The morning wasn’t so bad. Just under my goal of 1000. However, coming back after lunch was a different story. For some reason, the words aren’t happening. It’s weird. Usually when this occurs, I hate my morning session and spend my time obsessing. Not this time. I’m actually quite happy with the scene I started. It’s the bridge getting to the heart of the book that’s the problem. I feel like something big needs to happen to shake things up more than they already are. But what? That’s what is stumping me. And why are they where they are? Where is my “so what”?

Maybe I need some lying down time. Visualize what needs to happen next. I do love a good brainstorm session. Even if it doesn’t always translate to words on paper. Or maybe I go and take another look at that outline. See if there are some things I can clarify there.

This may end up being more of a planning and brainstorming day. Those do happen. It’s hard, though, when they do. I always have trouble giving myself grace when the words are being difficult. In my mind, I know that it’s often better to take a knee and re-orient than to dash off in the wrong direction and potentially have to gut a section later.

I still don’t like it. I want to write. Words. Good words. The best words I’ve ever written. Every. Single. Day.

I never said I was rational or set healthy goals.

If you’re listening my creative muses, it’s me. Tobey. Hoping you send me a couple of flashes of inspiration.

Oh look. That might be one now.

The post Treading Water appeared first on T.A. White.

It’ll be the same set up as in the past where I take the generalized questions first. Those pertaining to writing, other series, future series, etc. Toward the later half, we’ll switch over to all those spoilery questions you might have regarding Trials of Conviction and the future of the series.

Hope to see you there! But if not, it should be posted on my Facebook page afterward.

The post Announcement appeared first on T.A. White.

There will be a Facebook Live after the New Year to give everyone a time to read and compile their questions for me. Also because this book (and Christmas) took all of my energy reserves and I now need a little recovery before I’m presentable.

Hope everyone has a great last week of the year. Happy New Year! And Happy Reading!

Grab your copy here: https://books2read.com/u/b6lVGp

The post It’s out! appeared first on T.A. White.

I’m not the greatest at multi-tasking. Especially when there is a hard deadline in the mix and consequences if I don’t hit it. I pretty much have not left the computer chair since Sunday when the proof for Trials came back. Except to sleep and eat. Hours, sitting motionless as I read through the final copy and made last minute adjustments. (I did, however, spend my downtime reading all of the Murderbot Diaries. In retrospect, not my best idea. Hours at work reading, followed by hours at night reading something else is a little much.)

This isn’t the closest I’ve cut it to getting the manuscript uploaded in time to Amazon, but it’s in the top five. Usually, I like to have everything done a week or more in advance. I got this done Wednesday at 7 p.m. and then spent most of today taking care of the other distributers and the print version of the book. (Which, to my surprise, will be available relatively close to the release date. I thought I’d screwed everything up by forgetting to account for the definitions section in my final page count to the designer, but it somehow worked out.)

Because I know people will ask, the audio book is also coming. I just sent them a copy of the manuscript so they can get started. No ETA on when that will be available.

It’s funny. Almost as soon as I put Trials to bed, Aileen and company got extremely loud in my head. I think I’ll be shifting to bring their adventure to life next. Just as soon as I finish all my Christmas preparations.

The post Finish line appeared first on T.A. White.

Her niece—taken. Her best friend—gone.

There’s only one mission that matters now—rescuing her loved ones from enemy hands.

Forced to embark on a dangerous journey, Kira will need every one of her allies as she prepares for the greatest battle of her life. With her mind and body failing, it’s a race against time to locate the homeworld of the Tsavitee. The alien race intent on dominating the universe.

A shadowy force stalks her every move. Their motives unclear. As secrets come to light and the danger deepens, the Phoenix will be forced to rise.

One thing is clear—not everyone will make it out of this unbroken.

The price for failure has never been so high.

Available Dec. 26.

Preorder:

Amazon

The rest of the preorder links are coming.

You can find the first chapter in a previous blog post.

(Everyone is a little too good at hunting down the preorder links before I announce them. This wasn’t supposed to be announced for another day or two.)

