Here we go! Hope you enjoy it :)
-Plum
Victor sat atop his horse, looking out over the long column of marching soldiers. He patted the Mustang’s shoulder and turned to where Rellia, Valla, and Lam had stopped, their mounts unable to reach the crest of the scree-covered slope. They also observed the army, Rellia pointing and saying something, her voice lost in the wind. They’d been on the march for nearly two weeks,...
2023-06-08 15:01:07 +0000 UTC View PostHi Patrons! Here's today's update. Thanks for all the supportive comments for the last couple of chapters; sometimes I begin to doubt myself, especially at night when I'm trying to sleep and I remember what I typed that day. Its nice to get some feedback from those of you who think things are shaping up just fine. :)
Not that I don't need that critical feedback! I do, and I appreciate it. Speaking of which, please let me know what you think of Juliet's behavior in this chap...
Hello everyone! Here's your new chapter, but before you get into it, let me respond to some very valid comments I received about the last chapter (and this book in general.) YES - the main plot, the army going to the Untamed Marches, is taking a LONG time. It's taking longer than I thought it would, too! When I plotted out this book's plotline, I figured I'd spend ten or fifteen chapters around Fainhallow and Persi Gables. Here we are on chapter 25, and they still haven't left! I ...
2023-06-06 15:43:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello Dear Patrons! I'm very excited to announce that Dungeon Delver, the second book in the Victor of Tucson series, is live on Kindle and Audible today.
If you've read this book here or over on Royal Road, I'd sure appreciate it if you gave the page a visit on Amazon and left a review or at least a rating. Ratings are important, for sure, but apparently, especially so on launch day. Algorithms - gotta love 'em.
If you haven't read Victor of Tucson, and you're just here ...
2023-06-06 09:30:57 +0000 UTC View PostHere's the chapter! I hope it's not too far-fetched, this whole situation. I got some feedback that too many things were lining up coincidentally, but, well, I think it's plausible. Hopefully, the story is fun enough for you to keep reading, even if you think there are a few too many coincidences.
Juliet's a bit down on herself, but don't worry, as a reader, I don't like long, drawn-out pity parties, so I don't tend to want my MC to wallow around fo...
2023-06-05 14:40:38 +0000 UTC View PostHere's today's chapter! Love to hear your feedback :)
-Plum
After the skirmish with the Ridonne and his squad of stealthy assassins, everyone, especially Rellia, agreed it would be wise to return to the encampment; her luxurious send-off dinner was canceled. After they’d all reaped their rewards in post-battle Energy, Victor helped the other high-tier members of their party secure the surviving Imperials, gagging, bi...
2023-06-04 12:09:08 +0000 UTC View PostHello wonderful Patrons! I hope you're having a nice day and have a great weekend in store. Here's a little excitement, a little drama, and a little excitement (in that order.) Hope you enjoy :)
-Plum
Maybe it was the fact that she saw the two men lifting their guns. Maybe it was a combination of the horrors she’d seen and imagined about a corp wanting to collect an “indentured” pregnant girl. Maybe it was just that she’d...
2023-06-02 12:35:32 +0000 UTC View PostA bit of action to get your blood pumping on this fine Thursday. Cheers!
-Plum
“So that’s one of ‘em?” Victor watched the gold-clad man charging toward him, easily ten feet tall but still a child compared to Victor. “Doesn’t seem so tough.”
“Careful, Victor,” Lam said, still hovering above him near his enormous, blazing banner.
“Well, if the Empire is moving against us, this moment was c...
2023-06-01 11:41:14 +0000 UTC View PostHere's our Wednesday delivery. Fighting an annoying cold here, but still trying to get my words in. Enjoy :)
-Plum
Juliet and Bennet hurried across the street, still almost devoid of traffic. “Guess they don’t get started too early in this part of town,” Bennet quipped as they stalked down the side alley of the processing plant. “See any workers with the drone?”
“Yeah, but my PAI mapped us a route ups...
2023-05-31 11:55:17 +0000 UTC View PostAfter receiving my publisher's blessing, I've decided to add a new benefit for my top-tier patrons!
If you are someone who supports me on Patreon at tier three and you're wanting to read a book that is currently unavailable, like Victor of Tucson #2, for instance, I will, from now on, be providing an unedited PDF of the manuscript. Unedited means it's about the same quality as what I had on Royal Road.
