THE END is always hard to write for an author. Depending on the length of the story, one could have spent weeks or months or even years with a set of characters. I started the adventures of Sam of Wilds in what was a very dark time for me personally. I needed to laugh and forget about the real world for a time, and Sam and Ryan and Tiggy and Gary and Kevin helped me to do that. They gave me more than I’d hoped for.
But even then, I had no idea when I started The Lightning-Struck Heart that the story would go as far as it has. I thought I would be telling an overtly immature take on a common fairy tale trope. And now, four volumes later, I’ve wrapped a much bigger story of love and friendship, of pain and sacrifice. I’m proud of how this has ended, the story line readers know I lovingly refer to as the Destiny Fuck Yeah! arc. And while Sam and his band of merry misfits are more mature (ish) than when they started out in a cave with Lartin the Dark Leaf, they’re still the characters who made me smile when I needed it more than anything.
This is their happy ending.
But I don’t think I can let them go quite yet.
After all, Justin’s still single, isn’t he?
Can’t have that.
I’ll return to Verania one day. For now, I have other stories I want to tell. But when I do, it’ll be from Justin’s point of view. I already have some funky ideas about what’s going to happen with that prince from a faraway land.
I can’t wait.
Thanks, as always, for reading!
TJ