Snuffer's Decision

The first book in the upcoming Novotera series, the first draft of this novel was completed late last year. It is currently in the process of being revised and will become what I intend to be a sweeping epic fantasy series.

More to come as the revision continues to evolve into something closer to ready for a copy editor and cover designer. In leiu of a cover, I have placed the gorgeous map to Novatera on this page so that my readers can get a sneak peek into the exciting new world of Novatera. This is only a segment of the global map, but I think it looks pretty cool if I do say so myself. Please let me know what you think!

Below is the tagline from the book as well as a short excerpt from one of the early chapters!

An executioner's life is turned upside down when he mistakenly hears the voice of the King staying the execution of a boy.

Excerpt

Muscles in Marco's body tensed and he swung the sword backward. Power built in his legs as he started the lunge toward the boy's neck. The great sword would cut cleanly. A boy this brave deserved a clean death.

"Hold Snuffer!" The King's voice boomed into the crisp air.

The blade was already moving forward before the words registered in Marco's brain. Momentum and sheer weight made stopping it impossible. The massive man twisted his body to the left. His right shoulder tore from its socket with the force of the change. The blade clanged against the block, the hard steel edge ringing with the force of the impact. A murmur spread across the crowd like wildfire.

Marco looked down at the boy. He lay as still as ever. The hair at the top of his head was cut perfectly flat by the close passage of the weapon. The dark fluid bubbled the skin on his back, but still the boy made no sound.

"What is the meaning of this?" Callahan's voice creaked out of his body. The sound reminded Marco of a rusty hinge. The old man's glassy eyes bored into Marco. "You missed!"

"Did you not hear him?" Marco answered. He pulled the sword back off the block, metal scraping against stone. His right shoulder was on fire, the pain of whatever strain he had put on it racing down his arm and numbing his hand. "Did you not hear the call to halt?"

Callahan's eyebrows disappeared into a ream of wrinkles on the old man's forehead.

"I heard nothing." The murmur in the crowd grew in volume. They should have been shown the head by now. It was too cold to delay. Callahan drew closer to Marco. "Even so, the call to halt could have only been given by the King himself." To his credit, the old man didn't point, but his eyes motioned back and upward. Marco didn't have to look. He knew the King's box was empty.

Pacific Horde

Not much to say about a book still this early in the drafting process. I'm working on the first draft, but it's taking longer than I'd like. I love the characters and love the setting to this point (it's modern, which brings me back to the joy of writing Tempted), but the words just aren't coming as fast as I'd like. Need to bear down and get moving on it, though. Pretty soon you hit the tipping point and things start to fly...

A burglar forced to do one last heist discovers her target is actually a terrifying mythical creature living incognito in a mansion on the Pacific coast.

Work In Progress