tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26699936839408912602024-02-18T20:47:57.948-05:00The Death Wizard ChroniclesA six-book epic fantasy by Jim MelvinJim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-44473285978737284972014-09-12T09:38:00.000-04:002014-09-12T09:38:16.872-04:00Interview with fellow author Blakely Benett<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Please check out my interview with Blakely Bennett at </span><a forcediv="true" forceinline="true" href="http://bit.ly/1wiifzq" original_target="http://bit.ly/1wiifzq&h=iaqeyas7i&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" saprocessedanchor="true" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1wiifzq</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">as we discuss The Death Wizard Chronicles, my six-book epic fantasy. Blakely and her husband Dana are both novelists who write sensual and historical romance, as well as suspense novels. Blakely regularly interviews fellow authors on her popular site, which is always an awesome thing to do! </span><i class="_4-k1 img sp_LWp1MpKGrs1 sx_35a5d8" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yP/r/90b8T5aM1AH.png); background-position: 0px -7986px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 16px; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Please check out her books, as well.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
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Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-42861936602965085432014-08-22T23:16:00.000-04:002014-08-22T23:17:10.828-04:00Check out this excellent contemporary romanceWe authors stick together, and Jill Prand is an great example of this. She is the first to unselfishly promote another author's work, while remaining humble about her own. So it's time for one author to return the favor to another. If you are into contemporary romance, please check out two of Jill Prand's excellent books: "Watch Me Walk Away" and "Walk Into Me." Both are on sale through Sunday for 99 cents. So, truly, at that price, what do you have to lose? Go to <a href="http://amzn.com/B00D9UVAX4"> http://amzn.com/B00D9UVAX4</a> and <a href="http://amzn.com/B00JYP9BJI">http://amzn.com/B00JYP9BJI</a>. The writing, by the way, is excellent.Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-51064992890869592392014-08-08T23:45:00.000-04:002014-08-19T23:04:25.659-04:00Watch my interview on Mr. Media!<span style="color: #9a244f; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: white;">I recently had the pleasure of appearing on Mr. Media, a podcast site that is the brainchild of longtime friend Bob Andelman. Bob is the author of a slew of best-selling books. But that is only one of his many talents. As Mr. Media, he has interviewed more than a thousand celebrities, including actors, musicians, athletes and writers. And now ... me. Please watch my lively video interview with Bob about The Death Wizard Chronicles, my six-book epic fantasy. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back and relax, and go to <a href="http://www.mrmedia.com/">www.mrmedia.com</a>. You can even buy my books straight off his site. I had a lot of fun doing the interview and I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun watching it. And please share on Facebook and elsewhere. :) Thanks so much.</span></span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-65466801966355300192014-07-14T20:54:00.001-04:002014-07-14T20:56:05.052-04:00Newly released Book 5 (Blinded in Power) has been reduced to $4.39. The first four books are $1.99 each. This might be the best bargain in the WORLD! :) The Death Wizard Chronicles, a six-book epic fantasy, for mature audiences. Monsters, magic and mayhem -- and sexy too. The finale of the series, Book 6 (Healed by Hope), should be out by fall. Please share!!!!! <a href="http://amzn.to/1qcq5Yx">http://amzn.to/1qcq5Yx </a><br />
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Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-33056753867093781712014-06-23T11:59:00.000-04:002014-06-23T13:23:27.319-04:00Listen to my interview on ETV Radio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Today I appeared on Your Day to discuss "The Death Wizard Chronicles" during an interview with Anna Simon. For those of you who might not know, Your Day is a statewide (and very popular) program aired by Sout</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 20px;">h Carolina ETV Radio. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 20px;">Listen to the podcast <a href="http://bit.ly/1pEDvh9.">HERE.</a> And visit Your Day <a href="http://yourday.clemson.edu/">HERE</a>.</span></span></span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-39774032381881442662014-06-20T21:52:00.002-04:002014-06-20T21:54:20.337-04:00Listen to my Your Day radio interview live!