For Readers – Page 2

Pros and Cons of Traveling to Fantasy Worlds

November 20, 2017 by Gillian Bronte Adams 10 Comments

I’m pretty sure we all have that one (at least one) fantasy world that we would love to travel to, if only … (FILL IN THE BLANK) …

Why sure, I’d love to travel to Florin and Gildor (Princess Bride), if only the ROUS didn’t exist. *shiver*

Or, why not swing over to Narnia, if only there wasn’t the chance that you would grow up there and then have to turn back to your previous age when you went back to our world? (Seriously … can you imagine growing up once in Narnia—AWESOME—and then having to do it all over again in our world, where a) you aren’t a king or queen and b) you have to go back to boarding school after ruling a country and leading armies in battle! Whew. Talk about tough!)

For some people, this might be the villain. “I’d love to travel to Hogwarts but only after Voldemort has been defeated.” (Harry Potter) Or “Panem … but only if I was assured protection from the Reaping. Or only if Snow and Coin and all the rest of them were gone.” (Hunger Games) Yeah … I still don’t know about that one.

But for me, I find that my one hang-up typically isn’t related to the villain. I know, I know, that probably sounds completely and totally nuts! After all, who wouldn’t want to get the villain out of the story before you hop into it? Do you really want to have to fight the Fangs of Dang (Wingfeather Saga) or spend your time dodging the Steel Inquisitors (Mistborn series)?

Well, not exactly. But I do think that the author part of me recognizes how the villains and the challenging, sometimes earth-breaking, events they cause do shape our favorite characters and their worlds. Before his adventure in The Hobbit, Bilbo had spent most of his life stifling his Tookish side, the part of him that was attracted to wonder and longed for adventure.

Afterwards, well, he was a much more interesting fellow. If I could travel to a fantasy world, I would want to join the heroes in the fight … not hear stories about it afterward.

For the longest time, Middle Earth has been that place for me. (Now closely followed by the world of Roshar from the Stormlight Archive, because that series is incredibly epic, and if you haven’t read it yet, you should!) But while I dreamed of wandering the northlands with the Dunedain Rangers, or patrolling the rolling hills of Edoras with the Rohirrim, or strolling through leaf-strewn paths in the spring of glorious Lothlorien, there was one minor hang-up …

Okay, let’s be honest, it was a MAJOR hang-up.

Coffee.

Yes. It’s true. I would have a hard time embracing the beauties of Middle Earth for love of coffee. (Don’t judge now. Bilbo loved his pocket handkerchiefs. I love my coffee.) But while visiting family, I recently started reading The Hobbit aloud to my little sister. It’s actually been a few years since I sat down and read it all the way through.

And I made the most incredible discovery!

“Some called for ale, some for porter, and one for coffee, and all of them for cakes; so the hobbit was kept very busy for a while. A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came—a loud knock.”

– The Hobbit

Folks, we are saved, there is coffee in Middle Earth!

Done. Sold. When can I pack up and move there?

How about you? What fantasy world would you love to go to, and what one hang-up—minor, or major, like coffee—would make you pause before leaping into the portal to get there?

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Ultimate Training Guide to Prepare YOU to Enter Your Favorite Fantasy StoryWorld

September 14, 2017 by Gillian Bronte Adams 10 Comments

After reading this soul-crushing eye-opening post from Katie Grace that dashed all my heroic delusions and left me in a self-pitying puddle on the floor, I have decided that it is time to take action.

Although I have not received my Hogwarts letter, been whisked away to Camp Half Blood by a flying horse, heard my name called in the Reaping (although, honestly, I’m a bit relieved about that one), stumbled into a magical wood by walking through a wardrobe (though not from lack of trying!), or had a party of thirteen dwarves show up unexpectedly at my door …

I have not given up hope.

The Road goes ever on and on, ‘tis said, and who knows what rare fantasy adventure might await around the next corner?

So … no better time than the present to start training! #WeWillRiseUp That’s right. So, after minutes months of research, I have pooled all the collective wisdom I could gather and am now pleased to offer you this ultimate training guide to prepare you to enter your favorite fantasy storyworld.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

Transportation

I don’t know about you, but most of my favorite storyworlds lack one key element: modern transportation. Looks like you and I are going to have to rely on our own two feet to carry us places, which means, now is the time to invest in some good footwear.

(On a side note, portal fantasy is just too fun because it allows fantasy characters to interact with gear from our world. I feel like the introduction of tennis shoes into a fantasy world would be earth-shattering. Can’t you just picture a medieval knight—in full plate armor—inspecting a pair of tennis shoes?

