Of Weddings and Forevers

Hey! I'm still here! I know it's been... okay, it's been a while. This year has been super busy. But I've reemerged from the void for my next new book announcement, so maybe I can get a pass on the radio silence thing? I've brought my favorite couple of lovebirds along with me, so... Shall we find out what we've all been up to? Come along, my friends.

Ethan and Liam are back! Yay! So, here's the thing... Anyone who creates should understand how it is with the process. Sometimes, everything goes exactly how you've planned and you're able to produce something you're proud of and which satisfies the nagging voices in your head. And other times... Well, let's just say the voices won this battle for me.

As I mentioned in my last post, I originally had a different plan for the last book of the Galactic Explorers series. But as it became time to outline and figure out the story, the voices speaking to me the loudest were Ethan and Liam. They wanted their fairytale wedding and for me to tie up all their loose ends. And... that's fair. I've said before that I'm here to tell my characters' stories, and we all know by now how stubborn Ethan Ryker can be.

Just dropping this image here. The paperback cover turned out so pretty! I'm really happy with it.

Those familiar with my naming conventions might have already guessed that the book title comes from the name of the ship featured in it. Yes, Ethan finally got to pilot the new cruiser he always wanted to fly. The poor boy has paid his dues; he should get to enjoy the benefits a little.

This book features a couple of new characters joining the boys on their adventure. Meet Zoey and her partner Jamie Rutledge. Zoey is a newer model metahuman, who's assigned to Jamie as his medical assistant. They haven't been partners for too long yet, so they're still working things out, but they've got the best example of symbiotic collaboration in their new friends Ethan and Liam, so they'll be okay.

It's only fitting to bring all the main series characters back together in the last book, and what better reason to give them than a huge celebration? I promise that telling you about Ethan and Liam's wedding isn't a spoiler. It's mentioned right at the beginning of the book, and really... the wedding is the reason why this story was written. It refused to leave my brain, haunting me until I got all the words out. When I tell you that my characters demand certain things... This was one of them.

Yeah, Skylar cut his hair. Cute, huh? While I didn't have the opportunity to wrap up every single open end, I did try to give each of my main characters a suitable outlet for closure. Honestly, though, I was already satisfied with how their stories ended, which is why only Ethan and Liam got more page time. They were the only ones who I felt still had more to say. Noa and Skylar? Yeah, they're good.

Gah! Caz and Uri are too adorable! And yes, Uri is tall. Especially when he's wearing heels. I love these two so much. I admit that I've gone back to read their story a few times now (beyond the necessary editing passes) and I'm really happy with how everything turned out. Another satisfying ending here.

For the last of the wedding photos, I give you Jamie and Zoey once more. Super cute.

Those who have read the whole series may notice that not all of my main characters are represented here. I'm sure you'll understand why. I allow my characters to make the choices they want to make, and certain consequences just aren't feasible to override.

So, that's the final volume of Galactic Explorers. All vendor links are live on the book page, and the paperback is even ready to order. I really hope everyone enjoys it.

I will say that the Rykers' story isn't quite over yet. Just like this book wouldn't leave me alone, there's an epilogue bouncing around in my head right now. The rest of this year will be dedicated to that, with publication hopefully around the new year. We'll see how it goes.

For 2027, I'll finish the Vulpine Tales series. Ideas are already percolating there too. Beyond that, I'm not sure. I always have something brewing in my imagination. I've got some concepts I'm playing around with.

That's the plan as it stands at the moment. We'll have to see how well my characters permit me to stick to it. Maybe someday they'll allow me to be the boss... Oh, who am I kidding? No, they won't.

​Thanks so much for reading!