Will Wight, New York Times Best-Selling Author of 'Cradle'
  • Home
  • Books
    • Kickstarter Bonus Content!
  • A Blog of Dubious Intent
  • Podcast
  • Merch
  • Say Hello
  • Hidden Gnome Publishing
  • Press

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.

Of Christmas and Carols

12/25/2015

3 Comments

 
Why? No reason. There’s no point and no moral, and it’s pointless to look for one. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
 
The Lyathatan rose, manacles on its arms and chains clinking like great bells. The noise woke Calder, who ran out on the deck to see the monster hulking over the water. “Tonight,” it hissed, with a voice like the grave, “you will be visited by three spirits.”

“I had no idea you could speak,” Calder said. The Elder sank beneath the waves, glaring all the while.
 
The first spirit arrived before Calder made it back to his cabin. Her face was angelic, her pale hair shining in a halo over her long black coat. “I think I am the Spirit of Christmas Past.”

Calder glanced around, but other than the Head of the Blackwatch, the deck was empty. “This is stranger than usual, Bliss. What’s a Christmas?”
 
The Testament faded away, revealing the ratty old tenement in which he had once stayed with his father. “These are the shadows of things that have been,” Bliss said. “They are what they are. Or are they?”

Calder looked to where a small red-headed boy, a young version of himself, lay on a threadbare pallet against the wall. “Where have you brought us?”
 
“This was where you were on Christmas night, nearly twenty years gone.”
 
For nearly twenty minutes, Calder watched himself sleep. “Are we waiting for something?”
 
In a blink, he was back on The Testament, facing Bliss.
 
“I hope you’re learning your lesson,” she said.
 
“I don’t think I am,” he responded, but she was gone. The ocean breeze whistled through the ship’s lines.
 
Urzaia, wrapped in furs and wearing heavy mittens, laughed as he clapped Calder on the back. “Do not worry, Captain. I am the Spirit of Christmas Present. I am supposed to show you what happens tonight.”
 
Calder looked out to sea. The Aion was still and quiet for miles. Maybe an Elder had finally broken his mind after all, and these were the consequences.
 
After a few more minutes of nothing happening, Calder cleared his throat. “What happens tonight?”

“You talk to me!” Urzaia said, beaming. He pulled a flask from his belt, unscrewed the cap, and took a swig.
 
“I’m fairly certain I’m dreaming. Odds are at least…eight or nine out of ten.”

“I have always liked dreams. They can be as much fun as you make them.”

“Like life, I guess,” Calder said, accepting the flask.
 
Urzaia boomed out a laugh. “That is deep thinking, Captain. Maybe that’s the lesson you should learn tonight.”

“Is it?”

The Champion shrugged. “Watch out for the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come.”
 
“I hope he tells me what Christmas is.”

Urzaia vanished, just like Bliss had before him. Calder stood alone again, with no flask in his hand.
 
When the third spirit arrived, she had a bronze dagger in each hand. Calder reached for a sword he wasn’t wearing, frantic to defend himself from Shera’s attack. But she didn’t attack; she pointed to a spot just to one side of the mast.
 
Warily he pried his eyes from her weapon, looking at the tombstone that had sprouted from his deck.
 
CALDER MARTEN, the stone declared. HE DIED FOR THE EMPIRE.
 
Calder stared at it for longer than he should have, his thoughts tying themselves in knots. Was this an omen? A nightmare? A hopeful dream? Was dying for the Empire a good ending or a bad one? A false future or true?

“Shera…I mean, Spirit. Is this true? Will this come to pass?”

The Consultant leaned against the railing, expression hooded by shadows and uncut hair. After a few minutes of expectant waiting, he heard her begin to snore.
 
“I don’t know why I expected better.”
 
Something moved in the darkness around Shera’s silhouette, flapping and fluttering in the night. It blasted toward his face, expanding to a pair of leathery wings and a face full of tentacles. Shuffles landed on his shoulder, laughing in its basso rumble.

“FATES CURSE US, EVERY ONE!” the Elderspawn declared.
 
And the dream ended.

Calder bolted upright in his bunk, sweating. Sunlight steamed into his cabin, and there was a noticeable lack of any strange visitors. Thankfully. “Petal!” he shouted. “You’re never cooking again!”

Outside his door, Petal squeaked.
3 Comments

Dawn is ALREADY live!

12/6/2015

30 Comments

 
Amazon gets faster at this every time. Some might say...TOO fast.

​Anyway, DAWN is up! Go get it!
30 Comments

Dawn is off to the presses!

12/6/2015

5 Comments

 
Good news, everyone! I have uploaded Of Dawn and Darkness (right on time)!

If Amazon's usual pattern holds true, it should be available for sale in only a couple of hours. How many is "a couple"? Usually 2-4, but they say it could take up to 12.

If you'd like me to email you when the book is available, subscribe to my mailing list! Otherwise, keep checking here and on my Facebook/Twitter/apartment window: I'll post links as soon as I get them!

See you in a couple of hours, and thanks for reading!

​-Will
5 Comments

The Dawn Approaches!

12/4/2015

3 Comments

 
Lots happening this week!

First and most importantly, Of Dawn and Darkness is going to be published on Monday, December 7th! Woohoo! It's been a long time coming, but hopefully it's worth the wait.

If you would like me to email you as soon as the book is live for sale, then make sure you're subscribed to my mailing list! I'll send out an email the instant I confirm that the book is available for sale.

Secondly, to celebrate the release of Dawn, Of Sea and Shadow is going on sale! Between the 7th and 14th of December, Sea will only be $0.99!

Third, the paperback version of Of Darkness and Dawn is available now!

I'll put up another blog post soon, one that includes more of my thoughts and less of the current, literal news. For instance, I'd like to talk about how I won't be doing a huge gap in between the next two books. Because that sucked.

More soon!

-Will
3 Comments
    ​Waybound Progress:
    Seven-star Phoenix

    Last Written:

    THE END
    Of the Cradle series


    Amount Complete:
    100%

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013

    Categories

    All
    100 Review Extravaganza
    April First
    Audiobooks
    Blog Matters
    Chronicles
    City Of Light
    Conventions
    Fan Stuff
    Guild Guide
    House Of Blades
    My Epic Adventures
    Of Darkness And Dawn
    Of Dawn And Darkness
    Of Sea And Shadow
    Of Shadow And Sea
    Original Fiction
    Polls
    Preview
    Release Date
    Sales Update
    The Crimson Vault
    Weekly Post

    RSS Feed

    Want to get short stories and book releases before anyone else? Sign up below!
    Hey, what about those short stories you claim to have already written?

    Apparently they're kept here!
Copyright © 2023 Hidden Gnome Publishing
  • Home
  • Books
    • Kickstarter Bonus Content!
  • A Blog of Dubious Intent
  • Podcast
  • Merch
  • Say Hello
  • Hidden Gnome Publishing
  • Press