The World’s Worst Blurbist
November 8, 2011
Every person should know their limitations, and I know mine–I really, really suck at blurbing. I can write 300,000 word tomes, but God help me if I have to sum the damn thing up in 200 words or less. I go blank. I panic.
So here, for good or for ill is the rough back cover marketing blurb for Book V, The Temple of the Exploding Head. I have no idea if it’s any good or not. Thoughts appreciated.
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia
Carahil and the Library of Time
November 1, 2011
Book V in the Temple of the Exploding Head series begins in a strange place.
"Carahil sees the Temple of the Exploding Head" by Carol Phillips
At the Library, they meet the Proprietors: a mysterious pair named Fiddler Crow and Queen Wendilnight. They are admitted and allowed to see the story of their lives.
…And Carahil is appalled at what he sees. An Age of Blood where the Gods are gone and an insane evil spirit has lease to do what he pleases leading, eventually, to the end of the Universe. Carahil sees himself framed for crimes he didn’t commit, and then, of all things, he sees himself being eaten alive in a city of Many Forms.
The Proprietors see Carahil’s distress. He asks them if he can do something about this, if he could “fix” this bad future that’s coming. Fiddler Crow tells him it’s not possible to change the future and he will simply have to live with it.
However, Queen Wendilnight takes pity on Carahil and offers to help him in return for their service at a later time. Carahil and Mabs agree, and Queen Wendilnight shows them into the Time Tunnel Room. There, Carahil comes face to face with the time tunnel responsible for creating the bad future: the Temple of the Exploding Head and the Horned God who lives there.
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
Book V Cover design nearly ready
October 17, 2011
At last, the cover for Book V, The Temple of the Exploding Head is complete!!
"The Temple of the Exploding Head" by Carol Phillips
Now, for the difficult part–lettering the cover. Creating cover lettering is harder than you might at first think. What looks good, what doesn’t, it’s all very complicated. As The Temple is part of a trilogy, we wanted to keep with the style of the two previous books in terms of font, and general positioning.
The problem with Book V, the title is much longer than the others including spaces and letter kerning it takes up a fair amount of room on the cover. The artwork by Carol Phillips is also the most manic and “In Motion” of the three and we want to be careful not to cover up too much of that beautiful art with words–we certainly can’t cover up the Horned God. Finally, you also have to avoid the gutter and tear-off areas of the perimeter as well, further reducing the usable space to put the letters.
My thought was to place the lettering below the Horned God’s hooves, thereby covering up the mosh pit of worshippers. Carol was appalled and fought to keep them uncovered, besides, the other two books had their lettering in the upper quarter of the cover and Book V needed a similar treatment.
Carol Phillips was able to block-in the lettering at the top of the cover, giving it a similar look to the first two books in the series. The coloration for the lettering should be bold, but not garish–something that pops out but doesn’t detract from the cover. I sort of like the “pop” of the red, but also like the somber black.
As usual, I like to hide my name on the front of the cover–it’s a quirk I have–I hate seeing my name on the cover.
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
New Book Release: Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle
September 16, 2011
I thought I’d take a moment to congratulate and praise my good friend Michelle Davidson Argyle on the release of her exciting new book Monarch from Rhemalda Publishing.
Nothing is status quo with Michelle, as we saw in her first novel, Cinders. She took the term “Happily ever After…” and spun it on its ear and determined that “Ever After” is really quite a long time–lots of things can happen “ever after”. You can expect Monarch to be no less innovative, taking the modern mystery and suspense thriller and shining it up to new heights.
Click Here for the full skinny on Monarch, a free first chapter and all the latest on Michelle’s comings and goings.
I know what I’ll be doing this weekend. After I watch the Buckeyes, I’ll be reading Monarch.
Way to go Michelle!!
RG
The Monkey God has determined that the LoE Graphic Novel go through!!
September 9, 2011
At long last, the oft mentioned but seldom seen Issue One of the League of Elder Graphic Novel is nearing completion!!
