N+M's Blog: SO SAYETH THE LITERARY DARK PRINCE, page 3
June 20, 2012
You don't have to be an author... To Write Love On Her Arms!
"These street lights, they shine bright as they illuminate the darkness of the pavement. They shine as we try to write in on her arms the love she longs to taste, and we'll find that inside she's a broken heart that anyone can save. It's alright. It's alright. It's alright."
"Remember hope. Hold on to hope. We have hope."
In an effort to help those that silently suffer with suicidal thoughts and self-harm, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing and I, The Literary Dark Prince, will be donating a portion of the proceeds from "Crimson Shadow: Noir" (book #1 of the Crimson Shadow series) to support To Write Love On Her Arms.
I want to remind EVERYONE that saving a life is not as hard as it seems. Every act of kindness--every proof of love--represents a reason to live; represents a hope for tomorrow!
Join The Literary Dark Prince to help end the pain!!
Visit www.twloha.com to find out more!
June 19, 2012
June 15, 2012
On The Literary Dark Prince's birthday, YOU get the presents!!
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Crimson_Shadow_Official_Book_Trailer_-_YouTube.flv Watch on Posterous
26 years ago, The Literary Dark Prince emerged onto this realm, and since Earth and its occupants have yet to rid themselves of this menace, his dark and insane poison continues to spread. In no way trying to protect the myriad of innocents and pure souls, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing has joined with the infernal author and, in an effort to tarnish as many human souls as possible, have put book #1, "Noir", of this sadistic monster's psycho-goth vampire series on Amazon Kindle for FREE on the anniversary of his materialization on this earthly plane. Click HERE to claim yours NOW!!
Because your curiosity feeds the all-too-powerful drive to destroy everything, you owe it to yourself and all those who you hold near and dear to see their purity turned oily and wicked by getting your copy TODAY (June 15th) without sacrificing a single unit of Earth currency.
However, if your hard-earned wealth screams to gain you more possessions, The Literary Dark Prince can still satisfy you (for he, though born of darkness, loves The Legion and is kind and merciful). Starting today, for less than a filthy fast-food discount cheeseburger, you can add the Crimson Shadow short story, "Just Another Night" to your Kindle collection for only $0.99 simply by clicking HERE!!
[image error]
"A graveyard in the dead of night.
While most would avoid such an eerie setting, for three friends looking for a safe place to toke up, it is the perfect place to get high without getting caught. Unfortunately, for these stoners, fate has given them more to worry about than nosey cops.
In the blink of a bloodshot eye, all hell breaks loose... literally.
As forces beyond the friends' perception and control turn a calm night in a marijuana-haze into a terror-filled bloodbath all hope seems lost. But there's far deadlier beings roaming through the headstones, and a Crimson Shadow soon eclipses the carnage.
Talk about the ultimate buzz-kill!"
With nothing to lose and everything to gain, why not give in to temptation? If nothing else it may appease The Literary Dark Prince for another year to come.
Rock out & live on!~Nathan Squiers(The Literary Dark Prince)www.nathansquiers.com
June 14, 2012
BATHED IN THE CRIMSON SHADOW (illuminating what's to come):
*Original post can be found HERE! With the release of "Crimson Shadow: Noir", book #1 in my vamp-goth psycho-thriller series, and several short stories that tie into the series ("Wicked Paints, "Magic Murderer", and the soon-to-debut "Just Another Night" [June 15th]), I thought I'd take the time to better acquaint everybody with the series as well as give a "behind-the-scenes" look at what's gone into creating the Crimson Shadow world.
But first, for those who aren't already familiar with the premise of the book:
"Xander Stryker wants to die. Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves. [image error] Book #1, "Noir"
(cover by Para Graphic) When his eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is given the ultimate choice: Continue on with his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be. Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own bloody darkness... ... and allow it to finally destroy him." [image error] Get to know The Literary Dark Prince In the beginning (nearly 10 years ago), Crimson Shadow started as a means for me to vent; a personal outlet to let some inner demons wreak the havoc they so desperately wanted to while, at the same time, keeping the public and its many innocents safe. At that time, an obsession with death and darkness motivated me to research all of the many creatures of mythology and lore that thrive off of both--especially vampires. Since the beginning of human society, vampires have, in one way or another, existed in the minds of the masses and haunted their nightmares with the threat of robbing them of their life to sustain their own. Throughout history, creatures like this have plagued the minds of humanity and, for me especially, represented an escape from reality; allowing for the fantasy of transcending the mundane and limited life of a human to become something powerful and eternal. And this escape--this means of vanquishing weakness and overcoming abuse in a way that not only brought one above their tormenters, but into a whole new plane of existence--was what I craved at that time. It was then that Xander Stryker--a boy who, like me, was self-destructive and tortured, but found a way above it all and into something so much greater than he could've ever imagined--was created. At that time, there was no plan for the project outside of "traveling" with Xander and his journey into a world of vampires and finding the strength to fight not only those that would try to do him harm, but his own desires to harm himself. For me, there was no plan--no future--outside of telling Xander's story, and I was certain that the moment I finished the piece that I would leave it as my last effort before ending my life.
Learn more about To Write Love On Her Arms
(the suicide & self-harm prevention movement
that sees a donation for every copy of "Noir" sold)
But then Xander did something I'd never expected him to do… He saved my life. Somehow, in writing a story of a character who was supposed to encompass everything I could never be, I discovered strength and purpose. To add to my surprise, others--who had begun to notice a dramatic change in my mood and behavior and demanded to see what was bringing about that change--found Xander's tale (the tale that would later become the first book in the Crimson Shadow series, "Noir") worked just as well to give them strength and hope; encouraging others who had been suicidal to find their own means of overcoming their personal breeds of darkness. Seeing that this character's growth had such potential, I focused less on what the stories could do for me and more about what they could do for others. Over the years (five in total to polish the first book) I decided that I had found my calling and set my dreams on becoming an author so that I could entertain and enlighten the world (effectively deciding to shift from a nobody who wanted to die to somebody who wanted to provide the world with an enthusiastic storyteller). As Xander grew more-and-more aware of the world of vampires--a world that I wanted to be laced throughout modern-day human society so tightly that readers would genuinely believe that they, too, could experience it if they turned down the right (or wrong) dark alley. My obsessive research, as it turned out, allowed for me to build and modify on a myriad of legends to create something that mirrored the classic lore while, at the same time, shining the light on the many myths in a way that readers had never before seen them.
The process of creating/modifying legendary "monsters" to create fresh and compelling creatures for my writing proved to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks I could take on. So that others have an understanding of just how broad and complex the paranormal world stretches: I have studied global and cultural mythology for two years before starting to write Xander's story and, since then, have continued my studies (that's 12 years' worth of research--nearly half my entire life). So far, for the universe that all of my writing has taken place in, there are more than four species of vampires (one of which has three different types) and a breed of shape-shifter that encompasses werewolves, werebears, werecats (any anthropomorphic "were"-creature you can imagine) called "theriomorphs" ("therio-" being a Latin root for "beast") or "therions", for short. Other creatures (like the elf/fairy-like "anaprieks", the bat-like "Gerlins", and many more) were included, as well, so that the world of non-humans--known as "mythos"--would be just as diverse and broad as the one we already know and see every day. Being a fan of action/adventure films, comics, and Japanese anime/manga, I'd always seen the superhuman abilities of vampires, werewolves, and other such beings as a means of creating truly epic and (often literally) ground-breaking encounters and, of course, battles. If a being is strong enough to leap 30 feet into the air, punch through walls, move faster than bullets, or move anything and everything with their minds, then it stood to reason that a fight between such beings would be a true visual marvel. Now, because I've always had a cinematic mind (I'd dreamed of being a filmmaker at one time in my life), I've always written in a manner that I hoped would instill an image in the reader's mind that was not unlike the fluid visuals of watching a movie (and, with such elaborate visuals to work with, I had my work cut out for me).
[image error]
"Magic Murderer" CS short
(cover by EmJayArt.com) Despite all the challenges associated with it, however, I found that building a whole new world to house my creations proved to be more fun than I'd ever expected. Because of the "rules" that I'd set in Xander's world, I had to research outside of what I was used to (psychology, philosophy, religion, biology, etc…) in order to make the creatures and their abilities believable. For the blood-drinking vampires, for example, I had the pleasure of interviewing a dentist to learn more about how the classic fangs that we all know and love would work in the real world and any biological traits that would come along with them. Magical practices and paralleling beliefs from different views were taken into consideration in order to fabricate a breed of spellcasting that ultimately defined every creature I'd created. More than anything else, though, was the realm of physics and how these glorious creatures would be capable of achieving their extraordinary abilities.
