Requiem -- five trilogies and counting

Well... that makes five. There are now FIVE completed Requiem trilogies. Fifteen novels in this crazy world where people can become dragons.

Five years ago, on a cold Sunday morning, I stepped into a bookstore in downtown Toronto. I had a notebook, a pen, and an MP3 player with Mozart's Requiem playing. I sat at a little coffeeshop inside the bookstore, listened to the music, and began to write whatever came to mind. That turned into Blood of Requiem, the first novel in the series. I had no idea it would even get ONE sequel, let alone grow into this massive world spanning fifteen books and counting.

Requiem now includes the following trilogies: Dawn of Dragons, Song of Dragons, Dragonlore, The Dragon War, and Requiem for Dragons. So far, you've all downloaded half a million copies of these books. Wow.

Between these trilogies, we got to explore some other worlds together. We spent six novels in Moth, and we spent three novels with the Alien Hunters. But we keep coming back to these old dragon friends.

I'm honored that, five years into this, you're still reading. I really do have the best job--and the best readers--in the world.

Dragons Rising, which was released today, is not the last Requiem novel. This world will continue to grow. l can't wait to see where we'll fly together next.

Some thoughts about writing.

Sometimes the muse strikes, and it's wonderful. Sometimes you're just in the zone, and it's like the spirits of creation are controlling your fingers, weaving the words for you.

But that doesn't always happen. It can't, or you'd go insane and burn up. Part of being a professional writer is writing even without muse. It's waking up every morning, sitting down, and getting to work. And it's like any other work--like writing code, like laying down asphalt, like driving a truck. You do the work because you're a professional, even when you're not in the mood, even when you're preoccupied with daily worries unrelated to writing. Most successful writers aren't free spirits, wrapped in grace, transcribing the words of the heavens. Most are just hardworking professionals who show up and put down one word at a time, day by day.

If you're stuck and have writer's block, that's because you're waiting for the muse to knock. If it knocks, great. I love when that happens; it's one of the best feelings in the world. But if it doesn't, too bad--write anyway. Don't be afraid to write badly. Just put down words, even if you feel things aren't working. It's harder this way, yes, but so what? Odds are, once those words are revised and polished, you'll find some good material in there, often just as good as those pages written while "inspired."

What's next?

Hi all!

First of all, a HUGE thanks to everyone who bought copies of my recent releases: Shadows of Moth: Moth V (released last month) and Requiem's Prayer: Dawn of Dragons III (released a couple weeks ago). I hope you've been enjoying these new books!

I wanted to update you about what's next. Legacy of Moth: Moth VI will be released on December 2nd! The book will conclude the Moth saga, bringing all the characters' storylines to an epic climax. Expect something BIG and EPIC, Pelennor Fields style. We're ending this series with a bang.

I also have some fun stuff planned for you for 2015. We'll have a NEW REQUIEM TRILOGY tentatively titled Requiem for Dragons, which will be set in an era following The Dragon War. In 2015, I'll also be releasing my first science fiction series (titled Alien Hunters), a work inspired by SF franchises like Firefly and Star Wars.

Remember that you can always see a full list of the books and their reading order on my website: http://www.DanielArenson.com/

Thank you everyone for reading!

Daniel

Requiem's Prayer

About four years ago, after moving between several cities, I found myself working and living in Toronto. The apartment I rented was quite small, only about 450 square feet--too small for a desk. I was right in the heart of the big city.

On weekend mornings, I'd wake up early. Most of the city still slept. I'd walk along the streets as convenience stores, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and other businesses were still closed. I'd make my way over to a big, two-story bookshop that rose over a major intersection. On the second floor of the bookshop, a little cafe nestled by floor-to-ceiling windows. Without room at home for a table, I'd come here to write. I was usually the first person in. I'd order a coffee, sit by the windows, stare out at the sun rising over the city, and write. I had no computer, no keyboard. I wrote in longhand into notebooks.

