John H. Carroll's Blog, page 9

Dralin, Kobo and Trindiebooks.com

Trindiebooks.com




Trindiebooks.com is promoting Dralin as the special of the day.  http://trindiebooks.com/dralin/
This is a site I recently discovered that finds and promotes books, including many free books, in the Kobo Bookstore.  Trindiebooks got their name by combining the words traditional + indie = Trindie

You can follow them on facebook and twitter.
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Kobo



Kobo is probably the most exciting ebook company out there.  They are expanding internationally at a phenomenal rate.  I see them gradually taking market share from Amazon over the coming years.

Dralin

The book Trindiebooks is promoting today is Dralin,  Book 1in the Dralin Trilogy and the first book in my Ryallon series.  (The Willden Trilogy was written first, but it occurs in time after the Dralin Trilogy) 

Back in 2001, I began a story in the world of Ryallon that started with a man named Calren.  As he was beginning his adventure, he met a woman named Pelya who had black hair, blue eyes and a sword at her hip.  Pelya was so fascinating to me that I began to explore her story.  Next thing I knew, I was writing a book called "The Liquid Wyvern".

Here's the thing about writing:  It's a lot of hard work and it takes practice to do it well.  After 40,000 words, I realized that I was making countless mistakes and needed to reevaluate.  It was another 8 years before I finally began writing again, but I had lost that original book, so I started with the Willden Trilogy instead.

Then I found the Liquid Wyvern on an old disc.  Having written three books by then, I realized how bad that original writing was.  However, the story of Pelya still fascinated me.  So I took the first chapter and turned it into the Dralin Trilogy . . . that's right.  There was an entire trilogy in that first chapter.  The original chapters 2 and 3 are going to make up the Wyvern Trilogy, which I'm writing now.  What's really bad is I had an outline for 30 chapters, each of which could be a book. *sigh*  The story deviates from them though, so it won't happen.

Anyway, Dralin begins by introducing the city of Dralin, a character in an of itself . . . a very sinister and dangerous character.  It begins with a young runaway woman meeting a handsome and kind Guardsman with a heavy soul.





Description

There are many cities in the world of Ryallon that know the touch of despair and evil, but none like Dralin. Towers of wizards rise high into the air, shrouded in the mists of magical smog. Poor sleep in the alleyways, becoming deformed by pollution. Life is short for many.

Throughout all of it, the cunning and dangerous members of the City Guard do their best to keep evil and crime from destroying the citizens of Dralin. Trained to fight in streets that make no sense, they keep wickedness from taking over completely.

A young woman fleeing her past makes Dralin her destination. A young Guardsman with his own dark history hopes to make a difference in a city that is without hope. Are sorrow and despair their only destiny, or can love redeem them? Two young girls raised in this city learn life's hard lessons early. Will they be defeated by its evil?

Underneath the city lie hidden dangers even more terrible than those that lurk in its dark streets. Ancient ruins of civilizations past still hold onto the memories of how grand they once were, while menacing creatures hope for a tasty meal to venture into their domain.

The Dralin Trilogy is a dark, swords-and-sorcery fantasy series following the lives of a few unusual individuals as they desperately try to survive in the sinister city of Dralin.

Dralin is free in all stores, but I highly recommend Kobo :)


All my best,

John H. Carroll


P.S.  Oh, and that original story about a guy named Calren? . . . He's still there, waiting impatiently for me to get to his story. ;)

