Camp NaNo: A Surprising Sequel + Exciting Announcement!

  It's April already (and EASTER as well), and that means #CampNaNo2021 is here! I have never participated in camp before, but I'm really excited to this time around for a couple of reasons...

  First, that it's my first time, and after a pretty successful #NaNo month in November, I am raring to go. 

  And secondly, the WIP I am attempting to finish this month is incredibly exciting and near and dear to my heart. You may have guessed from the title of my post exactly what project I'm working on, but officially, I am announcing that a sequel to The Sorceress and the Squid is officially in the works!

  I've been sitting on this since last fall, with only a few people privy to the secret, and I have absolutely been DYING to share it with all of you! But yes, it's true, TSATS is getting a sequel, and today I'll be revealing the title, the working synopsis, and sharing how and why I decided to dive back into the world of Perth after almost 4 years away. Let's get into it!

THE SORCERESS AND THE SOLDIER

"Three years after the Wizard’s fall, Princess Rosalin - the eldest daughter of the former king Hubrik - is about to ascend Perth’s throne. Jalen, now Commander of the Tower Guard, and Estrella excitedly arrive at the palace for the ceremony. However, before the princess can be crowned queen, they are attacked and the princess kidnapped by a strange pair of mysterious magic users. With Rosalin’s life on the line and Perth’s future in the balance, Jalen and Estrella, along with their friends, set out to the Northern Mountains to rescue her. But when disturbing truths regarding both their pasts and the pasts of those around them are brought to light, it will take more than the raging magic within Jalen and the dwindling powers of Estrella to save the princess, and Perth itself."

  

  Above is the official title for this sequel project, chosen to reflect and pay homage to the first book while noting where the main characters of Estrella and Jalen are now (mainly, no longer in squid form, lol). I initially was going to go with something along the lines of 'The Soldier and...' so that it would reflect more as Jalen's book this time around, but this title came to me and I liked it right away - it just fit! I also have the working synopsis above, a story that just came to me in a flash, and that I'm super excited to finish and share with you guys in the future!

  Why I Decided to Write a Sequel...

  Despite the hugely positive feedback from the first book, I never had any plans or intention of writing a sequel in this universe. At the time, I felt Estrella and Jalen's story and major arcs had been accomplished, and that to delve further would be unnecessary and trivial. I honestly had no vision at the time of how the story would move beyond what I had already penned. I thought perhaps a prequel could happen, but it would eliminate the relationship between Estrella and Jalen, which is the central part of the story and the glue that holds it all together. So I simply discarded the idea of a sequel anytime it was brought up, turning my sights to my other projects, Faithless and beyond, while simultaneously pining after Perth and my favorite Sorceress and Soldier pair. 

  Fast forward to last fall, I think around October, and I was suddenly hit with this brain wave. The idea of Princess Rosalin's kidnapping came over me, which would throw Perth in jeopardy and cause Jalen and Estrella - both now prominent figures in the kingdom - to have to go on a new quest. I had the barest bones of a story forming, but there were still a few kinks to work out. Mainly, who were the kidnappers and antagonists? How did they fit into the bigger story? How could I grow Estrella and Jalen as individuals on another tenuous quest? And now that Estrella was a paraplegic, how would I get her through the mountain journey without resorting to magical 'outs' and while staying true to the struggle of someone in her position? For the answers to these questions, you'll of course have to read the book when it is eventually released, but suffice to say, they have been difficult!

  So, in short, even though a sequel was never really in the cards, I am so thankful that this idea jumped into my head, so well-formed and entirely on its own, and I now have an excuse to play with some of my favorite characters again! I hope that this excites you half as much as it does me, and that you'll keep your eyes peeled over the next year or so as I write, rewrite, edit, and publish. Who knows, if you're really keen there will probably be an opportunity to beta read and/or ARC read in the future too!

  Here are some hints of things to come in the book to get you pumped:

• Some new characters!
• This time around, it's not just Estrella and Jalen going on a quest, but many of their favorite friends/some of your favorite side characters as well
• Trolls
• Unspoken secrets that lead to trouble
• Estrella dealing with the loss of her limbs and her magic
• Jalen dealing with guilt for Estrella's suffering
• More of the princesses - and them being kinda epic
• New magic users??
• Major backstory reveals
• And MORE

  I have already started the book's first draft and am aiming to finish it for Camp NaNo. If you'd like to follow along with that, you can add me on the NaNo website, or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates through the month and beyond!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Bookaversary + Coming Soon

The Sorceress and the Squid Release Day + Blog Tour Kickoff

Meet My Cover Artists

LET'S TALK. 

  So! Are you as pumped as me for this sequel?? What are you most hoping to see in this book? Is there a character you really want to see get more page-time? And are you doing #campnanowrimo? I hope everyone had a great Easter, let's get each other pumped up for April in the comments below!