On one of these mornings, I was listening to Mozart's Requiem on my MP3 player, and as an exercise, I began to write whatever I heard in the music. I found myself writing a story about people who can turn into dragons, people hunted to near extinction, people fighting against vicious enemies determined to destroy them. The characters had names taken from the Requiem--Benedictus, Lacrimosa, Agnus Dei, Kyrie Eleison, Gloriae--and their story to me felt as tragic, heartbreaking, yet uplifting as the music.

What I didn't know at the time: This story, just a little exercise, would turn into a series. This story would end up selling hundreds of thousands of copies, letting me become a full time writer. 

Today I released the twelfth novel in this series.

Requiem's Prayer is the third volume of the Dawn of Dragons trilogy, a "prequel" trilogy telling of Requiem's earliest days. The events we read about in Song of Dragons, Dragonlore, and The Dragon War all trace their origin to here.

I'm deeply grateful to all those readers who've been exploring Requiem with me. Without you all, this would still be only a few scribbles in a notebook. Thanks to you, this has become a world.

And Requiem's story is not done. Twelve novels have been released, but more are to come. Next year, we'll be seeing three new Requiem books, continuing the story that began four years ago in that little old coffeeshop.

As always, thank you for reading.

Daniel

Huge $0.99 Book Sale!

Hey everyone. Moth is part of a huge sale with 16 fantasy novels, all discounted to $0.99 today.

Drop by here to grab a book and chat with the authors!

Guest Feature -- The Novum Trilogy

Author Moira Katson is releasing the first book in The Novum Trilogy today . . . and it features new music by Ekterina! You might remember the music Ekaterina composed for Moth (you can listen to it here).

Ekaterina's new music for Moira's Novum Trilogy:

You can find Moira's trilogy on Amazon here.

How it all began...

Requiem began one morning with some Mozart, a sleepy city, and strong coffee.

One early Sunday morning four years ago, I left my downtown Toronto apartment, walked to the nearby bookshop, and entered the coffee shop on the second floor. Toronto apartments are often too small for desks; they force a writer to become something of a hipster, writing in coffee shops. I sat by the window with a hot drink, watching the city wake up outside. The coffee was steaming, and Mozart's entire Requiem was playing on my MP3 player. I had a notebook but forgot my pen; I had to borrow one from the barista (oh god, I said "barista"... this city really does force you to become a hipster). I didn't know what I'd write that day. I listened to the music, hearing old Latin words like Benedictus, Lacrimosa, Kyrie Eleison, Dies Irae, Agnus Dei... and I just wrote what I imagined while listening. The story took form as I scribbled away--a story about people in a mythical world who could become dragons. Benedictus became the exiled king, Lacrimosa the wise queen, Kyrie the hot-headed youth, Dies Irae a wrathful villain, Agnus Dei a fiery maiden . . . all fighting for a kingdom called Requiem.

Four years later, there are ten Requiem novels and more to come.

The music that started it all:

Requiem: http://DanielArenson.com/Requiem

Requiem's Song

The dragons are flying again. The new Requiem novel is here.

In 2011, I released my novel Blood of Requiem. I never imagined that the novel would kick-start a franchise: ten Requiem novels and counting, a quarter-million book sales, three novels on Amazon's Top 100 list, and many more adventures to come. Today we return to Requiem with a new story of wings, claws, and dragonfire.

You can learn all about Requiem here: DanielArenson.com/Requiem

New Moth music

Some new tracks of Moth music by Ekaterina, capturing scenes from the books...

Winds of Change:

The Journey Home:

Eloria's Lament:

Listen to all the Moth tracks here.

Milestones and books to come

A nice little milestone this week: 300,000 total books sold! THANK YOU, dear readers, for reading. You guys rock!

Meanwhile, it's still a baby compared to Requiem, but The Moth Saga (all three books) sold its 10,000th copy today. Thanks so much for trying this new series too! Moth (the first book) is also at 47 Amazon reviews and getting close to the all-important 50 reviews milestone; when we hit 50, we'll have a little party (I'll bring snacks... virtual ones at least). There is a fourth Moth book planned for this summer, and I think the series will keep going to interesting places. Thank you to everyone who's been exploring this new world with me.

