I Am Zebad: Excerpt of Oedarin #1

Hello, everyone, and welcome! Welcome to your first major peek into Oblivion's Gate, Book 2! I
hope you're as excited as I am.

Last April, when I announced Oedarin as Mimgardr's sequel in "It Will Continue in Oedarin", I also shared some information about where the story would pick up and mentioned a single phrase carved into the doors of the royal catacombs, namely "I am Zebad!"

As I've thought about which piece of the story to share with you first, my mind has continually gone back to that first post and the words I am Zebad. It was gut instinct leading me perfectly. The first clip had to connect to the first announcement. And so it does.

I hope you enjoy your first peek into Oedarin and leave plenty of feedback in the comments below.

Enjoy!

Excerpt from Oedarin, Chapter 7, "Trust Me"

Dan woke with a start to find one of the Grim standing at the end of the bed. It had been three days since Mistress Gael’s funeral, and Dan had seen neither hide nor hair of the Grim since the day they discovered her dead body. “What are you doing here?”

“To whom do I speak?”

“Dan,” Dan answered, puzzled.

The Grim lifted its hood and Dan gasped at Titus’ appearance. He looked completely normal. He wasn’t withered or Grim-like; he was his regular old self save for the sallow skin and bloodless wounds.

“Titus?” Dan questioned. “Is that really you?”

Titus nodded. He opened his mouth to speak and a fiery glow leaped out, as if a bonfire burned below in the Olympian’s stomach. His voice was wheezing and certainly Grim-like. “I bear part of Dullahan’s charge. By night the fire burns harmlessly inside me, but in daylight it is consuming.”

“I’m so sorry, Titus,” Dan said. “I never meant for this to happen to you.”

“It is done,” Titus returned.

“Where are the others? Where’s Dullahan?”

Titus closed his eyes and rolled his head back like one would when enjoying a warm breeze. “They ride against Tartarus. Your power will soon be awakened.”

“Power?”

“Come,” Titus beckoned, turning toward the door. “There isn’t much time. Oolong is waiting for us.”

It was then that Dan realized Oolong wasn’t with him and he shot from the bed like a frightened rabbit.

Titus walked to the door and it opened without his touch, evidencing his share in both Dullahan’s curse and power. Dan wrapped the shroud around his shoulders and followed quickly, carrying the Oblivion like a spear.

Titus led him down into the throne room. They entered silently and crossed the room to where Oolong was waiting for them beneath an enormous tapestry behind Mickey and Rosabella’s thrones.

“What are you doing down here, Oolong?” Dan whispered quietly.

The leviathan motioned toward the Oblivion and then toward the tapestry. All the while his tongue flicked in and out, smelling the air anxiously.

Dan lifted the Oblivion. “Is there something behind the tapestry?”

The leviathan nodded. His parietal eye glowed green and the tapestry rolled upward like a scroll. Behind it was nothing more than a bare white wall.

“Reveal this doorway’s secrets,” Dan whispered to the Oblivion. The black marble orb at the staff’s top glowed blue and at the same time three of the bricks before him began to glow in a continuous sequence. Dan lifted his free hand and pressed each brick as it became luminescent. With each touch the stone changed from a solid form to a hollow apparition. When the sequence was complete the wall rippled like water.

“Go in,” Titus counseled.

“Where does it lead?”

“To the locker.”

The catacombs, Dan thought. I wonder what else I might find down there. Then his conscience cleared its throat. I can’t go down there! I can’t start snooping around Mickey’s castle. It would betray his and Aaron’s trust.

Oolong suddenly slipped away through the wall and vanished.

“Wait, Oolong!” Dan called as quietly as he could. He darted through the wall, hoping to recall Oolong, but the leviathan was already snaking along at a furious pace. Then Titus came through behind him and the wall solidified. The special elfin lights that ran down the corridor began to illuminate one by one and at the far end a stairway and an elevator were revealed. Oolong was already moving down the spiraling stairs.

