I struggled writing this book. It closes so much of the story that started with Light’s Rise. While it provides new opportunities for some of our characters, others are left behind in a river of heartache. I have to be honest. I cried a lot during the last half of this story and almost stopped writing several times. But it needed to be told and our heroes needed to find balance.
Watcher’s Reckoning – Book 2 of The Watcher and the Sentinel Series.
After a harrowing battle
to save the world, humanity only wants peace. But demons don’t know the meaning
of peace.
Sara’s transition into the
Council of Light ensured their victory against Zar’Asur, but she still has a
lot to learn about the Council and their eternal enemies. She splits her time
between training for her new role as Sentinel and building a home for the
survivors suddenly flocking to her farm. Even her short exposure to the demonic
armies leaves her worried about their next move.
Sara isn’t the only one
forced to adjust to change. Darian finds himself struggling to let go of his
leadership over the scouts he’s recruited and trained over the centuries. But
his new commitment to the Watcher and Sentinel bond leaves him no choice, and
he must focus on changing his fighting style to compliment Sara’s, not hinder
it. Darian knows the demons will retaliate, and he and Sara will need every
advantage they can get to protect humanity again.
The Council of Light isn’t
prepared for the demons’ response: the emergence of the Overlords’ master.
Darian and Sara are pushed to the extreme as they try to contain the demon
master’s evil. This time, the price of victory is more than they can bear. Will
the Council sacrifice everything to save humanity, or will they refuse to give
up those they love?
Find out in the next
installment of The Watcher and the Sentinel.
This afternoon at 1:00 EST, I’ll be at the Morgantown, West Virginia, Barnes & Noble store for a book signing. I might be a little nervous, or a whole lot nervous, but I’m also grateful to store for letting me take up some space.
If you happen to be in the Morgantown area, stop by. I’d love to chat.
I didn’t plan my new release on World Book Day, but what a beautiful coincidence!
Sentinel’s Rise- Book 1
Get your copy of Sentinel’s Rise today while it’s on sale. If you’ve already bought it, please leave a review. Reviews are so important for both the author and the reader. Everyone really wants to know how much you enjoyed the book.
Thank you for hanging in there and following me through Darian’s story.
Watcher’s Reckoning – Book 2 of The Watcher and the Sentinel will release soon. I’m targeting the last week of May or first week of June. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, here’s a little snippet and the cover!
Watcher’s Reckoning- Book 2
It’s time, my dear.
Silana’s eyes popped open and looked around her small room. The sheer curtain at the end of the bed fluttered in the breeze, revealing the dark sky beyond. The moon’s light filtered into the room casting shadows across her quilt.
“Who’s there?” she whispered.
Zar’Asur has been punished, as I promised.
Silana’s heart raced. Was she ready for this commitment? She didn’t believe the voice in her head when it told her it would remove the demon that haunted her dreams.
“Darian and Sara killed Zar’Asur,” she mumbled. “Why would I believe you had anything to do with his punishment?”
Because he is mine to punish, not the Council’s.
She quivered with the power and anger in his thoughts and pulled her quilt up to her chin. Was this Zar’Asur’s master in her head? Had she a made a bargain with something more evil than the demon Overlord that kept her captive as a child?
You haven’t forgotten our agreement, have you, child?
“The Csökkent will merely summon him back,” she replied, trying and failing to keep her voice from shaking. “When they do, he will seek revenge against me.”
He cannot be summoned back to your realm. His failures and disobedience secured his fate.
Silana gripped the edge of the blanket, her panic quickly rising as she realized her mistake. She should’ve ignored the voice that pierced her mind months ago. He promised her everything and only asked for one thing in return. She swallowed the lump in her throat. His price was too high.
“I cannot betray the Council,” she said, her voice weak with fear. “They have been my family, my support, my mentors. They’ve been everything to me.”
But they abandoned you when you needed them most. Did I not show you the way to your sister? They knew what happened to her and where she was, but they didn’t tell you until they had no other options. And what was their response when you tried to help her?
The voice knew as well as she did. They locked her out of her home. They automatically assumed she betrayed them and took away her only security.
They don’t appreciate your skills, child. You could have helped in the fight against Zar’Asur, but they wouldn’t let you. You are all but a prisoner there. Help me and I will never abandon you.
She thought about his words. Ever since the Overlords summoned her sister, Silana was isolated from every part of the battle. She offered to help Raphael and he politely declined. She begged Mikel to allow her to join one of the teams searching for survivors, but he ignored her pleas. She helped Magdelin and Donielle at the hospital until their kind eyes told her she was only in the way. She was not a healer. She was Raphael’s apprentice and should’ve been helping him. Instead, she wandered Santuario alone, feeling useless and abandoned.
I will draw you to me, child. When you find me, we will begin our journey together.
“I will find you,” she whispered. “But I will not betray the Council’s secrets, regardless of their current treatment. I agreed to help release you if you removed Zar’Asur from my life. You’ve held your end of the bargain, so I will hold mine.”
