C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 202
September 9, 2013
First Pages: Stiletto's Luck
Stiletto’s Luck
is about an assassin dealing with the consequences of taking part in a battle for reasons of his own, while trying to remain uncompromised by either side.They could have called him Scimitar, Blade or Dagger, but, no, his parents had to call him Stiletto. Stiletto did the only thing he could. He learned to be the best at what he did, and he learned to walk tall - without the heels. When he finds himself in the center of a plot to assassinate the most powerful men in the city, Stiletto has only one question: How on earth is he going to walk out of this one?
Stiletto’s Luck will be included in An Anthology of Blades , but is currently available as a stand-alone title from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle and CreateSpace and will be distributed from Nook, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and iTunes.
First Page Stiletto's Luck
Sheathed in a suit that shifted with the colors of a city night, Stiletto crouched in the shadows, looking very much like the other gargoyles on the roof line, but one set far too close to the casement. Those he’d arranged to meet in the room beyond had been on time. They’d come, as arranged, bringing no nasty surprises and no extras, but he wanted to learn something more about them before going inside.Such as why four of the pairs hadn’t left as soon as they’d seen each other. And why their bodyguards had failed to check the window and make sure it was locked. Were they careless, or did they know he waited just outside? And why did they stray so far from their principles, each guard moving to the outer perimeter of the room, leaving their masters close enough to do each other harm before they could intervene.Three had hired him to protect them from one of the others. Two had hired him to investigate separate matters that now appeared linked. And he had approached one of the men acting as a guard, with a proposition.Stiletto waited. The figures in the room grew restless. Finally, one of the three turned to another.“A precision weapon, you said he was. I would have thought he’d have been on time.”“Perhaps he scries,” another—Anderman—said and his guard gave a sigh. The man breathed in, sweeping his arms wide and drawing them in as he exhaled. His principle watched as his protector settled into stillness. The others waited.“No,” the guard said, after six heartbeats of concentration. He did not say what else he might have noticed with his heightened sensitivity, but he moved closer to Anderman’s side. “No one scries here.”The men in the room did not seem to realize the significance of the guard’s movement. They relaxed.“Then why did he invite us together, if he wasn’t going to meet with us?”Huh, now they thought of it. Stiletto watched as the bodyguards moved closer to their principles before shifting onto the narrow ledge alongside the casement and opened the window. Three crossbow bolts and two shards of magic parted the space he might have filled.
END FIRST PAGE
If you would like to read more, Stiletto’s Luck will be included in An Anthology of Blades , but is currently available as a stand-alone title from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle and CreateSpace and will be distributed from Nook, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and iTunes.
September 8, 2013
Things I do when editing and why it’s important
This piece originally appeared on the Dark Side Down Under Magic Thursday feature in March 2013, some six months ago. I thought it might be interesting to repeat it here.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but writing with an eye for publication since at least 1991. I have been a submissions editor for Aurealismagazine, a copy editor for the now defunct Dark Eden Press, a copy editor for the still-living Lyrical Press for three years, and I’ve edited for roleplaying companies for almost 10 years. I am also the author of the Shadow series (currently at three books), the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series (currently at one, with one on the way), one full-length romance, over 20 short stories and poems of varying genres, and five anthologies. I thought it might be useful to talk about some the things I’ve learned about editing along the way.
So… one of the things high on the list of things Indie authors have to get right is editing. Given that editing your own work has been described as ‘trying to do emergency surgery on yourself’, how does an Indie go about it? And do any of the techniques below have any relevance for those submitting work to traditional publishers?I’ll answer the second question first: YES. Why? Because any author submitting their work to a publisher, editor or agent needs to submit their work in the best condition they can manage. Editing your work prior to submission is something every writer should do, whether they are submitting their work to someone else, or uploading it to a distribution platform.
As with publishing, there are no longer any right, or wrong, ways to go about editing… unless, of course, you decide not to do any. That would definitely fall into the ‘wrong’ category. As an independent author, you owe your readers the respect of editing your work to the best of your ability, and as a traditional author, you owe the editors, agents and publishers you expect to work with the respect of editing your work to the best of your ability.
Editing Tips. You can incorporate any or all of these into your work process. These are what work for me:
1. Make editing part of your daily writing process. Reading over the previous chapter and any work on your current chapter enables you to
pick up the threads of the story and reduces the chances of continuity errors in your work. This is a light edit or read over. It should be no more than ten or twenty minutes, though, or you could get side-tracked into an editing session you don’t need to do yet.
2. When you finish your first draft ‘nuke’ your manuscript and reformat it. This will give you a clean manuscript to work with. ‘Nuking’ consists of:
a. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function in Word to Find <space><space> (not literally, you know, all the places you hit the space bar twice. Replace ‘<space><space>’ with ‘<space>’.b. Repeat that step until the number of replacements reaches ‘0’.
c. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function to Find ‘<space>^p’ (and again I’ve typed <space> instead of just hitting the space bar; otherwise you won’t see it). Replace ‘<space>^p’ with ‘^p’.d. Repeat that step until the number of replacements reaches ‘0’.e. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function to Find ‘^t’ and replace it with nothing (as in don’t put anything at all in the Replace box)f. Once that’s done, use ‘CtrlA’ to select your entire manuscript and do the following:
i. Copy the entire manuscript, and then Paste it into a blank Notepad document ii. Copy the entire Notepad manuscript and Paste it into a fresh Word document. iii. Change the font to ‘Times New Roman’ OR ‘Arial’ or a similarly easy-to-read font. iv. Change the font size to 12. v. In the ‘paragraph’ box make sure the alignment is ‘Left’ vi. In the ‘paragraph’ box, under ‘Indentation’ make sure you select ‘First line’ in the ‘Special’ box and ‘0.2’ (if working in inches) in the ‘By’ box. vii. Go through the manuscript and use the Insert function to put in chapter breaks viii. Format chapter headings and scene breaks ix. You now have a clean document to work with.
3. If you are independently publishing it, add your title page, dedication page, Table of Contents, acknowledgements and Author Page in as complete a form as possible. If you are submitting it, go to the formatting guidelines, and make sure you have formatted the document as required.
4. Once the formatting is done, go through the document, line by line, reading each sentence for meaning, and looking for spelling and grammatical errors. Keep an eye out for story inconsistencies, also.
5. When you finish your first pass, leave it for a week, and then repeat Step 4.
6. Once you are happy with the story, give it to your beta reader or readers, and have them go through it, or submit it to a professional editor to check. I prefer to do this one reader or editor at a time, if I can. That way I’m only working with one manuscript version at a time. DO NOT WORK ON YOUR MANUSCRIPT while you wait for the beta reader or editor feedback, as this can lead to multiple versions being out there, and can create problems in tracking what stage you’re at, or what version you’re working with. Work on something else. This gives you a clean mental break, which will help you establish a detachment to your work when you make your final pass.
