Terry Mancour's Blog

Warm Wishes for Yule: Updates, Announcements, and a Little Romance

 

Winter is coming. Well, actually, it is here.

I apologize for the lack of newsletters of late, but I will plead that I’ve been too busy with a clear conscience.  While I try to keep the banalities of my personal life to myself, the last few months require some explanation of why I’ve been relatively quiet online.  So this one is going to be a little longer than usual.

Of course I’ve been busily working on a number of professional projects, almost all of them Spellmonger related: working with my cartographer on maps, my artists on art, my children on getting Shadowmage into print, not to mention, y’know, furiously writing The Talon and the Flame, setting up The Golden Goblin, and sketching out the notes for Book 18, Seamage.  So I’ve been spending an awful lot of time behind the keyboard, as the gods intended.

But Real Life™ goes on, and mundane events have sucked up all of my spare capacities.  For one, my dear 80-year-old neighbor, Sonja, had emergency surgery while out of state and required our assistance in her treatment and recovery.  To refresh your memory, she’s the Mother of the Mountain where I live, the lady who sold us our lot. and our cherished next-door neighbor.  She boards my daughter’s donkeys (because we really needed a pair of rescue donkeys), and we help her with her horse and chickens now that she’s unable to tend them quite as well as she could when she was just 78.  Sonja has become my children’s bonus grandmother.  She’s also deaf as a post, heavily armed, and highly suspicious of strangers, so tending to her has been quite a challenge.  

And then there is the matter of my sister-in-law, who has been stalked by a mentally ill neighbor, leading to some vandalism and an alleged case of arson.  She and her son have been enduring this ordeal for months, but it culminated recently with the involvement of the police in a big way.  It forced her and her son to relocate, and that transition has been challenging, involving the entire extended family.

Thankfully, she recently got some good news when her boyfriend flew in by surprise and proposed to her spontaneously.  She said yes and we couldn’t be happier—I’ve known the dude for more than 30 years, and he’s one of a half a handful of guys I actually approve of.   That doesn’t mean I won’t still beat him up if he screws up with her, but I’ll feel really bad about it.  

There has been more, as my children prepare to launch and the Yule season is here. My Christmas tree is up but not yet decorated, and my living room looks like a particularly poorly organized Amazon warehouse. Then there is the matter of the election and its fallout. In general the list has just grown to near my capacity to contend with it, so I haven’t done as much in terms of public interaction, and for that I apologize.  I just wanted to explain why, so you wouldn’t think I was being purposefully aloof or brooding or otherwise out of sorts.

All of that said, here are a few things I think my fans would be interested in.

First, I want to call attention to this magnificent rendering of Sevendor that was published on YouTube last month:

It’s rendered in Unreal Environment, which the dude taught himself just to do this project.  I think it looks splendid, and I invite you to enjoy it.  Give a like and sub, too, as I anticipate more goodies from Spellmonger universe.

 

Work proceeds on The Talon and the Flame and it’s been . . . interesting.  Writing romance is different from writing adventure or political intrigue or war stories.  In some ways, I feel like Jack Kirby drawing Archie comics. (My comic book dudes will get that reference.)  But the challenge of telling a convincing romance story in addition to telling an interesting fantasy story has been worthwhile, I think.  A lot of the work is psychological, as the heroine confronts both her own feelings and the feelings of those she’s interested in.  And deconstructing the psychology of a character like Dara, who has been through A LOT, is fraught with danger, from my perspective.  Not to mention the complex social structure of a magical-feudal world in which love is secondary to the practical considerations of marriage.  

That’s not to say that I’m not having fun—it’s a blast, and a little dirty in places—but it leaves me wondering how it will be received.  I’m writing it as a new entry point in the series—an introduction to the Spellmonger universe for those who are encountering it for the first time.  Therefore, some of it will sound repetitive to long-time readers, especially the first few chapters.  But bear with me.  The beta readers have had mixed reports about it, thus far, but then, they don’t know how it ends.  And figuring out a successful Happily Ever After in Dara’s case that is both believable and compelling is what ultimately makes the book a success or a failure.  So . . . stay tuned.

 

Work has also begun, in a small way, on the book after that, The Golden Goblin.  For those who don’t know, this will be a Tyndal and Rondal joint, and a straight up dark adventure tale.  With some funny bits.  And some tragic bits.  I mention this only because I want to make certain that everyone understands that these are spinoff novels, not part of the main, Minalan-focused series.  Sure, Min is there in the background and even appears occasionally, but despite his interest in both stories, he is not the main character, and things are told through very different perspectives.  I plan on doing more of these in the future, by the way, and no, they are not “filler,” despite what some say.  These are stand-alone adventures set in the same universe.  They are complete in and of themselves and aren’t there just to make me more money.  They’re there to tell part of the story that compliments the main storyline in an enjoyable way.  I’ll also keep doing more YA, because it’s fun, people enjoy it, and it’s gateway fantasy.

 

I don’t know if Love Is In The Air, there is a particular conjunction of Venus and the Moon, or Ishi is just being a bitch, but I’ve had three more-or-less spontaneous proposals of marriage emerge in my immediate circle in the last week—WEEK—as well as some solicitations for personal messages for fans who are planning nuptials.  That’s a heady thing.  Love, romance, and marriage are particularly on my mind as I finish up The Talon And The Flame, but I didn’t expect the sudden outpouring of romance.  Not that I object—I enjoy romance tremendously.  But the conjunction of all of these proposals with the fact that I’m writing a romantasy at the moment is . . . disconcerting, at best.

Yet I don’t mind.  After loving the same woman for more than 30 years (Laurin and I celebrated our 32nd anniversary of our first date last August 1, on the Queen Mary as we were going to England) and being even more determined to see her happy as I was on the day that I made my solemn vow, I feel I have a certain credibility when it comes to picking the right spouse and understanding what that entails.  We have endured poverty, hopelessness, abject terror, and death over the years.  As the solace of the Yule season approaches, the importance of finding your true love and committing to that becomes ever more evident.  This is a hard life, no matter what advantages you are handed at birth.  The human condition is inherently afflicted, and life is, alas, all too often nasty, brutish, and short.  

There are few remedies to that, and those that exist are fraught with peril.  Yet I can propose, with little fear of contradiction, that finding that one special person who can elevate you beyond the pettiness of mundane life is a noble and fulfilling goal.  If romance (and romantasy) have any value, it is to teach us that our lives are improved by some other poor sap who is just as desperate for a better life as you and thinks you don’t smell too badly.  

I often remark that I married my dear wife because she was exceptional.  That is, she’s an exception to the regular and mundane.  We were both very cautious about allowing another person to become so important to our lives, but ultimately—with thorough and rigorous testing—we were satisfied that even if our chosen person wasn’t the blazing hero/heroine we might imagine, they were willing to try.  Sometimes, that’s all you can ask for, and frequently it proves more important than actual success.  I’d rather have Mrs. Mancour rooting for me as I fail than a hundred nubile cheerleaders urging me on to victory.  She is my constant, and I will forever count the day I met her as the most fortunate day of my life.  And I’m saying that after 30+ years in the trenches.  

Writing a romance novel has made me reflective on this.  Find your person.  Find your constant, if you haven’t already.  Life is too short to play around with self-delusion and conceit.  And it’s far too brutal to go through alone.  Don’t waste the chance to get your constant.  It will be the most important thing you ever do.

Coincidentally, I proposed to her Christmas morning.  She said yes without hesitation.  She continues to say yes without regret.  What a lucky bastard am I?  Moving on.

 

New interview up on YouTube!  I returned to the Terrance Layhew podcast for an hour-long interview on Practical Adept and the series in general.  You can watch it here:

I had a great time—Terrance is a great interviewer—and I look forward to going back in the future.

