Here's the link to the Book!!
Awaken the Darkness
You can download the e-book as well there too!
Thanks to everyone that helped make this possible!
btw - Other than the first three original chapters, book 1 is now no longer available on this site. Soon I'll be pulling Book 2 as well but I'll still keep posting information here until my official website is launched.
JWG
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Update 12/03/09
Edits on Book 1 are finished.
New website domain is acquired.
Cover Art is being created.
I will be publishing under the name J.W. Grace.
Soon Book 1 will be available for purchase in paperback and e-book formats. I will let you all know as soon as it is ready.
I will be pulling all of my story posts down from this site and I am still deciding how I want to post updates to the story. It may be here or it may be on my new site or I may keep it all to myself until the next book is finished.
If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Feel free to comment below.
Thanks for joining me on this journey!
JWG
New website domain is acquired.
Cover Art is being created.
I will be publishing under the name J.W. Grace.
Soon Book 1 will be available for purchase in paperback and e-book formats. I will let you all know as soon as it is ready.
I will be pulling all of my story posts down from this site and I am still deciding how I want to post updates to the story. It may be here or it may be on my new site or I may keep it all to myself until the next book is finished.
If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Feel free to comment below.
Thanks for joining me on this journey!
JWG
Monday, November 9, 2009
Book 1 is done!
My final draft of the first book in the Chronicles of Kholtosh is finished! It's going through the editing process right now and will then be published as soon as that is complete. Stay tuned for news about how and where to pick up your copy!
JWG
JWG
Monday, October 26, 2009
News!
Haven't forgotten about all of you. Still working on Book One and I do have some news. Rather than pull everything down, I will be revamping my site and updating it. I'm going to post previews of the new re-written chapters and as soon as I have a final draft I'll be publishing online with Lulu. (www.lulu.com)
The reason for this change of plans came from this source of inspration:
www.brassgriffin.com
I'm also looking for Artists to do cover art for the books.
Things are moving along!
The reason for this change of plans came from this source of inspration:
www.brassgriffin.com
I'm also looking for Artists to do cover art for the books.
Things are moving along!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Book 2 - Embracing the Darkness (Prologue)
*SPOILER ALERT!!* If you have not finished book 1, you may want to stop here. This will reveal some major plot elements
Prologue
Five somber figures stand before a large metal door, solid and forboding except for a one-foot square of reinforced glass set in the upper half of the door - a holding cell. The inside of window is stained with spattered blood
The room outside the cell is only dimly lit by flickering light bulbs covered in rusty wire cages. A dank, moldy smell fills the air and all is quiet except for the noises from inside the cell: thumping, banging, scratching, shrieking, and non-sensical gibbering. The five standing before the door gaze solemnly at each other, each waiting for someone else to speak. Finally Yamir, a dark-haired powerfully built man dressed in perfectly tailored black suit speaks, "Tell me again how you found him."
Three of the others glance at each other: a slender youthful-looking man with mis-matched eyes of dark brown and fiery amber, a beautiful woman with a tumble of chestnut curls dressed in a black corset and matching knee-length pleated skirt, and an athletic tall woman wearing a long black coat and tight-fitting black clothes, her shining blonde hair pulled back in a right pony-tail. The man, known as Tangerine Sky, speaks up first, "We were patrolling along the river when we saw a fight happening - looked like a hordie and vamp squaring off so we went to check it out. Before we could get there, the vamp got dusted." He shrugs and looks a bit sheepish before continuing, "Couldn't find out who it was." He jumps suddenly as a loud bang thunders through the room and a clawed hand smears a set of trails on the bloody glass.
The brunette Angelina speaks next, seemingly unfazed by the outburst from the cell, "We moved in to either capture or destroy the victor when it looked up and charged at us. We could tell by the way it moved, it was a vampire, but one of the infected. Then, we saw who it was."
"Rendel, the blonde woman says. "Kholtosh's sire. No one's seen him in weeks and then he shows up Horde-touched. How could we let that happen?!" Her voice, touched with a southern accent rises to an angry shout.
