David G. Shrock's Blog, page 5

In the latest episode of Kandy Fangs: Venom, 4. Coffin of...

In the latest episode of Kandy Fangs: Venom, 4. Coffin of Treats, Peter opens the coffin deepening the mystery. Kandy’s side of the story is back next week. If you’re new to Kandy Fangs, see the table of contents for Venom which describes the two-sided aspect and offers choices to follow along.

All Hallows Read Free Books

Give a book for All Hallows Read, and many authors are in the spirit. Below is a sampling of free ebooks available this week or until Hallowe’en. Follow links to learn more about the books and authors. Happy reading.

Ghost Betweens by E. J. Krause for Kindle is about teens finding their special powers for the supernatural while investigating a spooky farm. Find the author at his website, The Fictional World of Eric J. Krause, or on Twitter @ericjkrause.

Monsters and Mortals, Blood War Trilogy Book II by Dylan J. Morgan for Kindle includes a powerful vampire coven and hybrid vampire-werewolf breed. Learn more at the author’s website, dylanjmorgan.com or follow in Twitter @dylanjmorgan.

Skein by C.J. Sellers for Kindle is a recent release, a horror story with demon possession. Find out more at cynthiajsellers.com or follow the author on Twitter @CynthiaJSellers.

Ghost and the Graveyard by Genevieve Jack for Kindle is a funny, sexy story for adults. Follow the author on Twitter @Genevieve_Jack.

It’s Not The Great Pumpkin, Maxie Duncan by Melissa J. Webb for Kindle is a novella. Follow the author on Twitter @melissalwebb or visit her blog at melissalwebb.wordpress.com.

 

 

Painting a Skull

For artwork on my latest web serial Kandy Fangs: Venom, I’ve been dabbling with Procreate on the iPad. I haven’t full explored the software, but it’s intuitive enough to start creating some reasonable artwork. At first, I had to sketch on paper and import to use as a guide, but after some practice I now sketch directly on a layer.

For the story, I created the skull for the vampire-wraith that appears in episode 3, “Purgatory Pain” (Kandy’s prologue) where Kandy must escape her purgatory and the vampire-wraith. I used pencil-like brushes of various weights to create the image.

Vampire-wraith skull

The first step to create the skull is to sketch on a layer that will be discarded (hidden) in the final image. The initial sketch helps guide the paint strokes on the other layers. I used a stylus (pogo sketch) like a pencil to mark a rough shape of the skull.

initial sketch which will be discarded

For the second stage, I sketched over the initial sketch on new layer to build the final shape and gave him a sinister look with narrow eye-sockets and ugly teeth. Lighting is key. I sketched out where the bright spots and shadows should appear.

sketching in shadows, highlights and features over sketch

Next, I painted the background and dark areas to block in shape I wanted.

painting in background layer to block out shape

Finally, I painted using brushes on a new layer using sketches and block for guides, which are visible here.

Painting in texture.

I continued painting highlights, texture, and shadows on safe layers until the image at top. The purple eyes and fog is a combination of several layers using the same technique.

vampire skull

Find my #FridayFlash Purgatory Pain at Kandy Fangs

This week, my 570-word surreal #FridayFlash “Purgatory Pain” is at my Kandy Fangs website. It’s a single-shot story standing on its own. Reading the other serial episodes is optional. Kandy Fangs: Venom (table of contents) is a time-twisted urban fantasy told from two perspectives.

Read #FridayFlash “Purgatory Pain” at KandyFangs.com.

Kandy Portrait Painting

I completed a portrait of Kandy Knight for Kandy Fangs: Venom serial, and will appear in episode 5, “Time for Kandy” in the first week of November. For this portrait, I used Procreate on iPad. This is my third painting using the iPad, and there’s much to Procreate I haven’t tried out yet. The software is intuitive enough to paint with basic tools.

Kandy Knight © 2013 David G Shrock

For this painting, I sketched on a layer that’s hidden in the final image. Layers help build an image, and also allow to try things out without wrecking the painting. Much can be accomplished with basic brushes, smudge tool, and the eraser/blend tool. Procreate supports output in Photoshop PSD format maintaining layers.

Kandy has a shock of white hair and her eyes have a red spark to them. Since this is a portrait, she isn’t showing off her fangs.

Here is my initial sketch used as a guideline which is hidden in the final image.

Kandy portrait sketch

I’m working on more artwork for the serial, more characters and objects notable to the story. Soon, I’ll post another painting with the break-down of how I constructed it.

Mowing vs Reaping —#FridayFlash

In the orange glow of the predawn sky, Marius hurried outside hopping on one foot while he tugged his boot on. He had overslept again for the third time that week. Dorin the foreman had promised a lashing if he didn’t make it by sunrise. It was Adrian’s evil eye that Marius feared most. With a glance, that old codger could weaken a man’s knees. Boots on, Marius ran for the tool shed.

