Top Ten Things Not To Do If You’re A Mercenary in Windemere #newbook

January 11, 2016December 30, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 50 Comments

As you may know, I have a great deal of respect for the talent of Charles E, Yallowitz. He is a prolific writer of prose and poetry and has a marvelous sense of humor. We were discussing a guest post in support of the launch of his latest book The Mercenary Prince and I casually suggested that he do a Top Ten Things Not to Do list. To my surprise and delight, he did one. This is a list that made me laugh out loud and decided to run it on my regular feature day. I think you will enjoy it and know you would like Charles’ fantasy stories. So here is Charles and his list.

Thank you to John W. Howell for hosting this guest post, which I hope is entertaining. I step into the realm of the master with a ‘Ten Things’ list that relates to the latest volume of Legends of Windemere. So here we go with ‘Top Ten Things Not To Do If You’re A Mercenary in Windemere’.

If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t challenge Selenia Hamilton the former Mercenary Queen to a duel. Sure it sounds like a good idea because she’s been headmistress of her academy for years and must be rusty. Just realize that all of her students are smirking, the healer is already getting a bed ready for you, and Selenia has claimed a broom for her weapon.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t drink heavily before a big job. Your Dwarven friend might be able to do his job with a hangover, but you weren’t born with his constitution. Few things ruin your reputation more than throwing up on the feet of your enemy. Then again, some species consider that a marriage proposal.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t make fun of the local guards and soldiers. It might seem like a good idea at the time because you don’t have to follow orders and probably get paid more. Yet there’s that highly decorated archer in the corner who will not be held responsible if you’re standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t volunteer to man the front line of a dragon hunt during your first week. It may feel like you’re being ambitious, but everyone is getting the sense that you don’t know what a dragon is. The proud smile on your face isn’t helping and now people are taking bets on if you get stepped on, eaten head first, eaten feet first, burned to death, or run away after wetting yourself.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t track down the current Mercenary Nobles to prove you can beat them. They have their titles for a reason and might not be in the mood to let you walk away under your own power. No, you don’t get points for bravery because you need to know when not to pick a fight.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t moon an ogre from the middle of your allies and from a mile away. Ogres are known for throwing boulders over long distances with precision and your pale keister is just asking for it. On the plus side, you get your name on a list of warriors who have died the same way and will be forever remembered as part of the ‘Flatten Arse Army’.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t stand in the way of a caster’s spells. You sat through the explanation from the captain, heard the caster explain that fireballs do not magically miss allies, and even heard stories from friends about accidents. Yet there you are charging ahead while your friends stay in formation because a volley of attack spells was supposed to soften the enemy. Good job.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t steal the company priest’s holy wine. It is sweet and has a hint of cherries with no threat of a hangover. It has been blessed by the Goddess of Purity. Yet, you didn’t ask permission or give any prayers of thanks, so somebody is going to learn that the Gods and Goddesses of Windemere can be rather petty. Try not to get hurt in the next battle.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t eat what your Orc allies are having. It might smell good, but it has enough spice to make the eyes of your future grandchildren cry. They claim it hardens their body before a battle, but you think it has more to do with giving off toxic sweat. At least you would think that if you weren’t laid out in the healer’s tent hearing that you no longer having stomach lining.
If you’re a mercenary in Windemere, don’t go it alone. Mercenaries aren’t like adventurers and there is success in numbers. Join one of the mercenary armies or team up with others that are looking for a group. Maybe you’ll make friends and a fortune at the same time. Just don’t join up with the creepy guy in the corner. Never work with the creepy guy in the corner.

Check out my newest book

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: THE MERCENARY PRINCE

And visit me at

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE

@cyallowitz

#fantasy, #newrelease – The Mercenary Prince By Charles E. Yallowitz

January 5, 2016December 30, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 9 Comments

Now on Amazon for $2.99!
LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE:
THE MERCENARY PRINCE

Delvin Cunningham has left the champions.

