Duke

@jgduke

Literary musings. Black Lives Matter. All cops are bastards. Free Palestine. Trans rights are human rights. AI is a scam.

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Duke@jgduke· 19d

#QuestPit #YA #F #Q A TCHAO IN ILIMAK Book 2 in #AStoryOfDainu; same timeline as book 1, from a different perspective. Abducted and sold to a foreign army, Tro must adapt in order to survive this strange land full of magic and violence. War is hell, but maybe he doesn’t have to endure it alone.

Picture is a (temporary) book cover. A tiny new shoot is growing from a chopped-down tree trunk. White text reads "A Tchao in Ilimak, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke".

Duke@jgduke· 19d

Politics of ASoFaI X imagery of Miyazaki X dynamics of Pride and Prejudice LONG LIVE THE QUEEN Three hundred years after the rightful lineage is exiled, the heir comes to reclaim what is his. Taking Ral Palace is easy; keeping it is another story. #QuestPit #YA #F #Q #AmQuerying #EpicFantasy

Picture is a temporary book cover. A golden crown sits over a black background. White text reads "Long Live the Queen, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke."

Duke@jgduke· 21d

Welp! Stray #4 has entered the chat. 😅 Her tentative name is Jarvel Studebaker. #Cat #StrayCat #FeedingStrays #CatColony

Duke@jgduke· 24d

As promised: check out all these incredible scenes from our vacation in #Alaska! #RessurectionBay #HumpbackWhale #SpencerGlacier #CanadianRockies #Vacation #FantasticWritingMotivation #WritingCommunity

Duke@jgduke· Jul 9

#FantasyIndiesJuly 9- aesthetic. I don't have or really do aesthetic boards. The world and characters are so new and unique, I don't think pre-existing concepts capture any of them well. But imagine epic fantasy, with no dragons, elves, dwarves, or orges, and not based in Europe for once.

Picture is a daily prompt for writers to share miscellaneous aspects about their works in progress throughout the month of July. The associated hashtag is # Fantasy Indies July.

Duke@jgduke· Jul 7

#FantasyIndiesJuly 7: unlikely friendships That Ambea and Dotano, the king's wife and brother respectively, get along so well is actually a plot point. It makes the king's mother nervous, since she knows Dotano doesn't like her. She even tries to accuse Ameba of harboring affection for him. 1/2

Picture is a temporary book cover. A golden crown sits centered on a black background. White text reads "Long Live the Queen, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke".

Duke@jgduke· Jul 5

#FantasyIndiesJuly 5: sports or athletic activities In LLtQ, Dokiro really likes swimming and sailing. Ambea is quite good at archery, and her entire tribe enjoys the autumn hunts. Otherwise, there's the obvious strength and athleticism needed to wield swords and fight battles and all that.

Picture is a daily prompt for indie authors to share miscellaneous aspects of their work throughout the month of July. The associated hashtag is #FantasyIndiesJuly.

Duke@jgduke· Jul 4

#SummerOfStories 4: a goosebump inducing scene. I really hate sharing snippets. I'm legit paranoid of social media bots and fake intelligence algorithms stealing my intellectual property. So- *This and all other snippets may NOT be used for any AI content or system purposes whatsoever.*

Picture is a snippet from the book Long Live the Queen, by JG Duke.
It reads:
"...The last is Ral, which you are set to lord."
"Exactly. So why should I care? If you win, I become a Commander at best. If you fail, I become a king."
Dokiro shook his head with calm correction. "If you have a son, he'll be king. You: you will be nothing more than another lord in the endless waves of lords and ladies of the palace. You will be the Queen's consort; the king’s father; little more than a farmer sowing his seeds."
Rojano's willingness to listen was quickly fading. "Watch yourself, Lord Alam."
Dokiro was finally satisfied. He had made the lord-to-be upset, and that was all he needed. Anger stirred the mind and kept doubts near the surface. Doubt would be enough.
He stood. "If I win, and you support me, you'll be a Commander. If I win, and you are against me- well, you won't be anything, will you?"
Rojano flushed. "If you came here to threaten-"
"No, no, sanjo, I did not come here to threaten. I came to wish you well on your future endeavors, be that marriage or anything else, and to remind you that the Alam tribe remember the truth of the throne. As one of us, I would encourage you to do the same." He raised his glass. "To the future of Ilimak: long live Queen Alamahs!" He took a single drink, and left the room.

Duke@jgduke· Jul 3

#FantasyIndiesJuly Day 3: favorite book dedication cont'... He's not in the story whatsoever anymore - a darling I had to kill, as they say - but the series is what it is today because of what he was to me at the time: my best, perhaps only, and entirely imaginary, friend.

Picture is a screen shot of the dedication page of the book "Long Live the Queen" by JG Duke.
It reads "This book is dedicated to Sean Michaels. You were the first song. You were the first spark of magic."

