The clock is ticking away and I am anxious to get Rogue Amongst Royals into your hands.
However, I want to ensure that this book is the best it can be. It is wrapping up some final edits and in the hands of a few final Beta Readers to make sure this is the best quality I can offer to you.
But, as we wait, I wanted to give you insights of what you might expect, updates regarding the book, and so forth.
So updates: Just a few more readers are going through to make sure this book is as cleaned up as possible for your reading enjoyment. It takes several readers (over 10 this round) to catch errors and, even so, each one catches new edits and grammatical corrections. It is astounding how often this happens.
The AI Software Edits have been completed so, once I have the go ahead from more readers, we will have our officially moved-forward date. The hope is late spring, early summer, to get this book into your hands. If you want to help on with reading future books as a Beta Reader, please message me. I am always looking for quality readers to add to future lists.
Sneak Peeks
As I've eluded to in past, you are going to see some changes in this book. Changes in characters, their roles, their trials. Though your favorites are always part of the cast--Will, Rowan, Colin, Eldin--there will be the return of some old enemies, rise of some new faces, and a slew of new challenges.
You can expect new lessons for the characters (including court manners, which Rowan will always need...)
You can expect a favorite character to take on a new and unexpected squire.
Betrayals, mystery, conflict, and the fracture of friendships as promises clash against those people care about most.
You can expect the introduction of a minor character who will bring forward major changes in future.
You can expect adventure, entertainment, and battle.
You can expect destruction and danger.
Snippet
Well, as promised, here is a random snippet of the book that you may enjoy:
Will waited, heart slamming somewhere in his throat, eyes fixed on the place from which the voice had spoken. There was something vaguely familiar about the tone, and yet he was sure he’d never heard that voice before, at least not before today.
“Who are you?” Will growled, dagger still raised. “Why were you there with them?”
The man chuckled again. “Didn’t I just say they wanted me dead? No, I’m the reason you’re not captured by our little band of friends back there. That’s all you need know.”
“You knew who they were?” Will asked slowly, lowering the dagger.
Dark blue cloak brushing lightly over the dusting of snow, the cloaked figure appeared. Beneath his hood, it was just possible to see the knowing smile lifting the edges of his lips, the smooth jawline of a man’s young face. “Oh yes, I’m rather familiar with them. You should be too, by now.”
Something about the man’s movements, deliberate and smooth, made Will think of the archers who had appeared and vanished as if from nowhere. His eyes lowered to the quiver of arrows on the man’s hip and he tightened his hold on the dagger, nodding toward arrows.
“You’re one of them then, aren’t you?”
The man snorted. “How many times do I have to repeat myself? I just said they wanted me dead. Do you think they’d want to kill one of their own kind?”
The note of arrogance in the man’s tone made Will suppress the urge to roll his eyes. “I mean, you were one.”
“Then you should have said that. Yes, I was,” the stranger agreed coolly, shrugging and running one hand over the arrows on his side. They rattled in the quiver, quiet as a breath of wind through bare branches.
“Then who are they?” Will pressed. “Do they work for Tollien or for Marl?”
“Neither,” the man said, sounding almost bored. “And you should know who they are. This isn’t your first encounter with them, nor your first escape. I’m afraid to say our prior meeting wasn’t quite as welcoming as it might have been. But yes, we’ve met before. Or at least, I knew who you were.”
Will frowned, trying to think of where he’d seen those cloaks before. Then it dawned on him, the memory of less than a year ago seeming an age ago, washed away by all that had followed. He remembered Haru and a green cloaked man fighting in a tavern, Lady Serena bellowing for them to stop, the stranger’s promise that Haru would pay for what he’d done and the attack. The next day they had ridden into the attack, an ambush of archers from the rooftops of that village.
A name floated to the surface of Will’s mind and he said it aloud, the word strange and familiar all at once: “Ridgar.”
“Oh, what a relief, he has a brain tucked inside that royal’s thick skull,” the man mocked. “Yes, those were members of the Ridgar.”
“Then they were after me because Haru and one of their rogues got into a fight?” Will demanded, snorting. “And you were one of them?” He winced, catching the note of derision in his tone a moment too late.
“That would be a stupid reason to come after you,” the man snapped, his lofty arrogance replaced with annoyance. “I was one of them, I said that. You’re welcome, by the way, for helping you get away alive.”
Will’s face flared with heat, and he dropped his gaze to his boots, scowling. “Right… thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” the man repeated. That smug tone was back and made Will bristle.
He lifted his gaze again to frown at the figure. “So, if you’re not one of them, why were you there?”
“To make sure you didn’t go anywhere with them, obviously.”
Will’s eyes dropped to the quiver on the man’s side again, and an idea struck him.
“Hold up,” he said, his annoyance mounting. “It was you! You fired the arrows at me.”
“Yes, and you’re welcome again, by the way.”
“Welcome?” Will demanded, temper flaring. “You nearly shot me about a dozen times!”
“Don’t be dramatic, it was four. And are you dead right now?” the man asked, half laughing. “No, because if you were dead, you wouldn’t be nearly as annoying to me, I am sure. If I had intended that arrow to kill you, I assure you, Will, you wouldn’t be here to bicker. You would only have died if you were stupid enough to get in the way or not get out of the way.”
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