Hello everyone!
Merry Christmas from myself, Liam, Nyota, Arlet, Niana, the whole crew, and even Saryn. I'll probably set this up to go live on the last or first day of a year so Happy New Year as well. ;)
With the new job I'm not going to be able to return to this for some time so I wanted to put some thoughts out there. Book 1 has attained #1 bestseller / new release in 3 separate amazon categories. Which was stunning for me, then I dug into the details and found that the categories were pretty tiny. In total we've picked up about 100 people who downloaded or bought the book. For reference, 30,000 people picked up chapter 1 on royal road after six months or so. It's decent performance, especially for the first month, although I was hoping for a little more traction. Amazon is a far larger platform, something along the lines of 100x the traffic of royal road for the ebook side of things.
Maybe it's the quantity of ratings / reviews. Speaking of which, One of you lovely readers even left me a review over on Amazon. It's currently the one and only review / rating over there. Thank you!
I'm gonna give it another month or two before I decide to discontinue the story or not. If anyone can leave a review/rating over on amazon I would be forever grateful for giving this story a chance. Ratings are really recommendations to other users, and each one has a significant impact on how many people even read the blurb.
Now for a little sneak peek on old plotlines that didn't get fully written out but exist in my notes.
Niana's story. She is alive and well, with the only father she has ever known. Although she picked up some powers from the wendigo fusion and maybe a few impulses she'll have to manage in the future. If only there was someone whose meticulous in their thoughts and actions... ;)
Elise and Ami, Elise did some things that really cat-n't be ignored for motivations that aren't excusable. So she'll have to be tried in blackwood castle. That trial is going to be rough as there are no authorities besides Liam and Nyota who can try an eclipsiarch. Of course all the girls will want to participate, Niana, Nora, Lyra, Saryn, and Ami. The trial occurs, Elise will never forgive humans, and the eclipsiarchs are still kinda in the slave mindset. They really don't know how to hold a trial or the fair and equitable trial. Liam tries to remain aloof during the trial which goes a bit outta control. Elise won't budge, and promises to poison all the humans again so there is only one outcome, which is being found guilty. At which point Nyota has a crisis. Everyone who broke the law previously has been zapped to death. Just before Nyota has to carry out the judgement Liam postpones it to the next day.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The next day Liam gathers everyone in the same courtroom, including Blackwood and Hamilton. Liam heals blackwood back to full. Lawyers are appointed, (not sure who to put here, probably Arlet and Saryn for Blackwood's lawyers... I kinda wish I could throw Jenkins in there to defend Blackwood, just for the chaos it would cause. Actually, the permanent portals are a thing. Hehe... Especially with Arlet and Jenkins forced to work together. Lol. Saryn could also be a defense attorney cause she actually has the experience... And making her work with Jenkins would make everyone laugh. Of course Blackwood is found guilty, just like Elise, but unlike Elise it's clear to everyone that killing him, a mage, only hurts them in the long run. Enslavement is considered, debated, Blackwood requests to be blinded and have his tongue cut out. To undo the healing Liam did.
Then a solution for Blackwood's punishment is accepted. I have a few thoughts there so no final answer is decided. Elise ends up getting re-tried briefly (with lawyers) and a more fitting sentence carried out. She's real mad about it. But accepts it.
Pandora. Ah pandora, the three headed goddess that Liam resurrected one third of by stealing power from another of her thirds. There will be her darkest aspect to deal with after that. Which isn't communicated very well and I'll need to rewrite book 2 to make that more clear and believable.
After all that, Liam and the paladins will return to Talocandel, which is now occupied by Pandora's dark aspect. There will be the final battle, all vaults will be opened, all the magic items will come up, and it'll be a race between what the vaults spew out and if they can bring back Taloc. With a twist or two. Taloc could get free and then be unable to stop what comes out of the vaults. Pandora VS Taloc could result in a second Kheresh calamity. Or some similar chaos.
Lightning Lord Liam, Amazon link.