The post Trials of conviction appeared first on T.A. White.

Every time I sit down in front of the computer, it’s like I’ve forgotten how to write. The words desert me and my screen remains blank. The beginning of any book is always hard. It usually takes me a couple of days of circling the first scene to get it going. Although most times, I at least have some idea of what the first scene will entail. A place to start thinking about. Not this time though. That’s probably why I’m having trouble.

Writer’s block for me is usually a sign I haven’t done my due diligence in the planning stage. At heart I’m a pantser but doing a preliminary plot outline definitely makes things way easier. I also think it makes the story stronger in the end. More cohesive. At least in my case. Dragon Ridden was a pants moment. Pathfinder, at least the first two thirds, was planned. Most of the books since then with the exception of The Storm’s Whisper have had some outline attached to them. Let’s not talk about whether I actually follow the entire outline or go off into the weeds, necessitating an entirely new outline on the back half of every book.

Usually, I wait until I have a first chapter or at least a first scene to work from before I start a new series. It’s kind of how I know something is ready to go down on paper. The reason Dragon Ridden is my first book and not Pathfinder, despite the latter being in my brain longer, is because I couldn’t figure out where to begin when I sat down to write Pathfinder. Although Dragon Ridden was entirely thrown together with no planning whatsoever, I didn’t feel like I was ready to write Pathfinder back then. I’m kind of getting the same feeling with the book I’ve chosen this time as well. The idea is really cool, the world relatively well fleshed out, but it’s missing that one piece that would allow me to get going.

I think part of the problem is that I’m also rushing. I struck a deal with myself last week. I’d take the remaining time until Firebird 5’s edits returned to work on something new. I figured since I had to reread Aileen’s books anyway I could get a little writing done between reading sessions. Then when I transitioned to Aileen, I could use one day a week or part of the weekend to write in the new series. That’s actually how I wrote the first half of Rules of Redemption too.

Except that’s not going to work if I don’t actually do some writing. It figures that I’d pick the one series that doesn’t have a clear starting point. Not either of the two others that already had a planned beginning. I always make things as hard as possible on myself.

In other news, the cover for Trials of Conviction is in the process of being finalized. I’m hoping to have that book up for preorder by the end of this week. Everything is in place. I just need the cover now.

I’m eyeing December 26 for the release date. Usually I try not to publish around Christmas because of the holidays. Sales can sometimes be kind of sluggish around then. People tend to spend a lot of time with their families. Not everyone has time to read books. The Firebird series has a pretty devoted following though. Those who don’t pick it up the day of will still read it in the new year. From that perspective it doesn’t hurt me to publish around Christmas. And this way, those who do have time will get to read it a little earlier.

The post Listless appeared first on T.A. White.

So I decided to take a break and do something else. I.e. give you the first chapter of Firebird 5 that I’ve been promising. This was supposed to come last Friday but I kind of forgot. It’s a week late, but better than nothing.

As always, the typical warning applies.

Reading the following may inspire bouts of rage as you shake your fist at the author while demanding the rest. (She will not listen.) Also, since this hasn’t made it through all rounds of edits, I do not guarantee the inclusion of its entirety in the final version. Some things may or may not change based on feedback.

Read at your own risk.

Chapter One

Elena – Tsavitee Planet

Cold was the first thing Elena noticed upon being spat out of the vortex of chaos and madness she’d been swept into. That and fear. A deep seated terror she’d felt rarely in her short life. The last time being the day Uncle Jin found her cowering in the corner of a dank, dingy room. Covered in grime and other things as she struggled not to faint from malnutrition and hunger. 

This situation felt like that one. The looming sense of impending doom. The bleak understanding that she’d wandered into a situation far outside the control of her young body.

Elena swallowed the whimper that tried to rise, forcing it down with the rest of her emotions. She ignored the voice at the back of her mind that whispered of the atrocities the tsavitee had committed. The things they’d done to the forty three. Her mother. Aunt Kira and Uncle Jin. Even the other children Aunt Kira occasionally brought to Aunt Selene.

