And the tail chasing continues...

So I'm back from hospital. A little dizzy, a little sick. And, according to my partner, mostly out of my gourd the whole way home. The procedure was fine and they basically said nothing's there. That's nice and all, but that doesn't explain why I'm in even more pain than I was before. I swear, sometimes I'm better off if I don't go near doctors.


The being said, I've made an effort to press on with my current obsession in seeing how A Game of Cat and Horse looks if I insert its chapters into The Rogue King.

No. It basically didn't require much in the way brainpower.

As I predicted, a large chunk of the story (some 20,000 or so words) was added to the initial plot. That's about two-thirds of AGoCaH's story and TRK, a novel teetering between 65 and 66k, is pushed just a little bit closer to a beefier book. Not sure how I feel about that.

What I didn't expect was where those chapters wound up.

Part of me should have. The Rogue King covers about twenty-six years, give or take some months, and AGoCaH travels along that vein ... and even a little bit after. That image over there is a comparison of TRK with and without the other bits. See how all that red and purple explode right in the middle? That's the beginning of A Game of Cat and Horse.

Yup.

So far, it looks doable. It's not all 100% "here you go, editor" complete (yesh, don't even get me started on how I'd manage to get that phase done). I've got to read it through, see if things still fit and adjust those that don't. Just looking at it, the last couple of chapters before the epilogue may not survive such a read.

And there's a few additional chapters that would be required to smooth things out. I might even rewrite a particular scene in another's pov. Who knows?

So it comes to a different question: What to do about the version already out there? Obviously nothing right now as this might not work out. It'd be easy enough to upload a new version of the ebook with all the necessary whatsits. The paperback* might be harder. If I do go through with this, I'll certainly have to look into that...

I guess I'll just have to wait and see, won't I?

* I guess, on the upside, those signed paperbacks I gave away last year would become limited editions.

Chasing One's Tail

Tomorrow, I head into the hospital to hopefully find out the cause behind this pain that I've had for about several months now. The last time I had this procedure, I woke up in the middle of it screaming that it hurt. So I'm a little nervous.

Naturally, I'm handling this in a very grownup manner: by thinking about everything other than what I should be.

Like what I'm actually going to do with A Game of Cat and Horse.

I'd also have one less
cover to have made

For those not in the know, this is a story I plan to publish after The Rogue King Saga. It's meant to be a companion novella/novel (depending on how long it gets) that circles around two characters who weave in and out of said saga: Laccindy and Jarend.

Meant to be.

It's kind of complicated.

It started off as a background story, a sort of midquel to the first book, then it morphed into a story that arched over the whole saga and now ... well ... sufficed to say that, if I published it before the saga was over, you'd know how a few key points in the whole story went down.

But sometimes, I wonder if ... maybe ... it would be better to slip this story into the saga instead. I can handle two extra povs. Hell, the Godless Series I plan to have follow is going to have at least twice that many povs. It'll need them.

Half of me feels like doing so would be adding filler. The other half knows I'm likely to run the risk of reiterating parts of the saga in another's pov just so this story makes sense (I've already done that with one chapter).

And there's the fact that half of the story happens within the bounds of The Rogue King. There are several conversations had with Veng, multiple situations that never appear in The Rogue King. It wouldn't be hard to merge those points. And it would likely bump up the reading age, not that I mind.

Do I really want to attempt a republish new edition? Just to insert their povs? Would a reader meeting Laccindy in the first pov switch via her first scene in AGoCaH react the same way to it if it were in The Rogue King? What about Jarend and her's romance (both the sweet and the steamy)? My biggest fear there is them overshadowing the lighter romance factor already in story. This is about the Rogue King, after all.

I guess the only way to know would be to write and find out...

It's official: I'm cracked...

It can be the only explanation between how this tweet:

Note to self: Don't look for covers that embody your story when you're only one chapter in. You wind up with a deep-seated desire to buy it.
— Aldrea Alien (@AldreaAlien) March 9, 2015

Had me winding up with this beauty not even a week later...

First Chapter on Wattpad

Yes, a story with, at most, 4000 words to it's name already has a cover. If that isn't classic arse-about-face, I don't know what is.

It is the most basic and symbolistic cover I've ever had linked to one of my stories. And, to be frank, it wasn't at all what I was originally looking for. I love having scenes of the world and its people on the front and my cover choices reflect that. But I knew this one couldn't be like that. To be honest, I think what I was looking in the beginning would've given the ending away.

Then there was this one. It pulled at me. It's just ... the right feel. And the longer I left it sitting on the artist's site, the more it pulled. So I cracked. I am cracked. Cracked little me.

And you know what? I'm not the slightest bit sorry.

Taking a Dark Turn

Seriously, 2015 what you're doing to me isn't good enough? You got to go after our poor border collie and let him get pancreatitis. Well, jokes on you. We caught it in time, he's better and we know how to manage it. So, thppt!
Anyway, in light of the past months, I'm being self-indulgent with my writing, bouncing between ... about three novels at the moment.

Quite the far cry from DOM,
Miss Weaver

The main focus is Dark One's Bride, which has recently grown a few chapters and is looking at having another rewritten. I honestly can't believe I'm thinking of scrapping the almost fully-written scene I already have for a ballroom scene. I'm going to have to write up another dance number, I can't write dances to save me. I really need to swot up on my moves so I can ... well ... move on.
I'm also pretty close to finalising the wedding attire. Clara's anyway. Dresses aren't my strong suit, but if there's one thing Clara loves, it's a well-made dress.

All that is followed closely by The Shadow Prince, because my muse decided it needs a few more chapters before tackling the third in that series. I'm still not certain if I should move the last 8k to the third novel or not. If it stays as is, then the second book will be the biggest of the four.

But even with everything, it's my newest WiP, Through Smoke and Fire, that has stunned me the most. I guess, considering the subject, I shouldn't be surprised the magnanimous father is becoming almost villainous in his actions as his son. I just wish he would settle on what role he wants to take so I can move on to more than the first chapter (which I have on Wattpad). Not that I'm looking forward to meshing the parts I have with an actual storyline. It's a little on the disturbing side and I'm wondering if the ending I was writing towards will suit it by the time I get there.
Ah, outlining, how I've missed your tangledness. At least it's owning its title, I suppose.


How have you all been? Has 2015 hit you for a six yet? Know of some crowded ballroom videos I can ogle?