Interested in Beta Reading? Don’t Be Shy!

Howdy, Fellow Creatures!

 

I hope this message from Elsewhere finds you splendid. Casco and I are just starting in the throes of the springtime heat now that all the rain and dreariness seem to have subsided here in New England.

 

I think Casco prefers the rain. Too hot for a long-haired pup like him in Elsewhere.

 

Fear not, we’ll be doing our best by trying to keep him cool by wading in nearby waters whenever we can. A stinky, wet pup is still better than a panting, hot one.

 

Besides trying to keep up with the weather (…goddamn it, I’m talking about the weather now on my blog… I need to turn from this lameness ASAP), I’ve been staying busy trying to explore further the depths of Moonsland.

 

For those that are unfamiliar, Moonsland is the fictional world where the Scarred World Saga starts. It’s a place surrounded by a mystical, poisonous gas on all sides which its people fondly refer to as the Abyss. It’s also overrun by monsters, something that Requiem and his powers are called upon to deal with promptly and often.

 

What is the Abyss? No one knows for sure, only that sometimes things are seen within its ever-changing, poisonous gases. 

 

When we first meet Requiem in book 1, he is about to get…ahem… intimately familiar with the Abyss before he gets on with the rest of the journey.

 

This is part of the harsh land that he calls home. A place that we get to explore a portion of in Book 1 and beyond. And by beyond I mean the next books in the series.

 

I’ve been making steady progress. As of writing this, my current status on book 3 is just over 60k words. 

 

A big milestone. I want to say I’m a little more than halfway there, given the scope of the book, but we shall see where the twisting and turning of the current saga is taking me.

 

Keep reading, and I’ll give you a snippet.

 

On top of that, Requiem’s Rise, a free prequel story, is nearing completion at just around 10k words. Ever wonder what Requiem’s first mission was? Ever wonder how he got his first scar?

 

This story will answer those questions and provide an introduction to the world, its magic, and the monsters that lurk within it. 

 

The best part is that you could be the first one to feast your eyes on it! 

 

That’s right, I’m calling for beta readers for Requiem’s Rise, and would love any general feedback you have on the story. 

 

It’s shaping up to end at just around 11k words, so shouldn’t be too much of a burden, but if you can take a gander I would be forever grateful. 

 

If you’re interested in helping, just shoot me a message at hallwaytoelsewhere@gmail.com and I’ll send it your way.

 

Thanks in advance, Fellow Creature! 

 

But enough about that, would you like to see what I’ve been working on in Book 3? Here’s a quick glimpse at a scene in which Requiem finds himself in the darkness beneath worlds. A harrowing shadow in which he is lost and has no hope of finding his way out.

 

Again, I’m trying not to reveal too much for fear of spoiling anything, so please take this piece as a sample taste of what book 3 is like.

 

Let me know what you think, Fellow Creature! 

 

The beetle dropped him into a soft darkness. He met the ground, his nose immediately picking up a musty stench that resembled decaying leaves and mud.  As his eye adjusted he saw the slurry of colors running before him. Swirls of glowing stripes raked the ground beneath him, giving everything a dream-like hue that made his head hurt. Above, not much further away, the entrance that he was brought through allowed in a pool of light that gave some shape to the ground beneath him, a bumpy mound of colorful dirt littered with objects and rubble in various states of decomposition.

There was movement there too. A few bugs scurried over the mound, stopping and leaning over the dirt and putting it to their jaws, eating.

Requiem was about to come to his feet and explore further when a series of buzzing and screams filled the darkness. 

Through the hole he had just entered came a new swarm of the bugs holding a small figure. 

 

To be continued…

 

Again, just a teaser for you for now, Fellow Creatures. More to come.

 

For now, I hope you’ll keep checking back here or join my Newsletter to follow along on the journey.

 

Until next time,

 

Stay sweet,

 

-Jeff