“Oolong!” Dan yelled aggressively. “Get back here! We’re not supposed to be down here. What will Mickey think of us snooping around?” No heed was given to him, and he raced after Oolong angrily. “I’m talking to you!”

Down the endless stairs they went, down into the darkness. At the bottom Oolong waited for them quietly, and when Dan caught up to him he gave the leviathan a hard thump on the head. “I told you to wait. We’re not supposed to be down here. How can we expect Mickey and Aaron to trust us again if we’re snooping around all the time?”

Oolong growled at him and quickly rose up to cover Dan’s mouth with his foot. Then he pointed ahead with his tail. Dan turned his gaze. The enormous doors before them had been defaced with rough Asketillian characters and the locking mechanism had been almost completely destroyed. One of the doors was open, requiring Dan to shift his position to read the Asketillian declaration: I am Zebad!

We’re not alone down here, Dan thought in horrified realization. Oolong released him, and he made his way toward the door. He peeked through the gap into a dimly lit room the size of the banquet hall. The walls were lined with numbers as if there were supposed to be vaults beneath each one. Pedestals, much like the ones from the two halls in Mimgardr, formed a vanguard on either side of the red carpet that crossed the room from the entry doors to a rear set. The opposing doors had been forced open as well while the vaults and pedestals remained untouched.

Timidly Dan lifted the hood of his cloak and entered the room. Oolong and Titus followed behind him. The marble walls around them were black instead of white. A chill filled the room and Dan’s breath became a cloud around his head.

“It’s cold,” he whispered. “Why?”

“Dan,” Titus whispered, taking him by the shoulder, “make ready.”

Dan studied the glow that was growing in Titus’ throat and nodded. They reached the other door, ignoring the host of new artifacts that stood atop the columns around them, and entered a long hall that was lined with more door-less vaults. A smaller set of doors awaited them at the end of it, and they could hear a whispered voice beyond. “It won’t be long now, and I will not fail this time. Not this time!”

Dan looked into Oolong’s eyes, and the leviathan nodded them forward. With a deep breath Dan lifted the Oblivion into a fighting position and Oolong slipped forward through the doors.

This room was much smaller than the last. It was round and a dry fountain of fierce masonry occupied the center of it. The man across from them was cloaked beyond recognition and he merely turned when they erupted in on him. He stood on the far side of the room where the portraits of the Fallen Ones, which had once hung in Mimgardr, were stacked against the wall. Above the piled pictures something hung on the wall blocked from view by a covering of black cloth.

This excerpt was taken from the editorial manuscript of
Oedarin (Oblivion's Gate, Book 2) by S. R. Ford.
Copyright 2014 S. R. Ford. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Catch you next time!

And don't forget to comment below. Your comments and discussions will reflect on which clip I share next.

What Do You See?

It's time to stimulate your mind and have a little fun. We're going to release that writer inside you and let it break away for a minute. Put aside thoughts of your college papers, financial reports, writing projects, all of that. Just relax and let's write for a minute.

Here's the challenge:

Close your eyes (after you finish reading these instructions, of course) and imagine one of your favorite animals. Imagine everything about them. Then click on the comments section below and describe it in a few sentences. Don't tell us which animal it is until the end of the paragraph, and describe it the most captivating way you can. Let your eyes and imagination describe what they see; give us those words. Have fun with it. Be passionate about it.

I can't wait to read what you see.

Simpul Post with a Kweschun

Good morning, everyone!

I hope my terrible spelling caught your attention. It should read "Simple Post with a Question", and that's because this post is only a question.

I need you to give a one- to two-word answer in a comment below (please not on Facebook or Twitter), then pass this on to your friends so they can comment too. The more answers I can accumulate the better.

Here's the question:

What is your favorite mythical creature?

The time is now yours...  :)

The Outpost of Yerhan

The city of Yerhan was established as nothing more than a military outpost on the southern side of the Zulacon mountains, intended to maintain the great road that led north into the Vagan empire. Over time, the outpost would grow and grow until it reached the limits of Vagan law. At that point Sharhan was established, and eventually it, too, would grow until it was filled to capacity.