Lost to his tribe in the Yagervan Plains, fear and shame have kept the former Mercenary Prince away from his homeland. With his confidence crumbling, he has decided to return and bring closure to his past. Reuniting with his old friends, Delvin’s timing could not be worse as a deadly campaign is brewing within Yagervan’s borders. Dawn Fangs are on the march and these powerful vampires are determined to turn the entire region into a graveyard.

To protect his family, friends, and two homelands, Delvin will have to push his doubt away and become the cunning Mercenary Prince once again.

Please feel free to put this on your ‘To Read’ list on Goodreads by clicking below:

The Mercenary Prince on Goodreads!

Excerpt from The Mercenary Prince

With the hint of a smirk, Selenia quickens her pace and unleashes a barrage of blows on her former student. Each strike and stab is deflected by the sweat-covered champion, his speed increasing to match her every time. At one point, the half-elf leaps forward and is struck in her stomach by his shield, which forces her to flip over his head. The headmistress lands in a crouch and whirls around to block the counterattack, the point of Delvin’s sword gently running along the leather patch over her stomach. Realizing that he is still holding back, Selenia bats his next attack away and delivers a painful kick to his exposed side. The blow knocks him against the fountain and he comes dangerously close to falling into the water.

While rubbing his bruised side, Delvin circles the headmistress who turns to continue facing him. He makes a few feints that she refuses to acknowledge because they are clumsy and pathetically amateurish. The gathered students and teachers shout for more action, all of them believing the brown-haired warrior to be afraid of the legendary woman. None of them realize that his circles have been getting tighter and his fake attacks have caused Selenia to misjudge his distance. It is something she realizes when Delvin makes a quick swing for her hip and their weapons strike closer to their hilts than she expects. The moment the half-elf steps back to gain some space, her former student pushes forward with precise strikes that mirror the onslaught she previously unleashed. Without a shield, the headmistress finds it more difficult to block every attack and has to twist her body away from several attacks. The movements prevent her from throwing a kick or punch, which would probably hit the shield that he has yet to include in his advance.

Selenia eventually catches Delvin’s blade and slides her weapon along its edge to step within his swinging range. The pair push against each other, their muscles straining to gain the upper hand. Every time one of them is about to gain ground, their opponent shifts enough to continue the frustrating stalemate. With a grunt of exertion, Delvin moves his shield in front of the headmistress’s face and blocks her view. Knowing she is expecting him to push forward, the warrior falls onto his back and lets the surprised half-elf’s momentum slam her face into the wooden disc. The back of his head bounces off the ground as he flicks his wrist to deliver an extra shot to Selenia’s chin. She rolls away from him to recover her senses, but Delvin scrambles to keep her in reach and continue his attack as they stand.

“You actually hit me,” Selenia states when she notices that her nose is bleeding. She ducks under her opponent’s swing and aims her hilt for his stomach, the blow only grazing his shirt. “I think you’ve achieved two firsts for this academy, Delvin. Nobody has ever drawn my blood or made me dizzy during a match.”

Want to Dive into the Adventure from the Beginning?

Collage by Chris the Storyreading Ape Cover Art by Jason Pedersen — Collage by Chris the Storyreading Ape

Find all of these exciting adventures by visiting the Amazon Author Page of Charles E. Yallowitz

So charge up your Kindle and end 2015 with an adventure full of action, humor, old friends, new enemies, grudge matches, tears, ale, and vampires.

About the Author:

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.

Blog: Legends of Windemere
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

Three Days Three Quotes Challenge -Day Three

September 12, 2015September 10, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 15 Comments

Charles Yallowitz of Legends of Windemere Fame picked me to play the Three Days, Three Quotes Challenge. I want to thank him for thinking of me.

Rules:

–Post one quote a day for three days (from others or your own).
–Nominate three other bloggers to participate per post.

Thank the blogger

Three Days Three Quotes Challenge -Day Two

September 11, 2015September 10, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 6 Comments

Charles Yallowitz of Legends of Windemere Fame picked me to play the Three Days, Three Quotes Challenge. I want to thank him for thinking of me.

Rules:

–Post one quote a day for three days (from others or your own).
–Nominate three other bloggers to participate per post.

