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.

Here and There, They Say

Here and There, They Say

His face is veiled in darkness.

His sharp staff lights the broken way.

For precious things he wanders

Here and there, they say.

No lock thus far can keep him

From claiming anything he may.

To find his prize he travels

Here and there, they say.

Nine shadows form his vanguard.

Their scythes reflect the slightest ray.

They follow when he journeys

Here and there, they say.

They come from Hell beneath us.

Demons! Demons! Yes, are they!

For people dear have vanished

Here and there, they say.

Never a word is spoken,

But do not dare to cause delay.

This phantom has killed many

Here and there, they say.

He earned his name in battle

when he caused the world great dismay.

A traitor seeking safety

Here and there, they say.

 If you see him drawing near,

You should quickly clear out the way,

Or he'll scatter you in pieces

Here and there, they say.

Mimgardr Paperbacks - Now 25% Off

I've had quite a few ebook sales the last while, but I know many of you out there prefer the good old feel and weight of paper in your hand. This sale is for you!

If you purchase Mimgardr through the Createspace Online Store using discount code 3LZM3ENM between now and Christmas Day, you will get 25% off as my Christmas gift to you!

That's right!

25% off Mimgardr when you order from the Createspace Online Store!

Discount Code: 3LZM3ENM

Ends Christmas Day!
Order now!

To learn more about Mimgardr and read the prologue for free, swing by my website: www.authorsrford.com.

Mimgardr Kindle Thanksgiving Sale! 72-Hours Only!

Everyone needs a good book to read before and after the big eats of Thanksgiving, and this is the perfect book for that! Don't miss out on a five-star science fiction/fantasy that takes place over the course of the holiday months and includes all of your favorite monsters, myths, scientific theories, and murder mystery challenges in a way you have never seen them assembled before!

Mimgardr

(Oblivion's Gate, Book 1)

Kindle Edition

 

$0.99

 

Amazon.com

 

November 24-27, 2014

Don't Miss Out!

 

---

Don't have a Kindle?

No problem!

You can turn any mobile device or computer into a Kindle for free!

Learn more here: Amazon.com: Kindle Reading App

June: The 99-Cent Kindle Month

Looking for something to read over the summer that won't cost you all of your vacation money? Need something to read while you travel, lounge, or bathe yourself in the sun? Then this is the month for you.

I've selected June 2014 as a 99-cent Kindle Month--meaning that throughout the course of the month you will be able to pick up each of my books in Kindle edition for just $0.99 USD.

It all takes place on Amazon.com.

So mark your calendars and miss out:

The Kingdom and the Crown (Kingdom Chronicles, 1)

June 5-10, 2014

 


The Elements and the Exodus (Kingdom Chronicles, 2)

June 16-22, 2014

Mimgardr (Oblivion's Gate, 1)

June 23-29, 2014

Top Five "Feels" So Far

Have you ever found yourself yelling at a book or movie screen? Have you ever cried over the death of a character? Have you ever longed to get revenge on a fictional villain? Have you ever felt "the feels"?

It seems that whenever we see a good movie or read a great book, there are always characters our hearts go out to. Some people may become more emotionally exposed than others (crying, yelling and what have you), but we certainly respond to the characters' experiences with empathy and sympathy and invest ourselves in their welfare, especially if we find ourselves intimately connected with them.

About a week or so ago, I received an email about "the feels" experienced by one reader as she read each of my books. It was one of my favorite fan emails thus far. But there was a catch: this email also came with a challenge, a very good challenge.

"Now that you know how much I love these stories and how big of a sucker I am for them, can I give you a challenge? I challenge you to write a blog post where you list your top five feels moments from the books you've published so far, including both the Kingdom Chronicles and Oblivion's Gate. That's something I'd really love to see..."

It was quite a challenge, but I accepted it, and at last my five are ready. Are you ready? I hope so, 'cause were we go.

