Words from Days 16-17 of Writing The Undiscovered (Book 3 of The Strays of Lunar One)
It's taken me a while to get back to this book and continue writing. As I create this post, The Undiscovered is half-way complete for the expected word count of 80,000 words. If the story runs longer, then that completion will take a little longer, but I've recommenced work on it.
On the personal front, I moved into a place of my own, had two weeks of strong reactions to my covid inoculations, dealt with a couple of things on the family front, and started settling into a new town. It's been a whirlwind few months, and my contracts had to come first. Now, as the dust settles, I can get back to work on this series and learn how to breathe, again.
I have really missed writing these characters, and I'm glad to be able to get back to them.
For the curious, I do have a publication date in my head, but won't announce that until I know I can hit it - most likely when the book is done and uploaded for pre-order, at which point there will be no last-minute delays.
In the meantime, here's an extract from the first two days back writing it.
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Oliver didn’t know how to respond. There was nothing he could say to appease the Ank, nothing he could offer to buy mercy. He and Lewis were as good as dead and they all knew it.
He stayed, kneeling as he waited for the Ank to say more…and that was when Aylin chose to intervene. He felt the slight breeze caused by her movement, catching her scent just before she stood beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder as she replied.
“My Ank,” she began, and another ferocious growl rumbled through the room.
Aylin stepped around Oliver, but she didn’t bow, and she didn’t kneel. Instead, she drew herself to her full height, turning her head and offering her throat to the Ank.
It didn’t matter that he couldn’t take advantage of the gesture. What mattered was that she made it, showing her allegiance and her trust.
“My Aylin…” Regar’s reply was almost a groan of pain. “Have you bound them so well?”
Aylin lowered her chin, looking up at him through her lashes. “They are my varanguard,” she told him fiercely, then in softer, almost pleading, tones. “I would like to keep them.”
Silence followed, during which Oliver didn’t dare move, and Lewis remained dead still beneath his hand.
“Are they truly worth the trouble?” Regar asked, and Aylin’s hand tightened possessively.
“They have risked their lives for me,” she answered, lifting her chin and looking Regar directly in the eye. “They are willing to give their lives for me…and for our clan.”
Oliver wished he could see the expression on Regar’s face, and suddenly found he could, as Septu read the desire through his implant. It was all he could do to stifle a groan of dismay, because the ship showed him Aylin’s expression, too.
The only thing he could think was she was going to be formidable when she was fully grown…and it stifled any urge he had to laugh at the comical mix of consternation and surprise on the Star Shadow heir’s face.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The following image is from the Books2Read reading list carousel for this series, showing the currently available books for this series, and the work of cover artist and designer, Jake at JCaleb Design.
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