The Unseen Kingdoms - Soon!
I am pleased to announce that the second Kingdoms Series book, THE UNSEEN KINGDOMS, will be starting on the blog and Patreon on January 1! It's a massive thirty-five chapters, plus an epilogue, so it will be posting on the blog until September 3, 2022, and April 30, 2022 on Patreon. It will additionally be available for purchase in PDF format only on my Etsy once the story is underway. Before I talk about the journey getting here, let's look at the cover!
Another epic piece of art from my amazing and wonderful friend Allexis Kristedja. This cover is packed with symbolism, but I'd spoil the story if I told you what it was. When you finish the story, look again at the cover and see if you and figure some of it out.
The publication/production of this book is a huge departure for me, and perhaps the first real step on this journey of mine that I am doing unfettered, unashamed, and--surprisingly--unedited. That's right, I am presenting THE UNSEEN KINGDOMS in what amounts to a beta state, where the only editing that has been done is that which I did myself. Is this a putting "my money where my mouth is" moment, since I've often said my books don't go to an editor until there's almost nothing left to do? Possibly! There are a couple reasons for going unedited, and the most basic reason is simply "money." My editor gives me more of a discount than she reasonably should, but when she had the time to do it, I didn't have the money, and vice-versa. And so, here we are. I have been over my own books with a fine-tooth comb, but I guarantee there are inevitable typos here and there, and I humbly ask that you either ignore them, or if it's too glaring, send me a message. (I have a hilarious tendency to forget words when I'm speed writing, and that can often change an entire sentence's meaning.)
The other change for UNSEEN is that, for the first time in my career, I am not planning a print version, or a Kindle version. The latter is simply a byproduct of the lack of formal edits on the novel. To be quite honest, Amazon's "strict quality policy" means that if someone found three typoed words in a 210K novel, they could get my book removed from the shop. If and when I can afford the formal edit, it will go onto Kindle version. The lack of print was discussed in my first blog post about this adventure, but bears repeating again, especially since plans have changed from my original intent.
I originally planned to offer print on demand to those who wanted it, but here, again, the lack edits gives me concern. Additionally, the printer I was going through for years now has continued to raise prices and lower quality, so I am on the hunt for a new platform to utilize. If/when I find one, POD may become an option again.
And so here we are! Ready to embark onto the next great leg of our journey! If you've made it this far reading this post, I leave you with a little sneak peek:
"I'm a witch," she said simply, and with such calm faith and serenity that it instantly soothed Shana's soul. She pulled her hand back slowly and took a long breath. "I'm afraid I might have misled you. I know it seems as if I met you on accident, but the truth is that I knew you'd be here. I came here to find you." She hooked a finger around the chain of the necklace she wore and lifted a single pendant into the light.
The floor fell out from under Shana's feet. The delicate silver pendant was a dragon blowing flames. She reached out with a trembling finger to touch the pendant. It throbbed and pulsed with power and vibrancy. "You're . . ." Her voice quivered. "You're a descendant of Liena."
Let the journey begin!