7. Once you have incorporated the beta reader suggestions and edits, go
over your work once more.
8. Repeat Steps 2-3.
At this point, your work is probably as edited as it’s going to get.
STOP!
Take a breath.
Check your format is right for submission, or for uploading to whichever platform you prefer.
And good luck :-)
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but writing with an eye for publication since at least 1991. I have been a submissions editor for Aurealismagazine, a copy editor for the now defunct Dark Eden Press, a copy editor for the still-living Lyrical Press for three years, and I’ve edited for roleplaying companies for almost 10 years. I am also the author of the Shadow series (currently at three books), the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series (currently at one, with one on the way), one full-length romance, over 20 short stories and poems of varying genres, and five anthologies. I thought it might be useful to talk about some the things I’ve learned about editing along the way.
So… one of the things high on the list of things Indie authors have to get right is editing. Given that editing your own work has been described as ‘trying to do emergency surgery on yourself’, how does an Indie go about it? And do any of the techniques below have any relevance for those submitting work to traditional publishers?I’ll answer the second question first: YES. Why? Because any author submitting their work to a publisher, editor or agent needs to submit their work in the best condition they can manage. Editing your work prior to submission is something every writer should do, whether they are submitting their work to someone else, or uploading it to a distribution platform.
As with publishing, there are no longer any right, or wrong, ways to go about editing… unless, of course, you decide not to do any. That would definitely fall into the ‘wrong’ category. As an independent author, you owe your readers the respect of editing your work to the best of your ability, and as a traditional author, you owe the editors, agents and publishers you expect to work with the respect of editing your work to the best of your ability. Editing Tips. You can incorporate any or all of these into your work process. These are what work for me:
1. Make editing part of your daily writing process. Reading over the previous chapter and any work on your current chapter enables you to
pick up the threads of the story and reduces the chances of continuity errors in your work. This is a light edit or read over. It should be no more than ten or twenty minutes, though, or you could get side-tracked into an editing session you don’t need to do yet.2. When you finish your first draft ‘nuke’ your manuscript and reformat it. This will give you a clean manuscript to work with. ‘Nuking’ consists of:
a. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function in Word to Find <space><space> (not literally, you know, all the places you hit the space bar twice. Replace ‘<space><space>’ with ‘<space>’.b. Repeat that step until the number of replacements reaches ‘0’.
c. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function to Find ‘<space>^p’ (and again I’ve typed <space> instead of just hitting the space bar; otherwise you won’t see it). Replace ‘<space>^p’ with ‘^p’.d. Repeat that step until the number of replacements reaches ‘0’.e. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function to Find ‘^t’ and replace it with nothing (as in don’t put anything at all in the Replace box)f. Once that’s done, use ‘CtrlA’ to select your entire manuscript and do the following:
i. Copy the entire manuscript, and then Paste it into a blank Notepad document ii. Copy the entire Notepad manuscript and Paste it into a fresh Word document. iii. Change the font to ‘Times New Roman’ OR ‘Arial’ or a similarly easy-to-read font. iv. Change the font size to 12. v. In the ‘paragraph’ box make sure the alignment is ‘Left’ vi. In the ‘paragraph’ box, under ‘Indentation’ make sure you select ‘First line’ in the ‘Special’ box and ‘0.2’ (if working in inches) in the ‘By’ box. vii. Go through the manuscript and use the Insert function to put in chapter breaks viii. Format chapter headings and scene breaks ix. You now have a clean document to work with.
3. If you are independently publishing it, add your title page, dedication page, Table of Contents, acknowledgements and Author Page in as complete a form as possible. If you are submitting it, go to the formatting guidelines, and make sure you have formatted the document as required.4. Once the formatting is done, go through the document, line by line, reading each sentence for meaning, and looking for spelling and grammatical errors. Keep an eye out for story inconsistencies, also.
5. When you finish your first pass, leave it for a week, and then repeat Step 4.
6. Once you are happy with the story, give it to your beta reader or readers, and have them go through it, or submit it to a professional editor to check. I prefer to do this one reader or editor at a time, if I can. That way I’m only working with one manuscript version at a time. DO NOT WORK ON YOUR MANUSCRIPT while you wait for the beta reader or editor feedback, as this can lead to multiple versions being out there, and can create problems in tracking what stage you’re at, or what version you’re working with. Work on something else. This gives you a clean mental break, which will help you establish a detachment to your work when you make your final pass.
7. Once you have incorporated the beta reader suggestions and edits, go
over your work once more.
8. Repeat Steps 2-3.
At this point, your work is probably as edited as it’s going to get.
STOP!
Take a breath.
Check your format is right for submission, or for uploading to whichever platform you prefer.
And good luck :-)
September 7, 2013
Progress Report: Week 2 September 2013
Long and disrupted week, this week. Still, got a little done, which is encouraging.
OverviewNew words produced: 7,430Old words revised: 0Works completed: 1Works revised: 0Covers created: 0 (1-3 variations)Works published: 1 (5 release platforms, 1-2 formats each)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 2 (22 entries across a number of different categories and 2 competitions)
Tier 2 TasksCountry Rush: Added 2,159 words
Extra TasksEdited Stiletto’s Luck ;Formatted Stiletto’s Luck ;
Publishing Tasks
Created 3 blog posts for this blog;Created 4 blog posts for the C.M. Simpson Publishing blog;Released Stiletto’s Luck on Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction, Kobo, OmniLit, and Smashwords platforms.
Traditional Tasks
Completed and submitted RPGSupplement14H
New ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:
Chapbook5C: science fiction chapter book about a boy and an adventure;Chapbook5D: science fiction chapter book about a boy and another adventure;Chapbook14D: featuring a wheelchair;Chapbook14E: another wheelchair hero;Chapbook19G: paranormal urban electrical adventure;Novella6C: paranormal romanceRPGSupplement14H: about lizardfolk
September 5, 2013
Adventure Edition - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost Act Two Scene 3B
You can find the introduction to the Babes in London adventure sequence HERE, the background to Act One HERE, the Overview for Act One HERE., Act One Scenes 1-2 HERE and Act One Scene 3 HERE.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3A can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
GMs, please note that there are two sizable cut-scenes interlinked with Scene 3A. They final one will be posted next week. You should not run Scene 3A until you have both cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur. Scene 3B is only the first cut-scene. Also note that these scenes have not been playtested, so you may need to adjust them on the fly. If you do, I would be grateful for any feedback.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE THREE B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW
You stand before the wooden platform that should have hosted the trial. Lady Amintar, a magistrate from the port city of Elios, stands in the center of the platform and her body radiates the fury in her voice. “Three months ago the farmer Breytos left this freehold to try to sell his fleece in Elios. At that time it would have fetched three times the price he could have gained from selling it to the freehold.” She waits until the murmurs rising from the community gathered around you subside. “Breytos died when his horses bolted on the road through Mairnon’s Pass, taking themselves and the wagon over the edge and into the Heirions River. I am here because the magistrates have retrieved the wagon and found evidence of Blisterionus on the harness of the both animals.” There is a collective gasp from the people around you and now their eyes understand two things: Your presence, and the disappearance of Breytos’ neighbor – with Breytos’ wife. Magistrate Amintar outlines the suspicions brought to her by Breytos’ daughters and the charge of murder laid against their mother and neighbor. “By the 101stlaw it is said that: Sabotage leading to the foreseeable chance of death for another is murder and the saboteur shall be tried as a murderer. In this case we have conducted our investigations and bring the case before you only to find that the accused have disappeared. Fortunately someone among you noted the disappearance and there are volunteers for the hunt.” She looks directly at you and you bow. There is a smattering of nervous applause from the assembled freehold. Your deeds are well known, but this is the first hunt where your prey is human. “Give them all the help they require.” With her last command ringing in their ears, the freeholders look towards you. You hear one mutter an excuse to his neighbor – something about having to take the sheep to pasture. It’s the start of an exodus. With a sigh, you realize two things – the reason you only received the call for help last night and that you’ll have to use the dogs after all.
