Bringing my Characters to Life, Part 4.

The Dream Cast: Who would I want to see be cast in the roles of this fourth and final list from my Longevity series?

by John Irvin

Today marks the 280th blog post on my website. Wow, that’s a lot of writing. It’s also the final part in this Dream Cast series as you can read above. This little sub-series has been so much fun. Today, we’ll actually have a couple more than the usual number of characters.

Longevity, Book 3: Wandering was quite a piece of work. I enjoyed every second of my main character’s journey through his life and the vast array of historical and fictional characters he met along the way.

But, again, a forewarning: if you see any printed copies (hardcover or paperback) on sale for this book, do not order. It is ONLY supposed to be out in ebook for now thanks to the formatting issue in the printing process.

Back to the tale and my dream cast. In this book, Sir Ihon Iraes (pronounced Ian Eraze) returns home after a long time in the Haven with Zandra the Immortal. He finds a new structure built into the place where his old house used to be. Castle Iraes is managed by Lady Celia Stuart.

She is the daughter of Desi Wallace, Sir William Wallace’s daughter and Ihon’s ward. While Ihon had gone away, Desi had married an upstanding Scotsman and they’d had the funds to build the Castle Iraes and leave it in charge of their daughter who now runs it with her own daughter Lady Molly Stuart.

These two women play a decent-sized role in the beginning of the book. I’m combing lists of actresses I think worthy of their parts and have decided Helena Bonham Carter would give Lady Celia the proper air I envision her having as ward of Castle Iraes and its valley tenants. From her roles as Bellatrix from the Harry Potter saga to Queen Elizabeth in The King’s Speech, I tell you what, she would be a superb fit.

Lady Molly is young and slightly naïve, but extremely curious about this strange Laird of the Iraes estates. She wants to know the mystery behind his long life and journey. I believe Haley Pullos could play an excellent Molly Stuart. She’s from General Hospital. I’ve never heard her make a Scottish accent, but you never know!

This next one is one of the few men who play a major role in Ihon’s journey through this third installation. John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, is one of the few humans to actually stumble upon Sanguiatro, the Capital of the Wolf-Born Race. Tucked away into the Highlands, it’s supposed to be well-hidden from human or Spawn eyes. I wonder how James McAvoy would feel about playing this eccentric role. Something to ponder, Mr. McAvoy? I mean, you are a Scotsman.

On his wanderings, Ihon finds a solitary life in the forests of medieval France. There he meets a young girl by the name of Joan d’ Arc and sort of becomes a mentor. She, believing him to be a spiritual apparition of one of the saints, claims he is one of three. I’d like to see Mia Talerico being cast in the role of Joan.

She’s the baby star from Good Luck, Charlie. Such a cutie!

The other two supposed “saints” to give Joan her tutelage in the ways of religion and warfare are two sisters Ihon actually meets. The three of them have a short tryst together you might say. I’m not going to spoil any more. But their names are Guinevere and Margot—they are French Wolf-Born who actually choose him as the alpha of their little pack.

I’d love to see Alexandra Daddario as Margot and Scarlett Johansson as her older sister Guinevere. Perfect match. I fell in love with Alexandra as Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Scarlett was why I fell in love with Black Widow from her very first scene in Iron Man 2.

But good things come to an end and Ihon must move on after a dilemma that has to do with the Supreme Council and other officers of the Creed Army.

And now, the final character I want to dream cast an actor for—or rather an actress—is the Princess of the Chitimacha tribe. Ihon actually makes his way to the New World and ends up continuing his wanderings into the vast wilderness there. He stumbles across a native tribe that sees him as a fulfillment of a prophecy. The chief’s daughter, Fawn, is supposed to wed a white stranger, according to this prophecy, and they would bring great prosperity to the tribe.

Fawn, is played by Emma Watson. Made famous by her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter saga, and every nineties baby’s crush, I’d love to have her cast in this romantic role.

Well, there you have it, my dream cast for the first three books in my Longevity series. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist—the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

Guraidor and Eraterra, Kingdoms of Ikkilion

What secrets will Pwyll and Fea Libane discover in the homeland of his heritage?

By John Irvin

            First off, I want to apologise. Last blog, I promoted the episode of the Ikkilion Chronicles and misnamed it. That was Episode 17: When I Call. But I called it My Lost Home. Episode 19, the one I’ve published today, is actually named My Lost Home.

            You see, the way this is going is, I’ve been writing the episodes weeks ahead of publishing them. That way I’m always ahead enough to proofread them before publishing and I never have to feel rushed by turning them in last minute. It’s college and high school all over again.

            But, that being said, sometimes I get the titles mixed up because my brain.

