Stuffed Animals @Solsticepublish

My children have always been fascinated by stuffed animals.  I didn’t realize how big an issue it was until my 3 year old grand-daughter was playing with a huge stuffed dog of my daughter’s and ripped underneath the arms on both sides.  Don’t ask me how she managed that but she did.  My 13 year old daughter is the owner of the dog and was most upset.  She used duct tape to seal the tears and now it looks like the 4 foot stuffed dog wears silver deodorant.   As my daughter complained about her niece’s lack of care around her stuffed pals I began to take account of just how many stuffed animals we have in this house.  There are hundreds of them going back to my wife.  How did it get so out of control?  It started with my son and a stuffed raccoon he named “Ricky the Raccoon”.  Every night he needed to have the big (2 foot) doll with him when he went to sleep.  Five years later his first sister came along and soon wanted Ricky for herself.  That didn’t fly.  Unfortunately they no longer made the big raccoons so I bought the 1 foot size they made and named it “Little Ricky”.  She never took to him in the same way and the fight ensued.  My son was also into Pokémon at the time and had won a 3 foot tall doll of Charmander. the little, cute fire Pokémon.  His sister wanted it and he refused to share because he feared what she might do.  It turned out he was right to be afraid.  She took her markers and colored all over his belly and face one day.  It was impossible to clean.  Then my son and I were at a local carnival.  I have never been good at carnival games and so I stay clear of them.  One of the places had a Charzard, the more evolved form of Charmander hanging in the “Look at this prize that is impossible to win” section.  My son said he wanted to win Charzard for his sister to make her happy and also so she would leave Charmander alone.  I’m a considerate Dad but this was a money pit, plain and simple.  It was raining and there were hardly any patrons at the games.  The game had something to do with throwing rings and I knew there was no way to win.  I also knew this person probably didn’t pay much for the doll and was currently making no money.  While my son wasn’t looking I asked if business had been slow and the person said it had.  I pulled out a $20 bill and said, “Here’s the deal.  My son wants that Charzard up there.  You can have this bill up front and we will play your game.  But when the game is over, no matter what happens, we walk away with that doll.  Otherwise we could just walk away now.”  It was probably not the best deal either of us had ever made but on that rainy Wednesday we agreed.  My son and I didn’t come close to getting the rings in the right places but at the end the fellow running the game said we were, “Close Enough” and he awarded us the Charzard.  That was it.  My son was beaming.  He didn’t want to stay at the fair any longer.  We drove home and when he saw his sister next, he gave it to her.  She was so happy she colored on it too.  A few years later that same daughter was into the Power Puff Girls.  At one point she insisted we call her Bubbles after the blond one.  At our local supermarket was a claw machine…an evil claw machine that held a large Bubbles doll.  I tried to win it and I might as well have been throwing rings.  My son tried to win it and had no better luck.  Every time we went there we would each put a dollar (of mine) into the machine and be disappointed.  One day we were paying for my groceries and there were some teenaged boys over at the claw machine.  They had managed to capture the doll and had it thrown to the side while they tried for more.  I excused myself for a minute and went to talk to the boys.  They were frustrated because they couldn’t get the one they wanted and only had a “Stupid girl doll”.  So I said, “Hey, I’ll give you $5 for that girl doll and you can keep playing.”  They were on that like flies on honey.  I came back with the doll and was a hero.  Music played.  People cheered.  The crowd went wild.  Ok Maybe I’m exaggerating a tad but she slept with it every night for years.  Then her own little sister came along and wanted Bubbles.  In a fit of anger the youngest one tore one of the pig tails off her head.  That was major drama.  Now that same youngest daughter is angry at my grand-daughter for tearing her dog.  It’s funny how these cycles repeat themselves.

International Paperback @Solsticepublish

I have recently had some inquiries about where people outside the USA can find “The Sapphire Crucible”.  Amazon.com and .co.uk, have both the Kindle version and Print format.  Amazon.ca and .com.au only have the kindle format.  You can order the print version from CreateSpace  at https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=sapphire+crucible&sitesearch_type=STORE I am told by my publisher that they ship internationally.  I don’t know why the other sites only have the Kindle version but this still allows you to order a print copy.  Enjoy the read.

