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Guest Post! D&D Player Writes Fantasy Novels

December 23, 2013 by holojacob 1 Comment

Jacob Holo: It is with great pleasure that I present a guest post by indie fantasy author Charles Yallowitz, who has just released his third book in the Legends of Windemere series. Charles, take it away!
Charles Yallowitz: At the age of thirteen, I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons, which opened the door to several other dice-based roleplaying games. This hobby lasted through college and a few years beyond. If you think I’m outing myself as a nerd/geek/dweeb/whatever then understand that you would get this vibe from me within fifteen minutes of us talking. That’s being generous because I look the part, but that’s not the point of this.
When I hit college, I realized that the characters I was playing and the games I was either in or running would make good stories. So, for some games, I asked permission to write books based on the adventures and for others games I simply tested out characters. This method of story and character testing is what led to the creation of Windemere and many of the major heroes that I use. Unfortunately, this method also came with a major flaw that I did not realize until I sat down to write Beginning of a Hero.
The flaw is that what works for a game does not always work for a book. Very few secondary character conversations happen in games and many games devolve into battle after battle after battle. Your heroes start incredibly weak and level up, which does not translate well to a book setting because leveling is rather abrupt. Imagine if you are reading a book, a battle happens and suddenly one of the heroes instantly knows archery. In the book, you would have to give the character a reason to learn, time to learn, and a teacher, which takes away from the overall story. The ways to counter this is to either have the new skills learned between books or start the heroes off with a decent level of skill. I’m not talking perfect, but able to handle themselves in whatever role they are designed for. The best example of this is the spellcaster Nyx who appears in my second book. In the game, she began with only one or two combat spells, which led to her getting knocked out at least once per game. In the characters defense, the player (now my wife) was new to the hobby and had a habit of rushing into battle like she was a warrior. It was adorable, but not a good thing to transfer to a book. So, I had her start with incredible magical power and her challenge came from keeping it under control and fine-tuning her abilities. This made the book version and game versions incredibly different in ability, evolution, and personality.
Another part of this flaw is that many players will act out a character in either the same way or so off-the-wall that you have to change the character for the book. Noble heroes are the most common because they are the easiest to play, but there is very little difference in personality for these types. This is where character flaws and strategies come in. For example, two noble heroes that appear in Legends of Windemere are differentiated by one being a reckless warrior and the other being a strategist warrior. In a game, the reckless warrior is more likely to die because of a bad roll of the dice. So, for many characters I had to design new personalities with more depth, which is easier to do in a book because the author makes the rules. My psychotic vampire from World of Darkness can be more monstrous and violent in the book than he ever was in the game because he doesn’t have stats to prevent his rages.
One of the biggest downsides to using games for book influence is that a person can leave the game when they stop having fun or have something better to do. Legends of Windemere never made it to the end of the game. I’m not even sure it made it to the halfway mark. I do know that over the years several players left for various reasons, leaving gaps in the plot and issues for my books. So, you can probably figure out which characters belonging to players who left. At one point, over half the gaming group left, which left me with a weekend of figuring out what to do with the characters. Eventually, I decided that I would stop following the game and use it as a loose outline for stories. The game could change its plot and only we would know, but I couldn’t make essential characters expendable in the book after giving them major build-ups. I remember the biggest disaster that this came up was when a character was introduced and the player left college in less than a year. Within that year, this character was signified as an essential part of the plot’s prophecy and developed a deep relationship with another character. So, this character went through several kidnappings, comas, and other instances until the gamemaster and I had a fight on what to do. He wanted to kill her off while I didn’t see how the game could continue without her. This is probably a perfect example of the different mentalities behind games and books. In the end, I had to redesign the character for the books and redesign most of the events to include her because she was never around in the game. To this day, she is one of my favorite characters and I always feel sorry for some of the things I do to here.
I think of this topic a lot because I remember the characters and people that I gamed with every time I write the book scenes. Even the characters that I played are different than the one I spent years tracking stats and gear for. He has become a lot more powerful, a lot deeper, and a lot more believable. It is that last part that is strange to me because it really shows that when people play games of make-believe, they really don’t want to touch too much of reality. Many game characters lack flaws or are given minor flaws for the sole purpose of getting more points to increase stats. Rarely did you find someone who took a flaw because they wanted to act out the flaw because in the end for the players, the game was about winning and not about the story. It is a different mentality than the one of an author nurturing characters along their literary path. I have no sense of stats or dice when I write my scenes, which makes many of the game events impossible to transfer.
I would like to say that I treated every character with love and respect when I altered their backgrounds and skills to fit into Windemere. The truth is that some things simply could not be transferred and other things I never understood or liked in the first place. Heck, I’m still not sure about some of the character’s original backgrounds because they were never delved into in the game. I guess this is the risk people take when they try to transfer from a medium of multiple minds to a medium of the single mind.

