Violence, violence, and more Violence!

Violence: A Writer's Guide by Rory Miller


We all know violence of some sort, some at a higher level than others. Anyone who fought, or had to deal with violence know it's not pretty, however most won't be able to put it in perspective. This book will help understand violence, the how and why of it.

This book is great for anyone, not only writers. The information about violence will dispell any notion that fighting/battle is something honorific to do. It will make clear how dirty, messy, violence really is. People reading this will come out with a new view of life. It will open eyes that not all in this world is nice and clean. That the wars we see on television, detached and far, with these surgical strikes with cruise missiles, and drone strikes, that in reality these are not clean, surgical, but horrendous, and messy things. People die horrific deaths, us not seeing it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

It will help writers write more realistic fights and battles. It will give an edge to their writing, making it more gritty and graphic. Not necessarily good for every story, violence depicted as it really is makes for a bleak and random world. There is no romance in battle. If you're writing a heroic romantic epic, you might not want to be too realistic and instead put more fiction in your fights and turn down the violence in the fictitious world.

Book Cover: At Arms a short story collection.

I'm working on putting a collection of short stories together. Five short stories in the Man-At-Arms and Maiden-At-Arms universe. I might also add a bonus story. I'm thinking about Ghost Worker or Death's Given Chance.

I just finished the book covers for the ebook and the paper book.

E-Book:

Paper Book:

The Medieval Armor & Weapons Decorative Graphic I got from http://www.vintagevectors.com/ and it's made by Eric Fritz. Big props for the great design and offering his work for use.

Now I only need to format the e-book, paper book, decide the order to put the stories in, and decide which bonus story to add. With a little luck I may be done in a week or two.

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Review: The Demon King of Bergher (Harbinger of Doom)

 The Demon King of Bergher by Glenn G. Tather


This is short review for a short story I just finished reading.

It's a fantasy/horror story in a fantasy world setting with dwarves, elves, etc, etc, about Lord Torbin Malvegil and the events surrounding a demon king visiting his chambers and leaving him a gift. The story is written in the first person point of view of Lord Torbin Malvegil.

I'll start with saying I'm not a great fan of the first person POV, but it was bearable in this story. I had more problem with the telling, it felt like reading clumps of info dumps. It may be necessary for the story, but I rather it was done more subtle or toned down.

It's a good thing Glen G. Tather can write well, because despite the story being a whole lot of telling it still conveys an image and a sense of its own character, and in the portions where there is actually something happening it was even an exciting read. I rather had more of those moment and less lore, though I'm sure there are readers out there who would not mind this abundance of lore.

 Did I like The Demon King of Bergher? I sort of did and sort of didn't.

Like is said, I liked the story once it got moving, but I disliked it when it didn't. If it was a novel I probably wouldn't have finished it, but as a short story it's bearable. If you like fantasy, with a descriptive back story, and slow reading, this story certainly is for you. If you are more like me, who love less description, and the back-story takes second place to a fast pace, then you might have to reconsider it.


This short story is available at Amazon.

Under the Dome

Under the Dome by Stephen king.

It's been a while since I read a story of his. I don't know, somehow after his accident he changed his voice, and I couldn't get so much into his stories since then. So I've stuck to (re)reading those he wrote before that time. But as time passed, I've grown a little older, and my wants changed, so I was ready to try a new novel of his. With the TV-show being made, and intrigued by it enough to want to watch it, I wanted to read the book first. It took me about two months to finish the read.

The story was long, overtly long to say, but because Stephen King is Stephen King, he can write in a way that will make it bother you less than if someone else wrote it. His voice is entertaining, and I've felt more of the old King in this story. However the story in itself was not great, it's the storytelling which made it an entertaining read, despite it being overtly long.

I've read reviews trashing the ending and I can uderstand many not liking it, though I thing the story couldn't have had any other ending. Weird and unnerving as it was, the ending might not sit very well with many people, mainly because it gave out a sense of total powerlessness. I think people wanted the feeling of empowerment instead, but that isn't what the story was about.

I liked reading Under the Dome. I liked the way Stephen King told the story. I liked the ending.

You can't go wrong with this novel if you like Stephen King's writing.