Archives for posts with tag: fiction

Crow: an introduction

July 26, 2026 //
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Quickly making up her mind, Susan walked over to the massive book and began reading. At first the words seemed like gibberish, but as she continued, they slowly began to take shape. But it was much more than this. It seemed as if the words took on a life of their own. Flowing out of the book, they took shape around the room and soon they took the form of characters, as the room itself began to shape. There was a tall muscular female, who was chained at the wrist to a leaner male figure, who it seemed to have wings of some sort. In front of them was a floating figure in a shape of a sword, Susan couldn’t make much sense of this one at the moment, so she passed over it with little thought. To the right of the couple was an apparition of some sort. To be fair, they all appeared to be apparitions of some sort. However, this one particular one seemed to be more so.  Behind the couple, there was another figure. This one was supported a cowboy hat, though to call him one, was not entirely accurate. There seemed to be a growth on him, as if another intelligence was leeching off of him.

Turning her attention to the surroundings, Susan began to notice that the background began to look more and more like that of an outcrop on a cliffs edge. There was a sphere that was resting on the ground, in fact that was what the characters had seemed to have emerged from…

‘What is going on here? Susan murmured. “I wish I had a clearer picture of this story as a whole.”

The images paused, then faded into a blur as the pages began flipping back to the front of the book. There the front cover came into view…

Pre- Publication Book Cover

           Pre- Publication Book Cover

Looking intently at the cover, Susan soon desired to move on. As if reading her mind, a page in the book flipped and Susan read:

Index:

Jocren Inroducton and Illustration.

  1. Jocren action scene

Ava Introduction and Illustration

  1. Ava action scene

Fatheriam Introduction and Illustration

  1. Fatheriam and Lucky Star Action scene

John Introduction and Illustration

  1. John Action Scene

Sassy Introduction and Illustration

  1. Sassy action scene

Ninja Introduction and Illustration

  1. Ninja action scene

Lucky Star Introduction and Illustration

  1. Luck Star/Lucky Binah transformation scene

Maps

  1. Surface map of Crow
  2. Institution map of Crow
  3. Ancient Trial map of Crow

Book Two: Heroes and Villains (Waiting to be edited)

“Here lies the hero’s dilemma, there is a fine line between salvation and damnation- one man’s hero is another man’s enemy. Who is right and who is wrong, the one who wins the fight.”

Book Three: Untitled. (currently being written). This is where Susan originally started.

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Why I decided to go with B&N Publishing

July 21, 2026 //
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When I first published several of my books, Water Lily Pond, Healing Disease 1 & 2, and Therapy, I did so without the help of any publishing agency. Out of the four, only two (Water Lily Pond and Therapy) sold copies.  The one thing these two had in common, besides being short, was the art work. So, when it came to publishing Crow, this was something that I kept in mind. Originally, I paid a private artist to do the book covers for me. But when it came to publishing, I knew that I was also facing another issue and that was promoting. Personally, I believe that one of the reasons why my books didn’t succeed was that I knew next to nothing about advertising. Yes, I did promote my work on my FB page and I even tried a countdown and yet it went nowhere. The hype was not there. The exposure my books needed- was severely lacking.

Before, I go any further, yes, I tried going through a traditional publisher, only to be shot down numerous times, even to have one publisher tell me that they were only looking for well-known authors…. Needless to say, I was frustrated.  This was when, I thought I’d give Amazon on more chance, but this time I’d do things differently. First, I’d go with the cover that the artist Greg Breslow had designed for me (instead of picking from their free covers). Then I’d see if Amazon offered any kind of promotion.

While I was looking for this on Fb, I ran across an ad for B&N publishing. I clicked on it, just to see what they offered and they got a hold of me and I decided to go with their services. I had two manuscripts ready for publishing and since I had the extra funds at the time, I decided to give B&N a shot. For the two manuscripts (Crow and Project November) it ended up being $625. I figured this wasn’t too bad, given that I was already planning to spend a decent amount through Amazon. To top it all off, I wouldn’t have to deal with the frustration of formatting the manuscript.

