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Fall 2005 Progress Report

September 22, 2005

After a long and busy summer dedicated primarily to the promotion of his first novel, Eldon is finally getting back to work. Although his manuscript for Book 2 is still awaiting publisher approval, efforts have finally begun in earnest on Book 3. The outline is finished, and the first chapter all but written. He anticipates that the first draft of the manuscript will be completed before the end of next year.

For those looking for a hint of what is to come, Eldon had the following to say:

"I'm very anxious to see how the second book goes over with readers. As with any epic fantasy, Book One was merely the tip of the iceberg. Book Two is where the story really kicks off. That's not to say I was dissatisfied with Book One. All in all, I feel it succeeded in setting up the world and introducing the principal characters in what I hope was an engaging fashion—and establishing a little bit of misdirection along the way. As a result, you can expect a number of surprises in the second volume of this trilogy. There may have been some story elements that felt not quite right in Book One. In Book Two, we'll find out why, and what the ramifications are. We'll meet a host of new characters and revisit plenty of familiar ones, including one or two that some readers might have feared had escaped my attention. Not so. It's just that there are a lot of balls to juggle in a story such as this. Bear with me, and I promise that the majority of questions will be resolved.

In terms of the actual storyline, Book Two will take us on a journey in the tradition of Homer's The Odyssey, where we will visit new lands and those who populate them. There are several big action sequences, but there is also a lot more in terms of scheming and machinations of those seeking power. Hopefully, readers will be kept guessing as to who are the real heroes—and real villains—until the very end. Also, while it remains the second volume of a trilogy, I've worked hard to make certain that it has a distinct beginning and definite conclusion, and hope that it proves satisfying as a story unto itself, with or without the books on either end.

For Book Three, I'm hoping to reward those who stick around with a twist that will help to turn the series on its head and do away with a few of the preconceived notions readers of fantasy might have. I won't say much more than that for fear of folks guessing what that twist might be, or of spoiling any potential impact. You can expect loads of action in this volume, and a greater use of magic and powers previously thought lost to this world. I'm as curious as anyone as to whether I'll be able to pull it off in a believable and satisfying fashion. Only time—and each individual reader—will tell."

In the meantime, Eldon wanted to be sure and thank all of those who have shown such great enthusiasm so early on in this series. It takes time for any writer's work to find its readership, but if early responses are any indication, Eldon has a future both humbling and exciting to look forward to. To those who have shown support and encouragement from the very beginning, Eldon extends his deepest gratitude.

As a final note, there has been some preliminary interest from the powers that be in terms of adapting Eldon's work into other media. Such interest doesn't mean we'll see these projects any time soon. But it's enough to suggest that the possibility exists. One never knows what might be waiting just around the corner.

 


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