anke

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

That little kerfuffle last summer? Yes, I had my part in that. I was a bit down on my luck and squatting in an old house down towards the river, and one night I wake up to yelling and banging - sounded like someone was trying to take down the door, which made no sense since it was not locked.

So I take the big flashlight and check, and find some girl leaning against the door from the inside, holding up the handle trying to keep folks outside from getting in. She looked at me, eyes wide like anything and glowing, close to a panic, and when a racket started up in one of the rooms, I didn’t blame her. Sounded like quite a few, so if half circled through a window…

“Move aside a bit.”

“They want me dead.”

“I noticed. Move aside, and get ready to follow me that way.” I pointed to the back of the house, and she nodded. I wedged one of my hair sticks under the door - it was the closest to a wedge I had on hand, see? It bought us a bit of a head-start.

She could have outrun little old me, no problem, but she followed me, poor little thing. That house was a really old one, with a root cellar with a heavy trapdoor, and it seemed like the safest place to me.

“There’s no way out!”

“Stay calm. We’ll just wait them out.” It wasn’t all that easy. We had to both hang from the ring on the trapdoor, but the weight of the three of us was too much. Folks from the mob gave us a break sometimes, when they needed it, but we had to pay attention.

“We’ll die here. We can’t wait them out forever.”

“Werewolf, right?”

She nodded.

“Not from here, eh?”

To that she shook her head.

“We don’t have to.” Just then another attack on the door distracted us. I’m glad gravity was on our side, really.

After a long while we could not hear anything going on outside any more, but then, as I said, the door was thick and heavy.

“I’ve been running and hiding for days; they just won’t give up.”

“And what day is it now?”

“Tuesday.” No idea, the little pup.

“No, in moon-phase.”

“Waning, half moon.” After a moment she added, “Only just past.”

“Thought so. See, werewolf hunting season is only half of the month, half-moon to half-moon.” She didn’t look like she got my point, so I said, “Between waning half and waxing half, you are a person, even here.”

“But not yesterday? That’s crazy.”

“Yep. But useful, right now.”

We waited a bit longer, just to be sure. But we did get away without a problem. I just had to find a different place to stay.

Based on the prompt "Waning Moon" by Eliza Gebow, combined with the prompts "eccentric" and "deadline" from origfic_bingo

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/644814.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

“Thank you for seeing me.” Oneida bowed to Talaeshin, knowing that elves shunned skin-to-skin contact.

The foremost expert on orc history being an elf was unsurprising. Their long lifespans had made elves lore-keepers long before there had been historians. This one answered in a tone of cool disinterest, “Yes. You were very persistent.”

“This is important. May I…?” She waved a folder into the room and after getting a nod of permission slid past a big box standing partly in the was to the nearly empty desk. On it she laid out notes and photos of old human bones taken on site of an archaeological dig.

While she worked, Talaeshin said, “Few people treat matters of an extinct species as urgent.”

“History is important,” she answered without thinking. “And I wonder if history is wrong. These photos—”

“And wherever did you get those?”

“The dig at Crane Mountain, where they wanted to build a new hotel,” Oneida evaded, “but the important thing is that that there were toothmarks on those bones much too narrow for orcs, no matter what the press spreads already. Someone else needs to review this, of course, but if it’s true, it’s a strong argument for examining remains from older sites.”

Nodding, Talaeshin said, “No respect for the rest of the dead.” He raised his hand to forestall Oneida’s protest and continued, “Do you have any speculations what creature left these toothmarks?”

Forcing herself to not shrink back, she said, “One set at least is definitely elven. It seems… interesting.”

“No.”

“No? But don’t you see—”

“You fail to see, naturally, that this is not news.” Talaeshin’s tone grew sharper. “History is what we allow to be written down, and this we won’t.”

He made a sharp downwards gesture and Oneida found herself mute and rooted to the spot. She had never believed the stories about elves wielding magic. She thought she should panic, but her heartbeat was slowing down.

“You are right. Orcs were, in fact, mostly herbivorous.” He laid a hand on her shoulder and lowered his face to hers, smiling. “I, on the other hand, have inherited a recipe from my grandmother I would love to try on you.”

