Interview With Author – Valmore Daniels

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I’ve been running a series of interviews with authors that are releasing new books. I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work. Today, please welcome author, Valmore Daniels.

————

To start, can you tell me a little about yourself.

Having grown up in a military family, we moved around a lot, and I still have that nomadic spirit in me. Although I’ve settled down now, I enjoy traveling and meeting people of different cultures. Last summer my wife and I visited Alaska, and this spring we went to the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Turks and Caicos. Some of the more exotic locations I’ve visited include Greenland and Nunavut.

How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?

I’ve always had an active imagination, and even as a child, I would write short stories and poems. It’s something I’ve done so long it is second nature to me. It was only as an adult that I began to think other people would enjoy my writing. Real life, family, mortgage, and all that entails have taken most of my time up until now. With a little more time on my hands, I’ve become serious about telling my stories, and seeing if I can build a readership for my tall tales.

Tell me what inspired you to write this particular novel?

I’ve always been a space aficionado. As a teenager, I watched the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle Columbia, and my first thought was that I wanted to get on a flight. Then I wondered how a teenager, such as myself, get on one of those flights? Simple, hijack the shuttle! And with that kernel of a story, I began to plot Forbidden The Stars.

I have a keen interest in dark fiction. Tell me how you would classify this book and what’s dark about it?

Forbidden The Stars is firmly entrenched in the Hard Science Fiction genre. There is a hint of Space Opera in it, but some of the themes I examine are more scientific in nature: are there undiscovered elements in our solar system that would provide fuel to give us faster-than-light speed? If we are not alone in the universe, how and when will those alien cultures make first contact with us?

For the darker elements, I asked the question, How will faster-than-light travel change humankind? At what lengths would people go to in order to control this technology? Would they steal for it? Would they kill for it? Yes they would.

Your first novel was a YA fantasy, this one is Hard SF; how do feel about writing in different sub-genres?

First and foremost, as a reader, I’m a huge fan of all sub-genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror. As a writer, I have a similar desire to explore all of these categories in my fiction. Each genre provides a writer with a unique opportunity to examine the human condition in diverse settings.

Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.

The character of Klaus was initially outlined as a foil for Alex, but as the first draft came together, and the main theme of the story was the race for control of faster-than-light technology, I felt that conflict drew the focus away from the plot, and I had to shorten his character’s involvement in the plot to the last half of the novel.

This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.

An alien chill walked icy fingers up Justine’s spine.

Humankind was not alone in the universe…

What can we expect from you next?

Currently, I am penning the first draft of an urban fantasy/drama called Angel Fire. It’s about a woman who is cursed with pyrokinesis and accidentally kills her parents in a house fire when she was younger, and how she re-integrates with her small-town family ten years later. I’m hoping to release it early 2011.

Where can we find you on the internet?

I am more than happy to have anyone visit me on my website, on Facebook, or on Twitter. You can watch the trailer for “Forbidden The Stars” on YouTube.

Any final comments or thoughts you’d like to convey that you haven’t covered?

I like to thank you for providing this platform. I am a frequent visitor, and have been for several months. It is an honor to be a part of this community.

————

Thanks! I’m glad to have you drop by and visit!

Thank you very much for the interview and good luck with Forbidden The Stars. I certainly hope you can come back again when you release Angel Fire!

Purchasing information:

Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave – Chapter 2

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I’ve decided to try a little experiment. I’ve started a new children’s novel. It’s middle-grade – ages 9-12, so bear that in mind when reading. I’m going to post each chapter as I write it. It will be unedited at the moment and I’m not entirely sure where it will take me. I will gladly take comments on this and if I use your suggestion (not spelling or grammar suggestions though) then I’ll gladly acknowledge you in the book when it’s finished. (Maybe I’ll even name a character after you ) Naturally, I reserve the right to post when I want (I’ll try to keep this up weekly) and I reserve the right to change anything I want in the book, at any time. And of course, everything written here is copyrighted.

For those that want to read on an electronic reader, I’ll try to come up with various files you can download so you can read at your leisure. If you want to read this to children you know in that age category, that’s fine too. Sometimes they have great suggestions.

So, without further ado, here is Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave (it’s just a working title for now – I might change it later).

Earlier chapters :

Warning: It’s rather morbid, so be warned.

