Tim Wilbur's Blog

Progress…

Hello again everyone! My latest book, Legacy of the Displaced is now available on Amazon, and I wanted to give an update. I have, admittedly struggled with book three, detailing the Age of Thought. It has been my intention to tell a different type of story with each book, and the story for book three has been more challenging than I anticipated. I’ve reframed it several times and finally settled some essential aspects.

The third book will also be a Legacy title, with the idea that the first three form The Legacy Trilogy (future titles will deviate from this theme, I promise). With that said, I present to you my working prologue for book three, The Legacy of the Critic and the Crow. If you have any feedback, I would truly love to hear about it.

Prologue: What Has Been…

There is a place, a crossroads, where one can reach out and caress, if only for a moment, the life of any other being in existence, and this place is called Dream.

Though all worlds have paths to the place called Dream, there were two that influenced it more heavily than others. The first of these was called The Strings, a realm of fate magic and fae creatures, and the second was named The Shadows, infused by the magic of minds and populated by the living shadows for which it was named. In the unfolding Age of Thought, these two worlds were at war.

As is often the case with those in conflict, these places had more in common than their populations wished to admit. They were both foundation realms, two of nine pillars on which the city of Nexus, the city at the center of all things, was built. These worlds, like the other foundation realms, were attuned to particular aspects of magic. The Strings and The Shadows fed fate and thought to all of existence but, unlike the other realms, they were fed in return.

The fae were creatures of stories, categorized not by physical characteristics, but by appetites. With the magic of fate, they delighted in the concepts of what could be, and inserted themselves in the lives of others to become what was needed. If an adventurer needed a mentor, the fae were there. If one needed a sidekick or a companion or a deal for their story to reach fulfillment, these beings of fate eagerly adopted those roles. If one needed an adversary, a villain that would test their mettle, the fae were only too happy to oblige. And, when the populations of the worlds didn’t come to them, the realm of Dream was where they found those in need. It was, in a sense, a hunting ground.

The shadow creatures of thought existed because of sentience. Here, shadows were not just the absence of light, but a tangible substance born of the things that cast them. When a being several worlds away had a notion, a reflection of that idea was born in their realm, sometimes as a new entity, and sometimes as an addition to an existing shadow, widening its grasp and depth. These were creatures that relished the concept of what is. In the realm of Dream, these shadows connected to  minds that called to them, minds that traveled to that place and relived the most vivid events of their lives. It was, for these shadows, a source of reflection and growth.

It was from others that the beings of shadow drew life, while the fae drew purpose. In this regard, they were distorted reflections of each other. There was balance between these worlds, for a time, but balance is a precarious thing.

There came a time when a goddess needed an adversary, an element in her story that would make her stronger for what was to come, and so she made a deal with one of the fae. The goddess was an avatar and incarnation of Nexus, the city at the center, and the fae creature she struck a bargain with became what was needed. It became the Critic.

The Critic was a creature of doubt, a lurking thought that needled at her confidence, at her insecurities and the things she had not foreseen. Through their arrangement, the goddess became more than she had been, but so too did the Critic. As a result of their bargain, the fae creature was carried to all minds in all realms, inserted into all stories.

In this transaction, the Critic became not just a singular fae, but a shadow present in every intellect everywhere; it became a creature of both fate and thought. The fae creature found different voices in different minds—for some it whispered as a heckling stranger, while for others it spoke with the voices of those they trusted most. And for others still, it was simply the voice of the self, the most convincing of all. But always the voices carried doubt.

It was through the spread of the Critic that the balance was broken and the war started. It spread quickly, as war usually does, and infected the other foundation realms. The peoples of those worlds had long been separated and, though most had expected prosperity at their reunion, they received instead the influence of the Critic. In spreading doubt and distrust through every interaction, every meeting and greeting, the creature of fate and shadow brought strife.

There are many other things that happened between the two events, the deal of a goddess and the war of the realms, but those are other stories of different ages, other tales that have already been told. This chronicle is of the Age of Thought.

This is the story of the Critic and the Crow…

Getting better all the time…

Hello again everyone and happy summer! Just checking in to let you know I’m still at it. I’ve been getting more reads and downloads and reviews, and thank you all for helping me on this journey. If you haven’t written a review (or given a rating) but have been meaning to, I’ll just say that in this project, ratings and reviews are my lifeblood. If you find the time and inspiration to provide an honest rating and/or review, I will be very grateful.

