While I know my spiritform can’t actually get cramps, it’s somehow still very uncomfortable to hold the same ridiculous pose as the life-sized conjured statue of my favourite Hoig for a prolonged period of time.
Even though the room seems abandoned, however, I don’t dare risking a peek out of my conjuration.
For one thing, there could be a security sensor here, giving a live feed to some bored officer in a little room somewhere.
Staying in here blind like a si...
2023-05-08 20:35:01 +0000 UTC
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With each step our trigot disguise takes towards the lower entrance of the Prismatic Theatre, the tension within me rises.
We’ve talked about what happens should a Peilor grow suspicious of us.
Plan A is to give them the slip, and shift to a new disguise.
Plan B, in case we really can’t lose them, is to have Suri make a show of using Spatial Energy to Warp us away, while we actually pull ourselves back into the Realm of Imagination.
If it comes to that, we can only...
2023-05-05 07:25:38 +0000 UTC
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Pretty much everything about The ‘Cracked Joke’ screams that the comedy club has seen better days.
While the massive crack in the crystal embedded in the stone façade seems to have been made on purpose, the ones in the yellowing plaster and the dirty windows, do not.
Unless it was purposeful vandalism, I suppose.
Still, there are some Peilor outside, their hosts standing around looking glassy-eyed as they chat in little groups, and sounds a lot like laughter come from i...
2023-05-01 08:47:54 +0000 UTC
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I'm coming down with a cold, which is never fun, but at least it comes at the tail end of a very productive week.
My chapter buffer is looking healthy again, so if all goes well, I'll be posting two chapters a week again starting next Monday! ^^
2023-04-28 10:17:03 +0000 UTC
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Stepping through the exit is surprisingly easy after all the effort we put into locating it.
My fears that we’d end up in a highly public location turn out to be unfounded, as we pop out floating in an unoccupied bit of void.
Or space, I guess I should say. After all, the Yin-Yang Realm doesn’t have voids; any otherwise unfilled space contains Aether.
It’s not all unoccupied space around us either, thankfully. There are enormous landmasses packed with...
2023-04-28 10:13:25 +0000 UTC
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“So, here’s my theory,” Suri chimes. “While Emma made a valiant effort to solve this maze, we still ended up going in circles. I believe the reason for that, is that she set herself up to fail from the start.”
I stare at her, rendered speechless that she didn’t jump on the opportunity to gloat.
With a satisfied smile, Kaitlynn grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “What was the problem then?” she asks in my stead.
“Emma was working with incomplete informati...
2023-04-21 09:16:00 +0000 UTC
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Entering the interstitial space together is a surreal experience. There’s the usual bombardment of white noise and flashes of light, of course, but that part isn’t too bad.
It’s nothing compared to the chaos in the actualRealmvoid, anyway.
The part that makes it so weird, and slightly nauseating, is that the direction each of us is pulling in seems to change every other second, like we’re all being dragged in random, constantly changing directions.
Well,...
2023-04-14 09:00:42 +0000 UTC
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Following the decision to actually go on a mission to the Yin-Yang Realm, comes a flurry of preparations.
And of course, we’re not the only party involved in these matters, so we quickly ask Trisha to summon the Cinnamon Circle.
The wait for them to actually reconvene is only slightly more frustrating than the meeting itself, considering the amount of discussion about the minutiae of our mission—mainly due to concerns from Marty—but finally, the entire war council i...
2023-04-07 10:39:43 +0000 UTC
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Amazon came out with Print-On-Demand hardcovers a while ago, and at first I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, 'No way I'm formatting all of my books again.'
For context, formatting The Whispering Crystals into nice-looking paperbacks was a ton of work, because I'm a perfectionist and most of those books have huge tables that were a real headache to position on the pages in such a way that they didn't end up creating a ton of ugly whitespace all over the pl...
2023-03-31 10:57:54 +0000 UTC
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Suri takes a little more time to think about it, but finally decides on a new promise.
She pledges to help us achieve our goal of saving Earth in whatever way she can, as long as the means don’t cross her bottom line.
A couple of very honestly answered questions later it turns out she pretty much would prefer not to go on a completely suicidal mission, or commit mass genocide of her people.
She’s apparently not above killing a few, though, as long as the situation calls ...
2023-03-31 10:23:52 +0000 UTC
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“Okay, I guess it’d be hard for me to gain any Skills without being mentally present,” I mutter, feeling my cheeks redden a little at the odd looks Suri and Kaitlynn are directing at me.