Yamir holds up a hand and says quietly, "No one 'let' this happen. Trina, Sky, Angelina, you all did well getting him back here in one piece." He looks to the door for a moment and shakes his head slightly. "Rendel retreated from most of his friends and what little contact anyone had with him was brief and all business. He was spotted taking out Hordelings all over the city, but he made no effort to speak with anyone of his clan - of which all five of us are a part of. I don't know why he threw himself into this war so hard, but he seemed driven and focused, so we let him take his own path..."
"Has anyone told Dalia yet?" says a soft, intense voice from the last person in the room. With his slicked back hair and black sunglasses, he and Trina look to have stepped straight out of the Matrix.
Yamir answers, "Yes Nova. And the council is keeping her close by and fully under control. She went completely hysterical when the news went out."
Trina blurts out, "Well of course! She loves him!"
"Love does make us do foolish things..." Angelina says, shaking her head sadly.
"Wait, are we still talking about Rendel or about the other stupid thing that went down at the Bloodbath? OW!" Sky cries out as Trina cuffs him on the side of the head.
"Don't you go talking bad about Kholtosh!" she says, her voice rising. "That man saved his lady's life and he's shown more guts and honor than just about anyone I've ever met!" Then she whirls back to face Yamir and asks, "So what are we going to do about that?"
Yamir shakes his head and a look of sadness slides across his gleaming blue eyes, "there is nothing that can be done. Kholtosh went willingly into Sarina's service. What's done is done - he's now her slave until the terms of their agreement are finalized."
Nova growls angrily, "So she can do the same thing to him that she did to my friend... to our friend! Damnit Yamir! We can't let her do it! We didn't help Nigel! And now the only vampire that he ever sired is in that room" he yells, pointing at the cell door. "And the only vampire that Rendel ever sired is under the thumb of that evil witch! We've got to do SOMETHING!"
Angelina steps forward and lays a hand on Nova's arm and says in a quiet soothing tone, "Khol can come through this. Believe me... I understand what you're going through, but I also know what HE's experiencing and he can handle it."
Prologue
Five somber figures stand before a large metal door, solid and forboding except for a one-foot square of reinforced glass set in the upper half of the door - a holding cell. The inside of window is stained with spattered blood
The room outside the cell is only dimly lit by flickering light bulbs covered in rusty wire cages. A dank, moldy smell fills the air and all is quiet except for the noises from inside the cell: thumping, banging, scratching, shrieking, and non-sensical gibbering. The five standing before the door gaze solemnly at each other, each waiting for someone else to speak. Finally Yamir, a dark-haired powerfully built man dressed in perfectly tailored black suit speaks, "Tell me again how you found him."
Three of the others glance at each other: a slender youthful-looking man with mis-matched eyes of dark brown and fiery amber, a beautiful woman with a tumble of chestnut curls dressed in a black corset and matching knee-length pleated skirt, and an athletic tall woman wearing a long black coat and tight-fitting black clothes, her shining blonde hair pulled back in a right pony-tail. The man, known as Tangerine Sky, speaks up first, "We were patrolling along the river when we saw a fight happening - looked like a hordie and vamp squaring off so we went to check it out. Before we could get there, the vamp got dusted." He shrugs and looks a bit sheepish before continuing, "Couldn't find out who it was." He jumps suddenly as a loud bang thunders through the room and a clawed hand smears a set of trails on the bloody glass.
The brunette Angelina speaks next, seemingly unfazed by the outburst from the cell, "We moved in to either capture or destroy the victor when it looked up and charged at us. We could tell by the way it moved, it was a vampire, but one of the infected. Then, we saw who it was."
"Rendel, the blonde woman says. "Kholtosh's sire. No one's seen him in weeks and then he shows up Horde-touched. How could we let that happen?!" Her voice, touched with a southern accent rises to an angry shout.
Yamir holds up a hand and says quietly, "No one 'let' this happen. Trina, Sky, Angelina, you all did well getting him back here in one piece." He looks to the door for a moment and shakes his head slightly. "Rendel retreated from most of his friends and what little contact anyone had with him was brief and all business. He was spotted taking out Hordelings all over the city, but he made no effort to speak with anyone of his clan - of which all five of us are a part of. I don't know why he threw himself into this war so hard, but he seemed driven and focused, so we let him take his own path..."
