“Carnival (Traveling Series #4)” by Jane Harvey-Berrick #ReleaseBlitz

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Perfect 10 With Author Mary Clark

This gallery contains 7 photos.

Don Massenzio Today’s perfect 10 interview session is with author Mary Clark. The questions in these interviews are designed to gain more insight into the inspiration, background and strategy of the authors that stop by. Please enjoy this edition of … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment

When Heroes Are In the Dark

Yahoo Image Search

In the final hour, I made a discovery.  Legends of Windemere: Warlord of the Forgotten Age was going to be the end and I had to close things up.  This included some tidbits that I didn’t realize I had added in earlier books.  Clues and hints that there was a bigger mystery that the champions were ignorant of.  It shouldn’t be too surprising since the prophecy had been around for thousands of years and Gabriel has made tweaks where he could.  The man wasn’t even the one who started this prophecy since it was made by his predecessor.  So, what is the secret?

Unfortunately, I can’t tell, which makes this an awkward post.  Thankfully, I locked the doors to stop people from walking away . . . Probably shouldn’t have kept Timoran’s axe in the room though.  Anyway, a lot of this stems from me sensing that something was rather off about the prophecy in general.  To sum up, the champions are supposed to awaken their power centers, which will help them gain enough power to stand up to Baron Kernaghan.  Once ready, they travel to Shayd and get to his prison where they battle him for the fate of Windemere.  Seems simply, but changes were coming with characters speaking about where the Baron would appear.  Preparations were made, which means something is already expected to go wrong.  Is this a destined error?  Can’t say, but the champions begin to realize that some pieces have been left out and their final challenge has a curve to it.

Again, sorry about the vagueness, but it had to be done.  What I can talk about is the idea of heroes being in the dark about their own future actions.  This isn’t the same as the fact that we don’t know what is coming and have to act in the moment.  I’m talking about when a character is prepared for one path and discovers that there are some parts they weren’t told about.  Imagine being given directions to a new restaurant where you were going to get a free meal.  Sounds great and you do whatever you need to be accepted into the fancy establishment.  On the way there, you come across a bridge that wasn’t on the map and then a fork you weren’t warned about.  Unknown to you, both roads meet up again later though.  Again, a mystery that is sprung on you when you thought you had all of the information.  Things get even worse when you discover that while the meal is free, you have to mix your own drink.  A slight annoyance to some and a major disaster to others.

This brings up the thoughts on how a hero would react to such things.  Confidence and clarity of mind are essential to a stable hero, especially in the finale.  With the champions, they start off rather shaken and this hits them again.  Do they continue thinking they are fighting for what the originally believed in?  Do they feel used and manipulated?  It’s not an easy truth to learn when you think you had all the answers.  Even worse when you aren’t given any time between the revelation and battling for you life against a malevolent immortal.

Plenty of heroes run into stuff like this too.  That last minute twist that can stop them from achieving victory.  At the very least, it creates enough doubt that they are fighting at partial strength until they recover.  I’ve actually tried many times to put myself in their shoes and consider how often this happens to normal people too.  All of us can probably think of having plans that are changed at the last minute without our knowledge.  Then again, that could just be me.  Either way, we can relate to the frustration that comes from being kept in the dark.  I really like that way of thinking for this too.  It really is like the champions were traveling in the dark and have been abruptly brought into the light when it comes to the prophecy.

Wow, it really is hard doing this without mentioning the actual twist.  Maybe I should stop before I say too much.  Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

Posted in Legends of Windemere | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Meet The Author Christmas Special + Excerpts Fantasy Author Charles. E Yallowitz @cyallowitz #amreading #fantasy

Author, Kim Knight's avatarAuthor, Kim Knight

 It’s Christmas day! And of course being the 25th it’s time for Meet The Author. This month I have a fantasy author. I have so much respect for authors in fantasy/ paranormal / sci-fi genres. The talent needed to create a ‘new world’,  is a whole new level of creativity.  Let’s get to know Charles’ style….

Hello nice to meet you! Tell us a bit about you where are you from and other than writing what else do you enjoy?

Nice to meet you too and thank you for having me.  I’m from Long Island, New York, which is that long pronged piece of land you see at the bottom of the state.  People say it looks like a fish, but I think it’s more like an alligator with its mouth open.

Besides writing, I do low key stuff like reading manga, watching anime, and cooking the dinners around here.  The…

View original post 4,072 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Champions Of Windemere Group Interview

Thanks for the interview.

twixie13's avatarWelcome to Hell Bent

Hey, all. A Merry Christmas Eve, first and foremost. Secondly, I’ll be rolling out a bunch of interviews starting today, starting with this first one. Then another tomorrow, and on Tuesday, I’ll go with the ones related to “A Twist of Fate: A Collection of 11 Twisted Fairy Tales” (set for release on January 2nd!). I’ve also been hard at work on book 6, which should be out this coming week.

