In the aftermath of my two-week blog tour for the release of Defy, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve finished the first draft of Shift. It was remarkably challenging trying to write this book while getting Defy ready for publication and then promoting it, but somehow I managed! Next on the agenda will be the first round of edits, followed by an outline for Elder.
All in a day’s work, right?
Oh…one other item of note is that my Estilorian short story, The Prophecy, is now free on Amazon. If you haven’t already read it and would like to do so, you can download it here. If you’ve already read it, thank you so much! I hope that you’ll leave a review on Amazon (for this story and any other books you’ve read, for that matter!). :) It’s the best promotion an author can get. Thanks so much to everyone who has already done so.
For now, I wanted to give my Estilorian fans a little hint of what’s to come in the next Firstborn installment. I hope you enjoy it, and I welcome your comments!

Excerpt from Chapter One of Shift (Book Two of the Firstborn Trilogy)

In the form of the panther, Sophia stalked her target. The forest provided many shaded and grassy nooks, and Domino was an admirable opponent. The three-year-old panther could remain still for hours. His spotted fur also gave him excellent camouflage. Thus, Sophia used her heightened sense of smell to find him.
When she got within springing distance, she lowered into a crouch, her back legs digging into the ground for better purchase. Then she pounced.
Domino sensed her the moment she left the ground. He shifted to accept her weight as she tackled him. Her paws wrapped around his torso. Then she opened her powerful jaw and went for the soft part of his neck.
He quickly flipped their positions, using his greater strength to dump her onto her back. Her feline instincts had her wrenching herself to right her center of gravity. This resulted in them taking a long, tangled tumble down the side of a grassy hill.
At the base of the hill rested several of Domino’s siblings. They watched for only a moment before leaping into the fray.
“Sophia!”
She froze, her ear caught between Domino’s teeth. Rolling her eyes in the direction of her mother’s voice, she tried to ignore the heavy weight of Domino’s haunches where they rested on her right side. The panthers around her also grew still, hearing the maternal censuring tone and paying it heed.
Busted, Sophia thought.