A low chuckle echoed through her mind, making her shiver. Her fingers ached as she gripped her quilt even tighter and an unnaturally cold wind gusted through her window. Invisible fingers clawed the fabric, pulling it from her grasp. She yelped as icy shards pierced her chest, burrowing towards her heart. She clawed at the skin between her breasts, crying out with pain and fear. Violent tremors racked her body and her vision clouded as unconsciousness threatened to steal her away. The first shard reached her heart and darkness took her.
Somehow, Sentinel’s Rise is ready before the release date, April 23. I’m not sure how it happened; maybe all the stars lined up just right and I held my breath two seconds longer than I should have.
More likely, my editors and cover artists pushed me to keep going. I couldn’t have done it without them. The final version of Sentinel’s Rise is uploaded to Amazon, and hopefully the paperback version will be available by the weekend.
Now, onto more good stuff. As you can see, my girl Alex has already finished the cover for book 2, Watcher’s Reckoning. I love the way she captured the demon. Gives me chills. I hope to have this sequel out at the end of May or first week of June. Hannah gave me a ton of homework, which I’m working diligently to complete….maybe.
Those who know me probably doubt my diligence and are probably right…LOL I’ve been distracted by a tiny mage named AJ. More to come when I finish Watcher’s Reckoning.
Sentinel’s Rise is finally ready for pre-order. This is the story that started my journey with the Council of Light. I’m excited to tell it. I hope to have the paperback available in the next couple weeks and will definitely keep every one updated.
I’m also looking for ARC Readers. If you’re interested, use the “Contact” button to send me a message, or reach out to me on Facebook.
A woman who lost it all. The demon horde who took it. A brooding Watcher who must convince her to fight. Her choice decides humanity’s fate.
Sara, a homemaker and ex-Federal agent, watches in horror as civilization’s strongest and most capable governments fall to a series of rogue attacks. An unknown enemy has destroyed the world’s major cities using bombs laced with a devastating biological agent. The worst part? Her husband and daughter both die, upending Sara’s quiet life in rural Wyoming. Millions have lost their lives, leaving Sara with only two options: Fight the enemy soldiers that will surely come for the survivors or hide and hope they pass her by.
The Council of Light discovers the evil mastermind behind the attack on the world’s largest cities, and it isn’t human. Their timeless battle against the Overlords and their demonic army has finally reached a breaking point. Darian, the Council’s Watcher, must now convince his Sentinel to take her place among the warriors fated to defeat the demons, a destiny she knows nothing about.
Will Sara have the courage to accept her destiny and save humanity, or will the demons finally take over the world?
Embrace the latest harrowing fight that started with the Light in the Darkness Series. While reading the first series isn’t mandatory, it’s certainly recommended so you can meet the character’s and battle the Overlords with them from the beginning.
Okay, I have a small idea, but I’ve discovered in the last couple years that I’m easily distracted. Does that come from getting older? Possibly. I have way more stuff floating around my brain today than I did twenty years ago. Or is it because I’ve released my creative muse and allowed it to run wild? As a child and young adult, I kept it under a tight reign…for all the reasons that peer pressure dictated. Now I think I’m too old to care.
“Oh! Sunshine after three days of rain! I’ll be right back.”
OMG, here I am distracted by my own babbling. I always assumed I was pretty focused, able to stay on task, and get stuff accomplished. It’s worked out really well for me in my day job.
“Someone’s making coffee…mmmm. Be right back.”
So, I’ve finished the first draft of Sentinel’s Rise, the story of Darian’s Sentinel and the end of the world as we know it. Or better known as Seraphina, Part I. I love this story. Darian finally fills the gap in his fate and becomes the Watcher he was meant to be. Okay, maybe not. His Sentinel forces him to reevaluate everything, but together they become more than either believed they could.
My amazing artist has once again captured my characters as only she can. My cover for Sentinel’s Rise:
With a sense of satisfaction, I moved on to book 2. I was soaring through a chapter about Darian’s next fight with Seraphina (I mean a pack of demons), and found my mind wandering into a totally different story that had nothing to do with the Council of Light or demonic overlords. I looked down at what I just typed and said, “Where the hell did that come from?” So, rather than destroy Darian’s adventures with his Sentinel, I set it aside. A month later, I have a new set of characters, with new villains posing as allies and friends who behave more like enemies.
“Damn, I think the dogs are digging for gold. Be right back.”
My newest book is called Magister’s Bane. I had to look up that word Bane. I’ve heard it used in context so many times, but had no idea what it really meant. I chuckled at the appropriateness of my selection. AJ, my main character, quickly becomes a pain the Magister’s ass. And not just the Magister’s, but her supposed new friends, allies, and enemies. I can’t wait to send my cover ideas to Alex and see the masterpiece she gives me back.
So, now for the hard part. Back to Seraphina, Part II or follow AJ’s path down the road to vampire hunter? Decisions…. I’ll try not to do both at the same time.
One of my recent posts mentioned two different concepts for future books – continue following Darian’s life in the early 1830’s or moving forward to the present when he’s finally joined with his Sentinel. I’m unable to choose. Which means I’ll continue working on both.