Elena shook her head, determinedly dismissing those thoughts. She couldn’t allow them to influence her. Aunt Kira had given her a mission. The first one that really mattered. Survive at all costs.

She would. She had to.

But first she needed information and a plan. Cowering in a corner wouldn’t save her this time. As Aunt Kira would say—all it would buy her was a death on her knees.

Of course, she’d never say that in front of Elena. She’d wait until she thought Elena wasn’t listening and say it later. But only to Uncle Jin. And only to complain about someone she considered an idiot. Someone who might have survived if they’d only shown a little backbone. A hint of tenacity in this frightful universe. A place where you sometimes had to do crazy things and take impossible chances to make it through another day.

Aunt Kira had always tried her hardest to protect Elena from harsh reality. She’d gone out of her way to safeguard Elena’s childhood and not expose Elena prematurely to grim truths.

But Elena knew. She’d always known.

This universe was filled with wondrous things. Beauty and light and everything perfect. But it also held darkness. Horrid people who did terrible things in the name of greed. Those individuals always seemed like they went out of their way to hurt others. Like they got off on it or something.

People like that disgusted Elena. They made her want to do violent, awful things right back.

She sometimes wondered what kind of person she would have been if not for her aunts and uncle. An angry one, she suspected. A girl with a massive chip on her shoulder who might have become exactly like the monsters.

Thank goodness for Uncle Jin. She didn’t think she would have liked that person

Elena took stock of her surroundings, finding herself alone. At least for now.

She was in a medium sized room built from black stone. A pattern had been carved into the floor and ceilings, the same power that had summoned her still crackling along the lines.

It was a rune of some kind. Similar to the ones Elena had seen on Ta Sa’Riel, the home planet of the Tuann. Her mother’s people. And Aunt Kira’s.

She looked beyond the rune. Toward the smooth walls that awaited her on the opposite side of the room. There were no doors. At least not from what she could see. Only endless opaque black glass that reflected the wane and pinched looking features that held little in common with that of her parents.

Elena was told she most resembled her maternal grandmother. A woman she’d never met.

Unlike her aunts’, Elena’s ears were un-docked. They were as pointy as any Tuann’s. If you wanted to get picky about it, you could say the slant was a tiny bit less severe considering her status as only half Tuann. But they’d fool pretty much anyone.

Elena had always liked the vivid amber color of her eyes. The shade pairing well with the gold in her curly hair.

Add in her pert nose, pointed chin and the cupid’s bow of her lips and she looked insufferably adorable.

It was why people had a tendency to underestimate her. They saw her exterior and never looked deeper. Something she often used to her advantage to escape trouble. Aunt Selene and Aunt Kira to a lesser extent were the only people immune to her charms.

“This place feels weird,” Elena muttered under her breath, registering a slightly uncomfortable and prickly sensation that was both similar yet completely different than any Mea’Ave Elena had previously experienced.

This felt sharper. More biting. Dangerous almost. Like there was something waiting to strike. One wrong move and it’d be goodbye Elena. Her psyche would be shredded to pieces. No, thank you. That didn’t sound like fun to her. Not even a little bit.

Gradually, Elena became conscious of a cold weight wrapped securely around her bicep. The memory of what happened directly before she ripped from her aunt’s side and sent to this place came back to her.

“Uncle Jin!”

Elena stuck a hand into the neck of her shirt, searching until her fingers brushed against the scaled surface of Uncle Jin’s avatar. Relief like she’d never felt before swept through her as she stilled.

Her immobility lasted only a second before she tugged her shirt’s collar away from her body, needing the visual reassurance of his presence.

“You came,” Elena whispered in a clogged voice.

She wasn’t alone. He was in this with her.

The ruby colored eyes of the avatar were closed, giving the impression that its owner was sleeping. Created to resemble a lu-ong, a creature that looked like a cross between an eastern dragon and its avian cousin, the avatar was impressively small and delicate looking. It’s body slightly translucent. The blush color of its scales reminded Elena of Morganite. It even had the whiskers and mane-like crest that the lu-ong were known for.

