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Alexandra Gardner @[email protected] · 2026-06-24 · 20:55 UTC

Work-In-Progress Wednesday # 7

Strike of the Hydra

Hello, and chaotic day to all y’all, my lovely minions of chaos!

It’s June. How is it June? How is it the end of June???

Sorry that I’ve existed in the Void for the last however long. Things have been popping up left and right like jdflksjdflksdjflsdjf. It’s them damn hydra heads all over again. Cut one off, another 15 magically appear.

There have been various things impeding my progress, including stressful ambiguity at my day job, health issues, and other unexpected setbacks. This year was supposed to be my big promo push, trying to get my work in front of new readers, and that hasn’t happened. I’m honestly not sure if it will. I’m still dealing with recovery, and it’s not a one-stop health fix. It’s going to take time, and I’m not sure just how long it will take.

Despite all the setbacks, I’m hoping to push through some of the annoying things prairie-dogging into my life every ten seconds and find a way to get at least one project completed… “Good luck, Queen.”

The good news is that I “poked” Light of Chaos # 6 like I said I was going to, and it didn’t bite 🐶! There was a bit of growling, a little bit of hackles rising, but it didn’t attack. In non-metaphor words: I read it from start to finish, and while there are some things that need adjusting (and a few scenes that just need to be removed completely), it’s actually in really good condition. I might add back in a deleted scene (maybe two) that I set aside early on in the drafting process. It felt like it was taking up room, but I’ll poke it and see if THAT bites my fingers.

Also… I forgot how EXTRA Shanelle is when the scenes are from *her* POV as opposed to her just being in the scene…

I’m currently dithering over cover model images (poses) for the 6th and 7th books. Before I knew where the story was going to end (# of books), I bought various images of the “Sam” cover model. I actually have three sitting in my Files, one of which won’t get used because the 7th book will be the conclusion of the Light of Chaos (main series). There will continue to be off-shoots of the Light of Chaos (such as the Cloak & Dagger series — and others yet to be announced), but those won’t center around Sam, so having the extra images of her is moot. (I say “images” because I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy a different version of Sam for the last book… Goddess, help me, I’m a mess). Sadly, the sassiest one — the one I happen to like most — doesn’t fit the Vibes™️, so it won’t end up on the covers.

Fun fact: The VERY long ago original Light of Chaos series (before it was titled as such) was intended to have 5 books. After editing started, I realized I had to split book 1 into two books (too many concepts were introduced too quickly) and had to backfill the plot. That turned book 5 into book 6. The new content in book 1 (King’s Chaos) allowed me to add new concepts in books 2 (Hunter’s Mark) and 3 (Knight’s Sword) while editing, which then carried those plot pieces into the other books while I was editing THOSE ones.

Shortly after completing the first draft of book 6 (when it was still book 5), I disliked it. There was a plot hole I couldn’t get around (time travel is a bitch), and even though I *liked* the concept, it just didn’t *work*. So I grabbed maybe 5 chapters from it, yate the rest into the “NEVER AGAIN!” folder (it’s not actually called that), and drafted a new “book 6″… which ended up being more than 267,000 words… In other words, what would’ve been nearly three books worth of content after edits… (I always add a *lot* of content during edits — fleshing out setting, making dialogue flow better, filling logic gaps, adding new scenes based on summarized “tellings” of what happened, etc.) I have since yate something like 150,000 words of that into the NEVER AGAIN folder and managed to make the rest of it into two books (6 and 7).

So, yeah — book 6 is pretty much a COMPLETE rewrite, and it honestly slaps 💅🏻✨. Gonna be honest, it took what FELT like 10 years to think of a new plot… it was likely closer to 5 years. The thing is, what *allowed* me to create the new plot is the fact that I took a “vacation” from my own damn brain and started following plot bunnies for the yet-to-publish Sticks & Stones: Mischief Manor series that I’d outlined NINE short stories for a few years ago. By drafting all nine of those last year, I introduced new characters into the Chaos Universe who had nothing to do with Team Sibyl. Then my brain went: BUT WHAT IF THESE BONKERS-ASS WOMEN MEET BONKERS-ASS, SASS-PANTS SAM!?!?!?!?!

And BOOM! Epic plot is epic.

As for book 7, I’ve got the major pieces in place, but I do need to flesh out several parts of it… and reorganize some chapters… but the ending of the main series IS WRITTEN *for* the *new* plots from books 5 (Mórrígan’s Curse) and 6 (working title Godling’s Folly). The cool thing about book 7 is that I was able to keep most of the original content (from the end of the 267,000+ word document) that I thought was going to be book 8, which no longer exists.

So… all that brings me full circle to the point of my rambling: the “new” version of book 7 is the final publication needing a cover image, as opposed to having an 8th book like I *thought* I was going to have.

Now that your brain’s thoroughly melted with info overload… 😅

If you love editing, being an author is a *great* career choice.

If you *loathe* editing, then… well… I hate to tell you this… *points to above paragraphs* …

Authoring isn’t *writing* so much as it’s… 20% drafting… 60% editing… 3% tears… 7% following plot bunnies for other projects… 6% staring at a trash-fire first draft… and 4% “What the fuck is this shit? Did *I* write this?” (or) “I WROTE THIS? NAH! — COULDN’T HAVE. THIS SHIT SLAPS SO GOOD!”

Anyways ~ Please enjoy this unedited snippet from book 6 — Sam’s POV as she meets with the coven elder of Mischief Manor (Sticks & Stones universe):

We turned onto the unmarked road, full of many potholes as we drove down the very long dirt pathway. The trees and forest all around us stood like low-rise skyscrapers—some even taller—on either side of us. There was something about them that gave me pause, so I watched them out the passenger-side window. They—they were moving. And not in a breeze.