“What are these things that thou wearest upon thy feet? They are so light and durable. Methinks thou couldst outrun a horse!” … Hmm, maybe I should take up writing commercials for Addias. What do you think?)

Walking

This is the bread and meat of travel in most fantasy worlds. As I started to write up a plan of action for mastering this skill set—

Start now with a hike or two a week. Before you know it, you’ll be a walking machine! Move on to longer hikes. Practice carrying your gear on your back

—I realized that the perfect training ground already exists! College campuses. Think about it! Long distances. Little time. Every textbook ever written stuffed into your backpack. Kudos to those of you already in college because you are well on your way to honing your heroic walking skills.

Running

In case you haven’t noticed, heroes do a LOT of running. More than they’d like us to think, because running isn’t always very heroic, especially if you’re running away instead of toward something. (As a side note, did anyone count the number of times Gandalf shouted “run” in the Hobbit movies? Pretty sure it ranked in the dozens.)

Mastering this skill is a little trickier for those who prefer running only when running from the Uruk-hai. Unfortunately, it’s a sad—but little acknowledged fact—that if one wants to be able to outrun the Uruk-hai, one has to be able to run. There are always ways to trick yourself into running. My favorite: try sprinting past a handful of preschoolers with cookies. I guarantee they’ll chase you, and I guarantee that you’ll want to run!

Eagle-riding

Honestly … I’m not sure how to help with this one. It is one of those truly essential skills, if you wind up in a place like Middle Earth. But I am afraid it is generally frowned upon in modern circles. And by frowned upon, I do mean highly illegal and certain to get you incarcerated.

Whatever the mode of transportation, always remember, “Shortcuts make long delays!”

Victuals

It’s always best to make a clean break, so let’s go ahead and say farewell to the ease of fast food restaurants, insta-meals, and grocery shopping. Food is often a scarcity in our favorite spec fic novels. Particularly if you’re questing. Dried meat, hard bread, and oddly enough stew seem to be favorites. I’d suggest changing your diet now so you can adjust, and get used to cooking stew while on the march. (It takes major skills, people. Major skills.)

You also probably want to perfect your hunting abilities. It’s considered normal for characters to make camp in the evening, go hunting, kill a rabbit or three, skin, gut, and dice the creatures, and have time to whip up an excellent stew before hitting the sack. Bit of a tall order for anyone, let alone those of us who generally rely on the grocery shelves rather than the woods to supply our meat.

But let’s face it, folks, the worst hardship of all … is the lack of coffee.

How does anyone survive?

Seriously.

As much as I like the idea of diving into my favorite spec fic storyworld, the lack of coffee is almost enough to convince me to stay put. We writer-types do love our coffee!

Lodging

Say goodbye to your comfy bed and feather pillow. In fact, if you hope to get any sleep while in-world, it’s best to prepare yourself now for sleeping on the cold, hard ground beneath the stars. If you’re lucky. If not, then beneath the rain. (Don’t worry. I’m sure your neighbors won’t think twice about you sprawling out on the lawn to sleep.) When you do have the chance to get out of the elements, chances are you will have to resort to cramped inn quarters or piles of straw in the stable. (Hope you’re not allergic.)

But that’s okay, because chances are you’re not going to have much opportunity to sleep in any case. Apparently characters in novels never need to sleep … or don’t need to sleep nearly as much as we enjoy sleeping. Maybe that’s why they so often make rash decisions, or why those dramatic romantic subplots that could be solved by a simple conversation often take a whole book to resolve—the main characters are simply exhausted and grumpy.

(See why “no coffee” is such a big thing! For REAL, people, for REAL!)

Wrap-Up

There are about a million other things we could cover, but I think that’s a decent start for now. What say you? Will you join me in training to enter our favorite spec fic novels? What are some other things that you think we should add to our lists so we’ll be ready? Share your legendary wisdom in the comments!

Giveaway, anyone?

In other news, I’m currently running a giveaway for Songkeeper over on Goodreads! You should go enter and tell your friends about it too! (Because who doesn’t want a chance to win a free book.) Also, if we’re not friends yet on Goodreads, we should be. And thirdly – because the OCD grammatical warrior inside of me apparently has no issue with starting the final point of a non-numerical list with “thirdly” – why not add Orphan’s Song and Songkeeper to your bookshelves on Goodreads?

