Legends of Windemere

Goal Post: 2026 Has Yet To Impress

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

I remember when a new year would feel like a change. There was a sense of a fresh start and things could be left in the past. Oddly enough I think this sensation only existed in elementary school and college. The time in between and after always had years that reminded me that years are a human construct.

So, this week was all about work and parenting. The weather was frigid until Wednesday, but it got cold at night. This meant I had maybe 3 hours of usable decent weather time all week. All other attempts to get fresh air were met with cold temps, darkness, wind, and a park cop telling me to leave as I made my way to my car. I’m not running or power-walking, so I’ll get to where I’m going eventually. Scarred area is still sensitive, especially to cold temps.

Sadly, writing didn’t really happen. I opened Darwin & the Joy Path one evening in the hopes getting some of it done. Instead, I got pulled away by urgent texts and other stuff going around on this side of the laptop. My son wasn’t even here, so I can’t say I was parenting. By the time everything was cleared up, I was so exhausted that I decided it was better to get extra sleep. Tried again Friday night, but my fatigue from the week had caught up with me.

I’m hoping that I can get 4 sections done this weekend. It’s supposed to be really rainy, especially this afternoon. So, I’m going to finish chapter 12 this morning before hitting the park for an hour before the storm arrives. With any luck, I can start chapter 13 before I go out to an event at the mall. Tomorrow should be easier with no events going on. It should work out because the 4 sections are all traveling and talking after three chapters that were predominantly action. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to finish Darwin & the Joy Path by the end of February.

Something else I put off for a while is the March blog posts. I’ve got 15 of them to do with a few being fairly easy to write up. My method was typically doing the posts while my son got ready for bed or did homework. That hasn’t been possible due to fatigue and having other things to do. This is why ‘Phi Beta Files’ hasn’t moved much either. If a month hits and I’m not done with the posts then I’m going to have a problem. I can’t write them in ‘real time’. Given how chaotic April is going to be, I might make that a month of revived posts from the early days. Looking back, my recovery throughout December is another reason I’ve slowed down. I couldn’t sit on my desk chair or keep my laptop on my lap due to my issues. It took all day simply to write a chapter section intermittently as long as the meds or pain didn’t knock me out. Guess I’m still recovering in some ways.

I know this is all negative . . . Not sure where I was going with that one. Look, it’s been a rough week with not much to show for it. Don’t ask me what I have to show for this week because I just stared at my screen for 5 minutes struggling to think of something. I don’t want to pick survival because I always do that. To be fair, a big reason for this is certain entities decided to start the year continuing to antagonize me. They know of my anxiety and how to trigger it, so they make sure to do things that will upset me to the point where I’ll react in an ‘uncivilized’ manner. Basically, I’ve reached the point where I promptly tell them to go fuck themselves and the ensuing complaint about my language is met with ‘fuck off’. Look, emotionally abuse someone for years, expect them to eventually treat you with no respect and manners because you’re now a monster. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

This coming week is going to be more of the same with work and meetings at the beginning. I don’t want to tackle any of Darwin & the Joy Path since I have my son for the MLK Jr. weekend, which is right before midterms. During the week, I’d be able to get one section done, but then have to wait awhile. That caused some continuity issues in the past, so it might be best to hold off. So, it might be a focus on March blog posts and then some ‘Phi Beta Files’. I might tinker with that thief guild idea, which changed in my mind during a drive home. Then, I hit a pothole and ended up losing the concept . . . Is that a normal thing or should I be worried?

Goals of the week time:

Finish chapters 12 and 13 of Darwin & the Joy Path.
Get an hour of fresh air each day if weather permits. This includes Pokemon.
When he’s here, help my son study for mid-terms.
Stationary bike since I got back into it last week.
Post, and maybe complete, March posts.
Work on ‘Phi Beta Files’.
Puzzle time when I need a screen break.
Continue to go to bed around 10 or 10:30 to avoid fatigue.
Hydrate!

Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged cold, life, maybe next week, no progress, nothing new, parenting, stress, writing | 5 Comments

#4 of 2025: People Who Change Into Weapons

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Originally posted on May 2, 2025.)

