Greets Bards, Maidens, Champions, Lords, and Ladies!

It’s Friday! First, I would like to thank you all for following and giving life to this project. Without you, this project would be much more difficult. I do appreciate every kind word, recommendation, and review that you have added to the project.  

This update is gonna be a quick one. I did a word count today! OVER 65K!

So I’m probably about halfway there! I hope... I am going to start the Pre-Order process on August 1st so this will be me for the month of July

So without further Adieu I leave you with a treat for the weekend! I have posted a new excerpt for The Damnation of Man which delves into the world of Pythia the High Priestess of the Goddess! Enjoy! I’ll send it over to you shortly!

Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

Christopher Lee

Weekend Author Spotlight!

This weekend I wanted to highlight a few authors whose projects have caught my eye! I am focusing specifically on those that are funding.  I’m sure many of  you have already come across these titles but just in case you haven’t take a gander, follow, and help these gifted wordsmiths achieve their goal.

The Sleeping Man

The last of the dreamwalkers seeks for answers in the long lost Compendium, but the greatest mystery lies within his own past.

“Carignan draws you in the world of dream effortlessly. The Sleeping Man coaxes the reader to enter the dreamscape of an elegant, otherworldly land. Get lost in the dream!”

https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-sleeping-man

Borehole Bazaar

A slight twist on the traditional hero, the protagonist fails to escape capture and emotionally breaks before finding inner strength.

“Magnificent worldbuilding! The culture is palpable and thriving. It jumps out at you so fiercely you can almost smell the Borehole Bazaar. Beyond the well-crafted world, you find characters that feel like we do, fear, love, and stress. It feels real and stays engaging.”  

https://www.inkshares.com/books/borehole-bazaar-a-vow-unbroken

The Traveler’s Cup

I’m being boarded onto a military-grade starship about to be launched into the middle of a civil war between the Star Dragons and Celestial High Wizards, hoping to make it through alive. No one has completed this mission. Tri-annually for centuries we’ve sent ships and not once have they returned.

“Dude Star Dragons and Celestial High Wizards! Do you honestly need anything else?”

https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-traveller-s-cup

Mechcraft

A teen with the ability to control a swarm of shape-shifting nanobots must use his power to turn the tables on the warring factions that want to control or destroy him.  It’s The Matrix meets Harry Potter in this fast-paced sci-fi thriller.

"It’s all about the suspense! Fitzpatrick has blended the awkward nature of being a teen with the elements of nanobot puberty. The dialogue is fresh and feels natural.  The action is well paced and leaves you white knuckling your tablet as you read! Mechcraft is fun, engaging, and downright clever! When do I get my nanobot powers?!"

https://www.inkshares.com/books/mechcraft-7532

Tantalus Depths

The Diamelen’s survey mission to Tantalus 13 takes an unexpected turn when the entire planet turns out to be an ancient artificial structure. What lies in the heart of Tantalus? And why is the crew’s AI, SCARAB, willing to kill to keep its secret?

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that Dave! This harkens back to 2001 but gives hard science fiction a serious upgrade. The suspense of deep space exploration is ever present in the depths of Tantalus 13. Tantalus Depths gives hard science fiction a face lift by keeping you floating down the river of intrigue!”

https://www.inkshares.com/books/tantalus-depths

The Last Faoii

After her monastery is attacked and her sisters slaughtered, young Kaiya-faoii is left alone to fight back against her uncle’s dark army, or watch him enslave an entire nation.

“Gritty, bone-crunching, blood-soaked action! Disorientation, confusion, and gore punctate the dark, gripping intro to this promising adventure!”

https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-last-faoii

GIVE THEM SOME LOVE!

Cheers!

Christopher Lee

Greetings Bards, Maidens, Champions, Lords, and Ladies!

As the Summer Solstice is upon us I thought it appropriate to invite my readers to explore in greater detail the focal point of The Damnation of Man.  The Summer Solstice and MidSummer’s Eve have always intrigued me.  Many times have I wondered what it would be like to see the great hilltop bonfires and the music of harps and flutes.  The Damnation of Man explores the origins of this sacred feast and attempts to bring you into what it would have been like to attend.

