Lucretia’s Luggage Shop: Buy 3, Get a Tote Free

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Welcome to the store with all of your traveling container needs.  We have every color you could imagine and all materials we could turn into a suitcase.  I see you’re going on a long trip with others.  May I suggest one of our sets, which comes with a free tote?  The tote is perfect for toiletries or games or anything small.  We don’t recommend putting anything alive in any of our products.  There’s our waiver, so let’s get to work.

Best to start with the material since this is a matching set.  Don’t worry about the color since we have every option.  Now, the most common material is polyester, but we do have more exotic ones.  This one is a combination of whale bone and snake skin.  Both were found without killing the animals, so no need to worry.  Nature provides such things like feathers, scales, fur, and the like.  Oh, we do have a sale on soft steel fabric stretched over an enchanted iron frame.  These can survive falls from 50,000 feet and deflect most mundane bullets.  It also allows the suitcase to be stretched and used as a shield against explosions.  No, the military didn’t want this design because the wheels always squeak and they felt soldiers carrying suitcases would be weird.  Their loss is your gain though, so enjoy the added protection.

Speaking of wheels, we have big, small, spinning, retractable, jet-powered, wobbly shopping cart, and tank treads.  Spinning, got it.  Zippers come in plastic, metal, bone, fang, voice-activated, sentient, and pre-broken.  You would be surprised how many people take that last option.  Voice-activated is a good choice.  Number of pockets can be decided on later and . . . You just want to get to the enchantments since you know they’re coming.

Each piece of the set will have a different main power, but they will all possess a return function.  They can only be opened by you and those you have added to the list we will sew into the linings.  All four pieces have special magnets, which will attract each other to allow for them to stay together.  You can turn that on and off with a button, but it is handy if you have to carry more than one on your own.  Finally, they will all be programmed to release an illusionary sign of your name when needing to be picked up.

We’re going to begin with the biggest one, which typically has most of your clothes.  There is a dimensional enhancement, which multiplies the space by ten.  You are able to crawl in and out of the dimension as long as they suitcase stays open.  If it closes, you will have to return through another door, which could come out of anywhere in a one mile radius.  I know people worry about that, so there are other options such as levitation, laundry pockets to clean things, and outfit matching computer.  My personal favorite is the one where it can transform into a robotic animal, which walks alongside you and the other pieces.

Medium luggage can have the dimensional enhancement as well if you think it will be used by children.  This one will not allow living things to enter.  Instead, the person will have to ask for an item to be ejected.  For some reason, this doesn’t work on the bigger one, but it’s perfect for this.  We also have souvenoir pockets, which can hide certain objects that you don’t want customs to give you trouble for.  Drugs and anything highly illegal will not be accepted by the enchantment.  There is another transformation option, which is it can turn into an animal crate that is larger and more comfortable on the inside.

The smallest can have a variety of options because we see it as quick trip luggage.  Some have us install our magical ATM in case they need some quick cash.  Another possibility is that it can replicate one set of clothing per trip if you have an emergency.  This must be something you already own or have seen since it requires a reference.  It has its own transformation, which is into either a bed or a desk with simple computer.  As you can see, this piece has a lot of emergency options in case your quick trip turns into something longer and messier.

Finally, we have the tote, which has so many options that I can only list a handful.  This enchantment has it turn into a jacket to make it easier to bring onto a plane or travel with all of the luggage.  We have a refrigeration enchantment if you wish to put food inside.  If you put toiletries inside, it can sanitize and dry off objects.  Medications that require different temperatures will be maintained in personalized compartments as well.  A minor dimensional gate can be put inside, which will allow you to grab things from a predetermined area.  It doesn’t have to be the same spot, but you will have to set the exit side prior to going on your trip.  There isn’t any way to see what you are grabbing, so you will have to either remember it or have a picture.

That’s a good portion of what we have.  Of course, there’s always more if you wish to look through the thicker catalogues.  You do?  Then come this way and we’ll find a way to give you what you want.

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Transforming Your Characters

Greetings to one and all within the reading and writing community! Beem Weeks here with you again. This month I’d like to talk a little about …

Transforming Your Characters
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Questions 3 and Looking Back at War of Nytefall: Ravenous

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

This became a fun book to write.  Ravenous was originally just a mid-series adventure that wasn’t going to have a lot of impact.  Just a fun tale while Clyde and his forces handle their grief.  Not sure why I made it that small, but it was the plan.  Then, three things happened.  Though, I should explain the plot first.  We’ll circle back to the trio by paragraph three.

In Ravenous, reports of vampiric animals attacking during the day has Clyde worried that the existence of the Dawn Fangs is about to be revealed.  Xavier is curious about the strange incidents as well, so both sides start to investigate.  Agents begin disappearing with some coming back obedient to a new master.  The source ends up being an underground criminal empire run by Desirae Duvall, who is a Dawn Fang with a lot of ambition.  From the strange creatures to a vampire drug industry, she has been busy in the shadows.  Now, Clyde needs to get her in check before the mortals realize the Dawn Fangs exist, which she doesn’t see as a problem.