New Age Gaming @Solsticepublish

Many years ago (I’m dating myself here) I loved playing Tetris.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the game, it has puzzle pieces in different shapes that you must use to form a continuous line in order to get points.  As you progress in levels, the pieces come faster and faster.  I realize it doesn’t sound particularly exciting but it was strangely addictive.  Writing and everything that goes along with it is very rewarding but also very time consuming.  As a result I rarely find time to play games anymore.  That doesn’t mean that they have gone away, mind you.  They have morphed into new strangely addictive games.  I’m not talking about the “Call of Duty”, Tom Clancy, shoot ‘em up games my son is addicted to playing.  They are fine but I seem to have lost the hand-eye-coordination necessary to handle the constantly changing action.  As a result, I die quickly and usually don’t know how.  For this my children give me the title of “Nube”.  I don’t quite have the terminology down but I know enough to know it is not a compliment.  No, the games like Tetris now are ones like “Jewels, Candy Crush, Farmville” and I know there are others but I guess I’m too much a Nube to know them.  Usually the premise for these games is simple.  “Jewels” is a lot like Tetris but you have to line up jewels of the same type to get points.  I don’t know what Candy Crush is but I know I’ve sent like a thousand lives to friends requesting them.  The only reason I have any knowledge of it is because my wife installed it on my phone so she could keep playing after she ran out of lives.  Apparently you combine things to make new candies and advance through a virtual board game.  Here’s the twist.  You only have a certain number of lives and then you can’t play anymore until you do one of two things.  Either wait however long to get more lives (I’m told this is excruciating) or purchase more lives and keep playing right away.  Friends have told me the game is like crack and it is the most addictive one out there.  Some have had to force themselves to quit playing simply due to the obsession with it.  My wife is smart and just plays it on my phone when she’s out of lives.  I don’t know anything about “Farmville” except it seems many of my friends are inviting me to play it.  Perhaps I would try them if I wasn’t so afraid of becoming hooked.  Whoever thinks up these games is brilliant.  How do they make them so addictive?  I suppose the only way to find out is to play them but then I open myself up to being caught up in that digital world.  These games are not bad.  They just are time consuming.  That is really what any gamer is looking for anyway; something to fill their time and make them forget their worries.  Considering the hustle of everyday life and the lack of negative side effects like actual drugs, perhaps these games aren’t so bad after all.  Yet I cannot help but wonder…how do they make them so addictive?

The Consequences of Multitaksing @Solsticepublish

I had been working on Book 3 in the Sapphire Chronicles called “Mandrean Revenge” but mostly stopped some months back in order to concentrate on marketing the first two books, “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and “The Sapphire Crucible.”  I have finally set aside some time to return to my true love, writing, and find myself confronted with a problem.  It has been so long since I wrote the previous chapters that I have forgotten what elements I have already added and what ones have yet to be revealed.  You can’t talk about topic B if topic A was never introduced.  I tried just continuing on with the story as it has been plotted out in my head for years.  Doing this became one-dimensional as my storyboard had disappeared for this book.  Finally I reached the point where I wondered, “What are the other characters doing right now?  Did I already mention this or do I still need to?”  As I was lying in bed the other night I realized what I needed to do.  I had to read everything I had written over again in order to find out where I stood and storyboard out the progression.  So I set to work.  I’ve read through the first few chapters and found the writing to be markedly better than what I was adding on at the end in my “free time”.  A sinking feeling settled in my stomach that every writer feels when they know they have to rewrite something.  Now I must finish reading what has been written in order to find the place where I need to perform reconstructive surgery.  This is not a crisis and is definitely fixable.  What it tells me is that writing is not a multitasking job.  When you are going to write; write.  When you are going to promote; promote.  And so on.  Writing is a fluid symphony of expression.  When you are on a roll (you know that feeling) you need to just go with it.  Let it flow.  Edit it later.  Just get the good stream of ideas typed before your mind moves on and you end up looking for the end of a rope in the dark so you can follow the path once again.  It doesn’t seem like it should be so hard when you consider that writing is the actual fun part of the whole process.  Yet there are so many other things pulling your time and attention away that writing falls on the back burner of time management.  I enjoy rereading my work as I find little tweaks each time that add to the story.  But when you are nearly finished with a book and can’t remember what elements you’ve added, you know your pen has been down for too long.  It is time to dive into my world and set things right.  From now on, when I start a book, I’ll finish the book before I turn my attention elsewhere.  It sounds easier than it is but I refuse to sacrifice quality for multitasking.

