Happy Halloween Ghosts and Guardians!

I hope your day is filled with tricks and treats (and no rocks). To my 61 followers this is the final spotlight of the Tale of Ghosts and Guardians Monster Files. It’s a grand one. It’s a powerful one. It’s a frightening one. It is Witches.

Witches are humans who have learned and practiced the difficult art of magic. Magic can be taught to any being, but the lessons are kept secret by the centuries old human organization. Magic is an alteration of the physical world, controlled by the witch, who had offered a totem or part of their spirit to gain that control. Knowing the cost of power, witches utilize social and institutional tricks and persuasion to meet their ends. Witches are very selective, and any magic user who does not practice according to their long established rules will be financially ruined, publicly ostracized, or just plain killed.

Witches operate as a mafia-like organization in A Tale of Ghosts and Guardians. If something supernatural is happening they are usually involved, or they are aware enough to be ready to use the paranormal event to their advantage. When the witches do eventually encounter the characters of A Tale of Ghosts and Guardians, the characters have one clear choice, join the witches or die. 

I hope you all enjoyed these short segments devoted to the monsters of A Tale of Ghosts and Guardians. Much of the joy of writing has been taking these long established monsters and creatures and giving them updated stories and realistic themes. Let me know if there is anything you want to know more about.  

THREE MONTHS LEFT!

I admit to being more than a little anxious. Three months! They’ll be gone in no time! And one of those months is December and, as everyone knows, nothing except Christmas ever happens in December.

(I know what I want for Christmas.)

Well, back to the story. "The Butler did it" is a stereotype of mystery fiction, yet I’ll bet most people would be hard-pressed to name a story where that does happen. I know I can’t. Well, the nearest thing the Veterans’ Club has to a butler is the resident porter....

Until next time (THREE MONTHS LEFT!) have fun and (THREE!) keep reading.

Updates, Faoii! Listen up!

I promised you all that I would do an audio version of Chapter 2 if we made it to 270 pre-orders. We’ve done that, so I’m upholding my end of the bargain. You can listen to it on youtube by clicking HERE.

Other than the audio chapter, I’ve been doing everything in my power to bring you perfection. I want us to take that hill-- I want us to stand at its summit with our war cries on our tongues and our victory in our hearts and for everyone to know that all of this finally came to fruition. That there’s some sort of karmic justice in the universe that repays hard work and determination. That at the end of next week we’ll know that The Last Faoii had finally earned mass publication and that maybe my health would finally improve and my heart wouldn’t be so tired all the time. Because dreams keep us going when other things don’t.

But we’re warriors. We need contingency plans. Realism. I don’t know how to produce miracles-- I don’t know how to inspire you all any more than I’ve already tried to. I was never able to get us featured in the Inkshares blog like many of the other authors we’ve fought (and in some cases, overcome). I was never quite able to get us to 4th place in this contest, much less to the top 3. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying. You’d think after submitting The Last Faoii to 200 agents during its initial run 18 edits ago, I would be used to rejection-- to falling short. But I don’t, because it’s just not something I do. 

I don’t know how to get us to the top of that hill. But I do know how to give you the best I can, no matter the outcome of the contest. Even if we fail at parts of the war, the victories we have will be perfect. There are no half measures here.

So I’m editing again. I’m going through The Last Faoii a 19th and final time since its completion--looking for any errors, any sentence, any word that doesn’t add to the story. That doesn’t prove to be absolutely worthy of your attention. I’ve sent it out to two more beta readers (numbers 13 and 14 if that matters to you) with instructions to make it perfect. 

If those that are following this army now are the only ones who are ever going to know how hard we fought to win this war-- if we will be the only ones to see the forces that Kaiya overcame just to exist, then I will make sure the reward at the end is worthy of the battle fought. 

Shield up, Faoii. The end is coming and we will not meet it lying down.

-Faoii-Tahani

Hello Adventure Readers! 

We’re just 2 orders away from the 250 mark and guaranteed publishing with Inkshares!  Anyone with that green "preorder button" along the bottom of their email, please consider grabbing a copy of "Wings of the Pirate" and helping us get this book in your hands and bookstores worldwide. 

After we cross the 250 mark, I will be updating everyone with a special raffle for a Grumman model seaplane and will be giving away some "Wings of the Pirate - Adventure Coloring Books" as well.  Artist Al Bringas did over 30 illustrations for the novel and the coloring book features most of ’em.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement in making "Wings of the Pirate" happen!

Sincerely,

Eric H. Heisner

www.leandogproductions.com

Just a small update on this chilly Tuesday evening. Three new readers threw their support behind Witherfist earlier today, putting us ever-closer to 7th place in the contest top 10.

It occurred to me this morning that I’ve yet to share on Inkshares the character art of Sunderei, the Imperial scribe who appears in the third excerpt on the Witherfist project page - so here he is! 

~ Jenny

Hail Bards!

I found this in a library in the Ancient Heights, somewhere beneath the earth and stone. It is incomplete compared to the scrolls within the Acropolis, but it does shed light on many key events in the realm of Tír na nÓg. 

