Readers, as a grateful and joyful Christian, I want you to know that I know, through personal experience and countless uncanny answers to prayer, that God is real. He loves all of us. He has a plan for us as individuals and as a human family. And I have certainly seen His guiding hand throughout everything that has gone on in the past year.

This address from my church's latest conference perfectly encapsulates how I feel. I hope that reading it will bring comfort and encouragement to you as well.

Welcome to the new layout!

I decided I wanted to use this blog as my general author website, which necessitated a few changes. Please tell me what you think!

Not much to report other than that, except that I am going to try to use NaNoWriMo for Earthkeepers, so that should be fun! I have been really wanting to get cracking on that manuscript, but life has kept me so busy. It'll be really nice to get 50,000 words out of the way in a month! I'll post daily word count updates on my Facebook page, so follow me for some NaNo fun!

Also my niece is still terrifying, so there's that.

Worth Searching For, Chapter 23

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14
Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 - Chapter 21
Chapter 22 - Chapter 23 - Chapter 24 - Chapter 25 - Chapter 26 - Chapter 27 - Chapter 28
Chapter 29 - Chapter 30 - Chapter 31 - Chapter 32

Hyren thrust out his sword, but it was batted aside by an enormous dark paw whose claws grazed the metal, throwing up sparks. An immense weight flung him to the ground and pinned him there. As Hyren caught his breath and brought up his blade, it was caught by a black longsword.

Past it, glaring down at him, was an all-too-familiar Werelupe wearing a crown of bone. “You will regret your intrusion, treasure seeker,” the Werelupe King growled, his fur bristled and muzzle scrunched in sheer aggression.

“I’m not after treasure,” Hyren replied, trying to ignore the furry knee digging into his stomach.

 

Worth Searching For, Chapter 22

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14
Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 - Chapter 21
Chapter 22 - Chapter 23 - Chapter 24 - Chapter 25 - Chapter 26 - Chapter 27 - Chapter 28
Chapter 29 - Chapter 30 - Chapter 31 - Chapter 32

Roberta’s directions proved to be rather helpful and accurate—she didn’t give her memory enough credit. Hyren, Blynn, Celice, and Gwyneth found the turnoff easily, and by nightfall they’d begun to make their way up into the wooded mountains. Between the Ganuthor’s fur, their woollen cloaks, and a warming enchantment courtesy of Celice, no one was cold that chilly night. Even so, Hyren couldn’t help but be envious of Neopets with fur.

The next morning dawned clear and crisp. Most of the rain clouds from the past few days had moved on, leaving high wisps of white in the pale sky that foretold an impending frost. The days were getting colder and it might very likely snow if it clouded over again.

So much for an early spring, Hyren thought with dismay as he ate his breakfast of cheese toast. At least Celice was handy with her fire spells.

 

Worth Searching For, Chapter 21

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14
Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 - Chapter 21
Chapter 22 - Chapter 23 - Chapter 24 - Chapter 25 - Chapter 26 - Chapter 27 - Chapter 28
Chapter 29 - Chapter 30 - Chapter 31 - Chapter 32

As Isengrim carried Terra through the tunnels to the commons cavern for dinner, a tremendously mouth-watering smell began to fill her nose. It was savoury and hearty, and although she couldn’t quite place it, it made her even hungrier than she already was.

She and Isengrim had returned from Caxton Bank earlier that night, along with a team of Werelupes who had brought back everything from Isengrim’s “hunt” that the villagers could not use. The Werelupes had appropriated the Monocerous skeleton for themselves, as they could eat the marrow and would use the bones for decoration, jewelry, and toolmaking. They also, unsurprisingly, enjoyed merely gnawing on the bones.

Since Isengrim was wounded and could not take a very active part in things himself, and had a wounded owner to tend to, he spent the trip back giving her a tour of the woods. He showed her how the trees were beginning to bud, pointed out a family of Albats sleeping in the hollow of a tremendous old yew, and found some wild peppermint for her to taste.

Now they were back at the Burrows, and it seemed like tonight’s dinner was shaping up to be something different. As Terra began to hear the talking and laughing of Werelupes, Isengrim shifted her to one arm and covered her eyes with his paw.

 

Worth Searching For, Chapter 20

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14
Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 - Chapter 21
Chapter 22 - Chapter 23 - Chapter 24 - Chapter 25 - Chapter 26 - Chapter 27 - Chapter 28
Chapter 29 - Chapter 30 - Chapter 31 - Chapter 32

“Skoll, where are we going?” Pharazon asked as he trudged down the steep-sided forest path after his Werelupe mentor. Even filtered through a thick layer of clouds, the setting sun’s light hurt the faerie Draik’s eyes at first, a side effect of living underground. He had only been at the Burrows for a few days, but it already felt like an eternity to him.

“Somewhere special, my boy,” Skoll said. “I think you’ve earned a break from your studies.”

Terra and Isengrim had been absent still at breakfast, but Suhel received a Weewoo from Isengrim, asking for a number of available Werelupes to meet him in Caxton Bank to help the two get back to the Burrows. Pharazon hoped that meant his owner would return soon. Even though they were not on the best of terms right now, he still felt better having her around. And he wanted to show her how strong he had become.

 

Update time! Again I apologize that new chapters of Worth Searching For have been coming in fits and starts. I have been really wrapped up in this children's book project. However, today I sent off the finished pages to my client, which means the bulk of the work is done! Depending on how long she takes to get back to me, and if there are any alterations she wants me to make, I may have some time next week to post new chapters of WSF.

And after I've finished posting all of it, I'll get started on Earthkeepers! It feels like it's taking forever to get to this novel, but honestly I've just been so busy with other things. I don't want to start the manuscript yet because I don't like feeling like I have a lot on my plate, and I especially don't like having several unfinished projects going at once. So by waiting until I feel like I've freed up an adequate amount of time to dedicate to the manuscript, I'm reducing my stress levels, and I'm sure that will help me work more efficiently than if I tried to cram it in to my already crammed-full schedule right now.

So that's about all to report as far as creative work goes. My niece is still staying with me and is still hilarious. She's two and a half now. They call it the Terrible Twos... in her case it's more like the Terrifying Twos. She's super smart and can easily outwit us adults. But that also makes her extremely funny and she says some really cute things. She loves cats, so we were looking up information on Sphynx cats. She calls them "wrinkler cats" because they're wrinkly.

Take care, everybody!