James M. Vargo Books

A new day in Turra Arrither       Yes, tonight is about a very important number; no not 2013, this is a number dearer to my heart -- 100K . A writer should set goals, and 100,000 words is a heavy one. Some books need not go that far, but Epic Fantasies, well, tend to ignore puny word counts. Does that mean "Prince of the furies" is finished? Not quite, but I'm nearing the climatic end. So, a little ways to go; just a re-write or three, some new maps, a glossary. Sigh. Need I go on?    Ok, I better acknowledge the other somewhat important event of this evening -- Happy New Year!  A blessed 2013 for those who enjoy my books, or just like the blog (hey, the pics are nice. Right?). To my writers friends out there, happy writing in this year to come. So whatever you do in 2013, do it well!    To celebrate, Here's another snippet from book three -  Prince of the Furies (not the finished edit, mind you ): B renn was most eage...

Lanfersi Forest in Winter I just had to make an entry here. December has arrived, and I've been holding on to this picture just waiting for a chance to use it. Nature seems to celebrate Christmas its own way...and it is breathtaking.  Here I sit at 92,500 words, and I'm trying to wrap things up in the next two chapters. Big ending?  Well, not the full-scale war as at the end of  Passage , so no, not as big. But better?  Wow, pressures on. I hope so. The edit will offer me a better idea of how to manage lagging parts and such, then you can be the judge. I am ready to give it my best effort -- for some reason, holiday season's past saw a leap in productive writing, and I am excited to hopefully do it again. And since I've collected a bunch of fine winter scenes, here's another for your enjoyment. Happy holidays!

Sorry, that's all.  Busy writing...

Forging ahead.    90,000 words in and the novel is forging ahead. How much longer? Never an easy question. A few more chapters should do it. Then the Prince of the Furies will be ready. Well, almost. Editing and putting together that dreaded promised glossary are still ahead, but it will work out fine in the end. And oh yes, one more map. Yikes! Thank you for your patience.     Also, for those who have not read Passage of the Acolyte, books one and two, I have some ideas to get books into your hands. Maybe a Black Friday sale? Kidding aside, I will look into getting kindle books for FREE , and selling the hard copies as low as I can manage it -- even if I have to sell them myself. Keep you posted.

        Ah, the memories. The books came out early '11 and haven't looked back since. OK, that sounds a little silly, but I can say "Passage" came out I have looked mostly to the future (and that future would be 1654 A.E). Another year and lots of changes. Here's another snippet from Book three, "Prince of the Furies": A sapphire sky greeted them at the crest of a stony gap between taller peaks – Mount Kalia in the north and Mount Tullia in the south, a mother and daughter, wife and kin of Turrult himself who tamed this land. Beneath their stares, the valley of Karn spread out green and wide; the village perceptible as a tiny hamlet in the middle of forests and bare mounded hills. It was then Andro recalled the fire they had seen from the village. “There should be evidence of such a thing. It had to be a grand blaze indeed,” he said.    “If there is evidence, we shall find it soon enough,” replied Turran as they finished the last p...

Mount Equinox - middle keep When a story hits a roadblock, or a snag trips up a writers pace, I found one way of recharging the batteries -- looking back . Seems when I get blogged down and need a stiff kick in the pants, I turn back a few chapters and start reading. Hopefully, you won't easily put it down. The first reason looking back helps: its called returning to basics. Recall details that may have been forgotten, or items you meant to bring up later and misplaced. Second reason: reinvigorate. We are rarely our harshest critic, but in editing your own work, re-reading should ignite those fires that got you there in the first place. What if there is no fire? Maybe it's time to look at your story. And third :   get a jump on editing. There is no stiff rule on how many times you can edit your own work, and if lucky, revision by others; but the writer should be his/her first judge (my opinion) and you alone have the writer's eye. Try it out and see if this tec...

     When a bit of inspiration is needed, a little help from others might do the trick. (and some amazing photo work)  Writing comes from confidence, and confidence means trusting what you write.  It's not always easy, but you'll never know until you try.      So sharpen those swords, polish that axe, it's time to wield that mighty pen and make magic happen...

Western Nordhiem - 1654 A.E. Summer wanes, and life imitates art.  250 pages in and "Prince of the Furies" is knee deep in discord, doom, and defiance. (what else is new?)  At this point I wonder when will I conclude this volume, because a lot still has to happen.  No one minds a longer book, right? The next chapter, sixteen I think, will be called -- White Water.  I've been anxious to get to it, because the image has been in my head for a long time.  A writer gets thoughts in mind, and it is only a matter of putting it to paper.  Soon enough.  So wherever you live, enjoy August, Agosto, Hawe, or whatever they call it in your realm...and whatever the year.  

