The Bloodheart springs to life

Back in mid-winter, I made use of a gift certificate to get some art supplies. Some of my readers may not know I sketch as a means to relax, and also as a way to visualize not only setting but characters. So this time around, I found some thick stock postcards. What was I going to do with them?

As is common with me, I saw a "cool" art or writing supply and purchased it without a definite plan. Funnily enough, this spurs creativity.

First thing I did was a close-up sketch of Captain Bowen Cord, cloudship owner, ice-summoner, and hero of The Bloodheart. This happened in the midst of writing the sequel, called The Lightningfall, and as I gave it more thought, I decided I needed to see more of my characters. I'd done drawings of the primary cast from The Bloodheart years ago, but some individuals were left out. Plus, I created a new cohort for The Lightningfall.

The Lightningfall picks up Bowen Cord's story about a year after his first adventure. He's living the quiet life on a floating isle, home to the winged Aevorn people. His pal and werefox Niall is off who knows where, and Bowen spends his days with his family, while honing his summoning powers. But a mysterious woman with a shrouded past appears, bearing a powerful stone, and next thing you know, Bowen embarks on a quest with a new crew. He's thrown into the midst of an invading enemy's forces, up against the greatest threat to the island kingdoms of the world.

And here are the people who feature in both The Bloodheart and The Lightningfall. Lord willing, look forward to a return to this story world at the end of 2017.