Crystalwizard
Wizard’s Bane is the first book of The Sojourn Chronicles, six
books that recount the adventures of Dale, a member of a large space fleet, who is marooned on a world similar to 18th-century Earth. He discovers very quickly that being stranded is the least of his problems; the world he is on is about to be destroyed and he's the only one that can save it. Without any clear direction, or the tools to do so, he sets out to try, encountering magic, mayhem and chaos at every turn.
Wizard's Bane has received rave reviews and even been compared to the Shadow Trilogy by George Lucas.
I am both an author and a
graphic artist, though my three cats would tell you a different story.
I started writing in my
Junior year of high school. At the time, I'd read everything the school library
had that interested me, so it just seemed natural to write what I wanted to
read, since no one else was. A small group of us would get together and talk
stories, developing characters, plot lines and just in general having fun. My
universe, and ultimately the books I have in print, developed out of that.
Being a writer is a lot
like living on a wild roller coaster. Sometimes all you can do is hang on for
the ride while the story pours out of your fingers, and sometimes you have to
fight tooth and nail for every letter! It's a lot of fun, and I wouldn't trade
it for anything in the world.
When I'm not writing, I'm
creating art in other ways. I do a lot of computer graphics, including the
covers of my own books, the covers of other people's books, posters,
illustrations, email signatures and various other pieces. A lot of my art is
created for private individuals, and I don't have it on display any where, but
I do have a nice gallery online. If you'd like to take a look, you can visit me
at:
http://artwanted.com/crystalwizard
What little time is left
between writing and creating art I use fixing computers for people or pursuing
chocolate ;) Seriously, you can't give a free-range chocolate bar a chance to
escape!
Illustrations
from my books can be found at http://sojourn.omnitech.net
Chapter One
Darkness
covered the city, flowing down the streets and collecting in the alleys.
Silence sat heavily on the sleeping town, buildings swathed in thick fog while
orange light pooled in liquid puddles under the occasional street lamp.
The town
drunk stumbled down a cobbled road, his head spinning from the pots of ale he'd
guzzled in the pub. Reaching the nearest alley, he slumped against the wall,
slid to the ground, threw his head back and began singing loudly off-key. A
brief flash of light a few feet further down the alley startled him and he
peered into the darkness. "Who's der?" he slurred, trying to make out
anything in the inky blackness. No answer was forthcoming however, so he
shrugged and went back to singing.
The
reason for the flash stood silently several feet away, his eyes adjusting to
the sudden darkness. He wrinkled his nose at the putrid smell of rotting
garbage and tried not to throw up.
Wonderful, he thought sourly. A backwater planet in the middle of nowhere and where do I materialize?
In the middle of their garbage dump! He closed his eyes and settled his
nerves. Well, it could be worse I guess.
I wonder just how primitive these people are.
He picked
his way slowly through the darkened alley, avoiding the larger concentrations
of refuse. By the time he reached the street, the drunk was happily snoring in
the stupor produced by the ale.
Well at least, he thought as he inspected the drunk, I look like they do… physically.
He pulled
the drunk’s tattered cloak aside, studied the man’s ratty attire and frowned. I'll never fit in dressed like this, he thought, glancing down at the seamless black jumpsuit he wore.
He
dropped the cloak, stood and gazed around the street. The fog drifted past swirling
in the faint breeze. No other signs of life were evident.
Satisfied
things were relatively safe, the man stepped out of the alley and turned left,
making his way up the deserted street. He hugged the rough brick wall of the
buildings and tried to stay well out of the light as he made his way past
silent storefronts.
The
buildings ended and the street turned into a lane running out into open land.
The man stopped, sighed and turned around.
Better and better, he thought, shaking his head. Backwater planet, primitive culture, local
inhabitants who appear to have the civility of poorly bred pigs and now this.
When I get my hands on the idiot who
opened that warp… He stared at the few buildings visible through the fog
and started back up the street. Maybe it's
bigger if I go the other way, I need clothes. Light spilled out of a
doorway a few feet ahead of him and he froze.
A couple
strolled out waving behind at a crowded, smoke filled room and wandered off
down the street arm in arm.
The man
waited until they were lost in the fog before breathing a silent sigh of relief.
Clothes, he reminded himself. And food. And sleep. Retribution later.
After my powers come back. He glanced around and continued up the street.
The alley
came in sight and he spotted a dark figure bent over the drunk. The figure drew
a knife from a sheath and cut the strings of the drunk's pouch.
The man
narrowed his eyes. Trained reflexes took over and he advanced, little more than
a shadow, as the thief opened the pouch and began rummaging through it.
The man
stepped forward, one hand around the thief's throat, the other grasping the
knife hand. In a single fluid motio
