Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "dwarves"
Forging of a Knight and other new quests
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...
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...
ePub version is available!
Forging of a Knight is now downloadable!
For $3.99 you can get the ePub version of Forging of a Knight for Adobe digital editions. Currently available at lulu:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/HugoN
Availability for the Barnes & Noble Nook Book Store and iBookstore soon!
For $3.99 you can get the ePub version of Forging of a Knight for Adobe digital editions. Currently available at lulu:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/HugoN
Availability for the Barnes & Noble Nook Book Store and iBookstore soon!
Thanks to all who participated in the free giveaway!
I just wanted to reach out and say thank you to all the folks who entered to win a free copy of Forging of a Knight, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt! Three winners were picked, so Kim M., Shayla K., and Steve B., you'll be receiving your copy shortly!!
Next up will be some notes on the upcoming Forging of a Knight Book Four, the Stolen Thief, author interviews, and some fun looks at some old newsletters from a certain company called Grenadier Miniatures, for those who remember and for those who may not...
Happy Halloween!!
Next up will be some notes on the upcoming Forging of a Knight Book Four, the Stolen Thief, author interviews, and some fun looks at some old newsletters from a certain company called Grenadier Miniatures, for those who remember and for those who may not...
Happy Halloween!!
Forging of a Knight, Book #4...
So I've been getting some great feedback on Book #3, Forging of a Knight, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt. Apparently readers enjoyed the cast of characters, the return of Jesepha, the twists and turns with the good guys and the bad, and the final climactic battle against Shaz, ruler of Those That Stand in Shadow. Thanks to everyone who has been following and enjoying the series!!
So the question now is, where do we go from here?
Well, as astute readers will remember, there was a little reference to a certain half-orcne former thief and his inability to attend a certain party. What happened to him, and where did he go?
Enter Book #4, Forging of a Knight, The Stolen Thief!
A little break in the action from Those That Stand in Shadow, if you can call it that. Qualtan is hot on the trail of the missing Glaive, and this time, the enemies they encounter will be quite unlike anything either has ever dealt with before. A strange magic, a bizarre technology, twin races from myth few know of, and rarely speak of. Plus, an answer to an ongoing question - exactly why are the orcnes considered "bad"? Why did they join Those That Stand in Shadow? Why do the other Kind hate and despise them? Another surprise for Qualtan when he ends up JOINING a ragtag group of orcnes and learns more about them than even he thought possible....and don't forget a certain ex-knight who showed up at the end of Book #3...has the curse that has seemingly followed Qualtan throughout the series finally begun to ring true?
Forging of a Knight, The Stolen Thief, coming in 2015...a brief rough excerpt below...
Qualtan looked over the fragment, shifting it in his hands. It was white stone, roughly shaped, only slightly larger than a man’s hand. The sides were grooved from efforts at extraction. Qualtan felt he was looking at a tiny part of a much larger representation. The piece was done in relief sculpture, showing a rigid sideways standing figure, thin with stern features, pointed ear, and long hair. The figure was garbed in segmented pieces which probably comprised armor. A ray of light seemed to issue from its eye towards the sky, and caught within its expanding range was a strange boat-like craft with three other similar figures riding atop it beneath an attached shell or leaf-like covering. Another craft is cut off to its side from where the fragment had been removed.
“Contemaast had many more like this. There are different images, but they usually follow a similar theme: an elf-like being, either male or female, sometimes accompanied by smaller figures, with strange devices that seem to be in the sky, bizarre creatures, or the elf beings themselves manipulating devices or implements in the strangest of ways. Some contain symbols alongside the figures; others do not. Regardless they all fall under the category of Contemaast’s greatest obsession.”
“Which was?”Qualtan asked as he continued to review the curious stone.
“Elven mythology. These fragments represent much of their various myth-cycles concerning the Dokahlfar and the Vartahlfar, which are…”
Qualtan interrupted Lord Mountebank. “Yes, I know. The Ruinous Ones. The elves that split from the high elves, led by their leader Doka, along with the dwarven leader Varta and his evil dwarven host, seeking power beyond that of the tree and the root. There were many great wars between the two sides, with victories and losses to both, before the ruler of the high elves, Hermstead the Wise, defeated them. With aid called upon from their supreme god Triangel Hermsleaf, Hermstead cursed them, that because they wished to corrupt the light of day they would be forevermore driven from it. The Ruinous Ones supposedly fled underground and were never heard from again. Of course, Hermstead the Wise was considered of partial divine lineage from Triangel, and Hermstead eventually divided his lands between his sons, their claim to rulership based on their godly heritage to Triangel himself. Whether the Dokahlfar and the Vartahlfar truly existed, or if even Hermstead was real, of demigod blood, or merely an elfin king whose exploits were exaggerated over time has been lost in the many tales the high elves have weaved between their true history and the religious beliefs behind it. Either way, the dwarves have always disputed the tale, and because of it have shared little love towards the elves for years beyond telling, for they have no records in THEIR history of any evil kin or any leader named Varta.”