<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">On Monday (June 23) some time between noon and 1 p.m. (ET), I will appear on Your Day to discuss "The Death Wizard Chronicles" during an interview with Anna Simon. For those of you who might not know, Your Day is a statewide (and very popul</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 20px;">ar) program aired by South Carolina ETV Radio. For more information, visit <a forcediv="true" forceinline="true" href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyourday.clemson.edu%2F&h=lAQFG3jG8&s=1" original_target="http://yourday.clemson.edu/&h=laqfg3jg8&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" saprocessedanchor="true" style="cursor: pointer; font-size: inherit; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://yourday.clemson.edu/</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 20px;">The interview can be heard on the following stations, and for those who miss it, I'll post a podcast link:</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: black; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 20px;"><br />ETV Radio Stations:<br />WRJA-FM/88.1 Sumter<br />WNSC-FM/88.9 Rock Hill<br />WLJK-FM/89.1 Aiken<br />WJWJ-FM/89.9 Beaufort<br />WHMC-FM/90.1 Conway<br />WSCI-FM/89.3 Charleston<br />WEPR-FM/90.1 Greenville<br />WLTR-FM/91.3 Columbia</span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-54715788841970616362014-06-08T13:25:00.001-04:002014-06-08T13:52:59.548-04:00Bhayatupa The Great is slowly coming to life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'm now 12,000 words into "Bhayatupa The Great: The Dragon Wars," a prequel to The Death Wizard Chronicles that occurs 30,000 years in the past. It stars Bhayatupa, the most magnificent dragon who has ever lived but who is haunted (in a larger than life way ... get the symbolism? wink, wink) by the fear of death. It also will contain many of DW's most popular and long-lived characters: Vedana the </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">demon, Izumo the dracool, Slag the Stone-Eater, Urbana the vampire, Chal the Warlish witch, etc. And even the snow giants and cave monkeys. But it will be written in a way that it will be able to be read as a standalone, so that you won't have to have read DW to read this book. I'm still uncertain whether this will be a single book or a series. If a single book, it will be quite long, because I have a lot of ideas and a lot of area to cover. I'm aiming to be finished before the end of the year.</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-6819549222572643462014-05-31T00:09:00.000-04:002014-05-31T00:09:27.610-04:00Book 5 is now available!!!To my friends and dear readers .... Book 5, <i>Blinded by Power</i>, is now available on Amazon! For just $3.99. You can purchase it <a href="http://amzn.to/1tYKHFN">HERE</a>! Please share and spread the word! Anyone who shares gets to borrow a Tugarian warrior for one day to kick the ass of anyone you choose. :)<br />
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Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-3078686248136045592014-05-28T23:45:00.003-04:002014-05-28T23:46:57.402-04:00Books 1-4 still $1.99 eachToday at Jimmy John's, I got a sub, chips and soda for $8.50. You can get the first four books of <i>The Death Wizard Chronicles</i> for less than that. Pretty amazing, if you think about it. Order them <a href="http://amzn.to/1nqxYbA">HERE</a>.<br />
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<br />Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-20081955406929565122014-04-30T14:45:00.000-04:002014-05-02T12:14:03.781-04:00Forged in Death just $1.99 on May 2-3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: white;"><strong style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">NEWS ALERT:</strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> Starting at 7 p.m. Eastern time on May 2 (Friday) and continuing through 7 p.m. on May 3 (Saturday), book 1 of </span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1nqxYbA" target="_blank">The Death Wizard Chronicles</a></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, a six-book epic fantasy, will be featured on Kindle Boards' "Book Discovery Day." The Kindle version of</span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> Forged in Death</em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> will be reduced to just $1.99 on May 2-3, and books 2-4 (</span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Chained by Fear</em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">, </span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Shadowed by Demons</em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> and </span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Torn by War</em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">) also will be reduced to $1.99. </span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Forged in Death</em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> reached best-seller status earlier this year on Amazon. The best place to purchase book 1 and also the other three books is </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Bitstream Charter, Times, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_372859047">HERE!</a></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1nqxYbA">.