"Has anyone told Dalia yet?" says a soft, intense voice from the last person in the room. With his slicked back hair and black sunglasses, he and Trina look to have stepped straight out of the Matrix.
Yamir answers, "Yes Nova. And the council is keeping her close by and fully under control. She went completely hysterical when the news went out."
Trina blurts out, "Well of course! She loves him!"
"Love does make us do foolish things..." Angelina says, shaking her head sadly.
"Wait, are we still talking about Rendel or about the other stupid thing that went down at the Bloodbath? OW!" Sky cries out as Trina cuffs him on the side of the head.
"Don't you go talking bad about Kholtosh!" she says, her voice rising. "That man saved his lady's life and he's shown more guts and honor than just about anyone I've ever met!" Then she whirls back to face Yamir and asks, "So what are we going to do about that?"
Yamir shakes his head and a look of sadness slides across his gleaming blue eyes, "there is nothing that can be done. Kholtosh went willingly into Sarina's service. What's done is done - he's now her slave until the terms of their agreement are finalized."
Nova growls angrily, "So she can do the same thing to him that she did to my friend... to our friend! Damnit Yamir! We can't let her do it! We didn't help Nigel! And now the only vampire that he ever sired is in that room" he yells, pointing at the cell door. "And the only vampire that Rendel ever sired is under the thumb of that evil witch! We've got to do SOMETHING!"
Angelina steps forward and lays a hand on Nova's arm and says in a quiet soothing tone, "Khol can come through this. Believe me... I understand what you're going through, but I also know what HE's experiencing and he can handle it."
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Sad News
Today, I will not be posting a chapter. Mystic Wolf, the subject of the Interlude I posted earlier has passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was a wonderful and fun lady - only 36 years old and the mother of two girls. She will be missed greatly by anyone that ever had any contact with her.
Rest well Julie. You will always live on in our hearts and memories.
Rest well Julie. You will always live on in our hearts and memories.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Interlude: Goodbye
The following short story is in honor of Mystic Wolf, a wonderful woman who had to leave the game for health reasons. You can see, it's written from Rendel's perspective and was posted on his profile rather than Kholtosh.
1) The forest is dark and silent as I move through the massive trees and thick underbrush. The low-hanging branches make flight virtually impossible and visibility from the air is practically nil. Thorns snag in my clothes and I let out a short burst of language that would earn me a good mouth-washing from my mother. But I push on because Dawn is only an hour away and and I have to complete my task and get back to the city. I'm on a Mission from God!
2) Well, okay, not "God" exactly, but pretty close. The Elders may look like the creepy kids from Children of the Damned but they are Waaaaay more scary. ~So why do we not transform to move easier through this terrain?~ I look over at my travel companion and grin. ~Because Khol, my boy... Weres can sense us if we're not in our natural form and they get more than a little aggressive around shifters that aren't part of their pack.~
3) Khol goes silent again and I turn my attention to the task at hand. The Matriarch of pack of werewolves is sick and fading fast. From what I hear, this entire pack is under the control of the Elders - probably the source of that blood that we got after the Zombiepocalypse. So yours truly and my little psycho friend have been tasked with ending her suffering and bringing back her blood to the Council.
4) I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and I can feel a tension in the air. Khol picks it up too and starts looking around warily. There! A dark, furry shape moving low to the ground and fast. Then another! I can feel the hostility growing in the air, but I know better than to let it get to me: you go for the bait, you get caught on the hook. So I wait until our stalkers get closer. Then, massive wolf moves into view and lets out a low growl.
5) I give him my most winning, fangy smile and say, "Hi there! Nice night we're having!" I can almost feel Khol's eyes rolling in his head but I just continue in a more formal tone. "We were sent by the Council to aid your pack." I project a feeling of calm to the wolf and can feel it relax slightly. The others surrounding us all growl, but hang back. Then the lead wolf, gives soft yip and tosses its head. It stalks back through the trees and we follow.