"Filled to capacity?" someone asks. "What does that mean?"

Unlike our cities, which continue to expand and grow out over more and more land, Vagan cities are built from the very beginning to accommodate a specific number of number and no more. When the city reaches capacity, the populace is divided and a new city is built. In the Kingdom Chronicles: Book 3, you'll have the opportunity to learn exactly how large Yerhan and Sharhan are, their relationship to other cities in the Vagan kingdom, and how the Vagan kingdom was kept at a clockwork.

I'm very excited for readers to learn more about the inner working of a civilization that transformed a wasteland into a paradise. There's so many cool thing to share. So stay tuned for clips to come.

Review-This-Book Kindle Sale -- January 30 - February 5

Calling all fantasy readers and reviewers! 

I've written many times about the importance of reviews in the world market. They give people a better understanding of what they're buying before they buy it, from the perspective of regular people like them. Well, I find myself caught in the review tide, and I need your help.

I want to share my books with more people around the world. I want to see more people fall in love with the characters and stories. But I need to get more reviews to help me do that. SO...

I'm throwing my hat into a Review-This-Book kindle sale.

The sale will last from January 30th - February 5th on Amazon.com.

From January 30 thru February 2 at Noon, both series starter books, The Kingdom and the Crown and Mimgardr, will be just $0.99.

From February 2 at Noon thru February 5, the price of each book will go up slightly to $1.99.

The goal of this sale is to spread the books around and draw in more reviews. If you've already read my books, please take a few minutes to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. If you haven't read them, don't miss this chance to pick up a great book.

Links to each Kindle book page can be found on the right-hand side of my blog. Simply click on the cover picture under the heading "Kindle". You can also check them out on my author site HERE. There you can read the entire first chapter for free if you wish and still find the links to Amazon.

Thanks for helping me spread the word and for writing reviews. Have a blast reading!

Phase One Wallpaper Promo

In follow-up to my last post "Fans, Assemble!" (which I'm still hoping to get more of your comments on), I want to show you a couple of the cover-inspired wallpapers that have been put together. I like them because they're simple. What do you think?

Unfortunately, these promos are too small for you to download right now. We're still in beta. ;)

I'll start with this one, for the Kingdom and the Crown:

 And this one, for Mimgardr:

What do you think? Comment below.

Fans, Assemble!

This is going to be short but very important. I am working on a project, and in order to get it done right I need your help.

Here's what I'm working on:

I'm pulling together an assortment of Kingdom Chronicles and Oblivion's Gate paraphernalia that fans of the two series will be able to collect and share with their friends. Phase One of that plan includes creating more memes, quote pics, and wallpapers (Like the one to the right). All of these Phase One treasures will be free to download, like, share and pin.

Here's where you come in:

I want these piece of official fandom material (that sounds fancy) to bear your influence. So, I need you to write in your favorite moments, images, lines and quotes from all three of my books. All of them. There's no limit on the number of submissions. In fact, the more you send in the better. I just ask that your submission contain as much detail as possible (character, book, chapter and maybe even a short why). Please send them in either on a comment below or an email via the contact link to the right of the screen.

Also, feel free to offer ideas and requests for other fandom goodies that you'd like to see come along with Phases Two and Three.

Thanks so much for your help! You fans are important to me, and I want to include you as much as possible.

Klalumpelo!

My Ilia

Good morning, Medleretz! Today I wish to explain a bit about the name of Princess Ilia in Oblivion's Gate. So get ready, all you fans out there. Here comes a bit of trivia knowledge.

If you will take a look at the pronunciation guide at the end of Mimgardr, you will see that Princess Ilia's name is not pronounced the same way as it is in common Medlerene usage (something akin to "Eel-yah" or "Ill-yah). You will find it pronounced "Ahy-lee-uh." This is because Ilia's name in Oblivion's Gate comes from the realms of her elfin bloodline, not Medleretz.