PART A: INVESTIGATION
Let the PCs work out what to do. If they are aware of their draconic forms and abilities, they can use these, otherwise they take on the human disguise adopted by their draconic selves during this Age. They do have dogs available to them and a guide can be found to take them to Breytos’ house where one of the dead man’s daughters can be located. She can give them something the dogs can scent from and the hunt can begin – or the PCs can do some investigation first. If there is time, let the PCs move around the village asking questions.
Research (Mental): If a character uses this skillTH1: Karymnos, Breytos’ neighbor, was a fur trader and hunter. He has not been seen since yesterday evening when he was gathering supplies for another of his hunting trips. Breytos’ wife, Brinna, was last seen locking her doors an hour after dusk. (Neither of her daughters saw her this morning, however, but assumed she had business in the village – a fact that is easily checked and found to be false.).TH3: Karymnos hunted mostly the eastern side of the mountain above the village but traded with another community on the other side of the mountain. There is a trail, used only by hunters and peddlers.
Knowledge (Atlantean Geography): Characters aware of Atlantean geography for this age may try to work out other ways Breytos could have taken to escape the village without taking the main trail.
TH1: There are numerous small trails all over the mountain. Some even lead to communities on the other side but are mostly used by peddlers and hunters.TH3: If Breytos wanted to avoid using the main trail and reach a port, he would try to reach Marethykos, a village on the other side of the mountain. From there he could make his way down to the sea and take passage from the fishing village of Kykos to any of the ports. Marethykos is two days away which means the runaways won’t reach it until tomorrow mid-morning at the earliest (tomorrow evening if they stop to rest for the night).
Other Notes: A guide can be found to lead them to the trail to Marethykos. Slender and wiry, this otherwise pretty young lady bears the scars of a lion’s strike across one shoulder and the top of an arm. If asked, she calmly informs the character that she forgot that mask cats hunt in pairs. If pressed for details a shadow crosses her face and she changes the subject to the location of the path, where she leaves them. Her name is Alyssia and she is a hunter by trade. If PCs are actively trying to gain more information from her they can make an Air (Interaction) test. The following THs reveal the following information:
TH1: Alyssia knows of no other trails that the runaways could have taken as a short cut but Karymnos was a skilled hunter and had his secrets.TH2: No-one else has used the track for days.TH3: Karymnos pack-horse has a distinctive track mark. His near-fore hoofprint has an indented triangle on the inner left-hand side.
PART B: THE CHASE
From here, the PCs match their skills at hunting and tracking against Karymnos. The hunter has used the main path for much of the way, both for speed and to hide his trail. After 6 hours of traveling in the dark and 3 hours of hard riding, he left the trail and headed down the mountain, using rocky outcrops and stony ground to hide his diversion. He is heading for the Heiron’s River where he has arranged to meet a boat to take him and Brinna to Elios – which is in the opposite direction to which he will be expected to go.
If they are using the dogs , the PCs reach the rocky outcrop where Karymnos left the path around mid-afternoon. Read or paraphrase the following: The dogs are looking tired but very pleased with themselves. Eight hours of tracking and they think they’re still on the trail. The trail turns a corner and the trees give way to a bulge of rock that extends across the path and up and down both sides. The dogs stop. One sneezes. Another rubs its nose. The third dog glares at you as though it’s your fault and the fourth sits down and looks confused. It’s the lead dog that picks up the trail again. After two more sneezing episodes, it begins to pull you away from the trail and over the rocks leading down the mountainside.
If the PCs want to double check the dogs’ decision they must make an Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH1 test in order to notice that something has disturbed the rocks and nearby shrubbery. Otherwise they can follow the dogs. (Go to Part C: Rendezvous)
If they are not using the dogs , the PCs must make six Air (Senses) TH3 tests while following the trail. Success means they note some tangible sign that he has passed along the trail be it a distinctive hoof mark, a scrap of cloth from a woman’s dress, evidence that someone ‘had to go’ in the bushes not far from the trail, a discarded handkerchief etc. Once they reach the rocky outcrop at mid-afternoon, have them make another Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) in order to pick up and keep the hunter’s trail. (Karymnos had a TH1 to leave the trail successfully at this point due to the rocky nature of both the trail and the ground beyond it.) If they fail to pick up the trail at this point, they come across a hunter’s camp further on and learn that no-one has passed that way all day – the hunters can help put them back on the trail if they need it, or the PCs can back track, making tests until they pick up the trail again. When they find it, continue with Part C: Rendezvous.
PART C: RENDEZVOUS
If PCs are using the dogs:
Dusk is closing in, when the hounds begin to bay. Well, so much for the stealthy approach! Ahead of you, just beyond an outcrop of rocks you hear a shout of angry frustration and a woman’s cry of dismay.
PCs have finally caught up with the runaways. Karymnos is a desperate man and slips into hiding the moment the hounds begin to bay; his plan is to make his way into the river and let its current carry him downstream and to the other side. He has given Brinna instructions to do the same and the pair split up, confusing the dogs with a choice of two scent trails. As PCs round the outcrop, read or paraphrase the following:
Apart from a horse, still tethered to a tree, a picnic blanket spread in the late afternoon sun, and the hastily discarded remains of someone’s supper, the area beyond the outcrop is empty. The dogs reach the blanket and then begin circling to regain the scent; there is sudden confusion as the lead hound tries to continue the pursuit in one direction and the second lead lunges in another.
Let the PCs work out how to handle this before allowing them to close the pursuit. Because Karymnos is trying to be stealthy, he is moving slower than any PC and dog combination but the same cannot be said for Brinna who is fleeing headlong for the water, discarding pieces of clothing (and anything else that might slow her down) as she goes.
