Ahem …. it has come to my attention that I never officially revealed the cover or synopsis for Invoking Infinity (Archivist 1). So … just in case anyone missed it, here is the glorious cover designed by Damonza.
Synopsis: I’d given myself and Sisu twelve days to get settled into our new life before tackling my first official day as the head archivist of the magical archives at the National Museum of Ireland.
Our new kitchen was under construction, with the electrical and plumbing upgrades in the main rooms of the estate well on the way. I knew how and where to buy groceries, and had arranged a tutor for Sisu.
Totally under control.
Perfectly planned and executed, my to-do list had held strong through our transition into living among the Adepts of Dublin. With our secret identities firmly in place.
And then someone started releasing magical artifacts into the city, wreaking havoc on the witches and the werewolves. With me stuck in the middle, trying to sort it out with as few fatalities as possible. All while neutralizing the misused artifacts in question.
Thankfully, I was a quick learner.
And pretty damn indestructible.
Though the guardian dragons weren’t going to be pleased by a few of my more creative choices when it came to the care and keeping of magical … well, magical anything. But that was my job.
Even, as some might say, my vocation.
I was the Archivist of the Modern World, after all.
Invoking Infinity is the first novel in the Archivist series, which is set in the same universe as the Dowser, Oracle, Reconstructionist, Amplifier, and Misfits of the Adept Universe series. While it is not necessary to read all the series, in order to avoid spoilers the ideal reading order of the Adept Universe begins with Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (Dowser 1).
Pulou: guardian dragon. Aka one of the nine. Territory: Antarctica. Appears to be in his mid-50s, but is actually over 500 years old. Short-cropped, thinning dark brown hair. Huge (as a bear). British accent. Continually wears what appears to be a full-length fur coat, which is actually a manifestation of his specific guardian power – aka the treasure keeper. He can retrieve any item stored within his treasure trove via the inner or outer pockets of the coat. He can also create portals, some temporary, some permanently anchored. Oversees the archivist dragons. According to Jade, his magic tastes like heavy cream with hints of black tea. [Frequently used] object of power: a golden short sword with a large emerald in its guard (destroyed by Jade in Dowser 9).
Resides in the Nexus. Blossom is his personal brownie.
Pulou first appeared in Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic (Dowser 2), then again in Dowser 3, 4, 5, and 6. He is mentioned in Dowser 7 (and pivotal to the plot), finally shows up in Dowser 8, and gets into a brawl with Jade in Dowser 9. He also makes a cameo appearance in Awakening Infinity (Archivist 0).
Pronunciation: Pew-Lou (though I tend to pronounce it Pew-Lau, as in Loud – MCD) or click to listen to audio.
Pulou. Dragon. The Guardian of Antarctica. Treasure Keeper. Wears a multidimensional coat and can open a portal to anywhere in the world. Has a habit of collecting magical objects that don’t belong to him, using the moral high ground as justification. Hates raw fish, but will steal all the prawn tempura. Sketch by Memo.
Pulou. Dragon. The Guardian of Antarctica. Treasure Keeper. Bit of a stickler for the rules, as dictated by him. Definitely not a fan of being punched in the face with the instruments of assassination. Chews fine chocolate, even after being told nicely that he should ‘suck it’. Sketch by Memo.
Me: Okay, I’ve given my brain (and foot) a rest, time to write. Time to work on Archivist 2. It’s going to be fun and the ending kicks ass. Hard.
Also me: Totally. See I have my notebooks and I’ve skimmed the paradigm/outline. I’m going to write all the words today. And be more playful. I like the idea of being a bit more playful … Oooo, what about that idea I had about the new series/universe?
Me: Well, jot down a few notes, then get back to Archivist 2.
Also me: [two hours pass]: I have a complete origin story and a basic outline for the beginning of book one.
Me: Book 1??? I’m supposed to be writing Archivist 2! And if not, then Amplifier 5, or Misfits 2, or … or …
Also me: And now I need to reread Hitchhiker’s Guide to the –
Me: WTF??!! No.
