I wrote a post a few months ago about part of my growth and journey as a writer, and how part of that process was letting a book project sit for over a decade. Over ten years ago, I was inspired by the Finnish folktale epic The Kalevala, my favorite fantasy stories, and all things Scandinavian, and I began building an elaborate fantasy world. The result was a long, wandering epic fantasy tale that I completely pants (that is, I “wrote by the seat of my pants,” also known as “being a pantser.” Normally I am a plotter – I like my outlines.) 

The finished 200,000 word story needed some polishing, and I produced two highly-revised drafts. I also got inspired to make a trilogy, and started writing the second book. Then life happened, other ideas happened, and I started feeling a bit burnt out by my Finnish mythology-inspired fantasy world. 

I shelved the books for the next ten years, while I worked on other books and projects. But I never forgot about the story, and last year I decided to resurrect the project. Since I’d done several drafts of the first book, I figured a few weeks of light editing and it would be ready to publish. 

Um, not so. Turns out that in those intervening ten years, I’d actually grown as a writer, matured a bit as a storyteller, and developed more skills. My epic tome had a solid plot, good characters, and thorough world-building…but needed a lot of rewriting. My “few weeks of light editing and polishing” turned into a year of fully re-writing the book (again). The finished word count was still pretty high (though less than 200k, at least). But overall it was a much better story. 

And now, after a professional edit, a professional cover, and some lovely interior artwork, I finally have a finished book. It’s been a long journey, but one that I do not regret. And the journey will continue, as I’m in the thick of fully rewriting book two (which I began over ten years ago). 

So I’m pleased to announce the publication of The Vanished Reindeer, the first book in The Light-Whisperers of Kalevala trilogy. Folktales, mystery, and magic await! Click here to buy the book and learn more!