Ravon Silvius's Blog, page 20
November 8, 2013
Changed layout again!
The red was a good autumn theme, but it was kind of harsh. Plus its cold now, so a nice soothing blue works better.
Book 4 of Enforcers is complete! I'm going to be editing it over the next month. Expect a sneak peek soon!
Book 4 of Enforcers is complete! I'm going to be editing it over the next month. Expect a sneak peek soon!
November 2, 2013
New project--Sneak Peek
So I'm starting a new project in between working on Book 4 of Enforcers and Freshmen Blues. It's a bit different than my usual fare, though.
Check out the first 1k below and let me know what you think! Everything is very much up in the air at this point. Do you like the 1st person perspective, or should I stick to 3rd?
Thrall
The man my master had commanded us to kill stood on the other side of the river, his wagon creaking as the wooden wheels began to roll over the bridge. The man was merely a shadow, even to my enhanced eyesight, silhouetted against the orange harvest moon. To my left, another of us chattered her teeth, her fangs emerging from her lips. My own stomach growled at the thought of food, the warm blood that would gush from the man’s veins and feed us. Master never fed us enough. Of course he didn’t. If he did, we wouldn’t be nearly as effective. The thought dulled some of my excitement, and I licked my lips, my fangs receding. The wagon moved slowly, the horses straining to pull it over the arched bridge. There were two, both with dark colored coats. One wore a frayed blanket, and the other limped as though its shoes fitted improperly. The man was clearly no wealthy merchant. One of us hissed, a sibilant, high pitched sound that only ones like us could hear. An answering hiss came from the bushes near the river. The lead horse flicked an ear, and the man in the wagonseat shifted his weight. As soon as the first horse set foot on the grassy bank, the one to my left attacked. Four others joined her, dark shapes against the light of the moon swarming toward the animals and their pumping, flowing blood. I cursed in my mind. I had been turned too recently, and compared to them I was slow. I swallowed saliva, my fangs pricking my lower lip, and leaped forward, dashing through the forest. Then light flooded the trees. The four who had run ahead first screamed, their hissing drowned out by the sizzling of bodies exposed to solar light. I ducked behind a tree, screwing my eyes shut, the heat of the light prickling on my skin. This was no weak man the master had sent me to take revenge on for some social slight. This was a vampire hunter. And I was just a thrall. The light died, fading to a dull orange glow of the first light over the horizon. A solar flare would work once and couldn’t be used again for at least a day. I knew that, from…somewhere. My life before, I supposed. My muscles tensed when the man spoke, a word to his horses or perhaps just to himself. The man was mine. The other thralls were dead. I would kill the hunter, take all his blood for myself, and the master would reward me. Me, his newest servant. The command tightened my muscles further and pounded in my head, my master’s words—Kill. I peered out from the edge of the trees, my vision sharpening with bloodlust. The man’s heart beat in a slow, steady rhythm. The light on the wagon made my eyes water, even used up as it was, but it couldn’t hurt me. The hunter sat, a gun across his lap. He wore tight leather trousers, and my gaze lingered over his muscular thighs. For a moment I imagined more than just blood. The thought died quickly. Since my master had turned me, any lust but lust for blood never lasted. The man had light brown hair, though it looked red in the fading light of the solar flare. Dark eyes scanned the forest, and then settled on me. I froze, my own thoughts tangled, my body screaming for me to take his blood. His scent, human and sweat mixed with woodsmoke and the bouquet from the village over the river, filled my nostrils. He raised the gun. In that moment, I knew I would die. My master’s orders still screamed in my brain, in my very being—Kill. I was a thrall. I obeyed. I was a servant, nothing more. But I knew I would die if I attacked. And I didn’t want to die. His horse snorted. The hunter held his gun trained on my heart. The sharp wooden stake that his gun would fire jutted from the barrel. A thrall like me would never survive it. I could attack. I wanted to attack, to try and sink my teeth into his veins, to obey the orders of the one who had made me what I was. My teeth ground against each other, and my fangs drew blood from my lower lip. Instead I turned and fled, without truly knowing why. No shot came from the forest. ***
The hollowness in my gut was the first thing to break the hunger, and it took me a moment to realize that every other servant was dead. I hadn’t known them. It shouldn’t matter. We hadn’t even spoken, only interacting when we fought over the scraps my master gave us. Without them, there would be more for me. I should be glad. But happiness, like anything else, faded quickly. I fought to keep running, to ignore the command in my mind that told me to turn back and kill the man I had been ordered to kill. Doing so would be suicide. It was only when I entered the castle gates that I wondered if my master would be angry with me. The gates soared over my head, carvings of wolves seated atop the iron bars. The castle blocked the view of the mountain that overlooked it and kept it hidden from curious onlookers. Gray stone melded against dead trees. Inside, thousands of scents mingled, mold mixing with cold stone and dead leaves and the sharp scent of my master’s dogs. The scent of blood wound through it all, and saliva filled my mouth. I followed the scent, my bare feet silent on the cold stones, and found my master where the stone became plush rugs. A woman lay by the door to his room, her body shriveled. A shiver went down my spine, but faded quickly, just like every other emotion or feeling I had. The ever present hunger replaced it. “What are you doing here?” My master’s voice chased away everything else. The vampire who had made me strode closer. His blond hair was tied back with a blue ribbon, and deep red eyes met mine. He frowned, and I ducked my head, curling in on myself like a cur. I should have attacked the hunter and been done with it.
