That's a tagline I've recently come up with to concisely explain my new First Empire series to existing Riyria readers. For those who have read those books, I "might" have been "less than truthful" about certain events in Elan's past. Specifically, the legend of Novron/Nyphron and how he saved mankind from extinction and formed the First Empire.
While there is no Royce, Hadrian, Arista, or Esrahaddon, there will be some familiar names including Nyphron, his beloved Persephone, and Mawyndulë. Don't remember these people, or how they fit into Elan's past? No worries, you'll figure it out as reading, and besides, this series is designed to be read by those who haven't read any of the prior Riyria books. That being said, I do like to reward loyal readers, so for those who HAVE read Revelations, you'll get the added benefit of seeing the events in a whole new light. After all, they say, "History is written by the victorious," and I think that is very true. Exposing the truths that only I know about is part of what has made writing these books so enjoyable for me.
As to how the project is going...it's doing quite well. I'm about a month ahead of schedule with regards to finishing the last book. The first book has had two solid beta reads, and the additional changes to it are minor. Robin has a nicely prioritized list, so that should go quickly. And she is going to New York to meet with some of the people at Del Rey to discuss "business."
I can't begin to express how helpful that last part is to me. Just "thinking" about the business side of writing saps me of all creativity and puts me on edge. Not being involved makes me blissfully oblivious and keeps the words flowing, which is good for everyone involved.
On other fronts, I've been using my "afternoon downtime" to work on the plot for the third Riyria Chronicle. It's starting to take shape, and I'm looking forward to diving into it. Given who long I've been in Elan's distant past, it will be nice seeing old friends again.
