A few things going forward into the New Year:
The Chronicles of Ardis
Saturday, December 30, 2023
Going Forward into the New Year
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Revisiting the Map of the Planet
As I was writing Book I between 2013-2015, I happened upon a planetary map generator that by serendipity gave me the configuration I wanted. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to properly configure it, leaving me with a few inconsistencies, best cleared up by narration. Thankfully, I also have both a Mercator and a rotating version, allowing me to snag shots of locations of interest.
For a bit of explanation, the continents are Teladrin, Shadrelin, & Degna. Gaudna is a combination of two Subcontinents, Alden-Gaudna and Derren-Gaudna. Tifaeanyd (classified on the Mercator map as a protectorate) is part of the Sinseran Empire. Geologically, Shadrelin is rifting away from Teladrin, Degna is moving southward, and Gaudna northward. Much of this, is in Book I, which was published back in 2017.
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Stellar System & Moon Update; Months of the Year
Whether this is the last time I do this, I can’t confirm. However, I am far more satisfied with the changes below. Adjustments were done using a slightly modified G5V star, with the following parameters: Mass: 0.98, Radius: 0.989, Luminosity: .90, Temperature: 5,660K. From what I could determine with an online calculator, its lifespan is roughly 10.518 billion years.
All values found are as accurate as I could make them. If
there’s something incorrect, please let me know, WITH works cited.
Thursday, February 2, 2023
They’re Done and Sent
Back in September I finished my modified-rough draft of Book IV and sent a request for resubmission for two reasons. First, and most obvious was that I wanted to include Book IV in with the other three. Second, since the last submission I had found multiple errors and mistakes littering what I had sent in, and this to me was unforgivable. I knew I couldn’t account for and correct every single error in the document, but I could reduce their frequency.
Monday, December 5, 2022
Chronicles of Ardis: Where Things Stand...
First published back in 2017, it was written with Word 2007, and littered with grammatical mistakes which I attempted to rectify. Through a combination of the latest version of MS Word + Grammarly, I corrected roughly 2,000 or more mistakes, ranging from word choice errors to dialogue issues. Scenes were also expanded, rewritten, or had their continuity corrected, with minor retcons also made. Over 94,000 words in length it reads better—more smoothly—than the original draft. Short of going through it line by line, there’s very little I can do with it. As it stands, it’s in a much better place.
Finished back in 2018, Reckonings had the fortunate chance of being edited by a non-professional editor and then further cleaned up by Grammarly. Over 81,000 words, it was a fun story to write. While I admit I’d like to add more, Reckonings tells what needs to be told without the need to add anything else.
Finished back in June of 2019, Convergence was initially 18 Chapters. However, being over 88,000 words, I wasn’t satisfied with having packed so much information in the last 6 or so chapters and transformed it into 21 Chapters for better reading.
Finished on September 27, 2022, Threshold was 101,422 words long and has since crawled up to 101,741 words. Originally subtitled Dark Winter, which was a play on words using themes found throughout the book, it felt insufficient. Then again, it may fit. I find myself wanting to reexamine a few spots and have Beta Readers going through it; things could get edited when the time comes.
Thursday, June 24, 2021
What’s in a Name: The Subtitle of Book I
“Uh… no, why?”
“Well, your subtitle seems to suggest it.”
“I don’t write theology, I write science fantasy. I believe you need to avail yourself of a dictionary.”
"a concordance to the Bible"
a generated list of instances in which a particular word occurs in a digital corpus, typically with the context also provided.
"clicking on any word in the source text produces a concordance"
agreement or consistency.
"the concordance between the teams' research results"
the inheritance by two related individuals (especially twins) of the same genetic characteristic, such as susceptibility to disease.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Memory Excerpt, Book II
A few weeks ago, I did an Author's Spotlight interview with the local Library. Toward the end, I was asked to read a book excerpt. Rather than drawing from the one that was already published, I went for something out of Book II, Chronicles of Ardis: Reckonings.