</a> An announcement will be coming soon on the release of book 5 (</span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Blinded by Power</em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">). Book 6 (</span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Healed by Hope</em><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">) is planned for a late summer or early fall release. Please take advantage of this great promotion! And leave reviews. </span></span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-17109507189574287482014-03-21T00:44:00.002-04:002014-03-21T00:44:33.057-04:00Epic fantasy takes an epic rideThe Death Wizard Chronicles has been on a wild ride lately. Book 1 (Forged in Death) of the six-book series became an Amazon best-seller on March 9. Books 2 (Chained by Fear), 3 (Shadowed by Demons) and 4 (Torn by War) also have been selling well, on a variety of venues. Book 5 (Blinded by Power) will be out in just a few weeks. and maybe sooner. And Book 6 (Healed by Hope) is waiting in the wings, chomping at the bit. This series is action-packed, and definitely heavy on magic and monsters. If you prefer epic fantasy that only uses magic as a fringe element, then my series probably isn't the best for you. But if you like epic fantasy that is bursting with magic -- not to mention monsters, zombies, vampires, trolls and a wide variety of new creations -- then you should be all in! There's a lot going on between the lines, but also a lot of fun going on on the surface.<br />
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Only a Death-Knower can die. And live again.<br />
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Only a Death-Knower can return from death. And remember.<br />
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Only a Death-Knower can tell the world what he's seen. Not all care to listen.<br />
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http://amzn.to/1nqxYbAJim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-79216164603593429992014-03-18T09:50:00.003-04:002014-03-18T09:50:34.650-04:00Black Fortress wins awardOne of my free short prequels to <i>The Death Wizard Chronicles</i> series titled <a href="http://amzn.to/1l06Sd9" target="_blank"><i>The Black Fortress</i></a> has won a top award for cover design at the <a href="http://www.epicorg.com/" target="_blank">EPIC Awards</a>. Congrats to BBB's Debra Dixon.Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-40213331810209850562014-03-10T13:25:00.002-04:002014-03-10T13:25:59.814-04:00Here's what happened March 9!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3Ep_xdgO-sWx8EEycB0YZHD08lApiVep4Qa1TcjDK01807Ex4Ur7lmkoQgVvLyxIb073dbbtG1mP4tfX58mPYb5OQrS0uUe2u7MC6KNGFtRsP1VttwACzbHWnb8ST509CReh_-WvnQw/s1600/rank+tight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3Ep_xdgO-sWx8EEycB0YZHD08lApiVep4Qa1TcjDK01807Ex4Ur7lmkoQgVvLyxIb073dbbtG1mP4tfX58mPYb5OQrS0uUe2u7MC6KNGFtRsP1VttwACzbHWnb8ST509CReh_-WvnQw/s1600/rank+tight.jpg" height="320" width="315" /></a></div>
<br />Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-33396663747119908902014-03-09T18:35:00.000-04:002014-03-09T18:35:15.346-04:00Book 1 (Torn by War) becomes a No. 1 best-seller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ0xPCUfUTkR9LHDX0Z11XnbyDJm51TtYKV5JBt6RMTLb1fm2Yfg0-F-mUta7lIN9z1uR7C24SfHkT2z1Y3SuYNjsNFYUqWIRuaFd7jrkBhdKidRm4ABqZA68EEGW3v5TDRb1X4zO3jM/s1600/bestseller1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ0xPCUfUTkR9LHDX0Z11XnbyDJm51TtYKV5JBt6RMTLb1fm2Yfg0-F-mUta7lIN9z1uR7C24SfHkT2z1Y3SuYNjsNFYUqWIRuaFd7jrkBhdKidRm4ABqZA68EEGW3v5TDRb1X4zO3jM/s1600/bestseller1.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>Torn by War</i> reached No. 1 on March 9 (Sunday) on Amazon's best-seller list for epic fantasy/magic and wizards!<br />
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<br />Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-19066958099408875032014-03-09T10:23:00.001-04:002014-03-09T10:23:26.597-04:00Epic Fantasy Daily Deal now in full swing on Amazon for Death Wizard Chronicles<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">My Death Wizard Chronicles Amazon Daily Deal at </span><a href="http://amzn.to/1n8RsF9" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/1n8RsF9</a><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> is now in full swing. Please check it out. Scroll to science fiction and fantasy on the left or go directly to </span><a href="http://amzn.to/1kFIs8H" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/1kFIs8H</a><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">. Books 1-4 will be featured all day for just $1.99 apiece. Anyone who'd be willing to share this would be doing me a huge favor. </span><i class="_4-k1 img sp_ajm6r8 sx_b610f5" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yl/r/djWWR4XJTnA.png); background-position: -170px -146px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: 16px; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"></i></span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-19240404682278521522014-03-03T20:38:00.000-05:002014-03-03T20:38:02.977-05:00DW newsletterTo any who would be interested in receiving an occasional newsletter about the series, please sign up at www.jim-melvin.com. Newsletter members will be the first to know about the release date of books 5 and 6 as well as any related discounts and promotions. Your emails will be fully protected and not given to anyone else, and there will be an "opt-out" button for anyone who decides it's not for them.Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-20878397019037886112014-03-01T01:02:00.002-05:002014-03-01T01:02:30.612-05:00The frenzy to finish book 5In addition to my quite-demanding day job (which is actually a 4-midnight kind of job), I have been in an editing frenzy. At the advice of my editor at Bell Bridge Books, I did a very large structural reworking of Book 5 (which should be out within a few weeks). The restructuring took a long time and was frustrating, but the book is definitely the better for it. I hate to say that my editor was right, but to this point she always has been, so I pretty much need to give up and just do what she says without any moaning. :) Anyway, in a few more days my series will be featured in yet another promotion, and this one will be the biggest yet in terms of the exposure the series will receive. I'll post updates as the event nears. Thanks to any and all who follow this page. Every person who has ever read one or all of my series has provided me a special honor, and it is much appreciated.Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-24815659442940144992014-02-15T10:31:00.003-05:002014-02-15T10:31:48.369-05:00Thanks to readers everywhere<span style="background-color: black; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: white;">The KBoards promotion is over, although all four books remain reasonably priced. Thanks so much to all who purchased one or more of the books. For me, it's an honor each and every time.</span></span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-39874290549354699832014-02-11T16:17:00.003-05:002014-02-11T16:24:21.026-05:00Big promotion on KBoards!Books 1-4 of <i>The Death Wizard Chronicles</i>, a six-book epic fantasy, are now being featured on the very popular Kindle Boards site. For a short time only, Book 1 is 99 cents, and books 2-4 are only $1.99. Get all four for less than $7. Please check it out <a href="http://www.kboards.blogspot.com/2014/02/discover-the-death-wizard-chronicles.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Also, please go to my <a href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/" target="_blank">author's website</a>.Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-46511697179948504072014-02-07T01:42:00.002-05:002014-02-07T01:42:38.146-05:00Favorite lines you use in real life<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">One of my favorite all-time lines in epic fantasy came in "Fellowship of the Ring," when the monstrous Balrog finally makes its appearance, and Gandalf reacts to Legolas' frightened comments by saying, "A Balrog. Now I understand. ... And I am already weary."</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Ever since reading that line, I've used it myself for whenever something bad happens .... like .... "I have to do my taxes. And I am already weary."</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Anyone else have any favorite lines that they recite in their ordinary lives?</span></span>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-51084717348195084772014-02-03T22:57:00.000-05:002014-02-21T00:36:23.313-05:00The final characters (part 13)<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<strong><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Last but not least (in alphabetical order)</span></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Asēkhas:</strong> The most powerful and revered of the Tugar desert warriors (see below). There are always twenty, and when one dies or retires, another takes his or her place.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Badaalataa:</strong> Carnivorous vines brought to the Realm of Life by the demon Vedana and then permitted to multiply. They exist mostly in the mountains north of the Gap of Gamana (see <a href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/" target="_blank">Map of Triken</a>). Badaalataa are similar in appearance to ordinary laurel and in fact often hide within large stands of laurel, but they are deadly and devour flesh either quickly or at their leisure, depending on their mood. Only the greatest of beings—Invictus himself or perhaps Bhayatupa—would be able to survive an assault by a large number of these vines.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Bard:</strong> A tall, handsome trapper with a thick black beard and piercing blue eyes. He lives in the northern wilds near Mount Asubha with his friend Ugga and is often seen with the white-haired woman named Jord.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Black knights:</strong> The defenders of the fortress Nissaya, which is located in the eastern maw of the Gap of Gati (see <a data-mce-href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/" href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/">Map of Triken</a>). Also called the Kalakhattiya. They are large, powerful men and women with black hair, skin and eyes who wear black armor. Supremely skilled swordsmen and archers. Many women also attain the status of knight and fight alongside the men.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Black mountain wolves:</strong> The largest and most dangerous of all wolves, most being as large as horses, with a bristly, black coat and fangs that ooze poison. These wolves are intelligent but also evil—and they are in league with demons, witches, and Mogols.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Bonny:</strong> A pirate woman from Duccarita, the City of Thieves. She is round-faced with short red hair, crooked teeth and dark eyes—and she is muscular and beautiful.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Efrits:</strong> Invisible creatures that dwell in the Realm of the Undead. When summoned to the Realm of Life by demons or witches, they voraciously devour the internal organs of living beings.