Friday, December 21, 2018

The Holidays are Here!

Welcome everyone!

Today is the first day of winter! And with that comes all the delightful madness of the holiday season. As a result, I won't be posting many messages over the next few days. After the new year, I'll be back with more posts about my setting and with new art to show off. Can't wait to see you again. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Peace,

-Troy

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Dwarf Caves

Welcome everyone!

Today, I'm going to talk about the dwarf caves in the north of the map. Dwarves are spread out all over the mountains and hills in the Celandine Valley, but their greatest treasures are hidden in these caves in the North.

The caves are laden with traps and illusions that keep gold-lusting travelers at bay. Huntsmen do not enter for fear of losing themselves in the labyrinths the dwarves have wrought. It is in these caves, however, that dwarven magic is at its strongest.

Dwarves love to strike bargains, duping valley-dwellers into exchanging something valuable and permanent for something fleeting and unsatisfying. The walls of these caves can be made suitable for something called "dwarf-root" which is actually a type of fungus. The root dulls the mind of humans but enhances the dwarvish connection to the nethereal realm, where Lord Dreadstone gets his power.

The strong connection to the nether in these caves allows the dwarves to conjure up false miracles that offer solutions to any problem a villager or traveler might face (should they be brave enough to enter the caves in the first place!).

Dwarves promise to mend broken relationships, satisfy debilitating addictions, erase any and all debts, and so much more. The dulled minds of the victims believe in these supernatural marvels in the vain hope that they have discoverd an easy solution to their problems.

It rarely works out well for any who enter here. Mercifully, the caves are long journey from Vitalba Village, and even finding them, once one is in the vicinity, is difficult. Thus, relatively few villagers suffer the catastrophes of making bargains with dwarves in theses unhallowed caves.


Peace,

-Troy

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Lake Serenity

Welcome everyone!

There is a river running through Celandine Valley. It pools into a large lake in the northeast called Lake Serenity. In the warmer months, animals of all types come here to drink in the mornings. The villagers have built a small dock and there are a wide variety of fish living in the lake. During the winter, brave souls that make it this far can find the lake an ideal place for skating and ice fishing.

From time to time huntsmen are called to drive out dire wolves or giant spiders that make their way here from the Haunted Forest or to defeat a magic-user who’s come to spoil the sparkling waters for some nefarious purpose. Still, the threats here are generally few, and if called, the huntsmen usually welcome it as a break from the dark terrors of the woods and swamps.

Peace,

-Troy

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The King's Road

Welcome everyone!

Today, we continue our tour of Celandine Valley. There is only one main road in all of Celandine Valley: King’s Road. It connects the end of Everpass Road in the north to the wetlands in the south.

It was once a great trade route. Exotic spices would come from the kingdoms of the south and durable items like swords and sculptures would come from the north countries along this route. The people of Celandine Valley prospered greatly from the trade. But the swamps in the south eventually swallowed the southern portion of the road. There was an attempt to build a new one but faster sear routes eventually made the people abandon any effort to replace King’s Road.

The people of Vitalba village still maintain the section that runs near their town and to the mines. Merchants still use it to trade with the villagers and occasionally a politician or explorer will find his way along its dusty paths to the village.



Peace,

-Troy

Monday, December 17, 2018

Everpass Hold

Welcome everyone!

Today I'm going to start talking about the locations in my map. First up is Everpass Hold.

While Everpass doesn't actually make an appearance in this book, the characters do talk about it. The hold is a massive keep carved into the side of the grey mountainside in the north of Celandine Valley. It was constructed hundreds of years ago under the watch of one of the valley's greatest huntsmen: Osmajure.

Osmajure wanted to ensure safe passage for travelers and merchants from the outside world, and so commissioned artisans from the city (now lying in ruins to the west) to create a refuge large enough to protect and succor those who passed through the narrow corridor in the Everpass Mountains. This is the only way into Celandine Valley from the outside (or so everyone thinks).

The Keep has a large dining hall and a sumptuous great hall. Travelers are served with warmth and food year round and allowed to stay as long as they need, though the huntsmen that guard it will encourage them to further explore the valley below. Travelers have become scarcer and scarcer over the centuries, so quite often, Everpass Hold is mostly empty.

Tunnels weave in and out of the mountainside leading to overlooks and sleeping chambers. A large section of chambers that overlook the south were sealed off generations ago. The reason,though, has been lost to time.

Everpass Hold is a nice place to rest and recuperate, but not a location meant for long-term stay. There are far more interesting places in the valley to explore and much more congenial places to settle.

That's all for today. Be back tomorrow with more! :)



Peace,

-Troy

Friday, December 14, 2018

Firday Map Reveal!

Welcome everyone!

Here it is! This is the setting for my story. It all takes place in this small valley beginning at Vitalba Village and wandering all over. I'll detail each site next week, but for now, have a look at what the artist produced:

Peace,

-Troy

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Just a Reminder - Tomorrow is Map Day!

Welcome everyone!

Tomorrow I'll be revealing the map for the setting in my fantasy novella. Next week, I'll be describing some of the locations that are marked on it. Can't wait to show you! It's great :)



Peace,

-Troy

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Courage!

Welcome everyone!

I just finished up commissioning the last bits of art for my book. Every time I go through this process it surprises me just how difficult it can be emotionally.