So the question now is, where do we go from here?
Well, as astute readers will remember, there was a little reference to a certain half-orcne former thief and his inability to attend a certain party. What happened to him, and where did he go?
Enter Book #4, Forging of a Knight, The Stolen Thief!
A little break in the action from Those That Stand in Shadow, if you can call it that. Qualtan is hot on the trail of the missing Glaive, and this time, the enemies they encounter will be quite unlike anything either has ever dealt with before. A strange magic, a bizarre technology, twin races from myth few know of, and rarely speak of. Plus, an answer to an ongoing question - exactly why are the orcnes considered "bad"? Why did they join Those That Stand in Shadow? Why do the other Kind hate and despise them? Another surprise for Qualtan when he ends up JOINING a ragtag group of orcnes and learns more about them than even he thought possible....and don't forget a certain ex-knight who showed up at the end of Book #3...has the curse that has seemingly followed Qualtan throughout the series finally begun to ring true?
Forging of a Knight, The Stolen Thief, coming in 2015...a brief rough excerpt below...
Qualtan looked over the fragment, shifting it in his hands. It was white stone, roughly shaped, only slightly larger than a man’s hand. The sides were grooved from efforts at extraction. Qualtan felt he was looking at a tiny part of a much larger representation. The piece was done in relief sculpture, showing a rigid sideways standing figure, thin with stern features, pointed ear, and long hair. The figure was garbed in segmented pieces which probably comprised armor. A ray of light seemed to issue from its eye towards the sky, and caught within its expanding range was a strange boat-like craft with three other similar figures riding atop it beneath an attached shell or leaf-like covering. Another craft is cut off to its side from where the fragment had been removed.
“Contemaast had many more like this. There are different images, but they usually follow a similar theme: an elf-like being, either male or female, sometimes accompanied by smaller figures, with strange devices that seem to be in the sky, bizarre creatures, or the elf beings themselves manipulating devices or implements in the strangest of ways. Some contain symbols alongside the figures; others do not. Regardless they all fall under the category of Contemaast’s greatest obsession.”
“Which was?”Qualtan asked as he continued to review the curious stone.
“Elven mythology. These fragments represent much of their various myth-cycles concerning the Dokahlfar and the Vartahlfar, which are…”
Qualtan interrupted Lord Mountebank. “Yes, I know. The Ruinous Ones. The elves that split from the high elves, led by their leader Doka, along with the dwarven leader Varta and his evil dwarven host, seeking power beyond that of the tree and the root. There were many great wars between the two sides, with victories and losses to both, before the ruler of the high elves, Hermstead the Wise, defeated them. With aid called upon from their supreme god Triangel Hermsleaf, Hermstead cursed them, that because they wished to corrupt the light of day they would be forevermore driven from it. The Ruinous Ones supposedly fled underground and were never heard from again. Of course, Hermstead the Wise was considered of partial divine lineage from Triangel, and Hermstead eventually divided his lands between his sons, their claim to rulership based on their godly heritage to Triangel himself. Whether the Dokahlfar and the Vartahlfar truly existed, or if even Hermstead was real, of demigod blood, or merely an elfin king whose exploits were exaggerated over time has been lost in the many tales the high elves have weaved between their true history and the religious beliefs behind it. Either way, the dwarves have always disputed the tale, and because of it have shared little love towards the elves for years beyond telling, for they have no records in THEIR history of any evil kin or any leader named Varta.”
Kindle and paperback versions of The Stolen Thief available at last!
Here they are!
Both paperback and ebook versions of Book Four in the Forging of a Knight series, The Stolen Thief, will eventually be cascaded to a variety of online retailers, but are first up ready to go on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
If you've been following the series, you'll see some updates on Sir Rutt, the answer to the missing Glaive from Book Three, the re-introduction of some characters from way back in Book One (as well as a mystery character just barely hinted at from the first book as well!), AND a change in Qualtan's direction that will set up the "big one" in 2016! Give it a read - it's perfect timing for that Halloween mood!
Both paperback and ebook versions of Book Four in the Forging of a Knight series, The Stolen Thief, will eventually be cascaded to a variety of online retailers, but are first up ready to go on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
If you've been following the series, you'll see some updates on Sir Rutt, the answer to the missing Glaive from Book Three, the re-introduction of some characters from way back in Book One (as well as a mystery character just barely hinted at from the first book as well!), AND a change in Qualtan's direction that will set up the "big one" in 2016! Give it a read - it's perfect timing for that Halloween mood!
