Artwork by Cornelia Voder www.corneliavoder.com

I’ve lagged terribly on telling readers what I’ve been up to with Spellgiver, and by now I’ve gotten several queries. So I know I need to step up my flapping.

But first a piece of news: City of Shards has been made a finalist in the Foreword Indies Book Awards for Fantasy category! That’s pretty exciting, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for June 15, when winners will be announced. I’ll keep you posted.

OK, on to book 3: I am truly, feverishly working on getting this book out. The name has now been changed to “To Flee a King” with “Secrets of the Land” (the original name) reserved for book 4. “Secrets of the Land” will be the final book of the Spellgiver series.

The book “To Flee a King” tells the story of how one man must uncover the fundamental truths of the world in a Godless age. In this book, Larin takes on the bold journey of discovering why the world is the way it is—where did the indigen come from—or perhaps the right question is, where did humans come from? Do the Carvers still exist, and if so, why have they hidden? Because Haraf’s kind has escaped from their gray hell, and their freedom balances on the frail precipice of one man’s life. The answers to these questions affect everything, and will take Larin on a journey across two continents, accompanied by his uncle, a socially inept historian, and a strange, selfish girl who only speaks truth.

The quest to find the mythical Carvers, if such creatures still exist, drives books 3 and 4.  But politics also play a role, and will throw head-winds in the quest—I won’t say any more than this to avoid spoilers.

Book 3 also dives into the life of Kemharak as he continues the struggle to save his people. For agreements may be broken, war is coming, and the Lidathi tribes are fracturing. Prepare to dive into the culture of the Lidathi, complete with swaying vines, singing moss, and a burning desire to protect against human treachery.

In an earlier blog post, I had said that book 3 would come out in January. That was woefully optimistic. I am working VERY hard on this book, and expect to have written the last edited word by mid-June. But of course, it will take some time to get the cover done, and finalize the editing. Still, I expect early beta copies (sans cover) to be ready by beginning of July. That’s a fairly conservative estimate, because I don’t want to mislead anyone again. The actual book (after all beta reading and +cover) will come out likely in October.

OK that’s it from me. Thanks for reading!