So without further Adieu, I’d like to serve up an excerpt to help you celebrate this joyous and magical holiday.  

“The fires were lit and already the smoke had permeated the air spreading far and wide. The sun had already set painting the sky in hues of pink, orange, and purple. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets Phaero had ever seen. His eyes scanned the horizon. As far as the eye could see pilgrims were gathering around the great pyre.  Songs danced upon the air, punctuated with laughter and an overwhelming sense of bliss. Millions had gathered to celebrate the promise of the Goddess and her victory over the darkness. The day was the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. Tonight they would dance, feast, and make merry in honor of their mother and her eternal love.  

This was Phaero’s first time at the festival and thus far it had lived up to his expectations. He harkened back to the stories his father had told him of how he and his mother had met. It was here that their union had conceived him. Here under the glowing flames of the great pyre there was a promise. A promise of light conquering the dark, of love conquering hate, and a feeling of new beginnings.He wandered about, taking it all in.  Everywhere he looked there was something wondrous.  The diversity of the people of Tír na nÓg came together in an inconceivable fusion of levity and reverence. His soul was elated by the songs and sounds of his mother’s people.  Phaero had found his way through the marvelous mess of merchant carts and makeshift taverns.  Before him stood the stone altar of the Goddess. Encircling the altar was a great pyre that stretched around the immense base. The stairs of the altar stretched to the heavens. 

Phaero laid eyes upon the ancient steles. The stonework was unparalleled in its ornate design. Their sheer immensity and grandeur were unlike anything Phaero had ever seen in Formene. There were many stories told in the carvings on the monolithic stone. Yet none of them drew his attention more than the stone carvings of his mother’s people, the Aélfar. They told of the union of the Goddess and the Moon. In the embrace of the moon, the Goddess bore the Aélfar. In her arms, she carried the beams of moonlight to the earth and shaped them into the children of the moon. It was a magnificent tale that brought forth memories of his mother. Although he had never known her, he could still picture her essence, her voice, and her smile. It warmed his soul as the fire warmed his skin.

Phaero looked on as pixies whirled around the great pyre. Their starlit wings beat gently against the summer breeze. At the base of the pyre brownies, gnomes, and dwarves set more wood to be lit. The air was thick with anticipation. The last glimmer of sunlight had faded when a deep rumbling horn sounded.  Millions of souls directed their attention to the stone altar in reverence. The altar could be seen from miles around. At the foot of the colossal steps, the High Priestess began their ascent. An entourage of altar girls followed, carring burning incense and glowing candles. The high priestess wore a crown of flowers and vines.  Her body was nude, representing the nude figure of the Goddess. Phaero watched as she gracefully ascended the stone steps. Her breasts full and her hips were broad. The altar girls chanted behind her and not a soul spoke. All were transfixed. The eerie feel of a once boisterous crowd being instantaneously silenced spoke to the power of this magnanimous moment.

The high priestess reached the summit and looked out upon the faithful masses. She raised her arms towards the heaven as her altar girls chanted.

"Hear us great mother on this the most sacred night. Grace us with your presence, fill us with your wisdom and love.  Enter the oracle and tell us your will.”

The high priestess began to sing in the unintelligible tones of the spirits of the earth. Her eyes glossed over, and her voice began to sound through every blade of grass, leaf, and rock.

"Hear this my children. On this night, you have gathered to worship your mother. To celebrate your brothers and your sisters, and feast until your stomachs burst. Tonight you will drink and be merry. Let your heart carry you to places that you’ve never dreamed. Tonight, is a night for dreamers, for lovers, and for all my children to sing the song of unity."

The crowd was enraptured. The voice of their Goddess filled them. At that moment, the pressures and stresses of their everyday lives melted away. They watched in awe, drowning in religious ecstasy.

"Enjoy the revelry of this evening to your heart’s content. For in the morning, one shall be named to join the order of druids. Through the joining the named will be born unto a new life to serve my will, to defend the realm and all my children. At dawn, you will gather here and one of you will be named. May your time be merry and your hearts runneth over with the rivers of love."  