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Elu:</strong> The diminutive partner of Rathburt is a Svakaran warrior who stands only about three feet tall. Though small in stature, Elu is muscular, strong, and fearless. He also is perpetually good-natured.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Ghouls:</strong> Human-sized and shaped creatures that are hideous in odor and appearance. Not particularly strong or dangerous, but definitely on the side of evil.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Gillygaloos:</strong> Enchanters and enchantresses from Kincara, the large forest located south of Jivita and west of the Kolankold Mountains (see Map of Triken). They stand only two feet tall, but wield powerful magic wands that make them far more formidable than they appear. They are round-faced with red lips and are good-natured. The most famous of all the Gillygaloos is Burly Boulogne, who has traveled the world and is a dear friend of the Death-Knower wizard Torg. Burly maintains a saloon in Jivita, the White City.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Golden soldiers:</strong> Human-like soldiers each created from a single drop of the evil blood of the sorcerer Invictus. All mimic the sorcerer in size and appearance, with blond hair and brown eyes. In the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles, they numbered more than one hundred and sixty thousand. They are called golden soldiers because they wear magnificent golden armor.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Jord:</strong> White-haired woman of mysterious origin who is the longtime companion of Bard and Ugga.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>King Henepola:</strong> The king of the fortress Nissaya during the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles. Nissayans have black skin and black hair, but Henepola has long white hair cast about his shoulders, marking him as a magical conjurer as well as a king, which is a formidable combination.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Kojins:</strong> Enormous ogresses with six arms and bulbous heads that stand more than 12 feet tall. Kojins are imbued with a purple-colored magic that makes their flesh almost impervious to harm, and they are nearly as strong as snow giants. They are long-lived beings, existing for many millennia, and at one time more than two hundred roamed the forests of Triken. But during the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles, fewer than a dozen remained. Kojins rank among the most dangerous and evil creatures on Triken.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Kusala:</strong> The chieftain of the Asēkhas, the highest-ranked of the Tugars, during the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles. Kusala is considered to be the greatest chieftain in Tugarian history.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Lucius Annaeus:</strong> Began as the general of Invictus’ legions before he was usurped by Mala and then became a traitor. Lucius is called the firstborn, because he was the first golden soldier born magically from a drop of the evil blood of Invictus. Lucius has shoulder-length blond hair and brown eyes and resembles Invictus in appearance, though not in personality.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Mogols:</strong> Warrior race that dwells in Mahaggata Mountains (see <a data-mce-href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/" href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/">Map of Triken</a>). Longtime worshippers of the dragon Bhayatupa and the demon Vedana. Ancient enemies of the black knights of Nissaya.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Pabbajja:</strong> Homeless people who live on the fringes of the dark forest called Java (see <a data-mce-href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/" href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/">Map of Triken</a>). Little is known of their history or habits, but they are short and squat and covered head to feet with scraggly hair. They are long-lived creatures that carry magical tridents capable of great destruction.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Queen Rajiini:</strong> During the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles, she was the queen of Jivita, the White City. All pure-blooded Jivitans are pale-skinned with white hair, but Jivitan necromancers are pale-skinned with black hair, as is Rajiini, making her a necromancer queen, rare much in the way that King Henepola of Nissaya is rare.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Rathburt:</strong> The only other living Death-Knower in the world besides Torg. But Rathburt is no warrior, preferring the mastery of plants over the mastery of flesh.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Sister Tathagata</strong>: The High Nun of Dibbu-Loka, the stone city that lies west of the desert Tējo that is home to the monks and nuns called the Noble Ones (see <a data-mce-href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/" href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/">Map of Triken</a>). Tathagata is three thousand years old.