If PCs are not using the dogs: Have them make three Air (Senses) TH3 tests against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH3 (it’s hard to hide traces of the pack horse’s passage through the undergrowth). If the third test is successful read or paraphrase the following:
From behind another outcrop of rocks, you hear the sound of voices, soft laughter and the restless stamp of a horse.
Let PCs work out how to tackle this situation. Whatever they do, as soon as they show themselves, Karymnos and Brinna try to bolt for the river, heading in two different directions as described above. In this case, however, Karymnos won’t be trying to be stealthy unless he manages to lose whoever is following him in the undergrowth.
KARYMNOS – ATLANTEAN HUNTEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 4; Init 8; Aspects Fire 4, Water 3, Air 4, Earth 3; Health 3m; <3/ 3+ / 6+ /9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 3; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Throwing Dagger 4/L , Recurve Bow 10/M, Long Sword 10/M,Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Knife Fighting Abilities Skills Athletics 5; Knowledge: Finances 4; Knowledge: Geography 4; Knowledge: Law 3; Medicine 3; Melee 5; Ranged 6; Senses 5; Stamina 4; Stealth 6; Travel 5; Will 5; Edges: Allies: Smugglers 5; Circumspect 3, Deft 3, Stealthy
BRINNA – ATLANTEAN FREEHOLDEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 2; Init ; Aspects Fire 3, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 4; Health 4m; <3 / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+ / 24+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 15; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Abilities Skills Athletics 4, Knowledge: Farming 4, Knowledge: Finances: 2, Knowledge: Mythic Culture (Atlantis) 2, Stamina 4; Edges Allies: Freehold, Durable, Network: Freehold.
PART D: SENTENCE & REWARDOnce the capture (or apparent loss) of Brinna and Karymnos is resolved read, or paraphrase, the following:
Well, they led you a merry dance, but you caught them in the end. The scene of their capture fades, and you find yourself standing once again before a wooden platform and Lady Amintar. Brinna and Karymnos kneel before her, their heads touching the boards. “… the penalty is death by drowning,” the Lady Amintar is saying. The stern look fades from her face and she glances down at you with a smile. “And for my hunters I have a new title. You are awarded the position of Hounds of the Law and your services will be retained in perpetuity.” The scene fades and you find yourselves arrayed before Anika’s desk with one thought resting uneasily on your mind. The summons to the trial had come from a member of another brood and you had answered immediately – but now you can’t remember why. You really wish you could, because someone out there appears to owe you a favor.
Allow the PCs to work out what they wish to do next. They may wish to continue searching the house, or they may have completed their search and wish to go elsewhere. If PCs have searched the house and Anika’s room, and garnered all the clues they can, go to the section titled: ‘Finalizing Scene Three’. END OF ACT TWO SCENE 3B
Next week, I will be posting the final cut-scene, Act Two Scene 3C.
Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3A can be found HERE.
To play or run this game you will need the following:
PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook ;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook ;
This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.
GMs, please note that there are two sizable cut-scenes interlinked with Scene 3A. They final one will be posted next week. You should not run Scene 3A until you have both cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur. Scene 3B is only the first cut-scene. Also note that these scenes have not been playtested, so you may need to adjust them on the fly. If you do, I would be grateful for any feedback.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT
SCENE THREE B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW
You stand before the wooden platform that should have hosted the trial. Lady Amintar, a magistrate from the port city of Elios, stands in the center of the platform and her body radiates the fury in her voice. “Three months ago the farmer Breytos left this freehold to try to sell his fleece in Elios. At that time it would have fetched three times the price he could have gained from selling it to the freehold.” She waits until the murmurs rising from the community gathered around you subside. “Breytos died when his horses bolted on the road through Mairnon’s Pass, taking themselves and the wagon over the edge and into the Heirions River. I am here because the magistrates have retrieved the wagon and found evidence of Blisterionus on the harness of the both animals.” There is a collective gasp from the people around you and now their eyes understand two things: Your presence, and the disappearance of Breytos’ neighbor – with Breytos’ wife. Magistrate Amintar outlines the suspicions brought to her by Breytos’ daughters and the charge of murder laid against their mother and neighbor. “By the 101stlaw it is said that: Sabotage leading to the foreseeable chance of death for another is murder and the saboteur shall be tried as a murderer. In this case we have conducted our investigations and bring the case before you only to find that the accused have disappeared. Fortunately someone among you noted the disappearance and there are volunteers for the hunt.” She looks directly at you and you bow. There is a smattering of nervous applause from the assembled freehold. Your deeds are well known, but this is the first hunt where your prey is human. “Give them all the help they require.” With her last command ringing in their ears, the freeholders look towards you. You hear one mutter an excuse to his neighbor – something about having to take the sheep to pasture. It’s the start of an exodus. With a sigh, you realize two things – the reason you only received the call for help last night and that you’ll have to use the dogs after all.
PART A: INVESTIGATION
Let the PCs work out what to do. If they are aware of their draconic forms and abilities, they can use these, otherwise they take on the human disguise adopted by their draconic selves during this Age. They do have dogs available to them and a guide can be found to take them to Breytos’ house where one of the dead man’s daughters can be located. She can give them something the dogs can scent from and the hunt can begin – or the PCs can do some investigation first. If there is time, let the PCs move around the village asking questions.
Research (Mental): If a character uses this skillTH1: Karymnos, Breytos’ neighbor, was a fur trader and hunter. He has not been seen since yesterday evening when he was gathering supplies for another of his hunting trips. Breytos’ wife, Brinna, was last seen locking her doors an hour after dusk. (Neither of her daughters saw her this morning, however, but assumed she had business in the village – a fact that is easily checked and found to be false.).TH3: Karymnos hunted mostly the eastern side of the mountain above the village but traded with another community on the other side of the mountain. There is a trail, used only by hunters and peddlers.
Knowledge (Atlantean Geography): Characters aware of Atlantean geography for this age may try to work out other ways Breytos could have taken to escape the village without taking the main trail.
TH1: There are numerous small trails all over the mountain. Some even lead to communities on the other side but are mostly used by peddlers and hunters.TH3: If Breytos wanted to avoid using the main trail and reach a port, he would try to reach Marethykos, a village on the other side of the mountain. From there he could make his way down to the sea and take passage from the fishing village of Kykos to any of the ports. Marethykos is two days away which means the runaways won’t reach it until tomorrow mid-morning at the earliest (tomorrow evening if they stop to rest for the night).