 

Lastly, I want to wish all of you a sincere Merry Yule season and hope you enjoy it to the fullest.  Hopefully, the chaos and catastrophe of the last few years is waning now that the political situation has settled, and I’m even more hopeful that the year ahead will be prosperous for all.  I’ve been blessed with the advice, counsel, friendship, and fellowship of some remarkable people, with the Garden Society (my beta readers and senior Spellmongrels) at the top of the list.  My family continues to be a blessing, from the young folks getting married and having babies to the old folks winding down their careers and entering retirement or rehab, depending on their inclination.  It’s a great time to be alive.

Indeed, it’s always a great time to be alive.  It beats the alternative.

Wishing you all a Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!  I can’t wait to see what 2025 may bring.

— Terry

OUT NOW: Spellmonger 17: Practical Adept

 

Grab Your Copy Now

It’s harvest season, and I’m harvesting a book after a long, productive season: Practical Adept.  It’s officially out now!

I’m very excited about Practical Adept for a few reasons, so indulge me while I tout the book.  It is intended as a bit of a psychological study of Minalan, who has endured war, death, and madness only to find that his most disturbing challenges arise from his own formative experiences.  It’s an examination of PTSD in its various manifestations, at one level.

On another level it is an exercise in world-building that I was excited to finally undertake.  Farise has been an important element of Minalan’s personal history since the beginning of his journey as the Spellmonger, and my vision of the place has stayed more-or-less consistent, but that left me plenty of room to indulge myself in a few ways when it came to bringing us to Farise for the first time.

First, I wanted to set a fantasy in a semi-tropical environment instead of a cheap copy of the Northern European Plains and attendant islands.  You can find magic in nearly every part of Calidore, and the way humans use and adapt it is intriguing on its own.  Farise is the very definition of “exotic” to the folk of the Five Duchies, and the Farisian Campaign that Minalan was a part of introduced the culture to thousands.  I wanted Practical Adept to reflect that.  And I wanted Farise to be something more than “Gondor with palm trees.”

To that end, I invested a lot in the details of the Farisian culture, from the obvious elements like porsago and rierol to the more subtle issues of how the weather affects the society and economy of the place.  I wanted to treat it in part like a travelogue as we see Farise through Minalan’s eyes.  He grows to appreciate the city not just for its novelty but for how its nature and geography affected the politics of the society and its fundamental culture.  

And that is filtered through Farise’s history, from the original settlers to the Sea Lord dominion to the conquest (or liberation) of the place by the Magocracy through the reign of the Doges and the bloody Farisian Campaign.  Every era contributed something to the mystique of the place, from its laws and customs to the names of various places to the various strata of politically interested parties.  To the folk of the Five Duchies, the Imperial Magocracy is ancient history.  To the folk of Farise, it only ended a few years ago.  

It's a different place to Min.  It had an impact the first time, and his second visit is no less jarring, and perhaps more revealing to him.  It’s a project he approaches with a mixture of reluctance, fear, and great interest.  He can’t really help himself; he knows something larger is going on, but he won’t know what it is until he unravels the many enigmas of the ancient city-state.

This was a fun book to write even without dragons and hordes of goblins supporting the story.  Intrigue is much harder to convey from a writer’s perspective, and hard to do well.  We’ll have to see how well I pulled it off.  

And you can discuss it with me this weekend. . . .

There will be a video discussion and Q&A livestream on September 28th, at 2pm ET/11am PT/7pm BST to celebrate the release of Spellmonger 17. You can join on the Spellmonger Facebook OR Podium’s YouTube.

Organized by Podium Entertainment and the Garden Society, the first quarter of the discussion will be SPOILER FREE (or at least I’ll try) for those who haven’t made it all the way through the book.  After that, it’s a free-for-all.  I’ll be answering your questions—and there will be questions—about the book and the future of the series. I can’t wait to hear what y’all think.  

RSVP Now

For those of you local to North Carolina, I will be doing a book signing and fan meetup at the Bizarre Bazaar, hosted by Studio 71 in Hillsborough, NC on Saturday, Oct. 5th!  This year, Lance Sawyers, proprietor of the gallery, has elected to combine his usual BLAST of a Halloween party with a couple of vendors and local artists for a day of fun and relentless self-promotion!  If you’re local, stop on by and take a look.  I’ll have a few books on hand to sign, some stickers, T-shirts, etc.  

That’s about all for this month. I’m tearing into the next (non-main series) book, The Talon and the Flame at the moment, and between that and promotion for Practical Adept, I don’t have time for much else.  

Thanks again for being such outstanding fans!

Best,

Terry

AMA Announcement and Practical Adept Updates

 

There will be a special AMA with Emily and me on June 22 on Discord to discuss Practical Adept, its release, and some tantalizing hints about the book.  My wife assures me that there WILL BE NO SPOILERS given during this AMA.  I am less than convinced.  

Join the Ghost Rock Server

☀️Celebrate Huin’s Day with Terry Mancour and Emily Burch Harris!☀️

Join us on June 22nd for a special Ask Me Anything event with Terry Mancour and Emily Burch Harris to celebrate the pre-order availability of Practical Adept: Book 17 of the Spellmonger Series!

In honor of Huin’s Day, the summer solstice on Callidore, we invite you to share any divinely inspired questions in advance of the AMA. As all good Landbrothers and Landsisters know, preparing the way will lead to a more bountiful harvest. For the glory of Huin the Divine Tiller!

 🗓️ Date: June 22nd
 ⏰ Time: 2pm ET
 📖 Occasion: Pre-order launch of Practical Adept: Book 17 of the Spellmonger Series

Stay tuned for more details on this exciting event. Please post your questions here and join us as we delve into the Spellmonger Universe!

It’s been a cool, wet spring on the mountain.  The blackberries are going to be insane this year, and I’m putting the finishing touches on Book 17 of the Spellmonger Series, Practical Adept.

I’ve worked hard on this book.  Part of that was channeling my grief over my mother and other recent losses, and part of that was a determination to get the book done so that I could enjoy my summer this year.  But that meant I didn’t get to enjoy most of my spring.  Since about March 1st, I’ve been putting in a full day’s work of 8 to 14 hours every day in order to finish this one.  This weekend I finished it off and sent it to my editor.

It’s a good book, I feel.  I’m still a little close to it to give it an objective read, but it feels like a good book.  It’s tightly plotted, character-focused, and has an insane amount of world-building.  I’m happy with the pacing, I’m happy with the plot progression, and I think I’ve woven in ties to the other books in gracious plenty. But there’s a sense of doubt that creeps in after an author finishes a book.  It contends with the sense of elation that you feel when you’ve finally completed a project, and it elicits a kind of anxiety that remains until it’s released and you start seeing the reviews.  

Sure, it gets easier over time.  It starts with your second novel because you’re usually so shocked and overjoyed at your first (“OMG!  I WROTE A BOOK!”) that considerations of quality are generally pushed to the side.  

But that second book?  That’s when you start to worry that you really suck.  The doubt diminishes over time, but it never truly dissipates, or at least it hasn’t for me, yet.  And I am not a novice at this anymore.  I figured out how many books I’ve written last night, including works under pseudonyms, and I was shocked to realize that Practical Adept is number 50, give or take.  It will be the 27th associated with Spellmonger.  

I suppose I should be more confident, by now, but I’m not, and that’s a good thing.  It means that I’m still self-conscious enough as a writer to care whether I’m putting out a good product.  Is it entertaining?  Is it readable?  Does it advance the series?  Is it going to make the reader laugh, cry, and stare into space thoughtfully until someone honks at them because the light has turned green?  Do your characters grow, or are they static?  

