The Horned God
December 12, 2011
The Main bad Guy of the Temple of the Exploding Head trilogy is the diabolical Horned God. Although his role in the story has changed much since the first draft, his appearance has always been firm in my mind: A gigantic half man/half deer monster full of lust and fury.
"Kay Faces the Horned God" by Carol Phillips
And then, came 1977 (I think). There was this book at the Hallmark store of all places, sitting on the spinner that I wanted desperately but my folks wouldn’t buy me. I washed cars, mowed lawns, did dishes until I had enough to buy it. The book was the first edition AD&D Monster Manual. I swear I read it cover to cover a dozen times (it’s still sitting in my bookcase to this day).
The scariest monster in the book for me, was the Peryton, a harpy-like monster sporting a stag’s head with a particular taste for human flesh. An amazing thing: though it was a winged, deer-headed monster, it cast the shadow of a man. I thought that was really cool and creepy.
Peryton
When I began the process of envisioning the Horned God, he came together in my mind in two basic forms, one a stag with a towering set of antlers and as a Pan-like hoofed man with an angry deer’s head.
I’m not sure which one give me more shivers.
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
The City of Many Forms
December 2, 2011
I discovered as I went through the various drafts of The Temple of the Exploding Head trilogy that I had an issue with some of the bad guys.
"The City of Many Forms" by Carol Phillips
One of the hallmarks of the Kestrals–they were strange and unknowable. As they are aliens, I wanted them to be just that: alien. Alien thought processes, alien logic and methodology, I wanted them to be odd and inscrutable. I believe I accomplished that, however, the end result was rather lackluster. The Kestrals were weird, but in a very flat, boring sort of way. Plain and simple: they weren’t very interesting bad guys.
The drafts continued and it was the Elemental Spirit they worshipped who became the true villain of the story: the horrid Horned God who lived in a temple deep in the ground. As the Horned God’s role increased, the Kestrals got pushed to the side and forgotten, turned into mere henchmen in the Horned God’s evil schemes.
Eventually, I added the plot device of the Secret-Talker, a god’s dictaphone recording for all time everything they have done, good or bad. It was the addition of the pursuit of the Horned God’s Secret-Talker where our old friends, the Kestrals, came back into prominence.
Stellar map of Atrajak of Want detailing the location of the City of Many Forms (Eve Ventrue)
But then I wondered …
With the City of Many Forms, I could have my cake and eat it too. I could keep the Kestrals weird and creepy, but I could also use the city to demonstrate their purpose and intent and make it plain without ever actually having to say what it is. Walking its streets, I could transform the Kestrals from mere henchmen to pretty cool villains with a clear agenda. With that, I dove headfirst into developing the City and exploring its secrets. It grew into a place of mis-matched architecture and deep-water canals that I based off of an old map of Atlantis I’d once seen with skies full of golden monsters.
After you visit the City of Many Forms, you might wish I’d left the Kestrals alone.
Book V: “The Temple of the Exploding Head” will be published by Loconeal Publications in late December, early Januray 2012
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia, Carol Phillips and Eve Ventrue
Lt. Kilos: the Sidekick
November 23, 2011
Lt. Kilos is the consummate sidekick in The League of Elder series. A Brown peasant from the city of Tusck on Onaris, Ki has been at Captain Davage’s side for over thirty years. She’s been a part of every LoE book so far.
"Kay Fights Lt. Kilos in a Bar" by Carol Phillips
As the focus of the League of Elder shifts from Captain Davage and Countess Sygillis to their son, Lord Kabyl and his cousins, it seemed natural to me to send Ki down the line to Kay’s side. There is a comfort factor that comes with Ki, and I wanted her there with Kay. Ki brings a lot to the table, she’s got her massive SK pistol for devastating firepower, she has her infallible Tweeter bird familiar and she has her amazing husband, the mysterious Professor A-to-Z who can find answers to virtually anything.
The problem with Ki is her very nature. She’s loyal, yet she’s skeptical and slow to give her loyalty. She loves being part of a group, yet she generally dislikes people. Additionally, Ki still considers Kay a child. She was his childhood mentor (Kay recalls he had a long-lasting “crush” on Ki), and even now that Kay is a young man she still views him as a child.
With Ki, she can like you, be fond of you and all that, however, she’ll really not respect you much, that’s just how she is.
The key to securing Ki’s services goes back to one of her most basic character traits: Ki is, at her heart, a brawler. She grew up fighting in Tusck, was a wreck in the Marines and was a well-known troublemaker in the bars dotting the Blanchefort village wharf (her association with Lord Blanchefort gave her immunity from the village magsitrate). As such, Ki will never truly give respect until you’ve bounced your fist off her face a couple of times. Captain Davage challenged her to a fight upon their first meeting in order to gain her respect. Likewise, Countess Sygillis and Ki were in the gym settling their differences constantly after Syg came aboard the Seeker. So, in order for Kay to win Ki over, it was inevitable that he take her on.