Elena didn’t try to remove Uncle Jin from his hiding spot. If there were cameras in this room, it was best to leave him where he was. A secret only she knew.

With that thought in mind, she released the shirt. Her gaze darted around the room as she pressed the neck against her chest for a moment before forcing herself to drop her hand nonchalantly. Mustn’t tip off anybody watching. If Uncle Jin was unconscious and not faking it for reasons only her silly uncle would understand, it was important she protect him. At least until he was himself again.

Play it cool, Elena advised herself in her head. Nothing to see here. Just Super Agent Elena reporting for duty.

The sound of stone sliding against the floor made Elena jump. She froze as a humanoid male entered the room via an opening in the wall that hadn’t been there seconds before.

He stopped abruptly, staring at Elena in shock with his strange silvery eyes.

Mantis. He had to be. She recognized those overly long limbs that made him look like a walking stick.

Confusion and anger replaced the mantis’s surprise. “You’re not the person I was expecting.”  

Elena gulped as he started toward her, backing away before she could stop herself.

Hold your ground, Elena ordered herself, stiffening her legs and sneering right back at the tsavitee.

She was brave. She was courageous. A mantis wasn’t enough to make her cower.

His knowing chuckle a second later made her question that decision. The series of staccato triggered the primitive side of Elena’s brain. The one responsible for survival.

Before Elena could react, a slash of darkness and light sundered the room. A figure was deposited in their midst. Right on top of the archaic runes Elena had landed on seconds earlier.

The person rose, sweeping a glance across the room.

The woman’s features were as familiar to Elena as her own. They should be. After all, the woman was her egg donor.

Elise’s indifferent gaze caught and lingered on the mantis as he frowned at her, looking from her to the rune in confusion.

“Iffli.”

According to Elena’s studies, that word roughly translated to half-breed. Or waste. Sometimes mutt.

The tsavitee were fans of words with a multitude of meanings. This one conveyed their utmost disdain toward the person they were applying the insult to. Often used to make the object feel like the lowest form of life.

Elena wasn’t a fan of it being used in conjunction with Elise. She might no longer consider the other woman her mother—more like an egg donor—but that didn’t mean she was okay seeing her being insulted.

“You’re not due back for months. What are you doing here?” the mantis rasped in a voice that sounded like dry branches rattling against each other.

Emotion moved in Elise’s eyes as she looked Elena over. There and gone in a split second.

The mantis reached for Elise’s shoulder. “Did you not hear me?”

His hand disintegrated. It happened so fast that Elena didn’t register what had happened. Not until his agonized scream ripped through the room.

Elena jumped as fear crawled up her throat.

Elise’s gaze was dispassionate, her expression emotionless as she watched the mantis cower in front of her. “I can’t tell if you’re brave or arrogant.”

Elena shook with the need to flee.

This wasn’t her mother. It couldn’t be. This person was someone else. A monster that wore her mother’s face and spoke in her voice.

Elena was forgotten as Elise advanced on the mantis.

He backed away, moaning.

“There is a price to pay when you make mistakes,” Elise informed him gently.

Fear twisted his features. “Please!”

“I’m afraid it’s much too late for that, dahna,” Elise said, using a tsavitee term that meant unfortunate one.

Elena’s shriek was lost amid the mantis’s screams. She forgot her earlier resolve, retreating to wedge herself in the furthest corner of the room. She crouched and hid her face against her lap. She didn’t want to see.

Auntie was wrong. So very wrong. Elise was no hero.

Elena tried to tune everything out as she rocked back and forth, covering her ears and humming to herself to drown out the sounds.

She was okay. She wasn’t here. This didn’t matter.

A soft touch on her shoulder a long time later made Elena realize how silent the room had gone. It had been for a long time.

“Let me get a look at you.”

