Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Short Comic for Three Turns Champion Part 1
So, after long months of promise, I finally got around to uploading and editing that comic about LoiTar from Three Turns Champion. If you don't know what that is it's my free ebook, so feel free to get it at Smashwords.com by clicking the name. This is the part in Chapter 6: A Strange Turn of Events.
I will also have it uploaded on my Facebook page. Get there by clicking: Facebook.There will be a short Part 2 coming up
Sunday, September 30, 2012
A Little Blurb about Time Before the Wolf
So, like the title suggests, this will be going over a few specifics in my new book, Time Before the Wolf. I have been working on this book for some time now, so I'm very excited to finally have it published. So, if you haven't picked it up, please try to.
In this post I want to cover a few historical, setting features, as well as some character analysis before I give any spoilers.
A Little History on Karrazard (the city the story is focusing on):
In the book, it mentions an embellished and symbolic legend about the Piper.
For those who had poor childhoods and were deprived of the lovely tale of Piper, I will summarize it. Essentially, there was a town that was infested with rats. A passing piper said he could fix there problem for a financial reward. The town eagerly agreed. So the Piper played his pipe and all the rats ran into the river and drowned. Relieved, the town refused to pay the Piper. In the middle of the night, the Piper played a tune and all the children and the Piper vanished without a trace, leaving the town in mourning.
The embellished legend in Time Before the Wolf is the continuation of the Piper's story. The Piper takes the children into the desert, following the river until he finds an iron core, which he has the children dig up. As he grows old and is about to pass, he gives his favorite child the heirloom that gives the child the right to be ruler. Since then, the heirloom, the Piper's secret Song was passed from generation to generation until the main character's father was exiled.
Essentially, the city of Karrazard thrives on the iron it produces and the merchants who travel between in and the outside world.
Where and What Karrazard is:
Karrazard is based on the desert cities in the Gobi desert and the Middle East. The Northern Lands are mentioned several times, and they are meant to be more oriental like nations with forests and mountains.
The city itself is a microcosm of the world. Each of the figures and characters in Karrazard are a reference to a type of person or ideology (as the main character represents the average person).
The Characters Symbolize...:
Piper C'lyris Kaleng: the average young adult getting into the world
Father: an idealistic, Natural Law Theorist, positive thinker
Malec: those who care for the feelings behind laws but don't understand technicalities
Asaph Hesiod: the young people brought up with a specific die-hard way of thinking
Diomedes: the sheltered people who try to enter the rat race
Shadiah:(the mother):those who are mistreated or abused by the current legal system and want to radically change it by any means necessary
The King: Those who have held a powerful position for a long time and are a custom to breaking laws, being used, and the politician philosophy of "If I scratch your back, you scratch mine"
Prime Minister Deion: The power-hungry, self-satisfying people who make their way into politics, but don't have an appropriate vision for the future
Where the Character's Names Come From:
Piper (should be obvious after you read the book), C'lyris (Lyrics), Kaleng (translates as "song")
Asaph Hesiod: Hesiod means "music" and Asaph comes from King David's Chief Musician
Diomedes: a Greek character in the Iliad (one of the best heroes ever) and his name means "thought of Zeus"
Shadiah: simply means musical or music
Deion: stemming from the name of the Greek god of wine. I wasn't referencing the first bishop of Athens.
Other Symbols and Motifs:
Iron: I chose this because iron is something that isn't flexible and it takes a lot more effort to cook and make iron tools than other metals. It takes a great heat change to make a difference. Iron is often referenced as blood like, making it a symbol of the burdens and culture Piper grew with.
Moon: Piper's father was particularly symbolic of the moon. The moon is pure (separate from the stars), mysterious (in the understanding of the ancient world) , and ever changing.Piper's father is a figure that is uncorrupted, secretive, and someone who looks to change the world.
Music: This motif/theme is a foundation for the story. Music connects us, (my sister would say it's a universal language, in reference to Gangnam Style), and floods us with emotion and adrenaline.
