The Difference Between Robin and Clara

Also, I reeeeeally want to know why people let me get away with this. Both of these books came out THE SAME YEAR.

  She grabbed the hilt of a sword that was propped up against the wall behind her and tossed it to Arthur, no warning this time, but since he was watching her, he managed to neatly catch it. Despite getting instantly into position, however, the anticipated attack didn’t come. Instead, she sheathed her sword, leaned against the wall, and patted her mouth with a fake yawn.

  “Aren’t you…” he asked, lowering his sword slightly.

  “I’m waiting for you,” she explained. “I thought maybe you’d feel more confident if you lead the attack – since that’s what you’ll supposedly do against your Uncle Mortimer.”

  “It’s Mordreth.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “It’s still an awful name. Anyways, as I’ve said before, we don’t have much time. Every moment of hesitation is a moment wasted.”

  Arthur took a deep breath and, deciding she was serious, gave the sword a halfhearted swing towards her. She didn’t move a muscle, even when he stopped less than an inch away from her arm.

Slowly her eyebrows arched as she met his eye. “You didn’t even try,” she said, simply.

  He lowered the sword. “But I…”

  “Had you been trying, you would not have been able to stop yourself, the sword would have had too much momentum,” she explained. “The moment you started that swing, I knew I was perfectly safe.”

  Her sword sung as she pulled it from its sheath. Before Arthur had time to move, he found its tip at his throat.

  “But that’s just it,” she continued, narrowing her eyes. She took a step forward, forcing him to take a step back. “That’s why you’re going to fail with taking back the throne from your uncle. You’re scared. Let’s get one thing clear, Arthur. If you’re scared of him, he can’t be scared of you. Pretend I’m Uncle Mandrake. Make me scared of you.”

  “It’s Mordreth,” Arthur squeaked.

  “Does it matter?” her sword was suddenly back in its sheath, and she was leaning against the wall again, arms folded as though she had never moved. “Now let’s start over. Attack me.”

  Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he swung again, this time with every bit of strength he had, hoping he wasn’t making a big mistake. He doubted Eric would be very happy if his wife was seriously injured.

  Her sword met his with such force, it sent tingles down his arm, and his eyes flew open to find her glaring at him.

  “Never close your eyes when facing an armed opponent!” She took a step back and they both let their sword arms fall to their sides. “Other than that, not bad. I’d also like to establish right now that there is nothing you can do that will catch me off-guard – not with a sword at least. I’m always on guard. Not consciously, of course, but if I’m wearing a sword, I’m more ready than not. And if I’m not wearing a sword, or at least have one nearby … well, let’s just say that I don’t like it when that happens. But the question is, are you ready?”

- My Kingdom for a Quest

~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ve been practicing [archery],” Andrew informed her.

“I can tell,” Clara agreed, taking the bow away from him. “Now for the sword. As nice as the bow is, I’ve a suspicion that our battles will be hand to hand. Us getting swords, unlike the Leaf Princess and Wind Prince who both received bows, is not such a subtle hint. So, I’m going to focus on that with you. You’re fair enough with the bow so that you can use it in a pinch, like I am, so we need to focus on that sword of yours. I don’t want to lose you the first time we head into battle.”

“I’m glad to hear that you care so much about me,” Andrew noted, drawing his sword.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not you; it’s the fact that Klarand needs you. You might be worried about facing the dragon herself, but I’m not looking forward to the ruling that comes after that. So, I have vested interest in keeping you alive.”

Andrew took a step back as he processed what she said. She expected him to do the ruling? “Aren’t you going to draw your sword?” he asked, deciding that he would rather not ask questions and get confirmation that she meant what he thought she did.

“No,” she said, a dangerous light in her eyes. “I don’t need it against you. I might as well handicap myself and give you an advantage.”

“But you…”

“Come on, just attack me. I assure you that you aren’t going to hurt me.”

She looked pretty serious, so Andrew went ahead and swung his sword towards her. Not too fast, of course, since he didn’t want to hurt her.

At the last second, she ducked down, and at the same moment, reached up and grabbed his wrist. Then, while he was still processing what was happening, and off-balance from the swing, she knocked his legs out from under him. Next thing he knew, he was on his back, his own sword pressed against his throat, her knee digging into his stomach, and her free hand pressed against his shoulder to hold him down.

“Move faster next time,” she warned him, letting go of his wrist, and pulling herself off of him. He removed his sword from his throat, sat up, and stared at her. She sat with her legs tucked under her and hands on her knees, gazing back at him expressionless.

“How did you…”

“Didn’t I mention that I did martial arts, that I’m a black belt in Tae Kwon Do?” she asked, standing up. “My dad teaches it, and my mom teaches the sword. Naturally, I know how to fight one against the other. I also know how to use martial arts on a bow, though not from a distance.”

“Oh,” said Andrew. He regained his feet and readjusted his grip on his sword. “So, I’m guessing that you’d like me to try again?”

“If you would,” said she, actually drawing her own sword. “That was just a warning by the way, so you know what I’m capable of. I’m going to do my best to improve your skills, but you have to know what you’re working with, too.”

“Eh, no problem,” said Andrew. “Abraham used to knock me down a lot, too.”

“Good for him,” said she, smirking. “You’re shorter when you’re on the ground, and I think I like that better.”

- Water Princess, Fire Prince

Also, for the record, I'll be emailing the winners of the Tales of Ever After giveaway shortly. My last couple of weeks have been insane, and life only just decided to slow down, but I had to get The Worth of a King's ARCs out first. 

Look at 'em! Just look at 'em!

I am INCREDIBLY excited about this cover reveal. Not just one new cover, but a new cover for each of my six novels. Three of which - aka the Bookanias - I designed, the other three I must credit to Alea Harper, who is an awesome designer who's going to go far. She also advised me in the design of my three and gave me the watercolor overlay that I used on them.

She's awesome.

