Why Read the Verdan Chronicles?

Why not?  If you somehow found this website and blog, then you're either a friend checking up on me or you have some interest in sci-fi/fantasy literature.  If it's the latter, then I welcome you to Verdan.  It's a mythical world that will seem both familiar and different from other fantasy settings.  Yes, the usual cast of characters are all there; there are dragons, wizards, elves and dwarves, there are vampires, werewolves, goblins and wraiths, but then there are the less familiar shadows, equineans, fell beasts and nymphs.

The Verdan Chronicles will take you on a journey.  It will introduce to you a myriad of characters.  The setting may be fantasy, but the people, their relationships and their emotions are no different from those we all experience on a day to day basis.  The people in Verdan are beset with greed, fear and self-doubt. Yet they also have faith, hope and love that help see them through their challenges.

I encourage you to explore this world.  The story starts out simple enough.  A knight is sent on a quest to find a wizard.  The fate of his kingdom is at stake.  You soon discover that it's not just his kingdom, but the fate of all know civilization is about to be played out.  And while the wizard he seeks plays a key role in the outcome, it will take the combined effort of dozens of heroes to keep the flames of freedom from being extinguised.

So yes, the Verdan Chronicles on one hand is a typical Epic Fantasy story of good versus evil.  But I hope if you give it a try that you will see it is so much more.  The lines between good and evil are often blurred.  Those considered evil do not see themselves that way and that will continue to be a theme throughout the series. Actions have consequences, as the heroes will learn time and time again.  Doing the right thing does not always yield the best result, but would the heroes have done anything differently?  And issues of the class divide, rich versus poor, are as prevalent in this world as they are in ours.  In protecting a kingdom are the heroes merely preserving the status quo for the wealthy, or are they also serving the needs of the common man or elf?

The entire story of the Verdan Chronicles will span many years.  Like any fully formed world setting I've had to create different cultures for the countries and kingdoms in which the stories take place.  Political platforms and religion are front and center stage.  The story will explore the impact victory and loss has on history and how religion can both unite and divide a people.  These stories are not meant as a commentary on events in our world, but as a cautionary tale.  Are things like this possible in our world?  I'll let the reader be the judge.

If you like stories on a more personal level, well, there's plenty of that in the Verdan Chronicles.  There's a father who's raised his daughter alone for the past fifteen years, but he's kept secrets from her that he's afraid are about to be revealed.  There is a quiet young man who's longed for the affection of a girl for most of his life.  He follows her into the adventure and their story becomes a focal point for the series.  There is the warrior who had to choose between adventure and settling down with the love of her life. There is the theif who committed a reprehensible act while younger.  It's taken him down a dark path and now he has a chance at redemption.  There is the crusader intent upon protecting his faith and those who need protection, yet he is constantly haunted by his own tragic past.

You get the idea.  There are literally over a hundred characters in this world whose stories help shape the fate of the world.  While a couple dozen play more central roles, you'll get to know all of them before the series is over.

Wow, so this sounds kind of deep, right?  Not exactly.  While I try to fully form my characters and give the readers a sense of who they are and why they act the way they do, I still also try to give some freedom for readers to fill in a few blanks and make the story their own.  Some of the best stories are the ones in which the reader can find themselves immersed into the world in which they're visiting.

And don't discount the epic adventure scenes.  Armies will do battle, and dragons will be involved.  There are flights through a dangerous forest and battles through a labyrinth of caves.  Raging rivers, whirlwinds and cataclysmic disasters await you.  And if I don't stop here I'll probably end spoiling half the series.

The bottom line is that if you like adventure and you enjoy immersing yourself into a new world, then I encourage you to give The Verdan Chronicles a try.  I stand by the story and think you'll like it.  I just hope the still forming skill of the writer doesn't get in the way.  :-)  And yes, if you stick with the story the writing does get better.

So where are all the plans for 2014?

1.  Republish Volume 1: The Fourth Age.  On lulu.com, you can now purchase the revised Volume 1, both in hard copy and for pdf download.

2.  Get original artwork as cover for Volume1:  Sadly, this is still a work in progress.  It's been commissioned, but at this point I don't have a date for when it will be ready.

3.  Encourage more readers:  If I don't get the original artwork in the next couple of weeks, I may need to put off these plans for another year.  Yes, it's frustrating, but it's hard to go "all in" when some of the pieces aren't ready.

4.  Publish Volume 6:  Council's End:  Still in the works.  Just a couple of things to take care of first.

5.  Make books available through other means:  Lulu now offers the opportunity to make books available on Amazon.com for the Kindle. My son is working on the formatting needed to make this happen.  This has kind of jumped to #2 on the list and will hopefully happen soon.

6.  Explore options to get more original artwork for other volume covers:  This probably won't happen until later in the fall.  Let me get a cover for book 1 first.  :-)

7.  Explore options to get the books formatted to a hardcover edition.  I will likely defer this one until next year.

8.  Finish writing Volume 9:  The Fifth Age:  Still on track to finish by end of year.  I have a high level outline and the first two chapters are done (as of this morning).

9.  Try to see if I can't firm up some dates for publishing Volume 7:  Out of Time and Volume 8:  The Rise of Magic (title still subject to possible change):  This also may end up on the list for next year.

Again, thanks for checking out the blog.  Summer is almost here.  A good time to find a comfortable spot outside and dive into a book.  Catch ya later.