Avatar Lore

ToL Editor in a Pickle

2008-07-07T12:45:00.001-03:00

I sincerely regret the decisions I need to make now, but I hope I can get things back in order before the next issue is due. As I mentioned on the homepage of the ezine, Tower of Light will now be a biannual zine because of certain limitations that I am forced to endure. I hope this will change in the future.

However, now I also have to contend with repairs that I simply cannot afford at this time. For the past 8 months I have had to deal with a very badly intermmitent Internet connection. For a long time I had no idea what the problem was, and was constantly banging my head against the wall in frustration. After numerous calls to Cavalier, eMachines, and Best Buy, I learned that my computer might be infected with a virus, so I did a "full factory recovery." The problems with connection remain, however, and now my ISP says that it might be in the telephone jack, or faulty wiring, which would cost more than I can afford at this time.

I was thinking about temporarily canceling my subscription to Cavalier, since it seems rather senseless to pay for a service I can hardly use, but then I realized that I can't. Without the webspace provided by that service, the ezine doesn't exist. On the other hand, I will not be online very often, if at all, until I can afford the necessary repairs; othwerwise, I'll just be beside myself with frustration. I promise to make an effort to check my email, however, and respond to submissions as often as possible.

I hope that everyone can understand this decision, and I want to say that I very much appreciate all the support Avatar Lore has from its readers. I'll be back, so please look forward to it!

My Horrible Posting Habits

2008-06-28T13:17:00.004-03:00

So I have become very very bad at posting regularly to this blog. There were plenty of things I could have said but didn't, too. I could have talked about Brandon Sanderson's Elantris (which was a great book, by the way), or Terry Coultier's The Demon Inside, among other things.

One thing I'd really like to forget is the fact that I seemed to have lost my motivation to write altogether. I forced myself to write something back in November (or was it October?), but I haven't done anything since. For a long time, I couldn't even come up with ideas. A couple of days ago an idea finally took shape in my mind, but I still haven't written anything. There are certainly a lot of factors that contibute to this, and I guess I'll have to deal with them all one by one.

There is also the fact that my computer has been working badly for the past eight months, and I have dreaded spending any time on the net because of it. I've talked with my ISP, eMachines tech support, and Best Buy Geek Squad several times each with no luck. Finally, Best Buy said they believe my computer has a virus, which isn't covered by the warranty, and that it'll cost $300 to fix (which is almost as much as I paid for the computer)! I said that I've run my antivirus scanner many times since the problem occurred and it never found anything wrong. Since then I have run four different antivirus programs and none of them found any problems, but my computer still malfunctions and still refuses to stay connected to the net, so once I receive the recovery disk in the mail I'm doing a full factory recovery. If it doesn't end there, I'm going throw #$^@#%@#@ thing out the window!

Anyway, I have decided that I will start posting to this blog on a schedule, even if all I have to say is trivial and uninteresting. I will make a post every Saturday by midnight the latest from now on, no matter what. One way or another I will improve my posting habits. Thanks to all my regulars for their patience!

Ladies in Waiting

2008-03-21T13:55:00.004-03:00

I suppose there aren't too many women interested in secret agent action games, because if there were I wonder how offended they'd be by Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming game for the PS3, Alpha Protocol. I found the concept rather interesting, because it isn't supposed to be an average spy game. They're making it a role playing game. The character (a man, of course) will earn skill points that can be distributed as the player wants, and his interactions with non-player characters (NPCs) will have a wide range of outcomes.

When I read about it in Game Informer magazine, of course I was interested, but I also had to laugh. In one of the little blurbs it says that players can pursue romantic interests "almost like a side quest." The magazine quotes Chris Parker, the team lead for the project, as saying this: "You will meet the women at various times, and how you interact with them will determine whether or not the romance option opens up. And there's nothing preventing you from bagging all of the chicks."

Wonderful. Funny thing, I do know a few women who like to play RPGs. I wonder if Obsidian will make another game for them?

Tagged Again!

2008-03-15T19:52:00.019-03:00

Thomma Lyn, at Tennessee Text Wrestling, tagged me with this meme. The rules are:

1. Grab the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the first five sentences and write them down.
4. Invite five friends to do the same.

I'm actually reading Jim Melvin's Moon Goddess, but that book is downstairs at the moment and therefore nowhere near my desk. There is a box (I don't have a bookshelf ... sigh) full of books not five feet away, however, and the one on top is Book Two of The Rune of Unmaking: A Dark Sacrifice by Madeline Howard (also known as Teresa Edgerton), who is now one of my favorite authors. I have of course read Book One, The Hidden Stars, and one other book by her, The Queen's Necklace. I also interviewed her for the first issue of Tower of Light. If you're interested, you can read the interview here.

Here's the blurb on the back cover:

More than a century has passed since the mighty struggle between the wizards and the mages ended in mutual destruction, and more than forty years since the Empress Ouriana became the Divine Incarnation of the Devouring Moon. Appointing twelve deadly sorcerers as her priests, she rules the land in darkness unending.

Yet there is a small chance for hope, if one foreordained princess can survive. But she has vanished behind enemy lines, and even a brave band of heroes may not be able to reach her in time. For Ouriana's dark reign has woken the ancient terrors of legend, and their vengence will be swift and all-consuming...

Okay, now here's the first five sentences on page 123:

She saw just ahead of a gaping hole in the fortifications, and all around where the wall had been there was great debris of shattered stone and pulverized rock. When they reached the outskirts of the wreckage, horses shied again, this time from a gigantic, sprawling man-shaped figure pinned in place by a pile of stone blocks and the splintered remains of a ladder.

Worst of all was a pervasive smell, a taint, infinitely worse than anything rising from the decomposing bodies, with a stomach-churning familiarity about it that Sinderian could not immediately place. Then she did remember; the muscles in her abdomen clenched, and sweat broke out on the palms of her hands. It was the stench of blackest magic, and the last time she had encountered it in such strength was on the road from Galaefri after the fall of Cuirartheros.

I have no idea who to tag. Five friends? I suppose I have that many, but some have already been tagged. Let's see ... Jim, David, Dawn, Leah, and Howard.

Tower of Light Ezine Update

2008-03-13T19:21:00.004-03:00

Issue four of Tower of Light is finally ready. Please allow me to apologize for my tardiness, but life has been getting in the way lately.

This issue features a review of Dr. Identity by D. Harlan Wilson, and several great short stories: Champions of Darkness by Fraser Sherman, Into the Heart of Trust by Joseph R. Schmidt, The Miranda Tapestry by John Phillips, Touch by Marie Hodgkinson, and Windmaster by Helen B. Henderson.

This will also be the first issue to feature submitted artwork, a picture called "No One Listened" by Dan Skinner.

Back to Work ... Again

2008-03-11T16:00:00.000-03:00

Well, for a while there I was bit discouraged by the last rejection I received (for the story posted below, "Called to His Work"), but I know this is what I've wanted to do all my life. Honestly, after two and half decades of writing, this would really be a bad time to give up. Most likely the best time to give up would be when I'm dead, and I hope that's a looooong way off. So, with that in mind, it's about time I start another round of submissions. I'm sure there's an editor out there somewhere who will like my work...

Taking a Hint...

2008-03-01T22:57:00.000-04:00

..from Thomma Lyn at Tennesee Text Wrestler, since I'm so bad at coming up with ideas for posts, I thought I'd take this quiz:

What Kind of Soul Are You?

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world
So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time
You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all...
But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult

You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you.
Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses.
Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others.
Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life.

Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

Well, that's it. I'm still having lots of trouble with my Internet connection and it's really annoying. Of course, since the problem is in the software (at least according to my ISP and the computer manufacturer), it's my fault that it hasn't been fixed yet. To do that, I'd either have to ask my step-father to drive to the shop or pay for cab, and I can't find it in me to do either. I'm lazy, low on money, and he's always busy. So I just need to get motivated and do something about it.