Soul Eater

While it isn’t common, I have found a few stories that have people who transform into weapons. Most times, it’s a curse that the character wishes to break. They are wielded by a friend and cannot change back and forth. Yet, there are a few, such as above, that can shift from human to weapon at will. So, how can this work?

People will be looking for an explanation of how, which tends to be magic. Though, another option is the mutant route where you have people who are simply born with this ability. It feels like you can either go simple with a faint explanation or go detailed, but you can’t linger in the middle. Readers will want it to be a solid power or system, so trying to be coy can make it feel more like a pointless gimmick. This is a major setting piece to the world and story too.

Another thing to consider is if the person feels pain or can take damage. Swords chip and can even break, so what does this do to the human form? One would assume that a shattered sword means death. At the very least, massive amounts of broken bones and internal bleeding. Some stories have done it that the person is stuck in weapon form until they are repaired by a specialist. This shouldn’t be without repercussions like scars or loss of strength. Either way, there should always be a risk in regards to the transformation and then use.

You also have the wielder to consider because having just anyone grab this humanoid weapon can be odd. Typically, there seems to be a connection either through blood, marriage, or friendship. For example, ‘Soul Eater’ has the weapons and users partnered up in a training academy. They are connected through lessons and friendship then later by experience. A key point is that the weapons are also assigned, so there is a bond. This means nobody else can use them effectively, which creates a tighter system. Otherwise, everyone is going to be picking up every human weapon, which is confusing and possibly unsanitary.

Personally, I think this ability is more niche than transforming weapons in general. It fits this week’s topic, but it isn’t something you can use often. Stuffing it into your fantasy or science fiction story could be fun, but also clunky. It isn’t like other superpowers or magic because the person has to be wielded by another. They can’t just transform and then hop around as a sword. So, there’s a symbiotic relationship required, which comes with its own subplot. It’s almost required, so you can’t really just use it as a pure gimmick without much thought. That will just make the concept fall flat.

So, what do other people think of this type of power/concept?

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged author, fiction, writing, weapons, powers, human, transformations | 12 Comments

Poetry Day: Taught Not To Lie In a World of Liars

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(This one seems pretty self-explanatory. Also, it’s still a frustration for me. I can’t figure out where I got the pattern from too. So, I can’t name the style.)

The way the world should work.
Always tell the truth.
For that is what is right.
A mantra for our youth.

Always tell the truth.
No matter what you lose.
A mantra for our youth.
We knew it would never last.

No matter what you lose.
You should strive for honesty.
We knew it would never last.
Once we heard you lying.

You should strive for honesty.
As if you are the purest ones.
Once we heard you lying
Your request died in your lungs.

As if you are the purest ones
Who lies about their age
Your request died in your lungs
Mere ashes upon our ears

Who lies about their age
While preaching for the truth
Mere ashes upon our ears
Making scars that will remind us

While preaching for the truth
Our own lies will come to pass
Making scars that will remind us
That everyone’s a liar

Our own lies will come to pass.
For that is what is right.
That everyone’s a liar.
The way the world should work.

Posted in Poems | Tagged adults, author, kids, lying, manipulation, poems, poetry, truth, writing | 7 Comments

Charlene’s Chair . . . Place

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Chairs on the shelf display.

Welcome! Yes, there are many types of chairs out there. Why do so many people come in here surprised at that? Anyway, we have a wide assortment for you to choose from, but we can also help you make a custom one. I knew you would want to peruse our options, so here’s the catalogue.

First, we should decide on the style. What are you going to be using the chair for? A relaxing chair does narrow it down somewhat. There are the recliners, which are always popular. Wingback, egg, and barrel styles are common as well. Will these be outside or inside? Both means you would need to move it. For that, I would recommend either a wheeled chair or a lightweight rocking chair. There aren’t many additions to the latter, but that will make things a little streamlined.