So, without further ado. The covers:
(Look at me not playing hard to get...)

This isn't quite the direction I had intended to take this cover, but then I found the background sunset, and it just screamed a horse, and it came together so brilliantly. For those of you who don't remember, Sew's original colors were pink and black, and so this cover really feels like it's going back to its roots, but this time with a horse and a lot more whimsy.

Oi, but this cover was a bear and a HALF to get just right, but I like how it ultimately came together. Yep, I was sneaky and worked in the old cover art - which was one of the biggest struggles. The other struggle was making sure that Madeleine didn't look like she'd been beaten.

Confession here - I never liked the sword that my cousin used for the cover of Kingdom. So, now that I had the power to do the cover myself ... I made sure that I had the right sword. Emerald in the pommel. Not a weird lion-looking thing.

Now we're to the Ankulen's new cover, first of the ones that Alea did. I was going to do this one, but she messaged me saying she had a concept ... and I offered to send her some pictures of the bracelet that I made for the original cover ... and of my legs. I had to shave my legs first. Anywho. I love the fact that the opening of the book is on the cover, and that there's a pen in the title. It's awesome. Alea is awesome.

You might recognize these cover - they're some of the fancovers that Alea did for Water Princess, Fire Prince. See, I mentioned to Alea that I kiiiiinda wished that they were the real covers, and she said she could make it happen. So, yes. Ain't they gorgeous?

I love all of these covers so terribly stinkin' much.

And check out all the blogs that are taking part in the reveal today. Comments left on any of the reveal posts count towards the giveaway.

Elvish Pens, Fantastical Writings

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke

The Flowering Vales

Reality Reflected

The Page Dreamer

Dreams and Dragons

Resting Life

Jenelle Schmidt

Regarding Reading and Writing

Hazel West's Character Purgatory

A Writing Journey

First off, sign-up for the blog tour is officially closed. I'll be putting up the schedule later today. The survey on the last post will be open until tomorrow afternoon, and I'll announce the winning NaNo book on Monday. So go vote.

Also, I received an email from CreateSpace today saying that, thanks to Hurricane Matthew, my proof may be delayed. So the print edition of Lady Dragon, Tela Du might also be delayed. We'll see.

I've been writing for most of my life, and I've been a published author for over five years now. I'm in the process of publishing my eighth book. It's been a journey. And I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on those stepping stones that are my former books.

Sew, It's a Quest
I can't read more than a few paragraphs without wincing. I never thought that I'd join the ranks of authors who can't read their published books but ... this book makes me consider applying to the club. Still, this story is dear to my heart, even despite the rushed scenes, awkward lines, and typos. I wrote this book at the height of the "everything is crazy" period of my life, at a point when I, quite frankly, was drifting away from God. It wasn't that I was running ... I just ... didn't feel adequate and was tired of fighting. I published it the following summer after my dad had a heart attack and I felt that I needed to contribute financially.

Saffron's Big Plan and Other Stories
After publishing Sew, I had great plans of publishing multiple books a year - and then I hit writer's block on multiple of my stories, particularly on Sew's sequel. My Papa was getting remarried that next summer, and I wanted to give them a nice present, and my thoughts immediately turned to book. In the spring before Sew's publication, I had run some story games on Facebook, and two of the stories we had actually finished. Mimi - what we call our new grandmother - had helped us with one of the short stories, so I thought it'd be fitting if I gave them a printed copy. Only, it was a very short story, and wasn't really worth printing. So I added he other finished short story. And then I dug through my old documents and found a story that I'd written for a contest. The document was still pretty skinny. So I wrote Push's backstory ... which ended up taking a bit longer than I expected and I missed the opportunity to give it to them as a wedding present. So I published it instead. I really don't have that much else to say about it. There were a lot of non-writing things going on in my life at this point that demanded priority. Like the friends that were staying with us for a short visit while they moved their house ... and it ended up being over six months.

Do You Take This Quest?
I tried so hard to have Take out the year after Sew, but Take just wouldn't behave. Maybe if it had a more cohesive storyline ... but, ah, well. My computer also died right before I was going to release it, so that threw a wrench in the works, especially after I had made a valiant attempt to edit AND write at the same time. I also decided that the prose was too wincey and downloaded the whole thing to my computer and retyped it up. Most notably, I took out a bit where Madeleine was sneezing at stuff. Ah, good times.

The Ankulen
I wrote The Ankulen around the same time as Take, but while Take was pulling teeth, The Ankulen was a breeze to write. It hadn't even been the book I meant to write next. I started a document for it one day and it just poured out. But this was the story that I needed, because it helped me define the sort of writer I meant to be. Sure, I love cutesy and fun, and I don't think I could write an entirely serious book to save my life ... but writing The Ankulen reminded me that I wanted to write stories that pointed to God, not just entertained. And it also taught me that I really am a multi-draft writer and that I shouldn't even consider publishing a first draft (Sew's problem).

Woodcutter Quince and Other Stories
Following The Ankulen's publication, I decided to get a job. (Or, rather, my sister got a job, I got jealous of the fact that she had spending money, so went and followed her. Then she quit and I paid her to do my chores. Ah, fun.) Said job sapped a lot of my creativity, and I didn't have any finished drafts apart from two messes that both needed serious rewrites. However, one day, I just sat down and started writing a bit of backstory for The Ankulen and randomly published it once I'd run it through edits. Then I took a bit of flashfiction I'd written for a contest and expanded it into CinderEddy and published it later that summer. And then I wrote Doranna and Casperl's backstory and published it shortly after I quit my job. I also meant to get a Saffron story in there, but the story is sitting in my docs only half-finished. I'll get around to it someday. I can't wait for you guys to meet Kacy and Kelp.

