Donny Swords's Blog, page 5
September 21, 2013
The Bitter Ends. "Scotty."
A Bitter Ends Preview- ScottyI selected this story as the preview for The Bitter Ends for multiple reasons. It doesn't reveal too much. It's short... and of all the stories in the collection it is the most bizarre. It's a fun story.
This material is under copyright, any copying or redistribution of this story is strictly prohibited without the author's consent. "Scotty" Copyright 2013
And without further ado, here's... Scotty He was winning the race.
To show his persecutors what would come of his plan, he stood, his hip creaking eerily. At the door was a revelation, a defiance to his sense of order. The undead faces growled and lashed, and it was then that he understood. They stood in morbid defiance of the underground, refusing, even in death to join the worms and be recycled by the natural order. The worm had his own streak of rebellion, and in that moment, with his beliefs centered on the indisputable truth that the hounds outside the door had come to cheat him of his immortality, the gibberish came spilling from his lips. As he went faithfully forward with his dialogue, Scotty felt his body grow lucid, his mind was washed out. With his eyes planted on the door pane, he raised his meaty forearm to his face. To his surprise a puff of dust shot out of the door molding. He was aware that he must press on, and that it would be a hard-won victory. He would deny them his flesh. They wanted to imprison him like a brain-dead landlocked salmon, useless other than to spawn more deviants. He would refuse all of them, joining the underworld, where one day he would rise up and snatch away the above-grounders, enslaving them to his earthen domain…His unshaven stubble pricked at his skin as he placed his mouth over his brachial artery. His jaws clamped down, a signal was sent to his brain, a mechanism of self-defense triggered by his nerves. He refused it, biting harder, his incisors cut through his epidermis, where the pain grew maddeningly overpowered. Then he shut down his mind, focusing on his new existence to come, where power is not measured, but rather lies waiting for the end of it, to find another planted in the earth, where all stand, roots flourish, and foundations are built. It all came from the underworld, Scotty saw that now. The zombies were still at the door. But that was not what terrified the worm, no, it was his final fleeting thought, before his front teeth finally broke the wall of his artery. “What if I’m wrong?” And then it was over, blood spurting forth crazily in rhythm with his pulse, his legs weaker, the rising howls against the door… he slumped.And there was nothing.
September 19, 2013
Words in the Night- Exclusive! Read the whole story here!
The following short story is under copyright. Any reproduction or redistribution without the author's consent is strictly prohibited.
Words in the night is included at the end of the Kindle release of Fallen Song.If you have not read Fallen Song- Ways of the Stygia, you can purchase it by clicking the link below.
http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Song-Stygia--Volume-ebook/dp/B00CWTQM68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379623747&sr=8-1&keywords=Fallen+Song
Words in the Night Banner.
Words in the night is included at the end of the Kindle release of Fallen Song.If you have not read Fallen Song- Ways of the Stygia, you can purchase it by clicking the link below.
http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Song-Stygia--Volume-ebook/dp/B00CWTQM68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379623747&sr=8-1&keywords=Fallen+Song
Words in the Night Banner.
September 17, 2013
Kain versus Darth Vader
Kain versus Darth Vader
These shorts were written in a matter of minutes, for fun's sake. The hypothesis is one that shows Kain, the Master of the Void, facing off against a resurrected Darth Vader. The concepts of George Lucas's Darkside and the Void in my Ways of the Stygia series are merged, becoming one in the same.
Kain arrives in Vader's solar system, having destroyed our Cosmos and all the Gods who governed it. He has done the same to countless other systems, and now it is Vader's turn...
Don't take this too seriously, just have fun with it.
Kain vs. Darth Vader (Part 1)Kain stood on the Death Star. It wasn't his. Or was it? So many rocks turned to Stygian dust, souls laid to waste. Tatooine had been a thorn in Kain’s side, but Vader. He was a fierce foe. Even Jehovah had fallen, but Vader would not give in. Kain had found allies, many realms had succumned to Kain and those who did not choose to die had joined. They could not resist Kain’s will, in fact none ever had.
Until Darth Vader.
It wasn't as if Kain had not tried. He’d fought Vader on every star, and now here he stood, The Master of The Death Star. But it was all for naught. Vader’s control of the dark side, was just as masterful as Kain’s was. Vader had slew many of Kain’s minions, carving away life with his light saber. Vader was a torrent, a force undefinable. Not even Aries, The God of War himself could have bettered Darth Vader in the end. They were foes more evenly matched than not. Everything had burned, all the Deities were crushed. So Kain had gone on, traveling on obsidian roads open only to Deities and decimating all who opposed his rule.