Guest post: Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

Guest Post
I have a guest post today from Jerry Hanel, author of the Brodie Wade Series.  He is giving away a Kindle Fire HD predownloaded with books by popular Indie Authors to one lucky winner in the U.S..  I was fortunate enough to be asked to contribute my Dralin Trilogy to it.  Here is his post explaining the giveaway.
Kindle Fire HD GiveawayThat’s right. You could win a brand new, fresh out of the box, Kindle Fire HD. And I know what you’re thinking: “WOW! Hey, how can I win this lovely item?”
See? I’m a mind reader.
The Kindle Fire HD!To win the Kindle Fire HD, simply sign up for my newsletter. You will get emails from me on advance copies of my books, free ebooks from other authors and much more. I don’t send many newsletters (maybe four or five a year), so I promise not to flood your inbox with junk.
When you sign up, make SURE that you check the “Giveaway” box. That’s how I’ll know that you want to sign up for the giveaway promotion (and future giveaways, too!)
That’s it! If you have already signed up for the newsletter in the past, check to make sure that you have entered yourself in the “Giveaway” list. If so, you are ALREADY in this drawing!! If you’re not sure, just sign-up again. It will say “Error: This email already exists” if you’ve signed up before under any other newsletter list, but that’s okay. It will still take your entry. I’ve tested it to make sure.
Alternate EntriesIf you want extra chances to win, then you can use any (or all) of the the alternate methods. I will count each item as one entry in the give-away. (NOTE: These are EXTRA entries, but the primary entry above is required to start the ball rolling.)
post “I would like to enter to win the Kindle Fire HD. http://wp.me/p12t8A-ft” on my facebook author page (not my personal page). I will accept that as one entry. You can post this ONCE per day as an additional entry each day!Become a fan of my facebook author page,Several authors have signed up to help support me in this give-away, and I would like to honor them by adding your name to THEIR newsletter systems. If you ALSO check the “Other Author Mailing Lists”, you will be added into some of the other authors’ (see below) mailing lists, and earn 5 entries just for checking that box when you submit your name!! You get 5 extra chances to win. These people are awesome folks, and I can personally assure you that they will not enter your name into any spam engines. Your privacy is a high concern to all of us.On February 1, 2013, I will draw one entry from the pool of entries to determine the winner. The winner will be announced via the Newsletter system and must be claimed within 7 days.But wait… there’s more!I wouldn’t just give you such fancy gifts and leave you hanging. Nope. I took the time to write my favorite indie authors, and to my surprise, almost every one of them responded. Not only are you going to get sparkling new a Kindle Fire HD, these amazing authors are joining me in giving you copies of their ebooks, already installed on the device for FREE. That’s right, you get a brand new Kindle Fire HD AND plenty of brand new books already loaded on it to keep you reading for several days.
Remember those “Other Authors” I told you about above? Yeah, here they are.
You’ll start off with your own veritable library of great reading in the palm of your hand! From epic fantasy to paranormal mysteries, outer-space dramas and tales of the wicked to modern nostalgic mysteries with a splash of romance. I think we pretty much cover all of the bases, and there will be at least two or three books that will please every book reader out there.
The Authors and eBooksLet me tell you about these wonderfully talented authors. I have come to know most of them through several online venues, and I can attest to the quality of the writing and their over-all nice-person status. I’ve read almost all of these books, and the ones I haven’t are already purchased and are in my to-read pile. I can promise that you won’t be disappointed! I have a wide range in books I like to read, so I hope you’ll be as enthralled with these novels and novellas as I have been. The authors really are great people, and I’m a huge fan of all of their works (hey, authors can be fans, too). I’m nearly beside myself with happiness that some of my favorite authors are joining with me to do this give-away.
If you win, you get all of these great reads pre-loaded on your Kindle Fire HD! All I ask is that if you read a book and like it, please share your joy as a kind review on Amazon for these great folks. A great review puts a huge smile in our hearts. It really is why we do this crazy thing called writing.
Victorine E. Lieske http://www.victorinelieske.com/ Not What She SeemsA NY Times Best-Seller! Steven Ashton, a billionaire from New York, and Emily Grant, on the run from the law…and when they meet he can’t help falling for her. What he doesn’t know is that interfering in her life will put his own life in danger.When billionaire Steven Ashton couldn’t stand his high society social life anymore, he left the stress of New York on a vacation for his soul. The need to meet real down to earth people led him to a small Nebraska town. He didn’t want to lie about who he was, but he couldn’t exactly tell them the truth.Emily could have easily fallen in love with Steven, under different circumstances, but her past was catching up with her and she needed a new life. If the authorities found out about her, she could lose the one thing that meant everything, her four year old son. The Overtaking Shayne Barlet has been kidnapped, his powers disabled and his memory altered. He’s having a bad day…and he doesn’t even know it. Shayne believes he’s living the ideal life. He attends a great school in the Midwest, gets along with his roommate, and has even met a girl who seems perfect for him.But it’s all a lie. His girlfriend is deceiving him, his roommate is in on it, and perhaps most unbelievably of all: he’s not from Earth. He’s not even human…and neither are they.As he discovers his own buried psychic abilities, Shayne realizes the only truth he’s been told is perhaps the most improbable one: his girlfriend, a member of the invasion force, seems to truly love him, even though her actions are rife with deceit.Shayne soon uncovers a vast conspiracy involving planetary conquest, erased memories, holographic worlds, and dark agendas. He vows to expose the truth, set his people free, and stop The Overtaking…once, and for all. The Practice Date Jane’s been in love with her best friend Lance since they were kids. Best friend, that is, until he ditched her for the more popular crowd. What’s a computer nerd doing spending time with jocks anyway?When he asks her for help getting a date to the prom with the most popular girl in school she almost tells him to take a flying leap. But she’d be spending time with him, teaching him to dance and he’d be holding her…that sounded like heaven.So she says yes.But how much practice can her heart take?K.C. May http://www.kcmay.com/ The Kinshield Legacy Book 1 of The Kinshield Saga. A mysterious stone tablet with five magical gems has sat abandoned in a cave for two hundred years. The kingdom is in ruins, with only warrant knights to keep the peace. But then, the gems in the tablet, one by one, disappear. Warrant knight Gavin Kinshield is a man of many secrets. He’s the one deciphering the runes in the tablet. Unless he can find a suitable replacement, he’ll be Thendylath’s next king. All he really wants is the letter written by his ancestor Ronor Kinshield, the last man to see King Arek alive… a letter he must earn by tracking down a common thief. But when Gavin saves a woman’s life, what should have been a simple task draws him face-to-face with his nightmarish past… and the truth of King Arek’s demise. The Wayfarer King Book 2 of The Kinshield Saga. Beyonders, evil beings that materialize without warning from the realm of chaos, continue to invade the world of men, destroying everything — and everyone — in their path. The most powerful of them all, Ritol, has been confined for two hundred years inside the palace in Thendylath, trapped by King Arek’s magic. Having newly claimed the right to rule Thendylath as king, Gavin Kinshield has no money or army, but he’s determined to protect his people from the beyonder attacks. With his new power of Wayfarer, Gavin has the ability to journey to all seven realms. To end the invasion, he must travel to the realm of chaos and summon Ritol.Larry Enright http://www.larryenright.net/ A Cape May Diamond Set in 1975 in historic Cape May, “A Cape May Diamond” is a story of life, love and a journey of a thousand years. 1975 was not a good time for anyone: the Vietnam War had just ended with the fall of Saigon, the world was mired in one of its worst recessions, and the crown jewel of the New Jersey shore was awash in neglect and disrepair and dying a slow death. Once the elegant summer home to presidents and kings, it had become the last refuge of the deposed and the final stop for Tom Ryan, a convicted draft dodger, a man whose journey down life’s crooked path was as inevitable as the stones that wash up on Sunset Beach. Tom went there to be forgotten, not forgiven. What he found among the things that even the ocean no longer wanted was a gem of a different sort.Kevin Domenic http://kevindomenic.blogspot.com/ Key to the Stars For nearly a decade, the race of sorcerers known as the Kyrosen lived in seclusion beneath the sands of the Mayahol Desert. After the death of his father during the Vermillion War, Sartan Truce rose to power as the rightful heir to take the reigns of his battered warriors. Although the planet’s natives did their best to drive the Kyrosen to extinction, Truce’s technological advancements served to both sustain his people and aid them in their fight for survival.And now his greatest weapon is a fourteen year old boy. Alliance of Serpents The Aeden Alliance served the galaxy for generations. A private military composed of a wide variety of races and species, the Alliance extended their offer of security and protection to any individual, nation, or world in need. But when a startling intelligence report uncovered evidence of a frightening new weapon, the Aeden Alliance had no choice but to intervene in order to keep such dangerous technology from falling into the wrong hands.And now the greatest danger to the universe is a fourteen year old boy. Eye of the Tornado Kindel Thorus hailed from the remote planet of Zo’rhan, a planet populated by a space-faring warrior race of the same name. Unmatched in combat and skilled in even the most advanced sorcery, Kindel led an armada of battle-hardened soldiers against those who sought to impose their might upon the weak and defenseless. Many feared him. Others revered him.And now his biggest threat is a fourteen year old boy.John Carroll http://www.ryallon.blogspot.com/ Dralin Book 1 of the Dralin Trilogy: Many cities know the touch of evil and despair, but none are as bleak as Dralin. A young woman flees her past, making Dralin her destination. A young Guardsman with his own dark history hopes to make a difference in a city without hope. Is sorrow their only destiny, or can love redeem them? Two young girls raised in this city learn life’s hard lessons early. Will they be defeated by its evil? Ebudae Book 2 of the Dralin Trilogy: On Ebudae Pallon’s sixteenth birthday, she and her best friend Pelya are allowed into the city without escort. They visit the wonders of Carnival and make new friends. However, life in the city of Dralin is never simple . . . or safe. Pelya Book 3 of the Dralin Trilogy: Sir Imbra has told Pelya that he would one day need her help. Will Pelya’s sword arm be enough to battle a power beyond anything she’s seen? Will Ebudae’s power overcome the might of potent magic? In a city filled with despair, can the hopes and efforts of such talented individuals win the day?Glenn Bullion http://www.glennbullion.com/ Demonspawn My name’s Alex. I used to think I was normal. I have a job, an apartment, good friends. I have a sister I adore, and the most beautiful woman in the world happens to be my best friend. I see ghosts. So what, right? It’s on television all the time. All kinds of people see ghosts. But seeing ghosts turns into seeing demons. Seeing demons turns into walking through walls. It only keeps getting better. It just so happens I’m half demon, the only one of my kind. Mind Slide A random act of nature changed Mason’s life forever. He lost his parents on that fateful day, even his memories of them. But he gained something in return. Mason has the ability to “mind slide”, the ability to project his consciousness. He can be anywhere in the world. Watching. Listening. A Witch to Live Kevin always had one ability that set him apart from everyone else. Healing. He healed his classmate Rachel when they were six years old, even though it almost exposed him. He lost his parents after starting high school. Now a senior, he struggles to stay out of his sister’s way as she takes care of both of them. He sleeps on the couch in their one-bedroom apartment and walks to school. His sister is the only person he calls a friend. As if that weren’t enough, he discovers his power goes far beyond simple healing.Kevin is a witch. Jack Kursed The victim of a witch’s curse, Jack has been awake for two hundred years. Unable to die, unable to sleep, he’s trapped in a state of existence that no one can relate to, not even his vampire best friend Victoria. Using his unique condition, he has helped Victoria in keeping the supernatural world at bay. Evil vampires, werewolves, and monsters have all died at their hand. But he’s about to face his biggest challenge, eight-year-old orphan Tiffany.Brent Nichols
http://brentnichols.blogspot.com// Bert The Barbarian It all started when he tried to end it all. Bert Hoover jumped from a bridge, only to be rudely rescued by a flying saucer. Now he’s on the backward planet of Mardalu, enslaved by the brutal Morans. His only friend is Janice, but she’s been sold into slavery as well.Escape won’t be easy, especially for a chronic under-achiever. After that, all Bert has to do is the impossible: find Janice, rescue her, and somehow find a way back to Earth. Cinderellas Blues A novella.Fancy shoes are the least of Cinderella’s problems. She’s met a boy she likes, but he’s got baggage – a murderous regent with armed henchmen. If she wants to dance with her prince, she’ll have to rescue him first. It’s time to take off the glass slippers and kick a little butt, or Cinderella will never survive until midnight. Gears of a Mad God Book 1 of the Gears of a Mad God series. Proper young ladies in the 1920s don’t get dirty, and they certainly don’t get into fights. But Colleen’s favorite uncle has died under mysterious circumstances, and she wants answers. When a sinister cult comes after her, she pushes back – hard. Soon she’s running for her life, hunted by the cult of Katharis and aided by a secret government agency. It will take all of her courage, all of her strength, and every steam-powered weapon she can devise to keep her alive long enough to unravel the mystery of her uncle’s death.And of course, my own books!
Jerry Hanel
http://www.jerryhanel.com/ The Truth Has Teeth A prequel and a novella to the Brodie Wade Series.A collegiate-aged Brodie Wade takes on his first cold case with Phil Dawson, who has finally risen to the rank of Detective. In this case, Brodie encounters a Truth manifestation like he’s never seen before–a werewolf. He must decipher the latest riddle before the werewolf hunts him down and tears him apart. Death Has a Name Book 1 of the Brodie Wade Series. There is a Truth that exists. It is active. Alive. It fights the bounds of reality to make itself known. It’s not my truth. It’s not anyone’s truth. It is The Truth. Psychic Detective Brodie Wade has been able to interact with The Truth since he was a child. It has scarred his mind and body, but it also gives him the ability to know things that he shouldn’t know. When Brodie encounters The Truth in its freshest forms, he has to struggle for his life and for his sanity. When The Truth confronts Brodie and tells him that he must protect the Third Key, Brodie must discover what – or who – The Third Key is before Death can regain his physical form. Thaloc Has a Body Book 2 of the Brodie Wade Series. The Truth returns to torment Psychic Detective Brodie Wade, and he is caught off-guard with three bizarre statements from the most unusual of sources. The Truth warns him – in its usual cryptic fashion – of his own death: in three days he will be married, then he dies. Detective Phil Dawson brings Brodie a set of three impossible cases. And Officer Jamie Stanford blindsides Brodie with a date… the first in his life. At every turn, The Truth seems intent on derailing everything, rambling about the existence of a creature named Thaloc. Can he solve the riddles before his own clock runs out?
Quick Recap!Make sure you are listed under the “Giveaway” newsletter. And for additional entries, you can post (once per day) ”I would like to enter to win the Kindle Fire HD. http://wp.me/p12t8A-ft” on my facebook author page and become a fan of my facebook author page. Earn 5 extra entries for checking the “Other Author Mailing Lists” box when you sign up.
Please spread the word, share the love, and let everyone know.
Good luck, and I can’t wait to see who wins!

Official Rules
Now, to be legal, I have to lay out the rules and deadlines for this giveaway. The contest for this prize begins as of 1/1/2013, and will end at midnight on 2/1/2013 (Central USA Time). Signing up for the newsletter list labled “Giveaway” qualifies as one entry, and is required for all alternate entries. Leaving an “alternate entry” post on my facebook author page (maximum of once per day) qualifies as one entry. For an additional alternate entry, a person must click “Like” at http://www.facebook.com/jerry-hanel-a....
One entry will be drawn at random from the pool of qualified entries to determine the winner. If prizes are not claimed within one week of their name being announced, an alternate name will be drawn in their place. The winners will be notified via the Giveaway Newsletter option, and the user is responsible for making sure that the email is deliverable through their spam filters.

