K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 55

Help Influence my 2017 Convention Schedule

We’re smack dab in the middle of 2016, so it probably seems odd that I’m posting about conventions for next year. But, here we are, time waits for no author. It’s that time of year when I begin to look into my schedule for 2017, and I need your help. Currently, I’m looking at attending the following conventions:

Emerald City Comicon 2017 – Seattle, WA – March 2nd-5th
Norwescon 40  – Seatac, WA – April 13th–16th
Lilac City Comicon 2017  – Spokane, WA – June 3rd & 4th

What I want to know from you is what I am missing? What convention would you like to see me attend? Where should I go? What should I check out? Help me out! You can make suggestions one of two ways. The first is to leave a comment below. The other option is to shoot me an email at hello@kmalexander.com.

I’m open to any and all suggestions! One caveat, if it’s out of range for me driving-wise, I probably won’t run a table (logistically it becomes too difficult/annoying for me to haul books around), but I’d seriously consider panelist participation anywhere and everywhere.

Leave a suggestion!

Filed under: Upcoming Appearances Tagged: 2017, conventions, emerald city comicon, lilac city comicon, norwescon 40

Yes, It’s Happening in Books

For a while now, in light of the recent string of tragedies we’ve seen in the world, I’ve watched fellow authors make a particular comment. (Most of the time on social media.) It can be paraphrased as such:

“None of the things happening in the world right now are happening in books.”

Okay, I can understand where they are coming from, but such a blanket statement feels a touch fantastical. Yes, the violence, destruction, hatred, and bigotry in books have little impact on the real-life lives of people, and yes, there is a solace there. But, to say those things don’t happen in the pages of fiction feels a little naive. Fiction deals with challenging topics all the time. Look at many popular book series on the market today; nothing is off-limits.

Take J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which began as a children’s book; it danced with bullying, bigotry, racism, and the aftereffects of murder. Harry Potter himself suffers, at the very least, mental abuse at the hands of his aunt and uncle (you could probably argue physical abuse as well.)

The world of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, a darling of the YA genre, is horrific. The children of an enslaved populace are forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of a wealthy, hedonistic society and its corrupt government. It’s not a pleasant place.

George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, which is the most mature of these examples, deals with the consequences following a myriad of tragedies. You name it, and it’s there: violence, rape, murder, torture, war, slavery, incest, rebellion, terrorism, bigotry, regicide, patricide and on and on and on and on. The novels are laden with grim events.

That is how it should be. It is what makes fiction so great. Fiction is a safe space that lets us confront those problems; fiction lets us experience both the beautiful and the terrible. It allows us to see different perspectives that we may never face in our daily lives. That kind of intellectual experience hones us as people. It makes it possible for us to build up generous amounts of empathy, so when real-world problems confront us (and they will, believe me), we will have the tools to face them. As Neil Gaiman so eloquently explained in his essay Little Triggers,

“There are still things that profoundly upset me when I encounter them, whether it’s on the Web or the word or in the world. They never get easier, never stop my heart from trip-trapping, never let me escape, this time, unscathed. But they teach me things, and they open my eyes, and if they hurt, they hurt in ways that make me think and grow and change.”

It does a great disservice to hand-wave away the terrible and sometimes disturbing themes of fiction. If anything, I believe that they should be celebrated. The personal value brought on by these perspectives is unmeasurable to us as a society, and thankfully—unlike real life—if a book ever gets to be too much, we can always close it for a little while.

Filed under: Writing Tagged: experience, fiction, George R. R. Martin, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, reading, suzanne collins, trigger warning

If We Chase Perfection…

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”

—Vince Lombardi

Saw this quote posted over on The Passive Voice today, and I knew I had to share it here. Great advice from one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. Creative pursuits are always a struggle, but the only way to lose is to quit. Chin up. Shoulders forward. Press through. You got this.

Unrelated: I cannot wait for football to start.

Filed under: Quotes Tagged: excellence, football, greenbay, nfl, packers, perfection, sport, vince lombardi, Writing

Trails of the Broken Road

Kari-Lise and I spent some time wandering the trails of the Broken Road (yep, it’s based on a real place) over the long holiday weekend. I shared a little collage on Instagram, but I wanted to post the larger pics here. Enjoy.

Everything here was shot with my iPhone 6S and processed with VSCO.

Filed under: Travel Tagged: diablo lake, Hiking, mountains, Old Broken Road, pacific north west

The Masonic Ironclad

Recently, I have found myself researching the American Civil War for my “riverpunk” project, Coal Belly. I have always been drawn to that era, the division of the United States was dramatic enough, but couple that with the rapid advances in technology and it makes for a strange world. Since Coal Belly is primarily a Weird Western that centers around steamboats and rivers, I was doing research into the riverboats of the Union Navy during the Civil War. That, in turn, led me to pictures of ironclad gunboats, which brought me to the USS Baron DeKalb.