S. R. Ford's Top Five "Feels" (So Far)

5. "Fallon was gone" (The Elements and the Exodus)
Three tragic words that kindle feelings of panic, terror and fury. The group has just won a major battle, the world is bright and cheery, a whole city is singing for joy, and everything should be happily ever after; but no. While no one is paying attention, Shunul appears. He reveals that they've played right into his hands, and in a fell swoop he kidnaps Fallon. There is no trail to follow--there's not even a hint that Fallon's still alive, and yet the world sings on merrily, oblivious that anything has happened. 

4. Axsem (The Kingdom Chronicles)
I can never get over how much I love Axsem's entire character. This may be cheating a bit, but I count him as one large "feels" moment. Everyone has a story they never want to tell, something they wish they could forget but can't because it makes them who they are. Imagine what it would be like to know that you were the only surviving piece of something that was once great and good, something you had to watch sink into decay and destroy itself. Imagine you had to survive by living on only promises and faith that something good was going to come. Imagine how that would define you. In the Kingdom and the Crown Axsem first appears bitter and hateful--a racist man covered in thick emotional scar tissue, but as he is forced to recount the downfall of his nation and aid in its rebirth, we see the true Axsem emerge from the guilt, heartache and loneliness. Axsem, to me, models the strongest type of person. Yes, he may have lost his way and let darkness and pain overcome him for a time, but in the end he proved to be one of the most kindhearted people one could ever hope to meet.

3. Dan's Dream of Alice (Mimgardr)
The relationship between Dan and Alice Barker is beautiful. Any two siblings that share a bond like these two is lucky, and any who deliberately push away such an one are foolish. The story Dan tells of Alice in Mimgardr is so tender and loving that when he closes with the statement "She was my Christmas, Aaron, and now she's gone," your heart can't help but ache. And that feeling only multiplies when he dreams of her a few chapters later. Right before Alice passes through the gateway into Hafenu, leaving Dan alone in the darkness, you get to understand just how he and Alice feel about each other and the pain of their separation, feelings many people around the world perfectly empathize or sympathize with.

2. Zarrys's Revocation (The Elements and the Exodus)
There are really only a few experiences that I think generate more intense feels than the death of someone you love dearly, and this is one of them. At the end of the Kingdom and the Crown, Zarrys had become perfectly familiar with Vagahem (a GOD), had been filled with power and light, had a strong connection with a companion, had seen his post-mortal parents, had been crowned king, shown a vision of potential future events, and topped it all of by taking Namine's hand in marriage. It was really a cloud nine moment. However, as book two goes along, we watch Zarrys's personality contradicting with his better judgment until he makes a mistake that costs him everything. All of the goodness he had been given is torn away from him and he is left to wallow in the same darkness as Malystryx. His power, foresight, connections, influence--everything--is stripped away from him. Can you imagine what that would be like? Can you imagine the hellish agony?

1. The Death of Ilia (Mimgardr)
Why does this beat the rejection of a god? Because that's something I don't think any of us can perfectly empathize with. None of us have known a god intimately and been given earth-bending powers and psychic connections and then lost them. But there are many out there who have lost a spouse, and that pain is exquisite.
In the case of Dan and Ilia, though, it goes a bit deeper into feels territory. When the Battle of Mimgardr begins, Dan's family is gone, his friendships are wavering, he thinks his in-laws have rejected him, his self-esteem is shot, and the list goes on. In the midst of the battle, he learns that he's a pawn in Morgan's plan and is being sacrificed to destroy the Fallen. Finally, at the end of the battle, victory is won and Dan is actually hailed as a hero by the Asketillians. Perhaps things are going to be all right. But then a man appears and attempts to stab Dan in the back while his guard is down and is only stopped by Ilia who appears between them and takes the blade through her stomach.
The last anchor in Dan's life begins to slip away from that moment on: the murderer escapes, Ilia's mutation is revealed, and any hope of a healthy relationship with Merlin is obliterated shortly before Ilia dies. Then Merlin is killed and Dan, marked as a murderer, flees to his island with Ilia's body, hoping beyond hope that he can still revive her.
Not only did Dan lose his bride that day in Mimgardr, he lost everything, including himself. Tell me that doesn't hit you right in the feels.

So there you have it. Those are my top five "feels" (so far), out of the many I had to choose from.