With that said, my amazingly talented artist has created the cover for Darian’s next book, Sentinel Security. The manuscript itself is about 2/3 done, and I’m hoping for an early spring release date.
Enjoy a small taste of what’s to come!
Evil doesn’t wait for anyone, least of all for mankind to grieve and rebuild.
Darian digs in and devotes all his time to his new security company. Like everyone else he knows, he’s trying to bury the pain and guilt of his failures. At every turn, he sees the faces of the men he led into battle – including the ones he couldn’t protect.
An assassination attempt on his most important client pulls him even deeper into the past, threatening to undo everything he and the Council of Light achieved with their sacrifices. When Darian reveals the mastermind behind the attempted murder, it’s the springboard to uncovering more secrets. Betrayals rise to the surface like oozing sores, uncovering former allies as enemies and unwitting associates as key players in the fight against the demon Overlords.
Darian can’t walk away from everything he knows and has seen, no matter how much he wishes he could.
The Council has no choice but to lend its trust to the untrustworthy, because the alternative is unthinkable. This time, death isn’t promised. An eternity of pain and torture is the reward.
So, I was doing my weekly lawn-mowing yesterday afternoon and my mind wandered, as it normally does, through the Council of Light’s fantasy world. But…to my amazement it took a sharp left turn about an hour into my walk among the grasses.
An entire new world opened up along with all the possibilities that come with it. New characters, new villains, new magic, and possibly other fantasy races.
It was exciting and invigorating for me. I was astonished that my mind came up with something outside of my favorite bunch of characters. Time to write it down before I forget!
I’ve been quiet for the last few weeks, but mostly because I’ve also been really busy. I loved having a bit of closure on the Light in the Darkness Series. While it’s the end of that chapter of their lives, the Overlords will never be finished.
My dilemma – I’m at an impasse on where to go next. So, I’m reaching out to my fans. Read on to find out what I’m working on, then by-all-means provide me with your opinions! I have two new series in the works. Tell me which you would prefer to read.
Sentinel Security – Historical Fantasy
The first picks up right where we left Darian and the Council at the end of the Light in the Darkness Series, in the 1820’s. The Sentinel Security Series is about Darian’s new security company introduced in Light’s Fall. His severely reduced team of scouts is tasked with removing the demon-possessed hierarchy within the European governments, through his new partnership with Krieg, the Archduke of Austria’s security captain. They realize they cannot eradicate the necrolords, because doing so would destroy Europe’s stability. Kal’Gara was successful in integrating his demons into even the largest governments. If they continue down their path, they would finish Kal’Gara’s work for him.
They must come up with new a plan and reach out to a former enemy to avoid the very thing they sacrificed everything to prevent – the destruction of civilization.
I can’t think of a name for the second series, but it’s definitely Urban Fantasy-Post Apocalyptic
The second series, which is farther along than Sentinel Security, takes place in the present day. Darian is finally united with his Sentinel, but the price is high and one he was reluctant to pay. The three remaining Overlords enact a plan to once again dominate humanity, only this time they are successful. The Council blames themselves for not anticipating the attack, but the Overlords went to great lengths, and nearly two hundred years of planning, to ensure they were not discovered.
Now, the new Sentinel, Seraphina, is thrown into a fight against an army of demons in a war she knew nothing about. She’s forced to set aside the grief for her family and community to accept the role as a warrior against evil. The overwhelming expectations from Darian and the Council nearly break her, but she’s quickly emerged in the reasons why she must not fail.
Which one to publish first??
I’m about halfway done with the first book of the Sentinel Security Series, called The Assassin. I love where it’s going and am anxious to move forward with it. It’s still fantasy. (obviously! I can’t remove the Council’s magic now.) But it has a little bit of mystery feel as Darian’s team attempts to find out the identity of the would-be assassin to the Archduke. When they think they’ve figured out, Shar’Asur shows up, tossing all their theories out the window.
The second draft of book 1 in the Urban Fantasy series is complete. I’m still trying to decide on titles, both for the books and the series. But I’ve yet to think of something wonderful and/or unique. For the time being, it’s Seraphina Part 1 and Seraphina Part 2. Yes, rather than spending time thinking of titles, I moved on to book 2.
Putting Seraphina Part 1 onto to paper was quick and painless. I love the story and being able to finally connect Darian with his Sentinel was extremely satisfying. Part 2 has been a little more difficult. They’ve learned a lot about one another and not all of it is good. Their task is to find the surviving humans, provide a somewhat safe environment for them and attempt to restore some of the technology they once enjoyed. They quickly realize that all of those tasks are nearly impossible for their small group. Just when they think they find some semblance of a plan….You guessed it, an Overlord shows up. But not just any Overlord. For those of you who read Light’s Rise, remember the demon who was imprisoned in the book that almost possessed Darian? He’s back and cares nothing for the lives of the remaining humans. He’s also more powerful than any of the previous Overlords.
Sooo….which would you prefer to read first? Continue Darian’s story in the 1820’s or jump forward to the Urban – Post Apocalypse?
