Dariana Revisited . . . Unless I Never Gave Her Origin to Begin With

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz
Dariana by Kayla Matt

Dariana by Kayla Matt

The Spirit Well finally brings Dariana into the spotlight!  So, let’s meet her.

I keep saying it, but I’ll repeat myself once more.  Dariana is a walking spoiler in terms of her origin and history.  In the game, she had barely joined before the whole thing ended and she’s definitely changed the most.  At first, Dariana was a half-angel psychic martial artist who had a shaky relationship with her father.  She started as innocent, but quickly gained an attitude.  This caused a small issue because this mirrored the book version of Nyx.  I didn’t have to worry about this until Sleeper of the Wildwood Fugue when she debuted, so I had plenty of time. So, what did I come up with?

I’ll leave the spoiler stuff for later when I put it behind a ‘more’ cut.  Dariana is an immortal, but can still be killed if she takes enough damage.  Healing isn’t as quick as a god, but it’s above average.  Her physical attributes are up there too, but she keeps herself restrained out of fear of hurting people.  The restraint comes from her telepathy, which she uses with a lot of variety.  Aside from reading thoughts, Dariana can alter perceptions, wipe memories (even on herself), produce hallucinations, track anything with a working brain, and effect her own body.  One of Dariana’s most common tricks is to turn off her pain receptors before a fight, which means she feels it later.

The thing that makes Dariana different from the other champions is that she is almost addicted to suffering.  The others have their dark histories, but she has been around for centuries.  Being a long-running champion, Dariana has spent most of her life asleep and the waking parts are filled with watching people die.  Due to her origin, she is very special and there’s a reason she tends to be the lone survivor.  This didn’t leave her with time for friends and developing social skills, which is why she apologizes so quickly and isn’t sure of people at first.  Being a telepath, she uses her power to get around some awkwardness, but rarely goes off on her own.  Without a special ring, she is left open to strong emotions and there have been incidents in her past when left undefended.

Fighting style-wise, Dariana stands out in Windemere because she doesn’t have any physical weapons.  Not unless you count her fists, elbows, knees, and feet.  Her powers help a lot, but she still boils down to a martial artist in a world of swords, spells, and arrows.  I never gave her a true style like Luke with his focus on blocking with his arms like they are swords and attacking with legs.  Figure she’s been around long enough that she’s learned multiple styles and just uses whatever comes to mind.  There are times when Dariana doesn’t bother dodging or blocking, which goes back to her subconscious addiction to suffering.

So, what about those spoilers?  Well, here we go for those that want to step forward:

Continue reading →

Posted in Character Origins, Legends of Windemere | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Divided Serenity #Bookrelease

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz
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Smorgasbord Christmas Party – Guest Hugh W. Roberts – I Believe in Father Christmas

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Ichabod Brooks and the 12 Stories

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz
Yahoo Image Search

Yahoo Image Search

So I did a three sentence synopsis/mini-blurbs for each of the chosen Ichabod Brooks stories.  Well, except for Ichabod Brooks and the Starwind Egg since that’s on the blog.  Still wondering if I should delete it or leave it up even though it’ll kick off the collection.  Anyway, I wanted to share and might end on a Bedlam note.  I have a bit before I have to decide on that:

Ichabod Brooks & the Phantom Archer

Being an honored champion of the past, Ichabod is traveling to Yew Cove to judge an annual archery contest.  Things go south when a ghostly assassin begins killing the other contestants.  All it wants is a duel with Ichabod, but there might be more to this specter than anyone expects.

Ichabod Brooks & the King of Nowhere

A call from a friend leads Ichabod into the path of an emerging cult.  They are determined to erase the kingdoms and boundaries of Ralian, uniting the lands under a single banner of lawlessness.  His only ally is the strange King of Nowhere, the very man who started it all.

Ichabod Brooks & the Island of Mirrors

Waking up on an island covered in mirrors, Ichabod is trapped with an old enemy.  They must work together to survive the local flora and fauna long enough to escape.  Is this nothing more than Ichabod’s usual run of bad luck or is there another reason he has been brought to the uncharted island?

