Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "adventure"

IN THE BEGINNING…

The idea for this series started a LONG way back – grade school, as a matter of fact. A fascination with historical books on fantasy and mythology, and being influenced by works written by J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, the Hildebrandt Brothers (does anyone remember their foray into writing fantasy, Urshurak?), Robert E. Howard, and a host of others, gave way to an interest in writing about it. All of these writers created their own worlds, and populated them with unique cultures, creatures, heroes, and villains. My first tinkering was definitely not up to par. If anyone can recall the old Thundarr cartoon, my initial stories strongly paralleled it!

Over time the adventures of Qualtan grew into the occasional hobby – writing a new chapter here, removing an old chapter there. As reality kicked in (school, jobs, bills, worrying about money to PAY those bills, etc.) the stories become lost in piles of old memories and were only rediscovered when I moved out on my own. At one point, they ended up as trash, being thrown out as a childhood exercise in boredom. But for some reason, I went back to that trash can a few hours later and retrieved them, thinking they deserved a better review. The creative spark was rekindled, and the process of writing a new chapter here, removing an old chapter there, began again.

Fast forward years later, and my wife took an interest in my stories as I poured through what was now an enormous pile of paper, notebooks and random notes. Despite the years of on and off again writing, the stories had now grown with me and their basic premises were memorized. As I talked about them, and how neat it would have been to have seen them in novel form, she asked me why hadn’t I ever tried to do anything with them. I thought, camaan, to go through them all, make sense out of all the details, maturate the storylines, why bother?

Why not?! was the answer.

Why not, indeed? So I took the first story, and over a year, polished, updated, and clarified. I hired an editor to do clean-up, an illustrator to draw the cover, and found lulu.com in order to bind, prepare and set up for online epub and hard copy accessibility.

So now we are nearly at the “go live” stage – sure, there’s magic, monsters, and strange, wonderful places to visit within this first tale, but there are also lessons in friendship, trust, expectations, and that little naiveté all of us can have when starting off into something brand new, that almost always gets tempered with a slight dash of disappointment, a pinch of cynicism, and a spoonful of real vs. assumed expectations. This is something we can all relate to, whether you’re carrying around a mystic sword or not.

And this is only the start…both here and on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Forging.of.a.... I'll be adding snippets on the characters, updates on what is coming next and some great giveaway contests as well as we lead up to the release of the first book in the Forging of a Knight series...

Hello out there!

Here in Illinois, we are finally digging through some actual snowstorms that took effect after a record setting period of no-snow for this time of year. I’m actually happy we didn’t take down our Christmas tree since we are finally getting a “white post-Christmas”…

Onto some news! I will have a booth set up at Gen Con in Indianapolis this year Aug 15-18th! I will be hawkin’, sellin’, and beggin’ my book Forging of a Knight, along with Book Two, Rise of the Slavekeepers in my REAL metal suit of armor (not a full suit, as I wouldn’t want to shake someone’s hand and then collapse from dehydration, but suit enough!). This is a great event for fantasy buffs, and there will be games, contests, and costumes galore:

http://gencon.com/

If you plan on going, please stop by and visit me in the Author’s Avenue to talk fantasy, books, Forging of a Knight, or just to say “hi”!

Speaking of which, Book Two is still with my editor. I will hopefully be able to share some preview work on the cover and additional tidbits as it progresses.

As I speak (or write), I am halfway through the rough draft for Book Three. This is going to be a really fun read – I wish I could share some details, but the plot revolves around things that happen in Book Two and I don’t want to spoil it until Book Two is out later this year and people have had a chance to read it. I will say this – enemies become allies, and some characters introduced in Books One and Two will return and join forces, along with new companions, in a race against the ruling member of Those That Stand in Shadow and his agents to stop the unleashing of an even greater terror! For those who read Book One, they may recall Amali the Ancient, and the fact that his home resided in the Third Continent. They may also recall the reference to a race of corrupt demon worshippers called the Yanaan during a brief conversation between Amali and Aurelus. That will give some hints as to who may be appearing. From Turinthia to the sweltering Third Continent where sits the empire of Zubadi, the story will cover two continents, new lands, new heroes, and new foes! Okay, so maybe I spoiled it a little bit…

I also wanted to give a shout out and say THANK YOU to two people who have really supported Forging of a Knight with their kind words, reviews, and assistance in putting the word out there. They deserve mention here.

