My inner control freak is freaking out.

I'm selling books at Dragoncon, which means I bought a bunch of books. Like a LOT. Which means I have boxes and boxes of books. For about two weeks my office looked like boxes had exploded all over it - and it was making my skin crawl. BUT - I finally have everything mostly boxed up for Dragoncon.

The empty red and black isn't part of it. But that includes water, my clothes, boxes of books, display stuff, and the coffee maker. Coffee is important.

I feel better with everything packed. I may tweak my personal stuff tonight, but only because I'm going to be on stage so I need to practice my makeup game. Normally I'm not a huge makeup person - mainly cause I'm not that good at putting it on. My go to is eyeliner and lipstick - DONE! But.... I'm going to try and be a bit more polished for the costume contest (Page 2 Stage) intro.

Other than that - I'm behind. I really wanted to break 30k this month (only at 25k with 3 days left-sigh), but work has been insanely busy, getting ready for con (and getting my hair done) has eaten up time. And maybe the new Season of Diablo III started. Maybe.

However, I think I'm ready. If you are going to Dragoncon check out the app and you will see all the places I'm going to be, including booth signings. I got this. I do.

While you are waiting to see if I made a fortune at Dragoncon, here are some new reads for you to check out.

I love EMP threats. They are fascinating and no one knows exactly what will happen or how fast we will recover. So this story grabs me from the get go - The Intrusion, The end of her world is just the beginning. EMP, apocalypse, and aliens. Okay sign me up. This a free prequel story, so check it out.

So I'm a bit burnt out on romance, but when you twist destinies and kingdoms in with it, sometimes mariage is the only way to solve it. Wedding of the Torn Rose: A merchant who abandoned his birthright… A princess with a dark secret… And an encounter destined to change their lives forever. Mmmm, okay and it's free? Woot!

Yes you get three this week, I know you need distraction from the good time I'll be having a Dragoncon - or my exhaustion. Hometown Space Pirate. A guy who can hear AIs, space travel, aliens and evil A.I.'s heck yes. Check out this series.

That is all I've got for you. So here is a special microshort, this one actually set in the Ternion Universe.

Birth of a Villain

Colleen Brown stared at the rip in reality. She swallowed hard even as her hair stood straight up, all of it. Meaning her middle of the back luxurious black locks made her look like she was surround by a halo of darkness.

"I is not a mage," she muttered, but her heart leapt at the idea. Magic meant power. It meant she wouldn't die poor and cold. It meant food on the table regularly, maybe even a patron.

"Peasant, get away from that portal. I'll take care of it." She jerked at the voice behind her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the glimpses of color she saw in the rip. Without meaning to she leaned a bit closer, needing to see what was creating that marvelous shimmer of light. She so rarely got to see colors.

Something slammed into her and she flew through away, landing on her back, the air whooshing out of her and her body screaming from the sudden impact. "Learn to listen when your betters speak," a man snarled.

He turned, sneered at the portal and it snapped shut, hiding the colors she'd wanted to see so badly. "Stupid commoners. There should be a culling." He loomed over her in his cut suit, walking cane, and expensive shoes. "Next time when a member of the gentry tells you to do something. Do it." He sniffed and whirled around.

She walked him stalk away as her fingers curled tight into fists, sending her short nails into the palm of her hand, drawing blood. Staring at the ground, she pushed herself up, brushing dirt off her skirts, as anger bubbled up as she saw the tears and rents in the fabric. Fabric she couldn't afford to replace. Mending it would take her most the night, but her employer wouldn't accept shabbiness.

Staring at the rent she went through the steps to repair it in her head, needle, thread, unraveling, then stitching, she'd be up all night. Frustration lashed through her like the crack of a whip and for a moment the world spun. Blinking she opened her eyes to see the rents raveling together, better than her ma could have. The blood from her hands vanished.

A slow cold smile spread across her face. It looked like she was a mage after all.

I hope you enjoyed that, I have an idea for Colleen in my Noble's Luck series. Hmmmmm. See you on the flip side.

Mel

Schedule 2022:

Dragoncon Sep 1-5: Atlanta, GA

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