The Heroes of Wothlondia

alternate Covenant cover
by Mr. Kenney

I posted this informational piece on Wattpad, along with samples of all my works and other free works, for those interested in some background on my characters in the Realm of Ashenclaw series. I also divulge my cinematic choices for the roles if it were to ever hit the big screen (I can wish, cant I?)

I am planning to release another one on the antagonists probably next week. Hope you enjoy it!

THE HEROES OF WOTHLONDIA

Hope to see you all in Wothlondia soon!

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  and my SMASHWORDS PAGE!

Also, 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 Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Cover Preview: The Legend of Ashenclaw Novella

Hello Ashenclaw fans! I am currently preparing to re-release my epic novella, The Legend of Ashenclaw as a stand-alone product. It is available currently in the Skulldust Circle Anthology.

I am doing this only to brand my own product in case fans want this book as a stand-alone book. In order to do that, I have hired artist and fellow-Skull-duster, Mr. William Kenney again and I have the cover art to show you. Please let me know what you all think.

If you want to reach William for art-related to book-related reasons, please feel free to email him directly at:

WilliamKenney_author@yahoo.com

You will be doing yourself a favor. William is excellent and affordable.

Ashenclaw in all of her glory!

 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.

Interview With Kevin Rau

Kevin Rau

cover to Metamorphisis, H.E.R.O. Book 1

I recently conducted an interview with Superhero writer xtraordinaire: Kevin Rau!  The following is the result of that interview. If you like Superheroes, comic books and graphic novels, you may want to check this guy out...

When did you start writing?
January 2009. After a month of reading through something like 30 novels, I realized that I was tired of one-off novels and trilogies, and wanted an ongoing series with the same group of characters, so I could really get into their heads, learn the world, and experience things with them. Even the longer-running series (such as the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton) take so long for a new book to come out that I realized I needed to craft my own stories. And thus H.E.R.O. was forged.
Why do you write?
I need to create. It's not a desire for me, it's a core part of my personality. I've generally applied that toward software and web development over the last 20+ years, but have shifted all gears to writing in my off time.
What would be your choice for a superpower? Super invention. E.g. the ability to craft nearly anything. It's a cheat power, in some respects, because you can simulate other abilities, weapons, travel options, etc. with it.
Who is your favorite author?
I have few favorites of anything at all, not in movies, genre, books, television, etc. Having said that, I've read more Laurell K. Hamilton novels than just about any other author, so I'll give her props.
What are you reading now? I spend more time reading and re-reading my own novels than anything else lately. I just finished the Shades of Grey trilogy (one of the ladies at work was reading the first one, and I thought I'd find out what she was jabbering about).
Who is your favorite character to write? I'll go with Diva. She's a beautiful "brick" type super with great strength, armored skin/muscles, and flight. However, she is insecure, hates her new muscled state, and has a form of histrionic personality disorder. On the other hand, she's friendly, outgoing, and will react fast to any danger to others, even if she gets hurt.
Do you have a writing process? Before beginning a novel, I write down the core plotlines. From there I make a list of many sub-plots that must occur due to the current time in the H.E.R.O. series, and then write out a rough outline of the first 6-12 chapters. Just a few sentences about each. From there, I get into the writing.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Do it, if nothing else than to try. Be aware that writing takes work, it's not like reading. For those desiring standard publishing, be prepared to send out dozens (and more likely hundreds) of queries to agents, and for a rejection from all of them. It can be crushing. For the indies, be aware that you are taking on the role of author, editor (but please hire an outside one as well), promoter, marketer, and possibly the cover designer. It will take up a LOT of time if you want to be successful. You can choose to spend time with your family, or friends, or watch TV ... or to be a successful writer. In many cases, you cannot do most/all of them.
What inspired you to pursue writing? The driving desire to see what happens with my characters. To watch my fictional world grow and take on a life of its own. Soon, to do that with a second world.
Tell us about your books To this point, I've focused on my H.E.R.O. series. It currently has 10 books in it (7 novels, 2 short stories, and 1 illustrated guide), with an 8th novel coming in about a month. Each book in the series is a standalone story, but work like a television series, where some plotlines continue through the books, as do the characters. New characters are introduced at times, and readers get to see from each of the main character's points of view what occurs. In a nutshell, the series are about the superheroes of Metrocity, their interpersonal relationships, problems in the city, and how they work together (or not at times). My next series will work in a similar fashion, but in a fantasy world, and I'll alternate books in each series.