Also me: But there are these fun touchbacks to –
Me: Absolutely not.
Also me: Lunch time! I promised I’d make sandwiches for Michael. *whispers* And in the afternoons I’m allowed to work on whatever I want, rules are rules.
Me: *inarticulate screaming*
First words inked on Waypoint 42. Series name subject to change.
I’m dusting off a short story idea for Burgundy in the hopes of having it ready to read by the last Thursday in April aka when I send out my newsletter. No promises – Archivist 2 should be my priority – but I’ll try.
What I adore about tackling a Burgundy POV tale is that she is the ultimate sidekick. A quarter witch who is specializing in healing? What the hell is she doing hanging out with a necromancer and a vampire?
How about a snippet to help celebrate a sunny Friday afternoon?
A newly inked page from my Moments of the Adept Universe notebook
Now here I was, necromancer unaccounted for, and trapped in a sealed circle with a wounded vampire — magic that I was only powerful enough to hold because I’d used a premade spell to trigger it.
Two things were about to happen.
The ghoul would break through the shoddy circle, killing me to get to the vampire.
Or the vampire would wake, possibly tearing out my throat and slaking his thirst as injured, fledgling vampires were reportedly known to do.
So …
Dilemma.
– Burgundy POV, Moments of the Adept Universe 0.4, first draft
After almost a year, Michael and I finally forced ourselves to leave the property/immediate area and do a proper hour and a half hike at Ruckle Park on Sunday. We’d been in the habit of hiking almost every Sunday for a good portion of 2019 into 2020 but got derailed by Covid19 and the fact that we are really, really bad at taking days off. Well, full days off. We are particularly skilled at pushing ourselves too long/far and then collapsing on the couch for a half day.
That is a pro/con of loving what you do for a living, I suppose. It doesn’t seem like work, but if you do it seven days a week, and therefore get little else done on the day you (occasionally) take off, you forget to at least go for a walk!
Anyway, I have no pictorial evidence but we saw two baby goats hiking the trail yesterday. Two and half months old, hiking with two adults and a six-year-old girl. Yes, like dogs. Nigerian Dwarf goats. They were insanely cute, nibbling on everything and not even sparing us a glance despite all our cooing.
Sunday, April 11, 2021. Ruckle Park. Salt Spring Island. A fallen, weathered arbutus tree, looking toward Pender island (far left) and Washington State (center).
The writing has stalled a bit. Not surprising because the constant headache had been really bad (spiking from the Estrogel and then back to being on nothing for two weeks) and therefore I had to focus as much as possible on getting Archivist 1 into the editor. For me, especially when I’m not feeling great, writing needs to be a daily activity so I can maintain it through deadlines, stress, etc. So now I have to either force myself back into it – maybe write something fun and frivolous – or just start writing a random scene for Archivist 2 even though I don’t have the novel perfectly plotted yet – I do have the opening, the midpoint, and a KICK-ASS ending all worked out, so it really shouldn’t be a problem sinking back into it.
Except, I’ve also been crazy neglectful of the other part of my job (for like over a year now) – marketing. And marketing, which I’ve been setting up/doing for a few days now, is a completely different mindset than writing. For me, at least. So I’m sort of blocking myself.
Anyway (x2) that is the long version of saying that I’m doing a marketing push on the Dowser Series specifically and the Adept Universe in general for the next four or so weeks, and any shares/likes/etc are greatly appreciated if you see any of my posts on your social media feeds.
And, it is possible, that there won’t be a new freebie short for April. I’ll try, but no promises. I’ll at least do a giveaway of some sort.
“Doran isn’t going to attempt to harm me,” I said calmly. “I’m a valuable asset. And he isn’t stupid.” My blood was also poison to him, if he could even sink his teeth through my dragon hide. He’d only claimed two hundred years though, so I didn’t think he was powerful enough to do so. Yet.
