Preview of Wothlondia Rising 3: Maturation Process

In book 3 of the series, I dive into the past of the high elf, Elec Stormwhisper! The genre is high fantasy/epic fantasy with a hint of young adult flavor once more as Elec, although advanced in years, is still a very young elf in the story. The book is entitled MATURATION PROCESS and will be available for sale by month’s end through the kindle select program. I am giving my readers a sample of the short story here as well as a preview of the amazing artwork for my cover provided by the absurdly gifted William Kenney! This also features the wondrous editorial stylings of Stephanie Dagg. 

 

The story covers a time in the past of Elec Stormwhisper where he is in a process of finding himself and discovering who he truly is. I hope you enjoy the sample and it will be on sale for a measly 99 cents! Keep an eye on my Amazon Author Page to see when it is released.

 

Also, I wanted to inform folks again that KINDLE has an app for the PC. If you own a PC and do not yet have a kindle, you can download it for FREE to your desktop.

 

FREE KINDLE APP FOR PC! Just click the 'Download Now' button at the top of the screen.

 

 

 

 

Cover of MATURATION PROCESS by William Kenney

 Maturation Process is the telling tale of the high elf, Elec Stormwhisper, who lives in the overbearing shadow of his Father, Keryth. Treated as an outcast and feeling alienated from his own people, he exiles himself for a decade, finding a friend in a strange place and begins to accept his own unique destiny. Will this young and inexperienced elf ever find his true calling?

Wothlondia Rising is a series of short stories set in the original fantasy setting entitled the Realm of Ashenclaw. The series details life altering, significant events from the past that shape the course of these important characters, setting them on the path that will change their lives forever!

Morning came once more and the passing of time did nothing to quell the guilt that Elec felt. He approached his alchemy that morning with passion unparalleled, diving into his work in order to forget about his problems. The hours passed and he continued mixing and testing elixirs, theorizing about different effects based on his findings.

Faorath entered his nephew’s workspace and found Elec engrossed in his work. He moved into view, startling Elec and nearly causing him to drop his latest potion, but fortunately he snatched it back in a flash.

“You have good reflexes,” Faorath proffered, nodding to Elec and watching him as he pushed aside a curly strand of dark hair from in front of his eyes.

“Thank you, uncle,” Elec answered, still focused on his experiments. When he finally managed to look up, he witnessed his uncle exploring the contents of his bookcase, which was filled with texts on the topics of magic and science.

“I wrote this one, you know,” Faorath informed him, pulling one tome in particular from the shelf. It was a book explaining the training and handling of exotic magical beasts.

“Yes, and it is something that I want to discuss with you,” Elec admitted. “I would like to train as a Wind Rider.” Faorath’s amber eyes widened at this revelation.

“Your father—“                                          

“Would be more than happy to be rid of me,” Elec finished the sentence for him. “I would no longer be a disappointment to the family and this would perhaps free my mind from the torment of spellcasting.”

Faorath stood silent for several moments and then nodded his affirmation. “Very well, I will approach your father on the subject.” He smiled a wide grin in appreciation of Elec’s decision as he strode to the exit.

When Faorath returned over an hour later, he found Elec once more deep in study, but this time he was reading the book his uncle had written. Elec looked up from the thick tome and smiled, nodding a greeting.

“I have read this book at least seven times,” Elec disclosed. “I have always wondered what it would be like to fly above the trees and into the clouds, to discover what Wothlondia and even all of Krotto has to offer in the ways of nature’s beauty.”

“It did not take much convincing for your father to agree to this,” Faorath stated bluntly as he stood with his hands on his hips. “He feels that if he presents this news to the elders, it will assuage their doubts and help his standing to remain as it was—‘unblemished’ was the word he used, I believe. No matter, Stormwhisper has been a powerful name in the family of high elven mages over thousands of years, as you are reminded each day.”