Commissioned as the USS St. Louis, this gunboat was later renamed the USS Baron DeKalb

It’s an intriguing photo that displays the tank-like aspect of early naval gunboats; because of their half-submerged shell-like appearance you can see how they got the nickname “pook turtles.” Usually, I file away images like this into an “Inspirations” folder, but before I could do that, I noticed something strange in the picture. There is a small, odd object hanging on the spreader bars between the DeKalb’s stacks. Let’s zoom in a bit closer…

Is that a Masonic symbol hanging between the stacks of the USS Baron DeKalb?

Look familiar? That certainly appears to be the Freemason Square and Compasses hanging above the boat. There’s even a ghostly “G” fixed in the middle. Now, there have been are many books (fiction and nonfiction works) and loads of silly conspiracy theories written about Freemasonry’s ties to the founding of America. It is common knowledge that many of our founding fathers were involved in fraternal organizations. So while seeing a Freemason device hanging on the spreader bars of a US naval vessel did not come as a surprise to me; I was intrigued.

The mystery did not stop there. I spent more time poking around and found a few other interesting tidbits. One site noted the odd similarities between this photos of the USS Baron DeKalb and the USS Carondelet. It’s pretty uncanny. In fact, you could argue they are the same picture, just edited ever so slightly. The forward flag has changed between the images, and the Carondelet seems to have an inverted star in place of the Masonic symbol, but a lot of the photo is identical, even the trees in the background.

USS Carondelet (Left) and the USS Baron DeKalb (Right)

I also found an article reposted from the Scottish Rite Journal that suggested that one of the Dekalb’s captains was most likely a Mason, which could explain the symbol. Additionally, General Baron DeKalb—the riverboat’s namesake—was also a Freemason. So it’s possible the device was hung out of respect for him.

What does this all mean? I don’t know! Nevertheless, it is an entertaining little mystery and one I was happy to stumble upon. Many of my loyal readers know that I am a collector of American folk art that stems from American fraternal organizations and secret societies (particularly the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,) so it is always fun when I find bits and bobs like this during research. It’s a good example of how rich and complex our history can be, and how little details can lead to expansive stories in their own right. Plus, it was just too much fun to keep to myself.

Filed under: Research Tagged: civil war, fraternal organizations, freemasonry, history, ironclad, masonic, uss baron dekalb

A Weird Fiction Cover Design Intervention

On Twitter this April, I went on a rant about cover design, specifically targeting indie authors and small press houses within the Lovecraftian and weird fiction genres. Both are genres of which I am proud to be a part, but as of late I’ve found myself disappointed when it comes to the quality of the book cover designs. Fellow author S. Lee Benedict suggested I expand on this topic here, and it’s a good idea…

This isn’t the first time I have written about cover design; you can read my previous post, ‘Building A Better Book Cover’ over here. Cover design is something of a passion for me. I’ve been a professional designer for 16 years working on everything from software, branding, advertising, book covers, and a variety of promotional materials. I believe good design is important, and I know it’s important to fans and readers.

So, here’s our situation. I feel like Lovecraftian and weird fiction literature needs a cover design intervention. Honestly, that statement could apply to much, much more than just those two categories; but these days I am closest to those genres, so they get the brunt of my focus. I’m not fond of publically shaming. So, don’t expect me to call out specific examples of bad design. However, with a little searching, you can easily see what I mean.

It’s not that indie authors or small publishers start out with a desire to make awful covers. Sit in on any self-publishing panel at a convention and every author will readily admit it’s worth spending the money on an illustration for your cover. And, many books with terrible covers start with a great illustration. They’re on point for tone and mood, and often a good step in the right direction, but they completely miss the mark when it comes to typography and design. Strange font choices abound, bad effects mar legibility, and bizarre distortions plague the shelves. At best it’s boring, at worst it’s completely illegible. (And it tends to skew towards the latter, unfortunately.) It’s like someone put all their effort into illustration and completely forgot that paying attention to the cover’s typography and design is just as important as having great art. Those three concepts are the pillars of good design. Everything in a book cover plays off of one another; bad typography can forever mar a beautiful illustration.

“…paying attention to the cover’s typography and design is just as important as having great art.”

