Good Morning Adventurers,
After some much needed rest and recovery, I’m starting to feel like myself again. These last few weeks have been extremely busy and exhausting. Between rugby and work, I’ve been pulled in many directions leaving little room for writing. However, that is about to change this week, because I’ve got more commissioned work to share! So let’s get down to business(to defeat, the huns):
- MORE Commissioned Art
- Job Reveal
- Rugby – Chicago Tournament
MORE Commissioned Art
Ok, so I have yet to post these to my instagram and my facebook accounts but that’s because I have been hesitant to do so(as well as busy). Both of the following images are commissioned work that I have requested from different artists and I still have one more that I am waiting on. So without further ado, let me share some art and talk about it.
Alright, so this first piece was commissioned from the artist, Axel Rivarola, also known as u/AxelRivarola on reddit. He was a great person to work with and very open to communication and adapting the art to what I was trying to envision. In fact, I believe we had sent over fifty emails going back and forth over sketches and designs alone. Then after some minor tweaks and revisions, we finally came to this final product.
As of right now, my intentions are to have this become the book cover once I have finished writing the story. However, that can always change depending on how I write the story. Either way, I really love how he has portrayed Zaya in this. In fact, this is the first iteration of her brought to life. Before this picture, she only existed in my head. Agnar has already received some love with having his character art already completed and posted. So it’s nice to see my other character get that same kind of attention to detail.
I also really love the attention that he had put into designing Castle Iste in the background. The castle itself will play an important role in the story, so I wanted a cover that can show how important the setting will be as well. Ok, enough prattling, time to move on to the other piece of art that I am super stoked to talk about.
She lifted his rough face, forcing him to meet her gaze. He was tired, has been tired for a long time, never truly finding a place to rest. Yet here he was, kneeling before her, and for the first time since she has met this man, he was still. He wasn’t in danger of collapsing, for his hand rested upon her hip. His foot wasn’t tapping, because it kept him steady kneeling there in the ground. His sword lay there beside his open hand, waiting for her to pick up and return it to him. He was nervous, so very nervous, and she loved that about him. About how he could jump onto the spawn of a banished god, and yet here he was. Submitting himself to her, willing to be humiliated in the eyes of her people, her Khan, her father. Just for her.
Man, I absolutely love the work that Mona(@_monachromatik) has done right here. Another artist that I had reached out to on instagram and I am so glad that I did. Not only did she complete my request in such a timely manner, but she also suggested another pose with her sketches that I immediately fell in love with. At first, I didn’t realize why it had stuck out to me so much, but after having written that little bit above, I do now. Won’t go into much detail about it, but it primarily has to do with a scene that I have already envisioned and still need to write.
Without a doubt, this has to be one of my favorite commissions to date so far. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love all of the pieces that I have commissioned for. This one, however, has just allowed me to see something in my story that I haven’t gotten around to yet. So that has just got me really excited and energized to keep on writing more.
Ok, onto the next section just to keep myself from rambling on.
Job Reveal
Now that I think about it, as I’ve been working on being consistent and dedicated to writing, I’ve also left out a lot about who I am. It’s kinda part of my nature to not really put anything out there on the internet because that’s kinda how I was raised. However, I do recognize that it takes a bit more than just a voice talking out there in the endless void to connect with one’s audience. Better now than never then.
If any of you have ever wondered about what it is that I do, then wonder no more because my day to day job is being a teacher for about one hundred and ten kids. Give or take a few each day due to absences or sports, teaching at an inner city school where my students give me a hard time every time I make them write, or read, or whenever I give them a zero for not turning in their work. Well, I say they give me a hard time, when it’s more like I am being tough on them. My students, though do frustrate me at times, have continued to surprise me and show me how much they actually do care. Definitely not at the level nor standard to what I was held to at their age, but just yesterday I had a student ask me “to respectfully stop talking” so that they could get to work. That made me laugh, and of course I lightly told him off and that I was just about to do that. However, with the goods there are also the bad ends to being a teacher. The grading, testing, endless meetings, phone calls, professional development, goals, and a multitude of other things that I am essentially still figuring out.
You’d think after four years of figuring this job out, I’d have found my stride and in a way I have. It’s just not how I’d prefer it. If I could, I’d never grade any of the students work at home, or if I could toss aside all testing because I’m losing a whole week of teaching the students to learn something new, I would. However, that’s not the case, so I make do and I adapt. I don’t always take work home, but when I do I can easily spend several hours playing catch up on it all. With the coming summer drawing closer everyday, my workload begins to pick up with end of year assessments, exams, and missing work that can take away a lot of my free time(to write while at work).
So there you have it. Mystery solved on what my day job is. I plan to reveal more about myself in the coming weeks, but until then, go and read the next section.
Rugby – Chicago Tournament
Ok, as per the last section, I mentioned what I do on the day to day. Now, let me tell you about the big event that I’ll get to participate in at the end of this month: The Midwest Thunderbird Cup.
I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned what state it is that I call home, but this year I’ll be joining the selects team that represents Michigan once again. For those of you who don’t know what that means, thats ok, it isn’t something that special. It is, however, a great experience for someone like me who wants to play rugby of a higher level. I got selected last year to play on the team and I had a blast then, so I can’t wait to see how well I do this year now that I have put some more training under my belt.
This, however, will cap off this years spring season of rugby before I go into summer. A great way to end it and the get some very much needed rest. It also means that I can get back to writing, and writing a lot more than just a few sentences down here and there. With that said, I’ll keep you guys updated on how that tournament goes the closer it gets to the date. As of right now, we have only gathered as a team once to develop our offense and defence.
A.G. Flowers 
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