It’s the day after my birthday, so…

…shameless self promotion!

From time to time I’ll post up information about the first book I’ve written, called theAdventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider.  Here’s a little synopsis about the book, which is a western/fantasy.

Elven magic meets gunslinger grit. What happens when two elven travellers find themselves in the United States in the middle of the Civil War? The Adventures of Black Mask and Pale Rider tells the story of two elven women who’s curiosity gets the better of them.

The wild ride takes them from the Union to the Confederacy and back again. Along the way they make enemies and friends and learn a little bit about this world, and about themselves. An adventure of six guns and sorcery.

The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider isn’t the only book I’ve written, Canyons of Steel is also available.  Here’s a quick synopsis.

What happens when an old gun hand makes a decision to turn his life around and set a new course? In Canyons of Steel, Johnathon Tiberius Walker makes the choice of turning his back on the underground military of the Red Hand and try to make right his own sins. All because he wants his daughter to live in a better world than he does.

Both my first book, Black Mask & Pale Rider, and my second book, Canyons of Steel, are available for purchase online through many different online book sellers.

Lulu.com (where both books were published)

1. Tim Holtorf Author Spotlight the front page store for my books on lulu.com.

Amazon.com (both in paperback and in kindle versions)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider
2. Canyons of Steel

Amazon.co.uk (both in paperback and in kindle versions)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider
2. Canyons of Steel

Amazon.ca (price not listed and currently out of stock)

1. Canyons of Steel

Barnes & Noble (for the Nook)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider

iTunes iBook store

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider

At present, I am working on a science fiction adventure called Rocket Fox.  If things go as planned, it should cover nine books in total.

 

It’s May! Which means…

…shameless self promotion!

From time to time I’ll post up information about the first book I’ve written, called theAdventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider.  Here’s a little synopsis about the book, which is a western/fantasy.

Elven magic meets gunslinger grit. What happens when two elven travellers find themselves in the United States in the middle of the Civil War? The Adventures of Black Mask and Pale Rider tells the story of two elven women who’s curiosity gets the better of them.

The wild ride takes them from the Union to the Confederacy and back again. Along the way they make enemies and friends and learn a little bit about this world, and about themselves. An adventure of six guns and sorcery.

The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider isn’t the only book I’ve written, Canyons of Steel is also available.  Here’s a quick synopsis.

What happens when an old gun hand makes a decision to turn his life around and set a new course? In Canyons of Steel, Johnathon Tiberius Walker makes the choice of turning his back on the underground military of the Red Hand and try to make right his own sins. All because he wants his daughter to live in a better world than he does.

Both my first book, Black Mask & Pale Rider, and my second book, Canyons of Steel, are available for purchase online through many different online book sellers.

Lulu.com (where both books were published)

1. Tim Holtorf Author Spotlight the front page store for my books on lulu.com.

Amazon.com (both in paperback and in kindle versions)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider
2. Canyons of Steel

Amazon.co.uk (both in paperback and in kindle versions)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider
2. Canyons of Steel

Amazon.ca (price not listed and currently out of stock)

1. Canyons of Steel

Barnes & Noble (for the Nook)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider

iTunes iBook store

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider

At present, I am working on a science fiction adventure called Rocket Fox.  If things go as planned, it should cover nine books in total.

 

A Question About Writing; from Gail Simone

Gail Simone didn’t reach out to me personally and ask this.  She made a general call on her tumblr, which I answered there, but decided to share it here as well.

gailsimone:

Yesterday, I asked a seemingly innocuous question on Twitter and was completely flooded with responses, many from quite famous and successful writers. I was surprised by the wave of responses, and found it all very interesting.

So I thought I’d ask the question here, as well, for writers of fiction only, please.

What part of the writing process is your favorite? I’m talking about the actual writing, not the aftermath or the effects of it. During your writing of a story, what is your favorite part of doing that work?

I sent Gail a comment about this, but it deserves a longer answer.

So far, I’ve written material in three decidedly different worlds: western fantasy with Black Mask & Pale Rider; super heroes with Canyons of Steel (and the work I’m doing on the Heroic League Project); straight up sci fi with Rocket Fox.

While I love the aspect of plotting and getting things down into a cohesive time line, it’s a long process.  Especially for a work like The Heroic League Project.  The story covers more than 40 years with different characters coming in and some leaving.  With each, it’s my hope that I don’t portray characters and interpersonal relationships as stereotypical.  With Rocket Fox, it’s been a bit easier, because the characters are a completely fictional species, though they are based on observations and research on human cultures.

