#DragonSlayer Debriefing: Epilogue

I still need to get to our secondary characters in a different post, but I've been working on Golden Eagle all day, so I wanted to talk about that DS epilogue...

Warning for spoilers below the photo. 

#TeaserTuesday: Sons of Rome

More debriefing will continue, hopefully later in the week.

Today, for #TeaserTuesday, I wanted to talk briefly about the series as a whole. About where we've been, and where we're going, and about the approach going forward. 

A Favorite Passage for #TBT

Sometimes, you write a passage and realize that it's an ~important~ one. Not just for that moment, or even that book, but for your series as a whole. This passage, spoken to Vlad Dracula by Nikita near the end of Red Rooster, is one of those biggies for Sons of Rome, and a personal favorite, too. 

"You arrogant idiot. The world's broken a thousand times. You missed most of it while you were asleep. It always breaks, and stupid people always die trying to keep it from breaking, and it always mends itself in the end. I can live through that. I have. But I won't live without him."

Writing can feel like walking through a minefield drugged and blindfolded, but this was, even in the initial draft, one of those "ah, yes, this, good" moments for me. For a few reasons.

Some history:

I really, really like the idea of dropping figures from history into the present. Does anyone remember Mystery Science Theater? One of my favorite episodes ripped to shreds a film about an airplane with time-traveling capabilities. My favorite quip, though I hate that I've forgotten who delivered it, was, "Hey, we can send Bob Saget back in time to meet Charlemagne!" Teenager me thought that was priceless. But also! I remembered it. Tucked it away for later. 

I have zero desire to ever write about time travel. But I am writing about vampires and other immortal beings, and have always wanted to. So time traveling wasn't an option, but Sons of Rome was built on the fledgling idea, from way back, of "what if a few important figures from history were actually vampires and are actually still alive and might need to get back in the politics game again?" 

And that leads us to the passage above, and the fight between Nik and Vlad. 

I love the setup. Here's Nikita, who's over a hundred years old, who was a very threatening, deadly, terrifying person in his mortal life. He's just kicked down the door, and is mowing down guards, and how scary: one of Stalin's Chekists, in the flesh, super strong, has stormed the manor. What's scarier than that? 

The answer is Vlad the Impaler. Vlad the Impaler is a hell of a lot scarier than that. And Nikita is hopelessly ill-equipped to handle him. 

Superficially, that's fun to have the chance to tell. 

Nik's statement hints at something much larger than a cool matchup, though. At this point in the series, Nik is fairly nihilistic. He's gone from - as a human - someone who put all his hope and effort into a political cause. One that, ultimately, failed. He was a drop in the ocean, and he managed to get almost everyone he loved hurt or killed in the pursuit of that goal. Now, seventy-five years later, he's met one of the monarchs he fought for, and is disgusted by him - but mostly disgusted by himself. His own naivete and faith in one system over another. Right now, Nik is looking out for himself. For his pack, his family, his Sasha. He doesn't give a damn about wars, or causes, or anything that doesn't affect his people. In this instance, Vlad is the physical embodiment of a kind of ruling system he no longer believes in...but which will roll over him and crush him all the same. There's that desperate fear: that once again he'll be leveled by the rich/ruthless figures who hold power over him, just the lowly foot-soldier in someone else's war. 

He isn't totally hopeless, though. As long as he can help his loved ones, he will, no matter how futile the effort is. And that is a message that speaks to the bigger picture of the series as a whole. And the way I'm approaching world history within it. 

Because it isn't a time travel story, but one that moves only forward; the character journeys are all about learning from the mistakes of the past. The world has never been a peaceful place. No nation, no group or population has ever been purely good or purely evil. There have been some truly evil people throughout our history; but there's been lots of gray. Lots of failed attempts, and flawed morality, and good intentions twisted into monstrous executions. We can't change that. We can't pin the blame on one person, or one country, or one moment in history. And so we go on, and we learn. And for these characters there's the will to do it better, in a world that is, ultimately, safer and more accepting than it's ever been before. It's about characters living with regrets, and finding hope. 

Nikita finding an identity that isn't rooted in a system is such a huge part of his character journey. And we get to see lots of good growth on that front next book, in Golden Eagle. 

Until then, thanks for letting me walk down memory lane with Red Rooster. 

And don't forget that Dragon Slayer is now live! 

DVD Commentary - #RedRooster

Some "DVD Commentary" author notes on a Friday! This is the sort of stuff I always like to read, so I like to write it too, when I can and when I remember.

