Care for a Ticket?

Bashton offering Mierna a ticket to the next show – work in progress. Would you take it?

Piano on Thanksgiving

Just a various group of covers and originals I meshed together before heading out to Thanksgiving lunch. Enjoy!

Full Chapter on Patreon

Another finished (unedited) chapter is available on Patreon for No’va, Book IV in the Wisdom Novels® series.

https://www.patreon.com/wisdomnovels

Come to the Show

Bashton offering Mierna a ticket to the next performance since she missed the first one. I’m considering adding her hand reaching for the ticket to make it more engaging.

Chapter Snippet

From No’va Book IV – Wisdom Novels® series.

Tia had just put her son to bed when she heard the men return from their meeting. A quick glance out the window confirmed the majority going to their respective homes for the evening. A slight frown washed over her face upon seeing a touch of crimson, marking the fire mage heading down the street with another beside him. Sure it was Jenario, Tia just shook her head and made her way down the steps of their three-story home. None of the buildings were permanent housing, but with the addition of furnishings, such as newly made beds, tables and chairs, it was starting to feel more like a home. Tia had even hung some tapestries on the walls to make it more appealing to the eye.

She waited a few moments before greeting her fiancé by opening the door for him. The sudden inward movement caused Jenario to slightly stumble into her arms, receiving a welcoming kiss. Outisde, Shafari grinned before departing to his own place.

Jenario let himself melt into those arms. Having not seen Tia for the better part of the day, he cherished the moment.

“Abraham asleep?” He breathed in all of her scents, not wanting to let go. The more notable smell was cut wood permeating the room from an open window. As a brisk breeze ruffled through Tia’s hair, he curled a few fingers through it and wondered when the last time they had taken a moment for themselves.

“He’d been fussy all morning,” she said softly. “I think he just missed you.”

“I’m sorry.” Jenario finally released her. “It’s been a busy week.”

“The meeting went well, I take it?”

A nod. “Thomas Gracie is quite pleased with what we’ve been able to do so far. And soon they’ll be building a harbor along the eastern shoreline.”

“For fishing?” Tia asked.

“That, and trading. Imports. Things of that nature.”

Tia scowled. “Trade with Mayla?”

A chuckle. “There are other territories that might be interested.”

“Let’s hope so, for our sake.”

“Oh! You won’t believe what Nick just told me earlier. He was impressed with the medicines I made for him.”

“Was he really?”

“Yes! Said they worked perfectly! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to hear that? Finally, something is working right for once.”

“Let’s hope it only gets better.” Tia flashed him a proud smile. “Then…maybe…we’ll see what happens.”

Jenario stared in unblinking silence, letting her words sink in. “You mean…?” His voice sounded hopeful. “Mrs. Onyx?”

That alluring grin never wavered as she motioned for him to join her upstairs. Entranced, he followed into the unknown of love’s embrace. With the last thoughts of finalizing his family, Jenario welcomed the bliss of sleep in his lover’s arms.

Chapter Snippet

From Red Moon Rising Trilogy
Book I – No’va

The group was just getting settled when Jenario made it back into the unfinished section. A town square was beginning to take shape. At least it was marked by various levels of digging. It was a good size, appropriate for future merchants once the cobblestones were in place. A pile of select sizes lay next to several tiers of wooden scaffolding, which lined the fronts of the buildings down one side of the street. These were the storefronts with overhead housing options.

Jenario let out a sigh. It would be several months still before even half of the city was complete.

If only we had the ability to move stone more efficiently. The animal-drawn carts they had brought with them were not nearly as large as those back in Mayla, with more of them to tote heavy loads back and forth. Here, it took all day to break up the stones, load them, and send them to where the men were building the wall. Wooden planks were far easier to cut, but the hauling and placement part was still the same. A set of pulleys hoisted up supplies at the top of the scaffolding, and would take all day for a building’s core frame to get erected.

“Jen!” The voice of Shafari pulled him from his thoughts. “You made it back in one piece.” That sly grin. “Didn’t see any Black Wings out there, did you?”

“Well, not the aggressive type.” He caught a raised eyebrow from the doctor as he and his son took a seat close to Thomas Gracie, who signaled it was time. 

“Let’s grab a seat.” The mage indicated to a spot next to Mididus, who greeted the men with a nod. Beside him sat Lexingtons’s architect and shipbuilder, Roland and Phine. Though Phine had yet to produce his first ship since leaving Mayla, his expertise with building materials made it possible to create improved housing. 

The last two seated were Nemmerel and Nathan. Once everyone was present, Thomas Gracie stood.

“First of all,” he began, “I’d like to congratulate everyone for contributing and making this new city possible. There is much that still needs to be done. Phine,” he indicated to the shipbuilder, “has been scoping out the shores toward the east of us. Once we get enough done here, we’ll start making preparations to build a new harbor. This way we can reach out to those back at Astra and bring in imports.”

“Won’t the Council try to stop us from doing so once they learn where we are?” Nemmerel questioned, but Thomas Gracie shook his head.

“By the time we have the harbor up and running, we will have enough defenses in place. Interceptions should be not a problem. If anything, we should become totally self-sufficient and only rely on imports if necessary.”

Nathan, who sat twiddling with a dagger, then pointed it east. “And what if others decide to come here? Council or whoever?”

Their leader nodded in understanding. “If you’re referring to living here, I see no reason why it couldn’t happen. When we’re ready, we will open the ports for all. It would with additional income. We could sell property, rent out storefronts. There are all kinds of possibilities. And speaking of possibilities, many have voiced opinions about expanding to the other regions, which we will do at a later time once we’re properly settled here.”

New Music