What next?

Although The Lady of the Red Moon is complete in itself, it is the first part of the history of the Lords of the House of Abard, which spans eleven generations. The constraints which gave me eleven generations were the cycles of the moons. It takes that long to get a night of the two moons in the month of Harvest for the last book in the cycle, where the Lady dies, as she promised, to redeem Malcarious. A Flame has no Shadow. This was the original story that is at the centre of my fantasy, set in the land of Irranya, and that is why I make a number of references in the appendices and these texts to Kerin the last Lord of Abard, and the others who are the descendents of Warany, Selin and Ranhé’us, and of course, my all time favourite, Dakin, circuitous descendant of the first Darké’us, who was also Keré’us’ father.

At the time of writing these notes I have finished A Flame has no Shadow, although it looks as if there will have to be a final volume, Once is Never Enough, to bring us round to a happy ending. Four or five chapters of this seem to have appeared on my computer almost by accident.

The second book, The Queen Under the Hill, follows the history of the second Lord of the House of Abard, Abarté’us and his sister Nenya, together with Derany and Darké’us and others who have already appeared in the first book. It continues the struggle of the Lady against the Lords Eldest and the Alliance against the Quaren. This is halfway through its third draft, but because it was written in the eighties at the same time as the Lady of the Red Moon was doing the rounds in America, I am having to substantially rewrite it. The sixth sword forged by Mildur appears in this. It has no magic power, just a very sharp edge, and no name.

The third book, The Sorcerer of Mara-set is plotted and has the first and last few chapters written. Warany’s grandson Argarny is the main hero and his lady Nenya’s daughter by Darké’us, Anderinya.

The fourth book, Bright Tiger concerns the Tiger Lord of Belia, (not to be confused with the Leopard Lord in book two).

The fifth and sixth are uncertain, except that I know that the lady of the House of Abard marries Nareth the Erueth, Warany’s third son in the sixth.

The seventh is called City Fall and chronicles the fall of Ebrinen and the attempt by the Erueth and the Lady Eldest Félanya to kill Yannya, which nearly succeeds, leaving her so injured that she cannot defend her mortals and Ebrinen falls. Hara, Nareth, the seventh Lord of Abard and his wife Helm are killed, but Arhoiethenya, daughter of Nareth escapes with the eighth Lord of Abard to Irranya, with the help of Tarca the Merédur.

I know nothing about the eighth Lord of Abard, save he marries Arhoiethenya’s daughter by Tarca., nor of the ninth.

However, the tenth Lord of the House of Abard is Abard Lord of the Keltos’, tale is told in the history of The Three Young Men in which we meet for the first time Wargos, Dakin and Mendas, who are the last lords of the swords of power, being main supporting cast for A Flame has no Shadow.

There might as well, if I live long enough and can work up the enthusiasm, be the history of Warany and Nanenethen including such set pieces as the defeat of the Sorcerer and the fall of the Quaren Empire.

I am sixty one now, so I probably have time to finish the cycle before I die or lose my marbles.(My favourite aunt has just reached 90 without doing either.) Whether they are published is an entirely different matter. I have had to publish the first one myself, and should enough interest arise, and I cover my costs, I shall probably go on publishing. I shall not be able to stop writing, whatever happens. Expressions of interest can be sent to my email address. I am a sensitive little flower so please do not be over critical.

Anniewitch549958@aol.com