Michael Eging/Steve Arnold Interview

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Michael Eging and his writing partner, Steve Arnold on social media. The two of them have written a dark fantasy series, beginning with The Paladin of Shadows Chronicles, Annwyn's Blood. The two of them were kind enough to let me interview them and the following is the result of said discussion.

The book!

When did you start writing?~

Mike:  I started writing in Junior High School.  My father passed off to me The John Carter of Mars Series, Sailor on the Seas of Fate (Elric Series) and other.  As I read them, I realized I had stories I wanted to tell as well.  Throughout High School, I had a few notebooks that I would write in and doodle illustrations in the margins.  My grandmother’s old typewriter allowed me to clack away into the wee hours of the night on a variety of short stories and a never finished novel.

Steve:  I remember even as a child being simply awed by the imagination of writers, how they could come up with entire worlds.  I tried to make stories of my own but just could never come up with anything to compare.  Then when I was about twelve I discovered Dungeons & Dragons.  I started running a game with Mike as my first player, and sort of fell into making up dungeons and creating histories and back-stories to go along with them.

Why do you write?~

Michael Eging

Mike:  Now?  For sanity’s sake in large part.  With life being so consuming, it is wonderful to push aside the crush of the everyday and create.  Also, a few years ago, I was busy taking my older children from activity to activity and slowly crunching away when I had time on a novel.  Suddenly it dawned on me that if I didn't take this seriously, one day I would be gone and I wouldn't have these stories to pass on to my kids.

Steve: I find it's an escape.  It's refreshing to take a little time, go off to a world unlike my own and imagine what life would be like.  It's also a way to show other people how I see them, sort of hold a mirror up to the world.

What would be your choice for a superpower?~

Mike:  I have always been an Iron Man fan.  So, I guess no super powers per se, but I would really dig a suit of armor, with a splash of hot rod red.  Or the really cool stealth armor, even better!

Steve:  Never really thought of myself as a superhero.  I don't really have a good answer for that one, though I have often thought it would be pretty cool to be like John Carter on Mars, master swordsman and with a physique made for another planet.  Right now if I was to put on one of those muscle breastplates my physique would (to paraphrase one of my favorite authors) 'fill it like Jell-o fills a mold'.

Who is your favorite author?~

Mike:  I have many favorites.  Michael Moorcock, Robert E. Howard, Stephen R. Donaldson, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Timothy Zahn, David Drake… and the list goes on.  However, I keep coming back to Roger Zelazny and the Chronicles of Amber.  I first found those in the library in the late 1970s as a child and I remember curling up sitting in the windowsill at the library to read them as I waited for my parents to finish work and take me home.  The noir opening of Nine Princess in Amber grabbed hold of me and I found myself riding in a car on the mad chase to Amber - the car driven by a man who you are never quite sure has a complete grip on reality… or does he?

Steve Arnold

Steve: Terry Pratchett, hands down.  I like the funny edge and how he captures the stupid things we do.    I first found Colour of Magic in the library in high school and have been hung up ever since.

What are you reading now?~

Mike:  I am reading a book by an ancient Greek historian/chronicler name Procopius called the Secret Histories.  It is a scandalous account of life in the Byzantine court of Justinian and good pre-reading for future projects.

Steve: Hah!  Draft chapters of Book Two of the Paladin of Shadows.  Seriously, it's like this never ends.  I just got done re-reading The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek.  It's an analysis of the origins of totalitarian governments and why they end up the way they do.

Who is your favorite character to write?~

Mike:  I was just talking to my wife and writing partner, Steve, about this.  I think my favorite character to-date is Roland, from the Song of Roland.  When I was in college, my favorite professor, Dr. Paul Pixton, introduced me to The Song of Roland.  I was sucked into the world of Charles the Great and his valiant knight who faced down treachery and found immortality in legend at Ronceveaux.  Dr. Pixton mentioned that he hoped someone would one day produce a movie based on the story.  Shortly after I wrote an outline for the script and put it on the shelf as I pursued graduate studies in History at the University of Maryland and took my first post-college job working on Capitol Hill.  Over a decade later I dusted off the outline and wrote the first draft of the script.  Needless to say, it needed a lot of work, and a friend who works in Los Angeles mentored me into developing the script further.  Many producers and agents who read the script loved it, but wondered why I pursued a medieval epic as my first project.  Sometimes, passion for something just can’t be shaken off because of “the market.”  As a result, while yet unproduced, Song of Roland was my first optioned script and will always have a special place in my heart.    Stay tuned, there is more to this story to come!

Steve: I don't know that I can say I have a favorite overall, but in Annwyn I have a special affinity for Aldonzo.  Yes, he's young, vain, shallow and foolish, but he has the greatest potential for growth out of all of them and I think ultimately that's what I've liked in any of my characters or for that matter characters in other writers' stories – that they learn something.  I like kids' movies a lot and I think that's why.

Do you have a writing process?~

Mike:  It depends on when something pops into my brain!  I try to write every night after my wife and children head to sleep.  Even if only a few paragraphs or two.  But sometimes, I will wake in the night and something is just burning on my mind.  So, I jot it down before I forget it.  A fantasy novel I am currently working on is the result of one such encounter with a story in the darkest of the night.