Though a lot of that effort may not be blatantly obvious in the writings, all of that time and research was not spent in vain. For a writer to be confident in their work, and, as a result, have their readers believe and accept what's being "fed" to them, there has to be a sense of continuity and believability (so that they can fully immerse themselves in their entertainment, audiences rely on a concrete understanding of what is "fact" when approaching a book, movie, comic, etc…). Research and development is, in many ways, one of the most important things for a writer to do when creating a new world (second only to following through with a project and seeing it to the end). In preparing this blog post, I decided to open the floor (so to speak) to a few readers who had questions that I felt were worth publically answering. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, feel free to post them and I'll do my best to answer without spoiling any future elements in the series:
1) Xander Stryker has a lot of challenges in his life, while you were writing his story did you have a hard time writing certain parts? ~One of the reasons book #1 took five years to complete (at least three years longer than ANY other piece I've written since) was because a great deal of scenes and emotions that I depicted were dangerously close to personal events that I was forced to step away from the project time-and-time-again to avoid slipping into depression (on several occasions, however, stepping back didn't help and, more than once, I suffered from minor breakdowns). 2) Being this story from a personal perspective, were there certain characters who you found had a lot of traits from special/important people in your life? ~Absolutely! When approaching the process of developing the characters for the book I would often consider what I needed from that character (what purpose they held in the piece) and determined a fitting personality that would drive that purpose. A lot of the time, the personalities that I "programmed" these characters with was similar to one-or-more actual people in my life (some characters, like Estella, for example, were combinations of several people--in that case my fiancé and her determination and kindness mixed with the soft-hearted nature of my mother to create a strong and capable character who detested violence and killing). Other characters were a little more vague/less literal and were built more around a TYPE of personality rather than a specific person's personality (I'd always defined Marcus as the big brother/drill sergeant-type). 3) We are briefly introduced to the character Estella; will she play a more important role in future books perhaps? ~Yes. At risk of going into too much detail and spoiling future books I can assure you that Estella's character will become VERY relevant/integral to the series. [image error] Look for the next CS Kindle short,
"Just Another Night" on June 15th
(art by EmJayArt.com) 4) From his suicidal tendencies and depression and rage issues, do you think Xander will fully be able to control his emotions and become the legend he was destined for? ~One of Xander's greatest strengths (as well as one of his greatest weaknesses) IS his self-destructive tendencies and his anger. It's said that the worst kind of opponent is one who doesn't fear death, and it's the truth; if somebody doesn't care about protecting themselves and is focused SOLELY on destroying their enemy, then being shot or stabbed isn't a concern so long as they can eradicate them before bleeding to death However, while Xander's emotions--like anybody else's--have a tendency to become their own hurdles, he's never beyond a point of seeing that his perception/approach needs to change for both his and his loved ones' benefit. For this reason, while he'll probably never be a Buddhist master of all things Zen, Xander will inevitably rise to meet the challenges he's faced with. 5) Xander is both a sang AND an auric from what we’ve gathered; does he prefer blood drinking or psychic energy for feeding? If sang, does he have limits to which he feeds from with blood and if auric, do certain “emotions” taste better than others? ~Xander, as a human, grew up with a lot of darkness and suffering in his mind and, as a result, is somewhat reluctant to enter the minds of others (after all, why invite somebody else's emotional baggage into your life if you've already got too much of your own?) and typically prefers to drink blood if given the option. However, this reluctance doesn't keep him from doing what has to be done, and if he needs to unveil a hidden thought to solve a mystery or psychically drain somebody to get the strength he needs, he will do so in the blink of an eye. As for limitations on whose neck he tears into: like any law-abiding mythos in the series, he makes a conscious effort not to feed on humans to avoid the complications that missing persons and piled corpses tend to arise. For the most part, sang vampires can sustain themselves on any sort of blood, and it's usually easier and safer to get this from animals and sources that store animal blood from slaughterhouses. However, the bagged stuff is to a vampire what freeze-dried rations are to a human; while it serves the intended purpose, it's rarely satisfying and never enjoyable. Like anything else, though, if he gets hungry enough, then ANYTHING with blood in it is an appetizing morsel. In the end, any sort of feeding (blood or psychic) is a means of keeping up his strength and/or healing from any injuries he's sustained. For this reason, he doesn't "prefer" any blood-type or emotion over another, as long as it does what it's supposed to do. [image error] MEET THE CRIMSON SHADOW CREW!! 6) Xander meets a lot of characters in book 1; out of all the characters you’ve introduced (Marcus, Stan, Estella, and The Gamer) which was your favorite to write about and which was your least? ~All of the characters I made are enjoyable in their own right, but, in the end, it was how those characters interacted with Xander--the way dialogue flows between them or how they behave around one-another--that defined my enjoyment of depicting them. With dialogue, I'm a big fan of the abrasive back-and-forths (they have a more natural feel and also allow for both tension and humor depending on the situation). With Marcus, I wanted a character who would become something like a big brother to Xander--knowledgeable and accommodating, but sarcastic and condescending at the same time--and, because of Xander's tendency to react quickly to his emotions, I loved having Marcus tease and poke at Xander. Because Stan was always somebody Xander got along with and respected there was always a sense of admiration and a drive to impress for Xander, and I liked how naturally he and Stan "meshed" on that level (to compare how Xander interacts with Stan-versus-Marcus would be comparing two cars driving headlong into one another-versus-driving side-by-side on a clear street). Amongst all the characters, however, Estella is the only one that genuinely calms and relaxes Xander and the only one you noticeably see him working to impress/make happy (in many ways I wanted to make Xander an abrasive jerk to just about anybody he encountered EXCEPT Estella). As for The Gamer… well, he's The Gamer; he's a fat, obnoxious, disgusting slob that everyone (including Xander) hates to admit is charming in his own rights (in large part because, despite knowing so much about magic and the world of mythos, he's NEVER bored with it, and it's very hard to genuinely hate somebody who's so damn excited about everything). If I have to choose a favorite, I'd have to say that Estella's charms on Xander have always been the most peaceful and heart-warming for me to write while he and Marcus have actually succeeded in making me laugh WHILE writing them (so Estella wins, but Marcus is a very close second). For my LEAST favorite… well, I never enjoyed writing scenes with Kyle (but, then again, I was never supposed to).
7) Marcus is hilarious! Xander and him seem to click easily. Will we get to see more of Xander and him in action? ~Absolutely! Readers who like Marcus will be glad to see him in several of the short stories that are being released over the next couple of months; the two doing what they do best: killing things. In many ways Xander is still in training, and Marcus is never above using a job as a means of instilling a vampiric lesson (think Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars). 8) You introduce The Gamer and he shows Xander a replica pair of pistols that are similar to the bad-ass Yin & Yang revolvers…Xander doesn’t seem too happy about it. Do you think he’ll ever be able to cope and possibly use that set in the future? ~If Xander has taught us nothing else, it's that EVERYTHING exists for some reason ;-) 9) So, we know you have a book 2 coming out soon…what can we look for in that release? ~Book #2 will answer some open-ended questions from book #1 and provide some unsettling closure therein. Readers can also look forward to a FAR more confident Xander who's more excited about killing others than himself and a great deal more (*ahem*) growth between him and Estella. Book #2 will also bring readers deeper into the Crimson Shadow universe and introduce a great many more creatures as well as spotlighting the therions, which were never touched-down upon in very much detail in "Noir". There will be gnarliness--supernatural & acrobatic fight-sequences that will make fans of action flicks, video games, and Japanese anime squirm with excitement--and plot-twists and romance and heartbreak and blood. Oh yes, there WILL be blood! 10) Finally, how many books do you plan for the Crimson Shadow series? Do you have them all planned out? ~So far, as I have it planned, there will be seven books in total for the Crimson Shadow series (all of them planned out in some form or another) that center on Xander Stryker and his legacy (there's no exact number on how many short stories will coincide with the series, but there will certainly be more than a dozen). Past that, however, there is ANOTHER series that will spin-off from the CS series and feature a character with close ties to Xander (that series is estimated at about five books). [image error] There you have it! Book #1 of the Crimson Shadow series and the chaos and insanity behind it's literary conception in a nutshell. I hope that this has helped to provide some illumination (partial as it may be) to the series and the character of Xander Stryker as well as enticing you to learn more. The journey in creating and following in Xander Stryker's growing vampire legacy is far from finished for me, and for all you wonderful readers it has only just begun. See the book/short story trailers and an unofficial, Legion-made "fan" trailer HERE!
I hope that you'll join both myself, The Literary Dark Prince, and the ever-growing group of fellow readers known as The Legion in exploring the depths of the world of Crimson Shadow and all the other stories that have come into being from it. You can find "Crimson Shadow: Noir" (available in both paperback and Kindle formats) and all of the available CS-themed Kindle shorts on Amazon HERE! Rock out, live on, & welcome to The Legion!
~Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Prince)
http://www.nathansquiers.com
But first, for those who aren't already familiar with the premise of the book:
"Xander Stryker wants to die. Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves. [image error] Book #1, "Noir"
(cover by Para Graphic) When his eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is given the ultimate choice: Continue on with his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be. Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own bloody darkness... ... and allow it to finally destroy him." [image error] Get to know The Literary Dark Prince In the beginning (nearly 10 years ago), Crimson Shadow started as a means for me to vent; a personal outlet to let some inner demons wreak the havoc they so desperately wanted to while, at the same time, keeping the public and its many innocents safe. At that time, an obsession with death and darkness motivated me to research all of the many creatures of mythology and lore that thrive off of both--especially vampires. Since the beginning of human society, vampires have, in one way or another, existed in the minds of the masses and haunted their nightmares with the threat of robbing them of their life to sustain their own. Throughout history, creatures like this have plagued the minds of humanity and, for me especially, represented an escape from reality; allowing for the fantasy of transcending the mundane and limited life of a human to become something powerful and eternal. And this escape--this means of vanquishing weakness and overcoming abuse in a way that not only brought one above their tormenters, but into a whole new plane of existence--was what I craved at that time. It was then that Xander Stryker--a boy who, like me, was self-destructive and tortured, but found a way above it all and into something so much greater than he could've ever imagined--was created. At that time, there was no plan for the project outside of "traveling" with Xander and his journey into a world of vampires and finding the strength to fight not only those that would try to do him harm, but his own desires to harm himself. For me, there was no plan--no future--outside of telling Xander's story, and I was certain that the moment I finished the piece that I would leave it as my last effort before ending my life.
Learn more about To Write Love On Her Arms(the suicide & self-harm prevention movement
that sees a donation for every copy of "Noir" sold)
But then Xander did something I'd never expected him to do… He saved my life. Somehow, in writing a story of a character who was supposed to encompass everything I could never be, I discovered strength and purpose. To add to my surprise, others--who had begun to notice a dramatic change in my mood and behavior and demanded to see what was bringing about that change--found Xander's tale (the tale that would later become the first book in the Crimson Shadow series, "Noir") worked just as well to give them strength and hope; encouraging others who had been suicidal to find their own means of overcoming their personal breeds of darkness. Seeing that this character's growth had such potential, I focused less on what the stories could do for me and more about what they could do for others. Over the years (five in total to polish the first book) I decided that I had found my calling and set my dreams on becoming an author so that I could entertain and enlighten the world (effectively deciding to shift from a nobody who wanted to die to somebody who wanted to provide the world with an enthusiastic storyteller). As Xander grew more-and-more aware of the world of vampires--a world that I wanted to be laced throughout modern-day human society so tightly that readers would genuinely believe that they, too, could experience it if they turned down the right (or wrong) dark alley. My obsessive research, as it turned out, allowed for me to build and modify on a myriad of legends to create something that mirrored the classic lore while, at the same time, shining the light on the many myths in a way that readers had never before seen them.
The process of creating/modifying legendary "monsters" to create fresh and compelling creatures for my writing proved to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks I could take on. So that others have an understanding of just how broad and complex the paranormal world stretches: I have studied global and cultural mythology for two years before starting to write Xander's story and, since then, have continued my studies (that's 12 years' worth of research--nearly half my entire life). So far, for the universe that all of my writing has taken place in, there are more than four species of vampires (one of which has three different types) and a breed of shape-shifter that encompasses werewolves, werebears, werecats (any anthropomorphic "were"-creature you can imagine) called "theriomorphs" ("therio-" being a Latin root for "beast") or "therions", for short. Other creatures (like the elf/fairy-like "anaprieks", the bat-like "Gerlins", and many more) were included, as well, so that the world of non-humans--known as "mythos"--would be just as diverse and broad as the one we already know and see every day. Being a fan of action/adventure films, comics, and Japanese anime/manga, I'd always seen the superhuman abilities of vampires, werewolves, and other such beings as a means of creating truly epic and (often literally) ground-breaking encounters and, of course, battles. If a being is strong enough to leap 30 feet into the air, punch through walls, move faster than bullets, or move anything and everything with their minds, then it stood to reason that a fight between such beings would be a true visual marvel. Now, because I've always had a cinematic mind (I'd dreamed of being a filmmaker at one time in my life), I've always written in a manner that I hoped would instill an image in the reader's mind that was not unlike the fluid visuals of watching a movie (and, with such elaborate visuals to work with, I had my work cut out for me).
[image error]
"Magic Murderer" CS short(cover by EmJayArt.com) Despite all the challenges associated with it, however, I found that building a whole new world to house my creations proved to be more fun than I'd ever expected. Because of the "rules" that I'd set in Xander's world, I had to research outside of what I was used to (psychology, philosophy, religion, biology, etc…) in order to make the creatures and their abilities believable. For the blood-drinking vampires, for example, I had the pleasure of interviewing a dentist to learn more about how the classic fangs that we all know and love would work in the real world and any biological traits that would come along with them. Magical practices and paralleling beliefs from different views were taken into consideration in order to fabricate a breed of spellcasting that ultimately defined every creature I'd created. More than anything else, though, was the realm of physics and how these glorious creatures would be capable of achieving their extraordinary abilities.
Though a lot of that effort may not be blatantly obvious in the writings, all of that time and research was not spent in vain. For a writer to be confident in their work, and, as a result, have their readers believe and accept what's being "fed" to them, there has to be a sense of continuity and believability (so that they can fully immerse themselves in their entertainment, audiences rely on a concrete understanding of what is "fact" when approaching a book, movie, comic, etc…). Research and development is, in many ways, one of the most important things for a writer to do when creating a new world (second only to following through with a project and seeing it to the end). In preparing this blog post, I decided to open the floor (so to speak) to a few readers who had questions that I felt were worth publically answering. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, feel free to post them and I'll do my best to answer without spoiling any future elements in the series:
1) Xander Stryker has a lot of challenges in his life, while you were writing his story did you have a hard time writing certain parts? ~One of the reasons book #1 took five years to complete (at least three years longer than ANY other piece I've written since) was because a great deal of scenes and emotions that I depicted were dangerously close to personal events that I was forced to step away from the project time-and-time-again to avoid slipping into depression (on several occasions, however, stepping back didn't help and, more than once, I suffered from minor breakdowns). 2) Being this story from a personal perspective, were there certain characters who you found had a lot of traits from special/important people in your life? ~Absolutely! When approaching the process of developing the characters for the book I would often consider what I needed from that character (what purpose they held in the piece) and determined a fitting personality that would drive that purpose. A lot of the time, the personalities that I "programmed" these characters with was similar to one-or-more actual people in my life (some characters, like Estella, for example, were combinations of several people--in that case my fiancé and her determination and kindness mixed with the soft-hearted nature of my mother to create a strong and capable character who detested violence and killing). Other characters were a little more vague/less literal and were built more around a TYPE of personality rather than a specific person's personality (I'd always defined Marcus as the big brother/drill sergeant-type). 3) We are briefly introduced to the character Estella; will she play a more important role in future books perhaps? ~Yes. At risk of going into too much detail and spoiling future books I can assure you that Estella's character will become VERY relevant/integral to the series. [image error] Look for the next CS Kindle short,
"Just Another Night" on June 15th