If indie authors and small presses were more honest with themselves, they’d know when a cover is done vs. done right. It’s not hard to compare; solid examples are everywhere. And it wouldn’t take much to improve; basic typography operates under a set of rules, and a few typography classes at a local college would go a long way to learning the ins and outs. If that’s hard to swing, sit down with a Skillshare class. Jon Contino, the illustrator who did the lettering for my books, offers a Skillshare class on Illustration and Lettering: A Hands-on Approach to Label Design that is excellent. If you’re looking for books on the subject start with The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst. It’s commonly called “the Typographer’s Bible,” and it’s a good (if not dense) place to start. Also, look into Ellen Lupton’s fantastic Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students; it’s a practical guide on the rules of typography and how to break them effectively and creatively,

The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst

As I mentioned in my post, ‘Building a Better Book Cover,’ Chip Kidd, one of the greatest book cover designers living today, has said, “A book cover is a distillation. It is a haiku of the story.” I love that quote. He’s not wrong; bad cover design does a disservice to the writing it represents. It detracts when it should enhance, it lies when it should entice.

But there is a silver lining! I know quite a few authors who have taken the time and put in the effort and have made strides in cover design. Word Horde is a great weird fiction press that does wonderful work, and Laird Barron’s novels often have fantastic covers. Recent strides have been made by larger print houses as well; Victor laValle’s Ballad of Black Tom (Tor) and Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft County (Harper) were recent standouts in the genre. So well designed covers in weird fiction are out there. Publishers, designers, and authors should study what those books do right and strive towards emulating their successes.

I believe weird fiction is one of the most exciting and imaginative genres to be writing in today. It pushes at the edges of speculative fiction as a whole and continues to broaden its reach. It’s only reasonable to desire that the covers of the great work being produced should live up to the potential within the pages. We all want these books to continue to attract new readers for decades to come, and a well-designed cover goes a long way to doing just that.

Filed under: Cover Design, Publishing Tagged: Chip Kidd, design, harper, jon contino, lovecraftian, skillshare, tor, weird fiction, word horde

During Work

“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.”

—Madeleine L’Engle

It has been a while since I posted a quote. Figured this tidbit from Madeleine L’Engle was pertinent for most authors. So… yeah, what are you doing reading the internet? As much as I like you coming here and hanging out, you should really get back to writing.

Filed under: Quotes Tagged: creativity, Inspiration, madeleine l'engle, work, Writing

Faiths and Creeds of Lovat

Welcome to Wild Territories, the series where I delve into the expanded lore and explore the inspiration behind small little details scattered throughout my Lovecraftian urban fantasy series, The Bell Forging Cycle. These posts will be spoiler-free, but you’ll probably appreciate them more if you have read any of books in the series. You can buy them here.

In the last entry, we explored The Mysterious Shamblers of the Scablands, and I asked everyone to vote on what topic they would like me to explore in this entry. The votes are in, and in this piece ,we’re going to examine something a bit different. Please join me as we explore part three of Wild Territories: Faiths and Creeds of Lovat.

https://kmalexander.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/pbs-wild-america.mp3

There is a lot of ground to cover and this is going to be a long article, so if there is a particular religion you’re interested in, use one of the links below to jump to that specific entry. At the end of each feature there will be a link to bring you back to this menu.

Reunified – Hasturian – Deeperism – Dulodi

Curwenism – Mysticism – Eibonianism

The Reunified Church

Mentioned In: The Stars Were Right, Old Broken Road, Red Litten World

Known Members: Priestess Samantha Dubois, Hagen Dubois, Bishop Dubois

Places of Worship: Saint Mark’s (The Stars Were Right) (Pictured)

“The Reunified Church is as old as anything in our ancient world.”

—Waldo Bell, The Stars Were Right

Shortly after the Aligning, most of the fragmented denominations of earth’s former faiths were destroyed or significantly reduce in number. Under the caring and watchful leadership of Ebenezer Alvord, the dispersed congregations were eventually reunited under a single banner, The Reunified Church, eventually establishing a hierarchy of bishops, priests, monks, and nuns. Over the years, their influence widened as congregations began to crop up across the Territories. Missionaries, called Road Priests/Priestesses, crisscross the trails and highways riding small chapelwains pulled by teams of oxen. From these mobile churches, missionaries lead simple services, serve out rust wine, and hear confessions for small communities scattered throughout the Territories.

St. Mark’s — Broadway Hill, Broadway Isle, Lovat

Historically the Church had existed in Lovat since its rebirth. During the city’s tumultuous early years the Reunifieds were more militaristic and fought an extended religious war against the Hasturian Faith. These ‘Doctrine Wars’ lasted half a century, and as a result, many of the Reunified churches and cathedrals developed a fortress-like appearance. Walls and battlements ring the buildings and armed guards have been seen walking the walls, ever vigilant. While the church has become more peaceful in recent years, it still retains a small but powerful standing army, and Priest and Priestess alike are required to take self-defense classes.