Called to His Work

2008-02-14T05:46:00.001-04:00

(I believe this still needs work, and so far the response for it from magazines hasn't been favorable anyway, so I thought I'd post it here - especially since I haven't posted anything in forever! Any feedback, criticism, etc., would be greatly appreciated. Most likely, since it's planned as a chapter in the third book of Coven of the Worm, it won't need quite so much exposition, but I thought it would be necessary in this medium. Unfortunately, the exposition is one of the reasons it hasn't been received very well.)

A farm, thought Carl, and the monsters stay away from it. Just like she said.

Carl had not quite believed her when Ju’Xai returned from scouting over the nearby hills and told them. No one could survive on that homestead in this new world created by the evil god Chai’Huon Ju—at least, not without magic. What he saw now indicated that the people here did indeed have some kind of magical protection.

There were monsters everywhere, even in daylight. Carl and his companions had already encountered several since breaking camp early this morning, but none ventured onto the cultivated land in the valley below.

Amazing. Simply amazing.

He gazed downward at the neat rows of corn that spread outward from the house, and the small apple orchard beyond that. There was also a chicken coop and a barn closer to the house, cows in the pen and chickens pecking the ground for sustenance or flapping their wings in agitation. The sun was low on the horizon but it was still daylight, and Carl saw people working in every area of the farm.

Most of them were children.

Linda—only now she called herself Psyche—appeared beside him and stared at the anomaly. He couldn’t really take his eyes away from the valley, but he wanted to look at her all the same. Her dark hair, green eyes, and fair skin inspired him with a desire he could not fully explain, and had done so since the time they were reunited—not long before the Defiler manifested on Earth and left his ugly, red stain across the sky.

It hadn’t been that way when he’d first met her thirteen years ago. Back then she was still a senior in high school, and Carl had been a 30-year-old FBI agent. It had never occurred to him to think of her then as he did now.

“What do you think?” she said, although she did not turn her head.

Carl grunted. “I think we’re in for more surprises.”

Ju’Xai moved off to the left and squatted in the grass—as observant and vigilant as ever, Carl noted.

“I think you’re right,” she said.

The youngest and, ironically, the wisest of the group—Shaman—remained a little behind them as he attempted to inscribe an Ogham on Carl’s shotgun. He said the mark, which was some kind of ancient letter, would add a magical effect to the buckshot. Shaman was a Hedge Witch, raised by a Traditional Witchcraft family. His healing spells and magical enhancements had come in handy several times since this expedition began.

Carl suppressed a nervous laugh. He was the only one among them who did not have mysterious powers, and it still made him uncomfortable to think about it. Psyche was a Witch, with inherent psychic abilities as well; and Ju’Xai was a War Witch, who excelled in martial arts and simple, easy to cast spells of short duration.
At one time the only Witch he’d known of was David Yeng-Chi, and he had tried to kill Linda—Psyche. He had killed all of her friends and changed her life forever.

Oddly, Ju’Xai’s magic was more like David’s than Shaman’s or Psyche’s, since it had the same cultural origins. She was a descendent of the Tiger Clan of Hunjan—the prehistoric land that the minions of Chai’Huon Ju had destroyed long before civilization arose in the Middle East. The sword she carried, now strapped to her back, had been forged by Hunjan War Witches and passed down through many generations of her family.

The sword was one thing that distinguished Hunjan War Witchcraft from Western disciplines. Shaman said that Western practitioners did not use anything forged with metal; they were more likely to wield a staff or a bow.

As he passed the shotgun back to Carl, Shaman sucked in a deep breath.

“What?” said Carl.

“There’s a magical shield surrounding that farm,” replied the young man. He pushed a lock of reddish hair away from his eyes.

“I’d already guessed as much, or there’d be no one alive to work it.”

“No ... I mean, I should have sensed something that big a while ago. It’s ... different, somehow.” He turned toward Psyche and asked, “Can you see it?”

Psyche frowned in concentration for a moment before answering. “Yes. But just barely.”

“I see it too ... now,” said Ju’Xai. “You’re right. There’s something different about it. It’s not Witchcraft.”

“Is it Magecraft then?” Psyche looked at Shaman expectantly.

Shaman shook his head and said, “I don’t think so. It’s something less ... complicated ... than either, but still very powerful.”

“Well, I guess we’ll find out what it is soon enough,” said Carl, nodding toward the farm. “We’ve got company.”

An old man wearing jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up had emerged from the barn, after a small boy had run in, and now headed straight for the group at the top of the hill. He stopped about ten paces away and appeared to inspect them closely.

He was old—maybe about sixty or so—but he seemed healthy and clearly strong. His forearms were muscular and he had the look of someone that had worked hard all his life.

He looked at Carl, apparently pegging him for the leader—which he was, sort of. They all turned to Shaman for spiritual guidance, but in everything else they followed Carl.

“Well, come on,” said the old man. “You don’t want to be caught out here after dark, and Shawna’s prob’ly got supper on the table by now.”

The statement puzzled Carl, if only for its obvious familiarity. Being out after dark was something they were used to by now, but here it was even more important to take shelter where they found it. The monsters might not venture onto the farm, and Carl did not see any at the moment, but all three Witches had assured him they were more numerous in this area than any place they had traveled so far. It seemed as if they were somehow drawn to the homestead, eager to find a weakness in its defenses. But Carl had not expected the man to welcome him and his party like old friends.
He was about to speak when Psyche voiced exactly what was on his mind.

“Aren’t you concerned about our intentions?”

The man shifted his gaze from Carl to Psyche and his eyes gleamed with amusement. “Your intentions? Young lady, I worry about many things, ‘specially these days, but your ‘intentions’ ain’t one of ‘em. I can see you for what you are clear as day. I don’t understand it but I ain’t denyin’ it. God has opened my eyes more than ever since the world changed.”

Shaman cleared his throat and asked, “Are you talking about magical senses?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it that myself, but you can if you want. It’s as good a description as any, I s’pose. Now, like I said, we’d best be gettin’ to the house before the sun goes down. I don’t much like being this far away in daylight.” Without another word, he turned around and trudged carefully down the hill.

Carl understood the farmer’s reluctance to leave behind the safety of his home. The sun’s brilliance had diminished over the past few weeks and had developed a sickly greenish hue, its corona a dark red by contrast. Inky blotches that dotted the sky seemed to throb like virulent wounds on flesh. The shadows were long and deep at noon, and often obscured things that preyed on humans.

These thoughts reminded him that he’d had enough of fighting today, and he’d be glad to put it behind him for once. And a hot shower would do much to ease his growing tension.

“Come on,” he called over his shoulder when he began to follow the sturdy old man.

Before long they passed between the cornfield and the barn to be greeted by a mob of young boys and girls, ranging in age from six to seventeen by the look of them. Carl counted fifteen of them altogether. He would have thought they’d be hesitant to approach the group of strangers and was astonished when they weren’t. Some held back with shy smiles and uncertain gazes but otherwise did not seem afraid. Sad, perhaps, and possibly even broken-hearted by secret trauma, but not frightened at all by the newcomers. Yet, whatever their experiences before coming to this place, they had apparently adjusted to a new life.

“Josh,” the old man called, gesturing for a tall young man with light brown hair. “I take it the work’s all done?”

“Yes, sir,” replied the boy with a slight air of confidence.

“Very good, young man. Glad to hear it. See that the little ones get washed up and settled in for supper then, and let Shawna know we have guests.”

Josh nodded and began to herd the crowd toward the house.

“He’s a good kid,” said the farmer. “They all are really, despite what they’ve been through.”

“They’re ... they’re not your relations, are they?” said Carl.

The farmer shook his head sadly. “No. None of them are.”

Carl did not want to imagine what these children had experienced to end up here—most likely something horrifying and ... evil. The world was bad enough before; but now that Chai’Huon Ju ruled, it might as well be the lowest plane of Hell itself.

“By the way,” continued the old man, “my name’s Mark, and my wife is Shawna. We’ll get around to introducing all the kids at supper, I s’pose.”

Carl extended his hand for a shake. Mark’s grip was surprisingly gentle for so strong a man.

