Introducing Madness Beyond Control – Available Now!

I like long book series. Though I don’t think that will come as a shock to anyone who frequents my blog.

I like them for a lot of reasons. But one of the big ones is that every time I set out to write a story, it quickly grows extra threads and offshoots. I get so excited about these extra little tidbits, I can never wait to write them down. And so my books grow sequels and spin-offs like mint in a garden. (Mint is incredibly hardy and tenacious, for anyone who doesn’t know.)

But I also like to read long series. I love anything that really lets me dig my fingers into the depths of its lore, and long series inevitably provide. And when I say “long series,” I’m not necessarily talking about the lengths of the book. I’m talking about the scope and breadth of the story, the amount of time it ends up lasting. I love something generational. Something that lets me know what happens to the characters after they finish dealing with their initial obstacles.

I’m sentimental. I get attached to things – which probably accounts for some of the reason I feel this way. I obviously know that every story has to end eventually. (I’ve written whole blog posts about that fact.) The trick is figuring out how long something should last to feel truly satisfying. And how much of it you should show on camera.

I knew when I started the Aruvalia Chronicles that it was going to be a generational story. And I knew it would present some challenges to show the raising of children without bogging the story down in the nitty gritty mundane details. But I have enjoyed the challenge – the result scratches a lot of itches.

Consequences and Rewards

Consequences and rewards pop up a lot during TTRPG discussions. One of the most interesting things about a long-running campaign is finding out how that innocent person you accidentally killed is going to come back to bite your ass later on. Or that helpful-at-the-time lie you told. Or that secret you didn’t keep for one of your party members.

Stories are all about consequences and the tough choices they force our characters to make. Lots of problems lead to immediate consequences. But some might stay buried in the background for months or years before they finally rear their ugly heads. Long-term stories allow you to fully explore the consequences of a bad or difficult decision. And in the case of a generational story, a child might even have to deal with the bad choices made by their parents.

Not all the long-term results of decisions are bad though. Sometimes a character takes a big risk to do something good. Often the immediate result of that is that they save the kingdom and/or the people they care about and get to have a seemingly happy ending.

What comes after happily ever after? Where does a character go from there? Sometimes its nice to see how the battles a hero fought and won lead to good things later down the line. Maybe the hero saved a bystander who grew up to later save the kingdom themself. Maybe they receive a gift of thanks that turns out to be useful later on. Even the most innocuous items or situations can have a major effect on a person or event somewhere down the line.

Every story uses these aspects, of course. They’re basic building blocks. But for long-term and generational stories, the effects can be compounded and complex. And I really like that.

Long-Term Relationships

The second and perhaps biggest benefit of long-running stories is getting to see how the relationships develop and flourish (or dissolve) over time. As with consequences and rewards, every story involves the development of relationships. It’s generally impossible for a hero to carry out their quest alone. The relationships found in novels might range from pre-established to brand new. But the events of the story will inevitably steer them somewhere.

Lots of stories involve romantic sub-plots. Usually the main point of those plots is to find out whether or not two characters will end up together. But what happens after?

Relationships are as complicated as the dynamics of a monarch’s court or the politics involved in choosing an heir. They take work to successfully maintain, and that often involves a fair amount of pitfalls. If the story ends as soon as two characters get together, you end up missing some of the most interesting parts. Like I said, I’m a sentimental sap. I get attached to things, and I like to see where they lead. I want to know what happens when two people move in with each other. When they experience their first major disagreement. When something happens that can’t just be talked out.

And as with rewards and consequences, I want to see the positive milestones as well. What happens ten years after two people tie their lives together? For that matter what happens after twenty years?

What happens when they decide to have kids?

The possibilities are endless. These reasons (along with a few more) are why I’m so thrilled to share the next installment of the Aruvalia Chronicles with you. What happens when restoring the rightful heir isn’t the end? What happens after the first kiss?

It’s time to find out!

Madness Beyond Control is Available Now!

When presented with difficult tasks
A warrior never questions their orders
Unless their actions represent danger

It has been one year since Domerin saved Aruvalia from the brink of war by restoring the true heir to her throne. And the restoration of stability hasn’t gone as smoothly as anyone hoped. Domerin has spent most of the past year in the field, bringing dangerous rogue agents to justice. It has earned him the unenviable moniker of ‘the queen’s jackal.’

But as always, Domerin is devoted to his duty. So much so that he fears it will destroy his burgeoning relationship with Crescent – as it has destroyed all of his relationships in the past.

Crescent can’t pretend to love Domerin’s job. But he does understand its necessity – and why it plays such a central role in Domerin’s life. He understands so completely, in fact, he has restructured his life to work more closely with Domerin – and keep him safe whenever an opportunity presents itself.

This change comes not a moment too soon, as Crescent is starting to suspect the queen is overworking Domerin on purpose, driving him toward ever more dangerous missions for some reason he can’t comprehend. And as Domerin embraces the tasks presented to him, something dark stirs within his consciousness, threatening to overwhelm him and drive him to the brink of madness.

Darkness and the threat of danger are hardly new to Domerin. Never before have they turned him away from an important task. But if the beast inside him should break free, he might cause an immeasurable amount of damage – if he can even be stopped.

Grab your copy now!