Pelya meets a Purple Dragon

This is an excerpt from my upcoming book, "Wyvern", which will be book 1 of the Wyvern Trilogy.  It is probably one of the best examples of my writing that I can show you.  It has the playfulness inherent in most of my writing.



Pelya meets a Purple Dragon

Warmth flooded the left side of Pelya’s back and chest.  She spun on her heel, sword out before the motion was finished.  There was nothing to the left or on the road behind, but the warmth was still there.  She looked under the collar of her chain shirt and saw intricate lines glowing orange on her skin.The dragon mark.  At the age of eleven, she and Ebudae had saved a baby dragon.  Its mother, Hezzena, had given them dragon marks as a reward even though neither girl knew what they meant.  Something about the magic prevented the girls from thinking about them.She checked herself for injury.  The mark only activated when she was hurt or used too much magic, although the latter was something that happened to Ebudae far more often than Pelya.  There was no injury anywhere on her body, so she began a scan of her surroundings.  Nothing lurked around the hills, grasslands and scattered groves of trees.  The sun shone from above with complete disinterest while a breeze gently caressed the grass on the sides of the road.Then Pelya saw a large shadow on the grass a distance away, so she looked up to see a dragon descending in a lazy circle toward her.  Every hair on her neck and arms stood straight up and she froze.  Most people didn’t see one dragon in their lives, let alone two.With incredible self-discipline, Pelya gained control of her muscles and drew her secondary sword.  It would cut through anything, possibly even dragon scales.  However, she knew enough about dragons to know that even a magically keen sword would probably be useless.The dragon had nearly finished its descent.  The previously disinterested sun took a notice of the creature, glinting its rays off the polished purple scales on the creature’s head.  The leathery wings were laced with lighter colored veins while the shadowed underbelly was a vibrant lavender color, similar to the combined light of Ryallon’s two moons.As the dragon gracefully flapped its wings to land a short distance away, Pelya looked around for a place to hide.  There was nothing in reach, so she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, praying that death would be quick.She remembered something Hezzena had said.  Dragons were forbidden from killing humans with the exception of self-defense or thieves.  Pelya desperately hoped it was true, because the one coming towards her was larger than the last three inns she had stayed at combined.“Please put away those silly blades, human,” it said in a tenor, male voice.  “They won’t help you even if one is made of siahthite.  I must admit to curiosity as to how you came into possession of it.”  The words it spoke were delivered with magic, requiring no movement of its mouth.  The dragon sat on its haunches and folded its wings back.Pelya had to crane her neck to look up at it.  She didn’t respond to the order to put away the blades, largely because she overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the magnificent creature.“I was afraid this was going to be difficult.”  The magnificent creature in question sighed heavily, gusting Pelya’s braided hair about her shoulders.  Surprisingly, its breath was rather pleasant, smelling of smoked bacon and cinnamon.  “I don’t suppose you’ll just put away those swords and behave reasonably?  Hmm?”  He leaned forward to look at her with a swirling, liquid-silver eye that was as big as Pelya.They probably wouldn’t do much good anyway and the dragon wasn’t showing any hostility to her.  Pelya slid them both back into their sheaths.  Meanwhile she took hold of her senses and forced them back into her control in spite of the fact that they wanted to run screaming in every direction.  One thought stayed at the forefront of her mind and she asked about it.  “What is siahthite?”It raised a scaly eyebrow in a surprisingly human gesture.  “You have a sword made of one and you don’t know what it is?  How extraordinary.”  Then the dragon reached forward with its right claw and squished Pelya’s cheeks between a thumb talon and finger talon.  “You humans have such fascinating, squishy skin.”  He squeezed very gently, careful not to hurt Pelya.  “Squishy, squishy.”  Then it stopped and removed the claw, having the good grace to look embarrassed.  “My apologies.  I don’t have many opportunities to squish humans.”Throughout the experience, Pelya stood dumbfounded.  “Uh huh,” was the only thing she could think to say.“Would you mind giving me some of your urine, fingernail trimmings and hair, perhaps?”  The dragon asked hopefully.Pelya tried desperately to think of a response; something, anything.  It was futile.  The absurdity of a dragon landing in front of her on a lonely road and asking her for such things allowed her senses to escape again.The dragon squeezed her cheeks again.  “Squishy, squishy, squishy.  It’s just so much fun!”  When Pelya didn’t respond, the dragon gave another heaving sigh.  “Please may I have them?  I’ll pay you a pretty gem.”  He flicked its wrist and an amethyst appeared in the center of a claw.  The dragon held it close so Pelya could see.“I don’t really need any money or gems,” Pelya said.  It was a pretty amethyst though.The dragon jerked back, startled by the statement.  “Don’t need?  What in the world does needing have to do with it?  Money, wealth, treasure are wonderful things!  One must have them.  Need is irrelevant.  You silly human, you.”Pelya held her arms out to the side and shrugged.  “I have more money than I need and no home to keep treasure in right now.”“Well that’s just offensive,” the dragon declared.  It squeezed Pelya’s cheeks again with its other claw, a bit more roughly than before.  “Squishy, squishy.”  Then he made the gem disappear.  “Will you please give me the ingredients anyway?”“What do you need them for?”  Pelya was suspicious of the reasons.  It seemed odd that a dragon would ask for them.  It was odd that anyone would ask for such things.“They are ingredients for spells and also used in the creation of certain magical items or potions.  I could just kill you for them, you know.  I’m trying to be polite though.”  He studied a sharp talon with interest, turning it back and forth.“No you can’t.”  Pelya took a chance that Hezzena was telling the truth about dragons not being allowed to kill humans.  She reflected on the fact that she almost never thought about that incident and realized the dragon mark prevented her from remembering.  The mark was still warm and she realized it was because of the proximity of the dragon.  “Dragons aren’t allowed to kill humans unless threatened or if the human is a thief.”The dragon’s eye was back in front of Pelya, gazing into her soul.  “Where, exactly did you hear that, you little snack?”She couldn’t help but take a step back.  “From . . .”  her jaw froze and the mark warmed again.  “I can’t tell you . . . I’m physically unable.”The dragon sniffed and then put a talon in Pelya’s collar and looked down her shirt.  It was extremely awkward to have a giant eye examine her so intimately.  The dragon sat back on its haunches again and stared at her incredulously.  “Wherever did you get a dragon mark?  And an orange one at that?”  He said the last with its snout twisted up as though tasting something rotten.Pelya opened her mouth to answer, but it snapped shut involuntarily as the dragon mark took control.The purple dragon saw.  “Of course.  You can’t tell me.  Sometimes even Oranges have brains I suppose.  They’re not known for it, you know.”  He tapped her on the nose with a talon.  “Oranges grow muscles, not brains.  Wouldn’t want to be hit by one, but they’re too stupid to handle my vast intelligence.”  He used the talon to tap its own nose for a moment while thinking.  Then it squeezed Pelya’s cheeks again.  “Squishy, squishy.”Pelya ignored the odd behavior.  She decided on a deal.  “I’ll trade you for information about the metal my sword is made of, sia . . . siathi . . .”“Siahthite.  I shouldn’t have even said the word.”  He squeezed Pelya’s cheeks some more.  “There are a great number of things humans aren’t allowed to know about dragons, like siahthite and dragon marks.  Squishy, squishy.  Can I keep you and call you my little squishy?”“No!”  Pelya wasn’t about to allow a dragon keep her as a pet, especially if they were going to name her Squishy.  “You may not keep me.”“Well you’re no fun.”  It tapped its nose in thought again.  “Very well.  I will tell you about siahthite in exchange for urine, fingernails and hair.”“Alright.  It’s a deal.”  Pelya held her hand out to shake.  Instead of shaking, the dragon held Pelya’s index finger in between two talons and began to trim them.  A porcelain jar appeared underneath and the nail fell into it.  The dragon proceeded to trim each of the nails, cutting them extremely short.“They’re not very long, but it’ll do.  Now for the hair.”  He wrapped a claw around her body to turn her around and Pelya felt a tug as it cut the hair just at the neck with a talon.The sound of her hair being cut and the loss of its weight shocked Pelya.  “Hey!  You said some hair, not all of it!”  She reached behind her and desperately patted the shorn locks.  “Nooooo . . .”“I left you the stuff on the top.  It looks very nice,” he said.  “Now please put some urine in this jar.  I’m afraid that’s something I can’t do for you.”“You cut my hair!”  Pelya was furious.  She loved her braid and couldn’t bear the thought of losing it.  “I need it.”“How odd.  You need hair, but not treasure.  I’ve never heard of anything so silly.”  He squeezed her cheeks, which had reddened in anger.  “Squishy, squishy.  Please fill this jar with urine now and then I’ll tell you about siahthite.”  He held out another porcelain jar.Pelya looked at her beautiful braid sitting in a small basket.  It hurt to see it there, but she couldn’t think of how to reattach it and void the deal.  She snatched the jar out of his claw and looked around for a bush or tree to hide behind.  There was nothing.  Pelya looked up at the dragon.  “Well?”It raised an eyebrow.  “Well what?  I told you I can’t do it for you.”“Turn around!”  Pelya made a circling motion with her finger.“Why in the world do you want me to turn around?  It sounds like a very odd thing to do just so you can fill a jar with urine.”“You’re a boy dragon and boys aren’t allowed to watch girls pee, so turn around.”  Pelya made the circling motion more vigorously.“Humans are so weird.”  The dragon did as asked though.  When he sat back down, his tail lay in a circle around Pelya and the collected ingredients.Pelya felt the back of her hair again and mourned the loss.  Dropping her trousers to fill the jar with urine was uncomfortable at best.  “I’m done.  You can turn around again,” Pelya said as she set the jar next to the one with nail clippings.  “How do I know you’re not going to use this against me?”“Because I promise not to.  That seems like a reasonable request.”  He finished turning around and instantly squeezed her cheeks again.  “Squishy, squishy, squishy.Pelya narrowed her eyes.  “That’s becoming very irritating.”“I can’t help it.”  He released her cheeks and began putting lids on the jars and basket.  As he closed each one, it disappeared.  “Now, about the siahthite.  It’s very rare here on Ryallon.  The reason it’s rare is because it’s a metal only found on Siahray.”“The moon?” Pelya asked in surprise.  “There’s metal on the moon?”“Yes, but humans aren’t allowed to know that and I’ll thank you not to share the information.”  The ingredients were gone, including Pelya’s braid, and he stretched his wings before folding them and sitting back.  “Do you know anything about the energies of chaos swirling around Ryallon and the moons?”Pelya folded her arms and tried to remember the details.  “Yes.  They’re the source of magic.  They also exist in other parts of the universe and if normal people or creatures drink too deeply of them, they can become gods or burn out completely.”“How extraordinary!”  The dragon’s increased volume scared the birds out of a distant copse of trees.  “Not many humans know anything outside of their own brief lives.  I like you, my little squishy.”“I’m not your little squishy.”  Pelya was beginning to worry that the dragon would keep her.He sighed.  “Pity.  Oh well.  When Siahray and Piohray came to be, long ago before humans existed, chaotic energies swirled around them and corrupted some of the mass within.  Siahthite and piohrite are two metals that were affected.”“Piohrite would be metal from the moon Piohray then?” Pelya asked.“Yes, very good.  I’m not supposed to tell you that either, but I like you.”  He squeezed her cheeks yet again.  “Squishy, squishy.  Anyway, both metals have extraordinary properties and can only be made into a blade using special forges that allow magic to combine with heat.  I won’t explain the process, but your sword was created that way.”Pelya pulled it out.  “It never dulls and it cuts through anything.”“Yes.  There are probably other qualities, but I won’t speculate.”“There aren’t any runes to hold the magic, at least not that I can see.”  That fact had driven Ebudae to frustration.“I agreed to tell you of the metal and I’ve done so.  My obligation is fulfilled.”  He stood on all four legs and stretched his wings out again.“Wait, how did it get to Ryallon from the moon?”  Pelya asked, holding out a hand for him to stay.“Our agreement did not require me to tell you that, and I would never have made the agreement if it did.”  Goodbye, my little squishy.  I wish you good fortune on your journeys and much treasure even if you don’t need it.”  He turned and jogged a few steps before launching himself into the air with a great thrust of the wings.Pelya sheathed the sword and watched as the magnificent creature rose into the air.  She was surprised when he suddenly turned and came back to her.  He landed in front of her and reached out to squeeze her cheeks.  “Squishy, squishy.”  I just had to do it one more time!”The dragon turned and leaped into the air again.  Pelya was buffeted by the gusts created by his powerful wings.  She shielded her face with an arm until he was well into the air.  It didn’t take long for the dragon to become a speck in the sky and for her dragon mark to cool.Once again, the gentle breeze and buzzing insects were Pelya’s only company.  Even the sun had resumed its disinterest.



