Secrets, Surprises, and WIPs. Oh My!

As you may have noticed from the title, I have some news I’ve been keeping a secret for a while now. And, yes, it involves WIPs (works in progress). I have a few WIPs I haven’t told anyone about yet… okay; I told my mom, sister, and my niece overheard, but that’s it. I’ve been keeping these stories a secret, but I can’t hold it in anymore! 

I have two, technically three, WIPs that have nothing to do with the Rise of the Warriors series. These other WIPs are stories I’ve been focussing on alongside the warriors. As always, they are Christian fantasy, but are quite a bit different from the warriors. 

Two of the WIPs are books within a series called The Door of Exterrah. The series is a portal fantasy. I’ve never mentioned this before, but I love the idea of parallel dimensions and fully believe they exist. Don’t look at me like that! There are plenty of scientists that believe in the possibility, too. 

Anyway, Exterrah focuses on two main characters: Maddie and Aven. The story starts out in our world, following Maddie as she tries to survive college, her narcissistic step-sister, and being the butt of many jokes around campus. She isn’t exactly popular… or cool… But who cares? Let’s act like adults here. But her step-sister seems incapable of that. In a word, Maddie’s life is rough, and it gets a lot harder when she discovers a portal to another world. 

That’s where Aven comes in. He’s an Elven prince with an attitude problem who hates humans. But, in his defense, he has his reasons. And his problems. Shifters are overrunning Bysra, the Elven kingdom. 

What are shifters? Evil creatures that can turn into anything—animals, birds, even people. That’s why they are so deadly; you never know where they may be. That, and the fact that they are bloodthirsty monsters who live to kill and pillage. If they are not stopped soon, Bysra will fall. 

Maddie being in Exterrah is just another obstacle to Aven keeping his people safe, but his family insists on letting the human visit. With her repeated trips, will Maddie survive not only the shifters, but Aven as well? 

The first book, Betrayed, has been written and rewritten, and is currently awaiting editing. The second book in the series is in the first draft phase, but is coming along quickly. If things keep going the way they are now, I should be able to finish writing the second book within the year. That means Betrayed could be coming as soon as the beginning of next year. Yay! 

The third WIP? It’s also a portal fantasy, but is mixed with urban fantasy. This is the first time I’ve ever written an urban fantasy. I love reading them, but I’m a little nervous about writing one. Another thing that’s different about this book is that it is aimed at a younger audience than I usually write for. Unlike all my other books, Hunted’s main character is a teenager, as are many of the supporting characters. So far, Hunted is coming along well, but is more difficult than what I usually write. Maybe that’s just because I’m not used to writing for this genre/audience yet. Or maybe it’s because I’m writing in first person, which is also something I have little experience with. Hopefully, it’ll turn out well!

So what is Hunted about? First off, let me say that the title may change. I’m just calling it Hunted for now because it has to have a name. It’s the first book in what I plan to be a trilogy. The story is told from the viewpoint of a young girl named Vera. She’s a wolf. 

A wolf? Yeah. What? Did I not mention the book is about werewolves? 

Vera lives in a world where everyone is a wolf. And she is an omega, the lowest of the pack, at least in her own eyes. As the beta’s daughter, a lot is expected of her. A lot she can’t give. Barely passing school, lacking the athletics wolves so pride themselves on, and the misconception that she has sway over her father’s decisions have put her in a world of bullying from both kids and adults. But then things get worse. So much worse. 

Vera finds herself facing every wolf’s biggest nightmare: Hunters. 

Hunters invade her pack, attacking at random. If they aren’t stopped, the pack will crumble. But how can the wolves stop what they can’t catch? 

One night, the hunters attack while Vera and her cousin, Keet, are in the woods. They escape with their lives, but are accidentally thrown through the forbidden Gate and into the human world. Now, they’ll have to hide who and what they are to survive. If the humans find out they’re wolves, they’re dead. And the hunters? They haven’t given up. There may even be one in the human world. And Vera is his main target. 

Hunted is still a first draft. It’s around a third of the way through, so it should be finished within the year, too. I don’t know when it will be published, but I like to get at least the second book in a series finished before releasing the first. That being said, Hunted could, possibly, be ready for the world sometime next year. It all depends on how things go and how quickly I get the books written. 

I’m so excited about these books, especially The Door of Exterrah. I’ve been working on Exterrah for almost as long as I’ve worked on the Rise of the Warriors. The idea came from The Lord of the Rings, by the way. While I was watching the first movie for the first time, the idea for Exterrah came to mind and has been years in the making. As for Hunted, it’s a newer idea that I’ve been working on for less than a year, but I already love it! The theme, unless something changes, is about being who God created you to be. I love Vera and her story, and I can’t wait for you to join her on her adventure. I also can’t wait for you to meet the elves of Exterrah! I absolutely love my elves and hope you will too. 

But what does all this mean for the Rise of the Warriors? Don’t worry, I fully intend to finish the series. The warriors are still my main focus, and their journey is written through book six. Book four is in rewrites now. I still need to rewrite books five and six and write book seven, the final book. And editing. It sounds like a lot (it is) but everything is pretty well on schedule. Book three, Range of Loss, should release this summer. 

So, that’s my update. I’m really excited about all of this, and can’t wait for everyone to meet these new adventures! What do you think of these upcoming books? Let me know in the comments!