Based on the prompt "What if elves were actually horrible, and orcs were decent, but the elves have better PR so they've just managed to convince people of the opposite? " by Elizabeth Barette aka ysabetwordsmith

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/641676.html

Eliza is offering free character or other sketches, upgradable via tips. Particularly check her out if you like cute&cartoony styles. :)

And as to my Small Art drive... Here's a photo of the first requests of 19 people, inked (taken with a real camera, which makes for better visibility than the cellphone photos of pencil sketches). That leaves the first requests of 2 people, one of whom hasn't actually left one yet, and one where I have a pencilled image, but would like an answer to a question before I ink. And most of the second pics.

Art for other people: 29 to do
Waiting for info before I can start: 1
Mulling over doodles/ideas: 5
Pencilled or partially inked: 3 (one of those I'd like a detail question answered before I ink)
Inked: 20
Coloured: 0

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/640288.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

If you like helping creative folks out with ideas what to write (or draw), I've got some tips for you this weekend:

Lyn Thorne-Alder's Giraffe Call is looking for prompts to the theme "In the City" and will write flash fiction based on them. (mirror at Dreamwidth)

The Torn World Muse Fusion is looking for prompts for a bunch of people to create fiction, poetry or art for the Torn World setting. You don't need to be familiar with it; general prompts are welcome. If you'd like a theme as a springboard, the current and upcoming contest themes are "Fashions and Fads" and "Critters of Land and Sea".

And the Crowdfunding community on LJ is having a Creative Jam to the theme "Disabled People (visibly and invisibly disabled)". It's mirrored on Dreamwidth, too.

And if that's not enough, upcoming:

The next EMG Sketch Fest will be next weekend, for 48 hours, Jan 20-22 noon to noon Alaskan time.

(And I've got tentative plans for another Flash Fiction Fishbowl, themed "Law and Order", starting the weekend after that.)

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/638613.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

Commuting by bus had a big advantage in addition to not having to look for a parking space which Elsa never mentioned, in case other people would consider her selfish: It gave her privacy for a while. Between heeding “no cellphones” signs and being surrounded by strangers, she had twice twenty minutes each day to relax, usually without being bothered by anyone.

She had heard of friendships started on the bus, but of the few people she recognised most belonged to the group of punks loitering at the main station. A boy with a hooked nose who changed hair colours more often than his clothes, a girl with the rat riding on her shoulder, and their half-dozen friends, drinking in broad daylight, talking loud enough their voices carried to the office three streets away sometimes, littering, and generally acting as if they owned the world. Some days Elsa carried her briefcase as a shield between herself in her business suit and that crowd, other days she switched it to whichever hand was farthest from them, as if they might snatch it. Only occasionally she even noticed what she was doing, and even more rarely she realised that they had never taken notice of her.

Hyper-aware as she was of their imagined threat, she even noticed a newcomer with her head swimming from a monster of a meeting, frustrated at being mostly ignored by her colleagues. Two hours late, and the last bus of the day gearing up to leave, Elsa hurried through the fry-fat smell of biodiesel behind the bus, and missed her footing on the high curb. There was a crack and a crunch, and she found herself dizzy and on her knees on the platform, suddenly close to tears. Oh god, it’s backed over my briefcase and I skinned my knee like a little girl and it’s all so embarrassing.

She pushed herself up, wiping her hands against each other to get rid of the grit. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the punks staring, and the newcomer, a guy with bright green hair and so many tattoos on his arms there was barely and skin in sight, approached her with long steps.

Looking to the left at the bus, she saw more people staring, and the driver getting out, looking... almost sick. Elsa hoped it wasn’t too obvious that his discomfort made her feel better, less awkward and alone.

“Hello! Are you ready for an adventure?”

The voice made Elsa jump, and when the words registered, she answered the punk with a hostile stare. “Go away.”

He smiled down at her -- what was it with kids these days being so awfully tall? -- and answered, “Sorry, ma’am, just doing my job.”