Kevin Rau
http://www.kevinrau.comhttp://www.facebook.com/herobookshttp://www.twitter.com/kevin_rau

This is Kevin's entire Bibliography in case anyone wants to go on over and check them out!

H.E.R.O. – Metamorphosis (1) http://www.amzn.com/B005GM3PV8

H.E.R.O. - New Markets (2) http://www.amzn.com/B005NBLWW6

H.E.R.O. - Rise and Fall (3) http://www.amzn.com/B005QNS4ZY

H.E.R.O. - Dark Research (4) http://www.amzn.com/B006KWAA3O

H.E.R.O. - Horde (5) http://www.amzn.com/B0070UQ5G6

H.E.R.O. - Paragon (6) http://www.amzn.com/B007IGZ7FC

H.E.R.O. - Illustrated Guide http://www.amzn.com/B007TKVQWA

H.E.R.O. Shorts – Gatecrasher (7) http://www.amzn.com/B007WKKA8I

H.E.R.O. Shorts – Silverlash (8) http://www.amzn.com/B0082XHPIC

H.E.R.O. - Gene Front (9) http://www.amzn.com/B008J0Z1Y8


Thanks to Kevin for stopping by to share with us and I hope to have him here again in the near future. Best of luck to you, my friend!

Wothlondia Rising Anthology Sale for 99 Cents Through July!

As of today I have pulled all of my 99 cent single short stories in the WOTHLONDIA RISING series that I had released since January of this year. In their place is the Anthology, now on Amazon kindle AND in Paperback, which includes ALL 5 of the short stories (Distant Familiarity, A Rose in Bloom, Maturation Process, Tears of Blood, Strength of Faith) and includes a never-before-released story about the half-ogre barbarian, Orngoth, called Reflections.

Cover to the CreateSpace Paperback

As an added bonus, the prologue to Covenant of the Faceless Knights follows the story entitled Distant Familiarity which details the events just prior to Covenant. So, as you can see, this is a worthy addition to the Realm of Ashenclaw series and I have given it the name: Beginnings Book 0. It adds depth, history, character and gives you a glance into events that placed these heroes on the path they now walk. If you enjoyed Covenant (and even Secrets of the Ebonite Mines, which is also available), I would recommend you stepping into the past of these exciting characters and learn a bit about what makes them tick!

As an incentive, I have reduced the cost from $2.99 down to .99 cents until the end of July! I hope you take the time to check it out and look forward to any and all reviews you might give.

 

 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.

Upcoming Promos & New Release!

SЄƇƦЄƬƧ ƠƑ ƬӇЄ ЄƁƠƝƖƬЄ MƖƝЄS is on SALE NOW! In honor of this I have done a price reduction on ƇƠѴЄƝƛƝƬ ƠƑ ƬӇЄ ƑƛƇЄŁЄSS ĶƝĮGĦƬS for the kindle version. Since it is BOOK! in the series, ut will be $2.99 for a week, starting the day I release Secrets, so keep your eye on Twitter, Facebook and here!

This is to entice any who are going to purchase the new novel to get the first one too!

AND, I have reduced the price of ШΟΤΗLΟŊÐΙΆ ŔΙSΙƝԌ: ƛƝƬĦƠŁƠGƳ to $2.99 for the foreseeable future! What more could a fantasy fan want?

So, if you wanted to read the prequels and get all 5 of the Wothlondia Rising short stories PLUS the FREE extra one (REFLECTIONS), there has never been a better time!

Here is another sample of Secrets of the Ebonite Mines to whet your fantasy appetite:

“How long has it been since we left that sickening temple?” asked Rose Thorne who sat lazily at the small table in the center of the wagon. She held the magnificent dagger Zaedra—one of a pair with Avorna—in her left hand, admiring its expertly-made hilt and blade. She absently twirled her long, red hair sporadically with her right hand as she looked out the porthole, waiting for an answer.

Saeunn sat in a chair to her right while Orngoth lay down on the floor where the group had spread out several bedrolls in an attempt to make it more comfortable for the giant half-ogre. The three apprentices were present, including the badly injured but recovering Rolf, who was not in the best of shape, but whose condition was stabilized at least.

Elec Stormwhisper and Garius Forge moved about the caravan, pacing back and forth. Garius was brooding and Elec seemed to be suffering from an intense nervousness of some kind.

