Weekly Update – July 20, 2021

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Elfish Motives is here!

Tricia finished the cover art over the weekend, and as you can see, it’s another fantastic, eye-catching piece. As that was the final element I needed to wrap up this project, I did that on Sunday, and the Kindle edition became available Monday. The print edition is in the pipeline and should be ready very soon — and then, of course, I get to work on the audiobook edition!

Here’s the official synopsis to tease you further. Read it, and then go pick up the fifth book in the series!

***

After surviving an unforgiving winter in the northern city of Além, Derek Strongarm and Felix Lightfoot are eager to lead their friends back to Ambride to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

That idea goes right out the window when the companions learn about a major gathering of the four elven clans in City Lyth — Winifred Graceword’s home. Ancient tradition demands that Winifred heed the sacred call of her people, and who is she to reject ancient tradition?

Winifred immediate regrets her decision upon returning to City Lyth and reuniting with her estranged parents, who have yet to forgive their black sheep daughter for rejecting her birthright to follow her own path.

Derek and Felix thought Além was cold and unforgiving, but that place has nothing on Winifred’s mother, General Rhian Godswrath.

The mother – daughter reunion proves uncomfortable for all involved, but Winifred’s plan to keep her visit short and sweet falls apart when she learns why the long-separated elven clans have reunited: they intend to launch an expedition to the long-lost city of Wihend, in which no elf has set foot for centuries.

Except for Winifred, that is.

This news is not well-received, to say the least, but the elven coalition recognizes a valuable asset when they see one, and Winifred and her friends are pressed into service as guides for the expedition. They know the city, they know the dangers lurking within, and they know how to handle themselves in a fight. What could go wrong?

Everything. Everything could go wrong.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Elfish Motives is the fifth book in the irreverent, award-winning* fantasy series by Michael C. Bailey (Action Figures, Well-Behaved Women). Brace yourself for an epic tale of secret cities, malevolent monsters, arcane artifacts, bloody battles, feuding families, and more mother issues than any elf has a right to.

(* = The 2016 Bella Online Ebook Awards, gold medal in fantasy fiction)

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Secret Origins: Audiobook recording underway, scheduled for mid-2021 release.

Action Figures – Issue Eleven: Draft one underway. Scheduled for a winter/spring 2022 release.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Elfish Motives: The Kindle edition is available, the print edition is coming soon, and work on the audiobook edition is about to begin!

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – book six: Second draft finished, third draft in process.

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

None scheduled.

MISC.

The New England Speculative Writers group has a new preview book for newsletter subscribers. Pick it up and read the opening chapters to Well-Behaved Women – Awakening and other stories.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any news from me, remember that I have a weekly newsletter that features some of the stuff you see posted here plus new, newsletter-exclusive material. Click this link to sign up.

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