Worry, worry, worry.  But that’s a good thing.

The thing is, finishing a book is exhausting by its nature.  As a writer, you have to take the reader on a specific kind of journey, and that requires a lot of deep thinking on your part.  By the time you get to the end of it, you feel as if you’ve not just lived through your novel, but you’ve also lived through all of the possibilities and alternatives you considered and rejected in favor of what you wrote.  

But in the first hours or days after completing it, you have a kind of post-novel clarity that requires an intense amount of critical introspection.  Taking a break from the keyboard and doing something completely unrelated helps.  But you really do try to appreciate and understand what you’ve written and put it into context with your other works.

Practical Adept is a good book.  I’m satisfied with that.  It deals with a lot of stuff, from PTSD to local economics to political turmoil.  It’s also a different sort of fantasy novel in many ways.  It takes place in a subtropical climate, its focus isn’t on .body count,  and it’s deeply psychological in a number of ways.  (It is also, I believe, the first goblin-free Spellmonger book.) In Practical Adept, we see humans screwing up things without the benefit of the Alka Alon or the dwarves or the goblins getting involved.  

But it’s still a solid fantasy book, and I’m very happy with it.  It might suck, but that doesn’t make me less happy with it.  And it will be out before George R. R. Martin’s Winds of Winter.  Like my last 25 Spellmonger books.  That is, the tentative release date for Audible and Kindle will be in late September of this year.  Special thanks to my beta readers in the Garden Society (Dave, Dave, and Craig, who steadfastly refuses to change his name to Dave just because of peer pressure), who were instrumental in getting excellent feedback to me in a timely manner.  This was the first time I’ve included beta readers in the process at an early stage, and the experiment was largely successful.  They got to see how the sausage is made and learned about some of my process.  

It’s also big, comparatively speaking: almost 300,000 words.  That’s more than thirty hours of listening time.  That’s for all of you who complain that the books are too short.  You’re welcome.

I haven’t finalized my summer plans yet because I’m still awaiting my passport, but I’m still planning on touring the UK this summer, likely in August in conjunction with WorldCon in Glasgow.  Sadly, this means I’ll probably miss my two regular cons in Charlotte and Baltimore this year, but I’m trying to get out of the southeast a bit.  Which gave me an interesting idea . . . .

Just thinking out loud, but I’m considering doing overnight meet-and-greet events around the country.  I feel a bit guilty about luring my fans to a convention sometimes when they just want to see me and not all the cosplay and FunkoPops.  So. I’m considering arranging small-scale book signings in bars, bookstores, and hotel lobbies and inviting the fans to come by.  There have recently been some low-cost fares at my local airport that would give me an affordable way to mingle.  Think of it as a kind of mini-Spellmonger convention.  Thoughts?

Progress continues to be made on the Battlefield Press Spellmonger TTFRP.  We’re at the point of selecting and acquiring art for the final layout.  I don’t have any dates, but I’ve been in touch with Adam, and he assures me that things are moving along, albeit slowly under the circumstances.  More news as it emerges.

As I have just finished a novel, the natural question is what is the next novel and when will it be out?  The next one will be a non-series standalone novel called The Talon and the Flame.  It features Dara.  And it’s a romance.  Or “romantasy” to use the current term.  Now, while I just heard the eyeroll of a thousand disappointed fans who are feeling slightly nauseated at the term “romantasy,” be assured that a Spellmonger romance isn’t going to be like other contemporary romances.  It’s just not.  I see this as a challenge, actually, and I’m looking forward to it.  It will resolve Dara’s romance issues once and for all, and it should be very, very entertaining.  Expect some tongue-in-cheek humor and some unconventional situations.  But it will be a very real romance, I promise you.  

What’s after the romance?  Adventure!  A second stand-alone novel, The Golden Goblin, is planned before the next series novel.  It will feature Tyndal and Rondal, who are searching for Lilastien, who is missing.  Both The Golden Goblin and The Talon and the Flame happen concurrently with the events of Practical Adept and the as-of-yet-untitled Book 18.  All of these will be released in 2025, though I can’t tell you the dates yet.  And yes, I have very good and valid reasons for doing two stand-alones before continuing the series, as frustrating as it might be to fans who want me to plow through all 30 planned series novels without all of these annoying side quests.  The thing is, not all stories are essential to the main series, and some, like The Talon and the Flame, just don’t go well with the epic-er fantasy of the main series.  That doesn’t mean they aren’t important, just not essential.  

I just got the paperback copies of Shadowblade, and I just want to take a moment to thank my cover artist, Alexandre Rito for his excellent work.  He’s done pretty much every Spellmonger cover since I signed with Podium, and he has managed to capture the feeling and the mood of each novel with a simple depiction of a castle—or, in this case, a three-masted caravel.  It’s a long way from me screwing around with public-domain images in Microsoft Paint and then hoping the thumbnail is too small for people to look closely at.  I love good visual art, and it’s truly wonderful to work with an artist to whom I can give just a one or two-sentence prompt and receive such a magnificent result.  In an age of cookie-cutter, bland, or gimmicky cover designs, I feel that Spellmonger has distinguished itself at making the world the main character, thanks to Alex’s great work.

So that’s a wrap on Practical Adept, and I’ll be taking a break in June to rest, recuperate, and tend to the many, many things that have atrophied or suffered from the neglect of my attention.  That includes fan interaction, so if you have questions, comments, rude remarks, or want to invite me to a convention, as always you can write me at tmancour@gmail.com.  I might actually have the time to write back for a change.  

Get Ready UK: I'm Hitting the Road 🇬🇧

 

Announcing the SPELLMONGER UK TOUR!  That’s right—I’m finally headed to the UK!  

Right now, it looks like I’ll be in Southampton, England around Aug 4th-6th, then in the tiny town of Newton Stewart, Scotland on the 8th, Glasgow on the 9th-11th for WorldCon, thence to Edinburgh for a few days of castle tours, a one-night stop in York to see the medieval city center, and on to London for the conclusion of our trip around the 17th and 18th.  While I don’t have any specific promotional stops to announce yet (check FB for updates) and I’ll be traveling light, I am hoping to make myself available for fans along the way.  I’m hoping to have books to sign in London (thanks, Dave!), but I’m uncertain if I’ll have any before that.

So, if you want to meet up with me and tempt me into dropping spoilers or just want a pint and a chat, that’s my itinerary.  I’ve tried to keep it fairly loose (except for the flurry of guided tours in Edinburgh) so that I have the flexibility to meet up with fans along the way.  If you are in my path or near enough to want to meet me and get me to sign your book, let me know on FB and I’ll see what I can do about arranging it.  

Of course the difficulty with going to the UK is narrowing down what pilgrimages I want to do.  Do I want to see Sherwood Forest?  Stratford-upon-Avon?  Tolkien country?  Oxford? The Hogwarts castle? A hundred other sites of literary or historical import?  

After much consideration, I think I’m going to start with a few medieval sites in Southampton, then spend a day at Stonehenge and Old Sarum (religious pilgrimage), catch a few sites in Glasgow, and then explore Edinburgh’s historical offerings.  York has one of the most intact medieval city centers in Britain, as well as the iconic York Castle.  And once I get to London, I’ll be touring the Tower, the British Museum, a couple of medieval manors, and sundry other sites.  Even that is a lot to cram into a two-week trip.

It's only a tithe of my bucket list for the UK, but that just means I’ll have to return in the future.  I’m terribly excited about it, too.  This has been a lifelong dream of mine.  To top it off, my wife and I will be traveling to Britain by the Queen Mary II, the famous Cunard transatlantic cruise liner.  There are three reasons for this: I have the time, I hate flying, and when I look at the cost comparison it’s actually quite competitive—basically eight days in a floating luxury hotel.  That will give me some time to write, relax, and prepare for the whirlwind UK tour.  It promises to be a throwback to an earlier era; a more civilized age when this was the standard means of crossing the Atlantic.  The Cunard line is the last scheduled regular transatlantic crossing left.  I’m particularly excited for the Art Deco styling—I’m a sucker for Art Deco.

