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My Urban Fantasy Legacy of Magic Series Launches — Book 1 Preview Chapters

Whether you’re an urban fantasy fan new to my work or have read and enjoyed my Death Before Dragons books, and have been hoping for more in that world, I have a new series for you!

Legacy of Magic brings you:

A kickass heroine with a magical hammer…A mysterious elf assassin with a past…Snark, adventure, romance and…Cheese! (Hey, girls gotta have snacks in between battles.)

You can order the ebook or paperback (audiobook in the works) today.

 

For those who like a sneak peak before deciding to buy, here are the opening chapters:

Chapter 1

“I didn’t think the police used chalk outlines anymore.” I tried not to feel uneasy about the faded drawing on the floor of the foyer in the house I’d just purchased.

Correction: my small home-renovations business had purchased it. On the advice of my goblin assistant, whom I’d encouraged to take more initiative. Why was I already sure that had been a mistake?

“Maybe a neighbor child with sidewalk chalk was responsible.” Tinja waved airily, cog-and-charm bracelets rattling on her green wrist. “I have observed that human offspring will draw on anything.”

“Oh sure. And they often wander into locked vacant homes to do their graffiti work.”

Tinja nodded, missing the sarcasm. Unlike me, she hadn’t been born on Earth, so I couldn’t expect her to catch such nuances.

“The owner of the house was killed here, right?” I asked. “It’s why we got a deal.”

A steal of a deal. I’d never remodeled a house in Bellevue at all, much less one in the prestigious Bridle Trails neighborhood, with houses on acre lots located a stone’s throw from a huge equestrian park. As I eyed the mid-century-modern “diamond in the rough,” as the listing had called it, I worried this would be too much to handle.

“It was the renter who was killed, not the owner.”

“Well, that makes it all right then. Are those bullet holes?” I probed one of several finger-width gaps in the cedar-plank wall of the foyer. Had there been anything magical about the bullets, I might have sensed them lodged in the wood, a talent my half-dwarf heritage gave me. Apparently, this had been a run-of-the-mill mundane homicide.

“Easy to fix with your spickle, right?” Tinja asked.

“It’s called Spackle, and you can’t apply it to cedar.”

“We will get new boards then. If we want boards at all. This cedar is not as tacky as the faux-wood paneling in the last house I drew plans for, but it is not suitably modern. Not this much of it anyway. An accent wall would perhaps be acceptable. Come, Matti. I will show you my blueprints. They’re amazing.” Tinja patted the rolled papers under her arm and ambled toward the kitchen, her tool belt clanking.

I wondered if her professors at the university found her supreme confidence warranted. Or if any of them knew she was a goblin. Tinja was enrolled solely in online courses, which did not require she walk her three-and-a-half-foot-tall green-skinned and white-haired body into a classroom.

Before following her, I considered the position of the holes to estimate where the bullets had been fired from. Not from the street and through a window or the front door—not that I’d expected drive-by shootings in Bridle Trails—but from the living room. Had someone been lying in wait for the poor homeowner—renter—when he’d come home?

Maybe I shouldn’t have left my war hammer—all that I had left of my dwarven mother—in the truck. Usually, I used it for demoing drywall and cabinets, a purpose the dwarven smith who’d made it surely hadn’t intended, but I’d been known to thump bad guys with it.

“Come, Matti,” Tinja called regally. “Do you not wish to see the plans?”

“You’re my assistant, you know. You’re the one who’s supposed to be at my beck and call.” Despite the words, I headed toward the back of the house, peering into rooms along the way. At four thousand square feet, the two-story house wasn’t as large as some in the neighborhood, but seeing all the spaces that needed remodeling had the adding machine in my mind tallying thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies. Not to mention Tinja’s plans involved a master-suite addition over the garage.

“You may beck-and-call me if you wish, but unless you’re waving your hammer around, I’m rarely intimidated enough to drop everything and come.”

“My body-builder physique doesn’t make you quake in your work pants?” I flexed my biceps as I stepped into the kitchen, but the horror of avocado appliances, linoleum floors patterned in green squares, and chartreuse-striped cushions on the banquet table stole my humor. “The cedar planks were beautiful in comparison to this.”

“Have you not said you enjoy a challenge?”

“I guess Abbas and I have fixed up worse,” I said, mentioning my business partner.

“Certainly. There’s not even a mildew, cat-urine, or wet-dog smell in this home, not like in the last one, which featured all of those and more. Not that I’d expect your dwarven nose to take note. Dwarves are used to living in all manner of underground miasmas, after all. On their home world, some of the resorts involve steam chambers where you bathe in sulfuric gases.”

“The human half of my nose did note the urine odor.” I’d never heard of dwarven resorts and suspected she’d made that up.

“Ah, it is good to know that it is capable. Humans are not known for their sublime senses.” Tinja patted a faded laminate countertop. “Overall, this house has been very well cared for. Many things will be simple to renovate in here, and the kitchen is very spacious. Look, we can add a wine cellar in that nook. Or, I suppose you would prefer a cheese cellar for your fancy wheels of cheddar.” She grinned at me, aware of my favorite snack.

“I’m not the end buyer.” As if I could afford this neighborhood for myself. “And for your information, it would be Camembert or Roquefort and a cheese cave, not a cellar.”

“Don’t you keep yours in the carrot crisper?”

“The vegetable crisper, yes. Because there’s no room in my tiny house for a cheese cave.” I touched a backsplash tile that emanated a hint of magic. My finger tingled slightly. I’d only been inside for five minutes, and this was already the oddest project I’d taken on. “I wouldn’t even be able to fit a roommate in my house if she wasn’t three feet tall.”

“Three and a half feet.” Tinja jumped, spread her arms wide, and spun a pirouette, almost whacking me with her blueprints. “Matti, I wish you to make more money on this house than the last one. You barely broke even and paid me only a portion of what I’m worth.”

“You’re a student. Most students don’t get paid much at all. And Abbas and I don’t typically use blueprints.”

“You didn’t used to use them. In the savage and woeful days before you met me. But now I am here. You must do as other house flippers do to maximize profits.”

“I really wouldn’t need an architect then. Most flippers only paint, replace drawer pulls, and do other minimal—and cheap—fixes.” Maybe it was my mother’s blood, but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything less than the best I could with the money and materials I could scrounge. I was a craftswoman, not simply a house flipper.

“There must be a center ground.”

“Middle ground.”

“Yes. We will discuss it more later. Now, back to business. I am afraid that this free-standing circular fireplace does not belong in the kitchen, and I have removed it from my design. It impedes the flow and is not up to modern building codes.” Tinja tapped wrought-iron fireplace tools mounted on the brick below the open hearth and shook her head. “I am learning about human building codes in my classes. They are most quirky. Your hammer is capable of demolishing bricks, yes?”

“Bricks, metal doors, murderers’ heads…” I touched one of the window frames, envisioning replacing the old aluminum with wood. “They’ve all fallen to my mighty—” Something large and furry darted through the backyard, and my senses twanged. Whatever it was, it was magical. “What was that?”

“I believe it is a shifter of some kind,” Tinja said as I pressed my nose to the window to peer out. “A werewolf, maybe? I assume they are common here.”

“You assume werewolf shifters are common in a hoity-toity neighborhood in the most expensive metro area in Washington?”

“There are many trees and ferns, which wolves like very much. They are similar to elves and enjoy nature. Except they hunt in and pee on the nature instead of using it to calm their senses and enhance their magic.”

“No wolf better be peeing in my new yard.” I squinted into the overrun morass that was far more representative of the nature she’d mentioned than a yard. Creeping buttercups had smothered someone’s attempt at growing grass, Himalayan blackberry bushes encroached on an ancient moss-covered patio, and towering firs, pines, and cedars ensured that little afternoon sunlight made it to the ground.

“If he has, you can apply your hammer to his head.”

Leaves quivered on a rhododendron threatening to consume an old swing set, and I sensed the shifter hiding in the foliage. I couldn’t see him, but I felt him. As with magical bullets, my senses could detect those with magical blood.

“What do you think he’s doing?” I whispered.

“Probably what I said wolves like to do in nature.”

“He’s not doing that.” I hoped. “This is private property. Our private property. I’m going to get my hammer.”

Before I’d taken more than a few steps, glass shattered in the living room. I sensed a second magical being, one leaping through the freshly broken window… A fit man in his thirties with a thick beard and mustache, he landed in a crouch, facing me. Despite his human form, he snarled, his dark eyes locking on to me.

Before he moved, my instincts told me he would spring. I darted back into the kitchen and grabbed the fireplace poker from the tool set. As he charged through the doorway, I spun and swung the pointed rod like I would have my hammer.

He saw it coming and tried to duck, but I’d swung many a weapon over the years and was fast. It caught him in the forehead. Had my hammer struck him, he would have flown across the room and into the far wall. The poker lacked its heft, but the blow halted him, and he yowled like a wild animal.

“What are you doing in my house?” I demanded, pulling the poker back for another swing if necessary.

Fur sprouted from his bare arms, and his face contorted, nose and jaw elongating into something lupine.

Knowing he would be more dangerous in his wolf form, I swung again.

This time, he anticipated the blow. Ducking, he charged under the tool and toward me. Not surprised, I whirled and launched a spinning side kick into his gut. His abs were as hard as a brick wall, but my heel connected with enough power to make him stagger back.

Thanking my grandmother for putting me in martial arts as a kid, I hefted the poker to crack him on the head again. I wanted to knock him out or at least convince him to jump back out the window and get off the property.

“The other one is coming,” Tinja blurted before I struck. She knelt on the countertop as she peered out the window. “Uh oh. Make that the other two. I didn’t sense that one before. Maybe he has a charm that camouflages him.”

Damn it, why had I left my hammer in the truck? I did not want to fight two at once. Three if this one stuck around.

“Never mind.” Tinja lowered a wrench that she’d intended to use as a weapon. “Is that an elf? Here, on Earth? How startling.”

Before the shifter in the kitchen could attack again, I slammed the poker down on his head. Worried we would face more enemies, I didn’t soften the blow, and the strength I’d inherited from my mother dropped him hard. If he’d been fully human, it might have done lasting damage—something my martial-arts instructor would have berated me soundly for—but werewolf heads had the sturdy resilience of concrete blocks.

Tinja swore. Then whistled. What did that mean?

After the shifter passed out, I snatched a sidearm out of his belt holster, threw it into the fireplace, and ran to the window, bumping shoulders with Tinja. The second and third werewolves had shifted into their lupine forms and charged out of the bushes—or maybe been dragged out of them. With their heads almost as high as a man’s, their powerful bodies covered in black fur, and their jaws snapping like steel traps, they battled a foe even more unexpected than werewolves.

A pointy-eared elf in a green cloak, brown trousers, beige tunic—was that buckskin?—and low brown boots wielded two longswords ambidextrously. I’d never seen a full-blooded elf in my life. They’d supposedly all left Earth back before I’d been born. What was he doing here?

Working together, both wolves leaped for his throat, their teeth flashing. With a stern but unconcerned expression on his face, the elf dedicated one sword to each and parried their snapping jaws without giving ground.

They were powerful and had him outnumbered, but his movements were so fast and fluid that I didn’t doubt for a moment that he would win. In fact, he could have finished them at any time.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and one wolf jerked his head back, as if he’d been stung. Or… attacked mentally? I’d heard that full-blooded magical beings could speak telepathically, read minds, and interrogate people with a thought, but I’d never seen it.

“He’s beautiful,” Tinja whispered.

