If anyone had told me ten years ago that I’d be an author, blogger, keen photographer and poet I’d have rolled around with laughter at such a whimsical tale. Sometimes dreams come true and I have a new persona – MJ to prove it. I’ve always wanted to be a superhero’s girlfriend, and Spiderman’s my favourite! Dearest MJ gets up to mischief, adding unusual statuses to my Facebook page. Perhaps the like of – Marje has bungee jumped or parachuted out of a plane, or stripped as a life model, or engaged in a Boudoir Photo shoot. Oops, one of these may be true! If it is let’s keep it a secret, I love secrets. What fun! Can you imagine? One day, (if I’d been a life model or indulged in such a photo shoot)… I’d smile, an old granny, a glint of…
C.S. Lewis Quote (Maybe. This is the Internet after all.)
So, you’ve done a lot of bad things, but now you have a chance at getting redemption. It’s something that a lot of villains don’t get. To make sure you don’t ruin this once in a lifetime opportunity, here is some advice:
Avoid laughing maniacally and doing your grand villain speeches. They made sense when you were trying to instill fear in your enemies. Now, it’s kind of creepy and makes people think you’re faking this whole hero thing. Wait at least a year into your new life before doing this in a mocking way. If that’s too long then try to cover both with a coughing fit.
You can only apologize and request a ‘do over’ so many times before people think you’re not taking this hero thing seriously. While it may be easier to work off instinct and clean things up later, it doesn’t win you any points. Doesn’t matter how many fruit baskets and balloon bouquets you send out. People still remember when you did bad things with a smile.
Don’t smile so often when you’re doing anything aggressive or violent. You know for a fact that henchmen and goons are hired with the expectation that they’ll only be around for a few paychecks. That doesn’t mean the hero version of you should look like you’re having fun beating them up. Try to look serious or at least wear a mask to hide the glee.
For the love of god, torture isn’t a heroic action. Intimidation is one thing, but leave the fingernails in place. Don’t even think of taking those pliers to the tongue too. Just walk away from the toolbox, buddy.
None of this will come naturally after being a villain for so long. It might be awkward to ask for tips to being a hero, so there is an alternative. Read articles and watch interviews with those who defeated you. Try to figure out what it is that makes them beloved and respected. You won’t get it right the first, second, third, or . . . Let’s just say practice makes perfect.
Change your wardrobe to be friendlier. That spiky armor works to intimidate the local populace, but you don’t want kids who love you to run up for a hug. Besides the awkwardness, you’ll go broke paying medical fees. This could also be problem if your villain clothing was rather revealing or skintight. Not as much as you would think, but you will be criticized for being tacky.
Charity work is always a good thing. Spend time with kids, animals, the elderly, or any of the numerous groups that need help. Put a smile on their face and maybe you’ll end up smiling back.
As part of the Rave Reviews Book Club, I occasionally get to host authors on their spotlight tours. The most supportive authors are chosen for this spot, and Natalie is a super supporter. I want you guys to give her a warm welcome, and don’t be afraid to use those sharing buttons at the bottom.
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Thank you for joining me today on this fourth day of the “Spotlight” tour!
Today, I’d love to share an extension of my poetry that is very near and dear to my heart.
When passion and purpose collide. Did you know that the simple act of piecing together a jigsaw puzzle can offer therapeutic benefits? It can, and the promising findings were impossible to ignore. While stimulating the brain, it also acts as a form of meditation, allowing the mind to relax. This simultaneous action has shown promising findings for people living with dementia…
Tomorrow I begin writing the next series: War of Nytefall. This introduces Clyde and the rest of his Dawn Fang gang who will pave the way for the vampire society that was briefly introduced in Legends of Windemere: The Mercenary Prince. It’s a big step, but it has a wrinkle that I just considered.
I haven’t really touched Clyde, the main character, in almost 20 years. Nothing beyond outlines, character bios, and explaining him in passing. This is a guy who took on my dark side while Luke Callindor was my light. He was monstrous, cocky, and brutal, which is why I usually use a picture of Alucard from ‘Hellsing’ for him. I haven’t accessed those traits entirely in a while even though I’ve edged near them with Lloyd. It isn’t the same either because Clyde evolved to not be a random source of destruction, but a meticulous killer lurking the shadows. Many of his odd kills in the games was because somebody challenged him or the GM wanted to keep him out of the action. Clyde always found a way to get his target even if it was bare-handed. He was nearly unstoppable and remained on the edge of losing his humanity for most of his existence. One push is all he needed to go full monster and never return.
