The Warrens of Lotann – now available for pre-order!

Finally, some news to share with you all, especially if the title of this post didn’t tip you off…

“The Warrens of Lotann” is available for pre-order!

Trials of the Hopebreather: Book II has been a ton of fun to produce. It’s taken a while, but one thing I learned from the launch of Book I is “take the time to do it right.” I was tempted to release a few months ago, but I’m very glad I didn’t! In the last few months, a number of elements came together really nicely (cover, plot, dialogue, maps, etc.).

So, what to expect? While Door to Altharia focused largely on world-building and character/conflict introduction, The Warrens of Lotann is where the action really starts to take off. You can expect:

• a map! (yes, a map!)
• more dynamism from the main characters and supporting cast
• the thrills of the chase (gotta get dem Iridis Althars…)
• fears and challenges of confronting the unknown (and Kashani!)
• growth through adverse and overwhelming circumstances (Is he talking about Khubas? Sabohrok? hmmmm…)
• saying hello to some new characters (but no goodbyes, right? Right?!)
• and, of course, we’re talking about hopebreathers and Ainmir, so there’s got to be plenty of special-effects!

If all goes well, “The Warrens of Lotann” will be released on March 2! Remember, pre-order is only an option for eBooks. If you prefer reading in paperback, I’m hoping to have that format available soon after.

I’m going to leave you with an excerpt from Book II’s opening chapter – enjoy!

Bells tolled behind his head, and Alec almost tumbled from the limestone ledge where he stood. He was at the top of a bell-tower, the massive spread of an unknown city sprawling out hundreds of feet below.

People were gathered at the tower’s base, pointing and waving up at him as if to catch his attention. A woman screamed, her shriek rising up on the wind and warping, warbling in the heat of the summer air so that when it passed Alec’s perch it sounded like weeping.

“You want to jump, don’t you?” the voice asked. But this time the voice was near.

Alec turned, pivoting carefully, and looked beyond the bells to the shadow that stood on the ledge of the opposite window. He caught a glimpse of greyish-brown around the face, and thought he heard the rustle of a robe, but there was no other clue to the shadow’s identity.

“No. I don’t,” he answered, bold and firm. “I would never do that.”

“You misunderstand, boy,” the voice responded. “Not to do yourself harm, but because, in that wild part of you that revels in the storm, you just want to. For the thrill of being alive, the thrill of doing the unexpected, the thrill of those few moments of absolute freedom, when you belong to no one but yourself.”

A board appeared in front of Alec, its game pieces materializing in their places on each end. It reminded him of chess, but he didn’t recognize the characters.

“Let’s play a game,” the shadow offered. “If I win, I get to show you what I mean.”

“And if I win?”

The shadow held out its hands as if the answer were obvious. “If you win, I leave you alone.”

Alec shrugged, lowering himself to sit in front of the board. “Sounds good. What’s the game?”

“Basilias.” The voice said the word simply.

The shadow stayed on the other end of the room, somehow able to control the pieces on the board from a distance. Alec didn’t understand any of the moves, but something held him back from asking about the rules. He didn’t want this impostor to know about his ignorance. Instead, he made his moves with as much certainty as he could muster, intent on presenting a confident face. Inwardly, however, his mind reeled. He knew he was losing. He could only guess at how badly.

One by one, he lost his pieces. Meanwhile, the shadow’s seemed to multiply, swarming his own until his last piece tumbled over.

“You lose.”

There was a shimmer and a rush, and the shadow barreled forward, darting past the bells. Alec felt something seize the back of his neck, and he was turned around, head forced to look again at the streets below.

Terrified, he turned his head, sensing the presence that gripped him. A stone mask hovered beside him, covering all but the eyes and mouth of a face that peered down past Alec’s shoulder. The eyes were steel, the sides of the mouth pressed into a reckless, daring grin. The hold on Alec’s neck tightened, forcing his gaze downward.

“You know what I mean, don’t you, boy?”

Alec’s eyes widened and fear gripped him.

“Absolute freedom!” With a grunt and a roar, the masked one thrust down powerfully, heaving Alec out of the tower.