Zombies @Solsticepublish

I was just watching “World War Z” and I started to think.  Since the whole Zombie Apocalypse is a popular theme these days it seems like there are major questions that need to be raised.  Wouldn’t they starve to death?  You never see them eat anything in these movies.  But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on that one.  Let’s just say they eat humans.  If they change them into zombies by biting them then wouldn’t their meal change while they chewed?  So maybe they eat other zombies.  I don’t buy that one either.  In no zombie movie do they ever turn on each other.  It’s sort of like a zombie fraternity.  They seem to stick together.  I know I’ve touched on this next topic before but why do they never get cold?  Is zombie season only in the summer?  They don’t dress warmly and don’t seem to put much thought into their apparel.  That’s going to lead to some really cold zombies come winter in the colder climates.  Why don’t they dehydrate in the heat?  They never seem to stop for a drink.  Even though they’re “Undead” and all, their human bodies must need some sort of replenishment.  What do they do in their spare time?  You never see them sleep.  Being a zombie has to be a pretty boring life.  When you’re not chasing one of the few healthy humans around you seem satisfied spending your time walking aimlessly around parking lots.  It’s kind of like when Laser Pink Floyd lets out in the real world.  It sounds pretty boring.  “Hey, it’s night time.  No humans around.  I guess I’ll stumble about…Hey, its morning.  No humans around.  Maybe I’ll stumble over here.”  Sounds dull.  Maybe they’ll finish off the humans and start their own entertainment.  They could make shows like “Survivor – Zombie World”, “The Amazing Zombie Race” and “Dancing with the Zombies.”  Although it might be hard to make that work since zombies seem to have no interest in television.  If they were bored enough they could always play “Catch the Human” with one of them pretending to be the human and the others giving chase.  The zombie idea is played out.  With sincere regards to my friends who write in that genre, the suspension of disbelief is simply not there anymore.  We’ve had zombies who can’t be killed, zombies who can’t handle sunlight, zombies who eat the dead, zombies who have to be burned and zombies who can fall in love.  That pretty much covers the zombie gamut.  Sadly, good storylines are often replaced by CGI effects and makeup.  It’s time for something different.  As readers and watchers we need something that is either realistic in the “This could really happen” arena or the other end entirely like Tolkien where it’s a totally different world with totally different rules and you can set your imagination free.  I know where my vote goes.

We Should Be Like Bander @Solsticepublish

If only more people in this world were like Bander Greenlith.  He is one of the two fraternal twin brothers in “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and “The Sapphire Crucible.”  For those of you unfamiliar with him let me paint a picture.  As elves go he his big and strong.  He chops down trees for a living.  In some ways his greatest weakness is also his greatest strength.  He is not the most intelligential fellow that has ever been in a book.  The bad part of that is he is easily led astray, particularly by his brother Rander.  Bander can be tricked and cajoled into many things.  If he actually spent the time to consider the matters, he might act differently.  On the other hand, Bander never gives matters serious thought unless he is forced to do so.  He is blissfully ignorant and sees no reason to change.  While some people value money and others think only of power, Bander is happy so long as he is well fed.  A good meal in vast quantities will do more for his mood than all the gold in the world.  In this way he is a simple character and one who is easy to like.  Many fans have told me he is their favorite person in the stories.  As the books go on, however, we learn that there is much more to him when he is forced to consider the situation at hand.  He is thoughtful and does not get caught up in the drama of their trials.  When everyone else is analyzing every angle of a problem, he looks at things from a basic level and often finds the obvious points that have been overlooked.  It is not always the most intellectual person in life who comes up with the answers.  It is sometimes the simplest, most logical one who sees things clearly.  Bander is a reminder that we shouldn’t need many material things to be happy.  If you have good food and good family and friends, there isn’t much more you need.  The books have plots and subplots with many different characters trying to further their own position in life.  Bander is along for the ride and there to help at a moment’s notice.  What more could you ask for?  He’s an honest, generally happy fellow.  If more of us were like him, I think it would make for a happier world.