“They do that every now and then,” Cadence said, way too damn calmly. “They rearrange the terrain whenever they feel like they’re being threatened or might be threatened. You’re a new and unknown entity, so they’re curious. They won’t harm you, so don’t worry about that. I just recommend not going in the woods until you know that they trust you.”

“’Cause that’s frickin’ normal,” I muttered.

She chuckled, and we continued the long-ass drive in silence.

Finally, after what felt like years (but was likely only ten minutes), we rolled up to a huge house. A rather decrepit house that looked one rainstorm from being washed away. The shingles looked ready to blow away in a breeze—many of them already hanging on by a single nail. The shudders weren’t much better, but at least they didn’t look like they would fall off. A few windows had hairline cracks—nearly all of them had spiders…

From the looks of it, the porch must’ve been some sort of human-sized mouse trap, because one wrong step and your leg would likely go through the boards.

Why would Cadence bring me to a murder house?

Oh, shit. She’d brought me to a murder house.

Today was the day my stupid ass would die.

“Sooooo,” I started, “do you chop people up before or after you’ve killed them for your stupid-girl stew?”

Cadence chuckled again. “Don’t let the appearance fool you. Not even demons could take this place down. Trust me. The last one couldn’t even get past the barrier.”

Great. She was a cracked nut. Demons didn’t exist.

She parked the car, and since I’d already made it this far, I decided I’d go in and look around.

Cadence led me to the front door and opened it. When I stepped through, she looked relieved. “That would’ve sucked if the door didn’t let you in. At least now the others will know you’re not a threat.”

“What—does that even mean?”

“You’ll find out.”

This cryptic BS wasn’t endearing her to me. Nor was the alarming state of the house. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the outside, but it definitely needed some love.

“We’ll start by talking to the elders,” Cadence was saying as we walked deeper into the house. Well, I shuffled in; my injured knee was starting to make its complaints known.

We passed a grand staircase that looked very fancy and walked up a long corridor. After we passed a few doors, Cadence stopped and knocked on one.

An older woman—maybe in her late sixties or early seventies—opened the door. She took one look at me and my Thug Life appearance, arched a brow at Cadence, then suppressed a mischievous smile as she let us in. “Brought us another misfit, did ya?” the woman asked. “I suppose you want her to stay here?”

“Yes, Vera. She’s got her own coven, though. I’m hoping they could stay here, too. They wouldn’t be initiates, though. I know that’s a stipulation of living here, but that’s not why I’ve invited her here.”

“Oh?”

“I finally found where I belong. It’s at her side. And right now, she needs protection.”

“So, you figured you’d bring her to the safest manor on Gaia’s Green Earth?”

“Yes, Elder.”

Vera’s gaze turned toward me. “Well, child? What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Um…Don’t chop me up and eat me…?”

She burst out laughing. “Oh, yes. A perfect misfit for our Mischief Manor. Come in and sit down.”

Thank. The. Goddess.

My everything was starting to hurt. I mean, it still hurt, but at least now the burning sensation in my angry knees and sprained ankle would start to chill the heck out.

“Go get some of the tonics from my brewery,” Vera instructed Cadence. “Something to help with her pain and the bruising.”

Once Cadence left the room, closing the door behind her, Vera turned her attention to me.

Her expression became serious. “I sense there’s more to you than what you appear to be. Cadence isn’t one for falsities. She’s a good girl who takes care of others from the shadows. That she’s being so forward now is no little thing. You must be very important for her to ask something that she knows is against the rules.”

“The…rules…?”

“The witches who live here must join the Bones & Crones Coven. Their initiation links them to the manor’s territory, and collectively, we fuel its magic. I have no doubt you saw the trees wandering about. There’s magic in the very bones of this manor, and it stretches beyond the grounds.” Her expression was so serious that a shiver went down my spine. “Recently, we’ve had many of our girls leave the manor to start their own lives. Three of my girls are in Faerie, two are with their Norm girlfriends. They visit us from time-to-time, but although they haven’t left the coven itself, their magic isn’t enriching the soil.

“Under normal circumstances, that would be worrisome,” she continued, making me wonder if everyone was drinking the Batty Beliefs Kool-Aid. First demons, now Faerie… What would be next—Bigfoot? “A territory needs its witches, just as witches need a territory. But recent events have strengthened the territory beyond anything we ever could’ve imagined. So, in that regard, you and your coven wouldn’t be required to disband and join us. It does still raise some issues, however.”

“What issues?”

She gazed straight into my eyes, her face expressionless. “What dangers the Sibyl herself will bring to my door.”

Dun-dun-dun! 😏

It was fun getting to “see” the Manor from Sam’s eyes (the “murder house” and thinking she was on the menu LOL). And while it’s not in this snippet, it was even MORE fun getting to see other characters from Team Sibyl arrive at the Manor. Especially when they realize it’s haunted. Graveyard, ghosts, possessed piano, and more 😜.

Also~ hide your sexy men–the ghost might try to add them to their polycule 👻.

We’ll see if I can get through edits for this bonkers addition to Light of Chaos before the end of the year. Depends on the hydras (mostly my health).

Other than that, I’m taking things one day at a time, trying to find moments of sanity in between battling hydra heads.

Thank you for your continued support.

More to come later.

As always, welcome to the Chaos.

With love 🖤,
Your Queen of Chaos

**Don’t miss out on the beginning of Rin’s next adventure! Download his special bonus scene directly through this BookFunnel link OR “purchase” Elite Hunter FREE on amazon! New purchases include the special bonus scene as the epilouge.**

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