It took a bit of griping and a pinch of threatening along the way. Recall the mean things I said in previous posts. I said:
“…I’m looking at you, boys, and I’ve got my gun …”
“I’ve a nice vacant lot all picked out where your bodies, belted shut, Hefty-bagged and painted blue, will spend the rest of eternity…”
…but, just look at the results. Daniel Morris and Jon Harvey are rolling away. The Graphic novel with be a four issue conversion of Book I: Sygillis of Metatron.
Daniel speaks:
"Captain Davage" by Jon Harvey
Look for more on the LoE Graphic Novel soon!
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia
Shadow tech
August 21, 2011
Sygillis of Metatron attempts to save the life of Captain Davage using Silver tech (Carol Phillips)
Shadow tech is an arcane substance. It is said to be material from another universe or dimension, filling that dimension like ether. A fairly common substance, it appears as a black, brown or silver semi-solid material, known variously as Implosser (brown), Shadow tech (black) and Silver tech (silver). In all forms it is thick and malleable rather like hot tar. It reacts to the touch of living things. In its brown Implosser form, it is a harmless, inert substance. The black form of Shadow tech is very dangerous due to its toxicity and should not be touched if at all possible. The Silver form is quite lively and beneficial, feeling “fizzy” to the touch.
The Implosser form is its basic, most common state. Strong emotion, such as anger, hatred and pain turn the Implosser to black. Likewise positive emotions such as love and happiness turn it silver.
In all its forms, Shadow tech is very versatile. It can be cast as pure energy, Black Hats have been known to knock down buildings, destroy high-flying vessels and kill whole armies with a mere sweep of their hand. It can also be formed into shapes, into complex machines and into the forms of living beings. Once formed, Shadow tech is very difficult to dispel, with only the Sisterhood of Light able to dispel it with any certainty.
Lady Poe of Blanchefort--a well known Shadow tech Female surrounded by her Silver tech familiars (Carol Phillips)
Most Shadow tech females are located in Xaphan Space. Countess Sygillis of Blanchefort, Lady Poe of Blanchefort, Bethrael of Moane and Duchess Torrijayne of Oyln are known Shadow tech Females in the League.
USES OF SHADOW TECH: Shadow tech Females can manipulate Shadow tech with great skill, using it to perform any number of desired functions.
SHADOW TECH TEMPLES: Shadow tech temples are structures, and sometimes whole cities made of Shadow tech usually found in Xaphan Space. Such places are often covered in illusion and cannot be detected. Being inside a Shadow tech temple can affect one’s well-being and sanity very quickly.
A one-mile tall Shadow tech Monster terrorizes Xandarr (Carol Phillips)
SHADOW TECH TRAPS (StT’s): Shadow tech Traps are very dangerous and persistent menaces. They are very small undetectable bits of Shadow tech that have been pre-programmed to perform any number of nefarious functions. Like a flea or tick, they lie in wait and latch on when an unsuspecting person happens by. An StT can remain attached to a person for years, causing them all manner of grief, or they can simply slay that person at a pre-determined time. The Sisterhood of Light is always on the lookout for StT’s, and never failing to find them in abundance. The island of Bilson-Gorman on Bazz was declared uninhabitable by the Sisters due to the persistence of StTs left there.
RUMBOB: Rumbob is a quantity of Shadow tech mixed with clay or straw or some other type of common material. Rumbob is easily infused with emotions and can influence the emotions of those coming into contact with it.
WHAMIC: Whamic is a form of Shadow tech that may be attached to holomail messages and sent across the skyways. Any person opening the Whamic could find themselves facing sudden death.
copyright 2011 Ren Garcia
BOOK V Cover Update: Mood and Lighting
July 30, 2011
CAROL PHILLIPS is working away on the horrific cover to Book V, The Temple of the Exploding Head. It’s coming along quite well with the enhanced lighting adding mood and drama to the scene.
As Carol puts it:
Light and shadow is a really important part of creating mood in a painting. It can take a boring painting and make it look really awesome, or if done incorrectly, can make it look flat and dull. I learned early on it was important to pay attention to your various light sources and always keep them in mind while creating your piece. It is a key point in creating a believable environment, character or creature and can make or break your artwork.
