First Draft of Gavain's Proving Completed & Other Things

I have a few different topics I want to talk about today, so without further ado I'll jump right into them.

Gavain's Proving is Nearing Completion

Gavain's Proving has quickly expanded from a short story into a novella. Today I finished writing the last scene for the story, much to my delight. Next week I will put the novella through revision and editing. I've read through most of the scenes before, and I don't think much revision will be needed. I have a mock concept for the cover started. I'm not completely happy with the way the cover is going, but I have a few ideas that I think will clean the cover up and make it eye-catching.

My original estimation of mid-March was obviously off, but I'm feeling confident about an early April release, assuming I can get the cover finished by then. Despite the increased length from short story to a novella at just over 20,000 words, Gavain's Proving will still be a free release, at least at first. Either way, I'm excited that I'm so close to releasing a second title!

New Retailers

Smashwords.com has distributed Laeryk's Proving to multiple retailers already, but the book is still absent from what I consider to be some key retailers. One such retailer is Amazon.com, which Smashwords distributes to in limited quantity. I had planned on waiting things out, but upon further consideration I've decided to use Amazon's KDP program (Kindle Direct Publishing) to publish Laeryk's Proving on Amazon.com, allowing Kindle owners to purchase the title direct from Amazon's catalog rather than only at Smashwords.com. This should make it easier for Kindle owners to find Laeryk's Proving (and Gavain's Proving once it is released), and hopefully increase sales of the .mobi version of the book.

I am also looking into including my books in the Google Play Books catalog, which will not only add an additional international retailer to the list of retailers my books are available through, it will also help make Laeryk's Proving appear in more search queries, something I'm very excited about. I'm going to hold off on publishing through these retailers until after March due to the March Madness Sale that is still going on, but expect to see them added to the roster very soon.

The March Madness Sale Continues!

If you haven't had a chance yet, head on over to Smashwords.com (click the link on the side of the blog) and use coupon code WW37F to purchase Laeryk's Proving  in the format of your choice TOTALLY FREE!! The coupon code is valid until March 31st, so hurry and get a copy for yourself now - or, heck, get a copy for your friends and loved ones! Free books are always a great thing!

March Madness Is Here!

Basketball fans in the United States are probably all familiar with March Madness, and have been thinking about their brackets all season long. In my house, March Madness became an annual event for my family a few years back. My wife, Lisa, loves March Madness, and she brought the excitement of the tournament to the rest of us. Everyone in our house come up with a bracket, and often times we're at odds with one another as we flip channels to simultaneously watch as many games as possible. With my family gearing up for some major basketball fever, it seemed only appropriate to share our excitement with everyone.

MARCH MADNESS BOOK SALE!!!

Sure, the first four aren't playing until the 19th, but most people have been planning their brackets for a while now, waiting for the seeds determined on Selection Sunday to actually commit their predictions to paper. Since you'll likely have those brackets filled out rather quickly, why not spend the rest of the time before the games start reading... you know, to combat all those hours of watching the television turning your brains to jelly?

And if you're going to read, I can't help but suggest Laeryk's Proving, Book One of the Saga of Thorns! To prove how much I'd recommend it, I'm going to show a little March madness myself, and give Laeryk's Proving away for free.

That's right. FREE.

Once again, FREE.

Just enter coupon code WW37F at Smashwords.com (click here) when you make your purchase, and receive a 100% savings on a great book! This isn't the free sample -- this is the full book, available for download in the format of your choosing for ALL devices, 100% FREE!

This coupon code will be good until the end of March, but buy the book now and download it whenever it is convenient to read! I mean, you need something to do during the cold, grey hours between games, right?

REVIEWS WANTED

The Laeryk's Proving book pages are looking pretty lonely right now, but I know what would make them more cheery -- user reviews! If you've read Laeryk's Proving, please provide a review, even a short one, letting everyone know what you thought of it! I would love some feedback from my readers, good or bad, so please take a moment after finishing the book to provide some!

A Slow Week Means It's Time For Updates!

