Front Matters

Since we have some new readers, we wanted to make sure something is clear. When the two of us started this back in the long forgotten days of the 2010s we had a different book forward than the one we have currently. If you're new to the Lions Book-o-sphere, then here's the short version of what you should find in the front:

Sharing is caring. 

Yup. If you have one of our physical editions, feel free to share with a friend, if you think they'd like it. It's not 2010 anymore and stuff is hard at this moment. There's a lot of unpleasantness in the world. If you think that a friend or loved one might enjoy the distraction of being whisked away to another world, we have no problems with that. To be fair, currently two of our books are from worlds that are at least as equally messed up, but there's also magic! And at least one dragon!

If you happen to have one of our old editions where we ask you not to duplicate or re-sell the book or even to share it, then congrats, you are holding a relic of the olden times.

Thanks to everyone who's reading, rating and/or reviewing our work. We appreciate that you are giving us a chance to distract you for a bit. 

Fate’s Crucible: An Abridged History and Future Plans

It seems that a surprise holiday gift was given to us in the form of a Tik Tok post that at the time of this post has more than 183 thousand views and 16 thousand likes. Personal disclosure: I am old and don’t know if that’s any good.

The upshot is that we have sold many books from that and I hope that means people will be happy with our work. We are very appreciative that you are at least giving us a chance to entertain you.

Here’s some things you might want to know.

This was an idea that started back in September of 2010. Thanks to the power of the internet, we were already two friends who’d been sharing stories with each other, brainstorming new ideas and offering suggestions and edits on work.

And then… one of us asked: “What if we worked together on a book?”

Six years later “Beyond the Burning Sea” appeared after lots of writing, re-writing, editing, etc. 

We had enough material to shorten the cook time for “Between the Darkness & Dust” which came out two years later in 2018.

A lot has happened in the six years after that second book. Real life has gotten in the way of things, but we’ve still been working. The third book of Fate’s Crucible is tentatively titled “Beneath the Torn Sky” and is, in the best possible terms, in progress. 

Will it take another six years? No. You’ve certainly lit a fire under our collective backsides. We will be working harder and faster, but we won’t release anything we don’t feel meets our own internal standards. We will, however, try to post more here and our social media accounts for old and new fans alike. So keep an eye out.

The past does not dictate the future, which remains unwritten today… but tomorrow always comes sooner than you think.

~Tim & Wade

The Short Version

We're not dead, but I can understand why you think so.

Here's the short version:

• Still Writing
• Personal Stuff Happened

Despite all that, we entered a contest here: 10th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off

We made it to the semi finals of our bracket here: Fantasy Faction SPFBOX Finalist

Thanks to Fantasy-Faction and any new readers that come our way. We appreciate you and I/we will try to give some more updates soon.

Thanks from all of us over here at Lions HQ.

A Wild Book Appears! (Updated 4.20.20)

Promo update!

We've added our final currently published title to the Smashwords Authors Give Back Promo.

It Came From Hyperspace!

joins our other titles:

Tales of Yhore: The Chronicles of Monch

Beyond the Burning Sea (Fate's Crucible #1)

Between the Darkness & Dust (Fate's Crucible #2)

Feral

Promo code: AG100 (use this at check out for 100% off!)

Our thanks to Terminus Productions for working with us to add It Came From Hyperspace! to our free offerings. 

If you like what you read in It Came From Hyperspace, you should go check out the RPG Tabletop System it's based on and help another indy artist in the process:

Legion: The Game

Enjoy and stay safe out there.  If you have the option, tuck in and read a book... or five.

>>Update to the update!<<

The Authors Give Back Promotion has been extended to May 31st!  Thanks to everyone who has picked up a book.

Promos, Principles & Pandemics

Some words from us to you about...

PROMOS:

Life has kept us busy. We're still working on Book 3 of Fate's Crucible (no working title yet), but while we slowly chip away at that, we would like to offer you the following titles for FREE on Smashwords:

Tales of Yhore: The Chronicles of Monch

Beyond the Burning Sea (Fate's Crucible #1)

Between the Darkness & Dust (Fate's Crucible #2)

Feral

Promo code: AG100

Use the AG100 promo code when checking out and you can take them all with you for the price of $0.00.  We hope you enjoy and it is a welcome distraction to all of our collective worries.

We're looking into how we can mirror this on Amazon, but... you know... Amazon.

PRINCIPLES:

We're getting around to changing the front matter on these older books, but we'd like to make sure it's spelled out for you here. When we first started all this, we were novices and had a very different view of how we wanted to protect our works. They were a bit overprotective at first. If you have one of those first editions, you'll know what we're talking about. 

We've matured a bit and rewrote those title page notes. Here they are, in case you happen to have or get an older version:

This work is licensed for your personal enjoyment. Please do not electronically duplicate or re-sell. However, if you would like to share this book with a friend, we think that's awesome. We are a home-grown, independent publishing partnership and are thrilled to know you think enough of our work to share it with others. Tell us about it through our social media; links to where you can find us online are in the back. We're grateful for all your rates and reviews. Thank you for reading and sharing!