(art by EmJayArt.com) 4) From his suicidal tendencies and depression and rage issues, do you think Xander will fully be able to control his emotions and become the legend he was destined for? ~One of Xander's greatest strengths (as well as one of his greatest weaknesses) IS his self-destructive tendencies and his anger. It's said that the worst kind of opponent is one who doesn't fear death, and it's the truth; if somebody doesn't care about protecting themselves and is focused SOLELY on destroying their enemy, then being shot or stabbed isn't a concern so long as they can eradicate them before bleeding to death However, while Xander's emotions--like anybody else's--have a tendency to become their own hurdles, he's never beyond a point of seeing that his perception/approach needs to change for both his and his loved ones' benefit. For this reason, while he'll probably never be a Buddhist master of all things Zen, Xander will inevitably rise to meet the challenges he's faced with. 5) Xander is both a sang AND an auric from what we’ve gathered; does he prefer blood drinking or psychic energy for feeding? If sang, does he have limits to which he feeds from with blood and if auric, do certain “emotions” taste better than others? ~Xander, as a human, grew up with a lot of darkness and suffering in his mind and, as a result, is somewhat reluctant to enter the minds of others (after all, why invite somebody else's emotional baggage into your life if you've already got too much of your own?) and typically prefers to drink blood if given the option. However, this reluctance doesn't keep him from doing what has to be done, and if he needs to unveil a hidden thought to solve a mystery or psychically drain somebody to get the strength he needs, he will do so in the blink of an eye. As for limitations on whose neck he tears into: like any law-abiding mythos in the series, he makes a conscious effort not to feed on humans to avoid the complications that missing persons and piled corpses tend to arise. For the most part, sang vampires can sustain themselves on any sort of blood, and it's usually easier and safer to get this from animals and sources that store animal blood from slaughterhouses. However, the bagged stuff is to a vampire what freeze-dried rations are to a human; while it serves the intended purpose, it's rarely satisfying and never enjoyable. Like anything else, though, if he gets hungry enough, then ANYTHING with blood in it is an appetizing morsel. In the end, any sort of feeding (blood or psychic) is a means of keeping up his strength and/or healing from any injuries he's sustained. For this reason, he doesn't "prefer" any blood-type or emotion over another, as long as it does what it's supposed to do. [image error] MEET THE CRIMSON SHADOW CREW!! 6) Xander meets a lot of characters in book 1; out of all the characters you’ve introduced (Marcus, Stan, Estella, and The Gamer) which was your favorite to write about and which was your least? ~All of the characters I made are enjoyable in their own right, but, in the end, it was how those characters interacted with Xander--the way dialogue flows between them or how they behave around one-another--that defined my enjoyment of depicting them. With dialogue, I'm a big fan of the abrasive back-and-forths (they have a more natural feel and also allow for both tension and humor depending on the situation). With Marcus, I wanted a character who would become something like a big brother to Xander--knowledgeable and accommodating, but sarcastic and condescending at the same time--and, because of Xander's tendency to react quickly to his emotions, I loved having Marcus tease and poke at Xander. Because Stan was always somebody Xander got along with and respected there was always a sense of admiration and a drive to impress for Xander, and I liked how naturally he and Stan "meshed" on that level (to compare how Xander interacts with Stan-versus-Marcus would be comparing two cars driving headlong into one another-versus-driving side-by-side on a clear street). Amongst all the characters, however, Estella is the only one that genuinely calms and relaxes Xander and the only one you noticeably see him working to impress/make happy (in many ways I wanted to make Xander an abrasive jerk to just about anybody he encountered EXCEPT Estella). As for The Gamer… well, he's The Gamer; he's a fat, obnoxious, disgusting slob that everyone (including Xander) hates to admit is charming in his own rights (in large part because, despite knowing so much about magic and the world of mythos, he's NEVER bored with it, and it's very hard to genuinely hate somebody who's so damn excited about everything). If I have to choose a favorite, I'd have to say that Estella's charms on Xander have always been the most peaceful and heart-warming for me to write while he and Marcus have actually succeeded in making me laugh WHILE writing them (so Estella wins, but Marcus is a very close second). For my LEAST favorite… well, I never enjoyed writing scenes with Kyle (but, then again, I was never supposed to).
7) Marcus is hilarious! Xander and him seem to click easily. Will we get to see more of Xander and him in action? ~Absolutely! Readers who like Marcus will be glad to see him in several of the short stories that are being released over the next couple of months; the two doing what they do best: killing things. In many ways Xander is still in training, and Marcus is never above using a job as a means of instilling a vampiric lesson (think Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars). 8) You introduce The Gamer and he shows Xander a replica pair of pistols that are similar to the bad-ass Yin & Yang revolvers…Xander doesn’t seem too happy about it. Do you think he’ll ever be able to cope and possibly use that set in the future? ~If Xander has taught us nothing else, it's that EVERYTHING exists for some reason ;-) 9) So, we know you have a book 2 coming out soon…what can we look for in that release? ~Book #2 will answer some open-ended questions from book #1 and provide some unsettling closure therein. Readers can also look forward to a FAR more confident Xander who's more excited about killing others than himself and a great deal more (*ahem*) growth between him and Estella. Book #2 will also bring readers deeper into the Crimson Shadow universe and introduce a great many more creatures as well as spotlighting the therions, which were never touched-down upon in very much detail in "Noir". There will be gnarliness--supernatural & acrobatic fight-sequences that will make fans of action flicks, video games, and Japanese anime squirm with excitement--and plot-twists and romance and heartbreak and blood. Oh yes, there WILL be blood! 10) Finally, how many books do you plan for the Crimson Shadow series? Do you have them all planned out? ~So far, as I have it planned, there will be seven books in total for the Crimson Shadow series (all of them planned out in some form or another) that center on Xander Stryker and his legacy (there's no exact number on how many short stories will coincide with the series, but there will certainly be more than a dozen). Past that, however, there is ANOTHER series that will spin-off from the CS series and feature a character with close ties to Xander (that series is estimated at about five books). [image error] There you have it! Book #1 of the Crimson Shadow series and the chaos and insanity behind it's literary conception in a nutshell. I hope that this has helped to provide some illumination (partial as it may be) to the series and the character of Xander Stryker as well as enticing you to learn more. The journey in creating and following in Xander Stryker's growing vampire legacy is far from finished for me, and for all you wonderful readers it has only just begun. See the book/short story trailers and an unofficial, Legion-made "fan" trailer HERE!
I hope that you'll join both myself, The Literary Dark Prince, and the ever-growing group of fellow readers known as The Legion in exploring the depths of the world of Crimson Shadow and all the other stories that have come into being from it. You can find "Crimson Shadow: Noir" (available in both paperback and Kindle formats) and all of the available CS-themed Kindle shorts on Amazon HERE! Rock out, live on, & welcome to The Legion!
~Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Prince)
http://www.nathansquiers.com
BATHED IN THE CRIMSON SHADOW (illuminating what's to come):
[image error]
"Wicked Paints" short
(cover by EmJayArt.com)
With the release of "Crimson Shadow: Noir", book
#1 in my vamp-goth psycho-thriller series, and several short stories that tie
into the series ("Wicked Paints, "Magic Murderer", and the
soon-to-debut "Just Another Night" [June 15th]), I thought
I'd take the time to better acquaint everybody with the series as well as give
a "behind-the-scenes" look at what's gone into creating the Crimson
Shadow world.
But
first, for those who aren't already familiar with the premise of the book:
"Xander
Stryker wants to die.
Ever since
witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he
was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's
denied the death he craves.
[image error]
Book #1, "Noir"
(cover by Para Graphic)
When his
eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when
his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of
vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new
reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is
given the ultimate choice:
Continue on with
his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be.
Unfortunately,
the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and
Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the
new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to
crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or
will he succumb to his own bloody darkness...
... and allow it
to finally destroy him."
[image error]
Get to know The Literary Dark Prince
In the beginning (nearly 10 years ago),
Crimson Shadow started as a means for me to vent; a personal outlet to let some
inner demons wreak the havoc they so desperately wanted to while, at the same
time, keeping the public and its many innocents safe. At that time, an
obsession with death and darkness motivated me to research all of the many
creatures of mythology and lore that thrive off of both--especially vampires.
Since the beginning of human society, vampires have, in one way or another,
existed in the minds of the masses and haunted their nightmares with the threat
of robbing them of their life to sustain their own. Throughout history,
creatures like this have plagued the minds of humanity and, for me especially,
represented an escape from reality; allowing for the fantasy of transcending
the mundane and limited life of a human to become something powerful and
eternal. And this escape--this means of vanquishing weakness and overcoming
abuse in a way that not only brought one above their tormenters, but into a
whole new plane of existence--was what I craved at that time.
It was then that Xander
Stryker--a boy who, like me, was self-destructive and tortured, but found a way
above it all and into something so much greater than he could've ever
imagined--was created.
At that time, there was no plan
for the project outside of "traveling" with Xander and his journey
into a world of vampires and finding the strength to fight not only those that
would try to do him harm, but his own desires to harm himself. For me, there was
no plan--no future--outside of telling Xander's story, and I was certain that
the moment I finished the piece that I would leave it as my last effort before
ending my life.
Learn more about To Write Love On Her Arms
(the suicide & self-harm prevention movement
that sees a donation for every copy of "Noir" sold)
But then Xander did something I'd
never expected him to do…
He saved my life.
Somehow,
in writing a story of a character who was supposed to encompass everything I
could never be, I discovered strength and purpose. To add to my surprise,
others--who had begun to notice a dramatic change in my mood and behavior and
demanded to see what was bringing about that change--found Xander's tale (the
tale that would later become the first book in the Crimson Shadow series,
"Noir") worked just as well to give them strength and hope; encouraging
others who had been suicidal to find their own means of overcoming their
personal breeds of darkness. Seeing that this character's growth had such potential,
I focused less on what the stories could do for me and more about what they
could do for others. Over the years (five in total to polish the first book) I
decided that I had found my calling and set my dreams on becoming an author so
that I could entertain and enlighten the world (effectively deciding to shift
from a nobody who wanted to die to somebody who wanted to provide the world
with an enthusiastic storyteller).