Ichabod Brooks & the Yellow Ogres

Ichabod is ready for a week to himself, but the arrival of a desperate orc throws his plans into the furnace.  A tribe of yellow-hued ogres are kidnapping shamans for a mysterious ritual, which could throw all of nature into chaos.  If Ichabod wants to get home and finish his chores before his wife returns from her mother’s, he may need an old monster hunting friend to lend a hand.

Ichabod Brooks & the Resurrection Bowl

This is a job that Ichabod wishes he could pass on, but the poison in his veins has him locked into the contract. The target is a legendary artifact that can revive the dead without failure.  All one needs is a sacrifice and the ability to survive the abandoned prison that it has been hidden inside of.

Ichabod Brooks & Toy Tower

Long ago, a mad inventor created a tower full of traps and toys that the world has never seen before.  Those who reach the top are rewarded with a unique gift, which has driven many parents to challenge the tower.  Forced under contract, Ichabod will try his best or risk ruining his reputation as the man who finishes his jobs.

Ichabod Brooks & the Jester Flute

Ichabod has always had a shaky relationship with bards, but this job threatens to make him fear them.  Following a trail of bizarre events, he cannot trust what he sees and hears as reality turns against him.  All because a bard decided to steal a cursed flute and play a few innocent notes.

Ichabod Brooks & the Orphan’s Shadow

Hired to escort orphans to their new homes, Ichabod and the other hired warriors see this as an easy job with a a heartwarming payoff.  As usual in his line of work, a wrinkle appears as the children begin suffering from a strange disease.  Forced to stay in a roadside temple, Ichabod must uncover a secret before the source of the disease gets really mad.

Ichabod Brooks & Zaria’s Kiss

During the Great Cataclysm, the central temple of Zaria fell into the ocean.  Rumor has it that the holiest of the Purity Goddess’s relics was trapped inside and has yet to be recovered.  With feuding friends at his sides, Ichabod is ready to find out and finish the job that nearly got away.

Ichabod Brooks & the Vixen of Errenshar

Ichabod has made many enemies throughout his career, but none have been as tenacious as Olivia Thorne.  Wanting to claim him for herself, she has tricked him into the wonderful city of Errenshar.  This a dance they have done many times before, but Olivia always has a new twist that will give Ichabod nightmares for a month.

THERE YOU HAVE IT!

That’s what I have so far and I’m going to start working on main characters, his gear, and the events in a bit.  As far as Bedlam goes, I’m editing Book 2, but also trying to think of what to do about Book 3.  It’ll be a 2018 release, so I’m trying to decide between the Christmas adventure or one where they have to protect a railroad that is supposed to run across the country.  Not sure where to have that last one travel from and to though.  There was a third option, but I’m not sure I can do that any more without a lot of backlash.  Shame since it would have been fun.

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The Trouble with Series – Guest Post…

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz

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

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One of the best things to do as an indie author is to write a series. People like reading them, and it makes your author page look much better when you have more than one title to your name.

For most of us, writing our first book is a Big Thing. Finishing it, whether after six months or six years, does not immediately change your mindset into ‘published author’. It’s often only much later that you read the advice about series and start to think of the sequel.

Even the most successful authors fall foul of this. I was at a Crime Writing event last year (Noirwich), where the well-loved British writer Elly Griffiths confessed that she had never expected her first book, The Crossing Places, to lead to the long run that is the Ruth Galloway series. If she had, she wouldn’t have packed so much into…

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Goals Achieved and Now 2 Months of Toe Twiddling

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz

First, a reminder:

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: THE SPIRIT WELL IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!

That should do it and I’ll put the ignored video at the end.  It’s funny that with everything going on, I now have time to put my hands in all of the pies that I’ve got on my shelf.  I would have used that fire adage, but I forgot the pokey things we put in them.  Now I want S’mores.  I’ve had the mind wandering issue a bunch lately.  To make things easier for my focus and your reading.  I’m going to do the section thing again:

Life Stuff

I survived the Buffalo trip and made it back in time to see the NY Giants lose.  I knew I should have focused more on writing or sleeping during that time.  It wasn’t until Sunday night that I realized my son had off from school on Wednesday, which threw a tiny monkey wrench into my writing plans.  Only victory that day was buying him slippers to stop the constant slipping and falling he does on the wooden floors.  Too cold for him to go barefoot and he refuses to stop jumping and dancing around.  He reenacts a lot of Kung Fu Panda 3 and I swear we need to get him into tap dancing.

