Tag: 08 Flattered by Flowers

ART: Opal the Sage

Opulence Windlore. When this dragon clansman showed up for Bathed in Moonlight, it must have been a “confluence of destinies,” because he charmed his way into all my future plans for the Amaranthine Saga (and quite possibly a future Interlude). A song-writer and storyteller of some fame, he’s long-winded, high-handed, self-important, and often smug … yet somehow manages to be (as Sinder would put it) one of the good guys. Opal is due to recur in Bk7. ::twinkle::

. . .

Where are my manners?” Seyroo beckoned him closer. “Char, this good dragon is Opulence Windlore, widely known as Opal the Sage, a tale-bringer and lore-singer in high demand throughout the Widelands.”
“Charmed,” said the dragon, whose smile was winsome and wily.

—Bathed in Moonlight
(Songs of the Amaranthine, #7)

Opal the Sage | Art by FoxOfTwilight

. . .

Oooh. I happen to have a clip from Bathed in Moonlight, in which Opal presents Char with a choice:

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ART: Bloom for You

Hajime and Naoki. We first meet this duo in Flattered by Flowers (Songs of the Amaranthine, #8). Naoki is a bookseller in the city of Keishi, and he befriended Junpei, who became a regular at his shop. Only after a bit of tanuki mischief did Junpei realize that Naoki wasn’t alone.

“Tell me what you see,” Naoki prompted, his expression guarded.
Meeting a red-eyed gaze, Junpei offered a respectful nod. “I see another man with long, black hair and a lavish crown of red flowers. You are similar to Kusunoki, but Matsu’s friend has more height and girth and wears hakama.”
With a heavy sigh, Naoki said, “Junpei, meet my longtime companion, Hajime.”

Flattered by Flowers
Songs of the Amaranthine, #8

Bloom for You | art by FoxOfTwilight

November’s Monthly Mailing. Qualifying patrons will be receiving “Bloom for You” art cards this month. They’re large & lovely (4×9″). If you’d like to get in on mailings like this, consider supporting my storytelling over there. I’ll do my best to spoil you. ::twinkle::

forthright on Patreon >>

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Days Away

Flattered by Flowers: The Anthology will be releasing in print & audio formats in just a few days! There’s still time to pre-order. Further inducement comes in the form of … another audio clip, courtesy of Travis Baldree, this time from the titular Flattered by Flowers (Songs of the Amaranthine, #8).

Audible (US Storefront) >>

Audible (UK Storefront) >>

On a related note, if you’re planning to buy a signed copy of the anthology from me, the first shipment’s out the door, as of Monday. But there’s plenty in stock. Let me know if you’re interested in a signed copy. Details on this post >>

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Release Day

Flattered by Flowers. Today’s the day! The 8th Songs of the Amaranthine tale has released. Here’s hoping you enjoy the new addition. And since such tales are short & sweet, I’ll make this post do double duty as the Squee Post for Flattered by Flowers.

He’s a rough-hewn romantic, and she becomes his muse.
Junpei is a day laborer who’s supporting his mother and younger brother. He’s mostly resigned to rough hands and scant respectability, but for a few precious hours each evening, he loses himself in the colors and beauty of creation. His painted lanterns and parasols always sell, but supplies are costly, and unlike his illustrious father, he has no patron. While Junpei struggles to get by, strange things are afoot in Keishi—foreigners and their foreign ways. But he’s most interested in the lovely daughter of a local sweets merchant, whose kimono patterns inspire his paintings.

Release Day: April 4, 2022
Amazon (US) | Goodreads

Squee Post. If you need a place to react, confer, or kick up a fuss, this is the spot. I’ll enjoy your enthusiasm, I might be willing to clarify small points, but I reserve the right to evade questions that will be answered later in the Saga & Songs. ::twinkle::

[[[WARNING: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS]]]

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Release Eve

Flattered by Flowers. By my reckoning, pre-orders have already started to deploy, depending on your location. Here in the US, I think we have about 4 hours before I begin checking my Kindle. Sooo… I’ll be putting together & scheduling a release day post soon. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy your read!

FINAL HOURS
Still time to pre-order!
::twinkle::

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Junpei

Flattered by Flowers (Songs of the Amaranthine, #8) will release on Monday (4/4), and that means you’ll soon be meeting Junpei. If you’ve pre-ordered your ebook, you may even get to read his story a day early! For now, here’s a tiny introduction. Screencaps from the digital book & of the typeset page for the print edition (which releases 5/22).

