Topher Lydon

TBH it was Miguel that came first, before that Billy was just a Billy... then Miguel came along, and I liked the name... so I gave the family Hernandez as the family name. I think they're a mixed heritage family.

Manuel Hernandez is a character to watch, he's the one documenting everything, pulling it all together in the background. This chapter is where things shift, and momentum begins to bring Justice to Grey Harbour.

you guys may notice a difference in structure of my chapters in this book to the others I write. I am experimenting with punchier chapters for Caleb. Average about 2000 words. The rule for his chapters are one scene, one location, one view point per chapter. The chapters labelled with: chapter number(a) NAME of character Are written as regular chapters. I was trying to follow a formula for Murder Mysteries structure... /TBH this is probably one of the more difficult books I have ever written. The style is very contrary to how I normally write my thrillers/adventure books. It's counter intuitive to me and so difficult for me to wrap my head around. I am still trying to see how this story is received by the readers. I am glad that it is engaging.

yes sir, sorry sir... I will put nose back to grindstone

I believe Caleb's father gets back on Tuesday. Blanchard has called him by this point, and he has finally learned what has happened and is rushing back.

Elena is building a wall around Caleb. From what I have written about her, it's her deep love for Billy, and her hard earned pragmatism.

Elena Hernandez, slapping Diana right where it hurts. You wanted a beat down, Elena is going to give Diana exactly what she's earned.

SATURDAY MORNING The Grey Harbor Police Department smelled like coffee, desperation, and the cheap air freshener they used to cover up the smell of both. Arthur Blanchard had been sitting in the conference room for eleven minutes. He'd counted. He'd also counted the cracks in the ceiling tiles (fourteen), the number of times the fluorescent lights flickered (thirty-seven), and the precise shade of beige the walls had been painted sometime in the 1980s. He was a patient man. He'd had

I love that the subversion flips the script on the whole mess. Robert grumbling to Darien over a flagon of wine. "It's just not fair. I end up with a useless lump of a boy, and you get one that's chased by the most powerful lads in the realm. Please tell me that magus of yours has a spell to turn him. I need some of this great game of state luck of yours. King Henry's a prick, and I'd love nothing more than Richard to bring in one of the most powerful alliances of the era... come on... he's got to have some kind of magic wand, special herb, or just a really convincing manuscript in his bag of tricks. Hell it worked on you!"

I found the whole story rather interesting when writing. I wanted to get the Jock vs Nerd trope and dust it off and give it a bit of GoT styled fun. But then Atreus doesn't sit still and would look terrible in a Cheerleader's skirt. (Besides Richard would have some choice comments)

No no, Richard does Casimir, while Tomas is forced to watch. Atreus and Rico playing cards in the next room. "Do you have any 2's?" "Go fish!"

LOL Atreus does Richard (Richard complaining loudly the entire time) Casimir does Tomas (Man the cat fights as they bicker would be so much fun) Rico wants to know what they're doing behind the locked door.

Tomas intrigues me a little. He's further ahead than the others, he's newly knighted, he's got the reputation... the pedigree... and yet all he wants is what Atreus has. A loving home and the freedom to be himself. His swagger hides deep insecurities. Adela sees right through him, and you know she's talking to Darien. She's far too old, and utterly immune to the scandals of court to be intimidated by Lothar. She was married to Lord Haskal, and she's raised both Darien and Atreus, she knows Haskal men. They adopt, and care for others. It's been Darien's way all the way through the books, we can clearly see who he got it from. I think Darien's watching, carefully. The whole situation is a mess. Radoslav wants Cecily to marry Atreus, binding the Vanguard to him. Cas wants Atreus, and has put the work in. Lothar wants Tomas to marry Cecily, so to break up the Atreus thing, having Tomas bed him and then reveal that Atreus was the bottom, it emasculates Atreus. (tale as old as time, Tops are just men being men. Bottoms are the ones who are shamed) Tomas, however, is falling for Atreus's ... it's not love or charm... it's what Atreus offers and represents... family Richard just wants to oogle Princess Libbet and Cecily's chests. (He's hopeless) Atreus has NO IDEA what he wants right now. He's 14 and has never been the center of attention before. (So much like Darien, hopeless in this kind of arena) And Rico is figuring out what isn't nailed down, how heavy it is, and how much he can sell it for... (His future Baba Ashot will be so proud)

You know Lloyd and Val are going to be taking bets on the whole thing. And how long it takes for Darien's hair to go grey. Wylan smirking enigmatically, as he waits.

The new #teamsquire Atreus, Richard, Tomas, Cas, and Rico. (Providing Cas and Tomas don't kill each other, and Rico doesn't rob them blind)

I think he did, to break up the fight between Darien and Khalied where they were going to kill each other at the gates of Antioch.

It's Northern France, the rains are ungodly there, so both(?)

good morning

The morning sun broke over the Vexin in a blaze of gold and amber, burning away the last traces of the previous night's revelry. The air was crisp and clean, carrying the sharp, invigorating scent of dew-damp grass, woodsmoke, and the distant, savory aroma of roasting meats already being prepared for the day's feast. The tournament grounds had transformed overnight from a muddy, chaotic construction site into a sprawling, magnificent spectacle of medieval pageantry. Colorful pennants snapped in

HERETIC

The first day Flynn has ever felt well, and all he wants to do is spend it with Poitr eating ice cream

Now forgive the "There's a Difference" repetition, this was written before Vega Vixen, so I've learned my over use of it... and yeah... It's a quirk, there's a difference

The morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and Flynn O'Briain was dancing. Not the exhausted, feverish shuffle he usually managed when he had enough energy to make coffee. Actual dancing. His hips moved. His shoulders moved. His bare feet slid across the concrete floor like he was Gene Kelly in a half-finished tech startup. He was wearing nothing but a pair of bright yellow smiley face boxer shorts and a smile, and he was singing along to something on his phone—something