They are:

Jasper de Joode – Forging of a Knight’s first official reviewer, back when he was at www.fantasybookreview.co.uk. Now you can find his awesome reviews at http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/


Brian Beam, author of The Dragon Gem:

"With nothing to go on but a vague dream which may or may not be memory, Korinalis Karell has traveled Amirand for three years in search of his birth parents. With a magical Contract to fund his journey and a magic talking wizard cat named Max to keep him out of trouble, Korin has made his way through the world with no success in finding them.

However, what starts out as a seemingly simple Contract job to find a stolen gem for a count quickly turns into a fight for survival that brings about revelations about Korin's life that turn his world inside-out and upside-down.

With the aid of a mediocre wizard who happens to be the daughter of the most powerful wizard in Amirand, a chatterbox Kolarin, and Max, Korin sets out to discover the secrets of his past so that he may live to see his future.

This is a firsthand account of Korin's journey as he chases down thieves, is chased down by a dragon and gods-forsaken creatures of death, and finds out that life just never seems to get easier."

Find out what he’s up to next at:

https://www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor


A humble thank you to you both – you are truly Knights of the Order!

Well, with my son turning two years old and some "reasonably" decent weather in Illinois, life is definitely for the better! Book three of Forging of a Knight is getting its final touches from my editor, Erin Potter, and Lora Lee is busily working on the cover. It's getting close to Gen Con time, so I'm hopeful I'll have copies ready to showcase and sign by mid August.

With that, below is a small excerpt from Forging of a Knight, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt, which introduces a new character to hinder and harass our main hero, Qualtan. Take a read...



Qualtan eventually returned to his room. He had enjoyed Osei’s and Jesepha’s company. The reason for their presence in Zubadi had been briefly forgotten. He strolled about, observing the airy curtains and nettings placed about the bed and windows. There were many statuettes of protection and luck, Osei had said, that occupied niches in the doorways and corridors. Finding one, he lifted it in his hands, staring at the shrunken skull face that smiled back from atop a dwarf-like body. It was meant to be a guardian against evil spirits, calling forth a ghost of its own to animate against intrusion.

“The dead protecting the living.” Qualtan mused.

“The dead ever bring a curiosity about them, do they not?”

Qualtan looked about, dropping the figure. It shattered, its head rolling towards the feet of a thin man who appeared, dressed in long garments of tattered black. He was not of Zubadi stock. His face was shriveled, an apple carved for All Hallows Eve, yet small fires of yellow shined from where his eyes should have been. He wore a long, black rimmed hat, and stood patiently leaning over what appeared to be a walking stick carved from the vertebrae of bones.

Qualtan immediately withdrew his blade, its radiance proving slight discomfort to the stranger.

“There is no need for that.” The man said, his face squirming with distaste at the light.

Not again! Qualtan thought ruefully.

“Stay where you are! I’ve had enough of uninvited lurkers in black.”

“That is very true. Haunted mirrors and enemies in the night bring enough worry, and now you have me to contend with, alas.”

“What do you mean?” How could the stranger know of Qualtan’s previous confrontation with the image of the haegtes in his mirror, or the visit from Darksiege those many days ago before the Parade of Heroes? ”Who are you?”

“Someone you should be keenly familiar with by now. You walk a path that parallels mine.”

“If Shaz has sent you…”

The being raised his hand, warding off the accusation.

“No one can “send” me, as you put it. My authority is my own.”

“Enough games!” Qualtan advanced.

The man smiled. “I would advise against that. My touch is one you would not wish to feel.” The man extended his hand. It was gnarled, with rotting skin. Small orifices opened and closed noisily on his palm, hungry mouths wailing for sustenance.

Qualtan paused.

“I have come to give warning, not threat. Your quest is of importance to me…and to those that use my services.”

“Oh? So you know of our intent? And who are these “others” that find worry in our actions?”