I hope you enjoyed that sample.
All my best,
John H. Carroll

How to buy my books internationally.

My books are available through numerous online stores.  They are also available internationally.  Here are the countries you can purchase my books in each store

Smashwords
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1. You can purchase from Smashwords from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet and a credit card. 
2. When you buy a book, you can download multiple formats for whatever you read on.

And those are the reasons why I will always advise you to purchase from Smashwords over any other store.  (There are actually many more reasons, but those are the big ones.)

Apple
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Apple is the second biggest international store.  There are more iDevices (iPad, iPhone, etc) than any other type of reader out there.

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

Kobo - A Canadian company that was recently bought out by Rakatan, a Japanese company.

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Honestly, if you're living in any of these countries, I'd recommend the Kobo reader over Amazon's Kindle.  Kobo gives every evidence of being a better company internationally than Amazon.  This list states that it's as of May 2012, but they distribute to Japan now too.


As of May 2012, our list of established territories includes:
Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong

Amazon
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Amazon is working hard to become the world's biggest online retailer.  They are very likely to succeed.  However, they tend to be combative and are actively trying to avoid taxes wherever possible.  This makes their entry into the international market difficult as they are pissing off governments from what I can see.  That said, they will succeed.  These are the countries where they have stores that are reported to me.

It is my understanding that they distribute to many more countries, but they add a $2.00 surcharge to each book.  Also, I don't receive the normal 70% royalty in these countries.  Amazon only pays 35%.  They are the only company that cuts royalties from other countries.  Amazon claims that they make books available in Canada and more than 175 countries worldwide.

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Great Britain, Guernsey, Germany, Italy, India, Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Spain, United States, Vatican City

Like I said, they claim to distribute to 175 countries worldwide, but if I understand correctly (and I may be mistaken) people have to log onto one of the other Amazon stores and they pay a surcharge for the books.

Barnes and Noble

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It used to be that Barnes and Noble was only available in the U.S., but they have now expanded to the U.K. and are partnering with brick and mortar bookstores to sell their ereader.  After an infusion of cash from Microsoft, they are working on establishing a presence in new countries as well.

For three others, I contacted Smashwords and this is the information I received.

Sony
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Has the US and Canada, though I hear they may be expanding into
other markets.

Diesel
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Doesn't consistently provide location figures, but has included
Australia, New Zealand, India, the UK, Canada, Mexico and several
African nations.

Blio

Predominantly has US sales, but also UK, Canada, Mexico and New
Zealand.

Baby raising advice for Duchess Kate

Why I'm giving advice.

I figure since Snooki can offer parenting advice, so can I.  To let you know my qualifications, I've successfully raised one child and kicked her out . . . ummm . . . sent her off to college.  I also have two others pending.  One is 15 and the other is 9.  They'll probably make it until I can kick . . . send them off to college too.

So here goes.

1.  Don't drop the baby.

You won't find this step in most child raising books.  Which is silly because it's a rather important step.

2. Tell them you love them every day

Seriously. It makes at least a little bit of difference. I usually do it at least 2 or 3 times a day.

3.  Don't use duct tape for anything baby-related.

My wife made this very clear to me.  While duct tape is extremely useful for just about everything, that rule doesn't apply to babies.

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4.  Same for WD-40.

See #3 above.

5. Give them hugs. Lots and lots of hugs.

Positive physical contact means the world. It might just benefit you too.

[image error]Elisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun, Madame Vigée-Lebrun et sa fille 
(pretty sure that's French for hugs. I may be wrong though)
6.  Don't pay attention to them when they're playing.

You'll give yourself a heart attack if you watch the insane things your children are going to try to do.  Let them learn social skills and how to deal with success and failure.  Be advised that hospital bills may occur as a result of following this advice.

7.  Let them have a pet.

Worms are the easiest to take care of.  I'm pretty sure they just eat dirt, which is probably what your child will eat at some point too.

8.  Guess.

If you don't know what to do next, then guess.  It's what most of us do.  Just don't tell your children that it's a guess.  Make them think you have it all under control.

9.  As an alternative to #8, ask for advice.

Just be aware that the person giving you advice is probably guessing too.  Either that, or they read a book, but the person writing the book was just guessing too.

10.  Survive the bad and cherish the good.

Your child will give you grey hair and make you cry. 
But then they'll smile and tell you they love you.  You'll be amazed at how wonderful that feels.



Well, Duchess Kate, I hope that helps you raise your baby successfully.  All my best and cheerio.



John H. Carroll

Publishing checklist for my book files

This is a checklist for altering my file to publish at each distributor.  This is the way I do it, though it will be different for everyone.  I'm doing this partially because it may be helpful to others, but mostly because it'll be helpful to me for future books.  Sometimes it's difficult to remember all of this.

First of all, my books are already formatted as I write.  I write them one chapter at a time and then put each chapter in a master file.  I add the table of contents and hyperlinks to all my chapters.  I also have everything formatted for submission to Smashwords, so there will be a lot of steps that you may need to do that I've already done.

This is the process for altering an individual file to all the sites I publish to.  Perhaps I'll go through the details of settings for each site one of these times.

This whole process took me about 6 hours tonight, taking into account making dinner for the kids and running one to play rehearsal.

1.  Smashwords.

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1a.  Ensure it says "Published by John H. Carroll at Smashwords". (This will be different for other people, in case you were wondering.)
1b.  Change spacing to single spacing.
1c.  Add author bio.
1d.  Link author notes to table of contents.
1e.  Check all links.
1f.   Remove hidden bookmarks.
1g.  Publish to Smashwords.

(Note - I distribute to B&N and other stores through Smashwords, so I won't be adding the process for those stores.)

Copy the original word document to Kobo folder.

2.  Kobo.

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2a.  Remove "Published by John H. Carroll at Smashwords".
2b.  Add page breaks before each chapter.
2c.  Remove hidden bookmarks.
2d.  Save file.
2e.  Save as 'web page, filtered'.  (html)
2f.  Use Calibre to convert html to epub.
2ff.  (wait for Calibre to update *sigh*)
2g.  Open file to ensure quality.
2h.  Publish to Kobo.