As Xander grew more-and-more
aware of the world of vampires--a world that I wanted to be laced throughout
modern-day human society so tightly that readers would genuinely believe that
they, too, could experience it if they turned down the right (or wrong) dark
alley. My obsessive research, as it turned out, allowed for me to build and
modify on a myriad of legends to create something that mirrored the classic lore
while, at the same time, shining the light on the many myths in a way that
readers had never before seen them.
The process of creating/modifying
legendary "monsters" to create fresh and compelling creatures for my
writing proved to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks I
could take on. So that others have an understanding of just how broad and
complex the paranormal world stretches: I have studied global and cultural
mythology for two years before starting to write Xander's story and, since
then, have continued my studies (that's 12 years' worth of research--nearly
half my entire life).
So
far, for the universe that all of my writing has taken place in, there are more
than four species of vampires (one of which has three different types) and a
breed of shape-shifter that encompasses werewolves, werebears, werecats (any
anthropomorphic "were"-creature you can imagine) called
"theriomorphs" ("therio-"
being a Latin root for "beast") or "therions", for short.
Other creatures (like the elf/fairy-like "anaprieks", the bat-like
"Gerlins", and many more) were included, as well, so that the world
of non-humans--known as "mythos"--would be just as diverse and broad
as the one we already know and see every day.
Being a fan of action/adventure
films, comics, and Japanese anime/manga, I'd always seen the superhuman
abilities of vampires, werewolves, and other such beings as a means of creating
truly epic and (often literally) ground-breaking encounters and, of course,
battles. If a being is strong enough to leap 30 feet into the air, punch
through walls, move faster than bullets, or move anything and everything with
their minds, then it stood to reason that a fight between such beings would be
a true visual marvel. Now, because I've always had a cinematic mind (I'd
dreamed of being a filmmaker at one time in my life), I've always written in a
manner that I hoped would instill an image in the reader's mind that was not
unlike the fluid visuals of watching a movie (and, with such elaborate visuals
to work with, I had my work cut out for me).
[image error]
"Magic Murderer" CS short
(cover by EmJayArt.com)
Despite all the challenges
associated with it, however, I found that building a whole new world to house
my creations proved to be more fun than I'd ever expected. Because of the
"rules" that I'd set in Xander's world, I had to research outside of
what I was used to (psychology, philosophy, religion, biology, etc…) in order
to make the creatures and their abilities believable. For the blood-drinking
vampires, for example, I had the pleasure of interviewing a dentist to learn
more about how the classic fangs that we all know and love would work in the
real world and any biological traits that would come along with them. Magical
practices and paralleling beliefs from different views were taken into
consideration in order to fabricate a breed of spellcasting that ultimately
defined every creature I'd created. More than anything else, though, was the
realm of physics and how these glorious creatures would be capable of achieving
their extraordinary abilities.
Though a lot of that effort may
not be blatantly obvious in the writings, all of that time and research was not
spent in vain. For a writer to be confident in their work, and, as a result,
have their readers believe and accept what's being "fed" to them,
there has to be a sense of continuity and believability (so that they can fully
immerse themselves in their entertainment, audiences rely on a concrete
understanding of what is "fact" when approaching a book, movie,
comic, etc…). Research and development is, in many ways, one of the most
important things for a writer to do when creating a new world (second only to
following through with a project and seeing it to the end).
In preparing this blog post, I
decided to open the floor (so to speak) to a few readers who had questions that
I felt were worth publically answering. If you have any questions that aren't
answered here, feel free to post them and I'll do my best to answer without
spoiling any future elements in the series:
1) Xander
Stryker has a lot of challenges in his life, while you were writing his story
did you have a hard time writing certain parts?
~One
of the reasons book #1 took five years to complete (at least three years longer
than ANY other piece I've written since) was because a great deal of scenes and
emotions that I depicted were dangerously close to personal events that I was
forced to step away from the project time-and-time-again to avoid slipping into
depression (on several occasions, however, stepping back didn't help and, more
than once, I suffered from minor breakdowns).
2) Being
this story from a personal perspective, were there certain characters who you
found had a lot of traits from special/important people in your life?
~Absolutely!
When approaching the process of developing the characters for the book I would
often consider what I needed from that character (what purpose they held in the
piece) and determined a fitting personality that would drive that purpose. A
lot of the time, the personalities that I "programmed" these
characters with was similar to one-or-more actual people in my life (some
characters, like Estella, for example, were combinations of several people--in
that case my fiancé and her determination and kindness mixed with the
soft-hearted nature of my mother to create a strong and capable character who
detested violence and killing). Other characters were a little more vague/less
literal and were built more around a TYPE of personality rather than a specific
person's personality (I'd always defined Marcus as the big brother/drill sergeant-type).
3) We
are briefly introduced to the character Estella; will she play a more important
role in future books perhaps?
~Yes.
At risk of going into too much detail and spoiling future books I can assure
you that Estella's character will become VERY relevant/integral to the series.
[image error]
Look for the next CS Kindle short,
"Just Another Night" on June 15th
(art by EmJayArt.com)
4) From
his suicidal tendencies and depression and rage issues, do you think Xander
will fully be able to control his emotions and become the legend he was
destined for?
~One
of Xander's greatest strengths (as well as one of his greatest weaknesses) IS
his self-destructive tendencies and his anger. It's said that the worst kind of
opponent is one who doesn't fear death, and it's the truth; if somebody doesn't
care about protecting themselves and is focused SOLELY on destroying their enemy,
then being shot or stabbed isn't a concern so long as they can eradicate them
before bleeding to death
However,
while Xander's emotions--like anybody else's--have a tendency to become their
own hurdles, he's never beyond a point of seeing that his perception/approach
needs to change for both his and his loved ones' benefit. For this reason,
while he'll probably never be a Buddhist master of all things Zen, Xander will
inevitably rise to meet the challenges he's faced with.
5) Xander
is both a sang AND an auric from what we’ve gathered; does he prefer blood
drinking or psychic energy for feeding? If sang, does he have limits to which
he feeds from with blood and if auric, do certain “emotions” taste better than
others?
~Xander,
as a human, grew up with a lot of darkness and suffering in his mind and, as a
result, is somewhat reluctant to enter the minds of others (after all, why
invite somebody else's emotional baggage into your life if you've already got
too much of your own?) and typically prefers to drink blood if given the
option. However, this reluctance doesn't keep him from doing what has to be done,
and if he needs to unveil a hidden thought to solve a mystery or psychically
drain somebody to get the strength he needs, he will do so in the blink of an
eye.
As
for limitations on whose neck he tears into: like any law-abiding mythos in the
series, he makes a conscious effort not to feed on humans to avoid the
complications that missing persons and piled corpses tend to arise. For the
most part, sang vampires can sustain themselves on any sort of blood, and it's
usually easier and safer to get this from animals and sources that store animal
blood from slaughterhouses. However, the bagged stuff is to a vampire what
freeze-dried rations are to a human; while it serves the intended purpose, it's
rarely satisfying and never enjoyable. Like anything else, though, if he gets
hungry enough, then ANYTHING with blood in it is an appetizing morsel.
In
the end, any sort of feeding (blood or psychic) is a means of keeping up his
strength and/or healing from any injuries he's sustained. For this reason, he
doesn't "prefer" any blood-type or emotion over another, as long as
it does what it's supposed to do.
[image error]
MEET THE CRIMSON SHADOW CREW!!
6) Xander
meets a lot of characters in book 1; out of all the characters you’ve
introduced (Marcus, Stan, Estella, and The Gamer) which was your favorite to
write about and which was your least?
~All
of the characters I made are enjoyable in their own right, but, in the end, it
was how those characters interacted with Xander--the way dialogue flows between
them or how they behave around one-another--that defined my enjoyment of
depicting them. With dialogue, I'm a big fan of the abrasive back-and-forths
(they have a more natural feel and also allow for both tension and humor
depending on the situation). With Marcus, I wanted a character who would become
something like a big brother to Xander--knowledgeable and accommodating, but
sarcastic and condescending at the same time--and, because of Xander's tendency
to react quickly to his emotions, I loved having Marcus tease and poke at
Xander. Because Stan was always somebody Xander got along with and respected
there was always a sense of admiration and a drive to impress for Xander, and I
liked how naturally he and Stan "meshed" on that level (to compare
how Xander interacts with Stan-versus-Marcus would be comparing two cars
driving headlong into one another-versus-driving side-by-side on a clear
street). Amongst all the characters, however, Estella is the only one that
genuinely calms and relaxes Xander and the only one you noticeably see him
working to impress/make happy (in many ways I wanted to make Xander an abrasive
jerk to just about anybody he encountered EXCEPT Estella). As for The Gamer…
well, he's The Gamer; he's a fat, obnoxious, disgusting slob that everyone
(including Xander) hates to admit is charming in his own rights (in large part
because, despite knowing so much about magic and the world of mythos, he's
NEVER bored with it, and it's very hard to genuinely hate somebody who's so
damn excited about everything).