Steve:  I like to roll things around in my head for some days before I write them down.  I rarely have something flash into my head that I just have to get down on paper that turns out any good.  I've found if I go with the first thought I get it's usually just a variation on what I've already seen and seems tired and overdone.  But if I let it sit in the background and percolate while I work, run errands or whatever, I find that new variations, new perspectives, come to mind and things get a lot more interesting.  This was the difficulty I had trying to write as a kid – I hadn't learned to wait yet.  Once I have the idea then I try to decide, what am I writing?  Crime drama?  War story?  Hero fantasy?  What is the core feeling I want to evoke?  I want to have a general idea, then identify basic elements of hero, villain, motivations.  Then nail down linking details.  How does it all work?  What's the environment and context?  How do we get from point A to point B?  Why does the hero/villain/wingman want this and not that?  Sometimes this takes back story that never sees light in the final product, but you need just the same so your storytelling is consistent.  Then fill in all the little style points in between with stirring prose.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?~

Mike:  Understanding the marketplace will be critical to your long-term success.  E-books and print on demand have given a voice to aspiring writers across the globe.  After a well-written piece of work, I recommend two things.  First, read voraciously.  Not just in a singular genre, or path.   Read authors who inspire you, find new voices and dig through old, new and emerging classics.  Second, find a way to stand out.  There is a deluge of material for readers to search through to find your work.   Find ways to get in front of your readers.  Find others who are willing to take a risk, read your work and join your chorus.

Steve: Write what you know.  You can take your own personal experiences, no matter how mundane, and put them into a story no matter the setting.  People really want to read stories about people.  Settings are just trappings, window dressing, that adds flavor, but it's the experiences lived and lessons learned of your characters that will make them memorable.  And don't be afraid to let things percolate for a while.  You'd be surprised what can come into your head that way.

What inspired you to pursue writing?~

Mike:  My father at first.  He read my work.  Encouraged me. Instilled in me a love of the written word.  Whether books, short stories, poetry, or screenplays, he was the greatest influence in my life.  Second, my own family.  As I held my children in my arms, I realized that I wanted to share these worlds and characters with them.  Third, good friends who encourage me to not give up and allow me to share with them ideas, thoughts and stories.  Friends, like Steve, keeps me inspired.

Steve: I just wanted to emulate those people that made it possible for me to while away some of the more boring parts of my life in a much more fulfilling way.  It wasn't until Mike started approaching me about helping him with his projects that I seriously considered doing this for real. 

Tell us about your books~

Mike:  We just launched Annwyn’s Blood, Book One in the Paladin of Shadow Chronicles.  These characters have been with my writing partner and me since college.  Albion of the Dark Ages, after Rome fell and Arthur’s Camelot, was a dangerous place and ancient forces contended with newer ones for control of the isle.  Here is the blurb we did for Smashwords that encapsulates this:

Amid the dying embers of a fallen Empire, a young knight embarks on a personal crusade to reclaim the soul ripped from him by a deceitful lover's bite, and to save his family and their world from the rage of the implacable god who sent her. Ancient magic awakens from centuries–old slumber as the dead no longer rest in peace, and long buried legends and secrets could be the world's only hope.

This was something that when we wrote it, we received responses from publishers and agents that they loved our writing, but seriously…. Vampires?  Please send us your next novel.  So we put this on the shelf in the mid 1990’s and moved on to other projects.  We co-wrote the story for a WWII thriller screenplay and a horror script.  But this novel was sitting on the hard drive and nagging me to get into readers’ hands.  So I called Steve and said, “Hey, if I can recover these old WordPerfect files, do you want to do something with this?”  Of course, the result is Annwyn’s Blood.  We are very excited to revisit this world and bring all of you along with us.

Steve: Annwyn is a Dark Ages vampire tale, with a reluctant hero that finds himself hounded by an Elder God who's desperate to make him point man in a bloody bid to regain power in the world of men.  It started out as a short story Mike wrote back in the late 1980's, inspired by a little 'girl trouble' he had.  Some time later he got the crazy idea to turn it into a novel and he called me up to help.  To be honest I don't know why – my real passion isn't writing, it's drawing (every year I do a piece for my wife for Christmas).  I suspect he wanted his old dungeon master to figure out a backstory.  So I thought about it, not really sure what I was going to be able to do with it (which is probably where I began to realize things work better for me if I let them stew for a while) and eventually came up with a couple of chapters which he thought (rather to my surprise) were great!  We spent the next five years finishing the book, and then the rejection letters came.  Like your stuff; not what we want.  After a while we just had to set it aside and get on with life, jobs, kids, and so on.  Then I had an idea for a story, a WW2 spy/crime thriller and jotted up a treatment just because it was in me.  It was hard to do that much.  Mike turned it into a screenplay and now it's getting shopped around with Roland.  Next came the horror script and by now we were settling into this whole 'writer' thing (or at least I was; I think Mike had long ago).  By then online publishing was a big deal and Mike realized we could bypass the gatekeepers, so he pulled Annwyn off the shelf, blew the dust off it, sneezed a few times, and sent it back to me for a fresh edit.  And here we are.