Admittedly, a few things did come to my attention as I read it; both dialogue and narration felt a little off. Therefore, I sought to rectify that issue with a few tweaks. Thankfully, my publisher at the time hadn't begun working on my trio, so I was able to send it to him without issue.
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“You know he did, Sarnas, why bother asking?”
“The question was a matter of formality, little brother,” she lightly chided. “there’s no real harm in asking. So… you did transform, right?”
The sixteen-year-old blondish-haired teenager glanced up at his eighteen-year-old sister, who was joined abruptly by their ten-and-a-half-year-old brother in a flash of orange light that flickered vividly like a flame. Kemlir raised a brow briefly toward the smiling kid and then looked back at his perceptive sister as if she already knew the answer. The middle child of the trio lingered on her face a few more seconds in thought, glanced one more to their brother, and then turned away.
“No,” he swallowed. “I couldn’t. I just… I know I can, I can feel myself trying to change, but each time I do, I overthink and it just… it fails.”
The three stood quietly in the courtyard of Wuldred Fortress. Around them, soldiers and other personnel went about their daily routines, some stopping briefly to take note of the Ice Fang siblings, with an occasional nod and gesture before wandering on. A few caught Kemlir’s pained expression, hesitating at first before continuing on their way, even speeding up out of the courtyard in due haste. His siblings were there, they reasoned, there was no need to approach, much less bother them, unless something was required. And being who they were, it was reckoned that they were reasonably self-sufficient enough to handle whatever came their way.
“Then, you’ll do it again next week.” Vordril decided.
“And you’ll succeed.” Sarnas nodded confidently.
“Wait, what?” Kemlir almost stammered. “I’ve tried three times already—and failed each time!”
“Because you’ve anticipated it,” his sister intoned gently. “you need to let it happen; don’t bring the transformation about forcefully, just allow it to take place.”
“But you also need to take everything you’ve learned from those attempts, reflect, set yourself aright, and you’ll succeed on the next go around.” Their brother added in an almost sing-song fashion. “Simple as that!”
“Well, if you think it’s so easy, why don’t you do it!?”
“Actually, Vordril’s incapable of the transformation.” Sarnas glanced toward their little brother thoughtfully. “Mother said he possesses the trait but is unable to utilize it. However, if he were to marry and father any sons, there’s an almost certain chance that they could.”
“He can’t because he’s Thashinir… like you, Sarnas.” Kemlir half-whispered enviously and glanced over at the young Degnan off in his own little world.”
“Wait… me… married!?” The hazel-eyed kid wrinkled his nose at the thought. “Ewww, you can’t be serious! Aren’t girls covered in weird diseases and carrying like seven kinds of plague?”
Kemlir chuckled.
“Yeah,” Sarnas lunged forward with full intent on putting Vordril in a headlock, only to find him on the other side of the courtyard with his tongue sticking out. “I can do that too you know!”
“Is that so?” The boy grinned wickedly. “Seems I recall someone being too busy for such ‘childish games.’” Vordril intoned in a mock-serious fashion. “Or was that too old? Anyways,” he smirked. “You never could catch me, why, I bet Kemlir could do a far better job than you!”
Sarnas’s eyes narrowed. A smile slowly crept across her face as she glanced back at Kemlir who nodded, and then back at Vordril. “You’re on little brother; ready or not, here we come!”
The sounds of laughter echoed throughout the courtyard and the game was afoot. Edrim, joined by his wife Alceris, watched quietly from the window, smiles playing lightly on their faces. Flashes of fire—a combination of deep yellow, orange, and reddish-orange flame—signaling translocation events, danced lively across the courtyard as the intermittent teasing continued. Though comparatively a novice to his translocative-adept siblings, Kemlir was demonstrating marked improvement after the formal lessons he received. Reflecting, the High Chief of the Southern Wastes concluded that his eldest son would inevitably succeed in taking on the semblance of their totem animal. He too took a little longer than expected after which it became as natural as breathing. Let time work its perfect way; there was no reason to rush into things right now…