Check out the first 1k below and let me know what you think! Everything is very much up in the air at this point. Do you like the 1st person perspective, or should I stick to 3rd?
Thrall
The man my master had commanded us to kill stood on the other side of the river, his wagon creaking as the wooden wheels began to roll over the bridge. The man was merely a shadow, even to my enhanced eyesight, silhouetted against the orange harvest moon. To my left, another of us chattered her teeth, her fangs emerging from her lips. My own stomach growled at the thought of food, the warm blood that would gush from the man’s veins and feed us. Master never fed us enough. Of course he didn’t. If he did, we wouldn’t be nearly as effective. The thought dulled some of my excitement, and I licked my lips, my fangs receding. The wagon moved slowly, the horses straining to pull it over the arched bridge. There were two, both with dark colored coats. One wore a frayed blanket, and the other limped as though its shoes fitted improperly. The man was clearly no wealthy merchant. One of us hissed, a sibilant, high pitched sound that only ones like us could hear. An answering hiss came from the bushes near the river. The lead horse flicked an ear, and the man in the wagonseat shifted his weight. As soon as the first horse set foot on the grassy bank, the one to my left attacked. Four others joined her, dark shapes against the light of the moon swarming toward the animals and their pumping, flowing blood. I cursed in my mind. I had been turned too recently, and compared to them I was slow. I swallowed saliva, my fangs pricking my lower lip, and leaped forward, dashing through the forest. Then light flooded the trees. The four who had run ahead first screamed, their hissing drowned out by the sizzling of bodies exposed to solar light. I ducked behind a tree, screwing my eyes shut, the heat of the light prickling on my skin. This was no weak man the master had sent me to take revenge on for some social slight. This was a vampire hunter. And I was just a thrall. The light died, fading to a dull orange glow of the first light over the horizon. A solar flare would work once and couldn’t be used again for at least a day. I knew that, from…somewhere. My life before, I supposed. My muscles tensed when the man spoke, a word to his horses or perhaps just to himself. The man was mine. The other thralls were dead. I would kill the hunter, take all his blood for myself, and the master would reward me. Me, his newest servant. The command tightened my muscles further and pounded in my head, my master’s words—Kill. I peered out from the edge of the trees, my vision sharpening with bloodlust. The man’s heart beat in a slow, steady rhythm. The light on the wagon made my eyes water, even used up as it was, but it couldn’t hurt me. The hunter sat, a gun across his lap. He wore tight leather trousers, and my gaze lingered over his muscular thighs. For a moment I imagined more than just blood. The thought died quickly. Since my master had turned me, any lust but lust for blood never lasted. The man had light brown hair, though it looked red in the fading light of the solar flare. Dark eyes scanned the forest, and then settled on me. I froze, my own thoughts tangled, my body screaming for me to take his blood. His scent, human and sweat mixed with woodsmoke and the bouquet from the village over the river, filled my nostrils. He raised the gun. In that moment, I knew I would die. My master’s orders still screamed in my brain, in my very being—Kill. I was a thrall. I obeyed. I was a servant, nothing more. But I knew I would die if I attacked. And I didn’t want to die. His horse snorted. The hunter held his gun trained on my heart. The sharp wooden stake that his gun would fire jutted from the barrel. A thrall like me would never survive it. I could attack. I wanted to attack, to try and sink my teeth into his veins, to obey the orders of the one who had made me what I was. My teeth ground against each other, and my fangs drew blood from my lower lip. Instead I turned and fled, without truly knowing why. No shot came from the forest. ***
The hollowness in my gut was the first thing to break the hunger, and it took me a moment to realize that every other servant was dead. I hadn’t known them. It shouldn’t matter. We hadn’t even spoken, only interacting when we fought over the scraps my master gave us. Without them, there would be more for me. I should be glad. But happiness, like anything else, faded quickly. I fought to keep running, to ignore the command in my mind that told me to turn back and kill the man I had been ordered to kill. Doing so would be suicide. It was only when I entered the castle gates that I wondered if my master would be angry with me. The gates soared over my head, carvings of wolves seated atop the iron bars. The castle blocked the view of the mountain that overlooked it and kept it hidden from curious onlookers. Gray stone melded against dead trees. Inside, thousands of scents mingled, mold mixing with cold stone and dead leaves and the sharp scent of my master’s dogs. The scent of blood wound through it all, and saliva filled my mouth. I followed the scent, my bare feet silent on the cold stones, and found my master where the stone became plush rugs. A woman lay by the door to his room, her body shriveled. A shiver went down my spine, but faded quickly, just like every other emotion or feeling I had. The ever present hunger replaced it. “What are you doing here?” My master’s voice chased away everything else. The vampire who had made me strode closer. His blond hair was tied back with a blue ribbon, and deep red eyes met mine. He frowned, and I ducked my head, curling in on myself like a cur. I should have attacked the hunter and been done with it.
