I’m waiting for my “editor” to work his way through Between the Lion and the Wolf (BLW), and while he does that, I started writing back cover copy for, well, the back cover. (Oh yeah: I finished self-editing everything for BLW!)

It’s simultaneously fun and frustrating coming up with concise descriptions of things that a) don’t give away the store, and b) communicate enough detail to rouse potential readers’ interest! I think I’ve managed that, but I guess we’ll see!

And of course, I can’t leave well enough alone, so I’ve been tweaking things here and there, too, tightening up a few things and ensuring consistency from chapter to chapter. Right now, I think things work together pretty well. (We’ll see if my editor agrees!)

For those interested, here’s what my back cover copy looks like for now:

An encounter with an otherworldly presence

Reeling from the strange events and staggering loss endured Beneath the Vault of Stars, Kalas and his friends return to Lohwàlar. Along the way, they cross paths with a being of immeasurable majesty—and terror. A being whose kind the world hasn’t seen for millennia. A being whose presence presages darker times yet to come.

A clash against a resurrected darkness

Kalas’ quest for answers reveals a black conspiracy against humanity’s remaining protectors. Through their travels, he and his companions discover shocking revelations about the powers bent on bending prophecy to their wills. About the depth of rot polluting their entire world.

A reckoning for a weary wanderer

Despite the overwhelming dread that saps the soul from everything it touches, Kalas learns that hope still remains. It’s the music that revives the desperate. It’s the melody that even the hardest hearts can comprehend. It’s the singular theme that undergirds The Song, woven like a cord throughout its every strain.

Back cover copy for Between the Lion and the Wolf

Sound interesting? Intriguing? Idiotic?! (Hopefully not that last one!) Anyway, when it’s ready to go, I hope you’ll give it a read! (You can always compare the above with the back cover copy for Beneath the Vault of Stars by a) looking at the back of the copy on your nightstand, or b) checking out the second image under its Amazon listing.

Also—and maybe I should have led with this?!—I wrote a few hundred words for Book III—Above the Circle of the Earth (ACE)—a day or two ago! (Full disclosure: I wrote several hundred words for Book III, but I deleted more than half of them: gotta make sure Chapter I gets off on the right foot!)

From back cover copy to COVID and cabin fever

Like the rest of the country, we’re largely stuck at home for the foreseeable future.

With schools (and almost everything else) closed down, our boys are home learning what they can, and I’m finally out of excuses to finish building my desk. Yes, the desk I started (literal!) years ago and abandoned when it broke apart on me! When that’s finished, I should have time—and a dedicated place!—to continue work on ACE. Silver linings!

Stay healthy! Stay safe!