A lot of research is needed to make sure everything is right.  In Black Mask & Pale Rider, the smallest thing I had to do was make sure that the towns and cities mentioned actually existed in 1863.  I also had to ensure that when I mentioned people who were a part of a Native American tribe, that they were the right tribe (Pania helps three Natives in Pennsylvania, it would be lazy to just say they were Mohawk or Dakota or Apache, especially considering that those nations might not have inhabited what is now Pennsylvania).

Historical facts are also necessary.  One might think that in the Heroic League, you wouldn’t have to do much research, but you do.  This story takes place in our world, beginning in the 1970s.  It happens around the October Crisis when the FLQ was terrorizing Quebec.

Getting all of the plot points down is fun, but actually writing the scenes is the best part for me.  All of the grunt work is done, and it’s time to breath life into the story, the scene, and the characters.  It’s especially gratifying when the scene works out well.  Shani’s gunfight with Dorval; Pania’s duel in the caboose of a train; Shani climbing onto the roof of a train to avoid a passenger car of vampires; the reveal of the Nighthawk in Rocket Fox; the rough ball match between House Ocelot and House Fennec.  Stuff like that is the part I love.  It’s the stuff that keeps me going, and even expanding on the character interaction.

 

The other writing work

I’m also still in the editing process for Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk.  It was a series I wrote and finished (not fully, but the first part, yes).  So, I thought I’d share a reminder of some of the things created for Rocket Fox.

Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk by Tim Holtorf is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada License.
Based on a work at https://taholtorf.wordpress.com/thebarrowsrevenge/.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://taholtorf.wordpress.com.

And, of course, the original work in it’s entirety in pdf format.

The Full Series – Rocket Fox – Flight of the Nighthawk

 

Another round of shameless self promotion

I haven’t done this in a while, so here goes!

From time to time I’ll post up information about the first book I’ve written, called the Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider.  Here’s a little synopsis about the book, which is a western/fantasy.

Elven magic meets gunslinger grit. What happens when two elven travellers find themselves in the United States in the middle of the Civil War? The Adventures of Black Mask and Pale Rider tells the story of two elven women who’s curiosity gets the better of them.

The wild ride takes them from the Union to the Confederacy and back again. Along the way they make enemies and friends and learn a little bit about this world, and about themselves. An adventure of six guns and sorcery.

The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider isn’t the only book I’ve written, Canyons of Steel is also available.  Here’s a quick synopsis.

What happens when an old gun hand makes a decision to turn his life around and set a new course? In Canyons of Steel, Johnathon Tiberius Walker makes the choice of turning his back on the underground military of the Red Hand and try to make right his own sins. All because he wants his daughter to live in a better world than he does.

Both my first book, Black Mask & Pale Rider, and my second book, Canyons of Steel, are available for purchase online through many different online book sellers.

Lulu.com (where both books were published)

1. Tim Holtorf Author Spotlight the front page store for my books on lulu.com.

Amazon.com (both in paperback and in kindle versions)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider
2. Canyons of Steel

Amazon.co.uk (both in paperback and in kindle versions)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider
2. Canyons of Steel

Amazon.ca (price not listed and currently out of stock)

1. Canyons of Steel

Barnes & Noble (for the Nook)

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider

iTunes iBook store

1. The Adventures of Black Mask & Pale Rider

I’ve also written a sci fi novel (not published, but available for download) called Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk.  Here’s the synopsis:

Vulpinia Prime.  A utopian paradise on the edge of the Lupine Sector of Space.  The third planet of the Vulpine Star System, her inhabitants take to heart their age old adage that they are meant to protect the sector from any and all threats.  For many, it is an honour to be chosen at the many Academies of science, engineering, mathematics and even the famed military colleges that dot the planet.  Rarely has there been a serious threat which the Royal Vulpine Armada has had need to deal with.  But Article 16 of the Space Exploration Charter is there for a reason.  And for many of the cadets at the Chattingham Academy, they are soon going to find out why.

 

 

The year that was, Part 2

I guess I wasn’t finished, really.

I mentioned that I wrote a lot of really bad poetry (I think it’s bad, but if someone read it and liked it, then I’m glad that you did, I think I could have done more polishing, but it was merely a spew of consciousness), and I did write some poetry like things for Black Mask & Pale Rider.