Thank the blogger

Three Days, Three Quotes Challenge (Day 1)

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 10 Comments

Charles Yallowitz of Legends of Windemere Fame picked me to play the Three Days, Three Quotes Challenge. I want to thank him for thinking of me.

Rules:

–Post one quote a day for three days (from others or your own).
–Nominate three other bloggers to participate per post.

Thank the blogger

Guest Post- A Villain With a Soft Spot? Is That Legal?

June 14, 2015June 11, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 6 Comments

I am so pleased to have Charles Yallowitz visit Fiction Favorites. I love his books and have a deep respect for his dedication to writing and to his characters. So, Charles, the post is yours.

Thank you to John for offering to host a promo/guest blog. Now to get the introduction and promo stuff out-of-the-way. My name is Charles E. Yallowitz and I’m the author behind the Legends of Windemere epic fantasy series where the latest one is Sleeper of the Wildwood Fugue. I also just released a 27-page short story for 99 cents called Ichabod Brooks & the City of Beasts, so you can get a quick, cheap taste of me . . . whatever. Let’s move on to the fun!

Harley Quinn is a favorite character of mine even though I’m not up on my comics, cartoons, and video games. I think one of the reasons I like her is that she started in the Batman Animated Series and ‘broke into’ the comics. Personally, I find it impressive when a character from one media type is added to a big franchise, especially one as big as the Batman Rogues Gallery.

Now one of the things about Harley that I’m going to touch on here is that she isn’t pure evil with no care for other living things. Yes, it says on Wikipedia that she doesn’t care about killing people with the exceptions of Joker and Poison Ivy. At least her villain side since she’s a hero now. Sadly, this part is missing someone from the list. Her ‘babies’! The hyenas who are probably no longer in the comics if they were ever there to begin with. I remember them fondly, so I will include them.

Villains don’t have to hate everyone, use everyone, and plot the demise of all living things. While a bad guy is typically defined as having little regard for the lives of others, I find you get a better connection when the villain has some favorites. Aliens from other planets can get away with despising all humans, but if your antagonist is from Earth then it is rather strange that there’s nobody they would wish to keep alive. Even Carnage, a superhuman serial killer from Spider-Man, had a ‘girlfriend’ named Shriek and they went on killing sprees together. Wouldn’t really call it empathy, but more of a bond over the fact that they love killing. My point here is that you bring some depth to a villain by giving them someone to care about. It doesn’t have to be their reason for living and they might not have pure intentions for that person (I’m looking at you, Dracula). Just the act and ability to show interest in another creature shows they’re not a one-dimensional being of evil incarnate.

There is a pitfall with this because not every reader goes along with the program. It’s strange how this works, but I’ve seen it in action. Many people want their villains to be pure evil and have no redeeming qualities. They take joy in the fall of such monsters and don’t want to feel sympathy for them. So you give them a pure monster with no care for any living thing. Your smile will be short-lived because people will call such a thing boring, lazy writing, etc.

I know, I’m pulling a ‘you just can’t win’ card here, but it’s something to be aware of. My suggestion is to do what’s right for the story and the character. If your main villain decides to adopt a slave girl and you’re not sure why then let it play out. Obviously, some part of your brain is up to something and did some subplot work while you were trying not to burn your morning toast. (FYI- You might want to check the toaster.) Let the readers fall where they may. After all, the more human villains seem to have the longer lifespan in terms of popularity.

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Three Day Quote Challenge

June 9, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 12 Comments

I was Tagged by Charles Yallowitz to participate in the Three Day Quote Challenge. This one is real easy and fun. Here are the rules:

1 Thank the person who nominated you. (Thank you Charles)
2 Post your quote.
3 Pass it on to three others.

Here’s the quote:

Now for my nominations

Sue Vincent Frank Angle and Susan Nicholls

Sleeper of the Wildwood Fugue by Charles Yallowitz – Now Live

April 7, 2015April 7, 2015 ~ John W. Howell ~ 4 Comments

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE:
SLEEPER OF THE WILDWOOD FUGUE
LIVE on Amazon Kindle!

The final champion stirs and reaches out to any who can hear her voice. Yet all who heed her call will disappear into the misty fugue.