So, in a wharf-side bar, Kay and Ki duked it out, and after it was over, Ki saw Kay in a new light, and, as she did for his father, she stood at his side and entered the Temple of the Exploding Head.
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
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
What makes a Monama a Monama?
November 3, 2011
The House of Monama figures prominently in the Temple of the Exploding Head trilogy. Who are the Monamas and what differentiates them from the rest of the League??
“Sam” by Fantasio
This painting of Sam by Fantasio illustrates most of the various physical differences.
HAIR: Monamas have an incredibly thick and fast-growing head of hair that they normally wear down to their ankles. Their hair is invariably coal-black. Aside from their heads, Monamas are quite hairless.
NAILS/CLAWS: Monamas sport a formidable and iron-hard set of fingernails that can hack through a wooden door. Both male and female Monamas wear their nails rather long as they consider their nails a mark of beauty.
EYES: Monamas are well-known for their jet black eyes, including a lack of eye whites.
Note Sam’s black eyes, thick hair and claws hidden under her gloves (Painting by Fantasio)
PALLOR: Monamas are ghastly pale. Living in a perpetual fog by the lake, their skin is often chalk-white in coloration. Those select Monamas that choose to come out of the fog can develop a slight rose tint if they stay in the sun long enough.
BELLYBUTTON: Monamas lack a bellybutton. They find Elder’s belly buttons extremely seductive.
GIFT-LIKE ABILITIES: All Monamas have a number of Gift-like abilities that work when they are touching the ground. When elevated or away from Kana, these abilities vanish. Monamas can “Blink”, or teleport themselves vast distances. They can also transmit their thoughts across the ground and communicate without technology from far away. They also can transform themselves into various humanoid guises–Monama females are much better at it than the males. Monamas also are adept at seeing the future with a high degree of accuracy. Monama males are better at it than the females–female Monamas must partially bury themselves to see the future.
ANUIAN/CONOX: There are two distinct types of Monamas. The most common are the Conox, or “Lesser Monamas” who are rather small and thin of frame, standing on average about 5’2 – 5’5. Much less frequent are the Anuian, or “Greater Monamas” who are significantly bigger, stronger and faster than the Conox, standing about 6 feet tall. Anuians are much more full than the Conox and have markedly different facial features. The Conox, however, appear to be heartier than the Anuians, being a bit less susceptible to cold temperatures and can manage the rigors of space travel much better. The Anuians also require six months in the womb, as opposed to the Conox who require only three.
Anuian Monamas were once very common in the southern lands of Kana, but were said to have been wiped into extinction by a “compelling alien force”. They now only exist in rare birthings amid the Conox, where they must finish their gestation in an “Anuian Jar”, an external womb made of clay and brine.
HEAD SWARM: Monamas tend to fall into a profound, trance-like state when faced with traumatic situations. They call the trance “Head Swarm” and once in it they are difficult if not impossible to revive.
Sam wearing her “Snugs” pendant (Carol Phillips)
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO COLD: Any temperature below 60 degrees F is quickly fatal to a Monama. Even bundled up, the cold will render them sluggish and eventually kill them. Lady Poe of Blanchefort created a Silver tech pendant called Snugs (with the image of a hummingbird on the face) that creates enough warmth for a Monama to survive in the cold without limit. Take away the pendant, however, and the Monama will be dead within minutes.
STRENGTH/SPEED/ENDURANCE: In comparison to Elders, Monamas are incredibly strong. An average Monama is about ten times stronger than an average Elder, though the Elder Gift of Strength can usually match Monama strength. They also have amazing, jaguar-like speed with the endurance to match.
VULNERABILITY TO SPACE TRAVEL: Monamas do not do well when removed from Kana. Extended trips through space can be quickly fatal to them. They can survive on other worlds, however, they lose most of their gift-like abilities until they are returned to Kana.
LANGUAGES: Monamas speak a group of regional languages spoken nowhere else in the League. The Sisters at one time considered making the speaking of their native Anuie, Conox and Systrel languages illegal due to the fact that the Sisters cannot read the Monamas minds via the Stare, however, more reasonable heads prevailed. The people of Hoban find Monama accents very soothing. Monama bards and storytellers are popular on Hoban.
A Berserkacide (Carol Phillips)
EVIL NATURE: Although Monamas generally have very kind and modest personalities, they are convinced that they all carry within them a dark spirit of evil that is just waiting to come out. In their ancient writings they speak of the days when they were four-armed and evil and that the Gods in Jade and Sapphire freed them. The prospect of turning into a raging Berserkacide haunts them.
GODS IN JADE AND SAPPHIRE: The Monamas believe the benevolent Gods in Jade and Sapphire removed their ancient evil nature from them, along with their second pair of arms. They also believe they once bore the gods’ children.