“I’m Carl,” he said, then indicated each of the others in turn.
Mark laughed. “How come you have such a normal name when theirs are all so odd?”

Despite himself, Carl laughed with him, and he noticed Psyche giggle into her hand. Shaman smiled, but Ju’Xai’s expression did not change. She was always serious.

His laughter was short-lived, however. In the back of his mind, Carl knew why he hadn’t changed his name as they had. He hadn’t quite accepted his role in this ... this quest—that he, of all people, could be so important. Sure, he’d been good as an investigator, and his instincts for combat were sharp, but how could he be an Avatar? He refused to believe that he was the hand of an invisible yet benevolent God, wielding divine power for the benefit of humankind.

They reached the porch of the farmhouse then, and Carl was impressed. The house was more than large enough to accommodate its numerous occupants, and the porch extended from corner to corner in front. It was painted blue and had black shudders on each window that he could see, and the windows looked new. Benches and other outdoor furniture arranged about the deck appeared comfortable and inviting, and potted plants hung from the wooden canopy by wires near each corner. He had no doubt that Mark had built much of it himself over the years.

Mark opened the door and ushered in his guests before him, and they entered a large foyer.

“I’ll have to ask you to leave your weapons with me,” said Mark when they were all inside. “I’ll put them away someplace safe, where curious children with idle hands won’t be tempted to play with them. You won’t be needing them here, anyway.”

Carl wasn’t sure he agreed with that assessment, but he didn’t argue. He handed over his shotgun and the Browning nine-millimeter. Ju’Xai reluctantly pulled the sword harness over her head and then, after Mark took it from her, assembled the shuriken she had stashed in various places of the deer hide outfit she wore—which she had made herself and dyed the garments black during their travels. Mark took those as well and hollered for Josh, who was apparently the oldest and most responsible of the troupe, to come help.

Shaman and Psyche didn’t carry any obvious weapons, but Carl knew they would not surrender what they did have.

A tall, stately woman with gray hair and shiny blue eyes appeared under the foyer arch, which led to what Carl guessed was the living room, and cast the party a friendly smile.

“So these are our guests,” she said. “I’m Shawna, and you are welcome in our home. I hope you’re hungry, because there’s plenty eat.”

After all the introductions were out of the way, they followed Shawna to the wash room. Mark and Josh took the stairs off to the left, hauling their burdens with extreme care. The party cleaned themselves—and they were very dirty—the best they could, and then let Shawna lead them to the dining room.

The other children were already seated at the table, some of the younger ones fidgeting in the chairs, but most seemed remarkably patient. They were not eating, although a fat, roasted chicken, a large glass pitcher of milk, and an abundance of corn and other vegetables covered the table.

Shawna gestured for the guests to take the remaining seats. Carl noticed that the table seemed newly made and was larger than any that he’d seen for such a setting. Once he and his friends were comfortable, Mark and Josh shuffled into the room and took their places—the farmer at the head of the table, of course, with his wife beside him.

Mark directed all assembled to bow their heads and then said a prayer. It was refreshing, Carl thought, to hear a prayer that was more familiar to him for once. Shaman seemed to call on a dozen names or more sometimes, as well as what he called the “All God,” while Ju’Xai always prayed to her goddess. Carl didn’t want to think too much about Psyche’s prayers, since they made his brain do somersaults; although she was learning Witchcraft from Shaman, she still considered herself Catholic.

“In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” said Mark at the end, “Amen.”

“Amen,” replied all the children.

The meal was even better than Carl expected, and he’d assumed it would be good. He savored the taste of the chicken with relish, and sighed in contentment. Shawna seemed pleased by his reaction.

At first, there was some conversation that included the children, with Mark and Shawna reminding them of different chores and other responsibilities, until Shaman broke in with the subject Carl knew was foremost on his mind.

“I can’t help wondering,” he said, “about you and this place. There’s strong power here, but it doesn’t feel like Magecraft or ... anything I’m used to.” Carl suspected the Hedge Witch had intentionally omitted the word “Witchcraft.” Under the circumstances, that was probably a good idea. “Everyone here, down to smallest child, is layered in shields at least as strong as my own, and the farm ... well, I couldn’t accomplish something like that on my own. Even with plenty of help it would take a week or more.”

Mark nodded. “I know. It’s God’s work. It’s what He’s given us in answer to our prayers since the change.”

After dinner, some of the children helped Shawna to clear the table, and Mark led the rest into the living room. The room was cozy and warm. There was a small fireplace, surrounded by modern furniture in earthy colors, which Josh loaded logs into and stoked. Mark settled into a large recliner and picked up a Bible from the end table beside it, while Carl and his companions sat on the couch. The children arrayed themselves in a semi-circle on the floor facing the farmer.

Carl noticed that there was no kind of entertainment center here, not even an old style television or DVD player. Although he doubted this “family” would own a television or any kind of broadcasting equipment—besides a radio—even if there were anything other than snow to watch now.

When Josh finished with the fire, Shawna and the others trailed in and found seats of their own—Shawna taking the rocking chair opposite her husband. Then Mark launched into a Bible study, followed by a prayer session. They all knelt on the floor and raised their arms overhead, weaving back and forth as the old man prayed aloud.

Carl understood this. At one time this kind of prayer disturbed some people who weren’t used to it, but now it seemed mundane compared to what he’d become accustomed to recently. It also explained the lack of an entertainment center.

These people were Christian fundamentalists, and they had somehow retained their faith in the aftermath of what appeared to be a pagan apocalypse.

And it had paid off. Even now, as Carl joined in the prayer, he could feel his skin tingle in the presence of power—something at least as strong as Shaman’s magic.

Despite all that had happened, he suddenly felt rejuvenated.

He noticed that Shaman also participated. Carl wasn’t surprised, since the Hedge Witch’s belief was eclectic—regardless of his traditional education—and he maintained that all religions shared a common bond. Mark might consider Shaman’s belief unacceptable, but the young Avatar embraced anything that served the good.

Soon after, all the children were in bed and only the adults remained by the fire.
Mark eyed each of his guests carefully for a moment, then said, “I’d like to get one thing straight before we talk about anything else. You know by now what kind of religion we practice here, and I hope you understand that I aim to keep it that way. We have to accept that your...” he winced, almost as if he were in great pain, “...your pagan deities ... are somehow real. It helps us to think of them as God’s servants—something like the angels. But I can’t have you talking about it in my house. If you were anyone else, we’d try to convert you, if God hadn’t told us that you need to be who your are for your mission to succeed.

“Yes, we all hear God’s voice here, and we know all about you, so don’t look so surprised. Please don’t bring pagan influences in my home. If you can’t respect that, then I’ll have to ask you to leave—now.”

Shawna’s mouth opened in shock. “Mark, these people are our guests.”

“I know that, Shawna,” he sighed, “and I know it’s the Lord’s will that we help them. If it comes to it, I won’t make them leave empty-handed.” He returned his attention to the strangers. “Any of you have objections?”

Shaman and Psyche each shook their heads in compliance, and Carl said “No.”

Ju’Xai, however, seemed to have a knack for injecting dissension when there should be peace. “I assure you, Mark,” she began, “that my goddess—”

Mark glared at the young woman in frustration. At the moment, Carl couldn’t blame him.

“I really don’t care about your ‘goddess,’” said the farmer. “Now I don’t mean to be disrespectful to you ... or to her, for that matter. I just don’t want anything like it in my house. God wants me to help you, because you’ve been called to His work, and I will. We’ll even give you supplies for your journey before you leave. But please—please—don’t talk about pagan belief around the children and, if you must, pray or whatever it is you do outside. You don’t have to leave the farm to do it, as long as you don’t bring it inside.”

Apparently, Ju’Xai wasn’t satisfied. She tried to make the man understand her point of view, that there was nothing wrong with paganism. Carl agreed with her to a point, but they wouldn’t be here if Mark thought they were evil. Instead of greeting them on the hill, he and the oldest boys would have lined up on the edge of the farm armed with rifles.