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Sōbhana:</strong> A brave Tugarian warrior who has achieved the rank of Asēkha. Sōbhana is about a finger-length shorter than the average Tugarian woman, about 6 feet 2 instead of 6 feet 6, but she is extraordinarily strong and flexible and is an extremely dangerous fighter, capable of defeating most Tugar men.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Tasēti:</strong> Second in command to Chieftain Kusala and the most formidable female Tugar that has ever existed, surpassing even Sōbhana.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Trolls: </strong>There are two kinds—cave trolls and mountain trolls. Both are extremely large and physically powerful, but cave trolls are the greater of the two, standing as tall as 10 feet and weighing more than one thousand pounds. They wield no overt magic, but their hides are as tough as canvas and they are extremely difficult to kill. They are hideous to behold and they stink. Trolls can hurl boulders hundreds of feet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Tugars:</strong> The famed desert warriors of Tējo, called Kantaara Yodhas in the ancient tongue. To become a warrior, a Tugar has to train for fifty years under the guidance of a Vasi master. Tugar men stand about seven feet tall and women are usually only about six inches shorter. They are deeply tanned with shoulder-length black hair and deep-blue eyes and are similar in appearance, at least to those who are not Tugars.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Ugga:</strong> A crossbreed creature—part man, part bear—who lives in the northern wilds with his friend Bard. Ugga stands more than 7 feet tall and weighs close to 400 pounds. He has a temper, but for the most part is perpetually good-natured. He is often seen with the white-haired woman named Jord.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Vampires:</strong> One of the lesser monsters on Triken. Far stronger than an ordinary human, but no match for most magical creatures. For instance, a single Tugar could easily slay a dozen vampires. They drink blood and eat flesh, but their bite is not infective. Vampires are born as vampires and do not have the ability to create others. They are long-lived—some existing for tens of thousands of years—and they are pale, haggard and dark-eyed but otherwise human in appearance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>White horsemen:</strong> The defenders of Jivita, the White City that is in the Green Plains west of the Gap of Gati (see <a data-mce-href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/" href="http://www.jim-melvin.com/map-of-triken/">Map of Triken</a>). During the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles, they numbered close to forty thousand. They are pale-skinned with white hair, and they wear white armor. They ride massive, barded destriers and are masters of battle in the open plains. Few can withstand their lance and bowmanship. Women fight alongside the men and are typically superior with the bow.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><strong>Zombies:</strong> Unlike vampires, zombies are ordinary humans that have been transformed into flesh-eating monsters by demonic creatures called undines. They are stronger than ordinary humans, but a single zombie is not particularly dangerous. It is when they are massed in great numbers that they become dangerous. They are hideous to behold and stink even worse than trolls. And again unlike vampires, their bite is infective. A single zombie can creates hundreds more.</span></div>
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Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-92076649057441078262014-01-27T16:21:00.000-05:002014-01-27T16:21:06.568-05:00The characters (part 12)<b>THE CAVE MONKEYS</b><br />
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<i>(This is the twelfth in a series of character descriptions from The Death Wizard Chronicles, my six-book epic fantasy.)</i><br />
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<b>Who are the cave monkeys and what is the worm monster?</b><br />
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Cave monkeys are small creatures (about two feet tall and weighing around twenty pounds) that more resemble lemurs than monkeys. But they were given the name cave monkeys by the Torg, the Death-Knower wizard, because he could think of no other. These clever and wondrous creatures live in caves and tunnels deep in the bowels of Mount Asubha, several leagues beneath the surface.<br />
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The colony of cave monkeys that Torg encountered numbered about fifty, though the wizard never knew their exact number. They were furry creatures, with pointy noses and mouths filled with flat teeth, and they had long, bushy tails. Their most striking physical feature was their bioluminescent eyes that glowed in the dark. They were supremely athletic and energetic, but also kind and gentle, and they communicated between themselves and with Torg using a very powerful yet noninvasive telepathy.<br />
