Monday, November 9, 2020

Hero Forge - Now has color for your custom minis! - I had to try out some for the HOC characters. :D - Updated 4-14-21

Authors, illustrators! Have you ever heard of Hero Forge Custom Miniatures?
Well, I would highly suggest them, if just to get a glimpse of your story characters in 3D! https://www.heroforge.com/
I made a whole bunch of HoC (House of Cards) minis. Because I thought they were fun and amazing!
It doesn't cost you anything to digitally build your characters and snap a picture (under "Hero" and "screen shot"). They have a huge array of weapons, clothes, and races. (With more things added as they've expanded their business.)

-If you want to buy your custom mini, start at 19.99 and that's w/o the color. (These are basically DnD figurines that are quite small, but detailed as you can see.) They can even be hand painted if you wish.

There you have it, hours worth of work to get everyone as close to what I see in my head as I can. There's tons more characters. But I'm plum tuckered out. Have a good one. :)

So, without further ado, here's some fun ways to look at the HoC characters:

The kids:

Some Gobs:




Some Adults:




















There you have it, hours worth of work to get everyone as close to what I see in my head as I can. There's tons more characters. But I'm plum tuckered out. Have a good one. :)


-T. Erickson


Monday, December 9, 2019

Checking in-(Spoilers if you haven't read our HOC series)-Updated 8-28-21

Hello Readers,

Today I added a new section to Miracle Millie, part 2. Miracle Millie

To explain my lack of attention to this blog, I've been helping my mother with Sundara, Queen of the Ammonites (The Chest of Souls beginning sequel) Sundara - Facebook. This book will have a brief mention of Taps in there if you know what to look for.

I figured since the Ancients in the COS series have made guest appearances in the HOC series, why wouldn't Taps have left some footprints in their world? Mom kindly placed her tracks there.


Spoiler:

Ultimately, we've found out through our writing that Taps' mirrors are the main hub connection to other worlds (or books in this case). The portal mirrors branch out with a limitless reach. We purposefully stated that Sarah couldn't see the end of the hall that Taps keeps them in. That was an author's trick to allowing an unlimited amount of worlds (other books & characters) for Taps to investigate.

End of Spoiler.


Getting back to the COS universe, the original prequels and main series to COS won't mention Taps, because HOC wasn't fully written at that time. But now, the COS sequels will mention her. Yay!


Other books Taps (or others from the HOC universe) have been briefly mentioned in the following books so far:

1. Jeffery as an old man and Taps' voice in: Thorn - Amazon, in Chapter 19.

2. Taps and Jeffery in:  Eclipse Gate - Amazon, in Chapter 6.

3. The Tapestry in a painting: Sundara - Amazon, in Chapter 16.

4. Taps, Jeff, Prance, and a sword: Sons of Thunder, in Chapter (reveal once published).

More in the works...

So, yes, much is still going on. Mom is writing up a beautiful storm and I'm lucky enough to be right beside her during the hurricane! :D

-T. Erickson

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Sarah's Genealogy Chart - Spoiler (Bk2)


If anyone was curious about Sarah's true heritage, here it is. 

We mention Sarah's parents briefly in book 1, the beginning of book 2, and a small bit in book 6.  The reason why Levi and Jenny aren't in their crowns is because they were on the run.

As for her grandparents, there are two points queen Eloise is mentioned, once in book 3 and again in book 6. (I also mention her in the new update I gave for the "Maddening/Miracle Millie" chapters that had been edited out for book 6. If you want to read it, be warned, there are tons of spoilers in there!)

I've fleshed out Eloise quite a bit for Taps' prequels. But Encil is still a mystery to me at this point. No doubt he'll make himself known the more I work on the stories.


-T. Erickson

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

HoC 6 SPOILER ---> Taps' Mom, pt2 -Updated 12-9-19

For those who haven't finished BK 6, Trumped, and don't want spoilers, don't read this entry!

But to read more, scroll down....











I'm putting a huge space here, trying to prevent you from seeing a spoiler if you don't want to.











However, if you're scrolling down this far, I assume you don't mind. Let's continue!











