MeiLin Miranda's Blog, page 45

Chapter 14 Part 5 | Lovers and Beloveds | IHGK Book 1

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He was the Duke of Whithorse; his word there was law now that he'd come of age. He would send them to the Estate. He would send them to Alvo. "Don't go away. Here--finish your brandy."

He sprinted to the door, and called for a footman. When the young man ran up, a discreet smirk on his face, Temmin realized that Arta was right: her reputation was already ruined. "Does something amuse you, Caid?" barked Temmin. A more sober expression quickly took up residence on Caid's face. "Find that footman Wallek, and bring him here. Then go fetch Teacher. I need him."

Caid goggled, but did as he was told, hurrying down the hallway past the other footman posted in the hall. "What's amiss?" whispered the duty man as Caid passed.

"Prince has finally gotten round to it," said Caid, pausing once Temmin was back inside, "but looks like 'e wants the pair of 'em!"

The other shook his head. "No accountin for royals."

In short order, Caid brought a rumpled, confused Fen Wallek to the door, still limping slightly. "Why does he want me?" said Fen.

"Damned if I know why anyone'd want a freckled rustic like you," muttered Caid. "Maybe he just wants to complete the pair, like."

"What's that supposed to mean, you cock's egg?" But Caid had knocked on the door and was now trotting down the hall toward the oldest part of the Keep.

The Prince himself appeared in the open door in his shirtsleeves, his hair pointing every which way. "Wallek, very good, stop gaping and get in here."

"Yes, sir," said Fen, bobbing from the waist before entering. "I'm sorry for my dress, sir, I was just about to turn in--" He stopped short at the sight of Arta, her eyes red and a fancy, inexpertly fastened dress barely draped over her shoulders. "Pagg damn you, you lyin bastard!" he shouted. "You said--you said-- Pagg damn you for a liar! Pagg damn me for believin either of you! Marketgate it is, but I'll fuckin pound you into the ground first!" Arta launched herself at Fen, begging him to listen, but he thrust her away. "Don' touch me! Slut! Bitch!"

"Keep it down, or you'll ruin everything!" hissed Temmin, circling away as Fen put up his fists. "She's neither of those things, idiot. You can think what you want of me, but Arta's innocent in this. My father sent her here against her will. She's trying to save your life, and I have to get you both out of here without anyone noticing."

"Fen, truly!" she cried.

"Noticin? Oh, god, that's what that fathead meant--half the Keep must know about her, and now they'll think I'm part of it, too! I'll fuckin kill you both!" said Fen.

He lunged at Temmin, but the Prince danced out of reach. "Would you rather be humiliated or dead?"

"Oh, I already know I'll be dead, as soon as you call the Guards!" He lunged again; this time, Temmin caught him. They grappled, until Temmin brought a hard kick down on Fen's already-injured thigh; the redhead dropped to the floor, cursing.

"Think! Why haven't I called the Guards yet, if I'm so anxious to see you dead?" said Temmin. "And why would I invite a hothead like you into my rooms if I were busy seducing his betrothed?" He stepped back out of reach again. "Just listen, will you? Arta, tell him."

The story poured out of the girl, rushed and frantic: the guilty dance in the hallway; Winmer; the threats against them both. "Fen, I didn' know what else to do! I knew I'd lose you, but better me alone and ashamed than you dead!" she said. She crouched down beside him, and cried what tears she had left.

"You could have told me!" said Fen.

"And have you do something even more stupid than this? We're telling you now, and I can help you both if you'll let me," said Temmin.

Fen glared at him briefly, then took Arta in his arms there on the floor. "There, now, sweetheart, you shouldn'a, but here we are, and I love you still."

"Just trust him, Fen, please," she said, and clung to him in relief.

"What can he do?" said Fen, tears now slipping from his eyes. "If I'm taken up for treason--I don' care for myself, but Bern'd lose his place at university--that's my brother, sir."

"You won't be taken up. You would never have been taken up, but I'm going to hide you anyway just in case," said Temmin. "I'm sending you to a friend--" A knock at the door, and Temmin ushered Teacher into the room; Fen and Arta made Amma's sign. "Oh, stop that. He won't hurt you," Temmin said in exasperation.

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Mah hair!

EET EES RRRED!

(Actually redder than I wanted, and in need of a good ironing...)

Posted on 09/08/2011 - 7:00pm

"An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom" Book 2 Pre-Sale Paperback Set Package

$70.00

The Paperback Pre-sale Package contains:

The set of two autographed paperbacks--the new one and Lovers and Beloveds: IHGK Book One as well
All four ebook formats for the new book
Your name (however you'd like it) in the acknowledgments of book two
...and the biggie: The unformatted doc file for book two within 24 hours of its completion. That's right, you'll get the manuscript before anyone else does--before it's even been turned into an ebook--as soon as editor Annetta Ribken and I decide it's done.