It hadn't always been this way. There was a time where even though he was often scorned, Kain would walk away from a fight. It wasn't ever his fault then. What was he supposed to do, die? No, Kain would never allow that. He had work to do.
He could use the Death Star, but that would be too easy. He had used it before… Tatooine had not given him a choice. The rebel scum had refused to die, but Kain’s Revels and demoniacs had outnumbered them. Skywalker had been as formidable as Thomas was, at least with a blade. In the end it was Kain’s Black Steel Claymore that had put Skywalker down. One last Rebel leader. The Rebels had dug in. The entire face, every flat surface raged with war on Tatooine then. So Kain decided to depart.
The Rebels and the Empire were soundly defeated. But all around the galaxy, there remained life. Kain was one with the Void now, no life should remain. It was Kain’s way, and he would see the expiration with his own eyes.
But what should he do about Vader?
Kain vs. Darth Vader (Part Two)The prophecies had never spoken of it. Vader had naught a clue. For all his transgressions in servitude to the Dark Side, Vader was rewarded. The cyborg entity he formerly was reinvented by unreality. It was called by many names, this power Vader had such a command of. Some would call him a Conduit, after all Vader was the chosen one, before he lent his every action and desire to the power of the Dark Side. As the chosen one there came a tantamount responsibility, to balance the will of the Force. Vader had not pursued balance, but much was achieved by his iron will.
The Dark Side, or The Void if you will, had seen Darth’s abounding potential. In so seeing, and having lost so many agents to the Conduit before his death at the hands of Kain, it summoned Darth from its murk, re-knitting his soul to a new vessel, that of an air breathing Demoniac. Vader was humanoid in form, a giant, standing nine feet tall. His countenance had returned to that of old, before he battled Obi Wan on that volcano long ago and lost his right hand. The Stygia, or the Dark side, spoke to Vader, telling him of its fear of Kain. Unlike others who drew from the Void for power, Kain did not serve it, rather he was its Master, and handily it’s equal. Deities and Higher Gods had fallen to Kain. Power lost became power gained, and in measurement there were none that compared to Kain.
His power was absolute.
Vader’s enemy, Kain, had other names for the ways of the Dark Side. The Void, or The Stygia, is the power that Vader speaks of when saying, “Dark Side.” Kain’s powers are steep when it comes to the uses of the Void. None had opposed Kain thus far. Luke was left cloven in ruin before Kain, and none dared faced him. But face Kain they did, if only because he willed it, and they died for their trouble.
Vader began to wonder if his plan would hold out. He had been waiting for some time, and yet there was no word. He had nothing to pin his hopes on. Even so Vader wondered if he would stop Kain.
It was possible… though Kain was mighty. Vader sat, cold and huddled up, Hoth was a brutal existence…
At least Kain had not followed him…
Do you want part three? Speak up!
Kain arrives in Vader's solar system, having destroyed our Cosmos and all the Gods who governed it. He has done the same to countless other systems, and now it is Vader's turn...
Don't take this too seriously, just have fun with it.
Kain vs. Darth Vader (Part 1)Kain stood on the Death Star. It wasn't his. Or was it? So many rocks turned to Stygian dust, souls laid to waste. Tatooine had been a thorn in Kain’s side, but Vader. He was a fierce foe. Even Jehovah had fallen, but Vader would not give in. Kain had found allies, many realms had succumned to Kain and those who did not choose to die had joined. They could not resist Kain’s will, in fact none ever had.
Until Darth Vader.
It wasn't as if Kain had not tried. He’d fought Vader on every star, and now here he stood, The Master of The Death Star. But it was all for naught. Vader’s control of the dark side, was just as masterful as Kain’s was. Vader had slew many of Kain’s minions, carving away life with his light saber. Vader was a torrent, a force undefinable. Not even Aries, The God of War himself could have bettered Darth Vader in the end. They were foes more evenly matched than not. Everything had burned, all the Deities were crushed. So Kain had gone on, traveling on obsidian roads open only to Deities and decimating all who opposed his rule.
It hadn't always been this way. There was a time where even though he was often scorned, Kain would walk away from a fight. It wasn't ever his fault then. What was he supposed to do, die? No, Kain would never allow that. He had work to do.
