The Adelfian Prophecies Series, now on Facebook!

Guess what, everybody? My epic fantasy series, The Adelfian Prophecies, now has its own Facebook page, where you can not only keep up to date on all the latest happenin's as I continue writing the series, but also take part in discussions about the series, ask questions about already-released or upcoming books, share favorite scenes or characters, talk about what the stories mean to you...and well, maybe even get a sneak peek or two.
I'd love for you to join me, so visit facebook.com/TheAdelfianProphecies, like the page, and let the journey begin!

Sneak Peek of The Second Prophecy!

As promised last week, here comes a special preview of the sequel to The Song of the Wren-Falcon!

Tentative Title: A Traitor’s Prayer

Possible Alternative Title: The Flight of the Moth

Characters: Many of the characters you know from The Song of the Wren-Falcon, but with a few new faces thrown into the mix—and, well, some old faces making re-appearances in such unexpected ways that they might as well be brand-new characters!

Conflict: Since the end of The Song of the Wren-Falcon, Adelfia has enjoyed six years of peace. Sorek and Orienne are busy with their growing family, as are Cyrus and Viette, and Ryker and Ashnin. Sorek’s biggest problems are trying to keep neighboring countries happy about trade rates, and trying to figure out where his four-year-old learned the word “disembowel”…until a message from Moritar gives him reason to fear that the peace they have been enjoying may not last much longer.

A mysterious dark power has taken hold in Moritar’s capital city. King Saras is dead, murdered by sorcery. And although the ominous turn of events points at Shekiah Hyn, the only known sorcerer remaining in Moritar, she has disappeared and not even Adelfia’s deepest spies can locate her.

Sorek fears that the peace is ending, and that things are about to take a turn for the worse. What he doesn’t know is that the Second Prophecy is about to fulfill itself in ways more wildly incredible than anything he could ever have imagined.

Old fears are about to raise their heads again. Old wounds are about to be reopened. Dark pasts will be revealed. Friendships will be strained to the breaking point. Love will bloom in impossible places. The darkness will deepen, and the cost of defeating it will climb.

What I’m Excited About: In this book I not only get to continue the personal stories of the central characters from Book 1 (characters like Sorek, Orienne, and Allegar), but I also get to dive much deeper into some of the secondary characters who didn’t really have that much time in the spotlight in the first book (characters like Gabriel, Albrius, and Shekiah). I’m so excited about this! It was hard for me to leave these characters largely unexplored and undeveloped in Song of the Wren-Falcon, but the wait is definitely proving worth it! (Now you all can get to know them as well as I do!)

I’m excited about the message of this story—in many ways a re-hash or continuation of the message of Book 1, but woven through enough plot twists and surprises to make it fresh and new.

I’m excited to introduce a couple of new characters as well…but their identities are still classified and you’ll just have to wait and read the book. :P

And of course, because I am a hopeless romantic, I can’t help being super excited about the two love stories that will play out over the course of Book 2. I won’t say much—this isn’t a spoiler post, after all—but I will say that one of the love stories will be both hilarious and heart-wrenching, and the other one will be deeply moving and absolutely gorgeous. And heart wrenching. (Sorry, that’s just the way it turned out. Don’t worry, my publisher and I are currently discussing the logistics of inserting small packets of tissues in the back of every hard copy of the book. [Some restrictions apply; not available with digital versions of the book.])

But what I’d really like to know is: What are you looking forward to in Book 2? What are you hoping to see? Share your thoughts! Who knows? If I like your ideas, you might just end up influencing the story. So don’t be shy!

Characters in Costume Challenge - April Antagonists!

Time for the April edition of the Characters in Costume Challenge, started by Gillian Adams. This month's theme: April Antagonists!
I'll be honest - while I have been known to open my closet and ask things like "How can I go for a WWII-French-Resistance look today?" or "What outfit could I build around my Swedish motorcycle goggles?" or "Would it look too weird to put a bell-sleeved blouse with a leather trench coat?", it's not every day that I stare at my wardrobe and wonder "How can I look like an evil villain today?"
So this months' challenge was particularly fun and... well, challenging. I actually went for a villainess look, as you're about to see. ; )

This is Meliqa Vaesh, (pronounced MEL-ih-kuh vay-ESH), the villainess of books 2 and 3 of the Adelfian Prophecies Series (the sequels to Son of the Shield).

 

Despite her young age (19), Meliqa is the most powerful sorceress the country of Moritar has seen in almost two centuries - since before the Adelfian purge that nearly wiped out the entire order of sorcerers. She is now considered the last and greatest hope of the Moritarc people and nation, to regain their independence and reassert themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

Being as volatile as she is powerful makes her dangerous enough. But her abilities to lure, charm, deceive, and manipulate make her even more deadly.

Her powers of sorcery leave her with little use for physical weapons in most cases. (Why bother with carrying a sword when you can kill someone just by holding out your hand?) When she comes up against the Adelfian believers, though, who are protected from sorcery by the power of the Shield who indwells them, she resorts to a pair of butterfly swords. Unfortunately, I don't have a pair I could use for pictures.

Whatever you do, don't let her lure you in.

Do. Not. Believe. Her.