3seed

Eight 4 Update

This is a quick note to say:

1. Patreon charges will resume in November, because...

2. I've started writing the first chapters for Eight 4, which means...

3. You will start to see those chapters being posted in the next week or two.

That's it for now. I just didn't want an...

Eight 3: Here Comes a Surprise

Hey all. Remember the scene in Undaunted, the one where a kid is willing to become Eight's slave in order for his siblings to learn the Healing Water spell?

You hated it. The folks on Royal Road hated. And even I hated it.

Actually, hate might be too strong a word, but we all...

Eight 3 Cover and Pre-Order Information

It's been a busy couple of months since my last update. Both line and copy edits on Eight 3: Undaunted are now complete, and all that's left is e-book formatting. Given how quickly that process is going, I feel comfortable moving up the publishing date to October 12, 2023.

That's r...

Undaunted Update and a Look Ahead

Hello, all. I wanted to take a moment to update you on the current status of things.

The developmental edits for "Undaunted" are complete, and I handed the manuscript over to my editor for line edits about a week ago. I'm expecting it back any day now.

I’m aiming for a release in la...

Update: Book 3 First Draft Complete

Well, that's it. The first draft of Undaunted is done, and it's been such a wild ride.

Chapter one published on May 18, 2022, so it's been almost exactly a year in the writing. Thank you for your support throughout. It has meant and continues to mean the world to me.

The truth is that...

3.53. Perspective: Xefwen

Author's note: This is the third of three short alternate-POV slices.

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The hierophant of Albei stood atop the pyramid at the city’s center with hands behind his back. From his vantage, he had an unobstructed view from wall to wall, and he often came here to ob...

3.52. Perspective: Aslishtei

Author's note: This is the second of three short alternate-POV slices.

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Aslishtei basked in the warm glow and bright chatter of a leisteila full of her people. Magic wove between them as she and the representatives from threee other families maintained the Unity spell th...

3.51. Perspective: Mulallamu

Author's note: This is the first of three short alternate-POV slices.

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Mumu put down her spoon to stare at her soon-to-be spouses, the bowl of elk stew temporarily forgotten. She saw them clearly enough—their longhouse had two candle stones to light the snow-bound...

3.50. Nine

A handful of clouds had come out to obscure the moon, darkening the village except for where the watch fires burned. A cold wind swept past. It was midnight on the longest night of the year; you’d think it’d be quiet and peaceful, but the sheltered animals cried out in a mishmash of crowing, ...

3.49. The Long Dark IV

We left Musa behind. He’d still been alive too, although the odds of him lasting for much longer weren’t good. Without Haol and I there, nothing would stop the musk oxen from trampling him.

I felt sick about it, but without time to think, all we’d had was our training to rely on, and ...

3.38. The Long Dark III

In the early, early morning, I was wrapped in a blanket, tucked against the wall—not exactly cozy but as comfortable as I could make myself. All around, the fighters were conked out. We’d gotten our first respite after four days, and I’d even managed to sleep for six hours, but a stomachach...

3.47. The Long Dark II

It was the second day, a little after three in the afternoon, and I hadn’t slept more than four hours in the past sixty. The rest snatched when and where I could, while the more experienced militia members had a knack for sleeping through the alarms affecting the other sections of the wall.

3.46. The Long Dark I

Early in our relationship, Ikfael had once told me the gods give gifts with ten hands, meaning that they always had more than one purpose for everything they did. Diriktot had brought me to this world after I’d died to show his gratitude for introducing him to cell phones. What else he’d inte...

3.45. Homecoming (Updated)

Change Note: I added a short scene after the lodge meeting to give Mumu and Eight an opportunity to meet with Inleio. 

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Stepping out of the lodge that day was like waking up from a dream. The air was clear and cold, the breeze rustling my hair the same way a friend ...

3.44. A New Path Forward

When Inleio had talked about becoming dawn, he said it was the first time he’d ever truly felt the will of the World Spirit. There’d been a gladness to the experience and an innate acknowledgement that he was firmly on the Path to Perfection.

In the quiet moments hanging out with Moon, ...

3.43. The Sum of Steps

The audience helped clean up the sand and dog piss from the previous fights. It was a tradition stretching as far back as anyone remembered, and I thought it was a nice touch—a measure of gratitude to the organizers and the fighters for their hard work. Once they were done, I had room to lay do...

3.42. Learning From the Tournament

The organizers were once again gathered to discuss Ichkadeshtu when Haol dropped a bomb: “He's not the only one. You’ve all been focusing on him, so you haven’t noticed, but all the factions are doing it.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Take, for example, the land soldier...

3.41. Here Comes Trouble

The dawn broke clear and bracing cold. My team and I had been working since five in the morning to set up for the tournament’s first day. For me, that meant carrying around a giant skin full of dog piss.

Apparently, the boundaries of dueling rings were traditionally drawn using a mixture ...

4.40. The Unexpected Entrance

The next morning, the weather turned blustery, and pellet-sized hail fell for a couple of hours after dawn. My team filled up on the pozole I’d made, and bundled up before heading to the booth. From the direction of the pyramid, we heard singing and music as the world speakers held a ceremony t...

3.39. Making a Splash on Festival’s Eve

Haol took seven days to refine his qi, and Mumu five. They both already had access to mana magic, so a portion of Yuki was suddenly free to be placed elsewhere.

Mumu approached Miri to let her know Teila might—

But Mumu didn’t even finish explaining; Miri jumped in by saying, “Y...

3.38. Steps Along the Way

The day was bound to be a busy one. We had to report Kuros's and Banan's deaths to Silasenei, update Kila’s family on the new loan amount, continue our guerilla marketing campaign, research the requirements for renting a section of the Butchery’s plaza as the event space, figure out how we we...

3.37. The Midnight Munchies Lead To...

After the interrogation, a land soldier took me to a richly-appointed bedroom two levels down from Ithia’s throne room. Noospet and her guards had left, so it was just the one guide. I thought that might demonstrate a new level of trust, and we’d take a straightforward path, but the route tur...

3.36. Another Cell, a Different Interrogation

The cell smelled like old cheese—stronger toward the back where a handful of slots had been carved into the wall for ventilation. Without my armor or jacket, it was cold, but the bed to one side had a fur on top. The hay in the bed was relatively fresh, as was the water in the large pot in the ...

3.35. Third Time’s the Charm?

The Court of Earth and Blood was located under the city wall, just south of the boundary between Scathta and the Butchery. According to Agath, the buildings in the area “clung to each other liked panicked deer.”

“It’s a forest made of thorns,” Moon added. “The residents are diff...

Eight 2 on Audible: January 24th

Hey all,

This is just a short note to say that the audiobook for Eight 2: The Way of the Hunter will release on Audible on January 24th, with the talented Gary Tiedemann once-again narrating Eight's story.

Pre-orders are live, so 2023-01-21 16:48:45 +0000 UTC View Post

3.34. Another Attempt

We waited a hundred breaths before looking out the door. There was no one. The corridor was devoid of both life and ghosts. If only that were of comfort. Ollie/Eight had had Silasenei in his eyes before he became aware of her presence. Would our combined consciousness do any better?

Slowly,...

3.33. Kicking the Pyramid II

Author's Note: I rewrote the sequence of events at the very end of chapter 32. To head off any confusion from folks who read the old version, I'm including the new language here, so that they don't have to go back to look for it.

If you're a new reader catching up on chapters, ...