Ok - been too quiet around here. Time to blow off the dust with a bomb shell…here's about the ONLY bit of Stormed Fortress done so far that doesn't spoil…and yet…grin.
Please Note: this is UNFINISHED DRAFT and copyright by the author - out of respect for my rights, do not remove this preview excerpt from this site!
Ok - here we go:
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Given privacy, Arithon came forward, skin wet. He offered due courtesy to the reigning High Earl with no trace of needling irony.
Lord Erlien did not rise. He laid down the strips of oiled leather in hand, and raked his diminutive royal guest over with his usual aggressive inspection. "My sentries are all dripping like drowned foxes, too. Why aren't you singing for one of my women, being plied with mulled wine in comfort?"
Arithon flipped back his streaming black hair and showed teeth in delighted affront. "Because wet fingernails tear, on a lyranthe's wound string. And because your huntress in residence likes to use darts before words to nail down my wool-gathering attention." He added, across the pervasive milieu of goose grease and freshly honed weapons, "I've brought a wine skin. The vintage is an exquisite year, from the vinyards of West Halla."
"The prize you won over a contest with bows? I heard about that. My scouts don't, as a rule, lose their shirts to outsiders. They're never going to settle your triumph without demanding a rematch." Lord Erlien leaned forward, his folded arms braced on the work-worn boards, where he had been wrapping new grips on his hunting knives and his sword hilt. "What's my woman guessed that you haven't told us, your Grace?"
"Am telling you." Arithon uncorked the shoulder-slung flask, pulled a neat swallow, and passed the choice red across the razor array of naked steel on the trestle. "I need to ask a boon of the land's steward." He did not take a seat on the vacated bench, plain enough indication that his request would be other than commonplace business.
Erlien belted back a stiff slug, though the fine wine deserved a more delicate appreciation. "You drink like a milk-nosed virgin," he accused. His salt hair shone in the flamelight, while the frost in his eyes kindled to warning. "Did you come bearing sops as bribe to appease me? Or did you think to bolster your courage, before asking for something unreasonable?"
"Merely unreasonable? Why not outrageous?" Arithon accepted the gurgling skin. He sipped without hurry, and smiled straight back. His thoughtful expression, and wide-lashed, mild candor, would have pitched Dakar to jangling anxiety…
originally posted by Walt
"Merely unreasonable? Why not outrageous?"
hmmm… Merely a short tidbit bound to make us launch into gales of outrageous speculation?? hehehe! Oh my, oh my… If I had any hair left on the top of my head I'd be grasping it in a state of high agitation! Thank you Janny! My gloomy day here at work just had a fresh wind blow through… Now what mischief does our intrepid masterbard have in mind now???
originally posted by skeoke
skin wet and battling with Erlein!
Fantastic!
I am very much enjoying looking forward to this book.
(Obediently re-reading FP in preparation.)
originally posted by Auna
Great snippet! Totally whets the appetite without divulging anything!
originally posted by HJ
We love you Janny
We do
We love you Janny
We do
We love you Janny
We do
Oh, Janny
We love you
British football chant, c. 20th Century 
originally posted by nathan
Janny, the level of consideration you show to your readers between volumes is astonishing.
You truly are one of the greats!
HJ's sentiments exactly!
originally posted by Dorothy
In a nutshell HJ.
originally posted by Trys
TK SPOILERS are to go inthe TK spoiler topic. The one that was posted here in error is being moved.
originally posted by Blue
Good one, HJ!
Oh, boy… Arithon asking for something outrageous. Poor Erlien!
originally posted by R’is’n
"…milk-nosed virgin…"? *rotflol*
don't edit that out!
originally posted by R’is’n
"…and yet…"
ARRRGH! And yet what…?
evil… EVIL. :>
originally posted by James A. Messick
… What all powers do the land's stewards have? I'm assuming that the Fellowship has to sanction a prince for crown rule of a country so it can't be the possible High Kingship of Shand now can it? Even if he did It's possible that he would have a tough time reconciling with the clans… not sure about hte townborn part especially since he has ways of getting around that as well. Though i find it interesting that he's started to politic alot. I'm almost thinking that he's back in tune so to speak with the needs of things and that Kewar Tunnel provided the much needed tuning for a better harmony… I eagerly await the next book
originally posted by sharee_cronin
i am an avid reader of yours janny but i ask this is there going to be an ending i say this as i've just finished reading the wheel of time fantasy books and it is still going on now numbering ten books in the series, these are not up to your standards and the characters are no where near as enchanting as arithon and co, but as much as i could read them for forever and more i really would like to look forward to knowing what happens in the end. thats to say lets not make it to soon though! i can't wait to read stormed fortress i love arithon checky ways!your one of the true greats in fantasy novels.good luck and all that!
originally posted by Trys
Hi Sharee,
Welcome to the Chat Area. If Janny doesn't mind, I'll take a crack at answering your question.
The short answer is yes.
The longer answer:
Janny has always planned the Wars of Light and Shadow to consist of five story arcs. To date those story arcs (as represented in the topics of this Chat Area) are:
Arc 1: Curse of the Mistwraith
Arc 2: Ships of Merior / Warhost of Vastmark
Arc 3: Fugitive Prince / Grand Conspiracy / Peril's Gate / Traitor's Knot / Stormed Fortress (these make up the Alliance of Light) .
Arc 4: Untitled
Arc 5: Untitled
With STormed Fortress being the closing volume of Arc 3, the only real question remaining is how many books will it take to tell the last two arcs. We'll have to wait and see… and enjoy.
Trys
Trys
To add to Trys' correct note:
Arc IV (projected) is outlined for two "phases" or volumes.
Arc V is unknown - not one whit with respect for story, I have eighty pages and more on its projected contents - my authorial preference is for one volume due to the nature of the story…it should not be split for reader satisfaction. What remains to be seen is what sort of publication will be actually possible when these volumes are created. The "market" and its nature are changing so fast!!! today that projecting that far into the future is difficult. Even the price of paper changes yearly. Monthly. Production, shipping of books - all that are unknown costs. I have contracts in hand for Stormed Fortress and the first volume of Arc IV - past that, I have hardcore knowledge of story, but no firm production status.
That bridge will be crossed when the time comes. Only one thing has not shifted - the story itself is on track.
I can't apologize for the fact you, as contemporaries, must wait for the writing and production schedule - the ending I can hope, will justify everything - and make the frustration of waiting worthwhile.
- welcome here Sharee.
originally posted by Susan C
Janny: However long it takes, I am willing to wait. The WoLaS is my favorite series. I may wish I didn't have to wait so long between books, but at least your books are so good they are enjoyable no matter how many times they are read. Thank-you for bringing me such reading pleasure.
originally posted by shahina daar
way to go susan.
HJ and nathan say it perfectly janny- for you to take the time to keep in touch with readers is amazing!
I do it because I appreciate your caring.
originally posted by max
I just found this excerpt!!! what fun. It is going to be another great book.
My eyes are really getting bad, I can't believe I just spotted this. thank you Janny!!
originally posted by ssserpent
Yes thank you thank you!!
I just finished reading Traitor's Knot today, which means withdrawal symptoms…so this was a real treat!
I just have a question: are you going to write the whole 500 years of the princes' lives?? 