I have some explaining to do.
With Two books out and a third deep into the drafting process, there’s a lot to unfold and explain about what this series is, where it’s going, and just what exactly is going on with the availability, covers, and overall production of these books. I’m going to explain all of that and a bit more in this blog, so please bear with me. The writing of this series has been a task as unexpectedly monumental as the hero’s journey itself. There’s lots to compare in that regard, but that will be a blog for another time. Here, now, I will explain the most important questions for the relaunch of the website. One of many “relaunches” to come. So let’s start with the fundamental question - what is Starlight’s Eternity Saga?
What is Starlight’s Eternity Saga?
It’s a space opera, a horrifying, dystopian, grit-riddled space opera. When first conceptualizing the aesthetic years ago during the initial drafting phase, the frequency aligned itself as a mixture of Dune and Event Horizon with the few odd splashes of other various influences as well (namely fantasy epics and mythologies of old). Since its initial concept drafts, however, it has become something much more than just a mixture of various influences. It has become something wholly its own.
Set in an incomprehensibly distant future, the civilizations of humanity have found their perch within the Triangulum Galaxy. Nestled in their small pocket of sprawling star systems, human kind has fractured along fault lines drawn up by self-interested governing bodies, shadowy mega corporations, and alien civilizations with goals and aspirations of their own. What’s more? Humanity has lost its past. Whether by design or by the simple passage of time and distance, humanity has forgotten Earth. It’s forgotten the Milky Way. Human kind as a species no longer knows its origins. Consequences come with that loss of knowledge, and there are many who seek to exploit it.
Strange cults pull strings beneath the surface. Ancient, cosmic powers manipulate reality. Corporations conceal unspeakable experiments. And, the distinction between humanity's greatest achievements and its most terrible mistakes begins to disappear. At the center of it all is a woman struggling not only against the horrors of an indifferent universe, but against the fears and traumas buried within herself.
Starlight's Eternity Saga is a story about identity, memory, fear, and the extraordinary lengths we will go to find meaning in an existence that offers none. Within the pages of these books, I aim to explore the depths of ideas, philosophies, and psyches a world like this would create. It all begins with a woman named Sarah Vermillion.
This is where we begin. Carlisle Station is our first entry into this universe, but I want to make one thing clear before moving forward. Carlisle Station is the first book to be written, but by no means the first in the chronology of the universe. As my favorite author once wrote, “There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.” - Robert Jordan, The Eye of the World. While the mythos is vastly different, the message is the same. There are no beginnings in this story, only starting points for our perspectives and the lives of our characters.
Why is this important?
Starlight’s Eternity Saga will be a “mainstay” series in my authorship. I intend to write as many novels within this universe as I have it in me with the hopes and dreams that it will one day outgrow me. Perhaps then the mantle will be taken on by new writers, new generations. How things will be broken down is by segmented series. For example, the first expedition into this narrative will be what I once called the “Sarah Trilogy,” a series of horrific events unfolding into a small space opera. After, another trilogy will cover a new character with new events within the universe. I say “once called” because what I’m about to say next changes things a little. That leads us into our next question.
Where is it?
In the interest of brevity, as a self published author I’ve found that I am no longer satisfied with the quality, care, and business practices of Amazon or of their KDP program. I want the reader experience to feel personal and engaging at the highest level I can provide and shrug away the dystopian, mass-produced feeling that comes along with the capitalistic landscape so prevalent in today’s market. I’ve removed my books from Amazon and will be printing through independent printing companies while handling distribution myself.
I’ve also grown as an author. This brings with it an opportunity to give the series the love it truly deserves. There’s a long story I may tell in another blog about the path I took to get the story to where it is currently. Once again, in the interest of brevity, I sacrificed the original story for the sake of one I could simply finish. The original outline called for seven books, five in the main storyline and two “bookend” style novels acting as prologue and epilogue narratives. When first publishing Carlisle Station, I cut a vast majority of this to trim things down to a trilogy. This was done in haste. The process caused many issues with scale and scope in the novels that followed Carlisle Station (A Fear of Kronos had be cut in half, and the manuscript for book three would likely need the same treatment). By pulling the novels from Amazon with the intent to go fully independent, this sparked the opportunity for a fresh start. I’ll be taking this opportunity. I’m revising and revamping the entire series, following the path I originally intended. There will be seven books to Sarah’s part of the saga.
I’ve already bought and read the first two books, does that mean I have to rebuy them?
In short, no. Upon the rerelease of the first two books, a companion pdf will be made available for free on this website which will outline the differences and changes made within each book. These pdf’s will be riddled with spoilers, so they’ll be intended only for those who wish to read the third without having to rebuy Carlisle Station and A Fear of Kronos in order to catch up on what’s about to happen in book three. That being said, if you’ve bought the previous “Amazon” versions of the above books and still choose to purchase the new editions, I am forever grateful for your support. It means more than you could imagine.
How is it progressing?
Well. It’s progressing well. I’m filled with a new level of excitement for a creative project I haven’t felt in a very long time. I have some fairly ambitious goals when it comes to the release schedule of this new project. One such you may hear about in the not so distant future. There’s one aspect of this endeavor that feels like playing catch up. The rerelease of the first two books simultaneously feels like a new, exciting project, and a setback. Despite this, I’ll be spending the appropriate amount of time to make sure the novels are the best I can make them. I will not rush them again, or ever. The new approach I’m taking with each entry into Starlight’s Eternity Saga can only be described as reverence. I love this story. I want readers to be able to feel that through the pages.
Throughout the coming months, regular blog posts and updates can be expected on this site. I’m aiming to post a blog weekly, though not all blogs will be about the series. Some may simply be about the writing and creative process, or, in some cases, something else entirely. Time is my biggest limiter. Numerous projects call to me, and none I wish to abandon. Because of this, things may progress slower. I assure you, however, no less effort will be given. In fact, the opposite is true. Writing always has been, and always will be, my number one priority. It’s my creative lifeblood, the dream that’s stayed with me since childhood.
So, what if nothing comes of it? Will you give up?
No. Never. One of the great questions all creatives and aspiring novelists must ask themselves is, “Why am I making this?” The answer is more important than you think. If it boils down to success, fame, or money then you’re in the wrong business. Those things aren’t out of the question, but they should never be the driving force behind your creativity. For me, I make because I must. It’s not a simple whim of desire, or basic outlet for creative energy, it’s a need. I am at my best when I write. If all other things boiled away and the core of my heart were to be revealed, two things would stand bare to the world - my wife and my writing. Without either, life would hold little meaning.
To more directly answer the question above, in such an instance, I may scale back the production of novels from the printing side, but I would never stop writing them. I will always write, I will always tell stories, regardless if they ever get read. I owe it to three gorillas and little boy who dared to dream.
What’s next?
Having boldly claimed the above, I’d like to thank you. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for making it to the bottom of this article, and thank you for your support in all the ways you provide it. Mostly, thank you for being here. There are many things to come in the following months. Even more things in the following years. I cannot predict the future, and I cannot say without a doubt as to what’s next. What I can say is somewhere deep down, somewhere in the depths of my soul, within the squirming, wriggling sensation many call a gut feeling, what’s to come will be fantastic.
Something wonderful this way comes.
April will be an interesting month…