News & Announcements:

First of all, Merry Christmas! I hope your holiday is full of warmth and love!

I've come down with a cold, and on top of that, I've been extra achy. I really don't know what brought on the recent pain, but I've been staying away from the keyboard as much as possible, which means I don't have much of a word count for the week.

But I've shared a character journal (from Samandriel this time) and an excerpt, plus a new Spotify playlist for the holidays, a video series (also for the holidays), and a new (to me) book I've just started to read.

Happy reading!

Lois


Writing/Goals Progress:

Do to a cold and extra pain, I didn't get much of a word count this week. I won't get much written next week either, as I'm taking off until the 26th so I can focus on the coming holiday. Good thing I gave myself two months to write this novel, huh?

Fallen: Out of Time

Day 14: 0 | 15,607
Day 15: 0 | 15,607
Day 16: 0 | 15,607
Day 17: 0 | 15,607
Day 18: 0 | 15,607
Day 19: 989 | 16,596
Day 20: 0 | 16,596
Weekly Total: 989


Character Journal Entry: Samandriel - Grief & Guilt:

Of all the people who could have been killed, why Krishan? His skills were deadly, but he only fought in self defense or in the defense of others, and only if he had no choice. He was the best of men, kind and compassionate and wise beyond his 92 years. Humanity's well-being was his concern. As far as I know, he had no enemies.

When I saw four strangers standing over his lifeless, headless body, something snapped inside me. Everything Krishan taught me about self-control went out the window when I saw the macabre scene. Four men in bloody ninja uniforms, their faces hidden, standing over my dear friend with swords dripping with his blood.

One of the men still held onto Krishan's body, and when he saw me, he dropped it. I looked from Krishan to his killers, and rage unlike anything I'd felt before filled me, temporarily blackening my heart. I charged them, giving no thought to the lessons Krishan had taught me over the decades since we first met. Gladius[1], my sword -- Defender of the Damned -- fed off my rage. I didn't even try to stop it as it took one life, then another, until all four lay scattered, their collective life force flowing out onto the hardwood floorboards upon which Krishan and countless students, including me, had practiced the martial for so many decades.

The thought of being without Krishan's companionship saddens me greatly. I knew he would die someday, but I thought he would be the first on my short list of mortal friends to die in old age. Peacefully in his sleep. The way he actually died -- it was heinous, unjust, and certainly undeserved.

None of this went through my mind when I saw his lifeless body for the first time, nor did I think about it as I was killing those men. Rage prevented me from rational thought. All I knew was that he was dead, and I was angrier than I'd been in a long time. I lashed out without a thought to the consequences. I did what my rage demanded, and in seconds, his killers lay dead, staining the floor with their blood. The floor that Krishan and I had so recently sat upon in meditation and quiet conversation. The floor on which countless students had tumbled and fought as they practiced their craft. The floor that Krishan and I had periodically sanded, stained, and varnished with our own hands.

When it was all done, and I stood there, my chest heaving with every belabored breath, it hit me. The grief at being without my friend and mentor. The coming consequence of my rash actions. The fact that I could do nothing to repent of my sin, even though Krishan deserved justice for his early death. All of this hit me in that moment. It was one of the few times in my long life that I actually cried. The experience was not unlike waves hitting a beach during a rough bout of weather. Waves of grief and loneliness hit me, one right after the other, causing the tears to flow more and more fully.

What happened next I'll have to share next time. It had such an impact on me -- on my heart and soul -- that I need to think on it for a bit before I write about it here.

I will say this much. I miss my old friend. His death, and the deaths of many like him, are the reason I find it exceedingly difficult to go out of my way to make friends. When they die, more often than not, I grieve. I grieve hard. It's gotten to the point where I almost wanted to go to Iciria[2] and end it all. I couldn't take any more of the heartache, or so I believed. I tried to harden myself against it, but when all was said and done, I'd still grieve when I lost someone important to me. Krishan's death was no different, but in a way, it was different. Very different. When he died, I lost all hope, at least for a brief time. Who would help me control the jumble of emotions I felt on an almost daily basis? He always knew the right words that would give me the determination to keep going, to try being better than I was. Some very dark days followed his death -- for both me and my brother, Zach -- but that's something I'll explain at another time.

For now, I'll end with this thought:

"When life knocks you down, you need to dust yourself off, stand up, and keep going. I know it
doesn't feel like it at the time, but those low points are the very things that will make you
stronger."

~ Krishan Sharma

Krishan made me a stronger, better man than when I first met him. For that, and for many more reasons, I will always cherish our friendship.