But I also did some artwork.  Mostly it was drawing from a copy of an image to see if I could get the proportions right.  I might try and do more, and I’ve been thinking about picking up a Wacom board at some point to help out.

The first image I did happened to be not of a character, but of a ship.

I did the image in RayDream Studio, and I plan on using that to create the characters as well.  Senia, Aria, Clarfax, Hardy, Jadda and others who appear in the book.

The first actual character I drew happened to be Captain Senia Felix.

I used Illustrator to draw the image, and might do some others using it, if I am not satisfied with what I come up with in RayDream.

Next came Shani.

I’d already drawn a similar image for Pania, and I think this one came out quite nicely.

There were a few others that I had done, but these two were the ones I was most proud of.  I’m hoping that in 2014 I’ll practice a bit more and maybe come up with some better drawings of my characters.

 

 

Character List: Pau Theta II Part One

The upcoming arc for the next installment of Rocket Fox will have a good number of characters, just like the first story.  Some won’t appear in this second story that were in Flight of the Nighthawk (such as Robert Quickfoot, Claudia Whitefur, Gilbert, and the entire staff of the Chattingham Academy), and some will only play off camera roles (such as General Gerring and Colonel Pitts).

For now, though, here’s a character list of the Nighthawk crew.  In the coming days I’ll post the lists of other characters who will be met and the city of Rondu and the headquarters of the main authority.

Characters for Pau Theta II

Nighthawk

Bridge Crew

Captain Senia Felix – red furred vulpine, quiet attitude, weighs her decisions carefully, slightly nervous in this first major command

Commander Aria Sharpspear – spotted felinar, diplomatic, can be vocal when need be, very protective of her captain and crew

Astrometrics-Navigation Lt Commander Clarfax Billings – black furred vulpine, dedicated, intelligent, can get easily distracted, expert in spacial anomalies

Helm Officer Lt Mia Talon – beige furred felinar, very independent, very dedicated, can also be a bit nosey

Security Chief Lt Commander Mirri Ridgewell – brown furred felinar, dedicated, professional, often sites regulation and code, reminds captain of RVAF regulation when necessary

(communications officer will rotate between a vulpine and a felinar, male and female)

(operations officer will rotate between a vulpine and a felinar, male and female)

 Medical Bay

Drs. Herman and Katlyn Ringtail – procylon, mated pair, dedicated to medicine, still learning the protocols on board a military vessel, Herman can be rather jumpy and startled easily, Katlyn is very take charge

Nurses Michael and Sarah Littlepaw – procylon, mated pair, protective of the medical area, does not tolerate tomfoolery, work well together as a team, Michael sometimes seems lost without Sarah, Sarah does not take well to being ordered unless those come from either Drs. Ringtail (and eventually Captain Felix and Commander Sharpspear)

Hector and Simon Longfur – felinar, appear to be twins, reveal they are not, are in a relationship, both are experts in grooming and fur care, Hector has a very flamboyant and emotional attitude, mostly happy, Simon is a positive light and sees the best in everything, both like to talk while they work

 Engineering

Chief Engineer Lt Commander Hardy Maynard – beige furred vulpine, engine room is her domain, protective of her staff and her engine core, often spends too much time at work and has to be ordered to take a break

(several other engineers with ranks of crewman, ensign and lt will be introduced as the story unfolds)

Security

(security members will all be introduced throughout the story with Lt Commander Ridgewell as their commanding officer, these officers will also be the group responsible for tactical and will be charged with ensuring phaser banks are inspected, phaser cannons are in working order and loaded, and torpedo launchers and torpedo inventory is up to spec)

Hangar

Command Wing Ground Communications Lt Commander Margo Greta – white furred felinar, rather quiet and very business like, has a knack for getting communications through jamming signals, finds her co-commander competent if not slightly annoying, refuses to call Sparks by his nickname “Sparky”

Command Wing Ground Assembly Lt Commander Harold “Sparky” Sparks – black furred felinar, gets excited easily, very professional when need be, can often times talk too much, has to have his reigns pulled in at times to keep him focused

Squadron Leader Lt Chloe Grivana – felinar, does not have fur, has skin markings, has tattoos which is part of her heritage and custom, doesn’t brag, lets actions speak for her, keeps her squadron in line, finds her co-pilot is the best pick for her

Squadron Leader co-pilot Samuel “Sammy” Flint – beige furred vulpine, smaller size, larger ears, keeps their craft in tip top condition, often engages in drills whether scheduled or not, keeps Chloe appraised of status at all times, schedules drills with her

