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Sunday Excerpt, "Crucible" @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/30/2015

Servants climbed the stairs carrying his armaments. Mandrean displayed great excitement at seeing his old gear. He eagerly awaited its application. They began by pulling a suit of chain mail over his head and body. It clung tightly at his chest and stomach. As a result, the chains stopped at his waist and provided no protection for his lower half. It was suggested another suit be fetched from the armory in a larger size. Mandrean would not hear of it. After his conversation with Fendri, Mandrean was determined to fit into his old armor at all cost.

Next the plate armor laid over the mail. The bracers and leg supports still fit fine. The breastplate, however, was a different issue. While Mandrean’s stomach had grown, his armor had not. Still insisting on wearing the masterfully crafted armor meant for a young, fit man, Mandrean ordered the tailors to make alterations to accommodate his growth. The bindings connecting the front and back plates were lengthened with leather straps. One thing they could not change was the height of the metal. The front plate stopped midway across Mandrean’s abdomen. His enhanced chest and stomach made adjustment impossible. Shoulder armor was tied to the front and back plates. Then a massive fur cloak was fitted to the armor. The lining of the fur was purple silk. After a long look in the mirror, Mandrean was satisfied and awaited his final accessory.

A servant knelt before him and raised a long sword toward his master. Mandrean’s eyes came to life as he took the scabbard and tied it to his belt. Once it was secure, he drew the blade. Though it was the length of any long sword, similarities ended there. It was a fine, hardened steel which was black in color from the elements used in its forging. Though pointed at the end, it was not the only area for opponents to avoid. The sides had been painstakingly filed to create massive teeth with sharpened edges pointed at the hilt. Such teeth could catch an opponent’s shield or armor and strip it away with a bold stroke. If the blade were to slash against flesh, it would tear through like a woodsman’s saw, only pausing upon striking bone. A stabbing blow would be little better for the victim. Upon withdrawing the blade its teeth would rip through vital organs and make their survivability impossible. The weapon was more a tool for a butcher than a sword for an Emperor. Replacing the sword in its scabbard, Mandrean confidently strode down the stairs and headed for the door.

Saturday Excerpt, "Quest" @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/29/2015

“Your temper is what needs to be controlled, Linvin. How many times in the last few weeks have you lost control with Rander alone? He is not even your enemy. Then you let some barnyard-smelling ruffians pick a fight with you.”

Linvin fired back, “They crossed the line!”

“Then perhaps,” Anvar responded while sitting down, “the line was drawn too close. Your skin must grow thicker to be a great leader. Otherwise, you will be doomed to the life of a puppet whose strings are easily drawn.”

Anvar continued his lesson. “You chose to take action in spite of the condition of the party. It was a bold but unwise choice on your part. You ended up surrounded but still managed to fight your way through them. For that, I give you credit. Unfortunately, you once again let your temper rule your actions. After brilliantly handling the first two men, you took your time with the leader. Had you finished him quickly, you could have easily noticed the bartender or perhaps helped one of us. Instead, you spent a good amount of time flogging him, did you not?”

Linvin stuck his chin out as anger swelled within his being. He stared at a patch of forest where Anvar could not directly see his face. “I wanted him to suffer,” he said at last. “I wanted him to pay for what he had said and done. He had humiliated me and I wanted to return the sentiment. In the end though, I wanted to squeeze his neck until I could feel his windpipe crush beneath my fingers.”

Anvar softened his face and walked over to Linvin. Brushing his nephew’s cheek ever so slightly with his hand, he turned Linvin’s eyes to meet his own. “You wanted revenge, my boy. You wanted it for their actions, but I think you also wanted it for the loss of your parents.

“I am not immune to such feelings, either, but you must remember, revenge is not a path to a positive end. Revenge leads to unclear thinking and poor decisions. It was your desire for vengeance that made you lose track of the bartender. Instead of being victorious, we were chased out like rats because of your pride and shortsightedness. That was your greatest failure.