(Note - If you do wish to publish to B&N directly, this process will work for that too.  You can even use the exact same file if you like.)

Copy Kobo version of word document file to Amazon folder.
Copy Kobo version of word document file to Createspace folder. (If applicable)

3.  Amazon

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3a.  Replace author bio with Amazon author bio.
3b.  Save as 'web page, filtered'.  (html)
3c.  Use Mobipocket to convert file.
4d.  Open file to ensure quality.
4e.  Publish to Amazon

4.  Createspace

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This is a whole lot more complicated.  *sigh*

4a.  ctrl-a (select everything).
4b.  change paragraph formatting to 'justify'.
4c.  Open the 'page layout' - 'page setup' box
4d.  Margins (for a 100k word novel)  top: .75, bottom: .75, inside: .75, outside: .50.  Gutter: .25 (left)
4e.  Set 'multiple pages' to 'mirror margins'.
4f.  On the paper tab, set size to 6 x 9.  *This will be different if you're publishing your book under a different size.
4g.  On the layout tab, select 'different first page' (so you don't number the first page) and set header and footer to .35.
4h.  Insert page numbers.  First page different so the title page isn't numbered.
4i.  Center title page.
4j.  Change font style and size of title to whatever the theme is.  (In the case of my Ryallon books, this would be Fairydustb, size 36 for the title)
4k.  Delete ALL bookmarks.
4l.  Center each chapter, remove hyperlinks, change font style and size 26.
4m.  Make the first letter of each chapter theme font style and size 16.  Possibly add a space between the quotation mark and the letter if needed for the style.  Make certain quotation marks are the same size as the letter.
4n.  Embed the font.  file/options/save/embed font/only characters in document/do not embed common fonts.
4o.  Make certain there are no blank pages.
4p.  Go through and search for section breaks  ***  with ctrl-f.  Center them all.  ctrl-e.
4q.  Make certain the end ### is centered.
4r.  Make certain the prologue, epilogue and author notes are all centered and font style themes are applied.


This may or may not help you, but perhaps it will give some a little insight as to the work that goes into submitting files to the different sites for publishing.

All my best,

John H. Carroll

Is this what it's like for other artists?

Musicians

I sit here listening to "Anti Gravity" by Lindsey Stirling while editing my book.  The sounds of her bow dancing across the strings of a violin blend with the wicked dubstep of modern technology.




I find myself trying to figure out how she thought to put all those notes together.  Was it difficult for her?  To me, it's like magic.  I'm so thankful for musicians who play their music for us.  But I wonder how they make it happen.  How can they see such things?

I've tried playing guitar.  I can't even get notes if I push down on strings on the fret bar.  It just doesn't make sense to me.

Painters

Painters are another type of artist that I'm astonished by.  They take oil or watercolor and spread them on canvas.  When they're done, there's a scene that pulls at the imagination.  How did they get that paint in exactly those blends to make it work?

I've tried painting.  I've ended up with a mess of colors.

Illustrators.

Much like painters, Illustrators drop lines onto paper.  Those lines add up to make an amazing picture.  Add some color and you have a beautiful scene that I can stare at for hours, wondering what it would be like.

I try to do this.  My lines are shaky and out of order.  The image in my mind is translated into a stick figure with a messed up face.


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Crafters

I watch my wife make her jewelry.  I think about others that crochet, sculpt, sew and design buildings.  These people have a vision and use their hands to make it?  How do they do such things?

My wife took gears and chain.  She made a steampunk necklace that everyone wanted with those items.  She took buttons and made them into jewelry.  She puts beads together to make decorative chandeliers.  She makes chainmail earrings.  How does she see these things? 

If I try it, I get a string of beads that will likely break.  I'm not even going to try to crochet or design a building!

Writers

As I said,  I was editing my book.  You see, this is the 6th novel I've written.  I find myself smiling as I read.  I'm excited for the next paragraph, the next chapter and the end of the book, even though I know I'm going to cry yet again.

Writing is an art, no?  I see so many struggle with it.  Some try to start and get as far as a page before stopping and saying, "This is too hard."

I tilt my head in confusion when they say that.  It's not hard at all.

Don't they see the worlds expanding before them?  Don't they know about all the characters yearning to tell their stories?  It's all right there.  Can't they simply put the words down on paper?  Learn the craft of writing, making sentences, using punctuation?  How do they not understand how enjoyable it is?

Worlds open for me when I write.  I smile and craft sentences to bring characters to life.  It's incredibly easy, especially now.  The problem is that there just isn't enough time to write all the stories in my mind.

Is that what it's like?

For other artists?  Is it that easy to create music, paint a picture, craft a necklace?  Do those things desire to be created by other artists the way my stories do for me?  If so, I nod in understanding at how you must feel.  I admire you for what you do. 

Most importantly, I thank you for sharing that art with the world.

All my best,

John H. Carroll

Lighting in Fantasy Writing.

Cool title, huh?

Yes, it even rhymes!

Thank you.  I thought of it all by myself.

I'm very impressed.

So what's this about lighting?

Well, I was writing a description of a room as I do quite often in my books.  I got to the part about how the room was lit.  It's in a temple of the Goddess of Sunshine.  So the room is lit by globes of divine light.  Then I wondered how the globes stayed lit and realized I had no clue.  So instead of making up a technique, I had one of my characters muse about it.  This is what I wrote.  It's told from the viewpoint of Frath and it's in 'Pelya', the third book of the Dralin Trilogy.

Frath stared at one of the globes, wondering whether how the Goddess Reanna kept them glowing all the time or if Archpriestess Appana had some servant that secretly went around filling them with some sort of magical fluid.
That's a very good line.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

. . . Yeah, nothing comes after you're welcome, so you need to ask the next question.

Oh!  Sorry.

It's alright.

So, did this get you to thinking about lighting in writing?

Yes, yes it did.  Very insightful of you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

So what about lighting in writing?

Well, I came to the realization that I have to know how every scene is lit.  It occured to me to wonder if other authors are the same way, or if it's just me.  In any case, I decided to list some of the ways I use to light areas.

That's very thoughtful of you.

I know, right?

Don't get cocky.

My bad.

Yes, yes it is.  So what are some of the ways you light areas?

I primarily write fantasy, so I like to come up with unusual, and often magical, ways for lighting.

What sort of ways?

Okay, now you're starting to interrupt with too many questions.

Sorry.

No problem.

Anyway . . . Shall we discuss natural lighting first?

Yes.

Outside during the day, it's pretty easy.  There's a sun shining (providing your world has a sun, which mine does.  However, I often adjust that light with clouds, fog, dawn, dusk, rain, snow and various other weather affects.  The climate and vegetation affect it as well.  Trees provide shade, sunlight is harsh in the desert, winter sunlight is less effective at keeping a person warm.  Those things can affect the mood of the daylight and alter the impressions of your readers.


[image error] Sun-dappled forest.
Nighttime has a lot of options for adjusting light.  My world has two moons, Siahray is blue-green and Piohray is red.  When both of them are full, they cast a lavender light upon the night.  I can adjust the mood of a scene by having one full or not there at all to create a specific mood.

Starlight when the moons aren't out is another good option for nighttime.  Patchy clouds covering one of the moons can make a spooky scene while covering them with clouds can make it very dark indeed.

How about artificial lighting like the mystical globes in the temple?

Well, the most common artificial in a fantasy setting is going to be fire.  A campfire in the wilderness or a fire in the hearth at home are very common.  The source of fuel, such as wood in the forest or cow patties in the steppes needs to be considered as well.  Fire will be less common in the desert where there is little easy fuel.

In cities, a torch, essentially rags on a stick dipped in pitch, is going to be the easiest light.  However, it doesn't last all that long and isn't very bright.  It's great for adding to mystery though.  The guttering flames (torches always have guttering flames) cast lots of shadows and allow for things to come out of the murk. (murk is the darkness beyond torchlight.  Icky things hide there)


[image error] Those flames are guttering
Another option is candles.  They are very dim and can be held for hope, always slim when you only have a candle.  They can be all colors and more of them will more light.  You can also add candleholders, which are a nice addition to decorating a room.  Candles flicker as opposed to the guttering of torches.



[image error] It's a candle. True story.
Lanterns and kerosene lamps are a more advance option of man-made light.  They use liquid fuel with a wick and can hold a light for hours. On lampposts in a city, they can give the impression of technological advancement or wealth. You can always put a candle in a lantern for a different sort of effect.  The glass of the lantern can help protect the candle from wind.  Oriental lanterns are often made of paper with designs on them if you'd like to add an Eastern theme to your story.


[image error] Kinda useless in the daytime.
In truth, these natural lights were rare in historical times in our world.  Candles and torches require materials and work to make.  Not all people had those materials or even had time to do the work involved.  When the sun went down, it was very dark.  The lack of light can be especially useful in creating fear.  I've found that I almost always give my characters light.

In modern times, we have electricity and many more options, but I don't have it in the world of Ryallon, so I'm going to skip it.

What about magical light?

Ahh, now that's the fun part.  Ryallon is a high-magic world, so I can create technology-equivalent lighting.  The civilizations in my world range from barbaric to near-Victorian.

I use magical or fantasy elements to generate different types of light.  I also have underground caverns that contain luminescent plants.  I'll list some excerpts from my books to show the different ways light is provided in Ryallon.

