This page is where you will find answers to questions that have been asked in person or on social media enough times to warrant an entry. If you still haven't found the answer you're looking for at the end of this, feel free to drop me a line on the CONTACT page, or at any of my social media links at the bottom of the page.

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READING ORDER

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Q: With the stories that jump around in the timeline in the Odyssium Collection, is there a particular order in which the books should be read?

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A: At the moment, I still recommend reading the books in order of release. The only exception to that rule would perhaps be to sneak in the 2024 novella ORPHAN SEA before SCRAPPER. ORPHAN SEA takes place prior to those events and features an epilogue that leads directly into SCRAPPER. Also, it doubles as a great taster for the series. By design, it includes nearly every hallmark of the Odyssium series--supernatural threats, mystery, aquatic underraces, a meshing of technology and fantasy, action, a touch of romance...and the list goes on.

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CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

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Q: What order do the stories take place chronologically?

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A: Chronologically speaking, the order is different from the order of release, thanks largely to the Odyssium Collections. As-yet unreleased material listed is subject to change when it comes to titles and release dates. Here's the list in case any weirdos out there might someday feel an itch to go strictly according to the timeline:

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THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE (novella, 2018)

EVIDENCE OF MADNESS  (short story, 2024)

I BEGIN (novella, Agents of Odyssium #1, 2024)

THE HOLLOW-HEARTED (novella, 2016)

TBA (untitled novella for Odyssium Collection Vol. 3, 20??)

ORPHAN SEA (novella, 2024)

THE 13th PARAGON Part I: SCRAPPER (novel, 2014)

THE 13th PARAGON Part II: FROM ASHES OF EMPIRES (novel, 2015)

SQUIRM (novella, Strange Days of Odyssium #1, 2018)

THE SERRUS (novella, 2024)

HOUSE OF FALLING RAIN (novel, Eyes of Odyssium #1, 2017)

A SONG OF SILENCE (novella, Eyes of Odyssium, 2018)

KNOCK-KNOCK (novella, Strange Days of Odyssium #2, 2024)

ISLE OF THE SLEEPING GODS (novel, Eyes of Odyssium #2, 2019)

THE GIRL WHO STOLE THE SUN (novel, Eyes of Odyssium #3, 2021)

MY NAME WAS SOLORINE (short story, 2018)

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STARTING WITH LATER ODYSSIUM BOOKS

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Q: Do I have to read the older books to read, say, THE GIRL WHO STOLE THE SUN?

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A: Not necessarily, but it certainly doesn't hurt. What I typically do is give brief refreshers of relevant information that inform the current storyline seeded throughout the narration and dialogue. Beyond that, I think each successive series works well as a fresh starting point. The Eyes of Odyssium trilogy is a set of supernatural-heavy standalones. The forthcoming Tides of Odyssium trilogy will also make for a great launching pad, particularly for those who like an extra dollop of sci in their science fantasy. And I think the Odyssium Collections make for great sampler platters for anyone dipping their toes into the series, even if they do get a bit more experimental in nature. Some oddball stories in there, but the more expected traditional fare as well.

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COVER ART

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Q: Who does your cover art? What's the process like?

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A: I was lucky early on to be pointed in the direction of a phenomenal artist, Dennis Willman of Iron Dead Studio. He's done every cover for the Odyssium series to date.

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As for the process, I come up with a concept and then figure out a way to get that across to Dennis. I started out with Photoshop mock-ups, but found it easier to just draw really quick, really garbage sketches and let his awesomeness do its thing. WHAT LIES BETWEEN is a great example of Dennis taking a so-so concept and a junky sketch and turning it into magic.

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NAMES AND SUCH

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Q: Where do you come up with names in your books?

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A: I think every author gets this one. I've collected names since I started writing decades ago, so whenever I come across a new one, it goes into a master list I have. They usually come from three different sources: baby-naming books, people or places with interesting names that've grabbed my attention, or ones I've whipped up in my head.

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THE CLIFFHANGER QUESTION

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Q: Do your books have cliffhangers?

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A: Believe it or not, this is a common one and is definitely important to some people. The answer is for the most part, no. SCRAPPER has less of a cliffhanger than it has a segue into FROM ASHES OF EMPIRES. ORPHAN SEA, on the other hand, has a deliberate cliffhanger in the epilogue that ties directly into events from the book that chronologically follows: SCRAPPER. Oh, and I'll get into MY NAME WAS SOLORINE later in the FAQ. That one's a bit of a doozy.

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The Eyes of Odyssium series in particular can all be read separately for the cliffhanger-haters out there, though there is a running storyline in the background that keeps moving with each progressing book. I can't promise my general "minimal cliffhangers" policy will always remain in effect, though. The upcoming Tides of Odyssium trilogy, for instance, is structured with each book being a direct continuation of the one before. So when that hits, be on the lookout for falling cliffhangers.

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WHY REVISE?

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Q: Why did you revise SCRAPPER? Are you revising any of your other books?

A: The answer to this is in the Behind the Scenes section of SCRAPPER, but since I've been asked a good few times I figured I'd post it here: The core reasoning behind the revision is that while I liked the original version of SCRAPPER, I simply felt it could be better. I've learned a lot since its release, and when I started considering adapting these into audiobooks, it forced a decision out of me. Because of the high cost of producing an audiobook, I wanted to make sure I was 100% happy with the book itself.

