Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Willow Wednesdays: Returning Japanese

Welcome to Willow Wednesdays! Featuring art by Willow, the cover artist for the Monkey Queen series, with her kind permission! Read on after the cut for more!

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Skyblade's Claim - out today!

It's time to take to the skies again! Skyblade's Claim, the second book in the Skyblade Saga series, is out today! Head to Amazon now to get your copy!


(As a part of the Plundered Chronicles Kindle Worlds setting, Skyblade's Claim (and Skyblade's Gambit, the first book in the series) is only available at Amazon.com. If you're not able to get a copy there, let me know; there is a workaround to get one to you. Also, note that this book is not recommended for younger readers, due to language and (ahem) adult situations.)

After the cut: Read Chapter One in its entirety! (Spoilers ahoy for Skyblade's Gambit!)

Sunday, June 25, 2017

I must be only one in a million, I won't let the blog pass without her

Sunday catchup, and if you missed it, scroll up or click back one post to learn more about Skyblade's Claim, the new novella in the Skyblade Saga series - coming this Tuesday, June 27! There'll be a preview with buying links up on Tuesday - but you'll get to read the preview Monday evening if you sign up for my mailing list! Click here! (I promise that your address will never be sold or given away.)

More after the cut!

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Skyblade's Claim - coming June 27!

Take to the skies again! Skyblade's Claim, the second novella in the Skyblade Saga, is coming to Amazon.com June 27!



Annabel Skyblade, notorious pirate captain, has a mystery on her hands: an enchanted piece of parchment she acquired while raiding a Svendaran airship. Victorie Brassfield, the Cerindel Navy's top intelligence officer, found another one just like it in the pocket of a Svendaran agent.

Annabel and Victorie have a history. After coming together over a common goal, their unlikely friendship blossomed into a budding romance. But it's been hard to maintain a relationship when their hearts take them in different directions - and put them on opposite sides.

Now they share a common quest once more. Can Annabel and Victorie uncover the mystery before them, through wild beer festivals, stately balls, and far-off-tropical islands, without letting their passion get in the way? Will this bring them closer together...or lead them to their bloody doom?

More after the cut!

Sunday, June 18, 2017

what you blog you have to borrow

Just a very short Sunday catchup post today, as I'm staring at the Dreaded Deadline Doom for Skyblade's Claim. Check back later this week for more; once I get everything in place, I can announce the official publication date and post an exclusive extended preview. But until then...


Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Willow Wednesdays: Uncovered

Welcome to Willow Wednesdays! Featuring art by Willow, the cover artist for the Monkey Queen series, with her kind permission! Read on after the cut for more!

Sunday, June 11, 2017

someone has to see a blog for him and me

Sunday catchup! Work is going mostly smoothly on Skyblade's Claim, and I'm hoping to have a completed first draft by this time next week. I don't want to commit to a release date yet, but feel free to mark your calendars for June 27. Just do it in pencil. More after the cut!

Sunday, June 4, 2017

you've blogged it in the tea leaves, and the tracks are on TV

And we're back. My apologies for missing last week; Clockwork Alchemy consumed the entire weekend, but in a good way. There'll be a few photos after the cut, along with two other things of note. Before that, I do want to answer a comment left by H on Saturday in a bit more detail. They asked what the latest news was on the seventh Monkey Queen book.

Hopefully, it'll be late this year. Part of the delay is due to my not being completely happy with the story I had planned for the seventh book. At this point, I need to either figure out how best to rework what's been written, or scrap it and start over. I know where the overall storyline is going after that; I just need to get it to that point.

Another part is real life getting in the way. Getting the Monkey Queen books ready for print after they're written requires covers and formatting. That has taken money and time, and though I may be looking into steps to cut those costs, it's not like with the Peavley Manor and Skyblade Saga stories, where I've had help (thank you, Shei and Amber!). Also, Willow has been busy for most of the last year, both with her Yokai art book and her real life things. (She did pass the review and earn her Ph.D last year, and was immediately hired for a teaching and research position, all of which has eaten up a lot of her time.) I don't want to ask her to commit time to do a cover until I know what the story is going to be.

And other writing projects have also come up. Skyblade's Gambit took some writing time, and I still need to finish up Skyblade's Claim for a release later this month. The Peavley Manor short stories begged to be written and were fun to do (and helped me get out of my writing lull). And I have another project, a steampunk/fantasy thing, that I want to finish by September. After that, I can take a long look at Michiko and Beth and try to get book seven going. But it will, sooner or later, get done!

More stuff after the cut! (WARNING: Lots of photos, may take a minute or three to load.)