Liselle's flame, from "Rojuun":

He followed them into the vacant building, ducking along the wall after entering the doorway.  A small blue flame appeared from Liselle’s hand.  She lifted it into the air and let it float above them as they looked around the room. 

Bioluminescent plants, from "Anilyia":

The temperature became cooler as the party traveled deeper into the ground.  Soon plants began to appear on the walls and ceiling.  The plants were rich with oxygen, which made it possible to breathe the air.Bioluminescent fluids creeped through the plants, creating light.  It was similar to the glowflies in the forest, but much more powerful.  They were different from plants on the surface.  Their powerful roots dug deep into the rock, but at the same time secured the stone so that ribs and braces were no longer needed to keep the tunnel secure.
Nectar Globes, from "Anilyia":

This is from a Druidic city in the forest.  One of my favorites.

Round globe lights hung from various trees to light the city at night.  He had asked one of the Druids how they were lit.  The Druid told him that a specific type of nectar, which attracted glowflies, was placed inside.  More of that nectar was added every evening and the glowflies would spend the entire night on their feast, lighting the city in the process.  Between the thickness of the forest and the clouds above, it was dim enough for some of the globes to give off a soft light while they waited for lunch.
Ship lanterns and bell on Aermoirre, from "Kethril":

Aermoirre is one my favorite characters.  I could feel this scene while writing it.

Two lanterns shone with a magical glow on the main deck and one on the aft deck to go with the gentle illumination of the bell.  The mild creaking of wood and flap of sails was soothing.  Tathan could see ocean below and the lights of a port village a short distance ahead through the light snow.

Distra's purple flamed candles, from "Dralin":

“The candles are lit.”  She pointed at iron candleholders lined along the wall and at tables with stepped shelves to either side of the statue.  They all had candles with violet flames that flickered dimly, making the shadows dance slowly.         “No.  Those are always lit.  Distra’s divine power keeps them aflame.” 

Pink torches in the tower of a wizardess, from "Ebudae"

A mat was on the floor inside and he wiped his feet off to reduce the chance of bootprints.  Magical torches flickering with bright pink flames lined a long hallway.  Frath did not want to sneak around in a wizard’s house, but the shadows beckoned.  He observed that they always seemed more substantial when cast by magical light.
Ebudae's magical lighting of all the candles in Pallon Estate, from "Ebudae"

Ebudae stood and concentrated on a four-pillar candleholder above the fireplace.  Pelya recognized a spell was going to be cast and gave the wizardess space.  The spell was simple, barely rustling her silken locks, but choosing what candles to light took focus.  Ebudae whispered the words of a spell and made precise gestures with her outstretched hands.Yellow-green flames came to life.  At the same time, candles throughout the manor lit with the same flames.  She left the bedrooms and storage rooms dark, but lit all the common areas.  Lady Pallon normally had servants light the lanterns to make it bright, but Ebudae loved the mysterious and eerie light filling the room and hallway beyond.  “There, now it’s not dark.”  She smiled triumphantly as she turned back to her guests.

Conclusion

Those are just some of the ways I use lighting in my stories.  Nearly every scene in my books use light to adjust the reader's opinion of what's happening.  I like variety in color and types.  Each wizard has their own preferred color as well.  Liselle is blue and Ebudae is yellow-green for example.

To my readers,  I hope this gives you a little insight as to how I do things.  To other writers, I hope you found this to be intriguing and possible even helpful.

All my best,

John H. Carroll

Pelya Chapter 1 - final edits.

In september, I posted the first chapter of Pelya.  You can find it here:  http://ryallon.blogspot.com/2012/09/pelya-chapter-1.html

However, that was after I had edited it once.  I set my books aside for two months.  During that time, I let beta readers go through it.  Then I pick it up and go through it with a fine tooth comb.  I add stuff and take away stuff.  The story basically stays the same, but the quality is better, sometimes drastically.  I'm posting the finalized version of chapter 1 here.

You can read both to see the difference, if you're interested. :)