Now I turn the challenge to you. What are your top five "feels" from my books? Answer in the comments section below, or shoot me an email!

Happy reading!

It Will Continue in Oedarin

Sometimes life is just an obnoxious little prat with zero consideration. I think we've all experienced those moments, and lately I've been traversing one myself. I apologize for not posting the last couple of weeks. It's been one of those times where negativity would have ruined the prose and context of what I wanted to write. Many people use social media and personal blogs to vent out their pent up frustrations at every opportunity; I, however, do my best to avoid such action. How about you?

Anyway, I have an announcement of sorts!

There have been many guesses and propositions as to the title of the next installment to Oblivion's Gate, and some have been quite catchy and fun. However, when I started this adventure I quickly chose the titles of each book in the series. It all began in Mimgardr (It being not only Dan and Aaron's apprenticeships but the sum of series' story), and hence book one was called in its honor, Mimgardr. In keeping with tradition, book two will also be named for a place, and that place is Oedarin, the small elfin kingdom over which Dan's island formerly looked and where the King of Hearts makes his home in the fortress of Andunban.

When Mimgardr ended Aaron and Dan had been separated for five years. Aaron had been training to succeed Merlin as Master of Hearts while Dan lived alone in exile. As this next piece of the story begins, Dan is being called out of exile to the bedsides of his mother-in-law and his former master. Unfortunately, a certain shape-shifting time traveler is still at large, and he too seems to be waiting patiently for Dan's return. What awaits our heroes in Oedarin? That remains to be seen as we move closer to the book's release, but there can be no doubt that it will answer the words carved by an intruder into the doors of the royal catacombs:

I AM ZEBAD!

76% Off on Mimgardr Kindle Editions!

Come one! Come all!
Tell your friends! Tell them all!

All this week

March 17 - 23, 2014

Mimgardr

(Oblivion's Gate: Book 1)
Kindle Edition

ONLY $0.99 USD

on

That's 76% off!

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And tell your friends!

Get Mimgardr for $0.99!

Mark your calendars and tell your friends!

March 17 - 23, 2014

Mimgardr

(Oblivion's Gate: Book 1)
Kindle Edition

$0.99 USD

Don't miss out!

Music and Subconscious Needs

Isn't life more fun when there is music playing? Workouts work out better, athletes compete better, romantics romance better, dreams even modify to the influence of music--everything just seems to get better with music. My favorite aspect of music is its effect on the clock. Time seems to pass faster when music is on (as long as you like the music that is playing), thus making it feel like it takes less time to do your work. Contrariwise, however, music has just much leverage on subconscious self-revelation. The music you listen to and play oft times says more about your inner workings and feelings than about the tasks at hand.

To illustrate, let's step into Mimgardr for a second. While Dan is cleaning the second floor of Merlin's tower following a particularly distressful turn of events, he chooses to break a few rules and incite some early morning mischief in response to the early happenings. He uses magic to make his treasured Fazioli pianoforte play out some powerful tunes while the mops and brushes work. He chooses two pieces of music that hearken back to the days of his childhood and remind him of doing chores at home while his father would play. The first piece he chooses is Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, which builds from a gentler beginning to a very energetic end. He follows the rhapsody with "Danse Infernale", or "Infernal Dance" in English, from Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, which definitely earns its title for the overpowering, crazed sound of the music.

For those of you who don't recognize these pieces by name. Here are two excellent examples from the endless realms of YouTube. I've hunted down certain piano performances to better illustrate how the music might've played into Dan's scheme in the wee hours of morning.

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt. This rendition was performed by Ádám György, who studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, and posted to YouTube by dexsst5 on 15 Sept 2009.

"Danse Infernale" from Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky. This rendition was performed by
Francesco Piemontesi, and was posted to YouTube by ClassicalMusicVideos on 07 Dec 2008.