“Which one?” I assumed she meant the elf, as he was handsome, with intense blue eyes, a perfectly straight nose, and short blond hair that accentuated his pronounced cheekbones. But with goblin tastes, who knew?

“The elf.”

The werewolf that had shaken his head backed away from the fight as the other tried to distract the elf. He shifted into his human form, then rolled naked into nearby bushes, reaching for something. Not overly distracted, the elf kept watching him, even as his twin swords blurred, shifting from defense to offense. With a powerful blow, he lopped off the attacking wolf’s head so startlingly cleanly that I would have known his blades were magical even if I hadn’t sensed them.

“Ack.” Tinja scrambled off the counter and flung her hands over her eyes. “Gruesome!”

As the head landed with a sickening thud on the mossy patio, I couldn’t disagree. The other werewolf rolled away from the bushes with a gun in hand.

“Look out!” I blurted, not sure if the elf was familiar with firearms. He looked like he’d stepped out of The Lord of the Rings.

Not glancing toward us, he strode toward the werewolf. His enemy fired twice, aiming for his chest.

Blades blurring again, the elf deflected both bullets, and I could only gape. Even with magic, I wouldn’t have thought that was possible.

Cursing, the werewolf fired twice more, but the elf thwarted the attack again, even from scant feet away. The bullets ricocheted into the side of the house, making me duck while thinking of the bullet holes in the foyer.

Though I should have flattened myself to the floor, as Tinja wisely did, I couldn’t keep from peering over the windowsill. Before the werewolf could fire again, the elf sprang, slicing a blade through his enemy’s wrist. It cut off the hand holding the gun, and the firearm flew free. It struck a drainpipe with a clang. I had no idea where the hand went.

As the werewolf screamed, the elf struck again. For a second time in twenty seconds, someone was decapitated in front of my eyes.

It slowly dawned on me that warning the elf might not have been wise. He might be prettier than the werewolves, but that didn’t mean he was a good guy.

What if he disliked half-blooded dwarves as much as werewolves?

Chapter 2

“Is it safe to look?” Tinja had risen from the floor but still had her hands over her eyes.

Outside, it had grown silent, the birds and squirrels that had been chattering earlier not making a peep.

“Not if you don’t want to see two guys’ bloody heads.” I grimaced, not wanting to see that myself, but until I found out if the elf would be a threat to me, I wouldn’t close the shutters on him.

“Gross.”

On the patio, the elf drew a square of cloth from a pocket. He fastidiously cleaned his swords before sheathing them, the blood somehow not staining the cloth, then put it away and removed a slender backpack. He plucked free what looked like a large red-velvet bag, shook it out, and picked up the first head by the hair. After tucking it into the bag, he went for the second.

In death, werewolves reverted to human form, which made watching their decapitated heads being stuck in a bag all the more disturbing. With another shake, the bag flattened, and the elf folded it.

I’d heard of magical items, such as charms that could allow the wearer some specific and usually trivial power, but this guy had everything out of a Dungeons & Dragons compendium.

As the elf returned the neatly folded bag of heads to his backpack, I looked around the interior of the house, gaze lingering on the unconscious werewolf on the floor. “We did not negotiate hard enough for this property.”

“It was already four hundred thousand under market value,” Tinja said. “I did research. As you taught me.”

“That was still too much. Way too much.”

As the elf donned his backpack again, he looked through the window at us, his blue eyes flinty and cold, as if promising we were next.

“Shit.” I slunk away from the window. “I’m getting my hammer. You better hide.”

After watching his battle, I worried he would kick my ass even if I did get to my hammer in time, but I would go down fighting.

This time, as I ran through the house, broken glass crunching under my shoes, I made it to the front door. A second before I pulled it open, something splatted against the wood. Several somethings.

Now what?

I rose on tiptoes to peer through the peephole, wishing I had a few more inches of height. A familiar truck painted with black tiger stripes idled in the street, the driver hanging halfway out as he raised his arm to throw again. More idiots jeered and pointed from the bed in the back.

If I hadn’t needed my hammer, and also recognized a woman darting from the walkway into the shrubs, I wouldn’t have opened the door. As I did, wrinkling my nose at a rotten-egg smell, the driver dropped back into the seat.

“Freaks!” he hollered, then gunned his truck and drove off, almost clipping my old beater. It and a sporty EV were parked in the street.

The woman in the shrubs—Zadie, my real estate agent—yelled, “Shit heads!” after them.

Broken shells littered the stoop, and the liquid remains of the eggs dribbled down the door. At least it hadn’t been a flaming bag of dog droppings this time.

If I hadn’t been worried about the elf, I would have been furious at the ongoing antics of my unasked-for rivals, but I had bigger problems.

“Who were those guys?” Zadie asked. “There can’t possibly be gangs in this neighborhood.”

“Rival flippers. I beat them out of a property we were both bidding on once, sold it for less than they would have, and they’ve decided to turn into high-school bullies and torment me now. Are you okay?” Though I should have helped brush leaves off her, we weren’t alone on the property. I ran past her and yanked open the truck door to pull out my hammer.

The double-headed weapon radiated magic, and its familiar heft was comforting in my hands. With it, maybe I could hold my own against an elf.

“I’m not used to being pelted by eggs when I walk up to a client’s house. That usually only happens in my neighborhood.” Zadie stepped back onto the walkway, brushing off her top, which appeared to be egg-free.

“I thought you lived in a good part of town.”

“I do, but I’m kind of an odd duck, you know.” Dark-skinned Zadie, with her eyebrow rings, nose piercings, and Starfleet Academy logo on her messenger bag, gave me an arch look. “That’s why I like hanging out with your group. It’s the only time I’m not the weirdest one in the room.”

“Is it safe?” came Tinja’s plaintive call from the doorway. “My wrenches and screwdrivers are quivering with fear.”

“Definitely not the weirdest,” Zadie said.

“That’s the truth.” As far as I knew, Zadie was 100 percent human, versus me, Tinja, and Abbas, my half-troll partner who paused drywalling and painting periodically throughout the day to pray, half the time for his mother’s Muslim religion and half the time for his father’s shamanic troll religion. He observed an inordinate amount of holidays for his dual beliefs. Fortunately, he was a gifted craftsman and made up for the copious time off. “Though your penchant for swishing wine around in your mouth before spitting it out is a little strange.”

As we spoke, I crept to the side of the house and peered through the undergrowth toward the backyard, surprised the elf hadn’t made an appearance yet. Had he gone inside? I assumed he wasn’t enjoying the whimsy of the rusty swing set.

“Wine tasting is perfectly normal.” Zadie trailed me around the side of the house, though she had to be wondering what I was looking for. “You spit it out after you taste it so you don’t get drunk before you get to try everything. Rich old guys at wine clubs do the same thing.”

“Just who we should let define our normal.”

I sprang around the corner of the house and into the backyard with my hammer poised, ready in case the elf was still on the patio. He wasn’t. But the two decapitated bodies were.

I swore. What was I supposed to do with those?

Zadie saw them and swore even harder. She lunged back around the corner of the house and covered her eyes. Her voice got squeaky as she asked, “Why are there naked dead guys on the patio?”

“Because Tinja got the house for four hundred thousand off market value, and it came with some quirks.” I peered into the overgrown bushes and trees edging the yard and reached out with my senses, but I couldn’t detect the elf’s magical blood. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t sensed him when he’d been fighting the werewolves either. That was strange. Usually, full-blooded magical beings glowed like beacons to my senses.

“Headless dead guys are more than quirks.”

“I’ll get them cleaned up.” How, I didn’t yet know. Even though I fancied myself a bit of a secret crimefighter, I didn’t make a habit of killing people. I only thumped them around to ensure proper behavior. What did one do with shifter bodies? Put them in a barrel and dump them in the lake? Mafia-style? “I wouldn’t want you to have to mention them in the listing.”

“There’s a lot about this house I wouldn’t mention in a listing in its current state.” Zadie backed farther away from the corner, not lowering her hand until she stumbled on a broken paver. She gripped her knees and took a few steadying breaths before continuing. “At least it’s in a great neighborhood. And quite the departure from your usual blue-collar flips. Inasmuch as there’s blue-collar anything left in the greater Seattle area. You say Tinja picked it out?”

“Yeah. She’s encouraging me to go higher end so we can make more of a profit.” Never mind that I preferred fixing up houses for people who couldn’t afford to pay for remodeling on their own. I raised my voice and called into the bushes, “Hey, elf-dude. Would you mind folding up the bodies in your funky bag as well as the heads? This is littering.” I waved toward the patio.

Zadie stared at me. “I’m definitely not the weird one here.”

“Ha ha.” When no response came from the bushes, I returned to the front yard.

The elf was waiting on the sidewalk, his weapons sheathed in scabbards on his back and his arms folded over his chest.

Cursing, I jerked my hammer up and dropped into a fighting crouch.

He gazed at me with interest. No, he gazed at me with bland indifference, but he eyed the hammer with interest.

That happened often. Even if one knew nothing about dwarves or the runes etched on the haft and sides of the heads, the large silver weapon looked badass. I wished I knew more about it, besides that it had belonged to my mother.

“Uh.” Zadie stepped behind me. She was a half a head taller than I was, so she would have to crouch if she wanted to use me as a shield, but she must have been curious about him, because she didn’t. “Who is that?” she whispered.

“Who the hell are you?” I called to the elf.

The direct approach had always been my style.

“Where did you get that weapon?” he asked in English, though he had an accent I couldn’t place.

Since almost all elves and dwarves had left Earth forty years earlier, returning to their home worlds through portals that some of them could create, there weren’t many full-bloods around. I had a feeling this guy wasn’t a local.

“My mother.” I drew myself up to my full five feet one inches, wishing I wasn’t still a foot shorter than he. “What’s it to you?” My grip tightened on the haft. Was it possible he’d come because he wanted it? Numerous times over the years, people with half- or quarter-magical blood had sensed its power and tried to take it from me. From a young age, I’d gotten used to defending myself.

“You did not steal it?” His sky-blue eyes gazed into mine, as if he were trying to read my mind. It was unnerving.

“Of course not.” For some reason, I almost added that my mother had died when I was four, my father had been carted off to military prison for killing some of the soldiers who’d been responsible, and my oblivious-to-all-things-magical half-sister had once tried to save me from being weird by throwing the hammer in the river. But what business was it of his? “Where did you get your weapons?”

They were at least as magical as mine.

“I won them in battle.”

Won them in battle? That made it sound like he’d stolen them, as he was accusing me of doing. Killing the owner before taking something didn’t make it less of a theft.

“You forgot to answer my introductory question,” I said. “Who are you? And why were you killing those guys on my lawn?”

The elf gazed toward the house. I sensed the remaining werewolf inside—he hadn’t moved and was hopefully still unconscious. If I could sense him, the elf could too. I hoped he didn’t plan to go in and decapitate the guy.

“The two I slew were werewolf shifters from Osgashandril,” he said calmly. “Not guys.” The way he carefully pronounced that made me think the word was unfamiliar to him. “Before joining a local pack on this world, they stole from an orc princess. Her mother hired me to ensure they will steal no more.”

“By killing them?”

I surreptitiously released the haft of the hammer to wipe one sweaty palm, then the other. The elf made me nervous. Though I hated to admit it, it wasn’t entirely because I’d seen him fight and worried he would attack me. As Tinja had pointed out, he was strikingly handsome, and I always got flustered talking to those types.

