Hugo Negron's Blog, page 14
February 17, 2015
How many orcnes does it take to lift a sword?
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...
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...
February 10, 2015
Adrienne Monson's Blood Inheritance Trilogy
If you are into thrills and chills and things that go bump in the night, take a bite out of Adrienne Monson's latest book Defiance, Book 2 in her Blood Inheritance Trilogy out this Feb 24th!
http://www.adriennemonson.com/launch-...
http://www.adriennemonson.com/launch-...
February 7, 2015
Grenadier Bulletin Circa 1981
Back in the day, Grenadier Miniatures created lead figures for various role-playing games. Starting off with historical figures, they quickly moved into fantasy characters, and expanded into all sorts of fantasy/sci-fi/horror, as well as figures for a host of games (Dungeons and Dragons, Gamma World, Call of Cthulhu, Lord of the Rings, Champions, Twilight 2000, and a bunch more, including their own range of fantasy sets (Fantasy Lords)).
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Andrew Chernak was the president of Grenadier Miniatures, and I was happy to have connected with him years later. When Grenadier was still thriving, they started to send out a free bulletin via mail - I was a big fan of their products and recall sending them a set of miniatures that I had purchased at a local gaming store with a hand-written plea for help. The set had some damaged figures, and Grenadier not only replaced them at no cost, they also sent me an additional figure as a thank-you for being a customer. I'm assuming that's how I ended up on their mailing list, and lo and behold, I got issue #1 of their bulletin below. They kept this up for awhile, eventually having to charge a few bucks for yearly subscriptions to the bulletin because it became so successful. They got to issue #18 before expanding into a colored glossy version known as the British Grenadier from their operations in the UK. I only got a couple of these new versions before I stopped subscribing. I kinda preferred the prior version as it had an old-fashioned simple charm to it.
Luckily I saved all the ones I had - and most of issue #1 - I think I tossed some additional contest info or ads, but here it is for your nostalgic consumption...if you'd like me to post any more, let me know.
https://www.facebook.com/Forging.of.a...
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Andrew Chernak was the president of Grenadier Miniatures, and I was happy to have connected with him years later. When Grenadier was still thriving, they started to send out a free bulletin via mail - I was a big fan of their products and recall sending them a set of miniatures that I had purchased at a local gaming store with a hand-written plea for help. The set had some damaged figures, and Grenadier not only replaced them at no cost, they also sent me an additional figure as a thank-you for being a customer. I'm assuming that's how I ended up on their mailing list, and lo and behold, I got issue #1 of their bulletin below. They kept this up for awhile, eventually having to charge a few bucks for yearly subscriptions to the bulletin because it became so successful. They got to issue #18 before expanding into a colored glossy version known as the British Grenadier from their operations in the UK. I only got a couple of these new versions before I stopped subscribing. I kinda preferred the prior version as it had an old-fashioned simple charm to it.
Luckily I saved all the ones I had - and most of issue #1 - I think I tossed some additional contest info or ads, but here it is for your nostalgic consumption...if you'd like me to post any more, let me know.
https://www.facebook.com/Forging.of.a...
December 31, 2014
Image from Forging of a Knight Book Four, 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...
So you think heroes have to be heroic, dashing, and gallant? Think again!
https://www.facebook.com/Forging.of.a...
December 6, 2014
Forging of a Knight, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt, voted a top read for November!
Book reviewer extraordinaire Jasper de Joode at the Book Plank has voted Book #3 in the Forging of a Knight series, Forging of a Knight, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt, as one of his top reads for November.
So if you haven’t read it, by Urgsh, what are YOU waiting for?
http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
So if you haven’t read it, by Urgsh, what are YOU waiting for?
http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
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.”
November 13, 2014
Anyone remember this TV commercial from Time Life Books?
"The Enchanted World" - I'm glad I kept the books I bought from this series so long ago - I still re-read them when I get the chance. The commercial worked on me, hook, line, and sinker! Do you remember it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdxNwB...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdxNwB...
November 8, 2014
The review is in on Forging of a Knight, Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt!
Check out The Book Plank's review and see how the Forging of a Knight series did this time around!
http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
October 31, 2014
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!!
October 18, 2014
Prison Planet of the Mah-Lahkt is available at last..AND a SALE!
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!
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!
