A while back, I started taking my writing a bit more seriously. Serious in the sense that I actually committed to writing instead of just thinking up random thoughts or scribbling ideas onto paper. I remember writing the first chapter in Bloodlines. I was a sophomore in college, bored in the library, day dreaming as usual when I thought, "Huh, that would be a cool idea."
Well, six years and two published books later, my "cool ideas" never seem to stop. Just last year (2020) I stumbled across a self-published short story competition for Grimdark Magazine. I thought, "What the hell! I've got a cool idea. Let's give it a shot."
So, I jotted down some notes, wrote a story about two brothers in a fantasy world, edited it with the great help of my wife, and entered in the contest. And the results were...
...that I lost....
Well, that sucks!
Actually, no. It doesn't suck at all. Defeat is not an end, everyone, but an opportunity to improve and grow. Every writer will tell you that one idea sparks another, and the greater writers will tell you that even their ideas start out as a piece of turd until it was polished into something beautiful.
That being said, I took my turd and ran with an idea, and it's being polished into one of my favorite projects yet. One short story turned into a collection of seven, and with over 120,000 words accumulated. I'm excited to say that these are also stories that you'll get to read! Well... Eventually.
I haven't decided on a title yet because, like my others, I want it to hold a certain relevance, and I haven't found that yet. There will most likely be an anthology title with a subtitle of its own--as I've said, one project sparks another.
What I can say about the anthology is that each story is unique to its own plot, but they are all connected in a grand narrative arc that will stretch across every page. Also, they are NOT in the same world as Navaleth (The Light of the New World series). However, any of you who've read The Golden Swallow may find a minor connection between that story and these. We'll see if you can catch it.
I can't give you an idea of when it will be released--I write these stories when I get to the point where they keep me up at night, and I don't rush them. What I can say is that I'm aiming to release them sometime in 2022. I may release the first story, A Storm on the Horizon, beforehand to those who have subscribed to my page. So, if you want to look out for that, subscribe on my contacts page!
Those of you who have read my other short story, The Golden Swallow, may ask yourself if the anthology will be written in the same style. No, it will not. These stories are focused on characters and plot, mixed with a ton of magic and chaos which are driven with a unique connection.
Other than that, I can't speak much more on the project other than it contains some of my best writing and "twists." But what I can leave with you is this...
These stories are about Rawley and Baelin Terricaut. They're brothers, they're survivors, and they slay monsters.
That, and they have no idea what they're up against.
Stay tuned.
So exciting!!