I assume you want your rocking chair to be made of wood. We have all of the usual types such as oak, maple, and cedar. We have rarer ones too such as petrified, time travel obtained, and . . . There really isn’t anything special about the woods. No powers or abilities to speak of. Some are more durable and require less maintenance than others, which can be appealing. Oh, the golden willow would does have a habit of attracting fairies. There’s also a type of pine that absorbs your stress, but it will eventually release it all into a pocket dimension. That sounds good, but we really don’t know what lives in that pocket dimension. Only that the citizens have sent us several letters threatening war once they can figure out how to cross over. Golden willow? Good choice.

You don’t want to put paint on that wood because it will anger the fairies. I would suggest a natural-looking wood stain. Gold on gold would be repetitive, so maybe a clear or slightly tinted type. Here’s one that would give it a reddish hue. Seems it also keeps the chair fairly warm at all times, which is good in the winter. This is a darker yellow stain, which keeps termites, ants, flies, and other pests away. Unfortunately, it smells like spicy mustard at all times. It’s still our second best seller in terms of stains. Our top one is a strawberry red that sprouts said fruit every week. You have to pick it within an hour of it appearing though or it will rot. Reddish hue for warmth it is.

Cushion patterns are numerous, but we do have various abilities. Fart elimination, back pain eraser, calming scents, expanding into a wrap-around blanket, and a mild vibration mode are a few. For a rocking chair, we have a cushion that does the rocking for you because its actually a mimic. Not that the cushions have eaten anyone, but we don’t make them. They simply appear and feed off any food that falls in their creases. I think they might eat a few fairies too. Still, the possible mimic also changes its shape to contour to your body and there is some evidence that it can protect your home from invaders of all species. The only problem is they don’t get along with small house pets. They’re scared of small children as well because you can’t get markers, gum, glitter, glue, and other things out of their hair. You don’t have any of that, so you’re good for the mimic. I’ll keep watch for the next one to arrive.

Anything else? Thank you for doing business with us. Just watch out when you leave because we got a shipment of steel chairs. Those things have a habit of folding themselves and launching at the nearest person’s back. Ow! Why do we sell these things to non-wrestling fans?

Posted in Olde Shoppe Stories | Tagged author, chairs, humor, writing, ye olde shoppe | 12 Comments

Heroes of Windemere Profile: Luke Callindor

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Found a fun little collection of posts from 2016. I did some profiles of the main heroes of Legends of Windemere. Should be fun to see again.)

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Hair– Blonde
Eyes– Green; Later chocolate brown with gold flecks and black circles
Race– Half-Elf
Hometown– Haven
Career– Forest Tracker
Weapon(s) of Choice– Twin Sabers
Debut Book– Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero

Luke Callindor was born to be a hero. At least that’s what he was told since he comes from the famous Callindor lineage. Since childhood, he has been trained in combat, tracking, monster lore, and various wilderness. By the time Luke turns eighteen, he has made up his mind to become an adventurer. Running away from home with his loyal dog, Stiletto, he has no idea what he is getting himself into. A famous name can only get him so far before experience and skills can finish the job.

Being the first hero who appears in the Legends of Windemere series, Luke is shown at the beginning of his adventurers. He is cocky, stubborn, and still working with the idea that destiny is in his favor when he lies to get his first adventure. Pitted against a demonic assassin and under the suspicious eye of a famous mercenary, Luke quickly realizes that he may have made a mistake. It doesn’t take long for him to learn that trustworthy friends are the key to his survival. This is only his first lesson and he continues to grow as his story progresses alongside the other destined heroes.

Throughout the series, Luke Callindor relies on his courage and ability to think on his feet more than being tactical. He is spontaneous and unpredictable to both his enemies and allies, which has managed to keep him alive even in the most challenging situations. Luke is also a very quick at learning new skills and adapting, which is an ability that he is not entirely aware of. He works off instinct when backed into a corner or he sees someone in danger. Growing up with dreams of heroism, he will routinely risk his life to save his friends or even total strangers from danger. As admirable as this is, his enemies know that this can be used against him.