The biggest change that happened was Desirae Duvall.  She was originally a blackmailing prostitute in other versions, but I turned her into a criminal entrepreneur and mad scientist.  Her personality was big, proud, and unapologetic, which made her a lot of fun to write.  Desirae definitely upped this story to a bigger threat to Clyde’s dream and his people.  Not only him, but Xavier’s forces were at risk.  I had been wondering for a while if a third entity could show up in this ‘civil war’ and Desirae delivered.  Now, you had Xavier wanting vampires to stay in the shadows, Clyde wanting to ease into the light, and Desirae who wants to reveal everything now.  Yet, she didn’t have any honor like the others and was working purely off selfish desire.

The other enhancement to this book involved that drug industry I mentioned.  Crushed magic gems can make Dawn Fangs feel really good in the same way that cocaine works on humans.  Mab ends up becoming addicted because it’s the path she takes to handle her grief over what she lost in Eradication.  As I said two weeks ago, I couldn’t take Mab out of the series.  I did realize I was treating her with kid gloves while the rest of the Dawn Fangs went through suffering.  Even with the great loss, I had Clyde more upset than Mab, which should have been the opposite.  So, I decided to show how a grieving person can make bad choices, which they think are good.  This resulted in her having to spend the rest of the series getting out of this hole and then trying not to fall back in.

Finally, the third change goes back to Desirae, but more about me seeing how her actions would influence the rest of the series.  Until now, there weren’t many tight connections between threats.  Either all of the issues were created in the one book or it was ancient history of a character rising up from the shadows.  That was going to be how it kept going until Desirae appeared.  I saw her as a catalyst for everything that would be happening to Clyde and the Dawn Fangs.  Made sense since Xavier was very slow in his machinations and needed a push himself.  There are only 3 books left after Ravenous and Desirae’s actions are what trigger it all.  This gave me a lot more guidance when I was checking over the final outlines and strengthened the entire series.

Normally, I would talk about what I would change here.  I got nothing because this story altered so much of what I was originally planning.  So, I don’t want to tinker with a keystone book.  Maybe I’d lean heavier into the Mab drug addiction and have characters treat her poorly once the truth came out?  That might have been too vindictive and I’d sacrifice the on-going theme that the Dawn Fangs see themselves as a big, supportive family.  The whole thing works for what it is and causes enough trouble that Mab doesn’t come out like she was before.  Even her powers take a hint, so I guess I actually stretch this storyline out for at least 2 books.

Question time!

  1. How would you handle grieving?
  2. What would be the scariest vampiric animal to run into?  (Not a mosquito because they already are vampires.)
  3. When does ambition become a negative trait?
Posted in Questions 3, War of Nytefall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Happy International Tiger Day

I love tigers.  Even did a big post about them on February 6, 2022.  Missed stuff about the rare Golden Tiger, which there are only 30 of in the world.  I’ll add a video about them if I can find one.  For now, enjoy the memes and the day.

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The Triple Lutz of Easter Eggs

Hi gang! Craig with you once more. A few years back I wrote about including Easter Eggs in your work. It’s a fun nod to something from your past that…

The Triple Lutz of Easter Eggs
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Happy Birthday, Son

It’s my son’s birthday.  Simple as that for this post.  Been thinking of parenting in general, so here are some quotes to celebrate the day.  I am a little disappointed that the majority of what I found was about mothers raising children.  Not a lot out there for fathers, which really should change since more fathers are involved in parenting these days.

xr:d:DADziOoGv6g:71709,j:37547876368,t:22100922

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Goal Post: A Little Progress, But Mostly Agony

A little background here: I had a really rough week and thought I’d relax with a glass of Chocolate Whiskey.  Don’t criticize that choice.  Anyway, I had been hydrating all day and had a good lunch, so I thought I was good.  About 1/4 into the glass, the ceiling and floor decided to fight for dominance.  Maybe the hour of playing Pokemon Go in the heat and not having had dinner reversed my prep.  Either way, I’m a little out of it while I write this on Friday night.

Work was crazy busy because a lot of people had off on various days.  Some of the kids are still getting used to the changes, so we had a few difficulties.  Nothing that is out of the normal, but they are still draining when you’re handling them.  Not only physical, but there’s an emotional toll as you help a student who is suffering and you can’t just wave a wand to help them.  Think I ended nearly every day feeling like I’d gone through a boxing match with Mike Tyson.  I mean, the monster version from the ‘Punch Out’ NES game and not the real one.  I’ll be going back for more on Monday though.

Didn’t help that I had to deal with another stressful issue nearly every day.  Can’t get into the details of that one, but it isn’t fun to get through a difficult day of work and then contend with more stress.  By the end of the day, I was barely standing.  The ones where I had my son saw me pushing to my limits in order to make sure he had fun and was taken care of.  Collapsed soon after he went to bed, but it was never a relaxing sleep.  The days I didn’t have him, I tried to get some editing done and it took the last of my energy.  How I managed to wake up for the last few mornings is a miracle?  Seriously, emotional stress caused by relentless sources really needs to be factored into my plans more often because I simply can’t keep ignoring them.