Flowers: are symbolic for things that a natural, pure, and beautiful, a good symbol for Piper. The flowers are red in the book, to symbolize the death and struggle that taints and changes Piper.
and most importantly, Wolves: the symbol of fear, family, life, death, and struggle. Wolves are (as the title of the book suggests) the bare essence of the story. Wolves are the hunters of the forest, just how humans are in the world. Wolves are not the only hunters or even the most powerful hunters, however, they are the game-changer in many respects, much like humans are. Piper's father told her that the wolf world is the simplified world of humans. They have the babysitter wolves, alphas, omegas, hunters, and variants like humans. For a wolf, survival is all that is necessary. For an alpha wolf, survival is the basic necessity, just like humans.
In this post I want to cover a few historical, setting features, as well as some character analysis before I give any spoilers.
A Little History on Karrazard (the city the story is focusing on):
In the book, it mentions an embellished and symbolic legend about the Piper.
For those who had poor childhoods and were deprived of the lovely tale of Piper, I will summarize it. Essentially, there was a town that was infested with rats. A passing piper said he could fix there problem for a financial reward. The town eagerly agreed. So the Piper played his pipe and all the rats ran into the river and drowned. Relieved, the town refused to pay the Piper. In the middle of the night, the Piper played a tune and all the children and the Piper vanished without a trace, leaving the town in mourning.
The embellished legend in Time Before the Wolf is the continuation of the Piper's story. The Piper takes the children into the desert, following the river until he finds an iron core, which he has the children dig up. As he grows old and is about to pass, he gives his favorite child the heirloom that gives the child the right to be ruler. Since then, the heirloom, the Piper's secret Song was passed from generation to generation until the main character's father was exiled.
Essentially, the city of Karrazard thrives on the iron it produces and the merchants who travel between in and the outside world.
Where and What Karrazard is:
Karrazard is based on the desert cities in the Gobi desert and the Middle East. The Northern Lands are mentioned several times, and they are meant to be more oriental like nations with forests and mountains.
The city itself is a microcosm of the world. Each of the figures and characters in Karrazard are a reference to a type of person or ideology (as the main character represents the average person).
The Characters Symbolize...:
Piper C'lyris Kaleng: the average young adult getting into the world
Father: an idealistic, Natural Law Theorist, positive thinker
Malec: those who care for the feelings behind laws but don't understand technicalities
Asaph Hesiod: the young people brought up with a specific die-hard way of thinking
Diomedes: the sheltered people who try to enter the rat race
Shadiah:(the mother):those who are mistreated or abused by the current legal system and want to radically change it by any means necessary
The King: Those who have held a powerful position for a long time and are a custom to breaking laws, being used, and the politician philosophy of "If I scratch your back, you scratch mine"
Prime Minister Deion: The power-hungry, self-satisfying people who make their way into politics, but don't have an appropriate vision for the future
Where the Character's Names Come From:
Piper (should be obvious after you read the book), C'lyris (Lyrics), Kaleng (translates as "song")
Asaph Hesiod: Hesiod means "music" and Asaph comes from King David's Chief Musician
Diomedes: a Greek character in the Iliad (one of the best heroes ever) and his name means "thought of Zeus"
Shadiah: simply means musical or music
Deion: stemming from the name of the Greek god of wine. I wasn't referencing the first bishop of Athens.
Other Symbols and Motifs:
Iron: I chose this because iron is something that isn't flexible and it takes a lot more effort to cook and make iron tools than other metals. It takes a great heat change to make a difference. Iron is often referenced as blood like, making it a symbol of the burdens and culture Piper grew with.
Moon: Piper's father was particularly symbolic of the moon. The moon is pure (separate from the stars), mysterious (in the understanding of the ancient world) , and ever changing.Piper's father is a figure that is uncorrupted, secretive, and someone who looks to change the world.
Music: This motif/theme is a foundation for the story. Music connects us, (my sister would say it's a universal language, in reference to Gangnam Style), and floods us with emotion and adrenaline.