Pre-sales fund the editing, cover design and typography of the IHGK books, and will stay open until just before the book is finished, some time late in 2011.

NOTE: I'm really sorry, but astronomical shipping costs outside the US force me to add a $10 surcharge for international pre-sales this time. Please add TWO of these surcharges to your cart since it must cover two books.

(Don't want book one or any paperback whatsoever? There's an book two ebook-only package and a just book two paperback-only package as well!)

Price: $70.00

Quantity:

BOOK TWO PRE-SALES HAVE STARTED! (Update x2)

I'm finally close enough to the end of the first draft that it's time to start getting money together for Nettah the Edittah. There are two packages this year, the Paperback Presale Package and the Ebook Presale Package. They contain all the goodies from last time:

An autographed paperback (except the ebook-only package)
All four ebook formats
Your name (however you'd like it) in the acknowledgments
...and the biggie: The unformatted doc file within 24 hours of its completion. That's right, you'll get the manuscript before anyone else does--before it's even been turned into an ebook--as soon as editor Annetta Ribken and I decide it's done.

The PPP is $50; the EPP is $25. If you're getting the PPP and you're outside the States, it breaks my heart but I'm going to have to charge you an extra $10. Shipping nearly killed me last time.

Last time you wonderful people funded the entire production of Lovers and Beloveds: IHGK Book One--the editing, the cover design and the typography. I'm hoping we can do that again this time.

I decided not to use Kickstarter; the fees are too high. I'm thinking I might Kickstart the map poster project, if only to spread the word about the entire History.

Thank you in advance for your support of the History. You guys are the ones who made this necessary -- er, possible --and I love every one of you more than you'll ever know.

Update: If you're an international buyer and couldn't get the surcharge link to work, that's fixed now. Sorry! Thanks to lowercaserho for troubleshooting that with me.

We're already 20% of the way to the first editing goal!

Update 2: Now 25% of the way. By request there's also a new option: Paperback set of book two AND book one and all the other good stuff.

Posted on 09/05/2011 - 11:07pm

BOOK TWO PRE-SALES HAVE STARTED!

I'm finally close enough to the end of the first draft that it's time to start getting money together for Nettah the Edittah. There are two packages this year, the Paperback Presale Package and the Ebook Presale Package. They contain all the goodies from last time:

An autographed paperback (except the ebook-only package)
All four ebook formats
Your name (however you'd like it) in the acknowledgments
...and the biggie: The unformatted doc file within 24 hours of its completion. That's right, you'll get the manuscript before anyone else does--before it's even been turned into an ebook--as soon as editor Annetta Ribken and I decide it's done.

The PPP is $50; the EPP is $25. If you're getting the PPP and you're outside the States, it breaks my heart but I'm going to have to charge you an extra $10. Shipping nearly killed me last time.

Last time you wonderful people funded the entire production of Lovers and Beloveds: IHGK Book One--the editing, the cover design and the typography. I'm hoping we can do that again this time.

I decided not to use Kickstarter; the fees are too high. I'm thinking I might Kickstart the map poster project, if only to spread the word about the entire History.

Thank you in advance for your support of the History. You guys are the ones who made this necessary -- er, possible --and I love every one of you more than you'll ever know.

Posted on 09/05/2011 - 11:07pm

"An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom" Book Two Pre-Sale Surcharge

$10.00

Add this to your cart if you are buying the Paperback Pre-sale Package to cover international shipping.

Price: $10.00

Quantity:

"An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom" Book Two Pre-Sale Paperback Package

$50.00

The Paperback Pre-sale Package contains:

An autographed paperback
All four ebook formats
Your name (however you'd like it) in the acknowledgments
...and the biggie: The unformatted doc file within 24 hours of its completion. That's right, you'll get the manuscript before anyone else does--before it's even been turned into an ebook--as soon as editor Annetta Ribken and I decide it's done.

Pre-sales fund the editing, cover design and typography of the IHGK books, and will stay open until just before the book is finished, some time late in 2011.

NOTE: I'm really sorry, but astronomical shipping costs outside the US force me to add a $10 surcharge for international pre-sales this time. Please add the surcharge to your cart.

(Don't want the paperback? There's an ebook-only package as well!)

Price: $50.00

Quantity:

"An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom" Book Two Ebook Pre-Sale Package

$25.00

The Ebook Pre-sale Package contains:

All four ebook formats
Your name (however you'd like it) in the acknowledgments
...and the biggie: The unformatted doc file within 24 hours of its completion. That's right, you'll get the manuscript before anyone else does--before it's even been turned into an ebook--as soon as editor Annetta Ribken and I decide it's done.