All of this is, of course, to help promote Practical Adept (preorder it on audiobook here!), which releases September 23rd.  This is a book I’m excited about for a number of reasons, and I think the fans will enjoy it even without hordes of goblins or dragons involved.  Fantasy is a big genre, after all, and magic works just as well in subtropical climes as it does in temperate ones.  And while it’s a bit of a departure from the usual setting, it’s filled with Spellmongery goodness.

Of course, one of the big things I’ll be doing in the UK is attending WorldCon in Glasgow for the first time.  This is the grandaddy of fantasy conventions, where the members get to vote on the Hugo Awards.  I will only be attending, not participating in panels or discussions.  And apparently I’m not alone.  Word on the street is that George R.R. Martin will also be attending, but because he didn’t fill out the right form he won’t be doing any panels.  So you’ll likely find us both in the vicinity of the bar, talking shop.

My family and I will be there only on Friday and Saturday (we’re skipping the opening and closing because our time in the UK is limited and—let’s face it—the first and last day of a con can be boring.  But if you’re there, I’ll be there too, and I’ll be happy to sign books, talk Spellmonger, and take photos.  I likely won’t have any of my own copies (luggage weights are limited for travel, and books are heavy!), but if you bring your own, I’ll be happy to sign them.  

I’m also planning on making myself available in Edinburgh, London, and the Scottish village of Newton Stewart, where I will be visiting on August 8th.  Heck, if you can flag me down on any leg of my trip, I’ll do my best to meet up with you for a bit.  I’ll keep people posted via Facebook and the Discord server.

Lastly, one of my other compelling reasons to travel to the UK is to meet in person one of my superfans, David Ramsay, who is responsible for keeping the Spellmonger Wiki page up and running and periodically updated.  David is amazing, a tireless volunteer who probably remembers more about Calidore than I do. He has been instrumental in proofing the forthcoming FRP game and has frequently pointed out inconsistencies, discrepancies, and errors in the texts.  He is one of my favorite beta readers, as well as being a genuinely nice and decent human being.  His insights and comments on Practical Adept were gloriously helpful.  If I was doing nothing else in Britain, I would insist on taking the man out to dinner in appreciation for his devotion and service to the fandom and the series.  

Now, to whet your appetite, here’s the cover blurb for Practical Adept:

“Beware the Dusky Maidens of Farise!”

After facing war, death, and unruly gods and unmitigated evil, Minalan the Spellmonger is forced to return to Farise, the site of his earliest battles, with the simple assignment to conquer the subtropical city-state and expel the pirates that plague the kingdom’s shipping.  Tired of warfare, Minalan embarks on a clandestine campaign to do so, assuming an alias and setting up shop in Farise as a mere Practical Adept as cover for his operation.  Recruiting a cadre of Talented agents to assist, he reluctantly begins the task of infiltrating and observing Farisian society and its corrupt, ramshackle regime of pirates and rebels with the goal of subverting it.

But it’s not easy: the Farisians are a strange and stubborn people whose customs and history are at odds with Minalan’s feudal sensibilities.  The popular sailor’s warning to “beware the dusky maidens of Farise” becomes all too apt as he secretly plots to seize the remote remnant of the Magocracy.  The ancient underground organization known as the Contramara seem to be behind every plot and scheme, and unseen masters control the city like puppeteers in the Farisian marketplace.  Assassination, kidnapping, extortion, betrayal, and bribery are the rule of the day as different power blocs play the Game of Whispers with costumed gangs in the streets and daggers in the salons.  It doesn’t take a wizard to realize that revolution is in the air and things are at a breaking point.  

Minalan must struggle with the ghosts of his past as he tries to navigate an uncertain future in the hot, storm-tossed land he once occupied.  Legacies from his days in the occupation army fifteen years before return to haunt him and complicate his mission while he keeps up the pretense of being a simple, self-promoting Practical Adept, selling his spellwork like any other artisan.  But when one of the infamous dusky maidens of Farise stumbles across this mission with an old, one-eyed wizard, things start to get complicated.

 

In a journey that takes him from ancient ruins to hidden temples to the sewers of Farise to the spire of the Doge’s Citadel, Minalan undertakes an adventure unlike any he’s faced before.  New allies and shifting politics propel him to question his own past, his motives, and his very identity as he realizes the sinister truth in another old saying: “Nothing is as it seems in Farise.”  For there is a new, unknown power working behind the scenes, one even older and more determined than the Contramara to control the chaotic city and determine its fate.  And all that stands in its way is one resolute Practical Adept!

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That’s all!  See you on the sceptered isle!

Terry

Dive into Spellmonger: Legacy and Secrets Book 3

 

Spring has arrived early on my mountain, filling the air with birdsongs, butterflies, and twenty tons of pollen per acre.  It’s a relief for me to see winter behind us, this year, though I usually love the season.  We got no snow to speak of, and I had a string of personal tragedies and misfortunes that challenged my delight in the cold winter months this year.

But on to more hopeful things.  

The third volume of the Legacy & Secrets trilogy is out now!  This YA trilogy, featuring Gatina, was co-authored by my long-time editor and friend Emily Burch Harris, and we had a great time putting these three books together.  We wanted to explore the backstory of one of my most popular secondary characters, Gatina, Kitten of Night.

When Gatina first appears in Shadowmage, she appears to be a half-crazed, incredibly determined young woman who is a scion of an ancient and prestigious house of magical thieves, House Furtius.  Emily and I wanted to explore the unique history of this character and explain how Gatina got to be who she is when we meet her, providing some much-needed context.  Mild spoilers for the first two books ahead.

In Book 1, Shadowplay, we learn how Gatina emerges from childhood in the middle of serious civil strife following the assassination of the Duke and Duchess of Alshar.  Her father was not just a supporter of Duke Lenguin, she discovers; he was also a personal (although secret) friend of the Duke.  In the power vacuum that results, Duke Lenguin’s hereditary rival, Count Vichetral of Rhemes, seizes power in the capital ostensibly to rule until Lenguin’s heir, Anguin, returns from exile.  In actuality, Vichetral plans on ruling Alshar himself.  House Furtius is steadfast in its opposition to the Count and his cronies, particularly his policy of legalizing slavery once again and pitting the people of Alshar against each other.

Shadowplay examines what it is like to grow up in a chaotic political environment.  Gatina and her family are partisans and decide to orchestrate an underground resistance movement against the unpopular usurper, Vichetral.  In the process, she learns the ancient arts of stealth, disguise, and misdirection from her family and masquerades an unassuming street urchin to help the cause—a pretty big step for a ten-year-old.  

In Book 2, Shadowheist, Gatina and her brother Atopol are sent to an abbey school for training and safekeeping while her parents continue to organize opposition to the Council of Counts.  The abbey is the strange but prestigious Palomar Abbey, of the Saganite Order, a temple devoted to the study of the stars and the night’s sky.  The temple has been around since the Colonial Period and has many strange secrets, but it has also been the traditional school for House Furtius to educate the next generation of shadowthieves in both magic and larceny.  Unfortunately, Count Vichetral has attracted the support of the exiled Censorate of Magic, a ruthless group of warmagi once in charge of regulating the affairs of the magi but who now act as thugs for the Count.  

