More Agent Interest!

After another round of submissions inquiries, I've had several more requests for manuscripts!

I'm dabbling with the idea of trying my luck with YA and NA specializing agents. My fear is that 'Deathsworn Arc' is a little bit old for YA. I suppose I perceive YA as being 'teen' novels. Now I don't think my books are very suitable for under thirteen's. I actually think they are probably best suited to fifteen plus, maybe fourteen plus?

Superficially they are fantasy adventure stories. However they deal with some adult themes and they have some graphic violence in them.

They look at attraction, racism, inter-race relationships, senescence, longevity, the meaning of life, purpose, faith, morality, pragmatism, the notion of bravery and honor...

They also have a deeply routed theme of atheism and pragmatism. I can't explain why, but over the last few years I've become ruthlessly logical and rational, perhaps even a little 'cold'. I wonder if it's partly because of the increased presence of religious extremism in the news, and partly because my mother seems to be inclined to believe in anything and everything. I can't believe in anything, unless there is strong observable, repeatable evidence for it. When I rationally consider the existence of a creator god, I find it impossible to find a rational, logical route to one existing. I can find many rational, logical routes for primitive humans inventing a god and then later developing the idea.

When I decided to use my fantasy series to explore atheism and loss of faith, I wasn't sure it was a good idea. I try to keep it subtle, and keep the story about the characters. There's still a risk these themes could put off deeply religious people. That's a risk I'm willing to to take. A wise man once told me, if you want your work to be loved by some, you have to accept it might be hated by others. When you're trying to evoke strong emotions in your readers, you are taking a risk. Nobody likes a flat roller-coaster, or a plot without twists, people get enjoyment from being surprised.

I always like to have story elements cross books too, I want every book to feel both complete in it's own right, but also a part of a bigger story.

I managed to go through about 30 pages with my beta-reader come editor last night and managed to implement about 10 pages of edits! I'm now ready to start editing the chapter called 'The Challenge of Burgess'

Anyone who has read book 2 will know this chapter involves a duel... Or two :)
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