Legends of Windemere: Allure of the Gypsies has Arrived!!!

Buy it Here!

Book Blurb:
The epic adventures of Luke Callindor and Nyx continue after their journey down the L’Dandrin River in Legends of Windemere: Prodigy of Rainbow Tower.
Reeling from his failures in their previous adventure, Luke leads his surviving friends to his hometown. With his mind frayed and his confidence fractured, Luke must face the family and fiancée he left behind. It is a brief homecoming when the vampire Kalam attacks the village, forcing Luke and Nyx to break into his lair for the key to resurrecting a fallen warrior. It is a quest that will force both young heroes to reach new heights of strength and power that they never knew they had.
Can Luke and Nyx escape the lair of Kalam? And, what role will the orphaned gypsy Sari play in their looming destiny?

Wondering what you’re in for? Check out the praise earned by the first two installments of this high fantasy series.

Review Excerpts for Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero:
“I greatly enjoyed the vivid characters, the gripping plot, and the refreshingly unique writing style (present tense). ” – kdillmanjones
“This is a sophisticated and delightful read. I recommend this book to lovers of Fantasy or to General Fiction readers. The story is compelling enough to entertain a wide audience.” – John Howell
“One of the things that won me over was the bouts of humor. Especially in the beginning. “This is not possible! I am a Paladin!” I thought I was going to die with delight.” – C.N. Faust
Review Excerpts for Legends of Windemere: Prodigy of Rainbow Tower:
“Something I find unique about this fantasy novel that I don’t often find in others, is that the hero, Luke Callindor is rather of the unlucky variety. He does not get everything he asks for, he stumbles, falls, gets knocked down (literally)and taught lessons as he goes. This is helping him to grow into the hero that was promised in the first book.” – Ionia Martin
“Nyx is such a strong personality. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and more of the other characters, new and already known, with the rich tapestry of Windemere unfolding in between intense actions scenes and moments of kindness and budding friendships.” – Danielle Taylor
“Almost like the Harry Potter series. The books start out so young and innocent, but by the last book – watch out!” — Momto4Booklover
Author Biography:
Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.
Contact:
Blog- www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter- @cyallowitz
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CharlesYallowitz
Another big event to celebrate the debut of Legends of Windemere: Allure of the Gypsies is that I’m holding a Goodreads Giveaway! The prize is a paperback copy of ALL THREE LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE NOVELS. Winners will be picked at the end of December, so go HERE to enter the contest.

Iron Kingdoms – Release the Blood Witches!