———————

Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave
Chapter Two

I had barely gotten a few words into The Necronomicon when there was a knock at the door. Goliath sniffed at the air, but other than that, he didn’t bark or get up from the bed. I climbed off the bed to answer the door and there was a dark-skinned girl there. She had long hair, but it stuck out straight, like she’d been zapped. There was even a little smoke rising from her head. Sure enough I saw she had a blackened finger.

She caught me looking at her hand. “Finger in the socket,” she said.

“Isn’t that something a two-year old does?”

She snorted. “At least I’m not a nose picker.”

I paused for a moment. “How’d you know?”

She pointed at one side of her nose. “One nostril is bigger than the other. And you have a dribble of blood.”

I put my hand to my nose, but my hand came away clean.

“Made you check!” she said, with a hard laugh. “So you’re new, huh?”

I nodded. “I’m Billy. Billy Bones.”

“You look nothing like him,” she said.

“Huh?”

“The drunken pirate who wanders around the port looking for his treasure. You don’t look like a pirate.”

I didn’t bother asking what she was referring to. “You got a name?” I asked.

“Elizabeth Morton,” she said, “but you can call me Liz.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Two years,” she said, pulling out a slip of paper from her blue dress. “Let’s see your number.”

I had a similar one in my pocket. She showed me hers.

975,294,605

“At the current birth rates,” she said, “we’ll probably be here less than twenty years before we go back.”

I raised my eyebrows. “How’d you figure that?”

She pointed at her frizzy head. “I have a gift for numbers.”

“Oh.”

“Unless you die, of course,” she continued, leaning against the doorframe. “Then you’ll never go back.”

“But I’m already dead,” I said.

She glanced down the hallway, in the direction of a creaking noise that sounded as if someone was opening a door. “Are you going to invite me in or am I going to have to stand here in the hallway?” she asked. She pretty much pushed past me into the room before I had the chance to say, “Uh, come on in.”

“Nice dog,” she said. Goliath seemed to eye her briefly and then returned to his snoring. “I had a cat in the Livingworld. His name was Whiskers. He hasn’t crossed over yet.” She wandered about the room, running her hands along the wooden furniture before settling next to Goliath. She didn’t seem to mind that he was wet. “It smells fishy in here.”

I shrugged. “Jeeves said something about lamprey. I think the last person here liked to eat it.”

She said nothing in regards to it and continued with their earlier conversation. “Like I was saying, you can die here.”

“How?”

“It’s all in the book,” she said. “Haven’t you read the book?”

I pointed to it on the bed. “I was just about to start reading when you knocked.”

“Well, let me tell you what you need to know. One: you can die here. Then you become one of the Everdead. They can never return to the Livingworld.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Two: you can’t go out in sunlight. It’s too painful. It’s the reverse of the Livingworld. Everyone here goes out at night.”

That seemed to make sense.

“And three: contact with the Livingworld is forbidden.”

“Forbidden?” I asked. I had considered trying to find my family to tell them I was okay. “But what about ghosts?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Don’t get caught trying to contact the Livingworld. People that get caught are never heard from again.” She ran a finger across her throat before she yawned. “Well, it’s time for sleep. The sun should be coming up soon.” She got up to close the curtains before heading for the door. “There’s some more Newly Dead that you’ll meet tomorrow. One’s a nose picker,” she said, pretending to shove her finger up her own. “Isn’t that something a two-year old does?” she said with a wink.

With that she opened the door. “Oh, and one other thing,” she said. “Watch out for demons. They’ve been seen prowling the halls.”

I swallowed. “Demons?”

She simply nodded and walked down the hall. “Good night!”

———

Author’s note: This chapter is a bit short and I think I will likely go back and flesh it out or add something else to it. I don’t want to get too bogged down in this kind of editing right now – I just want to see where the story takes me at the moment.

Want To Read A Children’s Novel As It’s Being Written?

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I’ve decided to try a little experiment. I’ve started a new children’s novel. It’s middle-grade – ages 9-12, so bear that in mind when reading. I’m going to post each chapter as I write it. It will be unedited at the moment and I’m not entirely sure where it will take me. I will gladly take comments on this and if I use your suggestion (not spelling or grammar suggestions though) then I’ll gladly acknowledge you in the book when it’s finished. Naturally, I reserve the right to post when I want (I’ll try to keep this up weekly) and I reserve the right to change anything I want in the book, at any time. And of course, everything written here is copyrighted.