“Never you mind. Those That Stand in Shadow offend many beyond your sphere. They should not be here, clothed by living skin, alive with living blood.”

“You refer to the Rules.” Qualtan said.

“And what do you know of them?” His visitor said, intrigued.

“What do you?” Qualtan challenged.

The man laughed. “Their fathers…the Mah-Zakim are creatures from the other side, creatures that should not have been allowed in to your world. Invited they were by your Kind, and allowed to mix their seed with yours with the intent to cause evil, to change the balance of things.”

“And by doing so, they broke the Rules.” Qualtan responded.

“More than once, yes. They are not allowed to pass their essence to mortal flesh. They dared to share forbidden knowledge, dared to directly involve themselves in your affairs, and open portals for others to come in. They were punished and imprisoned. Yet their children, because they were born through mortal coil, are allowed to remain. This has protected them, and allowed them to pursue their goals.”

“And what are these goals?” Qualtan did not wish to say more than he should until he knew the meaning of this intrusion.

The man breathed in deeply, exhaling air as cold as ice. “Unwilling to share your knowledge? That is all right. I will share with you mine. The one you follow, the one you chase, wishes to free his fathers from their rightful imprisonment. To do so, he will break the Rules, for their judgment has already been made and cannot be changed. He wishes to open doors and bring them back to your sphere. They, in turn, will open more doors and bring others, seeking revenge for their jailing. A war will begin, a war that will prompt the Mah-Lahkt to break the Rules themselves in order to combat their former brothers, the Mah-Zakim. A war that will envelop your entire world, and destroy it with its fury.” Vapors of moist air rose from the stranger’s gaping mouth, clouding his face.

“This is what Shaz wants. Total destruction, of all life, everything. He feels he will be safe with his fathers and able to stand against the Mah-Lahkt, to defeat them. Should he fall, the bloodshed that will follow on a scale never before seen by both the Mah-Lahkt and the Mah-Zakim will still be victory enough for him.”

“So what is this to you? Whose side do you stand on?” Qualtan asked.

“Neither, for my role is neither to arrest the encroaching weed nor to cultivate the gentle flower. My job is to pluck the prizes left me after the garden has been tended and bring them to their allotted cast. Some I wait for, others I take when due me. As you can see, my cart is ever ready for more to fill.”

At his gesture, a gigantic metal wagon appeared, bursting with wailing heads and writhing arms, bloodied and broken, crammed into a monolithic mound of pain. Behind it was chained another giant wagon, and then another. Skeletons crept about the living piles, poking and prodding like parasites crawling on the skin of some great beast.

Qualtan was struck dumb by the horrible scene. As quickly as it appeared, the image faded away.

“I know you now.” Qualtan said soberly, a shiver going through his spine. He was a far more deadly visitor than Darksiege. He was deadlier, in fact, than the Arch-Mages and Those That Stand in Shadow combined. His power was uncontested by the living, and to be granted such a personal audience was a dire omen for them all.

The man smiled. “Of course you do. You aid in my business, for my servants and I judge neither criminal nor priest. Others balance the scales and offer rewards or punishments. I merely help those along in leaving this place of blood and flesh…this place, and countless others. You yourself will join my bounty someday.”

“Not like the others you have shown me. Not like them.” Qualtan insisted.

“Perhaps. Who is to say? But know you this, child knight. When the word is given, the scythe of pain and pestilence is allowed my brothers in clearing the chaff from the wheat. The tide may ebb and flow – sometimes barely a droplet, and at other times a deluge that swells over its embankments. However, if Shaz succeeds, that tide will become an unrelenting fury that will not only unbalance the scales, but destroy them. Shaz and his Kind will dictate the torrent of those that come to me, when that is MY job. I will not brook this, and thus have come to warn you.”

“To stop him? Of what value is that, Great Huntsman?”

The man bowed, taken with the title. Suddenly, the being appeared to fly towards Qualtan at great speed, his cadaverous body appearing directly before the knight’s. Qualtan could feel the cold, and smell the rot. The man smiled again, showing black teeth and a swollen tongue. He whispered softly, as if other ears were straining to hear.