My teenage years were long past, but I’d never stopped being awkward around hot guys. It was that tangle of emotions that came over me in their presence, the longing for them to notice me even as I braced myself to cringe when they inevitably said something cruel. Or ignored me altogether.

That awkwardness had been understandable in high school, when I’d been the oddly strong girl who’d beaten all the boys at sports, something that had earned me far more derision than admiration, but I was a thirty-four-year-old successful businesswoman. Or at least one who wasn’t mired in bone-crushing debt. You’d think I would have grown some self-confidence by now. And I had. But not in this area…

“Yes.” The elf lifted his chin. “I am Varlesh Sarrlevi, traveler, mage, warrior, and accomplished assassin on more than twelve worlds.” He glanced at the hammer again before gazing expectantly at me.

“I’m Matti.”

His gaze continued unwaveringly, as if my introduction hadn’t been sufficient. Maybe he was trying to figure out how a scruffy half-dwarf and half-Samoan woman could have ended up with a magical hammer.

“Mataalii Puletasi,” I said, giving him my full name, though I still didn’t see what business it was of his. “Neither my kindergarten teacher nor the kids in my class could say Mataalii, so it got turned into Matti.”

“I have noticed that many humans in this part of your world struggle with names of more than one syllable. What was the name of your dwarf progenitor?”

“My mother? Dad called her Roxy.”

He looked blankly at me. Yeah, that wasn’t a dwarf name.

“You know, like Rocks. Because she was really strong, even more muscled than me, and when she got mad and yelled, her voice sounded like rocks grinding together.” At least she hadn’t had a beard, something I’d heard some dwarf women could and did grow.

His stare continued. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t understand me fully or did and didn’t believe me.

“It was apparently sexier than it sounded because my dad was super into her,” I added.

“Why are you telling him this?” Zadie whispered over my shoulder.

Good question.

“He has more weapons than I do,” I whispered back.

“I haven’t noticed that’s made you garrulous in the past.”

I didn’t mention the pretty-boy-fluster phenomenon.

“What was your mother’s real name?” the elf—Sarrlevi—asked.

“It’s none of your concern.” I should have replied that to all of his questions. “This house belongs to me now, and I’ll kindly ask you to get off my lawn. Especially if you’re not going to take the bodies of the dead werewolves with you.” I pointed my hammer toward the street.

Long seconds passed as the elf continued to look obstinately at me, his feet not moving.

Fine, if he wouldn’t move, I would.

“Come on,” I muttered to Zadie and headed for the front door.

She hurried after me. After we stepped inside, I closed it with a resounding thud that left the hinges shivering. The elf couldn’t fail to get the point.

Curiosity made me spin and peer through the peephole. More long seconds passed as he gazed at the door. I half expected him to walk up and demand to be permitted to behead the third shifter, but he finally turned and walked away. No, he glided away, barely stirring the overgrown grass as he headed not toward the street but to the side of the property. He slipped into the bushes, going in the direction of the equestrian park.

“Why do I have a feeling I haven’t seen the last of that guy?”

~

If you want to continue on, you can pick up the first book now!

 

The post My Urban Fantasy Legacy of Magic Series Launches — Book 1 Preview Chapters first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

The Dragon Gate Series Is Complete!

The sixth and final Dragon Gate novel came out earlier this fall, and you can now buy the entire series at Amazon:

Dragon Gate

The final audiobook will be out later this month as well. You can find the series at Audible, as well as Google Play, Chirp, Kobo, and other stores where audiobooks are sold:

Dragon Gate Audiobooks on AudibleChirpGoogle PlayKobo

For those not in the Amazon ecosystem, I’ll be publishing the ebooks in the other stores later in 2023.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

The post The Dragon Gate Series Is Complete! first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

Quick Update! (New Book + Patreon Details)

I’ve published the fifth Wolf Wood novel (Charmed and Dangerous) and the fifth Dragon Gate novel (Sky on Fire) since my last post on this site. Typical.

This is a quick update to let you know I’ve got a new romantic fantasy novel set in the same world as The Elf Tangent that’s out this week.

It’s called The Princess Paradigm and features Hawk’s sister, Hysithea, and the hunky warrior dude who wants to take over all of elfdom. Kind of an enemies to lovers type of story. Also, there’s a fun horse who may actually be the star of the novel.

 

I’ll post some preview chapters soon, and the actual blurb, but it’s up on Amazon if you want to check it out now:

https://books2read.com/PrincessParadigm

As always, if you’re not an Amazon fan, or you just like getting my books early, you can subscribe to my Patreon. I only do charges in the months that I release new books (and if you get them there, you don’t need to buy them from the stores). I also release the audiobooks there, and it ends up being a better deal than buying them elsewhere.

https://www.patreon.com/lindsayburoker

Audiobook fans, Charmed and Dangerous is available on Audible and will be popping up soon in other stores:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Charmed-and-Dangerous-Audiobook/B0B4BGLDSY

Next up with be the 6th and final Dragon Gate novel in September. I’m writing it now!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have an awesome summer (or winter if you’re down south!).

 

The post Quick Update! (New Book + Patreon Details) first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

The Elf Tangent Preview Chapters (a high fantasy romantic adventure)

This winter, I took a break from my Dragon Gate and Wolf Wood series (don’t worry — Books 5 for both are in the works and coming later this spring!) to write about elves. Handsome and haughty elves (I think this describes them all).

The result is The Elf Tangent, a high fantasy adventure with a bit of romance. It’s a complete story, so no pesky cliffhangers. And it takes place in a new world, so you don’t need to be familiar with my other work to enjoy it.

If you’re interested, you can find the first couple of chapters below.

As I publish this, the novel is exclusive to Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited. Look for it in other stores next year. As always, no matter which store and format of ebook you prefer, you can get all my releases early over on Patreon.

Blurb:

As a princess in the impoverished kingdom of Delantria, it’s Aldari’s job to look pretty, speak little, and marry a prince. 

Studying mathematics and writing papers on economic theory in an effort to fix her people’s financial woes? Her father has forbidden it. With war on the horizon, they must focus on the immediate threat.

Reluctantly, Aldari agrees to marry a prince in a neighboring kingdom to secure an alliance her people desperately need. All is going to plan until the handsome elven mercenary captain hired to guard her marriage caravan turns into her kidnapper. His people are in trouble, and he believes she has the knowledge to help.

But with an invasion force approaching Delantria, Aldari’s own people need her. She must do everything in her power to escape the elves and make it to her wedding in time.

Never mind that her kidnapper is witty, clever, and offers her a challenge that intrigues her mind even as his easy smile intrigues her heart…

Aldari can’t let herself develop feelings for him. To fall in love and walk away from her wedding would mean the end of her kingdom and everyone she cares about. 

 

Chapter 1

 

“Mathematical Models on the Creation of Economic Prosperity Through Capital Creation—are you kidding me, Your Highness?”

From the top of a rickety library ladder with squeaky wheels, Princess Aldari ne Yereth frowned down at her bodyguard. “My father sent you along to protect me from the riffraff, not spy on the books I’m borrowing.”

“It’s not spying if the book is so thick that the letters on the spine are legible from the circulation desk. You said you were picking up some light reading for the trip. That’s not light. Or is your plan to throw it at enemies if your wedding caravan is attacked by highwaymen?”

“That’s a possibility.” When Aldari pulled the fat tome from the shelf, the wobbly ladder lurched at the additional weight. Maybe the book could be used as a weapon. “I could also use it to thump a lippy bodyguard on the head.”

“Hilarious, Your Highness.” Theli propped her fists on her hips and twisted her mouth into a pucker more suitable for a disapproving nanny than a faithful bodyguard. Thanks to the mace hanging from her belt, her severe black trousers and tunic, and the tight braid she always chose for her thick black hair, she didn’t need the pucker to appear stern. “You’ll slay me with your attempts at wit.”

Since they’d grown up together, Aldari wasn’t intimidated by the sternness. “They’re not attempts; they’re successes. I can tell from the quiver of your body that you’re struggling to restrain mirth.” Aldari waved at Theli, though she was as steady as a rock, not so much as an eyelash quivering. “It’s understandable. Princesses are known for their wit. I’m sure it’s in all of the ballads you sing when you think nobody’s listening.”

“Princesses are known for their beauty, not their wit,” Theli said, ignoring the comment on her songwriting and singing hobby. “Occasionally charm, grace, and good manners. Wit is never mentioned.”

“Grace? Are you sure?” The ladder wobbled again as Aldari took an awkward step down with the heavy book under her arm.

“It’s possible minstrels rarely get to interact with real princesses.”

“Then it’s your good fortune that you get to study one up close.” Aldari winked at her.

“Uh huh.” Theli pointed to the book before reaching out a hand to steady her. “If you read aloud from that on our trip, I’m going to flee the caravan and leave you to the highwaymen.”

Judging by the wistful expression Theli sent toward a stained-glass window letting in wan northern light, she would be tempted to flee the caravan regardless of the conversation topic.

Aldari, whose stomach knotted with dread every time she thought of her rapidly approaching wedding, understood the temptation perfectly. She made herself smile and pointed to another title. “Perhaps that one will be more to your taste.”

“Principles of Economic Survival in the Ancient Nation-State of Argodor? Doesn’t this library have any murder mysteries about heroic bodyguards solving crimes while protecting the royal family?”

“Those are popular. They all get checked out as soon as they come in.” The ladder squeaked as Aldari pushed off a bookcase to roll closer to the second tome. After plucking it off the shelf, she gave both books to Theli, afraid to climb down from the decrepit ladder without both hands free.

Theli accepted the books with a frown. “This reminds me of something. Last month, after you were late for that dinner with the dignitaries from the Orath Kingdom because you were caught up in your reading, didn’t the king forbid you from visiting libraries?”

“Of course not. Father values knowledge and education.”

He just didn’t value his youngest daughter studying economics and writing papers full of ideas for fixing the financial woes of their tiny impoverished kingdom. As the minstrels in Theli’s ballads promised, princesses weren’t supposed to be academics; they were supposed to look pretty, speak little, and attract princes from powerful neighboring nations.

Aldari didn’t think she’d been doing any of those things particularly well, but the marriage proposal from the Orath prince had come, regardless, promising an alliance in exchange for Aldari’s hand in marriage. And Father had accepted. With the aggressive Taldar Empire leering down from the Shark Tooth Mountains, what choice did he have?

“So…” Theli eyed the books dubiously. “I’m not aiding you with a forbidden activity?”

“Of course not.” Aldari’s second smile was even more forced. Being reminded that she was going against her father’s wishes made her uneasy.

What if he one day found out that she was publishing under a secret pen name? What if her future husband did? Would she be monitored more closely when she moved to Orath? So closely that she wouldn’t be able to study and write?

Aldari gripped the ladder tightly as the nerves tangling in her belly threatened to blossom into full-fledged panic.

“Uh huh,” Theli said. “I wondered why you dragged me across town to this decrepit library on Tavern Row, where the homeless drunks like to sleep under the tables.”

“There are untapped resources here. And perhaps instead of lecturing me on my wayward ways, you could take those books up to the clerk and check them out for me.”

“I’m busy keeping the riffraff away. Like that surly elf with blood stains on his armor. He looks like he came straight from battling water serpents on the Forever Fog River.”

Aldari spun so quickly the ladder lurched and she almost fell off. Though Theli didn’t take her gaze from the doorway, she reached out and steadied it for her.

“Damn,” Aldari whispered. An elf had walked into the library. “I think that is blood.”