Flowers: are symbolic for things that a natural, pure, and beautiful, a good symbol for Piper. The flowers are red in the book, to symbolize the death and struggle that taints and changes Piper.
and most importantly, Wolves: the symbol of fear, family, life, death, and struggle. Wolves are (as the title of the book suggests) the bare essence of the story. Wolves are the hunters of the forest, just how humans are in the world. Wolves are not the only hunters or even the most powerful hunters, however, they are the game-changer in many respects, much like humans are. Piper's father told her that the wolf world is the simplified world of humans. They have the babysitter wolves, alphas, omegas, hunters, and variants like humans. For a wolf, survival is all that is necessary. For an alpha wolf, survival is the basic necessity, just like humans.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Quick Cover Comparisons for Three Turns Champion
Okay, tell me which you like better (please comment):
A. Of course, this was my personal favorite.
B.
C.
D. I thought this was cool. When I accidentally did it, my expression was similar to this O.O
E. I really liked this one
and finally:
F.
A. Of course, this was my personal favorite.
B.
C.
D. I thought this was cool. When I accidentally did it, my expression was similar to this O.O
E. I really liked this one
F.
Spoiler Warning: Comments on Three Turns Champion
So, hopefully, if you are reading this, you've read my free ebook, Three Turns Champion.
Purpose of this entry: To explain the cover and title, to describe the Llenova world in a little more depth, and note the inconsitencies that aren't actually inconsistencies.
Reason: After my sister read my book and we talked about it. She told me I should be more enlightening, so I wrote this.
The Cover
The cover of Three Turns Champion was actually really hard to some up with. I went from this:
Ugh,
it is awful, I know. And this was after a lot of adjustments. The idea
was that Reepida is finding the broken LoiTar in the desert.
Unfortunately, everything looked childish and Crayola colored. I almost
cried since I put so much effort into it. Then I thought, Ah! Why don't I
make it more symbolic rather than "realistic"?
So, in that epiphany, I did this:
Still, it was terrible. Even with my super art application (Paint), I couldn't manage to like it even a little. So I gave up and started picking up writing with Time Before the Wolf, which, by the way, is going very smoothly. So, after color coordination trials and tests, I settled with this:
Now, what is this nonsense?
Well, not quite nonsense! The three main cogs are all representations of LoiTar. The smallest as his short time as a real dragon (note: it looks like a turtle, but that was the closest reptilian creature I could get a cog to look like). The medium cog is representing him as a mechanical dragon (note: the three braces kind of look like a nuclear bomb, representing his power). And the biggest cog is of course, symbolic for his life as a man (note: it looks like a Ferris Wheel, which is romantic).
The other cogs are just for balance. The dragon tail should be somewhat obvious: it is a story about a dragon who is turned into a mechanical dragon and then a man.
The Title ~ Why Three Turns Champion?
LoiTar has three turns (or chances) to be a champion. As a flesh and bones dragon, he loses his soul to the Seerxi/Lauphai, thus not a champion. As a metal dragon he loses his soul to a Lauphai, and still not a champion. Finally, as a man, he falls in love and fights against both Seerxi and Lauphai, making him a champion at last.
Llenova ~What? Where? What's with the Map?
Llenova is the continent that the story takes place and. Please, notice my map:
Ignoring
my crayola colors, notice that I have placed a some descriptions on the
side. This is for those who forget what people groups are in Three
Turns Champion (i.e. Lauphai, Seerxi, ect.) Let me restate them here:
Seerxi: A technological group that lives in the southeast. My sister made the mistake of think that Reepida's eyepiece was the work of the Lauphai and that's why she hated them so. No. The Seerxi, as described in the chapter, are people who cut of limbs they think they can better. She took out her own eye, the Lauphai had nothing to do with that.
Lauphai: A magical group (not in the wizards and unicorn sense) who are trying to convert the world into them. They seek to use the other cultures to provide the children and innocence needed to produce magic. They are generalized as uncivilized and over the brink of insanity.