Took a while to get through all the DVR stuff too because we had 5 shows on Sunday.  Ash vs Evil Dead, Once Upon a Time, Elementary, The Librarians, and Westworld.  Add that we missed Dirk Gently the night before and it was a busy week for TV.  Made for a good distraction considering the big stuff that happened.

Legends of Windemere

Thirty minutes before Legends of Windemere: The Spirit Well went live, I wrote the final line of the entire series.  It’s a rough draft that will have a few edits before the release next December, but that’s it.  No more outlining, planning, or first drafts for a series I’ve been working on since 1998.  You’re probably going to hear me lamenting a lot in the coming weeks because it hit me harder than I expected.  Not even sure I can explain it perfectly.  I found myself screwing up the ending a lot because I was leaving it open for another book, which would never happen.  At least not exactly since one character needs to get their story completed.  Might still be an issue here since part of the finale changed in regards to this character.  Spoilers prevent me from explaining, which always sucks.

Anyway, I will fully admit that I cried after I wrote the final line.  Was fine up until I hit the final quotation mark.  Then I just broke for a bit.  The book release has helped to distract me from what I had just done.  With the next two months being preparing for future projects, I’ll have time to come to terms with stuff.  Also to stop myself from telling people what that final line is.  Going to be a long 2017.

Ichabod Brooks

The 12 stories have been chosen and I’m doing 3 sentence plot synopses to get an idea of what I’m doing.  The stories will range from 5-8 sections.  I’m hoping to have Morgan from City of Beasts return too.  This is probably going to be the writing project I tackle first next year.  Either late January or February depending on how I do with the other outlines for the year.  I’m going to post all the synopses tomorrow to see what people think.  Leaning toward: Life and Times of Ichabod Brooks.

Bedlam

I’m going to be editing Chasing Bedlam next week and I really need to write up the blurbs for this one.  Hoping for a February release, but I won’t be putting a bunch of money behind the promo stuff.  It’s hard to rationalize it when money is tight, Legends is nearing the end, and the first book didn’t rocket off too much.  I know the reasons, but the list seems to be so long that I’d have to rewrite the books (remove the violence, sex, humor, etc.) or scrap it.  I like these characters and world, so I’m going to stick with it.  People like the excerpts, so we’ll see what happens this time around.

Raven’s Dawn

That sound like a good title?  My wife said she liked it.  With Dawn . . . Wow, I didn’t even realize I did that with the title until now.  Shows how brain scrambled I am.  Anyway, the story is still a little iffy right now.  There’s going to be spoilers here, but I figure if you didn’t read the posts then you aren’t going to at this point.  With Dawn’s body missing and her spirit/mind/whatever riding Gemma like a prom limo, she’s going to be doing some really kooky stuff.  Her goal will be to get her body back, which has me leaning toward a cult that Gemma has infiltrated.  The cultists have no idea that the woman they’re worshiping is there even though she shows up as a ghost at times.  Of course Dawn would play with her food.  I’m thinking of making this much further in the future, so the ten survivors of the hotel have had kids that will be getting sacrificed and killed to complete a ritual.  Still trying to figure out a great location since I’ve done island, asylum, and hotel already.  Honestly, I’m tempted to use my old college as the location for this one.  Probably can’t legally do that though.  At least I can use the landscape and just change the names.  I need to figure out if I’m putting a ‘hero’ in there who Dawn chooses to give her a challenge and if I’m going to do 13 chapters and 31 sections again.  Didn’t do it with the first book, which was rather frustrating.

Nightfall War

I keep forgetting if I’m calling it that or War of Nightfall.  Dang it.  Anyway, this one might to tapped at during the week.  Kind of nervous about going into the vampire genre, but I’ve been waiting to start this almost as long as I’ve been working on Legends of Windemere.

What are the goals?

