Monday, July 4, 2016

Graphic Novel & Other Book Finished

I have just now published a digital webcomic version of my first graphic novel, "Little Undead Riding Hood," and you can read all three parts at the Imgur links below:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I hope you have fun reading it!


I will see in August about getting a print edition of this comic available on the Lulu store, but I will need to check the quality of the first editions for ink smears/etc. since I have not attempted using their services to print a comic before. I will post updates and photos once I have checked the product for quality assurance from their site.

Also, I have recently published my 5th written novel, entitled "Is This Ad Relevant to You?" and the paperback is available at the Lulu online store along with all of my other titles. The book can be found here:




This one is more of a crime/espionage dark comedy, so if you're a fan of cynical humor and outrageous satire, this might be just your cup o' tea.

As always, I appreciate feedback from anyone who has read or viewed my work, and I will continue working hard on other projects. Expect the premier issue of my full-color comic, "High School Demon Hunter," to be available early this fall and more music hopefully before the end of 2016.

-J.C.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Rodenhold, Book 2 Now Available & New Comic TBA

After a long hiatus working on other projects, I'm pleased to present you with Volume 2 of the "Rodenhold" series, entitled "Rising Tension."


This book takes place nearly three years after the first, where Ilyana (spoiler) is now fully-grown after traveling outside of time to train to become an Apex warrior, and she is now a member of the Dead Lotus, an all-female stealth unit. When being attacked by a stranger in red armor on a routine expedition, they discover quickly that none of their weapons can penetrate it save for Ilyana's Crimson weapon. Since Crimson can only be cut by purer Crimson and nothing else, this leads them to suspect that the enemy's entire suit of armor is made of Crimson, and judging from a unique attack it uses, Captain Lydia assumes their aggressor may be a rogue former female member of the Dead Lotus back for revenge.

Meanwhile, King Daedelus has been absent to work on an important project crucial to the war, leaving Princess Nadine and the 90 esteemed Councilmen of Rodenhold to supervise the city. When the princess suspects a traitor within the Council conspiring with a Zenith Lord to surrender the war to the Zenith and allow the humans to become wiped out completely, she sends the Dead Lotus members on a mission to retrieve the Zenith Lord that has been intercepted with an advanced new tracking system. On their way to intercept the conspirator, the Dead Lotus soon finds more trouble than they bargained for.

The High Zenith Priest Unduzi is one step away from resurrecting the Zenith god and sealing the fate of the world forever. All that is needed is a sacrifice: one who is part-human, part-Apex, and the champion of both worlds. Only one such person exists, the green-eyed girl with the Crimson blade, Vanguard Ilyana the Swift.

You can preview and/or buy the paperback at this link:

Rodenhold, Volume 2: Rising Tension

Cover art by Dibujante-Nocturno, from Spain.



Also in the works, I'm laboring at completing my first graphic novel, a dark comedy where all of your favorite childhood fables are facing a zombie apocalypse. The book contains coarse language and is intended only for "mature" audiences (haha, yeah right.) Not a set release date for this one, hopefully should be done in about a month but I've got a few college courses to finish up before I begin my career as an X-ray tech in addition to all of this other stuff and more. Lots of stuff to do before I die (and maybe afterward.)

-J.C.

Here are a few pages from "Little Undead Riding Hood" below for your enjoyment:










Update: New books and music album! I've been hard at work.

Wow, time to dust off this old page and let all of you (0 total people) know what's been going on in the wonderful world of J.C. lately!

So aside from the "Rodenhold" series, I've also published two stand-alone novels and I'm nearly done working on a short graphic novel as well.

"Inferno Application" is a sci-fi psychological thriller wherein the main character, Scott Peretti, is recovering from an experimental criminal rehabilitation program that places murderers and convicts in a chair to wear a virtual reality headset that fires impulses at specific areas of their brain to distort their perception of time, leading them to believe they've been captive inside of the "Inferno" program for years even though in reality the process only takes a few hours. Sean's virtual sentence was meant to seem like a millennium, and when he exits the console he begins struggling with what he and his wife suspect to be PTSD. Strange visions haunt him and clues are left at every turn, making him wonder if his son's cryptic warnings are somehow connected to something far worse.