“Ju’Xai,” said Shaman, interrupting her, “don’t you understand? He needs to do this. The protections around the farm might weaken if he does anything differently.”

The War Witch looked at Shaman and her shoulders sagged. She was tired, as they all were, and they were so used to fighting that it must be second nature to her by now.

“I’m ... I’m sorry,” she said then. “Mark, I will honor your request.”

“Thank you,” said the farmer. “Shaman, I thought you might understand. And you...” he continued, looking at Carl now, “...you’re different, aren’t you?”

Psyche didn’t say anything, which was a relief to Carl. She wasn’t exactly pagan, but Mark might have even more objections to her belief.

“I’m ... I mean, my Grandmother was Southern Baptist,” said Carl. “I don’t know what I am.”

Mark smiled intently, and he glanced at his wife, who grinned back. “If you’re not Baptist now, I have a feeling you will be before much longer.” He laughed hard then, and almost toppled the chair backward with the violence of the motion. When he settled down, he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and said, “You people are the most unlikely group I’ve ever met—a Catholic, two pagans, and an agnostic together, on a quest to save the world. The Lord really does work in mysterious ways.”

You can say that again, thought Carl, only he wasn’t smiling. He kept thinking about an uncertain future, and about a world lost to insanity that would not end in his lifetime.

Technical Difficulties - I'm So Sorry!

2007-12-16T16:47:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been having difficulties connecting and staying connected to the Net. Phone calls to my ISP and the computer manufacturer haven't helped, so I'm afraid I have to take my computer to the shop. I hope to have this cleared up soon. Sorry that I haven't been able to post more often.

Oh, and the good news is that issue three of Tower of Light is up and running, featuring a review of Jim Melvin's The Pit and several great fantasy stories!

POD People Halloween Review of "Sanctuary of the Mind"

2007-11-11T22:08:00.000-04:00

I know I should have posted this two weeks ago, but unfortunately I've allowed myself to get caught up in a very time consuming project and I can't seem to pull myself away from it. I'm going to have to soon, however, since the next issue of Tower of Light is due in the first week of December.

Anyway, Cheryl Anne Gardner did her review of "Sanctuary of the Mind" at the POD People forum, and what a great review it is! She gave it a 7/10, stating that the rating would be higher if not for some formatting and grammatical issues. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Book Trailer

2007-10-23T13:15:00.000-03:00

[More videos from msouth847]

Okay, since I had so much fun making the last movie, and since I saw the trailers at the Covey Awards site, I thought I'd try another. I deleted the other one for two reasons: it seems no one really cared for it, and it disappeared anyway (although it still works fine on MySpace). I don't know why the videos are disappearing, and I certainly hope this one doesn't. Except I've already noticed that the credits are jumping, which they don't when I play it from my hard drive (sigh).

I'm not going to enter it for the Covey Awards because this book isn't published yet. However, I had thought about doing it for the old, unpolished version - Pure Intensity - which (miraculously) is still available at Amazon.com, but I'm not sure that's a good idea since I'm hoping to publish Estranged Earth as a separate work. Not to mention the fact that I never renewed my contract with AuthorHouse (sigh). But, if I'm really lucky, perhaps this trailer will give people incentive to buy Pure Intensity.

Meme #2: Create a Fantasy Monster

2007-10-19T06:20:00.000-03:00

Here I am again, running out of ideas for blog posts, so I've come up with another meme. The rules are to describe your own fantasy monster in a well-written paragraph, just as it would appear in a story. It can be from a story you've already written, one in the works, or an idea you have for a future project. And don't forget to link back to this post, of course!

I'll start with a paragraph from my story "Hex Moon," which is part of the Avatar world.

In the center of the clearing, kneeling beside a glowing
stone, was a massive man-shaped creature with crimson,
sinewy flesh. Its hair was long, braided and slick with
grease, and razor-sharp spurs lined its muscular
arms—which were broader than Q'La's head. A mass of
smooth, reddish-brown tentacles writhed on its back, like a
nest of vipers. When it turned its head sideways—in the
direction of the children—as if it searched for something,
Q'La noticed two long fangs jutting from its lower jaw.

Although she had never seen one before, she knew what it was
from accounts in the old stories: a Maug.

This time I'm going to go ahead and tag people, but anyone can take up an open tag if they wish.

I hereby tag:

Jim Melvin at The Death Wizard Chronicles
David McAfee at I Have a Blog?
Howard von Darkmoor at Von Darkmoor's Thoughts

Have fun!

Oh, and thank you very much to Thomma Lyn at Tennessee Text Wrestling for participating in the Review You Own Book meme!

Picture above courtesy of Feebleminds.

My Muse Has Returned

2007-10-15T22:45:00.000-03:00

After so long a time without writing, I finally was able to get 1500 words out tonight. And for a first draft, the work wasn't bad. I feel pretty good about that. Now I just need to make sure I keep writing every day, and perhaps I can actually finish a novel in a timely fashion.

The fact that I worked on Coven of the Tiger instead of Coven of the Worm doesn't faze me ... much. I mean, at least I wrote something, and it does take place in the same world after all.

Lately I've wanted to write another short, since I've only written three (not counting Sanctuary of the Mind) and would like to have more for the market--hoping to improve my chances of getting at least one published. But I've been struggling to come up with ideas for a new one and my brain just doesn't seem to want to do it right now. This makes the work I did tonight that much more rewarding.

106 Most Unread Books Meme

2007-10-14T01:52:00.000-03:00

I got this book meme at Allie's Musings and thought I'd take it up. Honestly, I don't know where it started. I checked Books, Memes, and Musings, but there it was picked up from One More Chapter.

Below is the list of 106 books considered the "most unread" by LibraryThing's users. You're supposed to mark those you've read in bold and those you've started but couldn't finish in italics. You also need to strike through those you hated and underline the ones you plan to read sometime. Unfortunately, I can't see how to do those last two options here. Hopefully one of my loyal readers can set me straight, in which case I'll edit the post. Until then I'll have to improvise. I'll put those I hated in [brackets] and follow the ones I'd like to read with (TBR). And, finally, you need to add an asterisk to any that you've read more than once.

Jonathan Strange & M. Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One hundred years of solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion(TBR)
Life of Pi
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveller’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A heartbreaking work of staggering genius
Atlas shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury tales
The Historian
A portrait of the artist as a young man
Love in the time of cholera
Brave new world (TBR)
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A clockwork orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible
1984(TBR)
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time
Dune (TBR)
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes
The God of Small Things
A people’s history of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere (TBR)
A confederacy of dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The unbearable lightness of being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
The Aeneid
Watership Down (TBR)
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit*
In Cold Blood
White teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

Wow, I've only read ten of them all the way through, and some of those I never would have picked up if I hadn't gone to college. Why isn't Robinson Crusoe in this list? I really, really hated that book!

Daddy's Girl

2007-10-11T23:15:00.000-03:00

Okay, I've seen other bloggers do this, so today I thought I'd post an excerpt from my book. This chapter, "Daddy's Girl," comes from the revision, which now has the working title Estranged Earth.

I actually changed a phrase or two for this excerpt, since there's a possiblity some things might be taken out of context. Hopefully, since no one has read this yet, you won't notice the difference anyway.

Daddy's Girl

About 7:45, Carmine dragged himself into the kitchen to find Elaine and Suzanne cooking breakfast. The aroma of scrambled eggs, sausage, and potatoes did little to soften his mood.

Elaine had tossed about in the bed all night, keeping him awake as well. When she looked at him now, as he took his place at the table, she seemed distant and unreachable.

Carmine pretended not to notice.

He hated to ignore her that way, but she didn't understand why he was angry. Neither did he, really.

Carmine worried Linda was not adjusting well after the recent tragedy. She had told that detective about psychic "visions," and then she had a tantrum in her room last night. He wasn't convinced her visions were real, although he wouldn't be surprised if a heathen like David Yeng-Chi was the killer.

It was more likely Linda had or was on the verge of a mental breakdown, fueled by David's reaction to the break up and the murder of a close friend. If so, Carmine hoped he could find the help she needed before it was too late.

