Quarterly Art Cards. This mailing just went out the door! If you want to get in on all the Amaranthine-inspired art cards I send out, consider becoming a patron! ::twinkle::
More about this specific mailing can be found on this post >>
Countdown. We’re one month away from the release of Pimiko and the Uncharted Island, so I’m doing a character reveal. Here’s a teaser. Full illustration is under a cut in case you DON’T want to know anything more before you get to read the book. ::twinkle::
Pim Moonprowl, the titular character for Book 6, is an American actress. But you knew that already. Or did you? Pim has been around for a while. In fact, she was first mentioned in Bk3:
A commercial was running for some new drama in the fall line-up. The old man kept it muted, but his gaze never left the screen. He was long and lean like the other Armstrongs she knew, but his hair was pure white, and his blue eyes were partially obscured by reading glasses.
“You see that?” he asked.
She shook her head in confusion, then realized he wasn’t looking. “No, sir?”
He pointed with the remote. “Pim Moonprowl. First openly Amaranthine actress on primetime. Get this … she plays a wolf.”
Melissa stared blankly at the clip. The actress was clearly meant to be part of a team of investigators. A tracker with bare feet and baubles at her throat and ankles, clad in a form-fitting corset and a furry miniskirt the same color as her tail.
“Ever seen the like?” he demanded.
“She’s very beautiful,” Melissa managed as she watched that tail flick and curl.
The old man gave her a disappointed look, then harrumphed. “She’s very feline.”
Uncle Abel asked, “Does it really matter? Rivven all look the same to me.”
“Next time you ask for a puppy, you’re getting a kitten,” groused the senior Mr. Reaverson.
Tamiko and the Two Janitors
Amaranthine Saga, #3
Sixteen Years. As many of you know, I learned the ropes of writing fiction in fandom. I’ve always left my old stories, even the ones that make me cringe, posted. It’s sort of like … proof of where I came from, how I developed, what I achieved. But it’s also because I love those stories. I’m proud of them.
Forthright’s Doku-sona (from the Dokuga website)
Gift!art by FoxOfTwilight (kinda how we met!)
This week, I received a flurry of emails from folks because fanfiction.net, the only site where all of my stories are posted, is teetering on the verge of extinction. Abandoned by its administration, the dinosaur may soon vanish, taking everything with it. And my long-time readers, the ones who go back to regularly reread my fanfics, don’t want to lose their favorite stories.
It’s a shame. I’ve often joked over the years that fanfic writers are paid in reviews. Oh, there’s a stats page, too. My numbers are crazy. If you do searches for the most-reviewed and most-favorited stories in the InuYasha fandom, I have 6 titles in the top 20.
Assorted gift!art | ARTISTS: lila-me, rikayu-chan, j_lianne, janey-jane
Oodles more art on dA: Forthright Fanclub & Unspoiled Fanclub
I’m so grateful that some of my long-time readers followed me here … and trust my storytelling enough to have picked up the Amaranthine Saga. In a very real way, I wrote the series to tickle my fandom friends. A “-miko” for every main character, familiar plot set-ups (an enslaved butler, two janitors with a big secret, a hoarder and a home organizer, an accidental engagement involving a comb, and even a marooned wolf on an island with a resort), and borrowed settings (apple orchard, college campus, Founder’s Coffee Shop, and even Stately House). And Hisoka-sensei, of course (he’s an OC from Unspoiled). Early on, I used to say that I plotted the entire Saga because he deserved a story of his own.
I’ve been asked (again and again) to post my fics to AO3 (An Archive Of Our Own), which is where all the cool kids hang out these days. I did claim a profile, which is “forthrightly” since someone audaciously snagged my penname ahead of me. Here’s a link. If the worst occurs, I’ll migrate my stories to AO3. Nothing of importance will be lost.
“Miroku” | Commissioned Art by PurpleRebecca
I mean it when I say … thank you for supporting my stories wherever you find them. And happy anniversary to me! ::confetti toss::
Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in this series of vignettes because the Amaranthine Saga is mine. (Which means I should probably behave myself since anything I say or do could be taken as canon.) Indulge the lot of us, especially the one who needs things, too.