Duke@jgduke· Jun 29

This beauty totally snuck up on me! I cleared out all the dead needles from under the pine about a month ago, and apparently there were lilies underneath! Just noticed it today while filling up a new water bucket for the woodland creatures. #flowers #summer #wateryourlocalwildlife

Duke@jgduke· Jun 29

The politics of Martin, the dynamics of Austen, and the imagery of Miyazaki, all rolled into an entirely original literary universe with rich mythologies to uncover, new languages to learn, and an expansive world to explore. Join me as we dive into #AStoryOfDainu #EpicFantasy #IndieAuthor #Decalogy

Picture is a temporary book cover. A small green sprout is growing from the stump of a cut-down tree. White text reads "A Tchao in Ilimak, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke."

Picture is a temporary book cover. A large ship is on the open ocean. Its sails are made from wings. Black text reads "High Winds and Low Whispers, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke."

Duke@jgduke· Jun 26

I love chicory!! I just took a really pretty picture of some at my bus stop this week! I love the idea of flower fairies. 🥰

Duke@jgduke· Jun 21

Happy Solstice, friends! 🌞

Picture is a close up of bright yellow and white flowers with greenery and leaves.

Picture is of a bright, high burning fire in a firepit.

Duke@jgduke· Jun 9

Picture is of a hand/arm holding the book "Slaughterhouse Five", by Kurt Vonnegut. On the forearm is a tattoo that says "So it goes."

Duke@jgduke· Jun 4

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." - Cicero #WritingCommunity #Books #Stories #Reading #Quotes #Library #Garden #Greenery #Creativity #OCPictures

Picture is a close up of a lily. It is orange with a red center

Picture is of sunshine through the leaves of birch trees. Their unique bark is easily seen because of the light above.

Picture is of a yard with a very large willow tree to one side. Green grass and green leaves cover the majority of the photo.

Duke@jgduke· May 30

#Caturday #NOTabondedpair Usually Gilly (gray and white) steals Sweet-Jared (orange)'s spot by biting his toes. RARELY do they actually snuggle. You can see the utter distrust in his eyes as she gets closer. 😹

Picture is of two cats, laying beside each other. One is staring "suspiciously" at the other.

Duke@jgduke· May 21

Tevye Pavarotti Shi'thead Snodgrass.

Picture is of a black cat lounging on a footrest. A blue blanket is under him, and green trees are seen in the background behind.

Duke@jgduke· May 8

I wanna play, but I don't like waiting for ppl to ask, so here are all the answers upfront! 1. I got off Socials around COVID time. BlueSky and Discord are my only currents. 2. I got on BlueSky literally just to help promote my book, originally. 3. I post bookish/author quotes and indie author stuff

Picture is a list of 40 prompts to "get to know you" on Bluesky.

Duke@jgduke· Apr 24

This one was FLEXIN today!

Duke@jgduke· Apr 24

The last two weeks have been awful, but my yard has worked hard to cheer me up. I ADORE these beauties! #flowers #frontyard #scenery #beautiful #plants

Picture is a close up of a purple clematis flower.

Picture is of a sunrise sunshine shining through willow tree branches. A Japanese maple and a red bud are seen along the edge of the frame.

Picture is a close up of a dandelion half bloomed, sitting over lush green grass.

Duke@jgduke· Apr 20

#FantasyIndiesApril 20- over used words. Smile. Omg, you'd think I was writing a comedy for how often my characters smile. It's the most over used tag, for sure! Also, I'm so bad at keeping up with this, guys, I apologize. It's been an AWFUL week! 😭

Picture is a daily prompt for indie authors to share miscellaneous aspects of their fantasy stories throughout the month of April. The associated hashtag is # Fantasy Indies April

Duke@jgduke· Apr 17

#FantasyIndiesApril 15 &16 A repeating theme in my series is of "The Horizon Storm". I've got all the snips! But I think "flash fiction" means I have to make it up right now, right? I don't know how these things work, tbh.

Picture is a daily prompt for fantasy authors throughout the month of April to share miscellaneous aspects about their stories. The associated hashtag is #FanastyIndiesApril.

Duke@jgduke· Apr 11

#AprilWorldBuilders Week 2 They eat mostly giant seafoods; think leopard seal/walrus sized marine life. The have to rely on the water for food because they live in the winter lands where there isn’t really much else to eat.

Picture is a daily prompt throughout the month of April for fantasy author to share miscellaneous aspects about the world they have created for their stories. The associated hashtag is #AprilWorldBuilders, and is hosted by Kira of the Wind.

Duke@jgduke· Apr 11

#AprilWorldBuilders Week 2 Aside from being able to crush a skull with their bare hands, they can also torpor through the coldest parts of winter, they can hold their breath long enough to fight, kill, and hull seabeasts, and they were made by Nuchadorat: the creator of weapons and music.