"The Temple of the Exploding Head" by Carol Phillips
It’s also important to keep in mind if your light is warm light ( fire/ candle) or cool light (could be found out doors). It is especially challenging when working with both cool and warm light sources on a piece like the Temple, but using warm and cool lights can add a lot of drama and interesting colors to a piece.
Look how the warm fire light brings out the depth of the Temple, lighting up the back tiers giving the viewer a hint how wide the Temple is, while the cooler lighting provides a sense of loftiness and imposing height. With the lighting in place, you can see what was previously hidden behind the more prominent tiers of statue and pillars. With the orange light, the Temple looks more unsettled, more wild and dangerous, which is the impression the viewer should be getting. I can only imagine what the scene will look like when the character layers are turned on.
See the difference when only the cool lighting elements are displayed. The Temple looks calm, peaceful even, like a football stadium before the football game starts. Even though the place is festooned with horrific images, the lighting makes it seem at peace. It also loses all of its depth, with the deeper parts of the temple lost in shadow. The Temple seems much taller rather than wide in the cool lighting.
Book V, The Temple of the Exploding Head will be available for purchase November 2011.
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
“The Machine” is Ready for Release
July 19, 2011
The second book in the Temple of the Exploding Head Trilogy is finally here!!
The Machine
Lord Kabyl of Blanchefort, his cousins Sarah and Phillip and their friend Lord Lon of Probert quest to recover the three pieces of a fabled machine lost for centuries: The Oberphilliax.
Their quest will take them beyond the safety of the League to the Xaphan city of Waam where an ancient Black Hat and her vile army of Spectre henchmen await their arrival with great anticipation.
The Machine sees Kay and his cousins visit distant Xandarr where he is confronted by the manifestations of his three Gifts: Waft, Cloak and Sight. Each will test him to his limits and if he falters for even a moment, he will die.
And, if he manages to survive that, then there’s the city of Rostov where death is a roll of the dice away, Dee, with the creature lurking in the water and Waam with its Black Hats and roving army of Spectres. To be a Shadow tech Male in Waam is to be hunted and killed without question … and Kay is a Shadow tech Male. The chase is on.
The book features cover art by Carol Phillips, and is lavishly illustrated with over 25 full page maps and drawings by Carol Phillips, Fantasio and Eve Ventrue.
Book Specifics:
Publisher: Loconeal Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-9825653-5-3
Release Date: July 26th, 2011
Pages: 309
TOTEH Characters: Paymaster Stenstrom
July 7, 2011
"Lord Stenstrom of Belmont" by Eve Ventrue
Stenstrom isn’t the normal sort of modest, unathletic fellow occupying the role of Paymaster. At 6’7 he is a towering man, taller even than Captain Davage. He is the son of the famed Fleet captain Lord Stenstrom the Older who commands the warship Caroline. He carries the traditional LosCapricos weapons of his House, the NTHs, a pair of pistols said to be capable of slaying virtually anything with a single shot. He also wears a long dark green coat once worn by the defunct Hoban Royal Navy–Stenstrom is rarely seen without his HRN. As a final odd note, Stenstrom wears a small mask covering his eyes.
He hails from the House of Belmont, an old Zenon House on his father’s side and the House of Tyrol on his mother’s. The House of Tyrol are an odd, silver-haired lot living on the eastern coast of Esther, and consider themselves a tribe apart, through no official recognition has been given to them as such. Stenstrom’s mother, Lady Jubilee of Tyrol, is a notorious socialite and suspected witch. Her indomitable personality is well-known–she was under Public Wergild for over twenty years, meaning someone had formally posted a vendetta against her. She bore Stenstrom’s father 29 daughters ahead of him as a result of an oath she took. She feared for the life of her husband as he spanned the stars in his Fleet ship and swore he would have no sons until his boots were firmly planted on the ground for good; thus twenty-nine Belmont daughters. It has been said that Stenstrom the Older had to resort to sorcerous methods of his own to gain a son, purchasing a questionable tincture on Bazz said to ensure the birth of a son, and thus Stenstrom the Younger was finally born.