My Kingdom For a Quest
I attempted to write this for NaNo as I simultaneously edited Take. It did not go well, and I quit at 17,000 words.Then I rewrote the story in a notebook and discovered that Kingdom didn't really have that much more story left in it, though I did nearly double the word count. However, while I'd written the 17,000 words in a matter of a few weeks, the notebook version took forever. Still, Robin was such fun to write and when I actually was writing, it was a breeze. It just ... was really hard for me to get into the writing zone. I published it with my first blog tour. It was a smashing success. Kinda. But not as much as the book I released later that year.

Water Princess, Fire Prince.
I didn't expect to publish this last year. I thought that I still had a few more years of drafting to go before I'd be ready. But then I decided to do it for NaNo while I wasn't working ... and it just spun out. I had such fun with this story, and I've been both humbled and elated by the small fandom that has formed around it. I've received fan art. And fanfiction.

Lady Dragon, Tela Du
And as I'm on the verge of publishing LDTD, I feel as though I've come full circle. LDTD was the book that taught me how to write - indeed, I had just finished its fifth draft when I began working on Sew. I'm frankly amazed at how the story has come together, because let me tell you, it has not been easy these last few months. But I finished my final round of edits yesterday, and I just want to say - I can't wait for you guys to read it. Perhaps it's cliche to say this, but this is the story of my heart. Almost all of my betas agree that it's my best book yet.

And one drew me fanart!

And other made me mock covers.

Beautiful People - Shira

So apparently no one was willing to let me hijack their blog today for interviewing purposes, nor was anyone willing to risk Shira on their blog, so I'm going to interview her myself using the Beautiful People link-up.

(And for those of you who are coming here from the link-up, welcome! I happen to be throwing a party celebrating my blogoversary and my first book's fifth birthday. Feel free to roam around the blog, dropping comments, and you could win a full collection of my ebooks, details here, but don't feel obligated.)

Shira is answering questions herself, and the interview is set right after the main story of My Kingdom for a Quest. She's the strongest person in the world, thanks to her Fairy Godmother mixing her gift up with her brother's.

Via Pinterest

1. Do you want to get married and/or have children? Why or why not?
   I am currently preparing for my wedding to Prince Arthur. As for children, it will be my duty to produce an heir. I ... I know not if I am particularily looking foward to parenthood, but it is a matter of course that I should not worry over.
2. What is their weapon of choice? (It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical weapon.)
   My strength. I'm the strongest person in the world, and when that's true, pretty much anything can become a weapon.
3. What's the nicest thing they've done for someone else, and why did they do it?
   I ... I  know not. I try to help others as often as I can, make use of my gift constructively. I cannot think of any one time in particular, though. Well, I did let Arthur continue being crown prince/soon-be-king on the condition that I married him isntead of throwing him and the rest of the Britons in the dugeons where they belonged. I suppose that was nice of me.
4. Have they ever been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it?
   I admit I have. I have very great strength and I have a temper. I don't always act as a proper princess should.
5. Are they a rule-follower or a rebel?
   Perhaps a bit of both. I don't go out of my way to openly rebel - I get into trouble enough as it is - but nor do I like to follow all of the rules either. If I feel that I can take a liberty and bend the rules, I will, but I won't go out of my way to do it.
6. Are they organized or messy?
   I shall admit that I am not the neatest person in the world - that would have been my elder sister, Dylana. Nor am I the messiest either, though. That would be my twin brother, Samson.
7. What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?
   For someone to accept me for who I am, to not judge me for my gift. I don't look like I should be the strongest person in the world. The last person? Arthur. He's a dear thing.
8. What do they eat for breakfast? 
   Whatever is searved for breakfast. I am not a picky eater, though I do prefer meats. I ... well, it is assumed that it is a side effect of my gift, but I have a ravenous appetite. Given my size, most people are shocked by what I eat.
9. Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?
   I've lost several people now. My parents due to our castle being attacked, and my elder sister and my original betrothed thanks to attending Rosamond's sixteenth birthday party - Rosamond was cursed, you see. cursed to sleep a hundred years, and the rest of the castle with her. My sister didn't attend, since she'd just had her first son and didn't feel up to the trip, and Maxie ... well, Maxie was immune to magic and the curse couldn't affect him.
10. What’s their treat of choice? (Or, if not food, how else do they reward themselves?)
    Food's good, especially if it happens to be meat.. As I said, I have a ravenous appetite so something to eat is always nice.

So, that was Shira. Anyway, as I said, no interviews on anyone else's blogs, but check out the free books!

https://www.amazon.com/Prior-Quest-Bookania-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B008HVZCWA? July 25th - July 29th

https://www.amazon.com/Woodcutter-Quince-Bookania-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B00OYGVHP8? July 27th - July 31st

https://www.amazon.com/Take-This-Quest-Bookania-Quests-ebook/dp/B00CFDHFT4? July 28th - August 1st

It's a Girl!

Okay, so I technically posted this short story earlier this week, but I have to take that post down because I talked about the oil company I just joined. Big Brother, you see, doesn't like oils because it means healthier people and less money for them, and are trying to put such companies out of business. So, to help them avoid notice, we're no longer allowed to refer to them by name online.

However, if you want details, feel free to email me, because I'd love for you to join me! I'd like to make a secondary income out of this, and in order for me to do that, I need to get people under me (And as incentive for you to join - this company offers WHOLESALE prices and FREE oils to their consultants. It's awesome).

Also, as for the CE update that I had on the last post. No CE this month. CE next month. No CE in September. Sign up for my blog tour.

And at last, the short story. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ SEW, TAKE, OR KINGDOM!!!

This takes place a year after Take's close, on Robin and Eric's and Robert and Rosamond's joint first anniversary. I hope you enjoy it!

Via Pinterest

Once upon a time, in a land called Bookania, the royal midwife laid a newborn babe in its mother's arms.

"Congratulations, milady, you've given birth to a beautiful, healthy daughter."

Robin stared in awe at the squalling infant for a few moments, and then momentarily glanced back up at the midwife. "Only one?"

