The Black Wing Chronicles – Graphic Novel??

In the absence of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday Snippets this week, I’m offering a belated Christmas present, or a Happy New Year’s treat.

Thanks to author Patrick Stutzman, my children and I whiled away many happy hours playing with Hero Machine online. My daughter created a very stylish warrior princess. My younger son created “Chick Man,” a superhero chicken. My older son created a series of scantily-clad barbarian beauties…along with a warrior or two.

Naturally, I took a stab at Blade Devon.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the hero maker software and I look forward to trying my hand at a few frames for a graphic novel. It’s something I’ve been considering for decades. There isn’t currently one in the works, but what do you think? Should there be?

Saturday Snippet: Flank That

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ HERO’S END.

By this point, in the book, Blade’s back is against the wall. There have been several attempts on his life, one nearly successful, and he’s been ordered to give up his holofeature career and the woman he loves to take a safe desk job, complete with high security and body guards to protect him ~ a situation akin to life in prison with no chance of parole. He’s only just barely shaken the men assigned to protect him. His window for disappearing is rapidly dwindling. This scene is one last big gamble where he’s throwing all his chips into the pot and hoping he can pull out a winning hand.

***

You know, you’re in way over your head, don’t you?” Blade countered matter-of-factly. “I’m sorry… What did you say your name was?”

“Kayne,” he replied, “and yeah. It’s occurred to me.”

Blade shook his head. “It’s only a matter of time before you’re flanked and overrun,” he said. “They’ve started going for position. If they get the upper hand, it’s going to be a bloodbath.”

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!

Saturday Snippet: Not A Holofeature

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ HERO’S END.

By this point, in the book, Blade’s back is against the wall. There have been several attempts on his life, one nearly successful, and he’s been ordered to give up his holofeature career and the woman he loves to take a safe desk job, complete with high security and body guards to protect him ~ a situation akin to life in prison with no chance of parole. He’s only just barely shaken the men assigned to protect him. His window for disappearing is rapidly dwindling. This scene is one last big gamble where he’s throwing all his chips into the pot and hoping he can pull out a winning hand.

***

The two young men looked more like bored, spoiled sons of well-to-do families than mercenaries or private investigators. Between their trendy clothes and their up-to-the-millisecond haircuts, they looked more like they belonged in a teen fan periodical.

A shot whizzed past the young man’s head and he ducked lower behind his cover. Though he was about Blade’s height, he managed to hunker tightly down, getting very small. Another blast struck sending sparks showering over them. He covered his head with his hands.

“You might want to try shooting back at them,” Blade said, folding his arms across his chest.

The young man stared at him; his brown eyes wide with disbelief and fear. “You do know this isn’t a holofeature, don’t you?”

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!

Saturday Snippet: Who Brings A Client To A Firefight?

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ HERO’S END.

By this point, in the book, Blade’s back is against the wall. There have been several attempts on his life, one nearly successful, and he’s been ordered to give up his holofeature career and the woman he loves to take a safe desk job, complete with high security and body guards to protect him ~ a situation akin to life in prison with no chance of parole. He’s only just barely shaken the men assigned to protect him. His window for disappearing is rapidly dwindling. This scene is one last big gamble where he’s throwing all his chips into the pot and hoping he can pull out a winning hand.

***

He shook his head in disbelief. A shot hit the partition sending him ducking behind it. “Umm… they’re the bad guys.”

“What did they do?” Blade asked.

“They took a diary that belonged to a lady,” he said. He flinched as a volley of shots struck the other side of the wall. “We were hired to recover it. We did and they want it back. Adin’s up there in the balcony with our client trying to keep her from getting shot.”

Blade peered up into the balcony. “What the hell is your client doing in the middle of a firefight?”

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!

Saturday Snippet: Method Acting

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ HERO’S END.

By this point, in the book, Blade’s back is against the wall. There have been several attempts on his life, one nearly successful, and he’s been ordered to give up his holofeature career and the woman he loves to take a safe desk job, complete with high security and body guards to protect him ~ a situation akin to life in prison with no chance of parole. He’s only just barely shaken the men assigned to protect him. His window for disappearing is rapidly dwindling. This scene is one last big gamble where he’s throwing all his chips into the pot and hoping he can pull out a winning hand.

