As I’ve reported in a couple of places, I’m still working on Cojuration (Kid Sensation #9), but hope to finish it soon. That would be the second Kid Sensation novel this year and I’m shooting for at least three – more if I can pull it off.
In other news, my narrator is done with the audiobook of Isolation. I still need to listen to files, request changes, etc., but I’m hoping the audio version will be available by the end of the month. (They usually release my titles pretty quickly after they’re finalized, so I’m hoping that’s the case this time. However, it means I’m going to have to knuckle down and listen to everything this weekend.)
Hopscotching back to Conjuration, I recently posted another chapter from the book on my Patreon page. I also posted a brief overview of Smoked, the companion novel that will feature Smokescreen. Basically, although most of my patrons support me because they like my work and want me to succeed as a writer, I try to offer them value for their assistance in the form of exclusive content, among other things.
That said, it is still my intent to offer insight into my work here as well, and with that in mind, I though it would be fun to post a short excerpt from Conjuration below. (As usual, it comes with the usual caveats: hasn’t been proofed/edited, and so on.)
Her voice seemed to snap me out of my stupor.
“Ursula?” I muttered almost in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Ursula gave me a pained look. “Nice to see you, too,” she blurted out, then pushed past me into the mansion.
I shook my head almost in disbelief as I shut the door. Ursula was someone I’d met in a place called Permovren, which – frankly speaking – existed outside of space and time. That being the case, I hadn’t really expected our paths to cross again.
“So this is where you hang your hat,” she observed, giving my home a once-over. “Nice.”
“Thanks,” I replied. It was indeed a nice place and exponentially larger than the average home. That said, the castle in Permovren where I’d met Ursula had seemed infinite in size. In other words, she was probably just being kind, and I was about to comment to that effect when Smokey, Electra and Myshtal came into the room.
“Hey,” Smokey said, his eyes darting from me to Ursula and back again. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I assured him with a nod. “Uh, everybody, this is Ursula. Ursula, this is Smokescreen, Electra and Myshtal.”
There was a general round of how-do-you-dos, and then Ursula spent a moment scrutinizing both Electra and Myshtal.
“Let me guess,” she said a few seconds later. “This one” – she hooked a thumb at Myshtal – “is the ex.”
Internally I winced. Electra had only just really reached the point where she had stopped viewing my nominal fiancée as a rival. The last thing I needed was someone intimating that Myshtal and I made a better couple. (It also didn’t help that Myshtal was a gorgeous redhead with the innate ability to charm almost everyone she met.)
“Uh,” I muttered, “that would actually be Electra.”
“My mistake,” Ursula admitted. “Regardless, it’s nice to know who the competition is.”
As she spoke, Ursula gave Electra an emulous look. Electra, in turn, glanced at me with a who-is-this-girl? expression. On my part, it was all I could do not to groan aloud and wipe my face with my hand.
Ursula was actually nothing more than a big flirt, with no romantic interest in me whatsoever. More to the point, she loved playing these coquettish games (and obviously didn’t care about the fallout).
“Anyway,” Ursula continued, “I’m in town for a bit and I was hoping you could put me up.”
“Uh, sure,” I declared with a nod. “That’s not a problem.”
As I spoke, I felt more than saw Electra’s unfettered surprise, as well as similar emotions coming from Smokey and Myshtal (although not as intense).
“But just so you know,” I went on, “Myshtal and Smokey live here as well.”
“The more the merrier,” Ursula stated. “Now why don’t you show me where I can crash.”
Yay can’t wait for the next book!
LOL. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
you got me hooked on the WARDEN but no more WARDEN you wrong man
More Warden is coming – I promise.
I started the Kid Sensation series about a week to 2 weeks ago. I couldn’t put any of them down (or if I did, I picked up the audiobook instead).
I just finished Isolation, and while I’m looking forward to reading the companion books, I was saddened to see book 8 was the last. After reading what was above, an excitement akin to Christmas mornings as a child has taken hold of me!
I look forward to continuing with your other books in the meantime, but I cannot stress enough how much I’m looking forward to book 9. I even started my 9-year-old daughter on them and she’s already on Mutation and loving this series as much as I do.
