I’ve written before about how long Tide Song, book 4 in the Harmony Ends series, is to help frame my growth as a rewriter. But, book 4 is much more than my biggest project so far (side note: Moong Song might surpass it. Not as of this writing, but it might).
Tide Song is the real beginning of the end. As the penultimate book, I can finally serve up a major plot line that I’ve been brewing in the background for years. I am exhilarated about it. So much so that I won’t even give my closest family and friends any hints so they can enjoy the surprise to the fullest. Eagle-eyed readers might have an inkling of what’s to come… but probably not who!
Without giving away spoilers, this big plot line also let me tap into the urban fantasy genre more than ever before. My series is without a doubt shifter UF, because of the setting, characters, and magic. However, a legitimate criticism of my books is that the plots aren’t the typical fast-paced action hero stories many readers know and love.
Set in DC, each book touches on politics, with the theme growing bigger and bigger throughout the series. This pattern often leads to layered conversations and frequent character conflict. As one reviewer said, “It’s too much talking for me.”
Yeah. I have to agree there is a lot more talking than there is punching.
That remains true for Tide Song, but this time around, I think readers will find those conversations and character conflicts lead to truly epic conclusions that my readers have been waiting on for three books now.
Another super cool part about this book is how much I’ve enjoyed bringing “all” the characters together. It is the penultimate book, after all. Might as well have some fun along with the drama!
Newsletter subscribers have already seen a sneak peek of the returning characters. Again, I won’t give spoilers away here, but a general joy of being an author is when I get to have those “full-circle” moments with my cast. Talk about nostalgia.
And lastly, Tide Song holds a special place in my heart because some of the very first scenes I ever imagined about Lucky actually happen in this book. Those crystal clear moments, where I saw her in all her two-skinned glory for the first time, were just snapshots of the character she is now, but those images were the seeds of the story I get to put in your hands this year.
I have poured my heart into giving these inspirational scenes I envisioned years ago the best writing I possibly could. Are they perfect? Nope. They never will be.
But they are passionate, and precious, and I’m exhilarated to to share them with you on December 1rst.