Heart of the Forest discussion/Review thread

[Tahn]

I love the cover you did. Very cool.

[ChrissyQuinn]

Thank you Tahn

[BronxWench]

The cover is amazing, and you know you have me hooked! I love you, you evil woman, you!

[ChrissyQuinn]

This song inspired Prologue IV so I figured I'd share it..

Polish folk music is kind of neat.

[ChrissyQuinn]

Hello folks! I know it’s been a while and I’m horrible at replying to review but today I’m going to reply to all of them on Eyes of Fire. So below you will find my responses to your amazing reviews/comments

BW:

Right. Prologue.

First thing we do, we kill the ploughing sheepfucker of a Druid and make herb pouches from his scrotum for Valentina. Islwyn is still as much of a shit as ever, and I hope Yorwrath breaks his pretty nose, or even better, lets Valentina do it.

I have to say, I always feel this little tug when either Valentina or Yorwrath speak about Aneurin. He's the shadow that hangs over them, and he doesn't deserve either of them. The Swynwr is also an idiot for rejecting Anwn's Gift in favor of some fawning elven chit. But then again, the Swynwr doesn't deserve anyone like Valentina, and if he's fool enough to poke the gods, so be it. Maybe one day, he can be the prey for the Wild Hunt.

Anyway, this is off to a brilliant start! More, please!

Me:

Ha! Islwyn kind of deserves all of that and more, seeing he’s the reason we’ve no Aneurin. He’ll get his due! That’s all I’m going to say on that Also, thank you I hope the rest of it lives up to the brilliant start

Pippychick:

Islwyn makes me want to growl at things too... what a dick. If it turns out they really are trapped, I can only hope that Yorwrath and Valentina get so much action - right in front of his face - that it makes him physically sick. Then she can make him a tea that makes it just that little bit worse... *nods*

Thank you, Chrissy!

Me:

Meee too! I’m looking forward to his comeuppance : : And Thank you for your review

Tahn:

Oh dear. Izzy isn't gonna last long locked in a house with her. Get him girl!

Me: Well… distractions happen

BW:

Aside from the obvious my-heart-was-pounding tension in Yorwrath being captured, and Valentina at risk of being raped, that was a helluva chapter. Sadly, Valentina is right about Yorwrath, and there's very little difference between him and the men who hunt him. He shouldn't be so hurt and surprised that Valentina will remember that from time to time. It's not like he's all soft words and tender with her, either. What was his offer again? For her to be a kept woman?

Islwyn, well. I have no sympathy for him, even if he really was sold as a slave. I'm not sure anything would make me feel sympathy for him, and I was honestly hoping that the hunters would pick fucking him over fucking Valentina, if it came to that. That would be how little I care about him, given how little he cared about anything but what he wanted.

Your prologues are better than most novels, though, and they've whetted my appetite for the chapters that will come soon, I hope!

ME:

I’m glad you enjoyed the chapter! It was actually very hard to write. Usually I’m fine with doing dark but there was something about the scene with the Knights that gave me the heebie-jeebies.

I promise you that you WILL feel something other than ire for Islwyn! Maybe not today… maybe not tomorrow… but by the time I start Song of the Seer… I mean it’s going to be pretty hard to have… oh I won’t spoil that.

Yay! You still like it!

Lalaland22:

“Yorwrath embraces what he is more than anyone I’ve ever known. But I think you had forgotten" - Yea, I think Valentina did as well. Sure she knows what he is, but there were moments at the end of the last story where she dismissed or ignored behavior from Yorwrath simply b/c he loved her...behavior that I don't believe the Valentina we were originally introduced to would've. Understandably, hardship and heartbreak has changed her and you've written her transition in an amazingly organic way but I am happy to see that Valentina might regain that objective and stubborn sense of integrity she once had. A lead character that doesn't let her love blind her or prevent her from just accepting things as they are or prevent her from being her b/c she's in love is admirable and a rarity - it keeps her unpredictable and it's what made her initial love story with Aneurin so interesting to me and why I think he respected her tbh (why they all respect her tbh). Anyways, I'm excited to see how she'll navigate everything..you've created a very interesting world for your characters.

Me:

Valentina is special in that way, I think a lot of it comes from the fact that she’s been through so much and it’s left its mark on her and I’m glad that comes through Thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoy what’s to come.

Pippychick:

Oh, dear... how many more of them are out there? Aside from Valentina and Co, what will happen to the town? Seems like such a happy place

I'm not surprised Valentina had that thought about Yorwrath. Anyone would have thought the same thing. Point is, she didn't follow it through. I should think Yorwrath is astute enough to come to that same conclusion. Or at least, I hope so.

Me:

You’ll have to keep reading to see what happens to the town… but things will happen… more things than just those in the prologue. Yorwrath’s response was mainly because it hurt him to see the hesitation in her eyes—and he doesn’t deal with his emotions well.

