Forthright .'s Blog, page 3

Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in a certain boy’s adventures because the Amaranthine Saga & Songs are mine. Please continue to indulge the lot of us, especially the ones being overlooked.

122
Eyes Shut

Coop reported back to Mutt. “She said that if I can do better, then go ahead, but… we’re already winning, and neither team likes it.”

Mutt grumbled, and there was a disorienting shift. Then arms wrapped around Coop from behind. “Don’t look.”...

If Looks Could Kill. One of my Folk-Spelled cast members is a gorgon. When I was picking and choosing recurring characters, I wanted to mix things up. That’s one of the reasons why I took two traditionally female creatures (harpies & gorgons) and created a male counterpart. Durst’s steampunk-style goggles counteract his deadly gaze.

This month’s Patreon mailing is a portrait of Durst created by Mart Lett, series illustrator, from which the above art is cropped. Want great mail? Head on ov...

Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in a certain boy’s adventures because the Amaranthine Saga & Songs are mine. Please continue to indulge the lot of us, especially the one who speaks up.

121
Goals

Teams formed up, one led by the big-voiced Bryce, the other by fierce-eyed Dominique.

Battlers shouted.

Balls hurtled.

Barrels made a satisfying metallic thunggg whenever someone made a goal.

In a way, it was fun, but after two rounds of th...

Alder Woodacre and the Acorns of Affection is now available. Do you need more reasons to reach for this story? How about this? There’s more than just Kip & Joe to this tale. Red Gate Farm is going to receive guests!

Joe’s (and Kip’s) story has officially released! This tale revisits the cast of Tamiko & the Two Janitors roughly ten years after the events of that book. That sets it (almost exactly) one year after the end of Bk7, so it’s a post-series story. The final word count puts it in novella territory, just over 35k, so it’s substantial as short stories go. This is mostly slice-of-life. But also family stuff. Squirrel courting shenanigans. Flutter nuggets. Feels. (The usual.)

He doesn’t need t...

Tomorrow is the Big Day. Of course, if you pre-order Alder Woodacre and the Acorns of Affection, it’ll auto-deliver to your e-reader tonight. (At least that’s how it works in my time zone.)

Alder Woodacre and the Acorns of Affection will release on July 22. There’s still time to pre-order!

Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in a certain boy’s adventures because the Amaranthine Saga & Songs are mine. Please continue to indulge the lot of us, especially the outsider looking in.

120
Learning Curve

Nobody actually explained the rules of the next game, but Coop didn’t need long to get the gist. “So it’s like keep-away and dodgeball, but also basketball?”

Mutt turned his head, rolled an eye.

Coop took a receptive posture and starte...

$.99 SALE. I’m participating in the Cozy Up with Fantasy book blast. Several authors in the genre have dropped the price on more than 50 books! I’ve marked down Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox for the day … as well as Meadowsweet (Galleries of Stone, #1) by C.J. Milbrandt (that’s one of my other pen names). You’re invited to check out ALL the offerings on the Cozy Up with Fantasy website, which has helpfully listed books along with their summaries, key words, and links.

With a sale like this, y...

Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in a certain boy’s adventures because the Amaranthine Saga & Songs are mine. Please continue to indulge the lot of us, especially the ranker.

119
Back in My Day

The next morning, Coop reported to the training grounds.

Mirrim took a respectful stance. “Been a while, Mutt.”

“You know him?”

“Sure. From way back.” She stiffly said, “You’re in good hands. Got your signals sorted?”

“Think so.”

Mirrim he...