These notes are from one of my favorites scenes in Red Rooster. I've been researching Vlad for a year-and-a-half now, so by the time I finally got to actually bring him to life on the page - I was nervous, and put a lot of pressure on myself. This was one of those scenes that proved to me that doing a ton of research is key to finding your footing in moments like these. 

This is the Vlad readers will expect from casual mentions in documentaries, and over-the-top film depictions. The emotionless, unfeeling tyrant who drank the blood of babies.

Or is it?

I like to say that Vlad is the Middle Ages embodiment of "Look What You Made Me Do." He's got a list of names, and they're all in red, underlined. His father was betrayed, he himself was captured as a political hostage; his father and brother were murdered. Terrible things happened to his little brother. The Vlad who took the mantle of prince in Wallachia had an ax to grind, both with foreign enemies and traitorous nobles at home. Will I ever excuse his actions? No. But his motto was, more or less: "My name is Vlad Tepes, you killed by father, prepare to die...by impalement." 

With the highlighted line above, he's - as will became clear after later books - mocking not only Nikita, but himself as well. Because Vlad was the very definition of "no chill." He wasn't rampaging-ly violent, but, rather, cold, cunning, and committed to grudges. Machiavellian in the extreme, he nevertheless managed to nurse personal hurts and carry out revenge in a way that would later be painted as "senseless" by some historians. 

He was eventually betrayed by friends. So, again referring to the highlighted line, he doesn't see much value in friendship. Or...is it more a case of him feeling deeply, deeply hurt to know that his friends didn't value their friendship? 

Themes I look forward to exploring in depth when I get to finally write from inside his head.

The poem "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats has always been a personal favorite and provides modern readers with some context for the idea that things are "the worst they've ever been." In the poem, we see reflected the idea that WWI marked the coming of the apocalypse for many. The Great War, or even simply THE War for many, seemed like the darkest days of human existence. An end to all things, insurmountable. 

A sentiment that can be found all through history, at every major, devastating battle.

In the highlighted passage, we're seeing growth for Nikita. Born in the shadow of WWI, conscripted by the Bolsheviks to fight for a cause that he loathes, asked to do unspeakable things, and then thrown into the midst of the Great Patriotic War, Nikita has a hopeless outlook through most of White Wolf. Here, seventy-five years later and now immortal, we see that he's realized there will always be a new disaster. Once a fighter, a tsar's man, he's now a fatalist, and he doesn't want any part in anyone's war. He'll battle if he has to, for the people he loves, but he's nobody's solider anymore.

That's what he thinks. 

Vlad would argue that if you're not a soldier, you're a victim.

It'll be fun to explore those contrasting (?) viewpoints as the series keeps progressing.

Oh, Alexei. I loved this exchange for nerd reasons - holy cow, I got to write Alexei Romanov and Vlad Tepes having a conversation! - and also because there's such a stark contrast between the two "princes." 

Alexei was the only son of Nicholas and Alexandra, and therefore the de-facto heir. Vlad was not only a second son, but a second son in an age and a territory in which simple genetics weren't a guarantee of power. It was common for sons to ascend after fathers...but it was also common for leaders to be deposed, challenged, or forced to fight for their seats against bitter rivals. Prior to the collapse of the empire, Alexei had no such challenges. 

Also, poor Alexei was sickly, and lived a largely indoor life. He was only a boy when the family was murdered; pair his youth with his disease, and he had very limited physical experience. 

Contrast that with Vlad who was brought up a proper knight, both in his native Romania and during his time with the Ottomans. Swordsman, horseman, warrior, tactician - there were so "summer dachas and sailor suits" for Vlad. 

(Also worth a chuckle was the real-life fact that Nicholas started a war based on the recommendation of the real-life Monsieur Philippe after the old man predicted victory during a séance. So...let's not talk about diplomacy, Alexei. Though his father was far more diplomatic that certain previous tsars.)

So...there you have it. My long-winded breakdown of one of my favorite scenes, and the thoughts that went into shaping it. Hope you enjoyed. Maybe this also shed some light on the reasons why it takes me so long to write a book 😊

Red Rooster - Debriefing

Here we are at the official Red Rooster debrief. This continues to be one of my favorite parts of the book release process. I get to share teasers and snippets along the way, but they're out of context, and I don't get to share as much as I'd like to. I can't promise that this debrief won't have spoilers - I won't try to say anything too obvious, but proceed with caution on that front. 

Alright. 

Ready?