Gatina contends with many existential issues while at the temple, disguised as a nun, and also has the challenge of her emerging rajira, the magical Talent that allows her people to cast spells.  During the course of her scholarship, she uncovers a plot against the resistance that could put hundreds of their agents in danger—including some of her favorite cousins.  

By the third book, Gatina is on the cusp of womanhood.  She has genuine questions about both her future and the future of the seemingly hopeless clandestine organization she and her family have put together, as Vichetral shows no signs of losing power.  Indeed, he seems near to declaring himself Duke and holding on to the throne.  The only way to counter his moves, it is decided, is to form an alliance with certain elements of the Sea Lord culture who control most of the duchy’s maritime enterprises in the Great Bay of Enultramar.  Gatina goes to sea with her family in pursuit of that goal.

That’s as much as I want to tell you about Shadowblade, the third and final story in the trilogy.  A lot happens as Gatina and Atopol learn about the family yacht, the Daydream, some of her black-sheep cousins, and most importantly, the strange culture of the Sea Lords.  There’s a decent amount of action, a goodly amount of world-building, and a lot of character development as the Cats of Enultramar begin to confront the reality of their situation.  The story takes us right up to the point where we meet Gatina for the first time in Shadowmage.

To some readers and listeners, this might seem an unnecessary indulgence in a “minor” character that departs from the narrative of the main storyline.  Indeed, Minalan doesn’t appear at all in the book, and when he is mentioned, it is with suspicion and distaste.  But Calidore is a big world with many cultures in it, and a lot more was happening while Min & Co. were building Sevendor. I thought it was important for my audience to get to know this part of the world and its people better.

The Sea Lords are important to the history of Calidore, after all.  Descended primarily from colonists from the Catalan region of the Iberian peninsula, this odd maritime culture is entirely focused on the importance of life at sea.  The six great cults of the Sea Lords provide great context for how they developed and what their values are.  Their emphasis on trade and commerce is religious in nature, and their often-fatalistic culture is filled with superstitious customs and strange practices that are a sharp contrast to the more sedate Coastlord culture Gatina is used to.  

But is it important to the overall story?  Here’s a hint: every book I write is important to the overall story; you just might not see it at first.  While the Legacy & Secrets trilogy was designed to stand on its own as a YA adventure with a unique character’s coming-of-age as its main purpose, there are reasons beyond mere entertainment for indulging in it.  Certainly, you could skip the trilogy (and the Cadet trilogy featuring Dara) and still enjoy the main storyline, but why would you want to?  These secondary works provide context and meaning for some of the seemingly random elements of the main story and explain the motives and motivations for the characters.  Certainly, they are a side dish compared to the meaty entrée of the Spellmonger Series as a whole, but most people enjoy a good side dish.

Did I write this just for the money, as some suggest?  Not even close.  I wrote it for the story, to take a character that doesn’t make sense to some and give the reader a good explanation for why Gatina is the way she is.  

Because Gatina is not a normal girl.  Beyond her magical heritage and her legacy of being a shadowthief, Gatina was put into some horrific situations at a very early age, and these shaped who she was as much as Farise shaped Minalan or the Siege of Boval Castle shaped Tyndal and Rondal.  Just as Dara was drafted as a child warrior to defend her homeland, Gatina wasn’t merely drafted into a cause—she was born into it.  Having a powerful legacy is a great burden to her as much as it is a guide.

Finally, the other goal we wanted to take with Gatina is to explore a plucky, precocious, adventurous young female character who actually has a living mother who is active in her life.  Emily and I were discussing this at the outset of the series—how all the great female heroines of literature usually are missing their moms: Nancy Drew, all the Disney princesses, Heidi, Pippy Longstocking, Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, Matilda, Emma, et al.  Only Laura Ingalls escaped this fate, but she wasn’t exactly fighting Indians on the frontier.  The normal narrative for girls’ YA adventure fiction almost always involved a girl without proper maternal supervision.

But not Gatina.  Indeed, her mother is not only present in the story, but one of the most important characters as she introduces Gatina to her family’s legacy, the craft of shadowmagic and the art of thievery.  Far from discouraging Gatina from indulging in her daring ways, Gatina’s mother encourages her while chiding her for not being careful enough in her execution.  That was a very interesting thing perspective to write this trilogy from.

More, her brother isn’t a foil, an annoyance, or a one-dimensional villain.  Atopol and Gatina share a strong bond only strengthened by the joint training they have to endure and the ancient legacy they share.  They are partners, not antagonists, and while the relationship isn’t always smooth, they know they can depend on each other.  Considering they’re participating as children in a bloody insurgency against a tyrant, that’s probably a good thing.

If there is one important theme to the Legacy & Secrets trilogy, it is that family matters most of all in a world beset by chaos and confusion.  In our society, that’s a realization that some people don’t make until late adulthood, but in a pre-industrial world where life is short and cheap, the importance of family looms large in the minds of people who must depend on someone to survive and thrive.  In Gatina’s case, that family comes with a lot of baggage—white hair and purple eyes are just the beginning.  But her legacy sustains her, even as it constrains her in the choices she will have to make about her adult life.

I hope you enjoy Shadowblade and the rest of the trilogy.  Emily and I put a lot of thought and work into the project, and while it is over, the Gatina character remains strong in the main series.  No doubt we will see echoes of her upbringing in Gatina moving forward.

Will this be the last of my YA books?  Not a chance.  While the next two Spellmonger novels after Book 17, Practical Adept, are not YA, there is already a third YA Spellmonger trilogy in the works.  This time, the protagonist is male: Nattia’s brother Travid, a Kasari lad who comes of age during the Goblin Invasion of the Wilderlands.  In that trilogy, we will explore the Kasari culture and its relation with the Wilderlords and the gurvani.

In any case, Shadowblade’s release marks a kind of watershed in my career, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did writing it.  There will be ample opportunity to discuss it with the authors on Discord and other venues to answer your questions.  And there will be plenty more action from Gatina in the future.

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I just wanted to mention that the hardcover edition of the anthology When Swords Fall Silent is now up for sale at Wraithmark’s website!  I contributed the short story “Mission of Mercy,” the last story in the book.  Having received the special Kickstarter hardback copy, I can assure you that the quality of the print copy is exceptional, and the art is perfect.  This anthology is focused on the topic of assassination, and some of the proceeds will go to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, a cause near and dear to my heart.  Check it out, and experience some of the best up-and-coming fantasy writers in the genre!

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That’s about all.  Time to get back to Practical Adept.  It’s a beast, but it’s going very well at this point.  See you next month!

- Terry

Thank You From the Bottom of My Heart

 

I want to start off this newsletter with profound and deep thanks for everyone who reached out to me with condolences for the recent death of my mother.  For those who don’t know, my 77-year-old, bed-ridden mother became ill the day after Christmas.  In the hospital, it was revealed she had sepsis (though she showed very little outward sign of it) because of a kidney stone.  While the surgery to bypass the blockage in the kidneys was successful, despite the best efforts of one of the best medical teams on the planet (Duke University Healthcare), the damage to her system was just too much.  After three or four worrisome days in the CCU, it was clear that she was not going to make it.  She died January 5th.

The outpouring of support from friends, family, and fans was overwhelming.  My publisher, Podium, was uniquely sympathetic and ensured that I had the time I needed to grieve and put my mother’s affairs in order.  My fans were instantly understanding and gave me the space I needed to do what had to be done.  And while I am certainly still grieving and contending with the inevitable details of my mother’s passing, I have returned to my work schedule without too much loss of productivity.

That’s a good thing.  It’s good for my mental health, and it’s good for my family.  Death is often a life-altering event that invokes all sorts of special rules, and it should.  But reclaiming normalcy is often one of the most difficult, yet most important, elements of grieving.  There will always be a hole in my life where my mother was.  Learning to negotiate around that hole and still make progress is a welcome challenge for me.  Death is sad.  Life moves on.