  1. Rest and relax
  2. Edit Chasing Bedlam
  3. Write up synopses for Ichabod Brooks and maybe characters involved.
  4. Write up synopses for Raven’s Dawn.  Maybe design the victims.
  5. Edit Ritual of the Lost Lamb if I finish Bedlam early.  Yeah, I’ll still be touching on a Windemere book.  Although, I already edited it twice already.  Not 100% certain I have to do a third, but I probably will to be safe.  I usually only do content and continuity checks this time.  Nobody to really hand it off to either.
  6. Biking
  7. Cooking
  8. Put video at bottom of this post:

Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Smorgasbord Christmas Reading – Memories of my Childhood by Kathryn Meyer-Griffith

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz
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Legends of Windemere: The Spirit Well LIVE on @Amazon! #fantasy #asmsg

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz

Return to Windemere in THE SPIRIT WELL!

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Born from the light and darkness, Dariana can no longer avoid her fate.

The final corrupted temple stands between the champions and Baron Kernaghan having their great battle. Only one problem: the Compass Key refuses to work with Dariana, who long ago wiped all memories of the Spirit Well from her mind. Now, they are forced to follow a trail of clues that Dariana’s former self left behind centuries ago. It is a path that will lead the champions into a part of their friend’s past that could tear them all apart.

Will the bonds of friendship be stronger than the call of blood?

Grab it on Amazon!

Add it to your Goodreads ‘To Read’ List!

Excerpt: I’m Sorry . . . Again

“I’m sorry, but I told you that my powers make the Compass Key argumentative when it comes to the Spirit Well,” Dariana sheepishly explains while rubbing her clear ring. She smiles when Fizzle lands on her head, the drite’s cool tail running down her spine. “This is very scary for me. None of the champions have made it to this temple, much less the final battle with my father. It’s hard to take in after this destiny being my entire life for so long. I used to always dream of how I would handle my temple, but things are different now that it’s no longer a distant dream. What if I make a mistake and get someone killed?”

“We trust you, my friend, and know that you will not fail,” Timoran whispers as he slides the Compass Key across the table. He is confused when the relic sparks at her touch and gets pushed back into his hand. “That is fairly disheartening. If you cannot use the Compass Key then there is no way to find this Spirit Well. Perhaps it does not like your physical touch and will respond to your telepathy. I wonder why the gods would create this obstacle.”

“It’s possible that we did this,” Delvin suggests while using one of his enchanted rings to create a delicious cup of coffee. He gestures for the barbarian to throw the relic over to him, but the red-haired barbarian refuses. “You’re right, Timoran. Probably not a good idea to toss something like that around. Anyway, we had the Compass Key warded against agents of the Baron. They aren’t able to see it, which means they can’t find or use it. The decision made sense at the time, but things are different now. Maybe our spell has a small effect on Dariana. Not saying you’re working with the Baron, but there could be enough of an aural touch to cause this problem. Do you think we should cancel the spells, Nyx?”

The channeler heats up a cup of tea, which she sips at while considering the possibility of her magic being the issue. “They should stay because I don’t think they’re the problem. Dariana said this has happened before, which means the gods made a mistake. Sorry for how that came out. Gabriel, who better not get angry at this conversation, created the Compass Key first and then turned Dariana into a champion. He couldn’t fix the problem thanks to the Law of Influence, so it’s remained all this time. Though he had to have created something to help us move on.”

“Maybe we have to find Isaiah and he’ll lead the way,” Sari says from the couch. Flipping to her feet, she joins her friends and immediately takes a strawberry off Luke’s plate. “He hasn’t been much help since the first temple, so one has to wonder what his purpose is. I doubt we need his protection any more, which means he has to have another role to play. What do you think, Dari?”

The telepath rubs her temples while scanning the city for a sign of the fireskin, part of her praying he is not nearby. Dariana finds evidence that Isaiah has been spying on them until recently, but the caster is long gone. She considers tracking the faint trail and goes as far as the outer wall, which is where the psychic tracks make an odd leap into the sky. The strain of following Isaiah any further makes Dariana pull back and return to find that everyone is staring at her again. Realizing that she can no longer delay the inevitable, she gets out of her chair and kneels to her friends. Fizzle is still clinging to her head, which makes the apologetic bow both amusing and awkward.