“Oh, go find someone else to mock. Or an actual job, even better.” Elsa raked a trembling hand through her hair and looked at the ground, left and right. Where had her briefcase ended up?

After a few moments the punk asked gently, “Why haven’t you looked behind you yet?”

The dread this suggestion evoked stopped her breath for a moment. Her voice was a tiny squeak. “I can’t.” She stared at the ground. Old glass shards glittered in the cracks between the cobblestones. A hand rose into her field of vision. Only now she noticed the tattoos on the punk’s arm didn’t consist of abstract swirls of colour, or feature flames and bones and knives, like she had unthinkingly expected. Those sleeves were made up of nothing but butterflies, wing-edge to wing-edge.

“You know what happened.” His voice was soft and sympathetic.

“I’m not... Do I have to?”

“Knowing is better, and seeing helps knowing.”

When she took the offered hand, Elsa finally became aware that the bus driver and a few other people were milling around, but ignoring her completely. She turned and looked over her shoulder, for a glance at her body. The bus had backed up right when she had fallen backwards.

She sighed. “Typical. When you think things are at their worst, something’s going to prove you wrong. I’d expected something like a water pipe or major appliance breaking.” It was a rather feeble attempt at humour, but helped steady her. She was glad for someone to hold her hand, even a rather alarming-looking stranger. “So, what now?” She squelched worries about what this would do to her colleagues and friends, deciding right now it was time to be selfish.

“You need a rest, and a change. A chance to become more yourself.” His warm smile widened a bit, eyes narrowing in amusement. “You seem to be more optimistic in your soul than in your habits, for instance.”

“Or I wouldn’t have pitched forward?”

“Exactly.” He offered his other hand, too, and Elsa took it.

The colours of his tattoos seemed to become even more vivid, the grey concrete and cobbles around them fading to nothing. Elsa felt light and warm, and watched with delight as the world broke into fluttering shards of colour, jewel-bright. Her last giddy thought was that a riot of butterflies was prettier than angel wings.

This story was originally published in the July 2011 issue of the Ellen Million Graphics Zine.
It's in the same setting as Career Choices

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/637723.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

The candle lantern was a heirloom that woke bittersweet memories. It had belonged to Kat’s grandmother, whom she loved. The loss still hurt, after all those years, but this little memento helped her remember the good times.

Kat would light a beeswax candle, its light still warmer through the yellow glass, its honey-fragrance mixing with the smell of hot metal and taking her back to evenings spent listening to her grandmother’s stories.

She would sometimes nod off. It was those occasions upon which the spirit of the lamp entered her open mind, mining for memories of lullabies and embraces.

The spirit brought them forth into Kat’s dreaming mind, rebuilding a shadow of the utter safety she had felt as a child.

It kept her seeking the lantern out for company, more when she was in need of support, vulnerable. Singing old songs no-one else would hear, the spirit took wisps of Kat’s life for itself, feeding its own essence. Knowing there was a risk the lamp would disappear in an attic or worse, it resolved to be careful, make her last, but she tasted so, so sweet.

The title was a prompt by rebelsheart

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/634734.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

Mary froze at the edge of the clearing. There really was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Her bare feet slipped on damp leaves as she rushed towards the prize, until the ground gave way.

The pot hid the bottom of the pit with a dull thud close to her head, spilling its contents, big, glittering discs. “Fool’s gold”, she whispered, and unsteadily reached for the closest.

“Actual gold is quite useless, you know.”

She looked up at the gnome who was grinning down at her from the edge of the trap. “You sure like your jokes.”

“I like catching friends of shinies. You will be happy to mine them, yes?”

“What? No!”

“You’re only coming out if you agree.” The gnome sounded like an older sister giving a toddler an ultimatum.

Mary snorted and stood up. Her hip hurt from the fall, but the pit couldn’t be that deep.

The moment she took a step towards its edge, the gnome lifted a gun she must have had next to her, and aimed it at Mary. Still grinning, still sounding cheerful, she said, “Or you come out dead. I am all kinds of hunter, you know.”