The others were already out in the meadow mowing the grass. Even tubby old Robert, a heavy sleeper and obnoxious snorer, appeared lively swinging his scythe. Marius would show him, though, rocks in the boot to slow the sleeping dragon next morning.

Inside the shed, Marius looked over the two stalls where the scythes were kept. Empty. Had Robert played a trick on him? Stepping outside, he grabbed the lantern from the peg beside the door. Checking the horizon, he saw orange-yellow rays chasing the final three stars away.

In the second and third stalls, he looked at the empty rods overhead and trampled grass on the floor. No scythe. The remaining stalls held tools all in their proper places, everything perfectly organized meeting Dorin’s strict guidelines.

Twirling around, he splashed lantern light at the front of the shed illuminating a scythe wedged between the wall and the first stall. Grimacing, Marius stamped over and reached into the narrow opening. Robert would get more than rocks in his boot for this prank. Leaning into the corner, his fingers snagged the handle.

A waterfall of chills cascaded down, and he shook from head to toe.

Marius took the scythe and returned the lantern to its peg. Golden rays threatened to burst over horizon. Fearing the lashing, he scurried into the meadow.

Standing among the tall grass, Adrian appeared like a scarecrow. His narrow, evil eye gazed over the meadow. Marius trembled as he approached. Standing a meter behind Adrian, Dorin held his lashing wire.

As Marius approached the two men, expecting their usual derogatory remarks, he began apologizing, but stopped short. The two men stood there without saying a word. Strangest of all, that evil eye of Adrian didn’t even notice Marius. They seemed to stare right through him at the shed!

Waving his hand, Marius tried to get their attention. Nothing. They continued watching the shed. Although he didn’t want to; he knew he had to—something was terribly wrong—Marius reached out and squeezed Adrian’s arm.

The old man collapsed into a heap in the grass.

Face wrecked in worry, Dorin dropped to his knee and shouted at the old man.

Marius stepped around to the side to get a better look, and found that evil eye of Adrian had been replaced by serenity. Dorin cried. Trying to get a better look, Marius crouched placing his hand on the foreman’s shoulder.

Dorin the foreman crumpled over, dead.

Marius leapt back and stared in bewilderment at his hand. Had his touch been cursed? He examined the scythe noticing its superior craftsmanship, much nicer than any tool he’d seen before.

“Right,” said a man.

Spinning towards the voice, Marius found a handsomely dressed older gentleman strolling into the tall grass.

“I apologize for this unfortunate event,” said the man. He held out his hand. “Now, if you’ll be so kind to return that scythe to me.”

Following direction, Marius gave the scythe to the gentleman.

A whirlwind of smoke consumed the gentlemen, and in a puff, he was gone.

Noticing the workers coming his way, two of them shouting his name, Marius decided to flee while his legs could still carry him.

_________________________________________________________________

Inspired by Eric J. Krause’s Speculative Writing Prompt #155: “You hoist a scythe from an old tool shed, and it turns you into the Grim Reaper .”

As a challenge, I wrote what came to mind without thought or planning. Edited for spelling only. Not quite a six-minute story (I think it took closer to ten), but it’s the least amount of time I’ve ever spent on a story.

Smoking Candle Photo

For this photo, I moistened the glass for the older-used, shiny look and set brightest light source in background to capture smoke ring. Two smaller light sources behind, one to my right and the smallest over my left shoulder provided light necessary to see the front and reflect off the water bubbles. To give it an older feel, I applied a grainy filter.

I used an iPhone 4S to take the photo just after extinguishing the flame. I prefer using a digital SLR with big lens, but have been giving the phone a try.

Kandy Participation

Over at www.KandyFangs.com, Kandy will take part in story comments providing more story and answering questions. In addition, she’s on Twitter and on Facebook to keep her story going by promoting her events and posting at her website. Her Facebook page is set for ages 17+ due to book content, so you must be signed into Facebook to see it.

I had considered doing this three years ago during the first web-serial, and even had her set up as a contributor on her site. I thought it would be nice to add an extra dimension to the web-serial. I also took in consideration Carrie Clevenger’s (@CarrieClevenger) work on her alter-egos on Twitter (@crookedfang), and I didn’t necessarily want to fall into the same routine that others like Carrie were doing. Due to time constraints, and some uncertainty, I didn’t go through with it.

This time, I’d like to give it try and aim to keep Kandy Fangs going without a long (2-year) break. On Twitter, Kandy will share her stories and vampire musings.

You may follow Kandy:

 @KandyFangs on Twitter
KandyFangs on Facebook (ages 17+)

Kandy Fangs: Venom

[Update: posted "1. Bad Delivery" which is my #FridayFlash this week.]