I’m told they look rather nice on bookshelves, virtual or otherwise …

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Songkeeper

by Gillian Bronte Adams

Giveaway ends September 26, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

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So You Want To Be a YA Spec Fic Heroine?

August 21, 2017 by Gillian Bronte Adams 8 Comments

This post is dedicated to anyone who has ever felt the urge to stand up and shout, “I volunteer as tribute!”

First off, congratulations! This is a worthy desire, and we applaud your courage, self-sacrifice, and willingness to suffer for our entertainment.

Consider this a public service warning, lest you enter into this position unwittingly. The life of a YA Speculative Fiction heroine isn’t all white chocolate lattes and victory marches. Oh it may seem so heart-aching and glorious when you read about it in a book, but if you actually have to live it, well, it’s full of grit, anguish, and crazy amounts of responsibility. Not the sort of thing to jump into lightly.

Still interested? Well then, prepare yourself to be blessed with a life of …

Angst

I’m sorry but you must face it, choosing to sign on as a YA heroine is choosing to enjoy endure deal with a life of angst and drama. Maybe it’s the teenage hormones, or the fact that you spend most of your time alternating between battling for your life and navigating the troubled waters of flirting with the cute boy next door/brooding antihero who’s been thrown into this mess with you, but either way, you should be prepared to spend your days in emotional turmoil.

Life is full of questions for a teen, and even more so for a YA heroine. Hard, life altering questions, such as, “Do my powers make me a monster?” “Who put me in charge?” and “Should I say yes if he asks me out?”

Supreme Knowledge … that, or the adults are somehow idiots

Don’t ask me how but your status as a YA heroine will fill you with a knowledge, understanding, and ability to see to the heart of the matter that none of the adults around you will be able to match. You will be able to stand beside the most hardened battle general and point out the flaw in his plan … or unearth the only solution to the problem that stumps all wiser, older heads.

Don’t worry! It’s not based on training or study. You don’t have to go to YA heroine school! It’s just pure “out of the box,” “new to the scene,” “crazy as all get out” thinking.

You got this.

Power

This one is somewhat linked to the one above, but your sudden, life-altering wisdom and abilities will result in you assuming a position of power that in reality would be utterly insane to give to a teenager.

Thought being entrusted with the key to the family vehicle was big? How about armies!

Yeah … how about not.

But it’s okay because we have the wise words of Uncle Ben to help us deal with this sort of thing, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Wait … responsibility to do what? Hold on, Uncle Ben, isn’t there more to that thought?

Love Triangles

You knew this one was coming, didn’t you? That’s right. The infamous love triangle that we all hate so much to love … (Personally, I’m not a fan.)

But don’t worry. This love triangle isn’t a shallow thing at all. It’s not based on your looks, because as a YA heroine, we’ve already been told several times by the author that you are perfectly ordinary. Not one of those drop-dead gorgeous girls that other girls love to hate.

No, it’s your snarky comments and the “I can do it” attitude that battles with your “angsty” neediness that will garner the attention of not just one but two guys who will fall hopelessly in love with you by chapter three.

One will no doubt be the brooding, anti-hero bad boy, while the other will the clean cut, Captain America-type, boy next door who has a heart of gold. Choosing between them will be the hardest decision that you have to make in the course of the novel, despite having to fight for your life, command armies, and help the grown-ups figure out what’s really going on!

In summary …

If after all of that, you are still determined to be a YA heroine, I guess there really isn’t much I can do to dissuade you, so I’ll have to content myself with offering you a salute and look forward to digging into the novel.

– Your Favorite YA Spec Fic Heroines

Your turn! What are some other things a YA Spec Fic Heroine should expect?
And who are some of your favorite YA heroines?

Songkeeper is going on tour!

February 9, 2017 by Gillian Bronte Adams 2 Comments

Songkeeper is going on tour! Blog tour, that is. When Songkeeper released last year, I had high hopes of running a blog tour, but I wound up being so busy trying to meet the deadline for book three that I wasn’t able to organize one. Here we are, nearing the one year anniversary – can you believe it? – and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate! So starting on March 1st and running until the middle of April, we’re going on tour! My hope is that it will be a fun way to share more about the Songkeeper Chronicles, whet your appetite for book three (since it’s still a little ways out), and give you guys a little insider knowledge too.

(Because, let’s be honest here, who doesn’t like being in the know?)

So how will it work?

