Ever wish you could go back in time and relive a magic moment in a book you love without re-reading the entire book to get to a special part?
That is what is happening with WHITSUNTIDE and my new line of forthcoming novellas.
If you loved the melee in Germany on Whitsuntide when Pero de Alava and Francis Whitehall first meet, now you can read it over and over again in this novella.
The story, of course, starts in Francis Whitehall’s tent where he’s arguing with his wife, Midonia. They have a months-old infant, and Midonia is fed up with Francis and living on the road in a tent (pavilion). She’s fed up with marriage and with being a mother.
Midonia demands that Francis recant his oath to the Wolfe and find a new more prosperous lord to serve.
Francis, however, is committed heart and soul to the Wolfe. He refuses to recant. He knows this loyalty seems foolish to everyone else, but Francis’ faith demands he endure this trial until the Good Lord in heaven sees fit to fix things.
Francis refused to leave. For him, his oath extended beyond mere words. They had spiritual roots that others did not comprehend.
Why am I doing this?
Here’s why.
I am currently working on a YA omnibus version of all five books in The Crystal Crux Series.
This will be one big fat book with the entire story presented in a not-so-adult format.
In order to do this, I am going to have to remove many scenes I love from the original books, chiefly flashbacks. I will be removing a lot of the background stories of minor characters as well. There will be a lot less Sinibaldus and Viridian in the YA format.
This doesn’t mean I won’t bring up these characters and their pasts. It just means I won’t go into any depth like I did with the adult novels. The sexuality, extreme violence and other deviant acts inappropriate for a YA novel will be gone.
For readers of the adult books, some might say, ‘Hey, that’s not what happened.’
But then you remember that you are reading this YA version to your kids, and you’re ok with that other stuff not being there.
I’m starting with WHITSUNTIDE because this is one of my personal favorite flashbacks, and it is the first flashback I wrote for Betrayal, way before I wrote the assassination scene at the beginning, which will become a novella as well.
With the YA version, I will try to stay true to the ten-day events of 1198.
I’m still debating but I don’t think I’m going to include the secret meeting in the cella that first morning either. I don’t think all that information will be necessary for a YA book.
The YA omnibus will probably begin with Pero and Anthea on their walk to La Torre.
When does this new novella come out?
The Kindle and Paperback will be officially released – November 18, 2026.
This is the I released the 5th book in The Crystal Crux Series: Beautiful, three years ago.
It’s hard to believe that I released the conclusion three years ago. Time does fly.
Another reason for doing this is, I hope WHITSUNTIDE and the other novellas in The Crystal Crux Series can serve as a springboard or introduction into my writing style and storytelling for readers who have not yet discovered my books. Another way to get noticed.
Novellas are short stories and I am finding that people are generally more open to reading a short story by an author they’ve never heard of or read before especially if the author is self-published author.
We get a bad rap because there is a lot of garbage being produced by bad writers. I know. I’ve read plenty of bad stories myself. There is also a swamp of AI generated garbage flooding the market. It makes it difficult for authors who actually write to get noticed.
I use no AI, not even prompts, to write my books. And I won’t use AI for book covers or short video trailers. You have no idea how many emails and messages I get from people who say they love my books and want to create a trailer for me.
1. It all costs money.
2. They haven’t read my books. They are going on what little they can glean from what is knowable.
3. They are going to use AI to create the trailers and artwork.
NO THANKS.
AI is theft.
Publishing houses, on the other hand, want authors to already have a large audience before even glancing at your work, that is, unless they are a vanity press and vanity presses want you to pay a small fortune up front.
Sorry, but I don’t have that kind of money.
I’m just hoping these novellas, as well as novellas in the Shades of Myth series, will fall into the right hands and serve to whet some appetites for more.
Time will tell.
I started this journey eight years ago and I am more than happy with what I’ve accomplished.
I think the first rule of writing should be, like what you’ve written. I’m not pandering to an audience. I want to be proud of what I wrote. If others like it and want to come along for the journey, so be it – the more the merrier.
I’m definitely not getting rich from this.
Usually, I have some nice sales numbers when a book initially releases but for most of the year, I’m getting under five bucks a month from online services. I make more selling book in person when I can find book fairs to sell at.
Presale for the Kindle edition of WHITSUNTIDE has already begun.
Remember, if you have Kindle + as it is now called (KindleUnlimited), you can download any and all of my books for free.
It won’t you a thing.
They are all enrolled in Kindle +.
If you purchase WHITSUNTIDE on presale, the Kindle book will automatically download on your reading device on November 18th, right in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend in the States. Plenty of time to read a short novella while you are full of food.
And if you don’t want to wait for WHITSUNTIDE, you can always just download the adult version of Betrayal and begin the adventure.
WHITSUNTIDE begins with
Chapter 16 – Sir Chivalry in Betrayal.
That’s all I got for now.
I’ll let everyone know about any changes and other exciting news as soon as it comes up.
Until next time, stay inspired and keep reading!
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