Ryder's Author Newsletter
Reading "February 2024" atop this newsletter feels surreal.
I can remember a time when the year 2024 seemed like the farthest flung of futures, conjuring images of flying cars and hoverboards, holographic billboards glowing amid the skyways, and perhaps a megalithic corporation or two ruling with a dytopian iron fist.
Think Back to the Future Part II meets Blade Runner.
The tangential point is simply this: Time moves fast, slipping right into the future like the lyrics of a certain Steve Miller Band cover on my overplayed Space Jam soundtrack, circa 1996.
For me this past year was no exception in terms of said 'time slippage'.
We welcomed a new baby boy to our family and began the dangerous dance of 3 v. 2 parenting. Some days it feels like a true battle royale, with neither my wife nor I wanting volunteer as tribute.
All the while though, I've been writing.
While it's rarely felt as though I'm gaining as much ground as I'd like in this war of art, I have stayed in the trenches.
There's nothing quite like the battle rush of advancing to see what you imagined come to life on the page word by hard fought word.
There's also nothing quite like the dirge that seems to play in surround sound when stuckness sets in, dampening all joy when reading back over those hard won words, in all their unpolished and sometimes downright incoherent glory. Often, more gory than glory.
I'm proud to say I've entered 2024 as the author of two novels (my 'practice books' or trunk novels) written over the course of two years. Now I'm in the midst of my third, a book that will be the first I seek to publish, a fantasy western and the first foray into the world of Te'ralm and my greater 'Remnant Divine' saga.
All of this leads me to share some exciting updates with you all for my author site and what's to come.
February 2024
Current Projects
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'A Draw Of Dust And Blood' is my primary work in progress. It's been a dream project of mine for some time, marrying everything I love about westerns with the fantasy universe I've been crafting piece by piece for the past three years, I can't wait to share it with you all as a first step into the world of Te'ralm.
You can see progress bars for all my current WIPs and a brief synopsis of each of them right here, or by clicking the image above. (The ancient mesas, also known as Titantooth Rise)
But until these books are ready for launch, I've begun curating an entryway into the worlds I've built to whet your appetite...
Welcome To The Loristal
The Loristal is my 'in-story' archive within the world of Te'ralm, overseen by the Kethari Order, Caretakers and Stewards of humankind since the destruction of the Divine.
Here within it's hallowed walls, the warrior lorists of the Sisterhood Kethari have gathered all manner of wisdom, stories, knowledge and experiences, chronicled and archived by the diligent Kethari Brethren. Each scroll, each tome, each seeing stone pulsates with the lifeblood of Te'ralm and those who have lived—triumphs and tragedies, dreams and despairs.
Answers and mysteries dwell in the sundered past and the shadowed days of the present, safeguarded by the Order within The Loristal's endless archives.
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As a paid subscriber to the Loristal, you'll receive a weekly drop of one of the following, archived for future reading in 'The Loristal' page on my site starting March 2024:
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Enthralling Short Stories and Flash Fiction: Delve into the heart of Te'ralm with tales that breathe life into its vast landscapes and remnant realms.
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Legends, Songs, and Sacred Texts: Exploits of warriors, rulers and the fated few as recorded by bards and philosophers through the ages. Excerpts from the sacred texts of the Holy Chronicles, and The Wills of Kethar.
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Preludes to Upcoming Novels: Receive exclusive early glimpses into narratives within the 'Remnant Divine' connected universe.
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Articles from 'Codex Enexian': Explore detailed accounts of Te'ralm's histories, its creatures, the lay of the land, and the secrets it holds.
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In addition, you'll be the first to receive updates and access to other exclusive content where I delve into my writing process, and even offer up future opportunities (Q&A as well as collaborative brain storming and world-building!)
Click the button below and subscribe today for a special discount. Use coupon code KETHARI24 for 25% off your first six months as an early adopter, (code good through February) or subscribe annually for an even deeper discount!
I'm honored to have you on this journey with me.
Here's to the path ahead, the words to be written and stories to be read!
-Ryder