He should do something about it now, in fact.

As his eldest daughter began to set the table, he said, "Suzanne, is Linda up yet?"

"I don't think so, Dad," said Suzanne. "Do you want me to check on her?"

"Yes, I do. And make sure she's cleaned up that mess she made last night."

Suzanne shuffled off without commenting.

Elaine spoke up right away, however. Without sitting down, she stared at Carmine anxiously.

"Carmine," she said, "what are you doing?"

"I'm taking care of my family."

"Well, you sure have a great way of going about it."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he snapped.

"Carmine, I'm just concerned. Something happened last night in Linda's room that has me a little scared."

"Exactly. She went nuts and trashed her bedroom. Who was she talking to in there, anyway? There was no one else in the room, but I know I heard her talking."

Elaine glared. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that I'm afraid our daughter is going crazy, and I'm worried about her—that's all. It's not unusual, considering what happened yesterday, and considering she let that ... that heathen ... confuse her like he did. I think I want her to see a doctor."

"What?" Elaine spat. "Didn't you hear that strange voice last night? It was loud and too deep for Linda. Do you think we all imagined it?"

Carmine shook his head sadly. Am I the only sane person in this house? he wondered.

"I heard Linda's voice," he said aloud, "and nothing else."

"Why are you doing this, Carmine? What is wrong with you?"

Carmine pushed his chair back and shot to his feet. "What's wrong with me?" he shouted. "What are you saying? Shouldn't you be worried about our daughter? She's obviously sick."

"D*** you, Carmine—"

"That's it. I've had it with this." He walked into the living room and shouted up the stairs. "Suzanne, what's taking you so long?"

Suzanne appeared on the landing and said, "It's all right, Dad. She's just finishing up."

"Finishing what?" Carmine demanded and charged up the stairs.

"Carmine!" Elaine yelled, and ran after him.

"Leave it alone, Elaine," he called back. "I'll take care of this."

Again, Suzanne told her father everything was okay but he did not relent. He rushed past her into the room, only to find Linda picking up the last of the mess and tossing it into the bathroom wastebasket.

"Dad, please," said Suzanne.

Ignoring her, Carmine confronted his youngest daughter. "Linda, why did you do this?"

Linda stopped working and seemed confused. "I didn't do it, Daddy."

"Then who did, Linda?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

Carmine turned around, walked out, and headed downstairs for the telephone on his end table.

"Carmine, what are you doing?" Elaine said.

"I'm getting my daughter some help," he replied, as he cradled the receiver between his head and shoulder.

"Put the phone down, Carmine."

Linda emerged from her bedroom and walked halfway down the stairs, while Suzanne remained on the landing.

"Daddy, please don't do this," Linda begged. "Please."

"Sweetheart," said Carmine, looking up at his daughter, "I just want you to be okay."

Elaine put her hand on his shoulder and said, "This isn't the way, Carmine."

He hesitated, wondering if his wife were right. Then he remembered the lamp that had nearly missed his head when it struck the door.

I'll give her one more chance to tell the truth, Carmine thought, and that's all.

"Linda, who were you talking to last night?"

His daughter just stared at him, as if he were speaking in a foreign tongue.

"To whom were you talking?" he demanded again. When she remained silent, he lost his cool. "Linda, answer me!"

"Daddy, please—"

She was crying now, but this did not deter him.

"No, d**mit. It's not just what happened ... it's ... ever since you started dating David—"

"That's enough, Carmine!" Elaine screamed.

Chaos erupted then in the living room. Books started to fly off the bookshelf and it toppled over behind them.

"Go!" Linda yelled. "Send it away!"

In seconds, it was over, but Linda looked drained and frightened. She turned around and ran back up the stairs to her bedroom, then slammed the door shut behind her.

"Are you going to say we imagined that, too?" Elaine said after a minute. "You saw the bookshelf—"

"A coincidence," said Carmine, stubbornly. "Nothing more."

Elaine wept and slowly made her way upstairs—presumably to get dressed.

Her hands gripping the banister, Suzanne stared at her father for several, long minutes. Finally, she too turned her back on him and headed for her room.

Carmine bit his lip in frustration.

I guess I'd better clean this place up.

~*~

Carmine sat quietly in his recliner watching football as Elaine and Su finished getting ready. Linda remained in her room and refused to come out, and he was just as happy to leave her there. His family looked at him as the bad guy, and he didn't want to cause more dissension before they left.

The telephone rang and Carmine picked it up.

It was Jane, asking for Linda. He told her that Linda wasn't feeling well and probably would not come to the telephone right now. She sounded worried and was reluctant to hang up immediately.

"She wasn't in school yesterday," said Jane, "and with what happened to Kim—"

Then she started to cry.

Carmine felt like a heel. "Look, Jane, I'm sorry. I know you girls lost a good friend, and it scares me, too. I'm worried about Linda myself, and I think she needs some rest." That was an odd thing for Carmine to say after the way he had behaved earlier. He sighed, thinking that maybe it really was better to let Linda rest—at least for now. "Can you call back tomorrow?"

"Yes, Mister Caldwell," she answered between sobs. "Tell her I said 'Happy Thanksgiving,' will you? Please?"

"No problem. You take care of yourself, too, okay?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, Mister Caldwell."

"You're welcome."

They said their good-byes and Carmine replaced the telephone in its cradle. He picked up the television remote and turned off the set, then called for Elaine.

"Are you ready, Hon?" he said.

Elaine walked down the stairs and looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes," she said. "Suzanne will be down in a second. Linda's not coming."

Carmine grunted but otherwise said nothing.

Turning around, Elaine called upstairs for Suzanne to hurry. "We have to be at my sister's in an hour, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," said Suzanne, as she appeared at the top of the stairs. "I'm ready."

"Good," said her father. "Let's go."

(I'm sorry, but the length of the post was really bothering me, so I decided to break it up. You can read the second half of this chapter here, on the Tower of Light Forums).

A Great Way to Start the Day

2007-10-09T18:19:00.000-03:00

Imagine my surprise when I checked my blog comments today and found a message from Cheryl Ann Gardner. And what a wonderful message it was! She says that my book (actually only about 11,000 words) Sanctuary of the Mind has been selected for the week of horror reviews at the POD People blogspot beginning October 29. This was definitely an unexpected development, and I am grateful to Cheryl for this, and to all those who have already read it!

This comes on top of the first review I received, and of course Jim Melvin's encouraging comments. It seems the little experiment might just turn into something more.

I'm very excited. I can't wait to see it!

My First Meme - Review Your Own Book!

2007-10-05T21:09:00.000-03:00

Since I've been having so much trouble coming up with ideas for blog posts, I thought I'd try starting a meme. I'm going to adopt Howard von Darkmoor's (from Von Darkmoor's Thoughts) method of throwing out an "open tag" to anyone who would like participate. If you're interested, please do give it a go and remember to link back to this post.

The rules of this meme is to write a review of one of your own works as if weren't yours. You must be as honest as possible and write at least one good paragraph. We might just find out how true the old saying "we are our own worst critics" really is! It does not have to be a published work as long as it's a complete manuscript. Of course, I suppose I'll take any oppurtunity to promote my own work (haha), although I guess that is why I created this blog in the first place!

I'll start by reviewing both the published and unpublished versions of my book. For anyone else who chooses to accept the tag, one review will be enough, of course.

THE DEFILER'S RULE: PURE INTENSITY
September 2004, Michael Southard
AuthorHouse
ISBN 1-4184-2932-5

Pure Intensity is a dark urban fantasy that attempts to incorporate some conventions of anime fantasy. The story is about a girl named Linda who discovers that her boyfriend David is a devil worshiper. There are some interesting ideas floating around in the plot, including a subplot concerning a secret society. The best is its description of the different magical disciplines, which seem to vary in different cultures. This book only introduces the disciplines of Witches, War Witches, and Mages, but there are certainly hints of more to learn about the magical system in this story.