Other Notes: A guide can be found to lead them to the trail to Marethykos. Slender and wiry, this otherwise pretty young lady bears the scars of a lion’s strike across one shoulder and the top of an arm. If asked, she calmly informs the character that she forgot that mask cats hunt in pairs. If pressed for details a shadow crosses her face and she changes the subject to the location of the path, where she leaves them. Her name is Alyssia and she is a hunter by trade. If PCs are actively trying to gain more information from her they can make an Air (Interaction) test. The following THs reveal the following information:
TH1: Alyssia knows of no other trails that the runaways could have taken as a short cut but Karymnos was a skilled hunter and had his secrets.TH2: No-one else has used the track for days.TH3: Karymnos pack-horse has a distinctive track mark. His near-fore hoofprint has an indented triangle on the inner left-hand side.
PART B: THE CHASE
From here, the PCs match their skills at hunting and tracking against Karymnos. The hunter has used the main path for much of the way, both for speed and to hide his trail. After 6 hours of traveling in the dark and 3 hours of hard riding, he left the trail and headed down the mountain, using rocky outcrops and stony ground to hide his diversion. He is heading for the Heiron’s River where he has arranged to meet a boat to take him and Brinna to Elios – which is in the opposite direction to which he will be expected to go.
If they are using the dogs , the PCs reach the rocky outcrop where Karymnos left the path around mid-afternoon. Read or paraphrase the following: The dogs are looking tired but very pleased with themselves. Eight hours of tracking and they think they’re still on the trail. The trail turns a corner and the trees give way to a bulge of rock that extends across the path and up and down both sides. The dogs stop. One sneezes. Another rubs its nose. The third dog glares at you as though it’s your fault and the fourth sits down and looks confused. It’s the lead dog that picks up the trail again. After two more sneezing episodes, it begins to pull you away from the trail and over the rocks leading down the mountainside.
If the PCs want to double check the dogs’ decision they must make an Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH1 test in order to notice that something has disturbed the rocks and nearby shrubbery. Otherwise they can follow the dogs. (Go to Part C: Rendezvous)
If they are not using the dogs , the PCs must make six Air (Senses) TH3 tests while following the trail. Success means they note some tangible sign that he has passed along the trail be it a distinctive hoof mark, a scrap of cloth from a woman’s dress, evidence that someone ‘had to go’ in the bushes not far from the trail, a discarded handkerchief etc. Once they reach the rocky outcrop at mid-afternoon, have them make another Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) in order to pick up and keep the hunter’s trail. (Karymnos had a TH1 to leave the trail successfully at this point due to the rocky nature of both the trail and the ground beyond it.) If they fail to pick up the trail at this point, they come across a hunter’s camp further on and learn that no-one has passed that way all day – the hunters can help put them back on the trail if they need it, or the PCs can back track, making tests until they pick up the trail again. When they find it, continue with Part C: Rendezvous.
PART C: RENDEZVOUS
If PCs are using the dogs:
Dusk is closing in, when the hounds begin to bay. Well, so much for the stealthy approach! Ahead of you, just beyond an outcrop of rocks you hear a shout of angry frustration and a woman’s cry of dismay.
PCs have finally caught up with the runaways. Karymnos is a desperate man and slips into hiding the moment the hounds begin to bay; his plan is to make his way into the river and let its current carry him downstream and to the other side. He has given Brinna instructions to do the same and the pair split up, confusing the dogs with a choice of two scent trails. As PCs round the outcrop, read or paraphrase the following:
Apart from a horse, still tethered to a tree, a picnic blanket spread in the late afternoon sun, and the hastily discarded remains of someone’s supper, the area beyond the outcrop is empty. The dogs reach the blanket and then begin circling to regain the scent; there is sudden confusion as the lead hound tries to continue the pursuit in one direction and the second lead lunges in another.
Let the PCs work out how to handle this before allowing them to close the pursuit. Because Karymnos is trying to be stealthy, he is moving slower than any PC and dog combination but the same cannot be said for Brinna who is fleeing headlong for the water, discarding pieces of clothing (and anything else that might slow her down) as she goes.
If PCs are not using the dogs: Have them make three Air (Senses) TH3 tests against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH3 (it’s hard to hide traces of the pack horse’s passage through the undergrowth). If the third test is successful read or paraphrase the following:
From behind another outcrop of rocks, you hear the sound of voices, soft laughter and the restless stamp of a horse.
Let PCs work out how to tackle this situation. Whatever they do, as soon as they show themselves, Karymnos and Brinna try to bolt for the river, heading in two different directions as described above. In this case, however, Karymnos won’t be trying to be stealthy unless he manages to lose whoever is following him in the undergrowth.
KARYMNOS – ATLANTEAN HUNTEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 4; Init 8; Aspects Fire 4, Water 3, Air 4, Earth 3; Health 3m; <3/ 3+ / 6+ /9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 3; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Throwing Dagger 4/L , Recurve Bow 10/M, Long Sword 10/M,Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Knife Fighting Abilities Skills Athletics 5; Knowledge: Finances 4; Knowledge: Geography 4; Knowledge: Law 3; Medicine 3; Melee 5; Ranged 6; Senses 5; Stamina 4; Stealth 6; Travel 5; Will 5; Edges: Allies: Smugglers 5; Circumspect 3, Deft 3, Stealthy
BRINNA – ATLANTEAN FREEHOLDEREra Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 2; Init ; Aspects Fire 3, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 4; Health 4m; <3 / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+ / 24+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 15; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate) Combat Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Abilities Skills Athletics 4, Knowledge: Farming 4, Knowledge: Finances: 2, Knowledge: Mythic Culture (Atlantis) 2, Stamina 4; Edges Allies: Freehold, Durable, Network: Freehold.
PART D: SENTENCE & REWARDOnce the capture (or apparent loss) of Brinna and Karymnos is resolved read, or paraphrase, the following:
Well, they led you a merry dance, but you caught them in the end. The scene of their capture fades, and you find yourself standing once again before a wooden platform and Lady Amintar. Brinna and Karymnos kneel before her, their heads touching the boards. “… the penalty is death by drowning,” the Lady Amintar is saying. The stern look fades from her face and she glances down at you with a smile. “And for my hunters I have a new title. You are awarded the position of Hounds of the Law and your services will be retained in perpetuity.” The scene fades and you find yourselves arrayed before Anika’s desk with one thought resting uneasily on your mind. The summons to the trial had come from a member of another brood and you had answered immediately – but now you can’t remember why. You really wish you could, because someone out there appears to owe you a favor.
Allow the PCs to work out what they wish to do next. They may wish to continue searching the house, or they may have completed their search and wish to go elsewhere. If PCs have searched the house and Anika’s room, and garnered all the clues they can, go to the section titled: ‘Finalizing Scene Three’. END OF ACT TWO SCENE 3B
Next week, I will be posting the final cut-scene, Act Two Scene 3C.
September 3, 2013
Australian Birds: Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornus spinicollis)
One misty morning, when I was out photographing a bridge for a troll book, I saw this fellow, foraging beneath the pines. This is a straw-necked ibis, and my guess is that he was looking for insects and other tasty tidbits. A wary bird, he didn't let me get too close.