Posted in Legends of Windemere | Tagged action, adventures, biographies, character origins, characters, coming of age, elves, epic fantasy, fantasy, fantasy series, forest tracker, high fantasy, Legends of Windemere, Luke Callindor, magic, sword & sorcery, swords, warriors, Windemere | 6 Comments

Questions 3: Setting Revisited

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

I’ve made many posts over the years about setting. A reason for this is because I use a lot of descriptive exposition when writing. I know many don’t like this method and start shouting ‘show don’t tell’. Still, this works for my style and it isn’t like I’m selling books anyway. Finding that it helps my son visual what’s going on as well since he started reading Beginning of a Hero.

A personal belief is that setting works as a hidden character. The reason for that is because it evolves as you progress through the story. It doesn’t stay the same because it grows with every added detail. The setting also influences the characters and can force them to develop. So, it can’t be taken for granted or ignored since it influences almost every aspect of the story. This is why I want to get the thoughts of others:

What is an important ‘rule of setting’ that you follow?
How much has your setting usage or preferences changed over the years?
What is an aspect of setting that most people don’t seem to acknowledge? (Examples: time, various sense stimuli, stars, cultures, etc.)

Posted in Questions 3 | Tagged answers, author, exposition, fiction, non-fiction, questions, rules, setting, stage, world, writing | 15 Comments

Kind of a Plan For 2026

Posted on January 4, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

So, what are the 2026 plans, goals, whatever, I don’t know:

Finish writing Darwin & the Joy Path.
Maybe start writing Darwin & the Hejinn Queen.
Really should finish the ‘Phi Beta Files’ outlines.
Support son passing 11th grade.
Help son prepare and start 12th grade.
Help son plan for college even though he already has a plan.
Take one trip with son.
Work during the summer as usual.
Catch plenty of Pokemon while getting exercise.
Bike more.
Sleep better.
Finish some puzzles and maybe Lego sets.
Ignore the people who keep suggesting I try dating.
Read more manga since it’s easier to take long breaks from that than novels.
You know, maybe I can even start Darwin & the Nightmare Lord if I finish the other two.
Stop getting my heart set on making amazing progress when my life is still borderline shambles.
Continue blogging.
Dream of publishing since it still makes no financial sense, which sucks because I really miss doing it. No cover art money and no marketing money, but that first one is the real killer.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2026, author, future, goals, life, new year, parenting, plans, writing | 20 Comments

Goal Post: A Chilly Break And 2025 Finale

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

It was cold!

I know it’s not a good idea to start with the weather, but that was a heavy influence on how the week went. Temps were primarily in maybe the 20’s, but dropped into single digits a few times. The reason is the wind coming down from the arctic, which is making my face and new scar hurting. We had some flurries to start 2026, but that happened after my son and I got home. Still, not being able to go outside for very long really limited what we were able to do. Not that we planned much, but it means physical activity wasn’t happening, especially since I got a full thumbs up on Monday in regards to my recovery. Shame I couldn’t celebrate with a walk in around the park.

Writing happened, but I came a single chapter section short when it came to Darwin & the Joy Path. Last weekend saw me come close, but the cold and some stressors tired me out too fast to finish chapter 12. I thought I would have a chance to do so during the week, but things happened. Basically, I had my son for the day I thought he would be busy, so we did our usual Pokemon Go, anime with lunch, and video games, which meant no writing. To be fair, we were both exhausted from being up late, so I used my energy to get cleaning done instead.

Thankfully, the chapter section is an easy one to get back into since it’s the wrap up action after a big event. My notes were a mess for the big challenge too, which added to me not getting more done last Sunday. It didn’t help that I focused on a character who wasn’t the one to solve the problem. I had been focusing on him for the entire chapter, so I wanted to keep that going. This meant, I had to figure out how have the problem get solved by someone else through his perspective. Couldn’t have it come out of nowhere, so I had to repeatedly get up to pace and think. Overall, I believe I got it to work.

‘Phi Beta Files’ are still an outline challenge that I haven’t been able to touch much. I’m really going to bed soon after my son does. This gives me about 15 minutes to look over the notes while listening to music. The plus side is that I have this book mostly set up in terms of stories, but I don’t have them in order. This might be an issue with writing books where its short stories, which both stand alone and carry the main plot. No idea why I had no issues with this when I outlined the first book a year ago. Was it because it was the start, so I had no pre-existing threads?

