Cloud sea on Laojunshan, Luoyang, Henan province, China

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Cloud sea on Laojunshan, Luoyang, Henan province, China
Cloud Sea and Hotel Samara!
In regards to this post
Cloud Sea is one very near and dear to my heart, it's the current incarnation of what was really my first attempt at writing a high fantasy novel. It's come very very far from where it started to the point of being almost unrecognizable, but there's still a bit of the same DNA. Right now the title really refers to a setting and characters more than any specific story...While it started as traditional sword and sorcery fare, it's evolved into swashbuckling fantasy set in a world of sky islands where the only means of travel is via airships. The islands themselves are in a sort of post-magic, early industrial era that's on the cusp of entering a global economy. It deals with alot of themes about colonialism, reconciling ideals with reality, and self-determinism. I could wax on about the whole setting for paragraphs and paragraphs, but I'll leave it there for now unless people want to hear more.
Hotel Samarra is my murder mystery WIP! The main detective is Ephraim Sharpe, the owner of the titular hotel, and the main gimmick of the series is that every murder takes place in or around his hotel. The hotel itself is a grand, luxurious location that seems incredibly out of place in the remote town of Silent Grove--yet it still attracts clientele from all over the world who seem to come for no other reason than to stay at the famous Hotel Samarra. Why is there such a grand hotel in the middle of nowhere? Why do so many people seem to get murdered at this very establishment? Why do people keep staying at this hotel when it's a known crime scene for so many deaths? These are all reasonable questions that sort of get swept under the rug...While there are no explicitly supernatural elements in the story, there is sort of...undercurrent of implication that the Hotel Samarra is a kind of limbo or purgatory where people's sins catch up with them one way or another. This is furthered by alot of anachronistic elements within the story--one murder may revolve modern technology like phones or computers, while another may feel like something from the 1920s. Again, nothing explicitly supernatural, just sort of a vibe. The title is a reference to "Appointment in Samarra," a short story I've always liked about the inevitability of fate.
Sky Mountains: By Hero Central: 3/4/2021:
Small background art piece that I’ve had in the back of my mind for some time now. The setting is mountains and islands floating on a sea of clouds.
This was inspired by looking at the artwork of Raya and the Last Dragon.
Painted in Procreate
Artwork (c) A.Montgomery,2021-2023
The sunset absolutely put on a show and a sea of clouds swirled below us, the peak of Golden Ears and other mountains poking through the white, fluffy, ocean of cotton balls. Watch my latest video!
A sea of clouds as far as the eye can see.
“ SKY #3/6 star & Cloud Sea ”