Samandriel

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[1]Gladius, Defender of the Damned: a magical sword Krishan gave Samandriel shortly before his death. It renders its wielder invulnerable during fights, leading them to victory. Its magic only works on those who are fallen.

[2] Iciria: a dimension in time and space that evil can't inhabit. If a fallen being or person of impure heart enters Iciria, they will face complete oblivion with no afterlife, neither in Sheforat nor in any of the other celestial planes.


Excerpt from Chapter 23:

Whispers from the Past

The Valorin Wilderness

The storm moved off, eventually fizzling out, but Samandriel still could not access his magic. He would have to rely on his sword and his skills to survive whatever threats he encountered from here on out, because he refused to give up the search for his brother.

A light breeze blew as he tramped through the snow. The sun hung low in the sky, but wouldn’t set until weeks from now. He wouldn’t be able to hide out in the open, but nor would anyone else who might threaten him.

Samandriel.

He halted in his steps and cocked his head to the side, listening. The voice came again, a whisper on the breeze.

Samandriel.

He thought he recognized that voice, but he couldn’t be sure. And if it was who he thought it was, he must have escaped from Sheforat when Zach did — either that, or there was another prison break.

You should have been there with me, the voice continued. You were just as guilty as I was.

Samandriel ignored the voice and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

Fight me, Samandriel. Prove to me you’ve still got what it takes.

He continued to ignore the voice, focusing instead on the sound and quality of it. It was, indeed, his old friend, Omael. They’d started out as friends, but had ended up on opposite sides of a war that neither of them should have taken part in.

One way or another, you’re going to fight me, and I’ll send you to Sheforat. Want to know what I’ll do then?

Samandriel shook his head, willing Omael to go away. Instead, the fallen angel continued his threats.

I’m going to kill everyone you hold dear. I’ll start with that brother of yours. Zach’s trapped in another dimension of Ithuriel’s devising.

Samandriel stopped. He remembered that name. He’d loved Ithuriel once, but when Omael had come into the picture, Sam hadn’t fought for Ithuriel. He’d blindly believed their love could weather anything, including the attentions of his best friend.

And he lost her to Omael.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst part was the fight between himself and Omael. They’d been the best of friends, more like brothers. But Omael had killed for Sam, and Sam hadn’t wanted that, and a rift had formed between them.

Then war had broken out, and they’d supported opposite sides.

He stopped and stared up at the sky. “On the life of my brother, I will not spill even a drop of your blood, Omael. We were brothers once. We may be enemies now, but I refuse to fight you.”

With that, he returned his focus to the land around him, wondering how he could free Zach from another dimension.


Book I'm Currently Reading:

The Circle of Ceridwen: Book One of the Circle of Ceridwen Saga, by Octavia Randolph


From Amazon:

It is the year 871. Of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, five have fallen to the invading Vikings. No trait is more valued than loyalty, and no possession more precious than one's steel. Across this war-torn landscape travels fifteen year old Ceridwen, now thrust into the lives of the conquerors.

Epic...immensely satisfying...an impressive achievement - Historical Novel Society The English Adventure loved by over 100,000 readers in 125 countries...

Lost in the frozen woods, Ceridwen is discovered by the warriors accompanying young Ælfwyn, daughter of a Saxon lord, sold against her will in marriage as part of a peace treaty with a marauding Viking war chief. Their destination is the captured fortress of Four Stones, a ruin holding glittering treasure. There Ælfwyn must keep her vow and wed Yrling - and Ceridwen must do all she can to support her new friend in the rebuilding of the ravaged village and great hall.

But living with the enemy affords Ceridwen unusual freedoms - and unlooked-for conflicts. Amongst them she explores again her own heathen past, and learns to judge each man on his own merits. Yrling's nephews Sidroc and Toki, both formidable warriors yet as different as night and day, compete to win Ceridwen for their own.

Through both guile and goodness Ceridwen and Ælfwyn begin transforming the world of Four Stones. But the threat of full-scale war escalates, and a midnight party of furtive Danes delivers someone to Four Stones who destroys the girls' hopes of peace and contentment. Now Ceridwen must summon all her courage - a courage which will be sorely tested as she defies both Saxon and Dane and undertakes an extraordinary adventure to save a man she has never met..


Music I'm Currently Listening To:

A Rustic Christmas playlist on Spotify, a mix of Scottish, Irish, Gaelic, Medieval and Renaissance music, mostly with a Christmas theme.