The title was a prompt by rebelsheart

Bonus random fact: Pyrite was used to produce sparks at leas tin some wheel-lock guns.

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/634430.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

This round was quite a success. Thanks so much to anybody who took part!

Special thanks go to Lyn Thorne-Alder, who got several of her friends to take part, and Meeks, who plugged away without having requested anything herself. (Meeks has a standing offer for sketching story illustrations whose refinement can be crowdfunded.)

21 people asked for art, and tipped enough to get us past the third tip threshold, meaning:

All images will be coloured unless otherwise requested. (1 each for 21 participants)
Anybody who tipped at all can request two additional files of different sizes.
Anybody who tipped at least $5 will get the original mailed. (That's 15 people)
Anybody who tipped at least $10 will get a second image. (5 people, including one who got boosted here by a smaller tip plus multiple referrals.)
A random participant gets a 5x7 request in addition to their regular one. (This one goes to jjhunter)

That's 27 images for my to-do list.

So far work has been done on 20 - the first requested images for all comers but the one person who is still gathering references. Most are only rough pencils at this point. For the very curious there are badly lighted, grainy cellphone photos I posted to my Twitter account:
last batch - second batch - first batch

I'll first work on the images for two people for whom I have other things to mail (Eliza and ysabetwordsmith), and later on the rest. It will take a while to go through everything.

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/634225.html

Sketch Fest Is GO! - for 48 hours (well, 47.5 now) this time.

Spent a lot of today with neccessary shopping and runarounds.

Tired now.

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/633624.html

Small Art Update: The third threshold is met. Anybody who tipped $10 (and one person who got upgraded to that step thanks to referrals) can request a second image, and all images will be coloured, no matter who requested them.

20 people requested art, 16 tipped, 15 of those enough to have the original mailed to them, and a 17th said they'd tip after payday.

Honestly, I'm a bit nervous about making the last threshold right now - 3 new people deciding 2 piccies for $10 is a good deal would do it. It would be awesome, but more work than I'd thought. I had expected a bigger fraction of free requests, see? Seems like many people were willing to chip in $5 for a chance of getting the original. XD

But, well, I said until Friday, so it'll stay open until Friday (though I'll close in the morning rather than evening...) And I have all but 3 or 4 of the first 20 at least rough pencilled now, so it doesn't feel like even if it turned into 46 I'd be utterly overwhelmed.

I also wrote 2 pieces of flashfic for the person who prompted-and-tipped for the Fishbowl when the two weeks old plug popped up in a community, and another for Eliza, who was the other person who tipped and left more than one prompt.

There should be at least one extra story next week, and more likely two, sponsored by that late tip.

I'm giving myself until Sunday to write the story for clare_dragonfly, and an extended beginning for the one I wrote for wyld_dandelyon, and if I haven't managed by then, I'll give up and concentrate on getting that ebook done.

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/633345.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

Shobha Kaur enjoyed the view out of the window of the sparsely furnished office she was a “guest” in, while her “host” prattled on. Outside looked darker than it should be — some foil applied to the glass maybe — but since she did not think she would get out again, she might as well.

“Doctor Kaur, are you listening?”

She made an apologetic noise and turned to the bureaucrat.

The other woman’s skin was pale, almost grey; her hand when she greeted Shobha had been cold. Vampires not hiding themselves anymore was one of the recent developments.

“Well, then let me sum up,” she said with a sigh. “Our organisation is very grateful for your part in lobbying for vampire and lycanthrope rights, and would like to thank you with a grand gesture. Even if the ‘until they’re healed’ codicils were not all that popular.”

Her chipper tone grated on Shobha’s nerves. If Shobha could go back in time, she’d rather shoot herself than let her spread those ideas.

The vampire continued, “Your choice now: would you rather turn into a vampire, or a werewolf?”

A bloodthirsty monster either way. “I’d rather die.”

“That, my dear, is part of the process.”

Based on the prompt "A human key to allowing werewolves, vampires, and other fantasy monster types to go public is 'rewarded' after they go from hiding, to being in the open, to seizing control." by LilFluff

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/633287.html

aldersprig and friends joined in on the Free small art call and now it's $15 from the third threshold. Wow.