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One Week to Go

Flattered by Flowers (Songs of the Amaranthine #8). The short story will release next Monday, and for those who pre-order, that often means it’ll show up on your e-reader the evening before. (As an avid reader & frequent pre-orderer, I’ve come to adore Release Eve deliveries!)

Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on ALL the uploads, including the anthology, which is off to the printer. This time around, I created back ads for my Patreon exclusive stories:

As you probably know by now, the print anthology collects Songs 5-8. Hemmed in Silver, Captured on Film, Bathed in Moonlight, and Flattered by Flowers. It’ll release 5/22 alongside the audio edition, narrated by Travis Baldree, who’s also been narrating Bard & Barbarian. (Nice segue.)

So much to be excited for! Thank you for supporting my stories wherever they’re found. ::twinkle::

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Typesetting Peek

Flattered by Flowers: The Anthology. My next print edition has hit the final stage of production. I’m in the process of typesetting the second Songs of the Amaranthine anthology, which will release on May 22, 2022. Here’s the excerpt I chose to lead into the titular tale:

This goes to show just how important Lord Mettlebright’s Man has become for laying in little details about the ongoing Saga & Songs. I do hope you’re reading along. Also, I’ll remind you that you can pre-order Flattered by Flowers (the single digital short story) over on Amazon. Once I finish typesetting, it’ll begin showing up in other shopfronts worldwide, as will the print edition.

Flattered by Flowers (Songs of the Amaranthine, #8)
digital only
April 4, 2022

Flattered by Flowers: The Anthology (Songs #5-8)
print & audio
May 22, 2022

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Narration Session

Imminent. As many of you know by now, there are audio editions of both the Amaranthine Saga and the Songs of the Amaranthine collection. Travis Baldree does a splendid job of bringing my assorted casts to life, and he lets folks listen in (and watch) while he does his thing. Since my turn on his docket is coming up in a couple of days, I’m inviting you to join in on the fun. You’ll need Discord. Let’s see. I explained the HOW TO on this post, from when he narrated Galleries of Stone.

The recordings will likely take four days (Friday, February 18 – Monday, February 21). Travis will be reading the four short stories in the next Songs of the Amaranthine anthology:

  • Hemmed in Silver
  • Captured on Film
  • Bathed in Moonlight
  • Flattered by Flowers

Fair Warning: He will NOT be reading Flattered by Flowers live, since I want to keep that tale under wraps until 4/4, when it’ll have its digital-only release. You can currently pre-order Flattered by Flowers on Amazon. It’ll show up in other venues soon. Flattered by Flowers: The Anthology will release in print & audio on May 22, 2022. I won’t start taking orders for signed copies until May 1, 2022.

Which of these four short stories are you MOST looking forward to (and why)?

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Flattered by Flowers

Teaser Time. As a reminder, I’m sneaking you a snippet from Flattered by Flowers (Songs of the Amaranthine, #8), which will release as a single, digital short story on April 4, 2021. Then, the next Songs anthology will release May 22, 2022 in both print & audio editions. As a matter of fact, Travis Baldree will be recording the short stories next week! Hemmed in Silver, Captured on Film, and Bathed in Moonlight are on the docket for public narration sessions, and you can drop in for a listen. (More on that later.) PRE-ORDER NOW

. . .

::twinkle::
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Cover Reveal

Songs of the Amaranthine, #8. The next Amaranthine title to release will be the eighth short story in the Songs collection. This time, the tale’s set in Keishi, Japan which is 1) where Hisoka Twineshaft is from, 2) where Kikusawa Shrine is established, and 3) where Junzi Chocolates was founded. ::eyebrow waggle::

He’s a rough-hewn romantic, and she becomes his muse.

Junpei is a day laborer who’s supporting his mother and younger brother. He’s mostly resigned to rough hands and scant respectability, but for a few precious hours each evening, he loses himself in the colors and beauty of creation. His painted lanterns and parasols always sell, but supplies are costly, and unlike his illustrious father, he has no patron. While Junpei struggles to get by, strange things are afoot in Keishi—foreigners and their foreign ways. But he’s most interested in the lovely daughter of a local sweets merchant, whose kimono patterns inspire his paintings.

Release Day: April 4, 2022

PRE-ORDER NOW
(Amazon’s US storefront)

Yes, this is a digital-only title. Yes, the short story will appear in other virtual stores once we’re closer to the release date. And since this is Songs 08, that means I’ll be pulling together the next Songs of the Amaranthine anthology, which will contain four short stories:

  • Hemmed in Silver
  • Captured on Film
  • Bathed in Moonlight
  • Flattered by Flowers

Print editions and the audio book are scheduled to release on May 22, 2022. More about that later! ::twinkle::

Add the story to your Goodreads shelves>>

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