Theo took several steadying breaths, all while Fenian babbled about being trapped in the realm of a necromancer god. The good news was that he had indeed killed Karasan, resurrected Balkor, and survived. But only just.
“I’m just happy more time hasn’t passed. Balkor has been lording ove...
2024-02-09 12:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostA world of worlds spread before Theo. Glass bubbles floated in a green void, each one filled with a tiny world of its own. After Drogramath described his realm, the alchemist was eager to replicate it in the Dreamwalk. It would be a worthy goal to catalog the way the patrons of the heavens formed their realms....
2024-02-02 12:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostA calming breeze blew down from the mountains west of the Tero’gal Ocean. No one had come up with a better name for the places here. Things were always referred to as ‘the ocean,’ or ‘the mountains.’ There were many mountains within the realm. Certainly, there was only one ocean. But the ...
2024-01-26 12:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostShafts of sunlight filtered through the boughs of the cypress trees overhead. Theo and his group landed on the walls of Broken Tusk, right behind the dutiful marshling. Tresk turned, eyes narrowing the moment her sight locked onto Sulvan Flametouched. The alchemist expected her daggers to appear in ...
2024-01-19 12:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostWriting for book 5 has been going very well. I took about two weeks away from working on the next story to work on something else. I'll talk about some things with book 5 first...
I feel like book 5 hasn't had enough alchemy. I've been trying to get Theo to grind to 30 in a way that makes sense so I could explore the next tier for alchemy....
2024-01-18 18:48:12 +0000 UTC View PostTheo squinted against the horizon. Wind whipped at his face, sending tears welling in his eyes. Those tears were pulled away by the force of the wind as the alchemist rode the tram. He sat crowded with other citizens of Broken Tusk, intent on seeing Rivers and Daub. Tresk held on with both hands, gritting her...
2024-01-12 12:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post"Weekly updates". Pah. Sometimes I miss a few, huh?
N&D5 is about half-way through being written, which is good. I think I like where it's going right now. There are a lot of new elements, but I think those things are coming together. I've been trying to do a lot of shifting focus between supporting characters. My theme has been that T...
2024-01-11 15:47:48 +0000 UTC View PostThe soccer—football—whatever game went on for hours. Theo was horrible at the game, finding himself at a loss for where he should stand. Belgar was a natural. He did all the impressive sports things, even if the alchemist didn’t know what they were called. Of course, the souls within the realm ha...
2024-01-05 12:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe damage to the eastern gate was extensive. Theo’s wards might have prevented a complete annihilation of the wall, but it didn’t stop the elemental from running wild. Chunks of frozen [Living River Water] had impacted buildings as well, adding to the list of things that needed tending. The alchemist...
2023-12-29 12:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostTheo had grown to dislike laboring away in the Dreamwalk. When he went to bed that night, he corrected his thinking. The dream realm was a place to grind experience, while Tero’gal was the place where he could relax. With that in mind, he focused on raising his Drogramath cores, figuring they were the ...
2023-12-22 12:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostRows of mycology caves stretched in every direction. Theo stood, tapping his foot on the hard-packed ground, staring at the dream-like creation. After he got the idea to spread his alchemy to the world, he realized they wouldn’t be able to produce industrial quantities of the mixture. He had spent m...
2023-12-15 12:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostPhew. This week has been... Not great, not bad. Middle of the road.
Oh, I guess this is important. Edits are done on book 1 of the Newt and Demon. Yeah, that process takes a while. When I was self-editing books way back when, it only took me a month. But these rounds of edits are far more effective. When I did it on my own, there were a lo...
2023-12-14 18:02:56 +0000 UTC View PostWaves lapped gently against the white marble pier below. Seabirds flitted overhead, joining their calls with the lapping waves. The salty scent of the ocean wafted with gusts from the bay. Sitting atop one of two towers, Theo Spencer looked out over the endless sprawl of water. It was only segmented by the ...
2023-12-08 12:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostNothing crazy going on this week, but I figured I'd write an update anyway.
As expected, I haven't done much writing this week. Too many things going on. Christmas is coming in hard as I expected it would.
I don't know if N&D will run for this entire year without a break. I don't see any reason it wouldn't, but you never know. 2023-12-07 14:31:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Theo stood on the walls of Broken Tusk as the day faded, expecting lightning to strike at any moment. The Season of Fire had been especially tame for rain, compared to the Season of Blooms. But the thunder he expected came in the form of demonic assassins, the sudden arrival of some errant prince to t...
