Here’s the scene where he meets Shawnahur–a young upstart claiming to be a captain from the king.

A Meeting in an Inn

The room fell silent as Shawnahur entered. His boots sounded out like a drumbeat on the wooden boards. The men at the bar turned to face him while those around the tables kept their gaze down, but he could feel their attention on him just as intently. The sense of predators watching, so familiar from being among the pucklings, prickled along the back of his neck.

“Good step,” he greeted the room in general.

The man behind the bar nodded. “Mayhap. What can I get you?”

“Need a meal and mayhap a room. Anything like that around Falun?”

“Best in town right here!” someone shouted, obviously deep in his cups.

“Only one in town,” a man murmured, and others laughed.

“Shut up, Durrow,” growled the first.

“Make me.” Durrow stood, arms spread wide revealing a burly chest.

“Both of you, stuff it!” The owner glared, and the men subsided, grumbling. “No fighting here.” Satisfied they’d hold their peace, he turned back to Shawnahur. “We have lamb pottage that’s been cooking up a while, and a handful of rye loaves for an extra pence each. Will that suffice?”

“Aye, two meals, with the bread. And the room?”

“Not much, but better than being out in the open if the Hameen come through.”

“That happen often?” Shawnahur settled onto the free stool across from the man.

“Depends on what you mean by often.” He pulled two plates from under the counter and set them out. “Last time was about two steps ago. Sometimes ‘tis less, sometimes more. Came twice in as many steps once last cycle.”

Keenah, they say the Hameen attack frequently; let me know if you see any out there.

Aye, heart of my hearts, but who will fight besides you? Even together, I don’t like our odds against an army.

Hopefully, I find what’s left of Falun’s garrison and take them along. But honestly, I don’t know.

“You’re obviously new here.” The one called Durrow pulled out a stool and plopped down next to Shawnahur. “So lemme give you some friendly advice. The border towns survive but barely. Hameen raids are common; hence why you won’t find many women or children here. ‘Tis men who’re willin’ to either put up with the scrow or fight back. You look mighty young for fightin’ and too high and mighty to be acceptin’ their treatment. Take your rest, then go back wherever you came from.”

Shawnahur recognized Durrow for the hardened fighter he was—he’d met enough in Rian’s army. They stood for Muintir but didn’t care what else they did in the process.

“Thanks for the advice, but I can’t take it.”

A shaggy brow ran up the man’s forehead and hid behind his red hair. “Really? Well, now, are you just stupid?”

Shawnahur fought the impulse to reply with an equally scathing remark. Keenah had said there were people here longing for leadership. For hope. Mayhap if Durrow had hope he’d be a different man.

“Mayhap, though, I wish ‘twas the only problem. I’m under orders.”

“From whom?” The owner set a glazed mug—battered and worn—in front of Shawnahur.

“The king himself.”

Durrow slapped his leg as he laughed, and the rest of the room erupted with him. “The king? ‘Tis a new one, that. Best try somethin’ else around here. Sure, we’re called the king’s men, but he cares naught for us.”

“There you’re wrong, Durrow.” Shawnahur took a sip of the cold brew. “’Tis good.”

“’Tis the only thing that keeps Falun from being overrun with the scrow,” the barkeeper said.

Shawnahur nodded. “Makes sense. You pour them all as much as they can hold, and they spare you. Do they even pay for it?”

Durrow looked askance and pursed his lips. “How’d you figure that?”

“Despite my synods, I’ve been around a bit.” Shawnahur trailed his finger in the damp coating of condensation on the cup and let the thought sink in. “So, do they? Pay you?”

The owner’s scowl was answer enough.

A Confrontation

“Thought so. Durrow, how many Hameen have you killed?”

The man blinked. “Excuse me?”

“How many have you killed? You sit here and complain, but what have you done to stop them?”

Durrow stood. “Listen, boiwith, no one calls me a coward.”

“I didn’t. I asked a question. But since the question angered you, I’m assuming you’re ashamed of the answer.”

Durrow cocked back and swung, but Shawnahur had already hopped off the stool and ducked under the blow.

“Durrow!” the owner bellowed. “Take it outside! ‘Tis bad enough the Hameen tear the place up.”

