“Dammit, Jonah, do you know what will happen to you if you get convicted?” She’s moving, even though it clearly hurts, scooting forward on the sofa bed. “They will put you in a box. In a small room. Probably for the rest of your life. And that’s if they don’t decide you’re mentally ill and lock you back up in the hospital forever.” My body shudders, but my mind is firm. “I deserve it.” Bartlett sits on the side of the sofa bed, her hands gripping the edges, compressing the mattress. She doesn’t look at me. Her chest heaves. It must hurt her ribs. “Bartlett,” I begin, but she cuts me off with a raised palm. “I said no noble sacrifices,” she says through gritted teeth. “It’s the only way to protect Fern.” The mattress looks like it’s flat where she’s gripping in. “You told me to protect Fern from you, right?”

You could say that. (At least I hope they're tantalizing!)

Bartlett (or whatever her name ends up being on editing). Jonah knows she was a Marine, does breathing to self-regulate, and has a step-brother. That's about it.

She is going to be the focus of book 2. I have plans. *eg*

Not quite to convoluted, but definitely not simple. :)

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Yeah, not so much. :D

Look, I'm already mean enough to my characters. I don't need to subject them to having to live with me as well.

:D

A football player in a long tunnel, leaning against the wall. His posture is tired but not defeated. His jersey has the number 11 and the name Greyson on the back.

For an elf, retirement can always be reversed.

Unless someone is making sure it can’t.

"Delay of Game" is available now.

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www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSQL2M3N/

She is perhaps a vehicle for excising some of my angst as a manager. Though she deals with conflict a lot better than I do. :)

Hm, I definitely am not working through any of my OWN issues around mistakes and guilt and such. Definitely not.

Why are you all looking at me like that?

:D

When you're in charge of an entire country, you usually don't get given the little problems.

Dom's good about learning from mistakes, until...

Tevyal is big martyring himself.
Saida thinks if she works hard enough she can prevent her mistakes from hurting people.

Jonah just suggested turning himself in to the police, so... it's a good thing Bartlett won't let him because of HER issues.

TIL that the people who read a vampire western might also be interested in a book about a half-elf wide receiver trying to figure out why his quarterback falls apart on game day. Learning about how to advertise on Amazon.
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He's very convinced what is wrong with him, isn't he?

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He's a bit of a drama queen. :D

Well, Tevyal cut off his own hand and left his society, the leaders of which will kill him if they get the chance. ☠️

Jonah (aka not-Mike) actually liked teaching middle school. But that's not why he ended up in a psych ward. 🧠

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What a cutie!

I picked Tevyal's first stop order. He's making stuff up as he goes along. :)

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Given she has a powerful group of men trying to assassinate her, it's very practical. Much safer than on a camel. And, she would hate to admit it, but the vehicle is more comfortable than the camel, too.

Not-Mike drove an old beater befitting a middle school English teacher. He has now driven Bartlett's pick-up. Without a license. After having not driven for over three years.

If he manages to escape the various forms of imprison waiting him, he might get an SUV of some sort. If he has money...

Dom lets Marisol drive most of the time. But it's a luxury vehicle that still has power. In case he, for example, needed to drive somewhere to save, say, a close family member or four...

Saida is annoyed that her bodyguard insists on a vehicle with bulletproof glass and other features to protect her.

Tevyal is so glad they're not riding camels that he'll take whatever. He just needs some assistive features to accommodate for only having his left hand.

It's a second-world fantasy. I have dual protagonists, one the queen of a desert nation, the other a one-handed mage who left the oppressive Guild that is now threatening the desert nation. He's a martyr looking for a cause, and she's a ruler looking to protect her people, including from herself.

Having a beta reader that is picking up what my second book is trying to do is an amazing feeling! He's also really good at helping me find the spots that need more detail, which I struggle with.

I'm still worried about the conclusion, but I also trust he'll have good feedback if it needs it. :)

They're having a rough time. Their author is a real jerk!

:D

A scruffy, light tan terrier lays with the front half of her body on my desk, her paws near my mouse. You can see the corner of my screen next to her head.

My harshest critic is also my biggest cheerleader. The difference is in how many treats I have given her.

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There's a reason they're driving on backroads instead of attempting to fly anywhere. And right now they're not even driving because Bartlett has cracked ribs. :)

Not-Mike is in big trouble. He has no ID, he can't give them his name, and when they run his prints, they either find that he's an escapee from a psych ward or is wanted for questioning about his wife's death. Bartlett will feel bad if she has to fights TSA agents.

Dom is annoyed about having to go through security, unlike when flying with the team. Marisol reminds him he's lucky he gets first-class privilege.

Saida looks for her bodyguard to deal with this. Tevyal hides some coins in his sling to bribe the guards with. It's good Saida is royalty.

Did I mention I feel kind of bad about everything not-Mike has been through? :)

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Partly, but Nisareth doesn't have a lot of meat or meat-adjacent things like cheese, because there's not enough water for livestock like that, so it would seem not only extravagant but just weird. You might dip bread in stew, but why would you put sauce on it? And cheese? And... pepperoni? Weeeird!

Saida doesn't understand why you'd put all this stuff on perfectly good flatbread. Teyval goes for meat-lovers.

Not-Mike will try whatever, because he has a messy relationship with food.
Fern wants a crust not made from cauliflower.

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