A new season for Kandy begins Friday, October 11. Kandy Fangs: Venom serial picks up after events in the original story (and Raven Memory) as an independent story. Reading original Kandy Fangs, available as a free ebook at Smashwords, is optional. Venom is a bit more straightforward than the original time-space bending, surreal story. Kandy Fangs is urban fantasy taking place in Draco Torre’s world.

There’s adult-oriented content, so I’m recommended Venom to readers of ages 16+ for occasional descriptions of drug use, violence, and some sexual references.

Summary

Peter Gray takes over his recently departed father’s dream in the restaurant business, but an odd grand-opening gift infects Peter pushing him into the Roseland underground. With the help of two employees, Nine and Tiger, Peter battles his inner demon while taking on organized crime.

reading Kandy Fangs: venom

Enjoy a bite each week, or wait until next year to devour in one shot.

Episodes will post nearly every week at www.KandyFangs.com, many under 1000 words, but a few will be longer. Review the contents page to catch up or find the latest episode at below the welcome page. Some like to read serials in gulps, and for the read-at-once crowd there will be a formatted ebook in 2014.

thanks!

Comments, constructive criticism, and crazy responses (no spam) welcome. Thanks again to Carrie and Jason for their support on the first Kandy Fangs serial.

 

Sample Sunday: Raven Memory

For #SampleSunday (Twitter), I offer an excerpt from Raven Memory, a novel and part of Draco Torre’s world. On Smashwords you may sample the first half of the book in your favorite format, so this excerpt is from the second half found in chapter 24. Find Raven Memory for Kindle (Amazon US) or Amazon UK, for iBooks, for Nook, or at Smashwords.

On Smashwords, Raven Memory is free this month (until October 31, 2013) with coupon code: VP76W

Find out more about Sample Sunday at Pixel of Ink.

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Steve strolls among the crowd, a waving mass of dark colors. The occasional white shirt glows purple in the ultraviolet light. The mob dances to music beyond the quiet place. Holding his coat closed, he navigates the swarm, walking between worlds part in this one and part in the shadows. Some eyes fall on him for a brief moment then move on forgetting him. No one notices his passing.

Very few ever do.

Looking over the heads, he glances around the club named for the city of the dead, Necropolis. The wall of stacked bones stands near stairs leading up to a balcony. Tables gather in the corner before a bar lit by purple rods.

Fewer guests hang in the back away from the dance floor. Beside the stack of bones, a bouncer stands with bulging arms folded. He is human, but that is no fault of his own. Contrary to popular rumors, nearly all of the employees at Necropolis are human.

A young woman dressed in a short black skirt, legs in fishnet, glides away from the bar. Feet in soft black shoes walk on toes. Nearly exposed breasts snuggled in a white blouse tied in a knot jiggle with each step. Blue eyes glimmering red meet his.

Julie notices.

He steps deeper into the other world watching Julie fading into a ghost, a memory blazed into the fabric of the cosmos. Satisfied seeing the woman turn her attention away, he continues into the back among the memory ghosts gathered around tables.

Approaching the bar, he returns to the world. Apparitions become patrons enjoying drinks and chatting as sound explodes from the silence, music thundering. Looking over the bar, he spots an Itoril with shaggy hair carrying a case of beer.

The eyes grow big, brow pushing up into the hair.

Spotting recognition on the face, Steve searches his memory. He finds nothing.

Releasing the case of beer, the Itoril man stumbles back. Glass crashes.

A woman behind the bar spins around and throws her hands on her hips. “What the hell?”

Watching the shaggy hair disappearing into the back room, he puts it together. This is the individual that sets off the alarm.

He enters the quiet place. Sucked in by the silence, sounds vacate the club. The world fades away leaving a phantom outline of the bar and walls.

Searching the back room through the murky haze of wall, he traces the route through a door into a back hall where the back door waits. Taking the direct path, he passes through the insubstantial stool, through the wall into the back hall.

He steps partially into the world. Silence.

An apparition runs in slow motion away from the emergency exit. Hand flinging over shoulder, an object falls to the floor. The pieces scatter in slow motion, sliding against the walls on both sides.

Strolling down the hall, he gains ground on the apparition running in slow motion. Watching the fleeing phantom flatten out sneakers, he cuts the corner passing through the wall. Turning in the direction of the corner, he returns to the world, music blaring and sneakers squealing.

He reaches into his coat digging for the notepad.

Arms flailing and eyes bulging, the young Itoril gasps and backpedals. He cries out disrespectful words. Turning, he sprints back down the hall sneakers slapping the floor.

“Now the emergency exit.” Steve heads back the other way. Flipping through the notepad, he scans recent entries. He finds the notes given by Julie and nothing more.

The alarm bursts, clanging throughout the building.

Laying on the floor, a bouncer holds his nose.

