Yes there were a lot of !'s.

And there are going to be more in this email, I can't help it, I'm excited. After what seems like FOREVER (and really nine months? I guess I was giving birth) Faded Luck is launching!!! Faded Luck will be available on July 8th. It's coming out right before my birthday so Happy Birthday to me!!! It is available for pre-order now!

And because there should be lots of fun stuff around anyone's birthday here is what else I've got going on.

A giveaway! Enter here and you can win a signed book. Don't tell anyone but if you win and want a hardback (of the ones that are in hardback) you can get that too! Share the fun, enter away!

Then My Luck is FREE!!!!! (Told you lots of exclamation marks). For the first time ever it is free until the 5th. Go get it now, tell your friends, bribe your kids. I'd love to get to #1 in the free store. I like orange ribbons.

So for the rest of the week I am trying to finish a novella that will occur after Faded Luck and before the next novel, then I'll be starting the next novel. Plus having people over for my birthday. I'm going to smoke meat and have people over. Not sure I can handle that. But you know what that means? Cleaning? Whimpers. How can my house be such a disaster. I really need to invite people over more often. Okay off to clean, write, and feed my sourdough starter. I know hard life.

Since I'm making you wait until next week to find out why Cori is pregnant, here are some things to distract you until then. Here are a bunch of free stories by a top Urban Fantasy writes, all available in one anthology just for you. Get Mages & Monsters for free!

In the novel Berikatanyan Dawn its people suffer the most cataclysmic failure of Elemental magic in their history. How will they deal with the loss of so many powerful magicians? The question is, do you want to be a magician? Somedays I do, somedays I don't. If it comes with cleaning spells, I'm all for it.

Last week to fill out the survey! Then I'll be contacting someone to see what book they want! Wow two ways to win free physical books.

Now for this weeks story.

Perspective

Lelal walked out of the palace, her crown glistening on her head. Today she was declared the heir. All this would be hers to govern, to manage one day. One day too soon from the grayness in her mother's skin. It would be up to her to protect the realm and bear a daughter to pick up the mantle when it was her time.

The weight of all the responsibility felt crushing. She wanted to go hide, give up the honor to someone else. She could never be as good a queen as her mother. Looming failure made her heart twitch as she continued to walk. Tradition was to walk with the crown so everyone could see who would be the next queen. While it had been almost guaranteed as she was the only daughter, other times there had been fierce competition. Lelal would have gladly given this burden over to a sister, if she had one.

People bowed and smiled as she walked. She knew guards trailed her, keeping her safe, but these were her people. Kids smiled and waved, young men blushed, young women smiled wistfully, but the elders appraised her. She felt lacking. Trying to distract herself from the discomfort of their inspection, she looked at the road, the buildings, the market. All the public places as she walked.

Her frown grew as she continued. There was more decay and neglect that she had realized. Too many people lined up for the well. There were holes in the streets as well as too many homeless. Had the wars cost that many people homes and jobs? The further she walked, following the prearranged path the more she saw.

But what astounded her were the ideas, solutions, options that sprang into her mind. Each step became firmer, more assured. By the time she reached the castle, five hours later, she had seen the city, its problems, its people, and its needs.

"You saw then?" Her mother said looking at her, a hint of a smile on her face.

"I did."

"Excellent, then let's begin."

Maybe she could do this.

Well back to cleaning, writing, and tearing apart my office. I need more organization in my life. BTW I think I used 25 exclamation points. Laughs.

Mel

Schedule 2022:

Dragoncon Sep 1-5: Atlanta, GA

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