Galley

Cook Angus Copperbottom – procylon, older, widowed, knows tradition very well, acts sort of as a councillor to the captain and crew, speaks in a very soft tone with a gravelly voice, never yells unless it’s in his galley

 

Related articles

• Rocket Fox: The Series So Far (taholtorf.wordpress.com)

 

Rocket Fox: The Series So Far

I haven’t promoted this in a while.  The entire series of Rocket Fox to date, including the Appendix that has detailed descriptions of the world these characters live in, and the original series that started it all, Rocket Fox: The Barrow’s Revenge.  These are all in handy PDF Files that you can download and read on whatever device you wish.

EDIT: Rocket Fox: The Barrow’s Revenge is NOT in PDF Format and leads back to my orignial posts where each part is posted as a blog post.  There are previous and next links at the end of each part, however.  The story also contains elements of the universe of Rocket Fox that no longer exist.  For example, the original work was set in one star system, now there are many different star systems and it involves a sector of space.  As well, Pau Theta II used to be a moon of Vulpinia Prime.  Now it’s the second planet in the Vulpine Star System.  Still, it is the original work and it’s an interesting look at how things changed.

Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk by Tim Holtorf is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada License.
Based on a work at https://taholtorf.wordpress.com/thebarrowsrevenge/.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://taholtorf.wordpress.com.

Vulpinia Prime.  A utopian paradise on the edge of the Lupine Sector of Space.  The third planet of the Vulpine Star System, her inhabitants take to heart their age old adage that they are meant to protect the sector from any and all threats.  For many, it is an honour to be chosen to attend the many Academies of science, engineering, mathematics and even the famed military colleges that dot the planet.  Rarely has there been a serious threat which the Royal Vulpine Armada has had need to deal with.  But Article 16 of the Space Exploration Charter is there for a reason.  And for many of the cadets at the Chattingham Academy, they are soon going to find out why.

Rocket Fox – Chapter One | Rocket Fox – Chapter Two | Rocket Fox – Chapter Three

Rocket Fox – Chapter Four | Rocket Fox – Chapter Five | Rocket Fox – Chapter Six

Rocket Fox – Chapter Seven | Rocket Fox – Chapter Eight | Rocket Fox – Chapter Nine

Rocket Fox – Chapter Ten | Rocket Fox – Chapter Eleven | Rocket Fox – Chapter Twelve

Rocket Fox – Chapter Thirteen | Rocket Fox – Chapter Fourteen | Rocket Fox – Chapter Fifteen

Rocket Fox – Chapter Sixteen | Rocket Fox – Chapter Seventeen | Rocket Fox – Chapter Eighteen

The Full Series – Rocket Fox – Flight of the Nighthawk

The Barrow’s Revenge by Tim Holtorf is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada License.
Based on a work at taholtorf.wordpress.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://taholtorf.wordpress.com.

Prologue One | Prologue Two

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six

Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve

Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen

Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-one

Part Twenty-two | Part Twenty-three | Part Twenty-four | Part Twenty-five

Part Twenty-six | Part Twenty-seven | Part Twenty-eight | Part Twenty-nine

Part Thirty | Part Thirty-one | Part Thirty-two | Part Thirty-three

Part Thirty-four | Part Thirty-five | Part Thirty-six | Part Thirty-seven

Part Thirty-eight | Part Thirty-nine | Part Forty | Part Forty-one

Rocket Fox – Appendix One | Rocket Fox – Appendix Two | Rocket Fox – Appendix Three

Rocket Fox – Appendix Four | Rocket Fox – Appendix Five

 

Word Clouds

Just a word cloud roundup of the recent completion of Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk.

Click it for embiggened version.

 

Rocket Fox – World Building

For those who downloaded the full series PDF, you’ll notice at the end of the book there are five chapters to an appendix which describes the world (and star system) the people of Rocket Fox live in.  Religions, politics, slang terms, life styles, and species.  For those who didn’t, however, here is the world building guide, chapter by chapter.

Rocket Fox – Appendix One | Rocket Fox – Appendix Two | Rocket Fox – Appendix Three

Rocket Fox – Appendix Four | Rocket Fox – Appendix Five

These guides will be in each series, describing new slang terms as they crop up, new planets, new ships, new species, new cities, and new cultures.  Once each book is complete, each new appendix will be posted here.  With the completion of the entire series, a full PDF download of the entire appendix will be made available.