Spying the door slamming shut, he marches down the hall while marking in his pad. He notes the location and a brief description of the fleeing young man. It is probably nothing, but might as well find out what this is about.

A step carries him into the quiet place. He walks through debris, splinters of wood from a broken door frame on the left. His feet pass through without disturbing anything. Clearing the mess, he exits the quiet place and the alarm beats into his head.

Among the clanging, he hears an explosion of gunshots, an automatic weapon. He passes back into the shadow world. The ringing fades away, and he passes through the door.

On the right, the alley ends at a dumpster and a dead man on his back. To the left, another dumpster stands against the brick wall. Beside it, two figures stand at the edge of light both in dark clothing as silhouettes with the street behind them. The larger one lifts the other by the neck.

Standing still against the door, Steve returns to the world. The clanging attacks his ears, and the cool night air kisses his face.

Grasping at the hand around his neck, the Itoril balances on his toes and forces the words from his lungs. He coughs. “I don’t know. No idea where she is.”

Steve steps closer trying to get a better look at the young Itoril’s face. She? Cassandra? He finds fear on the boy’s face and nothing more.

The alarm cuts off into a single trailing clang.

The large figure pushes the young Itoril. Long coat waving, an arm swings out drawing a sword in one smooth arc slicing through the neck of his opponent. Spinning to the side, shaggy hair flying, the head topples over smacking the pavement, rolling over nose sending it bouncing. The body falls onto its knees and flops chest down, blood pouring from the open throat.

The tall figure glances over his shoulder. Two orbs void of pupils glow white brightening the tops of the cheeks and sides of the wide nose.

“Hold on there.” Steve raises his hand.

The killer smiles exposing perfect row of gleaming teeth. Pulling a hood up over the flat buzzed hair, he turns away. The form dissolves into a glimmering wave, disappearing.

Peering down the length of the alley, Steve searches the shaded alley.

Beside the dumpster, the severed head stares over a dark puddle of blood at its own body. An automatic weapon rests three feet away. Movement catches his eye, a shimmering in the center of the alley beyond the body and dumpster.

Looking at the foggy outline of a tall figure, he realizes the killer wears some sort of camouflage bending light around the garment. To the unwary, the killer is near invisible, but reading the fabric of the universe reveals the killer as bits of information forming an android.

Striding through the swirling purple and black clouds making up the walls, pavement, the very air itself, Steve rushes to the end of the alley and returns to the world. The purple clouds and darkness recede replaced by bricks on each side and asphalt beneath. The overhead lamp illuminates the street corner.

Spotting the shimmer, he latches onto the shoulder and pulls.

The android spins around sending the image of the street behind bulging and rippling like water. A gun appears floating in air.

Instincts taking over, Steve moves into the quiet place reaching for the shadows. The gun fades into an apparition. Gunfire bursts in slow motion, ghost light flashing from the muzzle without sound. A burst fades and another flames from the barrel scattering purple bits of the information, shock wave rippling through the currents.

He steps aside of the muzzle and returns, the world speeds into full motion, gunfire explodes. Fist flying, he punches the killer square in the jaw. The gun flies up, cutting a swath into the sky shattering the lamp, the street corner falling into darkness.

Boots scuffle back, the floating gun pointed straight up in the air. Footsteps clomp away into the road, the shimmering thing bounding across three lanes.

Light floods the street, a car turning a corner, electric motor whirring over rolling rubber. Within the bath of headlight beams, a faint shadow of a man in running stride stretches down the street. Center of the hood collapses, and the windshield explodes into a web of shattered glass. A pair of boots appear at the end of legs disappearing into the shimmering veil, rolling over the top of the white wagon, metal crunching and popping as the roof gives and flexes back. The killer rolls off the end of the car flopping onto the pavement.

Brakes howl, and the white car slides sideways careening onto the sidewalk on the far side of the street. Metal crunches breaking a street sign twisting beneath the car. Front end compresses as metal folds against a stone building, white and amber plastic pieces spray the sidewalk. The back end leaps from the ground twirling sideways and lands on the ground, bouncing and swaying.

Glancing the other way, Steve searches the street. The gun rests in the center of the road. Standing at the next corner, curious onlookers gaze at the wreckage, more joining them. Reading the information, he searches for the invisible android, but finds increasing numbers of curious faces.

The killer is gone.

As the only witness to a murder and a traffic accident, the right course of action is waiting for the local authorities and supply a statement as required by law. Assuming the local authorities might misunderstand a story about a killer with white glowing eyes wearing light refracting camouflage, he decides on fleeing the scene.

Avoiding the curious eyes searching the street thirsting for carnage, he steps into the shadow side. Gliding through the phantom gazers, he turns the corner and heads up Washington. Beyond the crowd, he returns. The cold air licks his moist brow. Cars roll down the road, some rumble while others whir.