Shawnahur headed toward the door, but another man blocked his way, glowering. “Pampered brat comes in here, thinkin’ he’s better ‘an us, he’s gonna learn he ain’t.”

“Philip!” the innkeeper bellowed. “I said outside.”

“If we’re going to do it…” Shawnahur shrugged and raised his voice while he motioned, allowing the silver glow to spill out from under his cuff. “All of you.”

Philip stepped out of his way, and Durrow stomped to the door, drawing a knife too big for eating with, from the scabbard at his hip.

“Athlone, I’ll need my smayden after all.”

The boiwith fumbled with the reins but managed to toss the weapon toward Shawnahur. When Shawnahur turned, both the patrons and innkeeper were assembled in a half circle at the edge of the road.

“Found trouble, duene?” Athlone whispered low.

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Do you need the dragon?”

“I’ll call him if I do.”

Shawnahur focused on Durrow. The man’s eyes had narrowed, a fist held at the ready, his knife extended, and he bounced on the balls of his feet.

Do you have this under control, heart of my hearts?

I think. Be ready to come, all the same.

Gladly.

Shawnahur had hoped to bluff his way through this, but he should have known. These men faced the enemy every phase. They wouldn’t put up with a weak leader.

Jeeah, help me.

Spinning the smayden in as impressive a display as he could invent, he allowed Keenah’s energy to infuse the weapon.

Durrow grinned. “I’ve seen those. ‘Tisn’t how you use ‘em. You’re just a boiwith playin’ with his da’s weapons—pretendin’ to know things.”

“Mayhap, but I’m not seeing you try to take it from me.”

“You don’t take a smayden from a livin’ body.”

“Oh, ‘tis possible,” Shawnahur chuckled. “Just difficult.” He lunged forward, sending a small surge of energy, nearly transparent in Graen’s direct light but distorting the air, from the thrust of the weapon.

Durrow stumbled back as it sailed past him. “What the…?”

“Come on, Durrow, he’s a boiwith!”

“Send him back to his ma’s apron!”

“You afraid of a child showin’ off?”

His friends’ goading sent Durrow back into the fray, not that ‘twas much of a fray compared to battle. Shawnahur blocked Durrow’s knife thrust using the leather-wrapped handle and twisted his body, driving the motion from his hips and flinging Durrow’s knife aside with the half-spin of the haft. The man stumbled and came up snarling.

Murmurs rose from the onlookers.

Hurry to finish it, if you’re going to. The Hameen are coming, and they’re mere furlongs out.

“Durrow, you’re not my enemy.” Then, more loudly, he declared, “They’re on their way.”

“What?” The others glanced about; they needed no interpretation. There was only one ‘they’ in Falun. “Where?”

“To the east and closing in quickly.” Shawnahur nodded in the direction, and called out, “Athlone, take Duhara and get out of town. I’ll come for you when ‘tis over.”

“Aye, duene.” The boiwith swung into the saddle and urged the horse back the way they’d come in, heading west.

“The rest of you: if you wish to make a stand, then let’s make a stand together. The scrow can’t take what they please anymore.”

Where to find more

This is about a fourth of the way through Bonded Crowns. Right now, you can nab your own copy along with deleted scenes and readers’ choice of the dragon lullaby (the one that Hest used to calm horses), coloring pages, puckling stickers, or a ditty that Shawnahur’s brothers taught him to occupy his time as a kid in the fields and later he uses to plea insanity when he’s captured and behind Hameen lines. Right now, we’re looking at the top two favorites in the voting, but that’s if we reach our goal by Tuesday.

How do you get your copy? Glad you asked.

Special Edition Features

Two books in one:

Bonded Crowns is the duology of Appointed and Ascended that will be released individually next year. While you have to wait for the books in individual format, you can grab the completed story in one chunky paperback or hardback (876 pages).

Autographed and full color title page:

The title is in color as well as the signed blessing.

Colored Maps:

New maps by A C Cartography of Eelarga and Muintir will be in color in the paperback and hardback copies.

Stretch Goals

Everyone who backs now has extras that will be tossed into their box when the campaign is finished.