The tall elf gazed across the pitted travertine floor toward them, his forest-green eyes intent. He appeared to be in his early twenties and was handsome, with angular cheekbones, a straight nose, and elegantly pointed ears, but his battle-stained black clothing and black leather armor gave him a grim visage. Dirt smudged his jaw, a bruise darkened one cheek, and long scars marred the side of his neck—some predator must have nearly taken his life with that attack. Uncombed, his long blond hair fell around his shoulder guards, it too stained with grime and blood. A sword was sheathed at his hip, and a bow and quiver of arrows jutted over his shoulder.

“I know blood when I see it,” Theli whispered, her hand resting on the hilt of her mace. “I’ve been trained since birth to be your bodyguard.”

“I thought you started training when you were ten because you were jealous of all the time your father spent with your brothers.”

“I was nine.”

Aldari might have rebutted, but a second elf walked in, this one older and more battle-worn, with a scar slashing across one cheek. He had two swords belted at his hips, and his blond hair was cut short, making his dyspeptic expression prominent. The bloody gouges in his armor might have accounted for his dark mood. He pointed at Aldari, curled his lip in disgust, and said something to the younger elf in their own language.

“Do you and your knowledge and education know what they’re saying?” Theli asked without taking her gaze from them.

The clerk behind the desk disappeared through a door and closed it, the thunk of the lock ringing across the silent library.

“I’m familiar with their number system and how they set up their equations,” Aldari offered.

“I’m sure math is what they’re discussing.” Theli glanced toward the door in the back of the library. “We should slip out and report their presence to the City Guard.”

“Elves are permitted to be in Delantria.” A true statement, though Aldari had only seen a couple of them in her entire twenty-two years of life. Now and then, elven mercenaries who’d grown tired of the Ever War their people had been fighting on their continent for centuries traveled south and found work in human lands, but that was rare. From what she’d heard, such people were shunned by their own kind and called cowards for leaving. “As long as they don’t cause trouble.”

The younger elf started toward them while the older folded his arms over his chest and glowered at the back of his head.

“Those two are oozing trouble,” Theli grumbled.

Not certain whether to disagree or not, Aldari climbed down from her perch. Since she didn’t want to take her gaze from the approaching elf, her foot slipped off a rung, and she almost pitched off the ladder for the second time in as many minutes.

Once more, Theli reached out and steadied her.

“Thanks.” Being ungraceful in front of her bodyguard hadn’t bothered Aldari, but with strange witnesses watching, she blushed in embarrassment.

“Good afternoon,” the elf said in a pleasant if precise and accented baritone. He stopped in front of them, bowed deeply to Aldari, then offered a broad smile that was almost startling for its contrast to his grim attire—and the blood stains. “I am Vethsel Hawk of the Moon Sword mercenaries. Ah, your people would call me Captain Hawk. And that’s Veth—Lieutenant—Setvik.” He tipped his thumb back toward his scowling comrade. Interesting that the older man was the lower ranking of the two. “Am I correct that you are Princess Aldari?” he added.

Theli shot her a warning look as the nerves returned to Aldari’s belly. Should she lie?

Despite the elf’s warm smile, these two looked like robbers or kidnappers. Theli was a capable bodyguard, but even if Aldari jumped in to help, she doubted they could fend off two hardened elven warriors. According to legend, their people were the best fighters in the world, the males and females both honed by generations of constant battle.

“You’re mistaken,” Theli said when Aldari hesitated. “This is my sister Amma.”

Aldari stifled a wince. Thanks to the raven hair and dark brown eyes that Theli had inherited from her islander mother, she looked nothing like the freckled, blue-eyed, and strawberry-blonde-haired Aldari.

“Adopted sister,” Theli amended, perhaps having similar thoughts.

“Yes,” Aldari said, then, not being a natural liar, felt the need to embellish. “I’m the librarian.”

That earned her another warning look from Theli. After all the years they’d spent together, Theli well knew that lying wasn’t one of Aldari’s strengths. It was a small miracle that Aldari had kept anyone except her tutor from finding out about her pen name.

“Interesting. You look familiar.” The elf—Hawk—gripped his chin and tilted his head as he considered her thoughtfully. “I’m certain I’ve seen your portrait before.”

“Have you? In our little kingdom, I am a rather famous librarian. Perhaps you’ve seen my picture in academic journals on athenaeum studies.” Aldari eyed his armor, wondering if he’d picked up an academic journal in his life. And also wondering if that brown tuft stuck to his sword scabbard was a chunk of human hair or animal fur. She swallowed uneasily.

“Ah, yes. That must be where I’ve seen your face before. We try to get all of the latest human journals and periodicals delivered to the battlefield. Especially on such scintillating subjects as athenaeums.”

Behind him, his fellow officer rolled his eyes.

“Perhaps you can help me find a book, madam librarian? Amma, was it?” Hawk offered his broad smile again, the gesture charming even through the bruises and grime.

That didn’t reassure Aldari, not in the least. It was possible he was the charming cutthroat sent in to negotiate with the underground buyers of the things—and people—they stole.

“Certainly,” she made herself say, though a part of her was tempted to make an excuse and hurry out the back door. But what if he gave up his pretense and tried to stop them? She didn’t want Theli to be injured, or worse, because she flung herself at the elves to buy time for Aldari to escape. “Are you interested in economics?”

“I’d like a book on whaling. Your seafaring people are known for their fishing and whaling, aren’t they?”

Yes, since the empire had taken over their ore-rich mountains and pushed the Delantrian border out onto the peninsula, whale oil was the only commodity they had the means to collect and trade.

“They are,” was all Aldari said, not wanting to highlight her kingdom’s deficiencies.

“As a librarian—a famous librarian—I trust you know where everything is in here?” Hawk’s smile turned challenging, and Aldari realized he didn’t believe her story.

“My sister usually shelves the books—” Aldari tilted her head toward Theli, “—but I can certainly guide you to an appropriate title.”

“Your sister carries a large mace—for a librarian.”

“To appropriately punish miscreants who dog-ear the pages or overly crease the spines.” Aldari walked slowly, her gaze darting from bookcase to bookcase as she searched for the appropriate row. In the castle library, she could have found anything with ease, but as Theli had pointed out, this wasn’t where she typically checked out books. But the kingdom, however impoverished, was well-organized when it came to education and had a kingdom-wide cataloging system for organizing books. She found the section on hunting and fishing roughly where she expected it. “Are your people thinking of getting into whaling?”

“Perhaps if the material is suitably stimulating. My comrade loves hobbies that involve driving pointy sticks into things.” Hawk smirked back at his lieutenant, who remained by the door, glowering at what he seemed to believe was a waste of time.

“Judging by your martial accoutrements, I would guess you both do.” Aldari eyed the feathered shafts of arrows visible in his quiver.

Though Hawk’s smile lingered, the hint of a grimmer emotion flashed in his green eyes. “It has been the elven pastime of these past centuries.”

Aldari pulled a book off the shelf. A History of Whaling Techniques and the Origins of the Two-Flue Harpoon. “Here you go.”

“Excellent. I’m certain this will be riveting reading.”

“My sister is incapable of selecting riveting reading,” Theli muttered without glancing over. She must have decided the lieutenant was the more dangerous of the two elves, for her focus was on him.

Aldari was less certain. Hawk might have a handsome face and charming smile, but he wouldn’t have risen so quickly in the ranks if he hadn’t been competent. Very competent.

The elves had a monarchy, the same as Delantria, but from what she’d read, their military ranks were granted to those with the talent to prove themselves, not out of nepotism or a relation to the throne. Admittedly, she didn’t know if that applied to the rogues who left their homeland to start their own mercenary companies, but something about Hawk made her suspect he was highly capable. And dangerous.

“I’m certain you’re wrong,” Hawk told Theli, “and I shall look forward to delving into this fine piece during my next journey.”

He bowed again to Aldari and walked toward the doorway.

Aldari thought about pointing out that those who weren’t subjects of the kingdom were supposed to fill out a form and leave a deposit when they checked out books, but she didn’t want to do anything to keep those two from leaving. Why they’d been looking for her, she couldn’t guess, but she doubted it was for a good reason.

 

Chapter 2

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to take my place?” Aldari asked her sister—her real sister—as they walked through the castle courtyard toward the train of carriages waiting to whisk Aldari off to Orath for her wedding. A wedding to a man she’d never met, in a kingdom she’d never visited. How could it fail to be a delight?

Shydena, her elder by two years and prone to sarcasm, gave her a surprisingly sympathetic look. The kind usually reserved for geriatric relatives wasting away from a fatal illness. The sympathy made Aldari feel uneasy rather than heartened, and she wondered if Shydena had heard more about Prince Xerik than she had.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Shydena said, “but I’m still surprised he chose you over me. You’re gangly, bookish, and don’t know the first thing about pleasuring a man. You’ll probably show up in his bedroom on your wedding night with ink on your fingers.”

“How would ink affect anything?”

“I’m certain a prince doesn’t want his favorite protrusion stained black.”

Aldari rubbed her face. “I know how to wash my hands. And I’m not planning on touching any of his protrusions.”

“If that’s true, you’re going to be a disappointing wife.” Shydena arched her eyebrows. “Trust me, touching is required. Surely, with all the books you’ve read, you have some awareness of the basic mechanics of sex.”

“Most of our library’s books that cover the topic of procreation discuss it in terms of animals.” Aldari still remembered being mortified when she’d read about the mating practices of dolphins and sharks. She’d been twelve at the time. Since then, she’d stayed out of that aisle in the library.

Shydena shook her head. “Just ask him what he likes, and do it. And hope he doesn’t have any perversions that are too odious.”

Whether her expression was startled or horrified, Aldari didn’t know, but Shydena slanted that sympathetic look toward her again. “I can’t say I’d be eager to visit Orath, especially permanently, but I think Prince Xerik picked the wrong sister.”

“Neither of us is supposed to know anything about sex, you know. You’ll recall Father’s frequent and vociferous opinions on the matter.”

“That we remain virgins until our weddings because we live in ridiculous backward times when some men believe that’s a more desirable trait in a woman? Please. Whatever prince I marry will be ecstatic to find out that I’m experienced in bedroom matters. I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t experienced.” Shydena wrinkled her nose. “I know arranged marriages are usually far from romantic, but I hope I don’t get stuck with a thirteen-year-old who can’t even find the right hole.”

Aldari almost dropped the bag of books she was carrying, and the pencil she’d tucked behind her ear fell out. Maybe she should have been accustomed to her sister’s ribald streak, but when Mother had been alive, she’d always insisted that little princesses weren’t supposed to speak of or even think about sex, and Aldari’s own distraction with other topics had left her a touch naive on such matters.

“If you mean Xerik’s little brother Xarloran, I believe he’s fourteen now.” Aldari bent to pick up her pencil and almost lost one of the pouches of candies that she’d tucked into her dress pocket for the trip. Beltzi, the castle chef, had made them for her, as he’d been doing since she’d been a toddler. He’d wept as he’d hugged her goodbye. All day, she’d been trying not to think about how it might be years—if ever—before she was permitted to return home for a visit, but the tears and hugs from the staff had made that difficult. “Besides, we should only need to wed one Orathian prince to secure an alliance for our kingdom.”

Aldari looked wistfully toward the sea just visible through the castle gate, the portcullis up and waiting for the wedding caravan to depart. The armed soldiers who would accompany it through the dangerous Skytrail Pass in the Shark Tooth Mountains were stationed around the carriage and wagons, some on foot, some on horseback.