I love writing sequels. Love them! The first book in a series always carries the burden of making something out of nothing. It invents a world - whether that world is a biker club, or, in this case, an alternate historical timeline full of supernatural beings. There will always be those readers who fuss about the initial world-building, but without it? The rest of the series will eventually cave in on itself. I like reading the world-building, and writing it, but sequels...those you can dive right into; they're perfectly warm pool water just waiting for you. 

RR came together quickly - especially when compared to the months and months I spent secretly constructing outlines for White Wolf. It was one of those books that I was able to envision and then execute with only minor adjustments. Some of the characters - Nikita - still managed to surprise me. And my boy Rob - you have no idea how long I've wanted to write that man in some capacity, and I still can't believe I managed to work him into this series - got to step onto the scene sooner than expected. It was just a really fun, really rewarding writing experience all the way around. 

Here are some gathered notes from my side of things:

The title: Despite characters named Red and Rooster, the title was actually derived from the brief reference Val makes near the end toward his mother's gods...and the waking of gods and heroes. For Val, locked up for so very long, Rooster's arrival - simply his name, Rooster - seemed to be a sign that a huge shake-up truly was about to happen, and not just something his captors taunted him with. 

Speaking of Red and Rooster: in very early drafts - and by that I mean notebook paper outlines - of the book, I planned to have the two of them consummate their relationship and enter into a real romance. When I started actually writing them, though, I realized that would have been jumping the gun. Since the book isn't a romance novel, I didn't have to force anything to happen right away, and leaving their relationship undefined enables me to write a more organic development in the books to come. Quick progress would have been wrong for them, and I'm very glad I pulled back.

The ferals: we will see them again. Oh yes.

Nikita: I don't think it would come as a surprise to learn that Nik is in A Very Bad Place after this book. Emotionally, that is. Lots more to explore there.

My favorite scene: that was a hard call. There were so many that I enjoyed. The runner-up was definitely Nik, Lanny, and Alexei's moment with Vlad. But my very favorite was a small one, just a few paragraphs: Sasha and Val finally meeting face-to-face. That was the scene that made me oddly emotional while writing, so I realized it was the one. 

Structurally, this book was a coming-together of a lot of working parts. And while I loved writing it, I decided, in the middle of it, that I very much want to slow it down a little now and write a sequence of follow-ups that focus on only a few characters at a time; a focus on individual stories...at least until it's time for the next big coming-together. The next book, Dragon Slayer, is very Val focused, and will have contemporary and historical storylines. I'm thrilled about it. 

I'm thrilled about the whole series. It's just rife with possibilities, and I can't wait to get back to work. 

#RedRooster is Live!

“Tell me, Rooster, are you at all familiar with any of the old religions? Let’s just say, oh, hypothetically…the Norse gods, perhaps?”

**

I'm thrilled to announce that Red Rooster is live!! The second installment in my Sons of Rome series picks up right where White Wolf left off, with Lanny MIA...and no longer human. Set entirely in the present day, Red Rooster follows three groups of characters - Team New York, Team Wyoming, Team Virginia - all on a collision course with one another, and their harrowing new reality. 

Vlad is awake.

So is something much, much more frightening. 

**

“Don’t pretend to think I should be loyal to your cause. You were never loyal to me. Your own flesh and blood.”

“It was never about you.”

“No,” he agreed, bitterly, “not for anyone.”

Get it here:

Kindle

Nook

#RedRooster Playlist

I say "playlist," but I really mean "soundtrack." This is an odd mix of scene-setting and character favorites. The order loosely adheres to the pace of the novel, so there's that!

"Working Man" - Rush

"In For the Kill" (Skream Remix) - La Roux

"Howl" - Florence + The Machine

"Rooster" - Alice in Chains

"Two Against One" (Feat. Jack White) - Danger Mouse

"Tom Sawyer" - Rush

"Let The Flames Begin" - Paramore 

"No More Sorrow" - Linkin Park 

"In For the Kill" (Skrillex Remix) - La Roux  - (this is for THE fight scene. You'll know it when you get to it)

"Shadow of the Day" - Linkin Park

"Ain't It Fun" - Paramore - Final Trina/Lanny scene of the book

"Hells Bells" - AC/DC - last chapter 

Getting Closer

Every Tuesday heralds another #TeaserTuesday that's a step closer to Red Rooster going live. 

Have I told you I'm excited about this book?

Only about a thousand times?