***

The young man muttered a curse and turned his attention back to the firefight. After a few seconds he turned back to Blade.

“Wait… did you say you’re Blade Devon?” he asked.

Blade nodded. “In the flesh.” He sat down beside the man in blithe unconcern and stripped off his riding gloves. “So what’s my motivation? What’s the conflict? Who are those guys?” He nodded towards the eight gunmen.

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!

Saturday Snippet: I’m Blade Devon

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ HERO’S END.

This is a difficult scene to take out of context. By this point, in the book, Blade’s back is against the wall. There have been several attempts on his life, one nearly successful, and he’s been ordered to give up his holofeature career and the woman he loves to take a safe desk job, complete with high security and body guards to protect him ~ a situation akin to life in prison with no chance of parole. He’s only just barely shaken the men assigned to protect him. His window for disappearing is rapidly dwindling. This scene is one last big gamble where he’s throwing all his chips into the pot and hoping he can pull out a winning hand.

***

Blade studied the ongoing firefight, moving steadily towards a better vantage point. As near as he could tell, three gunmen faced at least eight with a half-dozen innocent bystanders trapped in the crossfire. The civilians were his first priority. He moved towards the nearest of the gunmen.

Surprisingly young, he crouched down behind a partition and fired over the civilians’ heads at the eight men who had taken positions along the stage and wings. He didn’t sense Blade’s approach until Blade was nearly on top of him. He turned quickly and leveled his blaster at him. Blade stopped and held out his hands to his sides.

“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to startle you… I’m Blade Devon.”

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!

Saturday Snippet: Shrinking Starlets

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ HERO’S END.

***

He sidled up to the doorframe and peered inside.

Two young humanoid females huddled behind a row of dank and musty seats, sobbing in terror. They reeked of that strange combination of sweet fragility and blind ambition that marked aspiring starlets. Ordinarily he didn’t see their type this frightened outside of fending off lecherous producers.

Energy blasts split the air around them.

Poor kids.

Fear paralyzed them making them stay put when good sense should be pushing them out the door to safety. They weren’t really in the line of fire, but they way they huddled there, one would think they were pinned down.

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!

Saturday Snippet: The Last Firefight?

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ HERO’S END.

Blade heads into a firefight in a theater, and his life is about to change forever.

***

He glanced at the darkness that filled the open door of the theater. Colorful flashes lit the shadows. The unmistakable whine and hiss of blaster fire punctuated the shrieks and howls of civilians unaccustomed to live fire.

Maker help him. If he didn’t find a way around Marin’s orders, this could well be his last firefight, too, and that simply wouldn’t do. They were too damn much fun.

Blade strode up the walk to the open door, unfastening his jacket as he went. If he needed the blaster nestled in the shoulder holster under his arm, he wanted to be able to reach it. If he played his role right, he wouldn’t need it. Nothing short of a squad of IC-trained Predators would provide much of a challenge.

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!

Saturday Snippet: Research? Riiiiight.

Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Snippets of ten sentences or less are yours for the reading!

Today’s snippet comes from Book Two of The Black Wing Chronicles ~ and a short story DEATH OF A HOLOFEATURE HERO.

This is a life-altering gunfight for Blade, and it takes place in a theater. Hell of an audition, right?

***

“You’re not going in there!” She cried, throwing her arms around his neck again.

Swallowing his annoyance, he pried her loose. “Don’t worry about me,” he said with a grin, slipping easily into the holofeature hero role he’d played ever since he walked away from his Inner Circle career five years earlier. “I’m just going to take a look in the door and see if I can help anyone else get out before the authorities get here. I’m not a hero, I only play one in holofeatures.”

He shrugged her off. Now wasn’t really the time.

“Call it research for my next role.” He nudged her towards the security office. “Go get help.”

***

That’s the snippet for the week. Thank you for stopping by. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful authors taking part in Science Fiction/Fantasy Saturday!