# In Her Name: Legend Of The Sword - Work in Progress by Michael R. Hicks



## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Ann said I should, so I am: this is a thread about _In Her Name: Legend Of The Sword_, which is the working title of the next book of the _In Her Name_ saga. It follows on the heels of _In Her Name: First Contact_, which should be available for the Kindle in the next week or so.

I'd like to be able to tell you just what this story is about, but I don't know yet! That's one of the perils of writing without a plot outline. But what I can tell you is that it picks up chronologically shortly after the end of _First Contact_, and it's looking like the main character through the story is going to be one that's found in all of the books so far. But you'll have to guess who that is! 

More to come as my fingers let me know what the heck they're typing...


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

kreelanwarrior said:


> and it's looking like the main character through the story is going to be one that's found in all of the books so far. But you'll have to guess who that is!


Oh, um, gee, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....the Empress?


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Steph H said:


> Oh, um, gee, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....the Empress?


Okay, go and get technical on me! Let me rephrase it: there are _two_ characters that you'll have seen before (although I still consider her sort of a minor character, at least until the end of the "big" story), but she's not the one I was thinking of...


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Not fair, not fair.  Haven't read First Contact, yet, but I'll take a shot ... Tesh Dar?


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I'm in for all of it.


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'Turn to Page 390' said:


> Not fair, not fair. Haven't read First Contact, yet, but I'll take a shot ... Tesh Dar?


You win! The prize is the two Hershey dark chocolate kisses that I just ate (sorry, my muse is very demanding!)...


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

kreelanwarrior said:


> You win! The prize is the two Hershey dark chocolate kisses that I just ate (sorry, my muse is very demanding!)...


You're forgiven. But if it had been Hershey's milk chocolate with almonds, you would have been in deep tapioca.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Yay! So happy to know that I have _two_ Kreelan books to look forward to! 

N


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Neekeebee said:


> Yay! So happy to know that I have _two_ Kreelan books to look forward to!
> 
> N


Technically, you've got three! First Contact, Legend of the Sword (told largely from Tesh-Dar's perspective), and the last one that has a working title of Brothers in Arms (focusing on the relationship between Zhukovski and Hickock, leading up to what happens in Empire/Book 1 of the omnibus Ed.). .


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Cue Dire Straits music...


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

So you're going to make the trilogy you're working on now cover the whole 100-ish years between First Contact and the existing omnibus?  Hmmmm....you could do better. Tell more in-depth stories and stretch it for several trilogies!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Steph H said:


> So you're going to make the trilogy you're working on now cover the whole 100-ish years between First Contact and the existing omnibus? Hmmmm....you could do better. Tell more in-depth stories and stretch it for several trilogies!


Hey, some of us _mature _people might not live long enough to read all of them. Although at the rate Mike writes, we could have another six books by New Year's Eve.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Yup!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Steph H said:


> So you're going to make the trilogy you're working on now cover the whole 100-ish years between First Contact and the existing omnibus? Hmmmm....you could do better. Tell more in-depth stories and stretch it for several trilogies!


I go back and forth on that sort of thing. On the one hand, there's a universe there to explore. On the other, big story arcs - beginning, middle, and end - appeal to me (like Babylon 5). The one thing I *don't* want to do is tire out the series. That's happened in a fair number of the series I've read, where after a while the story (and the characters) just got tiresome and boring.

I'll make one possible exception for this series, though: at some point, if the muse is willing, I might jump a hundred thousand years back in time to when the First Empire was formed. That would be an "alien high fantasy" sort of story, I suppose, with no human involvement at all (and would also most likely be a trilogy, but I'm just guessing)...


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'Turn to Page 390' said:


> Hey, some of us _mature _people might not live long enough to read all of them. Although at the rate Mike writes, we could have another six books by New Year's Eve.


Hah! I'm shooting for two books a year while I'm still working full time. If I win the lotto, you can make it four books a year!


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## GreenThumb (Mar 29, 2009)

kreelanwarrior said:


> I'll make one possible exception for this series, though: at some point, if the muse is willing, I might jump a hundred thousand years back in time to when the First Empire was formed.


I just got giddy! That would be such a great story!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

GreenThumb said:


> I just got giddy! That would be such a great story!


<sigh> I *so* have to get outta this day job thing so I can write more!


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Hey we are trying to make people everywhere know about your stories.
But we cannot wave the magic wand and get you out of your day job.
(erm, actually "we" tried waving the magic wand.....in a crowded room.....got a whole bunch of toads - don't know what to do with them)

But you write, I'll read.

