Gary F. Vanucci's Blog, page 26
July 26, 2011
Heroes?
If you were going to write a novel, story, short or novella, what would your 'hero' be like? Think about that for a moment.
I have read many fantasy novels, comic books, graphic novels and the like and I would have to say that most of them are made of powerful stuff—butt-kickers extraordinaire! That seems to be the way to attract the most followers, having a character that is skilled, capable and honorable. I echo these sentiments.
I was talking with a few friends yesterday and the subject of heroes came up. We began discussing the subject and ultimately, it came down to discussing certain indestructible characters in comics and movies. My friends all admitted that these types of characters were kind of 'boring'. Being able to defeat every villain without so much as breaking a sweat was not entertaining to them. Again, I concurred.
This got me to thinking in retrospect at what types of characters I had created for CotFK. In all honesty, not a one of them is omnipotent. As a matter of fact, the 'main' character is the polar opposite: a naïve, insecure elf who overcompensates for his shortcomings and lack of melee prowess with magical items and alchemical elixirs. Don't get me wrong, he has the stuff of heroes, I would not write about farmers who have no skills at all picking up weapons and somehow knowing how to defeat monsters and skilled combatants! That would be silly, right?
On the contrary, most of my main characters are quite capable in combat (otherwise, it would be a short novel) and can handle themselves against all odds…but not without effort! I think that is the key here. I made a concerted effort to make the characters somewhat 'real' by allowing them to get hit and injured and at certain points, become severely wounded. They were not indestructible from word one.
Where they go from here, however, is another story…literally.
I would ask the readers and subscribers here to answer this one question: who is your favorite hero/heroine and what is your favorite quality about them?
Until next post—see you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
I have read many fantasy novels, comic books, graphic novels and the like and I would have to say that most of them are made of powerful stuff—butt-kickers extraordinaire! That seems to be the way to attract the most followers, having a character that is skilled, capable and honorable. I echo these sentiments.
I was talking with a few friends yesterday and the subject of heroes came up. We began discussing the subject and ultimately, it came down to discussing certain indestructible characters in comics and movies. My friends all admitted that these types of characters were kind of 'boring'. Being able to defeat every villain without so much as breaking a sweat was not entertaining to them. Again, I concurred.
This got me to thinking in retrospect at what types of characters I had created for CotFK. In all honesty, not a one of them is omnipotent. As a matter of fact, the 'main' character is the polar opposite: a naïve, insecure elf who overcompensates for his shortcomings and lack of melee prowess with magical items and alchemical elixirs. Don't get me wrong, he has the stuff of heroes, I would not write about farmers who have no skills at all picking up weapons and somehow knowing how to defeat monsters and skilled combatants! That would be silly, right?
On the contrary, most of my main characters are quite capable in combat (otherwise, it would be a short novel) and can handle themselves against all odds…but not without effort! I think that is the key here. I made a concerted effort to make the characters somewhat 'real' by allowing them to get hit and injured and at certain points, become severely wounded. They were not indestructible from word one.
Where they go from here, however, is another story…literally.
I would ask the readers and subscribers here to answer this one question: who is your favorite hero/heroine and what is your favorite quality about them?
Until next post—see you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
July 23, 2011
A Synopsis of Characters
I have been told on some forums and by some other folks that my teaser and synopsis do not give enough information about the characters, which is the story's focus. In response to that I have come up with a few minor descriptions that may demystify that position.
Elec is a high elf with very little self confidence when it comes to fighting, but has certain skills that continue to force him in that direction such as setting and disarming mechanical traps and devices and a mastery of alchemy. Reluctantly, he accepts his 'destiny' and overcompensates for his lack of prowess with magical items and elixirs that enhance his abilities.
Saeunn is a barbarian woman who is displaced from her home after it was overrun by orcs and goblins. She is struggling initially with a choice of keeping an eye on her mother and giving in to her natural instincts and love for battle!
Rose is a human pick pocket who had a rough childhood and is a member of the Thieves' Guild. She realizes that she has missed the danger and excitement of her youth and now takes up a chance to rediscover that excitement on her own without informing her organization.