Rose regarded Garius just then, inspecting silently the powerful Inquisitor from the Order of the Faceless Knights, a very esteemed and feared organization. Garius continued walking the floor with ease in his heavy plated armor, seeming not to tire. He wore it as effortlessly as a sage might wear a robe, Rose noted. She found herself, strangely enough, wondering what his body might look like beneath it, lean and full of muscles, she guessed.

“Two days now,” Garius suddenly answered her question. His words startled her and she happily disengaged from her embarrassing line of thinking.

“We near the northernmost section of the Oakcrest Mountains,” stated the Inquisitor as he paused to stare out the porthole opposite Rose, “as you may be able to tell from the sudden rumbling of the wagon rolling over the uneven road below. We shall be reaching that point within the next half day, and then will be heading back due south around the mountain. Once we hit Heartwood Valley, beyond the Oakcrest Mountains, we will stop for several hours where you will be able to stretch your legs. The road should become less treacherous, too.”

Rose peered outside and watched as the sun disappeared behind a cloud, pondering the recent events that had brought them here. They had been traveling for two days straight and planned to go another before stopping so that they could eat something other than dried bread or stale fruit. The construct that drove Nimaira’s magical caravan continued onward, seemingly paying no heed to those within.

Garius turned from the porthole and regarded the half-ogre, who occupied a huge portion of the caravan’s floor in front of the alcove where their beds were kept. His battered leg was elevated and resting on a chair. They’d all taken note that Orngoth’s leg was mending at a much faster rate than they’d anticipated but it seemed that the bone was fusing in an uneven fashion. They had not gotten the chance to set it properly after the escape from the temple and now it appeared it was too late, which Garius explained that he did not fully understand. Rose’s ankle and Saeunn’s elbow, however, were completely healed now thanks to a combination of both Garius’ healing abilities and Elec’s alchemical ointments.

They trudged along for another day. Elec conversed with Saeunn, in between his lengthy disappearances into his extra-dimensional lab space. When the barbarian did speak to the inquisitive elf, he intently consumed the information with an attentive gaze. But Rose spent all of that time in deep consideration as to why she kept thinking of Garius. And in ways she’d never thought possible after their initial encounter in the conference room of the High Council.

Final stage of cover art by William Kenney

Don’t forget to join the blog @SKULLDUST CIRCLE and know that we are preparing another anthology that will sample as many of us as possible. We are still trying to iron out the details as to when we can expect to have this book ready for you as all of us are feverishly working full time jobs as well as continuing our own sagas! I can tell you that my story will revolve around the history of the big, bad queen of the scorching drakes. So be prepared to have fun reading The Legend of Ashenclaw soon enough! Excerpts of my compilation will no doubt soon follow,

Once again, I hope you enjoyed the excerpt! Keep your Eye on Ashenclaw for more news!

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.

Roll Playing vs. Role Playing?

First of all...Happy New Year everyone!

Secondly, the winner of the 'How much would you pay for an eBook' poll was by far the $2.99 to $7.99 slot with 61% of the vote and the $8.99 to $12.99 slot coming in second with 29% of the vote. Just in case anyone was following and wanted to know the results!

Thirdly, I have a new subject for you to discuss for you RPG gamers out there--Roll Playing vs. Role Playing! Here we go...

Is there room for both in your game? I think so. I have often asked myself if the game master or dungeon master of your RPG can satisfy both. After much consideration, I have concluded that with the right preparation, yes, it can be done. I would always first and foremost cater to what your players want to do with regards to play style. Do they enjoy hack and slash, puzzles, role-playing, problem solving, etc? You as the referee of the game would know this best if you play with friends. I as the GM/DM would often find that I wanted my players to get involved with the storyline one way or the other before unleashing any type of combat on them as I believe that a firm understanding of a specific goal is important--especially if you spend a good deal of time preparing something for them to enjoy. I feel that any of us can cater to his or her players’ desires for the most part, while still being able to fit them into the environment or setting that you envisioned.

I have played with players that enjoy both the role-playing aspect and the combat of the game. The majority of my players have enjoyed the combat the most. They want to put themselves into the role of hero and save the day, using their swords and sorcery to down the evil-doers. And who doesn’t? It is what drew me to comic books, sci-fi/fantasy novels and role-playing games in the first place….

There are also a good amount of players who want to solve the puzzles or riddles or who want to be the ones who solve the mystery set upon them in order to go through a passageway or advance further into a dungeon. There are also tests that can put players into a situation where they have to figure out what makes a creature/villain tick or what his/her/it's weakness might be in order to resolve the issues.

