*Yuppy*, Vacation time

Well, vacation time has finally come. I was eagerly waiting for this vacation, because lately I felt a bit tired and therefore my activities dragged a little. For example, I am just half way on “Fall of Thanes” and although I finished a novel I wasn’t able to finish writing its review. And I am sorry to say that my comments on the great blogs I usually visit dragged a little too. But I am certain that I will recover pretty quickly since this year the vacation is a bit longer than usual, with two already planned trips. From this evening I and my wife will be away until next Friday on the island of Zakynthos, Greece and for the second one we will travel to Fiera di Primeiro, Italy, visiting my mother-in-law from 11th of August until 21st of August.

So, for this period my blog will enter in a small hiatus with scarce posting. But we will see each other a bit next week and in full force once again from 25th of August (I believe), I hope to see you all then. Until I begin the regular program please visit the great links you see on the left and you can read my previous posts if you like. I hope you all will have a great time and please take care of yourselves!

See you soon!

Guest post: JC De La Torre

JC De La Torre is the author of the critically acclaimed underground success “Ancient Rising – Rise of the Ancients Book I”. His next novel, “Rise of the Ancients – Annuna” will be released on July 31st. You can find more information about the author and his books on JC De La Torre’s website.

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Taking on Established Fantasy Realms

By JC De La Torre

Imagine if you will you had the power to create worlds as you see fit. You were a god able to create man, alien or mythological beings, strange new worlds, and orchestrate what happens to them in those worlds.

That’s a bit of what it’s like to be a fantasy author. You need to grasp the inner reaches of your imagination to come up with things that are new and original or a new interpretation on something that has already been written about in literature.

I’ve written science fiction, horror – I’ve pretty much delved into all the different subgenres of speculative fiction. My first foray into the fantasy realm came to me after reading an interesting book by an author named Herbie Brennan called the Atlantis Enigma. The book was well researched and introduced me to the concept of ancient astronauts. I wondered if these ancient astronauts could have been mistaken for gods and that if Atlantis existed – perhaps they made their home there.

It wouldn’t be the first time the story of aliens posing as gods was used – Stargate comes to mind for many. However, my story differed in that these beings would actually be gods – by definition of the term. At first I categorized it in my mind as science fiction but as I researched mythology and ancient religions – it became evident that this would be my first work of fantasy.

In a way, writing fantasy evolved me as an author. When I first set out on creating this saga I envisioned an Indiana Jones-meets-Clash of the Titans fantasy adventure and that’s what I got with the first installment, Ancient Rising. When I began writing the next installment, Annuna, I noticed something very different. It was no longer a Dan Brown-esque search through musty dusty finds for a scarce chance at discovering Atlantis – but a full fledge knock down drag out fight to save humanity from forsaken gods. It spun the creation of life on Earth, the rise of a young prince of Atlantis and the final fall of the lost continent. It was truly a fantasy novel.

I enjoyed the process immensely, more than I could have ever imagined. I know my style isn’t traditional for fantasy readers. I can be overly descriptive at times (I like to put my readers into the middle of the action, paint the picture in their mind if you will), and to keep the novel rooted in the contemporary, I make use of pop culture references. I do that to let you know that the hero Dan Ryan is just an everyday guy like you and I, he is from our world and through a tragic combination of events is thrust into this world of gods, demons, and lost civilizations.

In the end though, the power of creating a new story based on established mythos was intoxicating. I originally set out to have the Rise of the Ancients saga be a trilogy, but I enjoyed it so much that I decided to continue it as a series. I finished the story arc of Dan Ryan in Annuna so that my future installments could focus truly on the fantasy realm of Atlantis, Nibiru (the gods’ homeworld), the battles, loves, and life held within those worlds.

While I definitely plan on returning to my other speculative fiction genres, namely sci-fi – I can definitely say my new favorite is fantasy.

What is like to be a fantasy author? It’s like being Zeus.

Fantasy Art - Marek Hlavaty

© The artwork presented on this post is used with the permission of its author. All the artwork is copyrighted. Please do not use the images without the permission of the artist or owner.

Marek Hlavaty is a Slovak artist who currently resides in Bratislava. He graduated a classic art school and is familiar with the traditional techniques of drawing, but Marek Hlavaty is specialized in modeling and texturing in 3d art. Marek has worked from 1999 until 2005 with different companies in modeling and texturing and from 2005 works as freelance artist making illustrations, in game and animation backgrounds, covers and visualizations.

Interview - Marek Hlavaty

Mihai (Dark Wolf): Marek thank you very much for this interview.

How did you start to draw? How did you become interested in art?

Marek Hlavaty: I’ve started when I was kid and been bored in school. Later I’ve discovered scifi literature and I was fascinated by covers of books.

Mihai (Dark Wolf): Through your studies and development as an artist which one do you consider to be the most influential figure on your style and art?

