Chapter 60 0f The Voice In The Forest

Camp

Hi Everybody!

It’s Camp NaNoWriMo!

As many of you know, NaNo is November where people all over the world challenge themselves to write 50,000 words. Well, in April and July of every year, there is also Camp NaNo.

During Camp the challenge is whatever you make of it. That means, I can make a series of challenges for myself that will help me catch up.

So, that’s my camp this year! And, I’m getting words written and edited!

More than I have yet been able to, in part because of the frequent breaks I have to take, the concrete goals have helped me to focus on checking the things off the list.

checking Things Off

Yes, it sounds strange. But since my neck happened, I’m so far behind and contracts have all been essentially pushed back with no dates attached, that it has meant running around like a chicken with no head trying to catch up on all the things at once. Now, I have taken the time because of camp to make the lists. And, oooh, look out! I have a plan. 😉 Everybody knows I am DANGEROUS with a plan. Buckle up.

Surprise!

Part of my plan calls for book 5 and 6 of Cinder’s story coming out this year. But another part also calls for the prequel/lore book in the same world to come out too. So, Dragon Queen will be coming out this year and will be exclusive to the newsletter! With that in mind, would you like to see the cover? Thought so. I am excited for what all of you think of this story when it comes out. I have known what was going to happen in this story since I started writing the first book for Cinder. Yes, my brain is a crowded place where the little man with the files is always frantically trying to navigate through the characters making his job a lot harder. This week there is also the next chapter of The Voice In The Forest for you, and next week I will have some options for all of you to vote on regarding what we do after Voice is finished here in the newsletter. I like doing a story of some kind here for you. So the options will be more concrete on which route we take from here. Without further ado: The cover for Dragon Queen!

The Voice In The Forest

Chapter 60 His hands shook, his eyes unfocused, and he seemed to shrink more by the second, as if he was willing himself to disappear from the world. Part of me wanted to take back the question, the same part that made my hands grasp tightly to him, not about to let go. But another part of me knew, that no matter how painful this was for him to face, if he was remembering something or if he was realizing something, we needed to know. It was our best avenue to understanding. “What?” My voice was barely there and shook. “Do you remember something?” He shook his head, his eyes coming back to the room and me in front of him, focusing on me as tears swam through them. “The only person I can think of who benefited in any way was…” His voice didn’t start off strong, but by the end of his sentence it was as thin as breath. I didn’t know how to help, how to encourage him to tell me even though I knew even thinking it, let alone speaking it out loud was painful for him. All I could do, was lean forward and kiss his forehead, holding him tight. Why did this entire process mean putting him through hell? “You don’t have to say it. Just…” I wasn’t even sure what I was saying anymore. “No… I need to… I…” He buried his face further into my neck, his breath shuddering against my skin. Wetness touched my neck and a sob ripped out of him. “Montgomery, I’m so sorry. Forget I said anything. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry.” Me and my damn pushing. I hurt him. This hurt him. Tears welled thick in my own eyes and regret settled deep into my bones. Pulling his face away from my neck only enough to trail kisses along my jaw and to my forehead he looked at me while he choked back sobs. “None of this is your fault, please stop apologizing.” His voice was stronger and more sure as he spoke to me, gone was the aching unsure grasping for words. “I always knew this was going to be painful, I just didn’t realize it would lead me to think…” Squeezing his eyes shut he leaned in and kissed me. It tasted of salt and inescapable pain, but under it all was his love pouring through him and all I wanted to do was protect him from more heartache. “We don’t have to keep talking about this right now,” I said between kisses, directly into his lips.He took in a deep, hitching breath and sat up straighter, running a hand along my cheek. “No. I need to get this out of me, I need to say it.”All I could do was swallow and nod, leaning my face against his hand as my fingers clenched tight onto him. “The only person I can think of, the one who inherited it all and always wanted more freedom from the expectations of the day was…” He shook his head as if he couldn’t entirely believe it, but I knew he did. No one would cry that hard over something they didn’t believe to be true, no matter how much they wanted it to be false. “My sister.”

Tada! I hope you love the cover!As always, happy reading!