These tests can be a good deal of fun as well and I implore any of you gamers out there to try to experience them all. All of it is designed for one thing that I think we can all agree on: no matter what school you hail from, games are designed to give you an escape from reality and to share some time with friends or with people of like mind. So, no matter what game you play, no matter what genre you play in and no matter what style you choose, make sure you are having fun!
 
As always, please feel free to share your thoughts with us and comment on what kind of games, play style or genres you enjoy most! I look forward to your posts. Have a great week everyone!

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, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted.

Orngoth excerpt! Part of Chapter 14

I have been getting quite a few of the people clamoring for Orngoth excerpts...so, once more on twitter's #SampleSunday, I give you a portion of Chapter 14 of Covenant of the Faceless Knights! Enjoy you soon-to-be-favorite Half-ogre Barbarian!

Orngoth Artwork by the incomparable William J. Kenney!

There were four undead mockeries of once-humanoid creatures with rotting, discolored flesh hanging from their semi-exposed skeletons. It was the foulest sight Forgulnak had ever witnessed. The creatures fed on the now lifeless husk of their fellow goblinoid.

“Ghouls!” Forgulnak uttered loudly. The red of their eyes reflected in the torchlight as they were drawn toward the scent of fresh blood, turning to regard them. He could see their gray rotting flesh as well as their clawed hands now tearing goblin flesh from the bone and devouring it.

The goblinoids collectively stood appalled by the scene, nauseated and frozen, trying to move. They could not. It was too late. The four undead creatures advanced with speed unparalleled on their newest prey that had foolishly entered their lair. The ghouls leapt at them, knocking them to the blood-stained, slick ground. The goblinoids remained paralyzed in shock, helpless and nauseated by the sight and smell of the devastation.

Forgulnak finally realized the true horror of their situation. He tried to make his legs move, but was unable. Whether it was fear or something else that paralyzed him, he could not tell, as he felt the flesh being torn from his bones.

The undead overran them and began to feast, completely consumed by their hunger…until one of them was suddenly crushed by the bulk of a gargantuan club.

Orngoth heard the shuffling and smelled a foul odor emitting from the alcove. He heard a goblin scream harshly as some terrible fate must have befallen it, but he could not see as it was beyond his line of sight. The other goblinoids made their way into the opening and disappeared around the corner, too.

Several more screams followed. Something bad was happening, but he did not know what. He did know one thing, and that was that he had to get free of his manacles.

He strained once more against the chains that bound his arms and hands. Again a few of the metal links weakened and began to buckle further. Another tug from his mighty arms bent the links once more. His muscles continued expanding and contracting in succession against the metal, his veins becoming more pronounced beneath the flesh of his arms. The metal groaned with protest under his might as the links twisted and reshaped themselves to conform to the half-ogre’s will, eventually giving in to his remarkable strength with several loud pops. He was suddenly free of his bonds and retrieved his massive club.

It took Orngoth quite some time to squeeze his large frame through the alcove, but he managed, leaving the top layers of his flesh behind on the stone. The screams had died down, but the sickening odor remained. He saw them as he entered in the flickering torchlight.

Ghouls!

The undead creatures were so focused on their newest feast that Orngoth’s entrance had gone completely unnoticed.

He fought back the disgusting aroma and did not succumb to its accompanying nausea as he smashed the first undead creature into mush with a mighty downward swing of his club. The three remaining anathemas moved quickly toward him. Orngoth’s fierce blue eyes had already run red with rage, revolted and angered by the sight of this purest of evils. Orngoth allowed the bloodlust to overtake him, not even trying to resist.

His huge club came up over his head and he timed the next blow perfectly, almost knocking the ram-horned helm from atop his own head as he swung his club with ferocity borne of rage unbound and connected. The blow was so powerful that he simply crushed the ghoul beneath the impact, spraying bone and gore everywhere.

As he started to pull his club from the remains, he was struck simultaneously by the two remaining ghouls. Biting and clawing at his already scarred and fairly tough hide, the ghouls pressed their assault. Orngoth howled in pain as the anger surged within him.

Small pieces of his flesh were torn open by the fiends, but Orngoth didn’t even take notice now as his bloodlust peaked, driving him to acts of heroic proportions.

He reached out and pulled the first of the two off by its neck and propelled it through the air to land hard against the stone wall. It hit with a dreadful thud. He watched as it attempted to slowly right itself, swaying considerably as it did.