489
Sometimes
Pimiko and the Uncharted Island. All of the final checks are done with my printer, and I’ve ordered book boxes! They should arrive in plenty of time. If you’re interested in purchasing author-signed books from me, I’ll begin taking pre-orders on October 1.
Release Day: October 22, 2022
Pre-orders should begin showing up in all online bookstores within the next week or two. (Digital editions might already be there. Probably.) Ah, this is so exciting! :: confetti toss ::
Updated! Bard & Barbarian has updated over on my Patreon with Ch51, “Failsafe.” Because in a small crew, secrets don’t stay safe for long.
Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in this series of vignettes because the Amaranthine Saga is mine. (Which means I should probably behave myself since anything I say or do could be taken as canon.) Indulge the lot of us, especially the one who’s exercising restraint.
488
Only a Little
Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in this series of vignettes because the Amaranthine Saga is mine. (Which means I should probably behave myself since anything I say or do could be taken as canon.) Indulge the lot of us, especially the impulsive one.
487
Prelude
All through September. This month’s Patreon mailing is an Open Offer, which means that it’s available to all my patrons, no matter their tier. If you join at the Glimmer or Twinkle level, be sure to request yours! (All tiers above that get automatic inclusion in mailings like this.)
Midivar | art by Ren
Postcard: glossy, 4″x6″
Last Day to Request: September 30, 2022
Amaranthine and More. I’ve been gradually migrating toward story-related mailings for my patrons, and I’ve made the commitment for 2023 to print cards that tie in with my books EVERY MONTH. That means cover art, character art, book excerpts, and original outtakes & snippets related to the Saga & Songs, Bard & Barbarian, and 4thy’s new trilogy, which will see its first book release in 2023. If you like mail & you want to collect story extras, consider joining! forthright on Patreon >>
Thank you for supporting my stories, wherever they’re found.
Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in this series of vignettes because the Amaranthine Saga is mine. (Which means I should probably behave myself since anything I say or do could be taken as canon.) Indulge the lot of us, especially the one who’s lost track of the lesson plan.
486
Extracurricular
Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in this series of vignettes because the Amaranthine Saga is mine. (Which means I should probably behave myself since anything I say or do could be taken as canon.) Indulge the lot of us, especially the marvelous one.
485
Cutting Corners
Narrated Edition. Bard and Barbarian has been posting slow and steady over on my Patreon account. Reading along is great, but supporters on some tiers can now listen along. The story is being narrated by Travis Baldree. Ch38, “Trellis” just went live for those in qualifying tiers. AND Ch34, “Earning Epithets” has unlocked for the Twinkle and Sparkle tiers.
New narrated chapters will arrive every other Wednesday, which means … there’s always something more to look forward to! Learn more about my Patreon here >>
Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in this series of vignettes because the Amaranthine Saga is mine. (Which means I should probably behave myself since anything I say or do could be taken as canon.) Indulge the lot of us, especially the one who is trying to be clear.
484
Put Another Way
#Inktober2022. If you’re the sort of reader to pay attention to author notes, then you may have already realized that Inktober is kind of a big deal for Jacques. Back in 2018, when I saw the prompt list, I thought to myself, “what a good excuse to start a story!” So I concocted LMM, bringing to the fore one of the lesser-known and little-liked characters from Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox. Not because I had any great fondness (or plans) for Jacques (then), but because he was an outsider to all things Amaranthine. I thought it would be enlightening to get a human (non-reaver) perspective on all the goings-on at Stately House.
Next month will be our fifth go-around with the Inktober prompts. That means daily updates for LMM.
Claimer: I do hereby claim all rights and responsibility for the characters in this series of vignettes because the Amaranthine Saga is mine. (Which means I should probably behave myself since anything I say or do could be taken as canon.) Indulge the lot of us, especially the unique one.
483
Go On
FORTHRIGHT 