New Excerpt "Quest"

It’s the weekend and the response from the book excerpts has been so positive that I am doing new ones.  Today is a piece from “Quest for the Red Sapphire.”  Some have told me that Linvin was too perfect.  This scene will show that he has his demons.
The next question was whether to bring armament.  Linvin looked at the wall and beheld his long sword from Valia.  He smiled widely and took the weapon from its hanger.  The silver scabbard was decorated in elegant scroll work.  Near its opening, was an inscription.  It read, “Bestowed to General Grithinshield, by the people of Valia, for his relief of the Siege of Sarice.  May his hand never falter!” Linvin drew the sword that had served him well on many occasions.  It was the finest blade he had ever seen, short of his father’s.  Perfectly balanced, it sliced through the air with grace, rarely seen in a weapon. He swiped with it and then drew back in a defensive stance.  He then lunged and spun toward his imaginary target, finishing with a thrust of the pommel, followed by a downward stab.  The tip stuck in the floor for a brief moment before Linvin withdrew it and slashed behind him in a circular motion. Linvin was pleased to see that he had retained his fighting skills.  The movements brought memories flowing through his mind of far off days when he was known as the Defender of Valia.  He smiled again.  The expression however, was to be short lived. Out of the corner of his eye, Linvin spied a black area on the blade.  A sudden panic overtook him as he pulled the blemish closer.  He rubbed it with his finger and it did not change.  Panic turned to horror as he realized that it was dried goblin blood.  With ravenous speed he took a towel to it and scoured the blade as though his life depended on its cleanliness.  After several frantic moments, he stopped and looked for the stain again.  It was still on the metal.  The wiping, as it turned out, had spread the area across the length of the sword. “No!” cried Linvin.  “This cannot be!  It must come off!”  Try as he might, the more he worked on the blemish, the more it coated his prized possession.  Sweat dripped from his brow as he began to pant from the effort. Then he noticed a smell enter the room.  It was not a pleasant odor, but rather the sickly stench of goblin blood.  Its pungent aroma brought vivid images of death and murder to Linvin’s inflamed mind.  He could see the faces of the enemies he had slain.  One after another, they screamed as he cut them down in every conceivable fashion.  Their fallen carcasses spraying blood on Linvin like an ocean wave. He dropped the sword and screamed as visions of slain goblins filled the room.  The walls melted away and he found himself in the swamp again surrounded by living and rotting goblins. “Get out of my head!” he shouted as he grabbed its sides, but the sights persisted.  He tried to cover his eyes, only to find that his hands were drenched with the hot, viscose fluid of the fallen. Linvin stumbled into the wall of the tree and he was back in his room again, though still surrounded by enemies who drew ever closer.  “I must get it off!” he yelled, while dousing his hands in a nearby wash-basin. Stubbornly, his hands remained black.  He scrubbed with a towel until his skin began to tear from the strain.  Still, he found no reprieve. His body shook and he neared convulsions. Crawling on the floor, Linvin wedged himself against the wall.  The goblins had their weapons out and were ready to strike him down.  Linvin folded his hands under his arms to both hide them from sight and try in vain to stop his shaking. “There is no blood!  There is no blood!  There is no blood!” he wailed while rocking himself back and forth.  His enemies were practically on top of him. Linvin closed his eyes and said aloud, “I can control this. I can stop it.  There is no blood.  There is no blood.  I know there is no blood!” He opened his eyes again and he was alone in his room.  His sword lay on floor without as much as a hint of blood upon it.  Linvin withdrew his hands from under his arms and saw only his own blood coming from where he had broken the skin in his attempt to cleanse it from something that apparently was never there to begin with. He rested his head on his knees in relief.  After a considerable amount of time, he picked up the sword and placed it back in its scabbard on the wall.