Much of the Reunified faith is a continuation of its ancient Abrahamic religious heritage with a belief centered on a single divine deity. Since the Doctrine Wars, several splinter denominations have eventually spun away from the faith, notably the Reformed Movement, Salamshalla, Reunified Orthodoxy, and the Brethren. While core beliefs in each sect remain similar, overall, the church is considerably different from its pre-Aligning roots. Many of its post-Aligning practices, holidays, traditions, and saints would be unrecognizable to early pre-Aligning practitioners.

Today, many Lovatines respect the church, but Reunified history is not without controversy. While all sects of The Reunified Church openly welcome all species, that has not always been the case. Early in its formation, the church held to a strict human-only policy and banned non-human species from its services. The Purity Movement, a splinter sect of Reunified Brethren led by the charismatic Conrad O’Conner, claim to trace their roots back to the early Reunified Church and continues to preach human superiority and exclusion. Something the church and its sub-sects have vehemently disavowed.

An estimated 28.7% of Lovatines claim some connection with the Reunified Church making it the largest religious organization in the Territories.

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The Hasturian Faith

Mentioned In: The Stars Were Right, Old Broken Road, Red Litten World

Known Members: Peter Black, August Nickel

Know Places of Worship: Carcosa Grove (The Stars Were Right)

“It’s all deplorable. Folks worshiping monsters, fish gods, squid, and then there’s those Hasturians.”

—Jeremiah Norry, Old Broken Road

Arriving with the emergence of the dauger sometime after the Aligning, The Followers of the Cold Shepherd, more commonly known as the Hasturian Faith, is structured similarity to the early Reunified Church. However, it is ‘Ministers’ not Priests or Priestesses who lead congregations and church members refer to one another as ‘sister,’ ‘brother,’ or the gender neutral ‘sibling.’

The faith centers on the worship of Hastur, a deity of some mystery. Hastur’s origins are strange, and the church’s religious text—The Pallidon—isn’t clear on the subject. Congregations are divided into two wings that teach two separate origins for their god; Monarchists preach that Hastur was once a king of a great golden city while the more conservative Traditionalists believe him to be the elevated form of a former god of sheepherders. Recently, a third more open doctrine had appeared, it teaches that Hastur is not one but many aspects allowing for both origins. All Hasturians believe he is an all-knowing deity who values knowledge above all. As a result, wisdom and the pursuit of knowledge are highly favored values within the church. Traditionally, church members wear yellow robes over their everyday clothes while at worship though the practice has begun to fade in more modern times.

While it is now one of the most welcoming faiths in the city, there was a time when humans were not accepted. This was initially a response to former Reunified policy and what led to the Doctrine Wars. As a result, human membership remains small. It is estimated that 12% of Lovatines are associated with the Hasturian Faith.

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Deeperism

Mentioned In: The Stars Were Right, Old Broken Road

Known members: Unnamed Anur

Places of Worship: Unknown

“Deeper ain’t going to help you with them. Deeper can’t, not now. Not now. Not now.”

—Unnamed Anur, The Stars Were Right

You will find a variety of faiths among the subaquatic species of Lovat, but the most common among them is the Church of Deeper, or Deeperism as it’s more commonly called. In fact, many of the kresh, anur, and cephels of the Sunk count themselves among the members of this faith.

Deeperist Bonfire during Neap

The tenets and practices of Deeperism are as varied as the practitioners. But all congregations—called shoals—focus on a dreaming god called Deeper. It is said he dwells in a sunken city lost to the black abysses of the swollen oceans. Worshipers of the dreaming god dress in salt-stained sackcloth rags—often gray or black—during services and ritual gatherings. They preach that Deeper will one day awaken and return to his faithful and lead his followers to a place of prominence in the world while driving their enemies mad in the process.

Deeper holidays are celebrated during King and Neap Tides and are the high point of the Church’s year. Shoals observe the tides by lighting bonfires around massive stone monoliths, a strange practice for a faith dominated by Lovat’s subaquatic species. Scholars believe these fire rituals can be traced back to the early human worship of Deeper, and might be Pre-Aligning in their origin.

During these events, Deeper dances, feasts, and celebrations are observed around the bonfires and are held on small islands surrounded by King Tide lagoons or, during Neap, among the salt-stained remnants of ancient ghost forests lost to the sea in bygone epochs.