Here in Medleretz, the world you and I occupy, the name Ilia can be spelled a host of different ways, including Ilia, Ilya, Illya, Illia, Illija Ilja, etc. All of these forms are transliterated and transcribed compositions descending from one of three roots. The most dominant of these roots is the Russian-ized version of the Hebrew name Eliyyahu, or as we know it better in English Elijah, meaning "My God is Yahweh (Jehovah)". The second root is a Kurdish name meaning "Great and Glorious." No matter which route you take, both of these are normally reserved as masculine names. The third root, however, is the feminine one and the only one pronounced with three syllables (ill-ee-uh). It comes from the Latin Ilia, which is a secondary name for Rhea Silvia, the mythical mother of Romulus and Remus. All three roots are great and any person named with them should be proud, but they are not my Ilia.

If you will reread the first few pages in Mimgardr, chapter 39, "Blood Blossoms," you will find yourself enlightened by the words of Ilia's mother as to the meaning of Ilia's name. Did you find it? In one line she calls her daughter "my little star," and a few lines later calls her "my Ilia." Coincidence? Could be. But it isn't. Ilia's name is Elvish, and in Elvish Ilia means "Little Star", which is more important than you might think. Ilia has a huge role to play in this trilogy, despite what became of her in the Battle of Mimgardr. But that's all I'm going to say about that for now, because I'd hate to spoil the surprise for you and I've explained what I wanted to explain. So to summarize in two sentences: Ilia is an Elvish name in Oblivion's Gate. It is pronounced "Ahy-lee-uh" and means "Little Star".

I hope I've wet your taste buds and instilled a craving for more background details. I promise there are loads of little coded secrets tucked away in the pages of my books, and I'm excited to see how many of them you can find. I did put them there for you after all. :-)

Have a great day today, and please take a minute to leave a comment below.

Excellent Questions from a Pondering Mann

If you haven't been to either my Facebook fan page (here) or the Oblivion's Gate Facebook fan page (here) recently, then you may not have seen the essay that was posted to both yesterday morning by a fan and friend of mine, Mr Aaron Mann. The essay, which I learned from messaging the author is dubbed "My Pondry," is dedicated to Mr Mann's thoughts and questions regarding Mimgardr and its upcoming sequel. It is written for fans by a fan and includes some very good points that fans of the series might want to consider. BUT before you rush off to read it, I must warn you that there are a few Mimgardr spoilers in the essay. It is a response to the book after all.

I very much appreciated and enjoyed Mr Mann's essay, and I want to thank him for it. Knowing that he is asking the questions I want readers to be asking at the end of Mimgardr helps me to know that I have succeeded in my cause as a storyteller. And knowing that he isn't the only person to be asking to those questions only serves to confirm that success.

Mr Mann, if you see this blog, I want to say thank you for the time you took to jot down your impressions and share them with the world. I'm excited to see what else might come from your hands in days to come, and I'm even more excited to answer your questions with the release of the sequel in a few months.

For the rest of you reading this, here is a link to the posted essay: "The Pondry." If you would, please take a minute to read it and comment on it. I know that both Mr Mann and I would appreciate it.

Thank You to a Fan

Klalumpelo, everyone!

Yesterday, I was pleased to be introduced for the first time to Kingdom Chronicles fanart. The works come from MermaidDottie's page on deviantART and were inspired by The Elements and the Exodus. Since she gave me permission do so, I'm going to say thank you to MermaidDottie for her creativity by sharing her interpretation of Zarrys II with you. Here it is:

Thank you, MermaidDottie, for sharing these creations with me. I hope I will get to see more in the future, and that your initiative will inspire others to share with me their interpretations of the people, creatures, and worlds I've created.

Everyone, please remember that this piece of artwork is a copyrighted creation and that those creative rights ought not to be infringed upon. Feel free to view MermaidDottie's deviantART page by following the link here: ~MermaidDottie.