Cover Reveal (rough) and Book Teaser for Oubliette

Oubliette is on the verge of release.
This comes as a bit of a surprise to me, because I'm only halfway through Penumbra, and I'd intended to write the entire trilogy before I published Oubliette. But, the players are all playing. The game is on. Feedback from first readers is coming in, and I have a solid hold on the plot(s). So. The time seems to be right to finalize the copy editing, formatting and detail work on Oubliette. Terrifying. Even more terrifying to think that I released Masks without having written one word on the sequels. I'm on far more solid ground than with The Lord Jester's Legacy.

But maybe I belong at sea ….

I was right to be nervous about my ambitious release schedule, no matter how tentative I'd made it. I will be very happy if I manage to finish Penumbra by the end of the month, which will push back the release date for that book considerably. A Dark Radiance may have to wait until after Sasquan. I can write very quickly, but all the other work that goes into a book does not go as quickly, and I want them to be as close to perfect as possible.

Here is the rough for the cover by the amazing Ravven!

Mild spoilers:
In Oubliette, Mark is in trouble. Again. As always. He knew something was up, but because of his memory loss he didn't know if his mistrust was misplaced. The book opens with Lord Jester Lark attending a splendid party. It's the First of Sooner, the holiest day of the year. It's like New Year's Day but in springtime, or Mardi Gras with a somewhat spiritual lean. Everyone is starting to head to home when an emergeny arises. Lark heads for home when he's ambushed. This should have been a night to celebrate his survival and a time to look forward to fading out of politics into a semi-retirement as his master's presidency goes into an autumnal state. Instead, he has to use all his skills–manipulation, swordwork, logic, and his growing powers as a Confidante in order to survive.

This time, Gutter isn't around to save him.

This time, though many offer alliances and promises, he's on his own.

We'll have some new characters in this trilogy. Cockatrice. Ambrose. And late in the game, a new jester, Just, who (like Cockatrice) serves someone, or something, other than a master. We'll see the Lord Dellai, the Church's attempt to provide leadership in place of a king. And this time we'll have some changes in points of view. In Oubliette, we'll get Verai's take on things, and learn a bit more about the relationship between priests and the sacred beings. What do you all think? Are you ready to have a look into Verai's head? That beautiful priest, who can be such an asshole at times, and plays the part of the wise old man, but with a young man's passions. Is he a jerk? Lovable? Sexy? Does he give Mark strength, or tear him down? I'd love to hear your comments.

In other writing news:

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I've had a short story accepted into an anthology. More details when I can provide them, but the story is set about five hundred years before Mark Seaton is ever born. You know, back in the days when jesters wore bells …. I hope you'll like it. Release date will be in November. I'll keep you posted.