I kind of want to say I got distracted by the vegetable-clad Peilor—which is true—but the whole point of why I spoke without thinking was that I wanted to avoid drawing Kaitlynn’s attention back to the looming threat just a couple of floors below us.
“I just kinda figured......
2023-03-24 11:36:46 +0000 UTC
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I’m not the only one who notices the blood suddenly drain from Suri’s face.
“Suri?” Kaitlynn starts, leaning forward with a scrunched brow. “What’s wrong?”
Suri lets out a gloomy sigh. “I just remembered... There actually is one way for other Peilor to enter Starlight palace.”
I perk up a little, my interest piqued. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Capital punishment,” she chimes sombrely. “It’s a punitive measure only ever imposed on t...
2023-03-17 10:54:41 +0000 UTC
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My thoughts grind to a halt, and I turn to Suri in disbelief.
“Hold on, you mean the stars Starmother made... are weapons?”
“Well of course,” Suri chimes haughtily in reply. “What did you think they were, decoration?”
I share a glance with Kaitlynn, whose eyes look as big as mine feel, and my mind flashes back to the beams of pure Cold that erupted from Big Bortha back during our Seventh Trial.
Back then, after barely managing to push Kait aside at...
2023-03-10 08:12:37 +0000 UTC
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Pre-chapter note:
Somehow, I ended up uploading the same chapter twice, it seems. ^^'
Guess I've been a little preoccupied with the launch. ;)
Here's the actual new chapter for yesterday!
Enjoy!
Marty’s question causes my stomach to sink and a silence to fall over the war council.
Though I guess if it were up to him, it would re...
2023-03-04 17:23:13 +0000 UTC
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Another big milestone on this incredible journey, my fifth book has finally been published! ^^
Already my writing speed has improved this week. At this rate it shouldn't take too long before I'm back to posting two chapters a week! (Still a while though, my chapter buffer is currently far too small for comfort ^^')
Anyway, if you want to check Book Five out, you can do so here: https://books2read.com/Wh...
2023-03-03 11:20:37 +0000 UTC
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Book Five is nearly here!
Book releases are always a nerve-wracking time for authors, especially indie authors like me who are subject to the Zon's whims. 😒
But one thing that would really soothe my jitters, would be a launch team. ^^
A launch team basically just helps an author draw attention to a new release, by making posts about it on relevant subreddits/Facebook groups/Discord servers, and wherever else we can come up with.
Things like posting a review about th...
2023-02-24 12:24:54 +0000 UTC
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I can’t help but suck in a breath when the presence of Goddess washes over me from afar. Despite the walls between us, I reflexively turn to look in her direction.
With how sensitive I am to Espir fluctuations, sensing her is a bit like stepping outside on a bright sunny day after spending way too long cooped up in a dark room.
Seeing her sweep away the chaos storm was one thing, but actually feeling her power in person sends shivers down my spine.
To my surprise, I find t...
2023-02-24 11:17:10 +0000 UTC
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Kaitlynn stops eating her lemon square mid-bite, her eyes wide. “Duh pwice?” she asks with her mouth still half-full. “What pwice?!”
I squint at him. “Oh come on, you’re messing with us, right? Trisha hasn’t mentioned a thing about us paying her back!”
He lets out a sigh. “It may seem like Trisha doesn’t ask for anything in return, but she actually keeps a meticulous tab for each and every one of her patrons. And once you’ve hit a certain mysterious threshold...
2023-02-17 11:11:49 +0000 UTC
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To call the place Goddess has arranged as a hideout for me, Kaitlynn, and Suri ‘unexpected,’ would be a bit of an understatement.
I mean, I’d heard of Trisha’s Traveling Teahouse before, but a catering establishment on the back of a massive aquamarine snail does not exactly scream discretion or subtlety.
The reality is, however, that the Realm of Imagination’s foremost teahouse lends itself to such things extremely well.
The secret behind the mobi...
2023-02-13 11:24:00 +0000 UTC
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The moment the twister reaches us, both Kirri and the barge noticeably lift up a bit, as it attempts to suck them off the river.
Even if I would allow my feet to dangle off the front edge of the barge right now, they wouldn’t even touch the silver stardust.
Then Kirri crests the next wave, and for a moment... she hovers.
Thankfully, either due to our sheer weight, the shimmering, protective bubble surrounding us, or both, in the end the twister is unable to truly lift her ...
2023-02-10 14:22:30 +0000 UTC
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The deafening cheers cut off abruptly when the tear in the Realm’s membrane closes behind us.
