Info on Chained by Darkness

As promised, I am posting the details for Chained by Darkness, book 2.5 of the Sensor Series.  Please do not read this if you have not read Darkness Haunts and Darkness Taunts yet.  I don’t want the ending from book two spoiled for you.

First off, I realize there are very few UF series with female leads in first person where a male takes over for a book (or novella in this case).  This was not something I originally planned on doing until I was in the midst of writing Darkness Taunts and realized there was no way Lucas would recap much of what happens to him while he’s in purgatory.  If you’ve learned anything about him, you know he tends to keep his revelations short and to the point (when he gives information at all).  It would be extremely out of character for him to say much about what occurs off-screen from Melena.  This leaves me with giving him his own book as part of the progression of the series.  The events that take place do affect future books considerably.

Now on to what to expect.  Lucas is going to be a prisoner in purgatory, which is usually reserved for the dead, but the angels find it a good jail for nephilim (which are one of the few types of immortals who could survive there).  During his stay he will also be undergoing a trial that will be convened by a panel of archangels. His life will be at stake.  Despite that, expect some belligerence on his part.  He has no faith in the system and sees no reason to cooperate.

Other questions that may be running through your mind:

Will Melena appear in this novella?

The short answer is yes.

When does Chained by Darkness start on the Sensor Series timeline?

Approximately six weeks after the end of Darkness Taunts (after the epilogue).  It might also be good for you to know Darkness Divides (book 3) will take place well after Chained by Darkness ends.  There is no overlap of books.

How long will the novella be?

My estimates as of right now are 40-50k words.  It’ll really be closer to short novel length.

What is the POV?

Third person limited (only Lucas will narrate).

Can this novella be skipped?

I’d say it is a bad idea to skip it because, once again, much of what happens in it will never get recapped.  Having said that, the most important details (such as the outcome of the trial) will come out over the course of Darkness Divides in bits and pieces, but not nearly in the detail you’d get from this book.  Skip it only if you really don’t want to read from Lucas’ POV and don’t mind going into the next book missing some information.  Plus parts of his history/background are revealed in this installment.

When will Chained by Darkness Release?

At the end of October at the latest.  As I get further into writing it, I’ll have a better idea.

Who will be on the cover?

Lucas will be on the cover by himself.  I have already coordinated with a professional photographer in Boston who specializes in fantasy work (she’s done some of Samantha Young’s covers as an example).  She will be holding a casting call in August so that we can select the right male model.  We will look for the one who most closely resembles how I see Lucas in my head.

The actual photo shoot will take place shortly after that.  Once we’ve picked the right photo (no, I’m not revealing what pose I have chosen for him, you’ll have to wait and see) it will be handed off to the same cover designer who has done the previous covers in the Sensor Series.  She’ll do her magical thing that makes them look great.  Then it goes off to the typographer (yes, I have a chain of people for this stuff).  If all goes well, I’ll do a cover reveal sometime in mid-September along with an official blurb.

This will not be cheap for me, but I really want exclusive photos that fit Lucas’ appearance in the pose I think will look the best for the book and its content.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy the picture I’m seeing in my head once it’s come to life!

What will be the retail eBook price for Chained by Darkness?

Despite the costs, it’s still a shorter book than the previous ones so I’ll be setting the price at $1.99.

Will there be a paperback version?

After the eBook release, I’ll work to get both Darkness Taunts and Chained by Darkness formatted for paperback versions so those who’d be interested in picking them up may do so.  I will probably do a giveaway of some sort for them as well.  Obviously print versions cost more than eBook versions, but I won’t know how much they will be until they are ready.

**********************

I hope this answers everyone’s questions well enough.  There isn’t much more I can say without going into spoilers, but you are free to ask questions.  If I feel I can answer them, I will, or at least tell you I can’t.

9 thoughts on “Info on Chained by Darkness

  1. Ashley T.

    Thanks for sharing! I’m really excited to read some information from Lucas’ POV. I have been wanting to learn more about why he is the way he is and so on. Raally enjoyed Darkness Taunts!

    Reply
    1. Susan Illene Post author

      He’s been in my head every night when I try to sleep, irritating me with his thoughts as I play scenes through my mind. It’ll be a relief to get them all out!

      Reply
  2. Tracy Iannelli

    I can hardly wait for more! I loved both books so much! Told my daughter about them and now she is hooked too. Awesome job.

    Reply
  3. Jamie Crain

    I’m excited. I really enjoyed your first two books but wished I hadn’t stumbled on them yet because now I have to wait for more. I first person writing but I do love seeing those characters from the other lead’s POV. Can’t wait to read it.

    Reply
    1. Susan Illene Post author

      I know it’s a tough wait, Jamie, but if it’s any consolation I just got the proofs back from the photo shoot for Lucas. He is going to look very good on the cover for Chained by Darkness. I should be able to reveal it in a few weeks! Of course, the book itself will be a little while longer, but I’m working as hard as I can to get it ready.

      Reply
      1. Jamie Crain

        Excited to see that. I figure since I read the first two books in three days, I should reread them to see what I might have missed. Sometimes when I read a book again, I find subtleties that I missed because I was reading too fast. Keep up the good work!

        Reply

Leave a Reply to Susan IlleneCancel reply