Heeeeeey my dudes! Can you tell I'm excited about this one? I'm just drinking water though... maybe I should get something fancy to celebrate.
Bastion
Book 1, Foundations, has been showered with good praise and better criticism. I love it. There's not much more than an author can hope for but people who were so engaged with the story, they share their thoughts. Okay...
2021-01-15 01:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostWe crossed the kingdom barrier and Mae’s arrow held steady to the northwest. We were certainly headed toward outer-cities. I alternated between pacing from the back of the small room, near the cramped Woong-ji, and the steering column. Finally, Hana pulled me aside and I sat against the wall once more. The other fifth-year students were sitting down, cycling for the battle to come.
She ...
2021-01-14 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWe waited in Min-hwan’s office for a few tense moments. When the door opened, a tall girl with muscles that dwarfed mine stepped through the door. She had to have been at least two and a half meters tall, and half as wide. She was an incredible feat of ridiculous training.
She smirked, then bowed. “I’m Bo-mei, but you can call me Bo. I’ll be escorting you on the mission.”
...
2021-01-13 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post“What can I do?” I yelled as I pinned Cho’s body to keep him from flailing out of bed.
“I don’t know,” Mae said with dread. “If you send ma through him, I can assess him like I had your mother, but that will take time!”
We didn’t have time, but we didn’t have another choice. “Will it infect me?”
“There’s a non-zero possibility…”
Il-sung mu...
2021-01-12 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostCho was in a cold sweat by the time we reached the lodge, but Mae confirmed there was nothing wrong with him outside of his anxiety. Hana and I both worked some zo calm on him, and in a few moments, he was asleep in his bed.
Ko-nah wasn’t in the room, but it appeared all his stuff was still there. Perhaps I was wrong. What if he was just off in some dark corner with the exchange student...
2021-01-11 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostI looked between Ko-nah and the female exchange student with an apologetic smile that belied my suspicion. “Sorry about that. I should watch where I’m going.”
The exchange student turned up her nose, speaking a language I didn’t understand. Ko-nah replied in her native tongue, then turned to me. “She says no harm done, so don’t worry about it.”
“That’s not...
2021-01-08 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostI ALMOST FORGOT! But I didn't, because you guys matter to me and keeping you informed is important. <3
Bastion Academy
Book 3 - Subterfuge is underway! It's flowing pretty well right now but I've got a fair number of placeholders already popping up. Its okay! Filling a placeholder is always better than filling a blank page ^_^
Bastion ...
We made it back to Bastion with minutes to spare before the first class, Zo Strengthening II. Cho had packed a portion of breakfast that we hurriedly scarfed down before making it out to the training field.
My stomach turned uneasily as we ran our laps. The muscles in my legs burned as I struggled to cultivate zo on my uncomfortable full gut. My breathing became shallow as I foug...
2021-01-07 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostHana stopped at the last corner before the docks and pulled me through a dark, fish-rank alley for a ry glimmer. We were running out of time, but due to my rampant “if terrors” I was grateful for the protection. She adjusted our age, facial features, and hair color before we strode out toward the docks.
Activity was in full swing. Fishermen yelled commands to one another as they prepa...
2021-01-06 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
YAAAAASSSS! That's all I have to say about this. So, so, so excited. The artist came up with a lot of great sketches for this one, but I'm so glad we went with this pose!
Let me know what you think!
2021-01-06 03:40:03 +0000 UTC View PostI looked around the room for the first time, noticing crates stacked up against the wall with the same crescent moon and sword emblem on the side. If they’re moving the shipment through this facility, this appeared to be a storeroom. Not good.
I made my way to the edge of the wall and scooted out a box to squeeze behind. I pulled the box above overtop me and hunkered down to reserve ma....
2021-01-05 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“This is the craziest, smartest stupid plan ever,” Mae said, her voice strained with worry as I paddled Tuko’s many legs through the water.
With Woong-ji’s help, we had crafted a buoyant outer shell with wide, paddle legs that Tuko’s spidery limbs would slip into. It had taken me a week to get paddling down to a science, but now that I had it, Tuko was even faster on the water t...
2021-01-04 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWansil Wong refused to pay for our rickshaws back to Bastion, and all I could afford was to get back to the festival. It was a convenient excuse for us to lose Ko-nah, who didn’t want to ride public transport—faster or no—back to school. I nodded to Ko-nah and told him I understood, though I didn’t, since it gave the four of us an opportunity to discuss what in Mun-de-Jayu just...
2021-01-01 16:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostWater lapped gently against the sturdy dock as we made our way down to the massive structure. The details of the dojang revealed themselves the closer we drew. There were twin, winged salamanders on each of the massive doors, and they were painted—recently—with gold and silver respectively. The towering columns that supported the high ceiling were engraved with faces, names, and dates. Most...
2020-12-31 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWansil Marina had a personal rickshaw and ordered two more for all of us to travel comfortably. The streets at this end of the kingdom were all clean. The shops were orderly and neat. There were no gamblers, or obvious escorts, and no street food. The bay was used for personal water-craft instead of import ships, and the open spaces were well manicured parks.
I never wanted to li...