December 9, 2013 by holojacob 2 Comments

Sometimes, you get those players. You know. Those players. The ones that really get into their cold, brooding, greedy assassin character’s skin and just aren’t in the mood to party up. And that’s okay, I guess. That goes along with the whole roleplay experience. But the thing is we’ve got a campaign to get going, monsters to slay, stuff to loot. Time to get the lead out, people!
Except that one player has got to be difficult.
Oh, what’s the pay for this mission? Pfft! Not enough. Come back when you get serious.
And it’s not like we can abandon him. Because, unlike the assassin-for-hire at the inn, the player is sitting on the couch eating pizza with us. It’d be kind of rude for us to leave without him. Figuratively, of course. I mean, what’s he going to do? Eat pizza in silence for four hours while we go kill and loot stuff?
And yet, there he is, being stubborn about his pay.
Well, fear not. I’m the Dungeon Master. I have all sorts of shenanigans at my disposal. This was our first session using Privateer Press’ magnificent Iron Kingdoms rulebook, and none of the players really knew what to expect. I, however, was very familiar with the nasty denizens of the Iron Kingdoms.
And you know something? Nothing says “get your butt in gear” like exploding bystanders.
So, the scenario went down like this. Our incorrigible assassin lingered in the inn, waiting for more pay while the other players tried to acquire it. Two cloaked figures entered (secretly Satyxis Blood Witches), and started cutting up innocent bystanders.
And, if you know anything about Blood Witches, you know they leave a mess. People started exploding left and right, and the assassin found himself taking Death Strike damage without being hit. Oh, you better believe he wanted some wingmen to help him out. He bolted out of the inn, which was now filled with bloody fog, and ran straight for the other players.
Yeah, don’t mess with the DM. You want to go and do your own thing? You want to slow down the game while everyone else is itching to kill some monsters? Let me explain to you how this works. You either party up, or I explode people until you get in line.
A friend of mine had a phrase for this. “Rocks fall.” It means you’re doing something that is making it a lot less fun for everyone else. Either behave yourself, or rocks will fall from a clear sky and crush your character.
He wasn’t joking either.
But the best part, the very best part, is the assassin player didn’t even realize he’d been jolted with a twenty kilovolt cattle prod. He thought it was just part of the story. And sometimes, stuff like that can really make a gaming session special, when things go off script and everyone gets a little creative.
It was fun. And yeah, a lot of people exploded before they killed all of the Blood Witches.
Good times.
Check out the complete list of roleplaying articles here.

Writing Techniques – The Prototype Story

December 4, 2013 by holojacob 1 Comment

Artwork by Robert Chew, a.k.a CrazyAsian1. Used with permission.

Today, I would like to share one of my absolute favorite writing techniques for getting a novel off the ground: the Prototype Story. Before I sit down to write a novel, I almost always write a Prototype Story, and sometimes write several.
So what is a Prototype Story? For starters, it’s a short story with a specific goal in mind. It’s a test of sorts, an exercise to see if certain elements from the to-be-written novel actually work on paper. The Prototype Story could focus on a specific character I’m having trouble with, a part of the world that’s challenging to realize, a location that’s just not clear yet, or really anything about the novel. Anything at all.
The trick is to take the element giving me problems and put it under a magnifying glass. The Prototype Story is the magnifying glass. These stories help me identify problems and fix them in a contained environment. So when I transition to the novel, I already know that aspect will work. Or, at least, has the capacity to work. 
Let’s take a look at an example. Humanity Machine is the novel I’m currently working on, and it is by far the most ambitious novel I have ever written. It has some really crazy stuff in it that’s testing my skills as a writer. I’ve gone through seven outlines before settling on a final draft outline.
In short, this novel is a beast. So, instead of diving straight into the novel itself, I tested parts of it in a short story. Enter “Humanity Machine – Athens Assault,” a short story set in the fiction of Humanity Machine. By writing this story, I was able to test out some of the more bizarre elements of the world. This really helped me get a feel for them. For someone who primarily writes science fiction, this is a great way to test out the dynamics of a new “rule set” if you will.
And while “Humanity Machine – Athens Assault” is a fun action short (at least I think so), it didn’t have to be any good at all. My only goal was to get comfortable with the world I would portray in the novel. Humanity Machine has so many unusual tech elements that I wanted to see how they meshed together. If the story completed sucked, but I got a feel for this strange high tech world, then mission accomplished!
There are plenty of other applications. For example, I may focus on a secondary character that’s giving me problems. In order to get a feel for the character, I’ll often pick an event from their past and write a short story about that event from their perspective. The story doesn’t have to be good, but I guarantee it will help me realize the character’s voice when it comes to writing the novel.
In summary, the Prototype Story is my go-to tool when I’m having problems with a novel. There’s almost no literary problem it can’t solve.
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The Dragons of Jupiter – Novel Origin