Millie

As you can see, Millie's curiosity is her Achilles's heel.

You'll recall when Chapter 32 stated that Millie was thinking of changing the house? Well...this is the 2nd part.

In the book, this chapter would've been inserted between Chapters 32 and 33, after the last one we posted.


Chapter: Miracle Millie pt2

After Millie slid a swinging brick wall to the side, a bunch of small green vines fluttered in on the breeze.
“What is this massive bunch of-? Oh! Morning glory. I’d forgotten Teresa’d allowed that weed to grow up the side of the trellis.” Millie pushed the thin vines of the fragrant pink and white flowers aside to make room.
She placed one foot out of the small hidden portrait that Queen Eloise had painted on the back of the Tapestry. She pushed forward a little and soon all of her was outside.
She took a deep breath and let out a happy sigh, “The smell of greenery and rich earth, nothing else can match it!”
She opened her arms spun around in her daughter’s large garden, taking in all the beautiful scents around her.
“Orchards of citrus, magical roses by the bush, and my prime raspberry patch has expanded beyond belief!” She giggled happily and paused as she saw a large gated sink hole further down the row, surrounded by mist, “Hello, what’s this?”
Ignoring the sign to not eat the raspberries, she plucked a handful of the delicious fruit on the way to the oddity. Her blue eyes inquisitively ran over the strange gate, “Coral - organic, mist without a natural reason - magical…” She tossed a raspberry at the gate and the berry bounced off, sailing past her head. “…a harsh rebound jinx.” She smiled, “This must be Dee’s grotto. A fun find. I’ve never been this close to a Siren’s grotto …”
General Zizzor left the colorful tree that he was perched on and zoomed towards her, stopping a few inches from her nose before she could take another step.
“Good day to you, General,” She bobbed a curtsy and popped a raspberry in her mouth.
He chirped as fast as he flew. Luckily, she’d kept up on her ‘enchanted hummer’ dialect while she’d been confined to the doll house.
“Yes, I am aware that the tava tree and smitten rose bush are off limits. I didn’t know Sandee’s grotto was included.”
He nodded.
“It’s rather amusing now that I think of it…a siren granddaughter, living in my raspberry patch. Not every Spade can say that.”
His twice-feathered tail twitched.
“Did you know one day I grew a raspberry that was four feet tall and three feet wide?”
His pink eyes looked startled.
“I was about to harvest the seeds and then Joyce Haberlie came calling. When I brought her out to show her my prize raspberry, there was a drupelet that was missing. In its place, was Teresa’s adorable face, happily sleeping, if sticky.”
The hummer general managed to look amused.
“After giving my laughing friend a drupelet, I concluded to wait until Teresa was older before I attempted such a thing again. I dare say she has some control now.  And since, Sandee is living in the patch, I shalln’t worry about anyone else disturbing it. Minus myself and my daughter.”
He continued to flutter, staring at her.
She eyed the smitten rose bush, “But these areas shalln’t be off limits for long.”
He zoomed around her head and nearly perched on her nose, chirping with concern.
“I know Taps and Jeffery added a few things to the garden, hence I won’t touch those. But ‘twas my garden in the beginning, and I’m going to tend to those plants eventually.”
His feathers fluffed out in an offended manner.
“Don’t worry, I’ll knock before I visit my granddaughter and her spouse. ‘Tis only polite.” She stuck another berry in her mouth and paused, “Is that new scent from the tava blossoms?”
The white and gold hummer wouldn’t move, his pink eyes challenging.
“I know no one else has one of these! Not in this world at least.” She tried to get around him, “No wonder Joyce has such a time while she’s here.”
He protested in short piping trills.
“What big red bird?”
He landed on enormous claw marks that were showing in the blue-green bark and tapped them with his beak. Millie studied them.
“This bird isn’t any species I know…and that’s saying something. They’ve certainly marked their territory.”
General Zizzor’s pink eyes blinked.
“I see, well, perhaps I’ll ask Taps to introduce me when the bird returns. But are you sure I can’t study the tree while the bird is away?”
His sharp nod left no doubt in her mind.