I’m waxing poetic here, but it’s more out of stalling. Wiping the dust off Clyde and pouring some blood into his mouth has been a long time coming. It has to be done since I’ve had him wait in the shadows too long. Maybe I’m being strange, but I can’t figure out if I can handle him or get him right. What if I let him go too monstrous and he comes off more as a villain? What if he comes off as too weak because he takes too much of a beating or shows compassion too often? This is such a different vein than my previous heroes because Clyde does border on villain at times. The things that Luke would never dream of doing are on Clyde’s option list because he’s a monster battling other monsters. I’m left wondering what I can do to make sure I don’t make him a vampiric copy of Luke or, considering power levels, Nyx. Do I use tomorrow to sit and meditate on what makes Clyde different? Do I just dive right in?
Maybe this is pre-project jitters since this is the opener and I won’t really get to the true Clyde until Chapter 1. He has to get buried in the prologue and then Mab needs to convince Prince Tempest to let her dig him up. Might up it from 50 to 100 years that Clyde has been trapped. 500 too much? I’m rambling now to distract from my own doubt and worry. It’s possible that I release him and find myself trying to wrestle a rabid tiger on steroids too. He’s been itching for his chance and I can always feel him poking around out of boredom. Clyde even managed to slip a bit into The Mercenary Prince if you pay close attention.
So, what do other people do when they’re about to take on a long overdue character or one that kind of scares them? Is this a unique problem for me?
I’ve mentioned the chaos elves and Trinity a few times in regards to their origins, but this is the perfect time to do it again. It’s been a while and new visitors might not know about this part of Windemere. We’ll separate it by eras too:
Birth of the Chaos Elves
Look ago, the Elven Gods were born from Solar the First One and set about creating the mortals they would look over. There were already humans, orcs, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and a few other species. During the creation phase, a group of Orc Gods slipped demon blood into the mixture and the elves came out as the monstrous Hejinn. They wiped out the orcs and enslaved the entire world. The gods were kept at bay when they corrupted one of the most powerful dragon deities and unleashed it on the others to cause a pocket dimension war that lasted centuries.
Eventually, some of the Hejinn regained their humanity and helped the resistance to overthrow the others. A spell was cast that changed those who helped free the slaves into the common elves, winged elves, and sea elves. There was also a larger group of Hejinn that simply stayed out of the fighting and were planning on joining whichever side ended up winning the rebellion. The gods weren’t happy about this act of apathy and turned them into the chaos elves. They were forced to live on the northern continent of Shayd, which was filled with storms, undead, and a few demons. It was harsh and barely livable, but the chaos elves made a life there.
Influence of the Baron
Between their birth and the Great Cataclysm, the chaos elves weren’t loved by the rest of the world. It wasn’t pure hate, but they weren’t trusted. They had a habit of playing tricks on others and causing trouble. It’s the reason they were named ‘Chaos’ Elves. A few blossoming kingdoms were destroyed by their antics, which were done for attention and entertainment. After all, they were isolated on the northern continent and nobody would trade with them.
When the Great Cataclysm happened, a hole opened between Shayd and the Chaos Void where the demons lived. Baron Arthuru Kernaghan came through and extended his ancient prison to cover the royal castle of the chaos elves. He is the reason their life became even worse. The Baron summoned demons and his sadistic son to enslave the chaos elves to the point where their souls broke. Think of the worst stuff you could do to an entire species and he did it and worse. After they were pummeled into the ground, he rebuilt them into assassins and spies that the rest of the world feared. As far as the rest of Windemere knew, the chaos elves went from malicious pranksters to terrifying killers that lurked in the shadows.