“Think of this journey, and your life, for that matter, as training to be worthy of the Red Sapphire. Simply being strong or intelligent is not sufficient for the power you have been chosen to wield. You need patience and diplomacy working alongside brawn and brain. Only then can you and the gem reach your full potential. Protecting the weak and the helpless is a far cry from revenge. Strive to be the great man you were meant to be and you will find him within yourself.

Book Piracy @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/26/2015

When I put on a movie at home, I always fast-forward through the FBI warning. It never meant a whole lot to me. It’s kind of like those commercials about donating to cancer research. You don’t think much about it until someone close to you comes down with the disease. Well the copy write warning never meant much to me until I was chatting with a fellow writer the other day. He told me he had lost over 1000 downloads of just one of his books that he knew of to illegal internet piracy downloads. 1000 books gets you near the best seller’s list. That’s also a nice piece of change coming out of his pocket. He said every time he appeared on a blog or wed site, his pirated downloads went up. So I asked him how to find the sites offering one’s book. He told me and I decided to look. I didn’t expect to find anything. Little old me? No one would bother pirating my books. I was mistaken. 5 sites were offering my books for free! Who knows how long they have been out there but there they were, clear as day. The evil part of my brain hopes they downloaded some malware or virus along with the book. I contacted my publisher (Who is great at this sort of thing, by the way) and they applied the pressure to have them all taken down within 24 hours. One of them, however, had the audacity to just take the words “for the” out of “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and had the site back up again the next day. What are they getting out of this that they want to give my book away so badly? Did I wrong them in some way? Was I mean to them in school? Some of these sites could have been up for over 2 years. How many sales did I lose? I love to write but I also love to get paid for it. How much money was stolen from my family? According to my publisher, this happens when I send a blog a copy of my book to review. After they’re done reading it, they have an electronic copy just hanging around. Instead of deleting it, either they or a friend offer it to the general public for free. That is not what was agreed upon when it was sent to them! The saddest part of all in this is that many people see this as a victimless crime. These books represent years of our lives in making them. The publisher, cover artist, editor and author all deserve to be paid for that work. You work hard. You deserve to be paid for your work, just as we do. So next time you want a book, order it legally. You’ll feel better and so will the people who made the book.

New Excerpt @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/25/2015

After a long silence, Mandrean spoke. “Today our Empire has

lost a great general, patriot, teacher and friend. A brilliant military

mind is gone forever. He will be missed. Let us hold our memories

of him dear and take to heart his lessons, even from his deathbed.”

Necromancer heard the final statement and knew the time had

come to reframe the issue. He floated out of his seat, bowing to

Mandrean and then the crowd. “My Master and good people of the

empire, the loss of General Gramlick was a blow like no other. Let

no assassinations of his character ever be spoken, for he served this

empire to the last.

“And let us not forget that it was only the late general who

would stand up and say that the same empire is broken! It has not

been the same since the incident in Trader’s Ally. Every general

here speaks of revolts, taxes unpaid, mines shut down and near

mutiny.” He addressed the generals. “Were these problems so

blatant before the entrance of that despicable Sartanian into our

midst?”

Seeing an opportunity to exonerate their positions, the generals

other than Tathbar joined his sermon. “It was entirely his fault,”

cried one. “He made us look weak,” added another.

“And so he did,” Necromancer railed as he worked the room

into a frenzy. “If I may be so bold as to say his name, Linvin

Grithinshield is the cause of all our ills. He incited the people and

decimated the legions in a most unfair and cowardly battle. The

finest horsemen in the world were killed without even being given

a chance to defend themselves. The capital nearly burned to the

ground, and this palace was likewise defaced and mutilated. Lord

Mandrean was even held as a hostage for a brief time.

“Only the wise rule of our great emperor has seen us through

these dark days that have followed. I have heard countless excuses

and accusations in this chamber, but the true cause of all our

problems is not the empire or the emperor. It is the one who

insulted both and ran away like a fox in the night. Linvin

Grithinshield is the problem. His memory sparks revolution. His

insolence insults every citizen. He emboldened Sartan to force us

out of the Unclaimed Territory and inspire desertions into its

borders. It is not beyond reason that he played a hand in the demise

of the great Gramlick. The onset of his illness nearly coincided

with Grithinshield’s arrival. Make no mistake about it. Linvin

Grithinshield came here to single handedly begin the fall of our

empire. Even our all-powerful emperor still strains from wounds

dealt by the fox during his escape from justice.