Well, I have always wanted to run an alphabet challenge for the Songkeeper Chronicles! (What is an alphabet challenge, you ask? Good question! It’s a series of posts that moves alphabetically and looks at different characters, places, and things that begin with the letter of the day: i.e. A is for Amos, B is for Birdie or Balaam, etc.) I thought it could be a fun way to explore some of the people and concepts that are built into the books. After all, you only get the very tip of the iceberg when you read a novel. There is so much more that lies beneath the actual storyline. So … we’re going to do it.

(Because, why not?)

Oh, and did I mention that there would be a giveaway? Well, there will be one … and it will be awesome.

(Now you have even more reason to be excited!!!)

If you have a blog and would be interested in hosting a stop (writing up a brief intro, uploading the post that I would send you along with a link to the giveaway, and then sharing with friends), you can sign up here or scroll down to the form below.

I plan on posting Monday-Thursday of each week, and if a spot is not claimed by another blog, I’ll be posting here. You will be able to earn points for the giveaway by visiting all of the posts, (yes, even if are you are a host site) and there will be fun Songkeeper Chronicles trivia as well!

It is going to be a blast, so mark your calendars! And don’t forget to sign up if you would like to host a stop. :)

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When Destiny Comes Calling—Installment Twelve

April 28, 2015 by Gillian Bronte Adams 20 Comments

As promised, my dear ladies and gents, the next installment of When Destiny Comes Calling, or as one of you lovely readers so aptly subtitled it “Destiny and Co.” This has been a long time coming, so “many thanks” to all of you for waiting so patiently to find out what happens next. As always, read the previous installment here. (Oh and for any of you who might be interested in trying something similar, check out the guest post I wrote for the Realm Makers blog with tips and tricks for running a serial short(ish) story.)

Installment Twelve:

“Well, then it seems we are agreed. First question: just what dangerous thing are Wizard Doomsday and myself supposed to do?”

“That, I thought, was obvious.” Destiny took another sip of her tea. “You must assassinate the Lord Chancellor, Baron Von Horben. Tomorrow night.”

For a moment, Alexander thought the world had tilted. He clutched at the table for balance and managed to knock over the entire pot of tea this time, earning a second heartbroken wail from Doomsday—“Mumsie’s doilies!”—and a disapproving “tsk tsk” from Destiny. But he just stood there, gripping the table, fearful that his legs would give way beneath him or that—horrors—he would faint! Presently, he came to himself and realized that although his knees were knocking together, he had neither fallen nor fainted. Nor had the world turned on end. Apparently the Beaufords of Midsig were not of fainting stock. (Rarely of fighting stock either, though Alexander was determined to change that.)

He drew himself up to his firmest, proudest, most determined posture and opened his mouth to speak. Only to wilt and clamp his mouth shut. The strength seemed to leech from his backbone like Doomsday’s tea into the doilies. Standing face to face with certain death in battle was one thing—generally, one could count upon being armed to the teeth, bedecked in a dashing uniform, and backed by a cannon or two. If one died, there was always the posthumous medal to look forward to, the salute, and the knowledge that one’s name would live on in history. But standing face to face with the imperialistic Destiny and her flashing eyes, primly upturned nose, and dragonish grin, well, that was a different matter entirely.

“Ma’am.” He cleared his throat, clasped his hands behind his back, and assumed his most formal manner—patterned after his father, of course. “Ma’am. I do believe you have gathered rather the wrong impression.” Diplomatic sounding perhaps, but somewhat too wishy-washy for his taste. When refusing Destiny, perhaps it was best to do so outright. “Beaufords are not assassins. I cannot kill anyone.”

He fought the urge to duck behind the table and forced himself to stand steady instead. Any moment now, the dam would break. Destiny would spew forth curses upon him for daring to defy her. Instead of dealing with his great great great grandfather’s curse, future generations would speak in hushed tones of Alexander the Abominable. How he had dared look Destiny in the eye and refuse her to her face. The notion was terrifying … and a little bit thrilling too.

With measured grace, Destiny added a pinch of sugar and a dash of cream to her tea, gave it another three stirs—clink, clink, clink—and took a dainty sip. All the while, Alexander’s gaze never left her. She seemed remarkably calm. Too calm. It was almost more terrifying that the explosive wrath he had feared. Perhaps by now he should have begun to expect the unexpected. Just when he thought he had Destiny worked out, she up and changed tactics so suddenly that it left him sprawled on his face.

“Now, now, my dear Alexander.” Her lips quirked into a smile. “You Beaufords may not be very good assassins, I’ll grant you that. But you are assassins nonetheless. You have your great great grandfather to thank for that, remember?”