I, however, could skewer him through the heart with an exceedingly powerful bone blade before he even saw me lunge forward.
Not that I went around stabbing magical beings in the heart.
I just finished my first full pass on the story editor’s notes for Invoking Infinity (Archivist 1). Next, I’ll do another complete pass, smoothing the prose and making certain I haven’t inserted anything strange (i.e. continuity errors, etc) while working through the editor’s suggested changes/additions.
The book is now 104k. That’s long. I prefer to stay under 95k myself. But, the editor hasn’t recommended any cuts. Yet.
To celebrate getting through the last two weeks (which have been seriously, seriously rough for me headache-wise) I thought I’d share an excerpt from Chapter One and Dusk’s first day of work. I hope you enjoy it!
Leather-covered sketchbook (aka Infinity) created by Mille Cuirs. Ink: Caroube de Chypre by Jacques Herbin. Fountain pen: Parker Sonnet Ciselé Silver
I stepped through the door. Energy clung to me, trying to taste my magic, then slid off when it couldn’t gain purchase.
Like I’d said, it was difficult to ward against a dragon. We were magic, descended from demi-gods. Not that it couldn’t be done, but the witch who’d built the wards would have needed to have known that dragons existed in the first place. Outside of morality tales and mythology, of course.
The boundary wards yielded completely. My front foot landed on a worn rug set just inside the door to protect the oak hardwood. And the buzzing of all the magic objects on the shelves increased.
A wide grin swamped my face.
This already felt like home.
Literally. The library at my mother’s estate was filled with tiny touches of energy just like —
Something slammed into the side of my head, getting instantly tangled in my already wild hair and obscuring my eyesight. Tiny claws tried to hook into my skin, failing but then finding hold on my bottom lip. The creature latched onto my right upper canine and started nibbling and suckling.
Yes. On my tooth.
I laughed.
Still balancing the coffee and cinnamon buns in my left hand, I gently attempted to pull the creature off me. It clung with a tenacious strength that was usually only reserved for the starving.
And since going for my teeth was a bit of a clue as to what I was dealing with, this creature did have a rather specialized diet.
I managed to transfer its front claws from my lip to my forefinger, tugging it away from my teeth so I could peer at it. It assessed me with wide, dark-orbed eyes.
An imp of some sort. A wide classification for magical creatures — with or without wings — that ranged in size. Smaller than brownies but larger than pixies. This imp was the length of my forearm. Its eyes dominated its light-gray skinned face, except for the overly large mismatched teeth of its lipless mouth.
“That wasn’t nice,” I said teasingly, holding it loosely so I didn’t accidentally crush it. “You could have said hello.”
The imp narrowed its eyes at me, then it chittered discontentedly. It was unlikely it understood English, or spoke any language I could understand, but my tone should —
The imp sprung free from my grasp, attempting to launch off the coffees and Tupperware balanced in my other hand as it made its escape.
Four lattes in large paper cups and plastic lids didn’t make for a terribly stable surface.
Scrambling for footing, the imp leaped for the nearest shelf.
The lattes slammed into my chest and shoulder, lids flying off, and dumping hot coffee all over me.
Shrieking — even a dragon wasn’t completely impervious to heat — I lost hold of the cinnamon buns as well.
Hot liquid soaked into my hair and sweater, scalding the skin of my neck and collarbone, then dripping down my plaid skirt, all over my favorite brown boots, and the rug.
The imp watched me warily from the shelf at eye level to my left. It chittered quietly, disconcerted.
In other news, guess who didn’t actually hit publish on the paperback for Awakening Infinity (Archivist 0)? Ugh, me! I’m sorry. It should be available very soon.
I just dropped In Less Than a Moment (Moments of the Adept Universe 0.3) (aka Kandy 0.5) into the inboxes of my newsletter subscribers, and as promised, I actually remembered to start a thread where you could discuss all the secrets it reveals as a group.