I'm still recovering from a minor surgical procedure I had on Friday, leaving me away from my desk for the moment. Consequently, I have less "new" material to discuss, so I thought that instead I would talk about some irons I have in the fire for the future. Since I am away from my desk, and the computer I normally write these posts from, I've decided to try out the Blogger app for Android on my phone. Please excuse any typos; Autocorrect can be a real pain. I'll try to clean them up when I'm at my main computer again.

Laeryk's Proving Free Sample

Yesterday I uploaded a free sample of the first fourteen chapters of Laeryk's Proving to Scribd.com in epub format. Yes, I know, Smashwords offers a free sample in multiple formats, including epub, already. My thinking went like this: Not everyone knows Smashwords, and not everyone is going to click on a link fo an unfamiliar site, and register an account with that site, all just to read a free sample. And sure, I have thus nifty button on the side of the blog which will load the sample into a new window for visitors to read... but what about those people who don't have time RIGHT NOW to read the sample? Out of sight, out of mind, right? So instead, I have a free sample ebook available on another site which is fairly popular, and can help promote my book. And if I find other websites where I can upload the sample, I have it ready to go on my hard drive. (In fact, if anyone has a recommendation, please post it in the comments!) If you want to check it the sample, click here.

Gavain's Proving

Anyone who contributed to the kickstarter might remember this title. Gavain's Proving is a short story featuring one of the main characters from the Saga of Thorns, and is a sort of "prequel" for Laeryk's Proving. I had hoped to be into editing this week, but I hadn't anticipated how slow my recovery would be. I anticipate this sort story being released sometime mid-March, as a free release.

Laeryk's Fate, Book Two of the Saga of Thorns

The sequel to Laeryk's Proving, this book is still in the early draft phase. Working on promotional material has taken my attention from this draft, but I plan on getting right back to it by next week. I wish I could provide some spoilers, but since book one has only been out for a month, I'm going to assume that any spoilers I released right now would make no sense. One thing I will say, is expect for considerably more attention to be focused on the Triumvirate.

Blood On The Thorns

I read a lot of Dragonlance when I was younger, and I enjoyed the short story anthologies they released for that series. Blood On The Thorns (which is only a working title) is an anthology set in the world of the Saga of Thorns, focusing on some of the main character's histories, and also on showing some areas of Aerth that I'm not planning on showcasing in Laeryk's books. Most of the short stories are still in the planning stages, but one (Rivals, featuring Arngrim Icehart, Laeryk Thorn, and Gavain Whiterose) is already in the draft stage, and another (The Fall of Kaerodan) will make use of material I had written for Laeryk's Proving, but ultimately decided to exclude despite liking them. I don't have an ETA for the release of this anthology, except "sometime before Laeryk's Fate."

Children of Llothora

H.P. Lovecraft is one of my favorite authors. Anthologies of his stories full my bookshelves, and I carry his complete collection with me wherever I go. Children is a sort story I wrote with the intention of imitating Lovecraft's style, and it was my first attempt at getting published, submitted to the same magazine where many of Lovecraft's stories first saw print. Unfortunately, my submission was too late for consideration, as they had already selected a year's worth of stories to print, but if at first you don't succeed... Since it has been a few years, and I would like to think that I've grown as a writer, I'm going to look thus story over again and decide if I want to make any changes. Then it will just need a cover, and will see publication! I'm skating this for "sometime after Gavain's Proving" in terms of a release date.

The Sound With Teeth

Is another Lovecraftian inspiration. This story draws heavy inspiration from Lovecraft's The Colour Our of Space, and is currently in the drafting stages.

No Other Novels?

So you might be wondering, "3/4 of what you posted here are sort stories! Don't you have any other novels planned out that aren't Saga of Thorns books?"

Of course I do. I'm just not ready to talk about them! When they're more concrete I'll let loose a hint or two, buy right now the Saga of Thorns is my main focus. Keeps your eyes peeled though, as I might have more to say sooner than you might think!