Video I Like:

This one is more of a series. Maria at Northern Heart (on YouTube) did a series of videos on Swedish Christmas traditions a year ago, called My Swedish Christmas Calendar. I've just discovered her recently, and I've been really enjoying the series.

Here's the first video: Classic Swedish Christmas DIYs

If you like all things Scandinavian, I highly recommend her channel.

News


I took a tumble on Tuesday. Landed right on my bad knees and tried to catch myself on the dresser with my even worse hands. Yikes! So I'm taking an enforced break until the first. Not a complete break, but just not typing as much to give my hands a chance to recover.


This week, I'm going to start introducing the main characters from Fallen: Vendetta (book 1). First up is Samandriel, one of my fallen angels.


I've also included a mini encyclopedia entry a bit further down. This one will introduce you to the Creator Gods, Illdir and Tatia.


And there are a few other goodies, too. I hope you enjoy them. :)


Happy reading!


Lois



Meet the Character: Samandriel


Stats:

• Character Model: Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)
  
• Age: About seventy thousand years old. He is relatively young for a Seraph.
• Height: 6’3
  
• Weight: 195 lbs.
• Build: Athletic
• Hair: Silver/white, straight, long
• Eyes: Turquoise
• Alignment: None, later lawful good
• Magic: Divine Light (bound in book one)
• Strengths: Focused, determined, loyal, willing to take risks when it really matters to him
• Weaknesses: Fear of failure, fear of torture, fear of losing those he loves, doubts his own abilities, fear of
• emotional intimacy
• What he needs to succeed: Confidence in his abilities
• Immortal Origin: Native to the Agaean Plane, considered the highest of the celestial planes, created by Illdir and
• Tatia (the Creator Gods) from light and divine light magic
• Characteristics: Dedicated, introspective, righteous, impatient, freedom-loving, loner, courageous, compassionate
• Languages: Celestial, all languages of Illdirin
• Favored Weapon: Katana

Samandriel as a Chayal:

Samandriel was a loyal soldier in Kiros’ army. He trusted his commander (a lesser god) so much that he stood with him when the god chose to take the middle ground in the War of the Gods. In 98 AWG (After War of the Gods — It wasn’t long after the war ended and the gods all left Illdirin to go to their respective planes) Sam was reassigned as a guardian of a wealthy merchant on Illdirin. He’s been living on Illdirin ever since. He splits his time between his own sanctuary north of Saena Lanora, in the Forest Hemalean, in the mountains of northern Essear, and the Krishan Sharma Memorial School of Martial Arts.

You can take the boy out of the army, but you can’t take the soldier out of the boy, as Samandriel proves time and time again. He tries to live at peace in his own home, rarely interacting with mortals. But trouble seems to have a knack of finding him. He’s gotten into scrapes with other fallen chayalim, with demons, with magical beings, with immortals, and with mortals — feral and noble alike. He generally tries to solve his conflicts peacefully, but there’s not always a peaceful solution to be had.

It’s been many millennia since Samandriel fought as a chayal. He no longer follows the rules, save for those that could get him sent to Sheforat. The list is short: kill no man, woman, or child of mortal descent; do not desecrate the graves of the dead; do not incite rebellion against the Gods; do not deceive mortals in matters of religion. It should have been easy for him to follow this list of four rules. Four rules! But something happened that would weaken his resolve...


Writing Goal Progress:


I'm taking it easy this week. Doing a little character journaling, but mainly resting up for NaNoWriMo. I started writing the first novel, Fallen: Vendetta, yesterday. My current word count for the two days is 9,992!


What do my characters look like?


If you're at all curious as to what Zachariel, Samandriel, or the handful of other characters I've mentioned (or have showed up in The Hellhound) might look like to me, check out my Fallen Pinterest Board. Here's a list of a few of them:

• Samandriel: Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII
• Zachariel: Dante from DMC: Devil May Cry (the reboot)
• Archan: Chris Hemsworth
• Katrina: Lara Croft from Tomb Raider
• Ebonie: Aerith
• Andrea: Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII
• Selanar: Sammir Dattani

And here's the cover for my NaNoWriMo project for Fallen: Vendetta. Obviously, I don't own the images used. I'm just using them for fun. Eventually, I'll have a professional cover made:



From Legendus Illdirinus Encyclopedia: Illdir & Tatia, The Creators


Illdir and Tatia are the Creator Gods. They rule the region around Illdirin (including its solar system), and they're the ones who terraformed Illdirin from the giant asteroid it once was to the planet it is today. They are users of all types of magic, except for the black and dark magics.