“Too long have we tried to make our problems complex when

their solution is so simple. Grithinshield must return to answer for

his crimes!” The crowd cheered. “Only once Emperor Mandrean

has vanquished him for all to see will the minions fall in line and

restore the glory of the greatest land Lavacia has ever seen. With

our pride and honor reestablished, no nation would dare stand in

our way.”

Blog Appearance @Solsticepublish @Solsticeshadows

8/22/2015

Today Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews was kind enough to do a spotlight on me and my books. It’s one of the biggest blogs in the field. There are links and also a fun excerpt. Take a moment to check it out at http://lauries-interviews.blogspot.com/2015/08/mandrean-revenge-by-rival-gates.html As always, enjoy the read!

Walk and Text @Solsticepublish @Solsticeshadows

8/19/2015

When I was a kid the joke was always, “Can’t you walk and chew gum at the same time?” Times have changed. Social media is here to stay. For my children’s generation the joke is more like, “Can’t you walk and Tweet at the same time?” Apparently for a lot of people the answer is “No.” In the last ten years the average number of people injured or killed as pedestrians has increased 4 times its previous rate. The main reasons are people are busy texting or chatting or Skyping or Tweeting or updating Facebook and not paying attention to where they are going. There are videos all the time on the internet of someone falling because they were busy on their phone. There is a growing movement in this country to keep people off their phones while driving but not many realize the danger of simply walking. Some of my worst injuries happened when I was just walking and paying attention. (They involved ice) I can’t imagine what would have happened if I were texting at that time. I know it sounds over the top to say, “Don’t Tweet and walk” or “Don’t text and walk” but this is becoming a real problem. People are walking in front of cars or falling in awkward places and being badly hurt. If it seems like I’m on a soap box, I don’t want to be. People love their phones. The data plans for my family keep getting bigger and bigger. There is just so much you can you can use them for; and that’s great. Social media is useful, fun and here to stay. For me it is a way to connect with my readers. For others it’s just a way to keep up on the latest gossip. For your own safety, though, wait until you are standing still and out of the way before diving into the thumb exercise machine. All it takes is one accident for you to wish you had waited. You may not be driving a car but your body has no airbags to protect you either.

New Excerpt @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/18/2015

“Last time you fought Grithinshield he barely bested you after

he had used his tricks. That was not your fault, Master. He could

use the full power of the Red Sapphire and you were limited in

your output from the Blue Sapphire because you do not have the

matching staff for it to give you access to its entire might. It would

even heal your wound permanently. With the proper staff, you

could kill the fox and save your lands.”

The crowd cheered again. Mandrean used his hands to gesture

to them for silence. He looked at Necromancer with curiosity.

“Before you openly criticized my fighting abilities and said I could

not defeat him even with the proper staff. Your change in opinion

leaves me skeptical of your motives.” He bore in mind Gramlick’s

last warning.

“I was rash in my statements before,” the wizard pleaded. “I

trust you have enough savvy to devise a way to vanquish

Grithinshield if your magic is even.”

“You said before that you could not find the staff. What has

changed?”

Necromancer smiled and produced the ancient garment from his

pocket. “This has changed the dynamic of the situation. Rub this

magical garment over the Blue Sapphire. The stone has been in

contact with its staff before. Some trace of it should have been left

on the gem.”

Mandrean did not fully understand but took the cloth anyway.

He polished his prized possession and returned the woven material

to his court magician. Necromancer smiled his most insidious

smile and hovered over the map of the world on the floor.

Necromancer closed his eyes and fell into a trance. Without

warning, his body began to glow and change shape. The

metamorphosis looked grotesque. His body shifted and twisted

before the amazed onlookers. When the light from the magic

faded, Necromancer was an old man in appearance. Disguised as

Gallatrium he proceeded to speak to the cloth.