A high-pitched call sounded out, and a yellow bird the size of Alexander’s fist suddenly shot across the Wizard’s lair, so close its wings brushed Alexander’s hair, and landed in Doomsday’s outstretched hand. It shrilled a series of notes, bobbing up and down on the wizard’s palm with a whirring of gears and creaking of cranks. It was a gadget of some sort? Alexander inched nearer for a closer look, but the wizard wrapped both hands around the fidgeting yellow bird.

“Oh dear.” Doomsday turned doleful eyes upward as he stroked the bird’s neck feathers. “It would appear we have a problem. Enemies are upon us. The Plucky Lass has been taken. We are all going to die.”

“Fate!” Destiny shot to her feet, upending the table with a clatter of broken tea ware and crockery. “We must—”

“Dear sister, calm yourself.” Fate emerged from the cobweb-bound section of the wizard’s lair. Little Emperor Caldwell VI sagged in her arms, his beat red face squashed against her shoulder, deep in peaceful baby slumber. “We are quite all right. Though if you’ve finished your little chat, I highly recommend we move on. I managed to close the trap door behind me, but barring a handy locking incantation from the good con-wizard, I daresay it will not hold forever.”

“Fresh out of locking incantations, I’m afraid.” Doomsday shoved the yellow bird into his pocket, then snatched up his black beard from the table and settled it on his chin. He disappeared into the dark corner beneath the trapdoor, and for a moment, all Alexander could hear was a great deal of muttering, thumping, thudding, and hammering. After a good minute, Doomsday reappeared, draped with cobwebs. “When locking incantations fails, a handy triple bolt system does the trick. We should be safe … for the moment.”

“By Bildad the Bold, I do believe those are the first optimistic words I have heard you utter.” Alexander grinned in spite of himself. If the pessimistic wizard had any hope at all, then surely things could not be so bad.

Doomsday shook his head. “You have woefully mistaken me. Our enemies cannot get in … but we cannot get out. My friends, I do believe we are trapped.” And the funny thing was that the gloomy wizard actually seemed to be cheered by the fact.

And now, ladies and gents, it’s your turn! Alexander, Destiny, Fate, Wizard Doomsday, and little Emperor Caldwell VI have managed to get themselves into quite the pickle. How in all of Cantakorious will they escape? Brainstorm below. We’ll tally together the best options and put it to a vote later!

Those of you who are members of the Inspiration Board for When Destiny Comes Calling on Pinterest, this week we’ll be looking for images of Fate and Destiny, twin sisters who are both remarkably alike and strangely different. If you would like to join the Inspiration Board, simply friend me on Pinterest and then leave a comment below saying that you would like to join. The more the merrier!

When Destiny Comes Calling – Installment Eleven

March 10, 2015 by Gillian Bronte Adams 20 Comments

Now that BOOK TWO in the Songkeeper Chronicles has been turned in to my editor, and Out of Darkness Rising is coming out in less than a week, I decided to take a wee bit of a break from my serious writing projects and turn my attention to the fun stuff for a little while. Like When Destiny Comes Calling! As always, check out the previous installment here, find out more about the serial short(ish) story here, and be sure you read to the end to vote on what happens in the next installment.

Doomsday bustled over to the table with a tray full of tea things. He set it down with a thump in front of Destiny and the mismatched cups all rattled in their saucers. “Do help yourselves. The cream’s gone sour and the ants have been in the sugar. But what can expect when the world is ending?”

Destiny poured a cup and took a dainty sip. “It isn’t the world that’s in danger of ending, only our fine Empire, now that poor Emperor Caldwell V is dead and his son, as you well know, passed on earlier this year, leaving only the grandson to take the Imperial Seat.”

“A babe to take the Imperial Seat?” Doomsday looked as though he was about to launch into another fit of woe is me cries, but Destiny cut him off.

“Only as Fate would have it, little Emperor Caldwell VI has been kidnapped!”

A cunning gleam appeared in the wizard’s eye. “I see, and you have come to petition my inestimable help in finding and recovering the poor babe.”

“Not quite.” Destiny smiled, and it was the sort of smile a spider might give a fly. “That is well in hand. Your unique talents are required for something rather more … dangerous.”

The way she rolled the word over her tongue, almost as though she savored the taste of it, sent a little shiver down Alexander’s spine. Doomsday clutched the back of a chair and lugged his bulk around and into the seat. His head rolled back and he looked as though he were about to pass out.

