Spring 2019 Q & A


Here are the top Q & A’s from this convention season:


Is there a third book?  When is it coming out?

Yes! There is a third and fourth book in the works.  I’ve moved past outlining and have written approximately one hundred pages as a skeleton draft for both books. This initial document is essentially a collection of arguments.  There are no transitions from chapter to chapter, sparse descriptions, very little setting other than castle or basement or mall.  This draft is a lot like a sketch, I can move things around quickly and trash unnecessary scenes without wasting time.

When I wrote Mark of the Castle, I learned a harsh lesson on book release dates.  I couldn’t predict death, car accidents, depression, babies, or brain tumors.  So I’ll just say I’m progressing forward towards an undefined deadline.  Just stay with me, keep sharing your books, and I promise you there is more story to come.

Will book four be the end of the series?

Book four will be the end of Jessica’s high school plot arc, but not the end of the series!  Other novels I hope to write include The Dreamspinner’s Journey, which will be the story of how Misa travels to Polaris to gain the knowledge to unlock the Gate.  After that I would like to move either forward in time and write the next story in Jessica’s life or go back to the 1980s when Lily and Beatrix were teenagers. Also on the horizon are an art book/world guide and audio book.

What cons will you be traveling to?

My children are very young so my con schedule is deliberately sparse.  I have been invited as a guest artist and panelist for Anime Boston 2020, so I will be there next April.  I’ll be at Salt City Comic Con in Syracuse, NY in July 2019.  In November,  I’ll be at Night Market in the Sky Armory, (also Syracuse).  I’m open to any con guest invites and love giving panels and lectures.

I bought your book online, will you sign it at a convention?
Yes! 

I want to cosplay Centernia, are there art references for it?
https://www.centernia.com/illustrated-world is the most comprehensive guide to Centernia art at the moment, as well as this blog.  I’m trying to change this and put together more quick sketches like the two below.  

 



Why is there so much conflict between the Holy Circus and the Mages?
This topic will be explored more in the next book.  It comes down to political control.  Hundreds of years ago, the Auroriate Circus was heavily populated with mages.  When Castle Nova established the centralized Polaris Academy in the Katanzaarko region, the mages were slowly pulled from the Circus.  Even though the mages now are the ultimate governing body, the Auroriates have a powerful reach into the daily lives of the people.  Every village has a temple that serves as a solid social anchor.  The traveling circuses add to their appeal and strength.  The Holy Circus is able to reach normal people in a way mages simply can’t.  The mages know this and find it irksome.  The mages also have ties to earth and are aware of Christianity and the plethora of religions of this land, which weakens their faith in the Goddess Aurora.  Though not necessarily atheist, mages tend to be more skeptical.  They look down on Auroriates just as the Auroriates view them as elitist.   

How is your health?
My brain tumor is not out to kill me at the moment, so we’re good.  Radiation has stopped its growth.  I have yearly MRIs to check on it.  My facial nerve it stable, my balance is good, and I’m mostly deaf in one ear.  For a person with a tumor on their brain stem, I really can’t complain.  


PLEASE SHARE YOUR BOOKS
This June, in celebration of my birthday, I’m launching a new campaign.  There are over 1,000 physical copies of Return to the Castle in the world.  I would love nothing more than for these copies to be loaned out to friends.  If you have a well-loved book, please, please, share it!  








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