Review of "Seeking the Storyteller" @Solsticepublish

Hunter: Seeking The Storyteller
By Jessica Walsh & Briana Lawrence
This is a fantasy story about “demons” who leave their own world and enter ours.  The term “demons” is used to describe anyone from the alternate world whether they are friend or foe.  Two “Hunters” (people who track down demons) named Fagan and Alix are given a tip to meet an old partner at an abandoned house with some important information.  They arrive to find their friend shot to death and several demons hiding on the premises.  They capture the demons and take them prisoner in their warehouse holding cell.  Their names are Dox, Cyn and Haven.  They each have very special abilities.  Dox can move through the shadows and is literally the monster in the room when you sleep.  Cyn is actually human but had a demon surgically placed within her without her knowledge that enables her to control plant roots and use them as weapons.  Haven is a young man with a dragon tattoo on his arm which signifies a real frost dragon coexisting within him giving him tremendous power but little insight other than to not trust people and stay on the move.  Beyond trying to figure out the murder of their friend, Alix has an ulterior motive in keeping them alive.  The demons have knowledge of “The Storyteller”; a demon who can change your past, the present or the future all through sketches that appear in their notebook.  Another demon arrives named Mira who fills in many of the blanks for the partners.  She is not there just as a source of information; however, Mira seeks to recruit them all to help stop a war about to commence in the demon world that might spill into ours.  She also promises a meeting with The Storyteller.  There is action and drama as conflicting personalities try to work together with extreme difficulty.  I’m not a spoiler but I can tell you there are some surprises and twists at the end that will make you yearn for the sequel.  The writers do a masterful job of creating characters so dissimilar that you need to follow closely to keep track of them all.  As the story moves along you learn more and more about each of them.  The plot is gripping and holds your attention.  This is a nice piece of fantasy writing with a fresh take on the theme.

The Little Things @Solsticepublish

People have a tendency to focus on the big things they want in life.  “I could be happy if I had that car or house or job.”  Those are all important things but they happen with seldom frequency.  Waiting on such things leaves us in a state where we are yearning for happiness.  Now the little things in life are the ones that sustain you and make you feel happy.  What sort of little things, you may wonder?  It varies from person to person.  Perhaps that little thing is rewarding yourself with lunch at your favorite restaurant.  Maybe all it takes is a game of basketball with some friends or having a drink with your pals after work.  For me I found a little piece of heaven today when I went to Panera and bought my family a dozen bagels.  It was something I used to do weekly but had cut it out of my routine.  It is said that “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” and that was certainly true today.  Wow that bagel was good!  It was still soft and warm when I opened it.  With just a light layer of whipped cream cheese spread over the top I thought I had just had them for the first time.  It was as if they had improved the recipe in the time since I bought them last.  That felling of happiness made the whole day feel better.  Maybe it wasn’t the biggest thing in the world, but it made me happy.  That’s really what it’s all about.  The big things in life are what you hope and aspire for but it’s the little ones that make your day special.  As a young boy I would eat apples often as snacks.  Before I could eat one, however, I always had to wash it and then give it to my mother.  She would rub it with a towel until it shined.  Clearly it was all mental but a shined apple from Mom always tasted better.  It was just a little thing, though.  To this day I wash my apples and shine them up before eating and do the same for my children.  It doesn’t matter if the reward is food or doing something you enjoy or whatever.  As long as you do something special for yourself or someone else every day you will have that great feeling.  Those are the feelings you remember and cherish.  It could be just about anything but the fact that you did something out of the ordinary will make your days happier and brighter.  So do a little something for yourself today.  The little things are what sustain you.