“My old cloak, that magic stone has touched the staff that

makes it whole. You have touched it. Now show me the location of

the staff so that they may be reunited.” He cast it high into the air

and cried out, “Show me where the blue staff is located.”

The cloth flashed a blinding white light as it landed on the map.

Mandrean joined Necromancer beside and watched. The fabric

grew into a vast moving picture on the floor with a view

descending through clouds. Such speed and imagery was similar to

what might be seen while falling off a cliff. In fact, a violent wind

blew over them with just such a force. When it seemed that they

would be blown away, the picture finally focused on the location

of the staff. The image centered on a structure.

“Now show us who possesses the staff.” Necromancer

demanded.

The picture changed, and both men smiled at once. They looked

at each other and for the first time ever had the same goal.

“That is amazing,” Mandrean muttered.

“I never would have looked for it there,” Necromancer said

unemotionally.

“Now that we know where it is, I have a job for you,

Necromancer. A scheme is coming together in my mind that is

perfect for this. I could not have planned this better. Our troubles

are about to end.”

“Indeed they are,” agreed Necromancer.

Sunday Excerpt, "Crucible" @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/16/2015

“Can you hold onto a saddle if I get you upon it?” Linvin asked.

Miri clenched her hands into fists and then released them. “I…I think so.”

Linvin gave her some more water and said, “I will be right back. It is time to wake my kin.” Linvin eagerly strode over to the corner where the others were sleeping. They were huddled together in an effort to stay warm. With staff in hand, he decided to use his newfound skill. A balmy mist surrounded the sleeping elves and gently woke them.

Rander rubbed his eyes and asked, “Why are you waking us up now. It is not even light yet.”

“We must move out now,” Linvin answered. “Any farmer with livestock and crops still in the fields this far into the fall will be up at the break of day. We must not be discovered here. Furthermore, anyone running that store would find items missing when they open. In a farm community that store would open when the farmers awake. With the ground muddied by the rain there is a chance we could be tracked here. It is better to think a local thief had sought refuge here than us. Saddle your horses and leave nothing behind that links to us. When you are done I will introduce you to Miri.”

“She is awake.” Bander cried.

Linvin put his fingers to his lips and reminded him to stay quiet. “She is in pain and is confused. So do not overwhelm her right now. She says she can ride. Bander, I will assign you to aid her. Ride by her side and hold her reins if need be. See to it she does not fall from the saddle. Everyone else make sure we have all the apples we can carry and full water skins.”

“What is the plan?” Rander inquired.

“We will flee to the south,” Linvin responded. “We would be expected to head back to the east as we came but that is too obvious. It will undoubtedly be re-enforced by the time we reached the river mouth. To the west we already know the number of troops concentrated along the Silver River. A stealthy escape would prove most difficult in that direction. We will go to the Lake and find a boat. Then we will sail to the south shore and continue our journey home.”

“Do you think they are pursuing us?” Rander wondered.

“Most assuredly,” Linvin answered. “We damaged Mandrean’s home and his pride. He will bring all he has to bare in order to prevent our escape. Though you scattered their horses at the message depot, me must assume the entire Empire has been put on alert and that prices will surely be placed on our heads. That means no contact with anyone. We must disappear. Anyone seeing us will bring the weight of the army down upon us. That will be enough questions for now. Be ready to leave by the time I return with Miri.” He turned and went to the injured woman’s side.

He found Miri feeling her side where Hugon struck her. Her face winced as she touched the wound. “There are at least a couple of broken ribs in there,” Linvin said as he sat down. “Fortunately, they do not appear to be dislocated. They will heal in time. Until then, keep your breaths shallow and make no sudden movements.”

Miri’s eyes cleared and she gave herself the rest of the water Linvin left in the cup. She looked at Linvin and gave a weak laugh. “You have me practically mummified here. I doubt I will be making any sudden movements. Who was it that undressed me and bound me like this?”