For a long time, some religious scholars associated the Deeperism movement alongside the Mystics who preach from their crates on Lovat’s corners. But recently, rallying under a banner rejecting institutionalized speciesism, there has been a call to recognize the Deeperists as an independent faith. Some reports indicate as many as 67% of cephels, 46% of anur, and 22% of kresh consider themselves Deeperists though the exact numbers are hard to lock down. If these figures are found to be true, this could potentially elevate Deeperism from a once disregarded faith and make it the largest religious organization in the city.

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Dulodi

Mentioned In: The Stars Were Right (Never Named), Old Broken Road (Never Named)

Known members: Wensem dal Ibble, Kitasha wen Gresna

Places of Worship: Not Applicable

“We have a family ritual to perform, a bonding between father and son. It’s long overdue already.”

—Wensem dal Ibble, The Stars Were Right

The Dulodi Religion is separated into two branches: the first is ‘Hanara’ or ‘The Familial Bond’ second is ‘Garilu Dor Dulodi’ commonly called ‘The Open Community Path.’ These two branches constitute the primary beliefs of the Maero People.

Hanara Dulodi, the traditional belief structure, tends to be a more insular family affair, focused more on building harmony within one’s chosen community rather than any personal experience with a particular deity. Maero religious leaders, called lamas, tend to act as guides and help facilitate these interactions rather than instruct. Gatherings are group ceremonies, called “kinships,” are held in rotating maero households.

Religious practices vary but involve different trials where the family places themselves within a particular undertaking. These self-imposed ordeals require each member of the family to rely on the others. During these moments it is believed that a close bonding is formed and, it is believed that with each successful trial, the individual maero becomes more refined and therefore more at peace with their surroundings and themselves.

Garilu Dor Dulodi, sometimes called neo-Dulodi is more open than the traditional Hanara and was taught first by Lama Gratin wen Urutar a few centuries after the maero’s emergence. While families are encouraged to participate together, the traditions of Garilu Dor tends to focus more on the individual’s relationship to their community rather than on unifying small, close-knit groups. Kinships tend to be much larger, consisting of hundreds of maero as opposed to the little gatherings within Hanara. Likewise, community trials are open to all opposed to isolated trials of family units. Practitioners believe that by undertaking the trails with strangers they find themselves more open to the world, their environs, and their communities.

Most maero claim to be, at least casual practitioners of Dulodi, and some non-maero species are also found within the faith. It is estimated that only 5% of Lovatines are regular practitioners making Dulodi the third largest religion in the city.

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Curwenites

Mentioned In: The Stars Were Right, Old Broken Road, Red Litten World

Known members: Unknown

Places of Worship: Unknown

“As if on cue, a column of Curwenites marched along in their blue jumpsuits, following a twisted icon held by a dauger at the head of the column.”

—Waldo Bell, Old Broken Road

Curwenism is one of the smaller of Lovat’s organized religions, and often the most misunderstood. Curwenites are followers of the prophet Curwen, an ancient holy man who taught of a god of many faces who was all gods. This strange and shadowy prophet wandered the wastelands after the Aligning and was said to have performed wonders and raise the dead. It wasn’t long after these miracles that he began to gain acolytes. Together with his followers Curwen retreated into the Rosalia Mountains, and it was there his teachings were gathered into The Nine Peaks, which serve as the Curwenites holy book.

Procession of Moth Robe Curwenites

Modern practitioners are secretive about their beliefs, but it is not uncommon to see a procession of the faithful marching in the city’s thoroughfares. Congregations tend to mimic one another in dress, and it is not unusual to hear Curwenites refer to one another based upon their wardrobes. The Sporting Jackets, Blue Suits, and Moth Robes are all common sites in the city. Curwenites have no houses of worship, preferring instead to meet in public squares or parks for readings from The Nine Peaks. The faith also has no unifying symbol. Followers of the prophet combine objects and symbols from other religions as an attempt to capture one aspect of their many-faced god. The creation of these small simulacra is considered an act of worship.

As with Deeperism, Curwenites went largely unacknowledged for generations. It wasn’t until recently they have found their place among Lovat’s major religious organizations.

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Mystics

Mentioned In: The Stars Were Right, Red Litten World

Known members: Unknown

Places of Worship: Unknown

“It was easy to mistake them for cultists. Mystics throughout the scrape dressed in similar garb. ”

—Waldo Bell, Red Litten World

Mystics are the evangelists of the small faiths and are often seen on the street corners of the city, peddling stories of those they worship. The pantheon is as broad and varied as their servants. Often Mystics get grouped together under the banner of “Mysticism” though their practices, teachings, and doctrines rarely align. While the number of deities is enormous a few of the “small gods” have emerged as primary figures among many of the mystics.