Besides, I have a new book coming out in March.  

Shadowblade is out March 26th on Kindle, softcover, and audiobook!I’m terribly excited by the third and final volume in the Legacy & Secrets trilogy.  My co-author and long-time editor Emily Burch Harris and I had an absolute blast writing this one.  It follows Gatina a little later in her career of childhood larceny and revolution as she and her family infiltrate the powerful and mysterious Sea Lords of Enultramar.  

This is no easy task; the Sea Lords are distinctive from other Alshari—a culture apart.  They are responsible for more than a third of all commercial shipping in Enultramar, and therefore they hold outsized political power in the broken duchy.  Their customs and mannerisms are difficult for an outsider to master.  Gatina has to learn seamanship and sailing, new methods of fighting, talking, and walking, and ultimately how to take part in a high-stakes operation against the forces of the usurper Count Vichetral.  Along the way, she meets mysterious strangers, gets attacked by pirates, is cursed by a capricious goddess, and even endures shipwreck.  It’s high adventure at a pivotal point in Gatina’s life, and one that sees her question many of her childhood assumptions about her life and her family.

Emily and I did a ton of research for this book—more than the other two combined.  You can’t just pretend to know about seamanship and have it ring true.  I apologize in advance to any mariners or old salts out there who find mistakes in our assumptions and representations of sailing.  In some cases, they are completely valid.  In a few, we were forced to make technical decisions about the nature of construction and conduct of Sea Lord life and livelihood that might be at odds with a more historical examination of the subject.  I hope we don’t irritate too many knowledgeable folks with these decisions.  

In any case, Shadowblade explains some of the reasons Gatina acts as she does when we first meet her in Shadowmage.  She’s a young girl on the cusp of womanhood who is suddenly faced with some of the realities of that transition.  That was a fascinating element of Gatina for us to explore, as writers, and we hope you appreciate the adventure-laden result.

Don’t forget to preorder—that really does help us!  And don’t be afraid to leave a review, even if you hate it.  Of course, I don’t want you to hate it, but I do hope you’ll enjoy the conclusion of the Legacy & Secrets trilogy.  

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When Swords Fall Silent!  Word on the street is that fulfillment for the beautiful anthology will be this month, after a number of delays.  To remind you, I wrote a (non-Spellmonger) short story for the anthology, a ditty called “Mission of Mercy.”  As the entire anthology is about assassins, you can use your imagination about what it’s about.  But I am eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the hardback edition via Kickstarter.  Hats off to Wraithmarked Creative and the editor and contributor Bryce O’Conner for doing such a good job putting this together.  Remember, a portion of the profits will be donated to St. Jude’s Children Hospital, so its for a good cause.  You can find the Kindle version here, the audio version here (thanks, Podium!).

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News on the gaming front!  I finally finished the final edits on the TTFRP adaptation for Spellmonger and submitted it to Battlefield Press!  It is now in layout and markup stage, with art being added and such.  I’ll let you know when it will be released the instant I know.

I’m still assembling my con schedule for the year, so if you know of a con that needs a good panel speaker on the subjects of Epic Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Worldbuilding, etc., let me know.  Hopefully I’ll be out of the country for most of August for WorldCon in Glasgow, Scotland, but apart from that, I am open to any reasonable invitation.  Unfortunately, due to cost considerations, I won’t be able to do a booth outside of the Southeast region, but I am more than happy to attend cons across the US, Canada, and Fiji.

That’s about enough from me, now.  Time to get back to the keyboard.  These things don’t write themselves.

— Terry

For more updates on everything Spellmonger, check out my Facebook here!

My Year-End Yuletime Updates

 

After an eventful year, I am plunging into the holiday season with a vengeance. Halls have been decked. The tree is up and (mostly) decorated. Stockings are hung. There is hot apple cider. Gingerbread abounds. I’m wearing a cardigan and listening to the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Lights are being strung with garlands of fake evergreens. Lists are being made and checked. Homemade eggnog is imminent.

Despite the declining condition of the world, I am embracing the cheer of the Yule

season unironically. History has shown that such traditions provide a mental and emotional haven for us in times of stress and tumult. My family has always invested a lot in Yule, and in times like these, we reap the psychological dividends. Certainly, the season can also be a reminder of tragedies and misfortunes of years past, but that’s part of the magic of it: the traditions of Yule help provide both stability and perspective in our lives and link us to simpler times.

Last night, my invocation of the season was rewarded by the gods with a fifteen-degree temperature drop in the wake of a rainy cold front. For a precious few hours, the conditions were right to produce actual snow flurries. In North Carolina, snow before Christmas—or even before January—is a rare occurrence. When my wife and I got married on January 3rd, it was more than sixty degrees out. But as most of my readers know, I have a perverse fascination with snow. I saw the flurries falling in the light of the Christmas lights and felt especially blessed for my Yuletide efforts.

Among my blessings are my readers, who have once again brought me success with the release of Preceptor in late November. Book 16 was well-received, highly rated (and yes, the ratings and reviews do, indeed, help—thank you!) and sold nicely on both Kindle and Audible. The reviews were generally great, but there were a few grumbled criticisms. It was too long. It was too short. I got bogged down in the details. I didn’t put in enough detail. It focused on the battle too much. There was barely any action in it. It was the worst book of the series. It was the best book of the series. The usual.

I’m not complaining—everyone has (usually) valid criticisms, and it is inevitable that one of my novels is going to rub a certain percentage of my readership the wrong way and leave them unsatisfied. If anything, it convinces me that I’m doing things properly. One of the things I fear most is being formulaic. I do my best to tell a different and unique story with each novel, not merely repeat previous successes. I’ve abandoned reading other series because the writers got lazy or uninspired and just kept cranking out new volumes with no real purpose behind them. As long as I have a few grumbles with each new release, I know I’m challenging my readers as much as myself, and I value that.

I will be happy to finally open up a spoiler thread on the Facebook page so y’all can add to that list of complaints, speculations, and criticisms about the book. I’ve already indulged in a Preceptor spoiler Q&A on Discord with the Garden Society (my international cabal of super-fans) but if you missed it, you can voice your opinion on Facebook, and I’ll be happy to read it and perhaps respond.

Also, John Lee’s performance was flawless on the audiobook. Credit to him and the

entire team at Podium for producing a truly pleasurable listening experience. They are the smoothest publisher I have ever worked with. Another of my blessings that should not go unnoted.

My con schedule for most of next year is open. If you know of a con who needs a

fantasy writer as a guest, drop me a line at tmancour@gmail.com and let me know. At this, I'm planning on going to World Con in Glasgow in August, but apart from that, I am open. Of course, I’m still hard at work even in a cardigan, and in addition to composing Book 17, Practical Adept, I’m finishing up the TTFRPG, as well as prepping next year’s schedule. And working on maps. And finishing a few details with Shadowblade. And working on a surprise Yule project as a thank you to you, the fans, for all of your support. I’d tell you more, but it’s a surprise.

So as we finish out the year in a blaze of nostalgic tradition, my family and I would like to wish you and yours the merriest of Yules! We all deserve it, I think.

Best,

Terry

OUT NOW: Spellmonger 16 - Preceptor

 

SPELLMONGER BOOK 16

PRECEPTOR 

The Wait Is Over!

Minalan the Spellmonger has come a long way since he woke up to a goblin invasion almost a decade ago. Since then, he has built cities and mighty armies, invented new enchantments, and pioneered entirely new fields of magic. Now that the Witch Queen of Darkfaller has taken over one of the most powerful castles in the center of the kingdom, he has to marshal all his resources—political, military, and arcane—to try to drive her from the strategic and symbolically important stronghold. It will be the most difficult military operation the Spellmonger has ever attempted—and he cannot fail. The future of the kingdom and all of humanity may well depend on his victory.