"Aye, it seems so, milady."

"Oh, I was sure it'd be twins." She glanced up as her husband, Eric, sat down beside her. "You don't mind, do you?"

"That there's only one? Not all. She'll give us a chance to ease into parenthood. As for her being a girl, you may recall that a girl was exactly what I wanted."

"I had hoped it'd be a boy who'd take after his uncle and father, not a girl to take after her silly, hot-headed mother."

"Perhaps she'll have her mother's spirit and propensity for trouble," said Eric, "but she can also have her father's ability to get out of trouble. Combine the best of both of us, you know."

"I guess so." Robin stared at the babe again, and then looked up at Eric. "And I guess you'd like to hold her. She's such a tiny thing."

"Babies usually are," said Maid Marian, swooping in to lift the babe from Robin's arms and set her in Eric's. "But they grow ever so fast, so treasure her now while you can. Now I must run along and check on my own wee one. Behave yourselves."

A few moments after she disappeared through the door, she returned, with a shake of her head. "Your brother and his wife are outside wondering if they might meet their young niece."

"Robert?" said Robin, perking up. "Sure!"

"I thought as much. However, you need to put on something slightly more decent first. He may be your brother, but you still need something more than your nightdress."

Robin nodded and accepted the shirt Maid Marian handed her without a word, her eyes scarcely leaving the child in Eric's arms as she buttoned it up.

Maid Marian left a second time, and moments later, Robert and Rosamond entered. Robert hovered by the door, but Rosamond rushed forward to peer at the tiny bundle.

"Oh, but it's so little!" she breathed. "Joseph was much bigger when we visited Conia and Benjamin, but he wasn't nearly as new. May I...?"

"Hold her?" finished Eric. He glanced at Robin, who nodded slightly. "I suppose you can. But be careful with her, she's very precious to us."

Rosamond nodded and held out her arms, and Eric lowered the bundle into them. Robert finally left the door to sit behind his wife.

"She's so..." Rosamond seemed at a loss for words. "To think that ... no." Her brows knit with thought.

"You did a fine job, Robin," said Robert. "Congratulations."

"Now you just wish you had one of your own, yes?" asked Robin, grinning.

"Perhaps," Robert admitted. "Once you've recovered, you'll have to come visit home. Father has been dropping not-too-veiled hints to Briar Rose and myself about grandchildren."

Robin and Eric both laughed, and he answered, "We'll be sure to come visit, just as soon as we have the chance."

"That reminds me." Robin suddenly sat up straighter. "Today's our anniversaries." She glanced between her husband and brother. "You two said you had a special surprise for us. I - I didn't ruin it, did I?"

"We did," Eric admitted. "But it was a mere picnic in the woods, and wasn't nearly as exciting as your surprise for us." He took the baby from Rosamond and set her on Robin's chest. "You didn't ruin anything."

"It sounds like it would have a lot of fun," said Robin, stroking the baby's curls. "Especially since I'm starving. Can we have a picnic in here instead?"

The two men shared a glance, and Eric sighed. "I suppose so. You do need to eat something, after all. Robert and I will go make arrangements, but you'll have to promise to rest until we get back."

"I promise."

"And you'll keep an eye on her and make sure she does that," Robert told Rosamond.

Robin obediently shut her eyes while her husband and brother left them alone.

"Do you and Eric have a name for her yet?" Rosamond asked at length.

Robin cracked open one eye. "I'm supposed to be resting."

"I know, but I was just wondering if you and Eric had decided on a name, or if you'd planned to wait until you knew if it were a boy or a girl."

"We were going to name it after his great-grandparents," said Robin, closing her eye. "Dylana or Peter. Since it's a girl, Dylana."

"She doesn't seem like a Dylana," said Rosamond, "especially not if she takes after you. Samson and Shira's older sister was a very quiet-spoken woman."

"Well, we were thinking about using her her middle name for common use," Robin admitted. "Maryanne, after Maid Marian."

Rosamond leaned forward to stroke Maryanne's cheek. "Yes, I do believe that suits her perfectly."

CE Bookania - Q&A

Today's the last day of my Blog tour, which has been fairly successful. I haven't seen as great of sales as I would have liked, but I think I've gained a few more readers, and those are always great to collect.

I have three stops for today:
The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls: Author Interview - This is the most unique interview I've ever had, since instead of asking the regular questions, she asked for insight into the details that have been hazy in Bookania. Gotta love Miss Melody.
Spiral-Bound: Book Review: My Kingdom for a Quest - Which was short, sweet, and to the point
Eagle Nest Mom: Guest Post - Favorite Fairy Tale Retellings - Pretty self-explanitory. Basically, I like high-concept retellings.

Also, today's your last chance to get Saffron's Big Plan for free, and Kingdom itself for just 99 cents! 

And now for the Q&A. I'm going to steal like an artist and use Jaye's idea of writing the Q&A in story format, which means that I can call it my Character encounter of the month. And so, let's begin:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walk down the forest road, my purple cape billowing about me as I approach an old, dilapidated building that seems about to fall apart. Pausing at the doorway, I check to make sure my pen is still clipped securely to my belt. There are a few characters within who are willing to question my authority as the Arista, and it's always better to be safe than sorry in this situation.

Taking a deep breath, I push the door open and walk inside to be confronted by the smell of delicious food and Sal's cry of "CUSTOMERS!!" I glance about the cafeteria to find that almost every table is filled with people. 

"Greetings," I announce. "I have arrived. Sorry about running a bit late, I was waiting until the last second to see if anyone else had any questions for you guys."

"Did they?" This question comes from Robin, who is seated between her brother and husband, chin resting on her hand as she glares at me.

"Sadly, no. Well, Abbey says she had one, but couldn't remember it. I guess I'll leave the comment section open on this blog post to see if anyone else has one."

"Well then, no questions, let's call off the party," says Robin.