The Golden Age

11500 BCE - The Peak of the Golden Age of Man the Eternal City of Formene is founded.
9500 BCE - The Goddess Rested
9000 BCE - Adam Breaks his Covenant
8000 BCE - The Acropolis is constructed
7500 BCE - The Goddess Wakes and Adam’s Rebellion begins. The Goddess forges The Fist and uses the Womb of Creation to give birth to the Fair Folk.
7000 BCE - Druid’s Oath is Constructed
6705 BCE - The Battle for the Eternal City takes place.  Adam is slain by Dagda.

The Silver Age

6700 BCE - The Reign of King Dagda Starlight Begins. Three millennia of relative peace ensue between man and the fair folk. The descendants of Adam that have not been captured flee to the farthest corners of the world not to be seen in Tír na nÓg for millennia.
6695 BCE - The Houses and Courts of the Conclave are established.
6694 BCE - The Aélfar settle in the Vale and begin the construction of Moon Grove
6680 BCE - The Jótun settle in the Shimmering Peaks, fortifying the ancient citadel of the Forbidden Crags.
6672 BCE - The Dweörg found the city of Zaragzar in the Ancient Heights
6300 BCE - The First Dorcha begins - Under the Rowan Moon Amyrannii is born.
6285 BCE - Under the Oak Moon Amyrannii is named to the Order of the Derwyddon
6200 BCE - The First Dorcha is ended. Amyrannii is the Hero and is named the ArchDruid of the Order
5500 BCE - The Dweörg encounter the Gnomos and the city of Faleris in passes of the Ancient Heights
5200 BCE - The Second Dorcha begins - Under the Holly Moon Bécuille is born.
5185 BCE - Under the Oak Moon Bécuille is named to the Order of the Derwyddon
5078 BCE - The Second Dorcha ends.
5040 BCE - The House Coldhorn and the Tarb’fear leave the borders of King Dagda’s Kingdom and sail for the Isle of Ice.
5000 BCE - The Dweörg finish construction of Stonehome and the Black Door.
4860 BCE - War between the Senarran Beast Riders of the Great Expanse and the Aélfar break out.
4600 BCE - The Third Dorcha begins - Under the Hawthorn Moon Mog Rioth is born.
4585 BCE - Under the Oak Moon Mog Rioth is named to the Order of the Derwyddon
4450 BCE - The Third Dorcha ends. Ballaton of the Seraephym lays the final blow to the spirit of Salos.
4252 BCE - The future Ensí of the Empyrean Cult of Sumer is born as Ubara-tutu in the land of Sumer.
3500 BCE - The Waverunners find a pathway leading from Tír na nÓg to Tír na Beo at Godwit’s Reach.  Birds from the other world have made their way to Tír na nÓg.
3450 BCE - Penitents Vow is settled. Humans form the religion of Penance for their sins. Millions flock to the new religion making the pilgrimage through the Ancient Heights and the Wailing Wastes of the Western Reaches. The Exodus to the Western Reaches causes more strife between mankind and the fair folk.
3260 BCE - Ensí Ubara-Tutu ascends to lead the Empyrean Cult of Tiamat in Sumer.  He convinces his followers to leave Sumer to reclaim the land of Adam.  They embark on a 40 year long voyage across the void, conquering and enslaving as they wander.
3100 BCE - The Empyrean Fleet is scuttled on the shores of the Sea of Mere along the Neck of the Vale. A skirmish ensues but the interloping humans are given safe harbor by King Dagda to settle on the other side of the River of Orlond. The Fourth Dorcha known as the silent darkness begins.
3098 BCE - Small numbers of the Aélfar begin to go missing
3063 BCE - The Iron King’s Rebellion begins
3062 BCE - The Iron King’s forces are defeated in the field at the Battle of the Broken Tower Winguric Ironwood is defeated and slain in a mine shaft.
3062 BCE - Under the Hazel Moon - Yaegar Ironwood is born to Winguric and Máire Ironwood. He is taken from Máire at birth.  She is believed to have been killed while resisting the Oak Watch who took Yaegar. Yaegar is given to a family in the East Quarter of Formene, he grows up in poverty and crime.
3055 BCE - Under a Willow Moon Renwick Waveborne is born somewhere on the waves of the Void.
3022 BCE - Under an Oak Moon, Morika the 23rd Incarnation of the Druid Priestess Pythia is born.
3020 BCE - House Stonehome begins purchasing enslaved humans to do labor within the mines beneath the Ancient Heights.  They delve too deep and open pathways to the Kobold Underworld. They keep the threat at bay and keep it secret from the other Houses of Tír na nÓg.
3018 BCE - Samsara : Under a Beech Moon, Phaero : Under a Blackthorn Moon, Arabella : Under a Rowan Moon, and Nastas : Under an Alder Moon are born.
3015 BCE - Settlements begin to disappear without a trace in the Shimmering Peaks. Most turn a blind eye.
3002 BCE - The events of The Lore of the Aos Sí 

Greetings, Faoii!

Are you the type of person that likes to listen to chapters rather than reading them? Well, then you might like this audio version of Chapter 1 (I put it on youtube because I figured that was one of the more convenient ways for people to listen in). 

Hello hello!

I promised frequent updates, and here’s the first of hopefully not too many. 

For you, a secret website that talks more about what I’m up to http://www.donnalitt.com/secret-mission (secret = available only through this URL, not in navigation) and the organizations I’m courting to support. (Eek! Very exciting!)

All feedback, questions, criticisms, comments, and unrelated anecdotes are welcome. If you take a peek, you’ll see that this is a community initiative, and the more community involvement the better. 

Donna