“Aye,” Elec agreed. “I feel that if I had been something of a real Stormwhisper mage, I could have stopped Jhaeronas.”

“You are a real Stormwhisper, Elec. Do not doubt this. Just because you do not show an aptitude for manipulating the powers of Arcana does not make you any less a family member.”

“That is not what my father says,” Elec refuted. “My sister and brother and all of the Stormwhispers before them were able to do this. I do not understand why I cannot.” Elec peered into a mirror. “I even look different than all of my family,” he added, twirling a lock of his dark hair in his fingers, then flicking it away in disgust. “I have dark hair and my eyes are unlike those of any of my kin. I have never seen another high elf with features such as mine!”

“Your masteries lie elsewhere. That is quite obvious,” Faorath offered, waving a hand over the workspace. “You are quite a remarkable alchemist, as well as an expert in the ways of mechanics. As for your features, you are exotic, yes, but it adds to your unique character. It does not detract from anything you do, nor does it define you. You will do well to remember that.”

Faorath headed to the door, pulled the handle and swung it wide open. “Come to me when you are ready to begin your training.”

Elec watched the door close behind him and returned to his book. But try as he might, this time he could not digest the words, for his mind was elsewhere. 

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!

Cover art masterfully executed by William Kenney!

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

 

Does Blogging Help or Hinder?

I was just curious as to what the majority of bloggers thought here regarding the subject of blogging—specifically if it helps or hinders your own writing. I write or try to write a blog subject at least twice a week and hope that it is enough for my audience to enjoy. I never know personally how much is enough or too much! Some bloggers feel the need to write every day…I am not one of them. And I do not mean that in a snarky way, I just feel that 2-3 times a week seems to work for me.

It is difficult to find time to write blogs when working and writing full time, but I think it affects me in a few ways. For one, it keeps me disciplined. Forcing myself to publish a blog post on a schedule mimics deadlines and keeps me honest, even if they are self-inflicted deadlines. Secondly, I think that it keeps me in touch with my audience. I very much enjoy the comments I receive weekly on subjects and topics that involve you--the readers--to entice you enough to want to respond. I also need and appreciate your feedback in many instances, often learning from you.

I do feel sometimes that it takes me away from my own writing, but in all honesty, that is a good thing. Fresh eyes are needed for editing and writing. No one will argue that, right? It also helps me with my communication skills in trying to elicit a response one way or another. I always endeavor to be engaging with my writing, no matter the delivery system. One can never have enough practice when writing I think, and I often find myself learning things on a daily basis!

So, what do you think about blogging? When you write a few times a week, or every day, or whatever your schedule happens to be, do you think it helps your skill-set? Does it take too much time away from doing other things? Does it distract you from your own writing if you are a fellow scribbler? I’d love to know your thoughts on this one!

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. 

Point of View Shifts

Where would you like to go?

I was discussing some writing topics with other authors and readers recently regarding POV (Point of View) shifts in writing. It was something that I minimized when I began writing, and also something I now worry about a great deal moving forward.

This subject may not even pertain to every type of book or genre and may plague fantasy/sci-fi writers the most, because if your writing focuses on one character, then it is something that you don’t have to worry about very often. Also, if you read or write Noir, or even spy novels, etc, it is generally about one person. The problem arises when the scope deals with multiple characters in a group setting. Either way, as a writer or reader, it is a relevant topic.

I have read many books and to be honest, I haven’t really noticed or focused on that particular feature before. Looking back, I notice--and even what I am reading now, it becomes a focus--but for 40 plus years, it meant almost nothing to me as a reader! For example, George Martin handles it by writing one chapter from a particular person’s POV, which is another interesting approach.

So, the discussion continued and then a fellow author began to explain that it wasn’t really all that big of a deal and that it does not detract from the story and people rarely ever notice the shifts anyway. The other readers in the room did not seem to mind either; they just wanted to see good content and did not seem bothered by the way in which it was delivered. Then we touched on Third Person Omniscient vs. Third Person Subjective and agreed that they were OK as long as they did not A)detract from the story or B)give the reader important information that was out of context.