Magic in Laeryk's Proving: Part Four

This will be the final post highlighting the magical "Gifts" in Laeryk's Proving. This final post will discuss the Vordanitar Gift, the last of the three Gifts practiced by members of the Triumvirate. If you missed any of the previous posts, check them out below:

Magic in Laeryk's Proving: Part One
Magic in Laeryk's Proving: Part Two
Magic in Laeryk's Proving: Part Three

The Vordanitar Gift

The Vordanitar Gift allows its Gifted to see, communicate, and Compel the spirits of the world. While the other Gifts focus on the transmutation of energy and the body, The Vordanitar Gift allows for the transmutation of the very world itself, albeit in a limited fashion. To accomplish these amazing feats, the Vordanitar must locate, communicate with, and then Compel a spirit appropriate to the effect they wish to create.

In some ways, the abilities of the Vordanitar and Vordanitariin seem even more limited than those of the other Gifted, but appearances are deceiving. A Saritar can transmute energy to create a blast of flame, but will quickly tire if asked to sustain the magical fire. An Alkesarimiin could create an Elixir which transmutes their body so that they can breathe fire, but this ability will end once the Elixir's effects have worn off. The Vordanitar seems limited in comparison in that he must first find an existing fire and its spirit, and then use his Gift to Compel the fire-spirit to change its fundamental nature and attack the Vordanitar's opponent, but once the Vordanitar has Compelled the fire-spirit the drain upon the Vordanitar's Gift is minor, and the created effect will persist for as long as the Vordanitar chooses to continue Compelling the fire-spirit.

Vordanitar and Vordanitariin learn to be resourceful when approaching a situation, for they lack the flexibility of the other Gifted, but once they have found an application for their Gift their mystical stamina is nearly limitless. Most Vordanitar exhibit a sense of calm wisdom, an attitude promoted by the Triumvirate's training and by their need for quick, but rational, thinking during a crisis situation. Many Vordanitar also prefer to learn skills which produce less of a dependence on their Gifts, providing them with more options when presented with a problem (and giving them greater knowledge on how to solve those problems with their Gifts).

The Nature of Spirits

The world of Aerth is filled with a variety of spirits. Every naturally-occurring thing possesses a spirit attached to it, from the smallest stone to the greatest of men. These spirits remain invisible to the majority of humanity, fulfilling their function to keep the thing they are attached to true to its nature. A fire-spirit keeps a flame hot and bright until its source of fuel is exhausted, and then makes certain that it burns out, consuming the fire-spirit in the process. A stone-spirit knows that the rock it is attached to is meant to have a solid form, endure against the elements, and stay in its place unless an outside force exerts upon it. A steel-spirit keeps the sword blade it is attached to sharpened until it would naturally dull. A wind-spirit pushes the wind it governs in the proper direction, never deviating from its path. Much of what we would think of as "physics" are really the effort of the various spirits working to keep the natural order of the world as it should be, existing for their appointed time and fading once the thing they are associated with ceases to exist. Even humans and other living things have spirits attached to them, though these spirits are difficult to perceive. Spirits of living creatures work to keep the natural biological processes of their associated creature functioning, and even have some limited influence on the thoughts of the creature, providing them with a set of instincts appropriate to the creature.

It is the nature of humanity to shape the natural world, forever changing the landscape of Aerth in its wake. Men gather stones and build walls, they cut down trees to build houses, and they farm soil to grow new plants. In each case, the spirits of the world adapt to the changes men inflict upon them. The spirits associated with the individual stones used to make the wall might join together to create a new spirit associated with that wall, remaining a unified spirit until something happens to again separate the stones from the wall. The spirits of the soil and the plants work together to become a farm-spirit. And when a new child is born, the spirits associated with its parents split a portion of their essence from themselves to create a new spirit for the baby.

Seeing Spirits

The Vordanitar have the ability to perceive the spirits of the world, making. To their eyes, the world is crowded with an ubiquitous number of spirits, rendering the Vordanitar nearly helpless while trying to process the information, unless trained to limit their vision. Unlike the Saritar, who must train to use their Gifts to perceive energies, the Vordanitar must train to see only those spirits and energies they wish to see, ignoring the rest.

