Seleroan

[Edited] Chapter 16 - On the Town

Yet again, this chapter required quite a lot of restructuring. Same general theme, just cleaned up and better stitched together.

I think I was pretty deep into the editing process for my last book about the time this was written, so the distraction likely resulted in a lot more errors and m...

[Edited] Chapter 15 - Convalescence with a Side of Alcohol

Much, much later that night, the three of us were silently recuperating at a corner table back at the Righteous Table Leg. For the moment, we were content to tiredly listen to whatever it was the lute player next to the fire was strumming. It was a simple and quiet melody that suited our...

[Edited] Chapter 14 - A Brief Adventure at the Bathhouse

On rereading this chapter, I found it to be surprisingly poorly written. There were several plot threads just left dangling, the tension did not develop at all well, and lots of other things. The main thrust of the chapter is the same, but I ended up doing quite a lot revision.

Also, you ma...

[Edited] Chapter 13 - Raialie

We arrived at the top of a low hill overlooking the town of Raialie the next day sometime in the late afternoon. Compared to what I had seen thus far of civilization on this world, the place was fairly nice-looking.

Off in the far distance, the sun’s light faintly reflected off of a pair ...

[Edited] Chapter 12 - Jax at the Boundary

We were all pretty tired once Jax was done with her story, and the conversation that followed only solidified how long the day had been—especially for my recently abused lilim. So, we agreed to let her sleep through the night so as to finally condense the long-awaited Layer that would allow her...

[Edited] Chapter 11 - Jax's Tale

See attachments for original w/ editorial notes.  There were a lot of complaints this time about not understanding what I was trying for with the perspective shifts, particularly when it came to what Jax was saying in the moment versus what the tale actually was. Hopefully that's fully clear...

[Edited] Chapter 10 - A Merchant Rescued, A Quick Purchase, and Plans by the Fire

See attachment for original w/ editorial notes.

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“Menda?” I heard Arx whisper behind me. “Do we know a Menda?”

“He were the head merchant of our wagon train what got ambushed by them Gob-kin,” Jax explained briefly. Then after a pause, she added quietly,...

[Edited] Chapter 9 - The Non-Battle

Please refer to the attachment for the original version with editorial notes.

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Jax quickly popped the pill into her mouth before standing to hurl the prepared package—really just a rock that had been liberally coated with Detonating Sap Varnish—into the burning bed of the middl...

Episode 8 - A Slight Miscalculation

Alright, listen up everyone!

By now, I’m sure everyone has heard the rumors, and while I fervently wish I could deny them, I’m afraid that is not possible. Our subjects have indeed b...

[Edited] Chapter 8 - Foolin' the Hooligans

Original w/ editorial notes in the attachments

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The next morning, we awoke just before the dawn to a chill wind sweeping unchecked through the plains. Combined with that storm the other day, it was clear the first vestiges of winter would be upon us within the next...

[Edited] Chapter 7 - Through the Wood and to the Plains

See attachment for original version w/ editorial comments.

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“No, I’m not going to heal you.”

“But it’s hurts!” Arx whined, rubbing at her face. “You know I can’t regenerate anymore. What if I get a black eye?”

“Well, you should have thoug...

[Edited] Chapter 6 - Hijinks of an Evening

Editorial notes available in the attachments...

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Unfortunately, the question of how exactly we were going to go about filling our Cores was a little complicated.

Gaining a Layer required a period of torpor during which you would have to be out cold for...

[Edited] Chapter 5 - A Tale Worth Telling

See attachments for the original w/ editorial comments

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In life, one often runs across situations unprepared for. Questions unasked. Answers unquestioned.

One of those is the query: Is it possible to have sex in a river?

The answer to that is, yes. It ...

[Edited] Chapter 4 - A Mouthful of Ashes

Check the attachments for the original w/ editorial notes.

This one took all freaking day.  Also, I used to massively overuse prepositions in my writing style.  I can already see a lot of those getting calls for restructuring once the second pass rolls around.

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[Edited] Chapter 3 - The Allamande in the Ashes

See attached file for the original version w/ editorial notes.

...how did I ever manage a schedule of a chapter a week while editing?  Was that really what I was doing or am I nuts?  Oy...

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With a sudden pop, I was...

[Edited] Chapter 2 - The Touch of the Divine

Once again, I have included the original w/ editorial notes for you to peruse should you feel the need as an attachment.  Enjoy!

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“What do you mean that is Donum?” the voice questioned.

I had no idea who she was talking to. I could n...

[First Edit] Chapter 1 - Sounds in the Void

Right!  So, once again, it has come time to begin editing work.  ~yay.....

Anyway, obviously this is chapter 1 of book II again but with changes prompted from my editor.  This is what is called the developmental edit, the purpose of which is to address plot holes, clarity iss...

Episode 7 - A Feast of Consequence

< knocking >

…

< more knocking, urgent >

< distantly > —away!

… … …

< frantic knocking >

< door finally slides open >  Wha...

Episode 6 - Open Water

What exactly is meant by a taxonomic hierarchy of physiological needs, and why should it be so important to a system like the VENUS?  This question has been raised… rather too frequentl...

Book III - Plot outline (MAJOR SPOILERS!)

Do not read this if you are sensitive to spoilers.  

This is my planned plot outline for the upcoming book III in the Quest of Words.  Obviously, anything and everything I've written here is subject to change and/o...

Episode 5 - Aftermath

It has come to our attention that perhaps some fewer of our audience than we had at first assumed were at all familiar with the eating habits of human beings.  Thus, the significance of the final fe...

Jax

Just a little fan art I received.

New cover art!

Alright!  I've been working with Dragan over the last week or so on this beauty.  I'm pretty happy with it, but what do you think?  Good?  Bad?  Criticisms?  Nothing's final until we're satisfied!

Episode 4 - The VENUS, part II

< Scrolling text over a black background, sombre music >

Ladies and gentlebeings, it is with great sadness that we must announce the early termination of this documentary series owing to the ...

Episode 3 - The VENUS

One of the more frustrating aspects of experimenting with xenofauna is their unfortunate tendency to expire at the drop of a hat.  But there is good reason for this.

If one’s envi...

Episode 2 - The Transplant

While the specific elements of humanity’s home world are not all that uncommon, their combination in their entirety rather is.  For one thing, it exists in an orbit just far enough from its star t...

The Human Experiment: Episode 1 - The Subjects

On an insignificant arm of a typical, whirly arrangement of stars, there exists one lonely such, happily zipping along its customary path around the local gravitational well.  It is neither small no...

Book II cover art opinion poll

Just what it says on the tin.

I've gotten ahold of my cover artist, Mr. Paunovic, and he needs to know approximately what we want so that he can get started.  So I thought I'd toss a couple of potential scenes at y...

Chapter 60 - Two Days Later (Epilogue)

Chapter 59 - A Mazurka with a Master

Hey!  Look at that picture!  Finally got some decent succubus horns.  Too bad the AI just could not comprehend 'this but with an eyepatch,' but... oh, well.

So, this is the climax ch...