Last updated on October 28, 2024
Blood Runner: from stand-alone to contemporary fantasy series
Considering I never meant to seriously write Blood Runner at all, it amuses me that I grew so attached. It was supposed to be a throw-away practice piece trying out a fast-writing technique. LOL What can I say? I love Kurshram and can’t let him go. He still has more to do and more to learn. He needs space to do it, so Blood Runner has grown into a fantasy series to accommodate his expanded place in the world.
I actually have other complete manuscripts written and waiting in line for editing, completely different stories. I managed to get one out, but I can’t look at the rest of them yet. Kurshram won’t let me. To be honest, he won’t leave me alone.
Fantasy series without a plan
After not planning for a series and vomiting out the first story in only weeks, I figured a second would be tough. I also wrote Book 1 so long ago, so much life happened since then. I was worried about getting back into the same head space. The day I sat down to start Book 2, it was definitely the right time, though. I whipped off a few chapters like nothing, just like the first time. Akin to going back in time where Kurshram and I had never parted.
I can honestly says it’s been restful, taking me back to a time prior to some cataclysmic life events. My dad suffered a fall that badly fractured his skull and he died in the emergency room three times before they could stabilise him. Now in a wheelchair with vascular dementia, his care controls the rhythm of days–quite a different pace from my regular life. I began fully working from home to remain available at a moment’s notice. Of course, we all went through the pandemic and the extended nonsense of that that has changed the flavour of everything. My best friend is fighting stage 4 colon cancer. All the kids are grown. I’ve outlived seven bosses at the office. I’m not even living in the same place as when I wrote the first story.
When I went back to the source material to see what I had to work with, though, I was thrilled there were enough questions unanswered left for another instalment (or two). Happy accident. Thanks past me! Once I started, it only took me to about halfway through the first chapter to completely recapture Kurshram’s voice. It came back so easily. I suppose he never really left me. Or, maybe there’s a lot more of me in Kurshram than I care to admit.
Conjuring a second book from my own headcanon
Having Kurshram’s whole universe in my head, I know why everything is the way it is, but most of that never made it into Book 1. As a stand-alone, many things weren’t explained or merely mentioned in passing. Mostly because they didn’t need to be at the time.
Now, though? It’s been a fun time for me digging out those unspoken things and bringing them into the light. For Book 2, the toughest part has actually been picking and choosing which things to include. I know a lot of minutia about him. Not all of it’s exciting or story-worthy, and mostly just my personal headcanon. Hey, I’m his biggest fan, I’m allowed to have headcanon! Naturally, I find all of it interesting, but I’m a bit biased. In keeping with the way I wrote the first book, I’ve kept it a mostly organic process and allowed out what seems to want out while being economical about it.
Kurshram’s history
Kurshram’s history, on the other hand, is an untapped resource while his many quirks ache to be scrutinised. And though immortalised in myth, there’s a real story behind his association with the goddess Ninlil and her brother Enlil. Not to mention an entire pantheon of dysfunctional family drama that has only lived in my head to this point.
With the first book ending with Alan coming into his own, there’s now a whole world of circumstances for him to spread his wings in where he can approach new situations more as an equal than only a teenage fanboy of a vamp myth.
Sons of Enki debut into the Blood Runner fantasy series
If I manage to sidestep life getting wholly in my way, fingers crossed, I plan to release Blood Runner Book 2: Sons of Enki late 2024.
I’ll keep you posted!