2023-12-01 12:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostOkay, I'm just going to write a short update this week.
For some reason the holiday season has already descended into madness. I thought it was getting better, giving me more time, but then I got sick. This post is going to be as long as I can stand writing lol. Just feeling not great. Let's go!
So, first... N&D4 is done running ...
2023-11-30 18:07:02 +0000 UTC View PostTheo tapped his foot, glaring at the many people gathered in the town hall’s meeting room. There were too many people here for a decision he had already made. Aarok headed the table, a frustrated look hanging on his face. Gwyn, Gael, and Alise looked sheepishly off to the side, joined by their gaggle o...
2023-11-24 12:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostHills rolled far into the distance, racing to the edge of the horizon. All parts of Tero’gal were unnamed and unexplored. A vast virgin landscape only explored by the spirits that lived here. Those lost souls seemed reluctant to explore with their master’s approval. Or perhaps they were happy enough wit...
2023-11-17 12:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostIt was always a good idea to get some fresh air after talking to Fenian. That guy had so many grand designs going on at the same time, it left Theo feeling drained. How could one man be so single-minded? The alchemist shook off the dust of ambition and went off to check on a few projects. Projects alway...
2023-11-10 12:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostOkay, so we're getting close to the end of N&D4. Yay. I like the ending to that book, and I hope you do too.
What I'm doing now is writing 3 chapters of N&D a week, and trying to get a secret project done before the end of the year. I don't think that's going to happen, depending on how absolutely exhausted that makes me. After tha...
2023-11-09 18:02:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe concept of time was difficult to grasp within the heavenly realms. There were no guarantees on the progression of sections to minutes, then minutes to hours, within Tero’gal. Only a person’s willpower allowed them to see that passage clearly. But there was a distinct advantage to resting within th...
2023-11-03 11:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostTheo drummed his fingers on the table in his new lab. His night in the Dreamwalk resulted in predictable outcomes. The dragon was too strong for them to beat, and he doubted Tresk intended for it to be defeated. After a light breakfast, he came to the lab to inspect the new area and read his daily adm...
2023-10-27 11:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHappy halloweeeeeeen. Because I won't write another update before then.
I finished writing book 4, and it turned out better than I expected. I shuffled a few things around, and ended an arc before I wanted to. But I have some plot stuff coming up to take its place. It was an old poll on this patreon lol.
Right... So, N&D4 i...
2023-10-26 13:59:06 +0000 UTC View PostIt was easier to imagine the defenses of Broken Tusk in the Dreamwalk. Theo stood near the coast, imagining the walls that Ziz was working on. He imagined them further, sending them out into the bay, then constructing imaginary towers. He topped it off with the gate he wanted—another portcullis-style g...
2023-10-20 11:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostAnother week, more chapters. It feels like I just keep posting chapters because we have a streak. I was originally worried I'd get burned out, but... Big shrug. I feel fine. I keep coming up with new ideas, but that leads me to something I was rambling about on the RR chapter notes.
So, the longest series I've written before this was 2 boo...
2023-10-19 17:17:16 +0000 UTC View PostSarisa and Rowan had worked closely with Xam to get the garden party going. They organized the catering, which was easy enough, but also decorated the area. A large table dominated the center of the space. Magical lights hung from the iron fence. There was even a Broken Tusker playing a strange, violin...
2023-10-13 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostComforting breezes didn’t roll through Broken Tusk during the Season of Fire. Theo had abandoned all hope of being sweat-free outside of the air-conditioned buildings in town. As with all alchemical experimentations, a cracked window was vital. The alchemist stood with Salire, looking over their b...
2023-10-06 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostNot much going on this week. In a good way.
I'm taking today off this week, but that's about it. I let the Mechanist story rest for about a week, and I'm going to go through it today. I think it's good enough to move forward. According to my spreadsheet, that book should be ready for RR release before the end of this year. Of course, patro...
2023-10-05 13:53:00 +0000 UTC View PostNot much to say this week. Half of my week is dedicated to writing N&D while the other half is spent on exploratory writing. Thought I would hate this method of writing, but it's working out well. So long as I take good notes on N&D because... man, that story gets confusing.
Reading has been slow for me, but I'm about to finish up ...
2023-09-29 16:54:06 +0000 UTC View Post“This is the most awkward thing I’ve ever been a part of.” Tresk folded her arms, staring at the floating purple spirit.
Theo had suspected that Belgar’s soul would come back in one form or another. He had been entertaining the idea that the Dronon never truly died, and had only been ...
2023-09-29 11:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post