I didn't get much time for actual drawing in, but got three more for the call sketched out, So now there are 4 at the moment on which I haven't started yet.

I got some very helpful feedback for job applications, so I'll see if that works better in future.

Tomorrow has a storm warning and I don't have to go anywhere, so I'll see what I can get done.

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/632864.html

I took a quick cellphone snapshot of the 8 images I started working on: http://yfrog.com/z/oexifsj

So far there are 12 requests, and we're $8 from the second tip incentive threshold. If that one gets crossed, all free requests get inked, and anybody who tipped at least $5 will receive the original in the mail.

A few free requests and thus a chance to do some pencil or ink art rather than nearly everything coloured would be nice for variety.

The call is on my website, mirrored on dreamwidth and on livejournal.

There's also one small bug less in the Character Art Exchange website - the function that should count how many trade images there were of a character counted all images instead.

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/632754.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

UPDATE 2012-01-07: Summary of this call is available now.

This call is closed, please don't leave new requests.

Want me to draw one of your characters, or anything else?

You can request it here, and I'll draw a postcard-sized sketch. This project is crowdfunded, so I accept tips via paypal, and if you tip, or even if you don't but other people's tips crack a certain threshold, you may get an inked or coloured image instead. If you'd like to request something, please don't refrain from it on because you can't or don't want to tip. :)

Requests will be open for a few days at least; I'll change this message when I close them.

Samples

More samples: postcard-sized art, ACEOs

What I will draw
I'm best with humanoids and portraits, but I also draw furries and animals (or plants, objects, abstracts, whatever). Full figures are likely to be semi-chibified, like so.

Topics/requests for a character doing something are welcome in general, as long as it's not too complicated.

I'm not comfortable drawing sexual themes or gore, and may default to a vanilla portrait if you ask for another theme I find I'm not comfortable with.

Format
I'll default to drawing on A6 cards (the size is close enough to 4x6 inches that in my experience it works in pre-cut mats for 4x6 photos). Requesting other small formats - exactly 4x6, 4x4, tall and narrow "bookmarks", ACEOs, etc. is no problem, either.

For colouring I use markers, possibly combined with coloured pencils. "Coloured" may mean greyscale if what you request is naturally grey (or if you tell me you'd prefer that).

I'll upload scans 450 pixels on the longer side, default "delivery" will be via reply to the comment in which you made your request.

Rights
I retain the copyright to the image. When I post it in an online gallery, I will include your name and link to your website (or LJ or DW account), unless requested otherwise.

You may repost the scan wherever you want and it doesn't break site policies, if you credit me and link back to ankewehner.de.

You may also crop and shrink the image to use as an icon. In places like LJ or Dreamwith that provide a space to do so, please credit me as the artist, but you can use it elsewhere.

Tip- and Link incentives

Progress (updated by hand, so it will lag)

I'm leaving the button up since someone wanted to tip later, but please don't leave new requests, this call is closed.

If you spread the link and someone mentions they found this page through you, I'll count that as a $2 tip from you, but not towards the total.

Default

~~Anybody who tipped at all will get their image inked, and can request one additional file of a different size (eg original 300 dpi scan, or a cropped and shrunk icon)~~ superseded
~~Anybody who tipped at least $10 will get their image coloured, and I'll send the original in the mail.~~ superseded
~~Everybody else will get a pencil sketch.~~ superseded

Total tips over $30 - MET

~~Anybody who tipped at all will get their image coloured~~ superseded
~~Anybody who tipped at least $7,50 will additionally get the original mailed.~~ superseded

Total tips over $60 - MET

Anybody who tipped at all can request two additional files of different sizes (for example both original 300 dpi scan and a cropped and shrunk icon)
Anybody who tipped at least $5 will get the original mailed.
~~Everybody else will get their image inked.~~ superseded

Total tips over $90 - MET

One random participant wins a 5x7 (13x18 cm) request/commission.
Anybody who tipped at least $10 will get a second image. (Level of finish is up to me. I may go more experimental with the style.)
All images will be coloured.
And my next order of marker refill inks will be paid for.