In other news, I’m waiting for results on two more contests and will have things to report on September 1st (and boy am I eager!). I have also done an interview with the help of my good friends Echo_One and Greg Gallant (and thank you both so much!!!). The video is going through some editing but I’ll post that when it’s ready. I know it’s said that the camera adds ten pounds, but I’m pretty sure my extra ten pounds is there with or without the camera.

Lastly, once I have contest results in, I will hope to organize a reading (and author signing) for Legacy of the Crown. In my research, I’ve learned that reading two excerpts is ideal and so I’m choosing what parts to read. My intention right now is to read Chapter 8 (Wraith, alone in the woods, meets an echo) and would love your input on the other section I should read. If you’ve got a favorite scene that you think will knock socks off (without spoiling too much), I’d love your suggestions!

As always, thank you for your time, your help, and your support. I hope magic for you is always abundant and easy to find.

Cover Reveal & Review

Here is my first editorial review for the book:

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite, Five Stars

Legacy of the Displaced by Tim Wilbur is the second book in the Nexus Chronicles, preceded by book one, Legacy of the Crown. In the first novel, Aislynn, an immortal elf, seeks to end the remnants of magic, while Wraith, a marked hunter, discovers the power to alter fate as a hidden prophecy begins to unfold. Now, in this installment, a sentient panther named Nemesis has waited to strike back at the elves who experimented on her. When magic resurfaces, a goddess offers Nemesis a chance to hunt them if she repairs the links between nine fractured worlds. Joined by a wolf, a reluctant dwarf apprentice, and a runaway mage, Nemesis travels across strange realms shaped by thought and time. As her quest unfolds, she confronts new alliances and the shifting nature of her long-held purpose.

Legacy of the Displaced by Tim Wilbur is a spectacular story that erupts through Nemesis’s direct experience of the world’s rules, textures, and histories. We see Nexus, The Beyond, the elven realms, and the Plaza of Portals not merely described, but felt through senses and emotions, making the setting feel lived-in. Magic is revealed naturally, tied closely to Nemesis’s physical being, and by way of her narrative voice, as it’s so distinctive. Nemesis is sharply intelligent with primal violence and a unique moral outlook, shown through her cynicism and dark humor. She’s not alone. Howl, Yenna, and even the pregnant ratel come alive through their actions and conversations, revealing their personalities. Nemesis’s journey from skeptical observer to leader is gorgeous, and it’s a privilege to witness her internal pull toward memory, identity, and healing. Very highly recommended.

Runnin’ Down a Dream

Hello and good morning! Two announcements: I won an award, and a teaser is available on my author page. The award is from Regal Summit Book Awards, a platform that strives to promote and share great works of literature, and I am honored to be recognized for my contribution to the realm of fantasy literature. I’ve also entered some other contests, but I won’t hear updates on those until September (I’m sure I’ll be loud about it if anything comes of them). In the meantime, I’m officially an award winning author (!!!!!!).

The other note is that I have released the prologue for my next book on my website under “Teasers” for any who are interested. I’d love to know if it grabs your interest, and please feel free to share any comments and critiques. Thank you all very much for supporting me in this journey- the dream gets a step closer every day.

Onward and Upward

Hello again! Just a few updates to share: first off, I’ve gotten some feedback from beta readers on the sequel and so far the verdict is that it’s a damn fine story. Readers have unanimously agreed that the next book is even better than the first, and that’s before their input to help me improve it. Legacy of the Displaced, the second book in my series, will be released in mid-October (final date to come soon).

With that said, I’ll be looking for anyone interested in Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs). If you’re not familiar, the idea is that I send you a copy before the official release date in the hopes that you may be inspired to write a review and/or champion the book before it’s published to help generate “buzz”. I’ll be sending out copies around August 1st, and would hope to have them read by October 1st. Send me a message if you’re interested!

Lastly, the reviews I’ve gotten for my debut novel so far have been awesome and I can always use more. If you’ve read or are currently reading Legacy of the Crown, reviews and ratings mean everything to me. Your input not only helps me write a better book, but also helps others looking for the right book decide whether or not to give mine a try. Thank you all so very much for your support, and I’ll be releasing a sneak peak at the prologue of Legacy of the Displaced on my website on July 1st. In the mean time, wish you all an amazing summer and abundant magic!

Legacy of the Displaced

I have finished my second draft of my next book, Legacy of the Displaced. My first book went through seven or eight drafts, so still I have some work to do. I’ve sent it off to some beta readers and I’m eagerly awaiting their feedback, but I have something for the rest of you as well: my intended blurb for the back of the book (which will undoubtedly change before I actually publish, lol). I hope it piques your interest.