As you can hear, both pieces are a bit more fast paced, aggressive and energetic than most people would be accustomed to hearing when they first get up in the morning. However, I felt that they perfectly illustrated Dan's desires by starting out very simply and purely mischievous, and building to an obnoxious finish. In a way the selections reveal not only Dan's intent that morning and portions of his past, but they also reveal the storm that's built up inside his heart. On the edges of the storm Dan seems to be purely mischievous, but as one slowly peels back the layers they find the spite, heartache and fear buried deeper in. With the choice of music he subconsciously reveals his whole soul to the world in a desperately aggressive cry for help. Unfortunately, the volume and hostility of the music only serve to drive away the people dearest to him and increase his own bitterness. Maybe that's why his older counterpart appears then. Perhaps the visit was due to the music chosen that day. Perhaps it wasn't so much of a recruitment as it was a desperate act to preserve young Dan's own emotional health. He had already contemplated suicide once, so maybe there's more to the story than meets the eye.

What do you think? Do you think these pieces of music accomplished these various ends? Or am I just blowing smoke? What songs or pieces might you have chosen to illustrate these points?

Please comment below.

Cover Design Tips for Indie Authors

Despite the old maxim 'Don't judge a book by its cover,' everybody does. Covers actually say quite a lot, so if you're going to publish a book you gotta make sure the cover's only saying good things. Here are some quick tips on the subject:

1 - "Don't get cheap on me!" - Do not take the easy way out. Don't freehand your cover or use a program like Paint to create it simply to save money and time. You might be able to get away with that for a small number of children's books, but for the most part people will never even pick up such a book. Covers like this give the impression that the book is amateur trash, that it's not well written, not well put together, and not worth their time.

2 - Study other covers - Take a little trip to the local libraries and bookstores. Find popular books of the same genre as your own and examine the cover designs. Why would that particular cover grab so much attention? Is it the graphics? the cover copy? the title? the colors? reviews?

3 - Big, and easy to read - Make sure that your title is big and easy to read. Same goes for your name. These are the two most important pars of your covers. The easier it is for your title to stand out from a distance, the easier it will be for people to walk immediately toward it.

4 - Be subtly flashy - Use a color scheme and design that can't be ignored but doesn't go overboard. You want people to like looking at the book, so don't burn their eyes out with too many intense colors. Remember to keep it pretty simple. The more questions your cover inspires--the more mystery it contains and curiosity it inspires--the more likely it is that people will pick up the book to read the cover copy.

5 - 120-word max on cover copy - Book browsers won't spend a lot of time reading every piece of cover copy (also called "the blurb"), so ensure that yours is short, powerful, and has a very catchy tagline at the beginning. The shorter the better, but make 120 words your max. Comparing this project to fishing, the cover is the tip of the hook and the blurb is the barb. The barb usually isn't very large, but it does it's job well. You need to set this thing and make it so readers cannot walk away without taking the book with them.

6 - Don't be afraid to hire a professional - If you have no idea how to design a good cover, don't try. This isn't something you can just throw together and have success. If you know what makes a good cover but don't know how to use Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator or another like program effectively, don't DIY. People will be able to tell in a heartbeat. Be brave, be humble, be smart, and hire a professional; it's well worth your money.

* * * * *

Today is your last chance to pick up The Kingdom and the Crown and Mimgardr for just $1.99 on Amazon.com. Don't miss out on this awesome deal! It lasts till midnight, so tell your friends!

For the Kingdom and the Crown, click HERE.

For Mimgardr, click HERE.

HAPPY READING!

Behind the Scenes: The Creation of Oolong

When I created Oolong for Oblivion's Gate, I went through a much different creation process than when I created Rokai and company for the Kingdom Chronicles. After all, they are very different creatures. Whereas Rokai and co. are based on the European myths, Oolong is built into a whole ecosystem and taxonomy of animals and mythical creatures.

One of the dragons from The Nine Dragons handscroll, Chen Rong, 1244 CE. USA public domain. Wikipedia.

