Tracy St. John's Blog, page 30

Clan and Covenant Excerpt - Pre-Order Available Now

 

Govi sets aside his concerns for a night of passion.

He submitted to them, but he wasn’t passive. He writhed beneath them, clung to them, returned Korkla’s kisses with unrestrained ardor. His fingers tangled in Raxstad’s thick hair, alternating between trying to pull the Nobek off…he was never successful in that…or pulling him closer. That was just as impossible, because Raxstad’s face was already plastered against him.

The big man growled like a rabid zibger, a ceaseless thunder of sound. Govi wasn’t sure when Raxstad had begun to voice his excitement. It seemed as if the rumble had been present forever. Govi felt himself jerked and pulled, and his pants were yanked away. He had no memory of his shoes disappearing, but they weren’t there to impede the loss of his trousers.

Raxstad fell on him and swallowed his secondary cock. The wet heat enclosing his smaller shaft brought shout from Govi. He arched at the blast of ecstasy and slammed his palms to the surface beneath him.

Korkla grabbed his wrists and pinned him. The Dramok took a turn tasting Govi’s chest, concentrating on his nipples. He sucked them in turn, sending daggers of excitement straight to the Imdiko’s groin. Govi cried out again.

The air filled with the wet sounds of mouths on flesh. His head bobbing over Govi’s secondary, Raxstad nabbed his kicking legs and wrapped his arms around his thighs. Govi’s knees were slung over the Nobek’s massive shoulders, and if Raxstad noticed when his prey’s flailing heels struck his back, he gave no sign.

Held down, Govi descended into chaotic bliss. His head tossed from side to side as they worked their will on him. Moans spilled from his lips, aching and swollen from Korkla’s insistent kisses. His cries resumed, thanks to the Dramok’s untiring attentions to his nipples.

“So damned beautiful,” Korkla paused long enough to mutter.

Raxstad reared up and clawed his own shirt off. Though Govi couldn’t snatch an intact thought from the whirl of bliss they’d submerged him in, he recognized the Nobek was bigger and more chiseled than his loose-fitting clothing had admitted to. The man was a true titan in every sense of the word.

Raxstad pulled open the crotch of his trousers, which strained against his excitement. Thick cocks spilled out, veined and bulging with eagerness. Even the smaller rear length was impressive. Anxious anticipation filled Govi as the behemoth gripped his own secondary and lined it up. 

Releasing January 14. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. 

Now on sale in print.

 An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Releasing January 14. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. 

Now on sale in print.

 

Now Available for Pre-Order: Clan and Covenant

 

Could you refuse this offer?

Korkla had a surprise for him. “My family has a private getaway. A small cave camp near Sulora Lake. Raxstad and I spend most nights there now that he’s back. It isn’t fancy, but it’s great for privacy.” His hand stroked Govi’s. “If Raxstad’s interested, and I’m pretty sure he is, I wish you’d stay with us tonight.”

“Damn right I’m interested.” The Nobek’s growl raised the hairs on Govi’s neck. As did the fingertips running down his spine, stopping a hairsbreadth from his ass crack.

“Oh. That’s…an…intriguing offer.” His heart pounded and his cocks twitched. “I don’t…it might be a little soon. Don’t you think?”

“We’re promised as clanmates. I’ve enjoyed your company. You seem to like us all right. Do you?” Korkla’s tone was as even as ever. His gaze on Govi was steady.

“Of course, but I have to work tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Yes, but…but…”

Korkla drew him to a halt and gripped Govi’s chin. He made him look him in the eyes. “But what?”

“But my career. I told you, it’s my priority. I don’t have room in my life for clanmates yet.” Govi’s voice rose with frustration and misery. He would have loved to go home with Korkla and Raxstad for sex, if he could keep it at that level. They were so damned compelling beyond physical attraction though. It worried him. The cost of a relationship to his ambitions…

“We’re on the same page, Imdiko. I’m too young to clan without parental permission anyway, so Raxstad and I are building our professional lives and meeting up when we can. It’ll be no different with you. Neither of us will stand in your way of succeeding as much as you can as a psychologist.” Korkla could have been the elder of the two with his calm assurance and parental tone.

“Imdikos are presumed to be the glue that holds a clan together. We see to our clanmates first and foremost, and everything else comes in a distant second. Are you saying you don’t expect me to do that?”

“At this point? When we’re all still dependent on our parents to some degree? Hell no.”

“But later?” Even three years might be too early.