The crowd cheered as the high priestess dropped the candle she held onto the great pyre below. In one magnificent instant, every inch of kindling at the base was lit. The fire leaped into the air, scorching the heavens and soaring high above the crowds.  Phaero could feel the heat on his skin as his eyes watched the flame in amazement. Music began to play again. Harp strings sounded, trumpets blared, and voices sung as the festival erupted into a frenzy. Phaero looked on as dwarves cracked open casket after casket of ale. Giants ate whole roasted boar in hardly two bites. People kissed and danced with wild fervor. It was merrymaking at its best.

Phaero caught a glimpse of his friend Jemresh racing towards a group of dancing water nymphs. He watched as Jemresh pulled out his pan flute and began to play. Just then a line of youthful maidens skipped past Phaero. Their skin was radiant, and their eyes full of lust.  They giggled and waved at the tall handsome half-breed. Phaero blushed. His courage quickly returned and chased after the maidens. He caught up and gripped one of their hands. They led him towards the field of champions, singing and dancing along the way. 

He thought about the memories he would make tonight, would he find love as his father and mother did? His mind was ripe with possibilities. That was when his eyes landed on her. She was a seræphym, angelic and alluring. Her beauty was beyond words. She stood with her back turned to him, her black wings unfurled and her arms at her side.

Never before had he seen any woman and felt this way and he hadn’t even seen her face. There was an irrefutable magnetism drawing him to her. It was as though their destinies lay intertwined. She turned and her eyes caught his. He looked like such a fool his was mouth open, and his eyes wide, but something in his eyes captured her. Phaero’s eyes locked onto hers and as he attempted to speak he stumbled forward in a love drunk stupor.  She caught him in her arms, but as he regained his balance he simply stared at her. She realized it was up to her to make introductions. 

"I’m Samsara."

Please feel free to comment, critique, recommend, and review if you feel so moved. As always I appreciate the support! I will be featuring this excerpt on the Damnation of Man’s page for the next few days. Also feel free to comment on Chapter One posted there as well.

I hope that you enjoy your MidSummer’s Eve! May the Goddess Bless You and Keep You.

Cheers!

Christopher Lee

Greetings Fellow Bards! 

I must first apologize for the silence! After the Draftshares event, there was much to be done.  I received some wonderful feedback from a great many sources.  Naturally I jumped into action.  Now I have a quick update for you all! After a great deal of work worldbuilding and fleshing out the final crevices of Tír na nÓg, I have jumped back into editing, and will be finishing up the draft in the next month! 

For your reading pleasure, please take a gander at the updated, streamlined chapter one.  I’ve had it workshopped and I believe it reads a lot smoother, and I have axed a good chunk of the infamous info dumping.  I will send the chapter straight away!

Also as one final treat.  I have created a Wiki for the series! If you enjoy Lore this is where you will find an interactive map, descriptions of the races, legends, creation mythology, and a host of other items! Lore of the Aos Sí 

With all that I believe next month,I will be moving forward towards Pre-Orders! What I hope to receive from you is honest feedback about what you like and don’t like!

Cheers!

All, thank you for the support. Things have been progressing well..  Just wanted to show off the updated Map of Tir na nÓg! I am also putting together a Wiki to give some scope to the project.  I hope you enjoy!

Greetings Readers! I hope everyone is enjoying the Draftshares event! The Lore of the Aos Sí has been getting some fantastic feedback.  There is still alot of work left on a project of this magnitude.  But here is a nice little prize for all of those following! An Artist on Deviant Art took a stab at one of the stories main characters The Morrighan.  What do you think?

Greetings Readers and Authors! Happy Memorial Day! May we remember those who have given us this opportunity!

Draftshares is going on this week! I’m uber excited to receive critique on both of the Lore of the Aos Sí drafts that are being featured during the event.  If you wouldn’t mind this week to find some time to give me some good old fashioned critique and spread the word about my drafts I would greatly appreciate it! I would be in your debt!