The hand on Elena’s shoulder slid up to her jaw, forcing her to lift her head to focus on the woman squatting in front of her.

Specks of blood dotted Elise’s face, the bright splashes of purple and silver almost obscene against the elegant features of her egg donor. Thick eyebrows and high cheekbones lent drama to her features, turning them into something divine.

Her mother was a beautiful woman. No wonder her dad had fallen for the psycho. Elena was a little depressed that she hadn’t inherited some of that beauty.

The sight beyond her egg donor made her swallow convulsively before she snapped her gaze back to Elise.

That had been blood dripping from the ceiling. Along with other matter she tried not to think too hard about.

Elena widened her eyes, desperately focusing on her egg donor. Don’t see. Don’t you dare look again.

“You’re okay,” Elise whispered.

No, Elena was not okay. She was so far from it she might as well have been in another galaxy.

“What are you doing?” Elena flailed as Elise patted her clothes, working her way over to the bicep where Uncle Jin clung. “Stop!”

Elise easily quelled Elena’s struggles, dragging the neckline of her shirt over so she could see the sleeping spawn. Relief showed on her face. “Well done, Jin.”

Elena yanked herself out of Elise’s grip, slapping her shirt over the lu-ong and holding it in place in case her egg donor tried anything.

Elise’s lips tugged up in a smile that reminded Elena of her Aunt Kira’s. It held a similar level of self-deprecation. Acknowledging her faults with a wryness that made you want to smile along with her.

“We don’t have much time, little light. There are two things you must always remember.” Elise’s gaze roved Elena’s features with a yearning that Elena might have believed if not for the way the other had pretended she didn’t exist when they were on Ta Sa’Riel. “The first—your Aunt Kira has never made a promise she hasn’t kept. She will come for you. She’ll tear the universe apart if that’s what it takes.”

Elena scoffed. “As if I need you to tell me that.”

She’d read the old mission reports. She knew what her aunt was capable of and how much she’d suffered when she thought the egg donor and the Curs had died. There was nothing and no one who would stand in Aunt Kira’s way when it came to the people she cared about.

Sooner or later, Aunt Kira would come for her. Mercy on anyone who tried to stop her.

The only problem was that the universe was vast. It might take Auntie longer than she could afford.

The smile that lit Elise’s face made Elena stop and stare. It was like watching a ray of sunlight pierce a bank of storm clouds. The severity in her features vanishing for a brief moment.

This must be what had drawn Elena’s father and aunt to the other all those years ago.

Elise’s face softened as she cupped Elena’s cheek. Love overflowed from her gaze. “Of course, you don’t.”

Elena struggled to ignore the tacky feeling she suspected was blood.

“I love you and your father more than anything in this world.”

There was such pain and agony in those words that Elena found herself swayed for a brief moment. She forgot the crimes this woman had committed and the cruel manner with which she’d killed the mantis.

All she saw was the mother she’d dreamed about every night since Uncle Jin and Aunt Kira started telling her the stories.

Elise’s features lost their gentleness, smoothing into lines of detachment and disinterest as a door formed behind her. She rose, imparting one last piece of advice. “From this moment forward, you’re not to believe a single word out of my mouth or trust me in any way.”

What did that even mean?

Elena was still wondering as Elise withdrew to face the tsavitee general who stepped inside the room.

“Lothos, you’re late,” Elise said lightly.

The genera didn’t look up from his study of the mantis’s body, taking in the slaughter with impassive yellow eyes.

Like most of his kind, the general was tall with skin as black as the void of space. Red, glowing symbols were etched into the left side of his torso, arms and face. Only a few appearing on the right side of his body. His immense rack of horns showed his age spanned centuries and that he was among the highest echelon of the tsavitee ranks.

He treated Elena’s existence like air. So unimportant it didn’t bear acknowledgment as he focused on Elise. “You were not supposed to return in this manner. Your presence suggests your mission did not go as planned.”

Elise’s lip curled. “Blame your contact for that. He was useless. Not even able to arrange a proper distraction. He tipped off not only the Phoenix but the Tuann as well. Because of that, I was compromised. It was either abandon the planet or face capture.”