December 1, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

It’s 2006. I’m on assignment in Germany. The weekend has arrived, and I’m bored. It’s a cold, wet, miserable winter day. The hotel has no internet, and I can’t understand a word on the television. Well, except for “Ich möchte ein Bier, bitte.” I had that phrase down solid.
I decide to write.
That’s how The Dragons of Jupiter began. In a German hotel. It’s kind of weird when I think about it. I had already penned ten novels by that point, none published, some better than others, but my overall style was lacking. I had too much Tell, not enough Show. Sickening amounts of exposition bogged down my prose. The writing had two basic modes: explosions and exposition.
That had to change, and that change began with a short story: two teams of super soldiers fighting it out on the moon. I had a lot of fun writing the story. I rummaged through my mental garbage bin, stealing ideas from previous novels, throwing them in wherever and whenever.
I loaded the story up with cool tech, showing the weapons and gear in action rather than ponderously explaining everything. I focused on creating an example of asymmetrical combat: two sides with very different fighting styles and equipment, but still roughly equivalent in power.
Many of the elements in The Dragons of Jupiter made their first appearances here. The Dragons, invisible space ninjas that they are, were in full display, sniping and backstabbing like champs. The Crusaders, with their bulky armor and devastating weapons, also made a showing, gunning down anything in their path. In fact, most of the tech went unchanged in the transition from short story to novel. Locations and political entities like Europa, the Federacy, the Lunar State, and even New London made the switch pretty much as is.
The characters, though. Yeah, umm, there’s no hiding it. They were flat. Flat like cardboard. The story had explosions and cool tech, but no soul. It also had a really depressing ending (and that’s assuming you even cared about the characters). At the time, for some bizarre reason, I believed my upbeat endings were the reason I couldn’t sell stories, so I decided a change of pace was in order.
dragons of jupiter crusader firepower-small Yeah, in the short story, all the Dragons get slaughtered. Spoilers.
This was my first and last experiment in depressing endings, just to set the record straight.
I was generally happy with the result. When I got back to Michigan, I printed off some copies and shared them with a local writers group. The result was nearly unanimous. They hated the story. One of the writers said my characters were “stupid dildo heads.” He used exclamation points.
Ouch.
They also found all the tech details confusing, said I should tone it down and make it simpler.
Yeah, not going to happen.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are times you should listen to the advice of others. And then there are times when you just go with your gut. I went with my gut on this one and got a second opinion. I shared the story with some friends who read a lot of sci-fi, and wouldn’t you know it? They had a very different reaction. The story wasn’t perfect. Far from it, but they saw what the writers group had not: the seed of a bigger and better story.
And, with some encouragement and a lot of hard work, that seed eventually blossomed into The Dragons of Jupiter. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, I stuffed it with even more ridiculous tech details than the short story. Because, you know, that’s just how I roll with it sometimes.
If I had listened to that writers group, I would have never written the novel, never self-published it, and you can forget about a sequel.
Instead, it’s full speed ahead! Not only did H.P. and I publish The Dragons of Jupiter, but we’re going publish Time Reavers before the year is out.

And we’re just getting started!

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Ender’s Game – Movie Review

November 11, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

IN SHORT: Aliens invaded and kicked our butts. Now it’s our turn to show them who’s boss by unleashing our most terrifying weapon … children.
WHAT IT IS: A phenomenal sci-fi adventure with brains, beauty, and thrilling action.
WHAT IT IS NOT: This is not your typical YA movie. Ender’s story is not a cheerful one. Don’t expect much in the way of humor, romance, or people smiling. This movie is grim and down-to-business.
WHAT I THOUGHT: OMGLOLBBQ! I love this movie! As a huge fan of the book, I loved pretty much every minute of it. I even didn’t mind the changes and cuts they made. Well, at least not too much.
Ender’s Game has inherited the best from the novel and streamlined it into a truly spectacular package. Now, that’s not to say it’s perfect. It does feel rushed at times, as if the movie is straining to hold in as much book-awesome as possible. For example, Ender’s progression through Battle School is ridiculously fast, and I really wish we’d seen more of him in command of Dragon Army, but oh well. Cuts had to be made somewhere, and the end result is still thoroughly enjoyable.
Here’s the story of a boy being molded into the perfect weapon. Through one trial after another, Ender teeters on a knife’s edge between genius commander and psychopathic killer. Asa Butterfield’s performance really had me believing in the character. When you see Ender’s eyes during the Giant’s Drink, you know this isn’t a kid to mess around with.
Plus, there are the space battles. Oh man, there is some lush and vibrant eye candy saved for the movie’s climax. The battles are colorful and fun to watch, but they also give a sense of tactical depth. Instead of the chaotic melee of most movie space battles, these play out with precise formations. I love all the fighters zipping about, each so hazardously close to the next. They’re a delight to watch.
Overall, it’s hard for me to judge this movie impartially. I love the book, and that colors my views on the movie. I know for a fact I enjoyed this movie more because I’d read the book beforehand. However, that doesn’t change my opinion in the slightest.
VERDICT: Strongly recommended.

Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Asphyxious the Hellbringer

October 26, 2013 by holojacob 2 Comments

Warcasters are the stars of Warmachine, and Cryx has no shortage of powerful and fun-to-play warcasters. Today, I’m taking a look at Asphyxious the Hellbringer.
IN SHORT: Hey, someone spilled Menoth in my Cryx … and I think I like it!
STRENGTHS: Asphyxious the Hellbringer has an amazing suite of support spells that are very unusual for Cryx. It is these spells that truly define his role as a warcaster. Let’s step through them.
First, there’s Carnage. Any Cryx models in Asphyxious’ control area get +2 to melee attack rolls. Ouch! Cryx has no shortage of powerful melee models, and Asphyxious can make any of them hit more often.
Next up, there’s Scything Touch, a returning spell from Iron Lich Asphyxious. This spell grants +2 melee damage to a friendly model or unit. It’s a great spell for enhancing a unit’s damage output. As an added bonus, the targets also gain Critical Corrosion.
Then there’s, Ashen Veil, which grants concealment to a friendly model or unit. It also causes living enemy models within 2” to suffer -2 on their attack rolls. Yikes! A defensive buff? In this army? Cryx has no shortage of models that would love to boost their defenses, and many already have very good DEF stats. This is a truly superb addition to our arsenal.
Now let’s take a look at Mobility. This spell may be battlegroup only, but it’s a solid one. It grants +2 SPD and Pathfinder for the cheap, cheap price of 2 Focus. While its primary use is to get warjacks into position, Asphyxious can enjoy its benefits as well.
And why wouldn’t he like that? With FOCUS 7, ARM 17, 18 hit boxes, and a P+S 16 beat stick, Asphyxious is no slouch up close and personal. Add Blood Boon on his sword, Daimonion, he wants to be in the thick of it. Take out a living model with his sword, and Asphyxious can cast a spell for free (once per activation).
On top of that, Asphyxious comes with two attack spells, Bone Shaker and Hex Blast, the latter of which is great for clearing enemy upkeeps and animi. He also comes with a versatile feat, Rites of Shadow, which can be used both defensively and offensively. Every time an enemy is forced, casts a spell, or spends Focus / Fury, Asphyxious gets a soul token and heals d3 damage. Just bunker down for your opponent’s big swing, then punish them hard the next round.
Oh, and he even has his own pet Skarlock.
Yes, let’s not forget Vociferon. This unique Skarlock comes with Soul Collector and Death Harvest. This means Vociferon can collect soul tokens in his command range and then transfer them to Asphyxious in the Maintenance Phase. Oh, and he’s also an Arc Node. You know, in case the soul gathering thing wasn’t cool enough.
WEAKNESSES: Carnage and Mobility are not upkeeps. Between recasting these two spells (as needed) and upkeeping Ashen Veil and Scything Touch, Asphyxious is going to feel the drain on his Focus reserves. Add in the fact that he’s a nice, juicy medium base target, and suddenly leaving him drained of Focus doesn’t look like such a smart idea.
Blood Boon, Vociferon, and the feat do help with Focus efficiency. However, none of these are without risk. Vociferon has to be far enough forward to collect those souls, leaving him vulnerable to attack. The Rites of Shadow has a similar problem, though not as pronounced. And Blood Boon requires Asphyxious to engage the enemy directly.
Asphyxious also can’t employ a standard Skarlock. While Vociferon is great, he’s trickier to use. Plus, Asphyxious has Scything Touch, a spell that is just begging to be bounced around from unit to unit to unit. Without a normal Skarlock to act as a Spell Slave, shifting a powerful upkeep around is a lot more difficult.
Finally, Asphyxious needs living models for their souls. Without them, he cannot operate at peak efficiency. Though honestly, that’s sort of like saying, Asphyxious is in Cryx.
SYNERGIES: Asphyxious’s support spells can produce a diverse set of benefits for basically any model in the Cryx arsenal, but there are a few combinations that really stand out.
Satyxis Raiders are a great target for Ashen Veil. With base DEF 14, Force Barrier from a Satyxis Raider Sea Witch, and Ashen Veil, they’re at an amazing DEF 18 at range and a potent DEF 16 in close against living models.
Scything Touch can be used with any number of powerful melee units, but Mechanithralls are my favorite. Not only are they dirt cheap, but each has two attacks. A full unit of Mechanithralls can put out 20 attacks. With Scything Touch, that’s a damage output swing of 40 hit boxes. You won’t typically see that much benefit, but the potential is there.
And with two great upkeep spells, who can forget the Withershadow Combine. With them in tow, they can help lighten Asphyxious’ Focus load. As a bonus, they’re a unit, so they’re valid targets for Scything Touch or Ashen Veil, as the situation dictates.
JUST FOR FUN: Asphyxious may not be geared towards supporting warjacks, but that doesn’t mean he should ignore them. Mobility brings extra speed to the already swift warjacks of Cryx, and there are plenty of ways to use this.
The Cankerworm stands out as particularly impressive because, due to Affinity [Asphyxious], it gets a free move if it ends its activation in Asphyxious’ control area. Now who doesn’t like an extra fast armor-piercing warjack, ping-ponging back and forth, eating your opponents wreck markers and taking their weapons? I know I like it!
SUMMARY: Asphyxious the Hellbringer has an amazing range of abilities and can support a wide variety of army compositions. With a truly unique spell list for Cryx, he is one warcaster that will make an excellent addition to any player’s collection.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.