I'd like to thank Mike and Steve for sharing with the folks here at Eye on Ashenclaw...now go buy some books!

 Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Forgotten Realms Author~Erik Scott de Bie Interview

As many of you who regularly read my blog may already know, I met several of the Forgotten Realms authors at GENCON 2011. It was an amazing time and I was particularly lucky to speak with Erik Scott de Bie for an hour or so about writng, etc. 

Over the last year or so, I have corresponded with Erik and he has been kind enough to help me out and continues to encourage me to press on. That being said, I asked him if he would grace Eye on Ashenclaw here with an interview and he agreed. Now we may all know what it is like to work for Ed Greenwood!

How did you get involved in the Forgotten Realms setting?

When I was 12 I read a novel called Darkwalker on Moonshae, the first Forgotten Realms novel ever published, which started my crush on the setting. But it wasn’t until the next year, when a friend of mine handed me a copy of Elfshadow and we started up a Forgotten Realms campaign that I fell in love with it. I’ve been into the setting ever since.

I first started writing in the Realms professionally for the Maiden of Pain open call, which I didn’t win, but my sample caught the eye of then WotC book department head Peter Archer and editor Phil Athans. They kept me in mind for a limited call, which became my first novel Ghostwalker.

How is it working with Ed Greenwood?

Ed Greenwood is an extremely intelligent, classy, genuine person. I’ve met few people as good at making you feel welcome, and he can (and will) literally talk to anyone for any length of time. He’s a good friend and colleague to have. Also, having Ed’s email is indispensible for Realmslore questions.

Give us a brief synopsis of your book(s)

My Shadowbane series is an ongoing quest of my vigilante paladin Kalen “Shadowbane” Dren--a thief who turned to a life of noble struggle against evil. Shadowbane: Eye of Justice, the third in the series, sees Kalen return to Westgate, the city where he grew up, in part to redeem the Eye of Justice (the organization that trained him), in part to find a lost friend. It also tells the story of Myrin Darkdance, an amnesiac wizard and Kalen’s best friend, who recovers some surprising pieces of her forgotten past. And, of course, their respective quests are complicated by the interference of a dangerous and mysterious elf shadowdancer.

When did you start writing? What inspired you to write?

I’ve been writing fiction since I was 8 or so (I wrote an epic galactic war story between two alien races, illustrated by yours truly), but I started writing seriously in 7^th grade. My first story was meant to be ten pages and ended up being closer to fifty. I wrote my first novel in high school as a reaction against being bored out of my mind in honors chemistry class. And I’ve been writing a novel or two a year ever since.

If your books were made into a movie, who would play the roles?

That is a dream/nightmare question! I’ve had very vivid images of characters in my mind as I’ve been working. For instance, Arya from Ghostwalker should be played by Charlize Theron (circa The Italian Job), while the ghostwalker himself would be Ed Norton (circa Fight Club), Lord Dharan Greyt would be Alan Rickman (circa Harry Potter mid series), Lyetha Elfsdaughter would be Gwyneth Paltrow, and Meris Wayfarer would be Orlando Bloom. Ilira “Fox-at-Twilight” Nathalan (Depths of Madness, Shadowbane series) should be played by Evangeline Lilly (unless Elaine gets her for Arilyn Moonblade) or Olivia Wilde. When it comes to the Shadowbane series, Kalen I see as Chris Evans (Captain America) or Chris Hemsworth (Thor) or perhaps Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the detective from Batman Begins, or the main character in Looper), while Myrin should be someone like Zoe Saldana (Star Trek).

What would be your choice for a superpower?

Teleportation. So much of our life is lost in transit. Also, it’s just awesome.

Who is your favorite author?

Neil Gaiman. For reasons that should be obvious to anyone who has read Neil’s work. He hooked me with Sandman (particularly book 4, Season of Mists), and I really like Anansi Boys: funny and exciting and clever all at once. The thing about his work is that it seems effortless.

What are you reading now?

Right now I’m working on Bullied by Carrie Goldman (a non-fiction book about bullying and how to prevent it), The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule (a non-fiction book about Ted Bundy), Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (a fantasy novel and the first of Sanderson’s popular Mistborn series), and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (a philosophical novel about an architect and a substantial basis for the philosophy of Exceptionalism). I pair that with a lot of comic book trades that I go through in about an hour or so: X-Men, Avengers, Wonder Woman, those are my favorites. So pretty diverse, I guess.

Who is your favorite character to write?

That’s really tough, because I thoroughly enjoy all my characters. The ones I don’t enjoy are the ones who get the dead in short order.

