We’ll be taking a peek at the characters of The Camelot Kids over the next several weeks. Ian Greenlee is doing a spectacular job of yanking the Fantasy series cast out of their comfortable nests in my head.
Today’s peek is at the main character, Simon.
If you ask Simon Sharp how his parents died, the 14-year-old New Yorker will tell you King Arthur killed them. Obsessed with Camelot, the two scholars perished in a plane crash en route to an archaeological dig in England.
Simon spends two awful years in an orphanage before his uncle surfaces. He offers Simon residence at a creepy mansion in Scotland where every shadow hides a surprise— including a girl, Maille Rose, who flickers in and out of view like a ghost. Maille warns Simon he’s in danger and, oh yes, he’s a descendant of King Arthur’s powerful knight, Lancelot.
Uh. What?
That’s Simon’s response too.
But she’s right about the danger. Simon’s life becomes a battle for survival when his teacher is killed in front of him. Accused of murder, Simon escapes into the wilderness…
… where he gets kidnapped by a drunk troll. At this point, Simon’s tired of surprises. Which is too bad because then he’s saved by a 7-foot elderly man claiming to be Merlin. Maille Rose, Merlin’s apprentice, arrives swinging her bat-wand and leads them to a hidden castle. This, she says, is New Camelot.
Packed with surprises, The Camelot Kids is a fresh take on the beloved myth.
Come back for more peeks later this week.
Who’s up next?
That is some very cool character artwork and the story pitch sounds tremendous too. Very inspiring, I have gone to some trouble with my own characters in a artwork presentation also and have them posted on my website. It been a great way to see into their personalties and feel for how they act as individuals in their world. I read your articles regularly and find them very helpful.
Thank you, Yuan! The Camelot Kids has been in the works for several years and in that time I worked hard to slowly convince Nathan Fox to work on it with me. He knows Ian and it all came together from there.
I enjoy watching the artwork land in our shared Google Drive. I check for updates there a few times a day, but don’t tell Ian that! Seeing the characters come to life has been eye-opening. Now I know I MUST have an artist on all my books.
I’m so happy to hear you find my posts useful! Thanks for reading!
Your welcome Ben. My works have had a similar path in that my series of 13 mapped works has been in evolution since 2008 and as a brand the award winning first titles are primed to go on sale soon. The preparation in getting it right took far longer than I thought possible in the beginning and at times admin is a real drag, but you have to get it right, right! My sixth title six just went to beta testers in the past week which is six years on from lift off. My artists and animator came on board in 2010 along with my series editor, that’s when things took a huge leap forward for me and my series. Watching the characters evolve from words to 2 and 3D led to deeper layers and understandings of their personalities, drivers and actions. I could see their distinct differences and reasonings so much clearer which subsequently led to stronger story arcs, and when you’ve built an entire original universe that’s important.
It’s that kind of life I see from your character art here I think, which prompted me to respond. Looking forward to seeing how your series unfolds.
What a fantastic presence you’ve built online! So much to learn from here:
http://www.citadel7online.com/
Packed with info and images, in a clear way. Bravo!
13 works to coordinate? You are brave! I’m mapping out two separate series now and my head is ready to explode.
I’m delighted that you like the character studies. I’m just happy I discovered the joys of visualizing my characters. It injects a whole new level of excitement into my work day.
“Animation” is next on my to-do list.
Hi Ben, yes 13 works that follow the full life span of a warden of the superverse I have built called, Commander Bloch. The series is mapped just about all the way and has a broad cast of supporting characters from various worlds, male, female and incorporeal. The environments go from Earth (different time periods) through the celestial heavens, to several star systems and dimensions with their own unique worlds without partition of the mortal incorporeal divide. I have built original full blown races and cultures in those worlds with their own politics belief systems ect. All in a combined space opera and dirt-side over-frame laid onto an original space time continuum where the collapse of all existence is at stake. That took a while.
Flanking that, I not long finished working with two of my beta testers who are professional screen writers and we’ve finished a full season on of the pilot for the television series. All of the environments and combat in large and small scale has been worked on for vivid detail that involves new technologies and ethereal power constructs. Amongst that are many complex interspecies relationships that allow readers to pick a favorite and watch them grow and be challenged.
I am in effect in pre-launch for the series brand and in the background the audio book setup is under way too. I have also written several flanking stories about some of the second tear character’s lives (both good and bad guys) that helped me see the main story arc clearer that brings so much to Commander Bloch’s story. They will be offered often as freebies or displayed on my website for those exploring the series background who want to know why those characters became the individuals they have. In truth I have about a twenty year arc laid down post launch, if i live long enough lol.
The initial foundation title – Citadel 7 Earth’s Secret- (now an updated fully edited trilogy) won 1st place in the 2013 Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Cygnus Sci Fi awards in its beta test formate. I recommend Chanticleer contests to anyone BTW and I’ve just finished book 6 C7 Gates of Wrath now in beta test as i think i mentioned earlier. My 2d artist Dai Cameron and I are planning hundreds of visuals that will also serve as story boards for the tv series and visual products for the brand as well as environment planning for the details of works to come. All Citadel 7 works are targeted for an adult world market but i have had some late teens read them with great interest.
I originally wanted to be traditionally published, even traveled to the US late last year for a very informative conference with five full works finished in every detail ready to go. Came back, thought about it and all the great people I met and the years or research into being published, and now, my intention is to Indie publish the series so it has no limits to its potential. and with my U.S based editors support, we’ll make it happen.
Of recent times your various articles have been very helpful in some areas there.
We are presently finalizing the Citadel 7 brand book covers and the first outlet will likely be Amazon and those associated.
Sorry, rattled on a bit, but as you know, immersed authors’ don’t get out much and it’s great to meet another with such vision and scope in his work.
all the best
Sold! Your ambition and focus is an inspiration, sir. PLEASE keep me posted on your progress. I’m very much looking forward to reading it.
I will, i would ask you to do the same for me. i will follow your series with great interest.
Best yuan Jur