I'm looking at my sketches for what I want, and they're terrible. I have no artistic talent at all. A fourth grader and draw better than me. I'm browsing through artists, none of them do the exact kind of work I want, which is shocking really since I'm just looking for black and white fantasy stuff. So I have to choose one and hope for the best.

Then I have to contact the artist. Write up a description, attach my sketch, and maybe a screenshot from a movie or game that will help better communicate what I want. Then I have to wait to see if they'll accept the job. Then wait again as they work on it. Anxiety!

That waiting time is killer, because I'm unsure of how it will turn out. Will I like it? Will I hate it? Will it be good enough to use? I imagine as I get more used to this, I'll develop a tougher skin. I won't worry about it so much. Hope so...but kinda doubt it.

But I'm closing in on the deadline: January 3rd. that's when my book goes for cover and layout. Everything has to be done by then. Will it? I don't know. Stay tuned.

And speaking of something that's done, don't forget! This Friday I have my map reveal. I can't wait to share it with you. I think it's AWESOME!



Peace,

-Troy

Monday, December 10, 2018

The In-Between Time

Welcome everyone!

I'm stuck waiting right now. My book goes to the cover artist in just 25 days. The last bits of artwork for my book are about to be finished. The MAP IS DONE! And here I am, just waiting.

I've been researching book launches for a while now. I'm full-time employed and love my job, so there's a lot I can't do. A daily or even weekly YouTube video, for instance, would stretch me way too thin. So, I'm looking at other options.

I'm excited for my book to come out but exhausted at the same time. I've been banging away at it for three years now and realizing my dream is still over two months away. It's like waiting on the edge of Christmas or your birthday as a child. Everything becomes tedious. I'm a little grouchy. I just want to GET THERE!

Ah, oh well. I suppose I should enjoy this time. Everything changes once the book is out. It will be time to start the sequel, and the whole process begins again. Hopefully, though, the lessons of the last three years will make the second go-round easier.



Peace,

-Troy

Friday, December 7, 2018

Goals for the Weekend 2018-12-07

Welcome everyone!

I have another busy weekend ahead of me. Saturday is completely shot. I won't have time to work on anything at all. But still, here is what I hope to do:

  • Update marketing plan
  • Join new social media networks
  • Catch up on podcasts I've missed
  • Get some actual writing done
If I can do all that, I'll be happy.


Peace,

-Troy

Thursday, December 6, 2018

An Update on my Map

Welcome everyone!

I just saw the latest draft of the map for my setting. WOW! It is amazing. I think it will be ready next week, so I'll share it next Friday if at all possible.

The artist has done a wonderful job. She captured every little detail I wanted, and little details matter in this case.

I think that thing that excites me the most is that someone else illustrated a thing that came from my own imagination. I don't believe anyone with whom I've talked about being an author has mentioned this feeling. When you see your world manifested by someone else's skilled hands, it moves you. It really does.

I've been to Barnes and Noble several times over the last two years to check out maps in other fantasy novels. For the most part, I haven't been very impressed to be honest. I like the one in the Shattered Sea series by Joe Abercrombie, but many of the others just lacked a lot of the types of details I find mentally stimulating.

I'd definitely stack my map up against any map for a setting of similar size. I could not be more thrilled to put it in my book.

Peace,

-Troy

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

ISBN's

Welcome everyone!

I am now the proud owner of two ISBN's!  Man, that makes this whole thing seem serious. It's one of those steps you really can't take back and says, "Hey! I got a book coming! And it's going to be in print!"

I think one of the things I'm looking forward to the most is placing my hardback on the selves of my library at home. It will be next to all the classics I own and love. Me, Troy M. Costisick next to Dickens, Tolkien, Dostoevsky, Golding, Poe, Stevenson, and all the rest.



I can't wait to share it with you. I'm less than a month away from submitting my book to the cover and layout artists. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. But at the same time, it's all very exhilarating.

Peace,

-Troy

Monday, December 3, 2018

Hard Truths of Self-Publishing

Welcome, everyone!

Going through the process of publishing my own work of fiction has certainly taught me a lot. The biggest lesson I'm learning is that everything takes longer and costs more than you'd think.

I'll do a more detailed post down the line, but let's look at a few items that I've purchased and how long it took to get what I wanted.

==Interior Art - Roses==
Original Estimated Price: $35
Final Price: $125
Original Estimated Time to Completion: 7 Days
Final Time to Completion: 18 Days

==Interior Art - Hunting Lodge==
Original Estimated Price: $20
Final Price: $39
Original Estimated Time to Completion: 4 Days
Final Time to Completion: 21 Days

==Map for Inside Cover==
Original Estimated Price: $25
Final Price: $57
Original Estimated Time to Completion: 15 Days
Final Time to Completion: 30 Days

==Cover and Layout==
Original Estimated Price: $540
Final Price: $724
Times are still TBD

So bleh, there you go. However, to put all this in perspective, that's a small price to pay to get what I'm getting. The art and map and all that stuff aren't necessary, and I could have found cheaper alternatives for cover and layout. So it's not the dollar signs that should really bother you, it's the time. Everything has taken 2-3 times as long to get done. That shocked me. I am, by nature, a cautious person, and as a result, I try to leave as much margin for error as possible. Thank goodness. I'd be really panicking right now if I didn't.



Peace,

-Troy