Thank you so much for the compliments. I’m glad you enjoyed the books and hope future installments are just as enjoyable. Also, your mention of the audiobooks is timely because the audio version of Isolation was just released yesterday. (Also, I feel blessed in that it’s currently #1 in one of the superhero categories.) Thanks again for your support; it is greatly appreciated.
You’re very welcome! You’re an extremely talented storyteller and writer and you deserve all the accolades that accompany your skill. Congratulations on the #1 spot! That’s really something, and it’s easy to see how it got to the top spot. However, its release date is actually quite ironic because I was looking all over for the audiobook so I could flip back and forth when unable to sit down and read. But when I couldn’t find it, I powered through until I was able to finish it at around 3 in the morning. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until Jim solved the mystery. Much like all the rest, it most defintely falls into the “couldn’t put it down” category.
I have to say, one of the things I appreciated most about your books (other than the stories themselves) was the lack of inappropriate subject matter and language (which is why I felt my 9 year old was ready for them). It’s not often that you find writers in the secular space who adhere to that kind of tastefulness. I also appreciate that God was first on your list of acknowledgments. It’s obvious HE gave you these gifts for a reason. I sincerely hope you keep up the good work!
Thanks again for your kind words. I’ve clearly been blessed to experience a modicum of success as a writer, so I make it a point to acknowledge the Almighty in all my books. (Speaking only for myself, it would remiss to do otherwise.)
As to the subject matter and language, early on I knew I wanted to write something that my kids would be able to read (without waiting for them to reach the age of majority). Fortunately, it all worked out, both in the Kid Sensation books, as well as my Warden and Fringe Worlds. I think the only exception is the Mouse book, which does have adult language and themes.
Anyway, I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying the books, and ecstatic that you’re sharing them with your 9-year-old. Thanks again for the compliments – they really made my day.
Do you have any hints on what Jim is. You have been hinting at his abilities for so long. Will we ever find out?
Hmmm…I’m trying to think of a way to drop a hint as what Jim is, but can’t really do it without revealing something significant. That said, the short answer to your question is “Yes” – readers will definitely find out what Jim is.
Can’t wait to find out! Cheeky follow up, can you tell us when? 🙂
It’ll be in an upcoming book. (I don’t want to say which for fear of giving too much away.) However, I will say that more hints get dropped in Book 9, which I hope to finish soon.
I was wondering if you could at least tell us readers when the next book is coming out ,or if we can pre order it?
I’m trying to finish the next book now. When it gets released is usually based on a number of factors: how quickly my editor can get to it, how fast my formatting guy can do his thing, etc. The pre-order thing is kind of tricky; it provides a date certain that the book will be released, but actually involves a longer wait time, because everything has to be in place for publication something like a week beforehand. The last time I took a straw poll of my readers, most said they’d rather have the book earlier than have it available for pre-order. That said, I had planned to try it again (I did it earlier this year for the third Fringe Worlds novel, Ignotus), so we’ll see.
Just out of curiosity what Happened to Jim’s cognitive ability in the first book, does he still have it?
I’ve actually gotten this question a couple of times. The current theory is that – just like in the first book – Jim lacks the ability to distinguish between what his cognitive ability reveals and what’s an actual dream. However, he can’t spend all his time trying to run down whether a dream is “real,” so to speak. Ergo, while he’s taking some steps to investigate (which will be revealed in a future book), it’s probably safe to assume that, for the most part, he’s likely operating under the assumption that some outside factor or variable will make it clear when something he’s seen in a dream is actually a result of this particular ability.
Im really curious about the whole developing new powers at will power that you teased in replication. It seems like a similar power to mouse’s. Would love to see that explored further.
That’s a skill Jim didn’t actually learn. Plus, bearing in mind a conversation he had with Mouse, I’d argue that Jim understands that the natural development of his powers is more to his benefit than some sort of forced evolution of his abilities. That said, however, I wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of something like that happening.
I was wondering who is stronger Jack or Jim?
Physically – and based on everything that’s been presented – I would argue that it’s Jack. (After all, he’s got super strength.) That said, I think it’s obvious that Jim has other gifts which can compensate for that deficit.