Fortunately, Theli was among the blue-uniformed men, though her head was bent as she conferred with one of the soldiers, and she frowned with worry at something. Aldari was glad her bodyguard and friend of so many years was being sent with her, but she also felt guilty that Theli had to leave her parents and siblings, perhaps forever.

Though Aldari hadn’t yet left, a wave of homesickness washed over her as she imagined spending the rest of her life in landlocked Orath with a man who’d chosen her over her sister because of her virginity rather than romantic feelings or common interests. From what she’d heard, Prince Xerik favored hunting and horse racing to reading or academic pursuits. All she could hope was that the alliance was worth it, that Xerik’s father would do as he’d promised in exchange for Aldari marrying his son: send weapons, black powder, and a legion of troops to deter the Taldar Empire from encroaching farther into Delantrian lands.

“Let’s hope,” Shydena said as they stopped in front of the carriage where Aldari’s belongings had been packed. “My preferences run toward mature handsome studs who can stroke a lover like a master violinist in a concert in the Great Hall.”

One of the guards stepped around the corner of the carriage, a startlingly familiar man in black leather instead of the blue military uniform of Delantria. A startlingly familiar elf.

This time, Aldari did drop her bag. What were elven mercenaries doing here within the castle walls?

“Good morning, Librarian Amma.” Captain Hawk addressed her with a bow, plucking up her bag and holding it out to her. He’d washed up, cleaning the dirt off his face and the blood off his armor, and he’d run a comb through his long blond hair. “Is this patron of the musical arts another of your sisters?” He extended his hand toward Shydena.

“Uh,” Aldari uttered.

“Librarian Amma?” Shydena propped a fist on her hip and assumed the haughty tone she usually only adopted when she wanted to chastise a servant or guard for failing to use proper decorum in the presence of royalty. “This is Princess Aldari, and I am Princess Shydena. Who are you, and what are you doing in the castle? With weapons no less.” She looked pointedly at his sword and bow.

“I’m Vethsel Hawk. You may call me Captain.”

“I may call for the castle guard to escort you out of the courtyard. What are you doing in here?”

“He might be here to see Father.” Aldari put a hand on her sister’s arm, hoping she would tone down the haughtiness. Though Aldari felt safer from would-be thieves and kidnappers in the castle than in the library on the far side of the city, she hadn’t forgotten her first impression of Hawk, that he was as dangerous as the tales about elves promised.

When his lieutenant stepped into view, she jumped. Only then did she realize that there were no fewer than twenty blond elves in black leather armor among the military men.

“Princess Aldari?” Hawk raised his eyebrows in feigned shock. “That’s not the name she gave me when we met yesterday. As for the rest, I’m inspecting the caravan carriages for soundness. If we end up in a battle, I’d like to know that the first arrow fired won’t pierce the walls and perforate a passenger. As an experienced mercenary and occasional guard of important persons, I can tell you how poorly they react to perforation.”

“You’re coming along?” The significance of the elves mingling with the military men came to Aldari, though her mind stuttered with confusion. Why would her father have hired mercenaries to protect her on the journey to Orath?

Yes, Delantria was poor, but it wasn’t as if they didn’t have men of their own. Reliable men who were natives of the kingdom, not sell-swords with no allegiance to Delantria or humans in general.

“We have been retained to escort you to Orath, yes,” Hawk told her. “As my first duty, I’d like to inform you that you’ve already picked up a stowaway.”

“What are you talking about?” Shydena frowned at Aldari—did she also find this addition of mercenaries alarming?

Hawk held up a finger, then crouched and pointed under a carriage. His lieutenant was watching their exchange with as dark an expression as he’d worn the day before, his hands resting on the leather-wrapped hilts of his twin longswords. He looked like the villain in one of Theli’s murder mysteries, not a dependable caravan guard.

“Father’s coming.” Shydena stepped back, nodding for Aldari to come with her. “We’ll ask him about this.”

Hawk arched his eyebrows. “You don’t want to do anything about this stowaway?”

Though she was inclined to go with Shydena and speak to Father, curiosity prompted Aldari to crouch and peer under the carriage. To her surprise, her ten-year-old brother clung to the framework underneath, his arms wrapped around one axle and his feet propped against the other.

“Hello, Rothi,” Aldari said.

He shifted his grip so he could hold a finger to his lips. “Sssh. I’m going with you.”

“To protect me on the journey?”

“To see the world! I want to have adventures. Like Grandpa!”

“The view from under the carriage won’t be spectacular, and you’ll have trouble hanging on to the axles once they start rotating.”

“I was going to come out once we camped for the night. Once we’re far enough away, the caravan won’t be able to turn back. You can’t be late for your wedding. Father said so. We’re depending on those troops. You’ll have to take me the whole way, and I’ll get to see the monster-filled mountains and Orath too. Then the whole world.”

“Father and your tutor would be disappointed if you didn’t show up for your afternoon lessons,” Aldari pointed out. “You are the heir to the throne, after all.”

Rothi wrinkled up his nose as if he’d bitten into raw liver. “I wanna be like Grandpa. He travels and writes to us about all kinds of adventures. I don’t want to sit on a throne all day. Father’s job is so boring.”

Making a disgusted noise, the mercenary lieutenant crouched down beside Hawk and dragged Rothi out from under the carriage. Rothi yelped and kicked and swung at him, but the elf held him out at arm’s length, as if he weighed no more than a cat.

“What’s going on here?” came Father’s rumbling bass voice.

He strode up, looking as powerful and regal as ever, even if his robes were frayed and shabby compared to the attire the Orathian dignitaries had worn. Gray shot through his trimmed brown beard, and his blue eyes were piercing as he surveyed the elves. He didn’t appear surprised to see them—did that mean they were supposed to be there? He didn’t even seem that surprised to see Rothi dangling from the lieutenant’s grip, though his frown did convey disappointment in his son.

Hawk tapped his lieutenant’s arm and pointed to the ground.

The older elf—what was his name again? Setvik—set his captive down but not without a glance of supreme irritation toward his captain. Irritation and… was that hatred? Or maybe resentment because Hawk had been promoted over him? Or had Hawk taken charge of the company because he’d bested Setvik in a fight?

Aldari knew little about elven ways or mercenary companies and could only guess at the reason for that animosity, but it unnerved her. Might not someone with such distaste for his captain betray him? Or walk away from the company in a crucial moment?

“Stowaway, Your Majesty.” Hawk bowed toward Father.

“Go inside, Rothlar,” Father said. “You have lessons.”

“I wanted to see the world,” Rothi whispered, though he studied Father’s shoes instead of meeting his eyes.

“When you’re older, you’ll be able to.”

Rothi shook his head bleakly.

Aldari, who couldn’t remember a time when Father had taken a vacation, much less traveled to another country, perfectly understood her little brother’s feeling of being trapped by his fate. But what could they do? This was the life they’d been born into. It came with comforts that few in the kingdom enjoyed, so they shouldn’t complain, but it was hard at times not to feel bitter about having their lives chosen for them.

“Say goodbye to your sister, and go find your tutor,” Father said.

Rothi hugged Aldari, what he intended to be a brief hug, but Aldari wrapped her arms around him and struggled to let go as that feeling of homesickness returned. Rothi endured the embrace for more seconds than he might usually have, but then he squirmed and protested.

“Aldi… I can’t breathe.”

“Sorry.” She made herself release him. “Be good while I’m gone. Don’t forget to practice your multiplication tables. What’s seven times eight?”

Rothi rolled his eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t dislodge from the sockets and fall to the flagstones.

“Fifty-six. What’s a hundred and seven times nine-hundred and eight?” He squinted at her, his voice full of challenge.

“97,156,” she said dryly. “Do you know if I’m right?”

“No,” he admitted.

Aldari slid her pencil out from behind her ear and pulled a small notebook out of her pocket.

“Why are you taking math stuff with you?” Rothi asked.

“Math is important.” Aldari pushed the implements into his hand. “If I’m wrong, and you can prove it, I’ll give you an elf ear.” She drew out one of her pouches of sweets before it occurred to her that the common candy name might be offensive to the mercenaries. Warily, she looked over and found the captain and lieutenant watching her intently.

“What if you’re right, and I prove it?” Rothi started writing the digits on an empty notebook page.

“I’ll still give you a, uhm, piece of candy.”

The surly lieutenant asked Hawk something in their tongue and pointed to his ear.

Hawk, who didn’t look offended in the least, replied with a shrug and a single word.

That only angered Setvik, who rattled off several increasingly heated sentences as he pointed at Aldari and the pouch. She didn’t understand a word but had no trouble telling that he was offended, either by the candy name or something else she’d done.

“Is there a problem?” her father asked in a tone that suggested there had better not be.

His soldiers, trained to pay attention to their monarch’s cues, turned to focus on him and watch the elves. They didn’t reach for their weapons, and the nervous glances they shot each other implied they didn’t want to fight the mercenaries, but they would if they had to. Aldari had little doubt.

“No problem, Your Majesty.” Hawk held up a hand to his lieutenant, and Setvik fell silent. “We’re prepared for the journey and are honored to serve you and your daughter in this small way.”

“Let’s hope it’s a small way,” Father rumbled with a sigh, “and that the journey is uneventful. But be alert in the pass.” He nodded toward the senior military officer as well as Hawk. “Since the Taldar Empire has designs on our kingdom, it’s possible they don’t want to see this wedding—this alliance—go forward.”

For the first time, Aldari—who’d been more worried about life with her future husband and, since her sister had spoken, what he might expect in the bedroom—realized that the Taldarians might try to keep her from arriving.

“Taldar’s soldiers are no match for Moon Sword mercenaries,” Setvik said, his words more heavily accented than Hawk’s. “If they dare attack the caravan with our people present, we will handle them.”

“Good.” Father nodded at the elves. “Thank you.”

He drew Aldari aside and hugged her. “I will miss you, my daughter, but I’m certain you’ll arrive safely. Our soldiers are capable, but I hired the elves to make sure of that. With their reputation, I’m hoping you won’t be bothered in the least. Even if you are, they can protect you.”

“Thank you, Father.” Aldari thought of her sister’s comment about possible perversions and wondered if she could pay the mercenary captain to accompany her into her husband’s bedchamber on the first night. That probably wasn’t the best way to start off a marriage.

“You will write,” Father said. “Often.”

“Of course. You know of my fondness for words.”

“I do.” He smiled, glancing at the pencil that she’d given to Rothi, but his expression soon grew grave. “I know you’ve been aware since your earliest days that it would be your duty to marry for the sake of the kingdom, but I regret that I can’t give you a choice in your husband.” He lowered his voice. “I sometimes feel like a hypocrite in that, since I married your mother for love, not because of political machinations.”

“She used to tell us the story.”

“Yes.” Father swallowed, a hint of moisture filming his eyes. Even after ten years, speaking of Mother caused him sadness.

Aldari wondered if she would ever feel such an attachment to Prince Xerik. Maybe he wouldn’t be so bad, and she would grow to care about him.

“But had I listened to my father and done as he wished, selecting a wife from one of the more prosperous kingdoms… perhaps we would not be in such straits now.” He gripped her shoulders and gazed earnestly into her eyes. “We need this alliance if we’re to have any chance of fending off the empire, of retaining our sovereignty. Our freedom.”

“I know, Father. I understand.” And she did. It was just… hard. “Maybe you could read a few papers by Professor Lyn Dorit while I’m away. She has a lot of interesting ideas about improving the wealth of the kingdom and its subjects.”