The book is available on Lulu at this link:

Inferno Application (paperback) on Lulu







"The Sect" is also available on Lulu. If you're not into horror (and I mean horror, not that monotonous Hollywood junk) then you might as well steer clear. Roy and Jan Ackerman are a set of parents who move with their adopted daughter, Cheryl, to a small town in Iowa called Angel's Road. Upon settling in, however, strange things begin to happen. Scarecrows are found in places they wouldn't normally be. Peculiar warnings in black ink appear everywhere, and the townsfolk seem to know something but are reluctant to reveal it to the new movers. When Cheryl is abducted by a cult from the town's local church, her parents are forced to make an impossible decision: make her "walk through the fire" or watch her suffer The Martyr's Death, a fate far worse than death itself. Brace yourself for an intense read and find out if you can stomach your way through to the shocking twist at the end:

The Sect (paperback) on Lulu





I suppose I might as well mention this while I'm giving you all of these updates. Writing isn't the only thing I do, as I stated in my previous post I am also drawing and coloring comics, but I've also began dabbling (heavily) in music production and I've recently finished creating an album. It's a rap album so yeah, you might not like it, and it seems atypical for an author to spit mad bars, but you might be surprised when you hear it. This isn't the proper way to market to people since it's the first thing that'll turn you away, but I created and mastered all of the beats and performed all of the lyrics, even made the cover art from scratch. The album is on iTunes at the link below and plenty of songs are available on my YouTube channel as well. I use a variety of musical styles on the album and if you like dubstep & electronic, check out the song "White Kids Can't Rap" (with the green lightning and robot-head-thingy.) I figured I might as well mention it since this page is about my creative efforts as a whole, not just books.

DTR - "Over My Dead Body" full album on iTunes





Whew! So, I guess that about covers everything for the updates. Just know that with everything I do, I go hard at it. Yeah. Have a good year!


-J.C.

Monday, May 19, 2014

New Comic Series Under Way!

Due to cover art delays, "Rodenhold Volume 2" is publication TBA status at this point. In the meantime, I have decided to begin work on a new and (for the most part) FULL-color comic series, "High School Demon Hunter." Below is a sample pic of page 4 from the first issue.

The series will be split into 16 issues total which will (once they are completed) be available for sale in printed comic book form, and each of the 3 separate parts of each issue will be uploaded as a webcomic for anyone interested to read them for free online.

I will continue working on novels, comic books, and other fun things. Please share your thoughts!



Thursday, January 17, 2013

Get the Volume 1 Soundtrack for FREE!

I know it's been some time, but the Rodenhold Volume 1: The Vanguard Official Reader's Companion Soundtrack is now available for FREE at this link:

www.artistsignal.com/jcstone

Here you can listen to the full tracks online in your web browser as well as download them to your computer and save them to your iPod or tablet device. Page numbers are listed on each track to give you an idea of where they might set the mood best when reading and listening, although you are certainly welcome to experiment with when they are played for a unique reading experience.

These are really meant as test files, what I really want to do in the end is narrate a full-length audiobook with music and sound effects, but it'll take a while experimenting with music production software for me to reach that point. It's going to take a while to create, but I promise it'll be epic.

Please send all comments, questions and hate speech to:

digitalepiphany24@gmail.com

I have already started several other projects at once and am doing my best not to bite off more than I can chew. Thank you for your time and enjoy.

-J.C.


                                              (Esther fighting the Sirens in Volume 1)


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

AT LAST!