• Bleeding James

Reviled by Hasturians, the devotees of Bleeding James were nearly stomped out during the campaigns of the Doctrine Wars. However, the Hasturians were never able to suppress the faith altogether. While his congregants often view him as a heroic outlaw type figure, the Hasturian treat him as more of a devil. Bleeding James worship has risen in popularity within the subcultures of Lovat’s warrens and several congregations now have small churches in the city’s lower levels.

• Ceneron

The anur’s desert-dwelling cousins, the bofu-anur, often worship a strange toad-like creature that is said to have come from a distant moon. Small shrines to her can be seen in corners and alleys of Level Two near bofu-anur enclaves.

• Pan

This trickster god has long been one of the most popular among the street mystics. Some claim his origins can be traced to the pre-Aligning world, though many believe this half-man/half-goat creature could be a Lengish man who rose to power and influence. Pan is quite popular among some of the elevated in Lovat’s upper reaches, and Pan-worshiping patrons have erected several statues dedicated to him in the sun-lit courts and breezy plazas of Level Eight.

• Tindalos

The bizarre time traveling beast-god has risen in popularity in recent decades, in particular among the city’s working class. While no public houses of worship exist, the pulpiteers that preach on the streets of are often seen accompanied by packs of half-feral dogs, or swarms of bats.

• Yad/Yaddoth

A giant sentient worm-like creature that is said to have come from the stars. Many of Yad’s evangelists claim the worm lives beneath Broadway Island. House of Yaddoth is the only known church of Yad. It can be found near the center of the island and holds services nightly. The church also runs a popular soup kitchen for the cities poor and downtrodden.

Conservative estimations have calculated that over two hundred organized congregations are worshiping small gods within Lovat, and much more remain in the shadows. Their popularity waxes and wanes depending on a variety of conditions. But street mystics have proven tenacious, and their influence will continue to resonate through the warrens of the city in the generations to come.

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Eibonian Cult

Mentioned In: Old Broken Road, Red Litten World (Never Named)

Known members: The Evangelist

Places of Worship: Unknown

“Well, my first assumption would be Reunified road priests, though they don’t wear pointed hoods. We can rule out Deepers, Curwenites, and Eibonians as well. None of them go for black.”

—Samantha Dubois, Old Broken Road

The Eibonian Cult is named after their holy book. The Book of Eibon, which speaks of a nameless ancient god that was imprisoned in a bleak darkness and who would re-light the world, once freed. While the actual number of Eibonians is unknown, their popularity has risen in recent months.

Devotees tend to be erudite-types and are often found having hushed discourse with one another in many of the city’s libraries and bookshops. While rites, rituals, and even the name of their god remain unknown, many scholars believe that the Eibonians are in the process of searching for a way to free their deity from its ancient prison.

Until recently, the Eibonian’s nameless god has been grouped with the “small gods” of the Mystics. However, recent revelations in the local press, revealing the faith and spiritual practices of a few high-level city officials has helped hoist the faith’s notoriety beyond that of the Mystics. Time will tell if the recent reports have had any lasting impact or, if like many small faiths before it, the Eibonian Cult will fade back into obscurity.

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Thanks for reading the third Wild Territories entry. I hope you enjoyed this deeper look at some of the major religions of Lovat. I always enjoy sharing some of the expanded lore from the series and if you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment below, I’m always happy to answer.

This feature just covers a narrow sample of seven major religions found within the city, and mostly focused on faiths that have been mentioned in the novels. Obviously, there is much more history and many more details that could be explored for each of these churches, and I am sure we’ll continue to examine them (and others) in future Bell Forging Cycle novels as well.

As before the idea is to continue this series and reveal more behind the scenes information about The Bell Forging Cycle. To do that, I need your help. Vote below and decided where we go next time we visit the Wild Territories.

Take Our Poll

Filed under: Wild Territories Tagged: lore, Lovat, Old Broken Road, Red Litten World, religion, the bell forging cycle, The Stars Were Right, world building

Quick Stock Update

I’ve gotten a few emails from readers, so I figured it’d be easiest to address this here. Yes, I’m still out of stock of both signed paperback copies of The Stars Were Right [I sold out at Lilac City Comicon] and it’s  associated Swag Pack over in my store. Typically I’d be replacing them ASAP. But, I rolled right from the convention into a week and a half of travel [which you can read about here], and it delayed things a bit. Ah, the joys and perils of running your own storefront.