He could use the Death Star, but that would be too easy. He had used it before… Tatooine had not given him a choice. The rebel scum had refused to die, but Kain’s Revels and demoniacs had outnumbered them. Skywalker had been as formidable as Thomas was, at least with a blade. In the end it was Kain’s Black Steel Claymore that had put Skywalker down. One last Rebel leader. The Rebels had dug in. The entire face, every flat surface raged with war on Tatooine then. So Kain decided to depart.
The Rebels and the Empire were soundly defeated. But all around the galaxy, there remained life. Kain was one with the Void now, no life should remain. It was Kain’s way, and he would see the expiration with his own eyes.
But what should he do about Vader?
Kain vs. Darth Vader (Part Two)The prophecies had never spoken of it. Vader had naught a clue. For all his transgressions in servitude to the Dark Side, Vader was rewarded. The cyborg entity he formerly was reinvented by unreality. It was called by many names, this power Vader had such a command of. Some would call him a Conduit, after all Vader was the chosen one, before he lent his every action and desire to the power of the Dark Side. As the chosen one there came a tantamount responsibility, to balance the will of the Force. Vader had not pursued balance, but much was achieved by his iron will.
The Dark Side, or The Void if you will, had seen Darth’s abounding potential. In so seeing, and having lost so many agents to the Conduit before his death at the hands of Kain, it summoned Darth from its murk, re-knitting his soul to a new vessel, that of an air breathing Demoniac. Vader was humanoid in form, a giant, standing nine feet tall. His countenance had returned to that of old, before he battled Obi Wan on that volcano long ago and lost his right hand. The Stygia, or the Dark side, spoke to Vader, telling him of its fear of Kain. Unlike others who drew from the Void for power, Kain did not serve it, rather he was its Master, and handily it’s equal. Deities and Higher Gods had fallen to Kain. Power lost became power gained, and in measurement there were none that compared to Kain.
His power was absolute.
Vader’s enemy, Kain, had other names for the ways of the Dark Side. The Void, or The Stygia, is the power that Vader speaks of when saying, “Dark Side.” Kain’s powers are steep when it comes to the uses of the Void. None had opposed Kain thus far. Luke was left cloven in ruin before Kain, and none dared faced him. But face Kain they did, if only because he willed it, and they died for their trouble.
Vader began to wonder if his plan would hold out. He had been waiting for some time, and yet there was no word. He had nothing to pin his hopes on. Even so Vader wondered if he would stop Kain.
It was possible… though Kain was mighty. Vader sat, cold and huddled up, Hoth was a brutal existence…
At least Kain had not followed him…
Do you want part three? Speak up!
September 15, 2013
News from the Void 9/15
News From the Void 9/15/13By next Saturday, The Bitter Ends will be set up for its e-book release, on Amazon, Nook, and iPad. A pair of advanced copies will be given out as PDF's, in exchange for a review. If you are interested like my author page on Facebook and send me a message...
Look for one of the stories, the horrifically bizarre tale of "Scotty" to appear here on my blog, and for another to appear on Tracee Ford's Autumn Blog Tour for Aspiring Authors , on Facebook and beyond.
Soon I will be posting an expanded sample of Fallen Song that will extend from chapter one to a point past the Amazon sample... around twelve chapters, roughly. Remember, there are 47 chapters in Fallen Song, and the Kindle version also includes the short story, Words in the Night, which precedes Cult of Morgod in the Ways of the Stygia timeline.
A sample of Cult of Morgod could possibly be put on this blog in November, on Black Friday... we shall see.
Look for one of the stories, the horrifically bizarre tale of "Scotty" to appear here on my blog, and for another to appear on Tracee Ford's Autumn Blog Tour for Aspiring Authors , on Facebook and beyond.
Soon I will be posting an expanded sample of Fallen Song that will extend from chapter one to a point past the Amazon sample... around twelve chapters, roughly. Remember, there are 47 chapters in Fallen Song, and the Kindle version also includes the short story, Words in the Night, which precedes Cult of Morgod in the Ways of the Stygia timeline.
A sample of Cult of Morgod could possibly be put on this blog in November, on Black Friday... we shall see.
September 14, 2013
The Bitter Ends- sneek peek
The Bitter Ends- read a special, advanced short story from my new novel... Return to this blog spot on 9/21 to check it out!
www.facebook.com/pages/Donny-Swords-A...
