The End of the Line: On Writing the Last Book in the Series
Any day now I’m going to finish the last sentence on the last book of my first series, and I have to say, I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. I’ve spent the better part of six years playing in this world of my imagination and spending time with these characters. They are far more real to me than I ever expected and I’m going to miss them when their tale is finished.
It’s also bittersweet because the HORIZON series was my professional writing debut. So far, it’s won seven indie awards, which is thrilling, yet I still waver between confidence in my abilities and an absolute conviction that I’m an imposter, not a real author. I’ve heard this feeling never really goes away! I’ll let you know…
As sad as I am to end this part of my writing journey, I’m also really excited to think about starting something new. I look forward to turning my attention to a different story, creating a different world, and getting to know different characters. While it’s strange and a little scary to be working on this ending, the next step feels very much like a beginning.
If you haven’t read the HORIZON series yet, here’s an invitation and an overview!
HORIZON (Book 1)
Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life.
Commander Derek Markham awakens stranded on an uncharted planet. His co-pilot is dead, his ship is in ruins, and he’s only alive because a beautiful young woman is healing him with her mind.
As Derek recovers, Caeli shares the horror of her past and her fear for the future. When Derek’s command ship, Horizon, sends rescue, Derek convinces Caeli to leave with him. But his world is as treacherous as hers—full of spies, interplanetary terrorist plots, and political intrigue. Soon the Horizon team is racing to defend an outlying planet from a deadly enemy, and Caeli’s unique skills may just give them the edge they need to save it.
INFINITY (Book 2)
In the second installment of the award-winning Horizon series, Dr. Caeli Crys returns to her war-torn world to fight for those she left behind.
Almagest, Caeli’s home, stands on the brink of revolution. Long hidden from the rest of the galaxy, the once-peaceful planet suffers under a regime that grows more violent and oppressive by the day. Marcus, Almagest’s dictator, is building an arsenal of alien weaponry by selling empathic children into slavery. A resistance has risen, but they are outmanned, outgunned, and in hiding.
Joined by Commander Derek Markham and his elite squadron of operatives, Caeli embarks on a dangerous mission to find the Resistance, rescue her captive people, and save her civilization from destruction.
EQUINOX (Book 3)
Coming Spring 2019!
Tabitha’s HORIZON series has won seven independent book awards, including the prestigious Writer’s Digest Grand Prize in 2016. She has short fiction published by World Weaver Press, Electric Athenaeum Magazine, Grimbold Books, and more. Tabitha is also a partner and senior writer for Book Club Babble, and a managing editor for the Inkitt Writer’s Blog. She lives in Rhode Island and is married with four independent-minded and creative kids, two spoiled cats, and lovable black lab. She holds a degree in Classics from College of the Holy Cross and taught Latin for years at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School where she now serves on the Board of Trustees.
Visit Tabitha at www.tabithalordauthor.com.
Hope to see you on Saturday, December 1 at the Rhode Island Author Expo!