If
I have to choose a favorite, I'd have to say that Estella's charms on Xander
have always been the most peaceful and heart-warming for me to write while he
and Marcus have actually succeeded in making me laugh WHILE writing them (so
Estella wins, but Marcus is a very close second). For my LEAST favorite… well,
I never enjoyed writing scenes with Kyle (but, then again, I was never supposed
to).
7) Marcus
is hilarious! Xander and him seem to click easily. Will we get to see more of
Xander and him in action?
~Absolutely!
Readers
who like Marcus will be glad to see him in several of the short stories that
are being released over the next couple of months; the two doing what they do
best: killing things. In many ways Xander is still in training, and Marcus is
never above using a job as a means of instilling a vampiric lesson (think
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars).
8) You
introduce The Gamer and he shows Xander a replica pair of pistols that are
similar to the bad-ass Yin & Yang revolvers…Xander doesn’t seem too happy
about it. Do you think he’ll ever be able to cope and possibly use that set in
the future?
~If
Xander has taught us nothing else, it's that EVERYTHING exists for some reason
;-)
9) So,
we know you have a book 2 coming out soon…what can we look for in that release?
~Book
#2 will answer some open-ended questions from book #1 and provide some
unsettling closure therein. Readers can also look forward to a FAR more
confident Xander who's more excited about killing others than himself and a
great deal more (*ahem*) growth between him and Estella. Book #2 will also
bring readers deeper into the Crimson Shadow universe and introduce a great
many more creatures as well as spotlighting the therions, which were never
touched-down upon in very much detail in "Noir". There will be
gnarliness--supernatural & acrobatic fight-sequences that will make fans of
action flicks, video games, and Japanese anime squirm with excitement--and
plot-twists and romance and heartbreak and blood.
Oh
yes, there WILL be blood!
10) Finally, how many books do you plan for the
Crimson Shadow series? Do you have them all planned out?
~So
far, as I have it planned, there will be seven books in total for the Crimson
Shadow series (all of them planned out in some form or another) that center on
Xander Stryker and his legacy (there's no exact number on how many short
stories will coincide with the series, but there will certainly be more than a
dozen). Past that, however, there is ANOTHER series that will spin-off from the
CS series and feature a character with close ties to Xander (that series is
estimated at about five books).
[image error] There you have it! Book #1
of the Crimson Shadow series and the chaos and insanity behind it's literary
conception in a nutshell. I hope that this has helped to provide some illumination (partial as it may be) to
the series and the character of Xander Stryker as well as enticing you to learn
more. The journey in creating and following in Xander Stryker's growing vampire
legacy is far from finished for me, and for all you wonderful readers it has
only just begun.
I hope that you'll join both
myself, The Literary Dark Prince, and the ever-growing group of fellow readers
known as The Legion in exploring the depths of the world of Crimson Shadow and
all the other stories that have come into being from it. You can find
"Crimson Shadow: Noir" (available in both paperback and Kindle
formats) and all of the available CS-themed Kindle shorts on Amazon HERE!
Rock out, live on, & welcome
to The Legion!
~Nathan Squiers
(The Literary Dark Prince)
http://www.nathansquiers.com
June 7, 2012
Get your copy today and help out the families of cancer patients!!
[image error] via freewebstore.org 
"For a hundred years no one talked about it…all the people, mainly women, who had mysteriously disappeared in this picture perfect town nestled in between lush rolling hills and a lake that stretched out like the sea itself. No one wanted to remember that at one time the ignorance of not knowing was what fueled the mob, and a mob it was, when provoked by bible thumpers and boredom."
Meet "Alexi", not your typical teenage girl, as she invites you into her world in the small town of "Ravenswood". Alexi has suffered a loss, but despite her hidden sadness, she manages to find a shining light in the darkness as she goes on an adventure of a lifetime. Alexi is soon to discover her witchy past and along with her best friend "Logan" and the mysterious new boy who moves to town, that of "Kyle Huntington" , things are set into motion and all of Ravenswood secrets are soon to be uncovered. "Stuff & Things and what boredom brings" is book one in "a witches tale" series by paranormal author Rue Volley (Blood & Light Vampire Series/ Razor Saga/Vampire Fetish series). It is sure to delight with its humor and unexpected twists and turns. This story embraces witchcraft and other paranormal what nots.
FREE DELIVERY on this product
May 13, 2012
AND IN THIS CORNER...
Caught a bit of a snag that threw me off from my schedule for this month's lineup of fellow Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly authors, but things have cleared up and the show--as they say (whoever "they" are)--must go on!
[image error]
That being said, I'm excited to introduce you all to the newest author with the CH&BB family, Sinead MacDuglas:
Be sure to check out Sinead and learn more about her work HERE and "Like" her on Facebook HERE!!
[image error]
That being said, I'm excited to introduce you all to the newest author with the CH&BB family, Sinead MacDuglas:
Who am I? This is the question I put to
myself for this guest post, and it's a much more difficult question to answer
than I anticipated. I mean, who I am now is really a result of who I've been, who I've known, and what I've
experienced, isn't it? When we ask someone who they are, aren't we usually
asking who they've been?
So let's begin there. Who have I been?
I have been an accident. At least I began
life that way. I was an unexpected baby, born to a teenaged mother, and a
reluctant father. My Mom, for her part, never gave me reason to feel like any
less than a happy accident, though.
I have been a victim. That goes back, I
suppose, to the reluctant father, who took his frustration out on his wife and
child with his fists. Mom put herself in the way, as much as she could, until
she escaped, taking me with her. In
school, I was nearly always the smallest child, and my fear of conflict added
to that made me the perfect target for bullies. I didn't help myself by being
precocious, overly friendly, and eager to please. My entire being just screamed,
"Needy!" As a teenager, I was
awkward, plain, and mouthy, which didn't improve my social status. Looking
twelve years old when I was seventeen, didn't help much. Needless to say, I was plagued with confidence
issues well into my twenties, falling "in
love" with any boy who'd pay attention to me — usually the wrong boy. It
took a long time to shake my victim mentality, and take responsibility for
allowing myself to remain a victim for so long. So, I suppose you could say
I've been a survivor as well.
I was a dreamer. I had an imaginary friend
as a child. Her name was Maryanne, and she was incredibly real to me, until I
was close to seven years old. Maryanne was everything I wasn't. Where I was
clumsy, she was graceful. Where I had a lisp, she spoke clearly and
confidently. She had perfectly aligned, emerald-green eyes, and gorgeous black
hair. I had plain blue eyes, one of which would drift off to the side
unannounced, and mousy brown/blonde hair. Maryanne was beautiful, funny and
popular, and she was my best friend.
[image error]
I talked to my toys as if they were real. I
firmly believed that I could communicate with animals, and trees. I lived in
dreams, and I dreamt in fairytales. Books were my escape. By the age of six I
was reading on a third grade level. By the time I was ten, I'd read two books a
day, and sometimes steal my Mom or Grandmother's library books for more words
to devour.
I dreamt of being an actress, a singer,
someone famous. I loved music, and I prayed for a voice that would touch
people's hearts, and make them smile, laugh, or weep. I did get a voice that
makes people weep. lol. I try to restrict my singing to when I'm in the car ...
alone ... on back-roads.
I was a gypsy. At one time, I could
remember every house and apartment I'd lived in. If I had the time, I could
possibly describe each one. Suffice to say I've lived in forty-two locations in
my (not quite) forty -two years on the planet. At one point, I'd moved so many
times, in such a short period, I stopped unpacking most of my boxes. I've left
behind more belongings than most people accumulate in a lifetime. I don't own
more than a dozen photos of myself in my early twenties. My high-school yearbooks, and a large portion
of my early writings, were sacrificed in an escape from an unhealthy
relationship. More was left behind when I divorced. "Starting fresh"
is something I've become proficient at.
I was a jack of all trades. Though many of
my moves took place in a central location, I've sometimes moved fair distances,
which meant a change of occupation as well. Jobs can be scarce for a
high-school dropout, so I worked at whatever was available. I've been a
waitress, a taxi-driver, a short-order cook, a library clerk, an amateur model,
a retail clerk, a receptionist, and a housekeeper. I've worked at bricklaying,
cabinet making, antique refinishing and putting up drywall. For a while I was a
telephone sales operator. I started my own print advertising business once,
after working for a small local printer, and I was a manager of three stores in
a chain of hair salons. There's more,
but that should give you a general idea.
I was a chameleon. My hair has been
nearly every colour imaginable. I went
through a preppy phase, a new age phase, a hippy phase, a rocker phase, a heavy
metal phase and a punker phase. I always fall back on my blue jeans and
t-shirts in the end, though I'm prone to a power-suit and heels when I'm
working. My chameleonism, (yes, I made that word up), was just as much about my
personality as my appearance, though. I developed a knack for blending into
nearly any crowd, and taking on whatever role was required. It's a handy skill
when dealing with the public, but one that's become less important to me as I
get older.
