CLOAK OF BLADES progress update

Now currently 20,000 words into CLOAK OF BLADES.

Hoping to be at least 55,000 words into it by 4th of July weekend!

Let’s have a brief, spoiler-free excerpt:

Tarlia raised an eyebrow. “Am I Kaethran Morvilind, to give you a task without the necessary tools? I expect you will need to recruit a crew of specialists. I also expect that you shall require money, as well, so I will provide some funds. And should you succeed, you will be well-rewarded.”

Morvilind had never paid me, either. Part of his whole sink-or-swim philosophy of training shadow agents that had gotten Riordan’s brother killed.

“Thank you,” I said. “And if I fail…”           

Tarlia shrugged. “We will deal with that if you fail. Though I stress the need for secrecy. Knowing your character, I doubt I would need to punish you. Nevertheless, the consequences if you are caught would be personally unpleasant, including the possibility of getting shot by the Duke’s security forces, to say nothing of the political results. It might trigger a civil war.”

Great. No pressure.

 But I felt…if not quite confidence, more calm than I expected.

I was a very, very good thief. It had taken the Lord Inquisitor himself to catch me, and he was considerably smarter than most of the Elven nobles. I could do this. I had done it in the past.

I would just have to do it again.

-JM