My publisher has allowed me to do this because I get a LOT of...
Here's your delivery! Enjoy :)
-Plum
“Woah!” Victor said, holding up his hands to the stomping Mustang. It snorted and bucked, and then, perhaps weary of their heroic efforts, the floorboards gave way, and Victor, his bed, his newly summoned mount, and several hundred pounds of lumber fell through to the bottom level of the command fort. Victor managed a hastily shouted, “Shit!” Then he was too busy rolling fre...
2023-05-30 11:35:12 +0000 UTC View PostAnother day, another chapter! Enjoy :)
-Plum
“That was a high-caliber round,” Angel said as Juliet dropped to the ground, her hands digging into a thick layer of mulched leaves. “It came from the northwest.” An arrow flashed on Juliet’s AUI, indicating the correct direction. “Between five and twelve hundred meters away.” Juliet crawled on her elbows toward a thick tree trunk, some kind of deciduous maple ...
2023-05-29 11:14:26 +0000 UTC View PostGood morning! If you didn't see my note yesterday, I made some revisions to 5.20. It's nothing really exciting, but if you want to read them, they're marked in bold (in chapter 5.20.)
Enjoy this chapter!
-Plum
Victor, as usual, chose to try out his new spell pattern with inspiration-attuned Energy. He pulled seven threads of it from his Core, keeping them separate but knowing he’d have to weave e...
2023-05-28 12:08:09 +0000 UTC View PostThanks for all the feedback! You're, seriously, the best readers on the internet. :)
-Plum
Juliet slipped two shrink-ties around the links of the chain she’d cut, sealing the two ambushers away in the ancient janitor’s closet. The ties were tough, remarkably so, and she didn’t think they’d be able to break free; neither of the men had seemed particularly hale. The two men crowded the door, pressing toward the gap before s...
2023-05-26 17:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone! Hope your week is going along nicely :)
This was kind of a complicated chapter. I think I managed to make everything make sense, but I could be struggling with writer's bias. Let me know if this reads like Greek (unless you speak Greek, then pick a different language!)
Thanks,
-Plum
PS - sorry for the cliff, but I was up to 3500 words, and I ...
2023-05-25 15:09:29 +0000 UTC View PostLet me know what you think. Thanks :)
-Plum
When Juliet cut through the thick chains holding the door open, she found it was still securely locked and had to spend another five minutes cutting through the bolt that held it locked in place. By the time she was done, the air was thick with the fumes of molten plasteel and metal. She applied the business end of her prybar to the heavy door and used her powerful plasteel a...
2023-05-24 16:25:03 +0000 UTC View PostGood morning! One quick note about chapter 5.18: I added a small bit to the conversation between Olivia, Victor, and Valla. I had forgotten to have Valla give Olivia the note from Adaida.
New text here:
“Olivia?” Valla said, holding up a hand to forestall Victor’s next words.
“Yes?”
“I almost forgot... 2023-05-23 15:03:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Enjoy the chapter! Hope you all have a great week. Love to hear your feedback! :)
-Plum
Aya stood in Juliet’s doorway, watching her pack her new bag. The small, wiry woman was noisily finishing off a strawberry-flavored popsicle and kept asking her questions about the things she was packing. She’d started with the portable torch Juliet had asked to borrow—Aya had jumped on the request saying she’d bring one up, and then s...
2023-05-22 11:51:47 +0000 UTC View PostHere we introduce someone new and get the story moving forward again.
Some notes about the "Olivia" chapter: I really appreciate all the feedback. I edited it a little to cut back on new names for people who only read VoT. I also nerfed the spoilers a little. Finally, I added a small part to the conversation where Olivia says she remembers hearing something about one of her father's aunt's death in a car wreck (Victor's mom) but that she doesn't rem...
2023-05-21 11:58:27 +0000 UTC View PostHave a nice weekend, everyone. Thanks for all the feedback and discussion; it means a lot to me.
-Plum
Juliet sat at a corner café, just a small shop with a handful of sidewalk tables and a barista counter, waiting for news from Angel’s daemon or for Lemur to call. Her espresso was good, strong, rich, and with just the right amount of fragrant foam on top. It was a far sight better than anything she’d ever bought ...