"Not so fast," I say, whipping out a pad of paper and my pen, watching her eyes widen, as she knows the power of the Arista's Pen. "I said anyone else, there have been five questions submitted previously, two of them directed at least partly to you."

She mumbles something I can't quite hear from my position in the room, then squeaks as Eric kicks her under the table.

"But I'll start with Madeleine, since I know that she's actually the one dreading this the most. Best get it over with, right?"

Madeleine glances up from her paintbox which has been receiving yet another layer of paint. "Indeed, Arista. What would your readers like to know about me?"

"The questions are from my sister, she'd like to know how young you were when you started painting."

She nods slowly as she regards her box. "I don't think I'd had my second birthday yet when I first found my paintbox and decided that I wanted to paint my puppy, Mopsey. It wasn't very good, and I can assure you that if you search Locksley castle, you won't find it, since I painted over it when I was five, but still, it was my first painting."

"I remember Mopsey," Samson speaks up. "That black mess of hair thou called a dog."

"She was a dog," Madeleine protests. "Anyways, I continued to paint animals and flowers until my parents hired me three leading tutors when for my fourth birthday. So yes, I've had official training."

"Interesting," I say, nodding. "She'd also like to know what was your favorite painting you ever did."

"The one I put in Samson's room when I was six," she answers, without a moment of hesitation. "I put several day's work into it, not that he appreciated it."

"You painted roses," he mentions.

"Well, I'll leave the two of you to that argument," I say, turning back to Robin's table. "Now, the rest of the questions are for you four. First of all, my mom would like to know what you guys did on your honeymoons."

Robin stiffens, glancing towards Eric. "Uh ..."

"Well, as you stated in the final chapter of Do You Take This Quest?" Eric speaks up, "we went to the mountains where there were a collection of lakes and I taught her how nice adventuring could be."

"Indeed," she agrees, relaxing. "He also took me mudriding, which was lots of fun."

"Sounds like it. Oh, that reminds me, a year or so ago, a Miss Melody asked me what Mudriding was, and I answered her in an email, but if you two would like to answer now, I'm sure my other readers would appreciate it."

"Uh, we ride our horses through the mud and get dirty. Mother would never approve."

"What your mother doesn't know can't hurt her," Eric mentions.

"Indeed." I turn my attention to Robert and Rosamond. "And how about the two of you? What did you do on your honeymoon?"

"Well, we spent the first week travelling from village to village until we reached Skewwood forest, so we decided to spend the rest of it at Robin Hood's camp," explains Robert.

"We did a good deal of sewing," Rosamond adds. "And Robert taught his cousin Arthur archery."

"He's not doing bad at it, but I think he's more of a swordsman," said Robert.

"He is," said Robin, nodding firmly.

"The next question's for Eric," I continue. "I know you already answered it on Abbey's blog, but Morgan would also like to know: When did you realize you loved Robin."

Eric laughs. "About five seconds after she accepted the proposal I still don't remember giving her."

"I think it took me ten seconds," Robin admitted. "It was just the heat of the moment and all that. And ... yeah. Not that there ever was anyone else for either of us. I mean, I had my suitors, and he had his enchanted princess obsession, but we never actually seriously considered anyone."

"I believe this last question leads fairly naturally off of that, then," I say. "Robin, Morgan would also like to know who your favorite sword opponent is."

She casts Eric a sidelong glance, as she leans forward mischievously. "That's a complicated answer," she admits. "I mean, I don't like it when my opponents aren't very good, since I like the battle to last a little while. However, I don't like it when they're cocky, because we all know who's the best swordsman in the world, and it isn't them. And of course-"

"It's me," Eric cuts in.

She flicks him an annoyed glance. "Look who's so sure of himself."

"Well, you only spent how much of your childhood swordfighting him?" I ask, "And even now that you're married, you still cross blades with him quite frequently."

She shrugs. "Can't let him get out of shape, now can I?"

I laugh. "Well, that's it for the questions," I announce. "However, I am going to leave the door open, and if anyone wants to come in and ask a question or two more, I'm going to let you guys answer it, understand."

"I think that translates into make," said Robin.

"In your case, yes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And there we go, and the party's officially over. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and as I mentioned, I'm going to leave the comment section open - and you can ask a question of any Bookania character, including myself, because as Arista, I am part of the Bookania world. I haven't reached the book where that element is introduced, but I'm looking forward to it.

Bookania - Your Way

First of all - this is my 700th post! *Throws confetti*

Secondly, it seems that my quiz yesterday is tilted, since everyone is getting Robin or Serendipity, although I've personally received Joan and Doranna a few times.


And now, for the mad-libs. First: the original text:

“Only twelve hours! Leo, there is no way to escape Briton Dungeons. No way!”
“That’s what they said in the dungeons of Fronce, too,” said Leo absentmindedly, taking a sip of his gruel. “Now be quiet while I think. And eat up. We’re going to need our strength!”
“Dungeons in Fronce!” Gavin squeaked.
“Yes, now those were dungeons! Now be quiet.”
Gavin fell silent and simply stared in the direction of his friend, the look on his face (had it been visible in that dark cell) a mixture of confusion, awe, and horror.
“You wouldn’t have happened to have fallen in love with any young lady who would be able to arrange for a soldier to play traitor and get us out of here, now would you?” Leo suddenly asked.
“No…”
“Ah, well, I suppose that not every young lady can be so obliging. And now that I think about it, it’s as good a way into the dungeon as out. Now where was I … No, bribing the guards is out of the question. All we have is gruel to call our own, and I’m sure they have much better food in the soldier’s quarters.”
“We’ll never get out of here!” Gavin moaned.
“That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks,” said Leo. “But I tell you, there’s a way out of every sticky situation. You just have to be observant and look for it.” Leo frowned as he set his now-empty bowl to the side. “It’s too bad Mordreth doesn’t have any daughters for us to charm. Only that good-for-nothing Kew, and I really don’t see him helping. And Arthur’s gone, so that’s out of the question.”
“If Prince Arthur was here,” said Gavin, “we wouldn’t be in the dungeon.”
“Good point,” said Leo. “As I was saying, we could always try to steal a key and unlock the door, but that can be a very tricky business, and it’s very easy to get caught. And then where would we be? Probably talking about death sentences some more. Honestly, they don’t bother me, just all this talk about them. It’s enough to drive a man mad.”
And now for your versions.