Picture is a snippet taken from the book Of Wind and Tide, by JG Duke.
It reads as follows:

He walked as quickly as his tiny terrified feet could be forced, barely keeping in stride with Karlak, until finally they were close enough for the dim candlelight to reveal their goal: the ruler of the frozen lands. Sitting on the throne was the largest creature Daroke had ever seen.
The Great King Raeguhm was easily a head taller than Karlak, and nearly twice his width. His skin was dark purple. He wore a large iron band on his head, resting on his massive ears which were each pierced at least ten times, and held golden hooped rings within them. A large iron chain sat around his thick neck. Behind him ran a cloak; it was mostly black except for six purple sheets of satin in the shape of muscular arms sewn into it, giving the appearance that the King had many arms when viewed from behind. The favored son of the many-armed Nuchadorat was the Great King's earned title.
Around him stood three Zaklu, each covered in furs and chains; each with a large iron collar for a necklace and a dazzling headdress for a crown; each one a wife. Being Bash, it was difficult for Daroke to see much difference between them. He could tell which was Hito: she was clearly larger and was dressed in more metals. But as far as which was the most beautiful- a Zaklu is a Zaklu.
The women of Inizuk have no tails like their Zol counter parts, and their ears protrude upwards rather than out, but still, their skin is green or purple and thick. They have smaller fangs, but compensation comes through massive claws on their fingers- daggers, every one of them! One of the Queens was even running a whetstone over them, as though they were steel. They sat beside their king-husband, reigning over the palace with all the power and grace due to the monarchs of the icelands.

Duke@jgduke· Apr 11

#AprilWorldBuilders Week 2 For this week, I’ll focus on the Zol of Nizook. Here’s a scene describing what they look like. The are a warrior people, so their fighting is INTENSE. Here are some deets about that.

Picture is a snippet taken from the book Of Wind and Tide, by JG Duke.
It reads as follows:

A shadow fell over the prince, and he turned to see a creature he hadn't even dared have nightmares of. He would have screamed if any sound could have been made. Instead, he was left speechless, gawking at the mighty creature that had come out of the door to stand beside the Alek boy.
It was massive: eight feet from the ground, with shoulders as wide as Daroke was tall. It had thick, dark green skin that was bursting with muscle. It had long ears that grew from the sides of its head and lied flat, stretching the length of its shoulders, pierced with iron hoops. A long, wide, powerful tail grew from the middle of its back and reached all the way to the ground. Sharp fangs sat in its mouth and sharp claws sat on its hands. It wore a large cloak of leather and fur over clothing that seemed little more than an uncut train of fabric, wrapped around its torso.
Ozaru waited for the prince to speak, but when he realized the prince had no interest, or at least capacity, to do so, he began the introductions himself. “My prince, may I introduce Karlak, son of Ligar, son of Mokdrum.

Picture is a snippet taken from the book Of Wind and Tide, by JG Duke.
It reads as follows:

“Taw-Karlak, is the king- scary?”
“Oh yes, Moshgrat! A terrifying beast. Even I shiver to wonder how sharp his ax has become since winning the throne; how many bones he has crushed with his own fist. The Great King Raeguhm is a frightful monster, like Nuchadorat himself! How else could he hope to sit in Druclim?”
His heart turned as cold as the wind around them. “But he’s- good, right?”
“Oh yes, Moshgrat! The Great King has proved himself before Many Arms: the very best of Zolk; the perfect crescendo to the Great Conductor’s song. He is Nucha’s favored son: a wonderful example of what all Zolk should strive to be. And he has demonstrated a most excellent example of how to rectify the mistakes left by King Kanawm before him.”
The boy tried to accept the praise as sufficient. Even if he was scary, he at least sought to be better than a king who would massacre innkeepers. Though, the more Daroke thought about it, the less impressive it seemed. Wasn’t that even less than a bare minimum for ‘goodness’?
“You said Solena Alek was just a girl when it happened, but her daughter is grown with children of her own now. There must have been a long time between Kanawm's death and Raeguhm's crowning.”
“King Raeguhm,” the Zol corrected. “And yes, son of Mosh, it was many years. A kingship is won in Nizook. In those years was the Frenzy.”
Karlak says the Frenzy doesn’t end until there’s a victor.
“What’s the Frenzy?”
“There is a nature within Zolk- a melody that stirs in our hearts which we cannot resist. When we feel the call to battle, we cannot refuse it. Many Arms put this song into all of ours hearts, but it beats loudest in those most suited for victory.

... etc.

Duke@jgduke· Apr 11

I’m so bad at keeping up with this! #FantasyIndiesApril 10 My first story was written when I was 8. It was about a girl named Pixie. She wasn’t a pixie; she was an alien. She was supposed to observe humans, but of course, got involved in their shenanigans instead.

Picture is a daily prompt for fantasy authors to share miscellaneous aspects about their stories throughout the month of April. The associate hashtag is #FantasyIndiesApril

Duke@jgduke· Apr 9

#FantasyIndiesApril 8 - Re-read? So, I have this thing: it's not a photographic memory, but it's not too far off. If I enjoyed the book, I can recite a large portion by memory after one read. Having said that, I do enjoy re-reading some stories, and Fahrenheit 451 is probably the one I've read most.

Picture is a daily prompt for indie fantasy authors to share miscellaneous aspects of their stories throughout the month of April. The associated hashtag is #FantasyIndiesApril.

Duke@jgduke· Apr 7

#FantasyIndiesApril 7 - Animals There are innumerable wild animals in Dainu, but one of the most commonly mentioned are the nashul in and around Brachao. They're not given much of a description, but I like to imagine them as kinda wild boars. They're the main game hunted in autumn.