September 8, 2013
News from the Void 9/26
News From the Void 9/27/2013Work on the new novel and the final pieces of The Bitter Ends is going exceedingly well. I am enjoying the freedom of writing outside a main series. I love "Ways of the Stygia," and all the books either released or upcoming within the franchise, but sometimes it can be just as rewarding to take one's imagination to different places. I have no problem with a series like Conan, Harry Potter, or Stephen King's Dark Tower, but I would rather not be known as a one trick pony, like George Lucas, who created fantastic work, but is only really known for a single franchise.With the new novel, I am attempting to create a pulp style series, spun-off from a supportive character who is first introduced in the Cult of Morgod, while introducing real world history into the mix. It takes place after the second Punic war, starting in 219 BC, days before Carthage's General, known as Hannibal the Viscerator began his siege on Saguntum, a walled city, on the eastern coast of Spain. Hannibal's army ultimately prevailed, after a long and bloody siege lasting eight months- an action that enticed Rome into the third Punic War. Hannibal Barca's army numbered 36,000, while Saguntum's was 96,000 strong...
Anyways it has been a fun weekend for writing, and if I enjoy it, it gives me the feeling you might as well...Stay tuned for further news... until then :)
D. Swords
Anyways it has been a fun weekend for writing, and if I enjoy it, it gives me the feeling you might as well...Stay tuned for further news... until then :)
D. Swords
September 6, 2013
News from the Void, 9/6/13
News from the Void 9/6/13
So here I sit feeling rather accomplished from today's writing sessions. I began writing a new novel a few days ago, one that I plan to alternate working on as I finish "The Last Son."
The novel is an action/adventure novel set in Carthage, beginning in the year of 219 BC... It is a fantastically fun period to write in...
By Monday the Bitter Ends will be 100% complete, and Cult of Morgod will be made ready to submit for publishing!
These are exciting times, the stories are just flowing from me... :)
I am going to relax for awhile and lose myself in the Tales of Conan... Farewell for now,
D. Swords
So here I sit feeling rather accomplished from today's writing sessions. I began writing a new novel a few days ago, one that I plan to alternate working on as I finish "The Last Son."
The novel is an action/adventure novel set in Carthage, beginning in the year of 219 BC... It is a fantastically fun period to write in...
By Monday the Bitter Ends will be 100% complete, and Cult of Morgod will be made ready to submit for publishing!
These are exciting times, the stories are just flowing from me... :)
I am going to relax for awhile and lose myself in the Tales of Conan... Farewell for now,
D. Swords
September 5, 2013
News from the Void, 9/5/2013
News from the Void 9/5/2013
The Bitter Ends to be released on Kindle, IPad, and Nook on October 25th!
Bitter Ends Synopsis:Somewhere in the Bible belt Gateway has gone insane. No one knows how it has happened, but now Gateway has lost hope. If there was a zombie apocalypse, where would you be? What would you be doing? Could you survive?
In this novel, comprised solely of short stories, where paths touch and horror is meted out in grim, but intriguing circumstances, the reader is thrown headfirst into the heads of the characters who must either live, die, or confront the horror that seeks to devour them.
This novel features a diverse cast of characters, an ambulance driver, a detective turned sheriff, schoolteachers, junkies, a deputy, a survivalist, a mercenary, a critically insane man, an author at the end of his imagination, a young boy, a serial killer and a man with a dark curse, given him by a dark entity and more, placed in their own tales. As the characters stories intersect, light is shed on Gateway’s grim reality, revealing the breadth of the nightmare thrust upon them by the swelling hordes of undead. Each character must either find a way to survive, or fall, only to rise again as a dead brain, bent on an insatiable desire for flesh. Can any of them survive, or will they all meet their Bitter Ends?
The Bitter Ends to be released on Kindle, IPad, and Nook on October 25th!
Bitter Ends Synopsis:Somewhere in the Bible belt Gateway has gone insane. No one knows how it has happened, but now Gateway has lost hope. If there was a zombie apocalypse, where would you be? What would you be doing? Could you survive?
In this novel, comprised solely of short stories, where paths touch and horror is meted out in grim, but intriguing circumstances, the reader is thrown headfirst into the heads of the characters who must either live, die, or confront the horror that seeks to devour them.
This novel features a diverse cast of characters, an ambulance driver, a detective turned sheriff, schoolteachers, junkies, a deputy, a survivalist, a mercenary, a critically insane man, an author at the end of his imagination, a young boy, a serial killer and a man with a dark curse, given him by a dark entity and more, placed in their own tales. As the characters stories intersect, light is shed on Gateway’s grim reality, revealing the breadth of the nightmare thrust upon them by the swelling hordes of undead. Each character must either find a way to survive, or fall, only to rise again as a dead brain, bent on an insatiable desire for flesh. Can any of them survive, or will they all meet their Bitter Ends?