Of my Realms work, I love writing the protagonists from my Shadowbane series a great deal. My favorite is probably the elf shadowdancer Ilira “Fox-at-Twilight” Nathalan, whose evolving outlook/status fascinates me: over the course of a century, she changes from a sly, witty, party girl into a more mature, dark, sensuous, treacherous noblewoman. She is sexy and kick-ass the whole time, but in different ways at different points in her life. I also really enjoy writing about Myrin, because she’s surrounded by lies, secrets, and intrigue, which I unravel gradually. Kalen really excites me when I get to talk about his struggles with his faith and his calling, and I also really love watching him kick the tar out of a bad guy. And there’s a special place in my heart for the thoroughly duplicitous but noble Lilten, whose powers are complex and cool and whose history is a bottomless well of intrigue. And she’s not a Shadowbane character, but Aryande (from “Body in a Bag,” from Realms of the Dead) is great fun to write.

Outside the Realms, I like writing about the protagonists from my World of Ruin series--Regel, Ovelia, and Mask--who have cool triangles of tension and loyalty that make them a fun challenge. My con artist bard Tarrant Akayn from my Pathfinder writing is also a favorite. I also really enjoy my flamboyant gun-mage “M,” which is short for Morgan (from the story “Witch Fire” in Beauty Has Her Way) and my wacky mad scientist Circe (from “Dr. Circe and the Separatist Man-Cheetahs” in Growing Dread: Biopunk Visions). And of course, Stardust and Lady Vengeance (from my superhero novella “Eye for an Eye,” in Cobalt City Double Feature) are unmatched in sheer geeky glee.

See? I just love all of my characters.

Do you have a writing process?

I am such a disorganized writer. I write when I have time, usually listening to music, often with a cat and/or dog curled up next to me, and occasionally with a scotch on the rocks in my hand. Which makes the typing somewhat slower but is totally worth it.

What do you do when you aren’t writing?

Work, game, design. I have a full-time day job as a tech writer contractor for the Boeing Company, which keeps me busy between 30-40 hours a week. I run twice-monthly 4th Edition D&D Forgotten Realms and an Academy X-themed superhero campaigns, and I play in two different twice-monthly 4e D&D campaigns, as well as a rotating game night with some gaming industry folks. I also moonlight as a professional game designer for D&D (Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea, Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond, Neverwinter Campaign Setting, and several DDI articles and D&D Encounters seasons) and recently for Margaret Weis’s Marvel Heroic Roleplaying system (I’m a minor contributor to the Civil War books and one of the primary authors of the forthcoming Age of Apocalypse event books). And I try to find time to hang out with friends, play video games, and spend with my wife and our cats and dog.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Try and stop. If there’s any way you can be happy not writing, do that. If there isn’t, well, then my condolences, but you are doomed to be a writer.

I say this because writing is a tough business. It grinds your heart and soul right out of you, causes headaches and stress disorders, and makes you lose countless hours of sleep. You can give it your all and you still meet with rejection after rejection, and the odds are you still won’t be financially successful.

Do not write for the money. Do not write for the respect. Do not write for the history books.

Write because you enjoy telling stories. Write because you like providing good things for people to read. Write because you have to--because there is nothing else you can do that will make you quite as happy as writing.

Write for you, and no one else.

Do not give up. This will be hard, and more discouraging than any other quest you can undertake. You have to have that drive that will not let you back down or give up, that will force you back up off the mat after every single knock-down punch. You have to believe in the quality of your work, believe that you will find an audience, and believe that you will succeed. At the same time, you need to listen to feedback, constantly tweak your work to make it better, and have enough self-respect to hire a decent editor for yourself.

Also, do not neglect your family, friends, or responsibilities. You’re going to suffer, but don’t make yourself a martyr.

For more specific advice, check out this post on my blog: http://erikscottdebie.com/new-to-the-site-heres-a-guide/eriks-guide-to-writing-a-book/

What sets your books apart from others of the genre?

My work is very genre bending. My first book, Ghostwalker, was a fantasy western, wherein a cloaked hero swept into an isolated frontier town to avenge himself against the men who killed him fifteen years previous. Sort of High Plains Drifter in the Forgotten Realms. My second book, Depths of Madness, was a fantasy horror story along the lines of Saw: a group of characters awaken in a dungeon, not knowing each other, and have to work together to escape.

My Shadowbane series is kind of superhero fantasy fiction: the characters are larger than life and are often brought low by flaws both human and superhuman. The main character, Kalen Dren a.k.a. Shadowbane is sort of the “Batman of the Realms,” a thief turned vigilante paladin who acts the part of a mild-mannered guardsman by day but dons black leathers and a cloak to fight evil the guard can’t touch by night.

My World of Ruin series is high fantasy, but it’s also post-apocalyptic and a little bit cyberpunk with strong environmental themes. The story is set two thousand years after a magical war wiped out most of the people of the world. The long-ago fallen empire has left behind airships and warmachines (mostly clanking and on the verge of breaking down since no one remembers how to build them), as well as magic-enhanced relics that put out smoke that pollutes the world. Magic stands in for fuels--fossil, nuclear, etc.--and technology is warped by magic going into its construction. Against this backdrop, I weave a story that is high fantasy but also so deeply based in the characters’ interpersonal relationships and intrigues.

A final point about my work in the Realms specifically: Since I’ve grown up in the setting, I have a particularly wide view of the setting. I thread all kinds of references and homages through my work which are subtle enough to be missed by a casual or first-time reader, but which a seasoned Realms fan will pick up on and appreciate. Maybe that makes me just a geek. You decide. :)

Is it true you’re writing the fourth, as-yet-uncontracted book in the Shadowbane series?