Currently achieved: Deleted scenes from the book. In the middle of the action, I had a story of Shawnahur meeting up with a young puckling drover. It slowed the book down, but I went ahead and edited it with Part the Wor(l)ds Editing. It now is waiting to be formatted into a pdf or ebook to send out to my backers.

Other options up for vote:

Stretch goal #2 is $1,000 and will unlock one of the following

Coloring pages–Shawnahur’s poems and songs, zentangle dragons, horses, pucklings, and more. 28 images in all

Puckling ditty–While in the fields, Shawn’s brother taught him a ditty that helped pass the time, later it helped Shawn appear insane when he was captured by the enemy.

Dragon Lullaby–Composed and written by a local musician, this is the song that Hest hums to calm horses and that Keenah hums to activate the magic in the seer’s ring.

Puckling stickers–vinyl stickers of pucklings drawn by Zion Valet.

The next stretch goals will unveil other options such as additional maps of Shawn’s journeys, endpages for the hardback books, sprayed edges, and an embossed design on the hardback books.

A Peek Inside

Shawnahur has met up with a young boy who’ll become his squire. The smayden is a weapon much like a glaive.

They rode in silence for a span or so before the lad pointed up past his knee and asked, “Did you kill a Hameen to get that?”

“Hm?” Shawnahur had hardly been paying attention; they’d finally hit a stretch of open road between towns where Duhara could manage the terrain without guidance.

“The smayden. Did you kill the Hameen who owned it?”

“Nay, not this one.”

“Another?”

“Aye, the one the king holds belonged to their champion in the south. That one was me.”

“I’m glad. Any more?”

Shawnahur rubbed a hand across his face, trying to block out the sight of Linnea’s husband—Yohan; he’d never be able to forget the name she’d cried—and the others. He shuddered. “Too many to count.”

“Good riddance.”

He pulled the horse to a stop and turned in the saddle, fixing Athlone in his gaze. “Listen, boiwith, if you’re going to ride with me, there’s something we have to get straight. Hameen are human, just like us. If you ever end up in battle with me, you’ll treat the enemy like you’d like to be treated. Do you understand?”

“Mm.”

“Nay, I need to hear you give me your word.”

“Aye, duene. Whatever you say. They don’t keep with such honor, though, you know.”

“Mayhap, nay, but one step when I walk the halls of the dead, I’ll face Jeeah knowing I pleased him.”

When he didn’t get an answer, just a contemplative look out into the wilderness, Shawnahur tapped Duhara’s flanks to get them moving again.

“You actually believe that, don’t you?” Athlone finally asked.

“With all my heart, boiwith. I’ve seen enough to know that if I deny their humanity, I lose mine, too. ‘Tisn’t the way to follow Jeeah, who made us all and bears the sorrows of both sides.” He paused, gathering his fortitude. The story might land badly, and ‘twas still a raw enough wound that ‘twould sting him if it did, but he felt it needed to be told. “My first battle, I thought I was defending a child, and I killed a man in hand-to-hand combat. Turned out ‘twas his son. Watched the whole thing.”

“Oh.” Athlone’s response sounded like a punch to the gut had driven it from his lungs.

“Aye. His wife saw it, too, and after the battle I had to knock down a Muintirian soldier who wanted to pull her straight off of her husband’s body and take her for himself.”

That was met with silence, but Shawn could feel a tightening in the lad’s posture behind him.

“Then someone came to drag him off to be burned, and I thought…” Shawnahur’s chest constricted. “I thought, ‘This is the last memory his family is going to have of him.’ So I did what little I could—treated his body with some dignity. Carried it myself, kept it from being buried under the rest of the dead. If ’twas one of ours, ‘twould be what I’d want them to do.”

“They don’t.” The lad spat, though with less venom than Shawnahur had expected.

“Mayhap, but I won’t stoop to become like them, no matter how much death I face or deliver.” Shawnahur’s hands tightened on the reins, and another heavy silence fell over them; he decided to leave the boy to his thoughts. ‘Twas a struggle, he supposed, for one who’d never even had the chance to fight back, to be the victor standing over a dead enemy. A victim would have different feelings. Different things to submit to Jeeah’s ways, if he accepted them at all.

What you’ll receive

At the base level, you’ll support an indie author and receive an ebook copy of Uprooted that starts the stories of Four Stars over Ardatz where Bonded Crowns takes place.