“No.” He gasped. “Not that!”

Destiny took another sip, set her cup down, and folded her hands with deliberate grace. “I’m afraid so. The time has come for you to fulfill your oath and for dear Alexander here to fulfill his family’s curse. Between the two of you, we shall ensure that Emperor Caldwell VI survives to take his grandfather’s seat.”

“I see.” Doomsday ran a shaking hand through his thick black bush of a beard and tugged it away from his face, revealing a narrow, clean-shaven jaw and a mouth set in the most doleful expression a man could imagine. Of course the beard would be a fake. Was there anything about the man that was as it appeared? “Doom is indeed upon us.” Doomsday gazed pensively into the fire and said no more, while Destiny went back to sipping her tea with an expression of the utmost serenity painted across her face.

“Oh hang it all!” Alexander shot to his feet. The handle of his right dueling pistol caught on his chair and tipped it over with a clatter that nearly made him jump. “He might see. You might see. But I certainly don’t. Now, you’ve said I might die, ma’am, to fulfill the family curse, and I expect that provides me with some right to know just what is going on and how I’m supposed to ensure Emperor Caldwell VI’s path to the throne!”

“Come now, Destiny.” Fate’s voice drifted through the open trapdoor. “Just tell him and be done with it. It’s time we were moving on!”

Destiny rolled her eyes and poured a second cup of tea which she offered to Alexander. He snatched it from her hand and slammed it back down on the table, splashing tea across the red-checkered cloth and earning a heart-broken cry from Doomsday.

“Not Mumsie’s beautiful linens!”

The con-wizard hastened to mop up the mess, grumbling beneath his breath, and casting baleful glances at Alexander over his shoulder. But Alexander had eyes only for Destiny. Her eyebrows had arched up almost into her hairline, and the disapproval in her gaze was enough to make Alexander wish (for the five hundredth time) that he was back at home in his father’s study where his greatest concerns had been figuring out the inner workings of his cannon, solving problems like trajectory and range in a strong wind, cleaning gunpowder residue from his mother’s drapes—an accident—and dealing with the constant turnover in servants—definitely not his fault!

“There is no need to make a scene, Alexander Mitus Scott Beauford III.” The way she said it sounded so much like his mother, it made the hair stand up on Alexander’s neck. “I shall tell you what you need to know.”

“I’m afraid that shan’t do.” Alexander adjusted his pistols and his sword, dusted off his clothing in a vain attempt to make himself look presentable, and marched toward the trapdoor. “I think I’ve been more than reasonable given this most irregular situation. Unless you agree to answer my questions as I ask them, this ridiculous adventure we’ve embarked upon will be over.”

He had reached the trapdoor where he could make out Fate peering down at him from above, the baby emperor clutched tight in her arms, and was just trying to figure out how to climb up and out of the con-wizard’s secret lair without a ladder, when Destiny’s voice stopped him from making a complete fool of himself.

“One question and then we must move. Our enemies cannot be far behind.”

Alexander executed a neat military turn. “You will answer the rest later? When and where and whatever I ask?”

“Yes.” Destiny forced the word through clenched teeth. “Later.”

“Well, then it seems we are agreed. First question: just what dangerous thing are Wizard Doomsday and myself supposed to do?”

“That, I thought, was obvious.” Destiny took another sip of her tea. “You must assassinate the Lord Chancellor, Baron Von Horben. Tomorrow night.”

What happens next? Choose your favorite option below and vote in the comments! Then stop by next time to see how your vote changed the course of the story.

Option 1: Enemies attack the Plucky Lass, forcing Alexander, Destiny, Wizard Doomsday, Fate, and baby Emperor Caldwell VI on the run to complete the mission.

Option 2: Alexander, Destiny, and Wizard Doomsday return to the surface to discover that Fate and Emperor Caldwell VI have been captured by an unknown assailant.

Option 3: Alexander stands up to Destiny and refuses to take part in any assassination attempts because Baron Von Horben is a close friend of his father, Baron Midsig.

Can’t get enough of When Destiny Comes Calling? Join the Pinterest Inspiration Board! This week, we’re looking for pictures of Fate and Wizard Doomsday.

Here’s how it works: In order for me to invite you to the board, we have to follow one another on Pinterest. So if you would like to join the board, leave a comment once you follow me and then I will follow you back and send the invite! Follow Gillian’s Inspiration Board for When Destiny Comes Calling on Pinterest.