You guessed it! Wizards has not yet contracted me to write another book (their resources are invested in their large-scale Sundering event), and doing so is a nebulous “in the future” arrangement. I’ve decided that the story needs an ending (maybe not THE end, but a possible end), and I might as well write it while it’s fresh in my mind. So I’m just writing the fourth book, which is called (working title) SHADOWBANE: KINGDOM OF NIGHT. I’m hoping that eventually WotC wants the book, and will jump at the chance to buy a fully realized and edited manuscript. And hey, if you want to help make sure that happens, check out my website for ideas how to help support the series: http://erikscottdebie.com/shadowbane/support-shadowbane-2/

Where can we find you on social media?

I am on Facebook (Erik Scott de Bie is my personal account, and Erik Scott de Bie is my author account), Twitter (@erikscottdebie, #shadowbane), and my website can be found at http://erikscottdebie.com. I am also active on the Candlekeep boards (a web forum for Realms fans, http://forum.candlekeep.com). Hit me up, and let’s chat!

ABOUT ERIK:

Erik Scott de Bie is a twenty-something (almost thirty-something!) speculative fiction author, best known for his work in the Forgotten Realms fantasy setting. His fifth novel, SHADOWBANE: EYE OF JUSTICE (third in the ongoing Shadowbane) series came out in September, and his current NaNoWriMo project is the (as-yet-uncontracted) fourth in that series. He is an avid contributor to the Cobalt City superhero universe, from lending his voice acting talents to the character of Stardust to his recent novella in COBALT CITY DOUBLE FEATURE. His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies such as BEAUTY HAS HER WAY, HUMAN FOR A DAY, WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME, and WHEN THE VILLAIN COMES HOME. He also moonlights as a game designer, having contributed to numerous D&D projects such as PLANE ABOVE: SECRETS OF THE ASTRAL SEA, SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN SETTING, and multiple seasons of the D&D ENCOUNTERS program. He lives in Seattle with his wife, multifarious cats, and a hyper but cuddly dog.

“The Last Legend of Gedrin Shadowbane” (free e-story)

“Sword of Shadowbane” (prologue to SB: EOJ, sample chapter—don’t read chapter 1!)

“Heir of Shadowbane” (free e-story)

Book 1: Downshadow (Wizards, Kindle, Nook, Kobo)

“Chosen of the Sword” (free e-novella)

“A New Purpose” (story included in the Shadowbane bundle, AFTER the main book--see table of contents)

Book 2: Shadowbane (Wizards, Kindle, Nook, Kobo)

Book 3: Shadowbane: Eye of Justice (Wizards, Kindle, Nook, Kobo)  (note the prologue is set between "The Last Legend of Gedrin Shadowbane" and "Heir of Shadowbane")

Shadowbane 4 (working title) ???

Other Realms novels, not in the Shadowbane series but related:
Ghostwalker (Wizards, Kindle, Nook, Kobo): A fantasy western
Depths of Madness (Wizards, Kindle, Nook, Kobo): A fantasy horror story

Non-Realms work, specifically anthologies:
When the Hero Comes Home (Kindle)
When the Villain Comes Home (Kindle)






I'd like to thank Erik for joining us and for giving us a glimpse into his world. (Now go buy some books!)

 Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Do Writers Read?

I ask this very simple question because, a while back, I was not reading at all! I had a discussion with a friend and fellow author and we began to chat about not having time to read, with everything else happening in our lives—work, writing, editing, sports, romance, family, sleep—and the list goes on. I am sure you’ve all heard it all, right? I thought to myself: “how am I not reading!?” It was crazy! I used to read voraciously and it was what made me want to write myself so many years ago. So, I made a promise to myself to never let it happen again. So, I made time to read (and especially if you are a writer), I would hope you do, too.

One thing came up about twitter followers. Most of mine (and his for that matter), happen to be writers. He seemed to think that having writers follow you meant that they were only that: writers. I am here to say: nay! Am I right? Please say yes!

Writers should be reading! Plain and simple. It doesn’t have to be an exorbitant amount, but get it in while you can. It is quite simply a measuring stick, research, and who knows, it might teach you a thing or two! So, with that being said, I ask my audience of writers:

Do you make time to read?

Please comment and let us know what you are reading, too, if you don’t mind.

As a side note, I very much enjoy the site Goodreads and would highly recommend any and all of you to join the site! If you do, please friend me HERE!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Photo from Stock.xchng

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Last Day to Get FREE eBooks!

 

LAST DAY to claim 2 (that's right, two!) SKULLDUST CIRCLE titles for FREE! 

Two great fantasy books
 FREE TODAY ONLY! 
 

Please show William and I your support by downloading it to your Kindle, phone, eReader or PC. If you need the kindle APP for your PC, simply click the link at the top right hand section of my blog and it will prompt you to download it from AMAZON, FREE of charge!

FREE TODAY!

FREE TODAY!