“Very well. I’ll walk about the garden. Being stuck for over three hundred years in a doll house without a way to see outside, makes me want to explore everything.” She popped the last juicy red berry in her mouth.
He zoomed back to guarding the tava tree.
After twenty minutes of wandering the gardens, Millie skipped over a small bridge, admiring her surroundings, “I love how Teresa made this garden support all sorts of plants, regardless of season or climate. With fairies attending to it day and night, ‘tis a wonderment of Spade’s delight! Hmm, all we need is a few unicorns, a few more distractions, and perhaps a quilta or thr…” she stopped at the end of the bridge, “I don’t recall that mingled scent.” She closed her eyes and sniffed again, “A creature, large. But there’s a perfumed aroma along with it…a new rose, perhaps? Or a new fruit?” 
Her blue eyes popped open with a challenging glint in her eye as she headed towards the scent, determined to update her mental notebook.
*
“Why can’t I?” Piedee chuckled, leaning against her bike, “It’s fun to see their faces!”
Sarah rolled her eyes, “Aunt Piedee, just because I made you and uncle Z Realm Keeper protectors doesn’t give you the right to just appear into their houses!”
“C’mon little britches! I mean, what if the Keeper has gone bad?” the tall blonde biker model shrugged, “It could really help to drop on them.”
“I think you mean, to drop IN on them.”
“Hey. You say potato, I say spiked tires and greased quick-silver.” Piedee spread her arms.
“Anyway,” Sarah opened her hand and a short list of the current American Keepers materialized, “Realm Keepers don’t go bad.” She would have to hire several to fill in the many vacancies left behind.
Piedee shook her head, her black leather gear creaking, “It’s happened before.”
“When?” Sarah focused on her aunt.
Piedee smirked, “I guess Taps never told you about Keeper Chadwa.”
“Chadwa?”
“Well his last name was more common but Chadwa was the nickname he earned after he was sentenced to life as a frog. He made the sound ‘chad-WAH!’ as he hopped out of court.”
“I sense a story.” Sarah lifted her eyebrow.
Piedee put her arms behind her head, “Back when I was still in college and your mother was a knight…”
Alarm bells rang. Sarah jumped, Piedee stood straight and looked up when a large holo of the Tapestry Realm came down from the ceiling and rested in front of them.
“What’s going on with the realm? I’m not seeing anything!” Sarah quickly swiveled the holo so she could look at the grounds from every angle. Her adopted grandmother was looking at a large tree far back in the gardens, but other than that, there was nothing she could see. “The house and grounds seem in order.”
Sarah expanded the view to the nine block radius.
“It’s not the outside, little britches. If it showed the Tapestry first, that’s where the problem is.” Piedee narrowed her green eyes and grabbed the magical holo. Sarah frowned as Piedee zoomed in on the Tapestry.
“If it’s one thing I learned in all my years of being queen, it’s that a keeper’s realm is never what it seems. Look.” Piedee was looking at one of the windows, the one that housed Taps’ study. “The window is glowing red.”
“Which means?”
“Taps used her study to call a royal alert.” Her aunt looked at her, “Permission to kick trash if necessary?”
“Not without me.”
“Touch the window, it’ll let Taps know you’ve answered if she checks that room again.”
Sarah did so.
Piedee jumped on her bike, snapped her helm on and stretched out her gloved hand to Sarah. “At least with Taps, it’s never dull.”
Sarah silently agreed and put an invisible shield around them.
*
Following her nose, Millie found a large Elm tree that had a tiny mound of earth set up under a large branch, but nothing was on or in the mound as far as she could tell. There was a strange knobbiness about the enormous tree.
“Peculiar. But that mound beneath the branch is where the heavenly smell is coming from.” She looked down, “Though it’s somewhat over powered by these mounds of reeking earth. Nothing can staunch the smell of an angry dragon. So I’ve found my creature…”
Deep gouges in the grassy ground surrounded the thick barked tree. Heaping mounds of soil were around the back. The tree was cut very deep near the earth, but not enough to uproot it.
Millie sniffed the air, “Hmm. Now that I’m here, it’s very apparent who’s been visiting. But why would Merrick tear up the lawn in such a snit?”