The Dragons of Jupiter – 15 Reviews! Average of 4.8 Stars!

October 14, 2013 by holojacob 1 Comment

So far, The Dragons of Jupiter has received 15 reader reviews: 10 on Amazon, 3 on Goodreads, and 2 on Smashwords. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. It’s absolutely wonderful to hear from people who enjoyed the story, and that certainly makes all the hard work feel worth it. Here are some excerpts from recent reviews:
“An excellent futuristic military science fiction novel that does not just deal with the larger struggle between planets but the personal struggle between the main characters.”
“I finished it very quickly and when I did have to put it down, I looked forward to being able to get back to reading it.”
“This book contains a lot of action (and gory violence!), some drama, and a whole lot of suspense and thrill. It was well-written and even contains some passages that make you think about family, what it means to be a human, the concept of God, and religion.”
I’m particular happy to receive that last comment. Not bad for a novel that’s 90% about action and explosions, I think.
On a more personal note, H.P. and I arranged to have the local library carry my book. And wouldn’t you believe it, but there is a waiting list for my book at the library! Granted, it’s not a huge waiting list, just three people in the queue last we checked. But still. Seriously. A waiting list for my book? This is awesome! Piece by piece, word about my book is spreading, and this is how it makes me feel.

Oh yeah, I brought out the big smiley face! But don’t think that H.P. and I are just going to sit back and relax. Heck no! We’ve been hard at work. Not only are we getting close to releasing Time Reavers, but we’re also working on a revised cover for The Dragons of Jupiter. Robert Chew’s artwork still takes center stage, but H.P. and I have learned a lot about what goes into a good cover, and we’re putting those lessons to work with an improved graphic design.
I think you’re going to like it!
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Time Reavers: Cover Preview!

September 13, 2013 by holojacob 1 Comment

Daniel held a single finger to his mouth. They were close to where Nicole had been when time stopped, next to the frozen subway train just emerging from the tunnel.
Nicole hardly breathed. She strained her ears. Every little sound they made was like thunder in the silence, but on the very edge of hearing …
It was a most peculiar sound. Like someone furiously typing on an old-fashioned typewriter: distant, but heavy and metallic. The sound grew louder and seemed to come from the closest train tunnel.
Nicole looked at Daniel, who was suddenly all business.
“Reaver,” he whispered.
“What’s a reaver?” she whispered.
“You’ll see. Don’t worry. I’m a professional.”
“For some reason, I’m still worried!” she whispered, following him closer to the subway car.
Daniel reached into his trench coat. There was a brief metallic whisper and suddenly he had a long, elegantly-curved sword in his hand.
The rapid metallic clicking grew louder. Daniel had to speak up so she’d hear him.
“Stand back,” he said, grasping his sword two-handed and lowering his stance. “No need to panic. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Nicole shuffled back from the subway car, but bumped into a frozen pedestrian and almost tripped.
The sound continued to crescendo.
“Is it supposed to be this loud?” she shouted.
“Must be a big one!” Daniel shouted back. Nicole thought she heard an uneasy waver in his voice.
The metallic chattering grew louder and louder as the reaver came closer.
“How big do they get?” Nicole shouted, putting hands over her ears.
But Daniel didn’t respond. He lowered his sword slightly and turned around. What Nicole saw then scared her more than anything so far. Deathly fear covered every inch of his face.