Just sayin......
(and tryin' to get away from the croakin')


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Tracking this thread, here.  

Ed Patterson


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> But we cannot wave the magic wand and get you out of your day job.


I'm not in favor of waving magic wands to get one out of a day job. . . . .until the same magic wand can be waved to get my brother INTO a day job. . . . . .

just sayin. . . .


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I'm not in favor of waving magic wands to get one out of a day job. . . . .until the same magic wand can be waved to get my brother INTO a day job. . . . . .
> 
> just sayin. . . .


Maybe they can trade.

Geoff, Geoff are you in there?


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

We are surely trying.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

If I win the lottery, I plan on subsidizing some of the indie author here!


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## Leises (May 8, 2009)

kreelanwarrior said:


> I'll make one possible exception for this series, though: at some point, if the muse is willing, I might jump a hundred thousand years back in time to when the First Empire was formed.


The loud YES! that was made upon my reading this earned me a few strange looks from coworkers.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Scarlet:

The lucky numbners are 23-35-54-12-2-19

Ed Patterson


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Scarlet:
> 
> The lucky numbners are 23-35-54-12-2-19
> 
> Ed Patterson


Okay, now I just have to PLAY the lottery!


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Technically, you've got three! First Contact, Legend of the Sword (told largely from Tesh-Dar's perspective), and the last one that has a working title of Brothers in Arms (focusing on the relationship between Zhukovski and Hickock, leading up to what happens in Empire/Book 1 of the omnibus Ed.). .


Double Yay! I mean _triple_ yay! 



kreelanwarrior said:


> I'll make one possible exception for this series, though: at some point, if the muse is willing, I might jump a hundred thousand years back in time to when the First Empire was formed. That would be an "alien high fantasy" sort of story, I suppose, with no human involvement at all (and would also most likely be a trilogy, but I'm just guessing)...


Seriously, _please_ do this! I loved the short story/history lesson part about this in _In Her Name_.

N


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I'm not in favor of waving magic wands to get one out of a day job. . . . .until the same magic wand can be waved to get my brother INTO a day job. . . . . .
> 
> just sayin. . . .


I'd be happy to trade if I could keep my current income! LOL!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Leises said:


> The loud YES! that was made upon my reading this earned me a few strange looks from coworkers.


Oh, don't worry. I shout out all kinds of things at work - nobody even bothers looking up anymore...


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Neekeebee said:


> Double Yay! I mean _triple_ yay!
> 
> Seriously, _please_ do this! I loved the short story/history lesson part about this in _In Her Name_.
> 
> N


Okay. Not that it means anything now, but I've "penciled in" books 7, 8, and 9 in my IHN directory for the First Empire series. Good heavens!


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

So, we'll see those by next summer?


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Steph H said:


> So, we'll see those by next summer?


Ooooh, greedy! 

Well, if I can manage to crank one out every six months (give or take):

- First Contact (almost there now!)
- Legend of the Sword (December/January)
- Brothers in Arms (Summer '10)
- First Empire #1 (Winter '10)
- First Empire #2 (Summer '11)
- First Empire #3 (Winter '11)

Happy now?


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Ooooh, greedy!
> 
> Well, if I can manage to crank one out every six months (give or take):
> 
> ...


I like this schedule! Although maybe January/February for Legend of the Sword?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

It might be better if you spent less time making a schedule and more time writing the books. . . . . .


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

scarlet said:


> I like this schedule! Although maybe January/February for Legend of the Sword?


All depends on how long the books are. If I wasn't such a windbag, I could write 'em a lot faster!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> It might be better if you spent less time making a schedule and more time writing the books. . . . . .


Owwww! That's as close to a list or schedule of anything you'll ever see me get - my personality type is very list/schedule-averse... 

Okay, back to revisions. Scarlet sent me a bunch-o-bloopers to fix...


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Owwww! That's as close to a list or schedule of anything you'll ever see me get - my personality type is very list/schedule-averse...
> 
> Okay, back to revisions. Scarlet sent me a bunch-o-bloopers to fix...


Wasn't sure if was supposed to mention that I was beta-ing for you! And that's why I want to push back Legend of the Sword, I want to beta it and will be away most of October!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

scarlet said:


> Wasn't sure if was supposed to mention that I was beta-ing for you! And that's why I want to push back Legend of the Sword, I want to beta it and will be away most of October!