Awakening their new ally is only the beginning as Luke, Nyx, and their friends head south to the desert city of Bor’daruk. Hunting for another temple once used to seal Baron Kernaghan, they are unaware that the game of destiny has changed. Out for blood and pain, Stephen is determined to make Luke wish he’d never set out to become a hero.

By the time the sun sets on Bor’daruk, minds will be shattered, and the champions’ lives will be changed forever.

Don’t forget to mark it as ‘To Read’ on Goodreads too!

About the Author:

Blog: Legends of Windemere
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

Read the Previous Volumes of Legends of Windemere!!!

BEGINNING OF A HERO

PRODIGY OF RAINBOW TOWER

ALLURE OF THE GYPSIES

FAMILY OF THE TRI-RUNE

THE COMPASS KEY

CURSE OF THE DARK WIND

A little More Information About My Book – My GRL

September 4, 2014September 3, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 13 Comments

This week Charles Yallowitz at Legends of Windemere Legends of Windemere wrote two posts on the subject of fan letters and fan art. If you didn’t see them go ahead and click on his site and go to archives. I’ll wait. Okay, you back? Good. The reason I mention Charles posts is I received a fan letter a while back and it was one of the nicest things which happened to me in quite a while. I actually wrote a post about it at the time, but since I had about ten followers I thought I would do another to let those of you who did not see it the first time can review it now. Here is the letter:

as you can see the reader thought the book was worth reading and in addition what I wrote in the book was a message that touched her and she wanted me to know. To say I was touched is an understatement. I hope you all have this opportunity sometime. You will never forget it.

Legends of Windemere – The Compass Key by Charles Yallowitz – New Release

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 9 Comments

Available on Amazon for $2.99!
Listed on Goodreads!
Dive back into a world of fantasy adventure with Legends of Windemere: The Compass Key!

Book Blurb:

Swords will clash and spells will fly in the newest adventure of young warrior Luke Callindor, Nyx the magic-flinging caster, and their friends.

With Sari captured by their enemies, the champions of Windemere are determined to get her back and destroy the Lich’s castle. Little do they realize, their battles in the Caster Swamp are only the beginning of this adventure. Trinity and her Chaos Elves have invaded the city of Gaia in search of a relic called the Compass Key. Rumored to be the key to rescuing Sari from a magical island, our heroes are in a race to find the mysterious artifact.

Which side will claim the Compass Key? And, what will our heroes do when they’re faced with an enemy whose evil power overshadows anything they have ever faced?

New to Windemere? Then check it Volumes 1-4 of this exciting series by CLICKING ON THEIR COVERS!

“I greatly enjoyed the vivid characters, the gripping plot, and the refreshingly unique writing style (present tense).” –kdillmanjones

“This the start of a great series and i cant wait to read to read more.”– F. Guy

“FANTASTIC, RIVETING READING. Great characters, fantasy, magic, mystery and adventure all in one series.” – S/F Old Reader 1962

“There is plenty of drama and action; everyone has a battle or crisis at some point in the story. The adventure, betrayal, loss, and grief throughout this installment makes it a must read for any upper MG or YA.” – Lilysback

“The series kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for more.” – C. Dewey

“This book is a wonderful mix of magic, mystery and adventure. With well-developed characters. I look forward to the next installment.” – Amazon Customer

“The action is very well written and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Also the story is engaging and it flows very well and it keeps your attention right up until the very last page.” –zombie phreak

“This book is alive with great action new characters and unexpected twists.” -Eugene Chambliss

“One of the things I love most about this series are all the characters! They are developed so well that I feel like I know them personally. Even the newly introduced characters fit in immediately.” -BarbBookWorm

“This book follows a linear path from the last book in the series, and this series has everything; intrigue, battles, romance(but not too mushy), plot intelligence, and great storytelling. Really looking forward to the next book!” -lala

“This book would easily compare to Brooks, and sets a good pace. Looks forward to next chapters.” -Mark Potterf Sr

“I really enjoy the battle scenes and the inventiveness and creativity of the author. There is also further character development as we get to know them just a little bit more. The fights are fast paced and held my interest.” -Pamela Beckford