For those that want to read on an electronic reader, I’ll try to come up with various files you can download so you can read at your leisure. If you want to read this to children you know in that age category, that’s fine too. Sometimes they have great suggestions.

So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave (it’s just a working title for now – I might change it later).

Warning: It’s rather morbid, so be warned.

———————

Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave
Chapter One

I’m Billy Bones. And I’m dead.

Not figuratively, like Biff Knucklehead is going to beat me up at school, but literally dead. Dead as a doornail.

I was ten when I died, and from what I can remember, I shoved my finger too far up my nose and stabbed my brain. Dumb way to die, I know, but hey, I was a notorious nose picker.

Actually, I still am.

I don’t remember all of my life, just bits and pieces. My parents were decent people from what I can recall and my sister, although odd, wasn’t really that much of a pain.

I think it was a good life, and that leaves me where I’m at now.

I’m in the Afterlife. Not the kind where there’s angels and puffy clouds, and not that other place with fire and brimstone either. Those don’t exist. There’s just the Afterlife.

From what I can tell it’s like a recycling depot here. We sit in this place waiting for our number to be called. Then we start all over again in the Livingworld as someone new. My number is 1,312,356,421. I think I have a long wait ahead of me.

I look the same as I did in life. I still have black hair and I’m kind of pale. Like my aunt used to say, my eyes are “like the sky”, and with the exception that one nostril can sometimes look a little larger than the other, my nose is just right for my face.

Everyone here looks like they did when they died. I guess I’m kind of lucky I didn’t die by losing half my head in a bad chainsaw accident. Not pretty, let me tell you. That was the guy right in front of me when I first came to this place.

I was standing in a line, waiting to be registered. It was dark, and everything was made of old, black stone. There was a glass window with someone behind it at the counter, sort of like a clerk. She was old and trying to get the attention of the three people at the front of the line. They were all carrying fishing rods, and they were bickering.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she said. “You’re dead, you should have worn your lifejackets. Dumb, dumb, dumb, but you can’t change it. Take these papers and get in the Multiple Deaths line.” She pointed towards another window.

The chainsaw guy was next. He had to go to the Accidental Dismemberment line.

“Next!” the woman behind the counter yelled.

I did what any kid my age, who’s a little short of stature, would do. I jumped up when I got to the counter. I got a closer look and noticed that she had no markings on her. Didn’t like she’d died horribly, she was just really old. She had a name tag that said, Stella. She had tall hair.

“Quit yer bouncin’ around,” Stella said.

I could hear her flipping through some pages.

“Jumpin’ Jehosephat!” she exclaimed. “Another nose picker! That’s ten this week!” She leaned over the counter and pointed towards another window. “You go there.”

The sign above it read Unbelievably Stupid Deaths.

I hung my head and scuffed my feet as I made my way to the next window. There was no one in that line and a nice lady with claw marks all over her gave me a book and told me to go to a place called Wayward Place on Liberty Street.

So I followed some old, barely-working Exit signs and stepped outside.

The streets were filled with folks wandering about aimlessly, but some were going about their business in a rather fast manner.

A strange fellow on the road who looked a little flat and had some tire marks on his face yelled out, “Welcome to Necropolis!”

I tried to ask him for directions, but then he started moaning about the loss of his former life and limped off into the cobbled streets.

I was a little overwhelmed as I tried to cut through the crowds. Horse and carriages carried some, others walked, and some strolled about with parasols even though there was no rain and it seemed to be the middle of the night. There were a few dogs roaming the streets. They would sniff the people and then run off and find another pant leg or dress to smell. There were some cats too.

It was then that something strange occurred to me. I thought I’d had a dog once in my former life, and then one of the larger ones approached me. He took a sniff of my leg and wagged his tail. He was a rusty brown with a ridge running down his back and somehow having him standing with me seemed right. The only name that came to mind was Goliath when I saw him. I tried it out, just to see what he would do.

“Goliath,” I said. “Sit.”

The dog sat and continued to wag his tail. I reached out to pet him. He was sopping wet. Then I remembered something. The dog from my former life had drowned. Maybe this was my dog, after all. He shook the water off, but was still just as wet as before.

At that point, I decided he was coming with me. I could use with someone to talk to.

“Goliath,” I said. “I need to find Liberty Street. Do you know where that is?”

He didn’t bark or make any sound, but I could tell by the twinkle in his eyes, he knew. He started walking, so I followed.