            So, sorry about that, but today’s episode is My Lost Home. It is still a Patreon exclusive, so the only way you’ll be able to read it is by subscribing to my $1 tier level. If you ask me, $1 a month for an episode a week is a steal! So, why not help an author out and make him feel like all his writing isn’t going to waste?

            It’s real hard work getting these out there every single week.

            Not only do I have to write a five to seven-page short story for each episode, but I also have to proofread and revise, then there’s the publishing it and then there’s the writing the blog for my website and producing the vlog for my YouTube channel. All this work gets disheartening when there’s no one to appreciate it. You know? Just being real, I’m not complaining! I enjoy what I do, but I would enjoy it more if I could see others are enjoying it as well.

            Before I continue, here’s the link to my Patreon, so you can join in the world:

            PATREON!

            Anyways, besides that, I’ve been coming up with ideas for when this series is finished—all series and stories have to come to an end eventually. There are so many ways this could go. I’m considering, if I can raise the support via patrons, I could bring all these episodes together into a printed book.

            And I could also keep the series going as an actual chronicle. Pwyll and Fea Libane still age, I don’t care how magically powerful they become. No one lives forever. So, maybe I could continue the series with their children if they have any.

            We shall see how things go. I can’t say much or I might give plot hints away.

            On that note, I’ll end this article here and hope to see you on Patreon! I’d love to get feedback and hear your thoughts once you’ve caught up with the series.      

          And for your viewing pleasure, here’s the video for today’s episode:

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist—the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

Today is a Special Day with a New Revamp

I’m announcing the start of a new series.

By John Irvin

          Click through to watch today’s YouTube episode announcing the start of what I’m calling my 90-Day Author’s Assault.

          Although this is a short blog today, I’m excited to share the news with you. For the past month, I’ve been working on a host of episodes for my John Irvin, Author Journey series.

          For the first thirty days, I’ll be sharing short book trailers for my own works. There will probably be more than thirty by the end of it, because I’m still publishing more books even as this blog comes out!

          After that, I have sixty days to share the works of so many of my fellow authors. I’ve already reached out to several author friends I’ve gotten to know over these past couple of years. Some of them are new authors, some have been doing this official authorpreneur business longer than I have.

          I’m so excited to share all of this with you.

          Although, you just might get tired of seeing me on all your social networks because I’m going to be sharing these posts every single day on every single network.

          This is devotion. This is commitment. This is probably also a little crazy.

          But crazy keeps the world going round.

          Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing what my author friends will be filming for their trailers I’ll be sharing later.

          Also, this will run 90 days, which means, it’s going to charge into the New Year of 2021!

          Hopefully, the visibility this could bring for my author friends and myself, we’ll be able to have an amazing launch of the New Year for our works.

          I do know one thing. Every single episode, I’ll be sharing my team’s GoFundMe fundraiser for the Book Tour in Spring 2021. So, if it doesn’t get on people’s nerves, we’ll probably get better donations then.

          And if you know any authors, please, have them shoot me an email at john@johnirvinauthor.com. I have plenty of spots open for the episodes!

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

Publishing More Books and Something New Approaching

You’re probably going to be tired of me or get to know me better and enjoy it…one or the other.

By John Irvin

          These past couple of weeks I’ve been working on finishing up my Magic’s Time Split series—as you well know, if you’ve been following. By next week’s blog, I’ll be publishing the final book in that series.

          Wait. Take a deep breath. Sigh.

          Okay, then it’ll be moving on to new and exciting things. But, I’m not leaving them for good. I’ll be stopping by their corner over on their book page to share goodies with you over the next year and beyond.

          It’s amazing how time flies. I feel like I just started this series, now I’m finishing up the tenth book and everything is finally coming together.

          Part of me wants to take a break. But, the other part knows, that’s not possible. When I’ve finished this book, I’ll be returning to the Longevity world because there is still so much going on there.

          I’d like to take this moment and ask forgiveness for the issue with Book 3, Wandering, in the Longevity series. It was not until after I approved it for print, publishing it on 3 October, 2020, that two weeks later Ingram Spark sent me an email, letting me know the interior hadn’t been fixed to fit the dimensions.

          Thanks.

          I think my formatter is fired.

          Anyhoo, maybe I’ll see if I can figure out how to actually format pdfs and that’ll, not only give me experience and another skill, but also cut down on the publishing costs. That $100—which depends on each book—could be used for something else!

          Also, on top of finishing the Magic’s Time Split, I’ve been working on something else. It has to do with what I was originally going to set out to do when I started my YouTube channel, John Irvin, Author Journey Series, last year.

