I hope episode one hundred and twelve gave you adequate closure for this book.  I really enjoyed writing Merric Worldbreaker’s adventures as a pirate of sorts.  Now that he has recovered a crucial book needed on his quest, what is next for our intrepid adventurer.

In this season, not only did Merric grow in power, enabling him to raise the dead for the first time, but he also met a few more of those who he considers deities.  At least these are folks who he can draw power on.

I go out of my way to make the gods as close to human as I can.  If you’ve read from the beginning, you’ll know that nearly all the gods were wiped out when the first Merric started his revolution by killing the Emperor of the Bountiful Kingdom, and had his co-conspirators wipe out the Hallowed Fortress, where the major gods had their primary place of worship.

Of the gods that have risen since, or managed to somehow survive, most are new to the job and finding their own way as often as not.  I want them to have the same needs and wants, fears and foibles as the rest of the world’s population.

There is still much to discover for our hero.  What happened during his most recent two-year absence?  Where is Lilith and where is she raising a rebellion?  What about Wizards Tim and Rufus weasel gnome?  How are things playing out on the Forsaken Isle, the continent where Merric was born, and where he started this vital and sometimes meandering quest to save the known world?

I’ll be taking a hiatus from the Cleric Journal for a while.  I need to do the final edits on the new Sarah Beauhall book, find a cover artist, get the novel formatted appropriately, and eventually publish the book solo.  It’s a new step for me, and I have a bit of trepidation about the entire process.

Of course, many have gone before me, so I’m hoping I can pick the brains of a few of my friends in this endeavor.  I’m definitely thinking e-book and trade paper.  We’ll see how things shake out.

Then, when this is done, I must return to the epic science fiction thriller I’ve toyed with for several years.  It’s burning in my brain and I need to get back to it.  I’m 30k words into the draft, but need to do some additional outlining to keep things straight.  I may need to do some additional research on blood borne pathogens and disease vectors before I’m through.  That’s daunting, but I’ll muddle through somehow.

Finally, if you didn’t catch that from a few weeks back, I took what I consider the first book of the Cleric Journal and did a major edit pass on it, adding nearly 20k words.  I think it’s much stronger with all the requisite things that make it a novel.  I’ve kept the epistolary aspect of the book, but needed to have a clear plot line running through the book.

It’s been a busy year so far, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Thanks for following along.  I’ll announce when I start Cleric Journal book eight.  I need to think about the next phase of his adventure.  Where should I drag the boy this next time?  Let me know your thoughts, if you are so inclined.

All my best,

John