Excerpt from Time Reavers, by Jacob Holo

Oh yeah! Here we go again! The cover art is almost complete. Robert Chew, a.k.a CrazyAsian1, brings his impressive talents forward once more. Please enjoy this small preview of the awesome artwork that is to come.
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The reavers lurk outside our reality, watching the Earth with hunger and malice.
The boundaries between our worlds are falling. The guardians at the gate are dead.
The reavers are almost here.

Warmachine Cygnar Cosplay: Kara Sloan

September 2, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Presenting H.P. Holo’s Warmachine Cygnar warcaster cosplay: Captain Kara Sloan!

warmachine_cygnar_kara_sloan_cosplay_1 — The stoic Kara Sloan prepares for battle.

Yes, this costume was about as much work as it looks. But it was worth it!

warmachine_cygnar_kara_sloan_cosplay_2 — Sloan watches the horizon for the encroaching Cryx army.

H.P. constructed the armor from Wonderflex, a thermoplastic that becomes extremely malleable at oven temperatures, but will hold its shape once cooled. The armor took two months to construct, including a few all-nighters for both of us in order to finish everything for Dragon*Con.

warmachine_cygnar_kara_sloan_cosplay_3 — Sloan: “Get back in line, soldier!”

H.P. Holo also received support from one of the Holo-Moms, who contributed her formidable sewing skills to the project. The skirts and belts were her work, and were made pretty much from scratch.

warmachine_cygnar_kara_sloan_cosplay_4 — Sloan readies Spitfire, her trusty rifle.

The boiler was constructed using foam board and PVC piping. It’s attached to the back with industrial strength Velcro. In fact, pretty much everything is being held together with industrial strength Velcro. This made getting into and out of the armor easy as long as one person helps out. Bathroom breaks at the Dragon*Con were not a problem, which was a good thing. That armor is hot, and we were both guzzling water to fend off the heat exhaustion.

warmachine_cygnar_kara_sloan_cosplay_5 — H.P. Holo: “Your Cryx don’t stand a chance, Jacob!”

Spitfire, Kara Sloan’s impressive rifle, was built around a block of wood cut by the Holo-Grandpa. H.P. located the original Kara Sloan concept art, took the drawing for the rifle, and created a pattern for the Holo-Grandpa to follow. The rest is a combination of PVC piping and Wonderflex.
I think H.P. did an absolutely awesome job on her costume. But, that’s not all we have! Oh no! I had a costume too! Presenting Jacob Holo’s Warmachine Cygnar cosplay: Captain Lynch of the Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team!

warmachine_cygnar_lynch_black_13th_cosplay_1 — Lynch readies himself to support Kara Sloan in battle.

My contribution to this costume was providing the Cygnar rulebook. H.P. and the Holo-Mom did all the rest. What an awesome job they did! They picked out the material, and then made everything from scratch! It looks awesome, but it doesn’t breathe at all! Heat was a major concern for both of us at the convention, but we managed to spend a whole day in costume. At least 30 people took our picture (mostly because of H.P. :-)), 4 recognized the Kara Sloan character, and 2 even recognized I was playing Lynch! Very impressive!

warmachine_cygnar_lynch_black_13th_cosplay_2 — Lynch spots the enemy.

At Dragon*Con, we even got photographed by one of the Privateer Press studio painters. He knew EXACTLY who we were.

I wish I had written down his name, but in the chaos of the convention, stuff like that got missed.
I like to think of these costumes are Mark I versions. There are plenty of improvements we can make to them, plenty of details from the original characters we can add. For example, I’m not much of a gun mage without a gun. This was my first time cosplaying and it was H.P.’s first time embarking on such an ambitious project. I think we did really well, but I know we can do better for Dragon*Con next year.
Also, the very first change we’re making to the Kara Sloan armor is to put some fans in it. No, seriously. I’m an electrical engineer, and I am building some fans into that armor! That thing is a sweatbox!
So, what do you think of our Warmachine Cygnar cosplay? Please let us know in the comments below.

