The second volume in the Zane Halloway novella series came out yesterday. It’s called Swords and Shadows. I’m really proud of it.
When I started writing these, I thought it would just be a fun way to pay homage to my favorite fantasy stories by creating a new world inspired by all of them. Somewhere along the way I started to care deeply about Zane and Lily. They are both flawed in serious (and different) ways, but they also embrace life with a zeal I admire. All that’s to say, these stories have become very important to me.
This world is growing, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. I’ve said before that there will be six Zane Halloway novellas, and that’s still true. But I’m starting to strongly suspect that won’t be the last we see of this world.
I’m releasing one of these novellas a month, July through November. This approach appeals to me for a couple reasons. It forces me to be disciplined in my craft so a novella is ready to go out each month. And, as a long-time comic book reader, I feel like a month is the perfect length of time to wait in between stories. Long enough that you don’t get sick of it, but not so long that the excitement dies down and you forget what happened in the last one. It feels like the new-release-gap sweet spot.
Also, because some people have asked, yes, there will be a paperback omnibus of all six novellas when they are complete. I’m looking to release that in December.
Here’s the official description and links to the ebook on various stores.
Zane Halloway must join forces with his worst enemy to prevent a war.
After a run-in with one of the pirate Longstrain’s deadly widows, an injured Zane Halloway is enlisted by the king for a special assignment. The nation is on the brink of war, and the king hopes a quiet assassination will prevent things from escalating.
To complete the job, Zane and Lily will have to join forces with the King’s Shadow, the only man in the kingdom with access to the royal armory of magical devices. His name is Jacob Von Ridden. Long ago, he altered the course of Zane’s life, and Zane has been waiting for the chance to kill him ever since.
SWORDS AND SHADOWS continues the story of magic, mystery, and murder begun in THORNS AND TANGLES.
It’s only $1.99, and you can get it here:
Amazon | Apple iBooks | Barnes and Noble Nook | KoboÂ
ALSO!
I’m a guest at the 30th annual Rob-Con in Bristol, TN this w
eekend, Aug 1-2. Stop by and say hello if you’re in the area. If you’ve never met me in person, know that I’m super socially awkward. So that’s something for you to look forward to.
http://robcon.net/
I’ve been a convention guest before, but never as a writer. My old band, Wednesday Heroes, played a few cons, and we even got a VERY short write up in the AV Club in advance of a convention appearance. Back then, I could fiddle with my guitar. Now I’ll have to behave like a human and interact. Which is probably good for me on a personal level. Gotta come out of the writing cave sometimes.
I hope to see you there!