In book one, I brought three characters from our world to Aetheria, on the continent of Teurone, thirty years after the events in The Downfall series. The world was a shattered ruin, and three broken people were taken at the moment of their death in one world, to inhabit a body of someone who’d just died in a world of myths and magics.
It was in that first book, Beliefs & Black Magics; I gave life to two characters that became fan favorites, as well as becoming an incredible duo in the books… Torrents the Barbarian and The Kid. One is a high school jock who lost the use of his legs in an accident he caused and is suddenly in a body that is more fit than he ever was. The other is a 77-year-old woman, dying of stage 4 cancer, who arrives in the body of a 17-year-old boy with Mind Mage abilities, and a proclivity for thievery and pissing off the local crime bosses.
The two were so different, and saw things from opposite sides, but quickly became best friends. Well, it took a couple of books, but it happened. And I look forward to bringing them back together later in my Kindle Vella series The Traveller’s Inn (speaking of which, this series just got a serious boost by someone sharing it in the right place, it was amazing!). I just wanted to reassure readers that the two have more shenanigans coming soon.
Back to the topic on hand, book four of the Portals series…at the end of each book, a character leaves the story, and a new one enters at the beginning of the next book. This gives each character a three-book story arc and allows us to constantly see the world through fresh eyes.
It’s been a challenge to run three simultaneous character arcs, all the different points in their personal stories (on top of the regular story arc), but I’ve been enjoying it the whole time.
In Sigils & Satyrs, book four of the series, Aiyana is in the middle of her arc and has been proactive. She’s seeking the power of harnessing the portals for her own uses, uses that even her closest companions aren’t aware of yet.
I also get to introduce and explore three new cultures in this series: the Dasism, the Torck, and the Aeifain. Two of the three races have been encountered before, but in this book, we get to see them on their home turf.
The best part is to see how the characters grow and change in these books, as well as how they change the world. I’ve often said that every plot should be epic and change the world - even if it’s just the main character’s personal world.
Anyhow, this is just a quick newsletter to let you know that Sigils & Satyrs is 75% completed and rushing towards the final act. I also wanted to let you know I am doing this book a little differently than how I’ve done them before. I am going to complete books 4, 5, and 6 before sending them to my editor. This way I can better weave the personal character stories through the three books, bouncing back and forth to get a nice, tight storyline.
I also plan to record the audiobooks before releasing them. I’ve built my sound booth just to do this. But before I can do it for these three books, I need to record and edit the first three. I should also get Silver & Smith (book 1 and 2) recorded while in the booth, too.
So, in this grand new year of 2022, I am going to write and release Portals 4, 5, and 6 as eBook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook. Then do the same for The Silver & Smith Chronicles, book 3, 4, 5, and 6. Then we get to see which series has the most interest to decide which one to continue first. Because I love writing them both so much, I can’t make up my mind on my own!
If you haven’t read the first few books, you have a little time before the next ones come out (about 3 months before the first of them will be ready), but then they should roll out on a regular basis. Let me know which series you like best, or if it’s some other series altogether!
And remember, you can always visit and show your support as I write on my live stream, Travis Tavern on Twitch.tv!
Thanks for reading,