Rykrinans: Although you find in the other stories based in this world (I hope to get them published sooner or later, they need lots of correcting), Rykrinans are very corrupted and have lots and lots of flaws. Still, they often act as the "good guys". They are a very religious people (monotheism) and also very festive. If you notice in the story there are a lot of feasts. Those are Rykrinan feasts not Seerxi.
The desert is not dominated by any given people group. Most of the time Seerxi and Rykrinans who aren't accepted in normal society or just enjoy the desert heat live there. I marks the town Reepida and LoiTar live near.
DragonCrest: Even though Vulwind is always dubbed as "King of the Dragons", the dragons don't really have any form of government. Although, during the Second Land War, There was a character Commander Oz who helped defend the borders of DragonCrest with his small armada.
What is with the Date on the Map?
The date, 283 L. is telling you when in the timeline Three Turns Champion happens. L. stands for Landing, specifically the Rykrinan landing to Llenova. If you notice, Rykrinans have red hair and green eyes, while Lauphai, Seerxi, Cresthooders, Perions, and Umbrans all have black hair with a variety of eye colors. This is because, 283 years ago, the Rykrinans came as refugees on boats to Llenova. They are, in essence, foreigners. That's also why none of the other countries or people groups have the same religion.
*If you're like my first middle-school teacher, then I will clarify something; Llenova is a made up world.
The Fake Inconsistencies
Another comment my sister made was that when LoiTar becomes a man he seems to have a slightly different personality. He is suddenly a lot more thoughtful about Reepida and in general. This is not random or an inconsistency.
At the beginning, you will find that LoiTar has a very different personality and in the middle, he is differnt, and at the end he is different. This is because, at the beginning, he experiences emotions like anger, fear, and the desire for freedom. These are very dragon emotions, blunt and decisive. However, as a flesh dragon, he would have just killed Reepida because she is Seerxi. However, he doesn't because his mechanical side reasons that she is a useful blacksmith and he understands he easily damages.
Several times, LoiTar helps Reepia, reasoning that in doing so she will preform better. He does not help her out of the kindness of his heart, because he's a hunk of metal.
However, when he becomes a man, he becomes more emotional, including attracted to Reepida for more than her practical usefulness. For this reason, he becomes more intelligent, playful, and friendly.
Purpose of this entry: To explain the cover and title, to describe the Llenova world in a little more depth, and note the inconsitencies that aren't actually inconsistencies.
Reason: After my sister read my book and we talked about it. She told me I should be more enlightening, so I wrote this.
The Cover
The cover of Three Turns Champion was actually really hard to some up with. I went from this:
So, in that epiphany, I did this:
Still, it was terrible. Even with my super art application (Paint), I couldn't manage to like it even a little. So I gave up and started picking up writing with Time Before the Wolf, which, by the way, is going very smoothly. So, after color coordination trials and tests, I settled with this:
Well, not quite nonsense! The three main cogs are all representations of LoiTar. The smallest as his short time as a real dragon (note: it looks like a turtle, but that was the closest reptilian creature I could get a cog to look like). The medium cog is representing him as a mechanical dragon (note: the three braces kind of look like a nuclear bomb, representing his power). And the biggest cog is of course, symbolic for his life as a man (note: it looks like a Ferris Wheel, which is romantic).
The other cogs are just for balance. The dragon tail should be somewhat obvious: it is a story about a dragon who is turned into a mechanical dragon and then a man.
The Title ~ Why Three Turns Champion?
LoiTar has three turns (or chances) to be a champion. As a flesh and bones dragon, he loses his soul to the Seerxi/Lauphai, thus not a champion. As a metal dragon he loses his soul to a Lauphai, and still not a champion. Finally, as a man, he falls in love and fights against both Seerxi and Lauphai, making him a champion at last.
Llenova ~What? Where? What's with the Map?