As I progressed through the process, I switched people I was working with numerous times. To the point it was hard for me to keep track. But eventually, it settled down and I started working with Nathan (who is the project director) and Sarah.

There was a little confusion at first, but once things got going, it was decided that Crow would be better suited for a curated 30-illustrated program. Amongst others things, this included cover design and I had to make the tough decision to go with the artwork that B&N was offering.  At first, I was concerned about the price ($3,500). But B&N was willing to work out a payment plan. Now this part is a bit of an experiment. When all of this is done, I’m hoping that the book will pay for itself. But if it doesn’t, then this will be the only time that I will do this program.

There is one other thing I’d like to note. Crow has been edited numerous times. But it never had any beta readers. I tried to get some, but no one was interested at the time. When Sarah took a look at it, she started sending me back sections of the manuscript that needed some basic touch up. This is why it is always good to have an editor go over your manuscript…there is bound to be something that you missed.

But anyway, that is why I went with a Hybrid publisher. So far B&N have been good to me. They have kept their word, even promising that if I’m unhappy with any of the process and wish to terminate the partnership, then they’d refund my money. So far, I have no reason to do so, in fact I’m fairly content with the service provided and I look forward to the next couple of steps of publishing.

Sincerely,

Richard Polk

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A new Career path

October 23, 2025 //
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Hissing in surprise, I jumped from the wall, dropping my stolen dinner in the process.

“And there you go wasting perfectly good food.” The voice said, as I stared into the bright green eyes of a medium sized cut with slivery blue fur. “We’re going to have to work on your reflexes, if you’re going to work for me.”

“Work for you? What line of trade are you in?”

“Boris- the one who you refer to as Hobo- and I are business partners. We head the Slight of Paw- Moscow division. Boris is in charge of recruitment and I do the training.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

“Because you are going to work for us. We will train you, giving you all the tools you need to succeed in this business. Who know, perhaps one day you will even be able to move yourself up.”

“You want me to become a thief, like you?”

“Why yes? Do you think this life is too good for you?”

“I never said that.”

“Oh, but you did…and yet you were the one who was caught stealing food. Look I’ll get straight to the point. As far as I can see you don’t really have any other options. You’re a country cat in a large city and you have no pertinent skills to fall back on. Besides all of this you owe me for stealing from my stand. Now, I’m standing here offering to take you in and set you on a successful career path. Are you really going to let pride get in your way. I’m going to give you a few minutes to think over my proposal. When you have made up your mind, come and find me. I’ll be sitting at a table to the right of the deep-fried mouse food stand. Turning around he walked back into the center of the court and disappeared in the crowd.

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My intentions

March 15, 2025 //
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This last week I was asked by my potential illustrator to send more information concerning the main character in Crow. The whole idea is that I wanted a certain scene of the novel displayed for the front cover.  What I didn’t realize is that when I sent him the scene, I forgot to add a detailed description of the character. Given that this novels’ first draft was written a good 5-8 years ago, it has been sometime since I have taken a good look at Jocren, when he was first introduced. So, I decided to write up a new profile for him. In doing so, I realized that there were a few minor details that I had left out. So now, (Yes. I realize that I’m using ‘so’ quite often, but I’m trying to get this piece written, so cut me some slack please) I need to go back into the text and add these few missing bits. It’s nothing serious. A line here, a line there and possibly a line to a rod, to help the poor fisherman catch a ten-pound bass.

 My intentions with this entry are to generate interest in this up coming novel. My hope is that this novel will be released this sometime this year. So, I hope dear readers, that this will whet your appetite.

Sincerely,

Richard Polk

Character Profile

Main character name: Jocren

Height: 6.2 ft- about

Weight: 132

Hair Color: Jet Black

Body Structure: thin frame, tall and lanky. Sharp facial features. A pair of wings tucked neatly behind his back.

Eye color: I assume that he has dark brown- nearly black eyes- will need to check to see if this in the novel- father has dark eyes and black hair

Family:

Father: Dr.  Jocren Rotter- the villain of the story.