2020-12-30 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostIn what felt like no time at all, I found myself packing my backpack for the winter festival. Resting had been exactly what I needed to get my head back on straight, though I was feeling the guilt of it frequently. I had let my mind relax, ignoring urgent thoughts of the signal, and everything else that was taxing me, and just lived for a few days.
I had to remind myself often there was n...
2020-12-29 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostBastion Academy book 1 is live for the whole world to see... AHHH!!!!!!!!
I'm just beyond grateful that this is my profession. I get to write books and that's how I pay my bills (most of them ;P). Getting here has been an amazing journey and I've had so much help along the way, like you amazing people! I seriously couldn't have done it without your suppor...
2020-12-29 14:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostBefore the instructor could declare the challenge, Shin-soo cast a purple ry silence around himself and Hana. The group gasped and it took all my effort to stay in place. I knew the spell couldn’t hurt her, but my reaction was nearly beyond my control. What was he saying?
The red-robed instructor pushed her way through the crowd and into the bubble. It dissolved in an instant and ...
2020-12-28 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostHenlo friends, and happy holidays.
Not much to update on since the last thirsty thursday. I'm drinking Pedialyte this time.... pedialyte... the stuff for babies. Only a few words have inked out since the last update as well.
Bastion
The only Bastion news is that Outline 3 is approved and now that I'm not feeling like complete garbage, I'll start writing again....
2020-12-25 01:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostSung-ki placed the tray on Hana’s desk then returned to the storeroom for his trusty wheeled cart loaded with similar trays. He moved through the class, placing trays on each student’s desk as he said, “Step one will be to identify all your extracts. Write them down and label your vials. You will be graded on this.
“Step two is to identify what mixture you want to make, for what p...
2020-12-24 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostTuko swung down from the ledge and my stomach turned with the artificial sense of gravity leaving my body. My hands clamped down on my legs and Tuko-vision blotted out as I lost control.
“Shipuh!” I shouted, then bit my tongue. I breathed deep through my nose and closed my eyes, reaching out for Tuko. Mae was quiet as I followed my trail of used, faded munje through the stree...
2020-12-23 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Are you ready?” I asked Mae.
“As I’ll ever be. I hope this works,” she said with less confidence than I wanted to hear.
I’d trained for a whole week increasing my range with Tuko, and I was confident that we’d make it there and back.
I blew all the air from my lungs then sucked down a cold breath that invigorated my tired mind. Training all week meant I...
2020-12-22 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostShaking Ko-nah had been more difficult than I thought, and I hadn’t managed it.
I hadn’t managed it for two straight weeks. He was always there. He woke up at the same time as me, followed me between classes, ate next to me, showered too close for comfort, and trained just as often. There was no escaping him it seemed, but the silver lining was that his complaining had droppe...
2020-12-21 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostLike many times before, I had been so wrong. Morning came and I felt as though I’d fallen out of a twenty-meter tall tree—three-hundred times over. I couldn’t even get out of bed for the first hour. I filled Hana in on the details of the day before—my mother’s assessment and the signal—as she worked me over in the halls between classes. She popped my spine and jabbed her thumbs into...
2020-12-18 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostHenlo dudes. Tonight I'm drinking Theraflu... but that isn't stopping me from cranking the words!
All Things Bastion
Book 1 release is so close I can almost taste the celebration sushi... or maybe pad thai? Hmm or perhaps dim sum... I can't decide! I guess it'll all depend on if I'm recovered by then v_v maybe I'll be slurping chicken broth.
Summer Episode 1 i...
2020-12-18 00:31:14 +0000 UTC View PostI put my hands up in the Wing Chun form, ready to deflect and redirect his powerful blows. He put his fists up in a brawler pose and took two steps closer. I backed away, circling left as he swung in recklessly. I slapped back one fist, dodged, then countered his low kick with my foot, pushing the assault away.
The force of his hands hitting my guard sent lances of pain through my bones. ...
2020-12-17 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Who will officiate the duel?” Tae-do roared to the emptying room and all eyes fell on us.
Tae-do twisted his neck to each side, popping it with loud snaps. He flexed and the air around him trembled as waves of zo radiated off his skin. Black veins bulged in his neck, and the color in his eyes was blotted out by the zo. He was mad with power.
Fear coursed through me as I realize...
2020-12-16 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe journey back to Pi-Ki was fast, and quiet. It wasn’t until I boarded the train that Mae spoke up. I was too occupied with my anger for mother to concentrate on anything she had to say, anyway. I appreciated her giving me the space.
When I took my seat and leaned back, her voice filled my head. “I’m very certain there’s a connection between your mother’s disease, and the sign...
2020-12-15 16:09:01 +0000 UTC View PostWe ate the meal in silence, something I was becoming less accustomed to since attending Bastion. Eun-bi glared daggers at me every few bites and Daegon shifted uncomfortably beside me when she did. All the food was delicious, but despite my hunger, I couldn’t eat much. Hana’s words on the train platform echoed in my mind. What if I didn’t what?
I set my chopsticks on the sujeo, a sm...
2020-12-14 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAs the third week came to a close, I was weary, yet excited for the day ahead. Meditation always came with wiggling, humming, sighing, and complaining from Ko-nah, which was not my preferred way to begin any day. The excitement was because Mae had repaired enough of the second device that she had the power to do live analysis in detail. We’d discovered after a few days of processing the older...
2020-12-11 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post