“As far as our future’s concerned, we’re equally responsible for each other when we’re clanned. We’ll look out for each other, we’ll support each other, and we’ll take care of each other. I’d never expect you to assume all that responsibility, especially if it means you lose out on what’s important to you.”

Korkla insisted on declaring all the right things. If only Govi could be sure he meant them.

“You say that now, but the dynamics could change. Relationships aren’t easy. They confuse everything, alter the status quo.”

“Govi.” Korkla’s calm refused to ripple. “I see how vital this is to you. I respect it. I won’t change my mind about letting you focus on your career.”

Silence stretched between them as they regarded each other. Govi searched the Dramok’s face for any sign of uncertainty, any tremor of deception. It wasn’t to be found.

There was a huff behind him. He’d almost forgotten about Raxstad, who gripped his shoulder and leaned close. “Hey, I know this is important Dramok and Imdiko emotional crap, but I gotta be honest. We were talking about having sex. Not running off and leaving our lives behind. Not finding some way to bend time three years forward and clanning right away. Tonight, I just want to fuck this insanely gorgeous Imdiko until my cocks won’t wake up anymore. Can we do that? Please?”

Releasing January 14. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. 

Now on sale in print.

 An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Releasing January 14. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. 

Now on sale in print.

Now Available for Pre-Order: Clan and Covenant

 

Dinner with the new intended clanmate.

Raxstad tapped his finger on the tabletop. “He’s late.”

“I realize that.” Korkla’s gaze was distant as he mused over whatever it was that had his mind far from the small restaurant’s quiet setting. Probably his conversation with Dapad, which he’d shared with Raxstad.

“I’m hungry.” Raxstad glowered at the waiter who brought food to the next table. Delicious smells wafted to him. He’d spent his day at Global Security training with the assault squad. The intense trials of storming buildings and confronting instructors playing the roles of hostiles had worked up an appetite. An appetite he was overdue to satisfy.

“I’m certain he won’t be much longer. Raxstad, how do we handle it if Govi is incompatible with us?”

Raxstad frowned as his gut snarled for dinner. Flatware clanged against plates around him. The dim lighting illuminating the scatter of sturdy tables low to the ground and seating cushions should have been soothing, but it irritated him. He hated trying to think when his stomach was complaining. “If he’s consistently late for meals and holds us up from eating? I won’t be happy, that’s for sure.”

Korkla came out of whatever brain fog he’d been enveloped in and chuckled. “We’ll order an appetizer when our waiter comes around again. I’ll text Govi if he hasn’t shown within the next two minutes. Fair?”

“Okay.” It was beneath Raxstad to sulk, and he did his best to avoid it, but he felt sulky. He didn’t want an appetizer. He wanted a plate piled high with food. He wanted this meeting over with. The Imdiko his parents had chosen wasn’t impressing him at all. “Maybe he’s into surly, angry Nobeks. Maybe driving intended clanmates crazy gets him off. I’d call that incompatible, so yeah, how to handle that—”

“What I meant by incompatible was, what if Govi’s entire personality is at odds with ours? Imagine if he sits around and watches drama vids on his days off. Or if he spends hours in a gaming house. Or what if he drinks excessively? Do we try to cope with it? Ask our parents to call it off? Become a clan and live our lives separate from his?”

“The parent clans ran compatibility tests,” Raxstad pointed out. “We shouldn’t be that far off where interests and personalities are concerned. Except the need to be on time for meals, apparently.”

“Clajak and Egilka underwent compatibility testing too. Yet they’re so different. Clajak likes Egilka though, so maybe there are a lot of underlying factors we’re unaware of on the surface. How can anyone really know how a relationship will end up?”

“We’re different too, when you consider it. You prefer to negotiate with people. I choose to bust heads. How much more opposite can we be?” Raxstad wasn’t in the mood to ponder the mysteries of clanmate bonds. In his opinion, people made connections or they didn’t, and the details of how that operated weren’t important. At least the conversation was a distraction from his groaning stomach.

“You’re not the meathead ronka as you pretend to be. There’s a hell of an intelligent brain in your thick skull.” Korkla gazed at him with knowing affection.

“I swear if you tell anyone, I’ll snap you like a twig. The less smart they believe I am, the fewer responsibilities I have to accept.”

Korkla rolled his eyes but kept talking. “We’re both driven by duty and honor. We respect those with authority. We believe in hard work and kindness to others until they prove themselves unworthy. We may express ourselves differently, but we’re similar at our foundations.”

“Okay. Here comes the waiter. I’ll have three of all the appetizers, and it’s been two minutes, so…”

Raxstad broke off. Their waiter was indeed weaving through the close-packed tables towards their seats, and he had someone with him. A man with the most breathtaking face the Nobek had ever seen despite its lack of a smile or anything approaching pleasure.

