The Faded Embers story

When I was doing the final revisions of Unbroken Fire, I knew Avery’s story wasn’t quite over. Readers had asked over and over for more on her brother Quen, so at the same time I was working on Shattered Honor, I wrote what I jokingly called The Quen Book.

It did not, in fact, turn out to be about Quen.

By May of 2018, the first draft was done, and I went straight into revisions, as I always do. But something was wrong. While I loved where the story had ultimately gone, I could tell, deep in my soul, that readers were going to have an issue with the ending. So I set it aside, finished the first draft of Shattered Honor, and went straight into those revisions. I didn’t want to touch what eventually became Faded Embers ever again.

Basically, the book scared the hell out of me.

But why? It didn’t make any sense. I’d already written some pretty dark stuff in Unbroken Fire and Shattered Honor, and Asrian Skies had already been through the wringer, review-wise. It didn’t make any sense—until I mentioned to my fears to another space opera writer at Realm Makers 2018. And I haven’t forgotten what she said.

You know where that fear comes from—and that’s why you have to finish writing it.

She was right. I knew exactly where the fear came from. I’d always known. See, Faded Embers is absolutely filled with undeserved forgiveness and mercy—things we don’t want to see these days. Americans claim to want “justice”, but what they really want is revenge. We see it in the comments on every news article, on social media. And suddenly, praying for our enemies once a week on Sunday morning seemed like nothing more than a simplistic answer to the problems we’re facing.

I thought about this for an entire year, while I finished Shattered Honor, while I wrote a book in an entirely different series, while I struggled to get any beta feedback on Faded Embers (odd how a series which has gotten good feedback previously can suddenly not get any, right?). I googled “why forgiveness isn’t necessary”, and the (secular) answers were so incredibly contrary to what I’ve always been taught that I felt sick. I prayed. I ignored the problems.

Then I went to Realm Makers 2019. Nothing specific happened to change my mind, though that may be the post-conference forgetfulness talking. But every time someone mentioned writing about the God you know, every time we were reminded that the world isn’t always going to like what we have to say, every time I wondered if my writing really glorified God . . . I thought of Faded Embers.

Suddenly, it made sense. Of course it scares me. Of course I can’t get beta feedback. Of course the ones who’ve read it hate it. Of course I don’t want to publish the book that used to be my favorite. Because leaving it on my hard drive forever is exactly what the enemy wants.

Am I rambling? Yes. But all this rambling is to say—Faded Embers is coming. I don’t have a timeline yet. Probably sometimes next summer, because I’m the slowest indie author on Earth, and there are some plot adjustments I want to make.

But it’s coming.

And love it or hate it, it’s full of truth.