Abbey:
“Only one month! Leo, there is no way to escape Briton Dungeons. No way!”
“That’s what they said in the dungeons of Fronce, too,” said Leo absentmindedly, taking a sip of his omelet. “Now be quiet while I think. And eat up. We’re going to need our strength!”
“Dungeons in Fronce!” Gavin creaky staired.
“Yes, now those were dungeons! Now be quiet.”
Gavin fell silent and simply stared in the direction of his friend, the look on his face (had it been visible in that dark cell) a mixture of confusion, awe, and horror.
“You wouldn’t have happened to have fallen in love with any young lady who would be able to arrange for a lieutenant to play traitor and get us out of here, now would you?” Leo suddenly asked.
“No…”
“Ah, well, I suppose that not every young lady can be so obliging. And now that I think about it, it’s as good a way into the dungeon as out. Now where was I … No, bribing the guards is out of the question. All we have is omelet to call our own, and I’m sure they have much better food in the soldier’s quarters.”
“We’ll never get out of here!” Gavin moaned.
“That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks,” said Leo. “But I tell you, there’s a way out of every daring situation. You just have to be observant and look for it.” Leo frowned as he set his now-empty bowl to the side. “It’s too bad Mordreth doesn’t have any Taylor Swifts for us to charm. Only that good-for-nothing Kew, and I really don’t see him helping. And Arthur’s gone, so that’s out of the question.”
“If Prince Arthur was here,” said Gavin, “we wouldn’t be in the dungeon.”
“Good point,” said Leo. “As I was saying, we could always try to steal a dictionary and unlock the door, but that can be a very tricky business, and it’s very easy to get caught. And then where would we be? Probably talking about tar and feathering some more. Honestly, they don’t bother me, just all this talk about them. It’s enough to drive a man mad.”

Morgan Huneke:
“Only twelve milliseconds! Leo, there is no way to escape Briton Dungeons. No way!”
“That’s what they said in the dungeons of Fronce, too,” said Leo absentmindedly, taking a sip of his macaroni and cheese. “Now be quiet while I think. And eat up. We’re going to need our strength!”
“Dungeons in Fronce!” Gavin kaboomed.
“Yes, now those were dungeons! Now be quiet.”
Gavin fell silent and simply stared in the direction of his friend, the look on his face (had it been visible in that dark cell) a mixture of confusion, awe, and horror.
“You wouldn’t have happened to have fallen in love with any young lady who would be able to arrange for a surgeon generals to play traitor and get us out of here, now would you?” Leo suddenly asked.
“No…”
“Ah, well, I suppose that not every young lady can be so obliging. And now that I think about it, it’s as good a way into the dungeon as out. Now where was I … No, bribing the guards is out of the question. All we have is macaroni and cheese to call our own, and I’m sure they have much better food in the soldier’s quarters.”
“We’ll never get out of here!” Gavin moaned.
“That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks,” said Leo. “But I tell you, there’s a way out of every slimy situation. You just have to be observant and look for it.” Leo frowned as he set his now-empty bowl to the side. “It’s too bad Mordreth doesn’t have any Rose Tylers for us to charm. Only that good-for-nothing Kew, and I really don’t see him helping. And Arthur’s gone, so that’s out of the question.”
“If Prince Arthur was here,” said Gavin, “we wouldn’t be in the dungeon.”
“Good point,” said Leo. “As I was saying, we could always try to steal a peanut butter jar and unlock the door, but that can be a very tricky business, and it’s very easy to get caught. And then where would we be? Probably talking about playing Barney songs some more. Honestly, they don’t bother me, just all this talk about them. It’s enough to drive a man mad.”

Amanda:
“Only a century! Leo, there is no way to escape Briton Dungeons. No way!”
“That’s what they said in the dungeons of Fronce, too,” said Leo absentmindedly, taking a sip of his french bread. “Now be quiet while I think. And eat up. We’re going to need our strength!”
“Dungeons in Fronce!” Gavin splooshed.
“Yes, now those were dungeons! Now be quiet.”
Gavin fell silent and simply stared in the direction of his friend, the look on his face (had it been visible in that dark cell) a mixture of confusion, awe, and horror.
“You wouldn’t have happened to have fallen in love with any young lady who would be able to arrange for a soldier to play traitor and get us out of here, now would you?” Leo suddenly asked.
“No…”
“Ah, well, I suppose that not every young lady can be so obliging. And now that I think about it, it’s as good a way into the dungeon as out. Now where was I … No, bribing the guards is out of the question. All we have is french bread to call our own, and I’m sure they have much better food in the soldier’s quarters.”
“We’ll never get out of here!” Gavin moaned.
“That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks,” said Leo. “But I tell you, there’s a way out of every capricious situation. You just have to be observant and look for it.” Leo frowned as he set his now-empty bowl to the side. “It’s too bad Mordreth doesn’t have any Elizabeth Swansons for us to charm. Only that good-for-nothing Kew, and I really don’t see him helping. And Arthur’s gone, so that’s out of the question.”
“If Prince Arthur was here,” said Gavin, “we wouldn’t be in the dungeon.”
“Good point,” said Leo. “As I was saying, we could always try to steal a brick and unlock the door, but that can be a very tricky business, and it’s very easy to get caught. And then where would we be? Probably talking about the stocks some more. Honestly, they don’t bother me, just all this talk about them. It’s enough to drive a man mad.”

