Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero - a fantasy novel by Charles E Yallowitz

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BL9GBU2

It began with a game of dice, pencils, and enough sugary soda to make a dentist's eyes turn into permanent dollar signs.  In this game, I put on the guise of Luke Callindor and entered a realm of magic.  Back then, I had no idea I had found the catalyst I had been looking for.  Through Luke's adventures, I developed Windemere and followed other stories in this world that blossomed in my mind.  I followed vampiric warlords, noble thieves, and a trouble-making halfling, but I always came back to the beginning.  I always meant to start my career as an author with Luke Callindor.

"Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero" is the first of fifteen books that will follow Luke Callindor and his friends as they become the greatest heroes of Windemere.  It all begins when Luke lies to a royal messenger to get his first adventure at a military academy.  His job is to secretly protect a royal heir from a power-hungry Lich who has uncovered the heir's whereabouts.  Driven more by ambition than common sense, Luke finds himself scrambling to figure out which student is the hidden heir while a demonic assassin lurks in the shadows.  That's only the main plot issues because he still has problems with girls, classes, mouthing off to the ex-mercenary headmistress, and handling the attention he gets from his famous surname.  For a first adventure, Luke is in over his head and he's going to be lucky to get to the end in one piece.

Thankfully, Luke isn't alone, but his helpers leave a lot to be desired.  Unable to go to the combat instructors or the headmistress for fear of them stealing his adventure, Luke finds other allies in the academy.  Once he makes friends with Nimby, a halfling carpentry teacher with his own secrets, Luke finds himself with a new set of friends.  Before Nimby can be stopped, he recruits Fritz Warrenberg, a gnomish inventor and proud womanizer, and Aedyn Karwyn, a serious priest of the sun.  These four strangers become fast friends as they hurry to locate the heir before the demon makes his moves.

Due to being born from a tabletop role-playing game, "Legends of Windemere" is a very character driven series.  Every character has a past and a personality with strengths, flaws, and goals.  As much as I enjoy hearing that someone enjoyed my book, I smile wider when I'm told that they loved or connected with a character and why.  After all, it's their story and their lives that I'm writing about, so I want them to be more than silhouettes against the backdrop of a grand adventure.

I hope everyone enjoys this story and finds a character that speaks to them.  Though, I'd be careful talking to Nimby.  He doesn't know when to stop talking.