The novelette (15k+) cracks Kandy’s background wide open – a large piece of the puzzle leading to the events of the Dowser series, as well as the upcoming Misfits 2. Yep, the Kandy stories are most definitely prequels to the second novel of the Misfits of the Adept Universe.
I’m making this tidbit of sunshine my desktop photo for the day – aka a little yellow daffodil that has braved the still-chilly morning temps to bloom – because I’m about to do a second pass on Kandy’s second short, In Less Than A Moment. And I know I’m going to blubber through it. Again.
I’ll just keep reminding myself that Kandy has found her pack, her family. Not that life is ever without strife but it can be filled with love and laughter at the same time.
***
In other news, I’m (slowly) putting together a Frequently Asked Questions, Spring Edition blog post so if you have any burning questions – LOL – drop them in the comments below and I’ll add them to the list (as long as it’s not too rife with spoilers).
I started my day by digging back into the Archivist series with only a vague idea for a couple of scenes for Archivist 2 and A LOT of Things-To-Be-Revealed™ for many, many books after.
Usually, I firm up the core idea for the next book in the series while writing the previous book. I leave myself notes … like breadcrumbs to follow into the brainstorming and outlining. And, since I usually write with a thriller-type construction (aka the antagonist propels the plot) and I adore seeding those relationships/possibilities, etc, in previous books, that usually means that I know who the ‘bad guys’ are for books ahead.
But even with a long list of Things-To-Be-Revealed™ I still had no idea who the ‘bad guy’ was for Archivist 2. I had a bunch of fantastic characters, two or three great scene ideas, and a throughline for the romance storyline, but that did not equal a plot.
So I pulled out all the sticky note pads I had – index cards would have been better but apparently I no longer own any – and I started with listing and placing all the secrets.
Then, still stymied on book 2, I thought about how the Archivist series is different from my other series, especially the Dowser or Amplifier (which also feature powerful characters). The WHY I was writing it. WHAT drew me to explore the idea. It’s easy to get caught up in the relationships and the background and all the secrets, but the FEELING of the series as a whole needs to be really established by the end of book two (or three if you include the prequels). In my opinion, of course and always.
That FEELING is tied directly to the main character.
So, what makes one main character different from another?
Answer: how she interacts with her world. How she reacts. Her fundamental nature when confronted with change or a threat/challenge/hurdle or an offer or desire, etc.
Does she create, like Jade? Does she protect, like Emma? Does she love, like Wisteria? Does she believe, like Rochelle?
Short answer for Dusk?
Yes. To all of the above.
So knowing how my main character reacts to challenges, knowing her capabilities, how do I force her out of her comfort zone? How do I shake her to her core? How do I make her doubt? Falter?
A rather difficult thing to do when dealing with a practically immortal being with vast resources.
Continually finding/creating a ‘bad guy’ who is stronger than Dusk is rather … farfetched. [This holds true for Emma as well]. Making a bad guy smarter is possible, except that level of intelligence really relies on the writer (aka me) and I rarely manage to outsmart … anyone, so I have no illusions that I could pull off that dynamic in a story.
So then the bad guy has to be sneaky … has to be patient … has to learn how to play Dusk … how to manipulate her. Then they have to offer her something she can’t refuse or give her no other choice but to step onto the wrong path …
Thusly armed with my notebooks and sticky notes, I figured out the ‘bad guy’ for Archivist 2 by lunch.
Then with Ed Sheeran’s Afterglow (YouTube video) on repeat, I had the major plot points – aka the beginning, middle, and end – plugged into my structure (aka paradigm) by 2 p.m.
Oh, I won’t be silent and I won’t let go
I will hold on tighter ’til the afterglow
And we’ll burn so bright ’til the darkness softly clears
Ed Sheeran, Afterglow
And, ahem, I might have paused for a few moments early on and dropped a few notes into my notebook for Amplifier 6 (yes, I’m writing that series a book ahead now).
Headache or not, apparently the muse only needed a little juice. Though a hot chocolate, the brand new notebooks, and some pretty ink might have helped along the way.