A spirit typically appears to be a humanoid entity similar to whatever it is associated with. A wind-spirit is vaguely humanoid in shape, but amorphous and translucent, without any defined features. A fire-spirit appears made of flame, their voices crackling as they go about their natures. The spirits of a human or any other living creature appears similar to the creature the spirit is associated with, but faded, almost ghostly. 

Communicating With Spirits

Spirits are not, by and large, wonderful conversationalists. It is the nature of a spirit to focus almost exclusively upon whatever they are associated with, paying little attention to the world around them. A Vordanitar can attract the attention of a spirit for a brief time through his Gift, allowing the Vordanitar to speak with the spirit. Such communications are telepathic in nature, though spirits associated with creatures capable of hearing sometimes pay better attention if the Vordanitar also speaks aloud to the creature. Speaking with a spirit about anything that does not somehow relate to whatever the spirit is associated with is pure folly; the odds of the spirit having ever taken note of something else are negligible, at best. A spirit associated with a stone wall will almost never take note of what happens across the street from that wall. A bird-spirit won't have noticed anything that the bird itself did not notice (and in many cases will only have noticed something that directly affected the bird). A resourceful Vordanitar will use the limited perceptions of spirits to their advantage, questioning the wall-spirit about someone who climbed the wall (violating the wall's nature for keeping people away from a space, and thus attracting the spirit's notice), or they might ask a stream-spirit about the people who stopped to drink from the stream's waters.

Compelling a Spirit

The true power of the Vordanitar Gift lies in its ability to exert the Vordanitar's will upon the spirit, forcing the spirit to act in a way not normally in keeping with its nature. The amount of energy expended by the Vordanitar to do this is minimal so long as the change does not violate the spirit's nature overly much. Asking a fire-spirit to spit flames at an opponent is a relatively minimal change for the fire-spirit (which is simply directing its nature in a new direction), but asking a tree-spirit to make an oak tree uproot itself and walk is a feat beyond the power of most Vordanitar, though having a tree branch move to grapple a foe is quite manageable. Once the spirit has been Compelled, maintaining the Compelling takes almost no effort on the part of the Vordanitar, no matter how difficult the original Compelling was. A Vordanitar may Compel multiple spirits at a time, but each Compelling requires at least some of the Vordanitar's attention, creating a natural limit on the Vordanitar based on their ability to multi-task.

Compelling the spirit of a human or other living creature is difficult, as the Vordanitar must not only contend with the spirit, but the will of the creature it is associated with. The more sentient and aware a creature is, the more difficult it is to Compel their associated spirits. In the case of humans and wyverns, it is nearly impossible. When a Vordanitar manages such a Compelling, they find it difficult to do more than affect the function of the creature's biological systems. A Vordanitar might Compel a spirit to stop the beating of an enemy's heart, but the struggle to Compel the spirit means that there is probably a better way to kill the foe, such as Compelling an air-spirit to suck all the oxygen from the victim's lungs.

Compelling a spirit requires a spirit to be within sight for the Vordanitar. If the Vordanitar cannot perceive the spirit, the Compelling ends, even if the Vordanitar was originally close enough to Compel the spirit. Because of the ability for humans to perceive things without directly looking at them, a Vordanitar need not keep their eyes on a spirit at all times to maintain a Compelling, but they must remain aware of the spirit and within line of sight of the spirit.

The Great Spirits

Certain Spirits exist on Aerth which seem to govern multiple, lesser spirits. These entities were once worshiped as gods by humanity, and with good reason. The power of a Great Spirit far exceeds that of a regular spirit. A Great Spirit holds dominion over every lesser spirit within its purview, and their scope is vast. Such Spirits are not simply associated with any one thing; they are concepts, and elemental forces. The power of even the least of these Great Spirits is beyond the ability of any Vordanitar to safely Compel. Should an impudent Vordanitar even attempt to Compel a Great Spirit, that Spirit will quickly destroy the Vordanitar. The sole exception to this rule is the Arakon, the leader of the Triumvirate. The Great Spirits will never destroy an Arakon outright for attempting to Compel them, but they will struggle against the will of the Arakon, and if the Arakon's will should falter, death will be imminent. Even the Arakon is unable to change the nature of Great Spirit, instead Compelling the Spirit to share its power with the Arakon.