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To look at it from another angle, I didn't want anyone to put down the series because they felt SCRAPPER might be weak due to it being my first published book. SCRAPPER is the prime entry point for the Odyssium series. It's the beginning of Salla's story and to date, Salla's the guy we're following for the most part. In short, I had too many reasons to revise it, and not enough to leave it be.

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As for whether I'll be revising any other books, this is currently being done on a case-by-case basis. Most recently, I revised both HOUSE OF FALLING RAIN and  IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT in 2023. What's being done is mostly whittling things down to create better pacing and flow, improving dialogue, and fleshing out relationships, etc. just a wee bit further. In short, bringing things up to my current standards of writing.

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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE AUDIOBOOK QUESTION

Q: Are you making audiobooks of the series?

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A: Since audiobooks are the format I use for 99% of my reading, making audiobooks of the series is HIGH on my wishlist. That said, I'm still relatively new and certainly no marketing guru, so the decision to make them hinges on book sales of physical and ebook copies so I can afford to hire a narrator. Doing exactly that is the goal, but if I ever do have to resort to any form of AI due to the lack of a budget, I don't plan on selling them. My tentative plan is to create a YouTube channel and release them for free there.

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WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH MY NAME WAS SOLORINE?

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Q: There were a lot of unanswered questions in MY NAME WAS SOLORINE. When are you planning on writing the next part in that story?

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A: The Odyssium Collections are grounds for experimentation, and SOLORINE is my most ambitious experiment to date. It was meant to be a taster of what the future of the series itself could look like. It's also intentionally seeded with mysteries as-yet unexplained, such as who Juno really is, who she works for, what's the "Big One," what's in the box, and what's so special about Solorine and potentially her kids, etc. I admit, it's a lot. The challenge was to write something so far ahead of where we were, drop a cliffhanger, and then see if I could fill in the blanks over a looooong period of time before continuing that storyline. Oh, and make it look like every bit of it was part of some grand design so the readers will be happy.

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So, when will we start getting some answers? Not as far into the future as you might think. Will we ever get a direct sequel to MY NAME WAS SOLORINE? That's difficult to say. But as long as I stay above ground, I plan on at the very least answering all the questions SOLORINE raised.​

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ODYSSIUM COLLECTIONS - HOW DO THEY TIE INTO THE OTHER BOOKS?

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Q: I saw a poster at your table advertising the Odyssium Collections, that they tie into the other books sort of like the old MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). How exactly does it do that?

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A: Things get a little spoilery here, so fair warning. In no particular order:

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The Hollow-Hearted (OC1) ties into FROM ASHES OF EMPIRES by being the full telling of a story briefly told in that book.

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The Serrus (OC2) acts as a pseudo-prequel to ISLE OF THE SLEEPING GODS by providing the backstory as to how the Majdi Order came to be in the possession of the Serrus. It also ties (very) loosely to Tides #3.

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Orphan Sea (OC2) features Arjay and Marachette, who appear in other books and stories such as THE 13th PARAGON duology, ISLE OF THE SLEEPING GODS, and A SONG OF SILENCE. Its epilogue also acts as a direct prequel to SCRAPPER.

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Squirm (OC1) and Knock-Knock (OC2) are wonky spinoffs featuring Croe Kidson, who appeared in the opening chapter of SCRAPPER, and the plot of Knock-Knock in particular hinges on the endgame events of FROM ASHES OF EMPIRES.

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Evidence of Madness (OC2) both features a character mentioned in THE 13th PARAGON duology, and teases a major upcoming arc.

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There are more to list, but we'll leave it at that. I always liked the inter-connectivity of the MCU, but I didn't model the series after it by any means. In short, I like the little dopamine hit you get from discovering Easter eggs, but I try to make them all in service to the story being told...rather than being fan-service-y.

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COMING SOON

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Q: When is the next book coming?

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Short A: Next up is the first book in the Tides of Odyssium trilogy, which isn't a direct sequel or prequel to anything else in the series. It's its own thing, but with very heavy ties to the lore of the universe. I'm excited for you to read it, because I really believe it's far and away my best work and has a lot of mass appeal.

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Long A: This is kind of the perpetual question, so I'll try to keep the FAQ updated and current. In a nutshell, the outlook appears that I'll be moving from an annual release schedule to releasing (about) every other year. The best ways to know as soon as possible is to subscribe to my newsletter and/or follow my various social media pages. I'm a bit chaotic with my release schedule and have NO marketing savvy to speak of, so actual release dates are pretty ephemeral, but social media and on this site (and in its Od-Blog) is where you're guaranteed to find that info.

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Most recently, the second Odyssium Collection, WHAT LIES BETWEEN, dropped in 2024.

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CURRENT PROJECT STATUS

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May 2026 UPDATE: Rewrites are complete on Tides #1 and Tides #2. Tides #3 has a first draft turned in. All three have locked titles. If all goes well, Tides #1 will release in 2026, followed by a temporary return to annual releases.

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Apart from that, I've got a fair amount of preliminary work done on the as-yet untitled Odyssium Collection Volume 3. Why OC3? Because after a MASSIVE project like the trilogy I'm wrapping up, a vacation to smaller works is 100% in order. Good thing I've got a head start, because yep--just like I did with the last two collections, I've already got a story in the can (a first draft, at least).

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Beyond that, my overall release schedule for Odyssium runs well into the 2030s. No rest for the wicked, kids.

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