If you haven't read White Wolf yet, go grab it here, or here, or here 😀

There are so many reasons why writing the second book in my Sons of Rome series has been one of the most enjoyable writing experiences ever. But what I love the most? The chance to build a world. 

I'm such an omnivore when it comes to fiction. From ultimate favorites like Tolkien, to new favorites like The Raven Cycle, and the Shades of Magic series. From comics, to anime, to cult favorite TV, I love when an author or creator develops a world full to bursting with captivating characters. I don't like limits, or boxes, or clear delineations. I want it all. 

Writing this series is a chance to create a world, and then play in it. To build sweeping action sequences, and then go focus on the intimate inner thoughts of a character. To delve into their love lives, and their inner demons, and follow their character development in an organic, realistic way. A chance to take characters from history who are a few grainy paintings on a book page, and try to bring them to life as humans. Or, well...mostly humans. 

I am a nerd, and this is my jam, y'all. 

If you're wondering: what can I expect from Red Rooster?

The answer is: a character-driven urban fantasy novel.

Some questions from book one are answered, but others are posed, and left unanswered until later in the series. New characters are introduced, and familiar faces start to really come into their own. This book is a coming-together of sorts; all the main players in the series bump into one another at some point, and the events of this book serve as a jumping-off point for their individual stories going forward. Here, we start to understand the threat our heroes are up against, and their reactions are a mixed bag of duty-bound obligation, and aversion. 

This is probably not a good fit for readers who want/need a lot of romance in their reads, but this is right up your alley if you don't mind a slow burn, and enjoy the action, mystery, and magic of a very character-focused UF. 

This book cements Val as my favorite character; really, this whole series is his, if it can be called anyone's in particular. I can't wait for everyone to see him in action. 

We're getting closer! 

Select Lines: Red Rooster

Some lines that I like.

Red Rooster

Copyright © 2018 by Lauren Gilley

The tsarevich smoked a long moment, glancing out across the yard.

“Don’t look out there; there’s no answers there,” Nikita said. “Why are you coming along? Why are you helping?”

He took a deep breath, shoulders lifting and dropping. When his gaze returned, he seemed younger somehow; the polished, charming royal veneer had vanished, and he looked now like a lost child. “It’s…it’s been lonely,” he admitted, haltingly. “No one ever…there have been times when – when turning wasn’t an accident. When I just wanted a companion. But they never stayed.” His eyes flicked up to Nikita’s, his smile small and melancholy. “Everyone I ever turned left me. I think there’s something – something in the blood. It turns people…wrong, somehow.”

***

He stared at her a moment, the infuriating curve of her smile, the way she was amused by all of this. “Were you this smug in the Army?” he asked, and the smile dropped off her face. “Did you drive your CO up the wall?”

“No,” she said, getting to her feet. “I was a model soldier,” she said over her shoulder as she went to the fridge, and pulled out the box of injections. Her fingers shook a little as she worked the clasp.

Jake knew that everyone on the team had received a medical discharge from the Army, but he had no idea what sorts of injuries any of them had suffered. He wanted to ask her, suddenly: what was it for you? Which part of you starts to fail when you wait too long between shots?

***

Jack let out a deep, tired-sounding breath. “Ah, kid.” He leaned over and patted Rooster’s forearm. “You did the best you could.”

“But that wasn’t good enough.”

Jack sent him a level look. “Most of the time it’s not. Mainly because the world is full of people who don’t try to be anything – good or otherwise.”

Rooster…couldn’t disagree with that.

“Sometimes enough isn’t possible, and all you can do is good.”

***

His eyes. She recognized a bit of herself in him. Or, not really. He wasn’t like her, she didn’t think, but he was different. Not altogether human.

“Are you a doctor?” she asked, voice a rough, dry scrape.

He didn’t flinch, but his mouth tightened. “No. But you’re a mage.”

“A what?”

He cupped his hand; it was empty, the gesture was unmistakable: the way she held her own hands when she called fire.

“I didn’t know that’s what it was called,” she admitted.

He took a breath, nostrils flaring, brows pinching together over his long, straight nose. “Do you know who your parents are? Were?”

“I don’t have parents.”

“Yes, you do. I can smell them in your blood.” He growled; a quiet pulse of sound, a rumble like an unhappy dog.

Yes, he was different.

#RedRooster Sneak Peek: Chapter Two

Happy Valentine's Day! I have a little treat for y'all: a special sneak peek at all of chapter two of Red Rooster, Sons of Rome book two! Please be warned that this has NOT been edited AT ALL. So forgive typos and flubs; this is nothing but raw text. And also be aware that this contains MAJOR spoilers for the end of White Wolf. 

