It’s time for the August Urban Fantasy Author’s update. Unfortunately, I missed a few of my Author’s Desk newsletters. But what can I tell you? Life happened, and I had a few extremely busy months. Quite a few events were happening at once, including the release of The Shadow Storm, the first book of the Chronicles of Storm. So, here is what's new in the Salamanderverse.
What Am I Working On?
Currently, I am working on the second book of the Chronicles of Storm, and the plot of this story is a roller-coaster of events. Our friends, Declan and Troyan, have no time to rest, and neither do I. 😉
At about 85K words, I’m looking forward to writing the 3rd act of the story.
So, what should you expect from the next book? Here are just a few random facts about the next story to satisfy (or peak) your curiosity.
Three Random Facts About Book 2:
1. Just like in the previous novel, the story follows the immortal Child of Air, Declan Storm, and his friend and mentor, Troyan. But this time, Declan is going to face an elusive adversary who is mightier and more powerful than he is.
2. The stakes are so high, and the situation is so incredibly unsteady and dangerous, that Declan will have no choice but to seek the help of a most unlikely ally.
3. A familiar character will pay a short visit, and I hope those of you who’ve read The Fire Salamander Chronicles will be happy to say hello to an old friend.
Ask The Author
Question: Is there a lot to do before you dive in and start writing the story?
Answer: It depends on the book. Usually, I do a bit more preliminary work on the first book of a series than on the sequels. I don't do a detailed outline, but before I start writing, I want to know how the story begins, the turning points of the plot, and how the story ends.
For the first book of a series, I spend quite a bit of time figuring out the rules of magic that drive my world and all elements related to that. Besides that, before I start working on a book, I always create detailed character outlines. By the time I am done with this, I know a lot about my characters—their personality, habits and beliefs, everything about their past and what drives them. But most importantly, I do a lot of research before I start writing. Those who have read any books of the Salamanderverse (The Fire Salamander Chronicles, The Shadow Enforcer series, Chronicles of Storm) know that every book has a real historical event entwined into the story, as well as a lot of Slavic mythology and lore and mythology of other cultures. So, research is a must, and I don't start writing until I am done with it.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me. I’ll be happy to answer your questions in my next Author’s update.
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As always, thank you all so much for your continued support.
Happy reading!
N.M. Thorn
Enter the Salamanderverse, where magic and ancient myths are real, and things are not what they appear to be.
If you haven't done it yet, you can download "The Burns Path”, a prequel to the Fire Salamander Chronicles Urban Fantasy series, for FREE on my website.
The events of this 49,000-word novella occur before the Burns Fire, and it can be read as a standalone book.