Different Interpretations @Solsticepublish

I’ve had the pleasure of talking with some fans and have enjoyed the back and forth.  What I love the most about writing is finding out how another individual interprets what you have written.  How many times have you loved a song and thought it was about one thing only to discover it was about something else.  A band I like quite a bit called Matchbox 20 put out a song some years back called “3AM”.  I thought it was about a woman calling a man and inviting him over for extracurricular activities in the middle of the night.  I saw them in concert a few years ago and the lead singer told the audience that it was actually about his terminally ill mother calling at odd hours with strange requests.  Man was I off base.  I realize after listening to my readers that my words have one meaning when I put them down on paper and often are interpreted totally differently by my audience.  At first I thought that maybe I had done something wrong.  It turns out that most of the time the readers not only have plausible interpretations but also are excited about their viewpoint.  Painters create their works of art and are trying to portray a thought through image.  Yet it is rare that 2 people see art the same way.  It’s not a bad thing.  I think it means that sometimes there is more there than even the artist realizes.  Some of the insights relayed to me have been fascinating.  The characters are always seen as different than I envisioned when I created and designed them.  The interpretations are fun to hear and inspire me to work harder.  Characters I never really considered important to the body of the story become fan favorites.  Scenes I put in to take the story from point A to point B captivate the readers.  Writing is a wonderful profession and I am so grateful to all those who enjoy my work.  I am also grateful to those who did not enjoy the works as much.  Their criticism has helped me develop into a better writer.  I don’t think you ever are done growing as an author.  There are always new things to learn and new ideas to express in different ways.  If you have any feedback on my work, I would love to hear it.  You can reach me at rivalgates@hotmail.com.  There is also a link on rivalgates.com.  I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

The Crucible and Beyond @Solsticepublish

I have been working on Book 3 in the Sapphire Chronicles called “Mandrean Revenge.”  It will be a more compact book, as much of the groundwork has already been done in “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and “The Sapphire Crucible.”  It will encompass the action many of you seem to love in my stories but there will be a new strange dynamic taking hold of the story.  There is a part of me that wants to blurt it out but there’s no suspense in that.  It should be finished by the end of the summer.  “The Sapphire Crucible” continues to sell well and the response has been tremendous.  People are anxious to see what happens to Linvin and the gang.  I love each of my stories for different reasons.  This particular one is great because it fills in a lot of the blanks left from “Quest” and adds new characters and storylines.  As I said in my character interview earlier this week on “Sallie’s Book Review and More” http://yesterdaydaugher.blogspot.com/2014/05/dicover-rival-gates-author-of-sapphire.html one of my favorite characters to write in this book is Necromancer.  Now I am fully aware that using the name Necromancer is as common in fantasy literature as swordplay.  This Necromancer, however, is very different than many in other stories.  He has agendas within agendas and you will never know his entire plans.  He is helpful and harmful at the same time and always sarcastic.  Overall, he is the spicy kick in the “Crucible” story.  There are periods of pure evil and there are times of pure hilarity.  There are reasons he had to be called just Necromancer.  I can’t explain them yet.  That’s still a couple of books away!  But do read the character interview referenced above if you haven’t already.  He’s quite a character.