          I’ve been feeling like I’ve been neglecting that channel these past few months. Well, not anymore. Don’t worry. Maybe another week and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

          I hope last week’s blog wasn’t offensive to anyone. The last thing I want to do is making someone angry or hurt someone else. But, my team and I have simply been wondering what on earth is not getting through to people? What about our GoFundMe Book Tour fundraiser is not resonating?

          Are we doing something wrong? I mean, we have one person who has already given hundreds and then there’s a few who’ve given a fifty or a twenty or a ten. One friend even gave $200 in cash.

          But, then, there’s those 2,000 plus people that I know on my social networks alone—this is not counting the rest of my team members and their networks.

          Maybe there’s something else we should be doing? Maybe we’re not asking right.

          We don’t know. All we do know is, we can ask. You have not because you ask not. So, we’re asking, please help us by joining our supporters and launching us to our goal so we can take this Toward the Pacific Book Tour in Spring 2021!

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

A Little Bit of History of Scotland and the Paranormal Twist of my Novels.

Scotland is rich with heritage, with thousands of years, the folk lore runs rampant in these lochs and highlands.

Scottish Glen…

By John Irvin

            While growing up, I would often find myself sitting in my dad’s study/office and listening to stories about our ancestors that he’d uncovered that week or previously. I enjoyed these chats and miss them quite often.

            I feel like these memories and the love of reading many of the books in his library about the history of Scotland as well as the rest of Europe played a role in my zest for history and the story of our ancestors.

            My clan originated back in the early 900s A.D., according to ancient account. We played roles of advisors to the first kings and even became Kings of the original Scottish Kingdom. Of course, they were murdered and the crown stolen, hence my near pauper state of being an artist.

          The War of Independence

The Braveheart memorial near the Wallace Monument across the river from Stirling, Scotland.

            I rarely come across an individual who has not, at least, heard of the classic film directed by Mel Gibson, Braveheart. This movie not only inspired my dad and me, it inspired a nation. From what I’ve read, it made the greatest impact on Scotland since the stealing of the Stone of Destiny from London.

            Set during the national upheaval, while King Edward the Longshanks was ruling the rest of Britain and taking control of his northern neighbour, the film is about a man who refuses to mess with political matters—until it becomes personal. Going on to lead one of the greatest “rebellions” history has ever known, Sir William Wallace nearly saw his nation win her independence and freedom.

            Betrayed by a friend, he was captured by the English and sentenced to a brutal execution. But, he inspired Robert the Bruce to lead the army and years later, the Declaration of Arbroath was written, signed, and sent to the Pope in 1320. This document has been used as a nationalist inspiration for Scotland’s independence.

            It is during this time that my second novel in the Longevity series is set. Independence is about Sir Ihon (pronounced Ian) Iraes has returned from his visit to the Haven to find the land of his birth in the midst of war. He meets the famed Sir William Wallace and is caught up with the cause.

Scotland

          Wallace’s Sword…

            One historical aspect the film kept accurate was the Sword of William Wallace. According to historical evidence this patriot was a big man. Wielding about a sword of five and a half feet steel took great strength and leverage. Known as the claymore, the greatsword was a chief weapon among the Scots.

The Scottish Claymore, a formidable weapon.

            It has become a favourite type of sword for me as well. Possibly the Scottish blood in me, but I also am endeared to its design. The two-handed hilt with the broad bare and the thick double-edged blade with its length, the Scottish Claymore is an exceptional tool.

            It is Wallace’s Claymore that inspired the sword used in the first two books of the Longevity series. Passed down from his father to him, Ihon enjoys the cold and hefty steel. The insignia on the claymore’s hilt is not the family crest as he used to think. The wolf symbolizes his other life, the date is the founding of the Supreme Council, and the rest is the rank his father bore in the Second Great War with the Spawn.

            I’m hoping to be able to craft this sword one day into reality. The Sword of Ihon Iraes, Knight of Scotland, Superior Officer of the Wolf-Born Army…one day.

            The Wolf-Born Capital…

            Its origins deep in ancient legends, the city of the Wolf-Born, Sanguiatro, was built shortly before the first Supreme Council was convened. Its name literally means “dark blood.” Wolf-Born carry blood so dark it’s black—a disturbing sight to any human who witnesses its spill.

            The Capital has been through two moves. Originally, it was hidden within the Turkish Highlands before Christ. It then settled near Ancient Rome’s founding and, eventually, moved with the Second Great Migration to the Highlands of Scotland.

            If you’d like to learn more, click through the link and order a copy of Longevity, Book 2: Independence. The link will take you directly to the Longevity page where I’ve got the previous books gathered as well.

