Crystal Shrouded Goddess – Available Now!

When I finished the Mystical Island Trilogy, I started working on Dreamers Do Lie, first in a pair of high fantasy novels I hope to see traditionally published one day (knock on wood). It’s been an enjoyable project and I’m greatly looking forward to sending queries later this year, even if it results in a pile of rejections (someone will probably have to remind me of this later). But I’ve also enjoyed my jaunt into self-publishing and I’d like to continue with it. It’s a heady sensation to have complete creative control over a project and the ability to fling it into the wild whenever you think it’s ready.

Big projects are a long-term investment. It takes years for them to see the light (it took two years to complete Sea of Twisted Souls, the fastest of the trilogy to come together). Knowing I sometimes get bogged down in the middle of a huge edit, I decided to explore some smaller projects I’ve had kicking around a while. I liked the idea of something short, that wasn’t heavily planned, to grant me freedom and flexibility in contrast to the bigger projects I spend a lot of time cultivating.

And thus Eternity’s Empire was born. And I’m pleased to share with you its first installment:

The moment she laid her hands on the crystal, Erica’s life fell apart.

The special archaeological dig in Antarctica was supposed to be a path to redemption for Erica Brown. If she performed well, she could escape university conduct probation and looming threats of expulsion. But things haven’t gone well. A chance to explore the dig’s prized temple ends in disaster when Erica damages the site’s most valuable artifact.

As if humiliation and the ridicule of the entire camp aren’t enough, strange things keep happening in the wake of the incident. Erica and her new friends experience visions of impossible places and strangely familiar people. Though each came to the Antarctic for different reasons, they are united by their search for answers to these bizarre events.

And they’d better find them soon, because the danger is about to deepen.

Eternity’s Empire is a series of short stories following the adventures of Erica and her friends which begin here. Each is about 10,000 words long.

Eternity’s Empire features a diverse cast of young women trying to make sense of the host of mythical elements suddenly invading their lives. It draws inspiration from various different mythologies (including Hindu, Greek, Norse, Japanese and Egyptian) as well as a story near and dear to my heart: Sailor Moon. Crafting Eternity’s Empire has rekindled my love of writing a story as it comes to me and I’m excited to see what direction it takes.

Crystal Shrouded Goddess is available at all the usual locations (Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Store) for 99 cents. Expect the second installment around this time in July ;)