To complicate matters, the King and Queen have asked him to do the impossible: take their son and heir to the throne, Prince Tavard, and try to tutor him in statecraft, wisdom, and perhaps some common sense. As Tavard has always hated Minalan and seen him as a threat, this proves to be a challenge even the Spellmonger shies away from. He makes a counter-proposal to not just tutor Tavard but also his three closest rivals to the throne at the same time. 

That is not all. Matters with the Sea Folk are coming to a head, Minalan is still trying to recreate the incredible snowstone spell, the gods seem to be conspiring against him, the refugees from the far north are arriving, and the civil war he started in neighboring Merwyn is beginning to stall. And his wife is having a baby—three weeks early.

Years of political intrigue and military preparation come to a head as Minalan embraces his role as Preceptor, the maker of rules for all the complex games of politics and war he is playing. Enjoying power no wizard has had since the Archmage,  Minalan has taken responsibility for ordering the kingdom, armies, wizards, and the very gods themselves with his powers, both mundane and arcane. He has learned that those who have the power to make the rules must also bear responsibility for how they are followed. There is no higher call to duty for a wizard who dares to be... a Preceptor!  

OUT NOW!

Just Days Away: Spellmonger 16

 

As autumn slinks delightfully across the landscape, I feel as if my batteries are getting recharged.  Being a professional creative person involves a lot of cycles that get established as a part of the process, and it can be exhausting even if it’s something you love.  Thankfully, there are greater cycles that you can rely upon, and paying close attention to the seasons is one we can all depend upon to give us a sense of perspective, renewed energy, and fresh insight on our lives.  Autumn also gives us a moment to reflect on the work we’ve done—the harvest of our creativity, so to speak.  And there is a lot to reflect on and be proud of in my personal and professional life.

There are two projects that collided, so to speak, in the tragic death of Jonathan Thompson of Battlefield Press, the game publisher who secured the rights to the adaptation of the Spellmonger universe into a TTFRP (table top fantasy role-playing game, for the uninitiated).  The other project was writing Book 16 of the series, Preceptor.  I was in the early stages of composing the book when I heard the news about Jonathan, and I admit that it knocked me out of my creative game for a few weeks.  

But when I finally got back to work, I realized that I needed a structure to the next novel that somehow memorialized the feeling of comradery I felt with Jonathan as we worked on the game.  Gamers in general are a particular lot, and we can sometimes be obsessive or overly passionate about the minutia of the game.   It’s akin, emotionally, to being into sports, except on a more mental scale.  Jonathan, however, went beyond that.  You have to be a special kind of nerd to decide to develop fantasy role-playing games and other amusements and be at all successful.  Jonathan was that kind of professional.

He was a fan of the series, and that meant a lot to me.   He was exacting in the game mechanics, at one point scrapping his approach and starting anew before he was ready to proceed.  Personal tragedy struck a few times, delaying the work, but Jonathan was committed.  A few months before his death, he submitted his result for my final edits.  He still wasn’t completely happy with it, and that’s partially my fault—the game covers mostly the first ten books (the first decalogy).  But in order to add the rules and mechanics for the magic in the second decaology, Jonathan realized that entire new sections would have to be added.  But you have to stop somewhere, so we agreed that was a good place and tried to finish the project.  

In reflecting on my experience with Jonathan in the development of the game from the books, I recognized the importance of a wizardly trope rarely explored in regular fantasy.  Wizards, of course, are the Ones Who Know—usually secret and important information up to and including the use of magic.  Exploring the different guises and artistic variations of the wizard is one of the main themes of the series.   For this book, I wanted to explore the Wizard as Maker of Rules.  

Jonathan’s influence in this aspect was key.  That was his entire job: deciding what the rules were, considering a wide range of factors.  It is as creatively exact as composing fiction in the first place.  And it comes with the same creative risks.  As Minalan has to contend with the Royal Family, the Alka Alon, and the war against Korbal, he realizes that it is a time to set boundaries, establish rules, and impose his will, wit, and wisdom on his world.  He has no choice.  No one else is going to do it—not even the gods.  He, like Jonathan, has to become a Preceptor, someone who takes the responsibility for establishing the rules of the game.  And to learn that each of those rules comes with responsibility for the consequences.  

So there is a decided element of gaming in the book, from that perspective.  As well as gaming as a motif throughout the story.  But there was another aspect of wizardry I wanted to include as well, one that complicated the Wizard as Rulemaker

To keep it non-spoilery, Minalan is at a place in his career and his character arc where he can—where he must—set the rules and conditions of how things must go, in many different ways.  We also get to see the Wizard as Tutor, as he’s asked to take on a difficult student.  We do see this trope a lot in fantasy, of course, from Merlin’s mentoring of Arthur to Gandalf’s relationship with Bilbo and Frodo (and Aragorn).  But we usually see this represented from the student’s perspective, not the teacher’s.  I wanted to find out what went on behind the sage advice, mystical aphorisms, and intriguing object lessons implicit in the wizard/pupil relationship.  

That’s not to say that this is another “cozy” and philosophical book; there are massive battles (about a quarter of the book, actually) and political intrigue and startling developments aplenty.   But throughout it all, Minalan is contemplating some fairly deep issues during a complicated and tumultuous time.  I would say more, but that might spoil a few things.

It was an intriguing book to write, and I’m pretty proud of the result.  I am eagerly awaiting the release, which is just a few days away.  

Available Tuesday

To help celebrate and promote the book, I will be doing a live Q&A on Sunday, November 19th, to be seen on Discord, Facebook, and YouTube.  My faithful superfans have already been assembling a number of questions and consolidating them for this, but I’m certain we’ll take live questions as well.  Tune in on your favorite media platform and get some of the answers (but not all of them) and help me celebrate Book 16, Preceptor!

In addition, I will be doing interviews both before the release and in the coming weeks to discuss both the book and the series.  This includes an interview on the B Cubed podcast on Sunday morning (9:00 PT / 12:00pm ET), which will be live streamed on their Facebook page and later posted to the B Cubed YouTube channel.  Watch this space, my Facebook page, and the Discord server for announcements about when these future interviews will be released.  

And yes, I’m already hard at work on the next book, Practical Adept.  It, too, will be Minalan-focused, and likely considerably longer than Preceptor.  

Fall into a World of Words 🍂

 

Autumn has settled on my mountain, and it’s lovely.

I’m not a pumpkin spice guy, and I haven’t quite broken out the Uggs, but I see a lot of chili, cider, and yard work in my future.  Considering I spent the entirety of my summer (with a few brief interludes) behind my computer on deadline, the yard work required will be epic.  

But we have submitted the final draft of Shadowblade, and so my watch has ended.  I am (currently) free of deadlines and can get back to all of the stuff I pushed to the back burner for the last eight months.  That appears to be a lot.  The last few newsletters have been lamentably short (or brilliantly concise, depending on your perspective).  I’m going to make it up on this one.  Here are some highlights:

Catching up on correspondence, marketing, promotion, and bureaucratic errata.  When I’m in deadline mode, I let a lot of this slide in order to focus on my writing.  I have found that when I let myself be distracted, I WILL be distracted.  It takes a certain mindset to be able to create a world as intricate as Callidore, and if I want to get it done on time then I have to “go dark” sometimes (an ironic term, having just completed a Gatina book).  Now that I’m back in the light, it's time to catch up on many and diverse matters.  There are people I need to speak with from the two cons I did this summer, phone calls to be returned, emails that need to be answered.  I have a list.  It’s a really big list.  