6) We enter a clearing, bathed in moonlight. A brook flows through the area and lying near a curve in the stream is an enormous silver-furred wolf. Her flanks rise and fall in an uneven rhythm. On all sides around the clearing I see large luminous eyes and sense a mix of respect and wariness. I know the next few minutes are going to be very dangerous. Khol just sits down and lowers his head in respect. This is my task afterall, he's just along for the ride.
7) The old mother wolf raises her head as I approach, and gives a low growl. Bowing to her I move closer and say formally, "I'm here to end your suffering and accept your final gift to our people." I kneel down next to her and she gives a small heave and lays her head in my lap. I feel her thick soft fur under my fingers and hold her gently. Her mind opens up to me and I am flooded by images of a rich, wonderful life full of love and generosity.
8) Scarlet tears begin to spill down my cheeks, hot and thick as the blood drips onto her fur. She gives a small whuff and I feel a sense of contentment and acceptance. Her golden eyes meet mine and she gives a quick nod. I motion to Khol and he brings the large ceramic collection urn The wolves ringing us close in, but I sense only a peaceful reverence. I stroke the matriarch's fur one last time and say, "Goodbye Mama Wolf. You will be missed."
1) The forest is dark and silent as I move through the massive trees and thick underbrush. The low-hanging branches make flight virtually impossible and visibility from the air is practically nil. Thorns snag in my clothes and I let out a short burst of language that would earn me a good mouth-washing from my mother. But I push on because Dawn is only an hour away and and I have to complete my task and get back to the city. I'm on a Mission from God!
2) Well, okay, not "God" exactly, but pretty close. The Elders may look like the creepy kids from Children of the Damned but they are Waaaaay more scary. ~So why do we not transform to move easier through this terrain?~ I look over at my travel companion and grin. ~Because Khol, my boy... Weres can sense us if we're not in our natural form and they get more than a little aggressive around shifters that aren't part of their pack.~
3) Khol goes silent again and I turn my attention to the task at hand. The Matriarch of pack of werewolves is sick and fading fast. From what I hear, this entire pack is under the control of the Elders - probably the source of that blood that we got after the Zombiepocalypse. So yours truly and my little psycho friend have been tasked with ending her suffering and bringing back her blood to the Council.
4) I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and I can feel a tension in the air. Khol picks it up too and starts looking around warily. There! A dark, furry shape moving low to the ground and fast. Then another! I can feel the hostility growing in the air, but I know better than to let it get to me: you go for the bait, you get caught on the hook. So I wait until our stalkers get closer. Then, massive wolf moves into view and lets out a low growl.
5) I give him my most winning, fangy smile and say, "Hi there! Nice night we're having!" I can almost feel Khol's eyes rolling in his head but I just continue in a more formal tone. "We were sent by the Council to aid your pack." I project a feeling of calm to the wolf and can feel it relax slightly. The others surrounding us all growl, but hang back. Then the lead wolf, gives soft yip and tosses its head. It stalks back through the trees and we follow.
6) We enter a clearing, bathed in moonlight. A brook flows through the area and lying near a curve in the stream is an enormous silver-furred wolf. Her flanks rise and fall in an uneven rhythm. On all sides around the clearing I see large luminous eyes and sense a mix of respect and wariness. I know the next few minutes are going to be very dangerous. Khol just sits down and lowers his head in respect. This is my task afterall, he's just along for the ride.
7) The old mother wolf raises her head as I approach, and gives a low growl. Bowing to her I move closer and say formally, "I'm here to end your suffering and accept your final gift to our people." I kneel down next to her and she gives a small heave and lays her head in my lap. I feel her thick soft fur under my fingers and hold her gently. Her mind opens up to me and I am flooded by images of a rich, wonderful life full of love and generosity.
8) Scarlet tears begin to spill down my cheeks, hot and thick as the blood drips onto her fur. She gives a small whuff and I feel a sense of contentment and acceptance. Her golden eyes meet mine and she gives a quick nod. I motion to Khol and he brings the large ceramic collection urn The wolves ringing us close in, but I sense only a peaceful reverence. I stroke the matriarch's fur one last time and say, "Goodbye Mama Wolf. You will be missed."
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