Who invited them to my fantasy? Symbolic of my writing woes, an ancient bridge into a forgotten wilderness is spoiled by two visitors from our present age. Oh well, that's what books are for -- full immersion. We do with words what photoshop does with touchups. Not that "Prince of the Furies" has issues, okay, maybe small ones, but life tends to crash the party when things are rolling along. I recall in Tolkien's biography, he quotes:  in that time I  changed  my house,  my chair , and my college, and the days  ... Clearly, he had similar issues. That being said, change is inevitable, and it can reek havoc on creativity and writing -- if you let it.  At 75K words I should be happy, but not at this pace. Uncertainty has creeped in, and I let it slow down the writing. Should I bring in another character? Add another location? Popular conclusion may be, write it out and worry about it later.  Boy, I do have a hard time with that one, but I think ...

“Here I go again,” he groaned in the darkness of his room. Wet with perspiration, Rogan felt as if eyes were upon him. He sat up in fear, but the room held no trace of the specter. He froze for a moment, and then nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of a tap upon his window. “Who is it at this hour?” his asked in a low voice. The window was opened only a crack, but an answer came through. “It is Leonin. We need to talk…” Rogan crept through his sleeping house, careful not to disturb his parents and sisters asleep in their own bedrooms. He had no idea the time. Once outside, a chill wind roused his senses. There upon the road stood Leonin dressed in Farrian garb, but as one set to travel. “Leonin, what is it? You scared the life out of me,” asked Rogan, still startled. “It is true. Your dreams have not left you. The road has not let you go,” he replied. “It is my burden. The only one foolish enough to touch a holy jewel…” “You are not the only fool.” Rogan...

France was my inspiration for Ainiald  (and why not?) Getting into that time of year when the days lengthen and our bones warm in the sunshine delight. That's the time to crawl out of our winter doldrums and hit the road -- or air, rails, water -- whatever you favor. But in writing, you are never out of season. "Prince of the Furies" stands at nearly 70,000 words -- with much time recently spent on revising. (And no, I don't always wait until the end to revise)  I had a new character to flesh out and went back a ways to make changes to the story. I'm sure she appreciates the efforts. I am building things up now, laying new foundations, darker trails ahead. One challenge rises as another subsides. Face it, Fantasy is a fun read, and just as fun to write. I realize I should be further along, but it is far more polished than earlier writings at this point. (books one and two)  I also hope to put more excerpts out there, and here's a wish for a few more ...

Silver peaks, dragon’s lair, Fairies guide, ghostly air. Who can brave to claim them all? Mighty Turrult ruled littlest Karn, He and sons, upon devils charmed. Nordhiem knew none like these since Ardule. Mount the steed, brazen sword, Calls of war, enemy hoard. Turrult thrashed his way to the sea. Durags run, fires behind, Flapping wind, storms collide. Turrult meets his match in wintry foe. Nords return, numbers sliced, Turned their backs to sea of ice. Turramitral draws the line and says no more. A rare poem - to be found in book three. (Prince of Furies)

The excuse of slow-writing knows no bounds. At 60,000 words, I could pat myself on the back; but many others crush my speed with their dedicated writing schedules. No matter - I have excuses galore. (although, I have given up some activities for Lent that directly influence my own writing schedule - so hopefully I'll get moving here) Anyone who reads my blog entries, and bless you if you do, may realize that I rarely speak of good writing/criticism/grammar/punctuation. There are plenty that do, and they do it well. To write well takes practice, patience, and a whole lot of opinion -- the friendly stranger sort. My advice to writing well: join a writing group, and there are plenty online to do it. There I learned a lot, and I learned when it was no longer useful. (it is hard to critique chapter five without reading chapters one through four - grammar aside) As you may know, I'm all about world-building and being immersed in a solid story - even if it spans many books. The ex...

What to call this place? Besides, HOME! How does a writer, or storyteller (in my case), spend his/her free time? Well, aside from Twitter, Facebook, or other ventures to waste precious minutes we should be writing, there are those  strange searches .  I spent plenty of time this week looking up druids, shaman, tribal headgear, and synonyms for campfire. Invention is a wonderful thing, but sometimes writing about what we already know is better. History holds within weathered hands a boundless list of human tradition and events that should feed the writer's search for realism. Strange but true, realism is the key to good fantasy. Can anyone say, oxymoron? Well, now I stand on the slope of Mount Equinox, or more appropriately, the characters I have grown to know so well. Strange rituals, stranger alliances, and an altogether nasty creature called Grunthagamor -- I hope it all makes for a fun read. (and easier whenever my glossary is done)  If you want a hint as to whe...

Excerpt : Chapter Four -- Prince of the Furies Between the grove and what appeared a small graveyard, the shrine rose tall and elegant. The building seemed a newer construction, and smelled of fresh cut oak when Jascha opened the double doors that were solid and stained a reddish-brown. They stepped into the vestibule and its silence held them. The building was square and not large, but adequate for a small village. Light came from stained-glass windows within the main chamber, which was open to them, and rowed clerestory across the nave of the roof. A beam of sunlight streamed into the rear of the chamber onto what appeared a bare table, without cloth or candle; and beside it knelt the girl they saw earlier. Jascha insisted they wait. Andro studied her from across the room. She appeared statuesque, illuminated by the sun, but innocent and beautiful. As still as an angel in a painting, she startled him when she suddenly turned. In a soft voice she spoke, “Come.”