The Next Big Thing

Hello everyone, this is 'ESB' Stringfellow, and I say that Han shot first, and this is...

A Teaser For The Author's Next Big Story!!!

I figured, after so much time has gone by, now is the perfect time to share with you all a little something that I have been working on for a while now. Enjoy!

"When I first found you," said General Drak, looking down at his pupil, "I saw within you raw... untamed power!" The evil general, almost casually, raised and offered Damas' sword back to him and said, "And beyond that, something truly remarkable."

Ahila, holding Masamune with reverence, told the old samurai, "There is something inside me... Something that I now know has always been there." Taking a deep breath, eyes now casting around the old forest, she then added, "And now it is awake... And I need help to understand it."

His eyes shifting to the cracks that Ahila formed in the rock, remarking how easily she caused them with so little effort, Cyan felt it prudent to inform her, "I have only seen this kind of raw power once before..." His face grimaced as the fiery memory flashed in his mind. "It did not scare me then," he said, turning a wary expression toward his new student. "But it does now."
Ahila, shocked at his words, was rendered speechless as the old samurai turned and walked away.

Damas, voice now cold as ice, declared, "The time has come for the past to die... And in this case, it would be an act of mercy to kill it." As the battle continued to rage all around them, he looked to his mother, her expression showing the slightest bit of remorse he thought, though he no longer cared. He simply told her, "It is the only way for us to move on and to become stronger."

Running through the red mines, dodging flaming arrows, Charcoal let out a mighty war cry. Amusingly, the little fairy holding on for her dear life gave her own.

As their enemies continued to pursue them, explosions and bolts of lightning coming ever closer to them, the young prince told his comrades, "We will be the spark... that will light the fires of a new age, when this tyrant is brought down for good."

The silver knight readied her spear, prompting Loki to, in an effort to bolster his own courage, shout, "Come on!"

Exhausted and lying on the ground, the rain nearly blinding him, Cyan told Ahila in a strong, emotional tone, "This is not... going to turn out the way that you hope!"

With the elements of Water, Wind, Earth and Fire erupting and clashing all around them, General Drak tells Ahila, whose face was contorted with pained concentration, "The time... has come... to fulfill... your... Destiny!!!"

"I need someone," Ahila started, her voice almost timid, "to help me find my place... in all of this."
Damas, his expression set and determined, offered her his hand...

A Hero's Path: The Last Magi

And there you have it! Pretty sweet looking, huh? I bet you're just wondering what is happening, right?

Right?

Right?

Riiiiiiiiight?

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Okay, full disclaimer: Back in the day, as in a few years ago when I had like over a hundred posts on this blog (man, when did I find the time or stuff to talk about?), I would, on occasion, do joke previews. In fact, looking into that old folder, it looks like I did about a dozen of them. Usually, I did parodies of trailers for popular movies, but with my characters swapped in and the setting retold as though this is a thing that could happen in my stories. Looking through them all again, I am definitely going have to reshare them as time moves on.

But for today, you get a completely new joke preview, one that I am certain you saw through probably at the first sentence. I hope you enjoyed it!

Until next time, my dear readers.
Sincerely, 'ESB' Stringfellow

The Magic Awakens

Hello everyone, this is 'ESB' Stringfellow, and I am The Last Magi Master, and this is...

Story Details For Book II: Sui!!!

Ah, yes, time for another update, this time where I focus on the second story of Cyan and Magus' world travels, otherwise known as The Five Year Pilgrimage. Here is the synopsis...

Anger and hate... The water’s rage... A wandering light... To calm the sage...

Cyankazu Omondi and Magus, friends, brothers, heroes... The two companions continue their travels around the world, always eager to discover new places, to make new friends and to gain new knowledge. One late autumn day, near the cusp of winter, the two find themselves in a remote part of the world where they discover a new teacher of magic, one who offers to expand and help master their skills.

But first they must prove themselves by climbing a harsh and icy mountain, where many dangers lurk. Even then, after surviving the trials of ice, the two companions find themselves in a situation that runs deeper than the mysteries of the sea.

In the end, Cyankazu and Magus will face the wrath of the great magi master, Aokigahara, whose might equals that of a terrifying tsunami...

 

As far as you know, no Smurfs were harmed in the making of this cover.

 

 

Alright, alright! A synopsis that gives a little more detail to the story, rather than a brief "Previously, on Path of a Hero," that was used for Book I: Chi.

 

In this synopsis, I give the bare bones of the story: Cyan and Magus, one late autumn day, find an old magi master, who offers to help them learn new ways to do magic. Said magi master is named Aokigahara Fuji... and he is the only new main character in this entire story.

 

You see, unlike Book I: Chi, I had the very simplest story idea: Have Cyan and Magus discover that their magic is growing stronger and get a new mentor in magic to teach them how to properly use it. However, there is most definitely a lot more to the story than that, to help pan it out, if you get my meaning.

 

For example, the harsh and icy mountain/trials of ice thing, that was added to give more excitement early on in the story. You get to see Cyan and Magus brave a harsh environment, feel the struggle to reach the top, and face ice themed monsters, such as the ice wasps!

 

NEVER tell an ice wasp that its wings are too small to lift its fat body!

 

But, again, the real core of this story is to give Cyan and Magus slightly more magical skills and knowledge and to interact with a teacher. And I must say, I am really proud of how the chapters focusing on their training turned out. For one thing, it's not just our two heroes reading books. This is magical training, for crying out loud! The two are put into controlled situations where they have to use their new skills in magical duels, and I got to say, I make magical duels look fun.

 

So yeah, that's basically all there is to this very simple stor...

 

Wait, what's that?

 

Oh my, I nearly forgot! Aokigahara Fuji has a darkness welled up inside him, which is close to bursting like a dam, unbeknownst to our heroes. So, the questions are: What kind of powers are growing inside Cyan and Magus, and how did they get there? What kind of training will they receive, and how intense will that training be? And, above all else, will they survive the tsunami-like rage that their new mentor had been carrying around inside of himself for several decades?

 

Find out in this tale where, shockingly, learning can be fun! And maybe a little life-threatening... In Book II: Sui, I expect you'll be swept up, like one who stands too close to the ocean.

 

Until next time, my dear readers.

Sincerely, ESB 'Stringfellow'

 

P.S. I know that Book II: Sui is not available on Amazon right now (remember how America Star Books disappeared?), but seeing as this is the one title whose contract had actually expired by now, I feel that I can go ahead and republish it, and yes, I do have at least an email that proves that I requested the contract to expire. I might still get into contact with some lawyer or attorney general or something before making a final decision, however, so I will let you know how it turns out. Wish me luck!