***
Even as Efrem’s heart dropped, part of him wasn’t entirely surprised as he stood before Dolos again. He was alone, in what looked like the center of a stone temple, surrounded by diffused, flickering light.
Dolos’ smile was predatorial. “I could have let you die, again, or bring you here to give you a choice.”
In that moment, Efrem understood why Jin had said he was Kiddy, had officially taken on that identity as more than a nickname. Cole nodded at Dolos but didn’t say anything.
Dolos seemed to be waiting for a response, and when he didn’t get one, he frowned and adjusted his stone crown. “As I said, I will give you a choice. This time, I am stepping slightly outside my boundaries to make you this offer, so your free will--” he said the word like it was incredibly dirty-- “actually matters.”
He folded his arms and said, “Your choice is simple. As the winner of one of my side experiments, despite being a truly disgusting Terran, you have proven yourself valuable. I have a very interesting experiment that I have put a great deal of effort into. Not as much as my effort with orbs on Ludus, but still very interesting. You may choose to take part in this experiment, to accept a boon from me, the Great God Dolos, and make your way in a new world!”
“And my other choice?” asked Cole, voice like ice.
“You can be sent back to your world, at the exact moment I took you away, and perish.”
Cole didn’t have to think about it very long. He used to believe that there was always another way around every problem. Then he’d learned that sometimes the only way to deal with a forest is through it. Now he knew the truth, that sometimes the best option is another way through the forest.
“Tell me about this new experiment, please, Great God Dolos,” said Cole, voice even. He would get through this forest. The jungle hadn’t destroyed him, so this wouldn’t either.
End of Cole Blooded,
—First Book of the Cole Blooded series
Cole’s adventures will continue in future Cole Blooded books!
Please read on for a note by the author, including multiple ways to connect on social media.
…And don’t forget to review this novel!
(even, “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.” is perfectly fine ^ ^)
About the Authors:
Blaise Corvin served in the US Army in several roles. He has seen the best and the worst that humanity has to offer. A sucker for any hobby involving weapons, art, or improv, he’s a fairly hard core geek.
He currently lives in Texas with enough geeky memorabilia to start a museum.
Being a professional author, he must sometimes talk about himself in third person within author biographies.
It’s all very eccentric (and sometimes silly).
Cheers!
——————
Outspan Foster can be found writing, gaming, lurking on Discord chats, drawing and painting digitally, animating in 3D, flying kites, and talking about stories and the craft of stories with his friend Regan.
Outspan is clumsy, stares at people too long, and likes weird people. He believes in the almighty power of love. He is not a hippy.
He has no great aspirations and lacks any real ambition. He just wants to eat ice cream and relax with friends.
To Readers,
PLEASE, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!
You are wonderful and reviews are amazing for all authors, but especially indie authors like me. Your reviews help me pay the bills. Seriously.
Reviews can be tricky, I know. If you only leave a star rating, it doesn’t actually count—you need to write something. That said, don’t worry about repeating other readers, your review may be the one that someone else reads, not theirs.
If all you can think of to say is, “I liked this book, you should try it too,” that would be awesome!
A quick rundown I wrote of how reviews on Amazon actually work can be found here.
In 2016 I published my first book. Now I’m full time. This is pretty amazing, but also extremely scary. …lol. A lot of writers don’t admit to this. The fiscal uncertainty of being a full time author can be intense. Being a professional writer feels a bit like gambling during the first few years of one’s career. We spend X number of weeks creating our bet, then gamble like crazy, hoping it does well enough to pay the bills.
Luckily, a number of folks seem to enjoy The Artifice Universe.
The Artifice Universe is a part of something huge, a universe I’ve been working on for 10 years and can probably explore for the rest of my life. Cole has found his way into it through introspection, a well-developed sense of morality, and the courage to take action when necessary.
Ways to connect with me:
1. My Facebook fan group
Amazon and other distributors are pretty terrible at letting you know when my new books are out. For the latest news and updates, join my Facebook group (and remember to answer the questions):
Blaise Corvin reader group
http://www.facebook.com/groups/BlaiseCorvinBooks/
2. My website
If you’re interested in checking out my website, the URL is http://blaise-corvin.com/. You can find news, artwork, my blogs (about writing and knives, etc) and maps. The site will eventually have a store!
The site is still a work in progress so please be patient with me. Also, make sure to sign up for the newsletter. :P
Sign up for newsletter (scroll to the bottom of the linked page)
3. These are my social media pages. Connect with me!
Twitter - @Blaise_Corvin
https://twitter.com/Blaise_Corvin
Facebook - Leave me a like on facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/BlaiseCorvinWriter/
GameLit Society Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGsociety/
Blaise Corvin Reader group (best place for updates)
http://www.facebook.com/groups/BlaiseCorvinBooks/
My Patreon!
http://www.patreon.com/BlaiseCorvin
If you really love my work and would like to support me further, Patreon offers a great way to help me pay the bills and keep writing!
My email
If you want to drop me a line for any reason, you can email me at:
[email protected]
I am kind of slow to check this one, so please don’t be bummed if it takes a while.
Until next time (--and please leave a review!--)
Thank you for joining me on this adventure! I couldn’t do it without all the knowledge and encouragement I get on a daily basis from everyone I interact with.
I can’t wait to help bring more of Cole’s story to the world in Cole Blooded 2!
:)
-BC
Also by Blaise Corvin
*Note: Some titles are scheduled for launch in the near future from the publish date of this book. Future books are italicized. Check Blaise-Corvin.com for bi-yearly release schedules.
Artifice Universe
Delvers LLC
1. Welcome to Ludus
2. Obligations Incurred
3. Adventure Capital
Nora Hazard
1. Mitigating Risk
2. Competitive Advantage
3. Accounts Payable
Delvers LLC (Cont.)
4. Golden Handcuffs
5. Hostile Takeover
Delvers LLC Anthology (short stories)
1. TBD
2. TBD
Cole Blooded
1. Cole Blooded
2. Cole Blooded 2
***
VeilVerse
Asgard Awakening
1. Asgard Awakening
2. Asgard Awakening 2
***
Yggdrasil Universe
Secret of the Old Ones
1. Luck Stat Strategy
2. Airship Privateers
***
Written with Outspan Foster
Anthem of Infinity
1. First Song Book One
2. First Song Book Two
I have a few recommended authors for folks who liked Cole Blooded!
In no particular order (links to the US Amazon store):
1. William D Arand
Perhaps best known for Super Sales on Super Heroes, WDA is a prolific writer who specializes in the Harem Lit genre. He writes very fun, extremely creative stories about very lucky dudes surrounded by powerful women.
William D Arand’s Amazon Page
2. Outspan Foster
Outspan helped write this book. ‘Nuff said. Check out his new Crafter series!
Outspan Foster’s Amazon Page
3. Luke Chmilenko
Luke got his start around the same time as me with his Ascend Online series! He’s been branching out of LitRPG, and I have heard rumors that he’s trying his hand at some new genres…
Luke Chmilenko’s Amazon Page
Have fun!
Cole Blooded Page 18