To help you understand the scope of the project, here's a contracted list of the animals and creatures I studied and researched while creating Oolong:

Mythical creatures:
- Oriental dragons (As many as I could find, including, the long, imoogi, naga, and more)
- European dragons (wyrms, drakes, wyverns, etc)
- American dragons (like Quetzalcoatl)
- Other feathered serpents
- The Leviathan
- Other sea monsters

Real animals:
- Lizards
- Boas
- Pythons
- Cobras
- Vipers
- Sea-snakes
- Legless lizards
- Crocodilians (Crocs and alligators)
- Geckos
- Eagles
- Fish
- a healthy bit of endothermic (warm-blooded) vs ectothermic (cold-blooded) animal behaviors
- and much more.

It took a lot of work to get him worked out just right, but I'm very pleased with Oolong. Are you? For you writers out there, how far have you gone to create animals and creatures for your stories?

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.

Help a Reader: The Heart Render and the Nova Core

I was questioned recently about the quests for the Heart Render and the Nova Core, two artifacts of immense power, that take place in Mimgardr. I was going to answer them myself, but I think I'll turn the inquiries over to you readers and see what you think.

Here's a little review to start:

The Heart Render is a dagger-shaped shard of White Blood that was magically enhanced until it became a type of scalpel for operations on the human soul. Conversely, the Nova Core remains a mystery; we aren't specifically told what it does, only that it resembles a cut diamond mounted in the heart of a golden sun. Both artifacts are so powerful and potentially devastating that they were hidden in specially designed places. But when Dan Barker's life comes into serious jeopardy Morgan reveals that these two artifacts are the only things that will allow him to save the apprentice. So with the dominant vote of the King of Hearts Dan himself, Oolong and Ilia are sent to retrieve the Heart Render from the Master of Elvarheim while the Master of Hearts and Aaron, his apprentice, journey into the Kemem Desert to retrieve the Nova Core.

The quest for the Heart Render is only partially described in Mimgardr but results in successful recovery of the artifact. The adjoining quest, however, is anything but a success, turning instead from a journey of retrieval to a battle of wills, and before they can reach it the Nova Core is lost to the enemy.

With the loss of the Core both quests are reduced to folly and Morgan's plan is overthrown, so the Heart Render passes into the hands of King Michael and disappears for the rest of the book. The Nova Core, however, reappears at the Battle of Mimgardr when Dan is struck down and Hades, Lord of the Fallen, uses his powers to join the Core into the Oblivion, and there it stays until the end of the book.

Now, here are the questions: What was the point? Why would [I] write a journey into the story that does nothing but go in a circle? Or does it go in a circle? Do the Heart Render and Nova Core even matter? What do you think?

Thanatos, Son of Darkness

After discussing the dullahan yesterday, I decided to do a follow-up and talk about the legend behind the leader of the fallen Grim, Thanatos.

Leighton, Frederic (1830-1896), "Hercules Wrestling Death (detail)"

In Mimgardr Thanatos was once an elf of large proportion, standing nearly nine feet tall. He was a student of Merlin the Great, and apparently he wielded quite an influence over his classmates. At the time of Zuren's fall, he followed Zuren into the darkness. In order to become part of Zuren's special league, it was required that he sign a magically-binding contract and carve out his own heart as a mark of loyalty. When he had did so, the contract engendered several changes in him. His once noble elfin appearance was demented and consumed, his true name was wiped from every memory, and his name became Thanatos from there on. Over the years of his fall Thanatos became cruel and malicious, continually wielding dominion over the remaining Grim and sinking further into the darkness. Once in Oblivion he was assigned the duty to keep watch over Oblivion's Gate, and later joined Master Morgan in an attempt to free the duo as well as the rest of the Grim from the Fallon Ones' control.

But as we talked about yesterday, Zuren chose the names for his minions based upon his love of death. So, where did Thanatos' name come from?

The "real" Thanatos of ancient myth rises from the Greeks as a god of death. Born the Son of Erebos, who was the personification of Darkness, and Nyx, the personification of Night, Thanatos was the twin of Hypnos, the personification of Sleep. Thus the twin children of Darkness and Night were Sleep and Death. Other negatively deemed children included Moros (Doom), Eris (Strife), Geras (Old Age), Oizys (Suffering), Apate (Deception), Momus (Blame), Nemesis (Retribution), and finally Charon the Ferryman.

