Hope you’ve had a great New Year so far! Or as much as you can in these tumultuous times. My year so far has been weird, but productive. Lots of words written, cups of coffee consumed, and problems for my characters imagined.

Oh, and also some playing in the snow with the kiddos. 🥶❄⛄ And playing D&D with great friends.

Today I’ve got a somewhat silly progress update for you and a cut snippet from Audacity 4 for your enjoyment.

Blade of the Moon (Clanblades #2)

Here’s a really, really high level progress update on where I’m at on works in progress.

How it started

How it’s going

Clouds passing by a full moon in a dark sky

(Untitled) Audacity #4

I’m probably going to need a title for this book, eh? Put any ideas in the comments!

How it started

How it’s going

The majority of my words are going into Audacity 4 this week and last, but every once and a while I need that fantasy break.

Space ships are fun. But so are dragons! I can’t pick, can you blame me? 🙂

Deleted Snippet from Audacity 4

This snippet has actually been edited out of the current version of Audacity 4, but somehow it escaped and insisted on seeing the light of day. (AKA I liked it enough to share.)

The shovels were out, Zhia and Kael quickly going to work while Jenny wielded the handheld grab beam to bulldoze sand further out of their way. Ellen frowned down at her sensors, requesting closer readings. “It’s close. Only ten more feet. Maybe.”

“Only.” Zhia snickered. “Says the woman who isn’t shoveling.”

“You want to shovel without your robotically powered and augmented suit, Grama?” Ellen replied.

“Try me, jagiya. I’ve never been fitter.”

Ellen snorted, then tried to stifle her grin.

“Sorry, isn’t that your line?” Zhia stopped shoveling for a moment to waggle eyebrows at Kael from behind her cleared visor.

Kael didn’t react, and also didn’t stop shoveling. “If you’re so fit, are you going to let me beat you to the bottom?”

Zhia grabbed the shovel again, picking up speed.

A few minutes later, metal clanked against metal.

“Found ya something,” Kael said.

“Is it chocolate?” she muttered.

“No.”

“High tech weaponry?”

“Nope.”

“A cache of diamonds?”

“Not that I can tell….”

“Then send it back.” She was grinning, but she could feel pretty certain she wasn’t going to like whatever they found in here. The only question was to what degree. But she took a step forward anyway.

“I nominate Zhia to go first,” Jenny said, smiling. “She’s lived a long life.”

Zhia snorted. “Hey. I am not the one who’s retired.”

“I’ve got the heaviest armor model equipped right now,” Kael pointed out.

Ellen stepped forward. “I’ll happily go first.”

“No, you won’t,” the three of them said in near unison.

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll damn well go first, if that’s the order, and you’ll all learn to like it. Doug’s drones go first. Can you all handle that?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Doug’s drones were already on their way down the hole.

– Deleted Scene from Audacity 4, Unedited and Subject to Change

What would you hope to find? Chocolate, diamonds, high tech weaponry? Talk about a dreamy Valentine’s gift. 😉

I’m starting to think of what our Valentine’s is going to look like… Probably fancy take out from somewhere unusual. Although I wouldn’t rule out tacos. Mr. Thorne is on a bit of a taco kick these days, and I will never turn down Mexican food.

So which would you pick? Dragons or space ships? Chocolate, diamonds, high tech weaponry? Fancy take out or tacos? Weigh in below.


Thank you as always for being a reader and a fan. If you’d like to support my ongoing writing efforts, you can buy me a coffee (or a taco) on Kofi.

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