In Requiem news, I'm getting close to finishing Requiem's Song, the first book in a new dragon trilogy. I hope to have this one completed in April, so keep an eye open for updates. I'm really excited about us returning to Requiem after a little hiatus. As always, this will be a crazy book full of monsters, epic battles, and of course -- lots of dragons.

In the workshop...

It's been quiet lately, but I've got LOTS of stuff in the works for you. Currently in the workshop:

* The third Moth book (to be released next month) + a lovely paperback omnibus of Moth 1-3
* New Moth artwork (we'll finally see what Cam and Linee look like)
* A new Requiem book to kick-start a new dragon trilogy (to be released this spring)
* A Moth audio book (also this spring)
* Even MORE new music
* And finally, this summer, a fourth Moth book

I'll be a busy few months!

The Journey Home

"Our home lies in shadow... to the night we return."

In preparation for Secrets of Moth (The Moth Saga, Book Three), we have a new, beautiful track from musician Ekaterina. This one is titled "The Journey Home," and it might be my favorite piece of Moth music yet.

Visit The Music of Moth to hear more tracks.

The year in the review... and the year ahead.

Hi everyone,

I'd like to reflect a little about the year that was... and talk about the year ahead (spoiler: I have some Requiem news!).

But first, I want to thank you, my readers. You kept reading in 2013, allowing me to keep the gas on, the heat pumping, and the water flowing as I sat here every day, writing more books. THANK YOU.

A few big things happened in 2013.

The year began with the release of A Night of Dragon Wings, the third Dragonlore novel. This is still the longest, most complex novel set in Requiem. I wrote the Dragonlore trilogy during a crazy time in my life. Many chapters were written in trains, plains, and yes -- automobiles (really... automobiles too. Don't ask.) While writing Dragonlore, I was often traveling, I left my old job, I landed in the ER at one point, and went through a bunch of big life changes. When you see all the nutty stuff in Dragonlore (those crazy nephilim...) that probably reflects the craziness my life was going through while writing these books. Hopefully that at least resulted in an interesting read. ;)

But the CRAZIEST thing with the Dragonlore trilogy happened in the summer. All three Dragonlore novels hit the Amazon Top 100 bestsellers list. A Dawn of Dragonfire (the first book) even cracked the Top 20, hitting #18 in the Kindle store. This resulted in a very nice offer from Random House, which bought the books for publication in Germany. I never imagined so many eyeballs would see these books. It was scary, exciting, fun, and terrifying, and you--the readers--made it possible. You made me very happy but also almost gave me a heart attack! ;)

Soon after the third Dragonlore trilogy was released, I sat down and wrote The Dragon War, the third trilogy set in Requiem. The Dragon War is probably my favorite of the dragon trilogies. I think this trilogy -- telling the story of a civil war in Requiem -- is my best writing in this world. I'm glad that you chose to keep exploring Requiem with this new series.

In late 2013, after nine novels set in Requiem, it was time for something new. After years of planning and imagining it, I finally sat down and wrote Moth.

I think that, among all my books, Moth might be my favorite. Moth is about a world torn in two--one half always in sunlight, the other always dark. It explores themes that are important to me: the dangers of blind faith, the conflict between east and west, and the heroism found not only in warriors but in those who strive to stop war. Moth is different from the Requiem books. It's slower, focusing more on world building and exploration than action (though of course there's plenty of action too). I'm proud of it and hope you enjoy this series too. Amazingly, Moth did what Dragonlore achieved in the summer, hitting Amazon's Top 100 bestsellers list -- something I never imagined I'd be able to repeat. Empires of Moth, the sequel, was just released two weeks ago. I can't wait to hear what you all think about it.

That's 2013. Crazy year. What's planned for 2014?

Well, in a couple months, I plan to release Secrets of Moth, the third Moth book. That will conclude one story arc set in this world. If you like that one, I'd love to someday write even more Moth books. I have a bunch of ideas for a fourth, fifth, and even sixth book set in this world.

