It’s been quite a while since I posted anything. Life has been… challenging.
But I’ve never stopped working on this. Damien has been embedded in my life too long to let me go.
I did have to back off for a bit, but when I came back I reread it all to get the vibe back. And I realized I had missed some opportunities. So there has been revision going on, which will make it somewhat longer but definitely better. More richness to the story, more depth to the characters– and more problems for Damien. But also, some help from a few unexpected sources. And, of course, more of what I call “writing-adjacent.” You know, research, organizing…and, you know, stuff like this.
One of the things that keep me going is finding music that fits what I’m doing, and the biggest part of that has been my discovery of Two Steps From Hell. Thomas Bergerson and company just FIT. A number of their pieces have come together to create the soundtrack I use while writing. I’ve posted one piece already – Rise Above, that embodies Damien’s frantic ride from Brekke back to Bonne Terre in his desperate attempt to warn his beloved Queen Gloriane and avert disaster. I’ll include the link again, because it is part and parcel of the whole. And a little bit of HALO, as well.
I have set up a playlist on Youtube that is the entire soundtrack, but I’ll also include individual links and “liner notes.”

Complete Playlist for SPYMASTER: the Left Hand of the Queen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VGI7PX8mic&list=PLE0IXB5epSCE8sgPQIHp-KFmdKx6CR2ge

Links and Liner Notes
Track Title Artist Album Title SPYMASTER Scene Notes
Rise Above 2SFH Battlecry Damien’s run from Brekke to Bonne Terre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VGI7PX8mic
Wolf King 2SFH Battlecry Gilliane mourns / Escape from Bonne Terre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdKNAlylXsg
Red Tower 2SFH Battlecry Flight to the Mendei
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPI275jJOfw
Mountains from Water 2SFH Archangel Mother Bird (Damien captured)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLTGxFql8sw
Air Traffic Control HALO HALO 3 From Mother Bird to the Mendei
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycf86NzKgcc
Spirit of Fire HALO HALO Wars Fall of Dorre Arantxa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrabM3o2YuM
Flight of the Silverbird 2SFH Battlecry Hellebarde becomes the Spirit of Arantxa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Dh3ftkRAs
Spellcaster 2SFH Battlecry the Overwatch Uprising
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ZYUCUbGo4
Blackout Suite 2SFH Battlecry the Second Brekken War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkGGv6DemA
Release Me 2SFH Battlecry the Overwatch Hymn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D26vYP1Nxc
Freedom Ship 2SFH Battlecry Aftermath and Endgame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8GwTV1TAns
Men of Honor 2SFH Miracles Martagnese National Anthem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q05kRk_-ofE
Strength of an Empire 2SFH 2 Steps from Heaven Ysaut-Gilliane’s Coronation Hymn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiv8qpY780
Compass 2SFH Miracles Damien and Cecile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzm4OVGQa_8
Wild Heart 2SFH Unleashed Damien – Peace at Last
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHQhXhAEF_8
Believe 2SFH Dragon Martagne’s Hope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHQhXhAEF_8