The transition from a crowded plaza to an endless star-filled void is... jarring. The sudden silence is broken only by the gentle crack of Kirri’s sail and the river of light lapping against wood.
Sitting on the front of the barge, I let my bare feet hang overboard, enjoying the feeling of the silver stardust flowing between my toes.
“Wow,” Kaitlynn sighs almost reverently, ...
2023-02-06 12:40:51 +0000 UTC
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“I promise,” Suri chimes, enunciating every syllable extra clearly, “not to contact or provide information to other Peilor or any of their allies or subordinates, directly or indirectly, without Emma or Kaitlynn’s express permission.”
I narrow my eyes and go over that a couple of times in my head. Seems pretty watertight, if it’s only supposed to be about Suri reaching out.
I can tell from her intended meaning that Suri counts the various hosts the Peilor use ...
2023-02-03 12:40:05 +0000 UTC
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That's right, it's here! ^^
Erica Maity has done another stellar job bringing the story to life. I particularly love the voice of Loudmouth, just can't get enough of hearing him.
If you'd like to know what he sounds like, you can find the audiobooks right here:
https://books2read.com/WhisperingCrystals1
2023-01-31 13:30:18 +0000 UTC
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Pre-chapter author's note:
So, in response to reader feedback, one of the changes I implemented in Book 5 is that I added some Status Windows for Emma. (Which she generates herself)
I think you can guess why I'm mentioning this here, and if not, you'll figure it out soon enough. ;)
Eventually, once Kaitlynn is feeling a bit better, we move on to the final arrangements f...
2023-01-30 11:40:59 +0000 UTC
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Suri’s tether looks different from mine. Rather than a metal chain, it’s more like a rope made of pure, cyan energy.
The pulsing glow it produces is actually quite mesmerising. I’m clearly not the only one who thinks so, as Kaitlynn practically can’t take her eyes off it. She is sitting by Yuna, soothingly stroking the vixen’s fur. From Kait’s expression, however, I get the feeling it’s at least in part for her own comfort.
And hey, I get it.
For the s...
2023-01-27 10:04:48 +0000 UTC
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Once again, the raptor guards turn the massive purple wooden wheels, and the thick door of blue glass that secures the Vault slowly grinds open.
Frankly, I find the amount of time it takes a little grating, but I try not to show any outward sign of my impatience.
I would’ve loved to tunnel in, but after our battle, Bhat decided to add some new restrictions to his prison walls, lest another Ascendant showed up capable of bending space.
It seems my restlessness is apparent d...
2023-01-23 11:42:31 +0000 UTC
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I glance down at the jagged end of the chain that represents the severed connection to my own body, and a chill runs down my spine. “Right, because if we don’t sever her connection to her body, she might manage to pull herself into the Yin-Yang Realm...”
“That is indeed a risk,” Goddess replies. “Especially during transit, right before you reach my domain. However, it is not the main reason for this condition of mine.”
I frown. “What is it, then?”
“The co...
2023-01-20 12:25:03 +0000 UTC
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I find myself floating in a void above a familiar-looking sea of bluish-white particles.
For a moment, I’m worried I just accidentally entered my own Core, but then I catch a glimpse of my shape.
That is to say, I’m floating here in what seems like a miniature version of my own spiritform, which is not how I appear in my own Core.
In there, I’m more of a disembodied kind of floaty thing. It’s less like I’m actually there, and more like that point ...
2023-01-16 09:10:11 +0000 UTC
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Now that I know what the Peilor are planning, all my thoughts of leisure and taking it easy for a bit fly out the window.
Unfortunately, Bhat, ruler of the Great Guardian Clan and Apex of the Realm of Glory, still hasn’t finished delivering our message in a bottle to Goddess. Since we kinda need to hear her reply about what to do with Suri before we can move up to the Realm of Imagination, we’re stuck here for a little while longer.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can...
2023-01-13 12:21:08 +0000 UTC
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“They’re going to bring Earth over to the Realm of Crystals in its entirety.”
Suri’s statement hangs heavy in the dry, stale air of her maximum-security cell, deep down in the bowels below the Arena.
Yuna, the giant azure fox that shares Suri’s cell, picks up on the tension as well, lifting her head off her paws, but my attention is focused elsewhere.
From across the Imaginary table, I stare wide-eyed at the raven-haired human apparition Suri has conjured around he...
2023-01-09 12:57:24 +0000 UTC
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