SEX DRIVE/FECUNDITY: Monamas are well-known for their libidos and for their fecundity. They can have up to twelve children at a time in only three months. It is said Monamas can become carried away to the point of being dangerous when having sex.
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
Thoughts: The day after you finish your manuscript
October 13, 2011
…THE END.
ding
You dot the last sentence and hit the carriage return. Congratulations! You just finished your killer new manuscript. The world has never experienced anything like it and will never be the same again.
So, now what?? That stack of paper in the tray, or that file on your jump drive is just sitting there, mocking you. What to do with your grand new opus, that Monster you’ve been slaving over?? There are many possible answers to that question, and, depending on who you are as a person, the answer will vary. The trials and tribulations of what happens to you and your manuscript the day after you finish could fill a giant-sized book and be made into a number of movies, so this will, no doubt, be the first of several blog posts covering the topic.
First of all, are You a Perpetual??
The first question you’ll need to face as you consider your finished manuscript is: Are you really done??
There are many Perpetuals out there and either you are one yourself or you know someone who is. You know, a Perpetual is someone who is engaged in a never-ending pursuit: that person who’s been in college for fifteen years and is nowhere close to graduating, that person who has been grouting the bathroom forever, or that person who has written a manuscript and is never quite finished. Let’s face it, a manuscript is your baby and it can be tough to let go, couple that with an artist’s tendency to never be satisfied, it’s very easy to fall into a surreal mire of revision, re-thinking, re-editing and re-focusing, until such time that the original vision and purpose of the MS is lost. Some are perpetually “tweaking” and “fine-tuning” their MS and it will never be quite ready for Prime Time. Years pass, no progress is made, it’s just not quite finished.
The Perpetual and their Manuscript shall waltz together until the proverbial music stops, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon, so, for that person, the day after you finish your manuscript is the first day of the rest of your life.
Publishing: The Banana Republic
The next logical course is to attempt to publish your work–it’s only natural, you’ve written something, now you want to share it. The road to publishing is long and difficult and there’s no 1-2-3, step by step method of accomplishing it. Ask any author and they’ll have all sorts of horror stories of how they got put through the wringer prior to being discovered. It’s an inevitable process, and, whether you choose to seek an agent or submit directly to a publisher; it’s basically the same.
First: you need to know who to submit to. Different agents and publishers represent and publish different things, so, if you’ve written a hardcore science fiction tome, you’re not going to want to submit to a Christian, non-fiction publisher of inspirational short stories. Various publications and websites go over who does what, so it’s worth your time to do a little research and target a specific list that is best suited to you.
Next comes the part that has been the bane of many writers everywhere. All agents and publishers have a lengthy list of requirements that you have to follow pretty much to the letter; any deviation, anything added or omitted will lead to your submission being summarily rejected. These people can get pretty detailed in their demands, from the line spacing, to the exact type of font to use, to the word count of the submission. It is a real Banana Republic where they make the rules and you follow them, or else. You know what they say about absolute power corrupting absolutely–well, there’s the proof. They have the power and you don’t. If you don’t like it, complain to the President.
However, as we’ll see, these days there are other ways to get to Heaven that don’t involve going through Christ (But, that’s a different Blog Post).
The Hell of Manuscripts
So, let’s say you jump through all the required hoops and abased yourself as demanded, the final destination of your MS is a withering hell known as the “Slushpile”. Lording over the Slushpile is a demon from college, paid minimum wage (if they’re being paid at all) with girlfriend/boyfriend issues and a monitor sunburn who can barely see straight known as the Slush Editor. It’s the Slush Editor who picks through all MS’s consigned there and determines which will be forwarded on to the real editors for further consideration. Little balls of teenage angst, these editors vent their fury on the MS’s in their charge, tossing them aside willy-nilly as the case might be (Yes–I was a Slush Editor, and Yes my attitude was poor. It actually felt really good having supreme power at a time in my life when I was otherwise powerless, so flushing a manuscript or two really made my day). Just remember, the next time you see some ridiculous person who’s locked themselves out of their car with the engine running, that could be the person who just rejected your MS.
Thus begins the cycle of Submission and Rejection that many authors will face going the traditional route. Almost all MS’s meet their demise in the Slushpile, and almost all will end up there more than just once. Writers on the lecture tour are fond of mentioning that Harry Potter was once on the Slushpile. The truth of the matter is that Harry Potter was probably on a lot of Slushpiles and drowned in the vortex of most of them. It is a real, lottery-winning moment when your MS happens to make it out of the Slush purgatory and into the hands of an editor who loves it as much as you do. But, that’s a rare moment that can take years and lots and lots of rejection letters to get to.