First Draft Done

I just finished the first draft of my next book, “Mandrean Revenge.”  I don’t like spoilers so I won’t give you any but I must say it goes in a radically new direction that could not have been foreseen.  Fear not fans.  There is still plenty of action to keep you interested and there are some dialogues that will bend your noodle when you think them through.  I’m going with a little shorter book this time as the characters are mostly established.  Now comes the editing phase.  I’m pretty picky about that type of thing and it can sometimes take a while.  I need to talk to my publisher and work on dates for publishing but the point is, the story itself is done.  You’ll want to read “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and “The Sapphire Crucible” first in order for the story to fall in line.  You can find them here:  http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Red-Sapphire-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DZ100MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403212340&sr=8-1&keywords=quest+for+the+red+sapphire and http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Crucible-Chronicles-Rival-Gates-ebook/dp/B00JL0P6IG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403212407&sr=8-1&keywords=sapphire+crucible  Keep on reading and I’ll keep on writing!

Anvar: Pro or Con @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

I was reading an email from a fan that had read “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and was surprised to hear that the character they liked the least was Anvar Greenlith.  For those who don’t know, he is the protagonist’s (Linvin’s) uncle and mentor.  The message went on to say that he was overly critical of Linvin and needed to “get off his high horse.”  This person further added that Anvar was useless and just a nag throughout the story.  That is the thing I love about writing.  The same words mean so many different things to different people.  I, for one, have never felt Master Yoda in Star Wars was of any use.  He never gives a straight answer and usually has someone else do the dirty work.  That opinion has never been popular with Star Wars fans but I stand by it because that is the way I see the character.  It is not my intention to defend the character of Anvar because he is like a real person.  Some people will like him and others will not.  Like I said, I love that about writing.  If I were to describe Anvar for someone who had not read the book I would paint him as I envision him.  Anvar is Linvin’s maternal uncle and the only member of his family on good terms with him.  Since Linvin’s Father disappeared Anvar has taken on more of a parental guiding roll.  He is an older small elf though far from feeble.  Anvar may not physically be able to fight or perform the tasks of his nephews but he has magic that serves the party well in the quest.  He is a peacemaker between the warring cousins on the journey.  Anvar is particularly hard on Linvin.  There is no doubt about it.  While it might seem that he is overly critical, Anvar wants to set the bar higher for Linvin.  Only by rising to the challenges Anvar puts forth will Linvin prove his worth.  Is he overly critical?  Absolutely.  He was meant to be that way.  Some have compared him to Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” but the characters were never meant to be similar.  Anvar is teaching Linvin and trying to make him a better leader.  I find his roll to be distinct.  Now that I have said all of that I leave it up to you to decide what you think of him.  Does he help or just nag?  If you have read the book, let me know at rivalgates@hotmail.com.  If you haven’t read it then give it a try at  http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Red-Sapphire-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DZ100MO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403126907&sr=1-1&keywords=quest+for+the+red+sapphire

Basics of Twitter @Solsticepublish @Solsticeshadows

Lately I’ve been expanding my following on Twitter.  It really is an amazing site.  I am Rivalgates1 but you can be anyone you want there and write whatever you feel.  There are basically two types of accounts.  There are the people who are just on as themselves or whoever they wish to be.  Then there are the members of fandoms.  If you are in the first group you put a little biography about yourself or who you want the world to believe you are.  For example you could say you are a mother of 3 working as a toll booth operator in New Jersey.  On the other hand you could say you are a windsurfer giving lessons in Tahiti.  How much truth is in the biographies is open to debate.  For the most part I figure, so what if it’s not true?  It’s all for fun anyway.  Maybe in real life you are the toll booth worker but on Twitter you can be anyone.  Usually people like to paint personas of the type of people they want to be associated with.  If you want to be friends with skateboarders, then write something about skateboarding.  If you want to chat with people about reading you would likewise mention it.  The second groups of Twitter accounts are what are called Fandoms.  In this type of bio you place a # in front of a key word you want to use to draw other people of the same liking to you with.  So if you write #Call of Duty then all the people liking the game ‘Call of Duty’ who do searches will find your name.  You can search the same way and find people with #Call of Duty in their profile.  They might have their identification they use in the game so you can find them when you’re gaming on line.  There might also be other fandoms listed on their bio in which you might be interested.  Once you find someone you’re interested in you click ‘follow’ and then you can see all the little messages or ‘Tweets’ they send out.  That person will be sent an email saying you followed them and show your bio.  If they are interested in you then they will follow you back.  A word of advice; don’t follow big name celebrities and expect them to follow you back.  I’m still waiting for Britney Spears to follow me back.  I don’t think it’s going to happen.  After a while you build up a group of people with similar interests to you and see all the different things they post.  You can post links you like as well and it is fun.  The really nice part about it is if you aren’t on line and someone writes something, they don’t really expect you to see it unless they send you a direct message.  That goes right to your email and only to you unless they put multiple recipients.  Then you can answer just them.  The rest of the messages on twitter just roll down the screen.  It’s fun and harmless so give it a shot.  After all, it doesn’t cost anything.