I am pleased to announce that Rodenhold, Volume 1: The Vanguard is now available for purchase in softcover from Lulu.com. The link to view it is here:

Rodenhold, Volume 1: The Vanguard softcover from Lulu



Art by GENZOMAN (Note: The cross-shape on the red sword is not intended to be a Christian crucifix, I suppose I should have made that clear to the artist. The series is not meant to be religious or anti-religious.)

If you're not quite certain if you'd be interested in the book, please take a look at the following short excerpt below. You should also be able to read a free sample on Lulu. Hopefully the book will be available on Kindle and other mediums in the near future, since this is my first work I've had some formatting problems but it certainly looks good on the pages.

Please feel free to report any problems or concerns. This has been a long process, and took some very hard work.

All the best
-J.C.


EXCERPT FROM VOLUME 1: THE VANGUARD

(From Chapter 11: The Duel)




            Orion had luckily made it in time to witness the spectacle as he leaned forward in curiosity, the insect’s thousand tiny eyes focusing their attention on the sight before him. “The sword that can cut through anything, against the armor that can’t be pierced? This, I have to see...”

                                   *              *              *

               All stood frozen in suspense for a moment, the three figures neglecting to make any sudden movement. Sean fought to catch his breath, cursing the toll age was taking on his body. On the other side of Ilyana at the exact same distance from her as Sean, there stood a terrifying figure in pointy black armor from head to toe. Its long, narrow helmet curved upward on the rear edges to form what looked like the antlers of a deer as the figure remained still where it was. There were no eyes, or at least if there had been, there was no slit in the helmet for the creature to be able to see outward with them. All animal life seemed to have abandoned the scene, silence the only sound in those few tense moments.
                In a flash the figure charged toward Ilyana, and Sean dashed forward at a matching speed, drawing the red sword swiftly. After mere seconds their weapons met fully drawn and clashed together not an inch above the top of the girl’s head.
                She stood paralyzed for a moment beneath the two swords, amazed that she was still alive and well. It had all happened so blindingly fast. It seemed she was in a rather precarious position, as neither blade budged above where she stood.
                The black knight’s sword consisted of a long, holographic neon glow laced with various Zenith patterns. The sword drawn against it was the large Crimson blade dubbed the Sword of Vermeer, holding it at an even strength. The edges of the weapons caused a level of friction that sent sparks flying into the air around them and a screeching noise like the brakes of a train.
                It was difficult to overcome the monster’s strength with Sean’s own. This was the beast he had been warned of beforehand, a black Zenith knight with armor that could not be chipped away by any force on the earth. Sean then focused all of the power left within him, and soon his arms were jolted with incredible strength. A wave of his power flowed around the blade’s edge as he gripped it, pressing it against the knight’s holographic blade with newfound determination. Moments later, the Sword of Vermeer inched forward through the translucent material of the enemy’s weapon and began cutting its way slowly through the opposing sword.
                The second Sean’s adversary noticed it, the shadow jumped away a fair distance and stood still with its sword flickering in hand behind its back. Several moments passed as the masked figure contemplated the situation inwardly. Then, in the silence of the forest, a low distorted voice crept out from underneath the black knight’s helmet, bringing with it the chill one might experience when finding a nest of spiders inside an abandoned basement.
               <Many have faced me with that sword…> The creature’s weapon raised into the air above its head, then whirled around in a symmetrical pattern at a dizzying speed before resting at its side several moments later. <All have fallen.>
                The Sword of Vermeer swung around as Sean pointed it at his enemy. “Ilyana, get back!” The black knight’s sword slammed against the red blade as Sean was nearly lifted from his feet by the force of the strike.
                “Sean!” screamed Ilyana as she backed away against the tree line nearby. The black knight’s strength seemed to outclass Sean’s by twice over at that point. The holographic blade glowed an intense and seething color, waves emanating from the enchanted weapon that tore away nearby trees in their totality.
