It was a quiet winter here on the blog, but I’m back. I’ve been typing away at the sequel to Crystal Promise (yes, I’m still juggling alternate titles in my head…unsure about Crystal Empire) and setting up book signings and new consignment venues for the spring/summer.
The most exciting bit of news, however, is that my girlfriend Kim is going to be on the radio this afternoon! Tune in to The Zone 91.3 in Victoria to hear her talk about Crystal Promise, musical influences and being a teacher, and listen very carefully for the subtext of how cool and awesome she is.
I’m also doing a book giveaway for the month of May, so if you’re interested you can sign up on goodreads.com and enter for a chance to win a free signed copy of Crystal Promise here.
I have a book signing scheduled for the 18th of May at Chapters Chinook in Calgary. Stay tuned for information about prizes I’ll be giving away, as well as a special sneak preview reading of Crystal Empire (working title)!
In the meantime, here’s another sneak preview of some of the work I’ve been doing. As you may or may not know, the world of Crystal Promise is loosely based on early 20th-century Europe, but some of the technology is different. Back in the days before television, radio plays were a very popular form of entertainment, and the family would gather around the radio to listen to an episode of The Shadow much in the same way that we get together to catch our favourite HBO and AMC dramas (minus those who download, of course). I’ve been working on some pieces to weave into the narrative of Crystal Empire. Inspired by radio plays, science fiction and WW1 dogfighting, I give you Crystal Captain:
Excerpt from the radio drama ‘Crystal Captain’
Episode 10 – ‘Rescue from Stormspeaker Station’
Narrator: Welcome back for another thrilling episode of ‘Crystal Captain’, the adventures of sky-speaker Captain Corvelius and his daring crew of skyship fliers. I’m your host with the most, Marius Ghost, here to bring you the next hair-raising, mind-shattering chapter.
Narrator: Episode Ten – ‘Rescue from Sky Station Alpha’. Tension condenses in the skies above the downtrodden nation of Neonovus. An uneasy ceasefire has been called between Neonovus and the Alliance of Kingdoms, but as the prime minister of Neonovus negotiates with the power-hungry kings for a lasting peace, many mercenary fliers have turned pirate and joined with the most nefarious pirate of them all – Captain Belzegor!
Narrator: Captain Corvelius, eager to keep his brigade’s skills shiny and protect the innocent from piracy, led a daring raid against Captain Belzegor’s hideout, the infamous Stormspeaker Station. However, a trap had been set for the First Sky Brigade, and Alliance fliers, disguised as pirates, assisted the roguish Belzegor. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, our hero and his friends fought bravely, but just as the good captain radioed to retreat and regroup, his skycraft was hit by scattershot. The last his brigade saw of him, he and his wrecked ship were hurtling toward the dock of Belzegor’s nimbus-fortress.
Narrator: Our scene opens in a stone jail cell with no windows. The bars are cold skyiron, harder than any steel we know of today. When we last left our hero, the dashing, handsome and capable Captain Caius Corvelius of the First Sky Brigade, he had been taken prisoner by the nefarious leader of the Storm Pirates, Captain Belzegor.
Corvelius: Urgh…these bars…stuck tight. No way out. Curse you, Belzegor! You’ll pay for this. All I can do now is wait and trust that my men will come and rescue me. But wait…the lock. It appears to be supercrystal. I’ll just get my amulet, and…
(Cue dramatic music)
Corvelius: Shards! My father’s amulet! It’s gone!
(Cue Belzegor’s theme. Sound of marching feet.)
Corvelius: Belzegor. You fiend!
Belzegor: Fiend? My dear captain, you were defeated, true as Tybal. There is no cause to throw insults, though I can certainly understand your shame, ha-ha-ha! How it must shatter you, to know that your proud airship was scattershot down by the very man who slew your father.
(Cue dramatic music)
Corvelius: Spare me your lies, pirate. Commander Cassius, my father, is on a mission of secrecy for the republic. And speaking of my father, what have you done with his crystal amulet, you dirty thief?
(Sound of a heavy metal chain)
Belzegor: Oh, you mean this amulet? I think it is becoming on me, don’t you, captain? You poor wretch. It seems as though there is nothing that I cannot take away from you. Your skycraft, your father, your family heirloom which is the secret to your power…
Corvelius: I tell you my father is alive!
Belzegor: Oh, but I just love being the bearer of bad news. I know all about the commander’s secret rendezvous with the king of Moonpeak Mountain. But I’m afraid he may have been…waylaid. Ah-ha! Ha-ha-ha-haaaa…
Corvelius: You lie!
Belzegor: Do I, captain? Then tell me, why would I have…this?
(Cue dramatic music)
Corvelius: But…it cannot be! My mother’s ring, companion to the amulet. Where did you get that?
Belzegor: Where else but from your father’s cold finger. Mua-ha-ha-haaaa…
(Cue dramatic music)
Corvelius: Nooooooo! It cannot be!