Two Great Spirits were once worshiped in Valdaran, the Sky Father and the Skar. The Spirit known as the Sky Father governs all the skies over Aerth, except for those covering the Sharynwyn Marshes. The Skar represents the great mountain itself, but also governs the other mountains of the Wyvern Peaks. There are some in the Triumvirate who hypothesize that Alluman might be the collective Great Spirit of humanity, but no Arakon is known to have had contact with Alluman to confirm that this relatively-new deity truly exists.

While there is no true hierarchy among the Great Spirits, it is known to the Triumvirate that the Great Spirit of the Sharynwyn Marshes dwarfs the other Great Spirits in power, causing the other Spirits to flee at its approach. No Arakon has ever survived an attempt to Compel the Great Spirit of the Sharynwyn Marshes, and only the original Witch Queen of the Sharynwyn Marshes is known to have survived communicating with the Spirit, though it is unknown how she communicated with the Spirit, though she clearly has made some sort of accord with it.

Artifacts of the Great Spirits

At rare points in history, some Great Spirits have agreed to split a fragment of their power off from themselves, shaping that power into a physical object which was then carried by a champion of that Spirit, connecting the champion to the Spirit and its power. These artifacts are exceedingly rare; only a handful have ever been created, usually at the behest of an Arakon during a period of great need. Nearly all such artifacts were eventually reabsorbed by the Spirit which created them, though a few are said to persist. Legend says that the twisted black staff carried by the Arakon is an artifact of Great Spirit, though none of the legends agree as to which Spirit created the staff. Other tales speak of a Crown of Shadows which was lost ages ago, but again no legend states which Spirit donated its power.

The most famous (if such a term can be applied to relics largely unknown outside of bard songs and the halls of the Triumvirate) is the sword called the Sharynwyn Fangs. This weapon was created by the Great Spirit of the Sharynwyn Marshes as a sign of its accord with the first Witch Queen, and was often carried by the Witch Queen's personal champion. The sword carries a grave price for its power, demanding that life be taken whenever the sword is drawn; should the sword's wilder fail to claim a life with the blade, the Great Spirit lays claim to the destiny of someone dear to the wielder, causing that dear one to die early as payment for defying the Great Spirit's agreement. The Sharynwyn Fangs has rarely been seen outside of the Marshes, but all members of the Triumvirate are required to learn of the sword, for it is known to be the most powerful of such artifacts, and too dangerous to remain outside of the control of the Witch Queen's champion.

Scarcity of the Vordanitar

The Vordanitar Gift is dying out in Aerth. Only a dozen children are found each year with the potential to develop a full Vordanitar Gift, and many of these will fail to fully awaken their powers. No one knows why the Gift is dying. Some feel that humanity is moving away from the spirits, and thus losing their ability to perceive and Compel them directly. A few blame the Church of Alluman for this, saying that the Church's refusal to accept the existence of spirits has lead its followers to refuse to believe in spirits and thus make them incapable of perceiving them. Others say that it is not just the Vordanitar Gift that is dying, but all of the Gifts. The Vordanitar Gift only heralds what will happen to the other two Gifts. Regardless of the reasons, the rosters of the Vordanitar within the Triumvirate grow empty, forcing these Gifted to rely on the Elixirs of the Alkesarim to sustain them lest old age claim the ability for new Vordanitars to be trained.

The Other Gifts

In days gone by, every Vordanitar possessed one of the other Gifts. A minor Saritar Gift was most common, though in truth it was only a shade more common than the Alkesarim. In modern times, the only Vordanitar who still possess minor secondary Gifts are those who dare not miss a single dose of their youth Elixirs, lest age devour them instantly. Those few Vordanitar who are found each year show no sign of any secondary Gifts at all, and even the older Vordanitar who possess secondary Gifts report that it is growing increasingly difficult to use those secondary Gifts.Many in the Triumvirate say that this is further proof that the Vordanitar Gift is dying out.