One of the first orders of business is the final edits of the Spellmonger FRPG copy from Battlefield Press.  It’s been sitting in my in-box for weeks now while I finished Shadowblade, and it is perhaps my highest priority.  Special thanks to David Ramsay, the brilliant mind behind the Spellmonger Wiki, for his amazing work on this project.  He assisted Jonathan with much of the piece before he passed away, and we are both dedicated to ensuring that this bit of his legacy will be fulfilled.  Indeed, I have dedicated Preceptor to Jonathan in tribute.  I can’t deny it — I’m looking forward to diving into this piece.  But there’s a bittersweet taste to the idea.

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📍  Maps!  Yes, maps. 📍

I’ve collected a small stable of artists over the last year who specialize in cartography, and it is high time to pull the trigger on creating useful, easy-to-read maps of the Spellmonger world.  In fact, it’s quite essential.  It’s also incredibly time-consuming.  I could write two or three chapters in the time it takes me to develop a map, and it is generally for my use rather than with the reader in mind.  I am a poor artist, and so I have found far better artists to do the hard work.  The next several months will be devoted in part to seeing this project initiated.

📚  Reading!  Yes, reading.  📚

When I’m writing, particularly under deadline, it’s impossible for me to split my attention between what I’m composing and what I’m reading, save for research.  Reading for pleasure, one of my great passions, is put aside.  As a result I’ve accumulated a thick stack of Real Soon Now books that I want to delve into.  This includes a few select unpublished pieces from new authors who have asked for my assistance, and I’ve agreed to provide a look at their work.  That also includes a stack of non-fiction that I have accumulated for both research and general interest—stuff that adds to my world-building muscles.  There are a few items that are there for my pure indulgent pleasure as well as things I want to re-read.  It’s painful to not be able to read to my heart’s content.  But I’ve learned the dangers of Reading While Composing, and I have developed the discipline to avoid it.  

But I can read again.  Yay!

🤩  Promotion of Preceptor and Shadowblade!  🤩

Both of these books will be out soon, and I want to devote as much time as possible to promoting them.  That means interviews, a few signings, and generally increasing the profile of the Spellmonger world.  Preceptor is a subtly important book for the series and for Min’s character development, as well as for setting up the next book.  Shadowblade (coming in at a robust 197k words) is the third and final book of the Legacy and Secrets YA trilogy featuring Gatina’s back story.  They were two very different types of novels, but both were important in different ways, and I want to make certain that they get their due promotion.  

🥘  Cooking!  Yes, cooking.  🥘

I’m passionate about the art, and I do almost all of the cooking for my family.  When I’m on deadline, the hours I usually devote to making food evaporate.  For the last several months it’s either been Sandwich Night, Scrounge Night, or Takeout Night about five nights a week.  Since we live in rural North Carolina and restaurant options are slim and grim, that doesn’t leave many options.  Thankfully, I can put the nights of Bojangles behind us for a while and get back to indulging myself.  

I have several new vintage cookbooks to experiment with, as well as a few new ones: Tasting History, by Max Miller, and Baking Yesteryear by P. Dylan Hollis.  Those are two YouTube stars who got their start during the pandemic, and I highly recommend their channels.  Both cookbooks are beautiful, by the way, and incredibly rewarding.  They are inspirations for my inevitable Spellmonger cookbook.  

🎃 🦃  Indulgence in the holidays!  ⛄✨

After bartering away my last two summers, I fully intend to immerse myself in the holidays this year.  I find that an excellent way to help recharge my batteries.

While I’m looking forward to the cooking onslaught and general merriment of Thanksgiving and Yule, I will be starting the festivities with a Halloween party I’m co-hosting at Studio 71 art gallery and frame shop on Oct. 27th.  If you’re local, feel free to drop by and talk with me about Spellmonger.  I might even have a few books to sign.  

🔮  Future Ambitions! 🔮

Let’s start this section with the fact that my con schedule for next year is open.  And while I do enjoy setting up a booth and working a con, I’d like to do more guest appearances this year and indulge in some panels.  If you are affiliated with a con who would like to have me appear and speak, email me at tmancour@gmail.com.  I haven’t committed to anything yet, so my calendar is wide open.

🇬🇧  Possible UK TOUR?  🇬🇧

I am toying with the idea of re-arranging my writing schedule a little so that I can spare time to visit my fans in the UK next summer as well as take a bucket-list castle tour of Britain.  While this would require a lavish expenditure of time and resources, I’m seriously considering it.  I’d like to spend three or four weeks there entirely for research purposes.  I’m also considering taking the Queen Victoria II trans-Atlantic passage to get there.  I’ve always wanted to take a Cunard liner.  Thoughts?  Suggestions?  Reply to this email.  

🧙‍♀️  Apropos to the last item, I am likely going to only release one to two books next year.  🧙‍♀️

I would like to get Practical Adept (or Resident Adept—still debating that) done early but then devote most of the rest of the year to the aforementioned promotion and development of the entire series.  That doesn’t mean I’m slowing down my pace (I have at least three Spellmonger projects in active development right now), but the adjustment in my writing schedule will likely mean an unduly long gap between Books 17 and 18.  

And that’s why I’m doing this: I will have a fantasy series of 16 books by the first of the year, with six YA novel spin-offs and five anthologies.  That’s impressive, by any standard.  I feel an obligation to introduce the series to those fantasy fans who haven’t read it yet, and that means promotion.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to Martin you or anything, but I want to increase my reader base by the time Book 18 comes out.  That means 2024 won’t be as prolific as the last few years.  I’ll be back in stride in no time, though, promise!

✍️  Other writing!  ✍️

Believe it or not, I write stuff other than Spellmonger, and a lot of that has been lingering on the back burner for far too long.  I will likely try to turn my attention to a few of these things, particularly those which are close to completion, and knock them out in what spare time I have.  I’m not going to mention which projects, yet, because only time and fortune will dictate which will catch my fancy and allow me time to do them, but it is my intent to get at least one completed by the time Resident Adept (or Practical Adept) comes out.  

🤫  Secret Projects!  🤫

That being said, I have several secret Spellmonger projects that are not directly related to the main series I’d like to see done.  The maps and the cookbook are among them, but by no means all of them.  Some of them are Super Secret.  I’d tell you more, but they’re SUPER SECRET.

Con Addendum!  

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the two amazing con experiences I had this year: Heroes Con in Charlotte and Baltimore Comic Con.  I enjoyed both immensely, had a blast meeting the scores of fans who came out, and especially want to thank Craig Maefs for attending both and dressing as Gandalf and Stan Lee to help lure new readers to my booth.  Craig is a class act and a tireless promoter of the series.  For those who don’t know, he is one of the most active fans on the Ghost Rock Discord server, as well as an organizer of the frequent Q&As we do at the cons.  He has my immense gratitude for his work and assistance in promoting the series.

In addition, I finally got to meet Andrew Bittick, another superfan who is highly active in the Spellmonger community.  We’ve written for years now, but this was the first time I ever got to meet him in person, and it was a genuine pleasure.  

But there were plenty of other fans who drove extremely long distances to see me, and I am incredibly grateful and gratified by those who made the effort.  I do my best to indulge anyone who does that by answering as many of their questions as possible, as completely as possible, without spoilers.  I am mostly successful, I think.  When I meet someone who is as enthusiastic about my world as I am, it gives me a special kind of joy, like thunderous applause at a concert or a sweet Nike deal after winning a championship.  

Y’all are why I do this, after all.  Being able to share my daydreams with others is intensely gratifying, and if I can make you laugh or weep along the way, it’s even more satisfying.  Meeting you in person is a genuine treat, and I’m grateful for each of you.

That’s enough for now.  I’m getting misty.

Best,

Terry