It took a while to find the place. It was a wide old mansion with a black metal fence all around it in an older section of the city. It didn’t look very inviting, but the dangling sign in front of it read: Wayward Place.

I looked at Goliath. He wagged his tail.

I shrugged and we walked up to the front door where I lifted the gargoyle-shaped knocker. I let it drop.

It thundered as it struck the door.

Goliath and I waited.

And waited.

I reached to lift the knocker again, but the gargoyle on it suddenly came to life and slapped my hand. “Enough already!” it said. “They heard you. Be patient, Jeeves is slow. He’ll get here soon enough.”

I retracted my hand, and awkwardly put it in my pocket. I tried to act normal, but I couldn’t help staring at the gargoyle.

Eventually, the door opened a crack and I caught a glimpse of messy white hair and a large, bloodshot eyeball.

“Whatcha want?” asked a voice that was a little squeaky.

“I’m Billy. I was told to come here,” I said.

The door opened a little more. The wild-haired man was dressed like a butler and had a large knife sticking out of his chest. The door caught on it. “Who sentcha?” he squeaked again.

“The woman behind the counter. She gave me this,” I said and held up the book she had given me. I hadn’t really paid attention to the title up to that point. It was called The Necronomicon.

The man opened the door fully and I stepped in. He eyed Goliath, but didn’t seem to mind that the dog was with me, or that he was dripping water all over the marble floor.

“If you’re takin’ up residence here, you’ll need to know the rules,” he said.

I nodded.

“First,” he said, and pointed to the knife in his chest, “if you’re a bleeder, watch the rugs. Gertrude will come after you if you bleed on the rugs.”

“Okay,” I said.

“Second, no screamin’ or wailin’ in the middle of the day. We like our sleep here.” He waited on me to nod my head before continuing. “Third, don’t ask questions that are already answered in The Necronomicon. The Newly Dead constantly ask the same questions. Read the book,” he said, pointing to what I still held in my hand. “And lastly, keep the drapes closed during the day. Daylight gives us all a blasted headache.” He examined me with his bloodshot eyeball as if he thought I was going to be trouble. “Any questions?”

“What’s your name?” I asked. “And what do I do now?”

“Jeeves,” he said. “And since sunrise is coming, you’ll want to be goin’ to sleep. Tomorrow, you need to start your Dead Lessons.” He pointed towards a grand curved staircase. “Take room number fifty-two. Henry the First finally had his number called… thank goodness. If I had another request for cooked lamprey, I thought I’d strangle him. Gertrude should have cleaned the room by now.” From out of his jacket he pulled a large ring of skeleton keys and handed me one of them.

“Thank you,” I said. I then walked up the staircase which had paintings of some people all dying in rather ridiculous ways. Under the painting of a man appearing to be running from a bunch of mice was the name Prince Popiel.

The stairs curved towards a couple of long hallways, both with lamps along the walls and rugs that ran the length of the corridor. I couldn’t see the end in either direction. The corridor just kept on going, with doors and doors and doors. I wasn’t sure which way to go, but Goliath took the hallway to the right. I just followed until he stopped at the door that read fifty-two. I took out the key and turned it in the lock. The door opened and the two of us strode into the room.

It smelled a little fishy, but it had a huge four-poster bed and a large wardrobe. Over the dresser was a cracked mirror. Goliath jumped onto the end of the bed and settled down. I closed the door and climbed onto the bed. Then I opened The Necronomicon and began to read.

It started with: Congratulations! You’re dead!

Want To Read A Children’s Novel As It’s Being Written?

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I’ve decided to try a little experiment. I’ve started a new children’s novel. It’s middle-grade – ages 9-12, so bear that in mind when reading. I’m going to post each chapter as I write it. It will be unedited at the moment and I’m not entirely sure where it will take me. I will gladly take comments on this and if I use your suggestion (not spelling or grammar suggestions though) then I’ll gladly acknowledge you in the book when it’s finished. Naturally, I reserve the right to post when I want (I’ll try to keep this up weekly) and I reserve the right to change anything I want in the book, at any time. And of course, everything written here is copyrighted.

For those that want to read on an electronic reader, I’ll try to come up with various files you can download so you can read at your leisure. If you want to read this to children you know in that age category, that’s fine too. Sometimes they have great suggestions.

So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave (it’s just a working title for now – I might change it later).