This weekend is a little cluttered with getting things ready for school and work starting up again on Monday. Haircuts, lunch food, making sure all homework is done, laundry, and getting back on sleep schedules are important. Time with my son is really important too because February is going to be rough. With the way Winter Break is split, there is always a high chance of me only getting 1 of the 4 weekends instead of it being even. This is one of those years, so I want to cherish the time I get. Guess I’ll add this to another reason I’m stressed and not enjoying my existence. Really drives home that I’ll have effectively missed half of my son’s life for a decade once this is over. Probably more given how this agreement operates in real life, but nothing can be done there.

Next week will be a little warmer with high 30’s on Tuesday and maybe getting into the low 50’s by the weekend. Doubt I can do a park walk until Wednesday, but you never know since I have my cold weather clothes. As I said, the scar I have is still sensitive, so the low temps make it itchy and ache a bit. The location prevents me from wearing one of my cold weather clothes, but I might try it this week. I really need fresh air and exercise to help with my stress, which has returned to levels where I get 2 am panic attacks. Though, a lot of crap getting thrown my way isn’t helping. 2026 really isn’t feeling any different than 2025. Such is my life for a while.

Not as down as I sound. Just tired and not hiding the fact that I have to deal with a lot of emotional battering. It comes from certain entities who are more interested in causing pain and winning faux battles than making things easy. I mean, knowing I was in the hospital didn’t even stop some of them from continuing their stress-inducing antics from afar. That really taught me how these people will never change and I simply have to endure them until the leopards come for their faces. Just wish those spotted karma deliverers would work faster, but it’ll have to happen some day.

Goals of the week?

Time with son. (Trying to watch older movies if time allows.)
Haircuts.
Return to work.
Put together vodka sauce lasagna to cook tomorrow.
Write more Darwin & the Joy Path if possible this week.
Exercise with Pokemon Go when weather good.
Work on ‘Phi Beta Files’.
Puzzle time to relax before bed.
Get extra sleep on Sunday to prepare for the week.
Continue dealing with unrepented narcissists who I can’t be rid of.

Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged cold, continuation, enduring, goals, life, new year, parenting, stress, tired, writing | 11 Comments

#5 Post of 2025: National Bird Day- The Condor

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(Originally posted on January 5, 2025)

Today (January 5th) is National Bird Day, so I thought I’d highlight one of the biggest conservation success stories: The Condor.

Specifically, it was the California Condor that was pulled from the brink of extinction. We also have the Andean Condor. Now, California Condors had a slight boom in the late 1700’s because of human settlements having livestock, which gave them an ample food supply. Eventually, the people started moving to other areas and hunters began taking the game that would naturally feed the condors. Land was being taken over and eggs were being collected by people, which was decimating the condor population.

Condors were first protected in 1966 when 60 were in the wild, but it didn’t help and they dropped to 22. A recovery program began in 1979, which was controversial because people didn’t like the plan. It was that wild condors would be captured and used in a controlled breeding program. This could be difficult even though condors can live to 60 and are sexually mature at 6. They are monogamous and lay only one egg at a time, which is why the egg collecting was so destructive. Yet, there was a habit that conservationists could take advantage of.

While condors only lay one egg, they can have a second in the same breeding season if they lose the first one. So, people would take the first chick to hand feed and have an unpaired adult to raise, which prompted the mating pair to have a second chick. In 2021, it was also discovered that female California condors could have chicks without mating, which is called parthenogenesis.

It took a long time for the release part of the program to work, but it eventually took hold enough for the wild ones to breed. As of this year, there are 343 free-flying condors and 217 in captivity. The breeding program continues and is seen as a great success.

Here are some condor facts:

They are actually vultures, which means they are scavengers.
Condors are the largest land birds with California ones having a wingspan of 9.5 feet and Andean at 10.5.
Condors prefer to fly in windy areas in order to glide since they are so big.
Andean males have brown eyes and females have red.

Let’s get some pictures and videos too.