Raxstad forgot he was starving. His vision was full of the gorgeous Imdiko who was brought to his table. As if in a dream, Raxstad floated to a standing position. He bowed, but his gaze never left the chiseled jaw, the aristocratic nose, the high cheekbones…all framed by shoulder-length black hair.

Releasing January 14. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. 

Now on sale in print.

An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. Now on sale in print.

 

Releasing in One Week: Clan and Covenant

 

He attempted to rise but only managed to lift a little. His wrists, on either side of his head, were frozen to the floor. The cuffs glittered in the firelight.

“Sorry. I couldn’t resist the opportunity.” Raxstad sounded far from sorry. He was breathless as he pressed his primary into Korkla’s ass.

“You—let me up. Cuffs, unfreeze.” Korkla started to pull from him, his body tensing as he endeavored to escape.

Mistake. Tensing made Raxstad’s determined entrance hurt. He gripped Korkla’s hip and held him in place while the other hand continued to busy itself with Korkla’s elated cock.

“Easy, sweet Dramok. I made you feel good, now I’ll let you return the favor, but you have to cooperate. Relax while I enjoy your gorgeous ass.”

Korkla’s demanding side snarled in protest. It wanted to fight for its rightful dominance. But Raxstad had the advantage, and there was no overpowering the massive Nobek.

“Bastard. When I get loose—”

“I know. I’ve weighed the pros and cons and decided fucking you in my fashion was worth whatever retaliation comes afterward. You’re too irresistible. You realize that, don’t you?”

Korkla ground his teeth. He’d thought he’d planned the encounter in such detail that Raxstad wouldn’t gain the upper hand. He should have activated the cuffs rather than let sentiment rule his brain.

“You will suffer,” he promised his tormentor.

“No doubt. But first, I’ll fuck you. Then I’ll make you come again, just to show you enjoy being under me better than you’ll admit. Maybe you’ll come with me. I’d like that.”

Korkla shouted in rage and tried to lunge away. All he got for his trouble was another jolt of agony from his asshole, which Raxstad continued to steadily plug. Then he struggled to turn, to land a punch. More pain and absolutely no gain.

“I would have ridden you. However you wanted me to. It’s not as if I’d leave you wanting,” he complained while he forced his ass to relax and yield to its implacable invader.

“A Nobek has to be a Nobek and try to overcome his lover. It’s no different than a Dramok doing what he can to stay in control.”

An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Releasing January 14.  Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.  Print available now.

WIP Wednesday - Clan Beginnings: Clan and Command

 

“Are you saying you don’t want an Imdiko?”

Korkla scowled at nothing in particular. “I’m unsure about an arranged Imdiko. You and I…we’re partners in every sense. Friends, lovers, all that. Now we have an unknown man being dumped on us. How do we bring in a stranger? How will the dynamics change?”

Raxstad picked up a poker and jabbed the waking flames. “One of us might adore him, and he’ll drive the other crazy. Or we’ll both decide to dump him off a cliff.”

“You and I had the chance to grow up together, in a sense. He’s already a grown man, with his own habits. I mean, it might work out. It does for most other clans. It would have been better for us to find someone we know is compatible, though.”

“Yeah. Though if we’d hoped for someone close to our age, we should have been working on it already.” Raxstad attempted a joke. “Poor us, given an Imdiko when so many other clans go without.”

Korkla stared into the fire, his thoughts a whirl. “I feel sorry for this Govi too.”

“Hey, I’m not so bad to be stuck with. You’re coping okay.”

“Goof. I mean, he’s shoved in with a couple of guys who have a history he isn’t a part of. He’ll feel he’s the odd man out, especially since we’re unsure we’ll want him.”

Raxstad stood. “Maybe he’ll enjoy these deep, sentimental conversations with you. Definitely not my scene, examining the emotional shit.”

An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Releasing January 14. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. 

Now on sale in print.

 

Now Available for Pre-Order: Clan and Covenant

 

Releasing January 14. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. 

Now on sale in print. 

An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. Now on sale in print.

WIP Wednesday: Clan and Covenant

 

Reluctance

“You did what?”

At Govi’s near-shout, Dramok Gerhu’s brows drew together. Only slightly. Govi’s parents, including his Nobek father Twes, didn’t believe in losing their tempers.

His mother, who sat next to him on the lounger, answered. “We arranged an extremely advantageous clanship for you. You knew it would happen sooner or later. Why are you so upset?”