2023-05-19 16:28:48 +0000 UTC View PostSPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read book 3 of FWFW and you intend to, maybe wait on reading this VOT book. Sorry if this warning came too late for anyone :( :( :(
EDIT NOTE: I nerfed the spoilers in Olivia's POV a bit, but they're still there, if a lot more vague.
Good morning, everyone. In some ways, I really like this chapter, in others, I really have my doubts. I'm starting to regret bringing Victor together with the FWFW characters,...
2023-05-18 15:45:01 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy the chapter :)
-Plum
Juliet cracked her neck and shifted under the shower’s nozzle, allowing the steaming water to run down her back, loosening her tight muscles. She slowly turned so the water pounded against her right shoulder, and as the tissue heated up, she reached over and kneaded the joint with her other hand. The shoulder was getting worse and worse, and she knew it was the bad matchup of the plasteel a...
2023-05-17 14:53:47 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy the chap! Let me know your thoughts, please.
-Plum
Victor walked, surrounded by cheering, excited troops, toward the command structure. He was no longer the size of a titan, and his banner had faded away some time ago, disappearing in sparkling motes of golden Energy; he’d nearly drained his Core dry of glory and inspiration, and he didn’t think Rage or Fear would serve his needs at the moment, so he’d let ...
2023-05-16 15:45:02 +0000 UTC View PostHere's a little delivery for you all. Enjoy!
-Plum
“What did you fuckin’ say?” Bennet asked as Juliet whirled, recognizing the voice of the thug who’d run away the night before.
“Shut up, ship-boy,” the man said, striding forward, flanked by two friends, all wearing the same insignia sewn into their jackets that Juliet had noticed before, the snarling hyena with chromed teeth. In the daylight, the big...
2023-05-15 15:09:32 +0000 UTC View PostHappy Mother's Day! Enjoy the chapter :)
EDIT: Eh, disregard my earlier message: I was hoping to get things properly lined up with Royal Road so Patreon is exactly 15 ahead, but I think I'll fix it by just adding a bonus chapter to Royal Road sometime. I don't want to take away a chapter tier-2 patrons are expecting on Tuesday. Shoot, maybe I'll just come off hiatus on RR a little early and post them a chapter on Tuesday - easy fix :)<...
2023-05-14 14:18:50 +0000 UTC View PostHere's your Friday delivery! Enjoy!
By the way, I do read all of your comments, and if I don't respond, it doesn't mean I didn't like it or agree or find the feedback valuable. I'm just kind of overwhelmed on some days when I'm working on a chapter and have a ton of messages here and there. As I said, I do read them, though!
I know a lot of people are eager for this story to move into more cyberpunkish territory and q...
2023-05-12 16:16:47 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy the chapter (I hope) - Let me know what you think :)
-Plum
Victor once again stood on the prow of an airship, this one piloted by Rellia’s people and equipped for war. He’d noticed the magical ballistae, two on each side of the ship, as soon as it set down to retrieve him, Valla, and their prisoners and captured mounts. When they’d climbed aboard, they’d been greeted by the ship’s captain, a stodgy, old-looking Ca...
2023-05-11 12:53:55 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy the chapter!
-Plum
“So, your PAI set me up as the contact?” Bennet asked as he and Juliet stood on the corner, looking down the block toward the café. After leaving the ship, they’d gone to a guns and ammo store called Boyett’s Arms, where Juliet had just picked out some ammo for her new rifle when Angel had informed her that Lemur wanted to meet at 1230 rather than 1300. Figuring she’d need to purchas...
2023-05-10 14:03:06 +0000 UTC View PostEnjoy the chapter! Thanks for reading!
By the way, Victor of Tucson Book 1 is on sale right now, leading up to Book 2's release next month. If you or someone you know is interested . . . :)
-Plum 2023-05-09 14:32:06 +0000 UTC View Post
I find stuff like this fun. Hope it's not a snorefest for the cyberpunk fans. The next chapter moves us toward some more intrigue and, eventually, some action.
Let me hear your thoughts :)
Plum
When Juliet woke, it was just after nine local time. Right away, she noticed her backpack sitting by the door. Bennet or Aya must have placed it inside her room at some point; she couldn’t remember if it h...
2023-05-08 12:34:07 +0000 UTC View Post