# LEGACY OF THE DISPLACED

In a realm of eternal rain where the restless dead dwell, Nemesis has existed for a millennium with a single burning purpose: vengeance against the elves who experimented on her and transformed her into an undead panther.

When magic returns after a thousand years of silence, the goddess Nexus offers her a bargain—restore the broken connections between the nine foundation worlds in exchange for access to her prey. But what begins as a mere path to retribution becomes an unexpected journey of transformation.

Accompanied by a wolf seeking his captured mate, a dwarf apprentice she never wanted, and a young human mage fleeing her mother’s cruel ambitions, Nemesis traverses a multiverse of wonders and dangers. She walks through cities where shadows are solid and thoughts take living form, through mountains where the elements themselves can be bargained with, and through realms where dragons measure the entirety of time. With each place she visits, something changes within her—as she forges connections between worlds, she begins to forge connections of her own.

But the elves have been planning for her arrival. When Nemesis finally reaches the confrontation she has craved for centuries, the line between vengeance and purpose blurs. The bonds she’s formed and the enemies she’s pursued collide in ways she never anticipated, forcing Nemesis to question everything that has defined her existence.

*Legacy of the Displaced* is an epic journey across worlds where magic demands sacrifice, unlikely companions become family, and even the most broken souls might discover that they were never truly lost—only displaced.

The Shape of Things to Come

I’ve released the first book of the Nexus Chronicles, Legacy of the Crown, and wanted to share where this journey is going. There will be nine books total, with the possibility of a tenth if it’s needed. I am nearing completion of my second book and each novel will work as a stand alone, while also serving a larger narrative. There will be no cliff hangers from me.

Each of these stories details an age of Nexus, and each age is tied to one of the nine foundation realms. The working title for my next book is Legacy of the Displaced, and tells the story of The In-Between, the world that connects all the others. I don’t wish to spoil anything, but I’ll say that this novel spans the foundation worlds not yet explored, as well as their races and magic, giving a more complete view of the setting.

It is my goal to release Legacy of the Displaced by November first, and I dare say that it is better than the first, as it should be. I’m developing my art, and improvement is always the goal.

To all of you who are invested in this journey, I’m very excited to share this path with you. My website is up: https://timwilbur.com/ and, once my first draft and initial editing are complete, I will share the prologue of the next book there as a teaser.

Lastly, I will not be excessive in my blog posts. I think you hear enough from me as it is. I wish you all a day filled with magic!

Website Coming Soon!

Hello!

I'm just taking this opportunity to let you know that my official website will be launching soon and, along with it, will be a more structured blog! I also have the idea that once a month is plenty for my random posts, and hope desperately that once a week hasn't been making you nuts. Thanks for still following me, and the next post should be through the website (and will appear here). Thanks again, and good luck this week!

The Process

Hello and good morning! First off, I am working on an author website. My schedule is off for all sorts of reasons, but it will be coming soon. Once that's up, I plan on giving at least a little more depth to my blogs, for those who care. I mentioned last week that I would talk a bit about my process, so here we are.

I've read that there are three general categories of writers: the plotters, pantsers, and plansters. Plotters create a detailed outline and know the full shape of their book as they go, while pantsers just start writing and throwing in elements as they go. Plansters is the term for someone who does both, and that is the category I fall in to.

I have general notes to myself about what is going to occur in the book but, when I set down to get from point A to point B, inspiration kicks in and changes the shape of things. If you've read my book, you may find it interesting to know that the Critic was born of in-the-moment inspiration. We all have one and, when writing Aislynn's introduction in the second chapter, I was inspired to make hers vocal. That thin thought created a great many others, and will be one of the major characters in the third book.

In short, I say let your inspiration guide you. There's no telling what it can lead to. Good luck with your Mondays everyone- I hope the day is kind to us all.

Update

As some of you know, I plan weekly posts in this blog. I don't want to be excessive and annoying, but I think there should be at least some communication if you're going to bother following me, hahah. For those of you who care, I'm about a third of the way through my sequel. It is about the Age of the In-Between, and has a working title of The Legacy of the Displaced. It is my hope to release two books a year until I've released the full series (planned as nine books, with the possibility of a tenth).

I thank you all for being interested, for checking out my work and being here to support me in this journey. Next week I will talk about my process and, though I know "engagement" is a loaded marketing word, I'd love to know about your process (for those of you who write). I hope you all have an amazing week, and thanks again for being here!