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There were times I thought I'd never get here.

As of this minute, typing these words, I'm still editing The Autumn Prince, though the story is complete and fairly comprehensive. I know where I've been, I have a pretty good idea where I'm going, and I'm ready to begin sharing the second book in this four-part series.

As with the first, this is a mature story, containing violence, dark moments, sexual situations, drama, comedy, and high fantasy crammed into a modern setting. As with the first, you will not receive it in fun-sized portions.

What has gone before:

In the first book, Thomas Corwen learned that he is the son of a gean canagh, a kind of Irish sex fairy, whose touch can inebriate and whose bodily fluids are addictive. The effect on women is sympathetic, resulting in feelings of attraction and affection, while in men it produces fear and hatred.

He accidentally subjugates three women, and the four of them are forced to go into hiding to escape both Fae courts and Tom's cruel father. Through the efforts of a pair of enigmatic patrons, they end up in a warehouse that's transformed into a fairy wonderland. Sounds cheezy I know, but trust me - it's pretty cool.

After weathering several tragedies, Tom finally confronts his father, and his victory results in an unexpected twist. Tom is now lord of his own island kingdom, though his subjects are still few in number.

This brings us to the first pages of this book.

What should you expect now?

Nothing soon. Oh, I'll be writing and I might drop the first five chapters, but I need to see some interest before I invest in regular updates. That was always my intention, but WP had other ideas. It's all good, either way. I might even spend time on a few other projects in the interim. We'll have to wait and see.

Also, as before, there's no political or social agenda here. I'm sure if you REALLY wanted to and refused to relax and enjoy the content, you could find SOMETHING inside that registers to you as "problematic." 

I don't care. 

I don't mean that to be insensitive or even passive aggressive, but if that's your goal, then you should probably seek entertainment elsewhere because I have four older brothers who are WAY better than you at pushing my buttons. What little of my heritage isn't Irish is Scottish, so I'm stubborn as a mule and trash talk only fuels my fire.

That's not a pre-emptive statement, I'm only setting expectations. People so far have been very kind and receptive, and I hope everyone finds things to love within these pages. No hard feelings if you walk away.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me in the past and who will support me in the future. I'd say buckle up but this may not be much of a ride until I'm through with the alpha version, and that's months away. If you want to see more sooner, nag me. I love attention as much as the next person, and I'll gladly work out a schedule to get it :D

That's it for now. Hope to see you inside.

F. C. Cleary

2022