In preparation for the release of Obligation's Unity later this year, I updated the website with a new theme in line with Lyonesse's story and color pallet! The storefront will be coming next, but there are some business and technical aspects I need to work on to ensure everything functions correctly. Not to mention the behind-the-scenes process of products and packaging. 

Even though the Carving Legacies community is very small, it is still full of talented and supportive people! Going forward, I would like to highlight these individuals and their talents on this site and my socials if possible. If you have made any fanart / fanmedia for Key of Arcandus, and you would love an official shout-out, feel free to let me know and any links or pics my way!

I had no idea it's been about 3-4 months since my last update. I'm really bad at keeping up on socials, both in real life and online, forgive me. 

Anyhoodle, I've been plugging away at preparing Obligation's Unity to hand off to my editor by the end of this month! I know people have been diligently waiting for a storefront to open up here on the website so that folks can purchase signed copies of Key of Arcandus. I promised a late-spring / early-summer timeframe for that, and it's looking like it will be more toward the latter. The month of April will finally be some "downtime" in the writing sense of things, and I'll be focused more on art and merch that month so that I can take a break from my computer (a little). 

Call-outs for alpha readers for the Sebastian x Niamh standalone fantasy romance novel, An Oath to the Winter Winds, will happen around summertime. I'm going to put off Book 3 alpha reading until after launch of Obligation's Unity since...that makes the most sense. But the SebNia standalone runs parallel to the main series just after Key of Arcandus, and ends after the events of Book 3. So, as long as you've read KoA, nothing will be spoiled (only teased) for you at the end of AOttWW for the main Carving Legacies series.

On a different topic entirely, I had to shut off access to making comments on this blog because I was receiving nothing but spam remarks. If you want to reach out to me, you can check out the Contact section of my website, or you can hit me up on my socials like TikTok and Instagram. Please remember that I don't respond to solicitations of products or services, but I always love hearing from readers!

Toodles!
Lauren

Happy New Year, Fellow Scribes! Welcome to 2022 and the Year of the Tiger all in one post!
I know January was a silent month for me, but that's because it was my Month of Preparation where I outline my goals and objectives this year to help grow the world of Clayne into a recognizable brand. This post is to give a sneak peek at what I have in the works for 2022!

BOOKS
Nothing is planned for release this year, however, Obligation's Unity is currently undergoing its editing phases, and a call for BETA readers will commence in May. While the manuscript is with readers, I will be working on the initial drafts for Book 3 and a standalone supplement novella featuring Sebastian and Niamh. The goal is to complete the Carving Legacies series no later than 2030 so that I can move onto the "next phase" of Clayne's timeline. 

MERCH
I will be expanding my merchandise line-up this year with a new storefront provider. People who liked the Vanis Aer Guild will be able to show off their rank with pins, while those who love the Skivat homeland of The Hive will get to show their pride with varsity tees for their favorite gangs and Shot-Pipe teams.

GAMES
After years of putting it on the sidelines, I will be working on publishing a tabletop game concept of mine for digital download only. For people who enjoy one-shot tabletop campaigns where the focus is on laughter and shenanigans...this game is made for you!

SOCIALS
I am biting the bullet this year and expanding to more platforms. This is the year of experimentation for me, so I'm putting my feelers out to see where the stronger following resides. I've mapped out a social media schedule for all of the platforms listed below. Subscribe, follow, like, comment, and do all of those social engagement things pretty please! 

That is 2022's game plan! There are plans to release a few extra tidbits or expansions, but those greatly depend upon the overall responses I receive from the general public. Hopefully I am able to grow my channels so that it warrants further expansion, but for now, keeping all of these constantly updated will keep me plenty occupied.

Have a wonderful February, my dear scribes!

the process better. 
I'm not ready for BETA readers yet. I will begin phase one of the editing process in January of 2022, and it will take a handful of months to perform a reverse outline, rewrite known issues, merge / cut chapters, smooth out some character arcs, check consistency, etc. My goal is to be ready by April 2022, but we'll see how things come along. I have plans to go on a trip between now and then, plus I have family visiting for a while, too. It might be closer to June 2022. 
Either way, if you're interested in becoming a BETA reader for Obligation's Unity, stay tuned to my website, follow me on Instagram and YouTube, and in due time you'll see the official call-out. In the meantime...I'm going to enjoy the rest of what remains of 2021. 

Happy holidays, everyone!