Total tips over $120

One random participant wins a full format (A4 or 8x10 inches) request/commission.
Anybody who tipped at all will get a second image. (Level of finish is up to me. I may go more experimental with the style.)

Request

One request per person. I'm making no promises when I finish images, because I think without such a promise I might finish them faster. If you'd like to request something, leave the following information in a comment:

Whom or what would you like me to draw? (Please note that with characters, it's really helpful if you don't only give an image reference and/or physical description, but also mention something about the personality, to avoid getting an image of a stern/serious character grinning like a loon, or the like.)

Any style or format preferences?

If you tipped, or are planning to tip, what bonus would you like? (dimensions of additional file, text on icon, different request for second image)

If you found this through somebody else spreading the link, who was it?

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/631848.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

“You don’t look happy.”

“And you know why. This is big. And messy. But mostly big.”

“Your first serial killer, eh?”

“That is the question, isn’t it?”

“She killed people and ate them. No wonder you’re losing your appetite.”

“Tch. Be serious, will you? Laws on murder predate the emergence of supernaturals. My client targeted vampires exclusively. They were already dead. That meets the definition of corpse mutilation.”

“Oh. Yes. Very messy… You might end up with being a vampire being a case of interfering with one’s own funeral...”

“The hell with it. It must be cleared up some time.”

Based on the prompt "A cannibal serial killer murders and eats vampires" by alternatesocks

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/630557.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

I'm currently being mildly confused by interface design, in particular the menu that pops up on the Samsung Android smartphone when you hold down the power switch. (I'm translating the labels from German more literally than actually. I think "offline mode" may be "airplane mode".)

Settings to switch sound and all signals OFF:

Silent Mode
Sound is OFF

Data Net Mode
Data Net Mode deactivated

Offline Mode
Offline Mode is ON

You have two settings where the status message used the same label as the name of the setting, but with "Silent Mode", it's the opposite; to switch Silent Mode ON, you have to set it to "OFF".

You have two settings where the status message uses either "ON" or "OFF", but the third uses "activated" or "deactivated" instead.

You have two settings where if the status message is "ON" or "activated", the phone is allowed to do something, but the third actually switches OFF functionality when it's set to "ON".

I suspect it grew like that somehow, but I'll take my having to actually read the option and message each time to make sure it's set how I want as a reminder to try to keep menus consistent to avoid confusion.

Silent Mode
Silent Mode is ON

Data Net Block
Data Net Block is ON

Offline Mode
Offline Mode is ON

Still a tad odd that you have to set things to "ON" to switch OFF functionality, butsince Offline/Airplane Mode being OFF would be the norm, I didn't want to rename that. But at least it's consistent: Each setting stops something working if it's set to "ON".

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/628158.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

The End Time, that is. ;)

Merry Christmas, or whatever you'd like to be merry about.

To save work, I'll combine this with a general Gallery Update of images I neglected to upload here earlier... ( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/626793.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

By Yana's reckoning, it had been a month since the king of dragons ate the sun. She had been lucky enough to join a group of two dozen refugees. Together they had found shelter from the cold and strangeness of the sunless surface in a cave, pretending the sun was only stolen to keep their hope alive. Something stolen might be returned.

It was all the same to Yana. None of them was the stuff you made legendary heroes of. The most useful member of their group of refugees was an enemy, even, a lower echelon mage-priest that had served the dragons before turning renegade. Watching him sitting in the centre of the cave, twitchy and watchful like a rat if anybody got near, she was convinced he had turned tail not out of and moral conviction, but fear of being backstabbed. It would make no difference in the long run.

He used magic to give them at least a few hours of light each day, literally making their days, and the effort seemed to warm him. The others in their coats or blankets, if they were lucky enough to have any. In the cave they were not cut to ribbons by blizzards, but it was still too cold to live. To say nothing of food.