New Excerpt "Crucible" @Solsticepublish

Let me first wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there, especially mine.  As promised yesterday, here is an excerpt from “The Sapphire Crucible.”  Enjoy.
Hugon turned toward the hearth to fetch the blistering tongs.  A sudden crack was heard in the air and a long whip sliced though the jailor’s shirt and dug deeply in a diagonal pattern across his back.  He yelped in pain and turned hurriedly.  Standing at the bottom of the stairs was Linvin with whip in hand.   “I told you no one puts leather to me and lives,” Linvin bellowed.  “I will now fulfill that pledge.” “Grithinshield?” Hugon said as he stepped closer.  “You were supposed to be dead by now.” “That is quite ironic when you think about it,” Linvin said as he stuck Hugon in the face with the whip.  “Since it is now time for you to die.” Hugon felt his face and then pulled his hand away to reveal the effect of the last attack.  His skin was slashed from forehead to chin and spewed blood with great intensity.  “I should have killed you when I had the chance.” he yelled at his adversary. Normally Linvin would have laughed but instead chose a more serious tone as he responded, “No one ever said you were smart.  It is time to see how you like your own treatment.” As Hugon closed, Linvin used his superior speed to stay out of reach.  All the while he continued to whip the bully.  The dark, gooey blood began to run down Hugon’s clothes.  His face was particularly scarred.  Every time Hugon would close the range, Linvin would create more distance.  Again and again he lacerated the giant goblin. “If you think you are such a great warrior, then prove it and fight me fairly,” Hugon demanded as he guessed wrong once again on what area to defend on his body. Linvin felt no fear of his opponent and in truth, wanted nothing more than to finish the waste of flesh once and for all.  Instead, he answered in a different way.  “Why would I do that?  It is much more enjoyable to fight you as you are,” Linvin echoed from Hugon’s statement when they first met.  “Now, come get some, Boy.”  The beating was unrelenting. After Hugon was clearly compromised Linvin caught the whip around his leg and pulled the jailor from his feet.  Then Linvin took hold of a flail and began mercilessly pounding the giant goblin.  The beating was ruthless and seemed like it would never relent.   Then Linvin began to think more clearly.  He did not have the luxury of time to waste on his unworthy opponent.  His desire for vengeance had already caused him to squander precious moments punishing Hugon.  He dropped the flail directly next to the goblin’s hand and walked away toward the far wall.  As Linvin bent down to pick something up from the ground, Hugon grasped the flail and stumbled to his feet.  Linvin’s back was turned and Hugon saw an opportunity.  He reeled back to strike when Linvin turned around, expecting the attack, with a bag of salt in his hand.  “Catch.” he cried as he tore open the sack and threw the salt across his opponent’s body.  The white powder clung easily to the exposed blood. Hugon howled in a tone Linvin never heard before as he spun in circles, blinded by both pain and salt.  The time had come for Linvin to end the affair.  He stepped over to the hearth and removed a poker from the coals.  Its point was a brilliant shade of white.  He stomped over to Hugon and grasped his face with a single hand.  It held the brute long enough for Linvin to effortlessly drive the molten shaft of metal completely through the thick torso of the vile creature.  Hugon fell to the ground, having been stabbed through the heart.  He would never move again. There was no time for Linvin to savor his victory.  The key for Miri’s shackles was near the top wheel of the rack.  He unlocked her only to find she was not conscious.   Fearing the worst, Linvin listened for inhalation.  With great relief he heard shallow breathing.  He needed to get her to safety with all due haste. 

