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The Mysterium Newsletter for November
November is known for a couple of things. Thanksgiving is one, but the other is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Normally, I don’t pay much attention because it doesn’t sync up with my writing schedule. However, this year, it just so happened that I was already in the home stretch to finish the Realm of Gods. NaNoWriMo just gave me the extra fuel to put into the Mysterium’s Imagination engine to get me over the finish line.
And now I can call it.
The Realm of Gods is finished!
5 months and 118,500 words and the manuscript for the Realm of Gods, the finale to the four volume Chronicles of Chaos, is complete. If it’s not the largest book in the series, it’s just shy (I haven’t added the author’s note and other sections, so the final count is still up in the air).
My words are now in the hands of my editor in the UK. Honestly, I’m really looking forward to hearing what she has to say. This book is mind-shattering. Not only do I pull back the curtain on the whole origin and mission of the gods AND the eternal battle motivating them, but our favorite characters have never been in more danger. I’ve never had a higher body count and I can confirm that none of the known characters are safe.
Also, I knew at the beginning that Eve was going to be a player in this story, but I didn’t realize how much she would embrace the spotlight. If I had to point at ANY character as being the lead, it would have to be her. And, you know what? I like her. A lot. She was the hero this series needed.
It’s quite weird to be done with this series. I’ve lived in this world, with these characters, for 25 years. It has been a huge and constant part of my life. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do when I don’t wake up, puzzling over how Dantess and Galen will get out of the mess they’re in. I’ll miss them.
Anyway, unlike a lot of authors, I never like setting a launch date until the manuscript is done, but since it is, this book will launch on 2/27/24!
The Blurb!
Interested in knowing more about what you’re getting into? Here’s the book’s description (or blurb):
In a realm where dreams and reality intertwine, a battle brews that will determine the fate of gods and men.
Haunted by the lingering echoes of the gods of Order, a world teeters on the precipice of chaos. In this climactic finale to the Chronicles of Chaos, Galen's destiny has landed him in the enigmatic Dreaming, a realm where the past whispers and the future looms.
Amidst the Dreaming's labyrinthine landscapes, Galen confronts not only his archenemy Carnaubas but also the exiled gods of Order, their thirst for dominion over the mortal world as insatiable as his yearning for freedom. As he unravels the Dreaming's intricate mysteries, Galen unearths chilling truths: the gods' sinister legacy and their imminent plans to enslave humanity once more.
At the heart of this celestial intrigue lies Eve, a young woman blessed with the extraordinary gift of perceiving the invisible threads that bind all beings, even the gods. Together, Galen and Eve embark on an uncharted quest to seek the elusive and powerful god of Chaos, the only force capable of countering the resurgence of Order.
Prepare to embark on a journey where myth and reality collide, where allegiances shift like shadows, and where the fate of all hangs precariously on the courage of the heroes you've come to know. "The Realm of Gods" is not merely a story; it is the capstone of a saga destined to define the destiny of worlds and forever etch its mark upon the annals of time.
Preorders are available!
What’s awesome about setting a date is that pre-orders are possible now. So, for those of you that have been waiting patiently to see what happened to Galen and Carnaubas in the Dreaming (and who hasn’t), rush here to reserve a hardback or softcover, or here to pre-purchase your ebook.
I can’t wait for you to read it—and trust me, if you’ve read my other books, you can’t miss this one!
ARC Team Sign Ups are Here!
Around this time in a book’s development, I ask for readers to join my ARC (Advance Reader Copy) team. For those of you unfamiliar, here’s what a member of the Mysterium ARC team (MAT?) does.
You’ll receive a free, pre-published e-copy of the Realm of Gods.
You’ll read it before the launch date of 2/27/24.
On the launch date, you’ll leave an unbiased review of the Realm of Gods, most importantly on Amazon, but also on Goodreads and Bookbub.
Here are the requirements:
You must have read the other books in the series (the Game of War, the Child of Chaos, and the House of Prophecy) before accepting a spot on the ARC team. If you are an experienced ARC reader, let me know and perhaps I can get you the other books to read first, but you must also leave reviews for those.
You must be able to leave an Amazon review. They require reviewers to have spent at least $50 on their site in a year. If you truly want to be an ARC reader and cannot leave an Amazon review, you must commit to leaving reviews on both other sites.
Most important: You must commit to leaving a review. If you have joined the team previously and not left a review, you are not eligible to join the Realm of Gods ARC team.
I know all the above sounds like a lot of demands, but please don’t get me wrong. A book’s launch can live and die by its reviews and I consider it a huge favor to read and then review my book on launch day. Feedback from dedicated readers like you is why I continue to write. I need and will sincerely appreciate your help.
If you’d like to apply for a place on the ARC team, click here to send an email. Make sure to include your name and email address in the email, along with a remark that you have indeed read all three books and will definitely leave a review.
The House of Prophecy is a Finalist!
While I was hoping for a win, IAN announced that the House of Prophecy is a finalist in both the Fantasy and YA categories. Not bad for a mid-series book!
Catch Me if You Can
I’ve been off and running to lots of locations to attend signing events. I love the holidays and especially meeting so many new readers. Since the last newsletter, I did two such events and they both went spectacularly!
The first was at Half Price Books on November 11. The afternoon rush almost broke records, but even the slower evening still brought us close!
And then on Black Saturday, we visited the Barnes & Noble in Antioch. A surprise Black Friday deal encouraged a lot of people to pick up the entire series, which isn’t easy to do at a Barnes & Noble!
Catch me at my last holiday appearance at the Barnes & Noble in Concord, CA on December 9 at 1:00!
Art Attack!
Let’s unlock the character from last week’s newsletter before teasing the one to come. As always, these come from our in-house (literally) artist, Emmett Dahlgren.
Next week’s will be a ‘best of’ character. Sometimes, I just have to work around Emmett’s schedule, but given how many newsletters we’ve done together, we have a deep bench.
This is a huge moment for me. After 25 years, I’ve completed my series. It doesn’t feel like it, at least not yet.
What will I do next? I’m not sure. I love this world, a lot. The thought of not living in it anymore doesn’t compute for me. When you read the Realm of Gods, you’ll see that things could continue. If there’s enough demand, I might do another series following this one.
If not, I could do something completely new. That would actually give me the opportunity to try traditional publishing again, given that I now have an actual award-winning track record to point at as proof that I can do this.
I think a lot will depend on the traction this series gains. If indeed a movie or TV series is in the offing, then you’re unlikely to be able to drag me out of here—and now that I’ve completed the series, the chances of that happening are at their zenith.
So wish me luck or just send me a note. I love hearing from you. And, in case I don’t send a newsletter out before Christmas, happy holidays!
I’ll leave you with the head shot you were not expecting. The art studio I work with on my metaverse project gave me the following graphic as a birthday present. I definitely have resting villain face in this shot, but it’s awesome nevertheless.