Private Taara de la Anderson is one of Paymaster Stenstrom's closest friends (painting by Eve Ventrue)
His mother was said to be enraged upon his birth and swore to murder him in his crib, though she quickly came to love and adore her handsome son. Seeing the younger Stenstrom clamoring to follow his father to the stars, Lady Jubilee took steps … extreme steps to prevent him from joining the Fleet. Stenstrom has hinted she put him to an obscure ritual known as the Tyrol Blood Oath. Plunging a red-hot dagger into his heart, she made him swear he’d never join the Fleet as either a crewman or officer, least his wound burst open. She updated the Blood Oath over the years, adding the Astro Merchants, Billings and Merchant Marines to it. She was convinced the stars were no longer in his future.
A Tyrol Sorcerer
Paymaster Stenstrom is well-known for his ability to perform a number of feats considered to be Tyrol Sorcery taught to him by his mother. Though he has no Gifts of the Mind, he can fade into the shadows and pass unseen. He can also make small to medium-sized items appear and disappear with just a wave of his hand.
Flight From Bern
As a youth, Stenstrom went off to school at the University of Bern studying accounting (a pre-approved course of study). A disinterested student, his fiancée, Lady Lillian of Gamboa whispered in his ear and told him of a way to get around his mother’s curse. His oaths had made no mention of joining the Fleet as a civilian and she hit him upon the notion of becoming a Fleet Paymaster. The requirements of the position demanded he be an attorney or an accountant of vast tenure. Having no tenure, Stenstrom fled Bern upon his graduation and went into hiding in Calvert, accumulating his tenure at the barrel of a gun. Soon he secured a job as Paymaster aboard the Sandwich, a rusting Fleet frigate, which was illegally running Kanan grain spirits to the Xaphans. Due to his House standing and his fortune, he was not well-liked aboard the Sandwich and was widely shunned.
Lt. Gwendolyn, Lady of Prentess, threatened to knock Stenstrom's teeth out (painting by Eve Ventrue)
Stenstrom’s Mask
Along with his HRN coat and his NTHs, Paymaster Stenstrom is known for wearing a black mask at all times. The mask was a source of constant speculation until he revealed the mask contains several magical pieces of metal folded up in the cloth called “hermelins” which prevent his soul from being torn apart by demons sent by his mother. Without his mask, he’ll perish in short order.
Paymaster Stenstrom is introduced in Book IV as Captain Davage’s Paymaster aboard the New Faith. He will become the Main Character in the League of Elder Second Series starting with Book VII, The Sands of the Solar Empire, coming soon.
Copyright 2011, Ren Garcia and Eve Ventrue
Book V Cover Update
June 29, 2011
"The Temple of the Exploding Head" by Carol Phillips
We had a number of challenges to address with this particular cover. First of all–how do we convey the sheer size of the place?? The Temple is a mile long and half a mile wide–that’s a rather large area to say the least. It’s also a thousand feet high and filled with over 100,000 bad guys: the Vatican has nothing on the Temple as far as size goes. To tackle this problem, Carol opted to give the place a slightly more confined, penned-in feel while giving clear indications that there is a lot more Temple than what can be seen at a glance. Also, there’s a constant thunderstorm raging inside the temple, which Carol has boiling up in the heights (I always remember my mother saying to come in from the rain where it’s safe–where no harm can come to you. I wanted it storming on the inside of the Temple as if to say: “It’s NOT safe in here!)
More Designs (Carol Phillips)
Pillar detail (Carol Phillips)
As Carahil has been a usual fixture of the past books, he’s present here in this one as well: can you see him???
I’ve always had a love for the work of Keith Parkinson going way back to my unprincipled D&D days in college and I wanted the cover to be as beautifully creepy as his works used to be (Keith Parkinson’s passing was a great loss for us all)
And then there’s Kay hiding behind a pillar, a fly in this evil ointment. Sort of like when the criminologist comes on in Rocky Horror Picture Show and everybody boos, his presence indicates that the party’s over.
copyright 2011 Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
The Temple of the Exploding Head 