Bonus Chapter (Sir Loren x Sister Ora)
Well, because enough folks asked and because I am am a glutton for torturing everyone, I wanted to release a bonus chapter from book 1 that got cut. This scene/chapter was meant to go around Chapter 43ish. I also wanted to add a little more fun to this and their story by creating a playlist for their love story.
Smile and enjoy both, or cry and be sad, you’ll probably cry… hehe
126,899 words
And so here we sit, many years past the dream that I could not forget with book two almost complete.
And so here we sit, many years past the dream that I could not forget with book two almost complete.
How did this happen? How did such a thing come to be a reality? It still baffles and befuddles me each day to see my books in people’s hands, on their TBRs, and on store shelfs. A (once) pipe dream created by a little girl so scared of the world around her has become a reality.
I am a published author.
I am living the dream I always thought impossible.
And now, I have sent version #5768678 (an estimated number, of course) off to my editor for a (hopefully) final pass-through before line editing and beta reading. And then it is published. And then we move on to book three- and beyond.
I have always wished for this, hoped for this, fought for this, and thanks to the fire within me and the love within you all, this dream is my reality.
Speaking of reality…
It had been my hope to clock book two in at roughly 140K words, but after much consideration, editing, and thought, it made little sense to tack on 15K more words to the existing manuscript for the sake of the word count. In all honesty, the pace and build-up of book two is much more intense and slow-moving than book one and that has to do with many factors, 1) the world of Victarius has been blown wide open after the actions in book one, and so, there is more backstory, more lore, more people to get to know, 2) there are a lot of storylines and plot points that book one laid out that book two (and beyond) now much continue and expand upon, and 3) there are secrets. secrets that I cannot divulge just yet but required many words to secretly set them up.
While I know the above word count is nowhere near final, I am confident that (barring any major cuts or issues found) this number will be close to the final count. In comparison, book one was 131,922 words. Somehow, I managed to add more stories and trauma to this series in lesser words than I used to introduce the world to you all.
I cannot wait to divulge more details, share more sneak peeks, and discuss the worlds of Victarius more with you, but for now, I must return to the goblin hole I call my office, possibly wash my hair and change out of my sweatpants, and get to line editing.
Much love and many adventures,
Kristina 09.04.2024
A note on colonization, monarchy, and power.
I wish to be clear on something that perhaps I was not in the past, but wish to make abundantly clear before you open the pages to the continuation of this story.
I wish to be clear on something that perhaps I was not in the past, but wish to make abundantly clear before you open the pages to the continuation of this story. In short, this series is not a romanticization of colonization and occupation, nor that of the monarchy. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
The Alvarian siblings conquered land that was not theirs to lay claim upon seven hundred epochs (years) before this book series takes place and since then, a system of oppression and harm was put into power and eventually it evolved into what you all were introduced to in book one.
A system that uses religion as a weapon of power and control. A system that boxes in individuals at their birth. A system that should feel too close to the world we live in in the United States and other occupied lands.
None of these characters who uphold the system are meant to be cheered for, loved, respected, or adored. Their rise to power and their personal claims to a throne- a throne that should not exist- are not meant to be cheered for.
It is meant to be questioned.
Their integrity is meant to be looked at with suspicion, and their “rightful claims” are meant to be guffawed at.
Sure, certain aspects of some of these characters are admirable, but how much adoration does one deserve when their goal is to uphold a system meant to oppress, and simply put a new face as the figurehead? If one were to replace the patriarchy with the matriarchy, is that a just change, or simply replacing one oppressive system with another? Should one not instead fight to dismantle any system that upholds such classism and divisiveness? Should one wishing to fight for justice work to dismantle the entire system that allowed the injustice to begin in the first place, instead of only fighting to replace those at its head?
These are questions I encourage and hope you hold with you through this story, and the next.
I encourage discourse, disgust, and frustration when reading these characters' journeys, I encourage parallels to be found between this world and ours. I encourage hoping for the downfall of this system and ours- both of which were built by supremacists stealing land that never was theirs to step foot on.
Power is not meant to be grappled and killed for. It is corruptive and the very presence of such a concept is a symptom of a dangerous system that should be dismantled.
Much love and many adventures,
Kristina 09.04.2024