Book 2 update 4/22/25

I'm getting closer. I have a total of 44 "scenes" in the story so far, with a couple more to be added. I've just worked through scene 20. Once I get past the the 30th scene, it should go faster as that is the last one I gave one of my proofreaders. Not to give away spoilers, but I got some excited and deep scenes in book 2! One scene in particular I have been very careful with, as the lesson I hope to convey with it is what I believe to be the most important in my entire series. I definitely won't make my goal for the end of this month, but I should finish by the end of next. Hopefully it'll only be 2-3 months after that when I can start to buckle down on getting it ready to publish. I have some work to do beyond just writing, though. I have to work with my brother to get the cover designed, plus I am going to put a map in the book! Actually, I was planning to put a map in book one, but kind of forgot to do so...

Anyway, here is another short excerpt from book 2. I hope you enjoy!

Robert followed Peyton up the spiral staircase. Upon reaching the top, Robert’s breath was nearly taken away. To the west the sky shone in a brilliance of purples and blues. The hills rolled far beyond his sight, and he could see the beacons from the four other villages.

“This is amazing!” breathed Robert.

“Isn’t it? Many nights I’ll come up here and just sit until the sun disappears. I’ve been longing to bring Sylia, but have yet to get the chance.”

“Oh, she’ll love this,” assured Robert.

He turned his gaze northwest, where he knew the hills smoothed out into plains, and beyond that the cliffs that bordered the northern coast. He stretched out his hand and pointed.

“Somewhere out there is a breach in the northern cliffs. And there lies whatever is left of the Fire City.”

“Ah, yes the Fire City,” repeated Peyton. “Sylia told me you were obsessed with it.”

“Obsessed? I’m not obsessed,” Robert denied. “Well, maybe a little.”

“But why? Why does it capture your attention so much?”

Robert shrugged. “I don’t know, but it does. The history behind it enthralls me. It was part of a massive civilization, an empire. The people were extremely intelligent, and achieved feats that we would never think possible. The Fire City supposedly knew how to make diamonds using the volcanic fire geysers. Their weapons were far superior to ours. If we could find this city and learn what happened to it, we might relearn how they did all these things. It would benefit everyone on the continent.”

“Very interesting,” Peyton said. “So do you plan to search for it once your arms are healed?”

“I don’t know,” said Robert quietly. “I’d like to, but Samuel cautioned me to make sure this was God’s calling for my life before I went ahead. I’ve prayed about it, and just don’t know. Maybe I will.”

“Well, if you want my opinion, I hope you stay,” said Peyton with a smile.

Robert smiled back but said nothing. The decision weighed heavily on him, and he wasn’t sure what to do. One step at a time, Robert. Focus on healing first.

“Better head back down,” said Peyton. “I don’t want to keep your sister waiting too long.”

Robert nodded, but as he turned towards the stairs, he stopped. He was now facing east, and could barely see the Snalk River through the dimming light. Beyond that lay the Mossglade Forest. Somewhere out there stood Eastcliffe Castle. If the weather was warm, Lyda would most likely be taking a walk around the battlements, maybe with William or Melinda.

A pang of regret shot through Robert’s heart as he realized he had missed Lyda’s seventeenth birthday. How he wished he could have been there. Suddenly, he felt like his heart was being ripped apart. One part longed to go find the Fire City, another yearned to be back in Byrinth with Lyda and William, and yet another was content in the Western Villages, happy to be back with his family and his new friends he had made here.