Laeryk's Proving Now Available At New Retailers!

In the words of one Professor Huburt J. Farnsworth: "Good news, everyone!"

Distribution of Laeryk's Proving has expanded, and it is now available at new retailers! I'm happy to announce that Apple product fans and Nook owners can now purchase Laeryk's Proving in their native marketplaces, making it easier than ever to enjoy my book!

To make a purchase through the Barnes and Noble store, just click here!

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Apple products, and I don't know of any way to link to a listing in iBooks from a PC, so I can't provide a ready link for i-users, but a simple search for "Laeryk's Proving" pulls the book up in my iTunes program.

Looking forward to more announcements as they become available! Until then, I hope everyone has a great week!

Thanks For All The Birthday Wishes!

Yesterday was a double birthday in our family. Both myself and my step-daughter share the 13th as a birthday. This week has been filled with birthday wishes from friends and family, and the busy schedule has kept me from putting together the last Magic in Laeryk's Proving post. I'll get it posted as soon as I have time, I promise.

In the meantime, as a mini-update, Smashwords has been hard at work distributing Laeryk's Proving to other retailers. To date, it has shipped to Kobo, Sony, Apple, and Barnes & Noble, and I'm hoping it will be shipping to a few other retailers either today or tomorrow. Each retailer takes a different amount of time after receiving ebooks to make them available on their website. Apple, for example, manually reviews all books from publishers and distributors to make certain they meet their requirements, a process which can take upwards of two weeks depending on their current backlog. I've been checking daily to see where Laeryk's Proving has appeared.

So far, only Kobo has the book listed, but hey, that's a great start! Kobo represents approximately 46% of the marketshare in Canada, and roughly 50% in France! (Marketshares reflect January and Spring of 2012, respectively.) This gives Laeryk's Proving a chance at some international exposure, and I'm pleased to see my book for sale at their site!

If you use a Kobo reader, of a Kobo reader app, and have been waiting for the chance to buy Laeryk's Proving at your preferred retailer, just click here to go to the entry for Laeryk's Proving.

If you use a different ebook device, and you're still waiting for Laeryk's Proving to show up at your retailer, why not pass the time with a free sample, available in formats compatible with all the major eReaders, from Smashwords.com? Just click here to go to Smashwords.com and download the free sample, or go ahead and make a purchase!

One last thing before I go, even though I often forget to say it amid all the birthday wishes I receive this time of year, Happy Valentines Day to everyone who celebrates it! I hope your day is full of all the things that you and your loved ones enjoy most!

Laeryk's Proving is Premium!

Laeryk's Proving has been approved for Smashwords' Premium Catalog, which means that it will soon be distributed to a number of new retailers, including Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, and more!

This is thrilling news, because it means that even more people will potentially discover Laeryk's Proving and get a chance to try it out! The book has already been generating some interest at Smashwords' website, so I'm excited to see what will happen when it receives an even larger distribution.

Unfortunately, Smashwords and Amazon appear to still be working completing their technical integration, so there is no time frame for when Laeryk's Proving will appear in the Kindle Marketplace. While this is unfortunate, Kindle users shouldn't feel left out in the cold. As I'm typing this post, Laeryk's Proving is happily loaded into my phone's Kindle App, and it looks great!

"How," you ask? Simple! I downloaded it from Smashwords.com!

If you're holding out on buying the book because you want to see it from a different retailer, please don't. The .mobi file is available for purchase and download right now, and it took no effort to set it up in my Kindle app. I just moved the folder from my phone's Download folder into the Kindle folder and voila!

CLICK HERE to visit the Laeryk's Proving page at Smashwords and purchase the book in whichever DRM-free format you prefer! Hey, while you're there, why not check out some other Smashwords authors and see if there's anything else that you like? Having more authors to try out is always a good thing, in my opinion.