First sighting.
I start to get closer; the bird makes a casual turn and starts making its casual way towards the water culvert.
Still feeding, but much closer to the culvert.
And closer still.
But still looking for food.
First sighting.
I start to get closer; the bird makes a casual turn and starts making its casual way towards the water culvert.
Still feeding, but much closer to the culvert.
And closer still.
But still looking for food.
First Chapters: Flying with Friends as Carlie Simonsen
Jack has been looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Not just because it is a break away from school, but because, this Christmas holidays, he is going to learn to fly. The only thing that mars his trip is the flash of blue he sees behind them on a remote dirt track. Why would someone be following them way out here? Is he seeing things?Flying with Friends is the second book in the Wings chapter book series, set around a family with wings and bird-like feet.
Flying with Friends is available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction and OmniLit, and will shortly be released through CreateSpace, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Baker and Taylor and iTunes.
First Chapter: Flying with FriendsGoing on Holidays
Jack did not know where they were going. His dad didn’t know where they were going. They were following Jedda’s family in their car.They were going on a camping trip. The school holidays had started, and they would be spending the month-long Christmas break in the bush. Jack was going to learn to fly.He wondered if his dad would let him sit on the roof of the car on the way back. Jedda’s dad didn’t let Jedda on the roof of their car. He said it was bad enough she rode on the roof of the bus.Jack looked at the cars passing them. He looked at the houses. He looked at the lights as they left the town behind. He watched as the hills and the trees rose around them, like giants in the dark.Jack hadn’t been camping before. His mum and dad had always been too busy.They drove until the car clock said midnight, then they stopped. They stayed in a motel with Jedda’s family. Their rooms were right next door to each other, but they didn’t go and visit. They just went in and shut the door. Jack’s dad said they needed to get some sleep.Jedda’s dad snored. Jack could hear him through the wall. Jack didn’t get much sleep that night.“Where are we going?” he asked when they met at the cars the next morning.Jedda’s dad just smiled.“Somewhere secret,” he said, and climbed into his car.“Hurry up,” Jack’s dad called.Where they were going was so secret even he didn’t know, but he didn’t seem to care.
End of First Chapter If you would like to read more, Flying with Friends is available from Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, DriveThruFiction and OmniLit, and will shortly be released through CreateSpace, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Baker and Taylor and iTunes.
September 2, 2013
New Release: Stiletto's Luck as C.M. Simpson
Woohoo! Stiletto's Luck is now out in the wild. It was uploaded to Smashwords, Amazon-Kindle, Kobo, DriveThruFiction, and OmniLit on Sunday, September 2013, and will soon be available also from Nook, Barnes & Noble, and the iTunes store.
What's it about? Here you go:
Stiletto’s Luck is about an assassin dealing with the consequences of taking part in a battle for reasons of his own, while trying to remain uncompromised by either side.
They could have called him Scimitar, Blade or Dagger, but, no, his parents had to call him Stiletto. Stiletto did the only thing he could. He learned to be the best at what he did, and he learned to walk tall - without the heels. When he finds himself in the center of a plot to assassinate the most powerful men in the city, Stiletto has only one question: How on earth is he going to walk out of this one?
Stiletto’s Luck will be included in An Anthology of Blades , but is currently available as a stand-alone title.
September 1, 2013
Flash Fiction Challenge: Hasken's Choice by C.M. Simpson
A response for a Chuck Wendig Flash Fiction Challenge. I keep forgetting how much I love the way these exercises ignite a creative spark. This week I rolled a d20 and got to set a story in a penal colony built by elvish astronauts. A thousand words isn't a lot of space to build a character, a history, and establish a setting, especially when you know nothing about it when you start. Now, I want to know a lot more, to explore this new universe of mine and see what other stories lie within. And this is why I love these challenges. This response, excluding the title, is exactly 1,000 words long, so come and meet Hasken:
Hasken's Choice
The first guard doubled over at 1800 hours. Dusk. According to one movie, ‘magic hour’. None of the inmates had heard of the movie, let alone seen it. If they had, they would have recognized old history – an entire species wiped out by the ingenuity of man. No wonder the elves had been angry.The dragons had been a trap – an elven trap, vengeance on the human race, any race who dug so far into the world for nothing more than mineral wealth. In truth, it had probably been a trap meant for the dwarves, the world-eating hives of kesteringus, or the Venusian mole men who murdered creatures of fire and acid whenever they could.Knives in the gut, Hasken thought, seeing the figure topple as he set another seedling firmly into its pot. Poor bastard.Hasken had not approved of the idea, and the others had exiled him to the potting sheds. No one liked the sheds; they were death traps for most months of the year, but this month Hasken was lucky. He wasn’t dealing with spike-throwing anthrogens, head-biting kalloskathies, or symbiotically-linked carnivores. This month, he was dealing with sap-covered, thorn-encrusted, stink-oozing floriskanths. Nothing a good pair of protective gloves and a gas mask couldn’t deal with. Piece of cake by comparison.The second guard fell off her hadrosaur at 1805. The hadrosaur stood, staring out at the horizon, while its rider curled into a ball, groaning at its feet. Hasken caught his glove on the thorns, swore as he carefully disentangled his fingers from the grasping points, ungluing the glove from binding sap. A cuff over the back of his head reminded Hasken cursing was forbidden.Hasken apologized, crooning gently. Some of the other inmates were deliberately cruel, earning exile from the potting sheds. Most avoided the duty where they could. Hasken was one of the few who relished it. He waited for the guard behind him to move on. The guard did not.Looking up, Hasken saw the guard staring out through the fence at the hadrosaur. Hasken supposed he should do something about that, but didn’t. He hadn’t agreed with the plan. It was stupid and cruel; it sickened him and he wanted no part in it. Not even the small one being offered. He followed the guard’s gaze, gasping as though just noticing the beast and its fallen rider.1811.The guard moved like lightening, slapping a hand on the emergency alarm, and jamming a long-barreled pistol against Hasken’s head.“Don’t move.”“The skanth,” Hasken said, locking himself in place, resisting the urge to sweep the pistol away and jam the thorny sap-coated seedling into the guard’s gut. He’d been accused of murder, had indeed committed it, and had never regretted it. The death wasn’t why he’d been imprisoned.The dead man hadn’t been able to admit sabotaging the air processor, and Hasken was only half-way through repairing it when the ship’s security team caught him. Half fixed, half broken – it all looked the same to the captain, especially when the dead man had been meant to be in the life support area, and Hasken had not.Why was he there?A deterioration in air quality and change in the sound from the engines pumping the air, whenever that technician was on shift.How had he noticed that?The fact he’d been carrying his own testing equipment had only been held against him. The fact his room shared a wall with the plant equipment, ignored. What had he hoped to gain blackmailing the shipping line?In the end, Hasken had been jailed for murder and sabotage. He’d been hoping to reach Earth, put some of his theories into practice, regrow something on the wastes, replant… Bad luck to have found an elf-hating saboteur on the cruise line for which he’d gathered a fare. Bad luck to be implicated in one of the most serious of space-lane crimes.