Addyson M. Huneke:
“Only twelve minutes! Leo, there is no way to escape Briton Dungeons. No way!”
“That’s what they said in the dungeons of Fronce, too,” said Leo absentmindedly, taking a sip of his macaroni and cheese. “Now be quiet while I think. And eat up. We’re going to need our strength!”
“Dungeons in Fronce!” Gavin bamed.
“Yes, now those were dungeons! Now be quiet.”
Gavin fell silent and simply stared in the direction of his friend, the look on his face (had it been visible in that dark cell) a mixture of confusion, awe, and horror.
“You wouldn’t have happened to have fallen in love with any young lady who would be able to arrange for a general to play traitor and get us out of here, now would you?” Leo suddenly asked.
“No…”
“Ah, well, I suppose that not every young lady can be so obliging. And now that I think about it, it’s as good a way into the dungeon as out. Now where was I … No, bribing the guards is out of the question. All we have is macaroni and cheese to call our own, and I’m sure they have much better food in the soldier’s quarters.”
“We’ll never get out of here!” Gavin moaned.
“That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks,” said Leo. “But I tell you, there’s a way out of every pusillanimous situation. You just have to be observant and look for it.” Leo frowned as he set his now-empty bowl to the side. “It’s too bad Mordreth doesn’t have any Nancy Pelosies for us to charm. Only that good-for-nothing Kew, and I really don’t see him helping. And Arthur’s gone, so that’s out of the question.”
“If Prince Arthur was here,” said Gavin, “we wouldn’t be in the dungeon.”
“Good point,” said Leo. “As I was saying, we could always try to steal a snowman and unlock the door, but that can be a very tricky business, and it’s very easy to get caught. And then where would we be? Probably talking about being whipped some more. Honestly, they don’t bother me, just all this talk about them. It’s enough to drive a man mad.”

Deborah O'Carroll:
“Only twelve seconds! Leo, there is no way to escape Briton Dungeons. No way!”
“That’s what they said in the dungeons of Fronce, too,” said Leo absentmindedly, taking a sip of his chocolate cake. “Now be quiet while I think. And eat up. We’re going to need our strength!”
“Dungeons in Fronce!” Gavin resounding crashed.
“Yes, now those were dungeons! Now be quiet.”
Gavin fell silent and simply stared in the direction of his friend, the look on his face (had it been visible in that dark cell) a mixture of confusion, awe, and horror.
“You wouldn’t have happened to have fallen in love with any young lady who would be able to arrange for a colonel to play traitor and get us out of here, now would you?” Leo suddenly asked.
“No…”
“Ah, well, I suppose that not every young lady can be so obliging. And now that I think about it, it’s as good a way into the dungeon as out. Now where was I … No, bribing the guards is out of the question. All we have is chocolate cake to call our own, and I’m sure they have much better food in the soldier’s quarters.”
“We’ll never get out of here!” Gavin moaned.
“That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks,” said Leo. “But I tell you, there’s a way out of every frightened situation. You just have to be observant and look for it.” Leo frowned as he set his now-empty bowl to the side. “It’s too bad Mordreth doesn’t have any ladies for us to charm. Only that good-for-nothing Kew, and I really don’t see him helping. And Arthur’s gone, so that’s out of the question.”
“If Prince Arthur was here,” said Gavin, “we wouldn’t be in the dungeon.”
“Good point,” said Leo. “As I was saying, we could always try to steal a unicorn tapestry and unlock the door, but that can be a very tricky business, and it’s very easy to get caught. And then where would we be? Probably talking about being tied to a chair and locked in a closet some more. Honestly, they don’t bother me, just all this talk about them. It’s enough to drive a man mad.”

Jenelle:
“Only many moons! Leo, there is no way to escape Briton Dungeons. No way!”
“That’s what they said in the dungeons of Fronce, too,” said Leo absentmindedly, taking a sip of his avocado. “Now be quiet while I think. And eat up. We’re going to need our strength!”
“Dungeons in Fronce!” Gavin whistling winded.
“Yes, now those were dungeons! Now be quiet.”
Gavin fell silent and simply stared in the direction of his friend, the look on his face (had it been visible in that dark cell) a mixture of confusion, awe, and horror.
“You wouldn’t have happened to have fallen in love with any young lady who would be able to arrange for a colonel to play traitor and get us out of here, now would you?” Leo suddenly asked.
“No…”
“Ah, well, I suppose that not every young lady can be so obliging. And now that I think about it, it’s as good a way into the dungeon as out. Now where was I … No, bribing the guards is out of the question. All we have is avocados to call our own, and I’m sure they have much better food in the soldier’s quarters.”
“We’ll never get out of here!” Gavin moaned.
“That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks,” said Leo. “But I tell you, there’s a way out of every chill situation. You just have to be observant and look for it.” Leo frowned as he set his now-empty bowl to the side. “It’s too bad Mordreth doesn’t have any ma'ams for us to charm. Only that good-for-nothing Kew, and I really don’t see him helping. And Arthur’s gone, so that’s out of the question.”
“If Prince Arthur was here,” said Gavin, “we wouldn’t be in the dungeon.”
“Good point,” said Leo. “As I was saying, we could always try to steal a baby monitor and unlock the door, but that can be a very tricky business, and it’s very easy to get caught. And then where would we be? Probably talking about time outs some more. Honestly, they don’t bother me, just all this talk about them. It’s enough to drive a man mad.”

I'm ... honestly not sure which one is my favorite.

Meanwhile, I'm making three stops today

Author blog of Rachel Rossano: Guest Post - Arthur: Bookania vs. The Legend, where I talk about the differences between the legend and the version that's in Bookania.
Singin' My Own Song: Character Interview - Eric, where he reveals his favorite food.
Thoughts and Rants: Author Interview, which also includes an review of Sew, It's a Quest! Do check it out.
And I'm down to two books free today:

Do You Take This Quest
Saffron’s Big Plan and Other Stories

But Kingdom is still just 99 cents!