Warning: It’s rather morbid, so be warned.

———————

Billy Bones: Beyond the Grave
Chapter One

I’m Billy Bones. And I’m dead.

Not figuratively, like Biff Knucklehead is going to beat me up at school, but literally dead. Dead as a doornail.

I was ten when I died, and from what I can remember, I shoved my finger too far up my nose and stabbed my brain. Dumb way to die, I know, but hey, I was a notorious nose picker.

Actually, I still am.

I don’t remember all of my life, just bits and pieces. My parents were decent people from what I can recall and my sister, although odd, wasn’t really that much of a pain.

I think it was a good life, and that leaves me where I’m at now.

I’m in the Afterlife. Not the kind where there’s angels and puffy clouds, and not that other place with fire and brimstone either. Those don’t exist. There’s just the Afterlife.

From what I can tell it’s like a recycling depot here. We sit in this place waiting for our number to be called. Then we start all over again in the Livingworld as someone new. My number is 1,312,356,421. I think I have a long wait ahead of me.

I look the same as I did in life. I still have black hair and I’m kind of pale. Like my aunt used to say, my eyes are “like the sky”, and with the exception that one nostril can sometimes look a little larger than the other, my nose is just right for my face.

Everyone here looks like they did when they died. I guess I’m kind of lucky I didn’t die by losing half my head in a bad chainsaw accident. Not pretty, let me tell you. That was the guy right in front of me when I first came to this place.

I was standing in a line, waiting to be registered. It was dark, and everything was made of old, black stone. There was a glass window with someone behind it at the counter, sort of like a clerk. She was old and trying to get the attention of the three people at the front of the line. They were all carrying fishing rods, and they were bickering.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she said. “You’re dead, you should have worn your lifejackets. Dumb, dumb, dumb, but you can’t change it. Take these papers and get in the Multiple Deaths line.” She pointed towards another window.

The chainsaw guy was next. He had to go to the Accidental Dismemberment line.

“Next!” the woman behind the counter yelled.

I did what any kid my age, who’s a little short of stature, would do. I jumped up when I got to the counter. I got a closer look and noticed that she had no markings on her. Didn’t like she’d died horribly, she was just really old. She had a name tag that said, Stella. She had tall hair.

“Quit yer bouncin’ around,” Stella said.

I could hear her flipping through some pages.

“Jumpin’ Jehosephat!” she exclaimed. “Another nose picker! That’s ten this week!” She leaned over the counter and pointed towards another window. “You go there.”

The sign above it read Unbelievably Stupid Deaths.

I hung my head and scuffed my feet as I made my way to the next window. There was no one in that line and a nice lady with claw marks all over her gave me a book and told me to go to a place called Wayward Place on Liberty Street.

So I followed some old, barely-working Exit signs and stepped outside.

The streets were filled with folks wandering about aimlessly, but some were going about their business in a rather fast manner.

A strange fellow on the road who looked a little flat and had some tire marks on his face yelled out, “Welcome to Necropolis!”

I tried to ask him for directions, but then he started moaning about the loss of his former life and limped off into the cobbled streets.

I was a little overwhelmed as I tried to cut through the crowds. Horse and carriages carried some, others walked, and some strolled about with parasols even though there was no rain and it seemed to be the middle of the night. There were a few dogs roaming the streets. They would sniff the people and then run off and find another pant leg or dress to smell. There were some cats too.

It was then that something strange occurred to me. I thought I’d had a dog once in my former life, and then one of the larger ones approached me. He took a sniff of my leg and wagged his tail. He was a rusty brown with a ridge running down his back and somehow having him standing with me seemed right. The only name that came to mind was Goliath when I saw him. I tried it out, just to see what he would do.

“Goliath,” I said. “Sit.”

The dog sat and continued to wag his tail. I reached out to pet him. He was sopping wet. Then I remembered something. The dog from my former life had drowned. Maybe this was my dog, after all. He shook the water off, but was still just as wet as before.

At that point, I decided he was coming with me. I could use with someone to talk to.

“Goliath,” I said. “I need to find Liberty Street. Do you know where that is?”

He didn’t bark or make any sound, but I could tell by the twinkle in his eyes, he knew. He started walking, so I followed.

It took a while to find the place. It was a wide old mansion with a black metal fence all around it in an older section of the city. It didn’t look very inviting, but the dangling sign in front of it read: Wayward Place.

