Red Eyes Metal Dragon from Yugio
Unnatural fiend
Forged to replace the dark ones
And let loose upon the world
Little knowledge of their make
Even less about their source
Beasts of metal and stolen flesh
Mindless weapons of destruction
A curse upon the land
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Majestic beasts
Keeping to themselves
Sage and somber
Winged beasts of old
Descended from the dark ones
That turned the world to war
A lesson learned
Enter this Giveaway for Cool Stuff. Everyone wants cool stuff.
USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humor and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. Described as ‘a magician with words’ by RT Book Reviews, she has sold over 11 million copies of her books. She has been nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and won the award twice; in 2012 for her book ‘Doukakis’s Apprentice’ and 2013 for ‘A Night of No Return’. She also won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their ‘Top Pick’ slot.
As…
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Battle of Five Armies (Plus Rocs and a Bear Man)
So, I’m finishing up Tales of the Slumberlord tonight. Or tomorrow depending on if that tomato sauce was good or not. Sucks to find fuzzies on the bottom of the lid AFTER you at the contents. This wouldn’t be a vacation week for me if shit like this didn’t happen. Last time was the flu and the time before that was stomach issues. I’m getting off topic here, but the point is that the universe hates when I take a vacation.
I move on to the next on my list of W.I.P. to design basic plots and characters for. It should be easy . . . HA! It’s War of the Tainted, which is one that I’ve had fun dreaming of while fearing the actual work.
The plot is that an evil race has returned and enslaved all of Windemere by using magic. This would be the demon-corrupted elves (Hejinn) and they’re just nasty. Anyway, it is a good plan, but the curse says ‘all of the servant races will be under their thumb’. One group tries to rebel and are nearly wiped out by the backlash. Now, the flaw here is that the returned evil fails to realize that two species weren’t around when they ruled and are unaffected by the curse. It’s Hejinn Vs. Chaos Elves and Orcs in a global war. A few other species get involved too, but those are the major players.
Where I’m stumped a bit is the preparation. I can’t go flying in blind here because there’s a long timeline and there are so many sides and events that I feel should go. I need to make sure it’s never a one-sided war. So, do I create the characters first or the events that will unfold? Maybe create the main ones that will move throughout all of it? Anybody ever write something like this before?
Join in on Read Tuesday. Read how you can help this amazing promotion.
What is Read Tuesday? It’s a Black Friday type of event just for books. In 2013, it will be Tuesday, December 10, 2013.
We’re off to a good start:
Read Tuesday could use your help. If you can help with one or more of the following, your help will be greatly appreciated:
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In games, monsters are used to gain Experience Points and increase the level of the characters. Some are story central, but most are things you randomly run into when moving from Point A to Point B. It creates a vast ecosystem of creatures that people tend to get guilty pleasures from. Sadly, this isn’t something that you can really do in a book because random encounters break the flow
So, how do you include a variety of monsters or use them without making them come out of the left field? A few tips:
Now, you might be wondering what the purpose of monsters in fantasy is at this point. I’ll give you my personal take on it:
In a world of magic and knights, it isn’t fun to read about a regular bear getting slain. Such beasts are killed in our world, so there’s not ‘wow’ factor. Make it a chimera that can really fight back and put the fear of death into a character? Now you’re on to something. That’s it though. The idea of someone getting killed by a real animal isn’t far-fetched and is rather mundane. It isn’t fantasy where the unreal exists. You don’t fear for the well-trained warrior when he faces a wolf. You get nervous when that warrior is looking down the snout of a wyvern.
Personally, I think monsters should be created as part of the ecosystem. They exist in nature and not as the whim of an author. They have habits, territories, eating habits, physiology, and a history. The pointy ears of elves have vibrating crystals in them to increase their hearing. Griffins are used as transportation in Gaia. Trolls are highly territorial and you can only have 3 in one spot, but they have to be the same gender or they’ll fight. Welcome to Windemere, folks. Where every monster has a story and a purpose to the natural order. 😉
Press Release for Read Tuesday! Indie Author Books at Black Friday Savings.
My first audio interview is up at My First Fantasy Novel. Very exciting!
The average indie author sells a few hundred copies of a book. Even though after spending nearly an hour chatting and interviewing the very down-to-earth Charles Yallowitz, I find that his writing and attitudes are anything but typical. To date, Charles has over 9000 sales on only two books. Neither have even been out for a year, yet. Looking for up-and-coming authors? If you’re still reading, you are looking in the right direction.
His attitudes toward other writers are encouraging, and his desire to write is personal. He is an author focused on enjoying writing and sharing that enjoyment with others. Charles values a good fantasy story.
I could barely contain my excitement when I got the opportunity to interview this growing indie author. I’ve recorded a portion of our conversations. Whether you are a reader or writer, you will find this interview to be a great…
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Review of Catskinner’s Book by Misha Burnett.
I am a suspense/mystery reader. I love a good political thriller. Even a psychological thriller. I can even do a dramatic literary fiction or historical fiction from time to time. I’ve really stepped outside the box with this book.
This book was intense from the very first page…and didn’t let up until the last word.
My first thought though was “this is going to be too weird for me.” I thought that, but couldn’t put it down. I raced through it to finish it. Every time I thought there couldn’t be any other creatures, there were!
I truly am in awe of writers who can create something from so deep within their imagination that their creation is unique. Well, I’m assuming this is unique. But I can’t be sure because this is a totally new genre for me.
Do I recommend this book? YES! It was entertaining, fast-paced, and well…
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The big day is here! Me and Billy the Kid by Briana Vedsted has arrived!
Me and Billy the Kid has officially been released! Buy it here on amazon.com!