According to Theogony, written by Hesiod the Poet, Thanatos and Hypnos were never allowed to behold the light of the sun. And while Hypnos was benevolent and kindly, Thanatos is described as having "a heart of iron, and his spirit within him is pitiless as bronze: whomsoever of men he has once seized he holds fast: and he is hateful even to the deathless gods." Thanatos was seen as cruel, merciless and indiscriminate, only able to be cheated or tricked on rare occasion and beaten back only once, by Herakles. He hated--and was hated by--both mortals and the gods. The use of his sword was the dedication of a soul to the life and gods of the Underworld.

Later on however, when the people of Greece found death more desirable than life, their depictions of Thanatos changed. They began depicting the heartless wraith as a winged child, much more like Cupid, who wore a sheathed sword on his belt and carried an inverted torch. Thanatos became the overseer of peaceful passing and lost his role as the hated reaper. Which I personally believe tells us more about the condition of Greece than it does about the ancient Greek mythologies. When a tyrannical god of death becomes a welcome guest at your parties there must be something terribly wrong in the world. It wasn't until later that the true nature of Thanatos returned.

Thus is the history of Thanatos. I hope this gives you more insight into what Zuren might have hoped his new-found slave would become. I also hope it gives you some ideas as to what the rest of the Grim might be named. Got any good guesses? Want to know more? Please comment below.

Legend of the Dullahan

Quidor, John, "Headless Horseman Pursing Ichabod Crane", 1858, paint.

The Headless Horseman we are familiar with in our day draws its influence from either the Celtic
Dullahan, the horseman of the Brothers Grimm, or a mash-up of both. This includes the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow created by Washington Irving.

In Mimgardr, we learn that when Zuren began his fall he dragged down all save four of his classmates. (One of the four was Michael Maccini, and the other three have not been identified yet.) Ever consumed by an obsession with death, Zuren assigned each of his followers a coded name taken from a legendary psychopomp or death angel. Then he bestowed upon them a contract, a cloak, a scythe, and magically-incurred mutilation. One of those followers earned his new name on the day in which Zuren beheaded him for attempted betrayal. That would be the one known in the story as Dullahan.

The actual dullahan (or dulachán, meaning "dark man") is also called Gan Ceann, meaning "without a head". It is an old Celtic myth with variations between its Irish and Scottish roots. On the Irish side dullahans are known as a type of fairy, on the Scottish side the dullahan comes as the haunting spirit of a man name Ewen who was decapitated in a clan battle at Glen Cainnir.

According to standing tradition, a dullahan is the herald of death. It is often depicted riding a dark horse or occasionally driving the coiste bodhar, "the silent coach", a black carriage drawn by six horses and adorned with symbols of death, human bones and human pelts. It carries two things with it: a whip made from the spine of a man, and its severed head. The head has small, black, darting eyes; skin like rotted cheese; and a smile that literally stretches from ear to ear. Often times the decaying head may glow with the radiance of decaying matter, giving the dullahan a light with which to see in the darkness of night. Though this is hardly needed, for the eyes of the dullahan can see for leagues across the countryside with almost telescopic capacity.

Traveling with frightening speed, there is no way to bar the road of the dullahan. No lock, no gate, no barrier can contain it. And if it is spotted by an onlooker while on its ride, it will either lash out the spotter's eyes with its whip or cast a quantity of blood upon them, often as a mark that they will be among death's next victims.

When the dullahan reaches its destination it stops its mount, whether horse or coach, and speaks the only thing it can utter: the name of its victim. In that moment the person's soul is drawn out of their body and dies. Then the dullahan rides on.

Supposedly the only chance you have to drive the dullahan away is to wield gold against it. The dullahan has an unjustified fear of the metal, and if used rightly it may just frighten the fairy away. Unfortunately, this is a disputed hope.

Though the origin of the dullahan myth is unknown, one thing is for certain: the dullahan certainly holds its own among the multitudinous death herald myths. It's a figure never to be trifled with, and certainly not a figure you would ever invite around.

What are some of your favorite myths? What about them makes them your favorite? 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.