“I know I say this a lot, but I really am sorry, my friends,” Dariana states while keeping her forehead pressed to the stone floor. She looks up at the sound of rustling feet and is surprised to see that everyone is approaching her. “Long ago, I managed to avoid being put back to sleep long enough to track down the Spirit Well. My curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to know where my path would meet its end. I was still forced to wipe my memory of the location, but I do know that I left a map behind. There are a few clues that I buried in my subconscious where even I could not dislodge them after erasing the original discovery. More may come to me as we get closer, but all I know now is that we should go to Rodillen. I was hoping the Compass Key would work and we could avoid this extra journey.”

“Like our luck would be that good,” Nyx mutters while she helps Dariana stand.

Need to catch Legends of Windemere from the beginning? Then click on the covers below!

You can start for FREE . . .

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Or grab the $4.99 ‘3 in 1’ bundles!

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen 3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

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Also Available in Single eBooks:

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover art by Jason Pedersen

Cover art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Interested in a new adventure? Then grab your Kindle & dive back into the world of Windemere! Don’t forget an apple for Fizzle.

Author PhotoAbout 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 The Spirit Well | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Alternate Reality: Illusions Are Our Business

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz
D&D Illusionist

D&D Illusionist

Welcome to our little corner of reality where all of your dreams can come true for a little bit of time.  Want to live the life of an adventurer without facing real monsters?  Just fill out this form and the open road awaits in our specially designed rooms.  They shift beneath the customer, so that they don’t hit the walls and can’t go wandering into anything dangerous.  Of course there’s always a risk, but we take every precaution necessary to make sure we have repeat customers.  What brings you to us?

Normal life illusions . . . I’d like to say that’s a rarity, but it’s more common than you may realize.  Judging by your scars and size, I’d say you’re either an adventurer or a mercenary who has seen a lot.  Probably think the world is harsh and you don’t deserve any real sense of happiness.  Well, you just described half of our clientele and we consider ourselves privileged to help you out.  This big packet is what you need because normal lives are very complicated.  House, spouse, job, and so many other things are needed to make sure you don’t rationalize your way out of it.

Farming is a fun one and covers a lot of the details, but it will cost extra.  Are you aiming to work with crops, livestock, or both?  Corn and apples are an interesting combination.  We have a sale on crops where you can pick one fruit, one vegetable, and a citrus for a quarter off the total. Doesn’t matter if they need different types of land and weather since it’s all an illusion and you wouldn’t know any better.  For livestock, we have a wide variety of animals that work well together.  Giraffes?  Not really sure what you would do with them since they aren’t used for wool, meat, or milk.  Have goats too and you can rent them out for landscaping?  You put a lot of thought into that idea, so I’m going to give you a curiosity discount on that.  It means, I really want to see what you do and I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of money to satisfy myself.

How about the spouse?  Oh, you brought us a picture, which makes things a lot easier.  I do wish you brought us a color one though.  Her hair is . . . black with white streaks.  She has a thin tail that has a kink in the middle.  What about personality?  Guess you like them feisty and . . . she’s your commanding officer in the mercenary crew.  May I point out that we do have a couples package if you ever attempt to turn your dreams into reality.  She isn’t married, is she?  No, well that’s a weight off my conscience.  Do you want her to be a trained fighter in this too?  Sure, take your time thinking about that.  Yes, we do allow for x-rated encounters in your illusions and there are spells to give you true privacy.  This does mean you will have to answer the kid section, so we know where you want those events to go.

Now, everything else in the packet are fine details that you can go over with one of our designers.  Be very specific because our people will take liberties if you give the the opportunity.  We always like to have some fun.  Oh, before you go back there, I need you to sign these forms.  Standard safety ones that say we are not responsible for any cuts, bruises, broken bones, internal bleeding, and bouts of insanity.  This final form builds on that last one a bit.  Just sign at the bottom to make sure you know the mental risk and . . . I did say there was a risk when we started.  Didn’t say we could do much about the physical one.  Do you have a preferred asylum we can call in worst case scenario?

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Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore Christmas Update – Children’s Books the perfect gift.

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Charles Yallowitz
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