“Our masters won’t be pleased to know you’ve once again failed in your assignment.”

Elise’s scoff was scathing. “They should have let me do things my way. Targeting anyone in Kira’s vicinity was bound to alert her to our presence. You know the lengths she’ll go to protect her own.”

The general looked unmoved. “That is why we suggested you kill her.”

Elena’s small sound of protest attracted the general’s intimidating stare.

Elena fought the urge to duck her head and hunch in on herself. Auntie always said when up against a bigger predator you couldn’t show weakness. You had to bluff so they didn’t relegate you to being food and attack.

Elise made a restless move, somehow making it seem like an accident as she blocked his line of sight. “We had an agreement. Touch the Phoenix and this alliance is over.”

Lothos made a noncommittal sound as he moved his attention back to Elise. “This reflects poorly on your record. They will punish you.”

“Nothing I haven’t faced before.”

“Where is my nephew?” Lothos made a show of looking around the room. “I do not see him with you.”

“You’ll have to talk to him about that the next time you see him. I broke him out of the prison where he was being held. He is the one who decided to return to their custody.”

Lothos pinned Elise with a penetrating stare. “That’s difficult to believe. Aeron knows the stakes.”

Elise’s shrug was careless. “I created the opportunity as you requested. His subsequent decisions are his own responsibility.”

“Aeron is of vital importance to our cause. My other brothers won’t look kindly on his continued absence. You want them on your side.”

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know.”

That response seemed to satisfy Lothos as his attention shifted to Elena. “Who’s this?”

“She’s nothing. Nobody important.”

Heat flooded the back of Elena’s neck as embarrassment and something worse filled her.

She’d spent years yearning for the woman in front of her. Nights and days dreaming about their first meeting.

And this was how her egg donor described her. As nothing.

Elena felt her heart breaking. Cracking into tiny little pieces as her girlhood dreams shattered around her. It was one thing to refer to Elise as the egg donor in her head. Another entirely to hear her mother dismiss her so casually.

Elena kept the pain those words caused off her face. Survive. That was the only thing she needed to do. Just survive.

Lothos’s gaze remained locked on Elise’s face, his expression considering. “Then it won’t matter if we dispose of her.”

“I considered that,” Elise admitted. As if it wasn’t her child’s fate up for debate. “But she was seen in Kira’s company on more than one occasion. She has ties to the Phoenix that we might be able to exploit.”

“You want me to protect her.” Lothos’s face left no doubt as to how much he disliked that suggestion.

“You know how Kira is. She won’t abandon a child she feels responsible for. She’ll come for her. You can use that opportunity for your plan.”

Lothos looked like he was considering. “It would be better to give her to the masters. They can vent their anger on her instead of you.”

Elena’s stomach curdled. Her breathing stuttered for a brief second before she caught herself, forcing it resume a normal cadence.

She knew how bad that would be for her. She’d overheard Aunt Kira and Uncle Jin talking one night. They were two of the strongest people Elena knew. Anything that could put that amount of pain and fear in their voices was better off avoided at all costs.

“I disagree. We need the Phoenix’s cooperation. If the child is harmed, she will not bargain,” Elise said. “I can take anything the masters throw at me. The child can’t say the same. She’s far too weak to survive their anger.”

Lothos narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re not trying to hide something from me, are you?”

“Of course not,” Elise answered lightly. “I learned my lesson the last time.”

The moment dragged as Lothos stared. Suspicion forming behind in his eyes.

Elena found herself holding her breath. What would she do if he realized Elise was lying? Fight? She’d die.

But maybe that would be better. Being ripped apart at the seams didn’t sound like a bucket list item.

No. Survive. Those were Auntie’s orders. Survive at all costs. No matter who you had to sacrifice or what you had to do.

Easier said than done.

An eternity later, Lothos seemed to come to a decision. “Very well. I’ll believe you. For now.”

