Continuing answering the question of what my favorite moments in my own works are! Polychrome: My only self-published work to date, Polychrome is a grown-up readership-targeted Oz novel. It is also the only story I've ever had that FORCED me to write it – literally shutting off my ability to write in my contracted novels unless I wrote at least a chapter in Polychrome per week. As such, one can guess that there are a lot of moments in Polychrome that resonate strongly with me; still, I have to pick three, so here we [ Continue reading... ]
POLYCHROME: Chapter 29
January 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Our Hero was searching for a key... ------ Chapter 29. "Ha! You'll need to be faster than that, Erik!" Yeah, no kidding. Zenga was dodging most of the blows I sent at her, and I couldn't do nearly so well dodging hers. My armor did make up some of the difference, though. This was worthwhile practice, I had to admit. My workouts in the Rainbow Kingdom had been against Sky Fairies, and mostly near-pure blood, which meant that my True Mortal advantage was tremendously [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 28
December 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, it looked as though Erik was going to get a companion... ------ Chapter 28. "So, Lord Erik, we head for the Nome King's domain once we have landed?" I turned and smiled at Zenga. She was easy to smile at, having the dark-coffee skin of most of Pingaree's people combined with the sharper-cut features of her mother to produce a girl of striking beauty. "Yes and no, Princess." "You are far too young to speak in riddles," she retorted, leaning on the rail next to me. "That is the [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Second Vision and Chapter 27
December 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment
A second glimpse at an important viewpoint, and Erik arrives at his destination: ------ Second Vision: Agony of boiling light, cruel radiance tearing her slowly apart, pieces of her own self taken away, forged with hammers of blazing selfish will and cruel luminant ambition. But the tiny comfort of the point of darkness remained, and she clung to that. Over days and weeks and untold passage of time, when her eyes and soul felt tormented beyond endurance, she could seek it out, so small, but [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 25
December 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, let's see what Erik's up to now... ------ Chapter 25. "Chancellor, we have stormclouds ahead." Inkarbleu glanced up from the small dining table we were sharing. "That is… unusual, is it not?" "Very, sir. Weather indications for this time of year are usually clear – for weeks or months at a time." The Captain looked grim. I rose and ran up the steps to the forward deck. Black stormclouds loomed up in a narrow front, focused on the Pearl of Gilgad, our ship, and her escorts. I narrowed my eyes, [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 23
November 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Back to Our Hero, who is out there looking for allies... ------- Chapter 23. The gates of the city of Gilgad stood wide before us, a full fifty feet high in a wall of white and black marble. The wide street continued on, with houses and larger buildings visible, street vendors, and hundreds of people bustling about the city's business. "You should be safe here, Amrin. At least as long as anyone is, and I hope that will turn out to be a long, long time." I shook his hand. "Many, many thanks, [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 21
November 7, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, Our Hero had finally embarked on his real Adventure... ------ Chapter 21. I walked straight to the East, not looking back. Not daring to look back for a while. It had been almost impossible not to just blurt it all out, looking at her then, when I knew I might die before reaching Oz, that this might be the last time I saw her. But she didn't need that burden, even if it was something she wanted to hear, which I really didn't think she did. I was pretty sure she did like me as a friend, [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome Chapter 19
October 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment
And at last our Hero is ready to really start on his adventure! ----- Chapter 19. Polychrome danced lightly through the corridors of the Palace, out the gateway, and laughed. For there were gathered all the people of the Rainbow Kingdom, from the smallest child to the eldest of the wise old women, all gathered to see the Hero off. Far, far away, down the Way of Light that ran from the dawn to the sunset, she could see the tiny figures of Erik and Nimbus, and the much larger shape of [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 18
October 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Iris had said he had some sort of final task for Erik... ----- Chapter 18. I felt the chill of the morning deep in my bones as I awoke. I never liked camping as a kid, and I don't like it any better now. Who was it who said that adventures were unpleasant things happening to people a long way away? I dragged myself out of the little tent and onto the remainder of the little shelf of rock I was on. I wasn't sure of the point of this little exercise, but you generally didn't argue with Iris [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 15
September 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment
As Uncle would say, "Research is IMPORTANT!" ----- Chapter 15. "… and these notes were written by the Wizard himself, not all that long before Oz fell." She placed the thick sheaf of parchment on top of the least-wobbly stack next to Erik. The mortal could-be-Hero nodded absently, absorbed in sketching some sort of diagram or chart which, she could see, had already been re-sketched, modified, parts scribbled out and redrawn, with dozens of little notations that she couldn't really [ Continue reading... ]
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