“I cannot say much, but the little I offer will be great enough. Shaz sees himself akin to his fathers, not as a being of human birth. He has limits they do not have. Look for them! Use them!”

Qualtan smiled. The Huntsman was arrogant, lofty, fully aware that his power held sway over all. Yet, he had come to him, been sent to him, which meant need. The young knight felt that gave him an opportunity to press back.

“You say your authority is your own, but you lie, Huntsman. Your authority has been given to you, as has permission to share your riddle.”

The man’s flame-eyes blazed yellow with anger for a moment.

“I can take you home with me now, by force, if I so wished.”

“If it was my allotted time, you could. But it is not my time yet, is it, Great Huntsman?”

The man’s lips formed a thin scar. “You disrespect me.”

“I do not. I respect your power, and your offer of knowledge. You are as high above me as I am to a stone in a stream. I merely state truth against your posed threat, noble Ankou.”

The man breathed out deeply, a blast of cold mist. He smiled. “You place a pretty bow upon the words you throw at me. Still, you show deference enough, which I will accept.”

The man turned away, a wall of fog taking shape before him.

“I have said my lot. No more can be done for you or the others. I will be watching with interest for the final result.”

As the man entered the fog, Qualtan approached him further, for there were still questions yet to be answered. “But why me? Why not tell this to the other champions, or the Arch-Mages themselves, who could do more with it than I?”

The man’s neck began to creak. His head swiveled completely ‘round, his face meeting his back.

“Shaz looks to break the Rules. So shall you, someday soon.”

“Me? I don’t understand…what do you…”

“Should he fail in his efforts, you shall pay the price he would have if you succeed against him and continue along your chosen path. Consider me an…additional warning…for the actions your future self will take. Your fall shall give you a place on my cart.”

“You speak of the vision the haegtes showed me, don’t you! You say I have no choice to escape it?”

“Your choice will be to purposely accept it.”

“And you will not say anything else on the matter?”

The Ankou smiled yet again. “As you put it to me before, such words would be outside the authority given me.”

“Qualtan!” A voice cried out. It was Jesepha, banging on the outside of his chamber’s door.

There was a final question Qualtan had to ask. “Wait! Before you leave…!”

The figure dissolved within the smoke, leaving two beacons of yellow that began to die out.

“If you cannot share with me my fate, then can you tell me that of my parents? Are they well, my mother, and my father, wherever they reside now?”

“I shall look upon our next meeting…most fondly.” The man said, as he disappeared from view.

“Ankou!” Qualtan cried out, but to no avail, for he was gone.

“My fate…” He said to himself, looking down at his hands.

“Qualtan!” Jesepha persisted.

Qualtan slowly, numbly, went towards the door, unlocking it. Jesepha rushed in, sword in hand.

“I heard voices! There was a cold coming from this chamber into mine next door, and a foul smell! Are you all right? What has happened?! Who was here?” She said, crossing her arms in the frigid air of the room.

“Death has paid me a visit this night.” He said quietly, turning away.

Gen Con is almost here! Time to sharpen one's sword, clean one's boots, and iron one's cloak for four days of adventure and excitement. If anything captures the imagination, it's seeing row upon row of role playing games being played, cosplayers posing for photos, painted miniatures, and intermixed between it all, a ton of wonderfully creative and artistic folks!

Of course, I will be mostly limited to standing behind my booth talking Forging of a Knight, fantasy, and anything else that comes to mind. I am still hopeful book three of Forging of a Knight will be ready to launch at the 'Con, as the manuscript is done, as well as the editing. Fingers (and claws) crossed!

With that, I did want to share a preview of the cover, done again by Lora Lee (you can check out more of her work at www.loraleeart.com). I think she has done a better job with each cover I've challenged her with. Click on the link below and see for yourself!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

Let me know what you think!

It’s coming...

They have been hinted at – heroes of glorious legend, villains of infamous fable – some have made their presence known, while others only by name: Aurelus, Amali, Termenon, Qualtan, Jesepha, Darksiege, and Shaz.