It was the first time she’d mentioned her pen name to her father—she well remembered how he’d scoffed at the ridiculously fanciful economic theories she’d shared with him when she’d been younger, and she’d been afraid to bring up the subject with him since.

He scoffed. “By giving land to the commoners and allowing people to start businesses tax-free?”

Well, at least he’d heard of Dorit’s ideas.

“By allowing commoners to buy land and earn the money to do so by starting farms, industries, and businesses where they have the potential to reap rewards and are thus incentivized for their efforts,” she said. “We need to encourage the development of industry. With fewer and fewer whales in our seas these days, we can’t rely on whale-oil exports forever. Have you read Professor Dorit’s paper showing calculations for our future prosperity if that resource continues to dwindle?”

“Dorit is a naive academic with no experience governing a nation.”

Admittedly true, but Aldari didn’t think she was wrong. Besides, what was the harm in making a few changes and seeing if they worked? It wasn’t as if things could get much worse.

“The morning is advancing, and you need to leave on your journey.” Father released her. “Be safe, my daughter.”

“Aldari.” Rothi waved the notepad. “Your math was right. Look.”

She managed a smile as she took the implements back from him. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Elf ear, please.” Rothi held out his hand.

“Just call it candy,” she whispered, glancing at the elves again as she gave him a piece.

Fortunately, Setvik had moved around to the other side of the caravan and was speaking to some of his men. Hawk was still watching them though. For several seconds, his eyes locked on to the notepad and the math Rothi had worked out, then he lifted his gaze to hers and smiled. Something akin to triumph flashed in his eyes, as if he’d found what he sought, but the expression disappeared, leaving only the pleasant smile behind.

He opened the carriage door and offered his hand. “Are you ready to go, Your Highness?”

No. Aldari looked bleakly around the castle and out toward the sea again, desperately wanting to stay, to run back and hide in her room. But her father was watching, and she had no choice but to nod and step forward.

She could have climbed into the carriage without help—she wasn’t that much of a klutz—but a princess was supposed to accept a gentleman’s offer of assistance, or so her nanny had always informed her, so she rested her hand on Hawk’s calloused palm. Whether a mercenary counted as a gentleman or not, she didn’t know, but he politely guided her into the carriage and closed the door behind her.

Aldari glanced back in time to catch that flash of triumph in his eyes again, and uncertainty crept into her belly. Had her father made a mistake in hiring the elven mercenaries?

~

If you want to continue on, please pick up a copy of The Elf Tangent! Thanks!

The post The Elf Tangent Preview Chapters (a high fantasy romantic adventure) first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

If You Liked X Series, You Might Like Y Series (Which of My Books to Read Next)

I’ve got a big list of my novels here, with the books in order by series, but I’ll admit it’s a pretty long list these days, and there aren’t descriptions of the various series. I’ve been publishing for eleven-plus years as I write this, and I think I’m getting close to a hundred novels between my name and my pen name Ruby Lionsdrake (sci-fi romance, if you’re interested). It can be daunting for a new reader!

I’m putting together this post in case you’re new to my work, and you’ve read one or two of my series, but you’re not sure what you should try next. (This assumes you enjoyed the books you read and want more like them; if you hated them, my style doesn’t change much from series to series, so you’re probably better off checking out another author.)

I hope this helps!

(Note: some of my newer series are exclusive to Amazon. With the exception of the Ruby Lionsdrake books, they will eventually come out in the other stores. In the meantime, there are lots of books below that are available everywhere.)

Dragon Blood and the spin-off series Heritage of Power

Humor, romance, adventure, and a snarky sentient sword in a high fantasy setting. If you read the eight Dragon Blood books (plus Shattered Past and the novella Under the Ice Blades), then the next logical read is the Heritage of Power spin-off series.

Already read both? You might like my Emperor’s Edge series (no dragons, but there’s an assassin, and he’s just as cuddly as a dragon). If you love snark, can’t get enough of dragons, and don’t mind hopping over to a modern Earth setting, you could also try my Death Before Dragons series.

Heritage of Power Book 1: Dragon StormThe Emperor’s Edge Book 1: The Emperor’s EdgeDeath Before Dragons Book 1: Sinister Magic

Dragon Gate

If you enjoy this series because it’s on the epic side with quite a few heroes that we hop between and worlds-spanning problems, then you might like my Star Kingdom series (which also features gates, because who doesn’t love gates?). That does shift from fantasy to space adventure sci-fi though. And it’s a little lighter with more humor.

If you like the Dragon Gate characters and the touches of humor in a high fantasy setting, then I suggest Emperor’s Edge or Dragon Blood. For another young hero who gradually learns he has power, consider my Chains of Honor series (Yanko gets a parrot rather than a dragon, but he otherwise has many similarities to Jak!).

Emperor’s Edge Book 1: The Emperor’s Edge Dragon Blood Book 1: Balanced on the Blades’ EdgeChains of Honor Book 1: Warrior MageStar Kingdom Book 1: Shockwave

For something that’s a bit of a nod to Dungeons & Dragons (with elves and dwarves and the like), you could also try my Agents of the Crown series.

Agents of the Crown Book 1: Eye of Truth

Death Before Dragons

My first major contemporary fantasy series (and still my longest). It’s in first-person with a snarky half-elf heroine and a completely uptight and haughty dragon (he chills a bit as the series progresses) who turns into a human when he comes to Earth. These are relatively fast-paced novels with each one telling a complete tale, though you’ll hopefully want to read through all nine to see Val’s and Zav’s relationship develop (or just for the goblins, who try to steal the show).

If you’ve already read them, you could check out my A Witch in Wolf Wood series, which is also set in contemporary times, but with werewolves and witches instead of dragons and half-elves.

A Witch in Wolf Wood Book 1: Mind Over Magic.

You also might like my Rust & Relic series (also contemporary and first person), but as of this post, I haven’t yet finished the series. When I first released it, the fans weren’t that excited about my switch to contemporary fantasy, and I ended up going back to high fantasy for a while. I do plan to write two more eventually to wrap things up.

Rust & Relics Book 1: Torrent.

The Emperor’s Edge, Encrypted/Decrypted, and Chains of Honor

These two series, and the “Forgotten Ages” duology of Encrypted and Decrypted, are all set in the same world. Chronologically speaking, Encrypted comes first, though the original Emperor’s Edge novel was the first book I published. Sicarius, the assassin in that series, first appears as a boy in Encrypted, but it can be read as a stand-alone. Before you get to Forged in Blood 1 & 2 toward the end of the Emperor’s Edge series, you might want to read Encrypted and Decrypted as the characters in those play a role in those final books. Also, Tikaya and Rias are just fun geeky heroes.

The four-novel Chains of Honor series is set after the events in the Emperor’s Edge series. It can stand alone, but Sicarius and Amaranthe do pop in and play a bit of a role near the end. And Akstyr and his hair have a guest appearance in Book 1. Oh, and Tikaya’s family (Encrypted/Decrypted) also play a small role in Book 1.

In short, you might want to read all of these if you’re a fan of the world.

The Emperor’s Edge Book 1Chains of Honor Book 1 (Warrior Mage)Encrypted or (for both novels and a short story) Forgotten Ages

Already finished? I think you’d enjoy the Dragon Blood books, though if you want something a little grittier, you might also try my Dragon Gate series. I’m still writing this one as I pen this post, but it should be complete in 2022.

Dragon Blood Book 1: Balanced on the Blades’ EdgeDragon Gate Book 1: Kingdoms at War

Agents of the Crown

Another high fantasy adventure series, this one is light on politics, empires clashing, and other world-wide happenings. I originally thought of it as a fantasy-mystery romance, which the romance evolving over five books.

If you already read it and want another series, I’ll point you toward Dragon Blood.

Dragon Blood Book 1: Balanced on the Blades’ Edge

For a smaller story with romance that develops over the series, you might also like my Flash Gold novellas. They’re set on 1800s Earth rather than in a fantasy setting though.

Flash Gold Story 1: Flash Gold

Star Kingdom

I originally tagged this one Big Bang Theory in space, because it’s got quite the collection of misfit geeks, with a pacifistic roboticist for the hero and a socially awkward microbiologist for his best friend. They’re not your typical action heroes (though Kim, the microbiologist, has a mean side kick and can hold her own in a fight).

With a number of point of view characters and a story that expands as the series continues, this ended up almost feeling like “epic” space opera. Is that a thing? I’m not sure, but if you like this, my other big space adventure series is Fallen Empire, so you might try that. If you like the grander scale and don’t mind fantasy, Dragon Gate might also be worth your time (it’s a bit darker than Star Kingdom though).

Fallen Empire Book 1: Star NomadDragon Gate Book 1: Kingdoms at War

Fallen Empire

A pilot mother looking for her missing daughter in the aftermath of a great war, this is a one PoV-series with a slow-burn romance and lots of adventures in space. It’s a less epic story than Star Kingdom, but if you want more sci-fi by me, it’s the next logical choice. Although, you could also try…

If you don’t mind sex scenes and a different couple being featured in each book, you might also like the Mandrake Company series I wrote under Ruby Lionsdrake. Those are a bit Firefly-inspired but with much more romance and a big crew of mercenaries instead of a little crew of cargo haulers.

Star Kingdom Book 1: ShockwaveMandrake Company Book 1: Mercenary Instinct

A Witch in Wolf Wood

This is the story of what happens when a divorced, 40-year-old heroine inherits her grandmother’s house in the tiny town of Bellrock, Washington, and learns that Grandma was a witch… and that she has the power to become one too. If she can just get past the werewolf who thinks the property is his to guard.

These are light stories with more pets (familiars) and a little less action than my usual. I originally envisioned them as cozy mysteries with magic, though they evolved into their own thing, as typically happens.

If you’ve already read these, you might enjoy my Death Before Dragon series (also contemporary fantasy).

Death Before Dragons Book 1: Sinister Magic

Flash Gold

My one and only steampunk-set-on-Earth series, these five novellas take place in the Yukon in the late 1800s. I’m not sure they’re quite like any of my other series, but there’s humor with a slow-burn romance (that tends to be a theme of mine!). If you enjoyed them and also like high fantasy with elves and dwarves and the like, you might try my Agents of the Crown series.

Agents of the Crown Book 1: Eye of Truth

The previously mentioned sci-fi romance of Ruby Lionsdrake

I wrote about 15 novels under this pen name over a few years. Ruby has been on a hiatus, but she may return one day. In the meantime, the main series are Mandrake Company (all the romances you can imagine happening on a mercenary ship) and Star Guardians (five human women kidnapped from Earth for adventures and romance in space). Also, those who like fantasy romance with naughty bits might like the stand-alone novel Dragon Bond.

Mandrake Company Book 1: Mercenary InstinctStar Guardians Book 1: OrionDragon Bond

If you came to me via Ruby Lionsdrake and want more books like those, you might try my Fallen Empire series (but this is a slow-burn romance across a series instead of a hook-up in one book).

Fallen Empire Book 1: Star Nomad

I didn’t mention everything here, but for a complete list, you can check the novels/reading order page.

Thanks, and if you’d like to leave a comment with suggestions of your own, that’s welcome!

The post If You Liked X Series, You Might Like Y Series (Which of My Books to Read Next) first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

New Dragon Gate Novel + New Audiobooks out!

Hey, reader! I hope you had an amazing holiday season!

If you need new books, I’ve got you covered.

Chosen for Power, my fourth Dragon Gate novel, just came out on Amazon:

Amazon US Amazon UKAmazon AUSAmazon CAAmazon DEAmazon FR

This series will likely be exclusive there until late 2023.