Dredd 3D – Movie Review

August 22, 2013 by holojacob 2 Comments

IN SHORT: In a dystopian future, a vicious gang leader locks down a skyscraper in order to kill two judges. Unfortunately for her, these “judges” come packing some serious heat.
WHAT IT IS: A tight, exciting action movie that entertains from start to finish. Dredd 3D is a great example of a compact, focused, well-executed story that knows what it wants to be and accomplishes it.
WHAT IT IS NOT: Well, it’s not kid friendly. That’s for sure. It’s not slasher gore, but it is a graphic movie that earns its R rating. The movie also lacks depth. The characters and the world they inhabit are interesting, don’t get me wrong, but they’re clearly not the focus. The action is.
WHAT I THOUGHT: Let’s just get this out of the way. Dredd 3D is a fantastic action movie. My first reaction after finishing it was to watch it again. It’s been a while since I saw a pure action movie that just hit all the right notes. Dredd 3D is that action movie.
The mood of the movie is well done. Here is a dystopian future where hundreds of millions live within one massive, unbroken city stretching across the eastern coast of North America. The city seethes with the energy of too many people crammed too tightly together. Its scattered law enforcement can barely hold the chaos at bay. Even though we only get glimpses of this future outside the main story arc, it still manages to feel believable.
The action is exciting, well paced, and very violent. It’s a fun movie to watch. However, all of that focus on action is going to take its toll elsewhere. Judge Dredd, the titular character, isn’t much of a character. He’s more an unstoppable, bullet-spewing force of nature than a human being. His emotional range includes: the scowl, the intense scowl, and the super extra scowly scowl.
There are some brief moments where the movie humanizes Dredd, such as when he stuns two kids holding him at gunpoint instead of shooting them dead (his normal response to problems), but these moments are few and far between.
His sidekick, the rookie judge Anderson, fairs much better. Her story arc is a predictable progression, but it is fun to watch her grow from an unsure newbie that Dredd views with contempt to a capable partner he respects. Her journey is the most interesting in the movie … probably because it’s the only character arc actually in the movie.
To sum it up, Dredd 3D doesn’t try to be a whole lot of things. It sticks to a few core ideas and gets them right. In the end, that’s why it succeeds and why it’s a blast to watch.
VERDICT: Strongly Recommended.

Warmachine Cygnar Cosplay Preview!

August 15, 2013 by holojacob 5 Comments

Here’s a small preview of H.P. Holo’s Warmachine cosplay: a Cygnar warcaster! Can you guess who she’ll be for Dragon*Con? Leave a comment if you guess it!
Here’s her armor, made of a heat-activated material called Wonderflex.

This may not look like much now … but just you wait!

H.P. Holo colored her hair for this cosplay.

Do you know who she’ll be? Leave a comment below and wait for the ~~end of August~~ early September. You’ll find out if you’re right.

UPDATE 8/30/13: After two all nighters in a row (which were totally worth it to finish her costume :-)), H.P. and I are off to Dragon*Con. Due to the time crunch, we’ll post pictures of our costumes after we return.

The Dragons of Jupiter – New Amazon Reviews! Five Stars!

August 15, 2013 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Two new five star reviews for The Dragons of Jupiter! That makes three on Amazon.com!
Review by: ChemTeach
Great Action Story
Jacob Holo is a wonderful story teller. Even in this futuristic setting with all kinds of cool tech toys for the warriors, the characters’ personalities still pop. There is not one false or phony turn in this action-packed story of two brothers. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-constructed plot with great characters.
Review by: John Bingham
Really good cover to cover
I bought it to check out a new author and was really glad to see we have a young and upcoming author who has a great way with sci-fi and keeping it interesting. The story line was easy to follow and moved along without dragging. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!
Both reviews are for the paperback edition. You can see the reviews here on Amazon.com.
Awesome! Two more five star reviews and two more satisfied customers! And you know what this means? Yep, I’m breaking out the big smiley face!

So who’s in the mood for an action-packed novel? The Dragons of Jupiter is a tale of two brothers who must face each other in a war-ravaged future. If you like your sci-fi novels full of intense battles and bitter, personal conflicts, then this book is for you.
Those who enjoy calm, sedate novels full of peace and harmony may wish to look elsewhere.
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