Part two of In the Shadow of the Black Sun, Shards of S'Darin will be free. William is generating interest in his epic fantasy series by offering book 2 for free in the hopes that those who download it will also purchase Part one, A Dream of Storms for $2.99.


Also available is Embremere, the first book in a new fantasy series aimed at a more Young Adult audience. Read the sample and give that one a try as well.

To celebrate the release of his latest short story "Tears of Blood", Gary Vanucci's, "A Rose in Bloom" will be free all weekend. "A Rose in Bloom" is Part 2 in the Wothlondia Rising series, (though they could be read in any order) detailing the backgrounds and personal histories of the main characters from the Realm of Ashenclaw and the full-length fantasy novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights: Beginnings. Do yourself a favor. Grab "A Rose in Bloom" for free, then grab the other short stories (Links on the right-hand sidebar of SKULLDUST CIRCLE) that have been released so far at 99 cents each. Great stories, great price.

Thanks for stopping by here and please stop on over to check out Skulldust Circle to see what we five writers have going on at all times! 

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover art by William Kenney!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted. All Stories related to In The Shadow of the Black Sun & Embremere are copyright William Kenney 2012.

What is Pinterest?

Seriously... What is Pinterest?


My wife is crazily addicted to the site. She enjoys looking at kittens, funny pics, recipes, dresses, clothes, shoes, etc. and I have found her on there for several hours at a time. She is obviously not the only one! I have spoken to some people at work (mostly the ladies, mind you) who enjoy going on Pinterest for the same thing. Just browsing the pictures for anything that strikes their fancy.

I have to hand it to the creators...the idea is pure genius.

I want to know what we can do as authors to connect with other authors/artists/creative people to help promote each other there or share links to your own sites, etc. I have just started posting pics of book covers of mine and a few other authors and want to know if anyone wants to start doing this sort of thing with me.

If interested, please leave me a comment with a link to your Pinterest page and your amazon page and we will go from there.

My Amazon author page is HERE and my PINTEREST page is HERE. If you post up here with a comment, I will do my best to Pin your site ASAP! Happy sharing!

I hope you enjoyed the sample! See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Interview with William Kenney

In support of fellow author and artist William Kenney, I am posting a recent interview I conducted with him in regards to his most recent work. As many of you know, I recently finished his first novel, A Dream of Storms, in his series and also reviewed it here on my blog, on Amazon and on Barnes & Noble, so look for it! His latest novel, Shards of S'Darin, can be found on Amazon for the Kindle and will be released shortly in paperback as well. William is a very talented guy who not only illustrates like a pro, but also paints pictures with his words. So, without further ado, I give you the interview!

When did you start writing?

I began writing in my teens, probably around the age of thirteen or so. My mother had an old typewriter and I would set it up on the kitchen table and bang away. Many of those partial novels still exist and I enjoy reading through them now and then. Some are still very good ideas for fantasy stories, but they would have to be overhauled quite a bit.

Why do you write?

I have always loved to tell stories. I love the challenge of crafting a great tale. Seeing a reader's reaction to something that I have written is very fulfilling, whether the reaction is joy, fear, happiness, sorrow. To cause an emotional response with a story that you have created is an author's dream. 

What do you enjoy more: writing or illustrating? 

That's a tough decision. I see them both as a part of the same thing. Both are acts of creation, bringing something to life that did not exist before. With art, it is an immediate response from the viewer, so I think it is easier for me. With writing, it's all about pacing and building your world/characters. I really don't think I could go too long without doing some sort of art or writing. They both just come out of me whether I want them to or not. 

Who is your favorite author?

Another tough question. First and foremost would have to be J.R.R. Tolkien. When I read his books as a boy, it changed me. I searched for every fantasy book that I could find. From there, I got into Terry Brooks, Michael Moorcock and Stephen R. Donaldson. I'm also a fan of Stephen King, William Gibson and Piers Anthony. Right now, I am very interested in reading stories by independent authors. There are still many readers out there that will not give an independent author a chance, thinking that they must be inferior because they are not traditionally published. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of these writers are on the same level with the traditional writers, and in many cases, the stories are more interesting. They take more chances because they are in control.

What are you reading now?

I'm reading this incredible fantasy story called, The Covenant of the Faceless Knights: Beginnings. Beyond that, I am so busy with the things that I am writing, I've put reading on hold for the time being.

Who is your favorite character to write?

Well, your characters are like your children. It's difficult to pick a favorite. Gorin, the Stone Troll, is a great character to write. He is such an honorable and fatherly figure. Someone we should all aspire to be. I find that writing the evil characters is rather enjoyable. I think to myself, 'How bad can I make this guy?' I try to give all of my characters something that they struggle with, a personality trait or past event that makes them unique. Some of my favorite parts tend to be the thoughts of a character, describing their inner turmoil.

Do you have a writing process?