Marek Hlavaty: There were many artists but Craig Mullins was probably most inspirational because he does digital art which looks like oilpaintings and not digital at all. And I like his way.

Mihai (Dark Wolf): Who are your favorite artists? What art movement do you enjoy the most?

Marek Hlavaty: I like popart, art deco, art noveau, renneisance style, romanesque style and various native arts.

M(DW): Do you consider that an artist can develop his talent better following a specialized school? Do you consider that a same grade of development can be achieved through self teaching?

MH: I’m mostly autodidact so it is possible I think. If you think I’m good artist of course :)

M(DW): Your works seem focused on the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Are these your favorite themes? Do you enjoy working in these themes?

MH: Yes, I like depicting fictional themes and worlds. I like pictures which can draw your imagination to other universes.

M(DW): Also many historical elements are present in your works. Do you enjoy working on the historical theme more?

MH: It’s probably because of fantasy clichés. I don’t focus on historical themes.

M(DW): I’ve noticed a few pieces which mix the historical elements with the fantasy ones. Is this a personal approach on your works? Do you enjoy bringing new elements in the established themes?

MH: Sometimes yes :)

M(DW): Speaking of new elements, do you try to make a personal imprint on your works? Do you want for your works to be easily recognizable as yours?

MH: Well, we are not machines so after some time every artist develops his own style and so did I. I like loose brushstrokes and painterly style and hate precise lines and detailing so maybe it is recognizable.

M(DW): You made many book cover illustrations. What involves the process of making a cover art? How much different is from the usual work on an art piece?

MH: Difference is that I have to read part of book and follow some ideas of author. Sometimes it’s not very easy and sometimes the reading of some books is really annoying :)

M(DW): Which cover did you enjoy the most to illustrate? Is there a novel for which you would like to illustrate the cover or an author with who you would like to work?

MH: Sorry but I have no favourite writer to make covers for him.

M(DW): Your working experience also includes projects of computer games. How was the work on computer games? How different is the work on a computer game than that on a book cover illustrations?

MH: Well, years ago computer games was my hobby, after working in games industry it is not :). I don’t play games. From hobby to job and that’s something completely else.

M(DW): From all the projects you have worked on, which one do you consider to give the most freedom of work and why?

MH: My personal project I’m working on right now and it’s obvious why :)

M(DW): What aspects of your skills and technique would you like to develop and improve further on?

MH: I’m not very good in painting characters and I should pay more attention to details I think.

M(DW): At what are you working in the present? What future projects do you have?

MH: I’m working on my own online-browser strategy/RPG game right now. It’s fun to do some game when you are your own boss :)

Thank you very much for your time and answers.

For more information about Marek Hlavaty and for a comprehensive portfolio please visit his website, prasart.com.

© The artwork presented on this post is used with the permission of its author. All the artwork is copyrighted. Please do not use the images without the permission of the artist or owner.

In the mailbox

Here are the last arrivals in the mail before my vacation starts:

- "The Nightfarers" by Mark Valentine (through the courtesy of Ex Occidente Press);

To find the “light of lights”, you must first know the darkness of night, said the 17th century German mystic Angelus Silesius. It is a truth found by all the characters in Mark Valentine’s new full collection of stories since Masques & Citadels. Carden, the quester after lost languages, finds there are some things that cannot be named. The narrator in "The Seer of Trieste" finds the old city harbours an image that has pervaded the most advanced literature of our time, while the strange and tragic secrets of another liminal city are explored in "The Seven Treasures of Bucharest". The voyages of "The White Sea Company" seem to sail beyond any mortal shore, while the smouldering sunrise in "The Dawn at Tzern" brings different illuminations to a priest, a postmaster, a prophet and a soldier. In "Their Dark & Starry Mirrors", a blind Moorish poet receives messages from the Master of Night. In "Undergrowth" a searcher after rare works finds it is possible to get truly lost in books, and in "White Pages" we learn that even blank books have their secrets. And which author should have won "The 1909 Proserpine Prize" for dark literature – Blackwood, Shiel, Hodgson, Stoker, Marjorie Bowen – or another ? As well as these tales, two more curious pieces appear: "The English Leopard" eavesdrops on a conversation about a great lost heraldic beast, while "The Left Temple" provides six startling experiments in evoking the rites of dusk. The author of The Connoisseur stories and editor of Wormwood offers a book of wonder, where neither light nor shadow are ever all they seem. Two years in the making, The Nightfarers is not only the most eclectic and exquisite Mark Valentine collection to date but also his finest. We here at Ex Occidente Press trust this is one of the very few contemporary masterpieces of the weird and the fantastic.

- "Tender Morsels" by Margo Lanagan (through the courtesy of David Fickling Books);

Liga endures unspeakable cruelties at the hands of her father, before being magically granted her own personal heaven, a safe haven from the real world. She raises her two daughters in this alternate reality, and they grow up protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever . . .

Magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga’s refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side?

- "Operation Motherland" by Scott Andrews (through the courtesy of Abaddon Books);

Lee Keegan travels to Iraq on the trail of his missing father, only to find himself caught between desperate rebels and a general who wants to strap him into an electric chair. In England, Jane Crowther, one time matron of St Mark's School for Boys, attracts the wrong kind of attention and has to fight to protect her new school from unlikely enemies. And in a bunker underneath Washington, a madman issues orders that will tip two devastated countries into total war.

This is the first year of St Mark's School for Boys and Girls. It will be a miracle if it sees a second!

- "A Mage of None Magic" by A. Christopher Drown (through the courtesy of A. Christopher Drown).

Folklore tells how magic came to be when evil gods shattered the great, fabled gem known as the Heart of the Sisters. Those same stories speak of one day the Heart being healed and unleashing a power that will bring the end of humankind.
While traveling to begin his magical studies, young apprentice Niel suddenly finds himself at the center of the Heart’s terrifying legend. Caught in a whirlwind of events that fractures the foundation of everything he’s believed, Niel learns his role in the world may be far more important than he ever could have imagined, or ever would have wished.
A Mage of None Magic begins an extraordinary adventure into a perilous land where autocratic magicians manipulate an idle aristocracy, where common academia struggles for validation, and where after ages of disregard the mythical finally refuses to be ignored any longer.

Thank you all very much!

Graphic novel - "Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft"

"Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft"

Written by Joe Hill

Illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez

Hardcover, 152 pages

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them.... and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all...! Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder, with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez.

If you ask me what is the first thing I can think of when it comes to Joe Hill I’ll answer momentarily that I know he is the son of Stephen King. That is a bit unfair since he is building an own career as a writer, but with each Joe Hill’s work I read my perception changes. And his collaboration with the artist Gabriel Rodriguez at the graphic novel “Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft” brought me one step closer to my recognition of Joe Hill as a wonderful author and as one of my favorites.

“Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft” is the story of a family shook by a tragic event. Joe Hill builds a good story, with a conflict that will discover roots in the family history. And that roots will build a second storyline that as this volume suggested me will be developed in a future book. The novel mingles a dark and unfortunate reality with mystic and supernatural aspects in the creation of a page turner story. And in the center of this story we find the Lockes and it is here where I believe that Joe Hill excels. All the characters, with a smaller or bigger part in the story, are strong. Each one of the characters is uniquely defined, with a different personality, an inner turmoil and a personal way at dealing with their problems. From these characters my favorites are Bode, the younger member of the Locke family and who behaves as a very true six year old child, innocent, playful and funny, and Sam Lesser one of the negative characters, a very convincing villain, intelligent and disturbed.

All that Joe Hill builds with his writing is perfectly complemented by the art made by Gabriel Rodriguez. Each character receives a proper visual characterization, each of their actions and emotions is reflected in the drawings. The settings are beautiful realized, with the Keyhouse, the main setting of the story, the piece of resistance of “Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft”. All the images contribute in full to the atmosphere of the story, helping it to build the tension and helping to raise the pulse of the reader through visual effect too. It is true that in some places the images are a bit too gory and violent, but considering that at its basis the story is a horror one than maybe there is no exaggeration in them. But with such a perfect relationship between the story and the art is no wonder that I was drawn instantly into the heart of the novel and I couldn’t stop until the last page was turned.

“Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft” is a magical graphic novel, where once again Joe Hill convinced me of his talent and where I discovered a talented illustrator, Gabriel Rodriguez. I can’t wait to get my hands on their next graphic novel, “Locke & Key: Head Games”, and why not on another future collaboration between Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.

Cover art - "The Club Dumas" by Arturo Perez-Reverte

As I mentioned in a previous post Subterranean Press will release a new edition of Arturo Perez-Reverte’s “The Club Dumas” and the artwork for the cover and the interior illustrations will be made by Vincent Chong. “The Club Dumas” is a very interesting and captivating novel which I enjoyed a lot, as I enjoyed the others Arturo Perez-Reverte’s works I read, and Vincent Chong is a very talented artist who produced amazing artworks in his career. And once again he made a wonderful cover artwork, a powerful image that matches perfectly the book. On the title page at the Subterranean Press website you can find also a few of the introduction illustrations for the each chapter of the book. This edition of Arturo Perez-Reverte’s “The Club Dumas” will be published on late 2009 or early 2010.

A choice of cover art

Gary Gibson and Tor UK are asking for our opinion in regard to artwork for the cover of the author’s next novel, “Empire of Light”. You can make a vote either on Gary Gibson’s website or following the instructions on the site of Tor UK. I am not sure until when the poll on Tor UK will run, but that on Gary Gibon’s website is open until late Friday, so there is still time to cast votes. I voted for the one on the right, because I find the left one to be a bit too bluish and because I find the right one to be more suggestive.