If you wish to go further, you’ll get the early release ebook of Bonded Crowns, the story of the first dragon king. When I say early release, I mean that this book won’t be available in this form until 2026! The first half of the story will be published in April of 2025 and the next half in July of 2025. So, you’ll have a long time to wait if you don’t go now.

The next two levels get you paperback or hardback editions of Bonded Crowns. And as we reach our goal of funding, then you’ll get to vote on what extras you want!

First 24 hours

If you so choose to back within the first 24 hours, you’ll receive the bookmark and Uprooted ebook for free! It’s added to the ebook, paperback, and hardback levels.

The extras

Most of the extras will stay a surprise until we reach those goals, but in the meantime, I’m letting people know that there are colored maps, extra maps, and more available to add to your book–whether it’s physical or ebook.

There are new maps as well created by A C Cartography.

You can also get the completed series as a trilogy. I’ve worked hard at combining Uprooted, Blessed, and Exalted into one book titled Bright Lands, and Determined, Resolved, and Divided into Battle Lines.

Oh, and I didn’t mention that this version has chapter art! Yep. Some never-before-seen images as well as the covers from the original books are being integrated into the books at strategic places.

How it works

You go to Kickstarter, login (easy to do: either create an account or login with Facebook), and pick your level of reward. What do you want?

Ebook?

Paperback?

Hardback?

Once you have that done, decide if you want any add-ons:

Extra bookmarks, paperbacks, hardbacks, or the trilogy in ebook as well.

Share and watch the fun

Yes, it’s fun. The more you share, the more extras happen. As you get excited, your friends join in. Then you get to a final project that is unlike anything you have ever had before.

‘Twasn’t until Shawn had played through nearly every melody he’d composed that the chieftain finally slumped back into his chair and regarded his son with a clearer visage.

“Carda, what do you recommend?”

“Your plan was a good one. When the rains cease, the clans will come together again and witness your valor, and you’ll see again just how much the chiefs of Muintir regard you. ‘Tis a time of waiting—all we can do.”

Rian pulled at his beard. “But how long until the rains end? I wish they’d just dry up forever! I’ve not been right since they started.”

“Nay, Father, you’re fine. You just need to rest.”

“How am I supposed to rest with this constant buzzing? ‘Tis like a fly’s stuck in my mind. Can’t think straight or even see straight.”

“Hush, ‘tis—”

“Don’t ‘hush’ me, boiwith!”

Carda flinched as if slapped and abruptly turned on his heel toward the door. Shawnahur wanted to shrink away from the conflict, but he continued playing, his fingers remembering the tune he’d created the first time he’d played for the duene: Rian’s Song.

“Carda, don’t leave,” Rian pled. “Stay, boiwith. You’re my son.”

“I won’t leave, Father.” The warrior leaned against the wall, looking unfazed.

Shawnahur envied the way the young man could recover his composure so easily. Whatever Carda did, he seemed to be comfortable, whether that was on the battlefield as his brothers had attested to, or what Shawnahur had seen of the man here in his own home.

You can have that as well, heart of my hearts.

How?

Learn to be confident in who you are—who we are together.

Warmth trickled through his arm, and the silver light glowed on his hand.

Not now!

It dimmed, but he didn’t have anything to fear. Carda had set his attention solely on his father, and Rian was concerned only with the clan leaders’ lack of attention. The flute found a melancholy tune, and Shawnahur wondered what he’d feel if Father suddenly lost all sense of propriety and raved like a fox with maddening sickness.

What do you think? How would you feel in Shawn’s shoes? I know I’d be wanting to run. I avoid conflict like the plague! 

If you want more snippets, you can find them on the following page.

I’ve started to describe Kickstarter as a GoFundMe page that pays back those who fund it. You choose your tier of rewards and then if the goal is met, everyone gets their rewards, and the Indie author gets some money. 

If the goal is met and there’s still time left, then you see stretch goals put into effect. These are extra rewards that everyone gets if a specific goal is met–either x amount of money or a specific number of backers. 