New Excerpt "Sapphire" @Solsticepublish

I had some of the highest number of views on my blog when I posted excerpts from my books.  So, in the theme of giving the audience what they want, today and tomorrow I will post two new excerpts.  The first will be from ”Quest for the Red Sapphire.”  I hope you enjoy.
“Alright then,” One said as he approached Six. “What is the status of the target?” Six stepped forward and gave her answer, “I have steadily increased the dosage of the poison in her food as planned.   Her condition has deteriorated to the point where she should be dead by now.” “Does anyone suspect anything other than natural causes?” One asked. “It is unclear,” Six answered.  “She has been increasingly attended by physicians and others.  The poison is very difficult to trace.  The symptoms are ordinary in nature.  It would take a knowledgeable doctor to detect the poison.” “With the finances at her disposal, we must assume that she has such a doctor,” One concluded.  “Is our presence suspected?” “Not that I can tell,” Six answered.  “I made sure the final doses would be administered by unknowing servants.  Not being there when she died, I would never be suspected.” “Let’s get to the point,” interrupted Two.  “Did you find the prize?” Six looked sheepish as she sought the proper words.  “I located it two weeks ago under her bed.  Each day I checked to make sure it was still there.  It was there this morning when I took her breakfast, but when I left this evening, it was no longer under the bed.” The other five voices started to murmur in despair.  One stopped the bickering once again.  “Quiet!” he said.  “If she was as bad off as you say, I do not think she would have had the strength to hide it.  Correct?” “No Sir,” Six answered confidently. “Then someone else must have taken it,” One surmised.  “Did she have any visitors today?” “The doctor came in the morning but he did not have it when he left,” Six answered.  “It would have been impossible to hide.” “Anyone else?” pressed One. Six was quiet for a moment, then she spoke quickly.  “Her brother came to visit this afternoon.  I…I did not see when he left.” “What do you mean?” Two demanded.  “How could you not see him leave?  Did he take the prize or not?” “I said that I don’t know!” fired back Six.  “It’s not like I could just sit there and watch the door all day. How inconspicuous would that be?  In order to maintain my cover, I had to see to chores.  When I went back to check on her, he was gone.” “And that is the point where you noticed it was missing?” One asked. “I did not have the opportunity to check until the end of my shift.  At that point, I noticed the prize was gone.” “Maybe it was hidden somewhere else in the house,” Five said. “If it was,” One surmised, “there is no way to search it with her now being dead.  The mansion will be crawling with Town Watch and investigators.” “So we are foiled!” hollered Two.  “Great.  All these months of work blown in one day!” “Shut up!” Six snapped.  “You would have fared no better.” “This arguing is pointless,” One affirmed.  “The most likely fate of the prize is that the target suspected foul play and gave it to her brother for safe keeping.  If that is the case, then there are two destinations we are most likely to find him.  Either he will be at his home on the other side of town or he will have gone to his nephew’s in Missandor.” “So do we split up?” Five asked. “No,” answered One.  “We will search faster together.  First, we will tear the brother’s house apart.  If we do not find it there, then we will move on to her son. Failure is not acceptable in this mission.  Now everyone move.  We will not sleep this night.” As they scurried down the alley, Two could not help but jab at Six again.  “It figures you would blow this for all of us.” “We will have the prize soon,” Six answered back, “but if you say one more thing I will kill you where you stand.” “Save it for our new targets!” yelled One as they entered the street.

First 1000 Twitter Followers! @Solsticepublish

Today is a watershed day for me.  I finally hit my goal of 1000 Twitter Followers!  Thank you to everyone who follows. It’s not just anyone following either.  There are a lot of people who like the same things I do and think the same way I think.  Remember to check out my web page at RivalGates.com and my first two books at http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Red-Sapphire-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DZ100MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402616785&sr=8-1&keywords=quest+for+the+red+sapphire and http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Crucible-Chronicles-Rival-Gates-ebook/dp/B00JL0P6IG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402616855&sr=1-1&keywords=sapphire+crucible  I am on to the next 1000 Twitter followers.  The ride is just getting started so buckle up and enjoy it!