An excerpt from:  “In the Wake of Mist”

There, before him stood a massive gongberou lumbering from the shadows dripping foam from its ghastly snout.  The brute stood three spears tall from foot to crest. The stained bones of men and beast covered its barreled chest, as the skulls of its valiant meals dangled from its waist by leather straps.  Two sabered fangs flanked a blood-besmeared beard.  Bow-muscled trunks held it upright and heavy arms carried grim-nailed paws, which could easily tear Sangara asunder.

About the Artist: Wayne Parker

Last year Milton Davis, author and publisher of  Meji  and Charles R. Saunders, author of the Imaro series, announced that he will be publishing a Sword and Soul anthology, showcasing the overflowing talent of black fantasy writers.  He accepted submissions from far and wide, and chose the best representations of craft and imagination that it can hold.  And his inclusion of artwork for the tales is what brings us to Wayne Parker.

Wayne Parker was picked to illustrate a scene from my accepted submission “In the Wake of Mist” and his skill surpassed what I had imagined. Working with what I had written and with a few of my suggestions, he brought to life the intensity and energy of the scene in ways that only he can do.  His preliminary sketches of simple lines, circles, and shading intrigued me at first, but when he sent the finished product to me, I was floored. The posing and scene detailing are so visually dynamic it becomes the stuff of dreams; the kind of dreams comics and movies are made of.  I would encourage anyone looking for an artist rendering of their tales and dreams to search out this man and allow him to breathe fire into your words.

Wayne Parker: http://duanewayne.blogspot.com/

and Checkout Wagadu: Home of Sword and Soul, for a preview of what to expect in the pages of Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology. You’ll  be glad you did.

Categories: Books and Blades