Garius is a former priest and current Inquisitor with the Order of the Faceless Knights, a sect of religious zealots who have access to every divine aspect of each of the gods in exchange for keeping their temples free of heresy and deceit. He is a natural leader and a quick study.
My overall storyline is an extremely layered web that has many overarching storylines and would be extremely difficult to explain in short order. Suffice it to say that this story focuses on an artifact that disappears from a temple right out from under the priests' noses and is the key component in a lich coming back into his former power.
The main villain behind the entire series is Zabalas Dimonia, an evil dark warlord with a taste for world domination in the Realm of Ashenclaw!
Elec is a high elf with very little self confidence when it comes to fighting, but has certain skills that continue to force him in that direction such as setting and disarming mechanical traps and devices and a mastery of alchemy. Reluctantly, he accepts his 'destiny' and overcompensates for his lack of prowess with magical items and elixirs that enhance his abilities.
Saeunn is a barbarian woman who is displaced from her home after it was overrun by orcs and goblins. She is struggling initially with a choice of keeping an eye on her mother and giving in to her natural instincts and love for battle!
Rose is a human pick pocket who had a rough childhood and is a member of the Thieves' Guild. She realizes that she has missed the danger and excitement of her youth and now takes up a chance to rediscover that excitement on her own without informing her organization.
Garius is a former priest and current Inquisitor with the Order of the Faceless Knights, a sect of religious zealots who have access to every divine aspect of each of the gods in exchange for keeping their temples free of heresy and deceit. He is a natural leader and a quick study.
My overall storyline is an extremely layered web that has many overarching storylines and would be extremely difficult to explain in short order. Suffice it to say that this story focuses on an artifact that disappears from a temple right out from under the priests' noses and is the key component in a lich coming back into his former power.
The main villain behind the entire series is Zabalas Dimonia, an evil dark warlord with a taste for world domination in the Realm of Ashenclaw!
July 21, 2011
Covenant of the Faceless Knights available...
My debut novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, is available now in hardcover and paperback right now following this link:
http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000465859
It will be available within a few weeks also as an ebook according to my sources at Authorhouse.
This also got me thinking. What exactly is it that draws you as the reader into epic fantasy? Is it the setting and the landscape? Is it the allure of the unexplainable such as magic? Is it the fantastic creatures and monsters that lurk in the recesses of the mind such as the vampires, ogres and dragons? Is it the idealistic code of conduct and honor of knights and warriors? Or is it the deceit or tactical strategy involved in overthrowing a kingdom, a castle or merely a king?
When I sat down to write CotFK, the prospect of having a completely blank space to work with was what excited me most. The idea of being able to weave tales within the world that I created was at first a daunting task, but also a very exciting one. The fact that I could literally do anything I wanted because there I was literally building the landscape made writing the story so much fun.
I recall writing specific happenings within the Realm of Ashenclaw with Nick Titano. We were literally adding things to an old map I had created many years ago that was the template for Wothlondia (the continent on Krotto, my world, where the action takes place) and moving the landscape to fit the story was quite empowering.
No matter what your draw for reading, I can say that we all need an escape from this world every once in a while to give ourselves a break and the high stakes of epic fantasy novels and the possibility of changing the landscape with the turning of a few pages is truly awe inspiring to me.
So I ask you: what draws you to the genre of fantasy?
Hoping to see you in Wothlondia and the Realm of Ashenclaw!
http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000465859
It will be available within a few weeks also as an ebook according to my sources at Authorhouse.
This also got me thinking. What exactly is it that draws you as the reader into epic fantasy? Is it the setting and the landscape? Is it the allure of the unexplainable such as magic? Is it the fantastic creatures and monsters that lurk in the recesses of the mind such as the vampires, ogres and dragons? Is it the idealistic code of conduct and honor of knights and warriors? Or is it the deceit or tactical strategy involved in overthrowing a kingdom, a castle or merely a king?
When I sat down to write CotFK, the prospect of having a completely blank space to work with was what excited me most. The idea of being able to weave tales within the world that I created was at first a daunting task, but also a very exciting one. The fact that I could literally do anything I wanted because there I was literally building the landscape made writing the story so much fun.