Furthermore! Here are some of the Drafts I plan on Critiquing and Following! Please take some time to peruse them too! After All There are Prizes! For More Information about Draftshares click here!

Please feel free to place both of these works under siege! Tear down the walls and Conquer the world of Tir na nÓg!

The Damnation of Man

&

Electric Messiah

Here are the Drafts I am Following and Critiquing!

The Lion in the Darkness - by Christopher Johnson

Makhaira - by Amanda Orneck

The Edge of the World - by Connor Callaghan

Exile, Magus - by Thomas J. Arnold

Hiding Among the Stars - by Landon Trine

Make sure to support our community everyone! 

Cheers!

Readers I have yet another surprise for you!  I hope you enjoy!

Click the Link above or Below to watch the new Teaser Trailer for The Damnation of Man

The Damnation of Man Teaser Trailer

Reader announcement! Next week Inkshares is going to be holding an even to promote the drafting phase of a project and The Damnation of Man along with Electric Messiah are both being featured!  

The purpose of the event is to help authors in the draft phase to polish and refine their drafts through critique. I suspect it will also give these projects more attention from readers.  

So I open it up to my readers first! Once the event begins I will be receiving a fair amount of critique and advice on the progress of the novels!  

The cool thing is that there will be prizes from the Inkshares Team for those who critique the most! How cool is that?!

I’d like to hear from my readers as well! So gear up, get ready and let the red ink fly!

I’ll repost what the Inkshares team has posted about the event below as well!. 

Get ready, because Draftshares is about to begin!

When: May 30th - June 4th

Readers: Check out as many drafts (projects currently in the Draft stage) as you can during the week of May 30th - June 3rd, and participate by opening and commenting on your favorite drafts’ excerpts.

Why: To encourage community engagement...and, PRIZES!

Prizes you say?: Yes! For every Draft (or synopsis*) you critique, you will be entered into a drawing for the following:

Prizes for Anyone

• Three sets of a copy of Asteroid Made of Dragons, button, and shirt
• Church of Technology/Deus Hex Machina swag (pins and shirts)
• Copy of Shadow of the Owl
• Order of Dax Harrison
• Order of Bones of the Past
• Order of Proxy

• Ladies of Sci Fi poster from A.C. Weston
• Mix CD set with custom cover art by C. Brennecke
• $25 in Inkshares Credits

Prizes for Authors

• Video editing by Yicheng Liu
• Interview on The Warbler
• Guest spot on Drinkshares: Last Call
• $25 in Inkshares Credits

Drafters: Let us know if you’d like to receive a soft critique or a hard critique by messaging a member of the DLC cast or tweeting your project link @drinkshareslc with either the #critiquemekindly or #critiqueme hashtags. If you want your synopsis critiqued, include the hashtag #critiquemypage too.

Soft Critiques (#critiquemekindly): This is the default critique if the author has not specifically requested a hard critique. The tone should be supportive and curious. Point out things you like, comment on the broader story ideas, and ask questions.

Hard Critique (#critiqueme): Only give a hard critique if the author has specifically asked for one. This is where grammatical errors, typos, and oversights can be pointed out. It’s best to include elements of a soft critique too, but you can unleash your inner editor a bit more here.

*Synopsis Critique (#critiquemypage): Interested Drafters should create a thread in the Inkshares forum (https://www.inkshares.com/forum_threads?topic=promo), linked to their book draft, titled “Synopsis Edits: [Book Title Goes Here].”

>;;;;>;;;; Throughout the week, fellow authors will browse these threads and offer help with editing and improving your project page synopsis so you’re better prepared to switch over to funding with a fantastic, compelling, error-free introduction to your book!

Not sure where to start? Check out these Drafts first!:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QP0JPCCsijyIFIa0YKk4ZdQjHJPFW3mqtVvyOpNO3x4/edit?usp=sharing

Watch: Tune in at https://youtu.be/82ged3xwwew on Saturday, June 4th @ 4/3 Central to watch us discuss the drafts and announce the winners!

Good Luck & Great Drafting!