Writing Contest and Book Awards Update

So just a quick update on the Writing Contest and the Book Awards.

First of all, on the contest, because there were only nine entries, I cut the second place prize. The Rivershore Publishing Gift Card will be given away elsewhere, probably in the word war, though, so stay tuned for that.

On the Book Awards - I realized a couple days ago that I wrote down one of the dates wrong. The Nominated books will be announced on the 13th, not the 18th. So, if you have a book nominated, please make sure that your free/99 cent promotion is sceduled starting on the 13th.

Thank you. That is all.

Oh, and I only have two more chapters left to rewrite of Sew, It's a Quest. (Would have been more, but I decided to take a bit of a down-day yesterday. That and my computer ate the work that I did do...)

Anywho, snippet!

This scene, btw, is one of my favorite expansions. Although the one I wrote Saturday between Robin and Eric was awesome, too. Let's just say, you know the Robin you saw in Kingdom? The one that gave Shira the serious talk? Well, that's the Robin that showed up for this scene.

For lunch, they stopped at a tavern. Over their meal, Robert fell into conversation with a man seated near them. This man’s clothes were flashy, as were his manners. He had a fancy sword which he kept handling in a way that made it impossible for one to not notice it.

“So, where’s your weapon?” he asked Robert after a while.

“I don’t have one,” Robert admitted, good-naturedly. “Haven’t since it was discovered that my sister was the better swordsman between us.”

“Your sister!” the man exclaimed.

Robin looked up. She’d tuned the conversation out sometime before, but now it seemed that it’d taken an interesting turn.

“I bet that you think think yourself good with yours,” she said, eyeing him thoughtfully. He seemed the sort who was more brag than actual skill. The sort who’d take down opponents just to make himself feel better, but would talk out of any real match.

“Indeed,” said the man. “In fact, I’m on my way now to try for the hand of Princess Robin of Locksley. I hear that she’ll give her hand in marriage to whoever bests her chosen opponent in a duel. Not much is said of her beauty, but she is a princess.”

Robin nearly choked on her drink. Oh, these were the worst.

“Princess Robin’s ‘chosen’ opponent, as you put it,” she said after she’d regained her composure, “is an exceptional swordsman.” She pulled herself down to seem non-threatening. “As one swordsman to another, I … I don’t know that you could stand a chance.”

“Perhaps a friendly duel might set your mind at ease,” the man offered.

She put on her best concerned face and looked up at the man through her eyelashes. “Oh, it would, sir. Only—” she cast a sidewise glance at her brother, who was trying very hard not to laugh. “Only you must promise me that if you lose, you won’t go to Locksley. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself publically.”

The man gave a patronizing laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of embarrassing myself.”

Needless to say, twenty minutes later, he was staring forlornly up at his fancy sword, which was now lodged in a tree trunk a full thirty feet off of the ground.

“Hey!” he shouted after Robin and Robert, who had remounted and were riding away. “How am I supposed to get it down?”

“Climb!” Robin shouted back at him. “It’s good exercise! And remember your promise!”

Robert just sighed and shook his head.

“What?” Robin said, pretending to be offended. “He was going to come suit for my hand, anyways. Just thought that I’d give him what he wanted.”

“I know,” said Robert. “But did you have to lodge his sword so high?”

“Someone had to teach him a lesson!”

“And it had to be you?”

“I didn’t see anyone else stepping up to the task,” Robin answered, innocently.