I recall writing specific happenings within the Realm of Ashenclaw with Nick Titano. We were literally adding things to an old map I had created many years ago that was the template for Wothlondia (the continent on Krotto, my world, where the action takes place) and moving the landscape to fit the story was quite empowering.
No matter what your draw for reading, I can say that we all need an escape from this world every once in a while to give ourselves a break and the high stakes of epic fantasy novels and the possibility of changing the landscape with the turning of a few pages is truly awe inspiring to me.
So I ask you: what draws you to the genre of fantasy?
Hoping to see you in Wothlondia and the Realm of Ashenclaw!
July 18, 2011
Free Excerpt!
As my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, makes its way through the causeways toward the nearest stores and on its way into your hands, onto your kindles and other reading devices, I feel that I want to share a bit more of the story with you. I have excerpts on my website which you may read at any point in time here:
http://www.ashenclaw.com/index.php/book-excerpts
but I have one more I would like to share with my blog community.
Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket, rogue archetype and dagger-dual-wielding wonder! Enjoy!
Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser. But something compelled her to stay. She thought that they were not in league with the Thieves' Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. They would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked. Once more she let herself fall into that predatory side that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth. Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her. "You were warned—remember that," Rose stated as she stepped out from a shadow that seemed to engulf her only a second ago. Otis' surprise was evident as his blue eyes filled with dread. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat and neck. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly as the man slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Olaf, Blaine and Morton all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the floor. Olaf gasped in horror at seeing his brother's lifeless body fall to the hard ground of the alley. His shock turned quickly to resentment as he used his brother's death to fuel his fight."That's it," Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. "Come on!"Olaf withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand and charged at her. Blaine and Morton followed, although Morton was several steps behind. Rose took note of this fact.She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of Morton's heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but hitting hard enough that it drew blood. I underestimated this one's speed! Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the initial pain.He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only seconds ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put Morton between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed Morton's chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the side of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced noticeably at the ferocity of the attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it. "Leave now or suffer the same fate," Rose warned them, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Bah! I'll kill you for what you did!" Olaf claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.Rose reappeared and struck the back of Olaf's thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. Blaine, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed a brief respite to recover as she was momentarily shaken. Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing in back of Blaine, who stood engulfed within the shadows. He suspected this and was ready for her, however—Blaine was a seasoned warrior, and he recognized her tactics. He spun as soon as she stepped from the shadow, anticipating her appearance and grabbed her firmly by the throat. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her. After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her maintaining his death grip on her neck. Blaine had dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have his brass knuckles. He swung a wild punch at Rose's face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra, she was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return. She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man's ears. Blaine released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his ear drums registered a thundering cacophony of overwhelming pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air!Still on her back and with Blaine atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers hit solidly at the front of his neck, directly under the jaw and severing major arteries. Blaine fell backward clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt the inevitable. He was dead before he hit the ground.
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
http://www.ashenclaw.com/index.php/book-excerpts
but I have one more I would like to share with my blog community.
Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket, rogue archetype and dagger-dual-wielding wonder! Enjoy!
Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser. But something compelled her to stay. She thought that they were not in league with the Thieves' Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. They would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked. Once more she let herself fall into that predatory side that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth. Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her. "You were warned—remember that," Rose stated as she stepped out from a shadow that seemed to engulf her only a second ago. Otis' surprise was evident as his blue eyes filled with dread. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat and neck. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly as the man slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Olaf, Blaine and Morton all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the floor. Olaf gasped in horror at seeing his brother's lifeless body fall to the hard ground of the alley. His shock turned quickly to resentment as he used his brother's death to fuel his fight."That's it," Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. "Come on!"Olaf withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand and charged at her. Blaine and Morton followed, although Morton was several steps behind. Rose took note of this fact.She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of Morton's heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but hitting hard enough that it drew blood. I underestimated this one's speed! Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the initial pain.He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only seconds ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put Morton between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed Morton's chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the side of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced noticeably at the ferocity of the attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it. "Leave now or suffer the same fate," Rose warned them, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Bah! I'll kill you for what you did!" Olaf claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.Rose reappeared and struck the back of Olaf's thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. Blaine, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed a brief respite to recover as she was momentarily shaken. Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing in back of Blaine, who stood engulfed within the shadows. He suspected this and was ready for her, however—Blaine was a seasoned warrior, and he recognized her tactics. He spun as soon as she stepped from the shadow, anticipating her appearance and grabbed her firmly by the throat. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her. After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her maintaining his death grip on her neck. Blaine had dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have his brass knuckles. He swung a wild punch at Rose's face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra, she was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return. She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man's ears. Blaine released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his ear drums registered a thundering cacophony of overwhelming pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air!Still on her back and with Blaine atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers hit solidly at the front of his neck, directly under the jaw and severing major arteries. Blaine fell backward clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt the inevitable. He was dead before he hit the ground.
