been donated by Kaine Andrews:

Khandelis

A species of rhinoceros, this bulky creature only comes out at night on the plains of Repivolge.  It’s thick hide is mottled gray and black with thick bumps that help it sense changes in the air.  An oily wax seeps from its pores and follows grooves to pool in a deep hole where one would expect to see a horn.  This material comes from the plants that they eat, which roils their stomachs to create the secretion.  Locals use the foul-smelling gunk to ward off predators, but it has a more important use.  The wax is highly flammable and can be pushed into the form of a horn.  When threatened, the Khandelis will stomp and snort to make the trapped liquid jump.  The hot air from a second pair of nostrils, found above the eyes, solidifies the wave and one strike on stone turns it into a flaming horn. It is a very dangerous weapon because the sudden burst of light blinds most animals and the Khandelis is incredibly fast when scared.

Spehn

Raised by the people of Dymdal, this livestock is a type of chicken that can fit in the palm of your hand.  Their feathers are combinations of black, red, white, yellow, and green with each one having a unique pattern.  Every few years, a purple Spehn is born and hailed as a good omen for as long as it lives.  Of course, they take very good care of this animal and make sure it survives for years.  The roosters can be as loud as the bigger species, but they call out when the sun is setting.  Each member of the flock needs only a few seeds per day to survive and there are thousands throughout the village.  Obviously, they are too small to make a meal of, but they are raised for other reasons.  The eggs of a Spehn are bigger than those of an ostrich and hold hundreds of yolks if not fertilized.  The females only give one egg and grow large and round before passing it with many of them dying in the process.  Because of their change in size, the feathers are fluffier than normal and used to make pillows and mattresses.  The hard beaks of the Spehn are used as chisels for the artwork that the Dymdal region has become famous for.

Fanaj

Found in the deep caves of Minarza, this bat-like animal never comes out into the open and stays among the stalactites.  They feed off the moths and amphibians that thrive in the streams that run through the underground.  Even though they never go outside, they know exactly when darkness falls and become active the instant the moon goes away.  They have furry bodies and leathery wings like all bats, but they have trouble flying due to having an oddly shaped head.  It is wide and flat with gnarled teeth that do not stay inside when it is closed.  The appearance is similar to that of a Venus flytrap down to the greenish hue of the tips.  The Fanaj’s ears cannot fit on its head, so they are on the sides of the neck instead.  Curved hooks are on the elbow to help them catch prey that is bigger than themselves and to stay in the ceiling when they sleep.

The next three monsters have been donated by Deby Fredericks:

Ubyion

Existing in the darkest places of Earth, this shadowy creature absorbs any light that touches its clammy skin.  Heat is sucked out of its victims, but it is weak enough for even a child to escape.  While some believe it is the source of the Boogieman myth, it has been pointed out that Ubyions are never found in buildings.  Those that have been captured die within an hour of being brought inside regardless of the amount of shadows or sources of nourishing heat.  An x-ray photograph is the only way to see the creature, which is hunched over and has a streak of hair down its back.  While it has legs, it lacks arms and depends on a mass of suction-cupped tendrils that abdomen.  Some photos have shown pieces of light coming off its head, which has yet to be explained.

Oxanbrau

A distant relative of the manatee, this animal is a better choice for the title of ‘sea cow’.  It has the wide tail and blubbery body, but it also has horns.  This protrusions grow to the same length as its body and are incredibly sharp.  They have been known to punch holes in boats and destroy propellers, which is why there is a push to have some relocated to manatee areas as protectors.  The problem is that they are very territorial and attack anything that is their size or bigger.  Oxanbrau barely pay attention to anything smaller and are known to accidentally eat fish, frogs, and other tiny animals that happen to be in the way of their favorite food of seaweed.  An interesting quirk of this beast is that it is attracted to the smell of beer.  It will come very close to parties that are nearby and do tricks in the hopes of getting a taste.  If close enough, they will lunge out of the water to grab coolers and bottles.  It is has been noted that this activity happens predominantly when an Oxanbrau is ready to mate.

Ehrloth

This is an ancient demon that is summoned through a complicated ritual of the Herbanda Tribe.  It can only exist in our world for 24 hours before it is pulled back to its home dimension.  Standing at six feet tall, the Ehrloth has jagged wings that resemble dried leaves and its limbs are very thin.  In contrast, its belly is fat and jiggles as if something is trying to get out.  Curls of greasy hair fall from its stretched head and its mouth is always open to show the gaping void in its throat.  At the tips of its fingers are syringe-like nails that house a hallucinogenic toxin.  One dose is enough for a single human and any more is lethal.  When the Ehrloth is summoned, the people need to give it ten targets who have wronged them.  If there are less then the summoner is added to the list.  Each person is made to suffer a week of horrific nightmares, which is why this is considered a vengeance demon.  It will only kill if it is injured or if the person who summoned it sacrifices their own life.  Upon going home, the Ehrloth leaves a warp in reality that lasts for three hours and can suck anyone who passes through into the other dimension.

The last three creatures have been donated by Victoria Zigler:

Wesapoo

This adorable creature looks like a combination of a corgi and jackrabbit.  It has the compact body and fox-like face of the dog, but the ears and legs of the jackrabbit.  This is probably an escaped experiment since it lives in a single forest where it has trouble finding food.  The Wesapoo has survived by manipulating the local human population into giving them food and shelter.  While they stay in the forest during the day, they always return to what could only be described as their adopted family.  Giving their friendly nature, they are gladly accepted and are allowed to do as they will.  Being an invasive species, they are rarely hunted by the foxes and eagles of the area.  Their biggest threat is when they jump among the trees and get tangled in the branches.  This can lead to them falling and they are not very good at making safe landings.