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Also residing beneath Mount Asubha was a titanic creature called the worm monster, which was most likely the largest living being on Triken. Somewhere hidden far beyond finding was the monster’s core body, but extending from it were hundreds of thick tentacles, each more than a mile long and each containing a fang-filled mouth at its tip that was capable of devouring anything it found in the underworld, including cave monkeys. But the worm monster was not particularly intelligent, more an eating machine than anything else, while the cave monkeys were brilliant creatures by any standard. And in an ironic reversal of fortune, the cave monkeys were able—using stone daggers—to leap about just out of reach of the tentacles’ mouths and carve pieces of flesh from the tentacles. This flesh was quite tasty, and it was the cave monkey’s main source of sustenance, along with mushrooms. With these ingredients and a few others, they made delicious soups that Torg quickly grew to adore.<br />
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Cave monkeys also were wonderful artists, and they decorated the stone walls of their underground home with intricate drawings using mineral extracts and worm fats to create multicolored pigments.<br />
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Was the colony Torg encountered beneath Mount Asubha the only one in existence? And was there only one worm monster on Triken? Or did each large mountain on Triken have its own version of these creatures living deep beneath the surface? The answer to this was beyond Torg’s knowledge.<br />
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Photo by Dreamstime.<br />
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Up next: the final installment, which will be a list of other characters, both ordinary and magical, with short descriptions of each.<br />
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Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-64573441180347903862014-01-26T01:57:00.000-05:002014-01-26T01:57:33.692-05:00The characters (part 11)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">THE DAASA</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Photo by Dreamstime</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;">(This is the eleventh in a series of character descriptions from The Death Wizard Chronicles, my six-book epic fantasy.)<br /><br /><b style="font-style: normal;">Who are the Daasa and why was Invictus the sorcerer able to control them?</b><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-weight: normal;"><br /><br />The Daasa are a peace-loving and intelligent race of beings who live on the other side of the Akasa Ocean, several thousand miles from the western coast of the land called Triken. Only the Daasa themselves know how many of their kind exist in the world, but in the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles, they numbered close to one million. They communicate with barks, squeals and whistles instead of words, and they prefer forests to mountains or plains, though they also love oceans, lakes and rivers and are excellent swimmers. Nuts and fruits are their main source of nourishment. Like the druids of Dhutanga, they are stewards of the forest, and though the Daasa are not evil like the druids, they also resemble them in the way they psychically interrelate, moving about in single-minded droves.<br /><br />In their normal state, the Daasa resemble extremely large pigs with purple eyes, and they are adorable. But like Warlish witches, they have the ability, when threatened, to transform into deadly monsters. Thorny spikes rise from their soft flesh, fangs erupt from their mouths, claws spring from their toes, and they growl like rabid wolves. In this state, a single Daasa is capable of killing a cave troll.<br /><br />In the days of Invictus, a terrible creature resided within a city named Duccarita, more commonly known as the City of Thieves. This being, called the Mahanta pEpa—which in the ancient tongue meant The Great Evil—had come from across the ocean. Once on Triken, Invictus gave it free rein, and the Mahanta pEpa grew to epic proportions with supremely powerful psychic powers that enabled it to control the Daasa en masse—even those who lived across the ocean. So when the sorcerer sent his slave ships, the Daasa clambered on compliantly. Eventually Invictus managed to transport more than one hundred thousand Daasa from their homeland to Triken, where he used them for evil purposes better not discussed here.<br /><br /><i>Up next: the cave monkeys.</i></span></span></div>
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Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-51298113164087096262014-01-24T01:09:00.000-05:002014-01-24T01:09:39.040-05:00The characters (part 10)<b>THE STONE-EATERS</b><br />
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(This is the tenth in a series of character descriptions from <i>The Death Wizard Chronicles</i>, my six-book epic fantasy.)<br />
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<b>Who are the Stone-Eaters and do they really eat stone?</b><br />
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Stone-Eaters are relatively small yet extremely dangerous creatures that inhabit the interiors of mountains but that often roam the lands, taking sides with whatever evil presence is most powerful at the time.<br />
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They rarely attain five feet in height, yet they are stout and physically strong, and their bodies literally burn with magic. A lone Stone-Eater is more than a match for a Warlish witch, making these creatures among the most deadly on Triken. Flames flare from their flat nostrils, smoke seeps from their ears, and their hides are the texture of an elephant halfway turned to stone. Their main sustenance is obsidian, which they eat as easily as a human might snack on an ear of corn. Yet the black volcanic glass fills them with fiery energy, and they are able to vomit foul liquids the thickness and temperature of magma.<br />
