New Year, New Horizons
A new year means new horizons for the Universe of Brand J. Alexander. With the creations that I currently have planned, it is helpful to plot out my yearly course before diving in. I tend to get caught up in creating sometimes, and it helps to have a blueprint to keep me focused on a direct path.
I grudgingly admit that I may not always complete everything I lay out at the beginning of the year, especially when it blows up as 2020 did, but having a roadmap to return to when I lose my way is extremely helpful. Of course, I enjoy sharing my adventures in writing with my followers, so I am happy to share my year’s goals with you. Maybe you can help hold me to account for getting them done.
My primary goal for 2021 is to complete book 3 of the Tears of Hatsunae series, Tears of the Fallen. Even while I was completing stories from other series last year, I was dreaming of scenes from this one. Clearly, the tale is anxious to be told. I am about 3,500 words into it as of writing this email. Although, I will likely be much further along by the time this blog post releases. If you are curious where it stands now, I post regular progress updates through my Facebook page and Twitter, as well as monthly updates through my newsletter.
Next on my list, but nearly as important, is a series continuation that has been a long time coming. Guardians of the Tide #1, Moonrise’s Call, was one of the first books I ever published. I had previously finished writing Rise and Fall of Tears and was in the process of publishing those, but I chose to release a shorter story first to get myself used to the process.
Unfortunately, as I focused on publishing the first two installments of Tears of Hatsunae, the Guardians of the Tide series fell by the wayside. However, last year, I completed the second installment of the series, tentatively titled Call of the Rising Deep. And though I have not completed revisions yet, I have begun working with beta readers to help develop it for release. If you would be interested in joining that group of Beta readers to get an early peek at the next part of the series, you can contact me through any one of my social media accounts or use the contact me link on my website.
My 2021 goal for Guardians of the Tide #2 is for a summer release. The story originally developed from my summers spent at the local pool, so the season feels like an appropriate time to share it with the world. It is just one more goal for me this year and one more goal for my followers to hold me to. Stay tuned for news on progress and the upcoming release date.
I do not have any new stories planned for the Ravenfell Chronicles at this time. The Origins series is newly completed, and it will be a little while before I am ready to expand the tales of the Ravenfells to a new series. However, I do have plans to compile all the short stories and novellas into a single paperback collection for the 2021 Halloween season. If you enjoy delving into the darkness of the Ravenfells, you can begin looking for news on that release towards the end of Summer 2021.
My final goal for the year is not so much a set task as much as it is a process that I would like to set into motion and continue well beyond this year. My grand adventure of becoming an author has been a learning process for me. Every day I discover a little more to improve myself and the work required to share my stories with fans like you. Along the way, I have improvised through parts that I did not have the resources or knowledge to fully develop, but now that I know more, I would like to update some of those improvised features to what I originally intended.
The name Brandiverse was never intended as a permanent name for my universe. It began when I was a member of a close writer’s community. Explorers of the Brandiverse was a spur of the moment title created for my followers there early on. Since the fans that I made there were some of the first to sign up for my mailing list, the Brandiverse usage carried over. However, the branding of my universe and the worlds therein always had bigger plans for them.
So, for my final goal of 2021, I plan to begin clarifying my universe as I move away from the Brandiverse to my originally intended branding,
Tomes of the Empyrium,
Words of Captured Creation.
From the very first words of my first completed novel, Rise of Tears, the significance of the Empyrium in my story is at the forefront. The prologue of that first novel begins with it.
“Musings on Creation”
“By Loremaster Entonides of the Grand Empyrium”
My universe and all the worlds contained within begin with those words. And as the story contained within the Tears of Hatsunae series progresses, the meaning behind those first clues will unfold.
I am still brainstorming and designing artwork for the branding, and hopefully, as finances allow, I will have more to show. The Brandiverse Bestiary that I have shared in earlier newsletters will transition over to the Empyrium format as well as a few other pieces of lore. Granted, this will be a gradual change, but as I said earlier, this is more of a process that I am working towards than a set goal with a designated completion date.
If you are curious about the Empyrium and its importance in my universe, I would suggest exploring the world of Elerea through my Tears of Hatsunae series. Only the first vestiges of its importance are made clear so far through book 2, but there is much more to come.
Throughout all these goals and plans, my main hope is to begin the expansion of my community to create an interactive format for my fans to communicate and share their love for the universe of Brand J. Alexander. Any feedback from you is greatly appreciated as well as the amazing support you have shown to me already.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I truly hope you enjoy what I have to offer in the coming year.