As a reader and/or writer, what do you think? Is Point of View important? Is it something that you notice when you are reading?

As usual, I look forward to your comments!

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.

Do Women Read More Than Men?

I have been checking into a few things recently, including my demographic, which are any readers, but probably focuses more on a younger audience and those who grew up playing RPG’s that are now in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s by now. So, I recently tallied information regarding who is buying my books, and I get a pretty fair split of men and women. But, for the most part, I see women…everywhere! On any social media-- on twitter, on Facebook, writing blogs and of course, the newest sensation: Pinterest. As a matter of fact, I joined Pinterest about a month ago to see what it was all about and 95% of my followers are females. Just a fact there, nothing more and something I will jump into later this year that will focus strictly on social media.

So, I started delving into this a bit deeper. I found a few articles discussing this very subject. One was by Lia Fairchild, another by Eric Weiner and another by Basma Aal. There is some interesting information on some of these, even though one is quite a few years old. It still begs the question: What will it take to get men reading more? Are they only reading Maxim and sports magazines? I’d like to think not. I aimed my book specifically at men AND women by writing about both genders in fantasy and making my women exceptionally tough and gritty. I know that Harry Potter seemed to get males reading again, though younger in age, but males nonetheless. I have seen a few other splits that suggest a 75/25 split of Women/Men readers. Can this possibly be true?

In closing, I simply ask you what you think. If you find any data to support it, feel free to link it!

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. 

Realm of Ashenclaw 4e D&D RPG Supplement

Continuing our weekly theme regarding the many talents of William Kenney, I wanted to inform my readers—especially the gamers—that we have a Realm of Ashenclaw 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game supplement available in PDF form. We are also working on a print version which should be available shortly. They can be found on RPGNOW with both Quick and Full Size Previews!

William did all of the artwork within and most of it can be seen here on my ART PAGE. More of Williams’s artwork can be seen on his Deviant Art Page.

High Council Members: Nimaira, Rolin & Tiyarnon

Myself, Nicholas and Elizabeth Titano and Tom Sallustio worked very hard on this supplement and I hope it is received well. It includes 2  NEW CLASSES in the Heroic Tier as well as 5 NEW THEMES! It is only listed for a measly $5.99 (an absolute steal!) and includes a map, all of the artwork and descriptions of every main region in Wothlondia, including the fabled 5 cities! It is 90 pages of brand new material, with each city or feature having an ‘At a Glance’ feature with which any DM can use to spur on a storyline. We encourage any gamers to check it out, regardless of what version of the game you play just to take advantage of the story hubs that may result from the Atlas of Wothlondia chapter.

We will be doing updates here and on my website in the future if anyone wants more information and will also be tackling a 5th edition supplement as time and licensing permit. With that being said, please enjoy the supplement and as always, I would love comments and feedback!

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 artwork provided by William Kenney

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.

Goodreads Giveaway Winners!

I am happy to say that 458 people requested the 2 signed copies for my Goodreads giveaway! I wanted to thank everyone who signed up. I would also like to thank anyone who is going to read the book or marked it 'to read' lately as well. I will probably be doing another giveaway for Covenant of the Faceless Knights again in the near future, so keep your Eye on Ashenclaw and the other on Goodreads to see when!

The lucky winners are:

Fred Hughes and Vicky Boutin! Both are from Canada! (Is that a coincidence?)

Congratulations to the both of you!

I will be signing your books this morning and getting them in the mail either later today or tomorrow, so you should be receiving them shortly. 

As mentioned on Goodreads, you are not required to review the book, but I would certainly appreciate your feedback if you wouldn't mind!

I'll certainly be seeing both Fred and Vicky in Wothlondia very shortly and cannot wait until many more of you join in on the fun!

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.