My Daughter Wants A Puppy @Solsticepublish

I want to mention just to start with that I have posted the first chapter of “The Sapphire Crucible” on my website at  http://www.rivalgates.com/chapter-11.html  In my day job I am a salesman and I take great pride in my ethical portrayal of that role.  One thing I know, however, is if someone is trying to sell me.  Enter my youngest daughter.  While I love all my children equally, she is like a big cube of sugar.  She is that sweet.  I know it.  Her mother knows it.  And I am saddened to say, she knows it all too well.  That girl can work the cute angle like no one I’ve ever known.  It scares me for when she’s old enough to date.  But that will be a blog years from not.  I’m only just adjusting to her older sister having a boyfriend.  Back to my point.  My youngest daughter usually finds a method of getting her way.  We had a great dog for about 12 years and then she pasted about a year and a half ago.  I really do like dogs but right now is just not a good time to have one for a number of reasons.  Ever since then my daughter has been on the “I want a puppy” bandwagon.  There are several methods she uses.  The first one I call the Heartstring Approach.  She brings out pictures of our old dog and reminds us of fond memories of her.  Then she tells us how much she misses having a pet to love.  She even found a friend whose dog just had pups and was giving them away.  This was compelling and my wife caved but I did not budge.  From then on I was labeled “The Dog Hater”.  After a few months of that, my daughter moved on in full force to what I call The Guilt Approach.  She pointed out that her older brother was able to get a puppy all those years ago and it was always “his” dog.  Going a step further, she pointed out that both my wife and I grew up having dogs and it was unfair that she couldn’t have one.  My wife buckled (she loves animals) but stood firm.  I maintained my new name and told her I didn’t care.  We were not getting another dog.  Undeterred, my daughter moved on to The Onion Approach.  As a parent you have to be on your toes with this one.  This is the argument where she asks for all the reasons we can’t have a dog and then proves why they are invalid arguments one after another.  They are peeled away like layers of an onion.  She liked to pull this one out when we were tired from work.  We told her that our yard in the house we are in right now is not fenced and a dog would be running away all the time.  So, for her birthday that year she asked for a fence.  That wasn’t exactly in the birthday budget and didn’t happen.  She knew that would be the case and filled the rest of her birthday gift list with the word “Puppy” over and over with pictures of puppies copied from the internet and placed in strategic locations.  Then she pointed out that we just kept out previous dog on a chain when she needed to go out and we could do it again.  No sale.  We told her that a dog was hard on the house; particularly the carpets.  She promised to keep the dog exercised and clean up after her.  We explained that my wife was allergic to all dogs to some degree.  My daughter pointed out that our beagle previously gave her few problems and we could get one again.  I told her they were very expensive dogs and she turned around and said she wouldn’t need another Christmas or birthday gift.  Whatever excuse you give her, she will overcome it.  I admit even I am running out of reasons not to get a new dog.  It has reached the “Because I said so” phase which only reinforces my dog-hater persona.  We are at a test of wills and I don’t know how long I can hold out.  I still think I can outlast her

New Character Interview! @Solsticepublish

“Sallie’s Book Reviews and More” is a wonderful blog that has posted a character interview from “The Sapphire Crucible” by one of my favorite characters in the book, Lord Mandrean’s Necromancer.  You can check it out here.  http://yesterdaydaugher.blogspot.com/2014/05/dicover-rival-gates-author-of-sapphire.html

I hope you enjoy it

 

Review: The Allow Factor @Solsticepublish

This is the story of Sadie.  She is a normal young woman who starts the novel on a dreadful note.  On the eve of her trip to Jamaica to marry the man of her dreams, he stands her up.  Sadie is devastated and the author does an amazing job of describing just how “broken” Sadie is by the event.  It is an experience thankfully few of us will ever endure but the hurt is so deep and so total that one cannot help but empathize with her.  Then the writer throws a twist in.  She uses clever flashbacks to show just why she was so in love with Radley Cole.  At times I actually found myself liking his character.  It was difficult to tell if he was toying with her emotions or he was just afraid of commitment.  Either way you look at it, he had some redeeming qualities in Sadie’s eyes.  This is a lustful, steamy romance that will take you to the highest highs and the lowest lows.  You will love the two main characters one minute and then be disgusted by them in the next.  One thing is for sure.  The story keeps you reading.  This one’s a definite 5 star book! 

Review of Otherplanet @Solsticepublish

Otherplanet Review

 

I have had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of “Otherplanet” by Helen Alexander.  It is a science fiction story about two unsavory salesmen who hear about an alien flower called the Stella Mars.  It is said to bring happiness to anyone possessing it.  A very rich man is willing to pay any sum in order to have the plant.  The two companions decide to steal the flower and make their fortune.  Things go off track for the two of them from there.  The ingenious story takes part on both Earth and a mystical planet called Otherworld. There are elements all science fiction fans will love.  The story has magical creatures and special powers.  This story moves at a brisk pace but it keeps your attention quite well.  It is complex, yet easy to follow.  I certainly will not spoil anything for you but the end has an interesting twist.  This is a great piece for anyone who loves to exercise their imagination.  Helen Alexander has really outdone herself.