Longevity, Book 2: Independence

            Also, Independence is one of the books I’m taking with me on my Toward the Pacific Book Tour come Spring of 2021. Your donations, however big or small, will help tremendously toward that goal. Thank you so much! Click through to join our supporters as my team and I prepare.

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          Until next week, y’all have a great life.

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

The Species of the Gothic Fantasy, WOLF’S RISING.

In this short ebook, there are several different races that play a part in the world of Kyn.

By John Irvin

            This short favourite of mine, Wolf’s Rising, was conceived in my mind a few years back. It wasn’t until last year that I actually wrote, edited, and published the tale of a freedom. I had no idea there would be so many different species taking part in this Gothic Fantasy.

            It could also be considered a High Fantasy like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, since the story does not take place on the planet Earth.

            This world is called Kyn. Yes, it sounds a lot like “kin” so you could probably take that and run with some kind of theory about the origin stories.

            All I know, the Wolf-Born have been enslaved to the Dark Elves for centuries. Recently, a rebellion is begun among the ranks and our story picks up with one of the leaders, Duncan. Although he has no memory at the start of who he is or what he’s doing chained up in a damp dungeon.

            There a woman is brought in and thrown at his feet.

            He recognises her.

            But finding out his memory is not the subject of this blog today.

            Actually, I wanted to talk about the various species that take part in the story.

            The world of Kyn is inhabited by Wolf-Born and Dark Elves—that’s all we know near the start of the book. But, once we’ve been delving deeper, we discover there is a spiritual realm that can be connected to called the Otherworld.

            This disturbing realm is home to Ghouls and Shades. Stalking the recesses of the shadow realm, these creatures like to prey on the unsuspecting. But that can’t seem to touch the residents of Kyn, though it’s obvious, sometimes they can see them.

            People of Kyn cannot see the Shades or the Ghouls, they’ve been ignorant of their existence for millennia…apparently.

            So caught up with the rebellion the Dark Elves have no idea they are threatened.

            Dark Elves…

            Dark Elves were first mentioned in Norse mythology. They were known as the Dökkálfar and it was claimed they lived beneath the earth. They had a counterpart known as the Light Elves—or Ljósálfar—who lived above the earth and were “fairer than the sun.”

            The Light Elves are not mentioned in Wolf’s Rising—so we’re not certain if they even exist. Not to mention, Dark Elves live in castles on top of Kyn’s terrain—not much into cave-dwelling.

            J. R. R. Tolkien also mentions Dark Elves in his legendarium.

          Wolf-Born…

            Now, the Wolf-Born, I’ve discussed this species before in previous blog articles covering my Longevity series. But, these folk in Wolf’s Rising—though identical to my Wolf-Born Race in the Longevity series—are not related at all.

            Yes, they are shape-shifters. Yes, they do stand like humans when in Beast form, but covered in fur and wolf’s head. But, they’re not even on the same planet. These Wolf-Born have been slaves for a thousand or so years.

          Ghouls…

            The Ghouls are the next species mentioned. Though, they might be arriving on Kyn soon, these creatures stalk the lands of the Otherworld.

            Ghouls originated in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology and were said to be demon-like or humanoid monsters who ate flesh and hung around graveyards. I’ve tried to keep this persona as close to the original as possible. The Ghouls, though not necessarily called demons in Wolf’s Rising, are definitely flesh-eaters and look similar to zombies.

            They are not exactly sentient, but are keen to mind-control by a certain Shade.

            Shades…

            The Shade whose name is Bezarnok is part of a malevolent species who rule the spirit realm. These creatures originate millennia ago and span across various ancient mythologies. The Greeks believed them to be dead people wandering the Underworld. The Egyptians also believed Shades stalked the Underworld and were cursed souls. Even in Jewish folklore, Shades were called tsalmaveth which means “death shadow.”

            So, a lot of cool history as to the Earthly origins of these species even though this story does not take place here, but in a world called Kyn.

            Click through to read the brief description and maybe buy a copy. I’ve been told by my readers they enjoyed it. If you’re into fantasy, I’m pretty sure you will too. I loved writing it.

 JOHN IRVIN’S WOLF RISING…

Also, while you’re at it, please go over to GoFundMe and check out my team’s page for our fundraiser. We were planning a Book Tour to cross the continent and take my books to the public, but Covid and other issues has forced us to postpone from end of August to Spring of 2021! But, we are keeping our fundraiser open to give people the ability to join our previous supporters and help us prepare for an even greater Book Tour when it finally does happen!

gf.me/u/xp24cf

          Until next week, y’all have a great life.

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com