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Though they appear crude and ugly, Stone-Eaters are not unintelligent. But they crave power and are constantly scheming—both with and against their allies—to attain dominion over others. Like most of the magical creatures on Triken, Stone-Eaters are long-lived, though most do not survive more than ten millennia.<br />
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Stone-Eaters are not numerous. At the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles, there were fewer than two hundred Stone-Eaters in the world.<br />
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Photo by Dreamstime.<br />
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Up next: the Daasa.Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669993683940891260.post-21270097022969717112014-01-23T02:09:00.001-05:002014-01-23T02:09:09.895-05:00The characters (part 9)<b>MALA AND THE SNOW GIANTS</b><br />
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(This is the ninth in a series of character descriptions from The Death Wizard Chronicles, my six-book epic fantasy.)<br />
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<b>Who is Mala and why is he called a ruined snow giant?</b><br />
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There are beings called snow giants who live in the frozen peaks of Okkanti, a desolate mountain range located above the Salt Sea in northeastern Triken. (See map at www.jim-melvin.com.) At times in Triken’s history, there were as many as twenty snow giants, but at the time-frame of The Death Wizard Chronicles, there fewer than a dozen.<br />
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Snow giants were extremely long-lived beings, rivaling the dracools and even the great dragons. Some, including their leader Yama-Deva, were more than 50,000 years old. Male snow giants stood 15 feet tall and weighed more than half a ton. Their physical strength was extraordinary, and they were capable of bashing boulders into dust with their bare hands. Their bodies burst with magic, which could heal or destroy, and they were beautiful creatures, with broad faces, pointed ears and long, white manes that ran down the length of their spines. Despite living in temperatures well below freezing, they wore only crude loin cloths. Cold had little effect on them; in fact, they rarely strayed from the mountaintops—it was heat that made them uncomfortable.<br />
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Yama-Deva was one of the few snow giants who ever dared to come down from peaks and explore the lowlands, and it was there that he was captured by one of the evil sorcerer Invictus’ slave-hunting parties. Being a benign and gentle creature. Deva did not resist his capture (though he most certainly could have) because he did not wish to harm those who would enslave him.<br />
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Deva was taken from Okkanti and brought before Invictus in the Golden City of Avici, and though the snow giant was the mightiest of his kind, even he was no match for the sorcerer. Even then, it took ten years of torture for Invictus to finally break Deva’s will and turn him into a monster, hence “ruining” the most magnificent snow giant to ever live.<br />
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Invictus named him Mala, which in the ancient tongue meant monster, but Mala was also known as the Chain Man, because Invictus—using dreadful sorcery—had encased Mala in a single chain that wrapped around his shoulders, crisscrossed at his waist and lower back, and rode down his hips before looping around his bulky thighs. The chain had six-inch-thick links of gold blended with magical alloys, making it supernaturally strong. It glowed incessantly with a golden fire that appeared as hot as magma, burning Mala’s thick hide and causing a stink that was reminiscent of rotten meat cooked over an open fire. This caused him incessant pain, which led to a cruel and ruthless madness. The only beauty Mala retained from his previous existence was his silky white mane. Everything else was hideous to behold. His eyes were now red and swollen; vile liquid oozed from their sockets. Two blood-stained fangs hung over his lower lip; venom dripped from their pointed tips. His tongue was long and black; it probed and fluttered like a snake’s.<br />
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Surpassed only by Invictus and Bhayatupa (the great dragon) in might and magic, Mala became one of the most feared beings on Triken, and he was named the leader of the sorcerer’s army of monsters and golden soldiers. Once one of the most wondrous beings on Triken, he had been transformed into one of the most vile and dangerous creatures to ever exist. <br />
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Illustration courtesy of fantasy artist Tracy Pittman.<br />
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<b>Up next: the Stone-Eaters.</b>Jim Melvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11109419832672177370noreply@blogger.com0