“Finish it, but slowly.”Once the guard had stepped back, and was dividing his attention between watching the door, watching Hasken and watching the hadrosaur beyond the fence. Hasken set the floriskanth seedling in its pot, tamped down the earth, and disentangled his fingers before setting the pot beside the others. When he was finished, he placed his hands on his thighs and stayed, kneeling on the floor.At 18:16, the third guard crumbled, releasing his grip on the shock chains keeping his velociraptors in check. Screams rose from the prisoners harvesting tubers two enclosures over. The elf guard swore. At 18:17 he groaned, and dropped to his knees, keeping the pistol aimed at Hasken’s head by sheer force of will.At 18:18, Hasken watched and made his move as the pistol wavered. He rose, turning as he gained his feet, avoiding the first dart. The guard did not get to fire a second; Hasken kicked the gun from his hand, while reaching behind a row of floriskanth seedlings and potting tools.“Here’s something I prepared earlier,” he muttered, pulling out the tuber he’d stashed there earlier. It was the only antidote he knew.The guard had curled in on himself, by the time Hasken reached his side. Pulling the elf into his lap and locking him against his chest with his forearms, Hasken tilted the elf’s head back, relieved when the guard’s mouth opened in a groan. With a grunt of effort, Hasken twisted the tuber so that it broke, crushing the fibers at its core and releasing a mixture of seed-encrusted pulp held together in mucous-like sap.Any runnier, and he’d have failed but, by the time the raptors had quelled the uprising in the field, and reinforcements had taken back the buildings where inmates were still struggling with locking mechanisms biometrically attuned elsewhere ,Hasken had guided the oozing mess between his captor’s lips. Not a single prisoner made it past the inner fences, but only one guard survived.Hasken had sworn he would never again be caught with a dead body on his hands.
END HASKEN'S CHOICE
Thank you, Mr. Wendig, for the inspiration.
Hasken's Choice
The first guard doubled over at 1800 hours. Dusk. According to one movie, ‘magic hour’. None of the inmates had heard of the movie, let alone seen it. If they had, they would have recognized old history – an entire species wiped out by the ingenuity of man. No wonder the elves had been angry.The dragons had been a trap – an elven trap, vengeance on the human race, any race who dug so far into the world for nothing more than mineral wealth. In truth, it had probably been a trap meant for the dwarves, the world-eating hives of kesteringus, or the Venusian mole men who murdered creatures of fire and acid whenever they could.Knives in the gut, Hasken thought, seeing the figure topple as he set another seedling firmly into its pot. Poor bastard.Hasken had not approved of the idea, and the others had exiled him to the potting sheds. No one liked the sheds; they were death traps for most months of the year, but this month Hasken was lucky. He wasn’t dealing with spike-throwing anthrogens, head-biting kalloskathies, or symbiotically-linked carnivores. This month, he was dealing with sap-covered, thorn-encrusted, stink-oozing floriskanths. Nothing a good pair of protective gloves and a gas mask couldn’t deal with. Piece of cake by comparison.The second guard fell off her hadrosaur at 1805. The hadrosaur stood, staring out at the horizon, while its rider curled into a ball, groaning at its feet. Hasken caught his glove on the thorns, swore as he carefully disentangled his fingers from the grasping points, ungluing the glove from binding sap. A cuff over the back of his head reminded Hasken cursing was forbidden.Hasken apologized, crooning gently. Some of the other inmates were deliberately cruel, earning exile from the potting sheds. Most avoided the duty where they could. Hasken was one of the few who relished it. He waited for the guard behind him to move on. The guard did not.Looking up, Hasken saw the guard staring out through the fence at the hadrosaur. Hasken supposed he should do something about that, but didn’t. He hadn’t agreed with the plan. It was stupid and cruel; it sickened him and he wanted no part in it. Not even the small one being offered. He followed the guard’s gaze, gasping as though just noticing the beast and its fallen rider.1811.The guard moved like lightening, slapping a hand on the emergency alarm, and jamming a long-barreled pistol against Hasken’s head.“Don’t move.”“The skanth,” Hasken said, locking himself in place, resisting the urge to sweep the pistol away and jam the thorny sap-coated seedling into the guard’s gut. He’d been accused of murder, had indeed committed it, and had never regretted it. The death wasn’t why he’d been imprisoned.The dead man hadn’t been able to admit sabotaging the air processor, and Hasken was only half-way through repairing it when the ship’s security team caught him. Half fixed, half broken – it all looked the same to the captain, especially when the dead man had been meant to be in the life support area, and Hasken had not.Why was he there?A deterioration in air quality and change in the sound from the engines pumping the air, whenever that technician was on shift.How had he noticed that?The fact he’d been carrying his own testing equipment had only been held against him. The fact his room shared a wall with the plant equipment, ignored. What had he hoped to gain blackmailing the shipping line?In the end, Hasken had been jailed for murder and sabotage. He’d been hoping to reach Earth, put some of his theories into practice, regrow something on the wastes, replant… Bad luck to have found an elf-hating saboteur on the cruise line for which he’d gathered a fare. Bad luck to be implicated in one of the most serious of space-lane crimes.“Finish it, but slowly.”Once the guard had stepped back, and was dividing his attention between watching the door, watching Hasken and watching the hadrosaur beyond the fence. Hasken set the floriskanth seedling in its pot, tamped down the earth, and disentangled his fingers before setting the pot beside the others. When he was finished, he placed his hands on his thighs and stayed, kneeling on the floor.At 18:16, the third guard crumbled, releasing his grip on the shock chains keeping his velociraptors in check. Screams rose from the prisoners harvesting tubers two enclosures over. The elf guard swore. At 18:17 he groaned, and dropped to his knees, keeping the pistol aimed at Hasken’s head by sheer force of will.At 18:18, Hasken watched and made his move as the pistol wavered. He rose, turning as he gained his feet, avoiding the first dart. The guard did not get to fire a second; Hasken kicked the gun from his hand, while reaching behind a row of floriskanth seedlings and potting tools.“Here’s something I prepared earlier,” he muttered, pulling out the tuber he’d stashed there earlier. It was the only antidote he knew.The guard had curled in on himself, by the time Hasken reached his side. Pulling the elf into his lap and locking him against his chest with his forearms, Hasken tilted the elf’s head back, relieved when the guard’s mouth opened in a groan. With a grunt of effort, Hasken twisted the tuber so that it broke, crushing the fibers at its core and releasing a mixture of seed-encrusted pulp held together in mucous-like sap.Any runnier, and he’d have failed but, by the time the raptors had quelled the uprising in the field, and reinforcements had taken back the buildings where inmates were still struggling with locking mechanisms biometrically attuned elsewhere ,Hasken had guided the oozing mess between his captor’s lips. Not a single prisoner made it past the inner fences, but only one guard survived.Hasken had sworn he would never again be caught with a dead body on his hands.