Chapter 1
“Well Sornin, I’m beginning to think that everyone in Dralin has decided to become honest today.”  Pelya grinned as she leaned against a lamppost on the sidewalk.  Activity bustled along the street and a breeze lazily carried the sounds of the city through the air.
Sornin responded with a snort.  Brown hair framed his narrow face and he always wore a severe expression.  Pelya trusted him implicitly though, especially since he had protected her back more than once, as she had his.  “You shouldn’t ask for trouble, Pelya.  Our shift’s only half done.  There’ll be plenty to go around at some point or another.”  He straightened the collar of a polished chain shirt that peeked out from underneath the standard-issue black and brown tunic of the Dralin City Guard.  “And thinking that everyone stopped committing crimes is pure fantasy.”
Their squad was patrolling the Orange Sash District, named after orange sashes worn by perfume-laden prostitutes to mark their profession.  Garishly painted bordellos lined the street and women called out from windows to potential clients below.  At the moment, they were in the center of the district where the clientele tended towards middle-class workers.  Ornate mansions catered to rich customers in the northern section of the district while run-down parlor houses were in the south.
Scantily clad male and female prostitutes on the street encouraged potential customers to enter the bordellos.  Most were respectful to the Guardmembers who kept them safe, or as safe as it was possible to keep anyone in the most dangerous city on the world of Ryallon.
Pelya stood straight and tugged on her black braid.  “Come now Sornin, we’re in for a long, evening, so it wouldn’t hurt to let a smile crack those lips of yours.”
He gave her a slight smile, more than most people received.
Pelya’s sapphire-blue eyes sparkled in the late afternoon sun as checked everyone’s positions.  There were six people in her unit, loosely organized, ready for battle if needed.  They walked the cobbled street without a specific formation to be less predictable.  A month earlier, on her nineteenth birthday, Pelya had become unit leader.  Sornin was her unit-buddy and second in charge.  The other three units in their squad were within hearing distance of the whistle around her neck, which made a piercing signal that carried over the sounds of the busy streets.
Pelya had spent her entire life in Dralin, raised by her father in the barracks of the City Guard.  She had taken to the sword as soon as she could lift it and was currently the youngest swordmaster in the Guard.  It was what she had striven for, but recently she had come to regret that decision.
Everywhere Pelya looked, people suffered.  Dralin had more crime than anywhere else in the world from what she had been told.  Patrolling the streets had made her believe it.  She couldn’t count how many murders she had helped investigate in the last year and that number didn’t compare to kidnappings and disappearances.
She looked around at the lurid buildings.  What couldn’t be seen from the street was the corruption that resulted in innocent young women being conscripted by criminal predators.  There were more gangs in Dralin than the City Guard could handle.  The best that could be done was to hold crime at bay so that it didn’t completely overrun the citizens.  It wasn’t enough for Pelya, but she didn’t know how to do more.
A group of men shouting nearby broke her out of her reverie.  They were exchanging bawdry comments with a group of prostitutes on a balcony.  There was nothing that needed to be done.  Thus far, the shift had started more peacefully than any she could remember.
The weather was pleasant with the heat of summer gone.  Rainfall the day before had washed much of the normal pollution into the gutters, leaving the smog lighter than usual.  Fall colors covered the trees and the threat of winter was still far away.  Pelya looked up at the puffy clouds in the sky and stretched.
“Does your father know Captain Fallamer has you stationed in the Orange Sash?” Yobi, a veteran Guardsman, asked. 
“Yes.  He’s mad about it too.  But he needs to understand that he can’t protect me from doing my job.”  Pelya remembered the yelling match they had about it the week before.
Yobi shook his head in amazement.  “I wouldn’t want to cross him.  I like working for Captain Fallamer, but she’s crazy for giving you this assignment.”
Joll, his unit-buddy, smacked Yobi on the shoulder with the back of her hand.  “Watch what you say.”  Joll was a short, young woman who was intimidated by Pelya’s six-foot frame.
“Daddy unnerves most people, although it is a bad idea to cross him.”  Pelya winked, more than happy to protect her father’s reputation.  She didn’t like Joll much; the woman wouldn’t look her in the eye.
A muffled scream seized their attention.  Joll pointed down a side street.  “A woman, taken into the alley by a group of thugs!”  Before she finished speaking, they all had their swords drawn and ready.  Not far down the street was a carriage with a broken wheel.  The driver who was checking the wheel saw them coming and took off in the other direction.
Pelya shouted orders as they dashed toward the alley.  “Leave him.  Watch for surprises!  Protect each other!”  Pelya gave her whistle two sharp tweets and a long one to let the other units in the squad know that they were investigating trouble.
Curious bystanders scurried out of the way.  The Dralin City Guard had a system for pursuit and the speed with which the well-trained warriors moved was remarkable.
A sharp turn into the trash-littered alley revealed the kidnappers dragging the struggling woman through the back door of a smog-blackened building.  The door slammed shut behind them.
Pelya led the rush forward.  When they reached the grimy door, two of her unit stepped to either side and prepared for entrance.  Sornin tossed a runeball that would detect if there were wards on the door.  It floated in front of the doorway for a moment, shining with a greenish light as it spun and did its magic.  All was clear.
Sornin retrieved the ball just as Pelya blew two long tweets on her whistle followed by a short one to indicate to the rest of the squad that her unit was entering a building.  She shattered the old door with a kick of her muscular leg.
Pelya let her eyes grow accustomed to the gloom as she moved inside a short hall with chipped paint on the worn walls.  She headed toward a door at the end, forgoing the two on the sides.  Sornin, entering behind her, signaled for the others to be ready for battle.  They advanced in staggered formation.
Sornin tossed the runeball at the door.  It flashed with red light as it drew in magical energy before disintegrating.  Detecting and disarming the ward had used up its enchantment.
Sornin and Pelya exchanged worried glances.  Red light indicated an alarm ward.  Even though it was disarmed, anyone inside would know someone was at the door.  Pelya felt uneasy about walking into a certain ambush, but the circumstances required instant action.
With another well-placed kick, she broke down the door.  Sornin dashed in with Pelya right behind.  They moved to either side of the doorway leaving a path for the rest of the unit to enter.
Ten fighters waited for them in the surprisingly large room.  The sight of expensive furnishings made it clear to Pelya that this was a place for criminal operations.  In contrast to the hallway outside, the walls had fresh paint, tapestries and expensive carpets.
A blonde man standing behind a desk glared at the intruders as though they were flies on his dinner.  He wore a fancy purple shirt, black pants and a fine sword at the hip.  Two men next to the desk held the kidnapped woman.
Sornin yelled, “Dralin City Guard!  Put down your weapons!”
The fighters lifted their swords higher and crouched, ready for battle.  Pelya realized they would fight, an undesirable outcome.  “No one needs to get hurt!  We just have questions.”  Joll and Yobi came through the door and moved forward, making space for the last two in the unit.
A woman in yellow robes moved her hands in precise motions while a supernatural wind whipped her hair around her face.
Pelya and Sornin realized why the fighters were holding back.  “Magic!” they both shouted.  In unison, Pelya’s unit cast fast protective spells, taught as standard training in the Guard.  It would complement protections already built into their uniforms.  They were just in time, saving them from the effects of the woman’s spell.
Pelya drew and threw a knife made to pierce magical defenses.  The wizardess had already begun another spell and wasn’t able to dodge the flying blade as it pierced her throat.  The gathered energy burst and sent her lifeless body flying against the wall.
Five, Pelya thought to herself.  That was how many people she had killed in her life, a number she hated.  She blew two sharp bursts on her whistle, the signal that they were engaging in battle.  Pelya prayed the sound would reach the rest of the squad outside.
The battle began.  Their foes were not amateurs, but few people were good enough to match a member of Dralin’s Guard.  Pelya had two men to deal with immediately.  Her sword darted through the air faster than her opponents could parry.  One fell.  Six, a number she hated more than five.
She stalled the other man with rapid parries.  Joll was down and would never get up again.  The rest were hard pressed.  Two more foes engaged Pelya.  She finished off the one she had stalled, seven, and focused on the next.  A quick move here and another there, the two were wounded.
Pelya reevaluated the unit’s situation and realized another of her unit was down.  As she killed another attacker, eight, Albin, a third member of her unit also fell.  Sornin and Yobi stood with her against the three hardened fighters that remained, their friends lying dead next to the fallen Guardmembers.
The blonde man moved forward, Albin’s blood dripping from his blade.  Ruthless brown eyes took measure of the intruders.  His nostrils flared as he closed the distance.
It was against policy for every member of a unit to die.  At least one of them had return to the squad and report the incident.  “Report, Yobi! Now!”  Pelya yelled.
Yobi took the order and went through the doorway, but three fighters waiting in the hall blocked him.  Sornin hastened to help clear the escape route.  Pelya stood in the doorway and protected their retreat.
 The stranger with the hard eyes was in front of Pelya.  His sword clashed against hers.  Sparks of light and color flashed, showing that both blades contained magic.  He was a swordmaster and his enchanted blade effortlessly met every stroke of hers.
Her thrusts and parries became more desperate with each blow.  She tumbled to the side, coming up for better position.  One of the other fighters attempted to take advantage of the move.  A fast dodge put her behind the man.  She pushed him forward.  Without blinking, the swordmaster ran the man through and shoved him to the ground.
The swordmaster’s blade met hers again with a supernatural speed.  Closer and closer it came, as though the blade itself wished to drink of her blood.  He focused on Pelya with intensity, never giving her an opening.  There was power and experience in his arm.  He had spent more time wielding a sword than she.
 Pelya sensed movement behind her.  She nimbly rolled out of danger.  A wicked thrust missed her back.  Pelya sprang from the roll just in time to see the mysterious swordmaster kill the treacherous fighter for interfering in his battle.
There is a moment after a person kills someone when they pause to take in the shock of it.  The hardest killer may have it down to an instant, but it is there.
Pelya struck in that moment, a quick thrust, tight and deadly.  It missed.  Anyone else would have died.
 Pain stung Pelya’s cheek as she jerked her head back and tumbled away.  The swordmaster’s blade was sharp.  Pelya ignored the blood flowing down the side of her face and attacked.  The swordmaster smiled cruelly as he parried the blows.
The next slash cut her thigh.  Another cut the back of her hand as she tumbled and failed to take out his hamstring with a spinning swing.
He was too fast.  His blade bit into her forehead when her sword moved too slowly to counter.  Blood flowed past her eyes, impairing her vision.
Pelya’s back grew warm.  Time slowed.
Her blade met the man’s sword and darted forward to slash his chin.
The swordmaster was surprised, but he parried her next blow.  He was more surprised when another cut through his shirt to the skin of his chest.
Time slowed even more as their blades clashed repeatedly, neither gaining the advantage.  The warmth on Pelya’s back increased, spreading into her bones.  Shadows watched intently.
They separated.  The swordmaster rolled toward the desk while Pelya rolled toward the door.  For an instant, the opponents stared with the intensity of suns, memorizing every detail about each other.
The swordmaster dashed through a secret door held open by one of his fighters.  It closed behind them.
 Pelya took a step forward before realizing that more Guardmembers were now in the room and that the remaining fighters had been subdued.  The kidnapped woman was crying into the shoulder of a Guard.
 “Pelya!” Sornin said.  “Pelya!”
Everything was surreal as she turned to face him.  Normalcy came rushing in, causing her to stagger.  The heat on her back and in her bones lessened.  The shadows slipped into themselves.
 Squad Sergeant Herman Melvor appeared next to her and grabbed her arm in concern.  “Pelya.  Are you alright?  You’re bleed . . . By the Gods . . . Your cuts are disappearing!  What healing magic is that?”
 Pelya’s jaw clenched shut.  The dragon mark on her back prevented her from speaking.  It had slowed time and improved her reflexes during the battle.  Now it healed her wounds, but it also prevented her from talking about it.  She and her friend Ebudae had received the marks at the age of eleven after saving the child of a dragon.  Most of the time she didn’t even remember it was there, so insidious was the geas that prevented her from revealing its presence.
 Squad Corporal Jecks touched fingers to Pelya’s sword in a calming motion.  “I’ve never seen anyone move so fast, you or him.”  Concern lit his grey eyes and filled his thick voice.  His uniform was immaculate as always.  He did everything by the book.
 Pelya wiped and sheathed her sword.  She still couldn’t respond.  Sornin put a supportive hand on her shoulder while Yobi stood behind her protectively.
 One of the squad wizards was trying to figure out the secret door while the other helped the squad healer look after the fallen Guardmembers.  Pelya realized that Sornin and Yobi were the only ones who survived.
 Squad Sergeant Melvor was average height with brown hair, unremarkable in most ways, which made him dangerous because his opponents tended to dismiss or underestimate him.  Added to that, he fought dirty.  He had helped Pelya’s father raise her and she normally called him Uncle Herman.  His brown eyes showed that he wanted to protect her, but he was being professional.  “Report, Unit Leader,”
 It helped.  Pelya’s jaw unlocked and she relayed the details of the incident.  “The unit heard a woman scream and began pursuit of two men who were dragging that woman into an alley.”  Pelya pointed at the woman who was still sobbing into the shoulder of a Guardsman.  The Guardsman looked at Sergeant Melvor with pleading eyes.
The sergeant ignored the look, leaving the man to suffer.  “Go on, Pelya.  What happened next?”“We saw them enter this building.”  Pelya paused, still breathing hard from exertion.  “After Sornin checked the door for wards, I broke it down and led my unit into the building.  I whistled . . .”
Sergeant Melvor nodded.  “We heard your whistles.”
“We went through the hallway to this door and discovered an alarm ward on it.  The runeball deactivated it and I kicked in the door.”
“Did you check the side doors in the hallway?” Corporal Jecks asked.
“I didn’t,” Pelya said with a sinking feeling in her stomach.  She remembered the fighters who had come behind them.  “My instincts told me the woman was in this room and that we needed to get to her as fast as possible.”
 Corporal Jecks nodded.  Pelya couldn’t tell if he approved or disapproved.  He was hard to read.
 “There were ten armed fighters in the room, a wizard, the two kidnappers, the kidnapped woman and the man I was fighting.”  Pelya stared at the secret door.  The squad wizard still hadn’t figured it out.
 One of the Guardsmen examining the bodies of the fighters stood and came over.  “A few of these fighters were once soldiers from the Kingdom of Deller.  I recognize tattoos on the base of the neck given to everyone who joins their army.  Theirs have additional marks to indicate that they were discharged dishonorably.”