October 25, 2013
New Adult and genre
So I started Freshmen Blues as an experiment in New Adult, and I have to admit I didn't expect to enjoy it so much or to have others enjoy it as much as they seem to be. I'm very glad! And of course, writing it has made me think even more about the NA genre since my post last May.
I think the intersection of NA and speculative elements is, in a way, even more difficult than the intersection of NA and erotica. NA is a genre borne out of helping new adults today read about people like them. Maybe its the economy, or maybe its just the natural evolution of society, but today there are a lot of people between the age of 18 to 27 who don't quite know where they're going in life, or have succeeded professionally but not romantically or vice versa. They are discovering not only themselves but their place in society as a fully functioning adult. New Adult is there to address them.
So then, where does speculative elements and genres like sci fi and fantasy fit in to that? Would the exploits of a 21 year old out of mage school be comparable or relatable to a 21 year old who just graduated college but can't find a job in an economy where the unemployment rate for those under 26 is twice that of the general unemployment average? Would a paranormal story about a 22 year old half vampire trying to fit in be relatable? What about a story in a completely different universe--after all, Kenneth and Thorn are just out of their respective colleges, but I wouldn't call the Enforcer's series new adult.
Typically, when genre is the main point of the story, the story is classified as that genre. The Enforcer's series is steampunk. The main character in my favorite fantasy series, the Wheel of Time, is a teenager at the beginning of Book 1 and makes life changing discoveries about himself, but WOT is considered fantasy, not new adult. There are tons of novels out there with protagonists who fit the age range for new adult but are classified as sci fi and fantasy, and not new adult.
When the point of the story is to show someone's struggles with adulthood or gaining adulthood, having heavy genre elements is tough, especially when adulthood as a concept may change in other worlds and universes. And to add, self discovery doesn't stop at age 26--Aldric and Hermann from the Perils of Forgotten Pain series had plenty to discover about themselves and their roles as something other than soldiers, despite both characters being older. I think for something to really be classified as New Adult, there has to be something relatable and dare I say it, contemporary, in the story.
I think, at least in the current climate of new adult novels, the genre elements you can bring in would have to be light. After all, the story in Freshmen Blues takes place in an altered earth, not a completely different universe or in the far future, like some of my other work. The things that happen to Chris in college are normal and relatable. And the main thrust of the genre elements are basically superpowers, which aren't even seen as unusual in that world, and are in fact how people get the best jobs. It's more like magical realism than anything else.
It also lends itself well to the themes of NA. After all, NA is about self discovery. What epitomizes that better than discovering one's true passion and mastering a super powerful skill related to it? I'm surprised there aren't more NA stories out there that have more traditional superhero plotlines, to be honest.
Of course, those are just my thoughts. If you have any thoughts about new adult and genre, feel free to say so in the comments.
October 13, 2013
Freshmen Blues update!
Hello all,
Today we have a new update for Freshmen Blues--Chapter 17!
Also, the first of my new print books will be Perils of Forgotten Pain and The WaterLord trilogy! No release date yet, but I am already preparing extra content for Perils, mostly editing and adding to the story I posted here.
I'm also working on Book 4 of the Enforcer's series, which is running a bit long. It might end up split into two 20k word novellas.
Today we have a new update for Freshmen Blues--Chapter 17!