But, the good news is more books and swag materials are on the way! Hooray! I should have copies of The Stars Were Right by next Monday, the Swag Packs a week or so after that. I’m sure I’ll announce the arrival over on Twitter when they show, so make sure you’re following me there. If you just cannot wait (bless you,) you can get unsigned paperbacks from any of the following stores:

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Powells – BAM!

Filed under: The Stars Were Right Tagged: bell forging cycle, lilac city comicon, Paperback, simon pegg, swag pack, Travel

Trip Report – California’s National Parks

On Saturday, Kari-Lise and I  returned from a ten-day road trip through California. 2016 is the 100th anniversary of the National Parks in America, so we planned on hitting as many Parks as we could. We don’t vacation like normals; laying on the beach isn’t for us. We tend to focus on adventure while on our travels. It’s a big world, and there’s a lot out there to see. As I joked on Twitter: relaxing is boring.

Since sunsetting the Friday Link Pack, I decided to try and make this blog a bit more personal. So, I figured it’d be fun to do a quick post compiling a trip report, share some of our experiences and a few photos. If you want you can click to view them larger, all photos were taken with my iPhone 6s. Since this trip was themed around National Parks, I’ll break it down by Park in the order of visitation. First up…

1. Yosemite
From the Yosemite Valley floor looking South

We started with America’s third National Park, established in 1890. Strangely, until last week I’d never been here. Despite having family living in California and making multiple trips to the state as a kid, Yosemite was never a destination. It’s a remarkable place and both Kari-Lise, and I left stunned by its majestic beauty. I could see why John Muir (one of my personal heroes) fell in love with the place. It leaves you feeling small and insignificant. It makes you appreciate the world on a more primal level.

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”

—John Muir, The Yosemite

Wildlife was out in full, we met a momma black bear and her cub, they were far away and while she was keeping an eye on us, we didn’t approach. We also saw mule deer and a lone coyote. We hiked the east side of the valley floor along the base of Half Dome and away from the campgrounds and parking lots. While it was an enjoyable hike, we didn’t discover until too late that there was a shuttle to take you to Glacier Point, and we could have hiked from there down to the valley along the Panorama Trail. Next time.

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point

There is still so much that we left unseen. We didn’t even get to Tioga Pass, Tuolumne Meadows, and missed Hetch Hetchy completely. We’ve read nothing but good things about all those areas. Yosemite is big and a day and a half wasn’t enough time. There have already been several discussions in the Alexander household about a return visit so we can spend a bit more time spent among the spires of Yosemite.

2. Kings Canyon
Driving Highway 180 towards Kings Canyon

Second Park on our trip was America’s 26th National Park, established in 1940. This park was significantly more remote than the others, but the drive out there was incredible and worth the time. To get to the park you have to pass through Sequoia National Forest on Highway 180—the only way in and out.

Last year, a fire tore through the central portion of the valley, which left bare mountains dotted with blackened ghost trees and slopes covered in wildflowers. A thunderstorm was rolling down the canyon as we passed through and the rumbles could be heard echoing for miles. It’s way out there, and since we weren’t staying nearby, we didn’t get a chance to hike any portion of the park. We just passed through, poked around for a few hours and then headed off to the next park on our list.

3. Sequoia
Hiking through Mineral King Valley

America’s second National Park, established in 1890, was third on our list. If I had to pick a favorite park from this trip, Sequoia wins. It was stunning. It was everything I love in National Parks. Huge sweeping vistas, massive trees thousands of years old, and cold alpine valleys dominated our days.

We hiked up in Mineral King—an incredible subalpine valley—on our first day. When we got there, we noticed quite a few of the backpacker’s cars were wrapped in tarps. Which we found strange. It wasn’t until later that we discovered that the yellow-bellied marmots of Mineral King are addicted to antifreeze and will chew through anything to get at it. While usually dangerous to animals, for whatever reason these marmots don’t die from ingesting the coolant. The Rangers have taken to calling them super marmots. Thankfully our rental car was unaffected.

Spiderweb gate installed by the CCC outside Crystal Cave

On our second day, we checked out the big trees around General Sherman (the largest tree by volume in the world), but the highlight was Crystal Cave. If you visit, make sure to book your tickets in advance. The tour through the cave was about an hour and well worth it. Happy we spent some time there. It also has a cool spiderweb gate entrance that reminded me of a fantasy novel.

4. The Channel Islands
Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island

The 40th National Park established in 1980 is often referred to as America’s Galapagos! No, for real. The archipelago is home to over two thousand plant and animal species, one hundred and forty-five of which are found nowhere else on the planet. The highlight was, of course, the island fox, who are plentiful (despite being nearly extinct two decades ago) and completely unafraid of people. They were everywhere.