They have many children, known as the lesser gods, or just the gods. War broke out on the Agaean Plane (Heaven) many millennia ago because of the mortal and immortal races Illdir and Tatia created. Many of the lesser gods wanted to enslave these races, others wanted to protect them, and others remained neutral.

Illdir and Tatia come from families that are scattered across the universe. They are extremely powerful celestials. They used to spend a lot of time with the people they created, but after the War of the Gods, they returned to the Agaean Plane, only rarely interfering in matters involving the people of Illdirin -- that is until the Great Gathering of Immortals and the End of Days, when those who still have faith in their Gods will be taken to spend eternity with them.

The Creators are divinely good, but they can be harsh when it comes to punishing their celestial creations (angels), as you'll learn in Fallen: Vendetta. They're not perfect. They do make mistakes. But they're benevolent beings who love their creations and want the best for them.


Music I'm Currently Listening To:


Meteora, by Linkin Park


Video I love:


Christopher Walken Reads The Raven

News


* Reminder: This year's Halloween short story, "The Hellhound," is up, and you can read it for free here.


If you've been following my blog and caught my last update, you'll know that I'm gearing up for this year's NaNoWriMo. I'll be writing the first draft of Fallen: Vendetta, the first book in the Fallen series. The outline is ready to go, so come November 1, I'll be ready to write it.


In the meantime, I'm revising the outline for book 5, Vendetta. I plan to have it ready before NaNoWriMo begins on the first so I can focus on the book I'll be writing.


It's finally cooling off here, and I'm starting to think of ways to add hygge to my home and daily routine. I found a really great article on the concept, and you can read it here (http://hyggehouse.com/hygge). I started getting ready for the season by ordering some Yogi tea and Oregon chai tea concentrate from Walmart, and I plan to pick up some more tealight candles, as well. And some chocolate covered coffee beans, if possible, though that's my reward during NaNoWriMo and really has little to do with hygge beyond old memories they bring. If I get my words in for the day, I have some. If not, I don't. I also have my white fluffy throw ready to go, and my yeti pjs, which I've yet to wear. Of course, I do intermittent fasting most weekdays (four-hour feeding window, 20 hours of fasting), so I'm not sure when I'd work in the chocobeans and chai. I'll figure it out, though.


I've finally finished reading Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott . When I read this book years ago, I thought it was an awesome book. Now that I know a bit more about writing, I see all the purple prose, and it makes me cringe! It's still an awesome story. Just wish it didn't have all the flowery descriptions, explanations of every little thing, and so on. Now that I'm done with that, I've moved on to Black In the Box, by Russell Blake. It's a much faster read, and much more exciting!


Writing Goal Progress:


My only real goal since my last update was to revise the outline for Fallen: Nemesis (Book 5), and I've been working on that. It was a long outline, and the beginning seemed really drawn out, so I took out one of the storylines and will turn that into a short story later on. I plan to write the first drafts for these five books this year and next, starting with Fallen: Vendetta (Book 1) during this coming month's NaNoWriMo, but I don't plan to start publishing them until sometime in 2021.


Recipe:


As I get ready to participate in NaNoWriMo (their main event) for the 14th time, I realize it's time for me to get my snacks and rewards together. One of my favorite things to sip on during my writing sessions is Chai tea. I generally use Indian Spice tea from Harney & Sons, but the recipe I've found online is from Stash. It's nearly as good!


Chai Tea Latte


Music I'm Currently Listening To:


I made a playlist of music for when I'm working on my planning/writing/revision of the Fallen series, and Decyfer Down is one of my favorite bands on it. I won't put too many links here, though I would love to link you to every album I can find on YouTube, but here's my favorite of their albums:


Decyfer Down Scarecrow


Video I love:

I've been on a DMC: Devil May Cry kick lately. I'm relatively new to gaming, and I only play single player. I started with Assassin's Creed II and have worked up to Assassin's Creed: Rogue, but I wanted to try something new, as well. And since I use this Dante as my character model (appearance wise) for Zachariel in my Fallen series, I thought I would try the game. Before I ever got the game, I watched a video of all the cutscenes, and they made me want to play the game even more. Warning: there's some bad language in here, including the f-bomb.


DmC: Devil May Cry Definitive Edition All Cutscenes (Game Movie)


Signing off:

What have you been drawn to lately? Music, films, movies, books, they can all be great ways to pass the time during the changing seasons. List your favorites in the comments below so others can enjoy them too! :)

Cheers,

Lois