“Good work, Private Wibben.”  Sergeant Melvor frowned.  “Do you have any idea why ex-soldiers from Deller would be here, Pelya?”
 “No, Sergeant.  Sornin called for them to put away their weapons and I told them we just wanted to ask questions, but the wizardess cast a spell at us.”  Pelya pointed at the body.  “We warded ourselves, which protected us from the first spell.  I didn’t know if the wards would hold up against another.”
 “Nice shot,” Corporal Jecks said.  “That’s your knife in her neck, right?”
 “Yes.  The odds were against us and the wizardess immediately began casting another spell.  I believed it to be the only option.”
 Corporal Jecks gave a sharp nod of approval.  “Good decision.”  It was the highest praise Pelya had heard him give anyone.
 “What happened then?” Sergeant Melvor asked.
 “The fighters attacked us and there was no time to do anything but fight back.  They were skilled.”  She looked at Joll’s body.
 Private Wibben followed her gaze.  “They were very skilled to take out three Guardspeople.”
 Pelya leveled her breathing.  “I ordered Yobi to run for help, but three fighters blocked him.  Sornin went to help while I protected their backs.”
 Sornin said, “Pelya’s the best of us.  I believed she would be able to hold off the rest.”
 “You made a good decision,” Sergeant Melvor said.  “Getting word to the squad was priority.  And I’d trust Pelya to guard my back any day.”  He smiled at Pelya and squeezed her shoulder.
 Pelya resisted an urge to hug him.  “That swordmaster attacked me next and all my time was spent battling him.  He killed two of his own men, one to get to me, the other because the fighter tried to kill me.”
 “He carried himself like a duelist,” Private Wibben said.  “I’ve seen the type.  They’re everywhere in Deller.  Although he was better than any I’ve seen.”
 “Are you from Deller?”  Jecks asked.
 Wibben shook his head.  “No.  I’m from Obda to the north of Deller.  Their soldiers make a nuisance of themselves and occasionally come to border towns for drinking and wenching.”  He looked at Pelya.  “I’ve never seen anyone move as fast as either of you.  There was magic involved.”
 Pelya’s jaw clenched shut again.  She couldn’t talk about the dragon mark.  With a deft switch of thought, she remembered the swordmaster’s weapon.  Her jaw unlocked.  “He had a magical blade, superior to the standard Guard issue.”  She patted the sword at her side.  It wasn’t standard, having been a gift from Gilron Coodmur, the Guard’s weaponmaster, but it looked like one and few knew otherwise.
 “If it makes him move faster, it’s a powerful enchantment.”  Jecks looked suspiciously at Pelya. 

“How did you move so fast, Pelya?”
 Her jaw didn’t lock, almost as though the mark trusted her not to reveal its presence.  She rewarded its faith by deflecting the corporal’s question.  “I don’t think his sword was just magical.  I could feel it studying me, testing me.  I think it may have had a name.”
 The statement drew gasps.  Magical weapons and other items were common, especially in Dralin, but a named item meant it had a soul.  It could think and influence the person that owned it.  They were incredibly powerful, priceless and dangerous.
 “We need to know who he is and why he wanted this woman kidnapped,” Sergeant Melvor said.
 The woman had finally gotten ahold of herself and was wiping her eyes with the sleeve of an extravagant dress.  “Because I’m the daughter of Chancellor Divathia.”
 “Chancellor Divathia of the High Council?” Sergeant Melvor asked in surprise.  He thumped a fist to his chest in salute.  “Milady.”
 She gathered loose strands of her auburn hair and put them in a makeshift ponytail.  “I did my best to fight them off, but they were too strong.  They killed my personal guards.”  She looked at a rip in the sleeve of her dress.  “Mother’s going to kill me for ruining this dress.”
 Pelya winked.  “Blame it on the kidnappers and tell your mother they ripped it just to spite her.”
 Hope lit the woman’s face.  “That might actually work.”  She came over and wrapped Pelya in a hug, nearly suffocating her with the heavy scent of jasmine perfume.  “Thank you for saving my life.  I saw your unit just before they dragged me into the alley.  It took all of my strength to get the hand away from my mouth long enough to scream.”  She stood back and looked up at Pelya.  “I will see to it that you are rewarded.  Mother will want to meet you.”
 Pelya didn’t like that idea.  The High Council was the ruling body of Dralin and outranked even the Grand Assembly responsible for running the country of Altordan.  The twelve chancellors of the High Council were the most powerful people in the kingdom and it wasn’t wise to attract their attention, good or bad.
 The woman sighed and shook her head.  “Of course you don’t want to meet her.  Nobody wants anything to do with her or me.  What’s your name, anyway?”
 “My name is Pelya Jornin.”
 Surprise crossed the woman’s face.  “I’m Yancy.”  She turned to look at the rest of the room and shuddered.  “Why am I still here?  There are so many dead people.”
 Pelya looked to Sergeant Melvor, who nodded.  She led Yancy to the alley outside.  Sornin and Yobi followed.
 “Finish gathering evidence,” Sergeant Melvor ordered Corporal Jecks.  “The messengers I sent should have reached Captain Fallamer.  She’ll be here soon.  I want everything ready to present to her.”  He then followed Pelya and the others into the alley.  “The captain will want to speak to you Lady Divathia.  We’ll arrange to get you home just as soon as possible.”
 “I want Pelya to escort me.  I saw how good she is with a sword, better than any of my guards.”  Yancy studied Pelya.
 Sergeant Melvor looked distinctly uncomfortable with the suggestion.  “I don’t have that authority, milady.”
 A full squad of Guardmembers jogged into the alley, led by a female officer with short, red hair.  Her thin eyebrows furrowed in a frown at seeing Pelya, but she turned to Melvor.  “Report, Sergeant.”Melvor began rattling off details about the incident.
 Yancy grabbed Pelya’s arm, dragging her to a nearby wall.  “You’re Pelya Jornin, the Guard Brat, aren’t you?”
 Pelya suppressed the urge to punch the woman in the face.
 Yancy gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.  “I’m so sorry!  I didn’t mean it that way.  It’s just that . . . everyone calls you that . . . I mean . . . that’s not what I mean . . .”  She threw her hands up in frustration.  “I’ve messed up again.  I’ll never learn.  Everyone hates me.  I’m so stupid!”
 Pelya set aside her personal feelings.  “I have no idea whether or not you’re stupid, but I won’t hold it against you if you are.”  She grinned at the look of shock on Yancy’s face.
 “Oh . . .”  Yancy laughed.  “I like you, and I’m sorry I called you a Guard Brat.”  She paused and put a hand on her chin.  “Mother doesn’t approve of you though.  That’s a problem.”
 “Yes, well I’m used to people not approving of me,” Pelya said in disgust.  “I don’t care, even if your mother is a member of the High Council.  I don’t care what anyone thinks of me or of my father for raising me in the Guard.”  It was a sore spot with her and to know that her life was discussed even within the High Council was offensive.
 Yancy folded her hands in front of her and hung her head.  “I’m sorry.”
 Pelya rubbed her brow.  She was drained now that all the energy from battle was gone.
 “You’re shaking,” Yancy said.  “Are you hurt?”
 “No.  I’m just tired and I killed . . .”  Pelya stared back at the doorway, remembering the bodies of the men and the death of her unit mates.
 “Please don’t talk about it.  I want to be brave, but I . . . I’ve never seen anyone die until now.”  Yancy was pale as a ghost and looked about ready to faint.
 “Lady Yancy Divathia?”  Captain Fallamer came up beside Pelya.  “I’m giving you a carriage to take you home.  It will be here shortly.  It’s my understanding that you wish Unit Leader Jornin to escort you?”
 “Yes, Captain,” said Yancy.
 “Very well, but she must return as soon as you are safely home.  She has a report to make.”
 “Thank you, Captain.  I’ll see to it.”
 Captain Fallamer gave Pelya a reassuring pat on the back.  “Come talk to me when you get back to the Guard District.”
 “Yes, Captain.”  Pelya didn’t feel reassured.

If you are interested in the first two books:


      

I want to be Free - A Poem

Standard disclaimer

I have been writing (mostly bad) poetry since I was 21.  This is very odd considering I absolutely hate poetry.  Poetry drives me up a wall.  As a form of writing, it tends to be overly impressed with itself.  If someone wishes to say something, it's best just to come out and say it instead of tying it up in uselessly colorful words that confuse the entire situation.

So . . . now that I've gone on a rant about how much I dislike poetry . . . Let's get back to the fact that I write it. *sigh*  The fact of the matter is, poetry is a very useful tool for writers.  It's a way to get concepts, images and ideas onto paper and experiment with words.  It's also awesome for saying lovey-dovey-gushy stuff.

Please understand that this was written before I was writing consistently.  The technical merits of the writing are . . . non-existent.  It could be written much better, but I'm not going to edit it.  I figure this will keep me from becoming too impressed with myself if I hit it big. ;)

Explanation

I'm really not sure what I was thinking here . . .

Also, I'm going to add a couple of pictures, because pictures go very well with poems, no? Here's one now . . .

[image error] Moonlit beach, just like in the poem
The poem

I want to be free

I want to be free
I want to go everywhere
I want to see everything
I want to experience existence

Life is full of wonder and beauty
So much to see and hear
So much to touch and feel
I want to know it all

Walking along the beach at nighttime
The moon is shining on the water
The waves are crashing on the rocks
I'm swimming in power

Moving through the forest in the day
The wind is whispering through the trees
The birds are singing to each other
I'm floating in peace

Riding in the timeless desert
The sun is beating on the sand
The lizard and snake are resting on a rock
I'm writhing in ecstasy

Standing on the highest mountain
The snow is blanketing the rocks
The clouds are resting below me
I'm immobile in fascination

Flying throughout the eternal universe
The music is keeping a melody flowing
The stars are spinning in harmony
I'm rushing in a rhapsody

I want to be free
I want someone to share this with
I want everyone to be free
I want all life to experience existence.


Copyright 9 August 1991 John H. Carroll

[image error] Standing on mountains looking down at clouds.  Also in the poem.