Did you see the new addition off to the right?

Yes, I finished another project. I’ll say the genre is Dark Urban Fantasy with touches of metaphysical and horror, but the latter two are there as an indication, not a notice of classic witchcraft or slasher horror. The story is scary, it goes places Dante might not want to step into, and it’s a hard journey.

But it’s only the first step in this book series.

This year, there have been a few stories published, mostly short stories. It was a strategy. The novels, although not long, didn’t seem to grab enough of the readers by the throat, so I went into writing short stories to learn how to make the most of precise sensations with fewer words.

Like a poet does, in a way. A few words to make a bigger picture.

And in January, a short was published (Stories of Hope). Then later came the Outback Horrors story (Itchy). Very soon, coming this way via the Aussie Speculative Fiction series (Libra), I’ll have another short story (yes, it is short! The word limit was 15,000 and I came in at 14,995 words. That’s a short).

And on 23 October, a week before Halloween (which has no relevance except for the fear factor), the new novella will be released.

The Call to Magic: Novitiate, the first in a series of urban fantasy from Australia.

Blurb:

Awaken, spirit of Maiden, soul of purity, heart of empath. Come forth, seek your true purpose.
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Aventi sends out the call for a new Maiden. If she doesn’t get a replacement, magic will leave her. If that happens, she can’t heal, and her soul remains blemished forever.
Awaken, spirit of Maiden, vessel of a pure soul and bearer of an empath’s heart.
Please, she begs, feel your truth.
But when the novitiates arrive without a guide, Aventi must choose — risk death to escort them through the same ordeal that still haunts her worst nightmares, or hide from the responsibility and close the circle?
Can she survive another journey through that hell to seek the path to redemption?
Magic calls — are you the vessel it seeks?
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A dark urban fantasy with metaphysical and horror elements, set in Melbourne, Australia.

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Which means three stories published in the surrounding few weeks of this moment. And generally, the beta-readers and critiquers have good things to say, so now I can get the rest of the series written …

Oh, but there’s Nano next month so maybe I can get two first drafts of this series ready for editing …

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Number two of the series is Maiden, and follows one of the characters in the Novitiate story. As you will see, they each have a path to walk and it won’t be easy, it won’t be fun, but it will show them a world beyond the known …