Looking to the Future

Today's post is a fun one for me to share. It's all about the projects I still have coming this year. And the most fun part about it is that I already have artwork for all of them. So, if you're wondering what I've got up my sleeve for the second half of 2023, read on for a sneak peek and some pretty conceptuals.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a visual person. I love pretty things, the photos I take tend to be of beautiful landscapes and interesting aesthetic details, and I adore bold colors. So many of the story ideas that pop into my head come alongside a visual (and usually pieces of dialog - the character voices in my head can be insistent). And so, I frequently find myself testing out character designs, story settings, and key scene frames before I even know for sure where the narrative is going. My adventures with Daz 3D have been rather helpful (*ahem* enabling) in that regard, because I can play around with things before the details are 'finalized' (see my previous post about finality, though).

Enter the two images above. Born from a concept that's been absolutely haunting my dreams of late, they're from my next project. No, this wasn't going to be what I wrote next. But it is now. It doesn't have a title yet. But it'll be a short companion story in the Galactic Explorers universe, a prequel, of sorts. If you've read Asteria and Eltanin, then you know Ren and Ethan. You know how their relationship works (or doesn't). My brain refuses to let go of the idea of giving them a chance, though, so this will be that little indulgence. Post-graduation, pre-first mission, this angsty little nugget will be 18-year-old Ren and Ethan on vacation together in future Japan. If you've read the series, you know where these boys end up. This will be where they started. I can't wait to write it!

Ah, Noa and Skylar. My Nashira boys. They're getting their time in the spotlight very soon. I'll finish book three this week. And then it gets to sit and procreate typos while I work on something else. I'll show off the cover in a subsequent post. There are a few things I want to tweak with it. This one's slated for release in August, so stay tuned for more information.

Hehehe... *maniacal laugh* Meet the inspiration of book four - Uriberos Melandrach of Olm Caelora. I think I'm done messing with his character design. We'll see. Our galactic explorer for this adventure is Lieutenant Caspian Sheridan. Watch out, Caz... Uri is introduced as a side character in Nashira,​ so you'll know more about him soon.

Last, and definitely not least, the story of Ethan and Liam's Christmas vacation is ready for release in November. I want to tweak the cover a bit and I'm not entirely sure about the title, but the writing's done (probably). This companion story falls between Eltanin and Nashira in the series timeline. As with all things Ethan Ryker, it's brimming with emotion, sarcasm, and profanity. I love it as much as I love him. I can't wait to share it.

Laying things out like this, I can see just how much work I have ahead of me. But I'm looking forward to every single one of these projects. I'm going to have to start thinking about next year pretty soon. Good thing my imagination's not even close to out of ideas.

I hope everyone's enjoying what I've done so far and as always, I'd love to hear what people think. Thanks for reading!