October Rules!
Oct 06, 2024 4:25 pm
Rock the keyboard!
I have finished two of the three books!!! In the last three weeks I've written over 65k words. And I have it mostly done. I'm saving to write the last chapter of Bastard as it wraps up the trilogy until I've edited Lady and Lord so I make sure there is consistency. But it is almost done. I'll be hammering on edits the next two weeks which means my word count is going to plummet, but I'm hoping to get Aria restarted so I can finish that book by the end of October. I'm glad my keyboard is mechanical or it might have died already.
But now we are going to talk Kickstarters. It is probably confusing why authors are going so much to Kickstarter, but it lets us get stories to you faster and get more bells and whistles with those stories. My plan is by the next newsletter to have the kickstarter ready for you to follow so you'll see all the story you'll be getting. I am super excited.
Speaking of which, the AMAZING Katie Cross has book 2 in her series going as a kickstarter and it is gorgeous. If you love having a bookshelf that is drool worthy (because of the books, not the shelf) you need to check out her Kickstarter. It will have amazing sprayed edges, ribbons, all the awesome stuff. I know I need the next book. And you've never read her stuff, check it out here.
There is one more convention this year and then I'll be heads down writing and trying to FINISH things. I'm starting to panic to be honest, so many books I need to write.
Book Recommendations!
Dying is one thing, but becoming a Reaper wasn't on her list of plans for the afterlife. But no matter how much life sucked, letting the Earth be destroyed isn't the best option, but what can one dead teenager turned reaper do? Check out the free book, Eternity's Echo and find out.
If you like hard hitting sci-fi and moral choices that might cost you everything, check out Star Axe and find out just how far some people will go to do the right thing.
There is also a new round of some amazing free books! Check out Urban Fantasy Freebies for some kick ass stories!
Weekly Micro Story
Companion
I stood on the edge of the cliff, the last words of my summons, my song bouncing between the mountains slowly getting fainter and fainter. There was high probability my summons would fail. If it did succeed there was an even greater chance that I would die.
But then if I was dead, it wouldn't matter any more, right?
I waited as the sun sank down and the cooler air swirled around me promising a winter that would take fingers and toes as well as livestock. If I died, at least there would be one less mouth to feed for my village.
I was the last of the young ones to do my summons, and the only one to do it in private. Everyone else had their animal companion. A bunny, a fox, a mouse, a bird. Small creatures that could help keep us alive by ferreting out food. An animal that bonded to you changed. Something deep in it became more human and less animal.
That wasn't what I wanted. If this worked I would become less human and more like… it.
The sounds stilled around me and I wanted to cry. It had failed. There would be nothing for me.
"Why should I not eat you? You are skinny, but would fill me for a day or maybe two."
The voice surrounded me, filled my soul and my ears. It wasn't in the common tongue, but I heard every word with all of me. I opened eyes I had not realized I closed and turned to see the huge dragon but an arms length from me. It looked at me curious as it waited for my answer.
The proper form was 'I choose you to be my companion, to share my burdens, and enrich my life. Will you?' But I knew from the stories my gran had whispered to me those weren't the right words. They never had been.
"I beg to be your companion, to share your burdens, and enrich your life," I said in a clear voice watching the dragon. "Take me as yours."
The words as they originally were. We were here to protect the creatures on this world, not the other way around.
~*~
I know, I know. I'm not sorry.
Mel
Schedule 2024:
Deep South Con - Oct 11-13th, Helen, GA <- last chance until 2025 to see me in person!!!
But in other news I have my TikTok going. If you want to know what I'm doing and working on and random stuff check out @meltoddufbooks. If you want to see what BAP as a whole is going and working out check out @BAP_badashbooks.
Don't forget Puppetmaster is available in audio! If you want to listen to this in audio grab it now from my store!
Remember find me here:
Bookbub - follow me! You'll see books I recommend and alerts to releases.
Tiktok - @meltoddufbooks and @BAP_badashbooks