Llenova is the continent that the story takes place and. Please, notice my map:
Seerxi: A technological group that lives in the southeast. My sister made the mistake of think that Reepida's eyepiece was the work of the Lauphai and that's why she hated them so. No. The Seerxi, as described in the chapter, are people who cut of limbs they think they can better. She took out her own eye, the Lauphai had nothing to do with that.
Lauphai: A magical group (not in the wizards and unicorn sense) who are trying to convert the world into them. They seek to use the other cultures to provide the children and innocence needed to produce magic. They are generalized as uncivilized and over the brink of insanity.
Rykrinans: Although you find in the other stories based in this world (I hope to get them published sooner or later, they need lots of correcting), Rykrinans are very corrupted and have lots and lots of flaws. Still, they often act as the "good guys". They are a very religious people (monotheism) and also very festive. If you notice in the story there are a lot of feasts. Those are Rykrinan feasts not Seerxi.
The desert is not dominated by any given people group. Most of the time Seerxi and Rykrinans who aren't accepted in normal society or just enjoy the desert heat live there. I marks the town Reepida and LoiTar live near.
DragonCrest: Even though Vulwind is always dubbed as "King of the Dragons", the dragons don't really have any form of government. Although, during the Second Land War, There was a character Commander Oz who helped defend the borders of DragonCrest with his small armada.
What is with the Date on the Map?
The date, 283 L. is telling you when in the timeline Three Turns Champion happens. L. stands for Landing, specifically the Rykrinan landing to Llenova. If you notice, Rykrinans have red hair and green eyes, while Lauphai, Seerxi, Cresthooders, Perions, and Umbrans all have black hair with a variety of eye colors. This is because, 283 years ago, the Rykrinans came as refugees on boats to Llenova. They are, in essence, foreigners. That's also why none of the other countries or people groups have the same religion.
*If you're like my first middle-school teacher, then I will clarify something; Llenova is a made up world.
The Fake Inconsistencies
Another comment my sister made was that when LoiTar becomes a man he seems to have a slightly different personality. He is suddenly a lot more thoughtful about Reepida and in general. This is not random or an inconsistency.
At the beginning, you will find that LoiTar has a very different personality and in the middle, he is differnt, and at the end he is different. This is because, at the beginning, he experiences emotions like anger, fear, and the desire for freedom. These are very dragon emotions, blunt and decisive. However, as a flesh dragon, he would have just killed Reepida because she is Seerxi. However, he doesn't because his mechanical side reasons that she is a useful blacksmith and he understands he easily damages.
Several times, LoiTar helps Reepia, reasoning that in doing so she will preform better. He does not help her out of the kindness of his heart, because he's a hunk of metal.
However, when he becomes a man, he becomes more emotional, including attracted to Reepida for more than her practical usefulness. For this reason, he becomes more intelligent, playful, and friendly.
Three Turns Champion ~ Introductions
Alt Title-my first free ebook
Alright, I know I was trying to finish Time Before the Wolf
first, but this was a nice, short story I began a few years ago but renovated
now. What's different: this is my first ever romantic story. I usually suggest romance, but none of my characters ever seem to actually hook up. For this book, I changed that.
Another thing: I
added pictures to it. I swear they look better without color, but I only
realized that halfway through and decided to go all the way through. I upload
the original pictures plus a bonus comic strip on my Facebook in a little while.
I decided this one should be free since it's so short. That,
however, does not mean I didn't work hard on it. I was going through it and
going through it. Oh, yeah, a little later, I will be posting an in depth study
of Three Turns Hero, including the meaning behind the title.
Unfortunately, Smashwords's Autovetter hates me and told me that I have a paragraph error that I have done everything possible to fix in order to be put on review for the Premium Catalog (aka Smashwords is a retailer that sends its authors to places like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Apple, ect.). If anyone has any suggestions, questions, or comments, just comment! I'd love to hear from you.
It is my hope that you will get to read Three
Turns Champion, after all, it is both short and free.
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