It’s now October, the month I mandated for buckling down and publishing book two.  Here’s a quick recap of my progress so far:

October 1 – Adopted another kitty.  Who can work with a new baby in the house?

October 2 – Discovers that Microsoft added a jigsaw puzzle game, spends day puzzling.

October 3 – Tell everyone on Twitter that I’m going to dig into my project. Posts blog instead.

Pretty impressive body of work for only three days, eh?

No, I really am serious.  My 50th birthday is near the end of this month and I’m determined to have most of the publishing done by then.  REALLY!

Each Friday this month I will share an excerpt from Travellers and Tramps.  Not too long ago, I introduced you to Awnyx Tiell.  He is my absolute favorite character to write and his story really gets started in the new book.   Let’s start off with a little scene that might help you understand how his mind works.  Hope you like it!

*****

The mob of surly Cyans appeared around Awnyx from nowhere.  He tensed and re-secured his hard won cargo underneath one arm.  He may have gone soft over the long time travelling the blue tier, but he still reckoned he could take them.  Most of them anyway.  He also reckoned that it was a good run, over now since these southerners were on to him.  The pack circled him warily, eyeing him with malicious blue eyes, babbling in some incomprehensible brogue and laughing among themselves.  Awnyx never backed away from a fight.  Today would be no different, if it came to that.  Finally the biggest one, a female, stepped in close and pointed an accusing finger towards his head.

“He mu’ be Yndigon, he got the blue streaks, dontcha?”

 Awnyx slid his right hand towards his pocket and knife, trying not to draw any notice.  The mob moved in closer to argue about Awnyx’s hair.  He could knock the wind out of the big one easily, and shove the two medium sized ones together.

 “Nay, he’s go’ th’ silver aaaaaayes,” one of the mediums disagreed.

 “Bu’ he nay dark,” the other medium protested.

 The disagreement in the ranks was making them angry.  Awnyx saw the hatred on their Cyannish faces as they all turned on him.  That’s when the little one made his move.  He’s the one Awnyx was worried about because he was small and fast.  The Big Man really hated the small and fast ones.  He had to make his move now and take them by surprise as best he could.  He shoved his hand the rest of the way into his pocket and felt the cool handle of the knife.  Awnyx poised his body to take them out, keeping his original plan of winding the girl thug first and taking his chances with the small.  Just as he was about to draw the weapon, he heard a loud bang behind him, the sound of wood splintering against wood.

 “Oy, will ye’ bairns leave the poor man be?  Get off with ye now, to yer chores, go on.”  A smiling man moved into the crowd and scattered the attackers, holding his hand out to Awnyx.  “Hullo, Nyrman Wyndt, proprietor.  Well one o’ the proprietors anyway.”

 Awnyx tried to keep his cool, but that was a close one.  Children were worse than the giant serpents simply because the serpents could only be found in Viridys.  The little mongrels, on the other hand, were absolutely everywhere.  He almost forgot what brought him here in the first place.  Soon, he remembered that he was tired of walking.  He shook Nyrman’s hand and said, “Name’s Tiell, I hear you have mounts to sell.”