Interview with Robin

Greetings Robin, and welcome to Knitted By God's Plan! *Loud trumpet fanfare.*

No. Just, no, Kendra.

What? I was just trying to introduce you properly.

I think your readers all know me well enough by now. You've written, what, three books about me?

Well, yes, but you're my favorite character so far, in Bookania. I can't have a big release party without having you over over for tea.

You don't even like tea, Kendra.

Common misconception. I like tea when it doesn't taste good. There is a difference.

If you say so Kendra. Now, why did you drag me onto your blog today, because I'm quite certain that it wasn't so that you can pretend to like tea.

Eh, no, now that you mention it, there are things that I should like to discus with you. *Pulls out a list*

Please no.

First off, what is your opinion of this latest volume of the Bookania Quests.

Better than the first two, except for the fact that I only see my brother for ONE afternoon.

Sorry. I was dealing with a few time constraints, I wanted to have the two of you together longer, but it didn't happen. So you approve of the rest of your story.

*Shrug* As I said, it was better than the first two. You're learning how to make your stories fun, that's for certain, Kendra.

Why thank-you. Any particular thoughts, maybe on a certain Prince Arthur? I'm sure my readers would love to hear your opinions on him.

His swordsmanship could use some work, but I'm seeing to that. He's not bad for not having ever had a real sword before in his life, and he's had a good teacher. Absolutely smitten with Shira, though I'm not sure he's quite realized it himself.

And how about the other narrator of this lovely little story. What are your opinions on him?

You mean Eric? Uh ... he's my husband. I married him at the end of the last book. Do my opinions matter?

You're grumpy today.

And you're nosey. It's one thing when you're just writing the books, though it's bad enough, but pulling me out and making me answer questions ON your blog is quite another thing.

Well then, be that way. Guess you'd like me to return you to your book now?

Will you? Not that it was terribly exciting from where you pulled me. We were just wandering through woods.

*Zaps her back into the Book*
Eh, I guess she wasn't interested in being interviewed today. I'll have to try again later. That reminds me, on the 21st, I'll have all of my characters answering questions, so you can either ask them in the comments below, or you can check out the Goodread's group where you can ask the questions on the characters' specific threads. Currently, I only have two questions to ask, and one has technically been answered during Abbey's interview with Eric. 

While you're over at Goodreads, you can also vote on what Bookania's fandom should call itself, and speculate on what will happen in future books.

And on to the stops I'm making today. I only have two, but they should be good ones:

Author Blog of Jenelle Schmidt: Character Interview - Arthur - Where he divulges some facts about himself that even I didn't know about.
Shire Reviews: Book review: My Kingdom for a Quest. I actually have no idea what her review will be, but she gave the book 5 stars on Goodreads, so that's a hopeful sign!

And with the exception of The Ankulen, all of the books are still free, and My Kingdom for a Quest is still just 99 cents! Snag them up!

Sew, It’s a Quest

The Woodcutter Quince and Other Stories

Do You Take This Quest 

Saffron’s Big Plan and Other Stories

Things about Kingdom

My internet was not being nice last night, and then my brain was scattered all this morning. As a result, this post is on the late side.

So, basically, I haven't talked that much about the trivia and plot of Kingdom, so I've decided to change that.

- Robin list comes up a few times, and she manages to mark some things off.

- Robin and Robert discover a few more facets of their gifts.

- My favorite chapter would be chapter six, which involves Robin, Arthur, and swords. I also really like four, because Robin and Eric are just so sweet in that chapter.

- The diary entries in Do You Take This Quest are referred to and explained at the end of Kingdom.

- I'm really not sure why this book gave me such trouble. The characters themselves behaved beautifully. The book just didn't want to get written.

- There was a whole dream sequence planned for between chapters 10 and 11 where the whole cast turned into animals. It didn't get written, indeed, it's what tripped me up in the first draft, but I think you might find the animals I'd picked out interesting.
Robin: A red horse
Eric: A large St. Bernard dog
The old man: A lion
Shira: A white dragon
Samson: A yellow canary
Madeleine: A mink

Solomon: An orangutan

Serendipity: An owl

Casperl: An eagle

Doranna: A parrot

Dick and Theo: Herons

Vernon: A beaver

Robin Hood: A wolf

Maid Marian: A swan

- At one point in the writing, I had three different opening chapters, but wasn't sure which one I wanted to use.

- They're all still there, but the one I wrote came up with last is the first one in the book.

- I actually only wrote through to chapter 9 in the notebook. I typed the rest because the notebook was falling a part and I suddenly had more computer time than I used to.

- There isn't much pun presence in this book. There was so much going on, I didn't have time to have them show up. 

- I wanted to bring in the Cloud Sprites Echo and Zephyr in this book, but it didn't happen. They're two of the more interesting of the sisters, Zephyr being the onlyonewhotalkslikethis, as ... apposed ... to ... this, and Echo is based on the Greek myth.

And I'll leave you guys with that, since this post really needs to go up.

Stops on the tour today:

However Improbable: Guest Post - Necessary Elements of Arthurian Retellings, where I tell you the seven items that are required to make your Arthurian Legend great.
Author Blog of E. Kaiser Writes: Author Interview, Where we indulge in a philosophical discussion about fairy tales.
Author Blog of Jenelle Schmidt: Book Review: Sew, It's a Quest, Where she confirms that the book does not have a cliff hanger, despite what you may think.

And, also, I have FIVE books free today, though today's the last day to pick up The Ankulen if you don't have it already.

Sew, It’s a Quest

The Woodcutter Quince and Other Stories

Do You Take This Quest 

Saffron’s Big Plan and Other Stories

The Ankulen

And Kingdom itself is just 99 cents (I checked this time.)

So treat yourself to a lovely little adventure and get all of my books today for just 99 cents! What could be a better deal?