Now, heroes of the past and present will unite against Those That Stand in Shadow. From the steaming jungles of the Third Continent to a Prison Planet forged by angels, the Arch-Mages and their champions will find themselves in a race against time to prevent Shaz and his agents from finding the Dark Ones’ demonic fathers and releasing them from bondage. Enemies will become allies, and allies will become foes in the ultimate confrontation with evil that will span two continents, new lands, and new terrors!

This really becomes the final book in the first trilogy arc, an evolvement of the main character's maturation process from a hopeful, naïve, knight-to-be to an established knight; to transcending the role of the knight to become a true hero. Prison Planet answers some questions and poses new ones, setting up the subplots that will take Qualtan to his final destiny, whether for good or for evil, as well as that of his friends.

Next post I'll talk about Gen Con, and hopefully have some pics to share as well. Also, a few hints as to what might be taking place after Prison Planet!

Well, it’s that magical time of the year – Halloween time! I say magical as Halloween, of course, is on the 31st of October, an “in-between” time between the changing of the seasons, the completion of the harvest, and the prepatory time for the coming winter. All in-between times and places are considered special because they are neither one thing nor another, a combination of both and neither at the same time. Hence such examples as the stroke of midnight (between day and night), crossroads (between one road and another), seashores (between the sea and the land), and the Celtic New Year, honoring Samhain, Lord of the Dead, are thought to be of particularly charged focus.

The New Year to the Celts meant a time when Samhain allowed the ghosts of the dead (as well as possibly magical creatures such as faeries) to come back to the land of the living. Food was placed out to welcome them back (after all, you can’t have the visiting spirits of dearly departed family members coming over without a waiting meal – similar to the possible origin of “trick or treat” – stemming from Druidic belief that souls were hungry on this day (probably from all of that inter-dimensional travelling even without luggage) and had to be fed (treats), or else their rude hosts would be asking for the wrath of Samhain (tricks)).

Afterwards, villagers would dress in costumes and masks, imitating and cavorting with the spirits, eventually parading out of townships to guide the spirits away and back to their otherworldly homes. It’s been thought the costumes were also used to hide individuals from any spirits (or to scare said spirits away) that might have been come back with a chip on their shoulder to avenge some slight or wrong done to them.

Another possible take on the trick or treat origin is the medieval custom of having children going door to door offering prayers for souls trapped in Purgatory (another in-between place) and being compensated by small cakes called “soul cakes” for their efforts.

Later, All Saints Day, (or All Hallows, or Feast of All Saints) a day celebrated by the Catholic Church to honor the many martyrs who had been persecuted throughout the Roman Empire back in the day, got pushed to November 1st by Pope Gregory II, partly to substitute over the pagan celebration of Samhain. In an effort to stamp out pagan practices, the inclusion of the devil along with his imps and demonic hordes became part of the party released on All-Hallow’s Eve, giving it a more sinister tone.

So it goes without saying, with all of these spirits, divine or not, getting ready to boogie on the 31st, that it’s the perfect time to launch Book Three in the Forging of a Knight series, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt! The ebook version is currently available on Amazon.com. Barnes&Noble.com, Kobo, and other online outlets. The paperback version is now available through Lulu.com, but you will find it soon on Amazon.com and other online venues shortly.

"They have been hinted at – heroes of glorious legend, villains of infamous fable – some have made their presence known, while others only by name: Aurelus, Amali, Termenon, Qualtan, Jesepha, Darksiege, and Shaz."

"Now, heroes of the past and present will unite against Those That Stand in Shadow. From the steaming jungles of the Third Continent to a Prison Planet forged by angels, the Arch-Mages and their champions will find themselves in a race against time to prevent Shaz and his agents from finding the Dark Ones’ demonic fathers and releasing them from bondage. Enemies will become allies, and allies will become foes in the ultimate confrontation with evil that will span two continents, new lands, and new terrors!"