She reached inside her dress pocket and pulled out a miniature ladder, “Grow please.”
Once she set it a foot above the ground, the ladder lengthened and widened enough for her to step up and make her way over, and the roller steps flattened to make walking easier. She glanced to the side as she balanced her way to the injured tree.
“These pits have to be seventy feet deep. Thank goodness we don’t have human sprinkler systems or anymore gobs! What a mess that would be!”
When she reached the other side, she hopped off the ladder and reached out her hand to touch the sliced bark. Red hearts and orange spade symbols circled her hand as red sparkling mist flowed from her palm and fanned out around the injury. As she set the tree’s healing process to quicken, Millie tilted her copper head to one side.
“Dragons aren’t interested in plants. So why would Merrick do this?” She stood and filled the gaping holes with the mounds of earth using her magic, a two shovel-fulls at a time. “Oh how I wish I would have been elevated to a five when we helped save King Gunner’s niece! This wouldn’t take nearly as long. One swipe of the hand and it would all be in. Simple.” Another irritated thought struck her, “And why didn’t the hired help get to this part after the lurkers were extinct?”
*
Sarah and Piedee arrived outside the gate. Everything seemed fine. Sarah quickly approached the mansion, wary of anything possibly going wrong.
“Copey! Open!”
“Drat-it-all!” The goblin-headed gate complained as he swung open. “You’s just in time, you is! I wanted to see ‘er blow!”
Knowing Copey wouldn’t say such a thing without a reason, Sarah ran for the dining room’s back door with Piedee quick on her heels, “Wait! Little britches!”
Sarah yanked the door open, magical mist spewed out into the yard as Piedee grabbed the back of Sarah’s shirt and pulled her so she spun to the side.
“Piedee!” Sarah looked at her aunt, “What is this?”
The former queen’s expression went from shock to anger, “The Tapestry security arteries are bleeding out!”
“What does that mean?”
“Death, if we don’t stop it!” Piedee dashed into the house, “WHOA!”
Her rebel aunt barely ducked in time as the Tapestry’s librarian flew over her golden head! The large tome’s gold ribbon was holding onto a red security artery and the poor book was screaming for all he was worth!
Sarah grunted as she caught him, “Sebastian?”
“My-my queen!” The book blinked, as he tried to re-orient himself, “There’s a whole rattle snake nest full of conundrums that Millie kicked! Stop her! Please!”
*
Taps woke up, wheezing. She turned on her side and coughed, quickly coughing again at the intake of dust. She pushed herself up and took in short breaths. Her lungs felt burnt. She put her hand to her chest, using her heart magic to assess the damage.
A body chart opened in front of her. Her lungs were glowing red at the top and she touched the picture. The lungs came forward.
“My bronchial tubes (wheeze) are burnt. Drat it.” She croaked and looked at the rest of the picture, “Just a bruise or two…other than that.”
She quickly let the close up on her injured eye socket chart disappear.
Taps took a shallow breath and swallowed. Her throat was raw and her body ached. She began to heal her injured lungs, grateful for the many lessons Dr. Opikens had taught at Starlight Key School.
“At least, (wheeze) I’m not dead (wheeze) from that fall.”
Once Taps healed her lungs and eye, she pushed up from the cold stone cavern, “Where’s Merrick?” Another look made her pause, “Where’s my treasury?”
The entire room was depleted! Not one giggler remained! She ran over to touch the wall that would open into another section. Every shelf, every hook, was devoid of lucre.
“Gone? But-but my children! If I had died…they would’ve been penniless! He stole everything!”
The silent alarm went off. Taps braced herself and grabbed her hat as she was yanked to another room, her heart screaming for justice.
If she survived this problem, Merrick could expect a visit!
*
Once the ground was again growing grass, she touched the ladder, “Thank you. Shrink.” She took the tiny ladder and placed it in her pocket. A small breeze rolled by.
Out of the corner of her blue eyes, something shimmered. “Hello, what’s this?”
The ground glittered here and there, but it wasn’t any mineral. “It looks more like fabric, a flowy dress of sorts.”  She paused and looked up. The air shimmered around her and then stopped. Millie froze. The soft breeze blew through the garden again and once more the air shimmered around her.
“Curtains?” She reached out and tried to touch them, but her hand went right through. “Invisa-curtains!”
She looked back at the mending tree and newly mended earth. The curtains extended through the ground.
“That’s why the ground shimmered strangely and why Merrick couldn’t reach the item of interest. Whatever is behind the curtain is invisible and intangible.” She kneeled and swiped her hand through it again, not even being able to touch the small mound, “Unless one is ordered retrieve it by the owner of the curtain.” She stood, “No doubt, the curtains are keyed to Teresa or Jeffery, which points my inquiries to them.
“My my, what have you hidden that would intrigue a dragon, daughter-mine?” Millie clasped her hands together in an excited fashion. She turned and looked back at the large Victorian mansion, “Matter-o-fact, where is that over-grown newt? He should’ve returned now that the Tapestry is back in order.”
*
Piedee’s katana appeared in her hand and it glowed red hot, “Maddening Millie’s a whole pack of problems!”
“I thought grandma was called Miracle Millie.” Sarah put Sebastian’s monocle in place as she ran into the house to follow her aunt.
“She’s both! You should see the volumes King Encil wrote about her!” Piedee’s green eyes were wide as they looked around the flooded room.
The sparkles were up to their waists!
“From the way this is gushing everywhere, we’ve got fifteen.” Piedee glared.
“Fifteen what?”
“Minutes,” Piedee frowned as she headed for the hall, “before we’re all dead.”
Sarah gulped as she set Sebastian down on the dining table, “Where’s…”
Taps flew out of the ceiling and slammed into the wall like she was a bunch of bricks! She dropped down in front of her.
“Mom!”
Taps got up, her hat smashed down to her shoulders! Worse, there was no indication that she had a head or a neck anymore!
Sarah was ready to scream as she came forward to heal her mother.
“Sarah! Don’t move!” her mother shouted.
Sarah stopped and looked down where the sound was coming from. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Taps’ head and neck (clear up to her yellow bowtie), sticking up out of the floor! She was surrounded by portal lines.
“Ribs! Pull your hat off so you don’t choke on that magical dust!” Piedee came over and grabbed the smashed hat from Taps’ shoulders and pulled up.
Taps’ head and neck were yanked back through the portal and returned to their proper place. The portal on the floor closed quickly.
Sarah blinked, snapping her jaw shut and her air came out in a relieved rush.
Her mind zoomed to the time they were attacked in the alleyway. After the skirmish, Taps had had the reluctant Mr. Pytt step through her hat. It wasn’t just a quick magician’s trick, it was a portal. With that mystery solved, more questions flooded Sarah’s mind.
A portal in Mom’s hat is a good idea. I wonder if her hat is only connected to the mansion or if it can go other places? I’ll have to ask.
“Here Ribs. Now tell us what’s going on!” Piedee threw Taps her hat.
Taps punched the bottom of it at it returned to its proper shape; she slapped it back on her curly head, “Mother has accidently snapped several of the security arteries! Because of that the rooms are jumbled! We need to sear the arteries shut and repair the whole lot!”
Taps grabbed a blue artery in her hand and seared it shut with her Keeper magic.
There was a small explosion below stairs that shook the mansion.
Sarah steadied herself, “Is anyone else in danger, if this all goes up in smoke?”
“I’ll guarantee it!” Sebastian stated, looking at Piedee pointedly.
Piedee looked at Taps, searing several arties with her hot katana, “The royal lines I placed.”
Taps went pale as more arteries flopped into the room and added to the flood.
What royal lines?” Although she wasn’t really drowning, Sarah instinctively raised her chin to keep her face above the rising sparkles as she grabbed for more spurting strands, “Tell me what to do and I’ll help!”
“Piedee, you’ll have to tell her!” Taps was yanked up by some invisible force. The daring Realm Keeper turned to face the ceiling as she sped towards it. She put her tapper horizontally in front of her to avoid ramming her face into the ceiling.


The next part is being worked on!


Previous chapter: Maddening Millie

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

HoC Machines:

Magicaniks and their machines! Although we don't go into a whole lot of these in the series, the HoC world is filled with them!


Machines

Copey (guardian gate)

Lunch boxes/pails

Mugwump

Recycle Can Monster

Taps' Teapot

HoC Creatures: List and Links

There are many creatures in the HoC universe; some good, neutral, or bad. What defines them most in a Spade's eyes is how deadly they are.


Creatures

Clever

Dude

Dust Bunny

More

Octavious

Oni

Percival (Percy)

Prancine (Prance)

Sissy

Zizzor, General


Evil Creatures

Bashers

Deathwings

Lurker King

Lurkers (regular)

Slicers

Wingnut

Wrappers

HoC Bk1 Characters: Millicent Persimmons

*Co-author note: As you can see, Millie's name was still in the editing gambit in 2014. But her official name is Millicent and her normal nickname is Millie.


Name: Millicent Persimmons
Sibling(s): 64
Relationship Status: Married (see Lawrence Persimmons)
Children: TapsLiddy
Suit: Heart ♥/ Spade  
Awards/Recognition: Master puzzler. Saved many threes from insane puzzle boxes, bringing them back to sanity. Solved many problems for all suits.
Nicknames: Miracle Millie OR Maddening Millie - depending on who you ask...


 




*Co-author's note: The first picture is of Lawrence and Millie first seeing each other, then marrying; their children-to-be are excited and ready to be born.
The second picture is Millie with her two girls. It's just a few months later and everything changes for the Persimmons family forever.


Back to Taps



HoC Bk1 Characters: Lawrence Persimmons




Name: Lawrence Augustas Persimmons
Sibling(s): Twin brother
Relationship Status: Married (see Millicent Persimmons)
Children: Taps, Liddy
Suit: Club ♣ ♣
Awards/Recognition: Winner of many magicks battles and wars in the past, Lawerence was also one of three to walk away from the last battle of Camelot.


*Co-author's note: This is a colored sketch I did of Larry, Millie, and Taps when they're in his toyshop. (The doodles out to the side? That's a creative mind at work).

Saturday, October 12, 2019

HoC 6 Cut scenes --->Spoilers

Just like a set of directors from a film, mom and I have had to slice and dice scenes from: House of Cards: Trumped, Book 6. 


These are the ones we've  promised to show you. (Please keep in mind, these aren't professionally edited and really just for entertainment purposes.)


*Sal & Zack's Wedding (Posted 10/19/2018)


*Taps' parents and sister
-Maddening Millie (pt 1 of 2) (Posted 10/12/2019)
-Miracle Millie (pt 2 of 2) (Posted 11/5/19. Working on currently)


* What happened to Merrick?
-Drat that Dragon

* The new Accountant


* Taps and Jeffrey’s family


-T. Erickson

Saturday, October 5, 2019

HoC Bk1 Creatures: General Zizzer


Name: General Zizzor, Zizzor
Species: Humming bird
Class: M
Description: White body, gold lacy color designs on his shoulders and crown of his head.
Attack(s): Zizzor has been known to go up the noses or through the eyes of enemies.
Special attack(s): He drills his humming troops in many maneuvers. They've been known to cause a lot of problems for undesirables on the Tapestry grounds.
Defense(s): Wings. He's fast!
Known facts: He protects the Tapestry grounds. Particularly the Tava Tree and Smitten Rose bush. He is the inspiration for Taps' RK symbol and front gate to the Tapestry Mansion. He's a great spy.
Known History: He's saved Taps a few times during her adventures. He has a courageous heart and a keen eye for battle. Because of his ability to zoom about, he gains perspective quickly and can strategize accordingly. He also has an annoyance towards Clever the Whirly-Bob, as he is told to often watch the strawberry-loving rubber lawn clipper.
Tame: Yes.
Weakness(es): Hunnysuckle
Current Status: Alive


Back to Creature List