Next, we’ll go over the Promised Land of Self-Publishing, the stigma that comes with it and the Hungry Beast/Chain-Gang of Marketing
Bowl Naked
RG
Thoughts: Chest of Gold and the Weeping Woman
September 30, 2011
My blog post today has nothing to do with the The Temple of the Exploding Head book series, I just feel like telling a (mostly) true story.
I come from the south-coastal bend of Texas, even today a rather remote and forlorn place. In the old days it was, quite literally, the backwater of both the United States and of Mexico, far away from everything.
Several years ago, two cousins of mine were hard at work digging a trench somewhere on the property of another one of my cousins, a doctor (everybody is a cousin down there). As they swatted flies and toiled in the hot sun, one of their shovels hit something solid. Clearing the silty soil away, my two cousins uncovered an old wooden box–obviously it had been there for a while. Pulling the heavy box out at last and cracking open the lid, they discovered the interior was filled with dozens of gold coins stamped “Bank of Mexico”. Amazed at their good fortune, my cousins did the worse thing they could have possibly done: they took the box to my doctor cousin, showed him what they’d unearthed, and asked if they could keep the box and the gold within. (I’d have kept my yap shut, thrown the chest in the back of the truck and called Cashforgold.com)
My Doctor cousin’s reply was predictable–he said “no”. Since the chest was found on his land, it therefore belonged to him. He thanked them for their back-breaking labor in uncovering it and bade them get back to work, minus the chest of treasure.
Gold has the power to divide men, and soon my cousins were in a heated argument over the chest. Soon things began to get out of hand. Soon the Sheriff arrived, and that’s when things got really bad.
The Sheriff impounded the gold until it could be determined who was the rightful owner, and there were no shortage claimants.
Pancho Villa
–Next was my Doctor cousin: The gold was found on his land, it therefore belongs to him.
–The State of Texas stepped in, claiming the gold was a mineralogical find and therefore belonged to the state.
–A group of claimants from Camargo, Mexico came forward. They claimed their ancestor rode with the great Pancho Villa, drinking, stealing and killing in the 1800’s. They claimed their ancestor stole that gold fair and square from a Mexican bank and buried it, never to return. Their ancestor stole the gold, and therefore it belonged to them.
–An insurance company based in Tobasco, Mexico popped up. They argued they had paid an insurance claim for that lost gold in 1876, and to recoup their loss, the gold was theirs.
–The Bank of Mexico stepped in. Clearly, the gold belonged to them as it was stamped on the coins.
The legal wrangling over the gold had just begun.
Meanwhile, the site where the chest had been taken became plagued with supernatural activity.
The Weeping Woman
Eventually, ghost or no ghost, the gold seemed to have disappeared from the Sheriff’s Office, though it was recovered later by investigators from the state.
The gold was ordered divided up between all parties involved and wasn’t enough to cover the legal fees that had been incurred. The wooden box was returned to the hole in the ground where it came from in an attempt to appease the Weeping Woman. It must have worked, for she vanished back to the dusty bowers from whence she came.
As in all things, golden booty does little except stir up the ire of men and all the old ghosts that come with it.
Bowl Naked
RG
Thoughts: Never Underestimate Carol Phillips
September 17, 2011
Carol Phillips
When we began planning the cover art for Book V: The Temple of the Exploding Head, the clear choice of scene was the Temple itself–it was only natural. The Temple is a rotten place, full of noise and death. A carnal orgy and rave has been going on inside the Temple for ages untold without stop or pause, and the Horned God has presided over it all, ever thirsty for more. As I described the scene to Carol, it was a phantasmagoric ride of cages and skulls and torn flesh, a captured Carahil, a demented Sam and a lonely, outnumbered Kay facing it all alone.
The floor of the Temple was to be where the Worshippers of the Horned God hung out. As I described it to Carol, “bad things” were happening there. I’m uninhibited and Carol’s uninhibited as well and she’s game to tackle anything I throw at her. I figured that, given the complexity and size of the area involved, the worshippers would be tiny in the extreme and all the nastiness I described to her would be nothing more than a curious, stick-figure Mosh Pit.
Carol delivered the art to me today. Stick Figure Mosh Pit?? Guess again, Ren …
What I was looking at was a masterpiece of carnal art, horrific and starkly brutal and all completely clear and richly painted. I marveled at it, but, as I took in the details I quickly realized this viscera and sex fest would never fly and would have to be changed. I mean, I’m pretty fearless about these things, but, I need to give my publisher a bit of a break every now and again.
So, the scene has to change. I emailed Carol and we talked. She’s going to obscure the floor of the Temple in writhing fog, offering only an occasional glimpse as to what is happening within. All in all, I think it’ll add to the drama of the scene.
So, let that be a lesson to me. If I can dream it, Carol can paint it bold and proud.
Bowl Naked
RG
copyright, 2011 Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
The Temple of the Exploding Head 