DRAGONTIARNA: THIEVES excerpt
Working on DRAGONTIARNA: THIEVES, and wrote Third’s and Selene’s first scene together. Is it time to share an excerpt?
Yes, yes it is. 🙂
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His perpetual frown deepened. “Will you be able to find your path through the Deep Ways? They are a maze.”
Ridmark shrugged. “I have some experience with exploring underground ruins.”
“Do you?” said Caelmark.
“The Labyrinth near Bastoth,” said Third.
Ridmark nodded. “And then after that, the ruins of Thainkul Morzan near Khald Tormen.” He snapped his fingers in recollection. “And that dvargir ruin in the Northerland during the Frostborn war, when we had to dig out those medvarth and a pair of cogitaers.”
Third inclined her head. “And the ruins of Cathair Selenias.”
“Oh, I was there for that one,” said Selene, “but I wasn’t myself at the time. At least my present self, which is quite preferable to my previous self. But I was there as myself for Basilisks’ Run under Urd Maelwyn. Twice, I feel I should point out.”
“And Khald Azalar before we even met you,” said Calliande to Third. “And the High Gate, Urd Morlemoch, the catacombs under Coldinium…”
Ridmark nodded. “Thainkul Dural, Urd Arowyn, Urd Dagaash, and the Deeps near Dun Licinia…”
“Thank you, you have quite made your point, brother,” said Caelmark, a rare note of amusement in his deep voice. “Though if I wanted a bard to sing me a song of the Shield Knight, I could pay any bard in the city a silver coin.”
“Yes, but you’re talking to us, which means we won’t even charge you,” said Selene.
“I…find myself unable to refute your logic,” said Caelmark. “If that was logic.”
“I am the most logical of all women, except when I am not,” said Selene.
“Mmm. Yes. Well…”
-JM
You always seem extra motivated when it comes to the Ridmark books. At the word count rate you are posting on Twitter you may be done with the first draft before the next Ghost book comes out.
You have guessed my goal – I want to be done with the rough draft by Labor Day.
I might not write the Ridmark books so fast in 2020, though. DRAGONTIARNA: KNIGHTS is only selling about 40% of what SEVENFOLD SWORD: SOVEREIGN did. If THIEVES sells at the same rate, I’ll probably cut back from doing a Ridmark novel every other month to every three or four months and write more GHOSTS and CLOAK MAGE.
While the reason behind it would suck I would not complain about more Cloak Mage books. Would be curious to see how she is viewed by the Wizards Legion and such. Wouldn’t mind her running into Valborg again either.
“Wouldn’t mind her running into Valborg again either.”
That will be in book #3.
I’m just glad you keep writing and FINISHING series. I thought I was done with your fiction (just finished the two cloak games shorts) but realized I haven’t read “Hyperspace Demons” and there’s something called “Other Worlds”. Thanks!
Thanks! That was quite a lot of books to read through. 🙂