Also, the first of my new print books will be Perils of Forgotten Pain and The WaterLord trilogy! No release date yet, but I am already preparing extra content for Perils, mostly editing and adding to the story I posted here.
I'm also working on Book 4 of the Enforcer's series, which is running a bit long. It might end up split into two 20k word novellas.
October 2, 2013
Which books would you like to see in print?
So my publisher is offering to put books in print. Woohoo! Now, to decide which series to start with...
The print books will be full length books, so novellas will be put together. Some options:
The WaterLord trilogy, all together in one book.
Perils of Forgotten Pain + Remembrance. I would edit this one, and add in a couple extra stories, too, both of which have been on this blog. :)
The first three books of the Enforcer's series.
Which would you prefer to see?
The print books will be full length books, so novellas will be put together. Some options:
The WaterLord trilogy, all together in one book.
Perils of Forgotten Pain + Remembrance. I would edit this one, and add in a couple extra stories, too, both of which have been on this blog. :)
The first three books of the Enforcer's series.
Which would you prefer to see?
September 28, 2013
Freshmen Blues update!
An update for the weekend--Chapter 16 is up!
September 27, 2013
MMORPGs
Anyone not familiar with the video game world is probably wondering what the heck that title means.
Does this help at all?
Yep, it's a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. And it's a ton of fun, at least for a short time.
For a long time, World of Warcraft (WOW) has been the king of MMOs. But just recently, Square Enix released Final Fantasy: A Realm Reborn, which has a lot of the same mechanics from WOW but updates it with character art that's actually realistic and well done. Compare this:
To this:
It's surprising what a different aesthetics can make. I wouldn't mind that guy on a book cover!
Anyway, I have a Mi'quote on the Zalera Server. I don't play too often, but so far my questing has gone well.
Anyone else out there play MMOs? :D
Does this help at all?
Yep, it's a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. And it's a ton of fun, at least for a short time.
For a long time, World of Warcraft (WOW) has been the king of MMOs. But just recently, Square Enix released Final Fantasy: A Realm Reborn, which has a lot of the same mechanics from WOW but updates it with character art that's actually realistic and well done. Compare this:
To this:
It's surprising what a different aesthetics can make. I wouldn't mind that guy on a book cover!
Anyway, I have a Mi'quote on the Zalera Server. I don't play too often, but so far my questing has gone well.
Anyone else out there play MMOs? :D
September 21, 2013
Freshmen Blues Update
Chapter 15 is up! Enjoy!
I also hope you enjoyed my latest release! :)
I also hope you enjoyed my latest release! :)
September 15, 2013
New Release: First Mission!
Today, First Mission, the third book in the Enforcer's series, is available!
Check it out!
Available here!
Kenneth and Thorn have become Enforcers, those who keep the peace, monitor major societal changes, and if necessary, hunt down criminals. Luckily, their first mission seems easy. They must explore a new alchemy school, meet with the governor of the local village, and determine if the school’s presence has upset the local population of people who cannot use magic at all. As a talentless himself, Thorn especially is concerned. He knows the inequality the talentless face in a world ruled by mages, and he is anxious to see how he will fare as an Enforcer.
When they arrive, the governor is friendly enough. But as Kenneth and Thorn begin to explore the school and surrounding village, they find signs of something far more serious than simple friction between the talentless and the magi. Students at the alchemy school displays feats of magical strength far beyond what Kenneth has seen before, and Thorn finds out that talentless people are disappearing. They set out to figure out what is going on—but run into problems when they meet an old enemy.
Check it out!
Available here!Kenneth and Thorn have become Enforcers, those who keep the peace, monitor major societal changes, and if necessary, hunt down criminals. Luckily, their first mission seems easy. They must explore a new alchemy school, meet with the governor of the local village, and determine if the school’s presence has upset the local population of people who cannot use magic at all. As a talentless himself, Thorn especially is concerned. He knows the inequality the talentless face in a world ruled by mages, and he is anxious to see how he will fare as an Enforcer.
When they arrive, the governor is friendly enough. But as Kenneth and Thorn begin to explore the school and surrounding village, they find signs of something far more serious than simple friction between the talentless and the magi. Students at the alchemy school displays feats of magical strength far beyond what Kenneth has seen before, and Thorn finds out that talentless people are disappearing. They set out to figure out what is going on—but run into problems when they meet an old enemy.
September 12, 2013
New Cover!
I got the cover for the third book in the Enforcer's Series today!
Expect a release date announcement soon!
Expect a release date announcement soon!