That seems like a decent enough segue to my writing world.  Well, I did managed to type in edits up to chapter 3.  I attempted chapter 3 last night, but the words on the page wouldn’t stay still.  I’ll get to that and whatever else I can do today.  My plan is type in edits then do the Pokemon Go event until lunch.  After lunch, I’ll do more of the edits and eventually make dinner or bring in.  Not sure if I feel like cooking even though I bought all the stuff I needed for orange honey chicken.  I’ll probably go back out for more Pokemon Go after dinner, but mostly as an excuse to use a Dunkin Donuts card to get ice cream on the way home.  Sound like a plan?  Well, I hope it works.

I did manage to sort through my story ideas and organize them.  Of course, I found that I’ve done this at least 4 other times in the past.  This time, I dropped ideas that I didn’t think would work any more and noted the ones being turned into solo or short story collections.  The Mylrixians (my superheroes in Windemere) are still making me nervous, but not as much as ‘Child of the Hunt’.  I write fantasy, but really wanted to drop an alien adventure into the world just to show how magic interacts with non-Windemere races.  In a world where people don’t like such risks, I’m not sure if I should continue that.  I also need to rethink ‘Angel of Tears’, which established that there’s a portal to Earth.  Not sure I want that anymore, but the entire story involves someone from our world being brought over.  I also have a big character in another series that hints at Earthlings having come over from time to time.  Maybe I should let the portal be vague, but I don’t really know if that’s possible.

To further explain ‘Angel of Tears’, it was about a group of pirates from inside a section of Windemere that even the gods can’t get into or see.  They’re all from different worlds and time periods like a caveman, a crusader, a robot, an alien, etc.  They are looking for the lost Angel of Tears whose return will clear the denizens of this area of a curse.  She is the one who brought them over until she found a world (Earth) that she liked and tried to go through her own portal.  She lost her memory and ended up becoming a college student who strips on the side.  The adventure involves her being brought back and having to regain her memories and powers.  I still like the overall concept, but the connection to Earth makes the whole thing iffy to me.  Yet, the pirates all being from different worlds was a key component.

Nothing else happened this week.  Last weekend, my son got to enjoy a little birthday mini-golf and pizza with two of his friends.  His real birthday is tomorrow and I’ll be doing lunch and a movie with him.  That’s pretty much all there is to life now.  Taking it day by day and wondering when things will ease up.  The Oswego trip in August should be fun and I’ll be up there in time for a baby introduction a friend is throwing.  Great timing on my part as long as I don’t get lost finding my way around up there.  I still plan on doing notebook work instead of book editing though.  Less stuff to bring up and easier to take a break for a walk or nap.

Goals of the week?

  1. Get a few chapters of Darwin & the Avenging Elf typed in.
  2. Time with son on his birthday.
  3. Finish the Lego Gotham City set and the special display case.
  4. Hydrate and sleep better.
  5. Catch shiny Mega Lucario today.
  6. Tinker with ‘Phi Beta Files’ when waiting for school to start.
  7. Make packing list for Oswego.
  8. Finish ‘Devil is a Part-Timer’ and start watching a new show.
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Examples of Slapstick Comedy

It’s been a fun topic, so let’s just enjoy some visual examples.  Yes, we’re going to start with the ‘Three Stooges’.

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Show No Mercy to Clutter Phrases + Deepen Point of View

Years ago, I read what I thought was book one in a longstanding thriller series. After falling in love with the characters, I searched for the next …

Show No Mercy to Clutter Phrases + Deepen Point of View
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Poetry Day: Life and Times of Ichabod Jones

(Before I wrote the stories, I made a poem for Ichabod Brooks.  He was Ichabod Jones back then.  Also, he was in a science-fiction story where Earth was toxic, except for a few people who could return to the surface.  Ichabod was one of these divers who would go down for relics when paid to do so.  He’s come a long way.  Feel free to check out the fantasy short stories of The Life & Times of Ichabod Brooks.)

Ichabod Jones is a simple scruff
Living on the edge
Dangling his feet
Into the sickening fog
Peering up at the flying city
Humanity’s only home

Ichabod Jones remembers times
When man walked richest soil
Instead of echoing steel
Before the fog encompassed all
Forcing man into the sky
With nothing more than memories

Ichabod Jones breathes deep
Inhaling wisps of fog
Nothing more than a sour taste
Dancing on his gums
Instead of agonizing pain
To those that seek his services

Ichabod Jones is a diver
One of the lucky ones
Who can return to lands long lost
Charging all who wish to pay
For a scrap of forgotten time
Or a keepsake left behind

Ichabod Jones is a simple scruff
Content within his little life
Never wanting more than need
Or perhaps a flask of shine
Enjoying his adventures
Without wading in too deep

Posted in Ichabod Brooks, Poems | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments