Tag: announcement

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

Revolution Writing Diary #3 – The Quasi-Historical Roots Of The Raiders.

Minerval insignia
Like many of their more revolutionary cousins, the Illuminati used myths and symbols that closely matched their ideals. The Owl of Minerva is one such example, demonstrating their desire for reason and wisdom.

Edit (12/13/2019): It would be more accurate to say that Helisah, Aegras, and Fasti took a pledge. Fixed!

Crosspost: ericmrozek.com

Let’s face facts. You’ve probably heard of a wide variety of stories that portray secretive evil organizations. Almost all of them have a foundation in the conspiracy theories that have seeped into our culture. With that in mind, what if I told you that there is some historical truth to this madness that I used to create The Raiders?

It sounds far fetched, right? How could a force for good in the world of Maereath be taken from something that sounds so evil?

Well, it’s not as simple as you think.

The Fascinating True Story Of The Illuminati.

Johann Adam Weishaupt
History is stranger than fiction.

In the late 18th century, a wide variety of secret societies operated out of lodges on both sides of the Atlantic. You’ve probably heard of a few of them, but the most important one of all is the Freemasons. In those days, the society was a club where Enlightenment thinkers, kings, generals, and other notable folk could relax, do some work, and talk to each other without regard for religious or political issues.

However, some people didn’t agree with their ideas. Enter a young Bavarian professor by the name of Johann Adam Weishaupt.

Adam grew frustrated with the influence of Jesuit priests over the University of Ingolstadt, especially when they attempted to thwart the spread of the more liberal ideas of the period. He initially joined the Freemasons, but they were not quite open to many of his ideas. Therefore, he sought to create an organization that he called the Convent of Perfectibility, which was later changed to the Order of Illuminati in 1778.

Over its nine years of operation, the Illuminati expanded and clashed with other secret societies in the various German states of the time. Throughout that time, they championed many of the things that we take for granted like democracy, rationalism, secularism, and modernization.

There was just one problem.

The members couldn’t keep their mouths shut in public, so the order became an open secret. When Prince-elector Karl Theodor found out that the order had gained a bit of power in his part of the Holy Roman Empire, he banned all secret societies in his domain, seized what he could, and published it for all to see.

It Gets Worse.

Alex Jones
We all know that Alex Jones is a lunatic, but did you know that some of his talking points are over 200 years old?

Unfortunately for our reasonably enlightened German friends, history can be a harsh mistress. Luckily for us, we know how their memory was corrupted and turned into the whack-a-doodle conspiracy theory (and evil organizations from pop culture) that we know today.

Near the turn of the 19th century, Augustin Barruel and John Robison developed the first pieces of the modern conspiracy theory by saying that the Illuminati were behind the French Revolution. They had absolutely no evidence to back up their claims, but that didn’t stop the fake news from making its way across Europe and the United States. The fear of such an organization didn’t do all that much in America, but it supposedly induced a sense of paranoia and fear in the European aristocracy. According to British historian J.M. Roberts, it got to the point where their panic and subsequent persecutions may have caused a number of democratic revolutions.

In the 20th century, the conspiracy was revived and expanded by fascists and fundamentalist Christians who objected to everything from modern liberalism to the kitchen sink. Their craziness inevitably gave us the internet weirdos that we know in the present day, but it also provided some of the creative inspiration behind organizations like SPECTRE, Abstergo Industries, and Hydra.

Putting It All Together.

Destruction - Resistance
Amatu kei lanin.

With all of this in mind, The Raiders developed from a combination of the original ideals of the Illuminati and other pro-Enlightenment organizations, some pop culture tropes like the Rule of Cool, and a few modern sensibilities.

In Destruction and Illumination, Helisah, Aegras, and Fasti took a pledge to uphold the ideals of democracy, free choice, rationalism, and justice. These principles have been the core philosophy of the series ever since its inception, but I felt that I had to back them up with the Rule of Cool. Therefore, it seemed necessary to develop the peaceful and violent aspects of the organization into a balanced whole. Over time, this led to everything from the action sequences that you see in the books to the little background details like their desire to preserve old stories.

On the other hand, I felt that it was wise to steer clear of an utter reliance on secret organizations. The Illuminati advocated for modern ideals, but they also barred women or many other outsiders from their ranks. This strange contradiction compelled me to look for other sources of inspiration. Thankfully, I was able to draw on the appearance of female spies during the Enlightenment, the Victorian era, and the World Wars. After reading their stories, it was easy to put two and two together and pave the way for an elf like Helisah Almari.

What fun!

Another writing diary will be coming soon. Keep it here!

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

Revolution Writing Diary #2 – The Cover Reveal.

Revolution - Maereath: The War of the Democratic Coalition, #3 - Cover Art
You will submit!

Crosspost: ericmrozek.com.

About a year ago, we began a series of writing diaries that marked the progress of Revolution. Now that the editing process is complete, we have so much more to share with you. Over the next few weeks, we are going to embark on a journey to get you hyped for the final chapter of this trilogy. It all starts with the cover!

But before we unveil our latest masterpiece, let’s take a look at what went into it.

Everything Old Is New Again.

As you might be able to tell from our previous covers, we always attempt to differentiate each product with a compelling scene.  We started things off with a minor skirmish on the cover of Destruction. After that, Independence gave us the chance to balance civilian life with the never-ending quest for freedom. Lastly, Illumination let us play with the Lady of Knives and the mysteries that awaited our fans.

When Revolution entered its editing phase, we realized that we needed something old and new. Luckily, our new artist, Liam Maher, was more than up to the challenge.

In the realm of the old, we wanted to balance the historical feel of the Telurian soldiers with elite nature of Thrakoth’s inner circle. With that in mind, Liam gave the soldiers  some added pop by mixing old school uniforms with a regal purple. What fun!

In the realm of the new, we played around with the damage done by the war, leading to the urban environment in the piece. In order to deal with the passage of time, we also fiddled with some of the new weapons and equipment that Thrakoth’s elite warriors might have access to. When we turned it over to Liam, he mixed it up with some interesting variations on the Telurian arsenal. After all, our antagonist’s guard deserves the best of the best!

Speaking of the antagonist…

Fear Him.

One of our most important rules in the conception of this series has been to strike a balance between the magical and the ordinary. Therefore, it was difficult to come up with a true depiction that fit Thrakoth’s status. If we made him too magical, he could have wound up looking like Sauron, the Nazgul, or the Lich King. On the other hand, normalcy could never fit such a tough antagonist.

Luckily, the story of the previous two novels provided some clever solutions.

Over the course of the series, Thrakoth gained renown as an incredibly powerful sorcerer and leader, so we brought that out with his burning blue eyes, calm demeanor, and commanding presence. On top of that, we knew that he would dress and arm himself for success in warfare, so every little detail from his knife to his incredibly bulky armor was of the utmost importance.

All of that effort made its way into a compelling final product. Here it is!

Revolution (Maereath: The War of the Democratic Coalition, #3) - M-Cover

Revolution will arrive in early 2018.

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Holidays.

Hi everyone,

As promised, we are pleased to announce the following deals for the holiday season!

  • We are going to give out a number of discount codes for our services through the new year.  These will range from 5-25% off, so be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter!
  • On Saturday (11/25), all of our books will be discounted by $1.

Thanks for being our fans!

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

Our Holiday Deals – Part 2!

Independence - Promo Ad

Hello everyone!

We’re pleased to announce that we’re in a giving mood this holiday season. As of right now, you can grab Independence for the low, low price of FREE for a limited time.

You read that right. We’re giving this sucker away for free. It’s a fantasy political drama that we love to share, and we think it will serve as a great introduction for any newcomers to our books. But remember, it will not be up forever, so here’s the synopsis!

THE IDEALS OF A NATION.

Five hundred and fifty years before the war against Thrakoth, the land of Fiea is in chaos. Years of civil unrest have forced the burgeoning colonies into a state of open rebellion against their overlords in the Avelingian Empire. While the public remains bitterly divided, the Avelingian government initiates a crackdown on the growing desire for civil liberties, culminating in the arrest and impending execution of Amelhir Vilistani.

The sudden condemnation of the beloved scientist inflames the growing resistance to Imperial rule. In the city of Olmonin, rebel politicians gather in a secret assembly to keep the growing conflict from spiraling out of control. Yet as the clock ticks down to Amelhir’s doom, the resistance will soon find that the only way to save their people will be to set off a chain of events that lead to the sundering of an empire… and the rise of a new republic.

As of right now, you can grab this story on Nook, Kobo, and iTunes. We may have other outlets coming in soon, so we’ll be sure to update you. Now, don’t just sit there. Go grab it!

Happy Holidays!

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

 

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

Announcing Revolution!

Revolution - Helisah Almari
Welcome to the next phase of our plans…

Crossposted to ericmrozek.com.

Free Eagle Studios, LLC is proud to announce the development of Revolution, the final novel in the War of the Democratic Coalition series. Set in the world of Maereath, Revolution chronicles the closing days of the war that began in Destruction and Illumination, leading up to a cataclysmic final battle that will determine the fate of our characters and the world at large.

About The Novel:

The final battle for the fate of Maereath begins. As Thrakoth launches bloody offensives throughout the world, Helisah, Aegras, and Fasti race home to plot the final battle. While Aegras begins the construction of a weapon that will change the world, Helisah and Fasti embark on a secret campaign to decimate the Telurian war machine and draw their newly crowned Emperor out into the open.

As the opposing forces of democracy and tyranny begin their final clash, both sides will stop at nothing to secure victory. In the west, an army from three continents gathers to hold the line and assist Helisah, Aegras, and Fasti at any cost. In the east, Thrakoth commands his soldiers and spies to gather their full strength and march behind him to glory. As the future of Maereath hangs in the balance, the brave and the dangerous shall fight and die to usher in an Age of Revolution.

Free Eagle Studios Website: freeeaglestudios.com.

Twitter: @FreeEagleStu & @EricMrozek.

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

After The Launch…

Hi everyone,

We hope that everyone had a great weekend. We have been hard at work on the release and early marketing blitz for Illumination. While our novels are still out for reviews, we’ll have plenty of fun things coming up to catch your fancy on our Twitter page. Be sure to follow it for all the latest details, including some news on the new products that we’re excited to reveal in the near future!

Happy Reading!

Free Eagle Studios, LLC

Free Eagle Studios Turns One!

Free Eagle Studios - Where do we go from here?
Where do we go from here?

A few days ago, we passed our first birthday as a company. While we have had our ups and downs, we thought we’d share with you a little bit about where we have been and what we intend to do in between now and our second birthday. Needless to say, it’s been a hell of a ride.

Where We’ve Been.

Over the course of the past year, we’ve released one novel and a short story. Destruction has received great reviews from the start, mostly in the range of 4 to 5 stars. It has been a while since we returned to that place in the world of Maereath, but more on that when we point out where we are going. The team is quite pleased with the product, and we are looking forward to seeing where we go next.

Independence has proven to be a much harder sell, but we expected some difficulties in marketing a short story to the world. Despite this, we intend to continue to use the property and the short stories that emerge from it as a low cost way to try out our products. However, we are going to be restructuring our original plan for the sequels to that short and push back the release for the time being.

You may have noticed that we have also partnered up with Amazon, which has given us a few more tools to exploit in our quest to expand this company. For the time being, we intend to market exclusively on Kindle, as it represents well over 90% of our business across all territories worldwide.

Where We Are Going.

We are pleased to announce that the sequels to Destruction are going to be released much sooner than you think. We thought about delivering both of the books at the same time, but we have decided to space out their release dates and give them time to make their way out into the world. Rest assured, they will both be available before Q3 2016 is out.

We are also proud to announce that the sequels to Independence are projected for release in the fourth quarter of this year or Q1 2017, depending upon the time investment required. Initially, we thought about delivering six separate stories over time, but we’ve decided to change up this plan and combine the various stories into two full volumes. The first will lead to the conclusion of the Fiean Revolution. The second will at least partially bridge the gap between that saga and The War of the Democratic Coalition.

We also have a few surprises coming your way on the merchandising front, but it is going to take some time as we are still sifting through the designs. When we have some more information, we will have a new branch of our site for you to explore!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter. We love to chat with our fans!