With that in mind, please enjoy diving back into the mess with the gang. ❤

From

Red Rooster

Copyright © 2018 by Lauren Gilley

2

Manhattan, New York

Present Day

A phone was ringing. The gentle chiming of the iPhone’s alert was far preferable to the shrill call of the landline it had replaced, but it was still an unwanted disturbance at – Nikita cracked his eyes open a crusty millimeter and read the dial on the bedside clock – four-thirty in the morning. As Sasha would say: ugh.

Speaking of Sasha.

RRJ 1/29

We are rolling right along. 62k words as of finishing this morning's writing block, and lots more left to write. Sequels are my favorites because that's when I get to really crack the characters open like eggs on the side of a bowl and see what they're made of. 

I wanted to share some of my favorite lines from last week's writing:

Red Rooster

Copyright © 2018 by Lauren Gilley 

“Lanny,” Steve said, brows knitting in concern. “How did this – are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah.” Lanny shrugged, and Nikita could tell his bravado was entirely fake – in the part of his brain that was managing to catalogue all of this and read emotions. “I’m cool. I mean, I wasn’t. This guy” – he jerked a thumb at Alexei beside him – “didn’t even ask, or anything. I was pissed. But. Yeah, so I had cancer…? Was kinda dying. I guess it all worked out.” He shrugged again, inelegant caveman that he was.

***

"You’re having second thoughts.” She smiled a fraction when she said it, pleased that she’d figured him out. “Why?”

Jake held her gaze stubbornly for a long moment, and then caved, glancing away, exhaling tiredly through his nose. He’d never before been the one to back down first in a game of chicken; but he guessed he wasn’t the same man he’d been then. The Major Treadwell who’d sacrificed himself for his unit had died in a desert inferno; the blind man who’d crawled back, who’d been given a second chance and the leadership of this hackneyed team, wasn’t so unwaveringly sure of himself. 

***

“Do vampires eat breakfast? ‘Cause we’re making a literal ton of food.”

“I dunno about him, but this one does,” Lanny said, and smiled wide enough to show his fangs.

Mom blinked at him, then sighed, expression becoming resigned. “Young lady.” Her gaze came back to Trina. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

#TeaserTuesday - Red Rooster

I shared a portion of this in the SoR readers' group a few days ago, but I wanted to share a larger segment for #TeaserTuesday. Slight spoilers? Not really; mostly just setup for book three. 

Red Rooster

Copyright ©2018 by Lauren Gilley

The baroness had brought him a mirror. A compact, folding one of the kind ladies carried in their purses. “I know you think you’re so slick,” she’d said, laughing fondly, “but I see you trying to fix your hair. I just thought.” She’d grown serious. “You might like to have this. And this.” A simple plastic comb that nearly brought tears to his eyes.

“I don’t need these,” he’d said, gruff to cover the emotional clog in his throat. “I can make myself look however I want when I go dreamwalking.”

“Sure. But that’s not the point, is it?”

“No…no, I suppose it’s not.”

RRJ 1/18

Red Rooster Writing Journal

48k words and hoping to break 50 tomorrow.

The structure of this installment is of three separate - though related - storylines that all converge for the big finale. They are the New York storyline, the Virginia storyline, and the Wyoming storyline, and all roads lead to Virginia. 

I had THE epiphany on the treadmill two nights ago, and it brought the whole storyline together. I was grinning like an idiot to myself, so pumped and excited...now I've just got to write it all down. *cries*

This series is the first time I've ever written about true historical figures. Once I got past the initial fear that I will Screw Up Big Time, I realized it was an absolute blast, and incredibly interesting. For me it's like watching a film, and then writing obsessive essays about the characters' motivations afterward. It's like my favorite kind of literary paper - the character study. In school, whenever possible, I wrote character studies as opposed to literature analyses. I read this amazing Vlad biography over Christmas break, and while the true story of the Impaler and his brother is fascinating, it was also largely filled with speculation - and not very deep speculation at that - as to Vlad and Radu's (Valerian in my books) thought processes. I now get to go in, armed with the facts, and construct their thoughts and emotions during all that, and that's  just a nerdy dream, let me tell you. So I'm incredibly excited to introduce my humble interpretation of Vlad in this book, and start digging into the mountain range of issues that lies between the two brothers. 

Today's writing focused mostly on the NY storyline, and I'm loving getting to draw the parallels between Trina and Katya. Theirs is a family of badass ladies. 