Usually a small germ of an idea hits me and I quickly jot it down, either by hand or open a file on the computer. If the idea won't leave me alone, I begin to outline the story in my head, thinking of ways to make it unique. Eventually, I will write a loose outline, just hitting the main points of the story. Then, I will start fleshing out the characters, their history, personalities, physical description. A lot of these things will never be written, but it makes them so much more real to me. I think that brings the story to life.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

More than anything, write because you love it. If you plan to get rich from writing, good luck. Don't expect it. If that happens, great. If it doesn't, then you've still created something worthwhile. Also, be disciplined about your writing. Schedule a time during each day that you devote strictly to writing your story. Stay off of the internet, turn off your phone and television. If this is important to you, treat it as such. It is not an easy road, that is for certain. Everyone is waiting for the world to discover them and that is not likely. You have to force the world to notice and the first step is to write a great story. 

So, there it is! I hope you have enjoyed reading the interview and please discover some  of William's art and writing for yourself! William can be contacted here!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover on Shards of S'Darin illustrated by William Kenney

All images, characters and artwork in the body of the interview are copyright William Kenney

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Authors Need Reviews

I am writing this because it has come to my attention (more than three times this week alone) that authors need reviews. Plain and simple. And let me be very clear about this despite what I am going to write with regards to my own experience: This is not about me—rather it is a general petition to audiences everywhere.

I also need to say this before I proceed: For anyone that has written me a review personally, I cannot thank you enough…truly. It means more to me than you can imagine to have you all helping me by giving me criticism, thoughts and most of all—appreciation!

Now, I was going to do a post about this a few weeks ago when I spoke to two authors who told me in passing that they received no support from friends or family in their writing career and I sympathized with them. But I let it go thinking that if I post something, it will come out the wrong way…and to some degree I still feel that way. So, I ignored my urge and continued putting my head down and plowing through my activities. Then yesterday, I received an email while continuing work on my second novel. It was from Goodreads and it gave me stats about my books and also included this:

Funny, right? So, those of you that believe in fate or what-have-you, I thought it was some higher power telling me to go ahead with the post (or at least someone at Goodreads with an uncanny sense of timing!)

One particular author went on to tell me, quote: 

“And most of my friends have been hopeless. One or two have been wonderful, but generally not. I've asked various family members to do reviews too, and said I'll give them the money to buy the books if they need me too.” 

This was remarkable to me and not the first time I have heard this story. I will not reveal the names of the people included here as I do not think it is fair to them, but their pleas needs to be heard and there are many! Another author has expressed the same sentiment and I am betting that if I spoke to many others, they might tell me the same thing. I have discussed the topic ad nauseum about their friends and family supporting them and have come up with the same general reply: no help or very little. All they are asking is for a little help and support. And I am addressing this to other authors as well: help out your peers!

Ask yourself these questions:

How long would it take to write a review?

Is it really that much of an inconvenience for me to read the book that *insert name here* took the time to outline, write and publish?

I understand that—in my case especially—my genre doesn’t appeal to everyone and that’s fine. It is what it is. But, I have many friends that write mystery, suspense and other ‘mainstream’ genres that appeal to an even broader audience and they tell me the same thing.

In closing, I am sorry that this might sound preachy, but it needed to be said. I am asking for all of the true friends and supporters of my fellow independent authors to step up and lend your support! Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Photo from Stock.xchng.

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

What Do Readers Expect for a Buck?

I was going over my blueprint again for my future publishing plans with regards to what the Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook are doing to the book market. I thought about what a short story should cost and realized that 99 cents is really not all that much to pay for a short story. And I know--you can purchase entire novels for 99 cents, right? Allow me to explain my point.

eBooks have taken over for print in many ways and sort of fits with the whole economy at this point In that many people do not have the expendable income they once had. That being said, books that sold for $7.00 to $25.00 are now selling for…99 cents to $2.99? What does this mean for the artist who churns out the work…or the editors and artists who supported these authors for a living? What about the people who complain about books not being available in print form, but are not spending the money to BUY them in print form and instead, are downloading eBooks? I am not saying any of this is wrong, merely examining opinions and putting them on the table for all to see: consumer and seller. There is a difference in cost to the author for print vs. eBooks.

I know what my costs are for putting out a book and they are not cheap. If you are lucky enough or talented enough to do everything yourself, than you may have a leg up on the rest of us! I know that if I plan to charge someone for my work, then I had better be proud of it! I remembered seeing a post form literary marvel Derek Haines on the Vandal and dug it up—it was an excellent read and really bears in mind my whole point here, too. (Derek’s Post)

Anyway, if you are going to charge money for a product, it needs to be—in my opinion—as professional as you can make it. Right? So, I need to find a cover artist and an editor, minimally. That right there is not cheap and in this 'Amazonian' marketplace, where there is soooo much to sift through, how much will I make back at 35 cents a copy? I go into it figuring at some point, maybe my work will be noticed and appreciated by many, but I still feel that whatever fans I have and those who pay for my work will get the very best that I can give them. If you put the garbage in, you get the garbage out, right? I am in it for the long haul and do not plan on running for the hills anytime soon. I will be publishing books, no matter my profit, for as long as I am able. But, with those I have spoken with about the topic, the frustration level is high.

The point of the whole discussion and what I am asking my followers and peers:


How much do you expect for 99 cents?

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Photo from Stock.xchng.


All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2011 unless otherwise noted.

Guest Blog by the Amazing Editor--Stephanie Dagg!

