The Beast’s Wicked Gleam is Finally Here!

I’ve mentioned in the past but, the more of these I write, the harder they get. Especially within a series. I’m on my 7th release notification for the Aruvalia Chronicles – which means I’ve already said a lot about how the story developed.

At this point we’ve covered how I initially conceived the idea for this series. I’ve introduced the characters. I’ve spoken a lot about the world. We’ve also covered how Domerin came into existence as well as my publishing history and how it has developed far more than I ever imagined it could have.

I’ve sung the praises of my cover artist, Molly, and my fabulous and supportive team of beta readers. It takes a village to get one of these books out the door, after all.

So what is left to say about this series? Well… most of it involves the development of books you don’t have access to yet, and I’d hate to give away any spoilers. So I think we’ll have to skip big revelations for this particular release.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t crack open my writer’s notebook and give this announcement my best shot. I thought you might enjoy a few fun facts about the overall development of this project. You know the things that are, so how about we try a few things that never were. As well as things that have yet to come to pass.

Shall we?

Things That Were – Not

-The original draft of Once Upon a Dream involved Domerin getting together with Sesha (his doctor). Crescent was meant to be a background character. Until I wrote a couple test scenes involving their friendship, and it instantly became clear they had a thing for each other.

-Surprisingly, even though Domerin and Sesha were originally slated to be love interests, Sesha did not have an expanded part in the original outline. After the events of Cloudcliff, Domerin was going to realize that he was ready to move on and work up the courage to ask Sesha out even if it meant having to switch doctors.

-The original plan was for Clara to physically cross dimensions in order to interact with Domerin (instead of utilizing her skills as a Dreamwalker). But I realized fairly quickly that would present a large amount of problems for the overall narrative. Especially when it became clear what the big bad was planning in the background.

-Karis was originally going to die at the end of the third book (and the first story arc) during the confrontation out Cloudcliff. But it quickly became apparent that the second story arc wouldn’t work without a big bad. And it felt far too easy an end for a man as clever and conniving as Karis.

-Silkfoot was originally only going to appear in Book 4. But, of course, he had his own plans as soon as I let him close to the narrative.

-Rose originally only left a trail for Domerin to follow and did not actively participate in leading Clara. However, it felt incredibly important to grant her agency for her rescue. So Clara became more of a proxy for her character.

-Clara was never supposed to appear again after the initial story arc, but that felt too sad!

Things That Have Yet To Be

I’m trying to avoid massive spoilers, but here are a few things to look forward to in the upcoming books.

-Domerin’s past is about to melt out of the woodwork including an old flame, the true complexity of his relationship with his mother, and his father (in the flesh).

-Domerin has also spent so much time running from his problems that they are about to start biting him in the ass – sometimes quite literally. (Turns out this tactic doesn’t work forever.)

-Crescent will reveal a secret he has kept for nearly 50 years – even from Domerin.

-Rose will make a personal and political move that secures her throne for the future.

-A rival that has been lurking in the shadows will soon reveal himself. (Allowing my Twitch chat to finally meet the character I named my new computer after.)

-Both Silkfoot and Karis will finally reveal their long-term plans.

-The map will open up to reveal a new part of the world to the west and south of Aruvalia.

-And last, but certainly not least, I will finally fulfill my promise of making this story generational.

I think that’s all I dare say without giving too much away. But hopefully it gets you as excited for the next trilogy as I am.

But without further ado…

The Beast’s Wicked Gleam 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.’

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. However, he’s also starting to suspect the queen is overworking Domerin on purpose, driving him toward ever more dangerous missions. 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 death and destruction – if he can even be stopped.

But that isn’t the worst threat Aruvalia faces. A storm is coming. The queen has sensed it in her visions. And she knows if Domerin can’t tame the beast within him and turn it toward a greater purpose, that storm will destroy a significant portion of her kingdom and open the survivors to the deadly threat of invasion.

So holding a sword might make Domerin a risk – but holding a sword is exactly what he’ll have to do in order to once again save his beloved kingdom from imminent destruction.

Grab your copy today!