I was a lover. I believe I still am. I love
— love. I love falling in love, being in love, expressing love and sharing it.
Maybe I'm still a little naive, but I still believe that "love conquers
all".
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I am — me. Just me. The victim is no longer
a target. The little girl who wanted everyone to like her isn't quite so needy
anymore. The dreamer is a little more jaded, but not ready to give up just yet.
The gypsy remarried, settled down, and started a family. The jack-of-all trades
is concentrating on being a wife, mom, and writer. The chameleon has faded back
into a fairly plain woman, who can still work a make-up brush, (when it's
absolutely necessary), and the lover ... well, the lover hasn't changed.
If you want to know more about who I am,
you can find me in my writing. All of my
characters have a little of me in their make-up. I'll let you guess which bits, though. I tend
to mix a lot of people into each character, like a literary Dr. Frankenstein.
Writer's words are much like a window. The frame provides our view, (however
limited), of the world, but the glass often reflects our image, (however
distorted), back to us, as well.
Happy reading, everyone!
Be sure to check out Sinead and learn more about her work HERE and "Like" her on Facebook HERE!!
May 3, 2012
Meet Xander Stryker--self-destructive, gun-toting vampire badass--and the world of Crimson Shadow!!!
[image error]
Because real-deal vampires should make the blood run cold or not at all!
Fresh on the scene from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing is a triple-whammy of vampire violence and monster mayhem with a fresh face in the fanged & blood-sucking genre.
Available now on Amazon, you can find three sources of Crimson Shadow-themed awesomeness:
[image error]
Crimson_Shadow_Official_Book_Trailer_-_YouTube.flv Watch on Posterous
Find out more about the Crimson Shadow series and other works by Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Prince) at his OFFICIAL author page!!
Because real-deal vampires should make the blood run cold or not at all!
Fresh on the scene from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing is a triple-whammy of vampire violence and monster mayhem with a fresh face in the fanged & blood-sucking genre.
Available now on Amazon, you can find three sources of Crimson Shadow-themed awesomeness:
~"Wicked Paints" - A prequel/short story for book #1 of the series, "Noir", featuring a talented painter who's astral encounter with Xander's tortured past drives her over the edge.
~"Morbid Seraphic" - A collection of stories hosted & edited by author S.K. Whiteside centered around the divine-and-damned alike. Meet the mysterious and alluring Malachi, see epic battles between angels and demons alike, and get an in-depth look at Crimson Shadow's eerie and powerful friend to Xander in the short story, "S(a)TAN"!
~"Noir" - Book #1 in the Crimson Shadow series:
"Xander Stryker wants to die.
Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves.
When his eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is given the ultimate choice:
Continue on with his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be.
Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own bloody darkness...
... and allow it to finally destroy him."
[image error]
Crimson_Shadow_Official_Book_Trailer_-_YouTube.flv Watch on Posterous
Find out more about the Crimson Shadow series and other works by Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Prince) at his OFFICIAL author page!!
AND FROM THE ASHES RISES...
[image error]
So it has been less-than half-a-year
since I was signed with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing, and to
say that I've grown close with everyone in the group would be an
understatement. Because I love my literary family, and because each and every
one of them is worth checking out, I'll be dedicating this month to a series of
guest blog posts from other CH&BB authors & staff so that you can get
to know the group that will be taking over the world one reader at a time!
Up first is the author of the H.E.A.R.T. Saga and a true literary Phoenix! It
is an honor and a privilege to introduce Linna Drehmel:
Hello my name is Linna Drehmel.
[image error]
I am an author with Crushing Hearts
and Black Butterfly Publishing. They are a pretty amazing group of talented
people whom I have come to love. I love to write SciFi/Fantasy/Goth stories. I
have always loved to write as well as read in this genre. I also have a deep
love for music. I always listen to my muses while I write. Some of my muses are
William Control, Depeche Mode, and Josh Groban.
I am just getting started in the publishing world and have two books out.
On February 29th the Dark Light anthology was released by Crushing Hearts and
Black Butterfly publishing. I have three stories in this anthology. His first
snow, is the first of my stories in the anthology and it is an angels and demon
story. I originally wrote it for a local writing contest and it took 3rd place.
The Darkon Prophecy is the second one of my stories to be in the anthology and
it is my own little spin on classic goth: Vampires which I call Darkons,
Werewolves which I call Mond’tier, and Shape shifter cousin of the werewolf
which I call Boser’traum. The third story I have in the anthology is a unique
goth style story that is other worldly where a human girl must learn to believe
in herself in order to fight off the Wraith, a gargoyle like race that feasts
on human flesh.
On March 17th my first full novel The Children was released by Crushing Hearts
and Black Butterfly Publishing. It is the first book in a five book series
called the H.E.A.R.T. Saga. It is a rich and intricate scifi story where there
is a tiny little planet with a seemingly perfect world. The HEART is the god of
this planed and controls the lives and minds of all her children with and
addictive energy force. But all is not well with the HEART’s children, because
she has a dark secret.
It all started On July 5, 2011 when the idea for the story came to me. I was at
my churches Temple just sitting there peacefully and suddenly the idea for the
basic plot came to me. I began writing the outline. It took me about four weeks
to get that done, then it took me about 5 weeks to get the actual book written.
I spent several more months doing editing and searching for the right
publisher. Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly publishing, owned and operated
by SJ Davis. They are wonderful and very much a publishing family, were we all
support and help each other in our writing endeavors.
[image error]
Find Linna on Amazon HERE
I had my lovely cover art made by the very talented Para Graphics.
I am now about 2/3 of the way finished writing book two in the H.E.A.R.T. Saga.
I also have another anthology that I have been working on with some of my
publishing family, and I have outlined three new stories as well as a trilogy.
It has been a hard journey toward being published but a rewarding one. I love
writing and it is a great feeling to know that my work touches people.
Thank you once again for having me on your blog.
Linna Drehmel
SciFi/Fantasy/goth author at Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
H.E.A.R.T. Saga: The Children
The Dark Light Anthology
Let your light so shine.
[image error]SOAR WITH THE PHOENIX!!
So it has been less-than half-a-year
since I was signed with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing, and to
say that I've grown close with everyone in the group would be an
understatement. Because I love my literary family, and because each and every
one of them is worth checking out, I'll be dedicating this month to a series of
guest blog posts from other CH&BB authors & staff so that you can get
to know the group that will be taking over the world one reader at a time!
Up first is the author of the H.E.A.R.T. Saga and a true literary Phoenix! It
is an honor and a privilege to introduce Linna Drehmel:
Hello my name is Linna Drehmel.
[image error]
I am an author with Crushing Hearts
and Black Butterfly Publishing. They are a pretty amazing group of talented
people whom I have come to love. I love to write SciFi/Fantasy/Goth stories. I
have always loved to write as well as read in this genre. I also have a deep
love for music. I always listen to my muses while I write. Some of my muses are
William Control, Depeche Mode, and Josh Groban.
I am just getting started in the publishing world and have two books out.
On February 29th the Dark Light anthology was released by Crushing Hearts and
Black Butterfly publishing. I have three stories in this anthology. His first
snow, is the first of my stories in the anthology and it is an angels and demon
story. I originally wrote it for a local writing contest and it took 3rd place.
The Darkon Prophecy is the second one of my stories to be in the anthology and
it is my own little spin on classic goth: Vampires which I call Darkons,
Werewolves which I call Mond’tier, and Shape shifter cousin of the werewolf
which I call Boser’traum. The third story I have in the anthology is a unique
goth style story that is other worldly where a human girl must learn to believe
in herself in order to fight off the Wraith, a gargoyle like race that feasts
on human flesh.
On March 17th my first full novel The Children was released by Crushing Hearts
and Black Butterfly Publishing. It is the first book in a five book series
called the H.E.A.R.T. Saga. It is a rich and intricate scifi story where there
is a tiny little planet with a seemingly perfect world. The HEART is the god of
this planed and controls the lives and minds of all her children with and
addictive energy force. But all is not well with the HEART’s children, because
she has a dark secret.
It all started On July 5, 2011 when the idea for the story came to me. I was at
my churches Temple just sitting there peacefully and suddenly the idea for the
basic plot came to me. I began writing the outline. It took me about four weeks
to get that done, then it took me about 5 weeks to get the actual book written.
I spent several more months doing editing and searching for the right
publisher. Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly publishing, owned and operated
by SJ Davis. They are wonderful and very much a publishing family, were we all
support and help each other in our writing endeavors.
