In the same vein as my excerpt last week, here's a snapshot of a flashback scene I wrote this week!

This is an unedited, rough draft scene from Shadow, rather than Sea, so it's telling Shera's story rather than Calder's. And since the screenshot didn't work out too well last time, I just copied and pasted the text this time.

Don't hate me too much for a lack of polish, and hit the jump for the preview!

Good morning, everyone! (It's morning here, at least.)

I keep working to finish Of Sea and Shadow as quickly as possible (are those sleigh bells I hear?), but it's difficult to share too much of that with you, lest I inadvertently tell you too much.

...but I'm going to keep sharing excerpts from the books starting Monday, because who cares about potential spoilers, am I right?

Until then, pictures! Now, I'm posting these from my phone, so let me know if there's anything weird about this post and I'll fix it ASAP.

First, the current title for Of Sea and Shadow, in the style it will appear on the book covers:

Cool, isn't it? There will be some colors and effects in the final version, but I thought the font itself was neat.

Next, a very early sketch of Calder (the protagonist of Of Sea and Shadow, not to be confused with Of Shadow and Sea):

That's not confusing at all, right?

Now, moving back to Traveler's Gate, here's a look at the cover for the upcoming, combined volume of the Chronicles short stories:

And finally, a piece of art I should have shared with you a while back. A few months ago, I received an email out of the blue from an artist who was inspired by the Traveler's Gate Trilogy.

So here it is, some fan art straight from the walls of Valinhall!

I've spent this whole week writing, so I wasn't sure what to say today. In the end, I decided to give you a glimpse at a page I wrote this week.

This is a flashback scene from the middle of Of Sea and Shadow, and it involves Calder meeting with his mother (Alsa), who is an influential member of the Blackwatch Guild.

I haven't edited this at all; it's a screenshot straight from the OSAS file, and this scene is in its first draft. It's also very small, because I'm lazy, so grab your reading glasses for your old lady eyes.

Then hit the jump!

I know none of you trust me, so it will come as no surprise when you hear that I've been lying to you for months.

You see, I've told you all that I'm working on a new novel entitled Of Sea and Shadow, the first in a new trilogy. That's not...entirely accurate.

I've been working on two new novels.

One, as I've said, is titled Of Sea and Shadow. The other? Of Shadow and Sea.

You may notice a resemblance.

I'm trying a new approach this time, one that I've never seen another author attempt: I'm writing two trilogies, set in the same world, in parallel. Each book will be roughly as long as The Crimson Vault, if that gives you some perspective, and will be released at the same time.

Of Sea and Shadow follows Calder, a member of the Navigator's Guild and captain of his own ship, as he carries a mysterious passenger to an Elder-haunted island in search of a mystical artifact.

Of Shadow and Sea follows Shera, an assassin in the employ of the Consultant's Guild, as she works to stop her target (a certain mysterious passenger) from finding the mystical artifact that would allow him to become the new Emperor.

I'm calling this structure "a parallel trilogy," because the books will come out two at a time until the series is complete.

I may change that terminology between now and the books' release, though. I change my mind a lot.

You can read whichever one of the two books appeals to you, or you can read both (for the most complete picture), but you don't have to. If you only like one character, just read that one. If you don't like Calder, try Shera. Or, if you find that the world intrigues you, read both!

For those of you who do choose to read both books, you'll find it's like reading one book that's double the length of a Traveler's Gate book. Meaning that, when the series is complete, it will be twice the number of words as the Traveler's Gate Trilogy. But it won't take twice as long to release, because I am as merciful as I am wise.

I know I'll get questions about this, so let me try to head them off now: Calder is working against Shera, and Shera is working against Calder. As a result, they do clash at several points in the book. So, in those scenes, you'll see the same fight from two different perspectives (which might change your view pretty drastically).

In the rest of the scenes...well, Shera knows some things that Calder doesn't. And Calder has some goals that Shera isn't aware of. If you're worried that the books will be too similar...well, I can't spoil anything. But stop worrying.

As usual, I can't guarantee a release date.

But I can tell you that Santa Claus really wants to read this book. And he doesn't come to town that often.

-Will