What are rewards? Well, that depends. In the case of Bonded Crowns you’ll get your choice of ebook, paperback, or hardback. Then the stretch goals will be things like cut scenes, coloring pages, upgraded art–colored map instead of black and white, or a specific map of Shawn’s travels. Those who back will be voting on what gets added.

I’ve created a video to show you what Bonded Crowns is all about.

How Kickstarter Works

Kickstarter works off the idea that you like projects and want to see those projects reach their potential. So, indie authors, game developers, and other creatives present their ideas to the world, and you get to help back them in exchange for a piece of the project.

Your reward is based off the amount of support you give! It’s that easy. For example, you may only want an ebook, so you select that tier, but maybe you want the deluxe hardback edition. Each tier price is set in relationship to what you receive.

Unlike GoFundMe, Kickstarter projects are all or nothing. If they only reach 99% of their goal, then no one receives their rewards, and the project creator doesn’t get any money! But what happens if the goal is reached early?

I watched as Karyn Norton funded in under an hour! She then still had 21 days to go. The excitement built as her backers shared the word and eventually, when it was all said and done, I held the most beautiful hardback book in my hands–Embossed, jacket cover, chapter art, vellum map, colored map of world and the magic system!

How was that possible? Through stretch goals. As a backer, I was able to vote on what extras I wanted.

The Opportunity for You

My next book, Bonded Crowns, is releasing via Kickstarter next month. It won’t be available in this form anywhere else. Come March of 2025, I’ll release half of it as Appointed, and in July, the next half as Ascended. A special edition of Bonded Crowns will eventually be available on my website, but it won’t have all the bells and whistles that the Kickstarter version will have.

Bonded Crowns

What is this book? And why is it different than what will be available on other outlets?

Bonded Crowns is the duology of the first dragon king of Muintir. For Kickstarter, I decided to give the completed story first before it comes out as two books in the series. And since it’s new characters set earlier in the world, it works as its own standalone edition.

Survive.
Claim the crown.
Become the dragon king.

That should be easy for an eighteen-year-old, but Shawnahur’s easy days of being a puckling drover end moment he helps a baby dragon. Instead, he inadvertently ends up on a battlefield and defeats the enemy champion.

With his innocence stripped away and his victories mounting, Shawnahur is on the wrong side of the new king’s jealousy which knows no limits. He’ll need all his wits to stay alive as he’s threatened not only by the enemy on the battlefield—but also by his king!

Even so, he dares to dream that the prophecy of a dragon king could apply to him, but that’s only if he can survive long enough to claim the crown.

How to Be Envolved

You can get early notification in two ways:

This enables you to have an email in your inbox when the project goes live and another just before the project ends.

This is a special group who want personal notification of the project, want to be part of the conversation ahead of time, and are willing to pledge $1 right now to add a bookmark, the Dragon Journal and a pen to their tier.

I can’t wait to see how special this edition gets, but it’s all up to you and your friends. Bring them along.

Purchase Resolved

Yep, that’s probably the most obvious, but today the book is available on all outlets. If you’ve been waiting to snag an ebook, now’s your chance. It’s only 99 cents. The hardback and paperback books are also available. If you like the feel of a good solid book, the hardbacks of this series are for you. They look great together sitting on a shelf.

If you’ve already ordered your copy, once you read Resolved, a review is the best thing you can do to help an author. Even if it’s just a word or two. Those reviews help others know what you thought of the book and give credibility to the book for future potential readers but also to amazon.

Read the first chapter

It’s always good to know what you’re diving into. The first chapter will help with that. So, here’s the first chapter for you to read for free.

Dragons on Social Media

Another way to celebrate the release of Resolved is to post to the July Dragon Challenge. It’s available on Instagram or really any social media. Just use #DragonsSovereignsTalismans and tag me @kandijwyatt (instagram and facebook), and @talismanbrett (instagram). We’ll like your posts and interact with you as well.

The July Dragon Challenge is a collaboration between Brett Salter and me. Brett’s Talismans series is a middle grade dragon rider series, and Sovereigns is a young adult dragon rider series.

Download a bookmark

Since I’m on my way to my favorite writing conference, Realm Makers, I made up some bookmarks to put in the registration bags. I decided to give you one of my favorites.

Pre-order Divided

Book 6 tells Mairead’s story, and picks up right after Resolved.