We'll arrange to have a portable satellite terminal with data connectivity tucked into your luggage...


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

kreelanwarrior said:


> We'll arrange to have a portable satellite terminal with data connectivity tucked into your luggage...


Stop posting and go fixing.... "ZAP!"


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

scarlet said:


> Stop posting and go fixing.... "ZAP!"


Oh, and besides: there's no way I would have the rough draft done before November or so. So stop worrying! 

Okay, back to zapping...


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Owwww! That's as close to a list or schedule of anything you'll ever see me get - my personality type is very list/schedule-averse...
> 
> Okay, back to revisions. Scarlet sent me a bunch-o-bloopers to fix...


Now I'm wondering what all I missed.... LOL


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Steph H said:


> Now I'm wondering what all I missed.... LOL


Nothing! 

People see different things, which is why it's good to have several sets of eyeballs. Some people are great hitting typos and grammatical mistakes. Others find discontinuities and just sort of "Huh??" phrases that make no sense. Others don't find any of that, but can see the "macro" view of the story and point out areas that are rough or slow. And others can be helpful just saying, "Hey, I like it!" or "Hey, it sucks!" (although *why* they liked it or thought it sucked is generally very useful! LOL!)...


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Well, the good news is that the first chapter is finally done. The bad news (well, such as it is), is that I'm going to hold off on writing anymore on this one until I've finished the revisions to First Contact.

Legend of the Sword is going to be a lot harder to write, because it's an open-ended transition in the story. First Contact had pretty sharp definition, regardless of what happens in between: the two civilizations have a first encounter, with the climax of the book the invasion of a human world.

Legend is different: it starts pretty much where First Contact leaves off, but is going to sort of end...somewhere in the hundred years separating First Contact and the book after Legend, which itself will pick up somewhere around 20 or 30 years before Empire/omnibus starts.

So, while I hate writing from outlines, I've got to sort out a few things before I go any further. I really want to tell this one primarily from the Kreelan perspective (First Contact is told mainly from the human perspective) and cover a lot more of the civilization and backstory. But where it winds up, what the climax is going to be...have to sort that out yet. <ponder, ponder>


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Yeah boy! Go for it MIke! Woo hoo!
Good stuff coming, I can almost taste it (sorry wrong metaphor(?))

If Star Trek fans are Trekies, what are IHN fans?

Just askin.....


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

geoffthomas said:


> Yeah boy! Go for it MIke! Woo hoo!
> Good stuff coming, I can almost taste it (sorry wrong metaphor(?))
> 
> If Star Trek fans are Trekies, what are IHN fans?
> ...


Empress's Step-Children of course!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Well, the good news is that the first chapter is finally done. The bad news (well, such as it is), is that I'm going to hold off on writing anymore on this one until I've finished the revisions to First Contact.


Good. You can get back to Legend after we have First Contact in our hot little hands.

By the way, I had a dream the other night that your muse is named Walter. Just thought you'd want to know in case you need to talk to him. 



geoffthomas said:


> If Star Trek fans are Trekies, what are IHN fans?
> 
> Just askin.....


Neckies?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> If Star Trek fans are Trekies, what are IHN fans?
> 
> Just askin.....


Kree-fans


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Kree-fans


Oooooh. Good one, Ann.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Kree-fans


Gotta admit, I LIKE it!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> Yeah boy! Go for it MIke! Woo hoo!
> Good stuff coming, I can almost taste it (sorry wrong metaphor(?))
> 
> If Star Trek fans are Trekies, what are IHN fans?
> ...


Down boy! Down! LOL!! 

I have to say, though, that thanks to my eagle-eyed alpha (Steph!) and beta (Scarlet!) readers, First Contact is going to be a much better-written book than it otherwise would have been; I wish I would have had y'all when I wrote In Her Name - it would've been tons better!

I also decided I'm going to splurge a bit and submit First Contact for consideration for the 2010 Independent Publishers Book Awards. I'm not gonna hold my breath, but for the $75 entry fee, I'll spring for it. 

As for what IHN fans should be called...I'm gonna stay outta that one! Although if you come to a consensus on a name I'll make a T-shirt design! Ha!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Kree-fans


It makes me want to wear a blue-colored propeller beanie... 

<waiting for Gertie to post a hat picture>


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Sorry, it's not blue, but....


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Dang! I've always wanted to have one of those to wear into work...



scarlet said:


> Sorry, it's not blue, but....


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Kreelan Warrior in the ESPN room right after the 100th broadcast of the Heidi Game.


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