Just a reminder that I do release all of my books early (and in both ebook formats) on Patreon. This is the best way to get them right away for non-Amazon fans — and anyone else who wants them early! If you get them there as they come out, there’s no need to re-purchase them in the stores.

AUDIOBOOKS!

I know some of you have been waiting, and we’re slowly getting caught up. Here are the new audiobook releases from the last two months:

The Emperor’s Edge Collection (Books 1 – 3) now narrated by Vivienne Leheny to match the rest of the seriesMind Over Magic (A Witch in Wolf Wood, Book 1)Broken by Magic (Dragon Gate, Book 4)

Vivienne (our narrator for all of these) is now working on Wolf Wood 2 and 3 as well as Dragon Gate 4.

As far as what I’m working on, I just sent Wolf Wood 4 off to my editor. In the near future, I’ll be doing one more of those, two more Dragon Gate novels, and a new Star Kingdom novel. I also have a half-written high fantasy elf romance that I’ll finish here at some point. So many projects in the works!

Thanks for reading and following along.

The post New Dragon Gate Novel + New Audiobooks out! first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

Behind the Scenes: A Witch in Wolf Wood

Spell Hound, the second novel in my new A Witch in Wolf Wood series (or Wolf Woof as the faithful sidekick Lucky calls it), is out on Amazon this weekend. Here are the links if you want to pick it up:

Amazon USAmazon UKAmazon AUSAmazon CAAmazon DEAmazon FR

And if you haven’t read Book 1 (Mind Over Magic) yet, there’s a preview chapter on my blog here.

I thought it would be fun to do a little “behind the scenes” post to go along with the launch. So, here goes!

What was the genesis of the story (yeah, I know, it’s super geeky to use words like genesis in every day conversation, but… you’ve read my books and know I love my words)? 

I actually had the idea for a woman inheriting a big rambling old house in a small town more than a year ago. And the werewolf now known as Amar came along with the original idea. Because who just inherits a house without catches, right?

And because romances are always fun, I figured they’d hook up in the end (regular readers will know this is not new for me), but I couldn’t let that happen right away… I envisioned him leaping out at her car and trying to drive her off the property first. What’s now Chapter 1 in Mind Over Magic is pretty close to how I imagined it a year ago.

I went as far as to order a cover for the book, but I didn’t put aside my other projects. I was deep in Death Before Dragons at the time with an idea for an epic fantasy — Dragon Gate — prodding me and wanting attention. Also, it’s a big pain to actually get a stand-alone book to sell.

With series, you can spend more than you earn from sales on advertising for Book 1 on the assumption that some readers will carry on and buy the next books. With a stand-alone book… there’s none of that, unless you get lucky, and readers go check out your other stuff.

It also wasn’t going to be in a sub-genre of fantasy that I’d written in before, so I figured that might make it an even harder sell to my existing fans. A random paranormal romance (as I was thinking of it then) among all the high fantasy, steampunk, and a single urban fantasy series. Oh, and don’t forget the space opera!

So, I put it on the back burner.

But then in May, I was in beast-mode, writing the third Dragon Gate novel and starting to feel like I needed a break. I’d just finished the second, which had come in at something like 185,000 words, and Book 3 was looking meaty too. These were turning into some thick books by my standards (by most authors’ standards), and with numerous point-of-view characters, they were more complicated than the average story.

I had family coming to visit for the summer and a road trip planned, and I knew I’d have a hard time focusing on something long and involved. My mind came back to that inheriting-a-house-with-a-werewolf story. It seemed like it could be a fairly short and simple story with just one point-of-view character. Maybe it would be a perfect project for a summer full of distractions.

But there was still the problem of a stand-alone novel being tough to market…

Until I realized the obvious solution was to write three books.

That was perfect since I’m not that great at writing stand-alone romance stories anyway. As most of you know, I like to make that hero and heroine work for it for a while. (Yes, yes, Balanced on the Blade’s Edge was a rare exception where the randy Sardelle and Zirkander were getting busy in a cave by Chapter 13…) A little UST or unresolved sexual tension is always fun after all.

This is how a light and easy fun summer project turns into three books and more of a time commitment than you had planned…

But I don’t mind. I complain a lot, but I seem to be happiest when I have lots of work lined up and at least four book (or series) ideas waiting in line to be written.

So, there’ll be three books in the series?

Well, about that…

A few days ago, I sent Book 3 off to my beta readers, and as I was writing the second half, I realized that while I’d wrapped up the original story I wanted to tell, there were quite a few more things I could see exploring in the little (little but witch- and werewolf-filled) town of Bellrock. There were all of these other interesting characters that would be fun to develop more, and I’d just brought Morgen’s sister in for a visit, and their dialogue was a blast to write. Book 3 was starting to seem a little early for ending things.

I need to write my next epic fantasy before thinking of Wolf Wood 4, but I have tentative plans to do at least a couple more novels.

When did you decide Morgen would be a witch?

I loved wolves as a kid (my favorite animals even above horses!), so doing werewolves was pretty natural for me. The surprising part was that I hadn’t written a werewolf main character sooner. There were some furry bad guys in Death Before Dragons (and the quirky werewolf neighbor who may or may not be having sex with Val’s mom), but it was definitely time for one to be a star.

But… witches? I had no plans for witches.

I’ve watched in some bemusement as “witch cozies” (witch cozy mysteries) have become a thing on Kindle, but aside from reading the Dorrie the Little Witch series with my mom as a kid, they weren’t anything I sought out as a reader.

But I did have this kooky old house that Morgen inherited, and I knew her grandmother had been a little eccentric. Maybe she was eccentric… because she was a witch?

And maybe Bellrock was as brimming with witches as it was werewolves. That could create some nice tension in the stories…

And that’s how it happens. Writers have an idea or two, let them run, and pretty soon they’re writing a 10-book series. (FYI, I’m not committing to ten books yet. :D)

It’s also nice in fantasy novels if the heroine has a way to kick some ass. Let’s face it: we 21st-century readers aren’t down with a damsel in distress.

I don’t mind doing the Xena-warrior-woman heroine from time to time (see: Val in Death Before Dragons), but let’s face it. Most of us ladies can’t relate to that. But we wouldn’t mind having just a little bit of magical power to protect us from bad guys… or hex ex-boyfriends. You know how it goes.

Of course, Morgen only learns about her witch heritage in the first book, so she basically starts out at Level One, but she’s learning a few things and getting better. Once she connects with her familiar in Book 2, she’s clearly on the right path to becoming a legit witch.

Will we learn how a pack of Mexican werewolves ended up in Bellrock, Washington?

Amar gives us a few hints about his past across the books, but this is actually something I’ve put down in my notes for Book 4, a little more on why he and the others left their homeland and… oops, I better not start spoiling things that far out. Besides, it’s all subject to change until I actually write the novel.

We’ll leave it at, yes, I think so for the answer.

What was the inspiration for Lucky?

There actually is a Lucky!

I have vizslas of my own, but my parents have a vizsla named Lucky, and he’s such a friendly goof that I decided to name a canine character after him. And then… I just decided to make Morgen’s Lucky more or less him.

The real Lucky is a little older than the fictional one and has started to get a gray muzzle, but here’s a picture of him staying in a hotel this summer. (Also, the real Lucky has never glowed from the aftereffects of a spell. In case you were wondering.)

When does Book 3 come out? 

On Halloween. I had to.

Any Witch Way.

Thanks for reading!

The post Behind the Scenes: A Witch in Wolf Wood first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

Mind Over Magic Preview (Book 1 in A Witch in Wolf Wood — Contemporary Fantasy)

If you follow me on social media, you know I had a busy summer, with family visiting (finally!) and a road trip up to Washington. It seemed like it would be a little chaotic for working on the next big epic fantasy, so I gave myself a lighter project. Technically, three lighter projects.

The first of three novels in a new contemporary fantasy series is now out: Mind Over Magic. Book 2 is coming in a little over a week, and Book 3 will be ready toward the end of October. (Have no fear: Dragon Gate, Book 4, is coming in December, and you can pre-order it now.)

Here’s a look at the first chapter for those who like to try before they buy!

Mind Over Magic: Chapter 1

The rain and the dog’s noseprints on the windshield made it hard to see into the twilight gloom ahead. Lucky whined from the passenger seat as Morgen guided the car through mud, over downed branches, and around water-filled potholes large enough to support a small flock of mallards. Possibly a large flock. And their cousins.

Lucky whined again.

“We’re almost to the house,” Morgen said. “You can hold it.”

Lucky snuffled at the cracked window like a hedgehog with nasal polyps and did his best to shove his snout through the gap. His whip of a tail thwacked at the side of Morgen’s head, making her regret letting him out of his crate for this last leg of the journey. He stood on the armrest of the door, one paw finding the controls, and the window slid open further.

“Just remember that goes both ways.” Morgen concentrated on the road, navigating around another pond-sized pothole. Maybe she should have rented an SUV instead of driving her electric car up here. “If you get your head stuck again, I’m not going to be sympathetic.”

As Lucky inhaled deeply, oblivious to the rain spattering his copper-furred head, Morgen checked the GPS again. It had been years—decades—since she’d been up to the house. Was it possible she’d turned at the wrong spot? It was hard to believe Grandma had driven up the treacherous mile-long driveway every day on her motorcycle.

A deer shot out of the moss-draped fir trees and darted in front of the car.

An alarm on the screen flashed and beeped. Cursing, Morgen slammed on the brakes as the headlights illuminated antlers and startled deer eyes.

Lucky slid off the seat but was too busy barking out the window to notice. The buck sprang off the road and into the woods.

Morgen smashed the controls to roll up the window before Lucky could leap out, then gripped the wheel with both hands, willing her nerves to settle. That was hard with her dog barking loudly enough to be heard by the crews of freighters sailing through Rosario Strait miles away.

“You’re not going after that deer,” Morgen said. “You’re a vizsla. Vizslas are bird dogs.”

She was about to nudge the car into motion when a huge gray furry animal ran across the road after the deer. Blue eyes glanced in her direction before the creature—a wolf?—disappeared into the trees.

“Where the hell are we? Grandma’s estate or Northwest Trek?”

Morgen put the car in park. Her fraying nerves were on the verge of snapping.

Surprisingly, Lucky stopped barking. He sank low in the seat and whined. It was different from the I-need-to-water-a-tree-as-soon-as-possible whine of earlier. This was a concerned maybe-we-should-have-gotten-a-hotel-in-town whine. At least that was how Morgen chose to interpret it.

“We’re almost there.” She took a deep breath and checked to make sure the keys to the house hadn’t gone flying out of the cup holder. “We can—”

The wolf leaped out of the trees and back into the road. Morgen couldn’t help herself. As those blue eyes stared through the windshield at her, she screamed.

Lucky sank below the dashboard and whimpered. Morgen clamped her mouth shut, trying to calm herself, but the wolf stood in the mud three feet in front of the car and growled, lips rippling as white fangs flashed in the headlights. It was not a calming experience.

If the fir and pine trees to either side of the road hadn’t been so close, she would have turned the car around. This was too much to deal with by herself with night encroaching.

She honked the horn, willing the wolf to run away.

Its blue eyes widened, an almost human expression of indignation, and it crouched lower, hackles rising.

As a city girl, Morgen didn’t encounter wolves on a regular basis, but she was positive this one was far larger than typical. Its thick gray and black fur did nothing to hide the power of its muscular frame, and she could easily envision it chomping into her tires and stranding her here.