Now without any further ado…

As he approaches his destination, the half-monkey pulls out his notepad and looks to the list. The destination is Rainbow Tower, and he knows that this interview is going to be a different one for him. Usually, Travis is used to one interviewee. Possibly two. But this time, there’s a list. And he realizes that one of the names on that list is familiar to him. His tail twitches a little, as he wonders…

View original post 2,211 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Merry Christmas Eve! (Belated Goal Post)

First of all:

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE FINALE IS LIVE!

That’s how the week ended.  The rest of us was one chaotic day after another.  Monday was the medical thing where the wait was longer than the procedure.  It was weird going under, but nothing went wrong and I just have to make sure I drink enough water to counter what’s going on in me.  Tuesday was . . . errands?  I remember running around a lot and doing a little work on Ichabod Brooks.  Wednesday had my son home with a bad cold, so I didn’t get anything done then.  Thursday . . . requires it’s own paragraph.

Now, my son was okay to go to school on Thursday, but began flipping out about getting on the bus.  He was afraid he’d throw up, but also didn’t want them to leave without him.  We waved the bus on and little him calm down before I drove him.  Then I brought my car to get an oil change while my wife went to work and my parents took care of their own doctor thing.  At some point, the Internet/Cable/Phone went out because somebody said hello to something important with their car.  This is bad, but what’s worse is when you get a call that your son is in the nurse’s office.  I had no car and the mechanic’s phone (as well as the pediatrician) weren’t working.  My wife tried to get there, but hit massive traffic.  I eventually got a ride when my parents returned and we brought the little guy to a nearby clinic where it was found he had: THE FLU.  Not that he showed any symptoms other than a mild fever.  Finally got my car after this and then the medicine, which allowed us to return home.  Now, explain to me what type of flu makes it hard to keep water down, but he can devour a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos without any side-effects.  To keep myself safe, I’m on meds as well.

Friday had the kid home and he wasn’t an easy customer.  He’s simply terrified of throwing up and got it in his head that food causes it.  Lots of butting heads until the afternoon when we settled down.  At least it did for him.  I had to handle:

  1. Laundry
  2. Cooking dinner for him
  3. Putting together a 1,078 piece Lego set with him
  4. Maintaining social media stuff
  5. Publishing Legends of Windemere: Warlord of the Forgotten Age
  6. House cleaning for family gathering
  7. Errands

Needless to say, I release my newest book in a similar fashion to someone climbing a mountain and only having the energy to raise their hand in victory.  I’m exhausted and find that I’m simply happy to have released the book.  The euphoria and pride isn’t there like when I finished writing, which could stem from me seeing that as the bigger emotional hurdle.  Considering I’ve been saying good-bye to the champions for months, I might have brought myself to a point where publishing was a sense of closure.  It isn’t easy either because I keep wanting to talk about the endings.  Who will be angry at the deaths and will others be angry that certain characters survived?  What about the endings that are fairly brutal and designed to leave a bad taste in the mouth?  I tried to create a spectrum from happy to miserable endings here.  Yet, I can’t say anything more than that.

My son is off this week, so it will be a lot of Legos and video games.  It really depends on his mood and the weather is supposed to be unforgivingly cold.  That makes it hard to do things with a kid who is susceptible to colds and has asthma.  Honestly, I’m not too upset since one can have fun around the house.  Might be nothing more than a few trips to the library though.  Keep trying to think of an indoor place with animals, but not having any luck.  Guess ending the year on a low key note isn’t too bad after everything else that happened.

I have no goals for the week.  I’ll be keeping an eye on the new book and trying to promote it as best I can.  Holidays are tough and most of my promos will be going live in January, which makes sense.  Feel free to buy a copy and/or help spread the world.  I’d like to do more guest posts, but that might be a challenge with the kid being home.  Anyway, we’ll see what happens.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Just in Time for #Christmas! Legends of Windemere: Warlord of the Forgotten Age (Final Volume!) is Live! #fantasy #IARTG #ASMSG

The Champions’ Final Battle has Arrived!

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Whether in darkness or light, every path inevitably comes to an end.

As Gabriel, the Destiny God, determined centuries ago, his chosen will face Baron Kernaghan for the fate of Windemere. Through many victories and losses, the champions have stood together and prepared for this great battle. Now that the Baron’s influence stirs those with evil hearts, they have run out of time and must travel to Shayd. Yet, there are more secrets for them to uncover before entering a battle where the only way to survive is surpassing limits and putting everything they have on the line. Through it all, Gabriel’s statement that he made them destined to fight, but winning was not set in stone rings in their minds.

Will the champions usher in an Age of Heroes or become the sacrifices for an Age of Darkness?

Grab Your Copy on Amazon!
Add it to your Goodreads To Read List!