“For your information,” Linvin said firmly, “It is called a field dressing and I was the one who applied it to you.”

“It hardly seems appropriate for you to see my body unclothed,” Miri firmly noted.

“There was no time for civility,” Linvin stated. “Either I had to tend to you or you would be dead. If you still are displeased then you had better get used to it. If we live to see the end of this day I am going to have to change those dressings. Fear not. When tending wounds I look at you as just another man.”

Miri pursed her lips and said, “Well if that is how it will be I suppose I will just envision you as a woman. Then neither of us is embarrassed.”

Saturday Excerpt, "Quest" @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/15/2015

Linvin walked over and picked up one of their bows. It's construction was flimsy and its draw light. “When your enemy is close, a sword becomes your best friend. While a bow is a powerful tool of war, these are little more than toys.” He effortlessly drew the string and released it. “They would never penetrate plate mail.”

Rander was incensed by the insult. “Let us see about that.” He entered the kitchen and returned with a thin metal plate from the stove. He placed it against the outside wall of the hut and walked across the rope bridge, to the next tree. In all, he was roughly twenty paces away. Drawing back the bowstring as far as he could, he sent an arrow into the plate. It pierced the metal and poked just through the other side.

“How about that?” Rander asked with obvious pride.

Linvin looked at the plate and then at his cousin. “What is your point?” Linvin asked. “So you can pierce armor once the person is close enough to charge you. You would be dead, long before your arrow was airborne. If you are trying to impress me, you will have to do better.”

Rander was enraged. “You could do no better.”

Linvin did love a challenge. “We shall see,” he said as he picked up the plate. “Let me show you a real shot.” Linvin climbed down the rope ladder and walked down the street. He stopped roughly one hundred paces away and hung the plate in a tree, using the arrow Rander had lodged in the metal. Linvin turned and walked over to his horse. He retrieved his compound bow and a single arrow. Climbing back to the landing, Rander was indignant.

“I will laugh so hard when you miss this shot,” he gloated. Linvin smiled and drew his bow. The butt of the arrow nearly touched his mouth as he eyed his target.

Rander suddenly realized that there was a chance Linvin could make the shot. In an effort to distract his cousin, Rander began talking very loudly and making gestures aimed at drawing Linvin’s attention. The juvenile tactic had little effect on the seasoned concentration of Linvin.

Letting the arrow loose, Linvin watched it slice through the air and bury itself dead center in the plate. The concussion of the blow knocked Rander’s arrow to the ground, leaving the plate dangling from Linvin’s arrow.

Bander and Rander were speechless in the aftermath of the display. Linvin patted Rander on the shoulder and said, “Keep practicing, but please do get a real bow. It is embarrassing for an elf to use a child’s plaything.”

Just then, Caritha yelled from the house. “Where is my plate from the stove?”

“Linvin used it for target practice, Mother,” Rander called back. Linvin shook his head and climbed down to retrieve the plate.

At that moment, Anvar emerged from the hut. “What are you boys doing out here?” he asked. Bander had been stupefied by the display but managed to stand before his uncle and say, “You should have seen it. Linvin put an arrow through one of ma’s cook plates from all the way down there.”

Anvar bent over the rail and observed Linvin retrieving the target. “I am not surprised,” Anvar concluded.

“He got lucky!” Rander snorted. “Anyone could have made that shot when there’s no pressure. That didn’t prove a thing.”

Anvar shook his head and lovingly shook Rander’s shoulder. “Now, Rander,” he began, “I know all about your history with Linvin, and I care for you both. However, you need to stop and consider what he brings to the party. Your cousin is one of the finest generals in the world. He walked away from more than you realize in order to come with us.”

Guest Post/Book Review @Solsticepublish, @Solsticeshadows

8/13/2015

Kelly Smith Reviews was kind enough to let me do a guest post from the character’s point of view and review “Mandrean Revenge”. She gave it 4/5 stars and was very flattering. You can check it all out at http://kellysmithreviews.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-guest-post-mandrean-revenge.html My thanks to her and her site for the ringing endorsement.