I can’t believe it’s been over two years since my last post! Not that I was an avid blogger before, but I wasn’t happy with the way book 3 of The Mage series was shaping up, and there were things to do with my other books that I had been putting off, so I decided to really just hunker down and focus on that for a – really, really long – while.

And now I’m back! The Mage and the Naga is at a good, nearly-ready-to-publish place and I’ve made some major changes for book 3 of the onmyouji series as well. I’m really getting better at hitting that backspace button. If it clogs up the flow of the story, it’s gone, even when it comes to a really good dialogue exchange.

Anyway, here’s a bit of a preview from chapter 1 of The Mage and the Naga:

“Is he serious?” Raylene whispered. “He’s challenging Jason Zuchang. Do people do that?”

“Sure. Except we call it signing your own death warrant,” Sera murmured. Ah, to be young and stupid again.

Before Raylene could do more than gape, Izsai declared, “What say you, Mage Zuchang? Conceding defeat is also a viable option. And in your case, certainly the wiser one.”

Jason continued to stare blankly ahead of him. Sera wasn’t even sure if he’d heard that rousing speech.

Izsai’s brow furrowed when he received no reaction. “Is the great Mage Zuchang frozen in fear? Have you been so struck by dread that you cannot even speak?” He turned to his soldiers, “Let it be known that it was the mighty fist of the Naga that proved the rumors of the powerful Mage Zuchang were nothing more than tall tales.”

More cheers as the trident-stomping reached a new crescendo.

A vein throbbed in Dusana’s neck. “Perhaps Mage Zuchang could go along with the challenge so we can move on to business,” she said loudly.  

Jason turned his stony stare to her. “There is no purpose in playing along with this farce.”

“Out of respect for our alliance with the Naga…”

Jason’s expression clearly said that alliance could go jump up its own ass and die for all he cared.

Dusana sighed. “Mage Kishao, would you care to weigh in?”

It was Sera’s turn to stare blankly at her. How did she get roped into this?

Dusana nodded meaningfully at Jason, clearly expecting Sera to persuade her stubborn and immoveable partner. But Jason’s primary characteristic, besides his loyalty to the Coven – as an entity, not so much the individuals – was his sense of dignity. Anything that he considered beneath him was kicked off the table, stomped into mulch, then set on fire. Sera didn’t have a chance in hell to get him to take part in this crap.

Then again, if he didn’t, they could be posturing here all night and she really wasn’t looking forward to that either.  

Dusana cleared her throat sharply. Sera sighed, then sidled up to Jason and under her breath, said, “It’s easier to just do what he wants.”

Jason didn’t budge. “We are here as a show of force, not as part of the entertainment.”

“What’s a better show of force than you knocking the royal dickhead down a peg?”

“This is meant to be a negotiation. We do not need to cater to his demands.”

“Knocking him off-balance would make him a lot easier to negotiate with,” Sera said. “And you get to put the fear of…you into the hearts of these young soldiers.”

Jason considered this, then nodded slowly. “Fine.”

“Just first blood, don’t put anyone’s head on a stick,” she added quickly.