                The potency of the gusts threw Ilyana away from their proximity as the two supernatural beings clashed to the death in a heated frenzy of cataclysmic attacks. The two figures darted around the area, slashing at one another with precision and power only to be outdone by one another at every turn.
                “I thought you were supposed to be more powerful than me!” shouted Sean to his enemy. “Why can’t you hit me?”
                <Powerful?> the creature asked him, stopping suddenly. <Do you wish to know the meaning of the word? Very well then, Vanguard...I will allow a demonstration, seeing as how you are so unfamiliar with that which has granted me my infamy among your ranks.> The black entity stood still with its sword hovering vertically between its hands, the blade pointing at the ground as its heavy voice uttered an incantation. <“Stars shimmer in the fading light of dusk, and the bright orb in the sky sets slowly over the western village. Nightfall; the death of the sun!”>
                A low moaning sound crept up from the ground, covering the dark figure in a shroud of magnetic energy. With tremendous velocity, the Zenith blade swung at Sean’s neck, narrowly giving the Vanguard just enough time to dodge the attack. Ilyana screamed his name, but he could barely hear it above his adversary’s malicious advances. The black knight’s armor had grown longer spikes, but the real advance was in the creature’s speed. The thick forest blocking the sun did Sean no favors.
               The tip of the black knight’s sword swung behind Sean’s knee and severed the tendons, bringing the Vanguard to his knees. The sight caused Ilyana to gasp in shock, realizing quickly that both of their lives were now on the line.
                The warrior collapsed out of breath yet again, battling with the inner pain coursing upward through him. Golden blood flowed from the back of his leg as he knelt there wounded. However it was not enough to stop him, nowhere near close. He rose again and charged with all of his might toward the shadow before being knocked down once more by a tremendous blow to the side of the head. The Vanguard collapsed breathless before the figure, fighting over and over but failing to land any successful attack on his enemy. Things had gone from bad to worse.
                In an instant, the knight’s sword sliced across Sean’s wrist, and the red sword flew out of his grip before embedding itself hilt-up in the ground nearby. He landed on the side of his face as he watched Ilyana stand there, her expression stricken with a level of terror he hadn’t seen her succumb to since the moment he first encountered her in that village. The black figure above him prepared to execute him on the spot, leaving him no chance of survival. Its spiny gauntlet grasped the back of Sean’s head and yanked him upward as the fiend held the edge of the glowing Zenith blade inches from his throat.
                <Does it pain you?> asked his foe as the creature held him there, ready to slice through his neck and end it all. <Is it painful to realize how close you had come to victory before your defeat? You would have done well to heed the many warnings of your comrades. Now, all that is left for you are the consequences for your ignorance. She will die because of you, Vanguard, and you will die because of her.>
               At that precise moment, the sun had shifted to a break in the trees above the cliff nearby to illuminate the scene completely. Sunlight flooded across them as the clouds began to clear, the brightness of daylight delivering its warmth to the ground below. Before the blade had the chance to cut through the man’s neck, a blinding flash knocked the dark figure backward several steps as the warrior of light became engulfed in an explosion of solar energy that bore a hole into the ground where he knelt.
               The relentless flow of light made the very earth vibrate as Sean’s overwhelming power transformed his body into a creature of a higher level of existence. Golden plates of armor covered his figure from head to toe, completely protecting him from all angles and a mask that seemed to be somewhat alive shielded his face, his eyes glaring at his foe as waves of fire licked from them. Holographic wings appeared on his back, projecting their stupendous aura as Sean spoke the words he had been waiting to say from the moment their journey began.
                “Ultimate...Maximum!”

Friday, September 28, 2012

Almost There!

Just a few more days until Rodenhold, Volume 1: The Vanguard is available for purchase from Lulu.com! Soon after that, the Rodenhold Official Reader's Companion Soundtrack will be available on ArtistSignal as well.

I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think of these tracks and the book so I can work even harder on the next one! It's been a lengthy process, but it sure has been worth it. Also check out the new Rodenhold Facebook page! Stay tuned for more, and take care.

-J.C.

                                         (Penumbra in armored form, from Volume 1)