The news on the writing front is I’ve finished the short novella (or long story, if you prefer to call it that) that I’ll be offering for free to my newsletter subscribers.
The story is awaiting second edits, after which it’ll be proofed. I’m also finalizing a cover for it.
The novella features a character from my Geomancer’s Apprentice series, and it’ll be exclusive to newsletter subscribers. You don’t need to read the books beforehand to enjoy the novella.
You can tell from the photo that the story isn’t set in Washington, D.C. 😀
Watch this space for updates.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at an unedited snippet:
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She looked up at the sky. On cue, a drop of rain fell on her face. It was followed by another, then another. The sprinkle was soon a deluge. David turned and shouted to the guide, “Is there somewhere we can take shelter?”
Da Niao hurried over, splashing through the deepening puddles. “There is an old abandoned village close by,” he told David. “We can go there.”
The guide spoke Mandarin with a heavy accent. His voice trilled and fluttered with the singsong cadence peculiar to the people who lived in these mountains. He wasn’t easy to understand.
“What do you mean by abandoned?” Her tone was sharper than she meant it to be.
Da Niao’s brow creased. “The people who lived there left,” he said.
“Why did they leave?” she asked.
He shrugged.
“Where is it?” David asked.
The man pointed to the west. She and David followed his finger. This morning the jagged peaks had stretched to the horizon. The breathtaking vistas were gone, veiled by torrents of water. The clouds hung so low they resembled giant white beasts crouching on the mountaintops.
“I can’t see anything,” David complained.
“It’s a few minutes’ drive,” Da Niao said. “I’ll lead you there.”
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