Book Blurb @Solsticepublish

I realized as I was rereading “The Sapphire Crucible” in order to send an excerpt to a blogger that I have not placed one in my own blog for a while.  Here is one I enjoy quite a bit.  I hope you do as well.
“Now, where are the prisoners’ possessions” he asked in a normal tone of voice.  Several of the goblins ran outside and pulled the cart with the items to the door.  Necromancer approached the cart and sifted through the materials.  His face lit up with a wicked smile as he produced the gold chain and key Linvin had been wearing.  He discarded the chain and placed the key in the folds of his robe.  “Take the rest of this lot to the top floor storage area.”  “Lord Necromancer,” asked Hugon.  “Should I inform Lord Mandrean of the prisoners’ arrival?  They are his captives after all.”  “No need to bother him,” Necromancer replied.  “I will tell him when the time his right.  For now they are my prisoners and you would do well to remember that.”
 “As you command,” assured Hugon.  “What level do you want me to take our guests down to for lock-up?”  Necromancer walked over to Linvin and observed his condition.  “Take them up to the second floor.”  “But My Lord...” began Hugon.   Necromancer slowly turned his head toward the goblin and he stopped talking.  “Let me say this one last time.  The prisoners are to be well treated and cared for.  I want them fed as I have instructed and their wounds treated by our physicians.  My patience in this matter has been exhausted.  Now all of you help them to their feet and follow me.”  Gently the goblins assisted the frail elves to their feet, save for Linvin who required four soldiers to carry his frame.  The goblins formed a line behind Necromancer and ascended the stairs.  Everyone but Hugon came.  He remained on the floor and quivered as he took stock of his injuries.     On the second level were cells in good condition with straw on their floors.  Though the stairs continued up they were staying where they were.  The bewildered elves were carried past several cages and halted by one at the end of the hall.  A large cell door was opened and the party was gently laid on the straw.  Necromancer supervised the action.  He ordered the shackles removed from all but Anvar.   Then the door was closed and locked.  He stepped over to the bars and looked closely.  “Yes,” he said, “You shall do rather nicely I should think.  Guard.  Bring the food I had prepared for them.  Also bring the Imperial Physicians.  Their strength must return.”  The guard paused as if to ask a question and then saw Necromancer’s eyes begin to glow with greater ferocity.  “Right away Sir,” he said as he hurried down the stairs.  Linvin rolled over and looked at the strange man at the other side of the gate.  There was something very cold and wrong about Necromancer and yet he saved their lives.  Linvin collected himself and spoke.  “Are you our friend?” he asked.  “No,” Necromancer answered without hesitation.  “As insignificant as you are, you are a means to an end for me.  Besides, I have no friends.  To be someone’s friend you must see them as being equal to yourself...and no one in this world comes even close”  Linvin was confused by his host’s actions but tried not to give much away.  “What do you want with my house-key?”  Necromancer laughed.  “Come now, Grithinshield.  You and I both know it is not your house-key.  Even if it was, I doubt locking your door would have kept them out.”  “Kept who out?” asked Linvin.  “Do not play coy with me, Little Flea.  You know about whom I speak and you know why I need this key.”  Then he paused and thought as he looked at Linvin’s inquisitive expression.  “Perhaps you don’t know why the key is important?  Do you know what it opens?”  Linvin looked at Anvar.  His uncle looked as lost as Linvin.  Necromancer placed his arms on his knees and asked chidingly, “Would you like me to tell you the answer?”  “Yes,” replied Linvin.  “I am sure you would,” Necromancer laughed.  “Perhaps I overestimated you.  No matter.  With any luck I will not need you.  All the same, get some rest.  You may be in need of your strength before all is finished.  We want to be prepared.”  Necromancer turned to leave.  “Why are you doing this?” pleaded Linvin.  Necromancer did not break stride and continued to head for the stairs.  “I grow tired of filling in the gaps in your knowledge.  Try putting the pieces together.  Maybe you will surprise me when I see you next.  I doubt it but you might.  After all, I never thought you would get this far.”  He descended the stairs and left the elves alone.