The problem is the undisciplined composition of the book. It seems as if it were originally written in omniscient perspective, but there are numerous divisions of passages where the author might have attempted to separate the characters' points of view. The story constantly jumps from one character's POV to another and the result is confusing at best. Worse, there are quite a few passages where the language is too flowery and difficult to follow, and it seems as if there was little, if any, proper editing.

However, despite these problems, Pure Intensity is a good story with a lot of potential, and some readers might enjoy it anyway. I just wish the author had put more work into it before publishing.

ESTRANGED EARTH
Unpublished
Michael Southard

Estranged Earth, Book One of Coven of the Worm, is the revised version of Pure Instensity, and it does show much improvement over the original. The author completely reworked the point of view, so that most chapters have no more than two character POVs, and they are much more clearly marked. The story is essentially the same, although there is more detail in some passages, improved character work, and better editing. It is an inspiring thriller, with plenty of magic and mayhem for fantasy fans, and a fairly good read.

Okay, there's my reviews. I hope there are plenty of takers for the tag. Good luck!

Tower of Light Issue Two

2007-09-25T03:38:00.000-03:00

Well, despite the problems I've had in the past staying online for one reason or another (this last waiting for my ISP to transfer to a new address - which took six weeks instead of two), I have not given up on the Tower of Light Ezine. It is unfortunate that I wasn't able to respond to all the submissions in a timely fashion over the past month, and as a result I've had to close to new submissions until I can get caught up (again). Fortunately, I have received some great stories.

Issue two includes a review of Mark Terence Chapman's The Mars Imperative, and five shorts stories by Alice M. Roelke, Matthew Baron, Eric S. Brown, Ryder Patzuk Russell, and Mischell Lyne. Also, I've given the site a new look; I hope it goes over well.

And I'm so glad to be blogging again, even if my posts are rather short!

The Very First Published Author to Join TOL

2007-07-24T23:10:00.000-03:00

Well, a published author has finally joined Tower of Light Fantasy Forums and requested her own board at that! Her name is Laura Stamps and she writes urban fantasy, although she markets her work mostly to women readers. I'm still glad to have her on board, and I hope it brings more traffic to the forum (and the magazine by extension). Anyone who is interested in her work, you can check out the Laura Stamps sub-forum under "Authors and Writing: Author Forums" at Tower of Light Forums.

Tower of Light is, of course, open to anyone who wishes to join, but I'd like to take this opportunity to extend an open invitation to other published authors of fantasy or sci-fi. You'd be very welcome, and you can also request your own sub-forum.

All you fans and aspiring writers are still welcome too, so come on over if you like!

I Got a Review!

2007-07-23T01:06:00.000-03:00

Okay, so it isn't a professional review, but I'm still glad to get it. It shows that someone has read my story Sanctuary of the Mind (which is still free, by the way) all the way through and enjoyed it. I've also had some very encouraging comments from a couple of other people at the Lulu forums, for which I'm very grateful.

You can read the review by clicking the title at my Lulu storefront, but I'd like to post it here anyway. If anyone's interested, I'd love to hear your comments about it.

A novelette that will make you think... [ No Rating ] 16 Jul 2007 (updated 16 Jul 2007)
by Kody Boye

I'll just start this out by saying that I dove into Sanctuary of the Mind without any recognition of the author or his work. But I must say that I was not disappointed.

Sanctuary of the Mind is about a man named Leslie who--like some of the men and women who live on the outskirts of society--is addicted to drugs. He and his girlfriend have been living off drugs for a while and Sanctuary of the Mind delves into what drugs can do to a person.

I can't say too much about the novelette because--due to its length--I would end up spoiling it, but I will say right now that I really enjoyed reading this. It's a good 36 pages of material and not once does the author let you down.

A thriller, a suspense, a deeply-involved plot that keeps you reading... That's all I can say about Sanctuary of the Mind without spoiling it for the readers. I'd recommend downloading this from Lulu; it's in an e-book format and if you make a Lulu account for anything it should be to download this novelette.

I applaud Mr. Southard on this piece. It kept me reading the whole way through.

The Baker's Books: H von D Meme #1

2007-07-22T23:32:00.000-03:00

I read Howard von Darkmoor's very first meme done his way, "The Baker's Books," so I'll consider myself tagged. What the hey, right? The rules are to provide a list of books that you have on your shelves to see if anyone can learn about you from them - but not just any books. They have to be books that you've actually paid for, nothing given, borrrowed, stolen, or whatever.

From reading Howard's list, I get the impression that he likes a lot history and mythology...otherwise I can't say I've learned much.

Okay, so here's mine:

1. The Hidden Stars by Madeline Howard (2004)
2. A Handful of Men, a four-book series by Dave Duncan, which includes:

a. The Cutting Edge (1992)
b. Upland Outlaws (1993)
c. The Stricken Field (1994)
d. The Living God (1995)

3. The Cursed by Dave Duncan (1995)
4. Nemesis by Bill Napier (1998)
5. Resurrection by Steve Alten (2006)
6. The Second Coming by John Dalmas (2004)
7. The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis (2000)
8. The Swords of Night and Day by David Gemmel (2004)
9. Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn (1999)
10. Playing God by Sarah Zettel (1998)

Of course there's more, but I can't possibly list them all. I know some of these books are kind of old, but I buy a lot from Wal-Mart, CVS, going-out-of-business sales, and used book stores (haha), so most of them were actually bought recently.

Well, Howard's way was to tag anyone who read his post. If you're up to it, go ahead, feel free to accept a random tag from me. Otherwise, I suppose I'll single out Jim Melvin at The Death Wizard Chronicles.

Hey, Jim : TAG! You're it!

Blogger Death!

2007-07-21T15:32:00.000-03:00

I hope it isn't the case, but it seems like my blog is about to die one me. Not only have I neglected to keep it updated, I've been having problems with the comments - and not just on my blog, either. I've tried to post comments here and on other blogs several times and can't seem to get in. I'm sorry to all who have left comments for me and I appreciate all the kind words about Sanctuary of the Mind. The good news is...I've had 5 downloads for it already! Yay! As soon as I can work out the problem, I promise I'll be commenting again on all my friends blogs. Cheers!

Sanctuary of the Mind is Free

2007-07-05T16:38:00.000-03:00

In an earlier post I announced that I'd published a novelette through Lulu as an experiment. So far I've had a couple of unofficial but encouraging comments from three of the reviewers at Lulu about Sanctuary of the Mind. They pointed out some problems with the manusript and I endeavored to correct them, and I gave it a new cover that I think looks much nicer.

I also did a short book of poetry called Fire and Other Poems. Both are available as PDF downloads at my Lulu storefront. Sanctuary of the Mind is FREE for a limited time, so if you like thrillers please check it out, and Fire and Other Poems is only $.94.

Here's the description for Sanctuary:

(WARNING: Mature Content) Leslie Perk was not a good person. There was a time when he might have cared but it was long gone. He was a drug addict and a thief, and his feelings for his girlfriend were offensive at best. Still, he might have changed, might have become a better man and salvaged his love for Jackie, until something sinister occurred that seized control of his life…

I hope you like them!

Science Fantasy in Progress

2007-07-03T20:45:00.000-03:00

I have started on a short story set on an alternate Earth that incorporates some paranormal psuedo-science for the background, and I've pretty much worked out the plot. There are some problems I need to overcome. For one, I intend to take the advice of one of the veteran's at Baen's Universe who commented on Hex Moon and will attempt to refrain from using too many names for characters the reader has no reason to care about.

This story (also to be included in a future novel) involves a world in which several lifeforms experience spontaneous evolution, gaining abilities their predecessors only dreamed of, and how these new species clash and/or learn to co-exist. Of course I don't want to divulge too much detail since it isn't finished, but this story should hopefully express my desire to create genre cross-overs even more so than the Avatar stories.

Oh, It's Been So Long ...

2007-06-14T13:15:00.000-03:00

It seems like I need to beg both God and my parents to let me stay home long enough to do some work! I'm so far behind now, it might take at least a week to get caught up. But, fortunately, I got to come home a couple days ago and got started. Now I need to get "my head back in the game," so to speak.