She flashed her headlights at it and tried the horn again, but it didn’t budge. Maybe the quiet engine of the electric car didn’t alarm it the way a vrooming gas vehicle would have. The silence made it easy to hear the wolf’s continuing growls.

“One more try,” she muttered, nudging the car forward. She wouldn’t hit the wolf, but maybe the bulk of the vehicle would finally scare it into moving. She dreaded the idea of trying to back a half a mile down the obstacle course of a driveway.

Its blue eyes widened again, and it sprang onto the hood, fangs only inches from the windshield. Morgen threw on the brakes, but she wasn’t going fast enough for the wolf to fly off. It remained on the hood, snarling at her.

“All right, all right,” she said, afraid the thing had rabies and that it might be able to break the windshield to get to her.

Even as she put the car in reverse, something happened to the wolf. It blurred and morphed, as if it were as malleable as clay. Morgen had no idea what was going on, but she didn’t want to stick around to find out.

She accelerated in reverse, but the back-up camera was spattered with mud, and rivulets of rain made it hard to see out the rear window. The car had barely gone five feet when a tire sank into a pothole. When she pushed the pedal harder, the tires only slipped in the mud.

As she struggled to maneuver out of the pothole, the wolf’s fur disappeared, replaced with bronze skin. Bronze human skin.

A naked man crouched on the hood, powerfully muscled arms and legs on display, along with male body parts that Morgen hadn’t seen since her divorce.

She was too terrified to think straight. What was happening?

The wolf—the man—leaped off the hood and landed in the mud beside the driver’s door. Now, she had a view of his upper body. Cut abs and pectorals, a head full of shaggy black hair, a mustache and goatee, and those same blue eyes. They were as striking against his dark skin as they had been in the gray-and-black furred face of the wolf. And every bit as angry.

She double-checked to make sure the door was locked.

“No trespassing,” he snarled through the window.

She hadn’t lowered it, and had no intention of doing so, but she heard his gruff voice clearly.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

“Leave now, or I will tear your throat out.” His voice was accented, though she couldn’t place it, maybe because he was busy threatening her life.

He thrust an arm back down the road, the veins visible under his skin. If she hadn’t been terrified that he would punch a fist through the glass and strangle her, she might have admired his physique.

Lucky whined from the passenger seat.

“I know, buddy,” she whispered, still trying to navigate the car out of the pothole. Afraid the wolf-man didn’t understand that she was attempting to leave, she raised her voice to speak and buy time. “Look, this is 137 Alder Lane, isn’t it? I’m not trespassing. This is my grandmother’s property.”

Technically, it was now her property, left to her after Grandma Gwen’s passing. Her brothers had been bitter that they hadn’t been mentioned in the will, but Morgen wondered now what kind of mess she’d inherited.

“Get out,” the man snarled, sounding more like the wolf that he’d just been.

“Communication-link failure,” she muttered, quoting an error code she saw a lot at work. Or had before she’d been let go.

Not taking her eyes from him, she grabbed her phone off the console, took a clumsy one-handed picture—though he was standing so close that all she got was his naked torso—then put both hands on the wheel again.

“Maybe the police can use that to identify my murderer when my body is found,” she grumbled and wiggled the tires left and right as she tried accelerating again.

This time, the car lumbered out of the pothole. She backed down the road as quickly as she dared. Fortunately, the man didn’t follow the car. He merely stood in the mud with his fists on his hips and his legs spread, like some sculptor’s statue. Some sculptor’s very angry statue.

She spotted a place wide enough to turn the car around, then drove faster toward the road. Lucky grew braver as the wolf-man fell farther behind. He climbed into the back and resumed barking.

“FYI,” Morgen told him, her heart still hammering against her rib cage, “that is also not a pheasant.”

When she reached the main road, the rain picking up and spattering on the pavement, she turned to head into town. Maybe it was her imagination, but when she glanced back into the woods, she thought she spotted blue eyes watching her from the trees.

~

If you enjoyed the preview, you can pick up Mind Over Magic today (this one is exclusive to Amazon for now):

Amazon USAmazon UKAmazon CAAmazon AUSAmazon DEAmazon FR

 

The post Mind Over Magic Preview (Book 1 in A Witch in Wolf Wood — Contemporary Fantasy) first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

Dragon Gate Rolls on with Book 3 (Broken by Magic) + Updates

New books:

Since my last update, I’ve published two new books in my Dragon Gate epic fantasy series: Art of the Hunt and Broken by Magic.

Some readers have asked how many there will be in the series. I’m not sure yet, but I’m thinking five or six. I’ll have a better idea after I write Book 4 this fall. There’s a lot left for my heroes to do, and we’ve just finally gotten some dragon action (aside from the icky bad-guy dragons). But I also don’t think this one will go to 8 or 9 books. They’re big adventures.

I appreciate all of you willing to start reading a series before it’s finished. Sales (or lack of sales) of the early books will sometimes factor into how long a series goes, at least for me. The Death Before Dragons series was originally going to be five or six books. It ended up at nine, and now I’m thinking of writing one more for fun. And a spin-off series, hah!

Audiobook update:

The audiobooks for Dragon Gate 2 and 3 are coming. Book 2 just needs to be proofed, so look for that one in September.

There will also be a new audiobook bundle up on Audible soon of the first three Emperor’s Edge books (re-recorded with Vivienne Leheny narrating). You’ll be able to get that for one credit there. If you already have and prefer the renditions by Starla Huchton, there’s no need to replace them. It just always bothered me to have the series split across two narrators.

Summer Project:

In other news, I needed something lighter to work on this summer while I had family visiting and four dogs in the house, so I started a trilogy of contemporary fantasy novels with witches and werewolves. They’re unrelated to anything else I’ve written, but if you enjoyed Death Before Dragons, they should be up your ally. The first two (Mind Over Magic and Spell Hound) will be coming in September. I’ll get the pre-orders up in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’re having a good summer!

The post Dragon Gate Rolls on with Book 3 (Broken by Magic) + Updates first appeared on Lindsay Buroker.

Dragon Gate: Behind the Scenes

I released the first book in my new Dragon Gate epic fantasy series on Amazon this weekend and thought I’d do a little lowdown and answer some questions about it.

First off, here are the links:

Amazon USAmazon UKAmazon CAAmazon AUSAmazon DEAmazon FR

As always, if you want my books early and/or don’t want to shop on Amazon, Patreon is the best way to get them. I release them early there before they launch into exclusivity with Amazon: https://www.patreon.com/lindsayburoker.

As a reminder, here’s the reason I have been launching new series exclusive with Amazon and only later making them available everywhere (it’s an older post, but nothing has changed).

Now, for the lowdown…

What was the genesis of this series?

After doing a big space adventure series (Star Kingdom) in 2019 and a contemporary urban fantasy (Death Before Dragons) last year, I wanted to get back to my roots. My first two major series (Emperor’s Edge and Dragon Blood) were high fantasy adventures set in made-up worlds, and that’s my favorite kind of fantasy.

I read a ton of David Eddings, Raymond Feist, Dave Duncan, and Forgotten Realms as a kid. (Brooks, Goodkind, Jordan, and Tolkien, too, of course, but I tend to be most drawn to books that are a little faster paced and have more humor.)

I don’t usually call my Dragon Blood or Emperor’s Edge series epic fantasy, even though the books in both series add PoVs and get longer toward the end.

With the new series, I decided to just start out big. At 150,000-words, Kingdoms at War isn’t as long as a Brandon Sanderson book (not by half!), but it’s my longest ever Book 1 and introduces a lot of the characters that we’ll be sharing adventures with along the way.

If you like the young coming-of-age characters who are destined to develop great powers, we’ve got Jak (a mere cartography student when we start the story).

If you prefer middle-aged heroines with an academic bent, there’s Professor Jadora, an herbalist-turned-archaelogist, who can’t quite stop plucking up plant samples wherever she goes.

If you like sarcastic hardened mercenaries, try Captain Ferroki, Lieutenant Sasko, and the bitter and grumpy yet vaguely lovable Colonel Sorath.

For a female coming-of-age heroine destined to help change the world, we’ve got Rookie Tezi (I dredged up my own memories of basic training and being a nobody in the army to write her).

What about the bada$$ mage-assassin who works for the other side but might not be quite as evil as expected? Yup, that’s Malek. As with Firefly, I stole from the Latin “mal” for his name.

Okay, but what about the gate? 

You might have guessed that it’s inspired by my love of Stargate SG-1. Even though I’ve enjoyed other sci-fi series since, SG-1, Firefly, and the Original Trek are the only sci-fi series where I own the DVDs and have watched select episodes over and over and over throughout the years. Season 4 SG-1 was the best, especially for us O’Neill and Carter shippers, am I right?

So this is a bit Stargate meets your more traditional epic fantasy setting. With floating castles. And dragons.

So, the heroes get to go to other worlds?

Not in Book 1, but it’s coming in Book 2. What is now the end of Book 2 was what I thought would be the end of Book 1 when I first outlined these, but with all those point-of-view characters, the story got long quickly.

Book 2 (coming in June) is 190,000 words, so if I’d left them combined, that would have been a little ridiculous. At 340,000 words, it also would have been too large for a print-on-demand paperback.

I’ve started reading, and this world is… uh, kinda dark. Is this a GRIMDARK series? 

I won’t lie. The first half of Book 1 is pretty grim. If you’re coming off reading Star Kingdom or Death Before Dragons, you’ll find this darker and less banter-filled (though the mercenaries are always good for some snark… and their doctor knits *grenade cozies, so who doesn’t love that?).

Perhaps not surprising, given what a CRAPTASTIC year 2020 was, I was inspired to create a pretty dark world. But unlike with our world, the heroes get to fix it in the end. I don’t think the series fits the definition of “grimdark,” and you won’t find main characters being killed off left and right, but I will fully admit it’s a much more serious series than my last two.

*It’s like a tea cozy but for grenades. Naturally.

You usually include some romance. Will there be romance?

Yes. Slow-burn romance lovers should get what they’re looking for. I think you’ll be able to figure out the main couple by the end of the Book 1, but I won’t spoil it.

Will there be dragons? Because Book 1 is light on dragons.

Yes! I keep saying I’m going to retire from dragons in my fantasy, since I’ve done a number of series with them, but when I started thinking about a powerful alien race who’d created the gate… I was like, gee, I could make up something unappealing like the Goa’uld, or I could use a fantasy favorite. Dragons! (And, yes, Stargate fans, I know it was actually the Ancients who made the gates, but you know what I mean!)

How many books will there be?

I’m not sure yet. I have the number six in my mind, but I haven’t plotted out beyond Book 2 yet. We shall see!

What else are you working on this year?

Since the Dragon Gate books are long and involved, my brain requires something shorter and easier in between, so I’ve got some new installments in my Star Kingdom universe in the works.

Asylum is the first of two books and features a couple of all-new characters, but Mari and Kenji have a lot of interaction with old favorites from the main series too. It was fun writing a book where Casmir is an authority figure instead of always being in trouble and on the wrong side of the law! I’m also thinking of doing at least one book on Rache, who was left in limbo after the main series.

I do still have plans to return to old worlds and finish up incomplete series, but probably not this year. Those series were all set aside for a reason, because they didn’t sell that well. I’m not sure I’ve even made back the cost of editing and cover art on the last two Chains of Honor books that I finished up a couple of years ago. (Ahem, Warrior Mage is free if you want to check out that now-complete series.)

Until Netflix comes calling, I need to consider what’s financially worth the time when choosing projects. That said, I will get to them someday.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

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