I looked at Goliath. He wagged his tail.

I shrugged and we walked up to the front door where I lifted the gargoyle-shaped knocker. I let it drop.

It thundered as it struck the door.

Goliath and I waited.

And waited.

I reached to lift the knocker again, but the gargoyle on it suddenly came to life and slapped my hand. “Enough already!” it said. “They heard you. Be patient, Jeeves is slow. He’ll get here soon enough.”

I retracted my hand, and awkwardly put it in my pocket. I tried to act normal, but I couldn’t help staring at the gargoyle.

Eventually, the door opened a crack and I caught a glimpse of messy white hair and a large, bloodshot eyeball.

“Whatcha want?” asked a voice that was a little squeaky.

“I’m Billy. I was told to come here,” I said.

The door opened a little more. The wild-haired man was dressed like a butler and had a large knife sticking out of his chest. The door caught on it. “Who sentcha?” he squeaked again.

“The woman behind the counter. She gave me this,” I said and held up the book she had given me. I hadn’t really paid attention to the title up to that point. It was called The Necronomicon.

The man opened the door fully and I stepped in. He eyed Goliath, but didn’t seem to mind that the dog was with me, or that he was dripping water all over the marble floor.

“If you’re takin’ up residence here, you’ll need to know the rules,” he said.

I nodded.

“First,” he said, and pointed to the knife in his chest, “if you’re a bleeder, watch the rugs. Gertrude will come after you if you bleed on the rugs.”

“Okay,” I said.

“Second, no screamin’ or wailin’ in the middle of the day. We like our sleep here.” He waited on me to nod my head before continuing. “Third, don’t ask questions that are already answered in The Necronomicon. The Newly Dead constantly ask the same questions. Read the book,” he said, pointing to what I still held in my hand. “And lastly, keep the drapes closed during the day. Daylight gives us all a blasted headache.” He examined me with his bloodshot eyeball as if he thought I was going to be trouble. “Any questions?”

“What’s your name?” I asked. “And what do I do now?”

“Jeeves,” he said. “And since sunrise is coming, you’ll want to be goin’ to sleep. Tomorrow, you need to start your Dead Lessons.” He pointed towards a grand curved staircase. “Take room number fifty-two. Henry the First finally had his number called… thank goodness. If I had another request for cooked lamprey, I thought I’d strangle him. Gertrude should have cleaned the room by now.” From out of his jacket he pulled a large ring of skeleton keys and handed me one of them.

“Thank you,” I said. I then walked up the staircase which had paintings of some people all dying in rather ridiculous ways. Under the painting of a man appearing to be running from a bunch of mice was the name Prince Popiel.

The stairs curved towards a couple of long hallways, both with lamps along the walls and rugs that ran the length of the corridor. I couldn’t see the end in either direction. The corridor just kept on going, with doors and doors and doors. I wasn’t sure which way to go, but Goliath took the hallway to the right. I just followed until he stopped at the door that read fifty-two. I took out the key and turned it in the lock. The door opened and the two of us strode into the room.

It smelled a little fishy, but it had a huge four-poster bed and a large wardrobe. Over the dresser was a cracked mirror. Goliath jumped onto the end of the bed and settled down. I closed the door and climbed onto the bed. Then I opened The Necronomicon and began to read.

It started with: Congratulations! You’re dead!

Want To Get Arielle? Here’s the Scoop!

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For those of you on Facebook playing Castle Age, you may or may not be aware that a new (free) general is out there – Arielle. I’ve seen really complicated posts on how to get her, as well as some really sparse information.

Here’s what I did to get her as well as her item bonuses. I hope this helps!

Bio:

“Arielle grew up with Celesta and her sister Sylvana. However, she has grown distant from the two since Celesta and Sylvana became the guardians of the Crystals of Fire and Air, respectively. Rumors of Sylvana’s involvement in recent attacks has pushed Arielle to investigate.”

Special Ability
When Arielle levels up, she gains +2 to attack and defense

Stats:

Level Attack Defense Ability
1 12 10 +2 Attack and Defense to Arielle when she levels up
2 14 12 +2 Attack and Defense to Arielle when she levels up
3 16 14 +2 Attack and Defense to Arielle when she levels up
4 18 16 Maximum Level Reached
Set 21 19 Maximum Level Reached
Arielle is acquired through the Land of Mist Epic Quest. Be forewarned: it will take many entries into these quests to complete the missions and a LOT of energy.