Belzegor: Well, I have gloated enough. There is plenty enough for me to do…hunt down your sky brigade to the last man, use the power of the amulet and the ring together to control the kingdoms and destroy your petty republic once and for all, that kind of thing. After that perhaps I’ll conquer the stars, who knows? Goodbye, captain. I’d let you join your mother and father in the abyss, but it’s so much better to watch you suffer. Ah-ha! Ha-ha-ha-haaaa…
(Sound of footsteps)
Corvelius: Jova curse you! Father…can it be true? I cannot believe that Belzegor would ever best you in a sky-tilt, but sure enough, there was the ring. I have failed you, father. The sky-amulet and earth-ring were bequeathed to mother and father so that lesser hearts would not be tempted by their power…and now they have both fallen into the hands of the worst kind of power-monger. But how did he ever discover father’s mission?
A woman’s voice: Are you going to talk to yourself all day? Some of us are trying to rot away in peace and quiet.
Corvelius: Who said that?
A woman’s voice: You’re brave, captain, but not too bright and clear, are you? I’m in the next cell over. My name’s Marquela.
Corvelius: Well, my lady Marquela, at least I’ll have some company while I wait for a rescue from the First Sky Brigade.
Marquela: You’re going to wait for a rescue? But Belzegor is surely setting a trap for any fliers who approach the station.
Corvelius: We already fell into a trap. They will not hesitate to rescue their captain.
Marquela: Well some of us can’t wait that long. Don’t you have a hidden crystal somewhere that can open the lock?
Corvelius: I did. It shattered when I used it to replace the seventh sky seal of Samalus.
Marquela: I heard once that you have a crystal button on your coat.
Corvelius: Ah, yes. I used it to defeat a moon-beast last year.
Marquela: And?
Corvelius: The beast swallowed it.
Marquela: I see. Well, I suppose I’ll have to do everything, then. If I toss something in front of your cell, can you reach through the bars and get it?
Corvelius: Yes, I believe so. What is it?
(Sound of a crystal falling on the ground)
Marquela: This.
Corvelius: A crystal earring? Why didn’t you say so?
Marquela: I just did, captain. Try not to shatter it; it was a gift.
Corvelius: Such a gift! Who are you, my lady, to receive such adornment?
Marquela: Can we just worry about escaping first? Gods, captain, less talking and more speaking.
Corvelius: Just a moment, my lady. And…there!
(Sound of rusty hinges)
Corvelius: And now, your cell.
(Sound of rusty hinges)
Corvelius: You are free!
Marquela: Please, announce it to the entire station.
Corvelius: My lady, some gratitude may be in order.
Marquela: Yes, you are very brave, captain. Those crystal locks didn’t stand a chance.
Corvelius: They were supercrystal, I’ll have you know.
Marquela: Ah, a mighty foe, then, for the captain of the First Sky Brigade. My earring, if you please.
Corvelius: My lady, I still have need of it. Otherwise we are defenceless.
Marquela: (Sigh) Lead on, then, captain.
Corvelius: I was unconscious when I was brought here. Do you know the way out?
Marquela: I suppose I must do everything. Follow me.
Narrator: And so, our hero and the saucy but beautiful prisoner Marquela traversed the cold, damp dungeon of Belzegor’s sky fortress. Dear listeners, let us pray that the captain’s wits hold out longer than his luck, for he is armed with only a tiny crystal from an earring…
Marquela: Look out! Guards!
Corvelius: Ignatio!
(Crystal sound effect. Sound of fire. Guards screaming.)
Corvelius: Quickly, now. I think they may be alerted to our presence.
Marquela: Unless screaming in agony is commonplace here. Take this wand and I’ll take the other. I think this is the dock. Where is your ship, captain?
Corvelius: Grievously damaged, my lady.
Marquela: We must take one of their ships, then.
Corvelius: What? Steal a ship? Why, I’d be no better than they are!
Marquela: You fliers and your honour. We don’t have much choice, captain.
Corvelius: But I…look out!
(Sound of explosions)
Marquela: Look! Fliers! They’re firing at the dock!
Corvelius: My lady! Take cover here!
(Sound of explosions)
Corvelius: It is my brigade. Come, we must join the fight. The pirates are taking to the skies.
Marquela: But if you take one of their ships, your brigade will fire upon you, thinking you to be a pirate.
Corvelius: We cannot remain here, the dock is ablaze!
(Cue Belzegor’s theme)
Belzegor: Not so fast, captain!
Corvelius: Quickly, Marquela. Into the flier, go! I shall hold him off.
Marquela: But…
Corvelius: Go!
Narrator: As Marquela climbs into a ship, Captain Corvelius holds a tiny crystal in his hand, preparing to face off with his nemesis, who now wields the greatest power on earth and in the sky! Can Marquela survive against the First Sky Brigade? Will Corvelius avenge his father’s murder? Tune in next Joveday, same time, for the next thrilling chapter of Crystal Captain! I’m your host with the most, Marius Ghost, bidding you a pleasant evening, listeners…
(Cue Crystal Captain theme)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jknfiEBZdRw
Leave a Reply