Elise’s face remained apathetic. As if it didn’t matter to her whether or not Lothos believed her.

Lothos’s gaze shifted to Elena. “Does she understand our language?”

“Of course not. She’s Tuann. You know their kind. Only ever interested in their own matters.”

Lothos’s frown sent another jolt of adrenaline through Elena system. “Are you sure?”

Shit. He knew.

And Aunt Selene would have sent her to time out for using that word.

Elena fought the desire to flee, trying not to react outwardly in any way.

Pretend. Pretend.

Of course, a Tuann wouldn’t know the tsavitee language. They would have no reason to. They hadn’t fought in a war against them. Even if they had, Elena doubted most would have taken the time to understand their enemy.

A human might have. A Haldeel scholar definitely would have. But not a Tuann who were the very definition of arrogance.

If not for Elise’s disguised warning, Elena would have already given herself away.

She couldn’t help but be upset about that oversight. Only a few minutes in and she’d already endangered her cover. She needed to be better than this.

“If she knows a little, it’s probably due to the Phoenix’s influence. She was obsessed with studying the tsavitee and everything about them,” Elise answered, sounding bored.

The comment offered a way for Elena to “learn” the tsavitee language faster than if she was newly exposed to it.

A door appeared in the same place it had earlier. A second general stepped inside, pausing at the sight of the dead mantis before continuing.

Possessing a smaller stature than Lothos, the newcomer still towered over Elise by nearly two feet. His horns weren’t as impressive or as well developed as Lothos’s either, placing him lower than the other general in the hierarchy. His face was impassive as he stopped a few feet away, clasping his hands behind his back as he waited to be acknowledged.

“Speak,” Lothos ordered.

“The masters are aware of her return and have asked for her presence.”

Elise’s chin lifted. There was a note of fear before it was gone.

“I can’t protect you from this,” Lothos informed her.

“I didn’t ask you to.”

Lothos sighed. “Do what you can to appease them and hurry back.”

Elise sauntered toward the door. “You don’t have to tell me that.”

Her hands moved briefly. A bare flutter of movement that was hardly noticeable. Only someone who’d grown up learning the self-developed sign language of the forty three would have recognized the motions as something other than a nervous tick.

It was a message. A brief one.

“Beware.”

That’s all Elena got before the wall reformed.

“She’s hiding something,” the second general announced in tsavitee.

“Probably.”

“What do you want to do?”

“For now, we’ll wait.”

“The girl?”

Elena allowed fear to form on her face. She didn’t have Aunt Kira’s training in hiding her emotions. They’d expect a scared little girl so that’s exactly what she’d give them.

The fact she really was terrified made the deception easier.

“Throw her to the pits,” he said after a long moment of consideration. “We’ll see if she survives long enough to be worth protecting.”

The post Sneak Peak appeared first on T.A. White.

But just because I’m in a “reset” doesn’t mean the work stops. There’s a book to name (check), a cover to commission (also check), a blurb to write, snippets to pull out and put to artwork, deciding on a publishing date, then uploading the book to the different distributers, etc. I also need to catch up with all the email that has come in over the past few weeks that got pushed to the side in favor of me being full on focused on the book. I think there are also website updates to make.

In this period I usually try to start also outlining the next book. Or at least do some deep thinking. That’s a problem when you don’t know what you want to write. The original plan was to start a new series after Firebird 5 was done. Of course, when I made that plan, Firebird 5 was the last book in the series… That didn’t work out how I intended. Thanks, Kira and Jin. (This means there are more books after 5. Because I know that’s the next question people will ask.)

To further confound things, I’m not sure which of my many story ideas to pursue. The choice is an important one considering the time commitment involved. Firebird has been running at least five years. Aileen, even longer. So whichever world I choose, I’ll be working in it for awhile. That means I’d better like it.