Anyway, I really miss my online work and community. One good thing is that Aidan is hogging my PS2 right now, which is keeping me off of it! I really have become such a slacker when it comes to writing, and when I had any free time at my parents I tended to spend it playing "RPG Maker 3." At least it allows me to be creative, and I adapted my "Avatar" work for the storyline in the game. I'll probably never get rid of this game: What writer of fantasy can resist making his or her own video role playing game?

Getting Back to Work

2007-06-04T23:57:00.000-03:00

It's about time for me get back to work, as daunting as that sounds to me right now. I've got a science fantasy short that needs finishing, a dark fantasy draft that needs editing/revising, and a 50,000 word draft of the second book in Coven of the Worm that needs work. I also need to start making submissions again. I'm sure I've given Baen's Universe plenty of time, and there are definitely other markets that I'd like to try for Hex Moon. Not to mention that I still haven't heard anything from the last agent I queried about Estranged Earth.

I've only read three stories so far for the second issue of Tower of Light, too. Fortunately, the first two were very good, and the third was also pretty good - despite having a few typos. There's still a lot more submissions to read, however, and that takes time - as well as a critical eye.

On the plus side, the second issue should feature a book review. I need to keep an eye on my email to make sure I don't miss anything. I should hopefully receive a copy of the book in time to read it and write the review before the end of August. I think this book in particular might be sci-fi, which is a little out of place for Tower of Light, but I like sci-fi. It shouldn't hurt and may well help draw more readers in the future.

Well, here's hoping I can get off my lazy #@! and do some work!

Tower of Light Fantasy Magazine is All Set

2007-06-03T02:03:00.000-03:00

Tower of Light Free Magazine is finally up and running, featuring stories by Ian Whates, Christopher Heath, and Tom Williams, and an interview with author Teresa Edgerton. I've had some trouble getting all the icons to show, however, and I just can't figure out why. Some of them show and some of them don't, which doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, I still think it's pretty good. Come have a look and enjoy!

A Scout's Heart

2007-05-02T04:33:00.000-03:00

It took long enough, but I finally finished the draft for another short story in the Avatar world, called "A Scout's Heart." It takes place around the same time as "Hex Moon," or rather some years afterward to be more precise. Now it's time to go over it and make revisions and other necessary corrections. Hopefully I can make it good enough to be accepted by a magazine, or perhaps even an anthology. I certainly plan to make the effort.

Now, if I could just finish those books too, and another short that has nothing to do with the Avatar world. :)

I want to write novels, of course, but I'm taking the time to create a few shorts anyway. I personally hope I can do well in either form.

"Hex Moon" is still held up at Baen's Universe and I need to allow them about four more weeks before I ask them what's going on. From what I understand, they've actually closed to submissions not long after I submitted and they probably won't publish it anyway. It looks like they have at least a year's worth of issues already booked up, although I could be misinterpreting the posts. Well , there are always other markets to try...

Ego Alert!

2007-04-29T21:03:00.000-03:00

Now I definitely feel like I'm glowing with the ego boost delivered by Howard von Darkmoor on his blog. I met him over at SFReader Forums recently, where he expressed an eagerness to see Tower of Light when it's ready, and he added a link to Avatar Lore from his blog.

I never expected to see a post about von Darkmoor's thoughts on Avatar Lore & Tower of Light when I checked in again, and boy was I surprised.

Such a sweeping endorsement for a rookie like me. Thanks again, Howard, and many blessings upon you for this gesture of solidarity. I promise not to let it go to my head...

(What's that? Of course I'm the best fantasy writer that ever lived... No I am not full of myself...)

The Lore of the Avatars

2007-04-28T00:38:00.000-03:00

This is my Blog Apocalypse post, which is related to a charitable event started by UrbanMonk. I got "tagged" with this "meme" thing, which is something like a chain letter but without all the unpleasantness, thanks to Crabby McSlacker. Anyway, I thought it was something worth participating in, so I've "tagged" Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail in return.

If I can't post on my blog anymore, what should I say in my last post? I've been building the world of the Avatars for my fiction for years now, and I am quite passionate about it. Yes, there is other work that I'd like to do, because I want to experiment with different kinds of fantasy, but I must admit that I have a lot of time invested in this particular story.

I've developed a fictional culture in a mythical land called Hunjan, and it's quite complex. There are a number of clans and each has its own patron god or goddess, and its own variation of the "core" culture. And this is just for the prehistoric past of this world.

In modern times, the world changes from a sudden influx of magic. It pretty much endures an apocalyptic event of its own, in fact...

In short, please...READ MY WORK!

Thank you all putting up with my blundering attempts at creating a blog.

The Short Fiction Blues Part 2 (Or, Not So Blue)

2007-04-27T23:15:00.000-03:00

I've got comments from Baen's Slush again, and this time it's much more promising - although it may mean not publishing in Baen's Universe. Everyone who has read "Hex Moon" agrees that it sounds like the opening to a novel, which it is, but I originally conceived it as a stand alone short story. I guess I can't get around that and I'll need to search for markets that accept novel excerpts.

Still, I'm happy. Several people to comment said that "Hex Moon" is a great story and they enjoyed it very much. All I can ask for now is for someone to publish it!

Fire and Other Poems

2007-04-27T23:03:00.000-03:00

I did it again. This time it's a book of poetry called Fire and Other Poems, and this one you can actually see when you look at my storefront. I don't know exactly how it works, but apparently - since I listed Sanctuary of the Mind as "mature" - it doesn't seem to show. I can see it when I log in to Lulu because I have my settings at this level, but I can't get it from here. I'll try to figure out if it matters or not for those who don't have Lulu accounts (I hope not).

Sanctuary of the Mind

2007-04-24T07:22:00.000-03:00

Well, I did it. I've uploaded my old story to Lulu, after doing as much editing as I could stand. Hopefully I did all right. If I didn't, I can always do it again since it's so easy to do, but I'm going try it out and see how it fares.

It isn't fantasy, and it isn't my favorite story, either; but it isn't bad. I did it in PDF download only, so it's pretty cheap. Originally, I had it in print form too, but, frankly, the price was too high for a work that's only 11,000 words. There's still plenty work to do with promotion, of course.

The novelette is called Sanctuary of the Mind, and here's the description:

Leslie Perk was not a good person. There was a time when he might have cared but it was long gone. He was a drug addict and a thief, and his feelings for his girlfriend were offensive at best. Still, he might have changed, might have become a better man and salvaged his love for Jackie. This was his hope, until something sinister occurred that seized control of his life . . .

Mystic Moon Summary

2007-04-24T07:12:00.000-03:00

I've written a (very) brief summary for Book Two of Coven of the Worm. I think maybe it's too short, but if it works I'll go with it (at least for now). If anyone thinks it needs more information, or it could be written better, let me know and I'll get off my lazy ___ and do something about it. Here it is:

Eric is the son of David Yeng-Chi, who had unleashed Pure Intensity and wreaked havoc on a small Maryland town in 1995—all in the name of revenge. When Eric discovers his true identity, he sets out to fulfill his destiny, which is to assemble a Coven and use it to release his evil god on Earth.

Daniel is an Avatar of the gods, and only he knows how to find the others like him. It is his destiny to gather the Avatars and lead them to battle against the Defiler before he can wage war on Heaven. Together with Dawn Lu, Linda Levinston, and FBI agent Carl Timmers, Daniel searches for Eric and his coven—hoping to find them before they can succeed with their diablical plans.

The No Scanner Blues

2007-04-23T00:07:00.000-03:00

I would love to add pictures of my family to this blog, but since I don't have a Web cam or a scanner I have to wait for others to email them to me. My ex could help me out with some pictures of my son, Aidan, if she'd take the time to do it. Maybe she'll get around to it (I hope).

My son is great. He loves video games, remote control cars, water guns, and spending time with his Dad - of course. He was born deaf, but that doesn't stop him from behaving just like any other nine-year-old boy. Unfortunately, both of his parents are hearing, so that's left him about a year behind in communication skills. Otherwise, he's a smart kid and good at math, and Maryland School for the Deaf is a wonderful school.