Excerpt: Return of the Baron

Exiting the portal above Gaia, the Baron is carried by an ocean breeze to the top of the amphitheater. His chest is tight as the curse attempts to crush him, a final embrace before it is dispelled for eternity. Free of his prison, the immortal inhales as if he has not taken a breath in centuries. The sight of gulls and white clouds in place of demons and endless storms brings tears to his eyes. Scents of foods that he has created magical versions of waft to his nose, the real dishes smelling infinitely more delicious than his creations. Throwing his sense of propriety away, the Baron falls to his knees and kisses the stone beneath his feet. Distant screams travel to his ears as the entire population of Windemere is forced to remember all of the horrors he committed as a mortal. Waves of fear wrap around the world when they recall that he became the God of Destiny and planned to unleash his fury on the other deities. Vivid memories of the atrocities he committed forces themselves into millions of minds that are driven to the edge of insanity. Their voices and emotions are delicacies to the Baron’s senses, which strain to absorb every sensation given off by his new kingdom. Even the whispers of defiance from nearby make him lick his lips and desire the chance to crush his first true enemy with his bare hands. Rising to his feet, the Baron shields his eyes from the sun to help him see a hazy dome that appears in the sky. Feeling a familiar energy from the lowering barrier, he laughs and throws out his arms to greet one of the keys to his victory. With a resounding boom, the spell covers Gaia and nearly a mile of ocean. All of the voices and emotions swirling around Windemere are blocked by the dome, which plunges Gaia into silent isolation.

Gazing at the armies that have gathered around the city, the Baron smiles at how the soldiers shift uneasily. His attention locks on Trinity, his former agent and her warriors closer to Gaia than any of the other forces. Even though the cobalt-skinned channeler cannot see him, he can tell that she has become aware of his presence. Stretching his arm, the warlord decides the traitorous Queen will be the perfect casualty to start the battle and make the others realize that he has arrived. Casting a spell to pulverize every bone in her body, the Baron’s fingertips glow with a golden light that runs down to his palm. He briefly hesitates to kill the young woman whom he once looked upon as a daughter, but the idea of leaving any traitor alive fills him with anger. The immortal begins to utter the final word of his incantation when he hears the portal release a brief popping noise.

“That took less time than I expected,” the Baron says, whirling around to redirect his spell at the champions. His attack soars through empty sky, the blast parting the clouds and silencing the surprised mortals waiting outside of the city. “Very curious, but pointless. Invisibility will not trick me, gypsy girl. Your attempt to hide yourself and the others will fail.”

New to ‘Legends of Windemere’?  Check out the Amazon page and dive into the adventure!

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

Posted in Legends of Windemere, Warlord of the Forgotten Age | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Are you in a Gothic Horror Novel?

A really fun post for the holidays . . . Well, I didn’t say which holiday.

Nicholas C. Rossis's avatarNicholas C. Rossis

I first shared this back in 2014, but I came across it the other day and I had to repost. Apologies if you’ve seen it twice!

Image: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.google.gr/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjnn8jY3fDXAhUKGZoKHUR7A1IQjB0IBg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F393853929885066717%2F&psig=AOvVaw33gS6W1AomA5EWqMAiRsVD&ust=1512489665158531">Pinterest</a>

As you seemed to enjoy last week’s post, Are you in a Regency Romance Novel?, I’ve got another one for you, also by The Toast.

This one, written by Abi Inman, answers the burning question in everyone’s mind…

Are you in a Gothic Horror Novel?

  • All animals are underfed, black, and vaguely eldritch. They all hate you.
  • You are a man. If you’re a woman, you are the love interest of the man, and you are dead.
  • All the women you know have died in childbirth. All the children you know are orphans. You are an orphan.
  • It’s foggy. If it’s not foggy, it’s smoggy. Or misty. Some form of particulate matter is in the air.
  • You are arranged to be married…

View original post 601 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

A Perfect 10 With Author Lisa Reynolds

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Don Massenzio Today’s perfect 10 interview session is with author Lisa Reynolds. The questions in these interviews are designed to gain more insight into the inspiration, background and strategy of the authors that stop by. Please enjoy this edition of … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Meet Guest Author, Xina Marie Uhl…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

As someone who writes nonfiction for kids for a job, I find myself confronted with an obstacle that primarily affects me when I work on my personal fiction. Which is, I don’t want to do it. After all, for my nonfiction I have an editor and a deadline and most importantly, I get actual money from it to pay my bills. Those things get me typing away. And while I’m working on making more of a profit with my fiction, I don’t have the same motivation in terms of structure and incentives that I do with my nonfiction. So here are some things that have helped me get my words down despite the financial incentives.

Major. These actions have had the most effect on my productivity.

  1. Goals and Deadlines. I always have one project or another in the works so for me there is no shortage of things…

View original post 1,055 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments