Twitter Tips and Tricks (To Avoid)

As I approach my lofty goal of 5,000 twitter followers in one year (Joined July 4th, 2011), I wanted to share some twitter tips for those of you who may be new to the whole thing.

I love the twitter follow-unfollow trick to try to inflate your numbers. People follow you and then a few days later, unfollow you, thinking you wont see or find out. People...we know. Don't do it.

With the amount of twitter apps, products and programs out there, we will find out soon enough. I'm not going to name any of the programs, but suffice to say there are a few and they are free for the most part. Anyone that unfollows me will also be unfollowed, too. Just FYI. So, my advice: Unfollow at your own risk.

Also, the True-tweet validation thing...I don't do it anymore. If you require authentication, I'm just not going to follow you. It's nothing personal, I just don't have the time and energy to do it all. I do follow most everyone back who follows me. Unless I find that you are a spammer or a 'team follow back' or something like that.

Any artist, writer, reader, musician, actor or wanna-be-whatever, I will follow you back!

And one more thing...if someone doesn't follow you back after 2 hours, don't unfollow them if you can help it. Give someone a reasonable amount of time to follow you back before assuming they don't want to.

I hope this has been enlightening to my friends in the twitter-verse and those would-be-tweeters attempting to enter said lands.

Please use twitter safely and avoid drinking and typing. Maybe.

Thanks for listening to my rant.Oh, And MATURATION PROCESS will be FREE again for the final two days of the KDP Select this Friday & Saturday (May 31 & June 1st)  for those who missed it. Enjoy!

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!

Photo from Stock.xchng

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

Last Day of FREE eBook!

Last day to claim a *FREE* eBook! Begin your journey into the Realm of Ashenclaw today!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend All!

United States    UK    Germany    France     Italy     Spain

Elec and Adok by William Kenney

 

As they crept forward again, they finally caught a glimpse the source of the snoring—a giant!

The thing was massive, easily reaching more than twenty feet in height, and surely weighing in excess of one thousand pounds. There were animal furs covering most of its lower half, while its chest and upper torso were bare skin, bristling with coarse hair and corded muscles.

As they neared the sleeping giant, Elec noticed that it had the widest jaw he’d ever witnessed on a living creature. He had seen ogres before, raiding his village once after they had somehow crossed the waters of Sunrise Bay to attack them, but they were reminiscent of children when compared to this giant! It was balding with only a tuft of auburn hair upon the top of its head and a scruffy clump on either side of its jaw, framing its face. It was somewhat bloated, as the ogres had been, but had muscles everywhere along its arms and chest. Scraps of animal parts, bones and uneaten flesh lay all around the sleeping behemoth, and also piles of animal hides piled so high that Elec was uncertain as to whether the skins were mere pelts or whole creatures.

Shardrin circled the giant, short swords in his hands, as it lay sleeping, its back up against a crop of rock that projected up from the floor and was covered in skins. Elec approached also, sipping an elixir, then removing his sword from its scabbard. As he neared, he heard a crunch underfoot that echoed throughout the chamber.

The creature first opened one black eye—the shade of the darkest of nights—and then the other, affixing its gaze upon the approaching elf, curiously at first. Then its brow furrowed and it snarled at Elec. Its mouth opened and it displayed a misshapen row of yellowed teeth, with some missing, but those that remained were sharpened at the tips. As it stood, reaching its full height of twenty-five feet, it remained hunched-forward, its substantial arms stretching almost all the way to the ground, reminding Elec of a carriage resembling that of a gorilla. The giant barely fit within the vast expanse of the spacious cavern now that it was upright.

Elec froze, paralyzed by fear at the sheer enormity of the giant. It was truly massive, thought Elec as it reached for a club, which was in reality the trunk of a tree, the base of which was worn smooth, no doubt from incalculable usage.

It swung the tree across its body, meaning to turn Elec’s bones to powder, but the elf regained his sensibility. He rolled nimbly backward and under the swing as the club slammed into the wall of the cavern, creating a thundering cacophony that echoed throughout the chamber, seeming to shake the very walls themselves.

Elec looked up from the ground and glimpsed flashing blades as Shardrin leaped from a ledge above the giant, landing squarely on its back. He disappeared behind the girth of the mighty behemoth but must have landed a solid strike as the giant howled in pain and dropped its weapon. The giant turned slightly in a vain attempt at wresting the elf from its back, allowing Elec to see that Shardrin was out of the reach of its grasping hands.

“Strike!” Shardrin called out to Elec, who held his enchanted blade firmly in both hands. He downed another potion quickly before running straight at the giant, slashing wildly many times and scoring several hits. He remembered that his uncle had told him of the magic within the blade and trusted that this was exactly the time and place to make use of it.

 

All artwork by William Kenney

Join me @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a new Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published fantasy 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.

       

Maturation Process FREE Memorial Day Weekend!

I am releasing Wothlondia Rising 3: MATURATION PROCESS for FREE this weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday only) on AMAZON Kindle as another promotional endeavor to bring my wonderful blog readers and friends into to the Realm of Ashenclaw.


Follow a young and naive elf as he attempts to escape from beneath his overbearing father's expectations. His journey takes him down the road of great disappointment and loss, atop the wings of a magnificent giant eagle, and eventually into the company of an old friend who attempts to nudge him onto the road of self-discovery. Check out Elec Stormwhisper and all of my WOTHLONDIA RISING prequels to Covenant of the Faceless Knights (now in a brand new KINDLE edition for only $4.99!)

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 are prequels to Covenant of the Faceless Knights. They are 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! 

Join me @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a new Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published fantasy 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!

Cover art provided by William Kenney!

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

Preview of Wothlondia Rising 5: Strength of Faith

I am releasing the fifth installment of the Wothlondia Rising series tomorrow, this one entitled Strength of Faith. One sample will be here and the other will be on SKULLDUST CIRCLE. 

They are two very different passages, so I hope you check them both out!

Strength of Faith is a tale that paces a young acolyte of The Shimmering One, Garius Forge, on a path that tests his spirituality and also places him face to face with a demonic presence that has the power to alter the face of Wothlondia forever. Will his reverence and devotion to his deity be enough to overcome this horrible demon?

 

Garius focused on the door when he heard the footsteps approach, light though they were. He was awake, but hardly refreshed. He had already refitted his armor meticulously, prayed and meditated in the cramped confines of the room and had done so quietly enough not to wake the others.

The expected knock sounded on the door, echoing in the room as his companions began to stir. Garius opened the door and beheld a hunched gnome. He looked impatiently into the room, and then stared up at Garius and began mumbling something to him. The warpriest bent to one knee before the bald gnome and placed a hand to his ear.

“I said, Larwinckle be ready for ye,” the unnamed gnome repeated more clearly and then waddled away along a scarcely perceptible path that was worn into the grassy meadow. It was barely visible now and had gone undetected all of last evening, especially after the sun had fallen into the clouds.

“I will accompany this one. You will seek me out once you are dressed and ready,” Garius called back to the others, but Divah was already up and out of her bedroll wearing a long gown made of a thin, yet durable fabric that Garius assumed was meant to be slept in. The halfling was so excited to get moving that it seemed she did not care about the state of her undress.

“I am coming with you,” she told Garius eagerly, her green eyes filled with wonder and joy at her obvious expectations of finally exploring the gnome village. With that, she snatched up her shoes and began moving hastily out of the burrow. The Paladins began to move about in the shadows of the room, donning their clothing and then their armor. Garius shook his head and a smile cracked his face as he watched the halfling, hopping forward on one foot and then the other, trying to put on her shoes while hurrying after him.

She is quite impulsive, he thought, allowing the smile to remain until it left of its own accord a few moments later.

The gnome led Garius and the female halfling to a smallish door that appeared to be anchored to the ground. It was partially hidden by brush and foliage, Garius observed, as the gnome knocked loudly on its hard, wooden surface. Garius also noted that there was no knob to be seen or any other obvious way to pull the door open from the outside.

With that thought in mind, he saw the door open outward slowly as a gnome pushed it ajar and then waved them all in. Garius watched as the gnome and halfling strode easily through the opening, then he stooped, having to bend low in order to navigate the space. It was well lit inside by a combination of lanterns and a brilliant, magical light coming in from above them that appeared to hover and move about on its own. The warpriest wondered if the wisp of light was something sentient.

Larwinckle sat at a large table by himself and waved Garius and Divah over to join him.

I hope you enjoyed the excerpts.

Join me over at Skulldust Circle where we have formed a new Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published fantasy authors with much to give both now and in the future! It'd be foolish not to at least check it out...

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!

Cover art provided by William Kenney!

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

Sample Sunday Exclusive Excerpts...

Brand new exclusive excerpts from my newly re-released debut novel on Kindle for $4.99!

COVENANT OF THE FACELESS KNIGHTS!

On sale exclusively for the Kindle for only $4.99

Thaurion slowly approached a door. He turned the handle and it opened without a noise, thankfully. In he stepped and observed many shelving units holding various books and scrolls. The shelves were many and set up to give the room a maze-like quality. He walked down one aisle and pulled a book from the shelf.

He peered through the gap made by the vacant book and saw a blue eye glinting back in the torch light. Thaurion gasped and let out a loud and involuntary yelp, quickly turned to run and inadvertently smashed headlong into one of the shelving units, smacking his forehead hard against its solid framework. He fell to the ground as his world was suddenly spinning. His vision blurred as he tried to rise.

Again he turned to run, disoriented from the massive blow he inflicted upon himself and saw the huge bulk of something moving toward him, hands outstretched and reaching for him!

He panicked and again, Thaurion found himself running into another unyielding obstacle. Looking back to see if the creature was following, he ran headlong into the thick door frame this time and the darkness claimed his consciousness.

Garius began an incantation himself, invoking a blessing to The Champion, the god of war, as the more primal and savage orc began to shuffle toward him. In answer to his prayers, he became instantly infused with divine strength. His adrenaline spiked and his muscles expanded slightly, his armor adjusting with the transformation. He was clearly larger now and even more powerful than before within his plated armor. He removed The Repentant from his back, infusing it with holy energy as the runes burst with radiant light and the hammer’s head shone brightly. He met the first blow head on from the bone-hewn staff, erupting in a loud and thunderous impact that rung out within the spacious cavern as the two engaged in a divinely driven death duel.

  

Orngoth used his club and his fist, smashing bone and flesh and simply extinguishing the life from the goblinoids barring his way with his forceful swings. He hit them with such tremendous force that most of them died instantly.

His prey was close now and he recognized a grin begin to creep across the commander’s face. Only one orc stood between Orngoth and Grubb now as he gripped his club with both hands. He then brought the full weight of the massive club down upon the creature, shattering many bones and receiving a parting slice across his left thigh as he did.

Oblivious to the pain, he kept moving.

In a show of either great bravery or great stupidity, the orc managed to stand again. Orngoth battered it absently over and over again until it stopped twitching. He roared and stood on top of the dead orc’s helmet and then snarled at the commander.

A dented and misshapen shield appeared in the commander’s left arm and in his right hand, he held up the gem that Orngoth held so dear in a teasing manner, wagging a finger at him.

“Not a step closer beast or I will destroy the gem,” Grubb warned.

I hope you enjoyed the new excerpts.

Join me over at Skulldust Circle where we have formed a new Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published fantasy authors with much to give both now and in the future! It'd be foolish not to at least check it out...

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!

Cover art provided by William Kenney!

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

A ROSE IN BLOOM FREE AGAIN!

This Friday and Saturday (May 18th & 19th), My Wothlondia Rising 2: A ROSE IN BLOOM will be absolutely FREE! This will be the last 2 days for the FREE promotions, so snag yourself a copy and step into the gritty world of this youthful rogue as she learns some valuable life lessons!

CLICK ME!

Take a Walk With Me...Over To Skulldust Circle!

Important Announcements!

Come follow me and the writers at SKULLDUST CIRCLE…

...If ya’ know what’s good for ya’!

Simply click the follow this blog link and then let the fun begin!

I am going to be shifting my efforts over there in the near future to add to the amazing writers already gathered there. Join the likes of William Kenney, Jeremy Laszlo, Ben Martin, Ross Kitson, David Woods, Stefain and Gary Vanucci (that’s me).

If you liked the content that I brought you here at Eye on Ashenclaw, please follow me over there. Not only will you hear my insane prattling and opinions, but you will receive exclusive previews, excerpts and things that I cannot fathom just quite yet over there. And not just from me, but from these other amazing writers that I have been lucky enough to meet and read. Do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor of what I think is going to be an amazing ride! You will be able to say: ‘I was there before it went viral!’

That being said, I will check back in here and re-post and continue to shoo you all over to Skulldust, but I will check in from time to time for important announcements and will double post here and there for a short time until you have all followed me over there!

I appreciate all of my fans, followers and contributors from here and love you all…truly...so in order for me to continue this loving relationship, please follow me over to Skulldust Circe if you haven’t already…you will not be disappointed.I promise!

And buckle up for what I believe will be a ride to remember!And follow the feed here:


http://skulldustcircle.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss


or

http://feeds.feedburner.com/SkulldustCircle

I will also be sharing an exclusive excerpt with you now from my upcoming short story:  STRENGTH OF FAITH 

The five servants of The Shimmering One formed up next to one another, Bralon at their head, as they absorbed the brunt of the undead charge--creatures slamming into their blades and shields in a cacophony of screeches and guttural sounds unintended for man’s ears. Filled with a blessing of divine strength, the paladins slashed and sliced into the sickening and diseased flesh as body parts were sent flying away.

Garius could sense the stench of disease on these filthy abominations and a miasma of contagion was released into the air around each and every one of the foul creatures. He waded through the dead bodies on the floor and allowed the invigorated knights to cut a swath through the horde of zombies. He removed his holy warhammer and gripped his shield tightly, fastening it to his left arm as he joined them.

Art by William Kenney

For several moments, the divinely charged warriors cut down their enemies with ease, never slowing or tiring and their blows were charged with the strength of a dozen men. Blow after blow took the zombies down, one by one, until the speed of their attacks slowed.

Divah watched from afar in horror and felt the bile within her throat, threatening to spew forth.

 How are they doing this? she thought, seeing the volume of the undead creatures and knowing that there were only five of them.

There are dozens of the foul things!

She held fast and watched with mouth agape as the scene unfolded.

Garius strode into the midst of the chaos and mouthed a prayer, holding his sun-symbol in his grasp as reassurance and continued his invocation with conviction in his tone. The paladins heard his words and pressed their attack, not allowing a single of the anathemas within to disturb the warpriest. The words grew in strength and reached their crescendo as the priest held both hands on high.

“You shall not win this day!” Garius screamed as his eyes filled with a white light as did the rest of his body. That radiant and brilliant energy burst forth from him all at once, bathing the area in light so bright that none could see within the divine beacon.

“Your perdition is fulfilled!” Garius shouted as the radiance burst forth from his body.

Undead creatures fell in droves around the holy attack, simply melting or reduced to ash right before the eyes of the paladins. Micah swung roughly at a zombie and nearly sent himself sprawling to the ground as the creature turned to nothingness right before his eyes. All told, several dozen of them fell under the ubiquitous light.

But when their vision cleared, it seemed that a dozen more simply took their place.

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!

Cover art on Distant Familiarity provided by William Kenney!

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

Is Hunger Games 'Ditz Lit'?

I just saw an article that was pretty interesting. In it, the author claims that genres such as paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and YA dystopian are catering to emotionally stunted teens and presents a base theme that teens are the heroes and portrays adults as the villains. I am simplifying the gist of it.

According to the author, the writer targets teens using modest and overly simplistic emotions and reflects an overall point of view that stunts emotional growth...(perhaps attempting to keep teens in a state of arrested development, so to speak?)

He specifically names the Hunger Games in his article obviously because it is topical and extremely popular right now. He is suggesting that if the trend continues and we use movies to promote books, we can expect all literature that is being churned out nowadays to target the high school young adult and all other literature will fall by the wayside. And let's face it--who has more time to read and disposable income on their hands? Again, I am not saying it is wrong at all, just seeing a logical trend and thought I'd share it with you because it was extremely interesting to me as both a writer and a reader.

I am not going to share my opinion on this at all, so I will let you all decide and perhaps be so bold as to share your opinions. The article can be found here if you want to read it in its entirety. I found it interesting at least...did you?

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

 

Gary Vanucci's AMAZON Author Page

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.

 

New Look Covenant of the Faceless Knights!

I am here to share something with my blog followers--Covenant of the Faceless Knights is getting a makeover and a price reduction! I am in the process of re-releasing the book in its second edition. This one is edited by the incomparable Stephanie Dagg, whom I highly recommend! And the book will be shown with a brand new cover produced by the amazingly talented William Kenney! I will also be working on getting a paperback through CreateSpace shortly after the Kindle version goes live. I am not sure what that price will be yet, but news will follow here, so keep your Eye on Ashenclaw.

I am hoping to have the book available for release again in the coming week (and possibly this weekend--*crosses fingers*) I will probably do a Kindle for the KDP select program for people who may want to borrow it. The price point will be $4.99 (probably) I believe from the start and I plan to release Garius' short story in the Wothlondia Rising series: Strength of Faith, by the end of May as well. That will be followed by Reflections, the Orngoth short story to be released in June, which will wrap up the Wothlondia Rising series.

CotFK 2nd Edition Artwork only, provided by William Kenney

If all goes well and edits and cover are finished for book 2 in the Beginnings series, Secrets of the Ebonite Mines will also be available by Summer's end! I don't know about you guys, but I am pretty excited.

Please tell me what you guys think of the artwork for the cover and I hope to see some sales when it finally gets released. Make me proud, friends!

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!

Cover art on Distant Familiarity provided by William Kenney!

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

DISTANT FAMILIARITY Continues

I felt I needed to revisit this subject to clear things up. I simply wanted everyone to know (especially new readers to the Realm of Ashenclaw series) that all of the Wothlondia Rising 99 cent short stories are prequels to my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights (which is getting a makeover shortly--in progress--will keep you posted).

The short stories take one of the main characters and describes life-altering events approximately twelve years prior to the novel which helps place the characters on their chosen paths. I've had a few readers ask me questions regarding my Wothlondia Rising series, so I wanted to reiterate their purpose.

The events that take place specifically in DISTANT FAMILIARITY detail happenings that continue right here! Enjoy this free excerpt from my novel and I hope you come back for more!

                                                          

                                                

(If you've read Distant Familiarity, please read this!)

PROLOGUE

to Covenant of the Faceless Knights

                                                                                                 

 

            The heavy oak door to the council chamber creaked open, swinging wide as three battered and bruised forms entered the room. They each sat heavily in one of the many plush chairs surrounding a conference table at the center of the room.

"Me thinks that could have gone better," Rolin Hardbeard sighed, wiping a contrasting bit of dried blood from his full and white beard. Even for a dwarf who was obviously past his prime adventuring years, Rolin was a ruggedly built warrior, but this hour had him looking haggard and tired. His age was evident, as was his broken spirit.

"You have a talent for stating the obvious my dwarven friend," slurred a beautiful half-elven woman with hair the color of polished silver through what was quite possibly a broken jaw. Rolin managed a brief laugh as he removed his heavy, steel helmet and ran his fingers through his blood specked and thinning hair. His hard, gray eyes lightened somewhat to regard his emotionally distraught friend.

"Me dear Nimaira Silvershade, after all the years we spent takin’ down giants and ogres, countless trolls and undead, and ye are only now realizin’ I be a dwarf of many talents?" Rolin asked sardonically.