END HASKEN'S CHOICE
Thank you, Mr. Wendig, for the inspiration.
August 31, 2013
Progress Report: Week 5 August 2013
A busy work week, and another week of clinging flu-like symptoms, but I still got a bucketload done. One release, and advances made on several larger pieces of work. Not bad. Let’s see how this week goes.OverviewNew words produced: 8,184Old words revised: 14,962Works completed: 2 (+ 23 poems and 9 short stories revised for other, larger works)Works revised: 32 (23 poems and 9 short stories revised for other, larger works)Covers created: 1 (1-3 variations)Works published: 1 (6 release platforms) +1 (blog)Works submitted: 0Competitions Entered: 0
Tier 3 TasksChapbook10B—Flying with Friends: Revised chapters 1-8 and formatted;Extra TasksAdded 4,085 words to ShortStory36—Stiletto’s Luck, completing it at 7,398 words.
Added 2,000 words to RPGSupplement7AAdded 2,000 words to RPGSupplement15ACompleted ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice at 1,000 words for the latest Chuck Wendig terribleminds blog Flash Fiction Challenge ( Hasken’s Choice is scheduled for tomorrow’s blog).
Publishing TasksCreated 4 blog posts for this blog;Created 3 blog posts for the C.M. SimpsonPublishing blog;Updated Carlie Simonsen’s page on this blog;Updated the Young Adult page on the C.M.Simpson Publishing blog;Updated the Fireborn Adventure page on this blog;Re-uploaded corrected version of
Chapbook10A—
Wings: Wings #1
for Carlie SimonsenCreated e-book and print-on-demand cover for Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsFormatted CreateSpace, Smashwords and Amazon Versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsUploaded CreateSpace, Smashwords, Kobo, Amazon-Kindle, OmniLit, and DriveThruFiction versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsNew ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Poem112—Seasons on the Grow: for Annual13ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice: in response to the latest Chuck Wendig flash fiction challenge (to be posted tomorrow).
The following ideas were rediscovered and given a project number:Poem150: linked to Anthology38;Poem151—The Classroom: linked to Annual13, Anthology27;Poem152—Seasons on the Grow: linked to Annual13 ; Poem153—Nerves: linked to Anthology27 ; Poem154—Through the Window: linked to Anthology27;Poem155—In the Library: linked to Anthology27;Poem156—Sky Seekers: linked to Anthology27;Poem157—Dragon Battle: linked to Anthology27;Poem158—A Grey Day’s Spirits: linked to Anthology27;Poem160—The Sky Weeps: liked to Anthology27;Poem161—Baresark: linked to Annual13Poem162—The Lightning and the Wind: linked to Annual13;Poem163—The Poet’s Advice: linked to Annual13;Poem164—Two People, One Land: A Poem for Two Sets of Voices: linked to Annual13Poem165—In Darkness I Stand: linked to Annual13;Poem166—Whale Song: linked to Anthology27;Poem167—The Sleeping Warrior: linked to Annual13;Poem168—Fear Keeps me Warm: linked to Annual13;Poem169—Shutters of the Soul: linked to Annual13;Poem170—The Zombie Dawn: linked to Anthology27;Poem171—Embarrassed: linked to Anthology27;RPGSupplement15A: to do with insects… lots of insects.
Tier 3 TasksChapbook10B—Flying with Friends: Revised chapters 1-8 and formatted;Extra TasksAdded 4,085 words to ShortStory36—Stiletto’s Luck, completing it at 7,398 words.
Added 2,000 words to RPGSupplement7AAdded 2,000 words to RPGSupplement15ACompleted ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice at 1,000 words for the latest Chuck Wendig terribleminds blog Flash Fiction Challenge ( Hasken’s Choice is scheduled for tomorrow’s blog).
Publishing TasksCreated 4 blog posts for this blog;Created 3 blog posts for the C.M. SimpsonPublishing blog;Updated Carlie Simonsen’s page on this blog;Updated the Young Adult page on the C.M.Simpson Publishing blog;Updated the Fireborn Adventure page on this blog;Re-uploaded corrected version of
Chapbook10A—
Wings: Wings #1
for Carlie SimonsenCreated e-book and print-on-demand cover for Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsFormatted CreateSpace, Smashwords and Amazon Versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsUploaded CreateSpace, Smashwords, Kobo, Amazon-Kindle, OmniLit, and DriveThruFiction versions of Chapbook10B—Flying with FriendsNew ArrivalsThe following ideas arrived this week:Poem112—Seasons on the Grow: for Annual13ShortStory64—Hasken’s Choice: in response to the latest Chuck Wendig flash fiction challenge (to be posted tomorrow).The following ideas were rediscovered and given a project number:Poem150: linked to Anthology38;Poem151—The Classroom: linked to Annual13, Anthology27;Poem152—Seasons on the Grow: linked to Annual13 ; Poem153—Nerves: linked to Anthology27 ; Poem154—Through the Window: linked to Anthology27;Poem155—In the Library: linked to Anthology27;Poem156—Sky Seekers: linked to Anthology27;Poem157—Dragon Battle: linked to Anthology27;Poem158—A Grey Day’s Spirits: linked to Anthology27;Poem160—The Sky Weeps: liked to Anthology27;Poem161—Baresark: linked to Annual13Poem162—The Lightning and the Wind: linked to Annual13;Poem163—The Poet’s Advice: linked to Annual13;Poem164—Two People, One Land: A Poem for Two Sets of Voices: linked to Annual13Poem165—In Darkness I Stand: linked to Annual13;Poem166—Whale Song: linked to Anthology27;Poem167—The Sleeping Warrior: linked to Annual13;Poem168—Fear Keeps me Warm: linked to Annual13;Poem169—Shutters of the Soul: linked to Annual13;Poem170—The Zombie Dawn: linked to Anthology27;Poem171—Embarrassed: linked to Anthology27;RPGSupplement15A: to do with insects… lots of insects.
August 30, 2013
Covers I Created August 2013
Occasionally, I remember that I'm no longer 'just' a writer, and then I get going with GIMP and some purchased photography, and create covers for the books being released by C.M. Simpson Publishing. It can be a challenge to schedule it all, but it's fun. Here are the covers I created this month:
Print-on-Demand Large Print
Print-on-Demand
E-book
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand
Print-on-Demand Large Print
E-book
Print-on-Demand Large Print
Print-on-Demand
E-book
E-book cover
Print-on-Demand
Print-on-Demand Large Print
E-book