Age of Queen Trinity
All of the rulers of Shayd were the Baron’s puppets until a little girl with the power to use 3 magic-enhancing gems was born. She was protected and raised by an old woman who believed she was the key to them leaving the shadows. When the time was right, the girl killed the current ruler and took the throne. She couldn’t defeat the Baron, but she made a deal that she would use her incredible power for him as long as he stopped the pointless killings of her people. All punishments that the chaos elves earned for failure where also inflicted on this girl who continued to grow in magic and physical power. This is why the chaos elves love Queen Trinity more than any other ruler in their history.
Most of her greatest adventures are in the Legends of Windemere series. Yeah, this is a cop out, but she never really got to test her abilities until Nyx. Being a channeler, she never had a real challenge in terms of magic and living on Shayd requires a lot of physical training. The harsh landscape has made the chaos elves faster, stronger, and more durable than the other elf species. As their leader, Trinity has embodied this toughness, which has been a true headache for Nyx.
Future Windemere
Trinity still did evil things in the name of the Baron, which is something she has to come to terms with. It was for her people, but it also makes it hard for her to move from villain to hero. Path of the Traitors will reveal more about the chaos elves’ plight and future if they do manage to earn their freedom. A lot of it depends on how much of Trinity’s reputation can be changed. Will she be welcomed into the global community or shunned like long ago? Well, it really hinges on the champions defeating the Baron. He isn’t going to let them go so easily if he manages to win.
Let’s add a little fun here:
Ask a chaos elf question if there’s anything on your mind. I’ll answer them in a weekend post.
I don’t even want to look at my goal list since I didn’t accomplish anything in terms of writing. Too many medical things and then a lot of stuff with the kid. I need to hunker down and prep for Legends of Windemere: Path of the Traitors, which could come out as soon as this week. (Never mind. Just realized it won’t be any earlier than the following week.) Don’t hold your breath too much because the following day-by-day is going to show why this week didn’t go to plan.
Sunday
Laundry and trying to rest after the family event last Saturday and a long week. I actually had to ask the wife what happened since I forgot. Tried to get some outlining done for the Sin story, but I also had to do some errands and cleaning. Didn’t even get Act 3 done and it’s stayed that way ever since. Did get to start watching ‘The Tick’ on Amazon Prime, which I hope to finish tonight. The wife was also without a phone during the weekend, which made for an interesting time.
Monday
It was raining so not much happened beyond playing with Legos and checking out the newest grocery store. It’s called Stew Leonards and is known for its fresh stuff, so I didn’t find a lot of brand things. The lunch buffet was good, but pricey and that’s really the extent of my day. My plan was going to be reading ‘Black Cat’, but I only had Volumes 1 and then 4-10. Had to wait until 2 and 3 came into the library from another one. The night was martial arts for the kid and he’s still having a lot of fun. He’s 3 classes away from getting his first stripe too.
Tuesday
My time with the sleep apnea doctor, which took me a few minutes to remember. Good news is that no adjustments are needed. Bad news is that my body might take a while to get used to it. I average 4-5 hours of sleep, but I’m starting to inch toward 5.5-6. My body isn’t used to getting so much oxygen while I sleep too, so it’s a tad disorienting. The afternoon was lounging around and playing with Legos again. The kid had his second to last swimming lesson too and it was raining, so a slow day isn’t too bad.
Wednesday
Uh . . . I taped ‘Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker’ and we watched it with lunch. Can’t remember if anything else happened here besides martial arts again. Geez, this week just carried on, but this day led into a really rough one.
Thursday
I’ve had these scaly, red blotches on my legs for a while and they tend to come back strong during the summer. Even though I had a lot of father/son stuff planned, I decided to start the day by going to the doctor. Say hello to lifelong medical issue #3: Psoriasis! They were set off by stress and sunlight, so I’m using lotion to clear it. This goes along with my I.B.S. that wrecks me when stressed and the sleep apnea that probably increases my stress. This is one of the reason I’ve had trouble focusing on writing.
After this, we had breakfast at Dunkin Donuts since I went running out to the doctor as soon as the clinic opened. Then it was off to a small fish hatchery and aquarium, which the munchkin had a blast at. There weren’t a lot of animals there, but you get to feed the trout and he loved seeing them splash after the pellets. He loved watching the gar too because he only knew them from Wild Kratts. These were smaller, but he was still fascinated by them.