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
The novel nears...
As my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, makes its way through the causeways toward the nearest stores and on its way into your hands, onto your kindles and other reading devices, I feel that I want to share a bit more of the story with you. I have excerpts on my website which you may read at any point in time @ www.ashenclaw.com under the excerpts tag, but I have one more I would like to share with my blog community.
Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket and dagger-dual-wielding wonder! Enjoy!
Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser. But something compelled her to stay. She thought that they were not in league with the Thieves' Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. They would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked. Once more she let herself fall into that predatory side that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth. Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her. "You were warned—remember that," Rose stated as she stepped out from a shadow that seemed to engulf her only a second ago. Otis' surprise was evident as his blue eyes filled with dread. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat and neck. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly as the man slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Olaf, Blaine and Morton all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the floor. Olaf gasped in horror at seeing his brother's lifeless body fall to the hard ground of the alley. His shock turned quickly to resentment as he used his brother's death to fuel his fight."That's it," Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. "Come on!"Olaf withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand and charged at her. Blaine and Morton followed, although Morton was several steps behind. Rose took note of this fact.She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of Morton's heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but hitting hard enough that it drew blood. I underestimated this one's speed! Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the initial pain.He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only seconds ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put Morton between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed Morton's chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the side of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced noticeably at the ferocity of the attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it. "Leave now or suffer the same fate," Rose warned them, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Bah! I'll kill you for what you did!" Olaf claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.Rose reappeared and struck the back of Olaf's thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. Blaine, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed a brief respite to recover as she was momentarily shaken. Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing in back of Blaine, who stood engulfed within the shadows. He suspected this and was ready for her, however—Blaine was a seasoned warrior, and he recognized her tactics. He spun as soon as she stepped from the shadow, anticipating her appearance and grabbed her firmly by the throat. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her. After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her maintaining his death grip on her neck. Blaine had dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have his brass knuckles. He swung a wild punch at Rose's face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra, she was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return. She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man's ears. Blaine released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his ear drums registered a thundering cacophony of overwhelming pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air!Still on her back and with Blaine atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers hit solidly at the front of his neck, directly under the jaw and severing major arteries. Blaine fell backward clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt the inevitable. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket and dagger-dual-wielding wonder! Enjoy!
Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser. But something compelled her to stay. She thought that they were not in league with the Thieves' Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. They would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked. Once more she let herself fall into that predatory side that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth. Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her. "You were warned—remember that," Rose stated as she stepped out from a shadow that seemed to engulf her only a second ago. Otis' surprise was evident as his blue eyes filled with dread. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat and neck. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly as the man slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Olaf, Blaine and Morton all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the floor. Olaf gasped in horror at seeing his brother's lifeless body fall to the hard ground of the alley. His shock turned quickly to resentment as he used his brother's death to fuel his fight."That's it," Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. "Come on!"Olaf withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand and charged at her. Blaine and Morton followed, although Morton was several steps behind. Rose took note of this fact.She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of Morton's heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but hitting hard enough that it drew blood. I underestimated this one's speed! Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the initial pain.He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only seconds ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put Morton between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed Morton's chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the side of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced noticeably at the ferocity of the attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it. "Leave now or suffer the same fate," Rose warned them, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Bah! I'll kill you for what you did!" Olaf claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.Rose reappeared and struck the back of Olaf's thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. Blaine, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed a brief respite to recover as she was momentarily shaken. Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing in back of Blaine, who stood engulfed within the shadows. He suspected this and was ready for her, however—Blaine was a seasoned warrior, and he recognized her tactics. He spun as soon as she stepped from the shadow, anticipating her appearance and grabbed her firmly by the throat. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her. After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her maintaining his death grip on her neck. Blaine had dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have his brass knuckles. He swung a wild punch at Rose's face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra, she was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return. She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man's ears. Blaine released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his ear drums registered a thundering cacophony of overwhelming pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air!Still on her back and with Blaine atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers hit solidly at the front of his neck, directly under the jaw and severing major arteries. Blaine fell backward clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt the inevitable. He was dead before he hit the ground.