Sitting offshore at Santa Cruz Island

Halfway into our hike about five miles from everything, we stopped to check out a songbird hanging on a bush. When randomly this older, wrinkled, nearly naked, and quite tan uh… gentlemen, wandered past us. He reminded me of those old white people you see in tropical locations, those who have spent decades in the sun and wear only thongs, the sun-worshipper type. He noticed that we were watching the songbird, smiled at us, and told us that it was a songbird, and then he went along his way. He was quite friendly, but it was strange seeing him so far out. Here we were five miles from anything, and this guy looks like he’s wandering along a resort beach. Now, you have to realize, outside of Park and Nature Conservancy staff the Channel Islands are completely uninhabited. Yet, here was this guy in his thong and flip-flops moseying like a local and heading even deeper into the island. He wasn’t with us on the catamaran on the way in, so maybe he landed on a different beach? Perhaps he works there? It was surreal.

Overlooking sea caves on Santa Cruz Island

We finished our hike around a small portion of the island, had lunch overlooking some rock formations and watched flights of pelicans fly below us as we took in the incredible views. Both of us wished we had more time; there are many more islands and all are distinct from each other, so there is still so much to see.

5. Pinnacles
Upper portion of Balconies Cave Trail in Pinnacles

So, we were supposed to have a down day. But as I mentioned at the start of this report for us down days are tedious. We had wanted to visit America’s newest (#59) National Park, but we were afraid we might have to miss it. Thankfully, we got the itch for a long drive and I’m glad we made the three-hour journey north.

Pinnacles is the sight of an ancient volcano along the San Andreas fault. It’s also the home to California condors, and its trails are lined with amazing talus caves. The caves were impressive and easily the highlight of our visit. Though, I’ll admit that it was a bit creepy to crawl through building-sized boulders along the fault line. After the coolness of the caves, we found the remaining trail sunbaked and exposed. We spent a few hours hiking and emerged tired and sweaty and starving.

Sadly, we didn’t get a chance to see any condors. But in the 100° heat I’m wagering they were spending as much time as they could in the shade.

6. Joshua Tree
A Joshua tree at sunset

Joshua Tree might be one of my favorite places on the planet, it’s the 52nd National Park established in 1994, and last on our trip. I’m not normally a “desert” person. I prefer snow-covered mountains, damp temperate forests, and Pacific Northwest islands to vast wastelands of the desert. But there’s something about Joshua Tree that haunts me. The strange vegetation, large piles of boulders, and the silent solitude are captivating. It’s easy to see why I’m not alone in falling in love with the place.

Joshua Tree homesteader cabin or Fallout set piece?

We stayed at this incredible little homesteader cabin that we found on AirBnB. It was remote and raw and served perfectly as a basecamp for our explorations into the park. Summer is the slow season at Joshua Tree, and I can see why the temps were crazy high (reaching 110° during the day) which meant we were up very early so we could hike and enjoy the park. The hike we did was incredible. We saw jackrabbits, cottontails, antelope squirrels, and lizards of all shapes and sizes all over the place. This was our second visit to Joshua Tree in a year, and we’ll probably be back again. There’s just something about it. It’s hard to stay away.

While attending Lilac City Comicon, I had someone ask me where I get my ideas. It’s a common question, and one of my answers (among many) was travel. It’s so critical to my process, and I find it stretches me as a person. (Even something as safe as our National Parks here in America.) It forces me to get out of my small box and face things I wouldn’t typically face on a day to day basis. There’s a quote from Mark Twain I’ve posted on here many times before, but it’s one I love:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

As a writer, I ask readers to go on journeys with me, so it’s on natural that I should take some myself. It’s one thing to write about the heat of the sun beating upon your neck, it’s another to experience it. A cleft of rock can inspire a thousand tales, a family of marmot running across a subalpine meadow can spark ideas for plots, and meeting interesting people along the way can usher forth a whole civilization of rich characters. Tales, plots, and characters that I might never dream up sitting in my home office. Travel isn’t necessary for writing, but I think it can go a long way to making someone a better writer. At least it does for me.

So that’s our trip! The total stat breakdown:

10 Days
6 National Parks
59.2 Miles Hiked
2159 Miles Driven

It was unbelievable, and I’ll be the first to admit it was tough coming back to work on Monday. But such is life; besides I have books to finish, stories to tell, after all, these pages don’t write themselves.

Filed under: Travel Tagged: channel islands, Hiking, joshua tree, kings canyon, national parks, pinnacles, road trip, santa cruz, sequoia, yosemite