Stephanie Dagg is an author and an editor and she was one of the talented people that worked on my Wothlondia Rising project. We discussed her doing a guest blog on my site with an emphasis toward the fantasy genre. She decided to share a bit of her experience editing my story and what she turned in made me blush. It was flattering beyond comprehension. I can't thank her enough for her kind words and fantastic editing talents. Please read on...

First up, a big thank you to Gary for inviting me to write a guest post for his blog. And an even bigger thank you to him for taking a leap of faith and entrusting me, a total stranger at the start of this project, with his wonderful stories to edit. I tell you, I’ve been completely pulled into the fascinating world of Wothlondia.

Steph tending to her hobbies: llama farming and cycling!

I’ve worked on all sorts of books during my 25 years of editing, most of them as a freelance, and it’s true to say that fantasy is one of the more interesting literary genres. Fantasy authors are not only creative, extremely so, but of necessity also very methodical. Does that sound contradictory? What I mean is that because they’re creating a unique universe, they have it all mapped out in their heads, and often physically too. I made plenty of use of Gary’s map of Wothlondia during my editing, to check that when he said certain characters were heading northwest towards Greymoors from Chansuk that they were. (Editors have to keep an eye on everything!) Gary clearly knows his way around Wothlondia like the back of his hand since and he never put a foot wrong there!

Another example of fantasy writer organization. In one of the new stories, A Rose in Bloom, I felt we needed a couple more sentences in one part where a character, Ganthorpe, was rattled by the ringing of the bell for midnight. So I sent a request to Gary. Now, some authors tend to panic when an editor asks for extra material, and rattle something - anything - off. You duly slot it into place, only to find a few pages later that this new stuff proves to be inconsistent with later events, so it’s back to the drawing board. Not with Gary. He sent me a well-constructed replacement paragraph that lent the clarity I was after, and mentioning Brogan the timekeeper, so I put those in. I’m currently reading Covenant of the Faceless Knights and was delighted to come across a mention of Brogan and his bells in an early chapter! Everything fits together perfectly, not only in this story but in the way all Gary’s tales interact.

Fantasy has its own lexicon with words such as phylactery, mage and goblinoid that you won’t find in other genres. The language also tends to be more formal with some archaisms. I’m always delighted to come across those since I’m all for using as diverse a range of vocabulary as possible in writing. And the different races that inhabit the fantastic world have their own way of speaking. You can tell an elf from a dwarf from an ogre simply by listening to them.

Other distinguishing features of fantasy, on top of these elements of a cracking good plot, organisation and rich language, are the idea of a hero (or heroine) on a quest, the common ‘humanity’ of this central figure that means we empathise with him or her, the existence of magic and the supernatural, and the fight of good against evil. Alongside the quest there often comes a journey of self-discovery, and this is very much the case with Gary’s characters. You’ll see this strongly in the Wothlondia Rising series of short stories, particularly in Maturation Process and Reflections.

I guarantee that you will be deeply moved by the latter.

And all Gary’s heroes and heroines are likeable because they’re so real. We get clear, detailed physical descriptions of them and their personalities quickly emerge. We can see parts of ourselves in them, even if they’re elves, or barbarians or half ogres. For example, Rose Thorne enjoys a glass of wine, Rolin Hardbeard doesn’t like riding horses, Saeunn has her eye on the handsome lad from the next village, and Elec lets his personal hygiene slip a little when he’s on his own. They could be any one of us... But imperfect as they are, when put to the test they’ll do what’s right.

Fantasy mirrors not only real people but a real world. Wothlondia has many of the same terrors and threats that we have, such as racism, dishonesty, violence and crime. I’m just grateful we don’t have the added complication of Blood Rot Zombies!

In conclusion then, editing fantasy, and especially Gary’s Wothlandian fantasy, is an interesting and rewarding challenge. And memorable. Here are a handful of sentences from Gary’s stories that have stuck in my mind because of their sheer power or beauty:

Nimaira still lay on the cold ground, rubbing her jaw, with tears—not tears of pain, but tears of what might have been—welling in her beautiful eyes.

His eyes were reflections of the bluest of skies, quite unlike those of any ogre, whose eyes were always as black as the darkest caverns of the Subterrane.

The Paladin felt the darkness closing in on him, wresting control of his soul.

He merely stood frozen in place while a tumult of emotions bombarded him.

She had wept for countless hours and felt there should be no more tears left to cry, yet still they came, unbidden and unending.

You’re going to enjoy Wothlondia Rising, make no mistake.

And who am I? Briefly I’m Stephanie, an editor and author. I was born in England, lived a long time in Ireland and am now in France with the family where, as well as writing and editing, I farm llamas and run a carp fishery. I have a book related website and an ebook editing website.

I'd like to say thanks again to Stephanie for taking such time and consideration with my stories...so much so, that she made me sound like I knew what I was talking about! She gives you a deadline as to when your work will arrive and it makes it there on time and professionally edited. Stephanie is the consummate professional and I would highly recommend her to edit any and all of your upcoming projects! Please visit her website above...and tell her Gary sent ya'!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover art on Distant Familiarity provided by William Kenney!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.