We mean that. Especially right now. If you get a free book through the promo and think a friend might enjoy it, feel free to pass it along with our blessings.

What about "don't duplicate or resell?" Okay, so we're a bit insecure. We like to see numbers. File-sharing on websites and reselling physical copies makes tracking numbers difficult. We're not going to be mad about it, but please think of our fragile egos.

There are other talks on making things more available on a permanent basis, so keep an eye open for more announcements here.

PANDEMICS:

Please be safe out there during this time. Wash your hands, practice social distancing, listen to reputable scientific sources for best practices. 

We're a fledgling Empire, but we wish health and happiness to all of our friends and family. That includes you, dear readers.

~Lions of the Empire

Test

#NoNoNovember: Day 12: Test
by TB Schmid
--

Raj groaned, knee tendons popping away as he stood up from the monitor. It was an old Klipsch Heresy that Vince refused to shit-can. Temperamental little bastard, so Raj had to get up close and personal during his sound checks.

“Shit!” He barked his shin on the - whatever the hell it was. Mitch said it was a perfectly-scaled model of the Syrian Pentagram, which he and Vince had convinced Lizzy to use as a stage prop. They’d rigged the center of it with all kinds of pyro shit, and she was supposed to emerge from the smoke and mayhem as the Goddess during the intro to their “Vortex” chart-buster.

“Whatever”, Raj grumbled, massaging his shin. Those three were into some pretty crazy shit, even when they weren’t hitting the pipe. He made sure the power feeding the pyro racks was still disconnected before moving to test the microphones.

He flipped the toggle on mic 1. “Testing...1...2-” Feedback screamed back at him.

“What the fuck, Jimmy?” he called out to the scrawny kid behind the soundboard.

“Sorry! Hang on a sec!” Jimmy unplugged a cable from one side of the board and shoved it into a different port. “Ok, give it a shot. Hey, did you check the pit? Thought I saw lights.”

Raj looked over his shoulder at the Pentagram. He could see the bundle of power cables, clearly unplugged and resting on the floor a foot or so away from the prop. Definitely no lights there.

“You saw shit, Jimmy. It’s DC’d.” He leaned back to the mic. “Testing...3...5...7…” His voice resonated through the small theatre, sounding crisp and clear. Jimmy put a thumb up as Raj moved to the next mic.

“Testing. Testing. 11...13...17…”

“Hey what’s with your count, dude?”

“Prime numbers, dumbass. Lizzy likes’em. Says they help her channel her ‘positive feminine energy’ so I-”

“WHOA!” Jimmy cut him off. “What the fuck?!”

“What now?”

“Lights, dude. I’m telling you, check the pyro plugs before you blow your ass up!”

Raj flipped him off and checked them again, even though he knew they weren’t connected. He didn’t know if Jimmy was fucking with him or seeing things, but doors would be open in about an hour so they had to wrap this shit up. He couldn’t know that one particular Door would be open well before that.

He moved to mic 3, Vince’s vintage Myrtle that he’d had modified to replace Ear Trumpet’s spring assembly with - you guessed it, folks! - a pentagram.

“Testing...19...23...29...come in Goddess. We’re ready for you - do you copy?” He chuckled to himself. Behind the soundboard, Jimmy was standing, eyes wide as subwoofers.

“MESSAGE RECEIVED,” a host of female voices thundered from seemingly everywhere, and Raj fell to his knees...

Delicious & Farmhouse

#NoNoNovember: Days 10 & 11: Delicious & Farmhouse

by TB Schmid

--

The farmhouse leaned precariously into the wind. Overhead, thin clouds slid across the sky, a veil of silver torn from the face of the moon. He could hear the house grumbling from where he stood in the swaying shadows of the orchard, but the complaints sounded more habitual than the result of any true weakness. He sniffed the night air, confirming it: her timbers were dry, but strong. The lean was deceptive, and the wind was no threat to it.

But he was.

He left the shadows and padded silently across the empty field, being careful to avoid the warm squares of light spilling from the window. He wanted to surprise them this time.

He caught a glimpse of them at the dining room table, toasting one another, wine sloshing down their pale arms like blood - like a prophecy. His stomach rumbled.

The wind gusted as he took the steps leading up to the front porch, the night's searching fingers reaching beneath his coat. He shivered in delicious anticipation, fighting to hold back the ancient song rising in his powerful throat. That would come after, when it was done, for he had no wish to share. Instead, he drew himself up, puffed up his great chest, and pounded the door. It rattled and bucked in its frame, but held. He smiled, long teeth glinting in the moonlight.

He forced his throat and tongue to form the strange sounds they called words:

"Little pigs, little pigs..."