July 15, 2011
IAN & Supporting Independent Artists
I have recently joined the Independent Author Network (IAN) who are a group of independent and self published authors networked together to help one another and share experiences, ideas and the like.
My home page can be found here: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/gary-vanucci.html
They are very kind and the fee to join is nominal. I would highly recommend any independent authors to look them up and join. You will not get more bang for your buck anywhere else! You can sign up for their monthly newsletter and if you do, you are automatically entered in a drawing where you could win a kindle or even an IPAD2!
You can sign up for their newsletter here: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/newsletter.html
I would do it just for that. Ultimately, I am blogging to petition a support for the independent author, artists, writers, musicians and anyone else that feels that their work is worth the attention.
The past week or so, I have been finding that there is great support as well as a fantastic community that supports independent authors. As one of them mentioned when I bought her book, "I agree that authors are not in competition with one another," (I am paraphrasing) and it is true. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that each of us wants the other to succeed. The ultimate goal, at least for me, is to get more people reading….
My home page can be found here: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/gary-vanucci.html
They are very kind and the fee to join is nominal. I would highly recommend any independent authors to look them up and join. You will not get more bang for your buck anywhere else! You can sign up for their monthly newsletter and if you do, you are automatically entered in a drawing where you could win a kindle or even an IPAD2!
You can sign up for their newsletter here: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/newsletter.html
I would do it just for that. Ultimately, I am blogging to petition a support for the independent author, artists, writers, musicians and anyone else that feels that their work is worth the attention.
The past week or so, I have been finding that there is great support as well as a fantastic community that supports independent authors. As one of them mentioned when I bought her book, "I agree that authors are not in competition with one another," (I am paraphrasing) and it is true. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that each of us wants the other to succeed. The ultimate goal, at least for me, is to get more people reading….
July 8, 2011
Beginnings
I am proud to announce that 'COVENANT OF THE FACELESS KNIGHTS', my first full length fantasy novel, should be hitting the bookshelves sometime in late July/early August….
It will be available as an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover in a 6" x 9" format! With the sales of e-books climbing and the sales of printed books declining, I had a tough decision to make. Ultimately, I wanted to have my first novel released in both e-book and print form.
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and especially AUTHORHOUSE.COM (where I encourage you to purchase the book) will be providing an avenue for you to purchase the novel and give it a read! I would encourage anyone who enjoys epic fantasy tales to peruse it and to experience firsthand the world as well as the characters interacting within it. I am extremely proud of breathing life into this world and the main characters that I have grown so fond of so quickly.
I am hoping that each and every reader can connect on some level with the characters, understanding that they all have problems and personal baggage to bring along with them as they blossom into 'heroes'. Oh, and there are drawings, too!
I'd love to know what the readers think about including artwork inside the book. I know I used to read novels years ago, (Terry Brooks' novels if I recall correctly), that had drawings that made me want to read more and find out who the characters were! I am hoping to instill that same type of emotion when people see the art for the first time.
I would especially like to thank Nicholas Titano of www.infernaltitans.com for having generously given me so much of his time in helping me with the many details related to the Realm of Ashenclaw!
And to any and all that gave me the inspiration and the encouragement to keep going: I thank you! Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