Chilrox

Living in the humid jungles of the Tolnof Archipelago, these monsters are responsible for occasional snowfalls.  They remain in hibernation for most of the year and only come out when temperatures reach points where fires can be started.  Some have even risen from underground when a fire is raging to put it out.  They resemble large moles with fur that is always covered in frost and gives off an aura of cold.  Chilroxes have claws that are really icicles that are growing off their dull nails.  A snowflake-shaped hole is at the end of their long noses and they sniff out food, which is dry brush and dying trees.  As they eat, they shake their bodies to release icy spores that float to the sky and saturate any clouds.  By the end of the day, they are released as a snowstorm that cools the jungle down, but never sticks to the ground.  The other animals are given plenty of time to find shelter or leave the area to avoid getting caught in the cold.  It is rare that any die unless they are too sick or old to escape.

Hazeam

This incorporeal creature can be found in ocean shallows and is easily mistaken for a patch of fog.  Not having a true form, it can be a thick cloud or stretch itself to be thin and barely visible.  The only reason it was learned that it was a living organism is because its heartbeat has been caught on devices that are recording whale song.  It is a very rapid noise that stops abruptly if the Hazeam is approached.  This is not out of fear, but it feeds off the air in the lungs of various animals.  Once it surrounds its prey, it allows parts of itself to be inhaled and it is swiftly coughed out.  This leaves its victim dizzy and too much exposure results in severe pneumonia.

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Derailing Bedlam: Murder Gods Part 2 #fiction #adventure

As usual, here is your warning that this story has cursing, sex (not graphic), innuendo, and violence.  It’s my Rated-R action adventure called Derailing Bedlam.  This is the fourth outing (third official) for Cassidy and Lloyd, so feel free to click on one of the two covers to see how it started.  Each one is 99 cents!

Cover by Jon Hunsinger

Cover Art by Jon Hunsinger

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Continue reading

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Thursday- A Little Personal -October-Ween Book, Blog & Trailer Block Party

Join the contest!

John W. Howell's avatarFiction Favorites

Usually, you see Twiggy and Lucy in action here but this week is a little different. I’m actually going to promote my books (gasp). Now don’t run away cause there is something in it for you. If you leave a comment, you will be entered into a drawing.

Here’s What I’m Giving Away Today:

One of two $5.00 Amazon gift cards and

One of two of my E-books (Your choice).

There will be a total of four winners.

“We are here, Boss.”
“Yeah, Dad. Now go talk about your books.”

Thank you, Ladies.

Here are the books

This is the John Cannon Trilogy. It is a continuing story of John Cannon’s struggles with a terrorist organization whose objective is the destruction of America. You can click on each of the covers for a trailer.

Click cover for the trailer.

When a former pro football star and broadcaster, now a Wall Street maven…

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Windemere Monsters: Giltris #fantasy #adventure

Lizardfolk

Not that hard to explain these guys since they are what you would expect from the picture above.  The Giltris are lizard people who live in various tribal systems throughout Windemere.  Being cold-blooded, most of them stick to swamps and jungles, but there are some that have found ways to survive in mountains.  This is typically through the finding of hot springs and wearing pelts from animals they kill.

The other tribes only wear loin clothes and the occasional armor into battle.  Laying eggs instead of live young, the Giltris don’t suckle their babies.  This means both males and females have the same chest structure that is primarily muscle.  You can tell them apart from the size and various natural ornamentation.  Males are bigger with a colorful part that retracts, which can be found anywhere from the top of the head to the tip of their powerful tails.  Females are smaller and faster with sharper teeth and they lack the ornamentation since they are not the ones that have to do the wooing.  Each tribe has its own method of mate selection, but it’s always a competition between the males.

There are two leaders to each tribe and the two are not always related.  A male is chosen as the Tribe Baron and he is the military leader who makes most of the decisions.  He is always the strongest and most intimidating, but he does bow to one person.  This would be the shaman who is typically a female with a strong connection to the spirits of nature.  She influences the Tribe Baron’s decisions through visions and advice while making sure the internal workings of the tribe are running smoothly.  Her male counterpart focuses more on the outside stuff.  In some groups, the roles are reversed because a male might be born with a strong connection.  Yet, there is always a male/female pairing to keep balance within the tribe.

You might have noticed that I haven’t really described the Giltris.  That’s because they are what you think they would be.  Large, muscular humanoids with reptilian scales, faces, and tails.  Coloration could change as well as the male’s ornamentation, but they all share these similarities.  Many tribes are primitive since they have no reason to expand their technology beyond Stone Age tools.  Not feeling comfortable in cities, the Giltris are almost terrified of the idea.  If you do find one in a city or village then it is probably a rogue who has been exiled.  Once released from the family structure, they will go to where they will find other sentient beings for comfort.  Surprisingly, people aren’t that scared of a solitary Giltris since this situation is well known.  This is why you might find one working in a mercenary group.

Now, some people might remember that there is another reptilian species in Windemere called Fireskins.  These are bulky lizard people who are highly intelligent, civilized, and can cast magic.  Many believe they are related to Giltris, but they actually have no common ancestors.  While the Giltris descend from mundane lizard people, the Fireskins are connected to dragons.  Both have scales, claws, sharp teeth, and powerful tails, but they stem from different sources.  Oddly enough, the Fireskins take more offense at the misunderstanding than the Giltris.  The latter find it amusing that anyone would think they are related considering, to them, they are entirely different.  It would be as if one was claiming a human and a parsnip were closely related.

I do hope to do more with the Giltris down the road.  It hasn’t been easy, especially when I primarily throw them in for fodder.  They make some really good challenges since they’re very cunning and organized.  I do plan on having a heroic one at some point in a future series, but I have to get there first.  Beyond that, I’ll slip them in whenever I see an opportunity.

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