For a Good Time....

...try reading the Verdan Chronicles.  I think all too often in the past I've tried to deal with insecurities and reasons why people might not want to read the Verdan Chronicles.  I've made it very clear that publishing this was a personal bucket list item; having others read it a crazy fantasy.

But why not?  I really believe in the story I've written.  I've read each published book at least six times and while I'm often reading it to try and correct pesky typos, I also enjoy reading it.  There are passages both sad and happy that still bring tears to my eyes.  I can feel the moments through my characters.

The Verdan Chronicles, as advertised, is an epic tale.  I created an immersive world and I take the readers from one corner of Verdan to the other and then off to other dimensions.  Heroes and villains in Verdan come in all shapes, sizes and genders.  Characters live, they die, and in between they struggle to live out their dreams and aspirations.  In effect, it may seem more epic, but its a parallel for the same struggles we all live each and every single day.

If you choose to embark on the journey, you will find the Verdan Chronicles every bit as complex as life.  I intentionally inject into an epic struggle for power issues of racism (humans versus dwarves versus elves versus dragons), religious tolerance, terrorism (think of how the goblins terrorize the land surrounding the Khanian Mountains) and environmentalism (that will surface more later).

Are there some caveats?  Sure...maybe.  Take for example The Walking Dead.  I love that show.  It is one of the best shows I've seen and takes me into the lives of the characters in a post apocalyptic setting.  But it's not the kind of story I wanted to write.  It focuses much more narrowly upon the how the world impacts the lives of the characters we've grown to love.

The story I've written focuses more on how individuals can influence the world; how each of their actions and decisions can have broader consequences.  In this respect it's more like The Last Ship.  In that show we get to focus on certain characters, but we also see what's happened to the rest of the world and how they are helping to fix things.  My story would be more like that.  I think both means of storytelling can be effective, but if you prefer one over the other, it may influence your choices.

So if you do decide to read the Verdan Chronicles, expect fun and imaginative storytelling, expect subtle and some not so subtle twists on familiar themes.  The story will be epic and some characters will need to reach down deep and achieve things they didn't think were possible.  Some characters will make the ultimate sacrifice, because sometimes I think that is necessary to make a point...actions have consequences and bad decisions can sometimes lead to bad and tragic results.  But it's also a tale of hope and how we should never stop believing...and never stop trying to reach our dreams.

After all, that's what putting this out there is all about.  I believe the story is meaningful and I believe that there are many people out there who will enjoy the story.  Those people would be you.  I encourage to make that leap.  Verdan awaits.