I'm proud of him, and I love him very, very much.

Trying Something New

2007-04-22T15:12:00.000-03:00

When I noticed that it doesn't cost anything to publish a book with Lulu, I thought I might have something that I'm willing to part with for that price. I certainly don't want to publish my novel that way; I'd much rather hold out for an agent (although this might take as long as ten years or more). But I have an old novelette that I'm not as concerned about - partly because it really isn't my genre - and I don't plan to try very hard to get it published through traditional venues. So I thought, "Why not?" Who knows, maybe I'll make a few dollars from it . . .

I'm setting it up now for upload. When it's done, I'll post an update.

The Short Fiction Blues

2007-04-22T14:43:00.000-03:00

I received more comments for my story "Hex Moon" at the Baen' Bar Slushpile. People liked it, at least, and I followed all the suggestions for revision the best that I could. It's just that some of the comments seemed misplaced. With the following sentence, I was told to make sure my tenses match:

"The Covens assembled outside the village, preparing for their journey to Luma territory."

And yet, I found this sentence (and many more like it) in Dave Duncan's Upland Outlaws:

"She walked in silence for awhile, trying very hard to shake off the aftertaste-of-nightmare feeling."

I was also asked how the Bone Wizard knew Q'La's name.

“I know your name. Your brother is mine, and now so are you.”

Well, I thought it was pretty clear when she says, "Your brother is mine . . ."

Maybe I'm wrong. If isn't clear, then I'll have to go back and change that point. No biggie.

Tower of Light Update

2007-04-21T02:41:00.000-03:00

Submissions are finally coming in for Tower of Light Magazine. Surprisingly, the first couple of stories I've read so far are rather good. The first issue will hopefully be ready to come out sometime in June at this rate. Of course, I'd like to see more before I decide what's going in, so I might still hold off until July. We'll see . . .

Moving Along . . .

2007-04-19T22:18:00.000-03:00

I've submitted a proposal for Estranged Earth to the Ethan Ellenberg Agency. This is so far the third agency I've tried, so it probably won't be the last. That won't stop me, of course! I just hope I don't have to wait until I'm fifty to get published (which very well may happen, since it's only ten years away) . . .

No matter what, I'll keep trying, and I'll post my progress here.

The magazine is starting to move along too. I've got three stories so far, and I think they're all pretty good. And there should be an interview . . . but I'm still waiting on that.

I'll close with this: Any writers out there who might be interested in submitting a story to Tower of Light, please review our guidelines. Tower of Light is now a paying market. It may not be much, but the pay rate is $5.00 for stories between 500 and 4000 words, and $10.00 for 4000-7000 words.

Also, if you're interested, you can buy your books from the Tower of Light Bookstore (in association with Amazon.com).

On the Short Story "Hex Moon"

2007-04-15T17:36:00.000-03:00

"Hex Moon" is a short story I wrote that takes place in the same world as Estranged Earth, except that it's 10,000 years in the past. It's about a character for another book I've started, and I liked it so much that I've decided to use it for the prologue (even though it's rather long for this purpose).

This story is related to the events in Coven of the Worm because of a mystical link between the main character in "Hex Moon" and a character in book two - among other things.

Anyway, I just submitted it to be considered for the Sword and Sorceress 22 anthology. If it gets published in that, I'll be celebrating months. Here's keeping my fingers crossed!

Sigh. Another rejection, and I thought "Hex Moon" would be perfect for SS22. Well, I've submitted it for inclusion in Baen's Universe now. We'll see how that goes.

The Final Draft

2007-04-14T06:59:00.000-03:00

At last, the final draft of Estranged Earth is complete, and I can start submitting queries again. It took a long time to get it right, but I believe it was worth it. I tried to clean up all the awkward prose as well as rearrange passages to make the point of view conform to guidelines, then I added to or changed small parts of the story. It should be easier and more enjoyable to read now.

I'm also free to finish the sequel, which is still in the draft stage but is about 50,000 words long so far. Hopefully this one won't take quite so long to finish as the first. If I'm lucky (and diligent), I might finish it in time to pitch them both to agencies and/or publishers (on the theory that two books of the same series are better than one).

Summary of Pure Intensity

2007-04-14T05:20:00.000-03:00

Here's a brief summary of my novel:

Linda Caldwell attends Putty Hill Senior High with her friends Jane and Candy, where she meets and falls in love with an intriguing young man named David Yeng-Chi.

David seems perfect for her, but he has a dark secret. His father Hamaki had trained him to use a deadly mix of martial arts and magic in the service of his god—Chai'Huon Ju, the Defiler. David is a descendent of the Worm Clan of a long forgotten prehistoric nation called Hunjan. There were other gods and different beliefs among these people, but the Worm Clan had believed in Chai'Huon Ju's legacy of evil.

As the relationship between David and Linda grows, Linda begins to have prophetic dreams warning her to stay away from him. The visions are so insistent and frightening that she surrenders to them and breaks up with David. Enraged, David resolves to have revenge by conjuring his god to Earth.

Linda has a secret too, however—one that might help to save her soul from the Defiler. Prophecy was merely the first of her abilities to develop and—she soon discovers—there were more powers to come.

Imagine My Surprise

2007-04-14T03:37:00.001-03:00

To date, I have one published novel. The sales are still low because I haven't put a lot of work into promotion. I was too eager to publish and jumped at the opportunity when I should have put more work into the manuscript first. So I've completely revised it and changed the title.

Imagine my surprise when I found it was still for sale! It no longer includes a description, but it's still on Amazon. The book in this published form is called The Defiler's Rule: Pure Intensity.

However, it's still a good story, even in this version. Avid readers might grow frustrated with the awkward prose in some places and the constant shifting of POV, but otherwise some people might still enjoy it as it is.

It might not stay on Amazon for much longer, but—for anyone who is interested—Pure Intensity is still available right now.

I planned Pure Intensity as the first book in a dark fantasy series, which I'm still working on. However, I have completely revised the manuscript and changed the title. Of course, when published I may not get the title I want, but what I'm going with for now is Coven of the Worm, Book One: Estranged Earth.

My Favorite Genre

2007-04-14T03:31:00.000-03:00

Fantasy (and the possibilities therein) is easily my favorite genre. My obsession began when I was nine years old and my uncle lent me The Hobbit and The Lord of Rings.I don't think I have any one favorite author - just lots of "favorites." These would include Stephen R. Donaldson, Mercedes Lackey, David Drake, David Gemmell, and so many more . . .

Personally, I would add Roger Zelazny, but apparently many fans consider his work sci-fi. I do understand why they feel this way, because the "shadows" of Amber are remarkably similar to the many worlds theory in quantum physics (all possible universes exist along the probability wave of the real universe). But I think of it as a classic example of genre blending, and therefore I think Zelazny was a master of mixing science fiction with fantasy.

Of course, as I grew older I knew I wanted to write fantasy, but I wanted to do things that stretched the conventions set by Tolkien. In fact, I would have to cite Zelazny as one of my influences here, because what I like the most is genre blending. I like to read and write stories that mix some conventions of science fiction, horror, and even romance (don't laugh - I'll admit it's not at the top of my list but I might give it shot one day) with fantasy. Some of these sub-genres include dark fantasy, romantic fantasy, superhero fantasy, future fantasy, science fiction and fantasy and science fantasy.

Tower of Light Fantasy Forums

2007-04-14T03:18:00.000-03:00

Tower of Light Fantasy is a free forum for fantasy and science fiction fans and writers, and the official boards for Tower of Light Free Online Fantasy Magazine.

I'm just getting started on both, but the work seems to be coming along fine. The forum still needs active members, and the magazine is open for submissions. There are boards on the forum to discuss fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and historical literature. Writers can also post some of their work (in part - not complete stories) on the Critiques board for comments from other members.

Submission Guidelines for Tower of Light magazine can be found on the forum, too.