In 2014, we'll also have... * drumroll * a NEW REQUIEM BOOK!

Requiem's Song will kick-start a brand new trilogy (titled Dawn of Dragons). This time around, we'll get to see Requiem's ancient history. The book will be set thousands of years before the events in Song of Dragons. We'll see the Vir Requis before they had a kingdom of their own, when they were outcast and misunderstood and wandering the wilderness. The new trilogy will be set in a world just leaving the stone age, a place of wide open spaces, herds of mammoths (yes, mammoths!), roaming tribes of hunter-gatherers, and the rise of the world's first dragons.

I hope you keep reading in 2014. These books are a long and winding road of exploration and discovery. Thank you for walking this road with me. Every time you buy a book, review a book, talk about the books online, or simply hang around my Facebook page, you help create these stories.

Happy Holidays, everyone. Find the sky and be the night. ;)

Daniel
December 23, 2013

Moth Music

Moth, my new fantasy series, will feature an original soundtrack by musician Ekaterina. Here's the first track, titled "Legends": 

You can learn more about Moth (and hear more music) at: http://DanielArenson.com/Moth

The Unfinished Song

Tonight a guest is visiting my blog to tell us about her book.  Welcome Tara Maya, author of The Unfinished Song!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL...

Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

AN EXILED WARRIOR...

Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.

EXCERPT:

Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.

She hadn't appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the whitewater.

"Join our circle, Dindi!" the fae voices gurgled under the water. "Dance with us forever!"

"No!" She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, "Dispel!" but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn't be coming up again.

"Dispel!" It was a man's voice.

Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her down gently.

She coughed out some water while he supported her back.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded. He was young--only a few years older than she. The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi.

"Good." He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his head.

Dindi's hand touched skin--he was not wearing any shirt. Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed.

"It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of that," he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something. "What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than drowning?"

LINKS

Tara’s blog http://bit.ly/12dFdNy

Tara’s Twitter http://bit.ly/162sCtE

The Unfinished Song on Facebook http://on.fb.me/1400mMq

Amazon http://amzn.to/15ciwYc

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/13yM5Dr

Kobo http://bit.ly/1aFhg1P

iTunes http://bit.ly/1baddhN

Smashwords http://bit.ly/17zK8Xn

Initiate is free everywhere except on Barnes and Noble (where it’s $0.99). You can download a free .epub version via Smashwords.

Moth

My upcoming fantasy series will be set in Moth, a world torn in two -- its one half always in sunlight, the other always dark. The first Moth novel will be released on October 22. In the meanwhile, I invite you to visit the Moth website, where you can find Moth artwork, original music, maps, and more. You can even pre-order the book now! 

Begin to explore the world of Moth here:http://DanielArenson.com/Moth

Pre-order your copy (Kindle) here:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FI4BYEE

The precious...

I was looking everywhere for my wedding ring, and... damn. Somebody stole it.

Dragons...

Some dragons keeping me company while I write the books...

200,000

Today I sold my 200,000th book. What a crazy milestone.

Thank you everyone who bought a copy!

So... what's next?

I recently released A Night of Dragon Wings, the third and final Dragonlore novel. This completes the second trilogy set in Requiem, following 2011's Song of Dragons.

Wow. Two Requiem trilogies. Six novels about this troubled kingdom of dragons.

The question now is:  What's next?

The answer:  The Dragon War, a third Requiem trilogy.

This one is about an uprising in Requiem. It's about a terrible, bloody civil war that's tearing the kingdom apart. It's about a cruel tyrant and a scattered, almost hopeless rebellion. Requiem has defeated enemies from across its borders; its never had to fight itself.

The Dragon War is set seven hundred years after the events in Dragonlore. New readers can leap into the saga here. For fans of the older books, this continues Requiem's story.

The first Dragon War novel, A Legacy of Light, will be released this spring. I can't wait for you all to read it.

Thank you everyone who's supported these books!

Daniel