Favorite tidbit of the day:

“I can’t sniff anyone out, or Jedi Mindtrick anyone, but I can cause a distraction. And get some useful intel out of the idiot. What do you say?”

Lanny sent her an approving look.

Jamie buried his face in his hands.

Alexei looked at her appraisingly, head cocked to the side.

Nikita sighed, and finally nodded. “Carry a gun.”

She felt her smile widen. “I’m never not carrying a gun.”

Red Rooster

Copyright © 2018 by Lauren Gilley

RRJ 1/8

I'm doing something I don't normally do, but something that feels like it will be a big help: I'm going to live-blog my Red Rooster writing journal. I keep lots of journals - usually research notes and scattered tidbits and plot bunnies, all of it scattered. In the spirit of New Year's productivity, I'm going to (at least to start with) run a journal for this latest installment in the Sons of Rome series, my only project at the moment, and share it here in case anyone enjoys that sort of thing. I'm super excited about this book, and series, and can't wait to share book two later this spring.

1/8/18

Currently sitting at a little over 32k words. Much progress has been made since I finished that last Dartmoor-related thing and put it out in December. Christmas slowed things down a little, as is necessary; took some time to research – all things Vlad and his little brother in this book and the next are killing me in the best way. Brother vs. brother, anguish, misunderstanding, abuse and heartache – these are the reasons I write books. This is my jam.

Rooster is too good for this world, and also, ferocious.

Red is too good for this world, and even more ferocious.

Sasha is my baby, and deserves all the hugs. 

I love that this series – indeed, even this book – lets me play with different aesthetics. Usually with a book, you’re limited by setting in all aspects. Not so here: I can play with several at once, and it keeps things fresh, makes immersing myself in each setting completely worthwhile.

I also love that this series isn’t formulaic. I like that nothing is rushed. I love the idea that readers will have the chance to actually ship pairings rather than being told, ahead of each book, that everyone is neatly paired off and everything is pre-prescribed.

2k words a day seems to be my sweet spot right now, but I hope to get beyond that tomorrow. I have football brain today.

Writing one thing and only one thing at a time is freeing and amazing.

Red Rooster Cover Reveal

Red Rooster Cover Reveal

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you’ve all had some moments to relax and enjoy the holidays over the past few weeks. To eat some amazing food and spend time with your loved ones. I managed to sneak in some reading, some researching, and spent all day yesterday watching college football (Roooolllll Tide!!!).

As of today, I’m officially officially back to work, and I’m very excited about all the things I’ll get to write in 2018. White Wolf was not just my favorite project of 2017, or even just my favorite project ever, but the beginning of a series whose stories and characters have haunted me for years, and which I’m so thrilled to finally share with everyone. The Sons of Rome series marks a new chapter in my writing life, one that is hefty, dark, and more complex than all my writing endeavors thus far.

For the first #TeaserTuesday of the year, I wanted to share the cover for Red Rooster, Sons of Rome Book Two.

Red Rooster picks up right where White Wolf left off, finding Nikita, Sasha, Trina, and Lanny in a modern-day mess; this book also revisits Fulk, Anna, and Val, and introduces some new characters who have parts to play in the big picture narrative. If you’ve read any of my three existing series, you’ll know that I like to write ongoing conflicts and plotlines that carry through from one book to the next, and that involve the whole ensemble cast. SoR takes that to the next level; it’s a series full of individual stories stitched together to make one big story, a patchwork quilt of sorts, told in my traditional non-linear fashion. There’s an overarching story at work here, and an endgame, but one that’s going to develop at its own organic pace, with lots of adventure, mystery, suspense, and action along the way. I love this framework, because it’s going to allow me to dig deeper into each character, to take them farther, and explore them in a way that a series of self-contained happily-ever-afters would never allow. It’s decidedly not a series for readers who have to have a standalone, or even for those who don’t like to read outside the romance genre; urban, contemporary, historical – in all its forms, this is an epic fantasy tale at heart, and the journey has only just begun.

Up Next...

What happened on the Eastern Front seventy-five years ago was just the beginning. 

Now, a warrior and a witch are on the run.

She was his Red.

And he was her Rooster.

They fled New York five years ago, but it's the best place to find some allies...

The immortals are starting to find one another, now that Vlad's awake, and an heir is alive, and a storm is gathering on the horizon. 

The adventure that began in White Wolf continues next year.

Sons of Rome Book Two:

Red Rooster

Coming 2018