Mother: Jillian- A – deceased

Sister: Jill. Named after the mother. Kidnapped by Dr. Rotter to be used as leverage against Jocren

Helga: A Dragtonian spinster who raised Jocren and Jill after the untimely death of their Mother Jillian -A

Race

Jocren and Jill are one of a kind mixed race. Dr. Rotter is Crowdidyian and Jillian- A – their mother is Dragtonian. This makes Jocren and Jill a mixture of both and highly desirable to the Crowdidyians and Dr. Rotter in particular, due to their unique genetic makeup they possess they key to freeing Crow (the Crowdidyians god).

Dress: Nothing is specifically mentioned or at none that I can find. So, I assume that since he’s a thief by trade, that he wears loose fitting shoes and boots. Given more of the bad boy kind of vibe- black pants and shirt that contrast with his white/ pale skin. The shirt will have the company logo on it CIR- Crow Institute of Research- now I need to put this into the novel….

Weapons: Jocren had two blasters on his hips- Dead Mark x13, with silencers

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Bone knife

November 2, 2024 //
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Jack watched this all take place. So engrossed was he on what was going on, that he jumped back involuntary; when the jagged piece of bone slammed into the glass wall that separated him from the others. Noticing that the glass began to splinter from the impact, Jack dug his fingers into the small hole and found that he could easily move pieces of the glass around. Digging further into the circle that the impact had created, Jack found that he was able to get the piece of bone loose. Ignoring the pain that jabbed at his fingers, Jack pulled on the bone with his fingertips. Slowly the bone began to move forward. Jack slid it out inch by inch, the blood from his finger tips staining the shards of glass that jutted out from the hole.

Pulling the bone the rest of the way out, Jack turned it over in his chewed-up hands. It had a slight curve to it. The one end had a shar point, while the back was flat and solid. Recognizing the importance of the bone, Jack was about to begin hacking at the wall, when he noticed the blood gushing out of his fingers. “Oh, this won’t do,” Jack mumbled to himself.  Ripping strips off his prison uniform, Jack wrapped them around his fingers in effort to stench the bleeding. Knowing that if he was ever going to escape, now was the time. Taking the backbone in his right hand, Jack slammed it repeatedly into the glass wall. Causing the glass to break into large chunks and crash to the floor.

Hearing the noise, the guard who had been sleeping on duty woke up to find Jack smashing the wall. Quickly calling for backup, he yelled at Jack. “Hey cut that out,” You’re only going to hurt yourself.”

Jack who was nearly through the wall at this point, ignored him. Squeezing his body through the narrow opening, Jack raced through the other room, hoping to catch the portal before it closed. But he was too late. Looking behind him, Jack was confused by what he saw.  No more than thirty feet from him, in the cell that he had escaped from, lay his body. Two guards were bending over him, trying to revive him. The one guard asked, “What happened?”

The other replied, “I don’t know. One minute he was fine and then he just suddenly began banging his head repeatedly against the brick wall.”

“Okay, get a medic in here. there still might be a chance to save him”

Jack smiled. “This wasn’t what he had in mind when he planned to escape.’ However, he added, as he plunged the knife into the far wall of the room, cutting a perfect circle. “The Narrator does work in mysterious ways.’

Stepping through the hole he had just made, Jack looked back once, more and added again as an afterthought. “He does indeed. He does indeed.

The End

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Fatheriam’s Objective Achieved

October 25, 2024 //
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Jack watched with amusement as both women charged Fatheriam, with Sassy leading and Ava following up from behind. Those women were feisty. ‘What I wouldn’t give to see how they tick,” Jack mused to himself. ‘But my first priority is getting out of here. Creating beautiful art comes afterwards. Still, Jack couldn’t pull himself away from the events that were unfolding before him. His master had allowed him to be captured and placed in this particular cell. The least Jack could do was sit here and watch this entertainment unfold

***

John wiped his brow, “Geez, Fatheriam is harder to take down, than what I originally thought.”

“Keep at it,” Jocren wheezed. “He’s almost done for.”

“Don’t tell me you boys are tired,” Sassy quipped. “Perhaps, it would be best if you two step aside and let us women do the rest. You’re only getting in our way.”

“Better yet, why don’t you guys play chicken for us and we’ll follow behind you.” Ava added. If you willing take a hit for the team, then we’ll forget about your little insurrection.”