A small commotion around the mage drew Yana's interest. Gilmey was arguing, his son cradled in his arms. The boy was coughing and shivering violently. She mage shook his head, and things went back and forth until he, reluctantly, agreed to “do something” for them.

He raised his arms and closed his eyes. The faint glow they had got used to spread out and brightened. Yana turned her face to in and closed her eyes, soaking up the warmth.

When raised voices drew her attention back to the centre of the cave, the mage was trembling with tension. Sparks and lightning danced from his hands down his body and up, crackling when they hit the ceiling. A louder crack sounded, rock breaking.

So he lost control. Of course. Yana felt strangely tranquil. She did not try to scream and run. There was no use.

Based on the prompt "The sun is gone, the dark forces have won and are ruling the lands. Magic is dangerous and usually ends up killing lots of people." by Robert S.

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/625496.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

A lot of this applies to people reviewing books on their blogs, too, but I'll not mention them down in the post.

I'll jump right in and start with one underlying fact people need to be aware of. Simplifying things a bit, you could say there are two major ebook formats: epub and Amazon's format. Amazon's format cannot be read on epub readers (that is, all current ones that aren't a Kindle), epub cannot be read on the Kindle.

Therefore, if you announce an ebook "available at Amazon" only, you are telling anybody who owns a Nook, or a Kobo reader, or a reader produced by Sony, Pocketbook, Hanvon, and so on, that they can't get your book, or at least can't get your book without having to jump through hoops.

Do you really want to tell someone who's interested in your books, "Your money is not good enough for me if you don't have a Kindle"?

Speaking as owner of an epub-reader, that's what you are doing when you link to Amazon only. And I've seen that a lot recently. I'd see an author or contributor blog about a book, or I see someone recommend a book on Twitter, including only an Amazon link - I'll even grant you using an Amazon link on Twitter, considering the character limit. If the book sounds interesting, I'll go and look it up on the author's (or in one case small publisher's) website, and there'll be also only a link to Amazon, or possibly Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The latter does not do most people any good, because B&N only sells to you if you are in the USA.

I don't know what's more frustrating: Cases where the books are really only available there, or cases where if I decide to search for it myself I can find the book in a channel I can buy from. Not including a link in the latter case seems just so very short-sighted from the author or publisher - of 10 people who want their ebooks in epub format, how many do you think will not go to that trouble?

Ebook shops with relatively few barriers are Smashwords and Kobobooks, so if your books are available there, please do link to them from a book's site. If they aren't, please consider how non-Kindle owners outside the USA can buy them.

Smashwords has no geographic restrictions at all, accept Paypal and are thus usable by people who have an account there, but not credit card, which for example described me until recently. In addition they offer books in various formats - unless the author/publisher disabled it, you can download epub now, a Kindle-compatible format down the line if you decide to switch. Plus, they don't use DRM on which a format conversion tool would choke on.

Kobobooks sells epub format, and applies georestrictions only on a per-book basis, rather than going the route most ebook shops take and only sell within the country they're based in.

Yes, technically I guess it's not all that difficult to buy books for Kindle, remove the DRM, and convert them to epub, but I don't want to support Amazon's attempts at building a monopoly. For reasons why a monopoly would be a bad idea, see for example KDP Select and a Not-So-Speculative Jaunt into Ebook Hell by Frida Fantastic.

Can you recommend other sellers open to people who don't have a Kindle and don't live in the USA? Do you have trouble with Smashwords or Kobobooks in your part of the world?

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/624803.html

Originally published at ankewehner.de. You can comment here or there.

A True Gift has a fairy tale flair. It was written by Lyn Thorne-Alder based on a prompt of mine. As of this writing she's still open to more prompts to the theme of Gifts, gifts, and the gifted.

I also finally managed to read a good deal of Friday Flash submissions again, and pick out a few of my favourites:
Aeon by John Xero (fantasy, 101 words)
Belemnite by Gail Aldwin (slive of life)
Cause for Complaint by Emma Newman (fantasy, a bit longer)
Pine Needles & Sherry – A Christmas Ghost Story by Helen A. Howell

Crossposts: http://ankewehner.livejournal.com/622735.html

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