Ask the Author: Marc Secchia
Answered Questions (42)
Marc Secchia
Hi Karen, thanks for asking. Yes there will be #6 "A Dragoness for Winter's Storm" and #7 (maybe titled) "Awing to the Stars" ... both are written and 6 is now fully proofed and corrected as of last week. I need to get the covers done and then they will be raring to go so I'm really looking forward to that!
Marc Secchia
Hey, thanks for asking! Glad you loved this one. If you're keen to sink your fangs into a few more books set in this world :), here we go:
1. Dragonfriend series, (4 books)
2. Pygmy Dragon (2 books)
3. Aranya series (4 books) + Chaos Shifter (book 3.5 of this series)
4. Tytiana (1 book)
5. The Dragon Librarian (2 books, series not yet finished - parallel timeline to Dragonfriend)
6. The Islesong series (3 books) is ALSO set in the same world, but in a very different part. Parallel timeline to Dragon Thief.
So ... just a few books, ha ha. Thanks again for asking! Give me a shout if anything's unclear ... I did end up confusing a few readers with my intersecting timelines, but this would be my recommended reading order.
1. Dragonfriend series, (4 books)
2. Pygmy Dragon (2 books)
3. Aranya series (4 books) + Chaos Shifter (book 3.5 of this series)
4. Tytiana (1 book)
5. The Dragon Librarian (2 books, series not yet finished - parallel timeline to Dragonfriend)
6. The Islesong series (3 books) is ALSO set in the same world, but in a very different part. Parallel timeline to Dragon Thief.
So ... just a few books, ha ha. Thanks again for asking! Give me a shout if anything's unclear ... I did end up confusing a few readers with my intersecting timelines, but this would be my recommended reading order.
Marc Secchia
Thanks for asking. Yes, I'm writing Book #2 as we speak. I took a bit of time to finish some of my other dragon series, so sorry about the delay (started too many projects at once). I'm looking to publish "The Dragon Loremaster" by March next year.The plan is then to write all the way through to the end of Book #3, as yet unnamed.
Marc Secchia
I'm looking for early next year. Sorry about the delay. It's been a rough period for me struggling with depression but really doing much better now. I'm around 50,000 words in to book 2. The plan is then to write all the way through to the end of Book #3.
Marc Secchia
Thanks for asking. I wouldn't call this an unbreakable rule :-) but you'd probably enjoy the plot twist more if you've read up to Dragonfriend #3. How are you going on the Dragonfriend series? :-)
Marc Secchia
Stay alive! There is light ... IsleSong #2 is next out, actually. Targetting Feb. The MSS in editing at the moment but we're moving house, hence the delay. I'm also writing Islesong #3 meantime, currently 48,000 words drafted. Signs of hope, signs of life :-) ... I also completed and published a 2nd edition of IsleSong #1 late last year with major changes including the all-new ending. Did you spot that one?
Marc Secchia
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Marc Secchia
Hi Squeak, thanks for asking. It's mostly up to me and the cost.
Professional narrators are sometimes willing to do a royalty share (no payment except through royalties) but that's a big outlay of time for them considering my books are 15-17 hours of finished recording. Otherwise, the charge can be $100-$250 per finished hour.
I've been slowly turning my books into audiobooks (6 of 18 so far) but it's a bit of a road where the outlay has yet to justify the investment. A company bought the rights for the Dragonfriend series so that was very helpful. Currently I have The King's Horse in production and Shadow Dragon was just released.
Anyways, since you ask I'll have to try to find someone to do Dragon Thief :-). Or I'll have to become rich and famous. I think the first might be easier!
Marc
Professional narrators are sometimes willing to do a royalty share (no payment except through royalties) but that's a big outlay of time for them considering my books are 15-17 hours of finished recording. Otherwise, the charge can be $100-$250 per finished hour.
I've been slowly turning my books into audiobooks (6 of 18 so far) but it's a bit of a road where the outlay has yet to justify the investment. A company bought the rights for the Dragonfriend series so that was very helpful. Currently I have The King's Horse in production and Shadow Dragon was just released.
Anyways, since you ask I'll have to try to find someone to do Dragon Thief :-). Or I'll have to become rich and famous. I think the first might be easier!
Marc
Marc Secchia
Yes definitely. They're by far and away my favourite fantasy creature - the most awesome and magical of all :-) has to be done! I plan to explore the Crysolitic Dragons of the far North and write a few perhaps shorter one-offs. If only I had enough time ...
Marc Secchia
Well, I'll probably get into trouble if I don't finish the series I'm working on at present - IsleSong, Dragonfriend and Aranya are at the top of the pile :-) I'm also working a little on the 6th Shioni of Sheba book.
When I find a little time aside from those, I'm polishing a few other ideas- one a futuristic sci-fi cross fantasy with dragons again (space travelling dragons, anyone?) and a couple of one-off ideas to be set in the Island-World.
At the moment, I don't have any plans to branch out of fantasy as my core work and really, my first love in terms of books.