Why Are You Staring at Your Dog's Butt? @Solsticepublish

I was looking through Twitter and Facebook in search of inspiration for my blog.   I’m in kind of a relaxed mode where everything seems more amusing.  One person posted that they thought their dog’s rear looked like Jesus.  Then they posted the picture.  That was disturbing on all kinds of levels.  The first question I must ask is why you are looking at your dog in that way?  The next question is, “Out of everything your brain could imagine, you came up with Jesus?”  We don’t even know what he looked like.  It’s not like someone took their camera phone out and snapped a picture of him.  So how do you determine that your dog’s butt has his portrait imprinted upon it?  I guess people see what they want.  On to more serious topics.  I was talking with my 22 year old son yesterday and I came to the conclusion that he still thinks I’m stupid and ignorant as to how the world works.  To give him some credit, he at least acknowledges some things from the past on which I was right.  I am apparently not as feebleminded as I was when he was 18 and knew everything.  Now I am at least right once in a while.  He still thinks my ideas are out of date and out of touch with reality.  I would never wish for bad things to happen to my children but there is a small part of me that wants to be there when everything he has “figured out” blows up in his face.  Maybe he’ll be right this time and rainbows will fill the sky with unicorns frolicking bellow.  I think that’s a pipe dream but it is his life and he obviously only learns by making mistakes for himself.  On another topic, my oldest daughter has a boyfriend.  I knew this day would come eventually but it’s one of those things you can never completely prepare for in advance.  I’ve met this boy twice and looked intently for something to dislike about him.  I have to say, the kid’s played his cards well.  I couldn’t find a thing wrong with him.  The young man was polite and well mannered.   He laughed at my jokes, which means he must really want me to like him because I’m not that funny.   Overall he did a good job and didn’t put his foot in his mouth once.  He showed remarkable composure for a 16 year old boy.  Unfortunately, I was once a 16 year old boy myself and there were certain topics that dominated my thinking.  Those topics had nothing to do with impressing parents.  For that reason I will watch this fellow closely.  Fortunately, my daughter is a most stubborn person.  I think he will have his hands full.  Let’s not start putting him in family pictures just yet.  He is a first boyfriend.  We’ll wait and see how this plays out.  For the time being, I’m just pleased he didn’t say his dog’s butt looks like Jesus!

Spring is Finally Here @Solsticepublish

The sun is out.  The birds are singing and I am back at blogging.  Things could not be better.  Today I want to talk about Spring.  It seemed for a while like it was never going to arrive in the Midwest United States.  As I look out my window I see the neighbor’s trees blossoming.  (No, I still do not have a tree.)  The grass is growing and that ugly yellow color it had while dormant is gone.  The temperatures have been reaching the 70s.  That’s right about perfect for me as far as heat goes.  I have never been a fan of extreme heat or cold.  If I can walk outside in shorts and not be sweating or freezing, that is just right.  My wife prefers the sauna effect.  That’s really not for me.  If I break a sweat looking out the window, it’s too hot.  I find the changing of the seasons to be quite psychological.  For starters, if it is 60 degrees in the spring everyone is wearing shorts.  If it is 60 degrees in the fall, everyone is wearing long pants and jackets.  Strange, isn’t it?  The temperature is no different but people’s perception of it is drastically dissimilar.  Look at the first significant snowfall of the year.  People are driving into ditches and having accidents.  By January, the same amount of snow falls and there is little trouble.  In the summer we have the first really hot day and everyone stays indoors.  After a month of weather like that we go on about our business.  A good deal of the issues with weather is simply based on your recent history.  Change in weather brings about change in actions.  Right now is perfect.  Everyone is working in their yards.  The insects are not yet in full attack mode.  Even the rainy days are seen as speed bumps on the road of blissful weather.  This is a short but magical time every year.  Plants are coming to life and people are generally in a good mood.  Soak it in while it lasts.  Soon summer will be here and all we will have are memories of these perfect spring days.  

5 Star Book Review @Solsticepublish

Between computer issues and work I have been away from my love of writing for far too long.  My second review for “The Sapphire Crucible” is in and it is another 5 star review!  You can see it on Goodreads here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/926693218?book_show_action=true&page=1 If I have recovered all my writing files I will get back on the promotion circuit shortly.  In the meantime, enjoy this review.

Paperback Is Out! @Solsticepublish

The day has finally arrived when “The Sapphire Crucible” is now available on paperback on Amazon.com!  Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/The-Sapphire-Crucible-Rival-Gates/dp/1625260504/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399003300&sr=8-1&keywords=sapphire+crucible  Order yours today.