Orngoth grabbed the second one by its arm, nearly tearing it from its socket in the process, and threw it in the same direction as the first, with similar results. He roared fiercely, consumed by his fury, ignoring sense and sensibilities, wanting only to destroy his foe!

The two undead charged him once more. He slid on the slick surface as he took a step, but regained his footing and dropped into a lower, wider stance. 

They closed the distance as Orngoth gripped the base of his weapon with both hands and swung hard. The timing of his spectacular swing connected with one ghoul solidly, crushing its ribs and liquefying them straight away. Then there was a loud crash that immediately followed the first.  His swing had continued its momentum, crushing the second creature’s skull, hitting it with so much force, that it partially removed the head from the body.

Nothing else moved as Orngoth stood victorious over the immobile creatures, blood-stained and angry. He roared in victory before remaining still for a time, allowing the bloodlust to fade.

Eventually, exhaustion set in. He fell to one knee before squeezing out of the tiny opening once more and slumping to his rear on the hard stone. Breathing more slowly now, he contemplated what to do next, until sleep claimed him.

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 Artwork and covers by William J. Kenney

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience 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.

Which version of D&D do you play?

I was going to do a post about different gaming attractions and such, but then I decided to break it down into different versions of Dungeons & Dragons specifically. Reason being is that I have several friends who play older versions of Dungeons and Dragons as well as the more current 3.0, 3.5 and 4^th editions as well as the DDO MMORPG. (Eberron? Really?!)

I have been staying current, albeit reluctantly at first, as I generally fear change! Actually, not really, but, I saw no good reason to move forward as I thought that 3^rd edition was pretty good and advanced D&D as far as it could go. I may have been right! Current 4^th edition D&D is a far cry from your older versions and really mirrors the feel of an MMORPG, which I assume it feels as its competition.

Again, these are my opinions, so feel free to disagree. I love a good debate.

I think each of the versions has 'good' and 'bad' characteristics and I wanted to touch on a few of the good and bad. Let me preface also by adding that I think all of them have their place and they are meant for you to have fun in whatever form that may take.

Older versions of D&D were fun, simplistic and a bit generic. Role-playing was the key as well as the imagination of the DM and players both. Managing your inventory is another factor as it added a ‘realistic’ quality to the game. I personally did not enjoy this as I felt it detracted from the overall game-play and felt more like homework than actual fun! In addition, I felt that there was nothing heroic about an average guy picking up a sword and shield to go adventuring—it’s just silly. Add in the fact that all classes were basically the same. (ie. all characters have the same statistics, hit points, etc, like your fighter is made in a production line like a car or a piece of equipment), detracted from it further as more modern versions became available. But, it was an older representation and sometimes classic is the way to go. It was very dependent upon the story and the environment to move the game along. I personally enjoy the character that I play and want him to be a bit more…heroic? But, I digress--to each his own--que sera sera.

Third edition was pretty unique in that it diversified from the norm and really brought old school D&D into the modern age. It felt like an amazing leap in game mechanics while still keeping the familiar names, spells and abilities we all knew and loved. You could custom build your fighter, rogue, barbarian, etc. so that he or she was different from the others. Multi-classing, prestige classes and customizations were its strengths. Third edition was also ground-breaking in that they opened the game up to the community and made it essentially an open-source product (think Linux) which enhances the overall game experience as the consumer has a vested interest in the end product. However, as supplements became more and more available, power-gaming eventually put an end to this version and the market was saturated with over-the-top classes/variations/prestige classes. Sometimes, we experienced that a player accidentally created an overpowered character! Yikes! 

In 4^th edition, I kind of miss the skill selection or separation as I think they may have lumped too many of the individual skills into one overall skill. That being said, simplification has its place, I suppose. DM’ing has seriously gotten easier, encounters can be extremely easy to prepare and balance and the monsters are quite easy to manage now. As opposed to third edition where a significant monster may have two pages of spells, abilities and powers of which would send your head spinning when it was the monsters turn to go! Balance I think is the key to 4^th edition and it is very clear that they wanted combat to be very gripping and encapsulating to the point of making the battles a bit more epic. It certainly has become a tabletop game for the most part.

I have also heard grumblings on the internet that 4^th edition loses the RP feel, which I disagree with totally. This is completely up to your DM as it is his or her job to add that element. I have also heard that 4^th edition isn’t deadly enough. Wrong again…I have gotten my derriere handed to me several times and have been in one TPK (total Party Kill.) It was vicious! 

I am the DM! Whatever I say-goes!