Jocren glared at Ava, then muttered under his breath. “You know what, screw it.”

Running headlong towards Fatheriam, Jocren screamed, “Fine. Let’s all attack him at once. I’m done playing this game.”

Seeing no other option, the others fell in behind him, spreading themselves out in a thin line. Jocren and Sassy took to the skies, while Ava and John rushed from the ground. As if on cue, Jocren and Sassy flew over Fatheriam and attacked from the rear. Fatheriam screamed as four blades hit him at once. His arms flailing in the air, Fatheriam crashed to his knees. The force of the impact threw the four of them several feet back. Picking himself up, Jocren watched as Fatheriam, who had just turned back to his original form, stumbled to his feet and began pulling out the numerous daggers that were lodged in his side.  Finally, reaching the last one, Fatheriam tugged on the blade, but it refused to budge. Yanking harder, Fatheriam heard a loud snap, then instant pain flooded his vision. Shuddering, Fatheriam removed his hand from this side and held it up in front of him.

There in his hand was a small dagger and a jagged piece of Fatheriam’s backbone. Chuckling, Fatheriam dropped the dagger and began juggling the piece of bone between his two hands.

“Hey why are you doing that for,” Jocren demanded. “Can’t you take anything serious, You’re on the verge of losing and here you are laughing about it.”

“Lost, oh that is a funny one.” Fatheriam cackled. “My dear boy. I didn’t lose. I achieved my objective. I had wanted you guys to work together. This kind of exercise will help you further down the road. Though, I’m surprised that it took you this long to figure out how to beat me.”

Why you,” John sputtered. “Let’s see how well you respond to blaster fire now.” Yanking out his blaster, John began to pepper the dust around Fatheriam’s feet.

Yelling in surprise, Fatheriam threw the piece of backbone at John’s head.  Easily dodging the shank, John started walking towards Fatheriam, his blasters barking.

Frowning, Fatheriam waved his staff in a circle motion. Sparks flew from his staff, forming a wide circle in the air. Stepping through, Fatheriam quickly disappeared.

“After him,” Jocren hollered as he took off as fast as he could towards the glowing circle. The other quickly joined him.

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What to do now?

December 3, 2023 //
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Since NaNoWRiMo is over and I didn’t even get close to the goal of finishing the novel, I need to figure out how best I’m going to proceed. Part of me wants to drop this novel and begin working on the publishing of the first book of Crow. This piece has been finished for a couple of years now…. I did the final draft over a year ago…I think. But another part of me wants to finish this first draft, then publish Crow. I’ve even entertained the idea of publishing traditionally, but it all comes down to having not enough time.  Every time I try to do anything production in this area, something always comes up that requires my immediate attention.  It’s like something is saying not yet. You are not to do this yet and yet; I feel that time is slipping away. I know that I’m not getting any younger and yet, I really don’t feel any older. This is my true emotions right now. It feels like I’m in a rut, that just doesn’t go anywhere. When I was younger, I was filled with all these dreams. I felt, I knew, that I would be making a difference in the world…afterall with all those idiots running around, I would surely be making my way quickly to the top…I mean how hard could it be?

And now, I’m one of those idiots. No, I didn’t make it to the top. I’m still on the bottom, barely scraping by just to survive and yet there are those who are worst off then me. I have a loving wife, two beautiful nieces, a supporting mother-in-law, parents who love me and siblings that I mostly get along with. I also have my own house, even though it seems that every week I’m doing some kind of work to the house…It’s still my own place to lay my head…and there is a lot of people who don’t have this.

So don’t get me wrong, I am grateful, this was just not the life I was expecting or even planned on. Now comes the part where I say something witty about how life is like this…. but what is the point? You know, when I first started writing this piece, I did not even plan for it to go in this direction, but it did and now that these emotions are out and, on the page, I don’t regret them, though now I’m trying to figure out how to end this piece, so that I can get ready to go pick my wife up at 3pm.  As I said, I didn’t get done the writing I had planned to do, this is no where near an outline, but it was what was needed to be written and that is good enough for me.

Sincerely,

Richard Polk

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