Arielle:

To get Arielle, you need to save 10 princesses in The Kingdom of Mist

Here’s the catch. To save the 10 princesses, you will need 10 Mystic Scrolls (which requires 10 Shadow Leaves). So here’s what you need to do:

1. In the Kingdom of Mist, get 10 Shadow Leaves by entering the area and advancing until you are in the outer campsite and you can search for Mystic Scrolls. Continue questing in this area until a chance encounter happens.

What you are looking for is:
“Attack the Enemy Ranger!” or “Attack and capture the Ranger!” (2 stamina)
You should get a Shadow Leaf.

Do this until you have 10 Shadow Leaves.

2. Next you want to exchange those Shadow Leaves for Mystic Scrolls. Again, remain in this outer camp site searching for Mystic Scrolls until a chance encounter happens. Now you are looking for the option to:

“Trade a Shadow Leaf for a Mystic Scroll!”
You should get a Mystic Scroll.

Do this until you have 10 Mystic Scrolls

3. Lastly, you want to use those Mystic Scrolls to save 10 princesses. This time you want to progress to the very end of the quest where you “Search the Tents!”. What you are looking for here is the chance encounter that says:

“Use a Mystic Scroll to dispel the magic!” or “Save the princess with a Mystic Scroll while looting the Tent!”.
Do this until you have saved 10 princesses.

Upon completing the quest (and you will need to complete it multiples times) with 10 princesses in your Population Achievement Rewards, you will be awarded Arielle.

(NOTE: Don’t expect to get this on the first run through. The Population Achievement Rewards are cumulative so you can run through the quests many times over until you get the rewards you are looking for. And these are chance encounters to get the items you need, so you might want to consider using Titania as your general to improve the odds.)

Shield of Arielle:

The Shield of Arielle is acquired by capturing 10 Assassins. To capture them you need 10 Dark Elixirs which are in the Kingdom of Water: Docks.

Go to this quest and advance to the area where you can “search the Merchant Ships”. Look for the chance encounter where there is a “Chance for Dark Elixir.”. Do this 10 times.

Now that you have the 10 Dark Elixirs, you can use them to capture the Assassins. Advance to the end of this quest where you get the chance encounter to “Use a Dark Elixir to Hypnotize the Enemy Forces!”. Do this 10 times. You should now have 10 Assassins in your Population Achievement Rewards and you will be rewarded the Shield of Arielle.

Armor of Arielle:
The Armor of Arielle is acquired by getting 10 Champions. To get the Champions, you need 10 Golem Banes which are located in The Dark Tower.

In the Tower you want to ascend to the Middle Tower where you will come across Maiden Shadows. You want the chance encounter where you can “Compliment her on her beauty”. You will get a Golem Bane. Do this 10 times.

Then go to the Kingdom of Water: Caves.

Here you will go right to the end of the quest where you will “Explore vault!”. You will want the chance encounter to “Use a Golem Bane to control the Golems and capture the Champion!”. Do this 10 times and you will have captured 10 Champions and as part of your Population Achievement Rewards, you will get the Armor of Arielle.

Blade of Arielle:
The Blade of Arielle is just as complicated as the rest. For this you need to capture 10 Maidens, but to do that you need 10 Empty Crystals. Here’s what you do:

In here, go right to the end of the quest where you “Explore vault!”. You will want the chance encounter to “Rush the Enemies with overwhelming force!”.

Do this 15 times for 15 Empty Crystals.

Now you want to go to the Kingdom of Water: Tower.

In here, you need to go the middle tower. Here will encounter the Maiden Shadows and you want the chance encounter to “Hold an Empty Crystal in her direction!”.

Do this 15 times for 15 Maiden Souls.

But wait, you’re not done yet!

Now you want to go to the end of this same quest and look for the chance encounter to “Shatter a maiden soul in her presence!” to capture the Maiden. Do this 15 times and as a reward for your Population Achievement, you will get the Blade of Arielle.

Good luck!!

Little Wonders

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When we first learned about our boys, there was a video playing with photos of them. The song that accompanied was “Little Wonders” by Rob Thomas. This song will remain with me forever as a reminder of our own little wonders.

Tonight, we were watching The Robinsons and this same song played at the end of the movie – just as the lead character was being adopted. How fitting!