Why was he upset? After all the discussions they’d had about how he wanted to concentrate on his nascent career? Govi, usually as self-possessed as his parents, glared at the blank entertainment console that took up an entire wall of his parents’ common room.

“You said it could wait.” They’d promised. They knew how important his work was to him.

“So it shall.” His Imdiko father was perched cross-legged on a billowy seating mat on the other side of the unlit fire pit centered in the middle of the room. Dobnac’s reasonable tone did little to calm Govi. In fact, it riled the young man more, though he kept a firm grip on himself.

“Three years. The Dramok is only twenty-two, so you have ample time to finish your residency at the hospital, find the best opportunity to begin your career, and earn a promotion or two.” Matara Holrid rubbed his back. His mother’s smile was consoling, but Govi didn’t miss the firm resolve behind her expression.

“Along with a sufficient period to get to know your future clanmates beforehand,” Gerhu added. He rested on a seating cushion too, near Dobnac, where he could easily look Govi in the face.

They’d decided. Govi’s protestations had delayed the inevitable a few years, but in the end, his tactics had no effect on the decision.

 

An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Releasing mid-January.

 

WIP Wednesday: Clan and Covenant

 

 

Reunion

With that, Raxstad was officially a civilian. He hadn’t been sure if the change in status would result in excitement to be on to the next phase of his life, or if he’d experience regret. Funny enough, neither reaction occurred to him. He gazed at the gathered families and clans welcoming their loved ones home, faces wreathed in smiles and glad cries ringing in the vast, echoing space. He searched. For a moment, his heart lurched in his wide chest when he thought no one was there for him.

Then a hand waved over the dark heads of gathered Kalquorians. A figure, familiar despite the many months since he’d last seen it, edged its way through the crowd. Raxstad laughed and hurried forward.

Korkla didn’t merely hasten to greet him. He ran. When the younger man reached him, he flung his arms around Raxstad’s thick neck. Still laughing, Raxstad enveloped his intended in a hug and lifted him off the ground.

Korkla, uninhibited in public when it came to affection, pressed a kiss to Raxstad’s lips. “You’re finally home! By the ancestors, did you get bigger since I last saw you?”

Instead of putting him down, Raxstad carried his future clanmate to the line of duty bags being tossed out of the transport’s baggage compartment. “Want to see what’s really enormous? Wait until I’m naked.”

 

An arranged clanship. A threat to their lives. Does love have a chance?

Initially unsure about their impending arranged union, Dramok Korkla and Nobek Raxstad have grown to care for each other. They’re impatient to begin their life together when their parents spring a surprise on them: a third clanmate, someone they’ve never met, has been chosen to join them.

Imdiko Govi has delayed being promised to a clan for several reasons: his burgeoning psychology career and a past arranged clanship that went horribly wrong. However, his parents are certain they’ve found the perfect Dramok and Nobek for him and won’t take no for an answer.

The trio is reluctant to give the arranged relationship a chance, but sparks soon fly. Love seems assured, but trouble is waiting in the wings. Govi is crushed when he fails a patient, sending him into a tailspin that threatens his newfound relationship. Worse, as a member of the Royal House staff, Korkla soon finds himself in the path of a murderous foe. An attack on Raxstad threatens to destroy the clan before it begins.

Love on Kalquor is wonderful, if the trio survives to enjoy it.

Releasing mid-January.

WIP Wednesday and Cover Reveal: Clan and Covenant

 

Raxstad has to put a fellow Nobek in his place.

The hatch of the troop transport shuttle opened, and the line of soldiers began to file off. Raxstad ignored the air of anticipation that hung over the young Nobeks to deal with Magral’s jumping at the last chance to antagonize him.

“Is your family here to greet you?” Raxstad’s tone was flat, as unimpressed as his expression.

“Yeah, they are. It would be nice to toss your ugly carcass in front of them as a trophy if you don’t move out of my way.” Magral flexed his fingers, and his joints popped.

“Or they could watch you be stretchered to the base’s brig, where you’d be stuck for six months. Six extra months, pal, for starting a fight on the transport when we’re two minutes from finishing our tour. And a disorderly discharge. Not to mention having to suck your food through a straw for the rest of your miserable life. Still want to cut in front of me?”

Releasing mid-January 2022

Update on Clan Beginnings: Clan and Covenant

 The first draft is done! There is still a long haul with tons of editing to do, but Clan Korkla's story has been written. It's a shorter story (which means a lower price tag), but a fun one. I'm currently on vacation, so it'll be a week or so before I begin the edits...it still looks excellent for a mid-January release. Yay!