Fantasy

A long-awaited update

Hey,

I hope you enjoyed our adventures in the real world. But it’s time to leave them for a while and return to adventures in our world where there’s a lot more magic and mayhem that doesn’t involve falling trees or hail (yet).

First, it’s time for an update! Where are we at with the Rogue Gods Trilogy?

  • Gateway to Hell (book 1 where we pulled all the excerpts from) is done
  • Summon the Gods (book 2) is done
  • Storm the Gates (book 3) is almost done!

What does ‘almost done’ mean?

The 3/4 of the book is edited, so just the last 25% is getting edited, then formatted. There are 4 epilogues, twelve dragons, three angels, an ex-war god, and me, your host, Ran, Sarn’s son from the Curse Breaker series because there is no book that I can’t squeeze myself into somewhere.

I learned that from my dad, but we’re not the only ones who slipped into the trilogy. In Storm the Gates, other characters snuck in too. We must have let the portal open. Oops!

(I’m sure you’ll be happy we let other characters in. After all, epic adventures that could end our world as we know it are best when shared.)

So what does this mean?

Soon, I will get all the page time! Oh, that wasn’t what you meant? Let me try that again.

What does this means for the Rogue Gods Trilogy?

The Kickstarter will launch really soon like within the next two weeks soon.

Melinda wants Storm the Gates to be fully edited and formatted so we can show the art that will be in it. There might be a pile of hopeful contenders sitting on her hard drive. After all, Storm the Gates took 4 months to write and Melinda also works full-time.

But Curse Breaker Enchanted still holds the title for longest book Melinda has written about us. Storm the Gates tried to knock it from its throne, but it failed. I’m not sorry about that. There can only be one, and I get more page time in Curse Breaker Enchanted., so it retains its crown.

And now, it’s time to return to our preview of the Rogue Gods Trilogy. Four weeks ago, we published the first half of this chapter. Read it here if you missed it or forgot or because you want to meet me as an adult again. It’s posted on our blog so no signups or downloads are needed. Just click and read.

This next part contains a really big what if scenario because an event in the previous 9 chapters that you didn’t see caused the timeline to split.

On one side, there’s the actual timeline that all 24 books Melinda has written and published follow.

On the other side, there’s this timeline which governs the Rogue Gods Trilogy. The characters need to figure out what happened and correct that event so they can restore the real timeline.

So any references to any character from here until the end of the trilogy are NOT our future unless, of course, our heroes screw something up. That’s always possible since we figure things out as we go. But things must turn out okay in the end somehow because there are epilogues.

Since I join team #Heroes in book 3 to make sure we fix things and this is a humorous series not a dystopian tragedy, you can assume somehow we will unravel what went wrong, who did it, when they did it and go on an epic quest to fix it within this trilogy.

Oh and there are dragons too. So we have to give it our best effort. We can’t let some overgrown lizards show us up in our book. So there’s extra pressure on top of the time pressure and the pressure applied by the villains who are trying to further wreck the timeline situation.

I’m sorry if that spoils things, but I didn’t want anyone to think what happens next has any bearing on my future because it shouldn’t if the heroes do their job. Papa should hang around for a long time to come so he can do that overprotective parent thing he does so well.

But my magic in this scene is accurate. You finally find out what my powers are. You’ll see them in action plenty of times in the Rogue Gods Trilogy. And now when you re-read the Curse Breaker series, you might spot me using that gift to help Papa.

He didn’t survive Curse Breaker Sundered or Curse Breaker Hidden without my little gift. Of course, I didn’t know then that’s what I was doing. Hindsight is awesome.

And now, since everyone else is doing it, I’ll gaze into your soul too. But I’ll smile while I do it.

Rogue Gods #1: Gateway To Hell

Many Meetings (Chapter 10, scene 2)

“I came to visit his grave. He died here.” Ran let go of her hand and faced the statue.

She almost asked if he was sure the statue wasn’t of him. The resemblance was uncanny. But sadness weighed his shoulders down as he bowed his head, then he crouched and placed a white stone at the statue’s feet.

“I miss you, Dad. I wish I could bring you back.” Ran rose and wiped his eyes.

Rosalie felt like a voyeur, but she was still a bit out of sorts, and she couldn’t get that image of her mother or those creatures out of her mind. “How did he die?”

“A demon killed him. I don’t remember if that was before they invaded or after. I wasn’t paying attention to much then.”

“What demon invasion?” Rosalie staggered away from him as the images of those horned creatures with axes blotted out the world again. She felt faint. Those images couldn’t be real.

That didn’t happen. The world blackened for a second time as she repeated that over and over like a talisman.

But it happened, a voice said as the memory of that stupid argument she had with her mother only days ago faded away like it never happened.

“Rosalie? Are you okay?” Ran asked as she sank to the ground and closed her eyes.

When she opened them, ash covered the ground and her too. The enchanted trees were gray, and they bent away from this spot like something pushed them aside. She touched the ashes and tiny strings wriggled away from her fingers.

The forest was just green and growing, but now it was gray and lifeless, but Ran didn’t seem to notice. He just brushed the ash from his dark clothes and hair like this was normal when it certainly wasn’t.

“No, oh god no!” a man shouted, and he sounded close by.

“I will be okay. Come on. Someone’s in trouble.” Rosalie pushed to her feet and shoved those images away. She could sort out what they were and why she was seeing them later.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Because I can check on him without you.” Ran waved toward the shout.

“I’m fine.” Rosalie straightened her skirt and squared her shoulders as she marched between the dead trees. I don’t need any coddling, especially not from a stranger.

“All right. If you pass out again, I’m not carrying you.” Ran outpaced her easily with his longer strides.

“That’s fine. I didn’t ask you to carry me. My legs work just fine.” Rosalie clenched her fists. She was so tired of men assuming she was a weakling because she liked dresses and feminine things.

I can be pretty and strong at the same time. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. But her mother thought they were. Well, Mom grew up in a different time when women had no rights. She had no choice but to shove her way into a man’s world to make a living, but I walk a different path.

***

Just another gentle reminder that Papa isn’t dead. I’m just on this weird alternative timeline without him. But as soon as I figure out that’s what happened, you know I’m correcting that real quick!

***

Don’t forget to follow the Kickstarter, so you know when it launches because it’ll do that soon. Rosalie is on the left, and Guerren is on the right.

This chaotic duo will either save the timeline and the world or destroy both. Only one of them will have fun doing it. You can guess which one. I might have fun helping them.

New Podcast Episodes & Videos

Listen to our podcast in your player of choice. Or Watch it on YouTube.

New Releases, Sales, & Other Book Stuff

The Siblings’ Tale Anniversary Edition & Series Hardcovers

Five-year anniversary, single-volume edition of The Siblings’ Tale & hardcovers for the whole series of lesser-known fairytales retold.

Corruption’s Claw: An Exclusive Hardcover Epic Fantasy Novel

Early release for Book 3 of Death’s Disciple: a dark epic fantasy series with deadly war dragons, elemental magic, and scheming gods.

In Case You Missed It