5 year update...

It has been a really long time since I wrote in my blog. So long that I'm almost a different person than I was back then. Life has been wild, hasn't it? 2020 took us all by storm, and it feels like we've never come out.

Not all of it was bad, but let's be real, most of it was.

In case you were wondering, I did publish the book I was working on during some of my old posts. It's doing well. There's an accidental 3-year gap between that book and the sequel, but like I said, life got in the way. However, the third book in my space pirate series launched last Saturday, May 31!

This series has taken on a life of its own, and I can't believe how far I've come with it. The Fera, book 1 in the series, is totally different than what I had initially planned it to be. Full disclosure, the only similarities are the main characters' names, and they are space pirates. Everything else went off script and bloomed into something beautiful.

First, we have Orinthia Anton. She's brash, self-centered, impulsive, and all around unpleasant. But, as her journey moves forward, she becomes someone I did not expect. I honestly love her and think she is one of my favorite characters ever. Orinthia has flourished in her new world, not as a space pirate, but as a human. Her new friends taught her how to love and be loved, and it changed her.

Then we have Kos Rogue. He was a suave, dashing, confident space pirate quartermaster when I first thought to create him. Now, he's broken in every way a man can be. Kos struggles with his demons and what he did during the war. He hates himself and doesn't believe he deserves happiness or care. And it isn't until the end of the first book does he realize he and Orinthia were dealt the same wicked hand but by different dealers. I love Kos, and it honestly hurts my heart to put him through the things he faces in the books. But then maybe I wouldn't love him as much if I didn't break him to see what he was really made of...

Now, Thrutt is an entirely new character. When I first drafted The Fera, he did not exist. But I am so glad he does. He's become a fan favorite. And not just the fans, but my favorite, too. Thrutt is everything I think a father and mentor should be. Kind, caring, gentle, but also corrects you when you're wrong. He is who I needed, and oftentimes his words are advice I take to heart. Soon, he will be getting his own spin-off story so we can see what's made him this way.

Lastly, Ahto the Irelad. He was and has always been the captain of the Fera. But his role in the book changed, and he no longer has center stage. Originally, I had him play a much bigger part, even so much as he kidnapped Orinthia and forced her to serve on the ship and keep tabs on the crew. Ahto still has a major role in the first two books, but he's less center stage and more of an antagonist instead of the villain.

I could go on and on about the characters and their differences from the first idea to final cut, but maybe I'll save that for a future post. This was just a "toe step in the water" after my long hiatus. My next post should be clearer, but if you want to share ideas you'd like to see me write about, I'd love to hear them! I want to bring writing tips, universe lore, behind-the-scenes process, and character sketches. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time...