Earth God
Page 31
Althea shook her head and pointed at her dress. “You all, too.”
The dirt sloughed off her dress and tights, dropping onto the ground in sheets. The stains vanished from the fabric of her dress, leaving her spotless.
“Thanks,” she said merrily, as she ran toward the back door. “See you all tomorrow!”
Althea disappeared into the house’s cool interior before pulling the sliding glass door closed behind her.
It’s hard to believe that this series is done. Until the day I wrote “the end” on Wind Warrior, I was a committed science fiction writer. Suddenly I found myself writing a paranormal series, I was offered a publishing contract, and now the rest is both my writing history and future.
World Aflame began with a novella for a writing contest. I never expected that the 100-page story I wrote in just seven days would be so well received. It began as a story inspired by Avatar: the Last Airbender, but became so much more when Clean Teen Publishing wanted a series to continue the amazing adventures of Xander, Sammy, Sean, and Jessica. It’s been a wild ride involving elementals, dragons, magical powers, possession, loss, and love. And none of it would have been possible without some incredible support: you.
These books continued to sell because of readers like you; people who yearned for more story, more adventure, and more danger. I was told that Xander was too whiney (he was), that Sammy was badass (she was), and Abraxas was an awesome book boyfriend (what???). Personal emails to me became inspiration for the next book in the series. My beta readers loved Leftenant Wilkes enough that I couldn’t bring myself to kill him at the end of Water Shaper, like I had planned from the start. You turned my series into a choose-your-own-adventure book where, except the main characters actually survived to the end… and don’t lie, you always saved your place on a CYOA just in case you died on page 2.
I’ve come to love all my readers and fans. To this day, my heart races just a little when I get a message on my author page or an email in my inbox. I love hearing from you all and hope you continue following the stories I have to tell.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t thank two other groups: my publisher and my family. In most cases, they’re one and the same. Clean Teen Publishing took a chance on a relatively unknown author and have become like family over the past few years. We’ve been together from both of us being unknowns to now CTP being a publisher with amazing name recognition in the writing world. And as for me, the relatively unknown, I’ve just reached 100,000 ebook downloads!
As for my real family, my wife and son have been so incredibly supportive over the years, as I hide in my home office to write for hours on end. My wife has listened to me enthusiastically tell about plot twists in stories she hasn’t yet read, always smiling and nodding along, all the while adding the occasional, “Uh huh.” My son, at four years old, has mastered the surprised face whenever I tell him exciting news. It’s all a writer could ask.
The first story arc for World Aflame may be finished, but the world isn’t over. Someday, I look forward to sharing the teenage misadventures of Althea, as she learns what it means to harness elemental powers…
If you have enjoyed the World Aflame Series, we recommend you check out Jon Messenger's Magic and Machinery Series.
In a world of science, magic is an abomination.
Magic is an abomination. It spread from the Rift, a great chasm hundreds of miles long that nearly split the southern continent in two. The Rift was a portal, a gateway between their world of science and the mythological world of magic.
On the northern continent of Ocker, King Godwin declared that no magical monstrosity would be allowed within their borders. The Royal Inquisitors were formed to investigate reports of mystical occurrences and, should they be found, to destroy them.
Inquisitor Simon Whitlock knows his responsibilities all too well. Along with the apothecary, Luthor Strong, they’ve spent two years inquiring into such reports of magical abominations, though they’ve discovered far more charlatans than true magical creatures. When assigned to investigate Haversham and its reports of werewolves, Simon remains unconvinced that the rumors are true. What he discovers in the frozen little hamlet is that the werewolves are far more real than he believed; yet they’re hardly the most dangerous monster in the city.