When I find a little time aside from those, I'm polishing a few other ideas- one a futuristic sci-fi cross fantasy with dragons again (space travelling dragons, anyone?) and a couple of one-off ideas to be set in the Island-World.
At the moment, I don't have any plans to branch out of fantasy as my core work and really, my first love in terms of books.
Marc Secchia
Hi Madison, yes indeed. "Song of the Storm Dragon" will be the sequel to Aranya and Shadow Dragon. Just checking my MSS, I have 100K words done of pretty solid draft. Hope to finish during Sept and leave Oct for editing. Release very shortly afterward :-). The cover design is also almost complete. Thanks for asking!
Marc Secchia
Hi Zachary, thanks for writing to encourage me. So glad to hear you've enjoyed these books so much!
Well, I try to go back and weave things together, keep it fresh by exploring new places and ideas, and am often guilty of fighting dragon battles in my mind while washing dishes :-). I've a main thread in mind for each of the major and minor characters. I am trying to finish a few series as we speak so that I don't have to keep holding so much in my mind. It's been a great deal of fun and I'm also pleased the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Hope I haven't been pinching too much of your sleep! :-) Made me laugh this morning. Thanks!!
Well, I try to go back and weave things together, keep it fresh by exploring new places and ideas, and am often guilty of fighting dragon battles in my mind while washing dishes :-). I've a main thread in mind for each of the major and minor characters. I am trying to finish a few series as we speak so that I don't have to keep holding so much in my mind. It's been a great deal of fun and I'm also pleased the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Hope I haven't been pinching too much of your sleep! :-) Made me laugh this morning. Thanks!!
Marc Secchia
Hi Zoe, had a bit of a delay with the proofing but I'm hoping for the end of this month. Everything else is prepped, it's just the final copyediting that is outstanding now. Sorry about the delay - I can't wait, but I want it to be perfect before release.
I'm using the time productively to work on the third book in Aranya's timeline, which will be called Song of the Storm Dragon :-).
I'm using the time productively to work on the third book in Aranya's timeline, which will be called Song of the Storm Dragon :-).
Marc Secchia
Thank you - received loud and clear :-)
Marc Secchia
Well, I'm not leaving this Series unfinished. I have the 2nd and third books planned out, and if you read Dragon Thief, you may have guessed where it's all heading :-) ... it's always just the time to physically write all the books I have planned and that live in my mind.
Marc Secchia
Dear Siv, this is a series I've been desperate to get back to, not least because I love the world and the setting, but also because I left the heroine rather hanging ... I'm so glad you enjoyed it. The ocean is very close to my heart, as you can tell :-). So I'm hoping to write the second of this Islesong series and release it toward the back-end of this year, after I write the third in the Shapeshifter Dragons series (sequel to Shadow Dragon).
I had still been toying with the idea of rewriting the ending not to include a cliffhanger. Have to decide soon - what do you think?
I had still been toying with the idea of rewriting the ending not to include a cliffhanger. Have to decide soon - what do you think?
Marc Secchia
Thomas, thank you for asking. I haven't yet got a firm plan for a Dragon POV book, but I really would like to write one in the future, probably set in the Island-World as well but bringing out the Dragons' perspective.
I am hoping to have Dragonsoul out in July '16. I'm not sure currently if this will be a 3-book or 4-book series because people have been asking to see the setup of Dragon Rider Academies etc., and I hadn't originally planned to do that in Book 3. Busy replotting the middle/end of the series as we speak.
After that, I will be working on Aranya #3 and the IsleSong series, which I hope to bring out another volume by the end of the year, or thereabouts. Currently my focus is on finishing a couple of the Dragon series during the course of this calendar year.
I am hoping to have Dragonsoul out in July '16. I'm not sure currently if this will be a 3-book or 4-book series because people have been asking to see the setup of Dragon Rider Academies etc., and I hadn't originally planned to do that in Book 3. Busy replotting the middle/end of the series as we speak.
After that, I will be working on Aranya #3 and the IsleSong series, which I hope to bring out another volume by the end of the year, or thereabouts. Currently my focus is on finishing a couple of the Dragon series during the course of this calendar year.
Marc Secchia
I throw characters off cliffs and make them fly, smash hydrogen dirigibles and dragons together in huge aerial battles, engage in a touch of world domination on the side, and give the bad guys a serious kicking by heroines that don't know the meaning of 'give up'. Seems to equal epic fantasy with dragons :-). I also have a series of African historical fantasy books set in Ethiopia.
Marc Secchia
I'm hoping to have this one out in the fall. First Dragonsoul and then Aranya #3 will be next :-)
Marc Secchia
Sorry I've been travelling for 10 days in northern Ethiopia so missed your question. In brief, yes. Pygmy Dragon/Onyx Dragon is a 2-book series but it intertwines with the Aranya series ... all will become clear in Aranya #3 :-) The Dragonfriend series stands alone, as does Dragon Thief (though I'd recommend reading that one after Aranya/Shadow Dragon). Thanks!
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Jan 16, 2023 03:37PM · flag