[image error]
Find Linna on Amazon HERE
I had my lovely cover art made by the very talented Para Graphics.
I am now about 2/3 of the way finished writing book two in the H.E.A.R.T. Saga.
I also have another anthology that I have been working on with some of my
publishing family, and I have outlined three new stories as well as a trilogy.
It has been a hard journey toward being published but a rewarding one. I love
writing and it is a great feeling to know that my work touches people.
Thank you once again for having me on your blog.
Linna Drehmel
SciFi/Fantasy/goth author at Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
H.E.A.R.T. Saga: The Children
The Dark Light Anthology
Let your light so shine.
[image error]SOAR WITH THE PHOENIX!!
April 17, 2012
THE PERFECT CANVAS
Go ahead and tell me this isn't beautiful.
With my new-and-improved, beautified Blog, I think I'll address a very obvious and relevant topic pertaining to yours truly:
I've long-since gotten used to (and even comfortable with) the reactions of society and its occupants in regards to my appearance. Since the first hole was punched through my body, I've acknowledged that my decisions would be met with varied opinions, and that those opinions would not always be in my favor (let alone kind). Piercings and tattoos, as a lifestyle rather than a momentary fad, represent the wearer's acceptance that they're visibly separating themselves from the standards of a society that that has yet to see the relevance in the gesture (cultural or aesthetic).
So who's the antagonist in this tale?
Who is wrong and who is right?
This is, of course, where it is expected of me to veer off into a biased rant of the sheer and unparalleled awesomeness of taking needles and using them to force ink or metal into the skin. But since when have I been the predictable type?
While I may not agree wholeheartedly with it, the mass' standards for how one should look is based on an understandably primitive approach on naturalism. The human mind, on a subconscious level, is usually opposed to elements that go against a preset "grain" of what their senses are programmed to understand. Because many cultures approach physical appearance as one of "cleanliness" and symmetry, elements that contradict those notions of what is "attractive" conflict with their standards. Because those that are conflicted by such visuals will very rarely acknowledge that they're simply reacting on cultural brainwashing and push past their programming, it becomes the fault of the subject in question.
Wearing a smile... and some big-ass tunnels.
Long ago, this sort of response may have proved essential in one's survival (seeing a potentially questionable stranger with many scars or foreign markings may illustrate a dangerous individual that should be avoided). However, as societies have evolved, their citizens have not, and what we end up with are people trying to avoid an invasion/attack when there's no threat to begin with.
Others view piercings and tattoos as a sign of ignorance or a lack of education, but, while I feel compelled to ask if any would call me ignorant or poorly educated, I'd rather illustrate my point with a question:
Which is more ignorant: exploring other avenues of self-expression and cultural understanding... or ridiculing those that do?
The issue with the naysayers, however, is not that they express a desire to not get pierced or tattooed, but that they choose to project their opinions onto others who have chosen that lifestyle and label them as "wrong" or "ugly".
So is society wrong for not understanding the body modification community? Not at all. To be honest, it is not for the understanding of others that those who practice the lifestyle seek; it is for the understanding of themselves.
The beliefs of the masses have ALWAYS been true, not because they're factually accurate, but because it is what the majority claims to be so. If 99% of the world is POSITIVE that the earth is flat, it becomes an indisputable battle as to that fact (no matter the facts or reality of a situation, in the end it is which side has the greatest number of followers that will be written as "truth"). And, though we're still some ways away from society's total acceptance of an individual AS an individual, the tolerance for intolerance has most certainly diminished. Though the battle for equality wages, the understanding that it IS wrong for somebody to be made to feel inadequate for ANY reason has been instilled.
I have found a certain pleasure in playing with our culture's misconception of what sorts of people go under the needle by (*gasp*) being myself. When I go out, I hold the door for those coming up behind me (not to prove a point, mind you, but because I was brought up that way), and the confused looks I get from those I extend the gesture towards is nothing if not entertaining.
It has, however, on several occasions, illustrated to what extent a person's intolerance will take them.
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Pair of 14g labret studs, 16g lip venom & Medusa
More than once, when holding the door for a stranger, I've seen them look at me and stop--not pause or linger or slow; STOP!--in their tracks and, if there is not another set of doors to take, wait for me to step inside so that they can enter without a "freak's" kindness reeking up their sense of personal perfection.
Now, while I could be bitter and hateful towards such things, I've come to find a certain sense of justification in my own choices.
Can I fit a finger through my earlobes? Yup. Does it look like I have facial shrapnel? Absolutely. Do I have five ADDITIONAL pairs of eyes littered across my body? Eerie-but-true. Am I a tapestry of nature, horror, art, and entertainment? You bet your ass I am! Do disposable plastic cups ever get hooked on the inside of my lip studs and make for embarrassing situations in public events? *indecipherable garbling*
BUT--and here's the part that makes me smile (cup hanging from my face or not)--though they have the pleasure of knowing their flesh is unmarred, I have the pleasure of knowing my mind is unmarred.
[image error]
My tiger tatt.
My body art is more than just an expression of "ooh! I want that in my body NOW". It is all connected to a personal philosophy of how to illustrate my exterior in a visual manner that parallels what I feel on the inside. I am a lover of language--it comes with the territory of being an author--and, as an enthusiast for speech, I adorn my lips (over 15 piercings in my lip ALONE over the course of six years). Because I like to listen to others' stories and take in wisdom from any source I can, I gauge my ears. As a lover of food I have worn nose rings in the past--the sense of smell having a strong connection to that of taste--and as an enthusiast for the visual I've had a dermal anchor near my right eye (sadly both have had to come out for some reason or another, but I would have both redone in the blink of an eye if given the chance).
[image error]
Xander Stryker
Furthermore, all of my tattoos have AT LEAST two symbolic connections to important aspects of my life. The tiger on my left forearm--my first piece--represents beauty, grace, and strength as well as being my Chinese Zodiac sign, my childhood nickname, my favorite animal, AND symbolic relevance to my upcoming novel, Crimson Shadow: Noir, that I can't delve into here and now. The werewolf/therion bust on my left shoulder--a job I got done at the first Roc-City Tattoo convention--represents two sides of one entity: the tame man and the raging beast, a tie to nature despite any attempts to rip myself from it, and the obvious connections to my writing. My vampire bust--on my right shoulder, opposite the werewolf/therion--represents an insatiable thirst for life and an inescapable connection to darkness (and, of course, my writing). My Xander Stryker tattoo is... well, read book #1 on May 1st and you'll understand. Finally, and hardest to explain, is my (unfinished) Deadpool tattoo on my left leg: a symbol of relentless pursuits (no matter how crazy) and a refusal to do ANYTHING without being entertaining while doing it.
My views and my art are my own, and while I take pride in me and mine, I am hardly the face of the body modification community.
Allow me to introduce Tattboy Holden:
They don't get much more badass!
[image error] In late 2011, as my budding writing career was causing me to expand my networking reach, I came across this groovy Aussie with a tattooed eye for a lifestyle that he has LITERALLY defined himself with. Globally--and I do mean GLOBALLY--recognized by an ever-increasing following that spans beyond the tens-of-thousands, Tattboy Holden has spent many years transforming his body to mirror the complexity of his soul. A visual, musical, and literary artist with a unique-yet-familiar philosophy on life, love, and acceptance that is nothing short of a daily-dose of inspiration and happiness to any who follow him. My fortune in crossing paths with Tattboy has allowed for an understanding of what it means to alter your appearance to such extents, and, in doing so, has given me a greater understanding of my own motives; seeing every piece of jewelry and every layer of ink as a road map that will, in time, define ME as an individual.
Moreover, he's shown the world what it means to be who you want to be despite the cruelty--and even violence--that that self-expression can invite. While everyday life for an inked-up American may be inconvenient or irritating, Tattboy's life choices (and the misfortune of being in the wrong place to make those choices) have earned him constant harassment.
Despite being ostracized for his appearance, not a day goes by that Tattboy doesn't share a piece of himself, his wisdom, or his humor on his many networking sites that illustrate him as every bit the beautiful human being beneath the flesh as he's made himself on it.
[image error]
Lots of time, effort, and layers go into making the perfect Tattboy.
Through all the bullshit--the good, the bad, and the ugly--this awesome Aussie plows through society's standards and expectations with a simple-yet-elegant motto: "Ink me up!"
Tattboy can be found on both Facebook and Google+.
Body modification may not be for everyone, but--for people like me and Tattboy Holden--it's a lifestyle that helps us to define who we are and feel at home inside our own skin; skin, as Tattboy would say, that is the perfect canvas to tell one's life story.
SO SAYETH THE LITERARY DARK PRINCE
The incoherent ramblings via Blogger:
http://lit-dark-prince.blogspot.com/ ...more
http://lit-dark-prince.blogspot.com/ ...more
- N+M's profile
- 194 followers
N+M isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
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