All in all, I think you can take each framework of the game and add whatever style you like to it as they all have their own charm and ambiance. The bottom lines is that we are having fun, exploring dungeons and slaying dragons…After all, this is what it’s all about!

My question to you is: What version do you like best and why?

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!

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

The Sound of Pages Turning

The Sound of Pages Turning

As a writer, I am trying to get you interested in my book enough to entertain the thought of purchasing it…crazy business plan, I know. That much is true, but more importantly, I am attempting to engage you enough so that you might feel a certain level of empathy for the characters. This is not necessarily caring about ‘what’ they do or what spells they can cast, or even how effectual they are in battle, but more of ‘who’ they are and what motivates them to do what they do in the Realm of Ashenclaw. 

She seems to be enjoying herself

What drives their decision making process? Can you relate to their issues and problems? Have you ever gone through something similar?

My characters are archetypical of the sword & sorcery genre for sure and I admit that I am not trying to reinvent the wheel in that regard. That being said, I would hope that their individuality and sense of purpose would shine through, making them ‘real’ enough in the reader’s eye in order to relate to them or what they are going through. This sort of emotional attachment to my characters is exactly when I know that I am doing my job, otherwise you are reading about soulless automatons! This, too, is fine, mind you…but is not what I was shooting for.

If you can relate any character of mine, protagonist or antagonist, with an event that transpired in your life or the life of someone close to you, I have achieved my goal. If my character has emotional baggage that you understand or recognize or faces a problem with which you can relate, then my goal was achieved…. If this is done properly, then I will hear the sweet sound of pages turning.

I ask you this -- 

Is emotional relevance and character depth important to you as a reader, or do you just enjoy the mayhem and detailing of a combat scene instead? Feel free to respond under comments. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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!

(Photos from Kozzi) 

 

A Synopsis of Characters

I have been told on some forums and by some other folks that my teaser and blurbs do not give enough information about the characters, which is the story's focus. In response to that I have come up with a few minor descriptions that may demystify that position.

 

Elec is a high elf with very little self confidence when it comes to fighting, but has certain skills that continue to force him in that direction such as setting and disarming mechanical traps as a classic thief or rogue and he is a master alchemist. The alchemy provides him with artificial means of boosting his natural speed, strength, agility and healing among other things. Reluctantly, he accepts his ‘destiny’ and accompanies the heroes on their quest.

 

Saeunn is a human barbarian woman who is displaced from her home after it was overrun by orcs and goblins. She is struggling initially with a choice of keeping an eye on her mother and giving in to her natural instincts and love for battle!

 


Rose is a human female pick pocket and true rogue who had a rough childhood and is a member of the Thieves’ Guild. She realizes that she has missed the danger and excitement of her youth and now takes up a chance to rediscover that excitement on her own without informing her guild of this plan.

Garius is a former priest/warpriest to The Shimmering One (the sun god) and current Inquisitor with the Order of the Faceless Knights, a sect of religious zealots who have access to every divine power offered by each of the gods. These bountiful powers and spells are given in exchange for keeping all of their temples free of heresy and deceit. He is a natural leader and a quick study.

My overall storyline is an thickly layered web that has many overarching story-lines and would be extremely difficult to explain in short order. Suffice it to say that this particular novel focuses on an artifact that disappears from a temple right out from under the priests’ noses and is the key component that could represent a lich coming back into his former power.

Synpopsis: "When a dangerous artifact goes missing from a temple, the elderly high priest in charge requests the aid of a one-time apprentice. Garius Forge, who is now an Inquisitor among the Order of the Faceless Knights, assembles a small team of heroes and sets out on his quest. He is aided by the wise-cracking Rose, a rogue among rogues, by the stoic and battle-hungry Saeunn, and by a naïve elf named Elec, who reluctantly agrees to accompany them at the behest of the persuasive Inquisitor. The eclectic group sets out to recover the artifact before it falls into the hands of the lich who once held it. Not only do the heroes have to overcome numerous foes, but they must also conquer their own shortcomings in order to ensure the safety of the Realm of Ashenclaw!"

The main villain behind the entire series is Zabalas Dimonia, an especially dark warlord with a mysterious past and a penchant for enticing others to do his bidding in the Realm of Ashenclaw!

The characters in the world refer to the continent as Wothlondia and refer to the world or the plane of existence that we call earth as Krotto. We, as the readers, call the world the Realm of Ashenclaw.

The rest of the characters can be found on my home page and in greater detail HERE.

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!
 

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. All Sketches of characters done by Justine Babcock.