But there is another treat to go along with this one – as this is the third book in the series, I’ll be celebrating by having the ebook version for the first book in the series, Forging of a Knight, available for .99 cents on Amazon kindle through Friday! On top of that, if you purchase the paperback version on Amazon of the first book in the series, you can get the kindle version free along with it! Yep, totally free! So for those who have been thinking about trying the series out and weren’t sure, or just hadn’t gotten around to it, now is your chance! I would also kindly ask if you have anything wonderful to rave about after reading Forging of a Knight that you take a few moments to post your review on Amazon as every little bit helps!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

Next time, as I begin to take pen to page, I’ll be sharing some of the concepts in the upcoming fourth installment in the series: Forging of a Knight, The Stolen Thief!

A quick sketch of some of the new characters to be found in Forging of a Knight, Book Four, The Stolen Thief, coming out in 2015.

So you think heroes have to be heroic, dashing, and gallant? Think again!


https://www.facebook.com/Forging.of.a...

4th going-over with book four and then its off to the editor for the advanced round! These orcnes are like a combination of the seven dwarves and the three stooges. How many putdowns do they give each other? I had to start tracking....

mud muckers
bumbling ninny
stodgy old dullard
scum covered sludge dog
muckrats
dirty haired stone squatter
rot faced old gutter
worm eaters
bilge rat
flabby face
squirmy nose
stink pot
toothless old pig wart
overstuffed blubber skins
mutton head
ninny brain
hoof muck
dog nosed slop
tail end of a horse's...
pimple spotted maggot heap
yellow spined swamp dog
sucking filth rag
snot face
prickle chin
halfwit
hookface
drivel lips
nincompoop
fat belly
lump face
bristly face
and frog face...and that's not even all of them...

Here we go again - my crude illustrative concept for the front/back cover for book #4 in the Forging of a Knight series, The Stolen Thief - weaving its way to you (hopefully) by September-October of this year. I'm excited to see what Lora Lee, my illustrator, comes up with from this!

https://www.facebook.com/Forging.of.a...

Legend has called them the Ruinous Ones, the Dokahlfar and the Vartahlfar, evil elves and their dwarfish minions that controlled an unknown technological magic, daring to seek power beyond that of the tree and the root. They warred against their own kin, the high elves, and were defeated, fleeing into the dark, driven from the light they had wished to corrupt.

Glaive has gone missing – a secret assignment for the King gone awry. Qualtan decides to search for his half-orcne friend, and in the process, uncover the truth behind the Ruinous Ones. The knight must risk all to escape from a strange new land, fraught with perils and danger, without the benefit of his magic sword. Worse, he will be accompanied by others, servants of Those That Stand in Shadow, in a fragile truce to find freedom…or die.

It's that timmme! Gen Con time! To celebrate our 3rd book signing appearance at this year's Gen Con, I will have the kindle version of the second book in the Forging of a Knight series, Forging of a Knight, Rise of the Slavekeepers, on sale for .99 cents 7/30/15 - 8/2/15! If you've been thinking about joining the adventure, especially with the fourth book in the series slated to come out this October (Forging of a Knight, The Stolen Thief), now's the time to do it!

And if you are attending Gen Con this year, stop by Authors' Avenue and say hello!

Well, partly so!

The paperback version is now available directly through lulu.com - it will show up along with its e-book versions within the next 6-8 weeks on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and a bunch more online retailers.

However, if you don't want to wait that long for the paperback version, you can go to lulu.com now by way of the blue "Lulu Buy Now" button below and get a copy!

"Legend has called them the Ruinous Ones, the Dokahlfar and the Vartahlfar, evil elves and their dwarfish minions that controlled an unknown technological magic, daring to seek power beyond that of the tree and the root. They warred against their own kin, the high elves, and were defeated, fleeing into the dark, driven from the light they had wished to corrupt.

Glaive has gone missing – a secret assignment for the King gone awry. Qualtan decides to search for his half-orcne friend, and in the process, uncover the truth behind the Ruinous Ones. The knight must risk all to escape from a strange new land, fraught with perils and danger, without the benefit of his magic sword. Worse, he will be accompanied by others, servants of Those That Stand in Shadow, in a fragile truce to find freedom…or die."

Book Four in the Forging of a Knight series, The Stolen Thief - and get ready for the shocker that will come in Book Five next year!