Pre-sales fund the editing, cover design and typography of the IHGK books, and will stay open until just before the book is finished, some time late in 2011.

(Want the autographed paperback? There's a paperback package as well!)

Price: $25.00

Quantity:

Chapter 14 Part 4 | Lovers and Beloveds | IHGK Book 1

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The kiss edged away the misery of the day, mixing with the port that suddenly made itself evident in the languor of his limbs, a drowsiness that shifted to arousal as she opened her mouth to him. He remembered kissing her before; he'd brought himself, more than once, remembering that kiss and her slim waist in his arms. He slipped his arms around her now, and kissed her down against the cushions. She was here for him, his consolation. She was the girl who would open the road to Allis and Issak in the most delightful way possible.

One hand slipped from her shoulder to the tops of her breasts, mounded above her corset, and the pulse between his legs nearly burst the buttons of his trousers. He kissed her jaw and her soft, soft neck, where the perfume she wore mingled with her own natural scent. She wriggled beneath him as he worked his hand further into her bodice and freed one breast, the nipple hard between his fingers. He pulled away, wanting to see all of her.

Arta lay back, panting, hazel eyes full, face pink and turned toward the couch's cushioned back, her breast white and rose against the dark green velvet. White, rose, green.

Temmin started away, sick. "This is not what you want. You're afraid. Someone's making you do this."

"Oh!" said Arta, blinking back tears. "Oh, no, sir! I mean, yes! Yes it is what I want!" She wiggled the other breast free. "D'you not like me any more? Please say you still like me! Please!"

"Of course I like you, good Gods, look at you! Augh, no, not looking at you, not looking at you!" He got up from the couch with an effort and turned away. "Dress yourself, Miss Dannikson!"

"Please, Your Highness, please!" she begged. He heard the rustling of fabric. "Please...Temmin..." He turned at the unfamiliar sound of his name on a servant's lips, to discover she hadn't covered her breasts, she'd taken off her dress; she trembled above the green puddle of fabric, in only stockings, little boots, a short chemise and her awkwardly skewed corset.

Temmin did his best to think of Jenks in his underwear, but the charm had no chance against a nearly-naked Arta; his only defense was distance. He groaned and backed away. "If you don't put your clothes on, something's going to happen here, something neither of us want."

"You don' understand," she pleaded. "We have to do this. It's bad trouble for me, worse than you know. They can bring Fen in after what he did that time in the King's Woods--everyone knows what really happened. If Fen's taken for treason--oh, sir, they'll hang his head over Marketgate! Please! If Mr Winmer finds out you wouldn', he'll blame me! It's as good as killin Fen myself!" She broke into sobs.

Winmer would die, there was no way around it. He'd pluck out that little mustache a hair at a time, and then he'd stomp what genitalia the man possessed into a pulp, and then he'd hang him by the heels and let him bleed to death from his groin. "It's going to be all right," he finally said. "Come here, you goose. No, with your dress. I'm not going along with this little trap my father's set. Tuck yourself in--I refuse to do it for you. How d'you fasten this thing up?" Arta wept so hard she couldn't speak, but she let him maneuver her arms into their sleeves, resigned and limp. He figured out the fastenings himself, and when he finished, said, "No one's going to kill Fen. D'you hear me? No one's going to kill him. I won't let them." Arta fell against his chest, and he let her cry. "Dannikson, this is a very bad habit of yours."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you believe you are safe with me, and that Fen is safe with me?"

"Sir, he said--"

"I am the Heir. Winmer is a secretary."

"Secretary to His Majesty!" She went to wipe her eyes with the handkerchief, found it sodden, and shook it out as if to flick the tears and snot from it.

"Give me that," he said, replacing it with the last one in his pocket. He led her back to the couch and sat her down again. "Now listen, I will get us all out of this."

"It's no use, sir," she said mournfully. "Even if we don', you'd have to make them think we did. The staff prob'ly already think it. Fen'll leave me for bein untrue. But he'll be alive." She propped an elbow on the arm of the couch and rested her chin on her hand. "I wish I'd never left home, but when Auntie said there was a place for me here..."

Temmin only half-listened, but at that said, "I can't send you home. It's the first place they'll look. I have to send you both someplace else, at least temporarily." He got up and paced the room.

Home. Home was the answer.

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Happy birthday, "Lovers and Beloveds"

I released "Lovers and Beloveds" a year ago today, going by when I sent it to the pre-salers. In that time I think I've sold about 500 copies, which, for a non-name independent, isn't bad considering the vast majority of traditionally published books sell less than a thousand copies in their lifetimes. And, as Netta likes to say, "Early days, kid, early days." When book two comes out, I expect there will be a flurry.

Speaking of which, I think pre-sales may start next week. In fact I'm almost sure of it.

Posted on 09/02/2011 - 12:06pm