Do I do the sci fi that’s a little heavier on the romance than Firebird? It’s one of my favorite genres but one that is difficult to find books I like in due to most not striking that perfect balance between action, sci fi, and romance. There’s also the Sci Fi military-esque series that is chock full of family drama and the heroine doing insane things. It’s a little closer in vibe to Kira’s world except the heroine is no hero and when the book starts she’s already signed up for a ten year commitment to the military. Much to her dismay. It’s a little different than my normal fare. Quite odd actually.

Or do I return to my roots and explore that Fantasy Romance that has been teasing my brain over the last few months? It’d be in the same vein as pathfinder. With a strong, highly capable heroine who has been given in tithe to a very powerful people. It’s the newest world of those I’ve been dreaming, but it’s startlingly well fleshed out.

Let’s not forget the portal fantasy that I’ve been wanting to do forever. Or the three contemporary romances that keep popping into my head.

You see my problem.

Maybe I’ll just putter around. Put some ideas on paper and see if anything sucks me in once I get going. If I truly can’t choose, I guess Aileen and friends will get a new adventure sooner than planned. I already have an idea of where that is going.

The post What’s Next? appeared first on T.A. White.

Today was the first real full day back in the editing chair. It was a bit of a slow start. Six days spent doing nothing but sitting on a beach with a book that I didn’t write evidently made me forget how to type. I made so many typing errors this morning that I started wondering if there was something wrong with my brain.

Overall though, I have to say I am so pleased with the state of the book. At least the beginning section. There’s always a fear when I get to this stage that I’ll read it and find the balance off. Pacing, writing, etc. Or that I’ll hate it. Given the amount of time it took to get to this point, that would be heartbreaking. Right now, the words are just flowing with minimal need to tweak things. I doubt my luck will hold to the end, but I’m excited with what I’ve written and can’t wait to share.

Emily has posted the beta and arc reader forms on the book community on Facebook. I’ll probably be ready to pass this book to the beta’s by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. So if that is something you’re interested in, I suggest you head over to the book community to sign up. If you’re not already a member, this might be a good time to join.

Below a few photos of the trip.

The post Book Update appeared first on T.A. White.

It wasn’t until the husband told me Odin was shaking his head a lot before asking if we still had the medicated ear drops from the last time he got an ear infection that we discovered it wasn’t dirt. While applying the ear drops, we noticed black specks in his fur. At that point, suspicion dawned. A quick search on the internet led me to our culprit. Fleas. And that black “dirt” was flea dust. AKA flea poop.

We commenced de-fleaing procedures immediately. I ran to a store to buy flea shampoo and other things including a flea comb which confirmed our fears. The husband helped me bathe the cats and put on what we realized later was flea medication that expired two years ago. While this won’t hurt the cats, it does affect the efficacy of the ingredients. But neither the vet nor the maker can tell me by how much. So now we don’t even know if the medication is working.

As a result of the flea incident, I got nothing of what I’d hoped to accomplish done this weekend. Instead, I did all of the laundry. Sooo many loads. And vacuumed. The entire house. Twice.

I bought a flea trap and caught a couple fleas. That led to us to vacuuming and re-spraying the flea killing stuff on our furniture and carpet yet again.

We also started combing the cats for fleas. Of course, Loki turned into a hell cat because of the bath. The sounds she made were the type of thing that would make me quail in terror if heard out in the wild. This despite the fact that she normally loves being brushed. Odin just sat there and took it, making distressed sounds every so often.

Poor Odin had it worse because he also had to go to the vet because it had been over a year since his last visit and the vet couldn’t prescribe new flea medication until she saw him. It was quite traumatizing for him. He peed in his crate at one point which got on his fur. To top things off, I got a call yesterday saying his blood test was mislabeled and I needed to bring him in again on Friday.

Things are finally getting better though. Loki is enjoying her brush time. I’m no longer pulling off live fleas. Both cats have stopped scratching. However, this is a protracted battle that will last two to three months as the fleas move through their lifecycle.

Please wish me luck. This is quite honestly my worst nightmare. Only I thought it would be bedbugs that would get us. Not fleas on my indoor only cats.

The post the Horror appeared first on T.A. White.