Nimaira began to laugh, but the pain in her jaw immediately distorted that laugh, twisting it instead into a grimace as tears slowly welled in her sapphire eyes. Rolin's light hearted visage turned down sympathetically at his friend’s obvious pain.

The human priest, Tiyarnon, directed a weak smile at his two closest friend’s familiar banter as he tugged thoughtfully at his ever-graying beard. It was comforting for him to have his friends nearby at a time like this, having dealt with the pain and guilt for so many years himself. It also brought a bittersweet twinge of nostalgia.

How long had it been since the three of them had time to spend together outside of official duties? Tiyarnon thought. By The Shimmering One, it had been too long!  If they survive this nightmare he silently pledged to ensure that they would make more time for camaraderie and reminiscing in the days to come. Tiyarnon's musings were interrupted by the arrival of a servant, standing within the shadows of the doorway.

"My Lords, My Lady,” he began with a reverent bow and then continued. “We did not know you had returned; forgive us for our incompetence," spoke the servant humbly, keeping his eyes down and bowing repeatedly from beneath a hooded, brown robe.

Rolin Hardbeard, never comfortable with being doted on, waved the groveling attendant's concerns away and directed a comment toward him. “Stand up straight ye durned fool! How many time must we be tellin’ ye that we are folk just as yerself? Just bring Nimaira some medicinal balms, for my beard’s sake!” Rolin barked after a short pause, then continued, “Tiyarnon here has exhausted himself and we got nothin much left.” The servant retreated backwards through the door, still insisting on bowing the entire time. "And bring me some durned ale while yer at it!" The dwarf shouted after him as the man disappeared into the hallway and out of sight.

"Now what do we do?" Nimaira said, addressing the topic at hand. Rolin simply shrugged, resigned to the fact that they had given a superb effort in their task.

"Get some rest, and try again on the morrow. What else can we be doin?" Rolin responded confidently, his pride obviously still at the forefront of his façade. The dwarf, despite his age and markedly weakened frame, was not one to give up. Stubbornness was evident in all dwarves and this one doubly so, thought Nimaira as she shook her head in clear respect for the brave warrior. She had witnessed that bravery firsthand hundreds of times throughout their careers.

"I'm afraid it won't matter,” Nimaira admitted as she shook her head gingerly. “You were there Rolin! You know as well as I do that we do not have the resources or the raw ability to succeed," Nimaira continued and winced at both that realization and her smarting jaw.

 The thought of failure sat heavily in the dwarf's heart. Never being comfortable with losing a battle or even an argument and always willing to fight to the very end for his beliefs, Rolin started to protest. All of his objections died before passing his lips as he recalled the scene in his head and recognized that any further attempts would ultimately end in failure. Rolin knew Nimaira was right. Neither of them knew the answer, and both of them looked just then to Tiyarnon.

Tiyarnon was wise and calculating beyond his years despite his shorter lifespan compared to the others in the room. While not nearly as old as the dwarf or the half-elf in years, they always thought of Tiyarnon as their patriarch, as did many others in Oakhaven.  He had an intuitive way of looking at a situation from multiple points of view, and making the proper decision based on what was best for everyone, even in times of personal grief. Because of that, his two closest friends were looking to him for a solution now, during what certainly was their darkest hour.

Tiyarnon sighed as he ran his hands across the gray stubble atop his head, the remains of a thick head of hair, further reminding him of his age. As he spun his chair away from them for a moment, he caught his reflection in the glass of the conference room window and saw the leathery skin and prominent gray beard encompassing his face. After a moment of silence, he sighed deeply and turned back to face his friends. 

Looking his companions in the eyes Tiyarnon said in a steady and serious tone, “We must appeal for help to the Inquisition,” he began.  “And not only the Inquisition, but the chapter of holy warriors that exists within the walls of Safehold.”

The half-elf woman’s eyes widened as a look of realization crept across her face, and then asked “Does that mean…?“

“Yes,” Tiyarnon said, picking up where the half-elf left off. “We must call upon The Order of The Faceless Knights."

(Special thanks to Nicholas Titano for helping me with this!) 

 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.

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.