Ever Changing, Ever Growing

We live in a world where inclusiveness is a rapidly growing necessity.  Social wildfires have been set ablaze on websites like Kickstarter, where the people ultimately decide what is worth their time, their money, and their interest.  The majority of these successful products and projects give back to the consumer in ways that were atypical before the jump in popularity.  The idea of somehow collaborating with creators to modify or expand on content is an idea that is so brilliant, its a wonder it hasn’t been done more often.

Novels and the written universe should not abstain from this transition.  There is a place for other people within our worlds, and we’d be foolish not to embrace it.  We’re already seeing it with programs like Kindle Worlds, which rewards fan fiction for both the original creators, and those authors who want to empower the existing writing with their own concepts.

Tellest is growing.  I can’t sit by idly and stifle that growth.  The world is expansive – what readers have seen thus far only scratches the surface of what is available.  There are other continents, other planes of existence, other realities.  When I set out all those years ago to create Tellest, it wasn’t a personal playground for myself to seclude myself within.  It was an open invitation to anyone with a bright imagination, to anyone with a need for escapism.

There used to be a motto that I embraced for Tellest that was quietly swept aside because I didn’t have the means to adequately describe it.  In days like this, when the third book is out, and people will more readily understand the notions of my – nay, our – written universe, perhaps that description will come more easily.  The World is in Your Hands.  Explore Tellest.  Play in it.  I fully welcome you to try your hand at crafting tales within the boundaries of the universe that is in place.

After all, there are already others who have begun down that path.

I am not the only writer of the Tellest series of stories anymore.  It has been slowly expanding for months, though the foundation has been laid out for far longer.  There are small stepping stones that lead to the path, like little whispers drawing you into a place you never realized you stood beside for so long.  In only a short while, I’ll be able to share these wonderful yarns with you.

The landscape is changing, but in that change, there are exciting new possibilities.  What started as a passionate way to entertain people is transmogrifying into a way to let people entertain themselves, and others.  Those of us that are standing in the background can see those gears slowly beginning to turn.  Tellest is a clockwork beast that is just starting to wear into its grooves.  When it is churning forth and full force, it is going to be a monster to be reckoned with.

Though the world is ever expanding, I refuse to step aside.  Tellest is a universe for the people, but it is also a piece of me.  It’s a representation of my imagination.  It’s a intrinsic part of my being.  Tellest may be able to function without me some day, but I could scarcely function without it.

That said, I’d like to take the last few moments of this post to share where my journeys have taken me. 

Earlier this month, The Enemy Within released.  It’s slow going compared to when The Bindings of Fate and As Darkness Falls arrived in 2011, so if you can, please share the book with your friends and family who you think would like the kind of adventure and fantasy that the Tellest universe provides.

I’m still plugging away at the novelettes, which are, (somewhat predictably) growing.  The Adelia story is going to be finished within the next month, if I keep to pace.  At that point, Adelia’s saga is going to be passed to a worthy successor.  If you recall, Adelia first shows up on the scene in The Bindings of Fate, when Kaos returns home to collect some of his magical antiquities.  It was never divulged why Adelia had returned home, though it had been alluded to.  It will be the mystery writer’s job to connect the dots, and help people understand what has transpired between the novelette and the first novel.  Kaos’ sister starts off as a very innocent, naive, and anxious young lady – a far cry from what we see when she confidently strides onto the stage in Bindings.

The other novelettes will follow shortly after.  I try to work on the Bolt short simultaneously, but I like to separate my stories as best I can.  For these two, they are sequestered by their geography.  I spend my time on Bolt when I’m away from home, while Adelia’s story is typically crafted when I wake up and in the evenings.

I couldn’t keep one of the larger stories from beginning to form, however.  I don’t like to let stories sit around for too long – I may not be the best writer, but you can see where my style has evolved from the first book to the third.  The story demanded to be written, however, so the first lines of the pentalogy have been written, waiting for the time that they will be read by attentive fans.

For now, I’ll descend back into the shadows, peeking out from time to time while I try my best to craft the novelettes in time for a November release.  In the meantime, please enjoy The Enemy Within, as well as the books that have carved the path for it, The Bindings of Fate and As Darkness Falls.  Also, keep your eyes peeled for the first story not told by me.  That should be releasing in September, barring any unnecessary hiccups.

Thank you for reading!

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Michael DeAngelo

Michael is the creator of the Tellest brand of fantasy novels and stories. He is actively seeking to expand the world of Tellest to be accessible to everyone.