BW:

This was an incredibly powerful chapter.

Valentina has always known what Yorwrath is, and what he's capable of, but it was so much easier to love him, and let that love heal some of the shattered pieces of her heart. And in his own way, Yorwrath is more faithful than Aneurin could ever be, because Yorwrath isn't the Swynwr. He isn't carrying that burden. He's free to love Valentina without any agenda, because she's her, and not Arwn's Gift.

But having said that, I don't think Valentina could have reacted any other way than the way she did. I'd be checking her for head wounds if she hadn't acted.

The end, though. Oh, gods, the end. I had tears in my eyes, and I felt like my heart was breaking. Wicked woman...

ME:

I know… I’m evil : : I agree with you though, Yorwrath’s love for her is probably the purest she’ll experience. Aneurin’s love was pure but if/when he comes back his motives will taint whatever they’re able to salvage. Yorwrath however just loves her and wants nothing from her in exchange for that love.

Pippychick:

Prologue III - So much raw honesty in this, it's difficult to process with one reading.

As to the town, I suppose we'll only know what happens to it as things settle.
For Yorwrath and Valentina, they've admitted things here that mean they've both taken a significant step forward, and I love it. Thank you, Chrissy

Me:

Thank you sooo much for your review! No need to thank me, if I didn’t write this stuff would just fester in my mind! Prologue III shows the direction Valentina and Yorwrath are going. Things are going to be tenser between them, especially with war essentially bringing out the worst of everything. So stay tuned

Tahn:

Jeeze. It's like you are TRYING to make us hate him. And just when I had decided he might be a good(ish) guy. I'll hold out hope...a small bit of it, but it's still there.

Me:

But he is a good-ish guy! He’s just making the best out of the situation he’s found himself in since he killed his father. Having to be the boogeyman to keep everyone around him safe and to protect himself has left its mark but in his heart Yorwrath is a good guy. Had he not had the experiences he’s had he would be Aneurin more or less, gentle and kind, etc. And that’s still there, just under layers upon layers of coarse experience.

BW:
Oh, my dear hairy gods on pogo sticks... he did it, didn't he? The sheepfucker finally admitted how much Valentina means to him. I guess not being allowed into her bad worked to wake him up.

But what an ending. The make-up sex was awesome, as always, and of course there was his little jaw-dropping promise to Valentina, but her insight into why Yorwrath behaves as he does was just spot-on and bittersweet. He's a monster, yes, but he's her monster, for better or for worse. And to be very honest, I'd rather the Redcaps than the ploughing Knights of the Dawn.

Sadly, Islwyn is still alive, I see. ::sighs heavily:: Hopefully, the dragon will turn on him soon.

Me:

Hehe, yes he did! Doesn’t that amazing ending make you wonder what else I have in store for them? Yes, I know Islwyn is still alive… but as I said before… you will eventually not hate him I promise! There will be redemption!

There you have it! I’ve responded to all of the reviews on Eyes of Fire! Yay! again, thank you all so so so much for your interest in my story and taking the time to leave reviews. I really do appreciate it. And nothing makes my day quite like seeing what people think about my work

So I was wondering what type of action do you guys think could redeem Islwyn, or is the poor Druid beyond the point of redemption?

[BronxWench]

So I was wondering what type of action do you guys think could redeem Islwyn, or is the poor Druid beyond the point of redemption?

Hm. That's a very tough call, to be honest. He's acted in his own best interests all along, regardless of the harm it's done to his people. Obviously, he's destroyed Valentina by tearing her beloved Aneurin from her, but it goes deeper. The Swynwr is not entirely the savior he's been painted to be, is he? He'll fight his own people as fast as he will the dy'ne, so Islwyn did the elves no favors there. Islwyn also did what no Druid should be allowed to do and live - he's forsworn. He broke his oath to Valentina, and he knew damned well who and what she was. Lying to Arwn's Gift is just a huge breach, right there.

Now, with all that on his shoulders, how does Islwyn redeem himself? The only chance he has is if he betrays the Swynwr when it's least expected. He needs to undermine the Swynwr so definitively that it's unmistakable where his loyalty lies, and so it can be assumed he was acting against the Swynwr all along, as some sort of cocksucking catamite double agent. Either that, or he can break the Swynwr's hold on Aneurin with his own life's blood. Let him sacrifice himself, or better yet, let the Unicorn sacrifice him.

[ChrissyQuinn]

Hm. That's a very tough call, to be honest. He's acted in his own best interests all along, regardless of the harm it's done to his people. Obviously, he's destroyed Valentina by tearing her beloved Aneurin from her, but it goes deeper. The Swynwr is not entirely the savior he's been painted to be, is he? He'll fight his own people as fast as he will the dy'ne, so Islwyn did the elves no favors there. Islwyn also did what no Druid should be allowed to do and live - he's forsworn. He broke his oath to Valentina, and he knew damned well who and what she was. Lying to Arwn's Gift is just a huge breach, right there.

Now, with all that on his shoulders, how does Islwyn redeem himself? The only chance he has is if he betrays the Swynwr when it's least expected. He needs to undermine the Swynwr so definitively that it's unmistakable where his loyalty lies, and so it can be assumed he was acting against the Swynwr all along, as some sort of cocksucking catamite double agent. Either that, or he can break the Swynwr's hold on Aneurin with his own life's blood. Let him sacrifice himself, or better yet, let the Unicorn sacrifice him.

Well, the Swynwr has one goal really—reestablishing the elves as a power and taking back their lands from the humans. Anyone who stands in its way is doomed pretty much, be they elf or anything else. So It’s one of those double edged swords like most overly utilitarian rulers.

Those are all good points and I love that the anger comes through in your post. Yay compelling characters . But would it really have to be as extreme as sacrificing his life? I mean, yeah he’s a shit and Valentina kind of wants to set him on fire and kick him off of a cliff. But I'm going to play devil's advocate here, in many ways he’s just guilty of being selfish and stupid--isn't he? That is of course outside of the whole spitting in the face of his religion thing—but he did it for love! He too lost his Aneurin—though unlike Valentina he never had him anymore than physically and the bond of friendship they’d had since childhood.

[BronxWench]

Well, the Swynwr has one goal really—reestablishing the elves as a power and taking back their lands from the humans. Anyone who stands in its way is doomed pretty much, be they elf or anything else. So It’s one of those double edged swords like most overly utilitarian rulers.

Those are all good points and I love that the anger comes through in your post. Yay compelling characters . But would it really have to be as extreme as sacrificing his life? I mean, yeah he’s a shit and Valentina kind of wants to set him on fire and kick him off of a cliff. But I'm going to play devil's advocate here, in many ways he’s just guilty of being selfish and stupid--isn't he? That is of course outside of the whole spitting in the face of his religion thing—but he did it for love! He too lost his Aneurin—though unlike Valentina he never had him anymore than physically and the bond of friendship they’d had since childhood.

The general punishment for being forsworn would be to have a small cut made in the belly, and a bit of intestine pulled through. The intestine is nailed to an oak tree, and the forsworn bastard is passed from hand to hand by a ring of Druids until his guts are wrapped around the tree like wool on a spindle. Ideally, the forsworn bastard doesn't die of shock during the procedure, and the cut is too small for him to bleed out, so he gets to stand there and hug the oak until he dies of exposure, or falls asleep and tears something vital out (along with the rest of his intestines) on the way to the ground.

But given that Caiolfionn serves Arwn's Gift, I think it would be a very nice bit of closing the circle to have him sacrifice the Druid. And all that pretty blood is a lovely contrast to his whiteness. And yes, your characters are that compelling, m'dear.

[ChrissyQuinn]

And now! More Review replies

Tahn says :

At least there was less bloodshed this time. Wonder how the journey will go.

Creeeeepy. Well done. Is this future what WILL be or what MAY be?

Me:

Less bloodshed for now!
And the journey will be long and full of introspection for both Yorwrath and Valentina. As for the dream... well you'll just have to wait and see

Bronxie says:

Ah, what a start! I absolutely love the way you've pulled me right in, after the sweetness of the prologue's ending (the sheepfucker did it!). This, this is dark and glorious, and there is absolutely no way I would be able to walk away until I find out what happens.

Now, because I am a very unfluffy sort of person, let me say that I didn't turn a hair over Islwyn's end, bad as it was. It's what any forsworn Druid deserves, and although Baba Yaga isn't usually part of the dead, the doors of Annwfn would be closed to his, and rightfully so.

Anyway, I love Frode - the dwarf is brilliant, and I love how he sees Valentina clearly. I snickered when he met Caoilfionn, though. Perfect!

Me:

Thank you Baba Yaga took the corpse because in HotF she said she was going to drain Islwyn of all of his pesky blood and make him replace Brightest Dawn. I know I'm stretching the traditional role of Baba Yaga quite a bit; but I thought the Druids would be nice and give them to her since his offense was against a child of Annwn and they're technically a creature of Annwn kind of... sort of... so I fudged it

[ChrissyQuinn]

While writing I realized I needed a map... so I made a map >.> if anyone can point out where I fucked up like with places being west when they should be east etc please let me know...

[ChrissyQuinn]

Yay! Heart of the Forest was accepted by Loose ID publishing and is now going through edits! If you're here wondering where it went... that's where. Soon you'll be able to buy it I'll try to keep the editing from effecting my Eyes of Fire chapters. Hopefully I won't drop behind the 1 chapter a week minimum. Thank you for all of your support guys

[BronxWench]

I've said it before, but let me say it again:

Many, many congratulations! You absolutely deserve to have this wonderful story published, and I want to be able to pre-order it!

[DirtyAngel]

yay, this is awesome...remember to let me know when it comes out.