Nearby Burger King for lunch and then a Whaling Museum, but it was really small and didn’t hold the kid’s interest. This is actually the main reason we went to the area and I just happened to remember the fish hatchery was nearby. The museum was doing a build-a-boat thing from 2-4 PM, which was mentioned out loud and led to him really wanting to do it. Fun with hot glue guns even though it was really hard keeping him occupied for long enough to make it. Of course, he wanted to go around the museum when it was time to head home and grab my medicine. This was the busiest day of the week and drained a lot of my energy.
Oh yeah, the day didn’t end after that. Remember me mentioning that I was waiting for Volumes 2 & 3 of ‘Black Cat’? Still nothing after a week even though all of them were coming from the same library. I called and was told that they couldn’t find the books even though the system said they were there. Since it wasn’t my local library, I couldn’t do much . . . except for taking a drive over there. As the reference librarian was showing me to the manga section, I walked by a display . . . for manga. I guess the YA/Children’s librarian set it up and people forgot? Either way, 2 & 3 were there and I can continue reading the series.
Friday
Library because the kid’s books were due and he opted for a bunch of chapter books this time around. Going to be interesting since he’s still scared of them, but willing to try with help. Add in some food shopping and a bunch of playing with bubbles then you have to rest of my day.
The Future/Goals
Tomorrow is going to be a long family day at the zoo. I won’t be doing much online stuff until the evening. They have some new baby monkeys and burrowing owls there now. Early departure to make sure we don’t miss anything.
School starts up on Wednesday, which means getting back on a new schedule that includes homework. I’ll be getting things ready before then for both my son and myself.
Possibly release Legends of Windemere: Path of the Traitors. We’ll see how things go, but I’d like to do it right before the weekend if I can get everything together by then. Hate to admit it, but my mind is already drifting toward the finale, which is unfair to Book 14. It’s just that the end is so close that it’s feeling like a psychic screw that’s repeatedly twisting into my brain. (As stated, this goal is being delayed.)
Start writing War of Nytefall: Loyalty. I’m really nervous about this one because it’s like starting from scratch. I keep saying this, but now it’s only 5 days away unless I take Wednesday to mentally prepare. With everything else going on, it might take me a little extra time to finish this. There are a lot of days off during the first half of the school year. I will probably only talk about this series on Saturdays since I still have ‘Legends’ to focus on.
Going to try and post about Monster Maker later in the week to get some volunteers. I guess it’s good that I have most of October set, so my mind is more free to hunker down on Clyde’s big debut. Honestly, Clyde has been around almost as long as Luke Callindor and I think he’s only a month or two younger. Still, I did use Clyde in more venues and games than Luke, so it evens out. My point is that this monster has been kept on ice since 1998 and I’m not sure what will happen when he finally comes out to play.
The usual biking, cooking, parenting, and miscellaneous.
Deborah Carney of BookGoodies often shares on their newsletters some of the best news and tidbits you’ve read on this blog. Back in 2012, she lost everything in Hurricane Sandy. This taught her a lot about how organizations and the government don’t help the way you think they will. So, Hurricane Harvey now prompted her to compile and share a list of organizations that are dedicated to helping people directly affected. They are “boots on the ground” and not tying your donations up in administrative costs and funding things that don’t really help.
For her, a group of people created a campaign similar to what GoFundMe is now and people all over the world sent money directly through PayPal. She used that money to rent a car and go out once the roads were open, to get supplies and even simply to get a fast food…
If anyone had told me ten years ago that I’d be an author, blogger, keen photographer and poet I’d have rolled around with laughter at such a whimsical tale. Sometimes dreams come true and I have a new persona – MJ to prove it. I’ve always wanted to be a superhero’s girlfriend, and Spiderman’s my favourite! Dearest MJ gets up to mischief, adding unusual statuses to my Facebook page. Perhaps the like of – Marje has bungee jumped or parachuted out of a plane, or stripped as a life model, or engaged in a Boudoir Photo shoot. Oops, one of these may be true! If it is let’s keep it a secret, I love secrets. What fun! Can you imagine? One day, (if I’d been a life model or indulged in such a photo shoot)… I’d smile, an old granny, a glint of…
Image: 
Legends of Windemere 